"Taeeren's Story - part 2"

Taeeren
Taeeren woke up, screaming. His scream startled Surrina, who had fallen asleep in the chair next to his bed. Slowly, Taeeren began to settle back down, his breathing returning to a normal pace.

“Another nightmare?” Surrina asked. She took a rag and gently wiped the sweat from Taeeren’s forehead.

“Yes, the same as before,” replied Taeeren. Surrina nodded in acknowledgement, and watched as he slowly drifted back to sleep. A small frown grew across her face, as she thought of the many other times this had happened in the past few days.

“That’s about the 8th time I’ve been able to see that, and every time it's been exactly the same,” said Casticus from a dark corner of the room.

“I didn’t see you come in,” replied Surrina, startled. Dragons had asked Casticus to keep an eye on Taeeren, and try to find out what was plaguing his mind. Over the past six days, he had stealthily probed into Taeeren’s mind, unbeknownst to Taeeren. Casticus had watched as Taeeren had his nightmares, and was able to focus enough of his power to enable him to see what Taeeren did in his dreams. This drained a lot of energy from Casticus, and each time had to rest afterwards.

Casticus rose to leave the room. As he reached the door a voice was heard from behind him. “Is Tae going to be alright?” Surrina asked.

“I don’t know, Surrina,” replied Casticus. “His spirit was nearly broken, and it may take a long time for it to heal. And with these nightmares continuing to reoccur, I cannot tell what will happen to our friend. Only time may…” Casticus drifted off. He was exhausted, and needed to refresh his mind.
As Casticus closed the door behind him, Surrina turned back to Taeeren. She looked down at his face, which, for the first time since he returned, looked peaceful. She took his hand in hers and gently squeezed it. “Hang in there, Tae. You will get better soon,” she whispered. “What if he doesn’t get better?” she thought to herself. She shook her head in disagreement. No, Taeeren would get through this, he just had to. He was a great asset to the guild, one of the strongest leaders, a great teacher, and a close friend to many. The thought of losing him would be unbearable.

Surrina leaned back in the chair, removing those thoughts from her mind. She was exhausted, she realized. In the days since Taeeren had returned, she had rarely left the room. She had taken special pride in the fact that Dragons had assigned her this task, and she was performing it will all her will. Her back was aching from having slept in that chair many hours. She relaxed, and recollected one of her many healing spells. As she cast it, the pain from her body slowly subsided. She was just about to drift off to sleep again when there was a knock at the door. Forcing herself to pay attention, she sat up, saying, “come in”.

In walked Dragons, with Auranara behind him. Dragons knew that Surrina was tired, and had asked Aura to watch over Tae for a while. “I’ll take over for now. Go get some rest, we’ll holler if anything changes,” said Aura. Surrina complied, too tired to argue. Aura walked over to the bed where Tae lay sound asleep. “He seems to be doing better now.”

“Yes he does,” replied Dragons. Dragons walked over to Surrina and helped her to her feet. “Go get some rest, we shall get you if needed.” Surrina nodded, relieved to have the chance to go rest for a while. As she left the room and closed the door behind her, a small voice quietly asked, “Is Tae gonna get better soon?” Surrina turned to see Dini standing there, looking a little scared.

“Yes, I’m sure he is going to be just fine dear’” reassured Surrina.

“Good,” replied Dini, smiling. “Cause he still has to teach me some of his aiming techniques with the bow”. Dini giggled, and soon Surrina joined her in laughter.

“I can teach you that! It’s easy. Just aim, let loose, and if you don’t drop your target right away, run like hell!” Surrina joked. This was the first time she remembered laughing since before Tae had come back a week ago.

