Chapter Three: The Wasps Sting

---

The wooden gate of Upper Bristlton is open, stuck in the mud half way closed. No sound comes from within the town and a cloying mist hangs over it. The town emanates dread and fear. As you enter you see the streets are empty of everyone, but as you look closer the cobbled streets seem darker in places, as if stained. Far off, in the mist and shadows there’s a sound, you strain your ears and feel chilled to your bones, laughter…

---

Jhayze stood on the cobbles, fear on his face. He clutched his harpoon a little too tightly, making his knuckles whiten and physically jumped when he heard the laughter.

Haelene paused, her hands resting on one set of daggers. Her eyes flitted about, scanning their surroundings nervously. A shiver went down her spine as the laughter invaded her ears. "What happened here...?" The words were barely a whisper and they trailed off almost as soon as they started.

Driianalyn couldn't find the moisture in her mouth to speak, let alone question Jhayze about what had happened. The laughter sent that intense chill up her spine, just like the mists used to in the dead of night, when on the ocean all you can hear is the screeching of birds if they've found prey. She swallowed hard, shifting her eyes everyway she could to take in everything. Clutching her spear she waited.

Kryas hand went to the hilt of his sword. "This certainly wasn't how I left it" He made no attempt to hide his voice, knowing that this thick mist would do that for him. Briefly he wondered if this was the doing of the bandits who inhabited pretty much everywhere in Upper Bristlton, and his thoughts cycled to his parents. Were they dead, or alive? He shivered a little "Can anyone hear that laughter?"

…As Eleirah enters the town a shadow detaches from the mist and glides towards her. Before she can scream or retaliate she’s already streets away, sharp fingers guiding her away and laughter, still laughter…

Jhayze nodded at Kryas but didn't speak, his eyes searched the darkness desperately trying to find their foe. He took a deep breath and tried to slow his racing heart, he was sure whoever was laughing could hear it beat.

"I can." Haelene looked towards the group, but wait... someone was missing. "Eleirah?"  She looked around, eyes moving quickly about the mist. No answers came. This can't be good...

The mist that surrounded Theed seemed too thick to be a natural one. All he could see was a white blanket and the Sillohuettes of his friends. There was one missing. This must be the Wasp's doing. "tch." Was Theed's only sound before drawing his sword. He closed his eyes, so his other senses would be better. He concentrated on the laughter. However, it was too far away and appeared to be all around him. Instincts had only gotten him this far. Although Theed described himself as an accomplished fighter, in reality he had only battled wild animals and had the odd spar with the Blacksmith of his town before that. A bead of sweat fell from Theed's brow and fell on to his sword, making the slightest of sounds.

...time moves backwards in a fluttering of snowy feathers. You see them come, wreathed in mist and darkness. Seven wearing robes of white stand, batting back the mists with great beams of light, they stand around a well in a square. She comes, a cross-dagger in each hand. Their Acts of Epiphany suddenly seem so feeble, power used to shrug off the attacks of the Hornets so easily fail against the Wasp. When it is done, when the blood of Epiphany chokes the well, she tips her wide brimmed hat and laughs...

The echoes from the vision merged into the laughter surrounding Theed, and his eyes opened sharply. The vision made his heart flutter and pound in his chest. He knew when he was outmatched. This was definitely the time. He was torn between saving Eleirah and fleeing for his life. His normally still hands were shaking and his knuckles had turned white from gripping his sword too hard.

Kryas had, for the first time in a while, felt fear of another human being strike his heart. He had no idea who this woman was, but he didn't need an extra sense to know she was a powerful Epiphinite. His hand shook for a bit before he caught it and stopped it with some difficulty. "Well-" His voice broke, and he cleared his throat. "Well, at least we know who did it" His grip was firm on the hilt of his sword, and his face was noticeably paler. Just seven! SEVEN! Gods know how powerful they all are!

Jhayze sucked in a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come. He calmed a little, deciding that regardless of what happened next, he'd do his best to save Eleirah.
'I think we need to get to that well...' He said, feeling more sure of himself as he heard his own voice 'Yeah, see if the visions even real... No sense in standing here all night after-all!'
He tried to smile but the expresion he made looked far more like a grimace. This Wasp must be defeated and if she was here, more fool her. Though he repeated this to himself again and again, he still couldn't get the prickling sensation of doom out of his head.

