Rumors From Afar ((Finished))

[Kitty Love]

Palabizikorna had watched as one by one the new members of the resistance settled down for the night sinking slowly into the land of dreams, but she was yet to submit to this even though she was probably the one most in need of rest. She had not even permitted herself the opportunity to rest tired muscles and remained on her feet, her armor growing heavy and her muscles giving the slightest quiver, reminding her that it had been days since they'd seen proper rest. What had driven her here weighed on her mind so heavily that it did not permit her to rest, nor did she wish to voice it in front of the others, it was something that might... complicate things. Kaerjius would do what he saw fit with this tidbit and, even though she had but met him earlier, she trusted his opinion.

The Avenger moved from out of the shadows, the moonlight dancing over her form and reflecting off of her metallic shell and adding a faint glow to her tail tuft and other white parts of her coat. Dull grey visionaries scanned the surroundings for the winged canine pope, she knew he would still be awake as well it was just a matter of pinpointing his location, surely he had not ventured far.

[Jenn]

With his newly assembled congregation bedded down for the night, Kaerjius walked the perimeter of the abandoned cathedral, taking his time to patrol the unfamiliar area thoroughly. They wouldn't have to use this dilapidated building for long, not with so many of them to search for an appropriate church of their own, but for now it was an ideal staging area. He was ready and willing to take the first several shifts of guard duty while the others slowly got to know one another and discover mutual goals. Tomorrow would be the time to set up pairs, since he would never allow one of them out alone in this city again if he could help it. He learned that lesson long ago and didn't wish to repeat the mistake.

Sighing resignedly as old memories reasserted themselves, the Pope paused by a worn tombstone. Only the deeply-engraved surname remained visible after the ravages of time and weather had taken their toll. 'Priestley.' He wondered idly who the man had been, or if it was even a man at all buried below his paws. In a place like this, one could never tell.

A glint of light caught his peripheral vision and he raised his head, gaze drawn to the cathedral steps. His mane gleamed silvery white in the moonlight with every move he made and his pale miter stood out against his royal fur like a beacon in the night. Ah, the patchwork Avenger. What was her name...complicated, but elegant. Palabizikorna. That was it. He regarded her with curious surprise, wondering what would wake her at this hour. To the best of his knowledge, all of his new followers had bedded down for the night.

He abandoned his rounds for the moment and approached, dipping his head in a polite nod and smiling slightly. It was so refreshing to be around so many varied personalities once again. "And how does the night find you, Avenger?"

[Kitty Love]

She found the one whom she'd been searching for about the time he'd spotted her and she moved foreword, meeting him halfway and dipping her head respectfully as well. Feline like tail twitched a bit, the cross she wore on it dancing with the motion as she mulled over how to begin her speech, it wasn't exactly kind words she had for him and she didn't wish to dampen his evening, but she came this far for a reason and her joining his congregation had merely been influenced by this. however, as always, when she spoke her conflictions did not seep into her nearly monotone words. The evening finds my limbs weary, but my mind racing, I have news from another faction of the resistance and I shan't be able to sugar coat it.

The flash of the scene she'd stumbled upon flitted through her mind causing one of her ears to flick back. She moved past him in an attempt to lead him further from the steps in case another roused themselves during the night, she trusted in the hope that he'd take her lead and have his interest caught, she had a promise to another that needed to be kept and she had every intent on doing so.

[Jenn]

Her words, delivered without inflection and stated so directly, acted like a dousing of chill water on his quiet, reflective mood. Instead he focused in on her and nodded his head shortly, following her as she walked away from the building. Whatever information she was about to impart, she obviously felt it of the gravest importance and he could respect her desire for privacy. No one liked eavesdroppers, accidental or otherwise.

"I would be interested in hearing your news," he said, tone just as serious as her own but with more of an authoritative inflection. Years of dealing with bad news in a position of leadership allowed him to retain his calm demeanor. "Other factions keep in contact with me from time to time, but any updates would be greatly appreciated. It's hard enough to coordinate in the same city, much less throughout a country, continent, and especially world."

[Kitty Love]

She stopped at some point, moving fluidly into a sitting position. She was, by nature rather blunt and the long periods of time without interaction with others only strengthened this into something a kin to a bad habit. On my rounds between smaller churches and groups lead by lower ranks which seem to dot the coastal regions, I ran across quite the scene ... which looked like it had been quite the battle really. A Purity Cardinal, hardly distinguishable as such, sat in the middle of it all. I've never seen a Purity who's coat held so many marks of sin. He seemed more then a little out of his mind as well, kept mentioning something of a Red Dragon over and over again before and after rambling quite the story to my ears.

She paused for a moment, adjusting her position to be a bit more comfortable as finding such a pose was made difficult by her form fitting treasures. She shared the canine's story with him, still finding bits of it a bit... hard to swallow you could say. (( This story is one you've read, and it's located on the Legacy Site XD )) I could do no more for him but put him out of his misery and ease his troubled mind as he slipped from this realm, may Amunuku find forgiveness for his soul. I've heard mention of a Red Dragon before, but to see an entire faction, small as it was, almost entirely devoured...

She paused again, resting her gaze fully on his face, unsure of how to continue really.

