The moon shone overhead, the stars sparkling above. Ethari tore his gaze from the stars and then shifted his eyes to the tower ahead. It was shrouded in shadows and spiraled to the sky. "Wow," Ethari whispered to himself, its stucture amazing him. Ethari reached in his pocket and pulled out a note. Ethari read through it one more time to see if he was at the right place.

Dear Ethari Xilophent,
I am in dire need of your assistance. You see, I have arranged to have a party of skilled adventures to meet and acquire a powerful artifact for me. I am dying of a rare disease and this is the only way I can be cured. If you acquire this artifact I will pay you a handsome amount of gold. On the back of this letter you will find a map leading to the source of the artifacts location. Once you reach there, wait at the entrance of the gate until a total three people arrive. Once they are there, retrieve there notes, which will have similar maps on the back and find a difference in all of the maps. The difference of the maps will form a square and in the center of the square you should find a tree, and in a knot hole in the trees trunk. There is another man, who has buried a young girl alive nearby. Kill him, as his dark blood will be important. Do not bother bottling the blood, but rather the kill will work. Retrieve his note and a teloportation scroll and resucue the girl immedatly.Retrieve that map and instructions and continue in the tower.

Ethari pocketed the map and note to his back pocket. Ethari looked around, seeing several trees, all which could house the map. Ethari decided not to waste his energy, and waited for the others to arrive. His dove Cataraza, perched on his shoulder and ruffled her feathers. "Don't worry," Ethari whispered "we won't have to wait long." Ethari muttered some words under his breath and his sheathed sword began to glow. Ethari drew it, and its light spread over the dark land.

Tamaile didn't like being manipulated. She was usually the one doing the manipulating. But this note...though she didn't precisely trust it, it would be interesting to see how things turned out.

Tamaile's note was no doubt similar to the others', but it also contained a warning.

Tamaile Kinderode, Servant of Raku & Champion Witch of Darkness:

I am in dire need of your assistance. You see, I have arranged to have a party of skilled adventures to meet and acquire a powerful artifact for me. I am dying of a rare disease and this is the only way I can be cured. If you acquire this artifact I will grant you possession of several very powerful dark objects that would no doubt aid you greatly in serving your Dark Lord. On the back of this letter you will find a map leading to the source of the artifacts location. Once you reach there, wait at the entrance of the gate until a total three people arrive. Once they are there, assure that the others have notes as well, which will have similar maps on the back and find a difference in all of the maps. The difference of the maps will form a square and in the center of the square you should find a tree, and in a knot hole in the trees trunk. Retrieve that map and instructions and continue in the tower.

But be wary: not all of your 'associates' may be trusted. One in particular, an Archangel called Ethari, may well desire to take the artifact and use it for 'Holy' purposes. Everyone knows that the Archangels never do anything they do not see as Holy, and I feel that he may kill you simply for being a witch. Be wary, and kill him if you must, but make sure you get the map. Don't show this letter to anyone, for obvious reasons; only reveal the map.

That would be no problem. She'd poured a solution on the letter that dissolved even dried ink, and now that part of it was no longer visible. Yet she remembered it all too clearly. And if only a hint or trace of the warning remained, it was only an imprint and could not be read even with a candle under the parchment.

And so she traveled with a - friend. Yes, friend might be the right word. Ally or servant might be more appropriate.

And there he was. He was so obviously an Archangel that Tamaile was almost surprised at her own scowl. She rarely trusted, and trusted Holy beings even less. She would have no trouble at all killing this one if the opportunity provided itself - nor would the shadow that hid near her, and hid easily, considering the night.

((Haha...my own little twist. ^_^ ))

(OOC: First, I changed the title and who the topic is for, I also changed my note on the first post so it would fit for just the two of us.)

Ethari heard the small whistle and followed the direction in which it came from. He unfolded his wings and flew, as the note told him to. He flew in the sky and scanned the area for were his note directed him to go. He went directly behind the tower and landed. He wiped a layer of dust off the ground, revealing a trap door. He lifted it, and proceeded down the dark steps. He stuck his sword ahead of him, light pouring into the dark chamber. There was a man, garbed in all black, except his face, which had a black covering for his mouth and a bald head.

