Thalion's Story

"You're sure?"

"Positive," Acele answered him, staring straight into his deep blue eyes. Thalion leaned against the table and gave a heavy sigh. He ran one hand through his long black hair. The rogue watched him. Next to the elf the young man named Rissien set down his mug of ale.

"So, this rogue that you killed before coming here is back. She just tried to kill you and you can't do a damn thing to her. Did I get all of that?" Rissien asked, his voice clipped.

"Yes."

"This definitely proves to be a problem. Adan's already taken three other women in the city and we still haven't found where he is hiding," Thalion replied, his voice heavy. Acele looked between her two friends. The Red Dragon was full, the noise level rowdy and it was hard to hear each other. She leaned forward, resting her arms on the table, her eyes scanning the crowded inn. Her old guild leader had tracked her to the city of Thedan and now he was on her trail. It was only a matter of time before he confronted her personally and had her killed. Her encounter with Thyra, the dead rogue, a few hours ago was proof enough that Faine had gotten stronger. He'd gotten some sort of magic, magic that didn't sit well with Acele.

Her finger gently tapped the wooden table as she sat there trying to figure out what to do. They were in the middle of trying to uncover the whereabouts of Adan, the crazed mage who was stealing women. Something about Elaine didn't sit well with Acele either, though she didn't tell the other two in her company. Armen hadn't stopped trying to woo her over to him, much to the annoyance of Thalion, and there was an even stranger occurrence during Thedan's nights. Ghosts were plaguing the cities streets, a strange fog coming from the abandoned portion of the city would roll out over the city and with it, the ghosts. To make it worse, the ghosts would attack anyone they came across.

"Do we know where Faine is?" Rissien asked.

"No," Acele replied shortly, her eyes narrowing to glare at the table. There was so much going on she could hardly keep it all straight. The three of them couldn't possibly handle all of Thedan's problems alone. She lifted her head to look at Thalion. His deep blue gaze was steady. She found herself regaining her confidence as she looked at him. They would get through these problems, no matter what. Their first concern was Adan, he held precedence over Faine and the strange ghosts.

Red Dragon Inn: Acele

Darkness had covered the city. The moon shone brightly down into the street. Acele leaned against the windowpane, watching the streets below. Behind her, the sound of a chair moving was the only thing that told of Thalion's presence. Rissien had long since left and gone to his own room. The rogue gave a soft huff of irritation as she stood there.

"That's not going to do anything," Thalion called softly. She didn't turn around, knowing full well what he meant. She was trying to solve all the problems at once, and worrying if she was ever going to get to the bottom of anything. Acele tapped her fingers against the glass, leaned forward and then shoved off the window. Turning, she crossed her arms over her chest to level a cool stare at the elf. He was leaned back in the chair, his broad sword held in one hand, the blade shoved in the floor between his legs.

"I would rather be out there trying to solve our problems, than be stuck in here doing nothing."

"You can't go out there the ghosts will kill you."

"You don't know that," she retorted.

"Acele," his voice took on a different note as he let the chair drop on all fours and opened his eyes to look at her, "Magic is bringing them out to haunt the cities streets, magic is not something to be underestimated."

Acele glowered at him, her jaw set hard as she resisted the urge to grind her teeth. The elf held his ground, though. He was one of the very few to win out against her. She was finding it difficult to argue with him, that made it irritating, but at the same time, more attractive. The rogue turned away from him, giving a sigh of frustration as she knew she'd lost that battle with him.

"We will go in the morning, Adan is our priority."

"I know."

A hard knock came to the door. It was fast, almost urgent. She lifted an eyebrow as she turned to look. Who could it possibly be? she asked herself. Her hand reached to her lower back and twisted around the hilt of her dagger. Thalion got up slowly and reached for the door, his hand still gripping his weapon. Once the door was opened, a frightened patron came stumbling inside. Thalion grasped the woman by the shoulders as she fell. Her face was pale and in shock, fear painted clearly on her face.

"Please! Help me!"

"Take a deep breathe, calm down. Now tell me what happened," Thalion ordered her smoothly. The woman trembled in his grip, but she seemed to compose herself better before continuing.

"My son, he hasn't returned to the inn. I've heard of the curse, I fear he is dead! Please, you must help me find him!"

Thalion looked up from her face to Acele. The rogue gave a nod. He released the woman and put his blade over his back, "Stay here. We will find your son."

They left Acele's room and went to Rissien's where Thalion gave the wood door a hard knock. The young man answered a few minutes after, his eyes blurry with sleep but filled with concern, "What's going on?"

"A woman's son hasn't come back to the inn. We need to find him."

Rissien wasted no time and in a few moments they were down in the inn's dining room and out the door. The innkeeper yelled at them as they left, concern in his voice as he tried to call them back. Chilly night air spread across Acele's skin. She could feel the dreadful curse of Thedan's nights. The white fog had already layered the street in a thin blanket. She reached behind her back and drew out her blades.

"We have to do this quickly."


Faine and Thyra

"Blasted night curse," Faine growled as he and his guild ran through the streets. Behind them, there were several ghosts trailing them, intent on having their blood. The guild leader hadn't calculated his timing quite right and for that he'd lost several of his men to the swords of the dead. The only one capable of fighting off the onslaught of the slow ghosts was Thyra. However, that was only because she wasn't truly alive. Her form faded next to him and she was running next to him. Her familiar cool features unaffected by the threat that glided after them.

"There, Faine," she said pointing to a lit building just down the street and tucked away from the rest of the houses. It was on the edge of the city, but still well within the walls to be considered a part of Thedan. He growled a response to her and bolted for the door of the lit house, thick smells of bread filled the air. He shouted to his men as they followed, a few more falling to the dead's blades. In the end only five of his men survived. He ushered them inside.

Together Thyra and him pushed the door closed and barricaded it with whatever table was near by. Damn things, it's a bloody blessing they can't get into houses. Course that's just as strange anyway, he thought. The sound of Thyra's blades coming free caught his attention. He whirled around to glare at who it was that had got her worked up. A young woman was staring at them in confusion, she looked as if she'd gotten frozen in place. Then there was a man who didn't look all that pleased to see him and his thieves guild barging into the shop. Faine glowered at the two.

"Now then, keep to yourselves and there'll be no trouble," he threatened, his hand on his sword.


Acele

A terrified scream filled the air. This alerted her of the boys presence. He wasn't too far from Acele and her companions. They rushed down the street towards the scream. There was a crash, another cry of terror and then the young boy was bolting from a side street right at the rogue. She was already in a head long rush, and couldn't stop herself from running into him. She sheathed both daggers, reached out and picked the boy up into her arms as she threw herself to the cobblestones. As she came down, she felt a rush of air over her shoulders and back. Rolling, she came up with the boy under her, one hand on his shoulder to keep him down, the other reaching for her blade. Acele had just barely missed getting her head taken from her shoulders by a ghost that slowly lumbered towards her.

