An Eye for an Eye [Desmodus please]

[Jade Alanon]

OOC: Continued from here

Leaving the darkness of the cellar and their companions with the Vysstichi guide, Jade and Nymira made their way through the streets of Acumin, back to the Tavern in which she had left some of her weapons behind. Her staff lay where she had left it as did Aganadara and her shurikens, she didn't know about this Rhasic and so she would go prepared in case he or she was a tougher challenge then she thought. Nymira paced at the door of the room, heat boiling her blood, the need to gain yet another crystal to return to coldlight when they could, another step from breaking the curse and regaining her human form.

The black sling went across her shoulder, hiding her compass rose shurikens from sight and Aganadara went into her pouch at her side, her feeling of excitement at the thrill of a new kill reflected in the sleek blue handled blade. Finally she exited the room and the Tavern, ready for combat, Acumin was a dangerous place, but Nymira and Jade were dangerous people, so they blended well in the dark place. Jade couldn't help but wonder if the group would wait for her to return, would they search for her if she didn't return quickly? Hopefully not, she could imagine the damage it would do to her relationship with Austin and Avrie if they came upon her with spilled blood, that was not how she wished for them to find out about her.

Jade used her Virkyn's senses to help guide her towards the Rhasic, she doubted the Rhasic knew of the dirty blood that flowed through their veins, which made it sad when she had to murder them in order to retrieve the crystal from within them, they never knew why she was killing them. The smell of taint got stronger as they drew closer to the Rhasic, they could hear his voice though he was at least a mile away, their hearing was that keen. It was a male it seemed and he wasn't alone, he traveled with at least two others, their voices gruff and their whisperings of dark deeds. It seemed that the Rhasic Jade had chosen to go after was a slaver or perhaps in slave dealings, well, that was a good thing then. Jade and Nymira wouldn't have to feel bad about murdering this man now.

They walked past a few decrepit buildings, the path the Rhasic traveled was one that was less traveled, not many people walked these roads and those that did moved back from the Sanguine woman, she carried with her the aura of a predator and the fact that Nymira was huge and vicious had to help as well. They moved silently with the skill they had gained over time, they moved easily together, both minds on the same thing, their prey, their kill.

[Desmodus]

No one hindered or questioned Jade's departure from the cellar, her premature return to the Sooty Cavern, nor her departure off into the darkening with her Virkyn companion. The scent took her South, following the road that led out of town towards New Coldmoon and Enamoria. The Rhasic was not in Acumin itself, of course. He lay in the wilderness somewhere, out in the Dolwood. As the predators left the small outpost of civilization, the Barrier only tingled as Jade passed through it, and soon she and Nymira were alone in the darkness, with only dark forest ahead of them, forest a-stink with the thieving Rhasic's blood.

The southern side of Acumin had been the least populated and developed quarter even before the troubles that began with the Pox began to decimate its residents. Once she had left the Barrier, Jade saw little indication that the area she was inhabited at all, no sounds of people or their beasts stirring, no lights of fire or candle, nothing but darkness and the whirring of crickets. But the scent of her quarry was there, unmistakable, drawing ever-stronger as she felt her way southwards. Before her, empty and open, lay the road to New Coldmoon.

[Jade Alanon]

Jade still felt bad that she had to leave her friends in pursuit of this Rhasic, the Rhasic was moving out of Acumin, towards the Dolwoods, which made Jade nervous because she knew how dangerous leaving Acumin could be, but she would do what she had to in order to catch and kill the disgusting Rhasic. She highly doubted that the Rhasic was aware of what he was, aware Rhasics were so rare really and gods they were dagerous, most practitioners of arcana. Nymira knew arcana but it had been so long since she had cast a spell and she couldn't in her Virkyn form anyway, Nymira kept this form because it was the best offense and defense against a Rhasic.

Soon both sisters moved by scent and feeling, his voice had faded off, or perhaps he was silent now. Did he suspect the two assassins of following him. Highly doubtful since they hadn't even seen him yet, they moved that far behind him. They passed through the barrier that protected Acumin and barely felt more then a tingle as they left, they had left the city and were heading alone into the wilderness, heading towards a dark forest ahead of them.

Jade had noticed, before she left the "safety" of the city, that the southern part of Acumin was almost completely empty, it was an eerie feeling passing through really. Nymira snuffed at the scent of the Rhasic's blood, such a disgusting scent it was, to the sisters it was anyway. They followed the stench slowly still, the darkness that they walked towards didn't frighten either of them, they were together and both were experienced in battle, they would be safe. Jade clutched her staff tightly in her hand as she used it as a walking stick for now, the sound of crickets was all that greeted them as they moved through the darkness. "This is eerie." Nymira commented softly within their telepathic connection.

For a moment Jade thought of allowing this Rhasic to escape and head back to Acumin, back to where Avrie and Austin were, but that would be something a coward would choose to do and Jade was anything but a coward. Plus the scent was getting stronger, which meant they were gaining on their prey, both sisters would continue down the road towards New Coldmoon, intent on catching and killing the Rhasic and extracting the crystal that lay within his blood.

[Jade Alanon]

OOC: I sent Des a PM telling him I would like to end this thread early and head back to the other thread.

Nymira was intent upon their prey, her dark eyes intense as they traveled further from Acumin, Jade however wasn't as focused on the task at hand. She felt odd at leaving the group like that and had a feeling that if she was gone long, Austin might look for her. The man she pursued probably wouldn't be an easy take down and she didn't want to hold the others up. "Nymira, we should go back." Nymira looked back at her sister and cocked her head to the side, as though Jade had lost her mind. "But he isn't that far, another part of the Krevion will be ours."

"Yes I know, but the others..." Nymira growled softly, "The others don't matter, Jade this is our duty." Jade glared at her dark sister, she knew Nymira wished to get out of this form, but she needed to see more then just Rhasic and Sanguine, it was ridiculous how she acted at times. "No, we are going back, we will be able to track him once this is over, who knows, perhaps he's one of the slavers that need to be caught."

Nymira sighed inwardly, exasperated at Jade's almost childish behavior. But there was something beneath that behavior, a need to help protect the group like she said she would, a need to be there with Austin. How could Nymira protest when Jade was merely worried about the man she loved? "This is foolish, I won't pretend I agree with you, but it seems there is no stopping you." Looking down the path towards New Coldmoon almost longingly, Nymira sighed and turned around as did Jade. "Alright, let's head back, hopefully they haven't continued on without us." Jade smiled and ran her hand over Nymira's head gently as a thank you to her sister for understanding.

They hadn't been gone all that long, so Jade too was hoping they hadn't gotten fed up with her being gone and just went ahead, though that didn't sound like Austin or Avrie, she knew nothing about Venn but judging at how he taken leadership so easily, he probably wouldn't be the sort to leave her behind either. "They will be there, I'm almost sure of it."