Shadow over Gerelden IC

[LeoHawk35]

Zelthuros

Zelthuros listened silently to both stories. He was slightly curious as to the "certain reasons" that caused Angel to leave, but he would leave it at that. If she had not said, it was because she hadn't wanted them to know.

What had got his attention was the last thing Yurioni whispered.

Interesting.

He decided to think about it later. Right now he needed to pay attention to what was around him.

Shadow heard the comment by Grimlock and turned to glare at him. These fleshlings always forgot to include him. Did they think he was a mindless animal like other wolves they had seen? He turned back forward and nudged Zelthuros with his snout.

Zelthuros glanced down and patted the snout bumping into him. He wondered what the Direwolf thought of Grimlock's comment.

Nothing good, most likely.

He looked around him, taking note of the arrangements of the different members of their party. Grimlock had taken up the rear, Kelt following behind him, Angel was in the center, as was Jager. Zelthuros was bringing up point with Yurioni and Shadow. A good enough order.

He blinked and then turned his eyes back forward, scanning the hallway. He laid an arrow on his bowstring.

 

[DormantEvil]

Looking sideways at the Dark Ones, Yurioni wondered where she had been when they first walked the earth. It was a distant land, that she was sure of. Back when there was still virgin interest in humans, elves, the world, nature, and simple pleasures and activities. For a while she even lived as a normal person would. But as time passed by and she didn't age, she turned into the story of a town, or the plight of a city, or the curse of a land.

That might have been because for every attempt at capturing her, a city, or town had partially burned to the ground. It was a side effect. One she hoped people would stop trying because of.

Up until the tavern, it had been many years since she had shown her abilities so openly. Mostly she wandered. In battle she would use all her skills. Controlling an enemy with fire, whilst killing individuals with her sword. She liked the look of people as they fought for life. Even if they all lost. Then again, a lot of times she had to recover herself, and be almost powerless for days if not weeks after.

Luckily by then battles had ceased. There was safe time.

She had a name among the people of distant lands as well. If someone wandered the earth enough, they might have heard of them.

Erna Keena ('battle to death' 'born of fire') Yurioni.

"If we have time later, I would like to learn of your other abilities." Yurioni said quietly as they paused at another corner in the tunnels. Before moving on as she lit another row of lamps, the ones behind them all extinguishing.

 

[AngelLightheart]

Angel Blackwing

Angel trailed along, her thoughts her own.

Honestly she was going over Yurioni's advice earlier. Should she tell him now, or wait until she can't bear to keep it a secret? She might tell him later, when they have a moment to themselves.

She turned slightly to glance at him once more. Just a quick glance, and then she turned back forward.

She sighed. Things shouldn't be so complicated.

She cleared her mind and returned to the task at hand. She needed to have her mind on the task at hand.

Angel snapped the fingers of her right hand and a ball of frost appeared in it, hovering a few inches above her hand. Lines of frost trailed down onto her hand from the ball, pooling in her hand before spilling out over the sides, evaporating before they fell a few inches from her hand.

Her eyes scanned the shadows, wary of the darkness suddenly appearing behind them.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Grimlock

Grimlock noticed that Angel kept glancing at him, perhaps she had something that she wanted to say? He watched as she created the ball of frost and smiled at that, he would definitely take the time to talk to her.

The torches went out behind them and he frowned, if their only source of light came from Yurioni's powers they would be in trouble if she got distracted. He slowly undid the thongs on his sword and noticed that he was in a potential ambush site, no shield and no axe. He gently patted Kelt's muzzle and he could feel that Kelt was also tense, things was not as calm as they supposed to be, he opened his mouth to say something...

 

[LeoHawk35]

Zelthuros

Zelthuros glanced around warily as they entered a small clearing littered with mining equipment. The torches here were fewer placed, and there was uncertain ground everywhere.

Zelthuros heard them before he saw them.

The distinctive fire of a crossbow sounded and the bolt slammed into Yurioni's shoulder, spinning her around and knocking her to the ground.

Several torches went out.

The Ranger jerked to the side and dodged the bolt that was destined for him. It whizzed past him and simply glanced off of Grimlock's armor, but effectively cutting him off before he could talk.

Zelthuros snapped up his bow and let the arrow loose. It buried itself in the goblin with the crossbow and took him clear off his feet. Another arrow was on the string before the first one hit and he scanned for another target.

He felt something slam into him and he rolled to the ground with the force of the hit, coming out of it with the goblin pinned under him. The hidden blade slithered out of his sleeve and he buried it in the goblin's neck.

Zelthuros stood back up warily, looking around him and replacing the arrow that was dropped in the fall. He slipped a foot under it and brought it swiftly upward. He caught the arrow out of the air and placed it back in his quiver. He backed up to Yurioni and set her up against the wall, then stood over her, keeping an eye on the goblins advancing.