“That sounds about right,” Dini smirked. Dini was one of the newer rangers to the guild, joining only a few months ago. She was the daughter of the mighty paladin Rorin, and the gifted cleric Kailea. Both were very important members of The Syndicate, Rorin one of Dragons closest advisors, and Kailea one of the leaders of the clerics. Dini was very young of age, and only recently met the minimum age requirement to join The Syndicate. Her parents were very busy with the guild, and she spent much of her childhood years back in Kelethin to build her skills as a ranger. The trainers in Kelethin were surprised at her eagerness to learn, and the pace at which her skills grew. She quickly surpassed most of the other students there. Her parents had made an arrangement with Dragons, in which Dini would be accepted as a member when she came of age. That day finally came, and she was welcomed to her new home with much joy and celebration. She had visited many times through her teen years, always meeting new friends and catching up with old. The first day as a new member she was introduced to her new instructor, Taeeren. Dini had heard of Taeeren many times throughout her training, his deeds for The Syndicate well known, and his skills as a ranger making him one of the best. On her visits to The Syndicate's Keep, she had often seen him helping to further train others. This day, when she finally joined the ranks of The Syndicate, she too would be further trained by Taeeren. The first thing he had ever told her was something she had learned while training as a youth, take your time, never rush, slower is faster. For Dini, this seemed to have new meaning, whether it was due to the fact that she was now a member of The Syndicate, fighting for good, or because she had heard it from Taeeren.

Dini leaned over and gave Surrina a big hug. Thanks Surrina. Dini smiled

No, thank you dear, Surrina replied. I needed that, I haven't laughed in a long time.

Anytime! said Dini as she started to skip away. C'ya later hun.

Darn kids, they always have so much energy, Surrina thought to herself, chuckling. Surrina sat down on a bench, taking a moment to relax her weary legs. She was just about to get up again and leave when she heard the door to Taeeren's room open up.

Dragons walked out, and began to close the door behind him. He called out into the room, not a word to anybody, no matter who it is. Only Casticus, you, and myself know, for now. We must keep it that way until Taeeren is ready.

Yeah, yeah. I know. You don't have to tell me a million times, replied Auranara sarcastically. Dragons smirked, and closed the door. He turned around to see Surrina sitting on a bench looking at him, a look of helplessness on her face. Dragons walked over and sat on the bench next to Surrina.

Why can't you tell me anything D? asked Surrina.

We don't yet know how much else there is to the story. His spirit is completely gone, almost as if he has lost the will to live. We want to keep it as quiet as possible for now, so we aren't telling anybody. When Tae recovers his strength, and is ready to tell us the rest of the story, then all will be revealed. Just have hope, and stay strong, for Tae. Tae will need us when he recovers. Dragons stood up, and Surrina followed suit. Did I ever tell you about the time that I first met Taeeren? asked Dragons.

Yes, I've heard it. But tell me again, replied Surrina, a small smile spreading across her face. Dragons returned the smile, and the two walked out of the clinic and into the yard, recollecting many memories....

--
Shadoll knocked on the door. There was no answer. He knocked again, this time louder. Still, there was no reply. Finally, he pounded on the door, almost knocking it down in the process.

Hey! Knock that off, people are trying to sleep! a female voice sounded from behind Shadoll. There was Scoresia, her head poking from her door, a look of hatred on her face at being woken up so early in the morning.

Oh dear. Sorry hun, I'm just trying to get Mithrass up, replied Shadoll apologetically.

That's the third time this week! exclaimed Scoresia. How many monks does it take to wake up a monk? None this time, it's my turn to wake him up! Scoresia moved across the hall and past Shadoll, who had moved out of her way.

HAHA! Go for it! Shadoll laughed.

Are you getting into trouble again? implied Jolber sternly, standing the doorway, glaring at Scoresia and Shadoll. Hey Shad, when are you going to find yourself a nice lady and settle down? joked Jolber, unable to keep a straight face anymore.

Oh, stop teasing him hun, said Scoresia, giving Shadoll a quick peck on the cheek. This will only take a second. Go back to bed, I'll be right there.

Like hell you are. I'm coming with you guys, he woke me up too! Jolber said as he walked to the door.

Ok, ok. Both of you can come. Just hurry it up, don't want to keep Dragons waiting, said Shadoll. Shadoll quietly opened the door, and as he did, could hear Mithrass snoring loudly. The trio walked to the bed where the monk lay, completely passed out. They gathered around his bed, and Shadoll held up his fingers to count down from 3. Three.... two.... one....

