/thread back on!


((sorry all the misunderstanding is cleared up... normal service will resume! Thanks to all involved in getting this back on track, especially my good friend Crispian))

/ooc

The dreaded TransAtlantic Internet Lag strikes again! Apologies to my friend Toorc/Arcalan for the mis-communcation. Should have PM'd to avoid.

 

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ooc


<edited for the timing of events, just moved this post down a little =) >

Ilara was always impatient... her biggest flaw she realized, but she did not like to sit idle while others worked. She had failed her new Mistress, Arcalan Hemlos... she would atone for that mistake. "Dannindas! A word with you." she called to him, in the forest just outside humberton.


"es Mistress" he responded answering quick to her call.


"I want you to go into the city, and watch for a girl there named Apolexia. She wears blue robes, probably stained with some soot of that of a crafter. I want you to follow her closely, do not bring attention to yourself, but at the same time, do not lose her. Bring me back information."


The cloaked figure bowed, turning and speaking in Greek to the others. Ilara listened to his orders, shaking her head walked over to Dannindas. "I said *you* Dannindas, I want no mess-ups, and you have yet to prove yourself to me."


Dannindas bowed to his Mistress. "I shall do all and more Mistress. You have your father's blood in you surely, you have a commanding presence, despite a damaged leg."


Ilara looked to her leg. "es... Hecate has given it to me as a reminder of my failure."


Dannindas froze. "Mis... tress... did you say HECATE? The goddess of the underworld, the moon, witchcraft?!"


Ilara extended her hand, launching out a lightning bolt at one of the other Greeks, catching him off guard the lightning tore into his flesh, leaving a hole in his stomach, the man collapsed over in pain, death coming quickly. She turned her gaze to Dannindas. "The goddess has been kind. We serve her now! If you do not like that, you can be like *HIM*!" pointing to the dead man. "Now I gave you an order, why are you still here?!"


Dannindas bowed. "As you wish Mistress, you do have the power to lead. I am sorry." Dannindas bowed again, then left for the city.

Dannindas found Apolexia easily enough, sticking to the shadows. There was a reason the men submitted to his authority. He had learned to sneak better than the most agile rogues and could swing a sword better than most trained veterans in the field. He relied on his speed and strength, and there she was. Walking around doing nothing. Dannindas looked up to the moon and shivered. 'The goddess Hecate? Why do you serve her?' Dannindas then almost dropped his sword in fear. The moon had changed, or was it just him? He looked again, it was back to normal. But he knew he had seen it... he saw a dark face in the moon with an evil smile... 'I serve my Mistress first goddess, but if she serves you, then I am yours to command.' he spoke up to the moon.


He saw Apolexia look to the church, then walk along a dark section of the street. 'Mistress Agiad had told me to get information... what if I got the one that had all the information...' he wondered, looking at Apolexia. His eyes caught something then in her robes. 'Where are her weapons? That bulge must be her smithing hammer, but I do not see her weapons on her!' He leapt to his feet looking back up to the moon. 'I understand' and scurried down into an alley.


He approached a merchant as he was closing shop. Grabbing his blade, he grabbed the old woman by the throat. 'Scream or die...' he said. The lady let out a bone chilling scream, and he smiled, seeing the girl rush to him. It was almost too easy...

Lexi strolled about Camelot... bored. The moon shone high, she should be going home, but the nightly walk was relaxing. She still had a day or two left before she could freely smith again, her punishment for attacking Rhizzia a week ago. She reflected on all that had happened, especially the time when she tried to kill herself, and when her sister almost died.


Her sister had almost died, yet the only one she was thinking about was her... her possible final words being Apolexia... lexi... yet Lexi had struck down the messenger in rage, stabbing the old cleric Bethsaida with her jambiya. But that all seemed like years ago, even though it was less than a day or two old... so much has changed.


