Meet the New Victims, Same as the Old

Faverson's unit was the usual rag tag group of adventurers that are too fool hardy to understand they are walking straight into the worst place ever.  Over confident joking fools who should have listened to their parents back when they were children to avoid playing with fire (so unlike me in every way of course). I was in a wagon caravan outside of Rosetia with them all the way down to Regor.  There were a total of seven brave soldiers Faverson was bringing with him ignoring the shorty slaves and boat crew he hired in Regor.

Carter: Card player, guy was always shuffling a deck and had some game I'd never heard of he wanted to play, I gave him more of my money than I'd like to admit.  I was never really clear on what Carter was doing there, some kind of trader was my guess, he sure wasn't much of a soldier (he bitched more than I did, and thats saying something).

Stone: Like the name would imply, pure soldier. Carried a large mace with him spoke only in grunts, loved to eat though, damn that guy could pack away food, also because of that tended to delay us in the morning when he had to relieve the excess if you catch my meaning.

Spate and Cooley: Ranged guys, first time I ever partnered with guys carrying rifles over arrows (a trend that continued up till today obviously.  Spate and Cooley were basically inseperable, they had been in marksman in the war between the Red Hand and Ronerawth (obviously fighting for Ronerawth based on using technology over magic).  Their rifles were that black powder exploding type, noisy as hell, but they tended to get the job done.  Cooley talked like an aristocrat, Spate had a regional way of talking I could never place, it just sounded odd, half the time we had to have cooley translate Spate for the rest of us.

Meg: Meg was the cook, hunter, and overall camp supervisor.  She was bigger than Stone and had more scars.  She looked like she spent her whole life living off whatever land she was from and was absolutely terrifying for that.  On top of her cooking and hunting, she was the closest the camp came to a medicine person, though I never went to her for assistance (her methods ranged from spitting on it and rubbing dirt, to roughly turning it over looking for what could be hurt).  Her food also wasn't that good, but based on her size I didn't want to dare insinuate I wasn't enjoying it.

Teagera: Clearly he was some kind of thief (I kept checking my bags anytime he hung around me for longer than a few moments), only member of the group that was a shorty (not surprising he was a thief, most of those little buggers are).  Talked a lot, him and Cater sat there and talked all night long (I have no idea when they slept), mostly made up stuff based on my knowledge of well anything he purported to speak on.

Yyne: The only other female, I didn't know anything really about her or why she was there.  She just mumbled quietly to herself and stayed around Farverson like a lost puppy.  I figured he was his relief slave (you can guess what kind of relief I'm talking about here), she didn't discuss things with the group, nor show any martial skills that I ever witnessed.

That about sums up my traveling companions as I approached Regor I was dreading the trip across the ocean.  I have no idea what they thought of me, because frankly I don't care what lessers think of the grand Trezlan Lorentino! Or if I was being honest its because I spent a lot of the trip getting over a nasty seasonal illness and despite losing money to Carter occaisionally I just kept to myself throwing up occaisionally.

Left My Sense on Toebeck Island

I stayed in my room for a couple days, only leaving to hit the outhouse and then ducked back inside. I didn't see the man in loud armor and figured I'd dodged a bullet (ok here's a case of me using common slang now that wasn't really widely used then... sue me), sadly it appeared his strategy was to lull me into a false sense of security because as soon as I got up enough nerve to exit my room for a longer period he was waiting for me.

"Mr. Lorentino!" He called out like we were good friends, we were in fact not good friends.

"Mr. Annoying person who wants my help for some inexplicable reason."

"Farverson sir," He said it like I should care, sadly I knew I couldn't just avoid this man, as much I could try he would would not leave me alone.

"Mr. Farverson, what can I do for you so that you leave me alone." A request I make often of people seeking me out.  I had moved beyond the hotel I was staying at and into the street, I like to be around in front of witnesses should a conversation go a direction I wasn't intending.

"I need you to help me and my men get to Toebeck island."

"And why do you think I could do that Farverson? Do I look like a boatman? Or a guide for that matter? Not to mention there are plenty of both from that cesspool of a port Regor." I picked up my pace, now that his task was something completely stupid I could safely dismiss him.

"That's the thing Lorentino, there aren't anymore! I checked, no boat has arrived from Toebeck for months now, all the captains who have set sail for there have disappeared." I stopped, that was definately weird, and unexpected.

"What? How is that possible?"

"That's what my company wants to know! We have lost a very good trade route and trade partner in your father and we want to know what has become of them." Ahh yes dear old dad who sold me off as a child, let me tell you I was heartbroken to hear he might be in trouble.

"Why not just go there yourself? You appear well armored and I'm sure you can assemble men who are the same? Why bring me?"

"The reefs Lorentino, the island is surrounded by them, if we don't take the proper approach we'll run aground and be of no help to those who are there." He wasn't lying and sadly I did recall the proper path as it was one of the few things my father drilled into my head (despite not being good with a canoe or any kind of boat, it was important for me to know how to get home, so I can bring him riches of course).

"I would require compensation for my knowledge." I had resigned myself to helping this man, even though I knew what we were running into would not be what actually was probably there.

"Of course Mr. Lorentino, come walk with me and meet my men, we will discuss compensation for your expertise." And so it came that I left Rosetia yet again, I didn't tell Valrym good bye (I never do, because he's a dick), though I did leave a note for Lorissia and Malcyr should they come looking for me. At the very least I got to eat some fruit and not be threatned with murder for a couple weeks.  That's how little respect I expect from this world, those are my grand goals!

Trezlan Lorentino of the Made Up Lorentinos

I was growing used to not having to do anything dangerous, which meant that my time for avoiding said dangers was coming to a close. I had been in Rosetia for a couple weeks, the weather was nice, I avoided Valrym and his cynical wisdom and I was able to eat real fruit for days! I was a bit worried my associates had not returned from their adventure, but figured as adventures always do things were more complicated (that or they ran off to be with each other... ok so I was more than a little bit worried about that one). I was walking by some strange silks thinking of maybe upgrading my robe with a little more style (what can I say I like to be pretty) when I was stopped by a young man in a very colorful suit of armor.

"Are you Trezlan Lorentino of Toebeck island?" Toebeck Island another name for where I grew up (I just called it the island though it was one of several).

"No Trezlan Lorentino of the Upper Ronerawth Lorentino's you must be mistaken." I started to walk swiftly in another direction from my loud armored friend.  He followed as people like that often do.

"I need your help sir." Sir? It was a nice start, though I wasn't likely to help someone just because they called me a nice name.

"No you need a different Trezlan, you know one who will help you, I suggest looking for one who isn't me." Picked up my pace and almost ran into a guys pack horse. I sidestepped the horse ducked down an alley way and managed to lose the man in the loud armor (people in armor are always slower than those of us not in armor!) I made my way back to my hotel to camp out until my pursuer left, I know it wasn't the bravest move, but honestly bravery is better left for the brave!

