A useful skill."[/b]
"I haven't seen anything I'd call useful out of her yet. Mostly she just makes people mad and mates with our enemies."
A useful skill."[/b]"I haven't seen anything I'd call useful out of her yet. Mostly she just makes people mad and mates with our enemies."
Cyean shakes his head to hide his grin "The second part is what I was speaking about. If the enemy is mating with her they are to busy to bother us. Though I still think we should of killed the bandits."
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"Well, no good shall come of merely standing here. If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go speak to Jorga's husband, Köln. Pardon me, please. And I don't mean to sound rude or hostile, but please stay outside. This place is under emergency medical quarantine."
Katie turns and heads back into the inn. Then she goes straight to Köln.If anyone follows her or not is unimportant to her.
"I had a couple of quick questions before I go, Mr. Köln. You see, I need to get those roots so I can stop this now, before we lose the whole militia. But I had three questions. Firstly, you were here in town before I was. How did the disease start? Were there any strangers in town shortly before the disease broke out? And lastly, have you seen the town, er, uh, courtesan?"
"If the enemy is mating with her they are to busy to bother us. Though I still think we should of killed the bandits."
"I do not like killing when it is not necessary. Disarming them and sending them away would have been enough. We did not need to bring them with us. If she wanted them that badly she could have gone with them."
"I don't like the idea of unnecessary killing either. But killing bandits is like killing roaches or fleas, unpleasant, but necessary for the health of the greater populace." Mikam grimaces as the thought of fleas reminds him of the lack of baths, causing him to begin scratching.
Thalia rolls her eyes at the nurse's prompt exit, then slings her bow over her shoulder and begins walking back towards the group. Finding them clustered together, she strokes the strings of her lute and speaks the spell, and points at Cyean.
Thalia's voice whispers in your ear, none at all seductive.
"I might have chosen Mikam for this delicate communication, as he's a touch of magic himself, but he has proven to be a coward. Our hunter has contracted this disease. The nurse Lothar mentioned believes that she has a cure, and in a most unorthodox manner is asking for our assistance to locate the source. I see little alternative but to accompany her at this juncture. My good lord Irovetti is several shades of deplorable, but I find that this method of disposing of an inconvenient population is beneath his... abilities. It is a question of logistics, the economic gain versus the expenditure of-" a pause in communication. "Ask Mikam to explain, if you've need. To reply, you have only need whisper."
Köln looks at Katie as she asks her questions How did this hell start? I don't have a f*cking clue, but you're right about there being some strangers shortly before it happened, they were a quiet bunch, they had their drinks and asked for the... how did you call her? courtesan? Ha! She's a b*tch, not a classy b*tch. She should be at the temple, swearing as a miner who just found his silver is pyrite everytime she has to piss, he he He offers a small glass full of an yellowish liquid You look tired girl, have some of Köln's special manure liquor! It will put hair on your chest!
Lothar looks at Raxus and Cyean and says Aren't they taking too long? I don't think it's safe to be out there...
Cyean looks at Mikam and Raxus with a grin before turning to look at Thalia as he hears her speak. He thinks for a moment on how to answer when Lothar speaks up, he than says "Lady Thalia said some nurse told her that Sev has the disease. She also said the nurse thinks she has a cure if we help her get it." After informing the others he waits for a moment before speaking again "Well that answers some questions, shall we get ready than so we can be off for this cure?"
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"And she was be swearing like a miner who'd been self-baboozled, until I treated her pox with the modly bread compound. I tried to warn her to use protection, but she wouldn't listen. They never do. So, she's patient zero. That's how this started. I wonder if she's a carrier, immune to the disease herself but spreads it to everyone she touches. Thank you. I'm afraid I must decline your offer of drink, but I appriciate it. Now I've got to go."
Katie goes outside, and if she sees either Sev, or Thalia, she reports: "I doubt he's got the germ. We'll know more certainly in the morning, but he's got no symptoms yet. A cough is not restricted to this disease. It expels junk from the lungs, as part of the immune system, so people can cough from anything. However, I have some information you might actually want. It seems there were strangers in town. They were with the er, uh, uh, er, dark mistress of the night? Around the time that this spread. So ten to one, she's patient zero. But that doesn't matter right now. What matters is getting that root so I can make the medication. Now can we please leave?"
Raxus shrugs and starts plodding towards the rest of the group.
"Did she say anything about where to get this root? I think I want to take it before we head in town....plus, what if she is wrong. I wonder if the people who are sick shouldn't just stay in the town, and those of us without the disease should go to get the root."
Cyean shakes his head "No she did not let me ask." He than whispers "Lady Thalia, Mikam wishes to know where this cure is."
Thalia hushes the nurse again, cupping her hand around her ear to hear Cyean's reply, theatrically, to confound the woman more. She was quite beginning to enjoy irritating the pitiful creature. A slow smile spreads across her face as she whispers behind a second cupped hand, hiding her mouth.
"Not as of yet, my handsome prince," Thalia teases in Elven. "My assessment is that she is quite forceful, but woefully ignorant. I will send her to you directly. Kindly inform my darling Lothar to step away a tad so that I might communicate my love for him."
