Fantasy Saga of the Nineteen Islands

[SilverFlight]

When everything went quiet, Keenan dared to open his eyes. He'd been encased in ice, though thanks to the magic of the shield he was free to move inside the little frozen bubble. The tail dug into his side, and where it had grasped him would be bruised, badly, but he remained intact.
One hard shove and the ice above his head broke. Using his shield as a battering ram he was able to break enough to slide through. Ice shards fell away from him as he moved stiffly back around the beast, taking in the massive spikes that has been it's doom. Isolde. He needed to find her.

She was crouched down by the broken ship, arms about her legs, shaking. He moved slowly as he approached and knelt down to touch her shoulder gently. His hair still held glittering shards of ice and there was frost on his breastplate, but he was beaming at her.
"You. Just saved my life." Dominaiscna

Elena tromped over, looking understandably put out by the loss of her ship. Keenan took in what she had to say.
"Let me set up a camp for my party, then I can comb the village for salvage we can use to repair your ship....do you have any idea what that creature was? Or why it was here?"
Baconhands

Keenan couldn't begin to guess, but he had an inkling it was all connected to these strange relics Kadri was after. Slowly he put out an arm and tried to coax Isolde to her feet.
"You heard what the captain said, the ship is unstable, and I think we've had enough excitement without adding explosions to it. Here, lean on me."
He looked up at the other members, "Destrian, can you bring that ruined sail? Perhaps we can make a stretcher for Oliver." The other lineage-less looked like he might fall over at any moment, Keenan wasn't sure he would make the trek to the abandoned village. Athanas Baconhands 11254man Dominaiscna

 

[Baconhands]

Kadri overhead what Keenan said, and suddenly her face became grim; she knew what this being was and in fact she had fought them before. Whether she should mention it was another question entirely. Would it make them angry? Maybe it would sow further distrust between her and her party - she hadn't been exactly open with them about information so far. Wouldn't it demonstrate leadership if she were to deliver information to them? Kadri sighed, figuring that it was the correct route to go; to hide information would be to endanger the others, something she felt incredibly guilty about.
"That... well... that was a creature... summoned from one of the Hells. They're drawn to places of conflict and death; where something terrible has happened. Any wandering souls that hadn't fully passed are easy prey for them; they feed on them and make themselves stronger. But... I doubt they will be the worse thing we will face in the future."
SilverFlight

 

[11254man]

Lone wolf was certainly not Oliver's preferred style of living, but the idea of magic flying every which way -- enough to kill a great deal of people, he surmised -- he couldn't help but be wary. However, magic was not on his mind. Nor was the relic, or his companions, or even the assassin they'd presumably left to cook. No. All that was on his mind was the beast, who was dead without Oliver's knowing. He tried to move to his feet, but found quickly his legs had decided on betraying him. He had to defeat it, whatever it was. He saw a sword pierce it, and it had done more than enough to him to deserve some sort of recompense. It would no doubt be coming towards him now, and it was Oliver's job to stop it from doing so. All he had to do was get to his feet.
It was in the middle of this bout of rather confused preparation that a figure ( Baconhands ) appeared over him. Oliver did his best to muster up a swipe of his arm. This would be a rather terrifying force, should he have had enough energy. In reality, his attack was little more than him weakly throwing his arm out to his side.

 

[Athanas]

Destrian had been half-expecting tricks from the monster when he attacked it. Thus, when the arm dislodged itself from the main, he rolled to the side, raising his shortsword in the air, poised to strike...
And then the arm just fell limp. Destrian found himself staring in awe as the monstrosity was obliterated by what seemed to be Ice magic. A glance at Isolde was all that it took for him to figure out that this was in fact her doing. If he were honest with himself, he had to admit that that kind of destructive power was not something he had associated with frost. He made a mental note to be even more weary of Isolde, if she ever got the point of being suspicious of him.


His train of thought was cut short however, when he witnessed Isolde crumble to the ground. Fearing for the worst, he rushed to her side, but soon realized that she was merely tired from the exertion of energy. While he estimated that she would live, he decided to give her some aid in recuperating. Sheathing his shortsword, he instead drew the knife, Performing a minor incision on his palm. A small stream of purple energy surged forth, converging at his fingertips. He tried to ignore the fact that both of his arms were shaking( A very bad sign), and instead merely clasped Isolde's palm, redirecting the stream into her own body. It wasn't too much, but it would certainly aid her. When he grabbed her, however, he couldn't help but notice that she felt rather cold. Or maybe that was just him, as he was quite warm after the encounter-in fact, if one didn't know any better, they might suspect him of having a fever, what with the trembling arms, and increase in heat.

Stopping this train of thought(he had to come to terms about the danger of being found out, anyway), he spoke:"I think you'll live. Real good job on that beast. Just be careful not to kill yourself next time, eh?"

He nodded at Keenan when he asked him to bring the ruined sail. He had no idea what a "stretcher" was, but he figured Keenan was better at non-magical healing than he was, so there was no reason to question this request. as he wrapped the remains of the sail into a ball, so that they could be transported, he asked Kadri, trying to get an understanding of what she meant:"So, this village has been wiped recently? By what? Raiders?"

This village was quite far from Volk, and therefore his crew couldn't be the one that had raided it... But that certainly didn't mean there was no chance that a few desperate souls would have wound up in this area, too. Still contemplating on that possibility, he dropped the sail at Keenan's feet:"Here. I can help staunch the bleeding, but I'm afraid that's all I can do in my condition. Just make him able to survive for half a day more or so, and I'll patch him up then."

