*** After their run in with Amtexa from the Grey Knights, Keptah and
Cymera seek refuge in their Guild City of Hus in Poitain.  They walk to the large study in the Library.***

*** Keptah summons one of the students and instructs him to take Cymera to her room and ensure that she is comfortable.***

[Keptah]: "Cymera?"

[Cymera]: yes?

[Keptah]: "About the scene back there... You do know... that I never meant what I said... about you being nothing to me..."

[Cymera]: *she looks at him almost tenderly* i know that

[Keptah]: **He bows his head in respect.** "I just... was hoping you knew this... And I apologize for letting my anger get the best of me..."

[Cymera]: do not worry... it was justified... *she grimaces* amtexa turned out to be just like the others

[Keptah]: "You must understand..."

[Keptah]: "...They cannot understand us... You see... in a strange way... I cannot trust anyone but you... and you cannot trust anyone but me..."

[Cymera]: i completely agree... that is why i have decided to trust you

[Cymera]: to be your friend

[Cymera]: your ally

[Keptah]: "Of course... in a strange way, fate... has guided us together... so that we may become stronger... United, to stand against what is truely wrong..."

[Keptah]: "...However...."

[Keptah]: "Since the alliance... I have gained a weakness so I thought... At first, I doubted it... It is impossible... But then... Agatone saw it and told me of it... I again, brushed this off... I ignored it... and now... that... wench... she tells me of my weakness... she says it is you..."

[Keptah]: "... I must prove to myself that I am not weak..."

[Keptah]: "Cymera... I need you to cut your hand off this time... It can be replaced... But I must truely prove to myself that this is not happening..."

[Keptah]: "I cannot have grown weak.... It is... Impossible.."

[Cymera]: *she looks troubled* you are not weak...

[Cymera]: the other day you ask me to cut my thumb and now my whole hand?

[Cymera]: what will this prove?

[Keptah]: "I must prove that to myself... Whenever you are... insulted or... in harm... I seem to almost care nothing for my own safety... and risk all, even my life, to ensure you will not be harmed... I must break this weakness of mine..."

[Cymera]: so you ask me to harm myself so you can prove to yourself that you do not care? *she looks skeptical*

[Keptah]: **He hands her the dagger once more, the runes within it seem to glow.** "Take it... and when I give the command to do so, do it...."

[Cymera]: *she glares at him* a hand is more valuable than a thumb.. if this dagger somehow curses me i will no longer be able to perform my craft!

[Keptah]: "Trust me."

[Keptah]: "It should not."

[Keptah]: "...It will not."

[Keptah]: "I cannot be allowed to care for anyone, not even myself."

[Cymera]: *she eyes him wearliy then tears the dagger from his grasp*

[Keptah]: "Friendship should be measured in how useful the power of one is. Not by anything else... Now... are you ready...?"

[Cymera]: if this harms me in any way... i will kill you...

[Keptah]: "... I know this."

[Keptah]: "Now... when I give my word..."

[Cymera]: *glaring at him she grasps the dagger firmly by the hilt... her eyes turning pale blue*

[Keptah]: **He looks into her eyes, his own orbs seem to burn brightly within the half lit moon light. Conflict seems to be strong within the pupils as he struggles to keep looking into her eyes, he looks away, agitated now by his constant failure, he balls his talons into tight fists, his own crimson blood seeping through the cracks of his fingers. The sharp talons piercing through his own flesh.**

[Keptah]: **After a few seconds in silence he looks back, angered and full of a seething hatred deep within.** "Now..." **He continues** "Give me that dagger... NOW!"

[Keptah]: **He holds out a bloodied mess of a hand, several bones in his hand snapped and broken.**

[Keptah]: "I'll... do it myself..."

[Keptah]: "It'll be much more easy..."

[Keptah]: "GIVE ME THE DAGGER AND HOLD YOUR WRIST OUT NOW!! I WANT THAT HAND SEVERED!"

[Cymera]: *she hands the dagger to him... then glaring at him thrust her fist toward him*

[Cymera]: do it!

[Cymera]: DO IT!!

[Keptah]: **He takes the dagger in his bloodied hand, feeling the fist smack right into his nose, he now growls, more enraged, he looks back into her eyes and the rage seems to stop. He takes a step back, then foward, as if conflicted.**

[Cymera]: *glaring at him* if you are certain this dagger will do me no harm... DO IT!!!!

[Keptah]: **Breathing deeply he closes his eyes, opening them to reveal emotionless orbs of hate. He steps closer, grabbing her wrist firmly as he brings the dagger to her flesh, then he quickly moves back and stabs the metal into the wall behind her. The very wall seems to age and decay.** "BLAST IT!!" **He roars.**

[Keptah]: "... I can't."

[Cymera]: *she turns quickly and rips the dagger from the wall... in one clean swipe of the blade she cuts her wrist*

[Keptah]: **He turns around** "STOP THAT!!" **He grabs her wrist, as if restraining her** "Why must you disobey!!!"

