[IC] Of Blood and Bastards

[Blackfridayrule]

Rohaan could feel the blade. It was not an object, but a presence in his hand and he loathed to touch it. An average human might have immediately crumbled under that presence and given into being nearly as much of a lunatic as Thoburas, though Rohaan suspected the elf had a head start on that long before he ever found the blade. Personally, he found the enchanted steel often used against shifters more horrible and painful to bear or resist, but then again, he was a bit biased there. Still, he was itching to be rid of it. Yet Thoburas seemed to be waiting for his eventual collapse, and Rohaan saw no problem in playing along. Besides, if what he was planning was going to work, he needed to keep Thoburas' focus on him, and make him believe he still had the blade.

Rohaan had been pacing, sort of like an animal debating whether to strike or to flee, and part of that was to put some distance between him and the crazed elf. He might have taken his weapon, but Rohaan knew there were different sorts of weapons a person could use, and people were generally very good at concealing them. He didn't trust him. But chiefly, his aim was to get close to Ash. He didn't go directly for her--too obvious--but he did eventually make his way to her, giving a not entirely feigned but definitely amplified glance to assess her condition and make sure she was okay. Banged up pretty good, but she'd live. He was deeply thankful that he did not have to hint to her, or explain his thoughts to her, and she picked up immediately on what he was trying to do. With a skill he found impressive for someone who didn't consider themself a career thief, Ash took the evil blade from him.

Rohaan continued to move around the room, though his movements leaned decidedly more towards "flee" than "strike". His face was contorted in a controlled scowl, and his body appeared to quiver as if with some great effort. He shook his head. "No...I won't...I can't..." He grimaced, and whispered, "Make it stop..." in a faltering voice. Thoburas drew closer to him, closer, closer. Rohaan could see the wicked gleam in his eyes. That's it. Come and get it, you bastard.

Thoburas reached out his hand, tensing as if something was supposed to happen. Except, nothing did. The spark seemed to go from Thoburas' eyes, and he realized he'd been duped. Rohaan brought both hands up, wiggling his empty fingers with a mocking laugh. As the doubt and fear settled onto Thoburas, Ash struck. The blade had no trouble piercing the dark elf's flesh, even though her own weapon had struggled to do much of anything. At least she'd been decisive with her blow, but it wasn't a fatal one. It was entirely likely that Thoburas could only be taken down with the dark blade, and anyway, if Rohaan tried anything too aggressive, there was always a chance he'd miss and hit Ash, or that Thoburas could try and maneuver her as a human shield. "Finish him!" He growled. Rohaan chose the form of a black jaguar, and aimed a bite at Thoburas' arm in an attempt to pin him down.

[ethanjory]

KILL HIM! KILL HIM NOW! HE TOOK EVERYTHING FROM YOU! HE DOESN'T DESERVE MERCY!

Ash wasn't entirely accustomed to hearing voices in her head. More concerning was the fact that she was finding herself wholeheartedly agreeing with the malignant voice, which was hardly a position she thought she'd ever imagine finding herself in. Still, Thoburas had ultimately brought this upon himself. His senseless butchery was exactly what placed her on the path of vengeance all those weeks ago. Ash supposed that she could thank the gods that she would be the one to kill the dark elf, especially so soon. She could only assume Lord Cassander was dead, and she was more than ready to avenge his death. He may not have been her biological father, but he had been the one to love her and raise her... killing Thoburas was the least that she could do to honor his memory. First of all, she would actually have to kill him. The Dark Blade had carved its way through the elf's forearm, but it was far from being a mortal blow. If she did nothing, she'd end up being in a compromising position, especially given how resolute the elf had been in the past. She pulled the supernatural blade out of the elf's forearm and disengaged, if only for a moment. That was Ash noticed that the Dark Blade seemed to be feeding off of the blood of Thoburas. It had once only been the size of a large dagger... now it was the size of a short sword. Unless she was only imagining it, but that seemed rather unlikely. She usually was quite alert during a fight to the death.

