The dreams had been getting clearer – sharper.  The images of past targets and victims danced in her brain like a macabre masquerade ball, swaying left and right.  Preceding the dance, the bodies would fall, and the piles would get bigger and bigger.  She would begin to scream and pull at her hair, and she would fall to her knees and beg the gods to stop the torture – and in her dreams she would scream so loud that she would wake herself up in realty, drenched in cold sweat and terrified beyond belief.  These dreams, whatever it was that had triggered them to become to terrifying, caused her doubt.  Was assassination really the right field for her?  She felt no regret at the time of the kill… but after, she always found herself feeling this way.

Thankfully, she had not gotten yet to the point where her dreams were hindering her work.  She had been contacted in Adeluna and requested for a contract in Vilpamolan.  Of course, she had to accept the contract – Vilpamolan was, after all, where she had negotiated her first contract and successfully carried through with a hit.  She had been quite a successful assassin in the pirate town for quite some time – pirates, after all, tended to have plenty of coin and even more grudges.  She had racked up quite the body count – and this was before she had learned how to properly dispose of a body.  At that time, she was only good at covering her tracks – and most of the bodies ended up in Perditi Cemetery, which was where she found herself during this trip.

She had not yet made it into the town, to meet up with the client who was presenting her with the contract – but instead had made a pit stop to the cemetery.  For some unknown reason, she seemed to think that perhaps visiting the graves of her previous victims would bring her closure – maybe if she paid her respects, so to speak, the dreams would stop.  She highly doubted it, but she figured it was worth a try.

Canelux was home to many cemeteries, but to her understanding Perditi was by far the largest.  The graves formed almost a maze, and one had to lean in close to read the faded inscriptions on the graves due to the low hanging fog that seemed to perpetually cover the grounds.  Fortunately for Dalanesca the headstones that she was the cause of were not so old, and the inscriptions were not nearly as difficult to make out.  

A shiver ran down her spine – she had clearly been wrong about the cemetery easing her pain.  She was feeling quite claustrophobic, as thought the spirits of the dead she had wronged were encircling her and suffocating her.  She became frantic and began to rush from grave to grave, looking for some sort of peace, or some sort of solace, to free her from the feelings she was having.  She eventually came to a stone that caused her to emit a gasp, and she fell to her knees.

Here Lies Alaya Elusaan, Loving Daughter.

She reached up her hand, and ran her fingers across the engraved name, feeling the tears begin to well up in her eyes.  ”I’m so sorry,” she whispered, the tears now beginning to fall.  Within moments, her hand dropped to the ground and she leaned forward, her body convulsing with violent sobs.  Her mind began to race with images of a past contract, a man in his home – and she had to invade and take his life, for the coin, of course.  She had not noticed the young girl run into the room to give her father a hug without surveying the surroundings, as children are wont to do, just as she was to strike her sword into the man, and unluckily she ended up taking both of their lives.  

As the memory became clearer and clearer, her vision began to darken.  She could feel wind rushing at her ears, though the air was entirely still, and within a moment, she had completely blacked out, and passed out cold upon the ground in front of the tombstone, the low fog nearly obscuring her body from view.

While it was not the ideal place to search for that elusive other half of herself, Moliira wanted to have a look in the cemetery anyway.  Perhaps there would be a trace that she could find, perhaps a victim that would point her in the right direction.  Moliira's drive came from wanting to rid herself of the strange, weakened feeling, and the drow found herself jealous of her counterparts in this land.  While their merging into this world hadn't been seamless from what she could gather, it had at least been completely.  But it was only a matter of time.  Moliira knew she would find that other side of herself, and she would force the issue.

But a cry caught her attention before she could find any clues, and the drow's eyes narrowed.  There were only a couple of reasons that she could think of to cause such a statement.  The voice had been female, was it a mother mourning her child?  There seemed to be grief and guilt both in the cry, making that quite possible.  But her assassin's mind wondered if the guilt was for a life that should not have been taken.  At first, Moliira saw no one.  But her nose was sharp as a wolf's, and she very quickly found the only other living this within the cemetery.  She crouched for a moment, to ascertain that the fallen woman was still alive.  And she was.  It seemed that the woman was only passed out. 

Her dress made Moliira pause, it was very similar to what she had once used when she had worked as an assassin.  There was something that made her stay, rather than leaving the woman to her fate.  Turning the head so she would not choke on vomit if it came down to that, Moliira started to build a small fire.  An iron kettle was placed close by, and she filled it with peppermint leaves and water.  She had a feeling it would be ready by the time the woman came around.  When the woman stirred, Moliira spoke quickly.  "I won't harm you, first off.  So do not worry about that.  My name is Moliira.  Second, you are welcome to the tea, peppermint will help clear your mind.  And third, what caused you to mourn that particular grave?  I can guess, though I would rather hear you say it," she said as she poured tea into a cup and offered it to the woman.

