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(Chapter Summary: Travel Sick (07))
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[[Chap07Cheat|Chapter Archive]]
[[Chap07Cheat|Chapter Archive]]
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Somewhere in north eastern [[Veracia]], Imperatrix [[Anita]] is practicing her fighting skills. She's head of the [[Ensigerum]], an order of fighting monks who lost most of their fighting skills because they don't need them anymore. [http://www.errantstory.com/archive.php?date=2004-03-10 Time magic] is so much more convenient. The Imperatrix is not happy with the lack of ambition of her subjects either, who don't care about the world outside except to [http://www.errantstory.com/archive.php?date=2004-03-08 protect] their village. Word of the incident at [[Saus]] has reached them, and so has [[Chris]]. He's the son of [[Correl]], a former monk who risked his life to leave the order and obviously did not tell his son about the details of his departure. Chris is [http://www.errantstory.com/archive.php?date=2004-03-15 allowed to join] the order, though his prospects are dim.
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Over in [[Farrel]], at the city of [[Taberna]], [[Mandi]] is running a bar in [http://www.errantstory.com/archive.php?date=2004-03-31 memory of her father]. Business is slow when her long-time-no-see buddy [[Jon]] shows up. But his arrival is not unexpected, as somebody had been [http://www.errantstory.com/archive.php?date=2004-04-02 asking questions] about him and Meji. Mandi remembers a thing or two about Jon's [http://www.errantstory.com/archive.php?date=2004-04-05 good-hearted nature], and a flashback reveals that he was involved in some unspecified activities of which his mother [http://www.errantstory.com/archive.php?date=2004-04-14 did not approve]. He still feels guilty about letting his little sister [[Sara]] down, but is living [http://www.errantstory.com/archive.php?date=2004-04-07 in denial].
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Finally, the inquisitive hooded stranger shows up to have a chat. It's [[Sarine]], who's beautifully pointed ears [http://www.errantstory.com/archive.php?date=2004-04-25 trigger] a fierce reaction with Jon. Sarine is particularily interested in the book that was considered important enough to be [http://www.errantstory.com/archive.php?date=2004-05-16 hidden] not only from humans and errants, but also from elves. Too bad it went missing in Saus, along with [[Ian]]. Jon's plan is to go chasing [http://www.errantstory.com/archive.php?date=2004-05-19 old wives' tales] with Meji, for lack of something better to do. Sarine states her intention [http://www.errantstory.com/archive.php?date=2004-04-30 to help], though she is not very specific about it. During all this talk, [[Meji]] had been [http://www.errantstory.com/archive.php?date=2004-05-24 moping] upstairs, travel sick or for some other reason. Her reaction to Sarine's ears is even [http://www.errantstory.com/archive.php?date=2004-05-28 fiercer] than Jon's.
==[http://www.errantstory.com/archive.php?date=2004-05-31 Lost in the Distant Horizon]==
==[http://www.errantstory.com/archive.php?date=2004-05-31 Lost in the Distant Horizon]==

Revision as of 19:51, 21 June 2006

Table of Contents
Prologue: I Used to Believe

Chapter 1: Psychotic Mage Chick
Chapter 2: Dead Leaves
Chapter 3: The Best of Intentions
Chapter 4: Attachments
Chapter 5: Where Do We Go When We Just Don't Know...
Chapter 6: A Fork in the Road
Chapter 7: Travel Sick
Chapter 8: Lost in the Distant Horizon
Chapter 9: Worn Paths
Chapter 10: Antique lands
Chapter 11: Half Sunk
Chapter 12: Shattered Visage
Chapter 13: Don't Want This
Chapter 14: Which Yet Survive
Chapter 15: That Dream Where You...
Chapter 16: Stamped on These Lifeless Things
Chapter 17: Expectations
Chapter 18: An Interlude...
Chapter 19: Burden In My Hand
Chapter 20: 'Home Again, Home Again...'


I Used to Believe

Prologue Archive

A pregnant elf (Sarine Elle) worries to her husband about the health and safety of her half elf child in a world where the half elves are sometimes born “wrong” and elves and half elves are at war. Her husband tries to reassure her.

Two thousand years pass. Sarine appears as a mysterious cloaked figure in a western-style town. She asks questions of the locals and approaches a man drinking alone in a bar (Derren Felmel). A short conversation about local murders unnerves the man. Sarine apologizes, then cuts his throat and resumes travel as a mysterious cloaked figure.

Psychotic Mage Chick

Chapter Archive

A young half elf girl (Meji Hinadori) discusses with her familiar (Ellis) her predicament in school. She is failing and needs a spectacular senior project in order to graduate. In class, she announces her intention of becoming “An Insane, All-Powerful Demigod” and enslaving all of reality. This announcement is greeted with laughter and doubt, rather than surprise or horror. Her teacher attempts to dissuade her, but gives up when it becomes apparent that Meji has no plan at all, and likely won’t even make it out into the world sufficiently to be in danger.

