((OOC: This thread is for Eunoia, Ven, and Amé. The posting order will be established by the first round of posts, but as thread master I reserve the right to interject at any time. There is no time limit on posts, but please keep in mind that the Timedeath event ends on December 31.)) 
 
The only thing they knew was that it was close. 
 
Maybe one had sensed its momentous aura, or maybe another had learned the landmarks from a travelling merchant.  Maybe one of the Garva had warned of the treacheries which lurked in that particular branch of the valley, or maybe someone had even seen the treasure once, with their very own eyes. Each member of the makeshift team knew what they were looking for, having learned it from the flyers or the rumors or the goddess herself. Now that they were near, their purpose clear but their clues exhausted, the only thing to do was search. 
 
At least the sky was clear, the air brisk but bright. The corpse of a wounded horse and its fallen carriage was long behind them, the stench of it almost out of their noses by the time they found another, much old skeleton relenting the last of its rotten flesh to a pair of complacent crows. Their path was compacted beneath the weight of so many travellers, and edged with fewer trees than discarded goods. Most of the valuable items had already been taken, but perhaps the keenest eye might find something useful in the rubble.  
 
Eventually there appeared a fork in the road, the first major decision to be made on their infant journey.  
The well-walked path curved to the west, promising to shine the bright sun in their eyes all the way to dusk. It also held a distant caravan, only two wagons but with thrice as many guards. This was not the first band of merchants they had met, and it would not be the last. Though it was only midday, the horses were very tired from a long journey and, if inspected, would not seem well fed. 
 
The other path, just as wide but far to rocky for a wheel to roll on, stretched north toward the steep mountainside. Even the first few feet would require a difficult climb, and there was no telling what obstacles were in store beyond. A pair of small rock cairns warned that this route was shorter but more dangerous, though anyone that was familiar with the area knew that any path was perilous in Sarchu Valley.

"We cannot be that far away. If I have but one thing I can rely on, it's my sense of direction. The question is where! Where do we even begin to look? Not among these corpses that carpet the floor like hay in a stables."

Amé looked downwards in disgust. So many wasted beings just left out to rot. They should have been allowed burial or burning, something to remember them as a real person and not just a rotting piece of flesh to feed the carrion. She refrained from looking closer to any of the bodies but not just because she couldn't stand their lack of death-right. Her need to survive in life told her she aught to pick things up and sell it for much needed coin. That leaving it here was no use for anyone.

Maybe some other time, that would have been something she would have stopped and considered. Today though, they had better things to do. Bigger things to find than the bits of tat left behind because the looters didn't find them worthy. Sometimes being selfish had to wait.

She drew her gaze upwards to the road ahead and paused at the look of the fork in the road. One path looked a lot more inviting than the other, that was very plain to see. This decision was no longer a mere choice. Amé found her heart wanted to go with the well-walked path, the safe path that would see them get to the end without too much trouble. Her thoughts and sense of urgency told her the smarter way to go would be the trickier path. Sure, it looked dangerous and hard but it would be quicker and what didn't kill you only made you stronger. Or so they said anyway.

At the point, Amé turned to the other two. She cocked a head to the side while she asked the inevitable question.

"So what's everyone's thoughts? Left or right?"

Hopefully the other two had a more united mind, body and soul because her own was bloody useless. Amé had a fear of getting things wrong and this decision right here was very much a 'get it wrong and never forgot it' situation. At this stage it was surely better to share the blame or better yet, fob it off on someone else.

Chae's song rang in the back of his mind still, despite having not seen her since the beginning of this journey. His goddess had given him a task: aid in the search to find this artifact of great power and bring it back to safety. As with the other orders she had given him, completing this quest went beyond a desire to please or monetary reward. It was a drive, a physical need to do as Chae commanded. The arcane magic weaving throughout his being, keeping his soul bound to this amalgamation of parts prevented him from doing otherwise. It wasn't so bad though. This little adventure was, so far, looking to be a potentially amusing diversion from his own personal strife.

The sun beat down angrily upon his alabaster skin, yet he could not feel it's heat. His eyes, however, stung with the bright light even through the vast hood pulled far over his face, almost drooping to his torso. His entire head was completely obscured, yet with Chae's necromantic power Vin could see quite clearly all around him, while he still remained fairly anonymous and protected from the sun. Also it unnerved people, and that was always a plus in his line of work.

Beneath the inky shadows the revenant's eyes flicked to each of his companions. He was unused to working alongside others, but his goddess had been clear in her orders. Vin could only imagine what the two must think of this stitched up, pale creature that clung to the shadows. He wondered further how much of his nature they knew of. He would have to watch the both of them closely.

"We're facing the unknown with both choices here." His voice poured out from beneath the hood like morning mist. "On one hand, we could possibly entreat that caravan to let us sign on as guards while we search. There are safety and numbers and bandits will probably avoid a heavily armed troop. Provided that they do not think we are bandits ourselves and simply start attacking.