Valrym the Omniscient

"So you've been in town a couple days and you haven't killed anyone, kudos is that your first time doing that?" It was inevitable that Valrym and I would run into each other, he didn't have to be such a dick about it.

"I'll have you know my first visit to this town had weeks go by without senseless murder, ass." I'd been out buying more fruit (surpingly I'd eaten the stuff I'd purchased earlier, almost like I could actually meet my goals!)

"Where are your associates, my bartender told me you were with two people? Kill them already?" You know for saving Valrym's life he sure treated me like garbage. Probably that whole necromancy thing, its such a friendship killer.

"No I didn't kill them, they left me to go deal with some bandits and I'm done being the errand boy of the downtrodden."

"So finished before you even started?" He had started walking with me, I purposefully took long strides, to my dismay he kept up no issue.

"Why do you care? We're done with each other." I started just walking anywhere, but anywhere wound up being Valrym's tavern, weird how that works.

"Because I saved you, in a way I kind of unleashed you on others."

"I saved you as well, yet you don't see me checking in on you."

"Well one of us is a demigod, and one of us is a petty necromancer who can't see beyond the crevice of his own ass."

"You became a necromancer?" He punched in my groin area, it was totally worth it.

"Everything about you is ugly Lorentino, the best thing you could do is go live in the mountains and not bother anyone." He left me there holding onto my groin writhing in pain.  I remember getting mad at him for those comments, but its not like he was wrong, that's the worst part, when someone calls you out for being a bad person, and they're right. If only I could find a way to make money off of obvious predictions.  I'd be so rich.

The Streets of Rosetia

Riding into town I felt that sense of calm satisfaction you get right before something breaks, blows up, or otherwise dooms you to the opposite of what you want. I arrived in the morning because again horses need rest and I wasn't really in a rush to get back to town (that and arriving at night tends to alert nearby authorities etc etc).  I banished any worries about Lorissia and Malcyr, because they are both adults and they don't need me hovering over them like some kind of watchful mother, the world does not no matter how much I pretend so, revolve around me!

Rosetia was sleepily waking up when I got there, the workers were heading off for their first shift moving boxes around, some kids were chasing after each playing tag or something else.  Trade caravans were arranging their pack animals, I nodded to a man I remember from my earlier career of letter writing, he waved back. I angled my horse to a local inn (not valrym's I didn't really need his sass that early in the morning).

"How long you going to be staying for?" Old guy probably been there his whole life, in a way I kind of respected the stability.

"A week, I need to finish up some business in town and then head south for much of the same." What business I had to finish? Well I hadn't figured that part out, but it sounded right.

"Lot of people doing that, hope there's not more trouble with Ronerawth." I hadn't heard of any more problems with the empire, but you never can tell with bad things, they come up as they do, "Take the room at the far end, if you need to stay longer just make sure to tell me or my wife she works the night shift." He handed me a rough key and pointed down the hallway behind him.  I thanked him and made way to the room, it was fairly simple, a hay bed with a small dresser next to it, a window looked out on the street and I could see the dust rising from the days work.

I laid down on the bed and set my meager gear and saddle bags beside it, I was glad to take a moment to rest before heading to Ronerawth, I knew sooner or later I should finish up business with the that gaggle of jerks before I saw Malcyr in his official capacity. I tell you, I consider myself a citizen of the empire (even to this day despite being officially banished), but they do not make it easy to love them.  Or tolerate them, kind of like family.

No more Jobs

"That's it I'm done, I'm retiring!" Lorissia and Malcyr had been discussing a new job, well I say job sounded more like chore, we'd run across a trade caravan that had been assaulted by some local bandits and they wanted to go check out where the bandits came from, sounded simple, sounded easy.  Which meant it would not be either of those two damn things and I wanted no part of it! I know Malcyr had already left me and I already left Lorissia, but I was tired of running off and doing someone elses dirty work! Can't things just work themselves out for once?

"Fine we can do this without you, I mean it'll probably be safer and everything." Lorissia always the master of subtley implying I make things worse!  So what if it was the truth, I usually came out on top! Usually. I didn't argue, I mean so me and Lorissia were supposed to be in love, but if you love something you let it go... off with someone else better than you in most respects. Look this was more about me being tired of helping the downtrodden.  I was downtrodden! Did anyone help me? NO! (Ignoring those who have, who totally didn't).

They rode off in one direction and I in the other opposite direction (which happened to be where Rosettia was, thankfully, I mean I'd hate to ride off in a huff and have to turn around and ride in the actual direction I needed to). I went to sleep with a clean concience (ok sort of I have murdered a lot of god damn people).  I even had some activities set up.

Activity 1: Don't get involved in any grand master plans.

Activity 2: Purchase perishable fruits I intended on eating at my leisure

Activity 3: Buy an actual inn room and stay the length of time I purchased without interuption!

Simple goals, I still try and do that from time to time (except for the inn one I normally loathe staying away from my home now that I actually have one).  It works out about as good as you can expect!

The Pen is Mightier Than The Jerk

It took three weeks, but I had the quill that could rewrite history.  I rode as best as my horse allows (another part I edit out for you, horses really can't ride all day and all night, they at best go like seven hours, which is about the length of time my groin goes for).  Making it back to the Man in Whites little hovel hell, not so supringly it was more like the shorty remembered, bodies strung up (fresh too, so the Man in White was apparently not waiting around), little urchins and dirty people stood looking at me menacingly from behind camp fires cooking the flesh of people (cannabilism is always so popular with evil people, go figure). I hitched my horse and gave a rude glare to one of the shorties who got too close. Striding into the heart of the Man in White's little fortress I felt a sense of righteous power (pride goes before a fall? Who believes that nonesense!) Inside was all empty, I guess the Man in White liked controlling his minions from a distance, but didn't want to actually put up with their smell. I found his room by light of a lantern and saw him dressed as he had been sitting at a desk writing paper at the ready.

"You return, I hope you have the quill for your friends sake, you'll be happy to know I've kept them from eating the flesh of men for now, but I was running low on supplies." He had the smirk of someone who never loses, I should know it, because I totally have the same smirk.

"Yes I searched far and wide but I found your quill, I hope your willing to honor your end of the bargain." I handed him the quill, he didn't even notice I was wearing gloves, its almost like he didn't care about me at all, "I warn you if you are going to write me out of existence be aware without me you wouldn't have the pen at all."

"Noted, I'll just write a horrible death in for you now." He sat at the desk and started scribbling furiously for about two seconds, then the paralysis kicked in and I let the smirk he had when I came in spread across my face.

