That Glowing Crystal...(Closed)

[Elthas_Belthasar]

(Closed to Ioder)

The Trading Company business often lead Elthas to far away lands.

Even lands that were completely foreign to him, like the origin lands of The Elves.

Elthas was a Forest Elf, and his people originated from Concordia Forest.

However, the air was distinct with a vibrant energy. There was sparkling residue every where that were remnants of The Corpse Wars. When the vile Necromancer Xem'Zund attempted to conquer greater Althanas. Ultimately, it was said that Xem'Zund was stopped by a group of brave Heroes. But is that the truth? Elthas was tracking down a relic rumored in the area. Master Invetisto wanted the relic for The Trading Company's holds. Elthas would retrieve it. He could have asked for company resources being an Officer of The Trading Company. However, he chose not to work with others. He preferred to think and analyze problems on his own, reacting when he face danger on a cool head. There was danger everywhere. As soon as Elthas left the sanctity if the few remaining safe havens in Raiaera, he'd encountered remnant forces of The Corpse Army. They were a dangerous lot, some able to speak and show signs of free will.

They were carriers of The Dark Mark.

The ones who had free will were the most dangerous of all. They were capable of planning and coming with guerrilla warfare tactics. Elthas had cut a swath through several groups of The Corpse Army as he made his way to his target goal. The relic that still was rumored to sit in Istien University. Somewhere inside the hallowed chambers that had failed to protect The High Elves from Xem'Zund. Elthas had been fighting and running almost non stop since he left Benoist. The guard folk had warned him vehemently not to go to the remains of Eluriand. The Corpse Army's forces were strongest there. Elthas did not care, he had a mission to fulfill. I am going to find the lost relic and claim it for The Trading Company. It will be a boon. Men did things for many complicated reasons, Elthas's motivations were simple. He was a man who got things DONE. Strange land or not, he would undergo any trial so long as it was in the name of The Trading Company. Invetisto had given him a new purpose, a new lot in life One that was far away from The Syndicate and it's corrupted practices.

Elthas had killed a few of the walking dead several hours earlier. His blood pumped iron in his body, he'd been fighting and running almost non-stop. He was too scared to stop to rest. Any mistakes with the walking dead about would cost him his life. He was the only one in The Trading Company crazy enough to undertake such a dangerous mission. Into the very heart of Eluriand. Little knowing that someone ELSE was heading there for a very different reason. Their paths would cross. And in the grand scale, several new branches in the tree of life were already beginning to sprout. Forming many smaller branches, and larger branches across the sea of time. Elthas could not see the tree of life, but he knew it was there. His mother had shown him it. He made his way across a ruined village, and up ahead he could JUST make the darkened spires of Eluriand. He merely needed to haul ass through the small village he'd just discovered. He would stop for nobody...

[Ioder]

Soon Estelle, soon I will have what I need. Ioder thinks to himself as he delivers a succession of swift and accurate kicks to the legions of the undead. He had been hearing rumors around Beinost a couple weeks back of a glowing relic left to slumber within the Istien University after the fall of the High Elves. A magical bread of otherwise useless scum that once inhabited these lands, the were all slaughtered by the Necromancer Xem'Zund wile he attempted to rise to power long ago. The rumors described a magical jewel that possessed almost limitless potential and was once called the 'Heart of the Elves' or so the remaining people of Beinost said.

Ioder had been making his was across the area for some time now, often finding it hard to avoid the masses of undead that still wandered the lands around Eluriand. Now he had been caught up in a scene from a horror story, a swarm of decrepit and vile husk type creature all surrounding Ioder in the center of this smallish village he had stumbled upon. He had been trying to play it cool and let the group limp past him so as he could make his way out of this dying town. But as fate decides everything, the cold mistress decided that Ioder would indeed make the mistake of assuming these creature were nothing but mindless scum wandering around for eternity. Instead it appeared that they were indeed somewhat organized and to Ioder astonishment noticed him lurking around in the shadows of the village.

After some intense screeches from the crowd of undead monsters, they all converged on Ioder forcing him to fight for his life once again. Though they might not be mindless, they are indeed slow and not capable of intense combat rather they would use the shear number advantage to win. Maybe twenty to one the odds not in Ioder's Favor. Ioder fought valiantly every kick delivered with pinpoint accuracy often breaking exposed bone further crippling the group. His fighting style was developed to kill living creature not for banishing already dead abominations. Though he was definitely at the disadvantage he fought on only motivated by the memories of his sister. Nothing can stop me now, im so close.

