"Tis yet another monument."
Deneith flicked a glance over her shoulder, tearing her attention from the dimly lit tower on the east end of the western highlands. "A deserted one, at that. I did not expect company when I came upon this place."
There came the distinct crunch of large man’s weight upon the snow as the newcomer stepped forward with a nod, his eyes roaming up and down the tower. "There are men and women who are expected... and there are those who aren't. The latter tend towards hanger-ons... but there are some who benefit from, let us say, discretion."
She turned to get a better look upon the warrior -- an Au Ra. Another Xaela. She looked him over once, her expression and voice remaining neutral. "Should I know you?"
"No, you should not," he all but purred. "We have passed each other by on a few occasions, you and I... like strangers through a marketplace." He looked back at her and grinned. "But do you? Do you have you an inkling? Any insight at all?â€
Deneith's eyes narrowed, the indifferent countenance giving way to one of wariness. "I do not. I know not many of your kind." She exhaled, her breath pluming before her nose. "But I have a feeling you are about to educate me."
She uncrossed her arms, her gauntleted hand coming to hang closer to her sword. That elicited a laugh from him.
"You were given a choice. You've not yet come to a decision. That is my purpose here. Your education... well, suffice to say that I am not inclined to spewing diatribe without cause." He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "A ‘yea’ or ’nay’ from you is all that I require. Then I am gone from this place."
She said nothing for a moment, but she broke her gaze as her thoughts raced through her memories. She blinked and looked back at him. "I was told to ask for a gift. From Thal." She arched a brow. "Are you here to listen to that prayer?"
He grinned at Deneith, then straightened and sauntered up to her, his eyes sliding back to the tower. He passed her by, caring not a whit for the hand near the hilt. He ascended the steps and paused.
Roen Deneith 's fingers flexed when he neared, but as he passed she made no move for the sword. She continued to stare at his back. "So you know Sergeant Melkire."
"Aaaaand now the cogs turn."
"He made no mention of you."
"As instructed." He frowned as he glanced over his shoulder. "Alas, perhaps that was a mistake."
Roen Deneith crossed her arms, her jaw set. "If you found me, and know the words exchanged between the Sergeant and I, then you have me at a disadvantage."
"Naturally." He smirked for her. There was some measure of arrogance in that expression, a chiding admonishment perhaps.
"...I would know your name at least."
The Auri man canted his head to one side in pensive thought. "Which one?"
Deneith watched him closely. "The one the sergeant considers your real name."
That elicited another smile from him, and he turned to bow. "Adin Rem Adonis, most decidedly not at your service."
"Rem," she repeated. Her eyes widened slightly.
Adonis nodded.
"I already told the Sergeant that I wished to help him. And... her." Her gaze remained sharp and wary. "So if I tell you I am ready, then what?"
"Then you join your colleagues - Melkire, Grimsong, Eglantine, and Jakkya - in training. You accept a burden, you prepare, and you wait for an opportune moment."
Deneith blinked, three times. Her lips parted just slightly as she considered those names. "He had you contact... all of them?"
"You misunderstand my relationship with the man."
"Who are you? And exactly how do you and the segeant work together?"
"I am the man who once set Askier Mergrey to task. The complete and utter ruin of the Jewel of the Desert, that was the assignment. Alas, circumstances... took me off the board, so to speak, for a time." He shrugged. "A former manservant excelled in my absence. Poisoned the city-state, as I understand it."
He waved a hand. "Old history. Suffice to say that I hold the sergeant's leash, and that I am in need of men and women, heroes all, to slay a monstrosity."
She stiffened, her arms falling to her side. "You are the one that Askier was--â€
Deneith cleared her throat to loosen the tightening there. She looked him over once more, as if seeing him anew. A thousand questions raced through her mind. She forcibly set him aside for now.
"Do the others know this? Who you are? They agreed to your terms?"
"Melkire knows. Jakkya is, perhaps, about to learn. Eglantine is in the dark, and Grimsong and I have never met. As for my terms... they are aware of the task at hand, and have consented. Are you aware? Will you consent?"
"What is this task? What is it that you ask of all of them and of me? What do you want exactly?"
“The complete and utter obliteration and negation of Jin'li Epinoch."
Deneith exhaled as she broke her gaze. Her eyes flitted about the snow, before a frown bent her brows.
"I already told the sergeant I would help him however I can." She stared back up at the Au Ra. "What would you have me do?"
Adonis descended to the woman's level and held out a gauntleted hand. On the palm rested a gem... a white gem... a stone. "You take this. You resist the madness that has been sown within, as it has with Grimsong's and with Eglantine's. And when the time comes, you stand together with them and buy me the opportune moment with which to strike down a voidsent madman."
