Quest [Open] Only The Wind Knows ...

[Gossamer]

Timestamp: 70th of Fall, 522 A.V. - After Sunset

The sun had dipped below the horizon line of green of The Maw. The daytime sounds of the beach-side jungle had transitioned to the nighttime calls of nocturnal jungle birds and other denizens that crept closer to the Settlement under the cover of darkness. The sky was streaked with the colors of the sunset, most of which were deep oranges fading into a dark purple and blue. Stars were winking into existence one after another after another.

Down the beach, a large black predator slipped onto the beach for a sniff at the sand and to watch the colors of the sky reflect into the deep dark of the sea until they both blended into a subtle singular unit that was punctuated from the sand by the pale curves of waves lapping at the shore.

The big cat gave a flick of its tale and turned, vanishing into the jungle. It had prey to find this night and none of them were on this beach. Pork was more readily found northward and it would make the trek to fill its belly. South, towards Swing Beach and The Commons, the tenday celebration was winding down and the musicians were growing tired as dancers quietly left the dancing area and people began to tidy.

Potluck dishes were divided up amongst those that would eat them as leftovers and those that didn't have enough help feeding multiple mouths at home. The Orphanage children were all in a huddle, restless, playing a game of dice beneath the lofted Commons.

Artik was drunk again, though he wasn't making loud proclamations this time. No, he'd gotten into his cups well past the point of philosophizing and had instead passed out on one of the temporary housing shelters on the beach a few steps from the Commons. His loud snores could be heard.

Several Verusk were banking fires and gathering the plates for Buraga who had put himself on wash duty since loosing a wager to Randal over it. Nora, the new animal healer was engrossed in a conversation with a man who had luminous white hair even in the fading darkness. Half the settlement knew him as the another Kelvic that had joined the ranks of the denizens just that season. They seemed to be in a lively discussion about the God of Birds.

Mathias was hearing Stu's latest story about the one that got away and was nodding impressively at all the right spots. The priests were talking about Stu's newest discovery of the Marlin Fishery just off Syka's coast. And it seemed Stu was trying to convince Mathias that marlin fishing was the next newest industry for Syka and that they should invest in a few boats that would take fisherman out to try for the tall finned almost mythological beasts that were out past Sharktooth Point. He thought the Akalak of Riverfall would love the challenge if they caught wind of it.

Maybe he was right.

Rainmere and Juli were laughing about something, probably at something James said, because the man was standing with them looking sheepish as if he'd just told them a self depriving story that had him ending up being the brunt of the joke of whatever woeful tale he was telling. The girls were both laughing while Juli was patting her father soothingly on the shoulder.

Behind the Chaliva duo was another figure. She shimmered in the light the lanterns and Leth were casting about the clearing. One could see straight through her and the strange little creature she held in her arms. The child, for it was definitely a little girl, seemed to be glancing between James and Juli, her expression full of longing and strangely... fear.

She tugged at James' light jacket, something woven from Tropical Fever, and was ignored completely as if he could not feel the tug at all. The little girl glanced at Juli, but did not approach. Instead, she looked all around. Something had her spooked, and she kept watch nervously. The kitten, for indeed it was a baby cat tucked up in her arms, was bristled like a porcupine and was hissing at something off in the distance, down by the surf.

Veronica turned to stare at the water, giving up on getting the adult's attention. She looked across the distance, her eyes locked on the figure pacing the flotsam line. Michaela Hess had been graceful and beautiful in life, even though now she had none of that life left. She was as transparent as the little girl and there was a horrible wound in her throat that bled freely in transparent crimson droplets that shimmered down onto the sand and faded into nothing as the woman walked. She paced openly, her eyes scanning around her, as if looking for someone or something.

Her killer had gotten away, vanished like the wind, and with him had gone the curses and influence. But he'd left behind the unfinished life of a teacher, and her abrupt shocking departure from the world that she refused to accept. She paced, slowly, deliberately, her gaze filled with hopeless despair.

On a huge log, higher up on the sand, sat a slightly older woman that resembled Michaela greatly. Lily Hess seemed to be able to see the specter clearly and watched her with a hopeless anger that seemed to simmer just under the surface. When Michaela was in earshot, the woman asked the same question she asked almost every night when Michaela walked by.... still so lost.

"Any news?" She said hopefully, spanning the expanse between the living and the dead.

Every night since Michaela had first started making her walk, the ghostly sister would get asked the same question and say nothing in response. The dead sister would just keep pacing by until she faded into nothing when she was almost out of sight. This time, however, things were different.

