The Corruption Ensues

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The Corruption Ensues

Dale was prompt to point out how lousy we looked this morning. I gave a wry smile, Cloudbreaker agreeing that he felt like crap. He then promised to show him the head of the creature we killed that has caused us to be in such a state.

As the four of us ate, the hour being late morning, a pair of guards walked in. We waved them down since it wasn’t unusual for them to be seeking us out. They informed us we had a meeting at noon with the Mayor. We agreed we’d be prompt to show.

Once breakfast was finished, we made our way toward Town Hall. As we approached, we had an entourage of guards waiting for us.

“I would think you have quite the reputation Cloudbreaker,” Abu whispered as we approached.

“I take pride in that. Means more pay,” the Goliath responded.

"Oh Cloudbreaker, I don’t think it works like that here,” Bal Vyr added.

We then greeted the guards who informed us that they were there to escort us to the Mayor. I thanked them for their service to be pleasant considering how nervous they looked.

As we walked through, it was clear that repairs were being made. It was a wonder how the building’s integrity held true.

“What happened here?” I asked.

“Oh, just one of the many things we are slowly getting around to fixing after the whole God Wars fiasco,” one of the men replied.

“Yes yes. We actually have the means now to build a grander Town Hall than this,” another enthused.

Cloudbreaker was less than pleased by the thought, stating they should use the money to build better homes for those in the slums. Bal Vyr explained to the Goliath how that would make it worse. Rent would go up and there’d be a homeless problem instead of there being poor people.

What I found most humoring was the mention of them rebuilding the Town Hall with wood. It would seem fire had been the main cause of destruction to the building we were in and now they were to rebuild it with wood again?

A great pair of doors was opened for us to which we entered into a large, dim room. There was a fire burning in the center, the smoke having no clear escape and created a hazy atmosphere. To the right of the fire was a platform, that was raised about a foot off the ground. On it was a desk. In front of the desk were two guards, one being the Guard Captain. Sitting behind the desk was an older man who from the way he was dressed and the pompadour hat, had to bethe Mayor. Behind him was a cloaked figure.

The doors give a soft echo as the guards closed them, leaving us to the company of the Mayor and his security.

“You’ll have to pardon the formalities,” the Mayor began with a slow tongue that emphasized the T’s and S’s, “We can of course take no chances with...” he trailed off.

“Mercenaries is fine,” Bal Vyr finished.

“Yes. Those of your repute.” The mayor then went on to explain he had another job for us considering the services we’ve rendered thus far and so efficiently according to the Guard Captain (whose name is Skawsdin). I was mildly surprised that he put a good word in for us.

Anyways, the Mayor reminded us in his slow and punctuated speech about the war they were dealing with with the Elves. Because of such war, resources were stretched thin. He then asked us if we’d take care of, no, slaughter some Goblins that had been raiding their outlying farmland. Already his form of talk and his dismissiveness to explain who the cloaked figure was, I wasn’t of high opinion of the Mayor. Then to request that we commit a massacre because some Goblins have been raiding them was more than I could bare.

Yet, it got worse... The incentive they had behind the murders wasn’t so they could spare their resources, but was out of greed for some magical orb that was rumored to be had by the Goblins. The men were as displeased by the job offer as I was and so to convince us otherwise, the Mayor ordered for them to bring someone out. Shortly after a guard presented Trickfoot.

If it wasn’t for the ominous presence of the cloaked figure, I might have acted right then and there. Instead I just looked on to the chained figure of Trickfoot, thankful he was alive, but livid at the condition he was in.

“Why is he in chains!?” I demanded.

“This is how we treat all our criminals,” the Mayor simply replied. I curled a lip not believing what the man said.

“And what crime might that have been?” Bal Vyr asked.

“That, among other things, I am not going to disclose with you. So go do this job if you want to see your friends safely returned.”

“You have Grendel too?” I blurted.

The Mayor made no conclusion to whether he did or didn’t have the crusader, but each of us felt certain that was the case. I laughed cynically to myself. This was the very thing I despised about authority. Using their power and influence to be cruel and unjust and to reign in darkness. If Grendel felt slighted by us and the wheat field, hopefully this debacle would smooth over that incident and reunite us. I would find great pleasure bringing his ‘justice’ to the Mayor and guards.

We agreed to the terms of the contract, the Major promising us a reward in addition to our friend’s well being. He then had Captain Skawsdin give us our reward for the vampire and demon we slew before ordering for our release.

Before getting on with the rest of our day, we discussed bitterly what we were to do. None of us wanted to do what the Mayor asked, but we had our friends to save. Yet chances were if we did fulfil this obligation, we’d likely get killed by the Elves for entering their woods in pursuit of the Goblins, or by the Mayor once we’ve delivered the orb. Either way, the task at hand placed a heavy weight on our shoulders.