She had never been one to ever use a weapon larger than a dagger, so she expected something as big as a sword to be unwieldy within her hands. It was the opposite. The Dark Blade was weightless, practically lighter than the air itself. Moreover, a dark cloud was beginning to dominate her mind and entire body. The fatigue and damage done to her body during the duration of her fight with Thoburas seemed to magically disappear. She felt twice as strong and alert, and it took her only a moment to realize that the heartbeat that she could clearly hear wasn't her own, it was Thoburas'. That only further fueled a desire with Ash to snuff out that same heartbeat. It wasn't normal at all for her to be so bloodthirsty, but her desire for vengeance was being emboldened by the supernatural forces that were beginning to consume her. That was when Thoburas launched a fireball at her. It was more a last ditch effort to save his own life than anything else, and Ash's body ended up moving on its own. She slashed through the flames with the Dark Blade, reducing them to little more than a few hot embers. Thoburas had already collapsed to one knee, attempting to place pressure on his arm that was profusely bleeding. Thoburas was already a shell of his former self, far from the imposing juggernaut that he once was. His face had become so gaunt that it almost appeared as if he was only a breath's away from death. Likewise, his trademark grin had also been reduce to a halfhearted smile of defeat.

"Malachar... has... abandoned me." Thoburas spoke between labored breaths, almost as if his life force was escaping through his lips. "He... has chosen you... to be his new champion. Casting me... aside." Ash had tunnel vision now, bent towards a single purpose. She gripped the Dark Blade tighter as she began to approach Thoburas. "Kill me... and assume your rightful place as Malachar's champion!" As Thoburas said this, he closed his eyes, waiting for Ash to deliver the killing blow. If she was still in complete control, then she would have hesistated and struggled with the thought of doing the dark god's bidding. However, she was already far beyond that, and with a clean stroke, Ash cleaved Thoburas' head from his body. Blood sprayed out from the stump where his head had once been, but like the sacrifices from before, no blood would find its way to the stone floor.

The blood was drawn into the amorphous sphere of dark energy until there was none left. With her heightened senses, Ash managed to notice a new face form within the sphere - Thoburas. The final sacrifice. The screams of tormented souls finally ceased as the sphere finally broke free of its invisible shackles. As it came towards her, it lost it's spherical shape and became little more than a wave of dark smoke. For a moment, she thought it was going to consume her before it flew over her head, and out of the doors. It's destination was clearly to the outside, far away from its former prison. From there, she could only hazard to guess where it would go. The dark cloud in her mind mostly dissipated as well, and her fatigue and wounds suddenly reappeared. She ended up using much of her strength to keep herself from falling to the ground. The Dark Blade had reduced itself back to the size of a dagger, and she tucked it into her belt. Then she noticed, for the first time, the Mark of Malachar slowly forming on her right palm. This was only the beginning.

[Blackfridayrule]

Rohaan felt the body he held between his feline teeth suddenly go slack, and he finally released the crazed elf. Good riddance. Rohaan wasn't a murderous sort of man--he didn't just kill for fun. But he was no stranger to it, and he would absolutely kill a man if it seemed practical. This was more than practical, it was necessary. Rohaan let the jaguar form go, and he morphed quickly back into his usual shape. There was blood on his face from where his teeth had pierced Thoburas' arm; Rohaan spat a mouthful of blood out and wiped his lips on the hem of Thoburas' robe.

"Well..." he swayed a little, exhausted as he panted for air. "Glad that's over--ack!" His face wrinkled tightly as he sensed some magical shift in the air that put an unpleasant taste in his mouth. Coupled with the blood residue, it was a horribly metallic taste that made him feel like he'd been sucking on an iron ball. He spat again, just to clear his mouth. The pulsating orb of energy morphed a little; Thoburas' visage was discernible from beyond whatever dark border kept his spirit at bay. It floated ominously towards Ash, and Rohaan tensed as if to tackle it, but the thing just sort of...melted away. He watched it go. "Huh...that's...you don't think that's a problem, do you? Also WHY are you keeping that thing?" He gestured to the dagger. "You watched all that and you wanna carry it around? Give the horrible thing to a smith and melt it down, I say." He shuddered, remembering how it felt to hold.

