"I don't know what land Endurance swears fealty to, or allegiance, or if anyone out there is willing to rush to their aid against a perceived attacker. But as long as we're in the spotlight here, I don't mind not finding out."
"Unfortunately, I don't believe that, between us, we have the necessary magical resources to investigate this properly. Marius—I don't know how the fire will have interfered with this, but maybe you can ask that dog of yours to track our arsonists by smell?"
"Chap still holds the corpses of the imps. Would it be possible to track them with that, if they were the same? The question is if it can do so through the air." Eli states.
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I taught myself I guess. I refused to roll over and die, like many others in my position did before me. Could I have a berry you picked?, he looks over his shoulder back to the wreckage. He wondered if they even cared if he was gone.
Shyness nods and holds out a handful of berries. "Smart. But some things you need teacher. No family, you teach yourself knife?"
Looking at Rex, Marius simply says, "Possibly." Scratching his head, he crouches next to his canine friend and rubs his head. It was sometimes hard to tell if Rex really was a wolf or just a big dog. "He's a good tracker, but I'm not sure he's ever tracked something that can fly. But he's also never tracked down a fresh imp."
Putting his own head next to Rex's, Marius utters a few vocalizations that sound remarkably similar to a real wolf. A moment passes where the two simply watch one another with wide, expressive eyes. Eventually, Rex responds in kind before settling down to lay along the softer grass.
Grinning, Marius stands up. "I think he's willing to try, at least. But the longer we wait, the colder the trail will get."
Lesith speaks in low tone, not to wake up the child.
"Whatever ordered this massacre performed we can guess knows about us, or is about to, by the demon that escaped us. The demons feared we know about this before they wanted to, so bring this child to Vigilant, and warn the town, I think that is important. Vigilant must be warned. The child must be protected."
I taught myself knife, yes. I find it the best tool, I can cut things like rope. I can also protect myself with it. Your teacher taught you well it seems. [/b] Vincent replies between a few berries.
Thank you for the berries, perhaps the others would like some. Should we head back?
The night passes. People sleep. People keep watch. People greet the dawn.
No fiends or fires come in the night... and no particular dreams of note, either.
Eventually, all of you arise, except the still-sleeping girl Gina.
Eli, last to sleep, and last to wake, stretches, heads to the stream, and washes, thoroughly - his face and hands especially, but all of him, and his clothes, rolling them to drain and dry them, before dressing once again.
Afterwords, he kneels for a time, under tree, on earth, and facing the stream, mask in hand instead of face, eyes closed.
Eli stands, places Calm on his face, and whacks a branch on a nearby rock a few times, creating a "tock" sound, after which he bows.
He stands.
"Marius. Natanja." he says, coming over to his cousins. "Let us see if your fine companions have the ability to track our foes by scent or sight through the air. If we truly lack any clues after this, if the majority agree, we will return Gina to Vigilant."
After her shift watching over Gina was complete, Natanja and Oko went to sleep.
Awaking before dawn, Natanja cleaned/washed up as best as she could and took her turn as watch over her kin and the village surrounds.
Upon dawn, Natanja sat on a grassy patch, legs crossed, facing the rising sun, Oko perched on her lap, and they communed in quiet contemplation for an hour, Natanja preparing her spells for the day. Eth, grant me guidance and grace. (Opening her eyes, anyone who would look into Natanja's eyes will see they are a brighter golden hue and notice the soft pale-golden halo surrounding Oko's entire body even in the early morning light.)
Once her morning meditation was complete, she returned with Oko to check on Gina, but found the little girl still sleeping and watched over by one of the cousins, so she slipped out of the logging cabin and crossed paths with Eli.
"Over what distance do you want Oko to fly and look, cousin?"
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Shyness watches over the girl throughout the night after Natanja goes to sleep.
Kaya would have lent her serene presence to calming the child. Other than sharing anything she would have learned by counting the remains and some generic crooning to help sooth little Gina, she would remain almost completely silent.
One of the few things she would say, quietly to anyone nearby, "This is truly the work of evil."
This may seem obvious, yet to Kaya it was significant. For her, enlightenment, getting closer to god, was always following saint Kamali's teachings up toward inner peace, which opens the heart to Heaven. One most be at peace, and detach oneself from the world.
