What Secrets Does the Keep Keep? [Nya/Tarot]

[Abashai]

Timestamp: 5th of Spring, 510 AV Time: Mid Morning Location: The Wildlands- Southern Syliria Purpose: Finding Clues to Kiphos at Aressa Tallshade Memorial Keep Status: Closed The early spring rain had subsided to a miserable drizzle, thoroughly drenching the two horses, man and Talderian Forest Cat trudging through the wildlands. The curious train came to a halt beneath a massive ancient elm for a short rest. Abashai slid from Sus' saddle, roughly pulling off his desert headgear in a spray of droplets and tossing it on the bundle of gear at the Desertbred's hindquarters. He hitched up the sickle-shaped blade at his side and made a cursory surveyance of the surroundings. Striding over to the dire forest cat, the Benshiran threw his arms around her strong neck, burying his face into the dark brindled fur of her damp head. He rubbed his cheek against hers, his nostrils filled with the aroma of musky wet fur. Liftiing his head, he whispered in her ear "Javeya". It was Shiber for 'beautiful', a word he had taught Nya, and one he often used in reference to his mate. Then he raised up, caressing the spot between her ears. "We should not be far from the Keep now, right?" Turning away, trailing his fingers down the length of Nya's flank as he went, Abashai moved to the pack animal. It was a serene chestnut Zavian named Bray. They had acquired the horse shortly after the meeting with Matilda, the bondmates searching together until they found one that did not seem skittish around Nya. They purchased Bay from a farmer, one who owned quite a menagerie of dogs and cats. The couple, along with Sus, worked with the Zavian until it would allow the cat to approach her without getting agitated. When Abashai and Nya had begun the journey to the Aressa Tallshade Memorial Keep, It had been with a profound sense of both finality and expectation. Once departed, they did not know where their quest would lead them next. Nya and Shai had cleared their belongings from the room at Syliras's Travelers Row and moved it back to their home cave in the Colbalts. Abashai had resigned his position on the Cultural Council, and they had visited all of their friends. The pair had not told Avi, Terminus and the others where they were going and why, simply that the newly-mated couple wanted to do some traveling, and that they would return to the city at some point. The goodbyes were emotional, and Abashai felt a bit guilty not being upfront with those who had meant so much to both Nya and himself. But the secrecy was necessary, not only for Abashai and Nya's protection, but for their friend's as well. Checking Bray's tack, Abashai looked around again. If there was anything out there, he knew well enough Nya would see it or smell it long before his human senses would detect anything. Still, the memory of Matilda's admonishing words, the grave expression on her face, coaxed the man to remain on his guard. To help conceal their progress, they had stayed clear of the main road, taking a parallel course several hundred yards away. Looking back at his mate, he sighed. No matter the gravity of their situation, he was content to be at Nya's side. The past score days had changed their relationship, matured it in ways that he had not thought possible. When they had exchanged their vows, Abashai made some vows to himself. Promises that he would keep Nya from harm, that she would be cherished as the lovely woman she was. They were sincere intentions, but were suited for a couple who settled safe and secure in a homely life in the city. But that was not the life Shai and Nya were destined to lead. If they were going to find this Powercube, confront the forces they were sure to face, the couple had to become working, fighting partners. Abashai and Nya had to learn to leverage their skills, talents and bond so that, together, they could accomplish more that they ever could as individuals. Moving, fighting, use of magic, communication all had to be honed as a team. Their intimate relationship, the depth of their bond, allowed each to anticipate the other's intentions. it also provided a barrage of information that the couple had to learn to manage while engaged in each situation. The hardest thing for Abashai, however, was realizing that, to have a chance to fulfill this epic task, he would have to understand that Nya would have to face peril. He could not promise himmself to keep her from all harm. The thought tore his heart, but he knew that Nya faced the same dilema. Shaking his dark mane, Abashai huffed at the precipitation and returned to Sus. Thrusting his hand into the bundled weapons, armor and supplies that the mare carried, he felt around until his fingers encountered a box, wrapped in a cloth. He felt compelled to check on it everytime they stopped. Galannas was another subject that unnerved the Benshiran. The Konti weapon was an artifact of great value and history, as Matilda described it, and the mysterious nature of the suvai still puzzled him. He turned on his heels back towards Nya, stretching his muscles as he walked. Abashai met Nya's feline gaze, a warm smile lighting his face, but not shedding the cautious diligence in his crystalline eyes.

