The Capital City of Capernaum: Adin
~ Winter's Coming ~

A slight tap at the door brought the great king from his stupor, his thoughts far from the darkness that had begun to press its way over the once bustling streets of his city. He grumbled a emotionless welcome toward the door only to receive another resounding knock - this one louder. A huff rose from his cracked lips as he yelled loudly for the bastard to enter, the large door creaking in effort as the unknown moved into the large throne room.

Zakariah offered a quick bow and moved forward with a bounce in his step that the king almost found offensive. "Sir," his voice whispered through the large room, the sound disturbing the silence greatly.

"What is it boy? Did I not ask that you leave me be until I received word from the gods as to how to defeat this menace?" He shook his head, his stubby fingers coming up to pull along the white and grey strands of his beard. His gaze pressed against the younger man and caused him to back up a little. The king was a giant of a man and scared most in the kingdom by his sheer size, much less his strength and stamina in battle.

"Y-yes, Sire, but we have received word from the neighboring villages that they will be sending assistance. We will have aid by tonight, my grace. I can see in the far distance those that are beginning to ascend the great mountain to reach us." He smiled, but his lip quivered in fear.

"This is good news. When they arrive, give them housing within the walls of the castle and have them all brought together for dinner. I shall explain myself there to them and we will began the hunt tomorrow morning." The king moved from his large bronze throne as the floor shook with his efforts. Zak muttered his regards and hurried from the room, a smile on his thin lips and hope rekindled in his heart.

Hunter- Pete "The Kid" Drake.

He was so lost. This was what happened when you sent a city boy from the city. He gets lost. Hopelessly so. He had to get to Adin. The Shade could go after the City next. The Jewel of the North. Well that's what the locals called it. His home city. Caelondia, the local spelling on the great city state. The Guard had sent him as the representative of Caelondia (Celondia). A messenger had arrived at the Shimmering Walls a few days earlier. It called for assistance. If it could be spared. The Guard instantly knew who they planned on sending. Pete "the Kid" Drake. Odd since he had never left the City in his entire life. Still he had to fight.

He had made it to the mountain. The city was up ahead. He had asked passerby to help him to the city. They had pointed him in the right way. Once he reached the walls of the city he looked around. They were not as amazing as the ones he was use to. The Shimmering Walls would sparkle when the light him them. They looked to be alive. They had kept Caelondia Safe for 200 years. Pete did not think these would hold.

He was wearing the armor of one of the Guard. His sword bore the emblem of the Trade Cities so anyone who looked upon him would know he was from Caelondia. Anyone could tell he meant business. He made it to the castle doors. He showed the guards the message that had been delivered. He figured this would earn him access. He did not know. Caelondians were not popular. They were seen as arrogant and uncaring towards their neighbors.

The Carpathian Mountains: Home of the Shade
A Key is Essential

Arralina - Witch

Darkness cloaked the steep path that lead the pinnacle of their most recent hide out, the people of Capernaum growing balls and deciding to finally fight for what they felt was there's, but if they understood better the story of the chalice then they would know that in the hands of mortals it meant little, but in the bosom of a god...

Arralina lifted her right hand, her lithe arm invisible through the cloudy substanced that pushed around her as a small flame ignited from her hand and lifted slightly above her. The clinking of her long black high-heel boots filled the air and reminded her that solid footing was beneath her. She'd been summoned by the Shade and though she felt her evening would be better spent running amuck amongst the villages untouched, her father obviously had a different opinion.

Stopping at the edge of a large mountain she released the small ball of flame and tucked herself against the wall, her full crimson lips almost touching the rock as she mumbled, "I am here, Father."

The mountain shifted and she steadied herself, slipping into the small crack and walking into a room that appeared to have no bottom. A strong hang grabbed her by the throat and lifted her from the ground, a masculine growl racing up her spine. She gave no sign of fear or show of physical struggle, understanding very well that death awaited her if she but moved.

"Gather the others and take the chalice. It is encrypted by the gods and only a child from the golden towers can decipher it. Lose the cup and I will enjoy bathing in your very essence, my child." He let go and she remained in place, simply nodding. Stopping in front of her, the shade growled with intent and flicked his finger to hurl her from his presence. She landed in a thud just outside of his dwelling, her heart pounding as anger burned in her veins.

She walked quickly back down the path to their make shift camp and stood in front of the small fire, her fingers calling it to light up the night. "We've been given a task and the men of Adin will soon be on our tails in the midst of it. Gather your things and those of you with spirit - call out to the children of the Shade and bring our brothers and sisters to join us on a journey."

Lily walked with her gear on her back, a small pack with clothes in it, her bow and quiver over her shoulders, and hummed. She had been walked for a few hours now, and was nearly at the city. She had no idea what would happen once she got there, but she knew it had to be better staying in the village and dying an eventual boring death.

