Endine the theif

[Remus]

“I probably can’t best you anyway, but you’ll sweat I promise and I apologize for the insult. I wanted to know what kind of person you are.”

Endine suddenly trembled healed by the paladin, all the injuries from questing for the scrolls gone.

“Oh no.” was all Blue could say. Endine hated anyone enchanting her that she hadn’t commanded to do so.

“Let her go Nadius.”

“I can’t it has to wear off. She resists every few seconds she’s incredible.”

Endine smiled embarrassed, the paladin puffed up a bit, “He’s a little new to the outside walls and is easily impressed.”

The paladin was smiling at Endine’s jest, “I healed you so there’s more to scrape along the ground. Our fight must unfold as fairly as possible.”

Endine didn’t know how to respond to the contradicting statement while waiting for the stupid spell to wear off. It did and Endine resisted flinching when the paladin produced a light mace and a short sword, both of immaculate quality, “For your empty hands. My name is Sylara. Shall we proceed?”

Sylara allowed Endine time to admire the perfect balance between the two weapons. The paladin really was helping her as much as possible, “Shall I show you your reflection now your just shove the mace into your face.”

“You can keep them if you manage to knock me down.”

“Really?”

Sylara smiled, Endine had just promised herself a worthy, not challenge, but hard to put down fight. Sylara felt as ease content the fight would unfold worthy as she had declared the challenge in her god’s name, “Magic or no magic?”

“I don’t want to hurt you too much so don’t hold back.” Endine started running fast her boots sparking along the floor, imagining the bar as the alleyways she survived as a child not fighting stupidly head on.

Sylara grew tired of trying to catch Endine loosing her initial drive because war changed often on the field she adapted to Endine’s methods and ducked into a hallway lining the bar concealed by the room with small lookouts every few meters.

Endine sneaked up on Sylara’s unguarded side smashing the mace into her back, but Sylara barely flinched and they faced each other head on, Endine a blur of movement, but mostly hitting Sylara’s light mithral shield. Frustrated Endine broke off and Sylara did like wise, liking this style of combat, naming it, ‘hide and go slash.’

Endine hid in the shadows, translucent against the wall, Sylara walked right passed her and Endine knocked her down, “Thanks for the weapons now for the sweat.” Endine jumped on Sylara, but Sylara recovered ready to fight before Endine could get a shot in crossing weapons again, their clashing could heard outside the inn by passing pedestrians, Blue blocked the doorway.

Endine’s silent chain mail was spent, her weapons in good conditions but she wouldn't last long. Sylara wouldn’t dodge or tumble, so skilled with her light shield imprinted with her god laughing and daring more of Endine’s strikes, “That darn shield,” Endine suddenly hated that shield with all her worth.

Endine could sense the intense aura of good emanating from Sylara; she mentally challenged its core, Sylara’s god, promising to weak havoc if she got past its follower.

Sylara flinched when Endine aura started simmering in red raging waves.
With incredible strength Endine struck and punctured Sylara’s small mithral shield with her mace. She tripped Sylara who found herself looking up from the ground with no idea where Endine was, tumbling clumsily since it was not her best skill, but avoided multiple arrows that crackled with electricity wherever they hit.

Then Endine insanely jumped from above arching down with short sword and mace aimed at Sylara who blocked and was knocked back by Endine’s sheer strength.

She returned in full force calling upon all the blessings of her god and trade as she would to smite evil. Her heavy mace ripped off half of Endine’s ruined light chain mail and cut a deep gouge across her shoulder and down her arm.

Nadius intervened, “You’ve won ok.” He healed Endine slowly with a wand of healing but she hardly noticed still raging.

Sylara had to hold her down to keep the cut from breaking open until the healing was finished because Nadius had used up all his holding spells on Sylara earlier.

They were both panting and Endine was being picked up by Nadius, “You didn’t have to go that far Endine.”

“I’m sorry Nadius but the fight was decreed in my god’s name. I had to win.”

Fighting Endine raging had made Sylara glistened with sweat, “If that’s all you’ve got…” catching her breath, “Fighting by your side would be an honor Endine, but you support me or the dwarf, if I have to heal you because of your big head I’ll lay your back on the ground first.”

[Remus]

“The scum with the chain mail is gone!” Blue looked all over the bar.

“My house will protect us for the night.”

Blue gave up looking, “I need to repair.”

“All needs will be provided. We will not venture forth unprepared.”

“Does she always speak like that?” Nadius whispered.

Blue shrugged, “Paladins…” as if that explained everything.

