(( Arcalan is an officer... so I made him one ))

((Crispian doesn't even have an Office!))

 

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The old man leaned back against a settlement of tattered bags of grain along the dock. The sun cast a beautiful light across the waters of Llyn Barfog, the Bearded Lake.


Tiny ripples maade their way to shore as Basaia's line was tripped; he began to smile toothlessly as the bamboo stick bent into the waters. He raised to his feet, grasping the old fishing pole along the docks and tried with all of his might in his seventy-seventh year of age to reel in the lake trout, its scales glistening along the crest of the clear waters.


"Got'che na'!"

((Woot! an old rp face gracing my thread! Many thanks!))


Arcalan Hemlos was not best pleased.

Her day had been going well, for she'd discovered a few people at the forge only too willing to speak of Apolexia, especially since Arcalan was going to help Lexi...


Many in the League were worried that Tashtego had taken off for a few days leaving only a note, and still others were welcoming the recouperating Tannir, and Aceramar the infiltraitor. They had been victims of D'Vena out in Snowdonia, and they had both nearly perished in the harsh snows.

Arcalan had returned and quietly made her way into her room, and adjoining office. Her popularity in the league was on the rise again as more acts of generosity showed her repentant self to be true.

She was not pleased however to discover someone had been here. Scanning the scroll Hecathia had left, her temper worsened. Arcalan had indeed planted a few explosive shards into the clay lexi would be using, in order to ensure the little whelp was in as much hot water as possible. Next to Azi, Lexi was the only real threat in the League, and only then because she believed Azi. Arcalan knew that Azaeli could see through her disguise, her facade of noble repentance... but how?


Rereading the scroll Arcalan could smell the fear in Hecathia's soul. Her powers were sharpening themselves every day, attuning themselves to the powers of the spirit. Hecathia stood to lose far more here she knew. Plus the girl had the audacity to imply a threat. Arcalan smiled at her bare faced cheek, and decided it would buy a little more time for her, she would indeed help her.

She secreted the scroll away so no one would chance upon it, and began to weave her own message. Instead of a mere letter she thought it best to let hecathia know who she was dealing with. Arcalan emptied a smooth golem stone taken from a dead telamon from out of her rucksack, and began to work her magic upon it. Finally it was ready.


Arcalan left her message for Hecathia, and once more failing to catch the ever busy Seneschal Crispian, made her way out of the League Hall. The Feast of the Saint was tommorow, most important day of the league each year, honouring their namesake, and his Martyrdom for the faith. It gave Arcalan an attack of bile to even think of these folks inane celebrations. She'd escape it on grounds of her own worthlessness after D'vena and on seeking to attone by trying to "help" Lexi. Arcalan readied a steed and set out for Llyn Barfog. Time to seek out the mysterious Grandfather, and the truth behind Apolexia.


______________________________


That night Hecathia slipped into her bedchamber and secured her door. No word from that witch Arcalan yet, which meant she may have to do something drastic. She made her offering to the godess, before slipping into bed, a slender dagger under her pillow as insurance...

sleep closed in on her.

Suddenly she was jolted awake with a tremendous force pressing on her chest. Her eyes flicked open to see a massive Golem pinning her with it's hand to the bed. Above it the sky was visible, shimmering grey and white. Clouds raced over the sky like skimming stones across the water, and the whole place seemed surreal and unnatural.. where was she?

Arcalan leant over her pinned form as she struggled to free herself.

"Good evening Hecathia" spoke the grey-white image of Arcalan. "It seemed you wanted to speak with me" a cruel smile lit up Arcalan's face as she said it.

"Release me!" Hecathia heard herself say, but it was far off and dreamlike, not her voice at all.

"Don't struggle Hecathia, it's utterly futile" Arcalan warned. In the distance the sun, or perhaps moon seemed to slip aross the sky, leaving a wake like a boat in the water. "ou made the mistake of phrasing a threat to me in order to enlist my aid. You won't be doing that again." Arcalan leaned closer to ensure Hecathia's eyes registered understanding. "ou do, however, interest me. I will lend you my aid, and you will dispose of the crystals you took from Tashtego. I will ensure you are not discovered, and you... you will tell me everything. That is my offer Hecathia, and I advise you to accept it. If I were to reveal my true nature to the League, then I wouldn't hesitate to unveil to them EXACTLY what I am capable of.. and I'd need an example" she looked at Hecathia with power crazed eyes, seemingly toying with a hideous idea.

