Private Tales Born to Die

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
Rhenn Willowood

Rhenn Willowood

The Darkwalker
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"I'm not interested."

Captain Willowood only gave the old man those three words, nothing more. Not even a passing glance was offered to the figure standing in the doorway of his cluttered and claustrophobic office, tucked into the corner of the Vanguard Headquarters at his request. The Captain was flattered that The Absalon himself had taken time out of his busy schedule to come and pester him, but the man who Solomon Regis sought to speak to was no longer present. No, His Highness sought who the Captain had once been, before he'd started his second life in Valenntenia.

"Rhenn, I know it's a lot to ask but--"

"No, not a lot. Too much." The scar-faced man finally turned to face the one he'd once answered to. A single, pale, and glowing eye glimmered in the dim candlelight of the room, curtains drawn over the windows to keep the shadows he preferred alive and well. "I'm not a Guardian anymore. She's not my responsibility, this Bohnes girl." His words were direct, stoic, and final. Rhenn unclasped his gauntlets and tossed them onto the table in front of him with an awful clatter before leaning forward on his hands, looking up with a piercing gaze towards The Abasalon. "You know who showed me how to use the stone when I got it? Nobody." His neutral voice slowly shifted to that of a sneer. "And I don't do charity, old man."

Solomon let out a sigh. He'd expected Rhenn to be prickly about the idea, but he'd hoped that some sense of duty remained in the man. As Guardian of Disease, Rhenn Willowood had excelled in the role more than any before or after him. In fact, he was so far the only one in recorded history to survive service under that particular stone and retire. That service had been... rough, however. Rhenn was an antagonistic fellow, and he had a habit of looking out only for himself. That he hadn't been forcibly removed from his position was only because of how talented he was, and how efficient he could be when used properly.

But he was right. Duty be damned, this wasn't something he was obligated to do. Solomon couldn't begrudge him for refusing. Still, he owed it to Ingrid, to the future of the Disease Stone, to try and make this happen.

"Rhenn, Please... I haven't told her, but... she's in far worse shape than most are after only three years. I worry she's holding too much of her power in, for fear of spreading plague. She's a sweet girl, but she's going to kill herself."

Willowood slammed his fist down on the table and interjected again before he had to hear any more of this guilt-mongering. "And her coffin will be on your conscience, not mine! Now if you'll excuse me, I have important work to be doing, that doesn't involve listening to your whining. Sir."

Solomon bit down on his cheek, a hand moving to the pocket of his robes. He hadn't wished for it to come to this, it was an act he would feel no small amount of guilt in, but if it kept one of his Guardians alive... if he didn't have to lose Ingrid the way he'd lost Dorian... it would be worth it. "Perhaps... I could offer you something in exchange? Something valuable?"

Rhenn's eyes narrowed to slits, his agitated lips twitching into a phantom smirk.

"I'm listening."


Rhenn couldn't remember the last time he'd worn his gear. He'd grown so used to the armor of the Vanguard that the garb he'd once donned every day as a Guardian now felt foreign to him. Even looking into his mirror, he saw not the man he was, but a reflection of his past; little more than a phantom clad in black shadow, all but his eyes concealed by the cloth woven for him by the Somners so many years ago. It had been a big commotion when he'd announced to his platoon that he was taking a leave of absence, even more so when they saw him wearing this suit.

"The Darkwalker is back." One had said. He supposed he was, if only for a short while.

The walk to the Tower was an excellent chance to limber up, his arms and legs stiff from desk duty and training drills. His clothes felt tight, but he was certain he hadn't bulked up much in the last three years. Still, to be certain, Rhenn traveled across the rooftops of the Old Town, testing his footing and balance against the old and uneven slopes of the buildings designed by old minds and senile hands. He may not have had the Stone, but the feeling of power it had granted him had never left. He felt it there, buried in his muscles, the memories of his very bones.

Up ahead lay the Tower, a place he'd not been in three years. Within was his charge; Ingrid Bohnes, his replacement.

She'd better be worth the trouble.

Ingrid Bohnes
 
  • Scared
  • Devil
Reactions: Ingrid Bohnes and Lale Carvyre
Ingrid had still been a bit worried about what Solomon had said in their meeting. It seemed like cheating, like she wasn't doing her duty correctly. Was there even such a thing? Then again, the man she was supposed to be meeting was apparently the only one to have survived the effects of the stone, long enough to retire and live a life beyond. While she understood the why, she didn't like how the Absalon hid behind his kind eyes. He had secrets, and he was about to subject her to one of them, she felt.

