Blade of the Heart

Log Info

• Title: Blade of the Heart
• Emitter: Skielstregar
• Characters: Skielstregar, Rune, Harkashan
• Place: Wilderness
• Time: May 12th, 2023
• Summary: In which Harkashan and Rune find Skielstregar letting loose his inner Forgotten. Words are shared of how he came to be like this, and the ways he deals with it. Such talks shift to the trials they weathered together, the fallout of it, as well as recruitment of delving into Am'shere to figure out what is going on with Harkashan. Bacon is shared.

The Wilderness, Midday

The trails that wind through the forest floor are well traveled. From hunting parties, to guides to and fro Mictlan, to wildlife, and more recently, interlopers. Seemingly coming out of hibernation from the winter. The canopy glistens with a recent rain, the groud muddy and soft.

A flock of birds briskly take flight. Startled and squaking. The trail they vacate shows signs of damage and carnage amongst the tree trunks. Some carved into, some toppled over and snapped. Trails of crimson lead to what appears to be a wild hog thrown against one such tree, its head twisted in an odd direction. Clearly dead.

Finding a trail of blood in the forest is usually an ill omen. It is the sort of thing that usually means bandits, monsters, or some other sad fate has befallen someone or something. Perhaps that is not far from the truth, in this case.

"You come out to the forest in search of a few small animals to hunt to trade for some leather and find a bloody trail..." Rune's voice can be heard approaching from the distance. She had been working, as of late, on a project. It appears leather is the next item that she needs for it.

By the time she comes into view of the wild hog, she is brandishing both weapons, pushing through a bit of underbrush. Normally, she'd be moving far quieter, but Harkashan is with her and his heavy armor means stealth is not really possible.

She comes to a stop at the sight, "Uh..." And then she goes quiet, perhaps not wanting to draw the attention of whatever it is that killed the creature nad left it there.

Finding a horrific scene like this, Harkashan lets out a deep gutteral growl. "Such a needless amount of blood." He grunts, looking between the various tree trunks and crimson - until he spots the wild hog. Head twisted. The Deathsinger slowly draws his blade, in case whatever is nearby might still be around.

"Perhaps a crazed werewolf deciding to prove its strength?" He asks of Rune as she spots it as well. "Stick close." He remarks, starting to approach the hog.

The boar bears claw marks, giving reason for the trails of blood. And the impact against the tree is no small divot. The tree itself leans crooked and crack, a strong storm would spell the end for it now. Grabbed and tossed, this poor game.

The foreboding sense of something wrong folds in on itself thrice over. The final crease that of a branch snapping in twain, tumbling to the ground some distance away. Movement, fast and unbridled, dashes by in the same direction. Only to crash into another tree. So much so that the echoing crack of bark through the woods reverberates.

It peels itself off the slowly felling tree, pacing on four limbs. A large creature, metallic. Leaving behind it a trail of black miasma that leaks from its maw and body, lower legs wreathed in it. It stills, sampling the air, before turning to stare at the duo some hundred feet away.

GAME: Harkashan casts Prayer. Caster Level: 5 DC: 17

There is a prickle of goosebumps that rise up on Rune's arms, her breaths low as she turns her head left, right, ears twitching now and again as they search for sounds in the ominous forest.

The crack of a branch snaps her head in that direction, followed quickly by the that flash of movement. Her weapons raise in a defensive posture, ready to ward off an attack. However, it seems to be a tree that takes the brunt of the damage, falling to the ground with a crash.

The creature that peels itself off of the tree is one that is not unfamiliar to Rune. There's a sort of cold feeling that settles in the pit of her stomach, like looking into the eyes of a predator.

"Uh... H-hey there, Skielstregar." Even Rune, who has seen this particularly monstrous transformation once before, seems a bit intimidated. "Is... everything o-okay?"

Harkashan keeps his blade drawn, buckler up, ready to protect himself and Rune. Taking up a position that would make it easier to set up a flank if anyone were to dive towards either of them. Shifting a bit through his legs, readying himself as he feels that sickly sense of undeath nearby...