[Keptah]: **Looking at her wrist, he quickly tries to pull her into better sight, inspecting the wound.** "Damn you, vile woman! Damn you!!"

[Cymera]: *she fights with him... struggling to keep her grip on the dagger's hilt*

[Keptah]: **He lets a beast like growl escape his vocals, looking at her face as she struggles.** "Cease and drop... the... weapon..."

[Cymera]: *she screams at him* WHY?

[Keptah]: "... Because..." **He pauses, glancing at the knife.** "... I... The dagger is... no normal blade... Now... I need to clean that wound... Or you will slowly die within a matter of minutes..."

[Keptah]: **He looks back at her, his eyes strangely more human than demon.** "Drop... it..."

[Cymera]: *she becomes wild* YOU BASTARD!!!!

[Keptah]: "It's..."

[Cymera]: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?

[Keptah]: "... I have done nothing... You... did that... to yourself... You did... what... I could not do... I cannot seem... to touch you... harm you... and I cannot seem... to stop caring... now... Give ... me the blade... we must... be ... work.. quickly..."

[Cymera]: *she suddenly becomes white as a ghost*

[Keptah]: **He curses under his breath, taking a pouch out.**

[Keptah]: **He grabs a strange vial. Looking back to Cymera.** "The dagger has a hex... upon it. It ages one, sucking the life from them in a matter of seconds..."

[Keptah]: **He tries to set Cymera down.** "Say something, so... I know you aren't dead..."

[Cymera]: *her breathing has become labored* you.... are... a.... bastard....

[Keptah]: **He grabs the dagger from her hand, placing it back to his side. He then looks at the vial, and squints. Pulling a second out.** "Hrm..."

[Keptah]: **He places the first Vial to her lips.** "Drink... Now..."

[Cymera]: *she opens her mouth to let the liquid drain down her throat*

[Keptah]: **He withdraws the empty vial, placing the second to her lips.** "This should restore the lost health... age... and should help..."

[Keptah]: "...I did not mean for this, Cymera."

[Cymera]: *she glares at him again as she opens her mouth*

[Keptah]: **After the vial content is consumed, he discards the empty vial behind him as he tosses it in back of him. Taking a bandage roll from his pouch and a strange metal flask.**

[Keptah]: "Now... Show me your wrist..."

[Cymera]: *she holds it out for him to inspect*

[Keptah]: **He grabs her wrist in a gentle clawed hand, carefully holding her arm out so his talons do not scratch her. He frowns, taking the top from the metal flask and pouring a strange clear liquid upon her wrist that makes the wound sting.**

[Cymera]: *she reflexively pulls her hand back* ouch!

[Keptah]: **He growls slightly.** "Careful..."

[Keptah]: **He looks at her arms, sighing in relief as he sees he did not make any scratches on her. He grabs the bandage roll and tightly wraps her wrist.** "I... Am truely ..."

[Keptah]: "... Well, you should not have... done that... and I too, apologize for... even trying..."

[Cymera]: *she glares at him* you need to make up your mind!

[Cymera]: it is not weak to care for someone

[Cymera]: you should not have to prove your strength

[Cymera]: especially in ways that involve me and cursed daggers!

[Keptah]: **He looks down, a defeated look crosses his face.** "Yet to know nothing of something that I never felt..."

[Keptah]: "...It almost feels that I must prove my strength..."

[Keptah]: "...I truely apologize... I desire no weakness to be within my making..."

[Keptah]: "To show weakness at your presence and the presence of our enemies... well, it is..."

[Keptah]: "...So I thought that... I had to do something..."

[Cymera]: *she glares at him... then examines her bandage... then sighs* you thought wrong

[Cymera]: never ask me to do something so absurd again

[Keptah]: "I don't know... what these... new ... well, I don't know the meaning to what I am feeling... I am sorry... I was... wrong... You are right... I shall.. never ask you to do this again... I mean.... it..."

[Cymera]: *she sees his struggle to understand* i... forgive you....

[Keptah]: **He nods.** "I shall not allow this... To happen again..."

[Cymera]: good

[Keptah]: **His eyes remain low, not daring to look at her.** "Indeed.."

[Keptah]: "If two others had recognized this... feeling... Then of what others can see it?"

[Keptah]: "I see..."

[Keptah]: **He slowly gets up.**

[Keptah]: "I never wanted this to happen... Forgive me... Cymera."

[Cymera]: i do forgive you

[Keptah]: "You do... trust my intentions... yes?"

[Cymera]: yes... *she smirks* however outlandish they may come across

[Keptah]: "Of course."

[Keptah]: "We are united... such unity... doesn't fight."

[Cymera]: they shouldn't

[Keptah]: "You should rest... now..."

[Keptah]: "We are done for today..."