Awaking slowly, you see that only Asif, Rhune, and Ullar hold traces of their wounds, and only Ullar's is significant. The giddy effect of the water on Tag, and the peculiar randy effect on Xania, have faded, though the healing has remained permanent. You note that what looks like a strange raft has materialized near the shore. It has not been cut, however, as the young trees still bear their roots and branches, but have intertwined them impossibly about each other, making a more solid wall of wood than would be possible to even the most accomplished carpenter. There is no sign of the elves.
As Kyo looks at the raft his fingers dance an arcane pattern and he spits onto the ground, to ward off evil. "The demons are powerful in the magic.... What evil can Kyo fight that they cannot, when they can control the growth of trees?"
Looking at the boat as she slips on the rest of her clothes having stripped down to just her tunic, "Hmmmmm.... I have never seen a boat such as that one. It looks sturdy enough," she says trying to figure out if it is big enough to hold them all including the horses. After putting on her chainmail, "Well, it would seem that to find any answers to anything we must go to the center of the lake. Shall we leave then?" Rhune asks the party.
"Well, as soon as we finish breakfast and pack up our stuff," answers Forte. "I'll test raft," He walks over to the raft, hops up, and walks up and down the intertwined trees, noting how the structure reacts to his massive weight. When done, he walks back over to the group and says, "When we put it in the water, I'll test it again before anyone else gets on."
Kyo just nodded not trusting the craft in the least. "Good, you...test it," he said hesitantly, not completely sure he used the word "test" correctly.
"Let's test it together," says Ullar, laughing with Forte. "If we both can jump on it, without it making a cracking sound, I feel safe."
"However, are we going to take our horses with us?" asks Ullar, looking at the size of the boat and pondering whether that would fit.
Dakath examines the raft, dubious about setting sail to the middle of a lake, when he can't swim. He places his backpack, etc. onto the raft and then gingerly steps onto it, waiting for the others to follow suit.
"Who else can swim?" asks Xania. "Let's put the folks that can't toward the center where, hopefully, they'll be least likely to fall off. I would recommend not wearing your armor for the trip," she smiles wickedly. "Though lets tie it to the raft so that we can make sure to retrieve it when we reach the isle."
Rhune is about to put her armor on as Xania says this, "Yes perhaps you are right. While I can swim, I can't do so very well in chainmail," she says taking the armor and putting it in a bundle.
"Kyo not swim. Kyo not happy...not happy at all." The savage foreigner begins to mumble under his breath in his native tongue as he packs his sparse gear onto the raft.
"Kyo not smell good. Kyo not smell good at all," Xania mutters, thinking seriously about turning over the raft at some point just to make Kyo take a bath. The savage looked over his shoulder at Xania and looked away and began mumbling once again, sounding genuinely hurt. "Kyo not stink, Kyo smell like man. Make fun of poor Kyo because he smart enough not to swim in Demon water."
Xania rolls her eyes, but with no skill in the art of compassion, wisely remains silent.
"Armor? What armor?" Forte grumbles when he hears Xania's recommendation.
"Well, if we live, we'll have money. This means you can buy some new armor. Maybe two sets?" Xania grins at the warrior.
"At the rate I go through them, I'll probably need to buy 20 sets every year!" Forte grins back at Xania.
"Well, I plan on earning quite a bit of money, so, maybe you should buy part of an armory? Ensure your own profits, as it were," Xania replies.
"Not a bad idea," muses Forte. "We'll see how long my next armor lasts. Then I can decide how much to invest in an armory...when we find one...or I build one...."
"We still have that platemail and that helmet to work on," says Ullar, feeling sorry for Forte not having armor, again.
"Perhaps we can buy you a platemail too, with the gems we'll get for this dirty job, as Dakath tends to put it," is Ullar's remark.
Forte looks thoughtful for a moment. "Perhaps, with my current money and my share of the gems, I will be able to purchase some plate mail." Forte looks down at the large chest-hole in his tunic. "And maybe a new tunic, or two," he adds with a grin.
Kyo nudged his leather and bone scale armor with his toe. "We can go hunt...and Kyo make you good armor like his." He is beaming with pride at the notion.
As he sits on the raft, Dakath removes his studded leather armor, in the vain attempt to stop himself drowning should the situation arise.
Xania, noting his apprehension says, says to him quite seriously, "You won't drown while I have breath left in my body."
Dakath smiles at her and nods, "I'm comforted to know that."
Ullar shakes his head in disbelief, overhearing the two lovebirds.
"I'm curious how long this relationship will last. I'm sure that the first fight between the two of them will end up with one, nearly, in a coffin. Ah.. if Xania would hear me, her 'stunning' answer would probably be that they'll never fight," says Ullar to himself, softly, ensuring Dakath and Xania can't hear him.
"Ah well," he says, raising his voice. "We'll see what comes from it all."
