IC for the land of L'anDanora!

[DeathsKnight]

Vushlo

Vushlo watched how Leo dealt with the two men, he was curious why they singled out Leo, but then again they had no idea what and whom they faced.

"You there...hey knight I'm talking to you!"

Vushlo turned around and found a man wielding a sword, very uncommon in a bar fight.

"So you think you can come in here and act all high and mighty? I'm going to cut you down to size"

The man lunged, the sword flashing towards Vushlo's neck, he raised his hand and caught the blade, with a snap of his wrist the blade broke and the man was left standing with a broken piece of blade in his hand. Vushlo removed his helmet with his other hand, revealing his true form and a sudden cold swept through the tap house, the fighting almost immediately stopped as their attention was drawn to Vushlo.

"Foolish mortal, dare you challenge the Champion of Death, her Knight?"

Vushlo reached out towards the man and he backpedaled and wouldn't have tripped over his own feet if he didn't collide with a table. Vushlo let his cold stare wash over the crowd and many shivered at his black eyes which seemed to absorb all light.

"Is there anybody here who wishes to continue what this fool started?"

 

[Wargarble]

Naden never got the man's punchline as the the room erupted in shouts and brawling. Still, it was better than the quiet.

He turned back to his drink and for a few moments managed to lose himself in the noise.

"You're just going to let them leave?" a deep voice said, somehow coming in clear through the background noise.

Naden didn't need to turn to know who was speaking to him. He hunched his shoulders and tried to ignore it.

"It's a such a waste, you haven't had a challenge in years and you know it. This is a chance for the vengeance you swore and you're just going to sit there drinking. I trained you better than that. I know you noticed them come in, heard them talking, and even now while trying to bury your head in wine you can easily count in your head the number of steps it would take to reach every person in here and kill them one by one".

Naden grated his teeth, remembering the night he had failed. They had been winning the battle as enemies lay siege to the castle when one solider, just one, had made it inside. Naden had beheaded the man outside the king's chambers but the body had kept going. The abomination rushing in and murdered his lord, his brother Tobias, before Naden could hack every twitching limb off of it.

The enemy had used a necromancer to assassinate his king and the keep had fallen that night, soldiers fleeing the opposing army as they set the surrounding city ablaze.

"It's probably just some rumor spread by scared farmers" Naden mumbled into his cup. "Of course" the disembodied voice said, "and you probably don't have the time anyway".

"s'right" Naden murmured back.
"No spare time"
"Yeah"
"None at all"
"Uh huh"
"You're out of wine"

Naden sat silent for a moment, examining the empty jug as though more drink might appear from it's depths if he looked into it harder. "Fine" he set the jug down and turned on his stool. By now the group at the table had left, Naden went for the door, dodging past a few idiots who had kept up the fight, and glared at the blond man just outside who stood casually smiling at him, apparently unaware of the broken spear stuck through his chest.

"You always did have to be right about everything" Naden said grumpily, walking through the man. Tobias dissapated as Naden turned left and right to look down the street. "Now where have they gone?"

 

[DeathsKnight]

Vushlo

Vushlo waited, but when there was no more challenge, he picked up his helmet and noticed that Namennarg had rejoined them. Replacing his helmet he glanced at the assassin

"If you want to join us, feel free"

With that he headed towards the door, the fighting stopped as he passed by the patrons, outside he walked over to his horse and got on. It was then that he noticed the woman standing with the huge hammer. He did notice her in the taproom, she seemed to have started it all by defending herself. He nudged the horse closer to her and looked down at her.

"If you have nowhere to go, you can go with us, I can give you a ride until we can get to a less populated area"

He held out his hand to her if she did want to get onto the horse with him.

 

[Eilit]

Arisu blinked and looked up at the hand and then at the knight. Considering for a moment, she nodded. "If you don't mind having me around," she replied, a smile gracing her face. She reached her small hand and took his, her eyes widening for a moment. So, this was where the smell of death came from. Not that there was anything wrong with it, but it was surprising. Usually, those that smelled of death were... well... mean, to her at least.

