[IC] Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

[Freeshooter92]

Alaira Taenn

When Alaira rushed the man, he seemed to somehow miraculously avoid the attack. Even though he saw her coming, her speed was such that to avoid the attack without throwing yourself to the ground was an impressive feat, but not impressive enough. She skid to a halt just after, using her forward momentum to whip around and aim another blow at his skull... And nothing, it didn't connect. She continued this pattern, desperately trying to kill the man before her mind gave out and she was at his mercy. Finally, she managed to land a blow on his midsection... or did she? He had just... vanished without a trace as soon as she struck. The screaming in her head had finally stopped as she stood there, huffing and puffing. She fell to her knees, her mace clattering to the ground as she fell a little ways forward, managing to stop herself from hitting her head on the cold stones as she caught her breath...

[Luna]

Collab-Luna and Lucius A shout echoed through the forest. It was muffled due to the distance and the forest, but sure enough it was from Annabeth. This shout was heard all the way to Colette at the wagon. Colette jumped and tensed looking in the direction of the shout. "Annabeth!" she shouted as she took off to save her only friend. Her blood rushing through her veins and arteries as it was responding the adrenaline that was pumping through, her blocking the pain as the branches of trees that she pasted cut into her exposed skin drawing blood which healed up instantly. "ANNABETH WHERE ARE YOU!?" She shouted trying to find her with her nose but it wasn't working with her mind full of panic. She strained to hear around her hoping she would call out to her. She continued to run in the direction she was going when she finally got to where her friend was. "ANNABETH!" she shouted so much that if she was human, her throat would be sore from it. Annabeth turned to the sound of shouting. She couldn't make it out at first, and worried that it was an enemy she drew her sword. But soon Colette crashed into the forest, her clothes torn and her skin a bit bloodied. "Colette? What happened?" Annabeth forgot about Arcadius and went to see to her friend. She sheathed her sword as she made her way to Colette. "What's wrong? Did something happen at the wagon?" "I...I hear you scream and I got scared." she said her body trembling and now glisening with sweat and blood that mixed together as she tried to catch her breath, her maroon red eyes relaxing when she saw no danger. "Why did you scream?" she asked looking at her friend. Annabeth couldn't believe it at first, but then she smiled. Mainly because she was a bit glad that Colette would worry about her so much, though at the same time she was a bit sorry for making her worry. Taking out a cloth Annabeth wiped away some blood on Colette's cheek. She must have gotten cut while she ran here. "Well, you see I was just startled. The skull we found a while back is magical and can talk! He says he'll be able to help us though." She nodded in understanding as she flushed a little embarrassed but managed to shake it off. "I am glad you are ok, I don't want to lose you if I would have handled it if I lost my only friend." she said sincerely her eyes flashing with sadness as her past filled her head before she mentally shook it off. 'Its in the past, they are gone and there is no way of changing that.' she thought before turning her attention back to her. Annabeth could tell there was some sadness in Colette. Annabeth made a mental note to talk to her about it some more later. Turning back to Liam and Arcadius Annabeth decided to advance their plans a bit. "Well with you here I suppose we can just get our work done even faster." Walking over to Arcadius, Annabeth picked him up and tied him to a piece of rope. This time let rested him against her chest so he could see what Annabeth could, sort of. "Now that we're all here, let's hurry this along. It's getting dark and I don't want us to be out here when night falls. Colette, keep an eye out for any long logs and such. And collect any vines and plant fibers you find that aren't poisonous. If you don't know what is and isn't, don't worry about it. Now let's hurry before the sun goes down. We need to act quickly once the moon is out." Colette nodded and went to do so sniffing at each vine picking everything that wasn't poisonous humming an old lullaby to herself as she felt her body calming down from the earlier panic. She looked up at the colorful sky holding onto the plants and other things she found close to her chest. She smiled a little after a while of standing there looking up at sky, her thoughts around how much her life has changed ever since she was found and was taken to a better place where she finally had a friend she had been longing for ever since her parents mysteriously vanished and all the servants left her behind in fear she would kill them. She looked back towards where the others were and she smiled feeling really blessed and went back to doing what she was doing.

[Sep]

Arcadius would have shrugged if he had been able, he would have waved his hands. He would have pulled several fingers! HE would have done a variety of things the fact is that he couldn't. "I have a simple request, I am sure it is entirely within reason. I tdoes not include theft, debauchery, murder, pain or anything like that. Which is rather surprising when you think about it technically I've not slept with a woman in well over... a very long time. Though I'm not exactly sure that's entirely possible anymore." He stopped for a minute, seeming to be thinking. "I suppose you could do it to a certain degree. It'd be a bit pointy and I don't think I could get much fun out of it. Though I suppose theres a certain appeal for someone who doesn't tyre out." He stopped again. "Gives a whole new meaning to boning someone." Arcadius chuckled, shaking as he did so. "Oh what were we talking about? Oh yes. REWARDS. I want my body back, and some nice clothes. Preferably a hat. Do you have hats here in the future? Or are they out of fashion? Antiques possibly? If so I still want one. My head feels naked, though technically I'm naked all over me. Wherever the rest of me is..." "What do I have to do again?"

[Fallenreaper]

Khan

“I asked far too much of you all as it is. How could I bear to ask more?” Khan’s question crawled forward against Tyrael’s words, his tone had a mingle of guilt and shame when he spoke. Khan felt himself give before he could stop it. His balance off center when the teacher chose then to move, his knee filled with crippling pain and his voice stuck in his throat. He knew when his knee slammed onto the floor, the cane reflexively dropped by his hand’s twitches which caused his fingers to splay and the cane to fall from his grasp. They had happened once or twice in his life since Rathel. However since that feast several months ago, it had been occurring more frequently than usual. Originally he brushed it off as a side-effect of stress. However some small part of him worried that it wasn’t. That it was something irreversible and this worry had caused him to postponed any meeting with Ovak to put them at rest. Maybe the Leper was wrong. Khan gave an involuntary shudder at the possibility as he heard her scolding, her arms to wrap about and aid his standing. Naturally he leaned heavily against her. Both for comfort and help, his body wobbly like a newborn calf. He nodded at Tyrael’s comment but was more focus on staying upright then arguing with either of them. “I’ll be fine as soon as I sit down, Lucilia.” Khan said in his gentle tone. “Just not been sleeping well lately is all and over-exerted myself.”

[Konan375]

Leith

Leith relaxed as he left the house. It was over. It had felt like ages, but it probably hadn't been that long. He looked at his arm and sighed. The wound needed to be treated sooner rather than later. He made his way back to the carriage and grabbed his bag. After a few moments of rifling through it, he found what he was looking for; his waterskin, a small jar of poultice, and some cloth bandages. He should probably go see to the wounds Coco had as well. Putting the strap to his waterskin over his shoulder, Leith made his way back to the group. He arrived in time to see someone barrel into Grey. As the man babbled to Grey, Leith noticed the wounds the man was sporting. He adjusted his cloak to hide his right hand and hurried over to the man. When the man suddenly stopped talking, Leith frowned. Had something gone wrong with him? Leith's question was answered when the man demanded to know what a monster was doing here. The reaction was instantaneous. The first thing that happened was Mar rising to her full height and hissing, then, Althalus levelled his crossbow at the man, but the worst reaction was from Grey. Heat rushed to Leith's face as he felt a flash of anger when Grey slapped the man. The man was clearly outnumbered and the most wounded of the bunch. He didn't need to be slapped. Leith wouldn't have minded if Grey just picked the man up by the collar as he chewed him out. With a calming breath, Leith let the anger dissipate. It wouldn't do to be angry. He could still feel some heat in his face, but he ignored it. With that out of the way, he continued to the man on the ground. Leith kneeled beside the man. He looked dazed, but he was still conscious. Leith snapped his fingers at the man until he looked focused enough. "I'm sorry about that." He shot Grey a loaded look before looking back at the man. "I believe you could understand if someone insulted one of the people you work with." He paused for a moment. "We are looking for some men, and from the looks of it, you ran into them. Tell you what. I'll patch you up and you can tell us what happened while I do so. Sound good? Also, my hand is kinda messed up. Don't mind it and we'll be fine." With that, Leith sat back and waited for the man's answer.

Darius

Darius was planning to tackle the robed man on the bridge, but a wild swing from Alaira made him pause. With her blindly attacking the man, he couldn't do anything to hinder the man, so he folded his arms and waited for Alaira to make contact. He ignored Meirin as she ran past. It did not take long for the man to disappear after that. Darius nodded when the man disappeared. Ssarak must have dealt with the man. He looked to his left and saw Meirin bringing the man out of the water. Without knowing if the robed man was alive or not, Darius decided to move Alaira out of the man's sight. He walked over to the half-elf and picked up her mace. He then crouched down in front of her. "Can you stand? We need to assess the damage."

[Freeshooter92]

Alaira Taenn

Alaira simply sat there, breathing... She had to calm down... it was over... She noticed a boot out of the corner eye, and looked up to see the... other guy, the Yarosmerian one. Darius, probably. He crouched down, and asked a rather simple question. Not out of any real concern for her, but mostly out of concern for the job, which was enough, honestly. She groaned quietly, pushing off the ground as she rose to her feet, somewhat shaky. "I-I'm fine... Just give me a few minutes..." She mumbled, rubbing her head as she made her way to the cart. She peeked into the back, and sighed in relief as Lyn seemed perfectly safe... "L-Lyn? A-are you a-alright?" She asked.

