Fantasy Hunter's Moon [IC] [CLOSED]

[Dmaster]

"Considering that we are still looking for those responsible for the necromancy earlier, I don't think he would have to tell us if they were or not." she whispered back. "If you cannot see any other auras beyond those who we know are here, it is safe to assume that they are magically-inclined." Camille figured her reasoning was sound enough, and looking over the scene she was not liking how simple it appeared to be either. With how intently focused the figure was on whatever they were doing, how they were all alone in this enclosed space, it would be too easy for even her to quickly dispatch this possible necromancer.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Aleister remained quiet and focused as they advanced through the tunnels and into keep. Moving about in such a decrepit place was rather unappealing, but knowing that Rosanna was trapped somewhere inside enduring torture was enough to steady his own discomfort. He appeared calm on the outside, but a small orb of fury burned within him. The witches that would be here were necromancers. Of all the creatures in this world he could never abide by, it was necromancers. There was no room for tolerance or consideration. Ethaeil was somewhat of a strange exception as the lich was owned, more or less, by the church and in a state of penitence. He was also at this time working for the greater good, but deep down, that distaste for all things necromantic remained.

As they approached the barracks, his feet made no sound on the stone floor. He was adept at being silent and this was not his first time treading lightly. It was a skill many vampires seemed to develop. Once they were settled nearby, Valeria and Ethraeil were near the door and glancing inside. Not wanting to crowd the doorway, Alesiter remained a little further back - also to watch their backsides as always.

"This may be a foolish suggestion, but perhaps a fast advance by all of us may overwhelm the witch and allow us to put them on the backstep, if there are any surprises lurking about. Surprising them in their own hold may stun them long enough for us to take control without them conducting any unseen... nastiness."

 

[K0mori]

Mariette looked into the room at her fellow witch with narrowed eyes. "It isn't hard to set a lethal trap using dark magic, especially for you mortals," she whispered to the party. "I worry that we only see one of them. I do have an idea, however. Spells like ours require a tempered flow. Drawing too much into your incantation is a sure way to suffer a backfire. I'm going to give this one more than she can handle."

She took out her grimoire and turned to the proper page. Eyes turning deep red and fangs bared with visible hatred, she let her spiteful tongue dance over the whispered words: "Spirits come, come to this place, we summon you to your blackest intent, aid this hellish calling with all your strength..!"

 

[Infab]

Guard Tower Barracks - TURN 1
Six-sided die used.
Mariette = 4. Chance Roll = Successful.
Booby Trap = Backfired. Target = Rayne Devonshire. Rayne severely electrocuted. Rayne Devonshire Dead.
​

"Still resisting, hmm? You'll give in eventually, Rose. That's just how your kind are. That blood lust will take over, and you'll slaughter people by the hundreds." said Rayne Devonshire, squatting in front of Rosanna, inspecting her chains. So far, the chains were holding as they should. And if she somehow found a way to escape them, or break out, there was still the trap they had set. The moment she stepped out of the circle she was chained inside, hundreds of thousands of volts of electricity would surge through her body and fry her. Rayne continued to examine the circle, to make sure it was unchanged since she was last in the room with her sister. "Once my sister wakes up, we'll continue our work. For now, I leave you to wallow in your misery." she said, standing up finally.

As she took a step back, however, there was an audible crackle throughout the room. Her eyes went wide, and she wouldn't get a chance to think much of anything as electricity surged up through her feet and into her body. There was so much electricity coursing through her body a moment later that she burst into flames, as her body seized up and shook violently. She wasn't even able to scream, or even open her mouth.

A few moments later, the trap finally wore off, and her charred black corpse crumpled to the floor. Unrecognizable and giving off a horrific stench. Valeria slowly looked back to Mariette, horrified by the display. "...I...I guess that works." she said, before looking to Ethraeil. "Do you sense any other traps that could be in there?"

 

[K0mori]

For a moment, Mariette stared at her work with a blank expression, as if she were waiting for something else to happen. When all remained silent, she let out a devilish snicker as she snapped her grimoire closed. "Well now, aren't we glad we didn't rush right in?" Then, she became more serious. "...Still, we should make sure that we aren't too late, and that the Rose we know has endured whatever mind-warping hexes those hags put on her."