Using his hand for strength, she pulled herself (quite a feat, actually) onto the horse and sat behind him. She looked down. This was why she disliked tall people. With her small five foot body, it was rare that she ever was taller than anyone. In fact, the only people she seemed to be taller than, was in fact, children. It was a little sad once she thought about it.

"I'm Arisu," she said, introducing yourself. "Thanks for the ride."

Covering her mouth, she yawned, missing some sleep. She felt her fangs touch her hand before they folded themselves back up. "In return, if you want, I can fix any weapon you have."

 

[DeathsKnight]

Vushlo

Vushlo nudged the horse towards the stables where he sensed that Namennarg's horse would be. He could sense something about the woman, but having met many creatures on his travels, he knew that eventually her story will be told. He stopped his horse at the stables waiting for his companions to catch up, reaching behind her he pulled an oiled canvas from his saddlebag and draped it over her, to protect her from the rain. A gentlemanly act that he as Death's Knight should not show, but maybe, just maybe a part of his former personality still was present

"I doubt that my weapons can break, but I am sure that during our travel there will be a lot of need for your craft. Thank you for the offer"

Vushlo noticed her yawn

"We will not travel far during this downpour and I'm sure we are not welcome in the taproom anymore. If we can find a ruin or a rundown building we can rest for the rest of the evening"

Vushlo detested speaking, but when he had no choice that is what he did

 

[Eilit]

"Sure, I am a blacksmith after all," Arisu yawned once more and thanked the knight. She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his armor. She wrapped the canvas around her, shaking from the cold. She hated being cold blooded but what could she do. "Hey, just go as far as you can. I'll be better once the sun comes out. Trust me, I can sleep anywhere," she said and closed her eyes for a moment. The small woman shivered once more.

She wasn't one for speaking. She liked the quiet silences. Flexing her hands, trying to get blood circulating, she rubbed them together, attempting to create warmth. "Thank you for the canvas." Pulling the hood of her cloak over her head, she hoped the rain would stop soon. Well, whereever she going, she certainly would not be going alone.

 

[Ancalimon]

Noticing the young woman leaving the bar, and then the Knight walking out behind her. Turning to Leo and the female, he said "I believe we should leave, for fear of any more people getting hurt in this fight. I think we have caused enough trouble for this poor barman. I'm going to go get my horse. I would suggest you two follow close behind.".

Walking outside of the bar, he noticed the soldier from earlier standing outside, looking around. The man looked a little confused. Walking around the man, and out towards the stable, he saw the Knight and the young woman up on his horse.

Nodding to the Knight, Namennarg walked into the stable to get his horse. After making sure she was ok, he grabbed the reigns, and brought her back outside, next to the Knight. He asked the woman "Will you be joining us on our travels?".

 

[Eilit]

"As I am obviously on a horse, with the knight you were with, what do you think?" she stated, giving him a cool look. "No, in fact, I decided to sell myself for one ride on a horse." Her nasty attitude could be blamed on the fact that she was sleep deprived. Shaking her head, she returned to resting against the knight's back. Oh, how she would kill for a nice soft bed. The smell of death entered her nose and refused to go away. She didn't like the smell of death. While she looked like angel, her attitude was very much the devil. Arisu would use anything to her advantage. Her eyes flashed for a moment, and she was careful not to look at anyone.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Vushlo

"You must excuse the lady Namennarg, she has been pulled from her slumber and it is greatly upsetting. She have offered to fix any of our weapons if need be on our travels"

Vushlo could feel her tense up behind him and he decided to give her at least a small bit of comfort. He stroked over the neck of his horse as he conjured the spell, his cold aura and body changed to when he was living. While still not uncomfortable with the cold, wet rain, he knew that eventually his body heat alone should soothe her.

 

[Eilit]

"Don't apologize for me, mister," she mummbled. "I am, what I am." She let out a sigh of relief as she started to feel the warmth coming from the dead body. Her eyes began to close, and while she did not fall into a slumber, her body was resting. It indeed began to soothe her, her manner changing almost instantly. She moved closer to the man, trying to suck in more of the delicious heat.

