Light within the Void (@Alegretto)

[Laraine]

Echo wasn't one known to complain.

No, mostly she was silent type. Stormy blue eyes framed by locks of ebony that only barely reached past her chin.

Considering her past, she was lucky she hadn't gotten mad. No Loki would take much joy in seeing his little "pet" fall completely. Her sanity was mostly kept alive by a thread, and the fact that she wanted to see the rivers run red with her foe's blood.

Yes, she was that type, completely consumed with revenge with her soul completely blackened. Yet, she had her moments.

"So.........hungry.." She whined and leaned against a nearby tree. Traveling the forest for days really put a toll on a person. Especially if the person was Echo Void. She ate a whole army's worth of food in one setting it seemed. Four...no five hundred men tops. She was probably the cause of world hunger.

A voice snickered to her right and suddenly a face appear. A male pale face with long silver hair and a mischievous expression. Those golden eyes though, they never ceased to unnerve her. "Aw, I told you we should have eaten that rabbit back there Echy!" Echo grumbled at Loki's rather told you so face and instead she stubbornly continued to walk. Acting as if he didn't exist.

The face pouted and soon a lithe figure emerged, attaching itself to the head. The man, completely clothed in white sat Indian style on thin air and just floated as Echo walked through the rather dense forest.

She groaned. "I could eat a horse...and it's rider." She stated rather dramatically, grabbing a hold of a tree branch and slumping against it, her slender frame made her look more like a boy than girl. The clothing she chose, a long shirt made for young boys along with baggy pants and boots didn't help her style.

"Aww now Echo we wouldn't want to dredge into those waters..no telling what that could do to your mind~" he teased before thinking for a bit and brightening. "You know what?! Nevermind! Go ahead! I want to see this!" The god said rather excited and Echo barely had the energy to glare at him. So she simply just rolled her eyes at the crazed god and huffed.

" I will...never become that desperate." She stated sternly. It was only when she heard the sound of running water did she freeze in place. "Do...do you hear that?!" Snapping her head, her dark locks floated for a second before she spotted the sparkling water in the distance and her face instantly brightened. "Look! Water! and where there's water...there has to be....."

Loki looked clueless. "Rocks? Grass? oh! fish?!" Loki looked proud but Echo was already ignoring him and bolting to the river. Narrowing her eyes she focused on her prey. As she got close she spotted a animal further ahead and smirked as she held out her hand, palm up.

"Are you seriously going to use your power to kill a animal?" Loki huffed, catching up and pouting. "That's not why I gave them to you!"

"Shut up kindly my lord." Echo was beyond done dealing with Loki's idiocy. Mildly offended, Loki vanished from sight with little more than a huff. Now that she was finally alone she focused her power, her hand glowing green for a brief time before the earth around the animal shifted and before the creature could escape she trapped it's leg into the crevice she formed below it. It whined and begged to be released, and as Echo approached closer she found she hit gold with the animal. It was a deer! She'd be able to finish it off no problem.

So she quickly killed the animal, sitting down and praying over it as she did. After all, it was hard to completely rid herself of the training of being a Priestess. Some things just weren't easy to let go of.

Darkness hadn't yet fallen yet but to eat the deer she quickly set up a fire and began to cook the meat, pulling everything she needed from her sack she carried around and not minding the fact that she was in a rather dangerous wooded area.

She had barely taken a bite however when she heard a noise from behind her and her sapphire eyes narrowed, she spun around, holding her fork before her as if it was a weapon.

"Who is there?! Show yourself!"

[Alegretto]

Adrius stalked along the wooded path wearily. Another crappy job, and so little gold to be had. Barely enough to cover the inn he planned to stay at tonight. He sighed. Just another forty minutes or so and he'd hit town. Almost there. The mercenary was exhausted, and he almost wanted to make camp, but he knew the kinds of things that stalked some parts of the Draconi forest at night, and he had no intention of encountering one if he could help it.

A little ways further down the path, Adrius noticed a light. It wasn't entirely dark out yet, but the intensity was beyond the dim remnants of sunlight that filtered through the boughs overhead. The mercenary would have rubbed his eyes if he wasn't wearing armor, so he blinked them instead, making sure that he wasn't seeing things.

