Esylana: The winter snow had fallen fresh in the night. She had wandered her way back to camp later in the evening, and while she initially had regretted the decision to go off into the forest without her cloak, the frozen landscape left a sense of purging. Her anger, her sadness, her frustration, all of had slowly leaked away as she wandered the snow and let her mind wander to places she no longer knew. 'Your life is not forfeit - you are not some tool to be used or manipulated into death!' Nita's words had stung with a pain Esylana could relate with, and that pain had come in waves throughout the day, but always a little bit less until, as she returned to the camp and found a place to snuggle by the fire, she was numb. It was the numbness she would have to embrace when the time came. Abandon everything and release yourself to your Fate, and you'd find you could swallow the most bitter of medicines. The next morning, she wasn't keen on interacting with the others quite yet, so she'd wandered over to the garden on the other side of the pond and was busy...doing what? It was winter, it was dead. She shook her head and simply tried to look busy anyways. Gathering twigs here and there, though they were absolutely useless as fuel for a fire.

CrystalOnyx: -Crystal had been in the wagon all day, snuggled under the heavy blanket. Last night was eventful; getting trapped in a bear trap, being saved by Zenra in her takeover form, being hauled back by the hound. Her foot and ankle were sore, the cuts on her leg bandaged. A purple and black bruise peaked out of the bandage as it grew over night. She hadn't even tried to walk on, let alone put a boot on it. She had finally woken up from slumber, throwing the blanket off and handing her legs off the bed. She couldn't hear anyone outside, but she pulled on one boot onto her good foot and began to hop to the door. The wagon shook some as she moved, soon opening the door to the brisk outside. She still refused to wear any type of coat or cloak. She sat down on the top of the steps and gazed around. She finally noticed Esylana tending to the garden? It was dead, what was she doing over there?- "Esylana!" -She called over to the woman to get her attention.- "Come over here please!"

Esylana: She heard her name being called, and looked up to see it was Crystal. The one person who had avoided the drama of yesterday's breakfast. She sighed ever so gently, hesitating. She didn't quite feel like herself. There was something so tempting about that numbness she'd experienced yesterday. It was so clean and pure...but she felt a pang of regret then. Crystal was her friend, and confidant. Of course she couldn't just leave her hanging there like that. So she abandoned the soggy twigs she'd gathered and made her way to the wagon, eyeballing the wound on Crystal's leg. "Uhm...what happened to you?" Her brow furrowed with concern, had something happened while she was away? If it had, she knew her guilt, while fleeting, would only return ten-fold.

CrystalOnyx: -Crystal watched Esylana approtch, maybe she should have tried to put a boot on. She didn't want to worry her friend more than she already was. She pulled her dress down almost to try and cover the bandage and the growing bruise under it. Struggling to make eye contact she soon sighed.- "While I took my walk I found a bear trap in the snow. That's why I was gone for so many hours." -She looked to Esylana's face, noticing the lack of emotion. There must be a lot going on in her mind right now. Crystal wasn't there to hear the tongue lashing that Zenra and the other woman had given Esylana. Was it even the right time to bring it up again?-

Esylana: "A bear trap? In these woods?" Esylana's brow furrowed even further, if that was even possible, and she shook her head. "Oh Crystal, you're about as clumsy as I was when I was......was..." Was what? Where had that come from? She didn't remember being clumsy at all, when she was back in Aegara. "Nevermind..." she murmured, momentarily disoriented again. Perhaps she shouldn't have been out in the snow all that long after all.

Rheksas: “Oh boy. Here I go killing again,” said Rheksas, on the trail of his most recent quarry. The blood led him far into the wilderness, where he loped over logs, wound a path around trees, and generally did everything he could to keep pace with a wounded man in fighting leathers up ahead. He was closing the distance quickly, however; the poor fellow could scarcely continue for much longer. He was hurt, winded, and most importantly, he was afraid. Of what? Well, that had yet to be seen. “Please, anyone! Help me!” he screamed at the top of his lungs, his mind broken with terror as he tripped over his own feet and faceplanted into a clump of mud. Crystal of all people could see some ways in the distance how a man in black armor closed in on him, brandishing a wicked longsword that was positively lousy with glowing runic script. The leatherd man drew a shorter blade and staggered to his feet. With some trepidation, he began to fight off the fellow. Metal touched metal as they broke the treeline, the longer of the two implements dominating the shorter. Rheksas, the black-armored man, easily batted his weapon aside in a series of overpowering blows. Eventually, the stinging sensation running up his arms was too much and he faltered – just long enough for Rheksas to split open his forearm with a vicious cut and disarm him. The man stammered some fearful reply and fell in a twirl onto his belly, at that time within crawling distance of Crystal. He looked to her with pleading eyes, searching for something, anything that might see him spared of this cruel fate. A booted foot slammed onto the small of his back, pinning him in place as a wicked blade drove into his spine, severing it neatly and ending his life in a spurt of blood. It was then and only then that Rheksas, maybe just a few yards the pair of women, noticed they were even there. His scarred face lit up with a smile. “Hello there!” he said. “Nice weather we’re having!”

