Hollow

"Isn't she just the sweetest..." Lindow sighed whilst turning to avoid the glare coming off of the Fire Chosen's butt. Realizing that they'ed be heading out soon, he readjusted himself on the boy's mount in preparation for the nap he intended to take on the way there. Although buzz from the drink he had earlier had begun to dull, Lindow was still in good spirits nonetheless. The witch hunter had no interest in Geoff, and couldn't have cared less that the man would be joining them on their quest. What mattered to him was the fact that this excursion would potentially yield leads in their search for Gate hidden somewhere on the island. In addition to bringing the Chosen onestep closer to understanding the nature of the threat they were facing, his gut told him that if he continued down this path it would eventually lead him to the grey woman from his dreams. Lindow smiled at the notion, a satisfied smirk that creeped across his lips and caused his eyes to close in satisfaction. "Who knows, maybe our new friend will prove to be competent..." He addressed the group with a shrug. "If the man can fight half as well as Gilly, he'll be fine- so long as we don't stumble across the Gate."

"So... what's the drink like?" "The drink?" Lindow grunted. It took him no small amount of effort shift so that he could face Reinaan whilst still remaining sprawled across Kloqah's back, but when he was finally looking at the boy he smiled lazily. Aware that this could likely be young Reinaan's first talking to about the subject, Lindow dutifully stepped up to the plate by giving his best impression of a responsible adult. "In moderation it's great for supplementing an experience, but if consumed irresponsibly it can very easily lead to death... blindness... pregnancy!" He wagged his finger in the air rather responsibly whilst listing off the dangers of drinking as they came to him. Though by the time Ryia and Keres had finally joined the pair outside the pub, the Thunder Chosen had fallen way off topic, and simply telling bar stories from his past inquisitions. "hey um...hi. Glad we caught up and...is uh...Are we um...uh..." Ryia stumbled over her words just a little more than usual, causing Lindow to turn and begin studying the Earth Chosen. He watched her peer into the bar for a few seconds before turning back to the boys with a smile that seemed to not wanna be there. "so um...we were...we weren't gonna...leave immediately...right? The city, that is. For our...yeah..." For a moment he couldn't help but scoff at the fact that her timid inclinations didn't suit her caliber as a warrior at all. On the battlefield she was quite the force reckoned, perhaps even more of a threat than Reinnan if one were to consider her monstrous endurance and armor. It was oddly fascinating to see her mouse around social situations after wrestling a shark a few days ago... Staring at the Earth Chosen blankly for a moment, Lindow tilted his head and pointed one his slender index fingers. "Hurry up and tell us what's the matter, love. My heart couldn't bare to see you hold it in any longer..."

Lindow yawned loudly as he watched Geoff's display. A large part of him had been looking forward to the prospect of testing the false Chosen in combat, but this man didn't even seem worth the effort of moving, let alone dulling his new blades. "It'd probably be more fun to fight the buffalo..." He sighed whilst watching Reinaan vibrate with irritation. "You know... It sounds like you're reaaally busy. So maybe we should just take this one and let you get to those other hundreds of people. Wouldn't want to keep every one waiting." Lindow couldn't help but scoff at the how Reinaan handled the situation. In all his travels he had never came across a Draken that was half as moody as the Fire Chosen, and he couldn't help but wonder if this trip around the realm was the cause of Reinaan's colorful personality. The boy really kept his heart on his sleeve- or he would, if they ever found him a set of garments that were to his liking. "Let's go find Damien then." He said, turning away from Geoff and his beast without so much as a second glance. The warmness of the alcohol in his belly paired rather nicely with the cool country breeze that had blown over the area, and so even if he was disappointed with the Chosen impersonator, Lindow was content with seeing what the rest of the day would bring the group. "Hey," He called after Reinaan whilst placing a hand on Kloqah with a sleepy grin. "do you think I could get a ride? Walking is such a bother..."

"Heeeey! Lindow!" Reinaan's voice called from his left. With little warning to the other shoppers who had been walking in the same direction, Lindow suddenly pivoted his entire body midstep so that he was facing the young Draken with smile. But as he watched the boy approach with Pyrrha in tow, his eyes narrowed in discomfort. "Oh. That's.... really something." He mumbled whilst shifting to the side so that light reflecting from Reinaan's scales wasn't capable of blinding him any further. "Well met, friends. Only one of you is sparkling, so I'm gonna go out on a limb say that Reinaan did his own shopping..." Nodding towards Pyrrha whilst Reinaan eyeballed his new leather armor, Lindow leaned against the side of the closest building and yawned lazily in the shade with his extra equipment resting at his feet. "I cant wait to see what else you guys got." "I thought you'd have more new swords." Was the young Draken's much anticipated assessment of the new gear that Lindow had acquired. "I only really needed replacements for my old set..." Lindow couldn't help but snicker at the boy's expression. "The scimitars that the folk used back in the desert definitely got the job done, but they really only shine when you're on a mount." He spoke thoughtfully for a moment. "Honestly, it would suit your fighting style way better. Where as in my case, I think it would be a lot more convenient to be able to run the other guy through when possible..." An air of childish enthusiasm appeared from nowhere whilst Lindow reached back and pulled on the handle the Bandit's Cleaver to reveal it's cutting edge. "besides, I bet any weapons that are really worth acquiring will be found in the hands of their wielder, like this was!" Lindow's eye twinkled as his mind flashed to Damien with his mysterious blade, and then to the battle with the Bandit Berserker. "I know it sounds like bard song, but truly believe that a weapon is made great long after it's forged, and I can just tell when I see a good one~" The man flapped his hand and chirped on for a bit before realizing that he was being a tad overly chatty. "-anyway," Lindow's cheeks were slightly flushed as coughed before changing the subject. "I managed to gather a little bit of information by the way..." He took the next few minutes to fill in the other two chosen about what happened at the pub. Skipping over what he had been told about Hannah's activities, he informed them about the cases of missing people in the grasslands, and how there was word of man claiming to be Chosen somewhere in town. He was also sure to mention the old women in his tale, but before he could finish explaining, the very women appeared before them. "Excuse me...I heard you talking before and...When you find this Chosen you're looking for could you give him a request from me?" Her gaze went downward. Lindow listened to her speak with his usual smile. His time spent dealing with witches had left him with a slight skepticism when it came to this kind of conversation, and so when she offered to mark the farm on the map he simply nodded helpfully. "Rude? No I think you're very brave for trying to help your husband." Shooting Reinaan and Pyrrha a look, he motioned for one of them to produce a map. "Go ahead and mark it here, and I promise I'll pass it on to the Chosen. Surely if they're anything like what people are saying, they'll be glad to help..." He could only hope that the other two would pick up on him not wanting to reveal their identity to this person. Though he had his doubts about Reinaan's capacity for picking up on such vibes, Pyrrha seemed like a smart girl and maybe that would be enough. "How will he contact you?"