She withdrew her dagger and raised the weapon to catch the ghost's sword as it came down at her. The blade rang across hers, surprising her that the ethereal beings weapon could even hit hers. Drawing her other blade she got up from where she straddled the terrified boy. Rissien yelled to the child to run to him, and he did so. She let him go to the warrior, knowing that Rissien would protect him. Now that they'd found the child, they needed to get off the streets. Staying locked up in a house seemed to keep the ghosts at bay, yet another hint marking the strange occurrence to be linked with a form of magic. Acele dropped down, twisting under another lumbering swing. Her blades shot out, cutting across the ghost's abdomen. Her weapons seemed to catch, as if hitting the being, but then went straight through with no harm.

The rogue twisted around as the ghost turned to face her. Two more entered the battle, one going after Thalion, the other going for her. Acele narrowed her eyes, adrenaline fueling her. She let her body take over, instinct running her attacks rather than pure thought. She was nimble, ducking and dodging as she fought. Her blades ringing against the ghost's. However, nothing she did would cut them down. She'd ran her daggers through each of them several times, yet nothing destroyed the creatures. As she turned to block another heavy swing, the ghost's blade sent a sharp vibration through her arm. Time seemed to slow for Acele as her eyes widened with the next sound. Her dagger gave a sharp crack then shards of steel showered the cobblestones as her weapon gave way. Her heart nearly stopped and she almost forgot that she was still fighting. Barely ducking another swing, she backed away from the ghosts. A shout behind her took her attention.

"Here! In here! Quickly," Rissien called from down the street. He'd found a place to hide from the ghosts. An abandoned house not to far away. Thalion's heavy weapon rang out as he batted aside one of the creatures weapons and rushed to Acele. His strong hand gripped her arm and dragged her with him. Once inside the house, Rissien and him moved an old heavy table in front of the door. All the while, the rogue stared at her broken dagger. Warm hands wrapped around hers, taking her attention.

"We'll get it fixed. How long has it been since your weapons have seen a blacksmith?"

"Too long I guess."

"You're lucky then to still be alive. Get some sleep with the boy. Rissien and I will keep watch."

Though it seemed that the heat of the sun had set but moments ago, he could feel the pale energy of the moon already high in the sky. Air about him was disturbed, it was thick with an unnatural presence. It was like wading through a thick fog of ill intentions. It seems the stars had been correct about there being bad omens in this place. Xin Hai walked calmly to the gates of the city. Oddly enough, he could detect no souls guarding the gate. He expected a town to be more in guard in the dead of night than in the safety of day. The dark was feared by many, but being blind made it define his very existence. Not many people seemed to realize that. It was no matter, he knew something was wrong. He came to the gate and placed a hand on it, it was shut tight. A small breeze picked up, causing leaves to stir from the ground and dance into the air, brushing past Xin Hai's face. This caused him to look up, and notice the top of the wall. Though his faced seemed to not betray a thing, a nearly invisible smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Xin Hai lowered himself into a squatting position and took several deep breaths, then leaped into the air. The air below him seemed distorted as he propelled himself upwards. He did a quick front flip and landed on top of the city wall silently. The moon was at his back as he gazed upon the town. It seemed his omen about a fog of ill omens had been taken literally, as an odd fog spread throughout the city. It was filled with an intent of harm....but something more. in Hai would have to get closer to examine it properly. He prepared himself and dropped into the city.

He walked through the city streets at a calm and even pace. He could hear distant noises throughout the city, though none of them held any interest to him. He believed he was walking down one of the main streets. He wanted to go deeper into town. He was rather thirsty so he was mainly looking for the community well. He heard the clanging of metal on metal, there apparently was a battle happening somewhere. This city was filled with emotions. He could mainly feel confusion and fear washing over him like the tides of the great sea. He wondered what would cause so many people so much fear. He seemed to get his answer as he rounded a corner. Stomping about was what seemed to be a horde of restless souls. He simply gazed at them through his third eye, unsure of what to make of them. There was something off about them.....besides the whole fact that they were ghosts. They seemed to lazily limp about. They were by far the slowest spirits he had ever encountered.

It wasn't long until one of them noticed him. It turned to him and made a terrible wailing sound. It seemed to have alerted it's fellows to his presence. They all turned and started to slowly make their way towards him. He turned to face them fully and he spoke in a very calm voice. "I urge you spirits to find your peace through other means. For if you face me this night.......your passing will not be a pleasant one." His words seemed to have no effect. They still approached him with the intent of harming him. But....there was still something odd about them he couldn't yet identify. The first one raised it's blade high and brought it down onto Xin. Xin simply side stepped the attack. The ghost then slashed at him sideways.....and he dodged once again. Xin made his way through the crowd of ghosts, dodging each one of their attacks with a constant fluid motion. He was like water, instead of trying to overcome obstacles, he flowed around them. He could see the intention of each one of their attacks clearly. But, as he moved through them, the fear and confusion seemed to grow. He found this odd, but he decided not to dwell on it.

When he fully passed the group, he spun around to face them. He then placed both of his hands behind him on the same side and a faint purple light seemed to glow from them. He then thrust them forward towards the group of spirits. "KYAH!" From his hands a slightly visible wave of purple was emitted. It blew past the spirits, shattering windows and blasting hanging signs from their hinges......yet the spirits seemed to be unaffected. "......That always works against spirits" Xin said in disbelief. The ghosts them started to move forward towards him. It wasn't until then did he truly see the ghosts. Chains......shackles of will could be seen through his minds eye. They were wrapped around their necks, wrists and chests. They were all weighing them down to this plane. Forcing them to rise and lock away their will. "Know wonder they are moving so slowly." This was done by an abomination of a Sorcerer. To knowingly enslave the will of the dead........was monstrous. Xin then realized that the fear and confusion......was coming from the ghosts. They were scared and didn't know why they were even here. "You poor souls..." in said with genuine emotion in his voice. "I will break your chains.....you will rest again. I make a vow to Lo this night, that I will free you from your doom." He put himself into a combat position, his forearms suddenly started to glow with a purple energy.

The energy then faded....then the closest ghost struck. He raised his arm to block the incoming blade, which it did. There was a clang and his armed flashed purple when the blade made contact with it. He then made an open palm and pierced it through the ghosts chains on his arm. The rest of the chains seemed to be unraveling. He made another quick jab at the collar on it's neck, shattering it. The ghost then soon shot itself back into the mist. After he had done this, the others chains glowed suddenly and they all let out another wail. They started coming after him faster than before. He began running backwards while deflecting their attacks with different parts of his body. They seemed to began to glide places and attack with a greater fervor. They also seemed to be in a lot of pain. This slightly angered Xin Hai, but it was quickly swat away by his vow.

