Fantasy Bitter Spite

[Troldmand]

Adryen was certainly astonished by the beauty and purity of the self-proclaimed daughter of a goddess. But what struck him the most was the feeling of being in the right place at the right time with the right person standing in front of him. He couldn't recall the last time he felt this, not on the deck with its ever-squabbling and unfriendly crewmen. The lady seemed like a stranger to him, somebody who couldn't be here, not until the world changes drastically and in a proper manner.

"Seth's or not Seth's, that changes nothin'," he said glancing at the Imperial marshal.
"Surely they ain't marchin' out of sheer boredom. Dirty work has to be done either way, doesn't it?"

He turned around to face the rest of the corralled party, awaiting their own say in the matter. He was eager to find out if his unworldly, almost alien feelings were only his own or the girl is indeed not an ordinary lady seeking help.
"Besides, who wouldn't help the lady out for a coin or two? Aye?" he asked now looking at Iris with a slightly surprised expression on his face.

CrimsonEclipse FireMaiden SecretRock Mach1ne_H3ad Troldmand Captain Gabriel Archdemon Birdsie
Alteras

 

[Captain Gabriel]

Iris Criphtar
Location: Imperial Palace's Front Gates

Iris looked at Jabel for a few seconds. "I may have gotten arrested on purpose to eavesdrop on some things...One of Seth's soldiers ran away...and spilled the beans." She admitted, grinning in a guilty way. She crossed her arms and leaned on the wall, taking a deep breath and looking back at her.

"The soldier admitted that Seth and his army are on the attack. THAT...and the attacks...that can't be a coincidence!" She exclaimed, opening her arms to then let them fall slowly back to her sides. The brown-haired girl placed her hands on her hips and just stared into Jabel's eyes intensely. But as Adryen spoke, she turned her head to him.

She nodded at him and smiled genuinely, "Oh, yes, of course...about the reward," She spoke out very calmly, "I am willing to reward you with my father's blessing. Each and every one of you. That is...if you help me." She explained, just to then smile again, letting her hands grasp each other behind her back.

Alteras Birdsie Troldmand CrimsonEclipse Archdemon Ms. Sparrow SecretRock Mach1ne_H3ad

 

[FireMaiden]

"What kind of reward is a blessing?" Amélie scoffed. She wasn't the religious type, so she didn't beielive a word of what this girl was saying. The claims of divinity at least, even with that smile. Nevertheless, her questions were answered eventually, giving her a bit of pause. Seth was a threat, she saw him do some questionable things during the war, and reguardless if it was him or not sooner or later these people could be trouble. "But...I'll help," She finally said, against her better judgement. "Amélie Fairfax, at your service." What was the point of waiting anyway, Amélie knew she wasn't lying, she'd be able to tell. Your heart rate increases, your body language would change, you hesitate before answering. Not to mention a werewolf can smell it, and she just smelled nervous...as weird as that sounds. Captain Gabriel Mach1ne_H3ad Archdemon Troldmand SecretRock Ms. Sparrow CrimsonEclipse

 

[Troldmand]

Adryen looked at Amelie before nodding his head, doubtlessly accepting Iris's offer while there was a chance. Lady's charm weaking his senses or not, he's not going back to that filth on the streets begging for foreign foods or eager to learn what the tavern wench they've met last evening thinks of them, all for a few pitiful coins. No, he shall join the lady and acquire the fate he thinks he deserves.

He was ready to seal the agreement. He unsheathed his steel sword Delirium and held it with both hands, all the while gazing at the one he would follow. Soon, the sailor's word was given.
"I'm at yer service, m'lady," said the smuggler now serving as a mercenary.
"As long as ye uphold yer end of the bargain." he pointed out still clinging to his hireling habits.

Captain Gabriel FireMaiden

 

[Ms. Sparrow]

Sadima Peterova
Location: Imperial Palace's Front Gates

As she made her way through the city square, she received looks her way almost instantly, but it wasn't because of her looks. The Peterova family had deep roots in the city for as long as anyone could remember most knew they were vampires, and was more or so looked highly upon, with a great deal of wealth, Caspen'a do-gooder personality, and Sadima's former rank. There was however the occasional threat against them that Sadima usually snuffed out.

It didn't take long for her to find them, all she had to do was sort through the voices with her vampiric hearing. The words;

"Seth and his army are on the attack..." were the first words she heard.

Sadima took off with all her strength and in a blur she was right behind the gathering group just as two people promised there service to the lady. It was obvious it wasn't a Majai meeting. They were much more secret than that after all. She'd even met them, way back when.

"Seth, huh?" Sadima asked rhetorically, approaching the group more closely as she talked. "I haven't killed anyone in - too long." She admitted with a disappointed sigh, as if she wasn't living up to her expectations. "I didn't expect to come here and join up with the Lollipop Guild, but I'm up for a round two against Seth." Sadima said with a smirk before she paused,

"I'm in." She said, dark blue eyes observing the mysterious lady that was recruiting them, wondering who she was in fact.

Interaction: Captain Gabriel Troldmand FireMaiden Archdemon Mach1ne_H3ad SecretRock CrimsonEclipse

 

[Alteras]

Jabel Vazeran
Palace Gates

Jabel was starting to get angry. While her composure was still restrained, her eyes and her lack of speech was everything that was needed, of course no one was looking at her at the moment. She was at a lost for words at a variety of things, the idiocy of the girl to get herself arrested, the lack of any proper reports within the army, the ease of which the strangers gathered were agreeing to such craziness. Putting side all that, she's being told this not by a proper Majai knight bearing the Majai's Seal but by some self proclaimed Goddess! Suddenly, Sadima Peterova herself joined, at which point Jabel's anger turned to stunned surprise at the pace of the developments before her. While the whole city knew of the Peterovas, the Majai Knight kept a strong watch over them, both out of fear and respect. They considered any movement by that prestigious line to be one of great importance and a signal of the times to come. Jabel could only watch as this signal flag decided to join the fools.
"... what lunacy..." Jabel mumbled in complete defeat. She slowly let out her cold air, slowly cooling the entire area. Hopefully Lucrezia was nearby and could come to see the extremity of this situation.

