It took heer a while to respond...she hadn't talked to another person in so long... "My name is Illiana Nailo." She smiles in the shadows of her hood. she extends a pale, soft, warm hand. With long venom green nails, each with a rune, in red on them... " Nice to meet you." She doesn't know what else to say... so she sits back and relaxses and things about her next move in her mission.........

Artemis Deschaine... The little girl thinks, deeply, Artemis, the name of a hunter... I wonder how the name relates to the person. The girl looks over the man again... it seemed fitting.

Illiana Nailo... The girl thinks, now moving onto the crimson woman's name. Not a common name I've seen, but Nailo?
The girl tilts her head, struggling with the problem. Her alias she always used held the very same name of Nailo, so it could very well be improper for her to use that name here. That poses a large problem; it took the girl quite a while to be satisfied with her alias, and now she would have to think up a new one in order to prevent any confusion later on.

The girl sits on the rooftop, now staring into space, as she tries to come up with another alias to go by. Eventually, it comes to her. It's very similar, at least in what it is, but perhaps it will be close enough that it will feel the same for me. The little girl thinks, before returning to watch the hunter and the crimson woman.

Artemis feels an electric tingle course through him as he shakes Illiana's offered hand, enjoying the contact with warm and soft flesh that he hasn't felt in such a long time.

As she sits back and appears to lose herself in thought, he ponders what this meeting might mean. The feeling of destiny he has experienced in this village only grows stronger as he remains, and he begins to feel more sure that he and this mysterious and beautiful woman were supposed to meet. He also feels as if there is more here than can be seen, as though there are possibly others he has not met, who also have a part to play here.

He considers what to say next, wondering if Illiana even wants to have conversation with him, wondering if she feels this same sense of fate that he does. She seems a bit aloof, but he considers that it seems a bit like the aloofness of one who is unaccustomed to regular human contact.

Hoping to make her feel more at ease, and perhaps to gauge her sense of the current situation, he decides that a bit more conversation might be in order.

"A beautiful name you have, Miss Illiana Nailo. Most exotic. I cannot help but think that you are as much a stranger in this place as I. And yet I also cannot help but feel that our paths may have been meant to cross. Something, I cannot say what, drew me to this village...a village that does not seem the most welcoming to wanderers and travelers. I wonder, is it simply my flight of fancy, having been devoid of human companionship for so long? Or have you, perhaps, felt it as well? I would not presume to claim that it was our destiny to meet, but I think it is not an accident that it has happened."

He relaxes and drinks his ale as he waits for Illiana's response, wondering if this is the beginning of an important and fateful relationship, or if his foolish fancies have led him to see the hand of Destiny in an ordinary circumstance.

Her hand starts to tingle as they touch. “Such power” She mutters softly under her breath. She then slowly withdraws her hand. They both sit in silence for a moment before he speaks.


"A beautiful name you have, Miss Illiana Nailo. Most exotic. I cannot help but think that you are as much a stranger in this place as I. And yet I also cannot help but feel that our paths may have been meant to cross. Something, I cannot say what, drew me to this village...a village that does not seem the most welcoming to wanderers and travelers. I wonder, is it simply my flight of fancy, having been devoid of human companionship for so long? Or have you, perhaps, felt it as well? I would not presume to claim that it was our destiny to meet, but I think it is not an accident that it has happened."
“Thank you, Your name doesn't seem all that common either. You would be correct, i am a stranger to this place, i arrived the same night as you. I have a felt a strange connection sense you arrived in this place. Perhaps we where supposed to meet. Something about you seems different from other people i have crossed on my missions. But whatever is going on i also believe that we are both here for a reason, a reason i believe, that will soon show itself.”
She sits back and thinks for a moment and finishes her second ale, and decides against more. Seeing that the city outside, is now alive with people she decides that she should start on her mission. She thinks, Should i invite him to come along? She isn't really sure. She has never really worked with other people, it always seemed to much trouble. But she decides that she might not be able to do this one alone.