The shifter, ever the opportunist, began to search Thoburas' pockets for anything interesting. He did a cursory scan of the room, though if there had been much of value or interest in there, he'd personally either burned it to ash or melted it in his battle fury. Pity there wasn't any food, he thought as his stomach started to growl. Rohaan blinked, remembering with a start that both of them had been injured to some degree in the fight. For Ash, it was mostly her neck, but Rohaan managed to get himself cut with some poor idiot's sword in the fighting. It wasn't much, just a clean slice on his arm, but his shirt sleeve now sported a patch of wet silver. He'd have to clean that soon. "How do you feel? You gonna make it out of here on your own feet?"

[ethanjory]

Under normal circumstances, Ash would have followed Rohaan's advice and gotten rid of the Dark Blade without a second thought. However, if she had to be honest with herself, she was feeling a certain allure towards the blade. It was odd. These thoughts didn't truly feel like her own. She rubbed her temples, in an attempt to focus. She pulled out the Dark Blade and made a motion to throw it away... or at least she tried to. She had a sinking feeling that she was no longer the one truly in control, and she could no easily discard the cursed blade than she could willingly cut off her own arm. Under different circumstances, she might have been concerned, startled, or fearful of this very fact, but a feeling was filling her body that was putting her at ease. She was no longer concerned, and placed the blade back into its hilt at her belt. Rohaan just didn't understand. The blade would allow her to accomplish great things! How could he not see that? Fortunately, it didn't matter at the moment. The blade was hers and not his, and she'd make sure it stay that way. She firmly gripped the hilt of the Dark Blade. If he ever go in her way, she knew exactly what she would have to do. Her head was throbbing and she was nearly put off balance as her senses finally returned to her. Her previous thoughts felt nothing more to her than a nearly forgotten dream. And then, all of a sudden, she remembered the second reason why she wanted to come here, aside from killing Thoburas. Lord Cassander!

If he was dead, then he'd be in this room with the rest of the bodies. With the threat on her own life subsided, it was rather macabre and grim to witness the pile of bodies that had been cast haphazardly into the corner without any concern. Most of the bodies were husks and malformed, especially in comparison to how most looked when they were alive. And the smell... she'd have to utilize a significant amount of her remaining willpower to stop herself from retching. She never thought that she'd ever find herself digging through a pile of corpses, but here she was, and this was the work that she had to complete in this moment in time. Make no mistake, it was ghastly work. Pulling one body off of one another wasn't doing much to help Ash's own psyche in the slightest. Body after body - husbands, wifes, daughters, and sons. Not even the children were spared in Thoburas's ritualistic massacre. She went over each body to the point where she could be certain whether or not she recognized the body. Most of them she had never seen in her entire life, save for a few servants. Her heart went out to all these people, especially when considering their cruel fates, but she had to wipe away any tears and get back into it. By the time that she had reached the last body, she was covered in sweat and entirely exhausted. She turned over the final body.

It wasn't Lord Cassander. In fact, it was just another person she had never seen before. Did this mean that her adopted father was still alive? Or was he just dead elsewhere? There were so many secrets that still remained a complete mystery to her. She gave out a yell of frustration as she returned to her feet, finally realizing that ever inch of her body ached. They had released a portion of a calamitous dark god on the entire world and her hair was a mess. She worked her way over to Rohaan to complain about it all when she noticed that the ring from her neck was glowing. It was the same ring that she had fashioned into a necklace after concluding their chat with the Emperor. It was odd timing with everything considered, but she was far too tired to bother questioning it. She removed the leather strap from the ring and placed it on her finger. As the image of the Emperor began to materialize before her, Ash offered her hand to Rohaan.

"Ready?" Ash offered, not sounding at all thrilled about the recent series of events. Aside from killing Thoburas, of course, but she had a sinking suspicion that things weren't about to look up from here.

[Blackfridayrule]

Ash never answered him, but the fact that she was up and moving around was enough to convince Rohaan that, though she was a little battered, she'd be fine. Good, at least he didn't have to worry about that. The dagger still bothered him though. Not enough to make a fuss of it, but he sort of hated the thing and wished he didn't have to see it again. Rohaan reminded himself that he just had to get this girl to Valdemar and his contract was over, and he could go about his merry way. He could deal with a lot of uncomfortable things until then.

