Searching [Part: II]

Suddenly waking up from some sound Kronos stood up from the chair he had slept on. The night before he spent most of his time thinking and trying to remember everything about his past, before the Crimson Guardians. But as hard as he could look back he couldn't find anything. He looked around his room trying to find the object or thing that might have cause him to wake up but he didn't find anything. Nothing in his room was out of place. To get his head clear, Kronos decided to go take a bath in the Guardian pools and have some breakfast. As he was about to leave his room, he heard like a faint voice calling to him. He turned around to see who it was but noone in the room was there. "What's happening to me..." He told him self leaving his room and walking down the hall to the Guardian pools. After a good breakfast and a nice bath, Kronos felt regenerated and ready for a long day of searching. His first task was to go and see Elminster and talk with him about the scrolls of rememberance. He knew that those scrolls were the records of all the past members and the current ones. He maybe could find some information about his own past before his coming to the Clan. As Kronos approached Elminster's chambers he knocked 3 times and waited for a responce. None came. He knocked again and waited, still none came. He then remembered that Elminster had left for a couple of days to help some sick people in the northern parts of Faerun. Kronos was about to walk back to his own chambers when a sudden flash of pain and blinding light flooded his mind. It was a kind of pain that can't be described with words but only with the feeling of it. It lasted only seconds, but in his mind it felt like hours. Kronos woke up again but this time he wasn't in his room. He could feel something cold under his body. As he looked around he realized that he was in the Guardians healing room. He was lying on the Marble table. Sitting on a chair next to the door was Dieppe, he had fallen asleep. A wet cloth had been placed on his forehead. As he removed it, Dieppe suddenly woke up. "Ahh Kronos your finaly awake." said Dieppe. And as he said those words, Taryn entered the room. "Sleep well?" said Taryn. Kronos was still confused on what he was doing in the Healing room, but he thought that he would have enough time to ask questions on how he got there.

back to basics

"Some honeymoon this is turning out to be," Menhara murmured as she pulled the hood of her cloak around her face. Fear shone in her eyes, though she fought to hide it, and she stepped out of the Yawning Portal with quick, purposeful steps. Behind her, she knew Taryn tended to Quaster's wound, and she felt a small tinge of guilt at her lack of concern for the man; her confidence in the healer's ability was strong, though, so it was merely a passing thought. She moved through the streets quickly, lost deep in thought. She cursed her ex-husband under her breath for keeping her out of the room while Berion and Taryn tended Basalt; it was a foolish thought, but she felt there might have been something she could have done. Now there was something - a demon, she wondered, or merely an angry spirit? - loose that took Basalt's body and used it to wield enormous power. She had poured a good deal of her own power into the shield, and it had only served to delay him. Finally, she reached her destination, and she stepped into the library with a silent nod to the guard. As she pulled her hood back, her fingers brushed the bump on her head where she had been hit. "I'm too old for this," she muttered to herself, the phrase having come much more frequently since her birthday. She could not, however, ignore the danger posed to her friends. She needed to study. She needed to find some way to tap into even greater powers. The library, its shelves of books far taller than she, was as familiar to the woman as her Church. Before the birth of the twins she had spent hours on end here, studying all she could, and if she had one regret about her life it was that she no longer studied. It showed in her magic as well; just as her fighting had become poor after arriving in Westbridge, her hold on her power was slipping with disuse. Lights for her children, her own flight, the occasional musical creation - all were simple tricks to her, nothing more. As she surveyed the shelves of books, however, it was these that she realized she must focus on. Years before, Trista had begun her instruction in magic by speaking on each wizard's core, their focus. She had drawn upon it in her attempt to detain Basalt. Floating from the ground without a thought, she scanned the books until finding a tome she'd passed by years before. Taking it into her hands, she nodded and returned to the ground. She would claim no mastery, but if there was one area of magic she felt she had the firmest grasp of, it was the elements. Air for her flight, water to keep her dry in the rain, fire to keep her children warm, light for so many reasonsand earth she had been dappling in with her music, though she knew this was easily her weak link. The book carefully held in her arms, she moved to a table and sat. Lighting the candle with a brush of her fingertip, she opened the tome and began to read.