 

[Mach1ne_H3ad]

As the woman spoke, Sigvald felt a strange energy wash over him. He felt compelled to join her and follow her to whatever fate awaited them. At that moment, his mind and heart were entirely engrossed in this woman's words. Just as he was about to pledge lifelong servitude, he realized what it was. Divine power; far more than he had ever been able to attain in his berserk states. So she wasn't lying about being a demigod. Regaining his composure, he thought about what he was going to do. He supposed that there was really no good reason for him to refuse her. She was clearly a being of great power and if this situation had her worried, he figured it was probably deserving of his attention. However there was something else that worried him for the time being.
"In the short time we've been having this conversation, quite the crowd has gathered in this alleyway. If secrecy was your goal, I'd have to say it's failed quite miserably."
He counted at least three that had joined them, some sort of jester, a girl wearing a large amount of body armor and no pants, and a rugged-looking man.
"More importantly, if this Seth guy is such a big deal, why get a bunch of random people off the street to fight him? Though this seems like quite the eccentric sampling, you'd have to have gotten pretty lucky with your recruiting to put together a band with any actual chance of fighting off this guy. Surely a demigod such as yourself has some more powerful connections. All that being said, I'm willing to help you. I specialize more in fighting large monsters than evil sorcerers, but I think my abilities will probably come in handy either way. My name is Sigvald, and I herald from the Skaeling tribe way up north. I have attained a divine blessing of my own from our storm god, Taranis."

 

[Captain Gabriel]

Imperial Palace

Entrance Hall


The entrance hall inside the Royal Palace was truly a sight to behold. Designed to fill guests with awe at the riches of the once all-powerful empire, the hall was an opulent room indeed. The walls were pearl white, with titan sized marble statues of old imperial heroes standing as grim observers to those who walked below. The tiled floor was shining in the sun which glowed through the large arch windows that ran across both walls. Four gigantic stone pillars rose up to the distant ceiling, which was so high it could cause a feeling of vertigo in those who hadn’t seen it before.


For most people, the sights of such splendor would be a once in a lifetime opportunity.


For Lucrezia and the thirty Cabrinate Knights who had assembled in the hall, it wasn’t even worth a passing admiration. Whitefall walked down the three man deep line of Knights, each fully armed and armoured - and each worth twenty regular soldiers. They were an elite group, each hand picked from the standard rank and file and at least a dozen battlefield commendations for their service and loyalty. Usually, such a show of force would not be necessary - but today...


They could hear the gradually increasing racket from outside the palace gates - and the guards were becoming increasingly nervous at the spectacle that was playing out in front of them. The audacity of it all was quite insulting, and Lucrezia’s usual infinite patience was wearing thin. As Lucrezia reached the end of the line, she gave a nod of greeting to the Knight who was awaiting her presence. Knight-Captain Harkness. He was a war-hero in his own right, who commanded great respect throughout the military. He offered her a perfect salute.


“My lady.”


“Harkness, any word from Marshal Vazeran?”


Harkness shook his head. “Not yet. But it’s getting kinda worrying down there. Some woman who says she’s half a god is really getting the crowd going.”


“Half a god?” Lucrezia repeated, looking incredulous. “Wonderful. The last self proclaimed half-god who had a way with crowds destroyed half the Empire.”


The Knight-Captain gave a nod, his handsome features full of concern. “She’s saying he’s coming back.”


“-as are half the mad prophets in the slums,” Lucrezia countered. “At least they have the good grace to avoid the Palace. Trying to incite public panic will avail nothing. ”


Harkness gave a nod, but then his brown eyes switched back to watching the gates.


“Orders?”


Lucrezia considered for a moment, watching the sealed gates herself and listening to the racket outside.


“We’ll give Marshal Vazeran a few more minutes. But then I want this crowd dispersed and that woman arrested for public disturbance before this escalates any further.”


The man gave a curt nod at that and the Knights saluted in perfectly trained harmony. Lucrezia turned to face the entrance to the palace, her white cloak flapping gently in the breeze.


Do hurry up Jabel she thought.


Alteras Captain Gabriel

(I need to point that out: The crowd dispersed long ago. The demi-god thing was said in absolute privacy and secrecy, thus there's no fucking way they could've gotten that information.)

 

[SecretRock]

Jausi
Alteras Captain Gabriel​

When the woman lowered her hood, the satyr felt a wave of warmth wash over her. Whether that was Iris doing something or the alcohol, she wasn't sure. Either way, the others started agreeing to what she was saying. Jausi wasn't so convinced by the woman's explanation of why she thought Seth was coming back (people could say anything but it didn't mean they were right) but she found herself nodding along anyway. She leaned against the opposite wall of the alleyway, adjusting her hooves so it was a comfortable incline.

"Why not? If it isn't Seth, we're still stopping some asshole." She reasoned, taking another drink. She noticed one of the more formal looking members of the group muttering to herself. Jausi pushed herself off the wall, taking a second to steady herself before moving closer to the woman. "Why is it lunacy?" She asked, looking over the woman. "Seth didn't die, and even if Lovely here isn't a goddess then you're still helping people."

 

[Ms. Sparrow]

Sadima Peterova
Location: Imperial Palace gates

Sadima truthfully couldn't have cared less about having a second round against Seth, sure she hated the guy will all her heart, she'd battled against him with others, and she was turned by one of his men. Someone she never got the chance of finishing off.

"Lunacy..." someone muttered under their breath. It broke Sadima out of her thoughts and she turned around to see whom it was

"Your not the only one unsure. But IF, and it's a very large if, what she's saying is true, if Seth were to march an army over the city while its unaware, we'd be totally screwed." Sadima shrugged, "Sure, this is most likely one of the stupidest things I've ever agreed to do, but it's either kill, or be killed. And I like being a living - dead person." She said with a smirk.

Sadima would never admit she had grown to care for the city and the people itself.

Interaction: Alteras

 

[Alteras]

Jabel Vazeran
Imperial Palace Gates

"But that's just it!" Jabel was exasperated. "I saw Seth's burning corpse dragged across the streets myself! Even if he is alive, there's no way he could've been operating like this without the military or the Majai Knights being alerted! I would've already been at the front lines, moving assasins and spies, opening negotiations and keeping watch like I use to when this seal was still nothing but a phantom! And the heavens know that I would already be tending to the prayer grounds that my fellow knights prayed upon a year ago!"
In the midst of her outcry, Jabel raised a small coin from beneath her cloak. On it was the emblematic seal and garuantee of the person's membership in the Majai.
Jabel relaxed herself momentarily. "No perhaps more worrisome is that fact that news of this came not from rumors, not my contacts, not even from my subordinates, but from this girl! Ugh, I guess the empire is still flawed in its hearing." Jabel sighed. "Whatever, I can't stop fools from saving innocent lives. I won't stand in your way, at this point the only thing I can do is prevent hysteria from breaking out." She then looked at Sadima, simply nodding at her. At least the fools wouldn't be going out to die, with someone like Sadima by their side. "I have nothing more that I can say at the moment. I wish you luck in your endeavors, however crazy it is."