"Its a curious thing looking for a powerful object, especially one my former master had no memory of." He twisted and turned, bodily functions were shutting down, the poison on the quil the kind of deadly toxin spread by skin contact, "Which lead me to think it was a fools errand, surely something so powerful would not so easily be forgotten, indeed I would have thought it paramount to her thoughts." He stumbled out of the chair, twitching spasms from his legs as the last bits of the poison took hold. "And I wasn't wrong, the Quill you sought could indeed rewrite history, for the victor! I have no idea where you came across her plan to poison a magistrate and rewrite some records for her favor, but it is kind of funny to me that you took her words literally." The light in his eyes faded, death had taken him.

I left him there in the middle of his little fortress, still clutching the quil as had the idiots in Valrya's safehouse. I found my friends alive, a little under nourished but fine in a couple cells below, they didn't remember anything (In Malcyr's case he didn't even remember meeting up with me and Lorissia to start this madness, he just remembered investigating this place and then me unlocking his cell).  The band of cannibals outside had dispersed to wherever they had come from, the Man in Whites mental grasp on them shattered. I decided to leave the shanty town as a reminder to other travelers (avoid this place or suffer its fate) I had to wonder if the quill would claim another victim, curiosity as they say is a killer.

So ends the Man in White, a person who will not be remembered by history for his attempts to rewrite it with a magic quill.  Let it be known history is always written by the winners, its one reason I intend on living forever and writing the whole time. Don't worry dear reader of this journal, I'll promise I'm telling you the straight story, honest.

Lost? I'm Found

Three stupid lairs (two empy, one covered in spiders no I won't write how I saw a bunch of spiders and just ran away... shit wait curse you pen!) and I still didn't have that dumb Quill.  Doubts were eating away at the back of my mind, if such an artifact existed why couldn't I recall Valyra locking it up forever? Another question, why didn't Morley want it? Sure the ability to literraly rewrite history would be devastating and scary, but you'd be able to rewrite history! Think of the horrific possibilities!

So it was with these thoughts in my mind, (and that of a huge spider nest) that I rode on to another of Valrya's safe houses. From the outset it was clear I wasn't the only person aware of this particular safe house.  There were three horses already outside the ruined house with a false cellar.  Now whether they were there to just use the remains of the house as a place to stay, or were looting it wasn't clear initially.  I approached with my usual caution (brazenly walking up sword still in my sheath). The house had been a one story, most of the roof was gone, and the occupants were not inside, which told me they were there for the safe house. It did occur to me much like the spider cave this might be a sign to just walk away.  But I'll be damned if some looters scare me off (spiders yes, looting jerks? hahaha no.) Valyra had ingeniously hid the safehouse behind a fallen dresser with a false back (so you'd check the dresser find nothing, and move on, well in theory) beneath it would be stairs that lead down to a cellar, one room, just enough for her to store some emergency supplies in case she was being pursued (despite being a powerful necromancer even she had to run from time to time).

Walking down the steps I had to pause, there wasn't a sound. If three people were looting down below I should have heard something! Arguing over worth, loot, or just that there was nothing there. Perhaps they were sleeping, I had arrived at night, though strange they'd sleep in the middle of robbing something (even if Valrya were dead, its not like they would know that!). I actually took my sword out of its hilt and prepared to make battle with whatever was behind the door. I catiously pushed it open and found a writing desk, a lamp, and three dead men.  What had killed them was not readily apparent, the room was kind of bare except for the desk and the dead men (perhaps from earlier bandits? Earlier trips from these bandits?). I stepped over them cautious to avoid whatever may have killed them (traps secret invisible beasts?) They all looked like they died in agony, but I couldn't find a bolt or puncture wound anywhere. I looked over the desk and found a journal from Valrya (she wrote so randomly, like at least I'm sort of telling a sequential tale in my journal, she just wrote what she was doing, no days, no dates, its like she was keeping track in case she forgot?).

Reading in the journal it became immediately clear what had happened to the men dead on the ground, and best of all I'd found the quill! With a smile I pried open one of the dead mans hands and removed the Quill, a simple black bird feather type, didn't look unusual at all.  With care I placed it into a pouch and got the hell out of the safe house.  I thought for a moment about burning the men left inside, but I didn't know them, rotting down there seemed an apt punishment for their crimes.  I did unhitch their horses and sent them off running, hopefully they found better masters, I'll never know nor care.

I had my object! And I had a plan on how to deal with The Man in White, now the difficulty of course was keeping the plan out of my mind, not very hard according to some people with how "thoughtless" they claim I am! Tomorrow I shall write of the Quill that can change history!

How Can You Find Something That Doesn't Exist?

I know its asking a lot that the first place I went would contain that which I sought, but I'm normally lucky! The cave stunk of mold and disuse (no one had been there for quite sometime, Valrya had a lot of hiding spots that none of her apprentices knew about and that she rarely visited).  The one that was close by had apparently been some kind of food storehouse combined with experimentation on animal flesh (at least I hope it was animal flesh). Now all it had was stench and rotten food (so like my place after I've been off on an adventure, seriously I've learned to never keep plants or small animals).  There were a few journals scattered about, mostly dealing with the food experiments and their varying successes (not a lot on the quil, but I did find what sounded like a fantastic barbeque sauce recipe).

I was about to leave when I heard a snorting sound.  At first I thought it was the wind (yes I'm one of those guys, who thinks everything is the wind, loud explosion? Probably the wind), but then the snort was accompanied by a slam of something, and the wind normally does not grunt and slam something (one or the other never both). I turned in the half light of the cave (I'd brought a torch and lit some lanterns inside, yes I'm terrible at describing where I visit deal with it) and saw black and tusks, and then I was driven backwards by the beast.  It had such fury it drug me straight out of the cave and into the sunlight beyond (this was also through a couple doors, let me tell you I was picking splinters out of my back for about a week). Into the light of the day I could see the beast was some kind of boar creature, its flesh looked scarred over from where Valrya had been picking off pieces for her experiments (which explained the anger, though I have no idea how this creature lasted this long probably dark magic).

I managed to get my sword loose and plunged it into the beasts forehead, all that seemed to do was piss it off more.  I turned around to see I was about to get rammed into a rather large tree. I worked like mad to fre myself and slipped off the creatures tusk just in time before it slammed into the tree and effectively gutted itself (perhaps its intent the whole time? I mean I'd want to die if I had been used for some weird flesh experiment). I was pleased to have survived, though still at a loss for finding that stupid quil.  I mean Valrya had safe houses all over, and some of them had been raided (by Morley and others, so the idea of finding the Quil was one of madness to begin with).  Still I claimed I'd find it, even if I was beginning to doubt it was ever a real thing to begin with.  Thinking back on this, I've done this quite a few times in my career.

