Shattered Innocence (IC) [M]

[Tipod]

Raffiele refused to let himself scream during the bloody ordeal, the demonesses ripping through his flesh like so much tissue paper. But the pain... it was so excruciating that holding it in made him feel like internally hemorrhaging. The final straw came as they prepared to slit his throat, at which point he fell into blank and merciful slumber.

As he stirred hours later, Rafa couldn't bear to open his eyes. Everything hurt so badly, as though he'd slept while impaled on a bed of spikes. His own healing factor could barely tolerate the biting cold and searing agony bearing down along his spine at once. ...well, at least I'm truly alo-- But the sound of the angel's voice put that little hope on the wayside. "...oh, fuck off."

[Azlan]

Tyrian opened his eyes and stretched.  He had not ignored Kyirri, he had just taken a quick nap after expending so much energy on casting spells, as both dweomers were very complex.

However, he found Garis there and he was asking about Raffiele.  The fox shook his head as he answered, "I believe he left, as his presence was not in the house when the adventurers barged in." 

A wry little smile graced his muzzle as he reveled in the well placed dramatic pause after his statement.  He continued as if the matter of storming adventurers was some passe nuisance, "yes, a band of inept beings managed to barge in on poor Kyirri.  One had some magic, enough to open a locked door, but the others were mere martial practitioners.  We did not fight, I concealled our precense, but Kassin here did his best to try and be caught.  He knocked himself silly in a panic and I merely... helped... him render himself completely unconscious."

Waving a paw he attempted to dissuade any questions to his methods, "do not worry, I relieved the physical damage he inflicted on his own head by impacting it on a wall.  I merely intensified the effect it had on his consciousness, not so much to drive him into a coma, but enough to keep him quiet for a few hours."  He paused and then called out, "so what have we discovered?"

     

[Noone]

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Eilan gave a surprised glare at Tyrian. "Wait... Raffiele? You just let him leave? Doesn't he know it's dangerous out there, that he has a bounty on his head? He could be getting himself killed right now!" Eilan took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, he shook his head, wearing an annoyed face. After a few moments of staring at the floor, he raised his head again, ready to speak.

"This place was inspected... that means we should probably get moving as soon as possible. Will Kassin be able to travel soon? I figure it's best if we travel by night and rest by day, there should be less activity on the roads that way. Of course, we can't just wander aimlessly, we'll get caught eventually that way." Eilan paused for a moment, putting together his thoughts before he continued. He closed his eyes and shook his head sadly.

"Brady... refused to remove the bounty, though I got the feeling that he didn't bother verifying the claims of his source. Considering the way he acted, I don't think he was acting entirely in good faith, we pressed him about how he got the information and distributed things so quickly, but he wouldn't tell us. He didn't let out the name of his source either... though I hope Kedered or Zanfib might have picked it up. Kedered thought it might be someone in Narukh who is the source... but that doesn't make a lot of sense to me. However, I should probably wait until he gives a full explanation."

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The angel let out an exasperated sigh. He shook his head before looking at Raffiele, and then stomped his left foot on Raffiele's back. "You know, most people show gratitude towards those who save their lives. I suppose I shouldn't expect sense from you. After all, I did say that if you were smart, you would never have to see me again, and now look where you are. I would have hoped that being faced with your own mortality would have taught you something. I guess not."

"But my initial question remains, where will you go? You have proven to yourself that you cannot survive on your own, not without someone protecting you, and believe me, I was almost too late to save you. Those weren't even the toughest of the claws either. If you wish to go to Narukh, you will die, it's that simple. Moreover, if you stay here in Ithralia, do remember that you still have a bounty on your head. You cannot head towards civilization, you will be attacked. Staying here means waiting until someone finds and kills you, or the prospect of starving to death."

With a snap, he made a quick gesture with his left hand, a shimmering white blade appeared in it, the blade made a soft hum. He made a similar motion with his right hand, calling forth a shadowy black blade. The angel brought both of them up against Raffiele's neck. "Or, if you prefer, I can kill you right now, if you're so eager to die. I took the liberty of carrying an empty gem which I could store your soul in, so that all of this effort of mine wouldn't go entirely to waste. Considering how you act, I figure I might as well save the world the trouble."

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Kedered had spun out a simple memory enhancing spell at the first interrogative out of Eilan. He gave a short shrug as an apology, as the spell tended to take a while, and it focused him inwardly, allowing only for a vague sense of what was occurring around him.  Turning to the others, he said, decisively." I was able to discern neither name, nor face, out of Brady, merely a confirmation that he knows he is up to something underhaded. He is taking orders from a singular source, and was worried that we had found it out."

