He really didn't know what he was expecting her to do, except maybe run while he was mid sentence. But he didn't expect her to offer him food. Honestly he rarely expected anyone to offer him food, but he never turned it down when he was offered it. He opened his mouth, and even got so far as saying, "Yeah, I did a whole lot of flying to get--" but then she just sort of tossed it at his feet like he was a dog, and his tanned brow wrinkled in a deep frown. A little dirt never bothered him, and as a former sailor he was very familiar with dried cured meats, so he picked it up, blew off the excess dirt and ate it anyway. But he had a sour face. "Wow, okay, rude. Is that how you usually offer food to people, or just my lot?" He didn't expect her to answer, really, but he just wanted to jab at her. He was used to being treated poorly, but he would always at least call people out on it.

Rohaan's stomach growled as food touched his mouth; he really was hungry. All the commotion had kept his mind off of it, but he had been flying all day, and the days before that. He kept himself better fed than any other street urchin or vagabond, but still, he didn't exactly have a cellar or pantry he could visit. "Damn. Look what you've done, made me damn hungry." As soon as this was all sorted, he would go hunt and get himself some fresh meat, and if he could help it, maybe some mushrooms or nuts or tubers. He might even find himself an apple tree somewhere around here if he looked hard enough. Rohaan sat down in front of her, though he remained just beyond arm's length away, so that if she tried to suddenly swipe at him, she'd have to really lean. And also she might feel a little safer with him keeping his distance.

The shifter laughed a little, a deep, amused chuckle that melted away almost as soon as it started. He blinked at her, frowning gently. "Oh," he said with realization. "Oh. Well I don't know why, but I guess I just sort of assumed you knew. Erm...alright. You ain't gonna believe me, but that Lord Whatshisface been raising you? He ain't your Da, Asharavasti. Your actual Da is some dick named Karl Valdemar. Valdemar, as in the Emperor of Man." He put up his hands and sort of leaned back. "Before you throw something at me or spit on me or worse, hear me out. There was some war with the Centauri some years ago and so Valdemar was stationed here in Durgan, guess it was something of a frontier. Anyway, he liked your Ma and they screwed in secret. He couldn't take a bastard home with him, so he left you here. But you're his only heir, and it looks to me like it's time you got your inheritance. He's been keeping tabs on you all this time, but suddenly reports stopped coming. I...understand why now. Anyway that's why I'm here. Oh! Ah, hang on..." He patted the bandolier of pockets across his chest until he came to one, stuck his fingers in it, and came out with a polished silver ring. Rohaan flicked it to Ash with a skilled aim for her inspection. "I'll need that back. It's the only shred of credibility I've got..."

Rohaan scratched his short-bearded chin. "You uh, got more of that jerky? Seriously, you don't know how much energy it takes to fly all day."

“Hmph. I guess my hand slipped.” Ash simply shrugged at Rohaan’s weak protests, reinforced by the fact that these protests weren’t particularly serious. She didn’t find him to be trustworthy at all. Of course, if proof was provided, then she would be forced to accept whatever he claimed to be true, but there was still a long way before she would accept him as well-intentioned. If this was just another job to him, which it had to be, then it would be at least transparent. The fact that he wasn’t a man had nothing to do with that. Still, a Shifter was dangerous in its own way, which was making her much more cautious than she normally was. She wasn’t bloodthirsty at all, and neither was Rohaan, she suspected. Ash would fight to the death to defend herself, especially if he tried to force her cooperation. She was having a sneaking suspicion that they’d be in each other’s company for the foreseeable future. That didn’t mean that she was obligated to like him at all.

Ash visibly grimaced as Rohaan came over to sit across from her. She considered moving away to keep her distance, but decided against it. She wanted to receive answers to her questions, and it was absolutely no interest of hers to drag things out even longer than it rightfully needed to be. Without much thought, Ash tossed her knapsack to Rohaan that was filled with food and other amenities. Of course, much of that was food that she had taken from the village in the valley below - no one in that village had been of the right mind to stop her from doing much of anything. Though it was mostly dried meat, cheeses, and other foodstuff that didn’t perish easily. She had her fun earlier, and even if she wasn’t fond of the Shifter at all, there was no greater torture that she could have inflicted than depriving a hungry man of food. Besides, it would serve as a nonverbal truce between the two of them.

“Help yourself.” Ash offered, officially sealing her act of goodwill. However, as soon as Rohaan began to speak again, she instantly came to regret her actions. Bastard daughter of the Emperor of Man? Who in their right mind would accept that as truth? Rohaan was clearly insane or a liar. Possibly even both. Yet, he knew so many personal details about her, much more than any stranger should. Ash’s head began to spin. Before she managed to gather who wits, Rohaan flicked a silver ring towards her direction, and more out of instinct than anything, she effortlessly caught it. As it rested in her palm, the ring slowly changed to blood-red, with glowing letters appearing on its surface. To a trained eye, the letters were clearly Old Elvish, but Ash had no such eye. As time continued to pass, there was a strange urge for her to put the ring on, and she did, against all her better judgement.

The ring grew hotter as it was on her finger. The heat wasn’t uncomfortable, but it wasn’t exactly pleasant either. Then, before her, there seemed to be a shimmer in the air. Out of pure curiosity, she reached out and touched it, and the air rippled like water before it reformed itself into a man. This man was finely dressed, and he was looking over something, possibly documents on a table. It was hard to tell exactly, since only the man could be seen. Still, it was fairly obvious that the man wasn’t really there before Ash, since he looked like a reflection in water, slightly distorted. Although his back was turned to Ash, something seemed to grab his attention. It was a ring on his right hand, visibly identical to the one that Ash had, and he turned around. The man was Karl Valdemar.

Ash recognized him, even through all the distortion. She had spent years bowing her head in front of a portrait of the Emperor every morning for nearly as long as she could remember. She was completely in shock. Karl Valdemar only returned a slight smile.

“Girl, why don’t you place your hand on the Vokurian? It is best that we include him in our little conversation.” Ash did as she was commanded. For the first time in her life she was at a loss for words and completely out of her depth. She brought herself closer to Rohaan and placed her hand on his shoulder, allowing the Shifter to see exactly what stood before them.

“Shiftling… you make excellent time, don’t you?” The Emperor said as he turned to acknowledge Rohaan.

Rohaan snorted. "Hand slipped eh? Yeah, I'll bet it did." He'd endured worse slights than that, so he let it go. Rohaan learned years ago that no one could give him his dignity, nor could they take it. He made his own dignity, and needed no one to validate it. He'd also known too many horrors more terrible than some mildly insulting behavior to let it eat him. And anyway, she proffered the rest of her wares for him to take, and that was repayment enough. He went for the cheese first, pulling a small knife out to cut a chunk away, but he helped himself to more dried meat, too. Truly, he loved cheese. Goat, sheep, cow...it didn't matter to him, it was all good. And since it wasn't something he could get out in the wilderness, he didn't often have it.

The girl studied the ring, put it on, and then an expression crossed her face that let Rohaan know something was happening. Something magical, he guessed, as the cheese he was currently eating suddenly took on a slightly metallic taste. He made a face like he'd just gotten hair in his mouth. To his surprise, Ash scooted over and put a hand on his shoulder, and a watery image materialized before him. Rohaan smiled, but the expression had an edge to it.

"Well shit! If I'd have known your little trinket would have done all this, I'd have started with it and saved myself the trouble! Well, what did you expect, some second-rate drunken slob who calls himself a thief?" Rohaan snorted. "I figured out why your contacts stopped reporting in. I did a fly-by and there's some culty human sacrifice shit happening in there. I didn't stick around long enough to figure out what they were about, but I know human sacrifice when I see it. It's a good thing I got here when I did. Speaking of, I gave her the rundown, but I doubt she believed me so you might wanna fill her in, or at least validate me." He shrugged. "Would make my job easier. I suspect if I tried hauling her back to Last Vigil, I'd probably get stabbed and I'm not real keen on getting knifed." He said all this through a mouthful of food.

"Little trinket?" The Emperor began to chuckle at Rohaan, though from Ash's perspective, he didn't seem to be trying to mock the Shifter on any level. If anything, this was only an extension of a previously existing rapport that the two of them already shared. Ash already knew that the two of them definitely weren’t friendly at all - the only obvious reason that Rohaan was aiding the Emperor was whatever he was promised at the end of his service. She'd have to keep that in mind. Karl Valdemar proceeded to hold up his hand, once again showing to all that the ring that he had was essentially a perfect copy to the one that Ash was now wearing. It glowed just the same as hers, though it didn’t seem to be causing the Emperor any discomfort like it was to her. “What these rings are capable of is much more than a simple parlor trick. It was no easy feat for me to acquire these artifacts, let alone a complete set. Each ring on its own is no more useful than any other common piece of jewelry.”