Sitting idly at the base of the tower, feeding the pigeons that graced her presence, she wilted a bit as she waited. Normally she'd be devouring snacks at an alarming rate, but her stomach felt sick as time went on. She felt like she was holding her stone, even though she hadn't touched it since her return to the city. Even though it whispered and called out to her, she was able to resist it for now. It would be harder once she carried it again, harder to keep it in check. The stone had its own agenda, and it wanted to use her in ways she had no desire to do.

This man, she was not keen to meet him. She had a feeling that this would not go as Solomon desired, that they would end up two bristling cats, fighting instead of this supposed help she was to get. The stone fed into it, it knew who was coming.

Rhenn Willowood
 
She didn't look like much.

Surely there must have been some sort of mistake-- The short and skinny sack of bones that stood exactly where his new 'protege' had been instructed to wait for him wasn't like any kind of Guardian he'd ever seen before. Maybe the old man had been so desperate to fill the spot Rhenn had left behind that the Somners had been sent to scour the local orphanages and alleyways for any frail little urchin that wouldn't be missed.

The pair of eyes looking down at Ingrid from above narrowed to slits. It was a set-up; he'd agreed to train a Guardian to use the Disease Stone, not some pathetic little whelp who would have been blown over by a stiff wind to her back. It was no wonder she was having problems controlling it, he'd be surprised if she could lift the damned thing with one arm.

"Lesson one." His voice came down from the rooftops above her as a shadowy figure dropped to the ground like a bolt of ebony lightning, making not a sound as he landed. It was a man, clad in dark garb that gave off not even a glimmer in the light of the sun, as though he were wrapped in the very night himself. Only his eyes were visible, one brown and one glowing with a mysterious blue light, surrounded by scarring and distortion Ingrid would know all too well. "If you're going to feed anybody, you wear gloves."

Rhenn slowly stood and flared his cloak, scaring away the remaining pigeons who hadn't fled at his initial arrival. His boots were as quiet as death as he approached her with a gaze as sharp as the knives upon his hip. There was no need to introduce himself to her; She would know-- the Stone would tell her.

The Darkwalker wondered what his old friend had to say about him, the one who would not be broken or beholden.

"Even without the Stone, disease will linger for eleven days before your skin can be touched." The Stone... it wasn't near. Rhenn couldn't feel the tug. Was it still in Solomon's keeping, then? Did he expect him to teach her without a practical demonstration? No... he didn't trust Rhenn. For good reason. If that cursed Rune had tried to force itself onto him again, he'd have no qualm smashing it to bits. Rhenn tore his eyes away from Bohnes, as unimpressed as he'd expected, and looked up towards the tower she stood in front of. "Our benevolent leader thinks you're going to die. Looking at you, I agree with him."

Willowood was heavily considering abandoning this farce, but the reward Solomon had promised him was still quite tempting, despite this walking hurdle in front of him. Still, if he couldn't guarantee success...

A coin toss then, with some strings attached.

"Who is your enemy? What stands between you and your goals?"

He didn't look at her as he asked the question, his eyes fixated on a particular part of the Tower's exterior. Her answer would decide her fate today, would determine whether or not she was teachable and worthy of his time.

Ingrid Bohnes
 
Ingrid lifted her bent head as the pigeons took flight, the shadow..no a man, dropping from above to spook them away. The few that lingered were quickly sent to wing as he got closer, all the while she merely watched. No emotion, not even a flinch from his sudden arrival would give her away. She blinked slowly, was he trying to intimidate her or something? Was he going to be insufferable like Lale was?

She stood, wiping the crumbs from her hands, her face still a blank slate as she studied him. She could feel the swell of the stone, greedy as it felt his presence. It knew its old wielder well, and sought to possess him too, once more. This was who she had been waiting for, though she was unimpressed by his self-importance.

She finally spoke, her tone scathing as she responded. Who was he to prejudge her? "This wasn't my idea, so you can drop your annoyance at any point. I did not desire your aide and am doing this only because it was requested of me. Solomon thinks I'm going to die because I refuse to infect plague upon the world, I assure you the stone would not end me so quickly."

Ingrid tilted her head slightly, a small smirk on her lips. "It remembers you, wants to devour you too. It has plans, plans it couldn't achieve with you as a wielder. Perhaps you are not the Disease favorite you think you are." She quirked a challenging eyebrow at his question, a sharp laugh leaving her. "My enemy is my friend. The Stone is the problem and the solution. I just have refused to bend completely to its will."

Rhenn Willowood
 
Were Ingrid not a woman he was being paid, handsomely so, to look after, Rhenn would have smacked her across her face for her insolence. She was no Guardian in his eyes, no servant of the Stones to be respected. She was a girl playing pretend, and he was here to give her a healthy dose of reality. One he now saw she sorely needed. The answer she provided to his question was not at all the correct one, but the words preceding it brought such amusement to him that he forgave her.