 

[LeoHawk35]

Leo

Leo moved out of the tavern to catch up with Vushlo. He did, however drop several gold coins on the bar as he walked by, in exchange for the trouble they seem to have caused. I'm nothing if not fair, he thought to himself. He stepped outside into the rain again. It didn't bother him, and was actually rather comforting. He looked to where Vushlo was on his warhorse with the young women from the bar earlier. He then cocked his head as Vushlo cast a spell to make the lady more comfortable. Curious, he thought. Very curious. Must be from when he was still a human. The Reaper wasn't sure if he could remember when he still drew breath. He remained quiet, as always, and merely turned into a specter as he followed the group. He wondered what kind of effect he must have on his companions, what with his silent demeanor and hood that seemed made of shadow.

 

[Ancalimon]

"Well, aren't we snippy?" Namennarg replied to the woman. "I can understand why, however, if you were indeed pulled out of your sleep. I assure you that we will not travel very far tonight. We need only get clear of this city. If we can't find anywhere dry to sleep, I can create a shelter for us.".

 

[Eilit]

"No," she snipped, as she let out a sigh of breath. "I don't want your charity. This back is quite enough. Now, shut the hell up, you are interrupting the time I could be sleeping." The snake curled more against the heat, her eyes fluttering close once more. She moaned softly as the heat made her feel comfortable. "I miss my mare. She was utterly warm."

 

[tia_wild]

Adrienne watched the fight erupt, eyeing it's source in the lithe woman at the bar. Sinking back in her chair, she faded into the shadowwed corner, invisible to the untalented eye. Her purpose had nothing to do with barfights and lonely men. She wasn't sure as yet what twist of fate had drawn her to this place, but there was a sense of importance in the man who identified himself as Namennarg. Whatever her destiny, this man would lead her to it.

Slipping silently from her chair, Adrienne made her way outside, unnoticed by the more conventional bar patrons. Soon enough her would-be companions joined her outside. The Death Knight, the deadman, and Namennarg. They were joined by a swordsman, and...

Adrienne hissed. She couldn't help herself. Her second nature took over, and her fur rose all along her body beneath her concealing cloak.

"Snake." Adrienne hissed, disgusted, the scent of the other woman as obvious to her as her own feline scent would likely be. "We are taking...that...with us?" She demanded with obvious distaste.

Adrienne steeled herself. "My appologies. I do not like...snakes." She shook herself slightly. Now that they were beyond the prying eyes and ears of the common people, Adrienne brushed her hood back and removed her mask. Her tufted ears and slitted eyes, as well as her slightly muzzled mouth and furred face left no room for question as to her nature, nor her reason for disliking the reptilian female.

"Adrienne." She said, bowwing slightly. "My name is Adrienne. It is a pleasure to meet you, Namennarg, Arisu, and...?" She eyed the rest.

 

[LeoHawk35]

Leo

He watched as the assassin removed her mask and hood. She seemed to be a half cat creature. He heard her name, and asked the others theirs.

"Names have no meaning. They are merely ways of identifying different objects. Months, days, weeks, years, even people. What you seem to have a need to name I feel with my entire being. We Reapers are interesting beings, granted life and a power beyond recognition by you mortals. Not even you, Death Knight, can understand the way I feel these things. Though I suspect you come close to it. As for you, Adrienne, if you indeed need a name to call me by, which I suppose you do, I am Leo."

He bowed his head slightly to her.

"My apologies for the sudden outburst."

He then turned away, realizing that he had never apologized to anyone since he became a Reaper. He changed back into the silent walking phantom he usually is.

 

[Eilit]

Arisu perked her head up and looked toward the feline. "That? That? What about you, you damn cat?!" she hissed. "How many of our young has your cats eaten? Plenty more than we've killed you!" Snakes and cats did not get along. The two animals were just... naturally unbefriendable. But she didn't move from the horse. Her eyes flashed, but she was able to hold back her spells. It wouldn't be smart, besides, the woman did nothing but verbally insult her.

