LORE: Training a Hell Hound (MATURE)

[Emora Deen]

Tenele thought for a moment as her expression turned very torn. She rested her hands in her lap, her eyes glancing down at the floor. Then, her hand once again raised and smoothed the hell hounds fur. "We can't just let him suffer," she whispered. "Its cruel. We have to do something... Isn't there someone who can fix him? What type of person would that be?" She didn't want to see Stalker so unlike himself. She liked him, even if he had been very annoying at first. She felt very safe with him, and he was her pet, whether he'd consider himself one or not.

Tenele sat on her heals, looking exhausted. Dirty, bloody, and banged up, her hurt arm was draped against her lap. "Maybe I can heal him? I can try. I'm not nearly as good as Talon since I never use it, but I can try..." There was no telling what trying to heal a dark beast would do to her, if anything at all, but she was willing to try if Vlad thought it wuold work.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad shook his head. "It's unlikely to make him any worse, but I doubt it will work either. He's not made of flesh. He's not even undead like I am. I don't even think Sinead could do anything about it. Frankly, of the short list of mortals I can think of who know enough about dark magic to even think about this, I can't think of any who would be pleasant to talk to."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele tilted her head back towards Vlad, her green eyes flickering up to him. "I don't want him to suffer, Vlad. We have to do something, we can't just let him decay until he's dead," she whispered. Her eyes looked so tired that she appeared to be on the verge of falling a sleep any moment. She put a hand to her face and shook her head, blinking her eyes. Giving a heavy sigh she stood up, maybe a bit too quickly, and lost her footing. It was just now reaching midday. The battle had happened early in the morning, and she was already exhausted to the point of being unable to function. She just couldn't sleep now though, even if she wanted to very much. There was too much to do.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad stepped sideways and caught her balance for her, drawing his arms around her and bringing her in against his chest. "I'll do what I can for him. But meanwhile, you need rest," he said. "There may be no way to fix stalker, but we can fix you." He released her and made to lead her toward the bed.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele let Vlad lead her to the large circular bed in the center of the room partly surrounded by the ebony sheer curtain. She crawled up onto the matress and the silk sheets even as she was protesting against sleep. "I have too much to do," she murmered as fell over onto her back. Her eyes fluttered opn and she stared up at Vlad. There was a large window in the ceiling, and the white fluffy clouds above her head had a grayer tent to them than they had earlier. Almost stormy. But, in the desert? Her eyes blinked a bit more slowly. "I need too..." And she was out, completely and utterly out. A fragile looking woman wrapped in dirty clothes laying on the most expensive looking bed she'd ever touched in her life.

* * *

Atul stepped out onto the main staircase leading into the palace. His men had drawn him there and he watched as they lassoed the statue in the center of the courtyard. They pulled and tugged pulled some more.Behind them was a dark black menacing looking cloud. Rain coming from off the coast, so rare yet not completely unheard of. Fero came to stand beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder as he watched his men pull down the peice of art. Even if it was Verin, he could be sad about the fact that slaves and talented men had created such a feet of engineering. His men heaved once more, roaring as they brought the limestone statue crashing to the ground.

"A storm," Fero whispered. "The oracle predicted such a thing. She was right."

"Have her brought from the outercamp, we wouldn't want her stranded in the desert during the storm," Atul replied, his dark eyes watching his men as they celebrated the defeat of the sculpture. Atul smiled at Fero. "And tonight, my friend, we enjoy victory. Tomorrow... we rebuild an empire."

"And where does Ighten stand in all of this?"

"Allies, of course," Atul replied, not quite sure what Fero meant by the question.

Fero smiled. "That is good to hear, my friend," he muttered as he descended the steps. "Already you are a much better ruler than the last King."

Atul blinked then, for it suddenly accured to him that he did not know if his family was dead or not. What of his sister? His mind took a sour turn then, for he could not harbor all ill feelings towards her. He had truely cared for her, even if her cruelty knew no bounds, as did their father's. The thought of her being dead... What was he to do about such a thing? Lose his sister, or lose his kingdom?

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad smirked at how quickly the maiden had fallen asleep. He stood over her for a long minute, watching her scratched-up features as she slept. She'd been through a lot. It was rather miraculous that she was alive. He wasn't there to stop Verin's plot to attack her, but she'd figured it out on her own. She'd even saved him. Not a great day for his ego, but he couldn't complain about the outcome.

He turned toward the door and raised an eyebrow at Stalker, who had managed to lift his head and was looking intently at Tenele's bed. His front claws curled against the couch as if to pull himself up, cutting effortless gashes in the expensive upholstery.

"Forget it," Vlad said. "She's safe. You stay put."

The wolf relaxed slowly and dropped his head back to the cushion, looking at Vlad now.

"If you're waiting for me to get soft on you, think again. What use do I have for a servant that can't move?" Vlad asserted as he turned and left the room, locking the door from the inside as he went.

He teleported back to where preparations were underway for the feast. They seemed to enjoy eating in this country. The vampire ignored the festivities and made his way outside just as a thundering crash shook the foundations of the castle. He spotted Atul and Fero on the stairs while the men set to work dismantling the statue they'd just roped down.

