Beast of the Tundra [open]

[Ethereal-Star]

With Ilvenath taking some strong blows from the barbarian brute and not looking like he was going to give up, Adelaide really had to question his judgment then. Seriously... she thought. Are you trying to get yourself killed? Shaking her head, she looked back when the brute let out a loud roar like an animal and upturned a table, dishes and utensils clattering to the floor and breaking into shards. Yet still the fight continued.

That was when the masked man came over to her and struck up a casual conversation as though they were old friends. Adelaide simply stared at him, both in bewilderment and suspicion lacing her features. At his words, she blinked, once, twice. Then she replied, "What do you want? I am merely sitting here minding my own business." she retorted to him. "I am not looking for this beast, nor do I have 'a plan' as you seem to think. And stop calling me 'sweetheart'." Her face darkened a little and told him, "I will only attack you if you give me reason to." she stated. "Self-defense and all. Now, if you don't mind, I wish to be left alone." Adelaide turned away from him, indicating the conversation was over.

[Slithix]

Slithix was now eccentric and nearly crazy. Ignorance always took it's toll on the assassin and it put him in a very strange mood. Ignorance was the fuel of all existence but it's a horrible force to contain once it bursts its boundaries. "You should of just went along with it sweetheart. Now it's time to make a scene. Hold on tight" he laughed maniacally, his heart now controlling his head "Malcolm the lanterns please"

As on queue the lights were out and the bar was black as night. Screams filled the inn although no violence was to be heard. "I'm sorry I have to do this but sometimes I just have too. I really can't help myself hahaha. Foxbend it's time to show your hand in this little game we're playing" Slithix then held up a statue of the village's Great Fox with a candle burning bright in the middle I have returned" Then he disappeared from the inn leaving the statue at the door

The lights were back and so was his head. He once again sat down across from the mage as he hoped she would take him more seriously this time. "You gonna listen now sweetheart? I don't want violence but magic has taken it's toll on me. I'm stable now and back to my more intelligent ways. So unless we want another episode just tell me what you are doing out here. I have known some mages both good and bad, and I believe you are nearer to the good. I'm not looking for gold or fame. If I wanted either I would have it by now. I just know what is unfolding out there and you don't stand much of a chance. I'M HELPING YOU"

[Ethereal-Star]

After that spectacle with the blackout and the strange mutterings of the masked man, Adelaide took a few moments to figure out what the heck had just happened. All she saw before the lights came back on, was a candle being lit and then moving towards the front of the inn and then he was back there in front of her, asking her more stupid questions. Naturally, the ice mage took a minute before replying as she got her bearings back after the strange encounter. She figured this guy was crazy and wasn't entirely sure what to say to him. At his comments that he was now 'back to his intelligent ways', Adelaide sincerely doubted the truth of that or that he was even intelligent at all, but she held her tongue on that front.

"As I already told you, I am a traveler passing through this area just like anyone else in the tundra. I have no interest in this beast. However if you want to talk about that, go bother my companion over there and ask him! I'm sure he'll gladly tell you what you want to know." Adelaide pointed over to where Ilvenath was and shrugged. "And I don't want nor need your help." she finished. "Now, are we done yet?"

[Slithix]

Slithix realised he was getting nowhere and soon resigned himself to observer of the whole bar scene. They'll be back when they realise her power, or they wont have that chance either way suits me He ordered another ale to wash away his growing frustrations and just relaxed into the chair with his feet. Remembering the encounter he had with that man by a dead body of all things, out in the tundra where you could disappear without a trace. How easy, simple and respectful their relationship was as unlikely adventurers. And now back in the security of the inn, where everyone was relatively safe, but were loud, merry and didn't give much thought to the world around them.

There was also the mysterious unfolding's of earlier where he had almost completely gone insane. I guess that's what this place does to you. It hadn't happened in a while but Needing a quick recuperation from his earlier antics, Slithix would close his eyes, even for just a while, to see what journey his mind would have for him today. His earlier thoughts however still dominated his mind They'll be back when they realise her power..... so much that he couldn't drift away. That was probably also for the best, within such a changing environment as this.