 

[joshuadim]

Once the first Devonshire twin was taken care of, ironically by her own trap she had laid, Ethraeil stood up and walked into the room. He didn't feel anything else out of the ordinary, and motioned for Valeria to enter as well with a silent hand wave. He then approached Rosanna and knelt to her. "Rosanna, it's over now. We're here. Can you hear me?"

 

[Infab]

As the group moved inward to where Rosanna was chained to the floor, they noticed that the iron chains themselves seemed to be laced with gold. No wonder she couldn't escape them. Rosanna was in a dazed state, her hair messy and down from its ponytail while her clothes looked a bit roughed up from her struggling against the chains as well as her fight with Sir Tristyn before. She didn't reply to Ethraeil, but she did look up, however. Her eyes were glazed over, as if she were staring off into oblivion. Judging from the marks on the floor beneath her, she had been crying recently.

Valeria glanced back to the entrance to the barracks, then the corpse of the now dead Devonshire twin. "We need to get her loose and out of here. Get the chains off, and we can lead her out." she said, motioning for Jakob to do it. Jakob complied, moving around and pulling apart the chains around her hands and feet. Valeria noticed the circle on the floor beneath Rosanna, and simply smudged it with her boot. Once the chains were removed and the circle disturbed, Rosanna was helped up. "Quickly and quietly. Back the way we came in." said Valeria, motioning for the group to follow.

As the group began to move, Rosanna seemed to emerge from her dazed state for a moment. "Jake?...C-Countess?..." she whispered softly, looking to Jakob whom was helping her along before looking to Mariette nearby. Then the tears began to flow again. Please don't let this be 'nother one of those fuckin' visions...I don't wanna hurt them again...

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Aleister was satisfied with the death of the necromancer. It was filthy and brutal, and the only thing he could have wished for was that they would have lived long enough to feel more agony. A quick death was no suitable thing for defilers of souls. Regardless, he was not here to sate any notions of hatred or revenge, and instead kept his focus around them and on Rosanna. The woman seemed to be quite hurt from whatever they had done to her, but beyond all, they had to escape first. There was no time to study or attempt to heal her. That would have to come later.

With the group on the move, he was careful to nearly retrace his steps exactly, attuning his senses - eyes, ears, and aura-sensing - to ensure there was no trouble afoot.

 

[Dmaster]

Camille stiffened upon seeing the woman scorched by electricity, the spectacular fleshing and the terrible smell that followed getting her to twist her mouth in disgust. She had nothing to say about Mariette's commentary, no one was working with the intent to rush into that room in the first place. None other than Valeria herself at least, though when it came to strategy the Marquess knew to take whatever plans the Senior Inquisitor made with a proper pile of salt at this point.

All Rosanna got from the Escarian noble was a nod of acknowledgement before she was back on her way from where they came. Part of her was hoping that they would be able to do more damage to these villains, slaying Cassandra or her dullahan bodyguard would have been a massive stride in securing their victory. Yet if they were left with no other options it was acceptable to walk away with killing just the one contemptible witch. Camille moved through the decrepit halls near the front of the group, remaining vigilant as ever.

 

[Viper Actual]

Galina remained silent throughout the entire infiltration. When Mariette caused one of the captors to be fried by her own trap Galina made a mental note to never end up on her bad side.

Once Rosanna was set free Galina helped Jacob keep her steady. "Don't talk, Rose. Focus on walking."

 

[joshuadim]

"We must make haste, the other twin might awake soon. And we still know not where Tristyn is in this area." Ethraeil said as he peered out into the hallway and looked to both sides to make sure the coast was clear.

Ethraeil then followed Valeria, keeping on the lookout to make sure there weren't any other surprises in store for the group as they made away with their rescued friend.

 

[Infab]

The group quietly traveled back through the underground tunnels, attempting to return back the way they came. It looked as though they'd be getting out of this without a major fight, if their luck held out. They didn't need Cassandra catching wind of what they were doing. Eventually they reached the mess hall once again, the hidden door still open. Valeria motioned for the others to head inward, helping Rosanna along, before climbing in herself and shutting the secret door. Aleister lead the way this time, as he could see in the dark much like Jakob and the other supernatural members of the group.

