The wolf stopped him, nuzzled him with his snout. The beast looked at him with pleading eyes.
"No, Milo, it's not the end. I...I just don't know what to do now. We've been alone for so long."
The wolf pushed him back toward the stone that he spent so much time at. "No, it's gone, Milo. We don't need to go there."
The beast continued to push. "What is it?!"
He again heard the primal roar that he heard a few weeks ago. "Milo...let's just go home for now."
***
The vampire sat at her throne, looking over the piteous creature. "So he's gone..."
"But what about me?" the prostrated female asked.
"There is nothing I can do until Drago is found, Aliethia."
"This is Ixen's fault, Chalandra! Why should I pay for his mistake?"
"Calm yourself, my daughter," Chalandra soothed. "I shall send him out tonight. In the meantime, why don't you entertain me?"
***
The gears turned as they always did, night after night. He was bored of this life. What had started as a magnificent undertaking had become nothing more than a wasted utopia. When he had first heard the roar a couple weeks ago, he became excited. Perhaps there would be new visitors, people to show his grand creation to. But no one came and the boredom set in again.
A clockwork woman came into his study. "Your tea, sir?"
"No."
"Tomorrow then?"
"No."
"Good night, sir," the woman bowed, leaving him alone with his thoughts again.
She would come back tomorrow at the same time and ask him if he wanted his tea. It was always the same because he programmed her that way. He attempted to recall when she was a creature of flesh, unpredictable. But only vague fragments of those years long gone would come to him. Did he make a mistake? No, he was far too intelligent for that. His city had not known conflict for several centuries because of what he had done. It was the right thing.
The roar came again and the excitement crept into his mechanical body again. He had decided, he would send an envoy out and find these people that were causing this din. They would affirm his decision after they saw the marvels of his city.
The bright light abates and once again a thousand screams and roars fill the night sky. Before you, you see a metallic looking woman lying on the ground.
Harakhty barely saw Aurelia move forward before he was engulfed by a flash of some sort. Visions took him, and when his normal sight returned, it was clear what was the cause of the explosion; the artifact had been destroyed.
Well, I hope you're happy, Nethys; there may be others, but this one will serve as an obstacle no longer. Most intriguing to the vanara was not the stone, howevevr; visions of the man they encountered with the wolf flashed through his mind, so it seemed the man did have some purpose beyond being Ixen's henchman. He didn't seem malicious in the vision. Perhaps he just needed a reason for being released from the necromancer's grasp. He'd need to find such a reason, but that was his specialty. With a smile, Harakhty stood up.
... to see a metal object in the form a humanoid on the ground. Similar to the thing from the vision. In a sense, she seemed like a golem, creature-things the arcanists of Nethys talked-about here and there. However, their subjects mostly related to earth or flesh regarding the things, not metal.
Taking the objects he'd been eyeing from their conquest, he kept his distance from the metal golem.
"That was ... well, hard to describe." Harakhty relented as he realized he didn't know if the others had seen the same vision. What wasn't hard to describe was the thing in front of them; it was just hard to define. "What should we do with ... this?"
Alethiro remained silent after seeing the vision of Aliethia. Rage building within him.
It took a moment for the paladin's hesitation to click with Harakhty. Of course! Seeing the less moral divines connected to the devices would give him pause. He decided to keep that avenue open for now.
"I sought to destroy this one at the wish of the Magelord, may this service please him. His favor is my road."
Arista slowly opens her eyes and sits up on the cold earth. Her silvery hair waving lightly in the breeze, her emerald green eyes blinking away the sleep and confusion. As she sits there she looks to the strange people in front of her.
"What...what happened? Where am I and who are all of you?"
She remains seated on the ground for the moment, holding onto her scimitar, not knowing if the people in front of her are friend or foe. Her legs felt tired from her...what was she doing exactly? Had she been sleeping, and if so for how long? There were so many questions racing around in her mind.
She eyes the strange looking man cautiously as he approaches her.
Harakhty did not expect the golem to be conscious at first. "It is your identity and purpose we require before aught else can be rendered you, but we mean you no harm." Yet, anyway - we don't know her mission.
She eyes the strange looking creatures around only recognizing the humans and elves for what they are. She arches an eyebrow as she regards the strange creature questioning her. She tries to stand, but finds that her legs are too shaky. She is dressed in garments similar to a clerics, but is wearing something that resembles elven chainmail over her clothing that looks to be from a time long long ago.
"My name is Arista, and I am a citizen of Zahvroma on my way home from battle. And whom in the nine hells are you? I've never seen your type before."
Great goddess Sarenrae, help guide me and give me strength in this strange land. Arista, after giving her answer goes back to a kneeling position and seems to be taking the posture of someone praying quickly and quietly to themselves. She sits still for a while before speaking again.
"I'm sorry if my questions seem abrupt, but I'm very confused. But I've never seen your kind before, or hers, As she points to the woman who appears to be at least part demon. "around here, so I think I'm entitled to a few questions myself. You all look a little beat up, so I can only assume that you have been in battle recently as well. I just want to get back home to my family and friends. I'm sure they are quite worried about me by now."
As she finally succeeds in standing up you get your first real good look at her. She stands about 6'3" with an athletic build. What you thought was metal is merely her skin that has the color of metal to it. There is something almost ethereal about her upon closer inspection. Her clothes are definitely from a time long past, but remain intact as if not touched by the years. Her shield bears the unmistakable mark of the Goddess Sarenrae as she uses it to help her stand.
She looks to Gregario with confusion written plainly on her lovely face.
"And whom, may I ask, is the Inheritor?"
Snapping out of his introspection, the Elf looked at the woman on the ground and answered, "Alethiro Milocathe, Cleric of Pharasma. At your service."
