In which there is nearly a fight

Dorne mutters to Seldan, "... seems... vampire bowing... a mythic at... additionally,... seems... that... be... maybe... still..."

A fair day in the temple district finds the usual hustle and bustle of errands, fine weather, proclamations, teaching, and food-seeking that so often happens here. Off to the side, though, at least two seem disinclined to join in the merriment. Seldan, in full armor but with helmet off, and Dorne in the robes of a Hearthguard talk quietly beneath the just-waking, well-trimmed trees near the Temple of Eluna.

"Believe it, for she is no ordinary fae, Hearthguard. I have seen this for myself, and I have crossed swords with the vampire before this day. She is no demon, but should not be taken lightly for all of that. You are right to be wary, but know that even now, there are those within the city who move to stop them both."

GAME: Strike rolls perception: (16)+12: 28

There's a moment of conversation at the temple of Daeus, a group of priests talking together before one slips away from the gathering and the gathering itself seems to break up. It's a blue-scaled sith, moving with slow precision across the square with a tired bearing. It's in the way he moves, and the way that watches the people going by with wary eyes. Everyone gets a tired, but almost accusionary look, and it's his attention to the people that leads Zeke to notice Seldan and his companion where they stand.

With unhurried steps Zeke joins Seldan and his companion whom Zeke recognizes from the other day, he nods low to the two men and lets out a few words which sound as weary as he looks. "Peasssce on your nessstsss."

Even without intending to eavesdrop, per se, certain words prick the ears. 'Fae' followed by 'vampire' with quick reference to 'demon' is a bit of a trifecta in some circles. The half-mul alters her course to close toward the discussion, though through something of a tightening spiral, to let her gauge the situation better, as the group seems to be congealing.

Dorne mutters to Seldan, "Blue Scaled... I..."

Nearby, at the Temple of Althea, there is a fairly unusual sight. For the keen eye, there is a white tiger on a perch to look down at everyone in the district. For those that pay attention to detail, however, they'll notice that this particular tiger is VERY unusual. For it have blue eyes...and gold stripes. It seems to simply look at every in the square with regal bearing....and closes its eyes slowly, then back open, clearly showing it's relaxed.

Seldan listens closely to the Hearthguard, but nods, seeming untroubled by whatever it was Dorne said. Instead, he turns to greet the sith-makar with a smile, and hands that remain by his side. "Zeke, peace on your nest as well. I was able to pass the warning about the water supply to the senior Seers yestereve after evensong. I would not challenge them, nor would I cause a panic, so I deem it best that they spread the word, and I am certain that they will. Were you hurt at all?" He frowns at this.

Dorne casually taps the warrior near him on his shoulder armor and bids him follow. His brown eyes narrow faintly and he sprints toward the Temple of Althea!

Zeke glances toward Dorne, but says nothing to the man, instead focusing on Seldan. Which is when the fellow abruptly taps Seldan on the shoulder and urgently motions for him to follow him. Zeke blinks twice, looking in the direction that the man ran and finally back to Seldan. "A ssstrange fellow." He offers the words gently and without malice. "Thissss one wasss not harmed. Yet Cryosssanthia..."

Zeke lets out a soft sigh and shakes his head. "Thisss one got no ressst lasst night tending to her."

The feline is noted in passing, though it's proximity to the temple flags it in Strike's mind more as a 'curiosity' than a 'hazard', but the conversation at the center of her spiraling path makes her alter course to a more direct route. Though the threads are new, and she's dyed her hair, the face belongs to one who has worked with Seldan and Zeke in the past. She raises a hand in a silent hair on her approach, but doesn't say anything until she's much closer to conversing distance, when it begins as, "Hello, what's afoot?"

It is then that the tiger comes down from its perch. It's a graceful thing that actually has it brushing against several members of the Althean clergy along the way....until it gets close to Zeke, Seldan and the unknown half-elf. Then.....without making a sound, it begins to sniff at their feet.

