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The Heartwood
Bordertown
Nightime
Rameday, The Twenty-First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Daxia, Kadri, Romana in the Temple Ruins

Romana looked down the well, into the deep shaft of darkness illuminated only by a faint blue glow. She looked to Kadri with a wrinkled nose as she tested the rope in her hands.

"When Romanas were little Romanas, said if Romanas were bad throw Romanas in well ..."

She lightly hoisted herself over the edge, nimbly - if a bit awkwardly - down the rope. Her many escapes had afforded her some experience in ropes and climbing down things it seemed.

" ... so much for trying to be good Romanas ..."

It did not take long after for Kadri to follow, leaving the rope hanging at the side of the shaft when she made the floor of the large room. Now that they were there it was safe to drift the light forward, into the room ... though a modicum of care would still be wise; for of course before the far wall could be seen the well - and its shaft plunging deeper into the earth was lost in the dark.

Perhaps once this was a fine gather hall; the stained floors polished marble now worn and dull; yet every now and then a hint of its original mirror finish was seen in a cracked and shattered tile. It dimly reflected the blue, black and silver celestial mosaic of the ceiling. Perhaps once, this was a place of life, celebration, devotion, dedication.

The brutalized walls stood as silent witness to magics on a scale that can hardly be imagined; and yet they stood, silent, grim proof.

Black metal chains hung from the walls, hung from the ceiling's perimeter, like tangled vines in a thick forest. They held hooks, heavy, thick, barbed and threatening, far far to similar to those found in a bucher's shop for the dressing of meat or a hunter's tripod for bleeding out a hart. At the end of others were heavy spiked manacles and darksteel collars; which may have made a gothic fashion statement if the spikes were not facing in.

If each were to hold a single soul, the count quickly rose, handfull of fullhands, if one was to make a grisly census.

The chains, the manacles, the collars were nailed into the wall and while the wall may have been starred with fissures and cracks, the looked like they had hung here for generations, and would remain for several more. They were low ... anyone in them would have been forced to sprawl on the floor. They were high, far higher than anyone was high. They were middling ... where someone would have been able to stand and watch.

Beneath, along the wall, this is where the stains came from, those ancient tracks flowing into the temple well.

Four corridors lead from this room, tall, narrow rectangles of black.

From the western one came a disturbing sound.

Of gnawing.

Daxia
with Kadri and Romana at the Temple Ruins

While waiting for Romana and Kadri to descend, she examined and puzzled over the marble slab. That her sword -- Kassia's sword, a sword that had never drawn blood before Daxia had held it -- would fit precisely and snuggly into the carved marble was disturbing and eerie. Her dagger would not fit in the small carved space, but she suspected that Kassia's dagger -- which was almost a miniature of the sword -- would fit.

As each of her friends reached the main Temple Hall level, she made sure they had firm footing on the floor before allowing the rope to be removed.

Moving through the room was both hauntingly familiar and surreally strange at the same time.

Daxia stared at the grisly scene they discovered in horror, stunned and unaware of the tears flowing down her cheeks. After some measure of time -- unmeasurable, for Time itself seemed to have lost meaning for the young Dayalan as she silently tallied the devices of torture -- she whispered, "Romana, how could anyone keep this kind of hate alive for a fullhand of days, never mind a handful or two of generations? Would they not burn themselves out and fall into a heap of ashes from such a fiery passion?"

She blinked and realized her face was wet; it seemed to surprise her. "There are only this many Dayalans left in all the world," she said as she wiped her tears away with a sleeve. "I said..." She took a deep breath, and let it out very, very slowly. "I said anger and mourning must wait. And so it must. But by my Lady..." She shook her head, taking another deep breath. "...this is not an easy thing to see."

They had been moving towards the northern corridor; Daxia pointed towards it, saying, "There should be stairs down to the Initiates quarters through that corridor. The stables, the armory... they are down there, as well. That is the ground level of the Temple, with additional entrances." She pointed behind them to the southern corridor. "That would have been the public entrance to the Temple. As we climbed up here, part of the path were the very stairs Dayalans -- Priestesses, Warriors, Initiates, lay members -- climbed for fullhands of generations to reach this room. There and there were smaller chapels..."

She had been pointing to the eastern and western corridors when Daxia heard the sound. She listened, then sighed. "I suppose it is not unreasonable for animals to have sought shelter here. Perhaps that is what Lord Random has been hearing."

