Myths of Power

From within the shadows a door is opened up to a back room. Two figures walk into it and out of sight.

"Come in, Joseph. We can talk in private in here."

Joseph moves cautiously toward the room but pauses for a moment. He turns his head slightly. "Thanks for the ale, keep the coin." As he continues to the room, he can hear an audible gulp from the man. Joseph rubs his hands on his cloak, not knowing what to expect.

"Is this Gefra? It doesn't sound like her, but it's been some time. Who was that other figure? Maybe I shouldn't have sent Leland away." He shakes his head, suddenly realizing his own thoughts. "Get a grip, man. You're a warrior. You've fought in countless battles. Okay, maybe not any in enclosed tavern rooms, but regardless..."

He walks into the room. What little light coming in through shaded windows, shows a sparse room, with only a single table, two chairs and a small cot in the corner. Sparkling dust, hanging in the air, only adds to the foreboding feeling that encompasses Joseph. He sees a figure reclining on one of the chairs, feet braced on the table edge, a large brimmed hat covering its face.

"Well, well well. Wildmane of the Red Dust cadre. What brings you to this small fishing hovel? And in full human form, no less!"

Joseph is caught off guard slightly. "You're out of date, it's now the Red Sand cadre."

"My apologies. I will have my records updated."

Joseph scans the room with all of the senses his human form can muster. "Where is the other one? I definitely saw two figures enter. There are no other doors and the dust on the window isn't disturbed enough to have had someone crawl through it."

"It seems the rest of the patrons here offer you a great deal of leeway, Is that you Gefra? You don't sound the same. Why the subterfuge."

The figure removes its feet from the table and leans forward. "Maybe I've changed over these many years. Maybe I'm not Gefra at all."

Irritation starts to fill Joseph's body. The fingers on his right hand grow long as fingernails turn to claws.

The figure raises a hand. "I don't think you want to do that. I haven't introduced my bodyguard, Meyliss. She's VERY protective of me."

He hears a shuffle of movement behind him but before he can turn, Joseph is lifted off the ground and thrown across the room onto the cot, which snaps under his weight. Joseph can feel a trickle of blood running down his back. He frees himself from the broken cot, readies himself but can still only see the figure seated in the chair.

Anger, quickly welling up inside, instinctually causes Joseph to semi-transform back into lycanthran form, claws now fully extended, awaiting another attack. He takes a large sniff with a now much improved olfactory sense. He spins around, arm raised for an attack but is once again thrown across the room with a single pound to his chest. He hits the wall hard and crumples to the ground.

"I would suggest calming down and transforming back to human. Meyliss isn't really fond of you right now, and I'm not sure if I can, or even should, make her stop."

Joseph coughs and spits out some blood. "uhhn.. I think a few of my ribs are cracked. I've got to end this fast." Joseph turns fully lycanthran and bolts straight for the figure in the chair. He snarls as he gets close. "This Ends N..."

Before he can get halfway to the figure, he spots Meyliss out of the corner of his view. Too late to shift, she pummels him against the wall, lifting him a good foot off the ground and grabbing his left arm, forcing it up his back to a near breaking point. Joseph resists with everything he's got but can't move at all. Finding himself in a perilous situation he concedes and transforms back to human, coughing up more blood.

"Let him go Meyliss. I don't think he's going to be any more trouble."

Meyliss releases her hold and Joseph slumps to the ground. The figure stands in front of the window, light obscuring Joseph's view. She kneels down to Joseph and removes her hat.

"Huh... I expected more from my former protectorate and lover."

Joseph looks up, his vision blurring. “Karen?!...” Then all is darkness.