Lindow walked through the streets of the bustling town with his old equipment slung over his shoulder. He had undergone a complete wardrobe change, forsaking the burned and tattered robes of his order for a full set of dark leather armor. Reaching down to his belt, the man couldn't stop himself from radiating excitement when his hand fell upon the hilts of the new pair of blades that he bought to pair with the Bandit Cleaver that rested on his back. Though weapons merchant originally seemed a tad skeptical when Lindow had first approached, after seeing how deep the Thunder Chosen's pockets were the two hit off rather well. The man had even been nice enough to point Lindow in the direction of the town's famous pup. "Hair of the Dog..." He repeated the name of the establishment with a snort as he took a left at the brothel as instructed. Lindow could hear the ruckus of a crowd as he approached the building, and it was soon accompanied by the usual assortment of scents and adores when he reached the entrance. This was definitely the right the place. "a little on the nose, but I suppose I see it." For a moment his mind wandered to rest of the group. Lindow would have loved to have seen how the others reacted to the merchants, and couldn't wait to see what kind of foolishness these men will have coaxed Reinaan into buying. A childish smirk creeped up the corner of his mouth as he pictured Keres furiously scribbling in her notes as the young Draken flaunted a new bought batch of "magic" beans. Though the goofy smirk still rested on his face, the Thunder Chosen moved firmly and with purpose as took his first steps into the pub. He had a job to do after all... The merchant hadn't been exaggerating when he said it was the most popular in town. The room was so packed that it was impossible to navigate without bumping into people, and with his extra luggage, Lindow wasn't certainly receiving positive responses by those he pushed past. Nonetheless, he kept trudging towards the main bar, smiling friendly and calmly exuding the aura of someone who was not worth the trouble of stopping. "I'll have whatever's popular." He said finally said after parting a row of people so that he could lean forward and speak to the bartender. "I'd rather it not be anything sweet though..." He added whilst reaching into his pouch to fetch some gold. "That will be three gold for me then, pal." The bartender responded. Glancing down, he reached under the bar and poured a goblet of an amber liquid that seemed sparkle in the dim light. The smell of spices drifted in the air between the two men as Lindow nodded, producing six gold coins and sliding them across the table. Without missing a beat, the bartender caught the gold, years of experience confirming their authenticity on contact as he rested on the bar. "A man with questions, are ya?" Lindow sipped his drink and chatted with the man under the sounds of indulgence that filled the air around them. Though he couldn't get him to provide any proper information in regards to lake, apparently there had been a rise in cases of people venturing out into the grasslands and going missing. That was certainly a lead of some sort, but it still didn't point the group in any direction. Once they were through discussing the strange happenings on the island, Lindow shifted the conversation towards things going on within the city recently. "The lady didn't really talk to many people. She said she was here to 'make sure something didn't happen'. Whatever that meant. " As the Bartender spoke of Hannah, Lindow glanced around to see if anyone around had taken interest in their conversation. Although he continued to behave normally, there was at least on person he could tell was sneaking peeks, a middle aged women with a shawl over to his right. Strangely, as they covered the council member's visit, the bartender mentioned that there was someone going around town saying that they're a Chosen. Originally suspecting that the man meant Damien, Lindow could hardly contain his amusement when the older gentleman stated that the person didn't fit the belligerent swordsmen's description at all. With the women in the shawl still on his radar, Lindow quickly downed the last of his drink. The spiciness of the amber potion caused his entire body shiver, but as he slammed his goblet down he managed to wink at the bartender before sliding him another six gold cold coins. "How would I find this Chosen fellow? I would very much like to see what he's like..." "You'll know him when you see him. Him and that weird shaggy ox thing.” "Thanks." Nodding in appreciation Lindow brought himself up from the bar. As he turned towards the exit, he purposely met the gaze of the women who had been watching him, causing her to quickly look elsewhere. Part of him considered confronting her- or worse. But the prospect of drawing that sort of attention to himself was unfavorable. The best he could do for the time being was be weary, and if she ended up causing problems later down the line, he'd simply deal with it. "Oh, and send that women whatever it was that I was having... it was nice." Motioning towards the women in the shawl with his thumb, Lindow flashed her a sweet smile before making his way through the crowd once more. The drink sat hot in his belly as he took his first steps into the outside world. Taking in a deep breath of the fresh country air, Lindow skulked through the town with a bit more pep than usual as he searched for the man who claimed to be Chosen.