Haelene's voice was shakey but she knew that if she could help, she had to, fear was no good to her - though it didn't stop it from being there. "If you need someone to go ahead... I think I can help and they won't see me, not if I can help it..." She swallowed, it was evident that the vision had scared her, possibly more than she would like to show. She felt slightly sick, she wanted to run away but she knew she couldn't and she knew she wouldn't. They were a team now.

Kryas nodded, his face grim. "It would help some, I'd hate to get jumped by anyone" His eyes darted about slightly as he chased fleeting shadows in the mist. "I think we all would"

Jhayze nodded, it certainly would be useful to know what was happening ahead of them. He began to bring anothe rillusion into existance to illuminate them some when something in his mind clicked. For a split second he was back on the path of Epiphany, blinded by light again. He took another staggering step forewards on his chosen path and then flashed back to reality, a grin on his freckled face.
'Haha!' He laughed 'It looks like at least Epiphany is on our side!'
Focussing on the path one last time his gestured forewards and a beam of light arched forewards, splotlighting the building ahead of them. The light eminated from his open palm for now and Jhayze couldn't stop grinning.

Winep was terrified. What could he do? An illusion would probably not help considering the last encounter. He fell back to the middle of the group hoping for the best. But just when things were looking bad Jhayze shot out a blast of light. "He must have taken another step." Winep thought.

Driianalyn worked moisture into her mouth and looked at the people surrounding her. She blinked a few times at the beam of light and covered her eyes. It was blinding after the darkness of the night. "At least we have Jhayze, our little fire fly." She joked, but her heart still thudded quickly. It boomed in her ears.

Kryas watched Jhayze's new power with a kind of silent wonder. That'll come in handy! He thought. "Guess we should hole up then, keep a look out, the usual business" He looked around, for the first time noticing Eleirah was missing. "Hey, where's that one with the instrument? What's her name" He paused for thought. "Eleirah!"

"Taken, unless she fell behind but that's unlikely." Haelene stopped, thought, then spoke again, "I'm not too experience with these sorts of situations but I think we need a plan. People scounting? They could be closer than we think, I, personally, would be hate to be caught unawares... They've already proven how easily they can get by without us noticing..." She was staring at Jhayze's light as she spoke, face set and concentrated.

How could people be so calm? how can they simply walk to a destination? Theed thought. one had already been taken right from under our noses. Theed's eyes darted back and forth so fast they were a blur, trying to look everywhere at once. He couldn't stand the tension. He didn't want something to happen, but he needed it.

The group move forwards after a short while, the mist continues to thicken and eventually Jhayze's beam of light begins to make things worse so he lets it die. The laughter ceases but a low thrumm of muttering takes its place...
... Our Epiphinites now enter an empty marketplace, stone stalls and wooden awnings arranged in a large square. At the squares center is huge oak and on one of the trees lowest branches sits the Wasp. The mist seems to form a tunnel between her and the group and just beyond this tunnel of clear air seethes the Hornets.

'Welcome to my town children.' said the Wasp, motionless in the tree.
Five hornets stepped from the mist around the base of the oak, they formed a living barrier between their leader and their foes. All were armed with a pair of weapons, swords, daggers, knives, small axes and even a very short spear. They advanced.

Jhayze's first instinct was to throw his harpoon, but he managed to stop himself, instead reaching out for the Hornets with his mind. As he got close his ears began to burn as buzzing entered his mind. He flinched and retracted his mentality, how can she do that without even moving!? Jhayze settled for creating a mirror image of himself, hoping to distract any would-be attackers. 

"Not good!" Haelene sucked in a breath. She closed her eyes for a moment, pulling shadows towards herself before running towards one of the Hornets in a blur of shadows, the faster she moved the harder she was to see. She couldn't help but chuckle - probably more from fear than anything else - at the power as she swiped her daggers towards the Hornet.

Kryas drew his sword and watched Haelene move forward in a flurry of shadows, hoping that neither Jhayze or Winep saw. He unsheathed his blade and took steps towards their opponents, the haze of battle descending over him. He steeled himself for them to make the first move, where he would then attack with incredible ferocity.

