A Burning House: Storyline Event for Dethsiris: Logs

[CallieO]

A Burning House
Part 1

"Only a fool fights in a burning house."
--Klingon proverb

===

Dramatis Personae:

Tennibrook Balmossie, Air Marshal of Dethsiris
James Vodera, Dethsiris Rook Rider

Dame Tennibrook Balmossie is in the rookery with her black-feathered, orange-beaked rook bird, Jilbo, grooming out his feathers as her mount lets out little coos of delight and occasionally brings one of his feet off the ground to scratch at the air behind him in pleasure. She's preparing to take him out on a patrol, and she always grooms him before tacking him up.

James`Vodera-Deth was not far from the rookery, being in the mephos barn tending to Azal, lightly patting her neck as he brushed her purple mane out. "Ready to go, girl?" he asked the large creature, who lifted her head to look at him with azure gaze and trill at him before she stood up. "Heh, alright alright, lets go then." James clicked once with his tongue as he headed out of the barn, Azal plodding happily along behind him.

Tenni finishes grooming Jilbo and begins tacking him up. The four-tailed vulpine paladin cleric is dressed in a mithril chain mail shirt over a green-and-gold gambeson; black pants; and black boots; with mithril gauntlets and greaves, and a mithril longsword, mithril dagger, and iron shield, her sole remaining heirloom as far as weapons are concerned. Seeing James and Azal approaching-- Tenni had specifically requested that James go out with her today on patrol-- Tennibrook comments to her compatriot, "You and Azal have got a very good rapport going."

James`Vodera-Deth came to a rest a few feet from Tenni and Jilbo, Azal pausing just behind him though she did trill at Jilbo upon seeing him; James nodded slightly to Tenni's comment, chuckling as Azal's head appeared at his side to nuzzle him. "Aye, I've been around her since she was a hatchling... She knows me about as well as I know her." As he said this he'd pat Azal's snout, who trilled again before pulling her head away.

Jilbo replies to Azál's trill by squawking, "AZAL!" and leaning into her nuzzling; as before when they met, Jilbo is absolutely smitten by the lovely mephos. "I can't believe how selfish I was when I won the lottery and earned Jilbo. I wanted a mephos instead, and I said as much. Now I can't imagine life without him." Tennibrook gives Jilbo a gentle scritching beneath his chin, and the mephos murrs, "LOVE YOU, MAMA!" "I love you too, sweetheart," Tennibrook says.

James`Vodera-Deth grinned a bit as a gloved hand smoothed his beard. "Same here, I can't even fathom not having Azal in my life," he'd say before reaching hand out to stroke her snout again. "Isn't that right?" he'd ask as he glanced down at his mephos, who rumbled and nuzzled her head into his side. "Heh, so, shall we get going then?" he asked as he turned mismatched gaze back to Tennibrook.

"Yes, we shall," Tenni says with a grin. She climbs aboard Jilbo and leads him to a small clearing. "We're going to make a full circuit of the northern sector of Dethsiris, starting west to the vulpine temple, and then down south."

James`Vodera-Deth flicks his ears a bit as he listens, nodding once to confirm before he climbed into Azal's saddle, auspiciously devoid of the normal safety straps you'd see on a mephos saddle; instead boots found their way into a pair of tailored slits cut into the saddle flaps as he settled himself, picking up the reins. "I'll follow you then, Tenni."

Tennibrook gets Jilbo off to a running start and lifts him up into the air; the rook expertly retracts his feet like landing gear to allow for better aerodynamics. They soar 50 feet into the air, and make their way in the direction they were facing, which is west, towards Shuka Triesta's temple. Tenni glances over her shoulder to see James's position.

James`Vodera-Deth would have taken off right after Tenni, Azal's wings flapping hard to get them airborn quickly to keep pace; the pair would fall into line behind Tenni and Jilbo but off to their left a bit, as Tenni looked one of James hands would lift and wave, before giving a thumbs up.

Jilbo and Azal are going slowly enough that Tenni and James are able to communicate as they fly. "Perfect flying weather," the fox says. "Not too hot, not overly windy. But you feel the way the wind ruffles through your tail, and floats underneath your mount's wings? I live for that feeling."

James`Vodera-Deth sat rather relaxed in the saddle, nodding slightly as he listened. "Aye, couldn't have asked for a better night... Nearly full moon and not a cloud to be seen." He said as free hand gestured upwards into the night sky. "You expect we'll see anything tonight?" He asked then as they flew on.

"It's entirely possible," Tenni says. "One thing I've noticed about serving noble houses is that things are never quiet for long. I enjoy the little bursts of action, myself. Helps remind me of what I'm fighting for." They pass the vulpine temple on its right, and swoop around it to start traveling south.

James`Vodera-Deth nodded slightly, chuckling even as he thought about that. "Yeah, things were never dull in House Fire when L`aquera was still running it" He said as he tried to remember half of the things that happened there, but deaths cold touch had eaten holes into his memories here as well. As they passed the temple in that wide curve James would bank a bit lower, taking the time to get a better look at the place before climbing back to Tenni's altitude.

From The Lady's temple, Tenni and James travel south towards the portal, and in the distance, there's some light on the ground. At first, Tenni just thinks it's the last bit of sunset, or perhaps a fully lit-up house, but then she realizes it's something far worse. "James," she says. "We've got a fire to the southwest. Looks like a single brick house, two-story."

James`Vodera-Deth blinked and turned his attention to the southwest, quickly spotting the building in question. "I doubt thats an accident." He said as he snapped the Azal's reins. "Lets go, Azal." He was already banking to break formation, strong flaps carrying them towards the fire. As they came in for a landing James was already leaping from Azal's back to the ground, eyes darting here and there as he took in the situation. "This looks bad, Tenni." He didn't know if she had followed him, so those words sent to her via the Message spell.

Tenni lands behind James and climbs off of Jilbo; as soon as they land, a very pregnant chirot woman rushes up to James. "Please, you've got to help!" she says. "My husband and my parents are still in there! He ran back in to save them!" She has a look of absolute panic on her face, as well as soot and some blood.

James`Vodera-Deth nodded grimly to the woman, pointing back towards Tenni. "Get back, I'll handle this." With those words the hellcat strode forward until he was close to the house, holding out his hands towards the inferno as he concentrated; slowly tendrils of smoke and fire began to draw towards James outstretched hands, his face twisting with effort to bring the blaze under control. Slowly the fires began to recede, but before they could go down too far James was forced back by the front door blowing off its hinges due to a backdraft. "Shit!" Word voiced as he narrowly avoided being hit.

Tenni stays far back from the house, comforting the pregnant woman in her arms as James tries to dampen the flames with his powers. When James is nearly hit by the flying door and makes his exclamation, Jilbo hears it and exclaims, "SHIT!" If not for the fact that the situation is very dangerous right now, Tenni would be upset that Jilbo learned that word. What's more important, however, is James's condition. It looks like the door just missed him. "Are you all right?" Tenni asks. "Can you get the flames out?"

James`Vodera-Deth was right back to his original pose quickly, hands reaching as he drew on the house fire again. "I'm working on it, but I've never put out a house before!" James called back as he began to approach the house then, pulling on energy of the fire more and more until his gloved hands began to smoke; the fire was indeed going down, albeit slowly but he kept his efforts up despite the wave of burning pain he felt in his hands. Eventually he pulled one hand back and lifted it skywards, releasing a torrent of flame into the night sky like a signal flare in an effort to redirect the energy he was holding.

As James shoots a large flame into the sky, redirecting the fire of the house, part of the doorway comes down, still smoking but no longer on fire. The pregnant chirot says, "They're in the bedroom on the right side of the first floor!" Tenni directs James to help her unclutter the doorway, and the two of them crawl on their hands and knees towards the aforementioned room to avoid the smoke. Tenni lifts part of her gambeson up to cover her mouth. They find the hardy, barrel-chested chirot man in the bedroom, struggling to lift a wooden beam that had fallen down onto his in-laws and trapped them in their bed. The older chirots are gasping in pain, and Tenni can surmise that several of their ribs are broken. The man sees help coming, and the first thing he asks is, "Is my wife safe?" He struggles to get the beam off, but he can't lift it alone.

James`Vodera-Deth was still working to lower those flames even as they began entering the house through his will alone; James couldn't help but cough as they crawled but he didn't bother with a face covering as they emerged into the bedroom. "She's safe, let me help you." James moved to stand beside the chirot man, his body straining as they both tried shifting that heavy beam; seeing it was barely moving James lifted his voice above the noise in his head. "Need a little help here Tenni, grab the other end if you can!"

Tenni is down at the side of the two older chirot, about 60 years old each, checking them with the Discern Ailment spell on her enchanted ring. "We've got a problem," she says. "Their legs are broken, and they each have multiple rib fractures. Even if we got the beam off of them, they can't get up on their own." Fortunately, Tennibrook is a priest, and has magic at her disposal. "I'm going to lift the beam with my Titan's Touch spell, and then James, you grab the man, and you, the woman. On three."

James`Vodera-Deth felt his ear twitch as he listened to Tenni a grimace on his face as he relaxed slightly, looking at the other man and nodding to each other before looking back to Tenni, both of them making ready to grab up the two elder chirot once the beam was moved. "One.... two....." he'd slow slightly, looking to Tenni to be sure she had her magic ready to go. "Three." As Tenni's spell allowed her the power to move the beam James and the chirot man moved quickly, James grabbing up the elder male in a hoisted carry in both arms, careful not to jostle him too much.

On the count of three, Tennibrook casts her Titan's Touch spell, and lifts the heavy wooden beam, which probably weighs about 300 pounds, high above her head. As James grabs the old man, the 30-something father-to-be tenderly scoops his mother-in-law up off the bed, and she lets out an anguished cry as her rib bumps against his arm. "Sorry, Mama," he murmurs gently. James and the chirot carry their charges out of the room as Tenni heaves the wooden beam to the side of the bed-- and falls over, her stamina all but depleted. Doubling over, she coughs, stars appearing in her vision.

James`Vodera-Deth paused at the exit of the room when he heard the thud behind him, turning to cast a worried look at Tenni. "Come on Tennibrook, on your feet!" He'd call to his friend, his upper body beginning to slowly emit tendrils of smoke as he still drew from the fires around them, still working to snuff the fire but at the risk of his own health as his body strained to contain it all; James turned to the other man, shooing him on. "Go, go!" he said as he followed after with his charge in arm.

Tenni feels herself on the verge of losing consciousness, but she staggers forward one step at a time as the man gets his mother-in-law out of the smoke-and-fire-ravaged house. Tenni grits her teeth, digging fingers and toes into the wooden floor as she moves down the hallway. Her face, neck, hands, and tail-fur are covered with soot.

James`Vodera-Deth was coughing by the time he got his charge out of the smoldering house, setting him down as gently as he could before he turned and ran back inside the house, quickly finding Tenni he'd come to her side; taking her arm he'd pull it across his shoulders to support her, taking measured steps as he helped her out of the building. Once outside he could barely hold those flames anymore, releasing Tenni's arm James stumbled a few feet away from her and the chirots before falling to his knees as more smoke poured from his clothing before he lifted his head skyward and yelled out in pain, a heavy gout of fire accompanying it as both erupted from his throat.

Tenni leans weakly on James's body as she allows him to help her out of the house; slowly she gains her footing and is able to assist him in moving her. When he releases her arm, she falls to her knees, coughing desperately to get air into her lungs. She rolls over onto her back, and at about the time James breathes fire out into the darkness, several people wearing Dethsirian uniforms come to help Tenni and James. "We saw the light in the sky and got here as soon as we could," one says. They load the injured elders onto Floating Discs, and one comes over to heal Tenni's smoke damage.

<+James`Vodera-Deth> By the time James is through with the display of fire he'd slump and fall over onto the ground, hands clutching at his throat as he gasped for air; one of the healers would come over to assist him, stripping off his robes and jacket and shirt to reveal second degree burns on most of his torso. "You should not have pushed yourself so hard, sir." words spoken to the hellcat as healing was applied to him. As his burns slowly healed back up James could finally catch his breath, panting as he started to sit up. "What about... Tenni..?" he'd ask as gaze came across his fallen comrade.

Tenni gasps as she suddenly regains her breath from the healing energy rushing through her battered lungs. She has some first- and second-degree burns too, that are slowly healing. "I'm feeling... a little better," she says, her coughing beginning to subside. She realizes that that first fiery plume from James before they'd entered the building, that he'd cast into the night sky to dissipate the flames' energy, had served as a beacon to the healers and fire brigade now present. "You're both heroes," the pregnant woman says. "Thank you." She places her hands on James and Tenni's arms. "How could this have happened?" her husband asks. "We weren't using the fireplace, and we'd extinguished our cooking fire." One of the fire brigade members speaks up, and says, "Ma'am, sir... I don't think this was an accident." He holds up a bundle of white feathers.

James`Vodera-Deth was nearly fully sat up when he saw those white feathers in the mans hand, brow arching slightly as he looked over to Tenni, a look of confusion on his face. "Ok... I'm at a loss... What's with the feathers?" He asked as he still panted for air. After another couple moments James would stand, albeit slowly, back to his feet and make his way on unsteady steps back over to Tenni, motioning at the feathers. "Any ideas?"

Tenni is a bit slower to get to her feet, but is aided by one of the healers giving her a Medium Stamina Potion to help her regain some energy. After the use of her Titan's Touch spell to lift that tremendously heavy wooden plank, she'd been wiped out and had needed James to come back for her and rescue her. It had been a team effort all the way through; even the head of the victimized family had had his role to play. Tenni looks at the feathers and has an idea what they symbolize, but before she can speak, the man of the house speaks up. "*Torians,*" he says, spitting it as an invective. "I can't believe they'd stoop so low." His wife lays a comforting hand on his arm. "I can," she says. "The Morannia family has been our family's sworn enemy for seven generations. More than one of the fights between us has ended with one of us burying a loved one." "Yes," her husband says, "but they've never done *this* before. Our homes, and our children, have always been off-limits."

James`Vodera-Deth turned slowly to face the chirot man, brow raised. "Torians?" Gaze would go back to the bundle of feathers with a sigh. "Why is it always a generations long feud?" This was more muttered to himself before his voice raised back up again. "Tenni... I'm honestly not sure how we should handle this..." He said as he looked back to Tennibrook, his right hand reflexively closing as he bit back his growing outrage. "My own wife is chirot, and this.... This angers me..." As he finished his hand would close tightly into a fist with several loud pops before it trembled, that anger he mentioned just barely kept under control.

Tenni lays a comforting hand on James's shoulder, and speaks professionally to the man and his pregnant wife. "We will investigate this, and I give you my word that I'll do my utmost to make sure the person responsible for this is brought to justice. In the meantime, I request that you be our guests in the castle until things quiet down and you can get your house rebuilt." The man speaks up. "That won't be necessary. The Trenlo family is a hardy sort, and I don't intend to back down from those Morannia bastards." But his wife counters, "Darling, I don't feel safe. If they're willing to do even this, there's no telling what they'll do. I think we're better off taking protection where we can." The man looks at his wife. Then speaks to Tenni and James. "Would you excuse us for a moment?" Tenni nods. The two go off on a sidebar, and Tenni looks at James. "What do you think?" she asks him. "You think it's the Morannia? Or someone setting them up?"

James`Vodera-Deth stilled his trembling fist at Tenni's touch, still mad but not to the point of wanton killing as he took a breath to settle himself, looking between Tenni and the smoldering house as he shook his head slightly. "I'm not sure, I'd wanna have a talk with these Morannia's before I jump to a brash decision, y'know?" He sighed and slumped his shoulders a bit, still exhausted from the ordeal with the house. "But not tonight, if I try talking to these people tonight I'll likely flame first and ask questions later." As he spoke he'd pull a small flask from a pouch on his belt, opening it and taking a short swig before recapping it, offering it out to Tenni. "Drink? Its only water."

Tenni nods, "Don't want that to happen. We want to ask them some questions, not kill them." She takes the offered flask and sips a little bit. The water feels good; she didn't realize how much water she'd lost in the fire. "Tomorrow afternoon, then, on our patrol. Of course, we'll need to ask the Trenlos where they are." Speaking of which, the husband and wife break their huddle to speak to the Dethsirian soldiers. "We'll go with you," he says. "Mama and Papa need the help of your healers anyway. And we want to be close to them." "But we want answers," the woman continues. "Whoever did this almost destroyed all that's left of our family. Our family's past, present, and future." She pats her belly.

James`Vodera-Deth nodded slightly as he listened to Tenni, feline ears twitching as he looked at the husk of the house again. "Aye, tomorrow then, when we're both not sore and agitated from this... Mess..." As the chirot family came back from their huddle and spoke their plans, James would nod. "We'll get you those answers, for now listen to the soldiers, they'll get you safely to the castle for the time being." He turned away from them then and gave a sharp whistle, and Azal, who'd been sitting off to the side with Jilbo came plodding over, her head nuzzling James exposed torso. "I'm fine, I'm fine." He said soothingly to the mephos as he patted and rubbed her muzzle.

"Jilbo, here boy!" Tenni says, and he takes off about two feet into the air, tucking his four legs, and zooms over to Tenni, landing about a yard in front of her. "MAMA!" he exclaims. "JILBO WORRY!" Tenni strokes him beneath the chin lovingly. "I know, sweetheart. I'm sorry. But I'm okay." She looks to the Trenlo family. "I'm sorry about your home. We'll do what we can to make you whole again." She climbs up onto Jilbo. "Jilbo, back to the castle." He gets a running start and takes off.

James`Vodera-Deth gave Azal one final pat on her neck before he mounted up as well. "Follow Jilbo." At the command Azal spread her wings out fully, several flaps taken before she was airborn as well, soaring after the rook and Tenni.

[CallieO]

A Burning House
Chapter 2

"Grudges seldom hurt anyone except the one bearing them."
--Sherrilyn Kenyon

====

The morning after the fire that had severely damaged the Trenlo chirot family's household, critically injured two people, and nearly resulted in several fatalities, Tennibrook Balmossie and James Vodera have made their way to the residence of the Morrania family of white-winged torians, the Trenlos' mortal enemies for the last seven generations. They seem like the logical culprits. "You gonna be okay, James?" Tenni asks him. He had been incensed by the possibility that the fire had been set deliberately, owing to the fact that his wife is a chirot.

James had in fact been brooding on this very thing, wondering what would come of the questioning before being snapped from his thoughts, turning those mismatched orbs to Tenni before he nodded. "I'll be fine." He said matter of factly, glancing over his shoulder towards Azal nearby along with Jilbo, Tenni's Rook. He sighed slightly and turned back, wanting to make sure his own temper was in check before they came on the torians.

Tenni nods, and goes to knock on the door. There's no reply. She knocks again. Nothing. After five minutes, no one comes to the door. Tenni peeks into the windows, and there's no sign that anyone's in there-- or at least, not awake. "Not at home? Awfully suspicious, if you ask me," she says.

James`Vodera hrmed softly, patting the pouch containing his lockpicks. "I could pick the door if its locked, we'll find out then if anyone's home..." He said softly before lifting his voice enough to be heard clearly from inside. "Or I could just fireball the door..."

Tenni chuckles softly. "Innocent until proven guilty, remember. Right now, they're just people of interest. Let's look around some more." They do a once-over of the main house, seeing that there's both a front door and a back door. Tenni knocks on the back door a few times, with no success. She looks over at the barn. "Let's check the barn."

James`Vodera hmphed softly, shrugging as he followed Tenni around to the back of the place, looking it over as they went; at her suggestion to check the barn he'd nod, heading off in front to test the barn doors... Huh, he thought to himself as the doors creaked open, peeking his head inside he'd call out. "Hello? Anyone home?" His feline ears would perk then, listening for any sounds of movement or voices within.

There's nobody in the barn, but there's signs that the barn *does* get used, as horse food, water, and manure is in evidence. "Okay," Tenni says. "So wherever they are, they must have taken their horse with them. I don't really understand why they would ride a horse when they're natural fliers, but maybe they just do it recreationally or something."

James`Vodera frowned slightly, looking about the barn after stepping further inside. "I doubt it.... This seems to me like they're running... Natural fliers taking horses? They're not wanting to be seen from above.... Ten coin says they'll have cloaks on to hide their wings." He'd say as he exited the barn, already whistling for Azal who started plodding over happily.

"If you're right, they could be anywhere by now," Tenni says. She callls over Jilbo. "They could have made their way through the portal and gone to *Virelith*, for all we know. That's the problem with all this magic; it's too convenient." She hops up on the rook. "What do you figure our next step is?"

<+James`Vodera> "If it were me? Have a guard stationed nearby to watch for them as a precaution, and have an inquiry sent to the portal to see if any torians had gone through recently. He'd say simply, though he knew such a thing was no easy task do pull off. He looked skyward for a few moments, lost in thought. "Then again... They might still be nearby, either watching us or simply moving to another house.. I'm afraid I don't have much to go on."

"Good idea," Tenni says. She casts her Message spell. "Dethsiris guard to Sector 11, please, on stakeout. Contact Tenni when family returns home." Knowing it'll take some time for the message to arrive and be replied to, she says, "Let's go to the portal. I think that's an option worth considering. Especially if they're running."

James`Vodera nodded and easily mounted up into Azals saddle, slipping his boots into those slits on the sides before they were both airborn, banking wide once above the treeline and heading towards the portal, knowing Tenni would be on Jilbo and catching up quickly.

Tenni allows James to maintain the lead, impressed with her subordinate's initiative. They reach the portal in about five minutes, and descend to speak to the mage running it.

James`Vodera wasn't really wanting to take point on this, but it seemed Tenni was allowing it and so he would; once they arrived he would dismount, milling about until he found the mage in charge and, once identifying himself with the House would pull the man aside. "Ok, I know this is unorthodox, but have you seen anyone come through that looked... out of place? Like say torians wearing cloaks and on horseback?"

The mage considers. "No one like that, but there *were* torians who utilized horses. They were driving a two-horse wagon, and were dressed up nicely. The man was in a suit, and the woman in a sharp backless red dress. They asked me to take them to Nanthalion."

James`Vodera nodded slightly as he considered what the man had told him. "Did they happen to mention where they were going in Nanthalion?" He'd ask then, wondering if they'd been so open with the fancy clothing, would they have been with that information as well.

"No," the mage replies, "and they didn't say when they were coming back. I can tell you what time they got here, though: About seven o'clock at night." Tenni considers. "If they left for Nanthalion at seven, they'd have enough time to get to the inn by 7:30, and downtown by 8. Not much open that late at night."

<+James`Vodera> "Hmm... Alright, thank you for your time." James turned back to Tenni. "You're right, but that still leaves a lot of ground to cover... How do you want to do this then?" He'd ask her then, glancing at the portal and already feeling queasy.

"I'm seeing a problem here with continuing to suspect them," Tenni says. "Sunset last night wasn't until 8:30, and it was well after dark when we came upon the house. It seems to me that if it was them-- and we don't even know that they're the family in question-- they have an alibi."

James`Vodera tilted his head down as he thought that over. "I hadn't considered that... Then again I'd had a suspicion that they weren't behind it anyway, as torians don't just lose feathers like that, not for there to have been a clump of them like that anyway.." James sighed. "But I have no proof aside from them, which isn't helping."

Tenni sighs. "So we're nowhere. But maybe it might be worth talking to them, anyway. Maybe we can shake something loose." She turns to the mage. "When they come back through, please--" And then the mage holds up a finger as a Message spell comes through the portal. "Nanthalion to Dethsiris. Open the portal." The mage says, "Please excuse me." Tenni stands back as the portal opens, and a two-horse wagon comes through-- with two torians, a man and a woman, inside. Tenni walks up to them. "Halt. Air Marshal Tennibrook Balmossie, House Dethsiris, and this is my deputy James Vodera. Are you the Morannia family?" The man speaks up. "Yes. I'm Kieran, and this is my wife Linda."

