The Night Before
Vesthi watched the Druid leave, and at once she relaxed her posture. A clawed finger began to idly trace circles on the table top while Vesthi momentarily lost herself to her thoughts. The dark man muttered quietly, shaking her from her revere. She nodded as she replied. “True enough. It’s interesting, and occasionally amusing, what one can grow accustomed too.” Vesthi lifted the fel vial in her hand, as if to draw an unintentional parallel. She pulled the cork and immediately the potency of the fel contained within struck her senses like a pungent odor. Without much of a thought she tipped back the vial and ingested its contents.
On the outside Vesthi’s pallor shifted slightly, the hue of her demonic skin becoming slightly more vibrant and her scaled hide the slightest more supple. Thin veins of fel energy spread across her face like molten fissures from behind her veil. Two tiny orbs of fel ignited where before there were only black sockets. The veins of fel spread down her neck, disappearing beneath her tunic. Every muscle in her body tensed for an instant. On the inside it seemed like a fire had ignited. It was an exquisite dance of both pain and pleasure. The lethargy that weighed her down released it’s hold. The fog that obscured her vision cleared. It had been a short season since the last time she’d felt this good or saw so clearly. The whole experience wasn’t quite, but something nearing ecstasy.
Drawing a clear breath Vesthi replaced the cork and slid the vial across the table to the man… who she could now see more clearly. Questions about the undead man abound, but could wait. “Thank you for this. I needed that boost. I owe you.” Vesthi lingered a bit longer, listening and watching those who had entered the tavern. She saw each and every one of them so much more clearly now and worked to correct the terrible assumptions she’d made of each. As the night wore on and the atmosphere drew more sleepy Vesthi decided to remove herself from the Tavern, and distance herself from the temptation to pay a certain Nature-wielding patron an unpleasant late night visit.
Now that her mind and vision was clear, and she was feeling more like her old self, Vesthi would have little need of actual sleep. A brief period of meditation now and then was really all her body and mind required. So instead, Vesthi would put her time to use getting her affects in order.
Summoning her Felbat down from the tower’s exterior rafters, Vesthi pulled apart the few items she’d brought with her. They were few. None of them particularly useful to the task at hand. She sighed to herself as she realized just how ill prepared she’d been. Her drunken stupor and lingering hangover hadn’t helped her decision making. Neither did her assumption that this was going to be anything they might call typical or mundane. The invitation said to meet at the Wyrmrest Temple, it was all but spelled out for you right there Vesthi! She chided herself. No matter, Vesthi resigned. She neatly repacked what little she had and quietly moved toward the broken bridge. Not even a weapon. She chided herself again, shaking her head lightly.
Standing in the darkness beside the broken bridge Vesthi felt the air begin to chill around her. Looking back at the tavern and small town she felt that perhaps she was far enough away she could chance a small resonance ritual. A simple enough spell that channeled minimal energy, it would work wonders toward further clearing her mind and recharging her body.
Clearing a small circle for herself near the cliff ledge beside the small bridge, Vesthi quickly worked out a small rune circle on the ground for herself and sat in the middle. She began softly uttering a spell ritual in the demonic tongue, falling into a particular cadence. The small rune circle beneath her began to glow a faint green hue as she very carefully channeled fel energies from the nether. If infesting a small vial of fel tainted blood was like striking a match and lighting a flame, then this quiet little ritual was like stoking the fel flames within. Even as she muttered quietly to herself, Vesthi’s awareness expanded, reaching throughout her immediate area.
Daegon, Vesthi’s hug Felbat, scampered to the broken bridge and hung itself off it’s edge, wrapping itself tightly for the night.
The Next Morning
Vesthi remained as she was, seated within her small rune circle chanting to herself, all through the night. She was aware of Kersia’s approach to the broken bridge just before day break. Vesthi ceased her chanting as the magical bear, who wasn’t a bear, began pacing on the bridge talking to herself. Gradually Vesthi began to wonder just what she’d gotten herself involved in.