(OOC: This is closed to Ven., Lord Syke, Sanzen, and Lady Emma. After everyone arrives I will have "Father Simeon" brief us; then it's out to search for Sloth.)

The letter said nothing more. Most would not bother to go under such terms, but Lady Emma was filled with intrigue. Being a religious person she was drawn to the cries of the church. She left immediately for the church. She did not even stop to consider anything. If the church were in trouble then she would do all within her power to help.

The journey was long and tiring, but it gave Emma plenty of time to ponder the quest she was being given. Thoughts of great adventures filled her head as she dreamed of wild swash buckling fights and daring stunts she would have to endure. Emma was made of something else. Most other maidens would rather send off paladins to fight their wars. Maybe it was her elven blood that drove her to be so adventurous; whatever it was she now found herself standing in front of the giant doors of the cathedral.

Your help is highly needed. There are those that threaten the very way of life. Your exploits have become known to us, so now in our time of need we request you help. If you are willing to help us, travel to the Cathedral of Valdosta. We will fill you into to the growing concern there.

Signed,
Father Simeon

Vendaria read the letter carefully. The half drow was never on good terms with the church, mostly because of her heritage. However, she did have a reputation for being a bit…shall we say, merciless. However, the times had changed and Vendaria was slowly taking a turn for the good, and helping the church would be an excellent way to repent. Folding the letter carefully and hiding it in her pockets, Vendaria made the long journey towards the Cathedral.

A few days later she arrived at the house of worship. Apparently she was not alone in receiving this letter, for she saw a few more people gathered at the door. It was strange; they all seemed to arrive at similar times. The most noticeable, however, was a woman she had helped before. Her name was Lady Emma, the half Elven princess. Her screams were still fresh in Vendaria’s mind, and she never did seem to be the strongest of fighters. Why would they require her assistance? Perhaps she was leading this ‘expedition’. Either way, Vendaria proceeded in front of the double doors. She walked up next to Emma and spoke in a soft whisper…

“Did you send the letter, or have you received it?”

“Did you send the letter, or have you received it?” Emma did not need to turn around to see who was speaking. Although it had been many months since the incident in the Misty Forest Emma would not soon forget those who had helped her.

Without turning to face the half-elf Emma replied, “Do I look like a Father Simeon to you, Vendaria?” She did not speak with an irritated tongue but rather a teasing one. “I am here answering a plea for help. As I assume you…”

Emma did not get to finish her sentence. The door opened with a lonely monk standing behind them smiling at the sight of the guests. “Come in; come in,” he said waving his hand fiercely out of excitement. “My name is Brother Stephen. If y’all will wait here I will go and fetch Father Simeon. He has been waiting for y’all, but I’m sure y’all already knew that.

It did not take long for Stephen to get Father Simeon. “Good day,” he said as he approached. “Y’all are the first to answer my request, but hopefully you will not be the last. Let me you in to what is going on here,” he finished coming to a stop in front of his guests.

“A half-demon named sloth has been creating problems for the church as of late. He has been leading our members astray, by telling them that everything is determined by “Fate.” He has convinced many to give him their hard earned earthly possessions and live and relax in good faith the “Fate” will honor their actions.

“We simply can not allow this to continue. We ask for you two to go and put a stop to this in the churches name. Our reports tell us that he has a hideout somewhere along the shores of Lake Aelin. We don’t know what else to do; please help us.”

Vendaria shrugged. She did indeed forget that it was a Father Simoen that sent the letter, not Lady Emma. The Princess was cut off by the sound of the double doors opening. A dainty monk stood in it's place, becking them in. Vendaria followed suit, bowing her head as she entered. She knew enough about human customs to know that the church is a place you wish to treat with respect.

She listened to the man explain his reason for calling them...

“Y’all are the first to answer my request, but hopefully you will not be the last. Let me you in to what is going on here,” he finished coming to a stop in front of his guests.

“A half-demon named sloth has been creating problems for the church as of late. He has been leading our members astray, by telling them that everything is determined by “Fate.” He has convinced many to give him their hard earned earthly possessions and live and relax in good faith the “Fate” will honor their actions.

“We simply can not allow this to continue. We ask for you two to go and put a stop to this in the churches name. Our reports tell us that he has a hideout somewhere along the shores of Lake Aelin. We don’t know what else to do; please help us.”