James`Vodera glanced at Tenni... Deputy? When did that happen? He dismissed it however as mismatched orbs fell on the torians in the wagon, feeling a small flare from those inner fires of his though he quelled it before it became too noticable. "Would you mind guiding your wagon over there please? We like to ask you a couple of questions." He says, motioning to an open area off to the side of the portal.

"Of course," Kieran says. "Do you want us to step out of the wagon when we get there?" "Yes, please," Tenni says. "Hopefully our questions shouldn't take too long." Kieran nods, and leads his horses to the indicated spot; then both he and his wife step out, elegantly dressed. Kieran is wearing a gentleman's suit, and Linda, a backless red dress. "May we ask what this is about?" Linda asks.

James`Vodera was for a moment at a loss for words as he looked over the torian couple, keen eyes looking at their wings specifically to see if either was missing feathers. "We're currently investigating a house fire that happened last night, the family mentioned yours by name, we're just following up a lead as to the cause behind the blaze as it nearly killed four people, along with ourselves." He'd say steadily, giving only enough information but deliberately leaving out the fact the other family was chirot.

Neither member of the couple seemed to be missing feathers. "Last night, you say?" Kieran responds. "We were in Nanthalion last night. On a date night at the vulpine restaurant. That package where you get dinner, a room, and breakfast. We were out of Dethsiris before the sun even went down."

James`Vodera-Deth hrmed softly as he considered the mans words, not seeing evidence of missing feathers kind of nixed the idea they might be involved, but it was the only lead they had.. "Hmm, alright, thank you for your time, we may have more questions later.. Unless you have anything, Tenni?" He'd pause then, head turning to look towards the Air Marshal.

Tenni shakes her head, and is about to apologize for the inconvenience when Linda looks at her husband askance. "Kieran, we've got to tell them," she says. "No way he's that far gone," Kieran responds. Tenni raises an eyebrow. "If you've an idea, I'd like to hear it." "Well..." Linda eyes her husband, and then speaks. "I think you need to speak to our son. Dmitri. If you can find him. He's gone off the deep end lately. He's not a bad kid! Really! But he's been hanging out with the wrong kinds of people. People who've been playing into his anger." Kieran sighs. "Dmitri broke into the General Store a couple of weeks ago and stole some things. It was his first time stealing anything-- or at least his first time getting caught-- and when we confronted him, we got into a heated argument that ended with him leaving the the house and never coming back."

James`Vodera-Deth lofted a brow, he hadn't considered their child behind it. "What kinds of people? Would they have been able to talk him into setting fire to a chirot family home?" No point in being subtle now, if the son was hanging around with bad folks it could only get worse from there. "I know this seems much, but do you have any idea where he might have gone?" He asked, hints of flames dancing in his eyes now.

Kieran raises an eyebrow. "It was a *chirot* home that was set on fire? Surely not the Morranias? Is that why you're asking us?" Tenni nods. "They told us you were longtime enemies." Linda nods. "For hundreds of years, but... at least for the last 20 years, just economically. The house they bought, we had our eyes on it, and they snatched it up. Kieran and I were very upset, but we found another house and got over it." "20 years ago, though," Kieran says, "Valleran, now the old man of the house, killed my father in cold blood."

James`Vodera-Deth sighed internally, feeling his agitation growing as the minutes ticked by. "Twenty years is a long time to sit on that, and in all that time you've not once thought of getting vengeance?" He'd ask Kieran then, hand lifted to idly stroke fingers across his beard. "...How old is your son, by the way?" He'd ask out of the blue, half wondering if his hunch would prove useful or if it would backfire spectacularly on him.

"He's 19," Kieran says, a horrifying thought coming to his mind. "He never knew his grandfather." Then he finally says it out loud. "Shit. It's my fault; this whole fucking mess is my fault. Yes, I was angry with Valleran, and I've wanted to see him dead for a long time, but his family are good people, and I never wanted to see *them* harmed. I've spent Dmitri's entire life talking to him about his grandfather, what a wonderful, loving person he was... and when he was old enough, I told him what happened to him. I thought he deserved to know. I think... I think Dmitri may have become a little obsessed. Yes, I think he definitely may have set that fire."

James`Vodera-Deth sighed again, his hunch was right after all. "Well the good news is your son isn't a murderer.. yet.. the older couple survived the house fire, but if these folks he's been around -are- playing to his anger it might only be a matter of time before he does kill someone. I'll ask again, do you have -any- idea where he might have gone? A friends place, a childhood hiding spot, anything at all that might help?" He pressed them again for the whereabouts of their son, knowing full well the trouble an angry young man could get himself in to.

"He has a girlfriend," Linda says. "22 years old, three years older than him. Her name is Jessie. They spend a lot of time at the Guzzler together. They might even be there now. She's tall, about six foot three, and she has golden wings. I've never liked her. I think she's been whispering poison in Dmitri's ears." Kieran nods sadly. "When Dmitri told her what happened to his grandfather, she called me weak, to my face, for not avenging his death." "Why *didn't* you avenge his death?" Tenni asks. "If it had happened to me, I probably would have stopped at nothing." Kieran says, "I was newly married, with a kid on the way. I had to think about them. Besides, I'm no fighter, and I'm terrible at subterfuge. Whether I'd been successful or not, making an attempt to take him out would have just deprived my wife of her husband; my son of his father. I had to let it go... and the feud became kind of a cold war after that."

James`Vodera-Deth hrmed softly, nodding as he made sure to take mental notes on everything they'd been told. "Alright, we'll go have a look around the Guzzler, see if we can't find Dmitri and Jessie... Bear in mind, we will likely be placing them in our custody until this mess gets sorted out, but we will avoid harming either of them if we can help it." The hellcat told them, wanting to be sure they both understood what would happen. "But if your son attacks us we -will- have to defend ourselves." He really didn't want it to come to that.. James wasn't a praying man but he hoped the kid would go quietly all the same.

"Please don't hurt him," Linda begs them. "He's not a bad kid. He's just messed up in the head." "And if he is, it's because I made him that way," Kieran says. "Goddess forgive me." Tenni puts a gentle hand on Linda's shoulder. "We'll do our best," she says. "I promise that, at least. James, we should go to the Guzzler."

James`Vodera-Deth sighed softly to himself and would nod to Tenni, looking back to the torian couple. "I'd rather not cause a scene if I can avoid it." He told them before Fly was cast and he began to lift into the air. "I'll wait for you outside the Guzzler, Tenni." He told her before he shot off like an arrow towards the city, Azal launching into the air after him.

[CallieO]

A Burning House
Chapter 3

"I hold it that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing..."
--Thomas Jefferson

===

James`Vodera-Deth sighed softly to himself and would nod to Tenni, looking back to the torian couple. "I'd rather not cause a scene if I can avoid it." He told them before Fly was cast and he began to lift into the air. "I'll wait for you outside the Guzzler, Tenni." He told her before he shot off like an arrow towards the city, Azal launching into the air after him.

Tennibrook does the same, casting Fly and leading Jilbo towards the Guzzler. The two sapients and two mounts arrive there in about half an hour. Gaea's Guzzler is a relatively new establishment, having come into existence only about three years ago, and has a different feel from The Lonely Inn. People are seated on the floor in piles of pillows, using tables that barely peek off the ground. There's an area for hookah smoking. And the food is primarily seafood. The manager, Rida Cherryglade, is not in evidence, nor does Tenni see anyone with golden wings. But there is a smattering of people in the establishment, including a redhaired woman wearing a long cloak, standing at the bar counter. Tenni eyes James. Points to her. On a hot day like today, anyone wearing that much clothing is awfully sus. And the cloak would hide a pair of wings.

James`Vodera-Deth cast quick glances around the Guzzlers interior, also catching sight of the redhead with the cloak on... He nodded, already getting that sense this was the son's girlfriend with the poisoned words; James cast more looks about the place as he approached her, looking for any sign of Dmitri before he reached the cloaked woman. "Excuse me miss," he said in a light, low tone. "Is your name Jessie, by chance?" Those mismatched eyes of his watched the woman as he spoke, hints of flame already starting to dance in those emerald depths as he readied himself for trouble.

Tennibrook stands a short distance apart from James and the woman, blocking the suspect's escape route. The redhead seems aware of this. She looks at James, and flutters her eyelids lasciviously. "That depends on... who wants to know," she says. She reaches for the drink she has in front of her-- vodka with cranberry juice-- and takes a gentle sip.

James`Vodera-Deth sighed, he was already getting tired of the subterfuge of this whole ordeal as the air around the two of them suddenly became much hotter, as though the woman were standing before a blast furnace rather than a catman. "Dethsiris air force wants to know, actually." The hellcat turned slightly to one side, hand gesturing in Tenni's direction. "We'd like to ask you a few questions," he paused for the briefest of moments, considering just how much to tell this woman before he continued. "and would appreciate your cooperation."

The woman feels the intense heat coming from James's body and makes a mistake which might serve to identify her-- she takes off her cloak, revealing a beautiful set of golden-feathered wings beneath it. She has on a red tank top, and black knee-length skirt. "Dethsiris Air Force?" she asks. "That's cute. So you work for the oppressors, huh?"

James`Vodera-Deth smiled a bit, seeing those golden wings of hers, as he took another step closer to the woman, letting that immense heat continue to build around them as his voice dropped a little lower. "Alright cut the shit act, Jessie, where's Dmitri." James truely was getting fed up as hintings of magical flame started to wisp around his feline ears. "Because I've had just about enough of the games," he said as that smile grew wider, twin rows of white breaking the dusty bronze of his skin and the contrasting black of his beard.

The woman leans forward, matching James's tone of voice. "I'm not telling you *shit*, oppressor. Conqueror. Murderer, corpse-fucker, Sheara-lover. So you can kiss my rosy red ass."

James`Vodera-Deth sighed at the rather long list of insults the woman laid upon him, though that comment about his wife's goddess caused his brow to twitch as that smile grew even more as right hand raised slightly, energies beginning to swirl and gather into a single point above his palm until it glowed like a malevolent star. "Then you can spend some time in a cell, until you learn to be more accepting. Now move." He'd snarl out that last word, still having not raised his voice much as he nodded towards Tenni at the door.

The woman walks slowly in front of James, making their way towards Tenni, and mutters something under her breath. Her right hand glows, and she fires a Stun Bolt at James; if it's successful, she'd reach for a dagger.

James`Vodera-Deth had let that fireball fade to nothing when the woman started moving, though his fires still raged inside for blood over the torians insults. "Good girl, you learn quickly." He'd fall into step behind her, he bore no weapons himself as he didn't see the need. As she muttered he would start to ask what she said, until the stunbolt hit him in the chest and caused him to stagger back a step. "Argh!" His stagger gave him a bit more room however, and in the moment the torian went for that dagger the edge of a fiery sword would suddenly appear at the womans throat, held in James' hand. "I wouldn't if I were you, torian, now cut the shit and get moving."

The woman has the dagger pointed at James's heart as she feels the intense heat of James's sword at her neck. Tenni gets right up behind her, and knocks the dagger from the woman's hand with a sharp strike. "Damn you," she murmurs. "Death to the empire! Death to Archaon!" Tenni applies a pair of handcuffs to the woman, and leads her out of the Guzzler. "Well done, James," she says. "We'll let her stew in a cell for awhile."

James`Vodera-Deth felt his eyes twitch as he saw how close the womans dagger had come to his heart, though once Tenni disarmed her and had in custody he sighed and visibly relaxed, that sword simply fading from the aether as he hand lowered to his side. "Thanks Tenni," he said as he followed them outside; once there the hellcat would stand in front of the gold wing once more, a flat, expressionless look on his face. "Be thankful, I told Dmitri's family I would not harm him, I made no such promise for your safety or well being."

The woman curls her lips angrily and spits right in James's face. "Fuck off, oppressor. As long as he's safe, what happens to me doesn't matter."

James`Vodera-Deth absently wiped the spittle from his face with his hand, looking at it for a moment before his hand snapped out, a violent slap given to the womans face with the back of his hand, letting a sheen of magical flames surround his hand to add a bit more sting to the strike. "I've had just about enough of your bullshit for one afternoon young lady." He snapped, that strike taking all of a second before it was over as those flames raged in his eyes, oh how he wanted to burn this torian to ashes and be done with it, but he felt he'd already overstepped himself with the slap. He'd look to Tenni then, his an expression of apology before he turned his back on the goldwing and stepped away.

The woman turns her cheek but doesn't stagger or bend her knee, staring back at James, and Tenni, with an expression of pure hatred. Tennibrook looks utterly unimpressed. For her part, Tenni had let James handle this encounter almost entirely by himself, and that was on purpose-- part of her strategy to wear the woman down. Tenni gives James a forgiving nod as he gazes at her apologetically, but the two of them would have to really work on Jessie to get her to reveal where Dmitri is. If Tenni is right, more people might still be in danger.

James`Vodera-Deth had to take a few moments to cool his temper, raging as it was like a bonfire within before he got it back under control; he turned back around then, those fire now fully gone from his eyes as he felt he had a level head on his shoulders once more. "Alright Tenni, lets get this one back to the castle and stick her in a cell, see how she feels after a few days of no sleep and little food." He smiled as he looked back at Jessie, meaning every single word of that statement of what he had planned for the goldwing... The hellcat was crafty and a devious sort when he wanted to be, and he had just the thing that might break this woman to the point of talking.

"My thoughts exactly," Tenni says. "I think you'll find that cooperation is in your best interest. It's even best for Dmitri." The woman doesn't reply verbally, but sneers at the vixen. Tenni and James take her to Castle Dethsiris, and put her in a very well-lit cell, setting her down on a bench with her hands handcuffed in front of her.

James`Vodera-Deth watched as Jessie was put into the cell, still wearing that devious smile on bearded face. "Please enjoy your stay at the castle, I'll be back to check on you later." He told the torian before he wandered away with Tenni, lowering his voice to a more normal timber as he spoke, not trying to be heard by the goldwing. "I give her two... Maybe three days before she breaks and starts talking, gods knows it worked on me.." He gave a shudder as an old memory surfaced in his mind, partially filled with gaps but he remembered -that-, having gone several days without proper sleep and very little food, he had been more than willing to spill his guts by the end of it.

Tenni opens the cell block door and allows James through it before closing it. "In the meantime, you and I should get some sleep. Dmitri is still out there, and he's very dangerous. Jessie was spouting Paja Dethsiria catchphrases." The Paja Dethsiria are a group of self-styled freedom fighters that had gone underground after the Dethsirian annexation, and opposed the empire's expansion into the territory. Their goal is to terrorize imperial citizens into giving up the province. "If she's part of the P-D, we may have a bigger problem on our hands than a simple intergenerational feud."

James`Vodera-Deth nodded slightly as he listened to Tenni, stiffling a yawn already behind closed fist. "I agree, though do post a couple guards on her cell on shifts to make sure she stays awake, as for the food, two pieces of bread and a mug of warm water, as said I'll be back down here to check on her myself once I've rested." He glanced back through the cell block door before shaking his head. "I don't want to do this, but its the fastest way that I can think of short of stringing her up and simply beating the answers out of her, and there's no guarantee that'll work if she's this stubborn.... Gods damnit I wish there was a better way.." He trailed off for a moment or two then, before looking back to Tenni, again with that apologetic look. "I'm sorry if I stepped out of line earlier Tenni, I'll understand if you think I'll need punishment for it." He figured it would happen anyway, may as well face the music early, as it were.

"Yeah, we want to interrogate her; not torture her," Tenni says. "We must remember that we're the good guys here." When James apologizes, this time with his words instead of just his expression, Tenni waves him off. "Eh. She threw some horrible insults at you, and spit in your face. And you were already angry going in. I think you showed remarkable restraint. I'm not sure it could have been handled any better."

James`Vodera-Deth smiled warmly to Tenni as she dismissed the apology, nodding slightly. "We have my darling wife to thank for that I think, if not for her influences I probably would have done worse things to the girl..." He half turned then, again catching a yawn behind closed hand. "Heh, I wonder what insults she would have thrown at me if she knew I was married to a chirot?" He asked Tenni then, mayhaps a bit loudly as he was trying to get one last reaction from Jessie, giving her something to stew over while she waited in her cell for James return. "Welp, I'm off to rest, you do the same Tenni.. If the Paja Dethsiria is as bad as you say, we'll need the energy."

Tenni nods, and gives James a vulpine military salute, touching her right fist to her left shoulder, before heading upstairs, to bed.

[CallieO]

A Burning House
Chapter 4

"Well, gentlemen? We have ways to make men talk."
---Mohammed Khan, Lives of a Bengal Lancer

===

Dramatis Personae

James Vodera, male catperson mage/thief
Vexademus, female High Human mage
Traael, female Drak Sen (bejeweled) water mage
Archaon, male Drak Sen (mineral) necromancer
Naut`kyn, female chirot healer
Jaescin, male High Human warrior

Jessie, female torian


Jessie, a white-winged torian who's a person of interest in an arson case, had been held in solitary confinement in Castle Dethsiris for the last five days since her arrest, on a steady diet of bread and lukewarm water, and allowed very little sleep. She hadn't seen or heard another living soul since she'd been in here, aside from when the guard came to feed her or change her bucket. Jessie feels herself on the verge of cracking up after all this time, but in these five days, no one had even asked her any questions. It's now a little bit after midnight on the fifth day, and she's nodding off, finally. She considers. By now, if he'd followed instructions, Dmitri should be well at work on burning another house.

Vexademus-Deth remembered the information she'd recently gotten from another few torian on the blood feuds between the two races. The fact that it was suspected that the arson was perpetrated in kind towards end goal was enough. The Lady had just finished signing some papers that would allow a local access to the Great Dome's library and Menagerie, when she was told that someone - of whose name she'd recognized - was looking to be guided. Rising from desk in the office of Over Seer of Magic, she skirted the furniture and smoothed her white outfit {https://i.imgur.com/VH2dT1b.png}; pin of Dethsiris right at the apex between small separation of chest, sandaled feet walking quickly to meet the creature of memory whence she'd met her in Callie's restaurant.

<+Traael-IG> Traael was riding her Charger, Dom, towards the stables of the Castle, wearing https://i.imgur.com/oXaEvTI.jpg <<Blue where red>> and her Imperial Gaurd cloak, pin and chain. She was requested to be here to make sure the Gaurd knew exactly what was going on in Dethsiris, and since Traael lived there, she volunteered to be there for the interrogation to take notes of what's going on. She would dismount her horse and hand the reigns over to the stablehand as she heads towards the castle. She sees Vex and smiles to the woman, and bows low to her. "My Lady Vexademus. It is an honor to see you again." She said with a smile, standing up. "I am here to observe the interrogation and to get to the bottom of what is giong on here in Dethsiris so I can report it to the Commander of the Guard. I will not interfere, just here to take notes and spread the word along. I swear, I will not interrupt or tell you to do anything. I'm just here for information." She said with a gentle smile.

James`Vodera-Deth was humming a little tune to himself as he entered the cell block holding the torian zealot, he'd sent word for his wife to join him but she had been delayed, stating she'd be there when she could. He wore his normal assortment or robe and breeches, no shirt but boots on as he walked down the hallway on near silent footfalls, coming to stop in front of the cell holding Jessie... Such a shame to have to do it, but he'd given instructions for her not to be allowed much in way of rest, so it would come as no surprise when his booted foot lashed out to kick the cell wall hard, causing a vibrating noise that would have shocked anyone out of their slumber. "Good morning, I trust your stay has been... Restful?" Yes, the snark was there, he'd been stewing over this day since he and Tenni brought the woman in. James had something with him this day, a small, rolled up leather pouch sealed with buckle, which he placed on a nearby table after moving away from the cell wall, not bothing to open it just yet.

Vexademus-Deth 's circlet gleamed 'neath heavy fringe of onyx streaked brunette, heavy kohl'd eyes and gloss-doused lips; all remained serious. The plump backside swayed with her quick walk as she trekked to where Traael was, approaching her with that drag of ivory fabric and slit shoulder the responisibility of showing quite a bit of leg with each step; just made it easier since it was summer in the humid lands and Gaea help any who didn't dress light just so they wouldn't be cooked. Though, Dethsiris castle was cooled magically as well as designed to make the interior more efficient of airflow. The magess and the bejeweled drak sen's connection had been brief; and the human preferred not to dwell on the actual connection at all. Striding up to Traael after the bow, she nodded and gestured for her to follow, already taking her inside, "Good to see you again, Miss Traael. Though, unsure if I should refer to you by title of your occupation at the moment? And aye, I'm of the capacity to do as much." Finding the way down, she wound round in the cooler underbelly, leading the 6'6 drak sen, just missing the loud sound of a kick by the feline to the cell.

<+Jaescin-Deth> Wound find his way to Dethsiris from the Inn, the Overseer atop a black stallion, a well-made, but simple beige tunic coupled with brown trousers sitting comfortably and loosely upon his person. A few minutes behind Traael, he passed the reins to the stablehand and made his way into the castle. A slight inclination of his head to those gathered as he casts his gaze about the hall.

Archaon Things have been interesting in the region as of late. Reports of flames claiming buildings, hot temperatures, the occasional felinious assault by a jungle cat. As fate would have it, a suspect is contained below, and interrogations soon to commence. While the appropriate figures begin to collect and converge upon the prisoner, so too does the infamous lord of the jungle province prepare himself to oversee the festivities. He had no personal stake or agenda to perform here. Rather, he just wants to watch the happenings instead of interfering or controlling the possible outcome.. though he wouldn't necessarily need to speak to even offer any intimitdation.

Jessie had felt herself nodding off when suddenly there's a bang that jolts her awake. "Ah, the Sheara-lover is back." She laughs, a little bit manically. As it's not mealtime, her hands are handcuffed behind her back, to prevent her from affecting her escape or hurting someone or herself. "It's been... what... four, five days since we met? Tell me, how's that leather-winged family? Still alive?"

<+Traael-IG> "Thank you, my Lady Vexademus. And congratulations are in order. I hope you and the Lord stay happy fr a long time." She said to her as she moves with Vex into the underbelly of the castle. "And you can call me Traael, I'm still low rank in the Guard at the moment." She said and then when they got to the cell, she would bow low to Lord Archaon and greets him. "Good evening my Lord. I am here to represent the Imperial Guard and to make sure Commander Balard understands what is giong on in the jungles." She said to him with a smile. "I am here merely to take notes, nothing more." She said, and then moves to reach into her cloak and pulls out a small notebook and a pencil and went quiet when she heard talking from within the room.

Vexademus-Deth welcomed Jaescin with a motion of a gentle salute of lain palm on her own chest and inclination of head and then approached the wall, looking in on the actual cell. Taking a deep breath, cherrywood eyes focused and she listened. All senses did so as well, putting out those 'little feelers' as Infernis had taught her. The magicks were strong in the land, but after living here for so long and being saturated as such; she could tell the minute shifts and whorls in the aether. The presence of His Grace did interfere shortly, but she'd grown accustomed to that too. Exposure, after all. Again, the magess focused, listening to the words of the winged prisoner. There was a flip of knowledge as her mind opened many pages of knowledge about the old lands; bringing to the fore of the ancient wars and the races involved. Steady gaze as head lowered, looking through those bangs as if a huntress peered through camouflaging reeds.

Jaescin-Deth slowed the sweep of his gaze to an eventual pause on Vexademus as the woman performed her gentle salute. A light smile, tinged wry would be returned to the woman, followed by a non hurried touch of two fingers to his head that then extended out towards her in a casual salute. He drew in a slow breath, eyes flicking to the prisoner and her words a brief moment before side stepping and leaning back against the wall.

Archaon He'd bow head to Traael once arriving to the cells. "Greetings." he'd say simply, smiling lightly as he spots Vex. "I am merely here to observe, not interfere. I wish to hear everything myself this evening." he'd nod at that as he'd move to stand nearest his beloved whilst trying to not provide any further distraction to the goings on, and to any other observations that she may be undertaking at the moment.

