Ruins Of Ketara: Chapters 6 & 7
Posted on Jan 19, 2017 @ 4:31pm by Ensign Lynette Ryan
Edited on on Jan 19, 2017 @ 4:31pm
Mission: Holodeck Havoc
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“RUINS OF KETARA: CHAPTERS 6 & 7
(Continued from Sarah's “Be Kind, Be Useful, Be Fearless"
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Location: USS Phoenix
Stardate: 2.17.1801.2140
Scene: Holodeck 6 - Campsite
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Fine particles of ash rose from the burning camp-fire into the twilight sky and Lynette held a firm grip on her longsword, twisting and turning the blade by the light of the burning logs. The polished blade gleamed and shone by the raging fire as she studied the fierce weapon. Lynette, who as part of this fantasy program, was playing the character of Andira, a young Brundiri woman raised in the Northlands come to conquer her rite of passage that was a proud tradition of her people. To return to home with tales of her glory and be recognised as a warrior woman of her clan. Travelling down from the icy hills, through the dense forests and sweeping plains she had come to the great city of Chemisi, the capital of the imperial nation known as Rhylan. It was there that she would let fate guide her onwards to that glory.
The burning sun began to vanish beneath the horizon marking the end of their second day of travel since they set out from Chemisi. Lynette felt the bones in her arms and legs ache underneath her armor of cured leather, but their journey had nearly come to an end as tomorrow they set out to search for the entrance to the old ruins and to what laid beneath them.
Lynette continued to admire the craftsmanship of the ornate blade within the camp-fire light and as he did she also glanced inconspicuously at her fellows that made up this small party of adventurers.
To her left sat a tall slender Elf who went only by the name of Alenn, he was a quiet soul of few words but he had an unmatched ferocity with his skill at the Bow that far surpassed her clan’s master archers. His features were profoundly striking comprising of both strength and wisdom. The strength to hold his own in a fight but the wisdom in knowing when it was necessary to fight, converse or retreat. To Lynette, this elf was very easy on the eyes and at moments she couldn’t help but glance in his direction and admire his golden skin and his emerald green eyes.
To her right was an elderly man with long scraggy salt coloured hair and a beard that draped and flowed down to his shoulders. With an outward appearance he looked quite frail and enfeebled, having great need of his staff to even walk a short distance and to the unknowing eye he was simply a frail old man with not even an ounce of strength to put up a fight. Outward appearances were deceptive and Lynette knew far greater. This man was Elestir Harphrey, a master of the arcane and elemental arts and mage high in esteem within Chemisi’s Arcanist Halls. Mages were extremely dangerous to face in battle as with the power of the elements at their beckoning they could dispose with enemies at a distance with but a few words. At this very moment though he looked quite the opposite as the elderly mage was reclined back in his chair, an old book flat on his chest and a disturbing sound of snoring that was loud enough to wake the dead.
Though he wasn’t the only one making disturbing noises as a loud deep belch drew the ire of both Lynette and Alenn, staring across from them with daggers in their eyes. Sat upon a stump was Bramorin, a Dwarf warrior and Lord of the noble Dwarven house of Gildenvein. Though with the constant belching and scraps of chicken that hung off his beard, it didn’t paint an obvious picture of him being a distinguished noble of any sort.
“What?” Bramorin snapped defensively as he picked at the stray bits of white meat from his beard.
“You have table manners that would make even a Kobold blush.” Alenn said with an equally disgusted tone and expression.
“This is called living the lifestyle and enjoying the simple pleasures. Good ale, good food and…. Not so unpleasant company.” The Dwarf turned his head to towards Lynette giving her a distinct wink and smile. She felt her stomach turn at very thought of the vile Dwarf’s attempt to seduce her.
“Eh lass.”
“Oh my god. You make me sick.” Lynette whispered softly, her fingers began to tighten around the handle of the sword that she held as the Dwarf continued his twisted and degrading version of seduction upon her.
“I don’t usually go for you tall slender types but you got some brawn to you, some meat on your bones.”
