RPG Laeth E'Thae [PG-VL]

[DeathKnight]

[color=crimson]A harsh paranoia undermined Ensis' thoughts, and he couldn't calm his mind. Glancing at Elda, he felt better knowing that he wasn't as alienated as he felt. He grabbed her hand and held it tightly, smiling a bit.

"If nothing else eases your mind, that at least know how grateful I am that you came."

She smiled back at him, and the world outside of them seemed to phase out of focus. What he had said was the truth- dealing with all of this without anyone around would have been dreadful. Content, he settled back, trying to ignore his lingering questions, fears and concerns.[/color]

[terra]

[color=green]As Leile stepped forward to stare at the seeming millions of books in awe, Aissa still was examining Anubis' hand in hers and was rather testily reaching for something in her little herbal pouch.

Anubis tried to snatch his hand away, muttering, "Don't be foolish, child. This is no ordinary wound."

Aissa had some sort of death grip on his wrist, though, and he couldn't pull away. The glare she gave him matched the strength of her grip, and she said, "First of all, don't ever call me 'child' again. Secondly, of course it's no ordinary wound, but give me a chance. I [i]am[/i] a healer."

The blood was still running freely, and Aissa knew no ordinary cloth or human reaction could close the wound for several hours. She didn't want Anubis going light-headed or fainting; even mages weren't immune to the effects of blood loss. So she pulled another of her leaves out of her bag, pausing to press it to her lips and murmur something indistinguishable aloud before crushing it over Anubis' palm.

"What --" Anubis seemed slightly rattled at the reaction of the leaf dust on his hand. The tiny particles seemed to be getting absorbed, and it looked as if his blood was ... boiling ... It was a rather repulsive sight, Aissa had to admit, but she knew it wasn't causing him any pain.

As little bubbles frothed and popped, it took the blood with it, until Anubis' hand was clean again. Aissa waited for a moment to see if the bleeding would start up again, but it seemed to have done the trick.

"It might be a little sore, but at least now you'll be able to help us search instead of just standing there," Aissa said with a half scoff.

She realized she still had his hand in hers and dropped it abruptly, stepping off to stand by Leile without a further word to Anubis.[/color]

[Dagger]

The library's vaulted ceiling seemed more suited to a cathedral than to a place of learning, and its shelves stretched impossibly high. Leile felt a brief twinge of reassurance as she glimpsed the tall, spindly ladders that leaned gently against the walls of books, but her relief didn't last long. They could easily waste a lifetime in here. She didn't even want to think about what would happen if one of them got lost amongst the dark, labyrinthine shelves.

Anubis kindled a flame in the palm of his uninjured hand and flicked it casually into the musty air. It skittered over to Leile and floated a few feet above her head, following her every step. "Er, thanks," she said, mildly surprised. He silently inclined his head, and then did the same for Aissa before seating himself at one of the library's dust-coated study tables.

Aissa threw him a slightly reproachful glance, but he didn't appear to be in any mood to help. The mage watched them search, occasionally pointing out hard-to-see signs or rejecting a particular book. At least half an hour had passed before he finally spoke. "Still nothing?"

"Still nothing," Leile replied tartly. She was perched near the top of a rather rickety-looking ladder, peering gingerly at some moldy old manuscripts--all of which seemed to contain nothing more than dense descriptions of country's various kings and their legislative triumphs.

He stared intently at his staff, avoiding her gaze. "I suspect that the kind of information we're looking for might be.... hidden."

Aissa supressed her growing irritation. "Care to tell us where?"

"I hope you're as good a healer as you appear to be," Anubis said slowly. He touched the table, turned over his hand to reveal the dust that clung to his fingertips, and absent-mindedly blew it away.

Leile scrambled down her ladder, cringing as it creaked, and jogged over to join them. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Follow me if you want to know." Without giving either of them any time to protest, he led them to the library's darkest, farthest wall, one which had been painted with a now-fading mural. The human shapes that covered its surface might once have been pleasing to look at--now, after centuries of wear, they appeared more like warped and tortured demons. It hardly seemed to be a pleasant portent.

"Behind this lies the sealed room," the mage said quietly. "I'm fairly sure that any books pertaining to the curse will have been placed within it."

With those words, Aissa immediately began to grow wary. "Why didn't you tell us this earlier?"

Beneath the glow of his magical lights, Anubis's hair shone a brilliant silver. He turned toward her, eyes glittering, but his next question was clearly directed at Leile. "Do you truly wish to know about the curse?"

"Well, yes, but--"

"Then let's hope Aissa doesn't let me die," he snapped, and brushed his fingers gently against the peeling paint.

[Wondershot]

[i]"Oi! Aketa dui askase en lan Ma'Uriith nojo!"[/i] Kan barked to his crew, as they all scrambled to their appropriate places on deck. Kaze stepped out of his cabin at this announcement, and looked straight at Kan.
"That means we're about to land, mate." Kan said with a small grin to Kaze, who looked over the edge of the ship with some boredom. He wondered what his old house would look like now that the place had been wrecked. Probably the same as it's always been, Kaze thought bitterly as the rumbling of chains in the background drowned out the rest of his thoughts. As he stareted to turn back towards the deck, an oddly chilly wind struck his face, and he looked over the side of the deck. As he looked, an odd feeling of foreboding came over him, and he called out to Kan.
[i]"Durake! En kojin de use an arekedan!"[/i] Kan looked at Kaze with a mixture of disbelief and terror.
"What'd you say, mate?" Before Kaze could reply, an incredible bang rocked the ship, and more than a few people lost their balance. Kaze hit the ground hard, and a panicked voice yelled,
[i]"Arekedan!"[/i] People who were still standing rushed for the edge railing of the ship, those on the ground hid behind whatever they could find. Elda and Ensis looke around to see what was happening, when a flying Kan pushed them both behind a barrel.

Kaze got up and looked around, when suddenly, there was a flash of green light, and Kaze looked over to see a giant ethereal demon floating next to the ship. It made and odd low-pitched echoing noise, and Kaze summoned up his ethereal pistols, firing round after round into the side of what vaguely looked like the enemy's head. It seemed to have little effect, however, as the giant beast slammed into the side of the ship. Kaze didn't fall over from the collision as much as from the shock of seeing an ethereal monster make contact with the physical plane like that. Flames burst around the side of the ship, and the chains abruptly stopped as the ship began to glide far too fast towards the ground. Kan threw himself to the controls, trying to prevent the airship from capsizing, and just before the the ground rushed up to meet the ship, Kaze heard Kan yell something in his native tongue. Before he could identify it, however, there was an earth-shattering jolt ans the whole ship crashed into the rocky earth...

Kaze felt his eyelids hurt , so, with some difficulty, he managed to get up and open his eyes. What he saw he could not easily credit at first, so he turned around and saw a camp made just a little ways away, and Kan standing behind him.
"You okay?" Kan seemed more depressed than usual, and a strange tone in his voice told Kaze that Kan could care less if he was okay. He turned back and looked at the wrecked ship. The ultimate transport, gone. Kan began weeping quietly.
"I'll lose everything for this, this wasn't supposed to happen..." Kan said, voice quavering. Kaze velt a rush of guilt wash over him, he should have never come back, now more people were destroyed because of him. Kaze got up and looked at the back of Kan's head, trying to speak, but the words weren't there. Kan looked up, but his voice still rattled.
"Well, let's see how your friends are doing, eh?"

