The air was heavy with salt and the smell of sand baking underneath the sun. On the beach was built a small tavern and dock where a large ship sat anchored, moving ever so slightly as waves caressed the side of its sturdy wooden frame. It's sails were folded, and the crew sat around talking or drinking. A few people were already ashore, mostly the travelers who had paid passage to be brought to this island famous for it's hot springs and colorful wildlife. A darkly dressed man stepped off the boat onto the dock, a wide-brimmed black hat shielding his face from the roasting sun, and a matching cape wrapped loosely around his body. A crimson scarf covered his face, leaving only his multicolored eyes, one blue, one green, to scan the beach and fringes of the jungle that lay at the edge of the sand. His name was Sartana, and while he would have enjoyed bathing in the hot springs, there were more important things at hand- far more important. This was not his world, and he wanted to go home.

He held a gloved hand out in front of him, opening and closing it slowly. His hand had lost so much of its power when he was transported here. Now it could only perform a few tasks. At one time he needed only touch a demon with it and the creature would be paralyzed and dead a moment later. Now he could barely sense the creatures nearby. He looked up at the blue sky, and breathed in the fresh air. This land was certainly cleaner than the war-torn world he came from, though. There was no risk of catching the plague and turning into a mindless zombie.

He removed a parchment from a fold in his dark clothing and held it in front of him. There was a detailed map drawn on it, written in some strange language. It was written in demonaic. Sartana was fluent in both reading and speaking the language, however, so the map was not difficult for him to read. He studied it for a moment, and then put it back His eyes scanned the jungle, slowly moving up, past the treetops and far into the distance, stopping at a mountain far ahead. There was a thin trail of smoke billowing from it's top, catching the wind and twisting upwards into the blue sky. This was his destination. There was a portal there, a portal to another plane of existence, and maybe home.

The demonhunter pushed his way into the tavern. He was starving, and there was no sense setting out with an empty stomach. He sat down at a large wooden table with many chairs, as the tavern was pretty much empty, and ordered food. He ordered a lot of food. In fact, he ordered so much that the waitress told him to stop halfway through, saying that she wasn't going to made a fool of. “You think I'm dumb? Nobody can eat that much, and even if they could, it would cost a fortune!” She whined, hands on hips. The demonhunter looked at her, lifting an eyebrow. “I don't know how much you people charge out here for a good meal, but I assure you I can pay. And as for not being able to eat it, as long as I pay you, that shouldn't be your concern.” He answered, trying to sound friendly. The waitress didn't buy it. Sartana sighed and reached into his pocket, extracting a large sack of coins and placing it on the table. He folded his arms across his chest. The waitress took the rest of his order and hurried off.

Sartana shook his head, his eyes gleaming from underneath his hat. “Women...” He stuck his hand into a pocket under his cape, produced a small knife, and began spinning it deftly between his fingers.

Eclipse sat in one of the small taverns on Haudhiaur Island, enjoying a simple salad with a glass of fresh water. One of the very few things that ever irked her about her seafaring life was the impossibility of being able to have fresh fruit on board when going on an extended journey. While she didn't especially mind sailor's fare, there were times when she missed fresh meals such as this one. And at this moment in time, her salad and glass of water were much more interesting and appealing to her than the filling and sometimes boisterous nights of meals onboard a ship, inside the crew's quarters.

Eclipse was on the island for her usual reasons. She had found work on board a passenger ship as a crew member, and now that the passengers had unloaded, she was temporarily out of work. Because Eclipse was not the type that did the same route day in day out for years on end. Her earlier life had been much too full of excitement for something so mundane. So she didn't always stay on board the ship she worked on for the entire to-and-from circuit. And Eclipse had decided that she'd had just about all she could stand from the batch of passengers she'd met this time around, so she'd taken her pay then taken her leave.

Her thoughts were briefly interrupted as a man who was more than slightly over-dressed for the island climate entered the tavern. Her eyes roved over him, taking in the wide-brimmed black hat, matching black cloak, and bright red scarf.
And the gloved hands.
Eclipse shook her head briefly, then returned her attention to her meal. She herself couldn't possibly have more skin exposed without it becoming indecent. A light blue sleeveless shirt, and worn trousers cut off raggedly just above the knees, and simple leather sandals were the only thing she could bear to wear in this heat. Her bronzed skin was testimony to the amount of time she spent on deck, under the blazing sun, every day. Her hair, always cut short, had recently been trimmed even further in deference to the weather. Evidently, she and the man who had just entered the bar didn't see eye to eye about certain things.
Wonder what he's hiding, she thought to herself. [i]I wonder if he realizes that by concealing himself with that clothing, he's only drawing more attention to himself.[i]
But then, she didn't particularly care what the stranger may or may not have to hide. Whatever it was, it was unlikely to ever have much effect on her own life.

The man took a seat at a rather large table behind her. Eclipse wondered what sort of characters the bar would soon be filled with, because he evidently expected company of some sort. Her curiosity mildly peaked and having nothing better to do, she listened in as the waitress came to take the man's order and he began to list off a ridiculous quantity of food.
When the waitress began to protest, Eclipse only smirked to herself. There was a pause in conversation, and judging by how the man had just been talking about how he'd be able to pay, Eclipse imagined that he had just placed a fair sum of money on the table. The waitress hurried off in an indignant huff.

“Women...” she heard him mutter. At this point, Eclipse couldn't resist inserting her own comment.
"Ah, come now," she shot over her shoulder, not deigning to immediately turn and face the man. "They're not all that bad. Imagine, that poor girly has to serve food to all sorts of customers, day in, day out. Can you blame her for being frustrated with her position in life?"

Eclipse turned around in her chair and faced the man, quickly taking in the small knife he was flicking in his fingers and the fat pouch of money on the table.
"Not all of us are quite so lucky," she said, smirking.

Not so much as a few seconds after the waitress hurried away, Sartana caught movement out of the corner of his eye. A woman turned, smirking, commenting on the waitress and her position in life, obviously having heard what he muttered under his breath. He looked her over. Brash, young, the look of a fighter about her. The demonhunter assumed she was some sort of swashbuckler, working her youth away on this tropical island. How fun that must be, he thought. He wondered if she was frustrated with her position in life. Her next words stopped the knife between his fingers.

"Not all of us are quite so lucky," she remarked to him, looking at his knife and gold. Sartana was not lucky. He was anything but that. He looked down at his right hand. It was clenching the hilt of his longsword. He did that sometimes when he met someone new- his hand always shot to the hilt of his sword, no matter who the person was. Sartana cracked his neck. “It's not luck.” He said in a deep voice. “But you're too young to understand.” The demonhunter had come to this land with only the clothes on his back and a sword in his hand, and yet he was already making a name for himself and raking in quite bit of gold. Not that he cared about the money. All he wanted was to go home to his plane, the place he had been so forcefully removed from by the necromancer Laraxle.

Sartana tilted his head to the side a bit, taking up the dagger in between his fingers again. “So what brings you to this place?” He asked, trying to sound friendly. His eyes searched her, falling on the curved weapon at her side. She was indeed a fighter, but what of her demeanor? Hoping to distract her with his right hand moving the dagger, he brought his left hand under the table and quickly signaled seven positions from his hand. A purple mist wrapped around his fingers and then disappeared seconds later. The demonhunter looked at her, smirking. She was somewhat like him.

Airell Tarenn was seated inside the tavern, a glass of cool water in his hands. The Paladin had arrived at Haudhiaur Island because of the rumor spread in Lomedor about pirates and other things often attacking this place. Now, Airell, being a Paladin, made an effort to continually combat lawlessness, and, because of this, the angel was now on Haudhiaur Island, having found nothing more interesting than sand and a few wild creatures.

Airell frowned, beginning to think that he should have referred this job to another Paladin. For one thing, there was too much water around here. Airell did not hate water. Far from it. The Paladin firmly believed that it was required for life, and that it was useful for many things. Airell just didn’t like it all that much. Water made his wings heavy, made it difficult to fly, and if he got caught out in the middle of a lake, would probably drown him. As such, the angel generally felt uncomfortable around large bodies of water. While he could handle things such as Lake Aelin, which he could fly over and reach land on the other side, the thought of being on an island completely surrounded by water, nearest land being about a day’s flight away, somewhat daunted the angel.

Airell put these thoughts out of his mind as he turned to watch a man begin to order an unbelievable amount of food from a waitress. As he watched, the man pulled out a pouch, dropping it onto the table. The waitress quickly left, preparing the order. Airell frowned. What was he going to do with all that food?

“Forgive me for interrupting, but I am a bit curious,” said Airell, “What do you plan to do with that much food?”

Now, when the demonhunter had first entered the tavern, he had immediately taken in his surroundings, taking note of two interesting people seated at ends of the tavern. One, a young woman with short hair and a swashbuckler nature. She didn't worry him. In fact, she looked like the type that could aid him. The other stranger, however, brought Sartana's hand to the hilt of his sword instinctively. There are celestials here as well? He had thought, looking at the man. He couldn't sense celestials as he could many other creatures, but he didn't have to- the being's large feathered wings gave them away. They were beautiful things, those wings, but the demonhunter knew better than to judge the creature attached to them as benevolent.

In Sartana's plane of existence, the celestials were locked in a war with demons, while humankind was stuck helpless in the middle. Both sides cared little for the well-being of the weaker humans, and thus imposed a totalitarian government on them. The celestials were strict, and harsh. Perhaps not as cruel as the demons, but uncaring all the same. Sartana had locked blades with more than a few celestials.

