A Hadian in Ettermire's Heart

[Jake Narmolanya]

Closed to Pavel.

A doorway appeared in the middle of an intersection of two paved roads. Passing dark elves and dwarfs gave the strange door odd glances, but no one stopped to pay it real mind. It was made of simple oak, with a brass knob and hinges connected to nothing.

The door opened, and out stepped Jake Narmolanya. Or rather, through stepped he. The soothing natural smells of the forest Concordia were obliterated by the rank odors of machinery so familiar in Alerar. Jake wrinkled his nose and pulled his black silk scarf up over his freckled cheeks. He allowed the doorway to dissipate and looked around. He was the only half elf on the street, and the only one wearing green. The Alerians seemed to prefer blues or drab shades of grey. Jake shrugged his shoulders beneath the cutting straps of his haversack and shifted the weight around on his narrow back. He took a moment to orient himself using the convenient metal street signs and then strode off.

The sky frowned hazily, sunlight obscured by a thick layer of smog. Jake had been in Ettermire recently on the hunt for a Crystal Sword, and seeing the amount of sick folk had drawn at his heart. In his haversack he carried something that the relief movement would find highly useful. The half elf smiled at all around him as he made his way from block to block. His short blond hair curled out from beneath his floppy canvas cap. His sea green eyes scanned the concrete buildings, admiring the intricate architecture. His leather boots skirted mud puddles, for the warm winter with regular melts had left the streets a mess.

Before long Jake found the building he sought. It stood tall and narrow, almost a tower, made from more of the concrete the Alerians seemed so fond of. The rounded windows looked in on a tidy lobby with a woman sitting at a desk. Jake walked in and right up to her, giving her the Jake smile with both barrels.

"Pleased t'meetcha," he said, leaning on the desk, "I'm Jake. Is this the offices for the Alerian pollution relief centers or whatever?"

"The Alerian Relief Coalition? Yes," she said with a small smile and a shake of her head. Her long dark hair shimmered, her purple skin and pointed ears particularly attractive.

"Well I heard you folk were in need of spidersilk respirators," Jake said, shrugging off his heavy haversack, "and I don't know how to make respirators, but..." he plunked the bag down on the desk and opened its drawstring. Within gleamed piles and piles of spidersilk, which could be found in abundance in Concordia, where the continent-hopping half elf lived.

"This... is amazing!" The Alerian woman said, pressing one hand over her mouth while the other felt the silk in the bag. "We'll be able to fashion many respirators out of this. Thank you, Jake. How can we repay you?"

"You can tell me how else I can help," Jake said with a smile, "but first, you can tell me your name."

[Arch_Nemsis]

Somewhere in the residential district of Ettermire itself...

The victims of Nosdyn and his enforcers was a family who wrongly owed The Boss money.

In the worst parts of Ettermire history there were criminal elements out to take advantage of high society's weakness.

The dead bodies in the dingy, and dark apartment were a proof that fear bread power.

One last Drow man remained, tied to a chair and completely muffled. Nosdyn stood there with the rest of his Enforcers. Arms folded across his chest, his eyes narrowed with concentration.

Nosdyn did not speak.

There was no need for words...Nosdyn's latent power, The Mantle of Fear did all the speaking he would ever need.

His companions...though their methods did lack honour, worked effectively.

He was with three other Drow, Enforcers working for Murgok. Murgok the Krem.

The Ettermire crime boss was a secret stain that was an embarrassment to Ettermire's law enforcement...

The current pollution and monsters in the sewer were partially engineered by the criminal underworld. All it took was influencing the wrong people in the wrong places. Nosdyn knew that at that point. Fear was power. And a man's family had paid for crossing The Boss. Nosdyn knew about fear...it worked both ways. Nosdyn was found by The Boss a year or two prior after a failed heist had left him in a weakened state. The Boss saw strength in Nosdyn's ferocious eyes. In Nosdyn's carnal appetite. His companions played with the remains of the fallen after having had their way with the traitor's family. Nosdyn never partook of such events, but the seedier members of the organization did. Nosdyn did not have such primal hungers of the flesh. Instead, his hunger was entirely darker.