He took a deep breath, and started pacing around. "I am sorry, I did not think of this in time to bring it up at Brady's office. Kassin, a few nights ago..... had an odd dream, probably oracular. He related it to us the following morning. In it, two figures put Brady up to putting the bounty on our heads, which he goes along with quite readily. They then retire to some other place and continue discussing, at which point they say," Kedered's voice took on an odd intonation as he quoted, almost like a crude facsimile of the angel whom he protected voice. " Remember what you stand for. We cannot do such a thing, we'll not become like the creatures that ravage these lands. I believe that he will be a great hindrance to our plans, and maybe the Claws will kill him, but we cannot harm him. Doing so will also have other consequences, and will assuredly weaken our foothold in Ithralia. "

Kedered, while still pacing, slowed, and his features drooped. "My....... apologies for not remembering this at Brady's office and confronting him with it. I have failed. But this is not the way that Narukhians would talk. It is almost certainly the Thularians that put him up to the bounty idea, although such tactics are far from their usual methods. I am uncertain how able we would be to change this charge. The words of outlaws are not readily believed. My recommendation is to acquire someone who can guide us through the Whispwood and flee to Astarea. We should leave quickly. It is quite possible that Raffiele is selling out our location at this moment."

[Ghostwish]

Zanfib went ahead and relayed what little he had managed to glean from Brady's mind, nothing more and nothing less. "It would have been much easier-" He added, "- just to crack his mind open. Killing him afterward would have meant one less bureaucratic monkey on our backs as well." He said, before looking to Kendered.

"And just what are your plans in Astarea?"

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Despite the aggravations that this day ad presented, Kedered kept his emotional state in an icy calm. Not bothering to turn towards Zanfib, he nonetheless addressed him. "Is there something about being able to peer into the minds of others that causes atrophy in one's own brain? How many adventurers were in that room below? You offer psionic violence, and it is certain to be detected. There were four of us there. Do you honestly think that you are so powerful that you do not need to be subtle? If you are so puissant Sharon, just reach inside my mind and pluck them out."

[Tipod]

"Up yours, you inbred saint-wannabe." Rafa hadn't even bothered to open his eyes or even move a single muscle. "If you really wanted me dead, you would've just cut my head off while I was passed out. But I'm worth more to you as a living pawn than a bright light stuck in a jar, aren't I?" The whole situation had already gone from making him grievously annoyed to strangely apathetic. So many dull aches clouding his judgment, no doubt. "'I took the liberty,' 'Effort of mine,' 'Have your uses,' me-me-me I-I you me I-- Just what the hell is so important about me that I can't just die?"

The hyena still kept motionless. "Apparently, you're such an asshole that the people you rope into your little scheme can't just opt-out under penalty of death; it's under penalty of something much, much worse. How willing would the others be to follow through with this escapade if they found out some selfish son of a bitch like you was calling the shots? Not too willing, because people don't like being played." He scoffed. "Honestly, I thought angels would be a little more deontological than utilitarian, but big whoop. You've got yourself three poor bastards to doom, so who cares about their wellbeing so long as you get what you want?"

"You're not better than me." He grumbled and shifted ever-so-slightly. "You're just a low-life in a fancy dress."

[Lisky]

Garis shrugged, he was tired of these pissing matches between Zanfib and Ked, and furthermore, if things kept up, he figured he'd take some time and have a little fun with some lessons for Kshar.  He sighed as he went through the emotions he'd picked up, and the fragments of thought throughout the bar.  "well, besides a lead that dead ended, the only thing i can say for sure is that i know Brady is lying, and if he continues this ruse. i hold him personally responsible for every death that results... he already has 2 on his head, and if there were fewer adventures, i'd have shown him how i treat people who lie like that... one who gets others killed because of a fabrication has forfeit their right to life... "

[Azlan]

Tyrian waved his finger at Eilan, "my duty did not extend to Raffiele, and though his leaving could cause problems for Kassin, it is not something I could avoid.  Kassin should be waking up soon, and you are right that we best leave."

Disregarding the spat developing between Ked and Zan, the fox stood, coincidentally separating the ringtail and jaguar.  "We should go after the head of this conspiracy, but I am not really sure how to go about that, as I am not from these lands I do not know my way around them."

[Noone]

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Eilan looked at Garis, Zanfib, and Kedered, he looked angry, almost on the verge of losing his self control. He first addressed Zanfib and Garis.
"No! We're not going to kill Brady, or the host of bounty hunters that would come after us right after such a thing was done. We're at a bad enough position as is, and going on homicidal rampages is only going to make our situation worse, assuming we could even survive such an encounter. We're trying to prove them wrong, such a display would only prove them right. Furthermore, it wouldn't actually slow the hunters down unless we removed their source. We can't afford to get overly aggressive, and I won't allow that. We're not going to kill anyone unless we absolutely have to." He turned his attention to Kedered.