[Ethereal-Star]

When the creepy man with the mask finally left her alone, Adelaide sat back and let out a sigh of relief. At least he wasn't pestering her anymore. Through the window outside, snow was starting to drift down again but only a little. The ice mage turned her attention back to Ilvenath and the huge brute of a man to see what they were up to, that is if they had finally stopped their petty brawling.

[IcarusDescension]

Aguta approached the tavern. His bath had been quicker than he would have liked. As relaxing as the hot water had been for his sore muscles it burned and irritated his cuts and bruises and he had ended up making the whole thing a quick affair. He was now wearing his back-up set of clothes which had the advantage of not having been half turned to ashes, but he had ripped part of the tunic off to construct his makeshift torch earlier and so he still felt he looked a bit ridiculous. At least his muscles were working a little better now and he managed better than an old man's hobble down the bare earthen street. It had started to snow again though, and he was already missing his burnt fur cloak as the cold bit at him.

He had put off hunting for a clothes merchant until later. He didn't want this mage person wandering off on him before he had a chance to get some information out of her (or at least he hoped to.) At any rate, he was there and quickly pushed through the front door, wasting no time in scanning the place for a white-haired woman matching the description he'd been given.

He found her quickly, she was sitting at the bar near a fellow that seemed familiar to him although he couldn't say from where -not that he could tell much from the back either way. For that matter- he realized with a start that she herself was familiar. Unless he was mistaken, this was the same woman he'd seen back in Hyoite what felt like ages ago. So she was a mage? Or were the 'rumors' the woman had spoken of wrong? Not that he was going to discount anything at this point. The last time he ran upon an innocent looking girl she had nearly baked him alive.

The rest of the bar yielded no familiar faces, but he couldn't help but stop a moment and stare. It looked like two of the patrons to his left had really been going at it, and the corner of the establishment around them looked like a war zone with upturned tables and chairs scattered around. Everyone in the place was quiet, and a few of them were sporting confused expressions that seemed out of place in the context of a straight-forward bar fight. What had been going on in here?

Well it was an odd scene for sure, and another time he might have walked back out, but he had come here for information and besides, if he was honest with himself he had been in taverns more seedy than this one appeared to be. So he walked over and sat down at the bar to the white-haired woman's left.

He flagged down the barkeep and ordered a simple ale, slapping a coin down on the counter. It was unwise he knew, one his vices he was better off keeping clear of, but he just couldn't bring himself to care at the moment. Everything he had been through had just been too much.

Then, sipping at his ale, he turned to the white-haired woman and tried to make eye contact. He remembered now why she had caught his attention at Hyoite. She had a simple but striking appearance with her smooth features and stark white hair. Exotic was the word that came to mind, yet not ostentatious in any way. Focus you idiot...

"So," he began, not quite sure how one approached matters such as this delicately. "I'm told you might know something about the magical arts?"

[Ethereal-Star]

Well, it looked like the fight had calmed down. For the moment anyway. Adelaide turned back to the bar and decided that while she was here, she might as well order another drink, an ale this time. She also ordered a bit of bread and it was soon served to her. The masked guy appeared to be back to observing his surroundings so she paid him no more attention. He was after all, not quite right in the head she thought.

As Adelaide broke off a piece of the bread and popped it in her mouth, chewing it thoughtfully, it was then that she heard the tavern door opening and closing, bringing with it a rush of cold air in which was quite refreshing to her. Swallowing the bread, she took a sip of her ale and saw from the corner of her eye someone sit down on the other side of her. Glancing real quick, Adelaide swerved her head back around as she recognized the person sitting there. He was the one back in the tavern at Hyoite. She noticed his garb seemed somewhat strange before she realized it was torn as though he had ripped off a large piece of it. And she could see why. He was badly burnt in several places with many cuts and bruises on his face and hands. Whatever had happened to him had gotten him good as he didn't look all that great. She gazed at him silently before he spoke up then.

At his question she asked in turn, "Who wants to know?"

