Family Ties

[Poison]

(this is now closed to Lone Sniper and Osato)


A small personal-sized space craft floated aimlessly in the vast expanses of outer space. It was truly a very nice little ship. The windows were tinted and made of the best space materials available. The shell was made of Titaxium. The strongest, most durable, most heat and cold resistant material known to the universe. It was polished till the grey metal resembled pure silver.

Inside was a single, reclining pilot’s chair covered in red velvet. A vast array of buttons, switches and gauges covered the space in front of it. Food wrappers floated everywhere, but the young person in the seat did not seem to notice as she finished off a candybar and tossed the wrapper behind her. She would clean the mess up when she got back to her cruiser. It hung in orbit around this little backwater planet, perfectly safe from space pirates.

The young female pilot reclined in her soft, velvet seat. Her long, legs were clad in skin-tight, black linen. Around her hips was slung a belt with a holster for a gun. The holster was empty for the moment, but only because she hated sitting with the gun in the holster. The belt was made of simple brown leather. It was wide and hung diagonally across her curvy hips. She wore a white, linen shirt that clung to her body. It was open at the front, revealing quite a bit of cleavage. Her arms and shoulders were covered with a brown leather jacket.

Long, silver hair was pulled up into a very high ponytail. It hung behind the pilot’s chair, floating ever so lightly in the lack of gravity. The pilot herself, was strapped into her seat so she could remain at her controls. Her eyes, which were an icy blue, studied the gages in front of her carefully. She was running low on fuel. If she did not find what she was looking for soon, she would have to return to the ship.

“Damnit all! Where the hell is he?”

“He” was simply her father. He had disappeared in this area 20 some odd years ago. The Intergalatic Police had agreed to pardon all her past crimes if she could find and bring back her father. Being a bounty hunter and always dodging the cops, she had eagerly taken them up on the offer. Now, she was starting to regret that choice.

Alarms suddenly began to go off as the small spacecraft began to roll around in space. Keeping a cool head, the expert pilot systematically began checking each gauge. Fuel? It was good, still at half capacity. Other energy sources? Enemy sensors? Every thing read that all was peachy keen, but the ship continued to roll and now the first class engine was starting to make odd noises.

“Shit! Not now! I’m too far away from the main ship for this to happen. I don’t want to land yet, but I might not have a choice.”

A moment later, the decision was made for her as the planet began drawing her in. She fought the control stick valiantly, trying to keep the small craft from making a huge crater in the ground miles beneath her. As she broke through the clouds she saw a vast plain stretching out for miles around her and mountains at the edges of those plains. However, she did not have time to admire the beauty of said plains and mountains.

With a loud crash, the small ship plowed into the rich soil of Althanas, making a very long, deep trench before it finally came to a stop. The force of impact had been great enough to shatter the windows of the small spacecraft. Blood trickled from a gash in the young woman’s forehead as she hung limply from her straps. Wind blew the food wrappers out of the ship and across the plains, playing with them like a child does a new toy kite. Smoke drifted into the sky, a beacon for any who may be watching the plains or had seen her fall from the sky above.

[Lone Sniper]

It had taken him months to finally get himself pulled together. He was not in Kansas, or New York for that matter. In fact, he wasn't even on Earth. This much he had come to learn, and slowly he had begun to work at trying to fit in. For the surest way to get yourself killed, was to stick out like a sore thumb. As he traveled about the world, looking about to find a spot he could settle down in, he began to notice the comet coming down.

At first he just ignored it and kept going, soon however he realized it was far more important to keep himself occupied with the object as he heard the screaming of its re-entry onto the planet. As he moved forward he stopped when he looked up to see the flaming comet that should have disappeared, hit the ground about half a mile away from him. Hitting the ground and covering the back of his neck he groaned as the ground shook tremendously under the impact. Slowly pulling himself to his feet he looked at the furrow it left in the dirt as he carefully drew his gun.

