Welcome to Gaia! ::

(Im doing a small time jump to get things moving again, since little has happened thus far.)

A long day's trek landed the small group upon a dusty mountain ledge overlooking the first mark of civilization that they had seen in some time.
Issildia quickly noted the subtle impressions of footprints in the earth, marking the presence of civilized life.
Though there was something that Issildia spotted that she neglected to tell the others, something that warned her to hasten their pace before the worse came to pass.
"Lead on Sin, our time grows short." she said mildly before her eyes left a clump of brush where she had noticed what appeared to be a small reed shaft, but was none other that a broken arrow that had long since been stripped of its fletching. A single white band encircled the shaft marking it has larovian. There was no telling how long ago the larovians had come here, or if they still monitored the region, but Issildia did not wish to leave such things to idle chance.

Sin turned around at the voice and stared coldly at the area where it came from. Hanging his arms at his sides he sighed and then looked over at Issildia.

"I would imagine I don't need much more confirmation then this.... tell me, Mr. mysterious voice... how long have the Lavorians been here? I would have asked Issildia but seeing as she chose not to tell me when she found that reed shaft in the bushes... Of course their presence would certainly explain why my sister was in such a foul mood when we passed...."

He looked over the ledge towards one of the snowy peaks still a little ways away and shook his head.

"I doubt you are here to ensure our...safety..." Issildia said flatly as she neglected to turn towards the intruder, for his aura told her enough as to his possible origins and motives.
Issildia's true intentions at this point did not involve her remaining with the group after they reached the monkoto. The Ryera along with the forces at work in Trenian lands posed a far greater threat. But Issildia did not intend to cast away this visage now, so she simply continued to play her part.


“Why are you here.” She asked as her hand came to lightly rest on the hilt of her sword.

"Warnings will do us little good it would seem." Issildia answered flatly before she resigned herself to the matter at hand. If answers could be gained then she would have to play this game.
Silently her hand left her hilt of her blade as she crossed her arms.

"Larovia is no longer a vital matter, I know this. I doubt that robbing Darsha of his allies will do anything to still his hand in attacking the azerians." Issildia stated without any obvious sign or emotion.

"But still it begs the question why you or...Azure would care to be interested in matters other than the hardly subtle signs of another war." She said, taking a slight risk in playing out her suspicions towards the intruder.

"But who am I to try and discern your reason for being here, that is a question better left for you to answer." She said before pausing for a brief moment.



"So I do believe that your purpose is indeed my concern...." Issildia finished, her tone still unreadable and devoid of any sign of insult or sarcasm, something that was quite out character for her in most instances.

"I was wondering when you would choose to show yourself." Issildia said distantly as she turned to look at him.
There was silence for a brief moment before it quickly broke.

"I doubt that Darsha is concerned with your people...he has a great many things on his mind at this moment. I am certain that you have very little to worry with in that respect. So why concern yourself with Darsha even if he is no threat to you? " she said.

"So...your list of allies grows thin. And enemies close in from both sides...."

It was then that Issildia paused; the wind changing slightly to bring with it the muted scent of blood and ash.

In an instant a duo of kunai seemed to appear in her left hand. At the same moment that the hiss of a bowstring being released sounded, the blades were launched into the dark of the forest.
The arrow passed a hair's breadth from her neck as she moved slightly to the side, narrowly avoiding it.
Though the following sound of a body falling from the trees seemed evidence that the archer was not quite so lucky.
Without looking to where the corpse had fallen some distance away Issildia retrieved the arrow, recognizing it's make immediately.

"A scout..." Issildia uttered with disdain. Knowing that whatever larovian unit the archer had been part of, would not be far behind.

"Darsha seems to have lost his sense of patience.....Pity."

Little time fell between the moment Azure disappeared and the indication that the scout’s unit had arrived. Though she had assumed it would be a standard unit with little training or skills, regrettably this assumption would come at a price.
A thin line of blood along the side of her face appeared as a thin needle like blade was launched from the darkness of the surrounding forest.
Stunned for the moment Issildia hesitated as she looked out into the dark. Just as her eyes settled into the infrared spectrum allowing her to more easily view what seemed to be six lightly armored larovian soldiers dropping down from the trees and slipping off to the sides, attempting to cut off any escape route.

“I was beginning to wonder if he would ever leave…but it seems there are more interesting loose ends to tie up.” Spoke a familiar voice as the six soldiers unsheathed their weapons. Though they wielded an differing variety of blades their weapons all bore a rather familiar symbol that marked them as the newly instated Tel'Domeduathea. Formerly the group had been the personal guards of Reinsen Nevar, but with the change in power a new set of warriors had been chosen to serve Darsha’s purposes.

“I would think that you also had other more pressing matters to attend to…” Issildia said flatly.
In response the shadows that stained the darkening forest began to take on a life of their own as they drew together like a heavy ink, slowly rising upwards to make out the form of a figure. Then the darkness fled back into nothingness as Darsha Nevar appeared.

“I have a debt to repay, no other reasoning would bring me on this fruitless venture. Still I should thank you for your part in my brother’s death, though you were not the only one that led to his demise….Such is the reason than I am here.” He said in a similar manner, his voice almost mocking as he looked down at her.

“I really don’t see what Luin could want with a useless half-blood, but this chore can not be put off any longer.” Spoke Darsha as the area began to darken dramatically.

“The Ryera?” Issildia said in disbelief.

“Yes, without their aid Reinsen would not lie chained in the depths of the underworld…unable to claw his way back…Without them I would not have been granted my birthright to the throne. They asked only one thing in return…”

No answer was forthcoming as Darsha extended his hand towards Issildia, suddenly her own shadow deserted its former master and moved upwards to coil itself around her neck, to strangle her.
Darsha slowly lifted his arm and in reaction Issildia was lifted off the ground only a few mere inches. But air was immediately cut off and after no more than a few moments her body ceased to struggle.
Abruptly Issildia’s unconscious form was released and crumpled to the ground, her shadow resuming its place once released of Darsha’s control.

“Take her into the Talnea…they will be waiting.”