This was rediculous... why would it be here... how could it be here... there was nothing... not just no-where to hide an ancient gem... just nothing for miles around.

The Dark Knight glanced up towards the sky. Not a cloud in sight, just the infernal heat of the blazing sun. He had been to many loathsome places on his travels... but this had to be the worst. He had not seen a settlement for miles... not only that; but there were no trees, no animals, no water. Just a few arid-dwelling bushes.

But wait... what was that? In the distance. Unless his eyes were tricked by the heat... no... it was real... an oasis in the desert.

"Thank the Gods." Vaul whispered in a rasping voice, parched and sore from lack of water.

But wait... he was not alone, there was already a figure there. Knelt by the side of the water.
Water in these harsh conditions was valued higher than gold... and many would fight to the death in order to keep it for themselves.

Shar'si had gone in search of a place where there would be storms within the desert, a place she had only read of in a book while spending some time in the city. Fortunately she had been smart enough to bring a large sack of water with her, and even more to her fortune that she had found an oasis, as the sack had gone dry and the heat had brought her thirst. She had succeeded in finding storms, though they were not the ones of thunder, lightning and rain that she had been expecting, but rather high winds that flung the sand every which way. The wrappings of one wrist had been undone and fashioned into a veil of sorts to block her face from the sand, and her long, dark hair was pinned up tightly and covered over with a white layer of linen to keep from drawing the sun to it.

The oasis had come as a complete surprise, just when Shar'si had planned on having to use force of will and a prayer to make it from the desert without drying up. She knelt by the edge of the water to fill the leather sack again, knowing better this time that she'd have to ration the precious water for her return to civilization. "Storms in the desert," she muttered, what an absurd thing to have believed in the way she did. She had gained more respect for the power of the wind on this trip though, as the places where she had not covered well enough were saturated with tiny grains of sand, and calling the wind to her own will had done little to protect her. It would take days to get all of the sand free from her linen wrappings, and even longer to wash it from her hair and refresh her skin from the trek through the hot, windy desert.

As she finished filling the skin once more, and took a moment to wash the slightly cooler water of her face, she stood up, turning in the direction she'd be heading to leave this cursed place, and that's when she saw the man who had approached. The smallest bit of worry crossed her mind as she could only wonder what another living being was doing out in the middle of all of this sand and wind, and he most definitely seemed just as dry as she had felt before finding this god gifted place. She gave a slight bow, hoping to show proof that she had no intent on keeping the grounds of the oasis to herself, but rather she was glad this man had made it here before thirst overtook him. "Come, share in the fresh water," she gestured towards the small pool of water. It was yet another of nature's oddities, a pool of perfect water out in the middle of a desert, yet she would not question its existance. She began to wrap the long, thin piece of linen around her face again, hiding her mouth and nose from sight once more.

It wasn't that Aloric didn't like coming into contact with others. Not at all. He rather missed the company of friends around him. But lately he didn't know friend from foe, and he felt awkward around just about anybody. The pains in his chest had been increasing lately, something that didn't alltogether bother him. But he wanted answers. Answers seemed to be in short supply, with more and more questions popping up at every turn. He didn't want anymore questions.

That's why he had come out here. The desert seemed to provide no questions at all. Maybe he'd get lucky and get some information though. He doubted that, but at least things were less complicated, and no awkward meetings with other people. He'd try to set up a shelter; he'd try to do some soul-searching.

Somehow still the questions followed him. When he had come upon the oasis in the desert, he was at first overjoyed. He had needed the comfort it provided. Then it only raised more questions. Why was it here? It had fallen right into his path. Questions weren't the only thing that followed him, either. A woman had come upon the oasis, Aloric had seen her approaching. He had hidden as best he could behind a sand dune, desperately trying to avoid her. She appeared to be leaving when she spotted someone else, and had invited the man to come drink from the water the spot had provided.

Aloric was perplexed. Three people, all brought to the same strange point in the middle of the desert. And all he wanted was to be left alone. Perhaps that wasn't Fate's idea for him, he'd have to wait and see. He stood still behind the sand dune as the two continued to converse. He hoped they couldn't see him.

Slightly thrown by the offer of the water, Vaul stood still for a moment. The female did not seem violent but he could not be too sure... still, he neeed the water.

Vaul approached cautiously, his eyes constantly scanning the area for possible attackers.

Observing the maiden as he assessed the risks. From what he could see of her face, she was very pretty, most likely elven in origin. She carried no weapons that Vaul could see which put him at a slight ease... yet he was not so foolish to think that an unarmed person was a defenseless person.

Reaching the waters edge Vaul cupped his hands and took a deep drink of the refreshing water before re-filling his canteen. Glancing upwards as he drank he spotted the light glinting off metal as a sand dune shifted slightly in the wind.

"You can tell your companion to come out of hiding now... if you wish a fight then I will be happy to oblige, but I did not come here loking for a conflict." Vaul exclaimed in a calm voice.

The wind swept through the dunes, reflecting off the flaxen sunlight, making the brightness almost too much to bear. Along with the wind came sand--stinging him as the small grains made contact withhis pale, exposed skin. Any more sunlight, and soon he would be more tanned than he had ever been within his short 17 years of life. The heat was almost unbearable under the scorching sun, yet here he was, wearing his full set of teal mages' robes, fresh from the laundry just the day before yesterday. Shielding his grey-blue eyes with a hand as the wind died down, Tamolux took the chance to glance up to take a good look at his bearings.

