Bloodsword: War of the Leaf

Jump Gate

A quick check of his limbs yielded that they still worked, which meant that the impact hadn't seriously injured his neck or back. 'Thank the Maker for that!' He thought wryly, rolling over onto his side. It was then that he noticed that the darkness wasn't absolute. Looking around, he could see that it was relieved by a soft, green light that gave just enough illumination for Tev to see his hand in front of his face as he carefully came to his feet. He grimaced at the tattered and torn digits. Then as he looked between his fingers, he caught sight of the source of the faint light.

"Well, I'll be!" He said softly as he fell to his knees near a wall of some sort.

"Moss that gives off light. I have never seen that before." He muttered as he poked at a mass of the glowing stuff where it was growing on the rock wall.

Suddenly a loud clattering from somewhere above his head made Tev start. Looking up, he could just make out an irregular opening of greater blackness that seemed to boil with motion. As he looked at the opening with a frown, he could just make out a familiar sounding chorus of grunts and croaks.

"Well! If it isn't my old friends." He rasped, still frowning. "Wonder why they aren't dropping in here to visit me?"

Then the opening flared with a bright blue light and, by the light, Tev could see several misshapen forms thrown back as they howled with pain. Chuckling, he turned away from the opening to survey the inside of the chamber he found himself standing in.

"I guess that answers my question." He dryly noted. "Must be some sort of magic protecting this chamber. A magic momentarily overcome by the Oracle to get me in here." By the time he had finished talking to himself, Tev's eyes had readjusted to the low bioluminescence that filled the cool chamber and he began his careful survey.

The chamber itself was just slightly taller than two man heights, rough-hewn out of the living rock and was four paces by eight in dimension, with a darker opening in the wall furthest from where he came in. He frowned again as his eyes caught sight of some familiar looking symbols, just visible in the low light, that had been written over top of the opening that led out of the chamber.

"Eh?" He muttered just under his breath as he stepped closer for a better look.

"Mardish writing down here? How, . . .hmmm,. . it says: 'Jump Portal'. Wonder what that is?" He grimaced then shook his head. "It looks like everything is pointing to this second chamber." He declared softly with one last look around the first chamber.

"And a good thing too, . . .there doesn't seem to be anything in here." A glance over his shoulder at the opening in the ceiling, which flared several times as he looked at it, accompanied by more angry chittering, confirmed his other thought.

"And I don't think I want to go back up there. Looks like the Oracle has left me to my own devices!"

Sighing and shrugging, Tev stepped through the opening into the chamber beyond. Once inside he paused and looked around. At first glance, the second chamber was much like the first, hewn roughly out of the living rock. However, this chamber had a strange heap of what looked like bones and tattered cloth along a stone shelf that had been carved into the far wall. As he peered closer to get a better look, something glinted in the dim light. Curiosity piqued, despite the dull pain that still coursed through his hands and feet, he stepped across the chamber to the strange heap of objects. Kneeling, he reached to the spot where he had seen the glint. It didn't take long before Tev felt his fingers close around a metal blade. 'A sword!' He thought exultantly as he drew the slender blade out of the rubble.

By the light of the moss, Tev could see that it was old; what was left of it's scabbard clung to the blade, moldering and rotten. But it was the blade itself that caught the bulk of the young pirate's attention. Besides the silver and gold of the guard and braided wrap of the grip and a curled dragon as a pommel, it was the sword's most striking feature. A silvery length as long as a standard rapier, yet with a thicker blade, almost like a saber, it's entire surface was covered with intricate and delicate scrolling and etching, leaving only the edge untouched. Even the blood groove was intricately decorated with what looked like some sort of wilderness scene. 'Damn!' He thought as he glanced around. 'I need more light to make out some of these images.' Spotting a particularly large piece of light-giving moss directly opposite of where he now crouched, he stood and began to walk across the chamber.