Angered by being ridiculed, Meji attempts actual research. Thanks to a Deus Ex Machina spell, she discovers that precisely the information she needs to accomplish her task may be located in the “Heretic Knowledge Vault” in Veracia. Meji is determined to locate the power she needs to show up her teacher and classmates, so she begins her journey by taking a warp gate to Saus.

Dead Leaves

Chapter Archive

Introduction of the Ensigerum, though they are not named in the story yet. A monk (Warrel) times a girl (Sara Amraphel) as she eliminates a room full of men armed with guns. The girl is berated by her teacher for even as a novice allowing one of the Gewehr to so much as put a bullet hole in her sleeve.

In Saus, Meji and Ellis witness several men bullying a naïve young man, and are threatened by the bullies. Meji “resists” the bullies with perhaps excessive force. The young man (Chris) expresses his gratitude at length. Meji and Ellis finally turn invisible to escape the wannabe hero’s chatter and resume their journey only after he’s gone.

Outside town, Meji encounters a group of police searching for a Gewehr assassin. The assassin (Jon Amraphel) attempts to use her as a hostage. Meji electrocutes the police and threatens to turn in Jon for a bounty. He saves Meji’s life and decides to travel with her and pretend to be her bodyguard.

The Best of Intentions

Chapter Archive

Jon reveals that the reason he is being hunted by the police is that he was turned in after an assassination. He and Meji journey to Emerylon together before splitting up. There, Jon is ordered by his boss to lay low indefinitely, and there is a brief discussion of the recent Ensigerum attack.

Meanwhile, Meji breaks into the church library only to discover that another half elf (Ian Samael) is already there and he has the book she wants. Upon being discovered by a nun, he and Meji escape the library together. Jon leaves the Gewehr hideout just in time to be informed by a search party that two mages tried to burn down the vault.

Attachments...

Chapter Archive

Sarine, in Saus as she tracks the errants, has a painful flashback to the death of her husband/mate. This is interrupted by a random townsperson who confides to Sarine that a terrifying mage is on the loose and has trashed some young men of the town (who, of course, were the ones who had tormented Chris, and thus had it coming). The intelligence source gets annoying and is eventually commanded by Sarine to go away, as she tries to get over the flashback.

Outside Emerylon, Jon meets up with Meji and Ian. After a bit of male bonding, they all decide to travel together, and Ian reveals that his reason for wanting the book is to heal his sister and some others from his village who are sick.

Camped down for the night, the trio discusses the prevailing explanations for the existence of the various races in the world. Meanwhile, Sarine terrifies the surviving bully from Saus.

Where Do We Go When We Just Don't Know...

Chapter Archive

A long, portentous chapter that opens with Ian explaining to Meji why he's on his quest and why he has no use for elves. They start making sense out of the mysterious book, Meji noting that there appear to be coordinates for something and allowing that a battlemage friend of hers (Bani) knows more about the subject than she does. Following a carefully staged but ultimately unsuccessful attempt by Meji to get Ian interested in her "nubile, pert young body" (sic -- drollery from Ellis follows), the party continues to Saus. There, things get lively.

Jon, who has decided to sneak into town via the rooftops, has an unfortunate misstep that leads to an encounter with "Polly," the "seamstress" who busted Jon earlier. While he's disentangling himself from this, Sarine attempts to report back to the elves, but rather than getting aid from fellow rangers, is surprised and annoyed to have summoned Toren, who is an elven military commander, and an elven military unit. Toren rather condescendingly dismisses Sarine and stages an ambush for the half elves, which Ian however detects in time to avoid the worst of the magical assault. Jon, who's still trying to escape from Polly (and vice versa), hears the resulting fracas and goes to investigate...

A Fork in the Road

Chapter Archive

A violent melee breaks out between the elven military party and Jon and Ian, Meji being incapacitated by the disruption effects cast by Toren. Jon and Meji flee while Ian is still casting mighty fire spells (which have left much of the town in flames), and leave the area via a slow boat to avoid detection. En route to wherever they're going, Jon summons a memory that suggests a possible next step for the group's quest.

Meanwhile, Sarine (whose opinion of the elven raid was never high -- "Well... this certainly turned into a mess" -- and who was not part of the melee) has been healing wounded elven soldiers. She intimidates a Shipping Company Guy into telling her where Jon and Meji are going, but for reasons not yet revealed, chooses to conceal this information when she has an encounter in town with fellow elven ranger Sarna, whose opinion of humans is also not very high. Of course, her opinion of the elven army and the "Lead Dead Moron" (Toren) isn't very high either, and her body language suggests that she doesn't have a high opinion of much of anything. Condescension, we're beginning to learn, just comes pretty easily to elves.

Travel Sick

In which Chris resurfaces, Anita criticizes the Ensigerum's lax fighting skills, and Jon's horrible past is revealed.

Oh yeah, and Sarine shows up too.

