Jordan accepted the Relic with both hands, carefully unfastening the golden chain and linking it back together around his neck. Once more, he saluted the Emperor, fist over heart. "Thank you, sir. I will have my men prepare for the hunt at once."

"See that you do. Follow your instincts, Paragon, but I will relay what information we have concerning these relics. As of now, the search for these relics is the most urgent, and you represent the arm of Stamaria in that pursuit. We will see you well equipped."

The Emperor lifted his hand again, balled in a fist, and released another blinding burst of light that broke through the darkness and returned them to the Imperial Citadel in a moment.

Without waiting, he led DuValle back out through the curtains and took his place on the throne, nodding permissively to his soldier. "That will be all, Paragon. Your style does not befit subtlety or secrecy--if you choose, you need not keep the ownership of Svalinn a secret. Act in the interests of the Empire, and they will both fear and respect you for it."

"Understood, sir," Jordan replied, nodding back to the Emperor from his place before the throne. He turned and strode away from the throneroom, departing it to return to his ship. Briefly, he raised one gloved hand to touch the dark material of Svalinn in contemplation, wondering briefly if it truly would protect him from his coming foes. He had heard the tales of Svalinn... but he had also heard the tales of Lumiya, Orion, and the Chronoscepter.

He would know in time. But for now, he had orders to relay and the Wolfram to ready. The White Devil would once again be loosed upon Ymaggion.

Tsuminar



"That would be a spectacular waste of time." Larent called out easily, voice carrying over the wind. "Both yours and mine. Better if I come out and we talk."


______


Stamarian 7th Armored Legion. Cher Plek Roadways



Raiph frowned at that. What. Were. The. Odds? The girl hadn't mentioned family. Not even a bit. "Haven't seen her." He snapped in annoyance. "Damn fools, you know how stupid it was to rush out like that?" The lead scout half-lowered his weapon, the soldiers around him doing the same. Ready to snap them back up in an instant, should the need arise.

But at least for the next few seconds, no one would die. "This girl got a name?" He finally questioned. If they were related, it wasn't terribly good of him to keep the group separate. And if the girl decided to hop out of the truck, the jig was up. But somehow he guessed she wouldn't. Not with the way she'd been acting so far. All he had to do was play dumb and get these two yokels away from the convoy, then figure out what was going on.

____


Deepest Darkest Cher Plek Caves


Bekka shrugged once at that. "We're no strangers to hurry up and wait, Khordus." She said with a simple smile. "The best sort of job is the one with no fighting at all."

To her side, her partner said nothing. Though his eyes indicated that perhaps he did not agree with her statement.

Branwyn frowned. That was a pretty dumb question for the boy to ask, all things considered. 'Protect her from whom'; it couldn't be from the hordes of mindless undead swarming around the streets, could it? No, it would be silly to be afraid of them! She envied the boy his bravery, and she was about to open her mouth to speak when a great cheer from somewhere below made her jump. It was a terrible sound filled with gleeful spite, and something about it made her skin crawl as if worms were already wiggling just underneath the surface. She nearly gagged at the imagery.

Branwyn stumbled forward, still keeping to the shadows, and looked down on the streets below. "What?" It was all she could say, for no sooner had her brain recognized what was happening then she staggered back, away from the street, her head reeling and her stomach heaving. Showers of blood- screaming men- feasting corpses- and, their backs turned to the unholy massacre, two men, living and dead, walking down the streets of the cursed city.

Branwyn had to sit down, and she heard, as if from a great distance, herself say, "he's walking away. Why is he walking away?"

Edited by Quill on October 13, 2014 at 18:35:45

OOC: Will wait on Bec for the caves portion

---

If the girl went missing off in this direction, Orup doubted they'd really have no idea what he was talking about. Of course, it made sense a Stamarian wouldn't show all their cards at once--they were clever like that. But even still, the man pushed for a civil solution, trying to prove his intent.