The rest of the day was spent paying off our acquired debts and identifying our magic items that were collected from the crypt the night I was captured. At the temple of St. Cuthbert, as we paid the money we owed, Bal Vyr made mention of Grendel. The Priest sounded concerned, but made no effort to investigate the integrity of their Mayor since we had no tangible proof. Just assumptions.

Bal Vyr and I then went to the Chalice while Cloudbreaker and Abu went to the Wizard’s Guild to identify the items. Once done with our various tasks, it was decided we’d rendezvous back at the Inn.

After a few hours, Abu and Cloudbreaker finally returned to the Inn. They informed us of the items to which I was given an Elven cloak that helped with hiding and a masterwork chain shirt. The Goliath then removed a crystal from his great sword, passing it to me.

“Here,” he said as he proffered the gem, “Something as pretty as you.” Heat rushed to my cheeks as I took the gem and observed it.

“What does it do?” I asked, unsure if it was just a mundane crystal.

“When equipped to your weapon, it sucks the life from those you attack and heals you,” Cloudbreaker explained. I gave a small smile as I revelled in the gift. Anything that kept me alive that much longer was welcomed by me. And so I equipped it to my- well, Lash’s, scythe.

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Normality pt. 2: Back to the Crypt

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It was finally time to go meet up with Bal Vyr and Abu at the graveyard. Cloudbreaker and I zipped over and met up with the two outside at the gates. We then ventured into a familiar scene. The graveyard was empty but soon a thick fog descended upon us. We waited around for a time, not sure how we’d locate Lash.

Remembering I could fly, I told the others I would ascend up to see if there was any signs of our demon friend. Right as I reached the limit my strength had, I broke the fog cover. The moon glowed against the thick mist as I flew about 10 feet above it before descending. As I did so, I looked about the night sky and over the glow of the fog for any signs of Lash. The only notable thing I saw was wisps of humanoid figured forming in the fog before fading off.

My heart skipped a beat when I landed for I didn’t immediately spot my party. Once I turned around, I found they were just behind me. Quickly I informed them of what I saw. Bal Vyr noted that he felt a slight magical aura in the fog. That was curious considering the first night we went there to fight the undead, the fog held no magical presence.

Cloudbreaker then shh’d us saying he heard something. The sounds were familiar; the grunts of the undead roaming about and the mutterings of the gravekeeper... I feel I need to apologize to him... yet at the same time I feel it’d be best if I never talked to him again.

We all stood with our backs to each other as we waited, still unsure how were were going to find Lash. With the fog hampering our vision, Cloudbreaker chose to call out to our friend, hoping she’d have reason enough to come when called upon.

The Goliath’s voice rented the air while we listened for any signs of Lash. Instead of the demon greeting us, the sounds of the undead drew closer. I prepared a shocking grasp on my halberd and readied myself. A skeleton appeared before me and with a swift motion I swung my new halberd into it, releasing my spell. It was a very satisfying strike as bits of bone splintered and the frame of the skeleton shattered before my eyes.

I prided myself a moment for it seemed I had my strength again. I continued to help the others, flanking them strategically against the other 5 undead that came our way. I held back on using more spells since caution suggested I ought to be prepared for Lash if she did suddenly show up.

The zombies were quick work for us. But as the last one fell immobile to the earth, I couldn’t help but wonder if new undead came every night and why the gravekeeper said 'all was right' if the undead kept returning? Whatever the reason was, we had more money due to the undead we slayed. 
We gathered the heads before moving further into the graveyard. Bal Vyr suggested we climb up the mausoleum we had gone into the other day after the vampires. I agreed that that would give us an advantage point since it was tall enough to break through the fog bank.

I flew to the top of the crypt and waited for the others to join. I was impressed that the Drow was the first of the men up. He pointed out the humanoid wisps I had seen in the fog, being equally confused by their presence. Eventually Cloudbreaker and Abu joined up after Bal Vyr let down a rope. I found it curious that it took the Goliath so long to climb up, but I didn’t think much about it as a noise echoed through the air.

We looked about the fog and toward the dome of the mausoleum. The sound echoed again and resembled that of stone breaking.

“Suppose Grendel finally made his escape?” I mused.

“Or it’s the werewolf,” Cloudbreaker suggested.

“DWARVES!” Bal Vyr shouted as he ran to the window, bashed one of the glass panes with his foot, and securing the rope he had with such swiftness that I’m still amazed at how quickly he disappeared into the crypt.

I looked to Abu and Cloudbreaker. “What just happened? Did he seriously shout ‘Dwarves’?”