Baconhands Dominaiscna 11254man SilverFlight

 

[Baconhands]

Elena's attention turned to working on the ship, without another word to the others. Soon enough, while she was back on the deck of it, she scolded Gwen for her misdirection and then went below the deck. Tinkering noises, clattering and the general sounds of clamor abounded as the scarred woman apparently set to work trying to repair the downed vessel, despite the time of day.
Oliver's attempt at a swipe at Kadri was easily dodged by a quick step back. He could be delusional - she had no way to tell whatsoever how much blood the non-lineaged had lost and whether his wound would be fatal. She'd never bothered to study biology; simply put, it was always a subject she never thought she would ever need when magic healing was available. Now she was regretting this decisions. "Oliver, it's Kadri. You're going to need to rest now." She said as calmly as she could, noticing the makeshift stretcher. Her voice betrayed her somewhat; this hadn't happened before, what was she supposed to say? "Then we'll see if we can remove that crossbow bolt and one of us can help heal you. If you've got a preference as to who'll heal you, you need to mention it. Not that you'll be aware... really... or have a choice I suppose."
11254man
As Destrian questioned her, she took a couple of steps away from Oliver but kept an ever watchful eye on him as she answered the lineaged of Awramaar's questions, "Recently. Maybe. Most tend to hang around one spot for decades; there method of hunting is... gruesome... that barbed tail can breach the planes of existence - any lingering souls caught by it are... injected with a venom that slowly paralyzes and slowly rots away at the soul. The goodness, the innocence... all of that is devoured... what is left is the darkness which is chained in eternal servitude to whatever master summoned the creature to the material plane."
Athanas
She took a pause and started walking towards the decimated village, and the party straggled along behind, supporting the injured and the exhausted. The building they took refuge in was a single story home with a wooden roof and walls made of salt rocks and decorated with symbols of strange deities. The floor was initially teeming with scorpions and snakes, but when Kadri disturbed them they all fled towards the centre of... a crater? It was apparent that some form of powerful magic had completely destroyed the village and had probably taken out a lot of its original inhabitants.
Suspicious, Kadri looked to Keenan and Destrian. "Right... Keenan, can you come with me? I just want to make sure this place is... secure before we get too comfortable. Destrian, please keep an eye on our injured... maybe try to get them both back to fighting strength if you can. I doubt we're going to be alone here and... I don't want death to be on my conscience at all."
SilverFlight Dominaiscna 11254man Athanas

 

[SilverFlight]

Keenan couldn't help but smile at Destrian's jab at Isolde. Why was it that after a near-death experience everything seemed much funnier?
It did not take them long to organize. Keenan gratefully accepted Desrian's offer to help quell Oliver's bleeding. The wound would need stitches now regardless, but that needed hot water, which needed a fire.
Dominaiscna Athanas
Dragging Oliver on the sail made it only slightly easier to bring him into the shelter they had found. Once there Keenan laid him out on a bedroll and stripped back his armour and clothes so the wound could breathe. He had watched the slithering masses warily, taking note of their unified direction of retreat. That wasn't normal surely.
"If you could get a fire going and put some water on to boil," he produced the water skin and a small metal pot from the supplies he had brought, "I'll see to removing the bolt and closing that wound."
After that he brought out the dried meat, beans and mushrooms along with a small pouch of powered bone broth. "And if anyone can cook. We should probably eat something."
Keenan could, passably, but Kadri had summoned him for scouting. It was a good idea, even if we was disinclined to leave the drained and injured members of their party alone.
"Blue, stand guard."
The dog, who had reappeared very shortly after the creature had fallen padded into the building, investigating the current state of each party member with a few definitive sniffs before going to the door to sit. Keenan hadn't seen Blue in the chaos of the fight, but when he had cast about for her he had found the animal with a large piece of white bone in her mouth which he could only guess had come off the creature. She had been defensive about a spot on her side, which lead him to conclude she'd been struck and bruised, but otherwise she looked well.
The former knight rose, shield in hand, and followed her diligently out into the receding light.
Dominaiscna Athanas 11254man Baconhands

"You seem to know a bit about these monsters." He remarked casually once they were out of earshot. Then, after a few moments he decided to drop the pretenses.
"I can't say I have a lot of faith in this quest. Even from the little I've seen I can tell the five of us are out of our depth." He turned to face her seriously.
"But, I think that what you decided to do, about the relics. It was brave. Suicidal perhaps, but brave and so," He drew his sword and turned the tip down into the dusty ground, holding the pommel in both hands as he knelt. "You have my blade. Until your task is done, or I am no longer able to defend you."
Keenan was no longer a knight. He knew this, however the code he'd sworn still felt apart of him. He had committed himself to this cause, he would see it through.
Baconhands

 

[11254man]

Oliver was keeping a vague grip on reality. His body was signaling him to fade off into sleep, though his mind refused to do so. So there he lay, in a half state of half-consciousness, blood quietly seeping from his arm at a rather alarming rate. He was sweating a great deal -- even for the heat of the flats. This, coupled with the loss of blood via the now rather large gash in his arm, left him even more disoriented by way of dehydration. Even with a foot currently out of the present reality, however, Oliver gave no trouble to those trying to assist him. He had a feeling someone was helping him -- either that or he was dead. Oliver had conviction, but he knew his limits, and he knew they'd been met. That left three plausible outcomes: Either the party had defeated the beast, and were healing them. They'd left him to rot out by the flats (this option was the one he assumed least likely,) or they were all killed by the beast which had incapacitated him. Whatever the case, there was little he could do to change one possibility to the other. So there he lay, doing little more than gritting his teeth and trying his best to keep quiet towards any sudden jolt of pain
SilverFlight Baconhands Athanas

 

[Baconhands]