Branch snaps, movement, and soon, that metalic-like thing surrounded in black miasma has settled before them, sniffing at the air. Rune recognizes it before him - for Harkashan is already sending out a pulse of grey-red energy. A wave that empowers him and Rune and draws a bit away from Skiel's might already.

"Do not come closer." He tells the creature at first, before Rune mentions its name. Harkashan squints a bit. Skielstregar? Then why is it not speaking its name to them?

"Stand down, Kin." He demands, firmly.

The wave of divine energy that hits the creature causes them to recoil, ducking low and snarling with twin fangs bared. Crimson eyes blaring in the dull light of the under-canopy.

The warnings and questions are met with the silverscale briskly galloping towards them at breakneck speed. Only for them to suddenly try and stop in the middle of their sprint. Kicking up mud and dirt in the all directions. A growling, snapping voice barks, "No, ssstop, turn fool! Branch! Root! Tree!"

Like a cart missing a wheel, the Forgotten-silverscale veers off, clips a branch, trips on a root, and crashing into yet another tree. This time with less purpose, and more tail-over-teakettle. He slides down to the forest floor. "... peassse..." he growls, covering his nose as he stays on the ground. "Fine! FINE! Thiss one isss. Fine. Give... moment."

The flare of Harkashan's divine energy is familiar to Rune at this point, seeming to push back some of the ominous feeling that had risen. She takes a half-step back towards the cleric, making sure the two are in close enough distance to defend each other should the need call for it.

When the silver-scaled Makari starts to race towards them, Rune braces, ready to duck to the side to avoid the barreling attack. Her first instinct is not to strike out, but to flee. Even in this form, her priority is trying not to harm a friend.

Yet, before that happens, there seems to be some sort of internal struggle and she just ends up staring as Skielstregar fights with himself, crashing into trees and ending up sprawled on the ground. Her breaths are still coming quickly, though, adrenaline pulsing through her veins.

"What in the hells?" She looks to Harkashan, then back at Skielstregar, not knowing who might be the better one to explain just what is going on.

Crash. Tumble. Crumple. Bump. Harkashan watches the trainwreck that is Skielstregar, getting himself firmly lodged up against some trees.

"Still getting used to his spells, I predict." Harkashan answers Rune's 'what the hell' that was leveraged at Skielstregar. He then looks around, trying to find the other voice they'd heard. No doubt a rather crooked-metaled blade.

Harkashan then reaches into a small satchel at his side, as he begins to approach Skielstregar. Even if he asks him to give him a moment, he approaches anyhow.

"We have to stop meeting like this, Skiel." Hark tries to impress on his kin.

The other voice.... "Alright, that'sss enough..." Forgotten-Skielstregar snarls to himself, plugging his nose with his fingers and covering his eyes. Just him talking to himself. But looking around regardless reveals-

Yep. There's Malefic. Hanging out in the tree above Skielstregar, dangling from a branch. They aren't grinning, but seem to be watching the raging makari.

Which, said silverscale hisses, "How would you prefer to meet, then?" The hand covering his eyes >thunks< his thick skull a few times with the palm in response.

He inhales suddenly. Holds it. Then breathes out. Taking with it a black plume of mist, the ink leaking off him sloughing away into a puddle around him. Only for it to silently waft away. Skiel's arms flop to the sides, the Warrior looking winded. "... peasse on your nesssts, they... they apologize for meeting asss such," he murmurs, looking at Harkashan and Rune upsidedown.

The effects waft away with it: the crimson eye, the extra set of fangs, the dripping, tainted mana. Leaving just the normal, somewhat dead looking, tired silverscale.

Harkashan's explination is not enough to really satisfy Rune's question. "This doesn't look like a spell." She lets her eyes sweep around once the first glimpses of danger seem to pass, noticing Malefic dangling from that branch above. "You don't happen to know what's going on with him, do you, Malefic?"

Even when that miasma seemst o waft away, including the strange affects that it has on the silver-scaled warrior, Rune doesn't quite lower her guard. Her weapons dip down slightly, but she doesn't actually sheath them.

