Ascending Legends

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled and nodded to the inquisitor, though inside she was on edge. He was going to be up by her husband... by her wolf.

 

[BookWyrm]

The inquisitor joined the others and watched the wendigo with furrowed brows. "It is weakened for certain, but it will give out soon." He turned and looked at Dayn. "Care to join me, master knight?" Dayn nodded and leapt down the wall with the inquisitor, unsheathing his blade as they approached. The guardsmen shot large bolts towards the beasts arms, pinning them to the ground to make the approach easier. "This thing gave you the trouble?" "Most of the issues came with the fear gorta."


The inquisitor nodded. "I had to wonder. This is the weakest wendigo I've ever encountered. Yet, something else is keeping it from dying altogether." The inquisitor spoke several low words in an arcane dialect, his right glove smoking as runes enscribed upon the palm began to glow. When the moment came he pounced, striking the wendigo on the forehead. The beast shook violently for a moment before collapsing and giving it to rot. Yet, not a minute later, something burst from the body, it's dark body a shadow against the midday sun. "A shade!" The inquisitor quickly spoke out a spell, striking the shade with a powerful burst of pure light to dispel it. "We need to hold council, now."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn had been waiting on the ground for Dayn. When she saw the upset look on the inquisitor face, she looked to Dayn. She couldn't see his expression because of his helmet but she still had to worry "Mo chroi, what's wrong? Is it not dead? Did you get hurt?"

 

[BookWyrm]

"I'm fine hon." Dayn said as he removed his helmet and laid his free hand on Arryn's hip. "The wendigo was possessed by a shade, which means even though it could have been the skinchanger it was still under someone else's control."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn nodded and laid her hand over his possessively. The fact that the inquisitor would be here for a while longer did little to calm her, though. She didn't want to kill anyone in this locale, but if her went after Dayn... she was willing to do it.

 

[BookWyrm]

There was a meeting called in the city council, yet only those in the know were allowed in. Rasrik, Japhet, Dayn, and Arryn of course, but Hamish was there as well, among some of the other local ealdormen and lords that were proximity of the fief. "The matter at hand is that the wendigo was being controlled by a shade." the inquisitor began. His voice held a level tone and his manners were on point with most highlords despite his youthful appearance. "Shades are the product of dark magic." The eyes about the room moved suspiciously and voices muttered muted concern. The inquisitor sighed, shook his head. "Might I recommend that we don't beat around the bush. There is a coven at work in this region. Warlocks, witches, necromancers, dark mages of some make, probably all three if we're unlucky."


"This is not something I need getting out to the local populace."


"I apologize lord Rasrik, but the populace is going to be affected. If they can manifest fear gorta in a wendigo I'm sure they can do it again. This is going to call for a dedicated and deliberate approach, yet there must also be clandestine work. I doubt the coven will reveal itself to us openly, which means we will need to begin piecing evidence together and sweeping the fief."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked around in concern. "If I may? On Samhein we discovered that there was a corrupted ley line near the fief. It will need to be purified as soon as possible to help curb the abilities of the dark Mages. If I recall correctly, the lay line was only partially corrupted, so it should be too bad to heal."

 

[BookWyrm]

"That ley line was dealt with." Japhet said as he looked over to Arryn. "A cleric cleared it not a week after you and Dayn left for the North."


"Which means that the coven has found a source of power for themselves in some other way." The inquisitor sighed heavily, clearly disturbed by this.

 

[Dragongal]

"They have to know that their shade was killed. So they have to know that we suspect them. I am willing to bet that they will try to keep a low profile for a while...." Arryn thought for a moment, before slowly adding, "is it possible that they had some cause in the beast not attacking during rain? Maybe their power source wasn't strong because of weather for some reason?"

 

[BookWyrm]

"Not much wants to move around during storm season." Dayn said as he sipped on some tea. "And the season is only starting. It is going to get worse."

 

[Dragongal]

"But what if their power source is actually affected by the storms? I mean, otherwise it would be a good time to attack because, as you said, not much wants to move around, and with the thunder and rain and darkness their attack wouldn't be easily seen."