Driianalyn focused quickly on where the shadows were placed around the advancing wasps, and then she broke her concious into two beings. She shot her other half through the shadows in quick movements - none as fast as Haelene, however- but fast nonetheless. In no time, she was on the backside of the wasps, waiting. While waiting, she found herself looking forward on her shadowed path once more. She became dizzy, and slowly felt her other half come back into her body while she focused on what was being relayed to her. When she opened her eyes, she found her conciouses being in several different paces, and noticed, to her own suprize, that four nearly solid images of herself stood around the wasps.

Theed jumped out of the clear area and into the fog. He slowly crept towards the Hornet with the swords, muffling his footsteps to make him stealthier. Theed swung for the Hornet, who he could only see as a dark outline. the sword made a small air current in the fog as it swung, wrapping it in mist and clearing a small gap behind it.

Kryas restricted one of the Hornet's movements and watched his face dawn with puzzlement before he lunged forward with his sword, aiming for the centre of his body.

Jhayze and Drii gave Winep an idea. Maybe an illusion will work this time. Winep found a place behind everyone where he wouldn't be distracted. It took a lot of focus but Winep managed to make Jhayze's image to appear in multiple places. However Winep could only do so much. His illusion only appeared where he focused but by moving his illusion quickly it would suffice for a distraction.

The Hornets stood oddly still, those not attacked not aiding those who were.
Haelenes foe had a pair of hatchets, ungainly weapons which he wielded with impressive skill. He kept up with her slashes and thrusts and though her first stab had take him seemingly off-guard and slashed his cheek, no other steel found his flesh. He himself tried several times to hack at her with his axes but each time he did the shadowy girl seemed to shift. He snarled and leapt backwards, hurling one of the axes at her as he did. Once landing he drew five darts which shimmered an oily green, one of these darts followed the axe.
The restricted Hornet worked out he was beign held too late and his block was just a little too slow, only half stopping the blow from Kryas' sword. The weapon dug into his midriff and drew blood, the Hornet made to punch Kryas hard across the face, bringing one of his cross-daggers up at his jaw once the punch was enacted.
Theeds target leapt over his cut, apparently not surprised by his attack at all. While in the air he raised his short spear over his head and aimed it at Theed so it'd strike on the way down.
The last two Hornets turned on the mass of shifting humanoid shapes that was once Drii. One drew a fist of darts, with the same greenish tint to them bedore. She threw the weapons in a wide spread, trying to hit as many of the shadowy Drii's as she could. The second Hornet charged after the darts were thrown, a pair of clubs raised to strike.
 
Haelene dropped to avoid the axe, leaping back up again without noticing the dart. She felt a sharp pain in the bottom of her neck and the sudden inability to breathe, due to where it had struck. She stumbled backwards, almost falling over as she dropped her daggers, raising her hands frantically to the dart, ripping it out of her neck and beginning to cough, not noticing that the once green sheen had disappeared. 

Jhayze saw Haelene get hit and shouted with both anger and a fear for his friend. He bounded forwards, forcing a beam of light from the palm of his free hand again he aimed it at the Hornets face. Concentrating as best he could as he ran he poured as much of his mental power into the light beam as he could and caused a vast flash straight in the eyes of the Hornet. Once the flash had occurred the light died immediately and Jhayze shuddered as exhaustion almost to overpowered his furious need to save his friend. He reached Hael however and immeditely placed himself between her and the Hornet.
'Get your knives Haelene, I can't fight him on my own...' He then gave her a weary grin 'Who's guarding who's body again? Tch...'

Theed blinked, a new act of Epiphany forced on him at the worst of times. He had a split second to react, and saw a spear aiming right for his head. Theed rolled away, the spear scraping a small cut against his neck. While rolling, he swung his sword at the back of the legs of the still falling Hornet.

Kryas pulled his head back to allow the punch to glance off the tip of his nose, and noticed the blade that was following it. In a panic, he activated his Dark Armour, quickly drawing the shadows into a shield across his skin.

Driianalyn blinked as she watched her other selves become shadows and scurry back into her body. She turned, watching the other people, and held her spear out infront of her, ready to attack. She closed her eyes and sent her other images out again, and ran, watching as they created a diversion so she could move around the rest.

