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[Magus]

The ocean of Alegheros' violet, magical energy enveloped Tixanhi, Venasia, Saber, and Marcus; the tingling power swept over the entirety of their being, leaking through the bonds between their molecules, breaking them apart and fusing the four into one conglomerate of seething, pure violet energy as it rushed through both space and time. The multiverse passed by in the blink of a god's eye as the violet tunnel of energy passed from the Tavern of Escapism to a small alcove a dozen miles outside of Auddien, the human capital.

The tunnel of purple energy crashed into the ground, throwing the four heroes onto their feet in a strangely soft landing, a violent, rushing sensation washing over the four as they manifested once again. The energy of teleportation faded away in an instant as the four heroes took form.

"That's always fun," Tixanhi chuckled, letting out a slight cough as he readjusted to his body. "Now, where are we?" Looking around, the wizard gazed upon the entrance to a dark cave, just as Alegheros claimed there would be--his scrying was spot on. Gray stalagmites burst up from the ground around the entrance as dripping stalactites lurched out from the cavern's ceiling, the entire entrance forming an eerily draconic maw leading into the depths of the earth. The backside of the cavern humped over into a rolling hill with patches of faintly green grass budding out. Large stones littered the area around the hill and cave giving it an almost desolate appearance, a fitting hunting ground for draconoids. Noticing a lack of pouring rain that had drenched him maybe an hour or two ago, Tixanhi looked skyward; thick, dark clouds were painted across the night sky, completely eclipsing the reflected light of the moon. Marcus would be at bay, at least for the moment. A brown dirt path curved around the hill and towards the horizon about a hundred feet ahead, a likely path to Auddien in case the four needed a hasty escape.

Wizards, always with their scheming.

"Shall we?" Tixanhi said with a smirk, taking the first step towards the black entrance of the kobold's lair.

[EraAtrum]

One second they were at the Tavern, the next they weren't. Venasia shook her head, trying to get over the post teleportation feeling. The good news was it wasn't raining anymore, the bad news was they had to go into a dark cave possibly swarming with dragonoids. The even worse news was that the teleportation took what had only been a dull ache in her throat and turned it into a fiery pain.

[SaberatStoor]

OOC: Ahh, okay, just wanted to clear that up, thanks. :) Aww, bye bye, Tavern! :'(

IC: Saber nodded to Alegheros, a small smile on her face, before he transported the four of them to the entrance of the kobolds' lair. Once her booted feet touched the cold ground, a shot of adrenaline from the teleportation, combined with the frigidness of the still air, set her entire body on edge. When she noticed that it had stopped raining, she froze and tilted her head back to gaze at the sky; she sighed with relief to see that the unearthly glow of the moon was completely obscured by the dense cloud cover - for now. She turned to look at Marcus, whose attention was focused on the dark sky, the wolf hungering to drink in the moon's glow that the clouds denied him. Marcus's expression was one of satisfaction, and although he did not like the thought of venturing into the darkness of the cave, he was glad for it - it meant the moon would never come into his line of sight.

Marcus dropped his chin to his chest and flashed a brilliant smile in Saber's direction - he must have scrubbed long and hard to scour Venasia's blood and his own guilt from his blood-soaked mouth when he awoke. Saber shooed the thought from her mind and returned the smile, then turned her gaze to Venasia, just in time to see her clutching her throat in pain. She hurried to Venasia's side and placed a hand over the wound in her neck, muttering low a spell to temporarily dull the pain. "Are you certain you're well enough to do this? What are you feeling right now, mentally and physically?" She waited as Venasia described her symptoms, all concern, and nodded when she finished.

--first part, awaiting Venasia; second part, awaiting Tixanhi - will reply to both in the same broken manner--

When she had finished, Saber turned to Tixanhi and, all business, bade him explain who that man was and what they had become involved in.

[EraAtrum]

Venasia replied to Saber's questions. "I'll be fine, I'm feeling better thanks to your spell. Besides, what was I supposed to do, stay that the Tavern while you guys went on an adventure?" Then she smiled at Saber with a twinkle in her eye.