[Nya Winters]

Truthfully, she hadn't been certain about the horse, but Nya was glad Abashai took charge of acquiring one. That he'd produced a placid Zavian had surprised her. She had liked the looks of a leopardbred in the stables in Syliras because the creature tended to stare her down rather than roll its eyes in fright, but its spots had made it hard for her to see clearly even in broad daylight. So Bray had worked out really nicely, and she hadn't minded handling him until he'd grown calm around her. And truth be told it had turned out to be a good choice for them both, since it freed up Sus from carrying so many supplies and allowed Nya to roam unencumbered as well. The trip had been relatively uneventful. Nya was glad Abashai had the map to navigate by because she'd never truthfully tried to find anywhere by following a map. Finding Syliras from Lormar had been as easy as heading west from the tower until one hit the sea, then heading south until one hit the outskirts of the fortress city. There was no getting lost, no missing the keep by a mile on either side when one traveled down a coastline. Here, there were all sorts of challenges to finding ones way. First and foremost there was no road leading directly there. That had been hard on the horses at times, though Nya had been steadily learning to be a good scout. She'd often bound up ahead, checking the trail, finding a clear route, then falling back behind the two animals and her bondmate, to make sure no one was following. When she was in doubt and the trees were large enough (which was rare) she could climb and get a clearer view. Often she did this in human form but could still tell Abashai where the best way to move in a given direction was... up that V in the hill, straight over the hill, down an elk trail that lead the right way. It was actually a fun trip for the forest cat, who spent more time in fur than skin. It was a good break for her, relaxing, and one that let her melt off the bit of fluff she'd been accumulating in Syliras living the easy life. She got to hunt too, occasionally startling a resting deer or scattering rabbits that she brought back to Abashai, who tended to overlook teeth marks these days. And when she grew bored, she could bound up to the little pack train and shift back to her human shape to pad barefoot along beside them for a while to talk to her mate and reassure the horses she was still who they thought she was. Nya noticed, however, that Abashai didn't speak of the future much. He kept to the here and now, and she could tell the quest was weighing heavy on his mind. She wanted to reassure him that everything would be fine, but it was hard too when she was uncertain herself. One thing she did know, however, that she couldn't let that uncertainty overwhelm her. She pushed it aside ruthlessly in favor of being certain Zulrav thought enough of her to give her this charge - and to allow her to bring Shai into the mission. Nya knew without Shai she was nothing. If there was a way she could share how she was, how she thought, what she felt before she bonded and what their bond had bloomed her into she completely would. But there was no words. Before, she was instinct and emotion - all about fulfilling one need after another - hunger, thirst, exhaustion, even passion. But with him, because of him, she was something more. Intelligent, deep thinking, considerate... he'd changed her in ways he perhaps himself didn't truly understand. And likewise she knew she'd changed him. He was fiercer than he had been before and his passion had bloomed regardless of what the topic was. But there was also a quiet worry in him now that wasn't there before. She strove to erase it each time she touched him, coaxed him to distraction, and keep him filled with hope. And she liked it when he dismounted his horse and walked with her, even if she was wearing fur and not talking back. She even liked the stops where they all got to take a break while the horses grazed. When the stopped like that, Nya often took comfort from Shai's words and touches - the hug he gave her this time was no exception. She shifted, still crouched on her haunches, and looked ahead into the forest. "I think we must be close if you are reading the map right. I will scout ahead one last time... I know there is a building not very far distant and come right back. If it is as close as I think it is, we should be able to reach it before nightfall easily enough." She said, giving him a last smile and loosing her human shape again. The enormous brindled cat bounded off, near silently, and was gone into the trees ahead of them sooner than one might suspect a deer of dong so. She planned to approach, but not too close, and circle around the structure, studying it from all sides, then was going to report back to Shai so they could bring themselves and the animals closer and inquire about entry. She hoped there was a stables and maybe accommodations that could be made overnight. And beings that these were mages, she wasn't going to rely on her eyesight entirely to guide her. Smell, a sense of touch (if she got close enough), and a lot of good common sense were going to be involved. In fact, when she got within what she was sure was viewing distance, she would go slow, watch every step, and be on the lookout for traps and predator control devices. She'd learned that much from the Ebonstryfe.

