Episode 2: Already So Far From Home

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MacGregor ranged farther and farther ahead of the group. He claimed it he was scouting, but Abigail couldn't help feeling that he was hunting -- for Dougals. His anger hadn't dissipated after their brief encounter with the three Dougal riders, although everyone else had shrugged off the brusque words and clashing egos.

Dark clouds gathered overhead, threatening rain and choking out the last rays of sunlight. In the distance, another crack of thunder could be heard, rumbling across the hilly grasslands they had entered.

MacGregor came back to them, riding quickly and tensely. His face was ashen, his voice quavering and livid.

"Monsters!" he swore as he approached. "Those bloody monsters!"

"What is it, boy?" asked Rikkard impatiently. "Something ahead?"

MacGregor shot him a look. "The Dougals -- I think that they caught some bandits and... M'lady," he turned to Abigail with questioning eyes. "I have seen some battle, have caught criminals and even seen them put to death for their crimes on occasion, but I have never witnessed something so, so... cruel!"

"What did you see, Wish?" asked Abigail gently. Wish was not easily frightened, and his manner was frightening her. "What was it?"

"You should not go that way, over that rise, Abigail. It would not be right for you to see this."

"But what did you see, boy? Out with it!" demanded Rikkard angrily.

"Bodies -- three bodies. They had been hung, two by the neck and the third... by the foot."

Uther grimaced. "They weren't meant to die slowly," he said. "Isobel, you should perhaps see to them, make sure their spirits will rest."

Rikkard sneered slightly. "This is foolish! I'll go check on them -- you go on ahead!" With that, he spurred his horse and galloped over the hill.

In the middle of a bowl of land surrounded by hills stood the hanging tree, it's blackened, barkless form standing in defiance of the empty land around it. On one long, sturdy limb swung the three bodies in the breeze. As Rikkard rode up to them, another rumble of thunder rolled across the sky.

Rikkard got off his horse to look more closely. The two hung by the neck had nooses which were not taught. They were meant to choke to death, not break their necks, Rikkard noticed grimly. The third man hung upside down by one leg, the other leg hanging limp and bent, forming the body vaguely into the shape of the number four. Rikkard knelt down, and noticed the dark stains on the ground below the body. The stains traced the patterns of blood that dripped from the two deep stab wounds on either side of the man's neck. Another slow death -- this is indeed cruelty!

A flash of lightning in the distance illuminated the area briefly, and Rikkard stumbled back a step when he noticed that the upside-down man's eyes were opened!

Is this a trick of the light? Did they fall open from the weight of the world? Rikkard's mind raced. He moved closer, and noticed that the eyes did seem to move, to follow him weakly. "He's still alive," he exclaimed aloud, and reached for his sword to cut the man down.

The next instant, lightning streaked out of the sky and impacted into the hanging tree, it's sound and fury sending Rikkard sailing backward and his horse reeled and ran.

Beyond the hill, the rest could hear more than see the lightning strike. "Let's go!" shouted Uther, who slapped the reins of the carriage-horse and charged over the hill.

At the crest of the hill, they could see the carnage. Four bodies lay on the ground around the now burning tree, and for a moment it was feared Rikkard was dead until MacGregor shouted: "He's still alive!" He charged around the bowl, yelling over his shoulder: "See to his wounds, I'll get his horse!"

Rikkard was grabbing his head and shouting when Isobel reached him. "I CAN'T HEAR! I CAN'T SEE! HELP ME!" He flinched at first when Isobel touched him gently on the shoulder, but grew calmer as she focussed on his wounds.

Uther had bent low over one of the bodies. It smoked slightly, and one of the arms had been shredded from the lightning. The loose rope still hung around it's neck, causing Uther to frown. "Well, that's just rude," he commented grimly.

Isobel could see him reach for the rope, but the hair on the back of her head stood on end. She could feel the energy gathering, and leapt at her friend, knocking him to the ground.

A second bolt crashed down upon the tree, but this time it behaved very oddly. Three tendrils of electricity split from the tree, each reaching out like greedy hands to encompass one of the hanged men. The power surged on for several seconds, until they could see the bodies lifting, lurching, twitching to life. The power yanked them to their feet, the bodies blackening from the heat.

"What the --?" began Uther.

Rikkard's sight remained dim, but he could sense the danger. Shouting to hear himself, he incanted the words of his summoning, bringing forth his warriors from the void. Five of his shadow-men appeared, and he ordered them at once to attack.

