Hunt the Great Hellwyrm

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Fully aware of the eyes that found her with curiosity, she stood tall and let it affect her not. A delicate brow arched as one of the men addressed her. For a long moment, she said nothing, simply allowed her eyes to roam among each person inside and then to the alter. Her head tilted slightly as she moved down the center isle of the temple. " The scent of death was overwhelming and I'm afraid I just couldn't resist. " Her reply was cold, her words clipped short and to the point.

As she drew to the center of the temple she came to a halt and slowly turned in a circle, looking at everything. Her eyes closed and she drew in a deep breath, as if inhaling the death. Her lips curled into a small smile before she shook her head. " It would seem a beast is the cause of this destruction. Whatever these poor souls did to upset it must have been something. " Again she fell silent, turning now to face the one who had addressed her.

Regarding him with a deep, dark stare she finally spoke. Her tone was soft, yet harsh at the same time. " What do you and your men plan to do here? I see little use other than gathering a few trinkets from the dead then I personally would set fire to the temple and burn all within. There is a secret here, do you not feel it? " Her face was stoic, held little emotion as she began to look around again. Her head tilting, her eyes narrowed and she moved down the isle hastily, paying little mind to the squishing of blood at her feet. Stepping up to the alter she eyed the body that layed there then looked around. To them, she would most likely be viewed as crazy.

But there was a method to her madness. Looking to the cowering boy, she laughed. " Where are they? I smell them. " What did she speak of? Of course, she wondered why she even cared. Why should she even bother? Her's was not a compassionate soul, and she cared little for mortals and their ways. But yet, something seemed to be calling out to her. Moving around to the back of the alter, she paused as her foot found a hollow stepping. Her gaze shifted downward and she hefted the dead body up and flung it to her side, the resounding thud of it's landing echoed slightly in the quiet temple of death. Kneeling now, she pushed a heavy carpet aside, tossing it rather close to the young boy. What she saw now was simply a latch to what appeared a passageway.

Standing up, she pulled the wooden door up and let it flop back, blood splattered as it was disturbed and she looked to Lowthor. Her right hand rose and the back of it covered her nose as her face screwed up in disgust. The scent of something rotting, death, urine, assaulted her senses. " I believe good sir, that we have found something. " The statement said almost in a cheery tone. Without waiting, she stepped down and made her way down the stairs.
 
Asana's head turned as he heard Lox speak " A serpentine god, or demon worshiping cult, they exist even in the north, yet they are usually not as brazen as these men" He said slowly before looking back towards the alter it seemed unlikely that what had escaped was a good thing. With a twitch of his red wings he looked at the alter with some trepidation. Asanas ears caught the sound of the womans horse moments before she came into view but as she was not leading a direct charge he could see little use in warning everyone.

Turning his torso and then his neck his eyes fell upon the woman a curious look crossed Asanas face, she seemed familiar as if something seen in a dream years ago brought back from the mists of memory. If Only he could recall where he had seen her before, but the moment came and went . Lox had resumed speaking and Asana knew better than to ignore another mage when they were more informed about what was going on. "This gathering amounts to little in the ways of changing the past, but perhaps avenging it and allowing the souls of the departed to rest in peace, for even now they are tied to this place, Can you not hear them whispering in anguish ? " he said softly before looking back to the woman.

"I must agree though that these few cultists were not the cause, or if they were this cults power is far beyond that of anything I have ever seen. Yet if we do nothing this place would continue to gather scavengers who wish to use the essence of the dead to fuel their own desire for power. " He said softly he could tell the woman was more than what she appeared. It was a simple Understanding that she was far more than an average woman. Thankfully Baros was handling it. Sadly it seemed that the woman was not the only company their merry band had attracted. Asana felt a chill run through his wings, something he only felt in the presence of a dragon yet here was a man who seemed normal enough, and certainly not a dragon disciple.

Looking on the man called Fang Asanas eyes narrowed through the visor in his helm. Licking his lips he spoke turning to fully address the man " I am Asana Tremon, of the holy order of Tyr, what brings you here my good man ? " he said although he was regal in his address something about sensing a dragon and not seeing one made him far more nervous than facing a dragon head on. It was then Asana heard the woman speak again. She sounded mad, or perhaps as one with the sight.