Cocked and with the first bullet loaded in the chamber he moved swiftly reaching the ship before he looked about the area. Seeing nothing of immediate concern in the vicinity he moved slowly one foot sliding forward followed by the other as he swung the gun scanning the wreckage of what looked to be a ship right out of a B-rated film. Finally reaching hte cockpit he held the gun steady as he saw the downed form of a woman hanging in the pilot's seat.

"Yeah, B-movie alright, attack of the femme fatale from outer space..." He muttered half to himself as he un-cocked the gun and holstered it before he moved forward slowly. Reaching the front of the ship he sighed as he muttered, "Not much I can do from here...gotta wait for the damn thing to cool..."

This much was true; at least as far as science form earth was concerned. Reentering was making the metal hot enough to make the sweat appear on Chris' brow. If he were to touch the metal, he was more than certain he'd either catch fire, or even melt his skin right off. Backing off from the oppressive heat he sighed as he looked up at the unfamiliar stars, "Well now, I guess God really does have a sense of humor doesn't he?"

[Poison]

As the ship cooled, Kaeruen remained unconscious. The wind had taken almost all the loose trash that had been inside her small spacecraft and taken it the gods only knew where. It moved her silver hair gently, causing some of it to fall over into her face. Long lashes twitched slightly, but her eyes did not open. The gash on her forehead still bled, but only marginally.

The Titaxium shell cooled quickly. It had been developed to do so simply to make it so that the ships made with it could be unloaded and reloaded faster. The wait time for the metal to cool was significantly lower than the wait for most common spacecraft metals. It could be heated and cooled a billion times and still not lose any of its strength or become brittle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Far from the fields where Kaeruen crashed, lay the city of Ettermire. Within its technologically advanced walls a young woman stalked the shadows created by tall buildings. Sunset was drawing near, making the shadows even longer. Soon, the sun would be down completely and the woman with hair like silver and eyes as hard and grey as granite, would begin her hunt.

She wore black pants and shirt that clung to every curve of her body. Black gloves covered her fingers just as black shoes covered her feet. If it had not been for how creamy white her skin was and the silver sheen of her hair, she would be almost invisible. A small, wicked grin adorned her face as she allowed two razor sharp fangs to show ever so slightly. Tonight, she would feast most divinely if she had her way.

The tall building beside her held within it her target or targets. She never feasted on just one person until full. She found it far more appetizing to get her meals from several people. The man who owned this mansion she stood beside had a very large family. Earlier in the day, she had gone through the kitchen. It was absolutely certain that none would wake when she sank her fangs into their necks.

[Osato]

Thick clouds rolled through the scarlet skies as the sun sank. Long shadows stretched away from the high walls of the grubby city of Ettermire, stretching away through the Fields of Khu’fein and towards the Mountains of Dawn. The picturesque landscape outside of the walls was enough to draw a person for hours, enough to hold a person for days. However that was outside the thick walls of the Aleraran capital, within the walls was a dirty, industrialized picture of a grim future.

A heavy, silent gaze was extended towards the city as I slowly turned away from the main gates and towards the heart of Ettermire. It was a lonely place, a place for those that wanted to get away from the rest of Althanas. It was a world of the drow. The elven creatures were still new to me, and where better to find and understand them then the heart of their lands?

Overhead, despite the day fading away in the distance, a loud booming blast resounded through the cityscape. It was very close to me. The sound was like thunder, roaring all around me, shaking my very footing. A block away a plume of thick, black smoke was issued into the sky above. I laughed at my surprise, somewhat embarrassed by the mocking glances that followed me.

Alerar was truly unique.

It was just as I had been told. It was a land of promise, prestige, and ingenuity that shook my very views of reality. Thick, black pillars rose from countless buildings as I advanced through the city. The world of the drow was dark and held little promise for those that did not understand the leaps into the future that the elven race was making. It was diverse, in a different way then the multicultural Corone. It was the industrial capital of the world, and for the possibility of new and better weapons, armor, and jobs alone I had come.