Thalia blows a kiss in Cyean's direction, dismissing the spell, and pulls under her arm and into it as though she means to begin a song.
"My companions are willing to offer you their aide. I believe that I will remain and attempt to keep the natives from falling into despair when their one healer abandons them for the comforts of many men," she jests none so lightly, raising a perfectly sculpted ashen eyebrow. She gestures with a nod to the group and strokes the strings of her lute lightly. "They are waiting for you," she says, then speaks a spell and points in the direction.
The spell is Message
"I have chosen to remain here and discover the underlying cause for this pest. If you should travel to Pitax, please tell the girls to inform brother Yarnes that his protege has gone to meet Her."
Cyean nods "Lady Thalia, is sending the nurse over here to speak with us. She will inform us of where this cure is."
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Katie calmly defers to Thalia's second hush. There are more important things to do than get into an ego battle.
"I'm not the sole healer, just the leader. There are six healers in there. They just don't have the training I do. Thank you for directing me to your party. But if you stay, you should know precisely what you're facing. Wear a mask and gloves at all times. The symptoms are muscular weakness, nausea, fever, and eventually death. It didn't jump to any animal species. The herbal medications used to control the symptoms are nearly running out. Good day, dark mistress of the night. I'd stay and allow your friends to get it in my stead, but I don't know if they'd know what I'm looking for. I have no choice." She bows her head to her, and then calmly walks away. Katie takes a nice, cleansing breath, and walks away from Thalia.
After leaving Thalia, she follows Thalia's direction and goes to Cyean. As soon as she gets to him and anyone next to him, she folds her hands together and bows her head.
"Hello. My name is Katie Eaglefeather. This town is subject to a plague, magical in nature, but not unstoppable. The Elvish . . . I fear I cannot properly describe her without offending her in some manner, suggested you blokes would be willing to assist me. Perhaps in return, I can do something for you. You see, I need a root so I can make the healing medicine to counter this plague, but on my own, I'd never stand a chance. It isn't too far away, and it's rather common to be found. If you will help me, I'd appreciate it. So would the city." She is gentle and polite to the group as she speaks to them.
Cyean turns to Raxus, Mikam and Lothar "Yeah she met Lady Thalia." He than turns back to Eaglefeather "I am Cyean Gurov, yes Lady Thalia told us about it. We shall get going than." He than starts to ready his gear before waiting for the others to get ready as well.
Raxus does not wait, nor does he bother to introduce himself. He simply grunts and starts walking in the direction Katie indicates.
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"Greetings, Sir," she says gently to Raxus. "It does my heart good to see a second of the less common races walking by my side. Being Orcish, I tend to feel a bit the exile, being so far away from my h . . . from the other Orcs. And you, Sir Cyean, seem quite the warrior. I am glad of that. Whom else do I travel with? What news have you men of the road? By chance, have any of you seen an Elvish knight errant about? He's my . . . master. Or more precisely, I'm his assistant." She offers a polite handshake, but will not be affronted if Raxus does not accept it.
Raxus takes Katie's hand gently and a little awkwardly and says "Hello."
Winterflower watches the group depart and sighs. A mask and gloves, to combat a pest? she muses, and shakes her head. Like as not strain my piss and sh*t through my pants, and blind my eyes, too. She looks in the direction the solid nurse disappeared, and begins strumming quietly upon her lute and humming one of four hundred and thirty-seven known verses of an Elven ballad venerating Calistria through graphic descriptions of priests and priestesses engaging each other in lurid embraces, group sex and inspiring the same among foolish humans to feed Her lust beneath her breath. Her favorite verse is the two hundred and eightieth, a study of an elder elven priest seducing a pretty male acolyte. Winterflower pictures of her lover and shudders once, her fingers tightening ever so quickly on the frets of her lute, bending a note to no real ill effect. She allows the music to announce herself at the door, and pushes it open with the toe of her boot, peering at the citizens within.
"Which of you is familiar with the large nurse?" she inquires. "And is it possible to speak with the whore's latest customers? I need to find my sister."
"Pleased to meet you. Would you tell me your name?"
Raxus blinks as if the question caught him off guard. "Raxus." He says, standing there awkwardly, then releases her hand abruptly as if he had forgotten he was holding it and suddenly remembered.
His dark, leathery skin flushes and after another moment of having no idea what to do, simply turns to keep walking again.
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Katie allows Raxus to slip away, and watches Raxus for a moment. She scratches her head, then looks to Raxus with sympathy for a moment. Then she goes to Mikam and extends her hand in greeting.
"Good day to you, Sir. Who are you?"
Whether he accepts her friendliness or not, she nods with acceptance, and then begins leading the group toward the roots that she needs.
"So how long have you blokes been travelling together? Are you just meeting, or are you a professional military unit? I just want to know who I'm trusting my life with. Perfectly reasonable, wouldn't you agree?"
Cyean looks at Eaglefeather with the slight grin he had the first night he meet the rest of the group "I am a Taldan knight. As for how long we have been together not long."