It was a short trek through the dark tunnel back to the ladder. One by one, the group would climb the ladder (Rosanna moving rather slowly compared to the rest.) Soon enough, they were all back topside. There were still zombies lumbering about, the closer ones being dispatched by Valeria and Erwin while the group began to move towards where they had left their horses. Then, Rosanna struggled against Jakob and Galina. "R-Rayham...my horse...w-we need to get my horse..." she said, pushing away from them towards the rear of the tower. The group could see where some of the horses were sitting, undisturbed by the zombies wandering about.

Valeria tried to stop her. "We need to get out of here, Rose. Its just a horse. We can get you another." she said. Rosanna quickly turned to face her, an angry (and pained) look on her face. "Rayham is MY horse, Witlock...D-Do you want me to just whistle for 'em? That'd...r-really get some attention." Valeria grunted, eyeing Rosanna before looking to the others. "Fine...I'll get your horse. Keep an eye out for me." she said, before departing for the field.

It took Valeria a bit of time, moving quietly through the field and dispatching the zombies that got in her way. When she arrived at the horses, she quickly untied Rayham from the post, as well as the other three. She slapped the others on the rump, sending them running off into the woods nearby, before quickly taking Rayham back across the field to where the group were waiting. "Here. Get on and lets get the hell out of here." stated Valeria, handing the reins off to Rosanna before moving to her own horse. As the group mounted up, a faint scream could be heard from inside the guard tower. It seemed that the other twin had woken up and found her sister's corpse.

Valeria wasted no time, quickly flicking the reins of her horse and galloping through the brush nearby in the direction of Grimsby. Once Rosanna was mounted up, she did the same and the group followed closely behind.

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

None of the group slept through the night. Who could? With Cassandra still moving about, with that dullahan of hers and the remaining witch whom likely wanted vengeance for her now deceased sister.

Wesley arrived not long after the group arrived back in Grimsby, and Mariette quickly cast a spell to mask him from Cassandra as well. Now the problem was surviving the rest of the night and getting moving towards Peltragow in the morning. The group kept watch in various ways, making sure that Cassandra and her minions wouldn't sneak up on them. Eventually, things grew rather quiet in Grimsby. It was only natural, as it was around midnight. The only ones that would be out this late at night would be the supernatural members of the city.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

There were two great reliefs. One - Rose was with them and, seemingly, not too hurt. For the time being he figured it would be best to let the woman heal naturally, and if she needed any sorcerous assistance from his store of clerical magic, then he would be more than happy to oblige. And secondly - they had made it back to Grimsby safely. It had been a tense escape when they heard the screams of the other necromancer finding her deceased twin. Aleister felt certain that Cassandra would be on them after that, but things had ended up right for once. That didn't do away with any of the paranoia, unfortunately, and once they had gotten settled back into the city he got away from the inn and found a tall location to rest at. A bell tower.

Sometimes, when he was feeling restless, it felt good to simply find a vantage point - or good view - and simply rest there. Taking in the scenery and doing some self-reflection or meditation. From where he sat in the bell tower of one of the numerous churches, he had an excellent view over most of the city. He wasn't afraid of heights like some people were, likely something he could thank to his supernatural health, and it even made him feel safe sometimes to be up this high. Rooftops were... strangely comforting for one who transversed them often in the dark.

With his back against one of the stone corners of the open tower, he propped one leg up on the balcony edge so that only his boot was visible to anyone below, and that was if they had good enough vision. Frankly, he didn't think anyone would notice, and if they did, identify it as his leg. This was a time for relaxation and not worry.

He popped open a vial of lamb's blood and drank heartily from it and sighed, before turning his gaze back out towards the moonlight city. He was a wanderer at heart, but a part of him wished to simply settle down. To escape these dangerous trials he ended up apart of. It was pleasant to pretend being ignorant of these dangers would make them go away, but deep down he knew he couldn't abide by inaction. These moments of enjoying a good view would be for nothing if the evils of people like Cassandra, or the Duke, were left unchecked. He was confident that they would be defeated and all would be well - temporarily, at least - in this tumultuous world. Really, if there was ever anything to fear, it was the future. It was hard to say what it had in store for them. And oftentimes... it wasn't good.

