Mercy's Flame, Part I

Refectory - 


 * ''A long, low building with wide windows and dark timbers upholding the roof, the austere refectory would be gloomy but for the two oxen-roasting fireplaces that pierce a wall between dining hall and kitchen. There a crackle is nearly always to be found, along with an initiate or vassel behind a heat-shield turning a spit.


 * ''Long, simple wooden tables and flanking benches stripe the knotwood floor. Kept spotlessly clean and well-polished, both tables and benches show signs of centuries of wear. There is little ornament in the room save for the symbol of a sunburst on each of the four walls, high and centered, in dimly gleaming mellow gold.

Naoi is pulling on her tunic, turned to the wall, and buckling on her belt.

The door opens to reveal Jessyn, her face unusually grim... and her countenance dazzling. Brown hair has been pulled sharply back from her face and braided behind her, giving her normally jovial features a severe air. And the armor... This is not the Jessyn that guided Naoi out on recruitment to Aegisport. This is Jessyn the Scourge, Jessyn who shines with sunlight and firelight and moonlight and *starlight*, for the Light's sake, in her golden armor emblazoned with the sunburst of the Sun's Keep. In her arms, she holds a second suit.

"Sister Naoi," she calls softly, pausing at the door and peering into the relative dimness from the fading afternoon outside.

Naoi turns, gray eyes widening as she takes in Jessyn's appearance. Quiet, withdrawn, nostalgic. She remembers, certainly, the weight of the armor. Finally she turns to face the woman fully, "This is not a recruiting mission, is it, Sister Jessyn?"

"No... no it's not," Jessyn acknowledges. "Tonight, we remember our duty... and we remember that all duties come with burdens. I have armor for you. Put it on--we ride within the hour." Reaching into the bundle of armor, she also withdraws two full-circle cloaks, ankle-length, hooded, dark wool. "These will conceal us."

"Are you ready for this?" Naoi asks, tone flat, as she comes forward to take the burden of the armor and cloak from the Scourge. "It is quite a test. More then you have faced before, I think... more then I have as well, I suspect."

Jessyn sighs and shakes her head. "It is not more than I have faced before, Naoi. I am afraid I have done things most of Fastheld would revile me for. It lies in the eyes only of those bound to the Light to realize that it could not be helped... but I never look forward to such things." She passes the armor over gently, and flings her own cloak over her shoulders. It does hide the golden armor, save for the slight oddity of shape beneath. But that could be any kind of armor--not that which spells doom or rescue, depending on which way you look at it.

Naoi looks down to the armor, and then settles it about her bunk, considering the parts that make up the whole. Her eyes are sad, even if the rest of her expression is serene. "Will you assist me in my dressing? It has been some time."

"I will," Jessyn acknowledges, moving further into the room to aid Naoi with the putting-on of her armor. Some other time, there might be other connotations to this... other things she might do or say or imply. This time, it is nothing but business--necessity, and a grim one at that.

An air of cold competence that Naoi doesn't break, shifting as needed. At the end, she tugs on her cloak about the golden armor, adjusting the tie. "Thank you, Sister."

Jessyn works swiftly and silently, fastening buckles here and tightening straps here with the expertise of long practice. She knows *exactly* how the armor should fit, and how to make it so. When she's finished, though, that guarded facade cracks an instant, and she rests a hand on

Naoi reaches up, clapping the hand on her shoulder, and then pulls away to start for the door.

Jessyn follows close behind, her cloak billowing about her ankles as she goes. "I am told there are rumors of Shadow striking Road's End," she says. "A mage there, perhaps, or some other form of corruption. We go to find it tonight. And Naoi?" She pauses. "It will not be pretty."

"It never is, where Shadow rests." Naoi responds, smiling sadly. "One can only direct one's effort to lifting it's curse. Do not worry. I will be fine."

The twitch at the corner of Jessyn's lips *might* almost have become a smile. Might, but not quite. "I'm worried," she says stubbornly. "And not, I think, without reason. But we'll see, I think." She steps out the door, looking to the skies assessingly.

Naoi moves behind Jessyn, cloak drifting about her ankles. She stares straight ahead, focused on her thoughts and the path ahead.

The dark clouds hanging in the sky above are befitting of Jessyn's mood as she guides them towards the entrance to the tunnels, and produces Ava's key from the throat of her cloak. There is no sign of others--not this time, at least.

Naoi's gray eyes widen as she spots the familiar token, "How is it you got your hands on that, Sister? I had thought that only Ava carried it, and remembered the many turns and trails under the earth."

"Usually she does," Jessyn agrees, reaching out to twist the key in the hefty lock. The door creaks as it swings open. "You remember the day I didn't show up for our wrestling match? Years of dedicated service to the Light serve one well." Tucking the key away once more beneath her clothing, she steps into the darkened entrance of the tunnels.