Almost on cue, there is a blonde elf in plate armor that walks out of the temple...and looks to the exact spot where the tiger was.

Seldan doesn't seem to have even noticed the tiger atop the Temple of Althea. Standing beneath the trees as he is, he cannot really see the animal from where he is, although when it comes down to sniff at their feet, he immediately looks at Zeke. "Peace," he says, attempting to hold the sith-makar's eyes. "If it harms you, I will deal with it. Fear me not." He doesn't move, either, letting the tiger do as it will without movement. "There was an incident yestereve at the Fernwood," he explains to Strike without taking his eyes from Zeke. "I feared as much. How is she?"

The appearance of the tiger sends a wave of caution through the blue-scaled sith-makar. His staff is held just a little more tightly in hand, but Seldan's words make him nod and he simply keeps a wary eye on the large animal. "Thisss one can not ssspeak for her. Thisss one can heal the body, but the mind..." He holds himself stiffly, clearly distracted by the animal, but not enough to forget to offer a greeting to the one who approached them. He recognizes her as well from their dealings in the past. "Peasssce on your nesst. Do either of you know thisss creature?"

Strike looks at the large feline as it seems the flag of 'curiosity' was not exclusive. And, since the last feline of such size was of less natural coloration, the half-elf holds her little meat skewer down to it. She watches to make sure she doesn't lose a hand, but her ears are still tuned to her coworkers, "And to yours. There was a certain level of noise about the Fernwood last night, coherence was not forthcoming. I assume it is someone's pet."

The tiger looks to Zeke and tilts his head a little bit. but that was before being presented with the meat skewer. A couple of licks and the tiger daintily tugs a couple off of the skewer....and begins to chew. As it's chewing, it begins to purr loudly. Clearly it likes the treat. Once it's done chewing, it rubs its whiskers on Strike's arm, and leans gently.

That's when a melodic voice can be heard from a semi-short distance away. "Well now. I don't believe very many have been able to make friend with Aurora THAT fast. She doesn't mark anyone upon first meeting them."

Seldan's shoulders seem to slump, although it is not easy to see in armor. "Then it was her." He pauses, and straightens. "I know of someone who may be able to aid her, if only through shared experience. Will your people permit me to take her into the wizards' dungeon, for a few hours?" The newcomer wandering over gets a brief look, and a nod. "Good day to you." The tiger appears to be both tame and distracted, and so he lets the matter go without comment. "One could say that," he tells Strike before turning back to Zeke. "In fact, I have not visited him in too long, and would like to do so again, but the danger is too great to risk taking him to her."

Zeke considers for a moment. "Yesss thisss one thinksss it would do her well to know ssshe iss not alone in thisss. The dungeonsss are not a pleassant plasce, but it would be for a sshort time." He seems to relax minutely. "Thisss one will suggesst it to her."

Zeke turns toward the new woman approching them and nods his head to her. "Peassce on your nessst. Your... pet ssseemss to have joined usss."'

Strike shivers, gooseflesh along her arms at the tickle and her breath catches. Distracting. Troubling. The half-mul's arm flexes, hand rotating to scritch around the tiger's jaw as at least the rumbling noise is familiar as 'We're good' while the skewer comes back up to her face so she can start on what's left. There's is a pause, though at the observation, and she looks that way, "It wasn't worth fighting over." she notes. She flickers a glance to Zeke, "We are not friends, but she was very nice. I... wish her well."

"Most draw weapons at her, some reluctantly pet her, but you're the only one who gave her a treat, then petted her." Sorscha then pets the Tiger as well. "I'm assuming you're talking about the plague?"

Dorne exits the Temple of Althea. The Military Bill Hook in his hands is vastly different from his usual staff. Brown eyes watchful. The wind blowing his white clothes.

"Not ... precisely, though it touches on that, yes." Seldan is exactly where he was, and talking to a similar group of people - and the white tiger is nearby. He notably is not moving much with the tiger present. "It need not have gone so badly as that," he tells Zeke quietly. "I fear that not all of my temple place as much faith in me as I in them."