<+James`Vodera-Deth> "Five days and about thirteen hours, give or take thirty minutes or so." The hellcat would reply about how long she'd been there so far. Turning back to face the torian she'd see flames already dancing in his eyes even from the distance she was before he approached the cell door, though he made no move to open it just yet. "As for the family? Yes, they are alive and well, and recovering quite nicely after your boyfriend's attempt at arson... You really should have warned him about how playing with fire will get him burned." His voice was light, no snark or sarcasm to be heard. "So... What shall I do with you, hm? A question first, or perhaps some better food? I know what you've been eating so far as it was under my order... Bread and lukewarm water.. You must be ravenous by now, yes?" He chuckled as he turned away, going back over to that table with the leather bound roll.

Jessie hears the gathering of several people outside the cell, including the unmistakable voice of Lord Archaon. Everyone in Dethsiris, but especially the resistance movement, would recognize that voice. "I must be moving up in the world," she says. "You've brought the whole gang with you." She doesn't give him the satisfaction of admitting that yes, she *is* very hungry for some protein after all this time. "*Did* it get him burned? If you'd captured him, you wouldn't be bothering with me." She laughs again.

James`Vodera-Deth had heard the voices of people beginning to gather in the cell block as he unbuckled that rolled case, letting it unroll along the table as a few things came to light while he turned around. "Ah, Lord Archaon, Lady Vex, Miss Traael, so glad you all could make it." He'd bow slightly at the waist to the group before turning back to look over what was in that case... An assortment of fine blades, needles and other instruments of pain, along with, oddly enough, a slab of cooked bacon he'd brought from home, wrapped in cheesecloth to keep. It was the bacon he'd remove first, setting it aside as he drew one of those fine little blades to cut open the strings on the slab so he could open it, the scent of cooked pig now filling the area and he let some of his own heat warm it so. He'd let it sit there, however, as he returned his attentions to the torian in the cell. "They are merely here to observe, my dear, I am to be your only concern..." Flicker of magical flames would follow his words, small hint of the true power of the pyromancer before her as he finally opened the cell door, and a brief use of telekinesis brought the bacon into his hand, already tearing a small chunk from it and eating it in front of her. "Mmm.. I do make some tasty food if I do say so... Would you like?" He'd ask after swallowing, tearing off another piece as he came closer to her, using TK once more to hold it just out of reach of her mouth in the air, not foolish enough to give the woman a chance to bite off a finger.

Vexademus-Deth felt the four winged drak sen very near. Knowing his tumultuous aura, she was able to dilute others into compartmentalization. Brows furrowed deeply, extending out all sorts of reach. But, she was only human and couldn't smell fear. Her only abiding offer would be the presence of ability in the distinction of magic; whatever workings of enchantment or protection or even of a spellbeggar's divine halo - she would feel. And if any of such would be called upon. It was like feeling the temperatures of sliding wind or water; and of that - there were striking elemental mages present - to be sure, she felt those too. The words of the feminine prisoner struck no chords of empathy. Nor disdain. They just were. Though, the smell of food did distract. A bit.

Jessie sees the blades, and knows full well from the reputation that Archaon has among the resistance movement that he'd quite likely sit idly by and let James cut off her wings. He might even laugh while he was watching it. The empire cares nothing for its subjects in the occupied territories, and just keeps taking and taking more land, and there's talk that they're looking to expand yet again. "Damn you," she murmurs under her breath. "What do I have to do?"

Archaon He'd bow head once more, whilst his mismatched eyes continued to observe everything that's been going on with the prisoner and interrogator. Truth that he is merely observing, but just how much could one take of that piercing red oculus beneath the shadow. Tail encrusted in those onyx scales emerges from that darkness, laced in a leathery sheathe of pain inducing spikes. Intimidation? Perhaps. What the drak does not lack in, however, is patience. As most may not have any, the drak knows full well the concept of time.. and he'd have much of it.

Traael-IG begins to take notes on what was being said, her back to the cell, for plausable deniablity of exactly what goes on in there as she was just here for the information. She bows her head to James when he said her name in greeting, but says nothing more but she inhales the scent of bacon and grins after listening, making a note of this in the back of the book to use for her own interrogations in the future.

<+James`Vodera-Deth> "Eat, first of all.. You just saw me take a bit of it so you can be sure it isn't poisoned... Other then that, I want to know where Dmitri has been hiding, along with the rest of this so called resistance." He stated simply, still keeping that bit of tender meat hanging there though it did move closer, enough so she would be able to get it if she chose. "But I suppose I could always go with the Empress' idea and simply lop off a wing first, if thats what you wish? I can leave you without the ability to fly in so many ways... Most of them excruciatingly painful, I assure you.. I wouldn't even need my tools..." As he spoke about not needing his tools he'd hold up his free hand, extending those claws of his as magics swirled and came into focus for him, and the tips of those already razor sharp claws would begin to glow white hot from the spell he wove into them. "So, you can either start talking, or start hurting... And just think, I have a lovely chirot healer girl handy who would gladly lay hands on you to heal any damage I do, isn't that swell?" As he spoke his mouth would twist into a grin, dark thing that promised exactly what he claimed.

Jessie hesitates. The last five days had really taken their toll on her. "And what will you do with *me*, once you get the information you need?" She flinches back from the claws, retracting her wings as far as they'll go. No, she is not sanguine about having a wing cut off. And since it was done in the course of an imperial interrogation, she'd have a hard time finding someone to restore it.

Vexademus-Deth tasted the intention on the air and remained still. The visible shrinking of the woman was noted and the cogs could be seen calculating with the micro-expressions included. The fact that she was asking her own question and felt safe enough to do so meant that what James was doing was working. So quickly. Impressive.

Archaon He'd look towards James after the question of what would be done once information was gleaned. Oh he had an idea of his own when that question was presented, but he kept it to himself. It was perhaps a far more entertaining idea in his mind, but he would simply wait and observe, see what would come of this, and what information would be collected. It was, of course, for the better of all involved if the truth was simply given. Who knows, maybe even he would have some kind of compassion. One would never know...

James`Vodera-Deth sighed and let go of the magic he was holding to heat his claws, letting them retract once the heat was gone... He was starting to lose his patience with this woman who'd nearly killed him when he and Tenni captured her. He would not turn away as she posed her own question to him, still grinning wickedly as his magic held that piece of bacon even closer, nearly in front of her lips by now. "You? You'll likely still be kept in a cell here, although you'd be given proper rations and allowed to sleep this time... Simply put your stay would be a far cry better experience than it has been.. All you need do is tell me the truth, now, and this entire slab of bacon would be yours, a show of good faith, if you will." Yes, the truth in exchange for his bacon, after so long with no protein he doubted she'd say no. "And before you presume that I haven't known the pain I'm describing, know that I've suffered far worse at more sinister hands.."

Jessie can't take it anymore, the smell of the bacon overwhelming her senses, and she finally takes the entire thing into her mouth, chewing and swallowing. "All right," she says. "But I don't know how helpful I can be. Not anymore, anyway. Dmitri was hiding in a cave about five and a half miles southwest of Gaea's Guzzler. That's where he's been living since getting kicked out of his parents' house. When he set fire to the Sheara-lovers' house, he returned there, and sought my help. I knew he'd be a wanted man, so I went to the Guzzler to get food for him. When I didn't return, he would have moved on. I have no idea where he's hiding now. And that's the honest truth. You can truth-spell me and get no better."

Vexademus-Deth 's lowered gaze blinked and face rose quick. She'd known of the area and a little of what it contained. Though, the mention of the man moving on had her skull lilted in confusion for; where would he go that the land would have any grace to give for someone on the run? Especially since the very ground was still cratered here and there from the wars of so many years ago. And the creatures about on the hot plains...where would this Dmitri find solace?

[Archaon poofs.]

Jaescin-Deth continues observing in silence as Jessie breaks and begins to share the information extracted. His expression stoic, the thumb of one hand tucked into the pocket of his trousers and his other resting casually against the hilt of a sword hanging from his belt. His finger gently tap taps against the sheath ash storm-grey eyes flick from Jessie, to James, then a lingering regard of Traael's pencil wiggling about before adjusting his gaze to Vexademus and then coming full circle to settle back on Jessie.

James`Vodera-Deth stepped closer to the torian, looming over her now as his robes partd slightly, showing hints of those scars he wore like badges of pride of his past struggles. "And what of the resistance? I wanted to know about them as well, my dear." He said coolly, flickering eyes watching from above for a few moments before he lowered himself down to be on her level, those eyes gazing into hers as his inner fires roared, flooding the small area with intense heat. "As for Dmitri, where do you think he would go next, after this cave, hm? He still has a crime to answer for, after all.. Can't have a lunatic with a torch running around loose in the area burning down more homes now can we." Those odd eyes of his, flecked with bits of gold and red, stared intently at the goldwing, though inside he hoped she had the sense to tell him the truth on this matter as well.

Vexademus-Deth 's thoughts turned to the maps provided by Gabriel and aerial views of mephos flight patterns, the trace of Nighthawke's races on exceptional cartography - with which copies had been stored in the Dome's library. In some few months prior, Kable and the Lady had studied those, finding what information they needed for the newcomers to Dethsirian lands as well as going over local villages springing up and/or moving from the hurricanes that hit. Though, that was only a snippet of what they were truly looking for - unrelated, of course. Much renovation had forced updates and the mage had kept up with that. Easy to bring those to the fore while all of this was proceeding; knowledgeable tagstones and ancient half-buried monuments still being discovered by those who continued to explore Dethsiris. And arsons for a blood feud somehow were important to a resistance? Tongue slicked along teeth behind lips as she made note that not once had the torian reverted to Gaean language - not a slip nor bead of it in curse had come out.

Naut`kyn having been called by her dearest hellcat she came via mephos Cyra's brillent coloration of lavender mane over icy blue scales was easy to spot and she had worked with so very many nobles in her time she landed well with in the area spoke to a guard telling him she was sommened as a healer at the request of james vodera.... and to be taken to him leaving little room for agurement after all those who pick fight with healer experence later lack of service if there not careful... so the guard would lead her to james and the party in the cells

Jessie flinches from the intense heat, sweat falling into her eyes, blinding her, and she can't get it out, because her hands are trapped behind her back. "Woof. Take me out of the oven, mama, I'm cooked." She laughs, a little hysterically. The light has been too bright for the last five days. She's been pooping into a metal pail that only gets changed once a day. And until her lips touched bacon a moment ago, she'd had no meat, no protein in that time, either. The prison at Castle Dethsiris had been every bit as brutal as she'd been told. And despite James's assurance that her accommodations would be improved with her cooperation, she doesn't really expect that she'll get out of this castle alive. She fully expects to be hanged as a traitor. But they could not force her to betray her friends-- because she doesn't have the information they seek. "We operate in cells," she tells him. "All over Dethsiris. We don't know each other's real names, and we don't coordinate our activities. As for Dmitri... any other unsolved arsons or murders lately, since you captured me? I wouldn't be surprised if one happened very soon. He's not the forgiving type."

Vexademus-Deth cleared herself further back when she saw the entrance of the ivory chirot with the golden garnet hair. The creature was much smaller than she'd anticipated and looked unassumingly sweet; especially with those soft ears. Upon hearing the prisoner speak and feeling the heat that radiated from within the cell, the Over Seer took a deep breath and began to already make plans to go over past reports in the possibility of connection of these cells to the hijacking of shipments in the past, what connections might have been whispered about specific kidnappings and perhaps a visit to several creatures residing underground and inside tidal caves licking the edges of the land. A couple of inquiring missives to be written to the different temples would help as well, she thought.

James`Vodera-Deth felt his ear perk and twist around backwards, his head following a moment later as he saw his wife Naut enter the room... She'd missed the best parts, but a question had to be answered for the hellcat to sign off on anything. "Ah, there you are my sun and stars.." He'd say as he walked away from the torian in the cell, that heat almost instantly gone as he approached Naut and drew her close, wrapping his arms around her for a moment or two before he pulled away again, ears perked towards the torian. "Ah.." he started as he came back to her cell door, "All over Dethsiris you say? And with no knowledge of each other? Then how do you communicate, coordinate? Surely there must be some way for one cell to contact another.." He would say as he began to slowly walk around the chair she was stitting in, lightly stroking a single finger along the edge of one of those wings, taunting of the things he could still do, *would* still do if she didn't have something better to offer than that.

<+Traael-IG> Now things were getting interesting; that pencil continued to scribble down the information that she had sought, the arson case something for Dethsiris to handle but the resistance was why she was here. Again, she wrote down everything word for word, to bring this information back to Commander Balard and to see what he wanted her to do next. She looked up from her notebook to Jaescin, and smiles and nods to him in greeting before going back to her writing.

Naut`kyn stepped with in as james came to her and hugged her she whispered " i know that scent of bloods not yours" she kiss him before he could sunter back listening head tilted one way then the other taking in the sounds around her some one silent in the room another writeing some where nostrils flared open just alittle as she breathed in anoter person was silent in here for the most part then the blood form the middle of the room.

Vexademus-Deth couldn't help but suddenly stiffen at what the vortex of reasoning brought about. If arson and destruction was the game of this "resistance"; what would happen should they target The Portal to Nanthalion? Truly, goods and the like that were shipped by sea would be mostly safe, but the travel back and forth between this land and the empire? Devastating to some; useful to others. Though they had but a little piece - this torian - it was enough that she would have to set up a theorizing tea with His Grace for preparations should this come about. The magess upkept the Portal, cleaning it, checking it, making sure all of it was in good working order once a month. It was a trivial thing to many, but to her, it meant stability in travel; a connection to the empire that could not be lost.

Jessie shrugs. "Notes to each other in prearranged places. Symbols that only we would know the significance of. I'm told we have cells of no more than four people per cell, but the number of cells? Legion." She eyes James now, finally not flinching from his presence. "You have to understand something. We don't want you here. You and your collaborators like the Trenlo family. Where do you think they got the money for that nice house? They sold out the Dethsirian people to the empire. What Dmitri did was *completely* justified. If you and that fox bitch hadn't happened by at the wrong time, they would have got what they fuckin' deserved."

Jaescin-Deth presses his lips into a thin line as more information is forthcoming. A thoughtful breath drawn in and slowly, contemplatively released. Shifting his weight to the side and leaning a few inches closer to the door, a curled knuckle lifts and raps gently against the door leading out of the chamber James is interrogating the torian. When a click and protesting hinges announces the arrival of a guard, Jaescin whispers quietly to the woman, something about... records... ledgers... something something, no doubt dull and boring overseer of coin silliness. An exchange of a small coin purse and the guard is gone, the door returning to close with a soft click.

Traael-IG continues to write down what Jessie says, a large frown on her face as she speaks abuot 'legion' of cells. Could they be behind the cat attacks as well? She'd turn to the back page and writes down that thought as well, or maybe they knew of these ruins that the cats like so much. She flips her notebook back over and then thinks to herself about the portals could be sabotaged as well, or the genral welfare of other residents in Dethsiris. She frowns, and then looks to Jaescin with a curious look between his exchange between himself and the gaurd, head tilting with a silent question of 'what are you doing?'

Vexademus-Deth expressed a brow rising as she straightened. The torian was ignorant. No mention of the Wildgrowth or those that helped bury the many that perished. None for the locals south and north that had taken up legitimate baronies nor the appreciation of walked or flown guardianship to help keep the many safe. Nothing of the great stone drag-...she paused in her internal reprimand. The cells were as closed off from each other as Dethsiris was from Nanthalion. She speculated and would mend points to the noble drak sen that a report to her mentor should be forthcoming and to protect the ancient texts at all costs; the four found tomes distributed. A catch in her thoughts as she sees a quiet silhouette seem to slip from the hallway and to her. Leaning in, she hears and then responds rather loudly, "WHAT!? Now!? Gaea's Breast, who is already going? Better have been spotted by fliers and already dispatched help before coming to tell me!" A sheer rush of the actual chittering clicking language of the locals and she is turning to James and Naut`kyn - switching quickly to common, "Perhaps we've learned all we can from this one. A house has caught fire too close to the Stronghold..."

James`Vodera-Deth stopped behind the goldwing torian for a moent as he listened, 'hmm'ing softly to himself and nodding. "I see... I see.. And to be perfectly honest with you I don't give a rat's ass where they got the money for their house, -they- are not my concern right now... -You are, and as for Dmitri being justified? I'm certain he only thinks that way thanks to you.." His hand would stop along her wing, thumb and index finger taking a singular feather between them and tugging, but nowhere near hard enough to pull it free. "I can still coax the truth out of you if I have to my dear, but please, continue and give me reason to get my hands dirty." A quick glance from behind the goldwing at those gathered, noting the arrival of another guard at the door and the exchange of coins... Glance to Traael and Vex both, noting the look on Lady Vex's face and the furious scribbling of notes from Traael, no doubt for her report to the Guard commander he figured. At Vex's outburst he'd straighten up, releasing the feather he held. "What? Another house is on fire?" He grumbled aloud as he left the cell, tossing his bacon back onto the table where those tools of his were as he made for Vex. "Are you certain of this, my Lady?" He'd ask, his usual easy tone gone, replaced by a more serious one.

Vexademus-Deth gave a strange look to the feline and immediately seemed incredulous, "Though I would like to lie and say 'No, it's a fucking joke,' aye, to be sure. Any who pass beyond the gates from duty directly report in command. And so close is an affront. Those who set the blaze know not what they wake because if they did, they wouldn't have done it!" For truth, she was livid with a touch of fear. Beneath their feet and not so far away lay the sleeping giant; sealed off by order of the empress herself. And above, petty squabbles threatened that peaceful stone creature. His Grace would have none of it.

Jaescin-Deth returns his gaze to Jessie and James as the interrogation proceeds. Brows furrowed gently, not in worry nor frustration, but thoughtful, focused. At least until movements from his side catch his attention and he looks to Traael. A soft smile touching those slightly chapped lips at the sight of an old friend, his voice just a touch above a whisper to allow James his zone to work with the torian and so only audible to those near the back. "Hedging Bets and Shell Games." It was accurate enough. "Hedgingin - Preparing contingencies - a trade road made untenable is easier mitigated with captains and ships already paid to be at the ready to dull the impact. Any warehouses they may successfully hit is less painfully swallowed when supplies are already purchased at reserve in Nanthalion, or Thallis storage. And it was then the most light of taps would be heard at the back as the door clicked and opened, not a guard but a rather well dressed young man books his head in to nod respectfully in Vexademus direction before holding out a tome to Jaescin. Jaescin plucks the ledger over and flips it open, eyes scanning the pages quickly and with a small length of charcoal, marks two items on one page... then flips it before continuing to answer Traael's question. "Shell Games - It is almost impossible to keep everything secret and protect everyone or everything. So we force the game. Ledgers, records, orders will contain both true and false movements. If you want to fire a warehouse or ambush a supply or shipment, your information will have to penetrate through what is empty and where. On paper, and in action, things will move. And if you do not have that information, you must guess a shell." Another few marks drawn and he hands it to the young man with a nod, "Start today." He says and with a slight bow of the head, the man is gone. His eyes flicking to Vexa as she speaks and then to Traael with a nod.

Traael-IG looks to Vex and frowns when she stated about another fire. Notebook would close and put away along with her pencil, and nods to them all. "We better go." She said, a frown on her face. "We need to save those that we can and put out the fire. Leave the girl here and interrogate her after, but leave guards. This may be a ploy to get her out as well." Traael said.

Naut`kyn listen to the goings on and jumped as vex moved and yelled " are we... needed else where" she turn her head back tot he table " i mean i small some one who needs or may soon need healing here but some thing tells me... they can wait over people who are loyal to the empire"

James`Vodera-Deth had heard rumors of what lay beneath the castle, but only those, and Vex's tone led him to believe her words as he returned to close and lock the cell door, turning to a guard who'd been posted inside the room for the proceedings. "Stay here and keep watch, -she-..." He'd point at Jessie, "is not to leave that cell for any reason save by my hand or Air Marshal Tennibrook's, understood?" He wouldn't even give the man a chance to nod his understanding before he snap turned on his heels, gathering Naut at his side with an arm around her waist. "I want you to wait here in the castle, love... I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you." Oh he had ideas of what he'd do, and none of them ended well for those who caused his wife harm, no matter how small. Eyes lifted then to Vex then, his tone still serious and his bearded face etched to match. "Traael is right, the sooner we get there the better."

Vexademus-Deth had thrown a glare directly to the torian. She'd already lost. Her own expression was shown no mercy when the thought of giving her to Infernis as a plaything would be considered an utmost tender gift. Finding James' words, she didn't even bother a nod but whirled and began a quick stride that would take her above, bouncing up stairs and sweeping through twists that would have her outside before body even felt the heat. A short whistle, different toned than the one that Wraith would hear from Archaon, brought forth a far away screech that grew closer. That black bodied mephos with silver blue mane made quite a swath with it's powerful wings as it heavily alighted and trundled to halt and kow with it's ornate handles. She was already running with that shimmying fat ass, ready to leap up onto Big Sugar!

Jessie lets out a soft chuckle as she hears the news of the fire having been set. Confident that no one there will speak the Dethsirian language-- not anticipating that Vexademus does-- she says, in that tongue, as her questioner and the others leave, "It begins. Death to collaborators! Death to the empire!"

[CallieO]

A Burning House
Chapter 5

“A hero sacrifices for the greater good. A hero is true to his or her conscience. In short, heroism means doing the right thing regardless of the consequences.”
--Brandon Mull, A World Without Heroes

===

Jessie lets out a soft chuckle as she hears the news of the fire having been set. Confident that no one there will speak the Dethsirian language-- not anticipating that Vexademus does-- she says, in that tongue, as her questioner and the others leave, "It begins. Death to collaborators! Death to the empire!"

Naut`kyn followed james " what if some one needs a healer... and you know damn well i can hold my own after geting tired of Devonix's other slave treating me like there personal Doll" she loft a brow and turned to vex and traael entreatingly

Air Marshal Tennibrook Balmossie had been making love in the vulpine temple as part of her duties as High Priestess when someone had come running in to tell her a house was on fire nearby. She'd literally shoved a man out of her bed and dressed in a hurry, not even taking the time to get her rook Jilbo out of the rookery-- but flying right to the house fire with her own magic. When she gets there, she recognizes the house as belonging to a three-generation vulpine family, the Rual family. The two youngest members of the house served as guards in House Dethsiris. Tenni is the first person to arrive on scene, and the house is already starting to show signs of serious structural failure. Parts of the roof are coming down. Windows are broken. And people are inside, screaming.

<+Traael-IG> Another Trill could be heard as De`Lorna, Traael's mephos of red and white scales with silver mane and tail came to a halt next to Big Sugar and Traael gets ontop of her. "Lead the way, Lady Vexademus! Anyone who needs a ride, climb on!" She said to the others that needed a ride, gaurds and those in the cell alike to climb aboard the mephos, leaving Dom here as Fear was still at the house watching for her moriel bitch to make sure she doesn't try to escape. Traael helps those that want to ride with her into the sky and heads for the burning house, her eyes glowing with magic as she summons up water from the clouds in the sky, and as she and the oethers get there, throws a large heep of water towards the house before summoning another giant ball of water from the clouds. Though there was a lot of water, it was spread out so ti didn't knock the structure down of the house, but clears the entry way so the people inside could get a way out before summoning up the next heap of water.

[Jaescin poofs.]

Vexademus-Deth felt the mephos wildly strain and cast balance left and right. She was still young and just as fiery as she was when she first came butt-first of the hatching egg. And ran into many things before finding the magess and creating that bond. Now, time has passed and the creature was still very much a wildling. She got her bearings and circled round to see her tail then leapt straight up into the air, already filled with the notion of the magess's panic to get to a place quickly. "Wai--OOhhhh....!!" Vex would have to learn teleport soon, this mephos bitch would be the death of her!

