The last few days were a blur to her. The memories broken and shatered. She wasn't sure what had really happened, but if she was to belive the Burning Fist that had been with her, they had crossed paths with a caravan of Drow. The wagon was mostly whole, as were the items in it, but she had yet to make it outside of the tavern here. The leader of these Drow had used some sort of ranged attack and had shot Ornell. She had felt the world falling away from her and wondered if that was what dieing felt like. The Burning Fist clamed that her soul was made of fire itself ad that the fire had flown down upon the Drow who had suposidly killed her and she had somehow taken the drow's form, changing it slighly and marking it as in the possesion of an Elemental... what they ment by that was still more then a little confusing.

So a woman who seemed to be an elf sat at the bar with a mug in hand, drinking. The drink didn't seem to have any real effect though. She didn't care at the moment though. Ornell was just trying to drown herself in something strong so she would be able to ignore the many eyes of the Burning Fist as they kept an eye on her from a distance. She wondered what they were so woried about, then downed the last of her drink. It burned on the way down and she held out her mug to the bartender. "Another."

With 3 hours of discussions between a high ranking noble and himself had finally forced Sealamin to walk out of the discussion. What the noble had required from the new guild had been too much for Sealamin to agree to, especially with such small amount of members. And so Sealamin had left the meeting to cool down from the small arguement, and to have a drink while he waited for his next aquaintance to meet up with.

Upon entering the tavern, the first thing Sealamin noticed was that there was numerous members of what Sealamin knew to be The Burning Fist. He had met a few of them rarely, and merely knew who they were, but nothing more. There was also a fellow elf at the bar downing something, and a few other people spread around the tavern. Not that busy, and nothing seemed like it would kick off, and so Sealamin was happy to go and get a drink.

Sealamin quickly walked accross the tavern to the bar, and dropped his shield to lean against his stool, with his sword being moved to allow him to sit comfortably. "A glass of water barman when your ready please." The elf was only a few stools down from him, and Sealamin was tempted to enter conversation with her.

The bartender was getting her another drink as a stranger came up and asked for water. She waited as the bartender took a moment to get the requested water at the same moment. She shifted her weight forward, resting her elbows on the counter top. She looked over at the stranger and found herself reminded of something. She gave a slight shrug as her glass was placed before her and she picked it up to down a good amount. The burning was now very familiar, but she still was feeling no effect from it. Nothing but the burn of it down her throat… Damn, wasn’t it supposed to affect her somehow?

She set the cup down with a thump on the wood and looked back over at the stranger. She didn’t move for a moment, and then asked in a completely sober tone, “What brings a warrior like yourself out into the middle of the desert?”

Somewhere in the back of her mind she remembered a winged elf. Something was there… she didn’t think it was this one though. A different elf. Still, there was something. Damn. Ornell then mentally chided herself for cussing so much even if it wasn’t out loud. She had the feeling she should be doing something else too, but what that was… it wasn’t coming to mind.

Sealamin took his water from the bar tender and dropped a coin into his hand before he dissapeared to dish out some more drinks. The fellow elf to his left seemed to be drinking heavily, and seemed to have been doing it for a while now. Which meant it was a surprise to hear her speaking to him in a clear voice that wasnt slurred from alcohol.

Sealamin himself was not a tall fellow at 5"8, but the elf two seats down was at least 2 or 3 inches smaller than himself. She also seemed older than himself, but you could never really tell with elves unless they were really young or really old.

"I am merely meeting.." Sealamin had to pause to think of how he wanted to phrase why he was here, "some aquaintances, I guess you could call them." Yes aquaintances didnt give anything away. The words employer or partners would lead to some awkward questions if she was inquisitive enough, and so friends or aquaintances was fine.

"Anyway, what is an elf doing drinking heavily in Istan? It seems an unusual past time in an unusual place." Sealamin re-arranged his leather jacket and drank a bit of his water.