[Dagger]

I guess I couldn't resist the urge to post. ^_^;

[center]*****************************[/center]

Maia rolled over and stared dolefully at the ceiling. Night had fallen hours ago, interrupting the conversation that she'd been having with Shrai'i and Luthian. Although they'd spoken throughout dinner and beyond, none of them had been able to produce any brilliant ideas. It was easy enough to say, "Let's stop the curse," but...

Unused to sleeping in a real bed, she'd moved her blankets to the floor and curled up against the wood-planked wall. Shrai'i was breathing softly somewhere in the upper bunk. Though Maia suspected that the dancer wasn't yet asleep, she couldn't quite tell whether her slumber was feigned or real. Sighing, she tugged the hair-tie from her braid and let the long red waves fall loose, spilling over her back and shoulders.

[i]Maybe I ought to try getting some fresh air.[/i]

She wandered from their cabin, carefully closing the door behind her, and crossed her arms to ward off the evening chill. According to Serrac, they would reach port in less than half a day. The sea seemed so smooth and calm tonight, but who knew what disasters lay ahead?

[Arcadia]

[size=1]OOC: Dagger, I'm loathe to continue with Anubis and the ladies because I don't know if you had something particular planned or not... so I'll just post instead. :p
--

Maia hadn't been the only one unable to sleep that night. Luth was up much earlier, pacing along the deck, occasionally stopping to just stare out over the waters or up into the black, velvety expanse above them. Mostly, he thought about the night's discussions. About the curse, how to stop it, and the lack of any sort of real plan. It was unnerving and frustrating and Luthian wasn't used to just sitting idly by; he wanted to get up and do something. But it seemed like everytime they learned something new, it just set them back even more.

Eventually he grew tired of walking back and forth - it was too boring and his body definitely needed something more stimulating than that. He took a deep breath and stood still for a few seconds before stepping into a familiar sort of dance - the [i]Lith'Rii Urii[/i]. The combination of graceful, sweeping steps and the quick, slicing movements of the hands was oddly comforting to him. Maybe it was just the idea that not [i]everything[/i] had changed on him. Not yet, anyway.

A half an hour of movement went by before Luth finally stopped and took a deep breath, crossing his arms above his head. His tail swished leisurely behind him as his eyes scanned the dark horizon before him, ignoring the sweat that slowly dripped off him. He felt pretty damn good right then, although that thoughtful, silent moment was soon broken by another presence - Maia.

"What was all that?" She asked, seemingly appearing out of nowhere behind him. He blamed that on her stealthy thief skills.. that, and the fact that he seemed to zone out while going through that particular kata.

He grinned sheepishly, and wiped his forehead. "Eh.. the Dance of the Feather. You know, the one they perform during the winter celebrations? Been learning it for awhile." He shrugged and glanced back up at the sky, almost awkwardly. "Seemed like the thing to do, since I can't sleep."

She nodded, stepping towards the railing of the boat. "I know how that is."

Luth eyed her curiously for a minute, his arms draped over his head again, tail twitching back and forth. He wanted to know how much of the dance she'd seen, but instead he just opted for a mild compliment. "Your hair looks nice."[/size]

[Dagger]

[i]You were warned not to return.[/i]

The voice resounded in his mind, his bones, at once impossibly deep and bracingly clear. Once again, Anubis wondered whose spirit stood guard at this secret door. [i]Do what you will,[/i] he replied, carefully excising all traces of emotion from his thoughts. It was only as the spell rushed into his body that he reflected on whether the D'Ianii's curse, the university from which he had been banned so long ago, and the ghosts who had visited them earlier that night could possibly be related.

Aissa saw Anubis sag against the grotesquely painted wall, pale hair falling forward to conceal his lowered face. An instant later, she and Leile heard the sound of enormous gears slowly grinding somewhere in the darkness. The mural split down the center, its two halves sliding ponderously apart to reveal a large, octagonal room.

Dust billowed from the makeshift doorway, and the mage staggered inside. Struggling not to cough, the two women rushed after him. Aissa went white, torn between anger and anxiety; muttering furiously under her breath, she waved away the murky, parchment-scented clouds. Anubis had dragged himself to the nearest corner and now was slumped upon the floor, supported only by the spine of a dark shelf. Leile stepped over his fallen staff as she came into the chamber.

"What were you thinking?" Aissa hissed. The air here was filled with an incredible, seething power; magic so strong that she found it difficult to speak.

The mage looked up at her through heavy-lidded eyes. "I need your help," he whispered resignedly. "Look." He raised an arm, and she saw that his tattoos were streaming across the skin upon which they had been etched, flowing as swiftly as rushing water. "You have to keep the spells from breaking free."

Before she could reply, Anubis pointed at Leile, meeting her eyes with a ghost of his usual calm gaze. "Start searching. Those doors are set to close after an hour, and we don't wish to be here when they do."
[center]_____________________________________[/center]

Heh.... after all that commotion, I guess AAL are entitled to discover some kind of super-important information. ^_^;

[terra]

Cue awesomeness. That would be [strike]me[/strike] Aissa.
Hahaha, I crack myself up. Anybody? Anybody? Okay then.

By the way, I'm glad we have a team name. AAL aall the way!


[color=green]Leile stepped toward Anubis hesitantly, and Aissa cursed herself silently. For being frozen, for letting this other brave woman who knew she wouldn't be able to help move forward first.

"Go search," Aissa said sharply, though not unkindly. "Don't worry, I'll take care of him. And ... whatever you hear from over here ... don't stop searching until you find something."

Leile nodded, a little uncertain still, then started moving. In a moment she was out of Aissa's sight, and Aissa was kneeling next to Anubis, running her hands gently over his, more for both of their comfort than any actual healing benefit.

Yet.

"You'll be okay, it'll be fine," she crooned distractedly under her breath, the words coming to her automatically. It was an instinctive lullaby, one she'd murmured often to Arland as he grew up, as she had to tend his accidentally self-inflicted magical wounds. As the gentle hum escaped her throat, she was feeling his aura, the pain escaping from his hands and his soul, and trying to decide the course of action she needed to take. The spells were running, rushing to the edges of his fingers, fighting to escape. The only thing stopping them at the moment was their muted decision of which should escape first.

It was about to get a lot harder for them.

Aissa's murmurs turned louder, gained shape, forming more than just meaningless platitudes of comfort to move into words of the healer. In truth she still had no idea what to do, no herbs she could turn to, nothing in her bags that would provide a safety net, but Anubis' words echoed repeatedly in her mind: [i]let's hope Aissa doesn't let me die.[/i]

Instinctively, she sang in the language of the earth, no melody she'd ever heard before, no clear idea of what she was saying -- and she would never remember the words escaping. But she was singing of Arland, her brother, her life. She was singing of his strength, begging him to lend it to her now, singing of his power, asking that he hear her from over the ocean and through the dark barriers of haunted Ma'Uriith and come to her aid.