[Tarot]

This entire area had been a vast metropolitan hub in Alahea before the Valterrian. Abashai and Nya could infer this much from the occasional findings of ruins scattered across the landscape. It was hard to discern them, as nature had mostly claimed them back to its own territory, but every now and then one could see remnants of old walls and things that had once been buildings. If they started digging, they'd probably come across coins and everyday items from before the cataclysm. Maybe skeletons, too. The memorial keep was located on a small hilltop, away from the ruins. If this place had been Areesa Tallshade's laboratory, it was only logical it'd be a safe distance away from the city, given the dangerous nature of the experiments she conducted. The thick blanket of trees surrounding the keep was definitely a post-Valterrian addition. It was as if their growth was concentrated around the keep, like the place itself was making them thrive with its energies. In a way, it was a strange fact that the keep had even survived the Valterrian. The same elevation that separated it from the rest of the ruins also exposed it to the forces of the cataclysm. The Municipal Seat of whatever city this had been - the heavily protected palace from which the local Alahean officer controlled the municipality - had been erased from the map, yet Tallshade's laboratory had not. It clearly stood out as a peculiar place where major forces had been at work. The entire area was rather desolate and mostly devoid of local fauna. No-one had established any settlement as far as the eye could see, with the exception of the wizards occupying the keep. Nya went ahead to scout the surroundings of the keep. What she found was an old castle with its drawbridge lowered. It had four towers at the corners and a main bastion in the middle. Areesa Tallshade had been prepared to face an all-out siege on her own private citadel. If things had been crafted here that were worth billions of gold coins and elicited the greed of mortals and immortals like, then such precautions must have been justified. The castle had certainly taken extensive damage, but it appeared to have been repaired and maintained with undying love and dedication. One of the towers had been nearly dismantled to provide construction materials to patch up damaged sections of the walls. Nya could see an ample inner courtyard with a large well near the center. Utilitarian buildings were built against the inner walls, meaning that they probably had stables, too. But… there was literally no sign of activity or even life. All was still, silent, unmoving. No-one patrolled the walls, chatted in the courtyard, or looked out the windows. No noise. No visuals. Only a faint, very faint smell. Of death. "They are in there. The ones you are looking for." The voice whispered in Nya's ear softly, and it was the very same gentle breeze that brought her the scent of flesh being claimed back by the agents of nature. "But there is much more. Unspeakable things. You and Abashai must be strong. Strong enough to do the right thing." Meanwhile, back at the camp, Abashai was patiently waiting for Nya's return. The air had a strange, metallic taste, tingling with anticipation. Abashai had not felt like this in a long time. It had been at a different place and time, so different it felt like another life. The feeling was nostalgic, and the grass smelled like the ever shifting dunes of Eyktol. Suddenly, Abashai felt a firm but warm hand rest upon his shoulder as a presence made itself known. If he tried to turn around to take a look, however, he would find himself unable to. His body would not let him. Then again, the feeling of purity emanating from behind him left little doubt as to who had manifested. "When the time comes, Abashai, strike with all your might. Do not hesitate. You are a blade who has known love, but still a blade. Today, you strike in my name. Today, you take a life in my name." And, as suddenly as it had come, the presence was gone.

