New Gods

[Marinan]

You are all in the city of Kaldos. On the island of the same name. A church, mage guild, and fortress are all before you. You can all go to the mage guild and buy items, the fortress and train, etcetera.

[dementedmongoose]

Phregg stood at the edge of Kaldos, looking through the strap at the city. So, this is Kaldos, he thought, chuckling to himself. Looking around, he decided his best bet to make some money would be in the fort.  Walking into the fort, he asked a person where he could find a sparring match. Arriving in the arena, he dropped a sack of [insert currency of the realm here] on the table, and threw back his hood. When a challenger finally arrived, and dropped a sack of [currency] on the table, Phregg lifted his hood back over his face and drew his longsword up to the ready.

"Spear and sword to final disarm?" Phregg asked, to which his opponent agreed. Noting that his challenger was trying to move very quietly so that Phregg, if he'd been without the strap, would have no idea where he was. Phregg pretended to be completely unawares as to his enemy's location, and almost afraid. When his opponent finally struck, a hard thrust with his spear, Phregg was more than ready, pivoting back and to the left, swinging his sword down on the spear, knocking the tip to the dirt. Spinning in, he jammed his right elbow into the guy's helmet, slamming it into the man's jaw. Using the moment, Phregg then spun around his enemy one more time, punching him in the back of the head, causing him to drop the spear.

Allowing his opponent the time to stagger to the weapons table to retrieve a broadsword, Phregg reached down to retrieve the spear and threw it full strength into a wooden post. Looking at Phregg, the challenger rocked on his heels for a moment, before asking "How... How do you do that?" Laughing, Phregg responded "it's a really long story." Hefting the broadsword, the opponent charged at Phregg, jumping over him at the last moment, leaving Phregg to wonder where his opponent had gone. As Phregg realized what happened, he felt a foot slam into the back of his knee with the force of an arrow. Dropping to his knees, Phregg jammed his longsword behind him, which was quickly countered by the broadsword being swung down, forcing him to twist his longsword forward. Crouching as low as he could, Phregg spun around, hoping to pull off a successful leg sweep. Unfortunately, yet another attack was blocked by that damned broadsword, this time in it being swung down into his robe, effectively pinning him down for the moment. The challenger pulled the sword out of the ground, flicking it across the back of Phregg's sword hand, who reflexively opened his hand.

"Damn, that was good." Phregg muttered as he regained his footing and went to get his spear. As he grabbed the spear, he heard a dull thunk, signifying that the longsword had just pierced a pillar. Grimacing, he spun around and charged, launching the spear at his opponent's head. The spear struck home, even having been deflected off the helmet, it was still enough to stagger the man. Running straight at him, Phregg feinted a jump, rolling between the other man's legs. Straightening out, Phregg punched the man in the back of the head once again, to less effect than before. Kicking him in the back of the knee, Phregg jumped onto the man's shoulders and used that as a jumping board to grab his spear. Pulling his feet together, Phregg landed full on the man's semi-exposed back. Spreading his legs out under the man's arms, Phregg pushed his spear to the man's neck. "Yield." The man let go of the sword and pulled his arm away.

Helping the man to his feet, Phregg went to the pillar where his longsword was embedded. Jerking it free, Phregg was hit in the back of the head with the hilt of the man's poorly thrown broadsword. Dropping the spear, Phregg turned, picked up the broadsword, and threw it to the man.

"Death." they said together, moments before charging one another. Dropping to the ground, Phregg slid at the man's right leg. The man shifted his run a step to the left, an anticipated move. Swinging his longsword in, Phregg used the man's own momentum to sever his leg. As the man fell, Phregg regained his footing and walked over to the man, writhing on the ground. Reaching down, Phregg removed the man's helmet. "You could've died a good death." Phregg said right before he swung his sword down, severing the man's head. Collecting several items of some monetary value, Phregg then placed them on the table, sliding the man's money over to his bid side.

[Selfish]

Si shifted from foot to foot, agonizing over whether to leave the little service early, so that she could sneak away to relieve herself, or stick it out and listen for her goddess to speak to her.

Aw, stones and rocks. The goddess would have to wait. Nature sure wasn`t going to.

Slipping away she carefully avoided Teasdale, who tended to trap her by guilt into idle chatter after their worship sessions. Not catching anyone`s gaze, she made it out of the church and safely away to the latrines.

There was never enough soapwort near the pits to grab an entire handful, so she strode a great distance away, listening to the sounds of metal on metal in the arena as she passed by.
Now that, that would be a place to visit after caring for her basic need - clean hands were always happier to own than dirty ones.
Scooping up a bucket and water as she moved away from the well in front of the fort, she found a patch of soapwort, still in purple flower, and started lathering it up. Squeaky clean, and refreshed, she threw the rest of the water to the bushes, gathered a couple of the specialized plants to reforest around the latrines again, and headed on back to the fort.
It wouldn`t do to remove a bucket and not replace it. Besides, some of the guards hanging around were...pleasant to look at, if not to touch.

It sounded like the battle was over, which was dissappointing. It was exciting to see the contestants battle and parry, dancing their macabre steps like the mating of scorpions. Scorpions -mmmMMmmmm- their flesh tasted so good after one roasted them. Just avoid the tails. She wondered if anyone else had found them to be as eatable as herself.

Bitches to capture, though, what with the stinging and the nipping and the fast reflexes. Them being the size of a foot, and quicker than the whimsical wind they were a challenge to bring down, but a delight to the tastebuds afterwards. Two of those suckers could edify a person from breakfast until the cooling of the day, if eaten with a little greenery.

Without even registering, she had passed by the battle area and was planting the little bits of greenery, still thinking of the last time scorpion hit her palate. She was able to heal the scar, but rocks and stones, it had hurt. The weren`t exactly the easiest to find, either, not in town, at any rate. She had considered, once; well, twice maybe... Oh, okay, whenever her mind wasn`t tied in to another subject, really, whether she should start raising the beasts in the sanctuary. The High Priestess would freak. She held all life as precious, and the idea of one of her practicioners would deliberately eat the flesh of another animal would be appalling. Vegetarianism was the name of the game for her sect, and only what you absolutely MUST eat to survive.

Which was why Si didn`t stick around town very much when a sudden attack of "meat craze" fell upon her. She wasn`t proud of her hunting, but when she needed to sink her teeth into something dead and roasted, she would pinch an animal from near the city. She had struck down all the small game in the years of her invocation, from the fuzzy running things to the flying animals to the scuttering beasts of the field. The grossest thing that she ever struck down with her sling was a slithering thing, with multiple propelling limbs, a hard beak and suckers on its leathery body. It had two eyes, and greenish blood, and was the most unpleasant thing she ever hoped to see in her entire life.

It had shlorped its way to the water on the beach when she first saw it, propelling itself with its limbs. And it had shown intelligence when she lay upon it, not knowing it had in its demise protected the rest of its species from her knife and sling and mouth forever.

Scorpions, though....she returned to her small cot in the sanctuary`s space to retrieve her array of slaying items. She would have to travel past the barracks again, to avoid the Priestess` gaze, and to pick up her small satchel by the city gates to start her hunting expidition.

[Marinan]

Powerful spells were being conjured, mighty enchantments woven, and incantations chanted in the Arcane Guild. Whatever they were doing sounded as if it were very important.

[Tarrin]

Darious felt the pull of magic, He was still a while off but the elements themselves told him of it's source, The Arcane Guild was upto something, Something powerful, Power was of use to Salamander, Provided ofcourse that he could gain access to it that was.

Putting the pull in the back of his mind he focused at the problem at hand, The pack of animals were getting closer their sharp white teeth glistening with saliva, They had been hunting Darious for the last few days now and he was growing tired of eluding them.

The pack leader snarled and jumped at Darious, It's insisors headed for his throat, "So it has come to this" Darious thought, He had hoped to prevent this fight but now he had no choice, His hand shot out and the Wolf leped, As it hit the ground, the throwing knife protruding from it's front leg, Then with a speed that belied it's size the claymore on his back slammed down dividing the wolf in two.

The rest of the pack too insane with hunger pressed their attack, Darious had no choice but to call forth an old friend to help.
Closing his eyes Salamander concentrated for a moment, Then pillars of fire erupted from the ground, not big pillars, But big enough to singe the attacking pack, Yelps of pain and surprise echoed off as the wolfs escaped their not so weakened prey.

"Thankyou my friend" Daroius said to the elemental, Then he started to dig a hole to lay the wolf he was forced to kill in.
A short time later Daroius was on his way again towards the power of the Arcane Guild's incantations.

[Heliomance]

Tanor left the gates of the Guild of Arcana and wandered through the city, heading for the Guild of Fighters. When he got there, he went straight down to the archery butts. While he was no archer, he still needed to work on his aim.
Standing two hundered paces from one of the targets, he closed his eyes and focused. A palpable aura of power gathered around him and the air seemed almost to crackle. It took on a greasy feel, and a fresh tang filled the air - the smell of magic. Tanor flung his arms forward and two shards of ice shot from his fingers to bury themselves just outside the bullseye. He sighed, and tried again. This time one shard hit in the bullseye, but the other landed three rings out, causing Tanor to curse in frustration. With an irritated wave of his hand, the ice shards melted.
The novice mage looked around. Seeing some throwing knives lying nearby, he picked one up. Turning back to the taget, he threw the knife awkwardly. And grinned as the blade sunk into the centre of the bullseye. He had experimented, using gusts of air to guide the knife to the target, and it had worked. Unfortunately it wouldn't work with the ice shards because he needed a few seconds to recover between acts of magic.
Focusing again, he raised his hand and pointed a finger at the target. A narrow beam of water shot from it at great speed ad hit the target. It was going so fast and was so thin that it bored a hole straight through. Grinning, he decided to try the most powerful of the elements. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, the air aound him became warmer. His eyes snapped open and his arm snapped out. A fireball soared from his fingers to splash against the target. A few seconds later, a pile of ash dropped to the floor where the target had been. Tanor swore for several minutes. He was going to have to pay the guild for the target now.
Tanor had power aplenty. In sheer potential, he was one of the most powerful in is year, maybe even the most powerful. But what he had in power, he lacked in control, and nothing could seem to teach him to restrain the amount of power he used, especially when playing with fire.