Vendaria made the largest grin possible. She loved playing assassin, it is what she use to excel in, as well. She made a hefty income from the bounties placed on people's heads, but that profession was long ago. Vendaria was know more keen on Sorcerery than daggers, but her knowledge of tracking was still fresh in her mind.

Vendaria nodded, and spoke in a soft whisper. "I accept this mission. In the name of the Church, I shall track and destroy this half-demon, Sloth. Foolish are your members for believeing such lies..." Perhaps she insulted the priest with that last comment, but it was true. She looked towards Emma's direction, waiting for her response as well.

Sanzen listened closely to the priest oriented his audience on their current plight. He observed every individual, watching each individual's response to the news. Most of the responses were those of disbelief. Others smirked, probably imagining the glory and fame they would earn, upon fulfillment of this adventure. Others had fear in their eyes, probably at the mention of a half-demon.
There was one individual, a halfling who had the largest grin possible. Sanzen didn't recognize her, for this was his first visit to this region. But the way she composed herself, tells him that she will be a valuable asset in this challenge.
After the priest finished his story, Sanzen then proceeded to the back of the church. He didn't like to take leads, and since he already had a 'leader' in the form of the half-drow he would follow, this would be no problem for him. He then waited, his gaze never lifting from her, hoping to follow in her trail.

(OOC: Crap! I forgot to switch users. Can someone move this reply?)

(^Sorry about that :D )

“Of course I will help,” Lady Emma replied, “the church has done so much for my family; I can not turn my back on them in their time of need. I will leave immediately for the lake where I will confront the demon.”

“Thank you, the both of you. The church is very grateful.” The priest turned around picking up some dusty papers sitting on a table behind him. “Here, you will need these. They are the pages to the spells soft and strengthen. Many of the people who have decided to oppose him have been found later as stone statues.”

Emma accepted the pages with a shaky hand. “He can turn people to stone,” she thought. What a terrible thought it was. What kind of a person would commit such a heinous act? “Thank you, I promise I will stop him.”

“You should also take this with you,” he said as Emma turned to leave. In his hand he held a magnificently carved cross. “If you are to say you are from the church then show this and there will be no doubt. It will protect you on your journey.”

(OOC: I paid for the spells already; I am just adding an IC reason for aquiring them. The cross thing is just something given to crusaders for the church. It has no monetary value or special power. I just read about people receiving them in real life so I added one hear.)

OOC: Hehe, I have Soft and Strengthen as well ^^.
---

Vendaria looked around after she finished her response, she too judging the reactions around her. Some looked stronger than others, but Vendaria knew that any help would be necessary to take down a Half-Demon. Vendaria listened to the Emma's response, and then watched as she was handed scrolls containing Strengthen and Soft. Interestingly enough, Vendaria already knew these spells.

She did notice that an Angel was going to help them in their mission, she didn't quite get along with an Angel called Ploay, but hopped she would get along better with him than she did her. She could tell by peoples reactions towards her that she was quite respected for her obvious power.

About time...My whole life I was the lowly Half-Drow...I believe I've finally managed to get some respect.. She thought to herself. She was still slightly confused about the mission, and decided to ask a few more questions before they set out.

"Will this Half-Demon have any protection, such as an Army or followers of some sort?" She questioned, wanting to know how outnumbered they were going to be.

(OOC: Anti-Halo is not in this thread. I posted with him by mistake.)

“We suspect he must,” replied Simeon, “but we have not scene them. He has taken on large groups of men and defeated them so he must have some. It is also unlike him not to have people he can boss around while he sits around lazily all day. Good luck to the both of you,” he finished waving good-bye.

Emma left the cathedral ready to begin their journey. She quickly untied Frost from the tree where she had left her. She stroked her mane as she whispered in her ear, “Are you ready for an adventure old friend?”

She quickly situated her belongings on the back of her steed making sure everything was secure. She then leapt onto the back of the mighty horse. She then called out behind her, “Are you ready?”

“Are you ready?”

Lady Emma called out while setting up her horse for the journey that laid before them. Vendaria somewhat wished she had a horse to travel on, but her means of transportation were far more advanced than any pack-animal could manage.