<+James`Vodera-Deth> "Gag that woman!" He shouted back at the guard before he left out of the room with Naut in tow, he had heard her and knew she was right, a healer may well be needed, and hadn't he called her here in the first place? He had, and now he was bringing her along for the ride. "What comes will be dangerous, Naut, I want you to stay back from the fire until we can get it under control, alright?" Once the two of them were outside he'd scoop her into his arms, Fly cast and extra magics to bolster its usage, and they would be off, with Azal taking flight to follow James. James touched down a short distance from the burning house, setting Naut down before rushing in after that first dousing of water as he shot his hands out and, much like the last time, concentrated on his magics to draw energy from the fire raging inside, tendrils of energy could faintly be seen drawing to his hands as he fought to bring the blaze more under control. "C'mon... C'MON!" He shouted, having to fight the fire of the house for every step he made into the entryway, already feeling his skin and body begin to heat up drastically. "If there's anyone inside, come to my voice! NOW!" He shouted above the roar in his ears, hoping the people inside were able to move on their own.

Traael and De`Lorna moved to the other side of the burning building after seeing James move inside, with careful calculations, she shots spurts of water into the windows to douse the fire on the stairs and anywhere that people needed to run through to get to James and out of the house. The Cryomage continued with gathering up water and shooting it through the windows to douse the fire as gently as she could, so that everyone inside could get out safely before the building collasped.

Naut`kyn nodded " yes dear..." Cyra was still standing there and she merely mounted up and murmured to the beast it took flight and followed in the wake of the others then landed near where tenni had landed and was at dismounting and coming to stand well away form the heat hopefully near Tenni " healer Reporting for Duty as need miss"

Vexademus-Deth remained aloft, looking here and there with squinted crimson eyes. She reached out, even as Big Sugar glided like some vulture around the pillar of smoke leaning sideways as it column'd upwards. "Come on...where are you...," she whispered. "Fire bugs love to watch their work...they delight in it; practically jack off to it. Where are you..." She kept scanning around the flat hot plains, her face a mask of anger and that white dress looking so much like a moon shedding it's halo. She couldn't see but she could feel. A rough sigh. If magic was used, she would feel it. If just ordinary means were used to light the blaze, then what great help would she be? Giving a push against the mephos's mane, she ordered down, making sure that she was well receded from the destroying fire. Landing with a couple of skips, Vex slid down from the agitated mephos and paced side to side, watching it unfold, rubbing the back of her neck under that lengthy streaked hair.

Tennibrook is trying to find a way to get into the house to retrieve the survivors, but she doesn't want to get in the way of James and Traael's magicks. "Oh, Lady," someone, a woman, cries out from inside. "It's everywhere; it's on me! OH GODDESS DON'T LET ME DIE!" "You've got to smother the flames!" Tenni shouts back. "Roll around on the floor!" Tenni is so focused on trying to save the life of the unseen woman in the house that she just barely remembers to acknowledge Naut`kyn's presence. But she does, after a moment, with a light nod. Meanwhile, in the air, not far away, a white-winged male torian is trying to make his escape...

<+Traael-IG> "Dammit!" Traael yells as she continues to spit water into the house, but when she hears the woman scream, she jumps from De`Lorna's back and into the house via the window, spreading water everywhere she ran, trying to find the woman. Once found, she'd deench her with water, putting out the flames and picks her up, yelling to the others, "This way!" She screams, carrying the woman over her shoulder so that her one hand could douse out the fire as she ran to James with the lady and the others.

Naut`kyn " move to the sound of voices if you can get out here we can help you" she stood behind tenni trying not to dance form foot to foot the ivery chirot with red hair stood out and might even be tempting for the torian if he still had malice on his mind.

Vexademus-Deth 's mephos remains agitated, wings flexing tight and unfurling. The magess turns and looks up then back to the beast. She growls loud to get the attention, massive head coming to lock eyes with the spellshaper. "You know something, don't you...? Go..go get it, Big Sugar...," in an almost playfully cruel voice, telling her time to play fetch. A toss of it's head and the mephos vaults off the ground, playing the air like it was born to do. Fast and hungry, Big Sugar is in pursuit of the flying meal!!

James`Vodera-Deth had been absorbing the energy of the fire for several minutes now, and his body was starting to show it as tendrils of smoke started to appear rising from under his robes like a bad omen. "COME ON!" A shout of frustration, of need, of want to keep drawing from those flames to snuff them, or at least partly.. James had never taken this much before, and his body was beginning to break down bit by bit as the tips of his fingers started to smolder and burn away. "No... No no no...!" He grit his teeth against the pain, reminded briefly of L and her arms when she'd burned them nearly to cinders... He could take no more, disengaging from the fire and stepping back out of the house as his left hand caught fire uncontrolably; his head tilted upwards as jaws opened wide, a roar of flame, white and large erupting from the pyromancers maw as he tried desperately to release all that extra energy at once the fastest way he could think of as he aimed it into the night sky. By the time it had ended a good twenty seconds later, James collapsed onto the ground on his knees, rasping breath as he slumped over, his fingertips and left hand reduced to smoking charred bone and sinew.

<+Traael-IG> Once everyone was out of the house, Traael would move them to Naut`kyn to be checked out and growls when she sees James's burnt finger and limb. She turns to the house and moves the giant ball of water over the top of the house and let it drop on it, dousing out all of the flames and doing to none damage to what was left inside that wsn't ruined by the fire. She was breathing heavily, energy drained and moves to bend over and put her hands on her thighs as she closes her eyes and takes in several deep breaths to try and calm her rapidly racing heart. After a few moments, she would stand and jogs over to Naut`kyn and says to her: "I know first aide, what do you need me to do?"

Naut`kyn start checking each and every person the listening to the lungs with one large ear close to chests hearing traael " um any minor burns get wraped .... Cyra here to me let traael in the bags... there is aloe in there its a green goop in a green pot slather it on burns that are not to bad it will help keep it moist when you banage them" she took the worst burns and gave a dose of healing moveing to the next " watch them for excessive coughing.... and move them as for from the fire as well can some one move my fool of a husbend away to he needs tending too"

One of the young vulpine men, whom Tenni recognizes as being one of the two who'd joined House Dethsiris as a guard, has first- and second-degree burns over most of his body, but that doesn't stop him from trying to get back into the house. Coughing, he's the only one who can find a way to make a sound. "My-- brother-- is still in there!" And then he collapses in a heap. Meanwhile, in the sky, the white-winged torian being chased suddenly turns on the jets and runs like hell, from a flying perspective, that is. But Vexademus's mephos is gaining on him.

Vexademus-Deth watched the mephos take off, almost blown off her feet from the leaping creature! She turned, gathered up her dress and practically ran to the others. Seeing that everyone was being treated, she looked to the chirot and watched her, still amazingly unimpressed by the tender healing and care for others. There was a distrust there, not of the woman herself, but of the abilities that Naut`kyn so easily could wield. But that she was the center of James' soul, there was a begrudging barrier, a respect cast to the pretty thing that the Lady wouldn't dare to cross. Purse of mouth that lead to thinning of lips in determination, she looked to the remnents of the house and then to the people; counting. Big Sugar, young and full of boundless and careless energy, is enjoying the chase. She was given full permission to go after something that flew. And Wraith's teachings were a bare minimum posited in the younglings' instincts. 'Get it.' was all that the mephos knew and nothing more. 'Get it.'

Traael-IG nods and moves to Cyra's bags to get the aloe pot and bandages and moves back to one of the victims and starts to help Naut put aloe on the minor wounds and bound them with bandages. She lets Naut take care of the other bad burns and when she speaks about her husband, Traael would nod, "got him," she told Naut and moves to James to pick him up gently, and brings him over to the group. "I think you need to tend to him, Naut`kyn." She said to the woman before going back to the minor wounds she had been tending to.

[Traael FTB.]

Naut`kyn had turned to the one who had staggered toward the house " some one will look for him " she felt for the boy.... lieing hands one the lad to start him healing puting quite a bit in to him before she heard traael and came back turning her hand down over james arm and frowning deeply

James`Vodera-Deth would regain consciousness slowly, finding himself on his side with warning bells going off in his own head... As the first wave of raw, unfettered pain hits him he bites his tongue, hard enough to draw blood before he tried to flex his hands out of reflex... Then came the first of many, many screams... James rolled slowly over onto his back as he cried out in agony, regretting that action of flexing his hands instantly as he managed to look down at them to see their sorry state... Tears of absolute pain ran down his cheeks and into his facial hair, he hadn't cried like this to pain in so very long, it was an odd feeling to say the least. After a few moments of this he finally started to rein in his body, quieting down to sobs as he simply stared at his hands in disbelief.

Vexademus-Deth winces, hearing the writhing all-out cry from extreme agony of the feline. Looking away, she's trying to figure out how much help she can be to anyone instead of slipping aloe here and covering flame-mutilated flesh there. She's helping but isn't very good with it. She only knows just a touch more than a layman and would be considered clumsy at best. After finishing what she's pointed out to do, there's a look over her shoulder towards Naut's work. She leaves it be. The chirot would know best what he needed; a nod to herself as she begins to pass over those who had been guided or drug out of the house. To the brother that remained alive, she's looking him over, the damage to him worse than she'd expected. And the smell of burnt fur...she turned her head and gagged into length of sleeve. It was appalling. But she still tended him.

Tenni hears the agonized scream coming from her dear friend and subordinate James, and it chills her to the bone. She looks at his hand from a short distance away, and sees it burned worse than she thinks she's ever seen before. There's practically no skin left on that hand. She turns towards the house. Steels herself for what she has to do. And goes storming in, looking for the last member of the house. Up in the sky, the mephos gets to within point-blank range of the fleeing torian-- and he takes out a spear and tries to stab her with it.

Naut`kyn that frown deepened with ever pass of hand she finally touches james for head and casts that only spell she can think of to help {Sweet bliss} that he might have a distraction form the pain " his left hand need to come off at the wrist theres no saving it..... and his finger tips one the right hand any one handy with a blade"

Vexademus-Deth is tending to wounded on the ground, ready to pull out the spell of spindle of emotions on the remaining brother to keep him calm should he try to push himself to find his sibling. Meanwhile, Big Sugar has gained to the torian's flight and immediately sees the danger. Lengthy serpentine neck loops down and around, narrowly missing that sharp stabbing weapon, toothy jaws looking like a feral grin and then they snap at a wing, Big Sugar aiming to get some soft flight feathers in her mouth! Or some such body part! Whatever she can get a hold of and lock-down on it!

James`Vodera-Deth was a wreck, pure and simple, though as his wife cast that sweet bliss spell on him the pain would slowly vanish, and he'd collapse back onto the dirt with a soft thump, losing consciousness once more from the shock to his body. If Naut were to remove his robes she'd see the true extent of his injuries, noting the appearance of second degree flash burns across his torso and abdomen and neck. He'd survive without treatment sure, but his recovery would be a long one, especially with his hands in the sad state they were. But at least the fire was out, the pyromancer had done his part and as he lay there asleep one could see the faintest smile on his lips, no doubt an effect from the magic used on him.

The torian flips his hands over and makes another attempt to stab at Big Sugar, but she catches some of his flight feathers in her mouth and he drops like a rock from an altitude of about 300 feet. Even in his panic, he remembers to cast his Feather Fall spell, and he gets hung up in the branches of a nearby jungle tree. Around this time, Tennibrook returns from the severely damaged, but no longer burning house, holding the brutally burned, deceased body of a two-tailed male vulpine, covered with a sheet she'd found . There's not much left there to hold onto. Tenni places the body down, at a respectable distance away from the family, and moves to where Naut`kyn is, next to James. "He needs his hand amputated? Okay. I'm trained in how to do this."

Naut`kyn turn her head alittle listening... as something high up screamed she shrug as tenni put some thing down she heard the sound that bundle made and smelled a great deal of charred fur and bone on the wind whispering a prayer that light shine over the fallin and then when she approched and asked... " left hand... and all the finger tips on his right hand..."she sighed and troked hes for had casting clean in hushed tones to get any debris out of burns.... she could feel more under the robes and he would need healing as well.

Vexademus-Deth watched with sad solemnity at the march of Tennibrook, laying down the sheeted remains carefully and then going to work on the fire mage. The spellshaper's mouth is a taut line as she peers back at the one beneath her hands, spell at the ready should he try and get up when he wasn't supposed. Meanwhile, Big Sugar gives a playful gutteral trill and snaps her jaws again, empty but determined and begins a wholesale drop at the torian's position, spreading out those membranous wings at the last second to stop herself. The black scaled body drops right into the tree and immediately switches to serpentine mode, having learned all the ways to navigate through tight spaces and underbrush from being kept inside the Great Dome. Around branch and bole, claws dig into the tree while the mephos slithers with great wings tucked ever so close to it's body, powerful jaws looking to snap shut around it's prize!

James`Vodera-Deth was still drawing raspy breaths while he slept, a sign that some damage at least had happened to his lungs again, mostly likely caused by absorbing the energy of the fire for far longer than he knew he should have. He would miss all the happenings while he slumbered, including the telling of his wife to others that he would need his hand and fingertips amputated, this shock would come much later once he woke back up.

Tenni takes out her mithril dagger and her healer's kit, and it doesn't take long for her to recall her training. Within a few minutes, she's disarticulated the necessary bones, removed the hand, and applied medicine to prevent infection. She does the same for the fingertips of his other hand, and wraps everything up. "Let's get him to the castle's infirmary," she says.

Naut`kyn cast a 5 slot of heal " i am aware that may need the arms to be reopened... but he has burn on his torso and neck and his lung sound rough.... i agree with moving him " she would seem to look around it was more like turning her head to catch sound " am i premited to remain at the castle with him? i know some nobles do not like..... stranger but i remember archeon was often good to me"

The torian's leg is caught by Big Sugar's jaws, and he howls in pain as he hangs upside-down about 20 feet from the ground. "Let me go, you... big... galoot!" he exclaims. Meanwhile, Tennibrook says, "Yes, I think he'd be quite comforted to have you there with him. One of my best friends has the Re-Growth spell. He can be made whole again, in time. Your husband's a hero, ma'am." The traumatized vulpines whom Traael had helped out of their burning home come up to James and form a prayer circle around him, joining hands with one another.

Vexademus-Deth sniffs, feeling the remainder of the smoke burn her eyes. Her dress was so dirty. One hand swirled over and the quiet incantation whispered, 'Nator`ki,'and her dress was again that orchid white, clean as the morning she put it on. Seeing that her help with the heap of burned vulpine was no longer needed, she stood, hands on hips and walking out into the darkness a little. The ending words spoken by the torian prisoner echoed in her mind and she turned them over and over, knowing that the mixture of fae, sylvan, and magi had some sub-dialects and that what she spoke only veered from the local speech in modern terms. She looked over her shoulder towards the inquiry of Naut`kyn and nodded, "Welcomed into His Graces' home. It would be my responsible honor to have you both there and cared for..." As her words faded and the caster looked back out into the darkness...Big Sugar was having such a grand time! She'd drug him to the ground from out of the tree and, as would a pup dragging it's favorite chewdoll, she trotted merrily towards the scent of smoke, her tail curling side to side and her pride shown in her half-squinted eyes. The magess would have a hell of a time getting the mephos to drop him. Even after she would point to the ground and speak, "Drop it! Dropt it...drop iiit!" A faint growl as the mephos refused and swung the torian around in his hung upside-done position.

<+James`Vodera-Deth> If James had felt any of what was being done to him he didn't show it, his being unconscious likely saving Tenni and Naut from his screaming... The amputation was quick and precise, leaving very little behind in the way of charred flesh... James would have questions when he awoke, but that would come much later... But for now he was in good hands, had he been awake he would have said he had faith in his wifes abilities as a healer...

[FTB James]

Naut`kyn she smiled only alittle and nodded " he very much triess to be a good man..." she turn her head up then back down as the vulpines pray saying her own prayer over him then when they conclude she heard more far off protests but asks tenni " how best to get him there i have floating disc or we could put him in his mephos saddle and what if this lot they need alittle more attention and healing as well" the chirot looked tired form all that spell casting

"Floating Disc," Tenni suggests. "We need to get these people looked over, too." "Take us to the temple, Tenni," asks the woman who'd been on fire before Traael put her out. The vulpine temple has an excellent healing staff. And they'd feel safe there, too. "Okay. That's where we'll be." Tenni bows out. Meanwhile, the torian is being swung all over the place. Every now and then he would try to pull himself up and pry Big Sugar's mouth off his leg, but he wouldn't get far before she swung him some more. His spear is nowhere to be found.

Naut`kyn she worked that magic weeving a disc of magic under the fallin feline it seem to grow under him and her rose carefully of the ground about a foot and she got on to cyra holding that magic " Cyra can walk the way back to the castle as long as some one leads ... maybe we should take the loudly protesting.... prisoner? i think he doesnt sound happy .... to the castle as well."

Vexademus-Deth sighed and shook her head. She'd not be able to get the torian from Sugar at the moment so instead, she simply spoke something in a rather gutteral tone, giving a strange snarl and pointed in the direction of the Stronghold. A touch to her temple and then another to the black wizard mark on her wrist in the shape of an "A", and she was talking lowly, sending complete details. Turning away from the leaving while proudly prancing mephos, she strode to where the minute chirot had managed a floating disc and gestured, "Come. You're very welcome to His Grace's home. All of this will be taken care of and word has been sent ahead to tell the Lord of what is coming. He'll be there to receive the gift." There was a slight glimmer in her eyes, though only those with night vision would be able to see it. The twin moons, one fully open while the other shown halved, seemed to be their only light. But she knew where to go. She knew the way. And no fear of the far off screaming teleporting cats or the other strange sounds of the night creatures of Dethsiris.

[CallieO]

A Burning House
Chapter 6

“It is more dangerous that even a guilty person should be punished without the forms of law than that he should escape.”
--Thomas Jefferson

===

After her meeting with Traael in her office, Dame Tennibrook Balmossie had gone down to the infirmary, where James still lay unconscious in his bed the night after he had heroically sacrificed his left hand and the fingertips of his right hand in the line of duty, putting out the house fire. Tenni awaits the arrival of Sha`Ruse, who has the Re-Growth spell capable of restoring him. The vixen sees Naut`kyn and Victus holding a vigil over James, and she places one hand upon Naut's shoulder and the other on Victus's, beginning to pray.

Sha`Ruse had no clue where she was going, just told that someone at the castle of Dethsiris needed healing, and was headed towards the way of the castle in the sky. She was a turquoise torian, wearing a white healers dress. Her hawk-like eyes caught sight of the castle towards yonder, and she corrected her flying to get to the castle. Once there, she would land in the courtyard with the guards coming towards her, hands going up and explaining who she is and what she was supposed to do there. They would keep her under guard as the guards messaged Tenni, to let them know an outsider was there.

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth nods to the vixen and shifts his staff slightly to allow her hand to stay where she put it. His face was hard and he was clearly tired though his years at sea had made him used to long days and nights, he pulled a wineskin from his belt and took a sip before offering it to Tenni; if she took it it would be filled with honeyed berry mead that was rather potent but smooth.

<+James`Vodera-Deth> It had been fitful sleep, but it had been sleep nonetheless... Tossing, turning and all manner of other signs of discomfort wrought the hellcats slumber as he rested in the infirmary. Slowly, eyes would begin to open as he regained consciousness, wincing as he felt the dull throb of pain coming from his hands... He wanted to see for himself just how bad it was as he lifted his arms into view, and the shock from the last evening finally set in.. His left hand, missing, along with the fingertips of the right, excised cleanly that he could see and healed back to prevent blood loss, likely by his wife. As he stared at the stump of his left arm and the missing tips of his right he sighed, lowering them gently back down into the bed as a thousand questions raced through his head... Had anyone died? Had the arsonist been caught? Was everyone else ok? He knew none of these answers, beyond that he himself was alive, maybe not well but alive was a better alternative. As his eyes adjusted to the light in the room his head would turn to the side, a faint smile beginning to form on his lips as he saw Tenni, Victus and his darling Naut there, and a weak voice would speak. "..hey..."

Naut`kyn the poor healer nearly jumps out of her skin she had only just rested and hour before she managed not to scream luckily she twitched her ears knowing Tenni's voice even whispered in prayer... then James' soft voice actually had her out of the chair and on her feet leaning over him " hi" one word whisper let a rare glimpse of love through.... they often kept that love mostly quiet as the law of the land some time found love weak.

Tenni hears someone send her a Message spell, and she sends back the words, "Let her through to the infirmary, please." Tenni comes over closer to James, her friend, her battle-brother. "You're a hero, James. I hope you know that. You and Traael saved a lot of lives."

Sha`Ruse nods to the guards and is shown the way to the infirmary. Once there, she hangs back a bit, seeing James on the bed and the rest of the people around him. She makes her way towards him, approaching from the side, those blue eyes taking in the damage on James and hmms softly. She moves to James's bed and places a hand on his bed, but not on him. "You must be James. Traael sent for me telling me you needed a special kind of healing. I am here to fix your hand and fingers, if you allow me that is." She spoke with the gentlest and most soothing voice out there.

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth when Sha'ruse stepped in Victus raised a brow at her, his tired face lifting slightly to a slight grimace. As she explained her presence he followed her movements and then shifted his gaze to James, watching him carefully to see his reaction. He took a step forward to the end of the bed while he waited.

<+James`Vodera-Deth> Tears began to form in James eyes as Naut came to his side, slowly rolling down his cheeks and into the edges of his beard. "..my sun and stars... are you alright..?" Voice cracked as he spoke, he wanted to reach out and hold her but knew it would be impossible in his current state. He swallowed... a dry, awful thing from lack of liquids and smoke inhalation from last night before trying again, this time sounding a bit clearer as he looked up at Tennibrook, his brows furrowing together a bit. "I'd like to know how many were lost, if any..." He paused as the new voice came, one he didn't recognize but she did speak Traaels name.. Mismatched gaze turning to follow Sha`Ruse around to the other side of the bed. "If you know Traael, then yes... I would very much like to be whole again..." He fell silent then, having gone through this a few times before he knew what was to come, three days of suffering as his hand and fingertips grew back... At least it wasn't his entire right forearm again... He turned his head back to Tenni as a more serious look appeared on his face. "I'd like another word with that goldwing, Jessie, if that's alright with you, Tenni."

Naut`kyn nuzzled his forehead briefly " i am fine ... i am not the one who puts my self in harms way here...." naut cocked one ear toward Victus then listen carefully to the others to Tenni " i believe some one was captured after this travesty " she left the death toll to Tenni to tell.

Tenni frowns softly. "One person was lost in the blaze. He was dead by the time we got to him. Kevin, one of the brothers who worked here as a guard. And we captured the person we think set the blaze. Thus far, he's refused to answer any questions. We don't even know his name, but we *assume* he's Dmitri. I'll authorize you to speak with Jessie again... but do you want to wait until you're done healing?"

Sha`Ruse merely nods "Traael and I have known each other for a long time. She wouldn't have sent for me if there was any other way." She said and moves to James bad hand and gently picks it up. She began the incantation of Regrowth, concentrating long and hard on forming new bones and muscles and tendons and skin to appear over the burnt off nub of his arm. This would be a painfully slow process, but it would start to grow back. As she had the magic casted, she'd stop her concentration. "It will take three painful days to complete," she said softly, "but it will grow back. The same for your fingertips as well. Within three days the spell will be completed and everything will be like it was. I have salve for the pain you can put on if you wish it, Mister James." She said softly. tired and exhausted.

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth predicting what he had seen many times before he stepped forward, placing his hand on James shoulder and holding him down to the bed, leveraging his weight as well as his strength as he had many shipmates before this, knowing that the pain would hit the hellcat that was slowly becoming another brother to him before long and ensuring that he would not do something he would regret. As he took this position he gave a reassuring nod to Sha'ruse and sipped his wineskin once more to fortify himself before offering it to her.