[Marinan]

Whatever was going on in the Arcane Order appeared as if it involved the entire Order. No one notices you as they incant. A single apprentice is left to survey new comers along with a large group of knights. "Please don't step any closer to the grounds."

[dementedmongoose]

Phregg wandered past Tanor, chuckling quietly. "I wager a sack of gold that I can hit that target." Phregg said, pulling back his hood, and patting his hand around in the air. "Provided you can gimme a throwin' knife."

[Selfish]

Finishing her cleanup, Si glanced first one way and then the other.

No human eyes upon her, she wondered again if her goddess was really the strict ogre the High Priestess claimed she was. Why, in the name that was all hard earth, would a god or goddess forbid the eating of meat. It was tasty, it built the body, and it was ... dare she say it - satisfying of hunger for HOURS at a time.

Her kill was one of those five legged furry things, the kind with the long ears. They seemed to come in a variety of shapes, but she preferred the hopping long eared ones to the flying long tailed ones.

Her ears strained to listen, for she was almost certain she had heard something. Picking up her sack of goodness again, and readying her sling, she strained her eyes towards the pathway. Her senses were always on the search, out here beyond the town`s pales. Her eyes would often play tricks on her, too. She could have sworn she had heard a footfall, and then another. Perhaps even a glimpse of a human form...a dark shadow seemed to move before her.

A frightened gasp later, and she was hiding behind a rather rough-skinned tree, praying that the birds would start singing again after her sudden movement.

[Heliomance]

Tanor grinned, handing Phregg a throwing knife. "Done," he said, readying his power for a burst of air.

[dementedmongoose]

Phregg took the knife. "Drop some coin." When the man had put his gold on the table, Phregg threw the knife, not even bothering to aim, knowing he wouldn't hit the target. As the knife flew, Phregg glanced out the corner of his eye, and saw the man's hands moving around, manipulating the knife in the air. "No fair." Phregg said as the knife glanced off the edge of the target. Grabbing the man by the neck of his tunic, he whipped his longsword out of the sheath and pressed it against the man's neck. "You used magic. How could anyone hit a target if you use ma... Did you hear that? It came from the Brotherhood. Damn Arcanites. Come on." Letting go of the man, Phregg quickly pocketed both sacks of gold and bolted for the headquarters of the Arcane Brotherhood. What are they doing in there? Phregg wondered as he stood outside the gates.

[Tarrin]

Darious stopped and kneeled down, The animal was dead and only just so,
His hand travelled to the dagger at his thigh as he scanned the area.

A breese whispered thru the area and he caught a scent from the trees to his right, "Hello, You can come out i mean you no harm" he called scanning the trees, He openly placed the dagger back in its sheath and turned him palms forward to show thwm empty, "I am not an enemy, I am just a traveller". Darious Stayed still in his current location not wishing to make any threatening movements at all.

[Selfish]

Si allowed one more breath, and then decided that this tall, majestic, leather coloured man was not going to be a threat to her.

Stepping out as if on tender feet she tucked her arms into the straps of her knapsack, and showed her own palms. It seemed reasonable enough, to announce her own openness to a potential ally.

She had not seen the likes of him before, she was certain.

"Warrior of body, Mage of the eyes", she would later describe him, and far older than his skin.
His whole demeanor was that of a stately prince.
"If he were such a noble man, he wouldn`t be out in the open and alone," she thought. No, if he were a nobleman it would be because the WORLD chose him out to be such.
He spoke Common with an inflection that was tickly in her ears. It was like the brush of a rough leaf against the cheek. Not unpleasant, just ... unusual.

His hair was wild, shorn closer to his skull than to the clouds, and black.
It stuck out at bizarre angles as if he had just wrestled with the whirlwind. The bits of him that peeked out of his clothing were shiny, and sculpted.
Her complete appraisal of him ended at his feet, which desperately needed to be reshod. He HAD been travelling, perhaps even for several turns of the moons. He might appreciate an uplift, even.

She stepped closer, and stopped a `diving distance`away. IF she had to make a quick run for it, she would fly through the trees in a zig zag, crazy way.
"If not an enemy, then an ally? Your shoes tell me some of your stories. If you have need, allow me to heal any wounds or other imperfections."
Si lowered her hands to her sides very carefully ensuring that they did NOT touch her dull grey, somewhat disorganized robes.

"If you want, you can tell me the details of their rough tales, over some food and water, even."
She quickly glanced down at her delicious kill. She wouldn`t mention it if he didn`t. She looked about, as if merely being watchful, and then back into his shiny, onyx eyes. There was an enchantment with this man. His soul and his body didn`t seem to match, and yet he seemed "whole".
"If not, then have you the currency of Kaldos? If you find yourself with no coin, the moneychangers Youton and Waeska are the more honest ones. I can point them out to you."

Gracious! It almost sounded like she was EAGER for his company. She hoped he could discern her friendliness, without choosing the coarser implications. If he needed healing, she was at the ready. If he wanted company to the city, she would be willing to wander back with him. If he wanted more information, she would give as she was able.

And although it pained her, if he didn`t want her interferences, ministrations, companionship or food, she would make her way back to the city alone, and sulk in her gardens.

(edit was to fix colour text, and spacing. thank you.)

[Tarrin]

Darious took the young girls form in, The most dazeling to him her hair and eyes, Her hair reminded him of the falmes of his homeland the fiery orange red that it contained reflected atop her head, Her eyes the strangest of colours, Green a color that he had not seen in any of the people he had met with before, Those eyes seamed to hold secrets, Secrets however that were not his to know.
The girl was short not even coming upto his shoulder However from the smells that eminated from her pack she was most likely a cook though on further inspection of her clothing she could also be one of the priests he had seen on his travels.

Darious Sat down and folded his legs infront of him, "The scatches are nothing, I will partake of your meal....If there is enough" Eating a meal with someone would usually give that person protection untill the following day, But here he was not sure but to turn down a meal was usually a bad thing food could get scarce.

"Tell me if this town of your's is close why would you come out here to eat?" He found this strange so the question arose.
Pulling his backpack free Darious took out some kindling and flint slowly so as not to startle his new found company.

[Selfish]

Si hoped that she pushed the sparkle of her eye away before he had caught it. She again put on a mask of neutral concern. The earth would swallow her up itself if she should tell a lie, but she was ashamed of the truth.

Verily, one could walk at a leisurely pace to the city before the meal be eaten, however there is more than enough. You *do* enjoy the taste of roasted flesh? I also have found some plants and roots that taste wonderful alongside."
She skirted around the building fire, jabbing at its borders and thinking of what next to say.
"It is pleasing to me to walk out an hour or two from the bustle of the city; every once in a while. I ... meditate, pray..."
"Find something, hunt it down, murder it, and consume its living-ness to fill my carnal hungers...." she finished inside her head, allowing the thought to make her smile.

Another, unbidden thought passed by her thinking, one that both surprised and frightened her. "He`s beautiful. Like thunder, which both terrifies as it fills you with awe. He`s like the sea; delightful to swim in, but mind its teeth."
The neutral mask of her training covered again, and she blanketed her demenor with blandness. The High Priestess was always gnawing at her, to get her heart and her head closer to the Goddess. Such a bore. She WAS pious, and DID believe in a Higher Power, but she wasn`t terribly sure that the whole belief system pointed at the Goddess.
Meh, as long as her powers would continue to flow through her, allowing her to bring forth healing, she was happy.

[Tarrin]

"Ah yes the hunt itself gives me the hunger for a meal" He could see that she didn't devulge all she was thinking but let it pass, His mind still wandering over the picture of her eyes, so strange yet inviting, pushing the thought away he watched her prepare the kill.

[Selfish]

Si did all that she needed to do; gathered the greens, found the underground roots that tasted so nice fried in the fat, and poured out a portion of clean water for the traveller.

Her brain was whistling with questions, like the wind through the evergreens. Where did he come from? How did he get so brown? How come his soul was so old, even though his body was young, and strong? Why did he make her happy, just standing beside him? How could he be so darned STILL? What did he do for a living?

"What name should I ascribe to you?" she asked abruptly. Keep your true name, if you want. I just want a name to go with your face.

Si watched him for any signs of rejection. She knew that for his name, or at least a name she could call him, he would want hers. That was politeness.

A butterfly, all orange, blue and white danced on the wind just behind him. The birds were all achirp, and the wind was licking the tips of all the boughs. Dappled sunlight kissed his form, and the smell of temptation came from the fire they had lit.

She wanted to run.

She wanted to sit there forever.

She wanted to touch this man.

She wanted to leave here and never return, spending the end of her days on the misty beach.

She waited... and waited... and waited for his response.

[Tarrin]

"My appologies, I am known as Darious" He looked at the young girl, she seamed to be relaxing more, Her demeanor becoming more favorable to him.
"And what would your name be?" He ventured the question back.
She was adding more roots and other plants he didn't recignise to the cooking, The aroma however was very agreeable to him.

[Selfish]

"Darry-Us? Da-RYE-Us?"the chit folded her tongue over the name.

Danger-man. Flame-man. Smoke-and-Mirrors-man. Mage-eyed-Mystic-man.

"Si."she pronounced it like "See". "It means, "IF" in an ancient language, and "Yes" in another ancient language. The High Priestess says that BOTH those meanings come into play."she coloured briefly.

Bland as oatmeal, she would have to be, and as boring as the gentle pushing of shadows into shadows at the end of a day. But she liked the shadowy world of daydreams, when she should be purging her day before her goddess. Between the fire of the candle, dancing in small circles before the opened window and the shadows pressing in on the other side of her room, Si would often fall into trances of daydreams and magic.

Her magic was not truly hers; she depended on the goddess for her all and everything. She worshipped her Goddess, with all her heart, but not with all her head and self.

Satisfied that the thinly sliced and fried meal had been satisfactorily fixed up, she divvied it up and started wolfing hers down in silence. Pretty as he may be, he was NOT meat, and therefore came firmly in second place at this time.

[Tarrin]

"Well Sea, You cook well" Darious comended her as he finnished his last mouthfull, "Tell me what is the city called that is here?" He usually didn't care about the names of places as the people were what made them.