Know a lot? Kadri wasn't so sure about that; knowing more than average about a very niche subject... was that knowing a lot? Her opinion of Keenan took a very dramatic turn downwards when he admitted to having no faith in this quest despite the fact that nobody had died... yet. Kadri was horrified at herself for such a thought - had she already become willing to sacrifice others to ensure the artefacts were kept in safe hands? Her answer, simply, was yes - she had to be willing to accept such a heavy weight to ensure there was balance. It didn't make her feel any less guilty about the thought of it, however.
The lineaged was shaken from her thoughts when Keenan knelt in front of her, presenting his blade to her, pledging himself to her protection. She was shocked, surprised and... a little flustered, her cheeks changing pigment, out of embarrassment more than anything else. She wandered how long she was supposed to let him kneel - was she supposed to take his blade? Was there a formal way she was supposed to respond? Regally? Her eyes went wide and she shook her head free from the thoughts.
Entirely ungracefully, she beckoned Keenan to rise. "Um... well. Thank you. And... I promise... not to bring you dishonour during your service. And... well... what am I supposed to say? Urgh, am I supposed to confide secrets in you? Are you bound to my soul? She quickly interrogated him, her eyes betraying that she was very much annoyed with this motion. Not the sentiment, but the formality. Here. Of all places. Letting out a long sigh, Kadri looked down to the ground and noticed, rather peculiarly, that the one of the symbols engraved in the amulet hanging from her neck was emitting a black aura. This symbol was of two eyes, though the irises and the pupils were merged together.
Kadri's eyes widened before she looked at Keenan, "Look, Keenan. It means we're near it! Um... right! So... a cave entrance... or a tunnel or!"
She paused, thinking to the state of Isolde and Oliver. When she spoke again, her voice was devoid of the excited energy, "We should wait to look for it in the morning. I think... well, we might need all of our strength to get to it."
Another stop in her speech; she was still clearly out of her depth. "Keenan... since your like my... knight at arms, so to speak. Does this mean you should be privy to more information than the others?"
SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Keenan looked up from his place in the dust, a little troubled that he had confused her so.
"Heavens, I only meant that you have my loyalty. On my honour, I will not betray you." He rose slowly, sheathing his weapon and went to stand beside her. He raised an eyebrow as he played the last of her questions in his mind: "'bound to your soul'?" He repeated, amused by the thought. "Let's hope not."
He was teasing her, and he hoped she wouldn't take it seriously. She seemed flustered, and unused to the protocol of a pledge of honour. This amused him further.
"Um, is something wrong with your pendant?" The aura had caught Keenan's eyes at the same time it had caught Kadri's. Her excitement caught him off guard, but only for a moment.
"You mean another relic? We're close?"
He cast about the dusty ruins, "I believe I saw the entrance to a mine shaft in the distance over there." He gestured into a set of low hills not far from where they stood. "But you are right to wait, if that creature was any measure of coming challenges, then we will definitely need the others."
Keenan was taken aback by Kadri's next question, and he wasn't sure how to answer it.
"I...er, I think, if it pertains to the safety of the group, then it is information we all should know, but if telling many people will put them or yourself in danger, then limiting those who know is the best course."
But now he was curious. "What information?"
Baconhands

 

[Dominaiscna]

At the feeling of a hand on her shoulder, Isolde flinched though stilled as she tilted her head forward and her blue eyes opened to Keenan's solemn grey ones. For a moment, there was clarity in all the slow, sluggishness and exhaustion within her mind as she looked into his eyes, glimmering, soft and bright against the blaring glare of the desert around them. A sure sign of life. A confirmation of his words to her.

He was smiling, she realized as she took in the rest of his face, in a similar manner to Kadri only moments before. Isolde once again did not know how to respond, but managed a smile, one that was stronger and surer than before. Her gaze flickered past him to the rest of their group who were in various states of healthiness and consciousness... but very much alive.

Before she was too traumatized to look around, but now she understood Kadri's happiness at her actions, at what she had done. Her powers had not hurt anyone this time... She had used her magic to destroy... to end and kill something... but it had been for the safety of her comrades.

At the sound of a voice, Isolde turned her head to see Elena, reporting that the ship would be grounded for quite a while and she prepared to have it up and running in the next 36 hours. She directed their attention to the village they'd crashed by and suggested that they go seek shelter there. Though Isolde had a bad feeling about the ruins, she did not resist Keenan's help as he supported her to her feet and let her lean on him, murmuring a soft "Thank you..." though she was unsure of whether he would hear her.
SilverFlight

Just then, Destrian approached. Though Isolde tensed as the man neared, she couldn't help feel a little ashamed at her own nervousness once she had taken in his rather... beaten up appearance. The poor man had sacrificed a lot of his own health to help heal the others. As he grabbed her hand, magic forming in his own, she realized what he was doing and made to refuse his help. However, she had barely enough energy to stand, even with Keenan's support, and could only weakly attempt to tug back her own hand.

He was shaking badly and his hands were hot to touch as they gripped her own icy cold one. To see him in such a bad condition while still trying to help others... Isolde felt undeniably moved. Within seconds, she felt a small dose of magic flood into her body from the spot where Destrian's fingers touched the palm of her hand. It wasn't much.. but she felt better, livelier and more energized than she was before. At least now she could manage standing and walking on her own.

"Thank you... Destrian..." she said softly, dipping her head forward. There was nothing she could do for him or any of them at that moment... perhaps once they found shelter, she could help patch them up.
Athanas

As the group made their way towards the village through the blaring white sands of the desert, Isolde spent most of her time with one hand covering her face while her other hand helped carry whatever supplies she could manage. With her eyes generally half closed, her mind focused on the information her ears were gathering from the conversations around them. Somewhere up ahead, she heard Kadri talk about the village. This reminded of something she had heard earlier... of how the monster they had fought.. it was a type of creature that was drawn to and lingered in places where terrible events had happened. She wondered at what could have happened to summon such a nightmarish thing...

As they walked through the village, Isolde's eyes roved over the ruins, drinking in every detail. There was something about the place... the broken and dusted laden structures... the details on the floor and walls.. the very air itself... it made her uneasy though she swallowed her nervousness. Looking around, she followed the skittering of desert creatures as they made their way to hide in something like an enormous crater, nearby the house Kadri had chosen. The hole was so big that years of wind and sand could not have covered it over.

At this, Isolde's uneasiness increased as a slight chill registered in the air. Undoubtedly, it was the work of magic... she couldn't imagine what had caused such destruction to such a large portion of the village. Quickly, she followed the others into the house, pushing the image of the crater out of her mind. "I ... I will help with the fire and water..." she offered, kneeling down beside the supplies. Some time during that, Blue had sniffed at her, most likely to check for wounds, though before Isolde could reach out her hand to the dog, she had moved on to another person. So instead, Isolde focused on sifting through their supplies. She needed wood.. or something good to burn. Then they would have a fire.
11254man Baconhands

 

[Athanas]

Destrian was having considerable trouble holding himself together. He had literally drained every last ounce of his energy in an attempt to keep both his injured/exhausted companions standing. With his adrenaline now fading, he collapsed on the ground just as soon as Kadri and Keenan left his sight. He laid there for several seconds, unable to do anything but Breathe Heavily for several moments.

