HIMA

Hima spends the next few hours sitting, crying, and thinking about everything that has happened. She has heard nothing from the dragon at all. Not a movement, not a word, nothing. Finally, after what seems like 11 years, she decides she has to move on. She can't stay here for decades. She takes a peek around the obelisk. Nothing. Though her daggers and the map are still there, the dragon is not.
"How could he just vanish without a sound?" she speaks in her head. "He'd have to make some sound. Shouldn't he?"
Hima finally decides to stand and look around. Nothing. No dragon anywhere. "Maybe he's invisible?" she wonders. "No." she says shaking her head. "If he were invisible, he'd still make some noise. He's gone."
Satisfied that he is really gone, she slowly and carefully walks toward the paper, quickly snatches it up, retrieves her dagger and begins walking back in the direction she came. The soldiers were on horseback, they've had a half-days ride, so they're likely quite far ahead. And she's fairly certain they're not going to be expecting a girl to be coming up behind them.
Hima checks the piece of paper one more time. Nods, satisfied it is the same piece of paper and the dragon didn't switch it before leaving, "A dragon would do that." she says to herself. And confidently she walks on to what she hopes will be a most profitable adventure.

Yisol rises from the tub and grabs the towel Daiyu has waiting for him. She is confused; Yisol has been silent since he got into the tub and when he isn't silent, he says so very little. He's thinking about something. She's sure it's about his sister, except he seems more agitated than usual, something is up and she worries for him.

Yisol dries and dresses, saying nothing. His mannerisms and gait remain unchanged. "What is she up to?" he wonders.
Staring out the window the sensation is growing, he can feel a power rising in the distance. It's her power. "She's found someone else." he whispers. "If I could just get a bearing on where they are, I could find her and destroy them. She'd have to join me. She'd just have to." he tells himself.

"Lord Yisol." a male voice interrupts his muse. Yisol turns quickly. It's General Arwail, the Commander of his Shock Brigade.
"What is it?" he asks, more in irritation than in curiosity.
"Lord Yisol, the prisoners are ready."
"Good." Yisol says smiling. "Very good. Has the Crone been summoned?"
"She awaits your presence, Lord Yisol."
"Very good. Tell her I'll be there in a minute." Yisol watches him rise and waits until he reaches the door, "Oh and General? In the future I am to be referred to as King or Master. Make sure you spread the word."
"Yes, my lo... King Yisol."

Yisol watches the man exit. "He didn't even flinch." Yisol says half in astonishment and half in triumph to Daiyu. "That's true loyalty." He grabs Daiyu by the wrist and pulls her, "Come. Let's meet my guests. I don't believe you have ever met the Crone. Watch yourself, she's an ugly old thing. But she is quite powerful."

Down several flights of long winding stairs Yisol pulls Daiyu towards the room where the prisoners and the Crone await. Daiyu has never met the Crone, but she has heard stories. The Crone is a beastly, old hag, ancient and decrepit. No one is quite certain just how old she is, but the stories and legends span eons. The stories and descriptions change as often as the seasons, but the one similarity between all of them are - she's always an evil, horrid creature in every story.
Down a long, dank hallway the two move rapidly. It's hard to see in the torchlit catacombs. The twists and turns, the multiple directions you can turn are mind numbing. The tombs have been designed to disorient those who are unlucky enough to wind up down in them without prior knowledge of their design. Daiyu now understands what the Hedge-maze labyrinth that housed the minotaur must have been like and what poor Theseus must have felt as he wandered through the vines and bushes. Each time she thinks she understands where they're going, they turn a corner or come to a crossroads and the flickering torches confuse her.

They don't confuse Yisol. Finally they arrive at a large, dark black, thick wooden door. On the door are carved various demonic looking creatures. The faces on the door vary from a cackling demon with razor sharp teeth, to a man with a hideously deformed face, looking in anguish. Another is of a creature with long, pointy features; his nose, chin, ears all come to sharp points. The last is of some foul creature with a human head in it's mouth, a look of victorious satisfaction on its face.

Daiyu's grip on his hand tells Yisol that the figures unnerve her. "Pay these things no never mind. This area is thousands of years old. The door is hundreds of years. I don't know who put them on it." Yisol never turns to look at her as he explains. He's lying and Daiyu can often read his lies on his face. The door means more than what's there -- much more.