She drew her sword, however, as nodded towards the western corridor. "We should make sure that's all it is."


[OOC: Assume Daxia will renew the starlight spell as necessary until she collapses from exhaustion, which I am hoping will not happen.]

Kadri, at the well:

"If that sound is related to this ..."

She waves her hand around the room.

"Then the maker of the sound needs to be destroyed. And dropped down a well, never to be seen again by the light of the sun or moon. This."

She waves her hand around again at the chains and collars.

"Is people being treated as things. Not people. As means to an end, not people."

Her voice is entirely quiet, even, calm. Not entirely the sort of calm you perhaps want to hear. A calm that does not have her normal smile behind it.

Daxia
with Kadri and Romana at the Temple Ruins

"I know, Kadri," Daxia said softly as she started towards the source of the sound. "But tainting another well would perhaps not be the best idea, hmmm?" After a handful of paces, she said, "I am still working out where vengeance falls within Dayala's teachings, but I know that wells should never be defiled.

"Ever."

Kadri with Romana and Daxia in the well:

"Vengeance? No. Not vengeance. Cleaning. Scrubbing. Vengeance is doing something to make you feel better. Cleaning is doing something to make the world better whether it makes you feel better or not. And removing from the world anything with this ... "

She motions again.

"Makes the world a cleaner place. Better place. Making me feel better? If that also happens, nice sweets after the meal."

Daxia
with Kadri and Romana at the Temple Ruins

Although she watched carefully in the circle of light for any movement, listened beyond Kadri's quiet voice and their soft footsteps, proceeded warily through this unknown and still uncannily familiar environment, she quirked a half-smiled at Kadri's words.

"Vengeance... retribution... or simply the blossoming of effect from the bud of causation," she said, hardly above a whisper, as they made their way towards the entrance to the western corridor, "whatever words are used, I do agree that cleaning the world of something like this is the right and proper thing to do."

Daxia paused a moment, only a few paces, then said just as quietly as she turned to look Romana in the eye for the span of perhaps a handful of quick heartbeats, "I know you have ways to protect yourself that I would normally discourage you from using, yes? Especially in my Lady's Temple, battered and defiled though it may be. But do what you must to keep yourself safe, Romanaska," she said before focusing her attention on the corridor entrance again.

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Nightime
Rameday, The Twenty-First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Daxia, Kadri, Romana in the Temple Ruins

Even down the corridors the aceldama decorations hang from the walls, the ceilings, crusted in brown, sometimes jangling in what little breeze there is.

The metal against metal tolls like a funeral bell.

It was the eyes that glittered first, shadows moving over shadows, narow slits shining back a dull green, not human, no, nothing human shifted in the darkness like that. Low, sinuous, with the flatter of talons or claws upon the broken marble floors. They held, very very beast like, heads raising with a low hiss at their interrupted meal.

They, themselves, and there were four of them. Perhaps the size of a small pony but only knee high to their rough, dark shoulder the fel lizards growled their warning in a long snout filled with sharp, hooked yellow white teeth. Their tongue snapped out, long, far too long and spilt at the end, tasting the air ... tasting their presence. Not common either, for neither had Kadri or Daxia seen aught but a merebeast as a hexapod, six legs, and definitely no fur. Perhaps in a better light they may have been a mottled green, but in the the pale starlight they were just dark ... dark ... as dark as the red blood that dripped from those maws.

The small chapel at the end of the corridor was splashed with it; thickly flowing, as if some mad painter had taken a bucket and doused the floor, the walls, the scent of copper heavy in the cold storm season air. The chapel was small and finely carved, and centered on the back wall was a tall and narrow window slicing out to the night sky. Not big enough for either beast or person to get through in a few hours the morning sun might be seen rising in its strict frame.

On either side of the wall were two sets of chains, two sets of harsh manacles.

And these did not hang empty.

But they also did not hang full.

A wrist, bleeding from the bindings, hung in one, save that the rest of the arm was hung in harsh torn sinews, perhaps halfway to the slender elbow. A torso was being tugged between two of the lizards, what were once feminine curves wrapped in a green tunics now a blood stained pastry. A long length of tangled brown hair fell like noodles from a many toothed jaw; and it seemed that one of the dark meal had been feasted upon first, torn asunder like a stray piece of beef by a pack of ruffs.