“I did give away a priceless magical artifact to a known master thief, so do forgive me for keeping to myself what exactly I was giving you. I did expect that the ring would eventually find itself in the hands of my daughter. Yet, it has happened much sooner than I had predicted - I really must commend you for your expediency.” At that, the Emperor turned his gaze away from Rohaan and towards Ash. It was beginning to feel like a lion was staring down a mouse.

“These rings have many properties, most of which would completely shatter all your preconceptions of the world. I won’t bore you with those details.” The Emperor said this as he looked directly at Ash, and despite the distortion that the image had, she saw for the first time that their eyes were the same. That simple realization was slowly suffocating her. “Do you know why the ring reacted to you and not to the Vokurian?”

It was more than obvious that Ash didn’t. Why would she? Information was flying at her faster than she could even comprehend it, and that wasn’t even taking into account that the bloody Emperor of Man was speaking directly to her while being on the other side of the empire. She had never known that magic was capable of such impressive feats. What was even more bewildering was the fact that she had an audience with the Emperor at all, and that he was directly asking her a question. She had spent her entire life having to revere and practically worship this man, and now she had his full attention. “I… don’t know.”

“It’s fine. I wouldn’t expect you to.” He glanced over to Rohaan before he continued. “Nothing much to worry about. The Vokurian doesn’t know either, and he’s the one I gave the ring to.”

“It reacted to you because it recognized that the person holding the other ring shared a blood connection with you.” The Emperor paused for a moment, as if he was waiting for Ash to fully digest his words. “Consider that as the lone condition for these rings to function. Thus, it is undeniable proof that you are my daughter.”

Ash really didn’t want to believe it. How could anyone come to terms that they were the child of the most powerful man in the entire known world? Any normal person would have cast it aside as nonsense, yet the very notion was being reinforced by the Emperor himself! She had known for years that she wasn’t the biological daughter of Lord Cassander of Durgan. The story had always gone that her parents had been killed by the Centauri during their invasion, and that Lord Cassander had taken her in after the death of his only other daughter. She had always known that there must have been more to the story than just that, but she had never gotten anywhere by prying for more information. It almost seemed far too much for her to process at once.

“It would be for the best if you collect your wits quickly, girl.” Karl Valdemar’s sharp words seemed to cut through all the confusion that was consuming Ash and brought her back to the present. Now wasn’t the time for her to freak out and forget what was happening around her. She’d have to deal with this later.

“I need the two of you to enter Durgan Fortress.” The Emperor said with a slight smile.

Rohaan scoffed, waving a hand as if shooing away some unseen fly. "Usually employers like to tell their mercenaries all that they can, so that information can help them in their efforts...what else haven't you told me, Valdemar? A good deal more, I'm sure..." he grumbled. Information was cheap, though the lives of people like him seemed cheaper in the eyes of Valdemar. Rohaan had to remind himself that, to the Emperor, Rohaan was a disposable resource to be used and burned when expended. Typical royal bastard. And speaking of royal bastards, he could see now that Ash was not what he'd pictured her to be. Sure, Valdemar had mentioned she was no debutante, but she seemed of better moral fiber than her father, and Rohaan had a chance now to perhaps influence the future Empress. If he could show her that shifters were not all that the nursemaid's fireside tales made them out to be, then perhaps his people might enjoy better lives in the future.

The shifter gave a slow, knowing smile, as if he knew something obvious that Valdemar was not seeing. "You might call yourself 'Dragon of the North'," He spat to the side at that. "But you likely know very little of dragons. Cyradan, for example, can fly very fast and very high. Far faster than the swiftest horseman. I'm sorry to say the return journey will not be so quick. I am not a mule, nor could I carry someone else that far if I wanted to. We'll have to find horses." That would be an endeavor. Rohaan was an excellent thief, but he could not steal horses. They reared and screamed and bit when he came near, no matter what shape he was in. Finding one that would bear him at all would be more than difficult. He had a plan for that, but it would take a bit of time and some traveling, so he'd need to make sure Ash had a horse, and he'd just find a way to follow along on his own for now.

Rohaan rummaged a little through the girl's pack and found a water skin, which he helped himself to. He tried not to just drink it all, but it was hard. He hadn't realized just how thirsty he was. For some time now, he'd been meaning to get himself a water skin, though he had yet to find one he could fit on his person comfortably, for he carried no pack. Everything in the world that Rohaan Ja'aisen owned was on his person at all times. He was opportunistic about the rest, obtaining what he could when he needed it and could find it. He was pondering the water skin still when Karl instructed them to get into Durgan. Rohaan actually choked on the piece of cheese he was eating.

"Hey now!" He wagged a finger accusingly at the Emperor. "That ain't what you paid me for, and I'm not a servant to be ordered around! You want me to go getting my hands in weird culty shit, that'll cost you! Sorry Ash--can I call you Ash?--I know I said I'd help you out there, and I did mean it, but there's a difference between precision meddling and just painting the whole fortress in fire. Believe me, there's no one who'd rather see that filth up in flames than me, but I also prefer not to be shot out of the sky, and especially not ensnared in whatever magical garbage they've got brewing up in there. There's a lot of magic in the air, even from here I can taste it. Smells like a metal foundry. No, Valdy, if you want me to go in there and get involved, you've got to pay up."

Rohaan considered. "I'll do it if you free every elvish slave you own, or that your court owns. Give them the option of leaving, but give them also the option of a paid position instead. And pay them well. Enough to live by." Rohaan knew he couldn't ask for too much, and he'd already secured the future freedom of his own people. He couldn't viably demand the liberation of all elvish slaves, but the ones within Valdemar's court seemed a reasonable enough price. Though the elves in general had never exactly welcomed him and his people with open arms, they also had not been historically unkind to them either. At the very least, they recognized on the whole that vokurians were a culture, a semi-unified people with a semi-unified language that had traditions of their own. A culture and people they didn't really love, but it was better than the humans. If Rohaan could throw them a bone, and hopefully improve the elf-vokurian relations, then he would.

Ash would have accepted the Emperor’s request without hesitation if it wasn’t for the continued presence of Rohaan. All she wanted to do was find out what exactly had happened within Durgan, and save anyone that she could. She’d never claim to be altruistic, but these were the people that she had grown up with, and whatever was happening to them, she knew that they didn’t deserve any of it. Of course, she had no reason to believe that the Emperor had any interest in the lives of those within Durgan Fortress. Ash had no way to know that for sure, but what interest would he have for the people that she cared about? No, it was entirely about something else - and she was even seriously doubting it was about her either. If she had to believe that the Emperor was her true father, then the only reason she was learning about it now was that he had no other choice than to bring her into the fold. He needed her, that much seemed to be obvious. That only left her with a single question: Did she need him?

The other problem that she would have to be facing was that of Rohaan the Vokurian. To put it most simply, she was conflicted about him. Based upon everything that she had seen so far, the Shifter hadn’t lied to her at all, which made her wonder how she had earned such a courtesy. Due to a lack of information, she’d just have to chalk it up to her own personal theory that he had yet to have a reason to use deception. He was a thief after all. Ash was also appreciative that he had chosen to speak with her rather than use force, though that could have been due to a desire to avoid taking such a risk. Ultimately, none of that immediately mattered. Rohaan was performing mercenary work for the Emperor, and there was absolutely no doubt that he had been paid handsomely to find her. That’s why she’d be a fool to place any amount of trust in him.

“Yet you managed to find my daughter with the information that I provided. I will always tell you whatever I believe that you need to know. Nothing more and nothing less.” The words that came out of the Emperor’s mouth seemed to be honest, though they could certainly be taken as condescending. They did, however, make Ash even more resolved to squeeze out any answers out of the Emperor that she could. She wasn’t interested at all about being left in the dark.

“Titles are titles. Anything to inspire lesser men.” The Emperor shrugged off Rohaan’s insult. “I do have to say that neither of you will need to worry about the return trip. I’ll have that covered.” That only served to annoy Ash further. It was yet another thing that the Emperor was hiding from them. She was beginning to think that he had every intention to tell them practically nothing.

Ash rose to her feet after Rohaan presented his terms to the Emperor, clearly more than just a little annoyed and furious. “Am I to stand by as the two of you fucking negotiate? I’m going into Durgan no matter what happens. I just need to know what exactly is going on.” As Ash said this, she looked directly at the Emperor, expecting much more than the cryptic answers that he had been content in giving so far.