"You assure me the stone will not end you so quickly..." He parroted her words, his voice seeming to break into a laugh, though the only evidence was the bending of the cloth covering his lips. Willowood's eyes looked down at Bohnes with that eerie glow that almost seemed to dim with pity for the woman. "And you... believe it? You think you are more than a vessel? More than a means to an end?" Rhenn's amusement was slowly replaced by an incredulous astonishment.

Eventually, he shook his head, tearing his gaze from her to look toward the fountain. "The old man is right. You are going to die. It's a miracle you haven't already." Willowood grows silent, simply standing there before her, staring into the waters of the fountain. His own twisted visage staring back at him was a haunting reminder of his constant battle against the Disease Stone, a scar that would never truly heal. Now, it had the gall to speak through her, to taunt him so.

"Lesson Two." He suddenly snapped around once more, dropping to sit on the edge of the fountain. "Use your head this time, Bohnes. Don't you wonder why your Stone wouldn't be able to enact its 'plans' through somebody considered to be the most gifted Disease Rune wielder in our history? Seems odd, doesn't it?" What were they teaching children in Valenntenia about the stones these days? That they were all for the good of mankind, untainted by evil? "You called me the Disease 'favorite'. But that's a misnomer. The reason people remember my name isn't because I worked with the disease stone, it's because I made the stone work for me. I subjugated it, used it like the tool it was meant to be instead of talking to it like some pet."

Rhenn raised his hand, and pointed his finger at the Tower, towards the exact room the Stone sat idly on some pedestal, waiting for one or both of them to come and retrieve it. "That runestone is not your friend, Ingrid. It uses you to enact the will of the Ancient that bled upon it. Despite what our dear historians will tell you, not all of those Ancients were so pure of heart." Daggolyth, the Disease Ancient, was a cunning and deceitful God, lover of Arevyln of Darkness and rival of Kairikal of Light. Of course, those writings weren't referenced much anymore. The Absalon found them 'divisive and misleading'.

"It lies to you, tells you what you want to hear. The only plan it has for you is the complete symbiosis of your being to spread its plague, and ultimately, your demise."

A pause... Ingrid would practically feel the smirk on Rhenn's face.

"Touching that my return has rattled it so, that it began to speak upon seeing me. I find that fear flattering."

Ingrid Bohnes
 
Yes. the stone tainted your mind, your body. It used you, manipulated you. It's will extending beyond its current resting space. She could feel it using her to taunt the abrasive man that stood before her. She wanted to let it needle him, just for his stance upon meeting her. She knew better though, knew she needed to reign it in. She had to show some sort of restraint, or he would use it to tech in that mocking tone she already disliked.

Ingrid let a small breath escape her lips, pursing them as he spoke. She let him finish, let him make his points as he settled on the edge of the fountain. She balled her fists quietly, waiting for her turn to retort. Finally, he shut up with that hidden smirk so easily prevalent that it lingered in the air between them.

She stepped up to him, her lips quirking up into a smile again, though it wasn't a friendly one. "You're right, I might die quicker than some, I might not last as long as the Great Darkwalker." She lowered herself to meet his gaze, the temptation to shove him into the fountain making her itch. "Do you want to know why? Or do you just want to assume you know everything about me?"

The stone stirred, reared its greedy head once more. It liked them being at odds, wanted to continue to cause misery between the new wielder and the old. There was a gleefulness she could feel, it wanted them to hate each other.

Rhenn Willowood
 
The way she so sarcastically used that ridiculous title that the people had given him so long ago... If it were anybody else he would have admired the balls it took to speak it so brazenly to his face. In Ingrid's case, though, even if she'd had balls, which he doubted, they'd long since rotted off with how poorly she was maintaining herself, or so he'd heard.

"I don't assume I know anything about you, Bohnes. Tell me one lie that I've told you since arriving. I know some things, because I've lived your life once before." She thought him presumptuous, and perhaps he was, to an extent. Nevertheless, he didn't speak if he knew himself to be uninformed.

As he shifted his weight and leaned an arm down to rest upon the fountain's stone edge, the smile on his face faded, and his fingers drummed impatiently on his knee. "Whatever reason you give me doesn't matter, because I'm being paid to make sure you don't die. So unless it's a death wish you're struggling with, it's irrelevant."

Again, his scarred eyes fluttered up to that room of the Tower where Disease called to her from. The old man hadn't taken the Rune's will into account when arranging this little partnership, and the desires of the Stone could make this a degree more complicated if they weren't careful. After all, he couldn't very well teach her to better control the stone if they didn't have the stone, now could they?

"We're burning daylight, Ingrid. We should go and retrieve your stone and set off. The sooner we begin, the sooner you can be rid of me."