The main reason why he was running away from them backwards was that he detected a lot of innocents nearby. He wanted to draw them away to a quieter place. He was forced to stop when he sensed more spirits behind him. He was now surrounded. He only sensed one innocent in a house near him. There were three others in the house, two of them had a strand of love connecting there true selves. It wasn't particularly strong, but it was definitely there. The third was connected to both of them by a cord of friendship, one definitely stronger than the other. Xin decided this was good enough. He took a defensive position and waited for them to attack. All was still for what seemed like hours.....then.....they came. They rushed him, blades singing through the wind. He blocked and dodged at different intervals throughout the fight. It was obvious that the horde of ghosts were in control, pushing him around like a cork in white water. Still afloat, yet in no control. He managed to shatter a few of their chains throughout the confusion of battle, but not enough to give him a break. To onlookers, the battle was a cacophony of sparks and wails. Several of the ghosts had flown back in to the mist from which they came, but it was still a battle that not in his favor. Xin Hai quickly realized that he was going to have to resort to other methods in order to win this battle. He quickly ducked an incoming strike, then the air seemed to distort around him. Xin Hai then shot up high into the air. He then landed a mere 20 feet from the group.

Xin Hai then did something very unexpected. He sat down and crossed his legs in a meditative position. He then placed his hands together in a praying position and opened his mouth ever so slightly. A sound then started to emanate from his throat. It started quiet but then grew louder. It resonated throughout the surrounding area, through the very stone and wood. Windows shattered from the pitch of his voice.(It sounds like this). The sound was deep and almost ethereal sounding, almost like it couldn't come from a person. The ghosts seemed to detest the noise and charged Xin Hai. When their blades came to strike him, they were met with a bubble of purple energy. They all took turns bashing away at his shield, but it held strong. He continued to chant ans loose rocks and broken pieces of glass began to levitate and rise into the sky.

The ghosts all lifted their weapons into the sky to strike a final blow. But, before they could lower their weapons, his shield exploded. The swirling purple energy shot out and grabbed the spirits chains and dragged them into the sky. He continued his chanting and the now floating ghosts chains began to glow wild. After a few moments, all of their chains exploded in a white hot light that was only visible to Xin. They all disappeared and returned to the fog. Xin stopped his chanting and laid back on his hands. He was covered in sweat and he could feel something in his mouth. It's coppery taste was familiar to him, blood. He spat it out of his mouth, then stood up. He dusted himself off and decided he really needed a drink.

He knew that there had to be a lot more ghosts out there, but he would do them no good like he was now. He looked over to the place where the four souls resonated. The houses threshold was weak and near dead. It was definitely abandoned. Therefore, no courtesy was required. He simply walked up to the door and opened it. He stood there silent for a moment, making sure there were actually people near him before he spoke. He could hear the breathing of three people.....but he knew that there was a fourth person.....why could he not hear there breathing. "Excuse the intrusion, but could one of you please direct me to the nearest well?" He said with a very placid tone, as if nothing had even happened.

Sounds of battle could be heard from outside the abandoned house. Acele stood quickly, her hand gripping her only use-able dagger. The other she had stuffed into her belt. The rogue pushed the young boy behind her as she listened in the gloom. Her ears picked up on the sharp crack of the ghost's weapons. Someone was outside. In front of her, Thalion and Rissien both had their weapons in hand, readied for an attack. There was a sound of something... deep and guttural. The noise shook the windows until they eventually broke. Acele dropped down next to the boy and held him close to her. When the sound stopped there was a brilliant swirl of purple light that only lasted for a moment. Then darkness took over.

Thalion reached over and began pulling the table away from the door. Rissien and him had moved the table and were just about ready to go outside to see what had happened when a man walked inside. Acele's breath caught as she pulled her blade up in front of her face, on the defensive immediately. Thalion and Rissien eyed the man as well, uncertain of his intentions. He looked strange to her, with cloth wrapped around his eyes and most of his body.

"Excuse the intrusion, but could one of you please direct me to the nearest well?"

Acele raised an eyebrow at the man's request. After all of the commotion from outside in the street, he didn't seem the in the least worn out. What just happened? The rogue thought to herself as she slowly lowered her dagger. Thalion cast her a side long glance before looking back to the clothed man.

"Well, you could probably use a drink after all that fighting. Mind telling us your name?" Rissien asked, a wry grin on his face as he sheathed his sword. Acele frowned at the young man.

"You should wait till morning before venturing out on the streets again. Those ghosts aren't going to leave anytime soon," Acele said, her voice a bit colder than Rissien's.

"Stay with us until then, we can take you to the tavern we stay at. The inn keeper is most hospitable," Thalion offered, a frown crossing his lips as he looked over to Acele, who only rolled her eyes at him and turned away. The elf then closed the door once more and with Rissien's help, put the table back in front of it.

***

He could feel the fabric of his magic being torn apart by something very powerful. His jaw clenched as he fought to keep control of his magic. Eventually, he had to release his hold on those that were lost to him. Anger coursed through him as he released his hold on the artifact. The mist still emanated from it, still produced his curse, but many of the ghost's that he controlled were lost to him. He let the other creations walk the streets without his control. They were blind puppets, and he only wanted the control of the few that he'd lost.

The elf was a problem, as was his friend. He would do anything to kill them both. As of yet, all of his attempts had failed. He crushed his hand into a fist, nails biting into his skin and drawing blood. Magic curled along his arm and hand, growing into a powerful force until he let it go into the rock behind him. The stone shattered at the force.

"My my do we have a temper," the sweet voice purred to him from the darkness. He turned slowly to face the opening to the room he was in. The catacombs in the graveyard were quite large. Very few people could navigate the tunnels easily.

"Spare me. Do you have anything for me?"

"No, nothing yet."

"Then why come," he growled at her, turning away to stare at the relic.

"To make sure my relic is still intact, and also to warn you that there are some very powerful people in town."

"Then take care of them."

"Adan, you know I have my own priorities. We wouldn't want to go starting fights, now would we? Besides, that guild has a pact with me that they must finish. Especially if he wants his precious rogue to continue walking this plane of existence," the voice purred to him, an underlying threat in the sweet tones.

"You could deal with that wench easily enough. I don't understand you," Adan hissed back.

"My deal didn't say I needed to get rid of her. He needs to get rid of her. Besides, I'm not done in this city yet."

"You mean you haven't found it yet, have you?"

A soft growl from the darkness behind him confirmed his suspicions. His lips pulled into a smile. So long as he knew that she hadn't found what it was she was looking for, he still had the upper hand. At least, for a while. Adan turned away from the relic that gave off the powerful curse and moved towards the darkness that led into the catacombs. He was finished for the night, and with daylight soon to come, he needed to get back to... other details of his work. He didn't say anything more to the woman in the darkness, only walked right passed her and into the tunnels.

***

Daylight flooded the city, allowing the inhabitants to leave their homes without fear of the ghosts. Acele's first order of business was to get the child back to his mother at the red dragon inn. The group made their way there and left the child with his mother. Her next mission was to repair her dagger which had been broken during the fight. She eyed the jagged steel, angry still that her blade had given into such pitiful creatures. There was no magic from the ghosts either, which made her loss of the weapon even more painful.

Rissien stayed at the inn with the strangely dressed man, so Thalion and her left to find a blacksmith. It wasn't long before she came upon the shop that looked very promising. As they entered, she could feel the heat from the fire burning at the back of the shop. Her eyes searched for the blacksmith, and soon she came upon a very short and stocky man with an eye patch. An eyebrow raised as she looked at him, and he glared back up at her. She produced her broken dagger to him.

