"Thank you." Drago replied. Helping Elena into her seat, the Dhampir took his seat next to her. "Elena, this is Ylrhea. She helped me escape Chalandra. Ylrhea, this is Elena."
"Charmed," the gnome says, offering her hand to the vishkanya.
"Equally," Elena says, shaking the gnome's hand. "So you're with the Green Circle?"
Arista chuckles as they walk to her room. Going inside she closes the door behind them.
"No, silly... I was hoping that if you could help me pick out what to wear tonight, you could take them, along with my other bath stuff and go with me into the bathing room. There are some places on my back I would like to have scrubbed thoroughly, but..." She smiles as she looks over her shoulder at him, "maybe it would be nice if some of my sore areas could be massaged as well. You did such a nice job of it before, it could be just the thing I need to help relax these muscles of mine."
"Mmhmm," the gnome answers, sipping her ale. Her heart thuds in her chest, but she sighs and tries to keep the situation from being too awkward.
"That makes sense. Alright then, let's do that."
Trying not to touch anything in her room, Arista goes to her closet and looks at the things hanging there.
Looking at Alethiro she asks, "So...what would you like to see me in tonight? The Ivory peasant top and burgundy skirt are nice, and then there's the red satin dress that Esme gave to me. Which one would be better suited to a party?"
She has to restrain herself from putting her arms around him. No need to get my stink all over him too.
"Would you mind horribly grabbing my soap as well?"
"Ivory and Burgundy I think. Where is the soap?"
Arista points at the little table with the drawer in it.
"It's in there, along with the brush Marie gave to me. Do you think you could grab that along with the clothes and soap?"
As Arista stands there in the room, she appears to be a little...different. There is some type of almost ethereal glow about her and her eyes sparkle brightly.
She waits for him to finish gathering up her things, and they head down to the bathing room together.
Cyna takes a long sip in an attempt to conceal the smirk on her face as she watches Ylrhea.
"Glad to have you back Drago, you had me worried for awhile."
Clara strokes Sādhanā's face as she stirs from her nap. "That was wonderful. I'm getting a little hungry now though."
She smiles and tousles her hair, her green eyes peeking out through a forest of red.
Once in the bathing area, Alethiro waits for Arista to finish scrubbing before he helped her relieve the tension in her shoulders and neck. Something's...changed. Curiosity got the better of him, "So what happened in the catacombs? You seem...different somehow."
As she disrobes a very new and noticeable marking now adorns the back of her right shoulder. It is the body of Sarenrae with the wings extending outward.
She gets into the hot water and sinks down into it slowly, allowing her muscles to relax as she does so. She scrubs herself as vigorously as she can before handing the soap to Alethiro.
"Do you think you could get that middle part of my back? I can't quite reach it."
"The catacombs? Okay, I'll tell you. There were a few gross badies down there, and we did alright with the nasty skeletons, but when we finally got to the place where the source of the negativity was coming from....that was completely different.
She proceeds to tell him all about the monstrous nasty Gargoyle and the epic battle, she even includes how the thing managed to gore and slash her shoulder. Proving that she is able to take care of herself, she points out that everyone came out of it alright and reassures him that everything is fine now.
Ylrhea shakes her head slightly. "Well, Drago's been through a lot. He looks a little better now, though."
Elena looks at the gnome for a moment. "Ahh...I think I have you to thank for that then. At least, bringing us back together."
"And a regular messenger of love!" Sienna teases. "Is there anything you don't do, Ylrhea?"
The gnome makes a hushed groan and looks at the candles on the table. "That little party for the brides should be starting soon, shouldn't it?"
Skaar growls and clutches the vial tightly. "I can't fight 'im, not now. I need time. The old paladin, he knew how dangerous this damned place was. If anyone's gunna have a plan to keep Sefirous out, it'll be him."
The big orc squeezes Corda one last time and then looks to Harakhty.
"Lil' Nara, I need ya to stay here with Corda. I don't think that bastard's comin' back anytime soon but I need to find Godrick and I don't wanna leave the girl alone."
Skaar finds Godrick carrying a bundle of bones, heading to the paladin's barracks.
Harakhty has no problem with the arrangement. He leans against a wall int he room. "Skaar's a bit hasty for my liking, but he does get things done. How did you two meet?" Corda seemed innocent enough. If he was to be here with her, they might as well pass the time with some chat.
"So you were bathed in a strange light? I guess that would explain the mark of Sarenrae on your back. I didn't really notice until now. Do you feel any different?"
"I suppose so. Where's Alethiro and Arista? They should be here."
Looking at the door, with her arms crossed as if she was cold, the young witch answered weakly, "He came to my father's hut looking for a boat."
