[center][h3]Shadar and Vesta[/h3][/center]

Vesta was silent during their ride to the small village, guarding the rear of the group with a knitted brow and a perpetual frown as she fumed over this and that. It would be an unbearable, herculean task to go into what was currently upsetting the rather dour woman. The problems were seemingly endless, from the large issues, like how they were now consorting with demons as well as asshole paladins, to the small issues, like how they were now stuck playing babysitter for some sorcerer's apprentice. Her mood soured even further as they arrived at their destination for the night, her eyes narrowing in quiet judgment as she saw their hostess's outfit—only for her ability to keep her tongue in check to finally fail after the woman's innuendo.

"Brought us to a fucking brothel," said Vesta, muttering into her glove as she tried to hide an annoyed laugh by converting it into some kind of sigh. 

She hung around inside of the inn just long enough to grab a flagon of something before realizing that, in a strange turn of events, she did not want to drink. After what felt like the proper amount of time to stare into one's drink, she pushed herself away from the bar and headed towards the exit (dropping off her beverage at a table claimed by her travelling companions as either a sign that she was coming back or an open invitation to a free drink). On her way out she collided with Dalious, or rather the pirate collided with her as he attempted to stand up straight to show off in some way that would likely end horribly, and briefly she regretted not getting as plastered as the man as she turned her back just in time to miss his shot. Wrapping her cloak around her, Vesta glanced over her shoulder before walking out into the night air.

She didn't know where she was going at first, her body subconsciously leading the way. It wasn't until she had reached the stables, bridled her horse, and began leading it by the reins that Vesta realized what she was doing. Stopping, Vesta found herself in the middle of the street with the inn, filled with her promises and worries, to her left and the road, full of potential freedoms and (likley) failures, to her right—and, since reuniting with the Serios, she found herself unable to decide which was more important to her. 

Shadar was pissed. This was clear to anyone who had taken a second to even glance at the giant man as he traveled with the group, his entire being giving off a feeling of 'Fuck off before I kill' since they left. The reason for this anger was unknown, but the fact that, in the night before they left and some of this morning, there had been quite a bot of arguing between the giant and his magical brother. Lots of shouting and breaking of objects had been involved, followed by a few minutes of silence as they read through the other's responses, which had been written in an extremely old language that Drosil had found, and as far as he knew, only he could translate. The rages of each individual also was done in language strange, foreign, and alien to most people and would likely be understandable to no one. Whatever the case may have been for the argument, it ended with Shadar owing the queen a few things from their temporary dwelling . . . like a wall, for one. 

When the group had arrived at the Inn, Shadar had chosen to to stay outside feeling that if he met an idiot inside of there, he was likely to kill the fool in a fit of barely controlled rage.

[i][b]What was that idiot thinking? When will he learn to not just leap into a nest of vipers just because he might learn something out of the whole ordeal! Can't he just take a second to remember that he's not the only one affect by his terrible decision-making?[/b][/i] Shadar had always put up with his brother's impulsiveness for the pursuit of knowledge, because he always believe that Drosil would be able to keep it in check, and for the most part he did. But during the attack, just because he got a sliver of what another Divineborn was capable of when compared to himself, he fucking leaped straight out of the pan without a moment's hesitation. 

The idiot didn't even considered bringing Shadar into the deal, probably because he knew that Shadar would've told the lady to fuck off, and took his chances jumping off the side of the castle walls. Nothing good could come from this deal, and the fact that she mentioned the Serios only made that extremely more clear than it had before. While the giant didn't feel any particular loyalty to the Royal Family of Barcea, he could tell that they were good people, the queen especially so, and he didn't wish them any harm, nor did he want to be the cause of it, even partially. Drosil was a fool thinking that he could just use these people to his advantage, and all Shadar could do was run damage control. 

Letting out a sigh, he felt a slight nudging to his side. Looking down, he saw Sir Mauls looking up at him from it's current curled up position in the stables, letting out a soft series of comforting clicks. Letting out a soft chuckle, Shadar gave the giant insect a scratch behind the head, right where he liked it, and was rewarded by another series of clicks. His attention was drawn from the creature however, by the sounds of footsteps approaching the area. Looking up, he saw vesta walking by with her horse, only to stop in the middle of the street, looking between the Inn that her charges had gone to and a road to somewhere far off. Normally, Shadar would just leave well enough alone, but with Drosil being such a loose cannon and the fact that she seemed to be the only other person in their group with even a lick of common sense, he didn't think it'd be a good idea to let her go off without even attempting to talk to her. Besides, she made for an interesting subject for his drawings.