Yisol pushes on a large ring knocker and the door slowly opens. The room is quite warm and brightly lit from a large fire pit in the middle of the room. Six men all kneel when Yisol enters. Hanging from cages chained to the ceiling are five men, a woman and a girl, no more than seven. They are all dirty and thin, not just thin but malnourished. They look like they've been in prison for weeks, if not months. They look pathetic and defeated, waiting for the cold hand of death to take them.
As disturbing as the sight is, Daiyu sees something more disturbing, a short, human form wearing a cloak with it's back to them, slowly turns. It's a woman, she thinks. She's only certain because of her hair and clothes. Her face looks like a withered sharpee dog. Her eyes barely visible under all the wrinkles and layers of flesh that cover her face. The only other two features that protrude from the old weathered skin are her nose and lower lip. Her hair looks like straw, bleach white straw. It hangs down to her shoulder blades, plentiful, hiding her ears and most of her neck from view.
The woman slowly walks toward them. Her bony, lich-like fingers grasping a walking staff, the sleeves from her cloak hiding her arms and legs. Daiyu can't figure out why the woman wields the staff; she moves quite spryly for a man or woman of any age. The staff seems unnecessary.

"Yisol." the woman says once she is within inches of the two of them. The stench from her breath is over powering. Daiyu almost passes out, while Yisol merely turns away.
"Crone." he greets trying to brush away the stench. "And it's King Yisol." Yisol speaks to the woman as if she were his inferior. An odd behavior as the old woman is reputed to be a very powerful witch.
"Of course, Yisol." the woman replies dismissively, turning and walking away. "What is it you want?"
"I want information and I know these things have it." he says gesturing his hand towards the people in the cages.
"I see, It may not be an easy thing you realize?"
"Understood. That's why we have built this fire. I hope it is hot enough for you."
The crone waves her hand into the fire and nods, "It's more than hot enough."
Daiyu is struck dumb at how the old woman can place her hand into the raging fire and not feel anything. "What is she going to do?" Daiyu whispers.
"Nothing. Nothing at all." Yisol whispers back, trying to reassure her.
"Why lie to the girl?" the Crone scolds. "I'm going to get information from them and I'm going to use this fire, this staff and those pointy metal rods to help persuade them to talk."
"Ev...ev..even the little girl?" Daiyu asks shocked
"Yes, including her. I play no favorites" the Crone cries.
"No. You can't. She's just a little girl." Daiyu whispers to Yisol.
"It's for the best. These are evil beings. Not even human." Yisol lies.
"Not human. How can you be certain?"
"If they were human, they'd be crying for help wouldn't they? See... nothing." Yisol leads her toward the door. "Do what is necessary Crone. I'll be back later."
"Oh, Yisol." the Crone calls out, "This may take more than a day. My magic is powerful, but it has its limits."
"Of course. Whatever." As Yisol's attention is turned toward the old woman, Daiyu grabs a handful of charcoal powder. As the exit the catacombs, Daiyu pulls them as close to the wall as she can, rubbing her fingers on the wall as they walk.

Yisol walks back through the cavernous underground. "Don't get too far from me." Yisol says menacingly. "T'would be a shame if you got separated and lost down here. It's not an easy find. Even with your, ahem, special vision."
Daiyu keeps within eyesight of her lord. Keeping just far enough that he doesn't see her marking the wall -- she hopes. Yisol is quite smart, and observant.
She is startled by his words. They sound almost threatening, like he knows what she is doing. If he does, he is not being obvious.
"Yes, my King." she replies to his words. "I will keep up. Don't worry about me."
"It's not worry Daiyu. Just caution. It's hard to find good help. I'd hate ton start over with a new servant-familiar."


