[Zenzetra]

"...these are dawmere. They are common mounts, your neighbors, the Siksa'santi ride them."

The boy absorbed this new information, "Dawmere... Hmm."

"Dwarves? Well, how about this, we'll escort you to your clan's territory. We have been meaning to exchange words with your ambassadors."

Napheto fumbled with his words a moment, "Ah... Well, there is a problem with that.. I can not return home without my guardian. If I do he would fall into very bed trouble, it just wouldn't be fair to him."

[Rilla Treespirit]

Sarani walked up to the gates, where Wae'rah and her father were waiting. They were busy talking to someone. She couldn't see them at first but when she did spot the young drow she raised her eyebrows in surprise. Her face quickly resumed a calm, mask like expression however. Time to start acting professional, there was an outsider here after all?.

"A little darkskin at our gates, how unusual." She eyed the young beldrobbaen before nodding at Wae'rah. "All ready." She replied.

She hadn't caught most of what had been said before the warden addressed a question to her but from the boy's fumbled response and the look in his eyes she guessed the boy had run off on his own. There was certainly a guilty look about him. 'His guardian's probably frantic' she thought disapprovingly.

"Might I ask you why it would be unfair? Surely if a guardian is careless enough to lose their charge he deserves what he gets?" she asked innocently.

[django]

Gaul nodded as Wae'rah whispered back to him. He wasn't buying looking at the artwork either but he also didn't get the impression that he was looking for trouble. It was very strange for a Val of any kind to be so far from his clan. Gaul started to wonder where the Mommy is?

"It sounds like a plan Wae'rah. But we should tred carefully in Bel territory My lady. Some there might see our presence as a threat if they have trouble in raising an army." Gaul whispered back. He didn't doubt Wae'rah choice but he was worried about the girls safety.

Seeing Sarini all suited up and walking towards them, Gaul couldn't help but give her a proud smile and a wink. "Maybe hes lost too? or looking for a Bel freind over here." He shugged.

"Who's the guardian?" He turned back back to the Bel and gave a quick glance at Wae'rah. "Where did you lose him."

[Zenzetra]

Sarani approached the group casually. It was becoming more and more apparent to the boy that Drowussu outnumber the Drowolath in this region. "Might I ask you why it would be unfair? Surely if a guardian is careless enough to lose their charge he deserves what he gets?" Napheto scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously while Gaul added, "Where did you lose him".

"N-normally I would say you are correct but I ditched him in the slave market. It is my fault he is alone, as am I. I appreciate your kindness," The young Val crossed his left hand over his chest and lowered his head in a short bow; an often unused, respectful Beldrobbaen gesture.

"The truth of the matter is; I would rather finish my time to wander the streets on my own than under his overbearing, watchful eyes."

[Sonor Val'Illhar'dro]

A scowl was alight on Wae'rah's face; why bother with the young Beldrobbaen male? He was small, young, and harmless. His dark skin would stick out in the lighted fortress if he tried to spy- better yet, he would be captured by a more paranoid Kyorl and questioned. But now was not the time; Wae'rah rubbed her temples with her spare hand. She spoke icily,

"Ah, so you decided to be impulsive, abandon your guardian to the mercy of the streets and your clan, just to wander the streets?"

She looked at him like he was an idiot. If it was one thing Wae'rah could not stand for was impulsive and rowdy children, she was a very strict teacher and that is why many of the Dutan'vir orphans were sent to her for training. Discipline, it was evident this young Val had none.

"Chel is dangerous and you have acted dishonorably and foolishly. Forget my offer young Val. Do continue on..er, 'enjoying our artwork.'"

Shaking her head she turned back to Gaul and Sarini muttering darkly. Sizing Sarini up, she nodded in approval and pulled out a map from the pouch on her hip.

"Here, we start at the Val'wa sector...they receive complaints of bandits by the daily and rumors of tainted hiding in the ruins have reached our ears. Purge all tainted. Let's head out."

With that she started leading them out of the Kyorl compound.

[Zenzetra]

"Ah, so you decided to be impulsive, abandon your guardian to the mercy of the streets and your clan..." Wae'rah appeared clearly upset by Napheto's flippant nature. As soon as she began lecturing him the boy smirked a little, but then tried to hide it as quickly as he could.

"...Forget my offer young Val. Do continue on..er, 'enjoying our artwork.'" Napheto was impressed with Wae'rah's direct attitude. "At least here is a person that isn't afraid to speak their mind," He thought with a tinge of frustration at just having been lectured.

The young Val held up his left palm as Wae'rah turned from him; the enshadowed, wooden spider climbed out of his hood and rested on his open palm where the darkness melted away revealing it's wooden core. He was just pocketing the statuette when he heard Wae'rah continue.