"Is there anyway you could repair this for me? My other one needs work as well," she said, drawing the matching weapon. She handed them both to the dwarf who eyed them. As they waited for him to give them an answer, a voice called to Thalion from the front of the shop.

"Thalion, it is good to see you."

Acele groaned as she recognized the voice all to well. Turning her eyes set upon the only other elf in the city. At least it was the only other elf that she knew of. Her eyes narrowed at him. Armen smiled at her as she glared at him.

"You shouldn't glare, my dear. You're much more beautiful without such a terrible look on your face," he told her with a smile.

Thalion crossed his arms over his chest, a slight tinge of anger in his voice, "What do you want, Armen?"

"Why must it always be like this, Thalion? Can't I come and say hello to a dear friend?"

"You never just say hello," Acele growled softly.

"I came here to tell you of an interesting find I've made. The problem to the cities ghosts lies in the graveyard. The catacombs to be more precise," Armen said, ignoring Acele completely.

"How would you know this?"

"I don't trust you," Acele said right as Thalion spoke.

"I have my sources. It is a relic of sorts, very powerful magic. Thought I would pass it along to you, Thalion," Armen then proceeded to speak to Thalion in the elven tongue, and judging from Thalion's angered expression it wasn't something that sat well with him. Thalion responded in kind, but his voice was thick with anger. Acele crossed her arms over her chest and watched Armen leave. Something about his showing up didn't sit well with her. It didn't matter that he'd given them valuable information.

"He wants something," she muttered, then turned back to the dwarf, awaiting his demands.

The air was quiet in the house for a few brief moments as the strangers seemed to process what was going on. He could feel that the one in the back, the one defending the innocent, held no small amount of dislike for him. she seemed to be wary of him, more so than the others. He heard a blade sheath itself and one of the men speak. He was not one of the lovers and seemed to be in higher spirits than the other two. "Well, you could probably use a drink after all that fighting. Mind telling us your name?" the man said, something suspiciously humorous in his tone. Xin cocked his head to the side, wondering what joke he wasn't getting.

"Of course. I am called Xin Hai. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Xin said in his usual calm tone. He put his fists together and gave them a half bow, out of courtesy.

"You should wait till morning before venturing out on the streets again. Those ghosts aren't going to leave anytime soon," The on at the back said, her voice a bit colder than the mans. he could now tell that the one at the back was in fact a woman. Though this information was irrelevant, it was still good to know for the sake of manners.

"I thank you for your advice. It seems wise with circumstances being how they are. I shall try to find shelter, then." Xin said in exactly the same tone. He had immediately recognized the coldness in her voice and he did not want to make her feel uncomfortable. He simply stood there waiting for them to answer his original question.

"Stay with us until then, we can take you to the tavern we stay at. The inn keeper is most hospitable," The third one suggested. In actuality, his tone almost sounded as if he was telling him to do it, either way made no difference to Xin. When he spoke, he turned to face him fully. The odd inflections in the mans voice and that guarded tone. His soul emanated a deep hollowness near it's core. He seemed to have marks on him that held both pride and shame on him. There was no mistaking it, this man was an elf.

Xin gave him a nod. "That is most kind of you. I accept your offer." Xin then simply walked in and went to the left wall. He walked right up to it and sat down, placing his feet upon his thighs. He took off his hat, revealing that the cloth wrapped around his entire head, including the top of it. He placed his hat next to him, then leaned his back against the wall. He laced his fingers together and stayed in that position. "May Lo lift your thoughts to pleasant peaks." was all he said before becoming completely silent.

The next morning arrived, and Xin had not moved a muscle from that spot. When the others began to stir, he grabbed his hat and stood, waiting for the others to make their move.

Soon enough, they were walking down the streets of the town, everyone seemed to be happy and going about their day, completely ignoring the troubles they truly faced. They eventually came to a place that had the energy of a hearth. A warm place to feel safe. Most likely an inn. They called it the Red Dragon inn. They entered and almost immediately returned the innocent to his family. He sat at one of the tables, crossing his legs on the chair. He requested a cup of water and the waitress brought it to him, he could feel her discomfort as she placed it in front of him. He thanked and she left. The two lovers had left in seek of a blacksmith to repair the woman's blade. He was left with the friend. He sipped his water, one hand wrapped around the cup and the other held underneath it. He angled his head slightly towards the friend.

"If you do not find it too offensive, might I inquire your name?" he asked with genuine politeness in his tone. He took another sip of his water. "And if it is not too much at once, why do the people of this city ignore the abomination that happens at night. Do you know why this happens?" he asked, a faint hint of concern in his voice. Other than that, placid as a frozen lake.

The morning had been a good start of the day for Thugrir. He needed it after the former night's madness. Some damned Goblin Offspring walked around smashing windows in while he probably battled the Ghosts. Thugrir had been lucky to remember to close the shutters before he went to bed in his house above the smith but not before cursing the vigilante for not caring for people's property. Other then that the night passed without too much trouble, not counting that drunken man that decided to sing the national anthem untill someone shut him up.

Thurgir had managed to get himself a nice hot breakfast before he opened his shop. He barely had enough time to get the right temperature in the fire before his first customers entered. The ''customers'' were a group of rich spoiled boys looking to buy the most expensive weapon he offered. They weren't too happy when Thugrir refused to sell anything but the normal steel swords he usually made for the city guard. After threats of their father ruining his life and driving him out of business he had chased away the boys with a roar followed by him raising his hammer. That was too much for the boys who couldn't get out fast enough. Thurgir knew the chances of them actually sending their fathers on him wasn't that high as with most humans they had more coal then fire in their smith. He pondered if he'd get to work on the latest order of weapons for an upper class Mercenary Guild that were getting ready to leave town for adventuren glory or death. Death was certain if Thurgir didn't finish the last blades.

He sighed. The problem of being the famous Blacksmith was that people came to him for weapons of the quality any human could craft, like swords for the city guard or shovels. Too many shovels, especially during the spring. But a Blacksmith never rests and he shook the thoughts out of his head and got to work on the Mercenary order. He only had to stop when the the bell rang as someone opened the door. He didn't know why he bothered having that damned bell, he rarely heard it when he was working and when he wasn't he could see the people enter.

'' I'm in the smith'' Thurgir called out and put the steel back in fire before wiping his hands on the cloth. People had several times remarked on the fact that he never wore glowes when working the fire. Thurgir claimed he wanted to feel the steel in order to shape it better.

'' Good morning Master Thurgir'' Sophira called out as she entered the smith, she hesitated a little when a wall of heat hit her in the face. Sophira was the barmaid over at The Red Claw Inn and always the bringer of good news or food. It didn't hurt that she was cute too, for a human lass of course. She wore her ordinary big white blouse that hanged loose over her body and a skirt reaching her knees. Her hair was in a messy ponytail on the back of her head.

''What ye want lass?'' Thurgir asked and tried to sound as friendly as he could. Other people reacted in a negative way to his bitter tone and harsh words but when you've known him for a while like Sophira you learn he always sound like that and he don't really mean any harm.

