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Flaming Hearts {OPEN, PM to join}

Started by Celegwen, July 24, 2017, 02:53:13 PM

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Celegwen

Rena was right. Logically, Exon knew that she was thinking about the big picture, but the use of a bomb was just...messy.

Everything surrounding the Eye of Hunger was just twisted. They should never have had to be in this kind of situation in the first place. The Eye of Hunger should've been dropped to the lowest point in the Tuor Ocean never to be seen again.

Either way, it was happening, and it was happening now. Since Thanatos wasn't the most welcoming of most magic, Exon consciously knew avoiding devastating weaponry was nearly impossible. He just kept flashing back to the Devourer when he was a child. All that destruction. It wasn't that he was against stopping the Devourer, but moreso against stopping the lives of anyone in the vicinity, even if it was just the one man.

He took a deep breath and stood, his bright blue eyes now more of a grey, reflecting the heavy heart he was carrying into the situation. He wouldn't do anything to stop it, though. He knew she was doing the right thing.

"Just the one," he repeated, as though he were trying to reassure himself of the casualty count.

He looked at Rena. She was stronger than he had first thought when seeing her at her performance. She was smarter, too. There was more to the girl than meets the eye. Exon realized that they might not that much more time. If the Devourer really was back, it was very possible these were their last days.

"If this does succeed, and the Eye of Hunger is gone for good, what then? Do you ride off into the sunset in search of some other disaster to avert?" He smirked at her. Over the time they had spent together, really the only topic of conversation was centered around the Eye of Hunger and the Devourer. It occurred to him that he really didn't know the woman he was going into battle with.

Wrathwyrm

She could see that Exon was really wrestling with this, himself.  It wasn't the kind of thing a Maoin had to consider that often, or any sane person.  But as she said, this was definitely a necessity.  They had no useable magic, apart from fire protection, which might be important in the case of resisting their own explosives.  The morality of it all, though, was hit hard and under the belt by how daunting the task could be.  If Maxton were anything less than forgiving right now, he could devastate this island.

But enough about that.  Exon had a surprising new question...

"Me?  Anytime I don't have a job, I go home to Zefras, in Serendipity.  I'm suppose to be in charge of the mines there, but I keep delegating to the overseer when I go out and stuff."

She let off a soft sigh.

"Thanatos is a decent place, Exon, but I wouldn't overstay my welcome here.  I know I don't belong, that at best I've been tolerated because I haven't crossed the line.  The best I can hope for is that the time in which I'm here is a pleasant one, once this is over, and that I'll live up to deeds of my uncle here."

It was a moment after this that Akbar returned with...a cart full of plump waterskins?

"Ummm..."

"Be hearing Akbar out.  Waterskins...are waterproof.  Ergo, to fill them with black powder is to make series of small bombs that are immune to rainfall.  Fuses are inserted already, as you can see."

"Akbar, that's genius...  I'm...paying for the waterskins too, aren't I?"

"It would ever please me so."

Celegwen

He couldn't tell necessarily, but Rena almost seemed like she was a little homesick. It would make sense, seeing as she left her home to potentially die. That would make anyone wish they were back in their own bed. Either way, she wouldn't stay, nor would he expect her to. Thanatos was wonderful, but not always to foreigners. Growing up there, Exon had gotten a hang of the interactions between the islanders and the rest of Le'raana. It was interesting, but usually not the best mix.

"Let's hope you don't follow completely in his path," Exon said, the slightest frown tugging on his feigned smirk.

When Akbar came out with the waterskins, Exon was indeed impressed by his creativity. Of course part of the preparation probably came with his desire to get a few more coins out of his customers. Exon was no stranger to that kind of sale. His life as a performer was dedicated to getting a little more buck for the bang, sometimes quite literally.

He pulled out his coin purse. "It's on me."

As soon as Exon pulled out his money, Feldler jumped up with a sharp bark. His ears perked, tail wagging, and tongue hanging slightly crookedly from his mouth. He learned the sight of Exon's coin purse meant they were almost ready to go somewhere new. With the scent of the chest still pretty fresh in his mind, the shepherd dog was eager to go find what could have been the source of that mysterious and exciting smell!

Wrathwyrm

It could be something like homesickness, or it could be that she just didn't like the laws here because of how they reminded her of Connlaoth.  Either way, her presence in a longterm fashion wasn't likely.  Thanatos wasn't all that great to foreigners, in most cases.  She was technically an honored guest, and yet still there was this pressure on her.  A performer like Exon would be use to dealing with foreigners.  His life was that of entertaining others, and you can't do that insincerely.

