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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Spider_Jerusalem" data-source="post: 2376387" data-attributes="member: 5507">Interlude Number Five: A Story of WolvesArkella Noreth stooped across the body and rolled it over. He was a hulking barbarian, his face a mess of blood and gristle. She sighed and stood up. Around her lay a patchwork of dead, hands and faces jutting from the light snow like grotesque flowers. The burnt out cargo train had long been looted, and anything of meagre worth already lifted from their unmoving owners. A constant Vaasan wind tugged at her mouth veil, and she tucked it back into place as she wondered which bloodied corpse was the one she was after.A throaty howl bayed, followed by three quick answering calls. Arkella narrowed her eyes. She began to pick a route towards Onyx, who had found something or someone of interest. Onyx was neck deep in the entrails of an ogre. As his master approached, he lurched backwards, soft whirrs hissing from his metal spine."Back" snapped Arkella. The wolf obeyed. His eyes followed her movements, one eye was an animal slit and the other a metal ball. Arkella cast a languid glance at the ogre and shook her head. "I'm not searching every damn body" mused Arkella, though Onyx seemed to understand and padded heavily to the next limb and began to unearth it's owner.Another two copies of Onyx skulked up to Arkella and made grunts over towards the wagon train. Their wolf pelts were bolted at various points with metal plating and shared the same spine as their brother. Arkella felt nothing for these creatures, but they were certainly useful servants. What a truly awful betrothal present, thought Arkella, I hope you're being skinned by a Dretch right now. Just like I planned, you miserable bastard.The fourth and final Onyx was no doubt eating his fill of goblin. Arkella called out in her mind and as expected, the fourth Onyx thudded towards her call with a mouth full of green skin. The wolf scampered to a standstill. She commanded the Shield Guardian to stay back. As one, Onyx loped away.In the shadow of the blasted cargo train was the pinned body of the Ratmage, his lower half long abandoned to the scavengers. The snow had been scraped back to reveal a carpet of frozen rats. One of the Ratmage's arms had been pulled free like a bloody torch. The smell was overpowering and Arkella thanked the thin gauze that covered her jaw for filtering the stench. The staff certainly wasn't nearby, she knew that, but the torso before her was her best lead yet."Well," Arkella said, "it's about time you gave me some answers."Onyx watched from afar, their eyes dim with command as their master filled the air with old and putrid power. Arkella grinned as the Ratmage stirred. His eyes would have snapped open, but his sockets were empty shells of crow feed. Arkella gave him a moment to recollect, then began her questioning.</blockquote>

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