"I'm not telling you this as a Council Member. They aren't so concerned about you. I'm saying it as myself." Lindow's smile flickered a bit as Hannah turned to reveal a set of pointed fangs. Before he could react, the woman had already closed the distance between them, and was now standing an inch from his face. "As long as you take the correct path the future isn't as dire. I just want you to know that I know what you might do." Though he had been ready for a fight, Lindow couldn't help but be taken aback by how easily she had slipped through his defenses. Letting his combat instincts take hold, the man attempted to leap backwards only find that Hannah's hands were already around his neck. She was simply too fast. The realization that he couldn't possible do anything in time struck him moments before she slammed him into the ground with her monstrous strength. "I don't like you very much. But it's possible for you to still be a good boy. So I'll let you go this time." The vampire flashed her fangs once more before darting back to the road where her templar escort soon came running to shield their master from the sunlight. "So long." Hannah's parting words hung in the air as she skipped down the path. "So." As he laid on his back Lindow could hear two sets of footsteps approaching. Ripping his gaze from the sky, he smiled at the sight of Damien and Pyrrha offering to help him to his feet. "That was something." Damien commented whilst glancing back. "I'm guessing some of you wanna go stop her don't ya?" "That...not...." "No thanks," "There's no need." Lindow grunted whilst using Damien and Pyrrha to pull himself up. "I only provoked her like that to see if we would let any information slip... it's not everyday that you end up face to face with one of them outside the tower after all." Dusting the dirt off his robes, he nodded thankfully to the pair. "I don't think we'ed be much of a match for her as we are now anyway. I've never even heard of one of her kind walking around in broad-daylight... who knows what other tricks she has up her sleeve." His eyes rested on Keres for a moment. "What was that all about? The whole 'what's in your mind and heart' bit? You seem like a pretty good guy to me." "I'm not sure," Lindow turned to Pyrrha, tilting his head thoughtfully as he spoke. "that woman spoke in many ifs and maybes, and she definitely didn't seem to have anticipated me challenging her just now..." Turning over everything that happened not just for the conversation's sake but his own understanding, Lindow glanced at Keres for conformation before meeting Pyrrha's gaze once more. "She implied that she had some form of foresight, but I don't think it's as powerful or precise as she would have us believe. I can't say what she saw, but I know for a fact that I have no intention of harming little Keres, or any of you for that matter." "Well, I think we've been delayed enough for the day." After saying his piece Lindow flashed the elf a smile before moving to join the rest of the group. "let's get inside already!" Upon finally entering the gates it didn't take long for the chosen to arrive a sprawling marketplace. There were clusters temporary stands and merchants occupying blankets littered with goods from weapons to herbs, and even trinkets for children. After having just left the husk of a village that they had visited in the desert, the bustling sounds of haggling the coos of happy shoppers was a welcome change. Breaking off from the party, Lindow spent the next hour carefully combing each peddler's goods for supplies and weapons. Padded Armor, 10 gold Leather would be 20 Buckler 8 gold Longsword 25 gold Shortsword 13 gold Throwing Knives 2 gold each p

Lindow watched the women's interaction with Keres through his peripheral as he stood between the two large draken and his own group. Keres's discomfort was evident, but the Hannah persisted to breach the girl's personal space and make her the subject of the group's discussion. It was almost as if Hannah derived some sort of pleasure from making the little witch squirm. Though it wasn't like Lindow wasn't at least a little familiar with the feeling... Before long the conversation was cut short be Reinaan, and it seemed that Hannah would be departing after leaving the boy with a few cryptic words. The women spoke as if she held some kind of magical foresight, but rather than indulge her further Lindow simply turned to leave without a word as the other's issued their goodbyes. However it seemed the council member had other plans after all. "I've seen many things you know. And I feel I should tell you. Hurt my little Keres and you'll be sorry." Hannah's voice called back just as he had begun to take his first steps. Turning back to meet her gaze, Lindow's eye narrowed slightly as she continued run her mouth. "I know what's in your mind, and your heart, and I don't appreciate it very much." A clear threat. For the second time today Lindow found himself wondering how much the council knew about what's been happening with the spirits. Between them and the grey women, he truly felt like he knew nothing at all. The very thought of his position as pawn in this game frustrated him to no end, but in the moment Lindow found himself smiling once again. "You have my word..." Bringing his left hand to his heart, Lindow lowered his upper body into a slight bow. "I assure you that I have no plans of harming little Keres." He wasn't lying. Devouring another spirit could very well be playing into someone else's hand, and it was clear that there was some kind of toll the process took that he didn't even understand yet. Another reminder of how much he still didn't know. Until he found some answers, the smartest course of action was to rely on what he had now; the power that was currently at his disposal, and the other chosen. The light scent of a country breeze blew at his hair, and as he stared down at the dirt path he could hear the foot steps of the others drawing farther away. Yet still he found himself standing before the council and her escort. "Although," As he spoke Lindow brought his eyes up to peer through his tangled blue mane. "if the council believes that I'm a threat to the others, wouldn't it be better suiting your position to deal with me now, rather than blow idle threats in the wind before scampering off back to your tower?" His tone was sweet with a smile that never met his eyes, in fear of what might happen should it get too close. "The fate of realm is at risk after all..."