The first truth of this way, is that life is suffering, and while that may be true, and while death is a part of that, this massive scale of death, this mass murder. This went far beyond suffering. It is the work of evil, an evil that must be stopped. Before, I followed you out of discipline, cousin of my dreams. Now, I know why we fight. On this insight, and the purse sensation of the lost of life, on emptiness and unity of purpose, Kaya silently meditated, having never known such horror before.
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At dawn, Kayahidye likewise awakens just as the sun reaches over the horizon. She spends the earlier morning, meditating, floating in the air, in the lotus position. As others begin to rise and gather, her bring eyes flash open.
She then begins to drift upwards, higher and higher, and like before, she floats hundreds of feat in the air to get a full view of the surroundings, before descending, and sharing anything that is useful that she found.
In serene calm, nods at Eli's late morning words. "It would be a kindness to take Gina to a safe place."
Arabeth awakens to begin her watch and, when the time comes, be ready to greet the sun's rise.
Upon being introduced over breakfast to the child/survivor Arabeth is all smiles and pleasantries, though she does not 'crowd' the girl after her ordeal.
She looks at/inspect the girl's injuries, though if need be form afar -again so as no to crowd the young one, to gather some insight as to how physically traumatized etc she has been.
When it comes to the discussion about the state of things Arabeth frowns.
"I feel... as if we are missing pieces.." And she grows qiet as she obviously continues to ponder the matter.
"'Missing pieces' is an understatement. Someone wanted an entire village killed, and had the resources to accomplish it. Maybe the question we should be asking is 'why?' Is this just some marauding horde of fiends laying waste to everything in their path, or was this a targeted killing, desecration, theft, or something else?"
Arabeth continues to worry at a lock of hair.
"Could... could the Imps have neutralized every one in their sleep... And then... then what ever is was that caused the fire have struck?" Arabeth actually looks around at the village.. trying to gauge its total size... "How long would it have taken a creature of fire to simply walk through the village?" And then her gaze turns back towards the remains in the sack....
"And... do things from other realms stay in this one after their time is finished...?"
"Marauding fiends? Likely not." Poterol gazes off into the sky. "They had guards up. The imps, you recall. It is likely that they were here until warned that a large group, [i]us[/u], and defeated their sentries." He sighs, and feeds Merry a small nut. "In a camp, you place sentries to warn of those coming close. What were they doing here that required a warning such as that... Aside from the obvious, of course."
Arabeth shakes her head, "No... I do not think that is so. We found the Imps as we moved along the road. They too had been moving along the road... away from the town. They found the people heading towards the town, who were ahead of us in heading towards the town." Arabeth looks about at the devastation
"Guards.. stay and guard...." Arabeth, however, offers a smile to Poteral to show she is amiable in her disagreement and nods that perhaps he offers his own, further, ideas.
"Well, can imps burn down a town?" Marius admitted his lack of expertise in this area. Looking for evil to fight was one thing. Finding it was another entirely. "And even if they could, why? Aren't they the types of things to relish in the bloodshed they cause?"
The discussion was honestly unsettling him. Trying to understand the motivations of such creatures was... well, not good. He pat Rex on the head, offering him a hearty breakfast of meats from their supplies. Looking down at his wolf buddy, their eyes meet and an apparently unspoken conversation transpires between them. Finally, he breaks contact and goes to retrieve one of the rather unpleasant imp corpses.
Setting it before Rex, Marius takes a step back. "All you, Rex." The wolf steps forward, gives the imp a few cautionary sniffs, then recoils backward from the fiendish blood with a snarl. It even catches Marius off guard, who jumps forward with calming gestures. "Whoa, easy. It's already dead." Crouching down, he gentle pets the wolf while whispering to him. "We just need you to track the scent. There might be more around. Hurting little girls and burning down villages."
The wolf stares back at him. It is impossible to tell if he truly understands Marius' words, but he bounds off in search of a trail. Marius follows at a jog.
