Three goblins, easy to deal with, nine difficult, five well. He was clearly the supieror of the large goblin who continously gave up ground and barely defended himself. Oberron was attemopting to deal with the better skilled goblin first as he used the sword that Alynia conured up for him. It was heavy and not too balanced but very effective. All ready he reduced the number of goblins from nine to five, though defending himself against nine or ninety goblins would have made no difference, it was defending Alyina too which was the difficult thing.

Tog commanded the flank though as the two goblims tried to press in Oberron;s silver clothes emitted a powwrful light repusing the creatures so hey could not approach. He pressed in on Tog, challenging the third triplet of the goblin chief Pog. He probably had the least experience amongst the three but by goblin standards he was tough.

"Alynia I love it when you scream but now's not the time." He reached back behind him, pointed and did something without even looking. Zephyr was summoned into being, good old Zephyr who he hadn't conjured up in centuries. The air elemental appeared in the air above her head as the goblins pressed in on her she split the spear of one and while she thought it was her doing the blast of air came from Zephyr. The air elemental hovere over her head, mentally obeying Oberron's command to defend Alynia as she moved towards the tree.

The red skinned goblins glanced at one another drew their daggers and rushed up against her though it was the air element that send a gale of air rushing through the body of the first goblin killing it in a disgusting display which ended the nerve of the second who dropped his dagger and ran off.

A quick glance to Oberron and his blade pierced though Tog, with drew and the goblin collapsed with a huge gash in his chest quiet dead. The two goblins, one green skinned like Tog, the other blue skinned looked at their sub commander, stunned that he had fallen, a second later the green skinned goblin erupted black miasma from his body, shrieked and was reduce to a burning corpse in a matter of seconds.

The wound on Tog sealed closed as the sib commander leapt up to his feet as this dark energy swirled around his body and essentially from what Alynia could deduce their wa a strong necromantic effect at work here, that healed Tog from death but killed the closest ally to him.

Now without the safety net of Zog's death ward, Tog ran off screaming out a retreat. Oberron was stunned by a display of such powerful necromantic magic though had his sword at the throat of blue skin before the goblin recovered from it's stunned effect.

It immediately dropped it's weapon tossing up it's arms. It was smart for a goblin ... wo what was that, oh, yes average intelligence .... but it knew two languages for it spoke with words Alynia understood. His tone was garbled, but she could make out what the goblin said.

"I didn't like those guy's anyway."

(Wrong post )

(that's ok, I don't know how many times I posted in the wrong thread )

(Weird, I did not see your edit for the longest time... glad I can now )

Alynia let out a cry using the tree to support her weight out of pure shock as one goblin bursted. She watched wide eyed at the bloody remains. But to her relief, quickly the other goblin fled. Now Alynia was positive that such magic was not hers and surely enough she glanced upward to see some sort of hovering cloud that floated above her protectively. For the shortest time, she sighed out in relief. She felt shaky, but she was safe. Leaning on the tree for support she watched Oberron as well as she could, he was glowing so intensely she couldn't keep her eyes on him for too long.

She blinked her eyes shut just as his sword stabbed through the larger goblin.. she was almost positive that this one was Tog. She opened her eyes only suddenly when she heard a strange sound only to unfortunately see the gruesome sight of the green goblin's life force escape him. Almost over as quickly as it had happened, Tog, now fully alive, ran away screaming out in his Goblin tongue.

Alynia watched the blue goblin as he through down his weapon. It was only then Alynia began to approach them. She observed the blue skinned creature with curiosity now that it was more safe to do so. Then she glanced back at Oberron with a meek expression. She had just watched him slay five or six creatures, and she was not yet used to seeing so much death. 

"Are you going to kill him?" Alynia mutteredtugging lightly on Oberron's sleeve. She watched her husbands expression trying to read an answer before he said one. 

Alynia didn't want to seem like she was weak willed, even though that was most likely the case. She didn't want the goblin to die in cold blood while it was defenseless. "We could take it back to the castle for interrogation..." the creature seemed very willing to cooperate. "Or let him go. It's just one goblin.." she suggested weakly looking from the goblin back to Oberron. 

