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[Rachel]

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After a long day of worry, and having a late night talking with her husband, Rachel wandered into Hanse's and sat down at a table. Her husband, Valatin, was supposed to be meeting her here. They had decided to take it easy for the night. Valatin came in a few minutes later and walked over to Rachel giving her a slight squeeze of the shoulder and a loving kiss on the forehead. He then walked behind her to stand against the wall.

Their friend Vaen came wandering in the back door of the hostel. Armed with his sword, almost like he was waiting for a battle of some sort. He did not seem himself tonight. His eyes seemed almost empty. They did not have the little sparkle of hope that they normally held.

"Hello there, lad" said Valatin as he nudged him in a friendly way.

"Don't touch me!" Vaen replied in an angry voice.

Valatin just shrugged it off, laughed and stepped back, "A bit under the weather today eh lad?" He then looked at Vaen's sword and said "Expecting a fight tonight perhaps?" Vaen just chuckled under his breathe and walked outside. Rachel sat in her chair quietly and watched the encounter between Vaen and Valatin. Vaen's attitude was very disturbing and sent a chill up her spine. This was not like him at all. She then noticed that Angel had come in quietly and sat down at the table also. She was holding a bloody rag to her nose.

"You alright Angel?" She asked quietly. Angel just shook her head slowly. "What happened to your nose then?"

"Nothing." Angel replied.

"Nothing huh? How do you get a bloody nose from nothing?" asked Rachel.

"I just had a little accident, that is all." Angel said quietly.

"An accident? What kind of accident?"

"It's nothing, really..."

"Angel, is it nothing? Or did you have an accident?" Rachel was getting a bit irritated. She knew Angel was a quiet girl who mainly kept to herself and her job, but she was acting strange. More than usual...

"It is nothing..." Angel said. "Don't worry about it."

Rachel shrugged and looked around the hostel for her husband. He was no where to be seen. She guessed he had gone outside with Vaen, which was not unusual. They had become good friends over the years, almost like brothers.

A few minutes passed and finally Vaen and Valatin came back inside. Valatin looked as though he were about to throw something. She wondered what had happened outside. Then a man from Sanctus came in declaring that a new tavern had just opened up in the vicinity and that all were invited for free drinks and food. A friend of Vaen's asked him if he would like to join him there to see what the new tavern was like. Vaen replied to him by saying "Why would I want to go anywhere with you?" Rachel almost fell out of her chair when she heard this. This man had been a friend of Vaen's for a while and they had always gotten along well.

"Vaen! That was awfully rude of you!"

"Be quiet Rachel. I did not ask you."

"Excuse me?!" Rachel was blown off guard by Vaen's reaction. He never spoke like this to her, or to anyone for that matter. "What is wrong with you? Since when do you talk like this to your friends?" Vaen only laughed. His laughed was so eerie and heartless. Shivers ran up her spine again. Something was not right here. It was as if Vaen was not himself at all. She looked from Vaen, to Valatin, and then finally to Angel. Angel was slinking back into her chair, almost like she was trying to disappear into the wall. Rachel saw the fear in Angel's eyes and knew something was not right.

"Angel, can we talk for a few minutes in private perhaps? Maybe take care of that bloody nose of yours?" Angel nodded slowly, and followed Rachel into one of the back rooms of the hostel.

"Angel... What is going on? Did you and Vaen have a fight or something?" Angel only nodded. "What happened Angel? What is wrong with him tonight? He is not himself at all."

"You're right Rachel. He's not himself. I don't know who he is right now. He's been like this for a bit now."

"What do you mean Angel?" Rachel did not understand at all what was going on. Her mind swirled with emotions and ideas of what could be going on. Then she recalled the conversation she had had with Vaen's brother, Talen a few nights ago. She thought of the conversation Valatin and herself had had just the night before. Just then she felt like her body weighed a ton and her legs would not hold her up anymore. That couldn't be it... It just couldn't be.

"Well..." Angel finally spoke up. "Talen thinks that..."

"No!" Rachel interrupted. "Please no! That can't be it..." Angel looked stunned for a few seconds and then nodded her head slowly. "Oh dear, what are we going to do?" Rachel blinked quickly so as to not let the tears fall from her eyes that she felt building up.

"Angel... Did Vaen do this to you?" Rachel nodded to the bloody rag in Angel's hands. Angel shook her head slowly and faintly replied "Yes..."

"Get out of here now!! Go home and hide. Find some place safe... just leave." Rachel said urgently.

"I can't go home. He was there earlier. I am not safe there. I am not going to hide either."

"Angel. Please. You must hide. I know you don't want to, but please. Find some place to go. Anywhere... Just stay away from Vaen until I tell you it is safe. Please?" Rachel knew that Angel was a strong woman, but she also knew that she was a loner. If Vaen caught Angel alone there was no telling what he would do to her. Rachel hadn't known Angel for very long and they weren't exactly what you would call friends, but she was good to Vaen, and so that was good enough for Rachel.