Off in the distance, a slight glimmer caught his eyes. Taking a closer look, the teenager squinted. Not that there would be any sapphires lying around in the sand that he knew of, but he was positive that the sparkle carried a cerulean hue. Whatever it was, it would be worth inspecting. With a sigh of exasperation, he checked his water supply, but by the feather-light weight, he could only guess that it was empty. At a time like this, when his mouth was completely parched, he vaguely wished that he had taken up water magic.

Using up a spark of healing magic to soothe his sore legs, the young mage trudged on, now with slightly more haste than before. After all, water was a great source of life, and living off his own pride and confidence surely wasn't enough to last him on this wearisome trek through sand. Never in his life will he come near the Anfauglir Desert again. But for him being here in the first place, there had to be a reason, no? Pain and weariness was never taken without a cost, and he had learned his lessons long ago.

Letting the azure glisten lead him on his path, he soon had an oasis in full view. However, he took note that he wasn't the only being that came to gather the precious water. A woman sat nearby, and appeared to have just finished taking her fill of water, but the piece of linen covered her nose and mouth--leaving only her dark eyes exposed. "Come, share in the fresh water," she said in a rather calm and serene tone, gesturing gracefully towards the rippling liquid. Turning his gaze to see who she had spoken to, his light eyes landed on a man with a muscular build--no doubt a knight. Considering his next move, Tamolux raised a hand to tousel his blond hair--which was already in an indescribable mess. Compared to the rest of his sophisticated appearance, his hair was probably what caught people's attention at first sight. The rest of his clothing was astonishingly neat and tidy, and not a single speck of dirt could be seen resting on the teal cloth.

"You can tell your companion to come out of hiding now... if you wish a fight then I will be happy to oblige, but I did not come here loking for a conflict." The thin teenager immediately turned to look at the knight who had spoken, but certainly he hadn't meant him. However, he had to get the water sooner or later. Patting his robes carefully of any dust, Tamolux casually looked at everyone present in turn, and not bothering to avoid any eye contact. "Good day," he said politely. Even in times like this, it wasn't smart to shun etiquette. And besides, manners were forced into his brain since he was a young boy, and it was now a habit that was not discardable. If any situation out of the ordinary took place...Well, what was there that he couldn't handle? He had never lacked confidence, after all (rather, he brimmed with it).

To make his point of what he intended to do, the teenager withdrew his canteen from within the folds of his robes.

Shar'si watched as the knight's gaze fell elsewhere, following it with her eyes and catching the same glint of something hidden. "You can tell your companion to come out of hiding now... if you wish a fight then I will be happy to oblige, but I did not come here loking for a conflict." Companion? She was a bit curious, as two people at one oasis in the middle of a desert in this sort of horrid condition had to be a bit out of the normal, but to have a third hidden amongst the brush was pushing it. "I have no companion, Sir. I travel alone and came out here simply to find the storms of the desert, though I'm not sure I should admit such foolish interests."

Then things became even more like a strange dream, as a third figure appeared with a canteen held out in a gesture that said they too had simply come for the water. This one seemed much more out of place than the first had, as he seemed to be clad in the robes of a mage, and what skin did show was rather pale, as if he had spent most of his time in study. "Good day," was the greeting the young man gave, though Shar'si was not quite sure just how good this day was, to be in the middle of the desert with just a small oasis and four travelers who were all unsure of each other. Shar'si glanced between the knight and the mage, curious as to what had brought them out this far that they had found the same oasis, but in the end that mattered little.

Shar'si reached out to the element of wind, soothing the sporatic gusts that whipped about them, settling the sands so that the three, or possibly four, travelers could speak and settle this matter peacefully. She cast another glance about to each of them, then looked in the direction of the glint once again before speaking, "And to you, Sir. Come, join us," she offered, motioning him forward, then glancing to that spot where the knight seemed to believe someone was hiding, "and you as well, if you would join us." She had every plan of making this a peaceful meeting, if only the three others would keep it as such.

Looking down at his sky-blue shirt and faded black leggings, Aloric realized that he fit in to his surroundings just about as much as the oasis itself did. They had all spotted him now, and there was simply nothing he could do about it.

Fanas, he thought to himself, using the old Common Tongue curse, there's no good way to play this. I'll come out, and it will be more awkward than if I had just shown myself in the first place. He took a deep breath. He crawled up from behind the dune and walked around it slowly, coming closer to the other three.

Something's up, he thought. Using his peculiar intuition, he knew that today would be a day that would change these four strangers... and anyone else that came in contact with them.

The woman had already spoken of her intent for being out here. Something about chasing storms. To Aloric, that seemed like a bad reason to venture around the desert with her. A desert storm was the last thing he needed today. The light-haired teal-clothed boy hadn't expressed anything other than his need for water. Same went for the raspy voiced Knight that wasn't afraid of conflict. Regardless of the other agendas they all certainly had, Aloric felt he didn't have to fear them. Their paths had crossed for some reason, and he should accept that. But he couldn't. He felt paranoia, the fear that of all four of them, he'd be shunned away. He could stand being alone, but he wouldn't tolerate the shunning part. He now wished that he possessed at least some knowledge of magic, so that he could get inside their heads and locate their true purposes for being here.

That was a futile thought. He knew no magic, never had, and probably never would. All he had was himself, and the curse bestowed upon him from birth. A curse he swore he'd only use in dire circumstances. A curse, that nobody should know about. Nobody.