"As for you, didn't I ask before we left for Brady's office about what happened in between the time you met him and you came here? I thought you guys were hiding something, apparently I was right. What else haven't you told me? If I'm to help you guys out of this mess, I think I might want to know something like that! That goes for all of you." He took a stern look at the four of them. It took a minute or so for him to calm down and continue.

"No, Whispwood is out of the question I can't navigate through  those woods, and we would need to find someone who could navigate the place but also wouldn't betray us at the worst possible point. I suppose we would be better able to fend off the predators in there than most... but it's still not something I want to risk Kassin's safety on. I think we would be safer in Astarea, but I don't see how we can feasibly get there."

"Thularia as the source, that would make a lot more sense than someone in Narukh being the source... they certainly have the inclination to do such a thing, as well as the power, influence, and wealth to put this scheme up. I do agree that they normally just handle creatures they want dead on their own. I suppose they would put this up if they, for some reason, wanted Kassin dead more so than other creatures, and thought that they would need help in order to kill him. Of course, I asked before, got no response, so I'll ask again, did you find any reason why he might be hunted?"

With a soft grumble... he sat down on one of the couches. I just hope Raffiele isn't getting his soul sucked out or something... he thought.

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The angel closed his eyes and shook his head. "Can't just die?... Suit yourself." With a disdained expression he quelled the sword in his right hand, and touched that hand to Raffiele's neck.
At once, you lose the ability to feel your surroundings, your hands, legs, all go numb. You can't even feel your heartbeat. You can't see either, but something in your senses sees you leaving your body... but alas, soon enough, you can't feel anything. The last thing you feel is the sense of your self rubbing against a gemstone, a kind of ruby, and then being stuck inside... but once again, you return to non-feeling. All goes dark. Nothing exists to you.

Yet, something happens, at once, you can feel your heartbeat again, faint, but there, your arms still feel tired and weak, and you don't feel fully in control of them. Your head hurts with a splitting headache, it's like you're not entirely in control of your mental functions either. However, you do feel the presence of that angel who was there before, still standing over you, and somehow holding you in chains, but not physical chains.

"I'll admit, I didn't think I'd find any genuine feelings of sympathy in your soul towards anyone but yourself, but I suppose even one as crude as you can feel for family. I truthfully didn't think you actually cared about them, maybe you don't, and they probably don't care about you, but I don't know that. Regardless, I feel obligated to give you one more chance." His voice was stern, he looked at Raffiele coldly. His speech was slow, powerful, making sure that every word was heard. He held a small ruby in his right hand.

"I'll be direct, I know you care about Bart. Frankly, I wouldn't like getting him involved, but your role is important no matter how hard you try to deny it. I read from your soul where he is, I can find him very easily, and from what I gather, hurt him easily too. Cut off his head, suck out his soul, devour it, or shunt it miles below the surface. I don't want to hurt a relative innocent, but lets put it this way: if you don't start co-operating, I will. And believe me, this is for your own good, as much as you try to delude yourself."

[Lisky]

Garis sat in silence, the slowly replied "whether he dies now or later is of no consequence, i am merely stating my opinion that putting people in a position to get killed over false charges... and knowing that the charges are false... means that he too needs to meet justice...   as for you other question, the demon, Nicha, she kept calling us touched... i have no idea what it means, or if it was meant to just throw us off... whatever the case may be, that's all i really know... and unless someone has something more useful for me to do, i think i'll be continuing Kshar's lessons."

The wolf silently left the basement, and went off in search of Kshar and Kyirri

[Ghostwish]

Zanfib seemed unphased by Eilan's tirade, and merely shrugged, quite uncaring. "So be it, if you want to hold the moral ground, then amuse yourself with that for as long as you wish. I won't be joining you there, as I would rather not drown in the inevitable flood that your enemy will unleash upon you. I would simply remind you that only the victors write history, and if you want to be remembered as some righteous paladin, I suggest you aim to win, no matter the cost."

"But as for you, you ignorant fool.." Zanfib said, suddenly turning a steel gaze on Kendered, "Did it ever occur to you, just once, that perhaps I was earnestly inquiring about your plans in my home, where I could very well have an extensive network of friends and contacts? Did that once, maybe just once, flicker through that empty head of yours?" He said as his tail lashed about a moment, betraying his otherwise unreadable state. "And let it stand that the only time I will ever enter your mind is to eradicate it, completely and utterly, until you are little more coherent than a vegetable. I could well be doing your entire race a favor by erasing such a blemish upon their kind."