Naut`kyn listened as words exchange she silent whisper detect magic so her minds eye could show her the spell she had not yet mastered and went silent as she studied this magic one hand on james Head lightly she almost seem to be staring of in to space

James`Vodera-Deth perked his ears up a bit, intently listening to what was being said, and he didn't like it. Not one bit. "Someone still died? Shit..." Well, that added murder to the list of charges against Dmitri, whether or not it was him they'd captured. As Sha Ruse began her spell he'd wince, biting back the waves of nausea and pain from the spell literally regrowing his missing bits and pieces, and as the spell took hold he'd grit his teeth as he spoke again to Tenni. "No... I'd like to speak with her... As soon as possible..." He was already panting from the effort not to cry out, shaking his head at the offer of a salve from Sha Ruse. "No need... I'll manage it... The pain will help me stay focused on current matters." He shifted on the bed fitfully, already starting to regret his choice but he would stick to it, he had to.

"Okay, James," Tenni says. "I'll go with you. And I'll send for Traael. She said she wanted to be actively involved in the next interrogation. Sha`Ruse, you have our dearest thanks. Ah, how much do we owe you for your services here today?" She carefully helps James move up from the bed.

Sha`Ruse looks to Victus ad smiles to him, taking the wine skin and taking a sip of the mead. "Wow," she said softly and offers it back to him. "thank you," She said softly and then looks to Tenni and smiles, shaking her head. "Traael already paid me for it. So you owe me nothing. If you ever need my services, please seek me out. I will help in any way that I can." She said, and bows, and then moves to leave the room to head back upstairs. She pauses outside when she bumps into Traael, and the two exchanged a conversation leaving after Traael reached out and squeezed Sha's shoulder. Then Traael went inside of the castle to go to the infirmary.

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth looks to Tenni and grimaces slightly, his thoughts going to a darker day. "If someone can get me the tools... I will do the work for the interrogation; James is in no condition to and I have done it before on several of the ships I've worked on and I know a number of tricks."

Naut`kyn smiled at Victus a little " i guess we get to go watch and help with this " she looked a little hopeful " she will likely need healing at some point" naut sounded Sure of this then again she didn't like the way the torian had acted the other day but that was not her concern.

James had already pulled back the covers on him when Tenni started to help him out of the infirmary bed, his anger overshadowing the pain in his hands for the time being as he kept his inner fires in check for those around him, though Tenni upon touching his bare and bandage wrapped chest would feel his skin being scalding hot, a sign that his temper was flared. Flames dancing in his eyes would confirm it as he was helped to his feet, forgoing his robes this time... He wanted this torian to see just what she and her boyfriend had done... Once on his feet James wobbled briefly before steadying himself, looking hard at Victus. "You can come, but I want to question her, I want her to know exactly what she and her boyfriend have caused, and what the consequences will be." He wished he had at least one full hand right about now... His left wrist was beginning to itch something fierce.

Traael-IG makes her way down to the infirmary wearing her IG uniform and moves over to the group and caught what James said. "James! I'm so glad you're okay. Sha`Ruse told me she got to you. Blessed Dragon you are a lucky one!" She said to him and then looks ot the others. "I hear you're going to question the goldwing again, I would like to join, if I may. I have a couple of questions for her myself if I may be permitted." She said to the group seeking out permission mostly from James.

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth he gave a stern look to James and shook his head. "you can do the talking but you have no ability to do the torture if it becomes necessary; I don't care how angry you are either, Burning them will do nobody any good as it will prevent anybody getting answers or proper retribution and justice." he paused and held the wineskin out to James, holding it if he needed but knowing that he would need the fortification. "This is a situation in which you most definitely need to be able to keep yourself in check and remain tempered, and it is a situation in which my very presence will do much... Goldwings tend to fear those like me."

Naut`kyn turned from the convo and reached in to one of the robe James's pocket laying over a near by chair pulled out his hand rolled cigarettes and pulled one out put it in James's mouth very carefully " you might be able to light it... it usually helps your mood " she would let Tenni and Traael lead the way " let Victus be your hands... he's Very good at it"

James`Vodera-Deth nodded to Traael as they met at in the infirmary wing, forcing a smile through his combined pain and anger. "You are always welcome Traael," he'd say before turning to Victus again, his mangled right hand taking that wineskin with great effort on his part before he upturned it to drink long from it before handing it back. "Alright then." He knew he had a reason for marrying Naut as she found one of his cigarettes, taking it between lips as he cupped the remained of his right hand around it, Word dropped with slight wince as smoke began to rise from it before he lowered his hand. "Alright lets go." He'd say on exhale, taking measured steps out of the room and down the hall, heading for the goldwings cell with an entourage in tow.

<+Traael-IG> "Thank you, James. I do appreciate this. Commander Balard would like to meet with you as well as Tennibrook for more information about what is going on in Dethsiris. He has placed more guards on the grounds here, and set up people at the portals should someone try to destroy them. If there is anything else you think we need, just let either one of us know, and it will be done." She said as she followed James and the others to the Goldwing's cell, pulling her notebook out and pencil along the way. Unlike before, she would move into the cell with them, but kept to the opposite corner.

Tenni follows James and the rest of the group towards Jessie's cell. Not too much farther down the hall is the white-winged torian male who stands accused of murder, whom everyone assumes to be Dmitri. He has been quiet as a clam since being apprehended. Tenni stands outside Jessie's cell, waiting for James, Traael, and Victus to conduct the interrogation.

James`Vodera-Deth would have opened the cell door himself but alas, hands were a thing needed for that. "Open the door." He'd bark at the guard who'd been posted there before, who casually nodded as he stepped up to unlock and open the cell door for James, who stepped inside likely followed by Victus. "Well, well, we find ourselves here once more, my dear... Only now I'm missing a hand and am rather nettled about the situation last night..." He said with a cool, even tone to the goldwing, no presence of overbearing heat felt this time as he held up his bandaged and slowly regrowing left wrist.

Naut`kyn as they followed James she stopped outside of the white wings cell ear twitched and she sniffed the air toward his cell " has any one check on this one?" she had just enough suspicion to ask this...

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth waited for a moment to step into the room until James had stepped in, taking a kit of tools for interrogation and torture from a servant who had brought them ahead of their party. When Naut asked about the care of the prisoner he shook his head and replied softly. "I doubt anybody considered this in the commotion last night and you and I were busy tending to James." after that he checked the kit over he resealed it and though there was a slight shake to him he steeled himself and stepped into the room, unfurling his wings behind the hellcat before stepping around him to make himself a prominent figure and staring at the goldwing and stepping forward, rifling them an removing everything but undergarments, using a jagged edged blade to cut through fabric.

<+Traael-IG> Notes made as to who was in the room this time and the sapphire Dream kept her eyes on the Goldwing. She'd let James do the talking for now, hoping he had heard her about her own questions that she wanted answers to, and she could only assume he heard her about the Commander, and his wish to help stop the rebellion/civil war that may errupt in Dethiris from this under ground group of fanatics that were causing all the distress.

<+Balard> The warlord had been given information about the interrogation that was happening and he had also been sent a map as he headed to the room where the entire situation was going on, he was wearing a black elegant outfit as he knocked twice and entered the room quietly, he awaited and watched as he was curious and studying the prisoner. Balard nodded to everyone especially Traael for giving him the heads up.

Jessie looks up from the brief rest she'd been getting, and before she knows it, a darkwinged bastard is stripping through most of her clothes with a razor-sharp knife. It's all she can do to keep her lunch, and she snarls at him. But she speaks with what sounds like good humor. "Why, James," she says. "Right here in front of everybody? Well, I don't normally with catpeople. Especially oppressors. So, what happened to you? Stick your hand in a water wheel or something?"

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth her comment about oppressors earned her the loss of a fingernail and a small suppressed growl from Victus though he said nothing as the jagged blade flashed in the torchlight and he pressed it against the tip of her finger, flicking it with his wrist and peeling the nail off without cutting into the flesh below at all, leaving James to do the interrogating. If she was going to make the accusation then this time he was going to play into it.

Naut`kyn didnt follow as she stood there for a moment before one of the very few time any one heard the former slave take a commanding tone "I need a guard to open this cell now!" she waited for movement useing her connection to familler to call him that large raven fly threw the castle down the stair to the cell and alighted on her shoulder so she could use his vision.

James`Vodera-Deth frowned slightly. "I'd hoped we were past this, seeing as I allowed you to finally get some rest..." He looked to Victus, still frowning. "Next time she speaks without being asked a question, slap her, hard as you like, but try not to remove many more fingernails, hm?" He stepped closer as his heat finally began to rise in the room, letting his anger and pain feed it until he was a walking bonfire of oppressive heat. "We captured a torian male fleeing the scene of this latest arson, Jessie, we can only assume its Dmitri since he won't speak, but I'm sure if I start bringing him your feathers by the handful he'll open up... Eventually..." He held up his hands then, or lack there of. "As for me, I lost my hand and fingertips saving the lives you and he put at risk." He'd leave out the part about someone having died during the house fire, wanting to let her stew on it.

<+Traael-IG> Victus and James were in front of the goldwing torian, and Traael stood in the corner of the room with a notepad in hand and a pencil, those sapphire eyes looked up and saw her Commander come in, and moves to salute him at the proper position to do so. "Commander." She said to him and then relaxed and watched the goldwing. when Victus tore off a fingernail, Traael didn't wince, merely waited for the next line of communication, but Naut caught her attention and she moves to step out of the cell and to the cell that she was at. "What's wrong, Naut`kyn?" She asked the other female. Balard was with the goldwing, and she was curious as to what was going on in the other cell.

Naut`kyn turned to traael... "i need in there" she seem impatient and slightly disturbed the feeling she got didnt sit well

<+Balard> The warlord stood there watching them female before saying to James "I would prefer less torture, to get information from them, if you have truth speak upon a ring, you may get more information that way you will know if they were lying or not." Balard had many ways to get people to talk and nearly all had been effective in getting information "Might even be more effective if both were in the same room so they can see what is happening to the other."

Jessie lets out a strangled scream of pain and rage as that blackwinged torian bastard rips off one of her fingernails, and she exclaims the torian word for 'blackwinged bastard'. "TILZHA!" she shouts out. "FUCK you!" Then she hears James speak to her again, and she gives a soft smirk at the fact that Victus is getting slapped down a little bit by his superior. She isn't asked a question, so she doesn't speak, not wanting to give the tilzha the satisfaction of being able to touch her again. Meanwhile, the stench of blood in Dmitri's cell is pervasive to Naut`kyn's sensitive nose.

Traael-IG nods to Naugt and touches the bolt to the cell room, and freezes it, crushing it into tiny pieces and opens the cell room, and moving in with Naut. "What's wrong?" She asked Naut, preparing a spell for Dmitri should he try to attack Naut or herself in this cell. "Commander!" She called out. "Watch the door please?" She asked of Balard as she and Naut approached Dimtri.

Dmitri's ankles are still manacled together, but he'd gotten his handcuffs off, and he lay facing upward, sightless eyes looking at nothing, his left wrist slashed deeply, his arm weeping blood. He's dead, by his own hand.

James`Vodera-Deth would sigh slightly, he didn't wish to resort to torture, but after losing a hand he was understandably upset despite its currently regrowing state. He would stay close to Jessie, letting that heavy heat wash over her with promises of cruelty before in a flash it was gone as James turned and walked to the cell doorway, gaze resting on Balard. "Commander Balard, I presume... forgive my wife's concubine, he acted with haste.." A glance over his shoulder to the goldwing in the cell before looking into the other cell. "What is it Naut, something wrong?" He wouldn't know about the damage to the mans leg, having been passed out for the most part during the time of his capture. Though upon seeing the damage he'd frown again. "Fardon hells, can nothing go right?"

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth grins wickedly, dragging the edge of the blade along her skin roughly but careful not to leave a mark as he does so, leaving the trail behind the blade tingling and then leaning in close and speaking in torian "you call me oppressor yet you are the one that has caused others to lose their lives, their homes?" He spat on her face and then sliced through her cheek where it had landed, cleanly and precisely and careful not to be so deep as to do anything but leave a scar whether treated magically or mundanely. "Tilzha!" He leaned back and looked at James and Balard both. "I will only do what torture is necessary and what she earns; but believe me when I say that I am well practiced. You are welcome to use whatever magic you feel necessary to ensure she is truthful... she is just lucky that this isn't being done at the harbor where I could Keelhaul her to start with."

Balard nodded to Traael and he kept a eye on the door, but his attention was on James "I am and it's fine, too much at once can break them and then they won't talk or they end up dead." Though his comment at the end would ring true as the other room unbenknown to him already has a death and he looked to Victus and he would say to the male "Step back from the prisoner, hand over the blade to someone else." Oh Balard was not amused right now "Yes well right now, you are proving them right with what you are doing, it is meaningless to just slice them with a blade, you haven't even asked her a single question." Balard moved between the prisoner and Victus "Someone get something to heal the wounds and do it properly."

Naut`kyn moves to him she didnt need discern ailment for this two finger on the mans neck confermed what sabin tooked her with his eyes " fuck" she touched all over under right wing she lifted his arm... he had slipped left from its cuff right wrist was still sluggishly oozeing blood but it was fed only by her having moved the arm she motioned traael closer... " hes dead.... he slashed his wrist some how... the only information form him... will have to come through a necromancer" she plucked one feather tucking it in her bag.... turn to traael " we could use it still if we dont tell the goldwing but having them see one another is really no longer and option after all a dead canary is not very impressive"

Traael-IG moved closer to Naut and frowns when she tells her the news. "Dammit... I knew we should have talked to him right away." She said under her breath and nods. "There are necromancers all around here, one of them is bound to be able to help us." She said to Naut. "I'll tell James and the commander." She said and turns, moving to both men and leans into them. "The other is dead. Sliced his own wrist it looks like. We need a necromancer to get Dead Speak." She told them both in hushed tones. "But, the goldwing doesn't know this, but putting them together won't happen now."

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth stayed put and looked to Balard with a steel hard and icy gaze. "I am James' hands as he has none to work with. What has been done thus far has been done to tone her actions and vileness before you arrived, Commander. With all due respect, I am staying, and I will be continuing to act as James' hands, all you are doing at this particular moment is making the goldwing think that I serve no purpose in this room and undermining the effectiveness that my presence has."

Tennibrook has been called away to report to Lord Archaon on what they'd learned so far from Jessie, leaving the goldwing at James, Balard, and Victus's tender mercies. As for the goldwing, she grits her teeth as her cheek is sliced into, but this time, she does not scream. She stares at him with eyes full of hatred. She does, however, shake against her bonds. When the dissension in the ranks is revealed, she looks over at James.

Naut`kyn followed traael whiping her hand on a towel she heard victus " that is indeed true my concubine acts as my dear husband hands .... even a healer knows you cant make and omlet with out a few broken eggs .... and i am here to fix her if he should harm her in any way to much....it is after all better then having james burn her alot"

<+James`Vodera-Deth> Great, their only other lead sat dead by suicide, and Victus was currently getting the third degree from Balard... He shook his head slowly, taking a pull from his cigar in his lips before exhaling slowly, hanging his head slightly. "Damnit... Gods damnit..." Hearing Victus he wheeled on the other torian, his eyes ablaze. "And I gave you no order to harm her, Victus! I had gotten a plethora of information from her just last night without so much as a scratch done!" He was yelling now, his anger causing the area around him to become swelteringly hot. The next time his voice was heard it was like ice. "Put the blade down, I will call if I need you..."

<+Traael-IG> Tiny icecubes formed on her head and arms from the heat that James was raidating, her unquie way of sweating when overly warm. The tiny icecubes slide down her face and even more so when she wipes her forehead. She could feel the tensions rise all around her and wanted to leave, but knew she had to stay. She had her own questions she needed answers to. She would slip into the Goldwing's cell once more and back to her corner. She takes her notebook and pencil back out of her pocket in her IG cloak, and gets ready to write down information once more.

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth threw the blade, embedding it in the stone at James foot, very nearly piercing through the boot and a flap of his wings followed right on his heels, barraging everyone in the cell except Naut'kyn with several sharp feathers that were hard as mithril and before the air cleared Victus had kickflipped James in the jaw. "YOU ARE AN IDIOT, JAMES! You want me gone! Fine; but don't you EVER call upon me for anything again; I offered to help you and you have mitigated my purpose here, mitigated my help, and given this fucking goldwing exactly what she wanted. She KNOWS now that we are divided and frankly you are just as worthless as she is." with that he shoved past Balard and stormed down the hallway, finding the courtyard and going for a brief flight to calm himself.

<+Balard> The warlords face turned from calm to livid the moment he heard that the other one had some how managed to get out of their cuffs and managed to kill themselves "Thank you for telling me Traael." His tone had shifted as he turned around to face them and he did not care anymore and hearing James berate Victus he would nod as it seemed to Balard that the one he just told off was indeed just torturing and not getting information "THEN YOU OBVIOUSLY NEED A LESSON IN INTEROGATION SINCE YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TODAY." The heat did not bother him at all and he turned from Victus who stormed out afterwards to Naut`kyn and his voice was low "You can do so much more without breaking them, if you break them too much, then you end up with what is in the other room a dead useless shell, you have to press all the right buttons, then you start slow and work your way up." Balard was not impressed right now, he would say to Naut`kyn "Fix the prisoner up and we will start from the very beginning with her."

Jessie blinks as James and Victus argue with one another, with Balard getting involved, and Victus actually kickflipping the one-handed man in the jaw. She waits until Victus is gone, and the threat of horrible torture is passed, and finally she lets out a soft laugh. "You people are a *hoot*, you know that? No wonder we're rising up against you. You can't even decide if you want to torture me to death or ask me questions politely. The war is coming, and you guys are the Gang That Can't Shoot Straight."

Naut`kyn naut and the raven on her shoulders head turn at the same time balard reguard by not only beady little black eyes and milky blue eyes "i think she can wait... let her bleed alittle..." the healer was not pleased... she spoke to james " get your head on straight" before she brush past Tenni Traael and Balard to follow her concubine to insure he Calmed his feathers.

James took those razor sharp feathers without a flinch, already in enough pain as it was, and he'd easily take the brunt of the kick, but he was furious now and it showed, his still mostly intact right hand clenching into a tight fist but he didn't lash out as Victus had. As the man left it unclenched and he would slowly pull the feathers out of his upper body where they'd struck him, dropping each one to the floor without a sound or complaint. Once he was finished he turned to Balard, back his flames down as he worked to calm himself. "My apologies, Commander... It was not s'posed to happen this way, that I can assure you." As Jessie piped up his head would slowly turn to face her, brows furrowed together tightly, but the words from his wife had struck a nerve with him in more ways than one. "Young lady, you will learn soon enough which it is to be..." He took cigar from his lips finally with his right hand, he was conflicted now, dancing between leaving her in the cell for another week on shit rations or ending her in wash of fire and simply being done with the whole mess.

Traael remained silent throughout all of this, merely watching the Goldwing as she sat there. Those sapphire eyes looked the other up and down and hmmed softly to herself. A delicate brow lifted when the Goldwing spoke, and her hand with the pencil tightened up some. "The symbols," she finally said to the goldwing, moving to her. "You spoke of symbols that are used to mark where the cells are at and what house is next. What are they?" She asked her in a cool, calm voice. the Cyromancer finally asking the questions that she had since hte prior night.

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth after getting to the courtyard he had gone to a balcony that was attached to the archives of the castle where he leaned against the railing still fuming a bit but he had pulled out some maps that he had been working on and was poring over them as he had remembered seeing some odd activity around several buildings in the area.

Balard looked to Naut`kyn whom seemed to have just walked out and ignored a request to heal someone as per her duty as a healer, he was considering challenging her position as a healer as that would have to have her act upon his request to heal them, but he just waved it off with a slight "Pfft" As he was not amused and he looked to James "It's of no issue right now, hopefully we can get somewhere, Preservation of life is more important than torturing for bits of information, it's the same as killing, you have to have a reason too draw your blade or to throw a spell." Looking to Traael who had started to question the goldwing, he would work about cleaning up the damage that was done, he saw James's look and he shook his head "You got a task of protecting your people." His attention back on the woman "Tell us everything you know please, then you will be fed and allowed to rest."

"You keep that tilzha the fuck away from me," Jessie says to Balard. "If I see him again, you won't get another word out of me, I can promise you that. As for *your* question..." She turns to Traael, who's asking her very first question. "It's a very complicated system. Over 400 symbols. More than I can simply describe. Probably wouldn't mean much to you. Not that I *want* to teach you how to crack our code, of course. But I probably couldn't, even if I *did* want to."

Naut`kyn he had gone farther then she had thought nothing change what she was she was not some machine that had no choice but to use magic when she was told she stepped behind him and yanked a single feather " you are not fully in the write but your not fully in the wrong.... what have you to say........ you will be lucky to not be arrested.... you must learn to think before you get mad... james temper is rule by his fire... your truely lucky i am not sweeping you of the floor with a broom" he could hear the fear in her voice... even those she didnt show it Sabin Cawwed at him because of that carefully hidden distress " you must think about the fact that your actions eather look good or bad on me... and your not the strongest person in the realm"

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth only nodded his head. "my apologies to you; I just am not fond of being immediately undermined the way that both James and the commander did in there. It immediately put me in a position where the goldwing was correct in her false 'position of superiority' over me" he spat his last words with vehemence and vitriol and paused for a moment to shake his head. "my entire life I have been forced to be in that position and then coming here I was beginning to be seen as an equal but in there I was forced right back into it... I was made useless, made impotent. I acted rashly and stupidly but I have no reason to be there now; I may as well make myself useful at the things I can do... so I am going over my maps trying to remember if I have spotted things that could become more fires."

Traael-IG hmms softly and writes that down in her notebook. "Where are these symbols derived from then? Are they from the Gean temple? Ancient symbols of some other temple?" She asked her. "Are they runes too. where did they come up with these symbols?" She asked the Goldwing. "I'm not trying to crack your code, I merely want to know where they come from, and tell me the symbols that you know of, please." She said to the goldwing, tearing off a couple pieces of paper out of her notebook and then holds them in front of the goldwing and brings her pencils to the goldwing's mouth to use to draw them.

James`Vodera-Deth was fuming, but his temper -was- cooling to a degree... He sighed as his anger cooled, nodding to Balard though he'd stay silent for the time being as Traael asked her own questions of the goldwing prisoner, glancing in on the other body with a scowl on his face. "..how...?" How had this man killed himself? It was bugging him, and he didn't like things that bugged him like this. "Commander Balard, a word if I may?" He asked the man then, motioning to the other cell with the dead man in it. Once the man was close enough he'd drop his voice lower so as not to be overheard so readily. "What do you make of this? I'd like to think this man didn't off himself like this, tis a slow, painful way to die.." He'd died from bleed out himself once, and could for some reason still remember -that-, every moment feeling his life slowly ebb away until the darkness claimed him.

Naut`kyn shrugs alittle " well the commander is not happy with me... after all he is not use to being told no... i told him she could bleed.... i dont like that he thinks i am a tool.." after all that didn't sound like a request more of an order " i need some air.... may hap you should talk to Tenni about geting mae to .... speak with the white wing" she turned leting Sabin show her the veiw " this really is a pretty place" sabin flew off and brought her back a small cage form cyras saddle " i should go back tho " she took the cage with her leting him follow if he wished.

[Traael FTB.]

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth he found what he had been looking for on his map as she spoke and he chuckled as he spoke; his remaining anger fading at her simple presence. "I think the commander should learn to remember that not everyone answers to him; Dethsiris is not technically in the purview of the guard. I will return there in awhile... you should take this map though..." he paused to circle what he had been looking for. "the location I have circled on it is a large warehouse where I have spotted high activity on several scouting passes; the handful of times I have stopped to take a closer look the gathered people are well armed and they are making barrels of some kind of oily mixture... it reminds me in some ways of the pitch that is used to seal ships but it smells off.... more volatile." he guided her hand to the marked location and then pressed the map into her hand and kissed her cheek. "I will go see about trying to find Mae myself and if I can't then I will try to catch Tenni to see if she can reach out to her."