The Silent Wasp began to laugh again and as one the Hornets previously calm and neutral faces became sneers of maliciousness.
Jhayze and Haelene's foe staggered back, momentarily blind from the searing light. As Jhayze took his postion between Hael and her foe the Hornet stopped staggering and joined his fellow attackers in sneering. He leapt forwards, punching with a fistful of darts and hacking with his remaining hatchet.
Theeds attacker cried out, as the sword cut into his legs. Blood washed over the blade and it was all the Hornet could do not to crumple to the ground. Instead he desperately whipped his spear around like a bat, trying to catch Theed in a glancing blow across the face with the haft.
The Hornets blade slid off the shadows cloying at Kryas' skin as if he'd struck granite, sparks flew off the cross dagger as it failed to even nick Kryas' flesh. The Hornet snaled, not understandign how his blade had failed to draw blood. He stepped forewards into Kryas and broguth a balde up at his belly.
Finally, the two Hornets who had destroyed Drii's illusions looked confused having expected there to be some flesh in the illusion soemwhere. Hearing their ally cry out the female Hornet ran at Theed, a knife in one hand and a studded iron strip around the knuckles of the other. She aimed a blur of stikes at face and chest, puching and slashing. The final Hornet looked around for Drii and instead found Winep, he lbarked a laugh and ran at the man. The distance was large but he covered it quickly, both clubs poised to break bones and pulp flesh.

Theed easily dodged the desprate swing of the man's spear, but stepped back in each swing the woman took, getting small nicks every so often. He spotted that she was in his shadow, so used his new power to try and strike fear in her.

Jhayze cried out, blocking as best he could with the haft of his harpoon and falling back until he stood with his back to Haelene. He was knicked by a dart and immediately felt the poison take hold, he staggared and then took the axe to his side turnign away as best he could.

Haelene cursed under her breath and leapt into action, having regained her daggers and repressed the dart's poison as best she could. Shadows clung to her form, moving in a blur she positioned herself between Jhayze and the oncoming axe, meeting it with her daggers crossed. "Hey, lug-head, pick on someone small and female, like me for example... and leave the coastie... alone!" With the word 'alone' she shoved her weight fowards, hoping to push the Hornet back again.

Winep almost didn't react in time because of his preoccupation with his illusion. He saw someone coming at him very quickly so he ran. Winep was born with runner's legs and exercised them when he would explore his woods. Trying so hard to find a place where he could make a surprize illusion he just zigzaged in circles. A few seconds into his sprint Winep realized he had another ability he forgot about. Winep stopped and turned with the hornet close behind him. There was just enough time for Winep to focus on the hornet's mind and in a flash the hornet couldn't see him.

Driianalyn turned, watching the Hornet run after Winep. With a moment to react, she pulled her arm back, spear in hand. Then, with all of her might, she shifted her body and threw the spear at the Hornet that was searching for the invisible Winep. As she did, the rest of her images mimicked her, all spears heading toward the Hornet, only one out to kill.

Kryas restricts the Hornet's arm with his shadows and moves to push it out of harm's way. With his other hand, he would then reach down and unsheath the dagger from his boot before bringing it up into the Hornet's solar plexus.

Any watching the Wasp will have noticed her entire form distort whenever a hornet is in danger, struck or harmed in any way.
The female Hornet screamed and clawed at her head as the terror gripped her. She dropped her knife and her knuckle strap hung limply in one hand. Her mask came away, revealing a myriad of tattoo's around her lips not disernable in the dim light. His second attacker, wounded as he was, staggered forwards, fury in his eyes and pain forgotten. The spear darted forwards time and time again, jabbing at THeed with incredable speed.
Haelene managed to block the hatchet and the unprepared hornet was slowly driven back, taking more than a few cuts from her knives. Without the second axe the Hornet stuggled to parry Haelene's myriad of blows. In a desperate act he leapt back and, using the space he created between himself and Hael he hurled the four remaining darts at her.
As Wineps attacker lost him he saw the air to his right fill with flying spears. After Drii's last mirage he doubted any were real and continued to look for WInep in the shadows. THe spear took him in the back, punching through his chest and killing him before he hit the ground.
Kryas' foe dropped his dagger as the shadows began to constrict and managed to move out of the way of Kryas' attack only taking a shallow cut to his chest. He drew two long darts from his belt and held them in a back handed knife grip, clearly desperate now he'd lost his weapon.

Winep was hiding in an abandoned booth. He saw Drii's spear kill his attacker. Now that he was safe Winep made his illusion and moved it quickly around to confuse some of the occupied hornets.

