Shayla Knosis's Story

Tugark flinched at the word 'beast'. "Please do not call me that." He pleaded.

"I do not remember where these tunnels go either.. My memory is foggy in some parts, clear in others.. And some seem to be like a dream I had while I was in my deepest slumber. So this is a mystery to me as well as it is for you." He said mostly in a whisper. Well, as close as a whisper something as huge as he could manage.

But suddenly he stopped, his eyes widening as they came upon a room similar to the room with the island and stone within that had released him. "We must turn back now." He stated. "We should not be here. You, more so than I." He said, gruffly.

"You are what you are as I always say," Lady Samsara said before she continued. "But if you prefer that I not call you what you are then I shall refer to you by your chosen name. I am a lady and a lady can compromise even with... creatures of your stature." Lady Samsara had almost called him a beast again but refrained.

When Tugark warned her of the room they were about to enter, Lady Samsara loosened the rifle from her shoulder. The woman held it in her hand in a way so that if she needed to do so the rifle could be used in a very swift manner.

"Dangers are a part of discovering secrets and histories of the world. I am not afraid of a little danger. I will, however, leave if you insist, Tugark," Lady Samsara said, taking several steps into the room.

"There are even more dangers in uncovering things that should never have been brought up from the past.." Tugark hissed, his ears folding back against his thick mane. He would hesitantly follow her, his eyes on the stone with glowing red text in the ancient tongue he spoke in. "There are some secrets that should never be awakened.." He muttered.

"And some that have been waiting for you to wake up for ages, Tugark~" A voice echoed off the walls, although it started off as a whisper before it could be understood. Tugark's fur stood on end. "We are too late.." He murmured, his voice disheartened. "We must go now, m'lady..!" He urged Lady Samsara. "There is no time, we must go!" He rushed over to her, and willingly or unwillingly, he would pick her up in a fireman's carry, careful with his claws, and begin to barrel the opposite direction.

The beast would not stop until they were completely out of the temple.

Pathos Methedon stumbled through the tunnels that lead into the Altar Room. He stank of hard liquor and mumbled incoherent words beneath is breath. The elven man didn't know where he was, nor where he was going. He had been wandering in a drunken stupor for days.

Pathos swatted at invisible spider webs and tripped over a rock. His arms braced against a larger rock to save himself from falling. It took him a moment longer to pull himself back up onto his feet and continue forward.

Another tunnel opened up to his right and Pathos took it. It didn't matter which way that he went, only that he kept going. The elven man reached into his cloak and pulled out a sliver flask. It was dented and dull but it still served its purpose just fine by him. Pathos uncorked it and drank a long swallow of the liquor.

"Empty," he said once he had finished. In a flash of rage, he punched the rock wall. A small rain of rocks, pebble, and dust settled on his shoulders and in his hair. Pathos's knuckles were bruised and the skin had broken. A trace of blood ran down the old bandages on his hands.

Pathos chuckled darkly and continued into what seemed to be a room.

The room was dimly lit with a red glow. Red text could be seen on a rock in front of a wall, although the rock had broken in half and fallen to it's side. There seemed to be a connecting room, smaller than the chamber. And there, inside the smaller room, laid a box.

It was no ordinary box, it would seem. The ebony thing was carved intricately and with unmatched craftsmanship with the things that were found into today's world. Demons and angels danced and fought each other on the carved box. What seemed to be the only thing holding the box shut was a lock that was shaped inside an angel's hands with a matching wooden blade stabbed through it as a facet.

The red text could also been seen surrounding the box in a wide circle in the room.

"Hn," Pathos mumbled as he stumbled his way over into the inner chamber. His sluggish eyes settled onto the box. What a fine treasure he had found it seemed. A slow grin spread across the drunk elve's face and he approached it. Pathos tucked the dented flask in his cloak.

"Wha'd d'we 'ave 'ere," Pathos said as he reached out to the box. His hand touched it and his fingers ran across the elaborate art. The images were blurred in his vision but still Pathos could tell that it could fetch a nice price. It would replenish his liquor surely.

"Le's see wha's inside, hn?" Pathos commented before he attempted to unlock it.

As soon as he touched the lock, it fell from the box. A 'whoosh' sound escaped into the box, as if it were sucking in a breath for the first time in a while. A black mist escaped from the lips of the lid, spilling out to the floor like puffs of smoke. It quickly filled the small space and covered the floor.