[Fallenreaper]

Lyn

Lyn pulled upright when a voice spoke to her, eyes settled on Alaira as she immediately tilted her head downward. Her arms wrapped about her bear and legs curled against her body. Most would’ve assumed her reaction was shame based, but both Alaira and her knew better. It something the child did when she was upset and believed she had done something wrong. Something that was her fault. Slowly her head nodded to answer Alaira while the bear merely casted a blaming glare. It growled a bit and climbed toward the child, crawling into the gap between her legs and torso. Her arms instinctively wrapped about it and held it tightly, still confused to how she hurt Alaira. The seemed alert around Alaira now unlike before as if expected the woman to repeat her assault on Lyn. Then again, it never expected her to harm Lyn in the first place and seemed still worried its first assumptions might’ve been wrong in trusting the hybrid. Unable to stand the silence anymore, Lyn’s finger pointed at Alaira and made a gesture she had associated with pain. Still hurting?

[Lucius Cypher]

Caravan Escort

The robed man show no signs of death, but neither was he going to wake up any time soon. Amongst the items Meirin would find are three things of some importance. One was a signet ring baring an unfamiliar design for even Meirin, or at least was not the emblem of any Baron. Lining the edges were tiny triangles, and from the tip of each triangle was a curved line that reached to the center of the ring. The ring itself was made entirely out of copper. Another thing Meirin would find were two thick vials containing a faint blue liquid. These were ethers, albeit poorly made ones. The last thing Meirin would find is a journal, which was soaking wet but could be saved. While much of the initial writing was smeared beyond comprehension there was still enough of the journal to read the following:

Fifth time I had to bring new meat to this post. Too many ghouls, too many demons, not enough men. I have enough on my hands as it is. Lisette still hasn't allowed me the forces I need to deal with those Scarlet Traveler dolts and the Red Lions are in no mood for negotiations. I need to convince her that this petty operation isn't worth the crowns or blood I put into this. I swear, just one good haul and I'll look to the Sharptooth Legion. At least they can spare the time to see me face-to-face.

Additionally amongst the water stained pages was a crude drawing. Though initially it looks to be a random scribbles, anyone with a good lay of Djarkel could make out some familiar land marks and recognize it as some sort of map. It also mapped out some obscure trade routes that, while not the most efficient, were often hidden away well enough that they'd have very little bandit presence. A few of these paths lead to Hysteria, but none of them were paths that the Caravan Escort crew could take without wasting at least a day's journey getting to, and another day to travel through. Also on these paths were circles, but nothing else was on the map that could signify their importance. As everyone went about their business the guard captain was slowly coming to his senses. It first started with a loud groan of pain before he weakly got onto all fours. Despite maintaining very little injuries he was still in no condition to fight and would make an easy opponent if he tried, or if anyone wanted to fight him.

Lucilia Riovas

Lucilia could only release a silent sigh as Khan asked how he could keep asking for their assistance. "Such a fool..." She said quietly under her voice. Seeing that Khan's office was in some dire need of renovations she took him to her office, placing him in a seat. Looking through her cabinets Lucilia was looking for a tea to serve Khan, but all she had was various medicines and coffee. And as much as she wants to make sure Khan was in good health, he didn't need any of the medicine in this cabinet and until she does another check up she didn't want to risk accidentally poisoning Khan with medicine he doesn't need. But at least she had coffee. She debated quietly to herself what quality of coffee she should serve to Khan, whether to give him her best or simply settle for something that he could drink casually. She opt for both and used her favorite coffee beans to create a balance and mild coffee that hopefully won't offend Khan's taste. It was pleasant for Lucilia, but she preferred something with a more pure and intense flavor (Basically espressos). She also mixed a bit of her Marrow Draught into her cup of coffee, but sure enough even if she drank directly from the bottle it wouldn't be enough. She's gone too long without any actual blood and now was going to need to get the real stuff soon. She just hoped the Marrow Draught would sustain her until Khan could safely be left alone without harming himself further. She doubts that, but she could always hope. Returning to Khan, Lucilia offered him some coffee. She took a seat on her desk so that she could be seated at eye level with Khan. "I can understand your concern about protecting the students, Headmaster." Lucilia said that last word with notable firmness. She wanted to send a clear message to Khan. "But I have spent many years developing the means of defeating the demonic threat that we'll soon be facing. Mastering them to ensure that nothing within the Inferno is safe from me. But I am more concerned about the threat that you pose to yourself and the college, seeing that you intend to withhold secrets that could harm us." She was referring to the vines, still unaware of the vial that Khan had received from Kudd so long ago. But the way she looked at Khan and worded her phrase gave her the (intentional) impression that she knew more than she actually did. "What we have here is a failure to communicate with one another. I'll admit that we're all busy with our own duties, but you of all people should know that operating on your lonesome will affect more people negatively than you realize. Everything you do, Headmaster, affects us all. So would you kindly explain what exactly you intended to do, so that we can prepare for these mistakes?"

[Rtron]

Mage Hunters The Yarosmerian's head snapped back, and he fell to the ground in a boneless heap, obviously dazed from the blow Grey gave to him. While he was still dazed, Althalus looked over at Grey. "I'm sure I could get the bolt back. It'd go right through him. Also, have we met the same Coco? Especially now? She has about as much sense as Lyn right now." It was said affectionately. As he stared at the dazed, wounded, and beaten man, Althalus made a mental note to tell Grey he appreciated his gesture to Mar later. Right now, he was too irritated at the Yarosmerian to care. When the man finally came too, a few moments before Leith began speaking, he spat blood on the ground and glared towards the giant guardsman. After Leith finished speaking, he barked a harsh laugh. "Not men. What you're looking for has long ago given up the title of 'men'. They are monsters, much like the Naga. But they are in the forest, if you seek to kill them. Shouldn't be too hard to find them, just follow the trail of blood and burns and devastation. They were not subtle in following my two remaining bodyguards and I. We had thought we had found a safe haven for a Yarosmerian diplomat and his guards, before completing the journey to the Mage College. We were wrong." He glanced at Althalus and seeing the skeptical look on the assassin's face, nodded. "Yes, I'm a diplomat of Yarosmere. The new Yarosmere. We have made the prophet of the Sand God our King, and threw out the foreigners, and then started to clean up our own borders." Althalus, sensing something bad was about to be said, gently put down his crossbow and stepped in front of Mar. The diplomat continued, clearly enjoying himself. "We've started exterminating the Naga plague. Their foul pit, Mesa Gaan, has been wiped out. We were moving on the rest as I left." He looked at Leith. "Thank you for your assistance. It is nice to see not all heathens are violent fools." Althalus went rigid. Fury and reason warred on his face for a brief moment, then reason won out. Barely. Primarily because he didn't have his crossbow. "Mar, look at me. Don't do anything violent, the College will want him alive." Althalus said, holding his hands out in an attempt to stop any movement Mar would make to try and kill the man.

[Freeshooter92]

Grey Onyx

Grey rolled his eye when Leith spoke. Why Leith chose to show any respect to such... scum he didn't know. "I... Yeah. I guess..." He replied. Coco was a bit of an... oddball. His rage only grew at the words the man had spoke. Did he really just call them monsters again? was he really that stupid. But oh no, that was far, far from the worst thing he had said. He had known little of Naga, and little of Yarosmere. His lack of knowledge of Yarosmere was mostly due to no particular interest, but there simply wasn't much info on Naga in the great library back at the college. He did know a few things. There were different sorts of Naga, and the 'Mar' type came from a place out in the desert called Mesa Gaan... He didn't know if Mar was from there, but none of the limited records mentioned any other settlements... He was sickened to his very core about how gleefully this man spoke of... of genocide. And Mar... gods, what would Mar do? He'd seen how she reacted when he nearly killed the boy... She might kill him in a fit of rage, and while deserved, she would probably suffer greatly with guilt. She wasn't exactly rational... He'd have to do something before she did something stupid. He'd have to do something stupid so the blame would be on his shoulders, not hers. Besides, this... Vermin had no right to live... He stormed over, grabbing the man by the throat and hoisting him up. Before the man could protest, he punched him quite forcefully in the stomach, winding the helpless man, though not killing him or rendering him unconscious. "Monster! You find the deaths of innocent people amusing?!" He roared, tightening his grip. He had never been this angry before. If... if what he said was true, this scum found the fact that an entire race was being wiped out a good thing... "To the Pit with you!" He shouted, preparing to slam the diplomat's head on the stump he had been using as a chair. If one didn't stop him, that man was as good as dead.