After what seemed to be an hour to Ioder he had not made much progress fighting back these monsters, he had broken off the legs of a few of the creature slowing their advance but only delaying.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

Elthas paused for only the briefest of moments.

He was tired of fighting, tired of running in this forsaken land. The land of his people's origins. Elthas had plenty of time to think as he fought, and once he took a moment to look around, he saw that the Raiaeran Elves weren't much different from Concordia Elves. A disturbing thought crossed Elthas's mind. That guy over there needs help... His eyes wandered subtly to a group of large behemoth like Forsaken surrounding a stranger he never saw before. The fellow did not carry the marks of any Guild or faction, he merely was THERE. He's in for a world of shit...I should just... But something happened just then. He saw a flash of approximately a couple of hundred years ago when he risked his neck to save a man named Seth Terrentius. To honor the old alliances. Once men and Elves fought side by side... Elthas sighed. He needs help, better get to it! He decided he would once again honour the old alliances. He rushed in without thinking too hard on it. Any moment spent rationalizing the event was a moment that the fellow would be stampeded and torn apart by The Forsaken. Carriers of The Dark Mark. Elthas readied his daggers as he ran, his momentum picking up pace. He'd grown fast by then and moved with cheetah like speed on land.

He leaped towards the exposed backside of one of the slow abominations. Elthas readied his daggers and lunged at the spinal column of the creature. They were dead, so he didn't feel half bad about beating the shit out of them. Elthas landed ON the creature and began to repeatedly stab the thing's spine. The horrid sound of flesh being torn apart by knives pierced the afternoon air. Elthas stabbed and stabbed, blood spraying everywhere. The creature paused for a moment as if it had JUST became aware that something was ripping it's spine out. Horribly. Elthas made a deep gash into the creature's back and then reached into the hideous black ichor. He was allowing his aggressive tendencies to take over for a short while so that he could focus on saving that fellow he'd stumbled upon. The creature that Elthas attacked suddenly did something unexpected. It started to SCREAM. And by screaming, it was more like a hideous shout that seemed to be the noise of SEVERAL hundred people screaming all at once. As if the souls that the particular Forsaken had consumed were crying for release. Elthas's acute ears ringed at the terrible sound. He fought against the thumping sensation he heard in his skull. There was somebody who needed saving. And plenty of asses to kick. Just then, Elthas grabbed what he was reaching for. The spine. He pulled and yanked like a mad savage, ripping the spine column out of the still unliving beasty. He pulled hard, and black ichor trickled down his face, and his clothing. Elthas didn't care. The Forsaken were savage monsters and he would show no pity for the lives that they worked to destroy.

As he pulled the spinal column out, he continued to pull and broke a sizable portion of the creature's neck in the process. There was a terrible sound of bones snapping. Elthas heard the noise from a far away location, then snapped the bones in his hand. He ripped and pulled until the spine column was literally severed from the creature's body. It died a true death. Elthas saw the creature fall forward and he breathed hard, looking at the fellow before him. Elthas was covered in Forsaken blood. He looked around and saw that the remaining creatures were hesitating. They looked at Elthas, and then at each other for a long moment. Elthas held his daggers in his hand, and kept the creature's spine colum in his hand as well, dripping with corroded nerves. Twitching violently. Elthas looked at his remaining enemies and then his eyes narrowed. He spoke.

"I would run if I were you. I know you can understand me." Elthas did not speak to Ioder, he was speaking to The Forsaken. "I have a message to your leader." Blood dripped down from his hands. "You will all be held accountable for what you have done here." In that moment, Elthas Belthasar declared WAR on The Forsaken, the children of N'Jal. Elthas had a savage look in his eyes as he seemed to wait for them to obey his command. Elthas's slender nostrils flared as he looked at the dread creatures. The creatures paused for a long moment as they looked at Elthas. Then, one of them looked directly at Elthas.

"Watch your back, blue blood." Then the two remaining big zombies lumbered off to harass something else.

