Searching for Something Forgotten (OPEN)

[Lujayn]

Aneira was thankful that Damien didn't ask any questions. She really didn't want to speak of it anymore. It was something she usually just shoved into the back of her mind and tried to ignore. Outside the inn, the sun was warm, and it helped against the chill.

Aneira snorted at what Damien said, then, and gave him a wry smile. "Oh, Damien... I think you've been an assassin for a bit too long," she said with slight laughter. "Night isn't always the best time for things, you know. It's a bit suspicious, after all, no? Besides, people work and do other business in the morning, so there won't be too many people at the church, and the clerics will actually be awake."

She looked around, then. "Actually... what direction is the church? I don't believe I've been here before..."

[WolfEnchantress]

In turn, Damien gave her his own look. "Nighttime isn't suspicious if you know how not to be seen. If you look at a person and see only a shadow, well, a shadow isn't very suspicious, is it?" He was very skilled at blending with the shadows. People had looked right at him and went on their merry way. "even if you are in plain sight, unless you look like you are doing something you shouldn't be, most people pay you no mind. If you walk into a house like you own it, most people assume that you do in fact own it. Though, there are the few nosy people that could get you in trouble.

Damien looked around, too. He had no idea. He had no need for knowing the location of churches, unless it was for a job. "I don't know," He admitted. "I was following you. We could ask someone, though, that could attract unwanted attention." He pondered for a moment. "Usually they are near the center of everything. If we can head in the direction of he center of the city, I'm sure we can find it."

[Lujayn]

"Damien, you're talking to someone who has to try a little harder than most to blend in so that I do not end up being attacked. Again..." She rubbed the back of her head at the memory. "There are only two reasons for someone to be at a church late at night, you know. They either want to steal their reliquary, or they're eloping. And I've had enough of people assuming we're... together, in some fashion. It's really annoying..."

She sighed. "Ah, why is it whenever I get close to a goal, little problems start cropping up everywhere..? Well, we're clearly from not around here... well, mostly me, considering how I'm definitely not from around here, perhaps it wouldn't be so suspicious if we asked around? I'd rather not potentially end up wandering around for hours..." Aneira rubbed her temple, feeling the headache from before creeping back. A tiny voice in the back of her mind- not Grey- piped up that it was really all her fault, here. She could have just minded her own business and have been in way less of a bind, but no, she just had to be helpful, and now look!

She sighed softly, burying the thought, and went to a woman nearby. "Excuse me ma'am... my companion and I-" she gestured to Damien "- have business with the church, would you be able to point us the way..?"

[WolfEnchantress]

"I suppose you're right," Damien said. Aneira seemed irritated. He didn't really know what to say, so he didn't say anything at all. Instead, he waited for the reply from the woman Aneira had asked directions from. The woman looked at Aneira, then at Damien. He dropped his gaze when she looked at him - most of the time direct eye contact with a stranger made them uncomfortable, and they needed the directions.

The woman nodded, pointing to their right, and giving a few simple directions. They didn't sound too hard at all. He had been right, it was near the inside of the town. Damien turned to head that way and hesitated long enough that Aneira had time to catch up before starting off that way. Hopefully, the church wouldn't be like so many that were corrupt with their hold over the town. Hopefully, they would agree to help, and Aneira wouldn't have to deal with him until they found another. He glanced sideways at her - she'd had to deal with a lot, because of him.

"It shouldn't be far," He said. "Maybe a half hour's walk." He touched his coat pocket, making sure the vial was still there. It was, of course, he had known it would be. But he wasn't sure what to feel. Yes, he would have his freedom, and Aneira could stop having to support him, but he enjoyed having someone to talk to that he wasn't using to get to someone he was paid to kill. "We should get there a bit after midday, so there should be quite a few people there."

[Lujayn]

Aneira shook her head. "The less people around, the better. I'm not sure exactly what the religion here is like, and how they view necromancy. The reaction towards what I am may be very well violent and loud. Better that there are less people so that an escape is easier." Her optimism was astounding. "If push comes to shove, I can always force matters, of course, but I'd rather not. It's too easy to succumb to violent necromancy."

As opposed to what? She thought to herself. Necromancy was almost inherently violent, in varying degrees, and when it was not it was still morally suspect- mind control, spying, and the like. She rubbed her temples again, feeling the oncoming headache getting even worse. It was best not to over think things- she was committed to her path, moral ambiguity or no. And Damien really needed to get properly cured.