[Konan375]

Leith

Leith listened to the man, and sighed audibly when he called the Naga monsters. Obviously, the man failed to think before he spoke. He hoped the man wouldn't say anything else that could cause hostility towards him. Unfortunately, the next thing the man said was that the Naga city had been wiped out. For a moment, there was silence as the words sunk in. Then Grey attacked the man again. This time, however, it looked like he was intending on killing the man. Leith stood up and caught Grey's arm with his right hand. Yet again, Leith was glad that the Hand of Ginax had fused to his arm; he wouldn't have been able to stop Grey's arm otherwise. "What do you think you are doing?" he asked coolly. "He did seem to relish telling us that Messa Gaan is no more, but that is no reason to kill a man." Leith let go of Grey's arm. "Our job is to find and deal with these rogue mages, not to kill diplomats."

[Fallenreaper]

Khan

Khan was too exhausted to fight when he heard Lucilia mumble something, his body lowered to a chair within her office and his knee no longer screaming in pain. His teeth had stopped short of grinding into the root when he felt the weight removed. Allowing himself to rest, Khan rested his free hand on his other knee leaving the other to stretch out and the pain to dull. His head turned to see Lucilia walk to her cabinet and open the doors, her reddish eyes scanning the interior before selecting some coffee beans then mixing them together into a key blend. Brewing and straining the dark liquid, the steam floated on the top while she prepared both mugs. Finally topping her own off with a red liquid that distinctively looked like Marrow Draught, she then passed him his own.

Nodding, he gently took the still warm cup and took a sip. The flavor was slightly bitter, like almonds, lingering on his tongue long after the liquid disappeared down his throat. It cleared most the dryness yet heated his gullet considerately causing him to resist the urge to cough. It lacked sweetness and the subtleness of his tea, though in his opinion it wasn’t half bad for a change of pace. Feeling guilty about his earlier display of weakness, Khan managed another sip before Lucilia’s harsh tongue caught his attention.

The headmaster flinched visibly. His remorse filling his figure and feeling more like a small child for being told what he already knew. For a moment it had lingered while she scolded him. Reminded him of his position and in addition, again how important it was.

“I suppose you’ve already talked to Uicle, haven’t you?” Khan asked, his eyebrow raised while he left it linger for a moment. With resistance, he sighed softly. “Lucilia, this matter is far more complicated than any of you can understand. As for my intentions, the vines are a safety measure. One to protect against anything Kudd might throw at us in the future. Demon or otherwise. After the poisoning, I get the feeling he’s only begun…”

[Rtron]

Couple's spat.

Mar froze. Her eyes narrowed on the diplomat as he uttered the words she had been accustomed to hearing in her homeland. However she hadn't expected the news of Mesa Gaan to happen. Never in her wildest nightmares did the extinction of her race ever occur to her. At hearing the venom spat her eyes flashed red. Wrath. Hate. Anger. All three danced in her core and flooded her center, a reaction foreign in her experience, creating intensity in her mind. One which was almost physically painful. Her knuckles tightened about her weapon as she glared at the man, her fangs still erected and twitched to sink into his throat. "Monster..." She said quietly, her body tensed and corded with emotion. It took a moment, several in fact, to realize who stood in front of her. Althalus' image came into her awareness suddenly. His words sounded like they were filtered through water and barely registered through the pain. Mar spoke in a cold tone, a single warning. "Move Althalus..." Oh Gods... This was going to end badly. Horribly. Potentially painfully. He could feel it. Still, he couldn't let her do this. Not now, not while she was in this state and she could be blamed for it. Then the College would definitely kill her. Or at the very least exile her and Lyn. Very slowly, very carefully, Althalus removed the few remaining daggers he had hidden in his armor and then threw them behind him. Oh please let reason work for once... He prayed to whoever might be listening, and be helpful. "Mar. You can't do this. He is a godsdamned fool, and an ass, but he didn't kill your people. It hurts. I know it fucking hurts. But killing him won't bring them back, or make you feel better. I tried. I know. So please. Put down-" Althalus's words changed into an abrupt shout of alarm as her tail whipped at his legs. Fortunately enough, he was prepared for something like this and leapt upwards out of the way. He landed in a crouch, ready to dodge again. "Fine. Hit me. Beat me. But by all the Gods I'm not letting you do this to yourself." Mar merely hissed. It seemed she wouldn't waste breath or bother, her emotions bubbling to the surface. She was obvious to the incident between Grey and the diplomat, her mind dimming slightly in anything above emotion. If she had, though she would've detested Grey's reaction, her heart would've appreciated his overreaction. Her eyes held something Althalus would've never seen. Flickering with hatred and pain, her tail lashed out again. It swung at his middle and aimed to toss him from her reach and ability to stop her. Althalus hit the ground as Mar's tail whistled over head. In an instant he was back on his feet, ready to move again. "Mar, you don't want to..." He trailed off as he saw the look in her eyes. She was clearly not willing to listen to reason. Well. At least if they have strong emotions they don't last long...right? He couldn't quite remember what Mar had actually said to him, and wasn't about to waste valuable time trying to search his memory. "Okay." He said quietly. "Try not to break my spine. I rather like living." Again, Mar's tail lashed out like before and at thigh level. He jumped like before but this time, the tail end nearest her torso jerked bring her closer. Her hand subconsciously dropped her weapon while her hand reached out to touch him, waiting to throw him away and out of the way.Mar's teeth still exposed and twitched, her body eager to release whatever possessed her inside. Althalus was in midair when he realized Mar's hand was coming for him. He jerked backwards as best he could, but only succeeded in keeping her hand from his throat, it grasping his chest armor. And with that, she tossed him out of the way. Immediately as he hit the ground, she started moving towards the diplomat, who was about to be killed by Grey. Once again Althalus was on his feet in a heartbeat, taking a brief run before leaping at Mar's back and attempting to get an arm around her throat. Whatever he was attempting to say to Mar was changed into a shout of pain as his hands touched Mar's skin. Agony shot through them. Still he just shouted again and continued trying. Mar's torso tossed herself forward, trying to throw Althalus over her shoulder. Her waist bent and tail widened, creating a base, while she reached her hands up to aid her. Wound oozed as Althalus' hand tried to get around and her hand clasped around his elbow and wrenched it back trying to stop him. Althalus tightened his arm around Mar's neck, more from the reflexive tightening against the agony searing through his body as Mar's hand touched his face than any conscious effort against her pulling hand. If he had planned to say something, it was lost in the gritting of teeth and heartfelt groan of pain. Mar's hands clawed and tore at his arm, ripping into the shirt. Her torso twisted and withered about as air seemed unable to reach her lungs. He had tilted her head enough, nested under her chin, preventing her from biting into his arm with her fangs. His muscles flexed and tightened, closing off her throat until her body became sluggish. Mar thrashed her torso and back against the ground, both scrapping her side and likely Althalus until her body started to pass out. Althalus let out more grunts of pain as he hit the ground, pain not leaving any room for regret. When Mar finally stopped moving and passed, out(as was evidenced by the end of the new waves of agony going into his body), Althalus let go and rolled off of her. For a moment, he just laid there, waiting for the pain to lessen. When it finally did, he slowly picked himself up. "I'm going to find whoever taught her to do that, and I'm going to hit them. Grey, put the diplomat down I didn't just go through that so you could kill him, Leith thank you for being reasonable, and does anyone have any bandages and such I can borrow?" He gestured to Mar, burying the guilt he felt for doing that to her down. He would apologize later. "She appears to have reopened her wound...and made a few new ones."

[Sundered Echo]