After taking his order, and responding to the woman's questions, the celestial turned and spoke to the demonhunter as well. “Forgive me for interrupting, but I am a bit curious,” said the angel, “What do you plan to do with that much food?” The demonhunter blinked at this question. What does one usually do with food? He thought, looking at the man. “Well, I was thinking of eating it.” He replied, somewhat skeptical of the celestial's motives. The demonhunter was born an eater. His stomach seemed endless, and only such a large meal would fill him up.

He wondered if his answer would anger the angel. On his world, they were prone to fits of rage, diety-like bursts of rage, for the smallest of things. He wasn't too worried, though. He was just hungry. Not wanting to sound too impolite, he spoke up again with his deep, dark voice. “If you asked because you're hungry, please, feel free to pull up a chair.” He said, still spinning his dagger.

“It's not luck," said the man, "But you're too young to understand.
Eclipse only laughed. If this man only understood her past, he would know the difference between her age and her maturity. She had seen her parents commit atrocities against their prisoners as a youngster, and to her it had seemed alright because she was on the 'right' side, otherwise known as the winning side.
Of course, being on the losing side had been enough to make her rethink her life and her morals, which was why she only partook in honest work these days. But maybe that wasn't the best way to introduce herself to this stranger. Better to leave the past where it was...far behind her.

“So what brings you to this place?” he asked her. Eclipse noted that the speed at which he played with his dagger suddenly increased, and the fact that his free hand briefly disappeared beneath the table did not escape her. She had learned to scrutinize every action of every person she met, and to be constantly alert to the possibility of double-dealing or attack.
But as a mercenary, she had seen behaviour similar to that which this man had just exhibited. He likely knew some sort of spell to sense her morality or motive or whatever it was that these magic-users looked for. She also knew she had nothing to fear from this, so she made no comment on it.

She was about to answer when a celestial being introduced himself to the table.
“Forgive me for interrupting, but I am a bit curious. “What do you plan to do with that much food?” he asked. Eclipse had to suppress a laugh at this. What sort of naive being was he?
“Well, I was thinking of eating it.” was the black-garmented man's cynical reply. “If you asked because you're hungry, please, feel free to pull up a chair.” Eclipse only shook her head in amusement, but chose not to address the celestial. She didn't trust his type. In fact, she generally didn't trust a lot of people, but especially not beings like this one. Her almost superstitious fear of magic did a good job of preventing her from associating too closely with races known for their connection to the arcane arts. Whether their magic was good or evil made no difference to her. It was still magic.

"In answer to your question," she said, returning her attention to the man who was still playing with his knife, "I came here on a jaunt as a crew member aboard a passenger ship. But I'm more the adventurer type, or a mercenary, than I am a joy-ride sailor. So I've taken my leave of that particular vessel."
She made a small face. "I've had about all I can stand of uppity nobles getting seasick all over the place."
She extended her hand to the man. "I don't think I've introduced myself. My name's Eclipse. And yours would be?"

“I’m not hungry,” replied Airell, to the man’s statement, “Like I said, just curious. I admit to not knowing much about humans, having only been around them recently, but it seemed to me that that was an extraordinary amount of food that you ordered. Forgive me if I offended you.”

Airell frowned slightly, watching them. He had not intended to offend them in any way, but it was possible that the celestial, not knowing much about humans, might have said something that was offending to them. The black-clothed man’s cynical reply had been quite embarrassing for Airell, and the angel turned his eyes back to his own table.

He had noticed the black-clothed man glance at his wings earlier, a hand on his sword. Airell hoped that he didn’t have bad intentions. He did not wish to fight, but if the man decided to begin conflict, then Airell would have no choice but to fight.

For now, the celestial contented himself with listening to the conversation. It seemed that the woman was a sailor, and that she had arrived on this island on-board the passenger ship that Airell had ridden in.

Sartana eyed the celestial, and listened to his response. “I’m not hungry,” the man replied, not sounding terribly happy, “Like I said, just curious. I admit to not knowing much about humans, having only been around them recently, but it seemed to me that that was an extraordinary amount of food that you ordered. Forgive me if I offended you.” He watched as a small frown crept onto the angel's face, and he turned around at is table. The demonhunter's intention hadn't been to offend the man, but... What did he mean, 'having only been around them recently'? The demonhunter lifted an eyebrow. On his plane, the celestials had seemingly come out of the sky, building immense towers that spiraled towards the clouds. He still didn't know where it was they came from, even through interrogating them. He knew they had come on great ships that could travel through space and time, but that was all. The woman he had spoke to earlier spoke up, stopping Sartana's train of thought.

"In answer to your question,” she said, watching him,"I came here on a jaunt as a crew member aboard a passenger ship. But I'm more the adventurer type, or a mercenary, than I am a joy-ride sailor. So I've taken my leave of that particular vessel." Sartana lifted an eyebrow. A mercenary? Such a young woman? He looked her over again, and wondered just how proficient she was with that blade. Something told him he'd find out soon enough. Either way, a mercenary was what he needed. That, and a guide. He wondered if she knew the island. "I've had about all I can stand of uppity nobles getting seasick all over the place." She finished with a small expression. He smirked. People here were more care-free than where he was from. It was refreshing, and he enjoyed it immensely, taking him away from his usual dark demeanor.

He watched as she extended her hand to him. Boy, she's the friendly type, isn't she? But the demonhunter knew it was something else- the sparkle in her eyes that she seemed to share with Sartana: she wanted adventure. "I don't think I've introduced myself. My name's Eclipse. And yours would be?" She asked with a bright, quick-witted expression.

Sartana extended his right hand, firmly grasping hers and giving it a friendly shake. “I'm Sartana. 'The Vengeful', to some. I hunt the things that give children nightmares. Occasionally I take on the ones that haunt the dreams of adults, too, but not as of late.” He said, smiling. He had single-handedly slain demonic princes before, but could hardly expect to do so in his present state. Still, he would regain his power in time. That was the way traveling through planes worked.

He removed his hand from hers just as several waitresses stepped out of the door leading to the kitchen, each carrying several wide trays on them. They surrounded the table placing bowls and platters covered in food over every inch of it. A moment later they were gone. The demonhunter cracked his fingers and looked at the food before him. Creamy mashed potatoes oozing with melted butter, two roasted chickens glistening under the lanterns of the tavern, squash and carrots, soft with buttery goodness, crispy rolls steaming on clothed baskets. These were only a few of the foods around him. The demonhunter's eyes were bright, and happy. He stuck his dagger into the wood beside him, and poured himself a glass of redberry wine and filled his plate with food, eyeing everything with a smirk. There were few things the demonhunter enjoyed, but food was definitely one of them. His plate was full, and he was about to eat, but stopped, turning his head to the woman.

“Feel free to have some, Eclipse.” He said, looking at her with his multicolored eyes. “I think I may have a proposition for you. Do you know this island well?” He asked, not eating yet, waiting for her to at least sit at the table with him.

“I'm Sartana. 'The Vengeful', to some. I hunt the things that give children nightmares. Occasionally I take on the ones that haunt the dreams of adults, too, but not as of late.” Sartana shook her hand as he said this. He had a firm handshake. One of the ways in which Eclipse built up her impressions of people was by the manner in which they chose to shake her hand. His handshake was firm, without being competitively strong. This was a good sign. She smirked at the way in which he introduced himself. She kind of liked this guy.

Any further conversation was interrupted as several waitresses surrounded the table, laden with platters of food. Eclipse shook her head. It was an incredible amount to order. She wondered again what kind of group this man was expecting, and where they all were. Or was he even expecting a group? It was debatable. Considering the zeal with which the man filled his plate, one could almost believe that he might intend to eat most of it.

“Feel free to have some, Eclipse, he invited. For the first time, Eclipse noticed his eyes. One was clear blue, and the other was a vivid green. It was an interesting trait, all the more fascinating for its rarity.
“I think I may have a proposition for you. Do you know this island well?” he asked her.
Suddenly much more interested in the man than before, Eclipse eyed him for a few seconds. The rules of behaviour between a potential employer and a mercenary dictated that she should take some of the offered food. It demonstrated a willingness to trust the one that she might end up working for. Refusing it was often interpreted as a slight to the one offering, or a display of mistrust, and that was usually where any potential working relationship ended.
Eclipse decided that she could trust to Sartana's motives, if nothing else. With a nod, she switched from her chair to one of the chairs at Sartana's table.
"Thank you for the offer," she said to Sartana. "I think I will join you. As for this island, I've been up and down it more times than I can count. I've spent a great deal of my life at sea, and no matter what sort of ship I was working aboard, this island was always a convenient place to stop. For repairs, or re-stocking on fresh food and water, or changing crews, or the like. So I've had a lot of free time out in this neck of the woods."
She putting food on her plate as she spoke. She took considerably less than Sartana had, but not so little for it to be interpreted as a snub. She hadn't exactly been planning on eating anything much heavier than the salad she'd just been finishing moments before, but then, she hadn't known she would be meeting this man, did she?

"So, Sartana," she said. "You have my attention. Now what's the nature of this proposition of yours?"