******** short post in case someone from the story is still at rpg and wants to play again *******************

Hima kneels on two thick branches high in the trees. She peers back on the road, watching, eyes transfixed for something or someone she is sure is either following her or just happens to be moving in the same direction. She hasn't seen anything, but she's sure she's heard something and from her vantage point up high she will be able to see them before they see her.
"The Gods be cursed!" she hisses, trying to focus on two things at once: keeping her balance and keeping watch. "I know I heard something." The run from when she first heard the noise tired her a bit. She's quick and agile, an entertaining and apt wielder with a blade in an inn, a badly burned building, and other places where she can use the debris around her to her advantage. Up in the trees, the only way she can be caught is if she falls down and that would necessitate shaking the tree causing her to fall which would difficult with the large trunk this tree has or shooting her down with an arrow, but it would take an excellent bowman or a man with a long bow to bring her down at this height, with so many branches between her and the ground. Besides, if she finds herself under assault, there are a large number of trees with thick, bushy branches to provide her cover. This is an excellent location for her to be stationed; high enough to see and not be easily seen.

Fifteen minutes pass and still nothing. She has succeeded in staying virtually motionless, the only movement being her steady breathing and her head, as she repositions it to get newer views of the area. Finally, she is sure she hears something and it's not her imagination. The only problem is, it's coming from the other direction. "I am cursed!" she spits. She shifts her head around trying to make out what it could be, but to no avail. She's going to have to wait until it passes underneath to get a look. If she moves her feet it could cause the branches to shake and alert the passer-by or passers.

She waits, her breathing slows. She is sure she hears more than one set of hooves. Finally, the sound is underneath and she can make it out. There are several white horses traveling in pairs along the road. Riding atop each horse is a man in armor. She thinks it's chain, but from the height, she can't be totally sure. "One, two, three.." she counts the pairs as they pass under her. "...seven." she stops momentarily as she absorbs the thought, "Seven? What lord could be..." She stops her whispering as she watches two coaches pass by underneath, a large one first containing two men on the front, one holding the reigns the other a crossbow, she can't be sure, not at this height. Then man on the back she is sure of the sword he has resting on the top of the coach.
The second coach is being pulled by a team of six horses. It is much grander than the previous coach and has three people on the front, two sitting on the coach and two in the back. Then another procession of horses, black horses this time, follows: four pairs of horses.

She watches and waits for them to exit the woods and then she rises slowly, her legs aching as she does. "Crimey!" she curses. "Where could they be going?" she looks out at the procession as it moves out of sight the view obscured by the trees. "That's practically an entire army. I have to see where they came from." she says softly to herself.

Hima slides down out of the tree and lands on the ground. As she makes contact with the ground she leans into the tree, bends down and studies the road, both the ruts and tracks and both directions. Satisfied it's safe, she slowly and carefully zigs through the trees like she's traveling through a wooded maze. Upon exiting the woods she studies the tracks intently before deciding to move on.

It's nearly dusk when she notices smoke billowing in the distance. "A town." she crows excitedly. Normally, she'd have no interest in some little shanty town on the road, but she's tired, hungry and she may be able to glean some information from the locals about who or what the procession was about.
Padding along the road quickly, constantly alert for thieves, bandits and other ne'er-do-wells, she reaches the top of the hill and peers down on the town below. A look of horror washes across her face; the smoke is not from a chimney or some outdoor cooking stove. Rather, the town has been leveled and set a blaze, judging from the look and smell, within the last half-day.
Hima lowers herself to the ground, blending with the hill as the sun sets and the quarter moon rises. She watches the remains of the town for any movement, any sign of life, anything.
Satisfied that there is nothing, she rises up and creeps toward the burned out village, constantly on guard for anything that moves or seems unsightly. She plans on offering aid to anyone if she finds anyone living, but at the same time, if everyone is dead, then she'll also help herself to anything of value this town possesses.
She searches for the better part of an hour; she finds no one living, but she is able to find some pieces of copper, a gold ingot, same beads of glass, some herbs and a few pieces of meat and vegetables. She places everything on the ground and helps herself to the meat, while sorting through her bag, shifting items around to make room for her newly acquired finds. As she's about finished, she hears movement. Someone or something crawling on the ground to her left, behind the charred remains of a building.