"Now Hecathia.. tell me what it is you ask of me"

The silver moon set again on the horizon, and threw brilliant watery beams over the surface of the gigantic simulacrum. Hecathia thought careful, and then spoke:

Hecathia found herself pinned under the force of this golem. Dream or reality? She could not tell... though she knew one thing was for certain, she wanted to talk to Arcalan and here he was. She looked up to the moon, her goddess' symbol... drawing strength from it she found herself able to speak.


"What do I want? I shall tell you what I want. I want that girl's head on a stick! You know who I refer to, because of her I was banished from this land! I also seek something you already have... power... the power I have but more than this power Hecate has given me!" Ilara's eyes flashed, the power she once had once again rose to her fingertips, the power of her dark goddess... lightning bolts streamed out of Ilara's eyes up at Arcalan.


Arcalan laughed, with one wave of his hand he sent the bolts flying in different directions. "Ah, so you seem to not be as utterly weak as I thought you to be... but no matter. Your power is nothing to mine Hecathia, I shall ask you again, for the last time. Tell me what it is you ask of me."


Hecathia looked up to Arcalan. Her powers were unmatched to his. Stopping her struggle, she spoke truthfully. "I seek the power my father had. The power to rule. Whether it be slaves, or servants, I seek control. I seek power, and I also seek vengeance... on Apolexia. Do not decieve my twenty years of age as a weakness Arcalan, I may be young but I know what I want...."


The golem vanished, Arcalan vanished. Ilara jumped up from her bed at the room in the tavern. She looked around, no golem, no Arcalan. She looked to the walls of her room, on them was a message written in a blaze of light: "Dispose of the crystals first." As she read it the message disappeared and another appeared. "Do not harm the girl until I say otherwise." The message disappeared again and another appeared. "Disobey me and you shall surely die." It faded another reappearing. "Obey me and you shall get what you seek." The line faded, but no more appeared. The room grew dark again, and she was left in the room alone. She felt under her pillow... a smooth round stone, picking it up another light message appeared then disappeared as she read it. "Remember, *I* am in control."


Ilara flipped the stone up catching it in her hand and smiled. "Give me what I want Arcalan, and I shall follow..." reaching over to her armor she changed into it and walked down to the main part of the tavern. A loud crowd was there drinking the night away, Ilara ignored them all walking to the fireplace. Getting out the pouch she had taken from Tashtego, she threw it into the fire. The magics dispersed, the gems grew bright red but then flickered into nothingness. Waiting till each one had been burnt away, she then walked back to her room, pocketing the now plain golem stone. Taking off her armor, she once again found her sleep...

((Arcalan is a she. Lexi just has some kind of mental block on this issue, but ARCALAN IS FEMALE!))

Ilara awoke the next morn to a surprise. A note was left for her, it was from Arcalan, with a small pouch next to the note. She unfurled the note and read:


Hecathia, I will be gone for a few days on some matters I need to look into. I said I would solve your problems with Tashtego, but I need you to prove yourself to me to do this. In the small pouch is a stone, much alike the one you found underneath your pillow last night. The stone works only once, so make sure you do not fail. The first one that touches the stone will remember nothing about you except your name, and you are in the league. Use this to clear Tashtego's mind. The magic is irreversible. So I hope I do not need to tell you to not touch it yourself... - Arcalan Hemlos


Ilara looked to the small pouch next to her. Picking it up finding the stone, she left it in the pouch, secreting it away in the folds of the robe, hurrying off to the guild hall. She had heard Tashtego had left mysteriously for a few days, but she also knew if she followed around Azaeli enough, she might find a clue. Then it came, Azaeli writing a note, giving it to her squire-girl Emlae to deliver to Tashtego, and she overheard where he was. But how to get him to touch the stone?


Ilara got out a letter of her own, taking great care to not touch the stone dropped it inside, then sneaking into the Hammerfel home, sealed it with Azaeli's seal. Ilara smiled. It would be simple. Walk up to Tashtego, infuriate him, flee as he runs at her to draw his mace, drop the note as she flees, and then Tash would touch the stone. She made her way around past the great bridge of Ludlow, and headed along the riverbed finding Tash in waiting.


'Let's have some fun first...' Ilara thought. Drawing the power of her goddess, she sent a lightning bolt up the hill, knocking down a boulder to Tashtego. Tash hearing the rock come tumbling down turned quickly, bashing it to the side with his shield. He looked around, a clear day yet a boulder comes flying down the hill? Ilara stepped out of the shadows, and he knew what happened.


Just the other day, with Tashtego, Azaeli, Apolexia, and a couple others, Lexi had told all she knew about Ilara. It was Azaeli who theorized that Hecathia *IS* Ilara, both being Greek it made sense. Examining the cloth even more closely than before that Tash had ripped off from his assailant's collar, they found a black strain of hair, not brown like Lexi's. So now, on this hill, Tash had every reason to believe it was her that had attacked her.


