Shorin looked around the darkned allyway, making sure no one sow him as he crouched over the dead man's corpse. He slipped his dager back up his sleave and motioned to Kythrone. The large, spotted, panther like cat stalked over to him. "Well, so far we're alive. But the damn guards are on the lookout. Pesky humans." Shorin mumbled under his breath, partly to the umbra, partly to himself. He had escaped the Temple of Swords a couple hours agao, and had been stci trying to find his way around the city since then. It was obvious the guards had been sent to look for him, fo they were crawling all over the roofs and streats. He had had to kill ten of them already.

"Looking out the allyway and into the street, he flatend himself against a wall quickly as he watched a squad of men go by. How was he to get out of this? His red glowing eyes roamed around the ally, looking for escape. And found one. it was a sewer. "Perfect." he muttered again. Human filth. it was better then being cornered though. Silently, he walked to it and wrapped his fingers around it. Heaving upwards, he lifted the grate about two inches off of the hole it covered. Grunting, he slid it sideways until the hole was compleely unvovered.

His face contorted as the smell hit him. Wonderful. Looking around once more, he dropped into the hole, falling until he landed in a wonderful pool of who knew what. He moved over, and Kythrone landed beside.

Vile juices dripped into the contaminated water as Vernon gave the rotten maggot-ridden flesh a squeze. He'd almost forget he'd left corpse down in the sewers, but then again Vernon was never one to forget about tastey treats. Vernon cut away a large slice of meat from the human corpse, before biting down on it and savoring the delightful taste in his mouth. Surely his marshes were the perfect place for tastey little picnic, but the sewers definately came at second best with its pleasing pungent aroma.

Venron's peaceful snacking was interrupting by a splash echoing through the sewers. He had a visitor and not very far off, most delightful indeed. Before Vernon could put away what remained of the slab of meat, a second spalsh searched for the first. Two guests, that could either me more fun or a bit of trouble, but there were always of making trouble fun too.

Vernon quickly scampered along the the wall and up the ceiling. It was a better way of getting around than walking through the sewer water regardless of how pleasent Vernon found that. He sniffed the air as he scampered along, only to no avail. The sewers were nothing like the open air marsh that pleased his nose and sent him wind of intruders, all he could smell in the sewers was it's delightful scent. He'd have to rely on his expert ears and eyes that periced through the unlit path.

As a stench more potent than the filthy water neared Shorin and his pet, Vernon slowed down. He didn't want to rush things too much, after all the short height of the sewer didn't offer all that much protection from one who held hostility towards the Master of Marshes and Lord of sewers. He'd stay out of sight, but within earshot and spy on his guests a bit before greeting them.

Shorin looked about the tunnel, with all its filth, and his eyes flipped over to infrared. The tunnel was no longer black, but now a multitude of reds, greens, purples, with all other colors in between. Mostly, it was a dull purple. He couldn't another form of life other than Kythrone, who appeared as a cat shaped, bright yellow figure. Slowly, he rose from his crouch. Water sloshed as he began to take steps. Then froze. A dull red could be seen approaching. It was coming from the roof. Not an actual living thing, but more of approachjing heat. Kind of like ripples in a pond. Kythrone growled behind. "I hear," he whispered. He drew the poisoned blade and the shadow dagger from their sheathes.

Slowly he began to wlak again, keeping his eyes on the red glow. He wasn't ready to run into more truoble.c Verrona was making enough for him as it was, and once Shain recovered, he would be after his missing half as well.

The pipe began to turn, and the red slowly went to orange. Shorin stopped. He was not going to run headlong into anything else that felt like being in the sewer right now too. They might be as desperate as he was. Kythrone was now looking at the same spot. He waited now, knowing that if the other was any bit courious, he might show himself first.

Curious, they were headed his way. It was little wonder that curiosity so often killed the cat. Generally his stench had people wanting to go in the opposite direction, but to be down in the sewers the poor souls certainly needed a stron constitution. He had to be extra careful now, after all this could be a pair after the nice bounty that was on the head of the large ratman. He did manage to learn something of his uninvited guests, but nothing beyond the fact that that one was shorter than the average human and the other was some large four-legged creature. Before he could learn any more, the group paused around the last corner that seperated them. Naught was heard but soft breathing.