Aleister let out another short sigh, but he turned his mind to happier things. The confident singing of a violin, the twirl of an exhilarating waltz, the temporary warmth of an artist. All happy things, and far from the truth of what was happening out in the countryside.

 

[K0mori]

On the way back to Grimsby, Mariette's pride over having rescued her friend retreated. Thinking over what she had done in Rose's absence made the whole affair a bit muddy; yes, she hadn't abandoned Rose in her time of need, and yet, she had... If Rose were to learn of Mariette's deal with Sazak, then any semblance of friendship would be destroyed. It wouldn't matter that Valeria had already sold her soul and that there was nothing Mariette could do to restore it, or that Sazak might have killed her through her own dream if she had rebuffed him. Mariette's secrecy and ambition had been mistaken for runaway megalomania before, and that was exactly what Rose would probably see in this latest turn of events. And yet, Mariette realized, as painful as it would be to lose a good friend, a true rarity in this vice-flooded world, if the fate of all vampire kind could be lifted, then it was a necessary sacrifice.

It was a shame that the Inquisitors had so convinced themselves that they were the arbiters of what was right and wrong in this world that they failed to recognize the vast injustice that Mariette was trying to tackle. Even Wesley, now a pariah in their eyes, didn't seem to realize the hollowness of their entire existence. Aleister and Jakob seemed to know better, but Aleister was too cautious in all of his endeavors, mistaking his own indecisiveness for patience and grace. Jakob, on the other hand, seemed more concerned with everyone getting along than on addressing the underlying issue. Of all of the members of the party, Jakob would be the friend she would most regret losing.

She avoided speaking too much to Rose. The woman needed rest. Besides, in the long run, it would be best to distance herself in order to lessen the sting of her supposed betrayal. As soon as they had arrived back at the inn, Mariette departed to find some blood to replenish her vials. She didn't want to raise too much alarm, and so she darted into the nearby wilderness to find a large animal or even a feral werewolf to replenish her stock.

 

[Infab]

You know something, Rose?
...What?
Think how easy it'd be to simply just...snap Witlock's neck. Snuff her life out with just a quick, sharp twist. Just like killing a chicken...
...Yeah...
You could do the same to Jake too. He's right there in the other chair. Or better yet...you could shove that silver candle stick straight through his chest. He's a werewolf after all.
...B-But...
Come on...its so easy. The others wouldn't be able to stop you...you can just kill them too. Galina, Erwin, Theodore, Camille...all too easy. The vampires would be more of a challenge. Except for Wesley, obviously...he'd be easier to kill than the humans.
...But I-I...
You could just...rip the head off that pretty little body of Aleister's. With your bare hands. And then there's Mariette...

Rosanna's eyes snapped open. She found herself sitting in the corner of a hotel room, in a comfortable chair with a blanket laid over her. Jakob sat nearby, reading a newspaper, while Witlock looked out a window down at the street below the hotel. This was one of the rooms in the inn that didn't have a balcony. Rosanna shifted a bit, rubbing her eyes. She had to get these thoughts under control. She'd be fine. Its just something else she had to endure. She wouldn't let it get the best of her. She wouldn't give in like all the others. Like that dullahan knight did.

She sat up, moving the blanket off of her. She ran a hand through her dirty blonde hair, noticing that it wasn't in its typical ponytail anymore. And her hat was gone. Why'd she have to go and lose her hat? She sighed, which earned the attention of Valeria whom glanced over. "...You alright, Rose?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "...Y-Yeah." was Rosanna's response, as she stood from the chair.