As he awaited a answer he grabed the dirty implements ahd washed them in a earthen sink that appeared and filled with water.
Looking up at Si he noted her expression at the water that had appeared,
"Don't worry a friend has lent me some water to clean out meal" To him it was like asking someone for some bread, The elementals were always with him though not many could see them.

[dementedmongoose]

"Bah, forget it." Phregg said as he wandered away from the gates. Wandering around the city for a moment, an unusual smell sliced deep into his nostrils right as he passed through a gate. Tangy. Sweet. Spicy. Burning log. Cooking something very unusual. All these thoughts rattled through his mind as he smelled the fading scent. Unsure what someone had decided to cook so close to the city, Phregg stalked out of the gate, sniffing around like a dog. As the cooking smells faded, the smell of the log burning grew stronger. Someone had finished their meal. Sniffing again, Phregg recommenced his hunt for this odd chef. Stowing his longsword under his cloak, Phregg moved as nonchalantly as he could, hoping to appear like nothing more than a blind traveller. As he got closer to the smell, he heard a voice, definitely male, say something about lending water. Quite sure that the man couldn't hear him yet, Phregg began whistling as he approached. Within thirty paces he knew the man could definitely hear him, and he could see the man. Stepping up his audio, Phregg wandered into the cooksite and "tripped" over a rock he "didn't see," Standing back up, Phregg dusted himself off and began "trying" to find his staff.

[Tarrin]

Salamander had already pulled Si away from the mans path and behind the relitive safety of his back, Then the man stumbled as he did so however the glint of his sword caught Darious' eye.

The man appeared blind, mabey he was, Mabey he wasnt anyone with a blade however was always met with trepidation.
Looking at the newcomer closer Darious caught little discrepancies, The armor although peicemeal was well used, Dinted and rusted as it was, the leather strap across the newcomers eyes was whole, No eye slits in it that Darious could make out.

Yes he decided the man was blind from sight, However his demeanor and scars showed that he was far from helpless,
"Hail sir, are you well?" Darious kept his tone calm and respectful yet kept his distance.

[dementedmongoose]

Phregg realized that the man knew something was up. Damn, he must've seen something. Deciding not to risk it, Phregg plopped down next to his staff, "realizing" it was there. "Can a weary traveller take a bowl of whatever it is you've cooking?"

[Selfish]

Her emotional center was touched deeply by the man`s distressed clothing and his humble reques., Si opened her sack o`goodness and pulled out an oiled cloth of cooling meat, a treat she was going to descend upon just before joining the city again.

It had been wrapped shortly before meeting with Darious, after being skewered with herbage and chopped tubers between. Si didn`t really want to share but she couldn`t stand to see one so forgot by society going without. Bringing the meaty skewers to this blind man, Si made a little more noise than necessary to let him know where she was at any time without taking away any dignity.
"Sir, it is not a bowl, nor is it as hot as it could be, however please partake of this good food to nourish your hunger."

The feeling that she had just served a hunter caressed over her, and she shuddered but a little. Nonsense. He was no more a hunter than she was...er, that would be better to say than she was SUPPOSED to be.

How could she sneak away from Darious and back to the Church`s abbey, without him seeing the High Priestess and mentioning that she succored both himself and this new man on roasted flesh?

I am the priestess Si, sir, and although one of the least of my sect, do welcome you to the City of Kaldos, or at least to the outskirts of it. May your stay be pleasant." A small splatter of blood on his armour caught her eye. "Do you have need of healing, sir? Has anyone accosted you in the recent past?"

[dementedmongoose]

Phregg gratefully accepted the food and tore into it with a voracity he didn't even know he possessed. Realizing he still had blood on his armor, Phregg thought quickly, speaking between bites. "Oh, I'm alright, just a little splatter when my travelling party was...Mmm, this is very good...accosted. I was...more than lucky to escape. I've been wandering for about an hour. I fell when they attacked, and had no choice but to play dead until they passed. I deeply appreciate your hospitality. I'm Phregg, by the way. And you, Ma'am?"

[Selfish]

Si`s eyes opened in horror for but a few moments, then she schooled them as close to normal as she could.

"My name is Si, sir." she tossed a throwaway glance at Darious, and then fixed again on Phregg. "Do you know which way you came from?"
Si scanned forward and back for signs of his former party, knowing that she would find nothing but stands of trees.
"When we get to Kaldos again, we can send a searching contingent to seek your companions, sir."

Si went to slowly and smoothly brushed his cheek, concentrating on "heal". Strong and vibrant signs whistled back at her. His energy felt ... clean. There was no drain of her energy, he was whole. Puzzlement filled her.
Usually when she came this close to someone hurting, they sucked at her healing chì like baby animals from their mothers.

"You fell - your pursuers did not stop to ensure your demise?" her voice faltered. Here was a man far more dangerous than she had ever encountered. Ever. She had given him her food, perhaps she wouldn`t die from the mistake.

She wanted nothing more than to strike off towards Kaldos, never to return to the woods. The High Priestess would be dissappointed that she had needed this external stimulus to stop her illicit hunting, no doubt.
The fact was, she had simply been scared meatless.

[Tarrin]

Darious wasn't sure but Phregg's story didn't ring of truth, Maybe he was just put on his defence, But he couldn't shake the feeling.

Deciding to put the story to the test he asked a friend for some help, "Morll my friend a test is needed can you lend me your strength" it was a whispered request, More like a prayer.

Feeling the elemental infuse him Darious willed the power to manifest,
The fire in the middle of the party spat and crackled, Two then three then four sparks jumped out and stopped infront of the blind man, The size of the sparks grew and they took the shape of lithe dancers, The newly formed cast pranced and danced in a circle unfolding a tale of woe and hope all in the same breath.

Watching Phregg and not the scene unfolding infront of them Darious hoped to get an idea of this mans true abilities.

[dementedmongoose]

Phregg saw the little dancing sparks and fought valiantly not to notice them, but his eyes were drawn toward them. Fighting even harder not to respond, Phregg couldn't help but chuckle. Deciding his game was up, Phregg jumped to his feet and drew his sword, kicking his staff into the air and catching it. "I thank you for the meal, ma'am, but I think that it's time a few questions were answered. First: who cooks a meal in the woods, when they probably know there's a city as big as Kaldos less than three miles away? Second: who meets said person? I won't be able to kill you both, since one of you is obviously skilled as a hunter, and the other seems fairly skilled with the elements. However, I can plant one of you on the ground and make the other fairly helpless. So, answers. Now."

[Selfish]

Darious was frightening. Phregg was Terrifying.

And Si had orange hair.

"Why do you threaten a Priestess and her companion with a sword, sire? It seems silly to me to think that *I* could possibly wish you harm, let alone cast a plan against you."
She glanced at the brown man, making sparks dance from the ground. Aww, stones and rocks, rocks and stones. If the men wanted to fight, fine. SHE wanted nothing to do with this display of wit and weaponry.

"I hardly think that you, with your muscle and might would be off-put by a pic-nic, sir. Besides...although your hands are rough, surely you have known of a woman`s tenderness and sensibilities. We prefer to be romanced away by nature from prying eyes and piercing speech. My heart is not so different from the wench that milks the beasts. The forest allows me to walk and worship in solitude. It was after I decided to make it a longer day that my friend found me here."

She carefully felt with her one foot behind her, not wanting to find anything but solid ground beneath her

[Tarrin]

With Si between him and Phregg Darious stayed where he was and smiled, Hearing the priestess unfurl her tail he decided to not show any agression at all, The sparks however danced into a position between Phregg and the rest of the group.

"Sir you come and interupt a meal for two, Obviously planing to decieve us for some neferious reason, Yet it is you who blame us of evil?" Darious stayed where he was hands in plain sight "Are your sensabilitys so warped as not to see what is before you? Even as blind as you are." Darious glanced Si stepping back trying to distance herself from the agressor in this meeting.

Standing slowly he went and embraced the young priestess moving her as he did slightly further from Phregg, He just hoped the priestess took his motives as honorable as they were intended.
As he enveloped her in his tanned arms her scent filled his nose and he had to consentrate to not relax.

[dementedmongoose]

"Perhaps. I must apologize. My life hasn't precluded me to displays of kindness. Again, I apologize. I didn't lie when I said my travelling companions were all killed. I've not eaten in just shy of three days. If you will allow me, I would like to apologize to you in a more useful manner." With that, Phregg dropped the staff and sheathed his sword. Pulling his robe back, Phregg removed two leather strings, each bearing a large cloth sigil on them and untied the strap around his eyes, exposing the empty, lidless sockets beneath. Lifting the first necklace, he produced a knife from under his armor. Cutting into his hand, Phregg clutched the sigil tightly, pushing blood into it. Pulling it free with a slight wince, Phregg repeated the process with the other, and held them out to the pair. "Hang one around your horse's neck, and no bandit clan will come near you. The sign means you've been forced out of your tribe because you have a blood plague. Wear the other around your neck and no one in your caravan will need to rest more than three hours a day at double march."

[Selfish]

Si wriggled a little, and allowed the closeness of Darious to cool. Phregg had cut himself; on their behalf.

No words. None needed.

As if the entire encounter had not played out before her as it did, Si stepped to Phregg, and accepted the sigil. She licked his palm with the back of her hands, allowing the kiss of flesh to heal him if he should allow her to.

Anyone who would bleed for another was above suspicion, to her.

[Heliomance]

Tanor ran back to the Arcanist's guild, using wind at his back to speed him. As he entered the gates, he misjudged the strength of the power he was using and accidentally sent himself sprawling with a too-hard gust. Picking himself up, he ran to the alchemy labs, the most likely source of the noise, to see what was going on.

[Selfish]

Si pulled back respectfully from Phregg; he obviously wanted to bleed. She calmly gathered her things, touched Darious on the shoulder, and pointed the way to the city.

"Phregg, you obviously have inner sight; would you like to follow both Darious and I, or lead to the city?"

After a few thinking moments, he picked his choice, and they walked through the forest, hearing the swaying of branches and the occasional bird singing its territory.
Kaldos swiftly pulled up into view; glorious and old, with hints of decay around the rougher parts. It was all she ever knew; that, and... oh no. She had forgotten to leave her sack of goodness in the forest, where questions would not surround it.
She looked at one of her companions, and then the other...could she nip out and replace it, or would she be able to trust either of them with her entire bag of worldly possessions for a night?