[Magus]

Now that Alegheros was gone--well, not technically; the bastard would probably be watching the four until they either returned his staff or died trying--all Tixanhi had to worry about was Saber. And the possibility of Marcus spontaneously turning into a werewolf again and wreaking havoc on his facebones. And the kobolds and whatever else may lurk in the dark, spooky cavern ahead. And the fact that Alegheros may annihilate Tixanhi when his staff is returned and declare war on the Order--the Occultus had that sort of power. And the fact that the Counsel of Heirophants in the Order may end up magically screwing him after the mission is over for a myriad of reasons, all political.

Well, damn. Drama never ends, does it?

Regardless, the evoker had a mission to do, and the Flayed One would have his soul in fiery chains before he didn't try completing it for fear of political raping.

"I'm sorry about getting the lot of you involved with this," Tixanhi began, his tone somber and aimed at everyone, including himself. The fluctuation in the wizard's voice indicated a deep-seated paranoia, almost resentment, at the Heirophants and for being their pawn. Someone less versed in the perpetual drama of the Inner Order may not understand where the wizard was coming from, but there was a hint of bitter sorrow to his voice nontheless. "The man in the Tavern is an incredibly powerful wizard named Alegheros. He is affiliated with an occult order known simply as the Occultus. They're an ancient and powerful order, not just in the realm of magic but in the political sphere as well. They helped lay the foundations of Zaddamal hundreds of years ago when the Chthonic War was raging, and have been biding their time in the shadows ever since. Needless to say, my Order have been interested in making political ties with the Occultus for years now. Since Alegheros, their representative, removed his head from the...sand and offered union between our groups, the higher-ups have been acting like schoolgirls after a hot guy acknowledged their collective existence. And here I am stuck in the middle of their mutual political agendas. The three of you just happened to be collateral when Alegheros appeared. If you wish to return to the Tavern, I can do so, and I won't hold it against anyone," Tixanhi concluded, trying to catch his breath.

[EraAtrum]

"Well Tixanhi, I already said I would help you. What kind of friend would I be if I left you to do it alone? Besides, I haven't had a chance to use my daggers in awhile, and since it's not a good idea for me to shift right now because I'm injured, this is the perfect opportunity. But if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to speak with Marcus first in case things don't turn out well."

[SaberatStoor]

OOC: GAWD, this took forever to type up! I need to get to bed! xD LoL, removed his head from the sand...in his crack. xD Er...but don't tell him I said that. >_>; Hehe, poor Tixanhi, everyone's trying to rape him (mostly wrinkly old men). xD By the way, Chad, it should be "the three of you" - Venasia, Marcus, and Saber. :P What an interesting adventure this will be for the four of us. :3 Good luck, everyone! May the clouds never part on this night! xD Also, if one of you thinks Saber's parting line to Venasia in the first paragraph is weird or off somehow or you'd like to make a suggestion for how I could change it to make it sound better, please let me know. It's late and I tried so hard to think of the best way to voice it, but that's what I came up with. I just hope Venasia doesn't take offense. As you both know, Saber isn't too familiar with the Zarathan and since Venasia takes on a wolf form, she could think of nothing better to say; hopefully it doesn't come off as condescending or something. ^^;


IC: Saber smiled and nodded gratefully to Venasia's reply, "It's the least I can do for the moment, but I promise to do more upon our return to The Tavern. I hope this spell will relieve the pain long enough to make this venture bearable for you until which time that we can return to The Tavern and I can take proper care of you." She smiled sadly, realizing how transparent she must have appeared, trying desperately to make up for an irreversible occurrence that was entirely her fault. Saber chuckled half-heartedly at Venasia's after-thought, "No, I suppose not..." She started to turn to face Tixanhi, but paused and added, "You have no idea how much we all appreciate your company, in spite of the circumstances." With that, she turned back towards Tixanhi. A cold fist gripped her heart; she had difficulty accepting that the young Zarathan appeared to have no qualms about descending into a kobold's cave on a full moonlit night with two weary wizards and the same wolf that had torn into her throat, yet undeservingly wore the skin of an innocent young man to secure her trust and sympathy - a skin it might shed at any time through sheer force of will. "You're a brave young woman, with the courageous spirit of a wolf. I have no doubt you will live to howl at many a moon to come."

