Birathi (No longer accepting)

Jenko

Jenko sighed when the necromacer seemed to have gone off to do his own thing. He had wanted to talk to the group as a whole. He wasn't to worried though. Wyverys had already shared his thought on the matter, and proven himself still a valuble member of the team.

He took a deep beath before speaking.

"Some of you have already heard this, and the rest of you might have guessed, but I wanted to get this out in the open. Someone has told the king that we are trying to oppose him. From here on out it's about to get a lot more dangerous. Both for ourselves, and our families." He stole a glance at his siblings. "I wanted to give everyone a chance to back out now. Because you might not get the chance. We need all the help we can get, but I don't think it's fair to expect folk who we randomly encountered to risk their lives for us."

Haven

Jenko's words showed just why he was the leader. He really cared about his little band of misfits.
"I'm with you Jenko. My family has suffered once already for nothing. I will not allow it to happen again." Havens usual quietness melted away with his words. His tone was utterly commited and so was his heart. "And I'll stay with Taur," He nodded knowingly to Godric.
Hopefully having some space will cheer him up, Haven thought smiling to himself with the satisfaction kindness brings to the pure hearted.
He looked around staring each of them in the eye, almost challenging them to test his resolve then strode off to what would be his and Taurs room. He pulled his matress of the bad and laid it in the corner. Some of the lion like habits were just built in.

Lamika

"I was the first one to begin this journey, do you really think I would leave?" Lamika smiled and tried to act like she wasn't worried or afraid. Still, her voice shook and she could feel the seriousness in the room. "I'm not leaving."

Taur

If any doubt remained in the back of Taur's mind, Jenko's words put stay to it. He was a fine leader, but lacked the wisdom and experience of age. Taur would guide when necessary, but he did not want to lead. He had lead men of bare skin before, in battles forgotten over nearly a century. He had vowed never to do so again.
Yet this ragtag group of youngbloods had captured his heart; he knew he would rather lay down his life than see them fail.
By the Mother River, he would not see them fail.

Jenko

He breathed a sigh of relief. While he didn't want anyone to be forced to stay, he had been hoping they all would choose too. He really didn't think his powers of persuasion were up to changing anyones mind. He really wasn't used to speaking to near-strangers lke this, but the necessity of thier mission gave him strength.

"Alright," he said, smiling at the group. "I think we need to get to the coast as quickly as possible. From there we can get a ship almost anywhere."

"For that we're going to need supplies," Firego ponted out.

"I think Wyverus is going to help us with that. If he ever gets back here."

Lamika

"If he is he should get back soon. I'm so tired..." Lamika moved to stretch out and yawned. Haven had already left, and she couldn't help being jealous that he was probably already asleep. "We walked so much today, and we will tomorrow I'm sure. Who knows if we'll ever stop walking." Her words slurred as she finished speaking and the world spun as her eyelids fought to stay open.
"Alright Lamik, you win. We'll wait for Wyverus in Godric's room. Although I'm also weary from the days journey, and if Wyverus doesn't come soon we may just have to meet again in the morning." Jenko shrugged and kissed Lamika's forhead. "Goodnight, Lamika."
"Goodnight, Jenko, and everyone else," Lamika murmured, already giving in to sleep.

Wyverus

Wyverus returned from the secret basement inn hid beneath it's floorboards. That was the most crudely hidden trapdoor I've ever seen...
Wyverus emerged with two bottles of gin and a few knives, whatever would make the journey more enjoyable. He walked down the corridor of the inn, stopping at the room he detected Lamika in. He opened the door to see her completely at the mercy of the world of dreams. I guess sometimes I miss that place. He noticed that Lamika hadn't bothered to move her boots from the floor beside the bed. Although it would be awfully amusing, Wyverus used his better judgement and moved the footwear under the bedside table.
He left the room and entered Godrick's and Haven's to see Jenko standing with the rest of the gang. They still didn't seem so happy about this afternoon. Wyverus held up the alchohol. No reaction. He waved them a bit. Hmm. Tough crowd...
"You're not out of the woods yet Wyverus. We'll talk about today in the morning."

Wyverus nodded and gestured to Taur to leave the room and move to their own accomodations. Taur nodded and followed Wyverus out into the hallway and then across to the room. "Well," Wyverus sighed "I guess you'll be hitting the hay soon."
Taur stayed silent. "Look, I didn't mean to put you in danger today, it was..." Wyverus stopped. He knew that this was all his fault.