"However, if we take the other then we might stay more hidden from those who want to do unpleasant things with our heads once they have left our bodies, but there's no guarantee we won't find other nasties among the rocks. Personally I'd prefer to take my chances with that one. People ah, don't tend to view me as a friendly face when they first meet me."

A rich, deep chuckle came from the darkness of the hood. "I can't imagine why." 

Amé shifted herself closer to the rockier road as if trying to gauge just how bad the road was going to be. her heart had made up it's mind but she wasn't alone. The choice wasn't hers to make. They were a team even if it had been hastily created an neither of them had the same reasons for being here.

Just why was she really here? It wasn't the treasure or the rumors. She'd vaguely looked over the fliers and they hadn't caught her eye all that much. She'd just felt like she was supposed to be here and that was that. It didn't matter who she traveled with. As long as the job got done.

As Vin spoke, Amé flashed a smile. He wasn't a people person either from the sounds of things so instantly she knew they were going down the path that felt the most comfortable. 

She shouldn't have been so surprised really. The man was hooded and cloaked in black and looked like he belonged to the shadows. Hanging around a busy road with a caravan was never going to be his cup of tea.

"Bah, numbers just means we have to explain ourselves and get involved with their business should something happen to them. We don't really have time for the do we? I'd be obligated to help if it happened in my presence but ignorance is bliss in my opinon, don't you think?"

Her gaze moved to the rocky road again. Yes, that was the road that felt the most comfortable.

"I'd rather we take that road too. People only don't because they lack a sense of adventure. There are worst things out in the world than you." She paused and changed her tone to one of light-hearted jest "Though you do come close by appearance, i'll give you that."

The narrower valley called to them, their mission urging them past the distraction of the caravan. A glance upward would tell them that the climb was a long one. There would be no end to the uneven, precarious ground on the route they had chosen, but so too did that mean that it was shady and empty and perhaps even quiet. Their intuition would guide them to the end, and their strength would lead them through whatever obstacle the mysterious trail held. The pair could easily escape the current confrontation—and the delay—through this, the path less travelled.

Suddenly there was a shout, a voice bent in the direction of the suspicious pair. They were one, an armed and armored warrior who could have held her own alongside a bandit gang, and the other, a shady figure clad in darkness and reeking of death—they would not be easily trusted by an honest merchant. The voice had come from the approaching caravan, unintelligible at that distance. A man walking at the front of the wagons was pointing at them, his face turning between his group and the strange adventurers.

Perhaps his meaning could be understood without words: a moment later, two mercenaries on either side of the pack drew their swords and turned their attention outward, apparently searching the sides of the path an anticipation of an ambush. 

Almost imperceptibly, a few loosed rocks fell from the low cliff face that divided the two paths. They stumbled discreetly down the steep pile of stones and settled in the sand beside the rock cairns, as if hoping in vain that their descent had gone unnoticed. The keenest eye might notice a blurry shadow move between the boulders just above, but nothing else could be gathered from where they now stood.

"What can I say?" The voice echoed out as his pale shoulders lifted in a shrug. "The whole mysterious hooded stranger thing has a certain flair that works for me. Comes with the job. I considered wearing a belt made entirely of human skulls but Haveen, my tailor, told me that would be over compensating. I still don't know what he means."

Ven was still for a moment, his hood pointed towards her. After a beat he lifted a owl-like claw and gestured towards their chosen path. "Shall we?"

The sun was blessedly more blocked through this route. Even despite the hindrance of having to carefully step to avoid turning an ankle, this path was already proving to be more comfortable. The revenant trudged on tirelessly, for his stamina was fueled by the arcane energy binding him to this plane. Direct exposure to the sun limited this source of power, but here among the tall rocks he could already feel a significant difference. He took to the shadiest areas, even as it caused him to lag slightly behind his companion. 

He decided to take this time to study her, to gauge how she might function on their journey. She certainly seemed a capable sort. She wore her armor as though it were no more heavy than a tunic, and the sword at her side hung easily. There were scuff marks on her boots and the edges of her cloak were frayed. Her walk was slightly bow-legged;she clearly had spent much time in a saddle. Her scabbard showed signs of frequent use, despite its care. Looking up, he noted a tanned, wind scarred face with an expression that bespoke determination. Excitement and expectation, but also a shade of introspection. She seemed like a well-traveled, talented warrior. Perhaps completing a mission with another would not prove as troublesome as he had first thought.

"Ven." He spoke up suddenly. Realizing after a moment how confusing that might be, he elaborated. "My name. It's Ven. We can't both be 'hey you' after all."

The abrupt voice called the revenant's attention. The hood whipped in the direction of the caravan. He spat a curse. "Well this complicates things. Perhaps you should do the talking. Or stabbing. I'll follow your lead."