Into the Howling Dark

[Tobias Stalt]

"I don't trust him," Tobias muttered under his breath.

Their march through Salvar had carried them to the edge of civilization and beyond, but Tobias had yet to warm to his assigned guide. Erikar looked like a man who had been kind, once. The darkness that loomed over him set the soldier on edge. Tobias had eyes that told the grim tale of experience, but Erikar's gaze was dead. The cold eyes of a killer reminded Tobias too much of his own past.

Their small contingent included strange man who went by Fox, the guardsman Erikar, and Tobias himself. It was a small entourage for a dangerous task into Skavia. The missive that carried their orders had recounted a strange and deadly species of blob-like creatures who could, upon maturity, annihilate a man with their web alone. Tobias was certainly not enthusiastic about fighting such a beast.

His words were meant for Fox, as an aside and well out of Erikar's earshot. "Watch your six," he told the kitsune, and he took a rigid breath. The cold of Salvar was such that it was difficult to acclimate to, but Tobias had a great deal of experience preparing for it. Warm cloaks and the tools to make fire were plentiful in their packs.

"A night, maybe more," he announced without much pretense. Tobias didn't bother looking back to acknowledge Erikar. "We're not far." The distinct feeling of eyes grating over his person sent shivers along his spine, and he cast a sideways glance toward the darkened man. "If you need to rest, now is the time to do it. We won't have the luxury when we're collecting the Voidweave."

The stuff sounded downright evil. "Voidweave" was a silky material spun by the bestial, gelatinous creatures and found in their lairs. Tasked with the collection of that precious commodity, the trio may as well have signed their own death waivers. Blackheart hung on Tobias' back, and he could feel a surge of anticipation from the weapon. "Fuckin' evil," he muttered. "Bloody evil."

They had come to a halt on the fringes of Skavia, and Tobias had taken the opportunity to assess the capabilities of his companions. Erikar, at least, would be useful in a pinch. Tobias was uncertain about how Fox might handle himself if it came down to it, but he knew the man would be dependable if they needed healing or first aid. He could not say he trusted the guard to tend his wounds.

"Give me an update," he spoke over the other two, and he folded his arms. "Are we ready, or do we want to rest for the night?"

[Fox Owen Xavier]

Sorry for taking so long to get this post out. Hopefully my writing hasn't become too bad with this long 'break'. Anyways, if you guys have any questions or feel like I should change something, please let me know.

“Damn it! Why do I have to get stuck with two deadly people who both seem like killers? Is the god of misfortune playing around with me? I was only up in this stupid frozen wasteland to gather some ingredients. I did NOT sign up for freezing to death in this wasteland, killed by random 'partners', or going for an adventure with unknown deadly sounding creatures.

Seriously, is that organization so disorganized and desperate that they toss some random people together including a merchant and hope things work out? I thought the higher ups were smart enough to not waste lives and be bright enough to give advance notice so people could prepare for their missions. I don't think me being basically kidnapped, given a two minute summary of my mission, then shoved with these two smelly freaks is very effective.

Unless these guys are a lot more powerful than what I'm thinking, then this mission is going to be tough if not impossible... Almost would be nice to just get them killed and escape but I don't failure is an answer that 'organization' wants to hear. Also, if I mess up getting them killed, I might end up dead either from my 'partners', the creatures, or 'them'.”

Fox dragged his feet through the snow as he reflected on the situation. The kitstune felt a mixture of horror, tiredness, cold, and anger at the unfair situation. The comments from his companion barely registered as nonreligious crafter desperately prayed to the gods that somehow he would live through this quest.

“Well, I guess I'll just do my best and be prepared to run. Maybe somehow this will work out and I can keep all my limbs that I spent a good deal of my life trying to keep healthy and connected to my body. On that thought, I guess I should try to be friendly and keep them alive. Hopefully, they will see the benefit in helping me stay alive in return.” Fox finally gave up on the hopeless dream of escaping from cold harsh reality.

“I'm fine either way personally. As long as the moon is out, I can see fairly well. However, I'm guessing those dark creatures are probably more active and deadly in the night. I suppose it would be best if we could head in their nest during morning or early afternoon if possible?” Fox answered Tobias's question.

“I'm not sure how close we are but this place seems relatively safe. I don't sense anything very dangerous nearby,” added the kitsune as he studied the white landscape from beneath the warm clothing and his fur.