"She saved our hides earlier, might not have made it back in one piece without you Ylrhea." Cyna says.
Ylrhea blushes. "I just did my job, Captain."
Skaar is puzzled by the paladin's burden but ignores it for now as he closes and speaks in a low voice. "We need to talk. There's a daemon movin' around Valwick and I can't kill it."
"What does it want?" Godrick asks.
"He wants me", Skaar admits. "Or my soul as Nicatha tells it."
Godrick frowns. "What kind of daemon is it?"
"He's made of smoke or somethin'. People can't see him half the time even when he's right in front of me and he's strong. I could kick his ass back and forth before but he's different now."
"I think Nicatha called him a purrodaemon."
"Daemons have a way of hiding their true nature and this one sounds unique. But the fact that it's a purrodaemon does not bode well for anyone. It's surprising that it's only after you," Godrick says. "A purrodaemon is a harbinger of war, a war we cannot win. It will surely bring others and there is no bargaining with it."
Godrick lays the bones down and pulls his holy symbol. He mutters a small prayer, the taint leaving them. The old man looks tired after he finishes. "Do me a favor and take these outside of town. Bury them well. I'll think on your problem in the meantime."
The big orc frowns at the chore but feels a bit of the weight lifted from his shoulders by the old paladin's knowledge.
"There's one more thing", Skaar grunts as he scoops up the consecrated bones. "He wanted Corda to give me this. Nicatha says it's an evil soul."
"It probably wants to show you whatever memories that soul contains," Godrick says grimly. "Unless you can't avoid it, I wouldn't touch it."
"What do I do with it", the big orc asks. "Can ya bless it or somewhat like ya did with these bones?"
"Those bones are a mere reminder of the evil that person wrought," Godrick says. "A soul is those deeds, unchanging and undeniable. Once removed from life, it cannot change."
Skaar frowns and tucks the vial away for now. "I'll bury these bones. Send some paladins to watch over Corda's shop while I'm gone if ya can."
Godrick nods and leaves to find some free paladins.
With the bones cradled in his arms, Skaar tries to forget about Sefirous for now and focus on burying the remains. It's a good thing I never got that bath.
It takes little time for Skaar to bury the bones, the sun beginning to set.
"You look a little preoccupied, buddy," Sefirous says, leaning by a tree. "Anything on your mind?"
"Go to hell", Skaar growls. "I don't know what your game is but you're gunna lose."
"Abaddon's a bit nicer than any of the nine hells. Food's better too," Sefirous smirks. "We can do this one of two ways: either you can drink that or we can talk. It all comes out to the same thing, though that bit of soul might make you feel good. People get addicted to that stuff. Your little town isn't safe, but it isn't important either. Less than a hundred people going up in smoke is a snack for the Powers That Be."
Skaar tosses the vial to his daemonic nemesis. "Talk."
Sefirous catches it and tucks it away. "I went to all our old buddies. Those silly bastards who thought they could have a normal life after all they've done. I explained how the world really is. I don't know what kind of story you've fed these people, doesn't matter. Deep down, you're still the killing, raping beast that stood beside me those years ago. If they knew the real you, they'd f%%*ing run and hide."
He takes a few steps closer. "You can do all the happy s##@ you want, if it helps you sleep, but you're just lying to yourself. I'm offering you a way to be yourself and come out on top. There's nothing wrong with being a daemon, it'd fit you like a glove. What do you have here that's so damned important? A girl, a kid on the way, that other little bastard that you're desperate to find..."
He waves his hand dismissively. "Anyway, I was talking about our old friends, wasn't I? Yeah, they realized that I'm not just spouting off some s+!@ and decided to take the plunge. And, you know what, they're doing pretty good. Of course, there were some 'conscientious objectors' and I'm pretty sure you can guess what happened there."
He looks into Skaar's eyes, his eyes betraying a hint of his true nature. "All the s%!% in the world doesn't f*#!ing matter when it all turns to dust anyway. Do you want to live forever or do you wanna die some f!%@ing loser curled up with your b~+!+ and your brat?"
Skaar shakes his head. "I've been doin' a lot of thinking these past few weeks and I'm not gunna pretend what I did didn't happen but I'm not gunna torture myself over it anymore either. A little old man helped me get it. I can't change the past but I can do better - I can be better than scum like you."
"You're my past. Valwick and the people in it are my future. What I've got here isn't much but it's mine and it's good. You've got nothin' to offer me."
The big orc stares down the daemon-eyed monster. "Who have you dragged down with you?"
Sefirous starts to walk away. "Doesn't matter to you, does it? I guess we'll be seeing each other again, when you're stronger. Give some time for your soul to acquire the perfect taste. I wasn't kidding when I said you had potential."
"I'm lookin' forward to it", Skaar growls.