“Ha! Let none doubt that the blood of the north truly does flow through your veins!” For a moment, the Emperor was making light of Ash’s outburst, but before her eyes the Emperor’s demeanor completely changed. She had never felt so small and insignificant as she did in this exact moment. “If nothing is done, everyone within this region will die.”

“I didn’t only instruct the Vokurian to retrieve you. I also asked him to find out what was underway at Durgan, though I was being misleading. I’m very much informed about what is happening there, but I was requiring another set of eyes within. From what I’ve heard so far, it seems to me that the situation is progressing much faster than I had previously thought that it would.”

“If you know what’s going on, why did you do nothing!?” Ash had regained her composure, overcoming the previous intensity that the Emperor had forced upon her. If anything, she was passionate about this.

“If I had done nothing, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. Neither would I have enlisted the services of a Vokurian.” The Emperor replied matter-of-factly. “There is a magical aura that surrounds Durgan that keeps Men within its grasp complacent, and prevents those outside of it from entering the aura. That means I can’t simply send a contingent of troops.”

“Vokurians are much more resistant, which was a consideration when I acquired his aid. It is odd that you were able to overcome it.” As he said that, it didn’t seem that he was all that surprised that Ash had managed to do what other humans would find to be impossible. “This is evident to me since I had the aura developed by an Elven occultist named Thoburas. I intended the aura for a different use, but he’s the only one who could have put it into use so masterfully.”

Ash wasn’t entirely sure what to make of all the information that had been revealed so far. “Are you saying that he betrayed you?”

“Thoburas specialized in forbidden magics, which allowed me to acquire certain magical artifacts and items that I found an express interest in. Most of what he was an expert in is outlawed within the Empire, but I often required a specialist so I could be better informed against certain magical threats.”

“The elf is ambitious, possessing a nearly unquenchable thirst for knowledge and power. It was inevitable that he would try to betray me. Of course, I recognized this and had nearly come to a point where I could neutralize him, but he managed to play his hand before I could. That forced me to be much more aggressive than I normally would be. Still, it's quite embarrassing for me, really.” It was rather obvious to Ash that the Emperor would take no greater pleasure than exacting his revenge on the wayward elf.

“Kill him and his followers will scatter. It’s as simple as that.” Ash regarded the Emperor’s words carely. It was true that it would be simple, but he had avoided answering what Ash considered was the most obvious question.

“What exactly is Thoburas trying to accomplish?” If people were dying due to this one elf, then she had to know what it was all for. Additionally, it couldn’t possibly hurt to know what exactly they might be dealing with. And that wasn’t to say whether or not she’d be able to do anything about it. She would try, because she knew that she was beyond the point in which she could choose.

Emperor Karl Valdemar paused for a moment, as if he was considering whether or not he should reveal what ungodly magical ritual Thoburas was trying to perform underneath Durgan Fortress. “Have either of you ever heard of Malachor the Betrayer?”

Rohaan was becoming increasingly irritated with this man. He really was a piece of work. He'd known a lot of noblemen who liked to turn up their noses at regular folk, and do worse things to him, and they were particular about how they did their business, whatever it was. But he'd rarely seen someone who liked to hear himself talk as much as Valdemar. He couldn't help but compare him to the best leader he'd ever known, Berlin, and he seemed to understand, as if for the first time, why a man like Karl Valdemar had to use fear and manipulation to keep his hold on people.

Captain Berlin was what people called a free magic being. Some people, like elves and vokurians and other races, were inherently magical creatures, but occasionally magic appeared in non-magical races like humans at random, and could be passed on from parent to child. The appearance of free magic in humans was a subject of much study, though as far as Rohaan and even Berlin knew, no one had any solid answers. Berlin's particular manifestation came in the form of an ability to control other people or animals via touch. Most often, it was as subtle as influence, but Rohaan had seen Berlin use outright control a few times in his life, and it was terrifying to behold. Berlin could literally command the people around him to do as he pleased, but instead of taking advantage of that, he earned respect and loyalty through his own actions, not his magic. Rohaan couldn't imagine what Karl Valdemar would do with a power like that. Nothing good, he thought.

Rohaan did not hide his disdain; he rolled his eyes and wore a bored look on his face. "You think you've got everything neatly planned out, don't you? Did you ever consider informing me of this plan for a return journey? Or what was happening in there? I could have come better prepared. When you tell people what they're in for, they do better work, Valdemar. Not to mention, I'm a dangerous rogue to try and manipulate. We had a deal, Valdemar. I'll hold up my end, but don't forget the other half of the deal..." For a second, he shifted his form to reflect that of Valdemar's, and he held up one gloved hand and wiggled the fingers. He returned to his natural form. "Do not toy with me." His tone was hard and dangerous, and he meant every word. If Valdemar thought it was fun to try and keep him in the dark and push him around, Rohaan would show him just how much of a mistake that truly was. Rohaan had been kicked and mistreated before, but he wouldn't stand for it again.

Privately, Rohaan was keen to see this elf die, and he would find his own joy in taking him down. But he was irritated at being ordered around like some kind of servant. "Malachor...mighta heard the name at some point, but the only deities I've ever observed are the nautical ones, mainly Tevira and Jaikideh." That last one was not part of the usual list of deities most people knew, and when he spoke the name, his usually subtle accent suddenly burst forth like a flower in full bloom. She was, according to vokurian legend, the spirit of the moon, and the stars were her many subjects and acolytes. It was not known that vokurians had their own mythology and deities, and in fact, it was barely known that they had their own language. Most shifters humans encountered these days had been bred in captivity and thus had no connection to their heritage, or were captured and brought in to slavery at a young age. "But I'm going to assume with a name like 'the Betrayer', he's not exactly the benevolent sort."

Rohaan was making no great effort to engage with the Emperor diplomatically, and that was one small detail that was exceptionally easy to notice. The Emperor seemed to be more bemused by this than anything, at least that seemed to be the case from Ash’s limited point of view. Whatever had been promised to the Shifter by the Emperor was more than just gold. In terms of specifics, there was really no way that Ash could possibly guess. Just how valuable was she to the Emperor? One could argue that it revolved around her being his daughter, but that wasn’t quite it. She detected absolutely no paternal love emanating from the man who called himself her father. If she was nothing but another tool in his eyes, then he would be left disappointed.

“Better prepared?” By all indications, the Emperor was once again amused by the words of the Vokurian that stood before him. “Did you not fly directly to Durgan only to immediately encounter my daughter? Circumstances couldn’t have played out any better.”

“If you are speaking in regards to this new task… well, I see no reason for you to have any concerns. I have an interest in seeing the elf dead beyond anything else.” The Emperor was calm and collected, Ash could see that much. Did Rohaan truly believe that he could outwit and gain the upperhand on the Emperor of Man? The Vokurian was far too confident not to have something hanging over the head of the Emperor, but what exactly was it? She already knew there was no way that the Shifter would reveal that secret to her, and that annoyed her.

“Besides, you already have confidence that I will uphold my end of the bargain.” It was obvious that Rohaan didn’t trust the Emperor based on his word - it was his gloved hand. Ash noticed as Rohaan briefly assumed the Emperor’s form. That was what the Emperor was hiding! Still, Ash couldn’t fathom to guess what the glove was actually hiding. Illness? Disease? It was all a crapshoot in the end. It must be serious, if Rohaan was so confident that he’d threaten to reveal it.

“I do have to warn you that it takes a special kind of bravery to threaten me. And it takes a fool to try to play a card before they even know what it is.” The Emperor simply shrugged, as if leaving what he just said as nothing more than a passing thought. He raised his hand, bringing it to attention on his own terms. “I’ll show you what is under this glove after you kill Thoburas and deliver my daughter to me. No strings attached.”

Whether or not the Emperor was being wholly sincere or not, Ash couldn’t really tell. This was the first time she had ever met him, but she was already beginning to form an educated opinion of the man. It wasn’t an especially good one. She wasn’t entirely sure if it was wise to cross this kind of man, though she had a habit of making rash decisions, so it was probably only inevitable for her. At the various mentions of Malachar, her ears perked up and she spoke aloud the first thing that came to her head. “Guard your soul, Malachar may steal it in the night…”

The Emperor had a slight smile on his face as he turned to regard his daughter. “Mhm, yes. Though I think you might be paraphrasing.” Ash’s cheeks grew a bit red. She had to sit through a thousand sermons when she was a young girl, though she had more or less avoided anything that had to do with the church for the last several years.

“For our uncultured friend here, Malachar is a god with malevolent intentions. Each race and culture have their own interpretations of him… perhaps the Vokurians even worship him?” Despite the Emperor’s snide comment, Ash didn’t think that the Shifters held Malachar in high regard. Then again, she knew next to nothing about the Vokurians, considering Rohaan was the only Shifter she had ever had an extended conversation with.