Theed didn't notice the injured Hornet until it was too late, taking a deep wound in his right leg, causing his concentration with the shadow power on the woman to slip. He shifted his weight on to his good leg, spinning all the way around on it, trying to kick the woman and grab the man's spear at the same time.

Driianalyn pulled her spear out of the hornet and turned, ready to fight the rest of them. She waited, listening for which she could reach first.

Hael hopped backwards, swiping towards the darts with her daggers as they came at her, trying to knock them off course. She was lucky, twice. However, she wasn't fast enough to catch the other two. One hit her thigh causing her to hiss, immediately pulling it out. The other grazed her shoulder but did not implant, it scratched through her coat but that was as far as it went. She made an annoyed grunt before looking up and launching herself towards the hornet, daggers poised and ready to strike.

Kryas stepped back and assumed a defensive position, waiting for the Hornet to make the first move. "C'mon you black and yellow bastard, I'm waiting for ya here!" His eyes were dark pits of cold, focused fury, waiting for the right moment to pounce and crush the Hornet stood before them.

There was a strangled cry and then, as if she were a puppet and her strings had ben cut she toppled from the tree.
Except she didn't, not entirely. Sitting in the tree now was a gagged and bound Eleirah as if the Wasp were never there at all. The Hornets looked winded, those that were wounded doubled up. Laughter and then light...

Zhazh stalked out of the shadows as the bright light diminshed. In one hand an obscure and wicked looking blade and in the other a ball of bright light in the other. On seeing her the Hornets retreat into the mist and she laughs, not like the Wasps wicked cry but rather a cold and uncaring bark.
'Listen to me children.' She said, clearly no older than nineteen herself 'You're taking to long. The rest of the Pale Six are arriving and you hav yet to even see their scout Iisha Sayeva, the so called 'Silent Wasp'.' She took a breath and then whipped her sword through the air for emphasis 'It is not good enough. So I've been asked to guide you. Any questions?!'
 
Eleirah struggled in her perch. She looked tired and dazed, and she looked like she hadn't had an easy time. Her eyes were wide with fear and warning at the other epiphanites.

"Yeah. Who the hell are you,how can we know we can trust you, and why are you helping us?" Said Theed to Zhazh, waiting for any traps or lurking Hornets, and disappointed he couldn't finish any of them off.

Jhayze jogged to the tree, headless of any danger and upon reaching it jammed his harpoon into the earth at its base. Hands now free, Jhayze scrambled up the tree, shimmying along a branch until he reached Elierah. When there he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and smiled.
'It's good to see you alive and well,' he said 'stay still, I'll cut you out of the rope...'
He drew his fish-gutting knife and then proceeded to remove Eleirah's bonds, removing her gag last.

Driianalyn watched Theed for a minute, raising her eyebrows. At least he worries enough for all of us. She then turned, running to the tree in Jhayze's tracks. "I am here, to help her down with you, Jhayze." She said lightly.

Eleirah rubbed her wrists and ankles, attempting to get her blood flowing properly again, and smiled gratefully at Jhayze. "Thanks" She said quietly then winced as the pins and needles sensation rushed into her hands and feet.

Winep emerged from the booth which was giving him cover. He saw another person besides the familiar faces of the epiphenites. She seems friendly...or at least she has our best interest. Theed was taking to the new girl. Winep waited to learn more from this interrogation.

Haelene looked towards Zhazh, staying quiet but listening instead. She was breathing heavily from the battle that had just ended, she found herself wondering where this so-called Silent Wasp was, if she wasn't here in the first place. She couldn't help but glance around, just in case it was a trap.

Jhayze smiled at Eleirah and nodded once before turnign to look down at Drii.
'I'm going to help her down, can you be ready to catch her if she falls?' He winked at Eleirah 'I don't doubt your climbing skills, but you must be stiff from being tied up and it's always better to be safe, eh?'
He would start to usher Eleirah down the tree.

'I am of little consequence and you don't know if you can trust me.' She sneered 'If you knew what I was you certainly wouldn't. Listen. I can't fight Sayeva, the 'Wasp', it is nod permitted. You'll have to best her. But I can destroy her lackeys and shatter her illusions for you. This will have to do.'
The orb of bright light in Zhazh's hand intensified as she spoke and the mist started to fade ever so slightly. The strain of this showed on her gaunt face and she began to sweat ever so slightly.

