Fantasy Hunter's Moon: The Sin & Sentence [IC] [CLOSED]

[Infab]

"The purges being over is good news. Only way I avoided the pressures of participating in them was going on a wild vampire hunt across Adonia. And even then patrols wanted me to help them go door to door and kill vampires and lycanthropes. None of that sat right with me, I mostly just kill demons."

Undite nodded in response. "Those that killed innocent supernaturals, and continue to do so after the disbanding of the Order and expulsion from the new Inquisition, will be hunted down what they've done. Velin and I agree that it should be done." she stated, before looking to Cassiel and the sword. "...As for you, Hudson, I would like to offer you a place in the new Inquisition. At least until this matter with the artifacts, Sazak, and Taranoch is resolved. Then, you are free to retire from it and return home to be with your family. The same offer goes to you, Vincent. You are already a member of the Inquisition, but should you wish to part from it, I understand."

Vincent looked to Undite for a few moments, before nodding. "...Yes, ma'am. I shall remain with the new Inquisition. I feel it best that I continue to assist against Taranoch and his Icons." he responded. "Good. Hudson, if you need to, feel free to return home for now and think on it. No need to rush on such a decision. When you've decided, please send the Church administration a letter in Eternis."

Cassiel looked over the sword in his hands, as they spoke. Such an ancient blade...used by one that fell from grace. There were others in the Abyss just like them, cast out of Heaven for selfish desires or for disobeying the Archangels. Sariel, one of the powerful Seraphim, had been cast out of Heaven near the end of the Age of Darkness for wishing to use the god artifacts to slay the Icons and Taranoch. Raziel had given the order himself, after she tried to take Velin's sword. He wondered how she was near daily, having to walk the Abyss alone...Perhaps it was time to ask Tariun about her.

As they continued to talk in their small group, Rosanna looked over from talking to Rosanna and Jakob to notice that Cassandra was among them. The vampire that they had fought on Grimtham, whom attempted to kill them several times through their journey. Valeria and Jakob both noticed Rosanna looking to Cassandra, and Valeria quickly chimed in. "Its...Its okay, Rose. S-She helped us. She and Mariette helped us..."

Rosanna looked to Valeria, shocked. "Mariette?" she asked softly. Valeria nodded. "Yes...Mariette would have came with us, but...She was corrupted by an artifact she wore. She turned into a demon...and had to remain in the Abyss. Cassandra came with us because she wanted to help us. She's changed...and wants to kill Sazak and fix all the things she helped cause."

Rosanna looked distraught when Valeria spoke of Mariette's fate, but her eyes shifted from Valeria to Cassandra. Cassandra was still staring at the door, silent and motionless. Eventually, Rosanna stepped past Jakob and Valeria, walking over to where Cassandra stood. The incoming aura alerted Cassandra, who shifted to look. "...Ah, the dullahan. I thought you had perished on Grimtham." she stated. Rosanna shook her head. "And I thought you had died too. Till I heard Velin slung ya into the Abyss."

"...Not my proudest moment." responded the pureblood. Rosanna stopped just next to Cassandra, before speaking again. "...I heard you and Mariette helped 'em escape." she said softly. Cassandra nodded. "Yes...we did. And I'm sure Valeria or Jakob told you what happened to Mariette." she responded.

"Yeah...Have ya really changed, Cass?" asked Rosanna. Cassandra went quiet for a few moments, looking back to the door, before replying. "...Yes. I have. Being cast into the Abyss, and spending thirty Abyssal years chained to Mariette, has helped to fix my shattered psyche...among other things. I am only here to help you and everyone else kill Sazak and put things right...Once that is done, I shall return to the Abyss to be with Mariette...I made a promise to her, you see."

Rosanna then went quiet herself, looking between the door and Cassandra. Her expression spoke volumes, but Cassandra didn't mention it. Both shared similar feelings, it seemed. Eventually, Rosanna spoke up again. "...Alright...But I will be watchin' you." she said, looking to Cassandra. Cassandra smiled. "I know...With my history, I wouldn't expect anything less. Trust me, I don't want anything else than to fix what I've done."

Soon, it was time to go. Cassiel spoke up, looking to all those that were standing in the area. "Alright. I shall open a portal back to Eternis. We shall get you all cleaned up, and on your way back to wherever you wish to go. Valeria, Lady Undite wishes for you to remain with her. She wishes to help treat you for whatever damage Sazak may have done to you, and to see what all you were able to get from being bonded to Sazak. What plans he or Taranoch may have. There's also someone that we wish for you to meet. Cassandra...It would be best if you came with us as well. We should talk, before we speak to Velin about your presence here. Vincent, Hudson, a full debriefing is in order."

Not long after he finished speaking, he opened a portal behind them. On the other side, the inside of the Church in Eternis. And one by one, the group slowly moved towards the portal and through it.

------
​

Elsewhere...

Tariun's Fortress
The Northern Abyss


"I'm so glad to see that you are alright." spoke Tariun, looking over Xager's battered form as a pair of Lust demons used their powers to heal Xager's wounds. "Yes. Sazak put up quite a fight in order to get to Valeria and the others. But I am glad to see that they were able to make it to the gate and through." Tariun smiled. "Yes...it was rather amusing to see Sazak fail to reach them. Suffering at the hand of the Abyssal Gate Guardian." Tariun continued to walk around the stone room, as demons moved by outside in the hallway. They were deep inside Tariun's fortress, hidden under the white sands of the Northern Abyss not too far into the Land of Dead Kings. She felt it best to be near the original home of the Demon Kings, the necropolis of Vucrox.

Xager glanced to Tariun, as she stood naked with her arms outstretched in a t-pose. The Lust demons were being thorough, inspecting her body for all the cuts and damage that Sazak had done to her. Sazak's blade had a lingering after effect in which wounds would have necrosis set in and kill tissue. They would have to act fast in order to prevent necrosis from setting in. "What do we do now, my lady?" asked Xager, a serious expression on her face. "Well, we push for a full scale rebellion now. Rally everyone we can to fight against Taranoch and his remaining Icons. Two dead Icons proves to the common demon that they can be slain. They aren't invincible and all powerful as they make themselves out to be, and it proves that Taranoch doesn't have a iron grip on the Abyss."

"And what about those we recruited from the group?" asked Xager, turning her attention straight ahead. Tariun thought for a moment. "...Mariette is now a fledgling demon...but she needs to learn the ways of the Abyss, as well as how to live as a demon. She can be placed with Azathor for the time being. Seems fitting that the son of Sazak and the servant of Sazak work together in order to deal with Sazak and his firstborn Astraal...When this is over, I will offer her a place in the renewed Abyssal Kingdom. She deserves something for helping us...as does Azathor."