Vendaria held her hand a little above her head, and then flicked her wrist. She quickly transformed into a beast designed for both speed and manuverability. She had seen quite a few around her human village, and her mother once told her that these creatures were capable of walking great distances without tiring out. This was indeed the perfect animal of choice for the long journey ahead of them.

The Half Drow walked up next to the horse, scaring it slightly, and nodded. She waited until Emma started the journey, and Vendaria would follow suit.

(Sorry I'm late. But I'm still all for this RP; thanks for keeping up with me even though I've been absent.)

Skye was never much for religion. The Fates hadn't done much for him, to be frank. He had been sent on an incredible journey, sure, and he had the most skilled master in the land, but other than that his life was a normal hell. He wondered if it really was bad luck, or if he could blame it all on his broken spirit. It clouded his head as he walked from the holy citadel. "So... who's gonna be leader of this thing? I call not it." he jested. Skye spotted Venderia morph into some sort of steed, and he wondered bashfully if she would allow him to mount.

Vendaria walked onward until a man spoke behind her.

So... who's gonna be leader of this thing? I call not it."

That was a good question, they would need someone to lead this expedition. Vendaria would have said her piece, but she didn't feel like returning to her drow form. She pressed onward, but couldn't help but notice the man examining her form. Obviously, he was looking for a ride. The Half Drow was not a Pack Mule, and he simply insulted her! Vendaria picked up her pace, leaving the Horse behind, and ran ahead of them. She would have normally said or done something to the man for his 'wonderings', but she was here on the Church's terms and she'd rather have a good reputation.

<< short post, I know! >>

Sanzen quickly made his way out the church, shortly after the half-drow left. As he walked out the doors, he began to search for the woman he was watching. She seemed capable of handling herself, so he would just follow her. Outside he saw a maiden, mounted on a steed he had never seen before. Somewhere near him, a warrior was there, and close by, another steed was traveling mountless, ahead of them. These fighters were heading out already, he thought.

Travels in this region were long and tedious, so the use of mounts were useful. Seeing as how traveling alone would use up most of his strength, he decided to approach the maiden.

When he approached them he asked, "Where are you headed, travelers? May I accompany you?". Seeing as this was probably the wise choice, as the person he followed earlier was gone. The journey was going to be long, and friends are welcome in these parts. Besides, the priest's warning were not in Sanzen's best hopes, as he had no protection whatsoever against his new enemy.

Vendaria looked behind to see a man speaking with Lady Emma. He had a slender sword, but that was all. He didn't appear to be the strongest of warriors, but he did wield the sword with a swordsman's touch.

"Where are you headed, travelers? May I accompany you?" The man asked.

Vendaria decided that she could no longer be lazy, how ironic was it that she out on a mission to slay the very source of laziness! She returned to her Drow form and caught up with her team. Before Emma could speak, Vendaria said her piece.

"We are no mere travelers, sire. We are currently working for the Church. If you wish to accompany us, you're going to have to be familar with that sword you wield." Vendaria said slyly. The man seemed somewhat stunned at her sudden transformation, but she didn't mind. She liked showing that she had power. Vendaria couldn't help but notice the man's ears, he was definitley part elf...But he also had some human in him. Half-Elves were quite a common mix, how dare her village hate her for her heritage! Vendaria couldn't afford to let her anger get the best of her, so she simply awaited the man's response.

Skye looked askance at the other man who approached the mounted maiden. A suspicious eyebrow twitched, and he caught his left hand creeping toward his sword's hilt out of muscle memory. "Odd."
I don't trust him...
Discrimination by appearances, anyone?
Yeah, well, I'm usually pretty accurate about that!
His entire body is hidden; you have no idea what his true character is.
Men who hide their face often hide their tainted hands as well...
Just give him a chance. You're all in this together, it seems.

Skye sighed and tried to keep his distance from the man. But he knew, if they were to cooperate, they would have to be on good terms eventually. He cleared his throat. "I think the maiden should be the leader. She seems to be the most devout of us, and that must count for something in such a mission." he spoke to the others as they moved along.

Sanzen turned to see the steed return, then perform a transformation. After the transformation, Sanzen stood before him the drow he hoped to follow earlier. He was awed by her skills, and was very impressed. She then replied, "We are no mere travelers, sire. We are currently working for the Church. If you wish to accompany us, you're going to have to be familar with that sword you wield."