Coming up to the church she looked at it, still upset that she had lost her sister's chain. She fingered the spot on her neck where the pendant once was... given to her out of love... love. She wondered what that truly meant, only realizing when she had come to truth with it all. She vowed to try to turn her life around... looking up at the church a tear came down her eye. The God whom had left her in fear, whom had given her over to the clutches of a demon... too much had happened... she did not believe in him, even though her sister would give her life for him... she slowly walked past the church not entering it, continuing her stroll through the streets... when she heard a loud cry. She looked around no guards were about, coming from an alley. Lexi ran down the alley, determined to show her sister that she really did care about more than herself, not just her sister... all of them...


She looked at the man, with the blade to the woman's throat. "Unhand her!" she called out, reaching for her jambiyas. Her jambiyas? Where were they? Searching the folds of her robe... it then struck her with realization... Crispian had taken them the day before... and he still has them...

Dannindas smiled letting the woman go, then turning to the girl in front of him. "I don't want her girl, I want you." pointing his blade at her throat. "Oh and how careless of you, walking around the city with no weapons... truly now girl, that is just foolish."


He could see Apolexia tremble, walking around her he punched her in the face, the blow knocking her out as she hit the street. Then taking out some rope he bound her hands and feet, gagging her mouth with cloth, then tossed her over his shoulder as a rag doll. Turning to the merchant, he looked at her. "ou there, do you know who this is?"


The merchant was trembling in fear, then seeing the cloak he answered. "No milord... but her cloak bears the mark of the St. Crispin's League..."


Dannindas ripped the cloak off of Apolexia's shoulders, tossing it to the merchant. "Then go tell them that House Agiad has her as our prisoner, and any move against us will result in her immediate execution. Her name is Apolexia..." looking to the merchant frozen in place. "I said, TELL THEM THAT..." though was interrupted by the merchant quivering about in fear.


"es yes milord. Apolexia... house Agiad... yes yes..." grabbing the cloak and putting it away. "I shall without delay..." looking to the cloaked man she waited to see if he would truly let her go. With a nod from him she realized that now was as good a time as any, fleeing the street before he changed his mind.


"Now you Apolexia... my Mistress might want a word with you..." he said, sneaking down the passages of Camelot, then climbing the wall leading back to the Mistress' hiding spot.

Ilara's eyes flashed with anger and rage. Dannindas quivered under her gaze, wondering how she could not have been pleased. "OU FOOL!" she yelled at him. "Hemlos ordered me not to harm her, if you killed her..."


Dannindas quickly interrupted. "Shes not dead tho..."


"SILENCE!" she screamed, her eyes flashing blue with lightning. Turning to the knocked-out Apolexia, she thought for a minute on what to do.


"Dannindas, is your messanger back with an answer from Arcalan Hemlos?"


"No Mistress, he has yet to return."


"Very well then, write up a message, say we have the girl in our encampment, and we request orders on what to do with her."


"Orders Mistress? You are your own leader, why do you follow her?" Dannindas asked, then quickly wishing he never did.


"I do NOT ask your opinion Dannindas! I told you before, she is the key to power, and until we are done here, we follow HER! Do you understand ME?!!"


Dannindas gulped deeply, then bowing low to Ilara. "es Mistress, I apologize."


"Then tell one of your men, your best one... no... you yourself deliver this message. Tell her this was YOUR idea. Now hurry off."


Dannindas bowed again. "es Mistress." getting out a scroll he wrote something quickly, folding it up he disappeared.


"Lexi... Lexi... Lexi... tsk tsk..." walking over to the bound and knocked out Apolexia. "ou there!" pointing to one of her men. "Watch her constantly, tie her to one of the trees here. I do not want a second to go by that she isn't being watched. She is sneaky... and I do not want her to escape now that I have her."


Ilara watched her men do as she bid, then curled up looking to the moon. 'Goddess, tell me what you wish of me, and it shall be done...' she spoke, then drifted off to sleep, waiting a return message...

/bump

/bump till I get home and can write more.