Tales of Tests

The passages and corridors of the Temple of Daues are quiet this early in the morning, and few people mark them with their presence. Two of them take a moderate pace through the temple, in the lead is a blue-scaled sith-makar, his left side marked with two crystal limbs. He makes a gentle click-clacking noise as he walks, the sound of crystal against tile. After a moment of walking down the corridor, Zeke turns, opening one of the doors and motioning Dolan who follows him, inside.

Despite the warmth of the temple, Dolan is bundled as if for a trip in the snow, and is carrying an empty teacup in his hands as he trails along behind. On entering the room, he closes the door behind them both with a *scrape* and a *click* as the latch engages to ensure them privacy, then turns to his companion. "What can I do for you?" he asks, without preamble.

Zeke sets the tea service in his claws aside. He's led them to a room that shows some gentle signs of habitation. Though the bed is freshly made, and there's nothing particularly out of place, there is a stool in here, and a book that looks to be partially read. Zeke moves deeper into the room, giving Dolan his space, but also gets right to the point. "You ssssmell of injury, Dolan. Thisss one doess not mean to pry where uninvited, but pleassse. Ssssit. If you will not allow thisss one to heal you, perhapsss you will at leassst explain why not?"

Oh. _That._ From the discomfited look that spreads across the mobile half of Dolan's features, he'd entirely forgotten that makari senses are better than human. He looks down at the floor and scratches his head. "No, it's fine. I didn't want to scare all those people, you know? I'd just rolled out of bed and the kittens weren't getting along, so knowing we'd just come back yesterday from a place where demons had attacked my parents, I figured it wouldn't hurt to be sure they didn't follow us. I managed to get the thing out of the poor cat before it killed it, but it went after me instead." From his tone, he's okay with that.

"It - kind of messed me up. Andie - she's my fiancee and a Sunguard here - she healed me some, but -eh. Never mind. They're clean, at least, I had them looked at. Do you want to look again?"

The blue-scaled sith blinks at Dolan's story, then nods once. "Yesss, thisss one would like to look at them. Isss your fianceee among the temple healersss?" He inquires politely enough, but anyone could easily sense that there is more to that question than merely the words that speak it. "Thisss one isss often sssuch."

From the way Dolan immediately lays aside cloak and outer layers, he's quite used to being in the care of healers. "Nah. She knows how, but I think she'd rather serve His justice. Doesn't mean she can't, but-" He strips as he talks, all the way down to smallclothes, although he shivers as he does it, once convulsively, laying each layer aside.

What is revealed is two bandages, one across his side and the other down one thigh, from wounds that were clearly deep enough to stay open despite healing. There are several more marks on him - probably five or six in total - that are closed, but still angry red lines that are tender and half-healed. Goosebumps prickle his skin, and it's clear that whatever chills him isn't natural. "I try not to put too much on her. She - doesn't know, you know? She's just finding out how bad demons can be, and she's never yet really been hit bad. I hope it stays that way."

Zeke firstly, takes the set-aside tea cup, and refills it with fresh hot water and pushes it into Dolan's hands. The fact that the man is so cold concerns him. The room may not be _warm_ but neither is it cold, and Dolan's shivering indicates to him an unnatural source. "May thisss one examine the injuriesss?" Zeke asks this question very gently, hovering nearby without actually touching Dolan though his eyes take in the wounds with all the attentiveness that a healer might give a patient.

"Thisss one underssstandsss your desssire to protect your mate, it isss commendable. If ssshe sservesss the Dragonfather however..." Zeke trails off here and motions pointedly to the wounds. "Healing you isss sssome-thing that ssshe could have done yess?"

Dolan simply nods, and sits down on the bed. He takes the mug, but then sets it aside, so that he can lie back and allow Zeke to examine the slashes. "Yeah, go ahead, but If you're going to get after someone about it, yell at me. I hid it from her. I didn't want her to know. I didn't tell her or ask. It's not her fault."

He stares up at the ceiling while Zeke works. The occasional touch will elicit a wince or a bitten lip, but this much is clear - these were serious injuries, made less so by another touch and tended by a skilled hand. Another scent is present that Zeke will have smelled before, on him, and possibly occasionally on others. It is not harmful or dangerous, likely a temporary pain-deadener now worn off.