Then the lid would fall open with a loud 'crack', followed by a plume of the black mist bursting towards the ceiling and filling the room completely. "Finally, I've been freed.." A voice sounded from within the shroud of mist. The idea of freedom seemed to full of lust for the woman, and her tone carried the sensation. A few moments later, the mist would retract slightly, leaving a tan elf woman standing before Pathos. Slowly, she would walk up towards Pathos and gently place a chained hand on his cheek. She was easy on the eyes, even for an elf woman.

"Is it you.. I have to thank for my freedom..?" She asked softly, her tone carrying a seductive tone that seemed to carcass her words every time she spoke.

Pathos did not shy away as the event unfolded before him. The elf only frowned. Deep creases between his brows formed and his eyes steeled.

When an elven woman stepped forth from the mist, Pathos's jaw clenched. Her hand touched his face and Pathos almost drew back from the woman. His eyes traced the woman from her wrist to her eyes.

"Aye," Pathos said. "I s'pose that I did, laddeh." He reached up and tried to pry her hand away from him. It was not that she was not beautiful, the woman was, but there was a pain lashed deep inside Pathos. He was cautious and fearful of females, particularly elven ones.

"I jus' be goin' now, if ye please," he said, moving to step back from the woman.

The woman's arm was pried away from him and she frowned slightly, although it was brief. Her feathered ears twitching slightly. "Oh, but my master~" She said softly, stepping forward once again to remain the same distance. "Didn't you know? I have to grant you one solitary wish. Anything that you desire, I shall make it." She giggled softly and tilted her head. "'Tis payment for my release.."

She bit her lip gently and raised her arms, the chains rattling softly. "It is the only thing that can set me free from these.." She pouted slightly, a cute gesture although it only softened her fierce eyes slightly. "Please don't leave me.." She begged.

Pathos stared at the woman through the thick fringe of his blond hair. His eyes narrowed distrustfully. A djinn, Pathos assumed, although he had never before seen one take the look of an elf before. Maybe if he asked for a wish she would be freed and Pathos would be left to his solitude once more. It was a very appealing thought in the elf's mind.

But what to wish for, he thought to himself.

Power. Wealth. Peace. Those were all useless to him. Pathos wanted nothing to do with strength, or money, or even peace. What he wanted was unattainable. She was gone. Dead.

"You canno' grant the wish I wan' laddeh," Pathos slurred. "Bu' I will make one so ye can be free, hn?" The man took a moment to look her in the eyes and then said, "Make it where it never run out." Pathos took out his flask and held it in front of the woman.

Softly, the woman smiled and took the flask from the man. "Ah, you doubt my power hm?" She asked softly. "My memory has been erased from the surface of this world, it seems.." Red text formed on the flask, coming from the center of her palms and wrapping quickly around the container. After a moment, the cryptic language disappeared, and flask seemed normal. "I have been asked to do great things in my life time.." She whispered, her eyes landing on his own.

The distrust for her was obvious. It only made her smile a bit more. "I have created things from thin air, made things disappear as though they never existed. I have given what has pleased, tortured the soul of those who asked, find ease for the pain, and healed the unthinkable." She gave a twisted smile. "I have also been known to bring the dead back to the living, as if they never missed a day.." She said softly. "And all you ask of me is to make sure you have the ability to continue to drown your woes?" The chains on her wrists broke free from her as she held out his flask to him.

"I could have given you anything you wanted in the world." She released a sigh and turned slightly. "Alas, I am missing something.. Important to me."

Nereus trudged through the endless corridors and twisting tunnels until he came near thee entrance of the Altar room. Finally, light. Something to motivate him to continue forward in his current condition. His jumpsuit was shredded to bits from the waist up, exposing his wounded shoulder. Viscous, golden liquid leaked from his wound.

He propped his good shoulder against the wall and grit his teeth in frustration. His surroundings, his confusion, his hunger. Nothing made sense anymore. "Father...where am I? Please, answer me." Staring a hole into the ground, he would reach into a pouch located on his waist. "Forsaken." He whispered to himself, gripping a small vial of fluid in his hand. It looked strikingly similar to the ichor leaking from his wound. Popping the cork off with his thumb, he would tilt his head back and ingest the foul looking substance.

