The Watcher Watches

Helena Lethe
Overworld - -38 - 9 - 0

    Fog moves over the land, as the cold night air takes hold. They say that horrible things line the shadows of the night. Ghouls, boned warriors, and even a dark knight riding on a hellish steed.

As such, many towns refuse to travel at night and many more can not even be paid enough to risk the travel. So, if any poor soul dares to want to travel the road at the late hour they either have to do it alone or wait in town.

As the fog thickens on the road however, all the nightlife comes to a dead stop. Within the fog hooves of a horse can be heard on the path. Each step taken at a slow stride, before that too comes to a dead quiet still.
Merek
Overworld - -38 - 9 - 0

    Merek walks along upon the path, with the sword of his strapped to his back, wearing what looks like his usual dark attire with beltcape and with the scarf on. He seems to be investigating and watching the place, looking for herbs that tend to show up at night, taking the time to pick them. There's even a silver-blue rose he finds, while he nods a bit. There's a thought to himself, then he places that into the pack he keeps with him.
    "... That will work perfectly," he notes, walking along.
Helena Lethe
Overworld - -38 - 9 - 0

    It would not be much longer after Merek places away the herb, the sound of metal armored boots touch the ground. There is slow strides that make their way toward him. Each step precise and well thought out.

"Is it not late," A rumbling voice, with a slight reverb says, "To be picking herbs?" If Merek was to dare turn around, he would find a dark, armored figure walking out from the fog. His hand resting lightly on the hilt of his blade at his side. A cape that flows off his armored back, with two glowing red eyes peering out from the armored helm.

Those eyes are slowly drawn to the sword that Merek carries, before he looks back to Merek. "... So. You are the one whom took the dark blade."
Merek
Overworld - -38 - 9 - 0

    Merek looks around when the man hears a voice, it is that deep rumbling from the dark knight that makes him bring his hand to the hilt of his weapon, but he does not draw it. "... Yes, and who might you be?" he asks, to respond to the question. He doesn't answer why he was picking herbs directly, he instead seems to circle about, while he keeps his stance, the blade seeming just a little less rusted than it was before, were he one to know it's former state.
Helena Lethe
Overworld - -38 - 9 - 0

    Every step that Merek takes, the knight matches pace for pace. Stride for stride. The dark armored figure was calm, not even a concern in the slightest. Though those red eyes never wavered off of Merek. "A curious watcher. An observer. The eyes to that I serve."

The knight tilts his head ever so slightly. "You adventurers, after all, continue to be a throne in the Lady's side." Those eyes burn brightly. He steps in quickly, his hand tightening on the sword's hilt that he carries at his side, and yet! It is not drawn. Instead he chuckles lowly. "How I look forward to the day I am allowed to fight you all."
Merek
Overworld - -38 - 9 - 0

    Merek watches the knight, and when he places a hand to the hilt of the weapon of his, the man seems to be prepared to draw. He doesn't though, he seems to know what he's doing, reading the telegraphing that the knight does not seek to actually kill him. "Lady? One of the Lethe I presume from what I know of the story. Tell me, when she learned I'd taken the sword, what were that woman's thoughts?" The man assumes the Queen spoken of is who he serves. Not that he's met them. Still, he seems to be seeking information. "I am Merek," he notes, pointing then to him. "Tell me, why do you all bring upon destruction to the land?" he asks.
Helena Lethe
Overworld - -38 - 9 - 0

The knight chuckles lightly, "You seek answers to questions. What could you possibly bargain to have those questions answered I wonder." He shifts his weight as he motions to Merek with a clawed, armored hand. "Surely, you do not think I would give answers to you so easily, hm?"
Merek
Overworld - -38 - 9 - 0

    "I have little to offer you, unless you want to fight. The question is what do you have to gain by not telling us. By fighting the people of these lands as well as Adventurers. You seek power knowing that eventually the Adventurers would gain interest, come at you with their entire armies. You seem a bit confident in the goal you seek, and you want the sword, ah that there tells me a lot already," Merek notes, then he shifts a bit in his stance, "I never desired for conflict or fighting coming into this world."
Helena Lethe
Overworld - -38 - 9 - 0

    "I have no desire in that cursed sword." The Knight says simply. "What I want... are /lives/." Here is the deal I am willing to make with you, Merek, was it?"
The knight makes a hand gesture and soon from the fog comes out a horse. The undead horse is wearing dark, spiked battle armor. Its hooves covered by green flame. Its eyes burning that same fire, along with the mane and tail.

