A Field, Outside a village

[Lys]

Yarrow for the heart... Milk thistle for health... Valerian roots for sleeping...

Lysar was out collecting herbs again. He liked to wander over the hills of Avry, walking through the meadows and collecting plants and flowers with medicinal properties. He was a Divine, it was true, but most of his healing came not from magic, but from sense and herbal lore anyone could learn. If they stopped to smell the roses long enough, that is.

He had been out since sunrise that morning, and it was nearly noon. A slight breeze tossed his loose hair, and carried with it a whiff of something fresh... That was right - a stream ran through the field up ahead, and in the gully tall stalks of mint grew. On top of being useful in a number of remedies, mint made an absolutely wonderful tea. he stuffed the valerian tubers he had just duck up into the satchel at his hip and ran through the tall grasses to the stream. Pulling out a small knife he cut a number of choice spring. Then he flopped back in the meadow grasses and stared at the sky, much as a child might - letting the warm wind rustle the leaves of the trees with a gentle sigh.

[Lys]

Somewhere a bird was singing. The grass whsipered in the wind, which had grown more steady. Opening his eyes, Lys noted that clouds were gathering on the horizon and would soon blow over the island. He smiled. He did love a good storm...[/i] He reached for his waterflask and uncorked it, taking a long swing, only to find it empty. He muttered a word most Divines didn't use, then went to refill it from the stream, only to stop when he remembered this particular stream ran through a cow pasture. Instead he murmured the words to a spell, his voice rising and falling in what was half-litany, half-song. The flagon filled with water, and when he drank, it was cool and sweet and invigorating. Lys stood and stretched, working out a kink in his neck. He began to wander through the field, humming and occasioanlly breaking into soft song...

[Marahar]

You see Flashes of lights from a near by cave which is familiar to you.

[Lys]

Lys blinked at the first flash. Trick of the light. Or maybe lightening.. He glanced towards the large coud banks building up over the sea, but when the light flashed again, it was not in that direction. He realized the bursts of ilumination were coming from a small cave farther down the knoll. He pursed his lips. If it was those village boys playing about with magic again, he wasn't going to heal any more burns... little brats. Ceasing his humming, he began to walk more purposefuly in the direction of the cave...

[Bly]

"I'm sure the ship is fine, the crew hardy. Onadris probably got help. I wouldn't be surprised if they needed repairs and headed out though. Let's head to your village and see what that villain's been up to," Eldred said, "Maybe there's no damage at all."

And with that they started off to the nearby village.

[Bly]

Eldred suddenly stumbled in the snow and fell deep into it. He clutched his chest.

"I am unsure why that happened. It's as though tens of voices cried out and were suddenly silenced. Something terrible has happened at the coast....yet our path does not lie there. We will find only the black there. The Light of Selome is calling from your village. We must redouble our efforts."

[Bly]

They at last came to the village. The homes were close together, situated around a town square, which had been cleared of snow. All appeared peaceful and quiet. Crows flew overhead. The sky was bathed in the white of clouds. An icy, paltry array of docks housed a few small fishing boats and their bungalows on stilts. None of them would be leaving in the winter. Small whitecaps were forming out at sea, sticking out in the cold dark water.

"So this is your village?" Eldred asked.

[Enix]

Alastor took a quick scan of the village in its entirety. "This people need help preparing for the winter, it already feels to be a bitter one this year, and on the coast, it is not easy." He said as he started trecking down to the village, pushing his way through the snow. His cloak whipped behind him, snapping against the cold breeze.

Alastor could feel his armor getting heavier, something was making him weaker and weaker, but he couldn't tell what. A large ball rose from the pit of his stomach and Alastor stopped, hard of breath, with light flashing in his eyes. A throbbing pain reached up into his head, as if something was clawing at his brain and eyes from the inside, it was so intense he almost could not bear it.

"God, what is this foul sickness that plagues me now!" Alastor screamed at the now darkening skies. He reached up and grabbed his head, squeezing, trying to relieve the pain, gritting his teeth, and groaning in the odd pleasure that the pain was causing to his body and soul.

Alastor let out a shrill scream and fell face first into the snow, not breathing, eyelids beat read, and searing hot, shut, without any hope of opening, not for a while...

