~On silent tread Fachon makes his way to the Temple of Innoruuk, where he lightly raps on the door to the priests sanctuaries. It is opened by a young acolyte, who silently ushers him into the waiting area. After a moment, an elderly priest enters, and greets him.~
"Innoruuk guide you, brother. What brings you to our temple so early in the morn?"
"I have a child that I was told to give into your care, Father."
~The guard gently hands the male child to the priest, along with the jar.~
"Klaryssa said to give this to you with the instructions to give him a dose once a week. She says that he is cursed by the Fates, and it will ease Their anger."
"Ah, I knew I felt her hand in this."
~The priest takes both the child and the jar from Fachon, and than stops the guard as he is about to leave.~
"Here, what is that other bundle you have, Fachon?"
"The female child that was born first. The reason you now hold the second born, son of Lord D`Sade, who has now gone mad."
~At the name, the priest gasps softly, and takes a step back.~
"Get her from my sight! Take her and leave this place. I shall take the male, and he shall never know his past. May the Fates have Their anger appeased with her."
~At that, the elderly priest shoves Fachon out the door, and closes it behind him with a resounding thud. Fachon can hear the bolt being slid back into place as he turns and heads towards the very bowels of Neriak, where only those that have to go venture to. To the Lodge of the Dead, where the darkest of the Teir'Dal training takes place.~
~Fachon quickly makes his way through the back streets of the city, working his way to the very heart of it. Far from the prying eyes of any but the most hardy, or foolish, sits the Lodge of the Dead. The very name makes most shudder, and Fachon is not immune to these fears and misgivings. He doesn't know what goes on inside that dark foreboding building, nor does he care to know. He just knows he's running out of time.~
~The ghouls at the gate turn slightly towards him, hissing a sound that chills his very soul as he passes by. They don't challenge him, merely let him pass, which he thinks is odd. He had heard rumors that these ghouls did not let any but those from the Lodge pass unharmed. Than he remembers the child in his cloak. Maybe it's her they are allowing to pass. He shudders at the thought of the trip back without the child.~
~As he comes upon the Lodge's entrance, a dark shadow falls over him, and he takes a step back as a voice, cold with death addresses him.~
"Well, well, well. Fachon. I had never expected to see you at our door. And at the perfect time of day."
~Fachon looked up into the face of Lord Tolax, once the greatest warrior to walk the street of Neriak, before he was seduced by the powers of the dead. Now he was the Master of the Dark Knight training, and the very man he needed to see.~
"I…" Fachon shudder as he say there was no life in the knights eyes, but stealed himself to continue, "I have a child for you. A girl child."
~Lord Tolax sneers~ "What? A girl? You bring me a girl?"
"Aye. Klaryssa told me to bring her here."
"Klaryssa, you say? Very well. Give her to me."
~Fachon slowly removes the small child from his cloak and hands her to Tolax. As he does, he feels a momentary pang of guilt. Just what is he surrendering this poor child to, he knew not. Than, as Tolax swept her away Fachon backed away.~
"She will learn well the ways of our Father. I shall see to that. Now go. The ghouls will not trouble you as you pass."