[Nya Winters]

Nya was thorough but quick. The big cat, though bulky, moved like water as she slide in and out of the ruins, between trees, leaped the remains of streams and traversed up the hill towards the keep. Nya kept her nose open to new possibilities and her eyes busy scanning the landscape. She felt strong, powerful and yet strangely vulnerable without Abashai either beside or astride her. She knew scouting was important, but the Forest Cat still kept lessons close to her heart that she had learned at the hands of the Ebonstryfe. Inhale, hold the scent, keep moving, exhale... Guarded and wary, she moved forward, circled the keep, and took in the landscape. While the keeps survival might have been a surprise to someone else, Nya knew about magic. Well, not that she was well trained in it, but she knew mages had tools that normal people did not. Lormar Tower was a testimony to this. So too was numerous other strange buildings that rose seemingly out of the wilderness - either occupied or not. There was power in stones, woven throughout the ground work, that djed and other substances could bring forth - adding strength, weather resistance, perseverance. Stones told stories that mere landscape lined with trees and grass could not. They were a written history of what had come to pass and sometimes what would be. Nya noted the condition of the keep and the smells associated with it. Cautious, she drank in the smell of death, and listened to the voice in her ear. Abashai. Nya turned, poured on speed, and retreated to find her bondmate. Leaping, muscles bounding, she raced like she was pursued, silently tracking her own scent back towards their camp and where Abashai traveled at a more slower pace waiting for her to return and report. When she came within sight of him, she lost her shape as she pulled up, landing in a crouch in which she rose from to face her bondmate. It was something she loved doing - running him down and shifting just before the cat would plow into the man to knock him down. Of course, she didn't always time it correctly, but that was half the fun tumbling halfway between a change into her husband. This time, though, her timing was good enough to prevent a collision. She smiled slightly at her own foolishness, shook her head as she rose, and her face took on a serious note. "Its there. It's at the top of the hill. It smells like death but I can sense no life. The winds say what we seek is there - the ones we are looking for. It also warns of the unspeakable being there as well. Are we ready for this, Shai? I know it is the right thing, this thing we do, but we both must be sure. I don't think... I mean I don't know... I don't know if things will be the same after this." She was doing that thing again, looking at him sideways now, through the screen of her hair. She moved forward barefoot and glanced around for some easy clothing to put on or carry. Nya knew the time was now... right now... but it didn't make her any more prepared for it.

[Abashai]

The desert man had sunk to his knees as the divine presence dissipated. His heart pounded in his chest, contradicting the sense of peace that flowed across his soul. Though Abashai knew the road that Nya and he had chosen was pleasing to Yahal, the purpose of their quest to thwart a corrupt foe, the confirmation brought in the celestial visit stirred him at his core. The Benshira was awed at the honor of becoming an instrument in the hands of his god, and the weight of his lord's words had overwhelmed his spirit. After a long moment of still silence, Sus' impatient nicker, echoed by the pack horse, roused Abashai once again. He rose to his feet and approached the Deserbred mare, stroking her neck and whispering encouragement to he in his native tongue as he moved to the baggage she bore. Opening a saddlebag, Abashai tugged out a tightly bundled chainmail shirt he had purchased before leaving Syliras. Removing his weapons belt and long desert coat, Abashai donned the heavy metal and padding over his short tunic, adjusting it so the weight was distributed evenly across his broad shoulders. A slight thrill flared in his heart as he put the coat back on and fastened the belt. It was the anticipation of a conflict to come. He heard Nya only moments before she was before him, turning to see her shift in a brilliance of light and skidding to a halt in a crouch. It was not easy, but he had resisted the urge to flinch at her charge, a reaction that he had practiced to taunt his mate. He liked the game, Nya becoming more daring as she came to a halt closer and closer to him each time. Abashai didn't even mind when she would end up slamming into him and they would roll across the forest floor together. As the nude Kelvic stood to her feet, Abashai could see the urgency in her eyes, feel the excitement built up within her. When her words burst forth, Abashai listened intently, trying to catch it all as Nyalooked sidelong at him through her long brindled hair. When Nya finally paused, Abashai tried to find her eyes. "Yahal came to me." She would not meet his gaze, but his eyes did not leave her. "Today I will kill in his name." His words were solemn. Watching her for a moment as she glanced around for a covering, he took a step towards her. He had had enough of the dodging looks and concealment behind her hair. He had begun to sense something akin to shame through their bond when it happened, but he had not breached the matter. The Benshira reached out and took her chin in his hands, gently but firmly turning her face towards his. "look at me." Abashai looked into her eyes, waited until they finally fell on his. "Do not look away from me." His tone was soft but edged with consternation. Abashai's stern gaze softened, the hold on her chin released as his hand slid to rest against her cheek. "I am ready Nya, but I have to know you are with me. We will face some unknown danger in that place today. We have trained together and we know we have the blessings of gods. But I have to know you are with me, we are one in this." His other hand slipped around Nya's bare waist to rest on her back, and pulling her against him, Abashai leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. After a long moment, he rested his forehead against his mate's. He could still catch the scent of musky fur on her. "I don't know what's going on, but no matter what happens today, I love you Yaveya." His eyes met Nya's iridescent green gaze for a breath before he released her and turned back to the horse to prepare his gear.