In a move that would probably seem unwise to most, she actually steps forward, walking to exhausted looking silver Makari. Crouching near his head, she demands, "What was that?" Followed by a distinctive poke to the snout. "Talk."

"With you not making your friends think you might attack them and take their lives." Harkashan answers Skiel with a firm tone. "Prowling the woods, making for a bloody spectacle that makes us think there's some crazed werewolves gone mad, killing boars for sport." He motions to the mess and the devastation left in Skiel's wake.

He then looks to Rune as she mentions that this didn't look like a spell, so Harkashan finally rumbles; "He is one of the Forgotten..." Before looking back to him. "One fortunate enough to still have their mind... or unfortunate." Depending on how one views the kind of things that must have happened to Skielstregar.

Harkashan steps back a bit as the drooling miasma and corrupted mana flows. Grimacing a bit.

"Speak to her of our history, Kin. It is not my place to tell."

Malefic gives a little flick, falling from the branch to land haft first into the soft ground. It grins. Perhaps at the successful landing. "The Deathsinger has the right of it," it mentions in it's metallic clacking. "I do know of it, Rune. Skielstregar, to put it simply, needs to let loose occasionally. Though typically it is not so messy."

Skiel covers his face. "... thiss one apologizesses. Sssome new magicsss coupled with that ssstate make it... hazy." He is booped. And despite his size, he visibly flinches from it. "... alright alright..." he sighs, slowly sitting up to lean against the tree. Dead silver eyes glance between the two. "Thisss one... was. Forgotten," he slowly explains, picking at his talons, pointedly avoiding looking at Harkashan. "Lossst their mind long ago. Charneth-" there's a weak growl, but to tired to let frustration show, "-did it."

Request of history. "... lasst time thisss one brought it up, Deathsssinger, you bade not. But... very well. Speakersss say makari had a Great Awakening. It isss... hard, sssometimes, to know what of. But makari have..." he glances to Harkashan briefly, as if for permission, before admitting. "... something. In our blood. It isss very potent too. It can ssshape usss. But in more... nefarious circumssstancesss, it can twist Kin into sssomething very, very bad."

Harkashan sheathes his blade and puts away his buckler for the time being as Skiel gets himself re-situated. Taking a moment to reach into his satchel once more, and offering Skiel some dried meats to chew on, in case it helps his situation.

He then gets into a more relaxed posture, more of that feeling of death drifting away. Looking to Rune as she is given some of this information. After all, the Charneth are an enemy that all three of them have their own intense qualms with.

Harkashan doesn't go in on what he bade or did not bade to speak of. The topic Skiel speaks of is complicated and troublesome in a lot of ways. "The Charn found out that they could steal some of our people, warp them, and turn them against us. Kin of all kinds. Some young, some old." He expresses further to Rune. "None of them really... 'get back' from that. They lose their minds in the process." He explains. "Mana melts them from inside..." He huffs. "I wish I could say the Charn came up with that idea on their own though." He then adds with a tone of sorrow and concern.

"You act as if I should know what that word is." Oh the look that Rune gives Harkashan in that moment. It's a bit of the frustration that builds up over time as someone who never quite fits in with any group of people. Rune is not Human, nor Sildanyari, nor Makari, and thus she always seems to sit on the outside of all of them.

She slips her weapons into the sheaths along her back, taking a step back from the dead-eyed silver-scale as she lets out a sigh. The sound is likely just a release of anxiety, as it seems they won't have to fight a friend, today. A fight she very well suspects would end up with both of them dead, from what she had seen of how the warrior fights.

She seems willing to accept that Malefic does not know exactly what is going on with his wielder, but as for the two Makari, Rune just folds her arms across her chest. "So, let me get this straight..."

Rune aims a finger towards Skielstregar, "You were killed by the Charneth, and had really bad shit done to you that turns you into a raging beast that fells trees and mutilates wild animals." Then, looking to Harkashan, she adds, "And whatever it was that was done, should have also made him mindless in the process, but somehow didn't?"