Ingrid Bohnes
 
Ingrid narrowed her eyes, crinkling her nose as if she had tasted something bitter on her tongue. This had been a bad idea; she had known it from the start. She had no people skills, had no desire to be a part of this grand scheme Solomon had come up with. Sure, she looked up to Mordred and Konstantine, but it's not like they were friends by any measure.

Straightening, she crossed her arms, the desire to continue to argue twisting in her mind. Sure, the guy was a bit of an ass, but her own hostility was catching her off guard. She gripped the skin of her arm forcefully breaking her concentration from the man in front of her. She stepped back and turned away from him, her gaze also seeking out the room her stone lay trapped in.

"Fine, you're right. Let's just get this over with." The stone was being maddening, the return of Rhenn had stirred up a malicious intent that she hadn't felt before. Sure, it was toxic and made her sick, made her want to do certain things, but never did it have her out of sorts like it did now. She continued to hold her arms close to her chest as she made for the tower steps, trying to ignore the shadow of the man behind her. "The sooner we do this, the sooner I can be alone again."

Did she truly want that though?

Rhenn Willowood
 
Rhenn's eye followed her carefully as she approached the Tower doors. Thus far, Ingrid seemed an incompetent choice for the wielder of Disease, one who'd already gone in too deep before she was ready. While he'd never vocalize pity for the girl, Willowood didn't blame her for her shortcomings. After all, it wasn't her choice to fill his shoes. Solomon and his merry men had placed that burden onto her themselves.

Still, it was a sink-or-swim world. The lot Bohnes had been given was not one she'd be rid of any time soon, and if she didn't learn to stand up for herself against the godly tool she'd been given possession of, she would die before the next homecoming. Of that, Rhenn had no doubt whatsoever.

What he hadn't told her was far more interesting.

There was a rule among Guardians, unwritten though it was, that the wielders of a Rune should not, under any circumstances, interact with former wielders of that same stone unless absolutely necessary. Such meetings had a history of triggering psychotic episodes and mental anguish in the current Guardians, as the bond between the Runestone and its former protector attempted to re-establish itself.

The Stone of Disease had definitely just made such an attempt, but Ingrid had brushed it off as though it were naught but a minor annoyance.

There was potential in her, after all. For the first time since he'd donned his shadows once more, Willowood felt the slightest hint of interest in Ingrid Bohnes.

The Absalon had been so kind as to send a Somner to meet the two of them in the entrance hall of the tower, a scholarly-looking, older gentleman who carried the Stone of Disease in a ceramic tray, a material that the rune would not rot itself through without significant time.

"Absalon Regis sends you his regards, Miss Bohnes."

As Ingrid picks up her Runestone, her hand would feel a small piece of paper taped to the ceramic underneath it. The Somner would push his hands forward, silently urging her to take the paper as well.

"And your discretion in this matter is appreciated."

Rhenn snorts indignantly, assuming the latter message was meant for him, but the glimmer in the Somner's eye suggests that was also meant for Ingrid.

"Yes, I'm sure he's very appreciative. Are you ready to leave now, Bohnes?"

Ingrid Bohnes
 
Ingrid could feel Rhenn's eyes upon her back, could feel the weight of his disdain. It shrouded him like a cloak, and he let himself be wrapped up in it. She would show him, she wasn't this poor weak little thing he assumed she was. She was made of tougher stuff than anyone was giving her credit for. She entered the tower, proverbial nose in the air, haughtiness in her own ability.

She stopped dead, staring at the waiting Somner, blue eyes narrowing. Bit pushy, wasn't it? She collected herself, and walked up to the man. She could feel how excited the stone was, the malice glee that trickled from it with the air of toxicity it held. At his words, Ingrid donned a sickly sweet smile. "Thank the Absalon ever so kindly for me." She picked up her stone, wrapping pale fingers around it to conceal the glaring green of it in the palm of her hand.

Taking the paper, she held it up between two of her fingers, her own disdain seeping out as she rolled her eyes. "Thank you, I suppose." She turned on her heel from the Somner, motioning Rhenn to lead her on. "After you, mentor." She gripped the paper in one hand, stone in the other, nails biting into her palms at the irritation of it all. "Already wanting to keep secrets, The Absalon is not who I thought he was."

Rhenn Willowood
 
Rhenn was distracted enough with his thoughts that he hadn't paid any mind to the odd slip of paper that Ingrid had taken along with her stone. Or, if he did notice, he didn't seem to particularly care. It was Bohnes' comment on secrets that made him snort in a short laugh, shaking his head as they left the sacred walls of the Tower behind and began to descend the long, rewinding hillside path through Old Town.

