The call of a bird startled Kiera, breaking the silence that had before surrounded her, causing the beat of her heart to quicken. A second bird came from the direction of the tower, chasing the first, the two creating a momentary diversion from the bland landscape of the grasslands. Kiera watched the two birds, until they were merely black dots against the early evening sky, blue eyes remaining lifted and searching the canvas of golds and roses. Evening would be upon the land shortly, which meant that she'd be far from anywhere deep into the night. She brought her slender arms up to wrap about her body, warding off both the growing chill in the air, and her own slight bit of fear. It was not the night that had her so unnerved, but rather the thought of being in an unknown tower without the light of the moon above her, unless the structure was in such a terrible state that its roof no longer blocked such light. Of course, what would that say for the fate of the treasure she sought?

It'll be there, she told herself, you just worry about getting to it. Those eyes looked ahead, catching sight of a tiny stone structure breaking the open expanse of land. Her heart still had not settled, though the birds were no longer to blame for her discomfort. With the broken, gray structure rising before her, she now knew there would be no way to back down from her plans. She would go in search of the knowledge she had come here for, or she'd forever be a dabbler who was unworthy of any title or reputation. Her breath came in long deep draws, then slowly exited as she made a feeble attempt to calm herself. Perhaps it would have been wise to have made a partner for this journey, she mused, though she knew it was far to late to do so. Besides, any partner in this exploration would have wanted some part of what was found, whether or not they would make use of it, that much she was sure of.

The structure grew taller, rising up in a menacing sort of way, as if it harbored some ill spirits or the like, though Kiera knew it was simply an old stone tower. Even as she was attempting to reassure herself, another voice reminded her that it was in fact an ancient tower, and there had to have been someone who inhabited it, else there would be no reason to expect to find anything of use. That was long ago, it had to have been, seeing as the tower was obviously in a less than well-kept state. A soft, soothing breeze rustled across the open land, causing her long hair to trail off behind her, then tickle her bare shoulders and neck as it fell back into place. That simple act of nature had taken her mind off of worrying, and allowed her to relax, her eyes darting about their surroundings instead, even as the tower was now so close that it stood tall above her. A curiousity that was typical of her race began to take hold, winning its way over her nerves and causing her to quicken her pace ever so slightly. One hand reached out, gathering the tiny strands of light which still filtered down through the early evening sky, tightening them into a small ball of light that perched just above her hand.

The gap between Kiera and the tower closed, and the open, black entrance became noticable, though it did not seem to welcome her. Her mind had been made up though, and she willed herself to continue forward, one step, then another and the darkness was all about her, save for that which was held back by the small globe of light. Thin streaks of light dotted the floor ahead, breaking through the places where the stone had crumbled and fallen away, adding to her ability to see, which was also enhanced by her elven vision. With only her footfalls breaking the silence in a steady tapping sound, she was left to assume she was alone. Little by little, her eyes began to make out the space about her as they slowly adjusted to the lack of light, and the tower became a bit less of a source of fear. The walls still did not welcome her, as if they knew she was not the owner of it, or the one who had lived within it ages ago. A sudden sound made her startle though, not a voice, but just a scratching, or a second set of feet scuffing along against the ground, and there Kiera stood, frozen. She took a hard swallow, then called out softly, "Wh... who.. or what is there?"

Wind howled and bent on its churning way along the plains, smoothing itself over the ragged terrain. Rocks littered themselves over the wide expanse of flaxen grass, and green was a rare color among the plains. In the western horizon, the great ball of flame seeped downwards, sagging lower as the minutes passed by, leaving the sky in the very east dabbed with hints of dark blue as the orange rays no longer reached the very edges. Cotton clouds ranged from red-orange to blue-violet. The earth and sky was certainly a sight of splendor on this very day. A sight like this was a rare flower amid leagues of plain grass.

A pale hue moved along the rocky outcrop, and a minotaur in his prime trudged towards the lone tower. Even thought the sun was setting, Vercingetorix still boiled in heat from the long, tiresome journey, his muscles glistening in the fading sunlight.