Overall he counted five left: one behind a piece of mining equipment that had poked his head out earlier, a pair that was slowly advancing on them from the side, and another pair behind the rocks in front of them. A small group. Probably just a patrol group. If they kept this quiet they could avoid a larger fight. They would have to move quickly afterwards, though. They were probably on the end of their patrol and were heading to check in.

Light gear. Spears and swords with little or no armor. Probably no more crossbows around. Goblins also weren't famous for their magical abilities. As far as he knew they weren't a magic-sensitive race. The uncertain light cast shadows around the room and bits of cover was scattered about. Zelthuros could already see a way to use those shadows, but the goblins already knew he was there and were watching him closely, so the effort would have been futile. So he instead stood over Yurioni protectively.

He turned and waved Grimlock forward. He had the best protection out of any of them.

 

[DormantEvil]

The torches instantly dimmed and began to flicker the moment pain surged through Yurioni's shoulder. It was pain first, rather than the realization that she had been hit. Hitting the ground, she could tell the bolt had been fired from close by, the power behind it tearing through her flesh and lodging itself into bone.

Looking down at her shoulder once she had been helped to the wall, her eyes burned red with anger. How dare such small and insignificant creatures attack her! The nerve. But for now she kept her mind on taking out the bolt, and reached up to pull on the shaft only to have it surge again with pain. It had been a four tipped head, and had spun through the air. It no longer lined up and was easy to remove. It could be cut out later.

"Blasted wretches..." she cursed, the torches flaring up brightly for a few seconds as she drew energy from the room. But then she could see that it was too bright, the shadows her own group might need vanishing, and with a deep breath she calmed herself. Anger would not work. Even if she wanted to charge forward and do battle with these fiends.

She had not been in a rage for so long, and it felt so good.

"I will cover your advance, let us split these creatures from limb to limb quickly." She looked up at Zelthuros, as he stood over her protectively.

Dragging herself to her feet, she crouched down. He would probably see how her eyes burned bright. Flames jumping around inside her pupils, showing how angry she was inside. Soon she was creating a fireball in her palm, letting it grow in size and heat.

"I can take those trying to come at our side."

She waited until Grimlock was in a position to attack.

As the footsteps of those goblins trying to move around to the side of them reached her ears, Yurioni peaked out from their hiding position and launched the fireball at their feet. Enough flame leaped up on impact to ignite the fabrics they wore. And with her free hand she drew her curved bladed sword, the cloak sweeping to the side as she got ready to advance.

She would have to wait until her power was not longer needed (the torches) to heal. But this wound would not be the end of her, even if it trickled slowly down her chest and arm.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Grimlock

He drew his sword and strode forward, wishing he had his helmet, but that had to wait for another time. He swung his sword in an upwards arc from his knee and the nearest goblin got caught by the blade, the blade cleaved through it's jaw and cutting through it's skull.

"Come little ones, let us dance,"

he rushed forward and swung again, his sword catching another goblin and cut it in half. The remaining three spread out and Grimlock grinned at them.

"Well then, come on, give me your best shot."

 

[AngelLightheart]

Angel Blackwing

Angel jerked her hand up, the ball of frost leaping into the air and catching the bolt and dropping it to the ground before it hit her. The blasted bolt had glanced off of Grimlock's plate armor and almost hit her.

Almost.

She pulled her mandola from her side and then started to idly pluck at the strings before she picked up a vague combat tune. She didn't participate in combat much herself, though she did have the ability. No, more often she just preferred to encourage her allies while demoralizing her enemies simultaneously.

Granted, a slight charm placed on her mandola certainty helps. Same with her voice, but that was more of a natural charm.

At a high note in the song came a pause afterwards, which she used to throw a ball of a frost at a goblin that had the unfortunate timing of poking his head out. at that particular moment.

Her laugh of delight echoed across the walls before she went back to her song.

Was she insane? Possibly.

 

[Jedi_Khan]

Jager really didn’t like magic users, and to find out that almost everyone in the group he was in except for himself and possible Zelthuros made his eye twitch. What an annoying sensation that was. Even the human claimed to have a measure of magical ability. Jager just hoped he wouldn’t have to spend too much time with these people; there was no telling what a magic user would do and Jager’s past experiences with practitioners had not been pleasant.

It seemed that the tunnel that the group was currently traveling in was of dwarven origin, made and forgotten long ago. As Jager walked in the semi-center of the group with Zelthuros armed and ready leading the way, he wondered if these tunnels traveled all the way to Detrol, for dwarves tended to dig nearly as far and wide as they did deep. If the tunnels did go all the way to Detrol, then there was a chance that he could enter the city undetected and get his bow back from the safe house he left it in. Traveling with only his Klinges, the two short swords on his back, as he was now made him feel uncomfortable.

