Elemental Gods (free to join!)

"Argh!", Kumo jumped on top of the worm, raking his claws down it's back. It screamed, thrashing around and trying to get him off. The worm banged itself onto the ground, squishing Kumo who was under it. "Ow!", he snarled when the worm had raised it's head again. He was on the ground, sitting up. He felt lightheaded.

"Kumo!!" shouted Jamie as she grabbed her sword and ripped the beast in half. The green liquid made everyone dirty. "Bleh... Disgusting..." Jamie shook her head and helped Kumo stand up "Is everyone alright?" she asked looking at the party.
"Yes." answered Frennz.
"Yup!" said Daveth happily.

"I could be better.", Kumo chuckled leaning in Jamie for support, "But I'm pretty good..."

"Well then... We have our earth creature" said Jamie as she grabbed a small vial and placed some of that green liquid inside the glass "To the next one!"

The party walked around the Korkari Wilds, trying to search for an elemental creature.
After crossing a brigde made of stones in the greenish water, a water serpent jumped out of it and attacked the group.
"Great! A water creature!" said Jamie and she jumped on the creatures face and started bitting its eyes.

(( This is how the Korkari Wilds look like, but it has more trees... it's more like a forest XD ))

"Rawr!", Kumo ran forward, slashing it's side and backing up. He wasn't going to hang onto it like before.

"Remember to use the gifts I gave you, Kumo..." a voice echoed in Kumo's head but it disappeared in that very second.

Kumo was able to make a big wound in the serpent's back, while Daveth threw rocks at the serpent and Frennz used some ropes to bring the beast down. The water serpent fell on the ground still alive but all stuck in the rope and Jamie finished biting its neck. The blood was clean blue and the dog kept some in the glass vial "Alright... We have the water. Let's go to the next one" she said.

(( I'mma gonna skip the fights 'cuz I'm guessing you're getting bored with this... ))

After walking through the dark swamp, the party found all the elemental creatures they needed. The wind creature was a sparrow that Daveth was able to kill it with a stone, the fire creature was a horse that was a bit hard to kill it, but Jamie used nearby water to kill it, lightning was a monkey but it was easy since Kumo was immune and was able to break the creature's neck and the ice was a bear.

Now that the party had all the blood, they could try to find the archives that Caill said. After looking a little, Frennz spotted a tower in ruins and Jamie said that it was there where the archives should be. Inside the ruins, Kumo found a chest that was supposed to guard the documents but it was empty.

"Well, well..." a femenine voice came from behind the party "...What have we here?" Kumo looked at a black she-wolf in the stairs. She seemed dangerous but also seductive "Are you a scavanger I wonder? Poking in the corpses whose bones were long since cleaned?" she asked "Or merely an intruder? Coming to these monster's filled wilds of mine in search of easy prey?" she stopped walking and standed there in front of the party "What say you, hum? Scavenger or intruder?"

Kumo looked at the rest of the party, not knowing what to say. He guessed that Jamie would answer. He hid behind her, but his tail was still up and his ears were pricked.

"We are neither" answered Jamie "The Gargoyles owned this place"
"'Tis a tower no longer..." said the strange black wolf "The creatures have obviously claimed this corpse" then she walked around the party and jumped in a broken statue "I've watch your progress for some time... 'Where do they go' I wondered 'Why are they here?' And now you disturb ashes none have touched for so long... Why is that?"

"Don't answer her" said Jamie, whispering "She looks Chasind. And that means others may be nearby"
"Ooooooh, you fear barbarians will swoop down upon you?" said the black wolf sarcastically
"Yessss.... Swooping is... Bad..." said Jamie also sarcastic.
"She's a witch of the wilds, I tell you... She'll turn us into toads!" said Daveth, nervous.
"Witch of the wilds...? Such idle fancies, those legends... Have you no minds of your own?" the black wolf rolled her eyes, then she stared at Kumo "You there, handsome lad, tell me your name and I shall tell you mine. Let us be civil"

Kumo flattened his ears to his head and glanced around. "My name's K-Kumo..", he mumbled, holding out a paw for a handshake.

"And you may call me Morrigan, if you wish" said the black wolf and Jamie held Kumo for not touching the strange wolf's paw.
"Shall I guess your purpose then? You sought something in that chest? Something that is here no longer...?" said Morrigan.

"'Here no longer...?'" Jamie sarcastically said "You stole them, didn't you? You're... Some kind of... Sneaky... Witch thief!"
"How very eloquent. How does someone steal from dead men?"
"Quite easy, it seems... Those documents are Gargoyle's property and I suggest you return them"
"I will not, for 'twas not I who removed them. Invoke a name that means nothing, I'm in no threat"
"Then who removed them?"
"'Twas my mother, in fact" said Morrigan.

"Then please tell her that we need them back.", Kumo replied, his face now calm and blank. "We need it."

"There is sensible request..." said Morrigan chuckling "I like you"
"I'd be careful..." said Jamie, whispering "First it's 'I like you' but then 'Zap!'. Frog time."
"She'll put us all in a pot, she will. Just you watch" said Daveth, still nervous.
"If the pot's warmer then this forest, it'd be a nice change" said Frennz.
"Follow me then, if it pleases you" said Morrigan and she jumped in the middle of the bushes and the party followed her.