The rows of thick road lead through the heart of the city, moving and shifting as they went. Some branched off into smaller, thinner tributaries, others widened. But none were as wide as the one that I was searching for, the one that lead towards ‘El’inssring’. It was the widely herald tavern and the loose life allotted to one such as me – a sell-sword – that led my footsteps.

Quiet resolve and even quieter mumbles of the future rumbled through my mind. There was promise ahead. There was prestige ahead. But most of all was the adventure and danger that all soulless beings such as myself required – nay lusted for. It was spawned from our very core.

It was our drive.

[Lone Sniper]

He was soon sitting on a log, before him a fire made when he ignited a stick by pressing it against the side of the ship; the fire was cozy like, though surely not needed. It was more as a beacon into the night that someone was there, and to be careful coming about. His eyes looked into the flames as he shrugged off his trench coat feeling the heat starting to get to him.

It was quite a sight to behold, but got old after you realized the only interesting thing was hanging in her crash harness (or whatever the damn thing was called, like a futuristic seatbelt). While somewhat cute, he didn't care much for anyone he didn't know, made it hard to gauge their reactions when you didn't know them.

With a sigh he reached into his coat pocket and produced a small water flask, sipping form the meager liquid inside and wishing for a stiff drink. He was looking about Alerar to find his other glock, and as sure as he could find the first glock, he couldn't find the second. It had dropped off the face of the earth, and so now that he was here, he figured maybe he could get a piece of scrap from the ship, and sell it off as some "moon stone" and hope the yokels were so stupid as to pay anything for it and worship it like a bunch of tribal idiots.

Sipping once again from his flask he moved back to the ship before he risked a foot on the control panel. Feeling a bit of heat through his boot but not so much as to alarm him, nor the smell of melted rubber assaulting his nostrils he pulled his k-bar knife and cut the harness before he pulled her out of the crashed ship. Once he set her on the ground he checked on her face and upon seeing it pale hoped it was like human anatomy and placed her feet up on a log in order to help get blood to the head.

"I only know so much from boy scouts, but god damn are you in need of some medical assistance..." He muttered. This much was true, he wasn't sure if moving her was at all good, but figured she would be okay. If not he knew he at least tried to help, and it wasn't like she would be the first to die at his hands, just the first to do so by accident.

Snorting at that last thought he muttered softly, "Lets just hope you aren't some space porn monster that sleeps with and kills the main hero, that'd be a drag, and I don't feel up to the task..." He chuckled at the joke before he rubbed his temple and muttered, "Should have taken up smoking, at least then I'd have something to calm my nerves right now."

[Poison]

The first two things she could sense was that she was laying down and that her head hurt. As she became more fully aware of her surroundings she realized that a fire blazed nearby, though the air was hardly cold. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, but she didn’t try to move just yet. She was not in her ship, so obviously someone had come along and pulled her out.

Her nose could pick up the smell of burnt grass from where her ship had finally come to a stop and now as she ventured to turn her head, she could see the dark outline of her ship. That there was a fire told her that there was likely to be someone nearby. Turning her head slowly, both because of the throbbing pain and to be cautious, she looked around to see her rescuer.

He’s nice enough I suppose, probably only speaks that ugly Common language though. I doubt anyone on this planet speaks a civilized language.

She grimaced briefly then cleared her throat. She didn’t want to alarm the person who’d helped her. She did her best to speak clearly, albeit somewhat slower than what was probably necessary, “Hello there. Who are you? Where have I landed?”

She tried to sit up a little, but fell back when the world spun. Guess I hit my head harder than I thought...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Full darkness had fallen over Ettermire. The young vampiress was now in her element as she slipped in through the gates and into the large mansion. Everyone slept, even the guards who were supposed to be on duty throughout the night. A small, vicious grin parted her lips slightly, it was perfect.