Jabel turned and left the alleyway, bringing along with her the icy aura around her. She walked back towards the Palace in search of Lucrezia.

 

[Avari]

Lucrezia Whitefall

Imperial Palace

Entrance Hall

The entrance hall inside the Royal Palace was truly a sight to behold. Designed to fill guests with awe at the riches of the once all-powerful empire, the hall was an opulent room indeed. The walls were pearl white, with titan sized marble statues of old imperial heroes standing as grim observers to those who walked below. There were paintings as well, almost a hundred of knights and nobles of particular merit. The tiled floor was shining in the sun which glowed through the large arch windows that ran across both walls. Four gigantic stone pillars rose up to the distant ceiling, which was so high it could cause a feeling of vertigo in those who hadn’t seen it before.

For most people, the sights of such splendor would be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

For Lucrezia, it was probably her least favorite area in the palace. Which was a lofty achievement, considering the sheer amount of rooms she disliked. Some she regarded as too tacky, or too loud; some were filled with the old bitter memories of those who were long dead - but the entrance hall...that was the one she truly despised. Not because it was an especially unpleasant room - in fact Lucrezia rather admired the whiteness of it - but because of what was in it. A painting.

There was a rather long standing tradition in the Cabrinate Empire: Those that were considered to have gone beyond the call of duty; such as military heroes or influential politicians (Or sometimes just a noble who had donated a fortune to the crown in order to get a foot in the door) would have a painting especially commissioned and then hung in the entrance hall - to join an immortal shrine to excellence.

And Lucrezia’s father was one of them.

The painting was one of the larger ones (Nothing but the best for such an influential man!) and had been mounted near the staircase that led to the main dining hall, making it almost impossible to avoid, and wherever Lucrezia stood, she could feel its eyes on her back. It shared a lot of features with her - the blond hair, the dark red eyes, the white armor; and it even held onto Rakuyo. Her Rakuyo. It made her wince to think that her blade had once been wielding in that... things hand. That cruel thing. Drunk thing. Selfish thing. And truth be told, while watching him choke to death on his breakfast had been one of her more pleasant memories, being constantly reminded he existed was rather infuriating. Especially since literally every other person in the city considered Lord Nathaniel Whitefall a hero.

Lucrezia stood with her back to the painting as usual, her gloved hands clasped behind her back. Jabel should be returning soon, and she would no doubt have an interesting tale to tell. She didn’t mind waiting, the small Council hadn’t called for a meeting yet - though it was probably inevitable - and Lucrezia always liked to get the full picture before dealing with that group of tiresome cretins.

As if on cue, she heard the guards salute and greet the Marshal off in the distance. Lucrezia waited, ever the white statue, ignoring her father's eyes.

 

[Alteras]

Jabel Vazeran
Imperial Palace - Entrance Hall

Jabel walked with a slight haste, letting her boots hit the floor with a loud tap. She saw Lucrezia and approached her. "They're all crazy, I tell you!" This is really rare for Jabel to be any more colorful in her vocabulary than black and white. Jabel gestured to walk down the hall with her. Usually she would ask Lucrezia with polite words, but not in this case. They walked into a small study area, draped dark with crimson red curtains and dark woods. Someone had left a small magical candle alight and a tray of pitchers and cups. The room was often used by many in the empire as a place of privacy. Jabel walked over to the table and poured herself a glass of water, which quickly became cold under her touch. She drank it down and poured herself another glass. "Sadima Peterova is joining them too! And what happened to the chain of command at the outlying villages?!" She took another drink of water.
Avari

 

[Archdemon]

Diarmid
Location: Suspicious Alley

It seemed like she ignored his question. Diarmid was about to speak again but then everyone else spoke before him. Then as he was about to speak, the girl revealed herself as some Daughter of some god. His heart was beating faster but it slowed down, this girl had a magical charm to her but that wouldn't sway this bard.

He then noticed how some people said they would help her due to this inherent charm of hers. She then said her God would give everyone of them a blessing. Yes like Diarmid was going to believe her to be a Daughter of a God.

"Sorry but your tricks aren't working on me. Now how can I believe you to be some Daughter of some God? I don't take stalk in 'Blessings' if you what you say you are, then prove it. Also I'll need more than just a blessing, I'm talking gold, enough gold to make me retire and have ten generations of children live of the money."

Suddenly the icy chick went off on a bout about how Seth was dead and she would know if he was doing things.

"People can fake deaths you know with either magic or a person who looks just like them. Just saying."

He didn't care if he pissed her off, he then turned his attention to the Jester who appeared before him. That appearance reminded him of something, what is some like weird jester assassin? What was their name.... Well she answered that for him by saying Grin which reminded him of the tales. He honestly didn't care about the Jester, whatever her goals as long as he could be rich he was fine.

So he walked around the Jester to look at the girl. Waiting for her answer.

Alteras Birdsie Troldmand CrimsonEclipse Archdemon Ms. Sparrow SecretRock Mach1ne_H3ad

​

 

[The_Omega_Effect]

Kyros Manearys

City Centre

Kyros had heard the man in the white robe when he announced that the Majai Knights were recruiting. He could not give a crap about what their goal was even if he tried. He only lived to please himself only. The glory and the honour received from taking down the big baddies never appealed to him. However, whether he wanted to admit it or not, the boredom was starting to creep up on him to a point where he would do anything to get a slither of action. The boredom was caused by him not being too active recently. He had spent most of his recent days practicing his magic, his archery and enchanting some of his arrows as the last assassination contract he had received was three weeks ago which he finished during that very day. The only one he had at that moment that was active, was him collecting debt from a merchant which itself was not to terribly fun. Heading to the Imperial Palace would be a way to find something to do. And besides, there was always the option of just leaving whatever they were doing if the action and it's rewards were not adequate enough for him. However, he did have some things to take care of.