~And with that, Lord Tolax spun around, and was gone. Vanished, as if into thin air. Fachon shudders, as he realizes that Tolax had read his very thoughts before he thought them, and swiftly head away from the Lodge. As he passes the ghouls he can feel them staring at him, as if he were some tastey morsel, and he quickens his step. Only when he has past them, and is out of their sight does he realize he has forgotten to give Tolax the jar that the witch made.~
~Nezzka Tolax moves swiftly and silently through the lodge, heading towards his chambers, holding the infant child as though it were a treasure not easily gotten. When he reaches his rooms, he dismisses the servants quickly with a wave of his hand. Reluctantly letting go of the child with one hand, he sweeps clean the top of the table that sits in front of the fire place. Reverantly he places the small girl on the table, unwrapping her. He than moves away, searching the room for something, seemingly unmindful of the pitiful cries the child makes. Finally, at a small wooden chest, he finds what he has been looking for, and returns to the table, gazing down at the child upon it.~
"So you are the one… You're coming was foretold to me, my small daughter of Innoruuk. You will grow to be the greatest of His guardians, spreading His hate through the lands…"
~A cruel smile, cold and unfeeling as the grave spreads over Nezzka's face as he turns towards the fire, and thrust the metal rod into it. He moves to another cabinet and pulls out a bottle filled with an amber liquid that glistens in the fire light. Moving back to the table, he pours some over the child's right leg, than pours a small amount into her mouth, forcing her to swallow it, than chuckles slightly as she coughs and sputters.~
"'Tis the best brandy in all Norrath you are wincing at, little one. Now let's begin, for you have much to learn, and little time in which to learn it. You did take your time getting here…"
~Drawing the metal from the fire, the tip of it glowing white hot, Nezzka takes hold of the child's right leg firmly and presses the glowing tip into the flesh on her inner thigh. The child shrieks and squalls as the pain courses through her small body. A moment passes, and Nezzka removes the iron, an angry red welt left in it's wake, as the babe cries all the harder. Nezzka pours a bit more brandy over the fresh burn, inspecting it to make sure he did not damage the marking, as the child slowly stops crying, the effects of the brandy finally taking effect. Soon, the babe is asleep, fitfully, wincing slightly with every movement of her right leg, the shadows from the fire dancing over her small figure.~
"There, little one. The first lesson of your training. And, the most important. Pain. You shall inflict it, and you shall receive it. And you shall do this all in the name of our Father, Lord Innoruuk Himself. With it will come hate. You are destined to be His greatest guardian, and to carry out His deeds, little one. And you now bear the mark of our Father. Innoruuk is now burned into your flesh, as His hate will burn in your soul. You will be known as Shadowfyre. May you serve Him well, little one…"
~Nezzka turns and swiftly departs, leaving the newly named, and freshly branded child on the table.~
~In her sleep, the small child whimpers softly.~
"Innoruuk guide you, brother. What brings you to our temple so early in the morn?"
"I have a child that I was told to give into your care, Father."
~The guard gently hands the male child to the priest, along with the jar.~
"Klaryssa said to give this to you with the instructions to give him a dose once a week. She says that he is cursed by the Fates, and it will ease Their anger."
"Ah, I knew I felt her hand in this."
~The priest takes both the child and the jar from Fachon, and than stops the guard as he is about to leave.~
"Here, what is that other bundle you have, Fachon?"
"The female child that was born first. The reason you now hold the second born, son of Lord D`Sade, who has now gone mad."
~At the name, the priest gasps softly, and takes a step back.~
"Get her from my sight! Take her and leave this place. I shall take the male, and he shall never know his past. May the Fates have Their anger appeased with her."
~At that, the elderly priest shoves Fachon out the door, and closes it behind him with a resounding thud. Fachon can hear the bolt being slid back into place as he turns and heads towards the very bowels of Neriak, where only those that have to go venture to. To the Lodge of the Dead, where the darkest of the Teir'Dal training takes place.~
~Fachon quickly makes his way through the back streets of the city, working his way to the very heart of it. Far from the prying eyes of any but the most hardy, or foolish, sits the Lodge of the Dead. The very name makes most shudder, and Fachon is not immune to these fears and misgivings. He doesn't know what goes on inside that dark foreboding building, nor does he care to know. He just knows he's running out of time.~
~The ghouls at the gate turn slightly towards him, hissing a sound that chills his very soul as he passes by. They don't challenge him, merely let him pass, which he thinks is odd. He had heard rumors that these ghouls did not let any but those from the Lodge pass unharmed. Than he remembers the child in his cloak. Maybe it's her they are allowing to pass. He shudders at the thought of the trip back without the child.~
~As he comes upon the Lodge's entrance, a dark shadow falls over him, and he takes a step back as a voice, cold with death addresses him.~
"Well, well, well. Fachon. I had never expected to see you at our door. And at the perfect time of day."