Zeke is as gentle as he can be, but the wounds need examining. Particularly since his sense of touch informs him that the man is colder close to the wounds than he is elsewhere. This little bit of information tells him much. "Thisss one will not yell at any-one. Thisss one isss merely curioussss... Why not tell her that you are wounded?" He releases his gentle touch and examination of the wounds, but does not indicate that Dolan should sit up. "Do you not wissh to be healed?"

"Not that." Dolan is well familiar with Zeke being one of the temple healers at this point, and simply stares at the ceiling. The wounds themselves and the flesh around it are much cooler to touch than elsewhere, where normally they would be much warmer from the resources the body amasses in the area to fix the wound. "I just - I don't know," he says helplessly. "I don't want to ask it of _her_, you know? I don't want her getting upset, she starts yelling and turns into a mother hen when she gets upset. I don't want her thinking I'm weak."

"It isss not weaknesss to be wounded in battle." Zeke replies gently, pulling back slightly and looking down at Dolan. "Here, if you will allow, thisss one would heal you. Thessse woundsss, they are cold and will not heal properly if not attended to. Thisss one doess not wissh you to have sssore musssclesss and injured flessh to deal with; if thiss one can help it."

Dolan's flesh and blood eye closes, and he just lets out a long sigh. "Yeah. Go ahead and do it. If it's not going to heal right, then yeah. I should have said something. Just - this shit is worse than she knows. It's _dangerous_. I don't want anything to happen to her." He's definitely shivering, and definitely hurting already.

Zeke lays his flesh-and-blood claw on Dolan's chest gently. Lightly. It's only a few moments before the warmth of healing power sinks into Dolan's skin and the sith-makar recites a prayer to the Dragonfather quietly. Only once it is done and the wounds are restored to normal flesh does Zeke move again. Touching one spot gently with his fingers to be sure that the unnatural chill is gone. "You may feel tender for sssome time yet. But you sshould heal properly now."

With that taken care of Zeke returns his concentration to the conversation at hand. "Thisss one underssstandss, but... Thisss one hasss a quesstion for you. If one never teachesss a hatchling that fire isss hot - who benifitsss? Would your mate not benifit from learning?"

The flesh-and-blood claw is a new thing - Dolan directs his eyes downward at the new sensation, prickly and yet warm - and then the chill subsides. He lets out a sigh of relief, his flesh already starting to warm up, and just stays where he is for a minute. "I'm afraid she'll get herself killed," he answers simply. "She's forever trying to prove how strong she is. One job we went in, she charged in on a manticore. I put a shield spell on her, and she yelled at me - until it got through her guard and ripped her up pretty good. If the shield hadn't been there, it could have killed her."

"Maybe I should let her learn, but-" The words drop on the floor, and he goes back to staring at the ceiling.

"It can be hard." Zeke offers, sounding the voice of experience. He settles back onto the stool in the room and lets Dolan have his space while he recovers from the healing. "Sssuch ssspellss are dangerouss in their own right however. Perhapsss sshe yelled becaussse ssshe wasss worried for your health? If you are important to her, then ssshe likely wisshess you no more harm than you wissh for her."

He looks at the place where Dolan's wounds had been and shakes his head.

"Oh, she cares, all right." Dolan lifts one arm, carefully, over his head, and rests his head on it, to prop it up and see a little better without having to move. "I'm just more used to it than she is. She wants to think of herself as strong, but sometimes that makes her stupid, and I don't want that to cost her. I did that once. More than once."

He turns his head away. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm babying her. We've got a joke - she gets the weird jobs, and I get the scary ones. I - kind of like it that way.'

Zeke hums low in his throat, noticing perhaps a bit belatedly the scar on Dolan's neck. He doesn't comment on it though. No more than he'd commented on Dolan's other scars. Some things can not be healed. Some things are better left unspoken of. Yet he has no idea if these are among those things or not. "Thisss one takesss it that you are both part of the Adventurersss Guild?"

"Yeah." Dolan looks back over at the question, at the change in subject. "I've been helping the guild out some, although I haven't been able to take as many jobs lately. It's - pretty complicated. Dream Realm stuff. I've been able to learn some stuff, and - I think I might have a way to find the bastards responsible." There's real trepidation there, though - it's something he _really_ doesn't like the idea of doing. "Anyway. Yeah, we both do work for the guild."