“To keep things simple, Malachar is known for his cunning and trickery. His plots resulted in the other gods to fight amongst themselves and he tried to enter the mortal plane to claim it as his own domain during the chaos. The few remaining deities banded together and punished Malachar, cutting him in twelve pieces. Each piece was sealed behind a different gate.”

“If you recall, there were once eleven Elven Kingdoms, with each one responsible for a lesser gate. If the eleven lesser gates were to be opened, then the final greater gate could then be unsealed. Of course, the Elven Kingdoms were destroyed when Man sailed to these lands from across the sea.”

“I’ve been to many of these gates. Most were broken open long ago and are nothing more than an empty husk and ruin. I had one gate unsealed upon the advice of Thoburas…” The Emperor glanced down at his gloved hand. “I don’t believe there is a malevolent god sealed behind those gates, but what I’ve witnessed there proved to me that I cannot allow another gate to be opened."

"I see no reason for you to have any concerns..." Rohaan was not subtle in his mocking tone. "Obviously, since you're not the one walking into a magical cult session blind. What's another dead shifter to you, after all?" It was a good thing Rohaan really wanted this elf dead for his own reasons, or he would have outright refused by now. He was not a thing to be played with, and he was not a soldier to be ordered about. He served no master and would suffer no rule.

Rohaan smiled, but it had a cold edge. "Did you expect any less of me? All the same, I'd give you a similar warning. Not all the tales they tell about me are true, but I'll leave it to you to guess which ones are. However you slice it, it takes a special kind of arrogance to cross Rio Ja'aisen. As for what lies under the glove?" He outright laughed. "I don't have to ask your permission, nor do I have to wait to find out. Not that it's any personal interest of mine. I already know how corrupted you are, and I need nothing else to show me that." His voice softened a little, though it was still cold. "But your loyal followers have yet to know...nor would they like to know that their Emperor has been dabbling in the "uncouth and detestable" art of magic, either directly or indirectly." Magic was often frowned upon, and free magic humans were sometimes and in some regions considered no better than elves and the like. The shifter did not mention that, if pushed hard enough, he would have no guilt about laying fiery siege to Last Vigil, nor would he lose any sleep over making it his personal mission to see to it that traded goods belonging to the empire never made it to harbor.

Rohaan did not, however, rise to the jibe about the Vokurians serving and worshiping Malachor. It wasn't the worst thing he'd had thrown at him, nor did it have any basis in truth. Rohaan spoke truly when he said he'd never heard of him, and unlike most shifters humans came in contact with, Rohaan had not been bred in captivity, nor was he born in human lands at all. He came from far away, where a small tribe of his people still lived in freedom as they'd done of old. Rohaan knew the old traditions, customs, languages, and beliefs. They did not worship Malachor, either by that name or any other.

"Look," Rohaan said at length. "I've got a personal interest in seeing this Thoburas dead, so I'll do it. You don't get to dictate my methods, and I'm sure as shit not retrieving any god-body-bits, artifacts, or whatever else for you. That wasn't part of the deal and you won't go making it so. I'm going to gut that murderer bow to stern, and then we're going to make for Last Vigil, fulfill the bargain, and be rid of you. I'll add, too, that if Ash here decides she wants to play hero and go in there too, I'm not going to stop her and I'm not responsible for her. If she gets herself killed, that's her problem and yours, not mine, and in no way does that negate the terms of our deal. My task was to find her and bring her to you, not to play babysitter. Understood?" He was speaking to Karl, but his eyes were on Ash, as if warning her that any bravery on her part was not his place to fix if it went awry. Not that he wouldn't give it an attempt to keep her from harm--it's not like he wanted her dead. Truthfully, he'd much rather see her on the throne than her father. But he wouldn't kill himself over it.

"Now, if you know about what this asshole is capable of, and what he might try and do to me if he finds me, or what kind of wards or whatever else I'll have to contend with, I suggest you fork over the information. You might find that your messenger is far more capable of finishing his task if you do."

"My dear shiftling... you make it seem almost as if I want you to fail." A sense of mischief flashed across the Emperor's face so quickly that Ash barely managed to catch a glimpse of it. From what she had observed from the Emperor so far, it seemed rather uncharacteristic of him, but she supposed that she didn't truly know that man all that well. The man’s cunning seemed to be otherworldly, yet would it be wise of her to discount the depravities that are capable of one man? She really didn’t know, though she certainly wouldn’t mind knowing exactly what was going on in the Emperor’s head. Something was off and things just didn’t feel right. Did Rohaan feel the same? He had to; the Shifter was no fool. It was so odd - recognizing that they were now unlikely allies. She’d have to make the most of it for now.

“My chief concern is the death of Thoburas. Insofar as that, we remain aligned, least of all due to the reward you will be entitled to at this end of this sorted affair. Thus, there’s no need for you to think of clever ways in which you plan to blackmail me.” The Emperor shrugged as if even addressing the issue was a waste of time for him. “If you think a Vokurian can ever convince an empire of the misdeeds of their emperor, then you’re welcome to try. Just admit that I’m your only friend among Man.”

“More importantly, your ‘methods’ are of no interest to me, so long as Thoburas turns up dead. If your personal morality facilitates that objective, then so be it. Our previously agreed upon terms shall remain intact, so there’s nothing to worry about on that front.” The Emperor proceeded to divert his gaze to Ash, once again acknowledging his daughter. “I don’t expect that you’ll stand aside as the Vokurian conducts this operation. Besides, you’re the only one on hand that could prevent him from getting hopelessly lost in the tunnels underneath the fortress.”

If Durgan was the most impressive structure on this side of the continent, then the intricacies of the tunnels below were just as amazing. Some claimed that these were the constructions of the Dwarves, though they were rarely taken seriously. No person from the last few Ages had ever even seen a Dwarf, and most scholars generally accepted the belief that they were nothing but a myth. In truth, there are already much stranger creatures that currently inhabit the world. The tunnels were complex enough to easily get lost in if you had no idea what you’re doing. Ash had grown up exploring these tunnels so she knew them better than most. And she believed that she already knew where Thoburas was performing his dark ritual - the one subterranean chamber that her adoptive father, Lord Cassander, had always forbade her from going into.

“I can get Rio where he needs to go, so long as he doesn’t slow me down.” It was said in jest to lighten the mood, though Ash ended up giving Rohaan a look that suggested she wasn’t entirely unserious.

The Emperor only shrugged at Ash’s offhand comments. “It can only be good if you manage to teach him some humility. Vokurian pride can be a dangerous thing.”

“As for Thoburas… he’s a verifiable lunatic. Despite his madness, he still possesses a decent amount of cunning, which I’ve learned to my detriment. He remains the only true threat.” Ash regarded the Emperor’s words carefully, but she didn’t really care how capable the elf was. She’d make sure that he was dead. “As for his followers, they are of little concern on a whole. Nothing but simple brutes, mostly mercenaries. The rest are sadists and men of ill repute. These sort of men tend to congregate with each other. None of them are sorcerers of any consequence; Thoburas would never associate with someone that could directly oppose him. A desire to hoard this dark knowledge for only himself was so all encompassing that it was difficult for me to actually collaborate with him.”

“Thoburas is quite focused on keeping me from acting against him directly with the present ward that he was in place. I wouldn’t expect any other traps since he has no one else that is working to stop him other than myself. This is what makes the two of you my wildcards.” The Emperor began to fidget a bit, twisting at the ring on his finger. “The elf is a master necromancer that specializes in curses and illusions. I’m aware that Vokurians are resistant to this kind of magic - that is part of the reason why I enlisted you in the first place. If he was easy to kill, I would have done so long ago.”

Rohaan snorted derisively. "Wouldn't put it past you. And anyway, I haven't lived as long as I have in absolute reckless defiance of the law because I trusted powerful men to keep their word, or to not try and screw me at every turn. A man like me has to expect it or find himself an ornament of the gallows."

At Karl's flippant remark about him being Rohaan's only friend among men, he laughed with the kind of confidence earned with secret knowledge. "You like to pretend you know much, Valdemar, and in some things that might hold true. But not when it comes to me. There's a lot you don't know. And only a fool would underestimate me." As surprising as it might be, Rohaan had very few nonhuman friends of note. Allies, maybe. People that had earned the use of his second name, but were not trusty enough to be truly called his friends. Ironically, the only people still alive that were privileged the use of his first name, Rheoaan, were humans. Berlin was one of them, and his daughter Kirra was the other. Berlin had become something like a father to him, and therefore Kirra was considered his sister in all but blood. They were all the family he had left.