Sophira showed him a basket with bread, ale and some meat that was left over when the breakfast was over and people left for work. He gave her a broad smile and walked over and took the basket from her. The reason for Sophira to come over with food was that Thurgir forgot to eat when he worked the smith and since he had a rather close friendship with the people over at The Red Claw Inn and the fact that he came there to eat breakfast and drink during the evening every day they didn't mind sending him some free food from time to time.

''Look at me. Too busy making a living so I forget to stay alive'' His chuckle was deep and it made Sophira smile as she handed it down to him. She growed up around this harsh grumpy dwarf and it wasn't soon before she towered over him as a child. She used to make fun of him for it but he didn't mind and it wasn't untill her teens that she realized people could get into a lot of trouble for teasing Dwarves about their height, weight and lack of beard. Women not included.

'' Well would be a shame if our patron died from hunger because of us wouldn't it? Don't answer Master Thurgir, I need to get back to the Red Claw before lunch starts. Remember to eat now'' She said and gave him hug before making her way out of his shop, not forgetting her obsession with touching everything sharp or deadly before she reached the door.

'' Bah.. I won't forget, I ain't that dull yet lass'' He said as the door closed behind her.

Sure enough, he forgot the basket on the shelf as he got back to work and didn't stop untill he heard people walking in. He put down the blade, wiped his hands on the dirty cloth which didn't really help to remove the soot from his hands. He made his way out of the smith and into the room where the customers waited for him. He looked over them with his one good eye as the human woman handed him her daggers. He already knew what she wanted with them and he didn't listen to what she said, he was busy examining the daggers. He took them with him and walked behind the counter where he placed them upon it.

''I'm sorry lass I don' repair others handiwork'' He said and gave the daggers one last look. It was good quality for something human crafter but the daggers looked like they had been neglected care for a long time. It pulled a little in the corner of his mouth, something close to a smile as he got the musing thought that the quality of this blade was like his table knife.

He looked up only to see the woman's companion, an Elf arguing with another one he hadn't seen when they came in. Even if they spoke their own tongue he knew they didn't like each other. Elves didn't really like anything. Depressing sods to Thurgir. Not that he was any better though.
He looked up on the woman and awaited her response while he felt on the edge of her one ''Good'' blade.

Duncan was aching all over. But he was refreshed for the most part. After the sun had risen and that cursed fog had dissipated Duncan had all but completely collapsed, luckily some of the city-folk had been watching Duncan’s ordeal from their windows. When the danger had passed a number of them came to help him and even let him sleep for a while in one of their homes. They had apologized profusely for not opening a door to him during the night, Duncan was a little annoyed that they hadn’t but he didn’t let it show.

After a couple of hours he thanked the people for their charity and went about the day. He had removed his helm and a great deal of his armour, it was pretty banged up after last night. The ghosts had managed to get in a great number of hits, his plated armour had taken the brunt of the assault but now it was covered in heavy denting and deep scratches. He decided to find a blacksmiths first, then to find an inn for the night. Duncan did not want to repeat last night’s little escapade any time soon.

After wondering the markets for a while, he eventually got directions to a Dwarfs blacksmith just up the high street. Around this area there were obvious signs of battle, shattered windows and roof tiles smashed upon the floor. It would appear Duncan was not the only one who had problems with ghosts last night. Although whoever fought here...seemed to have been a lot more destructive if not anything else.

He found the Dwarfs blacksmith a little up the road, he entered as an Elf man left. Duncan didn’t as much enter as fall into the Dwarfs shop. He looked as if he had been beaten to pulp the night before. He had a slight black eye, he walked with a limp and was obviously quite sore. There were two others in the store who already seemed to be engaged in conversation with the owner, so Duncan politely and quietly stood a little behind them, but standing was suddenly very difficult so he moved to lean against the wall. He just wanted his armour back, he felt exposed without it. And if he was going to help this city...he had a feeling he would need it.

Acele

She bit her lip as her worst fears came true. The dwarf could not repair her weapons. Both her and Thalion had little coin to spare, and she needed those daggers. Especially since her next move was going to be investigating the catacombs. It would be best to do it during the day, destroy the thing that was causing the curse and be free to move around at night, which was her preferred method of work. Acele turned to look up at Thalion, then heard the door ring and turned slightly to look at who came in. The man looked terrible. Limping as he came in, and barely able to lean against the wall as he waited. She lifted an eyebrow as she watched him for a moment longer.

"What would you suggest, Master Dwarf? I need my blades. Do you have any for sale?"

Next to her, Thalion gripped her shoulder for a moment, signaling his leaving her side. He walked over to the man leaning against the wall. Acele could hear his soft voice from across the room offering the man assistance. Half of her concentration went to the conversation behind her, while the other half listened to the dwarven smith. Thalion offered to take the injured man back to the Red Dragon when he was done with the smithy. Acele's lips turned into a small smile, it was just like the elf to offer help to just about anyone.

Red Dragon Inn: Rissien

He tipped the cup back to take a long drink of his ale. Across from him was the man who called himself Xin Hai. Rissien liked him. He was relaxed, calm and seemed friendly. Something that the young warrior admired dearly. A smile crossed his face as Xin asked for his name.

"Rissien. I'm originally from Keydon, but I'm here on business. Thalion is the tall elf and Acele is the little rogue. She's a bit of a handful, enjoys getting into trouble more than I like, but we keep her. Acele's got a deep past, its not something she talks about though, but I can tell by the way she carries herself. Thalion and I have known each other for a couple years here in Thedan. We both are seeking the same thing. Adan is our target, he's a crazed mage in the city. He enjoys taking women, but to what end I don't know. Seems no matter what we do, he's always one step ahead of us. I hate it," Rissien frowned as he gazed down in his cup, "Ah, but I'm sure you don't want to listen to our problems. We have plenty of them, I assure you."

The young warrior smiled brightly at Xin and drained the remaining contents of his ale. Raising the cup, he called the barmaid to bring him more. While he waited, he looked over to Xin, "What brings you to Thedan, Xin?"

Thyra

Faine and the guild had left the bakery just as the sun had risen. He finally found a place to settle the guild, and once that was done, he ordered Thyra to seek out Acele. Her lips pulled into a smile as she wondered around the streets. Faine had told her to use any measure to get Acele to turn herself over to him. Thyra had plenty of ideas to make it work. The crowded streets didn't prove a challenge to her to navigate, as it was she was walking in between the plane of the leaving, and the one of the dead. In that state, those without power, wouldn't be able to see her. It made scouting missions all the more easy.

She retraced her steps to where she'd encountered Acele and almost killed her. From there, she made her way up the street. An inn named the Red Dragon looked promising to her, so she slipped into the doorway and just stood there, surveying the room. Her eyes landed on a man she'd seen with Acele, the young man had his back to her and was holding a conversation with another man wrapped from head to foot in cloth. She cocked her head off to the side as she surveyed the two for a while longer, but after a moment, the one in cloth turned his head and it seemed that he was looking directly at her. Thyra's heart jumped and she glowered at the man before quickly sneaking out of the inn.