"The imps we faced were not working alone." Eli states in his usual emotionless tone. "As previously stated, the living one vanished to warn 'him', whoever that is. I believe the imps were guarding - they simply moved further down the road each time they killed something. In this case they only killed one family and then we arrived. Considering they are not strong enough to carry our bodies far, they likely would have dragged us into bushes, and moved a little further down for the next travelers to come by." says Eli in his eery dispassionate flat tone.
He turns to look at Cernan. "And the question of why is something I have been asking the whole time. I agree. Why."
Kaya's easy rhythm of speech, even with the dark subject matter make her vocal reasoning sound like a meditation. "The question why would seem to have two answers: the obvious and the not as much. For the obvious, clearly whoever did this wishes to destroy life. As for the less obvious, perhaps the answer lies in the history of this town and what significance it had for the people of the world. If we assume that the arsonists are enemies of all people in the world, then perhaps this place had some tactical importance, or perhaps there was someone or something here, that the culprit did not wish for the world to have..."
Kaya's ears flip a bit as she looks around at her cousins. "When I looked through what remained, there did not appear to be a sign of struggle, only destruction. The people here did not seem prepared for whatever happened. Was that your impression as well, cousins?"
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When Marius sends Rex to sniff out any scent of the little fiends, Rex bounds into the rubble and starts barking ... here, there, and everywhere. It seems he can still pick up the taint of the little monsters all over the place.
When Marius guides him to searching the perimeter, however, for any trail leading away from the village, Rex comes up blank, despite circling the entire area. With a soft whine of apology, he eventually sits back down at Marius' side.
Arabeth will be friendly, calm and kind to the young Gina. Even going so far as to take one of the large, glossy feathers from her cloak and possibly braiding it into the girl's hair as an offering as a gift. (^_^)
Marius pats Rex on the head. "S'all right, bud. I figured as much."
Returning the group, Marius offers an apologetic shrug. "The trail's too old, and the imps in town were too numerous. Rex can't find much of anything. But if the imps weren't working alone - and they obviously weren't - something has to have left a trail. If it moves, it can be tracked. We just have to find the right trail to follow." He stops and turns away, then quickly amends his statement. "And hope that it doesn't fly."
"I think we should go after the perpetrators of this attack."
"As many of you may already know - perhaps all of you - we found the girl Gina yesterday late. Specifically, Natanja found her. She seems, by all counts, to be an ordinary girl. Her recollection is hazy, but she recalls horrible stinging creatures stabbing her parents to unconsciousness, after which she crawled under their bed and hid in terror. The fire happened, and she seems to have been mostly unconscious since then. She has one still-living relative, to the best of her knowledge, an uncle in Vigilant. There are many questions about what happens next and what we should do next. The spirits - 'imps' - that did this did not act alone - they spoke of warning 'him'. They also wanted to ensure that no one 'found out yet'. This indicates that there is a larger plan at work. We need to understand this plan, and eliminate it. We need to understand why this village was burned. This was not just for the joys of destruction, I don't think. There is a darker plan at work."
Azmaria seemed a bit lost in thought. like she is trying to piece together what she has learned and what she believes to be happening.
at the logging camp she sets up a place to sleep. hoping to stay by the fire.
then she searches the cabin and a bit around the cabin.
strange it was not touched perhaps it was not occupied? or perhaps it was avoided on purpose.
her first instinct is to check for logging activity, is this an active logging camp. (take 20 for 22)
Next per suspicions, fueled by what she is used to experiencing, drives her to search the cabin for any basement level. or any signs of cult activity, demon summoners. (take 20 for 22)
the found tacks seemed confusing at first but these imps can fly, they would not leave tracks.
As I said, the dice gods ensure my ideas bear no fruit.
It looks like the logging part of the camp was used some weeks or months ago, but not for a while.
The previous tracks in the area seem to have been from villagers coming down to the stream for water/washing, then returning to the village.
There is no sign of anyone occupying the camp itself prior to your group for at least a few weeks.
There is no basement, as far as you can find, and no sign of any kind of cultic activity, or fiendish presence.
Kaya's ears flip a bit as she looks around at her cousins. "When I looked through what remained, there did not appear to be a sign of struggle, only destruction. The people here did not seem prepared for whatever happened. Was that your impression as well, cousins?"
