The Game is Afoot

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Rhysis

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Der padded slowly through the thick woods east of the Darkraven kingdom. The scent had grown faint. Rather than think this meant he was losing ground on his prey, though, he knew it to be caused by the artificial winds that blew every hour from the palace of Darkraven seated in the middle of Angelsprite Valley. It was a sign that the wise and powerful Darkraven family still ruled over the land, a sign the enemies of the elven family wanted desperately to banish, but had yet to find a successful way to do so.

But Der didn't care to retell the old story in his head. The Mystic Wolf was hot on the trail of his target. She had to have been counting on the faithful winds to blow away the scent enough to throw Der off. It hadn't worked. As Der continued to stalk his attention was caught, briefly, by the nearby presence of another. He paid little mind to it, though. He was the most threatening beast these woods had seen in centuries. Ironic, he realized, that he now walked those fabled woods in almost the exact same area, but that was also not something to concentrate on at the moment. For now, he simply hunted.
 
Long ebony curls bounced and swayed against her back while leather clad feet barely made a sound as she ran through the dark forest. Dressed in dark leather that nearly matched the liquid darkness of her eyes, Jewel felt not only at ease in the forest, she felt energized with each passing moment, as her small 5’3” frame weaved between lumbering trees and thick bushes.

She was hunting, but not for prey…For her friend and his scent was strong, which meant that it wouldn’t be to much longer tell their paths met! This was sort of a game for her and Der. Usually the shoe was on the other foot, with him popping up in her path, but this time it was her turn to surprise him. While she enjoyed being the one to track him for once, she knew it was not wise to catch him with out letting her presence be known.

Once she knew she was close enough to almost catch a glimpse of his moving form she opened her mind and spoke to him, a hint of amusement in her tone.

“Hey Der….Who or what are we hunting this time?”
 
"I think you know good and well what I was hunting. Looks like you got the upper hand on me." As Der approached his old friend, his demeanor suddenly became very serious as he looked to the western sky. "Stay down."

A jet black alicorn of immense size streaked across the sky, slowing only enough to protect its rider from injury as it landed. As soon as its hooves were on the ground, it shifted and dumped a somewhat startled looking dark elf warrior onto the ground below. The alicorn made only one look at Der, paying no attention to the female, then took off into the sky again.

Der recognized the animal easily. It was the companion used by Fang, of whom Der was at one time a familiar and alternate form to a very very long time ago. It was a long story of a time when everything was different, and Der did not feel like explaining it to Jewel. So he simply watched as the alicorn departed, then looked to the dark elf in contemplation. He spoke mentally to Jewel. -I would rather not reveal to this creature that I can speak until we find out why he was brought here. Would you mind?-
 
She watched in silence as the alicon dumps its passenger upon the dirt and return to the air. The started look upon the warrior face almost brought a grin to her lips, but her expression hardened as she heard Der’s words in her mind.
*Not a problem…Anything specific you wish to know just let me know*

She then turned her liquid gaze to the Dark elf who was starting to draw himself up from the ground. She took a few steps towards him, just out of reach of a weapon, and planted her hands on her hips, fingers laced lightly over the hilt of the swords that rested there. One brow rose as she spoke, her tone light for the moment.

“I don’t think your ride likes you much…”
 
Jex, still unsure of why the alicorn had chosen here of all places to dump him, looked at the two figures surrounding him. It was bad enough that the alicorn had taken him by surprise and carried him here, but now he was in a strange land, basically alone, and quite frankly, he was scared. He noticed that one had placed her hand at the ready, so he stood up and put his hands in the air.
"I do not know why I was brought here, but I mean no harm to either of you."
Jex had so many thoughts running through his mind, but the first question he needed answered was very simple.
"Where am I?"
 
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Der padded forward and sniffed at Jex. Being nine feet tall at the shoulders, the mystic wolf towered over most humanoids, save some of the more giant races. He took full advantage of his size and puffed out his mane, which bended to his will and formed razor sharps blades. In the mean time, Der spoke mentally to Jewel.

-He smells of fear and confusion. I know that alicorn that brought him here. If he were a threat he would have been eliminated. He was likely brought here for his own protection. I imagine the alicorn chose to drop him here because of my presence. Answer his question and ask him where he was before the alicorn took him.-
 
Jewel let one hand fall from its perch upon the blade handle of her left side and took a few steps towards the elf, slowly looking him over as Der’s words sounded in her mind.

Lifting her free hand and gesturing to the surrounding area she spoke as she slowly circled him tell she was once more face to face with him.

We…You, are in the woods east of the Darkraven kingdom, in the middle of Angelsprite Valley… My question is, where did you come from before arriving here ?
 
