Not Chosen

[Kender Bard]

Dreamwarp's mind whirled with a number of thoughts and emotions as she began to truly appreciate the scope of the duty laid on them. True, she didn't know the specifics, but the bottom line was that there were demons running rampantly enough that the Forces were concerned, and Soahc wanted her and Adam to Do Something About It. She couldn't help but think of the last truly major battle she had been in, when the temple was under siege. Her stomach did a flip. That had been years ago... She was not a young woman anymore, and though she'd tear the face off of anyone who suggested it, the Wrathful tended to decline after a certain point of age. Wisdom and experience could only make up so much of an aging body's deficiencies.

She pushed those thoughts out of her mind and, hand in hand with Adam, entered the Wrathful hall. "Drake!" she called out, her voice as sharp as a whip's crack. "Are you here?!"

[tuo]

The sound of a scuffle answered her call, in particular one involving Drake and a younger Wrathful. "Should we step in dear?" Adam asked with some concern, it's usually not a good idea to get involved with fights like this lest they swell to large brawls but he was also worried about the severity of the situation and didn't want to waste much time.

[Kender Bard]

"What?" Dreamwarp said, looking incredulous. "No, of course not. Kick his ass Drake!" She couldn't help but frown and add, "Quickly! We need to talk!"

[tuo]

Distracted by the call, Drake suffers a glancing blow before retaliating with an enraged assault on his attacker to more quickly finish the fight. "Man, I just don't get how this can be fun sometimes.." Adam commented with a wince as the fight was finished extra fast, with blows exchanged by both sides but with Drake walking away while the other has to pick himself up.

"What was that all about?!" Drake growled in irritation even as he gives Dreamwarp a kiss.

[Kender Bard]

Dreamwarp kissed him back and smoothed back his hair in a loving gesture. "We need to talk about serious things," she said to him quietly, her hand slipping into his. "Somewhere private."

She led her boys back to their bedroom and settled on the edge of the bed, seating herself between the twins. "Drake," she said after taking a breath. "Soahc has named us his Chosen, amongst others I imagine, in a sort of holy war against the demons that Morilanta summoned... And by us I mean your brother and I."

[tuo]

Drake responded with a blank look, still drained from his recent burst of adrenaline leaving his system. "Wait..what about me?" He asks with a bit of anger creeping into his voice.

[Kender Bard]

"Not you," Dreamwarp answered quietly. "I'm sorry." She reached for his hand to hold. "I don't know why he didn't pick you. But perhaps you could take Adam's ring? Between the two of you, I'd rather have you at my back when I'm facing down the armies of the Abyss... No offense Adam."

[tuo]

"No offense taken love." Adam responded before pulling his ring off and handing it to Drake.

Drake picks it up and peers at it, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind before deciding what's the worst that can happen before slipping the ring on his finger.

[Kender Bard]

Once the ring slips onto Drake's finger, the coloration fades away to pure bright red color and pain immediately begins lancing through Drake's body. It wracks his hand and arm as badly as if he were being forced to press against red-hot irons and only seems to be spreading.

[tuo]

For a brief moment Drake's muscles seemed to lock up from the shock of the pain before letting out a strangled cry of pain. "Get it off!" He chokes out as he desperately tries to remove the ring.

[Kender Bard]

Dreamwarp assisted, grabbing the ring and yanking it off Drake's hand. There was an angry red band around his finger where the ring had rested. Dreamwarp shuddered and passed Adam's ring back to him before picking up Drake's hand to soothe and kiss. "Drake! I'm sorry, I had no idea that would happen!"

[tuo]

Drake glared at Adam and Dreamwarp, his voice growling while his hand twitched. "You better fucking have not known that!" He muttered.

Adam took hold of the ring gingerly after seeing what it did and looked worried for Drake. "I'm sorry brother, if..if I would have known I swear I wouldn't have just given it to you like that."

[Kender Bard]

Dreamwarp looked extremely distressed. Damnit, Soahc, why would you do this? "Well fuck him, you're coming with us anyway," she declared angrily. "To do... Whatever it is we're going to do. We're not yet very sure about that part yet... Presumably right now we're just supposed to wait for Soahc to get off his big fat Slothful ass and tell us something."

[tuo]

Drake scowled as he thought about finding someone to get him some healing water to soothe his burned finger. "Well he better speak up soon! Dammit..and what about the kids?"

[Kender Bard]

Dreamwarp paused; she'd forgotten about the children.

She frowned and looked at Adam. "Well... We can't very well bring them with us on something so dangerous... Do you think they're old enough to stay here on their own? I believe so. If nothing else, Lysander certainly is, and he can mind Kura."