Tesliin braces herself before stepping into the left stall, where the invisible person seems to have stopped moving. He stands in the middle of the stall, waiting. Crossing the threshold, a chill creeps up along her spine. The shadow creature stands unnaturally still; the minute movements that a body makes seem stilled, causing the water that rippled just moments ago, to now stand perfectly still.
standing down the hall, you watch as tesliin enters, pausing just inside the cell. Sensing more the seeing the stillness of the creature, you glance into the cell and see the stilleness take effect.
Pausing a moment to study what he sees, Jolial mumbles to himself, his mummers barely echoing in the cavern.
The small strand of Saidan seems to be a tripwire of sorts. strange, why would you- he cuts off, stepping closer, and
inspecting the cables that make up the weave that is attached to the wall. His eyes begin to ache as he begins to perceive the individual
strands of Air and Spirit. Ahh, by adding spirit, it acts as a barrier to slow the weave so it can be set as a trap. Interesting.
Stepping back, his gaze now falls onto the frozen man. Jolial questions wether to free the man, or let him suffer his fate, for he was
folish enough to fall in it. Looking closer at his face, he sees that the man was actually afraid for his life. Deciding that the man may
know more about this thing than himself, Jolial slowly figures out that severing the weave at the knotted point is the best way to end
the trap.
Severing the knot, the air suddenly whooshes out from the box, hurling the man to the floor, limp. Hmmmpf, dead. jolial says in
an offtone manner. Inspecting the man, the only thing of note is the dagger, for it catches light and seems to sparkle. Using the dead
mans hand to move it, Jolial pushes the dagger away from the body so that he can further inspect the body. nothing.
Standing up, he stares into the square container, and then slowly extends the light into it, using the light to show what is inside.
Shelves run from floor to ceiling, on all three sides. A heavy layer of rock dust covers everything, leaving booted foot tracks on the
inside. The tracks seem to shuffle along, showing that an unknown person walked along, stopping often to look at something. His eyes
shifting from the floor to the shelves, the light shines on vacantness. squares, circles, oblongs, pin points, and sinious lines cover the
shelfs, revealing that at one time, this box held items.
with a final check for warded traps, Jolial braces himself and walks in. Crossing the threshold brings about a strange sense, a fullness,
as if Saidan increased its presence in him. Ensuring that the amount is within his controlable limits, he presses on. Strange sensations float across his mind, blocked by the void, as he moves along the line. Fear, anger, power, wrath, destruction...all fleeting and almost dispersed, as if the items held these emotions and had seeped into the shelves.
Getting to the back, Jolial turns to leave when his eyes land upon a strange sight. 2 book ends lay underneath a low shelf, mostly hidden, but for a small arm that catches Jolials boot. Kneeling down, he inspects the items, contemplating. Shrugging his shoulders, he decides to bring them along. Walking out, he removes the jacket from the dead guy, and gathers up the book ends. Walking out again, he moves about, gathering the dagger, and begins to study the area.
Hours later, he feels confident on his knowledge of location, he opens a gateway into the bedroom, assuming that everyone will be in bed, sleeping. Yes sleep sounds good. Passing through the gateway, He feels a momentary pull from his wrapped items, as if something had wanted to resit the strange journey.
Rhoekk waits guardedly, his buckler and spears gripped at the ready. He watches as much for an attack from without, as darkfriends are everywhere in the wetlands, as he does for a threat from within.
in a loud thunderous roar, one of the gray man speaks
WHAT DO YOU WANT, AES SEDAI?
oh; that is a relief of sorts
A'mar, feeling fairly naked; stands guard weapon in hand
mumbles
this could have been better planned
spot
Tesliin steels her nerves before the Shadowspawn. Master all the Aes Sedai calm she can muster, she meets what she believes would be the gaze of the creature. "I would know why you have come here."
TO KILL. THAT IS OUR MISSION. TO KILL THE THREAT. the disjointed voice bellows, ringing the ear drums with its volume.
"And what is this threat you speak of?"
Tesliin sends out a thread of air, lashing against the shadowspawn before her, careful to ensure it only inflicts pain and not permanent damage. She knows it would take more than that against such a creature, but she knows it's a beginning to find out the nature of this threat.
"And what would this threat be?" she feels her voice want to falter, to tear herself from this room. But she will not. To fight these creatures is in her blood, drilled in to her in youth. She could not muster the strength then, but the White Tower trained her in a weapon she could use, and this is how she would use it.
If the creature feels pain, its overwhelming silence is all that responds to your punishment.
A terrifying roar sounds from behind Tesliin; the silent gray man responds instead of the one in the cell.
Both creatures begin to chant THE GREAT LORD COMES! louder and louder, until the noise risks bursting the ear drums.
