The Stages

Grant Herion · Post by **Grant Herion** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 12:34 am

"I heard a necromancer joined the movement today" a civilian in town says to another.
"I saw Grant walking on all fours and eating flowers, he has lost his mind." Replies the other.
"The necromancer and Grant had a huge food fight today, and the whole time Grant was giggling like a maniac and eating ferns." said the first.
"Odd, but, just a few hours ago I saw Grant speaking about things in the past and people's possible futures..." Says the second.
"I don't know anymore...."

Grant stands out in the forest now. In meditation, he is chewing on a flower he saw, a fire is infront of him. He prays now. Something he never did, something he should have done at the beginning, he couldn't kill Darlok without help. His help would Nargun.
He prays silently. He scared most of his movement members thinking Grant had lost his mind when he reality Grant was being the second stage of understanding. He was now onto his third stage. The far-seer. He would need to predict things now, and then he would understand so much more... And now in deep mediation he just felt the tip of the iceberg of such understanding...

Thaseus Gaeadose · Post by **Thaseus Gaeadose** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 1:48 am

Thaseus wanders through the forest, muttering as he walks.
"I'll be damned if I fight for Grant again. That fool! All this work for nothing..."

Grant Herion · Post by **Grant Herion** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 3:49 am

Grant sat now chewing on a weed he plucked, he had sour juices inside of it and it tasted fine on a night when he just wanted to think alone. He thought now, and questions exploded into his mind.
'Why were so many important and vital members of his Movement leaving him now? Had they always been planning on leaving him when he was close to winning the war? Had he truely put his trust into traitors and bandits?'
"NO!" his mind screamed back. Going through the stages had opened Grant's mind and he was calmer and could think clearer now. He could see why his men would be thinking or would be leaving. They would be leaving becuase of Grant's behavior. They didn't know why he was doing it.
He would only need to prove to them what he was doing, he would need to earn their respect once more as their leader, and then as King of a new Nation would be rival that of any Nation in the entire world!

Grant Herion · Post by **Grant Herion** » Fri Feb 13, 2004 1:29 am

"Should we try and kill those Movement members and Grant?" asks a lowly bounty hunter. "250 golden ingots for them all! The are only a few really tough ones, but i bet us two can handle them!"
"Are you crazy? Have you heard what Grant has been able to do!? He slew Darlok alone. He fought hordes of demons and rot worms alone. He is blessed by the Chaos God, we would never get close enough..." Says another Bounty hunter.

'If they only knew...' Grant thought to himself as he heard them plan.
He was sitting infront of a fern now, daylight still shone on him, he needed to rest and plan now. Soon he would strike at Darlok again, but this time with my strength and skill, he would not be so foolish with his strength as he had been.
He prayed now to Nargun thanking him for the blessing he was getting.

Konstantin K · Post by **Konstantin K** » Fri Feb 13, 2004 10:05 pm

...Meanwhile, someone very special was preparing a poisoned arrow, crawling along the bushes.

Someone has Grant's head in sight. Grant breathes in, and he breathes out. Breathes in, and breathes out... The observer carefully watches him.

The aim is steady, the arrow is pointed, the bow is tense...

Grant Herion · Post by **Grant Herion** » Sat Feb 14, 2004 2:11 am

Grant is completely oblivious to his surroundings, he is praying now. Waiting for Konstantin or Thaseus to come and help him sharpen his swordsmanship.
He has no clue of the peril he is in.

Konstantin K · Post by **Konstantin K** » Sat Feb 14, 2004 2:39 am

Konstantin squints. He is using his light-sensitive eyes the best he can. He can almost... almost stop the time at this moment.

The aim is the only thing that exists in this world now.
His reflexes, his senses become so quick, his body speeds up so fast, that the surroundings seem to freeze, to barely move. He can see a bee fly by on the other side of the arrow, it seems like it takes forever for it to fly away.

Suddenly, a ray of sunlight comes out of the clouds and hits Konstantin's face, reaching inside of his hood. His eyes start to hurt, and he tries his best to keep concentration. But he has no other choice, but to stay in this position, against the sun. This is the only good angle.

The finger lets go.
The bow's string sings and shudders.
The arrow flies off.

The gloved hand pulls the wooden trigger.
The spring releases.

Five meters away from Grant's face, the arrow is knocked down by a black crossbow bolt. Chips fly.

"Damn it!"

Grant Herion · Post by **Grant Herion** » Sat Feb 14, 2004 5:59 am

Grant snaps out of his trance, spits out the flower that he had absentmindedly been chewing and reached for his wand ready to defend himself. But he could not see any clear attacker. The trees were to close and the bushes to thick. The archer could be anywhere. Quickly Grant began to move around ducking under low trees trying to find the archer, or archers.