CrystalOnyx: -Crystal blinked at Esylana's reply, was she going somewhere with it or had she forgotten? She shook her head as her friend said 'nevermind'.- "What were you. ." -She stopped mid-sentance as she looked passed Esylana and noticed two men fighting. She froze where she sat as the man being attacked neared them and soon crawled on the ground. She could only watch as the second man severed the first man's spine with his sword. A ragged breath escaped her as she slid down the stairs and stood on the ground even with her hurt foot. She stood infront of Esylana, her face holding back the pain.- "Who the hell are you?" -She questioned, never have before cussed infront of her friends. Her ice blue eyes stared into the face of the surviving man as she help back the strong pain of her injured foot.-

Esylana: It would be an understatement to say Esylana was shocked when she also turned and witnessed the brutal murder of the man before them. Soldier of the Empire or not, the Grove was something of a sacred place where death was, if at all possible, forbidden to enter. But now, this had happened, and without fair warning, or justice. Or so it seemed. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm as she nodded once, curtly, in acknowledgement of the man who stood before them, before looking at him with a fire contained only in her eyes. She said nothing, only waited for him to answer Crystal's succinct question.

Rheksas: The stranger’s smile was unerring. He was a man of middling height, pale and lean and garbed in a suit of half-plate stained darker than night. He had a long face dominated by a nose perhaps better classified as a beak. His features were gaunt and hollow, his silver eyes sunken into deep, bruised sockets and his large ears popped out a little too much on the sides. A series of scars drew up his face on the left side, leaving a particularly deep one in line to part the greasy, tangled mop that was his hair. Simply put, he looked ill. So ill he might keel over at any moment. “Me? Oh, well I’m called Rheksas,” he admitted freely. “I’m here to hunt down this forward scout. Works for some empire or another.” Seeing that they weren’t armed, he sheathed his blade on his back – a blade that was suspiciously devoid of blood – and proceeded to kneel down at the corpse and produce a wicked-looking knife. “I need to take his ear as proof of his demise, and normally I would – wait a second, why am I telling you this?” he laughed, slicing into the man’s ear without the slightest hesitation.

Guest_taylerross: -Reaper was feeling much better after feeding off of the grey weirdo the night prior. So much so, that he had went out for a hunt. It was cold, and most animals either traveled away or was preparing for the deep sleep. Thankfully, Reaper had captured a few snow hares with the help of his trusty senses. The usual major asshole was a bit softer today, after realizing the fragile-ness of certain situations and certain human clumsy women. (-cough cough-) But alas, as the thought even entered his mind, the large dark being stopped in his tracks. Blood. 'Why is it always when I'm away?' A guttural growl rumbled from him as he began to walk much faster towards the camp. The dark void-filled hues stared passed a tree, as he crouched behind it. Taking in the details of what was unfolding. A dead body...a man ontop of a dead body. Obviously a fresh kill...and the two women not so far from him. The large curled horns rested against the bark, as a the smoke from a sigh filled the air infront of him. Reaper waited, watching this stranger so close to his human...and other lady. This was his territory, the Hound already marked his scent in a mile radius around it. Reaper didn't like that others had passed his barriers, but he still waited. Watching. Listening. Tracking his possible prey.-

CrystalOnyx: -Crystal couldn't keep her weight on her foot anymore as she crashed to her knees. She was weak, what could she do if the man attacked? Then again this was just a scout from the Empire, it didn't matter to her whether they were killed or not. She bit her cheek as she tried to stand, this time putting all her weight on her good foot. She watched as the man sliced into the corpse's cartilage and took its ear.- "You were the one blabbering. . You don't look so well. ." -She noticed his sick-looking face, almost as if he was already dead and walking. It reminded her of Zenra, but he seemed to be human.-

Esylana : "Okay. You need to get back to bed," Esylana suddenly said, looking sternly at Crystal. She wrapped an arm around her friend, trying to support her. She then looked back at Rheksas and sighed. "I appreciate-..." That was a strong word, she didn't appreciate death in the slightest. "While I can understand the hatred for the Empire - I share it as well - we try not to kill soldiers here in the Grove. It can get us arrested, or banned from the village, where we help the poor folk there." She didn't add that the soldiers were men, too, with loved ones and friends. She might disagree with what was happening in the world, but some of these men were caught up in what they were doing, with no opportunity to do otherwise.