"I'll worry about it when we get to it..." she muttered, mostly to herself. "It's best if we get you fixed up, yes? I'm sure you haven't been all that thrilled being figuratively chained to, and in the power of, a young girl." Aneira smiled lightly, trying to add some levity to her words.

She failed at it a bit, but she did try.

She began walking in the direction they had been given. "And, don't you have some evil overlord to worry about? Either finishing your contract to kill him, or avoiding his own assassins as he most likely will find out that you are, in fact, still alive, and will try to make you a little more permanently dead. You having tried to kill him and all. I've noticed people don't tend to like attempted murder- mostly on themselves." She said with a dry tone.


((Oh god it's been three months I'm so sorry ;w;!!))

[WolfEnchantress]

With a sigh, Damien nodded. He did have that to worry about. "It shouldn't be a big problem, He said. "Now that I know they are after me, anyways." He said it lightly, but he wasn't so sure about his own words. There were probably dozens of men said 'evil overlord' had at his whim, to send after him as they pleased. At that rate, they didn't even have to be sneaky - a dozen men against him, and he would almost surely die, no matter the amount of sneakiness they tried for.

Of course, that would put Aneira in danger as well. If she was with him, they might have a bit better chance, but all in all it didn't look good. He would have to go after the big man himself, rather than waiting. And that would be almost even more dangerous. Maybe it would be nice to have someone else with him. But no, he wouldn't put anyone else in danger for him.

All of this passed through his head in just a few seconds. He seemed lost in thought. So much so that he didn't notice when the people in the streets went from being more loud and boisterous to quiet and respectful - a sign that they were just a few miles away from their destination. Most cities wanted utmost respect around their place of worship. He picked up his head, a bit surprised at the change, and yet again touched the vial in his pocket.

"I guess either way, we're going to find out how they react soon enough," He muttered. He would have felt better with his full set of weapons. Of course, no one was supposed to show weapons inside of a church. But that had never stopped them before. He had an odd feeling in his chest. Fluttery, almost excited and reluctant at the same time. He wondered how Aneira felt. Glad, most likely.

"Just be ready for the wort, when it comes to it," He said, then as an afterthought, "Though I'm sure you know that better than I do."

((No problem at all!))

[Lujayn]

Aneira noted his grim mood, and thinking that it was probably at least partially her fault for being eternally pessimistic and gloomy, attempted to lighten the atmosphere- at least a little. "Well, if should you ever require any assistance in helping you rid yourself of the evildoers that plague you," she said, linking her arm with his in what (she hoped) was a conciliatory gesture, and patted his shoulder. "I will gladly give it. I'm sure they'll be much easier to kill when they're doubled over laughing at my threats on their person..." she continued with dry humour. "I being the epitome of physical prowess and all..."

Nevermind that she could send them into spams of terror by sending a wraith upon them and causing them untold amounts of psychological damage if she desired to put the amount of effort it took into it.

Aneira noticed the increase in solemnity and grimaced. She had never actually faced a religious body head on before- her troubles had always been the common folk and the general fact that most places necromancy was illegal. They could be survived if one was careful (which she had to admit she hadn't been when she'd been in an adolescent). However, clerics had holy magic which was more or less an instant death to necromantic magics, so she only had her smattering of shadow magics and petty magics to help her.

Well, there was also Damien, but she wasn't quite sure how much help he would be against magic.

You could always just turn around. said Grey, who had been surprisingly silent on her impending banishment until now. Damien is fine enough as he is for now, you can always find a non-religious practitioner of holy magics, and in the meantime he is continued to be tethered to you, which I'm sure you would like very much.

Aneira tugged her hood a little further over her face so Damien would hopefully not notice her blush. Shut up. What I want is not the point. He desires to be well again, and I will not deny him that for my own selfish desires. Plus, I really would rather you be gone. Forever.

You're just cruel. was Grey's response, but Aneira forced her to the back of her mind before she could say anything else.

((And then I do it again.... good lord Damien will be lucky to be rid of his ailment this time next year at the rate I'm going. I also find it eternally amusing that both want to stay with the other but both think they would be a terrible burden on the other Snrk.))