By this time, he had come as close as he felt comfortable to the others. He looked down at the water. He needed some already. His gaze still looking downward, he avoided eye contact. "I suppose somebody should start with the introductions. My name is Aloric. I've come out here for... self discovery. Though I think the three of you discovered me quicker than I have." With that, he bent down to catch some water, letting the others introduce their names, and their purposes as well, he hoped.

((OOC: If you would've liked to go before me, Vaul, I'll gladly edit this post and let you take my spot, and put my post after yours. Sorry, I'm just a bit bored at the moment... :D XD))

At the knight's words, a small movement caught his light blue line of gaze, and he turned to find a young man in his early twenties crawl out from behind a neaby sand dune. The man did this rather sheepishly, as if feeling awkward about getting discovered, and Tamolux almost sighed in relief that such a thing hadn't happened to him. With the high level of pride that he carried around with him, crawling out from behind a pile of sand would be considered suicidal. Hopefully, he would never be found doing such an unflattering thing, Goddess bless.

"I have no companion, Sir. I travel alone and came out here simply to find the storms of the desert, though I'm not sure I should admit such foolish interests," the woman responded. Try as he might, Tamolux could not figure out what age this woman was. By looking at her, he came to a conclusion that she didn't chase storms without a particular reason, but she no doubt wielded magic of some sort. Still, the wind whipped grains of sand towards them, and he didn't have any intention on opening his mouth to say more. However, the breezes slowly died down after a few seconds, and he looked to the woman who seemed to have been concentrating. The connection was instantly made; she controlled the wind elements.

"And to you, Sir. Come, join us, and you as well, if you would join us." Taking the generous offer that was laid in his path, Tamolux kneeled down at the water, careful not to damage his pants more than necessary. The cool water flowed and filled itself into the container. Tamolux gratefully sipped the water, letting the clear liquid quench his mad thirst. By the dainty refined way he drank the water, one could hardly tell how great his thirst had been. Now fully refreshed, his mind worked properly once more. Gazing around at the small group that had gathered, he had no trouble in wondering how the four of them had been pulled together in this remote area in the middle of a vast desert.

"I suppose somebody should start with the introductions. My name is Aloric. I've come out here for... self discovery. Though I think the three of you discovered me quicker than I have." The mage glanced at the man, Aloric he had called himself. Tamolux smiled inwardly, and the smile didn't show on his expression (at least he hoped it hadn't, not that he was jibing Aloric either). "Self discovery? An interesting topic to set on a journey for," he replied conversationally. "Well, since I've already begun, I'll introduce myself next. I'm Tamolux Quintero, and I've come here for my own purposes." His information was very vague, and the others may notice that without a doubt.

((Sorry, I'm really museless today...))

"My name is Vaul Felinate... and my business is my own." Vaul said with an almost threatening tone. The last thing he wanted on his first mission for the Lost Souls was interference from others... he hoped these individuals would not hinder his mission.

One by one the names of the three others were given: Aloric the hidden, Tamolux the mage and Vaul the knight. The last of the three seemed to carry a sort of menace in his voice, though it was not enough to shake Shar'si and make her nervous. She could understand Aloric quite well, and knew that sometimes self-discovery was more a matter of learning about yourself in the oddest of situations, rather than searching for knowledge within yourself. With the winds calm again, Shar'si loosened the wrapping of linen around her face, letting it fall about her neck before she spoke once more, "That leaves me, and I am Shar'si. I seek no fight." Inwardly, she knew she could hold her own should it come down to a fight, though her outward appearance might leave others believing she was some sort of self styled pacifist. She kept her face in a simple mask of serenity, while her mind kept some link with the winds to keep them at bay while the four travelers conversed.

Even with the lack of wind, the desert was harsh, and Shar'si knew well that she would carry the mark of having been here for months to come, in the form of the sun upon her skin. Leaving the full skin at her side, she turned for a moment to gather up a handful of water and sip from it, then returning her attention to this most odd gathering of mismatched travelers, waiting to see what would come of them.

They still don't trust company, and why should they. Aloric noted that, as Tamolux and Vaul introduced themselves, they kept their motives hidden. If he had been there for more important matters, he probably would have done the same. He wasn't one to openly trust strangers. The only reason he had told them what he was there for was because it made the situation a little easier to bear for him. They had nothing to fear from him. That could be both a good and a bad thing.

Shar'si, the woman, had identified herself next. She was the least threatening of them all, though Aloric suspected she wasn't without the skill to defend herself. He hoped it would never come to that.

He wasn't sure about Tamolux, but Aloric was sure that Vaul had deeper motives. It was in the way his voice sounded, and his readiness to share his ability to defend himself. Aloric felt that Vaul did not want any of them to interfere in anything he was involved in. Perhaps that was why his motives were hidden. Aloric didn't care, really. It wasn't his business, after all. As long as it didn't affect him, he was fine with everyone having their own secrets.

At least, that's what he had thought. Before he spotted something, off in the distance. He squinted. The sun's rays were beating down hard upon the desert's sands, making it hard to see anything far off as the glare obscured it. But he was certain of what he saw. A horse, saddled and mounted. It wasn't the only horse out there, he could faintly see the smeared colors of a company of them.

The others would see them soon, too, if they were looking from his perspective. They were coming right towards the oasis. Moreso than Vaul, they looked ready for a fight.