*Did he just call me fat!?* Her disgusted expression now turned to anger.
“Shut it Dwarf before I turn you into a fatty kebab.” Lynette gestured with a skewering motion. They hadn’t been together enough to know if this was common for Bramorin after hitting the ale a little too hard but she shouldn’t be surprised due to the infamous reputation that Dwarves had of consuming liquor. Ultimately though it wouldn’t have the same effect on every Dwarf that drank, but this one was having the effect of acting like a chauvinistic pig.
”What do you say we leave the old man and this sourpuss here and go into the bushes for some rumpy-pumpy.” Bramorin began rubbing his hands across his body to entice the warrior woman though it was an awkward and unappealing display due to his regular deep belching and level of drunkenness.
“RIGHT! THAT’S IT!” Lynette roared and like a bolt launched from a trebuchet the fierce warrior leapt straight over the camp-fire.
“Andira!.” The Elf was far too late with his cry of intervention as he watched in surprise as Brundiri woman tackled the sturdy dwarf, knocking him to the ground. With anger fuelling her rage, she slammed a tightened fist into Bramorin’s face repeatedly screaming and with each blow he let out a painful grunt.
“Had enough now? Or would you like some more?” Lynette mockingly asked as she now lowered her blade to his throat. Like an extension of her hand, she could feel the sharpness of the metal graze across the skin of Bramorin’s throat. The Gildervein Lord wheezed as he tried to regain his breath from the savage attack. Lynette panted in turn, not from exhaustion of her attack but from her rage. The warrior woman glanced into Bramorin’s eyes seeing her own reflection staring back at her. It was a reflection of her fury and the very moment she saw it, it scared her.
“Computer, freeze program.” Upon her command, all motion around her stopped. Frozen as if time had ceased altogether. Lynette felt slightly disconcerted to see the Dwarf’s frozen expression of horror on his face and released the tension of her blade from his throat, moving herself away from him.
“This isn’t me. Am I going nuts?” Lynette muttered to herself. The young woman had always had a problem with her temper since she was a teenager and a couple of boys at her school could certainly testify to that fact after the few beatings and ass whoopings that they received from her because they pissed her off one way or another. This was not one of those moments though. What was happening to her? Her emotions had been all over the place since that fateful day at the Point Bonita facility. That day where everything had changed.
“Maybe I do need some help” She again muttered. It was one thing opening up to Sofia as she felt an instant bond and trust with her, but she didn’t relish the fact of talking to a counsellor about her problems. She had been to see one too many counsellors as a teenager and it did not seem to help her one bit. Whether it was because she was a rebellious and hormonal time-bomb putting up a fight with them and making it difficult for them to treat or that they simply did not care she didn’t know, but what she did know was that counsellors left a bad taste in her mouth from then on.
“No.” Lynette shook her head dismissing that very thought. No, she was going to handle this herself like she always did. That one way was to focus on why she was here in this holodeck program in the first place and that was to let off some steam and immerse herself in some action. Sitting around a camp-fire and be the subject of the disgusting advances of a drunken Dwarf was certainly not it, she needed something else.
“Computer, undo the previous events and re-play program from Chapter 7.” At her command it took only a brief second for the computer to make the necessary changes to the program, the environment around Lynette shimmering. The quiet sombre but dull setting of the camp-fire that she had shared with her companions had vanished, instead replaced with inhuman screeches that roared in the distance. Obviously according to this particular chapter in the holo-program, Lynette’s position had changed also based on Andira and she found herself maintaining a combat stance holding the wooden shield tightly to her chest and brandishing her long sword.
Dusk had now set in as the day continued to fall to an end as part of the endless cycle of the world. From their camp-site, the party were now all on their feet facing towards the forest and towards the source of the unsettling screeching that came from within. Lynette wiggled her toes within her leather boots as she tried to adjust to the stance that her body had taken and not accustomed to.
“What in paragon’s light was that?” Bramorin shouted in response to the screeching that became more constant and louder as the minutes passed.