She stared at the white stone. Her hand was slow to move, but eventually it rose and plucked it from his palm, two fingers holding it gingerly as she brought it before her eyes. He watched her, intent... and curious.
"Tis artificial. An imprint of a soul, to be sure, but man-made. From one Julius Bennett, if memory serves."
Deneith did not quite grasp it in her hand fully, as if hesitant to explore what laid within. Instead, she shot the Au Ra a sharp look. "An artificial soul stone. Why Eglantine? She is no fighter."
"She has the heart for it. A caged bird longing for open skies."
"That is no reason to put a woman like that in harm's way," she shot back.
"I but gave her a means to an end. How she chooses to proceed is entirely up to her... as it is with Grimsong, as it is with Jakkya."
Deneith looked back to the white stone that she still held between her thumb and index finger. She slipped it into her belt pouch.
"Who is this Julius Bennett?" She sounded resigned.
"A paladin of minor renown, but skilled in technique and boasting a wide breadth of experience."
"And your sole purpose here is to destroy the madman, Jin'li?"
"Would I pass out artifacts of immeasurable worth for anything less?"
"When will this be? When will the opportunity come?"
"Soon, but perhaps not too soon. Such things are difficult to gauge. I spoke with him recently. He seems more unhinged than ever." He shook his head. "I plan to convene you all within a fortnight. Perhaps within two."
She maintained a stoic expression, although her thumb rubbed over her closed fingers restlessly.
"I suppose you already know how to find me." She exhales with an annoyed tug to one corner of her lips. "But leave word at the Forgotten Knight."
"Should we have time to spare, I shall." He hesitated as he turned to leave. "...do not trust Grimsong. Do not trust Eglantine. Not when it comes to this task. I will send you a child, and he shall lead you."
Deneith seemed to be staring at the snow in thought when his words made her glare back at him. "A child?"
"He is small but ferocious... and filled with faith." He smiled. "You will like him."
She wore her distrust and displeasure with him plainly on her face. If she had words of protest however, she held her tongue.
“Fare you well until then, Ser Deneith. Oh, and... I do believe that if she knew of this meeting, a certain pale-haired lady would send her most insincere regards."
He laughed as she shot him another glare over her shoulder, but she said nothing as he took his leave of her.
Deneith flicked a glance over her shoulder, tearing her attention from the dimly lit tower on the east end of the western highlands. "A deserted one, at that. I did not expect company when I came upon this place."
There came the distinct crunch of large man’s weight upon the snow as the newcomer stepped forward with a nod, his eyes roaming up and down the tower. "There are men and women who are expected... and there are those who aren't. The latter tend towards hanger-ons... but there are some who benefit from, let us say, discretion."
She turned to get a better look upon the warrior -- an Au Ra. Another Xaela. She looked him over once, her expression and voice remaining neutral. "Should I know you?"
"No, you should not," he all but purred. "We have passed each other by on a few occasions, you and I... like strangers through a marketplace." He looked back at her and grinned. "But do you? Do you have you an inkling? Any insight at all?â€
Deneith's eyes narrowed, the indifferent countenance giving way to one of wariness. "I do not. I know not many of your kind." She exhaled, her breath pluming before her nose. "But I have a feeling you are about to educate me."
She uncrossed her arms, her gauntleted hand coming to hang closer to her sword. That elicited a laugh from him.
"You were given a choice. You've not yet come to a decision. That is my purpose here. Your education... well, suffice to say that I am not inclined to spewing diatribe without cause." He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "A ‘yea’ or ’nay’ from you is all that I require. Then I am gone from this place."
She said nothing for a moment, but she broke her gaze as her thoughts raced through her memories. She blinked and looked back at him. "I was told to ask for a gift. From Thal." She arched a brow. "Are you here to listen to that prayer?"
He grinned at Deneith, then straightened and sauntered up to her, his eyes sliding back to the tower. He passed her by, caring not a whit for the hand near the hilt. He ascended the steps and paused.
Roen Deneith 's fingers flexed when he neared, but as he passed she made no move for the sword. She continued to stare at his back. "So you know Sergeant Melkire."
"Aaaaand now the cogs turn."
"He made no mention of you."
"As instructed." He frowned as he glanced over his shoulder. "Alas, perhaps that was a mistake."
Roen Deneith crossed her arms, her jaw set. "If you found me, and know the words exchanged between the Sergeant and I, then you have me at a disadvantage."
"Naturally." He smirked for her. There was some measure of arrogance in that expression, a chiding admonishment perhaps.
"...I would know your name at least."
The Auri man canted his head to one side in pensive thought. "Which one?"