A day or so after the Demon attack on the College

Earlier

Aramir was in their bedroom, unbraiding her hair in front of the mirror and singing softly under her breath. The day was over, night was falling, and while for the rest of the College (except for Uicle and Khan) that meant sleep, or eventually sleep depending on if they were occupying themselves as Auriel often did, for Aramir that meant wandering the well lit halls and perhaps talking to Khan or Uicle both. Idly, as her hands worked almost of their own accord down the familiar path of undoing her braid, she wondered where Auriel was. Typically, if the Forest Elf wasn’t in the room at this time, she was with another suitor. And hopefully, she was. Aramir had seen the question in her roommate’s eyes after the chaos of the demon attack was over, and she didn’t want to answer it. She didn’t know the answer herself. Thus, she had taken to avoiding the Auriel as much as possible, sure that if she was ever given an opportunity, she would ask Aramir why she had run through the battle torn halls just to reach her, while being half dead and having nothing more than a knife to use against the enemy. Just thinking about it made her uncomfortable, and the Snow Elf sped her unbraiding. Talking to one of the teachers would help her forget the question existed, or at least ignore it for a time.That is, she thought, provided I don’t run into that shadow…thing again. Aramir shivered in fear, remembering the touch of its shadows. She had seen it around the College, a few times, and it appeared to be both leaving her alone and bound to Khan. That didn’t make her feel any better or any less fervent in her vow to avoid it at all costs. As she finished undoing her braid and stood to leave, silver hair shimmering around her as she did so, the door to their room opened and Auriel walked in. For a moment, Aramir froze, staring at Auriel. Then she ducked her head down and headed towards the door. Which Auriel slammed in her face as she tried to leave, effectively stopping her. Keeping her eyes down and away from Auriel’s, “Please let me out.” Auriel looked down at the cowering Snow Elf that was her roommate. "Why are you in such a hurry?" She said, annoyance evident in her voice. "What is so important that you cant even say hello to me before rushing off." Normally Auriel was indifferent to her roommates wanderings, or even happy if it left the room free for her to enjoy someone elses company. But today, it seemed like Aramir had only decided to leave because she had arrived. Sure she was slightly late, but Auriel wasn't stupid, she could tell when someone was avoiding her. Most of the more prudish men did after all. But she hadn't expected it from Aramir. What had she done to the Elf to deserve this? Sure things were occasionally a little awkward between them, but not avoidance awkward, at least not in Auriel's mind. Aramir felt herself coloring as Auriel questioned her. Still she refused to meet her indignant roomamate's eyes, instead looking at the base of the door. Quickly she grasped for something that Auriel would accept as a believeable excuse. She wouldn't lie to Auriel, mainly because she was terrible at it, but she would just...not tell her everything. Like the real reason she was avoiding her. "I....Khan wanted to talk to me about something, I just remembered when you...walked in. I...didn't mean anything by it. I-I was just in a hurry." She shifted uncomfortably, practically feeling the scrutnity of Auriel's eyes on her. Please believe me and let me go...please believe me and let me go... She thought/prayed, hands fiddling with the edge of her shirt as anxiety forced her into motion. Auriel simply glared down at her roommate. Aramir was notoriously bad at lying or concealing the whole truth in any way, and it didn't take a skilled liar like Auriel to realise that the snow elf was not telling her everything. She leaned back on the door, as if to say 'this is not opening until I know everything' crossing her arms and staring straight at Aramirs averted eyes. "One day I should teach you to lie." She stated, sarcasm and annoyance filling her voice. She wasn't normally subtle, but she thought the message was quite clear enough this time, and just looked at Aramir expectantly. At Auriels words, Aramir turned almost completely red. Well, there goes that plan. And now the only way out was blocked by her rather large (by Aramir's standards) and certainly unmovable (once again by the small Snow Elf's standards), body. Aramir's fidgeting grew worse as the silence dragged out, shirt edge being twisted between her fingers as she tried to think of something that Auriel would believe. She came up with nothing. Finally she spoke, timidly as if she was afraid of what would happen if it was acknowledged, "Okay. I have been avoiding you. Because I can't explain it. I can't explain why I ran through demon infested hallways, unable to use any magic, armed with only a knife, found you and leapt to your aid. Not that you needed it. I only would have done that for a tribe member, and since my tribe tor....doesn't exist any longer, and you're not apart of my tribe, I can't explain it and I knew you'd ask about it so I decided to avoid you to avoid the question." Throughout that all-in-one-breath explanation, her twisting became rolling. Her fingers rolled her shirt up, to just below her sternum, and then rolled it down. And then the process repeated. Warily, the Snow Elf flicked her eyes up to meet Auriel's angry one, unsure of what to expect. When Aramirs eyes finally raised to meet Auriels, it was not anger but surprise on her face. Auriel had certainly not been expecting that to be the reason. For a moment she was speechless, a fairly rare occurence, before managing to stammmer out "That... was your reason? I had never planned to ask you anything like... that." She looked at the poor nervous, fidgeting snow elf in front of her for a moment, trying to decide whether to indulge her curiosity or hold back for Aramir's sake. As usual though, curiosity won out. "Now that you've brought it up though. Why did you do all that? I didn't think I was that good a roommate." The mention of Aramir not having a tribe anymore was something else she might press for answers, but not yet. She was only really beginning to figure out what it all meant for Aramir, and it seemed quite different from the relationship she had had with her village. Aramir sighed in relief, some of her redness going away, mistaking Auriel's surprise and stammered out reply as an end to the discussion. She took half a step forward to leave before realizing Auriel was looking down at her, not moving, and obviously deciding something. The Snow Elf got a bad feeling, which was confirmed by her roommate's rather pointed question. Aramir dropped her gaze from Auriel's, blushing again, using the motion to bring a curtain of silver hair between the two of them. For a moment she was silent, then she spoke softly, almost to herself. "I told you, I can't explain it. I only know that when I realized you were probably in the midst of all the chaos and death, I couldn't just let you face it by yourself and maybe even die, without me even trying to help you. Which is really confusing." She glanced up again, staring at Auriel through her hair. "We, that is, Snow Elves, only do that for our tribe members. The entire tribe is willing to give its life for one another. And I've never heard of a connection like that being made with another race. And I can't explain why it's happening now." "So...." Began Auriel, trailing off as she tried to figure out how to respond. She sunk down to the ground, crossing her legs while still leaning on the door to bring herself level with Aramir, not that she could see her face past the cascading silver hair. "I'm... part of your tribe now?" She said very slowly, totally unsure if that was what was meant. Aramir waited in silence for a few moments, unsure herself of what it all meant. Finally she took a deep breath, stopped her fidgeting, and pushed her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ears. She looked Auriel in the eye and stilled an unreasonable fear of what the Forest Elf's reaction might be to a confirmation. She spoke with a sureness absent from her before now, awkwardness and embarrassment receding. "In a sense, yes. It's not something that is consciously chosen. Otherwise, Tribe members may let someone die, or not risk their lives to save them, because of how they personally feel. It's a...." She struggled to find a suitable word. "Bond. A product of the environment we live in. Absolute trust is needed to survive, so absolute trust is given at birth. I didn't know it could form between two people not of the same tribe, much less two different races. Though in another, conscious, sense the entire College is my tribe as well. A group protecting each other. Though, obviously, I haven't made the same...bond, with anyone else." With the end of her speech, came the end of her confidence. She colored, though not as badly as before and she didn't stop eye contact. Auriel remained silent as Aramir explained. She was not good at responding to real feelings and she knew it. For a long moment she just looked at Aramir. Her culture was nothing like Auriels. Her village was tight knit but still placed great value on individualism. "Thats... good? I think? But... Why do you even need any more... bonds?" She said, half to herself. She had never enquired about Aramir's history. Why should she? It didn't matter to her. "You can go back to your tribe any time... right?" Auriel said, showing that she had not really been listening too closely before. Aramir sighed softly at Auriel's first words, a small smile crossing her face. If she only thought that was good, the Snow Elf didn't want to see what made the 'I know it is good' list. Though, I've already experienced that... She thought, remembering their first drunken night at the College. She blushed at the memory, and hurriedly opened her mouth to both explain a bit further, and distract herself from inappropriate memories. That's when Auriel continued talking, and Aramir's jaws shut so fast that her teeth came crashing together on the inside of her lip, tearing a small piece off and filling her mouth with the metallic taste of blood. She didn't notice, as she was visibly trying to maintain composure against the onslaught of unwanted memories Auriel's words brought. Her hands clenched into fists, fingernails digging into her palms, while her eyes squeezed shut, and she shook slightly. Not here. Not now. Not in front of her. Aramir practically chanted, as she unwillingly relieved the night her life went up in flames. A few long moments of silent passed before her eyes opened again. "No." Her voice shook, pain filling it. She was heedless of the red tint her teeeth had taken, or the bit of blood that dribbled out of the sides of her mouth. "I can't. Most of them are dead and gone, and the survivors have either died in the Frozen Plains or joined another tribe. My tribe no longer exists. All I have to remember them by are the scars on my side and back, my tattoos, and the symbols on my vest and on our walls. There's nothing else left. Flames took the rest." Auriel quickly realised she may have made something of a blunder with her question from the expression on Aramirs face. Normally she would try to make a quick exit at this point... But she couldn't really just leave Aramir, they had to live with each other after all. Instead she forced herself to listen. She shuddered a little as she compared what Aramir said to the vision the bitch of a psychomancy teacher had given her on the first day... It had been horrible. Except auriel had known that it wasn't real. It hadn't happened that way. Sure she might be arrested on the spot if she returned to her home, but her home was at least still there. "I'm sorry..." She began, once again without words. She hated not knowing what to say. Sheneverdidn't know what to say. "Well... At least you're still here? Right?" She simply sat looking at Aramir awkwardly. She just didn't know what to do. "Sometimes I wonder if that's even worth it..." Aramir replied quietly, before realizing that she was making more problems than she was solving. Quickly, she wiped her mouth, wincing slightly at the pain of her tore lip, before attempting a smile at Auriel. It worked...sort of. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to weigh you down with my problems. Somethings are better left off in the past, it seems..." With that, the Snow Elf herself fell into silence. She herself didn't know what to do, having completely forgotten that her original goal was to escape this room and avoid Auriel. "Yeah..." Auriel began before going back on herself. "I mean no, you can talk about it if you want. I mean... um. I don't know what I mean." It was all geting a bit heavy for her liking. "I think we both need a good drink." Auriel stood and crossed the short distance to her bed, where, within reach of where she usually lay was half filled bottle of wine, for when she really needed it. Like now. She uncorked the bottle and handed it to Aramir first. "Have as much as you like. There is always more a short walk away." "It did help the last time Satori warped the memories....and that was ten times worse than this." Aramir said, somewhat doubtfully. She also remembered what else it helped with, and blushed again. No. Not this time. The Snow Elf thought firmly to herself, before following her roommate. She raised an eyebrow as Auriel picked up the bottle of wine. "I want to say I'm surprised. I really do." A half-hearted smile crossed her face as she reached up and took it, sparing it one dubious glance before she took a couple large gulps, and handed it back. "At least it doesn't burn like the first one I had...Dragon Spite? Spire? Something like that." Auriel had to laugh at that, and remarked "That is certainly not one of the things I'd recommend as a first drink." Already she was reverting back to her usual, playful and light hearted self, relieved that the serious and difficult world of feelings was receeding. She took the bottle from Aramir when it was offered, holding it up to the light to see how much was left. Just under half. Enough for Auriel to be pleasantly inebriated, given the strength of the brews the college had. She took a swig on it herself then, her gulps far larger than Aramir's, and handed it back. "This is not really how I thought tonight would go." Aramir herself chuckled. "No one mentioned it to me before I downed the entire cup. That was just before I met you and we reached our room..." She left trailed off, blushing once more, coloring an interesting mix of blue and red. Obviously, she was thinking about what happened after they reached the room. Hurriedly, she took another gulp of the alcohol, already beginning to feel a pleasant...warmth beginning to spread through her body. "And no. this isn't how I thought having the door slammed in my face would end up either." She commented, hoping to change the subject before Auriel made the logical conclusion of where her mind had went and why she was blushing. Auriel would not be fooled so easily however, a grin spread over her facce when she saw Aramir blushing and looking timid - she had been with enough shy young men to know that look and it was hardly different on a womans face. "I was there Aramir" she teased. "You are welcome to talk about that fun little experience..." Auriel had found it somewhat strange in the beginning to have slept with another woman, but now that some time had passed it seemed less unusual to her. Fun was fun right? She took the bottle again, continuing to smirk at Aramirs amusing mix of colours as she took another drink. The Snow Elf turned red all the way to the tips of her ears. For a few moments she just kept silence, and then she spoke. Or tried to at least. "I-I-I-I....I...I...I guess." She spoke in a timid whisper, wishing she could hide behind her hair again. But that opportunity had long since left her far behind. Auriel couldn't help but laugh at Aramir's timid reaction. If she hadn't seen it for herself before, she would not have believed a Snow Elf could go that red. She couldn't resist. She just had to keep needling Aramir about it. "Come on.... I know you had fun!" She said before taking another swig and handing the bottle to Aramir pointedly. Aramir couldn't get any redder. She tried, but she had reached her limit. She took the bottle and a long drink from it, mainly just to buy time so she could try and think of a way to get out of the situation. She couldn't, though the pleasant warmth was now everywhere, and she could feel her embarassment receding. Just a little. Handing back the bottle and summoning up her courage, she nodded. "You're right...I did. Though, that wasn't how I envisioned my virginity to be taken..." Auriel stuck her tongue out in protest at that. It was less fun when they stopped denying it. Still, she could see that Aramir was becoming drunk faster than her. The bottle was rapidly going down, and she was still only just feeling the effects. "Of course I'm right." She said indgnantly, before returning to her same teasing tone. "You'd better finish the bottle then miss 'I enjoyed it...'" Aramir chuckled. A surprisingly easy smile crossing her face as she took the bottle. Perhaps there was something to this drinking thing. "I'll get right on that." She tilted the bottle to the sky, draining the rest of the wine. As she finished, she put it down, running her tongue along her bottom lip. A wince of pain, followed quickly by a frown, crossed her face. "I must have accidentally bit my lip. Look." She stuck out her bottom lip for Auriel's examination. "It hurts." She commented, still keeping her lip stuck out. Auriel watched as Aramir first drained the bottle and then stuck her lip out, grinning the whole time. "Oh no!" She said with mock surprise, she had noticed it earlier of course. "Here, i'll make it all better!" She went down from the bed to kneel next to Aramir and kissed the injured lip gently, enjoying every moment. Aramir had one confused moment to wonder how her roommate was going to make it better without medical supplies, before Auriel kissed her. She froze for half a moment, before she reacted on what she wanted, her carefully placed inhibitions and safeguards having been torn down by the alcohol. Her arms went around the Forest Elf's shoulders, and she kissed Auriel back, ignoring the last remaining bit of sanity in her head that warned where this was going to go. Breaking the kiss she stayed within a hairsbreadth of Auriel's face. "Still a good kisser?" She asked, giggling. Auriel smiled pleasantly as Aramir broke away fro a moment, and replied softly, saying simply "The best."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Before Aramir could protest that she didn't have the slightest clue on how to make bolts for the giant crossbow, a convienent excuse to avoid being left alone with Auriel, everyone had already left. The words died before they even left her lips and she sighed, turning towards the bolts that they had salvaged and looked them over. It looked to be fairlystraight forward. A long, straight stick, with a sharp metal head on it. The Snow Elf hoped Annabeth wasn't expecting metal points for all of the bolts, or that the bolts were of reasonable craftsmanship. Otherwise the human girl was going to be sorely disappointed by their efforts. She ran a hand through her hair once, before looking over her shoulder at Auriel. "Well, come on. Lets start searching for long enough sticks or branches. Unless you know of a quick and easy way to make ballista bolts?" She doubted it, but one could still hope. "Well they're just giant arrows right?" Auriel thought aloud. "Won't be too hard, every good wood elf girl can replace her arrows in a pinch." Auriel cast a quick glance around, partially to look at the kinds of trees in the area... and partially to see if anyone else was within earshot. "Not that I'm a good wood elf girl" She said, winking at Aramir. She looked around again, this time more seriously, for a suitably straight branch. It wouldn't matter if it was high up, she was an excellent climber, and her wood elven weapons were designed to allow easy wood cutting and shaping if necessary. It would be easy enough for her to cut a straight branch, whittle a point and then use her magic to harden it with heat. She had no idea about fletching though. There were a few plants with suitable leaves and easy to catch birds with suitable feathers back in Ghannos... But given that archery wasn't exactly one of her favourite passtimes, she had not had a chance to explore local alternatives. "Aramir... I'm going to climb some trees and get some straight branches. Can you figure out a way to fletch the bolts quickly?" She was fairly confident in the little elf, Aramir was a skilled archer and hunter used to a far more desolate hunting ground. Fortunately there was a suitable branch a little ways up in the nearest tree, and she lightly bounded over towards it. Looking back at Aramir for a moment, she cheekily said "Enjoy the view!" Before gracefully leaping up into the branches, twisting and turning through them with practiced ease. "I suppose that's one way to look at them." Aramir said uncertainly, before rolling her eyes at Auriel's words, a small smirk on her lips. She paused almost immediately afterwards, considering what she just did. It meant that she was getting used to Auriel's little quips and peculiarities. Which was a good thing. Or maybe it wasn't considering that whenever she got used to Auriel(with the help of alcohol) she ended up in...awkward situaions with the wood elf. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing.. The thought was in her head before she realized and she colored slightly, conflicting emotions swirling around inside of her. Thankfully, Auriel gave her something to focus on. She shook her head to clear it, before nodding. "I can make fletches quickly." Aramir blinked in surprise at the wood elf's gracefulness as she quickly ascended the tree. Auriel had always hinted at that, in the way she moved (in more ways than just walking, running and fighting), but Aramir had always assumed that the wood elf had never learned the skill, prefering instead to do what Aramir constantly saw her doing. Flirt with anything that looked vaguely male. She blushed a bright red and opened her mouth to retort, but Auriel was already gone, out of ear shot. Aramir grumbled something unkind in her native language under her breath. Then she set about gathering what materials she could find. In this forest, compared to the Frozen plains, there was a veritable gold mine of things she could use to make fletching. More than enough to allow for any mistakes she could make. In no time at all she had a pile of materials and was occasionally adding to it, waiting for Auriel to arrive with the shafts. Auriel leapt through the branches, reveling in the freedom of movement it gave her. She couldn't actually fly, but it certainly felt like it when she was mid leap, half way between two trees. Every now and then she would stop, whenever she found a branch straight and sturdy enough, take her axe, and hack at its base a few times, in just the right way to make a clean cut. The branches would fall to the ground, where she would remember their location. After the sixth branch was cut, she descended to the ground, slightly sad to do so, to begin collecting the branches. She remembered exactly where each one had fallen - and quickly made her way to them, gathering the long branches in her arms. Finding her way in a forest was second nature to her, a skill she learned as soon as she could walk. It did not take her long to arrive back to Aramir's spot, branches in arm. "The longest, straightest lengths in the forest!" She proudly announced, inwardly snickering at her word choice. Dumping them on the ground, she immediately began stripping off all the small protrusions with her knife, to make straight, true shafts. Aramir smirked as Auriel returned, proudly displaying her branches. "See? You can use your infatuation with shafts to be useful." She snickered, before pausing. "Oh gods...I've been spending too much time with you." She shook her head, running a hand over her face and through her hair. She grinned at Auriel, despite her words, as she sat down and began fletching their bolts. The Snow Elf was more relaxed than she had ever been before, in the comfortable and familiar environment of the wilderness with a variety of sounds all around, and the easy act of fletching. Granted, it was on a much larger scale. "You know, aside from the fact that we're hunting a giant bird