“Yep,” Abu drawled. Bal Vyr’s shouts of Dwarves and their vileness echoed up into the night air. The rope soon disappeared from the edge of the window pane. The three of us then promptly began to descend back the way we came. Cloudbreaker tripped or something for when I caught up to him in the fog, Abu was standing over his face down body.

“Cloudbreaker!?” I said, nudging his shoulder. He came to right quick and was mighty embarrassed. Apparently it was the second time he had fallen off the mausoleum. He then picked himself up muttering how our idiotic friend was possibly in danger.

Abu lit a torch as we entered the crypt so we could see better. I made it a point this time to follow the men. I didn’t want a repeat of last time I had entered the tomb. If they were to disappear, I wanted to see them go.

We made it past the entrance and to a large spiraling staircase that I remember ascending the night of our escape. We began to run down as a loud scraping sound echoed through the crypt. I looked over the edge of the railing but I couldn’t see the bottom

“Abu! Quick, make me fly!” the Goliath demanded.

“What?” I questioned as Abu began to cast the spell.

“Come too Blackwing! Bal Vyr is at the bottom and the vampire spawn we missed is about to kill him!”

As soon as the cleric finished the spell, the Goliath jumped off the edge with such grace it was peculiar for someone who never flew before. Soon he disappeared into the darkness.

“I need your torch Abu,” I said. The cleric made no fuss and handed the glowing beacon to me. I then followed after Cloudbreaker, jumping over the edge of the railing with torch in one hand and my halberd in the other.

The Goliath had gone into a rage and was pummeling the spawn when I could see him again. I gripped my halberd firmly with the one hand and thrusted it into the vampire. The creature shrieked as I pierced it. While the spawn proceeded to attack Cloudbreaker, I caught Bal Vyr muttering something  as he lost consciousness.

“It’s... Lash.”

I looked over to the vampire spawn as it continued to attack the Goliath. I furrowed my brow wondering what Bal Vyr meant by ‘it’s Lash’. Cloudbreaker then made eye contact with me for a moment before his eyes filled with shock. They looked boyond me as something sliced me across the back.

Lash! went through my head as I realized now what Bal Vyr meant. I dropped the torch near Bal Vyr and quickly turned myself invisible. I then flew up and away from the demon form of Lash. As I looked upon her, I threw a fire bolt at her.

She cringed a little before glaring at me. I knew my invisibility was gone and so I threw two more fire bolts in her direction, but to no obvious effect. Lash then held out her hand toward me and ripped a scream from throat. My whole body ached as my pours expelled blood. It was evident our demon comrade was the culprit who had killed those families, yet somehow I managed to remain awake and alive. I was also impressed that the blood that seeped out of my body left no trace upon my clothes.

“Leave her alone!” Cloudbreaker’s voice echoed through the room. I watched as he swung his sword at Lash. His strike was true, but Lash brought her scythe like hand down upon the Goliath. He was bleeding greatly and seeing Abu had another flight of stairs to descend before he could get to any of us, I had to give the party cover from Lash. So I created a mist hoping for the best.

It surprised me that Lash found where I was so hastily. She swung her scythe and made contact with my right leg. With a great gash across my upper thigh, I felt myself fighting to keep awake. There was only one option I could fathom, one final spell. To hit her with a force field and pray I could will it to push her far across the room. Unfortunately for me, I passed out right after I cast the spell.

When I came too I noticed something screaming, my back searing with pain, and Cloudbreaker and Abu hovering over me. The Goliath then asked for me to dispel my mist. I did so immediately.

The screaming was coming from the writhing form of demon Lash. She had been burned quite severely and soon her body stopped moving altogether. Bal Vyr on the other hand was up and staring at his hands with startled eyes.

“You’re alright?” I asked.

“Blimey, what did you cast?” Abu asked.

“I thought it was just a simple fire spell...” Bal Vyr stated half mindedly. He took a step toward Lash before doubling over and clutching his stomach. Even Cloudbreaker was rubbing his arm that bore the mark. It would appear we each were feeling the effects of our curse.

“Well, let’s take her body and grab the head of the spawn over there,” Cloudbreaker informed.

“Hey Araja, you should take the scythe,” Bal Vyr mentioned as the Goliath picked up the fried corpse of Lash. I looked at the weapon that was left on the floor. It was an excellent piece of work. Lash would need it once she returned to her form... if she returned.

As I secured Lash’s scythe about me, I heard Bal Vyr ask Cloudbreaker if he could check Lash’s back. I heard Bal Vyr ask Cloudbreaker if he could check Lash’s back. I looked up to watch the Drow scrape some of the charred skin away. Underneath was the glow of the mark.

“You know, this could prove troublesome when the Captain sees the mark. He’ll notice it’s one of ours.”

“So. We’ll just pass it off that she was part of our mercenary group and that’s the tattoo to prove it,” I responded.

