Dark Blessings

[Phelan]

Phelan ignored all of Nikkii's bluster. He heard Darlena and only spoke a name in response.

"Lylith" He said quietly, but his voice held a tone that would have scared the Dark Father himself. Phelan stood there staring at Naldany as if his will could bring her back to conciousness. Then he heard what Nikkii said.

"If you kill her you will regret it. You are not going to do anything to hurt her." Phelan said in that same quiet demented tone. "She is strong. She will recover." Phelan said his voice softening a bit.

[Nikkii O'seth]

" Can't you heal her?..."


" Yes but it won't do much but prolong her suffering...but"

Nikkii started healing the wizardress.. moments later she awakened and attempted to sit up. Tears of agony started to fall from her.

" It burns... my body burns...Lilyth drank something grandfather left in that room.... and..."

She had passed out again in a sweat. Nikkii called for a wizard to come there.

" I will take her to the Oasis..... to be branded it's her only chance now. Her will is strong but the infection was too much for one to take all at once... The price will be a heavy one but I can't let things end this way and Lilyth must pay for this."

The wizard began opening a portal to the Oasis. Darlena saw the passageway into the secret chamber and went into it. Nikkii hoisted up Naldany and walked to the portal.

" Phelan.... if I do not return be sure that you see to things.. and keep Darlena from the elfs. "


"M'lord they Hazernak gaurds have been dealt with but Lilyth has left our current range... I can have some men gathered and ready within the hour if you wish."

[Phelan]

Phelan watched as the portal closed. Phelan looked to Olantar.

"No let her go, for now. She would just slaughter the men, it will take a well coordinated attack plan to go after her. Send some scouts to watch her though, I want to know where she is at all times. I want reports twice a day." Phelan said.

Olantar bowed and took his leave. Phelan walked into the passageway after Darlena.

[Naldany O'seth]

Darlena was looking the hidden chamber over. The room smelled of the contents of that liquids spilt over the floor. She had placed her hand in it and sniffed her hand. A low growl slipped from her as Phelan came into the room.

" This is where I was tainted..... I should have been here to help her, I'm sorry Phelan. She didn't deserve this.."

Delrini had now made it into the room and immediately held her nose. Darlena smirked at her and went into another room.

" Your ... a lieutenant for the guard right? You don't look that experianced.."

Delrini straighted herself and followed. " My skills with swords went unmatched though the academy. even that lapdog Olantar could not best me .... I doubt any man can."

Darlena laughed at her words and glanced over to Phelan.

" I think you overestimate your skills ..I can tell you your hardly a warm up for me.. and I don't think you crossed blades with Phelan."

"Then I would spar against you m'lady and lord Phelan."

" Verywell then...but later, I do have my own frustations to work out." Darlena commented as she pulled a large red sword off a wall.

[Phelan]

Phelan bit back his laughter as Delrini spoke. Phelan settled his gaze over the cocky woman, a gaze that was cold as the artic north winds.

"I don't spar, I kill. If you raise a sword to me you will die." Phelan said. "Now go on about your business, see to anything Olantar asks of you." Phelan said with a dismissing wave.

Phelan placed his hand on Darlena's shoulder.

"Darlena, where are you going? I can't make you stay nor would I try, but please for the sake of ease will you at least stay here untill Nikii returns?" Phelan said earnestly.

[Darlena O'seth]

" I'm not going anywhere... atleast not for awhile."

Delrini shook with anger at Phelan's dismissal of her. " I am not going to just do as he says... he cant be fully trusted."

Delrini knocked over some things before she stormed out. Darlena smiled a bit at Delrini's outburst and looked back to Phelan.

" Alot's changed with you... I can tell but you should take better care of yourself. You getting more scars everytime I see you. I'll take care of Delrini."

[Phelan]

"Yes I have changed quite a bit, but I am still me." Phelan ran his fingers over the scar on his face. "It is a reminder, I would have let Naldany heal it, I still might. " Phelan said in a voice that sounded far away and shook his head as if he was visibly trying to shake away the thoughts he was having. "Thank you for your help with Delrini, it is appreciated. I have to go see to the rest of the house. I will see you at dinner?" Phelan asked.

[Naldany O'seth]

" I'll be there .... we have been through alot. I remeber our first meeting... those wasn't the best of times but it was fun."

Darlena sheathes the mighty blade and straps it to her back. She pulls Aramis from Phelan and tickles him some.