"And what of Ethraeil? The Lich King." said Xager. Tariun nodded. "Ethraeil...that's a complicated subject. He wants Taranoch's head, and Sazak's too. But he also wants to slaughter demons with absolute recklessness. It reminds me a bit of Hudson. Its...something I'll have to speak with him about."

-----------------------------------------------------

EPILOGUE

-----------------------------------------------------​

 

[joshuadim]

"Then you can speak of it to me now." Ethraeil spoke from behind Tariun as he weakly walked in to where they were. He simply to one another for a moment before grunting: "I assume the mission from the inquisitors failed from what I hear... Taranoch still wields the artifacts, does he not?" he then asked, although he already suspected what the answer would be and was more rhetorical than anything. He sat down nearby onto a table and looked at Tariun. "The Runeforger. If he lives still, where is he?"

 

[Infab]

"I assume the mission from the inquisitors failed from what I hear... Taranoch still wields the artifacts, does he not?"

"The mission was a partial success. They rescued Valeria, which was their main objective. They also killed two Icons, and brought chaos to the various lands of the Central Abyss. Breaking Taranoch's hold on things, and the Icon's control of things in their own territories. He still, however, controls the artifacts as Mazgith has them hidden somewhere." responded Xager. "We need to figure out how to get her alone and interrogate her, or see if we can locate anything that could fill us in as to where the artifacts may be."

Tariun then muttered under her breath. "...Nice of you to knock, by the way."

"The Runeforger. If he lives still, where is he?"

"Deep in the Northern Abyss...Its rumored that he lives in the lands that Adriel came from. The Canyon of Titans, her birthplace." stated Tariun. "I'll be happy to show you the location of the Canyon...If you promise me one thing. A solemn vow to leave the Abyss in peace once we have claimed victory over Taranoch and his Icons. I wish to restore order to the Abyss, and I cannot do that if you're running around continuing to kill demons. Your vendetta is with them. Not the rest of us."

 

[joshuadim]

"I kill those that get in my way. My goal has always been Taranoch and Sazak, you should know this. I have no care to remain in this place otherwise, so you have my word." he bluntly stated as he stood up to leave, satisfied with the answers he got. He did however still at the door for a moment, turning his head slightly back to Tariun: "...did Jakob survive? Is he safe?" he then asked in a softer tone.

 

[Infab]

"...did Jakob survive? Is he safe?"

Tariun smiled. "...Yes. Yes, Jakob survived. He went back to the Mortal Realm with Valeria and the others. Mariette remained down here. She should be in one of the other rooms if you wish to speak to her."

 

[joshuadim]

Mariette.... here? Ethraeil thought to himself for a few moments in silence before giving a slight nod and leaving Tariun with Xager as he walked away. He took some time to ruminate in seclusion as to what his plans would be. Obviously, he would seek the Runeforger... but what would he say? Would the creature willingly make a new weapon of such potency, especially when forged with the blood of a demon king? He looked at his blade for a moment, observing the blood that still lay upon it, and decided that he would have to take the chance. He could barely even touch Taranoch before... a scratch was all that he even managed to lay upon him. And so, with gripped hands, he raised his blade: I need more power.

He made his way out of where he had been staying and prepared to leave, but not before seeing Mariette. It took a bit to find where exactly she was staying but her room was finally visible to her as Ethraeil stood outside it, unsure of what to do. When last they saw each other, they weren't on the best of terms... considering his words to her and Aleister at the start of the Inquiry. He was practically unrecognizable in his current form back then how he was at Grimtham. He raised his hand to knock but stilled just before hitting out of hesitation: Is this even a good idea? he thought to himself, Perhaps it would be better if I just... faded from memory. That people forgot about me and my monstrous deeds.

The very notion was conflicting, as he did care for those from the Inquiry. Yet... what he had become, what he had reverted into, was the stuff of nightmares. A price to pay for a chance at vengeance, but this raised another question in his mind that he hadn't even considered up until this point: Was it worth it?

After some silence, he then knocked his hand on the door.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

Eternis, Atraca.
Within distance of the Grand Cathedral.
One day later...



​

A pair of strange yet inconspicuous looking individuals slowly walk down a busy street towards the gradually rising cathedral in the distance. One of them, a woman dressed in an old grey coat and covering her face under a hat, watches the people pass her by with worry in her eyes. She's wondering how many of them know what's coming. She's wondering if they understand the doom that's approaching from underneath their feet. They're all talking, laughing, socializing, eating, drinking, and breathing while being completely unaware of what'll happen soon. She wants to warn them, but she knows either they'll ignore her or throw her in jail for being a disturbance, so she keeps her head down while she fiddles with the checkered scarf around her neck. Meanwhile accompanying her is a man wearing clothing looking just as faded and worn as the woman next to him. He pays the people around him no mind, though he does press his hand on her shoulder from time to time to let her know he feels the same way. The both of them see the cathedral rise above the buildings in the distance as they get closer and closer to it. The man turns to the woman next to him.

"I suppose I ought to do the talking." he whispers. "I'm not even sure if they will allow you inside in the first place."

She raises a hand at him before he can continue. "No... no. It has to be me. I'm the one she spoke to." she whispers back.

He sighs, shaking his head before looking back at the cathedral. "If you say so. Just try not to be too demanding, please? If they turn us away, we might as well be finished. There's not many places left for us to turn to."

"Don't worry. They'll understand when they know I'm not here for their money."

The two then continue down the road, both of them silently praying that the church might be able to help them.

 

[K0mori]

Ethraeil had only just knocked when the door was jerked open. Mariette, with a deeply sour expression to greet him, had sensed Ethraeil's aura coming and recognized it immediately. His appearance had totally changed since she last saw him, but then again, the same could be said for her. They had never been friends in life, although oddly, Mariette held no resentment over losing her head, once, to Ethraeil's blade. It was his necromancy she couldn't stand- the one domain of black magic in which she would never tread.

"...What do you want, lich?"

 

[joshuadim]

"...I was hoping we could talk." Ethraeil replied rather simply, looking over Mariette's new appearance for a moment in silence before speaking again. "There's... a great many things I wish to say. And I don't have anyone else to say it to."

 

[K0mori]

"I'm sure you could raise a few new friends who'd make good listeners," she jabbed. "All sarcasm aside, I do wonder how the Lich King could be so poor in company that he would seek out a lowly 'parasite' like me... Come in; I'll be your audience, monsieur."