Stretching lazily, Amibar rises and gathers his things. He starts preparing breakfast, as he eyes the raft uneasily. He has never traveled on water before, and the raft does not instill much confidence in him, having no sides or railings. Still, he is intrigued by the spokesman's words of the night before, and is anxious to get going despite his trepidation.
Rhune makes ready to follow Dakath into the boat.... "What are we going to do with the horses? Dakath is that boat big enough for them as well? Or do we just leave them here for the time we will be gone?" she asks him though her questions are general in nature.
"Perhaps the demons will watch them?" Xania asks, looking around.
"They might. I hope so. I don't want to lose them," she replies to her then realizes Xania's choice of words, "Demons? Not you too?" she says with a smile.
"Well, after that *lake* experience, I'm not calling them angels," Xania retorts, grinning wickedly.
Dakath chuckles from the raft, "You can't argue with them for living near this lake can you?" he turns and smiles at Xania.
"Hell, no. Although they say it doesn't affect them this way," Xania retorts.
As the raft is certainly nothing close to large enough for the horses (to hold ten people and nine horses would be beyond the capacity of all but a large barge, which this raft certainly isn't), the group leaves them tethered to the trees in the area. You all have the feeling that they will be in much less danger than you will.
"I am used to steering such as this, Signora, though the Gondola of Venezia are much sleeker and more elegant. If only I had brought one with me, Si. I also swim competently."
Tag tries to find a long pole or a branch suitable for steering the craft. Before boarding he takes off his armor and ties it on the raft as suggested by Xania. He looks to the safety of Beatrice also, finding her quite content with the other horses on the shoreline.
"I hope the lake folk will guard our equine friends."
Once everyone is boarded safely, he pushes off from the shore and confidently poles the raft gently toward the center of the lake.
As he does so he sings softly. "We're called gondolieri, But that's a vagary, It's quite honorary The trade that we ply. For gallantry noted Since we were short-coated, To beauty devoted, Giuseppe\Are Marco and I;"
When morning is breaking, Our couches forsaking, To greet their awaking With carols we come. At summer day's nooning, When weary lagooning, Our mandolins tuning, We lazily thrum.
When vespers are ringing, To hope ever clinging, With songs of our singing A vigil we keep, When daylight is fading, Enwrapt in night's shading, With soft serenading We sing them to sleep.
"We're called gondolieri, But that's a vagary, It's quite honorary The trade that we ply--"
(Gilbert and Sullivan from 'The Gondoliers.')
"Shhhhhh," hisses Xania, "who knows what guerillas lurk in this mist!"
"Hmmph!" says Tag and ceases his singing. "It seems we have a bad crowd in today. We shan't give them anymore then shall we," he says to no one in particular.
As Forte and Ullar leap upon the raft, they hear not the slightest creak, though the stems do yield slightly to the abuse, only to return to their former shape within seconds. Confident the raft will bear them, the group begins slowly to board it, carting along their bundles of gear.
The larger men push the craft out into the water, though Kyo will have none of getting himself wet, and it floats smoothly along as they leap aboard, only tottering it for a moment, frightening some of the smaller non-swimming members who have a moment of unsteadiness.
Though the sun shines brightly upon the shore, all notice that it is much dimmed once you penetrate the lake. The perpetual mist clouds it and chills the air, making it actually somewhat like a Roman steam bath, though not with hot steam. It is rather peculiar, and somewhat uncomfortable. You cannot see for more than a few yards ahead of you, and only hope that you are aimed in the right direction. Even though Taglio drafted the boat out with his pole, he finds that soon the lake is too deep for such guidance, and within moments, you have no idea where the hell you are headed. However, the raft seems to have a mind of it's own, as it slowly and consistently propels itself away from shore, hopefully toward the center isle.
Suddenly the group hears some strange buzzing noise, almost a fluttering, surrounding them, darting back and forth. Suddenly several disturbances rise in the water, as something small hitting it, and Ullar sees a tiny arrow strike the raft right next to him. Taglio feels another tiny arrow impact his upper right chest, but does not penetrate the tattered chain there. Dakath feels one hit him in the right foot, and his eyes briefly become drowsy, but he shakes it off. Kyo is not so lucky, as the tiny dart finds it's way past his armor on his right breast, and he almost immediately falls to the deck with a distinctly unpleasant expression on his face.
Distinctively uncomfortable at being attacked on a raft, Dakath decides to go with his instincts and he falls forward onto the raft floor in as good an imitation as Kyo as he could do.
"Ahh! Cupid has unleashed himself on us, Si. But, the god of love does not put people to sleep! Perhaps it is evil imps with poisoned barbs. Show yourselves you cowardly braggarts."
Tag draws his rapier looking for an enemy to fight.
Forte attempts to get his bow off his back.
"Bloody hell," curses Xania. "I can't see a damned thing," she growls under her breath.
She tries to pinpoint a specific direction the arrows are coming from, not expecting much success.
"Stay as flat on the raft as possible, or, er, I don't know. I hate combat!"
Ullar removes the breastplate of the platemail from his backpack and keeps it in front of him.