Feeling he was trapped between two beingshe could not identify, nor grasp to undertstand at the moment he could only keep his eyes on the man before him and hope Baros could take the woman before him if she turned out to be far worse than she already appeared to .
 
Baros searched the other fallen cultists quickly, whilst the woman investigated the trapdoor. He was amazed that it had survived the town's destruction, and assumed that it must be protected by powerful magic.

"Stay back from the trapdoor.." He said but his voice trailed off when he noticed that she was already heading down the stairs.

"Asana. Would you please follow her? I think there may be traps or wards down there. The trapdoor survived a massive firestorm, so it is clearly protected." He did not wait for a response, but instead walked back to the boy.

"What is your name?" He asked.
 
His primary purpose here was to gather information. It would be necessary to take to the Elder Council so they could decide on a course of action. Already two of the other elders had contacted him to see what he had discovered. Luckily, being a master of mental energies, he could respond to them without allowing anyone outside the lines of communication know. As innocent as it may have been, it would only serve to raise suspicions about him. He nodded in response to the question as he watched the female descend the uncovered stairs. "Greetings, one and all. I am called Fang, on most planes of existence. I am a realm-traveling guardian. As I am sure is no surprise to any of you, the recent events here were felt across many worlds. For now, I am here simply to observe."

Fang could sense the anxiety about him. One of them had identified his species, though not specifically pinpointed it to him. His senses told him precisely who. He felt about as he followed the female down the stairs. Knowing he could obtain nearly all the useful information about these creatures in an instant, he chose not to use his full capability of senses and probes. It would be risky to do so in a situation such as this, with various other creatures of a range of talents. Most of his abilities could go undetected, but there were some that, to the right type of creature, would light him up like the sun. He was going to be here for some time anyway. So he would be more subtle about it, and at the moment, this female proved the most interesting for his information gathering purposes.
 
Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, she paused a moment to allow her eyes to adjust to the dimness. Taking a few steps, her brow raised as she stepped in something rather squishy. Looking down she snarled lightly under her breath. " Oh nice. Feces. " Kicking her booted foot, she flung the offending matter from her boot and laughed a little as it went flying. " Disgusting. " Right about then she turned and glanced over her shoulder, tilting her head in question at the one who followed.

Slowly, her eyes roamed him, drinking him in and smiled. Ah yes. She recognized him instantly but did not let on that she did. His kind had a certain.. aura about them and being she dealt often with them, she knew them within a matter of seconds. Nodding her head just a bit, she turned and began to look around. Before her lay a long corridor that seemed to slope downwards as if going deeper into the earth. A chuckle of amusement escaped her as she spoke to Fang. " Too bad you can't light the area with your flaming tongue huh? "

Now, she walked, a normal pace yet not in any hurry. The deeper she delved into this underground dungeon the stronger the scent of decay and rot became. Finally she reached a large iron door, from which behind it she could hear soft murmurs. Swinging her sword around before her, she readied herself for whatever may lay on the other side as she began to pull the door open. It groaned as the hinges came to life and a soft light drifted out through it's opening. Once it was completely ajar, she stepped to the doorway and stood there, her eyes moving from left to right. Even for someone like her, the scene before her was a little much.

Women scattered like frightened rats as she stepped inside, lowering her sword to her side. The fear that emanated from these women would have touched someone else, but to her, it showed weakness. Although, given their situation, who could really blame them. Looking to a group of three women huddled in the farthest corner, she spoke softly. " Whatever you have endured is over. Come. " That was all she offered as she looked to a small child, no more than maybe three or four years of age. It was alone, laying next to what she assumed was the child's mother.

Stepping lightly, and choosing her steps carefully, she approached the child and squatted down a few feet away from her. Laying her sword down next to her, she held out her hand, her eyes moving from the child to the lifeless body upon the cold ground. From the looks of it, the woman had been dead a long time. She didn't pay any attention to the other group of women, but could feel their eyes upon her. Her eyes softened just a little as she looked back to the child.

