Anything: XLIII
"Tell me, why is it you came into our services?" Ammalia brushed her hand against the long pink dress she had laid out on the table inspecting every inch of it for her special girl. She pointed the question at Gysheer who was leaning casually against a nearby pillar. "Please don't slouch." She added.
"I.." Gysheer stood up a bit straighter, her hood still plastered on, the older woman stared at the ground in contemplation. "I don't think I understand the question, My Lady." My lady.. Ha. Ammalia scoffed, shaking her head at such an answer, Gysheer as far as she could tell was not a sophisticated polite individual. Ammalia held up the dress glaring at it from behind a light, it wasn't sheer.. Just something about it was off.
"Do you like it?" She held the dress horizontally showing it to Gysheer, the woman was looking rather nervous now. "I am asking, why did you join the cult Ms.Omfreys?" Ammalia asked again before the lady could comprehend the first one.
"My.. Lady, it's not a cult.."
"Oh please, let's not kid ourselves. Religious practice in secret is one of the tenants that make the definition of a cult. It does not diminish our faith."
Gysheer pushed her hood back taking a deep breath. "I needed.. Purpose.." The woman was lying. Ammalia already knew that, she needed the real answer right then and there. And at that moment lying wouldn't cut it. She thought about what Victoro had told her. 'Breath. you're in control.' She thought. Now take control.
"Gysheer.. Have you ever had children?" The question seemed to startle her, Ammalia placed the dress on a hanger before throwing it into a pile of her deemed useless clothes. "Wouldn't suit Elzerina." She explained. She plucked another dress off the wall, oh heavens she loved her kids, she wanted to find just the perfect gown for her daughter.
"I have.." Gysheer replied hoarsely, Ammalia studied the wizards' face, years of hardwork and pain stained that woman's eyes. Deep regret. Longing. She recognized them as her own.
"Tell me, would you not do anything for them?" Her voice was shaky, she took in terrified deep breaths trying to pretend like nothing was happening. Those bastards.. Refused.. Refused? To hand it over. It should have only taken one day to deliver and yet the moron's deal with the Zhentarim probably slowed them down.
"I would.. Have."
"Have?" Ammalia raised an eyebrow seeing small tears spill from her follower's eyes. Victoro could lead, command, and gain the respect of any of the followers. But Ammalia? She had few tricks to use. Gysheer's voice was deep and sorrowful, making Ammalia feel pitiful for the woman.
"My family was killed by a band of missionaries, cultists of Cthulhu.. Around seven years ago." Gysheer sounded like a wounded animal, a doe with a broken leg. "They.. they butchered.. And.." her voice shaky Ammalia held up a hand to stop Gysheer before she sobbed.
"I'm sorry.." She whispered. "I'm sorry." Ammalia set the floral dress down on the table and cupped Gysheer's hands. "Look at me.. Look." She peered down trying to catch a glimpse of the sister while the woman silently cried. "Come." She led her to a nearby couch, sitting down next to one another.
"I'm sorry my lady I just.." Gysheer for once did not sound spiteful or sarcastic but instead honest, her heart clearly laid bare.
"Their names." Ammalia cut her off, she pondered what she would do if her children were killed.. If she had nothing left. "Gysheer.. What were their names?" She didn't want to push too far in, afraid she might make the woman cry even more. But.. 'I need to know..' her judgement had felt so clouded for the past three years, questions brimming up inside her making her question if what she was doing was right.
"They.. uh.." The follower cried, wiping her snot onto her red sleeve. Ammalia tried her best to not act as disgusted as she was. "My son's they were named Renzaus, and Reid. they were troublemakers, the two of them." Gysheer made a painful laugh, her brown eyes red from crying. "Always snatching fish in the nearby stream.. Good boys.." The woman finished longingly. She was gazing off in the distance with a look of sorrow.
'That may be me someday.' Ammalia suddenly realized, inspecting Gysheer's face, it occurred to her if something went wrong.. If she didn't.. Save them both.. She may be a bitter woman staring endlessly into the abyss wishing for her kids back.
"What would you do for Renzaus, and Reid? From one mother to another." Ammalia bit her lip hoping for a better answer, a better option than the potential if their sister faith did not pull through. She wondered how soon she would grow old to stare in the decaying and rotting corpses of her own kids.
Gysheer turned her head to Ammalia, pain written across its length. "I would do anything My Lady, I would do anything for them." She nodded, it was the only answer she could expect. "I would slaughter cities.. Burn homes.. I would do anything." Gysheer sounded so lonely to her, so sad, desperately crawling for some kind of retribution.
"Thank you.." She whispered back. Her mind leapt from one option to the next. As soon as they got their hands on that stone.. Ammalia thought about Elzerina and Terenzio, she glanced at them playing in the gardens outside. She couldn't help but agree with the follower, she would do terrible things for her children. "I'm sorry for your loss.." She drank in Elzerina's pale face as the girl ran about the yard emitting small sparks from her hands. 'Like mother like daughter..' She thought, recalling all the lessons she had taught the girl. "Gysheer.. You're excused." She released her hold on the woman letting the follower get up in a hurry wiping tears from her eyes. Ammalia bit her lip placing a hand on the glass she wished to save her children by any means necessary she.. A lump formed in her throat. She couldn't lose them..
"Thank you My lady.." Gysheer croaked.
"Ms.Omfreys?" Ammalia called, the woman stopped in her tracks, her brown hair waving about. "You will have justice one day. I promise you that." Gysheer bit her lip and nodded, tears spilling from her. Ammalia waited in the study for what felt like hours. She watched the sun droop a bit and the children become bored playing in the yard. Her kids were escorted back inside the house by Nelius. "Bless that racist.." She muttered surprised she could ever feel appreciative of him. Ammalia pulled a small watch from her purse, smoothing her gown while standing up. It was six o'clock.
A servant girl approached her while leaving the room. "My Lady is there anything I can do to-" Ammalia waved her hand dismissing Taffy the dark skinned maiden entered the study behind her. Ammalia gathered candles from the cupboards and made her way to the attic.
"Anything.." She whispered, she pulled the drawstring to the old out of use attic climbing its steps to the dirty cluttered space above. It was hot and stuffy with screaming sounds emanating the second she pulled the stairs down. Ammalia carefully knelt down in the enclosed space, her ears being pierced by the sounds of screams, a deep bellowing cry of agony surrounded by rattling chains. She lit the candles with shaky hands trying to not extinguish them with her tears, tears flowed freely down her powdered cheeks she slapped her perfectly covered lips tasting her own sorrow.
"GRAHDAFGHHH!!" The wailing from the other side thrashed and beat sounding like the cry of true agony. She wondered how her life could go so far.. She set the candles down near the door, and began to cry, sobs rolling down her neck.