"WHAT DO YE WANT WITCH! GET AWAY FROM ME! I DIN ASK YE HERE SO LEAVE!" already angered by whatever had caused him to leave the guild hall. Ilara decided to put her plan into action. Extending her hand to Tashtego, shooting out a bolt of lightning from her fingertips surprising him. The lightning was deflected as it hit his shield, causing him to fall back a step. Fire was seen in his eyes. "OH NOW YE *&^#@ WILL DIE!"


Ilara shot another bolt of lightning, her plan working so far and smiled. "Oh you are no match for me."


Tash seeing the second bolt come out once again deflected it with his shield and moved over to Ilara. 'es, rush me you fool, draw your mace and while you do, I shall disappear...' but Ilara's plan did not account for what Tash did. Burning with rage, Tash forgot about his mace and went straight for Ilara. "WE SHALL SEE WITCH!" Tash threw all his strength as he lunged to tackle Ilara. Ilara completly caught by surprise rushed to draw her blade, but Tash had grabbed her sword arm as he tackled her. On the ground, Tash was a hardened warrior, a veteran in the fields. Ilara panic'd, but did not know what to do, her plan had failed. Tash was under full control, slamming his fist into Ilara's face, hitting her against the beach. Ilara did what she only thought she could do, and feigned unconsciousness. But Tash was out for blood, and this had little affect.


"Oh no, I not be that stupid." Tash says, as he drives the shield down directly at her leg, the blow shatters all her bones in her knee, as she cries out in pain and horror. The note that she had meant to use now flipped out of her armor onto the beach, but Tash had not seen it, and he continued his attack. In panic Ilara tried to grab her blade again, but Tash with his mace swung at her weapon hand, sending the blade flying into the river's depths. Tash got up, drawing his mace again. Ilara tried to move, but could not, her leg completly shattered. Drawing up his mace again, he swung it low at Hecathia, launching her into the air three feet before landing just short of the riverbed. Tash walked over to Hecathia, grabbing her by the hair lifting her up, her helmet having been thrown off her earlier. "DIE YOU WITCH!" as he takes her head over his knee, a skull-shattering noise heard for almost a mile around. Blood sputtered from her head, her mouth, the pain overwhelming she blanks out of consciousness. Tash with her hair still in his hands walks over to the river, and dunks her head into it, holding it down. Picking up Ilara again, he then tossed her into the river like a rag doll, then settled back down to the beach. "I DON NEED ANYMORE FROM THE LIKES A YOU WITCH!"


Ilara lay unmotionless, sinking into the water. Tash looked down at the letter, ready to throw it into the ocean he stopped, his lady Azaeli's mark on it. Opening up the letter finding a stone, he pauses. "This be more of that witch's magic, I'll hurl this stone into the ocean!" grabbing the stone ready to do just that... the stone resonates with its magic. Tashtego throws the stone into the ocean, the note falling un-noticed into the river.


Tash looked up, his eyes catching Hecathia sinking into the river. "No what the..." in shock as he dives into the river, pulling her out, the stone's powers taking its affect, causing Tash to forget about something that even happened one minute ago. Laying Hecathia on the river bed, he shakes her lightly. "Hecathia? HECATHIA?!" Ilara's blood streamed from her mouth and forehead, not moving, her leg dangling as if not even attached to her body. "Um... what do I do... how did she get here..." having come out to the river to avoid the league for awhile. "ARGHHH, what is this....I am NOT READT TA GO BACK TA THE GUILD!" Tash sighed deeply. "She is a friend..." Tash picking her up, noticing her leg dangling oddly, carrying her back to Camelot.


Tash kicked open the guild hall doors, "HELP!" he cried out, carrying Hecathia over to rest upon the Master Table. There was not many people in the hall. Crispian had taken to sleep, as had Azaeli. Dracarn was missing. Rhizzia was out hunting. Tobyas had disappeared. The others of the league had apparently either fell asleep, or were still out training or defending. The only two in the hall was an inexperienced cleric named Sergen, who immediatly jumped up from his work at Tash's cry for help. The other a more experienced cleric named Hamoul, ignored the scene, getting back to his book. Sergen got up, began to look over her wounds, asking what had happened.


Tash looks totally confused and almost out of breath from the long run from half way to Snowdonia. "I don know...I NEED HELP!"


Heathyr, a friar of the league, hearing the commotion from outside entered the guild hall. In a calm state, asked Tash not to panic. "Sergen, why don't you see to Tash, I'll take care of her..."


Tash looks at his hands like they be useless for this. "WHERE IS EVERYONE?!"