Michaela stopped, caught Lily's eyes, and spoke.

"As I walked along the shore
With thoughts that brought an emptiness to a heart
That once beat within the soul of a young teacher
At one with the elements
Without mercy
As though seeking vengeance for an unnamed wrong
And again I felt the chill of another battle looming
In the distance
But a smile lashed out gripping a face
That knew that the taste of victory was mine
Seeing only the beauty
Of the ocean and
Feeling her strength
As my legs carried me toward
The eye of the pending storm."

She recited the well-known poem, and then pointed to the last tendrils of fading light far out past the jungle itself. Then she turned back to Lily and shook her head again. "He has regrouped. He has returned. He will want more blood... more blood than mine. I know where he hides. I know where he rests. I will try to bleed him before he bleeds more of us... especially the children." The dead teacher added before fading away into nothing, leaving only shallow footprints in the sand.

[Ialari Pythone]

It had become her favorite time of the day; the eternal dance between Syna and Leth when both shared the sky. The balance of color, smells, sounds and activity that came with the the shifting cycle of day and night embraced her in a blanket of comfort. Ialari took a deep breath and savored the flavor of the beach; something she'd never imagined enjoying as a child. Growing up in a subterranean realm, there were beaches but they were not like the ones above ground; not like in Syka. Whereas in the Isurian Kingom, the great underground lakes all were surrounded by solid stone. There was no breeze and the while the luminescent moss was beautiful, it paled in comparison to the colors of the plants and animals in Syka. The fish were colorless and blind and the smells were...off...by comparison.

Syka however, was a completely different experience. As she lightly pondered the differences, Ialari quietly made her way to the Commons. As she was not exactly the most social of individuals, she kept back a bit. She listened in on the various conversations those gathered around were having. Thinking to herself, So little of a care...despite all that happens here, they still are able to leave it behind, even if for a short time...Indeed a magical place.

A few moments after her arrival at the Commons, Ialari felt a familiar itch on the palm of her hand; the one containing her mark of Dira.

With a heavy sigh, Ialari's pleasant thoughts returned to reality as she slowly walked up to the translucent figure of the child. She remaind quiet as walked up behind Veronica; knowing that the girl was more than aware of her presence. Ialari looked out to the beach where Veronica's attention was focused while noting the rather disturbing reaction from Sardine, the kitten in her arms.

Ialari's night sight, combined with her small yet growing affinity with ghosts, caught sight of the sad figure pacing further down the beach. She hadn't really known the woman in life. She was of course aware of the events surround the woman's death and through her connection with Dira, felt a small piece of the that life lost.

As she looked out upon the ghostly form of Michaela Hess, Ialari spoke quietly to the smaller ghost next to her. Her voice low as to not draw added attention, "You look troubled...and Sardine is obviously...how do the humans put it...pissed off?" Ialari still looking out toward the ghostly woman, added, "I've felt her presence since it happened...I wish I knew how to help her...even if I could, something feels different now. I do not have human words for it...Veronica, can you tell me what Sardine sees...what you see?" To Ialari, she saw a tragic echo of a murdered woman walking the beach and felt something strange but as her connection to such things was slight, she was at a loss.

As she asked, she casually reached into the pouch at her side and pulled forth a piece of salted fish mixed with a small amount of Soulmist. Still looking out to the wandering ghost, she reached over with one arm and held the piece of fish out for Sardine; a gesture of friendship.

[Kamilla]

Another wonderful day in Syka as it’s residents went about their daily lives, the familiarity putting a smile on Kamilla’s face. To her surprise the settlement had grown on her, she was fairly well traveled, had lived in four other places and yet none of them had grabbed her in the way the tropical paradise had. Of course the location itself was beautiful, Sandy beaches, warm weather, ample food if you knew where to find it, never mind the incredible sunsets and ocean views… all of which were just the backdrop to what she truly loved about her new home. The people of Syka were so open minded and laid back that, for the first time in her entire life, Kamilla felt safe being her true magical self, something she had been very fearful of for most of her life, except maybe on Sahova. The difference between the undead isle and Syka being that… here she had grown out of that fear, whereas there she’d simply known it didn’t matter.

It was because of this attachment to the settlement that the mage found it particularly poetic that she’d seemingly been cursed to never remain in Syka for longer than one season at a time, having to live with the certainty that she would never know when she’d be near enough to return.