Underground Tunnels - 


 * ''These tunnels are low and roughly-hewn, but far from crude or temporary. Having been dug straight through the bedrock under Fastheld, the walls are of stone, the air chill and dank, with a certain musty smell to it. Little streams of moisture trickle down the walls, forming the occasional muddy pool on the floor.


 * ''In places, one can see where stone pillars have been put in place to prevent the ceiling from collapse--their sharply-angled corners stick out oddly from the rest, which is, for the most part, round. The floor, too, has a certain round structure to it, with only a narrow path at the center flattened out to make travel easy. It forces one to walk single file, and to watch their

step for fear of tripping.


 * ''Torches light narrow space from either side, yellowish light flickering and dancing amongst the shadows, yet these are few and far between, and at either end the tunnel vanishes into darkness.

Naoi jaw works for a second, the jaw tensing. "I... am confused. It is just the two of us then? What are we doing, Sister?"

"The two of us and a sizeable portion of Road's End," Jessyn says, taking a torch from the wall and lighting it with something from the folds of her cloak. "We are the Scourges now, we are the beacons to lead the people to eradicate whatever shred of Shadow we can."

"We are hunting the mage, and any that would dare give him or her harbor then?" Naoi guesses, both eyebrows rising. "That is the plan, is it not, Sister?"

"More or less," Jessyn agrees, setting off through the tunnels. Her brow furrows in concentration. "It is not a pleasant responsibility... but he will be freed afterwards, however he may protest before. Once the Touch is lifted from him, he will be ready to join the Light and find his redemption."

Naoi smiles, an absent gesture without much heart, stomping behind the larger woman as they traverse the tunnels with the guidance of the flickering torches serving as an occasional beacon.

Jessyn lets the silence stretch on, broken only by the rhythmic beat of their footsteps on the narrow path of the tunnels and the occasional fizzle of the torch as the flame strikes an air pocket. When they come to the door some time later, she pauses and looks behind her to check on Naoi.

Naoi is still her quiet shadow, escorting the keybearer through the tunnels. When Jessyn looks back, Naoi nods her head.

Ascending the few steps up, the key twists again in this other lock, revealing the cramped, dark little hut beyond. Jessyn stands aside to allow Naoi passage, holding the flame back to avoid setting anything on fire, shuts, and locks the door behind her. "One more thing, before we go on," she says. Moving to the corner, she takes what looks like a pair of walking sticks from the shadows. Looking as normal as anything can be, at the same time, they're hefty enough to be a weapon. "I know you can use this. I am not to give it to you, but... you may need it, depending on what happens, and I do not wish to worry for the both of us." She passes one to Naoi, along with a brief smile. "A token of my trust."

Naoi nods her understanding, taking the staff from the woman, leaning her weight on the heavy walking stick. "Thank you, Sister." She reaches back, pulling the hood up on her head, shadowing her face.

Click, click, click. There are certainly enough locks around this place. Jessyn frees the door out onto the open plains and steps out. "Time to roll, Sister. I hope you're ready for it."

Aegiskeep Grounds - 


 * ''The Verdant Plains is the collective name given to the regions of wide, open, and generally unremarkable grasslands and prairies that cover a large majority of Fastheld's central and southern geography, such as the rolling vista of green that reaches out across this particular area.


 * ''They are regions of relatively low relief where the vegetation is dominated by verdant grasses and other herbaceous plants, with the occasional shrub or tree adding a touch of variety to an otherwise endless ocean of short grasses, gentle slopes, and low rises.


 * ''The Verdant Plains are generally indistinguishable from each other, and though overland travel across them is usually easy going, it is often difficult to get an accurate bearing on your current location, given the utter lack of any real landmarks to use as a reference point.


 * ''Both flora and fauna alike are bountiful in these regions of land, making them excellent prowling grounds for hunters and rangers alike. They also make for excellent horse country, or as a place to seek retreat from the rest of the world when one needs to lose themselves in nature, though offer little shelter from the elements.


 * ''For the most part, it seems like the plains roll away in every direction, and whatever rests beyond the horizon is fit to be discovered by exploration if one does not have a map on hand.

Naoi's walking stick tapping on the ground as she follows gives her away.

Jessyn considers Naoi a moment before giving a brief nod. "A couple of travelers, nothing more." She sets the pace at a brisk walk eastward, towards the road and following the direction they took last time towards Aegisport.

"I understand, Sister... you said the town will support us then?" Naoi asks, as they move toward their destination.

"Certain parts of it will," Jessyn agrees. "We are expected, and those who are on our side will be waiting for us. They will guide us, but releasing the Touched to the Light must be our duty."

Naoi nods, brow furrowing. "Who is this mage you speak of? What does the Touched look like?"

"I don't know," Jessyn admits. "I am leading this one... but I was not given those specifics. I only know who I am to seek out once we get there. If I remember correctly, though, he is not even Marked."