After successfully fleeing bee's territory, the group found themselves at their next destination before very long. The gates of Myyrha swung open upon the party's approach. Though it seemed it was to allow a girl and her templar escort through, rather than let the Chosen in. Noticing Keres's reaction to the other girl, Lindow immediately leaned forward and brought his face down so it was level with the tiny water mage's ear. "Friend of yours, little Keres?" He said in a low coo as he watched the blonde girl pass by. Though her face didn't seem to ring a bell, the girl had an air of importance about her that peaked Lindow's curiosity. It wasn't just the fact that she was flanked by the council's men... perhaps it was his mercenary background, or even his time spent living on the streets. Whatever the reason, he could smell money on this girl and it was rather interesting that Keres had any connection to her, given the fact that water chosen was likely living in a some kind of shed in the woods before this adventure started. "Bet they don't look half so big or tough without their dumb armor" Reinaan scoffed just a little too loudly at the sight of the two larger, more formidable looking Draken that were accompanying Kere's unlikely acquaintance. The pettiness oozing from the boy's words caused Lindow to smirk before shooting the him a glance and saying "Careful, your scales are starting to turn green..."

"Survival is the only right of passage in this line of work." Lindow smiled at Pyrrah whilst Ryia approached to offer her one of the scimitar they had looted from the bandit hideout. As he spoke his hands quickly worked to removethe guts from his blades. "Just make it through the night and you're already off to a great start..." The sounds of the approaching enemies grew louder by the second, and though they had managed to dispatch the first wave with ease, he didn't want to stick around to see what an entire swarm of these creatures was capable of. "Alright, let's get out of here." He took a moment to glance back at the slower members of the party to be sure that hey'd be able to keep up. Satisfied with what he saw, Lindow quickly returned his weapons to their scabbards before proceeding down the path at full speed.

Lindow watched with interest as Pyrrha leaped back and fired two shots into one of her attackers. He had intended to use this as an opportunity to observe the girl's abilities, but after seeing that both of the bees were still chasing her down despite her attack, the man shot Damien a glance before springing into action. Swiftly closing in on the bee that had been struck by the two arrows, Lindow drew the Bandit Cleaver with both hands to slice at the bee's abdomen on the pass. Now brandishing a gash across it's body, the large insect quickly turned face the new threat. Though it's stinger hung crooked, it wasted no time in fly straight towards Lindow in an attempt to run him through. Impressed by his prey's sturdiness, the Thunder Chosen smirked before pivoting to the side at the very last moment to allow the stinger to fly buzz past him. "Bee gone." Lindow chirped whilst bringing his hand down to one of the scimitar that rested on his hip. Suddenly whipping into a blur of movement, Lindow quickly sliced into the bee's left wing with the Scimitar, forcing its large body to tilt to the side. In the same instant, he bit into the bug's abdomen once more with the Bandit Cleaver, causing the bee's guts to spill out onto the ground with rest of its body falling close behind. Shaking off the fluids from his blade, Lindow remained on high alert as hr observed the second bee moving towards Pyrrha.

"Don't worry, this isn't an interrogation, Dark and Stabby is just an inquisitive boy." "Is that my pet name?" Lindow responded right away. He peered back at Damien for a moment with a blank expression before pointing a finger towards the other man in an accusatory manner. "I thought I told you before that you weren't my type..." As he spoke, it occurred to him that Damien had been lingering near Pyrrha since she had been introduced. Though it wasn't too strange that the swordsmen would flock towards the women, Lindow couldn't help but wonder if there was another reason for his interest in the girl. For a brief moment, Lindow's eye strayed to the elven blade on Damien's back. However after seeing the boy turn his attention to Ryia, Lindow shifted his gaze back over to the new Wind Chosen, only to hear Keres call out from the rear of the group. Hey, everyone." There was a rustling in the grass, and in moments the party was surrounded by a swarm of massive bees. Glancing back to see that Reinaan had already moved to protect Keres, Lindow turned his attention to four monsters that were approaching the front of the group with a small smirk. "Ryia, step back." His eyes flashed brightly with magic as he called out the Earth Chosen. Eager to stretch his muscles after having his body fully restored at the tower, Lindow surged forward past the girl with a sudden burst of speed. Placing himself in the center of the three bees closest to the group, Lindow reached out and released a stream of crackling electricity into the air around him, causing the cluster of insects to scatter in panic. "Tsk," He watched in annoyance as the two bees at the far edges of the Discharge managed to slip into the grass at either side of the path, leaving the unlucky one in the center to it's fate as the tendrils of lightning forced its smoking exoskeleton to the ground. Not wasting any time at all, Lindow quickly drew one his daggers and plunged it into his victim with a downwards toss before leaping backwards to rejoin the group. "Watch the grass..." He spoke clearly so all those on the battlefield could hear him. There was still a single bee approaching from the front, but those hidden in the brushed posed much more of threat. Trusting one of the others to handle the one in plain sight, Lindow brought his hand up to the sword on his back as he waited for any signs of movement from the sides of the road.