She looks at Alethiro and smiles,"Oh, so you're a midwife then? Is one of your companions with child then? It seems an awfully dangerous place to be in such a state."
She seems sincere and innocent in her questioning, not knowing anything of the time she is in, or even how much time has passed as evident by the clothing that she wears.
"I do not know that goddess. The only deity of valor, justice and honor is Aroden and he is gone from us. My village is to the south. It is the village of Lansing. What shard are you speaking of? I remember heading home from battle and the sky had turned red. Something fell from the sky and I remember falling asleep, but nothing else until now."
Aurelea lets out a long slow exhalation as she processes the intense visions that assault their minds.
”Yeah, Gods and Demons and a host of others all wrapped up in this. Trust me, destroying these things are one of the few things I’m sure of in this place. Destroying them is the only thing that reduces the dark influence that’s warped and twisted this land for so long.” she says in reply to the Paladin.
As the woman tries to stand she takes in her dress and appearance, her metallic looking skin and stature, baffled by her apparent presence within the shard.
”Uhm…ok, this is new.”
She addresses the woman ”What do you remember about the battle you were in?”
"It's great that we destroyed this thing and all but we should check on the second half of the operation they might yet need our help. Unless your all thinking of leaving them to their fate?."
"We can finish the introductions later, we still have allies in battle." Aurelea says striding forward with Oblivion at the ready. Though she still felt the aches and pains of battle, the sense of purpose that came with destroying another shard filled her with renewed energy.
"Hold a moment." The more she moved and spoke, the less she sounded like the golems spoken about at the church. Harakhty could not be certain though, never having laid eyes on an actual golem before. It was also possible she simply had planetouched blood, but that didn't correspond to the vision he'd had, and he had a hunch the vision was important. "I am Harakhty of the Suntooth tribe. Aroden is known to us, but he passed many generations ago. Though I cannot speak for the others, I don't know anything of your Lansing. You seem both out of time and place, Arista." Though whether it is because of visions she's been having or if she's truly a relic of another era, I don't know. "Like you, my kind - vanaras - are out of place here in Zahvroma. My companions and I seek to free this land of the evil upon it, which is why we're in such a hurry. We can speak on the way, and I'm sure we have much to learn from each other."
She looks around bewildered for a moment, "I just need to know whats going on. I don't mind conversing with anyone, but...I thought the battle was over. There are still some fighting in places, but I was going to get back to that after checking on my family. This is the Third Age from what I remember. If this is not so now, then someone needs to explain."
"Then you best let me heal some of you since you still appear to be wounded. Especially that one over there," She gestures toward Aurelea."If she is with child she needs to be at her best to do battle, though I don't know why anyone in that condition would want to fight. Just as I can't understand why she would have a man as a midwife, unless he's her husband. In my experience men do not usually have the stomach for such things. There are many things here that are strange to me, but I will go with you and aid in whatever way I am able."
A thought crosses Harakhty's mind as they began to set out. He palmed one of the unholy symbols from his pack. "Arista, would you happen to know the god which this represents? Many cultists we've encountered seem to be his thralls, so it would be good to know more about his faith."
She looks at the symbol for a moment.
"I'm sorry but I do not know to what god that symbol belongs. I have seen it before, around the northern part of this island, but I don't know anything about it. I wish there was something more helpful that I could tell you."
She looks around for a moment, trying to asses how badly they are hurt and how much healing they require.
"Whom among you is in need of healing? I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I am a cleric of Sarenrae and would be happy to help anyone in need."
Aurelea makes a strong effort to stifle a laugh.
"While I definitely appreciate the healing before going into another fight, I'm not, nor am I likely to be pregnant." she says with a chuckle. "And in the current state of things, there's a lot more for a cleric of Pharasma to deal with than being a midwife."
"I have to say, it's the first time I've ever met someone who's part angel"
She looks at the older gentleman, clearly an honorable man as well as noble paladin.
"Then I shall be happy to supply it. Let me see if this might make you feel a little better."
She closes her eyes as she puts her hands on the Paladin, a soft light emanates from her hands and she starts channeling her positive energies.
Arista looks genuinely suprised at Aurelea's statement and somewhat embarrassed that she came to such a wrong conclusion, even though she only had her past knowledge to go off of. After healing the Paladin she goes to Aurelea's side and falls into step with her.
"Oh...I'm so sorry. I didn't realize...well, it's just that where I come from that's what the clerics of Pharasma do mostly, at least they did. I just have to get used to things as they are now. Everything is so strange, your clothes, mannerisms, and even your speech is uncommon to me. I just don't know what to make of it. I apologize if my earlier statement offended any of you, I did not mean it to. Here, stop a moment so that I may assist you."
As she did with the Paladin, Arista takes her hands and places them on Aurelea while channeling her energy.
Once she is finished she looks to the others.
"Is there anyone else who requires my assistance at the moment?"
If there are no other takers for her offer of healing, she will walk back toward where the Vanaran is so they can continue their conversation. She will answer questions that anyone has for her to the best of her ability and try to figure out just what happened.
"Is there anyone that is still hurting? I could do that agian if need be. I think we shall have to be in top condition for whatever is coming next."
She blushes and nods at the Paladin, accepting thanks or praise was never easy for Arista. Especially since she was just doing what she felt her Goddess would want of her.
-Posted with Wayfinder
You take the trail back the way you came and arrive at Ashford's gates with no difficulty. The bodies of paladin and antipaladin alike lie dead along the main road. To the east end of town, a fire burns at the church.
-Posted with Wayfinder
As they are walking she just asks in general and to no one in particular,"So, where is it that we are going? What battle is it that you are fighting and whom are your allies? There just seems to be alot more going on than I knew about."
What of my family, my home, and my friends...are they still here? What have I woken up to?