Grant Herion · Post by **Grant Herion** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 12:04 am

Later that day Grant fished from the river near Trolls Bane. However, even fishing peacefully out of town wasn't good enough for the town guard. They soon began to gather across the river. They whispered and soon were deciding on what to do.
They were going to attack Kruuba even tho Grant told them the war between Darlok and the Movement was over. They were now going back on their words, losing their honor, Grant saw the danger Kruuba was in and easily drew the attention off the Kruuba.
They were so easily distracted, all he needed to do was say words about their downfall and they quickly forget kruuba.
Later they gathered outside of town, Hagen said out of town everyone was free to slaughter everyone else. But Grant knew he couldn't act on these words, he would look like the agreesor, so he once again used his new found understanding and made the town guard feel the better of the two parties.
Grant simple sniffed the dirt and the town guard quickly forgot their thoughts of murder in larger numbers and replaced that thought with how stupid Grant was. When in Grant he had played them all for fools by being the fool. He walked away with a sly smile on his face.
This new understanding was truely useful.

Grant Herion · Post by **Grant Herion** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 4:52 am

Grant again sat now infront of a nice campfire praying silently. He was less praying and more speaking to Nargun as if he were infront of the man.
Grant told Nargun about how he used his new found knowledge to stop the fight from beginning and how he had fooled Darlok into believing what he wanted him to believe by being the fool. Oh the irony in it was too much for Grant. Darlok had believed everything Grant wanted him too, and Darlok walked away thinking Grant was the fool. Time would show how wrong he truely was.
Then Grant told Nargun how he would defeat Darlok, and how he planned on keeping order in Callahorn. Since Grant was one of the few who knew many of the new secrets to magic, Grant could arm his mages with the knowledge of these secrets, and they would use it quite effectively against Darlok and his minions.
Grant asked Nargun how he was ment to "break the circle" as the spirit of mind put it. Obviously Grant was blessed by Nargun with the purpose of breaking the circle, but it was turning into something Grant truely could not do as easily as he thought he would.
But his newly found wisdom would give him ideas, that would remedy such problems.

Konstantin K · Post by **Konstantin K** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 8:12 am

Somewhere in the dark, a dagger is being smithed and sharpened to slice Grant's throat and silence him once and forever.

Konstantin K · Post by **Konstantin K** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 8:35 am

An armed ranger with a sharp dagger in his hand crawls towards Grant's campfire.
Suddenly something clicks, and a gloved hand puts an expensive looking SilverDagger through the rogue's back.
No, sorry. He is mine.

Konstantin takes the dagger out, wipes the blood, and holsters the weapon. He draws his crossbow, with a black poisoned bolt aimed at Grant.

Grant moves his hand.

-No! - K's voice is calm, deep, and steady.

-Don't move, Grant. Don't move. This thing takes a horse out in three seconds, and it's pointed straight at your head.
Why? I will explain why.
People are trying to kill us both. But not anymore. I know how to end this for myself.

I will turn you in alive. I am taking all the 250 ingots of reward for turning you in. This will be better for all. The hunts will stop, and people will stop dying.

K watches every movement of Grant's. He clicks his crossbow's trigger.

-I said don't Grant. Don't take that wand in your hand. Grant, I will not miss. I know that your blessing is not constant but chaotic. I am not joking Grant, game over. I am here to either kill you or turn you in.
Stand up, and come with me.

Callith · Post by **Callith** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 6:55 pm

Watching for any serious threat, Callith sits atthe top of a tall pine tree, that lets him see the clearing and the surrounding area, he draws an arrow and aims at Konstantin, waiting for a signal to take him down.

Konstantin K · Post by **Konstantin K** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 9:06 pm

Konstantin watches Grant's body movements. He seems to know there is someone out there, waiting for Grant to give a sign.

-If you try anything, Grant will die! Most likely, if you fire, I will shoot him, dodge your shot, and kill you as well! This is meant to be.

Grant Herion · Post by **Grant Herion** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 9:28 pm

Grant slowly looks at Konstantin, he doesn't show fear nor any sort of surprise. He knows Konstantin is a assasin first and foremost, and certainly he would want money over any sort of honor.
"Do you honestly think you will last very long after this Konstantin?" Grant asks with a calm voice. "Think it through, you turn me in, I am tortured and flayed by Darlok's minions. You earn 250 golden ingots, but what is money worth to a dead man? My men are loyal, they won't stand for such a thing. Hell I bet if my men attacked Darlok at once in an attempt to save me, they would succeed. Think of what would happen when I come for you then. And think of the new tricks in magic I know. You wouldn't have time to even count your money much less spend it."

Konstantin K · Post by **Konstantin K** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 10:27 pm

Grant, please. I am asking you. I can put up many just arguments to every one of yours, and you could do the same. But I am not here to argue. We are both in danger, and I had made a decision. I judge that it is best for all the hunted ones. And since I made my move first, you have to accept my terms. I call the shots now, I have the weapon pointed at you, and I'm asking you to slowly get up.
None of your men can help you in this situation.