As Ash began the grim work of sorting through the bodies, Rohaan sat down on the floor and began slipping out of his gear--his leather bandolier of pockets, his leather vest, and his gray shirt--so he could mend both the cut on his arm and his clothes. His bare torso told stories of injury and abuse, and one of his ribs looked like it had once been broken and had healed a little crooked. A pale round scar on his left shoulder suggested an old arrow wound. From one of the pockets of the bandolier, he produced a little bundle of waxed cloth that contained a sticky greenish-gold salve that smelled both sweet and pungent, and a strip of old cloth. After unceremoniously wiping the excess and mostly coagulated silver blood from the wound and then wiping that on the stone floor, he liberally coated the cut with the salve. Rohaan wrapped a band of cloth around it as a bandage, using his teeth and his one free hand to tie the knot. With that sorted, he tucked away the wound care supplies and took out a needle and a little wooden spool of thread that he used to stitch the sleeve of his shirt back together.

The shifter was just donning his gear once again when Ash asked if he was ready. Rohaan looked at the glowing ring and made no effort to hide the derision in his expression as he pulled out a flask and took a long pull from it. He gave a long, begrudging sigh as he lowered the flask. "I am now," he muttered, and sat down to take Ash's hand. He'd be glad to be rid of Karl Valdemar when this was all over.

[ethanjory]

Karl Valdemar's form materialized before them, looking much the same as he had when they had spoken before the confrontation with Thoburas. The only difference was that it was he who was the one who had initiated the contact through the rings this time. "I see that the two of you are still alive. That's fortuitous." The Emperor said it so matter-of-factly that it was hard to tell whether or not he was ever concerned that they would survive the confrontation with Thoburas. Of course, that was nothing but pure speculation on Ash's part, and the Emperor still remained far too much of a mystery to her. She felt an overwhelming force that drove her to want to meet with the man in person. It was odd. She only learned that this was her real father in the last few days, which resulted in her entire world being turned upside down. Still, there were more than a few things that she wanted to settle with him.

"How did you know to contact us right now?" It was more than a fair question from Ash. Was she being overly paranoid? Probably, but with what she had been through with Rohaan so far, it shouldn't be much of a surprise to Karl Valdemar or much of anyone else. It was clear to her that Karl Valdemar had ulterior motives, though it would be mostly a waste of time to guess what his actual aims were. Still, she didn't have the belief that he was acting towards ends that could be interpreted as malicious. Perhaps that was only due to some common comradery on the basis that she was human and he was her emperor. Of course, at the end of it all, she would always be outmatched in comparison to the Emperor of Man. A frustrating reality to accept to be sure, but there was little to be done about it. However, if Karl Valdemar proved to be a force for evil instead of good... her hand switched as her fingertips brushed against the hilt of the Dark Blade, strengthening her resolve for what she would have to do. Thoburas had taught her that there was absolutely no room for any hesitation.

"I can make assumptions about what is happening there. I'd probably be mostly right if I even bothered to make the effort." He shrugged off most of the question with the amount of grace expected of someone of his class. "The final gate rests below Last Vigil itself. I have many of my inquisitors monitoring that location with great zeal. Believe me when I say that it was fairly easy to know exactly when you two allowed the gate at Durgan Fortress to be opened."

"I could berate the both of you for sheer incompetence, but I'm fairly certain that none of us has the patience for that. I did attempt to contact you for nearly an hour, so I'm curious why you felt that it was proper to ignore me for so long." Karl Valdemar gave one of his piercing gazes that immediately tore right through Ash without an ounce of remorse.

"I... I'm sorry. I was searching for Lord Cassander's body among the dead and couldn't find anything. I most have gotten too into it." Ash was only slightly flustered, and it wasn't helped by the fact that she was completely exhausted, but she could hardly be afforded the opportunity to rest at that particular moment. "I have to find him! If there's even a chance that he's still alive..."

"It's more than likely that the cult had to move many of the bodies elsewhere. I have inquisitors and soldiers moving into the region as we speak. They're tasked with cleaning up any remnants of Thoburas's cult - and can be easily leveraged to search for any sign of Lord Cassander at Durgan. Of course, under optimal circumstances, I'd be more than happy for you to spend weeks searching through ever nook and cranny at Durgan, but time isn't exactly on our side at the moment. I need the two of you at Last Vigil."

