The grey stones of the House Adhan glittered in the morning heat. Deep within the desert, there was no life to be seen. Only endless expanses of sand for miles, and then, the black house.

It was small enough, with a small stream running along its right side. It was a strange sight, a stream in the desert. Travelers so maddened by the heat that they saw no suspicion had drunken from the stream. It had been their last drink.

For within the house lived Asmana, the Messenger of Mortals and Slave of the Spirits. She sat for hours within her house, meditating and thinking, and red tabby cat stretched luxuriously over the sill of the only window in the house.

On one day, the summer solstice, the hottest day of the year amplified by the Desert, Asmana’s mind was in turmoil.

The next message has arrived, said Anki, spirit of Fate.

Yes. For someone not far from here. Get up and leave. Go, deliver the message. Shin, spirit of Truth, never lied.

No, came a weak struggle from the darkest corner of the mind, I won’t. You cannot control me like this forever!

Oh, no? Anki asked mockingly. Up. The Message must be delivered.

The weakest voice seemed to weep within its own mind, dominated by the spirits.

Get up, Asmana. This is your destiny.

And of course, dominated, she was forced to get up. Asmana herself never realized what had happened. She was oblivious to the struggles of her mind. She stood and called, in and icy and whispery voice, “Rin, let’s go.”

The cat on the windowsill blinked and said, Already? I was having a nice nap.

“Yes. We have to go.” So Shade and were-cat set off. Asmana slung her huge Claymore sword over her back, grabbed her satchel of belongings, and the two of them left.

- - - - -

Having traveled for over three hours on foot, Asmana and Rin stopped to rest on a low cliff.

So, what’s this message? Rin asked.

“It’s to a traveler, somewhere in this desert.” Asmana replied. “It says, ‘You’re destiny will come sooner than you think.’”

Do we even want to guess what this one could mean?

“No.” Asmana replied. She lay down in the shade of the cliff and fell into a troubled sleep.

- - - - -

“Asmana! Wake up!” A sharp, female voice cut into Asmana’s mind. Within and instant, she was awake. Standing before her was a short maiden, with emerald-green eyes and shaggy red hair.

“Hello, Yane,” Asmana said to Rin’s human form.

“There isn’t any time for this!” Yane said.

Asmana grew serious. “What is it?”

Yane grinned sardonically. “Slavers.”

Erais woke up.
'Where am I.' She thought to herself.
She then felt her self move.

She was blindfolded and gagged.
'Why me? Why does this always happen to me?'
"Halt." Said a strange voice.
'I don't want to go back. They can't make me.' She thought to herself. She began to cry a little.

Carsaib sat, partially hidden on a dune, directly across from him was another one of equal height. On the southern one, about half way up and hidden by a few pieces of scrawny vegetation, Carsaib took out his bow. He strung it carefully, and made sure not to scuff the wood when testing the string and while nocking an arrow. He had seen movement across the other dune the previous night, and he was waiting to see who was up there. The opposite dune had a sharp ledge, unlike the smooth, undulating hill he rested on

With all his attention on his bow, and the opposite dune, he didn't notice the line of horsemen untill they were just under a mile away. He retreated further up the dune into deeper cover while keeping his eyes on the dune and the horsemen simultaneously. His attention snapped back to the other dune as a few shapes moved gracefully and carefully, but from his vantage point he could identify at least one person, mayby another by the way the stranger moved. The line of men were heading for there pass, and had not noticed Carsaib or the opposing camp, much to his relief. He took deep breaths and tried to think over the situation, after much deliberation, he decided to wait to see who made a move out of either group. Now only half a mile away he seen the line of horsemen properly, a few had passangers that were bound or gagged, or even both. A few had blindfolds to be extra careful.

Carsaib knew only the Empire, slavers or nomads would do this type of stunt here. Since they were far from the empire he discredited them, so it must be either slavers or nomads. Or both he observed grimly. He settled himself down and waited for the opposite camp to take the enitiative.

They came to a stop. She felt a sword on her throat, a man said.
"Make one sound and you won't see daylight again."

She was dragged out of a ---- What seemed to her---- cage. She was then tied to a rock. The blind fold and gag were off. She saw dunes.
'I must be in the hadarac desert.' She thought to herself.
on one of the dunes she saw a man with a bow. Aparrently she was the only one. The men started to make camp.

'I hope he is not with the Empire.' She then looked up. The sky started to get dark.

In the mornning she was gagged and blindfolded again, and then tossed in the cage. She then felt herself move again.

OOC- Lets wait for Svit-Kona

OOC: fine with me.

OOC: Thanks for waiting guys!

Ic:

Asmana tracked the slavers carefully, covering her tracks and stalking both night and day. Yane would run ahead and inform her of the slavers' movements. This was all Asmana needed to stay a safe distance away with out loosing them.

"This is dangerous, you know." Yane said on one of her return trips. "Why the sudden interest?"

"Becuase," Asmana's icy voice replied. "My message must be delivered with out interference."

"Who?" Yane began to ask, but Asmana cut her off.

"You will know as soon as I do."

Within Asmana's mind, Anki looked on sadly. Poor mortal. This message will tear up all the life within.