Of course, she was nothing really, just a orphaned girl playing at being a man, at least that is what some of the village wives told her over and over again. She would show them that women could be just as good as men, if not better.

As she reached the city gates, she took out the message she had received and made her way to the castle. She felt oddly out if place here, but then, she had never been to a city before. She glanced down at herself to make sure she was presentable. Rather, as presentable as she could be after hours of walking a dusty path. She took a drink from her water as she walked through the city, trying not to gawk too much.

She soon reached the castle, and glanced around not entirely too sure what to do now,

Hunter - Kaelle

Kaelle's feet hurt. They killed. She had been walking non-stop for days, trudging through the Luom-lit forests and deserts to get to Adin. She crossed the border between Capernaum and Endachold just a few hours ago and was determined to reach Adin by dusk.

Not only did Kaelle's feet hurt, her shoulders ached too. She over-prepared for the trip and bought a rucksack with far too many items - she did not need five metres of thick, rough rope and a deer-skin rug. The sun rose high into a cloudless sky and blazed onto the land, forcing Kaelle to shield her eyes rather than to risk becoming blinded from the light. Sure, Endachold was bright but it was bright where it needed to be, not bright where it needed to be times ten. The last animal she saw had been a deer which was an easy catch, a bola thrown wrapped itself around the horned animal's legs and immobilised it. Hunting animals gave Kaelle an unmistakable sense of satisfaction, especially watching them struggle as they collapse to the ground, unable to prevent their sad fate.

A beacon of hope stood in Kaelle's line of sight, the towering spires of Adin only a few hours walk in the distance. Kaelle picked up her pace to a brisk walk, all the pain in her shoulders and feet disappearing. She was going to be there before darkness took over the land. She knew it.

Reynault- Hunter

The hooves Reynault's horse clopped audibly on the cobblestone of Adin's roads. Reynault was starting to question bringing a warhorse on a hunt, thinking something faster would be more useful, but Reynault knew he would make it work. When the call came up for any man able and willing to help hunt this monster, Reynault almost leapt for joy. Finally, a chance to prove himself. After this, he could look his brothers in the eyes and say he was worth a damn. That is, of course, if he could find where he was going. You'd think that the right road to a castle wouldn't be that hard to find, but no. said Reynault to himself. At least he traveled light.

When he finally found the right road to the castle, he saw a group of armed people standing outside the gates. "Hail, friends." He said as he dismounted. "I'm assuming we are all here to hunt this beast."

Marcus-Hunter

"Fucking fog," Marcus grumbled to himself. He pulled a flask from his saddlebag and took a long drink, the stinging alcohol sliding down his throat to warm his belly. It was strong but his face didn't show it. The sting no longer affected him, he actually welcomed it. His horse snorted as he replaced it and Marcus leaned down to pat his warm neck. They had been traveling for five days, five long days with only one glimpse of their destination. The great city of Adin. Why would anyone would build their city on the side of a mountain? It was ridiculous. He wasn't even sure how close he was anymore, the fog hampering his view of the walls. His horses hooves clicked on the road, filling the silence with a hollow sound. The beast had been the most trustworthy of all of his horses, one who, no matter the challenge rose to meet it. Marcus felt rather fond of the muddy colored stallion, but he would never admit it nor show it.

Marcus took a deep breath, stretching his arms above him. A pop sounded from his back erasing a dull pain that had formed the day before. He allowed a smile and reached for the reins again, squinting as something began to form through the fog. He reached up to rub his face, the tough bristles of a five day beard brushing against a calloused hand. His dark eyes studied the structure that was forming, and he was mildly pleased when gates came into view, two guards on either side. They were looking at him, no doubt hearing him before seeing him. His horse, seeing the gates moved faster, seeing the opportunity for rest and a large bucket of oats. Marcus pulled him to a stop looking at the guard to his left. He pulled a piece of parchment from his saddlebag and presented it. The guard took it, reading, and then looked to the other, only nodding.

"Welcome to Adin, you will be provided housing within the castle," The guard said as he handed the parchment back. Marcus nodded and urged his horse forward through the gate that the other guard had opened. It seemed the fog couldn't make it past the walls. The streets were busy, perhaps too busy for his liking. He watched as a woman with two small children walked in front of him. She looked up and he saw her, her beautiful face, her eyes, her lips. He blinked and she was gone, replaced by the face of the woman who ushered her children across quickly, perhaps frightened by his haggard appearance. His hand moved to his face again, wondering if he should shave. The hunt didn't call for it, but he was meeting the King was he not? Perhaps it was warranted. Marcus steered his stallion through the crowd, hooves headed for the castle. The charger plodded along, his mood souring as they passed a stable. Normally, Marcus would have patted the horse, assuring him that his work was almost done, but now in front of these people, he did not. His face remained cold and unfeeling as they moved.