“Perhaps you would like to come with me to the marketplace? I have come here to seek out an Alchemist by the name of Mylan Moonshadow. He has some information and some items that might ad me in the current part of my mission.” She stops slightly knowing his next question is going to be about her mission. She now regrets even mentioning it, but decides it is best to explain before he asks. She sighs heavily then moves a bit closer to him so she can lower her voice, so that only he can hear her speak. “It's a long story, but i have come looking for something very important. The people of my village are dieing, and whatever the disease is, is slowly spreading. It started with the chief of the town, then the whole town, the surrounding towns. Luckily it doesn't seem to be moving to fast. My suspicions have lead me here. I don't believe that this is a disease
i think some sort of dark magic is at work. While on my journey i came acrossed a couple people from my village that where assumed dead. They where in a town miles away. They seemed strange, so a followed them when they left. I followed them for about two days. They lead me to a very remote cavern. When i followed them inside i found almost all the people from my village including my brother. They all seemed to be hypnotized, and i knew something was wrong, i watched the towns people bury my brother almost a month ago. They where building something it looked like... I'm not sure what yet, but it has lead me here.” She sighed heavily.... It felt good to get that off her chest. She had been holding the dark secret for so long it started to haunt her dreams. She hoped he would help her. She was very experienced and yet this seemed like something that she wouldn't be able to do on her own.

“So what do you say?” She stands and reaches out her hand as if to say are you in or out....

The little girl eavesdrops intently on the conversation. It had definitely taken a very interesting turn. So, she was right, this crimson woman was involved with something major in this world, and, if she interfered, the little girl would be as well. Perhaps it was time she see them and let them see her... after a fashion.

They were going to go to the marketplace, so it'd be better if the little girl goes first, to avoid bizarre not-really-coincidental arriving at the same time. Satisfied, and certain that she'd be able to catch up with the hunter and the crimson woman if they changed their minds, the little girl flies away, looking for an abandoned alley. Eventually, she finds one.

She makes sure that it is indeed empty and there was no one watching, looking all over the alley methodically; she was used to this. She pulls out her belt pouch, which actually held considerably more than a normal pouch should. Still invisible, she lays out a few articles of elven-sized clothing for her to wear as she places what she is currently wearing in the bag. With calculated thoughts, she concentrates and brings her form to change. Her dragonfly wings retract into her back as her size increases. Putting on the clothing she had chosen, she allows herself to become visible.

She now had the appearance of an elven woman, with autumn-red hair and blue eyes, dressed in a relatively plain purple dress. Putting her pouch back on her waist, she confidently walks back out of the alley, and towards the marketplace she saw earlier. Many people glanced over towards her, either out of curiousity or suspicion for her being a stranger, but here, in the marketplace, it really didn't matter because, whether you were a resident or a stranger, your gold was always of worth to the merchants.

Hmm, what to buy... I guess I'll try to find more gemstones for that tiara I want to make. the woman decides, now looking around for a gemstone merchant. She is reasonably confident that it'd be near the same apothecary that Illiana and Artemis were headed to, as the two occupations are somewhat related. Then again... the woman doesn't know whether this world knows how to make synthesized stones or not yet.

Artemis is touched, amazed, and intrigued as he listens to Illiana's tale.

He is touched by her devotion to her village and family. He remembers his feelings of love and loyalty for his own, and he is again stabbed by heartache as he thinks back on the loss of all he has held dear, yet knowing that his own exile was a result of simple fear and ignorance. Illiana has endured a true tragedy not of her own doing, one that seemingly has a force of real malevolence behind it.

He is amazed that each of their circumstances had led them to this unlikely place. It does indeed seem to him now that this meeting was by no means an accident. Loss of home and family seems to have brought them both here. And he decides on the spot that helping this mysterious and beautiful woman is quite possibly his purpose in being brought here. His father had always instilled in him that there was no nobler purpose than to help those that need it, and he sees here an opportunity to honor that lesson. And he also sees that perhaps there was something more than simple fear and ignorance that lost him his home. Perhaps that same hand of Destiny had merely used the birth of his wild magic, and the resulting exile, as a convenient means to bring him to this place, at this time.

And he is intrigued. There is definitely magic at work in this situation, and he knows full well that Illiana felt the power within him when they touched; his hunter's ears caught her faint remark at the contact. And he felt great power within her as well. He thinks the chances are more than good that this woman could be a key to unlocking the full potential of the magic within him. Having always been a curious and imaginative soul, he doesn't want to shy away from the magic that he possesses; he wants to bring it out, explore it, and master it; and Illiana could very well help him do that. And he still has the feeling that there are other players in this great game, players who have not yet been made known to him.

