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Along the walk to Sestra, Mhaaj killed the time by appraising several new items he acquired from his escapades into the demonic-infested Argyle Keep. The magical things he had gained would fetch a rather high price of stags amongst the inhabitants of Sestra's tower.
With items at the ready, Mhaaj entered the tower, proceeding immediately to the clerk. In his absent-minded haste, the young wizard accidentally bumped into a gentleman looking around inside the tower.
"Ah! Pardon me, my apologies!" The young wizard did his best to repent for his unintentional behavior.
"No problem," the male stranger replied forgivingly. He raised his arms and channeled divine energies into the young wizard, healing some cuts that went unnoticed. Mhaaj replied thankfully in kind.
"Your concern is appreciated, kind sir. My thanks. Are you a new disciple among the Black Hand?"
The stranger threw up his hands in a negative response. "No way! Never will be, either!"
The young wizard glared at the stranger in heightened suspicion. "You don't support the Black Hand.. yet, here you are. In their very own city. In their very own tower.."
The stranger quickly responded to attempt to dispel Mhaaj's increasing distrust. "I'm not an enemy of the Banites! I'm just a common person. Are you.. one of them?" The stranger asked inquisitively.
Mhaaj's gaze shortened, not falling for the stranger's sense of naiveté. "I have friends amongst them. I show them proper respect on their territory, as will you." The wizard took a step towards the stranger, backing him up against the wall of the shop behind him.
"Of course! I try to show everyone respect.. "
Ceasing his advancement towards the stranger, Mhaaj reeled back. "Good.. see to it that you do." As he moved toward the door behind the stranger, Mhaaj's hand moved to a pocket inside his magical robe, procuring a small, intricate key.
"I am new here in Sundren, my new God gave me a dream of a floating city, and there I went. " The stranger's words barely caught Mhaaj's ear as the wizard began to enter into the adjacent room. Mhaaj stopped for just a moment, holding the door open.
"Oh? Just what god would that be?" Mhaaj tilted his head inquisitively.
The stranger paused for a moment.
"Umm.. Helm."
Mhaaj's look of distrust grew even larger as he closed the door to approach the stranger closely once again. The wizard flicked his wrist and muttered a foreign word, shooting a bolt of negative energy at the ground near the stranger. An undead creature quickly materialized, snarling hungrily at the stranger.
"No! I mean Colibrus!" The stranger's bluffs would carry him no further. "I-I was seduced.. by a vampire.. I've had no luck finding her!"
Mhaaj lifted his arm in a commanding manner towards the hungry, flesh-eating creature, ready to proclaim the stranger as an attacker. "Speak of this vampire! What was her name?!"
"I don't know! I don't even know what she looks like! It was all just a daze.." The stranger broke down, no longer attempting to deceive the young wizard and his minion. "I can't get her out of my mind.. I can't sleep, I've barely eaten.. I've sworn ties to Colibrus to find this vampire. If she is not here, then damn Colibrus to the Nine Hells, for I will look somewhere else.."
Mhaaj stood in silence for a moment, considering his options. The wizard dismissed the flesh-eating creature back to whence it came, stepping close enough to the stranger to stare him directly in the eye.
".. get the hell out of here. I don't want to see you around here again." Once again, Mhaaj moved towards the door behind the stranger. The young wizard opened the thick door and slammed it shut behind him, locking it. He sighed and shook his head.
".. Ruby?"
With items at the ready, Mhaaj entered the tower, proceeding immediately to the clerk. In his absent-minded haste, the young wizard accidentally bumped into a gentleman looking around inside the tower.
"Ah! Pardon me, my apologies!" The young wizard did his best to repent for his unintentional behavior.
"No problem," the male stranger replied forgivingly. He raised his arms and channeled divine energies into the young wizard, healing some cuts that went unnoticed. Mhaaj replied thankfully in kind.
"Your concern is appreciated, kind sir. My thanks. Are you a new disciple among the Black Hand?"
The stranger threw up his hands in a negative response. "No way! Never will be, either!"
The young wizard glared at the stranger in heightened suspicion. "You don't support the Black Hand.. yet, here you are. In their very own city. In their very own tower.."
The stranger quickly responded to attempt to dispel Mhaaj's increasing distrust. "I'm not an enemy of the Banites! I'm just a common person. Are you.. one of them?" The stranger asked inquisitively.
Mhaaj's gaze shortened, not falling for the stranger's sense of naiveté. "I have friends amongst them. I show them proper respect on their territory, as will you." The wizard took a step towards the stranger, backing him up against the wall of the shop behind him.
"Of course! I try to show everyone respect.. "
Ceasing his advancement towards the stranger, Mhaaj reeled back. "Good.. see to it that you do." As he moved toward the door behind the stranger, Mhaaj's hand moved to a pocket inside his magical robe, procuring a small, intricate key.
"I am new here in Sundren, my new God gave me a dream of a floating city, and there I went. " The stranger's words barely caught Mhaaj's ear as the wizard began to enter into the adjacent room. Mhaaj stopped for just a moment, holding the door open.
"Oh? Just what god would that be?" Mhaaj tilted his head inquisitively.
The stranger paused for a moment.
"Umm.. Helm."
Mhaaj's look of distrust grew even larger as he closed the door to approach the stranger closely once again. The wizard flicked his wrist and muttered a foreign word, shooting a bolt of negative energy at the ground near the stranger. An undead creature quickly materialized, snarling hungrily at the stranger.
"No! I mean Colibrus!" The stranger's bluffs would carry him no further. "I-I was seduced.. by a vampire.. I've had no luck finding her!"
Mhaaj lifted his arm in a commanding manner towards the hungry, flesh-eating creature, ready to proclaim the stranger as an attacker. "Speak of this vampire! What was her name?!"
"I don't know! I don't even know what she looks like! It was all just a daze.." The stranger broke down, no longer attempting to deceive the young wizard and his minion. "I can't get her out of my mind.. I can't sleep, I've barely eaten.. I've sworn ties to Colibrus to find this vampire. If she is not here, then damn Colibrus to the Nine Hells, for I will look somewhere else.."
Mhaaj stood in silence for a moment, considering his options. The wizard dismissed the flesh-eating creature back to whence it came, stepping close enough to the stranger to stare him directly in the eye.
".. get the hell out of here. I don't want to see you around here again." Once again, Mhaaj moved towards the door behind the stranger. The young wizard opened the thick door and slammed it shut behind him, locking it. He sighed and shook his head.
".. Ruby?"