She moved further up the street. Passing shops and crowds until she heard a familiar voice. She flattened herself against the wall and peered inside. Found you, you wench, Thyra thought, a smile of victory crossing her features. She watched the other rogue converse with a dwarf who was handling one of her weapons. Thyra shifted to get a better look, her gaze catching that of a broken blade. The rogue grinned as she watched. Acele had broken her blade, thus making her useless in battle. That was going to make things all the more easier.

Closer to Thyra was the elf that followed Acele. He was speaking to a wounded warrior leaning against the wall. The rogue started making plans. There were many possibilities of getting to Acele. She thought about threatening the elf or the young warrior back at the inn. However, both of them knew about her and would most likely fight against her instead. She turned her eyes to the dwarf. He didn't know a thing about the woman he spoke to, she could easily overpower him. The last option was the clothed man that the young warrior was speaking to, but she didn't care for that idea. Something about him caused chills to spread across her skin. Thyra made her decision. Slowly, she slinked away from the shop and headed back to Faine.

Duncan sighed as the young elf approached him, his initial worry was the elf was going to try and mug him. Duncan really wasn’t in the mood for a fight right now, but he was in luck, strangely enough the elf offered him assistance at some Red Dragon Inn. He needed to find an inn for the night and thanked the man for his assistance although his voice was a bit wobbly with a swollen cheek.

“Wow you Thedan lot are quite helpful, once the sun comes up that is.” He commented

He stood back onto two feet to face the man directly, this Elf looked like a fighter. Whoever the young girl was, she looked quite handy with a knife herself. Warriors perhaps? Maybe they were trying to get rid of the ghosts? Maybe they were some righteous band of mercenaries who...Duncan was thinking too much again. He offered to shake the Elfs hand

“Names Duncan, Duncan Redheart. And if you could escort me to this Red Dragon inn, I would be most grateful”

Duncan looked towards the blacksmith and waited for the young girl to conclude her business before limping his way to the counter.

“Don’t suppose you do repair jobs on Plate armour? Mine has taken a bit of a beating...”

Thurgir chuckled and scratches his chin under all the thick bushy beard. He gave the girl a funny look and gestured against the shelves weapon stands, gazing at his own creations as he realized how many people actually died because of him. Then he remembered how many lives he would save with them too. The old dwarf realized there was still customers waiting, one newly arrived looking to get his armour fixed up and the girl who looked almost devestated over the fact that he wouldn't reforge her blades.

'' Look 'ere lass, yer' in a smith! 'Course I got blades for sell.'' He stepped down from the plattform behind the counter that made him in almost the same height as most of his visitors. As soon as his heavy boots hit the floor only the top of his head was visible. He grumbled and snorted as his hand grabbed an old wooden box, scorched by a fire from it's place under the counter. It was filled with knives, some new and some old. Then he pulled something out wrapped in velvet before he got up on the platform again. The box hit the counter hard as he dropped it on it. The velvet wrapped item was carefully placed on it as his eye wandered to the beaten stranger. If it wasn't for the question about the plate armour he would have assumed one of the Alley Gangs had gotten their hands on him. He surely looked the noble type.

'' I can 'ammer out a few dents Lad, just let me finish 'ere and I'll make yer' strong as a wall again'' He answered the man's earlier question as he started laying out the knives from the box out for the girl to observe and try.

He knew better then to bother a customer when it was examining the goods. A good smith answers the questions when they come, not before. A deep rumbling in his gut reminded him of the basket that lass Sophira left for him.. and she told him not to forget to eat. Which he now realized he did. He was deep in his own thoughts but his one eye watched the woman. He wouldn't want her to think he'd completely lost interest in her. To be honest he hadn't been interested in her and her Elven follower when they walked in and so far he wasn't impressed by them. He doubted he'd make much coin from them this time. They looked dry as a Ubjin gold vein.

''Take yer time Lass'' He muttered under his breath as he felt the hunger reminding him once again and he felt how he couldn't wait to get a sip of that ale.

Acele's eyes wandered the array of daggers that the dwarf had set out for her. She reached out for each set, her fingers settling on the hilt of one with a long elegant curve to it. The edge was jagged from the hilt halfway down before it came into a nice sleek curve. The rogue looked to the velvet wrapped weapon and let go of the curved one to see what was inside the cloth. She unwrapped it to reveal a beautifully crafted blade. Acele took hold of the blade, feeling its weight that fit perfectly in her hand. She turned it around to get a better look at the blade. Perfect, she thought.

The rogue placed the dagger back on the velvet cloth and looked at the other blades for a replacement for her old weapon. She was sure that if one blade had broken, the other was not far behind it. After looking at all of the blades, she settled for the one with the elegant curve. Taking both that dagger and the one in the velvet cloth she turned back to the dwarf. A slight cringe took hold as she feared the price of the blades. Looking back to Thalion, she nodded to him once letting him know that she was ready to buy. The elf gave her a smile. She was still disappointed that her old blades were not going to be repaired, but at the same time, getting replacements was probably a better idea. Handing the chosen weapons to the dwarven smith, she waited patiently for his declaration.

"Once this is done, we need to return to the inn and talk to Rissien. He's going to want to know about the relic that Armen told us about," Thalion said to her. Acele nodded.

"I want to destroy it during the day, today if possible."

"Agreed, the sooner we take care of this problem, the easier everything else will be."

Thalion fell silent as the dwarf gave the price of the weapons.

Thurgir's eye followed Acele as she examined the daggers one by one. She seemed to know what blade she wanted and that would make Thurgir's job a lot easier. It was no surprise that she eventually moved to the dagger wrapped in velvet, and judging by her expression she had found the blade she was after. Thurgir smiled to himself and waited for her to pick another blade to replace the other one. She was bright that one and Thurgir liked that she didn't pair one of his fine blades together with some human crafted table knife. As she handed him the chosen blades he spoke up after snorting and spitting on the cobble floor behind him.

''Ye' got a good eye for daggers I'll give ye that, hopefully ye' got a good sum of coins for 'em too'' He chuckled as he took two matching leather scabbards and oiled the blades up. He slid the first blade into it's scabbard but the one that was wrapped in the velvet he held up.

'' This one 'ere... Is Himmeldutteir.. Heaven's Daughter in yer' tongue. Most people don' remember it but it was used by a Rogue named Ilayna the Just to murder Stansor the Greedy 50 years ago.'' He gazed of into nowhere as he remembered that day when the young Ilayna came in and asked for a weapon that fought for the good of the people and justice. A task which he had taken on with pride. She had promised to return it to him once she had brought ''A Soul to Justice'' and she did, which seemed strange to the Dwarf as she paid a good price for the blade.

'' It wun't' go away for free I'll tell ye that Lass. But I can promise ye' it can take care of all yer' problems'' He didn't let the blade slide into it's scabbard. Many men and women had hesitated to buy it after it's price and the curse that people said the blade carried. A curse Thurgir said was nonsense but had quit sharing with people as they never had the guts to challange faith. Now Thurgir had a feeling in his gut that could just be the fact he hadn't had his lunch or that he felt the Girl could do great things with the right blade.