The merchant that he had to collect the money from, was not particularly well off, with him not doing too well in sales and having a family to take care of. However, seeing the man run out of money and fall into depression, did not sadden Kyros one bit. To Kyros, it was he who got into a situation where he got threatened like so and also him who was the one to give in to them instead of finding a way to resist them. If it was not Kyros that got the money, it would be someone else. With him preferring the clinging of gold in his pockets rather than some low-life scum, he decided to take care of it anyway.

Rashaad's Store

This one was the final payment that he had to collect before Kyros received his payment. The store of the merchant was one selling many antique things. But it's renown was mostly attributed to its great carpets. He was a dozen steps away when he decided to put on a serious face. He had to look intimidating if he wanted the man to cough up any money. He pushed the door open and then looked around. He saw that the store felt slightly emptier than before. It seemed that the merchant was starting to sell bits and pieces of his property in order to pay off the debt. He was furiously writing something down when Kyros entered. Sweat dripping from his brow, the merchant stood up, grabbing a pouch of gold from his desk and walking to Kyros.

"You people are absolutely disgusting. You cannot work hard at all and so you mooch off of the gold of the ones who do. You may have won now, but for every piece of gold you make us pay, the gods will make you pay a thousand fold in the afterlife." The man was furious. And he was angry at Kyros as he was the one representing the gang.

Kyros grabbed the pouch of gold from his hands and responded. "Look. I am only the messenger. Whether you like it or not, you must admit that it was your weakness that lead to you getting trapped in a situation like this." He did not have much else to say after that.

The merchant wanted to scream at Kyros but he held himself back. He knew that the type of people Kyros worked with would absolutely trash everything if he said a single word. He sighed and went back to his desk, gently caressing the wooden chair which he stood up from, hoping that it would all be over. With him trying to scrounge up as much gold as possible, he did not know if he could continue this business any longer.

Kyros left the store with the gold. There was a small feeling inside of him. A slight sense of regret. Kyros knew that this was due to the circumstances of how he collected the money. Although he had his facemask and his cowl on, his voice combined with his differently coloured eyes gave him a very distinct look which also made it easy for someone to find as it was a very unique feature to have. Kyros sighed and realised that if he ever had to turn this merchant from a witness to someone who would keep shut about him, he would have to help him with his gold matters. Killing him was no option as his death would alert his family and the common folk.

Mob Inn

Kyros entered the inn that the mob ran. It was a terrible place filled with the scum of the world. Violent orcs, thieving goblins and pretty much every single creature you can find in the gutter. The amount of shady characters was bad, but the smell was worse. He was used to the smell oddly enough. He kept his cowl and face mask on and walked into the inn. The owner of the inn who was also the man the merchant was in debt to, was sitting down with another man, with ale in his one hand and a woman in the other who stood by him, pretending to like him only for his gold. But he was too drunk to realise it. Or he was just an idiot. Kyros did not care. He promptly came up to his table and laid the pouch of gold on it.

"It's done."

"Wait. What's done? Who are you?"

"You hired me last month to collect debt from Rashaad's store. This is the last payment. Now you have to give me what you promised me."

"Ohh yeah. I remember you. Sneaky thing aren't you. Well here you go." Without a thought, the man threw a pouch of gold on the table. It was very small and it was not even half full.

Kyros opened it and poured all of the gold in it, into his palm. "This is not what we agreed upon."

"Too bad. Life is not fair. Get over it."

"I demand you give me what is mine before things get ugly." Kyros started to summon a smoke bomb in his hand. He knew that the man would not give up too easily so he was ready for a confrontation.

"BOYS!! Show this Cyan Coward that we do not take orders from scum like him." The entire tavern roared. They picked up their weapons and it almost seemed like it was a race to see who could kill him first.

Kyros threw his smoke bomb onto the ground which quickly enveloped the entire inn. The place was pretty small in terms of volume so it did not take long before everyone was in the smoke, with Kyros the only one knowing what is going on. He quickly took out his knife and stabbed the drunk owner in the head after he corrected him, "Its navy.". He would be worried about the people coming for him but that was no longer a problem as one of the orcs accidentally smashed another with his Warhammer in a blind attempt to connect with Kyros. This lead to chain reaction where people kept hitting each other, leading to a giant bar fight. Kyros quickly got away from the heat of the action as he was no longer the focus. He grabbed the key from the dead body of the owner and then ran to his private quarters. There was a massive, unarmoured orc standing in the way. He was confused as to what was going on and did not know what to do other than to just stand there with his club out. Seeing this, he loaded a penetrative arrow and fired. The penetrative arrows had tips as small as they could be in order to provide the most amount of force on the small area of impact. The arrow went right through his eye and got stuck somewhere in there.

The orc screamed a great deal and started randomly swinging his massive club. The arrow did not kill him but with him smashing everything around him in a great fit of rage certainly helped the arrow dig into the correct spot of his brain as he collapsed shortly after. The door behind him was not very secure which allowed for Kyros to easily knock it down with his momentum. He then opened up his backpack, ready to loot whatever he had in there. The owner wasted almost all of his money on random things made of gold. He took the massive half-empty pouch of gold, a few small golden statues that he could fit into his backpack, and then fired an explosive arrow at the wall which gave him a route to escape. The explosion lead to a reasonably large piece of wood being launched against him and hitting him in the chest with another smaller piece of rock that left a cut on his right cheek. He could not breathe and struggled to lift the piece of wood from his chest for a brief moment. All but one of the statues had fallen out of his backpack. After finally getting loose, Kyros went immediately for the exit as some people, other than him had the same idea of looting the office. He blindly fired two more arrows behind him, neither of which hit his targets but intimidated them enough to discourage them from chasing him. He then left the inn and proceeded to the carpet store.

Rashaad's Store

He opened up the door, looking dirty, damaged and exhausted. The owner came out of his room and immediately got angry. He thought a customer was coming. But instead it was the man who took all of his gold from him.

"What are you doing here? That was the last of the gold. I gave it all. I have nothing left. What kind of mon---"

"I am not here to take money from you." Kyros interrupted the man. He then opened up his bag and placed the statue on his desk along with the massive pouch of gold from which he took quite of gold for himself out of. The amount itself being twice what he was promised. "Here, that should be enough to buy everything again."

"What?" Rashad said in a confused tone. "But how? How did you get this all?" he said with disbelief.

"I killed him. And his own men took care of the entire inn by drunkenly destroying it."

"Th-thank you very much." The man said as he opened the bag of gold. "How can I ever repay you?"

"Just don't tell anyone of who I am and what I did alright? You never saw me or heard of me."

