@Kyrisse@Black Panther@King Tai@dabombjk@Caits@Wick@Ashevelendar@Shadow Daedalus@Venku@Vas Khaleen

Razor arrived in front of the caravan with William but it wasn't long before William left Razor's side and went his own way with his own business to take care of.

Razor filtered and processed many of the new arrivals as he went through them in his mind. Garagantu, another Kilgaren like myself, some more mages, a templar and more. We are getting to be a very big group indeed. He wondered how well all the new personalities would adjust to existing relationships as he pointedly looked first in the direction of Shadow and Jamie and then Elyra and James. It seemed to him those were the strongest relationships of their group, as Razor had a feeling there was more there than being friends, each pair might have a romance going on.

Their abrupt departure shocked him and he double checked that he did indeed have all of his possessions with him. As he would hate to lose anything and his parents would kill him more than once, if he lost a few very important possessions that they entrusted to him. Having verified that his stuff was with him and good to go, he boarded the caravan, making sure to take a seat at the very front. He kept his eyes and ears open for any threats that might be coming out of the nearby surroundings as the caravan kept going steadily but bumpily along on its journey.

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Karlos had woken to being inside the caravan, locked inside. Once again his freedom was very limited. His arms weren't handcuffed together and his feet were not bound and yet it seemed he was very restricted... Taking his mind away from his 'limitations', he looked towards the windows of the caravan to take in the sight of the sky. It seemed calm and not volatile, with the normal light blue one would see without much clouds. Indicating to him that there was no storm approaching and Karlos was very much thankful for that. Storms are always so bloody noisy, like my old man back home snoring away when I was trying to get some sleep for the next day's archery tournament. Old man kept that snoring up for over an hour before I threw a pillow at his head and said "Shutup, Mr. snores BOOM man... Karlo's father didn't really appreciate being woken up but he simply rolled over and went back to sleep. Needless to say Karlos's archery performance was less then his usual bullseye. He ended up landing in 3rd place, a result that no one in his family were happy with.

Karlos shook his head as he brought his mind back to the present back to him sitting inside the caravan. His mind abruptly landed on Trinity and his eyes widened. He knew that he had failed in his mission. He knew that no one from Trinity had come to find him. He knew that the date that his report was expected had passed. The more time that had passed since his report date-the more nervous Karlos had become. Trinity did not look favourably on people who were late, and sometimes being late was worse than failing.

Karlos thought about it and in the end decided to be patient and it would pay off in the long run. He'd make his move at the next town or city they stopped in.

Lady.Rhaenyes Rahareon rode in the front of the caravan with the other templars, having earned the title of Grand Templar some time ago when she was but a young girl not that she actually followed most of their annoying ideological prattle, riding atop a beautifully stout black stallion with a sleek coat; contrasting against her bright white surface hardened steel plate trimmed with gold. The leg sections scale entirely as opposed to actual plate, shifting with each move the horse made, two hooks on the front of her breast plate held a long crimson red cloak onto her back flowing just down over her horse occasionally rising with the wind though the weight of the fabric kept it from flying about. She forewent her lions head helm while riding, preferring the comfort and ease of visibility of not wearing the steel feeling that it was unnecessary with a group the size of the one they currently were in, made up of several trained templars and magi. Not to mention her, the rich prodigy child of old Lord.Rahareon the richest lord the world over thanks to the plentiful supply of gold and iron ore on their house's ancestral land; leading her house to funding many of the Empire's wars and the orders expeditions. A sly smile cut into her sharp and well defined facial features, looking as if it could actually cut a man the same as the glittering longsword sheathed on her right hip, the mithril work the finest in all the land its edge cutting far greater than steel while remaining half the weight. Her silver hair almost matched the swords tone, and flowed elegantly past her shoulders truly tying together her regal and noble appearance, something that oft irk'd people about Rhaenyes they hated seeing their betters she had always reasoned. And she was better in sword, tongue, wealth, love, challenging anyone to say otherwise at the point of her blade.

Though for this she would have to try and get along with those around her, sent with the oddly arrayed group like the other templars present to oversee the magi and keep things from going awry in anyway; she knew all of the templars around her whether through repute or brief meetings in the past. And clearly they knew her, along with everyone and their mother, for she was hard to miss at six feet tall in her armor of white and gold. Her eyes wandered from the road, her horse knowing well enough how to walk without her constant attention gazing instead at each of her companions and the carvan car holding the others; thinking to herself how each of them looked on first glance a good measure of people in her mind was their initial appearance before they could retreat into deceit.

Collab with @Wick

Aelar sat with Maren by the bonfire, they had been talking almost constantly since the first day in Milas. He learned much about the world as they spoke as well as learning more about Maren herself. She had quite a mischevieous personality and was always getting herself into trouble especially when she was younger. "What do you plan to do once this is all over,assuming we are successful?" he asks Maren.

Maren looks at the flames and thinks for a moment. "I'm not sure, I guess it will depend if we all make it out alive. It will also depend if there was a war over Elyra's dad or not. If everything is as it should be what are they doing about the mages? Are they sending you back to the citadel? Are they going to blow you to bits?" This comment made her shiver at the thought. She really cared for Aelar and didn't want to think of something happening to him, especially after they would have completed the mission.

She looked down a moment. "If they kill or lock you back up I guess I'll be forced to marry at some point. Even though I won't want to."

"Well, they said that us magi would be sent to the capital to be trained 'to assist the Empire'. Though most likely if we return to the Empire we will be executed, which is why I plan to either stay in the Wasteland where I have a chance at life or go down fighting the Empire." A look crossed his face as if he was unsure about whether to finish his thoughts, it was quickly replaced by a look of determination. Looking Maren in the eye he said, "I know that asking you this is equivalent to asking you to live and die with me, but you are too important to me and I couldn't live knowing you get married to some random person for political reasons. After this is over will you stay with me, even if it means cutting all ties with those who live in the Empire?"

Maren looked a little shocked at his question and she stood up and reached for his hand. She wanted this to be a private discussion. Once they had walked a fair distance she stopped and reached for him and kissed him passionately. When she pulled back she looked at his eyes and she said, "Do you mean the elven community where our families live? I'm not sure if you are asking me to leave all of my family or just those at the citadel. I don't know if I could leave my family. They are everything to me, until I met you there was never a question about my future. Now I can't see it without you in it."

"If you were to stay with me me being anywhere within the Empire's territory would be a practical death sentence for us and anyone near us. I know I am being selfish by asking you that, but for me you are the only thing I have truly looked forward to in my entire life. The only person I have ever cared about was myself before I met you, now I don't care about my own well being anywhere near as much as I worry about how I could effect yours." Aelar held Maren close as he spoke as if letting her go would make her disappear.

Maren was shaking as tears fell from her eyes. "I don't know if I could walk away from my family. I can't deny my feelings for you but I- " Maren buried her face in his neck. A sudden thought struck her. "Wait , assuming that Elyra and James work out she would be in the same position. I wouldn't have to lose everyone." Even being able to hold onto one close family member was enough for her to do what her heart wanted. She nodded. "If we all survive this I will stay with you. I won't leave you."

Aelar's eyes lit up with a mixture of emotions; joy, relief, and surprise were the most prominent. He used his hand to wipe the tears from Maren's cheeks and kissed her lingering, all the passion that was in his heart erupted at that moment. "I love you and will do all that I can to make sure I don't have to see you cry again." He said as he pulled back, lifting Maren off her feet and carrying her towards their tent.

Maren was lost in her feelings for Aelar and she responded to his comment happily. "I love you too." Maren saw his eyes as she undressed in front of him and when he touched her her heart nearly exploded. They did not come out until the next morning.

