Shadow Among the Shadows
Hellstrom watched and listened from the shadows as Emalia gathered her champions for the trip into the mountains to find the temple. Hellstrom knew her intentions, but it no longer mattered. Hellstrom had been following ensuring Emalia's safety from a distance for the past weeks, and he knew more than he cared to. The only thing left was to ensure that Emalia made it to her destination safely. He briefly considered revealing himself to the group when they mentioned his name, but thought better of it. He knew how much turmoil his presence would bring with her pregnancy. Hellstrom sat back into the shadows some more and watched, waiting for them to depart.
Emptiness
Emalia pulled herself together enough to rise from her bed. Though it felt like hours, it had in truth been only minutes since Jayden's departure, and she rose, wiping at her eyes. Her jaw immediately set as she stormed down the stairs, grabbed her pack, and headed out of her door.
As she passed the Jihad Compound gates, the guards this time did not look at her curiously. In fact, it appeared that storming through the gates must have made her look more official, or perhaps, just less lost. She went straight to Nephesh's room, her fists curled and teeth grinding as she moved. "We need to go... now."
There was barely time to spare in Emalia's mind. She would get Westbridge behind her promptly and get things done and the temple found. She walked quickly, never looking back to be certain of Nephesh's following her, and within minutes, they were at the bridge.
Colin was sitting beside the water when Emalia and Nephesh arrived. If her face were to have worn a color, it would have been black, she appeared so determined. "We need to go."
"What's wrong?"
"We just need to go."
"Well, alright... where are we going?"
"North. We're going to find that damnable temple and prove G... Jayden wrong.He thinks he knows me... thinks I'm evil... well.."
Colin's hand rested on Emalia's arm, and she could barely keep herself from bursting into a renewed gale of tears. She scrunched her face and set her jaw even more. "Hey... Hey, what's going on?" Colin's voice asked.
Emalia glanced over at Nephesh's note, asking why Jayden would think her evil, before shaking her head, and answering them both with, "We go now, and he believes I'm evil because I choose to listen to Grobnak and follow the Apprentice."
It seemed to pass well enough. The less she had to explain to either of them, the better grasp she would have on her broken heartedness. 'Where is the woodsman?' Nephesh asked. Hellstrom. Emalia growled inwardly.
"I don't know. Chances are, he isn't going to want to come anyhow."
Colin examined the map Emalia had handed him earlier and looked up. "Well, it looks a good distance away. It would be good not to rush off. We can take some time to properly prepare this time."
She knew he was right. Both of them were, as Nephesh joined in the protest of taking flight. Her face was deep crimson, her fists were clenched. She was worn but she wouldn't dare show it... until Colin put his hands on her shoulders. At the touch of warm hands, her misshapen wall around her soul dropped to the ground and she sobbed.
The party had agreed to set of tomorrow, to at the very least allow for supplies, when the energy of magic brought Emalia to attention. She looked about, "Who is that?" and stood. A man walked from the shadows beneath the trees: silver hair and a trench coat with no sleeves. This was a stranger, and Emalia was suddenly on guard.
"Looks like I found you at last," he spoke.
"You know this man?" Colin asked Nephesh.
"He is one of the faithful," Nephesh wrote, "And a former Guardian."
"It seems like an introduction is not needed, then," the man said.
"Why are you here?" Emalia asked. Deep within, her mistrust set her to using her lifeforce. It began to slip from her and into the air in the form of calm, and having been so drained only a couple days before, then becoming again emotionally drained after he meeting with Jayden, this new development was one she could not handle. Her power was weak and the more worried and irritated and distrustful she became, the more of it leaked out and away from her.
"I was sent here by the Apostle of Ragnarok, Grobnak himself, he seemed to think you would be in need of my assistance."
This broke what little remained of Emalia's trust. This sealed her determination. She was no longer going on this journey for the Jihad - she vowed inside that right then, that tie was broken. She was no longer going to refrain from going because of the Guardians - she vowed after Jayden left her door that she was no longer of them. The only reason she would keep this journey was to bring down the RoK and bring back The Apprentice. Only two things did she now believe in. Colin, and The Apprentice. She would do it for them, and then - the rest of the populace.