 

[BookWyrm]

"Perhaps the wendigo was still holding on to some form of sentience?" Dayn looked at the inquisitor and nodded. It would make sense, especially knowing the skinchanger it once was. "The shade could have been used as a last minute measure to try and control it, but that still doesn't explain where the coven is drawing it's power from. Unless they have access to an unknown ley line they would have to be drawing from something."


The inquisitor paled slightly. "They could be performing black rituals to create a link to the void."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn thought for a few moments. She was secretly a little peeved that her idea had been written off so quickly, but that wasn't the point. "A ritual of that power would need powerful foci and potent regents, the most potent - and easiest to get - is the blood of an innocent. If we look at where people have gone missing, we might be able to guess where they are. I mean, if they take two from one village, one from another, and none from another, we can guess where they're closest to."

 

[BookWyrm]

"With the whole ordeal involving the plague it would have been easy to kidnap someone, even out from under watchful eyes. I'll get my men to work on sorting through the dead and trying to find any missing people, if there are any." The inquisitor nodded. "I'll need to travel back to my superiors. This might require more aid than I can provide alone. I'll send word back as soon as I can."


And with that the council ended. "I don't like this." Dayn growled as he pulled Arryn into an alley outside of the council chamber. "The fief is huge to begin with, and with neighboring fiefs or land, this coven could be anywhere. It doesn't help that the wendigo was here. I am under the impression that it was a distraction."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn nodded a bit. "It may have been. But if the work of the covern isn't finished, they'll need more innocents. So I would suggest telling your father to have every village elder in the area take a kind of roll-call every night." Arryn pressed her head into the crook of Dayn's neck. "Love, what I don't like is that more inquisitors are coming."

 

[BookWyrm]

"What worries me most is that it might not be just inquisitors." Dayn gave Arryn a tight hug and kissed her cheek. "I've never seen witch or daemon hunters before, but it is possible that they could be sent out."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn nodded a bit and returned the hug. "I hope it's not demons. I haven't any clue how to deal with a demon.... But hopefully, we'll be okay. Let's just get this all done quickly, before the full moon."

 

[BookWyrm]

Two weeks. "No guarantees hon."





Dayn sat in his room, listening to the rain patter against the roof, again. He had taken some time to shift and relax some. Even though they were in his family's home he felt comfortable enough to wolf behind his own closed doors.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn knocked quickly, then walked into the room and locked the door behind herself. "Well, the payment was sent to Rorich, with some extra gold. I told your father not to add any, but he wouldn't listen, especially after I told him that we were given the equipment on a discounted price. I sent a letter to it suggesting that a trade line be opened with Riverbend. We'll see how it goes." Arryn walked over to Dayn and gave him a quick hug, just because. She was glad to see that he could wolf once in a while in safety.

 

[BookWyrm]

<There isn't any use in arguing with the man. Once he gets his head set on something he does it.> Dayn let Arryn get sat down before curling up around her and laying his head in her lap. <I'm tired of running Arryn. I don't want to hide this any more, but I have to.>

 

[Dragongal]

"Love, I'm sure we could convince your father to keep quiet if we told him.... Japhet I don't know about. Maybe Hamish? He was your friend since childhood." Arryn leaned back against Dayn and slowly pet his head. "If your father knew, we could make excuses more easily."

 

[BookWyrm]

<Hamish would understand, maybe even da, but Japhet....> Ceo came around the corner and fuzzed up at the sight of Dayn. She turned sideways, her tail swishing back and forth, before skittering towards him and pawing at his head. Yet, when Ceo finally stopped and smelled of Dayn she purred, rubbed her face against him, and climbed on top of his head, curled up, and laid down.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled and pet Ceo for a bit before returning to petting Dayn. "Well Ceo knows where she stands on the issue, evidently. Here's what we can do. Get your da and Hamish in the room, and you tell them. I can put up a shield if they try to yell or run to tell someone."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn huddled closer and mewled. <Maybe later, closer to the full moon.> Lightning flashed close enough to light up the room for a few seconds before the thunder shook the manor. Ceo jumped off from Dayn's head and squeezed herself between he and Arryn.

 

[Dragongal]

"Alright, love. I understand." Arryn petted Ceo. "Hello kitty."