“So what do you say?” She stands and reaches out her hand as if to say are you in or out....
As this moment of truth looms, he seizes it. He grasps her hand, again feeling the currents of power beneath the warm and soft skin. He stands as he does so, bows toward her, and places the lightest of gentlemanly kisses upon the back of her outstretched hand. At this contact, perhaps as an omen, magic again flares in his hands, illuminating both his hand and hers for the briefest of moments.

"Milady, I am at your service."

He bowed and kissed her hand gently, at that moment his magic and hers flared. A bright blue flame engulfed there hands... she smiled and laughed... he had true potential he could be as strong as her one day....one day soon..

“Alright we have a lot to do...last i knew the “Disease” had reached the outskirts of Coldwater. Let go see this Mylan, before this thing spreads further.”
She exits the room and heads into the awakened city. The sun has finally reached the valley fully. There where children playing and elders sitting about. She made her way threw the crowd easily. She then stopped in front of a small building, in the middle of the marketplace. Then she felt the presence she had felt the night before. A small, strange, unworldly presence. She glanced around quickly...not really seeing anything she reaches for the handle on the wooden door and enters.

The store is a single room...with stairs leading up, to where the alchemist sleeps at night. There he stood. Mylan...she knew it was him from the description she had been given. A young elven alchemist, with black hair and light green eyes. His hair long and flowing pulled back into a pony tail. Very tall and slender. She didn't even hesitate to approach him. She didn't even have to speak, before he did, she knew he would have heard she was coming by now.

“You must be Illiana, and this must be Artemis, the newest adventurer. WELCOME!” he bows slightly then motions for them to come have a seat by his fireplace with him. He proceeds to lock the door and flip the open sign to closed. “So it is information you seek. I regret to tell you i have very little information to report to you.. but i will gladly tell you what i do know, and things i have heard.” Illiana sits and smiles “Thats all i can ask of you...but whats the fee for such information?” He stops for a second and thinks.. “A women of business i like that.. The fee is a mere 5000 gold pieces...thats my reguler fee for information this good.” Illiana removes a pouch from within her robes and sets it on the table in front of her. Mylan picks it up and shakes it...seeming satisfied he takes a seat a crossed from her.


“Alright then, where to start... Ok! As you have figured out for yourself, this is no true disease as first thought. It is true it starts as a disease. But when the victims die and are buried they come back to life and are transported to a hidden cavern deep within the southern mountains. From there they are sent to were ever they are needed. I have been told you stumbled into one of there caverns a couple days travel from here. What you found was one of the many temples being built to summon demons for an army. As to who is controlling all of this i am not really sure, but i can give you the name of someone who might have an idea..... The master of the cavern you entered might know. He is a large half-orc by the name of Lord Vicroar. Granted he is only a stupid half-orc but he might be able to help you some how... But don't think he is going to give up this information easily... He is well hidden and well guarded by the master he serves...so i suggest you be careful if this is the path you choose... But unfortunately this is all the information i hold at this time... i hope it will help you in you journeys”
Before either of them can ask him any questions he waves his hand and they are both standing back outside of his shop's door. The door is still locked and the closed sign still hanging. Trying to re-enter would be pointless because it looks as if he had left anyways.

She turns to Artemis... “So what thoughts do you have about all of this? What should our next move be...” Jokingly she continues.. “Or have you changed your mind about all of this?” She bumps him jokingly.....

The woman silently eavesdrops on the information; her hearing is quite acute, and she can hear quite well if she concentrates. Looking at a vendor's display items next to the alchemist's place provides any onlookers the guise that she is intrigued by the items, when in reality she is intrigued by the conversation beyond normal hearing's reach. Things seemed to be escalating quite quickly, but... the woman considers... it wasn't unforeseeable given the nature of what was happening.

When Artemis and Illiana exit, or more accurately, are pushed out of the alchemist's place, the woman moves on, far enough to not seem to be suspicious, yet close enough for her to hear the remaining discussion.

She turns to Artemis... “So what thoughts do you have about all of this? What should our next move be...” Jokingly she continues.. “Or have you changed your mind about all of this?” She bumps him jokingly.....
He smiles at her, enjoying the friendly camaraderie. "Not a bit, milady. I think it is high time that we paid this Lord Vicroar a visit. Perhaps his aversion to being flayed alive will outweigh his stupidity."