"One day I might have one a handsome as he is. But that will have to wait I guess. Oh yeah...If you do need anything I will be at the arena .... Delrini needs to learn some humility."

Darlena handed Aramis back and kissed his forehead and placed her hand on Phelan's shoulder before she left the room.

A few hours later Darlena went to the arena where Delrini was instructing the new initiates. She was being a bit over critical with them.

" Get up ...... Lilyth will not be so forgiving nor will her troops."

" Well Delrini .... lets see what skill level you have. The thrid in command of the guard should be quiet the challenge."

Darlena drew her sword and the blade seem to smoke as if it was on fire. Delrini dismissed the trainieesand charged Darlena. Her sword split in two to make two swords she moved fast even to Darlena. She parried Delrini's attacks with ease, and after a few more attacks it became appearant that she was just toying with the lieutenant. Then Darlena took the offensive, A mighty swing from the sword she held made it difficult to hold her ground as he blades cracked from the pressure.

" M'lady ... I was trained to kill the dal and all adversaries..... but your different."

Dalena smiled at her and took one hand from the hilt of her sword forming it to a claw and striking Delrini in the back sending her crashing to the floor.


"Your right... I am but your arrogance is a big flaw you have you might be better than Olantar but thats up to Adaun to decide.."


" I will apologize to Phelan for my actions.."

" No..... I think he knows just do your duties here and things will be fine."

Then a portal opened and the womens eyes widen as Naldany stepped from it and a sad look on her face.

" Where's my mother Naldany?"

" She lost her freedom to the hunters..... where's Aramis?"

" How did she do that?"

" ..... the elder took some of her power and se has to do task for them. I am a hunter now dear cousin."

[Phelan]

Phelan walked about the house checking with various members of the servants and the guards all the while carrying Aramis about. Phelan noted the promblems in his head and continued on. Phelan soon realized that the guard still hadn't recovered and that the trainee's were taking longer than they had when his sister had been in charge.

Phelan made his way to the chair in which the former Denoucer had sat and ran this house. Phelan slumped into it deep in thought. He sat with one leg dangling over the side and one arm draped languidly over the other side, with Aramis playing at the foot of the chair. It was in this position that Olantar found him when he walked in.

Olantar stopped at the door and waited for Phelan to acknowledge him, but Phelan hadn't moved or even twitched when he entered. Olantar coughed.

"Yes Olantar, come in." Phelan said and looked toward the temporary Captain of the Guard.

"M'Lord, the scouts have been dispatched to observe Lylith. They should arive late in the night." Olantar said and waited for Phelan to nod before continuing. "Also M'Lord I have recieved reports that your sister has been seen inside the city." Olantar said with obvious dissapointment in his voice.

"Don't worry Olantar, where has she been for the past month and more importantly where is she now?" Phelan asked.

"That is just it M'Lord no one knows, though there are rumors circulating the alleyways. The last report I recieved said that she was seen near the well and headed out of the city."

"Very well, was there anything else Olantar?" Phelan asked.

"No, M'Lord." Olantar said.

"I will return in a few hours, I need you to get someone trusted to watch Aramis while I am out. Perhaps her Aunt. At any rate I need to leave as soon as possible. If my sister happens to arrive while I am out, you are to detain her to her room, nothing else." Phelan said.

"As you wish M'Lord I shall have some one in a moment." Olantar said while he was bowing and then quickly took his leave.

[Naldany O'seth]

"Your son is with your husband. Its funny you don't carry the scent of a hunter."

" I didn't stay long...... Aunt Nikkii used some magical brand on me that forced out the infection." The women started back to the church as she continued. Delrini dismissed the recruits to their stations. " She healed me again just as she place this mark on my back... thats when several gypsies burst into the tent we was in and grabbed her. And older human came in and they seemed to have history between them. They helped me up and tied her up an took her off. The old man said I could go but said she had an obligation to fulfill, and that's when I returned here."

" Then it would seem she is to return as a hunter then."

Olantar came up infront of the women still having the stren look on his face even as he noticed Naldany standing with the other two women.

" It is good to see you in good health M'lady. Lord Phelan has a matter to take care of....... Delrini I will be going with him try to keep things in a orderly fashion. He wishes that you would take charge of Aramis while he's out."

" Where is he now?" Naldany said coldly.

" The former denoucer's chamber.."

" Good....." Naldany started toward the chamber Darlena was soon in pursuit behind her.