Ethari pointed his sword at the man, and lunged at the man. He used his wings and propelled himself right at the mans heart. The man fell backwards and landed on his back, and then used his feet to kick Ethari. Ethari flew and almost hit the ceiling, but regained his equilibrium. The man uttered some words, and then flung his hand forward, sending a bolt of Crimson Lightning at Ethari. Ethari flew to the side and then threw his diamond sword. The man was still recovering from casting his spell, and the sword pierced his heart, and pierced him to the wall. Ethari lowered himself down and pulled the sword from the dead mans body. He then reached into the mans left pocket and pulled out a scroll and and a similar note to his.

The note read Dear Biankia, I am dying of a rare disease and need a powerful artifact to cure it, but this artifact is located deep inside the Ancient Tower. You are to capture a young girl from the Village of Estolad and bury her alive near the tower. It is a important part of this quest, and her life will open many doors to the tower. Then wait in the cellar near the bury location, marked on the bottom of this map. There will be a Archangel and another dark one. Work carefully. Ethari quickly flipped the map over and headed towards the site were the girl was supposed to be buried. He quickly dug, and revealed a coffin. He flipped it open to reveal a girl of the age of seven. She was crying. Ethari then unraveled the scroll and muttered the words written, and a blue light struck the girl, and she disappeared. Ethari hoped that it was a successful transportation. Then he walked back to the front of the tower and waited for the last guest.

But she had already entered. During the fight, two Shadows had blocked her from view, sinking into the darkness of the room as though they belonged - which, of course, they did. And now they stood guard, shielding Tamaile from view. The trap door was now closed. The only light was the glimmer from the Archangel's blade as he awaited the arrival of another - another who would not come. For, as stated, she was already here.

"Move aside," she told her Shadows. They did so, but remained in very close proximity to her slender form. Tammy stepped into the circle of light, watching the Archangel from behind. She could kill him right now, and he would never see it coming. She could plunge her dagger into his heart, make him bleed, enjoy the sight of his death, revel in the thrill of the kill, watch the life drain from his eyes...it twisted her blood-red lips into a cold, cruel smile and put a gleam in her eyes that would have frightened a demon.

But no. Her smile faded, if only slightly. This was not what she intended. She might need him. She didn't know who - or what - had sent her this letter, or what she was here for yet. And she may need him as a shield, or a diversion - or both.

"Feeling trapped by the darkness pressing in on you yet, Archangel?"

The voice was soft, but it carried well through the small chamber. The last word, Archangel, was said with obvious hatred in Tam's voice and a sneer that was almost a snarl on her lips. Oh, she hated him, all right. She despised - no, loathed - him with every breath of her pale-skinned body, him and everything he stood for. Nothing would ever change that. It was all she could do not to summon Shadow after Shadow and send them after the wretched thing all at once, watching as they...

No. She contained herself. She might need him. She repeated that to herself again and again. She might need him. She might need him. She just might...

((Sorry it took so long to reply. I'm making a couple of pizzas. LOL ))

Arcan had some supplies taken with him from Lomedor and set off on his first trip. Luckily he had a map of Ea with him and he had a feeling he'd need it. Recently however he had received a mysterious note from an anomymous person.

Dear sir Arcan. I have heard of your bounty hunting talents from many tales from your home continent. I have a proposition for you. In an aging tower in the Salquendor Grasslands lies an artefact of great worth. Since I have recently become crippled I cannot go myself. This is where you come in. I require of you to retrieve this artefact. If you get it and come back alive you will be hanesomely rewarded. Beware as others may be after it as well but to ensure your success I have arranged three other adventurers to meet at the exact same spot as you. A map is enclosed of the tower schematics. The others will also have a map with them. I fear I cannot reveal myself of my whereabouts or my identity as to avoid suspicion. Work with your new allies. You'll need it.