Finally, they came to the steps of the castle. Marcus stopped his horse, and looked up at the palace. His brows furrowed as he imagined what the King would look like. Perhaps he would be dressed in fine clothes, rings glittering on his fingers. He couldn't help but not like this man because of his good fortune. Marcus swung out of his saddle, heavy boots hitting the ground. He allowed himself to pat the horse gratefully. The horse, used to this behavior accepted it with his own stand-off-ish behavior. The two were a match made in heaven.

Tyden Konrad - Hunter

Tyden has been been travelling for so long that he lost count of the weeks. On his way here, to Adin, he thought about this invitation that he recieved from the king of Capernaum. Out of all hunters in Seisau why him? Maybe because out of all of them he captured the most witches and warlocks, 24 to be exact. Or maybe because he was the only first class that still lives, while the others have died over the years during the hunts. Nobody knows. He tried not to think about that too much. This fog is very disturbing though and really affected his visibility. He had to admit that he really loved the landscape here. In Seisau there aren't any mountains. He eventually made eye contact with Adin. A beautiful; city indeed, from the outside at least. But why would anyone build a capital in a place like this. As he come close to the city gates two guards stop him. Tyden stared at both of them and then handed them his invitation.

"I'm here on behalf of your king. He invited me here." He said, as one of the guards took the invitation, stared at it, then back at his colleague and then back at Tyden. "Welcome to Adin...Mr. Tyden Konrad. You and the rest of the hunters will be provided with housing inside the castle." He said to Tyden as he and the other guard stepped aside and allowed him to pass. As he walked through the streets of Adin he found himself not very impressed. "The cities in Seisau look alot better then this." He said as he looked around. The people looked weird at him. Maybe they weren't used with strangers. He caught a glimpse of the castle far away and he decided to follow it. After a couple of minutes of walking he finally reached it. The castle was very impressive. At it's gates there were a couple of armed people. Tyden couldn't tell if they were hunters or not. Anyway, he rested my body against a wall and waited for something to happen.

Hunter - Kaelle

The huntress had been climbing the mountain to the city for about an hour now, getting lost occasionally when the path deviated from Adin. The gates were huge and daunting, as were the two guards that stood watch out front, clad in steel armour. This was nothing like the border. Just within a few hours the weather had gone from bright to completely dull, with an eerie fog that sat in the air like a blanket. Kaelle had to squint to see distances from afar, it was that dark.

She approached the gate but one of the guards immediately stepped forward, holding out his hand in a "stop" gesture. "Halt, stranger," he bellowed, not moving an inch. "State your business."

"I have come by request of your king," Kaelle stated as she swung her rucksack onto one shoulder and began rummaging intently through it. From the bag she pulled out a invitation, bore with a red seal, and presented it to the guard. The big man took it and his eyes darted back and forth, examining every inch of the paper possible.

"Very well," he finished, handing back the paper to the huntress. "A few others of your kind have already arrived, you are not the first. Follow the main road to the castle and you will find housing within the area. Welcome to Adin." The city gates heaved open with a loud and unsettling creak allowing Kaelle to get a better view of the capital. Simply put, it wasn't pretty. At first glance it was dark and gloomy, the citizens taking quick glances at the stranger to their city before hurrying along the cobbled road. Mothers pulled their children closer to their sides and wary eyes peeked through the dusty wooden shutters of stores and homes. A blacksmith pounded away rhythmically at a hot steel sword, fresh from blazing flames. As Kaelle continued to walk up the road she noticed a man dressed in dark clothing leaning against a wall, appearing to look at the castle's gates - which were equally impressive to the city's. She recognised him from the moment she had finished her journey to the top of the mountain, performing a similar routine to her when she first arrived - meaning handing the city guards a piece of paper.

Tapping him on the shoulder from behind, she asked, "Did the King summon you here too?"

Evangelina Vertesca - Huntress (Narrator)

In the distance she finally caught a glimpse of what she'd been waiting to encounter, the spiky hills of the Carpathian mountains rising up behind the bright light that was Adin. Her soft brown boots had taken a beating, but she knew well how to fix them up and would attend to them later than night when she'd arrive to her final destination and better understood what was being asked of her. The king's letter was strange and quite ambigious in nature, but needing an adventure and proving herself through a series of games in her own town of Demura, Eva was able to pack up and head out to a strange land for a unique adventure. She feared very little but knew that fear was healthy in most situations and tried to utilize reason and judgement to assist her when she was the only one in the crowd seeming to lack terror. A smile touched her pretty mouth as she made her last few steps over a small hill and made visual contact with the people of Adin. The beautiful city she once gazed upon in her childhood was but a shadow of what she'd expected to see.

There were people everywhere, still busy trying to finish up their daily tasks and get their families inside before nightfall. The smell of anxiety and the electricity of worry sat heavy in the ether that surrounded her small frame. She continued toward the castle gates, others moving in the general direction that looked as if they fit not in the general population. Eva pulled her papers from a small satchel as she approached the small group of people that stood about before a few guards. Crumbs littered the ground around her, the after effects of her treats that her Aunt had packed from the bakery for her long trip. A young knight with blonde hair stood just beside her patiently awaiting his (Pete) turn to enter, as did a fiercesome man with chestnut brown hair sprinkled upon his strong face (Tyden).