Sartana watched as she took the plate and filled it, though sparcely. She spoke as her hand passed between plates, finding food that she liked. "I think I will join you. As for this island, I've been up and down it more times than I can count. I've spent a great deal of my life at sea, and no matter what sort of ship I was working aboard, this island was always a convenient place to stop. For repairs, or re-stocking on fresh food and water, or changing crews, or the like. So I've had a lot of free time out in this neck of the woods." What luck... The demonhunter thought to himself, searching her face for any signs that she was lieing. He smirked. She doesn't look like the type that would lie, anyways. And if she were, to wait gain would she be doing it? She looks like she can handle herself in combat, too, if it comes down to blows in that place. A guide and a mercenary.. Awesome. He had already began eating the food on his plate as she talked, nodding politely when appropriate and laughing on the inside, wondering if he would finally be returning to his world sometime soon, with the help of this woman.

He thought back on the day he had left, and frowned, putting the crispy bun in his hand back on his plate. His home.. so far away. In an entirely different universe. If only he had been more cautious! He touched the side of his chest where a rip in his clothing sat, torn open. His tan chest was underneath, a scar peering out from the cloth. He had been hit through the lung with an arrow just before he was transported here. It had torn through his chain mail like tissue paper, ripping through his chest and pinning him to a tree. He looked up at Eclipse, who was eating. He snapped back to reality.

Finished with the food on his plate, he began to fill it up again when the mercenary asked her next question. "So, Sartana," she started, looking into his eyes. "You have my attention. Now what's the nature of this proposition of yours?" The demonhunter smirked at the sparkle in her eyes, enjoying her obvious thirst for adventure. He hoped that she wouldn't die on the trip to the portal, but pushed the thought from his mind. She looked tough, and with him by her side, nothing would happen. Not only that, by her movements and the way her eyes searched the room, she appeared to excel in awareness, and perhaps subterfuge. They would make a good team.

He put his plate down, now full, and looked at her. “I won't bore you with the details of my story, but let's just say I'm not from here- anywhere near here- and I want to go home. The only way for me to do so is traveling through a portal found naturally in minerals forming under volcanoes.” He said, searching her face for signs of interest. “I need you to take me to the center of this island, where the
volcano looms, and then to a river that appears to flow directly under the mountain, ending in a waterfall at the other side. I'm not sure exactly where this place is, or how to get through this jungle to it.” He said, sounding somewhat annoyed. At one time he would have had little trouble finding his way through a jungle, but now... Damn my incompetence. He thought to himself. He had lost so much of his knowledge and power in the explosion. He took another mouthful of potatoes in and forgot about his worries.

Finished his second plate, he began filling up another, all the time talking. “I don't know how much your employers usually pay, or if you're used to this kind of stuff, but either way, I have more than enough of this currency,” he lifted the bag of money at his side, looking at it distastefully, “..to pay you. And once we get to the mountain, you need not go through the underground cave with me.” He said, looking up at her. “There are dark things dwelling under that mountain, guarding dark treasure.” he sat down and began to eat again, looking at her.

There was something odd about Sartana. Eclipse couldn't put her finger on it, but something set him apart from most people that she had met. It was in the way he suddenly got a far-off, thoughtful look while she spoke, and how he absent-mindedly put the crispy bun he'd been about to eat with the same relish as everything else back on his plate. One hand wandered towards a tear in his clothing. Eclipse had noticed it before but it hadn't been worth calling attention to. She assumed there must be a scar there of some sort, and wondered what battle this man had seen recently.

Sartana put down his plate and met her gaze. “I won't bore you with the details of my story, but let's just say I'm not from here- anywhere near here- and I want to go home. The only way for me to do so is traveling through a portal found naturally in minerals forming under volcanoes.”
Eclipse kept her face carefully neutral as he spoke. One of the many tools she had picked up on quickly over the years was not to betray anything she felt over a potential assignment until the offer had been fully voiced. Reacting too soon could cause the potential employer to omit certain dangerous details if they believed the mercenary thought it was too dangerous to try, or could cause them to lower the price they'd initially planned to offer if the mercenary seemed too eager. But the way that Sartana spoke of being foreign to Haudhiaur Island raised Eclipse's suspicions. It sounded to her like he was the type that shuttled back and forth between planes of existence. The bit about the portal especially worried her. She didn't trust such things, and the idea of having to go search for one, or even perhaps go through one if that's what Sartana wanted her to do, generally didn't appeal to her.
“I need you to take me to the center of this island, where the
volcano looms, and then to a river that appears to flow directly under the mountain, ending in a waterfall at the other side. I'm not sure exactly where this place is, or how to get through this jungle to it.”

Eclipse nodded slowly. She knew what he was talking about, and it was actually relatively easy to get to the volcano. There was a network of paths through most of the island, and the volcano being a source of endless curiosity to visiting nobles, the base of the fiery mountain was accessible to most who knew the right way and didn't mind roughing it out a bit. The river he was talking about was off the tracks though. There were other, safer water sources on the island. The river that went under the volcano wasn't shown to nobles anymore, nor were there any real paths leading to it like their used to be, because too many foolish visitors would get too close to the spot where it disappeared under the mountain and fall in. The current was far too strong for them to ever get out again, and their corpses could only be recovered at the bottom of the waterfall on the other side.

“I don't know how much your employers usually pay, or if you're used to this kind of stuff, but either way, I have more than enough of this currency to pay you," continued Sartana. Eclipse raised an eyebrow at this. Most people would rather name an exact price and then haggle with the mercenary from there on in, trying to get the lowest possible wage. The fact that Sartana didn't seem to care what she asked for suggested either of two things. He was desperate or he was lying about how much money he actually had, and wanted Eclipse to guide him where he needed to go before she realized he couldn't afford to pay her.
Judging by what she had seen so far, Sartana's case was the former, not the latter.
"And once we get to the mountain, you need not go through the underground cave with me. There are dark things dwelling under that mountain, guarding dark treasure.”

Although Eclipse was somewhat curious at the meaning behind Sartana's final comment, she didn't care enough to find out. To her, portals meant magic, and magic was always bad news. If all this man wanted out of her was a way to an underground cavern, then she would see to it that he got there. So long as she didn't have to go in with him, because she herself had no intentions of going to face whatever lurked in those subterranean vaults. Sometimes sorcerers or wizards journeyed there to try and obtain some valuable mineral or item that was to be obtained from those caves, but not all of them came out unscathed, or alive, and that was all Eclipse needed to convince her that she herself didn't have any desire to go see what was there.

"Well," she said slowly, "I can get you to the volcano easily enough. That bit is just a matter of knowing your way around the network of trails through the island, and so long as you don't mind bugs or hacking through the bits that are overgrown, getting you that far is not an issue. As for the entrance to the caves, it's a bit trickier. There is no trail leading to the river you want to get at, and none leading to the entrance to that part of the island. I know where those places are, but it'll take more effort to get there."
She eyed Sartana. "I don't think it should be a problem though. You don't look like the sort of person who thinks travelling the jungle is the same as a stroll through the park, so you should do fine. As for my asking price, since you seem to be flexible on the amount, I'll let you know once we get there and you can pay me then. Provided all I have to do is guide you and hack through a bit of jungle growth, it'll be lower. If we run into trouble on the way, in the form of some wild critter or any of the mishaps that people run into in the jungles, it'll be higher. Sound fair?"

"Well," Eclipse started, "I can get you to the volcano easily enough. That bit is just a matter of knowing your way around the network of trails through the island, and so long as you don't mind bugs or hacking through the bits that are overgrown, getting you that far is not an issue. As for the entrance to the caves, it's a bit trickier. There is no trail leading to the river you want to get at, and none leading to the entrance to that part of the island. I know where those places are, but it'll take more effort to get there." Sartana put his fork down. Half the food that had once crowded the table was now empty plates and stacked bowls. He looked at her, smiling as she talked. When she was finished, he sighed. Just what I wanted to hear. Bugs? Not a problem; entomology has always interested me. Hacking though some underbrush? I'd rather be hacking through some demons. He scratched his chin, thinking of her mentioning of there being no trail leading to the river he needed to find. That's what I really need to get to... Any fool could find their way to that massive hunk of rock on the center of this island, but that river.. This is why I need the girl. I can only hope she knows this island as well as she says. He looked up at her again, his eyes going over her short black hair and keen eyes. The demon hunter wondered what had brought her to this dangerous life style.

Sartana sat up and began filling his plate for the sixth time.. or was it the seventh? Just then Eclipse spoke up again, and he listened intently. "I don't think it should be a problem though. You don't look like the sort of person who thinks traveling the jungle is the same as a stroll through the park, so you should do fine.” He laughed at this, almost choking on his food, and then letting her continue. “..As for my asking price, since you seem to be flexible on the amount, I'll let you know once we get there and you can pay me then. Provided all I have to do is guide you and hack through a bit of jungle growth, it'll be lower. If we run into trouble on the way, in the form of some wild critter or any of the mishaps that people run into in the jungles, it'll be higher. Sound fair?" Sartana lifted an eyebrow. He didn't deal with mercenaries very often, but wasn't the person hiring supposed to be making the deals, and laying down when and how much money the other gets paid? He didn't really care, though. As long as he got to where he wanted to be, with little or no trouble. Though trouble was damn fun. He finished his plate and sat back in his chair, watching her face with his colorful eyes. “It's a deal.” He replied in a deep voice, draining the redberry wine at his side. He turned and looked at his cup. He didn't really like alcohol. Apple juice would have suited him better.

