Overgrown Shrine

Already a few days had passed and the paladin had put in hard work with the city watch. But on this day, one of rest? How did he spend it?

A number of adventurers had reported animal attacks in the environs of an overgrown shrine some leagues outside of the city. It was another one of the landmarks the brave and the bold of Lhesa ventured towards, plumbing its secrets, delving for lost secrets and hidden treasures. Thalric needed to know the lay of the land, however, know the roads and paths to and from the city, the places of import like this shrine.

So it was he traveled with a small group, having spent several hours carving their way the forest just as the sun rose. He did so in his armor today, seeing if he could acclimitize to the brutal heat and humidity, relishing the ide of soaking in water to clean the sweat from himself when they returned to Lhesa proper.

The group he traveled with ade camp some distance at the base of the shrine, looking to gather samples of flowers and animal life in the area while the paladin found himself moving towards the steps. That's when he saw the tall figure further up, sword drawn. Cautious. Careful. Distracted.

Thalric wasn't quiet. His armor clattered as he moved and he could be heard from a fair distance.

"Trouble?" the paladin called out to the man on the steps, his own hand resting on his sword in case there was.

Thalric was still a ways down the steps when the man spun quickly, threateningly. But the paladin did not flinch, as much as simply tighten the grip on his sword, the sight of that movement blocked by the shield on his left arm. The voice seemed young, at least compared to the veteran and he relinquished the hold on his sword to lift an open hand up in the air to show he meant no harm when the stranger above eased up.

"Having not seen dangers is not the same as there being none. You did not draw your sword because you thought yourself safe, after all."

Slowly but surely, Thalric moved up the steps towards the adventurer. Voidclaim could see the dints and scratches in the armor, the way the plate had lost it's gleaming surface and was scuffed in others. This was not the sight of secondhand armor; this was armor that had survived countless battles. The shield was in a similar state, as was the man, judging by the scars visible on his face and the paleness of his left eye. That's when Voidclaim began to feel it, as the paladin approached; an aura about him that was cool and calm, refreshing like a wellspring of water for the soul, carrying with it power of its own with the subtle depths of a still lake.

"And what is it you seek to find here, adventurer? Fortune and gold for the brave and bold?" he asked, chuckling to himself as he quoted Layla Rashmi's favored slogan for the folk that came to Lhesa.

The paladin lifted a hand once more, a placating gesture.

"Your business is your own, adventurer. Meant not to pry, just a simple question," he said, sensing the young man's reticence. He smirked a tad, however. Those so willing to share their own answers often asked many questions and expected them in kind.

"We are all of the gods, young man. Some of us...simply have a closer relationship with them," he answered. He shook his head. "I certainly know of it, though not about it. Am off the boat myself less than a week. Getting my bearings straight on this place and thought I'd come to see some of the sights the locals oft speak of. This being one of them. I'm here with a group for but a few hours. Are you here alone?"

The paladin didn't seem rather upset or bothered as he approached and caught his breath, wiping a brow with an armored hand. Voidclaim could see the faintest streaks of silver in his coal black hair, his jaw clean shaven. For a man as scarred as he, he did not give the impression of being particularly fearsome. Granted, he wasn't exactly a pillar of holy wrath, as he might become. Paladins were reputed to be such a vengeful, smiting lot after all.

Though he seemed to be working against the reputation so far.

"Nor should they, sir. Sometimes steel holds a firmer oath, or companions merit more faith," he replied in a friendly manner, seemingly agreeing with the young man before looking at the blade held up to inspect. He winced upon looking at it, though an appreciative expression crossed his scarred face.

"Exceptional make. And a worthy companion to have at your side."

He excused himself a moment to move down a few steps, calling out to the group that had been at the base of the jungle-choked temple, letting them know he'd be handling something on his own for a bit before returning towards Voidclaim and motioning towards the deeper parts of the temple.

"Thalric Dale, at your service. And what do I call you, young man?" he asked, his good eye focused more on the temple around them than Voidlaim himself. For all his seeming cheer, he did seem alert and wary of his surroundings still.

Thalric held up a hand, another placating gesture as they traveled further up the overgrown steps.

"As you wish, Voidclaim," was all the paladin said in regards to that. An armored hand brushed aside a tangle of vines, eyeing the bright flowers that blossomed from them with the same suspicion he held for the steps beyond them. Light sifted through the canopy of the jungle around them, a blessed breeze bringing if only a moment of respite from the sweltering heat.

"Them? No. Just more adventurers, like yourself. Plenty've come to Lhesa. Make their names known, discover treasures, lost cities, temples," he said, waving an armored hand around them as he hopped over a chunk of rubble from a fallen pillar. "They were headed in my direction, so I offered to tag along. Haven't come across other paladins myself, though the gods are many and their servants more so. I'll take it as a good thing. Means they've never needed more of us in one place than necessary. Dare I ask anything of you, Void, or would you prefer to be the only one to entertain your affairs?"

It wasn't said in jest. It was an honest question of this taciturn stranger's boundaries.

The sounds of the jungle surrounded them as they progressed into the shrine. Buzzing of insects, birds calling and fluttering in the air, the rustle of leaves and brush… After being in the jungle for a while, the noises surrounded and engulfed, then blended together into a wall of sound in the background one hardly even noticed unless they were actively trying to listen to it.

Until it stopped, that is. When the blade sliced through the vines growing over the steps of the shrine, the sounds of the jungle cut off suddenly. A harsh, oppressive silence descended on the pair, broken only by the cut ends falling to the stone at their feet. Even the breeze stilled, as if the very air didn’t dare to move.

Voidclaim, instead of showing fear, surges with adrenaline and excitement. He quickly moves to a medium guard, looking in each direction, attempting to catch a glimpse of an attacker or hear a faintest sound.

"If a battle is upon us, I shall not let you down, Thalric."

He is quick, moving from side to side, changing the direction he is facing, flashing his sword in different angles.
Then, he attempts to call out whatever has caused this sudden silence.

"Show yourself, coward."

"I hope you do not," was all he had the chance to mutter in response with a fierce smile before he observed the shifting motion by the tree. For a moment, Thalric looked upon the creature, this woman, with equal parts surprise and perhaps even awe before she spoke. His first instinct, however, was to sheathe the sword he had already drawnbefore taking a decided few steps forward. He looked over his shoulder to look at Voidclaim and pointedly at his sword, motioning his free hand to ask the man to follow suit.

"Travelers, my lady. Ignorant of your dominion. I apologize for this trespass," he said, bowing before her, deeply and with surprising grace for an armored man. He clearly seemed to have some experience in Courts beyond. "It would be best to let you know, there are others who have returned to the island, seeking the secrets of this once forgotten place. If not myself, then other will follow. Is this your home?"

“The Sons of Stone return to Lhesa…” Her eyes slowly shift between the two men, appraising each in turn. “Bringing all your contradictions and conflicts with you. The darkness and the light. The protector and the destroyer. You come with questions and with demands. Ever it was so.”

Her voice trails off like a quiet breeze, letting the words hang in the air for a moment. “Your fathers and your mothers have been gone from this place for seasons uncounted. The jungles no longer belong to Men. Your kind has been forgotten here. Ware your path in the wild places, Sons of Stone. The land will not be tamed again as easily as it once was. You will find in the jungles what you bring with you.”