"That is nothing. That is absolutely nothing! Here allow me to get something for you." The short, chubby man took a stool and placed it in front of a long shelf. He then reached for, and grabbed a small chest. He opened it, and the most wonderful aura Kyros had ever smelt filled the room. "These are one of the most flavoursome tea leaves in the world. Taken care of from birth, they are only drunk by kings and queens alike." He forced the chest into Kyros' hand after closing it and switching the built in lock on. He scrambled for a bit and then grabbed two cigars from another shelf. "These are incredible cigars made with magic. They provide the relief of any normal cigar-" he paused for effect. "But leave none of the smell. You can have these too but they last a pretty long time so don't worry about running out any time soon."

Kyros placed the chest of tea and the container of cigars on his backpack since he had space left from emptying out all the things he had gotten. The merchant reached in for a hug and gave a very warm one. Kyros awkwardly responded by moving his hands onto his back in a very telegraphed fashion. The merchant then patted him on the back before pulling back. "Come to my store any time my friend. My doors are wide open for you."

Kyros nodded and pulled his face mask down to reveal a big smile he had on. "Unfortunately, I will be most likely leaving as there is no more work for me here. But if I ever come back, I know who to say hello to first. Goodbye Rashaad."

The man gave an exhagerated wave and while laughing said, "Same to you my friend. Goodbye, Blue Raven."

The River Bank

Kyros was pretty satisfied with what he had done. Not only were his pockets reasonably full, but he had also gotten two cigars and some tea. Although he was not a frequent user of either, he did appreciate the gesture. He also had his daily fill of action. The thrill of a fight like that felt great. He wanted more. And what other place to look for more action than the Imperial Palace. He was late to the initial meeting but he knew that he could find something to do when he got there. He stopped by a river nearby that had a bridge over it and started to lightly clean his equipment. He cleaned his dagger, clearing out all the blood on it and then sheathing it. He then dusted off, and cleaned his garments which were all dirty as a result of that piece of wood falling on him. There still was a great pain inside his chest, especially near his ribs which made it somewhat difficult to breathe. But he could ignore it as he had felt worse pain. He did a count of all of his arrows and realised that he had forgotten to enchant frost arrows for himself. He thought of stopping and doing so but he realised that he did not need them at that very moment and they could wait. He was honestly just sick of reading from the book word by word as it did take quite the process to put the magic into an object instead of simply summoning the magic itself.

Some time later....

Imperial Palace

Kyros had finally reached the Imperial palace. Upon getting there, he noticed a distinct lack of guards all around him. They were most probably up to some things with the Majai knights that he could not care about. With him taking a different, much less known route to his destination, he did not expect much more. While most people saw the magnificent beauty of the pillars, the incredibly carved stones and all of the decoration, Kyros saw nothing but gold being wasted. These things had no purpose other than showing off to the world that the Carbinate empire is rich. He figured that things like that need not to be showed to the others by them, but they needed to be seen by others in them. He then walked into a hall which decorated many fearsome warriors. He looked at the amount of work that was put into depicting every single one. By walking further, he then saw, in distance, a woman dressed in all white, standing with her back to a particular picture. He then watched as another woman, dressed in the traditional Carbinate colours walked up to her. They then together left to another room. The soldiers then spotted him, and then came closer to him. Deciding not to be seen as someone with harmful intentions, Kyros just stood there, acting like he had nothing to worry about. He knew that he was not allowed there per say but the guards would make exceptions due to the Majai Knights thing that was going on.

"Aren't you supposed to be with all the other people who want to sign up for the Majai Knights?"

"Well yes, but I am only here to admire the glory of the previous warriors of the empire for inspiration. I shall be returning to them momentarily. I just need to think for a bit before making such a commitment." Kyros' lie stung his tongue but he said it naturally, almost as if it had been the truth. He was used to lying in order to get himself out of sticky situations. And it had seemed to work. One of the guards sighed and rolled his eyes while the other one just signalled him, indicating that they should continue fulfilling their duty.

"Just make sure not to linger here for too long okay?" They had then continued their patrol.

Kyros walked further as he had lost the two women. He wondered what they were up to. He then walked to where the woman in white was standing and then slowly turned around. He then immediately stopped breathing. He had recognised the man. How could he have ever forgotten? He started to calm down. He did not want to be creating any suspicion as his death was already under mysterious circumstances. This man was Lord Nathaniel Whitehall. He then turned around to where the woman in white had gone, and wondered who she might have been.

(Open for interaction)

 

[Ms. Sparrow]

Sadima Peterova: Imperial Palace gates & Peterova Manor

Sadima Peterova stared after the Majai Knight. She had a mutual respect for them. She knew they watched the her and her brother, and with fair reason. There had been a few "animal attacks" in the past years. That was her fault, when Sadima spiraled, she killed. Caspen was worse. There was a reason he didn't feed on human blood.

He'd inherited mothers dearest ripper genes. He was incapable of control. He fed so hard he tore the head from their bodies.

The Majai knight had a point though. "I'll consider your plead." Sadima said before she turned her back and waved to them without glancing backwards. "We'll be in touch."

With those last words Sadima was off in a blur, gone from sigh in merely a second she made her way back to Peterova manor.

Interaction: (everyone in alleyway)

 

[Dalamus Ulom]

Saverous
Passing through the Gate and Heading towards the Palace​

"You there, halt!" The guard shouted at Saverous, his halberd at the ready. Saverous knew the guard was talking to him. They were always talking to him when they got like that, even when he wore his hood. The giant of a man would stop in his tracks a few feet away from the guard without saying a word. Around him were men, women, and children, numbering at about a dozen and a half, all tired and road ragged after their long walk to the capital.

Nearly half of them were armed with what seemed to be whatever they were able to find or make. Cudgels, clubs, rusty swords, pitchforks, and even a scythe. The group would have looked rather pitiful, were it not for the prescence of Saverous. Standing at almost nine feet tall, with crimson runes inscribed upon smokey flesh, it was no wonder the guard reacted in anger and fear at the sight of him.

"What's your business here? Why are you trying to enter the city? Are you some sort of monster? Answer my questions! And lower that hood, let me get a look at your face!" The flury of commands were spoken in a gruff and commanding voice, the slightest hint of nervousnes, or fear, hidden behind the severity of his tone.

