Cursuv: (From his hiding place) Mutters "Great, real stealthy"
*To the part of the team with him* "Well, there's a bunch of sligs with-" *hesitates, then decides to exclude Rope* "...with Drake and Nig, about half a dozen. The're not dead, but I don't think that the're attacking eachother. One part or the other are probably unconcious or something... wait, Nig and Drake are moving, the sligs are unconcious... and being tossed around."
"Well, there was a group of sligs following us after all. We should congratulate Drake for his amazing powers of foresight. Now what? Should we wait? Should we go to them?"

drake:"im gonna go back to the group and get help"

drake runs off into the distance and reaches up to the group.

drake:*to everyone*"come on guys we need your help disposeing of the sligs.

drake leads the rest of the group to the sligs and eveyone starts picking up bodys and hiding them.

Nig's busy hiding sligs, when he gets another vision.
Forest... nearby... soon.

Vision:
"Pyre, what's wrong"
--
"Help them, we-"
--
"Blood everywhere! Nig, h-"

Nig: *voice shakeing slightly* "Uh... guys... We've got to go, now.
*to Drake* Ignore the sligs, we need to go, NOW! Trust me, Drake. No time. Uh...

Rope! How many socks have you got ready, pass them around. We need to leave this entire area... get away from the forest... go anywhere! No trees, there musn't be trees... any ideas, Rope?"

drake drops his slig and walks upto nig

drake:"what the fuzzles has got into you???

Nig: *still paniced*"Drake, there's no time. Unless you want to risk the entire party, we need to get out of here now!

Rope, what's the quickest way out of the forest, or away from the factoy?"

drake:"......wait a minute....AWAY FROM THE FACTORY!!......have you lost your mind after all this all you have to say is lets leave......you guys go im gonna finish the mission....nig take the people who want to leave"

Nig: "Drake, there's no time! Unless you want to get killed, I sugest you follow me, this isn't a joke!

There's no time. You want to know why? Someone gets seriously hurt, and I think it's Brooke. We can't stay here. Trees and blood, that's what I saw, and trust me, I'm right about these things."
*stands in from of Drake, eye to eye*
Nig: *trying to keep his voice calm* "We need to go... now."

drake:i dont know whats gotten into you but im not going !ANYWHERE!....now move or ill make you move!!!"

Cursuv: "Wait! Drake, why were you selected above other muds by the shamans to go on this mission? Because you have powers! You can do all those funny things with ice and that sword! And you aren't the only one! I have detection powers! Brooke healed you! Pyre can handle fire! Do you see a pattern here? I doubt that Nig would be a run-of-the-mill mud! If he thinks that we should keep away from the factor-"
*Gasps for breath*
"- From the factory, I agree with him."

Rope, just now noticing (ooc: my browser has been a bit fussy lately, sorry) he was being called upon, quikcly handed a pair of his Sneaking Socks--Sneekers, he called them--to everyone.

Rope: Out of the forest? Well, uhh ... (plots a route mentally) ... I guess it'd be about a twenty minute walk north of northeast. Any particular place you want to go, or is outall that counts? And maybe, Nig, you could explain what it is you saw?

Nig *still facing Drake* "Fine... I'll try to explain"

*turns around to face Rope, while raising staff carefuly to catch Drake on the neck*
*catches Drake before he falls, unconcious, to the ground*
Nig: *putting Drake over his shoulders to carry him* "At least now all of us can stay together."
*looks at the rest of the group*
Nig: "Everyone follow Rope, the quickest route the better.
*sigh*
I'm not too sure what I saw. All I know is that Pyre get's angry and I feel responsible. There was blood everywhere, possible broken up bodies...
just... it was too much to take...
...but I can't be sure where it happens. All I know is that trees aren't safe now. Besides, Cursuv and Rope both know that there are sligs pouring into the forest now, we need to regroup and replan our actions

*to Rope* Are there any... hidden caves, or sheltered areas that the sligs mighn't know about? Anywhere you think we'll be safe that isn't near trees"

Rope grins.
Rope: Don't I know it. I have a little underground hideaway we could hang out in for a while ... but it's going to be a long walk.
But, didn't you want to get out of the woods? Sure, I can still take you; it won't bother me either way. If we were to leave, like, right now, and we don't stop for anything, we could stay about two minutes ahead of the sligs the whole time, and make it into my shelter before they knew what we were up to.
So somebody call it--I'm just playing Tour Guide.