For once, there was nothing in her mind.  Silence.  Darkness.  It was peaceful and not at all terrifying as the thoughts that had filled her mind earlier had been.  She would choose the calm over the blinding and deafening horror that had overtaken her.  Fairly soon, however, the silence was broken by a crackling sound.  The sound seemed entirely out of place for her silent paradise - and her head was moving?  Some unseen force caused her head to turn to the side.  Moments later, the silence returned and no more movement happened.  She was back to calm, and back to peace.

Then, her eyes opened.

For a few moments, she blinked rapidly, her eyes out of focus, and attempted to make out her surroundings.  She was still in the cemetery, as she had remembered - but her eyes fell upon the drow woman that had arrived whilst she had been unconscious.  She instinctively shifted to one side in an attempt to stand up, and prepared to withdraw a dagger from one of her wrist sheaths if need be - but she noticed that the newcomer did not seem to have any intention of threatening her. 

WIth that, she remained seated on the ground, not entirely sure that her legs were quite ready to hold her yet.  She held a defensive mentality, but he demeanor did not give that away.  The drow did not seem to be threatening, but the best predators were amazing at camouflage, in respect of emotion as well.  She nodded as her new companion mae comment of having no intention to harm her.

The drow’s name seemed familiar - had she known her in another time and place?  She could not remember much from her past except for more recent times - the memory that had sent her into a spiral was about the oldest memory she could muster.  

”I’m… I’m Dalanesca,” she replied, with no desire to hide her identity from people any longer.  Someone was going to find out eventually, and her efforts could be focused elsewhere.  She did not respond to the remainder of what the drow said to her immediately, only graciously accepting the cup of tea.  She took a swig, feeling the hot liquid run down her throat.  Within moments she felt a wave of relief wash over her, and the cloudy feeling in her head had begun to subside.

”Thank you,” she whispered, looking down at the ground.  ”And to answer your questions,” she began, taking a deep breath.   ”I once made a mistake.  A terrible mistake, and a child’s life was taken when that was not the intention,” she continued.  Her voice wavered, and she could once again feel the tears welling up in her eyes.  ”You are correct in your assumption that I am a killer-for-hire, an assassin… but I am beginning to wonder if that is the right path for me any longer… Assassins are not supposed to feel remorse, are they?” she asked.

She looked back up at the drow, her eyes watery with the tears that had begun to form.  ”Pitiful assassin, aren’t I, crying in a graveyard over a dead girl?” She let out a cold laugh, and took another drink of the tea.  ”Has a stranger such as yourself any advice for a failure such as myself?” She chuckled once more with the question, though this laugh was a bit warmer than the previous one.  ”And pray tell, what brings you to this place?  Are you here in search of a mistake as well or have you come to mourn?”

The name made Moliira pause, and look the woman very carefully in the face for a few moments.  But she said nothing.  Coincidence was not something that she believed in.  And Revaliir still had a lot to teach her.  But it was not a topic that Moliira wanted to touch on just right then.  Especially not from a woman who had just passed out.  She let Dalanesca have her words, not interrupting once.  It was the tears standing in her eyes that truly made Moliira curious.  And it made her wonder if there truly was a tie to the woman she had known on Daeluin.  It was entirely possible.  The drow only shook her head at the question of being pitiful, it was something that she understood far too well.  And it was something that she could speak on moreso than she would like. 

"Anyone is capable of remorse, it is only a sign that you still have a moral compass.  Not a bad thing, only a sign you have not lost yourself completely," Moliira said as she poured herself some of the tea.  To the Huntress, the life of a child was still precious, and something that needed to be guarded.  Unfortunately, mistakes did happen.  And it was one that she had made only once.  "That I do.  You stand in shoes that I did once, and the way I see it, you have a choice to make.  Will you continue to kill without mercy, or will you find a purpose to put your weapons to?" Moliira asked, a slightly mysterious smile on her face.  There was a place that was all leading to, though she did not want to seem like she was trying to force the choice.  But it was the choice that Moliira herself had made, and the choice that she saw for Dalanesca. 

The answer for the final question was a difficult one for her to answer, because Moliira wasn't wholly sure herself.  But she could work around certain parts of the truth.  "Neither.  I search for someone else.  She is like me, in quite a few ways.  But she has lost her purpose, and lives only for the kill.  I thought I might come here and search for a trace.  Instead I found you," Moliira said with a chuckle.  It wasn't the complete truth, but it would do for now. 

