Traveler Showdowns! (Zenke)

Things have been swell for Aether for a while. Oleas was fun, especially with the addition of Umbra. If he was looking to settle down with someone, she was certainly high on his list. Appreciated art, though not in the same way he did but still fun enough, had a similar view of an unpopular opinion he had, and lastly, very fun in the sheets. He definitely hoped to meet her again someday, even expressed that wish when they parted. He had wished her luck as well in her search. As for the Traveler himself? He moved north to Zadartis. After a brief stint there, he wanted to see the ruins of Harodiel, a burnt forest that was barely recovering in places. From the stories he'd gathered, the place was attacked by a dragon named Onyxus. He wanted to take a look. They had their own legendary beasts back home, some even sentient or semi-sentient. He wanted to see if Onyxus was just as wrathful as their own monsters.

As he was exploring the devastation, he saw one thing that made his heart stop. An Abyss Wolf. Small, usually white, silver, and gray wolves that were renowned for their tracking abilities. Four legs like normal wolves. They were mostly scavengers, but otherwise hunted small rodents and birds. They were the same size as pitbulls, with the alphas being the size of German Shepherds. Their tails weren't fluffy, but were long and feline like, with their heads being more standard wolf-like, with a third eye in the center of their foreheads. They could track down even scents that had long past. Part of their magical abilities. Hence why they were used as trackers. Unless Asmir had beasts similar to one, seeing one here meant that they had sent someone after him. And he knew the likeliest person.

That fear was soon confirmed when the wild boy himself showed up with his one edged broadsword in hand. And promptly tried to smash him with it. Aether had dodged it, and the two went into a running duel after Aether had summoned Seraphim, his own broadsword. Razagul was one of the smallest of the Junior Harbingers, and one of the two beast masters. Keen sense of smell and hearing, he was one of the few that weren't drafted immediately, and was raised in the wilds for several years before being discovered. He was also one of the few that didn't need a weapon or magic to be dangerous. He had orange gauntlets that channeled his magic power into lightning claws at will, a dark brown, sleeveless jacket with a hood, a lighter brown bandana, green trousers, black boots, and a necklace of fangs.

But Aether had more combat experience, and can predict Razagul easily enough. Just as he parried and knocked the shorter man's sword away, making him fall back, Aether went in for the kill. Only to see the second Junior Harbinger come in with his double edged broadsword. Chi-Chi was the favorite of the current Junior Harbingers, and was problematic for Aether. He had more experience than Razagul, more collected, and was an actual leader. He could be reasoned with to an extent. But was harder to predict and his ice abilities were harder to deal with.

Aether had to think fast. He jabbed his own broadsword down into the dirt, flipping him up and allowing him better control of his actions. The blond hid behind his sword and braced for the impact, which sent them sliding back. It was a bit of back and forth, the two never letting up on the Traveler as he tried to shake them. The man had incurred some light scratches, and even got punched in the face, cutting his lip, but he had also done at least a little bit of damage to his two assailants. Upon falling down a tree, and narrowly avoiding a large ice blade that kicked up a lot of dust and sent tiny ice fragments everywhere, they entered a standstill.

The two men landed and walked calmly towards him. "The hunt is over. Give up." Razagul spoke first. "And there's more of us. Not just Junior Harbingers, but two full fledged ones. You can't keep running like this, sir. Please make it easy on all of us and just come along. We're under orders to bring you in. Willingly or not."

Aether gave them a humorless smile. "I'd rather die..." The blond stood up, wiping the blood from his chin and mouth, and got ready for another round. His opponents did the same. And were about to strike when apparently someone else stepped into the picture...

Razagul:

Chi-Chi:

Rowan was in the hold when the eldross rangers who patrolled the areas that were slowly returning to life in Harodiel sent word to the order that strangers had been sighted, and they needed some assistance. Tall and muscular with silver hair and keen peircing yellow eyes common among eldari, Rowan was both the best pick for the job because he was an Eldari, and the Eldross would be wary of the holds other scouts excluding Shran who was busy. Rowan was quick to agree with Kairi's choice, and didn't take long to leave. He travelled relentlessly, and was close to the area the strangers had been sighted when he met one of the Rangers. The Eldross quickly explained what he had seen, and worried they were after the Tranquil Ash trees. Rowan nodded. "I'll check it out. Keep you're distance just in case." He said. The Eldross nodded and let Rowan continue alone.

He heard the sounds of fighting before he snuck into the area, watching from cover as two men attacked another. Rowan quickly took in the surrounding area, including a pair of strange wolves as the strangers talked. Two of them demanded the third's surrender, and mentioned there was more of them hunting him. Without the full context, Rowan had to assume they were slavers, though the man they were trying to bring back didn't appear to be a slave. The stranger told them he'd rather die. Normally, Rowan wouldn't intercede in a fight, but two on one was not a fair fight and he wanted to get the strangers out of Harodiel.

