Demanding Answers: LI
"Hrabaz.. I'm simply asking, where is it?" Ryvvik leaned in a low growl on his lip. His attempts to summon any kind of information from the Sister faith was constantly throttled.
"I have told good sir, it will be in the presence of Grand Priest Cassalanter soon enough. We only have to contend with the city, evade the guard entirely, deal with the harpers, and the very many small groups which have been hired." The giant set his large stone hand on the table as if proud of that claim. They couldn't even transport the damned stone quick enough! They were useless, pointless, worthless additions to the faith, like his own brood.
"Lord Cassalanter demands an audience with your Lady imminently." He felt like he was repeating himself, constantly trying to get after the same thing over and over again. It was exhausting. Hrabaz the giant did not look fond of that statement, his well kept suit rippled like his face streaked with irritation.
"My Lady will meet with the Grand Priest in due time, when she finds that moment to be appropriate."
"Appropriate?" Seffia objected, she sat behind him, as was the group he had learned for the past few weeks to adopt into his own. "And how does your Lady deem what is appropriate? Does she forget she is merely an extension of Lord Casslanater's hand? A servant of his grace?" This was the moment Hrabaz dropped his cool and calm demeanor all together, his face twisted in rage. They had been sent there to intimidate the Sister faith and actually secure the Stone of Golorr, or at least find out why it was taking so long to receive.
"Now you listen to me. The Stone of Golorr is in a precarious situation, but I would steel yourself to not insult our lady within our own home. You are not with Lord Cassalanter anymore."
"Is that a threat?" Nelius chuckled. "Titles and titles.. Hrabaz your a upjump bodyguard, are you threatening us?" Ryvvik usually did not enjoy the Elf's presence but for once he thanked the upfront joville sneeth.
"Upjump?! What on Toril do you know, biir servant boy!" Hrabaz slammed a fist against the stone. Nelius instantly dropped his cocky smile. "Kiluwyrjilz! Or is it a disgraceful slave?" Ryvvik wasn't sure what any of that meant, his recollection of this elf's story was dim, he admitted as much. But that word, instantly infernal translated for him; Banished servant dishonor. Weird..
"Uskeche maskan Quor'She Kyed." Nelius's hands lit up in a dark spectral energy like that of an inflict wounds. Despite the arrogance and annoyance Ryvvik seldom forgot that the elf was a powerful archmage in the faith. "Watch. Your. Tongue." He growled.
"I will not have my associates insulted. Hrabaz." Ryvvik added. "Were you threatening us?" The tension built, with the giant's pale white and ugly face seeming to grow darker, he slowly sat back down.
"It is not. I am simply saying, all the information has been provided to you.. But you should not insult the Mistress of the house under its roof." Hrabaz's knuckles had turned white against the table Ryvvik considered taking one of those hands. He was outraged, furious that this thing could insult him so. Insult their Lord, even the way it talked was outrageous. "Our Mistress has just as grand of plans for the faith as your Lord Cassalanter. So we must not quarrel. You will get the stone-"
"Really everything?" Seffia demanded.
"You have not told us everything." Ryvvik spat. "Who secured the stone? And how? I was told by my Lord to come here and discuss this with you, we know not one of the faith perished in the great blast outside TrollSkull Manor, yet there were several Zhentarim bodies. Our contacts in the Guard let us know that much. Were you followed?"
"None of that is your concern." Hrabaz waved a hand.
"Not our concern?!" Ryvvik slammed a fist breaking a corner of the stone table. 'I'll kill them.' He thought bitterly. "You dare operate under the great faith of our Lord and call it a non-concern? Lord Cassalanter, Grand priest Cassalanter demands to know."
"And he will." Hrabaz's grey rocky face narrowed like a lion who had found you in their space. "When it is relevant."
*GRLESSH-BNKSTHCK*
Ryvvik stood throwing his chair aside letting it crash against the wall spraying dust and stone everywhere. In his hands was a four foot long flail one he had inherited throughout his generations. The same one his father and his father's before him learned to use. The same one he would teach Xhalph to properly handle. It was cold black iron with a singular ruby gem of House Dlardrageth at its end. "You would insinuate your power and willingness to upstage our Lord? By not confessing how it is you managed to retrieve the stone?!" Hrabaz pulled a large morning star from below the table; silver and with gold gilded edges.
"Blade Dlardrageth, I believe you to be overreacting." The giant refused to elaborate after that. 'Lovely..' Ryvvik smirked, he had missed the great bloody roar of combat.
"I think you want to be careful what you do. You're outnumbered." A woman slinked from the shadows, dark skin and pale eyes, her black hair swept over her shoulder. She held a small knife but Ryvvik wasn't fooled, small red energy flickered in her palm. He narrowed his eyes glancing around the large conference room he had entered, numerous members of the Sister's faith stood against the walls. Ryvvik grinned, that would be easy.
"Think again." Gysheer groaned like she was bored, slipping away from the same place that other woman had entered from, she was holding out her hands with a flickering arcane spark. Nelius had his cloak slung over his shoulder like he was about to cast a litany of spells. This may be a good chance for the peasant to get his hatred of nobles out of his system. The two of them had weapons at the ready.