Her words took him by surprise. He didn't want to present himself as a fighter, as his methods were discrete and quick, not reckless and blunt. The man near the maiden slowly gripped the handle of his sword, and this may not be the introduction he was hoping.

"I'm sorry for the intrusion. My name is Sanzen, and I was also called here by the church. But the request was odd, since my specialty is to hunt those cursed by lycanthropy. Your group seems the most capable to complete the task, and I figured an extra sword arm wouldn't be a bother." He knew his best chance of fulfilling the mission was with this group, and being turned down was not an option he would take lightly. And the journey home is a long road to take. He relaxed for a while, hoping to recieve a good response from the group.

Lord Skye cleared his throat very deliberately, as if to signal something.
I suppose I ought to introduce myself. He does seem polite enough.
He thought about doing so, but not only is Skye somewhat reserved due to past events, he also still had suspicions about the man, Sanzen.
You're probably right, I shouldn't be so hasty to judge. Still, I've met too many of these types that didn't take kindly to me...
He tried to calm his nerves, and moved onward.

(Waiting for Emma to post, I guess.)

Lady Emma sat on her steed keeping her mouth shut as the scene before her took place. Introductions had always bored her, probably because nobody really listened when she tried to introduce herself. Everyone had always looked at her features and took that as introduction enough. “Filthy half-blood,” she could hear them say behind her back. Some people were just so rude.

Emma tried to hold back a blush as she heard one of the warriors suggested her as the leader of the outfit. It was true she had experience in being a leader seeing as she was the daughter of a lord, but the half-drow surely had more experience in this sort of mission.

“Well seeing as everyone’s introduced now,” she said knowing she had not introduced herself, and she had not intentions too, “can we begin our journey? It will take us a few days to reach the lake seeing as not everyone has a steed.” She tried to keep her voice calm and polite, but she hated that the journey hadn’t even begun and someone was already bickering.

(Sorry I had a busy weekend, but here is my long put off reply.)

Vendaria, instead of transforming into the Mount animal again, she pulled out her pack. It was brown and dirty, and held many items and a very large and heavy spellbook. She dug through the mess until she found what she was looking for. There lay a small compass and an old map of Arda, both useful tools in traveling. She spread the map open as she walked, following the sound of Emma's Horse to guide her around obstacles. She found the lake on her map, scanned for their location, and then pulled out her compass. They had to head East ((Taking a wild guess...but hey, it's nice to have a direction)). Taking the compass arrow and aligning it with their direction, Vendaria pointed east.

"Yep, we are going the right way...Just had to make sure." She said. She'd rather not find themselves going the wrong direction, and precautions like these helped avoid situations like those. She transformed back into her mount and resumed traveling, wishing she had filled her canteen before they left...

Lord Skye was lagging behind everyone else, as usual. He scanned the panorama; a hill there, a tree over there. Maybe a few bushes; mostly rolling grasslands though. Clouds were idling overhead. It didn't seem like a very fitting day for beating up a deadly sinner.
Looks like another humdrum mission. I was hoping for some excitement, but I don't think anything could quite equal the war against the Dark Ones.
Well, yeah... that was a hell of a battle.
Skye soon realized his eyes were no longer casting over the landscape, but fixated on the maiden atop the horse. "Whoa, she's pretty." he found the words escape his lips before his mind could think them up, and he promptly coughed and turned away.

(OOC: alright my purchase has gone through here is my post.)

"Yep, we are going the right way...Just had to make sure." Venderia said after looking at her compass. Stashing it away she transformed back into the steed taking off ahead of Emma who was laughing.

“I could have told her that,” she thought thinking back to long memorable hunts with her brother, who had taught her how to tell direction using the sun and stars. Of course, Emma was a lousy hunter; she couldn’t shoot strait or anything. She wasn’t going to mention this to them though.

They traveled for many hours with the human falling behind. Lady Emma was unsure if she liked him being in the back where she couldn’t keep an eye on him. “He seemed to have a problem with half-elves earlier,” she thought, “can he be trusted?”

(OOC: Ooo Morris is gone be mad at you!)

(*pasted from Overlooking the Ocean*
Hey, sorry I've been neglecting Arda recently... my computer is crap. I mean, look up crap in the dictionary, and it says "Lord Skye's computer". Actually, I plan to format it soon to rid of viruses, but anyway. I only have a minute here so I'm not going to make a full-fledged post, as it usually takes me twenty minutes to churn out enough creativity. So ubersorry, and hope to be active again soon.)