Flickers of power crackled around the dead men's eyes and mouths. It appeared to be building, and their skulls glowed with a dangerous power from within.

Isobel stood up and faced them. She reached inside her spirit, and held on to the power she felt connected to. "By the voice of the Guardian, I order you who are undead to depart!" As she spoke her halo grew brighter, and her voice became louder to appear to come from everywhere. When she finished, her halo burst, sending a wave of energy over the field.

The energy passed harmlessly through her friends, but impacted with the hanged men like a wave of water. She could feel the power that controlled them, one power spread throughout, and could feel its age. Something ancient stood there, some old and malicious -- and powerful! With a resounding, taunting laught that echoed around the bowl, her wave was pushed off by the hanged men, surprising Isobel.

The eyes of the hanged men seemed to glow then, and as one they turned on the field. With lightning gaze they focussed on Abigail, and opened their smoking mouths.

White ropes of twitching lightning streamed out from their gaping maws toward Abigail, striking near her and exploding into a shower of smaller shards of electricity. These danced out and filled the bowl with flickering light, shocking and burning any who it touched. Rikkard's shadow-men were caught in mid-swing and destroyed, sent back to the world of forms.

Uther raced forward, his beard singed and his temper -- and hammer -- raised. "That. HURT!" he roared as he collapsed one of the hanged men with his weapon. He could feel the bones of the creatures crushing beneath his strike, and saw it flop to the ground in a wet pile.

"If you will not respond to my voice, respond to my fists!" Isobel charged one of the remaining hanged men, dancing into a flying kick that snapped across his shoulders. It staggerred down to one knee and looked up at her.

To her confusion, its face was a battleground of wills, a fight between that which was controlling him and the person he once was. Fixing on her briefly, the man mouthed two words before his control was wrested away: "Help me!"

A flash of fire streaked across the scene, as Abigail released a spell. It crashed into the other remaining hanged man, setting his body on fire. A streak of lightning leapt from the blazing tree and struck the hanged man, and the fire's power seemed to be drawn into his mouth.

Rikkard let loose his blade, and struck it across the arm. The blade bit deeply, but the hanged man merely flinched. Flickers of lightning danced again around his head, and it turned away from Uther and Rikkard to focus on Isobel, who did not notice it.

Sensing the attack and its target, Uther leapt with surprising power, sailing over the hanged man with preternatural ease. He turned in mid-air, bringing his large shield out for protection, and yelled: "Isobel! Look out!"

The hanged man let loose with another volley of lightning, this time focussed on the distracted Sister. Uther collided with her, and his shield took the main force of the blow. Sparks rained around them, some of them pouring into the other hanged man who still looked at Isobel. The power jumped madly on the ground, searching for its target and sometimes finding it. Isobel screamed when it tore into her, tearing burning scars across her skin.

Uther stood when the attack had passed, breathing heavily and glaring at the attacker. He roared wordlessly as he charged it, shield in front of him. He collided with it and continued to push on driving it finally into the hill and crushing it beneath the shield.

Meanwhile, the other hanged man rose to his feet. "Oh, no you don't!" yelled Rikkard, who struck it solidly behind the head.

Abigail weaved another spell. You like fire? she thought angrily. Well, how about... "WATER!" she bellowed, and a stream of water emerged from her open palms, twisting and diving toward her target. It collided with the chest of the remaining hanged man solidly, shoving him off his feet and into a heap.

The bodies glowed slightly, and then a thin spark erupted from each of them and was drawn into the burning tree. A malicious laugh rand out, sounding as if from beside each of them. The fire swelled around the tree, and then lightning jumped from the tree to the clouds, taking with it the flames and leaving only the withered, unburned tree, now split slightly down the middle.

Rikkard pointed at it and called to Uther. "Dwarfe! I think that tree should be taken down!"

Uther grabbed his hammer and strode over to the tree quickly. He struck it once, twice, three times until it broke away at the base. A sigh was released from it, and seemed to wisp up like smoke.

MacGregor rode over the hill, Rikkard's horse in tow, and surveyed the scene. He leapt off his horse and ran over to Abigail. She stood, face slightly white and her mouth agape, staring at the tree.

"Are you all right, Abby?" he asked worriedly, protocol forgotten for the moment. He gripped her by her shoulders. "Are you hurt? Abby? Abby?"

She turned slowly to face him, her eyes distant. "Urqhart..." she began. "I saw Urqhart -- in the fire."

"What?" MacGregor asked, confused.

"I think that thing has captured Urqhart," she answered. A small tear escaped from the corner of her eye.

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