Sergen started to add some compressives to stop the bleeding then turned to Tash as Heathyr had instructed. Sergen pointed to the chair, telling him to sit down. "Tash, are you injured? Were you attacked?" Heathyr suddenly stopped tending to Hecathia as this question was asked, looking to Tash for a response.


"No, I was just sitting there, then I saw her floating in the water. HELP HER!"


Apparently that was what Heathyr had wished to hear, and began work on trying to treat Hecathia once again.


"Where were you headed Tash?" Sergen continued to ask.


"Headed?! AWAY FER AWHILE!" still upset and very confused.


Heathyr stood back from Hecathia, casting her healing spell on her. The blue lights flickered about Hecathia, but nothing happened. "Hmmm... odd. That should have worked. We'll need someone's help who knows more than I."


Tash looks aroun for anybody but at the same time not wanting to be there. "Where is Azaeli? Lexi? Crispian? ANYONE?!"


"Can ye do anything Heathyr?" Tash asked.


"My heal should have worked... I don't understand it..."


"Milord, maybe a drink would help..." Sergen asked him.


Tash clasps his head in his heads tryin to get hold of himself. "NO! I DON need a drink thank you!"


"Tash, take her up to a room. We'll keep her warm while we try to get more help." Heathyr suggested.


"I do not wan ta move her, the run o'er here I'm sure did not help her condition."


"NOW Tash! A warm room with no drafts. MOVE!"


"She shall stay right here fer now...any wrong movement could do more harm than good!" he tried to explain, Sergen meanwhile coming back into the hall with some blankets, being careful to not move her as he warms her up.


Tash sighs heavily trying to. relax. "I'm sorry Heathyr, and thankee Sergen..."


"Keep her warm, quiet, and send someone to the temple. My heals should work, something is preventing it." she pondered.


"I shall goto the church and fetch whoever I can." Tash said, bolting out of the room.


Heathyr turned to Sergen, "Don't move her if you can, keep her warm. I must retire to my room, I am no help exhausted." figuring why the heals must not've worked.


"I shall watch over her, do not worry." showing a smile as if he has everything under control.


Heathyr smiled back to him, and got up to head to her bed. Arriving moments later was Tash almost dragging a Master Healer into the room. The Master Healer looks to Hecathia lying on the table, and holds his hand over hers channeling his energies. Hecathia didn't respond. The Healer looked quizzicly at Hecathia, and tries again with a much more powerful spell. Once again, Hecathia doesn't respond to his energies. "I..I..this can not be.." he says in confusion, trying one last time, still getting no response from her.


Tash tried to explain to sergen as the healer worked his powers. "I do not know Sergen...I mean her leg literally be broke in two.. and her spine I fear is broke in two and shattered.." his voice trailing off. Sergen the cleric almost losing his lunch at this description.


The healer looked to Tash shaking his head. "I am sorry me friend... she is beyond me power ta help... but somethin it wrong... I must confer with me Elders on this..." quickly leaving back to his church.


Sergen adds another blanket to her, trying to cradle her head. Tash looks around uneasily. "Um... I... this not be right... I..." stopping to calm down. "I need ta find a room for her..."


Sergen said a prayer. "If her back is injured, we should leave her here."


"Sergen, how strong be ye...? Can ye help me lift this master table up ta me own room up those stairs?"


Sergen blesses himself and Tash with strength. "We can try, I got this end."


The two men put thier back into moving the massive table, moving it very slowly up the stairs, and into Tashtego's room. "She can rest here, thankee me friend."


Sergen walked past Tash and sat down praying next to her, "I shall watch her."


"Thankee again..."

His slumber was awoken with the morning mist of Barfog; the light of day broke over his encampment.


The old man gave a wide yawn, his gums and tongue covered in a thin layer of slime from his rest. Wiping away the crust beneath his eyes, he stretched his old bones out along the somewhat comforts of the leafy ground he had slept on the night before.


Reaching for a silver flask buried beneath his robes, he took a long pull from the strong spirits contained within. Swallowing the Cotswoldian concoction, he rose to his feet. The alchohol had given his a sense of renewed vigor as he stood strong, looking to his lower parts, naked in the mist of the morning...however, it quickly caught up with him as he began to wheeze incessantly, falling to his knees.


"Seventy-seven wint'rs old na," he coughed to himself 'an' I kin still stand at atten'chun in the m'arnin', hah!"


Finishing his morning routine, he gathered his things and made again for the docks along Barfog.

/bump

Hecathia lay there unmoving. Sergen walked into the room, checking on a fellow leaguer. Re-applying new blankets and cloth he smiled. "ou've made it through the night, now just sleep, you'll be up soon."