She looked at him in silence for a moment. Acquaintances? That didn't sound too promising. Ornell sat upright and pushed herself away from the bar top. She turned sideways in her chair so she faced the winged elf, her own small red wings twitched lightly, then flexed and folded themselves neatly across her back once more as she pulled her hair to the side so that her wings wouldn't catch them. She then flicked her hair back over her shoulder. Having it down was not really too common for her, but she had been in no mood to do it up nicely this morning. She offered her hand to the stranger then, right hand, palm slightly turned up to show it was empty. Her left hand lay, fingers slightly splayed, on her left knee.

"I'm Ornell, Leader of the Burning Fists. Recently dubbed Rune for some reason, I'm not sure why yet. I'm sure I find out sooner or later. As for drinking, I have never actually drank with the intent of getting drunk before." She picked up her glass with her free hand and looked at what was left in the bottom wistfully. "Sadly, it appeared it doesn't effect me the same way it does other people. Just the feel of it burning down to my stomach and that's all. It seems rather odd to me."

Looking back up from her cup she smiled weakly to him. "And who might you be, good sir?"

Sealamin had been sitting with his left arm across his body on the bar, and his right arm resting on his elbow while he drank, which was comfortable for him, despite turning his neck to the left a bit too much. At her outstretched hand, Sealamin took a second before turning his body round and shaking her hand with his right, his left hand still resting lightly on the bar.

He was slightly surprised that she was the leader of the Burning Fists, and his eyebrows arched quickly as well as his eyes showing his surprise. He knew of them, but for the affinity with fire, he had just assumed the leader was male, slightly sexist really, but it was something he had never really thought about.

"I'm Sealamin, Sealamin Joysword at your service," a slight smile played on his face before he continued. "Personally, I dont drink much alcohol, if at all, and so small amounts are enough to effect me," Sealamin shrugged as he drank some more water while he glanced around the room again.

She shook hands with him and then let her hand fall back to her lap. Deciding that she was done trying to get drunk, mostly because it was becoming a waste of muny and she wasn’t sure how much she had, she set the glass back down, scooting a bit away from her so it wasn't in easy reach. Then she smiled at the Avorial. “Sealamin Joysword, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m not one to normally drink either, not beyond social reasons, but I had never gotten drunk before and it sounded like a good idea. It still does, but I don’t think it will do me any good to keep trying.” She looked away from him then, letting her gaze travel around the Inn at all the people here. So many were having such wonderful times while she wasn’t. Ornell thought that she shouldn’t be taking that away from them. She should perhaps head back up to her room and stay there until she felt better able to cope with this change and the unfamiliarity to all of the familiarity. It was like she didn’t quite fit there anymore…

Her gaze shifted back to Sealamin Joysword. Ornell couldn’t leave him sitting here by himself though. That was just plain rude and he had been so polite so far. He still reminded her of someone, but she couldn’t make the memory surface… “Would asking more about your reasons for visiting the great City of Istan be pressing into matters you don’t wish to discuss or not?”

Sealamin considered the question. It would really depend on which reason he was in the city. He was still undecided on his future with Regis and the mercenary idea, and his meeting had opened his eyes to what a mercnary guild would demand from him, and some of the things were what he had not planned for.

"I have some friends in the city, who are in need of... some protection and help, in private matters. I have recently been considering some mercenary activities with a friend of mine, and these would have been our first proper employers." Sealamin cleared his throat and quickly finished his drink, waving the barman across for another glass of water, and then asking for a few slices of bread and cheese too.

Turning back to the elf, Sealamin appraised her before continuing, wondering what view she would take. "The meeting however, took a turn of events that surprised me, and opened my eyes to some of the things, as mercenaries, that we would be required to do. Things that I am not willing to partake, or even put my name too." And that was life. Some people would do anything for money and work, some had morals and wouldn't do specific things.

She straightened when he opted to tell her why he was here. He was here for work? Mercenary work wasn’t anything bad in and of itself, but if what he was saying was true? Ornell frowned slightly and when the barkeep came back with more water for him and his ordered food, she asked for some water too. She knew alcohol dehydrated people and even if she couldn’t respond to the alcohol, water wouldn’t hurt any. At least that was what she had learned from her life here in the desert.