"This whole city runs on secrets, Bohnes. The world, even. I don't agree with the old man on much, but..." Rhenn looks off to the side of the road as an older woman peddles homemade goods to passing children, fresh out of schooling with allowance in hand. "The everyday common folk can't handle too much truth. If you knew everything there was to know, you wouldn't be getting any sleep at night."

The ordinary Descendant in Valenntenia didn't have to worry about such unnerving realities. They were able to live peacefully under the protection of the Vanguard, of the Guardians. It was those chosen few who were burdened with their stone windows, small squares that peeked behind the curtain of perception. For Bohnes, it was the depths and horrors of disease, the fragility of life that she was tasked with knowing.

Any of those children were just as likely to grow sick and die tomorrow as the old woman. Only Rhenn and Ingrid knew that morbid fact.

"The stone has a way of warping your way of thinking over time. It's likely subtle now, but as you continue to wield it, the biggest battle of all will become remaining who you are, and not becoming what it wants you to be. So, tell me Bohnes... What is it you think you should do with your power?"

It was a question posed to all Guardians upon their appointment; They were given these Runestones to serve and better the world, but how they did it was for them and them alone to dictate.

Ingrid Bohnes
 
Ingrid shrugged at Rhenn's back as she opened the note so tactfully left by the man that had shoved these to spikey personalities together. She tucked it away as quickly as she had scanned it, her face still placid and unmoved. Having the stone in her possession once more weighed her down. She could feel the toxic seep that poked and prodded her even stronger than before. She focused on the man in front of her, feeling her steps slow just a little, felt her skin get clammy, her throat scratchy. Still, this was her burden, and she loved it as much as she hated it.

"No one should know everything, I agree." She spoke stiffly now, burning holes into his back with her azure gaze. She crossed completely to the other side of the road, avoiding the children and the old woman as much as possible. Reuniting with the stone would take slight adjustment, a balance of power she wasn't willing to risk on the innocent.

She remembered her answer to his question, the one she had given upon receiving her stone. How her mind had changed since that day. "Once upon a time, I dreamt of healing the world. Aiding those who were sick and dying. Now, I don't believe this power should be used for anything, it's too much, too powerful. He hungers too much. I'd rather not use it than accidentally hurt someone."

Rhenn Willowood
 
Being back in his old garb in front of so many gawking onlookers as they descended back into the city of Valenntenia was bad enough, but having to strut down the street so casually was even worse; Rhenn was accustomed to travelling in his own way, slinking through the alleyways and across the rooftops he'd come to know like the back of his own hand.

Out here, he just felt... exposed. Like any number of unnamed shadows that he'd wronged in his past could take aim and loose vengeance on his head at any given moment. Part of that worry was undoubtedly the paranoia etched into his mind by the stone Ingrid now carried behind him, but there was a modicum of truth to his concern.

"Listen, Bohnes..." Willowood looked back over his shoulder at his new charge, his voice absent of cynicism and judgement for perhaps the first time since they'd met. That was because she finally had said something he could resonate with, to some extent. "I don't fault that mindset. Hell, I might even agree with it. Ancients know I saw the damage that thing can do with my own eyes..."

Rhenn turned to cross the bridge running over the small waterway that ran through town, switching over onto the path leading towards the main city gates leading out of the Province. It was a nice, warm day out, which meant it was sweltering inside his cloak, of course. He wiped at his brow as they barely avoided the growing midday crowd filing towards the afternoon market.

"Unfortunately, it just doesn't work like that. If it's not you, it'll be somebody else. The only thing that hesitation would achieve is your death, before the burden you carry gets put on somebody else. Now, I don't know you any more than I know number of stars in the sky, but I don't think you seem the type to pass the buck."

Ingrid Bohnes
 
Ingrid followed at the heels of her new mentor, the people they did pass giving the two a wide berth. Both were well know, both would be avoided like, well, the plague. The slender girl paid it no mind, she was already used to the solitude her stone brought her. It might have bothered her in the beginning, but she understood it now.

She was almost caught off guard by his honest and blunt words, maybe he wasn't as bad as she had thought. Perhaps he was still human in there somewhere. She hastened across the bridge, distaste at the heat of the day on her face. It seemed that was another thing they could agree on.

Ingrid jutted her chin out with pride, he was right, that's not something she would do. "Okay, I will relent a little. Perhaps I could use a little of your insight here. Though I'm not happy to admit it." Her lips were in a pout as she truly did not like admitting defeat, especially to him. She wanted to prove she was just as good, if not better than the walking legend.

Rhenn Willowood
 
Just this once, Rhenn opted to spare her his colorful commentary. It had taken her longer than he would have liked, but it did seem she was finally going to let them get through this miserable little arrangement without too much fuss. Even Rhenn, stubborn as he was, knew better than to ruin a concession with unneeded words.