The assassin blinked, at first unsure how to answer the drow.  The tears had subsided from her eyes, allowing her to clearly survey her new companion.  She opened and closed her mouth a few times, beginning to say something, but deciding against it at the last minute.  The choice that Moliira implied was one that she was well aware of, but had never had the courage to contemplate.  She still had no memory of how she came to be in this land – only cloudy bits and hazy pieces.  Occasionally, something would trigger a memory and it would give her some thought as to how she ended up in this situation, but nothing was clear – nothing yet.  

She had begun taking contracts for hits as a way to supplement her coin while she figured her place out in this new world.  Waking up in a dirty alley in a city full of thieves and pirates was not the best way for her to start her ‘new life,’ but she had found herself in Vilpamolan.  Becoming an assassin had been easy for her – she possessed a certain set of skills that made it quite simple, though she still was unsure where the skills had come from.  Perhaps someday the answers would present themselves, but until then she would keep taking each day as it came.

The question triggered a strange feeling within her, and she was not quite sure what it was.  Finding a purpose definitely sounded like a much better option than continuing to kill for no reason other than the coin she was being offered.  She began to nod, slowly at first, in agreement with her.  

She glanced up and could see the smile that had cast across Moliira’s face, and found herself intrigued.  ”So,  a purpose?” she asked, her voice sounding hopeful.  The way that she spoke made it sound as though she had once been in a similar situation to the one that Dalanesca now found herself in.  ”I just… I don’t know how I would be able to do that,” she confessed, her voice wavering.  She could feel her emotions becoming jumbled again.  ”How do I do that?” she asked, sincerely hoping that Moliira would continue on with the answer.

She let out a laugh as Moliira mentioned finding her instead of who she was looking for.  ”Well, I am grateful that you did find me, and not someone – or something – else,” she said, raising her cup of peppermint tea up in acknowledgement to the drow.  ”Perhaps, as a thanks, I can be of service in helping you find her?  If you would like the help,” she mentioned, shrugging her shoulders.  She could be useful without killing – and she wanted to be.  

"More often than not, that purpose comes to you in some way.  Your regret at an innocent life being taken shows me that you care for more than beyond yourself.  And I appreciate that…  Perhaps I should clarify just who I am.  And perhaps that will answer your question," Moliira said.  When she had told the woman her name, the drow had noted some flicker of recognition in Dalanesca's eyes.  But to which being was it for?  She had no good answer to that, as of yet.  "This place is not of my power, but I can still show you.  I am also known as the Storm Wolf," Moliira said, a subtle crackling of electricity flowing through her hair now for a few moments.  The clouds overhead seemed to thicken as well, obscuring the moon and hinting at a coming storm that had not been there just moments before.  But the show of power was over after a few moments, Moliira did not like to show off too much.  Just enough to get her point across. 

"The one that I hunt is a part of me.  And that is why I have trouble finding her.  She knows all my tricks, just as I know hers," Moliira said with a hint of annoyance in her voice.  Before she had come here, Moliira had been able to track down just about anyone she wanted to find.  But in trying to find that essence of herself, the drow had to admit that she was having some difficulties.  But there were a few things that she could count on, things remembered from that dark time in her own history.  "But she does not know you, and in that you would be most helpful.  And I would not allow you to go into this hunt blind.  If you do help me in this, I can offer you a purpose beyond that," she said.  But Moliira was not one to force Dalanesca into her service.  She had found that friendship tended to be far more useful that servitude. 

She listened intently as the drow spoke to her, offering her identity.  The information offered to her seemed to be fairly important, and it put her at ease that Moliira seemed to be comfortable sharing her identity with her.  The effects of her power were impressive enough, and Dalanesca’s visage reflected that.  She looked towards the sky, which seemed to be hinting towards a storm, though she knew that the atmosphere had merely changed due to the power that Moliira had exerted.  The currents that had run through her hair had been enough to prove that point.  

The earlier feeling that she had got when Moliira had revealed her name washed over her again.  Something about the power that she exerted arose a feeling a familiarity, as though she had witnessed this sort of power before.  She could tell that the drow was not trying to show off, but that showing her power in such a manner was the easiest way to explain it.  It was impressive, and Dalanesca found herself wondering what other sorts of feats the drow could accomplish.  She called herself the Storm Wolf, and it held many implications in her opinion.  She could obviously control the weather… but what else?