She crept on cat-like feet down the richly carpeted halls. Every now and then she passed a snoring guard. At last she came to a set of ornate double doors. She wasn’t exactly sure whose room this was, but that was not an issue. Carefully, she placed one foot down at a time. The sleep potion she’d stolen earlier that day was reputed to be strong, but she’d never tried it for herself. Gradually, the shape of a young person, probably 18 or 19 years old, came into view.

Perfect...sound asleep...

Silent as a shadow, fangs bared, she slid over to the bed. The young man sleeping there had a goofy grin on his face. The grin changed into a grimace as her glistening fangs slid into his neck, but he did not wake. Poison drank deeply, but only briefly. She did not wish to drink her victims dry. When she had drunk as much as she wished, she slipped away, back into the shadows.

For the rest of the night, she crept from room to room. Sometimes taking only a sip from this guard, other times taking a long draught of this handsome manservant. She never drank from any of the women or from anyone younger than 15 years old. By the time dawn was starting to color the eastern horizon, the young vampiress had drunk enough to keep her fed for at least a week before the cravings would start again.

[Osato]

Drinking was a pastime; it consumed everything when there was no job at hand. But the alcohol that was being sold in Alerar was at quite a high premium. The grubby town held equally grubby people, most of which looked as if soot was what they used for clothing. It soaked into most aspects of the physical appearance. The drows eyes, as bright as the moon, were the perfect antithesis of their tinted skin and dingy clothing.

It was disgusting.

Being a being of soulless origin, I was beautiful. To be called common and compared to the slobs of the slums was sickening. I was more then them, but who could I have proved that too? It was a no win situation. A heavy hand dropped a rather rough mug on the table that I was sitting at.

They moved about the room like soiled butterflies. Some sat at one table, broke up, made a new group at others. It was society at its finest, where true social creatures could move and grow in their acquaintances. I did not move. I just wanted to drink, to find some work, and to get to know the capital of Ettermire a little better without becoming as filthy as its workers.

“What brings you here?” The voice was common. My face rose from the half empty mug of Aleraran Draught. The face was a mix of human and elven, tinted in the same dark skinned way as the drow. He was a half-elf, or so I supposed, and was just looking for another to talk to. The drow culture, as far as I could tell, did not seem so inviting towards the mixed breed. “You certainly don’t look like you have been here very long.”

I pushed his hands away from my shoulder. His big, meaty fingers left small prints that looked like they were pure coal on my pristinely white shirt. A small laugh caught his throat as he lifted his heavy mug again.

“I’m just here for a visit… never been to Alerar before. I thought that I should visit the famed Great Tavern while I was about.” It was a lie, of course. Time had given me little in the way of mercenary style work, but it had given me a lot in the way of training in my small understanding of metalworking and swordsmithing. I continued just for the sake of talking in common for once that night. “What about you? Why are you here?”

[Lone Sniper]

Chris soon found himself looking at the girl, gun cocked and pointed in her direction as she spoke. While some of the words were similar to English, Common was something that he had to fill in the blanks. While she spoke words, all he heard was, "Hell. ....." "Who ... you," and "Where". Each phrase causing him a bit of strain to catch it through the impeccable common trade speak accent. As he sighed he spoke what little words he knew held true in common, "Not good speaker."

Sighing he decided to see if perhaps luck would be on his side. While she had spoken in common that meant she was fluid in the tongues of Althanas, what he was hoping was the conspiracy theories about aliens and earth were right, and not tabloid press. Looking at her deadpanned he spoke once again in broken common, "Speak English?"

He studied her face carefully as he carefully unreadied the gun, pushing the hammer against the firing stud, in effect stopping the gun from being prepared to fire as he slid the gun back in its holster. Sighing he began to mutter to himself in English, "Damnit Torin, you always did pick the best spots. Then again who'd expect a girl to crash land her spaceship in Alerar. I suppose you just got horrid luck."