After conquering a vast plain, the young warrior stood in front of the tower in contentment. His murky brown pupils gaze stared the gray stones down, and his air of confidence returned as he reflected over the weary day of stumbling and walking. Victorious, the minotaur rested upon his deadly staff and a wry grin of satisfaction appeared on his pale features. At a glance at this bulky and menacing creature, one could surely tell that he student of war, and he had his weapons to prove this, a thick shield glistening in the light strapped against his back, with a great sword at the waist. An aura of arrogance and pride lingered upon this youth, letting all who saw him know he didn't possess a shallow personality.

Entering the tower, the minotaur was almost shrouded in a damp darkness. His eyes spotted a tall staircase to the right, and he set upon climbing it, passing burning torches as he went. It was no wonder why rumors of unspeakable treasures lay here--the place was so full of splendor despite the ramshackle look on the outside. Every stone seemed to tell a story, and whatever the mysteries were, Scipio was eager to find out.

Suddenly, a small delicate voice sounded out as the minotaur froze and turned back, his spear at the ready, his muscles tensed as if pleading to impale whatever creature was coming. Just a few steps farther and he would realize what was hiding in the shadows.

Every last bit of curiosity was gone, and in its place was once again fear as her ears picked up the sound of that which had joined her in the tower. Blue eyes went skyward, though they were captive to the darkness within the tower, as the stone hid everything above it from view. There would be no light made available, other than that which still flickered from the small, magical orb which still hovered above her hand, a hand which trembled ever so slightly. Her gaze lowered, darting about in the thick darkness, further sounds alerting her to the fact that her words had not gone unheard, as she could hear more movement. Chaos threatened to settle into her mind, as she wanted to flee, hide and face this fear all at once, as if three Kieras were fighting for control of one physical form. Feet worked upon the ground beneath them, carefully working along the stone to back her way towards something that felt safe, which came in the form of a stone wall. A damp chill graced the fingers of her free hand as she reached back to confirm that she hadn't backed right into whatever was present, her back then pressed against it to limit the direction from which she could be confronted.

Moments ticked on by, each one more unnerving than the one before, the small globe of light threatening to tumble free from its place within her hand, light fading ever so slightly, then renewing itself. Then a second source of light seemed to flash off in the distance, just a few steps ahead, perhaps where she had been standing before backing into her current location. She peered off into the space ahead, catching sight of a second flicker, but that one caused a new wave of panic to rush through every fiber of her being. It wasn't a light, it was metal, like that of a sword or other weapon. Her own arcane light had glinted off of whatever was ahead, which said that something was pointed at her, by someone. The next flicker was that much closer, as if the creature was closing in on her, but did it see her? She fought for control of her emotions, making every attempt to will away the fear, push away the dread and face what was coming upon her.

That hand which had come to the wall now formed a cover over the arcane light, dampening its glow and bringing a heavier darkness to the space about her. Her back remained against the wall, her eyes searching and adjusting once more to the lack of light. She could no longer judge the distance at which the other being stood from her, though she heard those final steps, and then felt the air shift with breaths. Her heart was thudding wildly, her mind racing through all of the possibilities of what this thing could be. Was it the master of the tower, either alive or returned from the dead? Was it some guardian, keeper or otherwise? Would it seek to capture her, bind her to this place, or even kill her? Settle down! That inner voice, it was pleading with her to gather her wits and face this thing, else she was proving right here that she was not prepared to seek the knowledge she had come for.

An answer came just then, as a spear tip presented itself just before her in the darkness, close enough that she felt herself press harder against the cool, damp stone of the tower wall. A face began to break through the darkness, behind the spear, though she struggled to determine just what race the face belonged to, or whether its features were kind or cruel. Slivers of light spread outwards from where her hands were no longer clamped together, reminding her of the ball of light. Without a moment of thought, she released her hand from over the light, allowing the arcane glow to once again pierce the darkness and allow both parties to see each other. With the face of the creature before her revealed, Kiera gasped, fearful of all of the answers to the questions that had just previously raced through her mind. "I did not come here with the intention of doing harm to this place. I simply came in search of knowledge, not to steal or destroy," she blurted out, quite sure that the face before her was that of a guardian of the tower.