To Arcan that last part almost seemed like a threat. He shook such silly thoughts out of his head and studied both his continental map and the map from the letter. He was definitely in the Salquendor Grasslands but he couldn't see a tower yet. Too many trees blocking his view. Arcan sighed and trudged on. He heard a noise in the trees and he drew his sword on instinct. Nothing happened and he kept walking. Arcan decided to have a feel of his new bow. It was made with expert quality and wouldn't break for a long time. Despite having a new bow Arcan had no arrows. He had brung his bow as a bluff to draw enemies closer for a close quarter fight where Arcan was currently better equipped. He didn't realise that he came into a clearing where the Ancient Tower stood tall and proud. Arcan whistled at it, guessing how old it was. He had a look at his map and saw that this tower was the one he was looking for. There was no one outside so he assumed that they were either inside or not here. He decided not to wait and entered the tower.

Ethari stared at the young lady who now approached him. She had blue eyes, not like his sparkling light blue, but a cold piercing icy blue. He noticed that she had a dagger. "I don't feel this darkness closing in, for I follow that of darkness and light, and both do not affect me." Ethari's eyes glistened as his gaze penetrated the new guest. He was a peace maker from Therenody and she granted him the ability to sense this new persons motives. They were not friendly, and extremely hostile.

Then, another man showed up. He had a short bow, but it looked of much higher quality from Ethari's. It didn't look enchanted, so it must have been crafted by a master. He also had two daggers, like the lady. "I'm here to retrieve a artifact and I assume you are all here as well. My note only mentioned three visitors, and the other was dead. I assume you are here for a different reason." Ethari faced the man. "I am Ethari, and this is Cataraza, the dove perched on my shoulder, what would your names be." Ethari decided not to tell every one about his friend who was also here, as for he might prove a valuable defense from the lady who had the dark intentions about him.

The pale moon disappeared from overhead, a ominous dark cloud passing overhead, making the landscape covered in dark shadows. Ethari's sword was the only source of light in the area, and was only providing a dim lighting, making the scene mysterious. A flash of yellow lightning struck the ground about a mile away, and around seven seconds later, the sound of deafening thunder broke the silence. Ethari pulled his white hood over his head, as wind began to rise. "We should hurry up, it will rain soon, if we exchange facts quickly, we can proceed into the tower dry."

Upon entering the tower Arcan saw that two others were here. One was an Archangel while the other was human, but there was something dark about her. The Archangel began talking. "I'm here to retrieve a artifact and I assume you are all here as well. My note only mentioned three visitors, and the other was dead. I assume you are here for a different reason." Arcan's right brow raised. "Oh really? I've received a letter but I doubt it was from the person who sent one to each of you. That artefact is worth a lot to me, and I suspect the same to others of my profession." Arcan had an idea pop in his head. "Strength does come in numbers and I'm after this artefact as well. I reckon we can get it easy if I tag along." He was about to say more when the Archangle spoke. "I am Ethari, and this is Cataraza, the dove perched on my shoulder, what would your names be." Arcan did not feel exactly comfortable revealing his identity around the girl but to gain their trust he may have to. "I am Arcan Zarikon. A bounty hunter." He noticed the Archangel taking note of Arcan's bow. He felt a bit embarrassed what with having no arrows. It was very dark and the only lighting around was from Ethari's sword. How it came to be Arcan did not know, nor did he really care. But he would if he had to get one. Lightning struck around the area Arcan had traveled a few hours ago and booming thunder followed. Ethari had pulled up a white hood and wind had started to pick up. "We should hurry up, it will rain soon, if we exchange facts quickly, we can proceed into the tower dry." "I agree. Let's get going." Arcan had a strange feeling that this storm was an omen of sorts. A dark omen.

Tamaile looked at the sky outside longlingly. She loved the rain - loved any kind of storm, really, and the more violent and deadly, the better - but there was work to be done. Tamaile handed over her note, complete with its map. The part she'd erased could not be detected at all now; it was completely gone. Yet she remembered very clearly what it had said. And she had no reason not to believe it, considering how she felt about the thing before her.

