Chronicles of The Omniverse Archived The Icy Peaks

Elie took control of his mental dreamscape with a touch of what little magic he had left. Elie grew sick at the thought of what he was about to do. But he needed to get on his feet again. And he had taxed his body near to death. The landscape was that of stars. Lights from life both big and small around him the people that had taken him in. Looked like suns moving his gaze to a thicket of scrub about the only thing that did grow up this far in the mountains.
What he did next Elie would always describe as wrong. The kind of wrong of a boy butchering his favorite hound and eating the meat raw. For the only way, Elie knew to drain the energy out of something was to attune his mind to it. And leech the life out of it. To make things even harder Elie was not a plant so the energy he did get from the plant would be lost in translation. He did the math and feeling like he might throw up. He drained the life out of five of the scrub brush around the camp. Pulling the power into him Elie felt horrified and had to use all his discipline to force himself to continue the magic.

Elie's eyes popped open and he sucked in a deep breath. Throwing the coat off Elie heaved strings of bile escaping his mouth. As he took a few steps away. He had nothing in his belly. So the taste of acid was all that filled his mouth. After a moment, Elie whipped his mouth with the back of his hand. Not having the energy to rework the magic that had kept him warm. Elie moved back to the coat and wrapped it around himself. With a deep breath, Elie spoke not looking at any of the others his gaze fixed on the ground. "I take it you may have some questions."
 
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The dark-skinned woman.initiated the first response with something about the Vanguard; the order they were with and Rayn was about to join. Then it went on about being a stranger accepted amongst strangers (for the most part). More was added, though little that the man cared… He was used to being a disappointment in his life, knowing the only gratification worthwhile was that of his own.

His stare had remained blank to Destra, and as she said, he would start with the fire, since it’s the only thing they seem to think he would be good at. They knew nothing of him, which, in itself was a strange feeling. Though, before he could even make a decent pit, or even move some wood around, the Void creature put her word in, and again, her words weighted more heavily upon him. The mention of his lack of compassion and trust was like a twisted knife through his guts. He left his face to face the ground where he would make their source of heat, but he was clenching his teeth, either furious or hurt.

She went on about his ignorance, and that, he couldn’t lie; he was. He knew nothing of this order, other than what he was given at his arrival a few days before. He knew nothing of the people surrounding him nor of their capabilities… But from what he see from their journey, the dark lady was the only one here more competent with a blade than he was. Otherwise… well, he had tricks for the others.

Rayn didn’t even respond to the demand of the centaur, instead doing his task of starting the fire…

… Later on, he felt something off in the air, though he couldn’t quite catch what it was. Though, he did see the possessed man coming to back to consciousness. Right in time for the fire to be properly started. Rayn had already unwrapped his Laminas Restrictionist from its blankets. The man spoke, and Rayn wasn’t about to indulge him in questioning.

“No questions. Just a warning; if whatever entity inside you comes to manifest itself in our realm, I will end your life faster than it can utter a word from Those Below.” Again, he didn’t seem to be kidding. “Luckily for you, the others want to keep you alive for now.”
 
For the rest of the conversation, Desta remained silent. It wasn't until the man they were trying to save woke up that she did anything. She shuffled backward a step as he expelled what little contents of his stomach he had.

She kept her gaze fixed on him as he spoke, then answered, "Yes, and the first would be 'are you alright?'"
 
Elie fell back into his old habits when the mercenary commander would ask that question. "I can march tonight if need be. My combat effectiveness is about twenty-five percent normal. I am weak from hunger but can keep up." Elie's tone was that of a person reading off a checklist. Elie wiggled a little closer to the fire his eyes transfixed on the flickering flames.
 
"These passes are unsafe to travel after dark," Syvil interjected as she finished her rounds.

At a simple glance nothing had changed, but for those that had been traveling in her company they would know that the tiny runes concealed on rocks and other objects held an element of power to them. Though the nature of what the wards could do was unknown to any of them as their journey had thus-far proven uneventful.

"Especially for one so unwell," she added. "We are not far from Nasazura's Rest though. Aid will arrive shortly."

There was a dual purpose to waiting rather than pressing on though, and it weighed upon Syvil's mind as she studied the stranger carefully. She did not yet know his nature, or what he was doing here. It was well possible he was one of the threats that these mountains harbored. Better to bring the Vanguard to them, rather than him to the temple unexpectedly with nightfall almost upon them.

In the meanwhile the time could be spent learning of this stranger.

"How did you come to find yourself upon these ridges, by yourself?" Syviil asked.
 
The way the stranger spoke nearly triggered a violent reaction from Rayn; for some reason, his manner of speech was one that seemed so inhumane, which had Rayn reach for his blade. If it was just for him, none of this would be discussed; no one would speak with a corpse. However, since he was surrounded with people of higher ‘morals’, no such thing would occur.

Rayn put the blade back down and shook his head. He was about to speak up, but the Void creature spoke up first, giving sound warnings and advice. For someone corrupted by a force of greater harm, she had a very strong control over herself, as he had notice over their time traveling.

The Void creature asked a particular question which he desired to know of, as it may narrow down the answer of what was possessing this man. There was no shadow of a doubt something hide behind the soul of the man before them, though the circumstances needed to be learned. Only then would he consider going against the will of his… teammates…

Regardless, he kept his eyes on the man. “Better have a good answer to that.”
 
Desta stayed quiet but ventured to Syvil's side. The centaur was asking all the right questions and was leading the conversation.

She took a glance at Rayn, forcing a scowl away in place of biting her lips. Her grip tightened on the hilt of her sword, This man was infuriating!
 
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