It was only then that Elthas looked at Ioder. And sized the kid up. "Come with me if you want to live." Elthas said calmly. It was only then that he dropped the still twitching spine. The body of the undead cadaverous monster smelled horrible already from the inside out. He felt the heavy weight of the spine column fall down on the ground with a gross PLOP. Elthas looked down at the bones he'd severed and he suddenly crushed it with his boots.

[Ioder]

Valiantly Ioder swiftly delivered kick after kick to the Forsaken monstrosities that had seemingly surrounded him. One after another he managed only enough to keep them at bay, quickly discovering that he was not prepared to fight all of the zombies and survive to tell of it. "Why do you die!" He yelled as one so happened to skate behind him without his knowledge and wrap his arm around Ioder's shoulder and under his adjacent arm. Startled to feel the decaying arm touch his skin Ioder panicked and immediately grabbed at it seizing the are at the elbow close to his neck. "Get off of me!" He cried as with all the force he could muster up tossed the gross Forsaken over him and on the ground only about a foot or two ahead of him. Standing there panting Ioder tried to recover his lost breath, all the wile making sure that another Forsaken charges at him before he has had time to regain himself. This does not look good, im not going to be able to make it out hear alone. His mind raced with thought as his eyes fallowed the wobbling zombies carefully.

Then suddenly Ioder sees a figure racing in his direction, not one that moved like any of these other Forsaken. He was not able to really tell what exactly it was at first but the closer it got to him, he noticed that he was definitely not a walking pile of decaying flesh. With great speed the figure lept on to one of zombies only to instinctively lung a dagger repetitively into its spine. Over and over again the blade met with its decaying mussel and tearing flesh completely captivating the remaining Forsaken. Astonishing the figure looked elven and seemed to be coming to Ioder's aid, this was something he was accustom to.

What, an Elf? What would an elf be doing helping someone like me? Ioder pondered as he was able to regain his composure wile the elf had the Forsaken distracted with his brutal display. Then to Ioder's surprise the elf dug his hand deep inside the monster and quickly ripped its very spine straight from its back. Than began waving and flaunting it about, threatening the other Forsaken. It became clear to Ioder that he had be wandering and fighting in his younger form and appeared as only a young child. Suddenly this now blood covered Elf spoke out to the monster warning them to leave now or face the same end.

After a few shout words the elf looked over to Ioder and instructed him to "Come with me if you want to live." Words that seemed so foreign to Ioder as he had never been shown much compassion from elves. Feeling as if he would be completely outmatched if these bloody monster return in numbers he decided that listening to this obvious battle worn Elf would be best.

"T-t-thanks for h-helping me." Ioder stuttered as he hadn't spoken to an elf in a long wile. Dropping his guard slightly Ioder moved closer to the Elf waiting for any response. He really meant his words, if it wasn't for this Elf he would have had to turn tail and run for his life. "I don't think I would have made it back there of it wasn't for you."

The sounds of unholy screams are heard in the distance, either the Forsaken that were retreating were just making them selves heard hoping to put fear within the two. Or maybe they had met up with other undead bastards that were now soon to be on their way. There is now way I can fight them again without any help, maybe this elf was going to be his key to making it to my goal. Estelle, what should I do my sister?

[Elthas_Belthasar]

"It's all right." Elthas said, regaining his composure. He hated the undead, he really did. They feasted on the weak, and prayed on the innocent. Often ransacking whole villages and towns. Elthas wiped black blood off his face in an attempt to clean himself, but the entire event left him a little shaken up. He looked at the kid. "We need to get going. Eluriand is up ahead and I want to get there before night falls." Elthas explained. "I am sure you are out here for a reason and it's better to have someone watching your back." Elthas pointed in the general direction of Eluriand. "Forsaken turf." He explained as he began to walk. "They will try to fuck with your head. Better just accept that it ain't like the fairy tales. They use plans, and strategy." He paused for a moment and listened to screams somewhere nearby. He sighed. "Better get the hell out of here. This place is totally a waste." Had we come sooner, The Trading Company would have been better at assisting Raiaera in it's time of need. The world let this place down, poor fucks. Elthas thought to himself. He was still holding his daggers as he stood in place observing the wrecked town. Can't even try and loot this place. There's too many dangers about now... He thought to himself. He continued to wait for Ioder.