Angel nodded slowly. "I will try to find a place."

"Thank you Angel. I must go find my husband now. I need to tell him what is going on. And I need to find Talen... Take care of yourself Angel." She smiled as best she could at Angel and walked out into the bustling tavern...

Rachel saw that her husband was right on the other side of the door armed fully, and Vaen was only a few feet in front of him. It looked as if Valatin was trying to keep Vaen from entering the room that she had been in with Angel. "Thank goodness." She thought. Rachel had been scared that he would be gone, or that Vaen would have hurt him. She walked up behind Valatin and put her hands gently on his shoulders and whispered in his ear, "Valatin, we have a problem. Vaen is not himself tonight. He is not the Vaen we know and love. He is in trouble I fear... We may all be in trouble." Valatin turned slowly to her and saw the fear in her eyes, the tears that she was holding back and nodded slowly to her. Vaen quickly turned and walked towards the front door of the hostel as if he were leaving, and Rachel slowly pursued. Vaen then turned back towards Rachel.

"She told you didn't she?" He asked.

"Told me what Vaen? What should she have told me?"

"Don't lie to me Rachel. She told you!" He looked quickly to Angel who had sat back down at the table. "You told her didn't you?" Rachel glanced quickly back to Angel and saw her shake her head that she hadn't.

"She only helped me with my nose Vaen."

"Yes Vaen. I was just helping her clean up. She said she had an accident that is all. Is she lying Vaen?"

He shook his head that she wasn't. "No, she had an accident" He chuckled a little under his breathe and walked out the door. Valatin followed him outside. Rachel went and sat down beside Angel for a few minutes. Rachel then went and looked out the window of the hostel. She saw that Vaen his horse and Valatin was on foot, and that Valatin had Vaen by his collar. She could see that Valatin was talking to Vaen with a very serious and angry look on his face. Valatin released his grip on Vaen and stormed back into the hostel. Just as Rachel was getting ready to go outside and see what was going on between the two. Valatin told her to be careful, but she that she had to talk to Vaen. She knew he was lying, but she wanted to hear him say it himself. She walked out of the hostel and saw Vaen running around like a mad man on his horse.

"VAEN!" She yelled. He stopped his horse and looked at her. A grin that gave her goosebumps all over and sent a shiver up her spine appeared on his face.

"Rachel... Just who I wanted to talk to. Let's go for a walk. I have somethings to tell you."

Rachel hesitated for a few seconds, "Let me get my horse first."

Vaen walked towards the building and jumped off his horse. "No need. Now.. Let us go for that walk."

"Where are we going Vaen?"

"I'll show you, Rachel. Just follow me."

"No Vaen. Tell me where we are going. I want to know. Otherwise I am not giong anywhere." Rachel was not sure whether she wanted to walk alone with Vaen. The look in his eyes was scaring her more than anything she had ever seen.

"To the caves Rachel. We're just going to the caves."

"I think we should stay here Vaen. Why can't you just talk to me here? There is nobody around."

"It's about Angel..."

Rachel looked behind her towards the door of the hostel. "She's inside. You can tell me here."

Vaen circled Rachel slowly. She could hear him laughing under his breathe. Finally he stopped less than a foot in front of her and leaned close to her. "I hit Angel. I gave her that bloody nose." he whispered to her. "And I am going to kill you now."

Rachel's heart stopped as she listened to Vaen. She quickly grabbed her scepter and shield out of her bag, but she wasn't quick enough. Vaen was already on her. She ran away from him as fast as her legs would carry her fumbling for her reagents to cast a spell of healing on herself. She quickly ran towards the door and she noticed Valatin on the doorsteps of the hostel and he was already beginning to cast healing spells in order to aid Rachel. Vaen had always been an excellent fighter, and she knew that she would need help. They knew that although this was their friend... their brother almost... That they had no other choice at the moment. It was either kill or be killed. They almost knocked Vaen down, but he quickly mounted his horse and ran off before they could catch him. Rachel and Valatin both quickly called for their own mounts and jumped on. They ran in the direction they had last seen Vaen, but were unable to find him. Cautiously they headed back to the hostel. They were going to need help. Vaen seemed even more powerful than ever, and even faster now. Whatever it was that had control of him was giving him more power. They stood outside the hostel waiting for Vaen to come back by again. After a few minutes they heard the door open behind them. Rachel turned to see that an orc was standing in the doorway. It was Grig'nag. "Ugh der."

"Ugh Grig. Grig, we need your help. Vaen is not himself..." Rachel started to say.

"Meeb nubs..."

Grig informed them that Angel had sent a pigeon for him telling him that Vaen was trying to kill everyone. He said that he would love to have a reason to clomp Vaen, and so he would help Valatin and Rachel.