----

After hearing out Tixanhi's speech and making a mental note of all the information he divulged, her expression bore a simple smile, and she shook her head, "There is no need to apologize. I only wish you had warned me we were to have company, especially that such as the likes of him. Then again, I suppose you did not trust me at the time, and I do not blame you, for I did not trust you, either," she added with a faraway look in her dark eyes, her tone matter-of-fact. "Also, certain events later occurred that were rather distracting," she said, avoiding looking directly at Marcus - she could imagine his expression exactly, but chirruped, "None of this matters, of course. Here we all are and I daresay we four have been through quite an experience together, so this should not be too difficult a mission."

She flashed a smile to Venasia and Marcus over her shoulder, though her thoughts continued in stark contrast to her voiced optimism, 'Despite the fact that Tixanhi is being stressed by all these powerful wizards, I have yet to rest, Marcus could transform again at any moment while we stand here and Venasia is the best equipped to handle him in that form, and she has already been bitten once. There's no telling how her body will handle a second bite, especially considering the wolf's first bite was not long lived, thanks to Tixanhi. If the wolf strikes a second time tonight, he shall have advantage over us all and here, under the light of the full moon, he'll want more than anything to satisfy his insatiable hunger for flesh, and tear us all to pieces.' She shuddered inwardly, but turned back to smile at Tixanhi. "Kobolds are not so very strong, except in their great numbers, stealthy in the darkness." She stepped towards Tixanhi and the cave entrance and muttered low, so that only he could hear, "Do not doubt they may be many. In the darkness, they are perfectly at home. We must make light, but I would prefer to avoid anything unearthly, such as the moon above."

----

As Saber muttered low to Tixanhi, Marcus answered Venasia's summon and hesitantly shuffled over to stand at her side, though not too close, for her feared her scorn, though he felt he deserved it. It took him the better part of a minute to voice the thoughts that plagued his mind, "Miss Venasia," he began, mustering a congenial smile to just barely mask his guilt, "we are alone, at last, and so we shall speak, as was your wish." He continued, his words spilling out with such haste it was as if he could not voice them fast enough, his expression ever-changing from despair and disgust as he spoke, "Firstly, I cannot apologize enough for what I...for what the wolf in me has done to you. I did all I could to stop him, but he...it is strong. I hope that you will forgive me, but I do not expect you to, and I also hope that your...injury will not affect you as mine did me, nor in a worse way." Once he had said his piece, he fell silent, awaiting Venasia's reply.

----

Saber examined the cave entrance as Marcus engaged conversation with Venasia, at last pouring his soul out to her in sincere apology for what had occurred earlier that night. She tilted her head back ever so slightly to gaze upon the clouded skyscape, muted moonlight wrapping around her angled throat, and again wondered idly if, and when, she should finally apologize to Tixanhi for treating him with such unwarranted suspicion and distrust, for penetrating his mental barriers and, finally, for threatening to thrust herself into his mind in a most violent fashion, as she had been forced to do countless times in her line of work, and alter his memory to her will. Now that she had had time to think about it, she realized what a terrible thing it had been to say, and she had never intended to offend him, yet she had succeeded in doing nothing short of exactly that. No one takes a threat lightly, wizards least of all.

She sighed and dropped her gaze to Tixanhi; it was the second time she had stopped to really look at him, and she made a mental note not to make the same mistake she had the first time. She saw no evil nor unpleasantness in him, nor any of the qualities that she despised in most wizards she had met in her lifetime; his handsome young face lined only with the stresses of being trapped under the thumbs of wizards far more powerful than he who weren't opposed to the idea of dragging him across the map by his strings to do their dirty work, and he was only too willing to serve in payment for their tutelage. She sympathized with him, as she had, more often than not, found herself in much the same position. Usually, out of sheer loyalty, however, and perhaps because this life was all she knew, she remained steadfast in her services to the counsel and made her own waythrough any quagmire or situation she encountered, despite her own thoughts and qualms about the end and the means - having an opinion, much less expressing it, was generally discouraged in her line of work. Without her even realizing it, a smile stretched across her face, and she remembered the odd, yet pleasant, feeling of fondness that had driven her to remain by Tixanhi's bedside less than an hour ago and delve into his mind.