Amongst the carnage and blood and death, Elthas felt really sorry for the once vibrant land that Raiaera USED to be. He wished he could have saved everybody he came across. But he knew one key element: the enemy was dangerous. Not just cause they were smart and deadly, but because they were followers of N'Jal. Elthas shuddered as he thought about what would happen if N'Jal won and defeated every last Hero on Althanas. Well I am not going to let that shit happen on my watch... Elthas clearly defined his purpose at the moment. He was going to kill every last Forsaken he came across. He growled for a moment as he thought of that. The Forsaken really did bring up about Elthas's rarely seen savage side. His eyes narrowed as he stared at Eluriand just up ahead. Beyond a small forest, probably a portion of The Red Forest. He knew it would be dangerous to go in there at that hour, but they had to keep moving. His eyes were narrowed and his face had a very serious expression. My contact better be right. The artifact better be here. It's going to be a bitch to have to fight my way back to Benoist. He thought to himself as he observed the ruined town. "The Thayne test us for a reason." Elthas found himself saying. "Let's hope this bullshit is all worth it. So many dead..." Elthas said to nobody in particular. He could smell death in the air, old death and rotten death.

[Ioder]

After they had been walking and had breached the edge of the village, the sounds of the forsaken had stopped. The ere shrieks shadowing every move they made had stopped at last, they could ease them selves slightly. Ioder still astonished that he was saved by an elf of all people, he was not accustom to being civil with elves. Rather he wasn't sure how to read elves, or what to say to them. In the past I haven't really spoken to elves, instead the just yelled at me. But he isn't like that, he saved me after all. How am I supposed do this.Ioder's mind raced around with ideas of how to convince this elf to accompany him to search for the gem. But none really seemed like good plans, he was not sure of what the elf was doing anyway.

Finally he braved up the nerve to shatter the silence the were having as the made their way to the small forest ahead.Taking a few quicker steps Ioder turned and was now walking backwards in front of Elthas, acting his age of course. He looked only of a child after all, breaking character now would only complicate things. I guess this will have to do, I have to see if he is going the same way as me. He decided.

"So what brings you to these parts?" he said wile still walking backwards in front of Elthas. "You mentioned Eluriand, are you heading there?" Eluriand was the place he had to go and if the elf was willing he would just stick with him for a wile. "Im heading there myself. My sister is waiting and I don't want to make her wait any longer."

[Elthas_Belthasar]

"Yeah that's my destination." Elthas explained quickly. The very air in the area around him made him very nervous. Like at enemy moment, one of the horrors that surrounded them would reach out for him. Elthas had to remain focused if he was to survive, most important, he had a tag along. The kid seemed to be a very nice kid. I wonder if he's hiding something behind those eyes... Elthas thought to himself. It seemed like the child-like behavior was really more for show, but Elthas let it all go. He wanted the kid to feel comfortable around him despite the very bad situation they were all in. "You're welcome to come with me. Once I get what I'm after, I intend to go back to safer ports..." Elthas figured they should exchange information while they were there. "Eluriand is riddled with old artifacts and such, that makes it Trading Company business. Perhaps you've heard of us?" Elthas wondered. He started to walk forward knowing that the kid would follow him.

In the distance, and in the very wind itself, there was an endless symphony of tortured screams.

Elthas tried his damnedest to ignore it. However, he pictured what those brutish Forsaken could be doing to people all around them. It made him angry, and disgusted. Elthas kept his knives handy at all time. They were of Elven quality, and very light weight steel daggers. Very suitable for close-quarters combat. As he walked he kept his gaze immediately in front of him. They had some grounds to cover before they got to Eluriand's remains in the first place. "By the way, where are my manners?" Elthas removed something from his packs. It was recently prepared rations. Not the best cooked of meals, but certainly better than nothing. That poor kid must be starving. Elthas thought to himself. "Here take these rations. I have plenty of supplies with me." Elthas said as he handed Ioder the rations bundle. "My name is Elthas Belthasar." Elthas said casually. "We can work together as we make our way to Eluriand."

[Ioder]

"They call me Ioder, pleased to make you acquaintance." Ioder happily smiled as he reached out and to the rations offered to him. This elf, he's nice. Ioder thought as Elthas introduced himself. He seemed even just on the surface a strong fighter that had a caring heart. Spinning back around and walking the correct way Ioder continued his pace fallowing Elthas. He said he was with the trading company, a group interested in collecting artifacts. Frankly it sounded like he was looking for pretty much anything of value he might find, even what Ioder had come for... The Heart.