[WolfEnchantress]

Damien would have smirked at her little jab at herself, but after seeing exactly what she could do, he didn't doubt she could indeed be extremely helpful. he slowed his walk a bit as they approached their destination, somewhat nervous, and glancing at Aneira. She had put her hood up farther. He assumed it was because the were getting closer. Neither of them were exactly friendly with the religious community, no doubt.

People didn't really pay them much mind as they passed, but he watched them nonetheless. He scanned everyone in the manner of a person new to the area, and interested in all that was going on, but he took in everything he could and payed special attention to small things that were probably nothing. His nerves were getting to him. He stopped, keeping his eyes forward, and changed his track of thoughts.

He thought about her offer. She could be making it just to be nice, to not seem like she wanted to be rid of him. Then again, the offer could be genuine. She had already saved his life many times - what if his upcoming task was harder than he expected it to be? What if -

He cut off the thought with a sigh. Assassins worked alone. They were solitary people. They never got close to anybody, because all too often that person died. It was a risk not many assassins wanted to take. He was not exempt from that general rule. But he had already been with her for quite a while, and she was in fact not dead.

"Actually," He said, as they drew still closer. He paused, thinking to himself, and then realized the pause had stretched into an awkward silence. "If we both survive this ordeal, I would be very grateful for your assistance, if you made your offer in honesty."

((It makes for an interesting sub plot XD))

[Lujayn]

"Actually..." Damien started, then paused, the silence stretching uncomfortably to Aneira's ears. Well, here it is. The part where he politely tells you to go away and let him be, she thought to herself, bracing herself.

"If we both survive this ordeal, I would be very grateful for your assistance, if you made your offer in honesty," he continued, and Aneira almost tripped over her own feet in surprise.

Her reaction was almost immediate, and she wasn't thinking quite enough to mask her expression. Her face lit up, a genuine smile (rare for here) crossing her lips. "I... I would like that, yes," she said, perhaps a bit over eagerly, but she had grown accustomed to his company, and she wasn't terribly fond of wandering around alone.

You two are just too precious for words, Grey commented dryly, and Aneira was brought back to awareness rather abruptly, and she was more than a little embarrassed by her eager response.

Blushing even worse than before, she stammered, "We- we should p-probably hurry along now. We've been dawdling a bit, I think..." before quickening her pace- almost jogging- towards the Church.

She managed to calm herself down somewhat by the time she reached the door, pushing it open and revealing the cool, opulent interior. And stared. Having been from a fairly small town, the church there had never been all that large or decorated, aside from the alters to the various dieties, and once she'd left her home, she had never felt a need to visit churches. Seeing a large one now, she was somewhat shocked at how almost gaudy it was.


((What's this, a post, my my, will you look at that. -dies- I AT LEAST WANTED TO GET THIS OUT. IT'S BEEN IN MY HEAD SINCE LIKE MAY 5TH. AAAJLsdlfjlsfslfj I'msorryyyy))

[WolfEnchantress]

He was a bit surprised by her reaction. He'd thought she was making her offer just because she thought it would be the polite thing to do. Because honestly, with the risks involved, it wouldn't be all too appealing to most. And she did know the risks - she had experienced them first hand already. And because of her they had lived.

Before he could speak again she made a a comment about the pace they set - he had to agree, they had indeed been slowing down as they approached. Her voice stammered. She sounded.. Nervous, maybe? She had every right to be, based on what they were about to do. Getting it over with was the best thing. He followed after her and into the entryway, noticing her staring.

"Big church. Bigger than most," He commented. It was quiet, and his voice echoed, disappearing into the voluminous ceiling. The colored glass in the windows gave the place an eerie glow to it. There was only one man that he could immediately see, sitting near the back, absorbed in his own business. It was an impressive piece of architecture, it's awe dulled by the sheer amount of different things going on in all corners of the building.

"Hello?" He called out experimentally. The man in the corner glanced their way, but nothing more. "There's a door on the far end," He said, lowering his voice. "Maybe somebody is in there." He added with a slight smile, "Try to make it look like you're unimpressed - like you've been in plenty of churches. I don't know how much good it'll do, but it might win you some favor points if he thinks we occasionally attend churches." It was unlikely, really. He was prepared for the worst. With a sigh, he looked over and with a slight nod of "Ready?" He started down the aisle.