Still, she had to agree.  She wouldn't want to follow the path of her uncle to a T.  Rena was about to pull out her money when he decided to pay for it himself.  Before she could stop him, Akbar had calculated the price and written it down, showing the man.  What surprised her was that it wasn't extremely expensive.  It was the normal price on the mainland.  It still wasn't cheap, but Exon could afford it.  Why?  Did Akbar not have to pay to transport the goods and jack up the price on foreign soil?  Rena stared at this, wondering how Akbar afforded to do this.

"Many thanks for your patronage.  Please come again."

So, that was it.  They could take their stuff now.  It wasn't exactly light, but then it wasn't entirely heavy, either.  There were eight of these things.  All you had to do was light the fuse and throw, and then BOOM.  Rena looked at Exon once they were out of the shop, as Feldler was on the trail again.

"You didn't have to do that."

Celegwen

"I know," Exon said, smirking slightly at the girl walking next to him. "I see no reason why I wouldn't, though."

True, Rena was a stranger on Thanati soils, while the Maoin was born and raised there. He may be well versed in the backhanded politeness common among Thanati people, but he was raised to treat two groups of people above others; elders and women. His contribution thus far in the trip was mostly as a guide to Thanatos. Rena was the only reason he was able to escape from his daily routine, so he felt it was only right to cover her expenses. After all, it wasn't like he was struggling financially.

When they walked out of the shop, Feldler had taken off faster than an arrow being shot. Exon smiled, whistling loudly. The dog skidded to a stop, barking and tossing his head. The pup wanted to run, but his master knew they would never be able to follow him!

Exon grinned, stopping and glancing back at Rena. "You want to go on horseback? I guarantee it'll be faster than on foot, and maybe we can hope to keep up with Feldler. I have a favor I can call in with a client I used to..." He pressed his lips together in a tight smile. "Let's just say she paid for some special services. She has three horses, lives just around the corner. I call in a favor, and we got some horses. You're the boss."

Wrathwyrm

Okay, that was smirk-worthy, right there.  She had to give him that.  Rena had one on her face when he said that.  Nothing with a cheeky fellow and his own brand of kindness.  Now umm...as they came back into the open, Feldler bolted and needed to be called back.  That made her smile.  That dog of his was such a show-off, wanting to go after everything   They caught up to where he stopped and Exon had a plan.  Wait...really?

"You have horses in this country?"

What?  She didn't know.  Thanatos is tiny in comparison to the mainland.  Still, Exon had a friend that he'd done a...favor for.  Still, he was getting the horses, if she wanted them.  She was just about to speak when...a messanger came in, having stopped from a dead run.

"Message from Arrok!  You're the right ones, aren't you?"

"Umm...yes.  You're looking for Rena and Exon, right?"

"Right!  Okay...ummm...  The message!  'No activity at family home.  Maxton not seen in hours, according to those who know him.'  He wants to know where you want to meet up."

"Do any of you have horses?"

"Umm...we can get horses."

"Tell 'im to meet us where he's getting horses, so we can keep up with the dog."

The messenger now turned to Exon for instructions.  Looks like they were putting together a posse...

Celegwen

Exon looked at Rena with a breathy chuckle. "Not many, but we have some on the island. Only owned by the richest people."

Once the messenger arrived, Exon's attention immediately snapped back to the problem at hand. The young man was out of breath with a slightly too energetic look in his eyes. When Rena said to meet at Exon's contact's home, he was a little shocked. To be completely honest, he didn't want to bring such drama to the older woman's doorstep, but desperate times...

"Oh, uh, tell Arrok to meet us a quarter of a mile east of the docks. It's a small home with ribbon wrapped around the doorposts owned by a widow under the name Sylphera." He nodded once, symbolically ending the message. He whistled for Feldler one more time, and the dog came running. Jerking his head towards the east, Exon looked at Rena. "We should get a move on."

They started off towards the woman's house. It was a respectable size, but humble for a woman of her wealthy. She had been married to a very successful trader, who passed away years ago. The multicolored ribbons were what made the house stick out, as well as the three beautiful horses already saddled in the fenced field.

One was on the smaller side with large hindquarters. He was pure black in color. His only marks were one white sock on his right hind leg and an asymmetrical white circle on his chest. His name was Torch. The second was a tall and thin horse. Her back must've almost reached Exon's eyes. She was a grey dapple horse with long legs and large lungs. Her name was Ashen. The third was monstrous in size, once a warhorse. He was much larger than both of the others, in height and in muscle. He was chestnut in color with black socks and a white blaze down his face. His name was Halyn.