The two walked the rest of the dust road leading for the red forest, they would have to venture through just a small part of the forest before the could reach Eluriand. The sun was setting and by the speed they were going, it would be more suitable to go through the woods in the morning. The distant sounds of horror had subsided as even the red forest was a place the forsaken feared, if they even felt fear.

"Elthas, it getting dark." Ioder said as he and the elf stopped just outside the edge of the forest. "Were not going in there, are we?" He asked as he pointed at the red foliage.

"I suppose we could make camp here." Elthas eventually said after he surveyed his surroundings. Elthas cam across as a very resourceful companion, taking charge and controlling the situation.

-Later-

The pair sat against a stone wall that stood just a few yards off from the edge of the forest. Faint echo are heard from within the wooded shadows, only beyond the flickering light that the pair's little camp fire. Elthas offered to take the first watch and insisted Ioder slept to gain his strength back. So Ioder agreeded and dozed off sitting against the corner of the wall, only feathering on the hinges of consciousness to avoid any miss haps.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

Of course, Elthas had come prepared.

He'd gathered considerable company supplies from The Trading Company, and the rest of it he gathered when he was in Benoist.

The camp was easily erected and consisted of one major tent. Elthas prepared a fire-pit and he figured that it was a good as place as any to set up a camp. The night would be long, and considerably dangerous with The Forsaken running about. Elthas barely understood The Thayne Codex, but he had rudimentary knowledge of it. As a student of knowledge, he made it his business to know things. Elthas sat down on the ground, and smoked cannibus herb to relax and calm his nerves. The camp fire before them was lit powerfully and served to prepare the meal that Ioder and Elthas would consume. Elthas made sure they both ate before Ioder actually called it a night. In the meantime, Elthas would sit and plan the trip into Eluriand. He knew the fighting would be fierce as they entered DEEP into Forsaken territory. Elthas thought about what he'd learned about The Forsaken so far. They were dangerous creatures, and were servants of N'Jal. Elthas only was armed with at least rudimentary knowledge of N'Jal.

It would serve them both well.

He stared at the flames of the small campfire, it was a an adequately prepared fire pit.

He felt anxiety as he looked into the embers of the camp fire, his eyes narrowed gently. He was thinking about many matters, including, his love...Hylda Terrentius. She was somewhere in the world, and had moved on with her life. But an Elf never forgot, and never stopped loving. Elves were known for their naturally emotional states. He began to sing as was a habit of late. He learned the Bard arts as he evolved his fighting prowess. The bard arts was a natural transition for him as he found his place in the grand scheme of things. The song he sang was Ruildian but was in the tongue of his people. It was, in actuality, a small fragment of part of The Thayne Codex. The Thayne Codex was a vast religion with many mysteries and teachings. Including it's own precepts and spoken syntax. Elthas sang quietly, tears flowing down his handsome face. He smoked the cannibus herb from his smoking pipe as he thought about his beloved. The same woman who had betrayed him, so many life times ago.


(Translated from Elven)

"From the shadows of The Olde Wyrm they come,
Sing to The Celestial Heavens in remembrance of the lost,
Remember me when I swing my blades, blade dancers,
Remember the lost,
For I am Blade Dancer,
We are not alone,
O ye sacred Heroes, remember the lost, remember the lost,
Guide us in our sacred journey to the branches of Tomorrow.
I am a Blade Dancer.
This is MY story."


Elthas continued to sing.

"That was a beautiful song..."

The sudden voice snapped Elthas quickly out of it. It was NOT Ioder. But rather, a female Forsaken warrior that was sitting right across from Elthas in a completely natural fashion. "Do not be alarmed, I mean you no harm."

"How can you guarantee that?" Elthas's hands instinctively went to his daggers.

"I have not attacked you yet, have I? Our scouts have informed me of your progress. I came to see what sort of Adventurers would join our ranks this time, and have stumbled upon someone like you. N'Jal gifts us in mysterious ways..." The woman ran her hand through her surprisingly lush hair. She was Forsaken, but she appeared relatively intact, albeit with glowing red eyes and light grey skin.

"Do not speak of her in front of me, wench." Elthas suddenly said without realizing. "Keep your Matron's name to yourself."