The vampire frowned at the two men, but set his jaw and approached them. Just as he reached Atul's side, however, Fero made his way off. Vlad stopped in the place Fero had just been and crossed his arms. He watched the departing man for a moment, but then seemed to change his mind about something and glance up at the sky impatiently. "Is that normal?" he asked Atul as he took note of the overcast sky.

[Emora Deen]

Atul turned his eyes up to the blackening sky. “Rare, but not totally uncommon,” Atul told him. “Still, carries with it an eerie feel, doesn’t it?” He reached up and pulled his shoulder length black hair back and tied with a leather cord. His eyes were a warm swirl of honey and brown, a shocking contrast to the vivid electric blue they held when he gave into his power. “Look at them… I’ve never seen them so happy.”

He suddenly glanced around Vlad, half expecting the poor weary half-elf to be leaning against something, but still there in the midst of it all. “Tenele?”

[Soran Nightblade]

"Resting," Vlad answered. "The hound is with her." He didn't bother to elaborate on the fact that the hound wasn't there to protect her at the moment. He joined the prince in staring at the sky for a few moments. "This is abrupt, but if things are under control here, we need to return to Ighten as soon as possible."

[Emora Deen]

Atul smirked. “Not going to stay and celebrate?” he asked him before looking back to his men. “Well, we can see if we can get in touch with your Queen, maybe she can get you home? I doubt you want to trust Fero with your traveling arrangements again, and that leaves a ship as your only other option.”

There was a flash of white lightening, and it webbed out across the sky. Atul’s face tilted up, watching as the black cloud moved across the city. “And I doubt you want to take a ship out now.” His voice was gentle, almost musing as he watched the rain grow closer.

[Soran Nightblade]

"If there's no one else who can perform a spell to send us there, then yes, we'll be borrowing one of your ships." Vlad looked over at Atul. "You seem very calm for a new-crowned king," he smirked. "No cold feet?"

[Emora Deen]

Atul glanced back at him, his eyes lingering on Vlad's red irises for a moment. Then, with a sigh he looked back to the clouds. "I guess I am a little... amazed that everyting has happened so fast. I mean, it hasn't happened fast. I guess, since we won, it felt too easy. Then, again, we cheated." He grinned, shaking his head as the thought came to him. "I guess I'm just a little shell shocked that we actually managed to overthrow a God's rule on the capital... I'm happy we won, just a little to slow to admit we won without retaliation. You can have whatever ship you desire. I'll lend you a crew and all the supplies you need."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad nodded his appreciation at the new king's offer. "After the storm, then," he confirmed, though he didn't sound pleased with the plan. Sure, after the storm, they could bob their way toward Ighten. They needed to go at one time or another anyway, but if the real purpose for their immediate departure was Stalker, the rush would almost certainly be in vain. Reaching Ighten by ship could take upwards of two weeks, assuming a cooperative wind. The hound probably didn't have that long. But, he thought, the last thing he could picture himself doing was endangering himself and Tenele by seeking Fero's assistance, all over some demonic familiar.

"I can't trust Fero with this task again," Vlad mused aloud, although Atul hadn't pressed him about it.

[Emora Deen]

Atul laughed softly. "I honestly don't blame you, even if there is nothing to fear. You're right not to let someone try and burn you twice," he admitted. "Even if Fero was the one who did as you say he did, if he were able to do it again, I truly fear what Verin would have in store for the two of you now that you've done this to his kingdom." The black cload was almost over the palace, and Atul began to step backwards inside the safety of the foyer to the palace as the rain pored down. "Looks like they won't beat the storm." He could see Fero now, cursing the rain as he tried to get the Oracle to someplace dry.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad joined Atul in stepping out of the rain as it swept across the sandy city. Steam rose up off the streets as the water cooled the hot stone and sand, and washed away the remains of the thousands who had been vaporized earlier. "I think I'll go enjoy the rain," Vlad said casually, leaving Atul's side to walk along the huge veranda that covered the front of the castle. He walked until he reached a dead end where a row of pillars ended the huge walkway.

"We did it, Queenie," the vampire thought to himself, but he knew he wasn't really thinking to only himself. I'm still not sure why you gave me this chance, but it worked out well... Queenie, you thought so too, right? My little pet's behavior wasn't normal. Without me, he should have gone berserk. Instead he protected both of us. It makes it slightly more complicated to make a practical decision here. But life is life, and Fero isn't an option. So unless you have a better plan, we'll be setting sail when the rains end."

Vlad stood for a minute and listened to the steady fall of the rain. Sinead hadn't spoken through their link before, so he wasn't surprised she didn't now. Besides, he knew she wouldn't disagree. There was no other way to return. If she thought otherwise, well, she'd better find a way to convey that to her by the time the rain stopped.

[Emora Deen]

Fero came at the head of a procession of women surrounding a single person who was veilded and hooded in purple. Fero was drenched, as was everyone, except for the figure in the middle. She was covered in an umbrella rimmed in gold tassels. "Well, seems you didn't beat the rain friend," Atul greated Fero as he passed through into the palace.

"Haha," Fero muttered as he narrowed his eyes and passed the prince. The procession followed passed him and wound up the stairs out of site. Atul leaned against the large door frame, watching the rain pore down. Many of his men had stopped to stand in it, since it was so rare to see. He himself watched it with a mild look of admiration. Rain was beautiful, and oddly peaceful, in many ways.