" Olantar I will not be subservant to you much longer. I should be in your position right now. AND YOU KNOW IT."

" Perhaps i you could think like an officer of a guard and not a mercenary maybe you would. But till otherwise your too much of a risk and look how you treat the new recruits."

" I make sure they can handle Madam Adaun's standards."

" Oh I herd about your challange to Lady Darlena...... if your new anything you'd remeber that prisoner and when she helped a group of attackers storm the lodge of the dead.... remember how many of their guard she killed and even then she wasn't as strong as she is now."

Delrini stood silent and walked off to do her tasks as she was told to do so. Naldany and Darlena entered the chamber Darlena smiled at how Phelan was sitting as Naldany picked up Aramis.

" Where are you off to my love?" Naldany said looking at Phelan.

[Phelan]

Phelan sprang to his feet at the sight of his wife.

"It pleases me to see you back and in good health my love." Phelan said with a smile. "Adaun has been seen in the streets, I intend to find out where she has been and what she has been doing for the past month." Phelan said with a scowl forming on his face and clenched his fist.

Phelan embraced his wife and kissed her cheek and spoke quietly in her ear.

"I knew you would pull through, you are too strong not to have, my love."

[Naldany O'seth]

"I'm glad you had faith in me.... I could hear everything. I wonder why she spent so much time away from here."


" Phelan will you need some company for your trip?"Darlena asked smiling

[Phelan]

Phelan looked to Darlena.

"Thanks, but no, this is something I will deal with alone." Phelan said and kissed Naldany on the forehead.

Phelan quickly double checked his sword belt and made his way out of the house. He knew where she was heading. She isn't leaving, she is going to think. I know where she will be. Phelan thought as he walked through the mill of people in the city.

[Naldany O'seth]

Darlena watched as Phelan left their sight and once he was gone looked back to Naldany with a stren look.

" What would you surgest we do.... Neither of us are experiance with politics and don't know how to run a house... let alone the church."


" Let's just start with making things look normal around here then, I'm going to kill Lilyth for what she did."

Darlena chuckled a bit at that thought.

" I'm serious... She told me how you got your other half and now she is almost as powerful as grandfather was... worst thing is she wants my son as a sacrifice and I will see her body ripped apart for this."

" And my mother..... I still don't care much for her especially after what she did to me but she did do something selfless for once and should be helped if its possible."

" We both have our own plans it would seem. But, lets focus on damage control here and see that the schedule is kept starting with dinner."

Darlena smiled as she walked over to her cousin and ran her hand along Aramis' brow.

" They was right to keep you under grandpa.... you can think alot clearer than me at times."

[Phelan]

Phelan stood outside the gates peering up at looming mountain, under which sat Neriak. Phelan found the place where he climbed up last time and began his climb. Sweat dripped off his brow as he neared the summit of the mountain.

A sound struck his ears and he stopped moving to hear better.

*Plunk* *Hissss*.....*Plunk* *Hisss*

Phelan smiled "I thought that is what she would be doing" he thought.

Phelan quietly made his way up the last few feet. Phelan crested the hill to see Adaun with her legs tucked up against her chest and rocking back and forth. Every few moments she would toss a rock into the swirling lava below.

"Your getting rusty. I would have expected you to be on your feet by now." Phelan said smiling.

"I heard you, I was hoping that you had not come here to fight, but to talk." Adaun said still staring into the lava.

"You hoped right...so lets talk." Phelan said as he lowered himself down next to her and picked up a few rocks in his hand.

*Plunk* *Hisss*....*Plunk* *Hisss*

Adaun looked at her brother for the first time in months. Her mouth dropped briefly in shock at his appearance.

"Are you ok?" She asked and lightly touched his scar.

Phelan drew back a bit in confusion and then realized what she was talking about.

"Yes I am ok, Naldany doesn't like it either. Just part of a rite of passage, in a way." Phelan said and then he locked his eyes with hers.

"Where have you been?" He asked in a cold tone.

"I was at the Fendal House apparently. I was injured in the battle to get Aramis back, I think I was poisoned. The last thing I remember was collapsing in Freeport." She shuddered. "Everything after that is just a blur. Sounds, smells, pain, lots of pain, but nothing intelligible." Adaun said.

"Why did you come hear and not back to the O'seth house?" Phelan asked his voice lost the harshness that it had held only a moment before.

"I...needed to think. I knew that you would be here eventually... I needed to talk to you alone before making any decisions." Adaun said gazing into the lava once more.