Thoughts in the woods

There's a light rain falling from the sky, but in a way it's a welcome sort. It's not too cold and one can mostly forget that it's there if they're not paying attention. As Daechir walks along the path further into the woods, he does not draw up a cloak around his shoulders. In fact he hasn't brought one at all. He lets the rain fall on his head and drip down his cheeks and hums to himself a wild melody of the elvish variety as he makes his slow meandering way. Every once in a while he stops, but never for terribly long. His destination is further in.

Yelronais travelling through the woods, showing the signs of recent battle but seeming relatively unscathed, and mostly ignoring the rain. She is carrying something over her shoulder, which on closer inspection turns out to be some kind of giant insect, not unlike a lobster, which seems to be made out of translucent crystal, or perhaps gemstone of some kind. She recognizes Daed's voice before she sees him, and joins in on the chorus as she approaches him. "Lovely to see you! It's been a while. How are you?"

The rustscale steps out from the village, jerky in hand. He raises it to his muzzle and pauses midway as he catches sight of the other figures. Raises it more slowly, then, and chews on the end of it.

He wears his leather duster, a well-worn sort of greencoat, whose dyes match the forest around him. The warmth has him leaving it open, just barely. One might see also, weaponsbelt around his waist.

The dark elf stops as he sees Yelrona, offering a broad grin to the woman. "Greetings indeed. It has been a while. I have been well, and I hope you have been." He presses a hand over his black hair, soothing the rain from it as motion down the path catches his eye. He recognizes the individual half a second later as sith-makar. Gently he offers the stranger a smile and a gentle nod. "It seems we have some company. Peace on your nest."

"Well enough," she agrees, then looks up at the man's nod to spy the familiar sith, to whom she waves a greeting as well. "Been visiting your old stomping grounds, in fact. I'm glad to be back, though, and to see you both well." She shifts the burden on her shoulder to the ground, where it THUMPS heavily. "What's news?'

"Pease to you--it is good to sshare words, again," the sith-makar replies, with a small lowering of the muzzle. Chay, standing somewhat straighter than he had a year ago. Still...he glances towards the woods. A flick of the eyes before looking back to them both. "One was only traveling this way, ssers, after getting ssome breakfasst. This one...this one sshould warn you. One has the plague, though one..."

"...its advancement is slowed, ssirs. Still, one would advise sstaying a distance."

Daed's smile to Yelrona is slightly paler in comparison to the one that came before it. "There is quite a lot of news it seems, enough that it is hard to know where to begin." His eyes flicker over to Chay and his words become slightly quieter. "It is Daed if you please. I far prefer that to 'sir'."

The shadow elf lets out a slight chuckle and shakes his head. "You bring up what is certainly the most... consuming news. The plague. You carry it then? Ah, perhaps you would gift me with your name? It seems you know Yelrona already, but without a name I would be forced to call /you/ sir in return."

Yelrona looks between the other two in surprise. "It always startles me when the interesting people in Alexandria don't know each other. Daechir, this is Chay," she introduces the pair. "Chay, this is Daed." She tilts her head to one side. "So is the plague contagious through contact, now?"

"This one is uncertain, ssers. And, one is hardly interesting. I wass out to go hunting," the sith-makar responds. He nips, takes a piece of the jerky carefully in his teeth, almost smiling. There's a bit of black ink-smudge along the muzzle, aling the left side.

"One knows it may be sspread other ways, ssers--and if one--if it is ssummoned or called, sser--one believes it acts as a creature ssometimes, ssers--it might leap from one's throat. Then, you must cleanse it with water and ssalt, ssers."

Yelrona's comment about 'interesting people' earns an arched eyebrow from Daed as well, though he leaves the comment alone. In fact he remains silent as Yelrona and then Chay speak, listening to their conversation with interest. Red eyes blink thoughtfully, watching the sith-makar. "I have heard that it is associated with a white tower, which is in fact partially what drew me out today." Again his words are quiet, just loud enough to be heard. "I had not heard however that it becomes a creature. I wonder if this means that it is /always/ a creature?"

Yelrona tenses. "A white tower?" She pinches the bridge of her nose as though warding off a headache. "That wouldn't happen to be a cold white tower that appears in different locations over time, would it?"

"One has wondered the same, ssers. It reminds this one of a parasite. " the sith-makar pauses then, and raises a thumb. Rubs at his muzzle, only to find the black there from earlier.