Zeke nods solemly. "It went.. very badly. Thisss one doess not know what happened after thisss one left though." His eyes flicker toward the people around him. "Thisss one would like to hear, thissss one wasss... trapped upssstairs." It seemed that no one had at the time really noticed the unnaturally lengthy absence of the blue-scaled sith.

"She is not my enemy." Strike replies thoughtfully to the woman, continuing to scritch the tiger and takes a bite of her skewer, "There was no compelling reason to change that." Her attention turns to Seldan and Zeke in turns as they speak, then, "I am curious as well."

Dorne notes the dang Tiger accross the way! His demeanor is wary. However, he just deals with the local Altheans, for now.

"Depends upon the temple." Sorscha says to Seldan. "keep your faith in the temple and keep proving yourself. Your temple will likely grow in their faith of you." She says gently petting the tiger on the ears. Aurora actually licks Strike's hand. "Follower of Althea?" She asks Seldan.

Neither Seldan's color choices nor the crescent-and-sphere steel pendant that hangs around his neck suggests allegiance to Althea at all, but he simply shakes his head politely, reserving all comment other than, "Eluna has not turned her face from me, not in the years since I have sworn to her service, not even when all else was blackest. There are those within the Temple who know. Let that be enough."

He draws a deep breath, then, and begins. "I would not begin a panic, nor wild rumors, and so I had thought to inform my Temple and let that suffice, but I feel that I may tell you, as part of why the ruckus in the Fernwood yesterday. The plague oozes infest the cisterns, the city water supply beneath the Soldier's Defense and the Temple District. We sought to understand how best to destroy them, rather than dilute them, but in that process, two people were infected with the plague."

Zeke nods, confirming all of this without a word. This at least he had been there for. "Thisss isss ssso. Thiss one cautionsss that ssssuch thingsss may caussse panic if everyone were to know." His tail flick-flicks behind him.

Strike actually smiles a little bit and offers the last of her skewer to the big cat. She'll buy another one, later. Meanwhile, "Clever." she muses softly, "That would allow it a more unrestricted spread, but the fact that it requires magic to trigger it's obvious spread is likely why the water vector was not considered."

"Mmm...it's what I get for assuming. You were talking about a plague, so I assumed Althea, but it does affect magic users, so of course, she's involved." Sorscha says. "I'm Sorscha, Sentinel of the Blessed Lady, and this is my companion, Aurora." Aurora noms on the last of the skewer. "I apologize for assuming."

Merek walks along the city with his cloak pulled about him, billowing along in the wind while he looks from beneath the hood. It looks like he keeps a dagger on a belt, his eyes looking to people in thought, their glow ethereal, though a natural light that is subtle. He seems to be looking to the few Temples thoughtfully.

"More than simple involvement," Seldan tells Sorscha, from where the group stands beneath the budding treees outside the Temple of Eluna. "I am sworn to hunt and punish those who would take Her gifts and turn them to wanton destruction, or to the suffering of others. The plague is itself a creature, a living thing born of universal magic, and is less truly a disease than a parasite that takes the form of an ooze or slime. Its purpose is to feed upon magic, and it is believed that She and Her vampire lackey feed from the power it draws. I have taken the stopping of this plague, and of them and all that feed from it, as my sacred duty and call, my hunt." He flicks a glance at Zeke at the last, for a term that the sith-makar will understand.

"After you left, an ice queen calling herself Salina wished a sample of the ooze we had caught. It is different from the one I know, for never had I seen it sparkle, nor had I seen lightning within it, and she acknowledged as much. She was watching us, I think, and offered to aid Cryosanthia. She went, against the recommendations of her people. I ... should have tried to stop her, but I suspected who it was, and did not wish to give away all that I knew." He lowers his eyes, clearly troubled. "I was right, to my sorrow, and that is why I would have her meet ...." He stops himself short.