(( Hehe... I couldn't help it... I had to connect these somehow and get the word of Vora out so things can be more fun XD ))

[Jenn]

Kaerjius sat as she began to speak, his small wings tucked neatly to his back and his eyes focused intently on her face. She spoke so calmly, but small expressions could often relate as much as, if not more than, the words spoken. His own body language said quite clearly that he was interested in her tale. When she finished, he resettled himself on the hard-packed earth and considered the implication of her words.

”I have heard the name ‘Red Dragon’ bandied about with some fear,” he eventually replied, ”though this particular story is new to me. I have always assumed that it was a Euclides with a particularly notorious disposition. If what you say is accurate and that Purity was lead down the path of sin through its powers of possession and persuasion, it must be a powerful one indeed, perhaps even a Puppet Master. Furthermore, your words imply that it goes out of its way to hunt Amuni specially and, perhaps...to eat us.”

Even thinking such a thing turned his stomach, but the nausea was quickly redirected into a small fire of rage in the pit of his gut. ”Monstrous creatures,” he growled softly, hackles raising despite themselves. Thinking about them and their lives steeped in sin always roused his ire. ”Where did you say this tragedy took place?”

((Hey, it adds a bit of spice. *grin*))

[Kitty Love]

She'd previously thought the same things, but a few little tidbits didn't quite add up to her, but demons were unusual things and habits weren't the same for all of them. If it is a higher ranked demon, then it's unusual especially if it is a Puppet Master. This one doesn't stay anywhere to long and I don't think it's alone.

Her short feline tail flopped from side to side like a metronome as she mulled over a few things, it was something that needed to be seen really, but it was something she didn't really want to see. And I believe the aim of it's hunt IS for food, which is a curious thing indeed.

Her ears perked as she remembered that he had asked her a question and she turned those steely grey eyes upon him. This was a two day walk from the coast, there's a church there that was about a medium size. The attacked were a scouting party for they'd heard rumors of Euclide landing the shore. I picked this up from the resident pope when I returned to pass on... the news.

She wasn't exactly thrilled with what her job had become for she dealt with the dead and dieing for the most part and it grated at your mind. Easing the minds of those beginning the journey to meet their maker was, indeed, a fantastic service in theory but it also was a heavy weight that she had learned to carry. Her least favorite part was telling loved ones, if there were any, of what had happened to their fellows. And she remembered them all, every face was imprinted on her mind and she was biting back on that now. It was the fuel to her mission, her fire, but also acted like an extinguisher... like a double edged sword.

[Jenn]

The Pope frowned and nodded, matching her words with what little he already knew of the mysterious 'Red Dragon'. "An odd but powerful creature, and its unpredictability makes it all the more dangerous. "

At her mention of the Church's location, he tilted his head in thought. Who did he know that distance with a reasonably sized congregation? It sounded an awful lot like Urikaejel, but he hadn't been aware of any problems cropping up in that area before now. Then again, he'd been so busy with his own return to Amuni society and leadership over the past few years that he could have easily missed the news.

"The Pope you speak of," Kaerjius mused, "is he a Covenant ursae with exceptionally large claws? If so, I know exactly the area you're speaking of, and perhaps even the specific Purity in question. If I'm right in my suspicions, however, that would be a horrible shame."

[Kitty Love]

At his questions about the Pope she paused momentarily cycling different faces she'd seen through her mind, back tracking to the pope before inspecting her mental image of him. She swished her tail, that cross that she wore was whipped back and forth swiftly before it fell, swinging side to side at a slower more normal pace, her ears also came forward a bit as well.

I believe that is the one you speak of, and the Cardinal's name was Wenjezrian. I'm afraid I'm not very well versed with the churches closest to the coast, they're rather self sufficient.

Her main concern had been the smaller congregations, especially the ones that lacked much physical prowess. Her own original church had been a coastal one, but it had fallen apart after the death of the Pope and the members disbanded and disappeared, but she wouldn't go into that.

I've never heard of an Amuni eating other Amuni before.

[Jenn]

"I've..." Kaerjius paused, considering his wording. "Well, I suppose you could say that I've toured quite a few Churches in the countryside and in other parts of the world, though England is and will always be my home. Urikaejel and Wenjezrian are both known to me, and I mourn for the loss of one of their members. The Purity I met was a good man. This goes to show, I suppose, that even the most innocent and well-intentioned may be corrupted by the forces of darkness."

His expression turned dark, gray eyes stormy, and he sighed quietly. "It is an uncommon sin, to be sure, but one of the most horrific I have ever encountered. Only once in person, mind you, but it was also the result of a demon's possession. A child, in that instance, her individuality subsumed by the evil will of the demonic power. She killed and ate all of her siblings before anyone realized what was happening. The girl's parents had to put her down themselves, so crazed had she become." He shook his head slowly, the memory obviously a distressing one. Those had been dark times, and it seemed that another had taken the initiative to repeat the heinous act.

"With such a fiend on the loose, our congregation will have to be alert to any news of its activities. Our crusade makes it doubly important that we treat any word of this vile 'Red Dragon' with the utmost priority. I cannot thank you enough for bringing this to my attention." He smiled, though the expression was grim. "We shall have to choose an appropriate time to reveal the story to others."

[Jenn]

((Has Zi had a chance to share her full message or is there more that we should cover in this thread?))

[Kitty Love]

(( I Think this one Is Good To Close... I can't think of anything else atm ... there will be another Amuni that knows more however )

[Jenn]

((That sounds fun. :3 I look forward to playing with that!))