The bound male Drow was crying tears of pure blood as he looked at Nosdyn, fear in the man's eyes.

Nosdyn could taste the fear and it excited him.

Men, Humes, were naturally easy to manipulate when presented with the unknown.

And Nosdyn was such a mystery.

The man mumbled at that point, defeated...

Nosdyn signaled to one of his companions to remove the dirty rag that kept the man muzzled.

"Speak." Nosdyn said coldly.

The broken man looked up at Nosdyn fearful of what the demon was capable of doing. "H-how are you in my head...?" The man weakly asked. His endurance and will power already broken.

Nosdyn looked at the broken man and frowned. "That's not what is important." Nosdyn said in a surprisingly calm sort of way. "You crossed The Boss." Nosdyn added. "You paid for that now tell us what we've come to know."

"...I no longer have the artifact." The broken man said.

"Given or stolen...?" Nosdyn asked.

"I hid it...far away from you and your kind." The broken man said in a last round of defiance.

At that point, Nosdyn acted. "You've made a tremendous mistake crossing us."

Screams filled the night...

[Jake Narmolanya]

The lady's name was Nessol Raintaker, as it turned out, and she invited Jake out for a mug of ale after her shift, which ended conveniently soon. They settled into a booth in a tavern adorned with steampunk accoutrements and automated taps set in the shiny bar. Jake admired Nessol's softly pointed purple ears and dark cascading hair as he slid into the vinyl seat. They ordered ale and fried elk meat appetizers and stared into each others eyes maybe a bit longer than they should have. Hers were a delightful shade of sparkly blue.

"So how long have you been working for the Relief Association of Alerar... I mean the... place where you work?" Jake asked, his cheeks reddening. He often got a little tongue tied around pretty women, and Nessol's firm bosom and dimpling cheeks had more than caught his eye.

She giggled. "I've been working for the Alerian Relief Coalition for just under a year, mister Jake Narmolanya." She paused as their ale arrived and took a frothy sip of the bitter brew. "This is the busiest we've been since I joined," she confided, "I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, with this and everything else..."

"What else?" Jake had to ask. He wanted to help those afflicted by the pollution, but something in Nessol's sapphire eyes told him her problem was more important.

"I shouldn't say, we only just met," she replied, looking away. She giggled again as Jake sputtered over a mouthful of ale.

"We drink it warm in Corone," he explained, sipping the chilled beverage more carefully. "Well, let me tell you something about myself then. What would you like to know?"

Nessol put her elbows on the tabletop and leaned her chin on interlaced fingers. "You don't have the same look as other Coronian travelers I've seen," she said, "how did you get here? Was it a long voyage?"

"Hardly half a step," Jake chuckled, and then chuckled again as her eyes widened. "I'm a traveler, you see. A portal-maker. I can go anywhere on Althaans in a single step, so long as I know the target location well. Just an hour ago I traveled here from a market in Concorida, right to an intersection I remembered near your building." He took a satisfied pull of ale, adjusting to the cold bitter bubbles.

"That's fascinating," Nessol cooed, her eyes wide as saucers. She twirled a finger around an errant strand of hair. "What's the most interesting place you've ever visited?"

"Aside from this bar?" Jake said, jumping slightly as a bird erupted from a cuckoo clock. "Perhaps Dheathain. It's unbearably humid there, but the Drakari and Fae are fascinating peoples, and there are some magnificent ruins." He dabbed a finger in the moisture beaded beneath his mug and sketched a watery symbol on the table's surface. "I found many artifacts inlaid with emblems such as this. I never understood their meaning, but I think they are rather beautiful." He touched Nessol's hand for a moment, and their eyes met, but he pulled back just as quickly. "There is beauty here in Alerar too, beneath the smog," he joked, "if only you've mind to find it."

"You haven't the faintest idea," Nessol jested back.

[Arch_Nemsis]

The Enforcers stepped out of the apartment complex drawing distrustful, rightfully so, stares from local passerby.

Even late into the night, there were those who ventured the nocturnal aspects of Ettermire.

Those seedier places where people that had seedier dispositions ventured to. And then there were those like Nosdyn and his group. Those with ties to The Boss. Nosdyn looked at his companions. There was an air of uncertainty between the small group of thugs. Nosdyn spoke, breaking the awkward silence.