Rowan stepped out just as two aggressors prepared to attack. Though he wore dark leather and cloth clothing, he bore the emblem of the Order on his belt. A greatsword almost as tall as he was was strapped to his back, and an axe of heanta origin on his waist. "Enough." He said, voice full of authority as he eyed the two aggressors. "I don't know what's going on here, and I don't care. These lands are sacred to the Eldross. Whether you're slavers or scavengers, you have neither the right nor permission to be here. I suggest you get out." He looked directly towards the lone stranger. "Except you. Since these two are intent on taking you against you're will, I'll grant you safe passage back to Sunshield Hold." He crossed his arms and glared at the strangers, waiting for them to decide.

Aether looked over to find a large man, Eldari, step out of the woods. He wasn't in a good mood. But did give some information that actually made Aether and Chi-Chi a little sheepish. "Sorry about that...I didn't realize it was sacred ground...I just wanted to see the devastation that Onyxus brought..."

"And we were just pursuing him. But do not think you know the entire situation. Please do not get involved. We will make amends after our mission." The blue haired one spoke, giving the stranger an icy stare. The white haired, red eyed wild boy looked anxious.

"They're far from weak. I can take on the shirtless one, but the other one is a problem. But there is no negotiating with them now. Look...I don't know how strong you are, but know that Chi-Chi over there uses ice magic and also talismans with various effects, mostly of the explosive kind. Take one down, and the other will retreat...of that I've no doubt..." Aether had seen them work together before, and had read the profile of them. Still, it was an odd match, assuming the Eldari was no slouch. Chi-Chi was barely taller than Razagul!

Aether moved to the left, farther away from the stranger and Chi-Chi. Razagul growled inhumanly, and pursued. Chi-Chi tried to do the same as well, but hesitated when the stranger stepped in. "If you insist on interfering...so be it." The almost monk looking young man darted, jumped, spun, and slammed his sword downward on top of the man...

Rowan glared at everyone. Only the white haired one remained quiet. "Of course it's sacred. It's a mass grave. Most of the eldross were burnt to ash by Onyxus' devastation. It is not something to 'See'." He said. But he did not change his stance as the blue haired one told him to stay out of it. "I cannot. I'm aware I do not know the full story, but I am a member of the Order of the Sun. I will not let you take him against his will. If he is a criminal, you can come to the hold and discuss what he's done with Odric Mantell." Rowan didn't think he was a criminal though.

The man beside him explained some things about the one known as Chi-Chi. Rowan nodded.  "I will keep that in mind. And don't worry, just keep the other one busy." He said. The man moved away, leading the other with him, and Chi-Chi tried to follow. Rowan moved to block him. "You seem reasonable. This day will end much better for you if you take you're friend and go." He said. The man didn't agree though, and performed a series of maneuvers as he closed on Rowan. Rowan drew his sword as the man leapt up and attempted to strike down, and Rowan swung his greatsword at Chi-Chi's blade with both hands, intercepting the strike with incredible force and speed and hopefully sending the smaller man flying back through the air.

Rowan watched the young human, before deciding that killing him was a last resort. He closed with Chi-Chi and struck with speed and accuracy, aiming for the man's blade in an attempt to disarm him. He followed up with a downward strike of his own, before bringing his blade close and bracing the flat against his shoulder to attempt to slam into the man with it.

The man didn't crumble! Didn't even take a step back! There were few that could handle a Harbinger, even a Junior grade...was this one such man? Chi-Chi flew back, but landed on his feet and slid another fifteen feet back, but he also threw two talismans at the man that would explode in blue flame, leaving bad frostbite within the two foot explosion radius. Unfortunate that Aether already told him a little about his abilities.

He matched blade for blade, a trail of ice coming out of his feet and around the two fighters. Chi-Chi braced for the downward swing. It made him crumble only slightly, but he was still able to resist. Though he was also slowly losing out on the strength fight. The two ice trails stopped just past the man's peripheral vision, then two ice pillars shot out to crush the man's ribs and spine. The man would jump back and throw another talisman, this time stronger than the one before, having a five foot blast radius, while also dodging another strike.

The Eldari had tried to speak to him. But there was only one option. "I have orders to follow. The only way we're retreating is if you defeat one of us or we get Aether Favonius." And that was that. Walking forward, his sword started to glow blue. One of his weapon's enchantments. Swinging downward, he sent three crescent waves as tall as the man at him, each one dealing weak damage if struck, and they were ice energy.

