Espirit Lake ((Right after the end of December Game))

After Serena had finished speaking with the leader of the low drakes she walked to gather her things. She just HAD to find the cure for scale rot. It was pulling whole families apart among the low drakes. They were so terrified of the illness that they completely rejected anyone who was infected with scale rot. Those low drakes were forced to live out the rest of their painful lives alone with no familial support.

Serena was greatly saddened by the thought of all those poor suffering souls and it showed.

Serena seemed to get lost in her thoughts as she walked towards her medical kit.

Espirit Lake, thats where everyone went. Saber was very certain that her friends and comrades dealt with whatever was there safely. However, she wanted to see the lake for herself, just to be sure she wouldnt find her friends corpses on the ground. Finishing off her Mead in a final gulp she stood up and readjusted her armor before she slung her bag over her shoulder. From the corner of her eye she carefully aware of one of the Inn's habitants watching her threw narrowed eyes. Casually she began to head out to the door until, predictably, she was stopped by the man who was watching her. "Hey, you look familer." He said. Arn't you that famous mercenary..you know the one they called noble-thorn." Saber smiled at the man pleasently and said "Do I look like some kind of hero to you friend? In truth, I admire her myself but saddly I am not her." and she continued to walk out. On the dirt road she quickly adjusted her route to esprit lake in her head just in case she would be followed. Just in case he realized she had lied to him. Again she silently cursed her luck. And strongly cursed the assassin, and whomever had started this nightmare.

Serena finished collecting her things and as she looked up she saw a figure in the distance. Serena smiled brightly and waved to whoever it was.

"Look, someone's coming." She said to anyone who was close enough to hear her.

Saber saw a figure up ahead of the road next to the lake and breathed a sigh of relief when she reconized Serena, a healer she met earlier. Sabers hand which was clasped to the hilt of her sword relaxed and dropped to her side. No one had followed her and she at last came upon a friend. She waved back, not able to talk yet due to the dust from the road and approched Serena with a smile. Once she stopped she pulled out her water skin, cleared her throat with the blessed liquid then smiled again. "Hello, did I miss anything?" she said casually.

"Oh, hi Saber! hmm..." Serena placed a finger on her lips in thought. "Well...where should I start?"

"When we got here, we were attacked by the low drakes but they appeared to be under the control of someone else. So the others defended themselves and I healed all of the low drakes that were unfortunate enough to attack us. Eventually we were able to free them from the control magic. They were grateful so they are letting us stay until we can get our things together. They don't want any humans here though so we have to leave soon."

Serena started walking but she stopped and her voice was softer, sadder. "Also... there is an illness spreading among the low drakes. It's called scale rot and it is quite a painful ailment that always results in death. ...I want to help them find a cure and I have these clues to finding the source of the disease but I don't know what to do with them... I don't even know where this place is located." Serena pulls out some journal notes and looks at them.

Saber fell in step next to Serena and stopped when she stopped to look at her notes. "Serena, how about we head to an inn, actually the one up the road isnt to bad, and we can talk about this disease-illness thing your worried about. I dont like being in the open for to long when its just myself or myself and you for the time being."

Serena lifted her head from the notes and looked at Saber with surprise. "Oh! Oh of course!" Serena tucked the notes back into her pack and started off down the road with Saber.

Serena turned as they were leaving and waved at the others "We'll be at the inn up the road. If anyone see Vae will you let her know?" Serena spins back around with a smile for Saber. Serena continued walking with a bounce in every step. "So, where have you been? Did you get your sword back yet? That is what they took right? My memory sometimes isn't so good about things like that."

While walking back to the Inn, Saber made sure the area was clear and was very watchful. At the same time she was thinking how best to answer the healers question. "Well yes, I did get my sword back but it was not easy. I, uh, had a small confrontation with my family in the process." Saber led her eyes slide down to the road as she reaccounted the stinging words she recieved from her Father and her Brother. Still set on continuing her search for the truth, it was hard to hide the slight pain the confrontation had cost her. Shaking her head she lifted her eyes again on the road to remain watchful. "I was also following a rumor of some unfinished business I had with the tho--ah that is with the group I used to work with."

"I'm sorry to hear about your family fight. I'm sure things will work out though. Your family's supposed to love you no matter what." Serena said with a smile of gullible certainty.

"How did the rumor pan out?"

"Well I didn't find what I was looking for but I am getting closer. Now how about you give me a quick version of this disease your worried about."