There was a soft glow of embers in her eye then, or perhaps a trick of the light, but other then that her expression didn’t seem to change any. Just a slight arch of an eyebrow. “Really now? I’ve heard that most mercenary work isn’t bad actually. What sort of things could possibly turn such a fine gentleman as yourself away from such work?” She still had that odd sense of familiarity about this winged man. Like she should know him or about him. She couldn’t pen down the cause of the feeling. It was getting a bit annoying in all truth. One of the Burning Fist got up and walked past them on his way out, he gave a slight smile and smile to Ornell as he went.

Sealamin turned towards his food as he tasted a small bit of the cheese. Satisfied that it was of decent quality to be eaten, Sealamin offered the plate to Rune "may I offer you something to nibble on?"

Sealamin then leaned back and started to eat a slice on bread and cheese while he considered the response. What the employer expected was too much of a push on his own morals. There was too much that Sealamin wasnt willing to do. Killing soldiers was one thing, butchering masses was another. Sealamin was facing the bar as he thought and chewed, and so didnt see the Burning Fist member smile to Rune as he went past.

Sealamin turned his head across to Rune as he spoke to her, "there were too many things that were against my own morals. I will not butcher innocent people. I am not murderer." Starting to get slightly annoyed at the end, Sealamin's voice hardened slightly.

She nodded her thanks as she accepted the cheese from him and placed ate it while he spoke. She felt her jaw clench for a moment at his tone. This sounded very much like something that should not be happening. Even more so because she was here. Staying in the Inn, even with as charming of a host as she had, was not something she should be doing. She should not be allowing this to be happening while she was here in the city. Rune forced her jaw to unclench and made herself relax as she drank her own water to wash down the cheese. She drank about half before setting the glass down and getting to her feet. She placed a hand gently on his arm and smiled at him.

"That's perfectly fine with me Sealamin. In fact I don't think anyone should even be asking someone to do such a thing. Would you mind introducing me to them? I have a few things I wouldn't mind discussing with them." She kept her tone warm and conversational. She knew more then a few here would pick up on a change in her tone and expect a fight of some type, as vulgar a thing as that was.

She doubted anyone was going to push their luck against her. She had been a Goddess after all and if a show of power was needed, she could pull that off without even a second thought. She would be careful not to harm anyone, but trying to hire men like Sealamin into questionable work was not something she would let go on.

Sealamin blinked in surprise. He had not expected her to be this interested in the people behind the offer that he turned down. There was no need to go back to them, whats done was done. He had turned down the offer and left after an arguement. There was no need to rekindle old arguements.

"May I ask why? I dont see any need to go back and restart any more arguements with them. Whats done is done. I have no need to continue in that area of work." Taking another bite of bread and cheese, Sealamin spun round to the bar. He was determined to not go back there. It would make no sense.

She was surprised by his answer and it showed on her face this time. Then she shook her head and spoke in a hushed but almost sharp tone. "Sir. Joysword, I am not trying to offend or force you into a situation that you don't wish to be in. Quite the opposite in all truth. Did you not think that if they are willing to try and make such an offer to you that they might make the same offer to a less honorable man who does not have your wonderful standard? A scoundrel would take it the job without any second thought and those same innocents you refuse to murder will simply die at another's hand. I would like to prevent it entirely. Even if they have found someone else, having them pay for what they are doing will make it so the mercenary will not get paid and the innocent will keep their lives.”

She gave his arm a gentile squeeze, leaning forward to try and keep the conversation between them. “If you don't wish to have a confrontation with them yourself, simply show or tell me who they are and where they are and I will take care of the rest.”

Silendra crouched in the shadow created by the corner of a building, her long hair was tied back so as to stay out of the way and she appeared to be hunting something. Her eyes held a look of deadly concentration and determination, a wickedly curved blade rested in its scabbard at her waist as she scanned the area before her. She saw two figures, one male and one female in conversation. She did not wish to reveal herself just yet so she remained hidden where she was and thought her private thoughts. It had been so long since she had last been in Istan City but it layout was familiar to her, having learned it a million times.