((754 words. o.O I never expected to RP with such an awesome roleplayer! This will be a good challenge later on.))

The minotaur adjusted his grip ever so slightly, the angle and tension set to optimal fatality. Today, impalement was the least that could happen to whatever poor soul was about to walk into Scipio's temporary domain. Who would be so careless as to follow a minotaur? A war-mongering minotaur at that! Most people were simple terrified by the massive spear that gleamed like a needle of ice or the massive shield that almost seemd to be forged by the Ainur themselves.

Immediately, the creature's head turned and focused his beady eyes on the incoming source of light. At the moment, the scene almost appeared to be that the fierce predator was eyeing its prey, wondering if it were fit enough for a dinner or snack. Of all the things that Scipio had learned throughout his studying years, the masters taught him well in the art of warfare, even if it only was a tiny game of cat and mouse like this. But common sense overruled as the obvious dawned upon him. Surely the prey he was about to slaughter was much too thin for a proper meal, and if Scipio were that hungry, he would've pounced on a bigger, more filling creature to satisfy his cravings for meat.

With a simple shift in the minotaur's hips, the bulging muscles went into action, almost in a fluid movement. Swiflty, the spear left his fingers, cutting through the air and letting only a simple whistle escape into the air. As the spear pierced through layers of dampness, it flew straight threw the elf's globe of light landing only centimeters away from her skull. Oh, it took quite the maintainence and self-control to not slaughter an elf. Perhaps he would first play with this little morsel of food, or keep it as a sacrifice. Dengar truly enjoyed elf meat and he had yet to enjoy a female elf.

However, the intense gaze of the minotaur changed, and Scipio's attitued turned into one of simple apathy and irritation. Seething silently, he hadn't even noticed that the sun had already set, leaving the sky with only pink and orange traces as clues that it had been there at all. What was formerly the equivalent of an impressionist painter's pallet was now washed down the drain, leaving only the slightest bit of watery paint. Through all this splendor, Vercingetorix was oblivious to the magnificence around him.

""I did not come here with the intention of doing harm to this place. I simply came in search of knowledge, not to steal or destroy," spoke the young female elven mage, her voice shaking. The minotaur often had his way upon people like that. Only true war-mongering races ever did get along with each other and even that was a rare event. Most ended up in a brawl that quickly escalated into wars between tribes or even races.

But then, the silence was broken as the great creature spoke in a clear but menacing voice. “For what reason, exactly, are you here, human? What knowledge could exist in this crumbling ruin?” the minotaur inquired in a surprisingly sophisticated accent.

Flee! Hurry, now. She couldn't believe she had given herself away, opened up the source of light and made it quite clear that she was not more than an elf. The creature before her grew to quite the menacing size as the arcane light illuminated the shadows, making it obvious that she had gotten in over her head. The hand which had wielded the spear was large enough to crush her, and that hand was now empty. The slightest glance to the side was a reminder of the creature's strength, as the spear was embedded in the wall of stone from the force used to throw it. She was unable to hold back the panic, her heart racing, her mind convincing itself that she would not see the light of night again. The damp air all around her seemed so heavy as she took each breath in, that air holding the scent of death and a feeling of dread. Such a simple trap, and she had walked right into it, to have slipped into this tower with the assumption that it was completely void of other living beings. Breathe, pull yourself together, she told herself, trying to act more like the grown woman she was, rather than like the scared little child she had become.

“For what reason, exactly, are you here, human? What knowledge could exist in this crumbling ruin?” She suddenly froze, a look of awe that gave hint to the surprise she felt came across her face. So, this creature was intelligent. Her head tilted ever so slightly to one side, those eyes of hers meeting those of the creature, a fearful, but curious look painted upon her face. She forced herself to stand straight, her back still pressed against the wall in a way that had caused it to scratch at her flesh. She felt the tightness in her chest, and suddenly the tiny silver threads of chain which wrapped about her arms and neck felt as if they were squeezing her. Words slid through her mind at such a rapid pace as she attempted to string them together for an answer that would seem confident and convincing. She had no magic to use against the creature, as that was what she had come in search of, that which she did not possess, but was determined to gain. Her words would have to be enough to fight this battle, yet the words continued to glide on through in a way that kept them from being grasped.