Zeke listens to every word that comes forth from Seldan with care, particularly those given about what had happened after he had found himself trapped upstairs and unable to come down. He shakes his head and steps closer to Seldan. Offering a presence, though he does not offer the physical connection that others might have it's clear that he intends to offer comfort in his own way. "Thisss one... can not offer judgement. Thisss one wassss not there, but it worriesss thisss one greatly that ssshe was taken. Thisss one.... worriessss for her." Zeke looks at the ground. "There isss ssomething about thisss man you ssspeak of, that you do not wissh to sssay? You keep hiss sssecretsss."

A woman approaches, a mature sith-makar. White in scale colour and wearing a robe cut for her species. Layered, the robe is also white, with pale, glacial blue piping and trim, and subtle whorl designs. There's something familiar in the way she moves.

She looks like Cryosanthia's mother, if one imagined her. Taller, a little thicker, more rough scale plates on her eye ridges, elbows. Horns, a full crest, ear frills, wider hips and bumps along the top ridge of her tail.

She has a presence though, gliding with a purpose familiar to anyone who has seen the ice queen. She moves with that fae's confidence.

Right up behind Zeke, breaking into a sneak for the last few steps that is purely herself. Cryo thumps her tail loudly in greeting, behind Zeke, her voice teasing, "You left me! I suppose it's only fair."

Merek looks up to the Temple of Eluna, then he looks to Cryosanthia. He stares at the woman, her manners, then the way that she greets Zeke, "Wait, don't!" He then looks from beneath the cloak. He does then look a bit away from her. He honestly looks upset, beyond upset. He then nods a bit to the place.

Dorne has a small girl (no more then 3) in his arms. She just starts giggling loudly. Dorne takes a knee then beings chatting with her. Something about some fruit?

Strike misses the woman departing with the tiger as her eyes are locked onto the new sith, unblinking, but puzzled. The intricacies of Sith makar propagation are ones she's unfamiliar with, though she recognizes the overarching familiarity of the white scale's design, though this one is notable larger. Progenitor, female from the voice. Her eyes lower as she considers her wording, then up to Cryo she offers, "Peace to your nest. Your daughter is quite nice, I wish her well in this trying time."

Dorne urges the tiny one within the Temple of Althea. He stands grabbing his Military Bill Hook and quietly steps toward Seldan.

Before Seldan can answer Zeke, he looks over at Cryosanthia's entrance, and -freezes-, watching her movements and body language, eyebrows lifting. "I do," he tells Zeke, suddenly very, very careful. "I think I must speak with him, before I arrange such a meeting," he murmurs, then his voice grows louder. "Peace upon your nest, Cryosanthia." Carefully, no mention is made of the difference in her appearance, at least not in words. "Are you well?"

Zeke startles at the loud sound, turning to see what caused it only to find Cryosanthia there. Immediately he relaxes, but seeing her so different makes him smell of sadness. The sting of the horror of knowing that she has gone through yet another trial hurts the sith-makar in ways that are obvious to those that know him. She however, seems in good spirits, and that makes him wag his tail in hope. "Thisss one iss glad to sssee you Cryosssanthia. Thiss one isss ssorry to have left you, but wanted to asssk after your... condition at the temple. Thisss one did not want to dissturb your ssslumber." Zeke's eyes flicker toward Seldan and he gives a slow nod. They will perhaps have to share words.

GAME: Merek rolls sense motive: (5)+4: 9

Merek isn't able to tell a lot about Cryosanthia, which only makes the man just seem to avoid his friend. He looks then to Zeke, then it's back to Seldan. He then takes the time to look up to the Temple, then he notices Strike, nodding a bit to the elven woman, "Hey, Strike," he says with that smoky voice.

"This one is well, and worn. I will need some healing yet." Cryosanthia smiles, with an amused raise of her eye-ridges. She shakes her head at the half-elf, her voice is calm and even. "Strike? This one has laid no eggs. Yet. No daughters. This one is Cryosanthia. Your new hair and apparel is lovely."