As a result of the very limited amount of time she had to enjoy her home, Kamilla had forced herself to attend every possible event the settlement had to offer. Of course, she wasn’t suddenly the most sociable person, but she was happy to sit with her slightly webbed feet in the sand, with a drink in hand, as she watched the residents dance and laugh.

It was also because of her very finite amount of time that Kamilla had quickly become aware of the ghostly presences in the Commons that evening. Because whenever she vanished she would reappear completely naked and without a single belonging, the Konti had taken to enjoying as many of her belongings as possible while she could. It was the ethereal armband, ghostly in appearance, although matching her fair scaled skin and pale white hair, that made it possible for her to see both ghosts clearly. She noticed also, an unfamiliar woman speaking to the younger looking ghost that had been standing, seemingly unseen, with James. She wondered what they were discussing.

The second of the ghosts was more unsettling, the wound from her neck a gruesome indicator of how she’d met her end. Had the mage not spent an entire season on Sahova, apprenticed to two psychotic twin ghosts who used her as a puppet through which to work, she might have been a lot more uncomfortable.

The woman conversing with them was what Kamilla found most interesting, the woman didn’t look familiar, though that was unsurprising given that Kamilla hadn’t been in the settlement for the past two years. Taking another sip of her drink, the Konti decided she would continue to observe from a distance for the time being, seeing no need to interrupt the eerie exchange.

517

[Gossamer]

Lily Hess sat up straighter on her log perch, ready with her question, as her dead sister paced by. She hadn’t expected a response, not this time, and not any night before or after.

Her sister seemed stuck in some sort of loop she couldn’t escape from. As Lily watched, asked her question, and waited… surprisingly Michaela answered. The poem was more of a riddle than anything else. But it was a start. And as Lily soaked in every word Michaela said, she slowly rose to her feet and took a step closer to her sister. Reaching her arms out as if she could capture her sister’s wispy form by the shoulders, the other dead woman faded and vanished. The sheer drops of her crimson blood on the sand faded as well. Lily sank to her knees right then and there, at the very spot her sister vanished, and dug her fists into the soft sand. She gritted her teeth and lifted her hands. Opening them, the wind caught the grains of sand and blew them off in a slow cloud.

“I couldn’t hold you in life. I don’t know why I thought I could hold you in death.” Lily said, her stark features harsh and her big eyes luminous with unshed tears. When the sand was all wind scattered and gone from her fists, she thrust them back into the sand with her fingers outstretched and used them to lift her tired form back to her feet. Then she turned, heading back to her seat on the log. She’d sit there the rest of the night, staring at the place her sister had looked before she vanished – straight into the heart of The Maw – and wonder what she had missed. What was her sister trying to tell her?

Meanwhile, Veronica turned and looked at Ialari. They’d met before when Ialari had tried to trespass on her father’s ship without her father’s permission. The ghost still remembered. The Isur and the human hadn’t understood her ‘no’ wasn’t a ‘no’ but a ‘Get Father’s Permission First’ type answer. Sardine had just had her back. Leaning down, Veronica gently set the kitten down in case things got nasty. Sardine had a mind of his own, and if he transformed Veronica knew she couldn’t keep holding him.

Veronica looked thoughtful at Ialari’s question. “Sardine doesn’t like the scents around her. The thing that failed. The thing that ran and got punished by his God is out there… and Sardine thinks he stinks. He did not finish what he started here. He was found out and instead of facing them and defeating them, he fled. But he's close… still close. And Mistress Michaela feels it. That’s why she won’t leave. She won’t move on. He killed her, failed in everything else, and then his God showed him the face of his true nature. Now, like that God, he’s all messed up, reflecting the true nature of the God he serves. He’s out there, in the jungle… waiting. He’s waiting for his chance. Michaela and Sardine know it. I’ve tried to tell Father, but he won’t hear me. He won’t see me. It hurts his heart too much.” She said softly. Then she glanced at the kitten that seemed to be more relaxed now. It was stalking some sort of beetle that was bumbling across loose sand.

“I’ve not seen him, but Sardine says he has. He’s no longer a man. He’s twisted into a beast. The God said that fleeing was cowardly. He should have faced the people finding him out and either has to win them to his cause or sub… sub… subvert…ed them?” The little girl struggled over the last word. She seemed to know what it meant, but the pronunciation was difficult for her. “Sardine says the man looked a little like a twisted malformed Jamoura now. But he must walk on all fours and has porcupine quills and claws like a sloth for climbing. In fact, the God gave him bits and pieces from almost every animal here. The God said if he was going to act chaotic, he would be chaotic.” She said, taking a moment to chew on her lower lip and look thoughtful.