Oceans away, Arland heard her in an urgent wind that rustled through the trees. He went outside and fell on his hands and knees on the ground, feeling the richness of the earth and whispering to his sister in the same language.

Aissa's song turned from her brother to the earth, to the freshness of life that sprung from it every day, and she sang to the budding of new grass and the opening of a delicate [i]thi'im[/i], her favorite flower. To the ancient quality of life, older even than that quality of death. To unspoken laws, to boundaries that could not be crossed, even by the most powerful of demons.

When she opened her eyes and realized she was still singing, she could see the spells on Anubis' hands. They were concentrated there now, angry, still fighting each other, and from Anubis' leaned back head, she knew he was still in pain. But he was alive. He was fighting too, just as she was, in some darker, quieter way. Her way fought out of her body and escaped through her voice; his was mute, but just as powerful.

And then she recognized the spirit that had been guarding the door. She had somehow been impervious to it up until then, but now it rushed at her from all sides like four lions pouncing from each direction. And she screamed as Anubis' pain was transferred into her, directly from his hands to hers it seemed, but she couldn't be sure.

[i]The spirit was winning ... it would win ... it would win over them all ...[/i]

A tiny, energetic figure barrelled at her from the interior of the room, bowling her and Anubis over, disturbing their delicate balance. Aissa lay on the floor, eyes closed, completely unaware of where they were and wishing for nothing except death, forgetting the [i]thi'im[/i], forgetting everything.

But the spirit was gone. And in the back of her mind she heard the grinding of doors closing. She realized they must be free; somehow, an hour must have passed, their time in the room now over, the vindictive spirit once again presiding over his throne in loneliness.

"Did you find something?" Aissa croaked, unable to believe that was actually her voice. She did not open her eyes.

"Yes," Leile's voice drifted into the back of her mind.[/color]


I leave the "super-important information" to Arcadia ... nyah nyah.

[Arcadia]

[size=1]Leile was holding her head in her hands, trying to gain some sort of control over her breathing. Her heart was still fluttering madly in her chest, and her hands were cold and clammy. "Yes," she murmured a tad hoarsely, and then shuddered when she thought about how close they'd come to being locked in that awful room forever. Exhaling slowly, she sat back and glanced over her two companions before asking, "Are.. are you both okay?"

Aissa rolled over stiffly and coughed, then pushed herself to her knees. "..yeah. Nothing broken."

The black mage nodded once, but said nothing. That worried Leile slightly, but there wasn't much to be done there. She glanced over her shoulder, towards the book she'd brought out with them. When she'd fallen onto the hard marble, it skidded a few feet away, and sat there still. Crawling towards it, she sat back on her haunches as she flipped it open, carefully turning the pages until she came to the one she'd been looking for.

"Here," she tapped the page with her finger, "It's a map. D'Ianii Ilaen." She scooted closer to them, creating a sort of triangle as she sat, and then pushed the leather bound book in the middle. "Now we know how to get there. It's even got cities marked on it, different points named."

Aissa rubbed her forehead, trying to ward off the headache that was slowly beginning to form, then blinked her eyes open. "We're going to be taking another trip?"

Anubis glanced at her, a little spark of amusement in his eyes. "By boat, undoubtedly," he informed her coolly. "Not magic." After the little episode in the secret library, neither one of them would probably use their magic right away.

Slightly afraid that the two might start squabbling or something, Leile cleared her throat and started again. "Yes, well, there's more. I think this was used as some sort of journal or log book or something. It's got all sorts of information about the island," she said, her eyes scanning the pages slowly. After a moment they closed and Aissa leaned forward, raising an eyebrow.

"Leile?"

The girl just shook her head, causing her charms to sing out softly. "It keeps track of the attack on the island. Stats about people, weapons, deaths." Her eyes were on the pages again, squinting as she read the small, scripted handwriting. "It's awful."

Anubis passed a hand over his face. "What about the curse?"

Leile hesitated, glancing at him. "There's talk of power sources. They destroyed a lot of them, apparently. Someone from the island told them where they all were, how important they were, and how to effectively destroy everything. Most of the main attack points are these temples and that where the power was said to gather. All the notes about it are here."

"A traitor, maybe?" Aissa suggested.

Shrugging, Leile turned another old, stained page. "It doesn't really say, although I think maybe you're right. They keep calling her the 'Winged-One', so she must have been a D'Ianii."

"She?"

"Yeah. It was a woman who gave them all the information. She didn't attack with them, though - it specifically says here that the D'Ianii were surprised until the very end; they never found out." Leile sighed, frowning. "How horrible."

Anubis pulled the book towards him a bit, his eyes quickly moving across the pages. After a moment, he murmured, "We need to find these 'power sources'. If that's the sort of magic they used, then perhaps the curse stems from it."

"We could learn to counter it, then," Aissa added, nodding at the idea. "Maybe even use it against the curse."

Leile put her arms around her knees and leaned back, her eyes looking distant. "Then we just need to find a boat.." Her voice dropped off and she frowned, though didn't voice the rest of her thoughts. Easy as it sounded, Leile wasn't quite sure how the next part of their little adventure was going to pan out. How where they going to find a boat in Ma'Uriith?

[color=gray]Now, to let you all in on how some of this is going to unfold, all the groups are going to meet before anything else happens. There they can share what information they've all come across so far, have some tea and cakes or whatever, before setting out [i]together[/i] for D'Ianii Ilaen.

Also, if you guys ever read something and get confused, go ahead and ask about it. I've got just about everything planned out, so no worries. o_O;;[/color][/size]

[Wondershot]

Kaze stared off into the distance as the sun began to disappear behind thick clouds, giving the strangest sense of foreboding. Kan was off trying to see where everyone else had been thrown off to, and the group that was still alive was busy erecting a shelter underneath the wrecked ship. Kaze stared as the sun began to vanish behind the thick clouds, covering them half in shadow, as the plains before them seemed to glow with the remaining sunlight. Kaze began to have a strange feeling, as the sky seemed to be growing darker and darker, he could barely see anymore, and the howling wind seemed to be slowly dying again...

Kaze opened his eyes to see the strange grassy marsh stretched out before him, same withered old tree, and the small tingling of a bell somewhere in the distance. Kaze whirled and saw that strange winged figure standing before him, shaded and unrecognizable. Kaze stretched a hand forward, and the figure did the same, almost as a mirror of shadow. The small ringing of the bell shattered the almost perfect silence, and Kaze looked to his left to see another figure, also hidden in shadows. He reached a hand out and felt the person's arm, and the figure didn't stir. Kaze looked up into the darkness where the face should have been, and tried to picture someone clearly in his mind, someone that he could remember...someone...