Eli would look at Kayahidye, "It certainly seemed such for any that I came across. This meshes well with Gina's story: they were caught by surprise by the imps who killed them, and then fled."
"Over what distance do you want Oko to fly and look, cousin?"
"I do not know the wisest range for such a creature. Oko should fly as you think best, cousin, however that may be. I am simply seeking any clue to answers that we might find."
Natanja nodded at Eli's answer and had a quiet word to Oko. "Try and find one of these creatures from the sky, beloved. But do not fly out too far."
Oko lifted into the air -- climbing 120 ft up, buoyed by a fair wind. She then proceeded to fly out 180ft across the surrounding areas of Endurant. Then returned to Natanja.
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Having listened to the various theories on why the imps attacked and destroyed an entire village, Natanja had remained silent for the most part. After Oko lifted into the sky and gone to search from the air, Natanja added her own thoughts to the others,
"Either there was something here they wanted to find and destroyed the village to cover their tracks. Or this was a distraction for us -- like the scuffle on the road coming to this place -- the one who summoned them may want us otherwise engaged and not wholly tracking them or scrutinising their agenda."
As the sun rises, and after some discussion, Arabeth, accompanied by Rex, begins searching out human remains among the wreckage, and moving the bodies to the still-burned but somewhat more open area at the center of town that was probably once the village green. It is now the village grey, entirely covered with ash.
Marius sets out into the woodlands and wilds surrounding the village, determined to take his time to find any possible tracks or trail heading to or from the village.
Having said her piece, Natanja decided to return to the logging camp and look in on the sleeping child. As she approached the door to the cabin, she cast Guidance upon herself -- hoping some of Eth's divine wisdom would flow into her.
Finding the child still asleep, and watched over by one of the cousins, Natanja moved quietly to her side and laid a gentle, healer's hand on her brow to test her temperature and then began her general inspection of Gina.
The slight cough was worrisome but not uncommon when one was trapped in smoke for some time. She was so slight and possibly dehydrated due to the smoke inhalation and the length of time she was trapped under the bed and rubble.
Natanja gently brushed aside some of her hair and drew the covers higher around the child.
She returned to the others still talking about the imps and their next course of action and informed them of her examination of Gina.
"These secondary and minor ailments should clear up with time, fresh air and some nourishment. The healing magic we performed on her last night seemed to have healed all the worst of her burns and injuries. I've left her to sleep for now -- the child needs the rest to recover as well."
Natanja will accompany Marius into the woodlands and surrounding wilds to look for tracks. She will leave Gina in the capable hands of one of the other healers in their group.
"But if the imps weren't working alone - and they obviously weren't - something has to have left a trail. If it moves, it can be tracked. We just have to find the right trail to follow."
"If you'd be amiable to my assistance, cousin Marius, I have decent experience in tracking the wilds, and offer my company and service."
When the girl finally wakes up , she sits up slowly, accepts food and water from whoever has most recently been tending her, and wanders out toward the burned village as if in a daze. She stands, nodding slowly at the sight of the wreckage, as if confirming that what she saw last night wasn't a dream. She bites her lip, hard, and wanders around the edges of the village.
Eli would busy himself assisting with the mules, food, and relief for the searchers, based near the cabin.
Collecting water from the stream for all, and bringing it to those who search - wet clothes to wipe the dust and grime from their faces, and skins of water to quench their thirst, tending the animals' needs (including food, cleaning, and such), as well as working on sorting and organizing all they have found: the materials that were on the cart, as well as anything that anyone else comes up with.
While he would assist if someone directly needed it with the bodies, his relative lack of strength and his lingering clumsiness from imp poison leaves him less capable than others in assisting.
When the girl finally wakes up , she sits up slowly, accepts food and water from whoever has most recently been tending her, and wanders out toward the burned village as if in a daze. She stands, nodding slowly at the sight of the wreckage, as if confirming that what she saw last night wasn't a dream. She bites her lip, hard, and wanders around the edges of the village.
"Child" he says to the girl, as she emerges from the cabin, in his monotone. He hands her some food and water, cautiously and in small amounts to prevent gorging or sickness, watching her carefully.
He stands by her while she watches, and then walks with her.
