In which there is resolve to help

Iskandar steps out of the adventurer's guild, brow furrowed slightly. His dark mood seems to evaporate quickly and he glances about. When he catches sight if the nearby Ox-Strength Tavern one edge of his mouth quirks up in a smile, but then he continues his survey of the area.

There is a sith makar walking down the street, the dark hour making it difficult to determine what color scale the sith is, but the tall stature, and gentle step-click-tap rhythm of step reveals it to be Zeke before it's possible to be certain that it's him by other means. He catches sight of Iskandar coming out of the adventurer's guild and lifts his right hand which holds his staff in greeting.

Iskandar refocuses upon the sight of Zeke. He grins broadly. "Hello! Quite a nice, ah, staff you have there?" Perhaps he was going to say something else but changed his mind at the last moment. "Are you a wizard?" he guesses.

As Zeke draws closer it becomes clearer that though his staff is of a fine make it's far more of a walking staff or perhaps even a weapon than it is something that a mage might use. "Thissss one issss ssshaman-cassste. A ssservant of the Dragonfather." Zeke pauses now within sight of Iskandar, green eyes peering at the man with interest. "Peasssce upon your nessst."

Iskandar squints as he listens. The words sound strange to him and he has to concentrate to decipher them. "Hmm! A priest then? A cleric?" He seems a bit disappointed but then as another realization dawns he brightens. "A cleric of the 'Dragonfather'? But that's perfect! Hah! I had been looking for those who might know of, or remember, the fallen god Animus. But a follower of the Dragonfather would be just as interested in what I have to say, I think!"

The sudden burst of excitement seems to startle Zeke somewhat, but he nods to this and motions toward the bar just to the side of them. "Ssssomething that thisss one may wisssh to hear? Come, join thisss one for a repassste yesss? We can talk over food and drink." He makes the motion a welcoming one, his tail swishing behind him.

Iskandar smiles at the mention of food. Or is it the mention of drink? "That sounds like a wonderful idea!" he nods, falling into step beside Zeke. "The Dragonfather...also goes by the name Daeus, isn't that right?"

Zeke moves slowly and carefully, moving to open the door to the bar for Iskandar; moving inside so that he could do so without crowding the man. "Yesss, thisss is the ssoftsssskin name for him."

Iskandar enters the tavern with an air of familiarity. He takes in the interior and then gestures at an empty table. "That one should do nicely!" It's a slightly rectangular piece of furniture, with room for perhaps six chairs and strangely empty. Although that could be due to its position in the center of the room.

In the tavern, almost looking like a doll left behind on one of the big chairs facing the pot-bellied stove, a pale and kind of... fluffy Lucht woman warms her wiggling little tootsies while a cup of warm, mulled cider is held between her palms. Faran's left her armor and helm at home, favoring instead the simple black silk dress she wears beneath, though she's been forced to lay her sword across her lap for comfort's sake. Whatever luxuriant daydream filled her somewhat vacant stare is dissipated by the sound of new arrivals. She leans a bit awkwardly to manage to get an eye and most of a cheek visible before a lace clad hand emerges to wave with her, "Hello!"

Zeke follows Iskandar into the bar and looks around the room carefully as he does so. It's clear he doesn't love the seating option, there's no place he can sit down and have his back to a wall. He doesn't complain though, merely walks around the table until he can see the door and turns the chair so that he can sit down in it.

It seems that their entry has garnered some attention however, and he nods politely to the woman who waves to them, settling down carefully in his chair and moving his cloak so that it is settled comfortably around him. Covering him. "Peasssce on your nesst." He waves politely after leaning his staff against the table for a waiter.

Iskandar glances over at Faranmidahn as he sits opposite Zeke (and therefore with his back to the door). He turns and looks for a longer time, clearly searching his memory. Then finally he turns towards Zeke and leans forward. "Does she look familiar?" He asks. The he adds, "Something about...spiders?"

Faranmidahn blinks at first, mouthing the word 'nest' to herself, then brightens, "Oh, peace to your nest, too!" she starts, "Too? Also?" She disappears behind the edge of the chair, the sword swinging up and off out of sight before her little feet hit the floor and she pads over toward the pair, the somewhat outsized tankard in one hand, whilst the other takes several tries to clasp her scabbard back onto her belt, smiling, "You mean my friend Torrent?"