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA Jolber, Scoresia, and Shadoll started screaming and jumping up and down, making a commotion. Mithrass didn't move, and continued to snore loudly.

Damn..... he must have really had too much to drink last night, said Shadoll. Hey Jolber, go get a bucket of water, Shadoll had an evil grin on his face.

Jolber laughed, and walked over to the washbasin in the corner of the room. He grabbed the bucket and filled it with water. Stand back, he said, as he walked over to Mithrass's bed. Oh, this is gonna be fun! Jolber emptied the bucket of water onto Mithrass's face.

..I'll....I'll take you all on! Me and my fist of....of... Mithrass's voice trailed off as he slowly realized what had happened. Oh....hey guys. Was I sleeping?

You were out cold man, replied Shadoll, tossing Mithrass a dry towel. Mithrass mumbled something about having too much dwarven ale the night before. D has summoned you for a meeting. It has to do with Taeeren. I have to go wake up a few others, figured I'd start with the hardest one, Shadoll teased. Shadoll left the room, leaving Jolber, Scoresia, and a soaking wet Mithrass standing there.

Well, we'd better let you get ready, said Scoresia. C'mon hun, let's go back to bed, I'm still a little hung over from last night. Damn dwarven ale. Scoresia laughed as she left the room.

Cya later Mith, said Jolber as he turned to follow his wife.

Cya later, replied Mithrass. As Mithrass changed into dry clothes, he thought back to when this couple had first joined the guild. He remembered the day when he first met this odd but cute couple. A barbarian and a wood elf? Mithrass chuckled as he thought to himself. The mere size difference between the two was astounding, but you can't argue with love. Mithrass smiled. They had done very well in their first few months in the guild. Jolber had great shaman skills in alchemy, and had conducted much research in spell casting. Scoresia was equally talented with her skills, and her love for nature made her an excellent druid.

As Mith washed up, his thoughts turned back to Taeeren, his friend of so many years. How could he help, he thought to himself. He hoped that Dragons would give them some information this morning. He hated being kept out of the loop, so to speak. And it bothered him especially because it was Taeeren. They had grown to be close over the past years, often fighting side by side in the many battles that The Syndicate was a part of. Both having leadership roles in the guild, seeing each other through good times and bad, seeing friends come and go, some moving on, others passing on. Mithrass thought back to when he had first met Taeeren, many, many years ago....

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The Syndicate had been a much smaller guild back then. It wasn't as well known as some of the larger more power-hungry guilds, and at times had a hard time recruiting the high-quality people that it needed. The Syndicate had always stood for what was right, and would always. Many highly skilled people had been turned away, merely because they sought fortune and fame. The Syndicate was a more family-oriented guild, focusing and friendship and fellowship, not building their power by preying on others. They received all their strength and power through the combined efforts of all its members, each one hand picked by their leader, Dragons.

Mithrass and a few others had formed a small hunting party to travel across the sea to the land of Kunark. As all members did, this group needed to raise both their own skills, and some money on the side to help with guild funds and personal equipment. They had heard of a mountain range deep in Kunark where there lived giants with great wealth. These giants were very large, but also very dumb. Thus, the party departed Firona Vie, and traveled through the land. They traveled around a great lake, the largest any of them had ever seen. The Lake of Ill Omen. The party had run into small packs of lizard-like creatures, which they found out were called Sarnaks. But these creatures had little value, having neither money nor valuable hides. The party continued onwards for days, until it reached the outskirts of the Frontier Mountains.

The part camped for the night, and it was an unusually dark night. Mithrass sat around the fire with Carbunkl, Trelisha, Kameron, and Bandy. They were devising a plan for the next day and were just about to divide up the watches for the night. A voice came from the darkness, and they all turned to see who it was, their weapons drawn should the intruder become hostile.

Whoa there, there is no need for that, the voice said. The figure stretched out his hands to show that he was unarmed, and slowly walked towards the fire. As the figure got closer, Mithrass could tell that it was a wood elf, probably a ranger. As he got even closer, he could see his long white hair, and his slender, aged face. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Taeeren, and I'm a ranger. I mean you no harm. I have watched you for many days, and I offer you my help, should you desire it.