After crossing the forest a little, Kumo could see a small hut in distance and an old wolf lady with grey fur in front "Greetings... Mother" said Morrigan, walking towards the strange wolf "I bring before you four gargoyles who--"
"I see them, girl" said the old wolf "Hmmmm... Much as I expected"
"We're suppose to believe you were expecting us?" asked Jamie.
"You are required to do nothing, least of all believe. Shut one's eyes tight or open one's arms wide, either way, one's a fool." said the she-wolf and she stared at Kumo "And what of you? Does you have a different view point? Or you believe what the others do?"

Kumo dipped his head to the old wolf lady, "I like to make my own opinions, without the help of fairy tales and legends.", he mumbled, sitting down and curling his white tail around his paws. "Thank you for asking."

The old wolf laughed "If you must protest so quickly, perhaps I should not ask? So much about you is uncertain... And yet I wonder... Do I? Ha! It seems I do"
"So..... This is the dreaded Witch of the Wilds?" said Jamie, making a funy face.
"Witch of the Wilds, ey? Morrigan must have told you those tales. Oh, how she dances under the moon... Hahahaha!!"
"They did not come to listen to your wild tales, mother..." mumbled Morrigan, rolling her eyes.
"True, they came for their documents, yes? And before you start barking I have your archives here" the old lady said and went inside the hut and came out in less then a minute "I have protected these" she gave the documents to Kumo.
"You! Oh... You protected them?" asked Jamie, confused.
"And why not?" the wolf laughed "Oh, don't mind. You have what you came for"
"Time for you to go then" said Morrigan
"Don't be ridiculous, girl. These are your guests"
"Oh... Very well... Follow me" muttered Morrigan and she guided the party until the camp of the gargoyles.

----

When they arrived, it was already night time and Caill saw their return "So, you returned from the Wilds" he said "Did you achieved what you needed?"

"Yes, Caill.", Kumo took out the documents and gave them to him.

"Excellent. I have the mages prepare the ritual with the blood you got" said Caill.
"Now will you tell us about this Ritual?" asked Frennz.
"I will not lie. We gargoyles pay a heavy price to become what we are. You'll need a great courage to face what's next"

"We have come this far" said Daveth "I'm not afraid to face the rest"

"Yeah, me either.", Kumo nodded, standing up next to Daveth.

"Then let us begin..." said Caill, calmly "Jamie, take them to the old temple"

----

At the old temple, the three recruits were getting impacient since Caill was taking a while. Jamie was only sitting there with a blank expression.
"The more I hear about this ritual, the less I like it..." mumbled Frennz, walking in circles.
"Are you complaining again?" said Daveth.
"Why all these dammed tests? Have I not earned my place?"
"Maybe it's tradition, maybe they are just trying to annoy you"

Kumo rested his head on his paws. This is going to take forever, he thought, looking over at Jamie.

"At last the time for the ritual..." said Caill, entering in the temple, holding a goblet.
"It has been said that the first Gargoyles drank of elemental's blood and mastered their immunity"

"We... Are going to drink the blood of those... Those creatures?" mumbled Frennz.
"As the gargoyles did before us. As we will do with you. This is the source of our power and our victory" replied Caill.
"Those who survive have a great immunity against the elements. We can sense it in the soldiers and use it to slay the Maker" said Jamie.

If we don't get sick and die first from this., he thought, quickly sitting up.

"Wait... Those who survive?" asked Daveth.

"Not all who drink the elemental's blood survive, and those who do are forever changed. We speak a few words prior to the Ritual, but these have been said since the first... Jamie, if you would?" said Caill, staring at the dog.
Jamie nodded and looked at the ground "Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that can not be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten. And that one day we shall join you."

Caill grabbed the goblet with the red liquid inside "Daveth, step foward" the commander said and gave the goblet to Daveth and he drank a little.
Everyone gave a few steps back and Daveth started screaming and he placed his paw on his neck, while his eyes turned completly white and started bleeding. "What the...?!" exclaimed Frennz, watching in horror as Daveth fell on the ground.

"I'm sorry, Daveth..." said Caill.

"Nooooooooooooooooo!", Kumo screamed, running up to the fallen Daveth. "Please live..." He mumbled, nudging him. He held back tears. This is exactly why I don't try to attach to anyone, they always die...

Jamie placed her paw on Kumo's shoulder "He's gone..." she muttered in sadness.
"Frennz... Step foward" said Caill, walking towards Frennz with the goblet.
Frennz, in panic, shook his head and removed a knife from his pack "B-But... I have a mate... I child... Should I know..."
"There's no turning back..." Caill said, coldly.
"N-No! You ask too much! Th-There's no glory in this!" mumbled Frennz, giving some steps back from Caill. The commander placed the goblet in the stone and table and Frennz tried to attack him, but Caill was more quickly and broke Frennz's neck with his jaws.
"I am sorry..." muttered Caill as he watched Frennz falling on the ground with his neck broken. "But the Ritual is not yet complete. You were sworn to protect your home from the Maker" Caill said and gave the goblet to Kumo.

Kumo gulped, staring down at the goblet. He lowered his head, taking a couple of licks. He took a step back, shaking his head and sticking his tongue out in disgust. It tasted horrible. But he didn't seem to be any different. No bloody eyes or anything.