A small Fae, dressed all in pink with pigtails and glittering skin staggers slowly from the woodline to the Town post. She appears to be walking with great conviction, chest heaving, and forehead sweating. She reaches the Post and reaches behind her with great effort, but can't quite seem to retrieve what she is after. With a great sigh, the fae collapses face forward in front of the Post. A single dagger penetrating her spine holds a blood soaked letter
Gaius looks around to make sure no one is watching him and stashes the letter in his pouch. He then bends down to get a closer look at his fellow fae. A sad look crosses his face as he realizes that there is no hope for this young one.
"Help!" he yells out to no one in particular.
With a solemn, serious expression painted upon the shaman's face, Blisdon hurries his way towards the ensuing scene. With a look of rage upon the uordeqs face, he conjures a vibrant green light that swims and pulses between his individual fingers. While uttering something between a sigh and a growl he begins to apply his healing energies to the small Fae messenger [Heal 10]
While trying to apply his healing arts to the Wounded fae, he noticed the bloody letter attached to the dagger used to harm her. His letter.
One of blisdons hands moved to his forehead as he slowly massaged his temples, a weakened sigh escaping from his chest, unable to look up at gaius and meet his eyes with the fae monk's own as he began to speak.
"I think I have an idea why."
Blisdon nodded his head, a deep scowl growing on his face- An old tendency of the grumpy dwarf that he once was. " Aye...Tell me Gaius, Ohren, Have you ever hated something enough that it's very existance makes you sick? Something that makes you wish for death, if only so you wouldn't have to stomache sharing the same free-flowing air that you both breathe? "
Blisdon would have spat on the ground in distaste, but stopped himself just in time so that he wouldn't defile the ground around the deceased messenger. "Have you ever hated something so much that you live your life in complete opposition of everything that it stands for?'
Dark shadows licked a the ground near the commotion, swirling upwards in the broad day light as the figure of the warlock solidified. "What's the problem...." The dark monotonous words dripped from her lips as her dull red eyes scanned around them. She noted the dead fae, the wound in her back, but her gaze didn't rest upon the dead.
Instincually she looked along the horrizon, eyes narrowing as she scanned for any other threats beyond the dead at their feet, before looking back down to the dead Fae.
"What happened here...." Mumbled the warlock, her tone still dull and void of any particular feeling or emotion.
Kneeling next to the Fae as she listened for the answer, her palm grazed over the bloodied wound. She dipped a finger in the blood and smelt for any odor or poison, before turning the Fae to rest upon her back. "Mn...." She then pressed a palm to the Fae's chest, lips curling a moment in a snarl as the powers within her rose, and dark, unseen whisps of black energy leaked from her palm to inflitrate the corpse before her. Her eyes fluttered closed with a grim look of disgust upon her face, as a shallow shudder issued from her lips, dipping her head to focus in on the words of the dead. (Commune corpse)
The fae's eyes began to sink deeper into its skull as a glossy white film covered the sockets. Her lips begin to crack and peel, fading from the bright red of jubulant life to the cold blue palor of the grave. Her chest wall raised a final time as the dark whispy tendrils filled her lungs and as she exhaled she carried out her final message. "Blisdon...... Dagger......Bandage.....Go.......Fu......"
The warlock snarled, unsatified by the answer, and her eyes flared open, burning with hellfire in intensity now. Her hair almost raised as she violently demanded a further response, jolting powerful blots of dark energy into the fading corpse. "WHO killed you? And WHY?" She hissed, slender fingers clawed into the chest of the dead, holding it fast in its last strands of existance.
The fairy raised and stood as a finely crafted marionette on Akon's hand as it effortlessly floted at the end of her arm. The skin beginning to crack and fade and the wings drooping slightly as the dark energy is infused into the corpse to command it to speak.
"The name was on the list, but I didn't want to go," a ghastly voice quietly left the fairy as her mouth slowly began to move on its on accord. "I was the fastest, the bravest, the strongest. So I delivered the letter The Scythe, to Jezraeth." The fairy's eyes had color once more as a look of abject horor emerged on her pale face. Her silken hairs now beginning to fall out a strand at a time and patches of the skin beginning to visibly rot. "He killed me to send a message. He wanted Blisdon to know that he got the letter, and that he remembers."
"Jezraeth....." Akon hissed, noting the demonic name, slender fingers holding fast to the Fae's sternum. "Who is this Jezraeth? What did the letter say? How does he relate to Blisdon?! Remembers WHAT?" Her tone became more and more violent, more demanding, and the very air around the pair seemed sickeningly thick with dark energy. "And what is Jezraeth's plans regarding Jastrey. SPEAK!"
The fairy's head seems to turn around in a most unnatural way, its eyes and tongue now rotten away leaving only dark and empty sockets. The flesh begins to peel away at the hip and the right leg falls onto the ground making a sickening squish as maggots begin to eat their way out of the decaying tissue. The dead fairy begins to giggle, "Are you sure you still want to eat dis?"
Lia had been casually strolling about the treeline when she heard Gaius's plea for help. Drawing her scimitar, she cautiously makes her way towards the sound of the call finding there a male fairy crouched by a seemingly dead pink girl fairy, and Ohren standing by their side. Lia straps her blade back behind her shoulder keeping a bit away. It didn't appear that anything was attacking and she didn't care to be seen by Ohren, still untrusting of him due to his unthought-worthy actions. She let herself get a bit more within earshot, and was thankful that the dead fairy retained all the attention.
Soon others appeared around the scene. First, an Uordeq man whom Lia knew as Blisdon of the Wild Hunt from his mad actions in the Shady Corner several nights ago. She eyed him suspiciously concerned to see what crazy act he'd preform now, but he seemed very different. Very sullen, not at all like he was the night of the acid rain. The Ixifar observed quietly as he tried to heal the dead fae to no avail. Then he gave a rather impassioned rant about hating someone with all his being. The small of her back burned and her blue eyes gained an intensity to them. She started to approach Blisdon.
Akon appeared, however, before Lia could reach the small group. The small of her back burned with irritation as the warlock started weaving her dark magic. Lia winced and scratched at it, but kept walking towards the group. Once she reach them, she knelt down near Blisdon, ignoring the others for the moment. Placing her lips near his ear she whispered to him, "I know your hatred. You're not alone."
Akon pries her fingers into the half rotted flesh of the corpse, puncturing the purpled skin and holding onto the sternum bone directly now, black energy flowing in wisps about her hair and robes. She subtly demands the corpse obey as she continues weaving her powers through out it, threading through to its very soul, in a manner most unplesant. "Answer me....."
Taklinn walks out of the Tavern upon hearing a ruckus outside. He is met with the image of the Warlock weaving her evil magic in the dead center of town on a faerie that he does not recognize. His ears begin to turn a bright shade of red as the scene unfolds around him and the group continues to terrorize the poor creature. Walking up to the group he shouts "Ye durned evil bastards! There ain't no laws, and there damned sure ain't Justice when ye can't go to get an ale without seein' one of ye evil hoots with yer hands in a corpse. Damn this town fer lettin' it go on, and ye should all be ashamed of yerselves. By me Grandpappy's beard, yer all diggin' too deep inta a Sandstone bed, and not shoring up the tunnels after yerselves! Don't come askin' me to dig ye out when the cave in happens atop yer damned fool heads! I'm through with the lot of ye!" Taklinn concludes his tirade stomping his booted heel in the ground before turning on it and heading off; pausing only to turn about again and spit at the group before continuing on towards the Warrior's Hall.