“It doesn’t sound like any beast I have knowledge of in these woods.” Alenn commented with both an expression of curiosity and fear.
“Whatever they maybe I am not putting in anything to believe that they are to be friendly.” In hearing from both of her comrades Lynette remembered this was a holo-program in a fantasy setting so she tried to make an attempt to speak in a similar fashion.
“Do you see that? In the trees?” Alenn said using his keen Elven vision to pierce the darkness. Seconds later, Lynette was able to confirm her compatriots sight as she could now see flickers of torchlight amongst the forest growth.
Lynette then was startled as the bushes directly in front of them startled to move and rustle. Something was coming.
“Everyone get ready.” Lynette tightened her grip on her sword and shield, the others prepared in similar fashion. Alenn already had an arrow knocked in his delicately carved and ornate bow. Bramorin was already building momentum in his burly arms preparing a heavy swing with his double bladed axe. A small ball of flame hovered within the palm of Elestir’s hand and his eyes glowed with a copper colour as he prepared to hurl his small arcane projectile towards a target.
“Wait!” Alenn screamed as he lowered his bow and swept his arm out to support his warning. A figure then emerged from the bushes panting and desperately trying to catch its breath.
“Kurita!?” Alenn then shouted as he rushed towards the figure. The rest of the party exchanged each other blank looks but held steady with their weapons.
“Alenn!” Lynette shouted as he watched her companion break his position to assist with this stranger that had suddenly appeared. The stranger stopped and looked up her emerald green eyes shining in the dark.
“Alenn! Get back here.” Lynette shouted once again. The Elven girl smiled as she saw Alenn approaching. That smile soon vanished as her body lurched from a heavy blow and she loooked down to see a crude arrow that had pierced her shoulder. Her body began to weaken and her eyes flickered as she began to lose consciousness.
“Kurita!” Alenn roared as she began to fall. Sprinting with arms stretched, he was able to catch the full weight of her body before it impacted on the hard ground. A continuous but different screech then erupted, like a war cry, as a shape leapt from the bushes towards Alenn. Lynette instantly saw the danger that was about to befall Alenn and cry out a warning when she felt hot gust of wind shoot past her right ear before she was able to form even a syllable. With surprise, the raging screech then in an instant changed to that of an agonising pain as the dark shape was engulfed in a shroud of searing flame. The shape writhing in elemental torment as it fell to the ground. As the flames died out, Bramorin quickly looked at the now dead creature trying to identify it from the mass of charred flesh, the result of one of Elestir’s fire spells.
“What was that old man about there being no rat men, eh?” Bramorin snorted, remembering what Elestir has mentioned earlier about them being no ratmen where they were.
“These are no normal Ratmen my dear dwarf.” Elestir replied with a certain flair of confidence in his tone to his assumption. Another dark shape then leapt from the bushes towards Alenn who continued to cradle the Elven girl in his arms. It was then that Lynette was overwhelmed with astonishment for what only lasted a few seconds. She watched in awe at Elven agility as Alenn swung his body around, like a leaf on a breeze, plunging two daggers into the Ratmens chest then wrestling it to the ground. In those same seconds with one quick flurry he managed to quickly remove the dagger from its chest and with a flick of his wrist drag the blade across the creature’s throat. The creature coughed and spluttered before falling dead.
*God damn!* Lynette thought her mouth dropped after watching the awesome display. The bushes continued to rustle more frequently now and she knew that more of the Ratmen would then be upon them. Alenn, meters in front, was going to be swarmed by these creatures and even with his swift movements he was not going to be hold his own for long.
“Bramorin, you ready to bash some heads in?” Lynette confidently asked her companion purposely trying to forget the boorish that she had the computer undo.
“Always, lass!” The Dwarf said eagerly as he slapped the handle of his battleaxe into the palm of his hand.
“Right then here we go.” Both of the warriors then rushed forward to the tree-line as more of the dark shapes of Ratmen appeared from the bushes.