((OOC: Lady Emma has requested that I join this quest to help it continue going along))

The door of the Cathedral open slowly; guided by a soft hand. An elf stepped out into the light of day, looking around at the environmental beauty of the area. The wind blew lightly, which was evident in the swaying back and forth of his blue hair. His eyes were as gleaming as always, for he was filled with a sense of caring and excitement. It had been quite some time since he had seen Father Simeon. But the elf had occasionally taken time to visit the priest, helping him with the duties that must be carried out within his wondrous house of worsip.

Now, Father Simeon had called upon him for help. The priests eyes had been full of weary and sorrow as he explained the situation to the elf. Who is this elf? His name is Avennian. Avennian; the paladin of righteousness and the cleric of holiness. His devout servantry to the ways of holiness had earned him much respect in the eyes of the father, and now was a time in which he must once again prove his loyalty and strength. Of course, Avennian was no longer doubted by the saints. No, battling evil was his second purpose in life; his first being to spread the ways of holiness.

Avennian started to walk. The air smelt of lush greenery, and it was quite refreshing to the elf, considering that his kind were a people that were naturally in tune with nature. Avennian looked in the skies as he walked, a smile growing upon his face as he saw his friend approaching. A dove glided from the clouds to the shoulder of the elf, perching upon his white tunic as the elf begin to stroke its feathery back.

"Hello, Heilin." Avennian said, "I see that you have decided to accompany me on this quest."

Avennian observed the ground as he walked, taking careful notice of the tracks that were made by the first party Father Simeon had sent. The father had asked Avennian to assist them, and Avennian had willingly agreed. He hoped to catch up to them by nightfall. But, considering that there were a good number of them, he would not hurry. No, if they ran into trouble, they should surely be able to handle things themselves. Still, Avennian knew that he musn't take too much time; for this 'Sloth' that the Father had spoken of was not something in which Avennian wanted to take chances in guessing its strength.

I will reach them as soon as possible, Avennian eventually decided while he continued along the path that the party had taken.

Skye took refuge in the great church and when he heard someone entered it, he decided to meet the person..instead he overheard the talk of a "Sloth"....Skye took to him to follow this paladin and see the sloth...he has never seen or even heard about a creature such as this...he also heard that a previous party was sent after this creature and he thought there was a good chance that it got crushed to the core of the earth...taking precaution Skye had his dagger coated in poison...

Skye thanked the Father for his hospitality and slowly followed the paladin...once or twice ripping a fruit from its tree...Skye thought a bit...his adventurous personality would get him killed someday...

As Skye drifted off he noticed he was losing the paladin, he hurried up and dashed back on pace...the dove immediately caught site of Skye but he didn't care about the bird...

(OOC: This is a closed thread. Avennian was asked to join because the members of the thread were becoming inactive, and I needed help getting it going again. This quest is not for people who are evil aligned.)

The small party had stopped to make camp for the night. The nighttime air was cool and refreshing as it washed over Emma’s skin. The fire almost ruined the experience for her, but they needed food, so they needed a fire.

“Hopefully, we will reach the lake tomorrow,” Emma said aloud voicing her thoughts, “of course, after that who knows how long it will take to find Sloth.” After saying the last part she regretted it. Things like that could ruin the group’s morale. Someone who had been brought up as a leader should have known better.

“I’m going to bed,” she announced as she rose to her feet, “we should leave first thing tomorrow.” The others already knew this, of course. They were all experienced travelers. In fact, out of everyone in the group, she probably had the least amount of experience in this sort of thing.

As the elf maiden prepared to retire for the night, Sanzen simply stood by, idly. Camping in the wild was reckless, unless someone stood watch. His companions may care less for the beasts out there, but he knew better. They might be more capable fighters than he could be, but asleep they are as helpless as the fools their demon mark has captivated.

"I'll stay and watch" he announced, before leaving the camp site. He wandered a few yards, always keeping the camp in view. Without any tools to guide him, and being in an unknown land, being lost could be his fatal mistake. So he simply wandered in circles, occasionally stopping to stare at the moonlit sky. Thoughts of the past wandered in his mind, and he continued on.