Once he was sure that the flickering glow was real, he detoured off the path towards it's source. The mercenary was curious to know who would be out here at this time. None of the locals would be brave, or perhaps foolish, enough to make any kind of camp in this area. The light resolved itself into a campfire, and Adrius noticed what looked to be a young man. Suddenly, a loud crackle rang our from below him. Adrius looked down and realized that he had stepped on a branch. Well, it was more like an entire bush but that wasn't the point.

The boy turned, brandishing some kind of instrument, and Adrius threw up his hands to show that he was unarmed, best to avoid a misunderstanding if at all possible, but the mercenary quickly lowered them again when he realized that the young man in front of him was threatening him with a fork. A chuckle rang out from his huge metal frame. "And what, pray tell, would you have done with that fork if I was a bandit or monster? Eat me?"

Still laughing a bit, Adrius walked further into the light of the campfire. "Luckily for you I'm no highwayman or beast. Just another traveler on the road. The mercenary looked at the young man's small camp critically. "Are you sure you want to stop here? The next passerby might be a little less friendly than I, and there's a town not forty minutes walk from here. I know that it's going to be dark soon, but I'd personally chance those forty minutes over a whole night in the woods."

[Laraine]

Echo eyed the man wearily, still holding the fork even as the other approached him. But once he spoke, Echo sighed and stabbed the meat on her plate with it. Taking a chunk off and eating it before even speaking. After all, she was starving!

Once she swallowed, she sat back down and eyed the other a little. "I'm starving and got this deer on my way. No use wasting it." She replied simply. Her voice was strained, as if she was pretending to make it lower than it actually was. But she was a girl after all. It'd be incredibly difficult to make a mans voice out of her rather high and tinkling voice.

"Besides, I'm unfamiliar with the landscape around here. I didn't know there was a town about 40 minutes away." She cursed herself for not asking directions sooner. But it also seemed strange another random traveler as he put it was wandering the forest. Of course, the group of bandits had headed this direction too. So it must have been a busy highway of sorts for the damned. Which made her bristle more and glance at the man who had interrupted her dinner.

Speaking of, her stomach growled as if on cue and she groaned. She quickly started to eat bite after bite of the deer right before the mans eyes. Almost consuming half of the deer as it cooked, pulling it off the fire when the meat was ready.

Licking her lips she glanced once more at the man as she paused in her eating. What was he doing here anyway? She couldn't help but be curious. Still, she preferred to be alone. Well as alone as she could be with a obnoxious god leering over her shoulder.

"Is that where you are heading? To town?" She asked curiously. "I haven't seen many people in this forest. So it seems you must be one of the brave few." humming, she contemplated going for another bite, waiting for the other to answer her.

Stabbing her fork into the meat, she brought it back before blinking and tilting her head a bit. "If you want some, feel free..but be quick. I might finish it all before." She smirked a bit.

[Alegretto]

The fellow must have been younger than Adrius had first thought, it sounded almost as if his voice had yet to change. "I figured as much," the mercenary whispered under his breath when the young man said that he was unfamiliar with the area.

As the fellow tucked in, Adrius felt more assured in his guess about the young man's age. As far as he knew only a growing boy could put away a meal like that. Well, if his brother was any indication anyway. Adrius never hit his growth period.

"I am heading to town," he answered the boy's question. "I much prefer having a roof over my head when I can. And thank you I'm not hungry." He watched the fellow eat a bit more before asking, "How about you? Are you going to stay the night or would you rather come to town now that you know it's close?"

[Laraine]

Echo thought about her options. Heading to town did sound pretty good right about then. Especially since she might get more info on the band of murderers she was following. After eating a bit more, she answered. "Hmm I think I might head into town as well...no use staying out here." Shrugging, she finished off the entire deer and sighed happily, clapping her hands together. "Thanks for the meal." She said softly and closed her eyes for a brief moment before taking the rest of the bones of the animal and burying them nearby.