Ethraeil ducked through the doorway into Mariette's small and undecorated living space. She had no possessions beyond a few changes of clothes, an old saber to practice with, a rack of blood vials, and of course, Undite's grimoire, which sat opened for study on the end of Mariette's cot. She closed the door behind the lich, and for a moment, they stood awkwardly in the room waiting for the conversation to begin in earnest.

 

[joshuadim]

Ethraeil took the moment of silence to sit down and ponder what exactly to say. He thought about how to exactly articulate himself before speaking, as it was never his strongest suit when dealing with his own thoughts with others. "I wish a great many things had went differently throughout the years. I wish that I had been strong enough to resist Sazak's influence... I wish that I had been able to see through lies and despair. To see that I became the monster that he had desired to make of me. All this bloodshed, violence and slaughter... it would fill oceans by my own hands. I tell myself, so much, that the atrocities I committed then and here is worth it. To fight for vengeance... the justice that I seek: that in the name of what I lost that I must see it through to the end."

He then chuckled, his voice rattling with unease. "And now I find myself on the precipice of yet another decision I have to make and for the first time in centuries... I am afraid. The power I seek to kill both my quarries, the power I seek to forge... it never comes free, I know that. And yet, here I plan to find the very demon that forged my armor and sword so that I may have a chance yet again to see both Sazak and Taranoch choke on their own blood. Is this really all I'm destined for? To be a violent creature that brings nothing but death in its wake? That I... I lose myself and all that I used to be?"

He looked up to Mariette with his eyes, flames flickering from under his helm: "Is there nothing for me left but ruin?"

 

[Breadman]

Somewhere in the Abyss

Henderson emerged from the portal and breathed in deep as it closed behind him. His hand might be cut off and a stump, but for once he was free. No cell, no guardians, no wardens and no-one around to annoy him. Just the wastes and their chaotic calm. Perfect.

"Let's get you out of your cage." He muttered

"You have got to be joking." Another voice spoke. His voice, but different. "What fresh hell have you created, mutant?"

"Something I though I could try my hand at." He continued to speak now more amused than anything "I didn't want to do it with the others around. Less they decide that killing me was worth it more than keeping around."

"What...what are you doing exactly?"

"Isn't it obvious, Edward? I'm giving you some control. Now be a good boy and work your magic." The large brute observed his stump and the severed hand it was holding. With some hesitation he held it closer to the severed flesh and started muttering the words Edward had learned during his decades of exile in the Abyss. He stopped when the flesh started to meld together. Muscle, sinew and bone mending together by unholy magics. The stench however was terrible. One of the drawbacks to necromancy not many think about. Taking a few seconds for the blood to get flowing, Henderson began to slowly feel his gigantic paw again. "There, that wasn't so hard now was it?"

"So that was it then? I'm to be your medicine man?" Edward spoke up again.

"Not quite. There are a lot of secrets in your head that are going to come in handy. The Abyss is going to go through some changes and I'm not someone to waste a golden opportunity for some mischief."

"You just want to...cause chaos?"

"Among other things." Henderson started to walk in a seemingly random direction. "Come now Edward. There's something over there I can smell and that last fight left me hungry!"

---
Somewhere else in the Abyss

The trio had arrived in another small town somewhere in the lands of Wrath. While protesting the idea of seeking the resistance, Constantine didn't have much of a choice but to go along with Tiloc and Colette. The former wanted to see how shaking up the Abyss was planned to happen and the latter was to be her guide. They stopped there in order to get on the train where the rumored rebellion contacts were supposedly operating on. That is, until a change of plans was due.

"The train is what now?" Constantine's cigarette hung from his mouth as the news left his jaw agape.

"Destroyed during the fight between the Icon and the terrorist group." Colette repeated what she was told "I..I don't know what to say either."

"One less obstacle for the resistance it seems." Tiloc chimed in. Unlike the other two, she was rather amused. "What did you call them, Vulture? A group of low-lifes playing kingmaker?" Her smug smile only made worse by the row of jagged teeth.

"Lucky bastards is what they are. Replicating anything on that scale anytime soon is impo-....What?" Tiloc's grin had grown wider as she was looking at something behind him. Constantine looked over his shoulder to see a group of hollows put up several signs. The first was the news that Azgon, the Icon of Wrath was dead. Then followed a series of posters. The Icon's murderers. Marked for death and with a generous bounty on each one's head. Constantine's cigarette fell to the ground.

"You want to take a bet for a third one?" The priestess mocked, barely containing her laughter

"Shut up!" He snapped back "We're deep in wrath country, remember? Loyalists are going to be out for blood and you giggling like a schoolgirl is only going to piss them off."

"I am not laughing at their leader's death." Tiloc shrugged "I'm laughing at you...what was it? Eating crow?" She placed a finger on her chin "That might suit you more. You do like to squawk a lot."

"Edward...Jacob... What did you two get yourselves into?" The wraiths had nearly forgotten about their third companion until she spoke up.

"You know them, little bird?" Colette nodded after giving Tiloc a look "That makes you a suspect now doesn't it?" She narrowed her eyes "You didn't aid any one of them somehow, right?"

"I...sold one of them cologne..."

"Well, hardly anything illegal." Constantine waved it off

"And made a potion of healing for him to use in the future if he needed it. Doubling as acid to demon hides."

"I need to learn to keep my trap shut." squeezed the bridge of his nose "Ok, that's bad. But who needs to know, right?"

"Vulture, she's an accomplice to a terrorist group. A threat to the Abyssal order." The blood priest said while placing her hands on Colette's shoulders, faking a concerned tone "A menace."

"Get to the point. Will ya?"

"Take her to the resistance. They can offer her shelter, protection and maybe she can meet her friends again." Taking a step away from Colette, Tiloc continued "She can help them with alchemy and perfumes I guess. Always useful to have someone with herb and spice knowledge."

"Tiloc, I do appreciate you 'looking out for me'." Colette spoke up finally "But, I want you to stop using me as a tool in your games with Constantine. I am your servant by law, but this is ridiculous."

"I'm sorry, little bird" Tioc raised her hands "I forget you shades have a degree of autonomy. So I ask for forgiveness for overstepping myself. But I do think the resistance going to the rebels is a good choice for our excursion."

"Well, lets ask her then." He looked around to make sure no stray loyalists were in ear shot "Colette, do you want us to go to the resistance."

"Yes." The answer was short, but confident, giving Tiloc another reason to grin. "With the train gone, we're going to need another way to contact them. Sigils should work."