"Although I trust you with my life, Wyverus, you seem to be the only one in the group who refuses to express emotion. It makes me wonder if you truly belong on this journey. For all any of us know, you could have been the one who took Palleas' life. You have still to deny such claims".

Those words hurt Wyverus. A sensation he had never felt before. Emotional pain. Wyverus stared at Taur, as always devoid of emotion, and swallowed down the lump in his throat. Maybe I am a danger to the team. Maybe I don't belong here...

Jenko

Jenko frowned when Taur and Wyverrus went out into the hall, but Firego kept him from following.

“You can’t control everything that happens within the group,” said the younger brother. “If they need to work something out, you have to let them.”

He sighed, but he knew this was good advice.

“That was a good little speech you gave. No one would know how shy you are,” Firego continued, oblivious to the other people in the room.

“It helped that Lamika backed be up. I was worried she would be mad I hadn’t told her sooner.”

“What’s up with you two?”

He snuck a glance at Haven. The werelion didn’t seem you be paying attention, but Jenko assumed this was something he couldn’t really avoid hearing. He decided to answer his brothers questions anyway.

“Do you remember when I found her?”

“Of course not. I was practically a baby myself.”

“Well, ever since then I’ve felt that she was my special responsibility. Like, your my little brother, and I’ll always be looking out for you, but she has always been mine to protect. It bothers me that I can’t keep everything away from her.”

“She needs to live her own life,” Firego scolded.

“I know that!” Jenko countered. “It’s just hard or me to let go.”

Taur

Perhaps he had been too harsh on the necromancer. Not part of the team? Unlikely. Wyverrus was headstrong, mysterious, but he would not betray them.
Of course, all that could change. Palleas had been living and breathing one minute, and dead the next. Wyverrus had not killed him; Taur knew that much. But to mention it to the team would be less advantageous than remaining quiet. It would stir memories, open wounds. Jenko was a good leader, strong and willful, but he let himself be guided by emotion more than he should. Taur could see that Jenko tried, but he had seen too few seasons. He was not a warrior. Neither was Palleas, or most of the group.
Wyverrus though, he was a fighter. His temper was of concern. And this woman- Taur had not seen her, but already the necromancer's antics were becoming out of hand, and he was sure that it was linked to the woman. Taur needed to talk to him face to face and confront him about her.
"You look anxious, Taur," Wyverrus had almost read his mind, "What's up?"
Taur decided to be blunt; "Who is that woman?"

Lamika

the king's men came in the dead of night. Jenko and Firego were fast asleep, curled up next to each other for warmth. All the other travelers were asleep in the other room. Lamika woke up after dreams filled with swords and soldiers trying to kill her. Sighing, she tiptoed into the hallway and closed the old door behind her. It fell softly with a barely audible click. Lamika began to make her way down the hallway, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.
She turned, hoping to see Haven's face looking down into hers. A smile drifted onto her cheeks and she opened her mouth to say something, only to be stopped in shock. One of the King's men gazed down with dark eyes and a huge beard. Lamika regained her bearings only too late. the man's face swam out of focus a few times before finally fading entirely, and Lamika was dragged down the hallway and out of the inn.

Jenko

He sat up in bed with a start. Even in his dreams he sensed that something was horribly wrong. Everything seemed normal at first, but a glance around the room told him that his sister was no longer asleep in the other bed.

"Lamika?" he called, causing Firego to stir.

Jenko ran out into the hall and began to bang on the door of the other room.

"What?" someone shouted, grumpily awakening.

"Is Lamika in there with you?"

Haven opened the door, stll yawning. Jenko's heart sank. He had almost hoped the two had gone of somewhere together. He didn't wait for an answer before heading down the stairs, but Lamika was not in the building. He even tore into the street, but everything was apparently undisturbed.