Rowan sent him flying, but Chi-Chi responded with a pair of talismans Aether warned him about. He dodged around them and closed, and as he attacked chi-chi he noticed ice along the ground. A split second before he was smashed by Ice Rowan dropped low and ducked backwards, ice pillars smashing the air where he had been. Rowan spun, slashing diagonally through one of the ice pillars and catching it, before sending it flying in Chi-chi's direction. A talisman shot back at him, and exploded as he dodged backwards. Blue fire licked his left arm, cold biting his flesh through his clothes. Rowan shook it off, bracing himself for follow up attack.

The young man response followed up with a trio of ice waves in Rowan's direction, and the Eldari weaved around the first two, then to catch Chi-Chi off guard used rush down to power straight through the third, using his sword to block and mitigate some of the damage, and close on Chi-Chi fast enough that it was hard to track. He moved straight from his guard into and upwards swing, cold energy forming around his sword as he did. Hit or miss the energy would disipate, but Rowan did not give up his assault as he followed up with a downward slash, pulling the handle in towards his body to bring the blade horizontal before thrusting forward aiming for Chi-Chi's shoulder. "And I have an oath to uphold, so we're at an impasse." Rowan moved into a low stance, slashed from left to right, spinning into a quick jab and following it with an uppercut.

It became very apparent that this was no ordinary man. The guy ducked down, to avoid the ice pillars, even slicing one and throwing one at him. The blue haired man had to lean back to avoid it. Though he quickly recovered. The giant dodged the first two and powered through the third, using his sword to lesson the damage. Was he a brute force type? He was unusually fast one...

Chi-Chi had to defend again, using his sword's unusually large size to defend against the upward swing. Around them in a thirty foot radius, ice formed on the ground, with five inch spikes popping up everywhere, hopefully making the other man more mindful of where to step. The downward swing was met briefly by the Harbinger's sword. Chi-Chi redirected it down beside him and tried to counter attack by chopping off an arm and probably part of the chest.

He quickly spun around and used the momentum to block any follow ups. Including the left to right slash, avoiding the jab, but he got punched right in the chin, making him fly up a fair bit. Chi-Chi dropped five of his smaller ice energy explosive talismans, hopefully going boom right in the guy's face. The Junior Harbinger backflipped right into a defensive stance, and threw another talisman up. Instead of exploding, it sent out a ring in a thirty-five foot diameter, cutting and pushing two trees inward towards them...well, hopefully on top of Rowan.

~

Aether had gotten Razagul's sword out of his hands, but now had to deal with his lightning claws. The blond had switched seamlessly between his sword and spear, fending off the wild boy. Both had new injuries to speak of their fight...but both could still see the other fight. Watching just the short little tussle had given Aether hope...

Rowan pulled his axe from his belt and slapped away Chi-Chi's counter attack. Ice spikes appeared on the ground but Rowan kept his feet low as he moved. The young man dodged around his attacks but took the upper cut to the chin and staggered back. Chi-Chi launched a hand full of his talismans towards Rowan who countered them by throwing his sword up, creating a burst of cold energy that counteracted the talismans as they exploded. Chi-Chi flipped away, throwing another Talisman up, and when it detonated it cut two of the trees nearby down. They were pulled inwards, falling towards Rowan, Who backed up a few feet. The trees hit the ground infront of him, shattering ice shards, and he gave Chi-Chi a dead pan look over them.

"Really? After I just told you this place was sacred ground?" He said. His voice was devoid of amusement. Energy surged around his greatsword, extending up his arms as he activated it's enchantment (+1 to speed strength and agility). Shaking his head, Rowan lobbed his axe at Chi-Chi's chest, before two handing his sword and bring it down in two quick strokes. His enhanced strength and divinium cut through the wood like butter, and cut free two 3 foot long logs. Rowan snatched up one and threw it towards Chi-Chi, quickly followed by the other. He Rushed toward's Chi-Chi, swinging the flat of his blade in a wide arc, faster than before.

"Accomplish the mission, by any means necessary." Was Chi-Chi's only response. Though...something shifted in the guy. The man threw his axe. The monk shifted sideways and stepped back to avoid it, but he felt the air rush past him and his eyes widened. He was already having issues...and now the pointy eared bastard got stronger? This man wasn't a Junior Harbinger level or an Elite Archon or anything of the like...he was a full blown Harbinger! Tartarus or Deluca would have to handle him! The man swiftly cut up the trees and threw one.

Chi-Chi jumped on one and used it to jump higher, dodging the second thrown log. Spinning a couple times in the air, he slammed down on top of the man, only to be knocked away, slamming into a tree, upside down. It took a couple seconds for him to get up, and called his dropped sword over. He was panting now, and turned around to face the man. Only...the other battle caught his attention.