[b]"Not that it's any of my business, but where are you going off to?"[/b]

Vesta started at the sound of Shadar's voice, her hand flying to her blade before her better senses eased her edge. She blamed the darkness for her missing the giant and his bug companion, although truthfully she knew it was because she had been distracted by her thoughts. Cursing, she raised her shoulders and pushed her hair out of her face, giving Shadar a look that, even in the pale light from the moon, read as only slightly contemptuous—and really, it was only due to his rather odd relationship with his "brother" more than anything else. Well, that, and how she viewed pretty much everyone with some vile, deeply rooted prejudices. For a moment she thought of getting on her horse and riding away without an answer, but that would mean that she had come to a decision on what is was that she felt was best for her (albeit only by lying to herself that it was best for the others). Turning to the large man, she tightened her grip on her horse's reins as she followed her arms over her chest.

"You're right," she said, her voice worn but not betraying the guilt and shame she felt for having been caught. "It is none of your business."

Her tone came out more rude than she had intended it to be. Pursing her lips, she moved to make some kind of apology but found it impossible to form the words. Her horse felt its owners discomfort and snorted, prodding Vesta with its nose and stamping its hooves—or perhaps it was just antsy being so close to Sir Mauls. She exhaled with a sigh and dropped her shoulders. It was the closest she would get to saying sorry.

"I was just going for a late-night ride," she said with a lie easily detectable by any slightly observant person, as her horse had been packed for several days on the road. Her eyes darted up the sky, falling on the subject that every poor conversationalist went to as a crutch. "It's actually kind of nice out, considering the time of year. The moon's pretty full, too. Well, once the clouds pass. Uh." She tugged at her cloak uncomfortably. "You're welcome to tag along, if you'd want. You're always drawing. There's bound to be something picturesque you can sketch around here."

Plus, if somebody came with her then Vesta knew that she'd be forced to stay. If only for the night.  

[b]"I see . . ."[/b]

Shadar was silent for a bit, his thoughts unreadable as ever given how so little of his features could actually be seen, but he soon rose from his position with a light chuckle. Walking over to the woman, he made a motion for Sir Mauls to stay put as he saw the creature getting ready to uncoil itself. He knew that the poor creature was feeling a bit cooped up, but he also knew that Sir Mauls would probably make the horse much too jumpy with his presence. 

[b]"Never took you for the type, but if that's what you're doing, that's what you're doing."[/b] Shadar, being more than a little observant, knew the woman wasn't planning on going for 'just a ride', but he saw no reason in pointing that fact out, as that would only serve to embarrass and belittle the woman, not something he really felt like doing. Instead, he'd play along with the lie, follow her around a bit, then lead her on back. Besides, it wasn't often that he got to talk to other people.[b]"And since you offered, I guess I'll join you. Not sure how many sights I'll see worth drawing around here though, but hey, I could use the exercise.[/b]

[i][b]And I need to take my mind off my idiotic brother fora bit, lest I lay into the next poor fool to get on my bad side.[/b][/i]

With that said, Shadar would wait for Vesta to choose a direction before following her and her horse, easily keeping pace with the beast's canter as he entered a light jog. The clouds would certainly part before long, but as of right now, the dreariness of their area was unmistakeable, with the only speck of light and color being that of the Inn they were currently leaving behind. After a short while, Shadar would speak, not wanting silence to rule the late night escapade.

[b]"So, Vesta, you seem to be rather close with the Serios, so I feel the desire to ask, what's the story behind that? If it's something you don't wish to tell, then don't feel beholden to do so, just something I've been curious about?"[/b]

"You're curious," she said with a huff, pulling back on the reins to stop her horse as they came upon a small creek. Easing herself down from the saddle, she tied her ride around a small tree. Vesta took a step towards the creek before pausing as she remembered how she had lost her horse the first time she had met Shadar. She took an extra moment to double check the knot, giving it a hearty tug before finding herself satisfied, and then turned her back to Shadar and limped over to the dark waters. She stared at her shadowy reflection in the trickling waters as she mulled over how much information was the safe amount of information. At this point she doubted anyone would care if they found out she had been a bandit—anyone but her, however.