He chuckles a bit, but inside he is seething with anger. These vermin have threatened his very home. When he was exiled from Coldwater, he felt disappointment and disgust with his lifelong neighbors, but he knew deep down that their behavior sprouted from ignorance, not maliciousness. He stills cares for them all, and he vows to himself that he will be damned before he allows any harm to come to them. His thoughts then turn to his family, still in Coldwater, and at the mercy of this foul threat. His resolve hardens to a razor-sharp point. As he believes he has been gifted with this strange magic for a reason, he also believes he has been trained as a formidable hunter for a reason. And now, it seems, that reason is making itself known.

He looks at Illiana again, and he is sure she can see the seriousness and determination in his eyes.

"I think, though, that we have other matters to attend to first. I know you have felt the magic that is within me. I only discovered it, quite by accident, a short time ago. It is, in fact, why I was exiled from Coldwater, and why I set out upon this journey."

He sees her eyes widen a bit as he mentions his place of birth.

"Yes, I am indeed from that very village. I think we both begin to see now that it was not just mere coincidence that brought us together. That is my home they are going to attack. And as one who has already felt their reach, I am sure you can understand that I am not about to sit idly by and let them do that to my friends and family. They may have shown supreme ignorance in their judgment of me, but they do not deserve this in repayment. I will indeed help you, in any way that I can."

"But as for this magic, I cannot help but feel that is has a purpose as well. Perhaps it is meant to be one of my weapons in this battle to come. I have a feeling that you know something of the ways of magic, and if you can help me unlock this power, I believe that it can serve to aid us in what is ahead."

He looks once more into her mysterious but beautiful crimson eyes.

"And I will forever be in your debt."

She was taken back slightly by his gaze. She thought deeply...not really wanting to tell him how to unleash his powers..knowing full well it is deadly, to say the least. She sighs trying to think of what to do. Her mind spins her crimson eyes flash green momentarily. She looks down then guides him to a nearby bench. She motions for him to sit before she speaks...

“The only way to unleash your powers....it's very deadly and i am not quite sure you would be ready to handle it. But if you really want to know....to unleash your powers you must come to the verge of death, only then will your powers flare and be unleashed....but if they don't the consequences are...well.....death.”
She sighs and looks down at the ground. They sit in silence for a while before she again speaks.. “I have a couple of things to pick up from the marketplace before we leave... She heads for the marketplace slowly......

"Miss! Are you going to buy that jewel or not? You've been staring at it for quite some time now!" The vendor in front of the woman asks in exhasperation.

"Oh, I'm sorry." The woman replies, pulling out her purse and paying the man in full. She drops the gem, a beautifully cut amethyst, into the same pouch.

Turning away, her eyes and Illiana's catch one another for just a moment, before the woman continues turning and walks away.

Artemis ponders Illiana's ominous warning as she wanders toward another part of the marketplace.

To come to the verge of death...
He knows that he has no fear of death; indeed there have been times upon his journey of exile that he has wished for it, if only to escape the heart-rending pain of being cast out from his home and loved ones. But he takes a moment and asks himself some very direct, very hard questions: Am I ready to risk death for this? Am I ready to die to find this magic? Am I ready to die for a woman I've only just met, no matter how destined the meeting was?
And then the question becomes more direct and much easier to answer: Am I ready to die for my home and family?
He ponders this briefly before the answer comes, in the voice of his father, something he told Artemis many years before.

It is better to die for something than to live for nothing.
And with that simple statement comes Artemis' answer. He will risk death to see this through. His home, his family, Illiana's home and family, and Illiana herself...all are worth the risk. Should he die in service to them, should he die in the company of beautiful Illiana and whomever else might join this quest...he knows it will be an honorable death, not wasted in any way.

He takes a quick walk back to the inn, loads up his gear, tosses the key to the innkeeper on his way out, and walks back to the marketplace. It only takes a moment to spot Illiana's distinctive crimson robes. When she turns and their eyes meet across the crowd, he gives her a reassuring smile and a nod of his head, trying to convey a simple message to her:

I am with you...until the end.