She extended her small hand and smiled, "I am Eva from Demura. I assume you are here for the same as I?" She lifted her paper and nodded toward his as a lovely woman with short fiery red hair and bright colored clothing moved into focus. (Lily). Eva nodded to her and turned as a sentinel walked from the inner gates of the palace and looked at everyone.

"Papers please. If you've com..." He was interrupted by a knight dressed from head to toe in armor (Reynault). "Hello there, fine fellow. Papers everyone. As I was saying, if you've come in response to the great King of Adin, please do follow me into the grand hall and I will give you drink and further instructions."

Just before them moved into the walls of the castle courtyard one of the guards moved forward, "Sir. Another male came just but a little early riding a horse and we allowed him entrance because he provided his papers. We apologize." He bowed as if waiting to be hit.

The sentinel shook his head and muttered, "Yes, well, carry on. We shall catch up to him (Marcus) shortly."

They begin to walk into the walls as the guard looked at the beautiful blonde (Kaelle) and nodded, his eyes a little wide. "Um, I'm but a guard, but please do hurry to catch the rest." He barely looked at her papers, but rather starred at the shimmer of her perfectly golden hair. Beautiful is what he whispered as she passed.

Lily shifted her gear, following the group, glancing about them. She studied ways of getting in and out, prepared if this was some sort of trick, so she was prepared to get out and save herself.

She tried to to look impressed, and show how much of a simpleton she really was. Just in this one section? She took a guess and assumed it was more the her village could make in a lifetime. She grimaced at her dusty hands She would not be intimidated. She took a deep breath "excuse me?" She said, "is there some where I can freshen up? I've been, as I'm sure the others have, traveling all day. My hands are dusty"

She looked about at the other travelers, who all seemed different. She took a guess and assumed they were all from different places. Therefore they'd have different skills, different ways of seeing things, doing things. She waited for an answer

Vitralese

Vitralese felt a shift in the darkness, looking up from her book as she felt the presence of her sister entering the mountain castle their father had created in the side of a dark and tall mountain. Vita set her book aside quickly and stood, her heavy white dress trailing as she made her way from her small private library. Vitralese was the Shade’s favored child and her lodging reflected it. She was housed with the shade in a small wing that sat in the back of the mountain where there were no windows and light made it through, if the dark clouds had ever let any through any way. She had barely stepped out of the library into the rock hallway where floating orbs lit the black and jagged walls, wet with a dew that seemed to come from the mountain, when Vita felt her sister suddenly disappear. It seemed father had wished to speak to Arralina, which meant something was up. As much as the Shade liked Vita her detested her sister and was not one for idle chatter with the woman.

Vita was not keen to go to her father unsummoned but her sister’s sudden appearance and disappearance was too much of a curiosity for her to ignore. She made her way to through the damp halls, empty but for her presence…empty due to it as well, and arrived as the invisible door way to her father’s chambers. She stopped before an apparently blank rocky wall and took a deep breath before speaking softly “Father” and seeing the rock split in two. She had half hoped he would not answer but now it was too late. She stepped between the rocken slabs and into a room that seemed to never end before coming to a ledge where the floor dropped out and stood. As she watched the abyss changed as the fog swirled about and the room turned into a throne room with a deep vaulted ceiling painted with images horrifying enough to send a human to madness. As the floor solidified Vitralese stepped forward down the long deep red carpet, her heart pounding, till she reached the steps and dropped to the floor, her dress fanned out about her and her head lowered. It was only then that the shade appeared, materializing in his throne.

"Vitra, come closer my child and let me see you properly." He extended his hand, long fingers beckoning the beautiful woman to move toward him. He waited not for her to speak, pull pulled her to stand just before him, the very essence of her innocence almost overwhelming. "You will not attend the task I've given Arralina. Do you understand child? My time with you is yet to come, but it will be soon and I would rather not travel across the planes of time to do so."

Vitralese took her father’s hand and stood, small and delicate next to the shade who had already altered his size to be less daunting to the half human woman. As he spoke Vitralese looked at the shade and nodded, she would never argue him directly. “Is there something the matter?” Her voice was soft, as one not often used.

"The matter is very simple, Vitra. You will not be put in harms way nor will you damage yourself in a fight. You are chosen to sire my next child. Simply no." He pulled her closer and began to inspect her, his gaze heavy and pressed against the poor young woman.