She wondered why the man had stuck around, waiting for her to finish. She glanced over to him curiously. "Why are you staying? You really don't have to worry about me.. I can take care of myself." humming, she bent down but as she did, a sudden arrow flew where she had been standing seconds ago. The arrow lodged itself into a tree to her right and she stood up, eying the arrow as it quivered. She quickly spun around and grabbed for her pack, hissing. "Get down!"

She dove as about five more arrows flew into the camp, cursing and getting ready to activate her power.

[Alegretto]

Adrius watched on, quite impressed, as the boy polished off an entire dear. It was an impressive feat, especially for a person of the young man's size. When he posed, his question, Adrius started to respond, "Well there's no reason for me to move on alone if I don't hav..." but he was interrupted by the 'thunking' sound that an arrow made as it lodged into a tree.

The hissed "get down" as he himself hit the ground. Adrius simply gave the boy an odd look as a couple more arrows bounced harmlessly off his armor. The mercenary sighed as he unlimbered his spear from it's holder on his back. He turned to face the origin of the arrow-fire and raised his shield carelessly in that general direction.

The massive armored figure began stalking in that direction, weapons bared and ready to impale whoever revealed themselves first.

[Laraine]

Echo wondered about the man. She had noticed his armor really...but she hadn't guessed the armor was actually really well made. As the arrows bounced off it and he started to walk towards the source of the arrows. Sighing she made sure to follow the walking wall of armor as he was her shield of sorts as the arrows continued to bounce off him harmlessly.

Before them once they reached the men were a group of bandits. Each man held at least a sword as well as specialty weapon.. Two with arrows. They looked rather surprised, but Echo frowned a bit at them. They were bandits, nothing more. They weren't the people she was after that was for sure.

"Ugh...bandits.." She muttered and rolled her eyes. "What are you trash doing here?" She demanded, brushing her cloak a bit to the side and sliding one foot out a bit, getting into a fighting stance.

It was then the bandits seemed to realize that the two before them weren't mere travelers. And in fact the leader almost seemed to swallow heavily.

"Were here to collect all your money and valuables...hand them over!" He growled and Echo rolled her eyes.

"I'd like to see you idiots try.." Smirking, she decided to show off a bit and held out her hand. Instantly it began to glow white and the air around them all was trembling. Little slices of condensed air began to slice at the man before her, forming a cut then two, then three on his face. He let out a cry as Echo smirked.

"Unless you want to die.. I suggest turning tail and running....VERY far away."

[Alegretto]

The bandits looked hesitant as their leader clutched his face and howled in pain. Adrius watched on, unimpressed with the rabble, and decided to give them a bit more prompting. He raised his right arm and brought his massive shield down on the ground with so much force the ground around him shook for a moment.

The double-demonstration of magical and physical prowess snapped the bandit's nerves, and the lot of them broke and ran. The leader looked around him for a moment. "Wait, where you lout's going?" It didn't take long though before he was the only one left, at which point he took off just as fast as any of his compatriots.

Adrius sighed in annoyance. He'd had to use energy he didn't want to which was always a pain. He turned to face the young man behind him. "Wind magic huh? Odd to see a young man in Adela who can use magic." The armored nobleman let his comment sit for a moment before changing the subject. "So why did you sound disappointed when you realized they were bandits? The way you were talking it sounded as if you were hoping for something else."

[Laraine]

Echo sighed, relaxing once the men had high tailed it. She smirked at the others comment and shrugged. "Trust me. I'm full of surprises." chuckling a little, she walked back over to the camp, sitting back down. But when he asked about why she sounded disappointed, she paused.

Glancing back over to the man, she frowned, blue eyes turning a bit cold. "It's...very complicated. But I suppose the short end of it is...I am searching for a certain group of killers and thieves." She shrugged and started to pack up her gear. "I don't know if you've heard of them. The God Slayers they call themselves." She spat out that name and slammed something into her pack.

Her gaze was focused completely on packing up now. Even if he hadn't heard of them. It was no matter to her. She didn't need anyone and she was fine by that. No one could help her anyway....

Her fate was sealed in the end. Once this was all over, she could join her parents and brother...and finally rest.