@Vas Khaleen@Gareth@Kyrisse@Black Panther@King Tai@dabombjk@Caits@Ashevelendar@Shadow Daedalus

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Salem had seperated from Malcolm to hunt and explore in the forests along the way. He made sure not to go too far and that he could still see the caravan. His hood was down revealing his large feline ears and his purple choker/collar. He saw a rabbit and chased it. He managed to catch it and it's limp form dangled in his mouth. He looked up to see Elise. He quickly spat out the rodent and straightened.

Elise had moved away from both Thainar and Vladimir to let the friends catch up with each other. She wasn't particularly good with people anyway. She walked into the nearby forest, fully expecting to be alone, when she caught sight of Salem with a rabbit in his mouth. Her eyes followed the limp body of the rabbit as he spatted it to the ground. "Don't let my presence stop you from hunting. I will make sure to stay out of your way," she said in a quiet voice.

Salem dipped and scooped up the now dead rabbit and stuck it in his pouch. He shook his head. "It's alright. I'm a bit far from the others so..." his ears folded as he couldn't think of a way to end that sentence. They then flicked as he shrugged. "anyway.....how are you today?" his personality wasn't as large as Malcolm's. And he was somewhat awkward having to work his way into being more himself around people. Pretending to be mute for so long took a toll on him.

For a brief second, Elise's blue eyes flickered with confusion. How are you today? It was a question she rarely heard. No one in the citadel cared about how she was doing. No one bothered to ask. She was a mage and although she held a higher rank than most of her kind in the Citadel, she was still treated no better than them. Except maybe for Vladimir. But even coming from him, it still surprised her. Now faced with the question, she found herself at a loss for words. "I...suppose... I'm doing...well?" she replied with uncertainty.

Salem saw her uncertainty. This caused his head to tilt. He then straightened his head and gave a small feline smile. "that's good." he then walked closer to her. He felt like he was excessively far away and he hoped that now he wasn't too close. "Earlier....something made you smile. Would it be too rash of me to ask what?" curiosity danced in his green eyes.

"It was my first time to encounter someone like you. I... found you interesting," Elise said. There was no reason to hide the fact and so she spoke straightforwardly.

Salem blinked then smiled once more. He wasn't used to someone thinking positively of him. "Thank you." his midnight black tail flicked somewhat. "I'm not used to positivity." he then tilted his head. He spoke a bit softer. "You know...it's okay to open up" as in he could sense a wall there...and he honestly felt the need to break down her walls. After all the only real friend he had made so far was Malcolm and with a group this large that meant a lot of wall breaking. He was determined to make friends before he died.

"Open up," Elise echoed. More words that were unfamiliar to her. She felt both wary and at the same time curious as to why someone would want to befriend her. She felt hesitant but she nodded her head. "This is...something I am not used to. I'm afraid I will not be very good at it," she admitted.

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Isolde Palewood

Isolde sat by the caravan, sitting on a strong tree branch. She was munching on an apple. Her legs were kicking about, swinging to and fro like a child on a swingset. She had her usual bored and cold look on that face of hers, yet still beautiful in her own way. Her appearance was not as polished as she would like it to be, as she was out in the woods 'roughing it' as they called it. It drove her absolutely mad that her hair was messy and her face was not as clean as usual. She was currently standing guard duty near the caravan to watch out for any thieves. Thieves? she thought, her face scrunching up into something reminiscent of laughter. Like any petty thief would dare to attack the Empirical Military!

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William was walking alone today. He distanced himself more and more from the group and could be seen working on a way to free themselves day and night. The only person he would talk to was with Elise but even with her...he was distant.

He looked tired and sometimes could be found talking with himself, asking questions on the nature of the enchantments. As he was trying to understand another theory he had on the enchantments, he saw Jamie. Looking as adventurous as ever. He smiled and remembered that a few days ago he was drinking in a tavern with her. " Good memories..." he muttered under his breath.

When they returned to the caravan, Jamie walked along side it, not particularly looking where she was going, as she began to skin the rabbit she'd skewered earlier, having forgotten about it with everything that had happened. She glanced about, seeking to ensure everyone was there and they hadn't lost someone along the way. She spied William walking alone, and wondered what he was doing, if he was continuing with the blood work. She thought for a moment whether to go over to him and see how it was going.

Isolde wasn't sitting on the tree anymore. In fact, she was sitting against the tree, reading a book she had brought along with her. She very much doubted that bandits would attack the caravan, since they were obviously military vehicles. Suddenly, she closed the book, stood up, and yawned. She had decided it was time to converse with some other people. She then went over to Jamie, and deigned to introduce herself. "Good afternoon." she said to her.

Jamie glanaced over as Isolde approached her, she gave her a welcoming smile, shifting, she cleaned her knife, slipping it back into its sheath, and shifted the rabbit into her right hand, cleaning off her left as she replied "Afternoon" there seemed to be so many new people joining the group, that it was hard to keep up.

Jamie assumed that this woman was okay, as no one had freaked out on her presence. Still, Jamie decided to be a little wary, just in case. The recent events, especially the way they'd had to leave town with the visions bestowed on them, it seemed wise to be wary.

Isolde held out her hand, not smiling. "Isolde Palewood." she says, her voice cold and unyielding as always. "You?"

Jamie took the offered hand, wondering if she had somehow offended this woman, but she didn't let it get o her, smiling still. "I'm Jamie. It's a pleasure to meet you" She said, in her normally cheerful voice. Jamie was Jamie, and she wouldn't let much get her down. If this woman was stuck up, well, she'd just have to break her down. Certainly it would be easier then cracking open Darius's hard shell.

"So did the citadel send you along, worried we were doing too good a job?"

"No." she says, frowning a bit. "I'm the failproof, to make sure you guys don't do anything illegal. Or, you, know, desert." Her face kinda scrunches up at this last part, into something almost reminiscent of laughter.

Vladimir walked up to the two women, an amused expression on his face. "With what the Empire injected you with, those bombs... I don't think you're here as a failproof, Isolde. You're here as one of us," he nodded. "It's good to see you here though. Would have been better to see you in a better situation but... yeah, still good to see you." He turned his attention to Jamie and gave her a nod. "Jamie," he said her name as acknowledgement of her presence.

["Yeah, good luck with that" Jamie said to Isolde, giving Vlad a smile as he explained things, "Vlad. I'll leave her with you, then" She said, a little relieved to be able to do so, not liking the woman right then. Maybe it was simply because Jamie was, it seemed, the opposite of her. Giving a shrug, Jamie took the chance to go over to William, "Hey, how's it going?" She said when she had approached him.

William broke out of his trance by Jamie's voice. He looked at her and smiled but it was a thin smile. The smile of a person that is too tired to do anything else. " Hey , Jamie. I'm....ok. Just need to understand the metaphorical process of the distillation of magical energies in our bombs. If I can do this...I think I can...save us. " his voice was weak and empty.

Jamie studied William, seeing that he was more than simply tired. "Which will do us no good if you kill yourself trying. You need to rest" She said, her normally cheerful tone now holding a strict edge to it, "You haven't slept much at all, have you? You'll think better with a couple of hours sleep" Her tone softened with concern for William, and she glanced to the carts, figuring she could at least try and coax him into sitting down, if he wasn't going to set it aside for a little while and rest.

"Come on, I'll help you onto a cart"

William smiled at her concern and said " Thank you for your concern. I won't kill myself. I just need a few more days and I think I'll crack it. Remember what we've talked about in the tavern? That somehow our blood is linked to each other? I tested that theory out and it worked. Now I just need to find a way to overcharge the bombs..." William made a pause and with a confused look said " Haven't slept? Hmm...what day it is today?"

"Jeez, William, even if we finish this mission today, you still have four days really, it will take that long to get back," Jamie said, refusing to take no for an answer, "Yes, I remember, and that's great, it really is, but if you don't know what day it is, you need sleep. A couple of hours, please. I'm not adverse to knocking you out and putting you on a cart, although I'd rather not do that" She said, "What if we're attacked? I'd rather not have to watch and make sure you aren't stumbled sleep deprived into a weapon" One way or another, Jamie was going to make sure William got a little bit of sleep.