He turned to her again, and folded his arms across his chest, over his dark clothing. Now.. What the Hell was it I had to remember? Oh yes- that's right. He unfolded his arms and looked at her. “Have you heard of a ship called the 'Sera Lee'?” He asked, pulling a folded parchment from a fold in his shirt. “It's been overdue to dock at the continent for over three weeks, and...” He stopped mid-sentence, still holding the piece of paper in his hand. “Tell you what, Eclipse. I might just have work for you, if you're still uncontracted a few days after you take me to the volcano.” He said, eyeing her and replacing the piece of paper at his side. “If not, I can always find another mercenary.”

He sat back in his chair, and began spinning the knife again, twirling it in between his gloved fingers, his eyes staring off behind Eclipse as he thought. “When is the soonest we can leave for the volcano?” He asked distantly, still thinking.

Airell frowned, listening as the man and the mercenary began speaking. It seemed that the man, Sartana, was going to head to the volcano, or rather, an underground cave underneath the volcano. The angel traced small circles on the table absentmindedly as he listened to their conversation.

A little voice in the back of his mind told him that he was eavesdropping, and that it was against what he had been taught as a celestial and as a Paladin. Airell sighed. It wasn’t like he could help overhearing. Sartana and Eclipse were seated at the table next to his. Besides, it wasn’t like they expressly told him not to listen. Had that been the case, Airell would have walked out of the tavern. There was no question about that. Question of morality solved, Airell turned his focus back to the conversation.

As their explanations grew more detailed, Airell was faced with another question of morality. He heard Sartana say something about dark creatures underneath the mountain. Dark creatures meant that it was dangerous. Could Airell, as a Paladin and a follower of Lothlomendil, turn a blind eye as these two left? If anything happened to them, would he be at fault for his indifference? If he offered to come along with them and they refused, then at least he would be able to leave Haudhiaur Island behind with a clear conscience.

Airell looked up, turning to Sartana.

“You sound like you’re going to need help,” he said, “If you like, I’ll accompany you.”

Sartana watched Eclipse as she took in his words, but also from the corner of his eye he watched the angelic being that had asked him about his food earlier. The man wasn’t eating; he was drawing circles on the table with his hand absentmindedly. The demon hunter’s eyes watched his hand, and Sartana came to a conclusion. Something tells me that man is listening to us. Not that there’s anything wrong with that; we’re in a tavern, after all, and a rather small one at that. I wonder if he’s also interested in my proposition? It would be helpful to have-

“You sound like you’re going to need help,” the angel said, looking up and interrupting the demon hunter’s train of thought. “If you like, I’ll accompany you.” So he was listening to us. Sartana thought to himself, eyeing the man. He knew nothing about the celestial. Not one damn thing. The man hadn’t even accepted the demon hunter’s offer to sit at his table and eat. Sartana had survived this long by trusting very few people... Especially people he didn’t know well. And yet, he knew this man was kind-hearted. Sure, he was an angel, but apparently in this world there wasn’t a war going on exclusively between demons and angels. This meant that the angel couldn’t be an inquisitor for the high council- the rulers of the angels where Sartana was from. Oh, how I can’t wait to lock blades with another of those damned witch hunters.. He thought to himself with a grin.

He looked at the angel with his bright, alert eyes. “I do need help.” He said, still watching him. “But I’ve found it right here.” He said, pointing to Eclipse. “What services do you have to offer? Are you a healer, warrior..?” he asked, eyeing the sword at the angel’s side. Sartana figured he was some sort of fighter, and had some training with a blade, not to mention at least a minor healing ability. Angels were known for that.

He motioned for the celestial to sit at his table, turning to Eclipse to see what she thought of the man, and to receive her answer about his past questions and musings.

Airell frowned slightly as Sartana began looking him over. He didn’t much like being stared at, especially not like some kind of oddity, but that was inevitable since he was now traveling among humans. The angel, therefore, ignored the whispers as he passed through the cities, and tried to blot out the images of several people pointing at his wings. After some time of traveling, Airell had found himself getting used to the stares, and they didn’t bother him as much as they used to.

However, the stare that Sartana was giving him was completely different from the stares that Airell was used to. It seemed like Sartana was going through several things in his mind as he looked at Airell, and the celestial wasn’t sure if the dark-clothed man was thinking good thoughts. Finally, Sartana spoke.

“I do need help,” he said, “But I’ve found it right here.”

The celestial watched as Sartana raised his hand, pointing at Eclipse. Airell nodded in understanding as Sartana continued to speak.

“What services do you have to offer? Are you a healer, warrior..?” asked Sartana.

“I know a heal spell,” began Airell, “But it’s very minor. To be honest, I am not really that experienced yet when it comes to actual fighting. As I’ve told you before, I’ve only recently been traveling. But I’ve trained in the art of the sword, and I’ve been in one or two battles since I left the Sanctuary of the Angels.”

Sartana listened to her replies quietly.
"It's a deal," he said. That was enough to satisfy Eclipse, who no longer had to worry about what she would do herself for the next few days. Getting this man to the volcano and the cave he wanted would be a short jaunt, and it would give her a chance to supplement the gold she had earned as a crew member aboard the passenger ship she'd come to the island on.
Sartana seemed to go off on a bit of a tangent after a moment's pause.
[/b]“Have you heard of a ship called the 'Sera Lee'?”[/b] he asked suddenly, producing a folded piece of parchment. Eclipse eyed him inquisitively at this question which had come seemingly out of the blue. “It's been overdue to dock at the continent for over three weeks, and...” Eclipse waited for the completion of this thought, but it never came as Sartana switched topics abruptly. “Tell you what, Eclipse. I might just have work for you, if you're still uncontracted a few days after you take me to the volcano.” He looked her over one more time. “If not, I can always find another mercenary.”

Eclipse leaned back in her chair and considered the man in her turn. The sudden offer of a further contract had sparked her interest, but she would refuse to say anything until she knew more about what she was getting herself into. If there was any one thing she hated, it was an employer who tried to dupe her into entering a blind fight, not knowing what she was about to face or just how far her contract obliged her to go.
The knife began its familiar dance in Sartana's fingers as he seemed to drift off into his own thoughts.
“When is the soonest we can leave for the volcano?” he asked.

Before Eclipse had the chance to answer, the celestial, who hadn't left the table but hadn't deigned to join it either suddenly reintroduced himself into the conversation.
“You sound like you’re going to need help,” he said. “If you like, I’ll accompany you.”
Eclipse wasn't sure that she was too eager to have a celestial tagging along on the journey, but this wasn't her call to make. Sartana could allow the celestial to come or not, as he wished. Her job wasn't to deal with the feather-winged being, it was just to get Sartana to his underground cave.
“I do need help,” Sartana replied slowly, “But I’ve found it right here.” He was indicating Eclipse as he said this. Eclipse didn't react to the attention being turned on her and waited impassively for the next development.

“What services do you have to offer? Are you a healer, warrior..?”
It was a reasonable question. Eclipse eyed the celestial, waiting to see how he would reply. She wouldn't be surprised if he began rattling off some long list of semi-arcane battle feats he was capable of.
“I know a heal spell,” he began, “But it’s very minor. To be honest, I am not really that experienced yet when it comes to actual fighting. As I’ve told you before, I’ve only recently been traveling. But I’ve trained in the art of the sword, and I’ve been in one or two battles since I left the Sanctuary of the Angels.”

Interesting, Eclipse thought to herself. She hadn't expected the celestial to be so...naive. Or at least, that's what he struck her as. Untravelled, virtually untried in battle, and inexperienced with the arcane. She had expected something more out of a being that seemed so grandiose upon first encounter.

Sensing that Sartana had returned his attention to her and was waiting for an answer to some of his previous questions, Eclipse quickly went back mentally and tried to remember what he'd been talking about before the celestial had interjected.
"We can leave tomorrow morning," she offered, going over the possibilities in her mind. "I suppose if you were extremely eager we could leave in an hour or two, but what with it being late afternoon already, that would be impractical. No use making camp in the jungle more times than absolutely necessary, because it's just a waste of supplies. We won't be losing any time by staying here tonight and heading out early in the morning."
She eyed Sartana, once again wondering about his motives.
"I don't recall hearing of any ship called the Sera Lee," she said. "But I'm curious to know what it is you had in mind when you asked if I'm contracted in the days beyond what it'll take me to get you to the volcano. The truth is I'm not contracted, but it's my practice not to accept any work unless I know what I'm getting involved in. I don't know what sort of things you're facing, and what my part in it would entail, so I'm staying out of it until I know more. I'm not asking for your life story. I'm used to people not telling me absolutely everything. What I'm looking for is a clear idea of what's expected of me, and decent knowledge of what or who I might be expected to face. So what can you tell me?"

Sartana lifted an eyebrow at the celestial’s answer. “I know a heal spell,” began Airell, answering the demon hunter’s question. “But it’s very minor. To be honest, I am not really that experienced yet when it comes to actual fighting. As I’ve told you before, I’ve only recently been traveling. But I’ve trained in the art of the sword, and I’ve been in one or two battles since I left the Sanctuary of the Angels.” Sartana could only give a small smirk as the man finished. He didn’t need to tell me all this- of course he’s inexperienced- the angel is still young. He doesn’t look like he’s even in his twenties yet. He thought to himself, taking note of the youth’s smooth and bright face. I wonder if Eclipse would mind the company. He glanced at her. She looked like she didn’t care, but Sartana figured that she knew the decision wasn’t up to her anyways. She was being hired by the demon hunter, after all.