" Come little one. This is no place for you. " Her tone was soft, barely a whisper. Slowly the child stood up and began to move towards Amelina. She hesitated just before she would place her dirty hand into the woman before her. Looking back at her mother, she child acted as though she would retreat and return to her side, but she did not. She took that final step and placed her hand into Amelina's, her little eyes tearing up.

Pulling her into her arms, Amelina's rose, plucking her sword from the ground as she did. Holding the child snugly against her with one hand, she looked to the other women. " Do you wish to stay here? " she bit out at them rather harshly. She would assume that anyone who had been stuck down here for even a few minutes would have ran out the door as soon as it had opened. Obviously these women had been through much.

Looking to Fang, she moved towards the door. " Help them out will you? " She gave him a small smile, something that was not often offered and moved past him. Making her way back towards the staircase. The child softly whimpering in her arms, held onto her tight, and unknowingly her heart opened a little to this child. That would be rectified the moment she reached the Temple. Someone else would take this child off her hands.
 
With a snort the old fellow on his mount awoke noisily. His lips smacking beneath the shadows of his hood, which swayed back and fourth across the temple entrance. Seeing the remainder of the party having made their way toward the temple grounds it was clear Aramil did not entirely agree with the course of action. Shaking his head, his leather boot spurred the horse forward slowly toward the temple. Had he not heard the following yelp from the captive cultist who he'd secured to his horse earlier, he would have forgotten all about the man. Casting a brief, backward glance at the man who dragged in the dirt behind his mount he offered no more than a shrug.

Stopping the horse by the crumbled entrance of the temple, he glanced over the party, just in time to see several of them slip into the trap door. His hood shifted softly once more, indicating the shake of his head beneath the garment. Eventually his weary eyes found Rand, among several of the bodies. Trotting slowly over to the able thief, he managed, in a hushed voice he questioned; "Anything worthwhile...?" The question passed conversationally before being quickly followed with a clear statement; "I hope nobody expects my old ass to hobble down those steps. I can smell the shit from here."

Once more, his hood quaked with another disturbed shake of his head. His voice rising above the hushed level he had used with Rand to question to nobody in particular; "What shall we do with this one...?" A glance in the direction of the cultist, who seemed to be coming to indicated the source of his question. The old man was less concerned with the cultist's well-being than he was with finding out what this was all about and he hoped his companions felt the same way.
 
Asana knew when he was being given shit detail, but he accepted it, mainly so he could get out of the room with the body of the knight. Clearing his Throat as he stepped down the stairs and looked at the womans back. It seemed a strange company to search a dungeon, let alone one under a temple. It was clear he was in the presence of two people who seemed to have ill care towards what they may encounter and while the elf found it strange to travel into a dark hole with a woman and another man he resigned himself to it and followed the woman down the stairs with a full awareness that Fang was behind him.

Asana knew that he was stuck in a position that left him little leeway for a good defense if either or both of the new comers turned on him. Baros could have at least sent Rand or Lox to watch his back. Taking a deep breath he looked forward as the woman spoke the presence of shit meant that was some kind of creature living down here until very recently and because it seemed to have stuck to her shoe it was more recent than not. As the hole grew darker Asanas eyes adjusted quickly, although he knew he could easily conjure a fire ball to guide them down the halls, but it would be of little use if it drew out what ever possible monsters lurked in these tunnels.

"You both seem rather well acquainted with one another " He said in passing as they moved along the corridors. It was clear that he was the only one out of the loop, but the sense of a dragon was still present which meant he was with the dragon. The woman seemed brash enough, but still it seemed to be following him which would mean it was the man called Fang. As the leader of their little jaunt drew her weapon Asana drew both of his rapiers their auras giving off enough light by which to see clearly. As the woman pushed the door open and looked inside Asana glanced around the inner chamber it was not something that tugged at his heart strings, rather it made him angry. He was accustomed to humans and had many friends who were of that ilk, but to see them degraded to being as close to pigs or orcs was despicable.