[Nya Winters]

NoteSorry! My net went down for most of the day today when I was writing this!

Nya silently watched Abashai, her whole focus on him when he mentioned the God had appeared. Zulrav and Yahal working together, sending their forces united - backing both up. It was a frightening thought. Everyone else who had tired from Zulrav's camp had died or got out horribly twisted. Nya wasn't sure how Abashai and her could beat the odds. They weren't stronger, weren't smarter, weren't more educated. But... they were two instead of one. As far as Nya knew, only solos had been sent to complete this task first and foremost. When Abashai captured her chin, she caught her bondmate's eyes and looked deeply into his blue-green gaze. Her lips parted and she started to say something though the words were lost at his second demand. The bond flared with her love and devotion. She would not deny him something he wanted and needed but she was ashamed of how she looked, and he was acutely aware of it for a moment as the feeling transmitted through their link. There was something else there too, something that made her shiver slightly which Abashai could feel. Nya wasn't angry at his demand, because she was always somehow strengthened when Abashai showed his force of personality and took the initiative. Nya had a strong personality that was infused with willfulness and more often than naught Abashai was indulgent. But there were times the forest cat needed his leadership and his strength - the raw demands of their small pride's pecking order. He was the boss, ultimately in their partnership, and it infused her kelvic nature with a relief when he showed this strong dominant side. The simple truth was she would have cut out her own heart and handed it to him if he had asked it of her. And it wasn't because of the bond, though that had changed things considerably. It was because they were partners, stronger together than alone. Nya tilted her head, purred slightly and offered him a nod. "I am with you Shai. For life. You will have a hard time finding me not at your back or scouting at your front or standing beside you. The others, that didn't make it, were alone. We have an advantage because we are together. But you must trust what you feel. Don't watch and worry for me, and I will not watch and worry for you. We won't need too because we'll know how to react, right? We've trained. We must trust our own strengths and that we will do the right thing because there are times that will come soon that we won't have time to think things through. If you ask me to jump, don't look to see that I did. Trust that I will. I always will. Alright? And be cautious for both of us, think for both of us, and make your thoughts clear so I can hear them because I don't always do the right thing." The forest cat said before she let her mate pull her close and breath in her scent. She did likewise, running her jawline along his before they shared a kiss and turned to go. "Lets leave the horses here, no packs, running loose. I don't think they will go far, but they will be much safer. Have you got everything?" Once they did, Nya shifted, took up her cat saddle and let Abashai fasten on the gear. They went together back up to the keep - him in full armor and her carrying his extra weapons. She was stronger as a cat while Shai had the hands and eyes to be the warrior while they breached the Keeps walls. She took them close, circled with Shai, and at his urging, entered at the obvious entrance, moving cautiously.