He nodded at the angel’s response, figuring the kid was eager to prove his worth against evil in the world. Sartana was once that way too. He wondered if the celestial would be able to handle himself when the time came, though, and if he would be more of a nuisance than an aid. He shrugged these thoughts off, though; there was no sense in judging the angel’s worth merely on his young age and naivety. “Sounds like you’d make a valuable third member of our party.” Sartana said, eyeing him. “Sure you can come.” He said, nodding and turning his attention back to the mercenary, Eclipse, who spoke up regarding the demon hunter’s previous proposal.

"We can leave tomorrow morning," she started. Sartana nodded, and Eclipse informed him that they could leave within a couple hours, but this wouldn’t be efficient at all, and just a waste of supplies. Sartana agreed. He was in no real rush, after all, and didn’t want to sleep in a foreign jungle anyways- even if he did like nature. He nodded. “Tomorrow would be fine. I will have supplies readied for the three of us,” he turned to the angel, watched for his response, and then turned back to Eclipse. “..And if there’s anything specific that you think we’d need, just say so.” He said, replacing the knife in his fingers back into the folds of his shirt, and crossing his arms over his chest.

He listened intently as Eclipse told him she had never heard of the ‘Sera Lee’ before. Not only that, she showed her shrewd, experienced nature. "But I'm curious to know what it is you had in mind when you asked if I'm contracted in the days beyond what it'll take me to get you to the volcano.” She started, looking at him. “The truth is I'm not contracted, but it's my practice not to accept any work unless I know what I'm getting involved in. I don't know what sort of things you're facing, and what my part in it would entail, so I'm staying out of it until I know more. I'm not asking for your life story. I'm used to people not telling me absolutely everything. What I'm looking for is a clear idea of what's expected of me, and decent knowledge of what or who I might be expected to face. So what can you tell me?" He smirked again. Such interesting people in this world… Rich with detail, and terribly untrusting. The resistance would love to get their hands on this girl. She’d make a fine agent. Rank A-1, yes, as they would say, “Covert skills and an acute intellect, matched with skill in regards to arms and an unwavering, undying loyalty; you’re in!” Their exact words, no doubt, though I’ve yet to see her use that blade at her side. Perhaps it’s just for show? And loyalty… I do hope the trait is strong in her. He locked eyes with hers, his own bright and calculating. She was still awaiting his answer. She wanted more information- this came even before her thirst for adventure. Smart girl.

He cracked his neck and looked away offhandedly. “Concentrate at the task at hand.” He said, looking at a spider climbing up the wall. “I’ve yet to even prove my worth as an employer, Eclipse.” He said, turning his eyes to hers. “We’ll talk after we return.” He was smiling as he talked to her, a rarity for him, but he hoped she wouldn’t be offended by his not wanting to share info with her. He turned his head to the angel, who had been listening, apparently. “For an angel, you seem to be lacking in manners.” He said, hands still crossed across his chest, and his voice deep and raspy. “Sit, and tell me your name.” He said, watching him, and motioning to a chair at the table. He wondered why the angel hadn’t sat with them the first two times Sartana offered. Perhaps he’s just shy.. Sartana thought to himself, eyeing the youth.

Airell waited for Sartana to speak, taking the time to think about what he had just gotten himself into. He himself had admitted to being inexperienced, which was true since he had basically grown up in and around the Sanctuary of the Angels. He wasn’t sure exactly what help he could be to these already experienced warriors. He was okay with a sword, and he knew the Holy spell, but that was about it.

Airell looked up as Sartana began to speak, the other man’s voice shaking the angel out of his reverie.

“Sounds like you’d make a valuable third member of our party,” said Sartana, “Sure you can come.”

Airell nodded as Sartana turned his attention back to the mercenary, who told them that they could either leave tomorrow or in a few hours. The angel found that he agreed more with leaving tomorrow. Although the angel would go if Sartana decided to leave in a few hours, he wasn’t exactly hoping to get caught out in the dark with very few supplies.

“Tomorrow would be fine. I will have supplies readied for the three of us,” said Sartana.

“Tomorrow is fine with me as well,” said Airell.

He listened as Sartana and Eclipse began to talk. He was not quite certain exactly how he could aid these people, since they seemed to be doing fine on their own. It wasn’t like he couldn’t use the experience, however.

“For an angel, you seem to be lacking in manners. Sit, and tell me your name.”

Airell’s face flushed in embarrassment. He recalled Sartana inviting him to sit just a few moments ago, but the thought had been pushed out of his mind by other things. He stood up.

“Uh, forgive me,” he said, keeping his eyes trained on the ground. He walked over to their table, sitting down.

“Um, that is to say, forgive my lack of manners,” said Airell, “My name is Airell Tarenn.”

He stared down at the table, face still flushed. How could he forget such an obvious thing? The celestial had already been embarrassed from his rather stupid question, and forgetting to even introduce himself or to take an offered seat only added to his embarrassment.

Eclipse didn't react as Sartana informed the celestial he'd be allowed to come on the expedition. It was entirely his call to make, after all. She once again found herself vaguely wondering what this man was after, but it didn't particularly bother her. She had come to the conclusion that, insofar as their working relationship as employer and mercenary went, she could trust him. Beyond that, she didn't particularly care for now. She would have a couple of days to find out more about him at her leisure, if she felt so inclined.

“Tomorrow would be fine. I will have supplies readied for the three of us,” he continued. "And if there’s anything specific that you think we’d need, just say so.”
Eclipse simply nodded in response to this. She didn't believe they'd need anything in particular. She had her own weapons, and didn't mind using her cloak as a bedroll in this warm weather. Sartana would ensure they had food and water, and beyond that, they shouldn't need anything. Unless of course Sartana needed some specific equipment to aid him with whatever he did underneath the mountain, but that was his own affair.

Sartana chose not to answer her questions about his potentially contracting her after she finished guiding him to the volcano. “Concentrate at the task at hand," he told her. “I’ve yet to even prove my worth as an employer, Eclipse. We'll talk after we return.”
Eclipse looked at Sartana with a slight gleam of new respect in her eye. It wasn't often that she encountered an employer who seemed to care what she did or didn't think of them. Most simply expected her to do her job unthinkingly, obeying orders with no questions asked. They also seemed to forget she was human half the time. This man seemed different, and that boded well for the next few days, at least.

The man abruptly turned his attention on the celestial, who was still standing by the table, ignoring all of Sartana's repeated invitations to pull up a chair.
“For an angel, you seem to be lacking in manners. Sit, and tell me your name.”
Eclipse smirked at this forthright comment, and worked hard to suppress the instinctive chuckle that wanted to escape her lips when she saw the celestial's abashed reaction.
“Uh, forgive me. Um, that is to say, forgive my lack of manners," he muttered. “My name is Airell Tarenn.”
Eclipse couldn't repress the fleeting thought that it was a suitable name for one with wings. If she'd commented on it, it would have come out sounding borderline racist. So it was a good thing she'd learned to keep such remarks to herself.

She laughed good-naturedly. "Don't fret about it too much Airell," she said. "I know where you're coming from. One of the very first times I worked as a mercenary, I started calling my employer by the wrong name. He thought I was making fun of him or something. I wasn't, but it got really awkward really fast, as you can imagine. We all make honest mistakes now and again. Just so long as you don't make it a habit, I won't take offense at it."
She smiled disarmingly at him. He really did seem rather naive to her. It was almost cute, in a puppy-ish sort of way.

The demon hunter watched with faint curiosity as the angel responded, moving from his table over to Sartana's. His answer was bashful, but apologetic. Sartana nodded. Something Airell had mentioned earlier slid back into the demon hunter's mind. The sanctuary of angels? Could this be a satellite of the high council? I do wonder if their power could reach this peaceful world... He pondered, planning on asking the angel more about himself, and his home, later. Eclipse piped in with a story of her own just then, shrugging off Airell's naive nature and innocence. Sartana eyed her as she spoke. He wasn't sure if she was being friendly out of her own interest, or to better assimilate the boy into the group, and thus increase their chances of succeeding in their soon to be adventure. She seemed intelligent enough to understand the importance of team work, at least, so he wouldn't put it past her.

But now that the pleasantries of rounding up a party were through, the demon hunter had work to do. He pulled a small book from his side and opened it, flipping to a page near the middle. His face went stoic as he read the page, after a moment her removed a pencil from his belt and put the book on the table. He wrote as he thought, going through solutions in his head. He didn't look at the book as he wrote. Instead, he seemed to stare off into the wilderness just outside a window of the tavern, a thoughtful expression on his face. He stopped writing, lifted the book close to his face, revealing the cover of the book. The book itself was small and black, like a bible, and the title was in white, sloppy handwriting, entitled “Observation of Heinstein-Prodolsky-Frosen Entanglementon Supraquantum Structures by Induction Through Nonlinear Transuric Crystal of Extremely Long Wavelength(ELW) Pulse from Mode-Locked Source Array: Planar Travel.” Some of the words were barely legible through the sloppy handwriting. Sartana put the book down again, and lifted the pencil on the table, spinning it through his fingers. His eyes turned to Eclipse.

“Eclipse.” He said, looking at her with a blank expression. “There's a rock called obsidian. It's black and glossy, sometimes with little specs of reddish crystal seemingly growing off the face of it. Have you seen anything like it near the volcano, or anywhere on this island?” He asked, rubbing the bottom of his scruffy chin, and watching her with bright, calculating eyes. The demon hunter needed to know what he was going to be facing in the caverns under the volcano. By doing so, he'd be sure to arrive prepared and ready for any challenges awaiting him in the underdark.