Skielstregar, leaning against the tree, seemingly perks at the scent of food. He reaches out, giving a thankful bob of the head before he tears into it with as much gusto as his exhausted self can. His expression dours at the mentions of warping Kin against them.

The silverscale stare's at Rune, and her finger. "Thisss one wass killed by... not Charn. Charn take thisss one. Turn into monssster through repeated bad thingsss. Lossse mind. Can't remember much. Use monssster to fight in warsss. Get sssent into war. Die. Come back. Time asss monster isss hard to remember. But ssstuck with many partsss of the monssster left over."

He inhales. "They are called Forgotten becaussse they have forgotten themselvesss. Their passt. Living asss if they were the very true beingsss of the dragonsss they comee from, only to decimate as they burn up from inssside," Skiel explains to Rune quietly. "They are easssy to sssee. They look mad. Large clawsss and fangsss. Ssscales that fight over one another."

He's describing himself. Except for the last part. "So thiss one wasss mindless. For a time. Other ssside of thisss one lingersss close at all timesss. Sometimes have to.... let it all out," he gestures to the carnage.

Harkashan watches, with some measure of warmth and concern both, as Skielstregar digs into the food. Letting him tear into it, before offering another piece. Letting Skielstregar pace himself on this.

Even if Forgotten and warped, he is still Kin. And the Sith-Makar look out for one-another.

Harkashan nods a few times as Skiel talks abotu the Forgotten and the way they 'transform' into something else. Something corrupted.

"You're going to hurt someone one day, if you are not careful, Skielstregar. Even if you don't mean it." Harkashan warns the not-quite-undead Sith-makar. "Or cause someone else to hurt you..." He then adds, more firmly. In other words, himself. "And I do not want that for you, Kin."

The tightening of Rune's brow is followed by a shift of her weight, her teeth catching hold of her lower lip as she seems to consider everything that she's being told. About the Charneth, about the Makari, about Skielstregar - it is a lot to take in. "So, they captured you and turned you into a monster."

Her voice drops quieter, "And I thought what they did to me was bad." Not by a long shot, it appears. With a sigh, Rune runs a hand through her colorful hair, then lets both drop to her sides. "So... sometimes the monster has to be let loose. I can understand that, even if it does seem... dangerous."

Looking between the two, she still seems to keep a bit of distance, "So, if you were Forgotten, how did you become what you are now? The person we've gotten to know doesn't really seem like a monster to me." She hooks her thumbs onto the straps her weapons are attached to.

"And is it still possible you could 'burn up' like you said other Forgotten do?"

Hekielstregar greedily takes another piece, him getting out a 'thanksss' before it too is eaten with gusto. His tail flick-flicks from side to side. A little sigh leaves him, however. "Thisss one iss well aware of the dangersss, Deathsssinger," he intones, bowing his head. "There wasss a time where thisss one was more... dead looking. Lacking confidence. Had self-harming vices to heed these issues."

He looks to Harkashan, a light rumble in his chest as it seems his strength is slowly returning. "Thisss one, truly, appreciatesss you worriesss. It makesss them feel more with the People. I assure you, and Rune asss well, that thiss one isss in control. And they accept any consequencesss that may come therein of ssscaring anyone."

A sigh escapes him, the silverscale shaking his head towards Rune. "Thisss one empathizesss with your trialsss asss well. Their chessst, similar to your own weak spot, harborsss many ill memories." A beat of silence.

Malefic speaks. "For unto our shining light has intervened."

"The Dragonfather and The Death Singing Dragon had ssssomething to do with it, they know not how. Thiss one spent a while trying to piece their mind back together to figure out the how." There's a light laugh. "Thisss one isssn't even sure if Skielssstregar isss their given name. But... thiss one doesssn't know. They do not feel like they are melting? It feels... cold. Present. Like a lead ball." A weak, yet happy smile, full of gnarly teeth and fangs. "... and thisss one isss glad you do not ssee them asss such."