[Tarot]

The Benshira and his Kelvic bride made their way up the hill and then into the Keep. Again, no sign of life came from within, though everything hinted at the castle having been inhabited in the recent past. A few flowerbeds graced the courtyard, testament to the presence of gentle souls who cared for pretty plantlife. They had been taken care of until recently. Whatever had emptied the Keep, it had been sudden and unexpected. They stood in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by silent old walls. A stone well rested nearby, with a wooden bucket lying upside down. The tang of death lingered in the air, stronger than before. Even Abashai, without a feline sense of smell, could tell something was wrong. This wasn't the work of common predators. Truth told, it didn't even seem like the work of human beings. There were no tracks, no visible blood spilled in the courtyard, just the feeling that someone should have been here, and wasn't. Perhaps it was their imagination playing tricks on them, but the walls felt high and ominous, looming over them. Hostility exhuded from the bricks and stones of the castle. For a short moment, the two of them had the impression that the walls were closing in on them, their very geometry slightly bent out of shape, but it all faded at the batting of their eyelids. Something powerful was at work here. There was a loud clanking sound of chains, and suddenly the castle's portcullis came down. Before they could do anything about it, Nya and Abashai knew something had trapped them inside the Keep. No movements on the battlements or in the towers. Everything had remained still and unmoving, and the metallic cacophony immediately receded into nothingness. A large shadow passed over them - it actually passed over the entire courtyard, darkening it for a split second. But it belonged to nothing they could see, and there wasn't even the slightest breeze from its passage. Were Nya and Abashai even prepared to face what awaited them? Why did two gods take their time approaching them separately? Just what had they been sent to fight? Lacking an answer, they could only turn to their surroundings for evidence. There were several doors opening onto the courtyard, one leading to the keep proper, right in front of them, one to the stables on their left, and one on their right that looked like some storage area, perhaps a granary. Two ladders led up to the battlements and from there the guardtowers; their best bet for getting the portcullis open again. None of these areas seemed safe, but then again neither was the courtyard. Four rows of pointy windows stared at them accusingly.

[Abashai]

As the pair approached the empty stone gateway, Abashai shifted in the saddle. It was a unique design in which he almost kneeled astride the dire forest cat's back, his legs tucked up enough not to drag under her. It allowed him to remains securely seated while his and were free. Once the pair had entered the keep's main courtyard, Abashai patted Nya's neck, signaling her to stop. He slipped from the saddle, the sound of his boots striking the gritty flagstones echoing louder than he would have expected, making the eerie stillness of the keep even more poignant. The Benshiran reached over and lifted the composite bow and quiver from Nya's harness and slipped then over his shoulder, joining the icy-bladed longsword Deasupra already slung over his back. His right hand slipped into his outer coat, fingers wrapping around Galannas. He had decided not to leave the treasured suvai unguarded with the horses. Resting his left hand on the hilt of the battered khopesh at his side, he swept the surroundings with a narrow gaze. A resounding uneasiness had settled over Abashai from the moment they passed through the gate. A vague malevolence seemed to cling to the walls, causing a pinprick sensation across the skin of his neck and back. If the structure was crumbling, the grounds overgrown with weeds, or the walls spattered with blood, it would have been less disturbing. At the loud clanging of the falling portcullis, Abashai spun around, eyes darting from the gateway to the walls, searching for any movement. His gaze fell to Nya, but before he could speak, the courtyard was darkened by the massive shadow. The blue-green eyes shifted up, only to find empty sky. The short bow was immediately in hand, an arrow set to the string. This was supposed to be a fact-finding mission, ask some quirky hermit wizards about Kiphos. But Abashia had known it would be much more. Why else would a god himself appear to encourage him, to portend violence? He looked back over his shoulder at Nya. Were they ready? "Obvioulsy someone is in the gatehouse, maybe we should start there."

