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Eve watched as Paneb tossed dirt on the final grave. When they reached the next town over from Paneb's, it was too late; Wulf had come and gone leaving only his poison floating in the air. Eve wanted to move on quickly to try to catch the fiend, but Paneb insisted that they respect those that died and help those that lived bury their loved ones.
Eve feigned sympathy to those that lost loved ones, though she despised every moment. Paneb was going to have to learn pass the dead by if they were to accomplish their task. His heart was big, but she was just going to have to change that. She needed him to help her complete her task of controlling Wulf, but she could not let on that she knew more then she did about the monster.

She looked towards the sky, easily spotting the large cloud that the Wulf hid in heading to another town. Every day it inched a bit closer to the north. She needed to find a way to control the thing before it decimated her town.

"We'll catch it and destroy it," Paneb spoke breaking the silence. Eve looked down from the sky and smirked at Paneb. His sweaty chest was heaving from the hard labor he just accomplished. "We have been invited to eat with the survivors, I think we should, and then we can continue."

"That is an excellent idea Paneb," Eve replied sweetly, waiting for his back to turn so she could cringe in disgust.

Paneb lead the way to the house that everyone was gathering to eat. He walked swiftly over to the fire and helped a woman who was lifting a pot of water to the cooking hook. Eve simply took a seat at table and watched the others prepare her food. Girls chopped carrots, boys brought in the meat from the storeroom for the old woman to dice and add to the boiling water. After waiting a few minutes, both the smells of the meal and the hominess she felt inside made her feel sick so she stood up and announced to the group that she was to overwrought with sadness and needed a breath of fresh air.

Eve walked over one of the graves, so if anyone watched her, it looked as though she was paying her respects to one of the deceased. There she stood and made plans for what might happen next.

*****

Paneb watched as Eve stood and went outside, her hips swaying slightly from side to side. He always liked to look at a beautiful woman, in his earlier days, he and she would have bedded already whether she wanted to or not. Those days were over, and though he missed his lover and his wife terribly, he would wait the respected forty days of mourning before moving on to another woman and the evil had only taken his loves away a few days ago.

He couldn't help but be intrigued by Eve everything about her was mysterious. There was something different about her, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. He was sure it had nothing to do with how Eve dressed, but of course, what guy wouldn't be interested in a woman that wore a leather shirt that crisscrossed her breasts, only covering them and a skirt that had two long pieces in the front and the back, but nothing covering the legs. Boys stared, and he was sure the men would too, when and if they ever came to any that were still alive.

Eventually he stopped watching Eve and went about helping the survivors finish making their meal. The old woman had asked him if he would dice the meat for her since her bones were aching and she needed to rest. He easily lifted the butcher's knife and sliced into the meat. The meat was tender and Paneb had an easy time of cutting the pieces to the size she specified. The smell of the fire was pleasing to him and brought back memories of him and his wife talking after dinner, putting his children to sleep and then going off to meet his lover.

Time passed and the stew took form of something edible and the smells of bread baking started to waft out of the house to the baroness outside. Paneb watched the others inside the house solemnly sit around the table and wait as the old woman put the final touches on the food being prepared. Anxiously he looked around, not see Eve anywhere he decided she was still outside and he would go and fetch her.

Eve stood, as she was before, standing over a grave as if in prayer. She heard footsteps and stopped her scheming. Slowly she turned around to face the footsteps. "Paneb," She questioned.

"It is time to eat, Eve," he turned her completely from the grave, with his hand on the small of her back, he lead her back to the house where the food awaited them.

With a full stomach, Eve was displeased to discover that Paneb had already accepted an invitation to spend the night in the remains of this town. She would give anything for the beds of her hometown instead of the hard flat surfaces these people called beds. She drifted off into an uneasy sleep plagued by nightmares of her hometown attacked, not by Wulf, but by the very people that survived the disease.

Sunlight streamed in the room, alerting its resident that morning had finally come. Eve rose growling at the sun coming in through the thin covering over the window. Graceful steps brought her to some semblance of a mirror where she straightened her clothing, and pulled her long brown hair back, fixing the braid. Upon examination of her face, she saw a hardened young woman who was angry at this evil making itself apparent in the world. If only they knew what she had really been through, the names, the constant hiding, and worst of all, uprooting herself countless times because others wanted her towns land.