"I don't know if any of you were expecting company on this little outing, I certainly wasn't. But we're not out here alone. They're coming for one of you, I'm sure of it. He pointed out in the distance so the others could see. "Apparently, I don't know much about hiding, but I hope one of you do, because we may have to. And someone needs to explain all this.

((OOC: Someone can step up and say the riders are coming for them, it doesn't even have to be in dialogue, or we could pretend it's for someone not actually yet present at this little meetings. Who knows? Just thought I'd spice it up. The plot thickens, so to speak.))

((OOC: LOL. Good stuff, Aloric. Just what we needed. And thanks, Vaul.))

Tamolux raised his canteen to take another drink of water. As much as he had already, it didn't seem enough to satisfy his urge to drink more. "My name is Vaul Felinate... and my business is my own." The fierce-looking knight said this almost in a growl, and the tone startled Tamolux slightly, causing him to choke on the water. Sputtering, the young mage tried his best to control himself, but it wasn't viable to fight the normal reaction whenever water went down the wrong way. "Pardon...me," he apologized between fits of coughing, before finally settling down, and subtly glared at the group around him, in case they had different thoughts. Placing the lid back on the container, he tucked it back within his clean robes as calmly as possible, acting as if nothing had happened, and that people choked on water five times a day. However, he did take note that Vaul sounded like a fearsome man, and to be more cautious in the future.

"That leaves me, and I am Shar'si. I seek no fight." Her voice was smooth, possibly even more so than a Divination professor he knew in an academy. Studying her facial expression, he realized that he had seen similar looks of composure before. Apparently, she wasn't a person to go looking for fights, but wouldn't hesitate to defend herself when necessary. It wouldn't be a great idea to anger her. As for the amusing person called Aloric, the man didn't bother him at all.

Tamolux observed the shadow his hand made on the sand, and noticed that the sun almost cast a shadow directly beneath. Soon, it would be noon, and the high, searing temperatures were a nuisance to him already. Any more sun, and it would give him a wonderful sunburn. Such a pity that sunburns don't match teal robes, he thought sarcastically. Besides, it would be bad for his pale skin, which was hardly ever exposed to the elements.

Something caught his attention--it was probably the way that Aloric seemed to be looking out into the horizon. Gazing in the same direction, Tamolux spotted a group of saddled horses with formidable warriors. "I don't know if any of you were expecting company on this little outing, I certainly wasn't. But we're not out here alone. They're coming for one of you, I'm sure of it. Apparently, I don't know much about hiding, but I hope one of you do, because we may have to. And someone needs to explain all this," the man responded. Tamolux almost grinned about his comment on hiding. If it was Aloric who led them behind sand dunes, Tamolux might was well hide himself in the oasis. What concerned him more was the fact of being discovered journeying through a desert by anyone. What would they think of him, a merchant's son out in the heat without servants? "I'm quite sure they aren't looking for me, sir. I haven't been up to much mischief of late," Tamolux replied expressionlessly, wondering if anyone noticed the way he arranged his sentence. 'Of late.'

The mage turned to eye the rest of the group around the oasis. "Does anyone have something to add, or do we all follow Aloric to the sand dunes?" he asked, with a hint of a jibe.

Vaul growled under his breath.

"Don't they ever give up?
I know these men, they are Sand Bandits. They claim to rule the desert and try to enforce an impossible toll on anybody trying to cross it. I ran into them a few days ago... It didn't end well." Vaul said with a slight smirk.

Vaul readied his spear... "It seems that they didn't take kindly to me leaving with my life... and theirs."
Looking round at the others by the oasis, Vaul sighed. If they had all been males there would have been no problems... but he couldn't ignore his knight's oath... despite now being an Avatar for the Seven Sins.

'... protect the women and children of all lands'

This could cause problems. He had to think fast.

"Wind mage, are your powers sufficient to give us a little sand-storm cover? If so, it would be very helpful right about now."

If he could buy the others enough time in battle to allow them to hide, he could then concentrate on the bandits.

"You two," pointing at the two male figures, "what talents do you possess?"

Vaul said they were Sand Bandits, the trolls of the desert. Aloric agreed that this could be a possibility. His instincts, however, told him there was much more to it than that. All of the day's events were coming together with a purpose and a reason. Though they may just be in fact exactly what Vaul claimed they were, they had a higher purpose in coming there. More would be revealed about this day in the coming minutes.

Aloric realized they still had time to react and plan a cohesive strategy against this new possible threat. The last thing he wanted to do was fight. If it could be avoided, they should spend their time working towards that goal.

Vaul wasn't afraid of a fight, and he suspected that Tamolux might feel the same. It would be tough to convince them that there was perhaps another course of action. He'd have to find that other course first.

We can't effectively hide, he thought to himself. They'd be found, eventually, and end up in a worse spot. Aloric had realized that much earlier. But we do have a bargaining chip. The four of them were standing next to an oasis, something with high value in this climate. He had done without it before, and he could do without it now, if they were to hand it over to the riders and move on. Yet for some reason, he suspected this would not be enough incentive for the riders to leave them alone. They could seize the oasis if they really wanted to, and still force their toll upon them.

He turned to Vaul, adressing his question of talent. "Talent isn't something I have a lot of," he confessed. He still didn't want to reveal his secret about himself. It wasn't the time. If a fight did indeed break out, and he had to respond accordingly, it may be the appropriate time, but he hoped not. "All I have is a few small weapons, and a small ability to be able to handle them." He reached for his side axe, tucked inside his garments in an axe-sheathe. "But let's hope it doesn't come to that." There was still hope that they could get through this without a scratch.

