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Eternal Realities: Umbra

Gaul remains silent for quite some time before finally acquiescing to Blaze’s plan. He had spent his silence trying to come up with a plan that would simultaneously save them time and keep their risk to a minimum, which left him missing the Eyes of Wyrd more than ever.

“I really want to leave this place. I want to be at home, in the snow, hunting.” He pauses briefly, then continues, “I’m here now, though, and I’ve sworn to save a comrade. So let’s go win over a lord of this gods-forsaken realm.”

Eternal Realities: Umbra

“I apologize for imploding your moon. I made a logical judgement, and was wrong.” Gaul begins to say that he would have his clothes on if he had had more time to wake up before the barbarians begin streaming through a portal of some kind. Realizing he has no time to grab his axe, he charges headlong into the fray without a second thought, and clotheslines the foremost combatant.

Gaul scoops up the rusty sword from the unconscious man, and swings it in a wide arc, disembowling three more, and roars his challenge to the horde.

Eternal Realities: Umbra

Gaul, seeing that everyone has left the portal, sighs and sinks the blade of his axe into the floor of the pocket dimension before following them out. He briefly muses on how to pass as a prisoner with a huge axe, and then his feet hit the ground. It isn’t until they do, however, that he remembers that he isn’t wearing his boots...or a shirt. He only has his cloth pants on, which he realizes makes it easier to play up the prisoner bit as he shuffles up behind the others, looking as meek as a man his size possibly can.

Eternal Realities: Umbra

Gaul averts his gaze once Sia begins to pull her top off, and continues to stare at his feet. “I can go along with playing the captive, but would prefer to remain inside this space unless absolutely necessary. The last thing we need is to have to rescue another.”

Eternal Realities: Umbra

Gaul takes the bloodstone for his own, carefully placing Flame onto the ground as he rises and his powers burst forth in an unstoppable tide. He had forgotten that he was mostly human while within this place, and his restored divinity reminds him even more that he wants to leave this forsaken realm. He nods to Sia.

“Since the warriors all resurrect during the full moon, I think it would be easiest to even the odds, rather than take control of their armies. Sia seems to agree with me.” Gaul bends down and picks up a small, flat pebble, then activates his seals. Arcane energies swell within him as he coats the pebble with a thin layer of nullification energy, looks up, and hurls the rock directly at the moon.

Within seconds, the moon implodes into nothingness, leaving no trace it was ever there to begin with. Gaul expels the bloodstone and hands it back to Sia, then walks over to Karnariel and Lexiana.

“I want to talk to Black Hat, but first I’m going to see if Razz is with this Rider you speak of.” He pauses. “It would probably be easiest for me to go by myself, so as to avoid any unwelcome attention. I’ll be on the lookout for your raven, Lexiana.”

As he turns to go, he glances down at Flame. “Thanks for the idea, little fox,” he winks at her. “Keep them safe for me.” And he begins walking to West Point.

Eternal Realities: Umbra

Gaul, ever the heavy sleeper, awakens surrounded by unfamiliar, gaunt faces ogling the group. He gets up slowly, the soreness of battle having finally caught up to him from Ragnarok, and stretches carefully, all the while eyeing these malnourished people he can only assume are the rebels mentioned previously. With a startled look on his face, he begins frantically patting his pockets, searching for something. He snarls menacingly.

“Which one of you has it? Where is my bloodstone?” Slowly, he begins to eye each of them suspiciously, waiting for someone to crack. Just as he’s about to lose it, a brief flash of memory takes over, and he sees the stone being placed carefully through a small crack in a door. He sighs deeply. “Sorry. Disregard that. I’ve remembered where it’s gone.”

And with that, he sits on the ground and waits for his next assignment.

Eternal Realities: Umbra

Gaul sputters midway through a large gulp of his drink, barely managing not to dowse Flame in the strong alcohol. He coughs a bit, then straightens up and looks down at the small fox curled in his lap. He had barely noticed when she had settled there, but her stories had been a welcome distraction from his own thoughts, so he didn’t mind.

“Flame,” he starts softly, “I don’t believe that parenthood is something to be rushed into. While I’m flattered that you chose to ask me, you should really take some time to decide if that’s what you truly want.” Gaul smiles slyly, and then adds: “Plus your brother seems like he’s ready to settle down any time, so long as he finds the right woman.” He then leans over and whispers into her ear.

He then stands up, carefully picking her up as he goes. She is quite obviously drunk, and ill-suited to be walking on her own. He carries her to the hut that is set aside for his companions, sets her down in front of the door, and turns to walk away. He calls back softly over his shoulder that he’s going for a walk to clear his head, and will be back soon.

A few moments later, Gaul is standing outside of Sven’s hut. Just as he raises his fist to knock, he sees a small hole near the door, just big enough for what he needs to do. He forces the small bloodstone into the crevice, whispers his apology to Sven for his deception, and walks back to where he left Flame, ready to sleep like the dead.

Eternal Realities: Umbra

Gaul has been lost in thought ever since Furm mentioned the Frostlander prophecy. There's that word again. Frostlander. The boy in the mask had called him that at the end of their fight. Spat it at him like a curse. Were these Frostlanders somehow related to his people? He was dying to know. But first...

"Elder, I have two questions: What is this stone that whispers promises of power, and how is it used?" Gaul holds aloft his smaller bloodstone, barely visible in his massive hands. Its voice in his head has been a constant, nagging presence, and it was starting to turn into a headache.

Eternal Realities: Umbra

Oh hello.