“Yes, but that means our comrade became a demon and began to slaughter families. I would imagine that would look bad on us,” Bal Vyr retorted.

I shrugged my shoulders, “Then we feign innocence and turn the tables on him saying that there’s a bigger problem in the graveyard than zombies and vampires. Something is turning people into demons.”

“Right...” Bal Vyr drawled.

“Well, whatever is to happen will happen. She is quite crispy to say the least, so perhaps they won’t notice,” Cloudbreaker mentioned. Let alone, part of me suspected the Guard Captain would still disbelieve us even with the demon present.

Right as we began to make our way out, the sound of rock crumbling echoed above us and a cry escaped Cloudbreaker. I whirled around to see a gargoyle attack the Goliath.

Cloudbreaker in a fit of rage dropped Lash’s body and grew as he stared down the rocky beast. The creature, not intimidated by the Goliath, attacked him again as Bal Vyr ran behind. I placed a light about me and flew up to the pillar to where the gargoyle had perched.

Abu carefully maneuvered behind Cloudbreaker to heal him as the beast continued to attack. The Goliath tried to grab onto the Gargoyle, but the creature flew away. It then noticed me standing on it's perch to which it lunged at me. As it drew close I swung the scythe but to no avail. While I endured the creatures bites and scratches, Cloudbreaker grabbed the gargoyle and cracked it slightly. The beast screeched in pain.
As I brought the scythe up to strike once more, the sharp claws of the gargoyle lashed out at me again and sent me into darkness.

I woke up to my back aching and half my body soaked in water. Abu gave a reassuring smile and I thanked him. Oh how I hate passing out in a fight. Cloudbreaker, who no longer was raging, offered me a hand up to which I accepted.

As I looked about, noticing the gargoyle’s broken form in the puddle, what caught my attention was all the expelled contents of my haversack and the gargoyle clutching my journal. I stared wide eyed and alarmed at the creature for a moment before snatching my book from him. I hugged it to my form. How had it retrieved it?

I placed the journal back into it’s demention, part of me wondering how secure that place was if the gargoyle managed to grab hold of it.

“What was that?” Bal Vyr asked.

“Nothing,” I quickly stated as Cloudbreaker mentioned, “Her journal.” I then proceeded to pick up my wet items and place them back into the haversack. The bedroll and tent would need to air out and dry at some point.

As I placed my gear back into their rightful place, Bal Vyr suggested cutting Lash’s head off to avoid the whole mark thing. Cloudbreak agreed, suggesting we bury her body before leaving the graveyard. Abu however was mortified by the idea asking why we were desecrating a friend’s body. The men persuaded him that it was for the safety of ourselves and that they’d bury the head with her after they showed the evidence to the Guard Captain.

We arrived outside the Guard Captain’s house and were appointed to Lieutenant Druthers. He was far more pleasant than the Guard Captain or Lieutenant Mathison, especially considering the late hour we came in. He awarded us for the undead we slew and instructed us to place the head of Lash outside in a specific spot due to the unpleasant smell she exuded.

Before leaving with our bounty, Cloudbreaker asked if he’d be able to pick the head up at a later time once the the Captain examined it. Lieutenant Druthers raised an eyebrow to which the  Goliath added that he wanted a trophy. He never killed a demon before. The Lieutenant agreed and informed us we could pick it up in a day or two.

And so we retired for the night agreeing to meet up for breakfast at Larland’s Chalice Inn.

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Normality pt. 1

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The Stakeout

Sleep really helped ease my troubled mind. I was certain I was going to be guilt ridden, but as I woke it was clear that the mark wasn’t my fault. Unless there’s memories I’ve forgotten about (which I seriously don’t doubt all things considered), I have no reason to believe that I’m the cause of the mark being in Athvala. I’m just a victim like Cloudbreaker, Bal Vyr, Grendel, Lash, and Trickfoot.

Perhaps the Goliath is correct and this is a new mark... but only time will tell. Now I must get on with my day.

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Bal Vyr and Abu met up with me and Cloudbreaker shortly after we finished breakfast. We were beginning discuss our plans for the day when some guards walked into the Inn. We eyed them and once they met our gaze, they approached us. They explained that another murder had happened and that it was in the dock district this time. We agreed to examine it.

The home of the new murder was slightly bigger. Instead of one room, there was two. When we walked in, the main room was void of anything unusual or bloody. However, as we opened the door to the second room, we were greeted by a familiar scene and smell.

Blood covered everything in the bedroom, everything except the 4 bodies; two adults and two children. It angered me to see two more children dead, but I pushed past the anger to keep my head clear. Eventually Lash would be stopped, all we had to do was figure out how to find her.