Nursing the fond feeling, she took a step towards Tixanhi, but paused to wonder, 'Little time has passed since my blunder...nothing has happened that should drive him to forgive me. He was headed out the door when Alegheros arrived and changed everything, and yet this assignment will not change his mood about what I have done.' She wished she could go back in time and stay her own tongue from saying such a viscious thing, so horribly reminiscent of the times she had made such a threat to others perhaps more deserving, and perhaps not. She rarely knew the difference. Her smiled faded. She faltered, her thoughts growing darker, 'It is not that I fear his wrath, but rather his scourn, his disapproval.' Yet, her curiosity spurred her on - would he see her as a viscious enemy or perhaps a well-meaning friend that had made a terrible faux pas? Her threat rang in her ears; for a moment, it terrified her to hear her own voice say it in such a flat, unwavering tone, and yet she remembered exactly what had driven her to say it and understood - as if she could ever have forgotten! It was mostly for Marcus's sake, of course; she could not have known if Tixanhi was the type that might report such a danger for the sake of the populace, being a decent and diligent man. She couldn't be sure where his loyalties would lie - after all, he needn't hold any with a pair he had met only just that night - so she asserted her point and made sure, only his reaction was an eruption of anger and indignation, though he assured her that their secrets were safe with him. She decided then that she could but try to earn his trust and forgiveness just as easily as he could deny her, and strode confidently toward him.

She stopped a few feet from Tixanhi and opened her mouth to speak, then stopped to wonder how she should begin. 'Unprepared! Fool!' she mentally scolded herself. Finally, after some thought, she opened her mouth again and spoke up, "Tixanhi, before we descend into that cave and officially take on this task, I want to...apologize. For the sneaking around, for the suspicion, for tiptoeing around your mental barriers, for Marcus transforming and me not being able to contain him, for risking your life and Venasia's when he escaped, for...what happened in your room in The Tavern - I apologize for everything." She paused, her tone somber, then continued, slowly at first, "I realize I gave a rather pathetic excuse for my actions and I confess it was improper of me to enter your mind without your permission...I also realize it was, for lack of a better word, improper of me to threaten you like that. You did not deserve that, but that did not occur to me at the time. All I really cared about was taking care of business and, of course, keeping an eye out for young Marcus. He does not deserve his curse, not in the slightest, and I do not wish for his life to be ruined if someone were to reveal his secret. You understand, don't you?" She then fell silent and anxiously awaited his answer. While she expected no forgiveness, her forlorn expression begged for it.

[EraAtrum]

Venasia moved closer to Marcus and took his hands in hers. "Marcus, I realize it wasn't your fault. When I was bitten by the wolf, I felt what it causes. I felt like ripping you to shreds, I wanted to see the life drain from your eyes. And yet I know that that wasn't me. And neither was what the wolf caused you to do you. I chose to take on the wolf, to protect my friends, including yourself. I did what needed to be done, and I don't regret it. I only hope that if I ever have need to use my wereform again, I will be able to control it. I also hope I didn't hurt you very badly, I couldn't think of any other way." To make sure he believed her, she embraced him in a hug.

OOC: Hope Marcus doesn't mind hugs and Venasia holding his hands, lol. I just had to put that in there because that's what I would do in this situation.

[SaberatStoor]

Marcus froze when Venasia cupped his hands in hers and glanced up to look her in the eyes. "You...you do?" He listened quietly as Venasia described to him exactly the same feeling that took over his own mind when he changed into the wolf, a deep flush spreading across his cheekbones as she spoke. It was just as he felt and now he had given her that feeling, making it necessary for her to feel that way. He sighed, 'But will she know it the same way? After all, she is of a different race than I...' His thought was cut-off when Venasia pulled him close and embraced him. For a moment he stood completely frozen, then melted into the warmth and slipped his arms under hers and up her back, closed his eyes, and gently nuzzled his head on her shoulder, avoiding the wound at the base of her throat. For a full minute, he leaned into her warm embrace, perfectly content.