He coughs, a faint hacking sound. "...the tower...yes, sser. There is a vampire and his cult associated with it now." He blinks a few times, the eyes wet, just faintly, and looks to Yelrona.

Daechir lifts a hand to his head and rubs his temple, looking away from everyone briefly. He seems tense, but he internalizes the tension and focuses on Yelrona's question. "I was talking to one of those who was abducted by this vampire last night. What you are describing sounds accurate from what I have heard. Do you know something of it then?"

"Isn't there a magic-free zone in Alexandria now," Rona muses, "where the plague-touched can be spared some of its ravages? Perhaps we should take you there," she suggests to Chay. "And, ah, yes, the vampire. I've run into him before. He's annoying. But... abducted? Who did he abduct?" She shrugs. "I know a little. But what I know doesn't add up to much. Lots of facts, no connections."

"One will consider it, sser. And...he had taken the mage, Mikilos, sser. If this one might venture... Vampires craft parasites, sser. And this...vampire sser, resides in a tower occupied by a man who ssought to remove a disease. When a man who had the disease ssaw the tower--the rumor is, the parasside leapt from his throat. Perhaps it was trying to reach the tower, ssers," Chay replies, and glances at his thumb, again.

"Perhaps...perhaps these ideas are linked, ssers. But, one could not know unless we found the tower, ssers, or Mikilos. ...and whomever had Mikilos is sshielding him, ssers. The tower may be sshielded as well."

"You may be interested to know then, that Mikilos has returned." Daechir looks at Chay, his eyes slipping over the sith-makar's mouth and then to Chay's eyes. His hand rises, stutters near his neck and then soothes over his black hair where rain has gathered yet again. There's the slight twinkling of a bell as he does so. "It is he whom I spoke to last night. He said that a man named Menel Dinmorin rescued him from the tower somehow."

Yelrona nods slowly. "Right. Evaline, who died of an incurable magical illness. I hadn't made that connection," she says, as though irritated with her own foolishness. "The tower -- or at least its Mistress -- is also associated with a sparkly slime, which also sometimes behaves like a creature, and consumes magic... and the plague is rendered dormant when magic is withdrawn. So -- wait, Mikilos has been abducted?" She breathes a sigh of relief when Daed explains about his rescue, then blinks "Menel Dinmorin... that's a new name for me. Who is he?"

"One has not heard the name, sser--" the sith-makar says and looks up, suddenly still. He meets the mul's eyes a moment, and then blinks. Looks away. "One sshould--one sshould find the mage, sser."

"I--this one. Forgive me--and one believes the sslime is inside of the plague victims, then, sser," he says, and coughs. Chay takes a step back. "Forgive this one--I--I need to find the mage," he says. Words no sith-makar should ever expect to say. He turns, and jogs back to the village. Coughing into his fist.

"I do not recognize the name myself. Only what I have been told. Which is that he has been rescuing those abducted." Daed watches the sith-makar go with hooded eyes. "I think I frightened him off." The words are soft, but now that the sith-makar is gone he speaks in a more normal tone, his red eyes sliding toward Yelrona.

Yelrona nods apologetically. "You might have, at that. Chay has... some history with the Charneth, I'm afraid, that has left some scars behind. I'm sure he means nothing by it, though."

"I could tell. That manner of speaking... I remember it well." He can't help but look after where the sith-makar went. Daechir shudders but it's a gentle motion not a harsh one. "You of all people know my history Yelrona. I know those words from both sides and it is an unpleasant reminder." He lets out a sigh and lets it go. "I think you are both right. That we all are. Though I do not know how it helps us."

As Chay recedes into the distance, one of the bushes nearby rustles ever so slightly. Then there's a muffed cough, followed by some sort of drooling noise. Then another cough.

Yelrona nods. "I've no doubt. And I'm sorry. You are not to blame for the sins of your neighbors. It's just... well, you know how it is. Trauma heals at its own pace." She sighs sadly, then accepts the change of subject. "Well, if the plague is associated with the slime, perhaps --" she pauses. "Hello? Is someone there?"

Daechir freezes at the sound of the cough. His red eyes wide for a moment though Yelrona's words seem to settle him somewhat. Enough for him to offer a hesitant smile. "This is Yelrona, and you may call me Daed. Would you care to come out?"