~

Aether darted to the right, getting his left side slashed by three lightning claws...much deeper than the small three scratches he had on his abdomen. Turning swiftly, he blocked and deflected two more strikes from the wolf boy. Raza was still fighting like a wild animal...more akin to another race on their continent. One that Aether had fought against dozens of times against in a short period of time.

The blond flipped over the low moving wolf and slashed the boy's back. The beast apprentice continued forward, jumping onto a tree and doing a flip and spin right towards him. Smiling, this was it! With his free hand, Aether started to gather wind with a turquoise tint to it. At the same time, dirt and soil from around them started to gather fifty feet above them, and magically fusing. Aether slammed his black sword against outstretched arms/claws, and shoved the ball of wind right into the albino's gut, sending him flying upward closer to forty-two feet, and leaving a cluster of cuts where he got hit.

Aether knew what was coming next, and instantly switched to his ornate spear. As a purple wolf apparition appeared from Raza, it lunged down towards the blond with fang and claw, sparking in electricity. The noble created a sphere of lightning around him in a shield, spear in a more defensive position, even as it stuck out from the sides of it. The wolf slammed into the shield and pushed, trying to break it.

When it did, the claws landed on the outside of Aether's hands, and the jaw bit down on the spear between them. But by then, it was too late. His six and a half foot long, four foot wide at the widest, bloated cylinder of a boulder was ready, and hit Raza square in the back, immediately knocking him out.

The wolf boy landed hard on the ground, pinned by the stone itself. Aether heard Chi-Chi yell Raza's name before slumping down onto his knees, barely being propped up by his spear...

~

Chi-Chi darted towards his downed companion, creating a blue sigil that was eight feet long between him and his opponent. Shifting his sword so that it'll float behind him, the monk grabbed his companion's sword and slammed into the boulder to get it off. Towards the top end, hoping leverage would help. Luckily it did, and before even turning over the wild man, he brushed against the man's back, creating an ice support so that nothing would move or not move very much, all the way to the guy's neck. It would be awkward carrying, but best that than to permanently damage the guy via reckless rescue.

Picking him up, Chi-Chi used the extra sword as further support, and darted away, into the forest. Any odd wolves would follow them...

Rowan's blow connected and Chi-Chi hit a tree. Rowan lowered his sword as the young man struggled to stand, and his eyes shot to the other fight. Rowan turned to look, just in time to see Aether win his fight with the white haired boy, by dropping a boulder on him. Chi-Chi cried out, and rushed to help his friend. At the same time, Aether hit the ground, and Rowan walked towards him. He made no move to intercept or stop Chi-Chi from helping his friend. He would have even oftered to help heal him, but He wasn't going to risk them continuing their mission, so he stood passively infront of Aether, until they were well out of sight.

Rowan checked on Aether, then grabbed his axe, returning it to his belt and sheathing the Sword across his back. He returned to Aether and picked him up easily. It would be better to leave and heal the man elsewhere, in case Chi-Chi came back with reinforcements.


When they were several miles away, Rowan stopped and set Aether down. He quickly glanced over him, noting the injuries. He was covered in nasty cuts. that reminded Rowan of a heanta's claws. Rowan set to healing him. It took some time but when the work was done, he went about setting a camp. The Eldross rangers found him and he explained what had happened. The thanked him and gave him a rabbit to cook. Rowan set about getting a firing going, and the food cooking.

When Aether Finally stirred, Rowan looked over."You're awake. Good. I'm Rowan Aratris by the way. And you are?" He pulled a water skin from his belt and handed it to Aether. "Here. Drink up, then answer some questions for me." He said, giving the man a few moments before continuing. "Now, Why are they hunting you?" He asked first. "Did you steal something? Are they slavers? The more I know the easier it will be for the order to help you." He offered Aether half of the skinned and cooked rabbit on a stick.

When Aether woke up, he wasn't in any pain. In fact, looking over himself, it seemed like he was healed. It surprised him a bit. His savior spoke up, introducing himself and asking Aether who he was. And throwing him a water skin. The yellow eyed man drank some water before being a little cheeky. "I'm just a mere traveller, sir." With a smile, he spoke to Rowan. A few moments passed of silence and seeing the man's expression...Aether just sighed heavily.

"Yeah, you weren't going to accept that, would you. My name is Aether Favonius." Was it just him, or did it seem like his accent was extra thick today? Then came the next set of questions. Great. "Unless I stole something unbelievably powerful or valuable from the ruling family or a runaway slave with strong magical potential, they wouldn't have sent even Junior Harbingers after me. No, it's so much worse. But to fully grasp it, you need to know a few things.

