) Mitch sat in quiet study at his desk in the hospital when the shouting of guards and a sudden commotion brought his attention outside. He inquired of the battered Notter and heavily injured Llarinael and they directed him to the heavily guarded tower meant to hold a long lost nemesis of the nation; Kell. The old drow was as good as the blowing wind for all hopes of holding or knowing where he could be going, but Mitchifer knew deep in his gut that he was nowhere close at hand. Too much had happened for such a convenient end to be had, for any peace to come to those swept barren by that malevolent and twisted entity. Such a mixture of drow and Nergal influences among other things breeded something much worse that could only be imagined in parts and not fully and wholly known.
A friendly face returned Mitchifer's greeting when he reached the center town square, and he and Rikku headed up the slope together to find a dozen or more extra reinforcements barring the entrance to the prison tower.
"I'm sorry. No one has entrance beyond this point," exclaimed a guard.
"I simply seek information," Mitch responded, "What happened?"
The guard nodded in return, "Two enemies of the state are being held before their execution."
"Who are they?" asked Mitch.
"What'd they do?" asked Rikku.
"That information can not be disclosed at this time, but suffice to say many have been wiped out at Oraan's Crossing, and Dasar was attacked."
Mitchifer swallowed a curse and nodded to the guard, "Thank you."
Rikku and Mitchifer met with Tindrell, who stood bleary-eyed and shaken as the elf took shelter by a large oak outside the walls of the tower prison. Finding that Kell was in a different situation these days upon her return, packed on top of the death of her family members, had left the red-headed elf empty inside. The three of them talked over events of the past and present when Falson showed.
He inquired as to what all the guards were about, and they told him as much as they knew.
"They must have caught the wizards who were trying to find Kell," claimed Rikku.
"What wizards?" Falson asked.
"Zorik and Ahman and a N'Asti too."
Tindrell had gone away from the crowd at the scene to sit at the edge of the druid hill, holding her knees close and quietly grieving. Mitchifer helped her by staying closeby so that she would not have to be alone, and Falson and Rikku followed shortly thereafter.
"Tell me, is that lich still in command of Nergal's army?" the elf asked aloud, to which Falson answered.
"Yes, Maelstrom is still Nergal's first in command."
"How could they do this to someone who would never harm anybody more than setting their foot on fire," bursted Tindrell, and she rushed past them in tears. Falson looked at Mitch for the matter as Rikku the half-drow watched passively.
"Tindrell has been away for a long time, and she remembers how people used to be in the past in her life," replied the aging cleric, "If you will excuse me, I have an old friend to console."
The sorcerer nodded as Mitch left down the path.