[Nya Winters]

Nya bowed her great head, acknowledging Abashai's thoughts about the gatehouse. She wished, yet again, there was a better way for her and Shai to communicate when she was wearing her Kelvic form. But they managed - and she knew she needed to stay in her cat form because it was safer for her, less distracting for Abashai, and it was one in which she could fight in quiet nicely. And she thought perhaps there was a fight here, definitely, though it wasn't really what she was looking for. So the great cat slowly made her way, cautiously, towards the gatehouse with her bondmate at her side. Her claws were sheathed, so she made very few sounds besides the creaking of her leather harness as they traversed the stone. Her head remained low, her eyes wide, her senses drinking in any information she could gather to then share with Abashai. She didn't want a fight, but she was ready if one found them. They weren't here for battle. They were here for something else... Their portion of the quest here was about information. If the place hadn't smelled like death, she would have shifted and called out a polite hello. But there was nothing safe about the place, nothing welcoming, nothing seemingly human. They both had already had their warnings. And they weren't going to let them go to waste. So as Nya and Abashai started for the gatehouse, side by side, both extending their senses, Nya did something else. Nya was a Stormwarden of Zulrav and as such she had certain powers. They were gifts from the God of Storms to use... and since there were here, on task, for his Will, she was not going to let them go to waste. Nya summoned the breezes that happily danced about the courtyard. There were always breezes present in the openness of such places. And as they were hers to command, she sent them scouting, seeking life and death throughout the structure - where ever they could go. With her Will she instructed them to go, to look, and to report back whispering to her what they'd found.

[Tarot]

The easiest way to get into the gatehouse was from the battlements, which did not prove overly hard for the two of them. Alahean castles could be divided into two broad categories: the ones that mainly developed above ground level, and those which were dug into underground rock. Areesa Tallshade's keep was definitely one of the former, indicating that it had a public function in addition to being a research lab. The gatehouse could house a small group of guards, though it had been redecorated in recent times, losing much of its martial appearance in favor of a more hospitable feel. A few pictures were on display on the walls, mostly renditions of pre-Valterrian mages. This was a memorial keep now, after all. A place devoted to memories. While it could still defend itself, its purpose had changed over the centuries. Abashai readily spotted the chains and pulleys that governed the portcullis. He made a startling discovery in the process: the chains were smeared with a substance he could not recognize. It was black and oily, but with an eerie shine to it that almost made it seem alive in the streaming sunlight. It smelled like nothing he had ever experienced before; like something in between a carcass and a living thing, with some tar thrown in for good measure. Moreover, if he tried to get the portcullis open, he would find the device jammed and unresponsive. The wooden beam would refuse to turn. Meanwhile, the breezes Nya had unleashed returned to her while she watched Abashai's back. They seemed pretty excited too. Nya was getting better and better at interacting with the winds; she could converse with several of them at the same time now, clearly making out the words of each without a problem. She could pick up the subtle nuances in their emotions, too; they were no longer gusts of air, but creatures in their own right. They were not Zulrav, though; the god had only spoken to her before she entered the keep. These were but servants. "You are in grave danger, Stormwarden," the first breeze reported in a concerned tone. "The castle has been overrun. We've found about fifteen bodies all over the place, if you can still call them that. They are but empty shells, mummified skin and bones." "There are soft noises coming from the bottom of the well. There may be survivors hiding in a secret chamber down there." The second breeze was more collected and altogether trying to be more professional about it. It was clear they were withholding something from Zulrav's favored, though. In the end, the third and last breeze broke the news to Nya in a slightly quivering voice. "Stormwarden, we think you may be up against one of the Old Things… beings that were already ancient when the first man walked into Mizahar. Relics. We thought this one was forever gone, undone by the Valterrian, but it seems it may have made a comeback." There was a brief silence. "I pray the Lord of All Winds that you have not been pitted against Galan'nas, 'the Shroud that Spreads', but…" But it certainly seemed that way. And if this was an information gathering mission, the ancient predator probably didn't know that.