Barely paying any attention to the others, it wasn’t long before Jager entered a small clearing in the tunnel that was littered with mining equipment; it seemed that they were at a junction point of several tunnels that forked off in different directions. But the mining equipment wasn’t what caught his attention: it was the sound of a crossbow cocking and the patter of mostly bare feet on the stone. They weren’t alone, a fact that was confirmed as a bolt shot out of the shadow of a pillar and implanted itself in Yurioni’s shoulder.

Jager instantly went into hunting mode, pulling his hood and cloak closer as he disappeared into the shadows of the room. A quick survey of the field revealed that their assailants were goblins, and a small bunch at that, being nothing more than a small patrol possibly on their way back home.

Despite having the element of surprise on their side, the goblins quickly found themselves on the losing side of the skirmish. Zelthuros had apparently killed two already, one with his bow, the other dead at his feet from a means that Jager hadn’t witnessed. Yurioni lit up a pair with a fireball she had tossed at their feet and began to move in for the kill. Grimlock cleaved the head of one goblin foolish enough to get within reach, while Angel played music and turned the head of one goblin into a block of ice. What a strange girl she was.

That left two goblins still alive, and they were in the process of leaving. Unfortunately for them, Jager happened to be between them and the exit, after having made use of the shadows and the litter to move around behind them.

A shadow stepped out in front of the retreating goblins and before they could even register its presence, a pair of faint thin silver lights lashed out then vanished back within the shadow. Taking a few steps past the shadow, the goblins collapsed, their heads having been neatly cut off by using the speed of the strike and their own forward momentum.

Jager had been quick to hide his blades after the strike, re-sheathing them under the cloak, in order to keep the others from getting a good look at his weapons. If any of them had knowledge of magical lore and runes, then they might have recognized the Klinges for what they were given a good look at them.

“They will be missed in a few hours,” said Jager as he moved back to the group. “We should leave these tunnels immediately.”

While Jager may have been confident in his ability to lead any goblins that came chasing after him on a merry chase through these tunnels, he wasn’t about to assume the others could as well. And when the main bunch of goblins down here realized that this patrol hadn’t returned yet, these tunnels would quickly fill with the screeches of goblins on the hunt for trespassers.

 

[LeoHawk35]

Zelthuros

Zelthuros watched calmly as the rest of the battle unfolded.

He noted the confidence and possibly arrogance displayed by the knight, Grimlock. Fairly characteristic of a human. But that strike had taken more skill that it seemed. Perhaps he could be a useful ally and not the normal rock-headed human.

The efficiency of Jager's strikes. He hadn't seen the exact weapons he had used, and it interested him that he wanted to hide them so much. He had also not revealed much of himself back in the ruins. Did that mean he had a reason for them to not know? Something to hide, perhaps?

The simple searing anger of Yurioni. He had noted the flames leaping about in her eyes. She seemed to enjoy the feeling. For what reason, he did not know. He would have to ask her more about herself later on, when they had the time. And he also intended on answering her questions to the best of his ability.

The quite possible insanity of Angel. He had felt a strange tug on something inside of him when she played her mandola. He got the feeling it had some sort of enchantment on it. And then that laugh after she froze the head of that goblin? It was quite interesting. She seemed to delight in such things.

And then Shadow laying on the ground, eyes moving around to watch everything as well. He had probably come to the same conclusions that Zelthuros had. He was a rather smart wolf. A rather smart Direwolf. It was to be expected, given how long they both had lived. The naturally picked these things out about people.

He took it all in carefully. Analyzing each combat style and every move made. An interesting group.

Zelthuros glanced over to Jager and nodded. It was time to move. Goblins can be fairly nasty in large groups. He turned to look at Yurioni.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

 

[DormantEvil]

Yurioni had walked out into the fray as the two goblins were distracted by their tattered clothing beginning to burn. Each footstep seemed confident but her gait showed she was keeping movement from her injured shoulder. Flicking open her cloak, her hand took the hilt of her sword and with a single slice she pulled it free. The blade curved through the air and cleanly took out the throat of the closest screaming and panicked goblin. The other noticed this, and made a charge for her with a small dagger. Seemingly the only weapon he still carried after dropping his others to fight the flames. Her arm was weakened on the back swing as she spun it around through the air, but as the blade tilted vertical her arm regained some strength.

The goblin was within reach now and her swing was still slow due to her shoulder, but with a mighty kick to the little creatures chest she sent him back into some mining machinery. It stumbled, and fell in a heap, dagger dropping among the other bits of scrap at its feet.

Everything around her seemed blurred, but it was obvious by the lack of fighting that their enemies or her friends had fallen already. The sound of music still playing helped confirm it was indeed her friends who here momentarily victorious.

The blade tipped down, and with all her weight she pushed the sword through behind the creatures neck and deep down into its chest cavity. Coming to rest in its pelvic region. She could look into its eyes as it realized its fate. It had been in the process of searching for the dagger, but alas had no luck finding it before the deadly strike.