"A man then..." Naoi responds, nodding. "We will see then."

"Yes, a man," Jessyn agrees, and looks curiously back at Naoi. "See what?"

"What further information is available." Naoi responds in face of that.

Jessyn laughs quietly at that, and nods. "Yes, I suppose we will. That is all part and parcel of discovering the unknown, isn't it?"

"Absolutely." Naoi responds with a fond smile. "One could say almost all of it."

Jessyn returns that smile, and as they come upon the road, turns them towards the gate to Aegisport. "This way. We'll catch the carriage." Surprisingly simple for a task like this one. You head into Merchant District.

Naoi laughs at that, but does not state the irony of such a simple thing to take them to such an important mission. Does it need saying?

Not really, it doesn't. One way or another, though, it seems to be dragging Jessyn's spirits up to something approaching amiable, if not exactly lively. Though the streets are still filled with their share of people, even in the absence of the sun, not a one of them gives a second glance to the pair of travelers making their way towards the carriage hub.

Carriage - 37041


 * ''This carriage passenger compartment is rather cozy and informal, with a pair of shardwood benches facing each other and open windows on either side that can be somewhat inconvenient during inclement weather.

Naoi sets the staff against the seat, stretching her legs out.

Jessyn, for her part, presses herself against the wall of the carriage so she can see out the window as the world passes by, and draws her hood a little farther down over her face.

Naoi likewise looks out the window, on the other side.

"Nervous?" Jessyn asks at length, her gaze shifting to Naoi this time.

"Of course, I'd be a fool not too." Naoi states, looking back to Jessyn. "I am ready though, and that matters more then anything."

Jessyn smiles slightly and nods. "Yes, I suppose it does." With a bit of a shrug, she looks out the window again. Possibly searching for chitters to herald their good luck.

Naoi has disconnected.

Naoi reaches up, brushing the short hair from her eyes, not at all looking for any black chitters for luck. No, the starless sky has her attention, sitting heavy under the six eyes.

As the carriage rattles to a stop, Jessyn gets to her feet and braces one hand on the door frame to lower herself out. She smiles reassuringly as she touches ground.

Road's End Carriage Hub - 


 * ''The mainline Carriage Hub of the township of Road's End is a large station built of polished redwood and flax-hued riveroak timbers that acts as both a hub of transportation within the Empire, but also as a place where carriages can be constructed and repaired when not in use.


 * ''Like many other carriage stops in Fastheld, this carriage hub is not only roofed, but also mostly indoors, with carriages stored in coach-house styled bays until needed to ensure that wealthy Nobles and pragmatic Freelanders alike need not be subjected to the elements while waiting for a carriage to take them to where they need to be.


 * ''The scent of leather and timber hangs in the air without every really being unpleasant, reminding those who wait here of the dual-role that the Carriage Hub serves, while one might occasionally get a glimpse of carpenters delivering various parts for construction, blacksmiths delivering metal rims and bolts for wheels and carriage axes, and - if one is lucky enough - brand new carriages, freshly painted, being rolled out for distribution.

Naoi follows after, taking a deep breath of the cold night air. "I am ready..."

"Who are you trying to convince?" Jessyn asks softly. "Draw up your hood. Best to be safe."

They are not alone in the carriage hub, though it is mostly empty. Two figures, cloaked in dark wool much like their own, sit on benches. They seem to be waiting. When Jessyn comes into view, they rise to their feet and nod their heads in greeting, though there are no words until they get close enough to speak without running the risk of being overheard by so much as a particularly nosey flea. "Lightbringers?" one of them--a man's voice--asks.

It seems to be some code, or some keyword. Jessyn nods her head, yes. "It is us. Who..?"

"The man's name is Taran," comes the hushed reply, accompanied by a nod towards the town.

It is fortunate that Naoi had pulled her hood up, as the name draws shadows across the smooth plane of her features. The lips thin, a thoughtful scowl, head turning to look toward town.

Jessyn nods, slowly, taking no notice of Naoi's change in expression. "Taran who?"

"Longshadow," the man replies. "Taran Longshadow, the local cobbler."

"And how will we recognize him?"

The other figure speaks this time, and the voice is definitely feminine. "We will guide you to him. But there is only so much we can do. The others will assist, but the responsibility is yours."

"Yes, of course." Jessyn nods briskly. "It is the prerogative of the... er... Lightbringers to do such things. Lead on."

Naoi nods, a quiet reinforcement of Jessyn's command.

Silently, the two figures lead on, hunching their heads down close to their shoulders and playing very much the part of the chilly traveler. Likewise, Jessyn tucks her own cloak tighter about her and falls into step with them, beckoning Naoi after them. One hand tugs once more at her hood, a nervous little gesture. Just in case.

Return to Season 8 (2008)

Continue to Mercy's Flame, Part II