Indeed, he didn't speak again until the reached the gates of Valentennia, stopping almost as soon as they stepped out into the wide world beyond their city. From this point on, she was under his watch. There was no Solomon to coddle her, no Somners to breathe down her neck.

"I'm not asking you to be my friend, Bohnes. I'm not even asking you to think good of me." Rhenn wasn't much of a friendship kind of guy, and he wasn't a good person by his own admission. "All I expect of you is to listen to what I say. Whether or not you follow my advice is up to you, and not my problem in the slightest."

Without waiting for a response, he turns and continues on, walking by foot down the long road leading away from the coastline, the salty air, and the commotion of the city.

"The Stone." He calls back to her as they walk. "When's the last time you used it?"

Ingrid Bohnes
 
She continued behind him quietly, it seemed they had come to somewhat of a truce and she was content enough with that. She knew part of it was her desire to cut people off, save them from her. The other part was the stone, it always wanted her to itself. Her hands wandered to her pocket, pulling the slip of paper she had initially paid no mind to. Curiosity won, and she opened it to reveal the words hidden within.

She slipped it back into her pocket as they neared the gates nearly running into Rhenn as he stopped suddenly. "I don't think either of us have the capacity for friendship. Nor do I care where your moral compass sits. It doesn't particularly affect me. We are both here out of obligation, I don't expect we'll be drinking at the tavern together any time soon." She laughed, though it wasn't a laugh of amusement. "I'll listen to what you have to say, I'll take heed of your words and apply them as I see fit."

That was the most concession she'd give him at the moment, but she doubted he cared and would probably ignore her anyways. He took off again, and she sighed as she followed him. Ingrid played with the smooth stone in her pocket, feeling its power surge through her.

"It's been several months. I healed a child from disease, and then purged before coming home for the ceremony."

Rhenn Willowood
 
Perhaps it went without saying, but the letter that had been hidden with her stone as the Somner passed it to her was penned by the Absalon himself; his penmanship was unmistakable among the Descendants.
Ingrid

I must again apologize for what must seem an intrusive and indignant assignment. I offered my explanations to you in person, so I will not waste your time repeating myself here. The reason I write this is to ply for your assistance in another matter, a matter regarding your new 'mentor' Mr. Willowood.

Rhenn Willowood is every bit as knowledgable and capable as I expounded to you, but he is not a man of virtue, and even less of loyalty. As a Guardian, he had a habit of putting his comrades in harm's way to save his own hide, sometimes abandoning them if he saw a greater prize to chase.

I worry that he may turn on you, that he may be corrupted, be it by twisted ambition or proximity to your stone. If this happens... if he exhibits aggression towards you in a way that threatens the safety of you or your stone, your assignment changes to the elimination of Rhenn Willowood, by my decree.

I pray it does not come to such an end, and that you return far mightier than you are now.

--Solomon Regis--​

"You'll take heed of my words?" There seemed a suppressed laugh under his breath as he replied. "I'm flattered, frankly. It seems we may get through this with our sanity after all, if you keep talking sense like that." Willowood didn't entirely believe Ingrid was as morally neutral as she claimed. Solomon was choosey with Guardians these days, loved picking the goody-two-shoes type. The fact her last usage of the stone was to heal some kid spoke to that suspicion just fine.

He wasn't here to tell her what to use her stone for, anyways. Just how not to kill herself doing it. Judging from the state of her, she could use the advice he had to offer. "And for the record, I'd make a fool out of you, going drink for drink."

Rhenn would have preferred to travel by horseback. Getting anywhere from Valenntenia by foot was a challenge this far towards the coast, unless you had reason to head for the Ixmus Graveyard. Even then, you'd better have a boat. Actually, now that he paid a thought to it...

"Where did you purge, exactly? Was it a complete expulsion, or just enough to get you home in one rotting piece?"

Ingrid Bohnes
 
Ingrid scanned the letter thrice before tucking it away. It put her in quite a predicament, on one hand he was supposed to mentor her, on the other hand she would have to worry for her life and even kill him with her own hands. What a delicate, yet difficult place for her to be in. This was not worth it; this was not something she desired. She knew it was a bad idea from the beginning, and now she was trapped. She gritted her teeth angrily, how dare do this to her. For once, she looked upon Solomon as the enemy, and it brought a pain to her wretched little heart. Digging her nails into her palms, she continued on the path before her, for it was too late to turn back now.

She avoided his baiting words, silently seething. Her eyes burned into his back as she traced his steps, continuing for a beat when he asked her about her purge. "I killed a man with it, it was enough to get me home but not enough to rid me of it completely." Her tone never shifted; her words offered no further explanation. The stone gave her a godlike ability, and it was not beneath her to use it as such. Though this, she would never share with the man who could take it away from her with a flick of his wrist.