Glimmer hears Taklinn's tirade and turns to see what he's fussing about. At the sight of Akon and what appears to be a dead fae, Glimmer lets out a cry of sheer terror, almost a keening wail. She flys straight to the group, faliling wildly, eyes red and face redder. She plops down and screams "WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS BLESSED AND NATURAL HAS HAPPENED HERE? She is a Courier of the Seelie Court. I sent her to deliver a message from Blisdon. So all of you who think he has done this can go straight to the pits and rot there. Whoever has done this to her is someone much more vile. Akon, put her down. NOW! Ohren, so help me I will shake you if you touch one single part of her. Akon. Please put her down. Gaius and I will need to prepare her for entry back into the mound. I will stand here a day and a night with her in respect allowing her spirit time to re-unite with the Mother, then bury her." Glimmer weeps unctrollably and places a hand on Akon. "Please, I beg you. Put her down. Leave her be. You've heard her answers. Let her be in peace." Glimmer plops solemnly to the ground and sobs uncotrollably, placing a pile of cookies before her, but not touching them. She then places a cup from her puch and loose tea in it, but not adding water. Glimmer begins to rock back and forth and hum a song of spirits, wings, and turning leaves.
Ohren takes note of the pile of cookies and his eyes brighten. "OH cookies!" The rotting fae is all but forgotten as Ohren tries to sneak afew if not all of the cookies. He pats the crying Glimmer. "Dare Dare... issokay, She was deded when we findeded her... You supply cookies I no has to eated her.."
Lia winced again, much harder than before at Akon's magic, as the warlock added more strength to the dark spell. She clentched her fists and set her jaw to keep from groaning from the abrupt wave of pain that shot up her back. Though, the Ixifar's attention was instantly drawn to a familar dwarven voice. She focused her blue gaze on Taklinn as he ranted heatly at the group of them. Her eyes fell into a seering glare at the man she considered ally and her blood started boiling from the anger building up in the pit of her stomach. She instantly shot up to her feet as the dwarf started storming away. However, before she could react further, Glimmer swooped upon them in a hysterical mess.
Lia took a deep, shakey breath and swallowed hard. Looking over each in the group, Lia gave the grief-stricken fairy a squeeze on the shoulder. She looked over at Akon seriously, "Miss Nivarian. I have to agree with Glimmer. That's quiet enough." Not waiting for a response, the Ixifar strode with purpose towards the dwarf. "Taklinn!" She called after him to slow his steps. Impatiently, she jogged up the rest of the distance and put a firm hand on his shoulder to force him to look at her. "How -Dare- you make such swift judgements when you only walked into the situation second hand! Yes damned be all the dark arts! But that does not give you the right to call us out without knowing what in the Pit is fully going on! I'm not fond of Miss Nivarian's methods either, but if using them upon an already dead individual in order to protect the many from potential harm maybe making that sacrifice is worth it...." She trails off and sighs before continuing. "Look. I don't expect you to agree with any use of black magic, but hear me this. Don't -ever- make such broad and quick-tempered judgements on these people, myself included, again. People are allowed to make their own choices without your self-rightous horse...." She catches herself and forces herself to swallow what she wanted to say. "Forgive me...without your over-zealous opinions being flug at them. You can choose to disagree with them, and declare such sentiments without being so overtly crass."
Glimmer looks at Ohren seething in anger. She pulls 6 cookies from her pouch and stuffs them viciously into Ohren's face and screams "EAT THAT AND SHUT YOUR BEAR TRAP OHREN OF THE CRIMSON QUARTER!" Glimmer begins sobbing heavily again, keeping a watchful eye on the Ixifar who has just grabbed and accosted Taklinn.
Teufel walks up to the back of the crowd, pausing before he arrives, and then works his way to the treeline nearby, and stands, judging the scene from afar. He sees Akon push her hand deep into the courier's flesh as the dwarf starts his rant. He crouches down, and watches the fae inspect the courier. He listens as best he could, as she tells the warlock off, and quells the appetite of the angori, watching her lips move as she talks. He knows there is little he can do, but sit and wait, and help should anything bad happen. He watches the leaves moving about and feels at peace for a bit. He chuckles as the spunky fae shoves cookies in the angori's face.
Ohren takes the cookies, trying to chew them all at the same time. "Mmrf Mf mergggfff mfff." He smiles over a mouthfull of cookies and leans down to hug Glimmer in a big bear hug. He turns to leave and waves at Tacklinn. "MRFFMgRGG!" He starts heading off to the Crimson Quarter, he looks around trying to see a cat or a female Angori
Taklinn turns upon the Ixifar as she begins her tirade, listening intently to her words as she says them, his ears growing redder with each sentence. He finally bursts out in another tirade, this one louder than the first, screaming "Listen here Lassy, I ain't got nothin' to do with any of ye! Where were ye when Scorch last attacked this town? Where were ye when the Army of Ressick and the Plague descended upon us? Where were ye when the wall needed ta be made ta keep out the dangers all around us?"
Catching his breath he looks slyly at the woman and says quieter "Where were ye when yer precious Warlock went and returned from the Pit? When she brought back a succubus with her, and they outright attacked town? When she has killed members of town fer her dark masters? As she continues to work her magic and Nature itself has rebelled against her and her actions? The Grove has spoken, but Jastrey still turns a blind eye and deaf ear to her."
Finally he continues in an even softer tone "I can understand that ye havent been here long enough to understand what is goin' on here. Ye can claim ignorance to the facts all ye want, but yer a fool to ignore em. I have been here watchin' over this town, standin' guard and walkin' the walls that "I" built, and have seen it happening long afore ye were on this shard. Don't preach ta me about "Methods". She destroyed all evidence that could have been used ta find out what was goin' on, ye dolt. Her ways may work, but they aint the only ones. How adept are ye in the dark arts? How am I ta believe that she didn't manipulate the corpse to say what she wanted us ta hear? Everyone hates the creatures of the Abyss, or so they claim, but they stand by readily and watch those same powers be used in front of them. So no, I ain't sorry fer what I've said. If armor fits, then wear it. Direct yer anger where it belongs, not ta the one who is pointing out the hypocricies of this town." he ends and turns away, continuing towards the Warriors Hall with strong confident strides.
Teufel watches the angori shove the cookies contentedly into his mouth, and shakes his head with a slight smile. He looks off at the dwarf and the ixifar, and watches the dwarf being hen pecked, and listens as the feathery woman gives him an earful. He nodds his head in agreement as the dwarf points out how much the townsfolk are like the very things they despise.
Kirell emerges from the tavern with a large mug of Mead in his hand.
"Sometimes the path to knowledge leads us through unsavory territory Taklin."
"Lets remember that everything has a price. That Urdeq losses a piece of its soul every time it preforms that ritual." Lets not let it go to waste."
"Blisdon has questions to answer!"
"Who was that letter to Blisdon & who would want to kill the messenger for delivering it?"
The large red Angori leans against the post on the Taverns porch and waits for an answer.