Rachel in the meantime ran inside the hostel to see if there was anyone else that could help. She found Murdoc standing inside. She knew that he would help kill Vaen, but that he would also help protect Angel. And so she asked him for a favor. It took a lot for Rachel to ask him, seeing as Murdoc had insulted Vaen, Valatin and herself many times and he was definately the farthest thing from a friend. He agreed to it though. Rachel felt a little better at knowing that at least one person would be safe from all this. She quickly went back outside to join Valatin and Grig, and to avoid anymore questions from Murdoc as to what was going on.

Vaen eventually came running back by them and all three of them took off after him. It was a very hard battle. The hardest one they had fought in a while. Rachel could not believe that trying to take down one man could be so hard. The battle pursued for what seemed like days, but was only minutes. Vaen disappearing out of their site often and giving them all massive wounds that would need a lot of time to heal. Finally Vaen disappeared and did not come back. Rachel went inside to rest for a few, hoping that Vaen would have given up for the night. She was exhausted mentally and physically. She did not know if she could handle anymore fighting.

About an hour had passed, maybe more, maybe less... Rachel could not really tell. She seemed in a daze the entire time. The events of the evening were weighing heavily on her. She could not believe that one person who was closer to her than her own family and husband was trying to kill her and everyone around them. She fought the tears back. She did not know how much longer she could hold them back though. As she was sitting there, she heard the door slam open and saw Vaen come running in on his horse. She stood as fast as she could as he turned to her and steered his horse right at her. She threw her shield up in hopes of avoiding being stomped by the horses hooves. As she ran backwards she looked for a way around Vaen, and saw her chance. She quickly tried to dodge his sword and use her shield to block as she ran past him. She had not been fast enough though, he had sliced a big gash in her back. She ran towards the door of the hostel hoping she could get to her mount in time... She was not fast enough though for Vaen or his horse. He quickly charged at her and began swinging his sword. She tried to scream but heard nothing come from her mouth before the world went black...

Later that night, Rachel finally came around. Her head was splitting and she had no idea where she was at. She looked up and saw her husband looking down on her. He had a bandage tied around his head with dried blood on it. His face was filled with worry and she could see the sadness in his eyes. "You are alright now my love. You're home now. Vaen did a good number on us. Thankfully we're alive. He got me also. Just before he got you is what I have been told. I was told also that he got Grig." Valatin sighed heavily. "You need to rest now my dear." Rachel could not even bring herself to speak let alone nod her head as she closed her eyes and went back to sleep. The night was filled with restless sleep and nightmares. She awoke many times crying or screaming. Valatin would reach over and put his arm around her and rub her back slowly to comfort her until she was able to drift back off to sleep.

The next day Rachel awoke late in the day. She was still exhausted from the night before and from not having nearly enough sleep, but she knew that she had to do something. She went searching for Talen, Vaen's brother, to tell him about the night before. When she found him at Hanse's, he had told her that Vaen had tried attacking him and their father. Talen told her that he had been scared for his father, but had found him huddled behind the ankh in their house. Apparently Vaen had not been able to touch their father, or even enter the house. Talen thought that it was because of the Ankh. Since it was a holy symbol it seemed to ward off the evil that had possessed Vaen. At least they would all be able to sleep safely in their beds at home now. The only problem now was how were they going to get Vaen back to his old self? Was this even possible?

Talen and Rachel went around talking to anyone they thought could help. They were informed by Murdoc that a man named Silent Poet was very wise, and knew a great many things about evil possessing people. They found Silent Poet at Hanse's and told him of their problem. He told them that he knew what to do, and informed Rachel and Talen of how to go about trying to capture Vaen and where to take him when they finally did. He also told them that he would make a request to his guild for help in the capture of Vaen as it was going to be a very dangerous task and they would need as much help as they could get. Rachel knew that it was going to be very difficult. She knew that she might not live through it, and feared that her beloved husband or their friends might not either. She weighed the risks heavily in her heart, but she knew that she had to do what she could for her friend. If she were to let him run loose as he currently was, there was no telling what kind of damage he would do, or who he would kill. She did not know if there was any stopping him at all except to capture him and have Silent Poet perform his ritual on him.

After they had heard all the information they needed and had been provided with all the runestones they needed, Talen and Rachel bid their goodbyes to Silent Poet. They headed home to tell Valatin and Talen's father of what the next step was to getting their lost friend back. Rachel knew she had to get more sleep also. She was still so exhausted from the night before and from traveling around all day. She only hoped that she would be able to sleep better than she had the night before. She feared that she would not sleep well again until Vaen was either captured... Or killed. Rachel laid her head down on her pillow and curled up into a ball and finally let the tears flow. She did not want to lose her friend... She would not lose her friend... Even if it meant her own life...