Kryas watched his fight disappear into the mist with a glare that could not hide his disappointment. He got a certain pleasure out of watching the Hornets die on the end of his blade. Without sheathing his sword, he turned to the new face. "So if you are planning to defect to join us, it's a little late to follow the rules isn't it?" He took a calming breath and sheathed his sword. "What I mean is, your colleagues have seen your face and will know you betrayed them."

Haelene looked towards Kryas, "You assume she's a Hornet?" Her face was concerned, if she indeed was a Hornet, why was she helping them. She stared at Zhazh, as if hoping to get the answers from her using only her eyes. She knew it was impossible but trying made her feel better, more useful, if you will.

"Of course." Driianalyn replied shortly and moved into a more secure stance. She held up her hands to help Eleirah down, and waited for her to move.

Eleirah nodded at Jhayze and looked down at Driianalyn before taking a deep breath and starting her climb. She really wasn't very good at climbing, and she really was very stiff, but she took her time and tested her grips before she reached for a new one. This way she very slowly started working her way down the tree. At one point she couldn't find another place to put her foot and looked around trying to find something.

Driianalyn cupped her hands and held them under Eleirah's foot, keeping her stance. "You can put your weight on me. I am steady." Drii hoped that Eleirah would trust her enough to put her weight down.

'Oh please, Hornets are not Epiphinites.' growled Zhazh, her orb of light still bruning brightly, slowly lessening the mist ' and I can clearly enact Epiphany, can't I?'
She tossed the orb of light into the air and flexed her now free hand, smiling. Zhazh focussed and a disc of shadows formed on her palm, she threw this disc at the orb. On contact the orb exploded, bathing the market in a short but brutally bright light. The mist was gone.

Kryas was surprised by the answer. "So, who exactly are you?" His eyes narrowed and he flexed his hand unconsciously, but decided she was help when she removed the mist. "Well, maybe a better question would be is why you work for the Silent Wasp?"

Theed was stunned. She had both light and dark epiphinite powers. He didn't realise that was even possible. Just who was she?

Eleirah glanced down at Driianalyn and bit her lip. Slowly she extended her foot down toward the woman's cupped hands. Feeling the hands around her foot she eased her weight into them being careful not to suddenly drop her weight on Drii all at once. She tried to keep as much of her weight in her other holds as possible but she managed to shift her hand grips and then get her other foot to the ground. Then took her foot from Drii's hands. "Thank you, very much." She smiled wearily at Drii and then up at Jhayze as well.

Driianalyn smiled and patted Eleirah on the back. "There. All safe and sound on the ground." She nodded and flexed her arms and shoulders. It had been a while since she'd lifted anything - she usually lifted large fish and sharks when she went out fishing - but it felt good to put her body back into work again. An old song her father used to sing while fishing came into her head, and she laughed to herself, starting to hum it. "Let's figure out who this newcomer is, yeah?" She started to move away from Jhayze and Eleirah, figuring they'd follow, and made her way toward Haelene, Theed, Kryas and the newcomer. She made it just in time to hear Kryas's last sentence. "Wasps? You work for them?"

Eleirah nodded at Drii's sugggestion and followed nearly in the other woman's shadow. She walked slowly and stiffly, still recovering from being bound up by the hornets and left in the tree. 

Jhayze lowered himself easily from the tree-branch, landing defly below. he grins at himself for a second, he didn't know he could climb, and then goes to join te others and this new woman.

'You can call me Zhazh, I'm from Elleek.' She said, a twinge of irritation in her tone 'I do not work for the Silent Wasp, I am here because I was sent by my mentor. I cannot fight the wasp because to do so would break the barrier in the mountains. The fact she has yet to see my face is coincidence. Am I making myself clear or do I need to repeat everything?'
Zhazh's fatigue seemed to be passing quickly and soon the sweat which dappled her face was gone.
'I will give you an explanation, but it will have to be brief. Those that escaped know of my presence now. The Silent Wasp is a member of a group called The Pale Six, these are six dangerous people most of which have self created paths of Epiphany. They work for The Pale Man, who is, at this moment trying to gain entry to Ghelt. The six are here to make sure he gets in. There are seven dead Epiphinites in the Town centre, their blood has been used to create a rune which will allow him entry, we do NOT want this. We shall need seven other Epiphinites, not including myself to seal the rune and deny him entry.'