"KAZE!"
Kaze jumped and nearly collided heads with Kan, who appeared to be hunched over him, eyes wide with fear. Kaze leapt to his feet and tasted blood in his mouth, coughing as though drowning, Kaze spat out a stream of blood, and gasped for air. Kan was breathing heavily, and looked up at Kaze once he stood upright.
"Are you okay, mate?" Kaze opened his eyes, and Kan was stunned at how brightly they were burning green this time, just like last time...
"I'm fine now, did you find anyone else?"
"Nope, no sign, hope they're okay..." Kan trailed off as he stared back to the wreckage of his ship, and the camp the people were building under it.
"Hey! HEY!" Kan creid out in a rage, running to those who were building the shelter.
"[i]Nodoki den arte en do mino! Ece ante tetran este oni en ereto en terega! Onte den ate kumo ente rukio![/i]" Kan's teammates looked ashamed for a moment, then nodded solemnly. All of the crew stepped out from under the wreckage, and those wandering around ran back to the wreckage and everyone formed a circle around it. They all lowered their heads down, and began a slow, almost groaning chant, which soon became louder and louder until it was almost deafening.

[i]indriyebhyah param mano
manasah sattvam uttamam
sattvad adhi mahan atma
mahato 'vyaktam uttamam[/i]

They repeated this verse a few times, then all bowed their heads slightly, and a few men's eyes filled with tears, but no sound was made. Kan turned around, and, head still facing the ground, walked away slowly, the other men did the same. After what seemed to be a long time, Kan looked up and walked back to Kaze.
"What was that?" Kaze asked, genuinely impressed. Kan cracked a weak smile.
"A lot of our countrymen died making that ship for us, mate, that was our way of paying them back for it, and respecting the blood that was spilt for us." Kaze nodded.
"I...understand, I used to do the same thing...once before." Kan smiled and patted Kaze lightly on the head. There was a loud scream from the other side of the ship, and a man came running from the back.
"[i]Kan! De okrona den ki ote den kui![/i]" Kan raced around the side of the wrecked ship and, descending down from the top of a hillside, was a strange deformed animal that looked somewhat like a dog, only as though it had been ripped up and stitched back together again. Kaze stepped forward, but Kan blocked in front of him.
"Scavengers, trying to look for some food..." Kan said slowly, more seriously than Kaze had ever heard from him before. Kan reached into a large bag slung over his shoulder, and pulled out a long chain. Very long, in fact, seemed to take up the whole bag. Eventually, it reached the end, and Kaze noted a large bottle-shaped black studded weight attached to the end, and the other end bore a spearhead with a small green snake engraved on one side.
"This thing's on my land, now." Kan said slowly, swinging the weight over his head, and digging the spear into the ground.
"It has to get by me, first."

[Dagger]

She self-consciously reached up to touch her hair, tucking a loose strand or two behind her ears. "Oh.... thanks," Maia said quietly. It was too dark to tell whether or not he'd made her blush, but she stared studiously out to sea, her eyes fixed on the sunrise just as firmly as they'd been fixed on him before.

"You must be giving up a lot," the girl added abruptly, glancing across the lonely deck. "I mean, I can probably make a living no matter where I go. It's not the same with other people."

Frowning, Luthian leaned back against the railing. An angry red-gold glow had begun to seep over the horizon, and he racked his mind for rhymes regarding red skies and sailors' warnings. Yet wherever he'd heard such proverbs, they were now lost amidst a swamp of other memories. "If we don't try to change things, who will?"

"I guess that's right," Maia answered. She raised a hand, trying to see land even with dawn's dimmest light. "Maybe I'm the one who doesn't want to be here."

"That's--" he began, perturbed, but the redhead cut him off.

"I know. We--the three of us--we're going to stop the curse together." She turned towards him, smiling ruefully. "Anyway, I'm glad you chose to come."
--------------------------------------------------------

Maia was enormously happy to have felt her nausea melt away, and behaved accordingly. Grinning, she jogged across the docks, waving a merry farewell to every ship she passed. They'd reached the shore quite quickly, disembarking well before the sun sank down to evening. Shrai'i, who seemed to have some familiarity with this port, guided the three of them to various stores for weapons, food and water.

At one point the redhead disappeared for several hours, returning only when she'd acquired enough gold to see them through the next few weeks. Luthian shook his head as he listened to her heavy pockets jangle. "Do we really need all that?"

"No," Maia admitted. "But I like to be prepared."

"Ma'Uriith is several days away," Shrai'i informed him. Despite all of the distractions that surrounded them--noisy crowds, incompetent pickpockets (who Maia loved to catch directly in the act), and a swarm of over-enthusiastic vendors--her silvery voice remained calm and clear. "Shall we leave now, or stay here for the night?"

[Arcadia]

[size=1][color=plum]I love how this thing won't die. I also appreciate that most of you keep coming back to it, and that no one's tried to kill me yet. For future references, however, I need to know who's still in this. Please PM me, or get a hold of me on AIM or something, and let me know where you stand. If I have to make changes, I want to make them now, while everybody's sort of regrouping.

On a similar note, if you know anybody who would like to get in on the action (even though we're pretty far along) or if those of you who just read this are interested, there [i]might[/i] be a possibility to join in. Might. I'm not making any promises, but if you're curious, have your people call my people.

Tori, Wondershot, Ken: I'm not quite sure where you guys are, heh. I think just outside of Ma'Uriith, but I [i]could[/i] be wrong. These things do happen. If you could finish up, though, and get into the city, that would be swell. The quicker we get everyone together, the quicker we can move on, lol.

Also, just a general note, if you guys want what's going on or what I have planned, just ask. [/color]


The one thing Leile just couldn't get used to about the city was that it was so dark. Ma'Uriith had never been like that when she'd been back only a year before. It was amazing how things could change so rapidly. From her spot on the crumbling rock wall, she could see over the market district. It wasn't a pretty sight, but nothing there really was. Just bulking, broken shadows where life and light used to be.

After the little episode with the library, the three had mutually agreed that they would not stay in the University any longer than they needed to. Leile, for one, had had enough of magic and spells for one day, and it seemed as though Anubis was still haunted by the place. They opted instead for their little hideaway in the palace, where they'd previously found the muffins and a bit of clean water. Aissa had said [i]why waste a good thing?,[/i] and Leile heartily agreed.

Now, as she perched carefully on the wall, Leile wondered about the city. If her old house was still intact. If anything of her old life was left at all. She'd gone strangely numb to the pain during the last few hours (or had it been days? She couldn't remember anymore), and now that it looked as though she might get some respite as they recovered from their ordeal, the sorrow washed over her again.

While she mourned quietly and privately, Anubis had rekindled their fire from before and was lost in his own thoughts. Whether his mind was on the new journey ahead or one made a long time ago, however, neither of the girls knew.

Aissa wasn't much different. She sat with the book, close to the fire so that she might scan through the old pages and, hopefully, find some more useful information about the power sources or anything else relatively significant about the D'Ianii.

They all thought it was a good idea to eat something, but none of them actually did.

Eventually, Leile wiped her eyes and returned to the fire, dropping in front of it tiredly. "When are we going to leave?"

"After we rest," the Black Mage replied after a moment, devoid of emotion. He focused more on the fire than anything else.