"He didn't have it." Nosdyn said, a man of few word.

"What do we do now?" One of the other Enforcers asked.

The mission had gone too textbook. Something about the job didn't sit well with Nosdyn and nagged at his natural warrior's mindset. "Report back to The Boss."

The same Enforcer raised an eyebrow and looked at Nosdyn. "What about you...?"

"I have to track down a loose end. A clue I saw in the man's mind." Nosdyn said.

"Let me come with you. I don't feel right letting you go alone." The Enforcer said calmly.

Nosdyn, appreciating the gesture of his fellow soldiers looked at The Enforcer. "The Artifact is too important. I must track it down while the clues are not cold. The Boss will not tolerate failure, from any of us." Nosdyn looked at the men. "You. Jandryth. Make sure the site has been properly tampered with."

***

Nosdyn had been given a clue by the man in his screams and madness after he'd used the full capacity of his Fear Mantle.

A name. Andru Raintaker. Under normal circumstances, the Raintaker family would have been safe. Would have been secret. But Nosdyn did not represent normal circumstances. The Enforcer was loyal to only one man. And that man was The Boss. All others were simple pawns in a larger game the bastard Thayne played. Nosdyn saw the building owned by the Raintakers. The Raintaker Estate it was called, and this late in the night...would be a simple matter of breaking the target.

***

At that point...

Andru Raintaker wished he'd never laid eyes on the artifact in his possession.

But such matters were far too important for those who sought it.

Andru stared at his doors, they were locked. His eyes were wide with fear. He could already hear the footsteps of the man who was hunting the artifact. No...not a man...a Monster. The bastard Haidian Enforcer was skilled at what he did. About fifteen minutes of dreadful silence passed and his doors were kicked open. Andru saw the hateful eyes of the Demon for the first time. He grabbed at his weapon, and saw that the Demon held his glowing mystical blade already in his hand. The weapon made a horrifying sound.

Like screams in the night.

Andru held a sword in his hand. "Guards!" Andru feebly summoned his men.

But the Demon had already dispatched them...horribly. He would not fail The Boss. "I've killed them all." Nosdyn said calmly. The air already vibrated against Nosdyn's Mantle of Fear.

"W-what do you want?" Andru asked.

Nosdyn stopped moving directly in front of Andru Raintaker. Those cold eyes full of hatred and rage. "You've stolen from us." Nosdyn backhanded Andru angrily. "Someone close to you told me your name and said you had it." Nosdyn was an expert with manipulation of fear.

"You don't know what it is capable of doing!" Andru attempted to reason with the heartless bastard.

"The Artifact is not my concern. The fact that you have stolen from us...is." Nosdyn said. "I promise...before this is through you will tell me where it is."

And Nosdyn descended upon Andru Raintaker like a hungry beast...ready to destroy.

[Jake Narmolanya]

By the time they had finished several rounds of ale and a platter of elk meat skewers between them, Jake and Nessol became quite comfortable with one another. They lolled in the booth, lingering over the last dregs of their ale and talking about small things that ran through their minds.

"What was it that had you worried?" Jake asked suddenly, sitting up straight. "You nearly brought it up, but then said you shouldn't tell me. Well, I think you should."

"Well..." Nessol dawdled, "okay... but you have to promise to keep this between us. My father Andru has gotten involved in something dangerous... I don't know what. All I know is he's been... different. He goes out at all hours of the night, and he seems so stressed lately. Whatever it is, I'm afraid it will kill him, one way or another."

Jake touched Nessol's arm, trying to ignore the electric feeling it produced. "I'm sure it will be fine," he said, "but if you'd like, I'd be happy to come meet your father. I have a bit of a history with... dangerous troubles. Whatever it is, I'm sure I could help him sort it out." The young half elf grinned confidently and leaned forward to pat the dark elf on the shoulder.

"Would you?" Nessol said, smiling widely, "that is so sweet! Are you sure it isn't too much trouble? After all I wouldn't want you to get involved in anything dangerous..."