The Man In White Comes Around

If I didn't explain it enough yesterday, I was very tired after murdering a bunch of shortys (murder is tiring let me tell you).  Sleeping next to a pile of corpses is actually kind of restful (it explains why bad people sleep so well).  When I awoke I was well rested, sort of hungry and facing the man in white. I should have expected he'd come, but you know sometimes after you've killed a lot of people, you just figure you can take a break.  I readied my makeshift spear. He held up his hands in a sign of "I'm not here to attack you." which is not really comforting from someone with mental abilities.

"Before you stupidly attack me, be aware this isn't even really me, but you're kind of stupid so you might not exactly know that." Insults the best way to start conversations, as I have shown you time and time again.

"And I should listen to you why? So you can mind enslave me?"

"If I could do that Lorentino I would have already, no you should listen to me because I have your friends and unfortunately for you they are not as resistant." Arguing from a strong spot, what an obnoxious jerk.

"I'm listening."

"Smartest thing you've done so far, look I don't want to have to hurt you or your friends, or lose anymore of my minions to your murderous rage.  What I want is something your former master had in her possession, a quil, it is said that this quil could rewrite history, I need this, if you get it for me, I'll let your friends go, simple as that."

"So you want me to get an object that can change the course of how things go and for this you'll turn over my friends? What guarantee would I have that you simply wouldn't write me out once you have it?" It was a valid question.

"None, but know that in helping me I'd look at it favorably." This of course ignored the obvious statement that if I had the quil I could fix my entire situation.  Which seemed hilarious in its simplicity, and dangerous, because I knew of a lot of situations I'd planned on correcting.

"So you're certain to screw me over, but you want me to help you anyway."

"Yes."

"Deal." My mind was already in motion trying to remember things of Valyra's, trying to remember the quil.  And I just couldn't.  Damn the limits of memory.  The man in white was gone before I could ask where to look or how he planned on me getting to where I needed to fast. In what was probably not a coincidence, my horse came galloping up with my sword and other supplies. I didn't really look the gift horse in the mouth (because it was my horse, mouth was perfectly fine). I didn't know where this quil was sadly, but I did know of a couple hopefully unlooted Valrya safe houses.  I set my horse in the right direction and made off for them, hoping my friends would make do until I could get back.

Ain't No Shorty Can Hold My Body Down

This may surprise you, but my patience for remaining underwater is not very high (I know I'm such a patient person).  Turns out at best I can only stay underwater for a couple minutes before mania sets in and I have to get out.  So there I was emerging from the pond covered in mud and dripping with small plants on my shoulders. The shorties were to put it lightly surprised to see me.

They were armed with spears and little else (seriously guys put on some damn clothes), I had nothing except my firey ability (which as I've shown is more than enough to get the job done). At least they were split up from looking for me, the first couple who came charging at me got torched. I was just patting myself on the back when a spear pierced my lower back, the shorty used it as a sort of pole vault and winded up on my neck. Pierced and fighting a damn midget on my back more came running (because when you've got your enemy wounded you don't let up). When in a fight you have to deal with immediate concerns (like say a murderous jerk on your neck) before more secondary ones, like a group of 18 midgets rushing up to kill you to death (I guess locking me up was no longer an option for the man in white? A shame). I swatted the shorty on my back like a troublesome fly, he hit the ground with a thud and I sent him a distance back with a well timed kick (midget punting, a sport that has never ever taken off despite numerous attempts). He joined his fellow shorties in a large circle around me.  I could feel things were not exactly in my favor.

They were at least advancing on me cautiously, despite me having a damn spear sticking out of me.  I was in the middle of a circle of doom, my first move was to get the damn spear out (which hurt, but appeared to be a superficial wound, never before was I glad I don't have a lot of excess fat on my torso, well other than when ladies give me approving glances, so never). Immediate pain resolved, I invited the shorties to attack me. I won't go into details because my mind is hazy, the battle lasted hours, in the end I was victorious on top of a pile of shorty corpses.  It was quite the show of hand to hand, magic, necromancy, and raw anger. I stood near my pile of corpses exhausted, I sank my spear into the ground and collapsed.  But the day was mine!

An Oasis of Problems

When you are hungry and thirsty everything looks like food and water. Ok well thats not entirely true, small children only look like food (ha ha is he joking? You'll never know...) So after the initial shock of being free wore off, my growling stomach and dry throat took over as far as impulses went. The nice thing about being in a field is that obviously the plants are getting water from somewhere, so you too can get water somewhere (unless that somewhere is underground, at which point you spend a futile search looking for the water and die while laying on top of it, ironic).

Thankfully for you as a reader and me as a person I managed to find a small pond that didn't look too disgusting to stop me from drinking the water like it was my last hope for survival.  I drank until I threw up, and then I drank some more (either I threw up from drinking too much water, or what was in it, I really couldn't tell you).  With one part of my body's desire wrapped up, I started looking around for food (I could have tried fishing, but I had nothing to fish with and I'm not a huge fan of fish to begin with). Ponds are a great source of food, outside of fish they tend to have edible plants nearby, or bring you edible animals who come to drink.  I wasn't waiting their an hour before some kind of weird small herbivore arrived for a drink and I murdered it (look I'm sure it had a full life blah blah blah, I WAS HUNGRY).  In my haste for a meal I may have over used my fire to kill the creature (a bit extra crispy), on top of that flesh cooked with hair not exactly the most appetizing meal I've eaten.

Immediate concerns taken care of I started trying to assess my situation.  As I said yesterday I was in a weird place, I had no memory of how to get where I was, or get away from it.  I saw no means of travel there (horses or other wild animals other than what I killed and ate).  I was about to well take a nap when the shorties showed up.  They looked like they had simply just ran out there (which spoke to wherever I was being close to where I was before), their little legs were covered in dirt and grime.  I had to wonder if they had been dispatched as soon as I broke free or were just on the way to I dunno get in my way?  Sadly because they had no pack animals they really were of no use to me (I mean you can try and ride a shorty, but they are so stubborn and so short, you wouldn't do anything but waste your time, not that I have tried or anything *cough*).

They hadn't spotted me crashed out next to the small pond and I'd hoped they were going to just pass over, notice I wasn't there and move on.  Alas that is never the nature of my life.  The little bastards stopped and fanned out trying to look for me! This at least was nice in that it confirmed that the Man in White despite his mental powers didn't have an exact mental lock on me (or he did but I got rid of it somehow), but this came at the cost of there now being twenty little people searching a field for me, and I couldn't really hide the best.

I did what I do best (no I didn't run away you jerk, I hid, the other thing I'm good at).  Taking an open reed from near the pond I waded my way in and used the reed as a makeshift breathing tube.  I'll admit the water felt a lot worse being in it than drinking it, that combined with the mud I found myself knee deep in made this plan extra dumb.  And that's where I'll leave you, with me underwater hoping my shorty pursuers don't notice my air tube.  Tomorrow you'll see how well this actually worked.