It seemed to take forever. He scanned the room, noting any kind of nooks and crannies, any alternate exit. Anything that might help in a sticky situation. Before he could fully observe everything to his satisfaction, however, the door they walked towards opened and a man stepped out, dressed to match the building he stood in. He spied them and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?" He asked. His voice was smooth and pleasant, like he was genuinely happy to see them. He wondered if it was a practiced voice or not. "How may I be of service to you two this fine day?"

((No worries! All good. Happens to the best of us

[Lujayn]

Aneira followed after Damien, looking a lot more like a tourist than someone with a goal in mind, examining this and that with wide eyes. Well, this might explain why the tithes can be so high...

So preoccupied was she with her surroundings, that she nearly ran into Damien, when a man had stepped out of a door. She composed herself fairly quickly, mentally chastising herself for allowing herself to get so out of sorts over a building of all things.

Not that she wasn't still nervous. This was a church, and she was a necromancer, and when that truth came to light- and it would have to, if Damien were to be properly cured- chances were, it would have a very messy consequence. Hopefully not, but she had never been a very good optimist.

"Ehm... hello," she said, giving a slight bow of her head. She wasn't sure on the customs of greeting clergy here. "Um, well, we need some help in a difficult matter... matters I should say..." Apparently she couldn't talk anymore without sounding like an idiot. "Um, if we could talk someplace privately it's a bit of a delicate situation-"

"You'll need a witness, you know."

She blinked. "Pardon?"

"I'm assuming you two are eloping? Probably with child, too, hm?" He said, with an expression that suggested he'd been helping with those sorts of situations a lot. "You shouldn't be so embarrassed, my dear, it happens to the best of us, and at least you're making right with-"

"By all that is holy why do people keep on thinking that?!" She cried out, exasperated. "No! There is nothing going on between he and I! Not a thing! We have slightly more important matters to get to, so if we can dispense with this nonsense and get to it, that would be more than lovely."

The man stared at her in slight shock. "Of... course. Follow me..." He turned and led the way back to the room from whence he came, Aneira still simmering with annoyance.

((YES Damien, that is EXACTLY why she's flustered! =D For an assassin he's a wee bit... dense. Poor Aneira. ))

[WolfEnchantress]

Damien was just as shocked as the priest spoke. As though he knew exactly why they were there. The pretentious fool. He wore an expression that read, "You can't fool me. I know why you're here." Well, he didn't. Aneira spoke just as he opened his mouth in anger. Good thing, as she was much more polite about it than he would have been.

He lead them to the back room he had originally come out of, his expression changed to one of perplexion. They followed silently through a short corridor and to a room on the left. It looked like a small office / living quarters. Not very tidy, but not messy either. The priest produced two chairs for them to sit, but Damien remained standing. With a sigh, the other man nodded. "Well, what is it?"

Damien hesitated here. He wasn't sure how to bring it up. Directly? Subtly? He didn't really have a feel for this particular man. If he had to judge based on his initial greeting, Damien would guess he was a busy man who didn't take his role as seriously as he should, and went through the motions more than anything. But, first looks could be deceiving.

He went for the blunt method. "What do you know of the darker... Arts?" He said, trying to find the proper wording. Arts may not be the best way to go. The priest knit his brows together.

"I'm not sure what you mean," He said pleasantly, but his voice had taken on a edge to it. He had shifted, looking first damien up and down, and then Aneira. He lingered longer on the latter. Did he recognize her for what she was? Damien noted his posture - it had stiffened slightly. "Don't lie to me," He retorted flatly. "You know exactly what I'm talking about." He held the other man's gaze for a few moments. A calculated stare from each of them.

"I'd like to know why you are asking. If you are accusing me of anything, I am innocent and I can prove it." The priest said finally. His voice was cool now. "If you'd be so kind, if that is not why you are here, I would ask you to leave." Damn it, he thought. to himself. Maybe subtle would have been better. Then again, either way they had to get to the point.

He took the opportunity to sit. "No," He said flatly. "We need a favor. We aren't accusing you of anything." When the listening party opened his mouth, Damien added, "I can pay you handsomely." He noted that the priest hesitated. That was good - He could be paid off. He lightly touched the hidden pocket that held the vial his sister had given him. He was lucky he had decided to tie it inside his shirt - had it been in his vest, it would have been taken with the rest of his things. It was still there, to his relief. He also still had a good portion of his money left - some had been in his vest, but he never kept his money all in one place.