<+Balard> The warlord let Traael ask her questions and he attention was on James and he followed him to the other cell "Of course." Looking around the cell, he began to study it, but his focus was upon the male that was dead by his own hand, he was now in full investigation mode with the body as he waved his hand over it trying to detect magic and also trying to figure out how he got free "Okay, i agree, i don't think that this was natural, to slip cuffs is usually hard especially if they are done very tightly." Balard would examine the wounds and he was going over every inch of the cuffs and over the dead prisoner "Now to escape, if he was being watched around the clock, slipping out would cause him pain, so either someone did this to him or magic is involved." And that was why Balard was running his ring over the male to find out if anything lit up.

The investigation by Balard would reveal a small, bloodied razor blade underneath the torian's seat. No signs of forced entry into the cell, but there are... possibilities. There are air vents, after all, where someone of magical inclination could theoertically have entered the cell. Did it happen? Hard to say.

Naut`kyn turn sabin looking to the map she nodded" i will show tenni and james..." she tought this over... and kiss him softly before leaving him to head back down to the cells she had tuck the map in her cloak holding that cage in one hand carefully stepped to the out side of the gold wings cell sabin looking inside " hmm shes still here James must not have been that mad."

<+James`Vodera-Deth> "Aye, and I'm familiar with how secure those cuffs tend to be.. My thought? Someone inside the castle, mayhaps we could question the guards that checked this cell block during their rounds." It was a long shot into a darkened room, but even those could sometimes hit a mark or two. James watched as Balard performed his own investigation in relative silence, only broken by the hiss of his cigar as he took a pull from it now and again and the rush of inhalation. He thought about going and speaking with Victus and Naut, preferably together but for now it would have to wait.

<+Balard> The warlord would bend down and he examined the floor "Here James, a sharp razorblade, now this throws something into question, how did it get in here?" Balard would hand it over to James to examine as he looked around the room some more, his eyes darting around and he moved to the door first, he closed it and he examined it "No signs of forced entry, no magic on it either." Balard called out and he re-entered the room "So either your theory is right, a guard may have done this or someone got in by being invisible." His other skills kicked in and he then saw a vent "Magic is another possibility." Pointing to the vent for James to see "Where do these lead?" He asked curiously, if it was outside of the castle, then it was a security issue, if it was inside then they had a bigger security issue and both needed to be fixed.

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth returned from an unproductive search for Mae; the majordomo apparently being out on business. He lightly touched Naut'kyn as he approached and hearing the question raised he spoke, his voice still carrying a tone of annoyance but he was professional. "a razor that small would be easy to hide amongst our feathers, hell I am half surprised the whitewing didn't just use one of his feathers to do the job."

James`Vodera-Deth took that razorblade as best he could with his right hand as it was, turning it this way and that as he looked it over. "Huh.." He watched the other man work, checking the room then the door before drawing the hellcats attention to the vent overhead. "I see.." Hearing Naut and Victus returning and the darkwing speaking he'd nod, though he had his own theory. "Its also small enough to be airlifted through a vent, say with telekinesis, and as long as the one using it knew the room layout they'd have no issues getting the blade back down into the room and cutting him..." He paused, maybe this wasn't an escape attempt -or- a suicide. "What if this isn't a suicide, but an assassination? Hear me out... There's no blood anywhere else, yes? And look here.." He said as he stepped closer, spotting something. "Who chokes themselves hard enough to leave bruising?"

Naut`kyn she spoke up after hearing the other three " an air mage would have and easy way in her door or vent doesnt matter i have been told they can turn in to fog" she speculated.

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth did not enter the cell but stepped closer to peer into it. "Better question.... why bother choking oneself if you have already slit your own throat; seems more likely that someone would have choked him to keep him from calling out... and if we suspect an inside job I doubt it is one of our own people but what do we actually know of the goldwing? about who she is? what she is capable of?" he stepped back, clearing the path to the other cell.

Balard heard Victus and shook his head "Bound people can't use magic either." He was giving them a little info "Unless you are a Magi, then you can cast whenever." Balard looked to James and Victus as he then saw the torian feather in the corner "Well we got another bit, a white feather covered in Blood." He heard James` words and his theory "Definitely not suicide, i agree assassination, if your idea is right, then i want the vent secured in the females room, so it may never happen again." Balard would hear Naut and he agreed with her "Same with Necromancers." He stood near the other three and he held the feather up "So we got a white feather with blood on it." and he said to Victus "Not her, she is bound, check the dead one and see if he is missing a feather, if not then we may have our evidence to find who did it."

Naut`kyn loft a brow " well i know he is missing a feather i took one straight form him when i check him he is not useing it and it did not harm him but i took a clean one for my collection... so you need to see if he is missing more then one" she walked toward the other cell geting a castle guard to let her in she walked toward the goldwing carefully "victus stay out there please" she stepped to the gold wing carefully setting that tiny cage in her hand one the table so that the gold wing could see the small black and neow purple creature who seemed fine with his confinment merely licking front leg and running it over his face " mine not my little friend i am to study him he is cute i need to touch you in order to heal you"

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth said nothing to the command and found himself a bench to take a seat on, looking at the guards and barking at them. "Bring me both of these prisoners' belongings; ALL of them."

[CallieO]

A Burning House
Chapter 7

"Spies are the ears and eyes of princes."
--George Herbert

Varis-Deth was waiting for James in his office in the catacombs, having poured two glasses of whiskey, one for himself and the other for James in preparation. This meeting was indeed important to Varis, it was how he was going to get in undercover with the Paja Dethsiria. Normally unshaven and sporting a well trimmed goatee, Varis was cleanshaven today and the massive man of near 200lbs of solid muscle on a 6'5 frame stood out among others moriel- just for his sheer size alone.

James`Vodera-Deth hummed a little tune as he made his way into the catacombs, having gotten word that the Hand had wished a meeting... Odd, he wondered to himself, he couldn't help but wonder what this was about... He adjusted his arch magi robes a bit, starting to feel a chill from the deep stone of the place. Upon reaching the office door he knocked twice, calling out lightly. "It's James..."

<+Varis-Deth> the undead moaned and shackles could be heard shuffling as James made his way down to the catacombs and towards Varis's office down there, and Varis was already at the door and opening it when he knocked upon it. "Welcome James," Varis said ina rich baritone voice. "Come n please." He said, gesturing inside of the office. The office was normal looking except for the jars of beating hearts and eyeballs that floated and moved wherever James went within the office. Varis got both glasses of whiskey and offers one to James as he gestured to a seat in front of his desk. "Please sit relax." He said to him. "I need to get undercover with the Paja Dethsiria, and I need your help to do that. It is an order from Lady Vexademus that I do this." He tells James, cutting right to the point.

+James`Vodera-Deth> As the heavy door was opened he nodded slightly to Varis as he stepped into the mans office, not really feeling creeped out as much as one should seeing the jaws of hearts and eyes... After all two of his good friends were necromancers, those being his old mistress Taria and Lord Archaon himself. "Thank you." He said once he was inside the office proper, taking the proffered seat digging in his robes for a cigar, lighting it with a quick finger snap of flame and a puff or two to get it going. Accepting the glass of whiskey he sipped for a moment as Varis spoke, brow loftig slightly. "And how exactly am I s'posed to get you into the Paja?" He asked skeptically.

<+Varis-Deth> "You have a prisoner, don't you? Why don't you ask her?" He said with a shrug. "And i was thinking about setting her free, but she's been caged far to long to be able to get reinstated back into the Paja, they'll probably kill her if anything else, so there went that idea. But she may know of a way to get me on the inside. I know i need a good cover story, which is where you can help as well." He said to James, taking a smoke out of his smoke box and lighting it, inhaling on the smoke before exhaling as he speaks. "We think that the moriels are behind this, and what better way than an ex-slave to get on with a resistance taht is against a moriel empress? It won't be to much of a stretch saying ii loathe the empress." He said with a light shrug.

James`Vodera-Deth arched that brow even more. "You want me to help orchestrate the release of the goldwing? Hmm..." He considered this for a moment as he smoked and listened, his ears perked and tilted forward. "Moriels eh? And you say this is Lady Vex's idea?" He hadn't considered that, not in the slightest, but it was still a possibility... Something he could file away for later on should he need it. "You make a fair point... But how would you endear yourself to the Paja?" He asked with slight hand gesture made.

<+Varis-Deth> "That I don't know... I don't know much about that Paja to be honest with you. Just with what Lady Vex has told me, and what I hear from the Gloom. The gloom knows of the resistance, but I don't know who is tied to it. Mae knows I need to go undercover, so she could make a big show of me loosing my position within the castle and regulated to the roses in the garden. I could offer the Paja my extensive knowledge of the tunnels running through the castle through the catacombs, or I simply take out someone that they want dead as an "appeal" to their senses and have them contact me first. They are about disrupting the Empire.... it shouldn't be too hard to get their attention."

<+James`Vodera-Deth> I have a sneaking feeling that this goldwing we have locked up is in some way connected to the leader, so that's one possibility... As for taking out someone they want dead... The only people they might want to see dead as a result of Jessie's capture would be myself, Tenni or Lord Archaon himself, and I doubt Archy would be keen on the idea, same with Tenni... To be honest I'm not too keen on dying again either, unless it was faked well..." 6He fell silent then, in deep thought as his brows knit together tightly.

Varis-Deth I know how to miss the major organs of your body... you might bleed out though, but I know someone who can resurrect you if needed as well, and I'll pay the fee if things go wrong. But back to what I'm saying, I could stab you in a place where it looks like I've killed you, but have your wife on standby, release Jessie and then your wife comes in to heal you before you pass away. It shouldn't take me long to do so. And all I would need to do is talk to her first to see if I can earn her trust."

<+James`Vodera-Deth> As the talk turned to his wife and the possibility of putting her in harm's way his inner fires boiled over, causing a wave of heat to permeate into the room from around the hellcat. "You want to put my wife in danger? Are you mad?" But then he thought about it... If this went over well, and if Varis could guarantee her safety... "I dunno... I don't really like the idea of gambling with my life for a third time... I have enough holes in my memory as it is, Varis, and how can you guarantee Nauts safety? Should anything happen to her it'll be on your hands." He said as he stared across the desk at the moriel male, flames flickering in those mismatching pools of his eyes.

Varis-Deth felt the heat, but he just inhaled his smoke again. "I'm not putting -her- at risk, I'm putting -you- at risk. I can coat my blade in herbs that won't let you bleed out too quickly; you just have to act dead. and then when I leave with Jessie, your wife comes ni and heals your ass." He said. "I'm not putting anyone else's lives at risk if I can't help it. So calm down, hellcat." He said as he exhaled a puff of smoke. "If you have another idea, I'm glad to hear it. That's why we are discussing this first, so that we are on the same page and can react properly when things do go down. If this Jessie has ties to the main culprit, then it is imperative we get her out before they truly think she spilled the beans." Varis saidd. "And you need me on the inside so I can give proper warning to whomever about what they are planning next."

<+James`Vodera-Deth> This goldwing is a zealot for the old feud Varis, if she's loose while my wife is in the room, she will try to attack her I'm sure of it. 6He said matter-of-factly. "But it's still not a bad idea... Just might work..." He slipped into thought again for a few moments. "But I see your point... There are herbs that can slow the heart and give the appearance of death, I'm familiar with them... Alright, I'll go along with it." He said as he finally settled down, that heat dissipating slowly. "I'll speak with Naut and make sure she's on board as well, so she doesn't worry... Gods I am gonna get stabbed a lot this month it seems." He said with a chuckle.

<+Varis-Deth> 'Then we keep your wife out of the room, James. All I need is for you to be in the room, with her and me sneaking up and knocking out the guards to get her out. your wife can be hidden until i escape with the goldwing where she comes to heal you up." He said to hm. "If this succeeds, then we can get to the snakes head and cut it off. I'll report to Mae and have her strip me of my necromancer abilities to the castle and be put down as a gardener. that would be enough reason to hate the empire i do believe." He said "and not many know I am the hand of Lord Archaon, so if you can keep that t yourself, then things will go better." He said to James, snuffing out his cigarette.

James`Vodera-Deth continued to chuckle as he took a pull of his cigar. "Alright, alright, I can have her hidden in a room across the hall from Jessie's cell block, that way she's out of sight and mind of Jessie. What herb were you thinking of using for the ruse?" He'd ask then, genuinely curious as to what Varis was going to use, there were a few options after all and only one he hadn't used himself, so he didn't know the effect of it off the top of his head. "And aye, I'll keep it to myself, no worries there."

<+Varis-Deth> "I was thinking the Walking Dead herbs you can get from the apothecary. I'll get the antidote too while I'm there and give it to your wife before I spring in on you." he said, now taking a sip of his whiskey. "It'll make you think you are dead for an hour, if not sooner should the antidote take effect, and again, I'll make sure not to stab you in a serious way. Your wife should be be able to heal you up straight away." He said and then stands and stretches. "So what do I need to know about the Paja Dethsiria so it sounds like I know what I'm talking about t her?" He asked James.

James`Vodera-Deth sighed softly, he hadn't really gotten anything useful like that out of Jessie. "I'm not sure, to be fair I haven't gotten anything useful about them other than they hate the empire, and so on and so forth, death to Archaon and all that.. You'll be going in essentially blind I'm afraid." He took another hit of his cigar as he thought for a moment. "Appearing to kill me might start to earn their trust though, so that's the only thing we have to go on right now." He finally took another drink of that whiskey, only he downed the rest of the glass instead of simply sipping it before sitting the glass on the desk.

Varis-Deth nods thoughtfully, thinking. "But what if it's not enough? I need more information to get in, killing you is one thing, but what if they want something else?" He asked James. "Are you prepared to deal with the consenquences of my actions undercover?" He asked him. "Because I can do anything that they ask me to do, but I rather not be called a traitor when I come back." He said to him.

James`Vodera-Deth hrmed softly at that. "If you're going that deeply undercover you'll need to do anything, I get that... I'd not label you a traitor, and I'd see to it no one else did either." He said confidently, nodding. "If it comes to it I'll make sure that those that -need- to know are the only ones that do... Those being Archy and Tenni, you've already got Mae and Vex on board with this mad plan of yours." He leaned forward then, smirking. "If this works, we could blow this thing wide open and finally get the why of the situation, instead of being in the dark... Obviously the house fires are just a grab at attention, I wish to know the why of it all."

+Varis-Deth> "I understand, James. I feel the same way. I want to get to the bottom of this as much as anyone else does." Varis said, pulling out another smoke and lighting it before puffing on it. "And it's not a mad plan, it can work.... as long as I play the part right. I know I have Mae's and lady Vex's support for everything I do; do I have yours?" He asked him.

James`Vodera-Deth nodded. "Knowing what I do know? Yes. Without a doubt. I just want to be sure that during the escape no one else's lives are put in danger aside from my own. I'm trusting you in this, Varis." He said before snubbing out his cigar into the ashtray on the desk as he leaned for it. "If all goes well maybe we can end this before it becomes a full blown rebellion."

<+Varis-Deth> "I may have to knock some guards out, but nothing more than bruises and bumps. That I can assure you, James. I'm not about to put at risk lives if I can help it. Just yours." He said to him. He would move to stand. "I need to head to the Apothecary to get the herbs that I need for this to work. Thank you for speaking with me, and let me know when you wish to speak with Jessie again. that is when I will strike." He said, downing the rest of his whiskey before pulling a hit off his cigarette. "Do take care, James. and I'll find out as much as I can about this rebellion that we are trying to stave off." He said softly to him.

James`Vodera-Deth nodded as the other man stood, standing up himself with a slight stretch. "I had planned on speaking with her again later today, that might be your best time to strike, but please wait until I've gotten the room cleared first, that way we can be absolutely sure I'm the only 'casualty'" Once on his feet he'd nod slightly. "I'll be fine, won't be the first time I've been stabbed this month, certainly won't be the last I'm sure." He chuckled.

Varis-Deth nods to James. "Alright. I'll try to wait, it just depends on what goes down with her. You really think she's connected to the leader of the Paja?" He asked James quietly. "Last thing I need is to have this backfire in my face." He said to James honestly. "Like you said before, she's been in custody for awhile now, what if they don't want her back?" He asked him.

James`Vodera-Deth shrugs slightly. "Its just a hunch really, it bugged me as to why she didn't put up more of a fight when we caught her at the Guzzler... I might ask her that actually..." He fell silent for a moment in thought. "I know, I know, if this backfires I'm not sure what we can do then, we just have to hope and pray this works... As for her, I'm not sure if I'm right they'll bring her back in without much fuss, if I'm wrong, well..." He shrugged again. "They might just kill her on the spot, I don't fully know."

*Varis-Deth nods a bit to James as he thinks. "Then let's hope I can get undercover. Maybe they'll force me to kill her to show proof that I am willing to do what it takes to do th8is job. I have shaven, most around here have seen me with my goatee, so that's new... do you think I should cut my hair?" He asked James, moving to refill their whiskey glasses. "I'm not hard to pick out really... I'm the only well-built moriel I know around here... I can't change that." He said with a frown. Since they operate in cells it just might work, one cell wouldn't know you from another, but then there's the symbols they use... Could be you're sympathetic to the cause? That might work as to why you don't know the symbols... He paused, thinking. "I'd say cut it, yeah, that might stand out less, or it might not. If you have to kill her so be it, just make it quick." He sighed, shaking his head. "Gods I hope this works..."

Varis-Deth nods to James and takes his hair at the ponytail and pulls out his dagger and chops off his hair, making it short than it ever was. "Hmmm." He said softly, dropping his hair into the waste bucket. "I know Traael got some symbols from the girl, and she gave them to me, but I don't know the understanding of them." He told James, reaching into the top of his drawer and finds a piece of parchment with the symbols drawn on it. "If she can tell us exactly what they mean, then maybe I have a chance to get in." He said to him.

+James`Vodera-Deth held out his hand for the parchment. "Give it here, I'll question her about the ones drawn there and write them down in my book, I'll have it in the cell block with me, you can rip the page free before you make your escape." Once Varis handed it over he 'd look at the symbols himself for a moment... "I've seen some of these around the city, down back alleys and such, but didn't know what they meant... Usually on doorposts, very small and difficult to see if your not paying attention."

+Varis-Deth hands him the parchment with the symbols on it. "Sounds like a plan..." He said softly to him. "Yeah, I've noticed them too when I went looking for them after Traael gave me the paper. I've seen some other symbols as well that aren't on the parchment, but didn't know what they meant, so I didn't think much of them." He told James.

<James> "I'll see what I can do about cracking their code, then." He said in reply as he folded the parchment and stuffed it into one of his robes many pockets. "In the meantime, ready yourself, and get the herbs you'll need for put me out, I'll make my own preparations." He'd say as he began for the office door.

<Varis-Deth> "Understood, James. Good luck on your end." He said to him, running a hand through his short hair, it felt odd to him, having short hair, after keeping it so long as he had. And then he was moving behind James to leave the office to leave the catacombs through the back door to head to town to pick up what he needed for later today.

[CallieO]

A Burning House
Chapter 8

"He was a secret agent, and still alive thanks to his exact attention to the detail of his profession."
--Ian Fleming

===

Varis-Deth waited outside of the hallway to the dungeons, waiting for the group of people to come. He was under orders of Lady Vexademus and he had to have their help if he was going to pull this off correctly. So he waited for them to come, blocking the door until James appeared.

Jessie, the goldwing member of the Paja Dethsiria who's been in Dethsirian captivity for the better part of two weeks, is currently eating her lunch-- a well-crafted Dethsirian white clam chowder with oyster crackers; a bottle of sweet tea; and even a piece of yellow cake for dessert. She has cooperated with questions that have been asked her, and has been granted decent food and plenty of sleep. And yet she's uneasy. She's concerned that the Paja will see her as a traitor to the cause whenever she's released, and do horrible things to her.

James`Vodera-Deth would be the first to enter into the cell block holding Jessie, having given instructions to not be disturbed for this portion of the interrogation to follow. He was dressed in his flight robes this day <https://imgur.com/sNXIoFU>, the heavy fabric useful when flying on mephos back for protection; as he rounded the corner to her cell he saw her eating, and noted she looked rested, good... "Hello there.." He said, without kicking at the cell bars this time, "Feeling up to a few questions? I do hope you'll be cooperative today." As he spoke he held up both hands for her to see as he began removing his heavy gloves, revealing his restored hand and fingertips to the goldwing. "I'm interested in knowing more about your little group, Jessie.. The Paja Dethsiria..."

<+Naut`kyn> * move down the stairs with James; her presence was as a healer if they need it tho ugh she had taken offend at Balard using her only as a tool and undermining most every ones work her hand reached to touch James's shoulder when he entered the cell she would merely follow him in.

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth remained where he was down the hall, finding himself a chair and flipping it around to rest his arms on its back before fully seating himself. His wings gently stirred the air as they moved in little circles that betrayed his slight annoyance that still lingered from the previous day though he refused to let it show further than that; much like he refused to approach closer.

Jessie sets her spoon down, and wipes her mouth. "All right," she says. "If you'll permit me a couple of questions of my own. And I get to go first." Not giving James time to object, she says, "What was the commotion I heard in the rest of the cell block a few days ago? Two, three, I don't remember; they're starting to blur together. Did you have a prisoner escape or something?"

James`Vodera-Deth was afraid of this, setting his gloves down on a nearby table. "That was the other prisoner we had brought in when we caught him setting the other house fire... We were too late to stop the act itself, but Lady Vex's mephos caught him when he fled... The commotion you heard was over the fact that he's now dead, seemingly by his own hand, but I think otherwise..." He said as he turned back around to face her and walking back up to the cell bars, not bothering to open the cell up just yet. "Next question?" He asked, waiting to see what else the goldwing wanted to say as he started planning his own questions.

Jessie looks surprised by the revelation, and deeply shaken. She's trying not to lay all her cards on the table at once, though, and it's awhile before she trusts herself to speak again. "Do you know the identity of your late prisoner? Was it Dmitri?"

Naut`kyn had stepped in with James and was standing to the left of the door silent almost bored looking she looked at nothing in particular though she was occasionally whispering soft words into a large inner pocket of her robe.

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth pulled out a small leatherbound book and looked through it, reviewing the notes that he had recorded while looking through Dmitri's cell and examining the corpse and means of death; after a few long minutes he shook his head something still missing from the puzzle but not being able to figure out the final piece so he flipped to another page and began studying it, looking for a clue that just seemed to not be there.

James`Vodera-Deth gave a short shrug as he spoke. "Unconfirmed at this time, but I believe so, yes... Young male torian, white wings... Long black hair... We found a blood-stained razor blade underneath the chair he'd been tied to, along with a feather in the corner of the cell soaked in blood..." He was sure to choose his words carefully, not wanting to reveal much himself as he watched and gauged the goldwing's reactions.

"Tall, pale-skinned, kind of a lanky build," Jessie says. Her voice has gone harsh, rough, a monotone. "That's him. Damn it." In her grief and her pain, she reaches over her left shoulder and pulls off one of her feathers, gritting her teeth. She gazes at it, and touches it to her forehead.

James`Vodera-Deth quirked a brow at that, filing the act away to memory in case he needed to remember later on. "I feel for your loss, you obviously felt *something* for him, and for that you have my sympathies." He would bow his head slightly out of respect, but when he raised it, his face was set like stone. "Now then, I believe it's my turn to ask... Tell me, does the Paja have agents within the castle or the Dome? Or is that not something *you* would know?" He'd say before moving back to that table where his gloves were. On this table lay his personal tome, large, heavy and leather bound, he opened it to a fresh blank page, a quill in an ink well nearby waiting to write down anything useful.

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth slipped into an empty cell across the hall from Jessies, listening to the rise and fall of conversation for any hints or clues as to how it was going. As he moved he used instincts learned from his years scouting to ensure his own movements went undetected and he hid in a darkened corner of the cell, wrapping his Raven wings around himself and let his hair fall to cover as much of his face as it could without obscuring his vision.

Naut`kyn had been put in the cell that victus had slipped in to she was on a bench just inside the door out of most lines of sight she had been made aware of the plans she absolutely didn't like this idea but she knew why they need her a raven sat still on her shoulder and silently he eyed Victus as he brooded there.