(occ., sorry to have moved you fellows; it has been a little while since either posted. If you choose, please `correct`my posting. :D)

[dementedmongoose]

Phregg followed along behind them, chuckling silently. Sniffing the air, he began laughing as he realized that you could smell the blood and meat on both of them. "Priestess, might I suggest you do something about the food smell? You smell more heavily of meat than I knew possible." Grinning ear-to-ear, Phregg slipped past the two of them as he sped up, hoping to give the priestess more privacy for whatever she may have to do to get rid of the smell.

[Heliomance]

Tanor ran through the doorway of the alchemy labs, worriedly noting the lack of door. He looked around at the blackened room. "What in the name of all the gods happened here?"
A figure stood up from behind an overturned bench. "Uh, hi, Tanor," he said. It was Jaril, one of Tanor's best friends. "Well, I may not have found the elixir yet, but I managed to make a pretty good explosive. You just have to mix phlogisticated air and sweet principle. Now I need to work out a way to stop it exploding if anything so much as jogs it." He grinned sheepishly. Tanor rolled his eyes.

[Selfish]

Burn!

She watched him scamper away, that Phregg man.

Without voice, without comment, without ice or fire, she bowed respectfully to Darious, and mutely ran back to the forest.

[Tarrin]

Darious smiled to himself, Clearly this lands people were strange in their ways, It would be better to stay on his guard while in the village ahead.

Watching Si flee into the woods Salamander turned and made his way in the same direction Phregg had headed, The pull of power from the tower was becomeing stronger and missing what that power was creating or calling would be a thorn in Darious' side.

The wind blew across his face kissing the hair around his ears for a moment, "Yes my dear i feel it too, We must findout what those fools are upto" With that Darious quickened his pace to a jog, The wind it seemed edged him on.

[dementedmongoose]

Phregg saw the man slip past at a jog. Speeding up, Phregg caught up to him. "Got somewhere important to go?"

[Tarrin]

Smiling at the jogging blind man beside him Darious answered "I just have a feeling that there's something i would like to see" with that he continued his jog.

The pull was getting even stronger, Soon what ever was going to happen would happen and he refused to miss it, With than he quickened his pace even more.
He would not miss this, No he wouldn't.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Moments later Darious stood outside the Tower, the humm of intonement reaching his ears, Not knowing the magic of these people he could not tell what what they were trying to achieve but the magic that eminated from within was unmistakeable.

"My dear" Darious whispered, THe breese embraced him it's gentel touch asking what he needed, "I would need your eyes for a moment, I need to know" With that he closed his eyes.
THe wind elemental moved inside and looked around, Darious could see the large circle of mages, Young, Old, Beginer and master alike were there, All calling forth something, All harnessing power none of them could possibly hope to control.

At the head of the circle was one wizard of power, Obviously the master of the tower, His power was great, Yet something was wrong with him, Something not of this layer of life had attached itself to him, Darious could sence it.
At that time the Master opened his eyes and looked directly at Darious, Pain shot thru the Elemental and darious fell to the ground screaming from the pain that had burrowed into his eyes.

Rolling on the ground Salamander could feel the Wind elemental return, She was greatly weakened and hurt, She had taken the brunt of the spell to save his life, Now they were both in pain, "Return home my dear, I shall be ok" he grimiced thru clenched teeth "I would be nothing if you were lost to me".

He felt her fade from him as she returned to her home plane,

[Selfish]

Wrath mingled with chagrin infected her soul like blue in cheese.

She was away from both men; good thing, too. Her heart wondered at her body`s interest in the ... maleness of both.
Her robe was the water; no underthings fettered her movements as she scrubbed her whole body in a punishing manner.

With abandon, she rubbed herself with a flat piece of pumice, exfoliating and dipilatating in one angry scrubbing.

Now hairless as a the barren rock itself, she plunged one last time in a coffin of water, airless and fluid. She rose back out of the saltwater pool, an eddy left over from the retreating tide. Stinging sanity grasped onto her, her wild red orange hair catching the breath of the wind. The salt was going to be hard to clear out of her hair; it would cake on, and stay until she brushed it out again.
The High Priestess often thought her afflicted, due to her salt baths, but it mattered not. She was of age to bathe where she wanted, eat what she wanted, and ... it was time for her to leave her shelter.

She had seen this happen before at the temple. A young one would get that wild electricity going through them, and leave for parts unknown. She had sworn it wasn`t going to happen to her.
She threw a rock at the cliff, water flying off her body in ordered droplets.
Crouching over her clothing, she ruthlessly beat it again and again with soapwort, wondering where she would strike out to.

One person attacking the world was foolish. Even she of the fire hair knew that her temper, wits or strength couldn`t keep her safe from the shadows of the land.
Her day was perfectly ruined.

She needed out. She had no place here - another rock whizzed and crackled against the cliff face. The High Priestess had squashed her long enough.
She pounded another rock into her outfit.

NO! This one wasn`t quite right either.

She threw rocks for another few minutes until she felt a little better.
She eventually gave up on the leather goods, and just wriggled into her adequate and fairly chaste slip. One more fire wasn`t going to get anyone into trouble.
A blaze was quickly forged and she piled on all her clothing, including the dull beigey grey robes which smouldered. Taking a sharpened knife, she shore off her hair to her shoulders, where it had once hung in glorious folds around her hips. Onto the fire it layered, giving off an evil smell.

Lifting her bag onto herself, she left the whole burning mess wait for the sea to lift and port it to its icy depths. Her childhood, her innocence, her sacrifice of that which was her before was offered to the sea, if he so wished to lap it into himself. It was hard to give up; it would be more difficult to keep.

She started off again to the city; it would be hard for her to get there without sandals but her hardened feet were used to travel. The sinews in her calves lifted and descended, showing through the dress.
With as much dignity as she had gathered along her journey, she entered into town an hour or two after scuttering away from Darious and Phregg`s company. It was late afternoon by this time, and with stern face she set herself to go to the temple. Perhaps she would meet her newly found acquaintances, and if she did, she would ask them if either could be had as a bodyguard or cohort.

[dementedmongoose]

Phregg had opted to wait outside the Hall, in case the man should be forced to beat a hasty retreat. As he waited calmly, Phregg began watching passers by. One in particular caught his...ahem...eye. The Priestess. But not the Priestess. She was more than a little different. Catching up to her, Phregg stalked quietly behind her for a few moments, hoping to catch a few tidbits of monologue that might explain the sudden change. When he was done trying to hear over the cacophony, Phregg sped up, walking beside her for a moment before he spoke. "Why the change?" he asked without looking at her.

[Selfish]

With both fire and ice in her voice, eyes and body language Si addressed Phregg.
"Was it not suggested that I needed one?" an eyebrow scratched the bangs on her forehead. She toned down the ice, and adjusted her sack to her shoulder. "Phregg... have you ever decided to maximize your life; to become the person you think you should be?"
She leaned up against a nearby post, and scratched one foot to the other, flaking off a little salt still grasping onto her ankle.

She looked off in the distance, towards the seaward line of Kaldos. "The High Priestess despairs of my ever being able to reach higher. But I can." The coldness all but gone now, she scratched the small of her back to the post. "I couldn`t get my clothes clean enough, so I burned them by the sea. My leather goods were completely wasted anyway, so really, it was a good thing. I am almost finished sewing up another cloak, because the last one was becoming threadbare. I just need to get some footwear."

And brush out my hair, and oil my back, and pray to the goddess that the Priestess doesn`t find out that I`ve consumed meat again and perhaps, perhaps, ask you if you are going to be a good bodyguard for me - but these thoughts she kept hidden under the hue of her eyes.

[Tarrin]

The pain started to subside from Darious' eyes, Whatever was behind the chanting was powerful indeed to have caused so much pain.
"Brothers hear me" Salamanders voice rose in volume "The power gathered here is not for the use of good" Of that he was sure, Four elementals gathered around him, Each still hidden from the vision not attuned to their natural forms.

"This may not pass, We must halt this before we are all in grave danger" The group of elementals gathered around Darious ready for battle.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inside the tower the chanting grew louder and the power grew even greater, Some of the apprenice wizards collapsed drained of power and exhausted.
The force that had taken over the master of this tower smiled, Soo it would be reborn and then it's power would be unleashed upon this world, It could sence that the portal was nearly ready.

Suddenly the Demon felt something, Power natural and violent, Sending ot a spell it could see the mortal crashing thru the tower, The man was accompanied by four elementals, Here was something that wasn't counted on Nether the less it woulden't matter, Waving it's hand magical barriers encased the room.
Now nothing would enter this area and soo he would be reborn.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Darious had dispatched the guards, They all lay sleeping now blissfully unaware of the battle being fought to gain entry to the summoning room.
The elementals had become visible each an elemnte fire, earth, water and steel, All battered on the barrier.
Releasing the sword from his back Darious swung the massive weapon at the magic preventing his entry, The blade glanced off and he swung again and again. Soon they would be thru but would it be soon enough?

[Marinan]

::A presence grew stronger where the adventurers stood. It was apparent not all was well.::

[dementedmongoose]

Phregg had little skill with sensing magic, so the presence was all but unnoticed to him. "Maximize my life... No. I never really had to 'maximize my life.' Then again, I suppose I've never been upset with the way my life is going. Except when I was wandering through the world without my eyes. Now, let's get on to something a little more important. Your companion from earlier is in the Hall of the Brotherhood, and I think he may need a priest soon, judging by the feeling I'm getting."

[Selfish]

Si felt goosepimples tickle across her arms, and down her back.

Tapping Phregg on his shoulder to ask him to join her, she first started to walk with purpose, and then started jogging towards the Mage Hall.
With every step, the sickness within her rose; with every pace the burden on her shoulders grew. She started praying in earnest to the goddess, requesting helps and aides in supplicant prayer. It was second nature to her, to glorify her goddess with words and duties - and to call upon her in times of grave need.

She prayed that Phregg would follow, the mysterious urging within her begged him to come with her.

She thought back but briefly to the fire now extinguished on the barren rock and the offering of her youth to the sea; the goddess was there, watching her cast off her childhood.
She didn`t even have the symbol of her order on her, the grey cloak that covered her and protected her from the elements.
She was a priestess still; just now liberated from the icons of her order; and in the freedom, exposed to the core.