"Carefully." A man whispered. "Ponder this carefully." Ryvvik recongized the balding head of Brar holding an axe at the ready, fucking barbarian of a follower.
To his back he knew he had Seffia, Kailwail, and two other members of the faith wielding daggers. In front of him Hrabaz was encircled both by his own people, and Ryvvik's. Nelius looked like he was ready to cut the giant from navel to collarbone. While Gysheer looked somewhat bored yet still her hands were already in the midst of casting.
"Consider what you're doing, Seffia.. You were once a member of our sect. Do ya really want to butcher your family over a misunderstanding?" The woman next to Gysheer warned.
"Shut it Jeski." There was no hesitation in Seffia's voice, "We demanded answers and you gave us nothing. Now we'll.. Sacrifice you to his grace! To the great Lord!" Her voice broke and she grinned cruelly like the thought was relishing.
"Put it down." Brar demanded. The dark bearded man jumped furiously.
"Do not draw that mace, Kiluwyrjilz." Hrabaz swore again. Well.. that might as well start it.
*Disssheneshhe*
"ARGH!" Nelius swung his mace at the giant an arcane energy swirled around it in a red spectral form. He was so very fast but Hrabaz was faster. The mace collided witht he giants chest but just as it did the goliath grabbed the boy's wrist and yanked the elf up flinging him into a wall.
*Veereeer*
Ryvvik swiped his flail over Hrabaz instantly a knife clanged off of his armor while Seffia went to deal with the individuals behind her. Ryvvik made contact drawing blood from the man's arm and bashing him backwards into a wall. Three members of this corrupted faith leapt at him, one slammed a fist into his armor and dark energy swelled around him, doing nothing. He grabbed one wrist and twisted it before swinging his flail into another's body. The force caved in the little breast plate that one had on sending her flying into the wall split nearly in half. The third made a desperate grab at his back but Ryvvik flexed his wings in the small corridor casting a gust of wind over the confused and misled member knocking them to the ground. His next attack was caught in Jeski's grasp using a mixture of sorcery and her small knife.
"Back down, Blade." The woman growled, he traded blows narrowly missing her, she was indeed strong. Gysheer caught her back, the two of them closing the distance.
"You would challenge my authority?!" Ryvvik raged, swinging his mace about it and cracked the stone pavement sending dust flying in the air.
*Weeeeeesss*
He had no time to turn when a spell was sent hurtling his way. "Fuck off! You have lost the grace of his Lord! You will all be sacrificed!" Seffia cackled, blocking a spell that would have hit him in the back. She slammed her back into his own facing off against another group of these faith members. Despite his wings being a great defense he was almost relieved to have her there. Nelius was up and was now narrowly blocking Brar's swipes. The members gathered here.. Were formidable and Ryvvik had no doubt it would take a well seasoned party to defeat them, not just one man alone. Hrabaz rejoined the fray his maxe claved trough one of Ryvvik's members of the faith caving in her chest, no one could survive that force. Gysheer ripped her hands aside.
"Taeuyw idd ao uz!" Gysheer chanted when the room filled with a static like smoke pain wreaked over Ryvvik's body but it quickly subsided when the spell had reached its peak. He swung his flail and caught Hrabaz's mace.
"You will not insult-" he never gave the giant time to finish. He threw a haymaker with his left hand slamming into the rock hard cheek. The giant's head was so tough it felt as if his fist may shatter despite the black steel knuckles he wore.
"You will give me what I want!" Ryvvik roared.
"You will give it to us now!" Cersei leapt from the raptors dual firing crossbows in either hand two splintered off Hrabaz's chest but another volley found their marks near the base of his neck.
"Brah!" The giant spat swiping off the arrows like they were stray splinters.
"Piqut puwwudy orap mydd!" Nelius swung his mace, a puff of smoke let loose large pin looking pieces of magic carried by an arcane force each of them exploding of Hrabazz's back. The giant was being attacked from all sides, with a flail, crossbows, and magic yet it still did little to weaken the goliath.
*JEK-GEK-JEK*
"Love, I think I need a little help!" Seffia yelled from behind him. Ryvvik was occupied trying to subdue just the giant while numerous members of that faith flung themselves at him, like undead soldiers they swarmed him in a way impossible to deal with. No one could fight so many at once and deal with larger threats. He batted three away and took his swing.
*Veereeer*
He spun around beating his wings up to gain some height the constant sound of Cersei's auto reloading ancient civilization-inspired crossbow filled the room despite the hurling of spells. He swung Vorodirlis at the row of members running at Seffia, numerous already laid dead at the ground covered in burns, infliction of wounds and so much more. Three went down with a single swipe. "Switch!" He yelled
"Yes Love!" She replied, grabbing her, they spun around once again and he threw an attack at Hrabaz. In the corner of his eye Gysheer was huffing five people laid at her feet while she tried to fend off Jeski. An odd green fire burned in a circle around Gysheer her hood had fallen exposing her black hair and blue eyes while she casted. Nelius was in the air flying due to his cloak he skipped around the battlefield throwing spells at the giant.