Bal Vyr did make an interesting comment though. He said the amount of blood in the room was equivalent to two adults. The Drow continued on to say that even yesterday’s crime scene lacked the boy’s blood and he had to wonder where three children’s worth of gore had gone. Abu suggested that the demon could be collecting the children’s blood. Bal Vyr nodded, agreeing that that was a possibility.

“Shall we canvas the neighborhood again?” I asked.

“No, lets stick to observing the surrounding houses,” Bal Vyr suggested, “Let’s see if we can locate any evidence of Lash’s presence before dealing with other fearful people.” With that, Bal Vyr asked Cloudbreaker to hoist him up onto the home of the murdered family. Before he even made it onto the roof, the Drow was stunned by what he saw.

“What do you see?” Abu asked.

“Blood and what appears to be a slash, as though Lash drug her scythe across the roof.”

“Well that’s definitely more evidence for us,” I said.

Cloudbreaker placed Bal Vyr back down. “Well I suggest we go prepare for tonight. Abu, care to help me identify the items we found in the crypt yesterday?” the Drow asked.

“Lead the way,” Abu drawled.

“You guys can come too if you want,” Bal Vyr mentioned to me and Cloudbreaker. I shrugged my shoulders figuring it might be best to help out.

“Actually, Araja and I are going to go climb the bluffs,” Cloudbreaker announced.

“Oh yeah,” I had forgotten so quickly that last night the Goliath and I had talked about going rock climbing when we had some down time.

I watched as Bal Vyr lifted an eyebrow. “Sure, you guys have fun. Just don’t wear yourselves out.”

“We have 10 hours before we’ll meet up at the graveyard. We’ll be plenty rested before our stakeout tonight,” I said. Bal Vyr shrugged his shoulders but said nothing more. We all then departed to our various destination.

The docks at the base of the bluffs were quiet. It would seem no one had used them in years. I looked up at the cliff side as a breeze swept through. It was steep, but I wasn’t too daunted. If I fell, I had my wings. Cloudbreaker however... well I assumed he was perfectly capable of such a task. Why else would he enjoy climbing if he wasn’t?

“Well, I’m ready when you are,” Cloudbreaker said as he slung a coil of ropes over his shoulder and secured a bag of pitons on his belt. With a nod of my head, we began scaling the bluff. Cloudbreaker was much quicker than myself. Soon he was halfway up while I continued taking my time. It was more challenging than I had expected. The well wall I climbed up the first time I was kidnapped had more crevices to grab onto. Still, I kept moving not wanting to be left behind.

When I was roughly a 100 feet up the cliff side, I lost my footing and began to fall. Instinctively I flapped my wings. Surprisingly I was able to fly a little. The strength in my wings is back! Not a whole lot, but enough to fly up a few feet. I then decided to conserve my energy and glided back to the docks.

Once on the docks, I looked up at the small speck that was Cloudbreaker. He clearly didn’t notice my absence. I went and sat down on the edge of the pier taking in the view of the trees and the town around the lake. I another breeze blew by that sent a chill through me. I looked back up at Cloudbreaker who was nearly impossible to see at the top of the bluff.

My mind began to race as worry flooded in. My breath became shallow and my hands clammy as I realized my solitary state. It was so bizarre. I could see him. It wasn’t like I was alone, yet as I looked around the empty docks, panic seeped in. I tried flying up to him but couldn’t get very high without my muscles burning with fatigue.

I paced on the dock as I watched Cloudbreaker finally descend. It was relieving to see him come back. I still find it odd that I was overcome with such anxiety. I can only hope whatever I’m experiencing doesn’t get any worse.

With a loud thud, the Goliath landed on the dock with a huge smile on his face. I was equally happy to see him and with gratitude that overwhelmed me, hugged Cloudbreaker. Once I realized the close proximity I was in with the Goliath, I quickly released and stepped back, feeling embarrassed.

“Um- wow! You were amazing!” I quickly said trying to brush aside the hug, “I-I, I’m clearly not as good as I remember being. Especially in comparison to you.”

“Huh, yeah,” Cloudbreaker began, puffing his chest out with pride, “you’re not a bad climber yourself, but us Goliaths, we’re the best.”

“I can believe that.”

“Oh, how I miss climbing with my brother,” the Goliath said, his smiling faltering for a moment, “Lets go get us some lunch.”

Cloudbreaker lead the way, I quickly following. For the first time I felt my age as Cloudbreaker enthused over the rock climbing. Though he was a man, there was something youthful that I hadn't felt in ages. He was stirring up lots of emotions I hadn't felt in a long time. For the first time since my banishment, I felt alive.

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After we finished lunch, Cloudbreaker suggested that we give another go at looking for Trickfoot. I was hesitant about doing that only because of what became of our search the first time we tried. I didn’t want another debacle with the guards. However Cloudbreaker convinced me otherwise saying we’d keep to asking around for concrete details that would direct us to his where abouts.