A soft knock brought her back to the reality of the moment. "Eve, are you up?" Paneb called.

"Coming," her reply came short and to the point. Only seconds after she responded she made her appearance in the main room of the house they were staying, the house of the old woman.

"Thank you for this beauty," Paneb was clasping something close to his chest, and seeing Eve, he smiled and walked over to her. "See this gem she has spared and given to me?" He opened his hands and showed the gem that he was given.

She forced a smile, gems never really interested her before, and they weren't about to now no matter how happy it made her companion. "It's nice," It was all she could muster in a response.

The old woman walked closer to Eve and held out her hand that was holding another, smaller gem. "For you," the woman stated holding it out for Eve to take. Eve shook her head. "No thank you, I would not like." The old woman glanced around the room trying to find something she could give the woman instead of the gem she possessed.

"You pick?" The woman opened her palm and motioned to the room meaning for Rose to choose what she wanted from the house.

It did not take long for Eve to spot what she wanted. Close to the fire there leaned a long thin, but wondrous to her none-the-less, rapier. The hilt was silver with a blue hue that reminded Eve of something she couldn't quite put her finger on and the blade looked barely touched. She pointed to her find and the old woman happily obliged and retrieved what Eve pointed to, bringing it quickly over to her for closer examination. "I want this," She said, a gleam in her eye.

*****

He stood just outside the door gazing off into the direction of the north, his robes billowing in the wind. No one dared ask him what he was looking for and why, they all knew better, especially since the day he found his oracle. He deemed himself the only one worthy to talk to the oracle, so, in a way, no one really knew if the oracle really existed or if Corin made up its existence so that he may remain the head priest.

The day after the next, Corin had made his plans perfectly clear; he was going on a mission. His mission was to find the power stones that the oracle spoken about. Only a few weeks passed since Corin had sent the messages, yet only one priest had returned a statement confirming these power stones. The priest was inept and ended up losing the stone as well as the person who was in possession of the stone, anyone who carried a power stone must not be allowed to live or they would surely find a way to destroy him. The news that there were two companions frustrated and angered Corin; it was information his oracle was keeping from him.

Now that there was proof the stones existed, he would excuse the oracle for not mentioning that this woman carrying one of the stones traveled with two others. It was obvious to Corin that these two were aware of the stone of power as well, as they took it upon themselves to burn the sick house down and save the girl. The priest in charge had been visiting the local tavern when the fire broke out, overconfident that the members of the party weren't on to his scheme and would leave the woman in his care. He arrived at the sick house to a smoldering fire with no pilgrims or strange travelers.

It was apparent to Corin that if he wanted anything done to his satisfaction then he was going to have to make the journey to the next place the oracle said the people were traveling to.

A cool breeze brought Corin back to his senses; he glanced to the sky and watched the clouds form overhead. He held his hands welcoming the wetness that fell from the clouds caressing his face and wetting his graying black, hair. "Master, why have you not chosen to bless me with your love?" He called to the sky as the water droplets drenched his cloak, forcing it to fall behind Corin and behave.

*****

"Eve," Paneb called after her. "Slow down, patience is stronger than force." Eve had spotted a cloud not far ahead and was racing to reach it before it started to move on again.

She slowed and turned to face Paneb, "If you want the thing to continue to decimate town after town, then you follow your patience rule. I, for one, would like to end this reign of terror." With that, she turned back and continued running full force towards the cloud, though present in her mind to be careful of her steps so an unfortunate trip or fall could not give her away.

Paneb had no choice but to pick up his pace, running steadily and carefully, he was quick and overcame Eve in a few strides. Once running side by side, Paneb slowed to keep his pace with Eve.

Within five minutes of straight running, they arrived a few feet short of where the cloud stood, ready to burst it's poison. Eve pulled her rapier from the sheath Paneb had quickly fashioned for her to wear across her back. Paneb looked at Eve, then at the cloud. "You plan to fight a cloud with that?" He questioned.

She shook her head; there was no way to fight, or even attempt to fight the Wulf at this point. If she were to attack, her true intent would be given away. Angry with herself she sheathed her rapier. "You are right; a rapier will never defeat that." Angry with herself for almost ruining her plans, she turned to him. "What do you propose we do?"