Clearing his throat a little as the smell of these people got to him even through his helm he turned and looked towards the way they had entered. He Listened as the woman seemed to be ministering to a child. It was clear this was the place for a woman's kindness and sternness not the place for a grief stricken elf. Turning he walked past Fang towards the stairs his wings twitching as he did so.
 
Lox's Whispers

Lox had remained above ground, and while the others held their commotion about secret passages and prisoners and other ungainly things, Lox Regardie took the opportunity to seperate himself from the group a bit.

The light-footed Seer crossed his arms over his chest and quietly strolled away from doorframe that marked the entrance to the morose and useless Temple, passing the Old Man and the tied cultist boy. he stopped for a moment and allowed his eyes to focus, then continued on a ways toward the remains of several burned out houses further up the road.

He was alone quicker than he thought. Terrible quick, he found himself plagued by a sudden fear and irrationality. He was walking down an ash choked alleyway, black window frames glaring at him from all sides. A breeze kicked up a bit of debris, and Lox found his hand over his mouth.

Sudden.

It felt like he had been gone for a long time, in reality he had only walked away from the group. Why was he feeling so paranoid? Was it the taint of this place. Lox spun around to return towards the safety of the group, when something shocked him into taking a step back.

A face was staring at him from the charred opening of a window. It was ghastly white and possibly feminine at one point, but most of the flesh had rotted off it and it had no eyes to speak of. Then its mouth moved, and a whispery, far-off voice began, but Lox couldn't make out what it said.

The Seer put his hands up defensively and began to formulate a spell within his mind, but as soon as he did so, he noticed there was only ash-choked air filling the window. He could not free himself from the thought that perhaps it had been a trick of the mind.

Regardie turned and stepped towards the mouth of the alley, carrying himself quickly towards the sought exit and to the comfort of the group. He reached the corner, turned and glanced up, seeing the horse and the old man, and he felt relieved. then he felt a cold hand upon his shoulder, and he felt the warmth drain from him. It was sudden, and Regardie's eyes widened for a moment, then he found himself slipping off into blackness, and he saw no more.

As he fell into unconciousness, he heard something whispering in a cooing, breezy voice, from somewhere far away.

"...Hell...worse things than...ell...Hel...me...Locked here...dragonnnn..."

Lox choked out something of a shout, but he couldn't know if it was in his mind or voiced audibly. In reality, it was only a whisper in itself.

His small body hit the ash-covered ground, and something of a mist or a fog had gathered around it, unshaped but roiling.
 
One of the women eventually spoke. Her voice was barely audible at first. It struggled to be heard even above the noise of footfalls upon the stone floor of the temple's bolthole.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Are you with those men that locked us away? My sister, she had a vision, and we persuaded the priest to let us hide down here. The sea god protected us, but when we went outside, those men sent us back to the room. They killed my sister.." She said, and then started sobbing.
 
Fang was silent by nature. He found it much more useful to allow events to unfold before him without much of his own interjection. It was much easier to slip away unseen if you had yet to make a spectacle of yourself. So, when Amelina addressed him after they reached the bottom of the stairs, he simply nodded once, despite the fact that a "flaming tongue" wasn't all that accurate of a description. Most dragons released fire with their breath weapons. Since he had control over what his aura displayed, he knew that all she managed to receive from him was the fact that he was a dragon, and nothing more specific. The only reason he did not completely change what it showed is because it would not do well for him to keep such a dramatic secret, and possibly later be forced to explain himself. He would not deny being draconian, but neither would he flaunt it.

He nodded to the elf as he chose to depart, and observed the female silently. Simultaneously, he was alerted to what was happening with Lox and the others still above ground. It was not long before Amelina, too, left with the child, and Fang was in the room alone with the confused and frightened women. As one of them addressed him, he turned his head, ensuring that the others had departed. He then turned his head back and spoke in the voice of an elder, which echoed upon itself, as well as against the walls of the room. "I am The Waking Dream."