The Cost of Freedom

I had freed myself. A little application of flame in the right place and my shackles were no longer keeping me in check (now how to find that right place well lets just say I had some burn scars on my wrists for a while). I made sure to take off my blindfold just to get a look around the area before I set it back on and pretended to be kept chained up. I figured I had one chance with the man in white, and if I blew it I'd probably be in a worse state than the one I started (if that was even possible). So I waited, and waited, and waited some more.  I tell you being able to free yourself and then have to wait anyway? Totally sucks.  Its all the anticipation of something good without the actual something good.

It took hours for the man in white to show up, I took solace that he apparently made these trips alone, not that it would have been too hard to burn any shorties or jerks he brought with him, I just didn't want to have to deal with someone else while cooking him to a nice blackened crisp. I didn't let him talk or make a move towards myself, I swung my hands free from the shackles directed fire towards where I thought he was (remember still blind folded) and let loose.  I could hear the sizzling before I got the blindfold off, I figured I'd be looking at a crispy jerk, instead I just saw fire scored stone walls.  For a half moment I felt some dread creep into my stomach, that this like before was another illusion.  But I had felt pain, it wasn't an illusion, my captor wasn't there.  I started wondering if he was ever really there (mental magic is obnoxious, projection being one of the harder things to account for), I didn't wonder for long I had to get moving and free my companions.  Beyond the door was a long corridor of stone with another metal door.  I rushed down it paying caution to the wind.  I threw the door open and nothing.

I was in a field, the cell I was in had been some kind of dug in small alcove.  Looking back it was just one hallway with the room I was in, and that was it.  The field had some kind of flower that was unimportant.  I racked my brain if the shorty had been to this place, but he had not.  Again I worried I wasn't actually free, but I couldn't imagine that I wasn't (because I have a limited imagination, thankfully I wasn't being mind screwed anymore than normal). There I was, free in the loosest sense of the word, I was without horse, without supplies, hungry from days of not eating, I didn't know where I was, and my friends were still imprisoned by a mind assaulting jerk bag.  In the game of life, this is known as a lose lose scenario.

Flights of Fantasy

I heard the door slam open.  I'd been sleeping, I couldn't recall my mind was racing, had I slept? Sleeping was hard, it was hard to sleep while chained up blind folded and gagged (go figure you know being in discomfort makes sleeping difficult). There was the sound of a cage door opening, my bonds were being cut/or unlocked I dunno suddenly I could see and it was Lorissia.

"We have to get you out of here Trezlan, he's going to kill you." I was unaware of what had happened, how had she gotten free? Where were the shorties? The guards? She appeared to be wearing her armor, but how was that possible? She got me to my feet and propped me up on her shoulder.

"What's going on?"

"We have to get out of here, before he finds out where the object is." The object? What object? He hadn't mentioned an object to me, but now we had to protect it? Why is it always an object? My mind was racing, but it didnt' feel right, it was all wrong. I shrugged myself off of Lorissia's shoulder.

"What are you doing? He's going to come back Trezlan, we have to get you of here."

"No no we don't, because I'm not really free at all." I couldn't focus which isn't abnormal, but here it certainly was.  I'm not a super smart man (despite arrogance) but I can tell a set up from a mile away.  Also not being able to remember sleeping or waking, or telling the difference was the indicator.  Lorissia looked at me with scorn, and then she disappeared. I could hear a voice mutter something in the darkness, and then I was back in my shackles gagged and blindfolded.  I smiled against the gag.

"You are really getting on my nerves Lorentino." The man in white, he couldn't tell it but I extended both of my middle fingers behind my back. "I'd threaten to kill your friends but I have no idea if they are even your friends, and from the scars on your body clearly pain is not enough of a motivator, I will break you, I WILL!" The door slammed again, it was enough to frustrate him, though the shackles and blindfold was getting old.  I risked a bit of power and was surprised to see I could still use some magic.  I smiled again, if he thought I was bad right then he was about to find out why you never leave me to my own devices.

Mind If I Cut In

I was chained up, I had a gag in my mouth and a blindfold on.  This is what they call "overkill" when it comes to dealing with a magic user.  I mean it was smart as all get out, but honestly one or two of these things would have been enough (for me to escape, err I mean be totally stopped). I struggled against my restraints for what felt like at most a couple minutes (I give up in the face of insurmountable odds, its the smart thing to do).  I tried to get a feel for where I was, the floor was dirt, I had to be chained to something strong, most likely stone, and it smelled awful.  So I could have been well just about anywhere, I'm a master of deduction folks.

"The great Trezlan Lorentino, you know you don't really live up your reputation." I muffled my reply, I was gagged the best I could get out was "MRWHRWHRHHWH!" Which was quite insulting.

"Sorry about the accomodations, but I've seen the aftermath of what happens when people underestimate you." There was silence, he was apparently waiting for a witty retort, I decided not to humor him.  "A shame I don't get to hear that sparkling wit you're so known for, don't blame you friend Malcyr, he did try valiantly to kill me, sadly as an assassin he seems to be pretty weak minded, very easy to control.  Now you, you're a different matter.  Ordinarily I wouldn't even be talking to you, I'd have just broken you to my will took what I wanted from you and then cast you aside like a broken husk.  But I couldn't! It was very odd, I tried, gods know I tried, but even with you passed out I wasn't able to get through your thick stupid skull." That was actually kind of refreshing to know that I'm difficult to break mentally.  I can only assume its because I'm so messed up trying to get a look inside my mind is like trying to find something at the bottom of a really muddy river.

"I won't give up though, you have to see that, your friends are of no concern to me, you have something I want, I desperately want it, and you're going to give it to me, whether you want to or not." I could almost see a smile, that was the kind of thing that went with a creepy sentence like that.  "Don't worry though, when I'm done you'll be a drooling idiot, well the idiot part you already are, but I'm sure the drooling will be new." I heard a laugh and then a large metal door closing behind him.   Needless to say my weekend plans were totally ruined.

The Man In White

There are some indications a town is a bad place.  Fires openly burning in the streets, blood splattered wooden walls, weird smells, me living there (hey I can admit I attract a certain bad crowd sort).  When we arrived at the land of the White guys town, there wasn't any of those indicators.  It looked like a ghost shanty town really, banged up shacks barely hanging in there, a somewhat maintained meeting hall sitting in the middle of them.  We dismounted and I cast a look around, I'd seen this place in the shorties memories, but things weren't synching up.  I swear I'd remembered more visibles signs of violence.  I could see Malcyr thought the same as he unsheathed his weapons upon getting off his horse.

"This seems off." Lorissia was the first to vocalize what the rest of us were thinking.

"Yeah this doesn't look like what I remember." Malcyr's voice trailed off, like he was in a dream.