Mikam moves along the dusty road with the group, moving in Raxus' shadow. Thank goodness we are getting away from that town. Although, she just walked right up to us...
In sudden horror Mikam stops, his boots seemingly rooted to the earth, his eyes wide with horror.
"You...Eaglefeather! You were in contact with the plague-ridden in that town, weren't you? So you have the plague! And here we are walking around with you...even worse, letting you walk around the countryside! Thank goodness we haven't run into anyone yet...you would have gotten them sick too!"
"Taldan is not an order, it is the people from where one hails." Cyean says to Eaglefeather he than looks at Mikam "Little bit late to be worrying about that now is it not Mikam?"
"Can't fight it. Might be able to cure it. You coming or not?." Raxus says with a glance over his shoulder.
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"Mister Mikam, was it? If I had the disease, I would be unable to travel with you. Fear and misunderstanding are two of the most dangerous side-effects of any plague. But if one adheres to safety standards, you can usually hedge out a disease. I am asymptomatic, Mister Mikam, so unless I come down with fever and muscle aches, and nausea and coughing, you have nothing to fear."
Katie leads the group for a bit, getting slightly ahead of them but not daring to stray far. She looks around her, getting her bearings and attempting to determine the best path to take. After a few moments, she decides on a course and heads that way.
"Thank you for explaining, Sir Cyean, that it was your home region and not your order. I had a rather . . . sheltered upbringing. Most of us never left the . . ."
She aburptly pinches herself on the arm, and then she breathes.
"So sorry. I have a bad habit of babbling. At least, that's what my Lord used to say. I'll work on being more concise."
Katie offers the group a sheepish, apologetic smile.
"And I am definately coming, good Raxus. This is too important not to. So what about the rest of you? Where do you come from and what can you do? The more we know about each other, the better we'll work together."
Katie snaps her fingers.
"By the way, what do you know of the lady? She seems rather . . ." ."
Katie waves her hand around, trying to come up with the word.
"Ah yes, choleric. That's it. She seems rather choleric. A melancholy like me may have some trouble coming to terms with her." ."
"Don't know those words. You are right if choloric means crazy."
"It means she gets angry quickly Raxus." Cyean tells Raxus before going on "We know she serves Calistria and all that entails."
"Don't know who Calistra is either, but I haven't seen anything so far that makes me think she deserves serving."
Mikam relaxes slightly at Katie's words. Then shrugs when Raxus asks if he is coming. "I am certainly not staying in this plagued town. So it seems that the best thing we can do is deal with the disease before it gets out of hand...and besides, we may engender some good will from the people of the town if we save some of them."
Mikam follows the group, listening to Katie.
"My mother revered the goddess Shelyn. I saw what her devotion could do and the hope and strength her worship gave her. Shelyn rewards and protects things of beauty. I respect my mother's goddess and I owe her my life many times over, but I cannot serve her."
"How about Gorum, Raxus? I worship him." Cyean says after hearing Raxus.
"Never heard of him."
"He is called the Lord in Iron. He is the god of battle. Pretty straight forward god. All he wants you to do is fight worthy enemies and do not attack the weak." Cyean tells Raxus what he knows of the god he follows.
"Who decides who is worthy?" Raxus asks with a furrowed brow.
Cyean shurgs "Normally if an enemy is attacking you they are worthy. If you want a better answer it is the follower who is fighting." He than snaps his fingers before going on to explain more "You should never attack someone without a weapon, someone who has their back turned and someone who cannot defend themselves. Anyone who fits into those rules are seen as weak at the moment so you are suppose to leave them alone."
"I think that is good mostly, but not always. Attacking from behind or when someone is weak is sometimes the only way to defeat an enemy who is stronger. I think fighting should only happen when it is necessary. I do not understand why people make it into something that it is not. There is nothing good about hurting people. It is like hunting. Sometimes it is necessary, but it should not become enjoyed or made important beyond the things that make it needed."
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Katie listens to the descriptions, and the discussions, with some rapture on her face. She enjoys what she's hearing.
"You're describing chivalry. The old tales of the great Knights, and the Lady Moriarty, the witch who led them. Sharai, the High Bardess, used to tell us their tales when I was a child. So tell me of Shelyn. Most of my life, I never held the Gods to be of any great importance. Back at h . . . school, they teach that Nature Herself is the source of everything, including the Gods. So, they were never really brought up to any significant degree."
"Shelyn is the goddess of beauty and love. My mother said love was the highest good and we should... foster... it wherever we could, especially where things were at their worst. She said love heals. I saw that. I also saw ugly things. I don't think love is enough to make things better. I don't know much about Shelyn."
"Hate is like hunting too. An ugly but sometimes necessary thing that everyone should do as little as possible. Doesn't seem like a balance to love to me. Love isn't like that. Seems like there should be a lot more love and a lot less hate just because of that, but that is not the way things are. Hate and love don't balance each other. They have nothing to do with each other. Light and dark are connected. Hate and love are like fire and stone. They couldn't interact less."