[Erikar]

Erikar strode slowly behind his master's two hired hands, his exasperated expression hidden under the shadow of his burgundy hood. The frigid winds of Skavia cut like knives at the exposed skin of his face and hands, but the rest of his slight form stayed pleasantly warm under his heavy furs.

'Why did Lye have to stick me with these fools? I could've handled this fine on my own..'

The more capable-looking of the pair, Tobias, had been glancing at him warily throughout their star-lit trek, muttering his worries and fears under his breath. The other assistant, Fox, appeared frightened at the sight of either of the two men. Neither of these reactions seemed promising to the novice assassin; he would have to keep a sharp eye on both of them, in the event they decided they no longer wanted to.. cooperate.

Erikar noticed Tobias speaking absently, probably to the young fox-boy, and tuned the soldier's pointless ramblings out. Instead, his gaze fell to the menacing blade that rested heavily on Tobias' back. He had watched the Alerarian soldier hone the sword's edge earlier, and felt himself unable to wrest his eyes from the wretched thing. It gave off a threatening aura, one that spoke of bloodshed, and despair, and innocent lives cut short. It was an evil blade; Erikar was no saint, but even he felt the darkness imprisoned in every edge and angle of the sword. Erikar had felt glad when Tobias sheathed it.

The soft, quiet voice of their young, fox-eared companion broke him out of his reverie. He spoke of this being a safe place, with no imminent danger.

He was a fool. The Skavian Wilds held a myriad of beasts, natural and unnatural, who would delight in tearing the flesh from their bodies and sucking the marrow from their bones. This was no place to find reprieve.

However, the pair now stared at Erikar, awaiting his verdict. He contemplated continuing on through the night, then thought better of it; the endless shift of loosely-packed snow under his feet had caused a sharp burn to manifest in his legs.

"You two want to rest here? Fine with me." He spat condescendingly, trying to mask the weariness in his voice with contempt. "I'll take first watch. If you hear me shout, be ready to defend yourselves; I expect you two to do the same when it's your turn.

Erikar huffed and turned away from the pair, probing the snow with a foot to test the firmness. When he found a spot that satisfied him, the assassin unclasped his sheathed blade from his back and planted it deep under the snow, shoving when it met the frozen ground beneath. He then turned his emerald gaze upon Tobias, motioning for him to plant his blade a short distance away.

"We'll set up our furs like a tent. No natural fire will withstand this weather." He stated, silently wishing for a nice blaze to warm his freezing face and digits.

[Tobias Stalt]

"I've no cause to believe anything will survive this weather," Tobias mused quietly. He pulled the furs from his back and set busily about building the fire tent as Erikar had instructed. He had used such methods in Salvar before, though Berevar was admittedly colder than anything he had previously experienced. He gestured hastily for Erikar to start stoking the flames. "Hurry, damn it, I can already feel my blood freezing."

It wasn't far from the truth; without his outer layer to keep in the warmth, be had already begun to hemorrhage it out. His body shivered from the biting gale. He slammed Blackheart into the frozen soil and draped the mass of Furs across it, and he gestured for Fox to hurry inside. "Wake me for the next watch," Tobias told Erikar.

Within, the soldier crossed his legs and bowed his head. He had not slept well in quite a long time. Tobias fell into the gentle embrace of sleep more easily than he cared to admit; images of fire and blood danced in his psyche as his body rested, and he whimpered quietly at the memories he wished he could forget.

His eyes opened again sometime during the night, and he glanced around the inside of the tent. This whole mission seemed like nothing he had ever signed up for. The wilds of Skavia, hellish beasts, and allies he had never met. He hated the inability to trust his subordinates. Or were they his equals in rank? He had never bothered to ask.

In the distance, he heard some manner of creature howl. It seemed like a normal occurrence for this area of the world, so he brushed it off, but Tobias still disliked it. He kept to himself and let his body recline, not bothering to engage the others in conversation. After all, the assassin and the fox were probably just as tired as he was.

He stoked the flame every so often through the night to keep it alive. The warmth was a constant blessing, but he knew it would have to end by daybreak. After several hours, he shifted the furs and stepped from the tent and glanced sidelong at Erikar. "Ready to change shifts?" He asked without mirth, no desire to create contempt with any of them. The sooner they finished, the better it would be for everyone. "You're looking cold."

Erikar glanced up to Tobias with a scowl, and Tobias threw up his hands. "Fine," he muttered, and went back inside. "You go relieve him," the soldier called to Fox, "I'm going to get a bit more rest." He sat himself down and bowed his head. Argument with Erikar was as useless as it was with Tobias.