The Vale of Shadow (Part 4)

[Zekafae]

Nodding he couldn't help but not to chuckle slightly at the idea of watching the city burn. Listening to the steps he spoke." Veraka, we can use that shop perhaps as a base temporarily. So let us head there first." He knew he had a few cuts on his own body, but not feeling any effects on his body, or the fact that his body purged the poisons out by now who knew. At the comment of the darker deities he spoke." Let them watch with glee, let them see this city burn as a pyre of sacrifice to them if they have too. But they'll know that all of their followers here will not survive." Waving a hand dismissively." You two need rest, you started to smell like dinner" he mused coldly he thought for a moment as he started heading to the shop" Come with me my friends, we'll begin the scheming, for a bitter revenge. Gods help Ayla if I get my hands on her. I may not be like our employer but, I'll make sure she suffers plenty before she's handed over. He said alive, but not the condition right?" He didn't stop walking as he was heading to the shop, dagger drawn, He'd leave a path of carnage if he had too. Question was... why was he nearly possessed and blood thirsty to pursue this? Like a dragon hunting for a lost treasure of it's hoard or was there something else?

[veraka]

Veraka nodded and followed the ranger, noting silently that his aura was like a shifting tidal wave, roaring from area to the next; but vengeance by itself was easily understood by the aasimar. Whatever little demon or bloodlust had possessed the ranger, either was as bad or perhaps a little lighter in severity to the raging darkness that flowed in Veraka's veins.
He followed Zek to the shop, Aurora on his shoulder, still unconscious. When they reached shack, amazingly with no bloodshed along the way, Veraka shut the door, set Aurora down, and turned to the ranger.

"Zek," he said in a stern, all business voice, "we both have demons that lay within us; I'm not gonna force you talk about it, but should something come out, I want to know about it prior to engaging combat; anything that's a threat to Aurora, or Inrii is something that I can't and won't stand for. I know what I carry in my soul and I'm well aware of its desires and blood-lusts; it's what's brooding in you that I wish to know. If you want, I will tell my you about my own darkness, but I wish to know about this want, this [b:316r5621]desire[/b:316r5621], to see these people dead."

[Zekafae]

Moving to the counter he slid atop of it quietly shoving the papers aside. Listening to him he spoke" Don't worry, Aurora will be perfectly fine, as will Inrii, I wouldn't let anything happen to either if I had my way. As for why I want to see the city razed? Simple. When I was younger, as a mercenary and ranger, I worked with a human and an elf hunting. As I said before, purging infected and dragons which plagued the land of different kingdoms. One place refused the services we offered. Fine, we didn't help, we were there for the money. So we left, I returned to watch the dragon raze the city, refusing to help anyone. It was fitting, they begged for mercy, and I let them die. Because I was a Drow. Years later, I continued Gunther's Legacy of hunting. I offer my services, only to be betrayed and no one pay. Because I was a Drow, they figured they'd screw me over even as I did the work. I personally scorched the whole city. And when asked by the dying king why. I told him, because I am a Drow, does not mean that I am not willing to help. My prices were reasonable, we had settled on an agreement for payment. They Breeched the contract, and lied to me about what I was supposed to kill. So I told him that because of this, he is wholely responsible for the destruction of the city. In part I acted upon my own vengeance, but more so, on behalf of the dragon, whom was wrongfully targeted because of greed." Shrugging he moved from the counter to find a bottle of alcohol opened it up and took a sip." This city, is just as corrupted. So the guild will suffer, as will the city. A fiery cataclysm of fire. Dragon's fire and wrath. Demons no, it is a standard I keep to myself. I do not like being screwed over because I am a Drow. So they make the grievous error and they see the malice Drow can have." Waving a hand dismissively as he took another drink." Tis what happens when you live thousands of years being oppressed" he finished." You lash out." He's seen others of other races do the same.

[veraka]

The aasimar sat up and leaned back against a wall all the while as he listened intently to what the ranger said, absorbing every note of what Zek said; the dark-color of Veraka's adamantine armored body let him almost blend in with the shadowed area that he was in, the only give away was his radiant-silver eyes that stared at the ranger as he revealed his history to the young aasimar.

"So you destroy those whom have dishonored the contract that both you and them agreed upon, ehh? I can't say I disagree with you; when betrayed, I did the same, only it wasn't me who did it. . ." he didn't finish the sentence, thinking back to that time.