"Dream realm?" Zeke inquires curiously, tilting his head and picking up the cup of tea that Dolan has as yet been unable to drink. "You ssshould drink thisss while you can. It will keep you warmed."

He offers his hand to aid Dolan in sitting up, and continues. "If you both work for the guild, then there will be danger for you both. Danger you can not protect her from. It isss a hard life, thisss one hasss sseen sssome driven mad by it and othersss changed for life. It isss not alwaysss bad change, but no-one isss the sssame."

With the hand up, Dolan sits up slowly, nodding as he moves a good bit better than he did, and takes the cup, sniffing at it and then drinking from it slowly. It seems to have cooled to a drinkable temperature in that time. He considers Zeke's statement while he drinks, and finally sighs. "Yeah. I guess you're right. I've already gotten into trouble once," he tilts his head to his right in a clear indicator towards his face. "I know how dangerous it is. She's - I guess my job is to make sure that she learns without getting killed or driven insane, huh."

"It ssseemsss to thiss one that you find your ssshare of troublesss." Zeke doesn't say this maliciously, but rather with a sense of amusement, motioning to Dolan's neck and then to where his injuries had been most recently. "It sseeemss to thisss one that you could ussse sssome aid. Thisss one will offer it. If you need any-thing, thisss one will do what thisss one can to help. We in the Dragonfather'sss ssservisce mussst help one-another where we can againssst the forscess of evil yess?"

Almost immediately, Dolan's hand goes from the cup to his neck, where the scar is, and he once again looks discomfited. "Um. Yeah. Thanks." Gentle fingers feel around the scar, and he bites his lip in the way of one who isn't liking what they encounter. "So ... um, maybe you know."

There's a curious shift in the man as he talks, and the hand drops from his neck to the cup again, so that he can take a long sip. He is clearly warming up, no longer shaking, and he - focuses. Straightens. "Yeah. I think you're right. One of the things I need to figure out, and I just haven't had the time to chase given all the demons. What, if any, lore does the Temple hold about vampires?"

Zeke hums again, this time thoughfully and reclines slightly on his stool. His tail balances him. "Thiss one knowsss much about vampiresss. Thiss one'ss kin fought an infamousss one. They can not naturally walk in the light of day. Daeusss hatesss vampiresss, and ssmitess them when he can." He seems thoughtful. "Though the one that thisss onesss kin fought could do ssso with ssome impunity. We never learned why. They can be made to be resstful for a time with a wooden ssstake through the heart. Running water will desstroy them ass well. One can make thingss difficult for them by desstroying their nesstss, crusshing their coffinsss and sssuch. They can be driven back with the ssight of their own reflectionsss, or with a holy object."

Zeke looks at Dolan. "Iss thisss ussseful to you?"

Tea gets consumed, and Dolan listens intently to Zeke's words, nodding. "I knew of running water. Crushing coffins? That's good to know. Own reflections or a holy object-" He trails off. "Well, this one didn't seem very afraid of mine." Slurrrrrp. "I might need to take it out in the Dream Realm, since that's where it came from. I was told it was killed once, then someone conjured it in the Dream Realm out of their memories. That was - a bad trip."

He shakes his head. "The whole story is really confusing."

The blue-scale considers for a moment. "They can over-come the holy object if they are ssstrong enough. But you must reveal your object, have faith in it, and hold it forth. It can act asss a sshield from a vampire, even a very ssstrong one, but againssst them sssuch thingsss usssually only lassst a ssshort time." Zeke flashes his teeth briefly. "Sssome of it dependss on your faith. If it isss sstrong, the vampire will be held off for longer, but again... the sstronger the undead, the lessss they fear the godsss."

He shakes his head. "Thisss one knowsss lesss about the dream realm. Thisss one isss not a ssservant of the Dragonfather'sss daughter after all. But thisss one believess that you ssspeak of Kol. The vampire that thisss one sspoke of previoussly."

The name alone proves Zeke quite correct. Dolan's expression - shifts. There's fear there, and determination, and indecision, all rolled into one. "Same one, then. Kol Demontry. I've got a big problem," he admits. "The Knight showed me how he was beaten the first time. It was a trap, using his bloodlust." He takes another long sip of tea, to steady himself.

"See, he's aligned with the werewolves and demons I'm trying to take out. He appreciates their company, but I don't think he's actually allied with them? I don't think he's actually loyal to them, so much as they entertain him, if that makes any sense. But, he really wants me. I mean that. He's not even trying to dominate me. He wants to -" Dolan swallows, and one hand goes towards his eye.