First, I'm from a different continent, just they and those odd wolves are. One we call Aftokrater. Set sail to the East, and you'll eventually find it, either in the human Kingdom of Trevatya or a race of literal beastmen called Gnolls. The Kingdom of Trevatya is ruled by a king, same as the Kingdom of Mondolin. This one is ruled by King Kain Favonius.

Yes, I'm a runaway prince. Granted, I'm fifteenth in line. Out of seventeen children mind you, I'm more shocked they even bothered with me. After leaving the military, legally I might add, it apparently caused quite the stir. Not knowing what they had planned for me, I left. I arrived here in Asmir shortly after the Contact War ended. We crashed near Edaria after getting hit by three pirate ships.

As far as those two are concerned...they're called Junior Harbingers, Chi-Chi, the one you fought, and Razagul. Think of the Harbinger program as Trevatya's Knights, Sanguine Dominion, Oculi Draconis, and Eternal Watch. Except they were often drafted at extremely young ages, as young as four years old, for their high magical capability and to be molded into perfect weapons. There are a few exceptions, like Razagul was raised by Elemental Wolves for several years before being found and brought in. But generally speaking, they were taken from their original families and forced to fight, taught that the mission given to them is most important, and to not accomplish it means you're a failure. And failures...don't last long. It's...brutal and horrendous...I was extremely naïve about it.

Anyways, Razagul is one of the two Beast Masters that they have, technically an apprentice. He makes perfect sense to send after me, especially with Abyss Wolves...those odd wolves you and your own scouts probably saw. They can track via magic, so even if your scent long since passed an area, they can still track it. Only a dozen or so have managed to escape from them. Good news is that they aren't fighters. They're scavengers mostly, or ratters. Anyways, Razagul can use his magic to enhance his sense of smell, sight, and hearing, and they're already good, even the pinnacle for a human. His gauntlets can generate lightning claws, and he's one of the few in the program that's dangerous even without a weapon or their magic. If didn't fight a war against the Gnolls, I'd certainly would have had a much harder time with him. His greatsword also doesn't have an enchantment, so he's unusual in that way. His Lightning Guardian is one of the few magic abilities he has that's offensive in nature.

Chi-Chi makes sense to temper him. Unlike the other Junior Harbingers, he's a leader. And has a calming presence. Even those that don't like him, at least respect him and listen to him. He was drafted as he was being taught by warrior monks. From what I heard, those monks actually called over the Head Harbinger to let them know that they had a young one with potential. Until they arrived to take him, they prepared him the best they can. Chi-Chi isn't the strongest, but he's probably the most reasonable of the Junior Harbingers.

Then there's the full blown, legitimate Harbingers. Based on what I observed, I'd say you're about equal to one if they pulled out everything. More often than not older than the Juniors, they are certainly more experienced and threatening. I'm not sure who they would send. There are some I fear more than others...one called Tartarus the most of all. He's probably the most bloodthirsty of them, and doesn't mind destroying entire villages to lure out prey. If sinking or flooded villages haven't been heard of, either they didn't send him or he's being tempered by a different Harbingers, and there's only like, four that can do that.

That's all I have unless you got more specific questions you want to ask. I have some of my own...but I can wait till after your's is done." He started to eat the rabbit as the man absorbed the major information dump he left him.

Rowan remained expressionless as Aether tried to pretend he was a simple Traveller, before going on to answer his questions. The tale he told would make most people laugh, but Rowan, Along with the upper echelons of the Eldari government, were well aware of this strange land to the east, though they had never explored it, as the heanta had kept them busy with wars. It was likely the heanta knew about it too. The fact that there was a kingdom of humans there was news to him, but it also made some sense. After the Human Eldari war, humans spread far. Much like the Humans found Edia, they probably found a way across the see.

Aether's revelation worried him slightly. It was a concern to the Eternal watch. But then he remembered he was no longer Eternal watch, and didn't need to report this. Rowan let Aether finish, before speaking. "If I may, Aether. It may not be wise to spread information of your homeland. While the Eldari government knows the landmass exists, they do not know what is there. But if it became widespread knowledge that your kingdom existed, it might be problematic for both our continents. I don't know what Mondolin may do, but the heanta are war hungry... I will keep it secret. At most, you can tell the higher ups of the order." He said.

"No mention of villages being attacked nearby has reached the hold. As for questions, I have plenty. I'd like to know how humans made it to this land, and more about the Gnolls, and many other things, but that information is not relevant right now. How many Harbingers do you think are here? If the stronger ones are about equal to me and they attack the hold, the soldiers may be at risk. Not that the hold will refuse you sanctuary, however if our more elite forces cant handle them alone, I can call on a friend if I need to." Rowan said. He contemplated Aether for a moment. "That's all I can think of right now. If you have questions for me, feel free to ask away."