Exon knocked on the door, winking at Rena. The door opened to a short woman with greying-brown hair in two braids. She had naturally rosy cheeks and a sparkle in her eye. "Exon!" She cried, reaching up and cupping his face in her hands. "It's been too long! How are you, puddin?"

"Syl, you know I love you, but I don't have time for that right now."

"You're calling in that favor now, aren't you?" She smiled with a nod. "Take whichever you'd like. Torch can cover any terrain. He's my champion. Ashen is fast, if that's what you look for in a girl. And Halyn is pure muscle. If you think you're going to be running anything down, take the warhorse."

He walked around back and stroked Ashen's snout, swinging onto her back. "She's always been my girl," he said to Rena. "Take your pick. Torch or Halyn?"

Wrathwyrm

Rena wasn't aware that this was drama.  As far as she could tell, it was a case of Exon asking to borrow her horses, meeting up with Arrok, and going.  She need not be involved in the affair beyond that, which should've been fine.  Once he had given the messangr directions, the guy nodded and started bolting out of there in a hurry.

"That guy's gonna be too out of breath to give the message."

Maybe, maybe not.  They'd get it, eventually.  As the Maoin said, though, they should get going.  They came to a house - with ribbons, as indicated prior - that was maybe a little smaller than the Goldswith/Alamar family house, but otherwise a decent estate, and there were horses in the yard.  Rena's house didn't have a fenced-off area.  People just knew better, since her grandparents could certainly protect the place.

Something that Rena hadn't quite figured out was whether a wink from Exon was a good thing or a bad thing.  He was a man of many talents and potential mischiefs, so one could never really tell, when all was said and done.  That said, the widow Sylphera was very happy to see him, though he took her straight to the point: The horses.  Rena listened intently, and Exon seemed very keen on the fast mare, which left the king of terrain and the warhorse.

The decision kind of put her on the spot, with a definite look of uncertainty on her face.  She'd never ridden a warhorse before, rather the other varieties, because her mythril armor - when she had it on - didn't weigh the horse down.  What if she lost control of this big guy?  An all-terrain horse was good, but speed and strength could not be denied.  Hmmm...  Rena looked over at the two.

"I don't know anything about the terrain of Thanatos.  We wanna run the guy down, but if this land sees alot of hills and jumps, it may be Torch over Halyn."

Celegwen

"Take Torch," Exon said in a whisper not really meant to be one. Sylphera smirked, folding her arms. She was a friendly woman, but you could tell just by looking at her that she still has some spunk in those old bones.

"He's right, hun," she said. "Ashen is slender, and Torch is agile. This island is mostly damp, heavy forest. Halyn is strong, but if you're chasing a man, you best be able to fit through the woods!"

Exon chuckled, looking at the black horse who already knew he was going for a run. Feldler barked outside the fence. Fences were only seen for those few who owned horses, so it wasn't a common sight. It wasn't like the fences were really meant for keeping people out, more like showing boundaries for horses who want to roam.

The Maoin smirked at Sylphera, who walked into the field and opened the gate. "After this is all over," she said, "be sure to come back an visit, you hear?"

"Of course," he said. "You know you're my favorite lady!"

She grinned, looking Rena up and down. "And hey, don't be afraid to bring your friend along!"

Exon laughed, glancing at Rena. "Syl, you bad girl!"

So that's why Exon winked!

Wrathwyrm

Well, the growing consensus appeared to be Torch, the runner.  And a good point was had on that one.  A warhorse, a battle-charger, making its way through the woods at speed?  No no no no no...  This woman knew her stuff.  Warhorses were meant for the open battlefield, so they were right.  It was a great day for Torch.  So, Sylphera was opening the gate for them to take their horses and Exon was making one of his pleasant exchanges and...oh my.  What she said was...okay, Rena had to get over to her horse now, because what she thought te lady meant was turning her deep red right now!

Oh, she did not just invite me to join in on a private affair, did she?  Tell me that's not what just happened!  Exon, how many people are you like this with?  Are they ALL that open?

This was a bit new to her.  She hadn't exactly been in the sack, but even still...no one had ever proposed an action that rhymes with 'Gleesome' before! Rena was going to focus on getting up on Torch now.  Hello, Torch!  You're a good boy, aren't you?  Okay, gonna get up on the saddle now, and in a hurry.  After all, time waits for no one, and neither does the Devourer, right?  Right!  Exon would note that she had no trouble at all, getting on that horse.  Half-elven agility and all.