Vernon's tail silently and impatiently swished through the air. As he decided how to deal with these apparently crafty intruders. He was sure they knew he was there, though he was mildly curious as to how. He could have let his rats loose as scouts, but instead opted to engage the party in conversation. It seemed the best way to discern if they were hostile.

"Welcome guests, to the sewers of Taras. Shall you introduce thyselves or shall I be forced to make your stay most unpleasent and permanent?" Vernon snicker as he slowly slid his poison blade from it's sheath with one hand.

Shorin watched the glowing orange spot, and noticed that a flicker of yellow appeared every now and then. What was that? It looked like something waving around, but Shorin had no clue what it could possibly be. Out of the corner of his eye, he could spot kythrone, his tail swishing back and forth.

"Welcome guests, to the sewers of Taras. Shall you introduce thyselves or shall I be forced to make your stay most unpleasent and permanent?" Shorin's attention snapped back to the orange glow. So. Now they were speaking terms. "I beleive I'll introduce myself, sir," he responded to the rasp of blade against sheath. So. he was dealing with someone who was very much open to killing. "However, I would feel much more comfortable if i could do so without our weapons present." Audibley, he slipped his sword into its sheath, but tucked the dagger up his sleave. If it turned ill, he would make the first move.

He waited for the sewer's other occupant to sheathe his own weapon.

He heard the sound of a sword sliding into it's scabbard, but he still had no idea if the man was still armed. Then there were the complications of magic and the four-legged friend. With so much room for so much trickery, following his guests request wasn't among the smartest of ideas and he'd have to be a fool to magically become freindly afterwards and Vernon most certainly did not think of himself as a fool. the duo had already proved crafty for noticing him, despite his efforts in trying not to be found. Course if push came to shove, Vernon didn't need his weapon to dispose of the intruder. He could flush them both out with poison gas and in this closed up smelly enviorment, the effects would doubtlessly prove fatal. The sewers did remarkable hold some benfits not found in the beloved marsh.

"A pity a host can't accomadate all the needs of an unexpected guest," Vernon stated bluntly and disspassionately as he resumed swishing his tail. He decided to be a little nice since his guest seemed to at the very least feign manners, unlike most of the others he had met with who were often blatantly disrespectful.

Vernon patiently waited for Shorin's reply, name, and explaination of why on imythess he was wandering the sewers in the first place. An intersting story surely had to exist to account for the last part.

Shorin watched as the orange glow stopped moving. His eyes narrowed as he waited for an attack. His hand readied itself to reach for his conceled dagger, his eyes loocked ontot the heat spot. And nothing happened. The other spoke, though, and Shorin mulled over his words. "Yes, a pity it is. I guess that puts us on thin ice with each other." Turning to Kythorne, he signaled to move forward. he was determined to see what sort of beast he was up against.

"Well, since niether of us feel assured that we can trust each other, let us suppose that we are not enemies. It make for safer conversation." Pausing, Shorin decided that for this, introductions were in order. "You may call me..," his mind wandered through the memories he retained form Shain and summoned one forth. After all, Verrona would likely have given the guards his name. "... Sava." The name of one of his dragon friends. Shorin doubted that the guards were givne that one. Highly doubted it.

Kythrone was now turning the corner, and Shorin slowly moved forward too. the red changed to orange, and steadily climbed to yellow. The odd swishing motion had started once more. Shorin looked at Kythrone and realized what the movement was. A tail. He stopped and snapped his fingers. Kythrone froze, his eyes locked onto the spot where Shorin supposed the being was.

Despite Shorin's words, he could still here the umbra's movement foward. Padded feet just simply weren't useful as silencers in this enviroment. The name seemed odd and no fitting for the man that the guest seemed to be. If the guest was a female then she darn well did a good job of desguising her voice. An even stranger name for a drow, though Vernon had plently of room to be in error with that assumtion. This guest was begining to smell like even more of a rat than himself and that indeed was saying something.

Vernon glared down at Shorin's pet. Stupid Umbras. They looked far too despisingly like cats. Vernon had hoped the man would give a proper introduction of his own accrd, but no he seemed more interested in babbling and giving him superflous information.