“Sardine doesn’t think he’s got a solid mind… that the God somehow broke it. He also saw the creature look into a still pool of water. His reflection looked like that of the little boy, Kyle, when he was hiding in that shape. So, Sardine the man doesn’t know he’s monstrous now. He doesn’t know why it's awkward for him to walk and why he moves differently. And the thing is… everything he spends time around twists and loses all sense of normalcy. In his big form, Sardine followed him and found him wandering around the Banana Grove. He was starving and eating the fruit. But the more time he spent there, the more twisted the bananas became. Some of them might even be poisonous now.” She added. “I wanted to tell Father… to warn him.” She said, glancing over at James and frowning. “I don’t want him to eat the bananas….” She trailed off.

When Ialari tossed the salted fish to Sardine, the cat all but snagged it out of the air as if it were a bird taking flight and that bird was Sardine’s last chance to eat. The cat set upon the piece of fish growling and hissing in his little kitten form as if enemies surrounded him and they were all going to take it from him. The little creature made short work of the treat seemingly solidifying more and was soon back at Ialari’s feet, twining around them, crying in its deceptively young voice for a second piece.

Suddenly, Veronica looked straight at Kamilla and frowned. “Ialari, do you know that woman over there? She’s just staring. I think she’s trying to overhear our conversation. That fish woman is creeping me out.” The little girl complained. It wasn’t uncharacteristic for her to do so. From past encounters, the people who gave time to Veronica would know that she had been spoiled as a child when she was alive. And as a ghost, she’d never quite gotten over the fact that she was dead and wasn’t still that pampered little girl.

Veronica reached out and caught Ialari’s sleeve. “Will you tell father? Not to eat the bananas? He will hear you. He’ll have to go kill that thing.” She said impatiently.

[Ialari Pythone]

Ialari continued to watch the interaction between Lily and her dead sister from a distance. While she couldn’t hear what was said, she could sense, through her mark, the sadness and loss felt by both figures. Lily’s sadness was more pronounced as she was still alive and still able to feel. Ialari herself had experienced such loss in the past though none close to her then were lost to murder. Pushing aside her own memories of loss, Ialari noticed that the sisters both looked out to the Maw; seemingly focused on a specific place. At least that is what Ialari, with her unique ability to sense certain connections in life, thought she saw.

Her attention was quickly drawn back to the ghostly little girl standing next to her and listened as Veronica addressed her question. The revelation that the priest who had wreaked so much havoc on Syka, the same one who murdered Michaela and warped the reality of so many people, still lived and was lying in wait was more than troubling.

Ialari turned her head to see Veronica. While the little girl’s presence caused discomfort to others, Ialari did not feel the same. Her mark of Death combined with her experience with ghosts and her own damaged soul left her with something of a bond with those who shared such things. She tended to have more in common with the dead than she did with the living. As Veronica revealed her observations as well as those of Michaela and Sardine, Ialari understood more of the threat that still remained.

“Veronica...this thing...what it was and what it has become, it needs to be ended. I don’t know for certain but I imagine that, after what its god did to him, it wants to prove itself still...it wants to find redemption. At least that is what I would do if I were to fail so horribly that my Divine Father would unleash his wrath upon me. I don’t know exactly what form that would take for this thing but I understand the mindset...at least I think I do. That it is confused and doesn’t know exactly what is happening to it...that complicates things. A terrible loop just like what Michaela is experiencing.”

When Veronica told her that James would not hear or even acknowledge her, Ialari felt even more troubled. A ghost anchored itself to places, objects and people. For Veronica, James was one of her anchors and to have him ignore her...it was not good.

“Veronica, the way you describe this fallen priest...it reminds me of...well, please forgive me for any offense as I do not mean it, but it reminds me of someone who has died and doesn’t understand that they are no longer alive. From what you describe, this thing is lost and confused, perhaps not all that different from Michaela. It thinks it is one thing even if its something else. It is in pain...something like an injured animal looking for an escape. Of course, I could be wrong.” Ialari paused for a moment to collect her thoughts.

Sardines reaction to the treat that Ialari tossed him brought a bit of lightness to her heart. She knew what the ghostly cat was capable of but his kittenlike display was joyful. Such a thing was not something she was used to when it came to ghosts. Veronica and Sardine were two that stood out as not fitting what Ialari understood as the “traditional” ghosts.

Ialari could see in Veronica’s eyes that she desperately wanted her father to know that the banannas were poison. To that Ialari nodded. “I will tell him. I may have to bend the truth a little since, as you say, he won’t hear or acknowledge you.”