"Lead the way, Archangel."

That voice could have chilled an erupting volcano in seconds. It was so cold, so hateful, it was a wonder it didn't lower the room's temperature by about a hundred and fifty degrees.

Her Shadows shifted in the darkness. They mentioned something to her in their own tongue. Another? Hidden by some magic she had yet to detect, no doubt. She would deal with this other at some future time. For now, there was only the quest before her. She would gain this artifact and use it to further Raku's will and power on Arda. It would prove a valuable weapon. For if an artifact could heal, then it could also be used to kill - or as leverage, at the very least. After all, crystals meant for the darkest of magic had once made her immortal.

She waited for the Archangel to lead her and this one near her. She had given them the letter because there was nothing to incriminate her or whomever had sent her the letter and because it was a way for her to gain some trust with them. Perhaps not a lot, but certainly a little. Besides, she had no use for it any longer - she had memorized her part of it, and had secretly had her Shadows use their powers over normal shadows to 'read' the maps on the other three letters and transmit the images to her mind. Her mental connection with the Shadows allowed this. It gave her a couple of advantages that the others didn't have. One, she didn't have to worry about carrying around the parchment and having to pull it out every time they wanted it, and two, she knew the map by heart now.

Ethari put the three maps together and held them steady against the blowing wind. His map had a small rock drawn, that the others did not have. The girls had a tree and the dead mans ,whom he had killed, had a small house drawn in. Ethari quickly figured that the square would lead about one hundred meters from there location. Ethari walked towards the center and reached inside a knothole inside the tree and received another note. "Here's another note," Ethari said," I'll read it aloud."

Good, you have made it this far. I have chosen wise to select a party of this skill. If I have figured correctly, there should be a bounty hunter with you. Make him your alley, but separate when necessary. The artifacts that he has been sent to receive are different from the ones you must retrieve. Go inside the tower and follow the map until you reach the X. Once there, there will be a skeleton, gripping a diary. The diary will be blank, except for another note, giving you further instructions. Follow my words, and move carefully, for if you stray from the path that I have set forth for you, your life will surely cease to exist. Go wisely.

Ethari finished that note with a shiver. This man knew his stuff. It's like he will know how all the events will unfold. The stormy clouds began to let out a light drizzle. Another jolt of lightning shot across the horizon, lighting up the landscape for a brief moment. Soon after, another boom of thunder echoed across the landscape. "Into the tower, were we shall unfold this mystery," Ethari said in a dark voice. He pulled his cloak close and began to walk towards the darkened doorway of the tower.

The map was intricately detailed, moreso than any map Tamaile had ever seen before - and she'd seen a lot of maps. Clearly, this entire venture had been planned long in advance, probably years ago. As though whomever was behind this had known exactly what was going to happen. Perhaps not when it was going to happen, but certainly what was going to happen, and how to deal with it when the time came.

From everything that was happening, Tammy didn't doubt that whomever was behind this entire affair had also planned whom he was going to involve. This, of course, meant that he or she had to have been watching Tamaile and the rest for a long, long time. Tammy didn't like that at all. Not one bit...

But she could do nothing about it now. She absolutely hated being manipulated, and she had sworn to herself that she would be the one to do the manipulating when there was manipulating to be done long ago. But right now, she just wanted to get those damned artifacts. If she could get her hands on them, she could find out who was behind this and maybe get a huge reward in return. Blackmail was always fun.

The Archangel read the maps together. The marked a location several chambers in and several hundred feet down. An antechamber, from the looks of things, with some kind of entryway in the next room. The note was probably a key to the next room, how to open it and get down the shaft. And it was a shaft, according the map; like a mine shaft or something. Then he decided it was time to get going. Once again, she had to keep herself from ordering her Shadow to put its blade between the Archangel's shoulders right then and there. But she followed like his little bloody lap dog. Only until she had what she wanted, though. Only until then...