A Possible Wraithen Ally

Jessie was a wraith, although she wanted nothing to do with the Nerayan. She could assume any form she wanted, but more powerful forms required more energy to maintain, so she often compromised strength to conserve energy. Her current appearance was of a young human dressed in full black armor with a dark green coat that shielded against magical attacks. She had a broad sword that was very straight and sharp; its only adornment was a green gem set into the hilt, matching her green-gold eyes.

Jessie walked along the riverbank, lost in a world of her own, until screams and the sound of steel on steel snapped her to attention. Her mission would have to wait. She sensed the Sword of the Serioli up ahead and felt compelled to aid its bearer.
She came upon the battle and paused, watching it for a moment before she entered. The bearer of the Sword was being attacked by a vampire that she remembered from somewhere, perhaps a past "life." There was another vampire aiding the bearer, one who seemed to be called Lessa. This "Lessa" was apparently attempting to drown the other vampire. As the human, Izael, rode toward the river on the great demon horse, and Lessa blinded the enemy vampire with Kain's old sword, Jessie saw an opportunity to enter the battle.
She unsheathed her sword and moved swiftly toward the enemy. He shook his head, groaning, and recovered his lost sight in time to see her advance. He jumped, dodging the blow she had aimed for his head, but she was faster than he had anticipated. She missed his head, but took a chunk out of the armor on his arm. She swiveled about to face him and they began to cross swords. This unknown vampire was rather good. He matched Jessie blow for blow, blocking all of her attacks, but she was able to block all of his as well.
Jessie decided that she had assessed his skill long enough. She began to move very quickly, granted inhuman speed at the cost of some energy, and she took her adversary by surprise. He swung at her, but she jumped to the side and he missed by a long shot. She lunged at him while he was recovering and swung her sword at him. Her sword suddenly glowed with a green Wraithen light, severing his sword-arm. He screamed in shock and pain, unsure of what to do.
He seemed about to run away, but found that he could not. He was frozen in place, quivering, as Jessie sheathed her sword. She stood looking him over, almost smiling, and finally said, "It's a Wraithen blade," in answer to Lessa's unspoken question. Lessa and Izael had been watching her display mutely, and now they stood there trying to figure out if this new person was a possible ally or a dangerous enemy.
Izael broke the silence, "Wraithen? Like the Nerayan?" Jessie answered forcefully, "No, not like the Nerayan. I am a wraith, but I am not that. I am Jessie and my blade is as ancient as I am. It has the power to drain energy. Not blood, or souls, but pure energy that goes directly to me and allows me to maintain my material form. I am an ally, believe me. The last thing I want is for the Nerayan to break through and claim this world. I do not wish to be a part of them. How is Kain? I was away on a search for an ancient artifact when he challenged the Sarafan Lord. I sensed him fall in combat, and I regret very much that I couldn't save him. However, I know he still lives. Are you protecting him?"
Lessa stood there, taking measure of this mysterious stranger, this Jessie, and she weighed the risks of divulging Kain's location. She would have to ask Vorador if he knew of this woman, whether or not she was to be trusted, and how to proceed.

Novanus' mind felt like it had been struck by a battle axe when Lessa whispered to him. His headache had not subsided and, if anything, seemed to be getting worse. He jumped out of his chair and called out to the others. "Quickly, my friends, the Sarafan are headed this way. Gather what you need to take with you. We must leave." "But my Lord, you'll be abandoning the temple!" "I know, Admar, but we cannot help that now. Besides, once we are outside of it the temple will take its own measures to keep itself from being found. There is powerful magic cast upon it." Novanus grabbed a leather sack from nearby and began thrusting objects into it. He took a blood chalice and then went to his room and gathered objects that he might need in the upcoming future.
"You will be our voice." Novanus stood bolt upright…. No, he'd imagined it, just a memory of his dream from the night before. Nothing to worry about. Novanus walked back to the main hall to find the rest of the party assembled and ready to leave.

Izael addressed his new acquaintance, "And how do we know you are not lying, Jessie? We have just faced a traitorous vampire, and at least I am not in the mood to believe anyone to be my friend just if she says so. But enough of this, our comrades are in danger and we must hurry. However, there are not mounts for all of us. Thus I suggest you two ride ahead to the temple. I will use other means of transport. After all, I am human." Seeing Lessa's gaze, Izael continued, "Unless either of you has a better idea. You can ride to the temple to help others, then whisper me our group's new hiding location. I will arrive there as quickly as I can. So, what do you say?"

Lent sat at the bar waiting. This was the part that bothered him the most. Waiting. He reflected how whenever he was caught up in the moment all he wanted was downtime. But downtime was just the period between chapters, and he was just waiting for the next moment. Lent leaned back in the booth and looked at the flickering candle; sounds of ships echoed from outside.
A sailor walked in and looked around the room at each individual person. His eyes stopped on Lent and then he sat in front of him. "This meeting never happened," Lent said. The sailor reassured, "As with all my clients. You come very highly recommended with getting sensitive items past the Sarafan. Just tell me, if you do pull this off, what then? Are you going to just hand them over to your masters?" "No, they don't know about this." "So what are you doing risking your life?" the sailor asked. "Who else will?" "I see your point. I guess there is honor amongst your kind," the sailor paused, then continued, "The ship leaves Monday midnight. Good luck, and may you go with god." He then stood up and walked out.
Lent lit his weed pipe and pondered. He had three days to formulate a plan. He needed to first break into the southern docks, make his way past the Sarafan patrols, steal the cargo and somehow get them out of the docks at the same time. He would not be able to fight back the Sarafan once he acquired the target. Lent emptied the ashes from his pipe with his boot and then left into the misty night.