The man's expression darkened. "Exactly what kind of favor? What are you implying about me, here?" He asked. Damien shot a sidelong glance at Aneira. She could explain it much better. And probably make it sound less sketchy than he could.

((Well, to be fair, he's an assassin - he hasn't had the opportunity to be around women. At least, not long term. Of course he's dense, at least in that particular area.

[Lujayn]

"What do you know of the darker... Arts?"

Aneira was going to kill him. She was going to kill him, then reanimate his corpse, and kill him again. Perhaps once more for good measure. For an assassin, he had a bad grasp on subtlety! "Normal" people, with loose religious affiliation at best, had enough problems with necromancy and the dark arts in general, what made him think a PRIEST would be any more open about it?!

She was not the type to kill someone, however, so when Damien and the priest had finished talking, she smacked her companion across the back of the head. Being the weak person that she was, it wouldn't have hurt... much... but he was most likely startled by it.

"Idiot!" She hissed. "How about some tact?! Would you like ME to go blurting around YOUR closely-held secrets?!" She didn't notice the priest take a few cautious steps backwards. She also didn't notice she was lapsing in and out of her native tongue, such was her irritation. "Would you like me to mention that you're un meurtrier and that's half la raison you're in your current pétrin? The other half being, of course, que vous êtes UN IDIOT!"

She could be a bit mouthy when angered.

The priest cleared his throat, hoping to stop what he saw as an impending argument, and the only reason he did not take any further steps backwards when Aneira shot him the glare she was giving Damien was because there was nowhere behind him to step back to. "If we could... continue with the matter at hand..?" Aneira nodded grudgingly. "What, exactly, do you need from me? Clerics and necromancers- I'm assuming that is what you are, correct?- do not normally interact, the very least reason being an incompatibility of magics."

"He needs you to purify his soul," Aneira said, pointing at Damien, as if it wasn't abundantly clear already who she could be talking about. "As you most likely know, that is something no amount of necromancy can do. Quite the opposite, in fact..."

"And what did you do to require a soul cleansing?"

"I didn't do anything. I'm just keeping him alive. This idiot-" she was clearly still annoyed with him "- took some poison that not only caused harm to his physical being, but to his spiritual form as well. He could probably tell you more about it than I. Poisons are not something I dabble with."

"No, you just dabble with things that are even worse," said the priest with a sigh, one that could be taken as either "long suffering", or "I'm too old for this nonsense". Possibly both. He sat down, steepling his hands in front of himself. "I do not know who either of you are. I know that you are dangerous, but not so dangerous as to be widely known about. I would much rather not have any dealings with you at all. I would also not like to make powerful, or potentially powerful, enemies."

Aneira narrowed her eyes at him. "What is your point?"

"There is... a favour I could ask in return for helping your... predicament," the priest said, choosing his words carefully. "As the main church in the area, we hold most of the more important events. Weddings, festivals... funerals. Because of the latter, we have an expansive graveyard, for the not-so-wealthy, and the catacombs, for the wealthy." Aneira did not like where this was going. "Recently there has been a... problem in the catacombs. Corpses disappearing, then reappearing, often times with pieces missing. Various other desecrations. I would say it was 'mere' grave robbing, but... very little of the valuables entombed with the dead have been taken. And it's always with the fresher dead, which thieves would avoid as they are regularly visited by family, who would immediately notice something amiss. Which they have. And some of the more powerful of the 'clients' are getting quite angry, and I am unable to provide neither an explanation nor a solution."

Oh, yes, she was definitely not liking the sound of this. "That sounds an awful lot like someone delving into basic necromancy," she said wearily.

The priest nodded. "If you and your... companion-" he obviously did not believe they were not 'involved' in some way "- could solve this problem for me, I'll solve your problem."

"What if we refuse?"

The priest smiled. It was not a pleasant one. "Then I will not help you. And you should know that there's no way you could force me to. Your companion, perhaps, could use brute force, but we clerics are not without our own methods of protection, so I wouldn't advise that either."

Dammit, dammit, dammit. Conniving old priest! This was why it was better to chance the wildly fluctuating skill levels of the wandering clerics! Aneira looked to Damien. "What say you?"HOLY MOTHER OF GOD I WROTE A THING -