"He's done nothing wrong, committed no crime! What is his crime, huh? Existing? Looking threatning? Well, bastard, tell us! Tell us wh-" One of the villagers, a young man who barely had a whisp of a beard on his face, would begin to shout at the guard, before Saverous lifted his hand, as if to tell the villager to calm down. After a few moments, the man would simply nod while looking at the ground, his hands balled into fists.

A brief moment later, his rune-scrawled hands would lift the hood off, revealing the charcoal hair underneath. Saverous' eyes, like molten gold, would shift to the guard, having been staring straight ahead, at the palace, up until now.

"Happy?" He said, his voice like a rockslide or thunder, deep and rumbling.

"You! Oh, I am happy! You have made me the happiest man to ever live! You're the one who killed my brother during the war, crushed his skull like a grape under your boot! And now, the gods have gifted me a chance at revenge! I will kill you, and end your evil, and take my just revenge! My true justice!" With that, the guard took to steps forward, bringing his halberd shooting into Saverous' abdomen. If it had been any other man, they would have been killed. But Saverous was like few. As the point of the halberd met with his flesh, it's point would bend and bound off when it hit him, tearing his shirt open, but leaving Saverous untouched. There wasn't even a scratch.

"I was never a follower of Seth. I was nothing more than the magical slave of one of his allies. I never chose to kill those I did, but even still, I am sorry for all the crimes I have committed. And I am truly sorry you could not get justice for your brother by killing me, but I have things I must do. I shall go in the city now. Just know that the monster who really killed all those people, the thing that made me lift my cudgel and slay your brother, has been dead for over a year."

Saverous and those with him would continue through the gate into the city, leaving the guard crying in the mud behind them, his damaged halberd left forgotten at his side.

---Minutes Later---​

Saverous was alone now, the villagers having opted to stay in a local inn Saverous would report what had happened. He had to inform the Majai Knights, or the Army, or anyone who would listen that had some sort of power to help.

As he approached the courtyard in front of the palace, a large group of people would pass by him, giving the rather noticable giant of a man multiple looks as they gave him a wide berth. Saverous would listen to them mutter, complaining about a sham. Something about a fake recruitment, involving the Majai Knights? It sounded mildly interesting, but had nothing to do with Saverous' objective.

Entering the courtyard, he would proceed towards the Palace gate. If he was lucky, no one would know who he was. If he wasn't lucky, some mage or priest would undoubtedly notice the demonic prescence trapped within him, and attempt to murder him for being a monster. Which, to be honest, was a point he couldn't truly argue against. In many ways, he really was a monster.

Not that they ever got much farther in the job of killing him than men like the gate guard.


(Open for Interaction)

 

[Reinhardt]

Caius Levinhart​

Current Location: Dark Alleyway​

Somewhere, deep in the less civilized areas of the city, two men could be found in a dark alleyway.

One wore a simple silken robe, with a few intricate designs embroidered on the cloth. He slowly moved his back to the wall, in by inch. "You are a fool!", the man said. "This land, these people. The entire world. All of it belongs to the one true heir! The Prince of Darkness holds claim above all!"

The other man was taller. He wore red garments that were accompanied by various bits of refined, metallic armor. With his hand, he firmly gripped a menacing-looking greatsword and carried it with ease, as if it was as light as a pen. "I do not care.", he said, emanating with nothing but pure murderous intent.

The robed man, now back against a wall, was shivering. Despite his cowardice showing, he still remained firm about his beliefs. "I-I am not afraid of you, Crimson Slayer!", he yelled. "I d-do not f-fear death!"

"Good.", the man with the sword answered, as he slowly approached his trembling prey.

"M-my death will only set me free!", the robed man continued to speak out loud. "F-free from the shackles of this m-mortal b-body! And I s-shall be reunited with m-my lord, Seth!"

The Crimson Slayer let the weight of his sword onto the ground, sounding a metallic thud. He, then, dragged it as he continued to walk towards the other guy. In his eyes could be seen the sealed fate of his victim, and the hope that faded away from the poor man's spirit.

"Y-you are n-nothing, Crimson Slayer!", the scared man continued. "The D-dark Messiah will b-bring y-your judgeme-"

The man was cut off by his face being covered by the Crimson Slayer's free hand, which then proceeded to slam his head against the wall.

"Just shut up and accept your death.", he said.

"Mmmph!", the robed man tried to speak, only to be beheaded with a swift strike from the Crimson Slayer's blade.

However, in the midst of this, a patrolling soldier had witnessed the act. Far away, the soldier shouted to the man left standing. "You there! Halt!"

The Crimson Slayer turned around, dropping the dead man's head, causing it to roll on the ground and stop just a few meters before the darkness of the alleyway was faded away by the daylight. He now stared at the soldier with a disinterested look, and with his hands stained with blood.

"You are under arrest for committing murder! Let go of your weapon now!", the soldier said, but his voice was slightly trembling.

The Crimson Slayer approached the soldier, and release his grip on the greatsword, causing it to fall on the ground. He, then presented both of his hands to the man before him.

The soldier picked it up quickly, but with slight difficulty due to its weight, then restrained the Crimson Slayer. After doing so, the soldier escorted him to the dungeons, where he is to be imprisoned until his crime is pardoned. However, to get there, one must go through the Imperial Palace first and present the captured criminal to the necessary authorities.

Current Location: Imperial Palace​

Finally inside the Imperial Palace, the Crimson Slayer and the soldier went through various public locations - the hall with the humongous pillars, the gallery of the Empire's significant persons, etc. A lot eyed the Crimson Slayer, though most were simply curious, due to the very little crime that occurred at the current times - basically any criminal was deemed interesting by the populace, no matter what they committed.

After a while of walking within the confines of the heavily secured establishment, they arrived at a vacated chamber, where an old knight ordered the two to halt. "Where are you talking him?", the knight asked the lowly soldier.

"To the dungeons, sir!", the soldier responded quickly.

"And what crime has he committed?", the knight asked.

"Murder, sir! He has killed a man in an alleyway, down south of the city, sir!", the soldier replied.

The knight took a look at the Crimson Slayer, and observed him thoroughly. He, then took his weapon and examined it. After a short moment, the knight spoke. "I recognize this sword. This is the Fragarach! The blade wielded by a man who bravely fought for the Empire!", he said approaching the Crimson Slayer shortly after. "Then this man must be Sir Levinhart!"

The knight ordered the soldier to remain in the vacant chamber, and left. It is most likely that he has called upon the proper authorities, presumable to have them see the man that once served the Empire with greatness.