"I just wonder how long those others in your group can last. It seems to me they're going to all fall soon. What a waste of power." The last words of the dream gently blew through his ears like a passing wind, causing Lindow to reopen his eyes. Seeing that the other Chosen had finished their business in the tower, he let out small sigh before walking towards the group that had gathered around Keres and the teleportation device. Lindow stood quietly and pretended to watch as Damien and Pyrrha exchanged introductions. In his head, the man wrestled with the haze that seemed to shroud the memory of the woman he had reached out to only moments prior. Though he still couldn't piece together a physical appearance, her words seemed were far easier to recall than before. Was this a product of him growing more powerful? Or perhaps she had just been careless this time... "There's no need to be hasty. The adventure has just begun..." He assured himself. When Keres activated the device's magic, Lindow left his thoughts of the grey woman behind as the tower and its surrounding scenery vanished from sight. Although the calm welcoming air of Qresa and its bridge guards was much more ideal than greeting they were met with in the dessert, Lindow found himself standing near Keres at the edge of the party. Allowing the others to take the lead in the talk with the eccentric knights, the lion share of Lindow's focus of was set on maintaining a neutral expression as he struggled to recover from the horrid wave of motion sickness that seemed to always accompany the council's transportation magic. "Don't worry about it," Pyrrha smiled at the guards before turning her attention to other Chosen. "A job's a job, after all. And you all seem to be doing a pretty good one with this bridge. Thanks for the information. We can probably find someone further in the island that can fill us in more on the details you're not sure about. Right?" It was already clear that this girl was far more sociable than the rest of the group. "Indeed." Lindow responded with a nod. Allowing himself to truly observe their new ally for the first time, it suddenly occurred to Lindow that he hadn't seen head nor tail of new Spirit of Wind since Pyrrha was introduced to the party. "I guess we'll be on our way then... we have our own job." Nodding in the direction of the path, he waited for the others to follow before proceeding to leave the knights to their post. After the group had walked a fair distance, Lindow strolled beside the new Wind Chosen to strike up conversation. "You were with the council for pretty long, right? Did they tell you anything interesting about spirits or the gates?"

The muscular man stood up. "I don't like your tone, boy." He said. "We all have our jobs to do and you already know yours." Lindow peered back up at the other man with he same slight smile he had moments ago. Seeing that he had remained standing despite Saleh quickly stepping in, the Thunder Chosen's mind began to work quickly as the blind Auran spoke. Did the council know details about their abilities? How quickly could he close the distance between them if he traveled through the shadows? Or was it smarter to use his shadow to defend, then counter with the Third Blade... "The gates are unfortunately hidden from us. The only way we will be able to tell for sure where they are is if they are active. Which is...undesirable. However we do know, from history, that each island beyond this one houses one. Which you should go to next...is uncertain. I'd suggest something with terrain you all are more...familiar with, if possible, however." He began silently running through possible tactics to defend himself should the council member make a move, only breaking eye contact with the large man once he realized that Saleh had finished speaking. "I see." Taking a final glance man at Saleh's side to confirm that he had no intention of making a move to attack, Lindow bowed his head respectfully towards Saleh before turning to make his exit. "Thank you. I suppose I'll go see about those repairs then..." A portal opened up promptly the moment the words left his lips. Lindow examined it for a second before shrugging and stepping through, vanishing in an instant. The healing process was surprisingly quick. Whilst the man tended to his body with magic, Lindow stared intently at Gilly as the other tower mages seemed to be preforming some kind of purifying ritual on her. When it was time to proceed to the forge he mumbled a brief goodbye to the Ice Chosen despite knowing that his words wouldn't reach her. Slightly more solemn than usual, Lindow went about the process of having his gear tended before finally exiting the tower to meet with the rest of the group. Walking out into the fresh air with his equipment pilled neatly in his arms, Lindow took a deep breath before looking around. At first it seemed that all the other Chosen were still inside, but after looking over the mounts he caught sight of Reinaan sulking next to Kloqah. He scoffed a bit before quietly strolling towards the boy. Not particularly partial sitting in the middle of small farm they had parked at the side of the tower, the Thunder Chosen opted to lean against a tree that stood a few feet across from the mounts. "It must be rather tricky pout without lips..." Lindow brought his hand up to his chin as if he were studying the boy. "or eyebrows." He added with a playful smirk.

Lindow had not to contributed very much to the report. The teleportation process had left the man with what could have easily been the worse case of motion sickness had ever experienced, forcing him to hang in the back of the group to recover. Despite the bubbling in his gut, the man listened intently to the exchange between the council and the other chosen. The news of the curse being a fake only solidified his suspensions that the women from his dreams might be playing against them, but he decide to hold his tongue rather than voice his concerns. Watching Reinaan storm over to join him in the back of the party whilst Ryia went to greet the new arrival, Lindow placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze before finally stepping forward. "Hello," He greeted Pyrrha with a smile and nod. "I'm Lindow." As he spoke, he turned to see a that a portal had opened and a person stepped into the room to retrieve Gilly. "So if that concludes our report..." He addressed the three members of the council with a tone reserved for meetings with his superiors. Though he still wore a slight smile, his words seem to have a lot more weight to them. "I'd like to request healing for our wounded, and access to any armories and supplies you have available." Straightening his posture from the slight bow he had done with his head, Lindow peered up at the three men with a level expression. "Taking down your guy wasn't exactly child's play I'm afraid, and if we're going to be fighting more on your behalf, we'll need some equipment better suited for the job... I bet you have all kinds of artifacts hidden away in this tower. Are you saving the good stuff for the next apocalypse perhaps? -Oh!" He suddenly turned to back to Keres motioning for her to hold up the teleportation device. "And could you also be so kind as to provide us with more fuel for this... contraption? It would be very helpful of you." Lindow smiled sweetly. "Once all that is sorted out, we'll be able head off to the next target. Would you gentlemen have any insight on which gate that should? Or any other useful information for that matter? I'm sure you've been very busy whilst we've been out doing the leg work."