Rhoekk
A'mar
Tesliin
tesliin heal check
Suddenly the noise stops, and the deafening quiet roars louder than the chanting could ever be. The silence lasts until you hear a subtle snap. Rhoekk and A'mar first thought is the peanut shells at the door, and quickly turn to face a perceived threat. A second snap, much louder than the first, brings the groups attention back to the prisoners, from which a third snap rebounds off the walls. With this third snap, both prisoners are shown properly for the first time. You can only stare in horror while your eyes fall upon something that surely cannot be so.
2 middle aged men, one with slighty gray hair at the temples, appear to be bending over backwards, but they are being contorted into a position that the human body cannot achieve without an outside force. their faces slowly begin to cover in blood as they chew on their own tongues, gravity forcing the bloody rivulets to streak the face. Eyelids stay open and focused, a tightness surronds them, letting you know that while they cannot voice their pain, their look shouts volumes. Another snap forces the head up high, the top of the head touching the butt.
Tesliin is shocked to find that the prisoners backs are being broken one vertebrae at a time.
Shock overrides reason and within a heartbeat, both prisoners are just bloody pulps of human flesh. Blood discolors the water, lending an iron smell to the air. Looking about, you see nor detect any signs of anyone being in the room with you. The bloody masses are too crushed to reveal anything beyond what you would find in a meathouse.
It takes Tesliin every bit of resolve she can muster to maintain even the briefest of composure against the site before her. Only thanks to the bond she shares with Amar is she able to resist the gruesomeness of the sight. Taking a moment to maintain, she weaves a thread of spirit and senses for any remaining shadowspawn before speaking the words to Amar and Rhoekk to open the door.
The walk back to the inn is one filled with wild imaginations and small frights. The images of the gray men being snapped like twigs with incredible ease cannot leave your memory. You fear that these images will haunt you for the rest of your days.
Walking through the Inn and up to the grand suite is a chore, since word has gotten around saying that an Aes Sedai destroyed part of Lord Jareen's mansion. Everyone is in a twitter, wondering who the Aes Sedai is, and what does she want. Tesliin manages to keep her calm as she flows through the sea of bodies, easily deflecting questions sent her way. Rhoekk has an easier time, the Cairheinin's part for him, leaving a 3 foot gap for him to walk in. For A'mar, his scowl is enough to make people pause in approaching him.
Entering the room, the three would-be interrogators witness a humorous scene in the greeting room. Marten, sleeping off his pains, looks funny with his thumb in his mouth and arm wrapped around a pillow, holding it like a child holds a teddy bear. The sounds of Amorial's snoring rumbles from his bedroom. Jolial is still missing, and noting his absence leaves everyone with a chill, wondering if something bad has happened.
Well, we cannot follow wherever Jolial has gone. For the moment, he is on his own A'mar grunts out, leading tesliin to the bedroom they share. Pausing briefly, Tesliin invites Rhoekk to stay with them, saying i wish to discuss what we saw with the others in the morning, after breakfast. And i would like to know your thoughts. Rhoekk just stares at her, feeling as if he has just been pinned to something that he will not like. Shrugging his shoulders, he walks over and arranges a blanket on the floor, falling asleep immediately.
Morning comes with a crash. Marten, sensing someone channeling Saidan jumps to his feet, wrestling the power to his will, weaving a ward against power around himself. Looking around, he almost misses the blacker than black miniscule line that is formed from a gateway.
Rhoekk, upon hearing the crash, is up on his feet in a blink, Shoufaup on his face, a spear in hand ready to cast. Looking about, he sees a strange opening in the middle of the room. Looking through it, he recognizes the stone colorization and patterns as belonging to the Three-fold Land. Grunting in amazement at this sight, he almost casts his spear at the man shape object walking through with his arms full of something, but recognizes the shape as Jolial.
Rhoekk lowers his veil.
"Joliar Belthoval. You have returned, it seems. Is it safe, to open a gate within the room like that? I have heard they are so sharp that they can cut a man in two as they open. I would not wish to be awakened that way..."
Rhoekk casually returns his spear to its place beneath his quiver of arrows, and walks to the window to get a measure of the city; the time, the weather, and the mood of the people in the street.
Amorial jumps out of bed with a start. His ankle wraps around the blankets and he tumbles more than jumps out of bed reaching for his staff in the process. He slams onto the floor shaking the room and curses in Ogier as his wounds remind him that he has not fully recovered from the previous night.
Grinning sheepishly and ignoring his less than graceful entry from his bed Amorial looks to Joliar, "What have you got with you and where the hell did you get it?"
Tesliin comes into the main room, the power flowing through her, wearing nothing but a shift, too exhausted from the previous days activities to switch to proper nighttime attire. Seeing Jolial in the room, bundle in hand, entering the room through the gate, she gives a scowl and proceeds back into the bedroom.