Vitralese stood still as the shade looked her over. His powerful gaze was one of the traits the shade had passed to his own daughter, one he prized in her and hopefully their future children. Where incest warped most children the shade hoped its unnaturalness would only strengthen his own. Besides, he knew Vitra to be strong, a thing she now relied on. "I am strong father. I would slaughter any who might be fool enough to attack me." She felt her energy pulse with excitement. It had been so long since she had been out. "I wish only to prove myself to you."

He closed his eyes for a moment, looking deep into the hidden curves of the future and nodded his approval. "Do not disappoint me and you are forbidden from sharing my plans for you with the others." He growled softly and caressed her face, his body strong and lithe as he moved past her and opened the edge of the cave. "Speak not of this to Arralina. She hates me more than most others and might find a way to hurt you in lieu of me."

“Yes my lord.” Vitra bowed again till he disappeared. It was a few moments later that she made her way from the throne room and back to her own. She needed to collect some things before leaving to find her sister. A half hour arrived she stepped forward into the light of the fire and smiled, a deep red cloak following her. “Lina my sister.” She smiled at the woman, stepping toward her glad to finally see her once again.

Sable ~ Witch

It had been a long and somewhat fruitless number of years, but Sable was finally upon her end goal. The Carpathian Mountains stood tall and ominous in front of the slender woman, yet the emotion she felt was neither fear nor dread. Only a genuine relief embraced the witch as she put her long, dark hair in a wild ponytail. An expression of pursed lips and a blank stare faced the mountainous region just ahead and tattooed arms folded over the bosom for a brief moment. This was where the Shade was supposed to reside. The entity of evil that was said to possess powerful dark magic also seemed to live as a recluse of late somewhere in these mountains. At least, that was the information that Sable had finally pieced together after years of chasing false leads and unreliable memories of individuals who claimed to hold "valuable" information. However, as Sable stood at the base of the mountains, she couldn't deny the feeling that crawled up her spine. Mostly due to her magical affinity, the witch could feel the presence of something with energies that resonated with her own. Even if it wasn't the Shade, this was the best lead she had gotten in a long while.

With a nod to herself and an adjustment of a makeshift pack she was carrying by one strap, Sable began a somewhat determined trek into the mountains. With each step, the thoughts gathered more densely in Sable's mind. She pondered things like what the Shade looked like, how he behaved, and just how oppressive the air would be around him. Being magically inclined to Death gave Sable a sense beyond the five that normal humans were supposed to have. Especially when concerned with dark energy, Sable could almost feel the weight of an evil aura depending on the nature of the creature it originated from. She expected that the Shade should house the heaviest aura of all she'd come upon, but she also wondered if her body would effortlessly meld into the force rather than be crushed by it since she was the Shade's daughter. Petty thoughts like these ran through her mind as she traversed farther into the region.

Eventually, Sable came to a rock ledge and stopped to peer into the horizon. There were black mountains in all directions, but some were larger than others. She hadn't learned if the Shade resided in an ornately built castle or some hidden structure, but as she couldn't see any sort of houses or buildings around, Sable decided that she would make her way towards the tallest mountain and attempt to scale it. Beings of such power usually sat the top of the world to look down on everyone else right? With this in mind, Sable slowly examined the mountains in the distance until her gaze caught sight of the tallest mountain. With her destination targeted, the now anxious witch took off in its direction, her heart beginning to thump with the realization that she would be meeting her elusive father soon.

Reynault passed his papers over to the guard and followed the others. With Ajax's bridle in one hand, he went to the guard. "Please have someone take him down to the stables and take good care of him." The guard grunted in either agreement or resentment, Reynault couldn't tell.

Reynault was starting to regret wearing his armor that day. While it was made of the finest Stahlberg steel, it wasn't exactly designed for sitting down. Or going to the bathroom. Or really anything that didn't involve bashing people in the face without getting bashed in the face yourself. He mentally kicked himself for not changing when he had the chance and entered the large banquet hall. As stated earlier, there were goblets of wine waiting for everyone. Reynault took off his helmet and helped himself to a drink. Easing into a chair (while trying to make as little noise as possible. And failing.) he waited for the others to grab their drinks before trying to mingle.

Sylvia - Witch

Sylvia's hands trembled as she tended the fire in the small hovel she now called home. It had been even more cold and miserable than usual the last couple of days; their new hiding spot was...undesirable. And Sylvia, of course, being one of the newest of the bunch, was not rewarded with any of the luxuries afforded to the Shade's favorites. She slept on a mat of straw and fabric scraps, wrapping herself in he mother's deep green cloak for warmth. Of course, it could have been worse; her small fire gave a cozy glow to the room, and a stack of books sat on the ground next to it.

Sighing, Sylvia tucked her dress behind her and sat down heavily. She had just begun to contemplate opening a book when she felt something run up her spine. An icy finger pushed her long hair aside, a whisper filling her ear; it was barely audible, but the Shade was good at making himself known. She shivered. Pulling up her hood, she stood and opened the door. The freezing cold air hit her like a slap across the face; she ignored it, pulling her cloak more tightly around her and beginning her trek down the steep path to the camp.