"Where to start...I knew them before even Ayano was born. I joined the Kingsguard when I was seventeen—Kori was just some prissy girl and Cyril was still clinging to his mother. Being a Kingsguard wasn't what I really wanted to do back then, but what I want never really mattered and it was better than eventually being forced to marry some third son. Things were different back then. Tougher—shit, I sound like my father, but it's true. The greenhorns the Prince surrounds himself with now wouldn't have made the grade twenty years ago. Have you seen the Direwolf fight?" she asked, looking back towards Shadar. "He's the same even in practice. Nearly cut off my damn arm the first day." 

Despite herself, she chuckled and shook her head. "I guess that's why Olain had me train his son instead of Alsius—well, that, and I was actually better with a sword than he was. Still am, I bet. Anyway, although I didn't necessarily want to train Cyril I knew that it was supposed to be an honor, so I put my all in making sure he wouldn't get himself killed. I always gave my all back then—I guess I bought the whole line about sacrificing yourself for your duty and all of that knightly nonsense. It worked, though. Somehow found myself in charge of the entire Kingsguard after a few years."

"And then we went to war to [i]liberate[/i] the West from the God Kings, the Gifted beat us back, and when we came back I was no longer in the Kingsguard," she said, bending down and grabbing a stone. "And now, the fucking bastards are travelling with two of Olain's children while I keep my mouth shut and try not to think about my King as he rolls over in his grave." She skipped the rock across the water and sighed, grabbing another one. "More fitting to say I was close to the Serios. Now? I feel like I'm more of a bothersome reminder of a legacy they'd rather forget...maybe they should."

She frowned. It felt strange to talk this much about herself. 

"So, I sated your curiosity; it'd only be right if you did the same for me. What's the whole deal with the [i]brother[/i] situation? I only ask because I have five other siblings and I would dread it if I somehow started swapping places with them," she said, skipping another rock across the surface. "It's not just a spell, is it?"

[b]You've had quite a life, it seems. Not any get to train princes. He seems to have turned out all right so far too, bit cocky if I say so myself."[/b] Shadar said with a bit of lightness in his voice, but he was mostly trying to buy himself time to think of a way to not talk abut the situation or at the ver least, give a more convincing lie, but with a wit as sharp as vesta's he soon found that any option he could think of on such short notice wouldn't hold up to scrutiny. Besides, one could turn deserved another. He'd asked her for her life story, and it was only fair that he give her his in return. Prepping himself to talk about the subject, Shadar took a seat next to the creek where they stopped, taking a rock in his clawed hands and tossing it up in the air a few times before letting it fall into his palm.

[b]"My brother and I, as the Paladin had the lack of discretion to announce a little while ago on the ride to Gurata when Drosil once again made a fool of himself, are Divineborn. As you may have guessed, I have no great love for the Divines, and feel that those like the Paladin are fools of the highest order. The Divines do not care for us, not truly in my opinion, and I've heard less than nothing from my own Godly Parent. It was probably for their own sick amusement that they not only made it so me and my brother must share the same space at any moment, with only one of us ever truly living there life at any time . . ."[/b] 

As the giant spoke, his words became more strained, filled with anger and frustration, his fingers clenching into a tight fist as he struggled to contain himself. Once he felt like he'd calmed down enough to continue without raising his voice, he unclenched his hand, the rock that had been there before now crushed into pieces that he let fall into the water.

[b]"While the other must live their life on the scraps of memory they get once they come back, always forced to go along with whatever nonsense the other has gotten themselves into, never being able to live a life on their own. Not to mention this damnable body of mine, which was made to do everything I despise. I can't stand killing, I hate fighting, I hate the entire idea of it all, but what else am I to do in a body like this.What else can I do to keep that idiot alive when he pulls reckless stunts and experiments like what he did in the arena."[/b]

[b]"I felt nothing but disgust for myself after what i did to that Guratan girl, hell, I feel disgusted for every life I take. It's grisly, sick, twisted . . . and in this monstrous form, it's much . . . much too easy."[/b] Shadar wondered, for a moment, why he was telling all of this to Vesta, before he realized the'd never really had anyone to talk to about . . . well, anything like this in a long time. His thoughts turned towards their caretakers, how they helped him understand what he was, what he could do. . . and that he wasn't the monster he thought himself to be.