As we walked about the dock district, Something caught my eyes. Many men had tattoos on their arms, back, or chest. Immediately I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do! I wanted to get some tattoos!

Something I had failed to mention was after Cloudbreaker and I encountered Bakabba, I was making light of fates, especially after her ‘fate’ reading for us. I certainly don’t believe in it, but as I said that to the Goliath, he seemed hurt. He pointed to the markings of his body mentioning that he and his people are born with them, believing their Gods placed the markings to spell out their fate. I felt embarrassed for having offended him. Though I may not believe in it myself, I respect Cloudbreaker’s, and any one’s for that matter, right to believe what he wants.

Then when he gave me the new name, Blackwing, I got an idea in my head. I may not believe in fate, but there are those who’ve been in my life that have helped shape me to be who I am today. Because of that, I wanted to place those names upon my body and immortalize them. To never forget and to have them always.

Once Cloudbreaker gave up on trying to find any new leads, I then stopped a few men to inquire about their tattoos. There was one highly recommended, a guy named Steve, but the guys made it clear that his form of payment was very much unlady like. So I was directed to a woman on the docks. Her name was Ryn. Her gold eyes were vibrant against her dark skin. She had her dark red hair braided back in many tight braids and knotted up in a large bun. A fellow Mangoelar...

I explained to Ryn the idea I had for the tattoos. 10 feathers starting at my collar bone and descending down my left arm. Each feather would hold a name: Blackwing, Cloudbreaker, Isaac, Gemmel, Bor, Cortanna, Rekka, Achmath, Malaney, and Meryth. I figured if more people came into my life I didn’t want to forget, I’d continue to add new feathers.

While Ryn went about scarring my arm with ink, I noticed the few tattoos upon her dark skin. She had a floral design along her left arm, some tribal like marking on her right shoulder, and around her left eye a tattoo that resembled the mark Malfeiya had. My blood ran cold as I noted it, yet how odd that she had a tattoo placed there so similarly to my hated foe.

“What’s the meaning behind the tattoo around your eye there?” I asked.

“Hmm?” Ryn hummed, “Oh. There’s tale of a woman who saved her world from a horrid curse. It was said all who bore the curse could not be Exalted-”

“Yes, yes. That Malfeiya woman right?” I interrupted not wanting to hear about her.

“Mmhmm.”

“So why place a similar design of that horrid curse upon your own skin?”

Ryn smiled as she continued onto the third feather with Isaac’s name, “Because even though the people looked upon that mark with hate, due it’s evil nature, I found myself seeing it as a sign of her power. And so I wanted to emulate that.”

I kept my thoughts to myself. How I wanted to inform her of the evil Malfeiya truly was. How she was the cause for corrupting my God.

Ryn made quick work of the tattoos. After she finished the feather on my hand with my sister’s name, I observed the workman ship and was mighty pleased. The Mangoelar then healed me, removing the mild pain my arm and shoulder was feeling. I then placed my arm back in it’s sleeves and paid Ryn for her service.

Cloudbreaker, who kept himself busy by being his friendly self with the fellow fishermen, got up. I showed him my arm where Cortanna, Achmath, Malaney, and Meryth could be seen. I then said I’d show him the rest later, but immediately regretted it for his name was one of those I had place upon my body... what if he thought that was weird? I forced myself not to dwell on that thought and reminded him we ought to eat before going to the graveyard that night.

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The Return of Lash pt. 4: An Epiphany

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Bal Vyr decided that he wanted to study Lash’s journal for the remainder of the day. Abu went with the Drow while Cloudbreaker and I went to the armorsmith. The Goliath needed a set of armor and would have to be fitted considering he was not the average human size.

The armorsmith was daunted by the task, but he agreed to service the Goliath nonetheless. Part of the measuring included Cloudbreaker going into a rage. He had warned the armorsmith about that and though the smith had put away all valuables, the Goliath still punched some holes in the walls and ceiling. I wasn’t sure if I was more nervous by the idea of leaving the room or staying in the presence of his anger.

Once the fitting was finished, Cloudbreaker made it clear with the armorsmith that he’d pay for the damages and thus another debt was made.

We retired back to the Larland’s Chalice Inn and made some small talk with Dale. It was clear he wasn’t happy with us still, but he was cordial. I figure it’ll take a week or so before he warms back up to us.

As Cloudbreaker and I ate dinner, I could see that his face was too stern. It was no surprise considering all that went down today. We didn’t obtain our reward, were accused of not killing all of the vampires, setting one of Dale’s rooms on fire, the incident with the gravekeeper, and creating a greater debt for damaged property... What was there not to be frustrated about?