Lynette rushed forward to Alenn’s position and raised her shield high in front of her managing to bash away one of the Ratmen that tried to leap upon him. With her other hand she swung her longsword in a wide arc feeling as resistance to her blade as she achieved a clean blow. Dark red blood splattered across her face as the head of the Ratman had become separated from its shoulders.
“Alenn, get whoever that is back behind us.” Lynette screamed as she deflected two more blows from Ratmen that were pouncing upon her, downing another as she pierced its chest with her now red coloured blade. There was no reply from Alenn but noticed in the corner of her eye the Elf hold the girl tightly and began to move behind them. Lynette with a quick shift of her feet side-stepped to the left to cover Alenn’s retreat.
There was a deep laughter between grunts from the Dwarf lord as he swung his heavy axe with strong fluid motions. Horizontal and diagonal swings slicing into Ratmen flesh. Bramorin was obviously having the time of his life.
Lynette was feeling exactly the same, it was exactly what she had been needing. A chance to let off steam as she fought in furious combat against these creatures. She truly felt like a warrior, a conqueror and there was a sense of exhilaration as one by one fell to her blade. That sense of exhilaration and victory was not to last though as suddenly from the darkness a blue glow burst from the darkness beyond the trees.
The Bruniri woman felt her legs immediately give-away as a blue bolt struck her chest flinging off the ground and onto her back. An icy cold sensation then started to spread from where bolt had impacted began to radiate through her body and she started lost feeling in herself as the strange magic coursed through her. She watched as a similar bolt hit Bramorin and he too was cast to the ground. In her current view, she could not see what fate had befallen Alenn and Elestir as she watched as swarms of ratmen sprinted from the bushes on all fours, but hoped they still had a capacity to put up a fight.
Lynette screamed as she tried to struggle but it was futile as apart from face she had lost all feeling in her body. She was helpless. Now incapacitated, Lynette expected for the Ratmen to take full use of this opportunity and strike. She expected their claws to begin raking into her flesh and fangs bite into her, but at least that was one advantage of having no feeling.
As with that thought she then saw one of the beasts appear before her. The inhuman monster bearing its teeth, saliva dripping from its fangs. It snarled insatiably and began eyeing her up as if the main course of his meal and it then began to lower itself down to her, strands of saliva fell upon her face followed by the Ratman’s warm but fetid breath.
“STOP!!!!!” A voice bellowed from the trees and instantly the Ratmen took notice and backed off. A sense of relief fell upon Lynette as the horde of inhuman creatures backed away but interestingly as she watched as among the horde they formed a path that splitting them into two sides. A dark robe figure then appeared from the trees encased in an ominous swirling mist of purple slowly moving forward towards the disabled party. With each step the Ratmen backed away as if terrified of this stranger.
At this point, Andira would be feeling fear take a hold of her and in playing the part Lynette began to struggle and writhe around as much as she could feigning terror as it was all part of the fun of the program. The stranger then stopped before her looking down upon her. His face was fully masked barr his eyes that glowed like the purple aura that surrounded him.
“Leave them be. I wish to have a nice chat with them first before they die.” The voice carried a sense of darkness, imposing terror with every syllable.
“Computer, freeze program.” Once again her surroundings froze and Lynette couldn't help but laugh out loud with joy with a wide beaming smile.
*This program is absolutely fantastic.* Lynette thought as her laughter began to settle but her smile continuing. The atmosphere, the action, the tension it felt so real and so exhilarating. She hadn't had so much fun in a long while and the holodeck program was doing exactly what it was for....letting off some much needed steam. Now as she regained some composure, it was time to go back to the fun.
“Computer, resume program.”
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NRPG: Okay here is what fun that Lynette is having with her holodeck program. I took awhile for me to piece this together after several attempts but finally I succeeded and am quite pleased with how it turned out.
Hope you all enjoyed and if you have any questions on the setting, feel free to ask.
Also with these final words of warning.
"Never call Lynette fat" lol
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Phillip Wright
Writing for
The Brundiri Warrior Woman, Andira