If Darious needed her assistance, she would grant it. She lifted his name up to the goddess, along with Phregg. Words had meanings beyond what the eye could see; perhaps with her supplications the three of them could stand.

[Tarrin]

Elemental forces crackeled off the blade of Salamanders sword, Sweat rivleted down his back, The expenditure of both physical and magical energy starting to drain him.

Gathering his sword for one final blow he cleaved thru the barrier, Light and sound echoed thru the hall as the power of the barrier expanded outward.
Darious stepped into the Hall, Most of the wizards chanting didn't even aknowledge him, A few however rose and started casting at him.

Three daggers flew from his hands two reaching their targets the handel of them smashing the wizzards to the ground the third bounced off a mana shield, A fireball erupted from the third target It arced towards Darious, The heat reached Darious before the spell did, The heat licked at his face informing of the pain that would soon follow.


In the middle of the circle a small light started to form, It slowly started to enlarge, Soo the demon would have it's door and with that door it would have it's freedom.

[Heliomance]

Tanor and Jaril looked around sharply at the sudden surge of power.
"The summoning room. What are they doing?"
The two friends raced out of the alchemy labs and up the stairs, heading for the summoning room, gathering their power around them. They burst through the door of the room and took in the picture in one glance. Tanor quickly inspected the pentacle enclosing the demonic gate.
"It's Belshadrill! They're summoning Belshadrill! Why?"
He looked up at the master mage, opening his magical sight. Seeing that the man had been possessed, Tanor didn't hesitate. He pointed his hand at the opening portal, and power streamed from him. He began chanting, intoning the words of the ritual of banishment. Jaril looked uncertain for a moment, then joined him, adding his own power to the effort. Sweat began to pour down their faces, and the portal slowed its growth, but it stop or start to close. The two friends were not powerful enough to halt the ritual.

[Selfish]

Bursting into Mage Hall, Si followed a couple of young men to a spectacle written in insanity.
There was Darious; he had changed from the gentle man she had first met. She followed his eyes to this... aberration of space, time, and material. Light, sound, intelligence, madness all danced in streaks and swirls before her.

Nothing good was here.

Dumping the packsack to the wall, Si positioned herself just behind the chanting mages. She had no armour; she had no weapons save her knife and killstick.
All she had was her goddess, who was hearing her supplication right now. She was not sure what exactly was going on, but she didn`t like the lick of burning on Darious`face. Gentling up to him, so as not to disturb him, she brushed her hand against his clothes; the healing was taken from her; he would be well - for the moment.

Were those mages throwing spells at the three chanting against this... this horror in that star?
She was no match for a mage, let alone several of them. Her calling was to worship; the healing that flowed through her was secondary.

And, according to her sect, she was at the moment considered outstep until the evening.

A cooler head would fly back to the Temple/Church, but she had never been accused of having levelness within her. Besides, if she were called to this place and time, she was certain that other of the priestly order would appear shortly.

Hanging on hope for that one prayer answered, she focussed her attentions on trying to stay in the background, yet close by to fight that which needed to feel her short, sharp blade digging in.

[Tarrin]

A cool rush flowed across Darious' body as the healing energies knitted the damage apon him closed again.
The master was the one he needed to silence, his power was the hardest to take, The new alies were busy tring to halt the door, Darious didn't know their magic so he would try to stop the key to the lock itself.

Heaving his sword across the room thistime the blade of the great weapon skewered the casting mage killing him, His spell falling silent on his lips.
"Brother earth, This shall be your doing all will rest on you" Calling to the elemental their bond explaining all that both needed to know.

THe Earth elemental melded into the ground dissapearing from the battle, The three left however started to attack the possesed master wizard, Their attacks being orcestrated like a fine symphony, Each attack placed perfectly to distract their target from the real threat.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Evil eyes glimpsed thru the Door, Their hatered burning for one target the anoying Elementalist, Belshadrill cackled with a vile laugh and threw out a spell towards the enbattled Salamander.

Contortions of pain wracked thru Darious' body, Pain unlike any he had felt before caused him to screem in blood curdling agony.
His body failing him Darious fell to the floor, His muscles flexing so hard that it felt as tho they'd snap from the exertion placed on them.

"A little longer" was all that ran thru Darious' mind, He'd only need to hang on a little longer and with luck his brother would stop the pain.
Then he would sleep for a while or he would drift into the long sleep from which he wouldn't awaken.

[dementedmongoose]

Phregg slipped in quietly, and drew his sword. Finding himself at a loss for any coherent thought, Phregg simply charged. Jumping left, he circled around the others, and slammed his blade home, burying it deep into the mage's back. But something was wrong, very, very wrong. The blade didn't have any bite. It just sat there, no more than the tip cutting in, a slow stream of blood trickling far too slow for it to be dangerous.

[Marinan]

::A voice rang out through the Mage Shrine.::

"YOU are delaying the banishment of powerful enemies from the world. If you do not stop at once, I will be forced to intervene."

[Heliomance]

As the master mage died, Tanor and Jaril felt the resistance to their banishment decrease dramatically. The gate stopped growing, but they still couldn't close it and they were rapidly running out of power.

[dementedmongoose]

"Wow... I barely even dented him and he died... I've killed soldiers, traders, and even innocents in my lifetime, but that was by far the easiest thing I've ever done." That was all Phregg could even think to say as he examined the small amount of blood on the tip of his sword. Looking around, he wiped the blood off his sword. Noticing the gate, he first tried hitting it with his staff, doing nothing but dissolving the staff wherever it touched the gate. "Okay, that's ineffective."

[Heliomance]

The gate began to close ever so slowly, Tanor's and Jaril's power just enough to overcome the two remaing mages. They were beginning to feel the end of their reserves though, and wouldn't be able to carry on much longer. Tanor used his free hand to pull a dagger from his belt, and used it to slice open his palm. He hissed in pain, then felt his reserves replenish slightly from the power of blood.

[Selfish]

If only she knew where to strike... if only she knew what was going on.

There was action, the air was trampled by uncleanliness. The atmosphere was blackened even though no smoke was wafting about.
Phregg had launched himself at the middle of it all, and she didn`t know what to do.
Frozen in place, terrified, horrified, the poor priestess stood shorn and helpless.

She watched the young man draw blood from his hand, and that seemed to give him more glory to use. She wanted to scream out, but the words were trapped in her voice box.
What did she have to do? Where did she need to hit? Who did she need to help?

[Tarrin]

The two remaining mages were so engrosed by their chanting that they failed to notice their predicament untill it was too late.

The chanting stopped from both mages, the only part of them left visible above the ground was their heads, "It was done" thought Darious.
With a voice contorted in pain and sorrow he added "Thankyou my brothers" and with that he receeded into the darkness, his powers emptied and his body wrecked from battle.

The elementals now once again blind to the eyes of those not of the elements stood over Salamander their forms guarding their master and friend, The elemental of wind had returned and ensured that the breath of air continued within his body. The elementals were his family and as such they would protect him from harm in his state of injury.

[Selfish]

Pandemonium.

Insanity revealed.

Where there were men, there now lay two heads.

Si did a very logical thing. She turned aside to a wall, and emptied her stomach in a convenient pot. Wiping her face on the wall, first to one side and then to another, she turned and surveyed the scene.
Darious looked content, but thumped. The two...well, she wouldn`t look at those who had opposed them...and then she looked at the other two mages, enchanting with their whole being.
Leaving her mess for the moment, but ever mindful that she would have to care for it somehow, she brushed the back of her hand across the young mageling`s hand.
She felt the pull of power leave her, and willed him healed.

[Heliomance]

To his relief, Tanor felt the barrier begin to close again. Slowly, slowly it shrank, barring the demon access. Just as it was about to close entirely however, the demon sent a massive backlash of energy towardds them. The portal snapped shut, but Tanor and Jaril were hurled across the room. They collided with the wall, then fell to the ground, stunned.

[dementedmongoose]

Phregg had no clue what to do. His power was of the physical persuasion, but what was needed was arcane.

The Priestess had healing, the mages had their magicks, and the elementalist had his powers, but all Phregg had was heightened senses and combat skill.

Looking around, he realized that for a portal that powerful to still exist without chants, it'd need some magic item holding it open. An amethyst lay on the ground, directly under the center of the portal, with an emerald at either edge.

Sliding what was left of his staff under the portal, Phregg grabbed the amethyst and pulled it out from under the portal. Palming the gem, Phregg threw it full force at the portal.

[Selfish]

There was no noise when Phregg threw that gem, but the noiseless thunder rumbled non the less.
The very earth itself seemed to lose its consistancy and become like a hearty stew; bits of it more firm than others, but all swirling in a heated bowl.

The air, by comparison, became sharp, and cold, like shattered ice. When Phregg had launched the purple stone there had been a buzzing of electricity, and now it had become static. She had been caught under a water deluge in winter before; not even that had the sting of the air she breathed.

"You`ll damn us all, man!" she called at the warrior, her alarmed voice screeching in the meyham. It was higher than even she could imagine, this terrified call in an impossible situation. Was he picking up yet another rock?
She turned to her goddess with all her might; now, instead of begging, requesting, she was now commanding, demanding. Authority. She envisioned the portal now, not as a thing of evil in and of itself, but merely a gateway.

She placed her feet carefully on the ground, and quietly healed where she could; then nodded at Phregg. He was right; she had been wrong. He needed to do EXACTLY what came to his heart to do. She prayed that it would come quickly.

Looking at the two mages side by side, she breathed a prayer of sustainance upon them; they wouldn`t exactly glow with it, for it was not a fancy spell or wizardry. But they should feel ... more vital, more alive.
Using the same words with more feeling, she tapped at Darious, and then Phregg. Again, nothing to be seen with a prayer, but they nonetheless should be feeling the effects thereof.

If only she had her cloak; she would feel more protected.

[Heliomance]

Tanor stirred slightly, coming round as the priestess breathed her prayer over him. Turning his head, he examined his friend next to him. A trickle of blood was running down Jaril's forehead, and he was out cold still. Tanor tried to stand, succeeding on the third attempt. Feeling for his power, he found the barest trickle, not enough to light a candle. Looking at the people around him, he grinned wryly. "I'm all out," he said. "Used all my power trying to close that portal."