One Beast, the largest, sat upon the second. Her garb was that of the night, blacks and silvers, and while a bone shattered ankle remained in its black metal collar, the chain was at its farthest reach, as if she had been trying in vain to reach her companion. Deep claws sunk into the woman's back and from her side he had ripped huge hanks of meat and offal, the flesh stretching, muscles snapping like noodles from a cheap streetside vendor.

It was a blessing in some ways.

That the other woman, was, at least, dead.

At least.

Now.

It was a little thing, noticed, as the three companions looked at the four beasts, and the four beasts looked back to them.

These bindings, they were purposefully set.

So that those hung in them ... could never actually look out the window.

Romana's single, harshly accented whisper, broke the sudden quiet.

"Oh no."

Kadri:

He breath goes in sharply, and her face drops into a mask-like visage. There was no trace of a smile now. There was something unreadable there instead. Her face didn't look right right now. It didn't quintessentially look like HER.

She loosens her dagger, sliding it into her hand.

She whispers, under her breath, sharply.

". . Oh no? Romana, do you know something I don't?"

Daxia
with Kadri and Romana at the Temple Ruins

Daxia's jaw clenched tightly as she took in the scene, anger flaring darkly in her eyes as she moved quickly towards the lizard sitting atop the woman dressed in the colors of a Dayalan priestess. But she was cool and rational, the arc of her sword controlled and precise, as she swung it down on the neck of the foul beast.

The anger, however... that just added a touch more strength to the blow.

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Nightime
Rameday, The Twenty-First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Daxia, Kadri, Romana in the Temple Ruins with four Eastern Hunting Beasts

"QUICK!

"What one sees ...

Romana's answer to Kadri is short and sharp and quick, the slender woman already taking a half step back into the darkness.

" ... ALL SEES!"

Romana's warning cry may have made no sense, but the imperative with which they were barked was sure. Daxia was already in motion, her sword flashing with a bluish sheen in her starlight. The beasts, they reacted quickly to tis new threat, though it was difficult to say whether it was sheer aggression or being over protective of their grisly meal. Like an obscene, eight-legged wave they flowed off their prey, galumfing toward the three with a snicker-snak of talons upon the broken stone floor.

Three at least did; one, the smallest, tarried just long enough to rend a mutton of leg before following in its sibling's wake.

Dagger and sword stood to meet them; Daxia's sword, Kadri's dagger.

The Dayalan is the first met; the beast whipping its tail and launching itself at her. It's speed, its agility, was deadly, dangerous jaws opening as if to swallow her whole. Only to be met by the cut of ironsilver. It screamed as the Dayalan's blade bit first, slicing into its softer underbelly, gutting it, slashing it open like a fisherman the belly of a shark. The stench was awful, the splash of blood and insides only adding to the small chapel's slaughter.

While not dead, it just flopped and writhed on the stone.

Kadri, however, is the one to vanish, overrun by the multi-legged creature. It's claws easily rent her clothing, cutting into her; hurting, bleeding, but luckily not enough to take her down. Her own dagger slammed upwards too; driving in beneath the creatures jaw, up through tongue and into the roof of the long snout. This was a mixed blessing. On one hand it could no longer bite the Amber lass. On the other hand the dagger was jammed in the creature's snout and Kadri was being tossed about like a rag doll as the beast desperately flayed to try and get itself free.

" ...fahjreshnik' al'Dasnic'kaska ... kahallish'khal'Romanaskas!"

A step back does not always mean retreat.

The words were sibilant, smooth, like a minstrels song.

There was a shimmer in the air, heavy, just like the air might shimmer above rocks heated by a dry season noon.

And then there was light.

Bright, hot, glaring, it was all a swirl of orange and yellow, coalescing from the air itself. With a blast of heat the air was full of fire, twisting, turning, an amorphous whirlwind of flame that drove towards one of the Beasts. The Beast's keens were suddenly loud, sharp, panicked, as it did not somehow catch on fire - it was consumed by it.

The sudden smell of charcoaled meat did not help matters at all.

The fourth, the fourth gathered itself up and leapt. It bolted, trying to thunder past Daxia, Kadri, Romana and her ... friend, to make good an escape.

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Nightime
Rameday, The Twenty-First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

For those at the gate ...

The gates of Bordertown are a far cry from that of Cragside. They are well manned and equally well set. Above, on the gatehouse ramparts two tall braziers on iron tripods are lit, providing illumination on both the approach to the town and a little on the inside of the wall too.