Rhenn Willowood
 
Rhenn took a moment to contemplate her answer, seemingly not noticing the brief silence that had befallen them as she'd read her letter. "One man? You were able to purge onto some poor bastard?" He turned to look back at her with a raised brow, almost as if he didn't quite believe her story. "I'll be damned... maybe the geezer wasn't blowing smoke up my ass."

Solomon had drilled it into all of their heads that the Runestones worked somewhat differently for every user. The elements within the Stone remained the same, but how a person's body handled that element could vary widely. Rhenn had never been able to purge his plague into another living being; His methods were always more... widespread, and messy.

"I guess that works, if you have somebody you don't mind offing for your own sake." Rhenn certainly didn't have any moral quandaries with the idea, but he knew the Guardians as a whole would frown upon it. "But there are easier ways to let it out that don't leave a corpse behind. It's just a matter of knowing where to look."

Rhenn took a sharp bend in the road, now walking back towards the distant shoreline, following the salty ocean scent that had once whipped carelessly against their shoulders. Ingrid was different, but he knew not how much. They needed a test, and he knew exactly the place for just such a thing. Then, once he had an idea of what she could and couldn't do, they could move on to the true meat of the matter.

"Tell me, Ingrid. How are you with sailing?"

Ingrid Bohnes
 
Ingrid could only shrug her shoulders as she recalled the man that had been the brunt behind her powers. His stinking rotting corpse that had practically melted into an oozy puddle would never leave her mind. Yet she smiled even now as she recalled what she had done to him.

"He deserved it, so it didn't bother me in the slightest. I know I could have purged into a lake, or the earth, or whatever, but that just seems like such a waste of valuable resources."

She didn't particularly care what he thought of it, and there hadn't been much of a corpse to leave behind. Still, it wasn't a point she was going to sit and argue. "It seems I can transfer Disease back and forth between anything organic, humans being one of them. I've never tested it on animals though."

Her pace faltered slightly as he mentioned sailing, and she pursed her lips as the continued on their winding path. She was never one for boats, and swimming wasn't really something she had learned. "My opinion on sailing doesn't matter, let's just get this over with." She wrapped her hands around herself as the salty air became tangible on her tongue, it was always cooler next to the water.

Rhenn Willowood
 
Rhenn smiled to himself, knowing what her dismissal truly meant. She was in for a fun ride, but if she was worth giving half a damn about, she could handle a little seafaring. The knowledge that she'd chosen to use a human rather than nature to expel her plague didn't really bother him in the least. She was aware of her capabilities and used them how she saw fit.

If anything, that made her more capable than he'd initially given her any credit for. Not that he'd be sharing that with Ingrid. He had enough to worry about with her Stone acting like a spiteful ex-lover, the last thing he needed was for her to know how much she was managing to impress him.

"We're boarding a ship, but only for a short trip." He revealed, though she could likely glean as much from the fact they were heading straight for the docks built along the lower shoreline, away from the high drops of the main city behind them. "I need to see how well you can control your purge, and then once we land I'm going to show you what that stone can really do, if you put it to work."

Finding a ship was somewhat tricky once they reached the port. Many of the ships docked were either privately owned or dedicated to mercantile trips, far from willing to allow a retired Guardian and the visage of sickness herself aboard on some training mission. Valenntenia's naval fleet was relatively modest as well, especially for a city built along the coast. Nevertheless, Rhenn had enough stroke to borrow one of the Vangaurd's smaller skiffs for the trip, though it took a bit of arguing.

And some muttered threats, admittedly.

Before long, though, they had a small little boat with a decent sail and a sturdy hull to call their own for their brief little journey between peninuslas. Normally it would take several days for the trip, but Rhenn, while out of practice, had a few tricks up his sleeve.

"Come on," Rhenn steadied his feet as he stepped into the small boat, readying the sails and dropping his heavier gear off into the storage compartment. "The sooner we're off, the sooner we make landfall."

Ingrid Bohnes
 
It was laughing at them, the stone. It was enjoying causing problems, even as its reach tried to grasp at Rhenn. It wanted to control her, control him and it would do anything in its power to make this happen. Murderous thoughts floated behind her eyes, and she closed them as she tried to drown them out. She knew it was feeding them to Rhenn too, trying to coax him back into its filthy grasp.

She merely nodded as she clenched her jaw and followed him down to the docks. Her mouth had already started to take on a foul taste, her skin was losing its luster. The stone was ever draining her, as much as she fought it.