She sweeps round on the spot, to face the blue-scale. She dips her nose, inhales his scent, "I'm teasing. I needed the sleep. Don't be sad, please."

Looking back at Seldan, she examines him quietly for a little while. Her head tilts a little bit to the side. She's still, "I would love to see your wings again."

"I expect you have questions."

"None that I would add to your suffering by asking, Cryosanthia." Is that guilt in Seldan's tone, in the slump of his shoulders? Zeke's proximity earns the sith-makar a small smile, one that tries to convey appreciation, but the guilt remains. What in all of Ea does the paladin know that he isn't saying? The request to see the wings draws a very small smile, a hint of amusement, and without a word, he steps back a pace and concentrates. A pair of purest white angel wings sprout from his shoulder blades, easy ten feet across when spread.

"Only ... I know of one who has met a similar fate, at the hands of the same person. Would you have me see if he will speak with you?"

He hasn't even really spotted Merek yet, so busy has he been watching Zeke and Cryosanthia. "The temple will not know of this, Zeke, but the one of whom I speak does."

Zeke glances around at those assembled and lets out a small sigh. "Cryosssanthia hasss been... aged by her experiancess." Literally it would seem. The blue-scaled sith hardly lets the female out of his sight, as if he fears something might happen to her if he does. He nods though to Seldan, considering the implications. Someone else... that had suffered a similiar fate from the person that created the plague. Zeke knew of one such. "Thisss one knowsss who you mean."

Which however did beg the question in Zeke's mind as to why Seldan was being so vague about information regarding this person. "Why do you keep hisss name and plassce ssso clossse to your chesst Ssseldan? If he can help Cryosssanthia, thisss one would appresciate it greatly."

"She chose that path," Merek then says to Seldan and to Zeke at the way they look to be. He then nods a bit to Strike, "She went with a woman that came with offers." There's a look to Cryosanthia, "Did you think of the way people might be when you come back with the mark of people that murdered and killed our citizens?" He then looks at the Temple, looking then to Seldan, "And what does the Temple not know? Why are we always keeping secret information?" He looks from the cloak to people, then sighs, "A Temple that provides the secrecy of what they do."

He does look to Seldan's wings, though with his face masked, no one can note the way he looks at them.

GAME: Merek rolls will: (17)+17: 34

"I'm not suffering Seldan." Cryosanthia shakes her head. Her eyes, empty cold gems. Her smile has a casual warmth to it. Her scent is pleasant, sith-makar might find it soothing. She smells powerful, self-assured. She grins as his wings explode from his back, and exhales, joyfully opening her mouth. "They're as beautiful as I remember. The memory helped. So much."

"Your wings did too, Merek, though you don't seem happy to see me. Yes. We argued before we left. I'm sorry. You mean this mark." She removes her left glove. A while-scaled glove, that matches her own. On the back of the glove is her Arcane Mark. Positioned underneath it, almost directly, is a snowflake scar.

"You mean this? It's a mark of ownership. This is the second time I've been a possession. It was not desired but it can't be helped. I've made peace with it, as with all the marks I never asked for."

Cryo looks between Zeke and Seldan, her tail swaying curiously, "I'd be interested in meeting the man you speak of."

Strike considers the scenario as it plays out before her, processing what she can and trying to reason past the waking manifestation of her sleepless nights. Her eyes cooling to something approaching her typical center, alight on the mark, and the bearer as arguments begin, "Enough. There are better places for this conversation." She swallows, then reaches out to lightly pat the whitescales's arm. Solidarity, perhaps.

Zeke's eyes narrow at Merek, his scent shifting suddenly to one of anger and his bearing taking on a more defensive pose. His body shifts as though he might need to protect her from a physical assault from the other man, his hand even tightening on his quarterstaff as his nostrils flare at Merek. Suddenly he looks a lot like Durrankar had the other night. An inch from crackling with draconic power to protect someone. "Watch your wordsss Merek." There's a low growl in his voice, a promise that if Merek means to threaten Cryosanthia, there will be a force there to stop him. "Thisss one will not abide you treating her harssshly after what sshe endured. You do not know!"