[Zekafae]

Nodding slightly" Dishonoring contracts was the big one, most of the time, I'd handle it a bit more diplomatically. They did eventually pay up many who tried to do it. I have to admit, I'll never understand humans. A king offers his daughter for me work, I refuse saying that I refuse to sully his bloodline with my own. Given that my house was on the fast track, and I had a nice bit of wealth myself... And odd things in the bloodline. He got enraged over the deal, it wasn't until his old advisor and Archmage of the region gave him the wisdom and told him in front of the audience. I generally, do not playing into my race or reputation, but the kingdom did not have much, spare the beautiful daughter." He made a couple gestures, none crude but to get the idea." Tomboyish from what I understood. I would have left without any gold until they implored to pay me. I just asked for enough food water and coin to get me to the next city. If not enough gold just the food and water. I can be generous." Chuckling slightly" Months later I recieved a letter from the kingdom, a messenger had been sent to find me. The girl left the kingdom not because of being offered, but because she really cared."

Setting the bottle down he sat in a chair leaning back." I was... gods... i don't know.. a little over seven hundred I think then. The city faded away years later." He shook his head slowly." I have to admit, my career has been quite enjoyable." He looked down for a moment thinking as Eili came into the scene sitting in front of him. He was completely silent for the moment. An eerie silence.

[veraka]

Veraka again listened from his dark corner, occasionally looking over at Aurora, checking to see if she was awake, or okay. Her wounds were starting to heal up, but it was still gonna take time.

Looking back at Zek he said; "So you refused the girl on the fact that you didn't want her offspring to be half-drow? Are you sure you're not a knight under that dragon-infused` leather armor, and dark facade of sarcasm. Seems like you wanted to spare her the mockery that I've seen thrown at drow and half-drow. Actually ranger, your little story reminds me of my first real mission as a paladin, and the first time my true demon emerged." He said this with a low tone.

"When I was about, oh, 18, 19 years of age, my temple sent me out on a small mission to see what was up with a small community about some fifty miles to the southwest. Turned out that they were being plagued by bandits and raiding parties of orcs and sometimes trolls."

"So I set out to find out the cause of these attacks. As I was looking for my reasons and clues, stumbled upon a small family of half-drow, mostly, I think their grandparents were full blooded. Anyways, they were being harassed by about 10, odd, maybe 15 people. I didn't count then; so me and my ignorance decide to make an example of a few of the idiots. After a couple of broken ribs and more than a few heads smashed in, the mob quit, but a few of them, I think they were high-ranking ones, asked me why I attacked them. I said ''simple you were harassing them without provocation'. One of them then spat me in the face and said that I knew nothing. I learned later that that was racial prejudice speaking." He breathed out slowly, then back in and continued.

"So then, when those bastards had been dealt with, one of the grandparents came up and asked me why I defended them; I gave them the same answer. Then learned that the village had killed the mother of the half-drow, who was from the ranks of the village, and the father, who was, obviously, the grandparents son. Well, sure as shit, it was the grandparents who were raising the younglings. They then told me that many a drow inhabited the region, along with other elves and a few others, dwarfs and the like. After a week of scurrying the area for clues about these bandits, I stumbled upon one of the young half-drow that I'd seen earlier; unfortunately, he was dead by the time I got there. Found out that he was dragged out to the location and killed that way."

He let out a long sigh, remembering what happened next.
"Went back to the village and started asking in-depth about the youngling's murder. I stumbled upon a drunken guard who had just on ale too many, and learned from him that the guards of the town intentionally stood by and let the bandits, the human ones, that is, pass through; hells, sometimes they even paid the goons to come in. Anyways, where was I, oh yeah, learned from the drunk bastard that the towns own guards, and ruling body, let those raids happen as a way to get rid of the 'inferior ones'."

Veraka's eyes blazed silver.
"I was sitting there asking myself, why would they do this; why that woman's own village turn on them. At that point, however, it didn't matter. I felt that darkness in me and out it came, a berserker with nothing but wrath in it's veins, and vengeance on it's mind. The unfortunate drunkard was the first one that I gutted. I then turned on a random group of people that wandering by. They didn't even know what'd hit 'em by the time I killed three of them."

"The rest where mincemeat to the berserker. Wherever I walked, blood followed in my wake; it didn't matter who it was, I killed them all, everyone that my eyes set upon, they died . That day was the first time I killed a child; Why? Because I wanted to; I felt that if this child was raised among those who'd killed that half-drow youngling, then he was just as guilty as the rest. I couldn't have been more wrong."

He paused, his face by now had acquired a grim expression. "Hate, anger, vengeance, retribution, justice, wrath, the list goes on as to what was going through my head when I was in my berserker rage. I just killed and killed and killed. Some ran, quite a few fought me head on, it didn't matter, Marala Vharc hacked them down; none escaped, none at all. I can recall a young pregnant woman who was pleading for her life, crying about her child-to-be had done nothing to earn death, and that the child wasn't even alive. My sword stabbed her womb first, penetrating through the other side of her body; I looked her in the eyes and said 'Now it isn't', and then decapitated her. All in all, 319 people, teh entire village lay dead by the time I was done; my sword had killed 319 people, most of them were vile and disgusting and deserved death; some didn't. But all of them were dead, all they're blood on my hands. I still look back upon that event and ask myself if it could have been any different; I know that nothing would have changed, just because that was the first time the Berserker in me truly came out."