"Sava? Curious name for a male, even stranger for a drow, least I be wrong. In any case I could care less for your name, lie of a name, or even that of your pet. Presently I'm more concered about why you are in my sewers, and it would behoove you to be truthful for I can make your journey easier just as easily as I can end it," Vernon snickered as he kept a wary eye on the umbra.

SHorin thought for a moment. How to escape this situation. There was one obvious solution. he could reveal himself. After all, he was playing a game he was rather new at, and he was playing it one someone elses turf. Besides, what creature that lived in the sewers and had a tail could possibley work for Verrona. Kythrone's eyes were still locked onto the beast, so Shorin would have plenty of warning when and if the creature attacked.

"SInce you ask so wonderfuly and politley, I geuss I am inclined to coopperate." Not that he realy had a choice. It was either that, or die fighting with some odd beast in a filth ridden tunnel. "My name is Shorin. And I am in this putrid tunnel becuase there is most likely a bounty on my head by now. Placed by Verrona herself." This was just a geuss by Shorin now. If there was a bounty, Verrona would have placed it. Damn her and Shain to the abyss.

Now that this information was released, Shorin decided it was time for him to see who he was talking to. He walked forward slowly, but not hesitantly. He was not going to give any more ground than he had to. He was determined to gain an upperhand against his aquaintance. He was shocked to see what his aquantance was. Shorin cleared the corner and was looking dead on a bright yellow white-ish figure clinging to the ceiling. It was a rat. A very large, humaniod rodent. Wererat?

Pestilence was pleased to see things finaly going his way, though it would have been all together nicer if the drow had opted to comply sooner. After giving away his secrets the drow carefully rounded the corner to join his pet. The hard part was in whether or not to beleive this soul. He seemed honest enough this time, but it did inspire a few questions.

"Greetings then Shorin and I welcome you and yor pet to the wonder that is Taras' sewer. I am Vernon, Lord of the sewers and master of the hauntwood Marsh. Assuming that we are indeed being truthful now, tell me what you did so tacklessly to invoke the goddess' attention and anger as well as have her place a bounty on your head. You don't very much look like one for mass chaos and city terrorization," Vernon replied in a more pleasent tone. It despite the fact that they bother were drow he figured that most normal drow would not get along well with her, but there was still the chance he was a relative of some sort or something like that. No, the goddess likely would likely have came herself rather than send others.

"And while you are at it, describe your intentions within my sewers after all no one can help you if they don't know what you are doing," Vernon snickered shortly afterwards. Chances were he was trying to escape the cover of the gaurds, but who knows maybe he intended to wait for the right chance for round two.

Shorin was till debating on what his new companion was when he spoke. it took a moment for the rat's words to register, but Shorin was able to sort them out and come up with a reasonable answer. "My greetings to you, Vernon, master of your domain. As to why I have a bounty on my head, that is difficult to describe. And lengthy. To put it shortly, I have done something to a potential follower of hers, taken an item realy, and now he wants it back. As he is a willing servant to her, she shares his want." He nodded, satisfied with his response. It summed up what had transpired very well.

"As to why I am here, i doubt it is difficult for you to tell. If it is, I am seeking a way out of the city." And since this Vernon was the "Lord of the sewers" perhaps he could provide an excelent route out. Of course, he might not. Shorin could think of a few unpleasent reasons that the large rodent would keep him here.

Vernon silently digested the information as he decided what to do. He was sure this stolen object had some value or else the drow wouldn't be in such trouble. Asking of course wouldn't be the best way of varifing how vaulable the object would is. "I would doubt this would be some petty theft to get you in this position so I'm sure at the very least you have something to make this worth my while. You know how the old saying goes, the only things that are free nowadays.... are meals," Vernon snickered as looked down at them. Course there was still the problem of the drow having nothing valuble that he wished to part with, especially since Vernon did not at all feel like fighting to prove a point. Maybe he could let him off conviently near a gaurd's post and watch the chase, or maybe such haunting thoughts would make the drow's company entertaining. Who could blame him, Talking rats shouldn't generally be taken as trustworthy and Vernon was certain no exception as a whole.

As Vernon awaited Shorin's reply he mentally pulled the shortest and longest routes to mind and ponderd whether the answer would be the ultimate determinate as too which one would be used.

(>.< *gags* sorry it took so long.)