Hello Taeeren, Mithrass greeted Taeeren with a firm handshake. My name is Mithrass, I am a monk. This is the rest of my party. Mithrass turned and introduced the rest of his party. There was Carbunkl the paladin, Trelisha the rogue, Kameron the druid, and Bandy the cleric. They all welcomed Taeeren and sat back around the fire. They began to exchange stories, and talked most throughout the night. Mithrass spoke of their guild, The Syndicate, and Taeeren seemed very interested. He had heard of this guild, but had yet to meet any of its members. Finally, late in the night the party began to doze off. Taeeren volunteered to take the first watch. The party slept until mid-morning, waking up after Taeeren finished preparing the breakfast meal. They ate quickly, eager to start a new day. Taeeren began to tell them of the giants which they desired to hunt, which he had seen many times.

They aren't very smart, but are very strong. And tough to bring down. The easiest way is to get them alone, obviously, and the easiest way to do that is a hit-and-run technique. Wait until there is one alone, then make your move. Make it mad, get it to follow you, then run away. It is easy to lose them if you need to. And, as long as you can keep them confused, they are easy to take. In fact, I have killed a few smaller ones by myself recently. The group was in awe as he told his tales. With Taeeren helping, they should be able to take down some of the bigger ones.

After they had packed up camp, they set off. Taeeren had been through these parts many times, and knew a fast, safe route that would lead them quickly to the giants. They traveled at a very quick pace, and at the end of the day the party was exhausted, except for Taeeren. There was not much talk that night, and most slept soundly throughout the night. Taeeren let them sleep. He could go a few days with little sleep, as he had done many times.

Halfway through the night Mithrass woke up, and convinced Taeeren to get some rest. Taeeren agreed, and was soon fast asleep. Mithrass gathered more wood from the fire, and thought back to what Dragons had said before he departed. Keep an eye out. Many things are changing this world, and we will need all the help we can get. Only seek those people who are good of heart. Those are the kind of people we will need to help us become stronger. Those people will be found by telling them the truth.

Mithrass had started to doze off when Taeeren gently tapped his shoulder. Sorry, said Mithrass. I guess I was tired than I thought.

That's alright, replied Taeeren, smiling at Mithrass. I can take over from here.

Nah, I just gotta walk around for a minute, said Mithrass.

As you wish, but I've gotten all the sleep I will need tonight, joked Taeeren.

Heh..... damn rangers, teased Mithrass. I don't know how you can get so little sleep.

Me neither, I just never needed that much sleep, I guess. I've always been this way, said Taeeren. So tell me about this guild of yours, The Syndicate. I've heard of it, and its great what you guys are doing.

Yes, it is great. But it's hard at times though. We are one of the few guilds that stand for what is right, probably the largest of them. The rest of the guilds out there only seek fortune and power, whatever the cost. It's hard to find the right people to recruit. They really have to be dedicated to certain things, certain values. You see, right now, we are a small, close-knit guild. Like one big happy family, you might say... Mithrass continued talking about the guild throughout the night, what it stood for, some of its goals, and some of the people in it that had made it their new home.

Taeeren's interest increased throughout the night, asking many questions, inquiring about their great leader, Dragons. He's a great guy. He spends most of his time leading the guild, and rarely has any time left for his family. In a way though, we are his family. He looks out for each and every one of us, and always takes time for somebody if he can, no matter what is going on. He is the greatest man I have ever known.

It was almost dawn, and they decided to get an early start today. Mithrass woke the rest of the party while Taeeren went off to do some scouting. Shortly after breakfast Taeeren returned, with good news.

I found some tracks, looks like they were made just a short while ago. If we hurry we can catch up to it before it reaches the fort, Taeeren said

The fort? Trelisha inquired, her eyes wide open.

Yes, a fort. A huge fort, full of giants. And not to worry, we will be a considerable distance away from it to remain safe. We can take a quick look though, said Taeeren, as he helped them to finish packing up camp. We must hurry though, else we might not get lucky today.