Joliar tilts his head to the side at Rhoekk's comment. Perhaps I will be more careful in the future.
Setting his package down next to him he lays on the bed. With a shudder he releases saidin and curls up. Saying over his shoulder at the big Ogier. Give me some time to rest and I'll tell you all about it. With that he's out like a light.
Amorial looks at the box but does not touch it.
"Well since I am awake I will go back to my work. I will be done by the end of the day. Tomorrow I will donate the book to the Library and gain entrance, then our work here can really begin. Before I start though, did you get any information from those creatures Tesliin sedai?"
Having come back out in more proper attire, "I am afraid I was unable to do so. The creature...expired before I was able to gain any information." She begins to prod at the exterior of the box with the power, unwilling to go much further than that. "Marten, do you have any idea what this is? Or why Joliar would have brought it to us?" Pausing abit first, "And will he still be 'safe' for us to travel with?"
I dont know what he brought back, but it clearly resonates with Saidin's influence. I will look. I feel as if Joliar is better now. The incident earlier does scare me. He should not have traveled away like that, not without reason.
I took a big pause, considering the possible ramifications of what I was about to say.
I tell you this, in confidence because of what you did with the grey men, and for healing me. It is likely the taint has caused him to... have a difficult time. We need to watch, and make sure it does not get worse. But at the same time, is it coincidence that he brought back these things? I dont know.
I have to admit being a bit scared. Joliar should not have run off like that, but why did he bring back these things?
I do not blame you for trying; but what did you expect to learn really, I doubt they know much of whatever great plan is afoot.
back at the inn; amar gets on his armor and such as things are afoot
"A shame. I hope they are not after us".
Amorial begins his work for the rest of the day.
Seeing Joliar awaken, Tesliin calmly waits for him to get a bearing on his surroundings before posing any questions, just in case the madness takes him again.
"How are you feeling, Joliar?"
Fine. How'd things go after I left? I assume you were able to finish clearing things up. Joliar helps himself to some food, hungry after so long without.
"More wounded amongst the wetlanders. Three of the soulless were captured. They danced like cowards. We went to interrogate them, and they died."
The Aiel's calm as he relates events is odd; he sounds more like he is talking about a boring party than battle and murder.
Tesliin pushes the imagery of the scene from her mind, not wanting to test herself further. "The nature of the attack is curious. The only information we received is that they believe there was a Threat of some form at the party. Who or what it is or was, we have little clues. If I recall the first attack was against Lord Jareen. It may do use some good to return and speak to him."
"I should have thought of that before. Something may have happened to him since then." A slight feeling of panic passes for a moment through the bond, though she quickly recomposes herself.
"Amorial still needs time I believe to finish his manuscript for our entrance to the library. Rhoekk, you know Lord Jareen if I recall. Would it be possible for you and Marten to attend to him, see what he knows. It is possible harm may still come for him. I wish to speak to Joliar for abit, then A'mar and myself will join you. It would also do us well to be cautious of going out alone. There may be other assassins if my guess proves wrong, and best if they do not catch any of us without aid."
Rhoekk shrugs, "If you like, we can speak to the treekiller lord again. He seemed none to different from most of the others. Treekillers have no honour. It could be that he was a shadowrunner and has either outlived his usefulness or failed in his assignments. While it would be no loss if such a person were killed, I suppose there might be something we could learn as well."
Since there is no rush for amorial, he auto passes the requirement for writing the thesis. what was amorial's topic on?
...As Amorial just had to spout off all of his knowledge of the Green Man to the Dragon he will write his treatise on that subject.
Original Post
Yes, we finished up. Apparently I'm no good at fighting people with swords. Well, at least without hurting others.
I looked down, a little ashamed of admitting my slight incompetence in the battle.
More importantly, how are you? These items, I can sense they have saidin within, but not what. Where did you end up?
I looked at Tesliin. I would not mind going there, that seems like a good suggestion. But first, I need to know how Joliar is doing, and what exactly went on. I cant imagine that it was a coincidence that he fled and returned with... whatever this is.
Joliar chuckled as he ate. You all carry on like there is some great mystery. Next you'll start saying I'm some kind of ta'veren. I don't know where I went, I just knew I needed to get away from those things.
He glances at the bundle of objects next to him, his eyes going a little distant. Yes they do hum don't they?
Interesting idea Rhoekk, pawns of the dark are often killed if they outlive their usefullness or look to betray there masters, but we have no proof of thus; but bears thought, three souless for one darkfriend, that must be some secret or one tough darkfriend and from what I saw; he doesnt fight very well. What say you Tesliin Sedai, what next?