Gun'Tar overheard the speech between William and Jamie and as always frowned deeply. Even since they've left the Citadel, his condition grew worse. He hated the Magi even more than before now that he actually had the chance to talk with one. " Let him die Jamie! Maybe that's the best way to end this mission. At least it will be quiet then..." he yelled.

William shook his head at the Gargantu's words and replied to Jamie. " A battle ? Who would attack us? Have you looked at the group? We were...what? 6 when we've left the Citadel and now we are 15. Do you think someone will dare to attack us? " his voice was full of determination but then it became soft and tired again. " But...yes. I think you are right, Jamie...I think I need some sle--" William couldn't finish his sentence because as soon as the word " sleep " tried to exit his mouth he stumbled and fell unconscious due to the lack of sleep.

Jamie rolled her eyes at Gun'Tar's words, shaking her head "Aside from the fact that if he dies, we die, I'm not a heartless person. You want quiet, either dawdle behind or go scout" She said, before turning her attention back to William. She was just about ready to start another argument to get him to sleep, when he fell, and apparently slipped right into unconsciousness.

Jamie caught him, stumbling slightly herself, but she braced herself, and prevented them both from falling to the ground. just a few more moments, why couldn't he have waited that long? she thought to herself, briefly amused, but the concern overwhelmed that.

Giving a soft sigh, she glanced to the carts.

Isolde put her head down, briefly blushing about being wrong. "I still can't wait to get home though." she says, that cold, unchanging tone in her voice again. "Still can't believe the Empire sent us on this mission." she says.

Vladimir nodded in agreement. "The Empire does not care for us. We are all here in the same boat. One of us dies, the rest dies. I'm afraid we're all dispensable. The bombs are probably in place to tie up any loose ends," he shrugged. "I'm not too sure if we're going back alive," he sighed. "I believe even Elise has resigned herself to dying out in the Wasteland."

"Well, if everything goes right, and if no one kills anyone, we will get back home alive." she says. Isolde has not resigned herself to her fate yet, still stubborn in ensuring that everything goes right. She moves her hand to brush through her imperfect hair, grunting as she pulls out a piece of dirty red hair. She sighs, putting back her head.

"I suppose time will only tell. For me... I will do what I can to protect everyone and just hope for the best," Vladimir said. He didn't look terribly worried about what they would have to face in the near future but it was something he thought about with every minute that passed.

"Well, you should tell your apathetic Elise to be a little more positive. No one is going to die on this mission. We're going to achieve our goal, and all will be as it was before." she said the last part with a bit of gusto, surely believing that they were not going to die on this mission, and that all will be well.

Vladimir nodded. "I''ve tried doing that time and time again. It doesn't work. I think maybe because she went through hell in the Citadel. I don't know all the details but no person would just turn apathetic like that for nothing," he explained. He used to think that Elise was some sort of snobby mage that thinks she's above everyone else. But the more time he spent with her, the more he began to understand her.

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Elise wandered around with Salem's words echoing in her head. You know...it's okay to open up. She kept repeating his words over and over in her head to somehow make sense of it. Opening up to anyone had been far from her mind. The idea actually never existed in the first place. Even Vladimir she held at arm's length. It had been hammered into her time and again in the Citadel that no one would want to be friends with her. It was so ingrained in her mind that she didn't think it at all possible. Even with her own kind. She shook her head. My own kind... I help bring them to a life of imprisonment or their death. Why would I deserve their friendship? Her mind was so preoccupied that she didn't notice that she was walking into two people.

She blinked as she stumbled back. She automatically bowed her head, a force of habit from her day by day interaction with people that held her throat in the Citadel.

Elyra was just talking to James for the first time in private in a few hours. She had seen the exchange between Maren and Aelar and she wasn't sure what was said but she knew where it had led and it made her blush to think about it. She had heard the beginning of their conversation by the bonfire and it had made her think about the future if they all lived through the mission. What would she do? She was just about to pose this subject to James. She was curious if he had started to think about it. Just as she was about to ask Elise stumbled into her knocking her into James.

"I apologize. I was not paying attention to where I was going," she immediately apologized and kept her head bowed down low.

Elyra noticed that her hood had fallen backwards and she smiled at her. "You are very pretty you should leave your face exposed more."

At Elyra's words, Elise blinked. She had expected anger and threats of torture. Being told she was pretty after rudely walking into people was something she had never imagined to hear. She lifted her head, confusion on her face. Ah... yes. I am not in the Citadel, she thought idly. She looked at Elyra then at James.

Elyra looked at James expecting him to back her up but the look on his face was that of a man in shock. Elyra looked from James to Elise and back.

"James? Are you alright?" Elyra asked.

James had said nothing after Elise had knocked into him, instead opting to give her a short glance. When he had, he felt as though it was suddenly very difficult to move. Underneath her hood was a face he hadn't seen in 4 years, and one that he didn't think possible to see again. He took a half step backwards, his expression uncharacteristically shocked. He didn't hear Elyra speak, his mind too occupied with the veritable ghost in front of him. His voice was quiet, and unsteady. "There's no way... you were dead...How..."

He took a deep, shaking breath as he closed his eyes for a second. Opening them again and exhaling, they locked onto Elise's. His free hand clenched into tight fist while his mind ran with absolute havoc, but he nevertheless spoke again, with a slightly clearer voice. "How can you still be alive, and why here? why now...Athelia?"

Elise stared at James. She had seen him earlier. She had recognized him. But the distance between them had made it easy for her to dismiss the memories and the emotions that threatened to consume her. Now was a completely different story. As she stood only a foot away from him, fragmented memories flashed through her mind. A face she knew so well, a face that haunted her dreams. He saw his smile, how his eyes lit up, how his lips... No. She shook her head. This was the man who had watched her die. This was the man who didn't do anything while she laid there in a pool of her own blood. But... her mind started to protests, as if it was rejecting everything she knows to be true. She frowned in confusion as unfamiliar memories flashed through her mind. Her eyes darted from James' face to Elyra's then to their joined hands. Disembodied voices echoed in her head, over and over and over. Walked away... Left to die... never looked back. Her hand flew to her head as it began to throb from both the confusion and the torrents of both familiar and unfamiliar memories.

Athelia? The name was somehow familiar yet she was sure she hadn't heard it before. Her brow furrowed. "My name... is Elise?" she meant to sound firm but her voice came out tremulous and hesitant. She stared back into James' eyes and for the first time in years, allowed some emotion to show on her face. "James?" she asked in a lost and thoroughly confused voice.

"Athelia." Elyra recognized the name of the former love that she had heard all about for years. The one that James had lost his mind and reputation over. How could she be here and alive and be someone else? Elyra shook her head trying to make sense of it. Her heart felt as though it were breaking and tears rounded her lashes and fell as if they were broken shards of her heart. Elyra slipped her hand out of James'. This was her worst nightmare come true. She turned and slipped into the night and fled into the darkness. She had to deal with this pain and confusion, she needed to let him figure out what he wanted and who he truly loved.

Elyra had no idea how far she ran or even in which direction she ran. She stopped when the headaches started to get excruciating. By that point she was so upset that she sobbed herself into exhaustion. She lay down where she fell and passed out.

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@Wick

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Salem had watched Elise walk away and found Malcolm. The two talked a bit and Salem ended up wandering off once more Malcolm now in tow. Salem scaled the tree while Malcolm simply walked enjoying the freedom he was denied before. He then ended up sitting under a tree with his feline friend amongst the branches.

They saw Elyra Rush past clearly upset. They watched her sop then pass out. Salem leaped from the tree and landed silently. He made his way to her then curled into a ball next to her to keep her warm. For she did not have fur and being on the ground like so could lead to bad things. Malcolm maintained his distance and stayed under the tree. He did not know what had upset her so keeping distance was his best idea.