Lia's eyes deepened into a icy glare. Her face pulsed with heat as it flushed with seething rage. With a handful of swift movements the Ixifar jumped down in front of the dwarf's path and stood in determined defiance. "You ask where -I- was? Don't you talk to me dwarf like I'm a lame chickling. I can tell from just the way you stand that you know -nothing- of pain and loss. NOTHING. Where was I when your precious, pethedic town was under siege? I was in the mortal's version of the Pit, writing in my brother's own blood and agony. I was living my days helplessly praying to the stars that I'd be left unnoticed by the many that would -love- to spill my guts just for their wicked games. I was earning each and every single one of these scars that mark my body. I lived my days in agonizing terror, but never let it have control over me. I spent more days in the chamber than you could even pretend that you could handle and then some. But I stood against it all, including the arts of the Pit you so despise. And here's the real difference between you and I. I survived it all without your backbone comradery of friends, without your healers and allies. I made it through, still breathing on my own. On my OWN. So don't talk to me like you understand how black the dark arts are. And Yes. I'm going to defend my -only- chance at real freedom, the oh-so-hated warlock of yours. But oh, go ahead spit in my face some more. Teach me the error of the ways that were thrust upon me since childhood." When the enraged Ixifar finally quieted from her heated ranting, she noticed then the tears that been staining her cheeks. This distracted her from Taklinn as she gasped quietly and wiped some of the salty water from her face. She abruptly turned away from the stout man and dug her nails into her clentched palms. 'Fool! How could you lose your temper like that?! He bloody helped you, twice now!' This mental scoulding sent another pang of tears to her eyes, that she prompty shut her lids against.
Desiderio, the outsider angori, walks up to the crowded area to see what the commotion is about. He sees a fairy who looks to be feeding Ohren. And he stares daggers into "the burr." Then he looks over to see the dark figure from before using her dark magic on what looks to be another fairy.
He can feel his arm itching of the familiar aura, as he watches in shock. But then the shock starts to turn toward a hint of delight as he ponders if she could really teach him that. He tries to shake loose his feeling, as a shroud of guilt washes over him in the next instant. Then he remembers what drew him toward the area, Lia's voice.
He searches over the area and sees her arguing with Taklinn with Kirell at the side. In order to ensure her safety, he approaches, hand near his weapon, in an effort to flank him from out of his periphery in case he lays a hand on her. Then he overheard he words. When he overhears "On my OWN" he suddenly feels like he did nothing to help. As if his assistance back then meant nothing to her. But then he zones back in when she starts sobbing with tears on her face, and withdraws from his battling stance and approaches her. He wedges himself in the middle of Taklinn and Lia to give them some distance, then puts Lia's head against his shoulder.
He gives a nod of approval to Kirell at his words of wisdom, that being better than any advice he could give. Then looks over to Taklinn from over his shoulder, awaiting his reply.
"Don't worry Bambi, that Dwarf wont hurt your chicken."
"Besides if he wanted to he would step through you as though you didn't exist."
"I have fought at his side in some of the battles he speaks of. He is a worthy and powerful alie & a deadly foe."
"Dwarfs are single minded, don't expect them to be anything else."
"He has hated Urdeq his whole life and he isn't about to stop because of a crying Ixifar"
Teufel nods at the words "only real chance at freedom". Such an odd light for him to look at the warlock in, the idea of her as a liberator, rather than the bringer of dis. He shakes his head and ponders the magnanimity of the situation, as he watches a foreign angori attempt to flank the trio. He hears the ixifar's yelling, and prepares for some ruffled feathers. He walks up to the crowd, and comments on the original argument he had been pondering. Was it really worth the cost of wielding evil power, if it corrupts from the inside? He looks at the ixifar, nods to Kirell, and without introducing himself to anyone in the crowd, he comments on the discussion from before.
"There is always a price to pay when using power such as that. The question at hand is if that price is worth what you receive in return. Talking to the dead may roust a killer, but it could also entice a new plague." he says, his voice trailing off as he loses interest in his own involvement, and prepares for the feathers to fly at his next comment.
"Plus, why should we care to change things, when we could kill these evils off without having to use powers that corrupt us." he slowly starts walking, positioning himself between Kirell and the dwarf and the new feisty new angori. He looks down at his own greyish pale skin in distaste for his own being, and acknowledges to himself that corruptions is inevitable.
He looks at the ixifar and says, "I am not to judge your past, but these are the thoughts that must be weighted before we act hastily." He says, as though he is also commenting on the haste with which Akon's actions were judged.
He turns to the new angori, and hoping to calm his spirit, introduces himself bluntly. "Teufel" he says, while staring at the angori, and holds out his sword hand to get the angori.
A woman clad in mud splattered traveling gear approached quietly. Odelia was returning from scouting the area, making measurements and notes, but the yells and commotion coming from the direction of the Shady Corner made her change her course toward the noise. Spotting Teufel's back, she walked quietly toward the Uordeq to see what his take of the situation was. But he was already heading into the fray of upset people. So she paused where he had been to try to make sense of the situation before her...
Teufel nods towards the familiar face of the cartographer, and beckons her over, moving to position himself between her and the rest of the crowd, as he sizes up the new faces he is surrounded by. He has a number of people to introduce himself to, few of which he has even the slightest interest in.
Des is now staring daggers at Kirell after the utterance of "Bambi" in public.
¬_¬
Then reflects on Teufel's words. Would wielding power like that corrupt him to the point of losing the rest of his soul? Or would he be strong enough to take it without losing sight of what was important. He holds Lia closer as he stares at the ground, seeing Teufel from the side of his eye, but not going to greet him. At least not yet... Lia's tears tickling down the length of his arm.
Teufel, having been made thoroughly uncomfortable by the level of emotion that was going on, starts to slip away from the conversation, to return to the main group. He had done enough damage already by weighing in on the discord. He slips away, and waits by Odelia's side to see if she is also planning on heading towards the fae's corpse to see what is afoot.
The mapmaker couldn't help but stare at the dead fairy as she approached warily. The smell of its quickly rotting flesh made her hand move involuntarily to cover her mouth and nose as her stomach turned slightly.
Had the warlock she had been warned about killed the fae? Or simply doing something unnatural to its dead body? She felt repulsed, but hopefully managed to keep most of the disgust from her face.
"What new demons have befallen Jastrey now?" she asked
Akon seemed mostly oblivious to the goings on around her, locked in on her focus of the deadly magic which she weldt. Her grip on the fae grew ever stronger as the dark aura about her intensified. She awaited the answer she sought from the corpse, her dark powers tugging unpleasantly at its very existence to give forth the answer.
All of the commotion from Jastrey's other townfolk drew Binx from the trees, bow drawn and the fingers of her free hand curled and ready to draw an arrow from her quiver. She approached slowly, cautiously, curious eyes peering from the opening of the dark wrap around her face. When she neared enough to see, she halted immediately. The sight of the warlock wrist deep in a rapidly rotting and unfamiliar fairy's chest took her aback, but the years of training to hide emotions rendered her reaction to a mere raising of eyebrows. She lowered her bow, posture relaxing as she stood with the others in silence, listening and observing.
Berendor, hearing the familiar sound of an angry dwarf, comes clanking up, armor hastily donned. Upon witnessing the scene, his chin sinks deeply into his beard as his eyes harden.
"It don't change no matter where you go..." he mutters darkly to himself.
He marches swiftly over to Taklinn yelling all the while, his arms swinging angrily.
"What in hellfire is going on around here? Is everyone going to stand around all confused-like letting this dark magic taint the soil red? Taklinn, what the blazes is the meaning of this?! Is that witch creating one of her unnatural pets?"
Teufel turns to Odelia, and mutters under his breath to her "It seems as though that shaman over there sent out a letter, and received this lovely little token of appreciation in return." he stares for a while at Akon, and then looks into the eye sockets curiously.
He hears the sound of clinking armor coming up the road, and he turns to see the graceful creature calmly running his way. He rolls his eyes, and as he does, he catches a glimpse of the uordeq emerging from the tree line, bow drawn.
