My Mortal Death (Athrug)|Athrug

[Kender Bard]

As Athrug began to wind down for the night and the place grew quieter (it was always fairly quiet in the temple at all times, solemn with the hush of death and those tending to the dead), a sense of stillness fell around the room that Christian was in. The candles flickered briefly.

A soft female voice in the air whispered, Christian...

[Devon]

Christian was just about to put out his lamp for the evening and retire when he heard his named whispered in the air. "Hello? Is that you Thessa?" he answered.

[Kender Bard]

Stepping soundlessly out of the shadows was a tall, imposing woman with dark hair and skin corpse-white. Her eyes shone red in the dark and small fangs peeked out from under her upper lip.

"Not quite," she told Christian. An aura of power and prestige seemed to radiate from her. "My banshee herald is still in my domain. I came to see you personally, my priest."

[Devon]

"My lord," Christian murmured as he knelt down before his master Taed. "I'm thankfully you have come to see me personally Taed, is there anything I can do for you my lord?" he asked as he raised his head a little to see her reply.

[Kender Bard]

Taed grinned at Christian a little, the expression menacing. "Lady," she corrected him. "For now. And yes, I am here for a purpose. You should know, I do not idly linger amongst mortals unless I plan to take them away. It is not your time yet, of course."

She turned her head and frowned, making a hiss of anger. Her gaze had locked onto a small flower that, for some odd reason, had found purchase in a crack in the stone and bloomed. Under her gaze, however, it wilted away and died. She gave a firm nod and looked back at Christian. "How well connected with the rest of the world are you? I know that time can pass away like the desert sands here in Athrug. This place has a timeless quality to it... Usually a pleasant refuge from the tedium of life, but in this case, not terribly helpful if you aren't aware of current events."

[Devon]

Christian rose and addressed his lady. "I try and keep in contact with all of the other temples," he answered. "That way they can inform me of anything big happening outside of these walls my Lady."

[Kender Bard]

Generally Taed was good at showing immense patience, but she tapped her foot a little, agitated. "Well then you have heard the news of the weather? Winter was mild, ending early, spring rushing in. Already the plants bloom fiercely in the warmer climes, and early shoots in the cold ones."

She arched a brow pointedly. "Life abounds."

[Devon]

Christian nodded, he had heard whispers of that going around, but being in the desert plant life didn't much affect him. "In a few of the letters, some of your other priests were saying something about having to deal with priests of Efil that bragged about how much closer they felt to their lord. But I thought it was just prattle from those priests."

[Kender Bard]

"You should heed the words of your brethren more closely," Taed chided. "They are correct. Efil has... descended from the heavens. She has spread herself over the world, infused herself in it. She is here, now, and everywhere. She is inside of you, beneath the sand in long-dormant seeds. Her presence causes all life to flourish."

Taed watched Christian closely, curiously, gauging his reaction to this news.

[Devon]

"You are in me my Lady," Christian replied. "You hold my life and govern my days, not Efil even if she has descended from the heavens." Christian never liked much talk of Efil he had always had poor thoughts of the force since the death of his mother and the Holy War a few years ago did nothing to improve his thoughts on it.

"My Lady are you now thinking of a way to spread your presence around more to balance this?"

[Kender Bard]

Taed smiled widely and managed, somehow, to gentle it so it was less harsh and cruel looking. "You please me, Christian. In both responses. I don't feel a strong need to spread my presence, however. Efil will do that for me. It is not merely the plants and the humans who are multiplying at an alarming rate. Darker things are spawning as well, things that take less time to grow and become hungry. Mark my words, this winter will be a bloody one."

She paced at a slow, elegant walk around Christian. "No, I will not punish the mortals for Efil's folly. We will protect them, you and I. I want you to go forth and begin spreading word of the impending dangers that will come when this bountiful spring and summer have faded away. I will be with you, guide you if I feel it necessary, but I trust you to accomplish this on your own. You will speak in one place and urge them to carry my words. Take some Scythes with you and tell the other Scythes in the land to prepare to fight in my name to protect the people."

Taed turned and snorted softly. She sounded... sad. "The dead guard the living..." Sister... "Life is blind, Christian. It lives in the past and the present but it ignores the future. Death has no future; it can only look back with the wisdom it has accumulated. This gives us a responsibility to life, wouldn't you agree?"

[Devon]

Christian nodded and began to think about how he would accomplish this wide task. "My lady if I may ask, what is it that is going to grow in the winter that we need to look out for?"

[Kender Bard]

"Predators," Taed told Christian. "Monsters. And, perhaps, sickness, though Efil may ward against that with her sheer presence. And who knows? Perhaps worse. I am merely guessing at this. Etaf has not deigned to grace us with her presence and inform us what to do. So I am taking initiative."

[Devon]

"Very good my Lady," Christian replied. "I'll be sure to take the best Scythes we have here with me and I'll spread the word all around Naruta in your name." Christian seemed more at ease now, he was ready to take on this task.

[Kender Bard]

"I trust you to do well in this job," Taed said simply. "If you perform to my satisfaction, I will see fit to reward you with a little time with your beloved Thessa."

She backed away, back into the shadows, where she seemed to melt into them until there was only her voice again. "Any last words before I depart?"