Darius could almost literally feel the tension behind him as he kept his distance from the rest of group. He had agreed to.....be more sentimental with Jamie, and that was a personally more of an emotional leap for him than ever before. So right now he felt as if keeping his distance from everyone elses drama was a better move than getting involved. When he turned his head slightly he felt a slight pang in his head, a headache.

Jamie somehow managed to get William into one of the carts, and she stood a moment, catching her breath, she frowend at the headache, glancing about to see if she could see everyone. Noting Elyra's absence and Salems, she frowned again. Where were they? Had something happened? Bandits? Glancing to William, she decided he'd be safe enough, and began to walk the way they'd come, hoping to see any sign of something.

Elyra awoke after a few minutes and sat up. Her head was killing her and she saw Salem lying near her. She could see him breathing easily enough so she wasn't too worried about that. She got to her feet and felt a little badly that she ran off. If truth be told she wouldn't have left James alone with that woman had she not been so shocked herself. There had to be a reason that her identity was hidden from him until right that moment. She also knew in her heart that there was every chance that his old feelings for Athelia would resurface. She wiped her face and hoped that no one would see how terrible she looked in the firelight. She headed towards the campfire and sat down keeping her face out of the light as much as possible.

Darius looked back, within eye distance of the campfire but not within normal conversation distance, and saw no one was focused on him, Paying attention to him. He sat down and pulled out his small leather journal, and a small purple light was emitted from the words appearing on the paper. Darius focused, and traced his finger along the words forming. Darius was suprised by what he read, but not entirley. He knew that something like this would happen, just not this soon.

Jamie saw Elyra coming back, and let out a relieved breath, glad her friend was okay, although she seemed to be a little out of sorts. Jamie wondered a moment what had happened, and hesitated, wondering if she should join her friend at the fire. Glancing about, she tried to figure out what would have sent Elyra running away, then coming back looking like she was. Concern for her had Jamie going over, and sitting beside her, waiting to see if Elyra would speak.

Elyra saw Jamie come and sit near her. She knew her friend was trying to be supportive and she tried not to push her away. Unsure of how to say it she started with what she knew. Elyra looked at her shoes and glanced up at Jamie and spoke low so the others across the fire wouldn't hear her. "Years ago James had fallen in love with a girl, Athelia. There were obstacles since she was a mage and all. I'm at a loss for the details at the moment but supposedly they were in love." At this point she wiped her eyes.

She continued, "There was trouble and to make a long story shorter she was caught and killed right in front of him. James lost his mind, he went on killing sprees and got himself into all sorts of trouble with the citadel, he even attacked them at some point. His being an instructor was given to him as a last resort so that they wouldn't have to kill him." Elyra's tears glistened in the firelight as she continued.

"It turns out that the girl he lost his mind over is here. She is Elise. The instant he saw her face...." She coughed and grabbed a drink of water. "I have to let him figure this out. How can I possibly compete with her? I did notice that he wasn't exactly thrilled to see her though. Shocked.....but ...I don't know. Jamie? Is it supposed to hurt this badly when your heart gets shattered?"

Jamie listened as Elyra spoke, wanting to give her a hug, but not wanting to interrupt or do anything that might make her stop talking. There was an Elise? Just how many people had joined their group? She brought her mind back on track, trying to sort the information through. When Elyra had finished, Jamie gave her a tight hug, "The citadel wouldn't kill a mage unless they had to, well, that makes them sound better then they are but that's not the case. Whatever they've done to her...She won't be the same person. I don't know what happened."

Maybe letting him figure it out by himself is just the wrong way to do it. I don't know" Jamie gave a soft sigh, wanting to be able to make things better for Elyra, but not knowing how to do so. "Yes, its meant to, otherwise how do you know it was worth it? But, did he say he was going back to her? has he done anything? I don't imagine you stuck around to talk, the way that headache came, you ran away. He's probably confused, anyone would be when someone you thought dead appears again. Take a few moments to compose yourself and then go talk with him"

Elyra hugged Jamie and dried her eyes and blew her nose. She was hoping that her return would not look too badly. She knew James must have been stunned as much as she had been, more so even. She went back to find them in the same place. Elyra was praying that Jamie was right and that the woman was not the same girl inside. She went back to the clearing where Elise had run into them. She was not hiding but both Elise and James didn't even seem to notice her standing there until she slipped her hand back into his.

Collaboration with @dabombjk@caits

@shadow daedalus@Kyrisse

James had caught the uncertainty in Elise's voice, and concern grew on his face. His expression was curious but worried. "Why are you calling yourself Elise, and being wardened by some Templar?" Worry overtook the harshness of his expression. "Do you not remember? The village, your village? The year we spent together? anything?"

he barely caught Elyra's words until she slipped her hand from his and disappeared. James twisted sharply before he shouted after her. "Elyra!" She didn't stop, or make any indication that she had heard him and soon disappeared from sight. He turned on his heel and began to chase after her but quickly lost track of her. He swore very loudly, scaring away a few roosting birds, before he turned back and walked back to Elise...or Athelia. He wasn't sure what to call her, his eyes told him she was Athelia Westward, his supposedly dead ex-lover yet something in his heart told him that girl really was dead. He closed his eyes took a deep breath and forcefully sighed. His eyes opened again and they connect with the icy blue of Elise's. "Who are you, really? What do you remember?"

@Wick@Kyrisse

---

---

Athelia. Athelia. Athelia. Elise kept repeating the name over and over in her head like a broken record. Why was the name strangely familiar? Why was looking at the man in front of her making her feel sad instead of angry at his betrayal? Why did it matter to her if he was holding Elyra's hand? Why were her memories suddenly so much more hazy and confusing?

"Do you not remember? The village, your village? The year we spent together? anything?"

Village? What village? Is the Citadel a village? She thought back to where she had grew up, to the faces of the people of the Empire. But strangely, different faces loomed in her head. A kindly old lady that always told her how much she looked like her mother. A boy that giggled and threw snowballs at her. A young girl who like braiding her hair. A tall, imposing man with a strict face but icy blue eyes like hers. His eyes danced with mirth every time he smiled. She blinked. Who were these people? Why were their faces suddenly in her head. "Athelia Westward." she unconsciously whispered under her breath.

Her mind was still reeling from memories that were unfamiliar to her that she didn't have a chance to say anything. Her dull blue eyes watched James turn away and chase after Elyra. She took a step back as memories of how he had looked when she lay dying all came rushing back. She had reached out for him but he had turned away. He left her to die. A searing pain lanced through her head and she lifted a hand to clutch at it. She closed her eyes and willed for herself to calm down.

When she opened them again, James was standing in front of her again. He was asking who she was. Despite the confusion that was still evident on her face and the questions that had now taken root in her mind, she spoke out her name and her purpose. "My name is Elise Shadewater. I am here to assist this group as ordered by his Holiness and guided by Templar Vladimir," speaking what she knew to be true gave her a bit more confidence but when James asked what she remembered, everything seemed to fall into chaos again. She shook her head. "I..." she started. Flashes of happy memories with James flashed through her head. His face. His smile. The way he looked at her. Emotions ran through her. something she was not prepared to feel again. It was too much for her. Without saying anything else, she turned and ran off.

"Vladimir," she whispered harshly as she ran off. She needed the Templar. Whenever he was around, she found a semblance of peace and familiarity.

---

---

Elyra watched as James asked Elise a few simple questions. When she had slipped her hand back into his he had glanced at her and smiled squeezing her hand comfortingly. She watched as Elise seemed to be utterly confused by these questions. When she bolted Elyra turned to James.

