Arrival

[Lan]

"The annual meeting is in two months, and you wouldn't be allowed within five miles of our meeting location. We will have to find any surviving Rangers and set up camp."

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Gwydion snapped. "What have you brought me out here for, then?! If your people led me all the way out here to do nothing, I'm going back and giving you your money back." Gwydion was furious. What was he here for?

[Lan]

"Listen, boy" the ranger's voice was ice cold, " The only reason you are still alive right now is because you still hold some use to me and the Ranger's guild." the darkness in his voice passed and he looked down to Jenovive, "Help me carry her..i know of an abandoned hut nearby.."

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Gwydion wordlessly helped Kay carry her to the hut. He still wasn't too happy about the situation.

[Lan]

Once they reached the hut, they set Jenovive in the shadows. "She is a ranger, she will heal quickly." He unslung his bow. "I'm going to go hunting, DON'T screw anything up."

[Gwydion Nefarine]

"I won't if you don't," he mumbled. He sat against the wall of the hut, staring at Jenoveve. "The only reason you are still alive right now is because you still hold some use to me and the Ranger's guild." The words that Kay had said rang in his mind. What use could he be to the ranger's guild?

[Lan]

Outside Kay watched the flacon fly off into the sky, "Fly swift."
He drew his bow and went in search of some game...or more correctly, bandits..

[Aeric Ecrai]

((Given permission to jump in. Gonna godmode some to get everything set for my arrival. xD))

Gwydion, even though he didn't have the tracking skills Kay had, managed to hear the faint murmur of talk and footsteps coming from the woods. It was nearly dusk, but he could still see faintly.

Four men, wearing gold gilded cloaks that came down past their shoulders and in gold colored armor were walking in the way of the ruins. They wore light chainmail, with gold metal plates on their shoulders, a curiass on their torso, and greaves on their legs. Three had their hoods up, one had his down.

Obviously the leader of the bunch, his grey hair stopped just above his neck. On his back was slung a bow, intricate in design and looking to be made of some kind of ebony material. Stylish in design, obviously made by a master craftsman of some kind, and completely different from the golden bows strung to the other three's back. A rapier was also fitted into a sheath on his side. Honestly, the only thing that made him stand out was the lack of a hood.

Anyone could identify a group of this kind. Fabled by many, seen by few, Gwydion could only wonder what they were doing here.

A dispatch of the Dawn Inquisiton was here. The question was, why?

***

Turning to his men, Venn began briefing them on their mission. A short explanation had been given by Jaster, but the Steel Division was never specific, especially when it was dealing with the Ranged Division.

"Men, reports of perverse Necromancy has been reported in this region. Such a malpractice of a Spark, especially in this degree, must not be ignored. We have been sent to not only eliminate these conjurers, but to also investigate what has brought them out of hiding. Although this may seem as a routine assignment, why the Necromancers would target a seemingly abandoned ruin is beyond me. The ruin is around four miles from here, but we should begin our search now. Spread out."

***

The head Inquisitor was headed in the direction of the hut. Gwydion had only heard rumors of their powers, seemingly unnatural, but all he knew is that anyone who was appointed personaly bodyguard of Commandant Ecrai was enough a force to be wary of, especially when it was unclear whether they were friend or foe.

[Lan]

Kay stopped, and turned. He thought he saw somehing behind him....there it was again. There! Even with his years of tracking and advanced observing, he had trouble following the form with his eyes. he could only detect one...what was it? He drew his bow and notched an arrow, silently creeping up a tree with a vantage point. Now he could see better, humans moving round the hut. He send an arrow whistling through the air. He may be the demolitions expert, but his skill with a bow was still superior to many in the guild. the dawn inquisition..? What were those snakes doing here, no doubt doing the bidding of that pesky Venn.. His arrow impacted next to the boot of one of the inquisition. "Senior Ranger of the Ranger's guild! State your business!"

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Gwydion stood out of sight near the door and drew his sword, soundlessly, ready to help Kay if he needed to. He didn't exactly fully trust him yet but he had more reason to trust him than these four in golden-colored armor. He had a few words the leader had said earlier. He wondered what they would think about Kay's way of introducing himself. He quickly glanced at Jenoveve, who was still lying unconscious on the hut floor nearby, and confirmed that she was still alright.

[Aeric Ecrai]

((I take it both of you are aimed at the leader. This is good, because it lets me send the other three on to the ruins.))

Venn sighed in disgust. He had seen the man, apparently a Senior Member of that so called vigilante Ranger's Guild. It was beyond him why Commandant Ecrai had such trust in that man Strider's notions. Snapping the arrow in half and leaving the head in the ground with his armored boot, he calmly drew his bow, aimed, and loosed a bolt of light. How that boy had been so keen as to thinking he didn't see him was a foolish mistake, and his sword flew from his hand. Venn felt no need to communicate to the rest of the group, for they were better off making their way to the ruins.
In any case, an introduction was at hand.

"I am Venn Richter, head of the Ranged Division of the Dawn Inquisition, appointed guards of Commandant Ecrai of the United Army of Raoro and Fabrith. Now, who exactly are you two, and who is your hurt friend?"

Venn noticed that although the boy looked startled, the ranger hardly blinked. No surprise, the man was at least on par with his skill and had obviously taken into account Venn's ability to take in his surroundings in the blink of an eye.

Awaiting an answer, Venn let his hand and bow lower to his side, but kept his arrow hand ready. If need be, he wouldn't need an arrow to fire his bow, as he had so demonstrated by channeling a White Spark through the polymerite gilding and loosing the boy's sword from his hand.

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Gwydion walked out the doorway with a sneer on his face. "I'm Gwydion Nefarine. I'm a mercenary." And I'm starting to regret I ever became one, he added mentally. He still had no idea what he was doing out here. He left it to Kay to introduce Jenoveve, assuming that he would know if it was wise to tell this man her real name. That is, if Jenoveve was her real name.

[Lan]

Kay cursed when he saw Venn. He didn't think that Venn himself would be travelling with the group. He still had his bow aimed at the Inquisitor's head. He jumped down from the tree. "Yes,yes, we know who you are...What is your business here?" he asked, ignoring the man's question.

[Aeric Ecrai]

"I could ask the same of you, Ranger." Venn retorted. Having sharp weapons aimed at him happened every day, and this was no different. He would not be intimidated, especially by this vigilante.

"But if you must know, the Inquisition has heard reports of Necromancers camped around a deserted ruin. You know as well as that boy does that the Inquisition eliminates all misusers of magii, especially those having to do with the dead. Why these conjurers are targeting a lone ruin is even more strange. They should have known that by becoming active that the Inquisition would have noticed, because as you know, we have people everywhere. Now please, put down your bow. Your pathetic excuse of attempting to intimidate me is growing tiresome."

It probably would be best if the Ranger didn't get a good look at his bow. He was unsure of whether the man would be able to indentify it, but he also knew that Commandant Ecrai was unsure if Nicodemus had contacted the Ranger's Guild recently. Those two...he knew so little about their past that it made him uneasy. Especially since Nicodemus managed to stay hidden, even despite the most extreme efforts of the Inquisition to get a fix on his location.

[Lan]

Standing invisible in a shadow nearby, Strider leaned on his bow. He laughed inwardly at Venn. The man was so full of himself. Strider took pleasure in the fact that if he wanted to, he could place an arrow in the middle of Venn's forhead. But instead he just stood there, watching the exchange between the two.

Kay furrowed his brow. Finally he slung his bow over his shoulder and the replaced the arrow to his quiver. "Well, then Mr. Richtor" he said in a mocking tone, "We happen to be taken care of a wounded Ranger."