"You'll have to give me a moment," Jessie says. It's almost a plea. She needs a couple minutes to compose herself. She runs her fingers through her hair. Was Dmitri really gone? Never to hold her, kiss her, or comfort her ever again? "Fuck. I did this, didn't I? I mean... I didn't kill him personally... but I led him to this. I enabled his actions, I shielded him from consequences, I went to get food from him when he was on the run... and when he was caught, I was in here, and couldn't do anything to stop him from being killed." She looks like she wants to cry, but she can't, not in front of James.

James`Vodera-Deth turned back around, staring at Jessie through emotionless eyes. "Do you know if it was the Paja that killed him? Why, Jessie? Why silence him?" He asked, though his tone was in fact a bit lighter, he turned back and quickly took up quill from ink pot, writing down what he thought would be useful information about Jessie... Setting the quill down into that pot of ink once more he'd glance over his shoulder into the cell.

<+Varis-Deth> One by one, the guards were dropping like flies. Varis was sneaking up behind them, and giving them a choke hold, but only long enough for them to pass out, nothing life damaging. He had gotten the potion and got his dagger ready which was behind the small of his back, under his black vest and shirt. He wore: https://i.imgur.com/QZ5DEs8.jpg , all black and was beardless and had had his hair cut super short, he didn't look like the hand that everyone knew, even took the earrings out of his ears that people knew him for. He crept around the cells, downing each guard silently as he passed them. He stood outside of the cell that James and jessie were in, a hand moving to his back to pull out the drugged dagger and leans forward some to peer into the room quickly. James wasn't in a position he wanted yet, so he had to wait, had to wait till he was standing in front of Jessie so that Varis could plunge the dagger through his back, where it would be easier to not nick something vital near his heart area.

Naut`kyn she was silent Sabin peeked out the door of the cell they were seated in and opened his beak but the was a small silent hand of the chirot who gently grabbed him around the beck and whispered very softly "shh"

"He'd been caught committing a crime against the empire," Jessie says. "He'd already burned down two houses, and he was due to be given instructions as to where to strike next. The Paja killed him to prevent the next part of the plan from being revealed under torture. And also to prevent you from making a public example of him. And there's something big coming... I'm sure of it. But I don't know what. We haven't been given our instructions yet. Something earth-shattering, though. Something that will make all the citizens of the empire realize that the Paja Dethsiria-- the People of Dethsiris-- are tired of the occupation." Jessie doesn't realize that outside the cell, guards were being taken out.

James`Vodera-Deth turned back around, nodding slightly as he wrote the most important bits down... earth shatteringly big... Among others before he stopped and moved back over to the cell. "He committed a crime against the empire, certainly, but at most it would have gotten him flogged, not outright killed, Jessie..." He paused and pulled out a folded parchment, opening it to reveal some of the symbols she'd shared with Traael the last time they'd questioned her. "What can you tell me about these then, hm? I see these on doorposts all through the city, but can't fathom what they mean..." He paused again, thinking back to what she'd just said. "Wait... If they silenced him... Why didn't they silence you, as well? They had a prime chance..."

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth remained silent, smiling briefly to Naut but keeping his eyes on the view through the door, in the distance he could hear Varis approaching and he gripped the hilt of the Rapier that he had borrowed from the armory today tighter; waiting impatiently. He ran the symbols that he could just see through the symbology that he knew from working ships for so long, trying to remember if he could find any correlation.

Jessie doesn't look convinced. "Someone *died*, James. Someone in your employ. You're not going to flog a rebel and then just let him go. Just as I fully expect you won't let *me* go, either." When Victus had stripped her down to her underwear, she'd briefly panicked and thought she was going to be raped to death. But James had stopped him. "I don't know why they didn't kill me, but you must understand there's no way I can go back. They probably figure by now I've told them things that will damage the organization. But fuck it. They crossed the line. They killed Dmitri; they took the only person who makes my life bearable. I'll help you burn them to the ground if you ask me to."

<+Varis-Deth> When James put himself right in front of the door, Varis knew he didn't have another chance, 'sorry bubby,' he thought to himself and moved behind him, wrapping an arm around James's neck and stabs him in the heart, well, it looks like he stabbed him in the heart, but he really didn't. It was close, but nothing major was nicked and it was a clean cut through. Varis lowered James down to the ground and moves to grab his keys to Jessie's locks on her. "C'mon Jessie, I'm getting you out of here." He said hurriedly to her. "I bet there are people who want you for yappin'." He said with a cruel, moriel grin. Once he got her hands undone, he would take her by the arm and stood her up, "Let's go girl" he said, and pushed her out in front of him, going the opposite direction in which he came, because he knew the other end of the hallway would lead to the catacombs that he knew like the back of his hand. "Don't look back! Just go forward!" He snarled at the girl as they ran towards the catacombs.

Naut`kyn she knew what the sounds meant she would stand silently, carefully listening to the running foot steps away a hand held out to Victus said wait she counted painfully slow to 20 before she moves, Sabin showing her the hall the count was to give the people time to leave.

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth watched Varis do his work and counted down from 10, long slow seconds to ensure that he had enough time to get Jessie far enough ahead of him but not so far as to allow Varis to be out of reach of himself. While he counted he stood, stalking closer to the cell door and allowing Naut to cross the hall before darting down after Varis, finishing another 10 count before launching himself into the air with a single flap of his wings and leaping along, closing the gap rapidly and as soon as he found the catacombs he launched himself fully onto his wings, toppling his target and catching him with a superficial slash that only looked bad and would cause minor inconvenience with pain along the outside of the thigh and then kicking himself off to give the appearance of a lost tussle, though he did send a single sharp feather to follow Jessie that would catch in her hair.

James`Vodera-Deth hadn't been paying attention to the door, since he'd given instructions not to be disturbed during the interrogation, so the shock on James face as that arm snaked around his throat looked pretty damn genuine, then the pained look as dagger sank into his chest... Fuck... James managed to think as he attempted to cry out in pain, only to make a gurgling, wretching noise instead. As he was lowered to the ground he tried to jerk and move to cover his wound, but found his limbs quickly going numb from the poison coating that blade... Another gurgle as blood began to leak from corner of his mouth and well up from the wound, seeping into the fabric of his robes.

Rolan-Deth had been on his way down to the catacombs to check on a few of Mae's little projects for her. The man's bulk and strength had been pretty useful to her in more capacities than just protecting her, and she takes advantage now and again. He had no idea what had been happening with the prisoner, didn't even know they had a prisoner since it wasn't in the scope of his duties. He makes his way into the hallway, that massive frame casing an imposing silhouette in the near darkness of the stone hallway. He could see well in the dark like all onyx scales, he heard some voices down the hall and cast his gaze in that direction. Curious, but not quite alarmed yet.

It happened very fast. A moriel man whom Jessie had never seen before opens the door and suddenly grabs James, stabbing him and toppling him. He springs her and tells her to run. A thousand questions go through her mind. Is this the same man who'd killed Dmitri? Is this man a member of the Paja? Is he a traitor to House Dethsiris? But she doesn't have time to sit and wonder. Jessie is fully expecting to die in a humiliating public execution. If she doesn't leave with Varis, they'll certainly think that she killed James, and then her death would be *certain*. She has no chance but to run like hell down towards the catacombs with Varis. She's been kept well-fed over the last few days, so she's able to keep up with him. Then Victus runs after them and gets into a melee with Varis, slashing him on the thigh. Varis gets the better of it and knocks him down, and Jessie makes sure he stays down, kicking him mercilessly not once, but twice, in the gut. "That's for my fingernail, you tilzha son of a bitch!" She'd like to kill him, and in fact is about to finish the job.

Varis-Deth rolled with Victus, punching him low in the groin before pulling him off of Varis and getting back up again. He hissed his pain where he had been cut, a hand moving over it to cover it as he pushed Jessie ahead of him, getting her off of Victus and yelling: "We gotta get out of here!! Make a left! Now a right!" He yelled at her, zipping around the catacombs and the prisoners of the undead that they kept in chains down there. This was it, there was no turning back now. He had to remember to thank Victus for his part in this later, too. and if Jessie played ball right, they would be in front of Rolan and the doorway out of there. Varis didn't look like himself, he had massively short hair, no earrings, and his goatee had been shaved off and was cleanshaven, unless you got a good look at him, one wouldn't know it was Varis or not.

Naut`kyn naut Was already in that cell with James silently berating him in her head she would pull the dagger casting clean and heal her magic weaved in to his chest as she pushed 15 slots of healer to get him Stable enough for the rest inner eye the one that was more clear then her own weaved flesh and vessel till the bleeding stopped it would take hours to be fully healed but the magic did enough that he would not die of blood loss after that completed she cast discern ailment and cure poison so that that poison did not kill him.

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth growled in his throat at the blows, and spit a curse are Varis low blow but took his time to get up and catch his own breath for a moment before taking off in pursuit once again; this time grinning and shaking his head. As much as he hated to admit it he admired the Goldwing's fire; if she managed to survive this, he might have to ensure she was taken care of properly and safe from the Paja. He remained on foot for a full 120 count, giving them time to hopefully clear the catacombs but at the end of his count he touched his house badge and spoke into it. "Rolan I am going to need you to let me out the doorway at the bottom of the catacombs soon.... be ready for me"

James had only lain there bleeding out for the better part of a minute or two when Naut got to him, a small pool of blood having formed under his mouth where his head turned to one side, the paralysis of the poison making it difficult not to simply let it happen. He could barely feel his wife's magic starting to work on him, reversing the damage caused by the blade to his heart or near enough to it, and the added power of the cure poison would slowly reverse its effects as well. With the bleeding stopped and the poison fading he coughed up a gout of blood onto the floor, a left over from the ruse, still unable to fully move as the paralysis would take a few minutes to wear off fully. "...oww..." He groaned out in a low voice, already getting tired of being stabbed, but at least this was for a good cause he figured.

Rolan-Deth had seen these intruders in his lady's catacombs and was standing solidly in the only way in or out of them. The big pit fighter's hackles raised and his powerful form tenses up, he would bang his fist on his chest and get himself fired up for a fight. Slipping on those heavy steel knuckle dusters he limbers himself up. He could use a good tussle, and in a way they were violating a place that he takes some pride in. He wasn't sure how the goldwing and the moriel got in, but they weren't getting out! Then he hears the hail come over his badge, "What do you mean Victus there's grave robbers down here? I can see them clear as you can the day. If I move, they'll get out scot-free."

Naut`kyn sat with James she sighed looking tired but not so much that she was in danger "I need you to stop letting jobs use you as a pin holder...." she frown deeply and lie his head in her lap after getting him rolled over "you'll be ok your lucky you had me in on this little ruse."

Jessie comes up short when she sees Rolan standing between herself and freedom. She recognizes him. In his vagabond days, back when she'd been a teenager, she'd seen him wrestle a windwalker, unarmed, and defeat it. He's certainly more than capable of stopping *her* in her tracks. On the other hand, right now he just thinks they're grave robbers. He doesn't know that Varis is a murderer and Jessie is a freedom fighter. "We got turned around," Jessie tries to explain, as she struggles to remember the words to activate her Feather Dart spell.

<+Varis-Deth> Oh, this wasn't good. First Victus and his slash and now Rolan?! Did no one hear of this plan? Of course not. of course not! Varis brings up his finger and takes a bite out of the top of it, and uses his blood in the racial spell of "webbing" against Rolan, tying him up in his own blood spider webbing and trying to get him to stick to the wall. 'don't fight, don't fight, don't fight!' He yells at Rolan in his mind, and if Rolan does indeed get tripped up with the webbing, Varis would grab Jessie and pull her out of the catacombs and back outside, moving towards the jungles with her.

Rolan-Deth was looking terrifying and as fierce as he ever did in the fighting pits, or out defending the people of Dethsiris in his vagabond days. A look of recognition dawns on his face as Jessie comes closer. "Little Jessie?" And, with that moment of distraction he didn't notice Varis's webs pushing into his chest and pulling him up to the wall. He growls and pulls with all of his might. Shouting out at Varis as the webbing starts to stretch and snap in places. Little bits of dust fall off of the shaking masonry. "You think that's clever you scrawny thief!? I'm going to cave that head in if I catch you!"

As Rolan is lifted up and plastered to the wall by the webbing, Jessie stays Varis's hand. "Wait! Don't kill him." She'd been willing to kill Victus, but not Rolan. She walks up to the gladiator who's struggling against his bonds. "You saved my mother once," she says. "From that blink-cat. I don't want to kill you." She gets up on tiptoe and gives him a kiss on the forehead. "We'd better run like hell, though," she says to Varis. "That tilzha's coming up behind us, and where he is, we don't wanna be."

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth as soon as the duo was clear of the door he dropped from above, catching himself on his wings and looking to Rolan, "sorry bud, I've gotta go." and he bolted out the door, knocking over a brazier that spilled its coals into the strands of webbing below Rolan's feet and as soon as he was out in the jungles and had proper air ruffling his feathers he launched himself up, taking high to the air and searching for them from high above until he found them again. Once he did he collapsed his wings, hardening their edges and folding them around himself like shields and angled so that he would catch both Jessie and Varis and let himself freeglide at speed, darting downward like an arrow loosed. At the very last second possible he unfolded himself, tripping the duo and kicking up a ferocious cloud of blinding dust and while the cloud built he delivered a trio of slashes with his borrowed rapier, all of them like the ones delivered to Varis previously, and all of them at random though one nicked one of Jessie's wings along the edged and freed a pair of golden feathers which he nimbly caught and then made a show of engaging Varis in a wrestling match, slipping a smooth black riverstone into one of his pockets that was carved with a sailors mark for safety

Varis-Deth wrestled with Victus, showing off his strength and fury at the other until he was able to toss the other off and made him hit the ground. He would kick Victus while he was down and sneered: "Stay down!" And then turns and moves for Jessie again and grips her by the arm and pulls her deeper into the jungle. "Come. we got to get away from him before he's up again." He said to her, pushing her in front of him and deeper into the woods, all beaten up with blood coming outside of his mouth from when Victus scooped down from him. He didn't feel the stone, not right away, but then he did feel something in his pocket as they ran through the underbrush. 'thanks buddy,' he thought to himself as he continued to push jessie deeper into the jungle.

James`Vodera-Deth finally could move again since the poison's effects had worn off, reaching up to stroke Nauts face lightly with a finger. "I'll be more careful in the future." He said in his normal voice now before slowly sitting up, lightly touching the place he'd been stabbed. "Gods that hurt..." He'd mutter, reminding himself to punch Varis in the shoulder once this was all over for it. James stood with a groan before helping Naut back to her feet. He'd not send word to Victus through the badges, they needed to sell the ruse that he was dead, so he'd likely be laying low for a while.

Naut`kyn let him help her and murmured " we should go to your rooms here after all if you leave someone may report seeing you...." she would step out before he did and lead the way

Rolan-Deth was completely confused by what has just transpired. He pulls hard on that webbing, but stops just long enough to listen to Jessie talk of killing him. "What do you mean?" Is all he can get out before she's pulled out the door by that mysterious dark elf. Then Victus darted out after them, he resumed pulling on those webbings. He could feel them starting to loosen, and then Victus knocks over the brazier and the webbing lights up almost instantly. Which would free him from the wall but also leave him with the problem of having that sticky webbing clinging to his body like napalm. He runs out into the jungle, any thought of pursuit leaving his mind as he pulls at the gobbets of flaming webbing desperately. Screaming in pain as he drops to the ground and starts rolling to put the fire out.

"GODDAMN IT, STAY DOWN!" Jessie says, and this time, when Victus is down, she kicks him in the head. He's not liable to get up from *that* anytime soon. Again, the killing rage is within her, and again Varis pulls her away. Well, that's fine. He's probably dead this time. She follows him into the jungle, quite a distance away from where Rolan is screaming and snuffing out the flames on his body. Good thing, too, because Jessie would be likely to jeopardize her own escape, and that of Varis, by helping Rolan. But she doesn't know about his current dilemma. "We've gotta run," she says to Varis. "CoDL, in two hours. In two hours and five minutes, I'm leaving. Come alone."

<+Varis-Deth> "I'll meet you there," He said to Jessie and then took his own way to the temple in Dethsiris, he knew these jungles well, he knew how to get to his own temple within hours time limit. It was keeping the cats and other jungle riff raff off of him so he could be there in time.

James`Vodera-Deth nodded slightly. "Aye, best I lay low like Gavin right now.. Damnit I wish I could have asked why he was targeted, but water under the bridge now I s'pose.. C'mon then." With that he led her out of the cell block and back up to the main part of the castle, making sure to avoid anyone on the way back to his private room. Once inside he'd sigh and settled onto the edge of the bed, rubbing his face with his hands. "Gods this whole thing sounds a mess in my head... I just hope Varis can pull this off..." He sighed again, smirking. "Can you pull off grieving widow for a couple days, my love?"

Naut`kyn walked with James down the halls toward the main floor " do you need to talk to Tenni?" she would remind him... as they moved a small yawn given those when she turned to looked at him again, she managed to make herself look like she had been crying " I am sure I can"

Rolan-Deth was hard to perish, that's for sure. He had the fire mostly put out by the time Victus arrived to help him get to his feet. And he looks to have a mix of pain, confusion, and raw anger on his face as he gets to his feet. "Would anyone mind telling me what the hell is going on?" He winces, and growls lowly. He reluctantly takes Victus's help getting to the infirmary. He has a lot of questions, but he keeps them to himself, aside from that initial outburst. By now the Moriel, and little Jessie from the village were long gone. And he was badly burnt.

<+James`Vodera-Deth> "Yeah, I should prolly report in on what happened... Can't go like I am though, so..." He'd stand up and strip out of his usual robes and breeches and boots, a flow of magic surrounding him as he walked to the wardrobe in the room and opened it; as he stood there his body began to change, his skin lightening to a near normal shade of flesh tone, his manhood slowly disappearing from sight and tits sprouted from his chest, his hair, his one personal pride and joy would recede as well, changing to a short crop haircut that was all black in color. James, now she, selected one of her uniforms from the wardrobe and quickly redressed, looking the part of a standard issue Deth soldier. "This should work for now." She said as she turned around, both her eyes now a brilliant emerald color. "You should go check on Victus, I'll send word to Tenni."

[CallieO]

A Burning House
Chapter 9

"Life is the art of being well deceived; and in order that the deception may succeed it must be habitual and uninterrupted."
--William Hazlitt

===

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth once the healers in the infirmary had Rolan under their charge he wrote a small note for them to give him that read simply ~I'm sorry you got caught up in all of this Rolan, but I thank you sincerely for aiding us. I apologize that I cannot answer your questions right now as recompense the next round of drinks are on me. Majordomo Mae or Dame Tennibrook are the best ones to go to for answers on the matter, it is above my paygrade. Get well soon bud~ with the note handed off to the healers he went to reach for his wine flask and realized that it was missing and swore loudly but shook his head and headed to James' room where he guessed he would find at the very least his Mistress and James, if not Dame Tennibrook herself since he would have much to report as well.

Naut`kyn used her message spell to tell Victus that she was in James's room with him "He will like show up soon" she through Sabin's eyes looked warily at the now female James and sat on the bed "you look like you have never seen a female before.... the short hair is.... odd"

James`Vodera-Deth couldn't help but snicker at that. "I've been female before, love, but I s'pose your right." Another weave of magic and that hair would grow out to shoulder length, but no longer. "There, does that look better at least? I'm trying not to stick out and draw attention." He'd say, still with the occasional chuckle. "Though I will admit, it's been a while since I've used this form."

Dame Tennibrook Balmossie had been fully briefed on the plan to spring Jessie and infiltrate Varis into the Paja Dethsiria; in fact, she'd been the one to make the final sign-off on it. To make the escape look more likely, Tenni had deliberately scheduled herself a shift as High Priestess of the Dethsiris Vulpine Temple at the time the jailbreak was to occur. 20 minutes ago, Tenni had been in the middle of delivering the message to her congregants when the vulpine temple was put on lockdown. It was very near the castle, after all, and when word of the jailbreak came out, there was concern that the temple might become a target. Tenni girded on her weapons and armor and was allowed to leave, and she rode on Vintino to the castle. Now she sits in the Air Marshal's office, awaiting the arrival of James, Naut`kyn, and Victus.

Naut`kyn nodded to James a little she stood waiting for him to lead her to where he needed to report.

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth Victus arrived at James room and gave a small rap on the door, waiting outside patiently, assuming that James was likely arranging his temporary disguise.

<+James`Vodera-Deth> Finally decently disguised he'd lead Naut from the room, though not before bumping into Victus outside the door. "Oof... Sorry Victus." She said with a sheepish grin before slipping past him, motioning for him to follow as she led them up to Tenni's office, lightly rapping her knuckles on the door twice before easing that door open and stepping into the office. "Reporting ma'am." She'd say, not bothering with a salute at the moment aside from a snapping of bootheels together, hopefully selling the grunt soldier routine.

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth chuckled but stood beside Naut behind James, now Jamie with his face showing only a thin line and letting him do the initial reporting in. This was the first he had seen James use this particular disguise and standing beside it was amusing, almost bringing out the merry bard behind the seasoned sailor.

Naut`kyn merely stood with them unless addressed she seemed to fiddle with her robes silently though the raven on her right shoulder eyed Tenni and cawed softly.

Tenni rises from her desk as James comes in with Victus and Naut`kyn. She gazes at James for a moment before she chuckles. "Nice disguise. It looks good on you. Okay, first of all... everyone all right? James? Victus? The soldiers?"

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth took a position leaning against an empty spot of wall before turning to deliver his report. He was still covered in dust and there were some smaller twigs caught in between some of the feathers of his wings as he hadn't bothered to check them yet, but he nodded at her question. "To my knowledge the only casualty we had was Rolan, but his injuries were an indirect result of a brazier being knocked over in my pursuit; I have seen to it that he was escorted to the infirmary. as far as any further on my end, I shall await Master James' report."

<+James`Vodera-Deth> "Not feeling too bad after getting stabbed in the chest, but thanks to Naut I'm alive... Thanks to Varis, too, knowing where the best spot was to only appear lethal." Jamie leaned her weight onto on leg, hand rubbing the spot in her chest where blade had entered. "Still hurts like hell, though." She managed a weak chuckle.

Tenni gives James a gentle, sympathetic smile when he says that, and replies, "I'm glad you're all right." She turns to Victus now. "Make sure Rolan's well taken care of. Well... it takes a day to prepare a body for resurrection, and it's pretty obvious by now that we've got at least one infiltrator in our midst. I apologize, Naut, James, but I'll have to keep the two of you apart tonight. James, you will maintain your current disguise, and sleep in the women's barracks tonight."

Naut`kyn sighs that was a little frustrating... she turns Sabin looking at Vctus and she sniffed the air "You smell of blood and it smells like your own" then to Tenni " I will be down in the infirmary overnight then I like... Research when I can't sleep"

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth rendered a sailor's salute as was his norm and pushed himself off the wall, stumbling just a bit as a wave of nausea and dizziness hit him but he took a deep breath and steadied himself again, standing upright and spreading his legs apart in a wide stance to hold himself up, wings making small balancing motions behind him. "I ensured that Varis and Jessie got away clean but not entirely unscathed; they both sport wounds that will sell them having to fight their way out of our dungeons..." he staggered briefly, dizziness coming again but his stubbornness refusing to let him give in. "...Varis in turn sold his part and earned Jessie's trust, though the Goldwing did get her marks in on me and I will likely need to be examined before long." he laughed, staggering once more and this time he did not entirely catch himself, the leg he tried to solidify under himself giving way and making his world go sideways as he reached into the same pouch as those golden feathers and pulled out a black Riverstone to match the one he had slipped into Varis' pocket. The stone slid across the floor and stopped at the sole of Tenni's boot at the same moment that Victus hit the ground with.