"I'm sorry I ran off. It was such a shock that I...got scared that I was going to lose you." She hugged him tightly and said, "Based on what I just saw, someone has messed with her mind. She recognizes some of it obviously and other parts she is most likely getting confusing pieces of memories. She has been through a lot though. That much is obvious to me." Elyra looked up at James afraid to ask him but she had to. "Are you alright? You seemed to hold it together better than she or I did."

"James, sometimes they experiment on people at the Citadel. It's most likely why she is so confused."

@Shadow Daedalus@Kyrisse

James watched with gritted teeth as Elise ran away, unsure of how to proceed. He could see it in her eyes, something was wrong. It wasn't until Elyra spoke that he made any move to react, relaxing his stance and wrapping his arms around her with a slight growl in frustration. The idea that the Citadel would do something like that to a person, Mage or not, was one that incited a mix of fear and rage. He gave the elven woman in his arms a final squeeze, mindful not to hurt her with his armour, before he dropped his left arm and turned to the direction of the camp with a cold look. "Whatever they've done, I don't know if it can be fixed... For all I know, Athelia is still dead. As for how I'm holding up? I'm a soldier, or I used to be. I can't afford to let this affect me."

Elyra looked at him a little in shock. "Wait a minute, how could this NOT effect you? You went nuts when you thought she was dead! Now you care so little about her because you are a soldier? You are hiding from the pain. She is having trouble remembering and you don't have that luxury you have the memories. I HATE that she just turned my world upside down, that I could actually lose you because you still might love her..." Elyra's voice broke and wavered slightly. "You have to find out if she is still the girl you fell in love with. We can't move forward until you find out." Elyra was having trouble saying this last part because it hurt to think it.

James had to stop and close his eyes for a second. He could feel the mask cracking, but he couldn't let it fall apart now. "I didn't say it didn't effect me, I said I can't let it effect me... I need to focus, so we can get out of this alive..." He repeated this last line to himself, but he couldn't hold it any longer. His arm slipped free of Elyra and he took a step back before his knees gave in and he knelt on the ground. His breath was shaking, and he refused to look up at her. "Fuck... This is just... this all has me out of my head. I don't know what to do, and I'm too scared that I'll fuck everything up..." A few tears managed to escape his eyes and fall softly onto the ground. "I don't know what to do..."

Elyra stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him and lifted his face to hers. Elyra didn't know how to tell him that what they did to the ones they experimented on was usually unfixable. "James, sometimes they would test things on the mages and sometimes it was just because they wanted to figure things out. Either way there is almost every chance that her memories will never make sense to her again. She might be able to attach a feeling or emotion to your face but....she may never be able to remember properly." Elyra hated to tell him that. She would rather tell him something that would make him smile, even if it crushed her own hopes. "I'm sorry, I know that is not what you would want to hear. If she will let me, I'll look at her and see if there is anything that can be done to fix it....I've just never seen a case where there wasn't permanent damage done." Elyra tried to hold her own tears back but was quickly failing at that. She wiped her eyes. "I'd do anything to help you." She whispered.

He couldn't trust his own voice, so James just held onto her as he tried to control his breathing. After a few minutes, he pulled back. "I... Thank you. This helped, a little. I... I'll try talking to her, to see if she remembers anything else. She has to remember something, I could see it. Every time I brought up the past, she was hesitant. Confused. Like two memories were fighting with each other... He made to stand up and offered her a hand. "Still, whatever they did, worries me. Taking a minute to think about it, she was a Life mage so her reflexively healing herself isn't infeasible, but who did this to her is still an unknown, and the only one that knows is..." His blood-colored eyes widened slightly before they darted back towards the camp....Vladimir.. As if on instinct, his body began to move towards the camp, and his target. His expression turned dark, and it didn't bode well.

Elyra ran after James. "James, what are you going to do? It doesn't mean that Vladimir had anything to do with it. She just got paired with him." Elyra grabbed the sword that was in its sheath off of his belt and almost fell over because of it's weight. "How can you even carry this thing?" It didn't seem to phase him much so she ran and tackled him and found herself on his back on the ground. "WILL YOU LISTEN TO ME?!" It took her a second to catch her breath.

"For God's sake James. What are you doing and why are you doing it? Is it for your pride? hers? It can't be fixed at this point..." She toppled over backwards and landed on his arm. "I can't let you attack an innocent man. Vladimir is just a templar. He wouldn't have had a thing to do with it."

"He's got to know something. I'm not going to do anything stupid, but any kind of lead will help." He sighed and turned his head to look at his impromptu elf backpack. "He's basically her handler, so they would have told him something in case she remembered something." She wasn't going to budge, that much was apparent to him so he slowly exhaled and looked back up."Fine, but if it turns out he knows something, you let me deal with it my way. Deal?"

Elyra nodded, "Deal." She got quiet a moment and in the moonlight he could see the raw emotion in her eyes. "Would you rather I just remove myself from the ....If you want ...I could just leave and let you be together." Her eyes never wavered but she felt as though she was made of glass.

"I don't want you to leave. If you go, I'll have nothing left. I'll become nothing more than a pair of blades the Empire has got chained up to make their own sharper. I can't lose you." His eyes were flickering with cold fire, fear and worry touching at their edges.

Elyra slowly leaned in and kissed him passionately. Her heart was an open book to him and she hoped he wouldn't break it. She pulled back slightly and said nervously, "Are we looking for answers or are we looking for you and she to reunite? What happens if she decides that she wants you back?"

James watched her for a moment, an unsure and worried expression on his face. She seems so fragile, and that scared him because she was asking a question he didn't know himself. "I don't know. I know that what they've done to her isn't right, and I know I want to restore her real memories, but I don't know what happens after. So much has changed, I love you so much and I don't want to abandon you. You know what I've done, and you still accept me. That's more than I ever asked for, and more than I deserve. But I don't know..." He dropped his eyes, frowning slightly at nothing in particular in the dirt. "God, I'm pathetic..."

Elyra looked at him and raised his face to hers. "I love you too and I don't want to leave but if you aren't sure who you truly love then I need to step back until you figure it out." Elyra stood up and wrapped her cloak around her as it was getting chilly. She raised her hood and kissed him once more and then she walked back into the camp.

@Ashevelendar@Venku@Caits@dabombjk@Gareth@King Tai@Black Panther@Vas Khaleen@canaryrose

@Shadow Daedalus@Wick

---

Malcolm watched Elyra walk past and let her do so. He had no idea how to handle and upset woman...or really any person. He looked back at the assassin dressed ball of fluff and chuckled. He felt a headache forming and getting worse causing him to quickly look around for a way to wake up fluff. Then he grinned.

Echoing through the forest was a loud cat Yelp. Followed by a black streak running past with a puffed out tail. Following more slowly was a grinning Malcolm with a tarantula on a stick. He walked past Elyra and James shortly after Salem rushed past. He nodded to both. "I see you're better Elyra that's good." suddenly a streak of lightning burst out and hit the tarantula....causing it to blacken then crumble into dust. Malcolm looked at the now smoking stick and tossed it with a huff.

"Very uncalled for Salem....that was Charles." Salem's eyes peered from up ahead irritation clouding them. "Yea well Charles is now crispy"

Vladimir had wandered away from the group and had positioned himself near a small lake to clean his armor. He had already removed his breast plate and was humming tunelessly to himself as he tied his long hair into a ponytail and began removing the armor that protected his arms. A rustling sound coming from behind made him stop. He turned around, a wary look on his face as he took on a defensive stance. It would be too late to reach for his swords that were leaning against a log a few feet away from him. The moment he turned, the assailant would already be on top of him. His mind methodically began considering his options. But apparently, he didn't need to be cautious as he saw a familiar flash of golden hair.

Knowing Vladimir, he had probably gone off to clean his armor. And because of familiarity, Elise easily found him despite the turmoil in her head. As soon as she saw him, she threw herself at him. It was uncharacteristic of her but she didn't care. She needed a semblance of normalcy and she believed she could only find it with the Templar who has been with her the longest.