"He's into pain," the inquisitor explains. "Giving, and receiving. He _likes_ it. No idea why, I can't imagine." A shudder escapes him. "I'm betting that if I go with him. If I give him what he wants - he'll take me right into their camp. Show me exactly where it is. Because he doesn't particularly care about their aims. But-"

Zeke is a calm, steadying presence. He hasn't a paladin's ability to alleviate fear, but there's something about him that makes it easier to bear things that might cause fear. He's a rock that one can tie themselves to, a steadying force that doesn't seem surprised or appalled by Dolan's statements. "And yet?" He encourages Dolan to continue.

By this time, Dolan has finished his tea. "I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to have tea, if you get what I mean." There's the cheeky grin, but it's a fleeting thing. Talking about it - expressing it openly - helps. "If I'm going to walk in there, if I'm going to let him have me so we can find the camp - I need my friends to back me. To come find me. To make sure I make it out alive. I know it's super dangerous, but - if I can rely on them to get me out, I think it'll be worth it. It's where I think the rest of the totems are. But - all they're doing right now is yelling at me if I even think about it."

"There isss great risssk and great reward in ssuch a thing." Zeke comments quietly, eyeing the tea cup. "If he wantsss to hurt you, then you will experiensce sssuch while you await for your ressscue. You alssso take the rissk that he will wisssh to prolong your sssuffering by making you undead. Vampiress are well known for creating more of their own kind. Thisss one isss ssure you have thought of thisss, ssso the quesstion becomesss ssome-thing elsssse."

"I know. I know what the risks are." Dolan sets aside the teacup on the table with a *clunk*. "I'm not going to pretend they don't scare me. But - we haven't been able to get close any other way, not since they moved the camp. We tried tracking them once. It didn't go well." He shivers again, but not from cold. "If I do this, I've got to know that my friends have got my back, and they're going to get me out. That they're going to make sure that the reward is worth the risk. Right now, with them yelling at me for even thinking about it, I can't make that bet. You know?"

"Yesss." Zeke says softly, eyes leaving the cup and looking at Dolan steadily, "Thisss one hass only one quessstion then. Thisss will become for you a tessst. A tesst of your mind and body. Are you ready for that? Knowing that you will be resscued yess, but that you will your-ssself come out differently?" Zeke lays his claw on the bed beside Dolan.

"Thisss one doesss not asssk idly Dolan, thisss one hass been in your posssition before. Thisss one walked into the enemiesss sstronghold to sssave another from harm. Sspent time being... there. Thiss one wasss not the sssame after, but thisss one doess not reget going. It wasss necesssary. But it wasss no sssmall thing you underssstand?"

For a moment, it looks like Dolan might not answer. Both sides of his features crumple with uncertainty, and he looks down at the bed, at the holy symbol around his neck. "A test-" he murmurs finally -

Without warning, he looks up, hands in his lap. "Your kin, who took out Kol Demontry the first time. Blonde man in armor?"

"Yesss." Zeke says, tilting his head to the side.

Dolan just nods, but his entire expression hardens. "That explains a lot, then. No. It's not a small thing. It's not a joke. I'm not doing it blindly. I'm - but maybe, just maybe - maybe it's the only way. The only way to find these bastards and get the other four - five," he quickly corrects himself, "before they bring the Nightmare back."

Something in him seems to have steeled, and steadied. "Look. Thanks."

"It ssseemsss that you have made your choissce, so thiss one will offer the blessssingss of the Dragonfather upon you. My your alliess be ssswift and your pain easssy to bear." Zeke makes a motion with his hand and then rises to his feet. "Thisss one can tell when time isss needed alone. Thisss one will leave you to resst and drink tea. Take asss much time ass you require."

"Except that I'm out of tea, and those leaves have had it," Dolan points out, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and making to stand, slowly. "I'm not sure yet. But, I'm far more sure than I was when I walked in here, that's for sure. I appreciate the wise words almost as much as the healing. Already told Andie I thought we could get away with skipping morning workout." A cheeky flash of a grin. "I've had my workout for the morning."

Zeke lets loose an amused noise at Dolan's joke. "Asss you will then. Thisss one isss here if you require any-thing else." He nods low to Dolan and leaves him to get dressed.

-End