Alynia didn't know if she was asking for too much mercy as they stood with various corpses laid about them. Maybe it as just because she was too good natured, or she was squeamish but but she didn't like looking at the dead. So instead she looked wistfully back up to Oberron hoping be understood what she was feeling.

(unusual, when you mentioned not seeing it the other day I sent it to you via PM just in case, I've gotten notifications for posts a day after I respond to them too! Usually it doesn't matter since I see new thread respondes come in)

Zephyr faded at the conclusion of the fight, his work done as Oberron's clothes lost their brillance as Alynia approached. The goblin, who understood her tongue looked nervous as they openly debated his fate. Oberron said something in the creature's crude tongue, who responded in turn though the only word she picked up on was Reef Master. Oberron said something again and it said something Artemis something in response to what Oberron said about something he spoke to about Artmis.

Oberron nodded, said a brief statement and the blue skinned goblin rushed off. It glanced back at them a few times as it did so.

The thing was smaller than her with a flat face, pointed ears and needle-like teeth. It smelled nearly as bad as the dead ones though Oberron patted the back of her hand as it ran.

"Yes, it is but one goblin. They are vermin, and whether you kill one or one hundred their numbers never seem to go down. His speech was bad enough and that is why I slipped into his native tongue, I didn't mean to disclude you though I inadvertantly did.

"He is of the Reef Master's clan or wa, remember how I told you that goblin tribes assimilate other clans? He was one that was young when is clan fell but he is old enough to remember his disdan for his conquerors. He also confirmed that the goblins do have Artemis Blessing. They have not lost it though currently their at war with the dwarves in the far west, hings do not seem to be going well for the dwarves. If I had to guess it's probably not war yet but the goblins attacking some isolated villages. Did you know the goblins have 17 different words for war?

"I did not wish to be slowed either, I wanted to get to the glade and check it's status with all this talk about Gersham I wanted to get a better understanding of things. Returning a prisoner to the castle then coming back here would put us out too much."

He paused gazing at the weapon he held then he looked up and grinned. "This is a losey sword. It is crude, too heavy and not very well balance, but you conjured it nevertheless. I'm surprised. Conjurations tend to be much more difficult so you may have a natural talent for it. And Alynia, did I hear the snapping sound of wood?

He walked over to the splintered spear \, picked it up and inspected it before dropping it back down to the ground. "Well, a deal is a deal. You fulfilled your end of things so Oberron will have to carry out your whims and submit to you. Once ... any time at your desire. Just don't tell the other fey."

Alynia watched the goblin run away and hoped that it was a good decision to let him return. "To be honest, I'm not still positive on what Artemis's blessing is. Is it an actual blessing from the goddess? Cause if it was I can't fathom to imagine how the goblins could obtain it." she mused. 

Alynia laughed as she heard him criticize the black hilted sword. She shrugged. "Im not sure if I met or failed your expectations. But I'm surprised, I always thought I seemed to have extensive knowledge on how to balance a sword." she teased. Alynia's smile gleamed, she was happy to know she had pleased him. 

"Thank you for saving me." she added sincerely as she watched him examine the spear and quirks an eyebrow at his words. "I didn't know you were serious." she admitted biting her lip slightly. Besides she didn't even know if it was her that broke the weapon. "I-I can't hardly imagine what I'd ask of you." she stuttered reddening slightly. Alynia looked away from him shyly, last time she was to have her way she ended up bound and begging, very much the other way around. She shuddered remembering the events of last night. "But I'll keep your promise in mind..." she reassured with a thoughtful expression. Even if it ended up the other way around Alynia decided it wouldn't be too bad.

She grasped his hand pulling him forward to the direction where they were originally heading, to the glade that the Black Prince was so interested in. "Let's go, I don't do well with corpses, no matter what species." she admitted shaking her head at the bodies that were littered about. "I'm a bit interested in this glade as well... didn't you say your home was originally in Avalon anyway?"

"No, Alynia, it was your doing. I heard the snap before I was able to complete my incantation. You need not have to thank me though, in time you will grow in skill where goblins cannot hope to threaten you save for in the greatest of numbers."