Breath, think, stop acting like a fool or you will never be free. You'll be held captive, or worse, killed. The words slowed down, allowing her to work them together into meaningful thought, which would in all hopes translate into speech. Her lips parted, forming shapes of syllables, but no sound came along with them. She stopped, clearing her throat, trying to push away the silencing fear. "The library in Lómëdor," she began, as a most unusual start to the conversation. This creature, though it was obviously intelligent, didn't quite seem the type who would know of such place. "There was a book that held the written history of the lands, and spoke of a tower beyond the grassland that was one home to a brilliant sorceror, many years ago." The words she spoke calmed her, as if entering her own space of security by speaking on a subject that was her strength. "I'd asked about a bit and was told where to find this place, but I had not falling into this current state, nor of a guardian I can understand your distress at finding an intruder, but I say again, I had come in hopes of discovery, not to destroy. I had hoped that this sorceror had left another in his place who would have preserved his work, perhaps an apprentice. I had hoped to study said work and perhaps train from it." Her eyes took on a pleading sort of look, sincerity mixed with an edge of fear and curiosity. Somewhere deep down there was a sense of hope, perhaps that this creature was in fact a guardian to the tower, and had acted only to protect it. Those eyes met his, searching for some hint of what he was thinking, as he still held the power to do whatever it was he pleased, by strength alone.

Well, today must be my lucky day? A small, pitiful creature which I can probably manipulate. I'll play with it for a while before I kill it. Maybe a sacrifice for Ita this time? Dengar seems to be having his fill of meat and you can't get the goddess of Chaos angry about missing all the meat, can you? thought the minotaur, as his mind contemplated his next move.

Talking to these more delicate races and species was always considered a difficult task to accomplish. Take the Lizarians for example, common tongue was obviously not their forte. The same thing with Ogres, Minotaurs, and other monsters that littered the world of Arda. It was a game of chess, where usually Scipio would smash the board to splinters and crush the opponent, but exercising the mind was always a good thing. It was also a task which Scipio had little patience for, but today was a fine day and he had at least found a shelter for the night.

After visiting Dengar in his shrine near the rainforest, Scipio still had to find a fitting sacrifice for Ita or at least a pilgramige to the Temple of Chaos. Blessing were always a good thing when entering a battle, although Lothlomendil would also need to be visited. A dead warrior was no good to any army and Scipio didn't want to be considered useless, did he?

Watching the elven witch almost shrink in fright, a grin pried its way through the minotaur's mind, writhing through the rock-hard facial features of the war-mongering veteran's battle hardened face, many a fire and blade causing his facial muscles to freeze into place. The years of roars and warcries had only managed to make Scipio's grin into a sad excuse of a smile which interestingly turned into quite a fearsome sneer of apathy. It matched the minotaur quite well as his entire body was quickly engulfed in the light, causing the minotaur's pupils to constrict almost piercing straight through the elf's every mental barrier, shattering them to pieces against the tower's stone-cold floor.

As the elf struggled to string her sentences together, the minotaur's hands suddenly itched to find their way to his newest addition to his arsenal. Extracting skullshredder, a menacing blade full of jagged cerrations, it had yet to taste the warmth of blood, a virgin blade that needed the baptism of crimson holy water that was so vital to life. Deftly, the blade seemed to dance across the minotaur's fist almost becoming a blur between his fingers. It was a wonder why one of them weren't sliced off or at least shredded to ribbons.

"The library in Lómëdor," began the elf as the minotaur abruptly ended his habit of twirling his blades, almost causing the air around it to vibrate and ring, [/B] "There was a book that held the written history of the lands, and spoke of a tower beyond the grassland that was one home to a brilliant sorceror, many years ago."[/B] The elf's voice slowly grew more confident as the minotaur eyed her curiously. So there was treasure in this tower? Perhaps the magician had left behind something of value, something that would sell for gold? The two would make a pair yet. The witch only needed to find her spells and the minotaur only needed to find actual monetary treasure.