Everything in the small room seemed to become silent, except for the sound of flickering flame and burning flesh. And dripping water, somewhere. Standing up, she struggled for a moment to remove her sword from the dead thing, before walking back over to her 'companions'.

Zelthuros was the only one so far to ask of her wellbeing, and she looked now at the bolt again. Her moving had not helped, and it was still buried in against the bone. Her red cloak stained a similar colour, along with the shirt she wore underneath.

"It appears to be a four bladed tip, and has embedded itself nicely. It will take one of you to remove it. Either now, or when we are in a safer location...until then, the blood loss is not bad enough to worry over."

Honestly her human body was feeling it, but it was far less damage than she had repaired before. And as soon as they reached a safe resting spot she would begin the process. Until then, they could not afford to be slowed down by her meditative state.

 

[LeoHawk35]

Zelthuros

Zelthuros noted her gait and the pain the bolt seemed to cause. It wasn't a major wound. She would live.

He shook his head.

"No time. I'll take care of it later."

He turned his gaze to the group, eyes inspecting each one.

"Grimlock, bring up the front. Shadow will go with you. Jager and Angel, the back."

Unknowingly taking command, he turned to Yurioni and stepped up next to her.

"Let me give you a hand. We'll stick to the middle." he said simply.

He slid an arm around her, wanting to help with her movement. Going slow would not help here, and they needed to get out of these tunnels. A steady jog should be enough. They didn't need to sprint unless the goblins discovered them.

"Grimlock, move it out." he said with an 'advance' gesture. "Take the second right and keep going until the path curves. The exit is just past the curve."

Shadow hopped to his feet and padded up next to Grimlock. He looked up to the knight and nodded.

 

[AngelLightheart]

Angel Blackwing

Angel watched and played as the last of the goblins were dispatched. She placed her instrument by her side again and stepped forward next to Grimlock. She looked over to him and noticed the scratch along his plate armor. She leaned over and ran a slender finger over it, feeling the slight rivulet that the bolt left. An odd feeling. She looked up at his eyes and smiled before turning again to look at Yurioni and Zelthuros.

Yurioni had taken a hit to the shoulder, and it didn't seem to be a bad wound. Angel was sure she would live. Zelthuros would most likely take care of the bolt later...when they were alone...

Angel watched him slip his arm around her waist and felt that pang of heartsickness again. She wanted what they had. She wanted someone to care for her, because only she had cared for herself for so long.

She considered offering to heal her, but she was an elemental, and her skills in healing didn't extend into that realm.

She nodded as Zelthuros started giving out orders, accepting him as the group leader. He had the most experience it would seem, and she trusted his command.

Angel walked over to Jager and smiled at him. He may not reveal much about himself, but she was sure he was a just cheerful person when he wanted to be.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Grimlock

He had watched Angel as she stepped closer to him, was it just him or did she seem to pick him out subconciously? He watched her move away and then at the extinct direwolf that took it's place next to him.

"Let's move then fanged brother,"

the words came to him from old lore that he had heard from a bard, where it came from he did not know. He took the lead as ordered, the wolf at his side. The rest of the small trek to the exit was done as fast as possible and he stopped when they reached the end, sliding back to the back to get close to Kelt and giving the others room to open the entrance.

 

[DormantEvil]

The passageway was well lit as they moved along, leaving the corpses of a few goblins behind. And with each step Yurioni concentrated harder on not leaning on Zelthuros for support. It was a tiny wound compared to what her history could speak about, but this one seemed to be sapping the energy from her. Perhaps it was bleeding worse than she thought, but on inspection as they passed by one of the torches on the wall, it wasn't bad.

But her forehead was beginning to sweat now, and each step seemed to cause greater pain to shoot through her shoulder. But she kept up with their pace, occasionally letting out a small moan if they went over rougher ground or came to a stop.

It wasn't until they were in the last leg of their journey, probably an hour later, when they reached the curve in the path that she let out a gasp. Her feet seemed to stop moving, and she was covered in a thick layer of clammy sweat. The effort in just keeping up on her feet, and moving, showing through thick creases in her forehead. And finally, when there was enough light for them to see, the torches extinguished. It was the more obvious sign that she was no longer strong enough to keep them alight.

"It's not right...something is wrong. My body feels numb, and I'm draining of energy...poison...." she stammered, gasping as her body began to slowly seize up on her. "Can't move...breathe..."

By now she leaned on Zelthuros heavily, and her body seemed to weight a ton, and her feet felt numb and wobbled underneath her frame. And if she was asked to move, they would stay in place, and more than likely they would soon realize she was paralyzed from the waist down.

 

[LeoHawk35]

Zelthuros

Zelthuros moved at the pace Yurioni could manage. There was no immediate danger, and no need to rush. They made the right and moved along that path, encountering surprisingly little resistance. That had him curious. Goblins were known for being everywhere and anywhere in their own domain. His eyes flicked over to the weakening torches, then over to Yurioni, curious as to the reason. They were nearing the end and wouldn't need the torches much longer, but how was she to know that? Unless something else was wrong.