"Alright...well, if you need a bath or just a change of clothes, your stuff is over there." said Valeria, pointing to a nearby table next to a oak door. Likely the bathroom. "...M-Much obliged to ya for bringin' my stuff up." responded Rosanna with a faint smile, as she walked over and began to dig through her bags for new clothes. A moment later, she stepped through the door next to her. She would emerge about thirty minutes later, cleaned up and with a new outfit. It was similar to the other she had been wearing, but the shirt was now a cream color, while her pants were now a dark beige. A dull red bandana hung loosely around her neck. Her boots were cleaned as well, the spurs on the back of the heel polished and gleaming in the light. Her hair still hung loosely, as she decided to leave it down for now. She was more worried about other things for the time being.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

After rescuing their friend from the abandoned tower, Jakob remained completely silent. If he had something to say to the others, he'd simply used gestures. There was nothing for Jakob TO say. He just wanted one thing, and that was Rosanna's safety. He took the travel time to reflect on the status of the inquiry, his own transformation, and the near death experience he had in the Swamps with Van Der Poll. Wesley's transformation, and Rosanna's kidnap, along with the failures of saving any innocents, made Jakob question Valeria's leadership. It reminded him of his days in the army, as he mindlessly followed orders from sadistic or just plainly incompetent men and women. Accepting that he was just a soldier and he was following orders. Why wasn't he asking questions? Why wasn't he questioning orders that clearly got innocent and good people hurt? They could have stayed and helped those still trapped in Porthclaw, or tried to save those rich people in the Baron's manor. All Valeria had done is lead them into one tricky situation, and make them run away.

But his chain of thought was interrupted when Rosanna came from the bathroom, now clean and clothed with her hair was untied. Jakob gave her a little smile and a wave as she walked back over to where he and now Valeria were sitting. He offered the cowgirl a bottle of beer, and gave her a smile. "Thank you." he said out of nowhere, and there was a strange silence between the two for a moment. "Thank you for not giving in. Thank you for not leaving us." He looked up to her from where he was sitting. "If you had...died or transformed into a monster like that knight, I would never forgive myself for wasting time in this place and not looking for you." He resented having wasted time playing stupid songs in a bar when is friend was suffering like that. "I'm so sorry, Rose...I should have stayed back, and helped you."

 

[Infab]

Rosanna smiled faintly. "If you had stayed behind...we'd have both been tortured and corrupted. That...or the knight would'a killed ya. Dullahans...we're a different breed of killers." she said, her voice growing quiet before she took a drink from the beer Jakob had given her. "...I'm just glad y'all came back for me." she added afterwards. Eventually, she stepped back over to where her gear was, setting her beer down and inspecting her equipment. She wanted to make sure that Cassandra and the others hadn't taken anything from her. Her guitar was still there, obviously, so that was a plus. Her hat wasn't. I miss my hat.

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

The woods were relatively quiet, as Mariette continued to hut for new sources of blood for her spells and stock. Sadly, there weren't any active rabid werewolves in the area. She did find a few other animals, which she promptly dispatched and drained of their blood. As she finished draining a bear of its life fluids, she then noticed that the forest around her had gone silent. No crickets or owls or anything. An uneasy feeling settled in.

Then, a limb snapped nearby. Her head jerked about, looking in the direction of the sound. No auras. If it had been the enemy dullahan or the other witch, she would have been able to detect them (unless the witch had cast her own spells to hide them.) Before she could contemplate the idea further, there was a whisper nearby. "And so the traitorous wretch of a pureblood witch is all alone." it said.

As Mariette looked about in the direction of the whisper, something slammed into her back and shattered. A tree limb. Splinters scattered through the air, as Mariette was sent stumbling forwards and into the leaf covered forest floor. Cassandra peered down at Mariette, as she walked over towards her. A crazed look in her bright red eyes. "First, you stab me in the back! I offer you the chance to reign alongside us over the human filth of the world, and you turn around and use the gift I helped to get you AGAINST me!" she said, a smile twisting across her face. "Then, to twist the knife...you take Wesley from me. The one person I hold most dear. You tricked him into returning to your little gang...and then you hid him from me. You just want him all to yourself, don't you? You and that Tsavanian bitch Galina...I bet you two were in on this together!"

Her grin grew wider. "...I'll just kill you, then the Tsavanian! Then I can take my Wesley back, and just...warp his little mind so that he only listens to me! ONLY me!" The laugh that followed was probably the most insane one that she had given. "If the others get in my way, I'll kill them too! NOTHING will stop me!"

