A Rocky Tomb

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Mallory
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A Rocky Tomb

Post by Mallory »

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Out of Character Notice: This is the RP of the Final Act of the Life of Jandar. Done by his Request upon this Passing of the Writer.
Mallory was going about her business in the Royal Secretary's office in Fenia Castle. She had been writing letters all day and was preparing to scrub the ink from her hands left behind by the days work. Three shades of ink stained her sink, the tips of her fingers and her palms showing the worst of the wear. The sound of footsteps running down the stone corridor should have alerted her that something was wrong, but she assumed it was one of the children. They weren't know to be the best behaved of creatures. It was this fleeting thought that left her unprepared when a pounding on her office door brought her to her feet in an instant. She flung the door open, prepared to yell at someone for startling her, but their expression stopped her. "Lady Sanchari, come to the mines. Hurry. There's been a collapse." the boy doubled over, clutching his stomach. Mallory didn't care, didn't dawdle, she didn't even stop to get her cloak, she darted out the door as fast as her otherworldly speed would carry her. Her tiny footprints in the snow were spaced much further than her natural stride. She was sure anyone looking would know she was running, hopefully they would follow her. It didn't take her long to discover a crowd of people gathered outside of one of the mines, the scent of blood was strong in the air. The injured people on the ground and propped against trees gave her the cause of that, near the mines a small group of men and women were frantically digging sending her heart mind spinning, Why are you digging? How many are still below?" she asked. A small boy looked up at her, "My father and the overseer are there. The pushed me out but the rocks falled." he couldn't have been very old and she would guess the woman digging until her fingers bled was his mother. Quietly she tugged the woman from the pile and ushered her into the arms of another standing nearby, letting her fall into her friends arms. "Get me more men, run to the armory. Send word to the King and Queens, NOW!" She moved to a place she could work and quickly began ripping rocks and clumps of dirt from the pile, tossing them carefully to the side.
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Zuan
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Re: A Rocky Tomb

Post by Zuan »

The King had been working at his own office during the crisis. He was wearing his usual attire of black breeches, leather boots and a velvet doublet also of a dark shade. Around his neck was the chain of office he wore when not wearing a ceremonial crown.

It was several hours later when finally another servant burst through his own door to inform him of the situation regarding the mine and the fact that Jandar was believed to be trapped within the collapse. It was difficult, Zuan was not super human, he could not travel at any speed greater than a steed could take him – and the hours had already ticked by since Mallory had left the castle to the scene before demanding word be sent back to him. Had he been informed sooner he might have been able to act quicker or muster a response, but now later in the day, with the council separated for the day and the court no longer in session there was quiet in the castle. Few souls remained apart from himself and a few members of his guard and the Royal family.

This did not stop him however, and so upon receiving the news he ensured that letters were sent to his wives as well as to other councillors and any nearby guard posts or towns to the collapsed mine. Manpower was vital, he did not know the extent of the damage or the problems of the issue at hand, however the reality was the longer the mine remained closed the greater risk to life there was. Every able body would be needed.

Swiftly the King descended several flights of stairs and into a side passage out of the castle, until he finally reached the stable. His horse had already been prepared, and as he approached a squire offered him a thick black wolf cloak, which would be required to fend off the cold weather. In truth that was the biggest risk of the collapse. Not a falling rock, or suffocation, but rather the cold. In the deep of winter, dark, isolated caves could often freeze and trapped inside with no heat source… well the thought was not appealing.

Thus, having not even changed into more weather appropriate clothing, with only his cloak to act as a shield from the falling snow and frost which littered the earth beneath his horses hooves, he stirred his horse into action, and it bolted out of the castle gates and toward the scene of the mine collapse. He was, ultimately only one man, but he knew the time it would take to muster a force, and so while he had given the orders for his soldiers to muster, he could not wait, he had to go, he had to try and do something to help his old friend.