"Either way, we should be getting to that town now... I don't want those idiots coming back." Huffing she slung the sack over her shoulder.

[Alegretto]

As the fellow walked, Adrius followed him back to the camp. When the fellow mentioned the 'God Slayers' the nobleman could only reply: "Sorry, Never heard of that group." He waited a bit as the fellow finished packing.

When he spoke up again, Adrius nodded, or rather he made the helmet of his armor nod. "That sounds like a solid idea. I'll lead the way."

So saying, the young mercenary took the two to the road and set off in the direction of town. "So what's your name, anyway? I'm Adrius."

[Laraine]

Echo paused a bit when the other introduced himself and asked who she was. She could practically hear Loki laughing in her head. He had always made fun of her when she told him what her name would be. It was obviously a fake name and no one would take her seriously with a name she created. Yet, during that time period..and even now. That name embodied all that she was. Ever since that tragic day.

Opening her mouth a bit, she stared at the others back, trailing behind as she spoke and never once meeting his eyes. "My name?" Her smile was slightly hollow. "It's Echo.....Echo Void."

Because that's all she was now. Her old name died when she did. Well..before that god came to her rescue. Despite being the most annoying god on the planet, she did owe him everything..her life..and her soul.

She wondered the others expression after she said her name. It was certainly a odd name in of itself. Keeping this facade up, pretending to be a boy. Would he start to think she was female now? With a name like Echo...

She didn't know. Maybe there were boys named Echo too. She didn't care. Following after him, she simply stayed fairly silent.

[Alegretto]

"Echo Void," Adrius repeated to himself. Probably not a real name. An alias then, a way for people to know the young man. Inside his own head, Adrius berated himself for not giving his own moniker as means of introduction. How was he ever going to be able to get the title "The Behemoth" to stick if he didn't even use it himself.

Concerned as he was with his own musings, Adrius' insensitivity was on full blast and he completely failed to notice Echo's own obvious worries.

If Echo could have seen Adrius' expression behind his armor, well, there wouldn't be much expression to see. Well, until he realized that it was up to him to continue the conversation. The she would have seen surprise. "Echo Void," he spoke musingly. "That's an interesting alias. Why did you pick it?"

[Laraine]

Echo sighed at the others question. Why did she choose it? "It's because it's who I am now." She said softly, her voice going a bit higher, more like a girls for a brief moment. "I am a void of who I once was. That other g-person....no longer exists."

She smirked a bit and held the strap of her pack tighter. "As for Echo...I suppose its another word closest to Void...I no longer have my own voice." She hummed and looked ahead. "There's only one thing on my mind...revenge." She said. "Revenge on those who took everything from me." Shrugging, she glanced at the other curiously. "Anyway, enough about me. What were you up to out here? Not that I'm curious...it's just better to chat before we both part ways in town." Because Echo wasn't fond of company. Walls were built for a reason...not only was she after a dangerous gang of murderers, but she herself didn't want to make any ties....

[Alegretto]

((OOC: Sorry Adrius is such a jerk-wad :-\  Oh, and it seems like you might want Adrius to figure out Echo's a girl (sorry if I'm reading that wrong) but you'd really need to hit him over the head with it for him to notice XD))

Adrius listened to Echo's answer half-heartedly, he didn't really care about the fellow's answer, he had just needed something to ask. He did have to stifle a chuckle when Echo's voice cracked. Though he was starting to wonder just how young the boy was. Now that he was getting a really close look, he didn't think that the young man could be older than fifteen.

He was startled out of his musings when Echo posed her question. "Huh, me? Oh I'm returning from a job. Crappy one, not much pay. You know, the life of a mercenary." He tried to sound cool as he said it, but the words fell a bit flat.

"You know, if you have gold, you can hire me. I'd happily help with your revenge and all. Normally I'd tell you that my services don't come cheap, but honestly I'm a little desperate." Adrius knew that he wasn't exactly establish a strong bargaining position, but Echo look like someone with a lot of money, and the mercenary didn't want the young man getting scared off thinking that he needed to pay a ton. After all, Adrius WAS desperate.