Aether sighed again. "I figured that if they did send someone, they would send Abyss Wolves as well, but in the off chance they didn't, I've kept it to myself. I've told exactly one person. And that was more recently. Also, while I have no doubts that the Heanta would send a party over just to see how strong the forces are, I believe they have enough issues here on this one. Same with everyone on my own continent."

Rowan did have some good news in the way that villages being attacked, sunken, or flooded unnaturally had reached the Hold. That was good news. The pointy eared giant had other questions, including about the Gnolls and a lot of other things, but tried to keep the focus on the relevant information.

"I would call them. Assuming they don't have duties to attend to for a while. Chi-Chi said two fully commissioned Harbingers. Normally, a Harbinger leads two to three Juniors if the mission requires it. And giving a Harbinger more juniors to boss around over another on the same mission...is seen as lacking confidence in the one with less juniors. Their...egos I would say is likely more fragile than other elite forces.

So with that in mind, my guess is six total, now that I'm calmer and not panicking. Razagul, Chi-Chi, and two more juniors combined with two fully commissioned Harbingers. I can't say who they would send besides Raza and Chi, sorry. I legitimately don't know. And most Harbingers of any kind, Chi-Chi included, are not exactly known for lying either." With that in mind, he ate some more food while Rowan absorbed the information.

Then he asked if Aether had any questions. Swallowing, he looked down at his lap, and remorse could be seen in his eyes as he looked back up to Rowan. "Who do I need to see to apologize and offer any services I can to pay for my transgressions? I should have done more research before heading to the ruins...I never meant to desecrate it or take light as to the atrocities here. We have our own monsters back home that are infamous and devastating, both sentient and semi-sentient to not so much. Not that it's an excuse, I wanted to compare the extend of the damage. I still never should have come without proper care and respect...I need to pay for that in one way or another."

Rowan listened then answered. "Its not just the heanta. Though, they would be the first to go. The humans of the freelands are as diverse as they come, and could easily cook up some trouble. Along with all sorts of rogue elements." He said. He nodded when Aether suggested calling on his friend. She was probably due some time off, and it would be nice to see Yavanna again. "Alright. I'll send a message when we return." When it came to questions, Aether asked how he could make up for what had happened, and his trespassing within the forest. Rowan was pleased to see he was sincere and genuinely felt bad over the business.

"I doubt you'll find much more destructive than Onyxus. Dragons are forces of nature unto themselves. Many good men and women died fighting him, Including the the Eldari and Eldross' greatest warriors. However, I spoke to the Eldross, and they were more worried about the presence of the strangers who hunt you. Given the circumstances, they are happy to let you go in peace from this place since you're with me. If they find your harbingers in this place again though, they will not be so reticent to fight. Chi-Chi destroyed two good trees. Unlike humans without gifts, Eldross are surprisingly powerful." Rowan said.

He fell quiet for a while, then looked at Aether after his brief pause. "When you feel up to it, we should keep moving. Its a half a day to the hold, unless we run." Rowan said. He didn't move until Aether was ready, and if he wanted to rest a few hours, Rowan didn't mind.

Aether rubbed his chin, thinking. "Even rogue elements I don't think would be a problem. The Gnoll would likely just laugh at them before eating them or something. And Trevatya would just treat them as typical pirates. If they somehow sneak past them and meet the Archons...well, they're done for either way. But I digress..." It wasn't worth a small argument over.

Aether nodded at the dragon statement. "I wonder...some of our own infamous monsters have laid waste to lands and seemingly scarred it permanently, like at the ruins. I also wonder if perhaps one or two of them were dragons from this land, migrating to elsewhere...

To be kind of fair, however, it wouldn't be any different than fighting a Gnoll or Archon group. Unless there's one as strong as you, I don't think they'd have that much problem unless they overwhelm with numbers. Nevertheless, with the damage I dealt to Raza, I doubt we'll see them for a while. Even more so if they believe I'm travelling with you."

Aether did kind of blink in surprise. No real punishment? "Are they sure about that? I'll even help replace those two trees Chi-Chi destroyed..." Upon further confirmation, Aether wasn't so sure on that...he still felt like he should do something. But if they really were alright with it...

"I was sort of working my way up to the Hold anyways. I am kind of curious about the organization. If I feel like I can do the most good here by joining it...I will. But I would like to see it first hand." That was his original plan anyways. With the appearance of the Harbingers, the added protection might be nice anyways. But the real question still lied with who else did they bring.