Her gaze turned to Leo. Another scent of death. She almost preferred Adrienne. Almost. She then turned to the male who had offered to raise a shelter. "And you, why aren't you doing anything?"

 

[Ancalimon]

"Well, alright then." Namennarg replied.

After doing a quick inspection of his saddle and other leather items on his horse, he stuck his ashandarei into a special holster on the right side of the saddle, and then hopped onto the horse. The horse danced around a bit, happy to be out of the stable, but unhappy about the water. Realizing that the horse didn't like the rain, as she kept trying to go closer to the eaves of the stable, Namennarg said a quick water spell, and directed the rain to move away from him and the horse. It was almost like having a roof over his head. The horse noticed the change instantly, and quickly quieted down.

It was then that the woman stepped out of the shadows. He hadn't even known she had been out here. It wasn't really surprising, since she was very quiet, and wearing all black. Then the two women started in on each other. He understood why they were fighting once he had had time to digest the fact that the pale one was apparently part snake, and the dark one was apparently part cat. He only noticed the latter when she pulled off her hood and mask. Then the pale one asked him why he wasn't doing anything. He didn't know what she expected of him, since she had been nothing but abrasive to him since the beginning.

"Well, I would imagine that since you both are grown up, you can sort it out amongst yourselves. I, however, refuse to get involved in a fight between two women, let alone when one of them is part cat, and the other part snake. I imagine that I would come out of that confrontation a little the worse for wear. Adrienne, do you have a horse? I imagine that it would be a little difficult for you to keep up with us without one. I imagine Leo can keep up just fine, in his own way." Namennarg replied to the pale woman's comment.

 

[tia_wild]

Adrienne bowed her head at Arisu.

"You are correct, lady viper. My kind and yours to not take well to one another, but neither of us had any choice in what we are. You were born to your kind, and I was made. Perhaps with time we can rise above the feuds of our blood." She turned to Leo and smiled, her storm grey eyes flashing with mirth. "Thank you my lord Reaper." Her small mouth twitched slightly, but she avoided smiling...just barely.

Adrienne eyed the horses skeptically. "I can run nigh as fast as your beast. I shall keep up without issue. Besides, it isn't often I have the opportunity to run freely." She slipped off her boots, wiggling her toes slightly in the mud, her claws leaving little imprints. "Water isn't my particular favorite, but I suppose I'll take what I can get."

 

[Eilit]

Arisu held out her hand. "I'll hold on to your boots," she said, as a sign of truce. Besides, she was too tired to fight anymore. Her eyes were losing focus on the sight in front of her. Her blood was slowly slowing down and she didn't even have the energy to snap at the other male on his horse. She smelled ale in the air, and looked to the one male who was standing there... well, sorta stupidly. "Hey... is he with you guys?"

She didn't care. Well, right now she didn't. But perhaps, once she awoken from some few hours rest, she would have a new attitude toward everyone. The five foot woman yawned.

 

[LeoHawk35]

Leo

Leo listened silently. They were at least attempting at a truce. He nodded slightly when Adrienne talked to him, her eyes shining with a barely contained mirth. Arisu offered to hold her boots for her while she ran. Once she had them secured, Leo quietly uttered a spell to aid her with her sleep. He then cast another, attaching a mental flag to Adrienne so he could follow them in the shadow realm. They could also communicate mentally, but he wasn't sure she would feel the flag on her at all. Then again, she was a magewarped, and he had heard many things about there mental prowess. He intended to travel in the shadow realm, so to keep up with the group, and would travel back to this realm whenever they stopped. Or, at least, when she stopped, as she had his flag on her. He realized that she could stop just to mess with him, but decided to trust her with it. He almost forgot how nice his Reaper abilities were, as it had been awhile since he used them.

 

[Ancalimon]

"Well, we shall strike quite the interesting picture. At least we have the rain to offer us some cover." Namennarg said to Adrienne. "Once we are beyond the boundaries of this city, we can search for somewhere secluded to sleep. I can provide shelter to get us out of the rain, and a warm fire, even with the rain. I think that would be agreeable to most of us. And, as for what the young, sleepy lady just said, will the soldier be joining us?".