"I'd asked about a bit and was told where to find this place, but I had not falling into this current state, nor of a guardian I can understand your distress at finding an intruder, but I say again, I had come in hopes of discovery, not to destroy. I had hoped that this sorceror had left another in his place who would have preserved his work, perhaps an apprentice. I had hoped to study said work and perhaps train from it," continued the girl as the sneer turned into a grimace, which somehow translated into a smile. Gradually, the minotaur's expression broke down has he began roaring with laughter, the walls of the inner chambers almost shaking and rumbling with stress, many rotting beams moaning under the pressure. That was a good one! Him? A guardian of the tower? Distressed? This was perhaps the greatest joke that the minotaur had ever heard in his lifetime!

Ah, the old saying that ignorance was bliss. That could be true but pure innocence was almost a curse in this realistic world of predators and prey. This elf would need to learn...quickly in order to survive in Arda, or at least Lomedor if she ever reached it. As both their eyes met, the minotaur finalized his thoughts. A temporary end to his thoughts of eating her. He would only need to maintain his "disguise" of being the tower's guardian.

"Very well, young one. You may pass into the upper echelons of the tower, however I must know your name first and do not touch anything without my permission," declared Scipio as he plucked his spear easily from the loose rock. Up above, the great beams that once supported the walls from collapsing in on each other slowly shifted, however it was too trivial for the pair to notice.

As if his hands weren't enough, the creature managed to produce a second weapon, a slender dagger which would most definitely, in his hand, make short work of her life. It was as if the large beast knew he could simply toy with her, and get away with it, as she was by far the smaller of the two, and obviously in the worse position. That voice within her mind no longer pleaded for her to attempt escape, as even it knew that she was completely trapped and at the mercy of that which was before her. As if his presence and obvious force was not enough, the creature let out a roar of laughter upon her explaination for being in his domain. She had not thought her wording was so pitiful that it deserved such a response, unless the creature had found a way to manipulate her emotions further. Confusion spread quickly, like wildfire, through her mind, eyes searching the rough features of the large beast for some answer to her questions, yet nothing but cruelty and and a menacing look was found.

"Very well, young one. You may pass into the upper echelons of the tower, however I must know your name first and do not touch anything without my permission." All thought came to a complete stop as he made his statement, her eyes going wide as she realized that just possibly he had been testing her, seeing if she would try to attack or bring damage to the crumbling structure.

Of course, she knew better than to believe that he had suddenly gone friendly on her, as his features still held the same hard, cold look to them. He came closer, one large hand reaching to retrieve the spear which had been stuck within the stone of the wall behind her. That same wall felt chilled with the lack of sunlight, all signs that time had passed on by without any care for what had taken place within the stone tower. She pressed against the damp surface, her back coming free of it, her slender form now completely enveloped in the shadows, her eyes looking for the way which might lead her to those upper places.

One step, then another carried her further away from that one thing which had provided her some sense of security, as at least with her back against the wall, she could not be surprised from behind. Her eyes strained to see into the darkness ahead, shadows slowly parting to reveal bits and pieces of the tower's design. She felt the fear still, unable to look in the direction of the creature who now presented himself as the guardian, though she knew he had not once removed his eyes from her. His gaze set heavily upon her, like a lead weight draped over her shoulders, keeping her chest from rising and falling with any regularity, every muscle working to hold back the trembling she felt deep within.

A slight wince came across her features as her foot stumbled into something ahead, a raised surface from the somewhat smooth floor. Blue eyes looked downward, coming upon the first step of what appeared to be a spiral that would lead upwards, possibly to the study of the once master of this tower. She allowed herself to look about, eyes searching for the guardian so that she'd know just how he was stalking behind her. At first sight of him, she quickly looked ahead, feet taking one step at a time with care not to land upon a slick step or surface. Tiny little pin pricks of light began to filter in through the thick darkness, giving some aid to her ascent. The air grew heavier, most likely due to the beating of drops of water against aged stone, that air clinging to her skin, wrapping her in a damp, musty cloak.