Which, it happened, there was.

Yurioni let out a gasp and Zelthuros' eyes looked over to her quickly. She was covered in sweat and her legs didn't seem to respond anymore. He listened to her stammering words. Every word seemed to cost her. Poison. He hadn't thought that a patrol group would be using it. The goblins must be preparing for something if they're arming every crossbow with it.

They had an interesting poison. Very effective, but very easy to treat. Mainly used in larger battles where a healer wouldn't be immediately available. Luckily for them they had a healer. One that used magic, for that matter.

Zelthuros shook his head. She couldn't walk like this. He fitted his longbow over his shoulder and lifted her off the ground (classic lovers' leap is how I picture it). They were nearing the end, and he could see the light at the end of the path. Grimlock moved to the back again and Zelthuros stepped forward, Shadow at his side once more. His eyes traced the walls before finding what he was looking for. He glanced down to Shadow and nodded towards it. The Direwolf nodded in turn and walked over to the wall, hopping up and grabbing a loose stone in his jaws. He pulled on it and it fell from the wall. A lever protruded where the stone had been and Shadow hopped up again and pulled down on the lever.

Dust fell from the ceiling and the door in front of them opened. Zelthuros walked up into the next ruin. It was much smaller, just a watchtower that had seen better days. He waited until the group had left the tunnels and nodded at Shadow again, who pulled on a torch and shut the path again. Zelthuros moved out of the tower and into the field. They were close to Kurtwall. It was made quite evident by the golden wheat fields they were standing in now. Kurtwall was a farming town. Best in this area. They supplied Detrol directly.

Zelthuros lowered himself to a knee and laid Yurioni on the ground carefully. He waved Angel over. Shadow stepped up and licked Yurioni's face.

"You are familiar with garush poison?" He asked her, noting what Shadow had done.

They needed to treat it quickly so it didn't spread and so they could get moving. He didn't want to be out in the open when the patrols from Detrol come around.

 

[AngelLightheart]

Angel Blackwing

Angel followed along quietly, keeping up with the pace the group set while her mind wandered.

She saw a village in a clearing of trees. It was raining. Raining arrows. A young elf male fighting in the town center, checking blows from several different adversaries and standing over another elf, this one female. She was on her knees, hands holding a puncture to the stomach that was bleeding profusely. A bloody sword laid next to her with a shattered quarterstaff.

Her gait stumbled just slightly, but she recovered and kept moving.

One of the adversaries, simply shadows in her memory, got through the standing elf's defense. The blade swung true and buried itself halfway through his torso. He flinched and fell to the ground, dead before he hit. The woman's eyes widened, and then shut. All three shadows raised their blades and began the downward arc. The elves eyes snapped open. All three were thrown back, smashing to the wall behind them. They looked to the woman, startled.

Still somber, Angel continued her recollection.

The elf was standing, the bloody longsword in her hand and half of the quarterstaff in her other. She advanced step at a time. Her irises were the color of blood. Her wound knit itself back together before their eyes. They charged, screaming bloodcurtling cries. The quarterstaff piece snapped up, sweeping away the first blade before the elf's buried itself in his heart. She moved from that blow right into the next one, sweeping away one's blade while parrying the second. The sword leapt forward again, opening his throat.

She paused in her thoughts, then continued.

The final put up the best fight, and died worst death. He missed a parry and lost his hand, including the sword. The elf spun gracefully, taking off the arm, then other arm. The quarterstaff piece moved forward, driving itself into and through the man's gut. His eyes widened, and then stayed wide open after his head was taken off. The sword in the elf's hand was curved, slender and graceful, and was as sharp as a blade could be.

It was the very same sword on Angel's hip.

When they were out of the ruin and the way sealed behind them, Angel moved over to where Zelthuros knealt over Yurioni. She knew something was wrong when Zelthuros had sweapt her off her feet. She nodded at his question.

"Easy to treat..." she murmured.

She dropped to her knees next to Yurioni and laid her hands over the bolt wound. It was easy to treat with herbs, and even easier with magic. She was sure that Zelthuros had the herbs on him, but they would take time to prepare. Magic was much faster. She was done before she was even done thinking about it. She neutralized the poison running through her as well as what was still on the bolt.

"There." she said happily.

She laid a hand on Yurioni's neck and the other over her heart, murmuring another set of words. A simple healing incantation. Should get her off her feet until Zelthuros gets that bolt out of her shoulder.

"Time to move?" she asked, rising to her feet.

 

[Jedi_Khan]

Before taking up his position at the back of the group next to Angel, Jager stopped briefly to pick up one of the goblin daggers, and with a few quick swipes, collected a single ear from three goblins. If he and the group were going to end up in a town, they would need money for supplies, and goblin ears were worth one hundred gold pieces each due to the standing bounty on goblins. Jager had left the bulk of his earnings from his last hunting trip back in Detrol, only taking enough with him to pay for the drinks he had before arriving at that tavern.

