The Keepers of Chaos: A Vault of Hell

Vestus Konstotte: CXXXVI

"I.. I just received an invitation from my colleague Cersei Devin she.. Was excited, and told me it would be a nice party.. I.." The dragon born looked at loss for words. Was this trickery?

"This.. Cersei, comrade, do you know her faith?" Alekz demanded. Vestus cringed, he was weary to ask of religion.

"Of course not my dear friend, I am a man of research I've never even thought to ask." Rishall seemed more and more nervous by the moment. "If what you say is true, and I have truly ingested such a.. Well."

"Why do this.. Why.. poison those we know.. Care about, wouldn't that just give us greater reason to fight? Greater.." Markos seemed so confused walking around, still dressed like a girl he even saw one man try to flirt with the cultist though Markos ignored them. Vestus couldn't help but agree.

"What is Cersei's area of expertise in research?"

"Alekz, I hardly could believe Cersei is a.." The dragon born got low. "Cultist as you presume she is merely a scholar of the mechanical, and mystial war history, a doctor of Thanatology, and a researched academic of the occult- oh dear Bahamut." Rishall spilled nervously.

"A researcher? A researcher did this? One of our own?" Alekzandr raged in his conversation. Vestus reached out but was stopped quickly. "I. Am. Calm." The soldier growled. He regarded his new friend coldly. "This.. is an exploitation of the mind.. One that cannot be forgiven."

"Alekzandr.. I am.." Rishall started his voice on edge and near breaking.

"No comrade, you will not perish. You will not succumb, I will find where the cult is.. I will." Alekzandr vowed. Rishall's lips curled up in a smile.

"I.. was going to ask if I am going to be alright.. Not if I would die.. But thank you friend.. I trust you." Vestus bit his tongue, he wished at that moment for the might of Exitium house, he wanted an army, and instead he would face the cult, the very organization who had managed to take down his best, his greatest with this band of fools.. He was proud. Estral had created a strong team of good people.

"Ilane? Hector?" Riu shrieked from one side of the garden.

"Fala?" Came Andraste from another. Vestus spun in a circle the genius of it all only started to come to him then. He saw Herod, Markos, and Adleth run off in one direction towards the gardens. He ran to Riu's side, Andraste near her.

"Ilane, Hector what are you doing here?" Riu's voice was tight and panicked, Vestus cursed the air, more? More people? The first girl on Riu's right was a short stubby woman with long brown hair and brown eyes she had a baby's face and a curled terrified expression.

"Lady Astrial.. I did not expect you here with the common folk.." By the demeanor Vestus sensed a servant.

"I-Ilane.." Riu started but her eyes began to cloud, Vestus saw this. He set a hand on Riu's shoulder and pulled her close. He begged the twelve that she understood, a panic was a bad idea, and this woman didn't look like the mouth shut type. "Ilane. Hector." Riu spoke again this time she sounded more calm to Vestus, he sighed, this was a poor idea but he understood. "You.. I'm not here for the party, I'm here on the orders of the Harpers."

"The Harpers?" Ilane asked. They were hardly on Harper's orders, simply going with the organization's wishes that lined up with their own.

"This.. isn't what it seems, the Cassalanters.." Riu strained Vestus turned away, the girl was small, he figured she was probably twenty.. Twenty one? He hated the inexperienced, not truly hated.. But Vestus grounded his teeth over one another, to be left to adventure like this? At a young age with no one. No one to care for you. He found it a cruelty rather than a liberation.

"Fala.. you must understand this.. This is a.. My goddess.. Selune, she warned me.." Andraste was stifling out words at the tall elven figure.

"Andraste? What is it? Calm down? Please. It's alright." The woman replied.

"Asmodeus." that phrase from Andrsate got a clear sign of recognition. He bared teeth, Vestus recalled every lesson of religion or history he'd given, the gods of the nine hells were barely a popular topic, he wished never to speak of them.

"What? Why would you.."

"This.. party, it's a sacrifice to Asmodeus.. I.. You must trust me, I was warned-"

"I was as well." Vestus interrupted, Andraste had tears in her eyes, he intervened where Riu wouldn't let him in hers. "My lord, Hephestus warned me not to touch food nor drink. Every drop here is poisoned." He began to explain what had occurred, the cult attacks more. The more and more he spoke the increase in fright he saw, just like every last one.

"I.." Fala began as she held out a glass in her hands "I've already drunk.." She whispered, terrified. His heart sank, that was to be expected. "What.. what kind of poison surely.. I.. do we have an antidote?"

"No. but I promise you we are going to storm the cassalanters and put them to the sword and take the-'' Just as he said it, Vestus realized what he was saying.

"They won't have enough of the antidote." Fala explained.

"Why not??" Riu interjected. Her two servants were quietly crying nearby. Others in the party began to look over.

"Bad rejection." Vestus explained loudly, holding up his arms to wave others away.

"Because.. They never intended to cure all these people.. Only sacrifice them." Fala finished. Vestus felt like roaring at the ground, or perhaps the gods themselves.

"Tantalus wishes for such cruelty.." He growled, feeling anger drive him.

"O..oh.. Oh Selune.." Riu whispered, her body shaking as she covered her mouth terrified. "Ilane.. I.. Im so sorry."

"Lady Riu." the woman spoke like the Aasimars first name was foreign to her. "Please its alright.. I.. I have lived to serve your household. I have few regrets."

"We are not making funeral speeches today." Vestus slammed his fist down. "We do not have a cure.."

"No. no but we can make a cure." Andraste exclaimed suddenly she lit up, He could see the gears turning in her head. "Fala.. you and I, if we try at your shop we can synthesize a cure.. And.. maybe even create enough to help!"

"Presuming we defeat the cult." Vestus added. "And if you leave to do so we will be short for the fight. Can you do it?" He quizzed.

"Yes." Fala confirmed. "Andraste.. You and I must sneak out of here.." Fala turned to the bushes behind them. "I need.. To carry this.." The elf started to mumble.

"Here." Riu held up a small vile like a potion flask you'd find on a belt.

"Thank you." Fala replied, she began pouring water into it. Vestus reached in his pocket and finished off a small flask hed been carrying for Alekzandr as a back up. Fala accepted it and filled the flask with wine. "Andraste.. When you and I arrive at the shop we will have to distil and find the poison.. Then pray we can make enough of the antidote in time to save them." In time.. Vestus wondered how long that was.. He covered the area letting Andraste and the woman change shape and run into the bushes ahead.

"Well.. with that.. We need to find the others who knows how much tim-" Vestus paused, his heart pumped like a soldier beating against drums. "Oh gods.. That's why." He looked at Riu who was rather confused.

"What? That's why what?"

"The poisoning of friends.. The ones we care about. The Casslanters knew it would enrage us." He explained his mouth went dry as he grabbed Riu and marched toward the Gardens Alekzandr and Vaelle behind him. This isn't simply a natural occurrence. He speculated Markos had learned this moments prior. "The Cassalanters would not be foolish to simply poison those we cared about. It would only give us a reason to fight.. They don't care about that."

"Then what?" Alekzandr demanded. "Why? Why Rishall, why Embric?"

"Why Hector? Or Ilane?" Riu quivered. Vestus shook a little hoping to find the party quickly. He knew they had a small window to react.

"They want to run out our time."