He mutters to Odelia "it seems as though everyone has come to this scene with weapons readied for a fight, as if a single corpse is going to kill us all" He walks forwards a few steps and speaks quietly to Akon:
"What have you heard from the body thus far?" he says, and then steps back, lest his actions be misinterpreted as anything more than curiosity.
Taklinn upon hearing all that Lia has to say, gruffly says "Over a hundred years I have been away from me home of Glanacral. Longer than ye'll even know I have walked away from me kin. It ain't none of yer stinkin' business what I have been through. I keep it hidden where it belongs, because the past can't be changed. But ye all can have it as ye will. Too long have I tried to be the voice of reason around here, and been ignored and made a mockery of. I tried ta treat the most of ye as kin, but haven't been given the same respect; so ye all can have at it and murder and kill and create undead servants fer all I care."
As he finishes and sees the Angori stand in his way, he shakes his head and looks up to him saying, "What do ye think yer gonna do here, kill me fer hurtin' someone's feelings? Well if that is somethin' ye are thinkin' ta do, I expect ye to do it with a bit of honor. I spoke me mind, and I am the one persecuted. Ye stood by as yer own kind tried to sell her off like a piece of livestock, and I stepped in and offered assistance that you failed to give. But if it is to be a fight, then speak plain and have some honor about it, don't go sulking and skulking about like a damned hoot." he says with a smile on his face and a dangerous look in his eyes. "Otherwise get out of me damned way and yield the ground."
Berendor steps up beside Taklinn, his shield planted, and eyes the others coldly.
"I've only been here a short while and already I see everyone's mind has been clouded by smooth words, a few free hand-outs, and the promise of power. Weak-willed and blinded, the lot of you. A bloody dragon could offer you a copper and you'd all grovel at his feet while he ate you whole! Bah!"
He proceeds to spit with disgust and mumbles a ward against evil before leaving the gruesome scene.
Solas strides onto the scene with a grace near unique to Empyreans. He holds both hands behind his back as he walks to the forming crowd.
"Magic comes from manipulation of the planes around us. The Aether, the Maelstorm, the Astral," His cold, calculating gaze shifts from looking straight ahead to the warlock, wrist deep in a risen fae. "and even the Pit. Althought I do not agree with the Uordeq's arts, it doesn't make it any less valid than the magic I, or Talenir practice." He pauses and closes his eyes for a bit longer than a standard blink. "It's what you do with that magic, that power that matters."
"Madam Nivarian has always made up for any harm she may have accidently caused. For this she earns my respect, as she should anyone elses."
He turns from the Uordeq to the Dwarf, "And you, Taklinn Forgesplitter." He speaks, pushing his will into his words. "We once fought for an ideal. It wasn't power or for glory, but for a peaceful little town, where people can live without fear. If you have forgotten that already, then why fight in the first place?"
At Taklinn's heated words, Des' attention becomes focused as a vulture's eye on roadkill. He turns to face the ornery dwarf and speaks.
"I mean no disrespect, but I am not just going to just sit by and allow you to attack my friend. So I took position, just in case the situation called for that. If you killed her... I'd have no one left to keep..." He clears his throat for a moment.
"I wasn't around when 'my tribe' did what they did. Had I been there I would never have tolerated it. And I STILL..." His fist and teeth clenched and bared, "...I never asked to be with them. And I don't like being here because each of us were almost sold again since we got here. And I feel like I can't do anything about ANY of it!... for now... I don't know who I can trust here... but she is the only one I know I can trust fully. So if you have a problem with her, and you seriously feel the need to take someone's life for it... then strike me down. Otherwise, let the matter go..."
He shoves Lia back away, and stands his ground, holding his arms out to show he is of no threat to him at the moment.
"Lad ye are mining down the wrong tunnel. I wont take another's life fer disagreeing with me, that is their opinion, no matter how misguided it may be. If that were the case, that slaver over there with warlock's power would have been dead long ago. But I ain't to be chastized fer me opinion by any of ye either." Taklinn says firmly. "I was headin' out of town when she stopped me to tell me that I was a dolt." he says with a bit of a chuckle.
"As fer the practice of magic, I ain't got no problem with it when it is used with caution. I ain't never in all my 156 years struck at nobody that ain't done me or mine wrong. I stand up fer those that cannot stand fer themselves." he says glancing over at the weeping Ixifar and Angori.
"But I am done standing up fer those that WON'T stand up fer themselves. My beliefs ain't what everyone else's are, and I am done tryin' to speak sense to ye all. I am the one persecuted fer me words, while ye all let this evil go on in front of ye and encourage it. I have seen people use magic to protect what is theirs before without thinkin' through the consequences. They put up magical wards of fire to protect their tunnels from attack, only ta set their supporting timbers aflame and cause the whole tunnel to fall in on themselves. I won't go down that tunnel with ye all, and may the Immortals look on ye all with favor." he says sternly to all those gathered before walking past the Angori and Ixifar and continuing on his way to the Warrior's Hall.
As Teufel stepped toward Akon and the rotting fairy corpse, Odelia took a step backwards, one hand still covering her mouth and nose, the other rested on the hilt of her blade. Though she wasn't keen to get involved with the affairs of Jastrey, she couldn't help but feel that things were on the verge of exploding out of control and that she may be forced to soon choose sides. A position of neutrality in the middle of a war was not always a safe position to hold. And if she was forced to pick sides, she feared greatly that she and her traveling companion would fall on seperate sides of the line...
Glimmer begins to stand again, shakily. She scowers at Akon and says "AKON! I've asked nicely, and played fairly here. Put her down. I beg of you. She hasn't answered anything else, and you are at the point of only pleasing your own curiosity. My Court will handle this. It will be investigated still without your hand spewing the dark magic that eats your soul. You've descrated her body long enough. What you do is un-natural, and that's unspoken among these Fae. She was my sister in service." Glimmer turns to face the rest of her town.
"Why do we stand here and let these things continue. I agree there are questions needing answered. But there are other ways to find that information. SHE is dead. A good, pure spirit is dead. In the middle of town. And the first thing we do is have an Angori try to eat her, a warlock try to talk to her, and then we fight amongst ourselves. What happened here is bigger than every one of us and bigger than us as a whole. I begged Akon to leave it be, and she is still standing there with her hands on the Fae's body. Nothing is sacred here. And it disgusts me."
Glimmer begins to yell down the road. "And Lia, you know NOTHING of others sacrifices in this town. Nor do you know their history. Fighting each other will get you no where. Especially with my dwarf. He's seen pain few can suffer. You'd do best to be mindful that you are new here. We try to be an accepting group, yet you seem to forget through all your words the help he offered you, and the help YOU accepted. His words aren't meant to harm. His words are HIS words. You will learn in time to let them fly."
Glimmer sulks back to her plop spot and sits down again, watching Akon with a look of sheer anger and pain.
Stepping quickly and quietly up behind the Angori that Kirell had called "Bambi", Cail whispered in his ear so only he could hear, "Until you learn to properly hold a blade, my good sir, you might want to keep silent in the presence of your betters, whilst keeping your opinion to yourself before you get a dagger in your back from someone who has taken offense."
As he spoke, Cail gently let the blade of his own dagger rest flatly against Desiderio's ribcage. Retracting from the Angori's vicinity, the Empyrean stepped from behind him and walked over to where Akon was still with the dead fae.