"You know of our ways." She leaned in closer to the campfire, closer to Elthas. That made him more than a little uncomfortable. "I can tell by that expression that you are knowledgeable of The Thayne Codex."

"What do you want?" Elthas had to ask. He didn't like The Forsaken or anything they stood for...

"Right to the point. I respect that." The woman said. She sat in a relaxed position at that point. "I am what your people call a Priestess." In an unspoken sort of way, Elthas added in his own head: a Priestess of N'Jal. "You are venturing DEEP into my people's land. Eyes beyond my influence have taken an interest in your progress. If not for my intervention tonight, you would have lead your companion and yourself to certain ruin."

"I do not agree." Elthas said in response. However, he allowed himself to relax even for a brief moment. "I cannot bring myself to accept that one of YOUR KIND is here for an honourable purpose." Elthas said.

"Believe what you will, but my intentions are in your favour." The priestess said. "Even now forces are moving against you in The Dark. I am doing what I can to keep them at bay." She smiled, the act brought a chill to Elthas's spine. "I implore you, allow me to accompany you into Eluriand. You will need a representative if you are to venture within Forsaken territory."

"I trust in my own skill..." Elthas kept staring at the woman. She was surprisingly beautiful and he didn't know if the thought disturbed him as much as it should have. "However...you have my attention. I am no fool, and I have the child to protect." Elthas knew that already, things were rapidly moving against him...the chains of fate were being pulled along.

"Wisely chosen." The woman said calmly. "Recently there has been a division in the ranks of my people and my Lady has begun to make erratic choices. Choices that will have long term consequences. Not just for my people but for ALL of Althanas." The woman had a far away expression as she seemed to be listening to something there. Something that Elthas could not hear.

"So...you intend to guide me and the boy to our goals?" Elthas asked.

"More than that. I intend to make sure you survive the night, and further, even make it to Eluriand intact." The woman said. "You have drawn unfortunate attention on yourself, Elf. My Lady has taken a profound interest on you as I have. Further more...there is one matter you are not aware of."

"I am not aware of...? Enlighten me." Elthas said.

"You have been Tainted." She said. "Even now your body is already undergoing the changes to become one of my fold."

Suddenly, Elthas thought back to the battle with The Forsaken he'd killed earlier. Blood contact...SHIT, how could I have been so stupid...!? Elthas suddenly stood up. A panic began to touch his heart, and he looked at the woman before him for a long time. "I won't have ANY of this!" Elthas suddenly pulled out a dagger, and made a threatening motion to take his own life.

The woman sincerely reacted to that. "STOP!" She suddenly yelled. "I can help you! You must control yourself! If you end up stopping the story now, you will never discover your true purpose in the great scheme of things."

Elthas considered what she was saying. I'm infected...I can't go back like this...I have to learn to control it if I DO change...IF... Elthas held his dagger tightly for a long moment, the woman stood up and quickly moved towards him. She suddenly removed the dagger from his hand, and held him in a modified submission hold.

"Self control is an asset..." She whispered in his ear. "Calm yourself, Elf."

Elthas leaned back against her and shook in both pain and suffering for a long moment. Then, he allowed himself a moment or two to relax after taking a few deep breaths. Her body was surprisingly warm against his own. Elthas was expecting a cold, rotting touch. However, it became clear that she was a POWERFUL Forsaken. He relaxed and she let him go. But stood by his side. He retrieved his dagger from the ground, quickly sheathing it. Then he turned to the woman. "Never do that again." He told her. "But I thank you for doing it." He now owed the woman a DEBT he would someday repay. "So now what? I am here in search of an Object for The Trading Company. That hasn't changed, the boy has his own reason for being here. I do not pry. I will not interfere with his goals, but I do intend to assist him with it."

"Especially now?" She asked.

"Especially now." He repeated. "What do I do now? I will change won't I?"

"You will in a few hours. That is why I have come. To help you protect your friend."

Strangely, Elthas felt very calm despite knowing what he was about to face. "I thank you." He said carefully. "Where do we begin now?"

"It has already begun." She said with that same strange, sympathetic sort of smile. "You will change, and then you will be Forsaken. But you will CHOOSE to follow N'Jal or not." She explained. And for the first time, he understood what The Forsaken truly were...Thaynes help them all.