"Please," Jake scoffed into his mug as he downed the last of his ale, "everything I get involved in is dangerous. Just lead the way."

They settled their tab and left the bar through swinging saloon style doors. They navigated the paved roads, laid out in grid-like fashion, avoiding steam carts and other pedestrians and food vendors who called the names of their sumptuous smelling wares. They walked to an upper class part of town where the buildings were made out of real cut stone and marble rather than poured concrete, where most of the homes actually had green yards breaking up the constant concrete jungle. Nessol led Jake to a particular house, finding the door ajar. She gasped and rushed inside with Jake in close pursuit.

The scene looked like a portrait of Haide. Bodies of guardsmen were strewn about like chaffed wheat, blood and entrails decorating their torn clothing and horror-stretched faces. The once fine home had been desecrated, the carpets stained crimson, the Falleini glasswork smashed, the Alerian clocks bent and broken. Nessol rushed from one body to the next, crying for her father. Jake walked in her wake, at a loss for words. He had seen blood by the gallon before... this was nothing new, but he could think of no way to comfort the poor weeping dark elf.

Nessol found her way into the living room and rushed to the side of a particular dark elf man with a cry. She moaned the word father over and over again as she melted to the floor beside him, pulling his head and shoulders into her lap. The elf's face was badly swollen and he bled from several superficial wounds, but he did no appear to be dying.

"What in the six layers of Haide happened here?" Jake demanded. The scene had a distinct demonic feel. He reached inside his sifan jacket and touched the eagle feather quill he always carried there. With it, he could seek out nearby Haidians and steal their powers once slain.

"The authorities will arrive soon," Andru Raintaker croaked, "I'll tell you before they do. But you must keep this to yourself... I cannot let word get out that I ratted on these people."

Jake huddled next to Nessol and listened to Andru's frightening tale.

[Arch_Nemsis]

The Artifact.

Nosdyn could tell what it was by looking at it.

The Boss doesn't know the game he's playing. Nosdyn recognized the Thayne Codex runes etched on the device. It was hidden in an abandoned chamber in the Ettermire sewer. Nosdyn's mighty weapon hummed in the air as the Demon held the handle like device. The blade was long and elegant and thirsted for blood. Nosdyn could see pass the feeble devices that attempted to contain the power of the Thayne within the artifact. It wasn't any of the known relics...no...this object was something different.

The artifact gave off a vibration in the air and Nosdyn could the dormant power within the back of his mind...it lulled him forward.

As he'd stolen the information from Andru, he knew how to deactivate the mechanisms of the old locking device.

Thankfully there weren't too many spying eyes this deep in that area of the sewer.

The device mechanism itself was undone using the technique he'd stolen from Andru. The cell began to open and eventually would give up it's prize...

***

Jandryth was a newer Enforcer...and hated the fact that he was left behind by the bastard Demon. As he went back to give a final sweep of the site where Nosdyn had obtained the Andru clue, Jandryth kept the light dim with a glow orb. They'd had fun with the Drow man's family that had initially stolen the Artifact from The Boss...

Then it all happened.

Jandryth was casting the magics that he was taught by The Boss's acolytes when he heard a loud commotion.

"Shit!" Jandryth cursed as he was suddenly surrounded by brutal looking guards.

"Stand down." One of the guards yelled.

Jandryth panicked and attempted to fight his way through the guards.

Quickly he was consumed by the brutal Alerar enforcement agents.

He had no idea Andru had sold them all out of fear...

***

The glowing orb flashed brilliantly in Jandryth's bruised face.

There was an interrogator present.

"You will speak to us for everything that has happened tonight..." The Drow interrogator said.

Jandryth spat blood on the ground. "Go to Haide."

***

The final unlocking device of the old steam device opened up. The entire process took several minutes to power up since the device was so old. Nosdyn, weapon in hand, began to approach the Artifact...

[Jake Narmolanya]

Jake's leather-booted footsteps echoed throughout the subterranean sewers. The half elf carried a ball of fire in his hand, held aloft like a torch to light the way. Andru Raintaker had entrusted him with a surprising amount of information, including the whereabouts of a certain artifact and the identity of the demon seeking it. The Haidian, Andru had called him with horror etched across his features. Jake doubled his pace as he wove through the catwalks that ran along the side of Ettermire's sewers. He had his silk scarf pulled up over his nose again, for all the slim protection it provided against the invasive stench.