Rohaan gave a sour, mock-offended frown at Ash, but it melted away into a wily grin. "Don't you worry about me keeping up. I take care of myself just fine." And that was true enough. But it did not need to be expressly mentioned that the shape of his being, and therefore his ability to use speed, scent, hearing, and strength to his advantage, were all very flexible.

"Aye, we're resistant. And anyway, illusion magic is more or less sorta what we do. Not the same, maybe, but still we're experts at spotting illusions and physical deceptions, magical or otherwise." He looked to Ash. "That means though, if I tell you something, and your eyes tell you something else, you have to trust me. Deal?"

Rohaan turned back to Valdemar. "Well, as much as I'd love chatting with you all day, Valdemar, it seems I've got a job to do. Tell my dear sweet Captain we'll be seeing each other soon enough, I'm sure he'll be overjoyed," he said, voice blazing with sarcasm. He stood, stretching a little, and he began checking a few of the leather pouches on his bandolier as if making sure he was stocked for a journey. Whatever he kept in there, he was apparently satisfied, because he nodded once to himself and said to Ash, "Ready when you are, then."

A playful smile appeared upon the Emperor’s face. It seemed that he still found Rohaan’s continued defiance to be amusing. “Even an old dog can learn new tricks with enough perseverance and a willful master. Yet, I am not looking for blind loyalty and you have your own ways to ensure that I keep my end of the bargain. As I said before - we remain equals in this partnership.”

“Underestimate you? Perhaps. Still, I knew most of what I was getting myself into. I wouldn’t be in the position that I am now if I was prone to make rash or foolish decisions. You’ve already managed to surprise me in a variety of ways so far, and very few that I’ve encountered have ever done the same.”

“For now, it would be for the best to check your arrogance. Thoburas is not one to be taken lightly. Besides, I’d much prefer him dead than you.” That last warning wasn’t lost upon Ash at all. She didn’t know much about necromancy, or much about magic at all really. What did she really know about the danger than Thoburas posed to her and everyone else? Nothing, and that remained painfully clear to her. But it didn’t matter. She had never spent a second of her life second guessing herself, or wallowing in self-pity about something that didn’t seem possible at first. For better or for worse Ash was the kind of girl that left caution in the wind. Moreover, she didn’t have much choice in the matter this time around. The faces of Lord Cassander and all the people whom she had grown with were flashing through her mind.

“I’ll kill him.” The words were few and simple, but the delivery contained so much more. As each word left Ash’s lips, they were spoken with such venom that almost any man would have reeled back in shock. There was also a commanding aura to it, revealing without question, her true heritage. It wasn’t a thoughtless statement, nor was it something as bland or meaningless as a promise that she was making to all who listened. No, it was spoken in such a way that Thoburas’ death was a certainty. No matter the challenge that would have to be overcome, Ash would do anything to ensure the death of the wayward elf. Her gaze was intense and directed at the Emperor, the only man with the same eyes as hers.

It went without saying that the Emperor was no normal man, and he didn’t so much as budged in the presence of Ash as any lesser man would have if they were to have the misfortune of taking his place. Of course, it was easily noticed by anyone watching that the Emperor was clearly quite pleased by this sudden change in his daughter’s persona. It seemed that he had some words for Ash, but he ended up holding onto them while they both were still in the presence of Rohaan.

“Dead is dead. This is no competition - it is only important that the elf is relieved of his pitiful existence. All that I can ask from you is to avoid putting yourself in harm’s way.” A touching response from the man that was Ash’s true father. Or it would be if she hadn’t known that this concern was only due to the fact that she continued to remain expressly useful to his future plans. At least there would be no love lost between father and daughter.

“Once this affair is dealt with, there will be much for the two of us to discuss. About your future and the future of the Empire.” With that said, the Emperor turned his attention away from his daughter to face Rohaan. “As for you… I must admit that I have other tasks that would be perfect for your skill set. Of course, that is a discussion for another day. It’s best for all if focus is placed on the challenge that is currently in front of us.”

“Once Thoburas is dead, contact me with the ring like you are doing now. I’ll have further instructions for the both of you then.” With that, the Emperor removed the ring from his hand and his image finally dissipated. The warm burning sensation that the ring had been emitting to Ash also went away. Without a second thought, Ash took her ring off and threaded it through a long, thin leather strap to create a makeshift necklace. It was probably for the best to keep the magical item secure for the time being. This also allowed her the opportunity to remove her hand from Rohaan’s shoulder, which was a good thing, considering that her arm was beginning to cramp.

Ash immediately went to her feet, running her fingers through her hair in an exasperated sigh. “Why the fuck couldn’t I have been the bastard daughter of a farmer?” The outburst stood in stark contrast to the demeanor that she had only moments before, though it was ultimately directed at no one in particular. Realizing that Rohaan was still present to silently judge her, Ash managed to quickly regain her composure.

With a little craftsmanship, she managed to fashion what would serve as a torch once lit. Without question, the tunnels were far too dark to make your way through without using artificial light. There were lanterns that lined the walls, but they had to be manually lit to be of much use. Obviously, that would be their indication that they were getting close to where the cult was operating at. She knew what chamber that they needed to get to, but there was a maze of tunnels to navigate first.

“Um, do me a favor and don’t change into anything that weird, okay?” Despite it being intended to be humorous, it was honestly a sincere request coming from Ash. Without waiting for a serious reply, she took one last look at Durgan Fortress in the distance, and ventured forward into the hidden entrance that would lead them into the belly of the beast.

Rohaan saw something in Ash's eyes that he recognized. The blaze of them, the absolute certainty, the force of will. Yes, he knew it. He'd felt the same thing, or something quite similar, when he was twelve. They'd made port after an especially long stint out at sea, and since the local tavern was crowded and busy and no one would notice a quiet individual, Berlin let him sit openly with the rest of the crew and the company down in the pub instead of hiding in some small animal form on or around Berlin's person. He'd given himself a form with shaggy hair that obscured his eyes and sat in the corner of their little table, nursing a small weak beer. But then he'd seen a man walk in, one that Rohaan instantly recognized despite never having known the details of his facial features, not in any way that could be expressed in words. When he saw him, he just knew. Rohaan nearly torched the tavern in his fear and anger, but instead Berlin sensed his mood and pressed him for details. When Rohaan explained who the man was, and what he'd done to him not that many years ago, Berlin coolly stated that they would wait, they would follow the man after he left, and pursue him to some dark alley where he might take a drunken piss. They did. And it was one of the few times Berlin did not make any effort to hold Rohaan back.

He saw that same murderous fire in Ash. The thirst for violent justice. And as if for the first time he really considered exactly what she stood to lose by Thoburas being there. For all he knew, the people she loved were probably already gone. But if they had any chance of saving them, they'd need to move swiftly and decisively. He would help her. And he would see this elf dead.

The connection severed, and Rohaan released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. It was good to be rid of him. The man irritated him deeply, in the way that bits of corn between the teeth were annoying and frustrating. But seeing Ash's unrestrained reaction was like a breath of cool air after being shut in a stuffy room. He actually laughed, an honest laugh. "Where's the fun in that?" He smiled and said, "I'll make no promises." He followed after her, his long legs easily keeping pace. "So I've got an idea. Unless I can slither in there as a venomous snake and bite his ankle and have done with it all, or just burn him to a crisp, then I suggest we throw a diversion at him. You seem handy with a knife. I'll go in and engage, you know, maybe try to rip out his throat if I can. But while I've got him occupied, you sneak in and stab the sonovabitch. If that goes awry and he turns and starts to attack you, then I will bite him." That last bit had a sinister note, a grim relish. "Seems simple enough, yeah?"

By this time, Ash had already lit the torch that she had made earlier. It only allowed Ash and Rohaan to see around six feet in front of them, but when they were wandering within dark tunnels, it was honestly better than nothing. Besides, Ash was making sure to light every lantern that they came across as they ventured deeper into the tunnels. There was really no risk of them being followed, and if someone somehow managed to, Ash suspected Rohaan would be able to make short work of them. She would never dispute that she felt much more comfortable having a Vokurian on her side. Or rather, their interests were similarly aligned for the time being. She barely knew him and he barely knew her. Ash could hardly expect him to watch out for her beyond the facet of his basic moral character. As a function of the both of them finding themselves on this dangerous mission, she’d do her best to watch his back.

Ash had grown up within the walls of Durgan, and she knew the tunnels well. Or at least she had found herself lost within them so often that she had been more or less forced to learn its many twists and turns. She had gone to these on more than one occasion to slip out of the castle by avoiding any prying eyes. It was odd. It wasn’t so long ago that she preferred solitude over that of having to deal with the lively court of Durgan. Now she’d give just about anything to return to that simpler time. Now she was on a quest to kill a cult leader that was trying to resurrect a dark god. How did she end up here?