[IcarusDescension]

Aguta grunted at the woman's response, taking a long swig of his ale before continuing. GOD that tasted good... "My name's Aguta," he replied as he dug the strange glass object out of his pocket and set it lightly on the counter -trying his best to keep it out of view of the bar's other patrons. "You don't know me but I need someone who might be able to identify this for me and someone said you might be someone with... skills."

He watched the woman, trying to gauge her reaction, while keeping an eye on the bar's other patrons as best he could. It wasn't likely someone was going to make a move in public place like this, but he trusted no one and it made him nervous flashing valuable looking glass objects around. You never knew who in this town might be working with the very mage who had tried to burn him alive.

[Ethereal-Star]

As the stranger introduced himself, he brought out a slightly glowing glass ball that was clearly magical. Adelaide turned her head to look down at it and then picked it up, studying it and frowning as she inspected the magical object. To her understanding, there was a definite sinister aura surrounding it, enchanted with strong magics inside its depths. As she looked inside the swirling orb, the scene showed a random place in the tundra with snow billowing about with permafrost and ice everywhere too. All in all, it looked like any other part of the tundra they were in, so she couldn't really get a grasp on what area in particular it was showing as it all looked the same. The ice mage thought she saw the remains of a campfire partially buried underneath the blanket of white, but she couldn't be sure.

Looking up, but still holding the glass ball in her hands, Adelaide finally asked, "Where did you get this?"

[IcarusDescension]

Aguta chuckled softly to himself. "There's an interesting little story behind that. I guess the short and simple of it is I stole it. But trust me- if you'd met the psychotic little mage I got it from you'd agree she could do with a few less toys. She doesn't play nice with them..."

He stopped for another swig of ale. "In fact, I don't know if you magic users are much of a close-knit group or not, but she's up to some things that -from the look of it- put a pretty bad name to your kind. I don't know if you've heard the rumors concerning people disappearing around this area, but trust me they're true and I know where the poor saps are ending up. However, before I go into details I need to know if you intend to help me with my little quandary. You see I'd love to save the world but first and foremost I want to live to see tomorrow. So my priority at the moment is to find out just what this little trinket is and get it into the hands of someone a little less dangerous." Hopefully in exchange for enough coin to get me far away from here, he added mentally, but left the thought unspoken for now. "I'm afraid I can't offer you much in the way of payment, but perhaps for now we could trade information?" He suggested.

[Ethereal-Star]

Adelaide listened as Aguta talked about a mad mage somewhere in the tundra who is apparently responsible for the many disappearances of people she'd heard plenty of talk about but hadn't really given it much importance. She still didn't really, even with this magic orb in her hands. After all something like this was standard mage fare anyway and the ice mage really only had his word to go by.

Examining the object in hand again, she recalled reading something about this type of orb before at the guild's libraries in which Adelaide is a member of back in Serendipity. The sketches of orbs similar to this and their various uses filled her mind's eye then as she attempted to remember what little she knew about them. "It's a viewing orb." she finally stated, looking back up at Aguta. "The particular magics imbuing this item are unknown to me, but I do know that its main function is some sort of scrying device, in order to keep tabs on certain places and people."

She paused a second, turning the orb over in her hands before continuing with her explanation. "Right now, the orb is centered on some part of the tundra that I think features a campfire or the remains of one anyway, but I can't determine anything else about what it's showing. Objects like this have to be attuned to certain areas in order to view them from afar, and that requires powerful magic." Magic that she unfortunately knew little about, but didn't voice this aloud. Adelaide also chose not to mention that whoever this mage is that the object belonged to was far more powerful than she, and could likely defeat the ice mage pretty easily.

"As far as I'm concerned this object is currently stuck on its current scrying location and whoever owned this would need to adjust it to view someplace else. But they would obviously need to be holding it in order to do this."

After all that was laid out on the table, Adelaide looked up at the hunter, and asked a question of her own. "Where exactly were you when you acquired this?" Once more noting his burns and unruly appearance, she had to wonder if he had somehow dodged a fight with this mage person, and took quite a beating in the process before he was able to escape, if that were the case here. Adelaide didn't know, but hoped that Aguta would tell her.