Aissa glanced up, but said nothing. Leile nodded absently, before curling into a ball a few feet away. As she drifted in and out of sleep, it occured to her that it would be her birthday soon. [i]Not a lot worth celebrating.[/i][/size]

[Wondershot]

Kaze looked on with some slight interest as Kan and the odd demon circled each other a few times, trying to size each other up, or so Kaze thought. Kan wrapped his massive chain around his wrists a few times, then unwrapped them again, almost as though it were a nervous habit. The demon dog then took a quick lunge forwsards, and Kan obliged by spinning around quickly once, and whipping the heavy weight into the dog's face. It yelped and growled, and Kan took a step back and whipped the chain the rest of the way around, this time, causing the sharp tip end to strike the demon in the side of the head. Kaze watched as blood, or what looked like it, began to flow out...

[i]A field full of fire, as the rain pounds relentlessly from the sky, and the flames show no sign of abating. A lone figure stands in the middle of the firey circle, a man holding what seems to be a large pipe with a handle. He turns to face the adversary...but there appears to be a bright red mark on the back of his right hand...

A ruined building...bodies litter the floors and tables all over, fine wines and alcohol are mixed with blood and vomit on the floor as the whole mess seeps down into the sewers. A lone figure stands in the doorway, a peculiar green symbol on his left arm...

A misty and clouded city street, where the buildings and streets seem totally lifeless, and the fog is so all-consuming that one cannot even see the sky. A solitary figure approaches from the mist, passing by in a massive cloak, with a mysterious blue emblem embroidered on the back of it's cloak...

A bright and seemingly endless desert, where the heat scorches all to nothing, and the powerful winds threaten travelers with huge sandstorms. A strange, lonely figure sits in the middle of this inferno, a large white mark etched onto the front of his jacket...[/i]

Kaze awoke from the dream just in time to see Kan run past, and the large demon dog in pursuit, relentless. Kaze jumped to his feet in a surprisingly agile response, and, almost like an automatic reflex, or more like his body was being guided, he whipped out his twin weapons and fired round after round with inhuman accuraccy right into the dog's head, wiping it out instantly. Bright green flames erupted from the body, and the all too familliar sensation of the mist left behind by a parting spirit attracted Kaze to the body. Whipping out his hand, he felt the mysterious heat of a new soul's power flowing into his body...
"Kaze!" Kan's voice snapped Kaze back to attention, and he spun around, weapons pointed at Kan's head. The ship's crew began muttering in their native tongue, and Kan lifted a hand, silencing them all. He walked up to Kaze, who'se weapons were still aimed at his forehead.
"Mate...It's alright now, it's gone, you can put those down now..." Kan said soothingly, putting an arm on Kaze's shoulder. Kaze twiched slightly, and then allowed the spiritual weapons to disintegrate. He folded his arms.
"It's never over...never over until their mortal souls go to Hell..." Kaze began, and Kan looked over at the crew.
"We should try and figure out what's happening to you, mate. The closer we get to Ma'Uriith, the more the...[i]aethera[/i] seems to be getting to you."
"Then we're wasting time, let's go." Kaze said descisively, heading in the direction of the ruined town in the distance. Kan saw no point in protest, and took a look at his crew.
"[i]Nodanke den ora, ante den ecovra[/i]. Find the others." Kan spoke quickly, and the crew nodded. Kan looked back in the direction of the rapidly departing Kaze, who seemed more and more inhumanely obsessed then ever...

[Arcadia]

[size=1]Luthian glanced at the two women as he finished sorting through his bag. He couldn't possibly think of anything else that they might need. Not that it would fit anyway. "I'd rather leave now. We had plenty of time to rest on the boat." That, and he was beginning to feel anxious. He didn't want to wait around any longer than he had to, and if Shrai'i was right about the length of the journey, then they couldn't really afford to wait, either.

Shrai'i gave a nod. "So be it. The easiest way out would be through the Southern Pass." The dancer looked pointedly at Maia then, dropping her voice an octave. "There is also a union there for various underground activities. Perhaps we can find a way to pick up some horses..?"

The way her voice trailed off like that made Luth feel a tad uncomfortable, but this wasn't the time for it. Maia nodded firmly; she looked as though she'd heard of the place Shrai'i spoke of, even if Luth hadn't.

"Yes," she agreed. "I'm sure something can be arranged."

Coughing slightly, his eyes averted elsewhere as his tail twitched up a storm, Luth asked them, "If you're done plotting, can we move forward?"

Both women smiled rather secretively at him, which didn't quite help his nerves. "Of course, Luth," Maia replied sweetly, tossing her thick braid over her shoulder with a sudden flair. Shrai'i smirked at his tail, before turning, silent. Luth didn't know which worried him more as the dancer led them through the crowds into the narrow streets of C'Erree and towards the the Southern Pass.

--
[color=plum][b]I've heard from only a couple people so far regarding my comments in my last post. Please make sure you PM me as soon as you can about that, as well as with any questions regarding Laeth E'Thae you might have. Swanky cool, old chaps.[/b][/color][/size]

[Wondershot]

OOC: One more effort at reincarnation...

Kaze stumbled clumsily along the dying grass towards the main city gate, as his head began pounding incessantly as though his brain were trying desperately to break from the prison of his skull. He staggered a few steps to the rright and collapsed to his knees, as a bread of sweat dropped from his forehead to the dead grass below, he felt his eyes begin to water, and blinked as he saw a drop of red blood, this time, expel from his eyes. Almost afraid to close his eyes, he stumbled to his feet and began again towards the looming gate, covered with fog. He stumbed a few steps farther before the pain became so extremee that he could not continue. He fell to the ground and tried to keep his eyes forced open, afraid of more visions. Slowly, he tried to crawl towards the city entrance, but a sharp, spasmic pain shot through his entire arm, and he tried desperately not to scream, as though something were keeping his from entering the gates. Out of options, he screwed his eyes shut, and his whole body tightened up, as though expecting another vision. THe threads of reality seemed to unwind around Kaze, as the pain became so overpowering that he tought his body would collapse into a bloody mess right outside the gate...

[i]I'm waiting.[/i]

Kaze opened his eyes at these words, and immediately felt like an enormous weight had been lifted from his body. His eyes stung, and his breaths were still quick and laboured, but his head was no longer throbbing, and the pain of being crushed under stone that wracked his muscles and joints not a moment ago seemed to dissipate. He got to his feet, as though expecting the pain to return, but, nothing. His body felt unusually light after being weighed down by such force, and he took lighter steps than usual in entering the city gate, tenatatively, as though expecting the pain to return. He felt his face was wet, and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. A large bloodstain adhered to his right glove, and he looked into a tiny puddle of muddy water, and saw an eerie green light shining inside his eyes. He looked at it curiously.
"Does this always happen when I have these...experiences?" Kaze said aloud, as though expecting some wayward soul to hear him speak. A small bell jingling caught his attention, and he whirled to look deeper into the ruined city, where the sound seemed to be coming from.
"No..." Kaze drew one of his ethereal weapons, but rather than pale green and misty, the pistol came out appearing crimson red, and looking more as though it were composed of flame.
"You give that back...It's mine...It belongs to me...Give it back...." Kazze muttered madly as he began to chase after the sound of the small bell in the distance. He began to fire shots in all directions, as though spirits everewhere were closing in on him, but he was trying to find the pesron with the bell.
"GIVE IT BACK! IT'S MINE! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TAKE IT FROM ME!" Kaze yelled att the top of his voice, and screamed as he fired more shots, trying to hit the source of the sound. The bell kept ringing, and Kaze roared and raced down the city streets, screaming:
"IT'S MINE! IT'S MINE!..."