Zeke nods politely in response to his greeting returned and orders himself something to drink and some curry to eat. It may be late, but he has yet to eat for the day at all, and his stomach is making soft protesting sounds which thankfully can not be heard over the sounds of the bar around them. At least he is pretty sure that's the case. "Yesss. Ssshe hasss a large ssspider companion. Torrent?" He agrees with her about the name, but seems less sure of it than she is. They have at least met briefly in the past, so he can say the spider part for certain.

"Torrent! A fine name for a spider!" Iskandar asks for 'wine, chilled if you have it, mulled if not' and then leans back and smiles at the Lucht briefly in welcome. Then he turns back to Zeke. "So one of the Dragonfather's greatest enemies is the undead dragon known as Heth, right? The one who conquered Dragonier?"

Faranmidahn gives a big smile as she nods, "That's him!" She glances down to make sure she looks sufficiently in order, then, "I'm Faran, it's nice to see you, again." Ahem, "There's usually more greeting, but I'm told bars are strictly informal." She sips from her cider, replenishing her internal warmth with mulled goodness, then, "May I join you?" She doesn't presume, since they're talking religion, and some people get a little funny about that.

"Thisss one hasss no issssue with you joining ussss." Offers Zeke, motioning to the table so that she can take a seat before focusing on Iskandar's simple question. "Indeed. Thisss iss true. They are enemiesss." This is grimly said, and he looks serious as he says it.

Iskandar looks a bit surprised at Faranmidahn's question, then nods at Zeke's gesture. Then he listens. "I knew it!" he crows. He seems inordinately proud of his knowledge despite the fact it's something even children in Alexandria - or for that part most of the land - would know. "Well actually it's more Dragonier, in general, that I wanted to talk about, than Heth specifically. Ah, maybe I should start at the beginning..." he takes a moment to compose his thoughts.

Faranmidahn dips a little with an, admittedly lopsided curtsey for only having one hand free, before setting her cider on the table and climbing up onto a chair, once again having to lay her sword across her lap for comfort's sake, then, "Thank you!"

"Yesss, begin at the beginning." Zeke settles back in his chair more, expecting something of a story now. He has his order in, and once Faran is settled as well, he makes a motion with his right claw for Iskandar to begin when he is ready. They are now, as prepared for this tale as they can be. Zeke's drink arrives, a warm cider to keep the chill from his scales and he leaves it aside in the spirit of giving his total attention to the man before him.

"Yes, the beginning. Well, I went with a few others of our esteemed colleagues on a quest. We were to locate and capture a smuggler known to associate with Asumit. A swordsman and all around scoundrel named Oinig," Is it your imagination or does a brief note of approval creep into his voice. "Only in doing so we followed his trail all over the lands and to what I can only say was anther dimension, and also discovered what he was after on Asumit's behalf. Under a geas no less." Iskandar pauses again, this time as his wine arrives.

Faranmidahn blinks over the edge of the table as the tale begins, wiggling her butt slightly to get a little more comfortable. she stares, enrapt as the story goes on, expression becoming vaguely troubled as the geas comes into the mix. Hmm.

Zeke is as acutely interested in the story as is Faran. His expression starts out troubled and only becomes more so as the story continues. He's not sure what aspect of the story that Iskander approves of, but he hears nothing that lightens the weight beseging his eyeridges. "What wassss he after?" The question comes quietly, not really wishing to interrupt the story, but trying too to urge it along.

Iskandar has sampled his drink by now and with his mouth thus moistened by the wine he seems more than ready to continue. He glances at Faranmidahn, and then nods towards Zeke. "Yes, yes more important than the geas upon Oinig, is what he sought. It was a shard of Animus." He pauses briefly, for effect. "The dead god Animus. The shard took different forms, to protect itself from us just as much from those fiendish forces of Asumut that accompanied Oinig. Or it created different forms... I am not certain which," Iskandar admits. Then he continues. "But eventually, after we defeated them all and won the day, we found we had also won the shard. It was in the form of a staff." He turns his gaze idly, unconsciously, towards Zeke's staff.

