Hiding Out (Acqua, Plot)

[Kender Bard]

Loki and Crentha seemed uneasy but accepted the answer. Spice gave Zevran a look that said just how little he believed that was the case, but fortunately the young guard was not going to push on the issue.

Crentha moved over to Acqua's side. "Are you okay, Auntie?"

---

Mina took a deep breath and closed her eyes so she could focus on the message still ringing around in her head. "Amaro, what you're dealing with precisely is a demon lord--or lady, rather. Her name is Lilth, and she is extraordinarily powerful. Far more powerful than what anyone in Talen'sul is capable of dealing with. It seems Thuoth and I were right to be anxious at her presence. Lilth is corrupting the hearts of all men she draws near. Thankfully, the effect is not permanent, but while under her taint, men become overwhelmed with Evil. The Love in their hearts and minds is completely pushed aside. What you are seeing, my Chosen, is what the world will look like if we fail to quell this issue, soon."

"All I can recommend is that you either leave the city or stay tight where you are and wait for her to leave. Lilth does not seem to have any plans in mind from what we can see. It is our hope she causes her madness then moves on."

[Northen Light36]

Amaro drew in a deep breath. "Not the answer I was hoping for," he muttered. Talen'sul was his home, damnit! The thought of just abandoning the city... Well, maybe there was something he could do. Flash and the Queen were in Talen'sul, weren't they? If he could alert them, warn them of what the danger was... Maybe it would at least save some people... "Thank you," he murmured to Mina. Zevran, are you listening?

~Of course, Amaro. So, it is the palace for us next then?~

We need to try, at least.

~I'll be right there.~

---

"Just a cut, Reny," Acqua assured her neice with a small smile. Her smile faded when she took in Zevran's expression. "What?"

"Amaro recieved a message from Etaf," Zevran said, his tone deadly serious. "Talon will be fine, but we're not dealing with a normal demon. The one responsible is a Demon Lady and she's far too powerful for Talen'sul to defeat. Etaf's advice is to leave the city."

Acqua swallowed hard, then took a deep breath. "Forces..."

Zevran nodded with a sigh. "Amaro and I are going to warn the queen. Spice, Crentha, Loki, I want you three to help your aunt strip the guild of anything particularly useful you can find - particularly the travel foods stored here. Don't pack too heavily, we'll have to carry what you pack and I don't know how far we'll have to go." With that he teleported away, collected Amaro and teleported to the palace, all while thinking, Taed save me from the headache I'm about to get.

(I'll post with Amaro and Zev in the Hearts of Men topic.)

[Kender Bard]

Spice looked at his younger siblings. "You heard him. I'm going to stay right here and guard."

Crentha and Loki weren't in the mood to argue. The two of them began moving around the guild, though their idea of what was valuable wasn't entirely clear.

[Northen Light36]

Acqua advised them on what to take and what not to take where she could while they waited. She kept her blessed dagger drawn and ready and an ear out for trouble. "I hope Zev and Amaro get back soon," she murmured.

After a moment she struggled to her feet... well, foot, and picked up a training staff someone had left carelessly lying around to support herself with. "I'm going to check on Talon and Aria," she told Spice. "You keep guard and help your siblings." With a slow, painful effort, she managed to make her way upstairs and then paused, listening. Hearing Aria sobbing, she limped into her own room first. "Aria..."

"Acqua..." Aria sniffled. "It hurts... And... I hurt Spice and..."

"Shh. Shh," Acqua sat on the side of the bed and released the little girl from her bindings. "It's all right. Spice is fine. Shh... Drink." Cupping her hand, Acqua managed to get some healing water into her neice. "It wasn't your fault, trust me. It's all right. Just rest until I come back."

Covering the girl with a blanket, Acqua limped out of the room and down the hall. If Aria was better, then maybe the same was true for Talon... But she didn't dare unlock that door, so she just knocked and called out, "Talon?"

Despite her best efforts, there was a note of fear in her voice. The memory of Talon's insanity and the knowledge of how alone she was here were at the front of her mind.

[Kender Bard]

"Go away, Acqua!" Talon shouted, his voice high and thin with panic. "Please, oh Etaf. Don't come near me. I don't know if it'll happen again!"