 

[joshuadim]

Ethraeil walked into Valeria's room, giving a knock on the door before entering, and gave a nod towards Rosanna, silently indicating his relief for her. "We ought to discuss a Plan B, should things go badly and they track us down. A plan of attack. The necromancer's sister is definitely out for blood after her sibling's demise, not to mention Cassandra hunting Wesley and Tristyn hunting, well, everyone. It is not safe for the townsfolk for us to stay long here."

 

[K0mori]

As Cassandra announced herself, Mariette turned on the ground to face her, wide-eyed with adrenaline coursing through her body. She wanted to spring to her feet and strike back, but she knew that Cassandra was unhinged and staggeringly powerful from the Romanov blood. Fighting her without the element of surprise that she had employed to good effect before would mean that this wouldn't be a fight, but rather an execution. She needed to think of something to say which would prevent the madwoman from acting on her fiery impulses. "How about a demon prince?" Mariette teased with an obvious hint of spite, and then capitalized on Cassandra's momentary and uncomfortable silence by climbing to her feet to press the issue. "I'm not with the Inquisitors, Cassandra, and I'm not with you either. I'm on my own side with Sazak backing me. Ask me about it, s'il vous plaît. I think you ought to know that we're pawns in a greater game than you realize, and your master is a piece which is primed for sacrifice. You, on the other hand, have choices, madame."

Mariette gave a slight smirk. "...And I don't want your damned Wesley, either. He's rather useless to be quite honest... I can undo the spell I've placed on him with a snap of my finger," she explained, holding her hand up with the middle finger primed to snap, but then held it there instead. "Let's have an agreement, Cassandra. I'll show you exactly where Wesley is, but you listen to what Sazak told me and make sure you don't lay a finger on me or the Senior Inquisitor."

 

[Infab]

"And why should I believe you at all, salope dégénérée?" responded Cassandra, tossing in an insult in Mariette's native tongue. "You've hurt me directly TWICE already, Mariette. Do you think you can simply weasel your way out of this so you can hurt me a third time?" She then tossed the shattered limb aside, brushing her hands off before looking back to Mariette. "But I'll humor you. You tell me what that snake told you. Go right ahead."

She then drew her rapier, and simply rested the point of it in the dirt as she stood there. "I'm not agreeing to anything. I'm not promising anything. I just want to hear what that demonic bastard said to you. And if you try something, I'll split you in half. Long ways."

 

[K0mori]

Mariette's smirk disappeared immediately, to be replaced with a more scornful look. She lowered her hand and stared Cassandra down. "I slowed you down when I needed to. I hurt you because you hurt a friend of mine. I'm sure you've killed for less. But that's besides the point. You don't want to harm Valeria because she sold her soul for Velin's Sword. Her body is Sazak's next vessel, but not until Ashwood is dead. Valeria intends to make a suicide pact with the Inquisitors to ensure that she's killed at the same moment Ashwood is mortally wounded by that cursed blade, but if she does, that leaves Adona's ring and Velin's sword in the hands of the Inquisitors. And so Sazak appeared to me in a dream and offered me your strength and speed, beyond that of an ordinary pureblood, but without the addled mind and lost memories of a Romanov blood addict. On top of that, I'll have the ability to spread vampirism in new ways... all so that I can return to Escaria and begin building a new kingdom for our kind there. In exchange, I'll prevent the Inquisitors from carrying out Valeria's death wish.

"Now, do you see?" Mariette asked as she walked a quarter circle around Cassandra. "It's no coincidence that these artifacts are all converging in one place, or that Sazak wishes to keep the body and soul of one of Velin's followers... these artifacts will fall into the hands of the prince, and I would much rather be on good terms with him than to disappoint him. If you were to get in the way of his plans, I don't think he would greatly appreciate it."

 

[Dmaster]

Camille had decided to keep watch of Grimsby by taking to the rooftops, much like Aleister had been doing at that time. As far as the huntress was concerned they needed a contingency if Cassandra were to start coming for them, and she knew that with how fickle both Mariette and her dark magic were they could be in for an ambush at any moment. For that reason her vantage point was overlooking the inn that Rosanna and the bulk of the group were staying the night at. As tired as she was she could not afford to sleep through anything that might transpire soon, when things were truly safe she would find rest, but for now she had to stay vigilant.