 

[Wargarble]

Naden heard footsteps behind him as he peered down the street and turned in time to see a figure moving off into the night. It was the man who had asked about Necromancers. He followed him unsteadily around to the stables. The two men sat on horses, the large one with a small woman in the saddle as well. The woman from the table had removed her mask and boots and she was covered in 'fur?' Naden thought as he came to a stop in the edge of the lamplight shining out from the stables. There was some kind of dark presence nearby that Naden couldn't see and made him shiver despite being completely protected from the cold and rain.

"Will the soldier be joining us?" Someone asked, snapping him back to focus on reality. "Yes, I'm coming with you" Naden said, he wasn't asking. He felt the the auras of intangible power eminating of the lot of them. "You four sure like to throw magic around don't you" he said, and stepped forward, about to ask the lone man on the horse for a ride when the world tilted. Naden grabbed the one of the beams of the stable for support as his mind righted itself. 'Maybe a little too much wine this time' he thought, and decided he would walk it off.

"Let's go then" Naden said, stepping back into the night.

 

[Eilit]

Arisu looked at the drunk man who decided to walk. She blinked, studying him. "You smell of too much wine," she stated, obviously not at the table the rest had been at. Her sleepy ivory eyes studied him. "If you want, you can take my place. I do not mind a walk." With that, she decided to slide off the horse, not feeling as comfortable. Horses really weren't her thing, unless she was sleeping with it. Not thing sexual, but for warmth. (Think of Star Wars.) A smile grace her face and she thanked... the knight. "Thanks for allowing me to rest up a bit. I think I'll be fine until we hit camp. I'll keep him company. I can smell all of you miles away." She walked past... the cat and toward Naden.

It seemed she had stored up enough warmth and had clearly cheered up. Or perhaps it was the canvas still wrapped around her tiny body. It was then, just then, she realized just how tiny she was compared to everyone else was. She stood next to the solider, out of everyone's way.

 

[Ancalimon]

"Well, then, soldier, you are welcome along. The more the merrier, or I suppose in this case it should be 'The more weapons and people we have, the less likely we are to die.'." Namennarg responded to the soldier. "Side note, if anyone would like the rain kept off them for the duration of our travelling to wherever we camp, I can arrange that."

 

[DeathsKnight]

Vushlo

Vushlo almost felt a sense of loss when Arisu slipped from the horse...almost. What on earth was going on with him? He unraveled the spell he had cast and his body returned to it's normal state.

"Enough delay, let's move"

His cold voice snaps like a whip and he sets off at a walk as his mind reaches out. If there was a ruin nearby the local dead will know, he found what he was looking for and summoned it. The spirit appeared floating at his eye level, it was the image of an elderly woman. A wandering ghost. He greeted it mentally as that is the only way to truly commune with the dead.

"Thank you for heeding my call"

The spirit cocked it's head

"It is not like I had much of a choice, but your courtesy is noted. Ask what you want, for the dead are only called upon to answer"

"We are in need of uninhabited shelter, is there any?"

The spirit seemed to waver a bit

"Yes, there is an old keep not far from the gate you are now traveling towards. It is surrounded by a group of trees and will be to your left"

Vushlo nodded, but did not dismiss the spirit yet

"Why do you still roam this earth? Why have you not accepted my lady's embrace?"

The spirit seemed shocked, but he knew that it must have been aware of the power he wields.

"I was killed on the false accusation of being a witch, my soul can not rest until the guilty have been made to pay"

"The true witch?"

"Yes, but he is a man...he also whispers to the dead and force them into their old bones"

That was all that Vushlo needed to hear, the dead did not lie, for they had no reason to.

"Thank you, soon you will rest in peace"

The spirit started to dematerialize

"Thank you knight"

Then it was gone, Vushlo turned his gaze to his companions, if the gifted saw the ghost that was their problem.

"I have found a dry place for tonight, if we hurry there will be time to rest "