Jager didn’t much like collecting bounties on non-humans, given that his own elven head was worth three hundred gold pieces. But when it came down to it, the goblin ears were a source of money, and money bought supplies and information. Plus collecting the bounty for non-humans made the human guards less likely to consider the idea that Jager might be a non-human himself.

Jager nodded at Angel’s smile as the two of them brought up the rear; he may not have to be overly friendly with the others, but he certainly wasn’t going to be rude. The rest of the uneventful journey in the tunnels was done in silence, until Yurioni stopped short and nearly collapsed. Apparently the arrow in her shoulder had done more damage than was plainly obvious.

Zelthuros moved to pick Yurioni up, and then continued down the path until they reached a dead end, where the direwolf then pulled down a lever that Zelthuros had pointed out and a door opened up to the surface. Outside, Jager found himself next to the ruins of what appeared to have once been a watchtower in the middle of a wheat field.

The waxing half-moon was just past its zenith, which suggested that it was just past the midnight hour. With the light of the half-moon, Jager’s elf eyes could just make out the walls of Kurtwall off in the distance, a road about a hundred meters away, and Detrol nowhere to be seen.

"Time to move?"

“Not until she’s had a chance to recover,” replied Jager, indicating Yurioni. “We can use the ruins here as cover until then.”

 

[DeathsKnight]

Grimlock

He followed the group outside and watched in fascination as the duo treated their fallen comrade. It was interesting and he filed the incantation away for later reference. He quickly scanned their surroundings and motioned towards Jager with his head,

"What do you say we go hunt for some fire wood? I'm sure a bit of heat will help the fire elemental recover faster."

He turned towards Angel, holding out Kelt's reigns to her, a sign of trust in his circles and he just hoped that she saw it as just that as well.

 

[AngelLightheart]

Angel Blackwing

Angel blinked and tilted her head. Not until she's recovered? Angel looked down to Yurioni. She'd just healed her. For the moment, at least. A bed would do her more good than out her in the wilderness.

"And where do you plan on finding wood in the middle of a wheat field, Sir Knight?" Angel asked with a smile.

She glanced over to Jager and favored him with a smile as well.

"Come along. A bed will do Ms. Yurioni more good than out here. Kurtwall always has a roaring fire. And they don't close their gates at night. I mean, who would attack a town this close to Detrol?" she reasoned.

Her heart had started to race, and her eyes darted here and there. Before she pulled herself back under control.

"We can enter in separate groups. Yurioni, Zelthuros, and Shadow can go in one. Jager, Grimlock and I in the other. We'll book two rooms in the tavern, one for each group, and then work from there."

She paused, her gaze passing over each of them.

"Sound good?"

 

[DeathsKnight]

Grimlock

He blinked, Angel had a point, why didn't he think about that? A wry chuckle escaped his lips.

"Forgive me, I was not thinking, must be the rush from the attack that is still in the system. You are right miss Angel we should enter as two groups to draw less attention."

Kelt nickered and nudged him, Grimlock shot him a glance, he didn't like it when Kelt found his mistakes amusing, but then again Kelt wouldn't find it amusing if he himself wasn't amused in his own way about his mistake.

"If we are all agreed with the grouping, can I offer you a ride Angel?"

 

[LeoHawk35]

Zelthuros

Zelthuros watched as Angel treated Yurioni's wound and then stood again. She was an efficient healer, even if she wasn't a healer primarily. Which he got the feeling that she was not. Regardless, she removed the poison from Yurioni's body and neutralized what was remaining on the bolt head. She then pumped a rejuvenation spell into her to keep her moving.

He turned his head slightly as Jager spoke up. He evidently didn't notice Angel's treatments. The fact that he suggested using the ruins as cover was a hint about his background. He didn't like civilization, it seemed. Maybe not as much as Zelthuros himself disliked it, but he still did. Zelthuros just understood when it was needed. And when it was needed, there was little to be done about it.

Zelthuros listened to the entire exchange silently, noting Grimlock's forgetfulness. Or maybe he just wasn't thinking. Either way, Angel pointed it out, and also pointed out what Zelthuros had already figured on his own. Recovering would need to be done in town.

Yurioni's recovery, at any rate.

Zelthuros turned to face the group, taking in their various expressions.

"Very well. We'll head in first. The tavern is called the Golden Phoenix Inn." he informed them simply.

He knealt down again and lifted Yurioni off the ground, not caring if she opposed it or not. It was necessary. Shadow stood and followed behind the two as Zelthuros started to walk along the path. Once they were a decent distance away, Zelthuros glanced down at Yurioni.

"Try and act like you're sleeping." he said to her.