Taeeren set off with the party in close pursuit. They followed a very large set of tracks that Taeeren had found, belonging to a single giant. In a short time, Taeeren stopped, and motioned for them to remain quiet. They crept down and crawled to the edge of a small clearing, where 2 giants stood over the corpse of a goblin.

U Ruined brekfast! said the first giant to the second, shoving him out of the way.

So wat, we ken git anuther, the second replied, returning the shove. Soon the 2 giants were wrestling on the ground, making loud noises as their massive bodies crushed the ground.

See what I mean? whispered Taeeren. Big and really stupid. Here's the plan. Taeeren quickly drew up a plan. Kameron would stay next to him, and the rest of the party would hide in a small group of large rocks nearby. When they were in position, Kameron would cast a spell on one giant, rooting him to the ground, while Taeeren would shoot the other, drawing it away from the first. Taeeren would then lead the giant out of the clearing, around in a large circle, and back to the rest of the group waiting at the rocks.

Everybody knows what to do, right? When I bring the first one back, Mithrass and Carbunkl run around it while beating at its legs. They hate that, and can't deal with more than one target at a time. Trelisha, try and stay behind it and do...your rogue thing to it. If you can land a poison, that'd help a lot. And Bandy, be ready in case any of us need healing. They hit really slow, but can cause a lot of damage if they land. I will be hitting it with arrows from a distance. And Kam, after I draw mine off, you will run the opposite direction, then backtrack way around, so that the other giant won't find us. Meet us back here. If we do this right, all of us should be here around the same time; one giant will be dead, and the other heading in the opposite direction. Any questions? asked Taeeren.

The group nodded in acknowledgement, they all understood their roles in this. This would be their first time taking on a creature this large, but they were confident in Taeeren's plan. They moved into position, and on Taeeren's signal, they began.

The two giants, still wrestling on the ground, were surprised at their new targets. Kameron cast his spell, and it landed perfectly on the first giant. The giant, already lying on the ground beneath the other, was entrapped in roots, unable to move for a short time. Taeeren, with his near-perfect aim, shot the other giant right in the rear. The giant stood up with a large roar, and then turned to see what had hit it.

Taeeren, having the attention of the first giant, started running in a direction towards the rest of the party. Kameron ran to the other side of the clearing, watching as his root spell began to wear off, the giant breaking through its bonds. He yelled for the giant, who followed Kam when he got up, just as planned. Kameron ran for a very short ways, then turned sharply to circle around. He hid in a bush as he watched the giant continue to run in the direction that it had started. Stupid giants, Kam mumbled to himself, who began to run back to where the rest of the party was waiting.

Taeeren, meanwhile, was having a great time. He would run one direction, then make a sharp turn and watch the giant run past him. Then, he would shoot it again, and the giant would turn back to where Tae was. Taeeren did this, leading the giant in a large half-circle, towards the group of rocks where everybody else would be. This not only gave Kameron time to get back, but also weakened the giant in the process. Taeeren made it to the rocks and gave everybody the signal. Mithrass and Carbunkl jumped out, staff and sword in hand. Kameron had returned and had a spell ready. Bandy stood by ready to heal any wounds they might receive, and Trelisha quietly snuck off to the side, daggers drawn. The party was ready when the giant burst through the tress near the group.

Kameron immediately cast a snare spell on the giant, slowing it to a crawl. Carbunkl and Mithrass moved to opposite sides of the giant, and Trelisha came out of the brush where the giant had just exited.

Thwack! An arrow hit the giant dead center in the chest. It staggered for a moment but kept moving forward. The giant seemed focused only on Taeeren, ignoring the other three that had emerged at its feet. Carbunkl swung his sword, creating a huge gash in the giant's lower leg. Mithrass swung higher, hitting it in the back of the leg. Still, it moved towards Taeeren.

Taeeren backed up slowly, drawing another arrow. Again and again Carbunkl and Mithrass swung at its legs, the giant completely oblivious to the creatures injuring it. Thwack! Another arrow hit the giant, right in its throat. The giant stopped moving for a moment, clutching its neck with its massive hands. That was all the time she needed. Trelisha thrust with all her might, and pierced the back of the giant's knee. The giant screamed out in pain, and began to fall to the ground. Trelisha stood there, stunned at what she had just done.