Vladimir wasn't prepared for Elise throwing herself at him. Even with her light build, he staggered backwards but caught himself just in time so that they didn't both tumble down onto the ground. He held his arms out to his sides and was stunned when Elise wrapped her arms around his torso and laid her cheek against his chest. He cleared his throat. "What's wrong? You---" he stopped when he heard soft sobs coming from the mage. A look of concern immediately settled onto his face and he wrapped Elise in his arms, one of his hands stroking her head gently. He didn't say anything. He never once saw Elise cry, even during times he knew she was in pain. And so seeing her in this predicament clearly spelled out something had horribly gone wrong.

He led her towards a tree stump and sat both of them down on it. It took several minutes before Vladimir decided to speak. "It would be terribly idiotic of me if I asked if something is wrong because obviously there is." he started a little awkwardly. "Would you like to talk about it?" he asked in a gentle voice.

Elise closed her eyes as she listened to the Templar's steady heartbeat. Listening to it calmed her down. She stayed pressed to his chest a few minutes more before she heard him speak. She released him and raised her tear stained face. Blue eyes against green. When she spoke, her voice was confused and trembling but her question was straightforward. "Who am I?"

Vladimir was momentarily stunned to silence. It wasn't Elise's question that dumbfounded him. It was the look in her eyes. Her usually dull blue eyes were several shades darker and they were swimming with confusion and pain. The pain he saw there was so deep seated that he can almost feel it himself. "You are Elise Shadewater, favored mage of the Empire," he answered the words given to him by his superior years ago.

"No, Vlad. Who AM I? Before I was Elise Shadewater?" she asked, her eyes so intense that it seemed like she was looking at the Templar's very soul.

Vladimir sighed. It was a question he himself asked sometimes. He thought back to when he was first assigned to protect Elise. Her name is Elise Shadewater, a favored mage of the Empire and also a VERY loyal subject. She is proficient with Life magic as well as other...astounding abilities. You are to accompany her and make sure she does not come to any harm. Your only task is to guard her. Her safety will be your primary concern. Everything else is inconsequential. Do your duty to the best of your abilities and you may very well find yourself rewarded handsomely. That is all, Templar. He would have asked to know more but at that time, he was so furious about his assigned task that asking about his charge was far from his mind.

But despite his initial adverse reaction to the mage, he eventually found her to be a likeable person even when she was silent and distant most times. He shook his head and chose to speak freely and truthfully. "I do sometimes wonder about you, about who you really are and why you were labeled as a favored mage. Truth be told, I had not known of your existence until a year after I came to the Citadel. I wish I can answer your questions, Elise. But what little I know will not help alleviate the pain and confusion that I can clearly see through your eyes. I know nothing about your past. Only that I was assigned to protect Elise Shadewater. You."

Elise stared into Vladimir's eyes as though she was searching his soul for the truth behind his words. When she didn't find any cause to doubt him, she lowered her head, a defeated look on her face. "I...ran into James Blackwall..." even speaking his name was difficult for her. She paused and swallowed back tears that threatened to spill again.

Vladimir sighed and let Elise lean against his shoulder. "Yes, you spoke of him briefly before. The Templar who left you to die." Somehow he expected her to be angry and indignant towards the man. From what little he knew of the man, he saw what he did a great injustice towards the mage. A lover that walked away when she needed him the most. Anger would be justifiable. But pain overshadowed the anger he expected to see in her eyes. He clenched his fist, an instinctive anger running through him. He had been protecting Elise for a while that he saw this as another thing he needed to protect her from.

Elise nodded. "I didn't know... I didn't expect..." she started, clearly still confused at both the unfamiliar and familiar memories mixing together in her head. "There are memories in my head..." she started again. "...memories that does not belong to me. Or..." she reached and clutched her head as though doing it would bring cohesion to her disjointed memories. "Or are they mine? Nothing makes sense. I see faces of people that I have not met before. I see his face. I know his smile. I can feel..." she shook her head, unsure how to put in words the confusion emotions that was running through her. "What did they do to me?" she whispered harshly. And then, she looked up, a panicked almost manic look on her face. "No. I am a ticking time bomb. I was placed in this group to kill us all. His Holiness... He told me to assist everyone. That means I need to prevent everyone from dying. But if I expend too much of my energy...I will die. If I die, I bring everyone down with me. That is his plan. That is why he sent us...He sent me. We were never meant to come out of this alive. We... I... It doesn't matter if I die. If it was only me, I would not mind it. But I can't... let him die..."

Vladimir saw just how broken Elise was. The emotions and the confusion had successfully broken down all the walls she had built around herself. The Templar directed his anger towards the Empire. What she said was possible. Did they purposefully place Elise in this group to kill them all? Was the mission a ruse? Some sort of excuse to have them all exiled and then disposed off the way the Empire casted away mages like broken dolls? He took a deep breath. Whatever it was, he knew that he needed to calm her down. "Elise. Stop."

"He can't die. I won't let him," her unfocused eyes darted back and forth as she wracked her brain for a plan, something that would protect the only person that mattered more than her life. "He had been through so much. I need to protect him. I... I..." she made a move to stand up.

Vladimir grabbed Elise's shoulders to hold her down. He shook her gently. "Stop, Elise. Stop. This is madness." When she didn't respond, he shook her a little harder and said her name a little louder. "ELISE!"

At the sound of her name, Elise stopped. She stared at Vladimir, her eyes clearer than it has ever been since he first met her. "My name. It's Athelia Westward," she said and then passed out.

---

---

"I'm better, thanks Malcolm." He disappeared before she turned and went back towards camp. Once back at camp she went over to the horse Maren had bought and stroked it's mane and spoke to it in elvish. After a few minutes she was softly singing a song that no one but Aelar and Maren and a few of the caravan people understood. It's words weren't the important part it was the feeling the song gave as she sang it beautifully. Everyone was listening and some closed their eyes at it's sorrow and heartfelt emotion.

Elyra finished with the horse and she sat down near the others that were by the fire.

@blackpanther

Jamie watched Elyra go back to where James was, before sighing softly. She turned her attention back to the fire, letting herself simply relax. She sat like that a moment, content. There was a lot that Jamie was thinking, but mostly she was just...happy. She knew she should get up and check on William, but she didn't want to disturb him, didn't want wake him-she was going to make sure that William slept as long as possible.

Finally, Jamie sat forward, and carefully unwound the bandage on her arm, checking the slash from the arrow. It seemed okay, and Jamie had to wonder how many more injuries she'd get throughout this mission, and she wrapped it back up, looking back as Elyra came back towards the fire. She didn't know if that was a good sign or not, and this time instead of waiting for Elyra to speak, she asked "is everything okay?"

Elyra sat and waited a moment. "I really don't know who is the most confused. My feelings for James have been there for a long time. His feelings for Athelia were real. When she died he lost his mind. Now that she is back he....doesn't know how he feels about her. Until he figures that out he and I can't have a future. He must figure out his feelings and now that she is remembering...will she want him back? I will not stand between them. If James wants to be with me he will have to figure that out and then let me know. I expect the next few days to be very difficult. Let me see your hand, It should be healing well." Elyra took the bandages off of Jamie's hand and she smiled. The cut was almost invisible. "Almost good as new."

Jamie patiently let Elyra check her hand, trying to think what she could say, but there didn't seem to be anything."Well. I think a lot of it will depend on her. Will she be the same, after everything? Feel the same? Its been a long time, and sometimes things change" the words seemed lame even to Jamie, and she frowned, "I do hope they work out, Elyra" She said sincerly

Even though he was with the group, he still felt a little alone. Sort of to himself while watching the others in conversation with each other. Regardless, he was still happy to experience all he has so far. He watched as an elf checked on the human female's hand and broke silence. "What happened to her hand? and what are your names?" he asked being few with his words

Elyra looked up at where the voice was coming from and she was surprised to see a gargantu looking back at her. She smiled, "This is Jamie and she cut her hand a few days ago. I'm Elyra, the healer on this trip. Actually there are a a few with healing abilities here, I'm just the official one."