"Rendezvous with any of my men as you exit Durgan and they'll arrange appropriate travel accommodations to get you to me. Now, is there anything else that either of you need of me before we meet again?" Karl Valdemar looked at both Ash and Rohaan, ready to receive any other pressing concern.

[Blackfridayrule]

Rohaan made no effort to hide his absolute disdain for being made to sit before the Emperor like a dog called to heel. He was not one, and he would not be pressured into obedience just for the sake of deference. He'd go along with all of this as long as it suited him, but no further. And no matter what the reward might be, Rohaan did not relish the thought of doing another contract with this man again. He should have eaten him instead of the cheese on his table when first they met, Rohaan thought with a scowl. He'd have done the world a service, no doubt. Yet Rohaan was determined to see his people freed. Freedom would be a hard life, but it would be theirs, and he knew that much of his time in the near future would be spent facilitating that transition and helping those who were either captured young, or born into captivity. It would be worth it, however, if even one of them was spared the experience he had as a boy.

Rohaan snorted. "C'mon Valdemar, don't act like you wouldn't rather have seen me dead. Takes a lot more than that to kill a villain like myself though. You'll have to try a little harder next time." It seemed impossible for Rohaan to say anything to Valdemar without some level of sarcasm or venom. He felt no guilt about it, either. Valdemar was a despicable person, and Rohaan would make sure the man knew it.

For the most part, he let Ash speak. It would be good for her to get acquainted with her father anyway. But as the conversation turned to their next steps and to transport, Rohaan openly rolled his inhuman lapis eyes. How had retrieving a girl morphed into destroying a mad cultist and reporting into soldiers and lackeys? He felt rather micromanaged, and did not appreciate it. Still, getting her back was something he'd been thinking about for some time. Theoretically he could fly her, but it would be such an effort to do it, and he'd have to get not only plenty of sleep, but massive amounts of food along the way. He did think of a vague alternative, but he was curious to see what the Emperor would come up with.

"Yeah, about that. If you were planning to give us horses, good luck. Last time I tried to mount a horse, it threw me and nearly broke my arm. They scream and flinch when I come near them. They know what I am, and I frighten them. If you found a horse with an iron constitution, then maybe I might be able to ride on Ash's shoulder as a bird or something, maybe. What kind of transport did you have in mind?"

[ethanjory]

Rohaan's constant mockery of the Emperor didn't go unnoticed by Ash, although it wasn't as if she was prepared to rush to the man's defense either. Still, the Emperor showed no indication that he was bothered by it - either he was just keeping up appearances or he simply did not care. From Ash's perspective, it was impossible to know which. But it didn't immediately matter to her. For the short time that she had known the both of them, she had quickly learned to let them be in their squabbles. Besides, she'd much rather rest, if only for a moment. Ash found a suitable place to sit down, and she did so, whilst maintaining contact with Rohaan. It was nice to finally have an opportunity to relax, even when she was fully aware that it wouldn't be for long. The Emperor seemed amused as she did so, but she truly did not care. Let the two of them debate the minute details of the travel arrangements and she could take the chance to clear her head before she had to return to the real world with all its associated problems.

"Your cynicism isn't the commendable virtue that you believe it to be. You should already know that anyone who I've ever wished dead... is dead. Thoburas is just the most recent individual to be added to that list."

Karl Valdemar gave a slight smile as he laid his piercing golden eyes entirely on Rohaan. "Your death wouldn't serve me at all. After all, you've been extraordinarily useful to me so far - You've given me quite little to actually complain about. As for your failure concerning the fact that you let Thoburas open the gate?" The Emperor paused for a moment, as if he was preparing his words carefully. "Well, I expected you to fail in that regard, so you've only managed to meet my expectations."

"Not to worry though, that doesn't negate the conditions of our agreement. I still intend to uphold my end of the bargain upon the safe delivery of my daughter." The Emperor smiled, almost as if he was bemused by something. "You were never concerned about that, were you? I imagine you're quite confident that you'll get your way in the end no matter what happens. Act like a brute and you'll always end up proving men like me right."

"Still, I'm not exactly interested in lecturing you over much of anything at the moment. That can be saved for when we're all together again in person. Something that I'm sure you're looking forward to just as much as I am."

