The Dragonis War

[Asakai-miko-Midoriko]

(( I go to anime conventions and play different characters for panels...I know a thing or two about roleplaying. You have to be on your toes when your Sasuke and some random girl in the audience starts acting like Sakura....even though I'm not a guy still you have to roleplay alittle to make the audience happy.))

[Ninja_Blue]

((Yea, trans-gender roles can be pretty tough, but fun =]))

[VoxEladrin]

Torque nodded to Thaltos and then took Asakai off of him and carried her over his shoulders. She was losing a lot of blood but the shrine was nearby. He rushed off towards it. Being Bernese, Torque knew the countryside well and his foot never faltered on the rocky shale. When they reached the Shrine, Torque Put Asakai on the altar there and looked over at Thaltos. "I'm no good at communicating with gods or anything. Could you-?"

[Vadriel]

Thaltos nodded at Torque and placed Balthizar beside Asakai on the altar. Anybody on Olympus who could heal Asakai would be able to help Balthizar.

The only issue was who to call upon who would be most suited for healing...Thaltos had never required healing from the Gods, all of his wounds had been able to heal during his post-quest respites. He finally decided to simply contact his father, as he would likely be able to assist.

Beckoning for Torque to do the same, Thaltos got to one knee in front of the altar and bowed his head in a sign of obedience and humility. Spreading his hands, he spoke.

"Father Zeus, this warrior and I request the honor of a brief audience with you. These warriors before us have been gravely wounded in the service of the Gods, and without your aid they will surely be wading within the River Styx in moments. Will you help us?"

The candles that plentifully decorated and lit the shrine all flickers, and their flames danced and flared. The wisps of smoke from the candles rose up and circled around the room, uniting in the center of the air above the altar. Out of the broiling mass of vapors, Zeus's face was molded.

"Thaltos my son, you have called and I have answered. You say these warriors were mortally wounded in my service? Hmm, let me see...Balthizar and Asakai? Wounded in service to the Gods of Olympus? You speak true?"

Thaltos bowed his head again. "Indeed, Father. They fought with all their might against a flood of Daemon's servants."

Zeus's smokey visage nodded. "Then indeed such unlikely allies do merit the gratitude of the Gods. I take it this mortal beside you also fought in our favor? No, no need to answer. I know it to be true." He inhaled deeply. "Of course the Gods will treat your wounds, wounds suffered in our name."

The smoke that had formed Zeus's face settled down over Balthizar and Asakai, and underneath the thick black vapor they fluttered to consciousness, their wounds now no more than scars and a renewed energy flowing through them. The smoke rose again, and coalesced around the bowed forms of Thaltos and Torque, knitting wounds closed and leaving them feeling much replenished.

As the smoke rose once more and began to dissipate, Zeus's voice could be heard. "Remember, the Gods do indeed show great gratitude for their most loyal servants, and you are also my son, Thaltos...but the Gods of Olympus are not your personal healers. Our aid is yours, but request it sparingly lest you be denied in a time of great need."

And with that the smoke was gone, and Balthizar and Asakai were starting to sit up.

[Asakai-miko-Midoriko]

She rubbed her neck."I feel like..like I've been flung over someone's shoulder." She streched but stopped. She then sat cross legged and closed her eyes just staying there. Her body was healed but the sutras needed healing to. She would need to meditate a bit to let them adjust."...Yoou two couldn't be any slower......" She spoke not even opening her eyes. The sutras' symbols began to glow meaning that they were currently repairing themselves."...my gratitude to the large bison and Torque...." She cracked a smile on the inside."I'll need sometime to let the sutras...heal...."

[Ninja_Blue]

Balthizar sat up, a little confused for a second, and quickly grabbed his side, but he felt no wounds.......or even the arrows for that matter. "What in the world.....What happened? I can't remember anything....."

[VoxEladrin]

Torque smiled in relief, both of the wounded companions were recovered. "Welcome back to the world of the living you two." He said. "Thaltos did the talking for us." He continued then looked up at the sky's fading light. "What a hectic first day..." He muttered. "We can camp out here for the night then search for my brother in the morning."

[Vadriel]

Thaltos nodded. Rest sounded good to him, it had been a hell of a long day. Walking over to a wall and slumping on the floor against it, he crossed the Shears of Atropos across his lap and let his hands rest lightly on the hilts. Crossing one leg over the other, he gave each of his companions a brief nod, and let his gaze hover over Balthizar before he lowered his head and started to doze.

