[Darkness]

The dark cloaked man stumbles to his feet. His head throbbed, and looking around him, he found that the adventurers were gone. Anger raged through him... Where could that have gone? Casting his eyes in all directions, he saw a lone figure walking away from him in the distance. Alone, it was safe to assume that it was not any of the adventurers, but perhaps whoever it was had seen the adventurers and was following them. Stumbling in that direction, he decided not to let this figure out of his sight. The person seemed to be going at a slow pace; they must be doing something as they walked. He thought he'd manage to catch up in a short time.

[MA-53]

Saelel becomes aware of the cloaked figure following him, and turns.

"Who are you?" He thought it was a simple question.

[Darkness]

He barely spared the man a glance as he walked past him. The man had stopped, turning back to him when he realized he was being followed, but the dark cloaked man almost completely ignored him. He continued walking, expecting the other man to follow. "I am night incarnate," he said, rather vaguely. "And who are you?"

[MA-53]

"Question for question, eh?" Saelel said, keeping pace with the figure. "I am Saelel Ourdistis. I am a druid."

He kept walking for a moment before asking another question. "Why did you leave me back there, after I saved you?"

[Darkness]

The dark cloaked man shrugged. "You were in no danger. The reknosks were after me. I needed to get to the adventurers, because I thought that the reknosks might decide to chase them again. It was amazing that they had stayed ahead for as long as they had. I didn't expect it to last much longer." It was a half truth. A lie made up of enough truths that it sounded true to most anyone.

[MA-53]

Saelel was tempted to believe him, but there still were some unanswered questions.

"Why are you so interested in the adventurers?"

[Darkness]

It appeared that this 'Saelel' was rather suspicious of him at that point in time. Though the dark cloaked man supposed it wasn't without cause, considering the circumstances. "You mean to ask me why I attempted to save them. Of course, I could ask you the same question, seeing as you also participated in that battle."

[MA-53]

Saelel allowed himself to chuckle. "Fair enough."

He gazed up at the sky as they walked. "I suppose my being in the right place was fate. As to why I assisted you..." A pause. "I find myself helping those in need. Especially when they are being attacked by beings as vile and unnatural as the reknosks. As for why I am following them, I get the feeling that they are not out of danger yet. But you still have yet to answer me; what is your interest in this matter?"

[Darkness]

The dark cloaked man was silent for a moment before speaking. "I suppose my answer would be similar to yours, at least part of it. I, too, somehow found myself here at precisely the right time. I knew that the reknosks' being here was very unnatural, reknosks being minions of the Fallen in all circumstances. Thus, I knew that the adventurers were not allied with him. This led me to believe that they might be true in heart indeed. But I knew more about them as well.

"I know they hold in their possession something very powerful... I had hoped that they were, in fact, worthy of carrying it, for I knew that if it was in the hands of those who would misuse it, most especially those sworn to follow evil, great darkness would fall upon the land. The fact that the Fallen chased after them showed that they were not his minions, but there are many forms of evil in this world. If not the Fallen's followers, they could be Nemorok's, for example. But I sincerely hoped that it would not come to battle... That they were those who could hold the item responsibly. But... It seems I was wrong."

[MA-53]

"So in your estimation, simply handing this item to you would be responsible? I am not sure you are the good-seeking prodigy you claim to be. There are indeed many forms of evil in this world. You claim to be 'night incarnate'... Why, exactly?"

Another pause.

"In any case, it seems that neither of us knows rightly what the stone is, or what it does. Perhaps we should follow the adventurers and ask. Then we can both make our convictions."

[Darkness]

The dark cloaked man shook his head for a moment. "I do not wish to use it. I am not among those who are meant to. It is not my destiny to take advantage of the item. If I had found them to be such that they should not have the artifact, whether it be because of their dark alignment or another reason, then I would take try to take it, yes, but only for a time until I found one who would be worthy to carry it."

With Saelel's next question, a small smile crossed the dark cloaked man's face. "A dark past. Though for many, that would mean a dark future... There are those who manage to find their way back to the path." He paused for a moment again. "I do not think it would be wise to so easily bring their attention upon you. As I said before, I had sincerely hoped that it would not come to battle between myself and them. I had followed them to see if they were pure of heart. When I approached them as they rested, they attacked me and left me for dead. I am not sure if they follow the path of light."

[MA-53]

"Hm. I think I will see for myself how they react to my inquiries. For now, however, since we seek the same thing, I think it wise that we do so together."

[Darkness]

"Yes, that may be wise. However, I do not know how long I was unconscious, and thus I do not know how far ahead they are. It might be prudent to increase our pace."

[MA-53]

"Indeed." Saelel let the cloaked figure take the lead before he swung his staff in a high arch, hitting the man in the back of the head. Saelel didn't like liars.

Saelel then spoke with the earth, and opened a chasm underneath the man, letting him fall in for a few seconds before he resealed the earth.

Then he took off at a run, hoping to get to the troubled adventurers before any other evildoers.

[Darkness]

It was true, the dark cloaked man had not expected what came next. He had thought he had been very convincing. Apparently, though, this Saelel -- if that was his real name, of course, which it might not be if he had been onto him from the beginning -- was wiser than he had previously expected. Raising his hand above his head, the recently sealed earth above him exploded upwards. He then levitated upwards, landing softly on the desert sands. Saelel had taken off running. The dark cloaked man pursued.