Rowan frowned as he mentioned some devestation on that level in his homeland. "Its possible. All the dragons apparently left Edia some years ago. I've no idea why. You might get some answers on that from an Asentari though." He said. Rowan didn't talk further on the Eldross, but he doubted the Harbingers would have as easy a time of it fighting masters of the forest on their own ground. Rowan nodded as he asked about the punishment. "I'm serious. If you want to go back and plant a few trees though, you can do that. The Eldross will appreciate the gesture. But we should make sure you're enemies are gone before heading back that way." He said.

Aether mentioned that he was considering joining the order and Rowan nodded. "I only joined recently, but I can tell you now, they'll appreciate any help they can get. You'll need to speak with Odric when he gets back from Edia, but as I said you can stay in the hold until then. Even if you decide you don't want to join, you can stick around until we sort out this problem. The freelands have enough problems." Rowan said. He stood up, gathered his gear and waited for Aether to prepare, then started walking.

Rowan mentioned that they did leave Edia some years ago. How long ago that was, Aether had no idea. But some answers to that might be attributed to the Asentari. Something to ask Aline if she knew. The next bit, he did comment on as he stood up. "At most, an Abyss Wolf. They'll return to their handler before making their next move."

He did get some interesting information about the Order's leader. The man was currently in Edia of all places. That was odd, but even he heard of the recent attempt to kidnap Aline, that succeeded, then she got rescued. Supposedly by her ex-lover, a higher up in the Order, and a couple from Edia itself. Why they were so concerned he didn't know exactly, but that might have been the reason why he as there, to thank them for the assistance.

Aether simply nodded and was ready to get going, not looking like he had brought anything. "I'm ready when you are. One of my abilities is keeping my things in a magical storage area not on this plain of existence. It's also where I keep my weapons and how I'm able to switch between them at the drop of a coin. So don't worry over the fact I don't have any luggage..."

It was a bit of a common question to be asked by other travelers or others that were curious. Most of the time he was able to wave it off and give some bullshit answer. But figured a more honest take with his savior was best. "So, anything in particular you want to ask about? Or have any interesting stories to share?"

Aether was ready to go, and explained about his ability to store equipment in a seperate dimension. Rowan accepted this knowledge without question, he'd seen enough magic to know that it was possible and didn't need to ask about it. Aether then asked him about any interesting stories. "I have plenty of stories." He said. He continued walking in silent contemplation for a while, considering what the Human might find interesting."I don't know what you'll find interesting. I've fought in two of the last great wars. I met Ren the Hornless and came away alive, only because he was after Orken, not us. I followed a mad woman to battle heanta at blackspire pass. You could ask me about countless conflicts in the last six or seven hundred years and I could probably tell you about them." He said.

Contemplating for another while, he decided to tell Aether about how he'd joined the order. "I can tell you how I came to join the order. It starts with a mission to kill a heanta that got in close with my niece, Faylandrea Shor." Rowan said. He went on to tell Aether about how he'd tracked them down, running into a pair of heanta Assassins who were actually trying to kill Vala and Falya. "I let my hatred for heanta get the better of me, and Knightfall played me. As soon as I found Vala I attacked her and probably would have succeeded if Fayla hadn't talked some sense into me. The assassin wasn't the only one who'd played me though. The Eldari who sent me to kill her had been trying to spark a war.

I went back to Gateway Harbour and exposed him. Violetly. My actions weren't taken well by the Golden council, and despite what the councilman had tried to do, I was suspended from the Eternal Watch. So I resigned. I came back to the freelands to help Fayla and her friend out with the Heanta Assassins, and on my way to the order I ran into Kairi Thorne on her way back from Karcenak with rescued slaves, a few moments after they'd been attacked by slavers." He finished off with how they'd found the slaves and Kairi's friend Bethany. "After that, I stuck with the Order. I was already on my way to check them out, but that proved to me they're good for the freelands."

The guy was old. Older than most Gnoll, though not necessarily as old as some Archons. And he had a plethora of combat experience if he's fought in so many conflicts. But he wasn't one for war stories. "I'm not one for war stories, so I'll take the one of how you joined." The blond eagerly listened. A heanta that got close with his niece. The man told the tale and how he'd tracked them down, only to be accosted by two Heanta assassins who were actually trying to kill Vala and Fayla. He'd never met or heard of the two, but their predecessors were famous. They had a lot on their shoulders.

But it seemed like the Heanta Knightfall wasn't the only one that played him, but another Eldari, one that sent him on the mission in the first place. Sounded like standard political posturing/warmongering/revenge. He'd heard it happening before in his own country. Nobility and high ranking officials doing this crap is exactly why most populace have no respect for those in authority. Or if they do, it's fear. He didn't blame Rowan for being violent. After being suspended, he just said screw it and resigned. Honestly, treating someone like this in that manner, no matter how inappropriate his action was, it seemed odd to treat a warrior like him like that. 

