The Reclamation of Zahvroma (Inactive)

Game Master Signore di Fortuna

"Darkness has marked you; I see shadow and moonlight in your footstep. I have no quarrel with those of the night. What be your warning?" Nicatha's voice remains calm and respectful, but she does not seem afraid.

"Leave. Before I change my mind," the werewolf snarls, his eyes focused on the oracle. "The vanara is already on my bad side. I don't pick fights with things lesser than me, but I will if I am provoked."

He gives Harakhty a knowing glance before putting a hand to his sword.

Startled a moment, Harakhty recomposed himself. Either my ears deceive me, or he is silent as a shadow. "There are many places I should not be. My friends and I are exploring the ley of the land. Curious you would appear as we do so."

It has been a while, and he has not outright attacked us. "They do not know you, but I've met you before; you're more than a pair of drooling jaws. Those jaws did not end me last time, and I do not expect to do the same to you. What is this "agenda" of yours?"

Harakhty made no hostile action, but his tone was far from friendly with the lycanthrope.

The Dhampir grabbed the Vanara and Half-Elf's arms, and started to pull them away. "I think it's time we leave. Wouldn't you agree Skaar?"

"The winds blow and wolves howl, but the moon remains. I thank you for your warning, but do not be so quick to discount those lesser. Eventually every alpha be the food of worms."

Nicatha gestures to the others to move back on the trail behind as she backs up herself. Her dark arms moving gracefully in symbols of warding as silver bangles chime on her wrist.

"What explanation do I owe you? You severed my connection with my goddess!" Reinhardt growls, his hackles rising. "You and Godrick razed my town! I owe you nothing!"

Skaar growls in reply but follows Nicatha's lead. "Who was he?"

A faint rustling can be heard in the trees. "The words of the proud shall fall on deaf ears when there is no power behind them. Do not come back into these woods. There will be no warning next time."

Drago looked nervously over his shoulder as the beast called out to them. "I have no idea. But, he seems to know Harahkty." Turning to the Vanara, "Care to explain?"

"Someone angry who had us taken by surprise. Harakhty knows more."

Well, when you put it that way...

Harakhty acquiesced with the retreat the others made back to the path, exchanging no further words with the werewolf. While he could empathize with his feelings, he could not brook Reinhardt's actions; the beast would have to be put down. When Skaar made his inquiry, Harakhty was terse: "Not here. Evidently, there are many ears in the forest."

After having traveled some way though, the inquisitor recounted pieces of his experience with him. "The lycanthrope you met is Reinhardt. He was - or thinks he was - tied to some divine through one of the coveted necromancer's shards. He barred our way in destroying it before, but he was not successful. Evidently, he could not get past that severed bond; his rage will not subside." [i]Which makes life all the more difficult on both of us.[i]

"So he's an enemy? Why'd he just let us walk away?" Skaar asks.

Puzzled by the recent events, the big orc looks to Nicatha again. "And the only way to what we're lookin' for is through him?"

"Unclear. We were on the right track, that line was unnatural. The remnant of great power. I want to see if there be a way to elude him. But unless you have silver hurting him will be difficult."

Skaar frowns and shakes his head. "All the silver I saw was back at the weddin' feast."

"Speaking of which, they have probably noticed we're gone by now. If they've talked to Corda or Elena, I think we're in for a scolding."

"Why? Because we looked for answers?"

"I think it will have more to do with when we decided to look for answers, rather than why." He replied in a somewhat guilty tone.

Nicatha gives Drago a skeptical look. "We were not planning on being ambushed or fighting. We neither snuck nor scuttled off. You imagine problems were there are none. Daemons, werewolves, and vampiric mothers are sufficient grist for your troubles."

His thoughts drifted towards the Aasamir, "Remind me to introduce you properly to Arista when we get back."

"Do you think you can find 'nother way to find what we're after?"

"Perhaps, but I think we'd better stick to the village for the next few days." His eyes drifted towards Nicatha, the thirst once more beginning to build within him. Turning back to Skaar, "Besides, you and I have business to attend to, and we've already lost a day."

Skaar nods in agreement, taking the side of his longer-known friend. "Back to Valwick."

Nicatha, Harakhty, Skaar and Drago return to Valwick to find the celebration over. Only Hadrinn and a few paladins remain outside the fort cleaning up.

Skaar nods farewell to his friends and leaves to find Corda.

Drago makes his way to the Dwarf and asks, "Hadrinn, have you seen Elena recently?"

"The girls all went to the tavern some time ago. They didn't look too happy," the dwarf replies.

"Thank you Hadrinn." Running after Skaar Drago said, "Hadrinn says the girls are at the tavern. He also says they didn't look too happy."

"Let's head to the tavern then."

As soon as Drago and Skaar enter the tavern, eight pairs of eyes fall on them immediately.

"They're alive!" Sienna exclaims, tossing her hands in the air. "Well, for now."

"Drago, come here please," Elena says coolly.

I don't like how she said that. He thought as he made his way over to her. "Yes, Elena?"

Corda stood up strode over to the Orc, "Can I talk to you outside?" She said in a stern tone.

"That was more than a few minutes," Elena says, trying to keep her tone even. "Even after you said it should have waited until after the celebration, you still went. And who is that woman anyway?"

She sighs, a multitude of questions and concerns struggling to find the correct order to express themselves in.

Sādhanā's blue eyes seem carved of ice as she glares at Skaar and Drago remaining unnaturally still.

Clara rests her hand on one of Sādhanā's. With a trace of a smile, she gestures to the wedding ring.

Skaar follows Corda outside. "What's wrong Wildcat?"

Drago seemed to shrink within the recess' of his cloak before answering. "I...I don't know what came over me. I didn't think it we would go into the woods. Believe me, I'm wishing I hadn't. The woman's name is Nicatha, she was one of the people that helped me during my escape from mother. Ylrhea can vouch for that."

Remembering the added emotional connection, Sādhanā's icy demeanure cracks, a faint blush coming to her cheeks as she takes a deep breath to reign in her anger.

She gives Clara a faint sheepish grin.

Half-heartedly, Corda punched the Orc in the shoulder. "Don't ever make me worry like that again. Next time, wait for everyone else to be ready to go with you. I thought you were just going to be gone a few minutes, not a couple of hours." She pointed to the door of the tavern, "Now you march right back in there and apologize to Clara and Sādhanā for putting sour note on a blissful day."

Elena locks her gaze with Drago's. "And what else do you know about her?"

"Really...if you're going to drag my name into a conversation, you ought to get the facts straight," the gnome at the bar says. "She didn't join us until we were in Arden."

Elena looks to the gnome. "What do you know about this Nicatha?"

"Well, she likes reading minds...using shadowy magic...hrm...not much more I can say," Ylrhea says. "She wasn't very chatty about herself."

She turns back to Drago. "And this is the person you trust to ensure the safety of Valwick?"

Happy with her ferocity, Skaar answers Corda with a bass chuckle. "Sorry 'bout that Wildcat. Nicatha and Harakhty thought they might have a way to keep you and Valwick safe for Sefirous and his kind."

"I'll talk to the girls."

"Wonderful. You all left the wedding to follow a carnival performer to gods knows where."Sādhanā mutters

"Don't you Wildcat me, and don't you enjoy this. Now move."

"Well, a carnival performer does things," the gnome says, coming over to the table and sipping an ale. "She kind of stands around..."

Shrinking even further from the femenine onslaught, Drago weakly answered, "I can't explain it, but I feel as though the Fate's have woven her into my life for a purpose. Not a malicious purpose, but I do believe her inexplicable knowledge can help us."