Jonathan - Hunter... ish

Things were different around here, see?

He could blink, cover his face with a mask, and he was the most terrifying creature that had ever walked the lands, the terror of terrors, the thing that things that went bump in the night feared, and told stories about. The Deathwalker. They had given him that name out of spite, telling him that he should be dead, and was one of the walking dead, saved by the Church. He didn't agree, but they had saved his life, so had he simply nodded and agreed. It wasn't like he had any power to do anything else. And when he was out on the open, with his mask up and his face exposed, he had little power. But once he was allowed to attack, like letting an attack dog off of his leash, things got interesting, see?

Darkness had a way of drawing that person out in him. He couldn't be around people at night, see? He didn't like the night lights, and he needed to stay away. Creatures of the darkness did not love him, but they treated him with more respect than the church dogs. He danced lightly over the dark places. He didn't need to cover his face there, see? Darkness was it's own mask. It was where he was at the tippy-top of his game, with everybody wanting to play.

But it wasn't night now, and it was dark neither. He had to understand how people thought he should act like, how people thought and felt, trying to understand them. It was tiring, but necessary. People hated what they couldn't understand, and while he could live with their hate, as he would have enjoyed seeing how their hatred would have played out in his darkness, the church decided that they couldn't have people hating their emissary. They told him to cover his face until it was disrespectful to do so, and then cover it with his hood. He was fine with that. If people didn't fear him, they thought that they could tell him what to do, how to do it, and what was reasonable, see? And that wasn't acceptable.

See?

Horses didn't like him. But one did. It was an old warhorse, used to the darkness that was humankind, and liked his talking to himself, thinking that him talking and mumbling to himself was talking to the horse, and his ears would twist back to hear what he was saying, as if he understood the mutterings of the mind of the lad. He was an acquired taste, but Jonathan liked him nonetheless. The horse expected nothing of him except for a carrot or apple every so often, and that was delightfully simple compared to humans. He was a human. How odd that he got along better with four legs than two.

Riding into town was a satisfying occasion. People looked upon the mask that covered his face, looking like a silver skull underneath his long cloak, moving underneath the sun without being touched by it, watching as people moved out of his way, looking at him with that healthy look of fear that kept them from trying to engage him in conversation, see? His horse trotted over to the center of the town, where there was a citadel. He could see it now, but there were guards in front of him. He dismounted, tugging at the reins and pulling him to the gate, where the guards barred his entrance. They too had a look of fear, gazing at his mask, confused. He lifted it up, showing his pale features and attempting a smile, like Father Grimbold at taught him. From the faces of the guards, it was still pleasantly gruesome.

He reached into his pocket, watching the guards stiffen and reach for weapons and magical wards. He let them continue with this before pulling out a long slim silver chain in his gloved hand, a gold and silver cross raising it before their terrified eyes.

"I am here to hunt Darkness, like others that have come, I hear. Step aside, and find a stable for Maximus that has much hay and apples, lest I hunt you instead."

Fear. They reeked of it. He was tempted to hunt them down, but he couldn't let Father Grimbold down, see? Like a father to him, the old friar was.

Khelek Istar - Warlock

Khelek woke up from where he had been lying, unconscious, on the floor. He had just finished adding another large room to his ice palace and such an extreme use of his cryokinesis always left him exhausted if not unconscious. Now, refreshed, he went to examine the new addition. Like the rest of his home, the room was made entirely from ice, though not the ice that most would imagine. Khelek's abilities allowed him to create ice that was more durable that normal, strong enough to make weapons or even walls, floors or ceilings. Khelek had built his home one room at a time over the past few years, adding a room anytime it suited him. This particular room was to a target range, or at least it would be once he was done. Khelek reached out his hand and ice flurried through the air, forming a sculpture of a heavily armored knight a few yards away. The process was repeated two more times until Khelek faced three icy opponents. Khelek's hand whipped through the air yet again, this time a large shard of ice formed in between him and the first of the warriors. As Khelek pushed his hand forward, the shard flew towards the knight and struck it center in the chest, breaking it into a thousand shining splinters. As the remains of the first sculpture fell to the ground Khelek dashed towards the second, raising his hand as if about to strike with an invisible weapon. As his arm came down an icy sword materialized from his hand, striking the knight in the forehead and causing it to crack down the middle and then collapse to the floor. Dropping the sword to the ground, he turned upon the final target, his hand still outstretched and palm up. He quickly raised his hand and a large spike of ice formed from the floor directly below the remaining knight, shattering its legs apart and knocking it to the ground. Deciding that that was enough for now, Khelek waved his hand, causing the scattered pieces of ice, including the sword, to vanish in a puff of snow. He was just going to go and find something else to do when he felt it. It felt like someone was tugging on his soul, bidding it down the mountain. The summons had no words, not really anyway. And yet he felt that if it did it would say: "Come brothers and sisters, the Shade has need of you". Khelek immediately started walking towards his equipment room, "Finally a chance to put my powers to use" he said to himself.

