Blood of Aylasa (Modded, Leviathan)

[Dimitri]

Spring 90, 511 AV

Dimitri sat atop his paintedmount as it stopped down at the bank of the Avitar River. It was a cloudy day, they large puffs darkening, almost threateningly. He knew there was going to be some severely heavy rain soon. He sighed knowing he'd have to turn back. Thunder occasionally clapped loudly, lightning illuminating the woods an instant before. He knew he was going to get wet. He was about halfway up the Avitar River from Syliras, about a bell, bell and a half ride from town. He was out simply enjoying a ride and this weather came from nowhere. It had been sunny a half bell earlier.

He patted his borrowed horse on the neck. She was a large paintedmount mare. She was white with large reddish brown splotches. She was tall but agile. She was used often by squires and knights that were going hunting. She wasn't the fastest horse nor the strongest, and wasn't particularly useful in combat. But she'd been constantly used in these woods and was quite experienced with them. She was one of the fastest when it came to running between trees, climbing small hills, and crossing the many streams and even the river. He was told her name is Lianya.

Dimitri was riding her bareback. He wasn't a fan of saddles unless he was wearing full plate armor. However today he was wearing the lighter armor of the more specialized companies. The armor consisted of plate poleynes, greaves and solarets. He was also wearing leather vambraces and gardbraces. He had on full chainmail, except for a chain coif. He preferred the dark brown leather headband to hold his hair out of his eyes, without limiting his vision. He finally had it all topped with a dark brown tabard. His bow and quiver hung on to his back, his sword dangling from his right hip, and his shield on his left arm. He noticed it wasn't quite as heavy as it used to be.

When the horse finished drinking, he started her back toward Syliras, as thunder clapped once more, as he followed the river.

[Leviathan]

It was still technically Spring, yet even now Dimitri could feel the warmth of Summer lingering in the lands of Sylira like a thick merciless fog. It would have been miserable to wear the full Syliran Plate Armor, even even what Dimitri had on him was difficult to stand. The Knights, however, trained in this sort of weather, built up their resistance to the stomach sickening urges brought by heat and armor. The cloudy sky held promise of rain, which would have been welcomed, except the path would grow slick with mud, and the distant thundering told Dimitri that it was more than just a light rainfall, a storm was brewing. Zulrav wasn't the only one at work on this day though. No, as Dimitri was feeding his horse fresh water, the rain began to fall, and it wasn't a soft, gentle drizzle of hydration, but a full blown raging thunderstorm. Within seconds it went from dark blackened clouds to that of pouring, drowning rain. His leather armor and the clothing underneath became soaked in an instant, and even the horse was growing uncomfortably sour with each passing moment. "Noooo!" A cry of pain was only faintly heard through the raging tempest, and even though Dimitri's vision was roughly cut in half by the darkness and wall of water pouring down. The voice was obviously male, riddled with misery and pain, and upon searching out the voice, Dimitri and his horse would find a sight that could only be described as horrific. A young girl, was resting, cradled in a man's arms. He rocked her gently, but the fact that her arm was torn from her body, her chest was caved in, one leg was so badly twisted that it had to have been shattered in half a dozen places. The man sat there, crying hysterically as he held onto that child, his baby girl, destroyed by something of immense strength. Not even the downpour could wash away the blood that soaked the grasses.

[Dimitri]

Dimitri's mind froze at the horrific sight, watching as blood and water flowed as one. Instinct and training began to kick in. He knew that young woman was lost. He slid off his horse, landing in the ever-growing mud with a splash and drew his sword. He had no way of knowing whatever creature did this to her was still around. It didn't appear the man had noticed him, lost in his own grief. Dimitri attempted to examine the nearby trees for anything out of place, but the rain obscured his vision. He began to slowly edge toward the man, now examining the quickly disappearing earth for any obvious signs of footprint or struggle. He was no master tracker but some things were obvious to anyone with eyes.

He got near the man, but not near enough in case he startled the man and he lashed out. He continued examining the whole situation as he shouted over the rain, "Sir! What happened here? What did this?" Dimitri's senses and body were completely on edge. He'd never been in such a dangerous moment. His gut held a small tinge of fear, but he quickly stifled it. He considered his options quickly. He could go seek out Knights to come and assist but taking into mind his location that would take too long. So he decided to stay. If he could calm the man, they could put the woman's body atop his horse and walk it back to town. Anything that strong would be a real threat both immediately, and to the Order and other citizens.

He gripped his shield and blade, finding comfort in them, part of him wanting to hunt down whatever did this to her, another part hoping he wouldn't have to. Keeping his eyes ever watchful, his guard ready, "Sir?"

[Leviathan]

Some god must have been watching over them, and had some sort of strange humor. The man looked up, rain pouring down from his black hair, traces of balding had begun to appear, but his face was twisted in emotional agony. He seemed alright, physically, but he had lost something more precious than the merchant's gold, the Drykas's Strider, or the Syliran's Gods. This man, obviously the father, probably wouldn't live much longer. When you lost everything, you tended to stop worrying about survival. "Not a man... A petching monster... he... killed her... took her sister... I don't know where he went... but... but it was that way." The rain had cleared just enough so that the man's voice was audible and his trembling finger was visible. The man didn't know what was that way. Dimitri, he'd at least have heard of the place. Aylasa. Finding a murderer and kidnapper would prove to be a difficult task, but the father dropped a hint, the thing, a "he", took somebody else of importance to him, rather than killing her. Dimitri could allow himself to wait any longer. Every moment brought the new victim's life closer to its end. Any true knight would not only feel compassion and a surge of vigor, but perhaps even rage, a divine glow that they had been chosen by one of their many gods to truly do some justice, true goodness. It was his time to prove himself to Yahal, to Tyveth, to the Windoak, the Knighthood. The rain would pick up once again as the man returned to cradling the fresh blood and rain soaked corpse of his daughter. He had already lost hope for the other it would seem.

[Dimitri]

Dimitri listened to the man's words, worry growing on his face. He? How could anyone do this? His blood boiled, but ceased when he heard about the taken sister. He could still save her! "Get back to town! Now!" He turned, quickly sheathed his sword, and pulled himself atop his horse. He leaned forward to move faster, as he tapped the horse's sides, starting it forward. He had to save her, one citizen was lost already, he wouldn't lose another. His mind couldn't comprehend how a man could physically do this, even after getting past the moral implications of murder. Dimitri knew people died all this time, and people killed all the time, but had never had to do it himself. He urged the horse to move as fast as possible without injuring it. He finally arrived at the entrance to Aylasa Caves. He didn't know much about these caves, aside from the fact that this where the ancestors hid during the battles of the gods. He slid off of his horse, and drew his sword, as he neared the entrance to the cave. He really wished he had brought a torch now. It was pitch black within. He looked around for any other signs of obvious struggle, that the rain hadn't washed away. Not sure if he'd seen anything or not, he moved into the black maw of the cave, unaware of what was ahead.