The Sacrifice

"You two - stand to the side, please. You don't need to be involved in this."

The Acolytes bound Darrien's hands again. "Tell us why you're here...and why you have done this to our brethren."

Armando would wait to step aside to see what Lilith does. He was going to help her if she was going to do something.

Darrien stood silent, unwilling to give his reasons for entering the forest. His arm was still bleeding heavily, the Acolytes binding him would notice strange bruising on both his arms.

Lilith would look irritated at the Acolytes treatment of a wounded men.
"Was he not the one being 'sacrificed'? He had all due right to defend himself. That wound, it doesn't look to be caused by one of your weapons, it's sicking how you people treat the wounded."

Armando would stand next to her and whisper "I dont think its the best choice to insult them right now..." He would turn to the acolytes "Though i completely respect your actions, being defensive and hostile against outsiders is understandable, treating his wounds might help the situation."

One of the Acolytes nodded.

"I understand. We had planned to treat his wounds immediately, but...we were under orders."

A few of the Acolytes glanced back at Zaiya.

"And now we have more wounded people to tend to."

Armando would sigh "Ever heard the saying a soldier follows orders but a good soldier knows when to disobey them? Apparently not....well thats not my problem is it? Nor my business."

"We are not soldiers. We are Acolytes. We are here to keep the peace, and protect the forest and our brethren."

Some of the Acolytes carried Zaiya off into a building so she could be properly treated, and a few of them helped to tend to Darrien. They tried to assess his wounds to see what exactly had happened, and how seriously injured he was.

Armando would nod "My apologies then."

Lilith would stomp back into the building and return to the room. She had grown tired of the Desaryah's attitude toward outsiders and had listened enough to their beliefs.

Armando sighed "Right uh.....im going to go with her..." He would make himself scarce and follow Lilith.

Lilith would lean against the wall again and rest.
"Imbeciles."

Armando would sit and sigh taking his visor out of combat mode and sliding it up his head again. "Yes they arent the most tolerant people I've ever met but they could be a valuable ally."

"That may be but I can't tolerate their tactics. They treat the wounded with no respect, whether under orders or not." Lilith would sigh and bow her head, hiding her face.

Meanwhile...

Darrien stayed silent, calmly standing as they checked his wounds. The acolytes would see much more bruising as they treated him. The wound on his shoulder went all the way through it and bled profusely. The bruising began looking less and less like bruising and more like a pattern of some sort and it was all stemming from the wound on his shoulder.

Armando would sigh and nod "If it were up to me, i would have nothing to do with them. But at least in my position its up to the Shinga."

The Acolytes would quickly realize that Darrien's wounds were severe and unusual, and they spoke quietly amongst themselves as they tended to his injuries.

"He will need more help than this. We shall call the Priestess, for Zaiya and for this man."

"Indeed, we shall. She could help them more than any of us."

One of the Acolytes started walking away from the outpost, disappearing into the forest within a few seconds. The others would bring Darrien inside, where they could make him more comfortable in one of the rooms of the cabin so he could wait to receive proper medical attention. Zaiya was brought into a different building, presumably to keep her away from the others, so she could have her wounds tended as well.

Lilith would turn away from Armando and try to rest.
"I think its best that we try to sleep some. After I see their power source I'd much prefer to get as far from this place as I can."

meanwhile...

Darrien would drift in and out of consciousness until the priestess arrived.

The Priestess entered the village, escorted by Acolytes as she made her way towards the cabin. She had a commanding, powerful, regal presence and as she walked past, the Acolytes gathered in the outpost, bowed their heads, and clasped their hands respectfully. Her long, flowing, Gothic-style gown draped down across her slender figure in sleek shades of black velvet with intricate, silver trim. She wore finely crafted jewelry, and her pale skin was marked with intricate black designs and glyphs.

The Acolytes led her to the cabin and opened the door for her. They showed her the way to Darrien's room, where she entered and then waved her hand to dismiss the Acolytes so they could wait outside in the hall.


"Hello, I am Priestess Aralynn. I am here to help you...tell me, what happened to you?"

Armando would nod and go and sit in his seat and put his head on the table "Good night then."

Darrien would sit up and take his cloak off, revealing the full wound on his shoulder. The bruising seemed to be spreading as she examined his wounds. If he would have removed his cloak completely she would have seen that the bruising went passed his shoulder blades.

"There is nothing you can do. The wound will heal, the bruising will spread."

Aralynn very gently placed her hand on Darrien's shoulder. Her touch was very gentle, and would cause him no pain. She examined it closely.

"I see. But these are not regular wounds - how were these caused?"

He would stay still as she placed her hand on his shoulder. He seemed reluctant to say what caused them.

"The wound by a man's weapon, the bruising....by humans playing god."

She nodded, as if she needed no more explanation than what Darrien was willing to give her.

"I will help you, and do what I can for your wounds..." She gave the Acolytes orders to fetch her some supplies, and they quickly went off to do as they were told.

"Tell me, what brings you here to the Obsidian Forest?"

"I have no reason to tell you my intentions."

"And I have no reason to help you. So I believe we're evenly matched in that regard."

The Priestess offered Darrien a sincere, bittersweet smile. "It is a simple question, but I shall not pry into your 'intentions.' I can imagine that what must have brought you here was urgent, though, since you were more concerned with this venture into the forest than for the treatment of your own wounds. If there is something you want from us, or something that you are seeking in this place, then speak your mind now. I have told you, I am here to help you. You have my word."

He would stay quiet for some time before speaking.

"I suppose you are right and that I owe you an explanation. I am not here for something from you. I've merely returned to where I came from, unwelcome in my old homeland."