He stopped letting the ranger absorb his tale; "my point behind my telling you this, is this; If you can truly enjoy doing what I did, and can say that you've quite enjoyed your career all the more, then we mine as well get started and just burn the entire city starting now." When he was finished, Veraka was looking the ranger dead in the eye.

[Zekafae]

Leaning back in the chair he looked him dead in the eye." So that is what I saw down in those tunnels come out? Makes sense, yes I've killed, women and children undeserving of their execution. My career was to kill the infected and chaotic dragons. Of course as I went on, I investigated the matters more and more. I became selective naturally. Even helped bring a hatch up for a time, before others whom were more qualified for the situation took the little one in. I of course made sure it grew to rightful age and released back into the wilds. As far as I know it's still alive. Hopefully with hatchlings of its own." Moving to his feet" My point is this. I did what I did for many reasons. Sure I regret it to a degree, but it is in the past. I do not dwell in the past. The princess lived her life as she wished. I am no knight, it does not suit me."

" I find that our mission here is simple. We'll go through all the buildings here. Those whom should be spared, spare them and get them out of here. The rest will not be spared." He moved through the shop looking for things." I will not lose another. History will not repeat itself. I lived too long to allow it." Gathering things he'd look to Veraka." I'll start scouting and looking, I'll be hidden don't worry." He went downstairs to take the hidden passage to get out of the building. Eili sat there watching silently, after he left there was the feline sigh.[i:19iukno0] He would have made a good husband and father I'm sure. I was there the day it happened. There's reasons why he does not talk about his past. The old wounds never healed, especially those in the heart. He'll scorch the city to find Inrii. I knew there was something, but never expected him to feel that way again.[/i:19iukno0] She moved up onto the counter and watched out the window." I'll watch for trouble.. you two rest."

[veraka]

Veraka nodded to the ranger when he confirmed that Veraka's Berserker had come out in the tunnels. Now he knew, but it was for the better. If the ranger had knowledge of his darkness, sure it was a weakness to Veraka, but the aasimar already knew that the drow wouldn't be letting Inrii go, not easily at least. Neither would he; Veraka had agreed to accompany Inrii on her quest, and with that agreement came an oath; he'd never retreat, and never surrender until all of them and all of their companions were out of harms way. That was law to Veraka; ingrained into him by his barbarian heritage, his sense of honor and code of justice demanded it.
"No, Zek; you've found your reason to fight till your last dying breath; I've found a reason to let my dying soul keep on living for just a bit longer; or perhaps we both have."

In response to Zek's simple plan, Veraka quickly added, "it's fortunate then that I am what I am; makes doubting less and less of a factor when we do what you just said." With that, he let the ranger head out on recon, and then went over to Aurora and administered some healing potions to her, as well as some of Zek's medicine that he'd given the aasimar.

He gulped down one of the potions, and then laid down to rest, but stopping to give the ranger's familiar a quick glance when he heard it talk, but then dismissed it, knowing that all of them traveled with eccentric companions.
"Let me know if trouble starts up," was all he said. With that he laid down for rest and shut his eyes; but sleep refused to take the aasimar. In his head he kept going back to that one young woman who was thick with her child. His head wouldn't let him get sleep as it replayed that memory over and over again. Veraka saw himself staring into that young girl's eyes and saw his sword thrust into her womb through the stomach, instantly killing the child. I swore he heard the child scream. He saw that sequence of images a thousand times, each more intense than the last.

As Veraka lay there, a single droplet of water traced it's way down his neck; "what sort of monster am I?"

[Zekafae]

Eili nodded watching them before, looking back out the window quietly. Looking over hearing him narrowing its eyes at him as if to have that feline 'I hate you' look but it was just looking at him ' You face what many before you faced. You're not a monster. You feel guilt, monsters do not.' Smart little kitty... it happened when being around zek for so long.

Zek meanwhile encountered a few thieves here and there. Nothing that a bit of stealth didn't fix. He was going through all the buildings, looking for something any trace to where Inrii could be. Deep inside he knew why he searched for her, but he'd never admit it, at least openly.

[veraka]

Veraka looked at the cat with a half-bemused, half-'What?' expression etched on his face. Veraka couldn't believe what he was hearing.

A cat, of all creatures, was telling him what a paladin, many years his experience, of Tyr couldn't and wouldn't. But he only nodded to the furball, saying "well, if I'm not a monster, what am I? Am I exactly like your friend, Zek, where I'm only able to live with the regret that I have, and maybe, [i:1f9tova6]maybe[/i:1f9tova6] once in a while, find something worth fighting for. I suppose at least Zek has found something, well, someone to fight for."

