Kalyani had her dark hair up as Sehr pulled them along the desert dunes. “Wagon is made to transverse any terrain even crappy sandy places…. Just like home.” Around her body was a loose cloak that was made to keep the hot desert sun off of her skin. Amber eyes drifted over to Zanar. “Will you be alright? We might have to leave wagon and Sehr at this outpost Angela has…”

They were contacted by the goddess not long ago. Angela had heard about Zanar’s talents through the grapevine or rather his would be talents. In the goddess’s words “He’ll be useful.” So they packed up the wagon and set for the long journey up north to the desert.

When they finally hit the damn place it had been at night and the sky was eerily green and even during the day the sun didn’t really want to shine at all. “Must be the problem she was talking about,” Kalyani spoke scared at first. Zanar was good at defending them from stray mummies that had managed to get near them.

Once they were at the outpost she found a place to put Sehr and the wagon for safe keeping. They spent time getting him water and making sure they got the supplies they would need to go into the city. “Kalyani, I haven’t seen you since you dragged a dying man into my temple.” Angela clicked her tongue a bit and Kalyani smirked.

“You haven’t aged at all since the last time I saw you nearly ten years ago.” It was a compliment from Kalyani to the Goddess. Angela seemed pleased with the words as she came up and inspected Zanar. “My name is Angela… I’m afraid I’m partially responsible for this mess… but my powers are being soaked into this outpost to keep everyone here safe…” Angela went into details about why she had asked them there and even got them the necessary supplies.

“Be careful, I sensed Dalanesca raising all sorts of hell inside the city… Apparently, they’ve been taking souls directly from her… Stealing a god’s property isn’t the best way to keep living.” Angela winked at Zanar. “I have some healing ointments ready for you all. Once you are both ready we can go.”

"I'll be alright, well as well as one can be in a desert." He started shaking off more sand off his overcoat. "The thing I hate the most about the desert is the damned sand. It gets everywhere." He wasn't going to mention the mummies that he had to fight off as they crossed the desert to the outpost. "It'd be better for them, it seems our friends are gathering the further in we get. Rather both be safe."

He could hear the slight fear in her words, something that was rare to come from her, but he also shared her feelings on the matter. The greenlit skies did not help, he had a feeling something far more sinister than he had seen before was in this situation. Yet he was asked along, maybe it had to deal with a rogue mage of sorts. Something he would gladly take care of.

They reached the outpost without any more problems of the undead and Zanar let out a sigh of relief. A breather for him and one he welcomed. He cared not if it would not last long, it was just nice to see a place of reprieve in this mess. As Kaylani went to give Sehr some water he started recollecting some supplies that they had used up and also emptied his boots of sand that had built up.

This place is going to make me hate the ocean even…damned deserts

As they were resupplying another woman appeared and started talking with Kaylani, but he was no fool he knew exactly who this was. She came up, inspected him and introduced herself. "Yes, even someone like me knows who you are Angela. At least there is a haven in this place for those unfortunate to get caught in it."

He listened to the details she gave of the situation, leaning up against the side of the wagon. She also supplied them with even more supplies than what the originally used, probably those to help with the events going on. "Someone is stealing Dalanesca's souls? Seems they don't fear her."

He pushed himself off the side of the carriage and grabbed the sheathed Nox from the front of the wagon. "It's simple, we can't allow this to happen anymore. This is unnatural, and if it continues this world maybe wiped out. Sure there are other's probably fighting in there, or those who just want the riches. I made an oath though, rogue mages who abuse their power will pay. Undead or living."

He gave a slight grin, as this was the first time he had felt a rush of adrenaline like this in a long time. This was the stuff he lived for.

For a moment Kalyani started to laugh. “Just like common street whores?” The two of them traveling together had been fun for the most part. They got along and helped each other out so it wasn’t too bad.

Angela smirked a bit when he said he knew who she was. “Well everyone has at least heard rumors… or dealt with my spawn… I heard my child was shooting her mana cannons out of her airship again. Don’t tell Furtuna I am disappointed in her for not being more direct.” She winked as Kalyani laughed a bit.

“That child is over 500 years old.” Kalyani took off her cloak now that it was much cooler out here in the shadow of the death city.