"I don't know if any of you were expecting company on this little outing, I certainly wasn't. But we're not out here alone. They're coming for one of you, I'm sure of it." Shar'si followed the finger which pointed out into the sands, her face still blank and composed. "Apparently, I don't know much about hiding, but I hope one of you do, because we may have to. And someone needs to explain all this." She gave a slight shrug, a statement of her lack of knowledge of just who they might be. Aside from this group of four, she had not seen another person out amongst the sands, and had no reason for anyone to follow her this far out into the middle of nowhere.

"I'm quite sure they aren't looking for me, sir. I haven't been up to much mischief of late," state the mage, Tamolux. The 'of late' part was not completely lost upon her, which did at a bit of humor to his statement, yet humor would do them no good at this point. There needed to be a plan.

Then came the explaination, from the knight who wished to speak of his reasons for being out here to start with. Obviously, from his description, there had been a fight and lives lost. Beyond that, Shar'si wasn't sure she wished to know more, and had returned to looking to the others, until she heard him speak right to her, "Wind mage, are your powers sufficient to give us a little sand-storm cover? If so, it would be very helpful right about now." She startled, realizing that the winds were still calm about them, reaching quickly to wrap her face in the protective linen lengths again, before she released her control of the winds. At first, they simply picked up some sand and tossed it about on their gusts, and then she beckoned them to grown in strength. The air about them became nearly golden yellow as it mingled with the hot sand, and the requested storm had been delivered. Her concentration on the task had drowned out what the knight was planning with the others, which was fine.

"But let's hope it doesn't come to that." That was the next thing she heard, and while she did not know what it was in reference to, she couldn't agree more. Off in the distance, Shar'si began to see as clearly as one could see through all of the sand, what was approaching, giving her a slightly nervous feeling. The day had taken quite the interesting turn, which stated a lot, seeing as meeting up with three random strangers was odd enough to start with.

((OOC: So sorry to be holding it all up. XD *sheepish grin* I'll make it quick since I snagged the laptop from my dad, and my mind's still muffled from the time zone difference. >.<))

Fortunately, no one in their company seemed to have noticed his ill-fated encounter with the large gulp of water. Apparently, they had started turning the blind eye once the odd group of men and horses appeared over the dunes of sand some distance ahead. Either that, or they just couldn't bear to imagine what would become of their pitiful lives if they had made the slightest comment. The latter felt more like a pleasing thought, but of course, Tamolux didn't actually believe this theory. Mishchief had already been in his hands more than a few times before, and he had no intention on giving away any other thoughtless clues such as 'of late'. No need to let others get a hand on infomation insignificant to their own lives. Watching what he said would be ideal for the future.

"Don't they ever give up? I know these men, they are Sand Bandits. They claim to rule the desert and try to enforce an impossible toll on anybody trying to cross it. I ran into them a few days ago... It didn't end well." Knowledge came through from experience, and Vaul sure wasn't one who was green around the gills. The blond mage bit his lip lightly, and couldn't feel slighty ashamed that he hadn't figured out who these people were from the beginning. Sure, he was a trained and educated teenager, but life still had its mysteries for the young mage, and textbooks weren't the full embodiment of life. Mercilessly shoving these thoughts that made his self-confidence waver, his aquamarine eyes narrowed and glared at the claimed bandits. If Vaul proved correct, their lives were at stake, and Tamolux Alarico Quintero considered his life too precious to give it up.

As soon as the knight mentioned the controlled winds, Shar'si immediately loosened her hold on the prevailing winds, and sand picked up once more nearby, but just enough so that it didn't bother Tamolux too much. With no expression on his pale face whatsoever, the young mage considered his approach. "You two, what talents do you possess?" Hearing Vaul's inquiry, Tamolux turned and fixed him a light, self-assured grin. "For your information, I possess quite a handful, sir," Tamolux said, and restrained himself from going any further down the line of bragging. ((Psh. Typical Tamo. =P)) "All I have is a few small weapons, and a small ability to be able to handle them. But let's hope it doesn't come to that," Aloric said, and Tamolux agreed fullheartedly that a bloody battle certainly wasn't a sight for the eyes. But if it were necessary, he'd have the sense to survive through a mess.

The oasis flickered in the breeze that was being let loose in expert hands, and the sunlight reflected off the water. It was something they could bargain with, but the nature of greedy men were unpredictable to some extent. Who knew if they fancied torturing victims. Obviously, these bandits wouldn't be the most dignified and sophisticated of people, and were not to be underestimated. By their stupidity, of course.

But shout pierced through the deset air, and the voice of the leading rider rang clearly. This was undoubtedly the command to attack. Tamolux's mind raced, and a split second later, an abyss cracked open ten meters ahead of the charging group, causing them to tug forcefully on the reins of the horses to prevent nearing the unexpected chasm. Layers of nearby sand shifted and fell into the abyss, which drew a distinct borderline between the four travellers and the bandits. Anyone who looked down into it wouldn't be able to spot the end of the pit. Of course, Tamolux's well-developed illusions always tended to cause the element of surprise. Even a man who failed second grade would know that this was a warning not to come any closer, and who would know that this wasn't a real earthquake spell cast by a mage? After mastering illusion-casting, it gave an inevitable urge to cause disruption by fooling the enemy's mind with magic for entertainment, or battles.

The small, confident grin returned, and a wave of his pale-skinned hand caused the illusion to quiver, giving the effect of the abyss threatening to widen up its path.