Bending slightly, Cail pulled the blade from the rotting corpse and studied it with a quick glance. He then spoke aloud to the amassed crowd asking, "Anyone care to take a look for themselves?"
Solas shakes his head as the dwarf leaves. "I meant no offense." He mutters to himself, "I only want whats best." He stands in silence, clenching his fists for only a second before spinning toward Glimmer's booming voice. His eyes move from the living fae, to the uordeq, he follows her arm up to the living corpse of a fae. His face twists in revulsion.
"Oh sweet Banekeril. What are you..." he cocks his head to one side, a disgusted look paints his face. "Is your hand..." He scoffs "HOW REVOLTING!" He nearly shouts.
As the dwarven warrior walks away, Des feels the need to still thank him for helping Lia, but before he does, he feels the flat edge of a cold blade to his chest and the whisper of the Empyrean. And then, he was gone before he could acknowledge it.
Des just froze in place, as his face goes from neutral, gradually to a scowl. Time seems to stand still outside of his body, but in his mind, it's as if he is having a conversation with someone, or something else. The battle between instinct to kill, and logic. And in a brief moment logic wins.
Des calms himself down enough to tell Lia, "I have to go." And he starts walking towards the road to leave the town. He looks back to see the warlock, as more thoughts swirl inside his head, and his arm starts to itch more. But then keeps on walking, incoherently mumbling to himself as if having a conversation.
Blisdon could vaguely recall giving the Ixifar woman a thankful nod at her whispered words before he slowly gazed upon the dead Fae Scout reanimate itself at Akons will. The shaman could only watch with a shocked and disgusted expression, his eyes wide and full of pain as the fallen fae rose again to be forced to endure a fate worse than dead a dozen times over. That of being a puppet.
Yet soon the puppet of the once-noble fairy scout began to speak, her hoarse and lifeless voice answering the Warlock's every demand. Despite every bone in his body telling the shaman to look away or interrupt the ritual, Blisdon found his own eyes transfixed to that of the Fairies. The dull and slowly rotting sockets and lifeless pupils that had once been the messengers seeming to grow more and more rotten and pale as death rapidly claimed his newest conquest.
"Jezraeth..." Blisdon said, His eyes now growing dull themselves with a sort of hopelessness and regret as they slowly broke from the putrid corpse, and slowly turned off into the distance, staring far beyond the horizon that was visible as his jaw clenched tight. "Jezraeth...Jezraeth...Jezraeth. Jezraeth. Jezraeth." Repeated the shaman, slowly underneath his breath as he continued to gaze into the distance.
Slowly Blisdon began to try to lift himself up from his previous kneeling position, trying to gracefully pick himself up, to show the town that he wasn't nearly as weak as he seemed, that he wasn't nearly as shocked as he seemed. Though his dull gaze couldn't bring itself to meet anyone who might have been staring at him and his knees weak with a collection of emotions that he hadn't yet begun to process he still began to inch himself closer and closer to the uplifted corpse. His shoulders hanging his arms low in defeat as his chest seemed to rise and fall as if he had been jogging up the side of a mountain.
When he got close enough to touch the corpse, he didn't hessitate to touch his warm hand to her lifeless form. It seemed as if every sense he possessed was being met with utter disgust, whether it's the putrid stench that the fae couriers accelerated decay had began to give off, or the rasping breaths that one would only imagine to be heard within the closets and cupboards of a young childs darkest nightmares.
Yet blisdon didn't tear his hand away as he began to speak, or try to as words began to dribble out of his much less charismatic tongue than normal for the talkative Shaman. "Why...Wh-why would....Just... You've gor-fotten..Forgotten the most important q-question of..yaknow..of...of em all." Spoke the shaman, His voice broken with odd and improperly fitting pauses, as if searching through a wide sea of vernacular to find a fitting word, and then settling on something entirely different.
"T-tell me....Wh-...What was your name?" [commune spirit] Muttered Blisdon, Hardly loud enough for the Shaman himself to understand what he said, his hand still softly touching the faes face as he looked down, this time his eyes began to look down at the ground- timidly refusing to look at the decaying abomination in the eye any longer as the knowledge of knowing that she is long too far gone to save from her fate as a puppet began to sink into the remorseful shamans thick skull.
"I swear...Your name will be one...One. One. One. One of the last names that....he...She...It? It. will ever hear. "
Akon didn't react to any of those around her, nor their questions or statements. The power eminating from her could be tangibly felt by those near her, a dark, thick feeling engluffing her and the corpse in her grasp, her own hair and robes rising with the powerful throws of energy. She seemed locked in intense focus of directing the dread powers which she weldt, awaiting the answers her spell crafting demanded.
Lia had entered a daze of sorts, completely beside herself at what she'd just done. Her tears stopped...when she couldn't really say. She didn't bother to dry her face. Her body just hung lose. Then the dwarf spoke up again, and was followed by a comrade who had sharp words. Lia wanted to appologize to Taklinn, but the angered dwarf carried himself off leaving them behind. She drew in a shakey breath, and her attention was then drawn to Glimmer at hearing the fae say her name. The Ixifar's head snapped in the fairy's direction, but slowly shrank back as the woman spoke. It felt like her very soul balled up into an iron weight and fell to the very bottom of her stomach.
Lia swallowed the fist sized lump in her throat and clenched her hands. With her gaze sharply fixed to the ground right infront of her feet, the Ixifar started furtively scratching at her palms. She scratched for a while, as hard as she could until she was met with the cool release of her body's liquid. In this time she made up her mind on what to do. Looking up she noticed Des had since walked away, and some others had shifted about. She lifted her hand up to her neck, feeling around her plumeage. When she felt a good feather, her bloody hand clutched it carefully giving a swift tug. Lia repeated this until she had three of what felt like her best feathers. She handled them gently, trying to keep from getting more of her blood on them than there already was. With direct foot steps, she brought herself over to Glimmer. The Ixifar knelt with one fist over her heart and offered up the feathers to the sorrow-plagued fairy. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry for..how I've behaved and for the loss of your kin. Would you carry my apologies to your man? I would do it myself, but...I think it best if I didn't see him right now."
Once the fairy took her tribute, Lia got back to her feet and promptly set off down the beaten trail, not really waiting for a verbal response.
Delvin sat perched upon the branch of a nearby tree overlooking the scene displayed infront of the post, not pretending to have any clear idea of what was going on. A casual tilt of his head was offered to the maccabre scene Akon was perpetrating, the gruesome marrionette withered within her grasp and he gave a subtle sigh. Memories of the wraithwood clouded his vision for a moment, the cold clammy touch of the dead still felt fresh upon his arms and toso. A slight shiver ran down his spine and a sneer crossed his lips, though he remained the silent vigil.
Ears of the knife's edge were offered towards the grumbling dwarves, the interesting Ixifar, and her Angori Companion Desiderio. A soft smile crossed his lips as he took in their words, turmoil in the town of strangers it would seem. He wasn't very pleased by the discord, he'd much prefer a happier tone to all of this, though the chaos in and of it's self was rather refreshing. He eyed the Ixifar as she made her tribute to the Fae, that smile broadening once more, very clever he'd think to himself. He stood upon the branch of which he sat and simply followed Desiderio and Lia until they split, he'd linger long enough at the point of their parting to divine where they each headed, taking the path Lia took first but keeping Desiderio's path fresh in his mind, he needed words with them both.