Left in the chamber, the soldier looked at him, then asked. "Are you really Sir Levinhart? Didn't the order throw him out for some reason?"

"Yes.", the Crimson Slayer responded.

Tags: Avari Alteras (and probably anyone in the palace)

 

[The_Omega_Effect]

Kyros Manearys
Imperial Palace

Kyros was just standing there, looking at the painting of the man that once was. Lord Nathaniel of the Whitehill clan was fearsome and a force to be reckoned with. For a certain reason, Kyros only thought of this particular person as such. He normally did not care for the heroic actions of anybody else and thought that soldiers were nothing more than cannon fodder. The reason he had his any respect at all for him stemmed from a much more personal experience. He was frozen and in deep thought. With memories from approximately more than a year ago suddenly coming back to him, he could not do much more than remember and contemplate them.

This was cut short however, as he suddenly heard the clinging sound of armour accompanying heavy steps. He realised that someone, most likely one of the guards, was coming back to this area. He had no doubt that they wanted to talk to one of the women that had just passed by here as this person would have had no idea he was there. He wasted no time and instantly ran close to the gigantic statue of some other warrior. He then started to scale it, hiding between it and the wall, out of the sight of anybody who might cross the corridor. He heard the footsteps get louder and louder until he could tell that the man was directly in front of the statue.

After the man seemingly started to walk away from the statue, due to his footsteps getting quieter and the sounds of them coming from a further distance, Kyros tried to look at to him to see where he was going in order to learn where the two women went. But in the process, he slipped and his boot scraped against the wall, creating a sound that was heard by the man. Upon realising this, Kyros immediately stopped making noises and tried to hide himself even better by climbing higher along the statue's back without making a sound.

The man stopped, and chanted "Is anybody there?" After a brief pause he then turned around and continued on his way while mumbling something to himself. Kyros waited for the sounds to stop before making any moves. He then stopped hearing his steps, and started to hear a knock on a door. He knew he had to stay quiet for longer if he wanted to avoid detection.


Avari Alteras (if they get out of the study) Reinhardt (if he can leave the empty room inside of the palace) Anybody in the palace really.

 

[Captain Gabriel]

Iris Cripthar
Location: Shady Alley

The woman had listened to everyone. But first, she wanted to prove that what she said is true. She let her hands slide on her hips.

"Well, handsome bard...Do you want proof?" She said, smiling genuinely, staring into his eyes. She approached him and stamped a kiss on his cheek, giggling. "Hop around like a frog and also croak!" She exclaimed, laughing in a girly manner, taking a step back to give him space. As soon as her lips touched his cheek, his heart would start throbbing intensely. The feeling would be out of this world.

The girl smiled as soon as the satyr and Sigvald agreed to help her. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Sigvald...and I got random people off the street because...Well...nobody else wanted to. This is my last chance." She said, tilting her head to the left with a small pout on her lips. As he mentioned Taranis, she smiled widely, "Uncle Tar! I haven't heard of him in such a long time." She said, giggling quietly.

"For all those willing to help...The first thing we need to do is find a way to get within the Imperial Palace. It's gonna be hard, and we're gonna need inside-help..." She whispered to the group, gesturing at them for them to get closer. "I have an idea for someone that could help, but...does anyone have other ideas?" She asked, staring at them one by one.

Ms. Sparrow Archdemon SecretRock Mach1ne_H3ad Troldmand FireMaiden

 

[Avari]

IMPERIAL PALACE
A SMALL STUDY - LATE AFTERNOON

“Sadima abandoned us,” Lucrezia pointed out, as she sat herself down carefully on one of the plush chairs in the study. The pair knew each other too well to stand on ceremony, and Lucrezia even deigning to do so without invitation had been a notable evolution in their relationship.

“-I wouldn’t use her as a valid example of a sane decision.”

Jabel nodded. “Well, she has also been a defender of the emperor before, dutiful until the day she left.”

“When we needed her most.” Lucrezia replied quietly, her expression blank.

The Marshall gave a sigh as she sat down herself, another glass of water in her hand. (Lucrezia had politely declined.) “Everyone left when we needed them the most.”

The two women didn’t say anything for a short time, both preoccupied with their own thoughts and taking to observing the small magical candle that was flickering merrily.

“We’re over stretched.” Lucrezia said finally. “I’m not surprised intel is starting to fall between the cracks. I wonder what else we've missed recently.”

Jabel leant back in her chair, sipping her drink. “You’re right...in any case, I should explain to you what that hoax has led me to...”

Jabel proceeded to replay the incident about the supposed demi-goddess Iris and the explanations that were given. Lucrezia listened, a small frown growing across her perfect features.

“A Half-God?” She repeated incredulously.

“So she says,” Jabel replied. “The daughter of the goddess of Love, or something. She definitely was charming them if three people jumped out of nowhere and instantly agreed to her request.”

Lucrezia looked concerned. “We’re still dealing with the fallout of the last half-deity who had a silver tongue, Jabel.”

The Marshall nodded. “-At least some of those who appeared still remained somewhat skeptical, and only intend to save innocent lives.” She took another drink of water and looked over at Lucrezia, seeking her opinion. “...any thoughts?”

“I think we should have burnt Seth’s body when we had the chance.”

Jabel looked at the Knight-Commander blankly. “...Then the Necromancers? You think they could’ve resurrected his corpse?”

Lucrezia had resumed watching the magical candle, the fire reflecting in her dark red eyes. “...If the possibility exists...it should be prepared for.” She began carefully. “You know the Empire cannot survive another war. The only way we’re going to survive is if we prepare for every eventuality.”

Jabel considered for a moment, calculating.

“...fine. But we can’t send the public into a panic. We’re still under martial rule...”

“We move quietly then,” Lucrezia replied, reassuring her. “...I can’t spare any Knights to check on the villages. Or watch this...Iris. I will verify her story myself.”

“I would like to go myself, but I’ll leave it to you.” Jabel acknowledged, placing her empty glass on the desk. “If you desire, I can send an old friend of mine. She is well versed in combat. It’ll be a while before I can find her and send her your way, so you should go ahead.”

The Knight-Commander however, gently shook her head.

“We don’t have the manpower to send two people on what might be a wild goose chase. If Iris remains in the city, we should ensure she is under due observation. Besides, I don’t plan to be gone long.”

Jabel decided not to argue the point, instead rising to her feet. “Alright then. I’ll remain here and ensure that the council don’t die from fear.” To which Lucrezia gave a short, quiet and dignified chuckle. “Anything else?”