"Nor I." My comment got them both kind of chuckling, I admit we were kind of awful people (as if all the rampant murder didn't clue you in). We were standing almost shoulder to shoulder with Malcyr between me and Lorissia (oh subtle problems you always become so obtuse) right in the center of the "town", in hindsight I should have seen what was coming.  We were surrounded almost immediately, shorties and normal people, all dressed in a similar tribal fashion with weird looking weapons.  From the town center emerged the man in white, he was all white, I hadn't really picked up on it previously but even his skin color was a pale hue, he wore a wide brimmed hat as well, probably to block the sun from his obviously fair skin.

"Good of you to come Malcyr and you brought friends just as you said you would." I could feel his dagger underneath my chin, a look to my left showed he also had Lorissia in the same way. She caught my eye and I shook my head, we could try and fight out way out of there, but in our current situation we were kind of screwed.

"Good to see you Trezlan, I've longed to pick your brain since Malcyr told me all about you." He said the word pick in a way I didn't like, before I could really offer a witty retort I was struck from behind and hit the ground with a thud.  Lorissia was offered a similar attack.  When I'd awake hours later, things went from bad to Lorentino (I'll admit I use my own name as an indication of how bad things get, yes I realize that doesn't speak highly of what happens with me).

Malcyr The Sucker

"So who is this guy?" We were riding towards the man in white, I didn't advise this course of action, but no one ever listens to the really smart guy!

"One of your necromancer friends." He said friend kind of derisively, and that hurt, I almost had tears, thought that could have been from all the road grime, damn summer season was hell on the middle parts of the world, so much dust.

"First off not my friends, secondly I don't know this one at all." It was bothering me I didn't have a memory of him, I mean its not like Valrya could have hid it from me, but all the same I felt something was off and I couldn't put my finger on exactly what.

"Or its your buddy Morley and you're trying to throw me, either way Trezlan you agreed you help me, and now you shall." Malcyr rode up ahead of me and Lorissia moved closer.

"What's his problem?"

"He was born with a terminal complex of jerkis maximus."

"Is it contagious? You seem to have a case of your own." I narrowed my eyes at her and she laughed.

"I manage my condition thank you very much."

"Speaking of conditions how are you dealing?" Lorissia's concern for me was always touching, and completely baffling, I'm an asshole on my best day, what she saw in me was more confusing then her religious beliefs.

"I'll live, only issue I have is mental," I pointed to my head as if to emphasize the point, "It takes a bit to reorganize my thoughts after a soul rip, I'll be fine." I recover faster now from these kind of things, years of doing it combined with a better efficency at it. In a way Valrya got exactly what she wanted in me and Morley, that being her two best apprentices being the very best necromancers out there, shame she had to die, well not really, but its just polite to say that (see not a total asshole, well sort of).

And so we rode into a trap that Malcyr had unknowingly set for us. Well me, but its not like the evil guy said "Oh you brought a woman? Oh she can go." I tell you evil guys, just have no respect.

I am Bushed, Ambushed That Is

We had made camp outside of Rosettia, Lorissia and Malcyr had been talking almost none stop since we'd left town.  I have to say was feeling a bit jealous, Lorissia and I were just freshly together and though we'd been through a lot in that relative bit of time, but her and Malcyr definately seemed to connect on more levels (since they were both more combat oriented where as I liked to actually read things before being drug away from them by some horrible monster!).  Its a bit like seeing the person you have feelings for meet someone else entirely better than yourself (except you know Malcyr was a total jerk and I'm the coolest person who was ever cool).

I was how shall I say tactfully noting my lack of attention when I heard a strange noise.  We were in the wilderness and strange noises are prevalent out there, but this was more of a strange kind of whistle.  I was about to write it off as a bird I hadn't heard before when I caught site of a tribal shorty sneaking up from a patch of brush, now the whistle made sense, damn tribals with their unspoken dialogue. I got up to signal alarm when an arrow caught me right through the lower abdomen area (they may have been small, their arrows were rather large, and hurt). Lorissia turned to me and saw the arrow, I could see that fire in her eyes again, off game the bow and she had an arrow sighted before I even hit the ground (look I've been shot before, but its never easy, its one reason I like firearms, they don't leave a dirty damn arrow sticking in you). I missed the fight for the most part (yes I know I could make up a grand tale of swords and arrows flying, but honestly I make up... err creatively elaborate enough of this journal I don't have to do it for fights I spent the majority of clutching my stomach in pain). When I came too Malcyr and Lorissia were dragging a shorty over to me, he looked injured but not dead (welcome to the club little fellow).

"He's not talking." Malcyr made it sound like they'd tried for hours, but I hadn't been down that long, patience people, you can't just hit someone and expect them to tell you everything!

"Do you even speak his lanugage Malcyr, Lorissia?" They both looked away sheepishly, that was a no. The little guy was dressed up in war paint, a white chalky substance that looked off compared to his bronze skin (tanned not genetic, spoke to a tribe that spends time outdoors), the choice of white in contrast to the skin color suggested the paint wasn't intented for camoflage. I didn't really speak Shorty (no one really does even the shorties their lanuge is a combination of hand signs, pointing, grunting and a mix match of words from my language) a couple feeble attempts told me it wasn't really worth the effort (well that and the fact I was still stuck with a damn arrow and bleeding).

"Get a rock." I directed it at no one in particular and it took a second for either one to do something, Lorissia fetched one a moment later, it was a large solid one which would do.  The arrow wasn't fully through my stomach, but I didn't think it had hit something too important (well aside from that it had me), I cut the end off through some effort (that hurts no matter how tough you are, thankfully it was within my view or I would have had to rely on Malcyr or Lorissias for that.  They both looked on at me puzzled as to what I was doing. With the feather bits cut off, I used my sword as a flat surface and primed the rock in front of it.

"When the arrow comes out my back, pull it out please." That was directed at Lorissia, I didn't really want Malcyr removing arrows from me. With a deep breath I slammed my sword and sent the arrow through myself, whatever gods are out there had their names cursed I assure you.  I could feel a tugging and Lorissia pulled the arrow out of me, she showed it to me, I have no idea why.

"Ok now this next part you both probably don't want to be here for." Lorissia looked at me puzzled for a moment, but Malcyr caught on and took her by the shoulder and they went to go look over the other dead shorties.  Now you may wonder why I took the arrow out, the simple answer being necromancy doesn't remove things that are inside, you have to do that, if I'd healed with the arrow still in my innards I would have a new fashion accessory.  Another thing you might wonder is what its like to take a mind that doesn't speak your language. Its odd, memories are mostly sights and sounds, which is fine if you don't understand the language, but there are bits that can only be understood by the culture.  Like someone watching a stage play without knowing what a play is would be completely confused by the nature of what they were witnessing.  That's what it was like taking the shorties mind (despite being injured by them, I tried to make it as painless as ripping someones soul can be).  I saw flashes of his local tribe, who were situated in a valley some distance away, I got to see him raising up as a herder of animals and occaisional hunter, and then a man in white enters (not just skin actual clothing) soon they aren't herding anymore, they are murdering, turning on each other, there aren't as many left as there had been, the man in white had built a sort of town with his shorty army. I saw him instructing them to find us, and kill us, and then I saw the last bits of his life including me taking it.