Well, she knew exactly how she had ended up here. Though, to be fair, things had been moving extraordinarily fast for the last few days. It was beyond personal for her by this point, which strengthened her resolve to see her vendetta through. Her only singular desire at this particular time was to ensure the death of Thoburas, an elf that she hadn’t even heard of until earlier this very day. Ash had never been so angry or so full of hatred before, especially concerning a single individual. Yet here she was, and there would be no greater satisfaction for her until the elf was dead by her own hand. She shifted her gaze momentarily to Rohaan as they continued on. She supposed it would be acceptable if he was the one to kill Thoburas instead, so long as the elf ended up dead.

It wasn’t all that long before they got to where they needed to be - Ash did know the layout of these tunnels extremely well after all. Before them were massive stone doors, inscribed with ancient runes that she couldn’t read, and she had never met anyone who could reliably decipher what they were supposed to say. These doors were ordinarily sealed, but it was clear even in the gloom that the seal had been broken with brute force. Thoburas obviously wasn’t a patient man by any means. For now, she kept her distance, already hearing muffled voices from within. She extinguished her torch before turning to Rohaan.

Out of caution, Ash kept her voice low. “Yeah, I like your plan. There happens to be another entrance that I stumbled on years ago.” Truthfully, it was a nice childhood memory, but she didn’t really have time to be overly nostalgic at the present moment. “So long as you can keep anyone in there occupied until I’m in position.”

Rohaan kept close behind Ash through the tunnels. It wouldn't do to get lost in there, though he suspected he'd eventually find his way out with the help of some animal senses. This wasn't how he'd planned this day. He'd wanted to get her, bring her back, and go back to his life instead of being pushed around by all these royal idiots who had agendas and messes for him to clean. He wondered what kind of ruler Ash would be someday, and he didn't think she was the debutant sort. She didn't look like the kind of girl who spent her time making lace doilies and pining over rich merchant's sons. There was some chance she wouldn't be so horrible a ruler as her father. One could only hope.

Rohaan leaned one ear to the broken door; he heard multiple voices, one loud and sonorous. Probably the villain in question. There'd be a handful of lesser fools to deal with, but there was no agreement that dictated he couldn't kill the others, and if they were cultists, he had no qualms seeing it through. "Okay, just be fast about it." His voice was barely a whisper, a mere breath. "You get a clear path, you stab that bastard in the back." He took a steadying breath like he was about to plunge into cold water and shifted into a rat. The rat skittered through the bashed door and out of Ash's sight.

Rohaan kept to the shadows and the corners so he could assess the situation a little before engaging. There were indeed a handful of cultists deeply entrenched in some horrible ritual that made every part of Rohaan sensitive to magic reel and prickle. A gruesome pile of bodies lay on the floor like discarded corn husks, and somewhere hovering above them was a shimmer of distorted light. A...portal? Rohaan had never seen a portal, but it looked like what he'd pictured one to be. Damn, they were further along than he thought. Thoburas was at the other end of the room, wrapped in whatever dark magic he was conjuring. If Rohaan had more time, he might have snuck over and tried to just kill him from behind, but he needed to move fast and he also wasn't sure if Thoburas had any kind of wards or anything about him. So, thinking quickly and in an attempt to test his defenses, Rohaan shifted in a flash from a rat to a cyradan, and the slim black dragon appeared to materialize from thin air to those who had not been paying attention.

His black jaws snapped outward, grabbing a now screaming cultist with a wet crunch before hurling the body at Thoburas with a vicious flick of his neck. Well, he'd gained their attention now at least. One unfortunate soul took Rohaan's heavy whiplike tail to the gut and crashed into the wall. He did not get up. Two more were consumed in a jet of flame and lay screaming and writhing as they burned. Rohaan let out a roar, a loud rumble laced with a high, shrill note, and sent another blast of fire directly at Thoburas.

Death. It filled the room like a dense fog, so thick that you could easily choke upon it. This dark aura was anything but natural. It was much more than just a smell, though that was more than easily detected by anyone who had a nose. No, it was its own influence, with its own ability to bear its own weight against someone’s soul. At least, that was more or less the case for a normal person. As for the cultists, most had performed such dark deeds that this dark aura was adding strength to their corrupted souls, especially when it came to Thoburas. This elf of darkness was covered in the same black robes as all the other cultists, which made them more or less impossible to tell apart at first glance. However, Thoburas wielded the dark blade, and from that it was easy to see who truly wielded the power within the cult.

The chamber itself was large. It was almost something that was taken straight from someone’s imagination, based entirely on the sheer size of the room itself. The massive arched ceiling would make you strain your neck if you desired to see the very top, assuming you were here to appreciate the architecture. It was only further highlighted by the various decorations and statues that were all dedicated to Malachar the Dread Lord. Since this room was dedicated to the worship of Malachar, perhaps it wasn’t all too strange that it was hidden so far underground with its great doors sealed. Still, there were clear indications that the cultists weren’t the first people to venture into this room in the last thousand years. The secrets that this room held were quite simply unknowable.

Then, the next captive was dragged before Thoburas. There was no struggle to bring her before the mad elf, since it was resoundingly clear that she still remained under the magical influence of Thoburas. With a simple wave of his hand, the woman’s glazed over eyes disappeared and she promptly returned back to reality. It took an extended period for the woman to realize where she was and the situation that she now found herself in, but when she did, her entire composure completely broke down. She began to sob uncontrollably, all the while begging Thoburas to let her go. It was quite the display, but unfortunately for the woman who stood before him, Thoburas was a sadist. If he had been merciful, he would have been content to leave the woman in her stupor, but where was the fun in that? With a flick of his wrist, the dark blade opened up the woman’s throat, yet not a single drop of blood reached the floor.

The dark portal had already reformed itself into an amorphous sphere of black smoke. Tendrils, arms, legs, and other limbs seemed to shift throughout the entire sphere, growing and then disappearing just as quickly as they had appeared. Faces could be seen from within the smoke, likely of those who had already been sacrificed. It drew in the blood from the open wound on the woman’s neck until she was nothing but an empty husk. Her corpse was then moved with the others by the same cultists that had dragged her to her doom. Looking closely, you could now see her face within the smoke, screaming in agony. For a moment, the dark blade emitted a strange glow, the same as the carved symbol in the floor below him. To a bystander, this was indication that this entire room was built from the beginning to hold this dark ritual.

Dark energy and magic encompassed Thoburas’ entire being. However, it radiated much farther than just within his own vicinity. Part of the magic that obfuscated the minds of men, it was spread throughout the fortress like a spider web. He could feel every heartbeat. Badump, Badump. Every heartbeat would reverberate throughout him, especially when they picked up in pace. And that included every heartbeat that had been stopped by him prematurely. Of course, that was always the most enjoyable part. Ultimately, that meant that no one could ever hope to escape Thoburas’ notice; not even a rat.

Thoburas was already walking down the steps from the heightened stone platform when the rat turned into a cyradan. A Vokurian, though Thoburas had already known that much. The cyradan tossed a hapless cultist at Thoburas’ feet. Barely still alive, but that was all that mattered. He raised his dark blade and pierced through the chest of his fellow follower of Malachar, and his blood was quickly consumed like all the others. Another was sent flying, crashing through a statue of Malachar before landing against the wall, killing the cultist instantly. A waste of both a statue and a sacrifice. Corpse’s blood was of no use to him, especially if the soul had already passed from the body. It was much the same for the poor fools who were set aflame. Then the cyradan cast a jet of flames at him, and without hesitation, Thoburas jumped through the flames.

On the other side, Thoburas cast aside his inflamed cloak as it burned away into ash, yet not an inch of his body seemed to have been touched by the flames. He was shirtless, with the dark blade safely placed within its sheath. His skin had a grayish hue, which was rather unnatural for an elf. He was tall and lithe, yet he was far more muscular than most elves. What was more noticeable was the Dark Speech carved directly into his skin all over his body. Each symbol likely represented a different ward or curse, though only a fool would ever attempt to read any of it aloud. Without proper training, it was more or less guaranteed death to the speaker. Thoburas’ head was shaved… and his eyes gave a fair impression of his mental instability. He grinned with teeth that were far sharper than they had any right to be.

“Oh joy! Oh wondrous joy!” Thoburas hugged himself as he swayed side to side, filling the entire room with his maniacal laughter. “Malachar whispers to me. Oh yes he does! All the time! He teaches me so much…” Thoburas trailed off as he turned to look upon the amorphous smoke, mesmerized by all its glory.