After filling a satchel with provisions and other supplies, Khelek headed out the door, only turning around to seal the doors of his palace in a layer of ice. Khelek then strode towards the nearby cliff edge. Looking down, it was possible to barely make out the abode of the Shade: the castle of the High Witch Vitralese. The summons seemed to be coming from in or nearby the castle. Khelek moved back from the cliff before making a running leap over the edge. For less than a second it seemed he was floating in the air and then he began to plummet towards the ground far below. As Khelek fell, the ground coming closer and closer, he thought briefly about how much he enjoyed having his powers. Then, with a messy death only seconds away, he transformed into snow and floated the remaining distance to the ground, forming a small pile of snow. The snow rose into the air as Khelek's body reformed. Looking around him he saw the Shade's castle, as well as a small camp further down the mountain. Feeling that the summons came from the later he conjured an icy walking staff and headed in that direction.

BAEL'KA-NA'HARONNA's DREAM.

Bael'Ka-Na'haronna sat perched on the cliffs ledge in anticipation of the raising Suns warmth, the previous night had been cool, crisp and the night sky clear, the constellation of Drago seemed exceptionally bright amongst the rest of the stars.
Now as the raising light in the east slowly became brighter and causing the darkness of night to appear as if retreating beyond the western horizon, still lacking a hint of clouds in the sky, the coming day was promising to be just as clear. From this vantage point he had a vast overview of the land the first nomadic tribe of humans named Caperneum.

The dense forests to the east was the first to bask in the light of the new day, the canopy of the tree tops a vibrant green, in greeting, the birds began to chirp and sing followed by the chatter of Squirrels as they chased one another from branch to branch. A small herd of fattened deer slipped from the safety of the trees to feast lazily upon the lush, thick grass.

To the south, the wheat crops were tall and golden and waved back an forth with the blowing of the breeze, reminiscent of a wave rolling across the sea. Far to the left an orchard of apple trees, the limbs heavy laden and bountiful with large, deep red fruit to the point of nearly snapping. A few farms further south began showing sign of life as well, smoke from the morning cooking fire's, twisted and curled from chimneys crafted of stone and seemed to be a signal for the penned cattle, chickens and other creatures to rise and pace about in anxious anticipation of their owners arrival with, grain, oats or hay.

To the west the grasslands stretched as far as his sapphire orbs could see, or at least as far as the foothills of the vast western mountains that surrounded and provided a natural protection to the White forest beyond. Antelope and bison herds range freely and feasting to their hearts content one th abundance of wild grasses. By now the fiery nova had risen high enough in the sky to bathe his behemoth bulk in its warming rays and he stretched out his powerful wings and tilted his massive head up to greet the source and bask in peacfulness of the morning.

The moment of peace gave way to a nagging at the back of his mind of something sinister, the thought or the reason why was for the moment to vague and uncertain but with each passing breath the sense grew stronger. When he opened his sapphire orbs he found himself facing the ominous and barren Carpathian Mountains. He stood motionless as the nagging spread from the back of his mind to consume his full attention. Bael'ka-Na'haronna was one of the ancient among Dragonkind and feared nothing of this world, but that which now caused an inkling of dread to play upon his thoughts was not of this world. From the plane of desolation a portal opened and then came forth a shadowy darkness that began to crept forth from the base of the Carpathian Mountains, reaching out and spreading forth like a gnarled hand of serpents. He stood mezmerized and at first blinked his orbs rapidly in dis belief, only to open them to find what was seen was indeed real.

The shadow darkness spread across the ground, the lush green grass beneath instantly shriveled and died, the darkness spread to the dense forest of the east, the great trees instantly dried, splintered and cracked, the wood petrifying in mere seconds after touched by the shadowy darkness. Most if not all of the once mighty oaks, with their roots system dried up, toppled over and crashed to the ground. At the time, the birds and squirrels that earlier chirped and chatter with joy, fell as if made of stone, dead before hitting the ground, the small herd of deer lay dead as well like husk covered bones.

The shadowy darkness spread to the apple orchard and crops, the apples falling and rotted before hitting the ground, the crops like the once lush grass shriveled and dead with the passing. Nor were those humans within their dwellings spared the touch of death from the spreading darkness, support timbers dried and cracked as well, weakened by the advancing darkness across the whole breadth of the land. Buildings caved in to reveal the dried out husk of human forms as if their insides were sucked out leaving only the dead flesh stretched tightly across bone. The shadowy darkness spread like lava flowing from a volcano across the land of Caperneum, till finally it encircled the Capitol city of Adin.

For a moment the shadowy darkness halted its advance upon the City, as if to relish the fear and panic it had caused among the Cities inhabitants, Bael'Ka-Na'haronna orbs filled with wetness for the last of the living. But as the shadowy darkness purged itself and enclosed closer upon the City, a brilliant aura of light sparked so instantly and intense, blinding him before he could even blink.