Dalanesca continued to listen closely as she explained who exactly it was that she was looking for - a part of herself?  This intrigued her.  ”Sounds like it could prove to be a challenge,” she said, though the tone of her voice exerted respect - it was quite obvious to her that Moliira was much more powerful than she.  ”I would be happy to assist you - perhaps a feeling of purpose would do me well,” she added, her voice sounding contemplative.  ”How can I be of assistance?” she asked.  Assuming that what Moliira asked her to do did not cross any of the few boundaries she had set for herself, she would have no qualms doing whatever was asked of her.  After all, Moliira did say she could offer her a purpose - and a purpose could have the potential of setting her mind at ease.

There was a slight smile on her face when Dalanesca offered her aid.  The drow had a plan, but it would involve finding another person.  And she would know that person when she crossed their path.  It was only a matter of time.  "I take it that you would enjoy a challenge.  And your aid will be well rewarded," she said, then considered the best way of wording what she wanted.  Whether or not Dalanesca was the one she had known back on Daeluin in any form was irrelevant at this point.  The woman had skills that could be very useful to the drow.

"For now, I am still tracking her down.  But I am getting close.  When I do find her, I will tell you where she is.  She is a vampire, with her territory staked out.  I intend to drive her from her familiar ground, to give me the advantage.  But you will need help.  I am searching for another to assist you.  If I were to go, then she would know, and she would hide again," Moliira explained.  It was a chance that she did not want to take.  While Moliira had a pretty good idea of where her dark half was hiding, and of other places where she might go into hiding, she was close now.  And she was fairly certain the vampire was not aware of how close her demise was.  But Moliira had to recall to not become arrogant and too confident. 

Looking to the woman, she considered what Dalanesca could do in the meantime.  Other than staying alive and out of trouble.  "For now, do as you will.  Or perhaps I can offer you something to learn?  My realm holds quite a few secrets, and you would be welcome there," she said with a mysterious smile.  She wasn't lying in the least, but Moliira was curious as to what the woman before her would choose. 

There was still something oddly familiar about the drow before her.  She could not quite place it.  She nodded, again in an attempt to express that she would not mind helping Moliira.  ”I do enjoy a challenge,” she said with a bit of a smile.  Challenge was one of the things she thrived on – she could not necessarily remember her entire past, but what she did remember included quite a few challenges, all of which she had managed to overcome for the most part.  She gave the drow her full attention, as it seemed that not only did she require assistance with her task at hand, but she seemed to think that Dalanesca could prove useful to her.

She took mental notes as Moliira described the situation at hand.  It seemed as though she had a general idea where the part of herself that was missing had taken to, but more so needed to get her into a position where she would not have a home field advantage.  It also sounded as though she did not expect Dalanesca to help her alone, that she was going to find someone to be of assistance.  This was good – these sorts of situations were never easily handled alone, especially when taken into consideration was the fact that the party in question was vampiric in nature.

She looked blankly at Moliira.  Do as she would?  She had… nothing.  She no one to go to, nothing to go back to – she wasn’t sure she even wanted to continue her life in the manner it had been going.  ”Learn, you say?” she piped up, her eyes glowing with fascination.  She tried not to sound too eager, but it was difficult to mask the excitement she had at the prospect of learning something new.  ”I’ve really nothing else to do in the mean time… what have you to offer?” she asked.  Perhaps there would be something that would prove useful in assisting Moliira.

It seemed to be settled, Moliira only had to find a second to help the woman now.  And she knew that would not be too difficult.  Now, they could settle to more interesting talk.  "Oh, there are more than a few things I could teach you.  Not everyone has an aptitude for magic, perhaps something we can figure out later?  In another time, I was an assassin, and I still know how to brew my own elixirs and poisons," she explained.  Moliira wasn't entirely sure about this person's ability to use magic, and she still was unsure of her connection to the Dalanesca of old.  But that was something she could figure out later.

Rising from the fire for a moment, Moliira moved over to a grave and grabbed a clump of small grayish-green leaves.  It was almost mossy in appearance, and had no smell.  Small yellow flowers dotted the clump as well.  "This has many different names, most humans call it gravemoss.  My people call it venorsh.  You can use it to create an elixir to make your target unable to speak.  It will not harm them in the long run, but it is very useful for people you need to keep silent," she explained after she sat back down.  There were a number of nonlethal venoms that she was willing to teach, and she had a feeling that would be more appealing to Dalanesca right now.

Glancing around the cemetery again, her eyes narrowed for just a moment.  She had thought that she heard a noise, and Moliira knew this place had a dark history.  "What of your training and skills?  Perhaps I can help in that area as well," she said, not turning to face Dalanesca.  Not yet.  Perhaps they were about to find out just how well Dalanesca could fight.