I recalled how passionate Cloudbreaker was when he spoke about his tribe the other night. I felt if I asked him about the Goliaths, that it would lift his spirits. And considering I was to follow him wherever he was to go, I figured I’d best learn more about what tribe life was like in case we ran into his people once more. I guess in essence, and it’s probably weird of me, I’m wanting to become a Goliath. I’ll need to be tough, strong, and quick in my own way, and if I can do that, then just maybe I can keep up with him and his people.

“Cloudbreaker,” I began, “What was tribe life like? What did you do for fun?”

The Goliath gave me a confused look. When I continued to look at him expectantly, his eyes became thoughtful. A soft smile played at the corner of his mouth as he pondered.

“It was... home,” Cloudbreaker finally said with longing. I waited patiently for him to continue, “Life was hard, but simple. My people are so different than humans. You see, your tribe is your family. You trust each and every member with your life. There is none of this... selfishness that seems so rife in humanity.” I nodded in agreement. People were selfish, even myself. We ate a few more bites in silence. I had thought Cloudbreaker wasn’t going to say any more when he continued.

“As for fun” he began with a fond smile, “we’d dance, sing, tell stories, play games. Oh how I miss a good game. We’d wrestling or play goatball. Ah, goatball! That was my favorite!”

“Goatball? Never heard of it,” I piped in. Cloudbreaker looked at me in disbelief.

“Really!? It’s a wonderful game! See you throw a ball around made of goatskin. The lumpier, the better. The object of the game is you have to throw it past the other team,” Cloudbreaker explained.

“That doesn’t sound too difficult,” I responded. Cloudbreaker laughed.

“Maybe if there wasn’t a river involved. You see you play it across a river with rocks and trees trunks. Typically you hop around on the various debris in the water to get a better shot at throwing the ball past the other team.”

“Ah, so the perfect game for me,” I smiled all cocky like while helping myself to a drink of ale. The Goliath looked me over and nodded his head.

“Yes, I suppose it is. Hopefully one day we can play it,” Cloudbreaker said, “Another game- well sport, I enjoy is climbing. I’ve always loved to climb.”

“Me too!” I blurted a little too enthusiastically, “I mean, I’ve become fond of heights and have had a few adventures involving climbing up cave walls. It’s exhilarating to reach the top,” I explained. Cloudbreaker nodded in agreement. An idea then came to mind, “I know! Maybe when we find some normalcy in this life we can go scale a mountain together. Or maybe we can go climb the bluffs when we get some down time in this town,” I said with excitement.

The Goliath gawked at me. “Yes Blackwing! That sounds amazing!” He placed his hands on his head and leaned back as he beamed. Yet just as quick as the smile came, it faltered.

“What’s wrong?” I prodded.

“I was thinking of my brother. He loved to climb too...” A long sigh escaped Cloudbreaker’s lips, “It’s hard to believe it's been five years since I last saw any of them. I've spent so much time amongst humans I can barely remember what life with the Vath'ul-Mak'ai was truly like anymore. Remembering just feels like a dream...I wish I could return every day,” he said, longing in his voice once more. I too missed home. I even longed to go back, but my hate toward Heironious and His corruption with the mark prevented me from yearning for too long.

Interestingly enough, I had an epiphany about the mark. Once Cloudbreaker and I had retired for the night, I went about journaling while he got comfortable on the floor. As I wrote about the two new qualities of the mark, I realized I had seen the mark turn someone into something else! I’ve witnessed what happens when the new form is killed and reverts back to the original body.

It was Meryth!  It explains how it was she was alive when I most certainly had killed her; how terribly dark she had become with her desire for power and this notion of uniting the God heads into one being. That explains why she turned back to her 12 year old self when I killed her again.

As that realization set in, before I could stop myself, I exclaimed under my breathe, “I’ll be damned!”

“Hmm? What are you fussing about?” Cloudbreaker asked as he shifted under his blanket to look at me.

“Oh, um... sorry,” I began, feeling a bit embarrassed for disturbing him, yet I had to explain. It was too good to not tell him, especially since it had to do with the mark, “It’s just earlier, when you mentioned Bal Vyr turning into some monster, you said after destroying him, he reverted back to his Drow form, right?”

“Yes,” Cloudbreaker exhaled, clearly tired.

“And with Lash having turned into some demon, I was contemplating that it was a new development with the mark- I mean, I thought I had never seen it before!” the excitement in me was on the verge of bursting. I sat up and faced toward the Goliath. He propped his head up on one hand as I went on.

“My sister was a victim of the mark you see. When she died... she wasn’t Exalted like I was. Then some time back, what I assume to have been only a couple months ago, I saw her; but it wasn’t her. She had grown up and the way she talked to me... she was obsessed with power and had this crazy idea about uniting all of the deities together as one supreme being.