that could easily rip us all to shreds, this is really nice. It could be a bit less warm..." Indeed, in the warm spring air a light sheen of sweat could be seen on the Snow Elf's skin, despite more than a year in the southern lands. "Its just right." Auriel said, sticking her tongue out at her smaller compatriot. "And you can never spend too much time with me..." She said, slightly straighter faced than she was expecting. She liked having people around true, but she liked having Aramir around just a little more. She couldn't entirely explain that. "And for the record, my infatuation with shafts has always been useful." She said with all her usual lack of seriousness. "So, what do we do now? Shout for the rest of them?" She said slightly doubtfully. "If there wasn't a giant bird looking for us, I'd have a few ideas for making this idyllic picnic even better...." Aramir snorted. "Just right is the temperature of our room. Cool, not blood boilingly hot like your lands that must be on fire all the time or as comfortably freezing as the temperatures of the Frozen Plains." She gave an exaggerated sigh. "I don't know why I couldn't have gotten a roommate who was as cold blooded as me." She blinked at the usually playful Auriel's more serious comment, a strange feeling squirming in her gut. Her mouth opened slightly but her mind remained blank. Say something, anything! "N-no, I-I can't...." She stammered out, remaining enough in control to not blush. Except for that... She mentally groaned. She gratefully seized upon the change in conversation. "Oh yes, if you count tiring out the local male population in a five mile radius 'useful'. I wonder how many accidents you've caused?" She teased, a slight smile on her lips. That disappeared at Auriel's suggestion. "Lets not shout. Just in case the Roc is listening, and wants to eat a couple of elves for dinner. They said they'd be back, so lets wait for them to return." Her hands were moving largely on auto pilot with the fletching, as the skill was practically second nature to her. Her eyebrow raised in genuine curiosity she asked, "And what ideas might those be?" "Oh you know... This and that..." Auriel finished whittling the point on another branch before willing it to heat up. She shut her eyes while focusing her magic, to reach just the right temperature to harden the wooden tip. "Hopefully this will be good enough to hurt the Roc..." She said before casting it down and walking around behind Aramir. She kneeled behind the smaller elf, and putting an arm around her to pull her close, brought her lips near Aramir's ear, whispering "Since we aren't shouting..." and then softening her voice even more to whisper further. Aramir's other eyebrow rose in disbelief at Auriel's vague answer. Something was up, she could feel it. Whatever it was would have to wait, as the Forest Elf hardened the tip of a branch. "Hopefully, we won't have to try to hurt the Roc at all. I don't relish the idea of trying to take on the Roc with nothing more than a ballista and a hope that the first shot kills it or wounds it enough that it can't come and get whomever is firing the ballista." She turned her head to follow Auriel as she walked behind her. "Where are you-" She began, only to abruptly shut her mouth as she felt the red haired Elf's breath in her ear. Aramir shivered, a strange nervousness making her heart beat faster. When she caught the rest of what Auriel whispered Aramir went from blue to bright red. "I-,you-,we-" She sputtered, unable to make a coherent response. Her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. She continued sputtering, trying to make a complete sentence. A grin spread across Auriel's face at the smaller elfs reaction, and no sooner had Aramir begun sputtering random words than Auriel fell backwards laughing, still clutching Aramir with her arm. Somehow, during the fall, Aramir twisted to land on top of her such that they were face to face. "You're so much fun." She said to the elf in between laughing. It still astounded her how red Aramir could get when she got really embarassed. Fortunately enough, Aramir was already as red as she could get, so Auriel likely couldn't tell that she was even more flustered by their current position. She was now certain that her heart was going to explode if it went much faster, and that Auriel could feel it. Still, she didn't make any motion to get up or move. She managed to retain some form of dignity, mock glaring at Auriel. "I'm so glad you enjoy robbing the ability of speech from me, and proving that Snow Elves have the wonderful ability to change from blue to red. Just let me know if I can be of service again!" She said with acidic sarcasm. "I know you enjoy it!" Auriel said indignantly, quickly kissing Aramir before she could respond. "So what now miss 'cant spend enough time with me?'" Auriel said, the mission far from her mind now. Aramir opened her mouth for a retort, only to be silenced with a kiss. She stared at Auriel for a moment, conflicting emotions and instincts clashing inside of her. She was pleased to notice that Auriel did hear and remember her stuttered statement, but that was pushed into the back of her mind. "Well..." She said softly, leaning down and brushing her lips against Auriel's own. Just then, instincts won out over emotions. The feeling that this was wrong, wrong, WRONG, flooded through her body. Female and Female couplings could not produce children. Without children the tribe would die out. Every tribe member had to do their part. Emotions meant nothing. She leapt off of Auriel and stumbled backwards, falling down and looking at the Forest Elf with wide eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, her hand half stretched towards Auriel, but froze. In fact, everything seemed frozen, unnaturally quiet. "You don't really know much about Snow Elves, do you?" A new voice spoke to Auriel, idly musing from behind her. When she looked it would be a man, whose face and build were similar to Althalus's. Only his eyes were a bright green, and his hair a dark brown. Auriel didn't quite know what had gotten into Aramir when she leapt away, with speed that would have been warranted had Auriel suddenly caught fire. Of course, the moment she heard a strange voice, she did much the same thing, leaping off the forest floor to her feet with extreme speed. Her axe and dagger found their way into her hands on the way up, and the glimmering steel was held between her and this mysterious stranger as soon as she was standing. "Who the hell are you!" She demanded. He looked a little like Althalus, but that didn't mean anything. She suspected him a brigand, out to take advantage of a few defenseless, or so he thought, young girls. The man spread his hands out to show he had no weapons. "I'm a friend. I want to help you." Auriel would feel a presence, far more powerful than Satori, brush her defences to the side. Fortunately, the mage didn't seem interested in more than her surface thoughts. "Yes, I do look like my brother, unfortunately. And no, I don't want to take advantage of the two of you. As I said, I want to help." The presence withdrew, a point having been made. He continued as if Auriel had given him permission. "You see, Snow Elves live in a very...harsh land. Almost as lethal as the Scorched Lands. Unfortunately, while they have adapted to it, they haven't adapted to the degree the Esyire's have. Life is still a struggle for the tribes that make up the majority of their race. As such, they've essentially hardwired themselves for survival, over the centuries. It's where her," Here the mage nodded towards Aramir, "bond with you comes from. It's also the reason why she just leapt off of you like you were on fire." "Snow Elves are hardwired for survival. And for the tribe to survive, that means there must be children. So, most notions of romance are thrown out the window. Certainly any notion of not breeding has been so instilled into them as vile that they physically revolt against it. And that's just what your little romance would do, if she went through with it. Now, granted, you are wearing down her barriers, bit by bit. The alcohol helps immensely, as you've seen. But there is no way you'll be sleeping with her sober in the next few years. No way without my help." He held up a ring, a small silver thing, for Auriel's inspection. "It does nothing more than lower her barriers. Make her more accepting of the notion of sleeping with you. Just give her the ring, say something emotional and believable, and she'll wear it. And this," He nodded towards Aramir's wide eyed, clearly conflicted, frozen face, "will never happen again." "And I'm supposed to trust you? Some random man, no matter how skilled a psycho you may be. You've got to be kidding me." Auriel glared at this man who would take her for a fool, taking a moment to think. "I think you should get the hell away from us mister Althalus' brother. I'm not taking your easy way out trinket. Go, on, look through my memory, I know you can. You'll see how much I love the hard way. I'll do this myself, and if it fails, I'll move on. Not like I cant satisfy my desires with any random man." Auriel was surprised somewhat with her own coherance, usually she was about as articulate as embarassed Aramir when it came to moral dilemas. She gave a quick twirl of her axe, though remained stationary, not exxactly confidant in the idea of driving this man off with violence. The man laughed. "You're not supposed to trust me. I would be disappointed if you did. I'm simply offering you a way to make things easier on yourself and her. Have you even considered what this is doing to her mental state? Imagine wanting something that your entire being revolted against. Imagine wanting it badly enough you'd risk whatever consequences came with it. Instinct would war with emotions. You'd be torn apart, slowly, if you kept pushing faster than you could take it and your barriers could be worn down." He placed the ring on the ground. "Have Satori look at it. She'll tell you two things. It'll only affect Snow Elves, and it'll lower inhibitions. If you decide to abandon it here, perhaps consider something when I leave. What does she want? Why is she reacting like this? Just a few thoughts." And then he was gone. Almost as soon as he left, things seemed to start back up. Aramir spoke in a shaky voice, "Auriel I'm sorry I just can't-" She paused, noticing Auriel's state. "Er, I hope I didn't offend you that badly." She gave a weak chuckle, clearly still shaken. "No its fine." Auriel said with the slightest hint of ice in her voice. This turn of events had severely dampened her mood. "I probably shouldn't have tried to seduce you in the middle of a forest while on a mission anyway." She said flatly, walking over to where the band of silver had dropped in the leaves. She looked down at it and spoke again. "You heard the man. What do you think? You can have it if you want... I guess." She sighed. It seemed like he was up to something with it, but Auriel certainly wouldn't stop Aramir from doing as she wished. "I wouldn't trust it though." Aramir opened her mouth, then closed it, hiding the hurt at Auriel's abrupt change of tone. Good job Aramir. Way to ruin whatever you had with her. She thought bitterly, picking herself up off the ground. She avoided looking at Auriel, twisting her braid around in her hands as she headed back towards the shafts. They still needed to be fletched, after all. She paused at Auriel's next statements. Slowly she turned around and looked at Auriel, confusion written across her face. "Auriel what, by all the Gods, are you talking about? What man? What do you mean by 'it'? All that happened was we were kissing and I...freaked out and leapt back. Then you had your axe and dagger in your hands, and now we're here." "You mean you didn't..." Auriel suddenly looked just as confused as Aramir. ""Um... so was that man my imagination?" She bent down and picked up the ring from amongst the leaves, stairing at it intently. "Well this is definitely real." She said. "Well a man snuck up on us and-" She stopped suddenly, mid sentence. If Aramir hadn't seen it at all... maybe it was best she didn't know? Auriel would need to think about that. She pocketed the ring for later. "And I'll... tell you about it later. When we get back." With that she put her weapons away and returned to the task at hand.