"Downtime's over Destrian. Get up and start tending to your crew"
Destrian audibly sighed. He had very often wished that his mind would stop pestering him. Didn't he have the right to be exhausted? Because, by rights, he was.
"No, you dolt, you don't have that right. She's frightened beyond belief and the Knight is on Death's door. If you don't get up right now, They're bound to do something stupid. And hey, what better way to gain their trust by tending to them in this time of need?"
Destrian sighed again.No rest for the wicked, eh?. Focusing on his powers once more, he tried to give himself a boost of energy, like he had done so many times before. He felt a tremendous spike in heat as he did so: The side effect of trying to use his powers when exhausted meant that the energy would have to come off his own pain. And, as he knew all too well, When the pain was too high, his mind snapped, sending him into a frenzy. He stomached the pain as silently as he could, Praying that the others would not notice his utter discomfort.

Finally, with an agonized growl, he jumped to his feet, feeling sharp burning in his chest, arms shaking. He was right at the breaking point: If one so much as yelled at him, there was a grand probability he would snap. The glow on his scales was now actually bright enough to be faintly visible through his own clothing, and every single one of his actions were rushed and trembling, as the adrenaline made patient, careful movements impossible.

Still, he could now stand. His limbs actually had some energy behind them. He had taken a big risk by pulling this stunt, but his companions were still breathing, so it had paid off.
First, Oliver. A quick check revealed that the bleeding had ceased. Pulling a Waterskin from his belt, he put it on Oliver's lips, allowing him to drink. Making sure he didn't die of dehydration was pretty much the only thing he could do for him right now. Even something as minor as creating a spark might drive him to go berserk.
"You're gonna be fine buddy. You're not bleeding, and the wound doesn't look infected. I'll treat you as soon as I've rested a bit"
removing the waterskin from Oliver's lips, he closed it and tossed it to Isolde."The rest's yours. Just don't throw it away once you've emptied it, we might need it."

Next, cooking: Destrian would try an old cooking technique that a fellow bandit had once taught him in his earlier days. Using the hilt of his shortsword, he began to dig a small hole in the ground. Once he was done, he would use some of the scrap wood from the wreckage(Merely glaring at Elena if she were to attempt to complain about this), and filled the hole with them. Seeing that Isolde was at least trying to help, he instructed her:"About 3 sticks is all we lack. Try to find at least one pointy one, too. We'll make a spit in order to roast the meat Keenan has left."

 

[Baconhands]

Kadri's eyes looked reluctant for a moment, and suddenly she was on guard. He was pressing her for information? Was he some sort of spy that had infiltrated the group before they left? Of course this was a possibility... but it was likely induced by a wave of paranoia and worry that spiraled into her consciousness, where it settled as an unending lake of questions and doubts. If the artefact was nearby, what would that mean? Were there dragons nearby? Who would get the artefact? With Aezi out of commission, for the time being, how would they get the artefact to a safe place? Taking in a deep breath, Kadri let out a long sigh - trust. She needed trust. How could she expect her companions to trust her unless she trusted them? The paranoia, though still present, subsided temporarily and Kadri reached around in her bag, taking out a small silver ring. Etchings marked it in a blueish-green and in its center was a sapphire. On closer inspection, the ring was meant to look like a dragon, with the sapphire as its eye. Kadri felt she didn't need to explain what it meant - Keenan clearly had some form of noble background and would recognize such an accessory for what it represented.
"I don't want the others knowing about this, okay? Honestly, the artefact has given me more trouble then it will ever be worth and the responsibilities of it... aren't exactly something I ever wanted... even though only a few months ago I wanted exactly what it gave me."
She paused, "If the information you seek is more about the creatures, then it would be best revealed when the rest of the group is around to hear it. We should head back anyway, this place is... ominous." Kadri said, looking towards the crater, "I've only ever seen a few spells that could do such damage - whatever did the damage must have come from one of the natives. No settlements exist this far from the coast."
A skittering noise crackled beneath Kadri's feet and the lineaged jumped and recoiled instinctively. It had been a scorpion, also fleeing to the centre of the crater. Before another word could be said, she turned and started heading back to the temporary shelter, putting the ring back in to her bag.
SilverFlight

Upon returning, Kadri cast her eyes around - Oliver, Destrian and Isolde looked beaten up, bloodied and bruised. Not necessarily physically, but certainly mentally. She took in a breath, let out a slow exhale and sat next to what she assumed was an attempt at a fire place.
"Right... so, I suppose I should properly introduce myself now that we have a moment and explain what we're up against. My name is Kadri. I'm lineaged, of Arbuzs. Since I found the artefact, I've been hunted by a group called the Triumvirate. I don't know their motivations for wanting me dead but they're not the only thing coming after the artefacts. A lich has also been hunting them, and has come close to killing me before. Her motivations... seem to be concerning the Aspect Dragons. She can summon creatures like the one we fought just now and much worse, and she can also bringing back long dead creatures to do her bidding. We're essentially... racing them to get to the artefacts. Against the Triumvirate, we're miles ahead, since the only way they can find the artefacts is by tracking me. The lich is... different. I think. I don't really have information on her... I've encountered her several times but the only words she's ever imparted have been hushed or whispered before undead have followed in her wake."
She stopped to let everyone take it in, suddenly realizing how abrupt she'd been with the information. She also noticed she hadn't looked anyone in the eye while talking - this was bound to make her seem more trustworthy! Looking up from the ground, Kadri continued, her speech slower and more purposeful, "Tomorrow, we'll be heading underground to find the next artefact, once you are all well rested. There will be dragons down there, and I doubt it won't be trapped. Um... that's basically the short form of the information."
Dominaiscna Athanas 11254man SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Keenan recognized the mark of a noble house of Volk ( Baconhands ) . "That would explain the inexperience." He said without thinking. "Forgive me, that was rude. I am sure you've extended to the best of your abilities, and you have my word, I will not speak of your origin to the others."
Keenan did want to know more about the creatures, an any other danger they were likely to face. he followed Kadri back to camp where the fire pit was taking good form.
He instructed Blue to scavenge more wood, which she did with unbridled enthusiasm, and despite being slightly damp in places the wood she found was ideal. Blue however insisted on bringing them to Isolde ( Dominaiscna ) and dropped them at her feet every time she returned.
Keenan nearly dropped his flint when Kadri mentioned the lich as casually as if she were mentioning an irritable neighbor. "You knew there would be monsters like that?"
He asked, more loudly than he needed to. Pressing his thumb and forefinger against his forehead he rose slowly.
"Kadri. I can't protect you, we can't protect you if you withhold information precisely like that. You realize if it hadn't been for Isolde's magic we could have all been killed!"
Keenan felt badly letting his temper get the better of him, but the fresh memory of being squeezed by the tail of that creature until he couldn't breathe goaded him on.
"Knowing what you're walking into can mean the difference between life and death in battle. You need to respect that, and your team. So no more secrets about the dangers we are facing. Tell us everything."
He turned from her to attend the fire pit, letting his words sit in the air.
Before long there was a blazing fire in the pit and Keenan was boiling the small cauldron filled with water from their canteens.
With hot water and the medical supplies from the pack he approached Oliver ( 11254man ) slowly. Dressing the man's wounds took time but with water and cloth, needle and thread he closed the wound and for good measure, took a small flask of brandy from a pouch at his waste, treating the new stitches with a good few drops before handing the flask to Oliver. "You need it more than I do." He told the man as soon as Oliver came consciously back to them.