Malcyr and Lorissia arrived a while later.  I still ached from the recovery, but I wasn't wounded any longer and I noticed some of my old scars were gone (some not all, his lifeforce came up a bit... short).  I informed them of our friend in white and Malcyr nodded saying thats who we were after.  The oddest thing though, I had no memory of him in Valrya's memory.  So while Malcyr was suspecting the guy was a necromancer, he wasn't one that I knew of.  It was a bit terrifying, and sure enough what we were walking into was a new experience all together.  And you get to know all about it!

Dinner Dialogue

"Do you always eat like a pig or is this some new thing you've picked up?" We were at Valrym's Tavern, Lorissia and I had traveled from her broken down mansion for about a week to get there and lets just say neither of us is a very good cook.  I was really hungry, using a lot of magic kind of burns up that internal fuel, blood magic triple doubly so.

"Look sweety there are a lot of things I like about you, your ability to cook is not one of them, at all, ever, this is the first food I've had in a week possibly more." The truth hurts, and in this case it hurt me as Lorissia punched me pretty hard.

"You're lucky you're useful to me Lorentino, or cracks like that could end up shortening your life."

"You wound me madame, I'll have you know cracks like that extend my life, you wouldn't believe how often my jokes have saved me from something bad happening."

"Never?"

"Look theoretically they could save my life, I'm not writing the jokes off just yet." Its true, eventually they might save my life, I'm still hoping for the day a joke off is required to obtain victory.  One day dear readers ONE DAY! We ate in grumbly silence, well I did Lorissia stopped eating about a quarter of the way in (I'd ordered a full stack of some kind of animal ribs, it was a large meal, but I swear the woman only ate one). If I wasn't so hungry this would have been a serious waste.

I was thankful that Valrym wasn't at the tavern, I mean it know its his place and everything, but he and I get along like fire and oil (which continues to this day, even with us living in the same town, or maybe because we live in the same town now).  The chef he had working was a shorty though (naturally his whole kitchen is designed for short people), seemed like a nice enough fellow even if he gave me a scowl when I talked slow so he could understand what I was saying (what? Shorties are noted for being dumb, unless you are a shorty dear reader, then you are a master intellect worthy of praise). Lorissia and I had chosen a booth away from everyone else, so as to remain a little disguised (as disguised as a bald necromancer with his armor wearing bow lady can be). So it came as a little surprising when I felt a guy sidle up along side me and a dagger placed between my ribs.

"Hello Lorentino, keep your bow where I can see it Ms. I'd hate to have to find out if Trezlan really does bleed black." Malcyr, I should have known I'd run into him sooner rather than later (such is life).

"I can kill you before you even get a prick off," Lorissia was seething in her whisper, such venom I had not heard before.

"I meant stab him not pleasure him Ms., but don't worry I'm not here for murder or I would have poisoned your meal and you'd never have seen me, no I need Lorentino for something." Everyone needs me, but what about my needs?

"Easy Lorissia, Malcyr may be a lot of bad things, but someone who kills someone after they ate is not one of them, now running out on a check, yes thats something he does." What can I say I'm still angry about that, as in right now, three hundred years later.

"You'll never let that go will you."

"No."

"Look we had a job to do, and funny enough after I left you, I kept doing the job even without you, sadly I'm not as stupidly lucky as you are, so I need you to come with me to finish your job." Did you get all that?

"What's this job you have to do?" I could see Lorissia's eyes narrow on me, I swear the line between a woman trusting you, and a woman thinking you are lying is the narrowest line ever.

"Oh you know chase down some necromancers, kill them, much the same one I was doing when I met up with you," The truth the best way out of getting shot with an arrow and stabbed.

"How many are left?" Lorissia's tone was that of being bothered by a chore.

"Outside of Morley, five I think? Memories a little fuzzy."

"Why is Morley not included?" That was Malcyr's question.

"You want to die going after Morley be my guess, I prefer to piss off only one evil creature a decade." It works so much better in the long run.

"Well we better get going if we are to save your ass Trezlan, come on Malcyr." They left me there with half a rack of ribs and a full stack of broken promises of doing nothing.  I swear my "friends" are worse than my enemies!

The Kulinara Aftermath

I was still weakened from whatever the black being had done to me plus my exertion, but I tried not to show it as we stumbled our way out of the basement.  It was lighter now, I guess we had missed the night and gone straight into day.  The sun felt overly harsh on my eyes after being in the sublight.  The house was mostly collapsed as we had previously seen before we fled.  I could see in Lorissia's eyes she had hoped perhaps it was not as bad as she had remembered (such is the thing with your home being destroyed, I'd learn this a long time later, but that as they say is a story for another time).

Morley was waiting for us.  I figured he would be, in one way or another Morley is always waiting for me.  I figure when I meet my maker Morley will be right beside me going "Been waiting for you Trez." Its the way the universe works.  I lose good friends, I lose places to live, I keep Morley. I believe I lament about this everytime I see Morley, believe me I also say the same thing to him.

"If you'd believe it, and I'm sure you wouldn't, I came here to warn you of the trap you obviously fell into." Morley looked none the worse for wear for me having left him in a dungeon.

"I believe you Morley." I was still too weak to really get into an argument and I kind of did believe him (he's evil, but not stupid).

"I'm just saying that you should... Wait what you believe me?" Morley had the rare look of surprise. Lorissia was quiet, I assumed she knew who he was from her brief encounter in Lork, but this was more my show anyway.

"Yeah Morley I'm not really doing to hot right now, can we pretend that we had some words, you made some vague threat to come back for me later and I had a snarky reply about your penis?" Lorissia and I had walked away from the ruin of her home and I kind of collapsed to the ground.  I was tired, I felt used up, and I realized why blood magic is a bad idea, it takes more out of you then you realize, at a cost that isn't always apparent.

"Sure Trezlan, that dick joke really stung by the way." Morley mounted his undead horse and got up to go. Before he did he reached into his bag and procured the skull from our previous adventure. "Thought you'd like your old friend, found some inn keeper about to throw it out." In a way it was comforting to have that paperweight piece of crap again. Lorissia left me to go get some firewood and I think to be alone for a bit, I just leaned back and went to sleep.  When I awoke she was in better spirits and talking about her poor cooking skills.  It was nice to have her back to being her old self, it would be a few days before I was back to my old self, but honestly between the two of us, she's the better fighter. 