[dementedmongoose]

Phregg shrugged off the magic, never liking the stuff except when it gave him eyes. The portal was shut, but something was wrong about those gems. Flipping his grip on his staff, Phregg flipped the emeralds into the air with his staff and swung the staff like a bat, shattering one of the emeralds against the wall. Using a bit of sleight of hand he'd learned as a bandit, Phregg quickly caught and examined the other emerald, deemed it more valuable than dangerous, and pocketed it before the others noticed his actions.

[Tarrin]

Darious stirred, unfortunatly that was all he did, the power that had hit him was more than one of Si's lighter spells would heal, he had been drained of power and he slept as his abilities came back.

The noise and flow around him crept thru his darkness as he senced something, Not knowing what it was or able to do anything about it he sliped again into the warm dark embrace of nothingness.

[Selfish]

NO!

There were too many of them!

She flew to her dinnermate; touching him with healing...urging him to wake up, to get up, to run.
Glaring at Tanor, who was bleeding, she demanded the body of his friend beside Darious.

She would have to defend her gentle nature with him later - now was the time for her to revive, to bring animation to these who had fallen.

[dementedmongoose]

Phregg noticed the bleeding man, and kneeled down beside him. Untying the knot on his strap, Phregg wrapped it around the man's head and pulled a cloth bandage out of his pocket. As the man groaned back into consciousness, Phregg removed the strap, allowing the bleeding to start again, but it was stifled by the bandage. "You alright there? Nasty fall you took. Here, how many fingers am I holding up?" With the man responding correctly with only moments of hesitation, Phregg wrapped the strap back around his own eyes. "Don't move 'till the priestess checks you."

[Tarrin]

Salamanders eye opened to see Si's hnds apon him, her touch draining away the last of the fatigue from him.

Raising he looked around the room tring to focus on what the noise buzzing thru his ears was?

"Thank you Si" Darious turned to the woman who had heald him "Your skills are great and i am in your debt"
Looking across to the two mages he headed over to the first mage and helped him to his feet, mages being by some grace of the gods frail and light, Darious had no problem helping him up.

[Selfish]

Si knelt down, and watched the exchange. She had healed the other mage quickly, after hearing Phregg speak. In no way was she going to feel badly...about anything.

Her tears were just beneath her eyelids; she could smell the undigested meat nearby... she had made a mess of this whole thing.

What would happen if her goddess did not answer?

What would have come in throught that weird doorway to Fear?

Why was she sooooo cold, so shivery?

Where was her resolve of just an hour ago?

She wanted to go home. Home, but she couldn`t. She had already by the sea discharged herself from that place, it was now only a building of worship to her. The prioress would already know of her decision, of her ascension.

Her poor heart weeping, she started looking around for something to clean the spill up. She was on her own, now. She had but to gather her belongings, to move on, to find her meaning in this life.

It hurt.

Within her she could feel stirring in her the fears, the second guesses. Her brave face had crumbled, her naïveté explained clearly in innocent eyes. She had nothing, nothing at all to support her except her decision to walk away from her childhood, her upbringing.
None need know, though. Phregg might remember, but she would not count on that. He looked like he was already scanning for a suitable exit.

Darious must not know, either. If he suspected that she was as weakwilled as she was, he might slay her with his words.

Dangerous, this growing up...

"What was that, the whole thing?" she demanded suddenly, to the room gathered there. The mages were sorting themselves out, milling, discussing, and voices seemed to be raising. There seemed to be some sort of dissention amonst them. The dead lay there, with their eyes frozen in place. Their fallen bodies had been felled, and they had not been touched since.
She wanted to leave this room, this accursèd mage hall. She wanted to breathe fresh air again. Another person hurt. She allowed them to draw like sweet wine her lifeforce again. A good sleep should give it back.

Her biggest mistake was to walk over the head mage`s body. It grasped at her soul, dragging it down with it. She gave a gasp, and broke away. Evil was at work here.
"What has gone on here?" she demanded again, this time with a shrillness that could split milk into curdles and whey.

[Heliomance]

Tanor stood up shakily.
"They were trying to summon a demon," he said. "I think the master mage was posessed."
He looked around at the other mages. They looked somewhat shellshocked, and were far too busy arguing to be any use. He felt for his power and found it weak, but there. Looking behind him, he saw Jaril groaning, and blinking muzzily as he regained conciousness.
"We'd better try and take care of the bodies. Priestess, can you say the words to lay their souls to rest, then I'll cremate them." He closed his eyes and started to meditate, gathering his magic together.

[Selfish]

She lifted her hand to her hair, pushing the matted strands of auburn red away from her face. Possession. The young man claimed that they were probably possessed. That meant no resurrection on this side of the the veil of being.

She began the rites; alone, unremembered rites only whispered about among the general population.

[dementedmongoose]

Phregg always seemed to have a problem with adrenaline. After the fight was over, he'd get hit with the adrenaline, not when he needed it, and it seemed to be accompanied with severe irritability. Now that it was over, Phregg got extremely twitchy, and couldn't stop bouncing around the room, looking for lootables. After he bashed through the first chest he found without magical protection, he peered in, and his eyes widened so far that he felt they would fall out of his head. By the gods! he thought, looking at all that gold. Plucking up a coin, Phregg pulled it into the light. But as the light hit it, the coin dissolved into dust. Phregg fought for nearly a full minute, trying to get a coin to stick around. Swearing, Phregg turned the chest over. Lifting the now empty chest, Phregg dashed it against the wall in an uncharacteristic display of rage. Grabbing a nearby unprotected chest, he lifted it, and threw it as hard as he could, shattering it, and sending wood splinters everywhere, and the false gold inside promptly turned to dust.

Breathing heavily, Phregg centered himself, and looked around to examine the damage he'd done.

[Tarrin]

"The burning of these poor souls has already started" As he finnished his statement he nodded to the roof of the temple, there intense blue fire had started and was spreading fast.

"This place is corrupted as a whole now, and must be purified by the only way available" with that Darious carried the mage outside waiting for the rest to follow him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Darious where are you" the boy searching the fallen temple called for the fourth time "Father will be mad if he finds us here again".

"Aww camon Perine this is the best place to play, can't we stay a little longer?" came Darious' reply from the cavern infront of his brother.

Walking into the darkness a globe of fire appeared infront of Perine sending shadows across the vault lighting up his brother, "Okay but not for much longer we'll get in trouble",

The room now basked in light Darious could see the drawings on the wall and the urn on the far side, making his way to the urn Darious grabbed the piece and was bombarded by visions.

war, blood, death, torture and many other visions invaded his mind.
Perine watched his brother fall to the ground and start convulsing, racing across he tried to grab the urn from him and was assulted by those same visions.

It was at this time that a tall man clothed in furs of great beasts entered the room along with other hunters from the village, seeing the attack infront of him chief Kamutn brought down his staff apon the urn smashing it and freeing his sons from the deamons attack.

Later the two boys were told of the battle that ensued from the deamon being freed from the urn, their father had bannished the beast but not before the demon had mortaly wounded the chief.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Darious stood watching the flames devour more of the temple, lost in the past he said nothing.

[Heliomance]

((Did anyone remember to bring Jaril out?))
Tanor watched the flames consume the temple, gazing into the heart of the fire. Strange images danced in the flames, never staying long enough for him to see what they were. Remembering the dead mages, many of whom had been his friends, he threw back his head and keened in grief. It started to rain, as the rest of the mages hurridly exited the College Arcana itself, threatened as it was by the burning temple. The most senior mage still surviving came up to Tanor as he stood there, rain pouring down.
"Novice Tanor, you have assisted in the murder of our master mage and the destruction of our temple. If I knew more of the circumstances, I would have to execute you, but as it is I have no choice but to expel you from the college. Jaril is also expelled, if he has survived."
At this final blow, Tanor sank to his knees on the wet ground, feeling alone, hopeless and friendless.
"There is nothing for me here any longer," he murmured to himself.

[Selfish]

((I am still there with Si, so...not me. ^_^))

Si murmured but a few rites more, then glanced around.

Two mages expelled...for what?

She threw a shattered glance at them; hers had been a separation of hope and independance. She could scarce understand what it would be like to be spat out of the abbotry.
The rain was cold - bitter.

Darious. Phregg. Herself. These two.

A small, twisted cord of a thought whispered into her brain, "hey, that's enough for a party to conqueor the world".
She blushed at this, and with hands at her side, stood still under the downpour.

[dementedmongoose]

Before he left, Phregg placed a bronze coin in the mouth of the archmage. "Once a great inferno, the flame of your life has grown cold. Your line waits for you in paradise." With his prayer finished, Phregg ran from the hall.

When he was outside, he saw the others. Walking past them, Phregg called back over his shoulder "There's a tavern up the block, drinks on me."

[Tarrin]

The blue flame had engulfed the building now and Darious placed the mage on the ground for his brethrin to see to him.

approaching the mage who had spoken Darious adressed him,
"Wizened one, the yong mage before you did nothing but try to close a deamon portal, I was the one responsible for both the death of you master and the burining of your temple" Looking the man directly in the eyes Salamander droped to one knee " i am sorry for your loss on both accounts but nothing else could be done and i ask you to rethink your decision for these good men" Darious rose once more and turned from the mage before he could answer.

Looking at the young apprentace "If you are not reinstated then you are welcome to travel with me untill you find your path, I will be with the blind one for a while so you may meet me there" Striding away Darious stopped and looked back at Si, she had changed her look and something about her had changed.
She stood differently and seamed more in control though he could see conflict he could also see determination, Smiling e bowed to her "and ofcourse you are most welcome mylady of faith".

Darious then continued his travel to the place Phregg had pointed out, He needed food to replenish his strength, Phregg he decided was not a bad man just one who's outlook was much different than his own.

[Selfish]

((awwww....how nice. Si makes a permafriend. Like a tick to the vein she will be. lol))

Si shuddered the horror off, and turned to Darious who was speaking...
he would be with Phregg.
Invitations.
In vit ations.... to party with him. For FREE. She wouldn`t have to pay for the privilege to leave her nest, her home.