"I'm just a guy. You're the Chosen. The heroes. But you're asking a normal person like me to take on the world saving quest. And you'd even stoop so low as to try and guilt me into it. For shame." Damien addressed Lindow with a stern look. The Thunder Chosen simply shrugged in response before before closing his eyes and flashing the other man the smirk of a fox. "I mean we are just a buncha kids after all..." "and if we fail, the whole realm will be worse off. Though I'm sure you've already gathered that, right?" Lindow watched the other three enter the hut, but chose not to bother going in to see the elder himself. Instead, he lingered near the entrance as he continued to talk to Damien. "You can be the Chosen of Charity." 

"How cute." Lindow chirped to the other chosen as Ryia and Damien had their exchange. He took this moment to study the boy one last time, recalling his actions since linking up with the group and the shift in mannerism he displayed when speaking with the Elder. "All I did was check out some problems is all, that it helped just was a bonus is all." Damien continued to grin in the Earth Chosen's face. "Well I bet we'll meet no shortage of people with problems on our journey." Lindow finally stepped forward. Despite the fact that the boy's motivations were still unclear, his gut told him that Damien had the heart of a good man. "I doubt The Council will have trouble making it worth your while... but surely someone as modest as yourself won't mind doing it all for the karma, right?" He smiled at the boy as spoke. They would simply have to deal with the him if his instincts were wrong...

Lindow listened to Ryia and Reinaan quietly before yawning into the back of his hand. "I don't have any problem with saying goodbye to the old man." Glancing around the empty town square, he took a moment to recount their adventure in this cursed land. During all the battles it had been easy to forget the fact that this was only the first step of their journey. But in this moment the reality of the situation hung solemnly in the air around them. "I believe they gave us a device to aid in our travel back to the tower, right? " Lindow flashed Keres a smirk. "Looks like it's time for you to sort out how it works, little Keres!" "Oh, and we should also go about seeing if the boy will come with us whilst we're at it..." He glanced around to see the party's reaction to the idea of continuing to travel with Damien. "I'm sure our employers will have the means to make it worth his while, and we can definitely use another set of hands."

The sounds of celebration began to pour out into the streets. Within only a few moments, a crowd had formed, and the villagers broke out into song and dance in honor of the chosen. After taking a moment to study the festivities, Lindow strolled over to Keres before squatting so that he were level with the girls face. “Well since you're here... I’ve been meaning to discuss something with you.” Smiling, the man motioned away from where the main crowd was gathering. “Care to take a walk with me?” Keres watched his face for a while, creating a familiar silence amongst the pair. Lindow peered back patiently, waiting until the girl gave a stiff nod before proceeding exit the Healer's tent. As they walked, he took a moment to observe town folk. Only able to catch quick glimpses of the other chosen, he shrugged and returned his attention to the water witch at his side. “Did you expect to walk in on me with a blade to Gilly’s throat back there?” He cut to the chase suddenly and in a manner that would usually garner some kind of reaction from most people. Though he knew better than to expect anything of the sort from Keres... "It was possible." Was the girls only response. Her mannerisms were dry and concise as just always. "You could at least try to lie..." Lindow scoffed whilst waving his hand dismissively. He already knew what this girl thought about him, and today certainly wasn't the day he'd bother to even try changing that. "But whilst we're on the subject... I wanted pick your brain more about the nature of my special circumstance." As he spoke Lindow slowed his stride, bringing his thumb up to his heart. “I didn’t want to alarm the others so I didn't mention it at the time, but when you opened the gate... I felt something other than the thing's pungent aura." Keres simply stared up at the man as if waiting for him to continue. “Well at first, like any sane person I felt compelled to get as far away from the damned thing as possible. But when I looked down at my body... I seemed to be struggling to keep myself from moving forward towards the portal. It was almost as if something was beckoning me inside without me evening realizing it...” Satisfied with their distance from the large groups of people, Lindow shifted so that he could place his back against one of the nearby buildings. Sighing, he scratched the back of his head and peered over to Keres. “I figured you’d be able to make more sense of it than I, little Keres... and so here we are!” The Water Chosen looked away. "Demon Gates connect to the Abyssal Realm." She started, commanding his attention despite size of her voice. "It corrupts anything it touches." The words slipped out as she took a moment to think. "It also draws in corruption." This time Keres nodded at Lindow as if to place her next words on him like a label. "Things that are unnatural." “Hm, I see.” It was a fairly simple concept, yet he still took an extra moment to think about what she said. His mind raced to recall his encounter with the women in his dreams, only to be met with a haze that clouded figure's features, and even her exact words. “The Abyssal Realm, huh? Do you think that’s where our friend from my dreams is then? Could her plan have been to have me go through the gate?” "If...a demon was in your head. You'd already be dead." Keres responded slowly. “But you have to admit that we’re not dealing with a normal person here." Lindow's words came much quicker. "Look, I took her offer knowing she was working her own angle. But after seeing the effect of the gate had on me, I can’t help but wonder if I’ve stricken up deal with the devil.” He paused for a moment. “... metaphorically speaking.” "You messed up." Keres said off-handedly, catching the Thunder Chosen visibly off guard. “It was a gamble." Quickly regaining his composure, Lindow scoffed and waved her off with a rapid series of flaps from his bandaged hand. "One that's payed off on more than just a few occasions..." "Not worth it. Focus...is good." Keres peered over his shoulder. "Can I go now?" "Huh?" Lindow deflated ever slightly, surprising himself. "Hm," Struck with the realization that he had been enjoying the exchange, Lindow glanced back behind him before tilting his head and nodding towards the festivities. "Go ahead. You have my thanks, little Keres..." With that he continued his stroll in the opposite direction. "We should gossip like this again sometime. It's rather strange to see you so chatty."