Tas'ril sat whistling to himself at the edge of Esprit Lake, the end of his fishing line bobbing lightly in the water. In the distance he could see the beach front where the Low Drakes had sacrificed their kin to help his companions. It was clean now, no longer spattered in the blood of the deceased. Death is a part of life, not something to be feared or despised. That was what their leader had said. Though the Low Drakes fearless respect of death was to be admired...Tas'ril could not shake a certain level of...disappointment in his companions. The feeling that they had used the Low Drakes culture as little more than an means to further their own ends without actually thinking anything through. He had tried to express this...but everyone shouted him down before he could properly form the words. Now it was too late.

It was not the first time they had disregarded his input. He knew it would not be the last. He had known from the start that people would ignore him, assume he was just an optimistic fool. That's how it was in Moarfyre and Simara. But he had to find some way to make them listen! He would never change anything if the moment he opened his mouth people ran for the hills. He had to find that leverage...and he had to do it before...before...wait...was that Saber? By the saints! It was Saber! What the? When did she get here?

Tas'ril, now torn from his thoughts, scrambled to his feet, grabbing his bag and then sprinted full tilt towards his friend. The line of his fishing pole trailed through the air behind him. By the time he caught up with her, she moving into a tavern and he had to shout to make sure he could be heard. "Saber! By the saints! What are you doing here?" then he noticed she was walking with Serena. "Oh! Hi Serena! Sorry to intrude...I just, I saw Saber and...well I haven't seen her since we got her sword back, so I wanted to say hi...uh...anyway...hi."

Saber turned around just as she was about to walk inside the musty tavern until she heard a familier voice. Sure enough it was Tas'ril. Saber smiled at the healer and held the door open, "c'mon Tas," she said. We can catch up in the tavern." It was good to see Tas'ril again. He trusted her with his secret and like wise he knew hers. And with Serena around, it was nice to know she hd good friends. "The mead is on me, but if my lawyer shows up, then its just water..."

Serena followed the other two into the tavern with a smile. "Water would be lovely."

As they find a place to sit Serena begins describing the illness that the low drakes are suffering from. "The disease I was speaking to you about is called scale rot. It literally rots the scales and flesh of the low drake while they are still alive. It's extremely painful, and always fatal." Serena keeps her voice low so to not disturb anyone nearby.

Tas'ril shuffled through the crowded tavern, awkwardly clutching his things against him. Everyone in here seemed at least a head taller than him, and he felt severely out of place. Somehow they managed to find a table with enough free seats to cover all of them and one more if need be. No sooner did they sit down, then Serena started discussing Scale Rot...apparently resuming a conversation she'd already started with Saber. The mention of the disease shot a bolt of guilt through Tas'ril. He'd given almost no thought to the matter. He'd been so busy fuming over personal matters that he'd forgotten his priorities. Help those in need.

"As I recall, there's no known cure. We came across an infected Drake, but there was nothing we could do except...ease his passing." Another sting of regret. He always felt bad when he failed a patient...the stabbing knowledge that there was something more he could and should have done to save their life. This was no different. The Low Drakes did not fear death, so long as they could face it with honor. That poor soul had to beg for its embrace. Nobody should have to suffer like that. "So! Where do we start on finding a cure!"

"And here I thought those blessed by the divines could heal anything." A dark voice said from a table over, holding a tone that was almost mocking. The small group had been talking rather loud- at least for anyone who was paying attention. With a slight sigh he closed the leather bound book that had covered their view from him and slamed it down on his table. He looked at the three of them with a hospitable, is slightly lop-sided smile that was normally held on his face. His red horns matched the color of blood in the low light of the tavern, and the black mark that ran up his face stood out clearly in contrast to his pale skin. For a small moment his eyes darted around the three, seeming to analyze them in a mere second. "Of course, I guess it wouldn't be such a dilemma then would it?" The corner of Asradechra's mouth twitched, a reaction to something he was feeling; but his smile didn't fade. Again his words hinted at insincerity, though nothing about his appearance hinted at such. He was actually just trying to be in good spirits- there wasn't a reason to let this book get to him, regardless of how unsettling it was.

Placing his hands over the book to keep track of where it was, Asra leaned in slightly to speak. "You know, my mother always tod me that, in order to fix anything, you need to know where the problem comes from. And although she meant it in slightly... different terms, I'd figure the same applies here. Do any of you know what causes the rot?" His fingernails slid roughly along the pages, causing a small drumming sound. His demeanor over it was obviously overly protective, and he looked at Saber with visible interest. "By the way, Tas'ril and... Serena? Was that what people called you? Anyway, I wanted to again express my gratitude on so efficiently healing my legs. They're a bit stiff, but the skin is nice and smooth." He addressed the two healer with a nod of his head as he spoke, then returned his eyes back to Saber. "Oh, and my name is Asradechra; who might you be? You talk with Tas'ril like you are good friends, but I don't think I recognize your face."