He turned his gaze away from Kendered with a haughty huff, and propped his cheek in his paw with a somewhat bored expression. "But it would seem I am missing something here. What is all this about the whole lot of you being touched? I am beginning to suspect there is some truth to the incidents that occurred at the Inn after all."

[Azlan]

Tyrian put a paw to his head as his tail lashed about in frustration, "in Shazarelamith's name!  You are both insufferable in your arrogance and self-importance.  Let me know when you wish to discuss our next move, until then I will be watching over Kassin in the other room."

Tyrian checked the angel's forehead, scooped him up and without further discussion entered the other room, slamming the door behind him. 

The fox gently laid the tiger on the couch and took a seat next to him, "with allies like this, we are doomed to fail.  I hope I can protect you when those two turn on one another, the other one wanders off randomly following some stray thought or pretty face and the fox-being, paralyzed with misplaced friendships and loyalties is cut down by those he would call friend."

He gazed up at the ceiling, "I can always take you to the main continent, but what then?  Life was so much easier when I was alone."

[Tipod]

Raffiele went from disorientation to outright panic within the span of five seconds as his spirit was transferred to the tiny vessel. Nothingness, and for those tense moments, all he could do was wonder just how long it would last: a minute, an hour, a year? He would have flipped out entirely if his feelings of touch hadn't returned so quickly. Even then, there was no sight. Everything felt oddly detached. All he could do was listen to the angel speak.

And hear him threaten his favorite little cousin.

Bart wasn't of much consequence to anyone else in the family; above-average intelligence, weaker than a purebreed and born a freak from one aunt's poor impulse control. He had no symbolic or prophetic importance, and yet... he was family. More of a brother than Rafa's actual brothers were, in fact. And he would stand absolutely no chance against this relative of Kassin.

"...are you seriously going to kill and torment him for all eternity if I don't go along with this thing?"

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Eyes closer to the floor than his face, Kedered responded slowly, critically to Eilan."I was not certain of the veracity of Kassin's deams until after the encounter. I did not tell you of the number of leaves on the trees we walked past, or other trivia, as I discounted them as irrelevant. I do not understand the extent of Kassin's talents, or why any would wish him harm. He has been.... evasive as to questions of a personal nature. In any case, I did not draw the correct conclusion until just now, and for that, I am sorry."

A pause, to gather breath and thoughts. "I am uncertain how to combat this. Thularians will not care whether or not these charges have merit, and are in a position to lean on Ithralians quite a bit. Short of dismantling the entire country, a proposition far beyond our capabilities, I see little means of stopping the bounty. I recall  you mentioning trying to disprove these charges, but will the Thularians not just trump up more? Still, we cannot stay here long.  How much longer do you think we can wait for Raffiele? Or should we simply revive  Kassin and head out now?"

[Noone]

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Eilan let out an annoyed sigh. He watched Garis and Tyrian leave. "Where the h..." He abruptly stopped himself. He shook his head, wearing an irritated facial expression, and smacked his right hand to his face. "If only Kassin were awake I wouldn't have to grit my teeth on rock-cement to get what I need to know..." he grumbled as he turned his attention towards Zanfib.

"I hope you do realize that we are on the losing side of this battle. We can't fight an entire country by ourselves, and if Thularia is the one behind this, that would make two countries, and the most well trained army in Atharra. We would need an army to defend ourselves from that, something that we don't have. As is, our only chance of surviving this mess would be to get the bounty called off, so we can at least step into civilization without being attacked."

"For one, killing Brady in particular would do nothing towards solving our situation, the source could just get another bureaucrat to handle paperwork, and we could very well get ourselves killed in such an operation. Neither would going out of our way to kill every bounty hunter, there would just be more. For two, do remind yourself we have no place to run and hide, Narukh is dangerous, the Thularians kill creatures on sight, and they have ways of seeing past magical disguises. They also blockade the way to Astarea, which would be the only safe place we could realistically reside in. For three, going on homicidal rampages would sabotage any chance of proving their innocence. Plus, raising notoriety like that would only make the public more determined to have us all killed. And even if the casualties are not entirely innocent, that's how it would be perceived. I have no desire to have a bounty placed on my head and I doubt you would want such a thing as well." Eilan took a deep breath after saying that, he had calmed down significantly. He closed his eyes, piecing together his thoughts. He turned to Kedered.

"The Thularians don't control the country, though they do have a significant amount of power. Having the bounty removed, while creatures aren't well trusted, would allow us entry into cities, villages, and the like, without being immediately attacked. It won't stop the Thularians, but I believe it would be a starting step towards getting Kassin safe. Thularians have a somewhat mixed reputation here, even a lot of beings resent what they do, though part of that depends on the region." Eilan's facial expression however, was greatly concerned. He rubbed his forehead lightly with his right hand.

