To Find the Truth

Lana and Jillian where in position. Exactly where Nathan had told them to be. Jillian's job was to protect the confessor nothing could happen to her, they were a very brilliant people and their value to the cause could not be over stated however they are very fair, to the point of being frail. Nathan also thought compared to what they may have to face Jillian is most likely frail by comparison so its best to keep those two out of it if possible.

Nathan knew Katsumi was there even though he could not see her. He could see things that were hidden, secrets of any type. Sometimes he actually saw the true image and sometimes he just felt what was there. This time he felt her nervous and hiding. She had approached as invited by the pixie but she was a cautious soul.

"Please come out Katsumi, no one here wants to harm you. To the contrary, we actually want to help."

She dropped out of a tree gracefully rolling on the ground and springing to her feet, "Nathan." Was all she said, she was being careful with her words and he could tell that she was judging him for friend or foe. She was after all working for Darkness who Nathan opposed, she was right to be cautious. But she only worked for him because she believed a lie. He would bring her truth and she would oppose him.

"I came as soon as I could. Only a few of you are still free from Darkness's direct control, I'm determined to find a cure and believe we can stop him and find a way to release his hold on all of us. Even you."

"Darkness does not hold me." She said reserved but firm.

"Does he not? You led him to the group, you scout for him now. You may not be subject to his equation but you are in his grasp just the same. The question is why?"

"My reasons are my own?"

"What is he offering you? I may not know what it is, but I know who he is and I can tell you that he is lieing. You will never see his promised rewards and if you are enslaved by fear of his punishment, I offer you the chance to fight back. Another truth I know firmly and deeply is that light will always prevail over shadow. The light will always conquer the Darkness."

She stood there for a long moment measuring his words. They sank deeper than she would like to have let on. She replied with measured defensiveness trying to not be too vulnerable, "I am just looking for a way home. If you can offer me that I'd rather take if from you than him."

"I can help you get home or wherever it is you want to go after we address the situation here. I've have to postpone some very important endeouvers to be here because I know a victory here is crucial. Will you help us gain that victory?"

"Yes was the simple response from her accented voice."

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Katsumi say Miriska slowly drifting through the trees. Distant look in her eyes appeared to digest nothing of what she gazed on. It was if she was looking on past this place thinking of something else entirely. It was not that she was taken over by Darkness. All the ones that happenned to weren't distant their stares were intense and focussed. With them, everything had a purpose and a methodical pace about it.

She first saw one of the drones on the shore of the river tracking Owen. He was gathering berries from one of the trees along the shoreline. Katsumi knew there was something wrong so she approached with caution. The Omega symbol in his eyes unsettled her but not as much as the twin caskets he carried in his boat. He had the same look and gaze that Darkness did when he found her dream.

That was a horrible night. She had been tracking Owen as she committed to Dessad in exchange for journey home. Resting only long enough to sleep what she must she did not even make camp. In her dreams she saw a man clad in dark black cape. His skin as white as the cape was black. The blackness appeared to consume the light around him. Looking on him seemed to make fear tangible. She prided herself on her bravery, all the dymyo was brave, there was little that ever scared her but this man frightened her like a nightmare come to life. He felt as though all the hatred and terror of the entire world had been condensed and contained in that one black cape. He had the same stare as the man on the boat. When he spoke her skin prickled and rose as if it had wanted to flee from off her bones and hide in the far shadows. She herself was to petrified to move to a hiding spot. She would accept whatever fate became her, the fear gave her no choice.

He told her that she no longer needed to kill Owen. That he had met Owen in a tiny fishing village to the north. Seeing Owen's potential to grow and lead the pack of werewolves which now served him he offered him the power and protection of doing so. Owen accepted. It was his former companions that Darkness needed. He explained how he wanted Katsumi to follow them and alert Dessad when they were close. He wanted to use them for an experiment and said if she helped he would send her home as originally promised.

The desire to do whatever was necessary combined with the compulsion of fear caused her to agree. Her father had once said "that once an agreement was made with the Dark One you must not back out." It was his way of saying you kept your word no matter how miserable it made you. And now she was trying to break that word.

"Girl! speak," Rowenna who was no longer Rowenna demanded. Katsumi realized the stress of the past weeks must be catching up to her as she was caught off her guard staring and digesting the events. She replied quickly and meekly, "I have found the Unicorn, and more that Jillian is with them. She is not alone Nathan the seeker of Truth is there as well. He appears to have just arrived."