Nig: *hearing Drake groan and stir on his shoulders* "Fine, you lead. At least with this guy out of it for a while, we'll keep making ground. Uh... I don't know about underground, but if it's the closest and you're sure it's safe, then I guess it's the best"
Nig starets to think:
Two minutes ahead... that should be enough...
underground... maybe, but can I risk it?
I need to get these guys away from wherever that vision was... can't risk another injury... now to work out what to say to Drake when he comes around

Rope shrugs. He decides that if they stay off the path, it'd be a shorter walk to his cavern.
Rope: Okay. Allaya, follow me.
Rope turns around and starts to jog off the path and into the underbrush. The only sound heard when he enters is a brief rustle of leaves.

drake wakes up
drake:"*sigh*you better have an good explanation......"
drake grabs his sword his sword and holds it over his back
drake:"ahhhhhh....nice and cold.....but its getting hotter everyday"

Cursuv: (To Drake): "Ah, you're up. I don't know if you remember it, but I resent my great speech being turned into a simple distraction. Mind you, it got the job done."
*Updates Drake on the situation*

Rope calls back at the group from twenty yards away.
Rope: I said "Follow me!" Now come on!

Nig: "Alright, everyone follow Rope... and try to think of some plans for our next move on the way. Best to keep quiet, but above all keep moving."
Thinks: Great, Drake's woke too early... still, he might find the physical aproach harder to ignore or retaliate against... or else he's waiting till my back's exposed!
NO... don't get paranoid.

drake:"sigh.....why is it whenever we travel im on someguys shoulder.....next time can i be in a strecher at least"

drake hops off nig's shoulder and starts walking with the group

drake:"ahhh.....this feels much better...at least i dont have some guys shoulder stuck in my chest"

Rope leads the group along, quickly guiding them around his own personal traps (a guy's gotta eat, you know), and they make little to no noise, thanks to the sneekers they all wore.
The walk was rather uneventful, and went on without a hitch.
Until something alarming occurred to Rope.
What if the "generator" that Drake destroyed wsa some kind of decoy?
Rope thinks to himself, No time to worry about that now ... I'll ask him about the thing when we get to the Grotto ...

(I think we worked out that either Drake destroyed the actual generator or it's backup, but I guess it could have been a decoy. Interesting twist, Dave.)

Nig: *to Drake* "Well, at least both times it was an ally and not some Glukkon's tool. You're lucky you've been in a group, even if it does make you a little uneasy. Just relax and trust others. Ten years isn't enough to remove your social side."

(ooc: Thanks, Adder. I thought it may spice things up a bit)

The remainder of the walk is spent in relative silence, and Rope eventually spots the entrance to his Grotto.

Rope: Alright people, step lively, we're just about here. Keep quiet, and keep low.

drake:"*to nig*yeah well you have no idea...what it's like being an outcast running from glukks and sligs for TEN YEARS!......even if you did know maybe...just maybe you would now what has happend to me!"

Pyre followed Rope to his hideout. He felt anxious and unsure what to do or what to think. He didn't trust Drake at all and just the thought of him and his absurd plans made Pyre shiver.
And now that they had to sit around in a old, stuffy cave didn't make Pyre feel any easier.

He sighed loudly. He slumped against the moist wall and sat down, his back sliding against the wall and looked at his shaky hands. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists.

He had to get out.

**Pyre's thoughts**

"It's happening again. I can feel it."

*sigh*

"The flames burn deep inside me... deep down in my heart. I'm not longer the master of myself."

....

[/I]"...help..."[/I]

**end**

Pyre's eyes shot open and he looked around. They all were there.
Pyre couldn't help not to smile, he liked all these fine mudokons around him, even Drake.

Nig: *to group* "Okay, we need to work out our next few moves. Since the area is swarming with sligs, we can't just go on an all-out attack.
Anyone got an idea on how to get into the factory, and the best thing to do when we get there?"

Rope thinks about telling evreyone about the food and (however crude) furniture he had a little farther in the cave, a little down the way, but decides not to. The others wanted to talk business. He makes his way over to where Drake has seated himself, and leans against the wall behind him.