That answer to her first question was the only one he allowed. As soon as the words were spoken, the red glowing of his eyes shifted to yellow, and a small pulse of mental energy was sent all around the room. Emotions calmed and the women felt at ease as the one before them suddenly became easily trustworthy. He politely gestured for them to take the stairs. As they did, he moved over to the body of the one who had perished. Pulling the shimmering holy blade from its scabbard on his side, he gradually pointed the tip of the heavenly sword at the breast of the deceased figure while his eyes changed back to their standard red. With one quick thrust, the body was gone, and a fresh layer of dust settled over the floor of the room. Having given the mother as proper of a funeral as he could, the sword was replaced and he moved back to the stairs, catching up to the women halfway.
 
Amelina paid little mind to the two men as she walked up the stairs and entered the Temple once more. She said nothing to anyone as she sat the small child down on the cold stone. Stepping away, the little girl quickly went after her and she found herself looking down into the tearful eyes of the little mortal. Shaking her head, she gently placed her hands on the child's shoulders and pushed her back a few steps. " No. You can not come with me little one.. I am sorry. "

Moving once more away from the little girl, she looked back towards the trap door and the others as they seemed to slowly filter out of the hole they had lived for so long in. Looking to Fang, Asana and the women, she nodded. They were free now, and with any luck, they would remain so. Gasting a slow glance back as the child, she saw she hadn't moved at all. Still stood, with her hands folded into each other before her staring up with tears silently streaming down her face.

" I can't. I just can't. " she said to herself. Turning, she swiftly made her way up the isle towards the entrance of the Temple. She heard nothing, ignored all. Should the child cry out to her, those cries would fall upon deaf ears. Giving a whistle, she pulled her hood up and stepped outside. The fresh air was welcomed after the stench of death she had just been in. Looking to the sky for but a second, then to the others gathered outside, she felt like retching.

Zeus, having heard his mistress's call reared and galloped towards her. As he neared, she lunged and grabbed his mane, pulling herself upon his bare back as he passed. He slowed to a trot as she turned himself around and she looked to the temple again. There was nothing she could do here. Nothing at all. And she was not going to fall for mortals again, not after what had happened. To care for a mortal meant to lose sight of one's self. Never again. Tearing her gaze away from the temple and the now small girl standing in the entrance, her and her companion began to ride slowly back out of the city of ruins.

A sound caught her attention and she looked in the direction of a swirling fog. Tilting her head, she motioned to Zeus to turn and he did. Slowly he stepped towards the mist before coming to a stop. Looking down, she could see a body, one she had seen upon entering this place. Ironic was it not? There was obviously something more going on here than met the eye. Calling to the old man she spoke clearly. " You have a man down over here. Alive, just.. unconscious. " With that said, she backed Zeus up slightly and turned him, once more intent on leaving the city.
 
There is something to be said for being perceptive, and it isn't always a wonderful thing. Lox was still breathing, but if anyone could have reached out and touched his crumpled form, they would have been shocked at how cold he was.

Then the mist leapt up, tendrils of fog detaching themselves from the Seer and swirling about itself like some sort of nether-wrought vortex. The fog-like substance shifted and floated across the ground toward Amelina, and there was the vague hint of a humanoid presence about it. The almost sad grimace of a skeletal face erupting from time to time from within the confines of the mist, and streaks of bluish light that might have been hands, or claws, or a spinal column.

The mist was silent as it made its whispy approach, then it morphed, and the image of a young woman faded into view, a woman with long black hair and noe eyes, and only a toothy grimace to mark an otherwise fleshless face.

The wraith lifted a hand toward Amelina and seemed to grow, the bluish fog twisting around a bent, incorporeal form and giving the idea both of more lucidity and more concreteness at the same time.

There too occured the terrible mental, or perhaps emotional effect generated by the Wraith's unfathomable Will, and even one so clearly not-mortal as Ameline would feel an incessant tugging, a mental breakdown that would both draw in and confuse, giving the mind the effect of lost time and disorientation.

A whisper shifted through the ashy air, from very far away, "...Save...child..."

"Follow...hel...p..."
 
The Old Man had been distracted with thoughts of just what to do with the captured cultist. He certainly didn't want to drag him around the rest of the way. And they needed more information if they were to combat this unknown creature. The answer was obvious, but he suspected the others would not go along with it so willingly. It was to this extent that he considered how best to convince them of the necessity of finding out what he knew.