Ialari looked down at Sardine as the ghostly cat begged for another treat. She reached into her pouch and found one more. She never knew when she would see Veronica or Sardine but wanted to endeer herself to one or both of them. As a result, she tried to carry with her at least a couple items infused with soulmist. Her soulmist wasn’t the greatest, but her continued work with her friend, Shalla, also a ghost, allowed for a growing increase in the potency of her craft. She happily gave Sardine one more treat before approaching James.

Taking great care to control her accent and get her meaning across, Ialari said, “Um, James, I’m sorry to interrupt but I need to tell you something. We have a problem...we always have a problem but this one is...bad. That thing...the priest that haunted us...the one that...hurt you and others...it’s still here. It stalks the forest, twisted and broken due to its failure to finish what it started. Its very presence corrupts everything around it. In my work with the Panacea, I’ve discovered that the bananas around Syka...they’ve been corrupted as well. They are poisonous and nobody should consume them...they probably shouldn’t even touch them.” Ialari gave James a moment to process what she said before continuing.

“I think we need to act on this but I’m not sure exactly how. I have ideas but...they are merely guesses and theories at this point. That aside, we need to make sure that people do not eat the bananas and that they take great care when venturing out away from the settlement.” Ialari tried to emphasize the danger involved with what she was saying but at the same time something else occurred to her.

Michaela...the ghost would have the answers. It was just a matter of interpreting what they were. The ghost was unfortunately linked to her murderer but it was that link that may have all the answers. Ialari left James to do with her shared information as he would be taking several steps back and returning to Veronica.

Veronica was looking a girl that Ialari had not seen before and asked if Ialari knew her.

“I’m sorry, I have no idea who that woman is. If she is trying to listen in...well...I have no time for subtlety.” Ialari laid her hand on Veronica’s shoulder in a reassuring way. She knew that the girl had the strength to manifest and still feel thus she hoped that such a gesture stuck.

Walking over to the new woman, Ialari stopped and said, “Excuse me, I couldn’t help but notice your interest in some of the things going on right now. Normally it wouldn’t be much of a thing but all things presently considered, I would like to introduce myself, I am Ialari Pythone and I’m curious, what do you think you see at this moment and what do you make of it all?”

[Kamilla]

A lover of mysteries, especially considering she couldn’t currently uncover the cause of her own, Kamilla continued to follow the ghostly exchanges of both parties on the beach. She noticed how the older ghost’s mouth seemed to be moving, though of course she couldn’t make out what was being said given the distance. The living woman seemed to have heard though, or at least that was the assumption considering she had replied… seemingly in vain… both Kamilla and the older woman watched as the ghost disappeared, emotion clear on the woman’s face as she fell to her knees.

The display sent a sliver of pain through the Konti’s heart, she wondered if that was how people would react when she vanished without explanation in the winter. She wondered if that was how Jehu had reacted when she’d first vanished two years prior. One thing was clear though, she wasn’t the only one that suffered due to her disappearances, and stopping it was something she needed to do for more than just her own good.

Kamilla watched as the teary eyed woman pushed herself back to her feet, retaking her seat on the log with eyes intently focused on specific location beyond the settlement, though she did not notice anything particularly interesting about that spot.

Moving her attention over to the second group, the one including the shorter woman and the two little ghosts… the part of her psyche that belonged to the deceased mage Felius, shivering with excitement at the sight of the ghostly cat, Kamilla could tell that their exchange was for more of a conversation than the previous group. There was a back and forth of words, though she couldn’t hear any of it. Then the living woman made her way over to James, who seemed caught off guard by what she’d said, though the woman was already back with the two little ghosts…

It was only then that Kamilla had realised the full focus on the little ghost girl’s gaze on her, hairs on the back of her neck standing up… or at least that was the sensation she felt. She hadn’t actually checked to see if her Konti form had any ‘peach fuzz’ hairs. Regardless, it was clear that her intrusion had not gone unnoticed as the short living woman turned and made her way straight toward where Kamilla was sitting in the sand.


”Great.” Kamilla muttered under her breath, taking one last sip of her fruity drink and getting to her feet.

As the woman approached, several things about her appearance became very evident. For one, although short, the woman had a very intimidating figure, her skin tone reminded of Leth’s light, her hair was not much different, almost resembling Kamilla’s own. But, it was her muscular build and dark black right arm that the Konti found most intimidating. Crylon came to mind. She sincerely hoped she hadn’t just unintentionally started a fight, if the woman was anything like the aforementioned hunter, she might be in for a spot of trouble.