With these strong fellows about, she could live and be and have her being without being oppressed OR shirking her duties.
And with the fire quickly consuming the mage hall, she wouldn`t even have to clean up her mess.
Pitching her hastily gathered pack at Darious, she shouted a command to stand ground as she was to gather up the rest of her things.
It would not take long, as she was three quarters way there already.

No need to invite her twice.

Any one who ate with her was her friend. Foolish, foolish, foolish girl.
She hoped that her naivité would go unrewarded with its just desserts.

[Heliomance]

As Tanor watched the temple burn, he felt the last of his links to the college burn with it. He stood, and walked to Phregg and Darious.
"I will come with you," he said.

[dementedmongoose]

Phregg got to the tavern a good five minutes before the others. Just as he sat down in a corner booth with a watery mead and something in a hip flask, the others approached. Stifling a cough Phregg said "I see you decided to join me. The barmaid will be around soon, but if you're impatient, you can go up to the bar yourself." With that, Phregg took a long pull off his flask, and promptly began coughing until he turned colors. Shaking it off, Phregg straightened up, and drained the whole mead.

[Selfish]

With a call that she would be right back, the young priestess flung herself into a running towards the Abbot. She gathered her belongings, and made her hasty goodbyes to the High Priestess, who smiled at her independance.

"Long time have I sought this day, Si, but not to wash my hands of you. Rather, I am gladdened that you have finally found your pathway, your portal to the world. Look towards this place still in your time of need, and may the goddess keep you safe and prosperous."

Scampering out with her new robe, encloaked with high spirits, even though tempered with the experience earlier on that day, Si rushed out to meet her new companions. She knew that Phregg was in the bar; the others surely had joined them there.

She walked into the bar, looking for the now familiar faces of the new party. Where could they be? Ah - Phregg, the warrior all battered and hardened by his harsh life; he was sitting there, in the middle of iniquity, drinking something that seemed to have disagreed with him.
There was something about this place that reminded her of the lavatory; a dirtiness that was earthen, rather than vulgar. Here, she knew that she could be free to express herself without judgment from her fellows, here everyone was a peer.

Fingering a silver piece, she palmed it to her right hand, and wriggled up on the higher stool that the dangerous man had sat upon. She felt the rustle of her robes on her bare legs; a heady rush of excitement, of power. She would order her first drink. Ever.

Nodding towards her companion, Si attempted to seat correctly. The stool was high; very high for her to sit on it elegantly. She gentled the silver to the bar, and asked for a drink. The bartender blankly stared at the girl for a minute, then twisted his lips wryly.
"Aye, miss. I will get you something tender." he said as he moved away.

As the barkeep started to mix something sweet and youthful, she turned to Phregg. "Is it usual for them to laugh at their patrons first?" she asked solemnly, in all innocence.

[dementedmongoose]

OOC: Sorry for the quick post, but I had to beat the mob on this one.

IC: Phregg sniggered at that. "Usually, no. Here, this is how you order a drink." Digging in his pocket, Phregg retrieved a silver piece. Slamming it on the table, Phregg yelled at the keep. "Oi! Prick! Mead!" Handing her a new piece, Phregg motioned her to try.

[Tarrin]

Darious sat back in his seat watching Phregg attempt to corrupt the innocent Si, a smile crossed his lips yes this was what she must learn to survive in the world.

Anyone who had no knowledge of what happens in the real world would not last long and phregg was definately someone who could show her the more seedy side of the world, a light chuckle escaped Salamanders lips and he turned his head so as Si wouldnot see his mirth as anything more than amusment at the situation.

Darious was seated soas to see the tavern door, Door was too much to discribe the entry large piece of wood jammed on a spring would be a better hoice of words, he waited for the mage to enter and join their rapidly growing group.

[Selfish]

((mongoose, you are EVIL. LOL - and Tarrin, you`re no better. I have to rôle this now. :D))

Her eyes wide with the surprising force of his words, and the silver piece gritty under her hands, she turned again to her scuffed companion.

Within a moment, the frothy mead was sloshed in front of Phregg, and some slopped onto the bar surface. He was grinning at her, half in encouragement, half in... well, she couldn`t describe the merriment or twinkle that made up the other half.
Her own request had been placed before her, and the Keep smiled at Phregg.
"Prick, eh?" he laughed, "Mind what you be teaching her, man. She may not be able to fend off her own words!"
The Keep eyed her again, with the same bedevilment that Phregg had caught. "Aye, Miss. You can try it, but only in this bar ... for now. Hail me when you`re done that, Missy, and still thirsty." Then he drifted off to the other patrons.

Something afoul? But no! For her new companions would not be treating her with anything less than peerful respect. She took a sip from her tankyard, and coughed. Tender? No, this drink hailed from a hell not unlike a nightmare. It was fruity, with a bite. Like bad lemons, only with berries in it.
Placing the drink back on the table, the tea totaller stared desolately into its depths. Phregg had already finished his mead with a smile, and was sniggering.
Well. That settled it. She lifted the unholy water to her lips, and downed the whole damned thing at once.

In an airless environment one`s mind tends to grasp onto sanity by understanding that this is only a temporary condition. Her brain screamed as the hot and sour liquid hit her tummy, now emptied of meat. Without stopping, she chug a lugged the thing, crying out of both eyes.
She thumped the mug down, and as she had been instructed, wiped her mouth with her sleeve.

HOT HOT HOT - the thing burned all the way to the roots of her legs. It was like diving into water too deep and turbulent to swim, yet also... it was a numbing and pleasant feeling.

Again, with encouragement from the piecemeal warrior, and without any less encouragement from Darious, studying his own beverage nearby, she lifted the silver, and whapped it to the bar, and called out for another.

The bartender threw back his head, held onto his belly, and laughed.

"Priceless, man, priceless. If only I could keep this moment a million years!"

[Heliomance]

Tanor entered the bar and walked over to the others. Sitting on a stool, he flipped the barkeep a coin, ordering a mead for himself. While he waited for it to come, he pulled another coin from his pocket and began to play with it, flipping it from one hand to the other, catching it and making it disappear only to reappear in his other hand, even making it vanish in mid air and pulling it seemingly out of the bar's surface.

[dementedmongoose]

OOC: Ye gods! This is too great. Again, sorry for the speed posting, but I'm ready to burst with laugher.

IC: Phregg watched the girl slug back the drink. Gingerly lifting the stein she'd first drank from, he took a quick sniff, snorted, and roared with laughter. "WHISKEY!" Laughing hard enough that he had to hold onto the bar to stay on his stool, Phregg took another long pull from his hip-flask between gales of laughter, coughed until he did fall off the stool, and got back onto the stool, tears streaming down his face from laughing and coughing. "The keep's right, though. It's best not to call him 'prick' unless you're good with a knife, and better with a sword, and never call 'em pricks in bandit territory, unless you've got four other people better with swords than I am. Now, you only yell and slam for your first drink. After that, you just toss and tell. If you want more of what you've got, you tell him 'hit me again,' otherwise you tell him what you want." At that, Phregg tossed a new coin on the bar, told the keep to bring him half a flag of whiskey. Grabbing his hip flask, Phregg poured it into the flagon. A venomous green goo slowly dripped out into the flagon.

[Heliomance]

Tanordowned his mead and stared morosely into his mug; it hadn't really hit the spot. He flipped the barkeep another coin. "Strongest thing you've got."

[Selfish]

Si looked from Phregg, to Tanor.

Her stomach still burned with the agony of the first drink, and here was this mage asking for something hot and sour to comfort him.
The barkeep had given her her request; the amber liquid mocked her, spat in her eye.
She shoved it to Tanor. "The Keep said it was tender, but I find it anything but. I am more used to water than hellfire, however it has some charming properties. I pray sir, have a pull of it, if you wish."
She waited half in hope and half in dread; Phregg would not let her live this down, if she did not order at least *one* more...
"And Keep? Another, please."

Casting a glance at Darious, still nursing his own cup, she contemplated this new adventure. It was in a way more frightening than the possession in the mage guild; there was only death in the mage hall. Something warned her there was discomfort in this bar, if she stumbled but a little.
Phregg was chortling still with his repugnant brew from his flask, Tanor was staring at the tankyard, she was breathless at the bar.

The next moment felt like a series of days; the Barkeep brought her her new drink, and set THAT before her, too.

"Mage ...Tanor?" she asked softly, "Mug up, and hang the consequences, my lord mage."
Lifting the malevolent rim to her lips, she found the bottom of that container too, and exhaled sharply. Truly, truly, this stuff was death disguised as an innoculous drink. Her lungs cried aloud for air; her coughing was brief, but telling.
Her stomach screamed again; how dared she fill its emptiness with this boiling brew from the very soul of the mountains itself?
To say it bit and it burned all the way to her feet was not the case; she flushed all over, feeling the hearth being fed within her chest. Dear goddess! What had she done?
Her head reeled - there was no bar, no stool, no air, no sight, no mind.

It felt..... heavenly!

She felt all of her fierceness drain out of her body; her guard was away, the little veil of propriety dropped as petals on the beach. EVERYTHING was WONDERFUL... WUNDERFL... WUDDERTELL.

She stalked the barkeep with her eyes, and pounded another silver piece on the bar. "I kant make it dsssssssapre like the mage, but i KINSDa wanna nother, please, Keep. Just one more, tastes like fyr an piss an oooooooooo...thankee."
Her voice was shaking a little, as her head settled into a non thinking, just doing mode. Yes, this was nice. No reponsibilities for the moment, just another drink. The barkeep was looking at her oddly, then at her nearby acquaintances.
"She has never, ever had the firewater before, has she?" he was asking Phregg. "Shall I honour her request? Reveal your intents, sir. Is she safe for one more, or no?"
"Ima FINE!" Si announced, flouncing her red tresses, "Jus' FINE. One more won kill me, mehbee. Jus... one more. Is all."
She snuggled on her seat, perched high up by the bar, and waited for her next sip.

[dementedmongoose]

OOC: *Drops to his knees in prayer* Thank you, God. You do exist!

IC: Phregg had to fight back his comedic urges, but he managed it. Reaching into his pocket, Phregg pulled a round pocket flask, poured a thin yellow liquid into the priestess' glass, and told her to drink. In her drunken state, it was no challenge to convince her to. Downing the glass quickly, the priestess sobered rapidly. Coughing, she wheezed "What is that?"