Jessie stood pensive for a short while, then said, "Calm down, Izael. There is no need to rush ahead blindly just yet. I am beginning to sense something I haven't felt in ages—the temple is awakening from its long slumber. The temple will defend itself. Your friends must be preparing to leave. They will be gone by the time we get there. The only purpose going to the temple now could serve would be to reveal its location to the Sarafan sure to see us. We must ask your friends where they are going and meet them there." Jessie turned to Lessa and said, "Go on. Whisper to your friend. Whisper to Novanus and ask him where he is going."
Lessa jumped at the mention of Novanus' name. Had this stranger been in her thoughts without her knowledge? She asked, somewhat accusingly, "How do you know my friend is Novanus?" "Ah. So it is Novanus," replied Jessie. "I didn't know, not really, but who else could have temporarily purified the pillars? Kain is in a deep slumber. Janos is, um, I know he's alive but I can't pinpoint his location. Perhaps Abel could have accomplished it, but he was evolving the last time I sensed him. I know I didn't do it because I was too busy running around trying to find a cure for the guillotine to do it myself. Novanus is the only one left that I know of. Before you accuse me of anything further, I know about these people because in years past, they were my friends. Now go on, whisper to him and ask where he is taking everyone."
Jessie was a little bit concerned. She wanted these two new friends of hers to trust her, but she understood their hesitation. In a time like this, they shouldn't trust anyone they had only just met. Still, she had spoken the truth earlier (as always) -- the last thing she wanted was for the Nerayan to claim all of the minds in this realm. She did not want to join them. She would do almost anything to avoid that fate and if it meant helping some people that she liked anyway, so much the better.
The Nerayan were growing stronger. Already Jessie could feel their presence, the sense of dread, the cold tendrils in the back of her mind that meant they were here. They did not possess a physical manifestation yet, surely she would know of it. They were sensing, searching, feeling for a body to corrupt. She hoped they wouldn't find one. Everything depended on it, and time was of the essence.

"How do you know all this? Who are you?" Izael could feel power emanating from their new companion. He still didn't trust this Jessie, far from it, but he understood that they might already be damned if that...thing would so want. "I have already told you who I am. I have walked Nosgoth longer than your forefather has been on his grave. If you do not trust me, ask Novanus. He will surely recognize my name," Jessie replied, her face cold and emotionless. "Very well... I believe you. Where do you suggest we'll stay the night? Even though you are immortal and tireless, I am not. I am wounded and weak, and unless you are a master healer, I fear I cannot go on for long. Unless I can sleep while riding Seth, of course." For the first time, Izael felt the drawbacks of being human weigh on him. He was slowing others down. Jessie looked Izael over and realized the extent of his fatigue. "Very well," she conceded. "It would not do to have the only one who can truly defeat the Nerayan die of exhaustion. Follow me."
Jessie walked further along the river bank until she came to a shallow section. She began to walk across the riverbank, not at all deterred by the weak flow of water that reached up to her knee. Izael cautiously followed, but Lessa hung back. She waited until the other two were across, then she whistled for Seth. Seth came to her very quickly, allowed her to climb onto his back, and then jumped across the entire width of the river without even having to take a running start. "Very impressive," commented Jessie. Without another word, she left the riverbank and entered the forest.
After a very short time walking, the group came upon a clearing. With a muttered word from Jessie, a small house shimmered into view in the center of the clearing. "I have these little waypoints all over Nosgoth," Jessie explained. "In fact, I was heading for this one when I came across your battle. Now come inside. Once we have entered, the house will disappear from view again and the Sarafan will not be able to find us."
Izael and Lessa looked at one another. Lessa whispered to Izael, hoping he would be able to hear her, asking if he thought they should enter. Just then, a dull thudding became audible. It was the marching of a band a Sarafan heading in their direction. Without further thought, all three, and Seth, ran into the house. There was a strange sound as the hut shimmered and faded from visibility to the outside world. Inside, however, it seemed like a normal house. Izael ran over to the window and saw about fifteen of his former brethren coming their way. Izael tensed, expecting at any moment for one of them to see him and charge, but that moment never came.
The Sarafan marched straight at the house. Most of them missed it on their own, but a few walked right into it. Instead of letting them know they had hit something, the barrier around the house gently pulled them around the house and set them on their original path without them even realizing anything had happened. Jessie smiled to herself. After all of those years, the magic was still potent. She watched the others silently, curious about what would happen next. There was a decent bed in a room off to the side, if Izael trusted her enough to let his guard down and rest. She also had a blood chalice Lessa could use, a relic from a past "life". The Sarafan reentered the forest on the other side of the clearing and continued their march to the temple. Hopefully, Novanus had led the others safely away by now.

As the small party sped from the temple, it began to shimmer, its outline becoming indistinct against the rocky landscape that surrounded it. After about a minute the temple had disappeared from view, now appearing as if it were part of the rock-face. 'So much has been lost, so much knowledge forgotten,' Novanus thought to himself. His headache had subsided now, but its after-effects had left him feeling like a new born chick. He looked back at the rest of the party. Admar lay slumped over the saddle of his horse, 'Archer'. Abel was being gently led by Gadorian; his face was serene and calm. 'Unnervingly calm,' thought Novanus. Gadorian seemed troubled, but not by the impending assault on the Temple by the Sarafan. Something else troubled his old nemesis. Lessa and Izael were out there somewhere. Novanus only hoped that the pair was unhurt.