"Girl's name is Terrel, sir. Look, I'm not out to chain anyone up or drag someone home; I'm just wanting to make sure she's safe. She's a grown woman, she is, but she also gets lost easily and sometimes confused. If you saw her, you wouldn't deny an old man such as myself a few words of farewell at least, would you?" That was about all he could ask for anyway. Despite his earlier hopes, they weren't about to knuckle some heads into a solution.

---

"Talk?" Elle'n replied coldly, weapon still raised, though she wasn't in much of a good angle with him still standing inside the elevator fully. "Prove it, then. Let me see your hands up, one touching on either side of that elevator's entrance, and we'll talk." She wasn't about to lay down her own devices just for him to come barreling out, guns blazing.

---

"That's Korresh," Skild replied, a hint of a fear in his own voice at the name. "He makes sure none of the pesky outsiders become peskier insiders. Whoever he's got is gunna wish he'd got eaten like the rest, once whatever deal is done." Insiders... outsiders... insiders... This girl didn't know? The thought dawned on Skild like a rock falling out of the sky.

He turned on her suddenly, watching her in the shadows carefully, "Say, now... Suppose you take off that mask? What would I see?" But he thought he already knew--oh, he knew! He wanted to reach out and grab that mask so bad but it looked fragile--what if he broke it? Oh what a horrid thought. But he had her cornered, oh yes he did. He'd have that mask, oh yes he would.

Branwyn’s head spun and trembled as the death-cries from below mingled with the alarming words coming out of the boy’s mouth. They were all wrong, the things he was saying- all wrong! ‘Pesky outsiders? Korresh? Wish they’d been eaten?’ What was wrong with this boy? A scream of delight rose up from above, followed by jeering shouts and coarse laughter as the dying men joined the dead. She felt faint, dizzy; mindless things didn’t cheer or laugh, nor did they stroll casually along like the undead Korresh was doing in the street below.

Her knees buckled as the weight of her mistakes crashed down on her head, and she put her hand against a dilapidated chimney for support. The undead weren’t mindless at all, and her mask didn’t make her invisible. The boy- no, the thing- was talking to her, but its words weren’t anything like those of a living boy’s. They were harsh, cruel, unfeeling words, and her mask- it didn’t stop him. It just made him initially accept her, but he was a rational, thinking creature, and her words- what she said- oh, she was so stupid! She’d backed herself into a corner, and now….

The undead she had trusted mere seconds ago was still talking, its posture and tone taking on a whole new weight, and Branwyn watched its movements with rising terror. She was trapped between a wall and a creature she’d already told too much, and she couldn’t run- it would spring before she’d even gone three paces, and that would be that. She had brought a stunner, something specifically tuned to disrupting undead, but its use was limited, and what if someone saw the beam? Attached to her hip, hidden by the voluminous reeking wraps, waiting for her dangling hand to grab it, it did nothing to dispel the awful fear clawing at her throat and sending her thoughts scattering like leaves in a high wind.

She was trembling all over, the fat on her stomach almost jiggling as her heart rocketed around her chest and her stomach threatened to force itself out her mouth, but she forced her tongue to form words. “Take off- take it off? The mask? No! Never! I’ve worn it- always! No!” Stupid, stupid words! They wouldn’t help her one bit, but it was hard, so hard, to think in the face of such terror. “I don’t like my face,” she blurted out, the truth tumbling out in a rush as lies refused to come to her lips, “I never have- I hate my body, my face, my voice, no!” She was shaking her head, retreating farther back into the shadows, and though her voice was shaking, the weight of truth steadied it and filled it with passion. “Cloaked in shadows, hidden behind masks, bound by wrappings- this is where I belong, what I deserve, what I am. Go away! Leave me alone!”

Edited by Quill on October 13, 2014 at 22:28:17

Edited by Quill on October 13, 2014 at 22:28:51

Skild pointed an accusatory finger at her now, full of anger, "You're not one of us--you're an outsider, aren't you!" Filled with frustration, he balled up his fists and was about to attack, but another voice inside his head struck him.

You promised.

What? Promised what?

'Stop crying, okay? I'm not going to hurt you, I swear!'