Glimmer accepts Lia's tribute and lays the feathers with the already placed cookies and tea. "Never look down when spoken to, Lia FeatheryHead. Always make eye contact. We are all entitled to an opinion here, and yours is no less valuable than mine. Yet, we have all ALSO had troubles, secrets, loss, sorrows, and pain. Some of us just give others those feelings unintentionally." Glimmer bows her head to Lia and says "Wings be with you safely" before turning her glare back to Akon.
Teufel turns his head towards Odelia, whilst keeping his eyes locked on to the actions of Blisdon and Akon. His gaze is broken when he hears the commotion behind him, and then he listens as he hears Glimmer give a quick retort. He gives a low, wry laugh, and turns towards Odelia and says "so dramatic" in a very drole tone.
He listens more, understanding the basics of why each person is so heated, and turns again towards Odelia, this time saying loud enough for all nearby to hear him:
"It seems as though people are focused in on their own issues, rather than the body that is placed before us. I was under the impression this town fared best when faced with hard times." he averts his gaze from the corpse, and turns towards Odelia saying
"We should focus on sticking together, and not letting this drama divide us all. I plan on staying out of the drama, and avoid hasty actions."
The corpse speaks once again, the dark tendrils of energy racing up and down its spine quickening the decaying process. Large chunks of flesh and muscle tissue slide down the bones leaving little more than a small skeleton with decayed leathery wings in Akon's hand. The jawbone moves on its own, teeth chattering as it opens and closes, she finally speaks again. "He remembers Bandage. He remembers the insult. He remembers work that was left undone. He remembers the Gates of Judgement. He remembers Blisdon!"
With her final words, the skull falls from the top of the bleached skeleton and the body goes limp and heavy in Akon's arm, her dark arts seeming to have no further effect on the body.
Binx merely took in the events in silence. Watching the dead fairy speak as her body rotted away was captivating in a morbid way. She couldn't seem to draw her gaze from the display of dark power even if she wanted to. The opinions and objections rising from the others seemed to go unheard, but Binx was very aware of them. She spoke no words for or against Akon, just the same as when she had attended the trial for the warlock. She briefly glanced at the Ixifar girl make a scene with the Angori and Taklinn without a word. She did not speak when even Glimmer made her stance clear or when Blisdon touched the rotted fae. As the fairy ceased speaking and fell to pieces, literally, Binx finally looked around at the remaining group.
Gaius watches everything going on around him for a while. Merely looking back and forth as the various people talk. Finally, when he hears the last of what the dead fairy has to say, he reaches into his pouch and pulls out the letter, thrusting it towards Blisdon.
"Well, I guess you can have this back, since it belongs to you. Maybe we can track this... thing down and get vengeance. Although, something tells me that it may be both unwise and unnecessary to do so. I am very curious to know why this letter was so important that you'd knowingly send someone into that kind of danger."
Glimmer speaks just as Gaius finishes. "I'm at fault just as much as Blisdon. He asked for the messages to be dilivered to anyone involved with or surviving the Pit. I sent the messenger because it was my job to do so. Akon got a copy of the same letter. I hand delivered it myself." Glimmer places a hand on Blisdon's shoulder and says "Please believe you are not at fault for this. As we all know, everyone is allowed to speak their mind in this town. Rather than vilontly acting out, you chose to send a proper message. You are at no fault for that." Glimmer bravely looks at the now rotted skeleton of the Fae as her skull rolls to the ground. "DID YOU GET WHAT YOU WANTED TO HEAR? WAS THE INFORMATION WORTH WHAT YOU JUST DID TO HER?You would be best served to remember that you should be driving your power, not your powers driving you. This is a vile, evil thing you have just done. You've desecrated a member of the Seelie Court and BY THE WINGS Himself will hear of this." Glimmer sits back down, motioning for Gaius to do the same. "Release her, Akon, and go. Gaius and I will be standing guard over her tonight, before her burial tomorrow. Do not attend. Leave us in peace."
Solas looks to Blisdon with a curiously cocked eyebrow. He watches the dwardeq carefully, as if wondering what his own companions next move will be. Fear flickers over his eyes for only but a second, knowing the potential the shaman has to explode.
The Empyrean's eyes wander lazily over to Glimmer. He bows his head slightly, using the fairy as a sort of distraction as he slips out of the area with a certain slipperiness that would've been more characaristic of an uordeq than the seer.
Blisdons eyes seemed to light up as he stared off at where the Fae's corpse laid, decaying and rotten. His head still and his eyes wide as he listened to words that only the Shaman could hear. After a brief pause, with his eyebrows furrowed in concentration he readjusted his footing, his mouth contorted into the wild and life-loving grin that blisdon was known for.
"Thank you Glib, for everything that you have done for me. I promise you that I will shove my staff so far up it's ass that the monster will discover the ancient languange of the oaks. It will learn that there is more to strength than bringing bloodshed down upon ones victims. This time he will find me waiting, and ready. Thanks to you this town won't become another Bandage..."
Blisdon was quiet for a moment reflecting upon his somber past within the confines of his eyes,before slowly breaking his frown into a pleased grin. Chuckling happily in an eerie contrast to the circumstances around him, Smiling warmly at what seems to be the pieces of the rotten corpse close by.
"I will ask nothing more of you than the warlock had already forced you to expose. You have done more than anyone should have ever asked-Though you have done me a kindness, one I could never repay. Do you have any final wishes you would like to relay to me? I can promise you on my honor and my title as Shaman of the Wild Hunt that they will be done. "
Kirell turns and returns to the tavern, reappearing a moment later with a chair which he places on the porch of the Shady Rest.
There he begins his evening long vigil, keeping guard over his friend Glimmer.
He places his mug of mead on the ground and opens his book and in a barely audible tone he begins to read.
"The world is filled with villains and tyrants who, if left unchecked, would destroy all that is good and pure in the world. Oppose them wherever they appear. Protect the innocent from their ravages. Pay no quarter to fiends or those with whom they consort. Do not suffer a challenge to go unanswered or an injustice to go unpunished. Though your enemies may not, always live and fight with honor."
Akon straightens her fingers, dislodging her nearly infused flesh with the corpse that had hung on the end of her arm, letting it fall from where she had held it in her grasp. Akon's dangerously burning eyes suddenly cooled, and the dark powers which englufed her fell and faded away, her hair and robes settling about her as a shiver ran through her spine. Her head dropped as she let her fingers of her extended arm ball into a light fist, as if still trying to hold onto what wasn't there. ""Jezraeth....." She muttered, taking in a deep breath. She held it a moment before finaly rising her head and letting her shoulders sag, her arm falling to her side. As her hair fell back from her face, two solitary strands of wet trailed her pale visage from the dark of her eyes. She looked to the dagger in Cail's hand next to her, taking it into her own palm, then she reached into the folds of her robe with her free hand, and offered Glimmer one of the bags of cookies she had given Akon. "Please...thank her for her sacrifice...." She said lowly, before turning to Blisdon. "Seems we have the eyes of the Pit upon us now....." Her eyes glanced over him, taking in the look on his face and his over all appearance. "Judgement is pointless. I'll be ready to stand and help you fight what calamity this shall bring...as well as help you plan for it...."
"A being of his variety will not rest without retribution. He was merciful to the Fae.....he will not be so kind to us. He remembers the insult...unfinished business....and that shall lie with us." Akon lifted her eyes to Blisdon's with gravity. "And we won't let it come for you to face it alone."
An Arc of lignting lands at Akon's feet and a voice calls for behind.
