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Streak continued to lay in agony behind the tree. He realised he wasn't going to get anywhere unless he got there himself. He concentrated hard on getting himself near people who could heal him. His first instinctive thought was the healing chambers of Anier, but Anier was in ruins. Then he thought of the Ryerian lands for some reason, but they'd kill him for one and he couldn't just teleport there because of that forest for another reason. Streak eventually found himself thinking of all the places, some worse than others. He finally thought that he needed the help of someone, but who could help him? His head was hurting aswell now. He had to let the shadows take him wherever they would take him.

He closed his eyes and didn't think of any place, just about moving. He felt it happening and he moved. When he opened his eyes he was in a grey and misty place. He realised he no longer had any wounds on him. He picked himself up and decided to look around.

He walked around for ages, but found no where to go. Everywhere he walked it was still grey and misty. Streak sometimes saw figures come and go, but didn't recognise them. Some remained there for a while then disappeared, some disappeared almost instantly. Then Streak realised where he was. He was on another plain(sp?).

"HELLO!?" Streak called out. "CAN ANYONE HEAR ME!?"
"Ah, Streak, we meet again." Came a voice from the mist.
"Who said that?" Streak asked,
"Don't you recognise the voice of fear?" Asked the voice.
"MORIER!" He shouted in anger. An evil laughter echoed throughtout.....well......everywhere.
"I'm much more than just that. Did you ever wonder how I knew so much about you? Or why I choose you to possess over the thousands of others? Did you think it was just because you where unlucky or special in some way? Well, yes, you are special, special enough to be my sibling. Yes, Steak, I am your brother." Called out the voice.
"You can't be. My parents only had one child." Streak cried out.
"No, I was the first born. I was, however, shown the truth and lived the truth, where you lived a lie in Anier." Laughed Morier.

((Plot twist. And for those of you who don't know. Morier=Dark One.))

Khastur bit his knuckle to stop himself from laughing as they walked up the stairs of the manor. Once out of earshot Khastur spoke again, "Well, at least we have that out of the way-- it was probably some good the rest of our party didn't join us-- I imagine each stranger in here was but a fountain of frustration upon our humble hostess." Khastur took off his gauntlets and almost slung the sword off of his back, before remembering he left it at Marley's so it's caste could be made into a mold. Craning his neck released a series of pops in the joints, and after some more stretching Khastur took to looking around the second floor of the manor.

The second floor of the manor extended to the left and to the right with two separate hallways. The corridor to the left led to the five or so guest rooms and the hall to the right seemed to lead to the master's quarters, for it ended abruptly at a single locked door.

Issildia headed towards the guest rooms, "If we leave before dawn tomorrow then we should arrive back at Marley's forge before sunset." Issildia said distantly while randomly choosing a room and opening the door.
"And here." she said removing one of the twin scimitars from her belt and tossing the sheathed blade to Khastur. "Just in case..." she said darkly before stepping into the room she had chosen, "I expect that blade back when we reach the forge." she added as she disappeared into the second guest room on the left...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some odd hours before dawn the northern sky of Meradea flared with a fiery glow and they city filled with the sound of clanging armor and the hissing of bowstrings.
Arrows whose tips had been dipped in pitch and set aflame soared over the stocky walls of Meradea in volleys that numbered in the hundreds. The thatch roofed homes of the poor and those that could not afford a home nearer to the southern in of the city, exploded into an inferno. And within the next few minutes the cries of those spurred from their sleep into a smoke filled panic, blanketed the city.

~
Issildia woke with a start within the dark of the guest room her hand instinctively reaching for her remaining scimitar, it's twin of course being with Khastur presently.

She hurried to the rectangular wood ribbed window of her room and turned pale at what she saw.
The entire northernmost section of the city was consumed in fire, memories came unbidden of Anier's death, that hour of flame and retribution attempting to tear away what courage she still had left.

"He's here..." she whispered, fear laced into every syllable of her statement.

Issildia quickly adorned her armor, last of all fastening her scimitar to her belt.

She then repositioned the few kunai throwing knives that she had left into the bands that adorned the top of her leather gloves as to make it all the easier to loose them as a moment's notice. She had three of the small blades strapped to each hand and a few others still in the holster as her leg.

She exited her room after preparing and went to the door of the room that Khastur was in.

"Wake up!" she said sharply as she harshly knocked on the door.