All the expletives he could think of tried to bubble into his mouth at once, muting him in silent rage. Frustrated beyond words, he stamped at the ground and turned away from the girl for a moment before turning back. It wasn't fair!

"You tricked me!" he managed, but his accusation suddenly seemed much less powerful. Whose fault was it really? Shut up! He stomped on the ground a few more times, trying to vent his anger on something, since he knew the girl in front of him was now untouchable.

Well, she hadn't tricked him so much as mask... The mask! Ohhh, she was clever, yes she was. That mask was powerful--so powerful! Jealousy gripped him, but his oath stayed his hand visibly, as he consistently tried to reach for it but caught himself and recoiled backward.

"Why are you even here?" he finally managed to ask. Maybe they could make a deal... Oh, but it made him so mad! But maybe.

And there it was- her secret was out. The accusation cracked through the air like thunder, and the force of the words was enough to send Branwyn staggering back as if physically struck. The monster raised its fist, preparing to rip her flesh from her bones and mutilate her already-hideous body, and Branwyn’s hand flew for her gun, but then- it stopped. The creature growled to itself, stomping at the ground, turning back and forth, and Branwyn watched as it grappled with- was it indecision? Finally, it stopped and spoke.

“Me? I tricked you?” Anger flared through her for the first time, burning through the shrouds of fear and making her words, hushed though they were, tremble- not with terror- but with indignation. “I tricked you? I trusted you! You tricked me, you lying-” Then she stopped. Antagonizing the undead abomination was not the smartest thing to do. She forced herself to breathe, settling merely for glaring angrily at the monster before her, and then she realized something.

It wasn’t attacking her. On some level, she had already recognized that it wasn’t going to hurt her- after all, she had felt safe enough for indignation to surface- but it wasn’t until now that she actually registered the fact that the thing wasn’t attacking. It kept reaching for her again and again, as if longing to grab her and claw her to shreds, but each time, it recoiled. Was it the magic of the mask that forced it to stay its monstrous hand? Or was it something else, something less easily defined? Either way, she would have to be careful. She had been foolish before, extending the hand of friendship to an unknown entity in the middle of this undead city- no more.

And it was on the trail of this thought process that she made her response. “Why am I here?” She licked her lips. She was a princess back in her home country, and she had been raised in the ways of political niceties, empty words, and beguiling speech. Deception was in her blood, and the thought comforted her. Terror still thudded through her, and she was finding it difficult to invent a total lie, so she stuck to something that could almost be the truth. “I’m a scholar,” she said, opening her bag and holding up a journal for the thing to see, “and I came to research this city. Nobody knows anything about it, you know. I want to know, to understand. There aren’t any real books about this place, only rumors and hearsay. People are curious, but they’re also afraid; few enter Thebas’ walls and live to tell about what they find. I want to be the first.” She replaced the book, hesitated, and then, deciding that it was high time she knew something about this thing, said, “my name’s Branwyn. Who are you?” They must have names- abominations they may be, but this creature had named another of its kind as ‘Korresh,’ so surely it had a name too?

Oh, now she wasn't scared. Now that she knew he couldn't hurt her! Her name was Branwyn? He didn't care! That mask--that stupid, stupid mask! He wanted it so bad now. Furious, he pounded his balled fists against a nearby wall, talking aloud to himself, "Stupid! When I said I wouldn't hurt her I didn't mean her! It isn't fair!" But his voice trailed off into little more than a whine, and he slumped down to the ground in a pout, kicking at a nearby pebble in frustration.

Tormented, he struck his head against the wall once with a loud wail, shutting his eyes behind his mask and bemoaning his own fate. She was here to study the city? Good! Maybe Korresh would find her and eat her like she deserved.

Except... wouldn't that be violating the promise too?

What! No! He wasn't here to keep her safe, all he'd said was he wouldn't hurt her. Only, as he told himself that, he seemed unable to believe it, and it only made things worse. Maybe she'd just jump off the roof and end his misery. That would be good.

Eyes closed, he hoped she would just leave him be, but he also knew that he really couldn't let her. Everything was terrible.

