Nostrum: Tales of Valor

Fermented Brew

Taking the last swig from his flask, Belial savors the harsh drink. Swishing it back and forth over his tongue before finally swallowing with closed eyes. The Thrashroot's whispers become more and more distant to him as Cronn hacks at the growth's assumed neck. Too weak to get up, it does nothing more than speak and peer at Belial, with an acceptance of its own fate. Though, the whispers are far calmer than the entity's physical shell. Which gives out crippled whines with each hit it takes.

"Ersatz Special treating you well?"

"Not any longer." Tossing the flask aside, Belial runs his fingers through his hair, trying to tune out the voice.

"We'll see about getting more sometime."

"That won't be necessary." As Cronn's ax hits soil, the whispers become choked and Belial sighs with relief. "Finally."

"Seems the roots don't belong to just this one." Cronn speculates, noticing that the motions of surrounding trees slow with the motions of the Thrashroot.

"They never do." States Belial, who glares across the clearing at the decapitated hive-mind.

"Long as they don't lash out at us too, I've no concerns." Cronn limps over to the others as he speaks, whilst pulling a thin vial full of red liquid from beneath his coat and crushing it. As he does so, the glass turns to nothingness, and the liquid within vaporizes almost instantaneously. The fine mist left behind gravitates towards his body, running over the skin of his hand and spreading up his arm. Once it is no longer visible, Cronn's posture and physical state improve significantly. "Down to my last of these, now."

"We'll resupply once we find another group." Briar uncertainly pledges. "Hopefully."

"So, what happened back there?" Cronn asks, directing his words at Belial.

"It was speaking to me."

"I didn't hear anything." Briar voices in a confused manner. "Nothing more than the sounds of living wood."

"Not aloud." Belial clarifies, pulling himself up and shaking off ichor that has clung to his pant legs. "It spoke through thought."

"I'm not referring to such things. I mean with your... behavior?"

Belial blinks his foggy opals, blankly awaiting further explanation. Apparently unaware of what events Cronn's questioning derives from, he offers no more than a slight drop of his lower jaw. As if ready to say something in response, but unsure of what words to use.

"Do you not remember your own shrieking? The outbursts of something other?"

"I'm sorry. I do not."

"Perhaps the Thrashroot had him in a trance-like state." Briar suggests, noting Belial's prior comments.

"It's not an unlikely possibility." Cronn says in a weary, yet agreeing way. "Let us get you away from this place. If what Briar says is true, then your proximity to the source may become a much larger issue."

"Agreed. Let's get moving." Returning his crossbow to its original form, Briar takes the lead and begins searching for a trail once again.

Relieved that no other Nostrum seems to have fallen victim to the Thrashroot, Cronn continues to keep an eye on Belial's condition. Having been studying him since the death of Marne, a few things have sparked a sense of peculiarity. "Quick recoveries from injury, sudden spurts of poor health and weakness, an aggressive personality.... Could it be the effects of a still fresh grievance, or...?"

"Wait," Briar pauses and partially crouches as he looks about himself, "listen!"

Pulled from his thoughts, Cronn raises his torch and slowly turns on a pivot. Then, he hears it. The sound of approaching footsteps. The distance remains unclear, as an eerie silence that naturally comes on these nights allows such things to carry over large tracks of land. Remaining alert, but not yet ready to strike, they spot another torch making its way into view. Shortly after it appears, another follows. With a third making itself known, it becomes too clear to deny.

"Seems they found us first." Belial remarks, having made out the pale faces of four other Nostrum as they continue to close in on the trio. Giving them a polite wave, he starts making his way over, followed by Cronn and Briar. "Greetings gentlemen, and gentle-lady."

"Greetings." The tallest replies, tipping his hat as he does so.

"Glad to see you're all doing well." Briar gives a subtle bow and a wave of his hand.

"Likewise." Comes the high voice behind ruby red lips of another. A touch of humorous sarcasm in her tone. "What brings you lot on our path?"

"We're here for you, actually." Briar responds, looking over at a binding that covers the woman's eyes. "Convener Achlys has some concerns about the conditions surrounding our current objectives and offered that we may seek out and search the findings of others."

"Oh?" She says, with a hint of surprise in her voice. "What might this be about, then?"