Then, suddenly, he felt that something was horribly wrong. He opened his eyes to the light. It was moonlight - at least, a small amount of it. A sliver of moonlight had escaped through the cloud cover, if only for a moment, and washed his hand milky white. At first, he could not imagine what was so wrong with this, but then he watched as his hand, just inches from his face as the fingers curled over Venasia's shoulder, slowly transformed into a heavily taloned paw. He watched with a strange faraway feeling, as if he were only imagining it, for it did not hurt in the slightest. If he had not seen it, he would not have believed it. And then he smelled it. The wolf's keen sense of smell had returned, if only for a moment, and it drank in Venasia's scent, which washed over Marcus like a vat of wine on a drunkard. His eyes rolled back into his head as he likened the scent to a pastry with strawberry filling that was popular in his home village - all pale, powdered flesh, but a single bite would release the sweet filling, and all that delicious redness would spill. And he would eat it all up. So close, it was. His canines lengthened subtly until they poked his flush lips, hungering for just one bite. He leaned into Venasia and sniffed her throat, then whimpered.

Suddenly, he tore himself from her grip and turned away so that she could not see his face, contorted with hunger for her flesh. He hastily ran his hands over his face, his teeth and, feeling nothing out of the ordinary, finally looked down at his hand. His hand was that of a human. Nothing had happened at all. It was all in his head. It took a few seconds for him to realize what had happened, but now he realized. The wolf was now trying to take over with a method far subtler than force; instead, the wolf mixed their two minds for but a moment and used its keen sense of smell and Venasia's closeness to seduce Marcus into taking the bite himself, and when he did, the wolf would have him, and then he would have her. But Marcus couldn't let that happen. He trembled where he stood, staring up into the vanishing sliver of moon as if it held all the answers he needed. It terrified him to think that he had wanted to take the bite, even if he had been under the encouragement of the wolf. He could not stand the idea of her revulsion to him if she ever found out, but he could not keep himself from warning her, "I beg your pardon, Miss Venasia. I am so grateful for what you have said, but I think that perhaps we should continue this conversation later...out of the open air. Please, let's descend into the cave as soon as possible. Also, do not embrace me so until we can both be certain that I will not finish what the wolf started." Beads of sweat glistened on his face and throat. He desperately hoped the wolf's consciousness would be subdued after they ventured into the cave, where there was no moonlight.


OOC: Daaaaw, that's sweet. Thanks for spreading some love to Marcus, he needs it. :3 Also, the bit about the pastry sounds kinda like a vampire, I know, but it's not. After all, a vampire would probably want to suck on the pastry, while a werewolf would be more content letting the insides spill out. Even though the German don't exist in Xeterous (CHAD xD), I like to throw in things referencing German culture, even though it isn't necessarily "German" here in Xeterous. Basically, he's just a simple village boy with an accent. :P Also, don't look at me weird. xP Good bakeries always have an intoxicating smell and I'm a lost drunkard if I get too close. :3

>_> Oh dear, it wouldn't be good if the wolf managed to convince Marcus to give in.
Also, Chad, if you make the tiniest Twilight reference, I will smack you. Dx

[Magus]

OOC: Sorry this took so long. School has been a pain.

IC: Tixanhi was taken aback by Saber's heartfelt apology. While the evoker wasn't quite as skilled at reading people--by either magical or mundane means--her words had a tangible feeling of sincerity to them. Now that it had been some time since the initial cause of their fight, if he truly wished to maintain his grudge against Saber, he would have to dislocate a metaphorical bone to reach that far for straws. Truth be told, he had overreacted quite a bit. It wasn't the first time an evoker had acted somewhat immaturely because of their oversensitivity and, admittedly, insecurity, but that wasn't an excuse. The young magus wanted to accept her apology, but he also felt an almost idealistic resistance to it. She had violated his trust and threatened to rearrange or wholly-delete his memories...and, for some things, vague, ghostlike memories of the past was all he had.

Yet, Saber was a woman. With woman-parts. If ideals had to clash in the orbiting galaxy of archetypes in the young wizard's psyche, chivalry won out nearly every single time.