Faranmidahn frowns a little as the tale continues, hand hovering in mid reach for her tankard. She swallows, glancing in turn at the staff, then, very softly, "What happened to Oining?" not sure she wants to know.

The blue-scaled sith lets loose a soft exhalation of a curse in draconic. The realization that he's done this seems to embarass him and he ducks his head down low briefly. "It sssseemssss you have found sssomething of great importancse. Thisss one wonderssss... what happened to the ssshard now that your missssion isss over?" He seems to care a lot less what happened to the poor unfortunate man.

Iskandar seems about to answer Faranmidahn. But at the curse he hesitates, mouth still open. He closes it and shifts his gaze over to the cleric. Then he shrugs. "We took Oinig prisoner. I was led to understand he's considered a criminal, so I suppose he's in the city jails." It's clear Iskandar hasn't given Oinig much thought. Not nearly as much as..."The shard," he nods at Zeke again. "We turned over to the Solar visiting the temple of Daeus." He pauses and watches Zeke. "What they did with it I'm not sure. But we learned there are more shards. Or at the very least, one more. And we were told it is in Dragonier." He settles back now, giving the impression somehow that his tale is finished, and takes a long drink.

Faranmidahn 'ohs' silently and nods, "I see." She takes up the tankard for a careful swig, then sets it back in it's place. She looks to Zeke, now and wonders what that new tidbit will mean to him.

If anything, the revelation that the shard is in the possession of a Solar seems to relax the sith-makar considerably. He sags slightly, and touches his mug of cider. Then he takes a drink as though its something a little harder than mere cider; with purpose. It warms him immediately, but not the way that alcohol would have and he nods to Iskandar. "Tisss good that you took it to the sssolar. Sssurely it will ssset it in good handssss. Dragonier... We will have to find it." His green eyes meet Iskandar's gaze. "If you have need of thissss one, or if thisss one can be of any aid; pleasse do not hesssitate to assk."

Iskandar smiles and nods approvingly. "I won't," he assures Zeke. "We won't," he corrects himself. "Many of those who quested and retrieved the shard, will no doubt travel to Dragonier to retrieve the next one." Then he gestures to Zeke. "Have you ever been there?" He looks to the Lucht. "Have either if you?"

"We skirted the old border some time back while studying the Vast." Faran replies with a little shrug, "Well, Mother was studying the Vast." she amends. There's a look between the two again and, "I will gladly help if I can."

"Thisss one hasss not traveled very much. Am'ssshere, Alexandria. Thessse are the placesss that thisss one knowsss well enough to ssspeak of." Zeke rolls his right shoulder in a half-shrug and sort of apology. Then nods to Faran. "All aid isss welcome aid when fighting forcesss sssuch ass thessse."

Iskandar hmms. "I haven't either. I went to the border but no further. I had hoped to meet someone who had actually traveled - and lived to tell of it. Are there others who follow Daeus, perhaps, who may have ventured inside that land?"

With fingertips gently alighting against her breastbone and a reverent bow of her head, Faran replies, "I follow the Hunter, and I know some who follow his sister, but no one who follows Daeus, I'm afraid."

"Thisss one knowssss many who follow the Dragonfather." Zeke is smiling with his eyes in the sith-makar way. He is a cleric of the Dragonfather after all, so it is not surprising that he knows many others who follow him. "Thisss one will give you a note yesss, asssking thisss onesss cassste-matesss to aid you. There are many who follow the Dragonfather in the temple of coursse, but alssso at the Ssssoldiersss Defenssse. Thiss one hasss become well known there, and perhapsss they will take kindly to a fellow cassste-mate giving your quessst their blesssing."

Iskandar nods in understanding. "Good! Good...a fine start." He turns towards Faran. "The Hunter?" He thinks that over. "I see. I haven't met many who do. Although," he adds quickly, "Those I have encountered have been heroes all, worthy and noble of heart."

Faranmidahn bows her head with a slightly bashful expression as her cheeks go aglow. A little fidget, then, "I do my best to live up to such labels." she says softly, coughs once behind her hand then lifts her chin again, "I'm a Knight of the Purple Rose after all, and a sorceress, besides, it wouldn't do to be anything less!"

