Eiyuu Kishi Den

Jereidon had no luck in Shining Hill in finding leads on his sisters whereabouts, since the group had split up he had been trying his best to keep his wits about him. Now he only could move onto the next place, hoping to find information there. Sitting in the common room of the Inn he had been staying at, he sighed and continued to eat his meal.

"We'll find her soon I hope, and no I will not let her make me get rid of you."

He spoke to Neria who was in her cage, seeming to be rather calm despite his sense of disappointment.

A short, red-haired half-elf girl entered the inn, looking as if she had just come in off the road. She was dressed for travel, carrying a small knapsack, and had weapons on her belt. The half-elf looked around the common room, studying the patrons. Her bright blue eyes fell on Jereidon as he spoke to something under the table.

Curiously, she edged closer to see just what he was talking to. There was a cage, but the shadows didn't allow her to see what it was. She crouched down next to the table, and without bothering to introduce herself, she asked, "What's in the cage?" while squinting to try and see the creature.

Jereidon looked to Katela surprised, would she be frightened at what Neria was. Though her curiosity was rather welcome, seems everybody overlooked the cage.

"My familiar Neria, she's a giant spider hatchling. I hope that doesn't scare you, I have to keep her cage covered for obvious reasons. I'm Jereidon Thappis, travelling mage and seeker of knowledge."

He nodded his head politely and took a drink of his tea, watching the elven girl with patient eyes.

"A giant spider?" Katela crinkled her nose for a moment. She wasn't fond of spiders, but her mother taught her to respect all living things. Spiders had their place in the world, after all. "Wow, that's a pretty interesting familiar," she mused. The half-elf hopped back up to her feet and presented her hand to Jereidon. "Katela el'Baran of the Mirror Forest," she introduced herself. "I'm just out to see the world, myself."

Jereidon smiled and nodded in return, most of the world he had read about in books but not seen. Katela seemed to have no particular agenda in mind then, perhaps they could help each other.

"It's an interesting story about her, and don't worry she's quite well mannered. It's nice to meet you Katela, most of the world I've seen from my masters books and maps. I'm also searching for my little sister, who was never found after my parents were killed. I want to believe she is alive, even if she is dead it will bring me some peace. Have you been away from home long?"

He did not want to ask her without sounding presumptuous, travelling alone was actually quite boring when all he had was his familiar to keep you company.

"Err... a couple weeks," Katela replied, but she was more interested in everything he said before he asked about her. "Your parents were killed and your sister is missing? That's so sad! How long ago did that happen?"

"She'd be twelve now, it was almost ten years ago. They never found her, and I was too busy with my studies to be able to do anything. I've been searching for a year, I also have found the former soldiers responsible."

He answered her as best he could, considering he had found nothing so far. He might as well ask, she seemed like someone with a sense of adventure.

"A couple of weeks, would you like a travelling companion. I know how boring it gets travelling alone, and I am sure that it would be fun."

Katela pulled out a chair and sat down at Jereidon's table, since he invited her. "Sure, I wouldn't mind helping," Katela said, a little more subdued. The subject was a lot to confront a stranger with, but she was willing to listen and help. It wasn't as if she had anything better to do. The few details he gave her were like two tiny pieces of a puzzle. "Why don't you tell me the whole story?"

Jereidon thought for a moment, going back through his memories to where this one began.

"It was about twelve years ago, my family was on their way to see me on my birthday. That year they never arrived, I waited up all night until I could not stay awake. About a week later the message arrived they had been killed by marmo soldiers, and that my sister was missing. She would have been three at the time, so actually she'd be about fifteen. The soldiers escaped, that was where this began."

Taking another drink of his tea he continued, skipping ahead to when he had found the same men and met Neria.

"Several months ago I was travelling, some bandits in the area had jumped me and I managed to fend them off with my staff. Once of them had my mothers pendant, which I managed to rip from his neck. I was forced to take refuge in a cave for shelter, I could not carry on with my injuries as they were. There I met Neria, well she had no name then. After a week I was able to carry on, and she came with me as well. I decided to name her after my sister, probably just so I would not forget my goal. That's what happened, of course I thought how Neria came to be with me was an interesting afterthought."

Katela listened carefully to his tale. It didn't sound good for his sister, but if her body hadn't been found, perhaps there was some hope. That was the hope he had to be clinging to, but Katela was a little more objective. "Neria is her name, huh?" Katela said. The half-elf began to consider a course of action. "Maybe they took pity on her and gave her to someone else to raise? I doubt she would remember you if she was only three years old and you were away from home, and you may not recognize her unless she bears a striking resemblance to you or your parents. We would have to find these bandits and interrogate them, but we need fighter support. One wizard and a ranger can't handle a band of brigands on our own after all!"

"I only hope I can recognize her if she is alive, still she would know the pendant I wear. It's my only means of her knowing who I am, and perhaps your right. She might have been left with someone, or where she could be easily found. Thank you Katela, I am grateful for your assistance."

Jereidon had already been left wounded once by them, though he was not the hardiest of people. All those years spent reading books had their price, Katela was right about needing support. Though she only mentioned one type, there was also another support that might become necessary in this matter.

"It would also do well to get a priest or priestess, there was at least half a dozen of them. If we do find them, then I want them brought to justice for their actions via the courts."

JereidonThappis wrote:"I only hope I can recognize her if she is alive, still she would know the pendant I wear. It's my only means of her knowing who I am, and perhaps your right. She might have been left with someone, or where she could be easily found. Thank you Katela, I am grateful for your assistance."

Jereidon had already been left wounded once by them, though he was not the hardiest of people. All those years spent reading books had their price, Katela was right about needing support. Though she only mentioned one type, there was also another support that might become necessary in this matter.

"It would also do well to get a priest or priestess, there was at least half a dozen of them. If we do find them, then I want them brought to justice for their actions via the courts."

Katela didn't want to ruin his hope for his sister recognizing him, but it was just so unlikely. "I don't think a three year old would remember something like that," Katela said in a concerned tone. "Anyway, we'll have to see about a priest. It's a lot easier to find a traveling warrior than a traveling priest. But before we start building a team, I need some food first. I'm famished!" With that, Katela motioned over a barmaid and asked for a plate of whatever they had cooking--sans meat.

Jereidon did seem a little too hopeful sometimes, though that was partly what kept him going. In this search he had not seen much luck, but still he knew that Katela was right.

"I'm sure we'll find one, though I had given thought to hiring a mercenary for protection a few weeks back. A wandering wizard is easy prey for bandits, but then I chose to take the risk."

"It's not a good idea to travel alone," Katela replied. "I had a run in with bandits too a week ago. It was just a couple men. I summoned Undine and blasted one, and while the other was distracted, I ran off into the woods and escaped them. I didn't want to hurt them, and that was the best I could think of at the moment, but thinking back, I could have just used a sleep spell on both of them..." Katela's blue eyes drifted up towards the ceiling as she thought back.

Jereidon listened and wondered how he had escaped from his encounter, then he realize that he had used a minor lightning spell to create a blinding flash.

"Back then I used a rather minor lightning spell to blind and stun them, I'd rather not hurt people myself. I'd rather use my knowledge to benefit people, I've never actually used a spell to attack someone."

He brought up how he got out of his encounter, which he would have been killed or left for dead in.