Kan looked up at the wreckage of the ship as the sun continued to fall. Soon, it would be very dark, and they would not be able to get to the city at night, lest they be more vulnerable to the curse. Kan looked towards the city, enveloped by fog, as he thought he saw a red light emenating from it all of a sudden. A voice reached his ears.
"[i]KAN! Non avon ecovra ora! Non avon ecovra ora![/i]" The crew member yelled, as three others arrived from a little ways away. one of them was walking alongside Elda, who seemed only to be limping a little. Ensis, on the other hand, was a bit more shaken, as blood dripped slowly from his side, which he was holding with a grimace, as two other men helped him stand. Kan rushed over to them.
"Whoa! Are you all right, then? Is anything seriously injured?" Elda looked over at Ensis.
"He...he helped me get out alive, a piece of metal is still stuck inside him...please help!" Elda siad slowly, as though it pained her to talk. Kan's brow furrowed, as he looked up at the two men supporting Ensis.
"[i]Ora den ente itala, ente den hopite, ken ed hopite den ante![/i]" The two men nodded and carried Ensis off towards the ship. Kan looked at Elda.
"He's going to the doctor, he should be all right. How about you? Is your leg broken?"
"No, it's fine, just a little scratch." Elda said as she let herself fall to the ground, and sat down. Kan sat down next to her, as they both looked towards the great ruined city.
"...Just what do you think of our little friend?" Kan asked suddenly, and Elda looked at him, unsure what he was talking about. Kan looked at her.
"How did you find him?" Elda looked at the ground, unable to speak. She didn't want to remember it, but Kan's words bubbled up the memories inside her, as she pictured the dark Kaze, emerging from the lake.

[i]I...[/i]

"I...we...found him, in the lake near Fenwyr. He was...he..." Elda couldn't bring herself to continue, as she remembered the horrible sight of Kaze, bleeding profusely into the water and onto the beach, staggereing, eyes...so dead. Kan looked at he, and she looked up.
"He was...bleeding...and saying something."

[i]Am...[/i]

"What was he saying?" Elda looked down again, almost as though trying to supress the memory, and Kan looked up.
"Yeah, I know what you mean, our friend...He is a bit...dark...isn't he..." Kan looked up just in time to see another red light flash up from the ruined city. He wondered what was happening, when Elda looked up at him.
"I don't understand it, he said that he thought I said he was a monster. He...he doesn't understand kindness when he sees it!" Elda said, voice rising slightly.
"Yeah..." Kan replied. "I wonder what could have made him be like that..."

[i]Beyond...[/i]

"Well, he must have lived an awfully hard life if something like this happens to him." Kan continued. Elda looked at him in curiosity.
"How so?"
"Well, imagine. He's a little kid, not much older that 12 or 13, persay. so, from what I can tell, He's lived in Ma'Uriith his whole life, even after the curse hit, and now, he wanders around, no home. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have any parents, and from what I can tell, despite what he wants, he can't seem to die." Elda looked down.
"How sad..."
"More than sad, milady. His life must have been pure torture from birth." Kan continued, looking up at the ruined city.
"From what I can tell, anyone who'se had experiences like he's had, would surely be driven mad."

[i]Death...[/i]

Kan winced as a bright red light shone from the city gate, then ducked as the light streaked past his face and exploded in a fireball just past his head. Elda screamed in shock, and Kan looked back in the direction of the city, fairly certain he could hear someone yelling.
"What in the [i]aethera...[/i]"

Kaze stumbled and fell to his knees as the sound of the bell rung in his ears. He covered his ears as though they were exploding with sound, and the buildings all around him were littered with holes from spirit bullets. He collapsed and covered his ears, face in the ground.
"No...you can't take it...it's mine...it's mine..." He whispered madly as tears began to fall from his face. He felt the sound begin to recede, and he got up slowly, dusting his clothes off. His eyes shone with that familliar light once more, and he looked around at the buildings, riddled with holes. His gun changed from red to green again, and he allowed it to vaporize into the air as he began walking off, muttering to himself again.
"If you dare show yourself...I'll kill you..."

[terra]

[color=green]Aissa sat staring at the flickering fire, allowing her mind to blank entirely, hoping it might help zone out the pain. It wasn't an intense pain by any means, but her entire body still throbbed numbly now and again, something she had the feeling wouldn't be fading for quite some time. It took effort even to glance over at Leile, who was sleeping in a fetal position that Aissa found strangely compelling. The girl was so courageous that the sight of her in such an infantile position was touching.

Pulling her mind back from its quietude, Aissa stood, adjusting to the soreness the movement caused her. As empathetic as she usually was, she didn't even want to imagine how Anubis must feel at the moment, though he seemed much more accustomed to dealing with pain than she was. "I'll be right back," she said aloud, not even sure if Anubis was awake to hear her, and she slipped out into the corridors of the palace.

As she knelt on the ground she sensed a presence behind her and whirled to see a familiar tall silhouette.

"What are you doing out here," Anubis said, though his tone contained none of its usual high-brow edge.

"Looking for mugs," Aissa replied, and heard her own voice lacking the usual sharp defensiveness she usually reserved for Anubis.

There was a small exhaling from Anubis that might've been amusement. "None of us should be wandering around alone at the moment. What do you need mugs for?"

"Um, I wanted to make some tea," Aissa admitted, holding up the chipped mugs she'd found sheepishly.

Moments later they were back in the room with a still curled-up Leile, Aissa heating the water over the fire. She didn't know why tea had suddenly struck her as a good idea, as she wasn't even particularly thirsty; there was just such a calming effect to the drink, and she needed something to do.

"Leile seems impatient to go," Anubis said, as if picking up on her thoughts.

"I am, too," Aissa said honestly, crushing some herbs into two of the mugs she'd found. "If for no other reason, to get out here. But I'm in no condition to travel at the moment. Let alone find a boat in all of this."

"Perhaps a boat will find us," Anubis said.

"That would be convenient," Aissa agreed, "but not that many cruises I know make special trips out to abandoned islands these days, particularly not cursed ones." The water bubbled, and Aissa poured it into their mugs, offering one to Anubis. There was plenty of water for Leile as well, if she woke up.

Anubis took a sip tentatively. "This is actually very good."

Aissa ignored his word choice and nodded her thanks. "My brother and I developed this plant ourselves. Together we've got quite a marvelous herb garden."

"What other strange herbs have you got growing?"