She knows he didn't like his choices and she didn't like them for him either, Though they had only known one another a short while...she was starting to become attached...he was good company...company, something she wasn't even used to. It was nice, Illiana didn't trust to many, yet already she trusted this stranger with her life she looked around cautiously her eyes meet with an elven womens for only a second. But in that second she felt the same presence she had felt twice before. Then she knew she must find a way to approach this women and perhaps recruit her to help them. She was no normal women and Illiana knew that she would be a great help to them. She had a hunch about this women so she whispered to herself slightly, “I wounder if she would be any help to us? She seems to have potential. NAH! She wouldn't be interested.” She then shrugs and walks back over to Artemis as he approaches after collecting his things. She smiles slightly and motions for him to follow her..

She heads over to a shop not for from them. The sign on the door says closed...there are now windows to this establishment...but she knocks on the door three times, a latch on the door can be heard unlocking or locking....not sure which. She waits a couple of second than speaks quietly.. “Mallen pelu e’ n’alaquel en’ sen” The door opens slowly, illiana quickly turns around and comes face to face with Artemis, she is inches from him, as she spoke softly and quickly... “Keep you eyes to yourself and be careful”
They enter a large dark building, it is all one big open room with small shops set up within. She walks to a shop like she knows where she is going. her and the vendor say nothing...she simply hands them a pouch and they hand her another pouch...this happens about six more times with different vendors before she heads for the door to exit... as she opens the door she sees just what she had expected the sun was beginning to set already...something about that place always made time move faster...she could be in there for four hours and miss two days...

Deciding it is best not to talk about what just happened she changes the subject as soon as the exit. “So sense your part of this team....is there anywhere you would like to go before the shops close down? If not we should maybe start moving out... we can get at least a couple miles before having to make camp for the night..” Her crimson eyes look him up and down as she waits for a reply..... she also keeps a close watch for the elven women from before...she can swear she feels her presence somewhere close by.......

The woman sees the look of recognition in Illiana's eyes in that single glance. She's far more intuitive that I could have thought The woman notes, That means I won't be able to use this form as a disguise, except for the instances where I must.
She retreats to another deserted alley, and reverts back to her original form. Invisibility is generally far better than any disguise. Besides, she prefers to fly rather than walk. How can these people stand walking? The little girl is truly a spirit of the air.

Now invisible and unseen, she flies above Illiana, trailing her consistently. She doesn't bother to enter the store where Illiana does, but is slightly surprised by the amount of time she spends in there. Soon enough, nearing dusk, Illiana and Artemis return into view, and so the little girl follows them. Things were likely to get interesting and quite quickly, so she makes sure to keep within her hearing range of the two, landing on the roof of a nearby building gently without disturbing it.

Following Illiana's cryptic instructions, Artemis says nothing and tries not to be overly curious as they are within the mysterious building. But a soul such as his cannot remain completely oblivious in such a place, and the few looks he dares take do indeed reveal things that could suitably be called fantastic and mystical. He reveals nothing of this to Illiana, though, surmising that none of the things in this strange place probably hold any mystery for her. He stays at her side, with a hand on the hilt of one of his daggers, until her business is complete and they step back out into the Eurishka marketplace.

Out of habit, Artemis mentally checks his inventory, making sure he has everything he needs for another journey. As he does, he notices Illiana glance around, as if looking for someone. So I am not the only one who feels as though there is someone else with a part to play in this, he thinks. Good. I can only hope that whoever or whatever it is will not bode ill for us.
Confirming that everything is in place and ready, he addresses Illiana.

"I have everything I need. Agreed, we should move out and cover some distance before nightfall. I must say, though, that I feel that the players in this game have not all come to the board. And from the way you look around, I sense that perhaps you are in agreement. Have you sensed another in this place?"

He looks around for a moment, again feeling that nagging sense of destiny, as though there is another somewhere here whose fate is intertwined with theirs.

But he sees no one other than the common-looking villagers. He only hopes that this mysterious presence makes itself known to them soon, and that it proves to be ally and not enemy. Unforseen variables complicate any situation, and this situation is far too complicated already, in his opinion. And this seems to be a situation in which as many allies as possible will be needed.

As he waits for Illiana to finish her scan of the crowd and respond, Artemis smiles and allows himself a moment of fancy.

Well, here I am. Facing almost certain death, a beautiful woman at my side, magic and monsters, unseen companions, a noble quest to rescue those in need...if this doesn't get me in some bard's tale somewhere, nothing will.