Remembering something, Sartana stopped spinning the writing utensil between his fingers and placed it's tip on a page of the book, writing again. Before Eclipse could answer, he spoke up again, wanting to make sure the angel and her knew what he was thinking. Trust was important here. “Planar travel is not as simple as many think.” He started, leaning back in his chair, his dark-rimmed eyes focusing on one companion, and then the other. “To keep this short, by knowing what minerals form naturally within the mountain, I can derive the equations for where this gate may lead to.” He said, looking at them. In all honesty, he didn't want to tell them this. He liked to keep these thoughts to himself. Not only that, he didn't want them to know he was... Smarter than he looked. People on the street wouldn't think much of him; he looked like some strangely-dressed warrior.

He looked at the celestial. “And Airell, I was wondering, could I have a feather from your wings?” he asked, hoping not to sound too strange by the request. He would tell the angel why he needed it in good time, but not now. He waited for their responses.

Airell kept his eyes on the table, almost afraid to look up. While it was true that he had not been around humans long, he had at least been taught common courtesy, and right now, he was feeling very embarrassed. He looked up, however, as Eclipse spoke.

"Don't fret about it too much Airell," she said. "I know where you're coming from. One of the very first times I worked as a mercenary, I started calling my employer by the wrong name. He thought I was making fun of him or something. I wasn't, but it got really awkward really fast, as you can imagine. We all make honest mistakes now and again. Just so long as you don't make it a habit, I won't take offense at it."

She smiled at him, and Airell returned her smile, feeling more at ease. He made a mental note to watch his manners in the future, and to try to avoid small slip-ups like that.

“Thank you,” he said to her.

The angel turned to Sartana as the other man began to speak. It was then that he noticed that Sartana had been writing in a small book. The dark-clothed man was now spinning a pen deftly between his fingers as he asked Eclipse about a rock called obsidian.

As Airell watched, Sartana stopped spinning the pen, placing it back onto the page and writing again. After a while, Sartana looked up.

“Planar travel is not as simple as many think,” he said, glancing from Eclipse to Airell, “To keep this short, by knowing what minerals form naturally within the mountain, I can derive the equations for where this gate may lead to.”

“Interesting,” said Airell, trying to process what Sartana had said. He had not heard of people traveling between planes of existence, but within the Sanctuary of the Angels existed a portal leading to the moon of Arda—Isiltelpe. He wondered if that portal led to Isiltelpe because of the minerals surrounding it. Airell put the thought out of his mind as Sartana turned to him.

“And Airell, I was wondering, could I have a feather from your wings?” he asked.

“A feather?” asked Airell, wondering what he needed it for. The angel reached out a hand to his back, feeling around the wings for any loose feathers. He didn’t much want to pull out a feather that was still firmly rooted. Catching hold of a loose feather, Airell pulled, wincing as the feather came free.

“Here,” he said, handing it to Sartana, “May I ask what you need it for?”

After Eclipse had spoken, Sartana pulled out a small book and a pen, seemingly off in his own world and unaware of the people around him. When he lifted the book to his face, Eclipse could see a long title in sloppy-looking handwriting written in white on the book's black cover. She peered at the title curiously for a few moments, but quickly gave up. She barely knew enough reading and writing to recognize her own name. When she was faced with a map, she could fool most people, because she had memorized the shape of the names to all the places on maps that she carried. Maps, ocean charts, and star charts were all things she could read, because she needed them to sail. Actual books, however, were lost on her.

Airell, however, seemed grateful for her attempt to comfort him about his slip-up, and thanked her with a relieved smile. "Thank you, he said.
"Anytime," replied Eclipse.
At that moment, Sartana became distracted enough from his book that he once again addressed Eclipse.
"Eclipse, there's a rock called obsidian. It's black and glossy, sometimes with little specs of reddish crystal seemingly growing off the face of it. Have you seen anything like it near the volcano, or anywhere on this island?”
Eclipse nodded, but Sartana didn't give her a chance to answer his question.
“Planar travel is not as simple as many think," he said. “To keep this short, by knowing what minerals form naturally within the mountain, I can derive the equations for where this gate may lead to.”

Eclipse gave a small sigh. Portals. She hated portals. Perhaps it was a fear that stemmed from ignorance, because Eclipse certainly didn't know much of anything about magic of any sort, or any portals. She had no idea how they worked, and quite frankly, didn't care. She would settle for the old-fashioned way of traveling: walking, or sailing. If it couldn't be reached through normal means, she would have more than just second thoughts about trying to get there.

"There's plenty of obsidian out here," she said. "All over the sides of the mountains, and I'd imagine that there's more inside."

Eclipse paused and watched curiously as Sartana asked Airell for a feather from his wing. It seemed like an odd request to her. Did angels mind losing a feather?
Apparently this one didn't, because he ran his hand through his wing and produced a feather for Sartana.
"Here," he said. "May I ask what you need it for?
Eclipse leaned back and watched to see what Sartana would say. As suspicious and frightening as magic and other such things were to her, she couldn't deny that it was somewhat intriguing. She wondered exactly how much information Sartana would be willing to divulge about his goals, and how he would evade telling what he felt should remain secret. Another good way of determining the nature of an employer was watching to see how they went about hiding their ultimate goals from their mercenaries. Eclipse had yet to meet an employer that told her absolutely everything she needed to know about the mission right off the cuff.

"There's plenty of obsidian out here," Eclipse said, answering the demon hunter's question. "All over the sides of the mountains, and I'd imagine that there's more inside." Sartana nodded at her response, now somewhat relieved. He had been fairly sure there would be deposits of the rock here, as it usually formed as the result of volcanic activity in an area. He wondered what grade it was, and how far on the decomposition scale it had matured. But it didn't really matter right now. He would find out in due time, hopefully tomorrow, allowing him to give a good estimate where the portal would send the demon hunter, and his new companions, if they chose to go with them. He looked at Eclipse. The girl had sighed when he mentioned deriving equations from the minerals surrounding portals. He couldn't help but think she didn't like magic. If so, there would be little chance that she would follow him through the portal. The angel on the other hand- he seemed eager to prove himself in the world. A trip to another dimension would certainly give him the experience he's looking for. He smirked. Unless, of course, the portal leads to a psuedo-dimension, or into a solid slab of rock. None of us would get much out of that. He thought to himself grimly.

The angel's willingness to give the demon hunter a feather from his wings warmed Sartana. If only humans were so trusting, and benevolent. He thought to himself, taking the presented feather from Airell, and thanking him. It was large, just under a foot, and white with a light shade of gray near the bottom. He looked at it for a moment. “May I ask what you need it for?” The celestial asked Sartana, eyeing him curiously. The demon hunter placed the feather in his book, and shut it. “I just needed a gesture of your good faith.” He said, watching Airell with his bright, dark-rimmed eyes. “Where I'm from, celestials would give a feather off their wings as a sign of good faith towards a newly made friend.” He said, looking into the angel's eyes and wondering if they held the same tradition in this land, too. “Requesting a feather was also a show of trust, and respect towards an angel.” he said, smirking and scratching the back of his head. “I'm so used to doing it that I've forgotten I'm in a different plane, and your customs may be different.” He finished apologetically.

He watched for the youth's response. Not only that, but there are traits of an angel that you can tell from the number of barbs running parallel through the vane. I wonder if he knows this? Sartana placed some coins on the table, and stood, throwing his black cape over his shoulder, instead of wearing it as it was hot out, and placed his hat on his head. He looked at Eclipse. “We'll meet here at nine tomorrow.” He said, tossing his crimson scarf over his shoulder, and resting his left hand on the hilt of his dark falchion, hanging at his side. He looked at Airell. “I have a feeling that it's going to rain.” He said, looking at him. “You'd best bring a blanket, or cloak, for your wings.”

Angel's wings easily became waterlogged, and it was almost impossible for celestials to swim because of them; they'd sink if they tried in deeper water. Rain would fill air pockets in an angel's wings and make it impossible for them to fly for at least a few days, as they dried. Again, this was his knowledge from his own plane. Differences in the anatomy of the same species spread over planes were common. He glanced between the two. “You two should get to know each other better. If we're all to be working together, it's best that we get to know one another. I'd stay, but I have.. important things to do.” he tipped his hat at the two, and walked out of the tavern, entering the hot sun. From there he walked into the woods to rest, and calculate the portal's end point. Not only that, away from those two he wouldn't be cornered into telling them more than they needed to know.

Airell nodded as Sartana thanked him, watching as the man examined his feather. Sartana placed the feather inside his book, before closing the cover of the book on the feather. He frowned, wondering why Sartana wanted the feather. It was an unusual request for one to make. Perhaps he needed it for something, although Airell wondered what he could possibly need a feather for. The angel looked up as Sartana began to speak.

“I just needed a gesture of your good faith,” he said. “Where I'm from, celestials would give a feather off their wings as a sign of good faith towards a newly made friend. Requesting a feather was also a show of trust, and respect towards an angel. I'm so used to doing it that I've forgotten I'm in a different plane, and your customs may be different.”

Airell listened to the apologetic tone of his last statement. He smiled. It was a strange custom, but if that was the custom in his world, and if by doing so then he had perhaps done something to help this person, then he was only too happy to oblige.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Airell, “It’s no problem.”

He nodded as Sartana told them to meet here at nine o’clock the next day, making a mental note to show up on time. He didn’t want to embarrass himself further by being late. Sartana stood up, turning to Airell before he left.

“I have a feeling that it's going to rain. You'd best bring a blanket, or cloak, for your wings,” he said.