"We will not go beyond the stream or the site of the cabin, or the others." he informs her flatly. "Unless you have good reason to do so." he amends, his steady monotone a constant.
Azmaria seems even more at a loss. wondering still what and how this is happening, to her it is not adding up.
she spends a little more time documenting her findings before nodding off to sleep.
The next morning, Azmaria awakens, she still seems a bit at a loss but she knows that fiends are responsible, but until the method they used to arrive is found they will be hard to be rid of.
she dons her normal attire., the uniform would garner respect back in york, but so far from home , its significance is lost. but still she wears it with pride.
Azmaria conducts her morning prayers. and checks her weapon is in good working order. one barrel loaded with scripture and the other with Gospel (silver)
now with the light of the new day, Azmaria decided o confirm her findings the night before.
It takes a moment to realize that there is a new girl among them. she recalls Eli explaining this but her mind was on other things.
As she wanders out. Azmaria holsters her pistol and follows along, at the very least keeping an eye on her. it seems odd that she survived, but it may also be coincidence as well. but these thoughts are her own for now, she has no cause to not believe what she has been told.
Azmaria keep a short distance from Gina as she walks about keeping an eye out for trouble.
The girl notices Sister Azmaria and actually smiles slightly, breaking out of her daze a bit. She walks over and says,
"Hi, I'm Gina. I like your pretty dress."
She notices Azmaria's pistol and looks at it curiously.
"What does your fancy toy do?"
Azmaria is at first taken aback at the introduction.
Well hello Gina, I am Azmaria, Sister Azmaria. this dress is actually my uniform. I am from The Holy Order of the Didache.
She starts to describe the Order but barely starts when she realizes Gina does not understand nor does she need to.
pointing to her pistol. This is my weapon that i use to fight evil. Where I come from these types of weapons are rather common. It is called a Holy gun. I was the top in my class when I learned how to use this. she adds with a smile but the look actually betrays her and it does not take much to realize that she really isn't all that great with her weapon.
she pulls the pistol from its holster. If you are very careful you can hold it.
Gina reaches slowly for the gun...
"...a holy gun to fight evil? Do you fight little monsters? There were little monsters here..."
Gina hesitates for a moment and bites her lip, a slight glistening in her eyes. Then, she speaks in a determined, if shaking, voice, while grabbing suddenly for the gun...
"I want to fight evil!"
The pistol discharges scripture.
Fortunately, it was aimed at the ground a short ways away.
Gina, however, stands frozen, her eyes wide, still holding the gun.
After a moment she moves it slowly back toward Azmaria, opening her hand carefully.
"I'm sorry! What did I do?"
Her apologetic eyes search yours.
Eli freezes for a moment, then puts his masked face in his hand.
"Did I break it?"
Azmaria is silent for a moment staring at what just happened, remembering Sister Rose back when Azmaria was first in training.
Azmaria takes the pistol for Gina and starts to laugh. Gina, you are on your way to becoming an Exorcist, That is exactly the same thing I did my first time.
if you must know, you pulled the trigger and fired a bullet at the ground. Azmaria shows Gina the parts of the gun. and she pulls out a new cartrige.
this is what you fired. it is called "scripture" inside this little paper casing is a round ball of metal. and inscribed on that little metal ball is a prayer of banishment. I shoot that little ball, just like you did, at the evil creature in the hopes that I can destroy it.
Oh, and yes I did destroy a few of those monsters you described. with this very weapon.
Gina's eyes go wide again, this time with amazement and admiration.
"Really? Wow. I want to be brave, like you.
... What's an exorcist?"
Azmaria holsters the gun after re-loading the shot.
she then takes a seat on the ground inviting Gina to sit beside her.
An Exorcist is the title we have in our Order, my job is to use God's word to banish evil and protect the people. I am not a full Exorcist yet. but I hope to become one soon.
Gina, you already are brave, you survived all of this. and now with your help we will find out what happened and stop them form doing it again in another village.
In my Order every Exorcist is supposed to go on a mission with a partner. but cause this mission was a special calling and not from the church i was not given a partner. so until we get you back with your family, do you want to be my partner?
Gina brightens.
"Okay!"
She sits quietly beside Sister Azmaria, contemplating her new calling in life.