The Keepers of Chaos: A Vault of Hell

Asher Exitium: XV

Not the one: XV

Asher nearly did a flip as he caught Herod who was tumbling down to the ground with alarming speed.

"I gotcha!" Asher exclaimed. He too had felt the magic, it felt like the logs under one's ass when they were sitting around a warm fire, full of Ares knows what food. As they dozed off. Luckily he had been able to shake it off. Herod as it seemed wasn't so lucky. "Everyone ok?" He asked, staring around the room.

"Yeah I'm fine, he looks like he's gonna be out for a while." Adleth replied, she stepped down from the left entrance, cleaning her sword of blood using one of the bird's clothing.

"He will be." Riu added, stepping in, sweeping her silver hair over her shoulder she looked narrowly at Herod. "Luckily so will they." Pointing to the bird on the ground. Looking up Asher saw the second Kenku shaking on the dirt. Markos walked over from the pile of dead bodies, he had a cut on his neck and a slash over his left arm, but he looked unfazed.

"Can I sacrifice the bodies to Cthulhu?" Markos said unblinkingly.

"uh.. sure.." Asher replied. Seeing the looks of the fellow party members.

"Let's get this guy tied up." Asher said. Grabbing rope from a crate nearby he tied up the knocked out bird, before also securing the shivering crow. Placing him against a wall. Asher took a moment to take in the battlefield.

"Oh Ares.." He mumbled. The room was not just filled with humanoid furry bait bodies. All over the floor were bodies, Human bodies to be exact, various discarded weapons laid on the floor.

"There was a fight here before us eh?" Alekzandr reckoned, taking a swig from his flask.

"Looks like it," Asher responded. "What the hell happened here?" Asher interrogated, turning to the restrained and shivering Kenku. The bird glared at Asher. "Oh.. you wanna do this the hard way?" Asher quizzed, kneeling down over the bird. Pulling out a knife he plunged it into the bird calf. The bird opened its mouth to scream but Asher closed it grabbing its beak with force. He took a deep breath knowing the bird was scared of being unable to see his face. "Look I'd love to keep doing this all day, but if you don't give me something I can use, the next one is going in your knee." He offered menacingly.

"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!" Asher grimaced as he heard Markos chanting behind him. While stabbing dead bodies. He turned to see Markos standing covered in blood. "Can I sacrifice that one?" Markos inquired, pointing his trident towards the shivering bird. Asher grinned.

"Yeah, Markos.. you can go right ahead.." The bird was shaking now. "Unless you got something you can tell me."

Asher let loose his grip on The Kenku's beak. Looking around to ensure his allies weren't injured.

"Xanathar send's his regards" The bird crowed in a deep voice with an orcish accent.

"Who?" Asher asked.

"Xanathar." Alekzandr said, sighing. "Big crime boss here." Turning over another body behind him Alekzandr could be heard sighing. "All these bodies, they have tattoo's for the gangs, Xanathar and Zhentairm. This was a gang fight."

"Huh.. send his regards huh?" Asher pulled out his knife and plunged it into the Kenku's left knee grabbing its beak like last time. "Yeah.. what else does he say?"

"You call that interrogation?!" Adleth piped up pushing her way over to Asher. "The fucker can still glare at you, that isn't a broken bird." Adleth grabbed a ball of rope and slid it around the bird's throat pulling it tight; she slashed her dagger across the crow's chest as blood spilled out. "Tell me what the fuck you know or I'm giving you to the cultist." Adleth motioned over to Markos in the background as Asher tooked a metaphorical step back.