“Yet despite her hunger for power, she let me kill her. When she died, my sister turned back into her 12 year old self, looking exactly how I’ve always remembered her; being innocent.”

Right in the midst of saying that, some thoughts came into my mind of, so who was Malfeiya? Why was she Exalted? Why didn’t Heironious explain any of that to me?

“What happened to Bal Vyr gives me hope that my sister was just a victim of the mark’s curse when she first died,” I spoke aloud. I then pursed my lips together as my voice became bitter, and more to myself than to Cloudbreaker, added, “But it doesn’t explain why Heironious never told me any of that.”

I brushed away my traitorous tears. I could feel my anger bubbling under my skin. How dearly I wanted to trust Him again, yet how stuck I was still trying to figure out the mark. When I looked back at Cloudbreaker, I felt stupid for having bothered him. I hadn’t learned anything pivotal to our situation.

With an exasperated sigh, I buried my face in my hands, “I’m sorry Cloudbreaker. I guess I’m still trying to sort this mark thing out. I feel like I’m so close to understanding it, yet still getting nowhere! I didn't mean to keep you awake...”

“You’re fine Blackwing,” Cloudbreaker responded, “I’m just contemplating what you have said.”  I removed the hands from my face and watched him as he thought a moment longer. “Bal Vyr certainly did not let us kill him when he took the form of flame and shadow... I doubt he could have been reasoned with. Plus what Bal Vyr and Lash transformed into were monstrosities... That doesn't sound like what happened to your sister."

I furrowed my brows as Cloudbreaker said that. It was like a knife in the back.

"Blackwing, I don't know what all happened to you before we met, but it does not seem to me that the mark we bear has any link to Heironeous or to Erythnul,” Cloudbreaker continued on despite my look of hurt, “The other night when you went into a fit and I took you to the Temple of Pelor, the priest said that the mark we bear is very old and has not been seen in a long time. I suspect what we bear is at the hand of something long thought dead, like an old God or demon. Something that pre-dates the God Wars certainly."

My eyes burned. It was frustrating to listen to Cloudbreaker trying to alter what I knew to be right. He was naive like everyone I’ve met since my return to the mortal realm, and it made me so mad. But at the same time, how I wanted it to be different. How I didn’t want this to be the same dreaded mark from my past. But I felt so close to understanding what happened to my sister and though I wanted to believe Cloudbreaker, I couldn’t.

“No,” I clipped out, “That has to be what happened to her. This has to be the same mark! Erythnul has been the culprit from the beginning! The mark took my sister’s Exaltation from her and turned her into a monster!” I began to shout. I took a deep breath and wrapped my arms around me, “When I saw her all those months ago, it wasn’t my sister I talked with. I don’t understand why she allowed me to kill her again, but she did...”

I wiped at my eyes, angry that I was crying in front of Cloudbreaker. Another point quickly came to mind about the mark to which I added, “And it’s not the first time the mark has been dormant. My town was among the first raided after a millenium of peace from it.”

Cloudbreaker sat in silence. It was remarkable how calm he was considering how angry I had become. It was as though we balanced each other. Both of us were quick to anger, but typically one of us managed to remain level headed when the other wasn't.

"I don't know then. Part of me suspects that this is a different mark than what you know... yet you're the one who seems to know the most about it," Cloudbreaker finally said. I nodded in agreement, but said no more.

“Blackwing...” the Goliath continued more cautiously, “since you are the only one with a history with this mark, have you thought about what this could mean?” I furrowed my brows wondering what he was getting at. I shook my head slowly as he continued, “This mark has followed you. So me, and all other marked beings, are marked because of you. You brought the curse to Athvala.”

My eyes grew wide at the accusation Cloudbreaker made. Guilt didn’t even begin to describe how I felt. It explained why the mark was in this world. It must have followed me. Yet why was I bearing the mark too?

“Hey,” I heard the Goliath say as he tapped my shoulder. My eyes met his and was surprised to see a soft smile on his lips, “Good thing I don’t believe this to be the same mark.”

A laugh escaped me in disbelief. Still I forced a smile. “Yeah... good thing,” I responded. I then said goodnight to Cloudbreaker and went back to journaling.

With this realization, it's been distracting to recount the day. How much I wanted to write the epiphany out. However given the time before writing, I've contemplated some thoughts about who I saw all those months ago in a lone tree. I know I saw the demon form of Meryth. Now what I need to figure out is why didn’t Heironious explain that aspect of the mark to me? And Meryth said she was Malfeiya. If that’s so, why was she going around doing so much good? Why did Heironious finally decide to Exalt her despite the mark she bore?

On top of all of that, now I have to wonder if Cloudbreaker is right. He may not believe the mark to be the same, but what if I am the one responsible for bring the mark here?
...My head hurts. I’m done writing for the night.

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