"As for the mode of transportation that I had in mind? Nothing." He gave Rohaan a blank look before continuing. "I did say that my men would arrange it, didn't I? If you can't be bothered to ride a horse without great effort, then I'm more than confident that they can arrange something else for you. Though given present circumstances, I suppose I should be more specific."

"The contingent of soldiers that I have stationed near Durgan Fortress should be at a camp at the outskirts of the lower valley villages. It shouldn't be terribly hard to find, so I won't bother with directions. Once you're there, seek out Erik of Strosberg."

"He's a soldier through and through, so there's a small chance that you might even like him. In any case, he'll get you to me, one way or another." The Emperor than pointed to the ring on his hand. "I'd recommend sticking with my daughter and keeping the ring close at hand. I'd so very much hate for the soldiers to get startled at a rogue Vokurian that wandered into their camp and lynch you by mistake..."

[Blackfridayrule]

Rohaan shrugged with a self-confident pride and his classic Cheshire grin. "Eh, I've got more than a few warrants out for my execution that say otherwise." This was a point of pride for him, obviously. He reveled in every rebellious act against the empire, and perhaps even society itself. Each one of those warrants meant higher stakes, a bigger reputation, and were a badge of honor that reflected the audacity of his ambition. The fact that he'd avoided paying his dues for his crimes for so long, despite the long list, only added to his joy.

Rohaan closed his lapis eyes and leaned his head back against a blackened pillar of stone he was using as a backrest. He said, as if to himself, or perhaps to an audience he knew would never listen to him, "A brute I may be, but was I always? Did a brute create your hatred, or did it create him?" And then his eyes snapped open and he said, "Aye, you'll get her, and I'll see to it you uphold your end. I've no faith in your character until it's done."

The shifter lazily tilted his head to look over at Ash. "Well then, it seems we've got an appointment with this Erik of Strosberg fellow. I've no idea what Lynch is, but I'll wager he won't be able to do it to me. I'd like to see him try." He chuckled. His tone when addressing Ash was decidedly less derisive than when he spoke to Valdemar. Clearly, they had some unsavory history. Not directly, perhaps, but Rohaan and the Empire as a whole had been at odds before Rohaan even knew how to speak their language. As far as Rohaan was concerned, any official of the Empire was a sworn enemy. He had to remind himself that would be Ash too, pretty soon. And all he could hope was that she would be less of a tyrant than her father. "We'll be seeing you soon, Valdemar. I suggest you dust off the imperial seal and get it ready..."

[ethanjory]

"The girl and her pet actually do exist. I had my doubts, especially after the tale that the Emperor spun for me." Erik, Prince of Strosberg, bemused as he continued to wipe the blood off of his blade. The man barely looked up as both Ash and Rohaan approached him. Erik was large and powerfully built, clearly of Northern stock. His beard was cut short, as was his hair, with both being as black as a raven's feathers. However, there was a streak of silver that cut through his hair, proving that he was much older than he first appeared. Apart from his Imperial armor, which was always impressive, he wore an emblem designating him as a Sword of the Realm. This was immediately relevant to Ash, but likely less so for Rohaan - not that he would probably care about anything that was associated with Empire. Swords of the Realm were generally responsible for all military matters within a specific region of the Empire. So it wasn't all that surprising that Erik of Strosberg was tasked with purging the remnants of the Malacharian cult. Besides, it seemed that whatever battle that had taken place was short and uneventful, based on the fact that it had already concluded.

It hadn't been terribly difficult to reach the camp. The location was on an outcropping that allowed it to have a good view of the villages below, a useful strategic location if there was any. What was even more remarkable was that the Imperial troops managed to move into the area so quickly after the death of Thoburas. The Emperor clearly had them in place for weeks before he had even sent in Ash and Rohaan. It sort of made Ash wonder what would have happened if they hadn't been successful, but it was fairly evident that there were many other contingencies if that had taken place. Perhaps the Emperor wasn't a good man, but only fools would ever consider him to ever be unprepared. Ultimately, Ash and Rohaan ended up being accosted by a few soldiers, who were quickly put into their place after seeing Ash' ring. From there, they were brought before Erik of Strosberg, as intended. Out of her bag Ash pulled the decapitated head of Thoburas, definitive proof that the elf was dead, and offered it to Erik.