"I'm not permitted to say. All I can do at this time is ask if your party has found anything suspicious on The Knellers' bodies."

"Well, ask us then." She demands, fashioning a smirk.

Briar looks to the others for confirmation. Only to find Cronn shrugging and Belial pretending to be oblivious.

"Have... have you found anything suspicious on The Knellers' bodies? Nostrum Hael?"

Appreciative of his use of her name, her smirk turns to a soft, pleased smile and she turns sharply on her heel to face the tallest of them.

"Fardel, why don't you show them?"

Nostrum Fardel looks down at her from the corner of his eye, seemingly not wanting to give up what it is he possesses. Then, begrudgingly unbuckles his overcoat and shifts a hand around in a hidden pocket. Collecting what it is they have scavenged, he shows the trio.

"As I feared." Briar's eyes are filled with dread as he looks over a pair of wrapped packages. With one having already been partially torn open. He assumes this to be the one in which Hael's party had opened to inspect. "Tell me, are they still intact?"

"Of course. Though, I couldn't tell you what they're for. It was simply strange to us that a Kneller would be carrying anything like this. Merely coincidental that two would be holding the same item. Or so we thought. Seeing your reaction tells me there is more to these than what meets the eye. No?" Hael takes the parcels in her own hand and turns them about, shifting her head from left to right as she examines each.

Briar doesn't respond. Trying to ensure he doesn't make their curiosities stronger, he simply stares back at her as he works out what to say next. Before he can though, Belial cuts in.

"It has been stated that the Convener does not want information being given on the matter at hand. Though this is an uncommon thing amongst Purebloods, it is a direct order from Achlys herself and must be respected as such."

The two men at the back and Nostrum Fardel shuffle uncomfortably behind Nostrum Hael, who remains proper and shows no signs of change in her expression.

"We would be very appreciative of you allowing us to take these off your hands. They must be disposed of properly so as to avoid any further issues they may cause."

"How professionally put." She remarks, ignoring Belial's input on the subject and responding solely to Briar. "Well, if it is an order of Achlys' that you cannot speak, and she offered only for you to search our findings, then I would say that our meeting here has come to its end. We will be on our way now. Fardel, Rooks, it's time we get moving."

"Actually," Briar begins, smirking himself, "Achlys did state that we're to destroy these particular items. So, unless you seek to have your name addressed during our return to Keep, I would strongly suggest you hand them over." Briar places an open palm out in front of himself, anticipating Hael's submission to his recollection.

"Hmph." Remaining stern in her place, but no longer possessing a smile, she rolls her jaw to its furthest points. Keeping her nose pointed in Briar's direction as she does so.

"Nostrum Hael, I think it would be best-"

"Silence, Rook! I make the calls when it comes to this coalition and I say what's best." Refusing to break what Briar can only assume to be eye contact, Hael speaks loudly to those behind her. "I expect to hear the reasoning behind all this when we make our return to the mountain." Thrusting the parcels out towards him, Hael scowls.

"I'm sure Achlys will release more on the subject when she has had the time to study it herself." Accepting the reagents, Briar passes them off to Cronn, who has remained silent during the entire confrontation. "If you come across any more of these, either leave them where they lay, or bury them. Do not burn them. You risk detection if you do so."

"Very well. We'll be on our way now." Hael pushes past Cronn to create a path for the others to follow, after pinning him as the weakest link due to his actions- or rather lack thereof- during the negotiation.

"Doesn't look like we'll be restocking this time around." Belial grumbles, watching their chances walk further into the bog.

"We'll have better luck with the next." Briar assures, even though he is well aware it is meaningless to his partners.

"Do you think they were all that far while we were fighting that Thrashroot?" Belial conspires.

"Ah, it's Hael. If she had known there was something like that lurking nearby, she'd have been ready to battle it in a heartbeat." Turning his head to see Cronn, Briar finds him to be watching Hael before she vanishes beyond tall grasses and fallen branches. "You still with us, Cronn?"

"That woman terrifies me in a way that shouldn't be possible." Passing his torch off to Briar, he pulls his overcoat forward in an effort to cover the front of his bottoms and starts venturing towards the next charted route.

Briar and Belial trade disgusted looks before Briar shivers and turns Cronn's way to follow.