[i]You're a kind and gentle soul, Shadar, and I know you'll do great things one day. Just be sure not to let your brother lose his way while you do so, okay? He needs you, more than either of you truly now.[/i] The Wife had said that, mysterious and cryptic as always. And now, years later, he felt like she hadn't been able to see the reality of his situation. There was nothing kind or gentle about him, and he was the one who got left to the way side, living in the shadow of Drosil, never able to truly live his own life, just hang on the vestiges of another. After a moment of contemplative silence, he spoke again, his tone having gone from raging, envious, and full of a deep self-hatred to despair and depression.

[b]". . . I know you aren't one for romance, but. . . I've alway wondered what it would be like to love and be loved. It was, and please don't laugh at me when I say this, my dream and the only true desire I ever had. I believed in all of that crap about how it is what's on the inside that matter for all of my childhood . . . until the first time I tried to talk to a girl. Even now, I could still feel the fear, the apprehension, and the slight undertones of disgust. She had wanted nothing to do with me, especially after me and Drosil told her our secret. We were young and dumb, so easily trusting of her pretty face. She turned us in to a local slaver gang for a quick buck the very next day. She'd been attracted to Drosil, but not enough to prevent her from stabbing us in the back."[/b] 

Shadar let out a sigh, the memories of his first and last attempt at love flitting through his mind. The nervousness, the apprehension . . . and the gut-wrenching sting of betrayal followed by seething hot anger.

 [b]"I killed for the first time that night, all of the gang and the girl too . . . because it was what hd to be done to keep me and my brother safe. The worst part of it wasn't the act of killing them, however, but just how easily I was able to. I killed a group of about 20 men, ill-equipped and untrained they may have been, and only suffered a few minor injuries. I was only 15 at the time, yet couldn't help but feel dirty and filthy after what I had done. I still see their faces in my mind, along with the face of every other man I've slain since that day. If I ever get that chance to learn their names, I keep them, remember them. . . because I'm the reason that they'll never be spoken again."[/b]

[b]"Well, I told you what you wanted, and more, so I hope your curiosity has been similarly satisfied. And . . . sorry for talking your ear off, but I don't get the chance to talk to people often, especially about myself. Not very good at stopping myself once I get started."[/b]

"I can tell," said Vesta, tossing a rock up in the air and catching it with her other hand. She offered Shadar a half-hearted smile as if to say that it wasn't an issue, and then her smile warped into an actual grin. She had been able to hold off laughing during his story, but the thought of the giant being a hopeless romantic was too much even for Vesta. "But if you just want to be loved all you need is some low standards, a lack of self-respect, and a few coins," she said with a smirk. She narrowed her eyes as if she just remembered something painful and whatever mirth there was dropped from her voice. "Trust me, you end up feeling just as shitty either way once it's over, regardless if the love is real or not."

Vesta didn't allow a silence to fall over them, fearful that Shadar would push her for information. She decided to try and reassure him, only if because she felt guilty for laughing at him. 

"Nobody enjoys killing, Shadar, at least nobody that isn't a complete monster or a complete idiot," she said, not mentioning how she actually enjoyed the thrill of fighting—although she was actually able to pull her punches and avoid most unnecessary casualties. "Unfortunately, there are a lot of monsters in our world and even more idiots. That's just the way it is. We can't go more than a decade without a war, and even during times of peace there are places like the Arena or even tournaments thrown by so-called noble houses where those bastards can sate their bloodlust—and there will always be assholes like us who aren't good at anything else but to please those pricks. And personally, if I had the choice I'd much rather have that exoskeleton of yours than a body of soft flesh and brittle bones."

She sighed; she wasn't painting a very positive picture. 