[IcarusDescension]

Aguta listened carefully as the woman explained the device, then drained the last of his ale with a tang of regret. It had sure gone fast -too fast. It would be so easy to order another he knew, and another after that... Dangerous ground, don't go there. He redoubled his focus on the conversation before him.

In a way her explanation came as quite a relief. From what she had described it didn't sound like the little -what had she called it- viewing orb could be used to track his location. Also it sounded pretty unidirectional, so he could rest a little easier knowing the mage wasn't watching his every move through the darn thing. Now all he had to do was find an interested buyer who would keep it out of the hands of the psycho redhead. As much as he needed coin, he didn't want to see it go back to its previous owner.

However, first things first. He had been the one to propose a trade of information, and she had kept up her end. There was always the possibility of deception in these sorts of dealings of course, but he didn't get the feeling she was spinning a tale here. The woman just seemed too matter-of-fact; too straight-forward to be a con artist. And anyway no matter how things turned out for him personally he wasn't sure he really had a right to withhold what he knew -not when there seemed to be a doom hanging over everyone unfortunate enough to live in the area. Perhaps he couldn't stop the dark mage, but if he could blow her cover of secrecy that would have to set her back in some small way. He hoped.

"Where to begin," he thought aloud. "I've spent a lot of time on the tundra, and there came a point recently when I began to find more dead prey out there than alive -not to mention a dead human or two. I began to believe the various tales about a beast might be true -even if not in the literal sense. I think I went back out there partially because I'd hoped I might find proof.

"Well I found a beast all right, but not of the kind I expected." He then explained as best as he could about falling through the snow and finding the mage's strange lair with all its creepiness and bodies. "I actually don't know why I grabbed that glass ball for sure. I'm not a thief -not normally anyway. Maybe the whole thing was just so strange I wanted to bring something real out of it to prove I wasn't crazy. Then the mage showed up." It got hard to tell the next part -especially when he got to Sol's sacrifice. "There had been two of us you see- my wolf and I. I got out only because she was distracted by killing my wolf." Of course technically Sol had not truly been alive to begin with, but to Aguta that felt like splitting hairs. His spirit friend had still not returned and a part of him was terrified he never would. But that was off-topic and he didn't want to talk about it anyway, so he explained instead of his escape and the hidden nature of the cavern entrance.

When he got done he realized he had gone a little over the top in answering the woman's question, but he felt better having talked about it to someone. Perhaps he had needed that more than he realized. "So there you have it. I'm not sure how much of that you'll choose to believe but it's all true." There was also the part about thinking he saw some kind of abominable snowman or something pursuing him on the way back, but he figured he sounded nuts enough as it was and didn't mention that. "I know I sound like some cheap bard who missed his true calling with all this but please - watch your back if you're heading out for the tundra again."

His eyes drifted back to the viewing orb, wondering. Was that the remains of the very campfire at which he had slept? If so it appeared they had likely been watched that night. The thought made him shiver.

A moment later he remembered he was going to try to pawn the orb, and almost made an offer but then stopped himself. He suspected it would only make him seem less credible and for some reason as he glanced back to the exotic white-haired woman he found he didn't want her to dismiss him as another loon like everyone did whenever he tried to talk about his theories concerning danger on the tundra. Despite his general view that he didn't care what people thought he found in that moment he did care, at least a little bit, what this one person thought. A mental weakness, he scolded himself, she'll only disappoint you. Fool.

[Ethereal-Star]

Adelaide was quiet for a bit as this all sunk in. "I see." she slowly responded, uncertainly.

He sounded to her like he was honestly telling her the truth, or at least what he thought was the truth. Still, Adelaide had her doubts. If there was a beast of some kind out there, it was a more careful, and cunning type of beast than was normal as she still had yet to see any sign of it. Other than dead bodies scattered about in the tundra here, but that wasn't out of the ordinary to begin with. Animals and hunters did hunt for food and make a living here after all. Some animals more vicious than others, and so an unprepared person may very well have gotten caught in their jaws. But still, a beast of some obscure nature or a vile mage with a hidden agenda in this frozen land made the ice mage skeptical. Yes, she knew some mages were not of reputable morals, but why they would seek out the tundra for their ill plans didn't make much sense to her. Large cities with more people about in them would make a lot more sense for a rogue mage to cause havoc. Here, in the Sionad? Much less likely, or so Adelaide reasoned.