Night had fallen upon the traveling elf, and in truth he was tiring. He had awaken early that morning, and nighttime was not a time that he often enjoyed. Avennian continued to follow the path of the party. However, he began to realize that he had fallen even further behind as he noticed the tracks fading as he went further along. But with his keen elven eyes, he would be able to continue in their shadow, and he may even be able to catch them on this night as he had orginally planned.

Heilin, the dove, no longer sat on Avennian's shoulder. The bird was now lying within Avennian's two hands as the elf held it carefully. Heilin was asleep, and Avennian did not wish to disturb his pet, so he walked as smoothly and softly as possible. He also did not want to attract any unnecessary attention as he traveled, for evil knew no rest.

Having nothing interesting to entertain him, the effects of drowsiness began to affect Av's vision. The elf soon had to place Heilin in one of his hands so as to use the other to rub his eyes when they became tired.

How long can I continue like this? Avennian thought. Then the elf realized that it would be in his best interest to catch up to the ones he was following, for by now he could possibly be entering the territory of this 'sloth'. Avennian thought it to be a funny name for such a terrible force, but Father Simeon would never lie.

The elf continued with diligence on his quest, also realizing that he would need food in the morning, and that these people would definitely have some. Being an elf, he shouldn't have any problems finding food of his own within the lands, but the thought of doing such right now made Avennian even more tired. Overall, he was just being lazy; which was rather unusual for him. But, it was also unusual for him to be traveling at night.

Emma doused the fire from their breakfast. She was beginning to grow impatient. It was now thirty minutes since dawn, and they had not left. Every little thing was becoming irritable to her. “We must get going,” she screamed at the others, regretting it afterwards

“I’m sorry,” she apologized, “it is just that I want to reach the lake today. I know that doesn’t give me an excuse to go around biting people’s heads off. I’m sorry.” Feeling embarrassed she went to her horse to make sure she was ready to go.

Still fuming over her actions and the lost time she started to tie the bindings to her horse to tight. “I’m sorry,” she had to say again as her horse jumped back whimpering in pain. She loosened the straps trying to calm the steed down. “Whoa girl,” she said as the horse was still going crazy.

“What is it girl,” she said realizing it couldn’t be the bindings anymore, “what’s wrong?” Becoming concerned, she drew her dagger as she scanned her surroundings. “Something’s not right,” she called over her shoulder to the others.

“Ayee,” the forest suddenly became filled with high-pitched screams as tens of imps rushed out from behind the trees. Emma released her horse preparing for the army. Although she had no hope of defeating all of them, she was not about to surrender.

The angel watched as Sloth’s minions ambushed the church’s agents. The small demons may be week and short but their sheer numbers make them formidable. Many would underestimate their strength, but Sloth was the only one to overestimate their strength. The angel cursed Sloth’s name for not coming to deal with the intruders himself. He lived up to his name, being lazy and sending others to do his dirty work. The others would not stand for this.

Surprise was the only thing the imps had going for them. If they did not finish this battle quickly they would lose. The church’s soldiers may be outnumbered, but if the church had sent them then they must be skilled. Sloth was a fool for overlooking this.

The angel did not engage the enemies with the small creatures. It was not his duty to stop them. It was his duty to keep an eye on Sloth for the others. If he failed to stop them it was not his own fault, and he would have to pay the price.

(OOC: Leon will not engage the church's agents. He has been added to the story to link the other sins together.)

Fzzzzzzzz, The ice arrow flew from Morris’s hand striking a charging imp. Morris quickly released more arrows from his palm as he quickly muttered the incantation over and over again. His forehead was lit with a blue light in the shape of a rune. The anger showed itself visibly in his eyes. There no creature on Arda that he hated more than demons. They were monsters without morals. They owed him a debt that could never be repaid. They owed him his father’s life.

He quickly charged forward releasing his four shuriken at the tiny demons. “Down, Emma,” he screamed as he drew his scimitar ready for the fight. “I will take care of them.” It was not bravery that drove Morris, but the quest for vengeance that made him act the way he did.

The demons were fast and had strength beyond their size, but Morris was still stronger. He twisted around parrying blows from their small blades and striking other imps down with his own blade. He did not even wince when the demons drew his own blood. He could feel nothing but the desire to destroy the small creatures.