"What have you had this girl do?" She looked at Lindow accusatory through somewhat milky eyes. "She's been through the wringer that's for sure..." Lindow glanced over and gave the woman a look. "Somebody had to get your little trinket back." Returning his gaze to Gilly, he took a step towards the girl so that he were standing over her. "She is tougher than she looks, I can promise you that much..." "She'd have to be." The woman said grimly. "I don't think most people would even be alive this long. I'm not sure how much I can do." "I see..." His eyes narrowed. Slowly extending his palm towards Gilly's head, he held his palm over the girls face for a long moment, before finally calling on his Light magic yet again. Haughty whispers began to frantically sliver up his spine into the back of his mind. Lindow ignored them as best he could, but eventually the voices became unbearable, forcing the man to back off. Just like earlier, the light seemed to have little to no effect... "That magic gives me the heebie jeebies." old woman muttered. "Well that makes two of us then..." Sighing, Lindow did his best to shake off the chill in his spine before looking the woman up and down with a drained expression. "Listen, I know it may seem unreasonable... but you and this town owe her a great debt. I'm asking you to do everything in your power to keep this one alive." As the words left his lips, Lindow began fumbling his robes for his stash of coin. "I'll cover any expenses there may be..." "I don't need to be paid, silly boy." The woman said with a hint of amusement, causing Lindow to suddenly stop patting himself down. He seemed to be confused for a moment, but quickly realized that the old lady was serious. " Thanks... t-thank you for your kindness!" Bowing his head, Lindow spoke in a soft, respectful tone that he so rarely found use for. With his head down, he heard the woman mumble something about kids being to jumpy these days, before going back to tend to Gilly. This caused a small smirk creep across the Lindow lips as he brought himself up. "I don't suppose you'd mind if I kept you two ladies company then?" As he spoke, Lindow's ears perked up the sound of another set of footsteps approaching the tent. They were very light, and with the only other person with feet even close to that small laying in the bed to his right, it was easy to guess who they belonged to. "Missing out on a chance to see them work the orb, little Keres? How unlike you..." Eyeing the entrance, Lindow addressed the presence outside in his usual tone.

Lindow remained uncharacteristically silent on the trip back. The only time he would really speak with the others was when Gilly was involved, and in those moments the man was straight forward and purely business. Even the magic he stole from the Light Spirit was completely useless, filling Lindow with a sense of powerless that he felt in quite some time. Even with all that he'd gained since starting this journey, he could do nothing to save this one life. Mostly keeping to himself, the Lindw used the time do some reflecting on the battle with the fire mage, and the strange pull the Demon Gate had on him during its activation. It seemed there was more to his transformation than he had initially realized. Though it didn't trouble him too much, he certainly knew he needed more answers, and that there was likely only one person who could provide them... When the group reached the town, the Thunder Chosen immediately moved to followed Gram with Gilly. Glancing back to offer the other Chosen a slight nod whilst he departed, his gaze lingered on Reinaan for half an instant as it dawned on him that the boy seemed... larger somehow. Not thinking much of it, Lindow proceeded to follow Gram towards the village's healers without a word.

"He certainly made us work or it, that one...." Lindow breathed in deeply. Slowly returning the Bandit Cleaver to it's scabbard, he took a moment reach out and absorb his portion of the energy from the Boss Soul, before finally turning to study the new arrivals. "It was tough. But it looks like we won..." His breathing was rugged, and his hands felt raw and tender from the their brushes with the flame. "Tough" was quite the understatement... A dim glow could be seen shining from between Lindow's palms as he begun using Light's magic mend his burns. "To be honest, I was certain that killing mage would put a stop to the gate as well..." As he healed, the man's gaze lingered on the Demon Gate, and it's horrific aura. It was their final hurtle, and the first glimpse at what the rest of their journey would hold. "Any idea where the off button is, little Keres?"