"Alright then." The gambler summoned his horse. "Lets do this out of town then. Hop on."

One hour later

Tiloc twirled an obsidian knife in her hand near the campfire. Constantine watched carefully as the priestess drew the form of the sigil on the parchment with black chalk while muttering something in her own blasted language. Then she motioned for him to move his hand above a specific spot and handed him another knife.

"Cut and move along the line. The bigger the drops the stronger the sigil." To demonstrate, she gripped the blade and pulled with her other hand. The dark red blood began to ooze out the wound and down the parchment. Constantine mirrored her motions on his end without saying a word, less he mess up the incantations. Once that was done, Tiloc picked it up and held it up above the fire. The flames engulfed the piece leaving the sigil's form above them. "With this offering we seek those who know the ancient blood rites among the resistance." The priestess spoke "Take our blood as a sign of good faith that we are sympathetic to your cause. We ask for you to accept it and an audience with you to be granted."

 

[K0mori]

Mariette's expression remained nearly-unchanged as Ethraeil spoke of his woes, or maybe even grew colder as she listened. "I haven't the faintest idea what all 'you used to be.' Whatever great and terrible things you did during the Age of Darkness preceded my life, so don't speak to me as if we were contemporaries or that I have any fondness for an Ethraeil I didn't know. The one I knew was full of contempt for me. I remember our long carriage rides - you, me, and Aleister - and how you preferred silence to the sound of my voice."

She paused a moment and looked away, toward the few belongings in her sparse room. "Look where we are. We are in a second world, filled with nothing but violence and chaos. We aren't entitled to any other life until this crisis is sorted or we're both destroyed. ...But," she added, her morose tone finally lifting, to the Lich King's relief, "I do see a future beyond all this. It's just... difficult to believe in right now, to quite honest. I am not alone here, and I have a love I am waiting for." There was a pause, and suddenly Mariette's eyes widened, and a half-smirk crossed her lips. The question that came next was as benevolent as it was malevolent.

"What is it that you want, beyond your vengeance, monsieur? Barring any complications, of course," she added, gesturing at his general appearance. "Now, I must admit that I'm intrigued. Who were you? What was life to you? You might as well share, now that you finally have the chance."

 

[joshuadim]

"What I want...?" Ethraeil spoke softly as he mused for a moment. "I wish I could see my beloved once more. And my son. He was but a child clinging to her for safety when he was... when they were... taken from me. To see them again, even for the briefest glimpse, is what matters most of all to me. Although I doubt I will ever get the chance. What I wouldn't give..."

He seemed almost lost in thought as he reminisced to those times, his own voice trailing off as he was sucked into memories before shaking his head back to reality. He looked at Mariette for a moment before pulling out his phylactery from his armor: dangling from a simple golden chain was a pendant with a gem inside that seemed to glow ever so slightly. "It would be better to show rather than tell. Place but a finger upon my own soul."

As she did, she would begin to feel it all: his experiences and his life. It flooded as if it was her own memories and she could see it clear as day, although it was similar as if peering through a looking glass.

---

The Age of Darkness
​

The world shifted to that of a peasant village, its name forgotten to the mists of time as peasants worked the fields off in the distance for their lord, the Duke. Ethraeil was playing with some of the other village children and causing trouble as usual, as he was still too young to properly work the fields yet. Yet what caught his attention, and the others, was the arrival of a luxurious caravan to the area. An entourage of horsemen stayed on guard as the Duke, as well as some minor noblemen, stepped out to observe the area. Their village was home to a particularly beautiful grove in the nearby woods, said to have been visited by the Gods themselves according to local folklore. Yet what caught Ethraeil's eye the most was a girl his own age travelling with her father, the Duke. The two's eyes met for the first time.

Elise.

-

The scene shifted again to the two having snuck away to the woods, adventuring and looking about until coming about a stream. She had snuck away many times before from the keep, but tonight was different. As they sat upon its banks, their feet sat within the running waters, Ethraeil proclaimed his love to her. His position would never allow him to be with her, but she didn't care. The two embraced each other with a kiss that was forbidden. Yet he would not let such dreams remains so as the scene shifted yet again with Ethraeil now a young man proclaiming his fealty as a ward to the Duke. His oath of loyalty to his liege, a way to rise up from peasantry with servitude. Scores of memories soared by, from his many acts as a bannerman to saving the Duke from an arrow, to finally marrying to one he loved. As a knight of his realm now and with a small estate of his own now, he lived ever so happily as a family as they celebrated his son's birth with a feast. The Duke, all the counts of his holdings celebrated elatedly, and even the peasantry celebrated outside the manor with a festival of their own: both in Ethraeil's name and for the prospect of a good harvest.

Joy, and love. I had all these... then came the darkness upon the world.

-

​

The scene shifted once more: Ethraeil swung his axe into the neck of a demon, nearly decapitating it as the battle raged on around him. He couldn't find the Duke, he had been separated with his personal guard elsewhere and Ethraeil frantically sliced and chopped through the foes that stood in his way as desperately searched for his liege. It wasn't until cutting through another demon he heard the horn of his bannerlord, and quickly rushed to its source. The Duke chopped through a demon in front of him as he saw Ethraeil approaching and brought him into the enclave he and his men had managed to carve out for the time being. "Ethraeil! We have been betrayed! The king conspires with this evil!" he said, pointing to the distance. Ethraeil's eyes widened in shock as he saw the kings banners charging at their own countrymen to join in on the slaughter.

"No... it cannot be! What do we do!?" he asked in fear, unsure of what to do. The Duke placed his hand on the knight's shoulder and grimaced. "The battle is lost, my boy. I will hold them off, you must warn the keep before it is too late! Get them all out of there! Elise and Arathor, get them out!"

"I can't leave you-"

"You shall because I command it! Ride as fast as the wind will take you! Go! Fly you fool!"

Ethraeil hesitated for the briefest of moments before giving a nod and running off. He found a horse without a master and rode away from the battle, not daring look behind him as he raced as quickly as he could to his family and to the innocents that took refuge in the Duke's stronghold.

But it would always be too late.

His horse had collapsed out of exhaustion some hours back, and so without rest or reprieve Ethraeil ran to the keep the rest of the way. The entire time he hoped and prayed for his family's safety, yet his eyes were greeted with the horrors that he wished weren't true. The keep had been utterly destroyed.