Erik finished cleaning his sword and slid the blade back into its scabbard. He motioned towards one of his subordinates who took the head and began to pound the head on top of a pike. "Death is always the great equalizer, I've found. Cause all of this chaos and you're reduced to nothing in death." Erik stood up, to properly address Rohaan and Ash. "Last I spoke with the Emperor, he indicated to aid the two of you in any capacity. Mind filling me in with what you need?"

"Yes, we need transportation. Uh, to Last Vigil! If that's possible." Ash spoke up first.

"Of course it's possible. I can arrange an armed escort. Slow, but it'll get you there. Any objections?"

[Blackfridayrule]

Rohaan never seemed to have much of a humble air anyway, not by the standards of most people, but as soon as they were within sight of the soldiers, his demeanor notably shifted. It was subtle at first, yet still noticeable as he slouched a little less, his stride was a bit stronger, a bit more purposeful, and he wore an arrogance that was generally the sole province of cats. It was hard to tell if this shift was born out of defense, or a genuine sense of superiority. Either way, Rohaan walked into the pack of soldiers like he was a general come to congratulate his men on some small triumph. At some point between entering the battlefield and addressing Erik, he'd obtained a skin half-full of very watered down wine, though it was unclear exactly when, where, or how he'd gotten it. But he looked to all the world like it was his, and had been his since he'd had a taste for wine.

The shifter tipped the skin back, relishing the flow of the cool liquid down his dry throat. But at the words 'armed transport' he made a face like the wine had turned to vinegar and choked a little, struggling not to spray the wine as he did. "Tevira's tits! Armed transport? What do we look like, fat duchesses? If that ain't the worst way to travel anywhere, then I don't know what is. Humans in general--but even worse, soldiers--are mind numbingly slow creatures..." He took a breath, rubbing his forehead with his thumb and forefinger. "Ugh, fine, fine," he relented. But you've got to provide a wagon or a carriage or something. Either that or the most exceptionally fearless horse you've got. I'll be damned if I walk all the way back to Last Vigil," he said with some measure of melodramatic disdain, as if he found walking long distances banal. "And food. Plenty of it. Any sort, I'm not particular." A good meal--a real one and not just some hastily gobbled morsels from Ash's pack--and a nap in a comfortable place was at the forefront of his mind at the moment

[ethanjory]

As Rohaan was speaking, Ash noticed Erik pull out a pipe and light it. Ash had no idea what he was smoking, but the smoke itself was strong enough to make her eyes water and she had to cough nearly every other puff. An unhealthy habit to be sure, though it was quite apparent that most soldiers weren't really concerned at all about leading any kind of healthy lifestyle. Even so, she had never really gotten the allure of dying young. Then again, old age didn't seem all that exciting of an experience either. With that passing thought, Ash was at least happy that the conversation hadn't deteriorated yet. Sure, Rohaan was as antagonistic as ever, but that wasn't going change anymore than the sun rising in the sky every morning. Fortunately, it seemed that Erik was ignoring most of the jabs - either he didn't care or he had much more important things on his mind. Truthfully, it was hard to tell which. Erik took another large puff from his pipe and Ash nearly chocked.

"Aye, it'll be a carriage. Nothing nearly as fancy as whatever you're thinking of, though." He slapped the pipe against his leg to empty its contents, then tucked it away for safekeeping. "Slow, but you'll get to Last Vigil fast enough if you keep to the Imperial roads."

"An armed escort will just slow us down, won't it? We're more than capable of defending ourselves." She was would have been in no significant rush normally, but she was fairly certain that they had just unleashed a dark spirit on the entire world. Besides, she had more than a few questions for the Emperor that she wanted answered as soon as possible. Ash was against anything that could possibly slow them down.

"Both of you are clearly capable. You've already proven that." Erik took a glance over to Thoburas' decapitated head, which was now on display on a pike. "If anything happens, you'll be dead and it'll be my problem. And, well, I'd rather avoid the headache that would cause me. You're just going to have to handle a few additional babysitters." Ash saw the logic in that and decided to not push the issue any further.

"I'm sure you both are tired and angry." Erik proceeded to point out the the tents where they could eat and sleep. "There's nothing all that fancy to eat, but I'm sure it's better than whatever you been eating." He turned to address Rohaan.