Thankfully, a fight did not seem to be in the cards for them, at least not yet, as the imposing woman bluntly introduced herself, as Ialri Pythone, immediately probing for Kamilla’s own thoughts on the eerie exchanges that evening.

Relieved, Kamilla brushed off whatever sand had clung to her short purple skirt and the matching scarf wrapped around her chest, knowing that there was no need to do the same with her black No Trace Boots, before placing a hand on her hip…

”Ialari? Well met, I am Kamilla… Gordon…” it was not often that she introduced herself with both names, but considering Ialari’s own introduction it felt only right. ”Unfortunately, despite seemingly being the only other person on the beach this evening that can see or, at least, is noticing the ghosts… I can’t say I have formed any interesting thoughts.” she paused, pouting slightly as her purple irises slid over to the woman on the log.

”That woman seems to have had a brief exchange with the older ghost whom I noticed saying something… and since… she hasn’t taken her eyes off of that exact spot… I suppose she’d be the best one to ask.” she stated bluntly, already making her way over to the woman in question, leaving no footprints in the sand behind her.

”Hello, I noticed you speaking with that ghost earlier and since then you seem very focused on that area… Do you perhaps mind sharing what was said or what’s happening? Is it something that concerns the rest of the settlement?” Never one for subtlety, especially when it came to her win curiosities. Kamilla had forgotten to introduce herself, not taking into account how it might have appeared to the poor woman suddenly being questioned by a stranger.

881

[Alric Lysane]

Alric had watched the slowly assembling group with a mixture of sorrow and trepidation, it was not the most celebratory gathering he had seen in all his seasons. They were stood slightly apart from the rest of the tenday celebrations, though they were winding down there were still pockets of revelry left here and there. Smoke curled around his face as he puffed away at his pipe, his eyes following and listening to the ghost of the dead Hess sister and then watching the rest with their back and forth. He was quiet, contemplative and largely forgotten because of that fact he supposed. A lot of his time was filled with thinking these days, though this evening there was a pang of guilt lacing through his mind.

He had been told how the lady had died – murdered on the back of the letter he had given Cleon to read out. It had tried to be a warning to Syka, along with a gathering of suspicions to try to best the priest of Rhysol...yet it had done little but end one woman’s life needlessly. There was no way to bring her back and so he had never tried to do so, never apologised to the siter who had arrived and stayed in Syka...never made amends as there were no amends to be made. His intent had been virtuous, an abject lesson in the way destinies unravelled despite what was wanted. Though, given her spectral state, it seemed this was one destiny met in the wrong way – another reason he didn’t often like to follow those thoughts and tried to avoid the ghosts of the settlement.

When Veronic started to speak his mind went back to the time that kitten of hers had shown its true face, shaking his head at the foolishness of it all. He had to admit he had acted poorly, but then her means of communication and the monster cat’s appearance had hardly left him wanting to chat much when he had just been seeking answers. As it was that day had turned into quite the unusual one indeed, providing him with the very pipe he was currently smoking and the mystery of Ialari that had yet to be fully unravelled. He was loathe to put himself back into the spectral fangs of either Veronica or her pet, but he did owe a debt of a kind to Michaela...as well as her surviving relative. With a sigh and a rubbing of the back of his head he pushed himself up from the log he had been resting upon and made his way over to the group a dozen paces or so away.

“Ialari, it seems ghosts and our crossing paths is a pattern. And mystery and our meeting is ours, Kamilla. Veronica, a pleasure,” he nodded at the youth, wondering whether the kitten would be hissing at him again soon, “sorry about our last meeting. New start?” he suggested, eyes moving to take in the kneeling and living Hess sister.

“Mistress Hess...I am sorry” he said simply it wasn’t much or near enough, but it was all he had.

“The priest is back then...bastard thing. If I heard right from over there then I’m in agreement with Ialari, he must be put down. Even if it weren’t a mercy for him given his...apparently twisted nature...how long before he corrupts the other food sources? The water? In spring he had the whole settlement crippled...and that was when he had a mind to direct his powers. If he has no restraint now...he seems much more dangerous” he said, thankful that there were a few of them at least, though he suspected it would be wise to gather the Rangers for a hunt, if hunt they would.

“Burning the Banana Grove...a shame...but what about the priest? Perhaps the Rangers could go out in force? They know the Maw better than anyone?” he offered the suggestion up for thought from the others.


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