"I'll admit, anything we try to do would be attempting to break all odds. However, Brady hasn't let the public know that Thularia is the source, so if that can be proved, it would certainly throw their claims into speculation. It probably wouldn't eliminate all of the hunters after us, and definitely not the Thularians themselves, but it would be a start. I suppose they could always add more claims against us, but I figure that if we can solidly disprove one, it will put all of their others into question."

"As for how we can do that..." He shook his head. "I think we should start with some of the charges listed against us. I believe the Willow is a dead lead, if you were already there, there isn't likely anything we don't already know. Sharakha is going to be crawling with interest, a wiped out village certainly does much to provoke public outcries. The other thing we can chase after, I think, are the soul crimes that he is accused for, I know of the three most recent. Hopefully, we can investigate them, and gather some clues without putting ourselves in too much danger. It's a long shot, I know, but I don't see any other decent options."

"And... if Raffiele left, then we're not likely to see him again, he might be dead already."

Kassin was still out cold. However, there was something tense about his slumber. His face betrayed a certain sense of unease, and sometimes twitched. However, he didn't show any indication of actually being awake.

Kyirri started to head downstairs, when he saw Garis coming up. He looked at him with a surprised expression. "Err, is something wrong? I thought you would be downstairs with Eilan..."

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The angel looked at Raffiele with a stern expression. His voice had an emotionless severity to it. "Yes, I will. And if you harm Kassin, I will do something even worse, like force feed his soul to you and then watch you go mad. Now then, will you co-operate, or should I simply stuff you back in that ruby I have?" The angel rubbed his hands together in anticipation of Raffiele's response.

[Tipod]

"...whatever you say." So many loud curses and insults he wanted to fling, but the angel had shown that he wasn't at all afraid to commit one of the most personal and heinous kinds of assault on another person. Now was the time to just shut up and do as he was told. "Nothing will lay a finger on your precious cousin, I'll make sure of it. Just..." Raffiele kept his eyes closed. "Just don't hurt my family, okay?" Being roped into a plot by an angel: the very idea was kooky enough, but to actually be shoved into a proverbial corner like that was just humiliating on so many levels. At least his relatives weren't around to see it.

"And when this is over, I really hope you have some kind of reward for us. I've probably lost my job now thanks to you and Kassin."

[Lisky]

Garis shrugged, he'd been picking up the gist of the conversation downstairs by listening to the thoughts, and started to turn around when Kyirri showed up.  he smiled at the small roo rat and said, "well, i didn't think i'd be needed and was going to continue Kshar's lessons, but it seems that that's changed.  I'll be heading back down now actually..." 

so saying the wolf let out a slightly aggravated sigh and sent Kedered a message 'can you please stop your pissing match with the psion, he's a little arrogant, and odd... but you don't have to constantly bicker with everything he says... know that i have your back if things go down... but please, just live with your own irritation, rather than spreading it around.  I don't want our party turning on each other just before a swarm of Thularians comes charging over a hill...' 

he sighed again, and headed back to the basement, posting up on the wall.  He said "alright, if we're done bickering, i think we can move on to more important issues... Sorry about that Eilan, i apologize for my rudeness to you earlier..." the wolf gave a slight bow of his head, then continued, "Please, if you have any pressing questions, try asking, and i'll see if they don't jog any memories i might have missed"

[Azlan]

Tyrian's hand brushed Kassin's brow and he sighed, "it is best if I wake you."

Using his inherent magical talent, the fox concentrated on rousing the teen's mind from its slumber.  In the back of his thoughts, Ty remarked about how he has used his light magic now more than he has to before the Willow.  Something within him also worried that he might get a bit of use out of the soul magic as well.

"Come on now, young lad time to wake, you shan't sleep the whole day away will you?"

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Eilan seemed to be pausing, gathering his thoughts perhaps. It left Kedered free to respond to Garis's thought projections floating from wherever he was towards himself. He spent a moment considering and was about to send his response when Garis entered the room. While it probably shouldn't matter to mind to mind contact, Kedered had always found it a bit simpler to send to someone he could see.

I disagree with his ideas because they are foolish, and possibly suicidal. You saw how many people were in that bar. We would not have lasted a minute against just them, and if they called the guard? While I realize the need for cohesion, in case we are assailed, we also cannot afford a loose cannon. I do not know where Raffiele is, but he might have given away our location. While I do not think Zanfib's loyalties are suspect, I do question his judgement. We need to hide, and he wants to strike. It would be hard to call a blow back after it is struck.

A pause, and another transmission How is Kshar?

[Noone]

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Despite the spell that was applied, Kassin did not wake. He seemed to be more tense as well, shaking more frequently. He somehow seemed troubled.