He wiped the blood off of the sword on one of the bodies before walking towards the glade. "I meant what I said. Distractions weren't working so I considered some incentive. It is a rare opportunity to know you can do anything to your king and one I rarely bestow. Use it to force me to serve you in anyway you desire or keeo it as collateral to use to prevent something you do not like or want to have adjusted," he shrugged drapping the blade of the black sword sword over his shoulder he walked with her hand in hand as they made heir way to the glade. Along the way they encountered more goblins that either fled or fired a few arrows at them while fleeing to which Oberron generated zephys to deflect those arrows harmless. The wood grew more twisted and gnarled and given the amount of goblins she would have to say they were pressing into the Western edges of the forest were the goblins were far more numerous.

The glad, once beauty was a ring of black twisted flowers and the land looked dead. He began examing the trees after looking at the dead flowers.

"The Blessing of Artemis is an artifact once stolen by the dwarves from the elves and later from the dwarves to the goblins. It renews life to the person that carries it, simply put they cannot die. The acorn can be used once to restore the dead, in this case restore the forest but such blessing are rare, so rare that I have only heard of the one. I would have figured that being imorisoned so long that the eleves might have tried getting them back but according to that goblin that is mot the case."

He had been fairly quiet about the artifiacat until now when examing this damage, knowing to restore the forest would only allow Gersham to get to Avalon and thus he wa opposed of that idea, There were other portals so maybe they could cut this one off.

"Yes, I use to dwell at Avalon and will still take you there -"

He never got to finish as a gren haired shaply women about five feet in height with large pointed ears suddenly stepped out of the tree plunging a dagger into Oberron's chest causing the king to stagger back and fall, a horrid black light flowing out of the wound/

Color had drained from him and while Oberron twitched he was still conscious but growing oaler as if that dagger was shaping the pigment from his body and releasing it in a black gas of miasma.

As they walked, Alynia held herself close to Oberron. Steadily and steadily it seemed the woods grew more knarled and goblin infested though it was very easy for Oberron to protect them both. It was only a little while until they reached a clearing where the trees surrounded a large patch of dry brown land.

Her eyes fell down cast as they scanned over the barren earth. Save for a ring on black dried flowers it was empty of any green at all. Though if she really tried she could imagine it once used to be a beautiful meadow of sorts. One second she had been listening to Oberron's words spoken wih a soft sad tone until it seemed that everything was moving in slow motion. She saw the flash of green, she saw the knife being thrown but it all just seemed a bit surreal.

It was only when he fell Alynia was able to entriely comprehend what had happened. She dropped down peering at him, eyes wide watching the color slowly wash out of his face. She laid his head gently onto her lap thinking it wasn't fit for a king to lie on the dirt floor. Her soft hands stroked his face in panic. What could she do? The horrible idea that her husband was dying before her and she had nothing that could help him.

Tears of both confusion and fear were held back as she glared up at the stranger. "Identify yourself." Alynia stated firmly. If Oberron was still conscious it would be the most demanding tone he had ever heard her pick up. Even though she put on a brave face, she was panicking. From what she understood, the black gas emitting from his body was his life force. It had happened so suddenly, so fast.

"Why have you done this?!" Alynia yelled watching her husband. She was in a blur of turmoil... She knew she has to apply pressure, but that was only if one was bleeding and from what she could tell there was no blood. Alynia's hands ripped open his shirt trying to asses the wound. Alynia's mind worked quickly, though not too clearly. She winced as she ripped a large portion from the bottom of her lovely dress using it to apply preassure around the weapon. (She would've used his own shirt, but she didn't want to move him). Though the black light leaked through the cloth, it spewed out a bit slower. Alynia hoped that this was helping.

She wondered if she should remove the dagger, Alynia knew enough that this was th least thing you should do if this wEas in her own realm, but for all she knew it could be poisoned. Tears welled over slightly as her mind grew more and more frantic. "God, if I'm allowed to make you do anything, I just want you to survive." she whispered.

"You may call me Summer lovely," her tone musical, she had to be fey but who? Why? Puck? Oberron had thought about danger the night before when he was unable to walk the Shadow, did this have something to do with it?

"Sable sends her regards!" Summer spat before she stepped back, melded with the tree and passed to another. Had he been up to it Oberron would have told her all about dryads, fey that were into beguiling commonly men, a favavored treat amongst the satyrs. Bound to there trees, dying when their tree died but going no further than a few hundred feet from their tree. They could also walk between trees so she still had to have her "parent" tree close, and thus be close herself.