[Ioder]

Ioder was simply sitting there, nothing more than just playing the part of the young helpless child. Aided just by the faint light casted by the small campfire, he was able to only barely squint without giving himself away. But he was indeed watching the elf and the female forsaken. This blighted woman had but only given me a perfect way into the city. He thought, These simple worms playing as the pawns they are. His intentions were still the same, they will always be the same, Estelle. Nothing would stop him from achieving this goal, not the forsaken nor any parties wishing him to fail in this quest.

Ioder and Estelle were siblings both hailing from the original settlers of the Seraphim when they first came to Althanas nearly one thousand years prior. In those times the Seraphim were beings of unimaginable power and scholars of the old ways, Estelle being no different from the rest. Her skills in battle were un comparable in her youth, before the great divide. She and Ioder lived happily in the hills of Concordia during the events that destroyed the first groups of Seraphim. War and discrimination ravaging the ranks of their proud species. Caused by the hate and fear of the Elves and the humans towards them. Though powerful the Seraphim WERE their lack in numbers lead to their total eradication less the few stragglers left behind.

Now, Estelle was one of the few leaders of the initial Seraphim to colonize Althanas. She was intuitive and noticed the first of the aggression towards their people. Petty things in the beginning, thievery and territorial violence. To be expected from native people, but Estelle knew this would only lead to more. So taking her and her only brother's safety into their hands she left the settlement and decided to live along side of the humans. Considering their surprisingly similar appearance to humans it was no problem for them to assimilate into the small town of Failth. ---

Ioder sat there watching the two's conversation without saying a word until he felt it was time to allude to his presence. With a abrupt toss of his arms over his head Ioder revealed his attentive ness. As he kept up the faced of being asleep her groggily opened his eyes and then pretended to be startled to see a second person at the fire. With his arms stressed back holding himself to the stone wall behind him he uttered only a few choice words. "Elthas whats going on?!"

[Elthas_Belthasar]

Elthas allowed himself a few moments to relax.

Already, he could feel something in his body, the change beginning to occur. He wanted to cry, he wanted to kill himself, anything to escape the madness that would follow. Likely, suicide would have been a simple mercy. However, he was certain at that point that he would STILL have risen up as a mindless killer. Elthas looked at the forsaken lady, then he looked at Ioder. He sighed. He didn't know how to bring himself to tell the kid that he was infected. He'd promised the boy that he would take him to where he needed to go, and now he had brought incredible danger to them all. It had all been a tactical mistake on Elthas's part. Perhaps...that was the reason that the Forsaken from before were so quick to let us go. Because they KNEW I was blighted... Elthas thought.

It was a very real possibility that The Forsaken had played them all right from the start. Elthas looked at the beautiful undead girl, and then over towards Ioder. "I...I will offer my services to you if you can guarantee his safety. From me." Elthas said calmly. "And the others. I made a promise to the boy that I would take him to where he intends to go. I intend to honor that alliance." Elthas said calmly. He suddenly felt an urge to cry. "Do I have enough time to see that promise through?" Elthas asked of the woman.

She seemed to think very carefully about what she'd just learned. "You have a few hours." She said calmly. "For what it is worth, I'm truly sorry."

Sincerity. The creature was being SINCERE with him. Elthas sighed. He looked away from the beautiful woman's face. He looked at Ioder with a genuinely hurt and troubled expression. "I'm blighted." Elthas said calmly. "I have enough time to take you where you need to go. Then I will have to..." Elthas couldn't bring himself to say it. He knew once the change occurred, he would have to move himself as far away from Ioder as possible. The disturbing part was that he'd found himself liking the boy. The boy had a ferocity in his eyes, and a fierce nature that only needed proper training. If there was more time, Elthas could have fashioned Ioder into a fine young warrior. Elthas felt a tremendous pain in his heart, he wanted to run right then. But the PROMISE bound Elthas to Ioder.

He couldn't abandon Ioder in this land full of monsters.

In a way, that would have been more painful than death itself.

Elthas suddenly felt very tired. He felt very cold. The change was already happening, he could feel his blood being blighted, darkened. He sat down calmly and did the only thing that felt natural in a completely unnatural place to be in. He started to sing. He was an artist, and a bard first and foremost. He would sing until he came up with an adequate solution for the problems at hand. He looked at the woman while he sang. She had a beauty, it was almost haunting. The woman sat down next to him while he sang and simply LISTENED. He sang in the tongue of his people, an old song, it was a sad song. A song of love and betrayal, and of Heroes rising to face a coming darkness. A song written by his people just for moments like that.