His thoughts were suddenly interupted by the woman who had climbed out of the hole and was on her way out of the temple. His hood swayed to the side, his gaze cast toward her and The Magician. What followed was a mocking, almost irritated groan. Aramil's raspy voice eventually fled from the shadows of the hood. "Oh, get up would you! For the love of... You're too young to be and there is still a long journey ahe--" He was cut short by the changing form of the mist and the obvious implication of Lox's troubles.

He was faced with a very interesting and serious dilemma in approaching the sudden disturbance. The one thing he knew was that the horse beneath him would not stay calm for long with the rotted apparition present before them. Already the animal was back tracking slowly, despite Aramil's best intentions to keep it in line. Turning to the temple door, he spoke in a calm, yet urgent tone; "Uh... The rest of you might want to come out here. I think our Magician friend is in some discomfort..."

Not surprisingly, the old man made no move to try and help Lox. He was quite comfortable where he was, a safe distance away from the creature who was now advancing on the woman. After all, he could hardly tame his horse at a distance, there was no telling how the animal would react if he were actually within striking distance of the ghoul that lingered in the streets. Aramil, for one, was not inclined to find out, either.
 
Glancing back over her shoulder, she looked to Lox as she heard a distant whisper that found her easily. Her brows raised as a Wraith stepped out of the swirling depths of the mist. Her eyes remained on the tormented soul and as it reached out towards her, she turned Zeus to face it. Slipping off the horse, Amelina took a step forward towards the wraith and smiled.

Would this being know who she was? So often she called upon the wraiths to cause havoc here and there. But no, she could tell this one was a recent addition to it's present situation. Another step taken. Her right hand moved to tap the side of her head lightly. " It won't work. " The words spoken lightly. She knew the old man was near, but paid him little attention at the moment. He was a safe enough distance away, while she was right in the middle of it all.

Amelina pulled her gaze from the wraith to look at Lox. Drawing herself closer to him she looked back at the wraith, seeing it still coming towards her, though hesitantly. Could it sense her? Did it know what she was? " What do you want? Leave him. " she spoke to it sternly, almost demanding. She wouldn't let anything happen to Lox, though she wasn't entirely sure why she cared. Already she had saved a child and three women. Not exactly someone in her line of... occupation would do.

It seemed as though the wraith was not going to stop but then a few feet from Amelina, it paused and tilted it's head. A smile came across her lips again as she realized it was not dumb enough to advance further. Deciding to test her theory, she moved towards it, closing the distance with two steps. Would it retreat or stand it's ground? Just how desperate was this creature and how much did it crave what Amelina could give it?
 
The thing, the terrible, mist-choked undead thing gave a pallid wail of torment and shifted in place for a moment. It appeared as though perplexed, the image of blackened bones amid whispy flesh swaying back and forth over the downed Seer.

Then it retreated, shifting back a few feet from the curious woman and fading into nothing. For some reason, Ameline was to much for it, whatever she was.

Then it was gone, leaving the unconcious Lox to the ashy air.
 
Silence. That was all that came from him.

When the others were turned toward the scene around Lox, Fang placed his hand on the child's shoulder, inducing a calming sleep filled with relaxing dreams, something the girl likely hadn't had in quite some time. After easing her to the floor he shifted over to the women who had recently exited and did the same with them.

Silence.

His senses made him well aware of what occurred with Amelina, Lox and the wraith. Ordinarially he would have likely chosen to intercede. There was a secret the woman was hiding, however, which left Fang completely confident in her ability to handle the wraith. This aws only proven true when it fled from her, as he fully expected it to do.

Silence.

He moved over to the cultist and inspected the wounds. A quick tap on the scabbard at his side followed by a few quick movements and a flash of white from his eyes, and the more severe damage was greatly reduced. With another wave of his hand he produced a small platter with a single piece of gravy-soaked bread and some strips of meat. It was a quick conjuration that would ultimately do nothing to actually nourish him, but it would ease the hunger pangs for a time.

Silence.