Rheksas: He took the ear in one clean slice, tucking both it and the knife away as he stood to address the pair in earnest. That smile of his never faltered, someplace between an easygoing smirk and the kind of shit-eating grin one got when they knew more than they were letting on. “I’m feeling fine, thank you,” he said first to Crystal before turning his gaze to Esylana. Those eyes were profoundly sad despite his cheery expression, as though they belonged to someone who was dead but still walking around. “Oh I don’t hate this man,” he replied. “I feel nothing for him, truth be told. It’s just work, is all. Someone’s paying for these ears and I plan on making bank.” It was then he noticed Crystal’s injury. “You ladies alright?”

Aeternita: As for Nita, she was some distance away from the camp by now, trudging through the snow. She held the hood of her cloak tight around her face, her wings plastered against her back beneath it's thick material. Her mind racing with all sorts of denial infused thoughts, she can't begin to fathom that what Esy said earlier was the only option for her. It's those thoughts that have her now trudging through the deep snow covered forest, her heart filled with unwavering determination to find a way to help Esy in her mission and also save her life. If she could even trust what The Oracle told her, she had potential even without her magic, potential that lied within the strength of her heart and her hope. Nita was confident that if she followed her heart and continued to hope she'd make the right choices. The problem was, she had no idea where to begin...she needed to find out more about the ritual and exactly how it worked, but to do that it meant traveling into the cities and seeking out one of the Empire controled libraries. Was that even possible for her to do looking the way she does..? She shook away those doubtful thoughts and continued on.

Guest_taylerross: -Seeing he wasn't much of a threat, Reaper stood to his feet yet again. Slinging the hares over his back, he walked towards the fire "They are fine." He said loud enough for the stranger to hear. Dropping the hares onto the furs, Reaper turned towards him and folded his arms over his chest. Eyes narrowing as he studied the males figure "A human?" The figure questioned, his tongue running along the inside of his serrated teeth.-

CrystalOnyx: -She leaned on Esylana as she offered her help, a sigh coming from her.- "I need to change the bandages before anything." -She mumbled some, looking up to the new man once more.- "I'm. ." -She was cut off by a famililar voice that was coming closer. She looked passed the new man to Reaper and shook her head. Of course he had to bud in. She felt small amoung the tall men and even Esylana was a bit taller. She soon turned and sat down on the steps of the wagon, she started to unravel her bandages as her dark purple and black bruise grew bigger over her whole ankle area and up her leg some.-

Esylana: Esylana winced, kneeling down to help with the bandages, before nodding. "I'll go get the honey and some aloe for the pain...and comfrey for that bruise, I think." She nodded, gathering her skirts as she stepped up into the wagon to gather the supplies. "Can someone handle the man who was killed, by the way? He should probably be dropped near enough the road for someone to find him..." She paused in her work to put water on to boil for tea, before coming back out and starting to apply the honey to fresh bandages, along with the aloe.

Rheksas: Rheksas turned slowly to level his gaze on the… creature that just spoke to him. What was he looking at? A hand went to rustling through his greasy tangle of hair, gloved fingers playing idly with some of the ratty braids. “I am human, yes,” he answered after a short pause, during which everyone could see the gears turning in his head as he tried to process the situation. “I am what you see I suppose.” Just as quickly, his attention was torn from this Reaper fellow and back onto Esylana. “Did you say honey? I’d like some honey. For milk. Please?”

Guest_taylerross: -Reaper huffed in annoyance as he shook his head slowly. Seeing that human-womanly attitude come from crystal, immediately killed his good mood. "What?" 'So much for trying to help. I should have snapped your neck already.' Reaper sat down on the furs, muttering to himself as he began to skin the hares.-

CrystalOnyx: -Crystal leaned back against the steps as Esylana coated her wounds in honey and aloe, soon wrapping it back up. She blinked as Reaper seemed annoyed for some reason. She let out another sigh and stood slowly. She wobbled back into the wagon as she added tea leaves to the kettle of boiling water. She left the door open so she could still interact even though she didn't really have anything else to say. She heard the man's request and glanced to Esylana to see if she would answer him. This wasn't exactly her home, she was just staying here with them. It beats being a slave anytime of the week.-

Esylana: "Well," Esylana begins as she starts to pack away her supplies. "We use honey as a means to fight infection - little known healer's secret," she winks at Rheksas. "But...I'm sure my mentor, Alaihandra, won't mind if I spare you some." She reaches into her basket and hands him a small jar. Then again, she thinks, even as she hands it to him, it could be a very long winter. And Crystal was -so- very accident-prone...

Rheksas: Rheksas took the jar gladly, looking every bit the part of a child as that smile of his extended into a big, dopey grin. “That’s very kind of you,” he said, holding the jar close to his heart. “And it’s a kindness I won’t forget.” Whatever he meant by that was anyone’s guess, but that grin remained as he turned, stepped over the body, and made his way back to the treeline.