“Do you know what he told me? Do you? Of course you don’t! How could you?” As Thoburas turned to face Rohaan he was so consumed by laughter that it was as if he had told the funniest joke in the world. “He told me that old Karl Valdemar sent someone to kill me! Is that supposed to be you?” He continued to laugh as his head cocked to the side.

“I’ve killed Vokurians before.” Thoburas spoke matter-of-factly - as if such actions were so mundane that they were barely even worth mentioning. “I’ve never eaten a Vokurian though… I wonder what you taste like?” He licked his lips, flashing his teeth while he did so. He then reached for the dark blade, but he suddenly stopped.

Thoburas felt cold steel pressed up against the side of his neck. It was enough to draw blood. Impossible. His magic guaranteed that it was impossible for anyone to sneak up on him. Besides, he had never sensed that the Vokurian had a companion, nor did Malachar ever say that Karl Valdemar had sent more than one assassin against him. There was no way that he’d ever be lied to by his beloved dark god. An actual lump formed in his throat, but he couldn’t turn his head to see the assassin that had seemingly materialized out of nowhere. The blade on his neck assured that impossibility.

“I’ll give you one chance. Get on your knees.” Ash’s words were full of venom and vengeance, all the while keeping significant pressure with her blade. Thoburas only gave his usual grin and his right hand twitched towards the dark blade. A mistake. Within a fluid motion, Ash locked in Thoburas’ left arm, ensuring that she now had the leverage to use the elf’s own weight to bring him off balance. In moments, the elf was on his stomach, with Ash’s right knee pressed in between his shoulder blades. At the same time, she held the elf’s left arm in such a way that he’d have to willingly break his own arm to break the hold.

“I warned you. Now you die.” Ash held up her dagger and then promptly went in for the killing blow. Before she managed to find her mark, a sickening pop could be heard. Thoburas had dislocated his own arm without a single moment of hesitation. She had completely lost her leverage and before she could react in time, a fist connected with the underneath of her jaw. She went flying, losing her dagger in the process.

Thoburas moved faster than even an elf had any right to, and he was on top of her before she even knew what had happened. With his right hand, he clamped down on her throat, squeezing the life out of her. “DIE! DIE!! DIE!!!” Thoburas screamed and laughed at the top of his lungs, clearly gaining pleasure by causing pain to his opponent. Ash didn’t have the positioning to easily get Thoburas off of her. The longer that she struggled without success, the more spotty her vision became. What was more an act of desperation than anything else, her arm reached out, with her thumb managing to connect with Thoburas’ left eye.

Thoburas reeled back with pain, releasing his grasp of Ash. She coughed and spat some of the blood out of her mouth. She was now lightheaded, but still had her wits about her to get to her feet and pull out her other dagger. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted an incoming cultist with a mace, and she successfully managed to sidestep him. With her dagger, she opened up his unprotected belly, causing his guts to fall to the stone floor. The cultist attempted to scoop up his intestines back inside of him for a moment, but it wasn’t long before he crumpled over lifeless. In a quick motion, Ash discarded her hood and cloak, revealing her raven black hair that was braided down the length of her back, and her well-maintained leather under-armor.

Thoburas himself was no longer stunned either. His left eye was now closed and bleeding, but it didn’t seem to hinder his new grin. With a quick pop, he placed his left shoulder back into its socket. “Ha… two against one? That’s not fair!” The elf was entirely disregarding the few cultists that were still left alive. At least he was being truthful for once. At that, he raised the dark blade and it glowed ominously. Every corpse that it had touched rose back to life. Necromancy.

“Well, fuck.” Ash managed to growl out of her damaged throat as she resumed a combat stance against Thoburas. It certainly wasn't being lost upon her that she was slowly being surrounded by zombies. The only thing that Thoburas resumed was his own ceaseless laughter.

So, he was immune to fire. Rohaan had a feeling, but he couldn't help but be disappointed a little anyway. Fire consumed all, and this bastard had the cheek to defy that truth. Hmph. If Thoburas thought he could throw off Rohaan with some assurances he'd killed one of his own in the past, and that he might like to try eating him, then the delusional elf was quite mistaken. As a cyradan, he could not speak in words, or he would have answered, "Tell me, who hasn't? You might have killed a few abused wretches with no fight in their souls, but you've never met one like me before." Instead, a rumble resounded from deep in the dragon's chest, and it almost sounded like laughter. He'd seen the shadow stealing closer to Thoburas, even if the elf hadn't noticed it. Rohaan knew he was out of range, but he snapped his sleek head forward, dark gray teeth sliding together like so many pairs of scissors, and let out a short roar.

Ash got to him then, and Rohaan's focus shifted a little to the cultists that were either just now working up the courage to engage, or had just joined the party. They mainly focused their attention on him, like Rohaan expected. The thing about dragons of any breed is that they were powerful and extremely destructive, but at the cost of becoming everyone's favorite target. He liberated one man's head from his shoulders with one powerful bite, and plowed down three others with one sweep of his tail, but there were enough of them that he couldn't manage them all. One got close enough to slash at him, and though his light scaly armor eased the blow, it could not keep the bite of the blade out completely. A disappointingly small slash of silver blossomed on the shifter's foreleg near the shoulder. Rohaan roared in fury, and the cultist responsible was torn nearly in two by Rohaan's teeth for his insolence.

He looked back and saw Thoburas on top of Ash, choking her with sick glee. Damn, she should have just killed him when she had the chance. He wanted to scream at her in frustration, but he neither could, nor was it the time for it. Thankfully, she gouged out the elf's eye and freed herself from his grasp, but that didn't seem to daunt him. Rohaan had just torched a pack of four cultists to death when some of the bodies on the floor began to move and shamble up.

Damn! He'd heard of necromancy, though he'd never seen it before directly. But he did know that dead bodies were still bodies, and they were held together with sinew and flesh. Rohaan moved fast, coming up behind Ash like a liquid shadow. He'd done this maneuver before, and though it usually worked best when the other person knew what to do, he went ahead anyway. The shifter snatched Ash's upper arm and pulled her in towards him, and then as his body lowered, it inexorably pushed her down to the floor. His black wings wrapped around himself and her like a tent, and he kept her pinned to the ground without actually pressing her. And, staying low so as to form a body shield around Ash, he drew in a deep breath, and when he exhaled, it was an inferno. He sprayed fire in an arc around him, consuming anything in the room that was not steel or stone. Even shielded by his fireproof body, the heat in the room was intense.

The blaze receded, gnawing at specific objects rather than filling the space around them, and Rohaan backed off, letting Ash up. Rohaan reverted to his natural shape wearing a dark grin. "I can do this all day, elf. You want to be the one to kill the infamous Rohaan Ja'aisen? Then come and get me. But I'll warn you, I taste like shit." He laughed, picked up the axe of a fallen cultist and hurled it at Thoburas. In the same moment, he shifted to a wolf and charged, aiming a bite at Thoburas' leg. If he could actually kill him, that would be a bonus, but he really just needed to hold his attention long enough for Ash to plunge that knife of hers into his back.

Ash wasn’t afforded any opportunity to protest when Rohaan pinned her down to perform his maneuver that incinerated most of the shambling zombies. She wasn’t liking her odds of being able to successfully engage them all in close quarters, so she’d just have to forgive Rohaan. She could feel immense heat despite being shielded from the flames, which made her all the more appreciative that she was adequately protected. As the fire subsided and Rohaan allowed her to return to her feet, she gripped her dagger even tighter, more adamant than ever to kill Thoburas. Most of the zombies were completely blasted away, but a few managed to survive for a brief moment until the fire ate away at them to the point where they collapsed as well. A pleasant turn of events for both Rohaan and Ash, considering that they were fighting for their lives, though it went without saying that Thoburas wasn’t all too happy about how things turned out. For a brief moment, he stopped his incessant laughter. Ultimately, that moment passed as well, with Thoburas shrugging and sheathing the dark blade once again, as if he was merely writing off the undead horde that he had only just risen.

“Leave it to you two to ruin all the fun!” Thoburas seemed to be preparing to say something else, but it was at this moment that Rohaan launched an axe at him, forcing the elf to sidestep to avoid it. Ash then witnessed Rohaan transform himself into a wolf. Of course, she could stand aside and let Rohaan try his luck against Thoburas, but that wasn’t why she was here. Ash was here to kill Thoburas and she’d do anything within her power to ensure that she was the one to do so. She had no hard feelings towards Rohaan - he likely had a moral compass quite similar to her own. Still, at the end of the day, Rohaan was nothing more than a mercenary. For her, this was very personal and she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t deliver the killing blow. Perhaps Rohaan understood in his own way, or maybe he was more concerned with killing Thoburas using any means at his disposal. Even if he didn’t mean for his rush at Thoburas to be a distraction, Ash would use it one.