Eilan looked at Garis as he came back. He nodded silently.
"You mentioned a demon, and I take it that the encounter was... violent. Where did this happen? Did you get the impression she was on her own, or was she working for someone else? Did she have any particular interest in Kassin?" He took a deep breath, after which, he looked at the ceiling, at no one in particular.

"Before you got here, I was looking up the last few soul-stealing incidents. I figure if we can prove that whomever is behind them is the real culprit and not Kassin, we may have a solid chance of removing the bounty." A look of concern came onto his face, worry plagued his eyes. He looked at the ground. "I'll admit, I do have reservations about putting Kassin in more danger, but with the lack of a feasible alternative, I don't really see another option."

"I know about three of them, and where to get to them. The first was actually at a cubi's mansion, the victim was a six year old. I don't think that we will find too many adventurers investigating that one." He stopped for a moment, he let out a soft grumble as a thought slipped through his shield. Because having a six year old getting her soul sucked out isn't important in the eyes of most just because she has wings.... He shook his head and continued. "Yet, I'm not optimistic we can find anything there, while her being a target does raise some suspicion, as soul-stealers tend to go for more vulnerable quarries, and her parents were killed yet not soul-sucked either, part of me thinks we won't be able to find anything there."

"The second I know about happened in one of the slum-cities in Southeastern Ithralia, called Pauperta. I've been there before,.. it's a rough place. However, it is a large place, and there should be enough abandoned buildings and streets that we should be able to sneak around if we're careful. I'm not sure if what we are looking for would have already been  picked up, but I suppose it might be a place we can get some clues, assuming we keep Kassin's presence quiet. We'd also have to do something about him as well.... he doesn't have good reactions to that place." He closed his eyes and shook his head. His sensitivity isn't going to help us sneak around there, I suppose one of the others could carry him but I don't feel exactly safe doing that. It's risky too... really risky

"The third,.. happened on the farming land in Southeastern Ithralia. A family of farmers were the victims. I think that one is going to have the most heavy concentration of adventurers investigating. Again, I don't know if what is found there is going to help us or not, and we'd be at a high risk of being caught."

"I know this probably isn't as sound a plan as I would like, yet, in lack of a better alternative, I see it as our only choice. We can't just keep hiding forever, and for the time being, it looks like we're stuck in this country. I don't want to frivolously risk Kassin's safety, or yours, but I think we will need to take the chance."

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The angel smiled as he had finally broken Raffiele's will. He put the ruby he held inside his jacket, hiding it from plain view. "Good choice." He said. "But don't blame I or Kassin for what has happened to you, you can blame those who put the bounty on you, and the claws who hunt and nearly killed you. I assure you, you'll get your chance for revenge against them."

"Now then, while you're still docile, I might as well go over a few things with you. One, when I healed you, I also took precautions. You're probably feeling weak right now, part of that is due to your recent ordeals, though that won't cease. I coursed negative energy through your body, and you will continue to feel weak while it remains. I can also use it to tear a hole in your heart if you later decide to become difficult. Don't worry, it's removable, I'm sure Kassin will be able to, though I doubt too many others who would willingly help you could."

"Secondly, you will serve him, unquestioningly. This is for your own benefit, those that wish him harm wish you harm as well, and if he dies, they won't stop coming for you, don't think yourself safe on your own, you're not. Rest assured however, that they're only interested in you, not your family."

"And finally, I know that deep down, you will want to seek revenge on me, for the humiliation I have caused you. You will plot it for now, brood until you have the perfect chance to cause me harm. That point will come, whether you decide to take that action is another matter."

He crouched down to Raffiele. "And most importantly, you shall not be free until I release you. Normally, I wouldn't resort to such tactics, but this is for your benefit entirely. There may be rewards for you at the end, depending on the paths you take. Ultimately they will not come from me, but from elsewhere, and you will have only me to thank for that." He wore a sadistic smile on his face.

"Spend some time thinking on this, but we're running late."

[Lisky]

Garis thought through the conversations he'd had with Nicha, and replied to Elian, "The demoness claimed to be working for Nakata Firestorm, part of a small band actively looking for Kassin... from the talks i had with her, it sounded like Ms. Firestorm wants Kassin alive, though she didn't say what for."