Rhenn fought long and hard to secure them a vessel, her reputation proceeding her as he was declined repeatedly. She could never blame them, and after time, it no longer stung that no one wished to be near her. She followed him dutifully, a duckling constantly behind him. Finally, he had landed them a boat. She groaned as she watched him hop in and drop his gear. "Fine, I'm coming." With hesitatoon, she climbed in, her knuckles white while gripping the sides of the craft. She lifted her pale face to look at Rhenn sheepishly and with humanity for the first time since they met. "I can't swim, is all."

Rhenn Willowood
 
Rhenn felt the prodding of the stone, trying to turn him against his new protege already, feeding into his paranoia, anger, and ambition. It was enough to drive a normal man mad. Luckily, Willowood had more than a little experience in ignoring the whispers of the Rune, and his resolve hadn't lessened in the years since he'd retired.

Ingrid, while more impressive than he'd given her credit for, was struggling. Fear of the water aside, the stone's constant irritation, drawn out by his presence, was increasing her deterioration at an uncomfortably rapid pace. As she looked at him with an expression of genuine concern, Rhenn paused, before reaching up and pulling down the mask covering his face.

"Relax, Ingrid. Stress will only give it more power over you."

Only now, the damage that had been inflicted on the former Guardian could truly be seen; the entire right half of his face was twisted and malformed, his cheek knotted like that of a tree, his eye blue and milky, and his mouth jagged and misshapen. The words that left his damaged lips, though, were the first to carry genuine concern in their tone.

"I won't let you drown, even if something were to overturn us. You need to trust me. I wouldn't have come all the way here with you if I had any intention on letting something bad happen to you. It'd be a waste of my time."

Well, it was concern in a Rhenn way.

Ingrid Bohnes
 
Ingrid peered into the water, her eyes scanning the depths below. The bobbing of the boat, and the ripples beneath them did little to soothe her anxiety. The stone was sinking its foul claws deeper into her, eating her alive with its malevolent desires. She gripped her face with her hands, as if willing it away. With Rhenn so close, it just made the thing louder, unavoidable.

Rhenn moved, revealing what the stone had stolen from him. She stared openly, her nostrils flaring and her breath quickening. She tried to hang onto his words, to trust that he meant what he said. She managed to gasp out a few words, her hands clenched as she fought the rising bile in her throat.

"I can't trust you; you can't trust me. The stone wants us to kill each other over it, and it hopes you win." Her chest heaved as sweat dripped down her forehead. Her fingers dug into the side of the boat once more, but there was little she could do. The stone was pushing her the hardest it ever had, but she couldn't let this be the end. There was no doubt Rhenn would kill her before she could ever strike. So with all the power she could muster, she pushed the stone back. Blood poured out of her nose, her eyes fluttered, her breathing shallowed, and poor little Ingrid hit the floor.

Rhenn Willowood
 
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Reactions: Rhenn Willowood
The expression on Rhenn's twisted face was unchanging as Bohnes refused the olive branch he offered her, far earlier than he'd any intention to. It was his own fault, he decided, for allowing the slivers of pity he had left bubble up and cause him to sympathize with her. Of course she couldn't not allow herself to hold trust. The stone simply wouldn't allow it.

So as her body gave out, the exhaustion that came with resistance overtaking Ingrid completely and sending her in a heap on the floor of the small boat they shared, only a meager few meters off port, Rhenn sneered down at her. No... not at Ingrid, but the stone she carried.

"Sometimes, I wonder if I was half as heartless before I met you." He spoke down to the crumpled pile of a woman at his feet. Willowood reached a hand over the edge of the boat's rear, and summoned another strong gust of wind from his palm, sending them far out into the water. It would be enough to hide what he would do next from the eyes of onlookers.

"I was a bastard, surely. But you... for something purported to be of the Ancients..." Rhenn rose to his feet and stepped to close the gap between he and Ingrid, dropping to one knee and rolling her onto her back. Unashamedly he rummaged through the rot-reeking clothing, unaffected by stench or sight as he closed his hand around that wretched stone and pulled it free from its victim. "...You made me into something much worse."

As Willowood gazed down at the stone, he knew well the rules he'd broken. The Rune told him as much, and taunted him for his rebellious actions. 'You can't go back, now.' It tried to tell him, 'Kill her, and take me with you.' The Stone begged its former master, seeking a vessel to enact the destruction that was its nature. Ingrid was weak, and despite her outward appearance, too well-meaning. Rhenn had wreaked havoc once before, and he could again.

But The Darkwalker merely grimaced at the bait offered. He tightened his fingers around the stone's surface, squeezing, imposing his own will, his own refusal into the Rune. He was the master, the controller. The Runestone could not have him.

And, after a moment, the Rune fell silent, defeated for now.

Rhenn looked down at Ingrid as he pocketed the Stone. She would recover, without the nagging of Disease in her veins. Willowood would suppress the Rune until then, and they would continue when she was awake.

Ingrid Bohnes
 
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