The battered party sat by the fire as Sylara’s house prepared to receive them, arranging rooms and food. Two younger cousins of Sylara sat close to Endine, their new hero who managed to puncture Sylara’s shield, no easy feat; as she over elaborated the tail to them, their eyes glistened, mouths open.

To Nadius’ surprise Endine described Sylara as shinning within, striking with all her god’s might. But of course Endine was spinning about Sylara’s mace while lightning thrashed all across the sky. For she had the applause of the elementals called forth by Nadius who wanted to share with those he was akin in ability to see the courageous battle unfold.

Blue mumbled that he wanted to decorate the rest of his shield in the blood of the foe with the scimitars. Nadius muttered back that Blue was storytelling a bit to grossly, but when the children told him their family history, memorized and passed down, learned from the moment of speech and understood as they grew older, but yet at a very young age, he felt himself in awe of the house of paladins.

Baths and healing rinsed their troubles down the drain.

Family members of Sylara crowded around Nadius, noticing his reactions to the children’s stories, each taking turns boasting their own tales long after their plates were cleared.

Beds were admired for only seconds falling into a deep sleep. Endine wasted no time creeping down unseen to Nadius’ room. He mumbled relentlessly at her efforts in waking him and she succeeded with cold washing water.

“Endine!”

“Nadius do you remember the red room?”

“Of course. I know exactly where that is. It’s where they keep… How did you know to ask me that?”

Endine told him everything. She didn’t want him to feel any more manipulation by keeping secrets. She trusted him. He was now her comrade, but he was also alone. Adventure fogged that realization from settling upon him yet and she wanted the transition to happen as easily as possible because he had made her realize that alone didn’t work for her anymore. Taking on the world alone was weaker compared to letting someone in.

“We have to go there immediately Endine thy might move everything with their security so exposed.”

Endine sighed. Her trait in deciding things quickly was catching, but she had experience where Nadius was new to being on his own as fully included party member. Endine pushed him back onto his pillow, “No what we need is a good nights sleep. You said powerful things can’t just be touched. Moving everything would be a slow process, if they can even touch them.”

“I want revenge!” Endine had been expecting this to pop up. She had felt the same leaving her own home going through all the processes of anger then embarrassment that Nadius was.

“How so? You are going to destroy the clergy as the great houses did in the past. Trust me revenge won’t make you feel better. You will damage yourself. Actions for you are a delicate thing Nadius. You have to live with them all through your lifetimes.” She jumped of the bed, static clicked around Endine and sparks at the end of traveling electricity burned the blankets which Nadius put out by waving his hand freezing the places catching fire.

Nadius turned red blushing.

She put her arm around his shoulders relieved she didn’t have to jump again from shock; she knew Nadius would never hurt her, “Travel with me for a while. See the world then decides what is worth taking action for.”

Endine didn’t want to hurt him but he needed to digest the blunt truth in the quiet of this night, even if it cost him sleep in a bed they might not see again for a while. She could not continue with him haunted by his conflictions risking the party by brash outbursts or taking off to deal with it. Either he went with them the whole way or she should cut him loose now, “You knew deep down those items should not be in those priests’ hands.”

Nadius looked as if he were going to jump out the window and do something stupid, but he quieted his inner urges of magic since she was so close. But he needed more than Endine for an Anker so Endine quickly suggested, “Lets go to the red room and fix your mistake but with a group plan. We’ll deprive them of their treasure,”

Endine gulped passing up treasure was harder than she thought. She was very tempted to sneak away and horde it all somewhere while she could still somehow touch anything under this blasted curse. She cleared her throat, “I promise we’ll treat the item however you feel they need to be dispatched.”

“Every single one. No little pieces of godly powers slipping into your pocket?”

Endine hit him and they laughed together, “Don’t torture me Nadius.” A serious look crossed her face, “But yes if you need me to say so.” Endine thrust him into a headlock, “but if you tell anyone that I promised my reputation is ruined!”

They sat quietly for a while, “There will be need for you to unleash your powers to aide us, but do so after the advising of your friends, as we need your output Nadius.”

Nadius couldn’t believe he was hearing this from miss, ‘you go that way I’m going to be violent this way.’

Revenge burning in one ear and soften comforting sense in the other he had nothing to say but stared at the ceiling.

Endine sat in a chair to meditate. Nadius was free to make his own mistakes if he chose to, but she was guarding him for one night ensuring she had placed that time for him to mule and make peace with his conflictions, or it least decide what to do with a clear conscience, she’d help him either way, she was not always a good girl…