Chapter Archive

Somewhere in north eastern Veracia, Imperatrix Anita is practicing her fighting skills. She's head of the Ensigerum, an order of fighting monks who lost most of their fighting skills because they don't need them anymore. Time magic is so much more convenient. The Imperatrix is not happy with the lack of ambition of her subjects either, who don't care about the world outside except to protect their village. Word of the incident at Saus has reached them, and so has Chris. He's the son of Correl, a former monk who risked his life to leave the order and obviously did not tell his son about the details of his departure. Chris is allowed to join the order, though his prospects are dim.

Over in Farrel, at the city of Taberna, Mandi is running a bar in memory of her father. Business is slow when her long-time-no-see buddy Jon shows up. But his arrival is not unexpected, as somebody had been asking questions about him and Meji. Mandi remembers a thing or two about Jon's good-hearted nature, and a flashback reveals that he was involved in some unspecified activities of which his mother did not approve. He still feels guilty about letting his little sister Sara down, but is living in denial.

Finally, the inquisitive hooded stranger shows up to have a chat. It's Sarine, who's beautifully pointed ears trigger a fierce reaction with Jon. Sarine is particularily interested in the book that was considered important enough to be hidden not only from humans and errants, but also from elves. Too bad it went missing in Saus, along with Ian. Jon's plan is to go chasing old wives' tales with Meji, for lack of something better to do. Sarine states her intention to help, though she is not very specific about it. During all this talk, Meji had been moping upstairs, travel sick or for some other reason. Her reaction to Sarine's ears is even fiercer than Jon's.

Lost in the Distant Horizon

Chapter Archive

Jon and Meji are leaving for Thranel, with a new twist: Sarine is coming along. Meji is not too fond of that, while Jon is not too fond of using a warp gate. Sarine displays her usefulness by giving Mandi an explanation for her destroyed guestroom, magical nocturnal emissions. Her attempt to disperse Jon's uneasiness about his first time by explaining the scientific details of warp travel is met with less success. At the warp gate in Taberna, Jon seems to be lucky since Thranel has no such device. Alternative means of travel are discussed, including Ellis transforming into his true form, which is not helpful. Eventually Port Lorrel is chosen as the next stop, for having a warp gate and being in walking distance from Thranel.

Arriving in Port Lorrel, Meji bumps into her old schoolmate Bani. Childhood memories arise... Bani being the new girl in school, making friends with the undergrown outsider Meji at the age of 14. We learn that not all familiars are winged cats, but some are micro tentacle monsters with password protected adult modes. Meji grew up in the house of her grandfather, who was also very supportive in jumpstarting her school career. Bani pointed out some future advantages of Meji's delayed aging, like dancing. Nowadays, Meji admits feelings for Ian, kind of.

Meanwhile, Jon and Sarine are having an intimate talk at a nearby bistro, revealing not much of anything.

Worn Paths

In which Meji tells Sarine about her origins, Jon gets caught peeking, and Sarine begins a lengthy discussion on the history of the Elves.

Chapter Archive

Antique lands

In which we learn about how the Elves came to be, the discovery of humans, the beginning of the Errant War, and not a whole lot about a terrible problem with the elven race.

Chapter Archive

Half Sunk

In which Chris gets his head handed to him, and Imperatrix Anita pays the Church a visit.

There's also some Sarine/Jon action at the end.

Chapter Archive

Shattered Visage

In which an awkward morning after is quickly solved by a memory wipe, the source of enemity between the Ensigerum and the Wraiths is revealed, and Anita ponders taking her order in a new direction.

Chapter Archive

Don't Want This

In which Meji and company find burning wagons, a place to rest, and an Elven guardian who doesn't like questions. Meanwhile, Jon confronts Sarine about some missing memories.

Chapter Archive

Which Yet Survive

In which Melrin attacks, and the group leaves town before anyone starts asking questions.

Chapter Archive

That Dream Where You...

In which Chris is demoralized by the truth of his father's past, bandits are mentally dominated and killed, and our heros finally reach the ruins of the elves.

Chapter Archive

Stamped On These Lifeless Things

In which trees grow force crystals tuned to elven blood, Meji finds what she's looking for the hard way, and Jon finds out what's missing from his head.

Oh! And Nookie and Kawaii show up. That happens too.

Chapter Archive

Expectations

In which the servants of the Gods aren't all they're cracked up to be, Sarine's world spins like a gyroscope, Meji goes and finds something to touch...


wait for it...


... and Ian does it.

Chapter Archive

An Interlude...

In which we find out everything we wanted to know about Ian, as well as where the Goddess escaped to.

Chapter Archive

Burden In My Hand

In which secret plots begin against the Wraiths, Sarine and Jon part ways, Jon finds Ellis (and tries to pawn him off), and Sarine finds an angry gate guard at the entrance to the Elven lands.

Chapter Archive

Home Again, Home Again...

In which Misa gets her ass handed to her during a prank, Sarine takes the Elven subway, Elven security doesn't measure up, and Sarine confronts the Council about certain goddess hiding places.

Chapter Archive

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