*JEK-GEK-JEK*
"You'll be such a lovely little corpse to remake!" Cersei yelled happily. "Jokes on you Georgia! I was right! I will conquer death you dummy! HA-" The girl was cut off by an attack from the giant which narrowly missed her. She shot him in the shin while jumping over and onto his mace.
"Reject!" Hrabaz yelled.
"Ugly! And.. not very smart! Do you even read?!"
Ryvvik pushed forward, flaring a spell from his mind, fire engulfed Hrabaz black and red flames scorched over the giant, burning his clothes slightly and scorching the surface of his skin.
"Grah!" the giant tried to bat away the mystical flames, Ryvvik took his chance swinging his flail squarely into the giant's gut. "Hmr-" The goliath buckled. Victory filled his ears. He grinned it took only a well placed hit to fell the gian- "That all you have?" Hrabaz's eyes snapped up in a wild grin grabbing the base of the flail's spiked star.
*JEK-GEK-JEK*
"No. It's not!" Ryvvik counterted ready to start summoning more intense magic. "Fleu-"
"ENOUGH!" A female voice ripped through the small corridor. The room's walls echoed its vibrations over and over again. "Enough." It came again. He turned his head slowly finding the tall and imposing form of the house's Mistress.
"My lady!" Hrabaz yelped. He dropped the end of Vorodirlis and sank to the ground in a kneeling position. "This encounter was started by-"
"Silence." The lady demanded swiping a hand aside. She was dressed in a yed and black cloak drooped over a form fitting black dress which accented her imposing beauty. Her face was covered in a silver mask twisted in a permanent frown. "I don't care who started this outrageous disruption. I employ you to end it." She snarled. Her black hair was pulled around the mask, giving it the falsity that it was her face. "What is this? Hm Blade?" The lady stood with no guards, no members. Nothing surrounded her yet still her presence held power. "I count what.. Fifteen dead? Perhaps some are only unconscious. Some of them are your own. Is this a worthwhile fight? What was your plan? To defeat this guard here.. And then engage the entirety of my sect? Must I remind you that this house holds over a hundred members? Were you planning to fight every last one of them?"
His lip twitched in anger, he was fighting for the information his lord had demanded, and now she had the aloofness to challenge his ability to do so?
"Your guard." He growled. "Refused to answer what Lord, nye. Grand Priest Cassalanter demanded. Then they insulted and provoked us."
"Really? Provoked? Or do you merely have a short temper?"
"Insults, and arrogance!" Nelius roared.
"I seldom wish to hear from a servant like yourself." She replied, waving Nelius away from above her. "Anything from you?" The lady pointed a long finger at Gysheer who was standing in a pile of bodies, her cloak being burned off at this point.
"I-"
"Good. Now all of you shut it." The lady approached the party, her legs swaying while she stepped effortlessly over the many corpses in the room. "What is it you want to know?" The Mistress swiped a hand furiously grasping the base of Seffia's face turning it over in her hands.
"Hands off her." Ryvvik growled, ready to reach out a fist.
"Well?" The Mistress removed her hand. She stood mere inches away from Ryvvik so close in fact he would hear every breath she took under the mask. They were slow calm breaths like she was not intimidated in the least.
"The Stone of Golorr." Seffia remarked. "Where is it? Why has it not been transported to the Lord? Why are there Zhentarim bodies around the entrance of the TrollSkull manor?" Ryvvik reached for Vorodirlis ready for no answers once again.
"The Stone of Golorr is with a servant of mine. Originally he should have brought the stone here by now... however, some complications with him being spotted means the entire guard is after him, he has spent a long time evading the guard and will continue to do so until the stone can be transported without connection to either my house, or Lord Cassalanter's." The Mistress ran a hand down Ryvvik's armored chest, exciting a little snarl from Seffia. "Does that make sense, Sword?"
"And the Zhentarim?" Cersei asked again from the back.
"Another interested party who got in the way. They now blame the servant of mine.. And add to the difficulty of transporting. I guarantee it will be in the hands of our Grand Priest in due time. But in DUE TIME." She emphasised. "Understood?"
"I.." Ryvvik began, this was little more information than he had already gotten.
"The Stone is being brought.. It is only a matter of deterring the guard. I will dispatch a group of my own to try and escort the servant.. Is that enough for your Master? Or shall I need to speak with him? Especially about.. This." She gestured around herself. The sudden odor of bodies hit him, Ryvvik had been so caught up in answers he had forgotten.. What would Lord Cassalanter say?
"No. That is.. Sufficient." He relented knowing he did not want this related to his Lord.
"So many dead.. And for what? Leave. Now." The Lady spat, turning her back to him. "Insolence and childishness.. Not being able to accept a simple answer.. Sometimes not everything has an orderly, lawful, straight forward answer! Overseer's of Order.. Poor as you are.. It is what you are." She muttered angrily. "Leave."