Airell nodded at that. The last thing he wanted was to be unable to fly because his wings were waterlogged. It was a good thing that he had brought a cloak with him.

“Thank you,” he said, to Sartana, “I will remember to wear a cloak.”

Sartana tipped his hat at the two of them, before leaving. Airell turned his eyes back to the table, not exactly sure what to do next.

Sartana stopped a few leagues into the jungle, where there was still sand on the ground and tall palm trees around him. There was a warm breeze blowing through the jungle, which made him glad as he sat in the shade of one of the palm trees. It was awfully hot. He placed his cape and scarf next to him, and opened his black book to the page where he had stuck the feather. Now to find out a little information about that celestial.. He thought to himself with a smirk, lifting the large feather out of his book. First he counted the barbs. It took him a good ten minutes, but afterwards he nodded thoughtfully and jotted something down in his book. Then, he ran his finger of the tip of it, bending it a bit and letting it spring back into position. He wrote his observations down.

“Hmm.. Just as I thought, though there are some differences. So subtle, though- there shouldn't be anything wrong with my deductions.” He mumbled to himself, placing the feather back in the book and laying back against the palm tree with a sigh.

“Maybe I'll rest a little first...” He whispered, tipping his wide hate over his eyes, and falling into a light slumber.

Eclipse listened as the man explained that requesting a feather off of Airell's wing was simply a custom among the people from that plane that he came from, although exactly which plane it was he didn't bother to specify. This, at least, made sense to Eclipse. The fact that Sartana was willing to bother with rituals of respect and of trust was further indication towards his character, reassuring her just a bit more.
It's about time I found myself a respectable employer, she thought to herself. Even though this one is a bit too involved in magic and travelling the planes for me to rest easy about this job.

Apparently Sartana had also decided it was time for him to leave, because he began rearranging his scarf and cloak as if preparing to go outside. Once again, Eclipse wondered fleetingly why he bothered with such thick clothing in a place as warm as this one.
“We'll meet here at nine tomorrow.” he told her. Eclipse nodded, already going over in her mind what she might need to bring with her. “I have a feeling that it's going to rain. You'd best bring a blanket, or cloak, for your wings." That last was to Airell, obviously. A cloak wouldn't be amiss for Eclipse either, though. If not for cover from the rain, then at least to spread over the ground in case they needed to camp somewhere. And boots rather than her open toed sandals. It was easier to walk through the underbrush that way, and she would also have the reassurance of the fighting knife she tucked into her boot out of habit.

“You two should get to know each other better. If we're all to be working together, it's best that we get to know one another. I'd stay, but I have.. important things to do.”
Which of course meant he had someone else to meet or something to prepare that he didn't want Airell and Eclipse to know about. As far as Eclipse was concerned, it didn't bother her. This was, after all, typical behavior from any employer. Sartana tipped his hat briefly, and was gone.

Eclipse glanced over at Airell, who was gazing uncomfortably at the table. She smirked slightly. This one was really young, and inexperienced.
Well, she remarked inwardly, you're no grey-hair yourself. But all the same, she knew that in this case, her youth didn't matter as much as her experience. She was a hardened fighter, but this angel was a novice in the art.
She considered him silently for a moment. He was evidently a well-intentioned being. At the very least, it couldn't hurt to make a friend out of him. Or, if it didn't go so far as friendship, she could be guaranteed of his being an ally.
Better to earn their trust than risk fighting them in the future.

"So tell me about yourself Airell," she said to him, stretching lazily. "What kind of training do they give you in this sanctuary of yours? How much skill d'you have with your blade?"
She chuckled. "Not that you'll need one in the jungle, I don't think. Using a sword to destroy an overly curious forest critter seems a bit like overkill to me. But if you were in a situation where it came to a battle, would you hold your own?"

She didn't really care whether or not he was experienced with his blade. If he wasn't, she could always give him a few lessons herself. After all, the only way for him to improve was to learn, and then practice what it was that he had been taught. What she wanted to see was his level of confidence. She had met a number of completely inept novices who behaved as though they could conquer the world by the force of their weapon and their skill alone. And often, those novices became master fighters. She had also seen young people with plenty of potential who got so caught up in the idea that they were young and inexperienced, and therefore useless with a blade, that their skills never went beyond mediocre.
If this angel was able to show that spunk which she found so endearing among younger people just learning to use their blades, if he could show her that indomitable will to improve which had gotten her as far as she was know in her skills, then there was a strong likelihood of her gaining a strong ally out of him.

He was inexperienced now, but sooner or later, he wouldn't be. And when that time came, Eclipse was less than eager to be remembered as the one who had slighted him.

The demon hunter propped himself up beside the palm tree, making himself comfortable and removing the small black book from his side. He opened to the page he had been working on earlier, and began writing, while his mind worked furiously to solve the equations present that would allow him to make a rough estimate of where the portal would lead to. Few people realize the amount of work it takes to derive the coordinates of a waypoint portal, and Sartana was one of the few humans intelligent enough to have caught the jist of the equations. Few humans could learn them because of the amount of training required. Elves and other creatures with dramatically increased longevity were often planswalkers because they had the life span long enough to learn all of the equations. Sartana was only in his thirties, and knew nearly all of them.

Resonance cascade wouldn't be present unless a mithril vein lay near- or directly in- the deposit of obsidian at the volcano's core. This is improbable; I shouldn't even think about it. But what if it was present..? To the void I'd go. Yes, wouldn't that be fun. Just about as fun as going to the ninth or tenth level of the abyss. S-class and super S-class demons galore. He shook his head, absorbed in his thought process. Maybe that would be fun, though. A good death, at least.

He turned his head to the tavern where his two companions sat, and hopefully talked. He was counting on team work, and if every one got along, they would surely succeed.

Airell looked up as Eclipse began to talk. He listened to her question, thinking for a moment about how to answer that.

"So tell me about yourself Airell," she said to him, stretching lazily. "What kind of training do they give you in this sanctuary of yours? How much skill d'you have with your blade?"

The mercenary let out a few chuckles.

"Not that you'll need one in the jungle, I don't think. Using a sword to destroy an overly curious forest critter seems a bit like overkill to me. But if you were in a situation where it came to a battle, would you hold your own?"

Airell frowned slightly at this. The angel considered how to answer this question. He turned to Eclipse, thinking back to his days in the sanctuary.

“I received most of my training from my father. He was a paladin, one who followed the Goddess of Life,” said Airell, a hint of pride creeping into his voice at this. “As to how much skill I have, well, it’s safe to say that I lack in experience, but…”

The angel paused, his hand resting on the hilt of his long sword. He knew what he wanted to say; he just didn’t know how to say it properly. With a soft sigh, Airell opened his mouth to speak.

“Everyone has to start somewhere, right?” asked Airell, “What I mean is, I’m inexperienced now, and I know that, but if I gain experience then maybe I can get stronger. I know the basics, and that’s where everyone has to start, and I can build up the experience part little-by-little, right?”

He frowned slightly, absently tracing a circle on the table with his hand.

“I’m probably not making any sense,” he said.

“I received most of my training from my father. He was a paladin, one who followed the Goddess of Life."
Eclipse could hear an edge of pride to Airell's voice. She had heard that sort of tone. It was the voice of a young person who had watched their parent do amazing things, and aspired to some day do the same. It was a tone that she imagined wasn't uncommon from the children of paladins. She had rarely, if ever, heard it among the children of pirates...those few who the pirates didn't abandon as a useless burden, that was.

“As to how much skill I have, well, it’s safe to say that I lack in experience, but…” Although Airell's voice trailed off somewhat uncertainly, the way that his hand rested on the hilt of his sword, Eclipse could hear the words that he was longing to say. She could almost hear his voice softly forming the words I can take them. The celestial knew that in most combat situations, he would be at a severe disadvantage simply from lack of training. But he evidently dreamed of the day when he could say that few on this realm of existence, and maybe few in any, could be his parallel.

“Everyone has to start somewhere, right? What I mean is, I’m inexperienced now, and I know that, but if I gain experience then maybe I can get stronger. I know the basics, and that’s where everyone has to start, and I can build up the experience part little-by-little, right?”

Eclipse chuckled, but she wasn't laughing at Airell. Her eyes gleamed with approval at this spirited young angel. She could see the willpower in him, the desire to achieve and to be respected among his race, for all of the good and wonderful things that he might one day accomplish. She remembered her own youth, stubbornly saying from the moment she was old enough to speak I can!
He was green now, but in later years, he would be a formidable enemy to those who met against his sword. Perhaps, for Eclipse, he might one day be a formidable ally. If their paths ever met after this assignment, that was. It wasn't unheard of for mercenaries to meet interesting or strong potential allies on a mission, and then never see them again so long as they lived. It was all part and parcel with the lifestyle they chose as mercenaries.

"Don't worry Airell, I know exactly what you mean," she said, smiling. "What you mean is, you don't know much about sword-fighting now, but later on, the gods help those wrongdoers who come across your blade."
She smirked. "You're right, we all have to start somewhere. I started as a little girl who could hardly hold her dagger straight in front of her, much less wield it to hurt anyone. And my weapon had to be a dagger because even a short-sword or the scimitar I carry now were far too big and heavy for my tiny hands to hold, or my arms to support. And now...well, I wouldn't exactly say I'm the best, but I will say I'm damn good at what I do."
She contemplated the table for a few moments, reminiscing on some of her best - and some of her worst - battles.

