Death warmed up...I wish

So I almost died (again) today.  We finally got our crap together and got on the boat to cross the Misty River.  I handed out coins and deliberately left out Kathy as I had already voiced my opinions on her.  Chances are great SHE is the great evil we gave up all to lock away...and yet Wuyi is insisting she come with us...and stole a coin to get her passage.  We fought over it and when she called me Princess I felt something in me snap, a white hot rage flowed through me and I lunged for her fully intending to tear her heart out.  I don't know why that word infuriated me so.  I mean I was mad at her sure but that one word made me freak.  Anyway Ben and Rhia intervened and calmed me down just as we reached the other side.


What we saw was amazing...spirits packed in like sardines.  They mulled about talking and some of the others were freaking out a little.  I was sick of this place though, sick of Wuyi, and I just wanted out so I lept of the boat and landed on the shore amidst the ghosts.  When the spirits had settles I looked down and found one set of tracks leading West.  Rhia was hassling Ben about me again so I called out that I'd found the tracks.  Ben smiled at me after looking at them himself and something inside me...I don't know, shifted?  At any rate, the ghosts weren't leaving tracks so I figured these had to be Joshua's and set off following the trail.


Suddenly a ghost saw Rupper and came over shouting at him and swinging at him.  When it didn't do any good, he called to the other spirits and a tidal wave of ghosts crashed into us.  It was one of the creepiest and coldest things I have ever felt (I think.)  It was like the deepest cold was seeping into my very bones and I fought to keep my body from shivering and chattering too much, but I couldn't help but move closer to Ben.  I decided to focus my energy on the trail to not think about the cold overtaking me.  At some point (gods only know how long we had been walking) Ben placed a hand on my shoulder and I reached up to put mine on his and nodded as he moved back to urge the others on...not everyone can focus like Rhia, Ben and I.  Suddenly the ghosts cleared and we nearly walked off a cliff.


We were discussing our options for going down when I made a nearly fatal mistake.  You see people were hanging from chains and being eaten by harpies.  I wanted to see where the tracks went and sent Cal to check it out.  With in moments he was climbing up fast with two harpies on his tail!  Cal's tougher than most but I had no doubt if they got a hold of him he would die...and so would I, part of that being soul-bound thing.  Without hesitation I grabbed my spear and chucked it at the one closest to him, nailing her in the chest.  She turned and headed towards us.  Then I called it back and spun adding momentum to my next throw...and was nearly too late.  The second harpie grabbed Cal and my spear hit her at the same time.  She released him and fell but so did Cal!  I lunged for the cliffside feeling utterly useless and screamed for him again.  Ben caught me fearing I was gonna jump I think.  I reached for the dangling chains and squirmed out of his grasp, and began leaping and sliding down the cliffside as fast as I could but Wuyi lept out and caught him first.  I climbed to her and took Cal thanking her. During this Ben had lept off the side and went into a freefall...but it didn't really worry me.  Something in me said he was fine, so the rest of us moved down to him...where he has found Joshua.


Wuyi promptly starts to accuse and assault Joshua again.  I told Rhia to control her girlfriend, to which she sputters for a moment before realizing now was not the time for that and concentrated on pulling back Wuyi.  Joshua told us he had grasped a memory that his brother had been thrown over a cliff, left to rot, and he could not just leave him.  Rhia pipped up that she had found a memory in the river too but it wasn't one of ours.  The brother was dangling in chains and missing his intestine and liver, but otherwise did look like Joshua.  Ben sent Wuyi to break open his shackles and SOMEHOW Kathy got it in her head that Wuyi was Rhia's slave and claimed she did see a memory of me...juicy one, whatever that means.  Wuyi couldn't break the chains enough so I handed Cal to Ben and climbed up to help laughing at what Kathy said.  Wuyi must have thought I was laughing at her and ordered me to help.  Knowing she has no sense of humor and replied in Spanish that slaves shouldn't order their betters about earning the usual, tired, "shut up Tal" from Rhia.  Wuyi got pissed and asked what language we were speaking and told her if she intended to keep her pet, she should learn to speak Spanish.  I reached her and yanked on the chains and they shattered easily in my hands.  Unfortunately breaking him free sent the pieces chattering down, alerting harpies to what we were doing.  Joshua caught his brother, who's eyes snapped open to reveal dancing flames that illuminate the cliffside telling the harpies exactly where we are...shit.