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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 707072" data-attributes="member: 2323">[PLAIN][Realms #209] A Near Utter Lack of Direction[/PLAIN]Ruze had just opened his mouth when Ledare shouldered him out of the way, effectively cutting him off. "What of this local group?" she asked Ixin. "Who is missing, and why do you think the answer lies in these woods?""A girl named Nilia," Ixin told her. "She was kidnapped by brigands from the caravanserai a few hours ago. I followed the kidnappers' trail from the way station to this campsite.""Alone?" Finian asked. "I would not be out alone at night with undead and skaven about."Ixin nodded. "I did not know that such creatures as these were abroad this night or I would never have agreed to scout ahead. The caravaneers were taking some of their wounded to a man named Ongensleer; they were going to meet up with me after they had done so.""Ongensleer," Finian interjected, recognizing the last name. "That's Rherram, the same man we were going to see for healing. He's a friend of ours.""How serendipitous," Ixin smiled, her pointed teeth flashing white in the light from Finian's sword. "I feel responsible for alerting the officials in the town about what I saw out here. After that, I would like to go with you to this Rherram's to heal and learn what I can of your culture."Ledare shook her head and took a step back from the larger woman. "People who are 'starting a new life' are usually running from an old one," she said in a challenging tone. "We cannot allow someone whom we do not trust to insinuate herself so readily into our group. And if you would have us trust you, we need to know more about you first."Ixin's eyes glittered like gold coins in the darkness, but her expression was unreadable. When she spoke, her tone was even and her words carefully phrased. "Madame," she began. "I do not blame you for your lack of trust. If I were in your position, I would certainly question the timing of all this. And anyone who looked as different from me as I do from you would also raise my suspicion.""This has nothing to do with your appearance," the Janissary brushed the idea away with a wave of her mailed hand. "Kirnoth's bed is barely even cooled and conveniently another is all ready to take his place. And my group seems ready to embrace you without giving a thought to our lost comrade." She was pointedly not singling out any one of her three Companions when she spoke. Her eyes remained fixed coldly on the newcomer. "I find it distasteful.""That is my misfortune," Ixin sighed with a nod. "I have nothing to hide from you, but I am hiding from someone. Very astute of you.""I've seen it before," Ledare said simply and Ixin chuckled."I doubt it," she said and paused as she considered what to reveal to these people she had just met. "I must admit, I am leery to divulge my past as my safety is at stake. But I fear there is no way for you to trust me unless I tell you." Ledare's crossed arms made it clear that Ixin's assessment was not far from the truth."I am from a place far from here," she began. "I am not exactly certain how I got here, as I have never heard of this place and I doubt you have heard of my homeland. My heritage is draconic. I am from the line of red dragons, but I have grown up in a "family" with a green dragon line."He tried to hide it, but Finian's surprise at the mention of red dragons slipped out as he huffed in the darkness. If Ixin noticed, she gave no indication and merely continued with her tale."I was their prized possession. The Dragon's Claw was an evil gang that ruled our city with an iron fist," she went on, hesitant to admit the truths about herself that she would prefer were erased from her memory. "I was raised to perform illegal acts for this group against my will. When I was able and had a way, I finally escaped into a portal and ended up here.""And you're afraid this 'Dragon's Claw' will follow you?" Ledare asked, her voice dripping with skepticism."Oh, yes," the woman responded. "My 'family' is definitely after me and if they catch me, I will not likely get the chance to escape again."There was silence for a moment and then Ledare turned away from Ixin and said simply, "Thank you for explaining your situation.""Now can we admit the truth about Kirnoth and return to Rherram's?" Ruze asked impatiently and the Janissary whirled around again."We can't abandon Kirnoth now," she growled in frustration, "regardless of what state he may be in!"Ruze sighed again as he sensed the familiar ground upon which the conversation was moving."Alas, I knowst thou wilst run to the ends of the earth to find your comrade, Kirnoth, as I would expect nothing less from such loyal companions as ye," he began, settling into a sermonizing cadence that had served him well in the cloister. "However, I must point out again that even