[Freeshooter92]

Alaira Taenn

Alaira was... confused, to say the least. Lyn had looked guilty about something, but that was all wrong. Alaira had almost... hurt her, and Lyn was acting like it was all her fault... "What?... No, no..." She said softly, climbing into the cart with her. Gently, she wrapped her arms around the girl, hugging her tight. "I-it's okay... you know A-aunty would never h-hurt you..." She said quietly, her eyes tearing up a bit. She herself wasn't so sure anymore...

Grey Onyx

Grey was seconds away from crushing the 'diplomat' when something particularly forceful stopped him. He snapped around, seeing it was Leith, and that gauntlet of his... He spoke, and... He was right. With a growl he lifts the man back to eye-level. "Say one more word, one more GODSDAMN word, and I will personally drive my boot through your head like it's an over-ripe watermelon! Understand?!" He wheeled around, Making sure the bastard could see Athalus. "And don't think I won't! This guy knows I keep my word!" He set him down, roughly pushing him. "Well?! what are you waiting for?! Run! RUN!"

[Ryonara]

Ssarak & Meirin

After a few moments of attempted healing from Meirin, it quickly became clear that the robed man was not going to awaken any time soon, but he was also still quite alive. In any case, as Meirin was searching through his belongings, Ssarak finally felt like he could breathe somewhat easy. Their enemies, whether they deserved it or not, were dead, incapacitated, or gone. Everyone was alive, and apart from perhaps Alaira, no one seemed to be seriously wounded. Though Ssarak was curious to see if there was anything noteworthy among the man's belongings, it was not what he was immediately concerned with. "Finally, it is over. Are you alright, Meirin? How bad is your wound?" He asked, pointing to the spot where the captain's blade had cut into her. "It's shallow. All I need is a clean bandage and it'll be fine." Meirin looked at the cut on her arm as she could slowly feel the string coming back. She didn't admit it but it hurts. Not so bad that she'd need to lay down or anything, but she would really like to get it patched up. But her current attire was too dirty and the robed man's was too wet. She'd get a clean cloth when she returns to the wagon. For now Meirin just gathered up all the things she found on the robed man, bound his hands, and put a bag over his head. She doubt this could stop him from using magic if he woke up but short of killing him Meirin didn't know how to make sure he couldn't keep using his Psychomancy. "What should we do with him Ssarak? He... I don't feel entirely comfortable leaving him here alive." Executing others wasn't something that Meirin liked to do, but she had done it before. Killing them when they would only live to cause more trouble, or would die a slow death, was something that Meirin had an unfortuante history of doing. She usually just leaves them concussed and let nature handle it, but since she healed the robed man's injuries he may be able to continue his treachery. Or worse, go after them for vengence. Ssarak stared at the man for a few moments in silence, his mind torn on what to do. Of all the guards, he was certainly the greatest threat, but at the same time, it had not been him that initially provoked violence. That fault ultimately laid with Alaira. He did not feel he could justify killing him when he might not have attacked otherwise. "I...do not know. He was a threat, and he did seem eager to fight, but Alaira was the one that started all of this, not him. We cannot take him with us, but...would it really be right to kill him? I fear there is no easy solution." Ssarak sighed, once more staring at the unconscious human. There were a few more moments of silence before Ssarak turned his head to Meirin. "You are sure you will be alright? The air is rather cool, and you are soaked." He commented with concern that seemed perhaps a bit excessive. Squeezing some of the moisture from her clothing Meirin just smiled at Ssarak. "Thank you for the concern, but I used to live in Djarkel, and worked in worse conditions. This certainly isn't comfortable, but I'll live. Anyways... We should make haste. The sooner we leave the better." Meirin casted one more wary glance at the robed man. Surely if they left him like this he'll become prey for whatever wild beast roams this part of Djarkel. Or perhaps ends up killed by a mad man, or eaten by demons. Meirin thought about these things to keep her hands clean in the event the robed man dies, but she found it even easier if she simply ignored it and moved on. Meirin was also carefully trying to dry out the journal. It was nearl soaked to the core and she figured that she could read it to figure out the man's motivation for trying to exort them. Aside from the usual greedy and corruption that plagues Djarkel's guardsmen. But as she looked into it she found one page that she could read. It mentioned ghouls, demons, and a lack of security on the roads. There were a few names on the page but none of them were familiar to Meirin. The only thing that she could gleam from the page was that they should get ready to fight some ghouls as well as demons. Meirin did also find a map however, and though she was initally confused about it she recognized some markings and could get a general idea of where the paths led. However she was unfamiliar with some of the routes, and would need a map in order to make sense of most of it.

Fifth time I had to bring new meat to this post. Too many ghouls, too many demons, not enough men. I have enough on my hands as it is. Lisette still hasn't allowed me the forces I need to deal with those Scarlet Traveler dolts and the Red Lions are in no mood for negotiations. I need to convince her that this petty operation isn't worth the crowns or blood I put into this. I swear, just one good haul and I'll look to the Sharptooth Legion. At least they can spare the time to see me face-to-face.

Journal Entry

Ssarak too looked over the journal and map as Meirin was examining them, but to have any real understanding of them would require local knowledge he did not have. The mention of demons did catch his eye, as demons were the entire reason they had been sent on this mission, but the organizations he mentioned were unfamiliar to him. Still, they could possiby find someone who could make sense of what they found. Once they had finished examining the documents, Ssarak reached down and picked up his hammer. "I suppose you are right, we should see if the others are in good enough condition to move. Perhaps we should just leave him here with the other guard that I believe Darius incapacitated. We could leave them with a way to free themselves then...let fate decide. They might survive, though...I cannot say if that is a good thing. These guards might be corrupt, they could cause more harm, but...we cannot know that. And I will not bring myself to their level. It might have been a mistake for me to ask you to save him, but I thank you for doing it.It means quite a lot to me. We should leave him with a note telling what we did for him." "No, no, the less we leave behind the better. The fact that he'll wake up alive is all the message he'll need from us. Not only that but if they're as corrupt as I really, really hope they're not, they might simply accuse us of being bandits for attacking them. We'll have to move fast since we're not exactly a bland group either." But just as Meirin was getting ready to leave she saw someone stirring from the ground. Meriin cursed under her breath as she realized it was the guard captain from before. She knew he wasn't dead but she didn't know he'd come to his senses so soon. Meirin didn't want to have to kill him, but if he was going to fight Meirin was going to have to put him down. "Ssarak, the captain is waking up. We need to deal with him somehow. Maybe we could convince him that this was just a mistake... At the very least we could try to knock him out again so he won't give chase." Meirin hated herself for saying that, but it was better to be safe than sorry. It would be bad enough that they'll be dealing with demons and ghouls on the road, she doesn't want to be chased around by a Baron's army on top of that. Ssarak nodded as he looked down at the blank expresson on the unconscious man's face. He hoped to perhaps give the man a sense of how close his actions brought him to death, but Meirin was probably right. The more they could distance themselves from this whole incident, the better. He was about to give another comment when Meirin noticed the guard captain starting to stir once more. Immediately, Ssarak gripped his hammer tightly and brought himself into a combat-ready stance. "Let us hurry and take charge of the situation before Alaira does. If we are lucky, there will be no more need for killing." As quickly as he could, Ssarak rushed away from the riverbank and back to the caravan, stopping at a safe distance from the captain. Being that he was a difficult individual to miss, he likely attracted the attention of the others in his sprint. The captain was obviously disoriented and appeared weak, but even so, Ssarak was ready for a fight if it became necessary. "Hold, do not reach for a weapon, do not make any sudden moves. This need not devolve into violence once more; we can all get on with our lives with no more bloodshed." Ssarak said, his voice firm and authoritative in tone. He was highly alert for any sign of aggrestion from the guard captain, but at the same time, he was also being careful to look out for Alaira. He was tired of her rash actions putting herself and everyone around her in danger. This time, unless the captain attacked first, he was going to make sure she did not so much as get close to him. Meirin didn't need to read Ssarak's mind to know that Ssarak wasn't concerned about the captain so much as Alaira. She was a factor in this mess, and Meirin wasn't going to let her end it as badly as she started it. While it looked like Meirin was just flanking the guard with Ssarak Meirin was also deliberately putting herself between the captain and Alaira, should she try to charge on over. Even with her back towards the wagon Meirin was ready for anything, be it the captain trying to fight them or Alaira coming in for a coup de grace.