The elder dragon, in the shape of a human, leaned against a devastated pillar. His senses stretched out along the landscape. His eyes turned up to the small trail left behind by the Hellwyrm. Messages continually streamed back and forth between himself and the Elder Council. They had become highly political, and relied on him for action. That was not to say they were not more than capable of intervention when it was necessary, but Fang had become, essentially, their flagbearer. Now here he was again, performing the deeds of the council as the only true neutral elder amongst them. What he would find out, or when he would choose to actually act, was a matter of a waiting game. Until then...

Silence.
 
Rummaging through the stained and dirtied robes of the cultists was far from a pleasant tasks - it appeared that one of their edicts was against personal hygiene - but it did yield some earthly reasures. Rand pocketed a handful of coins, taken from small purses, and three rings of differing designs, probably taken from the cults previous scrifices "Well, they won't be needing them now" he muttered to himself.

Rising from the last of the slain, he smiled at Aramil as the old man made his way over. Rand grinned at the older mans question, then looked back over to the trapdoor which had become the focus of attention. He gave a short , quiet laugh.

"There's always something worthwhile, if you look hard enough" he said, opening a hand to show one of the rings, and band of gold clasping a small Emerald "And there's no way i'm going down there either. Quite apart from the stink, I don't want to go into a dark, infested, probably bloody dangerous hole in the ground!"

He smiled again at Aramil, and decided that he liked the old man. From what he'd seen so far, he wasn't going to start flailing a sword around, or zapping magic at all and sundry, something the others couldn't say. Plus, he seemed to say what was on his mind, without mincing his words. Another trait Rand appreciated. With a flick of his thumb, Rand tossed the ring in his palm to Aramil, and headed towards the open trapdoor and as it turns out, into the flow of dirty, bedraggled, tired-looking women.

"Burn me! Where did they come from?!" he asked of no-one in particular, before moving to help the women from the trapdoor.
 
Asana's Attention found Rand with a shake of his head and pointed to one of the dead cultists and shrugged. " They were locked down there for what purpose we can only surmise, but that is not our worry, we need to move and quickly to the Chapter House of the Burning Blades, and get some equipment and follow the trail of what ever destroyed this town in hopes we will Not have a re-occurance. " He said quickly before turning slightly and scanning the room closely looking for Lox. " Also Rand, remember anything taken from evil in a good cause is not theft, but liberation towards greater goals" He Smirked under his helm as he headed out of the cracked and breaking door way of the temple his eyes looking for Lox.

It took a moment before Asana noticed the woman and her horse. It seemed strange that she would have Entered and then left so quickly, perhaps she was a spirt guardian sent by Tyr, to make sure those women were saved. It didn't matter what she was when he noticed Aramil, and his prisoner. They were looking at Something but it seemed to have vanished when Asanas eyes found it, what did catch his eye was the form of Lox on the ground. Spreading his wings as he walked towards them he could feel some anger and worry about his newest friend. Looking to Amelina he spoke in a hushed yet hasty tone " What Happened here ? " he said looking down to Lox as he knelt down at the Seers side.
 
Starting to kneel, she stopped and looked to Asana as he joined them. Shifting her gaze back down to Lox she shrugged. " I know not. I found him this way and alerted your men. Only one stepped forward yet at the same, remained far enough away. He is alive. " Allowing her eyes to shift back to Asana she took a step back as he knelt beside the seer. There really was nothing else she could tell him, for she knew nothing. One thing she did know was that the being that had manifested then vanished knew who she was. If not, it sensed her aura. Shaking her head, she looked back to Lox.

" Do you need any help? " she spoke to Asana quietly. She would wait to see if she was needed, and if not, she was going to roam the city and see what was left of it. She knew there would be a hint as to where the creature responsible headed, and with any luck, she would find him before the Elder. Or perhaps, they could join forces and find him together. Shrugging off the thought, she cast those cold eyes on Asana for a final time, waiting to hear what he had to say, if anything.
 
Lox was still unconcious, and his skin was cold to the touch. His haggard breathing revealed the horrible truth; the wraith had literally drained his life's energy off.
 
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