As he entered the keep, he looked around in sheer horror at the carnage that had been strewn about. Corpses, butchered in all manner of ways, had been piled into towers and other disgusting effigies. Had Ethraeil any strength to do so he would have vomited from the stench alone. Yet he slowly walked through, his eyes frantically searching for a sign, anything, that would dispel his worst nightmares. And then he saw them.

"No... no..." he whimpered pathetically as he walked forwards to the corpses of his family. Their bodies having been defiled in such a manner that left Ethraeil's mouth agape in horror as he collapsed to his knees and cradled their bodies before letting out a blood-curdling scream. The screams and tears would not stop as he clutched those he loved, and remained so for the days that passed until his own voice gave out and could shed no more. He remained silent, waiting for death to finally take him from this existence. He wanted so desperately to die, as nothing could ever soothe the pain that had been inflicted to his soul, yet for some reason he was still alive. It was in this moment, he weakly grabbed his own dagger and prepared to take his own life... but then he heard the whispers.

I can give you what you want most, Ethraeil. Sazak's voice pierced his mind, What you rightfully desrve: vengeance. Honeyed words to a desperate man, who had nothing left, as he frantically looked about in fear and confusion. "...w-what do you want?" he then asked, in desperation. "WHERE ARE THEIR MURDERERS!?" he then demanded with a roar. Tsk tsk, such knowledge is never free... you simply need to do what I say... and I'll give you the King and his lackeys."

-

The scene once more as Ethraeil's corrupted form moved throughout the streets of the city. His thralls were moving around, slaughtering and killing anyone they could find. He simply walked towards the city keep, not paying attention to the carnage unfolding in the streets as people screamed throughout the city in terror and fear. The garrison never stood a chance as they joined his ranks. Sazak had not only taught him necromancy, but taught him how to ascend past mortality and the barriers of simple dark spells like that. His very presence alone would be enough to stir the dead corpses to rise to fight in his name. Skeletons scaled the walls and released the drawbridge that separated the king's castle from the rest of the city. Nothing would save him now.

As he entered the throne room, the mad king sputtered in disbelief as Ethraeil approached without a care in the world. His dead eyes set upon what Sazak had promised him in the first place. "How can this be!? YOU BETRAY ME NOW DEMON!?" the king shouted to the air, "I HAVE GIVEN SO MUCH! I DEMAND-" he was suddenly cut off by Ethraeil's armored hand clutching at his neck and lifting him off the floor. "Who is your master? I will cut them down too." Ethraeil spoke, not caring to release his quarry's neck as he choked for air. "T-the Icon... S-Sazak... and h-his liege T-Taranoch..." he struggled to get out, his face turning blue due to a lack of air: "P-please! Spare me! I b-beg you!".

Ethraeil stilled for a moment, realizing the implications of this, before sucking the King's soul out of his body and leaving him a withered husk to collapse on the floor. He breathing grew rapidly in anger as he felt Sazak's presence enter the area, and turned to see the Icon smiling at him maliciously. "You...you MURDERER!" Ethraeil roared, charging at the Icon with his blade. Yet it was for naught, as he quickly stilled upon seeing his own phylactery in Sazak's grasp. The situation became rather clear that he was no longer in control of his own destiny... for a time anyway. Hundreds of years passed within seconds as memories of his thralldom to Sazak came to pass, how he was paraded to Taranoch, and when he reclaimed his soul and rose up to fight, only to be quashed and beaten down and turned into a slave for the Church, used to help exterminate dragons and all other manner of creature alike. It all then led back to Ethraeil, sitting alone and isolated within a carriage, aboard a vessel heading to Grimtham for that fated series of events.

---

"And that, is who I am... was." he spoke, correcting himself at the end before putting his phylactery back under his armor.

 

[Infab]

"With this offering we seek those who know the ancient blood rites among the resistance." The priestess spoke "Take our blood as a sign of good faith that we are sympathetic to your cause. We ask for you to accept it and an audience with you to be granted."

There were several moments of silence, as if the ritual hadn't worked. Had they messed something up? Did they forget something? Suddenly, a reddish portal appeared at the center of the sigil, forcing them to step back. And soon, a female demon stepped out. She was dressed in some sort of fancy dress adorned with armored plating. Her skin was pale white, almost like snow, forcing the purple outfit to stand out against her flesh. She had long back hair, which swept down and lay on her shoulders, and her long horns curled much like a ram's. Her black and yellow eyes darted between the trio, eyeing each of them. They noticed that her chin was stained with blood. As if she had been either drinking from something, or just had a bit of a messy meal.

She drew a piece of cloth from a small satchel on her hip, and wiped her mouth with it before tucking it back into her satchel. "You rang?" she asked, her voice bearing a near velvety tone. She motioned to herself, her fingers touching the center of her chest lightly. "I am Annen. Former Demon of Wrath, current Demon of Vainglory, soldier of Lady Tariun...and blood demon."

------
​

As the pair continued on towards the Grand Cathedral of Eternis, the people around them shifted slowly from average citizens to church personnel. Priests, nuns, Inquisitors, Inquisitors-in-Training. There were even a handful of former members of Velin's Order here, handing over their armors in exchange for Inquisitorial trainee gear. Oddly enough, there was one woman dressed in old armor overseeing the Inquisitors and the trainees. A large Inquisition emblem was painted on her armor, dead center of her chest.

She glanced over to see the pair approaching, before looking to the individual next to her and saying something. Then, she approached the pair, armor clacking a bit as she walked across the stone walkway towards them. And then suddenly, her stride slowed. She recognized one of them. Their aura. They were a demon, yes, but one she had met before...a long, long time ago. As she neared, she spoke. "...I did not think I would ever encounter thee again. I am glad to see that you survived the ordeal that was the Age of Darkness." she spoke, looking to the demon. She smiled. "If thou doth not remember me, my name is Rebecca. We met on a cold night, when you were attacked by a band of rogues and ne'er-do-wells. I defended thee, and helped thee on thy way."

Inside the Cathedral, Cassiel paused midway down a hallway, carrying a stack of paperwork in his hands. His head turned a bit, facing in the direction of the front of the Cathedral. He felt two new auras. One angelic, one demonic. And the aura of Rebecca standing with them. The demonic aura was familiar: belonging to that of Loque...or Leakhena as he had heard she was now called. He'd have to see to them. But first, he needed to let Lady Undite know of their presence. He continued down the hallway, turning into what was now Undite's room at the top of the Cathedral. It had been redecorated over the past few days, changed to suit Undite's tastes. Magical tomes, grimoires, alchemical instruments, paperwork, and various other items lay scattered about tables around the room. Including on Undite's desk. Undite herself, however, was sitting with Valeria Witlock on a small couch on the left side of the room. Valeria was wearing a black coat, replacing the rough looking brown one that she had arrived in, and was now wearing fresh clothes. In her hands was a plate of food, and she ate as Undite spoke quietly to her. Trying to coax her into talking about her experiences while under Sazak's control. And what she might have learned from Sazak's mind and memories.