(OOC: I will be accepting requests to join this quest by PM now since all of the others have left.)

Although Morris could feel no pain at the moment, as he was lost within his rage, Emma hurt for him as she saw the blood spill from his body. A tear fell from her cheek as she took out her spell book. “I may not be much of a fighter, but I will help you where I can,” she said as she turned to the page that would allow her to enchant Morris with a magical strength. She chanted the words from the page trying to give Morris all the help she could.

She then turned to her bucking steed to try to get him to calm down. It was then that she saw her bow sitting on her back. She climbed on the back of the horse as she drew her bow from the horse’s saddle. She quickly strung it like her brother had shown her time and time again. Hoping that she had done it right she drew an arrow from her quiver.

“Take this,” she screamed as she released the arrow at the small demons. Her aim may not be as true as her brother’s, but the arrow was true enough to nail the imp. With a smile on her face she repeated the act, sending arrow after arrow into the army of imps.

Sanzen awoke to the sounds of swords clashing. Holding his swords on instinct, he ducked down as he saw hordes of imps attack his companions. These small pests were swarming the elf maidenand another adventurer, whom he seems to be familiar with. He quickly drew his blades, then checked around to see if there was anything else amiss.

Most of the animals were distracted with the party of the camp site, so approaching from behind was not a problem for Sanzen. Though he lacked the skills to sneak around, he quickly and quietly made his way to the battle ahead of him. As he approached the battle, he saw a group of imps making their way behind the maiden. The maiden was busy showering the imps with arrows, and apparently paid no heed to the sides. As an imp lunged at the maiden, Sanzen through his scimitar at the demon, impaling it on its side. He quickly moved his katana to his sword arm, then performed a small spin, slashing the torso of two adjacent imps.

More imps soon charged their way into the adventurers, and Sanzen retreated to the back of the elf maiden. He put his leg on the impaled imp's head, as he pulled out the scimitar from its carcass. He then put on a stance, holding both swords upside down. Hopefully, the imp swarm will end here, as there are just too many of them to fight. The battle would prove to be tiresome for the party.

The angel watched in disgust as the few warriors warded off the imp’s surprise attack. Over a dozen of their fragile bodies lay dead on the ground. The others quickly retreated from the battle having been utterly humiliated. They had failed to fall even one of these warriors. The most they had accomplished was to spill blood from one of the agents. This had truly been a massacre.

Vrobleski left the clearing making his way for the lair of the half-demon named Sloth. He would have to pay the price for his idiocy. Had he gone himself to attack the weary travelers they would surely be dead. His laziness would never be forgiven by the others. As the emissary for the other six Vrobleski took it upon himself to go pay a visit to this failure named sloth.

“You have failed, Sloth,” he said as he glided down from the trees landing in front of Sloth. “You have allowed agents of the church to wander into your little home. The moment they posed a threat to the conclave you should have dealt with them yourself. Instead you sent these weaklings to do your bidding. They failed you, and you failed us. Wrath will not be pleased. She will have her head for this.”

“Silence, Vrobleski! Are you forgetting your place,” Sloth replied with a snarl, “I am still one of the seven. It is your job to serve me. I will not have you talking down to me. I do not care if you are taking your orders for Wrath. You will not disrespect me. It is my concern what happens here, not hers.”

“You are wrong! It is the mission of the seven to spread disorder throughout all of Arda in order to destroy the church from within. Your work here is vital to that. You, however, are not vital to that. You can be easily replaced. Keep that in mind as you make your next move. I am sure the party will be here soon seeing as your imps have lead them right to you.” With his final words Vrobleski flew off into the trees to observe the Sloth’s actions before reporting back to his mistress.

A smile spread across Morris’s face, as he looked at all the dead bodies of the imps. It felt like a little bit of the anger for demons had been quenched. It was a rather large weight for someone to carry on his back, so every time a little of it is satisfied it feels rather rewarding.

Morris turned around to look at the beautiful maiden he had come to know as Emma. “I have been following your trail all night in search of you. I arrived at the monastery a little late as it turns out,” he explained with a smile. It would appear I have arrived at just the right time.

He started to walk towards her when he collapsed in pain. The wounds he had suffered felt a million times worse now that he wasn’t focused solely on destroying the unfit monsters. His strength was also failing as the spell faded from his body. It was the price he had to pay for his rash actions.