The roof she stayed on was to some kind of restaurant, tall enough to see just past the rest of the buildings on the street and over the other row of residences between her and the inn. It would be difficult to catch the insane pureblood, dullahan, and witch by surprise in this way, but she saw that this would be the best chance for survival. Even if it would result in failure and death, Camille knew that she would at least have to try to fight them. Running was no longer an option they could afford to choose.

She squinted at the inn and the forest on the horizon, her body relaxed with one leg dangling over the edge of the roof, while the other was bent at the knee. Camille's arm lazily rested on her knee as she contemplated her strategy. It was going to be a long night.

 

[Infab]

Cassandra simply gazed upon Mariette, her wide smile fading into a frown. "I was the one that chained Sazak to that rock outside Bromwich, so I seriously doubt he likes me anyway." she said, commenting on Mariette's final statement. "And you fools had to release him from his bonds."

Eventually, she sighed. "...I knew Sazak had something planned. He was the one that lead us to the ring's location. It took a little wordplay from the Duke to come up with a proper deal which Sazak would agree to that wouldn't turn around and bite him in the end. When Sazak mentioned that there was a weapon that could slay the Duke, he simply said it was in Grimtham but wouldn't say where specifically. We continued to press Sazak about it, but all Sazak would offer was vague hints. Till the Duke finally had enough and requested I deal with Sazak...I should have killed him. But of course, little ol' fucked up me decided to chain him to a rock!"

Cassandra then tilted her head, gazing upon Mariette once again. "...Of course he'd use Witlock. She's truly green when it comes to leadership. Why do you think she consistently fucks up so much and makes idiotic decisions? Weston was the decision maker. Witlock was the executor." She shifted her stance. "And now she'll be his play thing. And you will be too. He likes to play. And flirt too, oddly."

She then slipped her rapier back into its sheath, before walking over to where Mariette was standing. "...Fine. I'll agree to your little truce. I won't harm you or Witlock. In exchange, you undo your spell on my Wesley." She then offered her hand to shake on the topic.

 

[KRIY]

Wesley was in his room that was provided by Valeria. he was putting on his new attire. he managed to buy himself a combination of steel plate and leather armor pieces, he puts on the dark grey cloak that he had bought earlier in the day and pulls an extended frabic in the inside of the cloak to cover the half of his face, he moved his body a couple of times to see if there was anything wrong. with that. he steps out of his room and was now in the hallway.

He has a lot of people to talk to, specifically the people that lost respect towards him. and first in the list would be Galina. as their bond was broken by his sudden turnup as a vampire when they met back in the shop. he can still vividly remember the big slap she gave him in his apology to her.

He sighs and began to walk. trying to find where the Tsavanian would be.

 

[K0mori]

Mariette listened as Cassandra posited that Sazak already hated her for leaving him shackled in the woods. "Given his methods," Mariette countered, "I wouldn't be surprised if your involvement was simply another part of his plan. If he truly resented it, he'd have paid a visit by now, as he did for me. You're probably still somehow a part of it all, but let's not get ahead of ourselves."

Cassandra went on to explain that Sazak had led Ashwood to Adona's ring, exposing a lie the demon had told to Mariette in their recent meeting. She had already begun to suspect that the prince had orchestrated the entire meeting between the Inquisitors and Ashwood, and so the truth didn't move her much. Cassandra seemed to calm down after this, putting her sword away so that the two could approach each other. Before shaking her hand, however, Mariette stated what was likely on both of their minds: "This is between us, and only us, ma sœur... If the other Inquisitors get in your way again, I won't interfere. ...Especially if you happen to chance on la chienne, Giguere, or that worthless chemist. I'd rather enjoy seeing those two cleaved longwise down the middle. Now then," she concluded, raising her hand and snapping her finger, "let's not keep the newlyweds apart much longer."

The spell protecting Wesley was instantly disrupted, giving Cassandra the immediate relief of his presence back to her senses. Mariette took her hand and shook it firmly with both hands before releasing Cassandra, taking a step back with open hands. It had been an honest transaction, and Mariette had done all she could to represent it as such.