It had been a rough process, with Valeria clamming up several times and refusing to speak about things. It would take time to get any information out of her. Undite looked up as Cassiel walked in, smiling at the angel. Cassiel returned the smile, before speaking as he sat the papers in his hands on a table near the door. "We have guests downstairs, Lady Undite. A demon named Leakhena, and an angel I am unfamiliar with. Leakhena, you recall, was part of the group sent into the Abyss to rescue Valeria."

Undite nodded, before looking to Valeria. "I need to go for now, Valeria...Will you be alright sitting here until I return?" she asked. Valeria glanced to Undite for a moment, then nodded slowly. "...I'll be alright." she spoke softly. Undite gently touched her on the shoulder, before standing and walking across to where Cassiel stood. "Let's speak to our guests, then."

------
​

Vincent and Hudson stood quietly in the green pasture, occasionally glancing to one another as they watched Velin and Adona talk nearby. They had yet to debrief with Velin, their former leader, since she and Adona had been working out their differences and catching up on missed time together. Honestly...it was kind of nice to see Velin in a better mood than she had been when they first encountered the goddess. She seemed happy. But soon, they noticed Velin on the approach as Adona remained near a tree nearby. Talking to Rosanna about something. Rosanna had remained near Adona whenever she got the chance. It made sense. She was a dullahan. One of his creations. Cassandra was also there, sitting on a rock by herself several yards from them. Looking down at a flower she had picked, twirling it between her fingers.

Velin soon arrived, gazing down at the pair of hunters. She was surprisingly tall, even outside of her armor, and the pair had never noticed the sheer amount of scars she had covering her tanned skin...nor the fact that she was missing an eye which was covered with a black eye patch. She stood before them dressed in a simple white button-down shirt, with black trousers and what appeared to be boots of some kind. Her black hair was slicked back, tied into a ponytail as to keep it out of her face. She also spoke with a much softer tone than they were accustomed to.

"...So I know some of the details of your journey into the Abyss..." she started, looking between the pair as she folded her arms. "...You managed to rescue Valeria, and put down not one...but two Icons. Exceptional work, the both of you." She glanced to Cassandra nearby for a moment. "...But I understand that you were unable to find the artifacts, or kill Sazak. Thankfully, Valeria might be able to help us with that, along with Tariun and Azathor's forces...You didn't fail me, you know. You did what you could. Your main objective was completed, and that was to bring back Valeria."

 

[Dmaster]

Hudson gave a nod once he had received the invitation to join the new order of inquisitors, crossing his arms as he pondered it. "I may just take you up on that. Though I probably shouldn't be away from home for long." In truth facing his shadow and the Abyssal Icons would be much easier than going home at the moment, but he knew it was the right thing to do. In Eternis he would need to see about getting a new bastard sword, one that was properly sanctified to fight demons with once again. Leaving his sword in the tomb in the Abyss was a bad idea in hindsight, though it shouldn't be too difficult for him to get another blade.

Stepping through the portal to Eternis with Vincent, he found himself rather out of sorts to be back in the chapel after all this time. In some respects it felt like it hadn't been that long at all, in others it seemed like ages and he was certain he'd never find himself back here yet again. Once he was there he took the time to get his weapon reissued, only to learn that he was requested to stay there for the night. While it was less than ideal to the hunter, he agreed regardless.

The next day they were taken to the pasture where Adona and Velin had been catching up, and the hunter watched the two deities discuss things at a reasonable distance for a time. Next to Vincent he was seated on a bench, looking at the greenery rather intently as he spaced out for a time. He only began to look slightly more alive once Velin came to greet them.

"Appreciated, Lady Velin. Even if you don't think it was a failure I can't help but regret leaving Sazak alive. It just... doesn't sit right with me after I learned what he did." the hunter explains, the inner conflict apparent in his voice.

 

[Damian0358]

Aside from learning that dullahans were apparently real and that Rosanna was one, Xiaòzhou largely remained at the sidelines, witnessing goings-on and turning to give Venerable Cassiel a hearty smile. Cassiel was sure to notice that his aura wasn't entirely the same, and for the better too! He did wonder if the angel felt Zazriel's presence in his belongings though. Soon enough, it was time for them all to return to Eternis, and he followed through after the others.

Having returned, he nodded farewell to the others as he departed to get himself washed up, and return to the church quarters he had previously stayed in prior to the mission. As he did, however, he realized that there was another downside to having full-grown horns aside from everyone assuming you to be a hostile demon, though not a problem here due to everyone here recognizing him (though they did get incredibly shocked at the revelation of him being demonspawn, oni). That downside, of course, was how his horns bumped into anything that wasn't high enough, which was most doorways and some rooms. He swiftly cut down his horns to mere stumps, rather than the fully shaven affair he previously had, to represent his acceptance of his oni side. He stashed his horns for later, needing to decide what to do with them.

For the first day back, following his resettlement into a semi-permanent room, the hermit once more went about assisting everyone at the cathedral with their errands and menial work, both to be of help and to catch up further on affairs in the mortal coil. Having that run-down at the gate was one thing, but to hear it from many others was another. Whilst assisting Cassiel with paperwork, the angel remarked on his rather abrupt change in appearance. Among his remarks, he commented how it was nice to see him in a more 'enlightened' state, quipping as Inquisitor Winchester would, and that he does feel a vaguely demonic aura coming from his new attire and weapon, but that it reminds him a lot of Tariun's aura. He also assisted in checking in on Valeria, making sure the Inquisitor was settling in and becoming comfortable. Though he considered bringing up the idea of contacting High Inquisitor Weston to assist in affairs (and to make sure father sees daughter), mentioning Weston's name did lead to him finding out that he had been already contacted, which he was glad to hear.

Going into the second day, putting his slightly flattened zhuāngzi jīn cap back on to hide his horns, he began assisting in errands surrounding the cathedral and not just at it exclusively. Alongside assisting, he was showing Eternis to Zazriel 'in spirit', whom enjoyed the mini-tour of sorts, as the two sighted developments across the city. Though there were things the hermit wanted to figure out, with one perhaps needing a consultation with Cassiel, things were busy and he wasn't in too much of a rush.

He was making his way back, as he felt two familiar presences at the cathedral...