"I understand, Miss Stoor," Tixanhi said, his voice receptive, as if welcoming new beginnings between the pair. "Marcus is a friend of yours, and a friend is, by definition, supposed to cleave to you closer than even a brother. You would sacrifice everything for a friend, even if that meant facing down another one of your kind. I can respect that. I do respect that. Wizards, if it wasn't painfully obvious by now, do not take kindly to even the slightest notion of intimidation. We've all got a bit of an inferiority complex--well, minus the folks like Alegheros, whose heads are so grandiose they're liable to float right off into the Astral if they learned another spell. But, that is not an excuse, my friend. You are forgiven, but my only stipulation is that you return the favor."

A smile formed over the wizard's maw, widened only by the sight of Venasia and Marcus wrapped around each other warmly. Forgiveness is something supernatural, but there was nothing magical about it. If there was, Tixanhi would have made a spell out of it by now. True, genuine forgiveness--the type that can erect bridges connecting the most remote of islands--is not so much about pardoning the offending party, but breaking the ebon chains wrapped around the victim's heart and soul. Sin breeds all manner of sorrow, and sorrow only begits more sorrow; forgiveness, it would seem, is therapy for the soul.

The Fates are fickle. As psychic walls were finally crumbling, Marcus retched back from Venasia, a wave of sickly pain and ecstatic temptation firing through his senses. For a split second, a feral snarl covered the young man's face, only to be forced back down by strong arm of sheer will power. Lunnas' silver radiance had not pierced through the dam of clouds and befallen the unturned-werewolf, yet the animalistic fury still clawed up from the depths of his unconscious. It was growing stronger, yet its strength only bent Marcus' will power like molten iron into a sword.

Despite Marcus' successful attempt at swatting down the wolf, entering the womb-like darkness of the caverns was probably for the best. The air around Tixanhi's hand crackled like an occult storm as time and space twisted together at odd angles. Suddenly, a void in reality formed around the wizard's right palm, then imploded upon itself as a runed blackwood staff appeared in his grip.

"If you have any weapons, draw them. We're going to make torches," Tixanhi said in an authoritative tone. As he commanded, Saber summoned her iconic staff and Venasia unsheathed an obsidian-hilted blade, then, following Tixanhi's movements, placed the heads of their respective weapons touching each other. A buzz of magic vibrated through the air as Tixanhi spoke a single word of power. Raw white light erupted from the center of the tripartite circle silhouetting their wielders. "Your weapon will grant you about a radius of twenty feet of bright light and another twenty feet of dim light."

With that, Tixanhi held up his staff, the glowing tip upwards, and nodded to his three allies. "Shall we?"

OOC: From here, I'm going to be taking a more DM approach, meaning that interactability will go up quite a bit at the cost of post-length (which may or may not be a bad thing ). So, don't feel bad about making short posts describing the one or two things your character can do with the amount of information I've given you.

[SaberatStoor]

OOC: That's cool. Huzzah for D&D! :D Also, you're perfect for the job! You should even use dice to decide some things! x3 So, Mr. DM, how should the party be organized? 2x2 or 1x4? Who's in front and all of that? Where do you think Marcus should be if he scouts around with the wolf's heightened senses and night vision and can manage to use the wolf's ferocity, teeth, and claws to slaughter kobolds? Hmm…then again, kobolds can see in the dark pretty well, I'm sure, so it's not like they wouldn't be able to see him, unless he hides in the middle of the group and if someone spots a sizeable group of kobolds and wants Marcus to bowl 'em over…xD Heh, just throwing that out there. >.>

IC: A broad grin of relief broke out across Saber's face - she had done the right thing. "Many thanks, Tixanhi," she dipped her head low in gratitude, immediately contrasting her lifted spirits, "Yes, that is very true, but I cannot apologize enough for casting such unjustified suspicion upon your character." She chuckled when he spoke of wizards, her eyes downcast as she idly reminisced about the counsel of elders, "How very true. Only wise men can look into a mirror and not only recognize but acknowledge, too, their own shortcomings." She dipped her head again, "I humbly accept your forgiveness and vow not to forsake it, Tixanhi. As is due payment, I, in turn, forgive you unreservedly, as you are owed." Ahh, it had returned: the warm and wonderful feeling of fondness. Companionship. It felt warm and so it felt right, for it could be no other way.