Aether didn't blame him for resigning. The guy then left to help out his niece and her friend. On the way he'd met a Kairi Thorne. Apparently that was after the raid on Karcenak that found Aline Drexara rescued, and the Order of the Sun soldier was heading back with some former slaves. As well as how they'd found them and a friend of the soldier. He kept his mouth shut on his opinion about slaves, though he would rather see them free than be treated like garbage. Although...there was something there as he spoke about a Kairi Thorne. "Hmm...sounds like you have more than just respect and admiration for this Kairi Thorne. I also assume those slaves were rescued at the same time as Aline Drexara. Even I heard about that...even heard that Edia sent two people to assist in her rescue. I figure that's why the Knight-Commander is over there. Anyone else of interest there? Even trainees?"

Aether listened to Rowan's story with seeming interest, and after he'd finished telling it the blonde said something that caught him off guard completely, when he noted that it seemed Rowan had more than just respect and admiration for Kairi. The comment caused his heart to ice over. He.. Liked Kairi. But he would never move on from Kaila. Partly because he could not let that part of his life go, and partly because the fear of losing someone like that again was to much to bear. He let a cold chill into his eyes as he looked at Aether. "An interesting observation but you're wrong. That part of me died a long time ago." He growled and turned back to the road.

He let it drop, and hopefully Aether would too. He nodded at the next part. "Yes, the slaves were from Karcenak. They rebelled at the same time as the rescue took place and joined forces with Bethany, Miral, and an asentari mercenary. The rest of the city has not been freed though." He said. He knew slavery was mostly the fault of Kyrias, and his people couldn't do anything to stop it in the freelands without inciting a war. Of course, just about any move the Eldari made against the heanta would incite a war.

"As far as I know, they sent one to retrieve another asentari, but they were also ordered to help if they could. The knight commander was invited to Edia for a Gala, to raise funds for the order and slaves. The asentari are reaching out it seems. A few years ago they wouldn't open their borders to anyone." Rowan wasn't sure about all the details. "As for interesting folk, there's two other humans, Arthur and Nicol. They're half brothers, I'm not sure exactly how that's worked out. Both good kids. And there's Tristan, a heanta. He's a decent sort, all things considered, and Valatrix of the Hornless clan's father, which explains allot about the girl. I've seen that her mother fight, and there's nothing kind about her." He said.

"There's also Marie, the hold's head healer, Shran, the leader of the scouts and Randalla Thorne, captain of the troops." He Added.

Rowan seemed to still and practically growled at him. Did it really though? Aether wasn't so sure. But whatever stopped him from taking that next step...it happened a long time ago and he wasn't over it. Perhaps Aether was still relatively young that he thought this. Either way, he'd let it die for now. The slaves were from Karcenak, rebelling at the same time and joined forces with a Bethany, Miral, and an asentari mercenary. He'd heard there were a few here and there outside of Edaria and Edia, but it was extremely odd that there would be one in Karcenak, willingly.

But the main part was that one was sent after another, but also ordered to help out however they could. Seemed like a roundabout way to do things, but depending on the political situation in Edia, perhaps that was the best way to go. A gala to raise funds was the main reason Odric was there. Reaching out slowly was better than not at all...particularly in this time of tentative peace. 

Rowan mentioned a pair of humans that were interesting, an Arthur and Nichol. Half-brothers apparently. Well, there was all kinds of ways how that worked out, but either way, it would mean one of them was abandoned by the father. What an ass. But if the two got along well, would it even matter? A heanta of all people was there too. Another exception to the rule, from the sounds of it...kind of made him think if there really was a rule in the first place. Though his lineage seemed to explain some of it. Then came the other heads of the Order.

"To be frank, if I were to join, I'd probably fall under Randalla Thorne's command...I'm no scout, though an ability of mine could be useful in that regard. And I'm not exactly a healer by any means. I would assume that you're under that criteria as well. But I guess we'll see when I take a look around and what the Knight-Commander says about my particular situation...I'd hate to cause more trouble for you guys..."

When Rowan finished telling Aether about the order, the man took a moment to consider his options, mentioning that he'd likely end up under Randalla Thorne, but then considered his other skills. Rowan nodded. "Indeed. My healing ability stems from self preservation. Its good in a pinch, but I dont have the same expertise as the Holds own healers. As for my own position, my set of skills are broad enough that I didn't fit into any one role. Instead I help where I'm needed." He explained. "That is always an option for you, if you think it would suit you better. But even if it isn't keep in mind that any extra healing is helpful. Magical healing is tough to come by, I'm told." He explained. Walking, they talked for a while longer. Then Rowan focused on the road.