"Where is she?" he said, returning to the inn. "What has happened to my sister""

Haven

I curled up on the mattress i had dragged onto the floor and drifted away into dreams of being a lion chasing a butterfly which had alighted on its nose making him sneeze. It was calm and almost cute.
Suddenly his sleep was interrupted by banging in the hallway and a call of Lamika. I pounced to my feet and opened the door with a yawn. Jenko looked almost disheartened to see me. Without another word he disappeared down the stairs, even running out into the street. I followed him downstairs into the now closed in only my trousers and attracting an unfamiliar look from the barmaid cleaning the floor.
"Where is she?" Asked Jenko. "What happened to my sister?"
"I don't know what happened to your sister mister but by the looks of it some drunks broke in. Woke me up. Place was a state." Replied the barmaid looking down at her mop.
"Jenko," i whispered, barely containing the edge of a growl that escaped my lips. "This doesn't smell like drunkards. It smells like them. Those soldiers from the cleaning. I smell steel and leather. They've been here."
"Are you sure?" Asked Taur from the top of the stairs.
"I'm almost certain." I replied. By this point the barmaid had disappeared, probably off to bed in the back room.
"But why would they take Lamika? Why not kill us in our beds? It doesn't make sens." Firego mind was clearly whirling with the disocvery.
"Well be glad they didn't kill us." Taur, always the wise old sage.
"No." This time i couldn't contain the growl in my shout. "They will regret leaving me alive. Frst my father, then my home. Now this. Where is Wyverus? We need weapons and food from somewhere in this godforsaken place. Then we move. If i can smell them, i can hunt them and together we can kill them all." I felt bouyed up by my anger, like the rage had taken over and left with a clear and pure purpose.
"We rescue Lamika," smiled Jenko.
"And we kill them all." Came the familiar voice of Wyverus out of the darkness. This time, he definitely sounded happy.

Wyverus

Wyverus was relieved that his and Taur's conversation had been interrupted. He didn't feel comfertable exposing his master right now, especially not when he, let alone the group, knew what she was up to. Taur rushed from the room, leaving Wyverus to let out a sigh of relief. He heard Jenko, Firego, and Haven calling for Lamika. Wyverus hadn't detected the men entering the inn, yet he was probably to deep in thought to notice. He was in a strangely angry mood and Wyverus knew why. A craving. In just about the worst time.

He could remember when Satina taught him.
"When a Necromancer is deprived of the essence of the dead, they become an entirly different person. A beast, craving for the satisfaction of taking the life of a mortal".
Wyverus felt tired. Oh no... He blinked, heavily and felt an urge that could overthrow the most strong willed of soldiers.

"We rescue Lamika"

"And then we kill them all" Wyverus said, emerging from the top of the stairs. Everyone seemed happy to see him. But this demon inside him could tell that nobody could detect his insanity.

Taur

Taur could see the group was descending into chaos. Haven was baying for blood, more lion than man. Jenko and Fiergo wanted their sister back. And Wyverus- Taur could feel anger rippling from the man. Necromancy was not something he dared dabble in.
Taur ducked back into his room to gather his few possessions. The group was rising, forming like a pack of hunting wolves at the foot of the stairs.
The old Oxman sighed.
"In war," he said aloud, "The greatest battle is knowing at which point you fall as low as those you see as fallen,"
The group fell silent for a second. The mood changed; Taur could still feel Haven's anger, Jenko's distress, Wyverus' bloodlust. Only now it came hinted with something altogether less violent.
Guilt.
These children had sworn to kill in cold blood. But who, Taur wondered, could really do so.

Jenko

Everything seemed to happen at once. The supplies we needed materialized, despite the late hour.As Jenko was throwing together his bag, Firego came to see him.

“It’s not your fault,” he said.

“How could it not be? They took her right out from under my nose. I slept through the whole thing!”

“You can’t be responsible for what other people decide to do,”

Jenko grunted, but his brother put a hand on his shoulder.

“Besides,” continued Firego, mournfully. “If anyone should be blamed it’s me.”

“What do you mean?”

“It was me who put the idea in her head to start this trip. We’d be home right now if not for me.”

Jenko started at his sibling. Firego always seemed so carefree, it hadn’t occurred to him to worry about how he was feeling.

“No, you were right the first time. The fault lies with the people who took her.”

Abruptly Firego hugged him.

“What if she’s already dead?” he murmured.

Jenko refused to believe that. “If they wanted to kill her, they would have just done it. I’m not sure why they wanted just her, but we are going to find out, and get her back in the process.”

He called to Haven. It was definitely time to get moving.