Lookout! Taeeren yelled as he rushed towards Trelisha. The giant fell to its knees, then started to fall backwards. Taeeren dove, and was able to shove Trelisha out of the way just before the giant hit the ground. Carbunkl moved quickly to the giant's head, and with a few powerful swings, cut it off.

Ahh! Taeeren said. Taeeren had saved Trelisha, but one of his legs was pinned under the giant.

Hang on Tae! Mithrass quickly moved to Taeeren. Help me guys! Carbunkl and Kameron quickly moved to his side, and with their efforts, were able to pull Taeeren out from underneath the giant. Bandy was quick in her prognosis of Taeeren's leg.

It's broken, but should take no time to heal, Bandy said. She sat on the ground next to Tae, meditating. She gently placed one hand on Taeeren's broken leg, and started recanting a spell. A blue light grew around her hand, and spread into Taeeren's leg. Then she was done. Should be sore for a few hours, but other than that, its good as new. Mithrass helped Taeeren to his feet.

Thanks, I can hardly feel it now. Let's see what this giant left us, shall we? The party began to search the corpse. They found a bagful of some valuable gems, the biggest find any of them could remember. Looks like we did very well with this one, I'm glad nobody was hurt too bad, Taeeren turned to Trelisha, who was holding back tears.

Trelisha looked at him and smiled, giving him a big hug. Thanks for saving my life, she said. I owe you.

Nah, it was nothing. Glad to be of help to you guys. And we made a good team there. Taeeren smiled back at Trelisha.

Ya, that was exciting! exclaimed Kameron. We should do more stuff like that, its great fun!

It was midday, but they already had more than enough gems to sell for a great price. More money than any of them had ever seen. They would be able to re-equip, and what was left would help the guild out immensely. As they distributed they loot between the group, Taeeren put up his hand to decline.

I don't need any money, I've got enough to last me a while, Taeeren said. Take this back with you to your guild, you guys need it more than I do.” The party insisted, but Taeeren still refused. Reluctantly, they split up Taeeren's share between the rest of them. Well, I've taught you guys how to take them down, it should be easy for you guys now.

You're not leaving, are you Tae? Mithrass asked. We could really use somebody like you with us, if you're interested. I'm sure Dragons would accept you into the guild after speaking with you.

I don't know, Mith. I've always traveled alone, really. Not sure if I'm ready for such a big decision, Taeeren replied. Deep down though, that was exactly what he wanted to hear. He had longed to be part of a great guild, one with values such as those that The Syndicate had. And he had grown to liking this small group, convinced there were many others like them in The Syndicate.

And he was right. The group filled their packs, and headed back. Taeeren showed them the giant fort, as promised, on their way back to Firona Vie. The group was in shock. Such a huge fort, with so many giants. They would have to return here someday, in much larger force. By hunting these giants, they would be able to equip their guild much faster, and perhaps become a little more well known throughout the land.

They reached Firona Vie and said farewell to this land, for now. They would return later on many occasions, but for now they sailed home. To The Syndicate, where Taeeren would meet the others and eventually be accepted as a member by Dragons.

Throughout his years in the Syndicate Taeeren had risen fast through the ranks, and eventually became one of their important raid leaders. He had led many battles, devised many strange but successful strategies, and befriended many.


As Mithrass thought of all this, a tear came to his eye. What if he didn't come back? What if Taeeren's spirit couldn't be restored? What if the man that so many had grown to love and abide in, ceased to be himself. Mithrass reached the council room, where he was greeted by Dragons. Shortly thereafter others started to walk in. Gazzaz, Ulkaur, Warin, Candu, Auranara, Trelisha, Kelador, Merlota, Aortus, Shadoll, and Rorin. The team that had led The Syndicate for a long time, who worked together as a team in everything, minus one person. An empty chair sat next to Dragons as he called the meeting to attention.

I'm sure we all know what this is about. It is about Taeeren. But what you don't know is that he awoke last night, very briefly, and wanted me to fill you in on some things. I suppose the best place to start is the beginning....