Edited by Ribitta on October 13, 2014 at 17:33:25

Tsuminar



"Easy enough." Larent called out, extending his hands out of the elevator and grasping the sides. He leaned forward, head barely clearing the elevator gate, but enough so she could most likely see him, if she had any glimpse of the elevator entrance at all. "Happy enough to talk, now?" He called out levelly, a slender smile on his lips once more.



_____

Stamarian 7th Armored Legion. Cher Plek Roadways



Now Raiph had a dilemma. To admit that the girl was with them would be catching himself in a lie. But then, if these men meant her harm, and knew her well enough. Their past relationship could possibly cause her to leave the relative safety of the convoy. Sometimes, abused and broken people returned willingly to their abusers, out of habit, if nothing else.

He lowered one hand to his side, hefting his rifle with the other and leaning it back against his shoulder. "Terrel, you said her name was?" He asked, feigning curiosity, more as a cover to draw attention than anything else. His true motive hidden in his free hand rapidly tapping against a plate at his side. Sending a code via the hidden transmitter.

A few dozen yards away in the transport truck, one of the soldiers yawned sleepily, looking at a message pad at his side. Then looking to Terrel. "The lead scout wants to know if you know some fat dude and a slender guy. They're asking for a girl named Terrel. He's--" the man yawned again. "stalling for time."

Elle'n took a few steps to her right until she was lined up with the elevator, her eyes locking with his, and her weapon now aimed at his chest. "Very happy," she replied coldly, answering his question, and pulled the trigger on her weapon. In an instant, the non-lethal charge materialized and fired, hurtling straight for his torso. Given the position he'd allowed himself into, dodging the thing would be next to impossible, though she had no intention of killing him yet.

---

Terrel felt a pang of guilt at the question. She didn't know who the fat man was, but the only guy who knew her out here by name was Rua. He'd come into the Stamarian nest to try and find her? It was brainless, stupid, unnecessary, and downright annoying, but part of her was a little abashed by the prospect. If she didn't tell him something, he might assume she was a prisoner--not an unfair guess--and do something even more idiotic.

With a sigh, she nodded to the sleepy driver, "Yeah, I know them. If you can send them a message, tell them I'm headed to Kallagulia to talk with my sister." And with that, Terrel dropped the party.

Tsuminar



The charge hit him square in the chest, sending a shock of voltage through the man, causing him to cry out in pain and flop on the ground, writhing.


______

Stamarian 7th Armored Legion. Cher Plek Roadways


The soldier in the truck nodded once, sending back a reply. A moment later he yawned and leaned against the sack of potatoes, falling back into something like sleep.

Back out at the scene of confrontation, the Lead Scout took a moment to read the reply on his pad, then glance back to Orup and Rua. "Right." He said, taking a breath. This could be awkward. "The girl's with us, yes. She's off to visit her sister in Kallagulia. We're giving her a lift back to our base and the closest source of air-transport to the homeland."

The soldiers around him didn't seem to pay any mind to his earlier lie. Their attention on Orup and Rua, seeing how the two would take the news.

"So she's safe." He said with a sigh. "She doesn't seem lost, and you're holding up a military convoy." He ended with finality, hoping the two would the hint and scram.

"I may have to take you up on that offer. Down here, I suspect knowing such magic could prove pretty useful." Bec replied to Khordus, nodding appreciatively. He noted the non-verbal exchange between Bekka and Duff; he hoped she was right. The less fighting they had to deal with, the better. He shuddered at the thought of poisonous badgers...

-----

Narhari merely nodded to Korresh, as the undead's companions descended upon his own. They, as one, screamed and scattered, trying desperately to escape. They would find none. Thankfully, he doubted any other of the "stuck" players would be crazy enough to have ventured out here--save himself, of course. "Narhari." He introduced himself, out of habit. He barely even acknowledged his in-game tag, anymore.

Rua took a glance around at all of the soldiers staring at the two of them, and grimaced. Terrel's information just disappeared from his vision, notifying him that she had finally remembered to end their party. Wasn't much longer before the soldier confirmed that she was with them.

