<br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">"You do not have to worry Sesshkar, I am powerful enough to fend for myself and there aren't too many demons of the desert who would be foolish enough to tempt my power of our Swamplord".</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>Sesshkar ...held her closer to him and just stroked her lightly .. as he whispered in her ear . "I know ..forgive me ...you are perfect and a great warrior , I need not worry about such things. " though his cold heart beat faster the idea of losing her struck a fear in his very soul . His life revolved around Sithera and he wanted to show her a kindness a love that could exist between their kind. Mating with her might be forbidden or frowned upon ....but did she not deserve to feel pleasure of the touch. Not everything needed to be cold and tactical. Sesshkar would hold her touching the woman with a tenderness letting her sleep and rest knowing he would let no one or no demon drink her soul.<br/><br/>Moving when the call sounded beside her to explore with the others this place they had been sent to. The ill feeling that something was wrong ...they even in the wisdom of choices made were not in control of what was to take place here. Old wife's tales , stories of travelers ...yes much may be fabricated ..but there can be no smoke without a fire . And the fire burned where exactly and what cost would it be to find the truth of these matters. Sesshkar pondered these things in his mind trying to step outside of the situation they were in and look at the bigger picture.<br/><br/><br/>(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y200/babycakes_0765/Ruins%20of%20Flaegra/thefallen.jpg)<br/><br/>As they rounded the corner ...and moved out to inspect the ruins of the old city ...they would find nothing . Hours of searching in the moonlight ..only to find giant tablets with writing on them in a language none would really understand though it was rather picture like in the inscription.<br/><br/>At daybreak though ...the sound of something ...cut across ..the desert sands ... a braying ..it echoed across the way. Sounding like those demons maybe that was joked about. Sesshkar grunted .." well seems some beast is calling out to us ...Sithera ." as his hand tightened on his spear ...hours had been spent going no where . The dunes being picked up by the wind with no sound . Eerie was the feeling in the pit of everyones stomach as if they had been treading in a cemetery all night long. The dead it seemed were not giving up any secrets.<br/><br/>Or were they ....as the guard to the shaman stepped back ...and moved to count the standing stones ..as they all seemed to be in a diagonal pattern pointing to the inlet of the mountain. Yet the noise of the braying of the demon still beckoned them. Closing his eyes ...<br/><br/>The party that had went to the round thing out in the desert earlier that night moved in ...one less it seemed was in the party . As the leader of the scouting party bent down falling to his knees before speaking the news .<strong> "Your Excellency ...We have uncovered the sands from the ruin to the north .. it is a perfect circle ..though covered with sands ...it is perfect in all ways . Pedestals about waist high posted around it ..and the base a three tier step ..moving to stones of smoothness laid better than any masonry work I have seen .. this symbol in the middle . It looks like the sun and the moon combined. " </strong>as the scout leader drew it in the sands for her.<br/><br/>Sesshkar moved over to look at the drawing ..<strong> " ummmpft .." </strong><br/><br/>Then the scout leader looked up at her with a worried expression<strong>.." The Archer ..Bastian ..keep the last watch ...but ..but he has disappeared .. not any footprints ...no blood... no nothing . He has vanished into thin air . "</strong>as he swallowed and looked up and then back down the look of confusion on his face.<strong>"All I know is that ...well I think ....I was dreaming but a few of the others heard it to ...singing ...one voice ...female maybe. " </strong><br/><br/>Sesshkar straightened up ...eyeing the man kneeling ...ought to just chop his damn head off was his original thought . Quivering bastard anyways. As his and on his weapon tightened . Leaving out a hissing snarl ...disgusted with the display of the scout .<br/><br/>And yet the braying noise ...continued to echo ....if investigated ...one would find back at the mountain a cliff just past the point where water had been found bellying up from he earth .<br/><br/>(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y200/babycakes_0765/Ruins%20of%20Flaegra/life.jpg)<br/><br/>So not only did this place seem to offer up the gift of water ...but also ...it seemed animal life. Now this was making things even more curious . As the goats drew back away when the lizardfolk climbed the mountain side ... the sound of singing ...a female's voice could be heard .Farther up above seeming in tombed in the mountain side . This one seemed to have no way to reach it though from where they stood. Had to be some way to enter into this mountain ..<br/><br/>(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y200/babycakes_0765/Ruins%20of%20Flaegra/rebuilttower.jpg)<br/><br/><br/>Looking back out at the ruins .. the stones still pointed to that inlet around the corner ..though it had just a brief opening to go through . Sure signs of a trap . With the small fur like demons braying ...and the sound of a woman's voice singing. Seemed the silence might have been more welcomed . What would the decision be now . As the desert heat would soon rise up ...and reports of a few others had been coming in of people vanishing in their party with no trace except for this singing of a woman . Which all seemed to think was just a dream they had.