"You know," she said slowly, "when push comes to shove and I know I'm beat, I'm one hell of a runner as well." She looked up at Airell, meeting his gaze. "Some say there's no honour in escaping, and maybe they're right some of the time. But really, you've got to pick your battles. At least, that's how I see it. What's the point of dying for nothing in a skirmish when you can escape? And if it's a great battle over something you really believe in, and you lose, well...you die knowing you tried. But I haven't found that battle."

She smirked, half laughing at herself. "I've run from battles before, when I knew I couldn't get out of 'em alive, and I'm not ashamed to say it. Someday, maybe I'll find something worth dying for."
She shrugged. "But I'm a mercenary. I fight for whoever pays me. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but that doesn't give me much of a personal cause to believe in. People look down on mercenaries because we've been known to bail when our side of things starts losing. But can you really blame us? If our side loses, we're not going to get paid anyway. No point dying for nothing. So we leave and seek a better day. I think some of us hope that one day we'll find out battle. Something that really matters to us."

She chuckled and shook her head. "There I go, rambling about morbid things," she said. "But I guess it's important to me, if to nobody else. You may not agree with me at all, but I'm thinking that your lifestyle implies that you fight because it's a good cause to fight for. Maybe the thought of death in battle is easier to accept for you. But really, if you want my advice, be aware of when it's right to run. I've seen people die for irrelevant causes before, and it grieves me that even in death I can't be proud of them."

She shrugged, and stretched again, thinking that the topic had gotten too dark.
"You know," she said, picking up one of the few buns Sartana had left on the table, "I have a bad habit of talking too much." She tore the bun in half and took a slice of cheese to eat with it. "Feel free to tell me to shut up when I start getting too far."
She took a bit of her bread and cheese and chewed thoughtfully, half waiting for Airell's reply and half lost in the realm of her own thoughts.

Airell listened to Eclipse’s words, smiling slightly as she said them. He hadn’t said those words, mainly because he didn’t want to look too overconfident or too haughty, but Eclipse had seen right through his carefully selected words.

He listened to Eclipse’s story about her first times with a dagger, his mind going back to the first time his father had taught him how to use a sword. It had been two years after his family had returned to the Sanctuary, leaving the small village that they had decided to settle in before. Up to now, Airell could not recall exactly why they had left the village. All he remembered was his father telling him that it was too dangerous to remain.

"You know," said Eclipse, "when push comes to shove and I know I'm beat, I'm one hell of a runner as well.”

The mercenary looked up at Airell, meeting the celestial’s eyes with her own.

"Some say there's no honour in escaping, and maybe they're right some of the time. But really, you've got to pick your battles. At least, that's how I see it. What's the point of dying for nothing in a skirmish when you can escape? And if it's a great battle over something you really believe in, and you lose, well...you die knowing you tried. But I haven't found that battle."

Neither have I… thought Airell with a small sigh. He had seen his father fight, willing to die for something his father believed in. Why was it that he couldn’t find that something as well? He had been raised to be a paladin like his father. He had been raised to follow the ways of the light and the Goddess of Life. He had been trained to fight against evil and against darkness. And yet, why couldn’t he hold his ground? Why did he feel that uncontrollable urge to flee that he had felt in the few battles that he had had. Where did his father get his courage, and why couldn’t Airell find that same courage as well?

Airell shoved these thoughts to the back of his mind, listening to Eclipse talk. She was right, he did basically fight because it was a good cause to fight for. He knew that he was fighting for the right thing, but why did he feel that fear—that fear of death? He had been fighting for a good cause, so what reason was there for him to fear?

"You know," said Eclipse as the mercenary picked up a bun on the table, "I have a bad habit of talking too much. Feel free to tell me to shut up when I start getting too far."

“It’s all right,” said Airell, “No problem, really.”

He sighed, going back to one of the memories of his past.

“When I was really young, we used to live in a small village,” he said, “It was a human village, and once in a while, they would get attacked by a demon or some other dark creature. My father would fight them.”

Airell smiled, recalling the memory. He turned to Eclipse.

“There was a river near the village. I used to play there with the other children. Some of them didn’t like me very much. It was because of my wings. I was strange, and I was different from them. So one day, they played a trick on me and pushed me in the river. What they didn’t know was that, because of my wings, I couldn’t swim. I was thrashing around in the water, shouting, when the current began carrying me downstream. I thought I was going to drown.

And then, my father showed up. He had just finished battling a demon that had tried to attack a village. He was wounded slightly, and looked tired, but when he saw what had happened, he flew over the river and picked me up. He didn’t take me back to the village, but took me to a nearby clearing, saying he didn’t want to worry my mother with what had happened to me.

As I was drying off, my father began to clean his sword. I asked him when I could learn how to use his sword. He told me that in a few years, he’d teach me how to use a sword. I wanted to learn then and there. My father smiled, placed his hand on my head, and told me that he would teach me if I could lift his sword. I tried, and…”

Airell laughed softly at the memory.

“I fell over,” he said, “It was too heavy for me back then. Anyway, shortly after that we returned to the Sanctuary of the Angels.”

He sighed.

“And now I’m the one who’s talking to much,” he said, “Sorry.”

Perhaps this celestial - despite his drastically different upbringing - was not totally different from Eclipse. She could see as he spoke that he understood what she meant, about searching for the right fight. She could well imagine that he was thinking of his father, and whatever he had watched his father do as a child, and dreaming of some day matching that.
She almost wished she could aspire to the things that her parents had accomplished. But her parents had accomplished violence, theft, and murder. Somehow, that wasn't quite what Eclipse was searching for.
It wasn't that Eclipse had never spoken about her past before. In fact, she was in the habit of being extremely honest about it. If somebody asked about her parents, she told them. She wasn't necessarily proud of it, but it was only possible to have one set of parents, and it was a complete impossibility to change who they were or what they had done with their lives. The way she had been brought up was an evident part of her, still, and she saw no point in hiding that part of her.
She just wasn't in the habit of discussing it with angels. A vague fear of divine retribution made it seem like a very bad idea.

But maybe not all angels were the way she imagined them. She certainly had never imagined them as young, slightly naive, and completely open to her.
“When I was really young, we used to live in a small village,” said Airell. “It was a human village, and once in a while, they would get attacked by a demon or some other dark creature. My father would fight them.”
It was difficult not to smile along with him as he smiled, probably at the memory of his father. Airell explained to her how he had been treated as an outsider by the children in his village, and of his near brush with drowning at their hands. She laughed when he told her about how he had fallen over the first time he'd tried to lift his father's sword.

"I guess my training was a little different," she said. "My father found me trying to lift his sword. He didn't carry it with him at all times on the ship. No enemies nearby, and he could carry a smaller lighter weapon around that didn't get in the way as much. When he came back to his quarters and saw me trying to lift it off the ground, and just barely managing, he cursed and then told me to put it down. He said if I was going to be handling a blade, I should at least make it one my size. He gave me a dagger instead. My training consisted of any time one of the crew members got in a mock battle with me and gave me lessons. And then when I was old enough to join the fray whenever we got into a battle, that's what I did."

She shook her head. "There's nothing quite like being a twelve year old in the midst of a naval battle," she said. "It makes for quite the training."

Airell listened as Eclipse told of her own experiences. The celestial turned over what she was saying in his mind. Her experiences were very different from his, as was the rest of her life. The two of them had extremely different upbringings, and it was those that made them what they were today.

"There's nothing quite like being a twelve year old in the midst of a naval battle," said Eclipse. "It makes for quite the training."

"I can imagine," said Airell, smiling slightly.

He wondered briefly how this journey would turn out. Would Sartana find what he was looking for, and what would happen along the way? Airell put the thought out of his mind, leaving it for tomorrow. Now wasn't really the time to worry about things like that.

Airell turned to Eclipse. By the sound of her story, she had spent a lot of time around ships. That explained why she was on this island in the first place. He, on the other hand, didn't much care for ships. They were too close to the water, and he had never really liked water that much.

"If you don't mind my asking, Eclipse," began Airell, "Do you only travel the oceans and coasts of Arda, or do you also travel the continent once in a while?"

He asked that question in an attempt to further conversation, but with no particular reason behind it other than simple curiosity.

((Sorry for the bad post. It's really late here.))

((OOC: No worries about your post. Mine's no better. Lol.))

There was a brief pause in the conversation as Airell mused over what Eclipse had just said. Eclipse herself was off in her own mental world, allowing her thoughts to drift aimlessly. She vaguely wondered about what was under the volcano, as she thought about her memories from when she was younger on her parents' ship.

"If you don't mind my asking, Eclipse," said Airell, breaking into her thoughts suddenly, "do you only travel the oceans and coasts of Arda, or do you also travel the continent once in a while?"[/color]

"I don't mind you asking," she said, smiling easily. "Usually I stick to the oceans and the coasts, you know? Stay by what I know. Of course, I've gone inland on occasion. I've been to Estolad, although I don't know why. Little hole in the side of the road, that's what that village is. And I've been to Ondolond and such. But I always end up back in Lomedor and on the oceans again. I don't like being landlocked all that much."

She shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder what I'm ever going to do when I finally get too old to be monkeying up and down the rigging on ships and too slow to hold my own in battle. For someone in my position in life, it's a scary thought. After all, I depend on being mobile."

She shook her head, clearing herself of such morbid thoughts. "Enough of that," she said. "Tell me about what traveling you've done. I know you said you haven't gotten around a whole lot, but I'm curious to know what you've actually done since you left home."