As Elian laid out the possible sights to investigate, Garis decided to share his opinion, "well, i see the farm house as probably being the first place to try, although crawling with adventurers, if you haven't noticed, we've got a rather large and powerful collection of creatures... not that i'd like it, but really, unless we run into a large collection of the Thularian Military, we can handle ourselves quite well...  and with that many people around, information will be much more free flowing that at the other sights..."

pausing with a sigh " besides, if kassin were to become paralyzed though his empathetic link, someone would have to stand guard over him the entire time... which effectively rules out the slum... and given that both parents are now dead, that means that information on the first site is going to be nearly impossible to gather... really, it seems the farmhouse is the only place with enough possible information to warrant the risk"

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Kedered nodded at Garis's comments. "If I recall what Kassin said of his dream correctly, I was under the impression the Thularians wanted him alive as well. We are really no more in danger further south than we are up here, and staying on the move ought to provide some sort of cover. Furthermore, we should get away from Kyirri, keep him away from the danger that we attract. The farmhouse also is the logical place to start. Less contact, less chance of a chance spotting of us. To be honest, I like it for an inverted reason of Garis's. I would feel much safer tangling with a few mercanaries than the Thularian army. They are not individually powerful, but they are extremely well organized. If they see us, and do not think they can handle our party, they will whistle up reinforcements, by the thousands if necessary."

[Azlan]

Tyrian's expression grew concerned as his spell did not wake the troubled youth.  He half stood, intending to seek Eilan, but he paused and turned back to Kassin.  He produced a large sized blue gem and placed it on the tiger's chest, holding it by the top and bottom.  The fox spoke aloud, "give me sight beyond sight..." 

Tyrian used the coveted and secretive techniques of ancient soul magic, angel soul magic.  The tale he wove about souls prior to the group heading to Brady was not one of delusion and fancy, but of cold logic.  Tyrian peered into the gem, viewing the contents of the young angel's very soul.

[Noone]

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Eilan stared at Garis, eyes open wide, in a mixture of horror and shock. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, trying to suppress the urge to snap at him. Her? Leader of the Claws? Why did they not mention that before?! Of all the things they could refrain from telling me, it had to be that!. He made a sigh as he tried to quell his anger. He took a few deep breaths, trying to figure out where this pulled into everything. Damnit,... why would they want Kassin though, they're a group that almost exclusively targets beings, and Kassin isn't so aggressive as to actively invoke someone's wrath, especially theirs. I don't even think he's been to Narukh. He paused for a moment, trying to get his thoughts back in order.

Eilan took a few more deep breaths as he tried to figure out how to express his surprise. "The Claws are after him? The Claws?. That doesn't really make a lot of sense. They're a group bound by their hatred of all 'lessers', which is pretty much everyone except for Demons, Cubi, and Angels. Unless he's done something to anger them, I can't imagine why they would want him. Still, that... complicates things. They're one of the most dangerous organizations in Narukh. Even if they want him alive... I doubt that they mean him well." He shook his head.

"It doesn't make sense that the Thularians would want him alive either,... they're fanatics, utterly devoted to destroying all creatures. I don't know why they would go through all the effort of putting a bounty on his head as well if they were concerned about not killing him."

He grumbled softly, silently pondering to himself. Still... there has to be some reason why they want him so badly... I can't believe that they would spend so much effort hunting down an eighteen year old angel unless they knew something about him that we don't. Either way, I don't really think there is a feasible way to find out, charging right at them would get us killed if anything. He paused for a moment, and shook his head. "I'm going to need to gather up some supplies for the trip, we would probably be safest traveling by night and resting by day. We might want to take the opportunity to stay under shelter, but.... your call I suppose, depends on how fatigued you are." He went upstairs.

Kassin's soul is bright... radiant... like looking into the heart of the sun, but with no harshness to it. Nothing appears damaged, or otherwise out of the ordinary.
Kassin suddenly wakes up, panting, as if he'd just gotten no rest. He still lay down on the couch he resided on, stared directly at the ceiling, imperceptive to the world around him. His breathing was heavy, after a few moments he began to slowly speak. "That eye... that eye...", he took deep breaths in between his speeches. "That eye..."

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The angel still stood over Raffiele, motionless. His eyes never came off of him.
"Also... if  you're wondering what happened to those three demons that attacked you, they're dead. I also took the liberty of striking their corpses with your weapons. Shall I assume you know what the Claws do to those who slay some of their number? Because they'll think that you did that, I made sure of it." A sinister smile crept onto his face.

[Ghostwish]

I disagree with ... because they are foolish, and possibly suicidal. You saw how ... were in that bar. We would not have lasted a ... just them, and if they called the guard? While I realize ... for cohesion, in case we are assailed, we also cannot afford a loose cannon. I do ... Raffiele is, but he might have given away our location. While I do not think Zanfib's loyalties are suspect, I do question his judgement. We ... and he wants to strike. It would be hard to call a blow back after it is struck.... Kshar?

The psion could have cared less about the message's contents. He was feeling rather smug with himself for having cracked the telepathic communications of the cubi race.