Zeke however has seen the wounds on Cryosanthia's body. Has a healers knowledge of what those injuries mean and how they are gained. Knows the age that weighs on her scales and knows that this time speaks to more pain than he can imagine.

The blue-scale is glad of Strike's words, and he hums low in his throat to calm himself, to listen to Seldan's words. He nods to the man and then.... moves slightly closer to him. So that he is standing close to Seldan and also Cryosanthia. To offer them his protection by his presence. "Ssssa Ssseldan. One can not take back the passsst." In truth he might have said such harsh words to Seldan as well, for 'allowing' Cryosanthia to be taken knowing who it was that was taking her but... The man's own condemnation of himself is harsh enough. "Thisss one... forgivesss."

GAME: Merek rolls will: (15)+17: 32

Merek looks to Zeke, and gets into a stance, protectively. "Listen, I apologize, I am glad she is alright, but she went with people that she was told not to by her own people. You know, people that killed me, twice!" He then looks to Strike, and nods, "Not the place," he just stares at Cryosanthia. "What." He sighs, then he shifts back a bit, "Seldan, this is a new ooze, it works differently, I did as was usual for dealing with the thing. I in fact was not even using spells on it when fighting, I called someone to fight it because I am a Mage, not a fighter." He then motions to the Temple of Eluna, while he looks to the woman's mark, "I have seen the mark many times before." He wiggles his nose a bit. "I am glad you are alright." He does look to the paladin.

Cryosanthia smiles as Strike pats her arm, seems happy enough with the gesture and places her glove back on her hand. "Thank you. This one is unsure how to move it, and I have been inside a while."

The palescale, listens with patience, then a wild grin breaks on her mouth. She speaks, with a voice that is higher pitched, quiet and full of whimsy. One might imagine, an inner voice, leaking out. "Yaaaaaaay! The men are fighting over me. It's the wrong kind of fighting, but yaaaaay."

She dips her nose, droops her eyes and looks around at everyone.

The light of day is met with a touch of suspicion by Elleandra. She's been keeping herself scarce since the little experiment in the Pub. More scarce still since she stopped at the Fernwood and got vague warnings of something gone wrong. She sees and hears Cryosanthia from a ways off and smiles to herself. Just the one she was looking for. Rather than call out, she simply moves close enough to hear the conversation without drawing too much attention to herself.

Strike smiles a little uncertainly, still not all the way at center, though, the confession by Seldan draws her gaze his way and the look she gives is not good. In fact, with some understatement, it could be construed as Quite Bad.

GAME: Seldan rolls will: (18)+22: 40

"It differs not as much as you in your know-all arrogance seem to think, Seer. Did you not see that it exploded with each spell that anyone cast?" Seldan snaps out before his mind catches up with his mouth, and he abruptly shuts his mouth as if with a tremendous force of will, turns his back on Merek, and bows low to Strike and the two sith. "Forgive me. I do not wish to cause further trouble." With that, he turns on his heel and strides into the Temple of Eluna, closing the door quietly behind him.

The fact that Merek moves into a defensive stance does not bode well to Zeke's instincts. Nor does the man's insistance which make Zeke's tail thrash behind him in a manner that those that know sith-makar might recognize as a readiness to fight. "Did you ssstop her?" His words are quiet and full of a tension. Seldan's exit only makes things worse. He bristles at Merek, eyes narrow on the man. "You take no resssponsssiblity for your own plassce in what happened. Thisss one... will alssso leave."

It is clear that Zeke is not comfortable with Merek, but he turns toward Cryosanthia. "Thisss one assks that you come with. Thisss one doesss not trusssst him. Nor can thisss one abide any further remarksss from him toward you." His tail lashes again.