if we find Kirnoth, as Finian has pointed out, it's not Kirnoth any longer. It's a ravening lycanthrope who will kill us as readily as it will look at us." He paused to let the image sink in before continuing. "Then what shall we do? Is it our duty to kill one who has supped with us?"He moved easily amongst the Companions, laying a hand on each of them as he named them. He laid his hand on the Archer's shoulder and said, "Finian, I do not doubt your skill with a bow nor your steadfastness in your duty, but I knowst I could not bear my moonblade against one who was once my friend that easily - even if in my heart I know that it is no longer Kirnoth but a foul chaos-spawned rat."Touching the Janissary's steel-plated arm, he said, "Ledare, your loyalty to your duty and to your companions again is true, but may I appeal to your logical side? As a Janissary you know that sometimes the few must be sacrificed to save the many. Chaos is now loosed upon this world; it seeps in and corrupts even as our blood flows in our bodies. Look at it as a soldier. We are weakened."He touched Draelond on the back and continued, "I barely knot Draelond up when he becomes undone again. Kitten, you are using so many of your pretty lives. The Queen does grant me her favors, but they are not boundless. I must rest and pray.  I have not been as dutiful a Battleguard as of late and need to tend to my religion or these favors that bestow life upon us may be taken away. We have been_charged by a great duty to be a part in ridding chaos from turning the tide to evil."The cleric stepped into the center of the group and folded his hands. "Again, I say, let's away to Rehm and beg for his healing prowess," he suggested. "Let us pray and heal. Let us return the favors to Rhem in the way he has asked us.  Let's us rethink what we are about. Kirnoth's fate is in the Gods' hands now; may Shaharizod guide him to the light."He stepped toward the newcomer and gently touched her bruised ribs while muttering a few divine syllables under his breath. Once he was finished he looked up into her compelling eyes. "As for you Ixin, let us not sway you from your task, but we have respite not far from here. Mayhaps each of our goals lie together as there is strength in numbers.""You talk of a great evil and chaos," Ixin replied, resting her clawed hand on the Battleguard's shoulder in friendship. "I would very much like to do good works and shift the balance of my fate. The little I have heard of your mission sounds as if it has a good and noble purpose. I would be interested in learning more and helping you.""We can speak more once we've returned to Rhem's infirmary," the Battleguard told her but one look at Ledare's face suggested that he might be premature in his suggestion."Ruze, you speak wise words, but what of the value of loyalty?" the Janissary asserted. "Certainly your queen expects that from you. Well, Kirnoth deserves that from us."Ledare-" Finian began and the half-elf looked back at him reproachfully, silencing him."Finian, let us hope you too don't transform into a wererat," she said. "It looks as though I alone would seek after you.""You're being unfair," the Archer said. "I do not debate whether or not we should seek Kirnoth; of course we should! My only concern is whether this is the best time.""I say we press on," the Janissary said, unsurprisingly. Finian nodded."I agree. We are probably not that far off from him now," he said. "But the longer we stand here arguing, the colder his trail gets.""And we're only talking about following his trail, right?" Draelond asked. "This is just reconnaissance. We're not planning to get into any more combat?""Right," the Archer assured him. "I will not hesitate to lead an orderly retreat if conditions look too risky.""So it sounds as if your group too will be looking for someone tonight as well," Ixin said gently. "Since your trail and mine seem to be one and the same at this point, I guess I will accompany you. At least until you return to the healer's.""Fine," Ruze said with more than a note of frustration in his voice.The trail that Ledare had spotted leading away to the north was easy to follow through the sparse woodlands. Finian ranged ahead, moving quickly and quietly through the shadows. After a few hundred yards, the trail moved down into a dried riverbed and turned eastward. After only a bit further, the path angled up the northern bank of the river and over a squat hillock.As Finian crested the hill, a gruesome sight stood before him. A cave opened up into the hillside below, and bloodstains covered the grass outside the cave. A solitary horse stood motionless in its tethers, even as two disgusting beasts, each the size of a large dog and looking like bloated centipedes with dozens of slithering tentacles ate the flesh from the horse's belly.</blockquote>

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