There is silence after the two Elves speak, and then a huff of breath, followed by a noisy sniffle. A wee Gobbo emerges and eyes the two. "Where did Chay go? He was here just a moment ago, I heard him speaking." Acedia glances around, high and low, her nose sniffing at the air. "I'm Acedia.", she says, casually.

"He said he had to go find a mage," Rona explains. "I assume for plague-related reasons. Are you and he friends, then?"

There's no reason to add to that, so Daechir remains silent a heartbeat longer, allowing a short silence to grow. "He went toward the city if you are looking for him. He was... in quite a hurry."

The Gobbo looks disappoint and eyes Yelrona. "Yes, we are acquainted. We are looking for Mikilos Mithralla. Has disappeared, was working on a cure for the plague." Acedia looks to Daechir and nods. "Thank you both, I will catch him up then shortly. I take it then neither of you have seen the wizard?"

Yelrona smiles and turns to Daed. "Good news on that front, actually, yes?"

Daechir nods and offers a broader smile. "Indeed, I saw him just last night. He seemed... a touch out of sorts perhaps but more than well enough to have an interesting discourse with me. I had known very little about the situation, but he explained quite a lot of it to me and I would like to think that I gave him some interesting ideas to think of in return."

Yelrona nods agreement, then adds to Acedia "You wouldn't happen to know of a man named Menel Dinmorin, would you?"

Acedia grins brightly and bounces from foot to foot. "That is good news! Did he explain much of his capture and imprisonment? Are we able to hunt his captors?" The Gobbo seems excited by this prospect.

Acedia looks to Yelrona and shakes her head. "No, that name is not familiar to me."

"It would be easier if she did." Daed seems only mildly disappointed, as though he had never really expected for Acedia to recognize it. "Unfortunately it seems that we have little way to track those who abducted him. They are using something to keep themselves from being found using magical and mundane means. It seems much of the mage's memory is gone, with only a bit of his escape remaining. Enough to remember a man by that name with white hair and blue eyes."

Yelrona nods. "Well, I'm glad he's all right, in any case. As for his captors... well, I assume they're aligned with whoever has control of Zeheir's Tower, and..." she waves a hand in the air, "...all of that. But I don't know if that helps us hunt them. I hit a dead end on that case months ago."

"Lost his memory? But he was working on a cure!" The Gobbo's upset turns to anger. "I'm going to kill the hell out of that guy then." Acedia huffs. "Once he's found, that is." She looks from dawn to dusk. "Are you two part of that search then? Wait, Zeheir? I think I've heard of him." She glances at Yelrona. "Golem maker or something?".

Daechir is smiling just a little, a little twinkle of amusement at Acedia's huff. He quickly stifles it though. "It seems likely that Mikilos was targeted because he was working toward a cure. I have thought to look for the tower, yes. That is one of the reasons you find me out here today. It seems you have both heard of this... Zehier person? A /time traveler/?" Daed looks almost disbelieving at this, shaking his head. "If this individual spreading the plague has that kind of power..."

Yelrona shrugs sheepishly. "It seems that way, yes. At least, some adventurers reported walking into a magic circle in his tower and ending up in their own past." She shrugs again. "Though perhaps they just made that part up. It does seem hard to believe."

The Gobbo eyes Daechir, frowning at the look of amusement in his eye. she begins to cough wetly, though, forgetting about the look fairly quickly. Spitting off to the side, Acedia looks to the two of them. "I don't think it is all that far fetched. Magic does exist, after all. Gods exist."

"I hesitate to discount them merely because it sounds like fiction. Do you realize what this means however?" Daed looks from the goblin to Yelrona and back again, his red eyes intent. "This means that whomever has control of this plague has the means to add fuel to this fire whenever and wherever they please. It means that this might in fact be far more widespread than we thought it was."

Yelrona nods grimly. "That makes sense. Though to be honest, that seems true either way. This 'Mistress' or whoever is in control of the Tower has seemed able to strike anywhere, any time, with an unlimited supply of minions, from the very beginning. If they're also behind the Plague, well... that's not good."

Acedia rubs at her chin. "There's a possibility that it is Zeheir himself.", she says quietly. "Which I don't like at all."

"I agree with Chay, we should speak with Mikilos again as soon as we might. I do not know if he has made the connection to this Zeheir. If he does not, then he should - and if he does - then speaking with him about it's effects is wise in of itself." Daechir moves toward the path in the opposite direction that he was going before.

-End