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"Yes, I understand..." Satella said with a sigh. One had to admit her acting was rather good,"But please hurry back. You worry the both of us sick every time you get out of sight."

She gave the stranger another charming smile and gestures to a stump just outside the house.

"If you'd be so kind as to wait there, or somewhere more comfortable, I'll bring you your water, kind sir." She added politely. After she drew head head back into the house, she gestured for the others to be quiet.

"Here we are..." Satella said, striding out of the house with a waterskin filled to the top. She handed it to Brom to let him drink his fill.

"I must ask, you're a bit far off from most places. Would you mind me asking what you're doing out here? As far as I know, no major roads, or really any roads run near here..."

She didn't like this Von character at all, something peculiar about him, but then again, she didn't have the senses of someone like Chrono, and all of this could just be well placed paranoia on her part...

Kaden returned shortly with a sack that seemed to be filled with something, niether elf in sight. "Found some fruit." he said, still following up on the cover story. He walked back into the small settlement and sat next to Blaise who kept hidden from sight. She didn't do anything but raise her eyebrows and Kaden nodded.

It wasn't much longer before Loque had returned but without Booker in sight. Booker had taken what catch they had made and found a back way into the small shack, Loque didn't want him to be seen. The elder elf seemed to understand the situation.

"There wasn't much around that would serve well for firewood, nothing's dry after last night's rain." he said to Satella casually as if that were the reason for his absence and now his return. Then he looked to Von his features devoid of emotion. "Who's this?"

The thin lips parted wider and Von chuckled while nodding as he looked off into the horizon.

"You could say someone, yes. But that aside, these bandages are old as is the reason I wear them. I have long since grown acustomed to them." He turned back and looked up at the other who stood near and his lips twitched for a minute and then he shurgged.

"Well I thank you for the water." Muttered Von as he rose and looked around for another miute and then looked right at the house. "But if you'll excuss me I do believe I have found whom I looking for so..." Von flexed his bandaged hand for a minute as he looked right into Satella's eyes "If you'd be so kind as to bring me the Messiah, I would like this to end peacable, if you please." The smile faded away as he spoke.

Von felt the cord squeezing tight, the binding force forcing him to gasp for air. But the was no alarm of Von's face. No concern. He had acted purposfully. Von looked at Satella and he chuckled as the band tightened.

"Who am I? Names are not important. I've had many in my time. As for who sent me, well... you've seen the body this is true but as for the mind, the truth is unknown to you!" Von begn to laugh and in a moment his features began to melt away as his flesh began to shimmer. Von turned a dark black and then he collapsed into a thousand crawling insects that all began to scurry about as they fell from what had been Von's head. the crawling, cracking bugs scurried away from Satella's tether as it fell to the ground and the bugs suddenly turned themselves to one point and began to amass once more, building and climbing on top of themselves until they formed the body of a man. in another moment, the bugs shuddered and flesh wrapped around the teming hive and Von stood looking at Satella once more.

Von's bandages were still there, but he now wore tattered trousers of a deep black and a tunic just as battered. The yellowish green cloak hung on his shoulders once more. His ears were long and harshly pointed now and when his lips curled back into a snarl, the teeth beneath were sharp.

"Now then, I would like to see this messiah." Rumbled Von, his voice the same as before. "I would hate for any of us to need to act rashly or..." He fingured the book under his cloak "Violenlty." Von stared at Satella, his ears listening for the sounds of the others. He knew where they were. Von had the upper hand, his prey just didn't know it yet.

Von raised an eyeborw as he laughed.

"Ah me, courage, duty, honor. You have them all. I've meet many who have possed these traits and i must say i have always respected them. But sadly for you, I killed everyone of them." Von began to circle Satella, his body swaggering as he paced, a calm smile present on his lips, his arms raising up to his sides.

"You gave me water and for that I thank you and I am trying to be civil here. After all, I never said I wanted to kill your Messiah. Only to see them. Had it ever occured to your small mind that perhapse I wanted the messiah to heal my wounds? Eh? Of course not! What if I had been a man, a human, who had simply want to see the Messiah? Eh? you might have killed me if I had been." Von shook his head. "You acted so rashly little one, and you still are. So far I have not made an offensive move. If blood should be drawn, remember it was you who stuck first, not I."

Von's face never wavered as she spoke, but his step did slightly, just ever so slightly did he take a mistep at her words "fought demons before." Von smelt no magic about her. He smelt no blessing of the church or gods upon her. How was it possible? Was she bluffing? Could be but... and then he smelt it, a smell he had overlooked before. His head spun toward the cause and he focused on the hill at their rear. How could he have missed this? Von sniffed and growled. Of course, it had been hidden by the mage's aura! Fighting here might endanger it. Von moved in a flash, rushing forward, slicing his hand open with a knife, blood pouring out in torents. He placed his hand hard against Satella's waiste and for a moment stood still.

"Looks like you are saved by sheer luck my dear but don't be to happy. Your death has just been sealed!" Von gave her a vile wink and in a moment, he exploded into a swarm of flying wasps that took to the skies, moving faster and higher than an wasp should. The insects were gone, spread to the four winds, flying far away from where Von had just stood.

Loque worked quickly to cover up any signs that they had been there as Blaise hauled Chrono to his feet and ordered Kaden to wait outside for them. Booker went to Azmaria and tried to encourage her out the door. He seemed a little reluctant at first but pushed himself over his shyness.

"Come, we must go quickly. Stay with me or one of the others."

"How much farther have we to go?" Blaise demanded Chrono, needing an answer either from him or Satella. "And what's the quickest way to get there?"