Lucrezia slowly rose to her feet herself, and cast Jabel a pointed look. “And if Iris reveals herself to be a threat?”

“She dies,” Jabel replied without hesitation, and Lucrezia acknowledged her command with a nod.

“Yes, My lady.”

Jabel remained silent. Technically she wasn’t a noble, but she decided to let it pass.

“Godspeed Lucrezia Whitefall.”

The Knight-Commander reached down to the desk, and extinguished the candle between two white gloved fingers.

 

[SecretRock]

Jausi
Shady Alleyway​

The satyr was actually surprised that so many people agreed to join the quest, though the woman probably did have some kind of charm magic if she was a demi-god. Jausi was kind of uncomfortable with the thought of her free will being partially taken from her but the thoughts were mainly drowned out by the alcohol. From the sound of it, the more people that wanted to come the better. If it was Seth, they were unlikely to survive even with this number of them. If it wasn't, then having more people wouldn't hurt anyway. She stumbled a bit mentally as Iris said they needed to break into the Imperial Palace. Jausi hadn't seen much of the palace (why would the emperor do business with satyrs?) but the name really implied that no one who wasn't invited would be getting in.

"I'd say climb but that guards have probably thought of that already," She suggested. It seemed easiest to her to just vault the wall surrounding the palace grounds but even Jausi wasn't dumb enough to think that that would go unnoticed and unpunished. "I kind of want to ask, though, why do we need to break into the palace? You said they didn't believe you, and a bunch of strangers off the street barely count as evidence."

 

[Alteras]

Jabel Vazeran
Imperial Palace Entrance Hall

Jabel stepped out of the dark room, having finished her conversation with Lucrezia. She continued to walk down the hall and towards the west wing, in hopes of leaving without bumping into the gathered adventurers from before. She turned the corner and stopped to see the unfamiliar person dressed in back. Instantly she moved her right hand to the hilt on her left and took a stance of combat. It is the stance that soldiers and guards would take when encountering an unknown entity but didn't want to pull out their blade yet. "WHO GOES THERE?!"
The_Omega_Effect

 

[The_Omega_Effect]

Kyros Manearys

Imperial Palace

Kyros thought that he had escaped any consequence when he avoided that guard. What he did not expect was, a door opening from a side of the corridor where someone could easily see him. The woman that had previously taken the other woman dressed in all white had come out. Her booming voice surprised him. This time he really could not use the "I am just one of the adventurers" excuse as he was clearly hiding from detection which would imply that he was there, breaking some sort of rule. Why was he even there? "Right, boredom. What a great reason to go to jail." thought Kyros. However, he still had not lost his confidence in him escaping as the woman did not seem like she could prevent him from escaping all alone due to the many tricks that were at his disposal. And her not facing him at all beforehand would lead to each one being a surprise of some sort.

Kyros slid down from the statue to the waist and then just dropped on his feet on the floor. He then slowly started to walk out of the shadows, with the light illuminating the very dark shades of blue in his clothing. If it was not for his cloak and face mask covering up everything but his eyes, the very small hint of blue in his hair could be seen too. He gripped his bow that was slung over his shoulder. The distance between the two would be enough for him to nock an arrow and shoot it at her. But he would much rather escape than stay as he had no idea what she was capable of either. Before any of that happened, Kyros decided to see if he could talk his way out. "Despite what it looks like, I do not want a fight." he said in his usual calm demeanour. He then waited for her response.

Alteras

 

[Ms. Sparrow]

Sadima and Caspen Peterova
Location: Peterova Manor

Sadima barged into the manor, slamming the dark oak door shut as she entered the parlor room, which was the first room you entered after you came in.

The room was a large one at that, waking in was a living room, with wealthy velvet sofas across from each other, resting on an expensively exquisite rug, sat in front of a large brick fireplace, an velvet chair that matched the couches, and a liquor cabinet behind the couch on the right side, about the size of a small dresser, and a multiple large paned windows around the room, along with a couple bookshelves.

Caspen sat in the chair seated closer to the fireplace then the couches, intently staring at the crackling flames in the fireplace, her turned to look at Sadima, who instantly walked over to the liquor cabinet and grabbed a bottle of ale to pour herself a glass.

"We have a problem, Caspen. And when I say problem, I mean global crisis. Turns out our old time friend may have come back from the dead." She said as she poured the liquid into a glass and handed one to Caspen, and then began to pour one for herself. "You remember Seth, right?"

At these words Caspen turned and look at her. "Seth is dead." He stated flatly, as if there were no possible chance he could live.

"Don't you think I know that?" Sadima snarled, "I watched him die myself! He was as dead as a doorknob." She took a large sip of her drink before setting the exquisite glass cup down with a thud.

Caspen stood up, "Then what makes you think otherwise?"

And so Sadima jumped into her tale of what she had heard from the time she arrived, starting with how it wasn't an actual Majai recruitment, the recruiter being a demigod, and the news of Seth's army.

By now Caspen was pacing around the parlor room, and Sadima was on her second drink. He shook his head, "It's not possible." He glanced at Sadima, "We helped kill him ourselves, if the Majai knight is skeptical then-"

"Think, Caspen!" Sadima snapped, stepping closer to Caspen setting her empty glass down harshly. "Seth had all sorts of people in his army. Necromancers included. Do you really think that not one, but two or three of them still survived? Gaining power over the years, enough to raise Seth?" Sadima's voice rose as she and Caspen came face to face.

Caspen ran a hand through his hair. "If there's even the slightest possibility he's raising an army... but why? Why now? And what for?" Caspen asked outloud, beginning to pace as if someone would appear out of thin air and answer these questions.

"To finish what he started, of course." Sadima shook her head frustrated, "I don't know Caspen, revenge?" She snarled as she refilled her drink. "If Caspen's after revenge that makes one of his targets, I don't know-"

"Us." Caspen finished. "One of his targets us."

Caspen served in the war just as she did, and while Sadima's place was at the Emperors side, she foiled assassination plots, killed some of Seth's most important men, and even went to battle directly against him.

"The Majai knights are a target too." Caspen added, sitting down on the edge of the couch, looking at the floor in thought. "Our own army is still recovering. We won't survive another war. Unless we stop him ourselves."

Sadima sat down across from Caspen on the other sofa and handed him a drink. "Drink up, brother. It's time to get back into action."

The two clanged glass cups before each they chugged down the strong liquid.