For that is what Jandar was. More than advisor or noble. He was a friend who had served his Kingdom loyally from the start ever since the King had taken the throne, Jandar had been a loyal Fenian Noble, both during the revolts of Michael and during the military campaigns against Kiene. Jandar had been there. He hoped he could be there for his friend now, in his hour of need. For Fenia was a great Kingdom, but it’s greatness was only possible due to the sacrifice and service of people like Jandar, who had helped raise a Kingdom from the ashes to the pinnacle of the known worlds as a Kingdom of peace, justice and prosperity. And so, into the winter winds, the King did ride, praying silently, hoping he was not too late.
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High King of The Fenians - Brother to Dahlia, Ambra, Trinity, Sera & Zhou
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Mallory
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Re: A Rocky Tomb

Post by Mallory »

She must have looked a mess, bloody tears falling down her pale cheeks as she used every ounce of her strength to move rocks, boulders, jagged chunks of mountain. Her hands were raw, bleeding in places, she cared not. Mines who had been in the mines worked with her. She thanked the mages, the goddesses, the gods and any other deity that would listen that she'd arrived, praying that they would guide her to him. No matter that they had not worked out, She loved him, she always had, and she would certainly fight to free him. He was not her love, not her intended, but she cherished his friendship. He had been her first true ally in her new home of Fenia. Someone tugged her shoulders, but she focused her strength on trying to lift the chunk of mountain before her. She still couldn't see beyond the rubble before her, but she was making headway.

She continued working, finally stopping at another tap on her shoulder. She flung her long, blonde hair over her shoulder, "What?!" she cried, her mind scrambling to assemble the next piece in the puzzle of what she should move to make the greatest effort. "Your ladyship they've lit the fires summoning the army to muster. The palace has received word." She nodded her thanks, "Thank you. Please, direct everyone to work in shifts. Rest will be needed as well. This will not be a fast process." she gestured to the stone littering the pathway before her. She looked at the mess. This was no ordinary collapse. It wasn't uncommon to see small sections of the mines give, or a new pathway to fail. This was a total collapse. But she fought to convince herself, there were pockets in collapses, it happened before. They could still be in there, in a pocket. She nodded and turned back to working. The Royals were coming. They would bring creatures to help. She wondered what had taken so long, why no one had reached them sooner, but she had little time for that. She turned her body back to work, stepping on a torn edge of her dress. She ripped the material shortening what she wore to mid-thigh giving her freedom to move. She threw the material to a nearby woman working on wounds, "Bind that up". Had she been in her right mind and less focused she would have been distracted by the scent of blood filling the air as wounded creatures were pulled from the rubble and treated. She went back to work moving boulders. Frustrated with the one she was working on she screamed out loud when even her superior strength did not budge it. She bent and began to work again, struggling with the huge piece of mountain before her. Still it would barely make a dent, but she had to try.
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Zipporah
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Re: A Rocky Tomb

Post by Zipporah »

As word reached her, Zipporah wasted no time in giving the baby to someone that was staying with the other children. Creatures were all moving as quickly as they could to try to help with the collapse. As she was making her way, others were whispering that it was Jandar that was trapped. Her heart ached, worry filling her. Jandar was her friend, one that she had been close to for a long time and she loved him.

Memories of the past flashed in her mind, the emotions the brought up making her move even faster. When she arrived she saw Mallory and went to her, immediately pulling at the rocks, trying to free the bigger ones. As others arrived, some went to help the injured ones, while some were helping to try to free the ones still trapped.

As each creature was pulled out of the rubble, Zipporah glanced over, taking note of who they were breathing a sigh of relief of each one brought out alive. She, however, knew there were more inside and she would not stop until everyone was out. Stone by stone pulled away. Creatures working together to moved the larger ones. Her tears continual, worried about her friends and neighbors who were still inside the mine.
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Nikola
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Re: A Rocky Tomb

Post by Nikola »

Nikola had received word of the mine collapse and readied the men of her household to accompany her to the site. Thomas was older, but still strong and capable. Ben was young and enthusiastic. Both would be helpful if more arms were needed. She had Cook put together quick rations to share with those still toiling to retrieve the trapped miners and she and Iris loaded the wagon with those rations and several bolts of cloth to be used as bandages along with herbal remedies as they had on hand to help with the wounded. Thomas and Iris would bring the wagon allowing Nikola and Ben to ride on ahead.