 

[K0mori]

Having watched the tragic events play out through Ethraeil's memories, Mariette let go of the phylactery and turned away quickly. Sazak's betrayal had been utterly sickening, and if Mariette had witnessed this vision before, when she had first encountered the lich, then not only would she have better understood him and perhaps overlooked his anti-vampiric biases, but Mariette would likely have not agreed to work with Sazak, averting quite a bit of personal suffering. "...Now, I understand your predicament. I see no path to your desires, Ethraeil. They are in paradise, while you are far beyond saving. But, you didn't need to hear that truth from me; I know you know it, deep down. What matters now is what you will do with the tools you now possess. You asked if there was nothing left for you but ruin. But ruination is what comes from battle, and if we are successful in bringing down Sazak and Taranoch, then your battle will be, at last, at an end. There will be nothing left to do but rebuild. Turn swords to plowshares... That sort of thing." She finally turned and looked at him again, having obviously been affected.

Despite her sadness, she continued. "You and I both have an eternity in the palm of our hand. If you believe you're capable of contributing even a single grain of positive change in the aftermath of all this, then do so, again and again, and build a mountain. And... who knows. Maybe someday it will grow tall enough that you will see your wife and child from the top of it."

 

[joshuadim]

Ethraeil was silent as he listened to Mariette's words and absorbed their meaning, his gaze was glued to the floor. He was beyond redemption, he already knew that, but her words after are what made him think for a bit. He took a few moments before speaking again: "I don't know if I can Mariette. Maybe this is Sazak's true curse upon me: to have me destroy everything I touch. To lose everything that I ever dare to hold dear. To never have hope of anything better than this." he said, lifting his hand and looking at it. "But maybe you're right. Maybe I have to try to do what I can. I might not know where to start when the time comes, but maybe... maybe that is left for when the time comes."

He then stood up from where he sat and headed for the door, but not before looking to Mariette one final time: "Thank you for this." he then said, before leaving her room and heading elsewhere into Tariun's keep to prepare for his venture.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"If thou doth not remember me, my name is Rebecca. We met on a cold night, when you were attacked by a band of rogues and ne'er-do-wells. I defended thee, and helped thee on thy way."

From the very first word spoken at Leakhena, she slowly comes to a halt in her tracks. She recognizes that voice, no matter how long it's been since she's heard it. Meanwhile Zebulon, sensing something wrong, turns around alongside her while giving Rebecca a cold stare. Very slowly does Leakhena tilt the brim of her hat just a little bit upward to get a better look at whomever is speaking to her. It's tilted upward just enough to let Rebecca see that her kind smile is responded to with a look of frightened confusion by her.

Zebulon worryingly looks between the both of them. "Loque, is something wrong?" he whispers in Angelic to her.

She completely ignores him as she raises a finger at Rebecca. "Y-You... I know you! F-From that barn!"

"...Barn?" asks Zebulon.

"Oh... S-She speaks the truth, Zebulon. When I still served Thorgran, he sometimes sent me to the mortal realm to collect people he wanted to eat alive..." Leakhena wipes the sweat off her face, still in surprise at seeing a familiar face. "I almost got killed once... I had to abduct a princess he wanted to eat. But I was caught and thrown into a barn. They were about to burn it... but you saved me." She points towards Rebecca. "But that was centuries ago... How... how do you still live!? Your people don't live this long!"

 

[Infab]

"Appreciated, Lady Velin. Even if you don't think it was a failure I can't help but regret leaving Sazak alive. It just... doesn't sit right with me after I learned what he did."

"You've joined a moderately sized club. Even a Living Saint let the creature live once." responded Velin. "But he'll meet his end in time. I imagine fate has something quite brutal in store for him." She glanced to Vincent. "...I heard of the chaos you brought to the Abyss. Tariun is happy, I'm sure. Especially since you slew two obstacles in her path." she soon said.

Vincent nodded, before replying. "It was a group effort, Lady Velin. We couldn't have done it without the others. Cassandra Bainbridge and Mariette Desrosiers assisted us up to the very end. Venextos, the mage, perished during the battle with Ralvas. Senya, the Red Warden, also perished in battle with her shadow demon copy...but I feel that we may not need to worry about the Shadow copy. Something was different about that particular creature."

Velin listened intently, glancing to Cassandra as she was mentioned. "...Yes, I heard about Cassandra and Mariette's involvement. The conversations I had with both before they were sent to the Abyss weren't particularly nice...And its doubtful that Mariette will forgive me in any way, shape, or form. Honestly, I don't deserve any form of forgiveness for what I've done...and have made my Order, the Inquisition, or the Church do."

"As for the shadow copy of Senya..." she said, looking back to Vincent, "...you should locate them and at least keep watch over them. I don't particularly trust demons, but shadow demons I don't trust at all." Vincent nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I understand."

She then looked back to Hudson. "...Cassiel has let your wife know of your return from the Abyss. She should be in Eternis sometime today to see you. She was participating the Summit at Red Gorge. I'm sure you'll be interested in knowing that the Escarian Queen has tasked her with running the new hunter's guild of Escaria."

She looked to Cassandra again as she finished. "...Now. I need to speak with Cassandra. I'll send you all back to the Cathedral in Eternis once I finish matters with her." she said, before turning about and walking over to where Cassandra was sitting. Vincent glanced to Hudson, and smirked. "...So your wife is coming here, eh? This might be interesting."

Cassandra felt the goddess approach, and looked up from the flower as she arrived. "...Lady Velin." she said, eyes meeting Velin's before shifting back down to the flower. Velin stood there, staring down at the pureblood for a few moments, before finally speaking. "...You do know that nothing you do here will free you of responsibility for the crimes you've committed in the past, correct?"

Cassandra nodded. "Yes, Lady Velin, I know that. I committed countless atrocities throughout history since the Age of Darkness. I've killed hundreds, if not thousands, of people. I helped Sazak get his hands on the ring as well as your sword. I hunted your 'children' in the Order and the Inquisition. I am beyond forgiveness. But I, like you, wish to do something good for once. I shall help whomever I need to in order to kill Sazak and put everything right again. And then, once Sazak is gone, I shall return to the Abyss. I will not dilly dally. I will march right back to that gate in Northern Daristein, and I will walk through it."