Probably by sheer instinct, Thoburas backed off from Rohaan. Even he wasn’t insane enough to want to fight a feral wolf head on. This placed him well within the range of Ash, and she promptly went in for the killing blow, without any hesitation. She only managed to graze Thoburas on the cheek despite her best efforts. Worse still, she overextended herself, allowing Thoburas to land a hit on her elbow, jarring her entire arm and disarming her in the process. Her arm momentarily went numb, which could definitely become dangerous in hand-to-hand combat, which the status of current events had all of a sudden been reduced to. Thoburas kept the dark blade in its sheath, as if he was eager to toy around with Ash for as long as he could.

Ash was hardly going to stand by and wait for Thoburas to gain any advantage over her. She slammed her knee into the elf’s stomach to properly give her the opportunity to regain the feeling in her arm. Such an attack would have dropped anyone else, but Thoburas barely flinched. She was becoming all the more appreciative of the thorough training Lord Cassander had given her ever since her early childhood. Back then, there had been a thousand nights where her body ached so much that she could barely move. She complained then, but not now. Ash managed to block an incoming blow from Thoburas. She didn’t believe she had ever received a hit that had so much power behind it. Ash was just happy that it didn’t break her arm as it sent her sliding across the stone pavement by a few feet. Ash then landed a powerful kick to Thoburas temple. This time the elf dropped to one knee with blood streaming down the side of his head, yet all he offered in return was another of one of his sinister grins.

Like earlier in the fight, Thoburas was on her quicker than she could react, grabbing her by the throat and bringing her close towards him. She really couldn’t understand how he was still fighting at the same pace before… the kick that she had landed on him must have at least given him a concussion. He flashed his sharp teeth at her as he licked the side of her cheek with an abnormally long tongue.

“Hahaha… there’s something different about you. Not quite human, but I just can’t place it. So frustrating!” At this point, he had raised her off the ground by a few inches, despite all of Ash’s struggling. “Oh, it doesn’t matter. The dark blade is singing to me! Only one more sacrifice before the gate is no more! HAHAHA!”

“It could be you… especially with all the trouble you’ve given me so far. Still... I’d rather save you for last. Then I'd have all the time in the world to play with you.” Thoburas gave Ash an inquistive look as he began to sniff at her hair. The elf was visibly drooling. “You know what? That’s exactly what I’ll do!” With that he tossed Ash aside as if she was nothing more than a half-stuffed ragdoll.

Thoburas turned to face Rohaan with his trademark grim smile and laughter. “I think I’ll give Malachar your soul instead!”

Berlin found Rohaan as a boy because of pickpocketing. Rohaan was starving, and thought Berlin was as easy a target as anyone else, but that proved to be very false. Berlin himself was an excellent thief, and he was more aware of his person and his belongings when in a crowd--especially a dirty port city. Those little hands did not escape him, though instead of beating him like anyone else might have done, Berlin took him in. Not only did he feed the half-feral shifter, but he trained him in the art of theft. The kid did have a knack for it, and after a little instruction in the art, it wasn't uncommon for Rohaan to just show up with an item that no one had noticed he'd slipped away to pilfer, nor was it clear when or where he'd obtained it. A little natural talent, combined with a bit of tutelage, made Rohaan a better pickpocket than most.

Thoburas was on top of Ash again, going for his trademark strangle--that seemed to be a favorite game of his--as he slavered over her like a dog watching a rabbit hop across his territory. Disgusting, honestly. There were rumors of similar behavior about Rohaan himself, but none of those were actually true. While he wouldn't hesitate to kill a man if it meant survival or escape for himself, he didn't relish the act of killing or torturing random people. Of course, some earned a special level of his wrath, but they were fewer and more specific individuals. He found the sorts that did enjoy that kind of thing revolting.

Rohaan had not come to tear off one of Thoburas' limbs, nor did he come to rescue Ash from the elf's tightening grip. But that did not mean he was idle. When Thoburas changed his mind and tossed Ash aside, Rohaan laughed. This was exactly what he'd been hoping for. "You know, some say that we don't have any souls at all, us Vokurians. I might not be much use to you in that regard...either way, I think you'll find it much harder to kill me than you think." He glanced at Ash; he was buying her time to recover a little and get herself ready. His eyes went back to Thoburas. "Do you know who I am, Thoburas? If you do, then you're either an extremely cocky man, or you're out of your depth. Because it takes a bold man to turn his back on Rohaan Ja'aisen...or a stupid one. I wonder which you are." He shrugged. "Alright then, if you're so bent on killing me, might as well get it over with..."

There was a gleam in his eyes, and he began slowly circling the elf, back around towards Ash. He moved like a man on a stroll through the garden, relaxed and confident. "Oh, hang on though..." He took the dark blade from behind his back and inspected it in the warped light distorted by the growing gate in the middle of the room. "Did you...need this, by chance? Mmm. Should have kept a closer eye on it." He needed to give Ash the blade, but he had to do it in a way that made Thoburas believe Rohaan still had it. If nothing else would kill him, Rohaan was sure that would. Once again, he would take the role of distraction while Ash snuck in for the final blow. It'd be easier to stab the wretched creature while he had his attention focused elsewhere, so that's just what they'd do.

Thoburas grinned. He took the sheath for the dark blade and ripped it off of his belt, thereby casting it aside. Truthfully, it was impossible to ascertain whether the elf was angry, amused, or indifferent about having the dark blade taken from him, his lack of sanity made any guesswork about him nearly impossible. As for Ash, her entire body ached. Her neck was severely bruised and it would surprise her at all if she found herself coughing up some blood later. Fortunately, she could safely ignore her present injuries. As long as she still breathed, she was resolved to do anything to continue the fight and kill Thoburas. Very little was left to her, considering she had already lost her weapons. Earlier she had to ditch her bow so that she could engineer her first sneak attack. Ash knew that she’d be beating herself up over the fact that she could have killed him if she hadn’t hesitated. She wouldn’t let the next opportunity slip through her fingers.

“The dark blade was forged in the fires of darkness and despair by Malachar himself. Can you hear its whispers yet? It has a mind of its own.” It would not be long before Rohaan would feel that something was off, even if he was a Vokurian. The unnatural energy that had been emanating throughout the area from before… much of it was coming from the dark blade itself. With enough focus, one could almost imagine a heartbeat coming from the blade itself. Thoburas hadn’t been lying or speaking in hyperbole. Any sensible person would be rid of the demented blade before its corruption spread to them. Still, there remained an allure to use the dark blade against its master…

“Hahaha! Are you feeling the influence? Promises of power beyond your wildest imagination? Don’t worry, soon you’ll embrace Malachar like I did so long ago. If I don’t kill you first!” Ultimately, the dark blade served as a direct conductor for Malachar’s influence within this world. During the last millennia, with many of the gates having been opened, his presence was the strongest than it had ever been. Still, he would be unable to maintain a corporeal form, resulting in the dark god serving as little more than a vengeful spirit. However, interacting with the dark blade allowed someone to truly feel the presence of the dark god.

Thoburas flashed his wide, sharp-toothed grin as he began to approach Rohaan. “You’re keeping your heart closed to him, aren’t you? No… no, no no! That won’t do at all! Don’t you know that he’s inevitable? His return has been foretold and shall come to pass. It’s futile to stand against him! A human… an elf… a Vokurian. None of us will have a place in his new world order if we don’t serve him faithfully.” With that said, Thoburas turned to the the amorphous black sphere, the screams of the sacrificed spirits reverberated throughout the room. Only one more soul. Thoburas knew it was time to kill the Vokurian.

In a sudden move, Thoburas turned to face Rohaan and reached out his hand, fully expecting the dark blade to fly back to him. Nothing at all happened. On a second glance, Thoburas could plainly see that the Vokurian in front of him was no longer in possession of the dark blade. How could that be? When did he have the opportunity to cast away the dark blade that he had taken from the elf? His connection to the dark blade gave him a sixth sense that allowed him to know of everything that was happening around him. It was then that the dark elf finally realized. His connection had been severed. The dark blade had found itself a new master. It was only through him sensing a shifting of air that he managed to turn quick enough to raise his right arm, only to find itself impaled by the dark blade itself, easily cutting through his skin and muscle with it’s dark energy. Vengeance had nearly fully consumed Ash as she was pushing the dark blade deeper into Thoburas’ arm. The elf would have appreciated this more, assuming that true fear wasn’t beginning to grip him entirely.