"You have done your work here, now be gone and allow the fae the morn the passing of a fallen. Trust me, I need not miss, and your welcome here has already worn thin. Be gone and hope to the pit you so love that this demon kills you for what it is you have done, for he will be kinder than some."
Letting Akon take the still wet dagger from his hand, he quietly excused himself from what remained of the group of people around the corpse and stepped off in the direction of his cabin while holding his right cheek as if it pained him.
Before totally leaving the area Cail, felt small wave of nausea hit him and he swayed side to side. After the feeling left him, he shook his head and continued on his way.
Glimmer looks to Akon and spits at her feet. "HE WAS MERCIFUL! That's correct! What you did just now is nothing short of unholy. And what's worse is you yourself LEARNED THESE THINGS FROM THE PIT! It made it who you are and I'm -sick- to death of your mistakes in this town. Nothing goes right. HER HEAD FELL OFF! SHE'S MISSING A LEG. HER EYES. HER SKIN. THERE ARE OTHER WAYS! So take those cookies and go back to the Pit you crawled out of. You're not wanted here. JUST LEAVE US ALONE!" Glimmer heaves after her rant and wipes her mouth before turning shakily to Gaius and bowing her head.
Akon lifted eyes towards Glimmer, keeping the cookies in hand. "My mistakes?....I didn't do this. I didn't cause the unrightful death of this messenger....you did, and he did." She looked towards Blisdon, then back towards Glimmer. "Yes, the message I retrived from her flesh was unsightly, but flesh is flesh, and her sacrifice was already given. I am just doing what I could to make sure it was not in vane. It was not I that took her life, nor condemned her to death....you did."
"It is only expected to see such an outcome when one sends a letter of insult to a Pit lord...what did you expect? That it would play nice? I make flesh move, and move it did, and I do not attempt to claim my actions just or pretty. But I'm also not one to move a finger of blame. It was you who sent her to her death, Glimmer. Without it, she would have never faced the fate she has now. I would have fought for her life, and now I fight for yours, for the calamity you both have brought upon us. It is easy to raise blame...and I don't ask for agreement in my own actions. This was not my mistake which has brought this upon us. But what's done is done. What matters now is what is to come...
"Your right in one aspect, it wasn't you who sent the fae to send a message, nor was it you who had that message sent, however one must know when enough is enough. You got the name and you recognized it, that was all that was needed. You chose to continue further until you have completely destroyed a once beautiful creature. Maybe her soul could of been saved after you got the pertinent information needed, but now that you have taken it this far it is lost. I know nothing of the customs of Uordeq, but I do know the fae cherish their life and their death. They are to be given back to the mound they came from to let nature takes its coarse. You have taken that right away from her there is nothing left to give back to the mound save bones. You made your choice to give up your soul by yourself, this fae had it ripped from her by your hands. Now please just leave and let Glimmer and Gaius attempt to salvage what they can from this."
"Think what you will. I didn't read the letters. You and the rest of your followers are dead to me Akon. You stand here in a self righteous holier than thou form yet you are one of the ones the letter was sent to. So we have no way of knowing you had nothing to do with this from the get go. My court will know the truth, and you will burn in the 9th circle of hell when you die." Glimmer turns away from Akon and refuses to acknowledge the Warlock's presence further.
Akon, realizing the Fae's words are grief stricken, holds her own thoughts to herself, knowing full well which ciricle of hell she was damned too, and merely nods, tucking the dark dagger into her belt as she turned to leave. She glanced at the Empyrean speaking to her as she departed. "I didn't damn her soul, she will rest in peace. I merely made her flesh speak so that we could be prepared for the calamity that her death heralds as best we can. The dark arts aren't pretty...but what I did was child's play compared to the wrath this messenger's fate foreshadows..." Akon sighs, walking with steady step towards the forest edge back towards the lake once more, setting her jaw, the tears she had wept for the fae's death dried against her pale visage, the light emotion she had let forth fading yet again into stoic rigidity.
Blisdon's lip curled as he pulled from his communion with the spirit of the deceased fae, the evidence of distaste and rage clearly labeled on the shaman's face
"Her name was Glib, and Glib's soul is safe from harm or taint. In fact it's one of the mightiest aura's that I've ever seen on something that fricken' sparkled." Growled Blisdon as his fierce eyes turned slowly, going from Glimmer to the retreating Akon And then Gavelier's. "I'm watching her dance and move with far more grace than she had in the last unlucky hours of her life. Probably more grace than the lot of you, liquored up, combined."
"I mean damn! you all will argue and strutt around about ANYTHING that doesn't meet your liking! " Blisdon did an immitation of Victor, arching the ridgeline of his eyebrows and adjusting his stance as if he had Tor by his waist and adopting a bad charicature of the empyrean all the while doing an overly theatric imitation of throwing an arc of magic across the town square.
" GLIP-GLOP-PIGGLY-FIGGLY. You done did a bad thing Akon! You needs to zip-zop on outta here cause I'm pretty sure being a star-coot and all that you've done gobbled up the spirit of this Fae girl, even though this SHAMAN IS ALL CROUCHED DOWN ON HIS KNEES AND TALKING TO THE AIR IN FRONT OF THE CORPSE FOR NO REASON! I'm pretty sure im not going to go on over and figure out the bottom of that UNLIKELY OCCURANCE before I keep on accusatin' that durned fiend who has the same taste in black leather as me!." Blisdon ended his charicature with a mockly heroic pose.
"I pray to the four that the local empyrean encleave doesn't need extra help to go on another albino baby run, You'd bring em back a full grown gnome and call it the chosen one. "
To end the beginning of his rant blisdon stomped the ground hard, though without much of any action or epic climax as he merely only managed to break a nearby twig underneath his foot and caused a horsefly to relocate another several inches away from his chin.
"And you..." Grumbled the once-dwarf, Hate in blisdon's eyes radiating towards the preaching Gonk Bard. "What are you doing acting all noble? Preaching about ending tyranny, hunting down fiends and fighting with honor? Is this some kind of an insult to the Uordeq Woman who just made a dead fae start talking again? Don't I hear you bellowing out how Might is right everytime theres a fight to be had? I've seen the way you and yours treat me and mine, I've seen you leave my fallen brothers on the battlefield to die. Dealing out your healing spells like a greedy old moneylender. "
At the mention of his Brothers-in-arms the shaman extended a long arm, stretching all the way to a single, outstretched index finger aimed directly at the Bard, The shaman's features contorted with a sort of simmering hatred.
"You best pull that page out from your book, Because your words are as hollow as a reed flute. Though to be fair...It's not all bad, Your voice is as smooth flowing as warm mollasses. Thanks to your incessant preaching, some of the sweetest dreams that occur in my messed up mind nowadays are those where your big-red-head with your big-red-horns are on every other townspersons tiny bodies as they go about their typical daily lives. Except now they can't stop bellowing out about how time is a river and how only dead things are the things that don't change."
With an furiously, albeit somewhat comically cocked eyebrow Blisdon turns his attention to Glimmer.
"You...you...Actually. I've got nothin' angry at all to be sayin' to ya', Only that we didn't kill that Fae. She was a trained and properly commissioned soldier, Loyal to the Seelie king. She died a hero doing her duty, Her actions will have ripples in ways that will not yet make themselves known to us for some time."
"It aint often that Banekeril Shit's himself." He grumbled,concluding what he had to express to the Furious fae woman beside him as he slowly began to turn towards the Warlock.
"Nope. Nope! Quit that runnin' away an' stalkin' off in the shader's like ya usually do and getchurself back out here."