Romarod stared for a moment Was the wound caused by a Magi? he asked And healer? Magi or non? he asked. And also, I'm Romarod....

Jamie gave the new comer a smile, wondering how many people that brought the group to, but as she hadn't met all the new comers just yet, she didn't know. She paused at the question to her injured hand, "No, it wasn't. i ran into a dagger, pesky things that they are" She said, giving a shrug, "I tend to test boundaries" She gave a soft laugh, "Pleasure to meet you. When did you arrive here?"

Elyra's brow raised as she watched Jamie lie to him. She listened and then said, "Jamie should be careful lest she run into more daggers and bleed to death." She smirked knowing that Jamie would get it. "It's nice to meet you Romarod."

Romarod listened to both of the women and thought to himself, how can one run into a dagger? but he let that information go. He slight smirked Nice to meet you too. I arrived the other day. Haven't met everyone yet but I met my own fellow Gargantu and....despite the want of harming him, I'm happy to have joined in this mission. he said

Jamie gave a laugh at Elyra's words "Well, not from that source, at least" She replied, looking back to Romarod, "Well, it certainly is an...adventurous mission, for sure." She said, "Mostly, its a good group."

Elyra chuckled at Romarod's wanting to hurt Gun'tar. "It seems we all suffer from that affliction. Gun'tar is not well liked and he is grumpy and a little rude. I can see that you are not like him and I am thankful for that." yup
She felt flush from the heat of the fire.

Nodding to them, Romarod looked at the fire I know there are rules of my kind and this bomb that I heard about that's in me will keep us from killing each other but being locked away all my life, I never seen anything like you two or everything I've seen outside my cell. Gun'tar said he was the one that put me in that cell in the first place and maybe it's the Gargantu in me but I had rage that I almost couldn't control. I just want to ask of you two, please to not push me....I don't want to cause more problems for my kind than there already is. And if you could let me know a few things about this outside world....I have no idea about the many things here. It's been so long, I don't remember seeing the sun or stars or the moon since I was a child until now... he said

As Romarod spoke, Jamie didn't like what he said. She knew Gun'tar was an ass, but locking someone up for who knew how long? That infuriated her, but she couldn't do anything about it. At least not right then. "Well...what do you want to know?" Jamie knew she took the world for granted, really, but she had no idea what to say to Romarod, "There's a lot, but...The sun and stars and such are probably the best. The world hasn't really changed much in my life time..."

Romarod had to think for a moment. There was indeed so much about the world he didn't know about and he didn't know where to begin. Uh...I don't really know where to begin...but...what is....music? he asked. He heard the word before but didn't really know what it was, not exactly hearing it before. If he did, he didn't notice, he thought it may have been noise or crying of an animal.

The question reminded Jamie of William at the inn. Perhaps it wouldn't be so hard, to help educated Romarod. She just had to...explain typical things. "Music is..well hard to explain without an instrument...but basically there are these...tools, that allow us to make sounds, hopefully beautiful sounds, that create a...a song. Like singing, but...with sounds." She knew it was a crappy explaination, but she couldn't think of any other way..."Oh! Elyra, you can sing, I heard you before, why don't you give an example of it? Its not musical instruments, but still!"

Elyra smiled and nodded, she thought a moment and started to sing a tribal song about hope and renewal. The melody was so fluid and delicate on the senses that she noticed a few minutes into it that others around the campfire were watching her with awe. She turned and looked at Romarod and she could see that he understood. When she was finished singing she heard sniffling as some were so touched that they had been crying. Elyra had the gift of voice. It was probably her biggest natural gift and it was said her voice was angelic.

Sitting Indian style while Jamie tried to explain, Romarod tried to get an understanding from her explanation. He looked a little bewildered at first and slightly tilted his head, averting his eyes thinking about these tools that made sounds and then this word called 'song'. He sort of got what she was saying until Jamie asked Elyra to sing so he could understand better. Romarod, was like a child, attentively listening as if he was at a magic show or was going to see a super neat trick. He leaned in a little with a focused look while his attention was on Elyra as she sang. His face was still focused the whole time while she sung through the song and noticed that people around them responded to it in some way. It was almost like an enchantment...a spell. When she was done, Romarod smiled Music.....wait...you have to be magi too... he said interested in this music. He turned to Jamie You sing now. he said wanting to hear what she could do. He wondered if everyone could do it?

Jamie smiled as Elyra sang, enjoying the song, she watched Romarod, starting to say that you didn't need to be a magi to sing, when he said for her to sing too. Jamie stared a moment, taken aback. Jamie hadn't done anything close to singing since coming to the citadel, and even before then, she was self-conscious about her voice. It was probably a little strange to see the normally confident Jamie so self-conscious as she tried to say she didn't want to sing, opening her mouth to say so, before closing it.

She sighed softly, looking down at her hands in her lap. She was silent for a few moments, debating about what to do. But having made Elyra sing, how could she say no? She sighed softly, and choosing a song, Jamie began to sing softly, her voice was raw, rough around the edges, a talent she hadn't had refined, but that she always thought sounded...wrong. She trailed off after a moment, and stared into the fire.

@Ashevelendar @Venku @Shadow Daedalus @dabombjk @Gareth @BlackPanther @Vas Khaleen @canaryrose @Kyrisse

@Ashevelendar@Venku@Shadow Daedalus@dabombjk@King Tai@Black Panther@Vas Khaleen@canaryrose@Kyrisse

Razor noticed a lot of movement in the distance by what seemed to be a campfire. There was a flickering of orange to yellow light which gave off a faint glow. The caravan seemed to be stopped for the night. And it gave him an excellent opportunity to find out what was going on over there.

Leaving everything but his quarterstaff, which he held in both arms protectively in front of him, he approached the campfire. His Tigerish face bright orange with the fire light's illumination and he smiled at first spotting Jamie and Elyra. Then he noticed a third figure that was unknown he growled at (Romarod), "Who are you?"

Elyra saw Razer approach and as he growled she smiled. "Razer, this is Romarod. He is new to the mission. He is one of us and he is NOT like Gun'tar." She chuckled slightly. She motioned for Razer to sit next to her and she leaned against him. Since the cemetery fight they had gotten a little closer and they seemed to understand each other a little better. Elyra cuddled up against Razer and started to fall asleep. All thoughts of her and James receded to the back of her mind as she lay next to her friend by the fire.

@gareth

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Malcolm blinked slowly, realizing he had pushed the cat too far. He watched Elyra leave and pleased with his eyes before it dawned on him that it was pointless. Seeing his possible shield gone, Malcolm ran. Salem chased after him, shooting lightning while growling. "Hold still and let me hit you, you damn asshole," Malcolm decided not to do that and kept running. Of course running for ones life may result in not fully paying attention to where they are placing their feet. Malcolm felt himself trip over someone and scrambled up. He backed into a tree while Salem held his hands close...lightning arcing into a ball. The cat's face was contorted in anger, black ears flat against his skull with his lip curled. Malcolm felt his heart pumping hard and looked down at who he tripped over. It was Wiliam. Panic flew threw his eyes and he swallowed before calling out. "Hey...hey William....don't suppose you could WAKE UP and save me."

William was "dead" tired and didn't know how he got into the bed. All he remembered was talking with Jamie and then...blank. " I probably--" his line of thinking was broken as someone tripped on him. He opened his eyes and saw Malcom yelling at him. He quickly got up and was in "battle" mode. " How many ? Where are they ? Did you wake the others ? " said William in a hasty voice.