Above, a handfull of swordsmen hold watch; their attention outwards.

A pair of pikemen, in mail and steel plate,watch carefully as they are approached.

As one they lean their long weapons to the side, creating an "x" to bar the approach to the huge, and very closed, wooden doors.

"Its a bit late to be out for a walk, isn'tit?

"The gates closed for the night; you would be best to return to your beds; and everything's better on the morn after a good night's sleep."

Mikal - with Longtooth

"Would that I could friend." He replies. "Been on the road for a long time, and very little should be keeping me from a soft bed and a tall pint."

He glances at the gates, then back to the guard. "However three women I arrived with took it upon themselves to go sight-see at the old tower. They've not come back and it's my ass if they come to harm."

He ruffs Longtooth behind the ear. "You might have seen me come in with them. Red haired girl and her two friends? She carries a sword", he gives the guard a long, slow, roll of the eyes. "Only trouble can come from that. She's got my contract, and told me to stay here. Said she could protect the other two."

"Figured I'd give 'em enough time to get scared of the dark and then go rescue 'em, if you know what I mean." He winks, and grins.

Daxia
with Kadri and Romana at the Temple Ruins

A thoroughly unexpected sound came from the Dayalan when blood and gore splashed across her tunics as the large Beast's journey took it to a shuddering heap on the floor.

"GAAAHHHHHH!!!"

And as she saw the smallest of the dread creatures trying to escape, a string of sounds, syllables, words in Ancient -- curses and an exhortation to the smallest of the Beasts -- poured forth as she pivoted and swung her sword at the baby of the family.

Daxia did pause long enough from her cursing when she had turned far enough to see Kadri; she switched back to Colonial for two simple words addressed to Romana, before switching back to Ancient and refocusing her full attention on the smallest Beast.

"Help Kadri!"

A string of curses in Kadri's native tongue flowed forth. Quite lyrical.

Kadri tried to hang on to the dagger with all her might, twisting and trying to do more damage until she saw herself in a position to roll free.

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Nightime
Rameday, The Twenty-First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Daxia, Kadri, Romana in the Temple Ruins with two Eastern Hunting Beasts and a bit of barbeque.

"... kahshall'aannishem ah ... ah ... ah ... EEEEEEEEEEk!"

Romana heard Daxia's call and with a sweep of her hand the maelstrom of flame turned, swirled, a small hurricane of destruction, seeking another victim, another prey.

"KADRIs!"

A fire elemental, however, was not the most discriminate of creatures.

The sudden blaze of onrushing heat hearkened to Kari that the best time to let go of the dagger was right now. Teeth and tail, might bite and snap and tear, but a charbroiled Kadri was not something anyone truly wanted on tonight's menu. Releasing the hilt the small woman was tossed, landing upon the stones in a hard sprawl. It was followed by a splash of pain too, as her shoulder took the brunt of the landing. The sound and odd position of Kadri' arm told of either a break or dislocation.

Her hunting beast, however, tried to fight back, but its jaws just clamped down uselessly upon the living flame. Of no avail to it and the worse for the attempt, searing ints forked tongue and maw. It tried to escape, to flee, and in a tumble of orange and yellow it and the elemental caroomed down the northern hall until all there was, somewhere down the corridor, a nice warm glow.

The little one bolted, it ran, fast, eight legs being very effective in moving quickly. Thus it is a desperate lunge for Daxia to catch it, and at that she barely does.

Slamming down, her sword struck into the battered marble tiles, the point of the blade jamming in a long fissured floor track.

Straight through the lizard's tail.

It was not happy at all.

But it wasn't going anywhere.

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Nightime
Rameday, The Twenty-First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Mikal and Longtooth at the gate ...

" ... ooooi-yah ..."

The guards looked at each other, then too Mikal, then to each other and then to Mikal again.

They then pulled there pikes apart and rapped on the door. A few words were exchanged and slowly the big doors were opened, the protcullis drawn up and he was quickly ushered out.

" ... cor, I sure hope she's paying you an awful lot."

The other guard snorted,

" ... with expense, hospice allowance, and a horse. Make sure you get a horse. Or two. Or three."

As the gates shut behind him he heard a final call.

" ... and a cask of Amber beer. Never, never, never forget the beer."

Now it was lucky that Mikal had the snarkhound with him. Once past the illumination of the watchfires it was dark, it was really really dark. And it was an unfamiliar trek through stone and trees and underbrush. The two moons were high, but the illumination soft and silvery; almost ghostly.