Just above her, another surface of stone began to make itself visible, that being the ceiling from the lower level. Dark and light began to struggle for control of the space above, with more of the moon's glow slipping into the chamber. Kiera continued upward, her head poking up above the ceiling, which became the floor, fingers setting against the stone to guide her way. Another quick glance from where she had come settled upon the creature, and then she took the last stairs to bring her onto level ground. "This must have been his chamber," she spoke softly. Much of what had been within the open space had probably been long since destroyed by the elements, as they were no match for the winds, rains and extreme temperatures, but Kiera held hope that there would be something.

Little by little, the woman turned, an expression of awe spreading across her delicate features, as even the air about held some faint hint to what had taken place within these walls, many decades ago. An old wooden desk of sorts rested against one of the walls, though it barely seemed able to hold its own weight up, each drawer closed, the surface still providing shelter to what might rest within. She turned back in the direction of the spiral from which she had come, looking for the guardian, "Might I open these drawers to see if anything still remains? Or would you prefer to do so first?" She'd leave it to him, as he had made her boundaries quite clear, and she had no plans to cross them, as she was further trapped by the fact that he blocked the only route of escape from this first chamber. Beyond this, she was sure there would be further wonders to explore, but this first room would serve as a test for what was still to come.

The minotaur quickly sheathed his dagger as he gestured for the elf to walk up, making sure that the point of his spear was located straight at her spine and in an area that would immediatly impale her if she decided to do any funny business. These elves were always a tricky group of people and Scipio would never trust them even with a 5 Gold Coin. Fast little buggers, thought the minotaur. But this one was different, she was far too innocent and frightened to complete any funny business.

As they both entered the room, Scipio almost gasped in amazement.
The room, to say the least, was gorgeous, in the expensive and high-class way,although reeking with decadence. It was decorated with busts of many famous people, Liara, Ita, Raku, Lothlomendil, Mazzer and Threnody; yet Scipio was only focused in one one thing in the room.

The weapons rack.

The aincent-styled area was very roomy and large, and the walls were lines with all sorts of medieval weapons, weapons he knew how to use with stunning brutality. Katanas, Katars, Halberds, Maces, all arrayed in decadent beauty.

He approached one katana, one hung in a special place, yet not as gaudily decorated as some of the other weapons, and picked it up. Obviously, this blade wasn't for show, it was the real thing, made for killing with speed and efficiency. The other weapons, most of them, anyways, were probably not as high of a calibur as this blade was, made with good metal, properly folded in the old Japanese style.

He drew it, marvelling at it's beauty as it reflected the light onto his face.

"Open it, though I suspect that there is nothing in there but rotting paper," replied Scipio to the female.

((It's not my usual style but I'm not in the groove right now))

Fingers played softly across the aged wood, that feeling of awe still tingling through her as she realized she was being rewarded for taking her chance with this exploration. There had to be something further, beyond the discovery of this shrine of sorts. She glanced back over her shoulder, seeing that the beast had become interested in something completely different, a rack of weapons which seemed a bit out of place given the setting. Of course, this furthered the belief that there was always a guardian watching over this tower, and made statement to the fact that said guardian was close to the sorcerer, for his own tools of protection were within his quarters.

"Open it, though I suspect that there is nothing in there but rotting paper," came the response, simple enough, permission had been given so that she would not be in violation of the ground rules set below. As if she were slightly nervous at the thought of doing so, yet eager at the same time, her fingers moved across the surface once more, keen eyes looking for any sign of trap or warding. None was discovered, so she then moved to the ornate handle of the first drawer, tugging it lightly as a test, then sliding it out the rest of the way to see what might be kept within. Two slender tubes came into the faint moonlight which washed through the chamber, each with a cap at one end, and a series of runes along its surface. "Yes, rotting paper," she said softly.