"Right, umm...let's get going, okay?"

Trying very hard not to look embarrassed now...

Celegwen

Exon smiled, trotting through the gate with Feldler running ahead. The dog was definitely far ahead of the duo, but the trotting horses helped to keep the distance within reason. He glanced at Rena, whose embarrassment was written all over her face. It was true that Sylphera was quite open in her sexuality, as she once was married with a Maoin lover even her late husband was fine with. Interesting lady, to say the least!

Torch seemed to take to Rena quite well. He really wasn't the most cooperative horse, which was why Exon preferred not to ride him, but Rena and Torch appeared to have a similar connection Exon had with Ashen. She mounted naturally, and Torch even stayed still for once.

Rena didn't know the Maoin man, so she wouldn't be familiar with his intimate history with many of the wealthy Thanati women. Few were as open as Sylphera was, but she was the only one who owed him a favor. She was partially joking when extending an invitation to Rena, but any sincerity in the offer certainly wouldn't be surprising to Exon.

"Sorry about that," Exon said to Rena. "She's a wonderful woman, but sometimes a little too welcoming. If it makes you feel at all more comfortable, she was not proposing anything seriously."

Wrathwyrm

Torch was well-behaved.  Of course, she hadn't given him much of a chance to get out of line, but he didn't really try to.  Halyn probably would've tried to buck powerfully, being a warhorse, but Torch was a runner.  All she had to do was control the running.  Not that she needed to, in this case.  Quicker than you can say 'And they're off!', Feldler bolted yet again.  The dog had a boundless energy supply, which was...admittedly typical of the species.  Exon soon caught up with the both of them, and Rena was thankfully recovering from...you know.  She nodded at his apology.

"It's just...one of those things you don't expect to hear, you know?  And then, you start thinking about things."

Since they were currently following a dog and Arrok's group was not currently in sight, they had a bit of time.

"My father always wanted me to do this, be the head of the family.  Grandfather didn't believe a girl should, but he insisted.  It was his death that made Grandfather relent on the matter.  I haven't given much thought to the next in line.  I mean, I'm still young and I'm going to live long, but...a fair bit of my family was cut down in their prime.  It makes me wonder if the stuff I'm doing now, more than just being the Mining Magistrate of Zefras is alright.  Because I do put myself in danger, and it's made me really experienced, but even strong people die.  My uncle didn't die here.  It was an accident.  It's hard not to think about things like that."

Celegwen

With Feldler running a bit too far ahead, Exon released a sharp whistle. They were supposed to be meeting Arrok's group nearby, so they shouldn't go too far from Syl's property. The dog circled back, his nose in the air the entire time.

Exon listened to Rena with a sympathetic ear, though he really couldn't relate to what she was saying. He had no memories of his parents, especially none of his grandparents, therefore lineage was never something that even crossed his mind. Someone like Rena, someone with a family and a title, it made sense these things would have some kind of weight on her thoughts.

Never would he imagine a flirtatious invitation could cause so much to surface for her.

"Your father was a wise man," Exon said, slowing Ashen to a walk. "You're a more than capable leader. And I want you to believe me when I say you have nothing to worry about."

If she looked at Exon, she would see his crystalline blue eyes had developed a grey film over them. "You'll have many years to worry about the future of your family. Many opportunities to further the line, should you choose." His foresight was a gift and a curse. Though his main attraction as a Maoin was his fire performance, Exon was a fortune-teller who was wrong in his sight less than one percent of the time. "You have a long time before you meet your end, so put this out of your mind. The more anxious you are, the less powerful you will be."

Wrathwyrm

Rena Goldswith wasn't exactly the sort of person to bottle up her feelings and concerns.  And in this case, someone that's let their work overshadow their personal life does get moments like this, worrying that they're missing the life's simple pleasures.  People that feel unfulfilled, yet hold responsibility in their hearts, find it hard to resolve the two issues.  With them slowing down to give Arrok a chance to find them, she listened as Exon spoke.

There was something...unexpectedly calm in the way he was speaking now.  Rena thought she could see some glimmer of magic in him when he did too.  The eyes...  That was new.  He hadn't done that before, and she was starting to suspect that maybe even he didn't expect it.  The things he said seemed like both a reassurement and a warning in one.  Was it prophecy?  She'd heard of those who could see the future, but never before had...