Her sister in Kallagulia? he thought. Her sister wasn't anywhere near Kallagulia. What was that idiot girl thinking this time? Still, it was clear what she wanted. His mouth settled into a thin line as he put a hand on Mepple's shoulder and tugged. "Let's go," he said in a low tone. He gestured with his other to the soldiers, a brief, "if you please" point in the direction the convoy was already heading. On his shoulder, Relayia chirped at the soldiers went on their way.

Orup shuffled awkwardly, lowering his head and speaking in a quiet tone as well, though he followed Rua's lead anyway, "Are you sure, boy? There could still be a chance we could find her."

---

Elle'n sighed and holstered the weapon for now, walking toward the man writhing in pain. He'd be stunned for the next three or four minutes from a shot like that, if he was lucky. He'd be able to move his mouth much sooner, though. Approaching him, she grabbed him irreverently by the collar, dragging his body to the edge of the building where she laid him on his chest, his head just beginning to peep over the edge, looking down, down, down.

"So, Larent Shepard, how about this weather we've been having? Looks like traffic must have been a bear getting to work today, judging by that commute down there. Was there something else you wanted to talk about, or should I just kill you now?"

---

So agreeable, this one was. Korresh smiled to himself, self-satisfied with his work. The living that did not barter were the easiest to abuse. They answered every question simply out of fear. Perhaps he would make an appropriate pet, if death did not suit him.

"You carry an invention; on you, I smell deception. What odor have you devised? On you, I smell naught but lies."

---

"We'll see you get plenty of practice, then," Khordus responded to Bec, then turning to Bekka and Duff, "you'll like this, then, though I hope we see something interesting, when we get closer. Only time will tell--we're in it for the long haul on this one. We'll just take it one step at a time."

And take it they did. When Khordus led them to the bottom of the cave, they found a stretch of tunnel perfectly flat on all ends, running for hundreds of meters on end, almost a kilometer in distance. Along the way, magical fires flanked the walls like lone spirits set to watch over them. At the end was a makeshift camp, wider than the rest of the hallway, with an additional seven Architects waiting for Khordus to arrive. The place was sparsely decorated, filled mostly with supply containers and setups for sleeping. For the most part, the place looked extremely uninteresting, besides the fact that it was a perfect indent inside what appeared to be natural stone.

"Welcome to home," Khordus said, feigning grandiosity in his tone. "Meet everyone, get settled in, and we'll get straight to work."

"Not with the equipment we have, there isn't," Rua told him, shaking his head. He let out a frustrated sigh. He hated screwing up like this. "Dammit. 'Looking for her sister in Kallagulia' my ass, her sister was the one who jumped us in Rogueport."

Tsuminar

Even through the pain, Larent managed to make his laughter heard. The sound coming out harsh, but amused. "Are you---always this bad. . ."he winced, gritting his teeth. "At making threats?"


_____

Stamarian 7th Armored Legion. Cher Plek Roadways



With a rumble of engines, the convoy began moving again. Several Stamarian troopers clambering up onto various vehicles, keeping a wary eye on Orup and Rua as the machines resumed their ponderous journey.

Raiph shook his head, trotting up towards an APC and pulling himself atop it. "Try to help people. Other people get mad. Can't do a dam--" There was a sound from the APC, one of the passengers popping his head out and interrupting the lead scout's thoughts. "Raiph, the Warlord wants to know what the stop was about. he's ahead somewhere, says for you to come find him. Better get going, he's a bit grouchy."

The grizzled scout sighed, "Joy. Tell him I'll be on my way." No rest for the wicked, it seemed. The lead scout of the Warlord's legions hopped down off the APC moments after he'd clambered aboard, jogging forward through the maze of carefully spaced vehicles to find his commander.


______

Deepest Darkest Cher Plek Caves



"This magic stuff . . ." Duff whistled softly, his eyes glancing around in wonder for the first time. "Reminds me---of. . ." he paused, at a momentary loss for words. "That place in-"

Bekka glanced to her partner, smiling wistfully. "Gaza." She reminded him, her voice wistful. Though of course, this location was far more beautiful and exotic than their trip to the middle east.