Cassandra then stood, looking up to the tall goddess. "I'm sure you've got somewhere to go when this is all over with too, right? And maybe I'll see you down there later on." she stated, a flash of hatred burning in her eyes. A moment later, she turned about, strolling over to where Vincent and Hudson were waiting. Velin stood there, gazing down at where Cassandra was standing moments before, before quietly turning about and following after her. A snap of her fingers later, a portal to Eternis opened. "There. Go." she said simply. And not long afterwards, the trio passed through the portal. Arriving back inside the Grand Cathedral of Eternis.

------
​

"But that was centuries ago... How... how do you still live!? Your people don't live this long!"

Rebecca smiled again, before replying. "...I didn't. I died at the end of the Age of Darkness. When Taranoch and his Icons were banished, I was tasked with banishing Sazak. I was given power by Archangel Raziel, and became a Living Saint. Then, I fought Sazak and defeated him. I banished him to the Abyss and performed the ritual to bind demons back to the Abyss...but I died from the wounds Sazak had inflicted upon me shortly after the completion of the ritual."

"...Somehow, I was brought back as I was shortly before my death. I was informed that it was due to 'time distortion' because of Sazak actively using Adona's Ring. So now...I stand before you a Living Saint. Alive and well." she finished. As she finished, the Cathedral doors opened to reveal Cassiel as well as Undite herself. "Ah! There be Cassiel and Lady Undite!" she said, glancing over and noticing them.

 

[Breadman]

The few seconds were tense for the trio as it was uncertain if the spell had worked, but once the portal opened, there was a sigh of relief from some and a wicked smile from one. Tiloc could recognize a fellow appreciator of blood. Practically smelling it off her.

"I am Annen. Former Demon of Wrath, current Demon of Vainglory, soldier of Lady Tariun...and blood demon."

"A pleasure to meet you, lady Annen" Tiloc bowed her head as a sign of respect "My name is Tiloc, former head priest of the house of Serpents, sister to the blood empress Teiuc and Lozon's first." She motioned to the other two standing besides her "And these are my traveling companions."

"Constantine Blackwall." The wraith was short "Former gambler, current sinner and one of the wraths looking to work for you, ma'am."

"Colette Boivin. Shade and alchemist." She didn't know exactly what else to say. She had met other demons of wrath before, but this was different. There was something more frightening to her visage.

"We thank you for the audience on such short notice." Tiloc took the reigns of the conversation again "As our message said and as Vulture here mentioned, we are are sympathetic to your cause and wish to join the rebellion."

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"...Somehow, I was brought back as I was shortly before my death. I was informed that it was due to 'time distortion' because of Sazak actively using Adona's Ring. So now...I stand before you a Living Saint. Alive and well."

Leakhena scratches her head while in deep thought. This all sounds familiar to her for some reason, like if she's heard this story before not too long ago. Though then the intricately designed mural she saw on the floor of Sekath's palace pops into her head, and following that is the story Vixas told her about someone banishing Sazak. Then the look on her face says it all as the pieces are put together.

"Holy shit. You're the-!"

Unfortunately, the arrival of Cassiel and Undite interrupt her before she can express her awe further.

"Ah! There be Cassiel and Lady Undite!"

Immediately, Leakhena adjusts her coat in an attempt to look less slovenly than her old clothes would allow; she already wishes she came in the fancy jacket she wore when she first arrived here a while ago. Meanwhile, Zebulon simply gives a bow to the both of them. "[Shalom.]"

 

[Infab]

"As our message said and as Vulture here mentioned, we are are sympathetic to your cause and wish to join the rebellion."

"Indeed." responded the blood demon. She then lowered herself to the ground and casually walked over to where they stood. "Words are words. You can speak truth or lies, in various tongues. Blood speaks truth, however. And the blood you used to summon me revealed its truth." She then smiled, as her eyes shifted to Colette. "One of you did not shed blood, however, but it matters not. I do not need to taste theirs in order to see the truth. I know of you already, Colette."

She then looked back between Constantine and Tiloc. "You wish to join the rebellion...Alright." she said, before turning about. A snap of her fingers, and the red portal reopened. "Though the portal. It will take you to the Northern Abyssal Wastes. You will follow the path laid out for you. Do not stray from it, or you will die. When you arrive at the gates, the guards will call to you. Tell them Annen sent you. They'll let you in."

------
​

Cassiel and Undite both bowed back. "Leakhena. It is good to see you again." stated Cassiel, before glancing to the angel beside her. He did not recognize this angel's aura, nor his voice. An oddity indeed. Undite spoke next. "Welcome to the Grand Cathedral of Eternis. Cassiel tells me that you were one of the ones involved in the mission into the Abyss. I'm glad to see that you survived the ordeal." she said, before motioning to the Cathedral. "Is there something that you need? You may enter the cathedral, if you wish. Rest yourself, and partake in food and drink."

 

[Dmaster]

Hudson nodded slowly at Velin as she explained how this was not the first time Sazak had been spared, yet he he still seemed a bit downtrodden if his body language was any indication. "... Fate works a bit slow I'd say, then. If he were to suddenly drop dead before the night's over it'd be far too late, and far too good of an end for that bastard." Despite that he sighed and shook his head, trying to not get so focused on that matter. Vincent gave his recounting of events, the losses on their side were egregious to be sure but the blows they dealt to Taranoch's leadership were far greater, hopefully.

As for the shadow demon that took Senya's form, Hudson was glad that the goddess shared the same sentiments that he did. Even if she was different she was still a murderer that stole Senya's body and memories. For that the hunter considered her a great danger, and he would hope that he could go after them if and when he joined the Inquisition proper. Though he was questioning if he would get that chance.

"...Cassiel has let your wife know of your return from the Abyss. She should be in Eternis sometime today to see you. She was participating the Summit at Red Gorge. I'm sure you'll be interested in knowing that the Escarian Queen has tasked her with running the new hunter's guild of Escaria."

Hudson's stomach immediately dropped, his eyes widening slightly once the words left Velin's mouth. "H-He... what? How long ago was that? Did you say today?" he asked, visibly shaken. The hunter's helmet was hanging from his waist, so there was no hiding his shock and awe at the moment. He cleared his throat awkwardly, doing his best to keep his composure. This wasn't what he had planned at all, not in the least. He was hoping to meet Camille back at their home, make his apology heartfelt and a private affair. The news of her leading the Escarian guild of hunters was great of course, as was her having a role in the Summit but he had more pressing things on his mind at the moment.

"...So your wife is coming here, eh? This might be interesting."

"Keep laughing and I may convince her to kill you after she's done eviscerating me." Hudson said flatly, starting to move himself to the portal Velin opened up for them to return to the cathedral. Once they stepped through the hunter took a deep breath and began to pace about the place, quiet as he began to think quite carefully.