"What I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't let all of that guilt weigh you down. That stuff will kill you." She realized how hypocritical the statement was. "It's not your fault if somebody is stupid enough to cross a guy as big as you," she said, adding, "Shit, you're probably doing them a favor." 

[b]"Hmph, you certainly have an interesting way of looking at things, Vesta."[/b] Shadar said, shaking his head slightly as he considered what she thought of his romantic nature. During the conversation, he'd ulled out his sketchbook, finishing up the last few touches to several drawings he was working on. Vesta's and Thurya's were both finished and looking rather impressive, while he ha one of the queen and her family standing together in the works, still having to work on Ayano a bit more to get her likeness just how he liked it. On another page he had a drawing of the castle from the outside, and next to it, a grim looking image of a group of dark-clad men raising of the ground, their bodies broken and maimed, yet their eyes were set with a haunting white glow, exerting naught but a cold emptiness on any who dared look upon them. [b]"Still, I can't help but wonder what that Paladin would have to say about my Godly parent's decision to give me such an inhuman form. Knowing how his type is, he'll say that I'm like this for a reason and should trust in the Divines like a lamb trusts in a shepard. Following which, I'd tell him to fuck off, then probably punch him in his face, mostly cause I know it likely won't work. Zealot he may be, that man is ridiculously skilled. Drosil was a fool to challenge him and he paid for it."[/b]

[b]Well, I think that's enough of a pit stop. As my caretaker use to say: 'never stay too long in anyone place, lest you find yourself  rooted in place' . . . on second thought, that doesn't apply much to this situation, does it?"[/b] Shadar let his head fall a bit in embarrassment before he rose up, stretching a bit as he waited for his companion to rise. He thought offering assistance, but decided against, as the woman doesn't seem like the type who'd appreciate a reminder of her injury and weakness. [b]You mentioned you had brothers of your own before. Have you tried to contact them recently, or is such a thing no longer possible, for whatever reason.[/b]

"Hah!" she said with a snort as she struggled to her feet. "I doubt they'd want me, and I rather like not having to show up for birthdays and holidays to have forced conversations while pretending we'd rather be anywhere else but in the same house. You don't have to share the same body to grow to despise someone; sometimes it just takes a roof. I'm pretty sure I passed my sister while in the Capitol; we both pretended not to recognize one another." 

She stretched her back and groaned when something popped, taking a moment to steady herself before marching over to her horse and removing the reins from the tree. The moon was high in the sky now, free from the clouds that had caged it earlier, and illuminated the land around them. It was far from picturesque. The trees were gnarled, the creek was brown with runoff, and the ground was more weeds than grass. Lights from the village could be seen on the horizon. It wasn't a far ride, but it'd be a decent walk. Leading the horse by the reins, she nodded to Shadar and began heading back to town. Vesta knew she'd regret the walk in the morning, but for now she wanted to continue their talk. She still needed to clear her mind, and there was something that had been bothering her for a while.

"Why are you here with us, Shadar? It's not that I mind having you around—compared to the others, you're actually tolerable. I know Drosil dragged you into this shit with his grand delusions of somehow finding ultimate power or whatever it is that all mages are always going on about, but you could just make him leave. And you say that you dislike fighting and dislike killing, but I'm sure you understand that this is just the start of the violence," she said, unsure of what case she was actually trying to make. The next question she asked to Shadar, although it might as well been directed towards herself: "So why do you stay?"

[b]"Everything you say is true, no doubt about that. The night of horrors at the castle was more than proof enough that hanging around the Serios is bad for one's health in these times. . . but strangely enough, while I do consider leaving, I can't bring myself to do it."[/b] Shadar rubbed his helmeted head in exasperation as he let out a sigh, looking across the grim landscape with a hidden grimace before he resumed speaking again. [b]"For a while, I've been unable to figure out why, and using Drosil as an excuse, but after the night at the castle, I took a long hard look at the situation and realized that, for the first time in our lives, we actually have a purpose to our lives. I'm only as old as Drosil, really, a few years younger if we're being honest, so the thought of going back to our aimless wanderings is less than ideal. I do hate killing and fighting, more than anything, but it's going to happen regardless of what I do. . . might as well have a better reason to do it than just to save your own hide, right?"[/b]