Paneb had no second thoughts about his plan. "Until we find away to defeat this monster, we must save as many people as we can. Quickly before it bursts and drips its poison everywhere." He picked up his pace and ran towards the town. Eve, who barely caught her breath, started running behind him; she would be the first to turn as soon as she saw any indication of Wulf's bane falling.

There were many houses in this town, clustered together. All the houses were shut tight with the impending storm. Word of the poison rain traveled faster then the two who came to help them. Paneb made his way to the town first and stood near a fountain carved out of an elaborate stone. If he was not on a mission, he might have inquired about the creator. He was about to shout, alerting the people that they were not even safe locked up in their homes, but a movement in the corner of his eye stopped him and forced him to turn to where the movement came from.

Eve halted just steps away from Paneb and looked off in the direction that he was looking. A solitary man stood on the landing outside of an elaborate building, his robes billowing in the wind, Eve snarled in recognition. They were so entranced they forgot their immediate circumstance and watched with wonder as he thrust his arms into the sky into the falling spit from the cloud. Eve curled into a ball, covering her head as the first drops fell. Her skin felt no pain, she heard no screams, when she stood Paneb stood wiping his face and slicking back his sandy-brown hair.

"It's just rain!" He shouted in glee, opening his mouth letting the droplets enter his mouth.

Eve watched the giant man play like a child in the welcome rain. A chuckle rose to her mouth, slightly escaping before stifling it once more and regaining her composure. "Where did the cloud we were chasing go if this is just rain?" She asked bringing Paneb back to the seriousness of their mission.

Eve looked back to where the man stood, his eyes found their way to where the unknown visitors were. He was not fooled by Eve, and knew who she was immediately. He turned and shouted something inside the building, shortly after men's voices could be heard coming through the streets, a soft growling accompanying them. Eve pulled her rapier, knowing this time she would get to use it, and there was no way better to break in her new toy then with the blood of the Priesthood of Wulf, her sworn enemies.

"Paneb," She shouted. "We have company, and they aren't bringing us a welcome basket."

He looked around him, now able to see the men coming with hounds in front of them, pulling the men towards the two standing in the center. He readied himself for these men were going to be sorry they messed with him today.

Eve shouted and ran towards one of the hounds easily slipping the rapier into his chest, taking the life of one of the beasts; she now aimed her attack at the man holding the dead hound's leash. "C'mon man, do you think I will let you live?" She rushed at him, her rapier clashing with the sword the priest pulled out from its hiding spot.

"Do you think we are not trained to take care of the likes of you?" He shot back at her, spitting in her face. "You people don't deserve the land you live on, or the precious lives you are given."

The man was soon overcome and Eve stood over him, glaring at him, rapier raised above her head. "When Wulf is in my power, I will make him destroy you and your pathetic priesthood first!" With a final thrust, she speared the rapier into his neck letting the blood spurt all over his robes. As a final insult, she spat on the face of the dead priest. Grabbing her weapon quickly she turned back to where Paneb stood bashing the head of the last priest, letting his body slump to the ground on top of the third priest.

Heh, Eve laughed to herself, some welcome party, he only sent three measly priests to fight me.

"C'mon Paneb," She shouted, wiping the blood and rain off her face. "We are definitely not welcome here, let the Wulf kill these people." As soon as she said it, she knew she had made a mistake; she named the beast, now Paneb would question. "At least that is what the priest called the evil he was ready to welcome." She stooped next to the body and shivered in disgust at what she had done. The thought was fleeting; she wiped her weapon, rose to her feet again and as a final thought, spoke softly. "It was him or me." Running, she caught up with Paneb, "Hurry, we must find this evil before it attacks again."

Paneb watched this strong woman in her moment of remorse and wondered what had forced her to become so hard towards life. He thought he would let her tell him when she was ready. Her quick statement had been enough to subdue his questions about the things name for the moment. He would have offered a sympathetic smile as she caught up to him, but he noticed she was the same Eve as before, and the desire in his loins quickened as it often did after a fight. Suppressing the want, he nodded leaving the bloody mess for the people of the town to clean up.