"...complaints of bandits by the daily and rumors of tainted hiding in the ruins have reached our ears..."

He was enthralled by the mystery of those words. His thoughts sprang to his mind almost instantly, "I have about three hours left.. It must be clear by now that I mean them no harm..." Before he even realized it, Napheto already had his shoes back on and was quietly keeping pace with Gaul and the others. His face wore a half-smile as his mind tried to imagine what was in store.

[django]

Gaul frowned at the Bel a he told him that he ditched his poor guardian somewhere in Chel. "I see." Now he felt like he was wasting his time talking to the little brat. So did Wae'rah, and she told him off good. Sharess I sure would hate to be her child, it even brought a chill to his spine.

"Bandits. We'll soon see about that." Gaul couldn't help but give a small smile at the thought of taking down some bandits. Since the taint been removed from Val Raven, Gaul had to find new targets to deal with. Bandits were a big part of that food chain.

He caught up with Wae'rah and walked beside her. He was quite for a moment, trying to decide if he should say anything to her and risk her mood turning on him.

"Don't sweat over it. He's a spoiled Val brat." Gaul said calmly. "It was more then nice of you to offer to escort the kid back home. I say you handled yourself well..." It was then he noticed the Bel was following them "... Kid I don't care where you go but you can't come with us. Where not going to baby sit you while we got a job to do." Gaul Frowned at him.

[Rilla Treespirit]

Unsurprised by the boy's admission Sarani'ka made no further comment. There was no need to since Wae'rah said enough. She hoped he'd get punished. That kind of irresponsible, careless behaviour would only put him in danger. She knew that from experience; she had an impulsive reckless streak herself which had caused enough trouble. Most notably her fear of heights after she'd climbed out on a window ledge and fallen off it as a child.

Sarani'ka glanced at the location on the map when Wae'rah pulled it out. She listened to the explanation and nodded. A pretty normal patrol then, as she'd expected. She walked calmly a few steps behind Gaul and Wae'rah, not listening to their conversation. Her eyes were fixed on the Bel boy as he walked quietly just behind her. She was just about to speak but Gaul beat her to it. 'Like he's going to listen to that' she thought rolling her eyes.

"There's no way he's gonna listen. He'll just tag along a bit further away." Her voice betrayed her exasperation.

"How about I just take him to the Inquisitors and meet you there, at the Val'wa sector." She reached out to grab his arm. It was an empty threat, going back now would just waste time, but her face was expressionless and she seemed completely serious.

[Zenzetra]

Gaul spotted the boy right away, "... Kid I don't care where you go but you can't come with us. Where not going to baby sit you while we got a job to do." Napheto smiled to Gaul and assured him, "I do not need you to watch over me. I can take care of myself and I am sure whatever we run in to will be much more exciting than going back home and getting bitched at by ever house lord that outranks me," The boy stepped in front of Gaul and continued to keep pace with the group, "Everyone outranks me back home. It is beyond my control and will probably remain that way for quite some time."

Napheto then noticed Sarani'ka eying him. "How about I just take him to the Inquisitors and meet you there, at the Val'wa sector." She reached out to grab his arm lazily. The boy didn't even try to stop her letting himself become ensnared by her slender fingers.

The two stared at each other for short while before Napheto finally spoke, "You must care an awful lot about me; a stranger whom you have just met. Your heart seems not to be in on your plan to take me to your inquisitor. If you want to treat me as a child and drag me all the way back then be my guest. I will make sure to play the part of a child so I can meet your expectations of me".

After an other pause the young Val added, "We have a lot to do today, shall we be off?"

[Sonor Val'Illhar'dro]

Wae'rah cast the most loathsome and icy glare on the boy, her teeth gritted as she talked and a slight chill hovered around her aura.

"If you were not a Val'Beldrobbaen, I would have you impaled this very second due to your aggravating presence. But if you want to linger behind, do so. Sarini, release him, I'm sure this brat will run along when the thieves hear the ada clinking in his pocket. Perhaps a stray ethereal demon may possess him...it would give Sarini a chance to kill a physical demon and seal it."

Tucking loose hair back behind her ears, she trotted off with Gaul by her sid and Sarini behind, and maybe the Bel loping along.

-x-

After a cycle or two of walking and descending from Kyorl grounds, the lights were getting less and less and the ruins of the war lay before them. It was struggling to recover, as some families and merchants were trying to set up shop but the encroaching darkness fought back by the day. Her eyes glanced around as they entered the outermost entry into the sector, some drow already scattering at their presence. One blinded woman lay moaning on a dirty sheet on one corner, shadowy figures meandered in the dark at their arrival. Wae'rah paused a bit,

"Hmm, we must speak with the landlady, it was she that put in the request...though which building she is in is hard to discern"

[django]

The Nid ruins. So many bad memories here.