Alright, that was enough self-doubt.  Like the man said, it only made things worse for her.  Besides, she could hear more horses, and rounding the bend was Arrok and three other men, including the runner who was...quite relieved to be off of his feet for now.  Well, he had Rena's sympathies there.  Runners in the mines could get quite exhausted, sometimes, so she knew all about that.  Rena nodded at Exon now.

"Thank you for that.  And now, I think we'd better release the hound.  He's been anxious as hell to get going."

Celegwen

The brightness that was a deep part of Exon's vibrant eyes returned, and he smirked. At the least, Rena seemed intrigued by what he had said. Whether or not she heeded his words was yet to be seen.

Most of the time, when his sight is activated, Exon doesn't even realize it. It's an automatic reaction that usually happens when someone needs to hear it. He never understood why it happened necessarily, but he had gotten used to it like anyone else gets over their own quirks.

Once Arrok and his three men came trotting around the bend, Exon smiled. He looked around, noticing that there were many people stepping out of their homes or stopping in their paths to look at the mounted group of six. It made sense; horses in general were rare, but to see a group of people atop mounts was definitely unusual.

Turning his head around, Exon saw his happy shepherd lying on the ground with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. The Maoin snapped his fingers and swept his hand forward. Feldler barked once, sprinting to his feet and taking off. He had been waiting for this! Exon chuckled and nodded his head, urging Ashen after the dog.

Wrathwyrm

With the dog moving at great speed, it was time to get these horses moving!  Yes, they were pretty much using a good number of available horses on Thanatos, but it was SO worth it!  It should be noted that Rena was rather good on a horse, herself.  Plenty of time on the mainland to become acquainted, no doubt.  Arrok and the other men were decent enough, themselves.  He himself was a veteran of many combat-related actions, while they were at least trained.  If they were left behind at all, it wouldn't be by far.

Now, Feldler was actually leaving the city, and indeed he was heading for the foliage.  He was following the scent of the foreigner who had broken in and taken the Eye.  It was only assumed that Maxton was to be the recipient and not the one who knabbed it.  Question was...what in the world was the dog chasing?  We'll level with you here: It was like nothing he had ever smelled before.  The being that he had caught the scent of, the creature he was following, was very likely never a visitor to this place, 'till now.  And we will say that it was merely on a whim that he did so.  For you see...while the dog was on his trail, that trail led further in, to where he'd been.

Right now, he was in a tree, and downwind.

He watched them ride, and he was certainly amused.  Keen minds, taking a dog with them to sniff him out.  And yet, he was not worried...  No no, his concern might be for the other thing.  As they went further into the forest, he was going back to the city, knowing full-well that they were going to be busy for a while.  It would take them a long time to catch up to a Magnificent Bastard like him!

The trail led to a simple, ordinary storage area for things out in this area.  Tools, plants, and other things went here, presumably because what little the plants had to offer should be looked after.  The large shack also offered shelter from the rain, should it be needed.  It was, further, a good place to hold illicit meetings, wasn't it?  Well...this was where the trail led, and Rena dismounted.

"I'll go first, mostly because my presence will probably confuse him, if he's there."

That made sense.  He wouldn't know what to say - at this juncture - to a random foreigner.  So, Rena opened the door...and then she looked...aaand then she closed the door again.  She looked a bit shocked by what she saw in there.

Arrok: "Dead?"

"Uhhh...no?  I'm not sure what to make of it.  It's probably bad."

Arrok: "How so?"

"There's...nothing on his face but a mouth."

Oh...that can't be good.

Celegwen

Totally normal, Exon thought to himself when Rena told them what she had seen.

Panting heavily, Feldler laid down next to Ashen. He had technically done his job. He followed the unknown smell, just so happened it wasn't to the person they were hunting for. Not the dog's fault.

The shed that Feldler led them to was strangely out of place. The group left the city, entering the dense Thanati forests, not known to be frequented be sensible people. Then again, apparently there were less sensible people than Exon had thought. When Rena offered to go in, part of Exon was relieved and the other part was worried for her. He knew she was smart and could handle herself, but the Devourer was not something of which to make light.

Her reaction was confusing, though.

When she said that his face only had a mouth, Exon immediately felt chills run down his spine. 'Not good' was an understatement. Eye of Hunger, the Devourer, all of these had to do with consumption. A face only containing a mouth couldn't be a good omen.

"What do you mean?" The man asked. "The other part of his face just...doesn't exist?"

Wrathwyrm

"That is kind of what I mean.  There's a body in there that looks human-ish sitting in a chair.  You can see it breathing, even in the twilight.  And it's face has nothing on it but a mouth, taking up all the room on his face."