Aloric gazed in awe at the spectacle. Somehow, appearing out of nowhere, a chasm formed between the oasis and the riders, causing a great rift that feemed impossible to cross. Not only that, but Shar'si had managed to create a sand storm of sorts, making the whole situation a little more confusing.

It was a while before Aloric realized that Tamolux was the creater of the rift. He wasn't altogether surprised; he had suspected Tamolux to be a student of magic, something Aloric had no dealings with. It was then that he realized each of his three companions had a special talent that would aid them should a fight commence. Shar'si, with her shield that came in the form of a storm. Tamolux, with his magic. Vaul, with his fighting skills. And what had Aloric brought to the table? Nothing. He was worthless, easily tossed aside. The other three could handle this on their own. All Aloric was was a burden.

He sincerely hoped the others hadn't figured that out yet, though he made it pretty clear when he informed them he didn't have many skills.

Whatever happened, Aloric felt safe from the riders. There was no way that they were going to be able to traverse across the rift, and even if they did, Shar'si's storm gave them cover against the attack.

It wasn't until the riders raised their bows, arrows in place, that Aloric began to panic.

Were they really here for Vaul? Aloric wasn't so sure now. The riders were dead set on having the upper hand against these travelers, and it seemed like more than just a brawl. Aloric looked inwardly, trying to make sense of it. Could they be here for... me?

Shar'si felt comfortable enough, knowing that each member of this odd little party seemed to have some talent that would aid in seeing them through this mess. The ground seemed to split before them, causing horses to rear back in the sands, attempting with all their energy to keep from being sucked in to the gap that had formed. One hand remained raised, maintaining her hold of the wind's power so that it continued to pick up the particles of sand and swirl them about. Of course, things took quite the turn when the first riders began to set arrows to their bows, negating both the sandstorm and the chasm.

"Oh.. this is not good. Bows!" The wind would perhaps send the arrows in directions the riders had not expected, but it would not be enough to keep her companions fully from danger. Her mind raced, thinking back to an ancient place where she had trained, before ever being sent through the gate to Arda. Illusions! The chasm had to be an illusion, else the sands of the hills above it would have begun to slide down and fill the void, taking with them the riders. The sand did not move, so the chasm had to be a trick of the mind. This mage, Tamolux had great talents, that much was most definitely obvious.

What if...

Her mind and eyes looked about, seeking a way to fool with the riders, to keep them from firing upon the small party. Conflict was best when avoided completely. There was no need for bloodshed this day. She stepped forward a pace or two, her eyes looking over the chasm to the men on horses who were considering their attack. She spoke just loud enough for her voice to be above the noise of the wind, "Bandits, they have no real honor, they have no real loyalty. But do they fear the gods?" She gave a slight grin, hoping her moment's notice plan would catch interest. "The gods would be able to make a chasm like that in the sand, and they would also be able to walk across the open space. So, what say you to walking across that chasm and asking them why they have come to disrupt a meeting of the gods?" And pray that it is convincing enough to keep them from letting their arrows fly! Still, what other random travelers would be gathered out here in the middle of the sands? It wasn't exactly a city, or a hospitable place where people would come to gather knowing it existed. Each of her partners in this mess had happened upon the oasis by random luck. The bandits didn't need to know that.

She straightened up, taking on a stance that was as close to majestic as she could possibly muster, giving the circumstances, then made another few paces forward in advance. She knew she would go alone, if it came down to it. She was given the role of a protector, to use her talents as a monk and mage of the wind to protect those who were allied with her. This seemed like an alliance of necessity, so she was bound to see those with her to safety. Still, there was no need for bloodshed. The chasm was just ahead, and barring Tamolux giving some reason not for her to step onto his illusion, she was prepared to make her way across and question the bandits on their intentions. In her mind, it was all simple enough, bring the sand storm to a halt, walk across an open hole in the ground and question a bunch of bandits. It was not exactly a deep and well planned course of action, but then, there wasn't much time to consider these things when bows were pointed at you.

The sun continued to scorch them below its merciless rays, and Tamolux pushed away the nagging thought that he would be getting a sunburn. Oh, how undignified he would look, with his skin turning red or freckled... Sand continued to shift in his illusion, and the small particles followed their trail down into what appeared to be the unknown depths of the abyss. Even though the illusion seemed to hold well, the magic he poured from himself into this holograph wouldn't last forever. He wouldn't feel surprised if he were almost completely drained after fifteen minutes, due to the quality of this large illusion. At a young age, the mage had learned to empower his spells, but even with this feat, it wasn't quite possible to extend the the existence time of this illusion any further. As these thoughts made a connection, he immediately lessened the amount of sand which appeared to be falling into the darkness below.

"Oh.. this is not good. Bows!" The alarm from Shar'si's voice made the young mage look up, and what he saw definitely didn't make him feel any better about a suntan. A few arrows protruding from his neat robes would only make the sight of him so much more unbearable. If they didn't think up a miraculous plan in just about a second, he would be a goner. And the rest of his group as well, of course. How could he forget...

He listened intently when Shar'si began to speak again, and her eloquent words and idea seemed very promising indeed. "Bandits, they have no real honor, they have no real loyalty. But do they fear the gods?" Hearing these first words, Tamolux couldn't help but let out a small laugh. But realizing what Shar'si might've meant, he merely turned it into something similar to a godly, booming cackle which hurt his throat. If the four of them were gods and goddesses, they might as well live up to the rare title. The teenager glanced at Aloric and Vaul, hoping that they have caught up with the drift as well.

