To Far Away Times

[Rezantis]

Nathan shakes his head.

"I vote we press on," he says, and then looks over at Drac questioningly.

[Dracos]

Dracos brushed his beard with a hand, considering deeply.

"I think we shall rest here, at least for a bit.  I believe there is something that we should talk about and here, away from the castle is perhaps best for it.  I am aware you've...noticed some things off about myself and Nathan."

Dracos

[Brian]

Liandral shrugs his shoulders uncomfortably.  "You've changed," he says, staring at the ground.  "You'ce changed ever since you've lost your kingship.  I realize now that you're changing back ... and that's probably a good thing.

"But at the same time, you must understand that my kind is ... slow to change at best.  And thus, we often have trouble adapting to change in those close to us.  I was unhappy to see you, as a friend, drown your sorrows in drink.

"I should be happy that you're getting better."  Looking up, he sighs, and meets your eyes.  "Please forgive me my impertinence, my liege."

[Rezantis]

Rez chokes on his bread and almost falls off the rock he's sitting on.

Smacking himself on the chest a couple of times, he grabs a waterskin and gulping some liquid down before calming down slightly, trying to get his breath back.

[Dracos]

Dracos brushes his hair back a bit in a habitual slightly nervous gesture.

"There is nothing to forgive.  And...I've changed more than you know.  I am going to say a few things that...might sound a little crazy here.  I ask you to hear me out and decide calmly.  Your eyes and your wits will likely bear out the truth of what I will say."

Dracos

[Brian]

"Very well," Liandral says, looking at you curiously.

[Dracos]

"Hum...where to start.  Perhaps best from what you've seen.  As I am told, you watched us fall in the ambush with the orcs.  Moments later, we stirred, apparently unharmed from the battle.  Both of these cannot be true at once though, as dead men don't generally walk about.  The fact of the matter is that, for better or worse, Sir Bloom, died there.  At the same time, he did not.  Through the intervention of powers well beyond my comprehension, I, was brought into him.  As were my friend Nathan was brought into Nathan."

Dracos hummed.

"You see, we were on a quest to protect our world and the people that lived in it.  In order to achieve this, we were told to brave several ordeals.  One of which was entering the depths of Hades, legendary realm of the dead, guided by a wizard of our own world.  While in the depths of Hades, he cast a spell to send us to face the trial of that realm and we awoke well...as Sir Bloom, confused and slightly disoriented surrounded by dozens of bodies."

Dracos paused a moment, observing Liandril's reactions.

Dracos

[Brian]

"I see," Liandral says slowly.  "That's ... very strange."

[Dracos]

Dracos shakes his head glances at Rez.  "No kidding."

Dracos

[Rezantis]

Rez continues.

"We . . . well, we are those people, and at the same time we're not.  They're were our . . . counterparts, I guess, in this place.  And now that they've fallen, right now, we have to take up the mantle and . . . well, become them as much as we can.  To take them into ourselves."

"And right now, for us, this means we have to beat back the dreadmarch."

[Brian]

Liandral stares at you like you've cut his legs out from underneath him with an axe.

"Ah," he says after a moment.  "Are you sure it wouldn't be safer to go back to the Keep?"

[Dracos]

Dracos laughs a bit.  "No, he doesn't mean me, you, and Nathan.  He means more in general.  How we see it is that in order to survive and accomplish what we need to do, our trial is to see to it that the dreadmarch does not succeed.  On top of this...we believe others have seen fit to sabotage it so they will.  That's why we're headed out to the storm-riders.  To make sure they arrive and help."

Dracos

[Brian]

"Ah..." Liandral says more quietly.  "Well ... then what next?"

[Dracos]

"Well, first...what are you going to do?  You have the information to reveal us as not who we are.  Are you willing to help us out in making sure the Storm-Riders come and driving back the dreadmarch?"

"If so, we'll need your knowledge.  While we have the skills to imitate who we are, we don't know enough about what happened and who we will interact with.  Knowledge of the storm-riders and specifically my own fall would help greatly in the worst case."

Dracos

[Brian]

Liandral sighs.  "I'll help you," he says, shaking his head.  "As best I can.  That is my duty here."