He fixed the meal in silence too, as the others tended to the meat he made a small bean soup with the rest of the water in the cauldron, spooning it out into wooden bowls. His portion of meat he gave to Blue who stopped fetching wood long enough to inhale the meal before returning to the task.
Keenan sat down beside Isolde as the fire crackled in front of them. He offered her a bowl of the soup.
"Using magic like that must have drained you." He said quietly, trying to find something else to talk about besides their neat-death experience that afternoon. "Does it snow much where you're from?"
Dominaiscna

Athanas

 

[Dominaiscna]

Isolde had been sifting through the supplies when a waterskin landed in front of her. Tentatively, she picked the item up, looking in the direction it had come from. It seems that Destrian had tossed it to her to use. Judging by the way he was standing near Oliver, she could only assume that he had been keeping an eye on the other man... though he was not in all that great a condition himself.

Wordlessly, she turned her attention back to figuring out how to make a fire... Unfortunately, she only really had experience in cooking and medicine, the usual chores she had did around the house so her survival skills were rather lacking. However, while she was wondering what to do, her eyes flickered to Destrian as he began digging a whole in the hard, sandy ground of the house with the hilt of his shortsword. Once he'd successfully dug out a big enough hole, he had given her instructions to scavenge for some sticks with which to cook the food.

However, Isolde made no move to go searching, instead edging a little closer to the larger man. She had been watching him, though from a distance, as he was working and saw how his body shook with every action. One would have to be blind to now see that Destrian was pushing himself to his limit and was purposefully exhausting himself so as to leave less work for the rest of them. However...his condition was causing her to become incredibly concerned; especially what with the ominous glow of magic through the cloth of his shirt. He seemed to be getting increasingly unstable.

Worriedly, Isolde reached out a tentative hand to get his attention, cold fingers brushing the skin of his arm before her palm made contact. "Destrian..." she said softly with a slight shake in her voice, her lips pulling into a weak smile, "... please don't push yourself too much...I can handle things here." He seemed like he could be impulsive under stress, she would have to handle things carefully as if she were talking to one of the healer's patients...she had to keep him calm. Without realizing it, she unconsciously tickle ice magic into Destrian's body from where her hand touched his skin, her mind's thoughts causing her magic to act on its own. "It's not that I don't appreciate your help... really but, it might be best for you to get some rest, for your own sake..." she continued, voice low, "...after all, there may not be many chances to rest and rejuvenate in the near future if we get attacked again...and we need everyone in good condition so, please Destrian?"

A sound pulled her attention away from Destrian and her eyes settled on Blue who had brought a stick and dropped it at her feet. Despite her still being mentally worn out and shaken from the previous battle, hints of a real smile pulled at Isolde's lips at the sight of the dog. She reached out, breaking contact with Destrian, to rub Blue on the head before the dog returned to her stick collecting duties. As she watched the Blue go, Isolde's eyes flickered from the firepit to Destrian. "I am serious though... do go take a break, even if just for a little while. We will be fine, don't worry..." she tried to reassure, the remnants of her actual smile still on her lips. Athanas

As if not giving him a choice, Isolde began busying herself with preparing the fire place with the sticks Blue had given. She continued with her work as Kadri and Keenan returned from scouting, lifting her head as Kadri addressed the group. She spoke of the dangers that they would undoubtedly face if they were to continue to search for relics. Isolde would be lying if she had said that she was not scared. After their encounter earlier, she couldn't imagine fighting again... and again and again, all just to survive. However, there was no turning back, at least not for her. With Aezi being out of commission, going home was no longer an option. She would have to fight it out with the rest of the group. At least... at least she had found what she was looking for. Someone who could help her with her magic. Kadri. Baconhands

At Keenan's sudden outburst, Isolde's eyes shot to him. He indeed had a point when it came to transparency within the group. If they were to stay as a group and survive together, they needed trust. However, she couldn't help focus on something other than his words. She was sitting opposite him by the fire place so as he turned to work on making a fire, Isolde his expression from lowered eyes. She could never imagine such an expression on his usually calm and gentle face... however, with what he had been through just that day... Isolde wondered if magic, if she, might have contributed to his frustration... SilverFlight

After that, Isolde distracted herself by helping out just about wherever she could. However, most of the time, she found herself keeping an eye on Oliver's condition. The poor man was out cold... but at least he was stabilized. Hopefully, he would come to soon... it was important that he got some food into his system so that he could get better quicker. 11254man

A little while later, Isolde found herself gravitating towards the fire again, settling down close to the pit... the warmth of the flames had always provided her with a sense of comfort. She drew her knees to her chest as she looked into the fire, her eyes reflecting the flickering flames - mind wondering to the events of the day. However, she was drawn out of her thoughts as someone sat down beside her - Keenan. In his hands, he offered a bowl of soup which she tentatively accepted, giving him a slight smile. As she took a sip of the hot liquid, Keenan addressed her. His choice of topic... made her nervous so she took a little while to put the bowl down.