As he neared a corner Jake could hear the sounds of distant machinery, a whining and clicking that had become somewhat familiar during his time in Alerar. He paused an pulled out his eagle quill, holding the feather loosely in his right hand as if it were a sword. He moved on the balls of his feet, aiming for silence, and stole around the corner. His dark green jacket and brown pants blended into the shadows well, and he spotted the demon a short way ahead.

Some sort of elaborate portcullis was opening, and the artifact - for it could only be the artifact, with all those strange runes inlaid - lay inside. Within moments, the demon would have its prize.

"Hold there!" Jake cried, stepping out of the shadows. The demon turned to face him. It held some sort of energy sword in its hand. Its skin was blue, its hair black and drawn back in a ponytail, its eyes gold. It was only slightly taller than Jake, but had the bulging musculature of a brawler. The half elf new he would need to use his wits and speed to defeat this opponent. He breathed in deeply and then breathed out, letting a calmness wash over his muscles. He sank into a deep stance and held his eagle feather overhead. He gripped it in both hands as the quill became a hilt, and form the hilt grew a slightly curved blade of still fire.

"That's a fine sword you wield," Jake challenged the demon, "I should like to see how it matches up against mine." He slashed at the air several times, the fiery blade making only a whisper, and circled to the right, trying to get between the demon and the artifact. "You did some terrible things today," Jake reminded the demon, "it will be my pleasure to put you down like a mangy dog." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, sword held overhead unwavering, growing more prepared by the second.

[Arch_Nemsis]

Those who sought to change history oft had pursuers.

Nosdyn was no different...The Enforcers of The Boss were not perfect soldiers.

However, they were loyal and so was Nosdyn. He was following distinct protocol that lead him to the Artifact he currently saw ahead. Thankfully, Nosdyn was a big guy and there was little room in the chamber for sneaking around him. Unless, the man sought to leap over him or something like that. Nosdyn sized Jake Narmolanya up. He immediately saw the pointed ears of the man before him and that alone set Nosdyn off.

"Elf..." Nosdyn accused. "Your kind is disgusting, it always was." Nosdyn held his weapon at bay for the moment, but then the man attacked. However, it seemed to be more of a display of force of will than anything else. Nosdyn took a step backwards, closer towards the Artifact. "I bet you don't even know why you're here. The Artifact is merely one reason I am here." Nosdyn was trying to test the man before him, get him reckless...make him make mistakes.

Nosdyn could afford to strategically read his chosen enemy.

The fiery sword would be a problem depending on the quality of the blade.

Nosdyn's own weapon was masterwork iron. At least that was the quality of the blade so far. Nosdyn began to slowly creep towards his opponent, keeping the artifact behind himself at all times. They will not steal The Boss's prize... Nosdyn accepted that even he was expendable. He was a soldier first and foremost, and the army he fought for could replace him quite easily. That was the life that he had made for himself. A soldier's life...a warrior's life. But it was for a different army with different ethics. "You say I've done horrible things. But you only know what you've been told. You don't know the reason behind them." At that point, Nosdyn felt sorry for the Elf. It was in for more than it could likely handle...

...Or perhaps the same could be said of Nosdyn.

Even so, Nosdyn was prepared to die. He doubted that his opponent was ready to die for it's crusade.

Once Nosdyn covered enough ground between himself and the man before him. "Tell me something, Elf. Do you think you can back those words...or are you all talk?" And Nosdyn expertly slashed at Jake with his horribly glowing weapon. The blade cut through the air as he slashed froward, and Nosdyn was aiming for the man's midsection. He doubted the attack would hit but in that moment the battle had begun.

Already, Nosdyn was prepared to take many steps to ensure that the enemy never got the relic.

Even burying them all alive in that horrible and derelict sewer...

[Jake Narmolanya]

Jake had heard similar taunts from other demons in the past. He let the words wash past him like river water over smooth stones. As the demon attacked the half elf shifted back a half step and parried powerfully. Green sparks burst from where energy blade met flame. Jake grimaced into the Haidian's gruesome maw and pushed off, retreating several steps.