Even with his face hidden away by his heavy exoskeleton, one could tell that the giant was feeling a bit embarrassed by his reasoning for staying with the party. HE couldn't help but fidget uncharacteristically and his hand seemed to be glued to his head as he kept on rubbing it. [b]"*Tch, Damn Cyril, his idealistic crap seems to be getting infectious."[/b]

As he walked, feeling frustrated with his inability to keep his mouth shut now that he's let his guard down, a deep sense of regret and disgust filled his core. While what he said was true, the real reason why he had stayed after that massacre at the castle was Drosil's idiocy. If his brother hadn't decide to make a deal with those Divineborn bastards, he would've left the very next day, choosing to live a long and happy life far away from messed up shit like that. But now he and Drosil were involved with very dangerous people, and he wasn't risking drawing their anger by ditching the target they wanted Drosil to stay near . . . not until he knew exactly what they wanted at least. [i][b]Drosil made this bed, but i'll be damned if I'm just going to let him lie in it. I'm going to find out as much information as possible from these bastards, and when the time is right, em and Drosil are out of here, with Cyril learning about a group of Divineborn that seemed to be very interested in starting this war between Barcea and H'kela. Hopefully, we don't end up 6 feet under because of it.[/b][/i]

[b]"Anyway, now that that's been explained, can we move on from this topic, yeah? And never tell Cyril, hell, never tell anyone I said any of this. I've a reputation to uphold, if nothing else."[/b]

[i]A purpose to our lives.[/i] Shadar's words echoed through Vesta's head as she nodded along as he talked. It made sense. She looked around at their surroundings. They were closing the distance between themselves and the inn as they talked, and road behind them seemed even more uninviting in the moonlight than it had when it was in the shadow of the clouds. Vesta knew she couldn't go back to a life of aimless wandering; she was amazed and disgusted with herself for even considering it. She had to be here, even if only for there to be someone to keep Cyril's infectious idealism from clouding the better judgment of others. Arriving in front of the inn, Vesta put her hand on her horse to ease it to a stop and turned to Shadar.  

"Nobody would believe me even if I told them. You should head in. We've been gone long enough already that I'm sure that pirate will need somebody to carry him to his bed...or the stables. I'll be in shortly," said Vesta as she began walking to the stables, only to pause for one second to turn and give Shadar an almost friendly look. "And thank you." 

[b]"*Hmph. . . Glad to be of some help. Good to know that being around Drosil all my life has given me some conversational skills."[/b] Shadar replied, a small smile of his own present in his words if not his eternally stoic demeanor, though the disgust inside of him only grew as he waved goodbye to her. It was a crappy situation that his brother had gotten them into, and if possible, he wished that he could give the summoner the good knock upside his short-sighted head that he so desperately needed. But, such a thing wasn't possible until the damnable Divines had their fun and decided to separate the pair, an option the the giant wasn't really holding his breath over. As he walked towards the Bar, he decided that he'd had enough discussion for one night, especially since he felt like he was lying to good people that he was basically spying on them, and decided to switch over to his brother, the blinding light that accompanied the switch. flashing around him, most likely catching Alice and Dalious somewhat off guard as he'd entered their general area once he'd down it.

Drosil would stand frozen for a bit, dressed in his usually robes and whatnot, with his staff in hand and a puzzled look upon his face, before he shook his head and made his way past the two with a hastily muttered apology . . . only to get somewhat floored by the presence of the barmaid and her rather revealing attire. He stared for two seconds longer than he should have before taking an abrupt turn to make his way upstairs, asking the other woman in more modest attire where his room was. Once there, he'd let out a soft sigh, going over the content of Vesta and Shadar's talk, noticing a few holes that lasted too long to be just silence, meaning that Shadar was intentionally keeping those memories a secret from Drosil. It was an annoying thing, but it's not like he had any right to truly complain if Shadar wanted to decided something for himself. Looking a bit disheartened, he thought back to the night at the castle, thinking of all the different ways it could've gone if he had tried to simply bide for time or had actually decided to trust his brother and switch over to him. He ceased because, in truth, their was no point in wondering. What was done was done, and he knew that the Advisor or one of her group would find him one day and give him his assignment. Now it was only a matter of discovering what he was willing to do for the knowledge and power he sought.