"Scouts!" Issildia declared when looking at the dead soldier's uniforms and realizing what rank they were, and then proceeding to lunge forward, catching another Larovian soldier in the torso and tearing the blade upwards to gut him like one would a fish. She didn't even bother in dealing with the rest as she grabbed hold of Khastur's left arm and bolting past the few Larovian scouts that remained in the group.

As soon as they made it into the streets Issildia thanked what ever divine being was watching out for them as that time, for one, their horses had broken free of their lead ropes and fled to the side of the manor to hide from the troops, and two, this small contingent of larovians were the first to reach this section of the city. It seemed that the main force of the army was still at the other end.

Obviously the forces here were only a portion of the enormous army posted at Faltora, still, it was more soldiers than this city could handle.

"We still have some time to get to either the eastern or western gates and get out before they reach this section of the city..." Issildia said as she released Khastur's arm to retrieve the two horses, all the while the sounds of the manor being searched by what was left of the scouts could be heard.

"We must get back to your Father's forge before we are sighted and followed..." Issildia said as she mounted one of the steeds quickly.

Her expression then fell stoic as she looked off to the north, "He is here Khastur...and I think he knows that we are here as well...I told your father that I would try to bring you back in one piece..." she said gravely.
"And I do hate to break promises." she added with a slight bit of humor as she turned the horse towards the eastern gate, which had yet to be marred by the flames.

Issildia stopped the horse in it's tracks and wheeled it around to face Khastur.
She looked back towards the gates then back to the manor that was now being taken by the fire from the arrows that had preceded the Larovian scouts' attack.
"Damn you, and your pacifist ways Khastur." Issildia stated with a dry expression as she swung down from the horse and held her remaining scimitar in a reverse grip so that it's blade was parallel to the length of her right arm and then turned towards the manor.

~~~~~~

Sylph had woken within her room with a start when the first sounds of the invasion slammed into the quiet of the city.
She had hurried out of her rooms to the guest wing to find her two "guards" gone. It was then that the entrance to the manor was forced open, and at the sounds of arrows flying and blades clashing that she retreated back to her quarters to quickly gather together her jeweled dagger and bow and to quickly change into a course servant's dress and hurry back to the main floor of the manor.

By this time the lower floors were set aflame and the larovian scouts had entered the upper floors. Though two still remained and were pouring the oil from the lamps into the inferno that they had started.

Then for the first time in her life Sylph did not think, she only acted. Without hesitation she quickly nocked an arrow from the quiver that hung at her hip and loosed the arrow as the closest of the two. The arrow skewered the soldier cleanly through the chest and sent him to the ground clutching at the wound.

At this the second soldier turned on her with an expression of seething rage splayed across his face.

Suddenly the soldier's form began to change into that of a desert lion, obviously implying that what she faced was one of her own blood, a Valtera.

The beast lunged forward as Sylph with his claws flared out to strike. She screamed as she aimlessly tried to batter away the oncoming attack with the length of her bow and fell back to the side simply out of clumsiness. Though this very act saved her from the desert cat's lunge, though the beast landed easily from the failed attack and rounded on her as Sylph clambered to her feet, all to aware that she was utterly outmatched...

"I'm only human Issildia.." Khastur followed Issildia back inside to be met with a torrent of flames, and Sylph still alive-- the Valtera with her. Khastur looked to Issildia confused before helping Sylph onto his horse and riding outside."Right, well I won't ask..Let's just...go."

Sylph beat Khastur's back "What about my cousin?! And the Valtera!? Are you just going to run off and hope for the best!?" Khastur gripped the reins tight. "I trust Issildia, she'll be fine-- and the Valtera can fight at least. As for your cousin..Well I didn't really like her much." Sylph seethed at this. "You b*****d! You scruffy low down b*****d!" Khastur spoke dryly breathing sharply "If it was up to Issildia, you'd be dead right now-- so I suggest you still your tounge lest I still it for you...I'll chock this reaction up to what you've seen tonight, but tomorrow I expect you to be a bit more civil. I know you have it in you." Sylph gave a slight 'hmph' and remained silent. The horse bounded on quickly, urged by the violence behind them, running for it's life-- it wouldn't take long to get to Marley's..But the weapons weren't ready, he prayed that none of Nevar's men would find tracks, there were still two days left before they were done...