She lifted the two tubes, setting each upon the surface of the desk, then sliding the drawer closed with care, fingers moving over to the next one to repeat the process. This second drawer revealed a wet mess of what was most likely loose sheets of paper, black stains marking the wood. She used the tip of one finger to push aside the mush and mess, a slight grimace coming to her features as she saw the stain now on her skin, and felt the mess. Beneath that mess though, was a tiny parcel, wrapped in a cloth that had been soaked in some sort of wax or oil, so that once picked up, only beads of water remained upon it. A simple string still mostly bound the parcel together, though it had begun to break apart and threatened to release its hold.

That second finding was placed upon the surface of the desk along with the two tubes, all quite insignificant to the common viewer, but to Kiera it was like finding a sack of precious gems. With the soft sound of wood against wood, the second drawer was closed, and the desk looked just as it had when she had first approached it, save the three items which now rested on it.

Turning her back to the desk, she now took the chance to look about the chamber as it was, from wall to wall, each face as it was depicted by the artist who had carved it. The work was quite amazing, and obviously done with great care to what was used in creating them, as the possible decades of sun, rain and wind had done little to fade the features etched so carefully into stone. She then looked upon the creature once more, noting how he seemingly fawned over his own findings, though to her they were simple tools of war, and destruction. To each their own, she thought, knowing he'd probably place little value on the small items that set behind her.

One hand lifted to cover her face slightly as a yawn served as a sign that the night was passing on by. The day had been draining on the young woman, as she had not expected to travel as far as she had, and she had not counted upon the encounter with the beast who stood ahead of her now. In truth, he seemed less a beast than he had when she had first come upon him, and more like a being with different ideals and beliefs that she held. She had disrupted his home, and threatened that which he guarded, so it looking back, he had every right to threaten her as he had. Now, he seemed a slight bit less menacing, though she refused to allow herself to believe he could ever be trusted completely.

"I've found enough, just three small items, which I've set out here on the desk if you wish to view them." She motioned toward the two cases and tiny, wrapped parcel. "I'd like to return to Lómëdor with these items, to learn what knowledge they might hold. I am not sure I could decipher the runes without assistance, and I would not wish to destroy what is held within the cases, should that be their nature." She was unsure as to whether the runes were a ward against intruders, or if they simply catalogued what was within them, but this was not something she would chance. "I would most definitely return these items to this chamber once I am finished with them, if this is what you'd prefer." Would he even care either way? She knew she would need to return, as there had to be other items of interest, but time had slipped on by, and her energy went right along with it. For now, these three small findings would do. She kept her eyes straight upon him, a show of sincere intentions, willing to take whichever action he preferred. He was the guardian, afterall, and trusted with protecting this tower, and its contents.

Replacing the original katana back upon its empty shrine on the rack, the minotaur immediately moved towards a two-handed sword. The great blade was a relatively destroyed two handed sword. The scars of many battles lay upon it, but not one from misuse. Lifting it from its stand, the minotaur held it up to the rising moon, streams of moonbeams filtering through the stone and casting a powerful aura across the sword, angles of light dancing upon its blade. The worn leather grip felt perfect in the minotaur's vice-like grasp, his hands gripping them firmly. A blood-red pommel stone rested at the end, glowing from the moonlight as if it was radiating with the blood of countless souls it had slain. Swinging it in the air, it began a low hum, the music of war. As the revolutions sped up the humming became higher before the minotaur's hand and the sword was but a blur to the eyes. Just as fast as it began, the minotaur instantly stopped, the sword still vibrating, the momentum traveling through the blade. Tapping the steel blade with his rock-hard nails, the blade gave a unique ring. Interesting, a sky iron blade. Made from ore that fell from the sky is was no wonder this blade never rusted.

Replacing his own blade upon the rack, the minotaur sheathed the new one and decided that it would serve him better if he was ever to battle. It had been quite a while since Scipio had tasted blood upon the battlefield, and fresh blood straight from combat was always the best.

Watching the young witch extract three strange tubes from the drawers, the minotaur eyed her closely. Images of her, dead and on the shrine of Ita suddenly flashed across his mind. He would not allow this one to escape, alive.