He knew enough common to get what he wanted out of merchants and tavern goers. that was about it. The monks at least could generally figure him out at the citadel, and so his talking to them was far more fluid as they used simpler words in common he could get the meaning of without asking like an idiot. Perhaps he would have to get more lessons form them one day. In the meantime he waited for her answer as he once again pulled his flask and sipped greedily from it, the sweat pouring down his face and back, causing dark black spots on his clothing that he was loathe to have anyone see.

Rubbing his temple he could only hope something would go right for once.

[Poison]

She watched him cooly, unafraid of his gun. She did not think he would really pull the trigger anyway, not unless she gave him a reason to. She listened carefully. She’d always been able to understand Common better than she could speak it. She smiled and nodded ruefully at his question about English. She had far more trouble with it than she did Common, but she could speak it when necessary. “Yes, but not well.”

She could hear him muttering in English, but she couldn’t quite catch what he was saying. Irritated, she started to sit up again, but once again fell back. Each time she tried to move, the world spun like child’s spinning top toy. ”Dammit...how the hell am I supposed to find that idiot father of mine when I can’t even sit up!?” She went on at some length cursing her luck, the planet, the Intergalatic Police and everyone and anything else she could think of to place the blame of her predicament on. The girl’s native tongue though normally sounding almost like beautiful, yet simple, harmony, sounded harsh and discordant. She looked over at the other man quickly, realizing with a start that she had just spoken her thoughts aloud. He would not have understood a single word she had just said.

“Sorry. How bad am I hurt?” the words came out brokenly, but a little more solidly than the first time she had spoken. “I have med-med-medicine.” She struggled over the last word, but hoped she got it out right. “It is in a green bottle.” She hoped that this time, the man would understand her better. She was very grateful for the help he’d given so far, but she had to be ablet to communicate to him. The medicine in the green bottle would heal whatever outside wounds she had within an hour, but she was running low on it. She could only hope that the mysterious gun-wielder would understand and look for it in her ship. “Look in top....” she paused as she struggled for this word as well, “how you say it? It holds things and it rolls on wheels...”

Spoken/thought words in purple is her native language, red is English, and otherwise is Common

[Osato]

The half-elf’s drawl continued far longer then I had expected. It was another hour before he sighed, passing the now empty mug to his lips. Curiously, and indeed amusingly, he lifted it when nothing came from it and stared into its depths. I could not help but shake my head as he squinted one eye first, and then the other as if that would allow him to see some dimension of the empty glass differently. Laughing at intoxicated humans had quickly become sort of a hobby of mine.

A somber, quiet tone had settled over the previously rambunctious tables. The drow’s to either side of me where quieting as a bard’s tale rippled through the room. His hands were moving, as if it drawing in the air before him the pictures that he spoke. The enthralled natives were captured by his tone and stance.

I, however, could not understand a single word he was saying. If there was something to be told it was passing far over my head, despite how entertaining and clever the man’s story might have been. Instead of watching further I stood up and dropped two gold pieces into the empty mug. The “Great Tavern” did not seem to be all that great, especially when you could not understand a thing that was happening.

So, instead of wasting further time, I gently brushed past the customers and pushed aside one of the many doors that opened into the tavern. The night air, filled with the acrid, settling fog, rushed around me as soon as I stepped foot outside the door. “What now?” was the only thought that came to mind.

((I don't really know where to go with this...))

[Lone Sniper]

A sigh escaped his lips as he looked at the woman for a moment. She was trying to say something important, however he couldn't seem to figure her out. Thing on wheels you put things in? A car? Well, she mentioned top, so it couldn't be a car. He was busy musing about it to the point of scratching his head before he felt entirely stupid, "A drawer..."

Moving back to the ship he sighed as he moved about it, finding the drawers. Not sure which one to do, he slowly pulled each one open till he found pills. Pulling them from their hiding spot he walked over to her and tossed the package at her. Meanwhile the fire kept the area lighted as he took another swig of water, before tossing it too to the strange woman. As he looked about the area he sighed as he said, "I'll be back, we're going to stretcher you to town..."