Jex's mind reeled in confusion. Darkraven? He did not even know where he had been before. All he knew is the last memory he had was of a giant black figure flying toward him, then he was hit from behind and knocked out. He was a long way from home, however. He thought back to the days of his youth. His father (as Jex would always refer to him) had raised him well, but had reminded him that because he was different, he would not be treated the same as any other elf. He was a dark elf, this is true, but a wood elf had taken him in and raised him as his own. He took warrior training, and excelled at it, but always, there was the longing to know his true heritage. Perhaps someday.
"I cannot fully answer your question, however I can say this. I am of no threat to you. I would ask your assistance, however. I do not know where I came here from, as it is a memory I cannot recall. But I know of a wizard that resides here in Darkraven. A wizard I despise. He and his minions raided my home village and destroyed everything. I only survived because my father hid me. Help me find this wizard, and I will be indebted to you for as long as I live."
 
It was times like these when Der wished he'd retained some portion of Fang's abilities when the two of them separated. The Darkraven family had ruled over the kingdom for hundreds of centuries. They had always ruled in peace with the neighboring lands. Even when CladDragon and CryClan had their hundred-year war in the mountains just to the west of the kingdom, Darkraven prospered because of the wise council of the Darkraven family. Der shared his thoughts with Jewel.

-The grandson of Dektr Darkraven still rules over the kingdom. They are not easily fooled by tricks. If there is, in fact, a wizard that committed these acts against this dark elf's home, it was either a justified assault, or the wizard he speaks of is not a well known figure, and lays in hiding within the kingdom, unbeknownst to the ruling body.-
 
She moved towards Der and laid a small gentle hand on his shoulder while she spoke to the elf.

“If you are of no current threat to me, then I am no threat to you…I am Jewel… Daughter of Nial…Child of Night… Please be at ease and speak your name dark elf…”


She trusted Der’s judgment of honesty and knew if he was willing to help the dark elf, then she would follow. For she may look to most eyes nothing more then a small female. But looks are often just a deception to hide what lies beneath the surface. Jewel was one of a kind in many ways and Der was one of the few who knew how good it was to have her on your side of a quest or battle.

*So, do we believe him and offer the aid he asks for old friend?*
 
Jex looked at the pair in front of him. He wondered if he should really trust them, then decided that since he was still alive, he should.
"I am Jex," he told them. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Jewel. And what may I call your friend?" His head still spun from all that had happened, but it was slowly stopping. "As I have said, the wizard I seek is in these lands. I know not his name, only that he wears a sigil of a bleeding eye. Anymore than that I cannot say."
Jex had one more question for them, but he was not sure he should ask it. Finally, his stomach made him ask.
"Do you have any food? I'm starving."
 
Der looked the elf up and down, making a show of acting as much like a wild dog as he could. It wasn't difficult. He was, after all, a canine and anything other than "wild" would fail to capture even part of his personality, but he was not ready to let the level of his intelligence be known just yet. So, when the word "food" came out of Jex's mouth, he perked up his ears and started padding away.

-Tell him you know nothing of a wizard fitting that description, but you will help to at least uncover the truth behind the situation. For now I think it best if I play the part of the pet. He will likely want to know where I am going. Tell him the word "food" is a signal word for me to go hunt. I have the beginnings of a plan, but it will have to wait for nightfall, a full stomach will help him sleep.-
 
She gave Der a pat on the shoulder, and spoke with a hint of amusement in her thoughts.
*Alright, you hunt, I’ll do the small talk thing…But please try not to bring back something to disgustingly covered with slobber eh?...Err, Der? What name do I give him for you?*

Tell Der either allowed her to give Jex his name or a suitable name to call him, Jewel acted as if she had not heard that part of his questions and skipped to the food part instead. She untied a wine bag from the belt of her waist and tossed it to the elf as she spoke.

“Well met Jax…I’ve no knowledge of this wizard you seek, but my companion and I will try to assist you in locating him. As for food..”
She motioned to the leaving Der.
“Food is a trigger word for him to hunt so I’m sure he will find us something suitable very soon, in the mean time there is drink for your throat.”

With this said she moved to a fallen log and sat down.

“You look like you could use a rest while we wait.”
 