Hima grabs her dagger and quickly moves toward the sound. On the ground she finds a woman, badly burned and beaten. In her hand she carries a piece of folded paper. "Are you... you okay." she says knowing that the woman is not okay. As she bends down over her in the dark, she can see where the woman has been badly beaten and tortured. "Can... can.. can i help?" she asks, sure that there isn't anything she can do but comfort her.
The woman places the paper in her hand. "Take this." she wheezes, "It's part of a map. It will help you find the scroll." she says pushing the paper hard into her hand.
"Scroll?" Hima says puzzled. "What scroll?"
"The Scroll of Creation. It's what they were looking for. Don't let them get this piece of the map. They'll... they'll do unspeakable evil. Now go." the woman commands before dying.
Hima takes the paper and unfolds it, "Scroll of Creation." she says her face scrunching as she does. She turns back and looks at the body of the woman, "What is the..?" she almost throws the paper away, but stops looking at the ruins that a mere day ago was most likely a vibrant village, that is now just a burned shell of it's original self. "There has to be a reason why they did this." she reasons. "Maybe this map is it." Satisfied with her logic she carefully places the paper in her belt pouch and seals it shut. "It might make me a lot of money." She grabs some of the food she found and sits in an area with no dead bodies around, the thought of a scroll fills her with visions of wealth.

Hima feels badly for the residents of the town. She would never wish death upon anyone, especially death like this. But, short of saying a small prayer for them and tossing some dirt over their bodies, there is nothing she can do for them now. She might as well see if she can find this scroll before anyone else does.

Hima

Hima sits finishing off the last piece of meat she found in the village and ponders what sort of people could do this to a whole village. If the slaughter of every man, woman and child in the village was really over the map she placed in her pouch then it is a map well worth protecting; not just for it's potential value in finding and selling the scroll to some wizard or noble, but also in keeping it out of the hands of whoever did this. If they're willing to torture and murder a village to get this map then they're not good people and definitely shouldn't have this map under any circumstances.

Her concentration is disrupted by something going on around her. She hasn't heard anything specific, but she is sure that someone or something is nearby. She sits listening for several seconds, but nothing, "Must be the night and the village." she reasons. Then from behind her a sudden loud and threatening sound bellows as if an explosion or a herd of angry elephants were nearby.

Hima rolls over from sitting position onto her hands and knees. Her eyes widen, her mouth hangs agape, the color drains from her face as her heart begins pounding in fear, "A...a...a dragon?!" Hima has heard tales of dragons, but always considered them to be fantasy stories used to scare little children into behaving. She has never for one second considered the stories true. But there one stands, at least she it matches the descriptions she's seen in paintings and what people have said they look like; the giant black creature with the purple spine and green eyes is testimony to the stories truth. Now it all makes perfect sense, the realization of what has happened to the village and its inhabitants now makes perfect sense. This black creature with a purple spine roaring and making threatening gestures killed all these people and then burned the village.
Hima reaches around grasping her bag in one hand and her rapier in the other. Her sword will never be a match for this giant creature and she has no intention of trying to prove herself wrong. She will only use the sword if forced to, which she is hoping is never. She slides her body backward, resting on her heels, raising her hand to signal to the dragon not to attack her, "S...suh...suh...steady..." she stammers trying to give the dragon no fear, no cause to attack her. She has heard that dragons, many dragons, understand human tongue and some even can use it and she's hoping those stories are true and this dragon is one of them. "Steady there. Look...uh..look. I'm... I'm not even... even from the village." she says slowly rising and moving backward, again trying to avoid making any unnecessary movements. "I... I don't know what they did to make... you know... make you angry." she slowly steps backward, "But, look. I'm not one of them and I'm sure whatever they did... you know... you... you were justified in being angry."

She glances left and right out of the corners of her eyes. There is no woodlands, no high grass, no fields that she can dash into for protection. Her options are limited to two things; 1. She could dart behind one of the burned out buildings and hope that he doesn't torch the place and her with it; or 2. Try and reason with it in hopes that it doesn't slaughter her for fun. She has decided one thing, she's not giving him the map he's looking for, these people died protecting it and she owes the old woman that.

Hima slowly lowers her sword and drops her bag. If he attacks, she will run and try to get a stag to the gut or throat, if she can get that close or that high. "Look... whatever happened here... whatever they did to you... I'm... I'm not part of. I'm ju... just... you know, uh... passing through. And I uh... you know... Don't kill me, please. I won't tell anyone about you. I promise."