"Yeah, yeah...I know I look stupid," he says to those staring at him, "but I don't see a thing and it seems that those arrows are poisoned or something. At least I have something of a shield now."
"Uh, couldn't you use the shield you took from that last tomb?" asks Forte, frantically looking for his arrows, or anyone else's arrows he can get to quickly.
"What shield...?" Ullar replies.
Rhune looks around trying to penetrate the mists to see who or what is firing at them. As she can't do so she goes over to Kyo and carefully attempts to remove the tiny dart...silently wishing that she had put on her armor now instead of leaving it off. "Be careful everyone," she whispers not sure at all what can be done at the moment.
As the group looks about in frustration, the tiny arrows whistle down toward all except Dakath and Kyo. Forte manages to unleash his bow and put an arrow to the string, but it is no easier to identify the attackers, and he is forced to wait until a dart comes flying down to fire in response.
Several of the missiles come flying toward him, apparently in response to his raising his own great yew bow, but his is fortunate in that none of them manages to hit him, though one just narrowly misses his cheek. He fires into the misty sky hoping for a streak of luck, but is not rewarded. Ullar feels the sting of one of the miniscule arrows hitting him in the right leg, but he does not feel the effects of the poison, if indeed it is so. The wound is nothing to speak of, and he ignores it. Tag stabs his rapier into the sky, but has no joy.
Amibar sees one of the darts hit the deck next to him while Asif manages to dodge another with blinding speed. However, a second nails him in the right groin area, eliciting an anxious gasp from Rhune. However, the wound is again nothing to speak of, and Asif does not feel the effects of the poison any more than Ullar did. However, it appears that one of the things has come closer, as Asif feels his turbaned helm ripped off his head and tossed out into the water. He reaches out but sees it sink into the lake.
"Asif!" Gasps Rhune as she sees the second arrow strike her love.
Tag once again thrusts his sword into the air, but cannot even tell if he was close. Forte, however, seems to have finally gotten lucky with his longbow, as he hears a shrill shriek when his arrow flies into the air. Briefly in the mist, a tiny winged figure appears. It is not more than a foot high, and it's wings flutter madly, presumably creating the buzzing noise. It holds a tiny bow in it's hands. Then just as quickly, the little thing disappears again, not into the mist, but simply vanishes. The attacks continue....
As Amibar sees Forte downing the creature, he quickly gets out his sling, waiting for an arrow to show him the location of the shooters. He swings above his head, and lets fly a bullet into the mists. It sails out ineffectually.
Asif catching sight of the creature ever so briefly, reveal his total incomprehension as to what they are as he growls.
"Be gone wind devils!!! Curses upon you, you annoying desert lice. By Aten be gone this instant or shall bottles be found for you."
"ARgh!," Ullar calls out in frustration. "Can't we speed up this raft any further. I hate being unable to do anything while being attacked."
"I can't swim and I don't like falling into sleep after one of those darts to possess some kind of poison. The one that hit me just now didn't reach my system, I guess."
"Would fire help? Can we lit torches, and make them a little wet so that we have more smoke?."
"Or do we have a sail were we all can sit under?"
As fighting in a tunnel, Ullar is frustrated that he can't do a thing. Poking in the air with his spear is not an option for the gladiator, as he haven't seen their attacker yet.
As there is no sail and the option to light smoky torches is tenuous and slow, neither option is taken up.
"How can we fight an enemy which we cannot see, my friends, perhaps we should parley with them?" Tag shouts into the mist. "Cease your attacks, pretty creatures, for we come in peace, if you are of good hearts then we mean you no harm. And see we have one of the faerie folk with us who is already our friend."
Tag points at Rhune.
With those last words in mind, Ullar start watching Rhune. He is expecting some curious look from the elven lady, for she is no faerie in his eyes at all. However, the warrior appreciates Taglio's attempt to start reasoning with their attacker(s) so he keeps quiet.
Seeing the tiny creature, "Faeries! They are faeries. Their tiny arrows will put you to sleep," she calls out to her friend in Italian. Then in Elvish she calls to the Faeries, "Stop! we mean you know harm. We were sent by those living by the lake to see what is causing harm to the Lake. Please, stop and help us," she is hoping that they will listen and have not been corrupted by whatever is causing the Lake problems.
There is no response to either attempt to call out to the faeries. In fact, their buzzing becomes more frenetic, and you suspect another volley of arrows is on the way.
Xania waits for the buzzing to draw near again. As the tiny arrows continue to be fired, she aims toward the area of most and closest buzzing and lets loose with a spray of color.
As usual, Xania's spell is effective. Almost immediately, the buzzing stops, as do the arrows, and you see five small bodies appear suddenly in the sky. They fall to the water, clearly stunned by the color, floating there peacefully. The group hears a brief buzzing overhead, which fades slowly.
"Well done, princess! I must learn to do that," Tag claps for Xania. "I wonder if there is some way to get this craft to go ashore more quickly?" Tag looks around for something to paddle with. "We should get ashore, before the next attack comes, Si."