Fortunately the woman had little to do other than kill Oberron, Alynia was not mentioned and thus not ttacked. But Sable was dead, right? Or was this some fanatic getting revenge for a master that died?"

But Alynia was left to herself, staunching that wound as best as she could he smiled at her whispered words, his body already shrinking to the small state she had met him in, a state that she came to associate with him being nearly dead or at least weaker. He took the back of her hand weakly, it was cold but he patted it. "Really, Alynia? If that is your wish -" he pushed her back again as she heard the straining of wood. One of the trees where twisting and sickly locking but their was no doubt it was an Ent.

Using all the magic he had left Oberron channeled it into an immense ball of fire that he hurled at the creature as it came down with a thunderous branch. There was a sound akin to shattering glass as Oberron's form was hit and broke up into thousands of shards that vanished into nothingness. Only the wicked dagger used to stab him remained behind.e

The Ent Birch roared out in pain though it was clear that the delay was only going to buy her a moment as Summer returned stepping out of another tree and weaving a magical incantation that summoned up gallons of water to pour on her traveling companion.

Alynia couldn't help it, she was crying. Tears she had been trying to hold back rolled steadily down her cheeks. She didn't even have to mind to question who this Summer was or how was she related to Sable. All he could think about was her weakening husband. "You can't die!" she exclaimed in response to Oberron's weak words."What could I possibly do without you?" she said softly leaning down to kiss his cold lips. Her pearly tears fell onto his face and Alynia apologized softly. She held his cold small hand close her face, watching with watery eyes as he shrank. In the back of mind she knew this was only his form when he was close to death. 

As she looked up at the large tree giant thing she quivered with fear, but in this distraction she was pushed away from Oberron's body. She cried out for him, but it was no use. She watched him shoot a ball of flames just before the Ent struck him and Oberron shattered just as jewel did pieces into tiny pieces that vanished right before her horrified eyes.  

The Ent was flailing about, flames obviously hurting him but Alynia knew she couldn't be entirely safe as Summer came back from her tree just to conjure up a steady stream of water to quench the roaring flames. She sat there only a second longer... 

Was he dead? Alynia's tears streamed silently down her face. he couldn't be dead. There was no way, that's impossible. How could the king of the fey be taken down with a single dagger. 

Alynia stood shakily, there was nothing here for her. There was nothing she could do. She couldnt fight, she couldnt defend, she barely had the will to speak. If Alynia stayed it seemed she surely would have died. Without another thought she ran, no designated direction. Just away. Her bare feet (For they had been bare from the first day she met Oberron) slammed into the hard dirt. 

She couldn't see too clearly, just enough to avoid trees, as the tears leaked out and the wind stung her face. Alynia cursed herself for being so useless. The emotions in her heart stung her like a knife, like the dagger that had pierced her husband. Grief, Anger. She was angry at that green haired dryad, angry at Oberron for disappearing, and most of all angry at herself for how much she depended on him to stay near her.

Alynia ran until her chest heaved heavily. Her hair was horribly ruffled, but even if she wasn't a safe distance away she knew she could run no more. The black woods around her were quiet. Why was there no green? Her back hit a tree and she collapsed into a sobbing heap. Alynia had to be dreaming, this was some sort of nightmare. And in a few hours she would wake up, safely in the warm embrace of her loving husband.

"He can't be dead." Alynia told herself repeatedly trying to convince herself everything she just witnessed was some kind of cruel Fey humor. "He can't be dead." 

"Get over it already, the king is dead, lovely." Summer was standing their with a cruel grin on her features.

Surely she ran further than the few hundred feet from her tree! She was dependant on it though what she had not been aware of was that Summer was an articical creation, an assassin that was manufactured by Sable and unlike being infused and bonded to a normal oak tree she was infused with Birch ... and since Birch was mobile ... the earth trembled as tree near her uprooted coming to live! The Ent was able to animate and control a limited number of plants at once. The Ent appeared, dying trees up rooted themselves moved out of the way and replanted themselves when this magical influence faded, Birch was at one side of the area she was at while Summer was at the other. Branches reached towards Alyina then, seeking to secure her at Birch's prompting. He only did what Summer told him though Alynia could see the segments of his branches.

It had seemed that while Summer wasn't dispatched to kill her she did have a few plans for the queen ...