Aissa laughed at the implication, choosing not to answer. In fact, Arland [i]had[/i] insisted that they grow a certain mind-altering substance that they'd enjoyed together once in a while ... but nobody needed to know about that. Besides, the herb had medicinal purposes, as well.

She inhaled the soothing aroma of the tea, trying to think of the best wording possible to ask about something she'd wanted to know for quite some time now. "Anubis ... what is your history with the university?"[/color]

[Arcadia]

[size=1]

Though the areas near the sea were quite open, inner C?Erree was small and almost cramped. It wasn?t, however, in any way an eye sore. Most of the buildings were older, designed in a fashion that had perhaps been popular long ago. Chipped and faded stones spoke of history, and only small, pebbled roads separated one block from the next. Archways decorated street after street, rising just above the tallest man but never above the smallest building. Creeping vines covered everything ? from walls to rooftops, windows, statues, even into the streets. They gave the otherwise cramped town a breath of fresh air. There were even a few squares within the walls of the city that sported small, secluded gardens. Crumbling fountains and statues often decorated the green spaces, but there was nothing more beautiful in them then the trees. They towered upwards, reaching above and beyond C?Erree with their leafy branches. A bard from Fenwyr who had been passing through to Feurith once wrote that those ancient trees must have only been planted by those who had designed the very city itself ? they spoke of a faded beauty, one that was sometimes forgotten but always there, longing for an escape. They were the enchantment within a city that lacked magic.

When Luthian looked on one such tree, he thought of home. How long had it been since he had seen the green pastures and unblemished horizons of Caedwyn? He sighed, scratching his head. Maybe after all of this was over, he would return home for a while. [i]Maybe.[/i]

They had been traveling for a little over a half an hour and, according to Shrai?i, were only another ten or so minutes from the union?s main headquarters. While Luth was having his own doubts about the place, Shrai?i seemed more and more sure with every step forward. He was beginning to think that perhaps she was a little more familiar with this port city than she had previously let on, but then again, he didn?t really know anything at all about his two traveling companions.

Well, at least they?re both good-looking, he thought to himself. He glanced briefly at the tree one last time before jogging to catch up with the other two ladies, a sudden smile on his lips. ?Let?s sing a song,? he suggested from behind them.

Maia glanced over her shoulder at him, raising an eyebrow. ?Are you serious??

Next to her, Shrai?i kept her eyes forward. ?Don?t encourage him. I?d like to have full use of my ears as we prepare to leave C?Erree.?

?Oh come on now, that?s not right,? the Tal?Iiren pouted, before flashing Maia a big, toothy grin. He began to whistle something light and cheery. She couldn?t place it at all, but he seemed to be enjoying himself, so she just shrugged and let it go. A few seconds later his impromtu whistling launched into a full out song and she and Shrai?i shared a glance. Perhaps what they hadn?t expected, however, was that Luth had a particularly musical voice. [i]Who?d a thought.[/i]


Most of C?Erree?s inhabitants referred to the Southern Pass as exactly that ? the Southern Pass. But the city?s inhabitants that knew the little gate square a little differently referred to it as Verr C?Erree, or [i]The Back Door[/i]. The Southern Pass was the place to stop in order to pick up provisions for the journey ahead in exchange for money; Verr C?Erree was the place to stop if you wanted to acquire [i]other[/i] things by other means. There were different ranks of people in Verr C?Erree, as in every other city, and just like in every other city, they were fairly easy to tell apart. The big scary ones were probably more harm than harmless, and the little skinny ones were more minion than actual crime lord. Luthian reminded himself not to make assumptions, however. It could very easily be the death of him here.

As it turned out, Shrai?i knew the area very, very well. Luth couldn?t decide if he should be impressed or concerned, but he eventually decided that neither would do. It would be better to just play it cool. They were, after all, surrounded by people who were [i]just like her[/i]. That was more than enough persuasion.

Having stopped his musical performance the moment he caught sight of the ?headquarters?, Luthian made sure to keep a sharp eye on his surroundings. Noting different stands that they might want to visit later, where the bars were, which ones provided bed and bath, and so on. After a long silence, Shrai?i paused under an archway and glanced at Luth. ?Maybe you should wait here.?

Indignant, tail twitching irritably, Luthian crossed his arms. ?Why?? He asked, stubborn. ?I don?t see why I should sit around out here while you go in alone.?

Shrai?i looked as though she were patiently dealing with a rowdy child. ?I?m not going in alone. Maia will be accompanying me.?

?What?!?

Maia just grinned and stuck her tongue out at him as Shrai?i explained, ?Luthian, I have connections here, as well as a reputation. Maia is part of the business. You?re just fresh meat. We?ll see you in a few minutes.? She paused, and then added as an afterthought, ?Don?t do anything stupid.?

Luthian watched them walk into the alley and then around a corner, bristling slightly. ?Not fair,? he sulked. ?So not fair.?[/size]

[Zidargh]

A lone, cloaked man sat off the edge of one of the dock yards. It was a grey day with the sky seeming to be in overcast and the waves hitting hard against the wooden barriers that seperated the ocean from the rest of the city. Every now and again, a strong breeze swept over the heads of the workers at the port, each time picking up the man's cloak, trying to pull it away from his shoulders. All that could be heard was the loud hollers from the many merchants that gathered by the huge piles of rotting crates, and the bells of buoys off in the distance. Of course the crashing of waves contributed to the large level of noise, but the volume was nothing compared to the determined salesmen and women.

Swinging his feet in unison, allowing the tiny droplets of water to drop onto his boots, the man sighed and lifted his head to take in a breath of air. Suddenly, he could feel a weight forming in the satchel connected to the cape that rested against his back. Without making any sudden moves, he froze, trying to put on an act of unawareness to the petty pickpocket who obviously was foolish and proud to pick in such a public space. "Away with you," the 'victim' demanded monotonously.

There was no reply in speech, but instead a shocked gasp as a metallic rustling could be heard. It was obvious the thief were about to threaten the target with a dagger or some other bladed weapon. However, in one swift movement, the target lifted himself to his feet and knocked over the hooded criminal. "You know who I am, try anything and I'll slit your throat," the cloaked man threatened as he lifted a section of his cape away to reveal the hilt of his sword.

In desperation, the thief let out a roar as he lept to the man's throat with the rusty dagger, only to be met with a club to the head. There, stood two guardsmen, one bearing a spear and the other the club that made the blow. Both were dressed in tunics of some sort that were worn over the leather armour. As finely as they were dressed, the hoods hanging over their head just left dark shadows to disguise their faces. These men were not 'real' guards, but in fact hired hands by the authorities. They looked more like rangers than anything else.

"Thanks." The man said the club wielding 'guard'. With a nod, the two positioned their weapons so at least one hand was free and dragged the petty thief off against the cobblestones, one arm assigned to each man.

After watching the arrested thief being trailed off down a side alley, the man sighed and headed to the Southern Pass which was about a ten minute walk away. Every time he walked, he would ignore the magical trees that grew to the heavens, every time he would ignore what would seem mesmerising to a mere traveller. This was because in these parts, you would want to seem as local as possible, and not a potential target to the crime lords.