Divide and Conquer

Throm rubbed the day old growth of stubble upon his chin thoughtfully. Taking the letter back from Jayden, he stood back from the pool glancing upwards in contemplation. 'On one hand, I can understand and respect a person's request for solitude. On the other hand however, this "if I live" part within the note does not sit well with me.' Flicking the letter with his index finger he put it carefully within his inner pocket. 'Usually I could count on my magic to locate those I wish to find, however if Hellstrom does not wish to be found I have no doubt he has taken measures to ensure that divination will not allow him to be followed.' Looking down to the resting man in the pool, he nodded as if in agreement. 'I agree with you Jayden, it would be most unwise of us to attempt to change the path which Emalia has chosen. Forcing our beliefs on her would only serve to drive her away from the Guardians, we have not the right to do so. However she too must be found, especially in light of events of more recent nature. Just because we won't be trying to change her mind, doesn't mean we can't keep an eye out for her whilst she holds the company of Jihad. Meanwhile, perhaps I can persuade you to join me in search of our Hellstrom?'

Murmuring a thanks to Jayden, he drew Taryn eastward into the library. After uttering a small incantation, a small lamp illuminated the darkened room giving both of them, light by which to see. In attempts to lighten the air, Throm allowed a small smile to escape his lips. 'That's it...once we get everyone back together no one is allowed to leave the clan hall.' Shrugging slightly he scratched the back of his head, turning to face his friend. 'Hellstrom has most likely retreated into the forests where he is most comfortable. Though the woods are not necessarily my most comfortable of areas, we shall begin our search for him there. Any words of wisdom as to where would be the best place to start?' Drawing a deep breath, Throm leaned upon the chair next to him.

'And then there is Emalia. Though there are no signs that she is in danger I fear it would be foolish of us not to keep tabs on her for the present time. I care not which deity she should choose to follow, however her safety is of course paramount. Can you find her trail and ensure her safety?'

The Letter

As both Taryn and Throm stood there in the hall Jayden looked back and fourth at both of them, unaware of where to start. He started to speak toward both of them announcing the situation at hand, that Emalia had started off her path toward Jihad, and that our attempts to pull her back have seemed futile. "Do no, go to her and confront her, this will only draw her further away from us." He wanted to make it clear that the only option we had at this time was wait. Jayden then looked over the note once again and spoke "Hellstrom feels that this is all his fault, that he could have stopped this from happening." Jayden knew this was all wrong, he knew that Hellstrom could not have stopped this terrible thing from happening, and only if he could get Hellstrom to figure this out. Jayden peered over at Throm and spoke lightly "We must find Hellstrom...We need him, to continue the push toward Jihad. We cannot let him leave, because he is a great asset to getting Emalia back, she trusts him as much as she trusts me, but I am old and cannot fight for her like he can." Jayden turned his back from Taryn and Throm and thought for a minute 'Maybe...maybe this Insignia will work.' Jayden began to run a finger over the Insignia hoping Hellstrom would hear even if it meant Hellstrom thinking distress. Jayden turned back to both of them and spoke once again "Taryn, you must find Emalia, we seem to have....lost her. That is all..." Jayden then took his cane and slapped it on the ground, gimping back to his quarters to sit on his floor and think....

A Quiet Night

Taryn sat in the library as she often did with the books and the silent solitude of her thoughts.

She thought about Hellstrom leaving and wondered what really pushed him to go.

Was there something she missed?

She knew that sometimes she wasn't privy to some of the goings on in the clan hall due to her being deaf. Being not as in the know as she once was it was difficult to keep up with the lip reading to understand everything.

This situation was different though. Now was not the time to just sit by and let things go unsaid or noticed. Hellstrom is her friend and if he is in some sort of trouble, she wanted to be there to help.

Outside of the library, in the sanctuary, she felt the presence of her old friend, Throm. Taryn wandered out into the sanctuary to see if he could maybe answer some of the questions that she had about Hellstrom. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Throm handing Hellstrom's letter to Jayden, reading his lips she saw that he was saying: 'So... perhaps you might be able to enlighten me on the events transpiring as of late...'

Wondering what Jayden may know about this matter, she chimed in, 'What do you know, Jayden... If there is something wrong you have to tell us.'

With that, she leaned on her staff alongside Throm and awaited the answer.