"Then he must have come to save her. He more than anyone could run everything. We must act quickly which way?"

Katsumi led them to the meadow and then down the tree row to the small glen where Nathan was. Nathan was sitting against a tree appearing to go through some rations when they arrived. He rose slowly and said in a pleasant tone directed at Soskai, "Hello Darkness my old friend. Its good to speak with you again."

He responded to the Paladin's greeting as Katsumi immediately went for cover. "Then you know, she has told you. These shells now serve my will as fully as your arms serve yours. We are one, a growing mass loyal to only the Darkness." Miriska slithered beside the mouthpiece of the monster and added sharply, "Justify your life to the Darkness. Before the Darkness shall nothing stand."

"Kill him," was all Rowenna said and Mirska charging flying half mist and half woman in the air at the Seeker of Truth. She struck and invisible wall that seemed to appear as he drew his blade. She become only a collection of smoke and mist that spun and was repelled. She formed solid just outside this wall and measured her opponent sniffing the air, "There are more here, a human mage elven girl and a young human woman."

Nathan wielded his sword but not as a blade, "Foul creature of the shadow I command you in the

name of the Fearless one and by the power of Truth to be gone from my presence and cower before the might of Light and Truth."

She hissed as a cat would to a threatening dog and recoil even turning to flee from the glen.

Soskai and Rowenna enterred the glen both of them spewing lightning from their mouths at Nathan. It arced instantly and both bolts struck him solidly in the chest.

Kaeden swooped in diving in front of his master. Too late to defend from the lightning strike, but he reared up on his hind legs and expanded his wings to their fullest length ensuring that any future strikes would hit him not Nathan.

At the same time Lana struck dropping her invisibility ensnaring Soskai in a web. Rowenna diverted her arrow strike toward the mage hitting Lana just above her right knee. With Rowenna distracted Katsumi crept up and taking the rag soaked in Elvesbane smothered Rowenna. The Elf went down almost instantly. The battle was over and somehow Nathan had won.

Appearing as from nowhere, Miriska attacks Lana from behind biting into her neck. Blood sprayed even as far as Katsumi splashing the nearby trees with dots of red. Katsumi's attention was turned to Miriska and so was Nathan's. He, now upon his stead, charged the blood thirsty beast with zeal. She picked up Lana like a doll and threw her up over her head into the woods behind her. The limp flailing of her limbs resembled the dolls Katsumi use to play assassin with as a child. Nathan struck once slashing her cold stone skin, she returned the blow being absorbed by the Pegasus.

Just then from the corner of her eye she saw Soskai partly mist and begin to creep through the holes in the web. He escaped and turned his gaze to Nathan ready to loose another bolt of lightning. Katsumi peppered his face with the group of 20 small darts she had lodged in her mouth distracting him. He instead drew his sword with lightning speed and swung at her. Luckily, she managed a flip back and roll into the shadows of the trees. She thought she was safe until a magic missile caught her off guard and off balance bringing her into the light. Soskai was there in a moment she turned to defend but knew the blade would find its mark she flinched only slightly anticipating the pain.

The Pain that did not come. She looked up and saw an arrow threw the palm of Soskai's hand causing him to drop the sword. He looked back and so did she to see Jillian standing the string of her bow still shaking from the firing of an arrow. Katsumi capitalized and slid a short blade into his back. A length of chain leaped from the far end of the glen and moving seemingly by its own power ensnared the drow causing him to be tied to a tree. Lana stood blood coverred hands holding a spell book only a few yard away.

Miriska was met her last blow from the seeker's sword and with severed head turned to mist before she reached the ground.

Nathan dismounted and ran to Lana seeming to move as fast as Miriska once did. His hands touched her and the wide tear spanning her neck and shoulder repaired itself though she still seemed pale. After a few more moments of binding the unconscious Rowenna and healing all the parties wounds, except Katsumi could not dismiss how pale Lana looked, Nathan motioned for the confessor to come forward.

"As I was saying, Hello Darkness." Nathan said to Soskai.

Soskai replied smiling keeping his eyes locked on Lana. "That's more than just protecting the innocent or healing your companions. That's love. Of all the lies in the world love is the worst. But is serves a purpose. Love will allow pain the depths of which no other source can cause. I will bring you that pain seeker. Lana will be mine, I will walk with her when you can't. I will love her and she me. I will make you chose between killing her and saving yourself." His laughter filled the glen.