Instantly, his shoulders broadened and he gained his footing. His aura flickered to life, surrounding him like a thin cloud of smoke. Anyone within the area would clearly feel the entity slowly making his way through the corridor. "The coinspinner knows good odds..." The man whispered what seemed like a poem under his breath until he reached an open room. He didn't look like he was in any condition for battle. The old, beaten sword draped across his back and the empty holster on his waist didn't agree, though. He was clearly defeated.

"Aye, I doub' yer power," Pathos said before he took a drag from the flask. It was smooth and delicious. The drink burned all the way down to his belly. He grunted in appreciation and tucked the flask away once more.

"Th' dead belong with th' dead, laddeh," the elven man stated as fact. "I not goin' t'be the on t'make 'er come back an' disturb 'er rest." Pathos became thoughtful. The scars on his face exaggerated the look of sadness. It was easy to tell that at one time he had been a beautiful elven man. Time and war had taken that away from him, along with his grief.

"I don' care what ye say. You leave tha' woman be," Pathos said to the freed woman as he pointed a finger at her. He swayed on his feet and it was difficult for his eyes to remain steady on her. Before she could say anything to defend herself or not, Pathos shouted, "I said leave 'er be!"

That was when Pathos noticed, or rather, felt something. It took him a second or two longer to react but he eventually looked back the way he had come. There was another man standing there. It was obvious that he was wounded. Immediately Pathos's thoughts jumped to the woman he kept speaking about. She had been a healer.

"Friend?" Pathos grunted the question at the woman. He didn't wait for an answer before staggering over to the newcomer.

"Yer hurt. Lemme 'ave a look at ye," Pathos muttered. "Shouldn' be wanderin' 'round 'ere. Damned females snatch ye up an' drag ye under to who knows where." The man attempted to slip himself under the arm of the other man to aid him. Of course Pathos would not be much aid, but he had to offer. He would easily step back if the offer was denied.

Shayla was about to speak up in protest to Pathos' decisions, but his sharp answer silenced her into a beautiful scowl. The hair on her neck rose, however, when she felt the presence of another. This cavern had become quite popular in the last week. The times were changing, and the age was calling for an end. None the less, Shayla planned to survive the changing, and she needed all the help she could possibly muster in a short time span. Tugark had already left this place and was in pursuit of his long lost possessions. She would need to do the same.

"I've been captured in that box for a long time." Was her only answer to Pathos' question. She did not feel the need to explain herself any further. She followed gracefully after Pathos, like a cat who's merely following because she wanted to.

"Yes.. Females tend to do most of the dragging. Never mind the beast that once lived here as well.. Part man, part beast.. Trapped me in here with him.." She pouted, running a hand through her white hair. She did not seem to care that the other man was terribly injured or not. However, if asked by Pathos, she would do anything. "Left me in that box when he decided he wanted more treasure.. He's out there now, probably killing men and stealing women.." She sighed.

His eyes widened slightly at the aesthetic figure who had come to his aid. He grudgingly obliged. Nereus wasn't used to being helped, let alone touched by those he did not know. His current condition spared him no luxuries when it came to picking his allies. "You two...this place. Where are we? Is this hell?" The golden ichor leaking from his wound had the consistency of thick honey. It was obviously not blood.

Nereus tensed up against Pathos, his hands and legs shaking ever so slightly. His aura was weak, but was still visible. It flowed off his body in tendrils of wispy smoke, slowly surrounding the elven man like a warm blanket. "I'm sorry. That was stupid of me. Neither of you are Charon." He shook his head slowly, obviously disappointed in himself. What would his father think of him now? Did he even care?

Wincing slightly, he would fix his gaze onto the woman in the room, completely ignoring his injures for the moment. He didn't know if he should be grateful or worried at her presence. The man was all too used to dealing with powerful, malevolent beings, so he wasn't too worried. Keeping his lead low to the ground, Nereus would silence himself. It was better to be respectful than hotheaded. He had learned that lesson the hard way.

The sounds of footsteps echoing through the western passageway preceded the sight of a faint glow coming from further down, towards the rest of the old temple proper that stood below the Patronus base so far overhead. Making her way down the stone hall was a slight figure, a girl with white hair and pallid skin. An ethereal glow filled the air around her, and her elegant robe-like dress seemed to glide upon the air, unhindered by gravity.