Strike smiles a little uncertainly, still not all the way at center, though, the confession by Seldan draws her gaze his way and the look she gives is not good. In fact, with some understatement, it could be construed as Quite Bad. As the situation disperses, though, the hand going to her working pouches stops, then places the small black stone gently back inside, "I have read stories where this is desired, why?" she asks Cryosanthia.

Merek does look to where Seldan is going, "Yes, back to the same Temple that won't even tell us the truth about what they did!" He then looks to Zeke, "My own part in it besides the fact I was doing what I could to set up safety!" The man looks to the sith-makar, "I really don't care if you trust me or not. Your entire people have insulted me for months, constantly, even in the city I stay in. You all make subtle threats, constantly, and you say I'm not to trust? Your xenophobic folk don't trust anyone, so why would it matter if you state what the People think already about anyone not them?" He does look to Cryosanthia, then to Zeke, "I tried. Did you want me to try by force? It was her decision alone. Not yours, not mine."

At a distance, she looks much the same. Up close, there are differences. She's taller, thicker, has more bits, be those bits be horns, bigger scales, more frills. The first association is, a progenitor, then as she moves and speaks the unsettling realization sinks in. It is Cryosanthia, decades older. Just when that shock fades, she does something that highlights her age, or calls back to her youthful appearance a day ago.

The curious glance she gives the stone Strike was holding is one such thing. She answer her quietly, "I'll explain later. I must try to manage this."

The white-scale sith-makar spreads her hands, "Peace. Please. I understand these are fresh wounds for you. For me, not. This is... we must separate. Know that what I said was true. I have to trust my instincts."

Cryosanthia moves, so she blocks Zeke being able to see Merek. She sees his readiness to fight, can smell it. Instinctively, her heart races that he cares for her this much. She's still a little bit bloodthirsty and excited by it all, but has a lot more ice in her core now. "Thisss one will come with. Show me. Lead the way."

"I made a choice. I was not going to let anyone stop me. Do not blame yourselves."

An insult to the People is an insult to Zeke. One that the blue-scaled sith can not ignore and before he can think otherwise a low threatening growl has escaped his mouth. "Do not sssspeak ssso of the People! If thessse are your wordsss about the People, then it isss good that they do not trusst you!" He knows /why/ Merek is not trusted and has done his best to treat the man with respect and trust until now. Now however...

The female sith blocks Zeke's view and he takes a breath of her excited scent and his tail lashes behind him. "Yesss. Thisss one will lead you." He turns stiffly and without another word to Merek he leads her away from the fight that is brewing between himself and the dragon-blooded spellcaster. He must get her away from this, and that is enough for him. He uses his form to block hers as he leads her away protectively.

"My words are true, it's no insult to speak the truth," Merek says then to Zeke, while he looks to Cryosanthia, "Your friend has seen it herself. You can't treat a man like shit and expect him to happily take it." He pulls his cloak to him, "Take it as an insult if you will though, you clearly want to take it that way. Everyone wants to take things the worst way."

He thinks about it for a long moment, then he watches the woman, and sighs, "I apologize. It is not fair of me to be this way." He calms, then he looks to the Temple of Eluna. "I just want to be treated like a person."

Seeing things deteriorating very quickly, Elleandra frowns and steps back, considering her next decision with care. She forces her way in just enough to get a word in with what looks like Cryosanthia, talks like Cryosanthia, but doesn't match up very well in her memory. "Before you rush off, I wanted to let you know.. wow, first you look really different.. I hope you are okay." She shakes her head, trying to focus, "We're leaving the city. Whatever risks there are from the South, they clearly pale in comparison to what is happening here." She reaches out to try and press a folded paper into Cryosanthia's hand. "This says how to find me. It's a camp more distant than any you've seen me use. And.. I have some things to deal with personally, in any case, that can't be dealt with in the confines of walls and roofs."

Cryosanthia wordlessly embraces Elleandra and gives her a strong hug. A very solid hug. There's a lot to the lizard woman, and a strong perfume. She nods, pocketing the map, letting Zeke lead her away.

-End