"... mmm, it tastes nice..." she murmured softly, at first not answering his question. Her eyes flickered to him for a split second before going to the fire. Truth be told, she didn't know what to tell him...The Salts, Frost Veil, East Volk...where was she from? "...no, it's always warm and tropical on the coast, even in winter, so there is rarely snow." A moment of silence descended as she realized that she practically shut down the conversation. "...and uh, and you Keenan?" SilverFlight

 

[Baconhands]

Keenan's outburst initially caught Kadri off guard and as the silence settled the lineaged took a moment to regain her composure. As the fire started, she looked into it, watching the flames dance, her expression contemplative. Yet she knew Keenan wouldn't let her enjoy the quiet for long. Kadri decided to speak before another outburst came at her, though she did little to hide the spite that initially came to her voice. "You say that like I'm purposefully trying to get you killed, as if you were expecting normal enemies to fight on this quest. Such childish expectations from someone I thought would be a bit wiser." She looked the former knight directly in the eye, her own a tempest of swirling blacks and greys, "Tell me when I should have told you. In the tavern? Oh wait, I recall getting shot in the damn shoulder! On the ship? Oh! Again, didn't have time for an explanation then since Aezi was gutted by that devil! But sure: I've been hiding information! Hiding information to get the people who willingly came with me to find ancient magical artefacts killed before they can even help me." The lineaged paused. She took in a shaky, meditative breath before she spoke again, "Right, you want to know what we're walking in to, that's fair enough. On the mortal side - the Triumvirate. We've encountered one of their agents. I seriously know little about them except that they're headed by three leaders who go by the aliases of the Bear, the Raven and the Snake. Their symbol is a mixture of the three - a bear's claw, a raven's feather and a snake's eye. On the other side is the lich. She's... well... undead. She can summon undead. She's after the artefacts for some reasons concerning the Aspect Dragons. Since she woke from some sort of slumber, creatures like the one we just fought have appeared more frequently - drawn to the death left in her wake across remote areas."
Kadri paused looking around, "Remote areas like this... where the governments of the world won't bother her since this is too small a place for them to worry about. It's possible she came through recently, resurrected the bodies and the creature followed, feasting on the souls left behind."
Kadri paused, realizing it was a lot of information. She knew she should mention one more thing before she stopped though this was far from the full extent of her knowledge, "And dragons. There will be dragons. Big ones, smart ones, dumb ones, fire breathing ones, acid spitting ones etcetera. That's the information that I know."
SilverFlight Athanas Dominaiscna 11254man

Elena did very much glare at Destrian for taking parts of her ship for fire wood - if he had asked politely, maybe he could have used some crates from her cargo hold, but he didn't ask, and thus, she didn't care to give him the option - besides it was far too late to dissuade him from using the ship as his new fire fuel. Elena listened to the lineaged from Volk prattle on about the undead skeptically, her eyes constantly drawn to the rest of this party. Security, she thought, to protect the ship. Not a half bad idea - plus she could milk money out of them throughout their trip. Why not? She mentally grinned. Steady pay for a long period of time? Sounded like a good idea to her.
Her voice couldn't get any more honest or suave as she spoke, an act she had rehearsed for many years, "Right, so, sounds like you will all need some transport to get around. Once I patch her up, my ship will be fast enough for all your needs. We've got places to sleep on there, I know a bit of alchemy - I can patch up more than just ships you know - and provided there's a bit of investment from the passengers, we could survive a hit from one of those creatures no problem. I've got contacts across the colonies and friends in high places - I can get us permits and whatnots wherever you need to go! So I volunteer my services, provided that I am fairly compensated to your cause!"

 

[SilverFlight]

Keenan listened to the rising emotion in Kadri's voice as she answered him angrily. He could only give her an impatient look at the end. "Are you finished?" He asked, not bothering to conceal his irritation. He didn't see the point in pressing the argument however. "Your inexperience is very clear. That's not much to plan with." Keenan was done with being tactful for today, but even as he thought it his temper cooled. "But I'll use what I know about dragons and the caves to help devise the best way forward. You should get some sleep." His tone became a little more gentle. "Today was taxing on all of us."
Baconhands

Turning back to Isolde with a weary and apologetic smile he attempted to answer her next.
"My home is cold and rainy most of the time, but every now and then, in winter, it snows. I love snow." He began to relax a bit more, leaning back against the ruined wood beam of the house they had taken shelter in. Blue had grown tired of her stick fetching game and gone to lie down by Keenan, looking up forlornly at his bowl of soup.
"I used to get so excited when it snowed, one because that meant lessons were cancelled, and two because there was so much you could do in it! My brothers and I used to slide down the hill on our shields, and play on the frozen pond, or make monster armies out of snow to fight in our pretend battles."
He thought back to the real battle they had just fought, something that would be plaguing him for days to come. "Funny, when we set out I had resolved to protect you from what we would face, but you ended up protecting me."
Dominaiscna

 

[Athanas]

Destrian was so preoccupied with keeping his magic in check that he took no notice of Isolde watching him. However, as his nerves were rather on-edge from the adrenaline, he actually jumped a little when Isolde's hand made contact with his own. He looked up at her, a quizzical look forming on his face. Making a visible effort to focus on her words, he realized that she was trying to get him to calm down. He winced at the realization that his stunt looked much more alarming than he had originally hoped. Still, stubborn as he was, he made an effort to reassure her:"Don't you worry, Isolde. I can pull through. It's just that..."

Then Isolde's magic began to take effect. He felt a wave of cold washing over him-but unlike the previous time, where the cold was painful, this feeling was a lot more soothing. Destrian could feel his own heat diminishing, and the pain along with it. Closing his eyes, he allowed this wonderful sensation to overtake him for a few seconds, enjoying this brief moment of calm. Sadly for him, his vigor vanished alongside the pain, Leaving him barely able to stand. Looking back up at Isolde, he cracked a smile, his features softening:"You...You're probably right. I can barely stand at this point. If this keeps on, This group will have two people that need carrying. heh."