He muttered under his breathe about boy scouts as he moved about. Finding the long thick sticks he wanted he moved over before he carefully took his trench coat from her. Running the poles through the sleeves he sighed as he turned it over so the outside was up, before he said, "Alright, just get you to lay down there, and I'll drag you to the nearest city, I think Ettermire is mighty close..."

He then sighed as he said, "Oh, also might want to know, if I drop you, its not because I hate you, just something attacked." With the disclaimer in position he began to drag her across the fields, breathing a sigh of relief when he felt the colder air rush in, with the heat of the crashed shuttle slowly diminishing behind him. As he continued to trudge towards the towers of Ettermire he merely let his training go to work as he hummed a small song to take his mind off the tedious task of keeping his charge aloft.

He chuckled as he realized just what he was humming, but instead of stopping he merely began singing softly the words, more than likely out of key and with enough bad taste to make the original artist cringe in the mangling of his song;

"Why can't we be friends? Why can't we be friends? Why can't we be friends? Why can't we be friends?"

[Poison]

“A drawer! Yes, that’s it!”

She smiled happily that he’d been able to figure it out. She was even more pleased when he brought back the medicine. It had not been exactly what she wanted, but she’d failed to mention that it was the one with liquid in it. She had forgotten that there were two green bottles in that drawer. It didn’t make that much of a difference though the pills would still help alleviate the pain, although the liquid would have worked faster. It also could’ve been applied to her forehead to help it heal faster.

She nodded amiably, catching only a few words here and there, something about being “back” and “stretcher you...town.” She watched him for as far as she could, then popped open the pill container and took two. Regrettably, she noted that this painkiller was running low as well. Damnit...this one’s low too. If I’m going to be stuck here, they better have some damn good painkillers available.

She winced lightly as he pulled the trenchcoat from under her, though not as much as she would have ten minutes ago. Apparently, the medicine was working already. She thought she would be able to walk, but she was content to humor this human that had opted to help her and let him do as he wished. Intrigue filled her grey eyes as she watched him make a stretcher. Now she understood what he’d meant earlier. She listened carefully while he spoke once again and nodded. She’d understood most of it. Enough to understand that she was in good hands, at least for the moment. She did not know anything about this Ettermire, but it was better than being stuck in the middle of nowhere. Anywhere was better than the middle of nowhere.

As they got underway, she listened to his humming, then cringed slightly when he began singing. “You not good singer, good hummer.”

[Lone Sniper]

Chris chuckled as he continued to drag them across the Fields of Khu'fein. She had commented on his singing and probably had hit the correct group of words as well. Still he grinned as he said, "Well, tell ya what you can sue me when we get you to a medic..."

The chuckle continued as he moved about slowly trying not to make any sudden bumps for her. Continuing to drag back to the black city he sighed as his thoughts began to drift, his mind going back to idly humming. He was enjoying himself to say the least as they began to reach the edges of town. The guards however, brought the entire introspection to a halt as they barked at him, "Who ... you, who .. that? What .. your business walking ar.... .... late at Night?"

Torin had forgotten that he had been talking in English to the girl the entire time. Being brought back up to speed on the situation he strained to catch the thick accented Drow and their harsh pronunciation of Common. Sighing as he got the gist of what was being said he began in Common once again, "She hurt. Need Heal."

"You .... talk Tradespeak?" The Drow barked again.

Chris sighed as he shook his head, "Very bad."

He was definitely going to need to get another lesson from those monks...

The guard grumbled, muttering something fluid and graceful, more than likely his native tongue before he pointed down the street. He then barked the orders slowly, as if doing so would magically make Chris understand them better, "Down three," He stopped speaking to hold up three fingers, "........" He then crossed his fingers in the traditional childish cross meant to warn off vampires. Chris merely remained silent at the rather rude treatment before the guard continued, "..." He then held up his left hand before he said, "Good?"

"Yes," Chris replied. He doubted the guard could have dumbed it down anymore than he did. As Chris began to drag Kareun through the city he said, "Mind the cobblestones." In English before he smiled and said to the guards in in his best Brooklyn accent, "I hope you fucking die."