Rope: Yeah, Nig's right. They're probably on full alert, and will be for a while yet. I'll bet my feathers that there'll be slogs crawling out of every crack.
So we need to find a way to sneak past the sligs unnoticed ... and if you want to risk it, I might--strong emphasis on might--have a way around it al ... who's interested?

drake walks over to rope

drake:"ok sounds like a good idea im in"

drake grabs his pack and goes and sits down and takes some food from his pack

Nig hands his water skin to Drake.
Nig: "I know how you seem to need it more than the rest of us."

Nig sits in silence for a while, before talking to Rope.
Nig: "So... how risky is this way you have? And what is it?"

Rope shrugs.
Rope: Well, remember that project I told you about when we met (ooc: look here, I'm not making it up now), the one about the camoflage body paint?
I'm willing to try it out, if you guys are game. I mean, it's not perfect, in that it probably won't last too long ...
Wanna try it out?

drake:"thanks nig...."

drake fills up his pack and throws it over his shoulder.drake turns to rope

drake:"ok...im in"

Nig: "Well... I guess it's the best thing for not being seen. All we need to work out is where we're going to, and what to do there. I doubt it'll be very effective once we're inside, unless you have a second coat for industry."

Rope winces--he hadn't thought of that ...

Rope: Uhh ... no. But at least we can get inside now. And that's good, right?

drake:right

drake goes over to a patch of sand and starts drawing in it.drake starts mumbling to himself quietly

Nig: *to Rope* "It's great that you can even get us to the factory walls, but..."
*get's distracted by Drake*
Nig: *to Rope* "But... uh... we still need to plan out what to do... when inside, and how to get inside as well"

Rope takes the opprotunity.
Rope: Well, as you may or may not remember, I mentioned more than camoflague; I have been studying the outside of the factory for almost four years. I know the permiter pretty well, and I know the basic security patterns around the outside.
So, when we finally decide to make our move, I can get you to the factory, most likely into the factory, but I'm not in the slightest bit sure about what to do when we are in the factory. Like I said, I know the woods. But I don't know that place inside-out.
Anyhow, I think we should hit the factory itself at about two in the morning. That's when the guard sligs change shift. If all the sligs aren't already on patrol, looking for us. We should make a break for it through the shipping port, where they send all their goods to be sold. Security is at a minimum there as it is, and with the shift change in progress, we'll have an easier time slipping by.
But when we get inside, I can't play Mr. Tour Guide anymore.

drake thinks to himself and decides to tell the group something

drake"um....theres something i should tell you guys...when i was running from the sligs and glukkons......when they cought me they took me to the factory....they wanted to make a killing machine out of me to kill my own people......they had completed half of the process....while i was there i saw the generator and i know the place like the back of my hand....and then i escaped from the factory and the shamans had heard about me...thats probably why they chose me to come on this mission"

Cursuv: *Stares at Drake for a moment*
"... so... how far has this process taken you? You're not likely to spontaneously kill us, are you?"

Rope listens to Drake's little confession, and decides that what Drake destroyed in the woods probably wasn't a decoy generator, after all. If he knew the place like he said, then he'd know it was a backup generator.
In the mean time, Rope keeps quiet.

Nig: *after thinking about Drake's little bomb-shell announcment*

"Okay... so we've got someone who knows there way around the outside, someone who knows the way around the inside, now all we need to do is work out what we have to do. I don't know about the rest of you, but since I was late reaching the Shamen, I don't actaul know what the overall objective is.
I was told that Kryynt and Pyre would be leading us towards the ultimate goal, but I don't know what that goal is. Care to enlighten us, Pyre?"

Nig's thoughts:
Okay, Drake is a slightly bigger risk than I thought. Maybe that's how the Glukkons are finding us, what if Drake has a tracker on, or in, him?
I bet I can trust him, but he might be a flashing beakon when we're trying to hide

Pyre lifted his head and saw Nig looking at him. He looked Nig straight in the eyes, before brining hin gaze back to the ground.

"We are supposed to sabotage the factory and so aid Abe's mission. The Shamans said that Abe has done a great job, as we all know, but it is not enough. We are kind of a back-up for Abe.", Pyre kept his eyes at the ground, "That's all I know."