"Straight virgin piss. It'll sober you faster than anything a priest, mage, or alchemist could ever make on purpose." Looking at her face, and the faces around, Phregg burst into a harder fit of laughter than he ever thought possible. "No, it's not really urine. It's something I picked up from my mentor back on the first night he caught me drinking. Dandelion milk, water, goat's blood, crushed beetles, and quicksilver. Not sure why it turns yellow, but, figure that out on your own."

[Heliomance]

Tanor downed his mug in one swallow, coughing slightly as the hard liquor coursed down his throat. He smiled at Phregg's tormenting of Si.
"I don't reckon that stuff's better than a mage could do," he said. "We can just do this."
He passed his hand over Phregg's tankard, and the distinctive smell of alcohol vanished from the brew, leaving little more than coloured water. He grinned impishly, the alcohol helping his good humour return slowly.

[Selfish]

Si was aghast.

Whatever the mixture was had hurt far more than the alchohol, and had damaged her pride too.
She silently bided her time, holding her head in her hands, ticking her head back and forth from the mage and the warrior.

Darious had been very silent, too. She did not know what the man was thinking. She almost did not care. Her stomach's turn of the day could only be straightened by food.
"Barkeep, " she cajoled, "May I have a plate of something warm to wash the taste from my mouth?"
With brilliant eyes, and resolve, the girl lent half an ear out to the discussions around and about her space.

[Tarrin]

Ignoring the 'fun' Phregg was having with Si, Darious’ eyes scanned the tavern, he watched as the smoke from both pipes and the log fire drifted upward, the small air elementals playing with it as it rose causing it to swirl into weird and wonderful patterns.

The buzz of people in the bar rose and fell punctuated now and again by laughter around the room, continuing his perusal Salamander noticed the odd person glancing in the group’s direction.

“You’re quite the news around this part traveler” the hooded figure sat down beside Darious and started talking.
“Why would that be?” Darious gave a sideways glance but was unable to ascertain who this stranger was, the voice was definitely male though his build was slight leaving no idea of his profession yet Darious’ hand slid down to his purse to check it was still attached.

The cowed figure noticed Salamanders movement and burst out with laughter,
“Believe me friend if had wanted your money I wouldn’t have sat down to talk to you, now would I?” the figure pushed back his hood revealing immaculate features.

Darious caught his breath a little, Salamander knew this man they had met once in his father’s presence.
“Lord Fairborne, it is once again a pleasure to meet you” Darious arose from his chair and then bowed as gracefully as any of the royal court.

The prince looked puzzled and his brow furrowed “We have met before then?” the prince was having a hard time placing the man in front of him.

“Once in my home land you visited my father in a trade pact” Darious rose and once again sat next to the youthful Fairborne.
A smile appeared on the lords face as his memory cam back, “AH of course young second born, now I remember.” The prince’s face shadowed again “I was sorry to hear of your father he was a great man”

The two figures continued to talk for the moment lost in the past events of their lives.

[dementedmongoose]

Phregg saw the man arrive and sit next to... Darious, was it? Yes, that was it. The moment the man revealed himself as a lord, Phregg flipped his hood up and leaned deep over his drink. When he'd finished his drink, Phregg hastily scrawled a note about where he was going, slid it over to Si, and slipped off to the privy and climbed out a window. Once outside, Phregg slipped off to the warrior's guild, where he could gain sanctuary if he needed it.

[Selfish]

Si, startled that the paper was thrust to her hand, accepted it, and tucked it into her palm
She watched the warrior pop off to the loo, and with nonchalance, peeped into the unfolded paper(?). Warrior`s guild. Fair enough.

Why?

What had changed?

Darious was now speaking with some man, and she and Tanor were at the bar, he with something hot and bitter, and she with her plate of food.

Quietly, she raised her eyebrow towards Tanor, and pointed at the other man, and asked with a shrug if he knew the person...

[Heliomance]

Tanorglanced sideways at the man. He looked familiar, somehow, but he didn't think he'd met him before. He whispered that under his breath, and conjured a small wind to take his words to Si's ear.

[Tarrin]

Finishing the conversation with the lord Darious turned to the others, "Where's our blind friend?" he asked,
"Oh well, It seams my friend here could have need for our services if you would welcome the coin and travel?" He scanned the faces of his new traveling companions waiting for their questions and answers.

"Oh and this is my friend Fairborne" Darious left out the lord part as he had been asked "we have been friends since back in my homelands".

A small breese blew softly on Salamanders neck causing a chill to run down his back, spinning his head around he scanned the room but was unable to place from where the danger was to come from.

Grabing Lord Fairborne by the arm he stoob up "we must leave something is not rite" he let his words drift to the other two also before ushering the lord out of the tavern.

[dementedmongoose]

At the guildhall, Phregg was examining a longspear that a travelling smithy had made. "It's only one-eighth the weight of a shortspear, but twice as powerful as a javelin when thrown. This thing will punch clean through three people wearing full plate, if you know how to throw it right. It's sold as a pair, along with its mate," the smithy explained. Twirling it in his hands, Phregg slung the spear into a double spear back sheath. Grabbing its mate, Phregg slung that into the sheath as well. Unbuckling his sword belt, Phregg tossed sheath and sword onto the counter, and began examining a pair of scimitars. "Ahh, great choice, sir. Now, the one on the left was crafted from solid steel, the blade and handle are a single piece. Perfectly balanced, as you can see. The one on the right, that's one of the best shield busters on the continent. The blade is an extra dense strain of silver, never needs sharpening, the handle is ironwood. You'll bust clean through anything shy of two inches of steel. Again, sold as a pair, along with double back or hip sheath." Grabbing the pair, Phregg slung another back sheath on, higher than the spears. After he'd slid the last sword in, Phregg began counting his gold to pay the debt. Finding himself short, Phregg pulled his boots and gauntlets off, throwing them on the counter to make up the difference. With that, Phregg decided to go back to the tavern and risk recognition.

As he approached the tavern, hood up and head bowed, Phregg spotted the elementalist ushering the lord out. Slipping into a shadow, Phregg hid until the pair was gone. Heading into the tavern, Phregg plopped back down next to Si. Hoping she'd not told the others, Phregg explained, "Damn privy's almost impossible to find. Nearly had to water the plants." Leaning slightly over to Si, he murmered just loud enough for her to hear "I'm not exactly the favorite of the lords and ladies of His Majesty's court."

[Selfish]

Si threw a little look towards the two gents leaving, and with pointed brow took a morsel to her lips,
With subtle movement, she included both mage and warrior to her body, to draw each to her so she could speak freely without physical proximity, but with an intimacy associated more with good friends than just-mets.

A whisper of a smile tickled the edge of her mouth, acknowledging Phregg's statement, and a flick of her hair let Tanor know that she appreciated his assistance.
She had made to herself two friends.

"Your thoughts, gentles, on what THAT was about, with Darious and this...Fairbourne?" she again played with the last of the bread and gravy on her plate, to draw a surprised face in the brown scraping there.
It was pointedly looking at the door, where the two had left.

[dementedmongoose]

Phregg looked at the surprised face in the gravy and couldn't suppress a grin. "Priestess, do you have any idea how often you confuse and surprise me? Anyway, that was Lord Fairborne, as I'm sure you've already guessed. Back in his heyday, he was an advocate of production in the rural areas, while urbanized cities were simply trade and repair centers. Before you even ask how I know so much about lords and politics, Fairborne tried to have my entire tribe wiped out, and it was one of his damned knights that plucked my eyes out. The son of a bitch, I'll never forget his face. Last thing I really saw."

[Tarrin]

Darious and Fairborne walked off to the haven the lord had setup for himself,
"So what do you need us for my friend" Daroius asked the lord
"My brother has gone missing" Fairborne whispered
"He was kept in containment for the last few months after the disaster of what he had done was found out" The lord looked sad at the news he was imparting on the youth.

"WHy was he in custody?" Salamander was vagely aware of the lords twin brother but had not heard of the evil deeds he had done.

"He has gone mad trying to summon demons and slaughtering whole tribes as sacrifices to these said demons" Fairborne's eyes wept slightly thinking of the cruel deeds his brother had done.
"What i need is for someone to locate him, so that we can aprehend him once again" looking into Darious' eyes, Fairbornes fairly screamed for help.

"I can't speek for my new comrades but i will do my best to find your brother." Darious looked back to the tavern "But you'll have to tell my companions of these transgresions, for i will not lie to them." seeing the Lord nod the two steped back into the tavern and aproached his new found companions to discuss the news.

[Selfish]

Si was horrified.

How could a man, any man, have that much power, and use it that callously?
She flushed furiously, and dragged her knife through her gravy face to deliver it harmful blotted scars.`
"His name then is a lie?" she asked in muted but sharp intonation.

Tanor had not stirred, he seemed to take renewed interest in his beverage.
She wanted to know more, to find out what sort of person could so easily tear a man`s eyes out of his face. She had within her the power to pull from death that which may still be salvaged, but she could not heal Phregg to sight.

Damned. This day had played her a fool, with her emotions raging from one end of the spectrum to the other. Flashing lava from her sparkling eyes, she attended to Phregg`s every word, giving hefty weight to each thing he said.
Why would the elementalist walk with such scum, then? Who was HE really?

With each question, the blade of self doubt twisted further into her guts, shredding her comfort, her trust and her self reliance.

To combat this newest tsunami of emotions, she called for the hot amber liquid that hugged her so closely before.

[Heliomance]

((Sorry, forgot about this RP! I'm back.))
Tanor grinned as Si asked for some more drink. "You really want some more of that sober-up brew?" he asked her.

[Selfish]

Si smiled at the mage, and flipped her hair back.

It was not nice of Phregg to do that without warning, but it was a good lesson.
She stretched at the bar, the day`s events coming to bear upon such tiny shoulders. She was getting tired. It was... almost bed time.

What did folk do when they did not actually have a place to stay, but were wanderers?

She hid a small yawn, and with tiny movements subtly tucked into the bar deeper and deeper until it had almost swallowed her whole.
Tanor would be able to drink more of that burning stuff; she would join but a little. The other two men were ...off somewhere.

Things seemed to be more complicated than previously thought.

[Tarrin]

OOC New thread started......