Malcolm shook his head and gestured to Salem. "Uhm...,one pissed off cat." Salem snarled. "Move away from him so I can singe him" Malcolm scooted to be more behind William. Salem responded by moving and tossing the lightning ball. Malcolm barely dodged. "Please be rational!" "Fuck you"

William dodged the lightining ball and then put his hands up. " Both of you. Calm down before you kill us all. Please. Don't make me wake up Gun'Tar. He would love to pound both of your asses. " said William in his most diplomatic voice.

As he was saying that, he was slowly approached Malcolm and put a hand on his shoulder, while his other hand was pointed towards Salem.

Salem hissed. "That asshole has treated me like dirt since I met him. I'm just finally done putting up with it" Malcolm blinked. "What? I thought I was being a friend" Salem stood up straight and crossed his arms. He rolled his green eyes and mocked Malcolm. "Salem fetch me rabbits....Salem steal the clothes...Salem wake up. While he's holding something that could kill me" he snarled. "I'm not your pet"

Malcolm looked at William and then back to Salem. "I...didn't realize" Salem huffed. Those slitted green eyes looked to William. "Go ahead and grab him. Have him beat up Malcolm" Malcolm flinched as if Salem had slapped him.

William shook his head. " You...two. I SAID CALM THE FUCK DOWN ! " yelled William with all his might. The plants around him started to die off as their life force was gathered to power William's voice. The hand that was on Malcolm started to suck out his life force, in the same time he casted his other spell on the two of them and soon sores appeared on both of their bodies that started to make them feel pain.

" I'm sorry for this. " William said before moving away from Malcolm.

Both salem and Malcolm flinched when William yelled. Malcolm however saw the plants dying and seemed to get fascinated. that is until he felt his own life force being drained. He swayed and tried weakly to get away. salem started to back up but that did not prevent the sores from appearing. Salem dropped and shook. is eyes shut as the pain got to him. Malcolm dropped to the ground and looked at the sores. He looked up at William with confusion in his eyes before dropping to his side and passing out. Salem was in a bit of a ball shaking as he felt the pain.

William shook his head and then ended his spell. He dropped on one knee as his own life force was drained in the spell. " I am really sorry...I put in this pain but you weren't listening. " said William in a half-voice. He was already tired when he woke up and now, he was even more tired.

He stood up and moved to Malcolm and checked his vital signs. He was still alive but he passed out.

William then moved towards Salem and saw he was still conscious. He raised his voice and asked Salem " I'm sorry again. Are you ok ? The pain was only in your mind. You are ok. "

Malcolm remained passed out cold. Salem looked up at William and slowly stood. Ears pinned back he nodded. "yea" he shook himself a bit before turning. "I'm not a pet" he then started to walk away. He had to think....Malcolm was the first one he interacted with....the first one not to shoot him dirty looks. Yet...he was treated poorly. Salem sighed. This was complicated.

Adrian had to struggle to keep himself from drawing on the other templar as the explosive device was placed in his body. He trusted the Order, sure, but sharp objects being close to his skin would always make him nervous. He turned his nervous fidgeting into rapid foot-tapping instead, holding stone-still until the armored man finished his task. "And you're not going to kill me the second I join up with the others?" The armored man, whose name had not been given to Adrian, fairly rumbled his reply. "No, I won't, though I can't deny killing every last one of you traitors with one swing hasn't occurred to me. It'll only trigger if you get too far from the others, or if one of you dies."

Adrian probably could've placed the voice, if he tried. He'd been working here for a while, after all. He didn't try. The other man obviously sought some refuge in anonymity; he himself wasn't too eager about a nice long road trip with potentially-unstable magic users. Flicking his own reins, the lightly-armored knight joined up with the caravan, dismounting smoothly as he got within talking distance. "Hail! I was told this was where I signed up for the suicide mission into the Wastelands." The Templar sought refuge in sarcasm, and he wasn't afraid to admit to that, at least in his own mind. "Name's Adrian. Mind catching me up on what's been going on and why that man's unconscious?" He gestured to the still-slumbering Malcolm, voice level as he spoke, but his tone of voice suggested that he expected a good explanation.

Salem stopped. Ears swivled to where he heard a new voice and smelled a new person nearby. He silently made his way to Adiran and stood behind the guy. Black tail swished as he sized him up and then he got closer. His muzzle right next to the guy's ear. "That...is what happens when youre an asshole" Malcolm stirred but didn't seem quite ready to wake up yet.

Adrian jumped as he felt something brush against his ear, letting out a manly war cry. It might have been mistaken for an undignified squeak, but it was most assuredly a war cry. "Blood and ashes, don't do that." He turned to face the person who'd snuck up on him, coming face to face with a Kil'garen with jet-black fur. "So, are you responsible for his condition? Because I'd like to point out that injuring people is a good way to get all of us killed."

Salem chuckled as...Adrian? yelped. Green eyes shone with amuesment as he once again crossed his arms. "I wish I was but no...no im not" He tilted his head, the hood down so his large ears were visible along with his choker/collar. "May I point out randomly shouting who you are and what you are looking for in the middle of a clearing is also a good way to get us killed" He looked at his paw absent mindedly and then looked at the guy. "My name is Salem and the passed out ass is Malcolm." He then stared Adrian down. "So templar tell me...what do you know?' He could tell by how the guy acted....and how he was dressed.

Adrian recovered quickly, to his credit. "That wasn't yelling. You'd know if I was yelling; it's a talent you pick up quickly in the field. And anyway, I know what we're doing here, and so does everyone in this caravan. I don't know who we're going with, since nobody feels quite like talking to me. Something about deserting the Templars. Funny thing, that. Word spreads like wildfire; not like the guards have much to do besides gossip." He shrugged, as if to portray a complete lack of opinion on the topic. He hated the necessity of it, but whining about it wouldn't get him anywhere.

"Salem, Malcolm.' He nodded at each individual, muttering to himself, as he got their names set in his mind. "Right. Got it. So, you're one of the Magi, I'm guessing. Guards don't usually call one another "templar". What's your thing? Your... talent? School? Hell, I don't know what to call it. What kind of magic do you do? If we're gonna be stuck working together, I'll need to know what everyone's capable of."

Salem raised a brow and did not seem to buy that he wasn't yelling. He then nodded. "We are going with other people...some of the...magical sort...some of your sort and some who don't fit with either. The deserting....thats what you are "doing" He made air quotes. "The magi are runaways and the templars are deserters in this group....guess its so that if we screw up it wont hit the uppers" His tail swished as he looked away from a moment. He then looked back at Adrian and chuckled.

"Well...elements are my thing. Fire air...lightning. Im also pretty good at sneaking and stealing" He nodded to malcolm. "Malcolm is life and death. He can heal and he can drain.' He then walked over to malcolm and picked him up. He mentally decided to forgive his friend....after all he was fairly certain malcolm wouldnt be able to survive without him. "What about you? whats your skills?" Clearly Salem was stronger then he looked considering how casually he was holding his 6 foot 3 friend.

Adrian grinned and tapped his head. "Small unit tactics. I guess the higher-ups thought that this little trip could use a tactician and they decided to send the one who didn't have a family name with a huge reputation. I'm not half-bad, if I say so myself. Only reason I'm at the Citadel is politics; people didn't like being shown up by someone with no connectitons and no breeding, so they shunted me off to the side." He shrugged. "So, now I'm here. I have some skill in swordplay and hand-to-hand, but neither one is what I'd call a specialty." Taking the reins to his horse, he started walking towards the main body of the caravan. "Pleasure to meet you, Salem." He didn't sound particularly dishonest about that, but it still sounded more like a pleasantry than a statement of genuine happiness. "I'm going to go find out who else we have here, since it looks like you've got Malcolm there well in hand."

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@DustyOldCrow@canaryrose@Vas Khaleen@Kyrisse@Venku@King Tai@Gareth@Wick@dabombjk@Caits@Ashevelendar@Shadow Daedalus
(Collab approved to be posted by GM)