She'd seen it in there, alone, sitting in a chair with its hands clutching the armrests in a deathgrip.  Pretty sure she'd even seen it cracked from that...  Judging by the tone of the skin, she was fairly-certain that the creature was - as in 'use to be' - Thanati.  So...if Maxton didn't turn up soon, they could be fairly certain that this thing was him.  Also, there was another detail of importance, apart from all this, that she had failed to mention.

"By the way, I didn't see the Eye of Hunger in there, on him or lying around."

Arrok: "You've never actually seen it, yourself."

"Maybe not, but I'd be able to pick it out, right?  I mean, unless you want to look for yourse-  Oh shit!"

Rena had opened the door again to allow him to peek in, himself, and found herself staring at it in the doorway.  She hadn't heard it move!  She had not heard it!  Think about that for a second!  She slammed the door shut on the atrocity.  That thing was no longer human...  In fact, a hand too taut in the muscles and dense in the bone structure thrust right through the door as Rena jumped aside, the whole thing collapsing in half!

Arrok: "That's not how it is normally!"

It stood there with its face-mouth gritted with gray fangs.  Air pushed and pulled loudly between its teeth.  No face, no hair, no ears, no clothes, and - mercifully - no gender.  Something had occurred with the Eye of Hunger, because - to Arrok - this thing looked like it was the Eye of Hunger.  It was still gradually changing, even as they watched.  Rena could watch no more and slashed at its hip.  The sword was stopped short at its hand.  And even though she'd cut into it and heard hand-bones cracking, the only thing it did was bleed black ooze from the cut slowly, then look at them all and go...

VOOOOOH!!!

This produced a directed shockwave that would force them all back.  Now, at the sight of the thing, the horses were quite shocked.  At this point, they were probably bolting!

Celegwen

Just the sight of the...creature...was enough to disturb any breathing man. It didn't matter if you were a battle veteran who slaughtered hundreds: this would send chills running rampant through the body.

The shockwave was powerful enough to knock the entire travel party off the horses, even making the horses stumble back. The horses started racing away, back to their homes. Exon whistled loudly after them. Ashen slowed, looking back, but her dedication to Exon was not nearly enough to convince her to stay in the presence of that - thing.

Even Feldler started to run, but Exon immediately called him back. The dog cowered, but stayed loyal to his master.

"What the hell is that thing?" Exon asked quickly, jumping to his feet. He abandoned any Thanati niceties that had been stuffed in his mind, as the battlefield was not a place for common manners. "Please, don't tell me that's what happens to people."

Though he remembered what the Devourer had done, Exon never actually saw the thing for himself. If this was what it did, it was truly worse than he imagined.

He grabbed a thick branch off the ground and made sure it was sturdy. If Rena's sword slicing into the creature's hand barely pained it, there was no chance Exon would be able to hurt it with a stick. Still, last thing he wanted was to be completely defenseless in the situation.

He shook his head, his heart racing. "Inima, save us."

Wrathwyrm

The thing was horrifying...and as expected, it had incredible strength.  The Devourer had come.  Regardless of the reason WHY it stood in this form, this was the very thing that had haunted Exon's childhood and many childhoods.  It was, in a way, a very personal demon for him, as well as all of Thanatos.  Not so much that it was literally personal to them all, but rather that - in a collective manner - it was a traumatic issue.  This explained why the Maoin had forgotten the plan, while the others were getting up and preparing to fight.  Only Rena was aware of it besides him.

The Devourer was confronted, carefully, by Arrok and his men.  He himself was trying to imagine how effectively it could cut them down, versus their ability to wound the beast enough for Rena to take the final blow.  No question of this man's commitment!  He had already considered himself as a potential sacrifice to the cause!  It didn't look good to him, though.  Judging by the oozing cut and the snap of the hand - followed by the RE-snap of the hand going back into place and the wound starting to close - this dark creature felt no pain in the human sense.  It merely reacted to it.

The four men, plus Rena, were currently taking mere testing-the-waters swings at it.  It wasn't a human intelligence.  It didn't react like a pissed-off human.  It was a monster, a demon.  They baited it, and it seemed to whip a clawed hand at it, experimentally, followed by a backhand that destroyed part of the shack's doorway.  Rena heard him muttering and looked around quickly.  It wasn't paying him heed yet, since he wasn't attacking.

"Exon!  The bombs!  Light one and toss it!  It's why we got them, right?"

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