With a mighty roar, the minotaur charged forward as he raised his two-handed sword upwards and came rushing downwards. However, the blade never fell. Had gravity stopped? Had the world stopped ticking? Looking up, his sword had been caught in a great wooden beam. Tugging at it, the beam groaned before snapping in two. Breathing heavily, the minotaur stepped forward, before a crack was heard. As the minotaur looked up, he saw a sea of wooden beams crashing down. Instantly taking out his massive shield, the minotaur raised it above his head and crouched down, incidentally covering the elf.

No words were spoken to give answer to her question, causing Kiera to wonder just what the beast was thinking. She considered the possibility that he was making debate within his own mind of whether to allow her to do as she had requested, or perhaps he was simply so fascinated by the rack of weapons. Either way, she waited there in silence, the heavy air still dancing about with magical energies of its own, watching him for some sign of what was to come.

When that sign did come, she found herself wide eyed with a brand new feeling of dread, though there had not been much time for feelings, or thought. Lord of Light, please grant me safe passage, came that voice from her mind. The two-handed sword now wielded by the creature was angled straight at her, and it would soon be upon her, yet she found herself in such a state of fear that she could not move. The blade would surely cut her slender form in two, and all of her work to this point would serve for nothing, talent wasted and secrets never unlocked. She wanted to close her eyes, to not see the edge of steel as it came upon her, yet just before she did so, the blade stopped.

The beast's muscled bulged, as if fighting with a force unseen by his eyes, though one quick glance upwards told Kiera that the blade had become stuck within the stone and wood of the structure. She quickly wondered whether it had been an act of the natural magic of the tower, or perhaps an answer to her silent plea. The wood cracked and groaned as the creature continued to fight with the blade, dust shaking down from the ceiling, filtering through the moon's light and filling the chamber with a haze. Stone followed, protesting against the blade, though it slowly gave in and began to break apart. A chunk of the ceiling came crashing down, followed by another, which fell dangerously close to the place where Kiera stood. It would be death by stone or blade, but either way, the elven woman did not see a way of escape.

Another portion of stone broke free, causing Kiera to bring her arms over her head, as if that would provide protection. She crumpled down to the ground, knowing the worst was about to come, when a shield suddenly came over her head. Surprise came across her features as she looked up, catching sight of the arm of the creature, then confusion as she made every attempt to figure out just what his reasons were. She reached quickly for the three items which set upon the ancient desk, her eyes then looking to the spiral of stairs which would return her to the lower portion of the tower.

Blue pools returned to the creature once more as she lifted her voice, "Come, let us be gone. Before it is impossible!" Why she worried about the safety of the beast was beyond her, seeing as he had just charged her and caused this mess, yet she saw no reason for him to come to harm, unless he played stubborn and refused to attempt escape from the falling debris. She clutched the two slender tubes and small parcel against her chest, turning so that she was ready to make a dash for the spiral, if no argument was made against it.

Gradually, increased chunks of the tower fell, the crumbling mortar doing nothing to stop its granite bricks from raining upon the unfortunate pair. As the shield took more and more of a beating, a faint reddish glow seemed to emnate from the crystals in its center as if feeding off of the energy rained upon it. With a roar, the minotaur unleashed a bone-trembling pillar of chaotic energy upwards, instantly incinerating the mountain of rubble and debris, sending only ash up into the air.

Quickly, the sun was blocked out as faint particles of the tower's roof seemed to form an eclipse. Breathing heavily, the minotaur leapt from the now ruined tower, crouching on his knees as he landed upon a patch of soft earth, before whistling came from the sky. Looking up, the minotaur's eyes widened as his own spear almost impaled him. Quivering upon the soft earth, the minotaur swiveled around only to the see the elf come out of the stairwell.

So she had survived? She seemed lucky, too lucky. A girl that survived an attack from a minotaur, dodged raining chunks of rock, and came out alive from a collapsing tower? She seemed to almost be blessed by the gods, and Scipio had no wish in crossing their paths of fury.

"We shall meet another time, elf, and when we do, the gods will not bless you with luck," rumbled the minotaur as he pulled up his hood, and consumed his body with a dark cloak, trudging across the plains.

((Well, looks like we finished our first RP! Congrats!!!))