Adelaide thought about the lair he had described. She had never come across anything of the sort, but that didn't mean there wasn't one. His words however had planted a seed of doubt in her mind about this whole beast business. Perhaps there was something going on that she needed to be more mindful of. After all, out here it was best to take things like this with caution so as to avoid being six feet under. Adelaide didn't plan on dying anytime soon.

Taking a quick glance out the window, she noted the snow was coming down harder now, with perhaps another storm on the way. Looking over at Aguta again she asked, "What do you plan on doing now?"

[IcarusDescension]

Aguta followed her glance out the window and frowned. "Well this weather doesn't seem to be helping out my travel plans any - and trudging through a blizzard didn't work out well for me last time. So it seems I might have to spend a few days in this 'Fox Bend' whether I like it or not. Although to be honest, I hadn't planned on sticking around longer than necessary. Something tells me that mage I ran into is the type to hold a grudge and staying close by is just a great way to make myself a target.

"Don't get me wrong, I'd love to make the world a safer place and settle the score with her, but I've never been the kind to choose pride over common sense and I've got no chance against her on my own."

It all sounded so perfectly correct when he said it out loud, but inside his stomach was turning in knots. Turning tail and running just didn't sit as well with him as it always had in the past. It was more personal this time. The sadistic mage had tortured and tried to kill him, and more than that the experience of both watching and feeling Sol burned to ashes was solidly entrenched in his mind's eye. More than any time he could remember he yearned to be someone else. To be that fool in the stories - the one who always did what was brave regardless of the consequences. He yearned for revenge. But in real life, he knew, that was just a fast way to get yourself killed.

"So," he finished, obvious regret slipping into his voice, "I guess that's that." He glanced at the viewing orb again. Oh what the heck... "By the way," he tried, "you don't know anyone around here who would take that off my hands for a bit of coin do you? I don't want to see it back in the hands of that mage but it's of little use to me."

[ChocbreadMarshmallow]

In what seemed an eternity of slow motioned running did Ilvenath charge the barbarian, who was laughing with a roaring belt for whatever reason. Did he lose his mind? Did Ilvenaths strike to his temple knock something loose in the giant man's head?

Whatever it was, Ilvenath hoped to use the alleged foolishness to his benefit and threw himself at the nomad's midsection again, grabbing for the thighs and trying to make the tall warrior fall.

[DarkAndar]

The Elkfire barbarian laughed jovially, and threw his head back in a spirited toss of fiery locks. He watched Ilvenath run toward him, nary a blink, only that hungry look in his eyes. Erathgar made no move to dodge, he simply stood stalk still and attempted to grapple in turn. Ilvenath's hands found purchase on his thighs at just about the same moment the barbarian attempted to wreath his thickly corded arms about the other man's waist. The momentum carried them both toward the tavern floorboards, all the while Erathgar strove to twist Ilvenath around so that he could occupy a position of dominance when the fight hit the ground.

[ChocbreadMarshmallow]

Ilvenath was in full motion when the barbarian would spin around with his arms wrapped around the mercenary's body and quickly turned around, leading to the two men tumbling on top of the Danaan.

Pinned down by the larger and heavier nomad were Ilvenath's chances looking grim as he tried to struggle and wiggle out of his unbeneficial position. He held up his arms to block any incoming blows to his head while simultaneously kicking after the barbarian's unprotected spots.

[DarkAndar]

The barbarian kept the Danaan pinned under his weight, straddled the smaller man with powerful thighs and began to rain down hammering blows. The first few punches were partially blocked, but Erathgar knew the man would tire and lacked the strength to protect himself for long. He grunted against the mostly ineffectual protest of legs and knees. The nomad growled in his throat and tried a new tactic; he attempted to press the weight of his forearm down upon the man's neck.