[Laraine]

(ahahah Don't worry I love a challenge! Besides.. ;) there are many ways to show who she is..mwa hahahahaha many many ideas~......btw sorry I'm so late with this post. Lots of stuff came up and my creativity took a dive...I've only been wanting to RP a certain thing for the past few weeks..but I knew I had to come back here despite the fact that my creativity is driving me to this fandom...ehehehe Anyway I'm back to replyyy!)

Echo blinked at the other, a look of disinterest on her face. "I don't have gold necessarily...just a few things I picked up before I left home.." She pulled forth a couple items. A necklace, a ring, a small idol statue and a belt all made of pure gold. They were rather beautifully crafted and had intricate and unusual designs on them.

The ring and necklace looked ceremonial, both having large emeralds in them. The fact was, they were from a large and prosperous city that simply was destroyed, raised to the ground several years ago. The golden idol she held was a small version of their local god. The god Loki who was known as the main god of their religion.

"Anything else I have is in here.." She produced some other currency, it was brass and silver pieces but no gold. Just the golden items she had brought from her hometown.

"Besides, what I plan to do is extremely dangerous." She stated. "After all, I am going after a group that has destroyed several towns and cities...at least over 100...it's known as the God Slayers. It has at least over 400 members...." She shrugged, looking ahead of her.

"Honestly its up to you, they may have a lot of gold and stuff already there so if your really desperate you can have all the money they have..I could care less about it." She huffed.

Besides, it wasn't like she would have use for it.....

[Alegretto]

((OOC: Looks like I'm giving you a run for your money with the whole running late thing :|
sorry about that))

Adrius' eyes bulged behind his helmet when he saw the artifacts the young man revealed. However the words "400 embers" brought him back a little bit. Still, for that kind of treasure...

"Hey, if they have more stuff like you're carrying I'd be glad to take the job. 400 hundred though, huh." The nobleman fell silent for a moment, thinking hard. "Maybe doable." He spoke after a while. "Maybe. Not all at once," he quickly cautioned, "and it wouldn't be easy either. Plus, it depends how strong each individual is, what kind of weapons they use, if they have any magicians or not. Still if we work at it for a couple weeks, we could probably deal with 400 eventually. Might get dicey though, if we're not careful enough, and I might need to call in some reinforcements if these guys are tougher or smarter than your average group of bandits."

Adrius didn't think he was overestimating himself, he was pretty sure that if these guys weren't stronger than the average group of rabble, he'd be able to go in, take out maybe twenty before he tired out, and then left before they regroup. If they were well organized though, or trained at all, it'd be much harder.

He thought for a moment longer, before speaking again, "Still, I've don't think I've heard of this group before. Maybe some strange rumors, but nothing of this scale. Are they new to the area, or have I just been living under a rock or something?"

[Laraine]

Echo blinked. "Ah, yes they are new...they travel around a lot, finding new cities they can raid and kill." She frowned a bit at this and put the items she brought out away. "I am not surprised you don't know about them. Because really, no one ever survives their raids. Once they take a city they make sure to kill every living person there. As far as I know...I'm the only one who has survived their destruction."

Although the word survived probably wasn't the best word to use. After all, she did die...technically.

"Usually they leave nothing, but burned out villages and cities." She shrugged and sighed. "So they are pretty strong I suppose. Most of them like to use enchanted weapons after all. Spoils from the places they raid." She brushed a hand through her hair and sighed.

"Anyway. If you think you're up for the challenge more power to you. I'll be trailing them no matter what." She said with a firm nod. "I'm not giving up until they are all dead." Blue eyes ice cold, she continued to walk to the town.

"This is what I know about them, they travel a lot. They don't really have a home base per say. But they travel in many different groups, the largest one has its most skilled fighters as well as the boss. They all have unique skills and abilities. So even if you beat one of them, if the other has a skill you don't know about or a magic weapon that is too powerful, well...that's why they haven't been taken down before I guess. I've probably killed at least 20 of them I think so far." She shrugged and stretched. "One on one of course." She smirked. "That's why they are getting nervous about me. Soon those bastards will come to me."

"And with the guidance of Loki I'll be sure to win."