[Lys]

"Yes, that is it. And we've braved many winters before - this one won't be any different. We are a hardy people - the gods smile on the strong." Lys felt a certain pride for the people of his village, as well as a swell of sadness, knowing that he would leave them soon.

He frowned as Alastro ahead of him stopped. The man cried out, then fell to the ground, motionless. Lys sensed a rottenness in the air, like the sweet stink of decay. It turned his stomach... evil... evil was here, and it had taken this man...

He fell backwards into the snow, making the sign of Selome to rpotect him. He began to murmur very quickly, fear in his eyes as he began to twitch rather fiercely. "Damnation... Stars and snowflakes, help us, gods..." he continued rambling and not making much sense, staring at the knight's body in morbid fascination.

[Bly]

Eldred gasped and held up his staff as Alastor fell.

"Selome protect us, what is the matter with the man!?"

He went to the fallen body of the knight and tugged at his armor with one hand. "Dio, Lys, we must turn him over! Why ever did he read that damnable scroll?"

[Enix]

**NOTE: Alastor isn't dead guys...**

Alastor's eyes popped open, but all that was there was a blank, empty stare. Looking at what no one could tell.

Alastor slowly lifted himself in silence, panting heavily, back arching, muscles chorded and tense, veins pulsing.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Alastor let out a loud, thundering scream, punching his fists into the ground, screaming every time.

He stopped for a breif second, coughed and blood splattered to the ground. He stood slowly, staggering this way and that, but finally stood tall, blood trickling from the corner of his lips. He slumped again, not having the energy to stay up.

"I saw deserts, vast, empty deserts in my dreams. Nothing living, only the dead." Alastor said shaking noticably, even for the heavy cloak he wore. "No, I do not know what it means, but I cannot stay near this village, near these people. They are in danger, and either I or we must leave now." He added, attempting to stand tall and resolute, only left to crouch over in pain yet again.

"Please my friends," He pleaded as he fell to his knees.

"Get this beast, this thing, out of me. I don't care how, just do it." He said through gritted, blood stained teeth to everyone there, glaring directly at Eldred and Lys. "Please."

[Lys]

((I know.))

"Evil..." Lys muttered shakily, continuing to twitch. "Evil in him..." He muttered nonesense to himself, but this time, despite the jerkiness of his body, stood. He stumbled over to Alastor, holding out a hand, trying to call the words of a spell to mind that might drive this abomination out of his companion... He couldn't think of any. Most of his spells helped heal goats or mend broken bones - not purify a soul.

[Bly]

Eldred spoke warily with rising certainty. Fear of Alastor's plight ran rampant through his voice yet the wisdom of Selome steadied his nerves.

"W-w-we should leave him here! Someone can stay and watch over him, Dio most likely, but we need to find out exactly what's going on in that village. If...if if...no, if this island is plagued by these....impurities, then we must find out the scale of the devastation."

He righted his spine and his staff upright, attempting to give the look of importance, yet it looked odd, a fat halfling trying to appear commanding.

"Someone stay here with Alastor. I'm going to the village. We need to figure out what's happenening down there."

He began to walk away, secretly praying to hear a second set of footsteps following him. Though he wished to have another true believer at his side, he certainly wouldn't mind an armed knight either.

[Lys]

Lys tried to pull himself together, shoving his hands into the snow until they hurt from the cold. Icy needles pricked at his fingertips, freezing his flesh. The pain grounded him. Taking a shuddering breath, he turned to face Dio.

"There is nothing we can do spiritually for your friend yet... I will go with Eldred. We will be back soon..." I hope. He stood and grabbed his staff, jogging to catch up with Eldred and warm his blood.

[Dio]

For one of the only times in his life, Dio Songbringer, the brash swordsman, followed orders. He cast a glance at the tiny dots in the distance that were Eldred and Lys, traveling to the healer's village in search of whatever evils were making their home there. His fellow Halfling had suggested he stay with Alastor, and Dio honored the request. Something about Eldred's faith was reassuring, and that was all Dio needed at the moment. He went to the much larger man's side, hoping to extinguish his own fear by calming the Knight.

"Rest, my friend..." he said, not sure where to begin. He grabbed King by the shoulders. "No evil creature can ever overcome us! We are Knights of the Shield! You'll pull through. We'll pull through. We've got to..."