Tension rose as the party discussed whether to bring the new member. Emalia had no trust, her guard was up as much as it could be, and she was weakening much faster than times before. Higher and higher spiraled her alert until her body could not take it. Her legs first gave out and she gripped Colin's arm for the second inevitability... Emalia passed out cold.
As she passed the Jihad Compound gates, the guards this time did not look at her curiously. In fact, it appeared that storming through the gates must have made her look more official, or perhaps, just less lost. She went straight to Nephesh's room, her fists curled and teeth grinding as she moved. "We need to go... now."
There was barely time to spare in Emalia's mind. She would get Westbridge behind her promptly and get things done and the temple found. She walked quickly, never looking back to be certain of Nephesh's following her, and within minutes, they were at the bridge.
Colin was sitting beside the water when Emalia and Nephesh arrived. If her face were to have worn a color, it would have been black, she appeared so determined. "We need to go."
"What's wrong?"
"We just need to go."
"Well, alright... where are we going?"
"North. We're going to find that damnable temple and prove G... Jayden wrong.He thinks he knows me... thinks I'm evil... well.."
Colin's hand rested on Emalia's arm, and she could barely keep herself from bursting into a renewed gale of tears. She scrunched her face and set her jaw even more. "Hey... Hey, what's going on?" Colin's voice asked.
Emalia glanced over at Nephesh's note, asking why Jayden would think her evil, before shaking her head, and answering them both with, "We go now, and he believes I'm evil because I choose to listen to Grobnak and follow the Apprentice."
It seemed to pass well enough. The less she had to explain to either of them, the better grasp she would have on her broken heartedness. 'Where is the woodsman?' Nephesh asked. Hellstrom. Emalia growled inwardly.
"I don't know. Chances are, he isn't going to want to come anyhow."
Colin examined the map Emalia had handed him earlier and looked up. "Well, it looks a good distance away. It would be good not to rush off. We can take some time to properly prepare this time."
She knew he was right. Both of them were, as Nephesh joined in the protest of taking flight. Her face was deep crimson, her fists were clenched. She was worn but she wouldn't dare show it... until Colin put his hands on her shoulders. At the touch of warm hands, her misshapen wall around her soul dropped to the ground and she sobbed.
The party had agreed to set of tomorrow, to at the very least allow for supplies, when the energy of magic brought Emalia to attention. She looked about, "Who is that?" and stood. A man walked from the shadows beneath the trees: silver hair and a trench coat with no sleeves. This was a stranger, and Emalia was suddenly on guard.
"Looks like I found you at last," he spoke.
"You know this man?" Colin asked Nephesh.
"He is one of the faithful," Nephesh wrote, "And a former Guardian."
"It seems like an introduction is not needed, then," the man said.
"Why are you here?" Emalia asked. Deep within, her mistrust set her to using her lifeforce. It began to slip from her and into the air in the form of calm, and having been so drained only a couple days before, then becoming again emotionally drained after he meeting with Jayden, this new development was one she could not handle. Her power was weak and the more worried and irritated and distrustful she became, the more of it leaked out and away from her.
"I was sent here by the Apostle of Ragnarok, Grobnak himself, he seemed to think you would be in need of my assistance."
This broke what little remained of Emalia's trust. This sealed her determination. She was no longer going on this journey for the Jihad - she vowed inside that right then, that tie was broken. She was no longer going to refrain from going because of the Guardians - she vowed after Jayden left her door that she was no longer of them. The only reason she would keep this journey was to bring down the RoK and bring back The Apprentice. Only two things did she now believe in. Colin, and The Apprentice. She would do it for them, and then - the rest of the populace.
Tension rose as the party discussed whether to bring the new member. Emalia had no trust, her guard was up as much as it could be, and she was weakening much faster than times before. Higher and higher spiraled her alert until her body could not take it. Her legs first gave out and she gripped Colin's arm for the second inevitability... Emalia passed out cold.
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