Thankfully this little adventure marks the end of some of my darker moments for a bit, light hearted fun times are ahead! And old friend returns and we get into some mischief! So cheer up dear reader the journal isn't always mega depressing.

Let's Make a Deal

"So do you think we should try and run..." I didn't get to finish my sentence the heavy metal door blew off its hinges like it had been hit by cannon fire. I hadn't heard of dream wraiths being able to use magic or explosives so it wasn't much of a surprise to see a man in a black suit behind the door waiting for us. I rushed forward with my sword (who says chivalry is dead?) and was promptly tossed backwards into the stone wall, I hit with a hard crash, my back ached from the impact. I managed to hold onto my sword, but it wasn't like I could really do much with it.

"Sit down Mr. Lorentino, if you get up again I'll be forced to deal with you in a more aggressive manner." If being tossed into a wall was the nice way of dealing with me, I didn't want to see the aggressive one. Lorissia notched an arrow, but the suited man didn't seem to be bothered by the action.

"Take one step closer and it will be your last on this world." Lorissia was standing her ground even in the face of someone with clear power (I mean he did blow the door off its hinges and throw me backwards).  She should have just fired an arrow, but no some unwritten rule says people have to make idle threats before just ending someones life.  Well most people, I don't, but I think I've established I'm a bad person quite well by now.

"Oh honey hush, hush." She collapsed to the floor, multiple schools of magic and control of dream wraiths? Yeah this guy wasn't a person like me and maybe you (I don't know you could be an intelligent race of dogs, its possible!).I struggled to my feet using my sword as more of a cane than a weapon.

"Monster!" I'll admit I'm not the best at naming things, enter how many different things become ominations.

"Always funny to be called that by a necromancer." I narrowed my eyes, I knew he was right, but still I think of myself in a higher position, "I should thank you though, if not for your intervention I might have lost my prize to another of your order, he should probably thank you to, if he wasn't already dead."

"She's not a prize for you, I'll fight you with every last inch of my strength." Which was barely enough to stand up with assistance.  So like I'd spit on him and call him a dirty name.

"Oh please even at your strongest you'd hardly be a match, and I made sure with the wraiths you'd have nothing left, forget it kid you're done here, the game was rigged before you even got to play, the girl is mine." His skin was yellow, eyes were purple.  I racked my brain for any memory of Valyra's that matched up there weren't any.

"Why?"

"It was the deal her family made, them dying doesn't mean their first born still wasn't promised to me." That's the problem with rumors, sometimes they are based in truth.

"And the Red Hand is fine with this? With your deals?" I was perplexed and trying to stall for time, it had to be obvious, but when someone thinks they have the upperhand, explaining their plan just comes naturally. I had cut my hand, he didn't notice it or didn't care to pay attention to it. I let my knee slip and collapsed next to Lorissia, I worked fast drawing runes and incantations, it was hard to do without sufficient light, but I managed in the mean time.

"They work for me, well some of them do, how else do you think THEY remain in power? I'm done with this foolishness stand aside." It was a gentle shove compared to what he hit me with before, but still I slid across the floor, a trail of blood leaking from my hand. He moved toward Lorissia and stepped into my trap, I slammed my hand down on the blood trail and it lit up with power.

"Now lets make a new deal whatever you are." The creature looked at me with that kind of are you joking sort of glance I'm used to getting.

"A simple blood trap won't stop me Lorentino." He tried to move, and couldn't, I could see dawning recognition spread across his yellow face, "Unless its no, you'd be stupid to try such a thing."

"Stupid like a fox! I've got you tied to me now, if I will it I take your life and it all goes to me."

"And you'd die fool, you can't handle a being of my power."

"True, I would probably explode like an over loaded cannon, but you'd die too and thats good enough for me." Never give someone nothing to lose, because at that point you're just tempting crazy.

"What's your deal?" Voice was nastier now, gone was his high minded I'm better than you, now he was the kind of nasty ass that was buried deep within anyway.

"You let Lorissia out of her burden to you, your deal died with her parents."

"In exchange?"

"In exchange I don't kill you, and I won't pursue you." He laughed I put a bit of my remaining power into the trap and the laughter stopped, "Realize this was what I could do with little planning, screw with me creature and I'll make sure you suffer before you die." It was mainly a bluff, but again crazy people.

"Deal, know this Lorentino..."

"Right right made an enemy this day yeah yeah hear it all the time, now get out of here and take your stupid wraiths with you." I released the trap and the man in the suit was gone.  Lorissia woke up after and asked what happened, I told her the truth and she just smiled.

"Big bad Lorentino, are you always going to be there to rescue me?" She smiled and we kissed, but thats all, getting out of that cellar and back into the real world was much more important than relieving stress.  It wasn't the last time I ran across the man in the black suit, but at least my next meeting with him was a bit more cordial, well as cordial as one can be when dealing with a black being from beyond the afterlife! 

On Dream Wraiths

"So what are these things?" A loud thump at the metal door, we'd been hearing it for a couple hours now.  It was kind of maddening how much effort they were giving to breaking down the door (you think they'd just give up? I would!).

"Dream Wraiths, or Nightmare Wraiths.  The illusion we saw outside was taken from your own mind, why I could see it before you could ask is because its a real illusion. Most likely one of these nasties followed you and stole the thoughts from you to craft the illusion, then they just projected it as a group. Normally they do smaller stuff, a pretty lady, pile of precious coins, food or water to a dying person.  This is quite unique as far as Valyra's memories go of the beasts." Valyra while evil, had hunted and killed just about everything in this world, its knowledge that really comes in handy, even if the memory of what she did to the creatures isn't the most pleasant.

"So its rare for them to work together?"

"Almost unheard of, they aren't even pack hunters, being able to project someones dreams doesn't really need support, pick off the occaisional lone traveler or couple and they can live for a while on the meat. To see this many in one area working on a single illusion to kill two people? Something is very wrong here, very very wrong." I hadn't noticed but the banging had gone away.  Lorissia's face was kind of obscured in the half dark of the oil lamp, but I was sure she was quite well aware of what having a group of evil things grouped together to kill her would mean.

"I just don't understand Trezlan! Why now? I've been living my life away from this legacy why come after me now?"  It was a good question, obviously it was someone involved with the Red Hand as well if my days of torture were any indication.

"I fear we're about to find out Lorissia, and I fear I don't really have a lot left in me to get us out of this one." I hadn't realized how much power the flare spell had taken out of me until I lit up the room briefly, it took all of my concentration to maintain a very minor fire spell (I didn't realize it at the time but I had been partially neutralized from the start of our little adventure at the mansion of the Kulinara, sometimes illusions work to hide more than just squalor).  We huddled there in the dark, holding each other close, waiting for the end.  Obviously I made it out or this volume of stories would be hard to discover, but still back then I figured my days were up.  A common thought for me now that I think about it.