- - - - -

The slavers had a prisoner. Asmana ground her teeth upon hearing this.

"Slavers." she growled menacingly, her pure white fangs clashing. "More than mortals, I hate slavers."

Because we are possessed by them. I am a slave within my own mind, my own life. Asmaani thought. My body and I are seperate, both controlled with out permission.

"I will kill all slavers one day." Asmana said. "These may be my first victims. Let the spirits forgive them, for I cannot!"

It was late one night. They did the same thing. They would unbound her, tie her to a rock, and tell her if she makes one sound she will die.
This night they got them selfs drunk and started to say,

We are the best slavers. Won't Galbatorix be proud. For we have caught his lost dark elf.

They would say that over and over in a sing song voice. Erais got very annoyed. Soon she fell asleep.

OOC: Before making more posts, why don't we wait for Glenwing so the posts stay even and everyone knows what's happening?

OOC: I was hopping you were going to say that.

The figures in the opposite camp began to rise, caution and excitement welled up inside Carsaib. He hastily finished eating and snatched his bow and quiver from his side. The line of men were now moving between the two hills, a few minutes from his and the opposite camp. He made a quick decision, he strung his bow, and trained arrows on the men. Waiting for them to pass under him.

Asmana whispered, "A dagger to the troat, a spell to the brain, all to make the quiet prisoners remain."

As Asmana watched the camp, she spotted a figure in the distance. She proceded to walking right into the camp, Claymore drawn in both hands. She swung in at a rope, sending a tent collapsing in the sand. She then muttered several spells and three slavers fell, unconcious.

Pleased at the pain and surprise on her victims, Asmana continued. She grabbed who she thought was the leader by the scruff of the neck, and whispered, "Slavery is wrong, Man of the Sand. I do not like slavers."

Asmana, what are you going to do?! Rin asked, alarmed.

"Brisingr," Asmana said so quietly that only the leader could here her. A small purple flame appeared in the corner of the camp. Asmana through down the man and went back to the sandy cliffs.

As Blake was walking through the deserts sands he heard a commotion up ahead and then a bright flash then everything was quiet then he went to the sand and crawled all the way there screaming in my mind to every living thing in sight ‘I mean no harm’ then when he got there he saw three figures over a bound girl and said “oh what now slavers?” then only then did he sense their intentions and stood up and said “what’s going on here?” then they looked.

OOC- Another person?

OOC: yes......why the sad face? if u dont want me here ill leave

OOC- Its just when lots of people join this early it kinda sucks.

OOC: oh uh...sorry i didnt know that

This time Erais was still blindfolded. She felt a different magic their. She then could sense some of the guards collapsing. She then ungagged herself.

What did I get myself into this time. She thought to herself.

She continued to bite at the binds. She heard foot steps coming to her. She qiuckly hid the binds.

"Get up. We're moving out." One of the slavers said.

They dragged Erais up right. They saw that she was trying to escape.

"Think you can get away do you." Another said outragged.

They hit her in the head with a rock. She passed out. They then dragged her back to the cart. Her head started to bleed a little.

"How?" Asmana demanded of herself. How had the slavers survived? How had she let them escape? How had she not remembered to free the prisoner?

"Asmana! We need to deliver that message!" Yane exclaimed. "You just let the target get away! Why counldn't you tell the prophecy before burning down their camp?"

"I was angry, so kill me." Asmana said, letting her crimson hair free of its tie. "And the slavers weren't exactly compling."

"Still, you let them get away. What's come over you lately?"

"My quest. It interferes with me more and more. Curiously, at the same time, my power seems to be growing."

"Curious, indeed," Yane said. "Now will you deliver that message?"

"Yes." And with that, Asmana began, once again, to track the slavers.

"Do not stop for camp tonight. We need to make it in the city walls by tomorrow. We won't get paid if we don't make it." One of them said.

Erais felt so helpless. She wish she could do something and not just sit here doing nothing. But then again the drug was to strong. With her hands still tied she felt the place where blood still flowed out. She felt woozy.

How did this happen. She thought to herself.

She felt pathetic. She wanted to be able to do something. But what.

OOC: uh....am i still able to be in the RP? if not ill comeback later when its not so early.

"City walls?" Asmana said in confusion. Having heard the slavers' plans, she was worried. "Yane, we need to catch up to them quickly. They have very little supplies and will not be stopping. What do you suggest we do?"

"I'm uncertain." Yane's red hair flew up in the desert wind, and she coughed as the blowing sand scratched her eyes, face, and throat. "What should we do?" She said, more rhetorically than anything else.

Asmana's viloet eyes blazed in a reminise of the purple fire they had created. "I should have grabbed the girl, delivered the message, and left," she moaned regretfully.

"Stop. Regret clouds judgement and is a sign of the weak. We can not allow ourselves to be caught off guard again."

"Off gaurd?" Asmana laughed bitterly, "It wasn't that."

"Whatever it was, we need to keep going." Yane snapped. With that, she resumed her cat form and stalked off into the night.

OOC: Let's wait for Glenwing.

OOC: Okay.

OOC- Em...continue for a bit. Not much for me to write.

OOC: okay. Erais, you want to (re)start?