[Asakai-miko-Midoriko]

She got up sometime during the night trembling. She quietly made her way from the group sitting down on the edge of the Shrine. She looked down at her hands before pulling her knees to her chest looking out into the night."....that cannot be my...my future..." She darted a second look when she swore she saw something. She stood going out to the edge of where the forest met the shrine."...Come out now...or face death..." She looked around feeling the presence still there.

[Vadriel]

Thaltos stirred. Years of service to the Gods had taught him to be a light sleeper, and Asakai had gotten up, disturbed about something.

Thaltos got to his feet and walked up behind her silently. He stared past her into the treeline for a moment, then put his hand on her shoulder. "Asakai, is something the matter?"

[Asakai-miko-Midoriko]

She flipped around putting her claws to his neck."...it's you...never do that...ever..." She put her hand down."Someone has been watching this party....this person is human..." She took a step foreward."....I don't like to be touched....and I hate being watched even more...."

[Ninja_Blue]

Balthizar started talking in his sleep, "Mmm....oh thank you tavern whench....yes, I'm just a soldier, that has been fighting, oh yay, more kisses....mmmm....."

[Vadriel]

Thaltos nodded to Asakai.

"It's possible that we are being tracked by more of Daemon's human servants, or it could be as simple as a gang of bandits, hell it could even be the brother Torque mentioned...there's really no telling who is out there until he shows himself. I suggest you return to your sleep. I'll stand watch, I've slept enough for tonight. Should anything unpleasant surface, I will deal with it, and most likely the clamor of battle will awaken the rest of you."

Thaltos tilted his head, hearing Balthizar mumbling in his sleep. Shaking his head, he chuckled.

"I'd suggest you skirt around Balthizar...I don't think he's had any sort of female companionship for a long time. It would be kind of hard to get anyone to date you when you looked like he did up until recently. I don't doubt that you could handle yourself, but I'd like to avoid him suffering any more needless injuries."

[Ninja_Blue]

Balthizar heard a rustling noise, he immediatly jumped to his feet. After he realized it was nothing he sat back down against the wall muttering shamefully "Damn birds..."

[Asakai-miko-Midoriko]

"......I don't sleep." She looked deeper for a second or two."I'm going to look around....If I find anything I will return." She spoke almsot distantly."As for Balthizar....I doubt he would come anywhere near me....I don't exactly give off the wench persona.." She started into the forest taking off into the trees.'...sleep...sleep is the last thing I want to do....' She thought as she headed deeper into the forest.

[Ninja_Blue]

Balthizar looked up to Thaltos and asked, "Should we follow? I'm a little confused at the moment..."

[VoxEladrin]

Torque was sleeping peacefully, dreaming that he was an almighty warrior, hacking and slashing through countless enemies. He smiled at the dream, liking the feel of being superior even if it was a dream. He heard murmuring nearby but ignored the conversations going on and focused on his dream. Deathscream was ever present at his hip, its black scabbard as menacing as the blackening blade inside.

[Vadriel]

Thaltos looked down at Balthizar and shook his head.

"No, she can handle herself...and besides, Torque is still asleep. We wouldn't want to leave him."

Thaltos winked. "Go back to your tavern wench."

[Ninja_Blue]

Balthizar coughed, "What tavern wench? I know nothing of a tavern wench."

And with that, Balthizar dozed back to sleep, dreaming about his old friends.....friends he would never see again.....

[Vadriel]

Thaltos decided to stay up and keep watch, and keep a listen out for when Asakai returned. Sniffing the night air, he figured that he'd have a better chance of catching anything if he remained outside, but the flat ground didn't serve very well for a good lookout point. Looking around, he noticed that there was a small ledge above the entryway into the temple, so he climbed up the uneven stone wall and perched atop it.

Leaning his back against the sloped roof of the shrine, he could see the entire treeline most of the way around the building, and could hear just about everything that went on.

Leaving his senses on autopilot, his mind drifted to thoughts of his past conquests in service to the Gods...all the people he had killed, all the death he had seen and dealt...through it all he had always been alone. He had had espionage jobs in which he stalked various individuals, but this was the first time he had a real charge, and a real party.

Being what he was, a twisted cross between a god and a monster who lived to kill, he had never been accepted into society. Looking as he did, with skin as dark as a drow's, eyes as red as a demon's, and hair that writhed like the serpentine coils of his mother...he had never felt a woman's touch in kindness, only in sheer primal need.

For the first time in Thaltos' life, he realized how lonely he had always been, and how singular his purpose in life had been, as nothing more and nothing less than the Gods' champion slayer of dissidents.