---

With the vision of brilliant light flashing in his orbs, Bael'Ka-Na'haronna stirred and rose his head wearily only to find himself in the cold slumber chamber of his ice cave deep within the Articlands of the far north. For years now the dreamvision had come to his slumber, more vivid and detailed then the last each time. But this last dreamvision was the first he had ever had the revealing of the flashing of light and this troubled his still sleepish thoughts greatly. Slowly he forced himself to raise, abit wobbley at first as after years upon years of slumber, movement now returned to his powerful muscles. Able to walk now, he made his way down the long corridor, passing chamber after chamber of careful stored parchments and tomes, then passed other chambers lined with row upon row of books and collections of writings by races long since forgotten, forgotten or not was a mute point really, for what they had written and fore warned in the writings was coming to pass.

The time of desolation was coming upon the world.

Tyden Konrad - Hunter

The winter was coming close. Because of that, weather was kind of chilly. Tyden covered himself with his cape as the wind started blowing in his face. As he was sitting at the gates of the castle, leaned next to a wall someone approaches him(Kaelle). He taps him on the shoulder and then asks him if the king summoned mhim as well. Tyden look at her from top to bottom and then he stared at her face. "Yes he did. I'm guessing you're a hunter as well. He said as he looked at her. She was young and pretty. With green eyes, blonde hair and well toned body. Imidieatly afterwards another woman showed up. She introduced herself as Eva from the land of Demura saying that she presumes Tyden is here for the same reason as he is.

Tyden shook her hand. "I'm Tyden from Seisau. And given the fact that we both have the same invitation then I guess you presume correctly." He said as he let go of her hand. Then a guard opens the gates to the castle and asks for our invitations...again. Didn't we showed them at the city gates already? Anyways, he and the other hunters walked trough the gates and entered the castle courtyards. The place looked indeed amazing. It would seem that the inhabitants of the castle were still living the good life. Which was the least he could say about the rest of the city. But anyway, he wasn't here to judge the king of this kingdom. He was here to hunt. Or that's what he thought they were all brought all here for. Then the guard said the magic word. Drinks.

Evangelina Vertesca - Huntress (Narrator)

The short walk to the castle gave Eva the opportunity to look about her a little, her long crimson hair moving about as the wind played various games with the silky strands. The essence of night began to pull in closely and the small group of hunters instinctively pulled in tighter, the cries of wild animals just outside the city walled waited with understanding that the city was on the brinks of destruction. The door to the cream-colored palace was heavily guarded and only by retrieving the Kings adviser were the guards allowed to make entrance into the castle with the new visitors. Papers were checked again and a variety of young male and female servants came to stand in wait of attendance as Zakariah, the kings adviser moved to the front of the room.

A young female smiled at (Lily) the young huntress when she asked for a washroom, shuffling the girl toward a small but lovely pale pink restroom and offering her a clean hand towel. "I do apologize for the cold water, madam, but we are a bit limited due to the situation at hand. I shall be outside the door if you need anything and if not, please take your time and join us when you're able."

Eva's eyes followed the movement here and there, missing nothing. An announcement was made that drinks were available to everyone and that they were to make themselves comfortable for a few moments until everyone arrived. Eva took a glass and moved to stand near the window, her eyes moving up to the mountains as blackness covered them. Eyes adverting to the door and a bit of whisper that rushed through the room, a newcomer moved in who echoed the very essence of death but held to his persona the colors of innocence. She gave him a quick glance and slipped into her thoughts of the journey to come.

The king's adviser pulled her from her thoughts as she drank the remaining liquid in her cup and nodded to a few fellow hunters before slipping into a plush crimson chair.

"King Jermolt of Capernaum bids you all well and offers gratitude and hospitality to each of you. As you well know, darkness has slipped into the Carpathian mountains just beyond us and has riddled our land with their witchcraft which brings nothing but desolation and death. As such, we have employed each of you to assist us in a mission that is two-fold. First, something was stolen from our sacred chambers last night - the cup of Eden, which is said to hold the key to eternal life." He paused for only a moment. "Whether you believe the tales or not, we do and obviously the Shade, who is darkness incarnate does as well. We need the cup back and we need an end put to this madness."

He moved a few steps up and Eva's brow shifted in concern as to whether he wanted to be heard better, or feared the dastardly crew before him. "We will have a large feast and wine set before you in the other room. Please come and as you are settled in feel free to ask questions. The King himself with join us shortly and entertain your thoughts and preponderances. Rooms have been prepared for each of you and tomorrow morning is when the journey will began. Please come."

He turned and walked into a large room just north of the one they all stood in. Eva stood again, grabbed another glass of wine and walked toward the smell of something roasted and salty, licking her lovely red lips.