Given the barren-ness of the land along the Dolmaiyan river, and the fact that most of the towns are now abandoned, the party encounters very little resistance as they continue their journey to Tanchi City. By nightfall the party makes it to the village of Orestes, which sits about a third of the way from Tankia to Tanchi City. Aside from one person who still resides there, the village is a virtual ghost town. With the diminishing sunlight, the party rides through slowly, looking around at the buildings, when to the right an old man with a lantern walks out a door and calls out to the party.
Old man: "Identify yourselves! What business do you have here?"
AXEM: "We're on our way to Tanchi City. I'm Axem the Stone Pillar"
TRITHAL: "I'm Trithal the Divine Wind."
THRAX: "I'm Thrax the Hell-Fire."
Ali: "And I'm Ali..." (stops short before revealing her true identity)
Old man: "Well you sure-as-hell aren't gonna get there with your mounts worn out and your stats that low! Come inside!"
The party hesitantly dismounts the horse-lizzards and tie them to a hitching post outside the old man's house. In front of the hitching post is a trough of water. The horse-lizzards drink up like they've been thirsty forever.
Inside the old man's house are skins of lizzards, squirrls, and other critters which roam freely in the land hanging on the walls; a fire place, several cluttered workbenches, a dinner table in the middle of the room, and several folded mats in the back of the room.
Old man: "My name is Malachi. I used to be the apothecary of this village, but for the past few years no one else but me has lived here. I take it from your appearance, and the fact that there are four of you... one being female, and that you're riding up the Dolmaiyan River trail towards Tanchi City, you four must be the ones responsible for the demise of Liiche of the Cold... and that you're on your way to Tanchi City to finish what you started."
The party is stunned to hear the old apothecary make such a brilliant deduction. Malachi searches through his cabinets and continues, "You're in luck! I happen to have come across a whole bunch of squirl meat not very long ago, and if it isn't eaten soon it'll go bad."
The party assists the old man in preparing the meal. The group exchanges conversation with Malachi while they eat.
Malachi (to THRAX): "You said your name was Thrax, correct?"
THRAX: "Uh, yessir."
Malachi: "Do you know where that name came from?"
THRAX: "Idunno. It's just what my mom called me."
Malachi: "Hmm. How did you get those markings on your face?"
THRAX: "Well, they just showed up one day when I was about 15. I always thought it was a rash or some kind of skin disease that I can't get rid of."
Malachi: "Interesting... Tell me, does the name Xanatos mean anything to you?"
THRAX is suddenly greeted with a barrage of images that he can't depict. He responds, "It sounds familiar, but I have no clue from where."
Malachi notices the amulet around THRAX's neck, and says, "I have a feeling that you'll find out soon enough."
THRAX becomes agitated at the fact that this old man obviously knows something and won't tell, then says "If you know what all this means, tell me! I wanna know what this 'Xanatos' bullshit is about!"
Malachi: "Calm down! Your level isn't high enough right now for it to make any kind of difference. Besides, when the time comes you'll find out for yourself more than I have to tell. (to rest of party) Now I invite you all to stay the night and rest up. You've got a long ride ahead of you in the morning."
The party then takes the folded mats at the end of the room and lays them out on the floor. After an hour or so, TRITHAL is still awake staring at the ceiling when he hears a rustle outside. His eyes glow blue as he's trying to sense who or what might be lurking about. The rest of the party is awakened as he gets up off the floor and moves toward the front window.
AXEM: "What's going on?"
TRITHAL turns to AXEM with his eyes still glowing and says "shh!" then motions him to come to the window with him.
As AXEM approaches where TRITHAL is, on the outside of the window a person with glowing white eyes leaps up and begins running down the street. TRITHAL, thinking quickly, jumps through the door and casts the paralyzation spell he used on the ogre in Episode 4 on the person, freezing him in his tracks. TRITHAL then closed his hand, and the person cried out in pain as if he was being crushed.
TRITHAL: "Hold it right there, Visaggo... or should I say, Macha-Kao!"
Visaggo, stunned, turns around to see all four party members; TRITHAL with his eyes glowing blue, THRAX with his eyes glowing red, AXEM with his eyes glowing green, and Ali with her eyes glowing pink. Malachi walks out of the house with his lantern to see what's happening.
Visaggo: "How the hell do you know my real name? And, how the hell do you know how to use that spell? The only way you could know is if you were..."
As Visaggo was speaking, Malachi was moving closer to the scene with his lantern. And when TRITHAL's face came to light, Visaggo suddenly remembers that he recognizes TRITHAL from a few years ago.
Visaggo (scared shitless): "... No! It can't be! There's no way! I thought I made sure that..."
While Visaggo was saying this, TRITHAL's concentration slipped for an instant. Visaggo seized the opportunity to make an escape. He begins running away, and after a few steps the black orb shoots out of his mouth and Evan's body hits the ground. Ali immediately rushed to the side of her fallen fiancee. TRITHAL, THRAX and AXEM soon follow.
Ali: "He's still alive! Thank the gods!"
Evan has one half HP left and all his stats are negative. TRITHAL and AXEM pick him up and carry him inside so that the apothecary can attempt to restore his health.
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