The guards not sure of the new language introduced only smiled back unsurely and waved before Chris turned and chuckled.

[Poison]

Kaeruen looked blankly up at the guards as Christ dragged her on by them. She hadn’t understood a single word of the strange language until they spoke in Common. Can’t they speak it any better than that? Jeez... After that, when she realized that Chris was still intent on getting her to a Healer, she started wishing her medicine would kick in faster.

I don’t really need a Healer. I’ll be fine in about another hour, but convincing him of that is probably about next to impossible. Oh well, guess it’s worth a try.

“You know, I’m feeling much better. That medicine works very well and I’ll be just fine in about another hour of resting. I could probably even walk on my own now. We don’t really have to go to a Healer do we?”

The simple truth of the matter was that Kaeruen didn’t like doctors of any sort. She avoided medical personnel as if they had the worst kind of diseases imaginable if she could mange it. They always poked and prodded, asking if it hurt when they knew damned well where it should hurt since she’d just told them. Then there were needles. She hated needles. Hated them with a fervent passion. No, if she could at all avoid it, she did not want to see this Healer.

[Lone Sniper]

Chris stopped as he looked over his shoulder at her. He could see the panic in her as he sighed and continued to move down the streets. She didn't like doctors, and he had grown up around two. Perhaps it was this that had made him implicitly trust those who owed everything to Hippocrates's oath. However as he continued down the streets he began to count the intersections waiting till he got to the third. Taking the left he said aloud, "You ain't doing anything girlie. I'm getting you to a medic and thats that. I don't trust pills any farther than I can throw them."

Moving through the streets he sighed as he sifted through his thoughts. Money was scarce, he wasn't even sure why he was here. His gun obviously wasn't in this hell hole. There was no reason for him to be here. Perhaps it was Fate or Destiny that he saved this girl. Perhaps it was just dumb luck. All he knew was he was here, dragging this beautiful woman, and he was getting tired. He wasn't the night owl he used to be shamelessly staying up to all hours of the night. Still as he looked around he sighed as he realized he couldn't read a damn sign in the place.

The scrawl of the words were more of a script than anything. The problem was it wasn't like any script he had ever seen. There was no Arabia here of which to compare it. Words spoken was always easier than things written. As he sighed he shook his head and muttered, "Just fucking grand, where the hell is the medics..."

[Poison]

Kaeruen scowled at her rescuers back. Why were men always so obstinate? Hse was feeling better and the stubborn man refused to see reason! He didn’t even know they were anymore. Sighing, she looked around for any clued as to the whereabouts of this supposed Healer. After a moment or two of searching, she noticed a building that had herbs hanging in the window. Thinking that this might be the Healer’s shop and figuring that she wouldn’t be able to convince Chris to do anything else, she cleared her throat before speaking.

“I think I might know where we need to go next, but I refuse to let this Healer stick any needles in me. I’m only doing this to humor you. All I really need is a little bit more rest and I’ll be fine, but since you don’t believe me, try that building over there with the herbs hanging in the window.”

She still did not want to see this healer-person, but she had finally resigned herself to the fact that she was not yet up to getting away from Chris. Thus, she would deal with whatever she had to in order to get it over with sooner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Poison moved carefully through the streets, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. She did not want to be seen by anyone. She had not done any jobs of any sort over the last few days, but most people did not take kindly to vampires. Most tried to kill them or drive them off on sight. The young vampiress doubted the dark elves of Ettermire would be any different.

At last, she made her way back to the inn at which she’d taken a room. Climbing the stairs slowly, she let herself into the small room. It contained only a small bed, a table, a single chair, and washstand, but it was enough to satisfy her. She did not need luxury to be comfortable. As she passed the table, she unbuckled her belt and placed it and the sai it carried on the table. Then, she collapsed on the bed. In moments, the reluctant vampiress was sound asleep.