“Still a child to me,” Angela smirked more. “You would think they would know better. See, the problem with Dal is that her temper has always been bad but it is a lot worse now. I knew her before she was a goddess.” She chuckled. “I feel bad for the creature stealing her property.”

Kalyani nodded. “We got most of the supplies we need now. We can’t take the wagon and Sehr but it is close enough that we can go on foot now.” She was holding her cast iron skillet and Angela tilted her head. “What? It is good weapon.”

Angela shrugged and looked at Zanar. “Take good care of her in there…. She might act all high and mighty but she still is only a girl to me… Also, Bryony might end you if she gets hurt.” Kalyani made a face and hmmphed loud as she grabbed the pack of supplies and started to walk towards the city of death.

He chuckled a little when she brought out the cast iron skillet. How he had remembered her beating a man half to death that came to her door, it was her signature weapon. "Trust me, that in her hand is like a knight with a sword. Honestly, probably, even more, worse than that if you ask me."

"Trust me I have this feeling that there are other people out there that would kill me if I didn't take care of her, other than Bryony I mean." He rolled his eyes a little as she scurried off, her pride was too much sometimes. "Well, it has been a pleasure meeting you Angela, too bad it was on such an occasion." He gave the goddess and nod and grabbed another pack of supplies and headed out the gates. Throwing up a slight wave as they crossed the threshold.

He had climbed a sand dune as they got near the outer perimeter of the city so that he could get a quick scout before they headed in. It was just as bad as Angela had told them, for what he could see there was nothing but the undead inhabiting the place. He had also noticed signs of a fight going through the city, not knowing if that was Dalanesca's own wrath or other adventurers that wandered in. "This place, the gods want us mortals to handle it? Or is there something else to it…preventing them?" Zanar questioned to himself as he headed back to where Kaylani was.

"Yeah, seems Angela was right. The city is overrun with undead, and they seem the densest near that pyramid structure in the center of the city. We need to be careful." He warned Kaylani before they started to move out again actually making it into the city's most inner walls. They had to fight off some mummies before they got in, thankfully it seemed Vox Noctis handled itself well against these creatures. Its mana cutting ability seemed to cut off the majority of the magic that resurrected the foul creatures.

They made their way through to what seemed like a sturdy building. "We stop here, need to conserve strength and rest when we can." He said to Kaylani. This building had been used by someone once before. The signs were still there and the firepit they used was still warm. "They lit a fire in such a place, wouldn't that be a beckon? Or are these things not to keen of the flame?"

He had so many questions still, even after all that was explained by Angela.

Angela smirked at Zanar. “Believe me, it’s normally how I tend to meet people. Met my own husband in Iria when an idiot challenged me to a duel. It happens for better or worst.” There was a mischievous glint in the goddess’s eyes.

Kalyani looked at Zanar and tilted her head at him. She had heard him from where he was and shrugged. “Angela is protecting the outpost… Can’t you feel it? The healing powers that were around us are lifted.” She pointed at the area where glints of almost green lightning could be seen flickering against the chaotic energies in the desert. “She is doing everything in her power to keep them out. That means this is really old magic. I heard stories when I was a girl that gods used to be so much stronger in the past. When Verya fell that changed. Verya was the other World Tree and the Voice saw that our gods were possibly too powerful for their own good. Imagine that? Them stronger than they are right now. Makes you wonder just how strong the Voice is.”

Kalyani was strong enough to hold her own but she was getting too dangerously close to them, unlike Zanar. She had to be careful not to be cornered. She wailed on them and even popped some heads off with just a swing of her mighty pan. “Probably not keen to flame.” She looked up at him and smiled. “They have old wraps and dust… Probably highly flammable. Even creatures with no brains know to stay away from weaknesses.”

She sat at the fire and pulled out some of the food they were given. It was fresh enough that Kalyani knew this was the first night’s meal. The rest were things like dried beef and other rations for traveling. The gypsy set about making them some dinner after she lit the fire. “It’s uneasy being in this city… I’ve never seen such undead forces before.”

She offered a bowl to Zanar once it was done and smiled. “Get your strength.”

He took the bowl from her and sat down next to the fire, even though they were in a desert there was an unearthly chill to the place that he couldn't get out of his bones. "Thank you," he smiled back and began to eat. He took his time to savor it, as he knew it would be their last "fresh" meal until they took care of what they could there. "So even though they are undead, their instincts of survival still take over their action to kill. That could be something we could use to our advantage."