A blood curdling scream erupted suddenly in the tavern and even the battle frenzied barbarian was startled. He halted his exertions of trying to crush the Danaan's wind pipe and half turned toward the door:

A puddle of blood formed beneath a thin looking woman, it colored the tavern floor crimson. She wore what appeared to be tattered rags; areas of which were completely ripped away to expose a lean athletic figure. The lids of her eyes hung low as if it were a struggle for her to maintain the tenuous hold on consciousness (or life).

She was deathly pale and something about the woman reminded the barbarian of the shifter beneath him; her eyes appeared exotically shaped and cast a golden hue, with slightly pointed ears that poked through a thick tawny mane matted with blood and frosted with snow. The woman staggered to her knees, slipping in her own blood. Patrons gasped in horror. Some backed away and skittered along the tavern wall as if they feared the new arrival had the plague.

Erathgar saw the look in her eyes and the telltale handiwork of the cursed beast upon her. Great blood-squirting gouges ran just beneath the woman's left rib cage. Shallower cuts and scrapes covered much of the rest of her. The barbarian who feared very little felt an unwholesome chill grip his heart .

[ChocbreadMarshmallow]

Ilvenath stared with eyes wide open at the wounded woman. She looked so ill, so broken... So much different than she had looked a decade ago. It took him quite a moment to recognise her. He freed himself from the barbarians lock and half staggered on his feet, half crawled on his knees towards the Danaan woman. "N-Ni... Niirma... What happened?", he whispered breathlessly, but she didn't seem to hear him. When she seemed to slip on her on blood and collapse he rushed forward and barely managed to catch her. "Niirma! Niirma, talk to me! Please!", he shouted and tears welled up in his eyes. She felt heavy in his arms. So thin and yet so heavy. He slowly sunk to his knees, gently laying the other Danaan on the floor.

The Danaan woman seemed to recognise his voice and her eyes lit up as she became aware of his face. "I-Ilv... You..." She struggled to speak the words, but failed to bring anything out. Her eyes began to flutter heavily as if she was about to lose consciousness. "Niirma, no! Please! Stay with me! You'll make it! Everything will be alright...", Ilvenath said. The tears were now streaming down his cheeks and his voice cracked with each syllable, his throat dry from the shock and sadness. Suddenly, Niirma's look became calm, again, and she focused him with a faint smile. "We thought you were dead..."

"No, no I'm alive. Foori's alive. We're alive and well and so will you! Don't worry", he answered, trying to bring a smile to mirror her's to his face and pressed her against his body. "Everything will be alright, don't worry, don't worry, Niirma. I'll make sure of it..."

Her hand reached up to his shoulder and she brought her head next to his ear, whispering something barely audible to the crowd surrounding them, all the while did Ilvenath repeat 'you will be alright, everything will be fine', over and over again. He still tried to convince himself of that fact when her body slumped in his embrace, her arms dangling livelessly from her corpse. "You will be alright, everything will be fine", he sobbed, unable to let go of her mortal remains.

It seemed as if hours would pass, but eventually Ilvenath would slowly release the dead body from his grasp and lay her on the floor. He clasped her face with both hands and connected his and her forehead, whispering a prayer to Mother Earth interrupted by resurging sobs and moments of calming his unsteady breath. He couldn't finish it. To speak the final words of goodbye would mean a truth he just couldn't handle at the moment. He separated from Niirma's body and knelt there, staring at her lifeless form and fighting to regain his composure, but despair would shake him every so often to the brink of exploding into tears and cries, again.

[Slithix]

With action unfolding all over the bar, and the paths of many joining into one. Two men with little differences or hatred towards each other were scrapping it out in one corner, only stopping with the reunion and death of one's friend. His old companion had also returned, and was now conversing with the mysterious mage who had previously shut him down. The aura of Foxbend had dragged them all here, and judging by the scars of the now deceased woman lying on the ground the same ol' vixen of this region was still up to her tricks. There was now only one thing for Slithix to say in such a predicament as this.

"Revenge? I can help"