Longtooth lead the way, despite falls and near falls. If Mikal was trying to be quiet, that was an impossibility.

Though, luckily, there was nothing to hear him.

He reached the summit, with it's silent tower and locked up manor house.

And the well.

Which was curious.

A rope had been tied to a tree.

It hung into the well.

And he could have almost sworn he heard someone cursing.

Just a trick of the wind.

Daxia
with Kadri and Romana at the Temple Ruins

Daxia jumped back out of the Beast's reach with a final, very angry, very loud and rather unpleasant -- if anyone understood Ancient -- string of curses and pulled her dagger out as she stepped carefully to Kadri's side. She continued to glance back towards the lizard every few heartbeats as she spoke to her friend.

"Baby lizard trapped. With Dazi sword. How Kadri? Hurt lots, huh?" She reached a hand out tentatively, as if wanting to give comfort, but not knowing quite where to land her fingers where it wouldn't hurt.

"Um, hurt less if Dazi help Kadri up?"

Kadri:

As KAdri lands, her breath is knocked out of her at the landing, and the pain of her shoulder makes her involuntarily yelp. Gritting her teeth, she turns and sees Daxia pinion the last of the Lizards with her sword.

(Which arm?)

She turns, wincing, and offers her other hand.

"Best to just get it over with one way or another and get on my feet."

She pauses and offers a weak grin.

"Told you I'm no no warrior."

Daxia
with Kadri and Romana at the Temple Ruins

Dazi grinned back as she helped Kadri to her feet. "Dazi believe Kadri before. Not need prove again, silly."

Then she turned to look at the lizard -- the lizard that appeared to be very angry at the moment -- and said, "Need to kill. Ideas?" She looked between Kadri and Romana. "Dazi have dagger, yes. Not liking idea getting that close to angry nasty lizard, though."

Kadri:

"The lizard is a tool of darkness. Let it dance with the darkness it creates. Let it. . fear."

Her voice drops to a sibilant whisper - and she holds her hand up towards the lizard and makes a motion - as if snuffing out a candle.

"Lets play, little lizard. Come and play. Let fear contend with fear. Come, beast, and dance with death."

She makes a whisper into the shadows.

Mikal

He circles the clearing, looking for signs of Daxia or the others, then turns to Longtooth and pauses.

**Heck, Darian talks to him like he can understand her.** He thinks.

He leans down to get to eye level with the large ruff and says slowly, "I need to find Daxia and the others. You know Daxia? Tall", he raises his hand to her height level, "red hair", he runs his hands down his hair, "smells like cinnamon when she sweats? Can you find her?"

**I am losing my mind.** He thinks to himself while waiting for, what? He really doesn't know. He glances at the rope tied to the tree.

**Strange.** He shrugs. If nothing else comes of talking to Longtooth he will go take a look at it.

Daxia
with Kadri and Romana at the Temple Ruins

Daxia nods. "Yah, darkness... ok. Dazi help there." She moved her little starlight into the chapel with them, into a corner, so the corridor where the lizard was pinned was more dark and shadowy than it had previously been.

Dean

No, no, no, no, no. This isn't happening. He has tripped the Lady Bekkah and she has needed to grasp onto him just to prevent herself from falling to the floor. He moves quickly, twisting the two of them around so he manages to fall on his back with her on top of him. This is obviously done gracelessly and with much flailing and crying out, but it is done.

If his training has done nothing else, it has honed his physical reactions sharp as black glass. So fast her eyes didn't have a chance to lose that "dinner platter" look, he has lifted her, rolled out from under her and raised her small form with him to their feet.

His face burning, he looks at the Priestess he just avoided squashing and tries to imagine anything he could say that could make any of this better...and fails.

Bekkah

One moment they had begun to dance, the next she was lying atop the handsome young squire. She had had the breath knocked from her a bit, but other than that, she was unhurt. Before she could say anything, he had them both back on their feet.

If he had expected to be admonished for his clumsiness or slapped for his impertinence, he was sorely mistaken. Instead, those big blue eyes were still very close to him and she was laughing.

"Now that isn't a dance move I've experienced before." she said smiling at him.

A soft hand came up to caress his cheek.

"Are you okay. That sounded terribly painful." she said concern, somewhat masking her laughter, yet it was still there.