He finished the bowl that she had given him and set it to the side. He got up and headed to the doorway taking a look around at the surroundings. They were safe for the time being, and he could hear fighting out in the distance. He could also smell the blood that was in the air, knowing that there have been some deaths from this darkness. "More bodies, more fuel to the undead army. Why must people's greed lure them to this place? If they can't fight they should stay back and let us who can do so." Shaking his head he made his way back to the fire

"We need to make our way to the Pyramid, maybe there is a route we can take and not run into the main forces of the undead. The more strength we have when we enter the pyramid the better," He stated sitting back down. He highly doubted that they could just waltz to the entrance freely, yet couldn't risk doing so much fighting. He had noticed how close Kaylani had to get to defend herself from the mummies, and though he knew she could do some damage with the pan, it wasn't a very effective tool to fight them

When they both decided it was time to leave, he put out the fire with the surrounding sand, leaving only the ember left to let anyone know that this place was a safe haven. The fire though, was what made it safe because as soon as they stepped out of the house a pack of Mummies seemed to have arisen around the house. "God damned this curse, it was like it was waiting." He growled. He put his hand on Kaylani's shoulder and cast an agility spell on both of them. Immediately his body felt the feedback of using so much magic, but it was the only thing he could do.

"Fight what you can, leave the rest. We need to make it to the pyramid." He firmly said to her, and then started to make his way to where the pyramid was, cutting down the few mummies he had to get there. With the spell on them, they could speed past before any more mummies were created. Though he knew he would get chewed out for using so much magic on something small.

Kalyani looked over at Zanar and sighed. “We should burn the bodies we come across so we don’t have an undead horde… As morbid as that sounds.” They worked together on a plan for entering the pyramid and the half-elf sighed a bit at the thought. “That is true we are going to have to be extra careful…”

Kalyani stared at the horde only for a moment once they got outside. “Thanks,” she could feel the magic in her blood as the two of them took off. “Try not to use up too much of your magic… You know how your body is.” She scolded him easily as they had been traveling together long enough for her to know his habits and how his body responded to his magic. She was shocked at herself for caring for this man but still, she pushed it out of her mind right now.

Fighting like the best knight she hit the mummies hard with conserved energy. She needed it for the pyramid but as they ran closer to the pyramid a stray lightning bolt hit her right in the leg as they crossed paths with another mage. “Stupid woman learn to stay out of the way,” yelled a mage as Kalyani screamed in pain. She fell down and looked at her ankle and foot which had been not only burned greatly but had bits of blood from before the wound was burned shut.

She winced as she tried to get back up and looked at Zanar with a bit of pity. “You need to go inside. You’ll only get hurt out here if you stay with me.” She put her back against the wall and looked at the horde of undead coming this way. “Not trying to say you can’t be a hero or anything but… face it we’re friends with the Goddess of Life if I die she can just bring me back.” Kalyani being logical sounded rather harsh on herself. Rather dramatic too but she was being serious, dead serious. She didn’t want Zanar to stay with her or carry her.

He saw the lightning bolt before it struck, yet being human as he was he could not outspeed it before it struck Kaylani. He growled at the woman, his grip on the hilt of his blade grown tighter. He wanted to draw it and to strike the mage down, but every creature facing death such as this goes back to their most basic instinct. To survive. This mage was not his concern, right now Kaylani was and he knelt down beside her.

The bolt had struck her good, cauterizing any sign of it tearing the flesh. If it had hit her anywhere else it may have been a fatal strike. She got up and rested next to a wall and told him to flee and leave her behind. She would use her connections with the gods to make sure she would come back alive, yet even he knew that it wouldn't be the same person. "I'm sorry, but the soul shatters and is broken upon death. Even those with powers over that domain cannot restore the soul to its entirety. It's the reason why resurrection magic needs to be used immediately to prevent that." He noticed the horde coming up on them.

These damned creatures, they were proof of what that sort of magic could do if the soul was completely gone. A husk, craving to feed and destroy, empty vessels serving the master.  "So I am sorry, but this one time I am going to not listen to you being stubborn," He turned to face the horde. "You have healing magic, if you can heal my broken body as quickly as you did, I'm sure that small wound will be nothing to you." There was also something else that he wanted to try with the blade. He had felt that was something else.