The knight takes the reins of the steed, before gently patting the muzzle armor of the horse. Showing te undead creature much care. "For every question you ask, I take a life, as you see. There is a camp not far from here. There sleeps three fishermen. So, should you agree..." The knight then looks to Merek. "I will answer /three/ of your questions with honesty."
Merek
Overworld - -38 - 9 - 0

    Merek looks over to the knight, he does not even seem to think about the offer, instead his mind would be elseplace in it all, "Well. I won't trade anyone for information like that. So, let me make you a counter-offer. You want lives, but you also want to fight Adventurers. So tell me, perhaps there is a leash that keeps you back from fighting us. I can give you a little test of what you will be facing with our fellow Adventurers. If I manage to strike you a blow enough to make it notable, you will answer one of my questions."
    The man sweeps that beltcape while he draws the blade, twirling it around with a little shift of the hip. "That's the only offer you will get from me. Because I'm here to protect these people."
Helena Lethe
Overworld - -38 - 9 - 0

    "To fight any of you now, is a waste of my time." The knight sighs and shakes his head, he goes to step away from his steed, and places his hands behind his back in a military stance. "Strike me then, Merek. For each hit." He tilts his head. "I might answer you a question. But still only three. For each miss. Goes a chance know."

Those eyes then glow. "... What is your first?"

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        DC: 9 [No Cards]
Merek
Overworld - -38 - 9 - 0

    "Then so be it," Merek dips a nod, while he shifts the blade forward. He then charges forward with a little growl, swinging his weapon to arc a flame at the man, then he follows up with a slash of the Shadow Eclipse, before he draws about one of those hands to the side, trying his best to bring the full Earth to lift up from the ground, rolling a wave of the sand to sweep into him. The man puts all of his prowess up into it.
    Eventually, he draws back while the blade arcs along and sheaths, looking to see what all managed to actually even strike, if any.
Helena Lethe
Overworld - -38 - 9 - 0

    Soon as Merek attacks, the strange knight draws out his sword and cuts the flame into two with strike precision of his own sword. However this gives Merek' the opening he needed.

The cursed sword strikes in before he can manuever his blade around to parry, with the sword striking against the man's armor in a slash across the shoulder and down the arm.

This in turn sets the knight off balance enough that when the sands come in, he is shoved back and nearly knocked over. While one would expect the dark knight to be angry, he instead chuckles. "Good show..." He says at first, then a bit quieter. "Good show." He then sheaths his own blade. "Ask your two questions."
Merek
Overworld - -38 - 9 - 0

    Merek looks at the weapon of his a moment, then back to the Knight. He thinks about it for a moment, while he steps around to look at the flowers that are growing in the fields. "What does your Mistress seek to gain with her army of the undead, and where will her next assault be, so that we can stand before it before anyone's lives are taken."
    He curiously uses both questions to gain information upon that army. He doesn't ask about the weapon, as much that he wants, all he asks is for the ability to learn more and save people's lives if possible.
Helena Lethe
Overworld - -38 - 9 - 0

    "Long time ago, these lands belonged to King Lethe," The knight motions to the north, west, and slightly south. "She desires to claim back what is rightful land for /her/ people."

The knight then sheaths his sword and then hops up onto his steed with simple ease. "The lives taken, well, they are simply brought back into her fold. To their rightful home. Eventually, all will server her Highness and perhaps then, the man she has been seeking will make himself known."

He pulls on the reins to move the horse around, though his eyes never leave Merek. "As for the next assault. That is not hers to declare. She has given us that task. After the siblings three are no longer with us. So, I have taken control of all patrols and even then I delegate to others to do as they will. I can not say /what/ the other head is planing in full.."

The knight shrugs gently. "I think it has something to do perhaps with trade? After all," The horse starts to trot off as the knight continues. "There is many ways to starve a people into submission." With that the knight moves back into the fog on his steed.

    If Merek was to dare follow, he quickly find himself turned around in the fog and the knight nowhere to be seen. The only thing that Merek may hear is one simple thing, "Just remember this sir Merek. You may see us as monsters, but we are still knights of our word."
Merek
Overworld - -38 - 9 - 0

    Merek listens while he watches, then the knight begins to step back into the fog and mist. He walks forward, "Then... I suppose I'll need to," he then follows. When it looks like there would be no one else, then he hears the words. The man looks to one of the gloves, "... I know that, still. I will do what I can to save everyone. You, the people, even your Mistress." The person she was seeking, then he nods while he would turn with a shift of a cloak he keeps with him, pulling that back on to make a way back to the city.