Lindow heard Kere's warning only seconds before the remains of the skeletal monster came into view. Watching the creature snake it's way towards him and Reinaan with frightening speed, Lindow took a step to the side as if he were leaving the Fire Chosen for dead, only to suddenly spring forth again once the creature opened it's mouth to bite down on the boy. Snarling between breaths, the Thunder Chosen stepped forward and swung his blade into the Elemental's open jaws just before they could close around Reinaan. A metallic clang rung out as the monster responded by slamming its mouth shut, before beginning to thrash around in an attempt to pull the blade from Lindow's hands. With very little time to think, Lindow tightened his grip on the Bandit Cleaver. Pitting his remaining strength against that of the Elemental's, Lindow growled with effort whilst doing his best to force set of skeletal jaws away from Reinaan. It was tough, but with each push found himself able to take yet another step forward, forcing the creature back on it's spine. Satisfied with the distance he had gained, the Thunder Chosen called upon his spirit's magic once more, causing arcs of electricity to briefly dance in the air around him in a violent burst. Though it lacked the strength to do any real damage, the stunning effect of Lindow's weakened Discharge was just potent enough to let him rip his blade free from the Elemental's grip. As the last traces of magic flickered from his eye, Lindow stepped forward to strike at the creatures' nape, only to be forced to shift and pivot backwards to avoid a swing from the Elemental's tail-like spine. Unwilling to fall, Lindow skillfully shifted the direction of his attack so that the Bandit Cleaver would hack at the spine.

"Lindow! Keres! Get ready!" Lindow didn't need the boy's call to action. Already in motion yet again to dodge the Elemental's flame breath, the Thunder Chosen glanced towards Reinaan just in time to see the large explosion suddenly erupt from his claws. Having witness this happen once before, it took only seconds for him to realize that this was the effect of the boy overcharging his magic... a risky move, but possibly exactly what they needed. Watching as bits of the spine shattered and lodged themselves into the boy's as the young draken was sent flying back, Lindow steeled his gaze and shifted his direction so that he was running straight towards the elemental, which was swaying back and forth on it's damaged spine. It was his turn to take a risk now. "Fall..." Lindow hissed whilst gripping his blade with two hands. Reaching the flaming monster in moments, he grit his teeth and swung the Bandit Cleaver through the fire and into what remained of the Elemental's spine, shattering it completely as he passed. Even with his monstrous tolerance for punishment, Lindow could do nothing hide his pained expression as he glanced down at the burns he suffered from passing through the magical inferno. Nonetheless, he continued to push forward, only bringing himself to a sliding halt when he had reached Reinaan who's wounds were much worse then his own... "I hope you didn't plan on dying back there..." He hunched by the the young warrior and offered him his shoulder whilst peering down the ruined scales on the Fire Chosen's arm for just a moment. "Suicide attacks are such a tired cliché." Briefly he wondered if even the Light Spirit's magic would be able to mend such an injury, but Lindow quickly pushed the idea out of mind as he turned to face their foe once more. It was up to Keres to finish the job now...

Even with all the Witch Hunter's might behind it, the Third Blade appeared to be no match for the magical flame. Feeling his energy draining from the prolonged use of Lily's power, Lindow reluctantly allowed the blade of lighting to vanish in a sudden flurry of bright blue particles that begun to drift over the smoking battlefield. As he took moment to catch his breath, Lindow watched in annoyance as the elemental's flames washed over the rest of it's body once more, leaving them all back to square one... "Tsk," He begun to formulate a new plan, but before his thoughts could bare fruit, Keres was in the offensive again. Seeing a small hole torn in the creature's fiery defenses, Lindow made a move towards Water Chosen only to be forced into another dive to avoid a blast of flame from the elemental's jaws. Committed to staying in motion, Lindow tumbled to his feet before dashing forward to close the gap between him and their foe once again. Roaring with effort, the man swung the Bandit Cleaver into the opening Keres had provided, damaging the beast further, but also prompting it to rain down another blast of flames from its mouth. Letting his battle instincts take hold, Lindow quickly ducked under Kere's jet of water mere moments before the torrent of fire crashed down on where he had just been standing. Without wasting an instant, Lindow lashed out again with his blade, managing to crack the elemental's chest before the flames started to grow in intensity. "Your persistence is beginning to lose it's novelty..." The heat was steadily rising, forcing Lindow to back off to avoid being singed. Painfully aware that this was an indication that Keres's strength was dwindling, the Thunder Chosen looked towards the last legs of the girl's attack and was struck with an idea. "Reinaan, get off him now!" He called out to the young Draken whilst raising his hand towards Kere's jet of water. As the words left his lips, sparks danced madly across Lindw's fingertips, before leaping forward in arcs of cyan lighting with the intention of electrifying the current as it crashed into the elemental's weakened chest. "Discharge..."

Though Reinaan's weight wasn't enough to bring the creature to ground, the boy's dive did manage to halt the Elemental's movement, making it unable to grab Keres. Seeing the creature hunched over with the front of it's body exposed, Lindow quickly dashed forward whilst drawing both his Bandit Cleaver and the Third Blade. "You sure took your time..." Cyan lighting crackled in the air as the man used his speed to quickly close the distance and slash at the Elemental's extended arm with his blades of magic and steel. Just like before, once the limb was severed, the flames around where the bone had been began to flail erratically as if desperately looking for a way to keep form. Smiling at this development, Lindow made his way to the Elemental's front, readying himself for his next attack. However, before he could strike, a jet of flame shot forward from the monster's back, passing the ribs in an attempt to scorch the Thunder Chosen. Forced into a roll to avoid being burned, Lindow landed on his knees with the Third Blade's lighting still chirping in his palm. Roaring with effort, Lindow reached up to the sky, commanding the blade of thunder magic to extend to it's full length before swinging it back down towards the Elemental with all his might. The fire's of the Elemental quickly flared around the skull to block the attack. Leaving Lindow struggling to maintain the Third Blade's form as he tried to push against the creature's defenses. He could already feel his energy draining, meaning he couldn't keep this up for much longer...