He actually laughed weakly at his own joke, his smile widening slightly. He watched as Isolde continued working on the fireplace. By the looks of it, she wasn't completely clueless, as he had initially feared. Although it wasn't his best suit, he decided to try his hand at expressing gratitude:"Thanks for looking out for me. I sometimes try a little too much, that much's certain. Whatever you did... Well, without my chest feeling like it's about to burst, I might actually be able to get some proper rest... And.."
And sleep without hearing their agonized pleas as I set their homes on fire, said his mind, but Destrian managed to catch himself before he voiced that part

It was at this point that Kadri and Keenan returned. Kadri made an effort to explain their situation and the obstacles they would have to face. However, Keenan seemed visibly upset that Kadri would withhold information. Destrian wanted to make a point that they did not have time for a proper briefing, but Kadri raced him to that. Instead he just accepted the bowl of soup witha cheerful nod, and set to devouring it with the appetite of a man who had eaten barely anything at all for the past two days. As he ate,he voiced a question of his own to Kadri:"Don't the stories speak of Dragons having the ability to reason? Maybe we can strike a deal with one? Perhaps he can be convinced to abandon his post for a massive sum of gold?"

Turning to Keenan, he decided to share his views on the mentality that should be followed: After all, he had beat the odds countless times, although the ex-soldier might find himself hard-pressed to take risks. He had seen this attitude in Knights and Lawmen before, after all.
"Keenan, if you want my advice, you shouldn't think about it too much: Planning is fine, and is actually very beneficial. But don't delve too deep or else you might start having doubts. And with doubts comes cowardice. Instead, try having faith in your ability-and in our ability-. You saw how brutally effective Isolde can be when given a moment. Kadri might also have some tricks up her sleeve. Just think that we destroyed a fucking spawn from Hell without anyone getting as much as a scratch!-Well, Oliver doesen't count, because of him being already wounded. I guess what I'm trying to say is: If thinking reveals that the problem might be too large, then just stop thinking. Your brain does have the tendency to make threats seem more menacing than they are."

Baconhands SilverFlight Dominaiscna 11254man

 

[11254man]

Oliver grit his teeth, having regained enough sense to recognize he'd not, in fact, been left for dead. He knew this was going to be less than pleasant -- He'd been treated for things like this in the past. Well, perhaps not quite to this degree, but stitches none the less had come in and out of his life with startling frequency. Even with a deal of practice, and a deal of mental preparation, he couldn't help but sputter air through clenched teeth. The brandy -- a finishing touch Oliver was unprepared for -- sent a scream out of him. He lay there afterwards for a deal of time, his head aimed at the ceiling and his breaths evening out by the minute. However, Oliver's arm stayed limp at his side, no matter how much he urged himself to raise it. Too late, perhaps, to save its movement for the time being, but hopefully enough to save the arm itself. So he kept on his silent recuperation. It was at this point -- perhaps a dozen or so minutes after the procedure had completed -- that Oliver was able to grasp the world as it was. The first smell he'd had the attention to observe was a pleasant one: food. "I hope you don't mind..." Oliver sputtered, weakly. He spoke to no one in particular, and there was a marked pause before he was able to bring himself to complete the thought, "If I ask one of you to hand me a portion of whatever's cooking over there." He managed a smirk past that, though little more. Baconhands Athanas SilverFlight Dominaiscna

 

[Baconhands]

Inexperienced. Did Keenan know any other word to describe her? Kadri mentally sighed; he was correct to an extent, and that made the lineaged even more annoyed. Would he not listen to her any more due to this lack of experience? What would this mean for the future of the party? If Keenan were to constantly sow division by questioning her authority to lead... Kadri shook her head free of the thoughts - she knew she was completely overthinking this and ultimately resolved to let the matter drop for now. She would bring it up later, but for now she stored the information in the back of her mind, one word continuing to play over and over again: inexperienced.
Destrian soon came to her defense also but Kadri didn't continue on any of his points, though she glanced in his direction and gave him a small smile of appreciation. His question about the intelligence of dragons was puzzling - in her experience, the dragons she'd encountered had been intelligent, at least all of them could speak, but some were more brutish and more savage than others. The green ones were sly and manipulative, much like their sire; in fact all of the dragons followed a similar personality to the Aspects that they were closely aligned with.
"Well... yes, I would imagine that some would accept a bribe. Whether we exactly have the resources to be able to do such a thing, I'm not sure. Personally, I believe making a deal with such a creature would be unwise. Being indebted to a creature with a personality none of us can predict would be a bad move, I believe."
Athanas
She yawned - Keenan had been correct, she was tired. However, another pressing issue came to mind. "Once we've acquired the artefact, I must insist that it is turned over to me. None of us here are lineaged of Tamsus - I have doubts any of us will be able to properly handle whatever power it has. Aezi should be with us in the next few days, unless his injuries are much more severe than I originally thought. He'll be able to transport it somewhere secure."
SilverFlight 11254man Dominaiscna

 

[Dominaiscna]

While Kadri spoke, Isolde listened without a word - wincing every so slightly as the other lineaged's voice grew in volume with her anger. Though conflict and all would not help their current situation... Isolde understood the stress and frustration that Kadri was undoubtedly feeling. Keenan too.. and the rest of their group. Everyone had a rough day one and each person's patience would be wearing thin. Though she wanted to say something to perhaps calm things down... their short argument seemed to be over, cooling down. Perhaps it would be best to let everyone get a good nights rest and have a fresh start in the morning... or as fresh of a start they could get with all the injuries they had sustained. Baconhands

As Keenan turned back to her with an apologetic smile and replied to what she had previously said, Isolde observed him relaxing as he spoke of his memories.. of his home and of snow. He loved snow... and she wondered what it would be like to see the ice and the cold through his eyes. She imagined that to him it was something beautiful... how she wanted to share in his memories. Seeing how animated he was as he spoke of his past, glowing with a kind of rare happiness, brought a small smile to her face... yet at the same time, her eyes reflected something inexplicably sad.