"Nice camp you have." She called out to Khordus. "Do you have a preference for where we set up?"

Elle'n felt a flash of annoyance at his words, but she kept her demeanor cold. "You've read my file--29 officials dead in the Tsuminar take-over. 44 dead in the Kallagulia house exchange. 471 in the Acera showdown. You know what I'm willing to do," she said, her voice not particularly ominous--just practical. After a moment, though, she released her grasp on him, "But you're right. I'm not going to kill a Theta, and neither are you, I don't think." Even still, there were ways to destroy a person without necessarily ending their life, of course.

"Say what you came here to say, Shepard. Stamaria can't hear us up here, I've already made sure of that." The device she had planted earlier existed purely for that purpose.

---

"Oh, wherever's most comfortable," Khordus replied cheerily. "The camp will move as we expand the tunnel, but you let us worry about that. Speaking of which..." he frowned, turning to the remaining Architects in the space, "why aren't we moving?"

"Nearest pocket's almost a hundred meters away," one of them replied, "we tried to push through, but we need you in the link. We're hitting granite now."

Khordus nodded thoughtfully, examining the wall himself. The deeper they went, the more dense things could get, and the harder the stone might be. A hundred meter stretch meant they had to move a massive amount at once to shuffle it into the gaps--the stone had to go somewhere, after all.

"Lucky for us, I've picked up another spell-friend. Have you ever linked with a group of mages, Bec?" he asked, pondering his newfound, short ally.

---

"Aye..." Orup was forced to agree, looking at the exiting Stamarians with disappointment. "Maybe it's for the best, boy. Sometimes the best thing you can do for the people you love is to give them some space."

Rua blinked. People you love? What on Earth was Mepple talking about...? Rua's mind suddenly remembered the crack the man had made about a bad breakup and he groaned. He shook his head and looked over at the alchemist, frowning. "We weren't dating, I only met her the other day," he told him. The thought of dating a girl as flighty as Terrel made him blanch.

"No, we were just drawn to the same event as the rest of the Thetas, and we paired up to see what we could do," Rua explained to him as he opened up his game menu to rearm himself. "Long story short, the bounty hunter who went after her didn't realize she was her sister. It's a mess and Terrel had that panic attack you saw when I told her what happened. Christ, Maia's going to kill me..."

Orup's face went red at that, and he shuffled awkwardly. "Oh, well, I didn't mean... Of course you weren't..." but he trailed off, unable to really recover from that. Instead, he took note of Rua's change in direction and jumped on that wagon instead, "Well, ah, what next, then?" Things with this Terrel gal seemed pretty bleak, but Rua said he was a Theta? Perhaps he really was the one he was looking for--of course, Rua hadn't yet asked why a total stranger had followed him straight into the jungle, but they'd worry about that once things settled down. If there was one thing Orup Mepple had learned in his years, it was patience.

What next indeed? Actually, Rua knew exactly what he needed to do next. He just dreaded doing so. "Well, they said Terrel's headed for Kallagulia to find her sister," he said, disheartened. "Let's not make a liar out of her."

Still in the game menu, he brought up a private message window and inputted Maia's information into it.

Maia,

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Terrel wasn't going to listen to anything I had to say. I had to tell her why you spared us, and she panicked at realizing you were her sister. She ran into the forest and ended up with a bunch of Stamarian soldiers.

Good news is, she got them to take her to an airship. When we caught up she told me she was going to find her sister in Kallagulia. Go try and meet her there, and get over whatever shit is going on between you two. You can try to kill me for this later. Just make sure she doesn't get into any more trouble.

- Rua.

Rua grimaced as he held his finger over the send button. He just knew she was going to come after him one of these days for this screw-up. Screwing up his courage, he hit the send button and fought the urge to shudder when the message successfully went through. "I think I just signed my own death warrant," he muttered.