Zanfib had stayed quiet, and seemed rather bored as he listened to the conversation. "Well, at this rate, it won't matter which route you take. Your enemies will be lying in wait for you, so you best act when you are prepared." He said, but then flicked an ear towards the room where Kassin and the others were as he picked up a sudden flood of jumbled thoughts. "But I think our most-wanted angel is awake. Shall we?" He said, before heading into the room with the others.

[Lisky]

Garis felt the mix of confusion and horror coming from Eilan,  he gave a mental shrug as he heard the fox go through his bit, then said, "all well and good hiding out... i'd like to get going in the next few days, i'll get Kshar going with her lessons, but really, i think it'd be best if she stays somewhere safe... if you wouldn't mind kyirri, i'd like to ask if she can stay here for a little bit while we're off helping kassin?  she's really not in any shape to go on an adventure like this... and i'm sure she could help with keeping future invasions out... especially once she gets going with more complex lessons..." pausing, he waited for a response.

"i'll get going on her lessons, let me know what we decide to do."   Garis gave a wave, then headed upstairs, mentally preparing as short a history of the race as he could pull together, along with putting together some training techniques she could practice that would keep her busy for at least a few weeks.

[Tipod]

Raffiele struggled to get to his feet as the bad mojo coursed through his veins. In spite of the heavy fatigue washing over his body, he still managed to glare at the angel with the most "I'm going to kill the shit out of you" expression his face could muster. Should he even get to the bottom of Kassin's problems and survive the whole "Touched" situation, the Claws would still have him on their list. There just was no winning here.

"You crossed the wrong demon, you son of a loose bitch," Rafa snarled as he clenched his fist, "and when that perfect chance comes, you'll wish you'd never pushed me around like some leashed animal." But until then, he had to keep Kassin in one piece. "Take me to the others. If I have to look at your face any longer there's no telling what I'll do next."

[Azlan]

Tyrian lifted his gem away from Kassin, his face exhibited a bit of awe at what he had seen.  The feline's soul was pure, innocent and without blemish.  The young angel had never performed a selfish or questionable act in his life. 

Ty pocketed his gem stone, strangely satisfied at what he had seen.  Though he had very little doubt the charges against Kassin were false, this only proved further that some mysterious reason prompted these bounties. 

Gripping the young angel's shoulder firmly, Tyrian spoke in a low soothing voice, "shhh, you are safe here.  What eye do you speak of?  And please do not say it has something to do with a ring and a fellowship..."

 

[Noone]

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Eilan kept silent, as he gathered together supplies for the journey, bedrolls, food, some maps, and his weapons. He was extremely worried though, constantly afraid that what he wanted of Kassin and the others would put them in mortal danger. "No..." He whispered to himself... "It has to be attempted..."

Kassin shook his head, he looked dizzy. He managed to weakly look up at Tyrian. "Wha... ring?" He let out a soft groan, as he placed his left hand against his head. He got himself up into a sitting position, and rubbed the back of his head with his right hand. It took him a few minutes to get himself coherent. He let out a deep breath. "Another dream...". He took some deep breaths to regain his composure. He stretched his wings out, with a tired yawn. "The last one of mine turned out to be true... I..." He shook his head again. "Need a moment... just..." He lay back down on the couch, though he still made attempts at eye-contact.

"There wasn't as much to this one as my last... unfortunately." He looked around, he took a glance at Zanfib. He probably isn't going to like what I saw in the first part of my dream... if such things can be believed... Still, I would feel guilty putting him in danger for my sake... we haven't known one another for a long time.. He shook his head, and looked at Tyrian. "There was an incubus, crocodile based I think.., looked strong, angry, his wings were green, bat like. His left eye was the most distinctive part of him. It... it... it..." He shook his head.

"He was able to hurt someone... just by locking eyes with them. The eye, it looked like it was made out of fire... and emitted concentrated malevolence, it flared as he jus...." He paused for a moment, trying to bring himself to terms with the horror of what he saw, he took a deep breath. "It was a terrifying sight, one which I don't want to see again. Someone there called him "Chareye", I think..." He fell silent, still trying to get the troubled images into some sort of cohesion.

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The angel's facial expression didn't change, however, his tone suggested that he was slightly amused. Slightly.

"I'm amazed at how resistant most demons are to rational thought, and yet so pliable when senseless violence is applied. Considering how easily you've been put in this situation, I don't think you're in any position to be making threats. And really, everything I've done has been for your benefit entirely, even if you cannot comprehend that."

The angel waved his left hand. "Don't worry, the others will come to you, but we had best get going, and I think you'll be easiest to move while you're unconscious." In a moment, your heart feels faint, weak. Fatigue rushes over you, you almost immediately black out.

You eventually wake up, you're in a different place, still a wooded area, but you know you've been moved. You're not sure how long you've been out. You still feel horribly weak, and your arms and legs are numb.