Even though he should've left immediately after the incident, seven years ago, he just couldn't. Something kept him in the port city of C'Erree. After all, it was the only home he knew about.

After traversing the many interwining streets and alleys, the man passed under a stone archway and noticed a crossed armed Tal?Iiren, that seemed to be grumbling furiously. Approaching the nearest Inn, the man opened the door to louden the muffled chatters and song that resonated within the tavern.

Inside was a well lit place, filled with many wooden tables and small barrels that were being used for bar stools. In the corner appeared to be a travelling troupe, just beginning to rehearse the performance for the night ahead. There were only a few customers taking a break from their occupations or chores and so compared to other places, this building was not too bad.

At the bar the man caught the owner's attention and waited for him to stop serving another Tal?Iiren's drink.

"Hello there, may I offer you a beverage?" The stout, moustached bar tender asked as he rubbed the inside of a tumbler with a cloth. Many bottles laid behind, perhaps each imported from other locations, but none appealed to the sword-hand.

"No thankyou. But I would be interested in a room."

"Of course!" The tender appeared delighted and placed the glass down to lift up an old ledger. After that, lifted up a quill and dipped it into a tiny hole in the bar. "And your name?"

"Kage..."

[Dagger]

It's been a while, heh. Just let me know if I've left out any important details. ^_^;;

[center]---------------------------[/center]

"'Don't do anything stupid?'" Maia recited skeptically. "Maybe we should try to make this quick."

Shrai'i gave her what might have been termed a wolfish grin, had it been worn by anyone less lovely. "Consider it a test. He'll live. If Luthian isn't capable of retaining his possessions and limbs after half an hour or so in this sector of the city, we can feel certain that he isn't worth our time."

"Oh, I'm sure he can take care of himself." The redhead paused to glance at a booth filled with jewelry which seemed to be fashioned from human bones. Her nose wrinkled, and she abandoned any thought of casual thievery. "I'm just worred that he might... well, overdo it. You're already attracting plenty of attention," she added wryly, observing how every man--and quite a few of the women--they passed by invariably turned to stare at Shrai'i's retreating back.

"They're merely surprised that I've returned," Shrai'i replied. She graced one loitering storekeeper with a particularly stunning smile; he paled and promptly dashed inside.

Maia smirked. "I see. There's nothing like old debts." She dodged the lunging arms of a particularly audacious pickpocket and felled him with a single chop to the back of the neck. As the girl threaded her way between several groaning drunks, she spotted a cadre of heavily guarded horses. They were beautiful, aristocratic creatures--easily the best-bred she'd ever seen. A pudgy, well-dressed dealer presided over the animals and a group of hulking bodyguards.

"I'll take those," she told Shrai'i, scarcely able to contain her glee.

The other woman nodded, satisfied by Maia's choice. "Good. I'll begin collecting information, among other things. I know a stable where you can safely store the horses." She quickly gave Maia directions, using the street cant they were both familiar with, and finished by saying, "Just tell the owner my name. You may meet me in the first bar beyond the archway when you're finished."

Maia watched her backtrack several blocks and disappear inside a brightly lit tavern. Once Shrai'i had fully vanished from her sight, she began to plan her heist.

[DeathKnight]

[color=crimson][font=tahoma]The pain was severe, but the Doctors removed the rogue piece of shrapnel with crude efficiency- painful, but effective. Ensis felt himself fading away- he was too weak to summon forth any form of white magic and his pouch of medical supplies lost, somewhere in this maze of debris and hastily built camp grounds. It was dark- but somewhere, someone was telling him to hold onto his strength. They explained that he was needed- even if for a mere few months longer- to live, to exist, to be. He agreed wholeheartedly- this was not the place he wanted to die. Not in this condition, not here, not now. "[i]I can't leave her.[/i]"

But how could he save himself?

Trying to think, he found his brain was still rather devoid of coherence, especially with the weak feeling across his body and his soul. It was foggy- hazy. But, this was too important to give up on- so thought he did. "[i]There must be a way.. no herbs, not enough strength for straight up conjuring. My staff! If it escaped destruction.. if not, then..[/i]"

One item could aid his recovery immensely- if he could conjure his staff to his hands. With it, channeling magic was a much less taxing task on your body and your soul- both things that seemed to be wounded. It was his only hope to a speedy recovery- maybe even a recovery at all. With grim determination he began focusing his mind inwards, and calling forth his magical item- he immediately felt a response from somewhere nearby. "[i]Thank the Gods, it is intact![/i]"

The staff twinged gently, hearing the call of it's master- and just as quickly, it had disappeared from view. It appeared on his stomach, bewildering the doctor's for a few moments until he gripped it firmly in his hands, feeling the familiar flow of natural energy around him. It had been so hard to feel in the last few minutes.. was he really that close to losing himself in the blackness of death?

The room grew still for a moment as the silent trinkle of magic focused on the staff, collecting in and around it- a clearly visible wisp of white trailed out from the staff and into his wound, dissipating into all the gory corners of the deep injury. It took a few moments- but it was able to slowly rejuvenate itself, getting itself back together. It initially was quite painful to feel, as this wasn't the best healing spell to use for patient comfort- "[i]Might as well stay with the theme of crude, easy treatments..[/i]"

He felt the pain fade- the wound was healed- he could not, however, make up in any way for the loss of blood he had already experienced. Only a couple of days would cure that- but at least he was somewhat mobile and very much so alive. He thanked the doctors for their help and slowly sat up, rubbing his forehead- he had made it. They had made it. From luck or otherwise, the would-be heroes had escaped total destruction at the hand of this curse. Maybe they had a chance at actually beating this thing.

Smiling and emboldened with sudden optimism, he stood and got off the bed, using his staff to help him along in his weakened state. Stepping outside, the natural flow of the place strengthened him- even the spirits seemed relieved to see the young shaman. They lent him their aid as much as any good spirit could- and he appreciated their help- he needed it. However, there were not too many spirits around- barely any, infact..

He looked at the ship and the camp, looking over the situation- "Damn.. Kan's ship is critically damaged. That ship meant alot to him. I hope he didn't lose too many of his men." He looked towards Elda and Kan and started approaching them at a steady pace. The area was pretty devoid- both of plant life and natural energy. This.. curse, whatever it was. It was very potent to be affecting the very spirit of the land around the city and the spirits. It was worrisome to think about the power this Prince must have had, or might still have. His optimism weakened a bit, but he still held faith that there would be others, others like them- good Samaritans or heroes, whatever you want to call them. Together the talented residents of Laeth E'Thae must be more than a match for this.

A bright light shone from the gate, interrupting his train of thought. It shot across the sky with surprising speed- the resulting fireball exploding rather largely, thankfully landing just off into the distance and away from the camp. "[i]There is only one person I know of who uses a weapon that can fire off something like that..[/i]" Kaze was no where around- not odd, but considering what he just witnessed.. "[i]What is going on around here?[/i]"

He stopped, staring at the city gate- peering at it. Was Kaze in trouble? He quickly approached Kan and Elda, surprising both of them from behind..[/color][/font]