He moved her cloak so it covered the bolt reasonably while also making it look like she was covered up to keep warm. He looked around as he walked, not saying another word as they passed by the rows upon rows of golden wheat and corn turned silver in the moonlight.

He walked through the open gates of Kurtwall, Shadow by his side and Yurioni in his arms, hopefully appearing to sleep. He didn't know because he didn't look down.

Ah, Kurtwall. Only time it wasn't busy was at night. And even then there were the few farmers and traders moving their good here and there. But it was quiet for the most part. Small cottages were here and there, but not many actually lived in Kurtwall. The farmers had their farms on the outskirts of town. Only the travelers stayed in town. Or farmers that were too drunk to make it home. But it didn't seem that there were too many of those tonight. Not very many at all, surprisingly. But that was perfectly alright with him.

Zelthuros spotted the sign for the tavern and stepped through the door in the common room, which was as noisy as ever. No bard playing, though. Many heavy purses dangled from belts of the wealthier patrons.

He stopped by the desk.

"Can I help you, stranger?" asked the man behind it.

"Do you have any rooms, by chance?" Zelthuros asked.

"I do." he responded.

"I would like one, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. We have several available. Which would you like?"

"Surprise me." Zelthuros responded simply, handing the man the coins needed without so much and shifting Yurioni's position in his arm.

"Up the stairs, second door on the right. Enjoy your stay. Breakfast is at nine in the morning sharp."

Zelthuros nodded and went up the stairs, not making a sound on the wooden steps as he ascended, Shadow doing the same. He found their room and unlocked the door with key the man had provided. He opened the door and stepped in. Shadow closed it behind them.

It was a fairly small room, and quite cozy looking. Moonlight shining in through the window was the only thing lighting the room up with just enough light to see clearly, and it gave everything a silvery appearance. One bed, a desk beside it, window on the opposite side with a good view of the moon. Zelthuros stepped up to the bed and laid Yurioni down on it.

"Let me know when you're ready to have that bolt out of your shoulder." he said to her and walked over to the window to look out.

 

[DormantEvil]

For the majority of the past hours, Yurioni saw it as a blur, having blocked off her mind from the pain and the presence of inhibitors long enough to get out of the tunnels. Moving on had been more important, although, it would have been safe in hindsight to rest earlier and have Angel work her magical hands. But back then Yurioni had only thought of not slowing the group down, she would never cause the death of another due to her own weakness. But she was also stupid to think she was yet fully recovered herself. She had not slept deeply since many weeks before the tavern fire, and had misjudged her own energy potential. How niave she sometimes could be, how stubborn. How easy it was to forget the necessities of rest. How much like the child she inhabited, but it was a sign that the poor maiden magic user was regaining some brain function, time was helping her heal the scars of the 'joining'. Just enough for emotions to burn through occasionally, or for a sense of knowing to creep upon her, a familiar place she had never visited, a smell foreign to her yet that of an old loved one. So many little insignificant signs that were showing up over the centuries.

Out in the moonlight Yurioni had felt Angel remove the poisen from her body, and was disappointed that the rejuvination spell only gave her a mild sense of energy boost. Although, enough energy to bring a man to his feet was much smaller than the energy in her batteries, so it was only natural for it to do less. But, with a grunt she had rolled onto her side and half risen before her body was lifted from the ground.

Her eyes locked with Zelthuros for a mere second of acknowledgement as he spoke of the plan, and she sighed and closed her eyes. Appearing nothing more than a sleeping, peaceful nineteen year old. As he walked on, she could feel his steps through her body even if only slightly, but when he reached the tavern she could tell that her body was gaining strength from the rest. Or she hoped not from him directly, as she could sometimes do without her knowledge. But he didn't seem to notice if she was, or didn't care if he did notice, so she remained in her 'sleeping' state. It was actually rather calming.

By the time he placed her on the bed, she had regained herself enough to prop herself up on the pillows and sit forwards. She grimaced, knowing that the healed wound would need to be reopened to remove the bolt, which she could feel moving around inside her shoulder with every movement. She watched him as she removed her cape, her long red hair, pale features and red eyes now obviously apparent in the lamp light of the room. Her lips, of deep crimson were dry and parched, but she didn't ask for water yet. With her good arm she removed her belt, unclasping each buckle before placing it within reach against the bed beside her. Then, she looked over to him, untying the bindings of her shirt that lay against her chest.

"I would feel better getting this done with. With a blade, and a steady hand, you will need to cut it out."

Removing her shirt, she lay back against the pillows, preparing herself.

"It feels as through it has four sides to its blade, and its spun on entry. You'll need to cut the flesh, for I have tried to just pull it out as it might have gone in. To no avail. Do it, otherwise I am useless to this group."

Her gaze showed one of preparedness, although it was obvious that she would feel the bolts removal. But she had suffered almost amputations in battle, and healed, this would be no different than taking a few hours to regather her energy.

 

[AngelLightheart]

Angel Blackwing

Angel smiled at Grimlock as he realized his mistake.