A deep inhale. "Thisss one wisshed to explain all thisss before the ghostss. But alasss..." Skiel tilts his head, looking the two over. "... speaking of, are you two well after that? You both sssmelled heavily of fear, in the immediate aftermath."

Harkashan lets out a small sigh, before reaching out and putting his hand on Skielstregar's shoulder. Squeezing his scales for a moment as he says that he feels more with the People.

"I trust you." He rumbles. "But you also scare people." He tells him, before releasing the Sith-makar and stepping away a little. Listening to Skiel sharing about taht spot on his chest. Similar to the spot on Rune's back.

And then the topic turns to those ghosts. "I do not think they were 'ghosts'. Perhaps more like the Deathsinging Dragon's agents, seeking to retain the balance." Harkashan offers with a thought. He shares a glance with Rune for a moment. "I... have flashes sometimes. Memories that come to the surface hotter than others." Harkashan explains. "I can tell that I am still not powerful enough to reach across even so much as a room to help Rune and protect her sometimes."

"So, in some ways it's not to dissimilar to me and being brought back by the Sky-singer." Rune offers, her lips pressing together at that. "I don't know the who, the why, or even the how. Only that it happened and here I am." There is a flash of her blue eyes towards Harkashan, and then away again. Giving a nod of confirmation about her particular 'weak point'.

The fact that the silver-scaled one doesn't even know his own name is offered a look of sympathy. "I have most of my memories from before, including ones I wish I didn't have." Rune shakes her head, "It's the waking up that's all a bit fuzzy. I don't know if I was really myself those first few days."

And then she seems glad enough to move on from that topic, her hand starting to fidget a bit with one of the buckles of her harness. The question of what happened during the encounter with the ghosts has her looking to Harkashan again, her expression a bit uncertain.

"I think it was a little too close to what happened in Am'shere a little over a year ago." She can't keep hold of Harkashan's gaze, so it's turned to Skielstregar instead, "Harkashan had to watch me die. I don't imagine it's a pleasant memory for either of us."

Skielstregar perks at the squeeze, the scales cold and firm. His hand raises, too-long talons clacking against one another as he puts over the warm hand. "Ah. Well, thisss one apologziess. But they are glad you trusst them," he rumbles warmly, tail swaying. "If you need sscary, find thisss one and point at what needs be scared."

He rumbles to Rune, the silverscale slowly getting to his haunches. "Mmmm. Thisss one mossstly remembersss... foresssts. Sssurviving. But perhapss we both have larger reasssons to be alive." He chuffs, chuckling. "Bessst we not squander it, no?"

He looks between the two, finally standing now. Dead eyes blink at the information. Wiping his hands off on his shirt, he steps forward, one hand coming down to rest on a shoulder on each of them. Feeling like a cool stone. "Thisss one isss sorry you had to go through that," he intones, looking to both of them. "It iss not pleasssant being in sssuch a situation. To relieve trauma sssuch asss that. But."

He looks to Rune. "You did not die. You did not fall. You pulled back."

Swivel to Harkashan. "You did not fail to protect. You went with her and kept her sssafe asss others tended."

His tail thumps the ground. "Next time- asss there will be a next time- you will take sssuch a moment and turn it into fervor. You two are very clossse. And the next time whoever disssruptsss that bond will have a very bad day, sssa?" he grins, getting his steam back.

Harkashan touches his hand over the pommel of his blade and adjusts his posture into a more relaxed stance, adjusting the position of his feet for a moment. Looking away as Skielstregar speaks of the trauma and the lack of failure to protect.

The Deathsinger isn't so quick to accept those words. He knows how hurt Rune had been. Certainly, he can take the lessons learned forward, but in his mind, it isn't quite enough. Some of that which is expressed on his face, but he's not speaking such thoughts out loud.

"I fear I do not have your fervor with a blade, Skielstregar." Looking to Malefic in that moment. "I leave the deadliness to Rune, unless it comes to the Undead."

"Agreed." Rune inclines her head again, "I'm not about to waste second chances." And there is another of those glances to Harkashan. It is not subtle.