Elthas sang quietly until he couldn't sing anymore.

Then he looked towards the woman and Ioder. "We need to get moving then. Let's pack it up, it's almost day break." Elthas decided that getting wrapped up in despair would not help his situation. Instead, he decided to keep his mind occupied, and went to work, preparing to pack up his things and put out the camp fire. The entire time, the forsaken woman watched him without saying a word. She simply watched and waited, as if she knew a truth that was greater than anything Elthas could do to calm his troubled mind. And that truth? They were all fucked.

Elthas felt his blood heating up very slowly. He wasn't sure what the change would entail, or how much it would hurt. He only knew that he WOULD change. And nothing would save him. Time had become a ticking bomb working to undo Elthas as he worked. He did not know how to face Ioder. Ioder was a friend, and Elthas had inadvertently put Ioder in danger. Every moment that passed, Elthas could feel the change happening within him. Once they were done packing, they began the lang walk to Eluriand's ruin. Elthas walked in silence taking poing next to the Forsaken woman. He didn't fully trust her. He couldn't bring himself to accept that the Forsaken would willingly help him just because he was blighted. As they walked, Elthas held his steel daggers, rotating them periodically. And each step he took towards Eluriand, his blood got hotter. He could feel his heart begin to race. I only hope that I can fulfill my promise to Ioder.

The forest that surrounded Eluriand surrounded them now. Elthas didn't like the energy in the air. It was dark and had a taint to it. The taint tormented Elthas's mind as he walked in silence. He wanted to turn the opposite way and RUN away from the woman and Ioder. But what prevented his running away was the fact that he couldn't trust the woman near Ioder by herself. He would become that wedge that kept Ioder alive, while he was still placid and still himself. About two hours into their journey into the forest, Elthas threw up blood for the first time. The woman had explained that those would be the first few sings of the change. Normally, Elthas's blood was a light blue colour. However, due to the blight, it had a dark taint to it. Elthas was sickened even looking at it. What he was becoming.

The woman remained by his side the entire time, she explained things about The Forsaken and their ways. Things Elthas did not want to hear, and things he did not want to expose Ioder to. He wiped blood from his mouth and looked at the woman. "It will hurt, won't it?" Elthas asked of the change.

"A lot I am afraid, but the transition will happen quickly. I have seldom seen your people, Forest Elves, affected by The Blight." She explained. "The High Elves react different to it as well. All I can tell you is from the reactions observed by The High Elves changes." She said calmly. "In time, you will master your change if you allow me to help you as you have been."

"Yeah but I will become a monster." Elthas pointed out. "You speak as if I have some sort a choice over that?" Elthas asked, it was becoming difficult to walk. She helped him balance. Elthas could just see teh ruins of Eluriand's spires up ahead. Once a beautiful city, now a ruined shell of it's former self. Every bit as blighted as the undead that feasted on the living all around them. Elthas walked forward, keeping point as he had promised. They were at Eluriand now. Elthas turned towards Ioder just then. The look of pain and exhaustion in his face quite evident. "Ioder. You have free passage in enemy territory. I am sorry that I cannot continue with you on your path. My path is on a different branch of The Grand Tree than yours. The Tree of Life. Ioder...remember me. To the last." He asked of Ioder. Then he looked at the woman. "Please keep me here while he moves towards Eluriand. I do not wish to see which way he travels. Lay me out." Elthas asked of her. He the looked at Ioder one last time. "Remember me." He asked one last time. And closed his eyes, he allowed her to strike him down and knock him out. So he wouldn't see which direction Ioder moved in. A promise was a promise, and even in the end...Elthas had maintained his promise to Ioder.

He would allow the Forsaken woman to restrain him until Ioder was safely out of harm's way...

Out of harm's way...

[Philomel]

Based on a "No Judgement".

Elthas Balthasar:

EXP awarded: 616 EXP
GP awarded: 66 GP

Ioder:

EXP awarded: 440 EXP
GP awarded: 55 GP

Congratulations!

[Lye]

EXP & GP Added!