"The gods would be able to make a chasm like that in the sand, and they would also be able to walk across the open space. So, what say you to walking across that chasm and asking them why they have come to disrupt a meeting of the gods?" How very cleverly done. "I agree to that whole-heartedly," Tamolux added, nodding his blond head gravely. "If their reasons are adequate, we will let these mere mortals pass without harm. However, if they displease us..." The mage let his fearsome tone trail, and the illusion of a path of fire circled the bandits and turned to a fiery wall, before disappearing into wisps of smoke. How grand it would be, on the day he learned to do that! Hopefully, they hadn't noticed that the fire didn't even give off the slightest hint of heat... No matter. The mediocre beings were terrified enough to let their own minds play tricks.

Shar'si strode majestically towards the forboding chasm, and Tamolux took the chance to keep the illusion still, so that the sand had stopped moving as she set a foot into it. He wasn't willing to use up more magic than necessary, and the bandits could convince themselves that she had caused the sand to freeze. But striding with the air of a goddess made one walk surely, and Shar'si wasn't moving at a breakneck pace, either. The mage could almost hear the seconds of a clock tick by. He was quite convinced that these were bandits that they were dealing with, but what if they weren't? If they recognized the face of any of the four of them, these riders would definitely know it was a scam. Looking at their awed faces now as the wind mage walked closer, they had to be either bandits, or a dim-witted group of people.

The illusion flashed faintly for a millisecond as his magic was being drained, but luckily, the riders didn't seem to notice. Whatever was going to take place now, it better be quick.

"Bandits, they have no real honor, they have no real loyalty. But do they fear the gods?"

Aloric shrugged. What was the meaning of this?

"The gods would be able to make a chasm like that in the sand, and they would also be able to walk across the open space. So, what say you to walking across that chasm and asking them why they have come to disrupt a meeting of the gods?"

Aloric said no to that, that's what he said! Aloric thought this whole scheme would end in a massacre. These riders, these bandits, would they really believe that four travelers were in fact the overseers of Arda? Rarely did anyone ever see the dieties outside of their temples. In that sense, the trick could be pulled off well, the riders not knowing what form the gods like to take. It also had a downside, however. The very fact that the dieties were not commonly seen outside of their temples made the ploy all the less convincing. How would it play out?

Whether or not Aloric liked the idea, it seemed they were going to do it anyway. Shar'si was already taking steps toward the great rift to get the riders' attention. Tamolux kept back, steadying the image. Aloric needed to do something. He had to help this go smoothly.

Slowly he advanced toward the group of bandits, and the rift in the desert. The storm was still in full effect, with little particles piercing his eyes and stinging him. He tried to focus, tried to make it appear that the storm had no effect on him. He tried desperately to look the part, though he didn't know exactly what the "part" looked like.

Shar'si had failed to mention the fact that Arda only had two male dieties, and three males were currently gathered. Did guardians count too? Aloric's mind was spinning. Oh how he wished that they'd planned this out further! How sacreligious this was!

Well, if we're doing this, Aloric thought to himself, I have dibs on being Samarin. And he took larger strides, hoping to catch up to Shar'si.

This had better work.

((OOC: I apologise for my unannounced absence. For more info check the absence forum))

"The gods would be able to make a chasm like that in the sand, and they would also be able to walk across the open space. So, what say you to walking across that chasm and asking them why they have come to disrupt a meeting of the gods?"

Vaul seemed concerned at the plan... he had met these men before. They would surely recognise him. The plan as a whole was sound... but for once HE was the weak link... the flaw that would get the others killed.

But wait... maybe there was a way. To imitate a god why not use a gift from a god. Unclipping his cloak quickly... Vaul let it drop to the ground... revealing the Arcane Cloak. A gift presented to him by a dark god... blessed with the ability to imitate any creature. If they wanted God-like... Vaul would show them God-like.

Striding confidently up towards Shar'si, ignoring the arrow bolts sailing by his head, Vaul whispered in her ear, "Sorceress. When I step past you, give me a little sand/wind show around me... trust me..." Vaul said with a devilish grin.

The gentle beating of her heart had turned into a quick thumping, yet there was no way she could change the plans she had set. The illusion seemed to hold steady under her light steps, something she was sure Tamolux couldn't keep up forever, so she moved with as much haste as was possible without seeming less the part of a goddess. Oh, let them not see us parading around as gods and goddesses, she thought, looking to the heavens for a moment. It was not her intent to bring the ill will of the divine upon her and her companions, only to see them safely through this situation. Shar'si felt the need to be a guardian to those in her presence, which was the one reason she had been released from where she came to this place.

She heard movement behind her, and saw a bolt set loose from ahead. She willed her body not to flinch, it would do no good to show that the bolt would harm them if it struck. Fortunately it slid by her harmlessly, a bit of luck was obviously on their side this day. "Sorceress. When I step past you, give me a little sand/wind show around me... trust me..." It was the knight, she knew his voice though it was much softer this time, not so rough and refusing. She gave the slightest nod of her head, then let her mind conjur up the image of said sandstorm. She slowed her pace ever so slightly, allowing the knight to pass her by, and suddenly the still wind began to rustle once more. It was less active than the previous storm, but enough to pull in grains of sand from the edges of the 'chasm', causing them to whirl lightly around the knight as he had requested. Her hand moved ever so slightly, gesturing forth the winds, her feet carrying her forward just behind the knight.