"You're right. I didn't fall, but I did panic." There is some measure of shame in that as she reaches a hand back, rubbing at her neck in a gesture meant to ease some of her own burden. "I need to pay back Alaryn for that potion, and buy a few for myself incase things get that bad again."

In all of that, it should be noted, she has no blame for Harkashan. It is not the healer's fault should someone fall, but their own for getting themselves into a bad situation in the first place.

Laying her hand over Skielstregar's cold one, she nods softly. Strangely, her fingers are only a slight bit warmer than his own, a stark contrast against the lava-scale's warmth. "That's the plan. I have no intentions of fading back into the dark any time soon if I can help it. Even it it means throwing every last gold coin I have at Alaryn to try to make sure that I'm as well equipped as I can be."

Skielstregar's tail sways wide behind him, Malefic's near constant grin growing. "Panic is natural," the silverscale assuages. "And the battlefield isss chaosss. But running inssstead of freezing is a start," he chuckles. He shares in the glances to the lava-scale, taking idle note before his head dips down to be closer to eye level with the both of them.

He gives their shoulders a light squeeze. "It isss not the blade, one holdsss asss the greatessst weapon," he rumbles, mostly to Harkashan. "It isss the heart. You feel a sssecond awakening. Rune, too, a sssecond chance. Have heart. Trusst in yourssself now. And you can be an unssstoppable force, regardlesss of size or professsion."

A glance to Malefic. "... alssso throwing sssoftskin coin at fancy enchantmentsss helps too," he rumbles.

"If I eat those mana-crystals, will they imbue?" Malefic ponders aloud.

"You will explode."

The halberd grins. "Excellent..."

"That isss not a- bah."

Harkashan rumbles heavily as Rune speaks on panic. After all, she is not the only one who panicked that night. He shifts his posture again, not wishing to stay still as Skiel speaks on having other gifts. Of a re-awakening.

He's not so ready to talk about this, so he shifts his head to the side. He is a Deathsinger. Death should be something he is meant to be okay with. To accept. Yet Rune knows very well, Harkashan is no perfect follower of Vardama.

"I will follow in the wake of my ancestors." He answers Skiel instead. "And perhaps, work on getting some 'fancy enchantments' for myself as well so I can help Rune better in the future." The lizard adds, as he begins to pace a bit.

"I'm heading to Am'shere soon, Skielstregar. I invite you to come alongside me on my travels there."

"Self-preservation is a pretty strong instinct." Rune laughs, trying to shake off some of the more negative emotions. "And I've made new friends that I very much want to keep sending time with." From her expression, it is clear that Skielstregar is included among those.

"It may not be the blade, my friend, but having a good one really does help." She offers a wink to Malefic after that comment, always seeming to know when to play to the intelligent weapon's ego a bit.

Between talk of eating mana-crystals and visits to Am'shere, Rune quiets a bit. "It would be good to for him to have someone strong at his side. I trust that any threat to him would be turned into paste at your hands if it came down to it." She is talking as if she is not going to Am'shere with Harkashan.

Taking the note of Harkashan's ansty, Skiel bows his head as his hands slide off their shoulders. "Rune /and/ yourssself, Deathsssinger," he cheekily points out. "They are quite handy to have. And yesss, good bladess help quite a bit too." The note of friends is met with a happy rumble, and another thump of the tail against the ground.

The wink is met with the jagged grin twisting upwards. Malefic preens, "It sure does, does it not?" Ego properly stoked.

Though, the note of going to Am'shere gets Skielstregar to stand up straight. A beat passes, and he holds his hand out towards Malefic, who leans over to fall into his grasp. "We're with you." "We are with you." They say in tandem, firmly.

Though, he can't help but ask- "You are not going with?" Skielstregar asks of Rune, a brow raised. "Regardlesss, thisss one will keep him sssafe. No matter what large creaturess of home come to look for a sssnack. What isss the purposse of the venture? Sssmugglersss ssstill?"

Harkashan rumbles when Rune speaks of the Sith-Makar traveling at his side to protect him, glancing to Skiel who is practically standing at attention like a Softskin soldier.