[Northen Light36]

"It won't, Talon," Acqua assured him, hoping she was right. With a deep breath, she unlocked the door and opened it despite her fear. She couldn't leave her brother like that. "Aria was caught in the influence too and she's fine now," she said gently, though she didn't come past the doorway. "Etaf herself told Amaro it would wear off."

She was nervous and the marks of Talon's attack were plain to see, but it was also plain she had no intention of leaving him. "It wasn't you, Talon. It was the demon lady's influence making you do what you'd never normally do."

[Kender Bard]

Talon was rocking back and forth slightly, his hands wrapped so tightly around the ring on his hand that the knuckles stood out white. His eyes were wide and darting. "Go away, please go away," he begged her, moving back until his back was against the wall. His eyes were fixed on her neck, on the marks there. "I think I'm going to throw up," he added in a weak voice.

[Northen Light36]

Acqua hesitated, looking uncertain, but was saved from making a decision when Amaro shouted her name from the stairs. "Go help, Cass. She had Zevran bring a bunch of kids from bardic and she'll need to settle them in while we make plans. Zevran's exhusted."

Amaro waited until Acqua had left, then walked into Talon's room and dropped a bucket beside Talon. "I see Lilth's inflence wore off. You look like shit, Talon." He sat on the bed and shook his head. "Throw up if you need to. Forces know, I wanted to after having one of them in my head."

[Kender Bard]

Talon seemed to think that was a good idea. His nervous tension won out over his stomach and the decision was taken out of his hands anyway.

Once purged, he felt a little bit better, but only marginally. "I don't know how I can ever face anyone I love again," he said in a horrified, rough whisper. "Forces, Forces, Forces, Amaro, you have no idea... It felt so--" he made a sound, swallowed back the bile again "--good."

[Northen Light36]

"Of course it did," Amaro replied. "Forces, Talon, you were in the grip of a creature who's sole purpose is to draw out the evil in human hearts. I doubt her power would be so effective if it didn't feel good." He sighed and reached out to pat his brother's back. "It wasn't your fault, Talon."

[Kender Bard]

Talon flinched. "That doesn't make me feel better!" he snapped. "All it means is that it's been lurking inside me. Whether or not I acted against my will, I still thought those thoughts because a part of me thinks them! I killed people, because a part of me wanted to!" He took a deep shuddering breath. "Just.. Amaro, please keep Acqua and my children away from me until I get this sorted out."

[Northen Light36]

Amaro looked at Talon for a long moment. "No, it's not going to make you feel any better," he agreed, his tone hardening. "Now you've seen the very worst you're capable of and you'll have to find a way to live with being human like the rest of us. But at least you know that it takes a damn demon to draw that out of you instead of just plain bad temper. Which still, believe it or not, makes you a damn sight better person then me, brother."

[Kender Bard]

Talon scrubbed at his face and mumbled something under his breath. "What are we going to do now?" he asked miserably. "Whatever that is, Amaro, it's strong. I went looking for it and I don't think I ever got sight of it before it turned me."

[Northen Light36]

"It's a demon lady," Amaro sighed. "From what Etaf told me, there's nothing we can do. Nothing anyone in Talen'sul could do. I warned the Queen in time to stop her sending the army right into it's hands, but it won't do much good. Etaf's advice was to leave Talen'sul and hope it eventually gets tired of playing with the city."

He sighed. "She also said that this was the beginning. That the whole world will be like Talen'sul is now if the demons aren't stopped soon. At this point, I figure our best choice is to gather up what we can and head to the santuary the Forces promised. Think you're up to it? Cass insisted on bringing a bunch of kids from bardic, Acqua's not up to fighting her own cat at the moment, Spice is recovering from being shocked by Aria, Aria's got broken ribs and Zevran's exhusted. I could use your help keeping everyone in one piece on the road."

[Kender Bard]

Talon shut his eyes and was silent. He knew precious minutes were slipping by but he HAD to clear his mind, at least a little. He slipped off his ring (wincing at the tug of flesh--his skin had burnt while he had been enslaved to his own inner demons) and held it in his hands, bringing it up to his forehead, as if in prayer.

Etaf, give me strength. You must have seen the good in me, despite the ugly evil as well. Please don't ever let me see that side of me again.

He took a few deep breaths to calm his fluttering stomach and then put his ring back on his other hand. "All right," he agreed in a low voice. "I'll serve."