 Alynia's tear stained eyes shot daggers as she lifted her head watched the green haired murderer merge out of a tree. "You're lying." she spat coldly refusing to accept what had happened. 

She watched the branches reach out toward her and Alynia made a weak attempt to escape them, but her tired body was easily ensnared. Alynia barely cared, her insides felt heavy like stones, her body was weak and limp like a dirty porcelain doll. Pitiful tears still flowed down her cheeks, and her chest still heaved. Alynia's eyes concetrated on Summer's with a  harsh unforgiving glare. 

Alynia's heart throbbed painfully. Why was Sunmer so sure that the king was dead? It was impossible. It couldn't have happened that fast. She wanted Oberron back. Alynia wanted him to step through the trees and tell her it was going to be okay, but alas she was alone and in the dark about everything happening around her. She couldnt move, but Alynia didn't care. They had already done the worst thing they could to her. Alynia closed her eyes briefly steeling herself against the fiend before her.

"What do you want with me?" Alynia snarled not even bothering to fight against her bonds.

Branches from various trees managed to grasp her as she struggled feeble against them, trying to evade3 them to no avail as she was quiet tired. As a result blackish plants had coiled against her wrists holding her arms apart, Though he did not look himself at the scene that was going
on he watched there the terrain with little interest.

"Oh but it is true ], hun. Besides in another season, two at the most he would have already replaced you. HHow could you hope to replace Titiana? Yes, Oberron would have just kicked you to the curve.

"But me on the other hand."

She let a hand roll about the curve of her breasts squeezing it while the very dagger that she had used to kill Oberron trailed down the front of her dress. She smiled at her, a small grin for it became obvious that this prototype, this experimental fey did not enjoy the touch of a man like so many of it's kind but rather preferred the feminine touch of a women. It was surreal htat this was happening! One moment Summer was killing her husband, the next being chase and now ... now looking into Summer's eyes ha been erotic too, stirring up features of lust, but then she shrugged them off bot being so inclined normally saved her from a rather basic magical attack form.

Alynia's arms were strung up without a problem. She was weak, there was nothing she could do about it. Alynia tried to concentrate to attempt to use a bit magic, but her mind was too defeated without Oberron by her side. Beside she couldn't think of anything she could do to the dryad before her besides kill her. And even though Alynia wished the creature dead, she would never do something like that herself. She probably wasn't strong enough to anyway.

Alynia was emotionless as she listened to the dryad's words, refusing to let soubt be planted in her mind. Oberron had told her that he loved her, she wasnt going to allow anyone to convince her otherwise. This had happened before, and Alynia refused to let the words bother her. "Shut up." she spat, her words cold as ice. But she whimpered quietly on instinct as the dryads hands wandered over her soft breast. Alynia bit her lip refusing to let any other sounds come out, the action had just been unexpected.

She was confused, why was Summer touching her? It didn't make sense to go throug all the trouble of killing a king just to get to his queen. It was very usually the other way around. Alynia was sure that there was much more motive behind this than just to touch her. Yes, Alynia was worried but her emotions were so stone solid that it would take a lot more than a caress to breake her now.

Alynia grimaced as the dagger was traced down her body. Her eyes narrowed at Summer's horrible grin. "Don't. Touch. Me." she growled. "Or I swear, I will have the entire fey army to hunt you down." it wasn't like Alynia to make threats or be as cold as she was being, but she could not recall ever hating a living creature more than she hated the green haired one standing before her.

Summer chuckled knowing Alynia could do nothing. In her opinon when she wasn't much of a queen and even now could only bring herself to demand through words.

The hand formally on her breast moved briefly between her thighs rubbing at her sex back and forth as she grinned. "No, your highness I think not."

Her knife cut through some of the fabric of her dress soon exposing creamy white flesh to the air she grinneded as one hand reached up rubbing her breast, drawing up he bra fo that she can rub against flesh in an effort to entice her. Then leaning forward she lef her touch swirl over her nipple,

"No, I don/t think you will have the will or the ability to find me. She reached up to the tattered garment, tugging against it, ripping away the clothing as if it were the wratpping paper of aq child's give o doubt i was akin to a chi; being allowed to play with the entirity of her body as Summer exposed it for all the see.