She followed Tixanhi's gaze to Venasia and Marcus and grinned - all was right. 'Well, most everything,' she thought to herself, her gaze flicking to Venasia's wounded throat, then back to the two wolf-kin's embrace. Watching it only enhanced the warm feeling that spread in a radius from her stomach to the tip of her nose and the points of her toes; to her dismay, it only lasted a few moments, broken when Marcus tore himself away from Venasia as animalistic tortured temptations raged against Marcus's mental barriers. Finally, he subdued the urges, but for how long, she could not say. 'Time to descend,' was her only thought. Tixanhi's voice broke the stillness and she turned to face him as he addressed the three of them.

The time had come. Saber thrust her hand out before her and summoned her staff into her outstretched palm - it was a tall oak staff, topped with a cradle of gnarled wood that twisted into a cage, inside which resided a mysterious cloud of dust similar to the dust that followed her own hands. She stroked the staff head fondly before dipping the head forward so that it touched the end of Venasia's sword and Tixanhi's own staff. When Tixanhi lit the end aglow, she smiled and inclined the staff head, then turned to join Marcus's side. She untied her sheathed knife from her belt and tied it to Marcus's belt, then advised him to travel without a light source while using the wolf's night vision to guide him in the dark depths of the cave. "Firstly because the kobolds may not be aware that you can see them. Also, the resulting bloodshed might just lull the wolf into total subjugation to your will while you are hidden from the moon's light," she added with a wicked smile. He thanked her and unsheathed the knife, examined the various jewels that adorned the hilt, then expertly slashed at the air a few times with such practiced ease as if he were swinging a heavy-taloned paw at an invisible enemy, before following Saber, Venasia, and Tixanhi into the depths of the cave. 'Into the dark,' thought Marcus, 'and I will bend you to my will now.' With a thought, his eyes bulged, his fingernails lengthened and his jaw extended outwards some as his canines grew. Inhuman quantities of strength poured into his limbs, driving him to issue a low growl of satisfaction. When the semi-transformation was complete, Marcus padded after his companions with all the muted stealth of a predator.

[EraAtrum]

Venasia was enjoying this moment. It had been a long time since she'd hugged someone. Her heart grew even fonder of Marcus. When he tore himself away, she was confused. 'What did I do wrong?' she thought to herself. Then she heard his warning. 'Stupid girl, did you really think that the wolf would leave him alone?' She sighed and walked over to Tixanhi and Saber. She drew her two daggers and touched them to Tixanhi's staff so they could be lit up. She then watched as Marcus partially shifted into his wolf form. She wished she could shift also, but she couldn't.

[Magus]

OOC: That's really up to you, Crystal. I'll change it up based on what you decide to do with Marcus and the others.

IC: The four heroes strode into the cavernous maw, their weapons illuminating the otherwise black depths. Tixanhi took the helm out of instinct and, perhaps, an unconscious feeling of necessity, seeing as it was he who got them in that situation to begin with. A mix of fear and a testosterone-fueled need to protect the others--namely, the women--urged him forward as each step light up another sliver of darkness before him.

Stepping the jagged, teeth-like stalagmites at the entrance of the kobolds' lair, the wizard strode into the abode of the first cavernous room. The ceiling was fairly low, only twenty or so feet above, and lined with craggy, pointed stalactites, some of which hanging inches above his head. The room's ceiling began to slope subtly downward the further he drew into the room, meaning that, somewhere down the line, the cave would descend into the earth. The room itself was empty, save for loose gravel and rocks, the only noise being the echo of their own feet off the moist stone walls.

Tixanhi strode forward, determined, towards the natural opening in the back of the entry room. Gravel and stones crunched beneath his leather boots as walked until, as if by intuition alone, he stopped dead in his tracks. The wizard instinctively shifted his weight from his leading foot to the back foot and, as he did, the rocks and gravel inches in front of him plunged from their position into a black pit at least thirty feet below. The evoker's heart skipped a beat as he stepped backwards, only to find the strong hand of Marcus grasped around his arm. Allies, indeed. After a shocked few moments, the wizard held his magically-lighted staff into the pit. The bottom was barely lit, but he could discern the skeletal remains of various woodland animals and at least one human corpse, sword and shield resting close beside. Near the carcass were the remains of several small draconic looking creatures. Kobolds. There had been a fight here some time ago. The bodies were still, for a lack of a better term, juicy; the were fresh, meaning they hadn't perished more than a few weeks ago at most, and the smell of rot and decay only exacerbated that fact.