As they drew close to the mine, the scene told a story of pain, horror, and fear. She dismounted quickly and strode over to where Mallory was wrestling with a huge boulder. The power within her pulsed, wanting to be released, and she directed a ribbon of light to arch toward the boulder and wrap around it, lifting with Mallory to remove it.
"I'm sorry I did not get here sooner," she told the vampire once the boulder had been removed. "What do we know about the collapse? Do we know how many are still trapped inside?" With a growing trepidation she asked, "Do we know who might be trapped down there?" She could use her power to blast the rubble away, but if there was anyone still alive beneath the rubble, they could be harmed or even killed from the blast. She needed to know what she had to work with in order to know how to help.
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Mallory
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Re: A Rocky Tomb

Post by Mallory »

She saw Zipporah arrive and offered her a nod, as the struggled with some of the chunks. More than boulders they were jagged pieces of mountain. When Nikola arrived they cleared the piece, she paused wiping the bloody tears from her cheeks. "Jandar, some of the miners. Most are out. They said he sent them ahead, he stayed behind to shore the pillars. I think we're 3 miners..." she stopped speaking as shouts went up and they cleared a pocket and calls went up that creatures were there. "I think it's just him" she went back to the stones, "I think we risk him, if we use any powers. Each rock I lift I'm testing to see if it will dislodge others." she looked to see what they felt, looking around she felt they must be the ranking persons on site.
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Nikola
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Re: A Rocky Tomb

Post by Nikola »

Her breath caught at the sound of Jandar's name. She knew that Mallory and Zipporah had been close to him, in a way she had not, yet he was a friend and had always been a delight to be around in addition to being one of the stalwart defenders of the realm. She nodded at Mallory's assessment, understanding the danger of carelessness in such circumstances. "We work together, then. I can help you move the mountain if need be, but I will trust you to test the ground for stability. I can hear the earth, but stone does not speak as loud as trees to me." She studied the woman carefully, noting the blood smeared across her cheeks from the tears she had undoubtedly shed. She looked exhausted. "I can do most of the heavy lifting, at least for a time. Hopefully long enough to free him before my strength wanes. You test the ground and choose the stone and I will move it," she decided and waited for the vampire to respond before attempting anything that might further endanger their friend.
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Mallory
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Re: A Rocky Tomb

Post by Mallory »

She nodded, leaning down, and putting a hand to the ground as she should have been doing all along. It would tell her what areas were the most stable. She waited, feeling, and nodded, "If you two can lift this one? I just need a minute, then I can help." She nodded to both Nikola and Zipporah. She'd been at this for Goddess only knows how long, she certainly hadn't tracked time. She tried to force her brain to calm down. She knew Jandar had been friends with a good many and she prayed when they returned they could carry news that was good. She prayed to the sun, to the goddess and gods, to anything that heard her, as she waited. She thought she felt the ground shudder and she quickly leaned down again, "WAIT!" she called out, her voice loud, she judged the feel, but it was from behind her, not within the mines. She prayed it was more help. "Okay. We're good. We can keep going."
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Nikola
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Re: A Rocky Tomb

Post by Nikola »

Nikola nodded and proceeded to release her power, appearing as a ribbon of light, directing it to slip under the large stone and began to lift. "Zipporah, if you will guide it, I will move it," she said, concentrating on keeping the power contained so that she would be able to move many such stones rather than only a few.
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Zipporah
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Re: A Rocky Tomb

Post by Zipporah »

Everyone worked together, they waited for Mallory to test to be sure which boulders to move and Zipporah helped Nikole guide them. As the shouts went out and names were ticked off, it came down to Jandar in the mine. She fought the rising emotions, concentrating only on the task of moving the fallen mountain and rescuing Jandar, not even wanting to consider the alternative.
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