((OOC: Absolutely museless right now. :grr: This'll be really, really short.))

The particles of sand, though small, felt like piercing needles against his skin. This feeling was so irritating that he almost envied Vaul, who was wearing a cloak so that the bits of sand merely bounced off. But to Tamolux's surprise, the knight unbuckled his outer cloak, revealing a blue one with silver trim inside. He had no doubt that this was the Arcane Cloak, and it wasn't a common thing to own, at that. If only he could get his hands on one...

Vaul stepped up to Shar'si, and whispered something in her ear that was undetectable to Tamolux. They were at a distance outside of hearing range, and the sand was whirling around at a noisy rate. Curse the desert; why was it so hostile?

But whatever Vaul had said to Shar'si, the wind mage now let the storm excel at an even harsher velocity. The blond mage's curiousity was bursting as he craved to know what they were up to, but all he could do now was wait for the other three to carry out whatever ingenious plan they had in mind. While his thoughts were stray, his concentration on the illusion almost wavered, and he succeeded in keeping it going by adding more magic into the chasm.

As the sand began to swirl around him, distorting his image. Vaul quickly drew upon the powers stored within the Arcane Cloak... If they want a god... I'll show them one... I just hope I don't get struck by lightning because of it. Vaul nervously glanced at the sky.

Then in an instant, his armour began to morph. From the dark red of his Cavalry armour the colour deepened to an almost black then into a colour not dissimilar to the very night itself. Slowly but surely the armour began to change as Vaul strode confidently across the chasm.

The armour semed to take upon a life of its own growing and shaping itself until it became a perfect replica of the armour worn by the Dark God, Raku. Vaul just hoped the bandits wouldn't test it or the illusion would break.

Then, stopping just short of the un-nerved bandits Vaul bellowed in a voice so far from his own, a voice that, he hoped, mimiked that of the Dark God himself.

"WHO DARES INTERUPT THIS COUNCIL?! WHO DARES TO FIRE UPON RAKU?! SPEAK NOW MORTALS OR I WILL CAST YOU INTO THE CONSUMING DARKNESS OF OBLIVION!!"

Well, that was it... that was his idea. Looking back on it Vaul began to doubt himself... but it was too late to take it back now. How would they react?

It seemed to Aloric that these bandits were truly terrorized by the altered version of Vaul that was now before them. By some source of magic, the warrior had been able to change his appearance to mimic exactly that of one of the deities. Even Aloric was nearly convinced, and he had seen Vaul as he changed. Surely the bandits would believe it as well.

He wished he could tell what was going on inside the minds of the newcomers. At first, they showed no signs one way or another how they felt. Aloric figured that if at the very instant Vaul had spoken they had not bowed down and repented, they could not possibly believe the scheme. Finally, one spoke out to the four strangers.

"If you are truly the gods, and if you-", he pointed at Vaul, "are truly Raku, you will tell me my name and my origin, for you know that I am a servant of yours."

The bandits were testing the gods. Aloric hoped desperately that Vaul would play off of that idea. The other three were now entirely dependant upon his trick to work. Whatever happened, though, Aloric was sure of one thing. He'd have an escape already mapped out. He wasn't about to fight, and he wasn't about to die. Even if the other three were taken in by the bandits, he'd make sure that wasn't his fate.

He didn't want it to come to that. He wanted Vaul's scheme to work. But he doubted that it would.

Vaul smiled. Thank the Gods it was that one who had spoken up. If any of the other bandits had spoken up he would have been finished... but this one... this one had been part of the raid that had stopped Vaul.

But what was his name... Rauan? Rana? Rual! That was it... he hoped.

"YOU DARE QUESTION ME RUAL??!! I WHO GOVERN THE DARKNESS ETERNAL. I SHOULD THROW YOU TO THE CHAOS BEASTS!"

Was this working? He couldn't tell... Vaul didn't dare look back to see what the others were doing.

If it came to a fight, Vaul knew he could win... but not without severe casualties.

Shar'si followed his actions, a look of scorn coming across her face, though she made every attempt to maintain the regal look. Just as she imagined of Tamolux, she too was slowly growing tired, her mind making a silent plea for rest as she maintained the storm of sand and wind. She would not fail those who had gathered with her, for her failure would bring fighting between the bandits and her companions. Her plan had been devised with the goal of maintaining peace, and so it would be seen through as such.

She drew herself up straight, gathering her nerves before she raised her voice after the knight's fell silent, "Be gone with you, Rual. Lead your men away from this place and allow us to continue as we were." She stepped forward, coming along side the knight, and then a step or two ahead, willing the tired feeling away as she continued, "Show your men that you have respect for the Gods and Goddesses, less you wish our wrath upon them all!

Her hand shifted ever so slightly and the swirling sands began to whip about, no longer simply rustling about to provide the display needed by the knight. She would show them her wrath, which was far from divine, but true in its intentions. Her hand slowly moved forward, causing the swirling sands to do the same, spreading from where it had started about the three of them to slowly draw in around the bandits. "TURN AWAY, RUAL! Turn and take your men with you, lest they all be swallowed up by the sands of time itself!" She drew upon every last bit of energy she could find within herself, bringing strong gusts to lift the grains of sand from the ground and bring them in thick golden bands towards the bandits. At the very least, there would be little chance for them to fire upon her companions, as no arrow could possibly fly true through the swirling sands and gusts of winds. This was one small accomplishment, though the final goal remained to be seen.