Holding the torch-staff up, the wizard quickly illuminated the only path to descent: a narrow stone walkway clinging to the right side of the cave and overlooking the pit. The walkway was maybe three feet across, room enough for them to pass if they hugged the wall with their backs. Perfect.

"Looks like we're going to play adventurer after all," Tixanhi said dismissively. If worse came to worse, he could always cast a fly spell on himself, but he really didn't want to waste another spell if he could avoid it. He was running low already, and a utility spell would limit his effectiveness in combat tremendously. Granted, he was also a magus of the Order, and that title came with a handful of trump cards to be played as needed. "Any volunteers?" The wizard said, pointing his staff at the narrow walkway.

[EraAtrum]

Venasia could smell the horrid stench coming out of the chasm. 'This is one of those times that I wish I had normal senses, at least I'm not in my wolf form.' She saw the small ledge, and realized that it was the only way across. Her stomach twisted into a knot. "Um guys, did I ever mention I'm afraid of heights?"

[SaberatStoor]

OOC: Thanks Chad, but what you did is fine - it makes sense. :3 Now that I think of it, Marcus would want to be right behind Tixanhi. From that vantage point, he's close to the front so he's ready for strife - if you're not going to keep the guard dog up front, then keep him one step behind you. :P Also, he can shield the ladies from harm. I absolutely love the way you described the descent into the cave - very immersive! :D By the way, do you think Marcus's shuttling service was too unbelievable? D: Also, Spider Climb is a D&D spell and it's awesome. x3 Also, I was waiting to hear back from Chad on whether he thought Marcus's "escort" was too ludicrous, but then I thought about it and, especially after seeing Venasia's post, I decided I couldn't wait any longer and it was perfect. xD Marcus would definitely do that for her.


IC: Saber grunted as the darkness enveloped them; she knew just the spell that would give her brilliant night vision, though temporary, but she couldn't afford to squander her magical reserves. She sighed and concluded that she would have to rely on the spell's illumination rather than stealthy night vision like Marcus's.

The companions trekked downward, accompanied only by the sound of their own footsteps and shallow breathing. When they came to the very back end of the entry room, Tixanhi stopped to shift his weight just in time to avoid plummeting into a pit trap. The sight of the deep pit set Saber on edge - it had been quite a long time since she had had to maneuver around booby traps. Tixanhi pointed out the path to his companions - a narrow walkway that stuck out of the wall, barely three wide. Saber followed the walkway with her eyes and groaned inwardly as yet another array of spells of practical use came to mind, again cast out of her mind because, above all, she had to conserve her energy.

"Looks like we'll have to do this the hard way…Slow and steady does it," grumbled Saber. The moment the words left her mouth, Marcus spun and hoisted Venasia onto his back, sprinted forward and thrust himself at the wall, then bounded forward, traversing the pit in seconds. When he had reached the end of the pit, he leapt down from the wall and landed on the shelf of rock on the opposite side of the pit on all fours, breathing heavily, his eyes wild. "I've never tried something like that before," he gasped, gulping air as he tried to catch his breath. "I hope I didn't frighten you, Venasia," he added. He looked out across the pit at Saber and laughed - her eyes bugged out and her mouth hung agape. It was not that she was unfamiliar with such a superhuman maneuver; in fact, she had done it herself once or twice by using a spell known as Spider Climb, but to bound across the wall with someone on his back as if he were dashing through a field of grass! It was a sight to see, and while it impressed her, it also caused her to shudder inwardly at the thought of what other abilities the wolf possessed - she certainly hoped she would never find herself cornered by such a beast that would not so much as blink at a fifty foot pit that separated it from its prey.

Marcus straigtened up after Venasia slipped off his back and gazed across the chasm at Tixanhi and Saber and called out to them, a toothy grin stretched across his face, "Would you like me to do the same for the both of you?"