The aasimar just starred out the window, as if looking for the meaning of his life behind the sky.

[Zekafae]

If a cat could laugh, she would have.[i:2bnrce5p] You are a paladin, a bringer of light and hope right? Yet you cling to the darkness and shadows like some sulky trecherous wretch. Look to Aurora, you need to stop living in the past. Use what you have for the cause of your patrons deities want you to live for. You have a friend in trouble, one who's bound to get himself killed, your sister Aurora. You have us, look for something to fight for and stop sulking in the past.. it IS sad that I, a mere familiar.[/i:2bnrce5p] the cat moved up on its hindquarters and made the gesture an amusing sight really... Zek.. it seemed had more than just a familiar on his hands. Or they were just too much alike. [i:2bnrce5p] You're sulking more than Zekafae does.. and thats bad. If you have too, meditate, get over your past.[/i:2bnrce5p]

Zek meanwhile continued his searching going through various homes, he came into one building where he was nearly ambushed by some militiamen. Not in the mood for them he took them out, more by defensive abilitiies to knock them out." My fight is not with you. It is with Ayla." he moved down and picked the apparent leader up by the back of his neck and sat him down in a chair." Now, tell me, where is the albino elf."

[veraka]

Veraka did nothing, up until the furball made her ammusing sight known to him, he gave a hearty laugh, lifting his spirits somewhat. The ranger truly had no idea what was with him as a familiar.


[i:3v9bjztp]And you have someone waiting for you in the future; I don't know who she is, but she's out there, and in your current state of mind, you won't be able to protect either her or yourself. If you truly wish to be able to protect those whom mean the dearest to you, then stop worrying about the berserker for what it has led you to do in the past, and use it for what it is right now;[/i:3v9bjztp] came Aurora's voice to both Veraka and Eli, though she was obviously talking to Veraka, as she lifted her massive head up and stared the aasimar down with those ice-blue eyes.

[i:3v9bjztp]I probably should have told you this a time ago, it seems my waiting was worth it. You've improved; when you first came back from that mission of yours, you couldn't even keep your rage down; the slightest thing would set it off. Now granted, most of the time, it came when you wanted it to, but occasionally it came out on it's own. Now, after how many times I've seen you hold it down, I can honestly say you have a degree of control over it. Yes, Veraka you are going to have to live with that darkness in you, but just because you live with it doesn't mean you have to let it define you.

And as to you, Eli; I believe if you were a dire version of yourself, Zek would have the time of his life.[/i:3v9bjztp] the winter wolf chuckled at the thought of a dire Eli.

Veraka, his spirits raised by his now awake friend, and from the cat, reached over his shoulder and unsheathed Marala Vharc. The adamantine sword crackled to life on his command, lighting dancing up and down it's keen and deadly length, which indicated that Aurora's statement was true. A new invigoration surged through the aasimar's veins. Sheathing his sword, he looked to the cat; "can you detect Zek from here, I'm sure he's found someone worth interogating, and I'm feeling in a little bit of a mood for that myself. Inrii's missing, as well as a certain pyro-crazed lizard that I've grown sorta fond of." Veraka looked better with Aurora's little mental push.

[Zekafae]

Eili nodded in agreement to this. [i:2ft3zejd] You have a power, you have control over it. Use it wisely and that power will serve you well.[/i:2ft3zejd] At the comment from the wolf she couldn't help herself [i:2ft3zejd] Welcome back to us. And oh yes a dire form of myself.. He jokingly said I'd be the perfect displacer beast, just because I'm so sneaky.. I admit it would be nice.. I wonder if he has that in mind for me someday. You know the funny thing is? Even if he dismissed me, which I know he's tried. I won't leave his side, strange I know.[/i:2ft3zejd] At the question the feline nodded[i:2ft3zejd] Of course, I know exactly where he is. A smaller building.. than the warehouse. Lets go before he gets into trouble. [/i:2ft3zejd]

[veraka]

Veraka smirked at the cat's remark, then nodded, grabbing a couple of healing items, and making sure that way was clear.
"Alright we have a straight shot, but like the ranger, we're going out the back door." As he said this, Aurora got up and flexed her muscles, testing to see for any kinks and knots. She came out clean.

"Alright, we gotta pyro-nut and her like-minded lizard to find, let's move."

With that the assimar made his way down the corridor that led outside; turning to Eli as they arrived just outside, he said "alright, well, there's a lot of smaller building's than the warehouse around in this decrepit city, so you know the way; lead on."

[Zekafae]

Eili nodded and jumped off of the counter, and trotted as it were down the stairs leading the way [i:34epn9oq] Lets hurry, we don't want him to have all the fun![/i:34epn9oq]