[Death Count]

Gadd Skorne (CS) _{"The Little Bad Finger"} ---------------------

Darkness consumed the weary dwarf and the underground path that hugged him snugly. His trek left everything to the imagination of others. Not his. A shovel in his right hand, he saw everything clearly in front of him as he scooped them to the side: dirt clods, withered roots, bone fragments, and even a few abandoned, forgotten treasure pieces, coins, tools. None of these artefacts intrigued his interest, no more than a human might consider the droppings of a fly. Every now and then he would pause, his breath escorted by growls and grunts, and examine a stone or vein in the wall beside him. Nothing much on this trip to the oddly named 'Twilight College' had held any greed in his red, glowing eyes for more than a moment's glimpse. He could not seek wealth, as a man seeks it for profit or gain. His desire, so full of hatred, was of the mind; of magic; of learned surface things. It was all a great mystery ever since he had stormed a way up out of Ironstead's cobbled streets. He knew he was a mage, of the Geomantic blood school. His entire life had been hammered and forged for this purpose. So what would he come to hate there, at the college? The dwarf had been indifferent to the journey so far, for not much had dropped him into a river of adventure. Except for that blue, pointy-eared abomination. Gadd slowed to a halt, his left hand raking against the side of the wall for support. He could not remember where the snow elf had gone, yet It had seen fit to leave its belongings with him. Was this a surface softie's custom? The elf had not even paid the dwarf to keep his things; not that Gadd had explained the way Rhulic do things. You always pay someone to keep your things so your life was harder. He sighed with growling annoyance, perishing the thought (as well as the elf's well-being, whatever it was currently). A few hours passed, and Gadd checked his stone map. His right hand felt over it as his sight and touch worked to explain his approximate location. It was time to ascend, gradually. So his steps became slower, his pace taking in caution, as he neared the damned Surface. He had forgotten what time it was up there but down below, it was almost time for his second meal of the Awaked State. It had not been a pleasant week so far, having been chased by some kind of four-legger with twisted horns. Its bleats still tainted his memory, but it was not as bad as the tribe of two-legged squatters that tried to eat him. But he couldn't fit in their iron cauldron, which was surprisingly well made and interesting to look over. Throughout this entire time, he had been fairly indifferent to their incessant squabbling and arguing, if that was what they were doing. He did not know why they argued about his situation. They couldn't change it. Eventually he just killed all of them and ate some of their bedding before leaving. From the watchtowers of the Twilight College, to the southwest, a guard spied a cloud of dust kick up from the ground about 100 yards away. He did not think much of it, but his eyes watched as a hawk. Gadd mumbled as an insipid ray of light kissed his stony, white nose. Reaching up with his left hand, which was his arm-curse, black as onyx and silver-veined, he grasped the surface and pulled himself upwards, just so his hooded face could peer over the opening. Now what is this cold p'etch?! The curse hissed over his lips as he took in the literal twilight atmosphere of the dreary, colorless land. Gadd almost thought he was still seeing through his racial Dark-Sense, but it was not quite the same. There was no calmness to the senses. Still, he hated it. Eagerly. The land was easy on his sensitive eyes. With a new spring in his step, the dwarf propelled his 441 pound body onto the ground with a crushing impact, which rattled the dirt some more. His left hand had not relaxed its grip on the land, but now he raked it behind him, covering up the tunnel with a single calculated maneuver. For a moment, he stood there, his massive girth decorated with bits of dirt and pebbles that would fall away once he moved. He licked his left hand, getting a taste for the land. It was sorely bland, but a hint of bloodshed seemed present. Had there been a battle here recently? Gadd was not sure, as it was none of his business, only a simple curiosity that he was indifferent to, at best. He wasn't sure at this distance, but it looked like the watchtowers and the castle within its perimeter had been damaged somewhat. The guards, gathered now, took to a long-sight tool, taking in the hideous detail of the dwarven digger. They spoke not a word, working together in unison as they made preparations to greet him. For a good 10 minutes, they watched Gadd impassively as he came closer to the massive gates. Their orders from Lucilia were simple: an unusual dwarf with a large travel pack, black arm, and red eyes would show up someday. Of course, Gadd did not know what to expect. So when he was escorted through the gates, he said nothing. Four guards surrounded him in a perimeter, but the dwarf almost ignored them, being indifferent to whatever they thought they were doing for him and those in charge of this hateful place. From underneath his hood, his dot-like red eyes took in as much detail as he could bother with. There was definitely something going on, vines of some sort and a destroyed office from the looks of it. Several softies passed him by, murmuring in Common, which Gadd was a smidgen past dabbling in. Gadd wasn't sure what they said, but he also didn't care. It was none of his business to hate. Finally, they made progress to the office door of Lucilia. They would have been there faster if Gadd's gait hadn't been so awkward and slow, and how he sometimes stopped to stare at some stone or wood work, and other signs of industry and skill. It was pitiful. A guard knocked on the oaken door. Gadd licked his lips and tucked his left arm behind his back, underneath his cloak and pack. His stomachs snored and growled with hunger.

[Fallenreaper]

Roc Mission

Eural had grown impatient. The would be hunters had left some time ago to attend to their to tasks and had left him with the wagon, horse and making camp for the moment which he didn't mind. The only problem was the fact the day was wasting away and they still were no closer to killing the Roc away, meaning more victims like the poor sap who carelessly was traveling to the College would become more likely. The eerie silence in the woods was starting to make him unease as his hand patted Samson along the nose, snout and flank causing the animal to nuzzle him slightly. It was a small comfort to the guide. The stallion's teeth nickered and chewed a bit at the tunic, seeking sugar cubes that Eural no longer had. “Git off, you had enough!” Eural gently snapped, a smirk played on his lips. Samson snorted indignity, his body made the wagon creak and the guide's eyes instinctively moved to check the oversize crossbow. It was impressive, even if he had a hard time imagining something like that could take down that large bird. When he finally noticed the group emerging into the campsite, he frowned and started to move Samson toward the direction where the Roc had been last spotted. “Look, we've wasted enough time getting your items and it's several hours past noon. We don't want to hunt a Roc at night. Right now, it's only a bit farther to where the nest is and unless you all want to be it's next meal, I suggest you all hurry.”

Lyn

Lyn looked up, her eyes brimmed with tears and her hands felt wet from the tears streaming down. She wanted to curl up into a ball as she thought about the pain she had caused. Her arms wrapped about her knees while she started downward, unable to look into Alaira's eyes and tried to understand what she had done wrong. Nothing came to mind. Still hating herself, she sniffed some then moved to the side enough to make room for her Aunt. The wagon creaked and squeaked, shifting slightly until the half elf settled in. Her words were soothing as Lyn leaned into Alaira's hug and feeling her strong arms hold her tightly. Lyn pulled away just enough to make a gesture the pair had worked out that meant pain then pointed from her self to Alaira. 'I hurted you though! I hurted you!' Her mind was saying the words, her body shaking slightly.

[Rtron]

The Mage Hunters

The diplomat had left quickly after Grey spouting a few more insults, curses and general dire prophecies as he left. The group used the final peace and quiet to regroup, rest, and recover. The Guide, surprisingly, was still alive and wandered around, looking for anything of use in the remnants of the village. Althalus used the time to patch up Mar while she was still unconscious and decidedly not trying to kill anyone. He was done long before she awoke, and wisely decided not to talk about what happened. Not yet at least. The guide returned from his wanderings with some food the villagers had stored that was unspoiled. Meats, vegetables, fruits, etc. With the help of the guide, Althalus started a small fire. "If whoever we hunt is in the woods watching, they can come out and get us. I for one, think we can all benefit from something cooked." When they had all relatively gathered, and those who wanted something to eat had taken it, Althalus broached the subject of what exactly to do. "So, we all know that the mages we're hunting are in the woods. And we all know we can't just go back to the College and say 'well, we captured one mage, and insulted a diplomat, but decided that going after the others in the woods would be too much of a problem.'. Not only would that ruin the College's relationship with whoever we're doing this for, the College would just send another group of mages. One they feel could properly deal with the situation. So. Does anyone have any ideas?"

[Freeshooter92]

Grey had been... quiet, since the fiasco with the diplomat. He hadn't really spoke, he just kept to himself, the only words coming out of his mouth being simple requests to look at everyone's gear. He made rather simple repairs to the various weapons and tools each of his compatriots had, given that he was the only smith among them. Everyone's gear was in order it seemed, which was good, seeing as he didn't have the tools to do extensive repairs. He had been present when Athalus went through everything they knew, sharpening his axe. He sighed, putting it down as he began to speak. "We don't know how powerful they are, or how many there are, or even if they have minions or bodyguards, or the like. We don't have the element of surprise, I'm far from stealthy, we probably don't have the numbers, some of us are not exactly made of iron, and Coco and Mar are wounded. The smart course of action would be to return home, and yet..." He sighed, looking up to the sky as he continued. "I can't stomach the thought of those marauders free to wreak havoc any longer than they already have... If we must fight, we need to prepare accordingly. Learn to work as a team." He said, looking to the others.