Jex caught the wine bag and sipped from it. He was thirsty, but he did not want to waste what little Jewel had. He wiped his lips, grimacing from the bittersweet taste of the wine. He walked over to the log and sat down. Turning to Jewel, he spoke.
"Thank you for your kindness," he said. "I hope that we will be able to locate the wizard. He has wronged me and taken from me everything I held dear." He felt himself starting to well up at the thought of the attack on his village, and struggled to hold it back.
Jex took another swallow of the wine, then handed it back to Jewel. I hope that these two will be able to help me he thought. They are my only chance to finish my journey.
Jex felt haunted by the memory of the day his village fell. He didn't see all of what happened, as his father had locked him in the space under the floor of their home, but he would never forget the sigil the wizard wore. He saw his father and mother slaughtered at the wizards hands through the cracks in the floor. All he saw were the wizards gray robes and the bright golden sigil, bloodsoaked by the time he was finished. The bleeding eye. He knew that meant something, but he had not been able to find anyone after the attack that knew anything about it. He scoured every village he came across seeking answers, seeking vengeance. It wasn't until a year ago that he had stumbled across a lowly street magician that tried to rob him that he was able to get some sort of an answer. The magician had never seen a dark elf before, but assumed he would be easy prey. He tried to mystify Jex in order to steal his coin purse, but Jex was unaffected by the trick. The magician soon learned why it is a bad idea to anger a dark elf. With Jex's dagger digging into his throat, not enough to kill, but enough to bleed, he was asked countless questions. It wasn't until Jex saw a brand on the magician's palm that he started asking about the sigil. The mark on his hand was almost idential to that of the wizard's sigil, however part of it had been cut, as if an attempt to remove it had been made. The only question he was able to get answered was that the wizard was in Darkraven. After several more unanswered questions, Jex finished off the magician and set off, hoping to get away before any guards found the body.
While sitting next to Jewel, he told her all of this. When he finished, he waited for some sort of response.
 
-I see no reason to keep my name from him. He has no unusual powers as far as I can sense.-

Der was silent after that, when he'd been on the trail of the playful game he and Jewel had been playing, he'd caught scent of a colt in the area. With no scent of an adult equine anywhere around, it would make a perfect target. Alone, frightened, and not at all quick moving, it was easy to find, and even easier to overtake.

Der was back with the pair in short order, just before the sun began to set upon the horizon. As he neared, he began to share part of his plan with Jewel. -After the food and wine has had a chance to take hold and he falls asleep, I will travel to Darkraven palace and seek an audience with one of the royal advisors. They will be more easy to get in touch with than the king himself, and likely know as much if not more about the goings on within the kingdom.-
 
She listened intently to his tale and relayed it back to Der as he got closer. She understood his pain and wishes for revenge and knew that she as well as Der would do what they could to give him aid. With a sad sigh at the end of his words she stood and gave a soft squeeze to his shoulder.

“We will help you as best we can…For now lets get a fire going, Der should be returning very soon with a meal for us to cook. Some food and rest for tonight and when the sunrises we will see what we can find to hunt down this horrid wizard so justice can be done for you as well as all those he has harmed.”

To Der she spoke inwardly.

*If we can help him, we may also rid this world of another piece of scum…But I think this must be done with great care, Der, this mark he speaks of sounds almost familiar and brings me a sense of great unease and worry.*
 
Jex was taken aback at the kindness being offered to him. After all, it was not everyday that a dark elf was even spoken to, let alone as an equal. He took in everything he could, enjoying his self, knowing it would not last. Battle was in the air, he could feel it. His skin was starting to tingle, almost like the feeling of a powerful thunderstorm rolling by. He looked at the wine bag, and realized that while he was telling his tale, he drank more than he intended to. He hoped the food would arrive soon, as he was getting...so...sleepy...
 
Der brought the carcass back with ease. With a few expert swipes of his claws, it was stripped of fur and beheaded. He had no problem with Jex knowing that he was of above average intelligence. He just didn't want the dark elf knowing the full extent to that truth. It was likely that the warrior had never even seen a mystic wolf before. They were an ancient breed, extinct but for himself. The chances of this particular elf being old enough to have known of mystic wolves were very low. The only reason Der still survived was because of the connection he shared with the dragon waging war half a world away.

When the fire was built, and the strips of meat from the animal cooking on a crude spit over the flames, Der spoke again to Jewel. -Before the meal begins, give me some command to patrol the area. I want to catch the Darkraven dignitaries before they retire for the night.-
 
*Eat a little first...It will look wrong if your not fed aswell*

Once the meat was cooked and served up to the three of them, Jewel set with her back braced against the log and fed branches to the fire. Turning to the elf she motioned to ground near the fire.

“A full belly and a full night’s sleep will do you some good. The ground is the best we can do, but the fire will keep us warm and Der will provide security against any harm while we slumber.”

Jewel had no real intentions of sleeping, and she really did not need the rest, instead she would keep watch while Der went out to seek information. Turning to Der she spoke aloud…

“Der…Patrol…”

Inwardly she spoke to him again.

“Be careful and return as soon as you can…Be safe old friend”
 
Jex was at first hesitant to lay down, but eventually, exhaustion won over. He laid by the fire and relished the warmth it gave. Slowly, sleep began to overtake him, but unfortunately, it would not be a restful night. The moment his eyes closed, flashes of his village's attack flooded his mind...
 
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