"Oh, and try to keep a low profile and don't needlessly flaunt that you're a Shifter to the entire camp. I'm not eager to lose any soldiers today." Erik then turned to face Ash once again. "We leave at dawn, so it's best that you get enough rest by then."

"What if we're late?"

Erik paused for a second, as if he was somewhat surprised that Ash would even bother to ask such a question. "You wouldn't stand me up would you? I suppose we'd have to wait on you. The Shifter would just have to catch up."

"I think you're all set now. If you have any question later, though I have no idea why you would, then I'm easy to enough to find." With that, Erik of Strosberg excused himself and began to walk away, though it wasn't long before he was accosted by a few of his lieutenants.

Ash stretched. "Yup, I'm sort of starving. You coming or do you want me to save you something?" She pointed towards where the food was kept, more than eager to get started.

[Blackfridayrule]

Rohaan had always been at odds with soldiers since the day he knew they existed. It was only the way of things, as normal to Rohaan (and them, for that matter) as the long standing enmity between dogs and cats. He had very little love for them. But in Erik of Strosberg, at least, he found someone who he preferred to do business with compared to types like Karl Valdemar. Weathered soldiers were usually blunt, straightforward, and he always knew where he stood with them. There wasn't so much subterfuge, manipulation, or pomp when dealing with soldiers. In another universe, perhaps they could have gotten along well. But that universe did not exist. Still, Rohaan wasn't a complete monster. If they were going to act civil, he could too.

The blonde's upper lip twitched at the word 'babysitters'. He couldn't think of a more accurate term, and some impish part of him felt like flying off the first day to get to Last Vigil early and maybe spend a few days in peace. But then that would be leaving Ash, and right now she was more important than his petulant rebellion. She was valuable, and the key to gaining freedom for his people. There would be so much more work to do after that, but it would be a start. He needed her alive, and he'd see to it she made it.

A slow, cold smile spread across Rohaan's lips as he looked at Erik. "Tell your men to stand down and behave themselves, and I won't have to eat any of them." The logistics of actually eating someone alive was never worth it, no matter what form he chose, but Erik probably didn't know that. No one did. That was a bit of knowledge only gained from an honest, impulsive try. But he'd let them all think he was capable of it. At the very least, it would make them all think twice about trying to harass him. He shrugged lightly. "Of course, feeding me helps too..."

Rohaan nodded to Ash, then made an unfamiliar hand gesture at Erik that, despite being foreign, had a distinctly and uncharacteristically polite air to it. Was it thanks? Respect? Or curt and indifferent dismissal? Rohaan and Ash made a beeline towards the cache of food laid out. It was no king's table, but that was fine by Rohaan. He knew the value of a simple, honest meal. Especially a hot one. There was a black iron kettle of a basic stew made with what looked like rabbit, potatoes, and some onions that Rohaan was especially excited about, though he made sure to take a heaping plate of the other provender too. Like a raccoon with a specially good prize, Rohaan stole away with the food inside the tent that had been set aside for them instead of opting for a table out in the open. He sat on the floor with a gratified sigh and used one of the low cots as a table. Despite having handily raided Ash's supply of food earlier, he ate with the ravenous fervor of a feral dog. And he really could eat a lot, more than one might expect for a man his size. But when he finally had his fill, he moved the wooden plate and bowl off the cot and threw himself down on it like it was a feather bed.

It was only then that he spoke, his eyes closed. "You got any injuries or anything that need tending? Now's the time. If you've got any deep cuts, I've got a salve that will help keep infection out. It would be a pity if I brought you all that way just to deliver you with a fever or a festering wound or something. Probably wouldn't get paid." A thought popped into his head, and he cracked one cobalt eye open. "You realize you'll be future Emperor some day, right? Er, Empress. I wonder...would you uphold the deal we made, Valdemar and I?" He studied her through that one eye as best he could. "Because I didn't ask for gold. Nohoo, I'm not swayed by gold. Useless to me anyway. The price for my services is a far more complicated thing to give. But would you still give it if Valdemar kicked over a week from now?" He wanted to know what sort of ruler she'd be, and if she considered a deal to be a deal, regardless of what the deal actually was.