[DragonTales] Part 2 Heading Out

[Scott W.]

Part 2 Heading Out               The eeriness of the place could be felt, and as legend had it even with the sun still in the sky a fog rose up around her as she road on into the place that none returned from as the stories are told�               Carine knew she had an hour or so of day light the fog though defused the light causing things to become gray and hazy. Carine dismounted as she saw the remains of walls and cobbled walk ways maybe streets overgrown with grass and moss. It would be no good to have her horse break a leg this far away.               Carine followed no direct path she tried not to turn, but was forced to by downed walls and toppled stones. Once again curiosity had gotten the better of her, and before she knew it she was within the ruins wandering about, looking around. It didn�t appear as the Wyverns or anyone else for that matter had been here, but then she felt she could wander for days and not come across anyone. What seemed like forever she wandered about not seeing anything but ruined building followed by open areas of grass. All the while though the fog hung in the air she couldn�t see far only the shadows of shapes in the distance probably more ruined buildings. Only when she was close could she make out the stone formations the untravelled paths, homes from a time gone past. Her stomach told her it was time for dinner and she knew it would take awhile to find her way back, so she decided to fine a wall or two close by that could form some type of shelter to sit and eat. Trying to start a fire was near next to impossible, but after some time she succeeded. Heating up something to eat she listened to the eerie quiet that surrounded her. The meal wasn�t much but it was warm she let her horse graze nearby when suddenly she thought she heard a noise�               �Carine crouched behind the wall peering out in the direction of the noise but seeing naught she decided to investigate. Grabbing here scimitar in one hand, and a dagger in the other she stalked from one ruined wall to the next, but she never heard the noise again. When she turned though she was standing at the edge of what must have been a garden or a place of gathering. Stones where arranged in a circle and accept for moss overgrowing parts of them they appeared to be benches of some sort. In the center was a square pedestal, and upon that was a stone cylinder. Carine approached it cautiously the sound she heard earlier was the furthest thing from her mind, and she studied the cylinder as it was engraved with writing and symbols. As she began to slowly turn the cylinder something on the far side began to glow, and with curiosity she spun it faster it was the symbol of a snake glowing, and as she looked upon it she reached up to touch it�   �The symbol glowed brighter and suddenly the snake struck from the symbol Carine was engulfed in shimmering amber field of force. There was not even a chance to scream the spell that had been placed upon the prayer wheel to the ancient gods had gone off entrapping her in it�s snare. Carine was lost in the spell the world had stopped for her she could see nor hear anything she was neither living nor dead. She had become a statue not of stone, but of human flesh�   Time went by and no change occurred Carine was still entrapped in the amber glow, the fog slowly settled around her form and night crept upon the land. Only the small campfire she had lit earlier and a horse wandering nearby was all that moved in their own distinct ways. Silence engulfed all, Carine stood motionless, and night moved ever on