CrystalOnyx: -As she noticed Rheksas leaving she called out to him.- "Take your body with you!" -She continued to pour herself some tea and pulled a cup down for Esylana. Her leg was getting a bit tired as she moved to the ledge of the wagon and held out the up of tea to Esylana.-

Esylana: Esylana took the tea and sipped it quietly, taking a moment to collect herself. The man was odd. There was something about him. She couldn't place it. But a part of her liked him. And hoped he would be alright. Then she sighed. "We'll have to do something about that body...If I take it, I might get arrested," she says, clearly unaware that the soldiers are already looking in earnest for her.

CrystalOnyx: -She plopped down on the bench as she sighed again.- "We can just find a hallow in a tree and put him there, the tree with get nutrients from decaying body." -She was nonchalant about it as she drank her tea.- "Could we talk when you get a moment also?"

Esylana: Esylana moaned as she looked at the dead body, it's spinal cord severed, it's ear missing, the man looked like he might have been undead at one point, but she knew that wasn't the case. She felt horrible. "This man had a family, we can't do that to them. We should take him to the edge of town so the patrol can find him and deal with him from there..."

CrystalOnyx: -Crystal was being heartless at this point.- "Why should we care? He chose to work for the Empire who enslaves and kills non-humans. Do you know what they would do if they found out what we're doing and who we've helped? We would be killed on spot, or tortured until we confessed." -She continued to drink her tea until it was gone, resting her back against the bench as she sighed.- "It was his choice, it's not our fault he was killed. And at least wait for someone who can help you carry him, because I can't right now." -She was irritated at the world, it showed in her voice as well.-

Esylana: She fell silent. Of course. This man was a scout as well, she could tell from his garb. He was probably looking to spy on the Grove, possibly looking to catch them in the very act of harboring non-humans. Esylana came up into the wagon and sat down, shaking her head. "Sorry, you're right...I don't know what's gotten into me lately."

CrystalOnyx: -She watched as Esylana climbed into the wagon and sat down.- "You have a lot on your mind, I can see it. But I wanted to bring up the master crystal again. You know damn well that none of us are going to let you sacrifice yourself it. Have you found anything that could replace you as a factor?"

Esylana: She closed her eyes and sighed deeply, shaking her head. "There isn't anything that could, it's not how this sort of magic works...it takes a sacrifice, and a great amount of elemental energy...I shouldn't have told you guys, I'm sorry. I should've just gone and done it without burdening any of you..." She looked over at Crystal with nothing but sadness and regret in her eyes.

CrystalOnyx: -She looked over into Esylana's face, seeing the sadness as she tried to keep stern.- "We could find someone else, it doesn't have to be you."

Esylana: The response was almost visceral as she stood up. "What?...How could I -ever-...live with myself. How could I EVER live with myself if I let someone else do this? I know what it takes, I know the consequences and the price, and no, no one else should go through with this...the real fight doesn't end with the Master Crystal, it ends when the Empire falls. When the Master Crystal is made...then begins the real war." She scowled, hating where this line of conversation was going. "It's too late now, I'm marked by one and a half of the four needed elements. It can't be stopped now, no matter how much we want to..."

CrystalOnyx: -She kept in her comment about cutting off her leg in as she sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.- "If I would've known I would have never went with you, and I would've never let you go there." -She shook her head.- "Do you even know who you would be leaving? Alaihandra, Zenra, Nita. . Me." -Not that she was important as everyone else, but maybe something would get through.-

Esylana: Esylana looked at Crystal in silence. It was silence, because something had gotten through to her. Finally. It was time. It was time to go, and do this. On her own. Alone. She had the spectacles. She had a map. She had her journal, she knew her way. But she said nothing about any of this, only nodded quietly. "You're right...of course you're right...And I don't want to leave you...I love you all, so much...you've made my life worthwhile, and I-..." And there came the tears. She'd felt numb earlier, but it had only been a cheap bandage to how much pain she felt about the entire ordeal. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

CrystalOnyx: -Crystal scooted over and got up on her good foot as she wrapped her arms around Esylana. She saw the sadness swelling up inside of her friend as she could hold her close.- "You're going to do it anyway. . Aren't you?" -She whispered softly near Esylana's ear.-

Esylana: "I'm sorry, Crystal...but I don't think I can keep my promise to you..." she whispered back, her voice breaking as she finally dissolved into sobs that made her body shake with the inner turmoil of it all. She wished she hadn't stayed, after she knew what she'd had to do. She didn't want to hurt people like this, but...couldn't they see it was for the good of all? Even themselves?

CrystalOnyx: "Alright. . ." -Her heart sank as she held the sobbing Esylana. Was there really nothing they could do? What would they do after Esylana was formed into the master crystal? They had to take out the Empire, but it seemed more than she could ever do.-