Aiedai stepped out into the room, casting her eyes across those assembled with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. "We had thought we sensed presences here." she said, her words reverberating oddly, as though spoken by a small chorus of voices as opposed to a single girl. "For what reason do you step upon this sacred ground unannounced, strangers? You walk the hallowed halls of a temple dedicated to old gods. The Patronus watch this place, as surely as we watch our own temple above. It was the site of a battle which reforged our order, and the death place of the Lady Taima, Champion of our order, now ascended to the heavens as something greater still."

The pale but beautiful girl gestured with a hand, back down the passage "Should you have required shelter, our temple above is open to all. There your wounds can be tended, and more suitable accommodation found. We are uncertain how you reached this chamber without passing through to begin with. We request that you proceed upwards, and leave this place undisturbed."

Pathos didn't understand what the leaking man was saying. He was obviously delusional. The blond-haired elf rolled his dark eyes and handled Nereus none-too-gently.

"Righ' then. If'a you say so, boss," Pathos said to Nereus. The elf's eyes shifted over toward Shayla. His stare was still distrustful as it fell onto the woman. He was about to open his mouth to tell her as much before another female's voice echoed through the room.

Pathos's face grew dark and discomforted. Far too many people present for his liking and none of them he knew. Pathos pointed a finger at the newcomer.

"It en't none o'yer business woman. Too many womans 'round 'ere. I don't like it," Pathos said. "Gonna get outta 'ere as soon as can... leave now iffa I could," the elf muttered beneath his breath.

The woman merely picked at her nails as the newcomer came along. "Backdoors, m'love." She answered Aiedai simply and without hesitation, leaning forward slightly as if to accent her point, or her bosom. It was hard to tell. "There is always a secret backdoor. Don't have to take my word for it." She gestured to the two men. "Myself, however.. I've been here." She said curtly before adding, "For a very very long time..." She drew her words out slowly, deliberately. "But I've had enough of the drab carpets, so I'm planning to move out. You may have this place, it holds no memories for me any longer."

She moved closer to Pathos. "I can arrange that for you, my Master.." She giggled and gave a sly grin. The black mist started to shroud the floor once again, originating from her feet to engulf the two men and herself. Of course it was easy to back away from her power, as there was a limit as to how far she could extend it. But one way or another, she was through with being here. There were more important things to be dealing with than the creatures that hold the world today.

She was getting ready to move them away from this temple, away from these mountains if she had the juice enough to transport them there.

Nereus watched intently at the black mist slowly surrounding him. "This isn't right. You two, you're goddesses are you not?" The man's eyes darted back and forth at the two women, unsure of what to make of the situation set before him. Placing a hand on Pathos, he lightly pushed him away. Every fiber of his being wanted to retaliate, and so he reached for his holster. It was empty. It seemed as if he had just realized this fact.

He took two steady steps back, away from the three strangers. "You need to start giving me some answers. Now. Where am I? A sacred temple...of the old gods, no less? I would have heard of such a thing. Instead, I am here. Your prisoner." Gritting his teeth, he would quickly draw his sword. The hilt of the blade had an inscription of a unmarked coin spinning through the air. "I have good odds...whichever move I make." Raising the sword up at the man in front of him, he would quickly point it over to the woman bearing the black mist. Such power was not to be taken lightly.

"You, the sharp looking one. Who is Lady Taima? Did my father put you up to this?" He kept his eyes fixed on the woman with the coy smile, all the while keeping his injured arm tightly pressed behind his back despite the pain. Nereus had a good stance, especially for a man who had been wandering aimlessly for days on end.

"I am going to say this once. I am Nereus, the old man of the sea. If you do not make your intentions clear I will attack will full force." The man's blue eye gleamed, as did his blade. His figure was impressive, but it didn't hide the fear in his eyes. You could almost taste it.

"Lady Taima, dragonborn warrior of the Patronus. It was four years ago when she fell defending this temple and her allies from the Lahmian Sisterhood, agents of the Sealed One who sought to bring about the destruction of this world." Aiedai said, shaking her head sadly as the man drew his weapon. "Do not defile this place with violence any further. We mean you no harm, nor do we have any interest in detaining you should you wish to leave."

The pale girl waved a hand in the direction of the other man and woman, who were not quite so volatile. "You are free to depart by whatever means you wish. We can lead you to the stairs, should you so desire a more mundane exit."

Aiedai turned her eye back on Nereus. "We do not know of you, Nereus. We do not know of any of you. Our intentions were merely to investigate the presences we detected within our order's old temple. We have no designs upon you or the others here. You are free to leave, or to accept our hospitality, as you wish."