"I would hope I'm in agreement with my own grouping..." she stated, looking around quickly.

She watched Zelthuros pick up Yurioni and again felt that pang in her heart. She really wanted what they had.

She nodded at his words, filing the name of the inn away in her mind and then watching them walk away, Shadow padding next to Zelthuros, Yurioni in his arms.

She turned to Grimlock and Jager when the other group was out of sight.

"Right, I figure we should wait an hour or so to avoid suspicion before we head in." she started.

She paused, turning her gaze to Grimlock, and then Jager, taking in the different appearances. Grimlock in his armor, gallant and honorable. Jager in his cloak, quiet and enjoyed his solitude. Not nearly as unnerving as Zelthuros himself was, but similar. But Zelthuros was just so...confident. Confident without trying. Not arrogant in any sense of the word, but just...confident. He was skillful and swift. Cold and dangerous.

She still wasn't sure what he was.

Shadow was with Zelthuros everywhere he went. He was just as skillful as Zelthuros himself.

Grimlock was skillful in his own way. He was strong and powerful, skilled in the ways of the warrior, but she wasn't sure if he could take Zelthuros in a fight. He had a good defense, so he might give Zelthuros a hard time killing him. But they have no need to fight.

Jager? She didn't know much about him. He was stealthy, and that suggested that he didn't quite have the proper combat skills for an open fight. He seemed to be the type that wouldn't fight unless he could take out the target with no effort whatsoever. Zelthuros and Grimlock would both win open combat with him.

Yurioni was rather skilled as well. She could manipulate fire to an alarming degree, and had a fair amount of skill with her sword. And even after taking that bolt she had managed to stand and fight through the pain.

Pushing her thoughts aside, she looked to Grimlock and Jager with a smile.

"Anyone know any fun ways to pass the time?" she asked with a smile.

 

[LeoHawk35]

Zelthuros

Zelthuros looked over at Yurioni as she started to remove her cloak, her eyes locked on him the entire time. She then removed her belt, laying it on the bed near her. His eyes may not have looked at her the entire time, but his eyes tracked every movement. He noted her full and crimson, but dry, lips, and went to fill a cup with water for her. It was never good to have someone cutting into you without drinking something first. He opened up a satchel on his belt and took out a small herb.

He looked it over before crushing it in his hand and sprinkling the bitter herb in the water. He walked over to Yurioni, not letting his eyes roam over her body as he handed her the cup.

"Drink. It will dull the pain." he said simply.

It wasn't a very strong herb. He and Shadow didn't need them. Pain wasn't something that bothered them very much anymore.

Though he hadn't tried getting stabbed in the heart yet. He didn't even know if it still beat in his chest. He had never checked, not wanting to find out.

At any rate, he waited until she took a drink before he sat on the end of the bed and pulled a small dagger out from under his cloak. He looked into her eyes and saw that she was ready. He leaned closer to her, placing the blade against her skin. The bolt had spun as it entered, and would need to be cut back out. A familiar wound.

He went to work, opening the wound so he could get at the bolt head itself. The tip had embedded itself nicely. He pulled it out quickly, long having blocked out what Yurioni herself was doing, and was intent upon his work. He laid the bloody bolt on the table next to the bed and then closed her shoulder back up, sewing the flesh closed with the thread and needle from his pouch. He wrapped her shoulder in some gauze before standing and walking away, taking the bolt with him and not looking at Yurioni.

He took a seat next to the window to examine the bolt itself. Shadow walked up to him, curious, and sniffed the arrow. He shook his head and stepped back, looking over at Yurioni. He padded over to the door and laid down against it, keeping it shut. He laid his head on his paws and looked around the room, no doubt deciding whether or not he should sleep.

You see, they don't need to sleep. They can, but it doesn't give them any relief. It would just be used as a way to pass the time. But they usually didn't need a way to pass the time as they always had something to do.

Except for now. For Shadow, at least. Zelthuros needed to keep an eye on Yurioni for the moment. He turned his attention back to the bolt in his hand.

The bolt was of the bad design that most goblin bolts were. Low quality. Couldn't be reused because they usually broke upon impact, or splintered in the crossbow itself when they were fired a second time. He had actually witnessed some vaguely amusing scenes where goblins had gotten themselves and others killed by trying it.

But this bolt was different. The wood near the tip was charred, the metal hot and almost to the point where it would melt down again. Yurioni's blood had done this? Interesting. He set the bolt down and looked to Yurioni.

"Feeling well?" he asked, again keeping his eyes from wandering her body, no matter how much he had wanted.

He assumed that they had some time until the other group came in, as they would have waited an hour at least before coming in to town, to avoid suspicion. He wasn't sure what they would do for that hour. They couldn't leave this room, obviously.

He supposed that he could answer her questions, as he remembered her curiosity from in the mines.

"And you said you were curious about my...abilities?"