"We could ask." Gaul said as he walked up to a near by door and gave it a knock. "Who is it." A female voice asked in the other side. "Im Kyorl Templar Mam. I was wondering if could tell me where your land lord lives. If you feel safer not opening your door thats alright."

Gaul kept his shield over his chest as he heard somebody approach the door. A pleasant woman opened the door, she wasn't frightened but was cautious. It was clear she didn't have anything to hide from him. "She lives down the street and around the corner. She has a polished iron door."

"Thank you for your time mam." Gaul gave a small bow and left her. "Alright she lives down the street, around the corner and has a polished iron door."

He then turned to Sarini with a stern look "Sarini while on patrol, I don't want you chasing anyone alone or pulling any heroics. There is no Honor in being dead." The last thing he needed today is finding out that she is as reckless as he was at her age.

Unlike his younger days he didn't have someone to smack him on the right road.

[Rilla Treespirit]

There was a limit to how much she could take. What the hell was wrong with this kid? She wanted the strangle the rat, she really did. She tightened her grip for a moment before Wae'rah's words got through, and she let him go.

"I wouldn't mind stabbing him tainted, demon or not." she observed.

~~~~

Sarani looked around warily watching out for trouble, the commoners around her seemed just as wary, skittering away from the group nervously. It was darker here, harder to see and shadows seemed to flutter in the corners of her eyes, as if purposely trying to distract her.

When Gaul started lecturing her she rolled her eyes. "I have been through all the proper training. I do know all of that."

She remembered all the times she'd got lectured for disappearing off by herself by her mother. It was partly why she sympathised with the bell boy, even if he was an obnoxious brat. Of course she'd never run out of the Kyorl sector, and she'd kept to the safe areas.

[Zenzetra]

Wae'rah gave Napheto her coldest stare-down while disseminating, "If you were not a Val'Beldrobbaen, I would have you impaled this very second due to your aggravating presence. But if you want to linger behind, do so. Sarini, release him, I'm sure this brat will run along when the thieves hear the ada clinking in his pocket."

Sarani then added, "I wouldn't mind stabbing him tainted, demon or not."

Napheto breathed in a sigh of contented relief and happily accompanied the troupe of demon-hunters. "I am certain I will not cause you any trouble at all," He mused pleasantly.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

They walked on for nearly two full cycles, this was the farthest Napheto had been from his home and it made him more excited for every second he spent with the Drowussu. The group found themselves in a degenerating hamlet of sorts. Everywhere the young Val looked he saw sickly and struggling people; a far cry from his life in Chel'el'sussoloth.

At the very least Napheto felt comfortable in the near-pitch darkness that surrounded them. As long as there was some light to cast shadows he could make an easy escape were danger to overwhelm the party. As an afterthought Napheto pulled the cloth tighter around his left arm subconsciously hoping to hide his family crest.

Gaul cautioned Sarani after setting the group in the right direction, "Sarini while on patrol, I don't want you chasing anyone alone or pulling any heroics. There is no Honor in being dead".

Sarani'ka assured Gaul she would be safe and then shot Napheto a very short sympathetic look. The boy returned her expression with a half-confused, half-curious look of his own.

It was not long before they all reached the polished iron door. This was the nicest dwelling in the area but still did not compare to the lavish buildings Napheto was used to. He spoke up over the darkness, "Ah.. is that the door we are looking for," he asked with a slight break in his voice.

[django]

"You wont be rolling your eyes at me once you live with the dread that comes with fighting for you life, sinking your weapon into living flesh, feeling the warmth of blood running down your fingers and along your arms." Gaul said very coldly to Sarani, clearly not impressed with her rolling her eyes at him.

Leaving Sarani. He headed towards the fancy but sturdy house with the polished iron door and gave it a knock. He was answered my a little slave, "May I help you?" "Yes, your land owner send a request to the Kyorl requesting help against some bandits that were giving you trouble.

"Send them in." A voice called out and a tall Lady came into view. "I know where they are hiding."

[Zenzetra]

Napheto filed in behind Gaul deciding instantly that he did not want to be the last one left outside. He pulled his hood up and drew shadows down over his face leaving just his mouth visible.

Inside the group were offered seats to discuss the ensuing plans. The young Val kept close to Gaul thinking that the Drowussu male would tolerate him more than Wae'rah or Sarani'ka and would not take a seat; instead opting to stand next to the one Gaul took.