"You do realise there's not seven epiphinites here don't you?" Said Theed, still not sure about keeping the secret about him being one of the several shadow epiphinites around him. He didn't want his friends distrusting him now, finding out that he had the same power as the Hornets.

Eleirah looked at Theed and realized that he didn't entirely trust this Zhazh person. She looked over at Zhazh herself and tried to remember if she'd seen her while she was a prisoner.

Kryas gave a quick glance to Jhayze, and then to Winep to see if either them appeared to be in deep thought. "Yeah, like Theed said, what seven, there are only those two" He pointed at Jhayze, then at Winep. "Unless you're going to magically make five stand-ins or something."

Haelene said nothing but listened to every word that was spoken. Not trusting herself to be able to play along. She thought about what Zhazh was saying, contemplating The Pale Man and trying to work out what he wanted once he was in Ghelt, though, to no avail due to the lack of information she had. She pulled her arms up to hug herself and frowned.

Eleirah looked around and felt lost. "Umm... I'm sorry, but... I've been a prisoner for a while. Could someone explain what's happening, now? Or what's been happening? I'm really sorry." She dipped her head blushing with shame that she'd allowed herself to be captured since she had been supposed to be a guard on the mission.

Jhayze just listened, he had to admit his companions seemed to be oddly talented at fighting for people who claimed to be new at it. but this hadn't been suspicious until just now.
'B... but myself and Winep are the only two Epiphinites of Wisdom here and welll...' He muttered, not wanting this odd wman to pay him much mind.

Zhazh rolled her eyes slightly.
'Listen, i don't have time to argue.' She stated 'Follow the road north to the town square. The Wasp is there. I'll remove the Hornets.'
As she spoke several darts whistled at her. Zhazh knocked them off course relatively easily with her sword and then dissapeared in a burst of light, reapearing on the roof of a building in the direction the darts had come from. There was a scream soon after and a hornet thudded to the ground.

Theed decided to follow her instructions, albeit very warily. So far she had only attacked Hornets so far, yet he still hasn't ruled out the possibility that she was working for the Wasp. "Why should we have a head-on confrontation with the Wasp?" Theed asked, speaking to everyone, but aiming it at Zhazh. "We've got Eleirah back now. There's no need for a pointless battle. The Wasp is far stronger than all of us put together!"

"It's what we have to do... do you really want more people to die? I don't know about the rest of you... but I think this Wasp person needs to be stopped... Knocked down a peg or two ... and all that." It was oddly couragious for Haelene but speaking her mind had a habit of being her strong point, when she wanted it to be, though in this instance her confidence dwindled towards the end. The thought of the Wasp hurting more people made her sick to the stomach.

Eleirah watched the argument, still slightly confused but starting to build a picture in her head. She agreed with Haelene, if there was anything they could do to stome someone from killing or hurting people then she wanted to try. She didn't have the same confidence to speak up as Haelene did though. Instead she nodded wordlessly in agreement, hoping that the others would understand.

"Well I hope Zhazh's got a good plan. We could barely take on the lackies." Said Theed.

"They got the jump again, you know that" Kryas said to Theed. "Next time we fight, we should make it on our own terms" His tone was final. "I imagine that's what Zhazh has in mind and more" He glanced towards where the scream had come from. "For now, we should head to The Wasp" He looked around. He wasn't exactly unfamiliar with this part of Upper Bristlton, but he didn't have a complete knowledge either. "I think it's this way" He pointed past the tree that Eleirah had been tied to, along an empty street that would probably have been a scene of market in another when.

Theed put his hands in his pockets and muttered something unintelligablee, but trudged on towards where Kryas was pointing anyway.

Eleirah couldn't remember very much of her confinement, and to her it was as if she'd just left. As she followed behind the others, she wondered to herself what they must have gone through while she was gone. Her limbs still felt stiff and bruised and her movements were slow and pained. She also wished she still had her pack and bow. El's head dropped despondently. How was she any help at all?

Haelene trotted after them, but not in a horse-like fashion. She was glad that a decision was finally made, sometimes it took only strong words. Agreements weren't always necessary but they were agreeable, as it were.

Jhayze followed the rest, his eyes narrowed, not quite sure what to make of the new situation or to trust this new woman. He flicked his harpoon up and rested on his shoulder as he walked

---

Back to Epiphany