Thurgir Gloryhammer's Shop: Acele

Acele raised an eyebrow as she let her eyes settle on the blade that the dwarf held. She liked its name, Himmeldutteir, it was beautiful and held a kind of deadly grace that she admired. Upon hearing the name Ilayna, her eyes lit up. She knew that name well, having heard stories when she was younger. Her heart skipped a beat at the knowledge that she'd just held the infamous blade in her own hands. Acele reached to her belt where her coin purse was, she lifted it gently, measuring out the weight of how many coins she had. Most of what she'd stolen from Faine had gone to the Red Dragon Inn for her staying there for the past several weeks. However, her eyes lingering on Himmeldutteir, she wasn't about to let the fine blade slip away because of price.

She untied the pouch and laid it gently on the table, "This is all I have on me, if you require more, I have a little more back at Red Dragon Inn," she told him leveling her steady gaze on him.

Red Claw Inn: Adan

The inn was bustling with the local merchants and city goers. He sat in the corner of the inn his eyes watching the crowd. He was looking for something specific. A beautiful woman to be precise. His business was in need of another woman, someone he could sell for coin, after he'd made her his puppet. Adan took a sip of his drink as he leaned back in the chair. It wasn't long after that he spotted what he was looking for. She was beautiful, a barmaid by the looks and she had a gorgeous smile. Her hair was up in a bun with pieces of the curly locks falling around her face.

Adan watched her until it was apparent that she was leaving at the end of her shift. He then got up and left the inn before her. He walked slowly knowing that she would be upon him soon. Humming was what told him of her approach. She easily sidestepped him and started walking ahead, except that he let his magic unleash onto the cobblestones, pulling one up and tripping her as she went. The basket she was carrying fell from her arms as her hands shot out to catch herself. Adan moved quickly to her side.

"Are you alright, miss?"

She turned to look up at him then gave him a weak smile, "I'm alright. Should probably watch where I'm going next time."

Adan helped her to her feet, giving her a smile as he did so. He walked over to the basket and replaced the contents of it back inside. It was mostly bits of food left over from the cooks kitchen. He wondered where she was taking it, but then brushed the thought aside. He handed her the basket slowly, holding her gaze in his.

"Your eyes are very beautiful."

She looked down and took a slow step backwards. Adan's magic slowly twisted around his words and reached out to her, "Let me walk you home, it is the least I can do."

She took another step backwards, but her head nodded in agreement, she's a strong one, perfect, he tried again, lacing his words with more power, "What's your name, miss? Allow me to walk with you."

"Sophira," she replied softly, her head lifting to look at him. Her eyes had dimmed slightly from the power he held over her, but there was still fire there. He smiled at her, holding out his hand. She let go of the basket once more and reached for him. Once his fingers caught hers, he led her down the street and towards the abandoned part of Thedan where he resided. The basket rolled in a slow circle, the contents of food long forgotten in the street.

Thedan: Faine

"Good, very good Thyra," he hummed in pleasure. She'd done her task well, scouting out Thedan for the rogue that had escaped him. All that was left to do was to get her to surrender to him. Of course, that was easier said then done, she wasn't weak hearted. Acele was ruthless when she had to be, and that was the dangerous part. However, she was prone to blind rage and fighting first before asking questions. That was her weakness, and it was what Faine planned to use against her.

"But first, we have a smaller detail to attend to."

"What is that?" Thyra asked, her voice hollow and cold. Probably and effect of her already being dead, but then, Thyra had always been cold in life too.

"The wench stole our gold. I think it's about time we replenished our chest, don't you?"

Thyra's lips turned into a cruel smile. She was standing against the wall of the home they'd taken over, her dagger in her hand as she wiped it down with a cloth. Faine turned to the rest of his meager guild. The few that had survived the ghost attack the night before.

"The little girls shop that gave us shelter. I believe we should visit her again, and... thank her, for her hospitality."

Judging by the expression on the girl's face Thurgir knew she wouldn't walk out of here without that blade. The fact that she seemed to be willing to pay anything for it wasn't too bad either.

'' Well this 'ere is one of me' masterpieces ye' know. 200 for Himmeldutteir and 50 coins for the other blade sounds fair doesn't it?'' He said and gazed out the window behind the female then he turned his eye to the clock behind him.

He frowned. Sophira used to pop by the shop at this time to give him some leftovers from the Inn. Not that he worried about her, although she was a young lass growing up on a tavern had made her capable of fending of most drunken sods. His eye wandered over the Elf and eventually back to the woman.

'' If ye' got the coin you got yerself' two new blades from the famous Thurgir Gloryhammer lass'' He chuckled as he awaited her response, hoping she was ready to pay the hefty sum of coin for his blades and she did the great things Himmeldutteir was capable of. And judging by the discussion between her and her Elven companion they were up to something, nothing that Thurgir cared about but if she was risking her life her chances improved with his work and a life saved is a generation saved.

Thurgir Gloryhammer's Shop: Acele

Though she winced inwardly at the hefty price of two hundred and fifty coins total, she didn't let it show on her face. Instead she opened the coin purse and dumped out the contents. Her eyes scanned it and a slight frown appeared on her face. She was short by eighty coins. Behind her, she heard Thalion moving. A moment after and he produced the required amount. Pushing the coins back into the purse, she handed the leather bag to the dwarf.

"Thank you very much for your services, Master Dwarf. Your blades will be well taken care of, that I promise you," Acele told him, and she truly meant it. Once the exchange had been made, Acele gladly took the two blades and their sheathes. Stepping away from the counter, she undid her old belts and replaced it with the new ones. The daggers fit right where her old ones were. There was a little adjusting to be had as the two blades were different in size, but once she figured it out, they were perfect.

"I will head back to the inn. I know you wish to help the warrior. I will meet you at the graveyard when you can."

Thalion nodded, "Just be careful. Don't leave without Rissien."

Acele rolled her eyes at him, not in anger, but out of habit. She knew he was looking out for her, she also knew of how he felt about her and she felt the same. Though she hadn't really told him. Acele was sure he knew though.

"I won't," Acele turned and left the shop. As she left, she walked past an basket with the contents of food spilled out. Her eyebrow rose as she passed it. There was no one else around. Sounds from the Red Claw Inn filled the air ahead of her. The rogue didn't like the feeling she got as she passed the abandoned basket. She made a note to investigate that further after she'd dealt with the graveyard.

Once at the Red Dragon, she spotted Rissien with the clothed man that they'd taken in the night before. There was an addition to the small table as well. A blonde haired woman with yellow eyes was watching her approach. Acele frowned deeply.

"What do you want, Elaine?"

"My, my, that's how you greet a friend?"

"You're no friend of mine. Rissien, Thalion and I were told that an artifact in the graveyard-"

"It's not an artifact, its a relic. Its in the catacombs," Elaine said sweetly, interrupting Acele, who turned an icy glare at the mage.

"Let me guess. Armen told you as well?"

"Armen told you and Thalion?" Rissien pipped in. Acele only nodded, her attention on the sorceress who only gave a sweet innocent smile. The rogue growled softly, but decided to ignore the woman. She turned her attention to the man dressed in cloth.