"I know I could kill you easily enough," Jake scoffed, "but for now I'll settle for the artifact." He conjured a doorway, and its twin appeared behind Nosdyn, right in front of the artifact. The half elf opened the door and reached through, grabbing the artifact and clutching it to his chest before allowing the doorway to dissipate. Jake grinned triumphantly and backed up another few steps. "I'll have to slay you another time," he told the demon, "this artifact is more important than your life!" He took a deep breath and drew a picture of the Raintakers' living room in his mind. He summoned another doorway and ducked through it, giving the demon a cheeky wave with his sword.

The Raintakers' household had been visited by the authorities. The bodies had been removed, and grey curtains covered the blotchy bloodstains. Andru sat in his armchair by the hearth, sipping a glass of strong whisky, while Nessol knelt at his side, clutching his arm. The wind howled in the gap in the door where the demon had broken in. A haunted expression lingered in Andru's gaze.

Jake stepped toward the Raintakers, examining the artifact as he went. He turned it over and over in his hands, running callused fingers along the grooves of the runes engraved along its surface.

"You... you've got it!" Andru gasped, nearly spilling his drink. Nessol stood up and threw her arms around Jake, her concern for his well being obvious. The half elf smiled and returned the embrace, and then handed the artifact to the woman's father.

"Now you must tell me what this thing does," Jake said, "when you told me there was a Haidian demon after it, well, it was my responsibility as a demon hunter to stop him getting his claws on it. But now my responsibility is to purge the streets of that filth. Unless you can give me a good reason why I should be here instead." He crossed his arms over his narrow chest and fixed the seated elf with a firm gaze.

"I'll tell you everything I know," Andru said, shuddering slightly, "just please don't leave me alone here in case that.... that thing returns."

"Jake, why don't you join us for breakfast?" Nessol suggested, "I was just about to bake some fresh scones."

The half elf looked out the window. Dawn's pink blush had spread across the distant Mountains of Twilight. His stomach rumbled at the thought of scones, and he knuckled his back, realizing how tired he was after the long walk through the city's sewers.

"That sounds lovely," he said, giving Nessol's shoulder a squeeze. The followed the dark elf into the kitchen to help her prepare the scones.

[Arch_Nemsis]

Nosdyn stared in anger as the righteous bastard stole the artifact from him.

I cannot report failure to the boss... Nosdyn had a gut feeling he knew where the bastard was going to take the Artifact and closed down his weapon. He sheathed the beam weapon at his belt and began to walk slowly towards the new target. Jake had inadvertently doomed his friends.

***

Nosdyn found himself standing in front of the house, he'd already killed several more people on his way towards the Raintaker estate. Having acquired himself a torch, the Artifact was no longer important...he could accept punishment from The Boss. He was prepared for that.

What was important was making sure no loose ends were around.

And the bastard Elf that had stolen from him was a loose end.

Nosdyn held a torch in his hand. And his glowing beam weapon in his other. He cut down all who got in his way. There was no time for taunts, no time for words. He merely was attempting to focus on the mission at hand. Nosdyn walked towards a suitable point of the old building, and roared loudly. He knew the fire would cut quickly through the old structure, and he found the tapestries he wanted to find after once more breaking in. Nosdyn was dangerous. He was prepared to take them all with him.

As Nosdyn entered the house once more, he began to set fire to wood structures and old tapestries that immediately began to spread. There would be no escape that time for the Elf that sparked his ire. Nosdyn began to set fire to various portion of the building as he walked forward towards the target. He found them all in a dining chamber. Nosdyn looked immediately at Andru and Jake. All others were minor concerns.

"You have something that belongs to me." Nosdyn accused.

And he did the unthinkable. He dropped the torch down on the ground and the fire began to immediately spread. Nosdyn was using basic smoke out tactics, as he'd been taught in the harsh Tular Plains. The horrible Demon looked at all the gathered, and Andru's eyes immediately went wide with horror when he saw Nosdyn.

"He's here!" Andru yelled.

And the attack began...Nosdyn immediately rushed towards Jake.