"I am glad to have you, Warriors." Harkashan remarks, letting Malefic know that he too is counted as one of those warriors. But he then looks to Rune.

"The smugglers are one thing. But I need to travel to visit some of the Speakers of Am'shere to figure out what this second Awakening truly is." The Sith-makar answers Skiel. "Who knows what we find along the way through the Great Paths of Am'Shere." Stepping towards Rune, touching her shoulder for a moment.

"Though I think I need more than just a warrior's hand for what is coming." He then bids to Rune. "But we can speak on that later."

"I'm no--" And then Harkashan touches her shoulder, leaning on the fact that he may very well need more than aid from a single source on his journey. Her expression shifts, seeming pensive. Thankfully, Harkashan doesn't push too much further on that point, because she just sighs and looks away. "Yeah. We can talk later."

Then, perhaps in part to return to the earlier topic and away from this one, she asks, "Will it be a problem for Skielstregar to go to someplace like that? With the way you reacted, I imagine that the Makari elders may very well be a bit wary, themselves."

Malefic simply keeps their eerie grin at being lumped into the Warrior caste. Who knows what's going on inside that metal head of theirs-

-Skiel does, to some extent, as he squints at Malefic before letting go of the polearm and shaking his hand off as if it was a touch too hot. A brow quirks at the interaction between the two, but he leaves it be. Though, Skiel shifts a bit at Harkashan's purpose. Only further solidified by Rune's astute observation. "Thisss one doess not know," he answers honestly. "They hope they accept thisss one, but they will remain ressspectful of their wissshes. They may be...."

He searches for the words. "... sssome kin react very poorly. Sssome are more accepting. We will have to sssee. Regardless of thisss, thiss one will gladly go with you, and isss honored to help in thisss endeavor, Deathsssiner," he rumbles, bowing his head.

"As long as he doesn't transform around my people, it will be fine." Harkashan answers Rune. "But he will have to be careful. It will be hard to convince my Kin that there is a Forsaken who isn't an agent of the Charn, there to take away their Hatchlings... and many others who will not be able to see past their Nightmares."

He looks to Skielstregar; "Still, I have seen your skill, Warrior. There are not many I'd rather have at my side protecting me against the dangers of Am'shere." The lizard explains, before looking to Rune. "Including Thunderlizards." Something Rune was introduced to recently.

Malefic and that sudden release is eyed for a moment, but Harkashan then lowers his head. "But not today. I need to have some time to talk to Rune in private about Am'shere. And make travel plans beyond the Portal. But I will reach out the moment we are looking to depart." He notes.

Since it seems as if things were wrapping up nicely, Rune fidgets, clearly not looking forward to having that discussion with Harkashan.

Instead, she clears her throat, "Maybe after we finish gathering the hides for trading with the tanner." Rune is almost certainy trying to dodge the earlier discussion.

She glances over at the hog, "That one... looks a bit too beat up for what we need." Unfortunately.

Just don't transform. A small bit of familiar looking ink rolls off his cheek and drips to the ground. "Jussst don't transform," Skielstregar repeats aloud, more to himself than anything else. "... they will get it out of their sssystem before we depart. But no promissses if we run into sssomething beyond dangerousss."

He weakly smiles to Harkashan. "Sssa. Thunderlizardsss no joke. Hit them with wood. And very hard." The silverscale bobs his head. "Thiss one inferred asss much. They will be in Mictlan, or the Dragonfather'sss Temple. Jussst ssend word." A look to Rune. He rumbles warmly. "Whatever iss to come will be well."

Right. The hog. Skielstregar looks back at it. "Oh! Thisss one almost forgot about it! They hunted that while doing- irrelevant, but!" He ambles over, reaching down to scoop the hog up under one arm. "Learned of a sssoftskin food and how to make! After you hunt your hides-"

He rummages around in his bag on his back with a hand, pulling out a jar filled with a deep gold, viscous liquid. Tail swing wide and fast. "-do you two want honey glazed bacon?"

-End Scene-