Welcome to Gaia! ::

((oh darn i was hoping you were still on toleranth cause you were heading for the temple our charaters could have talked))

Slightly agitated, Shavas ran her frigid fingers down the flesh of her neck. The mark pulsated slightly when her fingers brushed across it, she forced her mind to remain blank as she gently probed it with a thread of her power.
It steadfastly repelled her magic, somehow it seemed to sense the trace of conflicting forces within her magic, and wanted nothing to do with the trace of corruption.

Vermillion had given her a gift that may very well turn the tide of this war, but Shavas was tired, dirty, and by no means was she thinking straight. To use the dragon's tear now would be playing the fool, and she had no intention of wasting what Vermillion had apparantly given his life to bestow upon her.

Nadira was crying silently. Reaching out with a tenderness that was completely out of character she brushed the tears from her cheeks, and tilted the young woman's chin up.

Gazing into those timeless golden eyes was both unnerving, and strangely comforting.
She choked, and hiccuped with the pain of their unexpected loss, although Shavas's fingers were like ice on her cheek, warmth radiated from them, and spread all throughout her body soothing her aches, and rejuvinating her exhausted body.

She should be happy to see Toleranth alive, despite never having met the man she had still shed tears over his death, and there he was now, strolling down the path.

Another tear cascaded down her cheek to land in Shavas's outstretched palm. "What ailes you so young one? Your pain was not caused solely by the death of Vermillion. There is a deeper hurt that scratches its way to the surface Awakened by this fresh grief."

Nadira shook her head, unwilling to share the extent of her personal tragedies over these last few weeks.
She wiped the tears away with her grubby fists, and got to her feet, and with Shavas only a few paces behind, trotted down the path after Tolly.

"Toleranth, I do hope your not planning on taking Laos out by using direct force, only a fool would chance a battle when the numbers are even, much less tilted in the enemy's favor."

Shavas slumped down on a rock and covered her mouth as she yawned, tired from not getting any sleep the night berore, or much in the last few weeks.
She gazed around the temple with a somber expression as Nadira leaned up against the stone and slowly drifted off to sleep, her hand sliding down the rough stone.

Shavas touched a finger to her lips, her mouth twisting into a sardonic smile.
Her mind felt thick as she struggled to maintain awareness, but it seemed like she saw everything through the hazy light of a dream. Indeed, watching Tolly move the little figures across the parchment like that did seem rather comical from where she was sitting.

Her mind simply could not grasp the seriousness of their situation, with a nervous giggle she brushed her bangs out of her face and sighed.
"Are you sure this temple is secure? Who used it last?"

She stared at him for a moment, and then laughed.
"Of course, I should have suspected forgive me. Of course the demons he has out are not even a quarter of those he has at his disposal. He has nothing to lose, and an almost unending source of more soldiers. Thats a dangerous combination no?"

Shavas grinned wickedly before continuing,
" We can't play by his rules. If we even attempt we have lost before the battle has even begun, and good men will have lost their lives for naught."
She fixed him with an iron gaze, her penetrating golden eyes taking on a dangerous gleam.

"As far as I know Laos cannot be killed. Our best hope is to drive him back. The only powers great enough to defeat him are not at our disposal. It is ancient, and powerful magic that can only be used by the purest of souls, and trust me they're hard to find to say nothing of the time we'd need to find the magic itself."

There was a creak of leather, as she casully crossed her legs and peered up at him. "I'd say that our best chance right now would be an agent of sorts. Someone to help us out on the inside, set our demon lord on edge."
A mischievious smile crooked the corners or her mouth as she twisted an auburn curl around her finger.

"If you want to put a knife in the back of your enemy, you have to get close to him first."
She admonised with a wink, and a yawn.
"Now, I'm going to go get cleaned up, maybe catch a few winks if you don't mind. I can barely concentrate."

"His rules, his power, agents of darkness to pull the ceasar of a lifetime, and one pure souled priestess shy of a royal flush. We'll I haven't the luxary of time then, I guess my search begins now, but just remember something as you head down to the spring to get cleaned up.

Who besides yourself are you going to suggest we send to be and agent? Loas would have known the instant that collar broke on your neck, and there was enough dogs of Loas at the Palace to see that the rest of this party was not exactly bending over backwards to do his bidding.

I'm also short on beds, If you can find an empty one that doesn't have a wounded person in it its yours for the time being."

Tolly turned point as two sets fo stairs one going up and the other going down. "The stairs down will take you tot he spring, stay ont he right side part of the stairs are collasped on the left, and its a long way down to the bottom of that hole. The stairs going up will get you something to eat and drink."

Shavas shrugged, "Merely a suggestion Toleranth, and at this point a bare stretch of rock would suit me perfectly."
She laughed softly as she stood up.
"Should I leave her here then?" She nodded at the sleeping Nadira who promptly rolled over with a soft sigh.
"Perhaps when I wake I can see to a few of the wounded, healing isn't exactly my specialty, but I can help them rest easier and from my experience soldiers tend to feel better about their injuries after being seen by one with the gift. Oddly enough."

Her stomach was in turmoil. The thin magical membrane that protected the core of her magic was weak. When Laos was in control over her mind and body the magical barrier had been down for weeks. The moment she had regained consciousness she had reinstated it with every ounce of strength she had left. So far it wasn't enough. Already she could feen the thin tendrils of dark magic rooting their way throughout her power.

Her face had gone ashen at the thought of what would happen should they gain control. Lord Toleranth would have his agent, but it would not be to his advantage. Her soft voice filled the small room,

"Toleranth, I would be able to convince Laos of my 'loyalty' I was always more concerned with personal gain in the past anyways, but please do not ask me to go. I know I need not doubt your conviction in this cause, but before this war is over you may need to kill me. As soon as possible I must return to my home, the mage tower, and research an ailment of my spirit. It is gaining a dangerous amount of ground."

She stood, and walked out of the room.

She woke up groggy from her short nap, and wiped the sleep from her eyes.
Shavas had left, to pursue a nap as well presumably.
Toleranth was still working at the desk and Ankhe was perched on a makeshift stool off in the corner.(Spoof there, now you kind find your characters). Tsuki was no where to be found, she might have gone off with Shavas, and Kado was once again patrolling the grounds. He was very determined, but a shadow had graced his features since Jadira was kidnapped.

There was so little time, or at least she assumed do. As she had drifted off into a restless slumber, she had heard a bit of Shavas and Tolly's conversation. They had to find a pure soul, and some sort of ancient magic. There were so many places to look. So many lands outside of their own that they had no contact with. It truly seemed as if their world would be swallowed by this shadow that was gaining ground even as she sat here. Leaning over onto her elbows, she removed a rather bothersome stone from her lower back and sighed.

"Toleranth... Where are we exactly? I don't remmember how we got here. The last thing I remmember before being here was seeing...Vermillion...." Her voice trailed off as she recalled the painful memory. Vermillion was a hero. Especially if his gift could somehow help them defeat Laos.