~Fachon looked up into the face of Lord Tolax, once the greatest warrior to walk the street of Neriak, before he was seduced by the powers of the dead. Now he was the Master of the Dark Knight training, and the very man he needed to see.~
"I…" Fachon shudder as he say there was no life in the knights eyes, but stealed himself to continue, "I have a child for you. A girl child."
~Lord Tolax sneers~ "What? A girl? You bring me a girl?"
"Aye. Klaryssa told me to bring her here."
"Klaryssa, you say? Very well. Give her to me."
~Fachon slowly removes the small child from his cloak and hands her to Tolax. As he does, he feels a momentary pang of guilt. Just what is he surrendering this poor child to, he knew not. Than, as Tolax swept her away Fachon backed away.~
"She will learn well the ways of our Father. I shall see to that. Now go. The ghouls will not trouble you as you pass."
~And with that, Lord Tolax spun around, and was gone. Vanished, as if into thin air. Fachon shudders, as he realizes that Tolax had read his very thoughts before he thought them, and swiftly head away from the Lodge. As he passes the ghouls he can feel them staring at him, as if he were some tastey morsel, and he quickens his step. Only when he has past them, and is out of their sight does he realize he has forgotten to give Tolax the jar that the witch made.~
~Nezzka Tolax moves swiftly and silently through the lodge, heading towards his chambers, holding the infant child as though it were a treasure not easily gotten. When he reaches his rooms, he dismisses the servants quickly with a wave of his hand. Reluctantly letting go of the child with one hand, he sweeps clean the top of the table that sits in front of the fire place. Reverantly he places the small girl on the table, unwrapping her. He than moves away, searching the room for something, seemingly unmindful of the pitiful cries the child makes. Finally, at a small wooden chest, he finds what he has been looking for, and returns to the table, gazing down at the child upon it.~
"So you are the one… You're coming was foretold to me, my small daughter of Innoruuk. You will grow to be the greatest of His guardians, spreading His hate through the lands…"
~A cruel smile, cold and unfeeling as the grave spreads over Nezzka's face as he turns towards the fire, and thrust the metal rod into it. He moves to another cabinet and pulls out a bottle filled with an amber liquid that glistens in the fire light. Moving back to the table, he pours some over the child's right leg, than pours a small amount into her mouth, forcing her to swallow it, than chuckles slightly as she coughs and sputters.~
"'Tis the best brandy in all Norrath you are wincing at, little one. Now let's begin, for you have much to learn, and little time in which to learn it. You did take your time getting here…"
~Drawing the metal from the fire, the tip of it glowing white hot, Nezzka takes hold of the child's right leg firmly and presses the glowing tip into the flesh on her inner thigh. The child shrieks and squalls as the pain courses through her small body. A moment passes, and Nezzka removes the iron, an angry red welt left in it's wake, as the babe cries all the harder. Nezzka pours a bit more brandy over the fresh burn, inspecting it to make sure he did not damage the marking, as the child slowly stops crying, the effects of the brandy finally taking effect. Soon, the babe is asleep, fitfully, wincing slightly with every movement of her right leg, the shadows from the fire dancing over her small figure.~
"There, little one. The first lesson of your training. And, the most important. Pain. You shall inflict it, and you shall receive it. And you shall do this all in the name of our Father, Lord Innoruuk Himself. With it will come hate. You are destined to be His greatest guardian, and to carry out His deeds, little one. And you now bear the mark of our Father. Innoruuk is now burned into your flesh, as His hate will burn in your soul. You will be known as Shadowfyre. May you serve Him well, little one…"
~Nezzka turns and swiftly departs, leaving the newly named, and freshly branded child on the table.~
~In her sleep, the small child whimpers softly.~