Deneith watched him closely. "The one the sergeant considers your real name."
That elicited another smile from him, and he turned to bow. "Adin Rem Adonis, most decidedly not at your service."
"Rem," she repeated. Her eyes widened slightly.
Adonis nodded.
"I already told the Sergeant that I wished to help him. And... her." Her gaze remained sharp and wary. "So if I tell you I am ready, then what?"
"Then you join your colleagues - Melkire, Grimsong, Eglantine, and Jakkya - in training. You accept a burden, you prepare, and you wait for an opportune moment."
Deneith blinked, three times. Her lips parted just slightly as she considered those names. "He had you contact... all of them?"
"You misunderstand my relationship with the man."
"Who are you? And exactly how do you and the segeant work together?"
"I am the man who once set Askier Mergrey to task. The complete and utter ruin of the Jewel of the Desert, that was the assignment. Alas, circumstances... took me off the board, so to speak, for a time." He shrugged. "A former manservant excelled in my absence. Poisoned the city-state, as I understand it."
He waved a hand. "Old history. Suffice to say that I hold the sergeant's leash, and that I am in need of men and women, heroes all, to slay a monstrosity."
She stiffened, her arms falling to her side. "You are the one that Askier was--â€
Deneith cleared her throat to loosen the tightening there. She looked him over once more, as if seeing him anew. A thousand questions raced through her mind. She forcibly set him aside for now.
"Do the others know this? Who you are? They agreed to your terms?"
"Melkire knows. Jakkya is, perhaps, about to learn. Eglantine is in the dark, and Grimsong and I have never met. As for my terms... they are aware of the task at hand, and have consented. Are you aware? Will you consent?"
"What is this task? What is it that you ask of all of them and of me? What do you want exactly?"
“The complete and utter obliteration and negation of Jin'li Epinoch."
Deneith exhaled as she broke her gaze. Her eyes flitted about the snow, before a frown bent her brows.
"I already told the sergeant I would help him however I can." She stared back up at the Au Ra. "What would you have me do?"
Adonis descended to the woman's level and held out a gauntleted hand. On the palm rested a gem... a white gem... a stone. "You take this. You resist the madness that has been sown within, as it has with Grimsong's and with Eglantine's. And when the time comes, you stand together with them and buy me the opportune moment with which to strike down a voidsent madman."
She stared at the white stone. Her hand was slow to move, but eventually it rose and plucked it from his palm, two fingers holding it gingerly as she brought it before her eyes. He watched her, intent... and curious.
"Tis artificial. An imprint of a soul, to be sure, but man-made. From one Julius Bennett, if memory serves."
Deneith did not quite grasp it in her hand fully, as if hesitant to explore what laid within. Instead, she shot the Au Ra a sharp look. "An artificial soul stone. Why Eglantine? She is no fighter."
"She has the heart for it. A caged bird longing for open skies."
"That is no reason to put a woman like that in harm's way," she shot back.
"I but gave her a means to an end. How she chooses to proceed is entirely up to her... as it is with Grimsong, as it is with Jakkya."
Deneith looked back to the white stone that she still held between her thumb and index finger. She slipped it into her belt pouch.
"Who is this Julius Bennett?" She sounded resigned.
"A paladin of minor renown, but skilled in technique and boasting a wide breadth of experience."
"And your sole purpose here is to destroy the madman, Jin'li?"
"Would I pass out artifacts of immeasurable worth for anything less?"
"When will this be? When will the opportunity come?"
"Soon, but perhaps not too soon. Such things are difficult to gauge. I spoke with him recently. He seems more unhinged than ever." He shook his head. "I plan to convene you all within a fortnight. Perhaps within two."
She maintained a stoic expression, although her thumb rubbed over her closed fingers restlessly.
"I suppose you already know how to find me." She exhales with an annoyed tug to one corner of her lips. "But leave word at the Forgotten Knight."
"Should we have time to spare, I shall." He hesitated as he turned to leave. "...do not trust Grimsong. Do not trust Eglantine. Not when it comes to this task. I will send you a child, and he shall lead you."
Deneith seemed to be staring at the snow in thought when his words made her glare back at him. "A child?"
"He is small but ferocious... and filled with faith." He smiled. "You will like him."
She wore her distrust and displeasure with him plainly on her face. If she had words of protest however, she held her tongue.
“Fare you well until then, Ser Deneith. Oh, and... I do believe that if she knew of this meeting, a certain pale-haired lady would send her most insincere regards."
He laughed as she shot him another glare over her shoulder, but she said nothing as he took his leave of her.
![[Image: 1qVSsTp.png]](http://i.imgur.com/1qVSsTp.png)