Maia received a notification on her visor for a PM--Rua Dragonheart? That was short, she thought uncomfortably. The moment she had left that building she had wondered if it was a mistake. For all her faults, Liz wouldn't have ever run away from family. She'd been a fool for thinking the problem would go away if she did; that'd been the issue from the very beginning, though.

Bracing herself, she opened the PM and read it, though the contents made her face grow red hot. He'd told her? Had she not been clear enough? Of course her sister didn't want to listen--what else was new? Couldn't people have one ounce of patience anymore?

Frustrated, she began composing a reply, every word dripping with anger. She'd castrate that bloody man with a sewing needle, next time she saw him.

As she tried to write, though, the words stopped coming. Erasing and starting over, she tried a different approach, but that fell flat too. After a minute or two, she simply closed the program with an angered grunt. No, this was her fault--she'd own up to it. Rua was on his own, but she... she had an airship to beat.

Rua closed down his menu and turned back to the alchemist that was waiting patiently, and shrugged. "Well, that's that," he said. "Sorry about that mess you saw. Last twenty four hours have been a complete mess."

"You said you're a Theta, boy," Orup offered sympathetically, "I can't imagine the last month's been much less than a complete mess, eh?"

Rua snorted at that, disturbing the dragonet on his shoulder. "That's understating it a little," Rua remarked. He glanced around, wondering what the hell he was gonna do now. Droge would still be working to get the information he wanted, and he still had the one site out in the jungle to investigate.

Well, first things first--he was responsible for this alchemist being out here, away from whatever his destination was, which was likely Rogueport. "So what were you saying back there when Terrel bolted?" he asked.

"Oh, me?" Orup asked, almost surprised that it had come up. He reached a hand between his balding head, scratching it thoughtfully, "Well truthfully, I ran into some nasty business deeper in the jungle I couldn't quite face myself. I'll tell you, boy, never count on a lich to keep its word. They're awful creatures. But anyway, I'd intended on heading back to Rogueport to see if I could find someone I could hire, only I saw the smoke and..." He trailed off for a moment, glancing back the way they'd come.

"Well, I hate looking for hands in that town anyway. You're just as likely to get stabbed in the back as you are to find reasonable help. When I ran into you on the road, you seemed an honest fellow. Couldn't help but wonder if you'd be interested in a job?" The words came out a bit more rushed than he'd intended, but he managed to say it all the same.

Rua frowned, considering. He was looking for a bodyguard, which seemed... awfully familiar for some reason, but it was nothing that wasn't within his power at current. But Rua had his own goal to see through--while every other Theta was on a mad hunt for the Arcanum Relics, he himself felt more concerned about the prophecy Oracle had spewed at them, and of Kasdim-Ur, whose information the game seemed eager to rid itself of.

His current leads would take him deeper into the jungle. What were the odds...? "Where exactly did you go?" Rua found himself asking. "I kinda have my own thing to take care of, but it might be along the way."

"Oh no no," Orup protested at once, holding up his pudgy hands defensively. "If you have other things to attend to, don't feel so much as a hint you need to help me out. There's always mercenaries available, just need to find them.

"But... ah... to answer your question, I had some nasty dealings in a temple about five days march into the jungle. Quite an interesting place, really--none of the natives so much as pretended it existed! Of course, this got me curious, so I dug around a bit and figured a way into the temple... Very strange, boy. No codex for the place that I could find at all, but when I got inside it was really quite active. Some forgotten religious sect based around an ancient foretelling or something, but they were good customers until their leader got involved..."

Orup trailed off again, looking a little embarrassed about the whole thing. "Anyway, I wouldn't want so much as to ever see the place again, but they've got a friend of mine under lock and key, and she's all I've really got left, besides my potions. But really! I completely understand if you have greater priorities than working for an old man for a time."

Now that seemed like a creepy coincidence. Still, it might be worth checking out, especially if someone else was in danger about it--only two kinds of people Rua could think of that'd be in true danger in this game, and those were NPCs and Thetas.

"Five days from here, you said?" Rua asked as he opened up a minimap function in his game menu, zooming out out to a region map display with the touch screen. "Think you can point me where it's at?"