Blisdon paused for a moment, hoping that he had stopped the Warlock in her tracks.
"You...Yaknow'...I thought I'd be angrier at you, What with you bringing back a helpless little fae gal's corpse back to some sort of un-life and makin' it talk to you like you're some sort of homicidal ventriloquistpracticing a new act...But I'm really not. Birds fly. Fish swim. Stiers makes consistently the worst possible decisions he could. And you? You...I'm not even sure I can put it into words what you do. But if I had to try I'd like to think that you just do it do piss people off."'
Blisdon threw up his arms in the air with a futile sigh, blinking several times until his eyes lost some of their fury and adopted a more defeated sort of expression.
"I'm startin' to think at this point that you just like it when the odd's are against ya. I mean....Lemme lay some of the fact's down for ya. You had the misfortune of being born to the most infamous race in all of the shards.That's a shame, but it's something that you can overcome given time. Now then...Then you've got yourself some dude who I can't see, BUT I"M PRETTY SURE HE"S WITHIN EARSHOT OF ME with a crossbow bolt trained on either me or the spell-slinger-who-can't-see-worth-a-damn-but-can't-miss-either who I'm pretty sure is your loyal slave. That's another strike against you. But now....Add in the fact that you're a warlock who regularly either raises the dead, communes with their corpses, or maim a person's body parts the second they themselves have the unlucky fortune of looking into your eyes on a bad day..."
With another sigh the dwarf looks around at the townspeople around him, before turning back to the warlock. "Not even Old Lyrion could have been able to talk his way out of a self- made hole like that, And that elf was slippery like the squid that I'm pretty sure he would have been able to turn himself into. Though...in this case, I do owe you some sort of thanks. Had it not been for your twisted and ugly art, I would have never been granted such a powerful boon of Drakerim that was the knowledge of the name of the one I seek."
"My offer still stands too, If you ever wish to abandon the cheap tricks of the dark arts and begin anew, I'd be more than willing to help you. Should you wish to explore into the natural wellspring of life it's energies like that of shamanism. I would be more than willing and truly glad to help you step back from the path you take. It's not so bad, Instead of communion with the dead and unwilling and the relationship of taking what belongs to others, It's a relationship of give and give with nature. There is no taking power from others entities through either force or guile in nature. Nature can provide enough for everyone as long as you take only what you need. "
With a sort of bizarre grin, Blisdon focused his wild eyes back onto the warlocks red pupils, staring her down with a serious glare, something in a stark contrast to what was about to leave his mouth next.
"Besides....It's pretty cool to get naked and dance and wiggle and howl the calls of the wolf in the moonlight until even the moon itself blushes, And It's always more fun to have dancing partners that are actually corporeal entities, Ghost boobs are weird."
Blisdon's excitement and rage began to simmer down slightly as he readjusted his posture, before catching notice of the new blade at the warlocks hip.
"interesting dagger you've got there...would you like to know it's story?" Asked the dwarf, a sort of twisted smirk painted upon his face, though his eyes seemed in the far off lands of a long-past memory.
With a deep grunt, the uordeq Shaman closed his eyes and pulled a small stick of rolled tobacco from his pouch. He gave himself time to set it alight and take a slow and deep inhale before speaking. Letting the smoke exit his mouth with the first few words.
"It might be difficult for most to spot good quality from shoddy quality workmanship when it comes to dwarven crafts. Compared to what you find on the surface of the shards, It's typically all seen as exemplary work. "
Blisdon opened his eyes slightly, taking a long glance at what he could see from the still-bloody blade.
"That was given to me when my beard was still wispy and only inches long by another dwarfling my age, I believe it was a trade for a hangover cure to a childhood friend. He was a blacksmiths apprentice while I studied the disciple arts of a bonemason. It never could hold an edge for long, but you don't need much of one when all you do is pick herbs, mushrooms and the occasional letter with it."
Blisdon smiled as he took another drag from his cigarette, laughing quietly to himself at old childhood memories.
"you'll notice slight scorching on the leather that wraps around the handle, I thought at the time I would burn down one of the more popular taverns within the great subterenean city. long-story-short I screwed the pooch pretty badly and damn near burnt my arm off- though enough ale was destroyed in the process to get me exiled from the blasted place."
"You'll notice on the pommel it's got far more wear and tear than you would expect, Dozens of slight indentations and scratches? That was when I found my new home, A tiny village of refugees only there was no village when I got there, only a struggling series of nomad tents of scared and innocent people- mostly the young, old and sick- who lost the hope to survive on a shard ravaged by constant and pointless warfare. There were very few usable tools throughout the village and any resources we could find went into building something permanent- I used the pommel myself to hammer in nails as fast as the nearly blind blacksmith could churn them out. We named it Bandage, Not sure why...still... I guess having a home was just what they needed to heal some of their wounds, you know, the wounds on the inside where even some of the mightiest magic can't touch."
Blisdons weak grin faded into a grim and solemn expression, though refusing to take his eyes away from the warlocks.
"The blade has seen plenty of bloodshed, but only in the name of preserving life...with the exception of two cases that I know of. The first being the fae who's corpse rots steps away..."
Blisdon took another drag on his cigarette, exhaling softly so that the smoke was carried into the wind.
"...The second is when I plunged it into my own neck after seeing the fate that the damned infernal beast visited upon my adopted village. They had lost so much in life before, Really their hope and their souls were the only things of value they had left....and that damned monster managed to steal both away from them."
Glimmer looks wildy around as Blisdon begins his tear. She hiccups and pulls cookies from her pouch and listens intently. As the rant intensifies, she grabs at Glib's skull, placing it in her lap and whispering "I think you're safer here. SHHHHHH. Eat a cookie." Glimmer wedges a cookie in Glib's skull's mouth, before gathering her leg and skeleton and cradling them like a baby; protecting her the only way she can think of. She swats at Gaius and passes him a handfull of cookies. When Blisdon turns his attentions to her, she hiccups and begins to giggle in nervous laughter.
As he thanks Akon, Glimmer still seethes with anger at her, but agrees within herself that having a name is useful. She yells to Akon and launches more cookies at her before saying "Well. We've all had a bad day." Glimmer simmers down and looks to Blisdon, clapping in appreciation and bowing her head in his direction.
"Tell me something, how does a shaman know nothing of burial rites and why they are performed? Your correct, her spirit is still here, and unless laid to rest may very well be stuck here for eternity. Instead of spouting insults, perhaps you should be helping the fae find her way to rest. I claim to be no hero, nor even slightly heroic. I just could tell that Glimmer needed Akon to leave, and she wasn't. Perhaps I went about things wrong, but then again we all are subject to miscalulations."
Kirell sits quietly as the Dwerdeq makes a fool of himself in front of anyone who will watch.
"Victor don't be drawn into a battle of wits with an unarmed man."
"Blisdon has had his feelings hurt, and is just lashing out."
Kirell's gaze returns to his book as he begins to read quietly, in an attempt to calm the scene.
"Man or beast, all are equal in the wild. Do not look to civilization for safety, for the rain falls on the city dweller and the savage alike. Seek out the deep wilderness unblemished by mortal hands so that you might commune and understand the delicate balance of nature. Pay due respect to the cycle of life and death that sustains you, and oppose those who would pervert it to their own ends."
Gaius flutters in from the road quickly. Noticing the pink fairy in the middle of town, he swoops down and lands next to the town post. He first tries to heal her (Share 4). "Are you okay?" Gaius almost yells.
After seeing if his heal worked, his attention turns to the letter, which he grabs.