He took a deep breath and took a stance with his blade, one hand holding the sheathed katana while the other hovering over the handle. He could feel the magic gather around the blade in its sheath, he just had to wait for the right moment to strike. This blade was meant to strike down mages, sapping their mana, it must have had a way to do that at a range. When it felt like enough was gather he quickly drew the blade in a wide arc in front of him and a crescent blade of dark energy shot forth from it.

It struck the mummies in the front, cause any flow of mana in their bodies to be sapped and erupted as if it was struck by the blade itself. This disrupted their movements as they tumbled and fell over the ones struck with the energy wave. It would buy them enough time, so he quickly turned and scooped up Kaylani in his arms and ran to the entrance where they could be tunnel necked easier.

"Kill me later, focus on healing your wounds. And never talk about sacrificing yourself again."

There was a huh noise that left her lips as he began to get stubborn with her. “And here I thought you would like an attitude adjustment on my end.” There was a disgruntled noise that left her lips. “You though… You do not have magic. If you are going to be stubborn with me just promise you will run fast.” There was concern coming from her lips as she thought about it. She worried because he was human.

For a moment her eyes grew wide at his resolve to protect her. She didn’t honestly think he would care. Humans were the scourge of the earth… They did nothing but violate and taint anything they touched but Zanar? He was like her. He understood the evils on all sides. This one tiny human set an example for many as he picked her up. “Fine, just promise me that you will run fast. Also to even be able to monitor that I never say it again… It means you can’t go anywhere from me. Otherwise, I can’t promise I won’t say it.” Anyone else would have left her to die, she was sure of it.

She moved her head up and put her forehead against his neck. Closing her eyes she listened to the heartbeat he had. Laying a kiss on his neck tenderly as she let her healing magic do the work for her as she slept. It worked better if she didn’t have the distractions of the pyramid. Her magic was powerful but limited in ways, however, self-healing wasn’t one of the things she failed at. She was good at it from the years of being on her own.

After what seemed like forever she stirred away. Her ankle wasn’t as bad as what it was but she would still have that limp for a little bit. Her brown eyes looked at him a bit differently than before but it was only for a split second. “Can you put me down now? I think I can walk.” There was that stubbornness again. Even if she felt something she was being awfully stubborn about it.

He did not need her to remind him that he had no magic, as his agility spell had already worn off. It was nowhere near as powerful as it once was. Weird for him to hear her give her some concern though, she always had this tough façade on. Then again living on your own for years on end, would bring walls up around people. "Fair enough, not going to let these bastards taste our flesh!"

"Well I guess that means Bryony's prophecy might be coming true after all eh?," He said to her as he ran through the streets, seeing the entrance come closer and closer at hand. He had remembered meeting the woman who raised Kaylani, and her prophecy and had kept that in his head wondering as to why she had seen that.  Yet, even after being fully healed he had stayed.

He felt her kiss as she rested her head near his neck, normally would stop and question but he had no time. Even though they were getting closer and closer to the pyramid more of the undead were appearing around them. He could feel her healing magic as she began, the same warmth that spread out through him when she healed his wounds. It was calming just feeling it and allowed him to remain focused

It is always the danger, danger that brings out the truth.

He ran past the statue depicting what seemed like one god striking down another, of course, it's always the gods involved with these affairs, and finally into the pyramid itself. All the undead that were following them had halted and ignored them as they entered the structure. This did not sit well with Zanar, he knew this was going to get worse and worse as they continued on.

He noticed that she had stirred back to and he complied with her request to put her back down. "Seems safe for now, also need a moment to rest," He would be lying if he said he wasn't worn out. Running with her in his arms and the usage of mana was starting to take its toll on him. Thankfully it seemed like whatever happened with his sword didn't drain the mana from himself, but he doubted he'd be able to use that ability again for a while.

"There is also one other thing," he stated. Not caring if this wasn't the time or the place to do it. If they were going to die here at least it would be off his conscious. "We both need to stop being so stubborn, we both know and feel it and just need to shut up sometimes." He stated and leaned over and kissed her.