Zeke toasts the pair with his mug, leaning forward slightly when his curry appears suddenly at his side. He offers a bowl to the waitress, looking just a little bit contrite and she blinks at him in surprise, but doesn't seem that concerned that he was hiding one of the bowls on his person. She just accepts it and walks away while Zeke tries a taste of the curry he's been brought. He seems to agree with it. "The adventurerersss of Alexandria are a ssstrong group, thisss one hassss ssseen them perform many heroic tasssksss, and sssees them trying to do more every day."

Iskandar tilts back his glass and finishes his wine and leaves several coins on the table. "I'm going to see a few others and together we'll continue making our plans. Farewell to both of you!"

Faranmidahn gives him a toasted, "Farewell!" as he makes his way out, takes a sip, sighs and looks to Zeke once more. She sniffs a couple of times, standing up on her seat and propping herself up with her hands over the table to lean closer to his bowl, "What is that?" she wonders with curious eyes.

The blue-scaled sith grows still as Faran comes closer, green eyes watching her warily. "Curry. Would you like ssssome? Thisss one can order you a bowl."

Faranmidahn turns big eyes from the bowl to his face, blinks, then straightens, "Oh! Nono, thank you! That's very nice, but I can..." she looks a little uncertain, "Well... I've never smelled anything like it before."

Zeke relaxes just a hair and his green eyes shine with good-will toward Faran. "Here." He slides the bowl toward her and lifts his right claw to motion to the server to get another bowl. "Thisss one will order another bowl, if you have never had it, then it issss scertainly sssomething you ssshould try."

The little woman smiles graciously and gives another, proper curtsey before settling back into her chair, "Thank you. Can I get you anything?" Fair is fair.

The blue-scaled sith lets loose a warm rumble of laughter. "Thisss one isss sssatisssfied. Perhapssss..." He trails off and seems to reconsider his statement somewhat. "If you will, one can alwaysss ussse more aid at the Defenssse. Whatever time you can ssspare iss appreciated. Though the work isss consssidered by sssome to be dangerousss."

Faranmidahn blinks, one of her primary means of expression, probably, "That's the hospice, yes?" she inquires, just to make sure she's got it right. Hmmm, "What kind of work?"

"Fetching and carrying for the mossst part. Boiling water. Sssitting with thosssse who have no family. Perhapsss reading to the nessstlingsss." Zeke considers for a moment then nods. "Thisss ssort of thing." Indeed, it sounds /very/ dangerous.

Faranmidahn looks vaguely dubious for a moment, "That doesn't sound particularly dangerous...?" she replies, very puzzled.

"Ah." Zeke exhales and considers a moment before lowering his voice so that those nearby would have trouble hearing. "There are thossse with the plague at the Defenssse. Ssssome wrongly believe that being near thossse with the plague will make them ill. Thisss issss not true, but even the wordssss of the ssshaman-cassste are not enough to enlighten all. There will be no sssuch danger to you, but thisss one would not want to invite you only to have you be concerned asss to ssuch. Alssso... there have been attacksss on the patientsss." This is grim enough news that it darkens his eyes.

Faranmidahn actually pales a little bit at that at first. She doesn't like the idea of getting sick, especially with something affectionately referred to as a 'plague', but, damnit, she's a Knight! Courage and Compassion! She collects herself and nods, "Thank you for telling me, I trust your word." She gets a little businesslike and, "What of these attacks?"

"It issss sssomething ssad to ssay, that thossse bessset by the plague are often attacked by thossse who are not sssick thinking that to end them meansss an end to the illnesssss." Zeke shakes his head and even as he speaks the man next to him straightens.

"Are you one of those treating the plague?"

Zeke scoots a little bit away from the man and nods slightly to the question and the man immediately gets on his feet, already looking irate. "Damn you! How dare you call yourself a healer? My girl is sitting in the Defense dying and here you are what? Lollygagging? You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Faranmidahn hops down from the chair, leaving the sword where it is, though she quicktrots around to try and get between the two, "Now, now, no need for this, here!" She has her back to Zeke, since he's been completely reasonable so far, and looks up to the man, "Good man, I understand you are aggrieved, but, even now, your daughter has caretakers close to hand, yes?" There's a glance back to the side, though she's reluctant to take her eyes off of an upset person.