"This is Xin, Acele. He will be coming with us to the relic," Rissien supplied for her. She nodded curtly.

"Good, from the destruction I saw last night, I'm sure he will be a great help. Let's go."

"Where's Thalion?" It was Elaine who asked.

"It doesn't matter where he's at, he'll meet us there."

Next to her Rissien buried his grin in the rest of his ale before slamming the cup down and standing. He knew of Acele's dislike towards the sorceress, and it seemed that every time the woman came around Elaine always managed to push those buttons. Acele led the way out of the inn and towards the graveyard. Elaine hummed while they went, Rissien walked next to Acele and Xin followed behind. Acele ignored the mage, instead turning her attention to the young warrior.

"If we destroy it today, it'll be one less thing to worry about and our nights will be freed once more."

"Agreed. Lets just hope this thing isn't dangerous to us during the day."

Acele nodded. They soon entered the graveyard. They spread out, looking for a way down into the supposed catacombs. A few minutes later and Elaine called to them. She was standing over the opening to a dark hole. Reaching behind her back, the rogue pulled both her daggers free. Himmeldutteir rested easily in her hand and she felt a strong sense of comfort at holding the elegant blade. Acele then went down into the darkness.

Sinead Nermia's Bakery: Faine

He pushed the door of her little shop opened. He hoped to find her alone, but if there were others inside, then they would just be casualties. Faine didn't care either way. He needed gold and the young elf was going to give it to him. As well as a warning to the rogue that if she didn't come to him, he would turn the city into his personal playing field.

"Well well, we meet again, little elf," Faine said slowly, an evil grin on his rugged face. He stalked towards her, ignoring the fact that her eye color changed completely. Faine got right up to her and took hold of her face in his large hand. He pushed his dagger right against her cheek, his smile never fading.

"I have a request. Two actually. Your gold now belongs to me. If you don't I will make your life hell, I promise you. The second is to find a woman named Acele. Get her to come to me. Do that, and I won't come after you. Disobey me and I'll kill you."

Behind the elf Thyra materialized from thin air. Reaching over, the rogue took hold of the woman's hair, bringing her head back. Faine let go as Thyra took hold of the elf. A blade stopped cold against her throat.

"Don't try anything, girl. Besides, you can't kill something that's already dead," Thyra whispered coolly.

Duncan opened his satchel to show the Dwarf his inventory. His armour would be quite impressive and an imposing sight once assembled. Duncan pointed out the dents and scratches and sighed deeply.

“As you can probably tell those” Duncan gestured to his various cuts and bruises, “bloody ghosts got the jump on me last night, you know you guys should have like a sign or something. Welcome to Thedan, oh and I’d wait here until sunrise because the dead roam the streets at night.”

Duncan sat up from his bag and scratched his chin looking down at his malformed armour.

“And hell, maybe a sign above the graveyard saying, You Do Not Want To Be Here. Because when the sun goes down trust me...you don’t.”

Duncan unpacked his damaged armour as he spoke, the breast plate, Helm and shoulder pads were the damaged parts. He laid them on the counter before the Dwarf.

“This is it, got a feeling I’m gunna need that armour if I run into any more of those ghosts. Or just in general I guess, this city is a little mad...no offense. So how much ya be wanting for this lot?”

With that the door opened behind Duncan. It was a young women, clearly slightly distressed. As she entered it was clear that she was addressing the Dwarven Blacksmith. Duncan got out of their line of sight, and limped back towards Thalion.

“Sorry I never asked you your name, please do not think your charity is not appreciated. What’s with you and the young girl? You guys looked pretty serious when I entered the shop.”

Thalion's gaze had wandered to the woman who spoke quickly and urgently to the dwarf. Something was wrong. He crossed one arm over his chest and rested the other on top. His fingers curved along his chin and jaw line as he listened to the woman's words. She was asking if the dwarf had seen a woman by the name of Sophira.

“Sorry I never asked you your name, please do not think your charity is not appreciated. What’s with you and the young girl? You guys looked pretty serious when I entered the shop.”

He came out of his thoughts as the warrior approached him. He gave the man a smile before answering the question, "I'm Thalion. My friend is Acele. Her and I are working on quite a few things here in the city with another friend of ours, Rissien. Our first order of business is to get rid of those damned ghosts. We heard that in the graveyard there is a relic that's creating the curse, so naturally we are going to go destroy it," he leaned forward, "And then after that I intend to find out what is going on with her," he motioned his head towards the young lady that had come bursting into the shop. "All I can do is hope that it's not what I think it is. Anyway, when your armor is fixed, I will take you to the inn, or you can come with me to the graveyard. I wouldn't mind another helping hand. Besides, Acele tends to get herself into more trouble than she or I can handle alone at times."

Thurgir ignored the out of towner's nagging about the Ghosts. Was he a warrior or a sissy? Thurgir just grunted as a reply. But he couldn't help to ask.

'' Who goes to a graveyard when yer' new in town unless ye' got someone ye' know there ya' sod. Blame yer own sorry hide'' He muttered as he began examining the armour. Not too bad quality, it was obviously Knight fashioned, Human made.

He picked up the different parts and looked them over one by one, frowning and muttering. He was just about to mention his price to hammer out the dents and fix the cracks when Sophira's older sister Sophie came bursting in like she had a Uluch Troll after her.

'' Calm yerself' Lass, I ain't seen 'er since breakfast! '' He grunted as he knocked on the helmet with his fist. He seemed less then worried about Sophira as he looked back at the Knight who began a conversation with the Elf again.

'' I'll 'ammer 'em out for 70 coins. But I would recomend replacing the leather straps too. That'll be an extra 10 coins.'' Thurgir gave Sophie a grim look for bursting in and all. He motioned for her to come closer as he looked back at the Knight.

Duncan looked down at his armour, it’s dents and bruises.

'' I'll 'ammer 'em out for 70 coins. But I would recomend replacing the leather straps too. That'll be an extra 10 coins.''

“That would be eighty in total ey? That is pretty steep...but more than fair. It shall not be a problem. And just so you know I wasn’t in that graveyard by choice I was los-“

Duncan was in the middle of emptying two bags of coins when the woman who had entered the shop began shouting. She had obviously become very alarmed and very stressed...very quickly. Women.

“I am going to stop by my sister’s house. If she isn’t there, I’m coming with you. I will be back before your armor is fixed.”

And with that she stormed out from the shop. Duncan turned to Thalion, slightly stunned by the girl’s outburst.

“Wha- What jus- Who the hell is Sophira? What did I just get dragged into?”

Duncan looked back to the Dwarf.

“I said it once I’ll say it again, this place is nuts.”

Duncan sighed to himself. He finished counting out the coins and pushed them across the counter towards the dwarf.

“An extra ten coins, I feel I should tip with all the madness.”

With that he went and stood beside Thalion.

“So I guess I’m not going to have time to let all this heal.” He jabbed a finger at his face and chuckled. “And according to the young lady I’m going to the graveyard I guess...again. I hope it doesn’t hurt as much as last time. Is there any truth in what the young lady says though, or she just another pretty mad thing here? What did you think she was talking about?”