At a pause in his speech, Isolde realized his mind had flickered to some other thought. This was confirmed when he made mention of their previous battle. She was quiet for a moment, thoughts also drifting to the events of the day, before she replied, attempting to bring some humor and lightness into her voice. "You are welcome, Keenan..." she said, offering a joking smile, "however, do not place too much faith in me, I tend to hurt more people with my magic than help..." Her voice grew quiet, trailing off. She turned her thoughts away to his other words and a warm feeling blossomed in her chest at his resolution. Her eyes flickered to him once again for a moment before she looked away, face faintly flushed against the red glow of the fire. "..but um... anyway, thank you, Keenan, for looking out for me." SilverFlight

A voice caught her attention as she turned in the direction of Oliver who had recovered consciousness. A soft sigh of relief escaped her at seeing him awake.. and feeling hungry. That was a good sign for someone in his situation. 11254man

Athanas

 

[SilverFlight]

Keenan, upon hearing Destrian's opinion as well, put up his hands in silent surrender. "I suppose if I wanted a sane venture I'd should never have answered that strange note." He said in defeat, but a faint smile played upon his lips. "My lady Kadri, you can have all the artifacts we find, I'll none of them." Athanas Baconhands

That seeming settled Keenan began unrolling his bed roll, and Blue immediately settled on top of it. The knight tried halfheartedly to shift the massive dog, giving up when Isolde spoke to him again. He listened to her carefully, noting the melancholy in her voice towards the end.
"For whatever my service is worth against magic and demons." Keenan replied softly with a mild shrug. "As for your magic, I'll tell you a story: when I was a boy I couldn't wait to be given a sword. I thought it the defining feature of a man. I begged my father every day, and one day, he relented. I was so proud the day I first held it, I went out immediately to show it to my brother who was closest to me in age. I was warned sternly that it was not a toy, and so, when the blade slipped in my grasp as I payed, I was that much more ashamed of the injury I had given him. It wasn't a deep cut, but for the time it took to heal my brother was forbidden to do his normal chores, or to play. From then on I feared my sword, I didn't want to pick it up again lest I do more damage to those I meant no harm. My father took me aside then and told me this: One should never be afraid of power, only resolute in learning to wield it. Master yourself, and your power will come quickly to heel."
He sat back on his roll, propping himself up with one elbow, trying his best to shove the dog over enough for him to lie on the soft matting.
"I know swords are a far cry from spells, but, I think the principle might be the same, and, though I may not be experienced in wars of this particular kind, I'll always do my best to protect you, Isolde."
He found himself smiling at her then, sharing in the warmth she felt. It vanished when Oliver's voice cut through his thoughts. Keenan rose slowly with a chagrined sigh to attend the injured man.
Dominaiscna
The bowl steamed invitingly when Keenan knelt before Oliver's bed roll and offered it to him.
"I am sorry, my care may not be as gentle as one with more of a hand for it. I'm a soldier's healer. Can you sit up?" His voice was gentle but firm as he held the bowl and waited for his patient to test the limits of his injury.
11254man

 

[11254man]

"Gentle enough," Oliver said dryly, his sunken eyes meeting the bowl in front of him. Oliver -- without thinking -- attempted to sit up. His right arm attempted quite admirably to push Oliver up, though his left arm did little more than cause him to wince at the pain of attempting to move it. Oliver squeezed his eyes closed, a puff of air releasing from his mouth as he hit the ground. It seemed the wound rendered his left arm entirely useless.
He moved his working hand to his other shoulder, gingerly pulling up the cloth so as to get a better look at the wound itself. As he did so, he muttered to Keenan, "This isn't bad." The pattern of stitches running up and around his shoulder were more than impressive by the standards of those who'd worked on him before. It didn't seem that it carried any infection either. Even so, the wound looked as if it were large and, from what he'd seen earlier, incredibly deep. Oliver let the cloth back over the wound, again trying to push to a sitting position (though this time through the soul use of his right arm.) He placed his arm at his side, tilting his body and immediately crumbling again. The simple swiveling of his limp left arm was enough to send him back to the ground once more. Oliver did little more than train his eyes the ceiling past this, simply allowing the disappointment to wash over him. SilverFlight Dominaiscna Baconhands Athanas

 

[SilverFlight]

"All right, don't make it worse." Keenan said softly. He reached for the pack and used it to help prop Oliver up into a position from which he could eat, then, without a hint of humour he held a spoon full of the soup to Oliver's lips.
"All soldiers in the unit I came from learn to heal. They are expected to care for injured. More trained medics means more lives saved. It worked for us. Nearly each and every one of us lay where you're lying now at one time or another. There's no shame in recovering, though sometimes it doesn't feel like it."
11254man
He fed the injured man the bowl and then settled him back down and put the pack away. Then he went to sit again beside his mat to watch the fire (Bluebell had since taken up full residency of his sleeping roll).

 

[11254man]

Oliver nodded in thanks as Keenan helped him up, even if just slightly. Oliver was about to take to the bowl of soup before the soldier decided to take matters into his own hands. Oliver did not take incredibly kindly to being fed. He didn't protest, as a quick scan of the situation left the soldier his only access to food, though he still found it more than embarrassing. There is no shame in recovering, he thought mockingly to himself, between mouthfuls of soup. He quickly deliberated that 'There is certainly shame in recovering like this.'' He wallowed in this process of embarrassed thought for the duration of the meal. Lucky, then, that it was not long then before the soldier finished spoon feeding him. The phrase itself, spoon feeding, was embarrassing by nature. It was a phrase gouged his way into his mind. The whole thing was silly, to be sure; it was an overreaction to be this mad about something so small. But Oliver was a man of needless anger. Grudges had done little less than kill him in the past.

 

[Baconhands]

Kadri looked over her companions, a gentle sigh escaped her. How long would she be travelling with them? The lineaged could not be sure - the only one so far that had gotten on her nerves was Keenan but she knew that his points were ultimately justified. She hadn't been forthcoming; but surely she didn't need to be. Leaders should be respected regardless right? None of the others had questioned her like he had yet. Maybe he was purposefully presenting himself as a problem? If so, to what end?
She watched Keenan tend to Oliver for a few moments before her eyes settled on Isolde. She was a perplexing case. Had Kadri overheard that Isolde was from Volk as well? In which case, why had she not learned to cast magic properly? Kadri took the opportunity to move next to Isolde, bag slung over her shoulder. She sat next to her fellow lineaged, bringing the bag round to her front. A second later, she started rooting through her bag, every few seconds taking out small, leather bound books.
"These were given to me as a child. They're instructional - full of metaphors and techniques to help us use our emotions to our advantage. These ones are... a bit of a beginners guide really, not to say anything against your spell casting ability but... you know... you have to start somewhere." She paused, as an idea came to her. "Do you know what the scales on your arm mean?"
Dominaiscna