The man hardly looks calmed by Faran's words, instead he glowers at her and pulls himself up to his full height in an attempt to intimidate her. Zeke meanwhile is shrinking back from the confrontation, scooting his chair away from the man and trying to appear as if he's not there at all. Something about the situation seems to upset the man further. "Just look at him! Won't even defend himself! Has to have a girl do it for him." Behind his anger there's fear there; sadness, and it's clear in the way his eyes are watering just a little. "There ain't no one helping my girl. They say there's nothing they can do for her. What have you to say to that big man?" The man tries to shove past Faran to get to Zeke and Zeke makes an odd noise in the back of his throat as he scuttles away from the reaching hands.

Faranmidahn stands small in the face of intimidation! Well, she was, until the fellow, likely a large one, sets a hand against her thirty pounds of mass and shoves her aside with a surprised squeak! There's a little >thmp!< as her head meets the bottom edge of the table and she hits the floor under it. Ow! She gets to her feet, one eye squinting a bit for the fresh knot on her head and she tries again to get between them, "Enough!" she shouts, balling her fists, some and tries to look fierce.

GAME: Faranmidahn rolls intimidate: (15)+7: 22

"Thisss one issss ssssorry!" Zeke tries to explain, holding up his right claw to forstall the man who is practically in his face before Faran pops up between them again. Her resulting shout is enough to startle both Zeke and the man who looked like he was inches from punching Zeke somewhere the sith-makar would feel it in the morning. "Thisss one isss looking for a cure ass bessst ass thisss one can. Thissss one worksss day and night for it, thisss one feelsss your pain watching the nesstlingsss harmed by it. Thisss one entreetsss everyone thisss one meetss to aid, and knowsss everyone who isss touched by it. Thisss one knowsss you, you are Madiline'sss father. Sssshe isss a good, ssstrong girl, and thisss one hasss already ssuggessted twice that ssshe be moved to the Arcanissstsss guild. You ssshould let her go."

The man stops where he is, fists clenching and unclenching, but taken aback by Faran, he moves several steps back, but his anger is fading fast now even as the crowd murmurs at Zeke's words. Someone in the back yells that there should already be a cure and Zeke hunches slightly even as this one man finally nods and backs down entirely "I will. I just... I'm sorry. Sorry miss. I'm just worried about my girl." He's crying now and it's hard to be lingeringly mad at a guy who's crying.

Faranmidahn opens her hands as the man is given pause on throwing out beatings. She turns her head, slowly, casting an admittedly misty eye on Zeke to see, "You alright?" She turns back to the man as he is overcome with contrition and she reaches out for his hands, "I understand, good man, and I forgive you." She clears her throat and looks around for the source of the new yell, not sure how to answer to that, but hoping Zeke has something.

Zeke nods once to Faran, and as his curry is brought over he quietly murmurs something to the server and she nods to him, looking a little disappointed. Green eyes peered around the room briefly, but Zeke only shook his head sadly. "Thisss one wissshess one had better newsss, that one could come here and ssspeak of a cure, but sssuch would be a lie. Thissss one can only promissse to sssearch until it isss found." With this he ducks his head to those watching and lowers his head to speak to Faran more quietly. "Thisss one iss going to return to the Defenssse. You are welcome, but there isss no need, what you have done for thisss one thisss night isss more than repayment enough."

"No treatment, no spell is discovered instantly." Faran adds, "But there are people, talented people who are trying to find a way. Please, for your own good, for the sake of those who are fighting to live, please do not give up hope..." The little Knight steps back from the father to smile up to Zeke, "I'll see you there tomorrow after I finish training with Torrent."

Zeke gives the sith-makar equivelent of a smile to Faran. Bright eyes and a swish of the tail before he takes his bowl - he leaves the other for Faran - and nods low to her in appreciation. "Blesssingsss of the Dragonfather on you until then." He offers this and then another nod to the man who is being led back to his table by his friends. Zeke uses this cover to slip away practically unnoticed into the dark.

-End