James`Vodera-Deth blinked, she disliked sleeping in female form but Tenni was right. "Faking my Death should be easy enough, but yeah, you have a point... It'll be easy with Jessie, as far as she knows I died in that cell from a knife to the heart, which will hopefully endear Varis to whoever is really behind this." She said before turning to Naut. "I do plan on showering." She said with a smirk, turning back to Tenni then before Victus fell over abruptly; the act of hitting the ground earned a shake of her head as she leaned down to try and aide the other man back to his feet. "C'mon, up we come..."

Naut`kyn moved to her concubine swiftly silently before casting discern ailment and tasking " stop playing macho.... i hate that " she would murmur casting 10 slots of healing she let it weave over his gut and skull his head having a small fracture... " you should lead off with she kicked my arse" the rest healing anything heavier then bruising.

Tenni stands up in alarm as Victus falls over, but he's quickly helped by James and Naut. "James, Victus, the sacrifices you've made to really sell this fake defection are greatly appreciated. I'm not blind to the fact that if Varis's blade had been a little less accurate, and if Jessie's kicks had hit a little bit harder, you might *both* be dead. And Naut... I'm by no means insensitive to *your* feelings, as well. I know how much you love both of these men. Dethsiris owes all of you a great debt of gratitude that I can only hope we'll be able to repay one day."

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth blinked back awake, unsure how exactly he had wound up on the floor but seeing Naut's face as the first thing, he reached up to feel his brow and felt the bruise that was very likely now beginning to form on one side of his face. "Ow... I didn't think she had kicked me that damned hard..." he blinked a few times and took Naut's hand. "Sorry, love; I seem to have misjudged my condition... or perhaps not been able to feel it." He grimaced as he turned his head to look back at Tenni and he searched with his gaze for the riverstone, needing to fill in that final piece. "Dame, that riverstone that I was trying to pull out; I slipped a matching one into Varis' pocket before I disengaged and returned here... same tussle that earned me the kick to the head from the Goldwing ironically. There is a symbol carved into it that sailors who occasionally deal in.... illicit cargoes mark safe warehouses or the locations of fences with. Varis should recognize it and we can use the same sites as locations to discretely leave and pickup messages or to occasionally have someone meet him for updates."

Naut`kyn sighed " you seem to have very few healers here... maybe... i should see if they will set me up an office here... i can play healer.... and grow herbs... I mean the soil down here is so much nicer that its not frozen for half the year" she turn her head toward Tenni and then back to Victus " you need to lay off the drink if you cant tell when you have been kicked a bit too hard "it was about then... that she reach touching the stone he had " also if some one can bring me more stones i can make more of theses if you need them?"

<+James`Vodera-Deth> Jamie turned back to Tenni once Victus was back on his own two feet, though still holding onto his sleeve with one hand just in case while he steadied himself. She gave another chuckle, this time as she listened to Naut before turning her full attention on Tenni. "Jessie did mention something big was going to happen soon, earth shattering even, any idea what she might be on about?" She asked, curious even more it seemed by all of this.

"That's a good idea," Tenni says to Victus. "Hopefully he won't get caught doing it, and he won't do it often. We're going to be relying on Varis a lot, to help prevent whatever earth-shattering thing Jessie was talking about. Could be another arson, but that seems like small potatoes. Could be an attack on the castle or the gate, or an assassination of a Dethsiris higher-up like myself, Mae, or even Lord Archaon." She turns to Naut. "Naut, I'll have someone assign an office to you immediately. If you're interested in a permanent position here, I'll see if I can help make it happen. I don't have hiring power, but Mae does, and so does Archaon. I *have* put in, though, for the position of Warmaster."

Victus`Ambrogio|Naut|-Deth nods his head slowly "I imagine Varis is as familiar with these places as I am; he'll know how to utilize them properly. I am glad to be here in Dethsiris where my skills can go to good use for the cause it is clear we share though I think I will have to take the downtime for a couple of days after todays events, I'll be back to full function soon as Mistress Naut clears me though" he said with a smile and as much of a bow as he could manage.

Naut`kyn nods " thank you I think just being on call might be helpful to you any way.... if someone wants to throw the poor blind girl coins that's really up to them" shrugging slightly she would eye Victus sightlessly " you will get at least a day and night of rest... ...." to Tenni " by the way for all my husband treats me like a damn china doll i have done healing one two different battle fields once during the spirette war and ones on a ship in a quest while fighting was going on."

[Victus and Naut`kyn poof.]

<+James`Vodera-Deth> She tried to stifle a yawn and failed, looking tired suddenly as she leaned weight from one leg to the other. "Tenni, if it's alright with you I'd like to get cleaned up at least, I can write up a full report for you afterwards if you'd like, but it'll be a short one." She said, sounding every bit like someone recently stabbed in the back, which is to say utterly exhausted from the ordeal.

"Yes, of course. James... again, you have my thanks. What you have done for the cause, not many would have done. When the resurrection time has been completed, we'll get someone in here and make it look good. In the meantime... you're dismissed, James. Remember... women's barracks. I doubt anyone will look askance at a new recruit," Tenni says.

[CallieO]

A Burning House
Chapter 10

“'I know what it felt . . . like when I . . . thought you were dead, and-' A small gasp for breath, and her eyes locked on his. 'And I wouldn't do that to you.'"
--Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

===

Tennibrook had put James Vodera under a Sleep spell, covered him with a sheet, and laid him out on a Floating Disc, carrying his 'body' to the infirmary of Castle Dethsiris. Now he lay on the exam table, unconscious, but very much not dead, as they await the arrival of Caolan Leafwhistle, Tenni's dear friend whom she'd summoned here to 'resurrect' him. They know there's a Paja Dethsiria mole somewhere in the house, and they need to keep up appearances.

<+James`Vodera> Out like a light, but at least he still lived, James lay in silent slumber on the exam table, his breathing shallow but steady. As he lay there he had time to rest and to dream, though his dreams we're of one event replaying over and over, the night he got stabbed in the back... Was no avoiding it really, neccessary evils and all that, but damnit getting stabbed in the back still hurt.

Caolan didn't know it was a ruse! He had no idea! The elf had shuffled through his things, desperately, finding all the required items he would need to do the deed. He'd packed his bag with extra everything, including extra herbs and oils, even a calming candle! Circlet in place, bag slung over his shoulder, ears equipped with those ear cuffs that made this all possible, the elf had ran. Not just from his home down the path. Not just from the path to the portal. He ran the whole way! Callie would be surprised that he could run for that long, he imagined, but that was definitely not on his mind right now. He huffed and puffed and that gold hair trailed behind him like molten gold slipping down into a mold. His face was red as could be by the time he got to the doors of the Keep, he took a second, leaning over with his hands on his knees, panting for a second. He explained that he'd been summoned to a-- Oh. They were waiting for him? He straightened himself, adjusting his bag, no longer "panting desperately" for air. Magical recovery! He peered down at those boots. Sand. He had sand in his boots. How the Hell did that happen? His nose wrinkled as he looked to the guard had started walking inside without him, and almost tripped over himself scampering after! He held onto his circlet with one hand, and his bag with the other.

Tennibrook gets a Message spell sent to her. "Dame Tenni; Caolan has arrived at the keep," says Amarant, one of the guards. Tenni had left instructions that Caolan was to have armed escort for his own safety while he was at the castle. Tenni acknowledges by saying, "Make sure he gets here. I'm holding you personally responsible for his safety, Red." Tenni places a hand over James's head. He'd really been put through the ringer ever since he'd first come to be under her command. In training he'd proven himself as apt a combat flyer as she. In life-and-death situations, he'd become a hero. And in life, he'd truly become a man before her eyes.

<+James`Vodera-Deth> James lay still underneath Tenni's hand upon his head,save for that shallow breathing... The sleep spell he was under was holding well, keeping him in slumber for the time being. Underneath the sheet his face was clean shaven for the first time in a great while, something he would be fixing upon his reawakening.. Being undercover was difficult, but not the worst thing in the world.

Caolan looked around as he walked through the Keep, keeping an eye on the figure guiding him. He was handed off to someone else, frowning a bit as he looked up to the new guard, then back after the previous one. A deep breath again, hands rising from his accessories as he tried to straighten his hair. Shit. His very first solo resurrection was for the House of Dethsiris. Man. If he screwed this one up, he'd never live it down! He may as well go out wearing a spell every time he left his down. Those ears drooped a touch as his shoulders started to sink, eyes downcast before he puffed back up again! It was about time he got the Recognition as a healer, for crying out loud! He could do this!

Amarant knocks on the door. "Warmaster, Caolan is here." "Send him in," Tenni says, and she straightens her green-and-gold silk shirt that's really a disguised mithril chain mail shirt. She looks to the door. By all appearances, James is dead. It would take a keen eye indeed to notice that he's breathing underneath that white sheet.

<+James`Vodera-Deth> James stirred not a bit under that sheet, the hold of the sleep spell strong in him; he'd not hear a word of what ws going on, his mind still locked in that dreamstate by the magics. Under the sheet he was dressed as he had been the night of his 'murder', his robes still bearing the hole made by Varis' blade as it plunged into his back.

Caolan had waited quietly in the hall, hand wrapped around the strap of his bag, up in front of his chest. Nerves. His knuckles were white, but his face was set, purpose clear. He -had- to do this, not a case of could or could not. It -had- to be done, and he was actually a bit surprised someone had volunteered his services. Those ears flicked a touch as he heard Tenni's voice, and adjustment of the chainmail as he stepped past Amarant when the doorway was cleared a bit. He looked very serious. Probably more so than Tenni had ever seen him, except that one time... Those dark brown boots carried him over to the table, and once he was standing still he began to dig through his bag, not wanting to drop anything as he fiddled about. "Hi," came out plainly.

Amarant closes the door behind him, and Tenni comes over and locks it before activating the magical soundproofing on the door, which permeates the walls. It had been put there so people wouldn't be bothered by the screams that sometimes come from wounded men and women. "Hi," Tenni says. "You don't have to get anything out of your back. I apologize for doing this, Caolan. You were told that James was dead; murdered two nights ago. But he's all right. He's just asleep under a Sleep spell. There is a mole somewhere in the castle, and we needed to keep up appearances by sending for a resurrection specialist, so they would continue to believe that James had been killed. Please forgive me."

Caolan didn't look up as Tenni locked the room, ears flicking instinctually as the spell went off but he wasn't paying much attention. Out came a candle, and a pouch of herbs, and-- "Wait... ...what?" There we go. It clinked. The gold thing blinked, fumbling with something that looked fairly delicate, only to manage to catch it and stuff it back into his bag. He turned slowly to face the vixen, "...It was urgent though... the page was running all over town looking for me! He's got to be--" A look down to the "body" covered in a sheet, brows creasing firmly together, his ears flattening... Then he saw it move. The sheet moved. He stared for a bit, to make sure he really saw that, and when it happened a second time. A third time. He turned on Tenni and there was anger in those pretty gold eyes for half a second. Lied to! By Tennibrook of -all- people! After all that happened, all the people that had-- "Tennibrook Balmossie," was said with a bit of a growl as he shoved the last item back into his bag, those ears flattenting back. .... then he turned towards the door, but instead of storming out as he planned to... his knees went. He landed on the ground hard, "Oh thank fuck," was what came out of his mouth, relief washing over him. Oh he wasn't going to screw up a resurrection for the house of Dethsiris! When it all clicked in his brain, his knees went out, and here we were, shoulders slumped, back curved.

Tennibrook is standing on the opposite side of the table from Caolan, and she watches the gamut of emotions go through Caolan's expression. Disbelief. Shock. Anger, very strong anger, at her. He turns to leave in a huff, which would screw up everything, and before Tenni can utter a word of protest, he falls hard on his bum. Tenni gasps, and moves to him. "I'm sorry, Caolan. I didn't want to lie to you. I needed you here to make the deception work. Of course, you will be compensated for your time and effort, and don't try to demur like you always do. There's two ways I can give you coin; by putting it in your hand or by putting it in your bum. Anyway... I still need you. I need you to wake him, and stay here long enough to make it look like he'd really been resurrected. Then I need to speak to both of you in the privacy of my office."

Caolan was breathing a bit roughly. So relieved, he barely heard Tenni over the blood rushing through his ears... then he groaned and flopped down on his face. Flat out. He speaks to the stone when he said, "Butt sounds fun," but that was all he said about the money. An ear twitched... and the tip went, predictably, red. At least he was getting compensated for the herbs he had bought ... a while back.. and kept on hand regardless... The cuffs on each ear seemed less ... sparkly... than they were a few seconds ago when his purpose was set. "Ugh." A deep breath, then he pushed himself slowly to his feet, brushing himself off. After all, it was just Tenni, she'd seen him in worse positions than that. A clearing of his throat came then he looked to Tenni, then down to James, an eyebrow raising. "...how did he get under?" Privately? ... How strange indeed. He should have brought cake, or muffins or something so they could snack and chat while James was being resurrected. A deep breath inhaled through his nostrils, "Alright. Just a second."

<+James`Vodera-Deth> James would have laughed at the scene unfolding around him had he been conscious to do so, though for the time being he'd have to wait and hear about it second hand maybe... Either way he would lay still upon the examination table with sheet drapped neatly over him, the shallow, steady breathing the only sign the man was actually alive.

Tenni smiles affectionately at her deep friend. "He was put under by a simple Sleep spell. He's fully healed up from his encounter. Oh... he'd been poisoned by the knife, with a poison that simulates death. It should be out of his system, but you might need to know that when taking him out of the anesthesia, so..."

Caolan chuffed a little. Sleep spell. He made a face as he peered at James, leaning down a little more, then he reached down and pulled the sheet back in a -most- dramatic fashion, as though unveiling a grand piece of artwork! ... His ear twitched a little, then, "....Tenni...." he was half confused by the tone of it, but... he reached out with one hand... and pinched James' nose shut. Since it was just a simple Sleep spell, and the poison was dispelled a while back, this should wake him up... when he wanted to breathe again, that is.

<+James`Vodera-Deth> As the sheet was puled back oh so dramatically, a bit of James hair shifted in the breeze caused, and now that one could see his eyes one would notice rapid movement beneath the lids, a sure sign the man was dreaming still. Then Cao's hand pinched his nose closed mid breath, causing him to try and inhale again through said nose until his mouth opened partly in a snort, and slowly his eyes opened... Breathing on his own through open mouth he turned slowly opening two-toned pools to Caolan as his brow arched and a faint grin appeared. "You can let go now..." His voice sounding distant and airy due to the plugged sinus. Once Cao's hand was clear he would slowly sit up on the table, stretching his arms over his head with several loud pops coming from him as his joints realigned, one eye open still as he glanced at Tenni. "So, what'd I miss?"

Caolan was glad to let go, dropping his hand to his side and he raised that high brow a little higher at his best friend, giving her a rather 'You couldn't do that because....?' kind of look. A glance to James as he straightened and stretched, the elf smirking at the hole in his shirt, "You uh .... want me to fix that or are you going to keep it for a rag?" His 'offending' hand motioned towards the hole rather haphazardly.

Tenni blinks. "You know, I probably should have used another poison to really sell it," she says. "I hope no one saw you breathing beneath the sheet. Shit. Shit shit. Well, maybe they weren't looking too closely. Ah, well, Caolan is here, obviously; he got a little steamed when I told him of our deception, but I think he forgives me. You *do* forgive me, don't you, la manya'ko?" ["My best friend."]

James`Vodera-Deth lofted a brow slightly at Tenni as he lowered his arms. "I think I've been poisoned enough for the week." He said with a chuckle. As Caolan brought his attention to his shirt he'd shrug and strip it off, looking at the hole the blade had made. "Ah, no worries friend, I can manage.." A quick incantation later and the hole was gone, along with any other damage it may have had as it Mended; slipping the short back on he'd slowly slide off the table, giving another quick stretch. "I'm sure it'll be fine Tenni, so long as it was believable."

Caolan sighed a little, reaching to rub the back of his neck, a twitch of those ears coming as Tenni spoke, looking down to the hole then he nodded, content that it was mended properly. Gold eyes settled on Tenni, ".. I suppose." Best friend? ... still? He cracked a small smile, "But you owe me a big one."

"I *do* owe you a big one," Tennibrook says. "From the money that Archaon allocated me to help put down the Paja Dethsiria." She hands Caolan four, 50-mhl coins. She gives him a hug, and smiles. "You're dismissed. Amarant will show you to a room we'd like to give you in Dethsiris for the time being. We'd like to keep you close at hand. In the meantime... James, you and I need to talk."

<+James`Vodera-Deth> "Ah, whats a little friendly deception without a favor or two, eh?" He'd chuckle as though he'd seen this very thing play out before, only it was with different folks then and a different reason entirely... Finally feeling himself again he fumbled in his pocket for a cigar but stopped, nodding to Tenni as his expression went stone like. "I figured as much, lead the way, Tenni."

Caolan tilted his head a bit. Close at hand? A small frown. He didn't like the way that sounded... but a small nod came from him as he hugged her in return, "Alright. Lady Vexademus wants me to visit her at the Great Dome anyway soon.. so being here won't be very much of an inconvenience." A smile to the warrior, then a firm, gentlemanly nod that you would give a compatriot, before the coins were pocketed, and off he went.

[Caolan leaves.]

"Hold on a second," Tenni says to James. "Something is missing. Ah." She tousles his hair dramatically so that it's mussed up beyond all reason. "Now hyperventilate with me for a moment or two." She does it herself, and it looks like she's been engaged in heavy physical activity. Through gasps, she explains, "You might remember... people are very horny... upon coming back to life."

James`Vodera-Deth blinked and stared at Tenni for a moment. "You've gotta be kidding me.." He hadn't really been paying attention the last two times he'd been actually rezzed, but she did have a point... He closed his eyes for a moment to concentrate on his inner fires, raising his body temp accordingly before he set himself about with rapid breathing, forcing his body to strain itself without really having to. "Ok.. I think... I'm good..." He huffed out with a smirk, hand lifting to tussle his own hair just a bit.

[CallieO]

A Burning House
Chapter 11

"It's your call, Dana. But pretty soon, it's going to be my call. Because here's the thing-- I can't let it be their call."
--Isaac Jaffee, Sports Night

===

L`aquera clenched the missive in hand just a bit to tightly, the portal spitting out the diminutive bitch as if it were troubled she'd come through it. A good marching pace seen her heading for the Castle, only the rustle of skirts might have warned the guards stationed there she was coming, that and the bright flaming colors of silk she wore. No slipper, but certainly a lovely pair of softer suede that wrapped all the way up and capped over knees, soles of the boots weren't so soft however and sported a low heel. There was anger that set eyes aflame and features to stiffness however. Clear warning she wasn't happy. Even in this heat! She'd sent off a missive of her own to Davak, since he was her War Master, he might as well master some War around this place. How could there be more and more trouble in Deth? Didn't James tell her of this a week or so ago? Aye, but she'd assumed the guards here were more then ready to handle it.

James had been given advanced warning of the Empress' arrival, and so he had waited just outside the castle gates, lit cigar in his hand as he watched for the first signs of her approach... He could feel the aether boiling long before he caught sight of her, and knew she was angry.. This likely would not end well for someone, and he hoped for once it wouldn't be him, he'd after all just been stabbed in the back once in the last week, wasn't too keen on another this soon... As L`aquera neared his position he'd dip his head to her, taking a pull from his cigar as she neared. "L`aquera, I hope the trip wasn't too rough? That portal always leaves me feeling queasy." He'd say, that scent of clove, cinnamon and something acrid swirling around him as free hand stroked his clean chin.

L`aquera paused at the sight of the kitten and that.. thing he kept pulling on. Was he taking notes from Infernis and cloves? Nose wrinkled but she waved off the concern with the Portal. "It seems to much magic swirls around this place, the portal is always dicey to deal with." That was true enough. As if the damned thing had a mind of its own. "Though I'm curious." She eased closer and then swept around him, looking him up and down like a commodity she was looking to buy, even poking at him rather sharply. "Aren't you supposed to be laying on stone awaiting a Rez? You look rather lively for a dead kitten." Obviously he wasn't dead, which wasn't all that shocking. But there seemed to be more going on here then just arrows and bandits. "Did someone make a new puppet? It feels pretty real." said while she snatched up a hand to rub his ear, thumb stroking along the inner curved ear. "Even warm. Maybe I should pinch to see if it cries out in pain?" questioning brow rose.

+James`Vodera flicked ash from his cigar as L` started circling 'round him, giving a soft 'ow' for each sharp little poke made. "I was rezzed yesterday morning, though there is more going on than you currently know..." Words cut off in his throat as she grabbed his ear, unable to keep a purr rising in his chest. "You and my ears... Come, lets go inside, we can talk in my quarters." He'd say as he leaned up from her, removing his ear from her grasp before he motioned her to follow. It would be a quick trip into the castle and up the first flight of stairs, his quarters not too far from the landing as he opened the door to allow her in, following and closing the door behind him, and once inside those walls he'd sigh with relief. "So, first things first, the rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated, not every day one survives a knife to the back." He'd say as he took a seat at the small writing desk in the room. "Second, officially I was rezzed yesterday, so thats been fun." Oh the sarcasm was heavy in his voice, but he seemed to be in good spirits as he adjusted his robes a bit.

L`aquera smirked when he removed that ear from her grasp. Wise kitten. Still the amusement faded as she followed him within the cooler confines of castle, its aura just as passively magical as always. She didn't doubt Arch loved the feel of the place as it suited the drak intimately. Only after his door was closed did she drop down, sift her sai to lap and lean in to listen. He liked to talk quickly so one had to listen or get left behind but likely that habit would never fade. "I stabbed you in the front and you didn't complain this much." Quick side smile but she finally did lean back, fingers resting to the blackened blade of weapon, stroking slowly to process it all. "Not fun enough it seems. My concubine sent me a fairy note, he's been shot with an arrow. And was brought here, of all places. Where all the fun seems to be hovering." Nails tapped to sai in rhythmic order and silvers trained on the kitten. "Out with it then, hmm? My humor is all dried up in this 'fun' of yours."

James`Vodera smirked a bit. "Technically you stabbed me twice." He said with a light chuckle before that serious expression returned to his clean shaven face once more. "Yes, I'd heard about that, from Gavin no less but I'm afraid I don't know where he is currently, last I heard he was staying at Kable's villa here in Dethsiris... And he should have been laying low, considering the idea that this Paja group might have been taking shots at him to get to you. The 'fun' seems to be revolving around this rebel group thats been giving us grief the last month, you recall the prisoner I told you about? She escaped, with the help of Varis after he stabbed me in the back, to hopefully get in with the Paja Dethsiria.. Last thing the goldwing told me before the escape was something big was coming, earth shattering she said specifically... I'd love to hear your thoughts on the situation as you see it L`aquera." As he finished he took a breath, sighing before taking another hit of his cigar, tapping the ash into a small tray on the desk.

L`aquera snorted softly. Did he really want to hear what she thought? "You should have killed her. The dead can talk given the right necromancer. And oddly you have the best here in Deth." Having loose ends was not in anyones favor. Just because you didn't kill them, didn't mean they wouldn't keep coming back like a plague. "You have windwalkers here at your disposal. Track her. The scent would still be in the cell. Track her, kill her and anything in your path. I'll send word to Commander Balard to come here and help do just that. I already have Davak coming this way, he represents my own personal interests. As for Gavin? Well, I'll wait for him to peek his head out. I've no idea where Kable lives but a brief message spell is all that will take to find out, hmm?" Sai was picked up and studied. "As for hiding places, seek the council of the Amahil around here. After all, this is their home, they know it best yes?"

James`Vodera sighed softly. "Of course I should have, I see that now... We also caught our little arsonist in the act... We took him into custody but before I could question we found him dead in his cell, strangled to death and made to look like a suicide. There's a mole in Dethsiris Castle, L`aquera, and it pisses me off that one of these rebels could have gotten this close..." He sighed and shuffled his boot before snubbing his cigar in the tray and standing, moving over to the small bedside dresser and opening the top drawer, taking out a bottle of absinthe and pair of small glasses; setting them on the dresser he'd pour some into both, glancing up at L`. "Drink?" He'd ask as he offered out one of the glasses to her. "You should know, Tennibrook has been promoted the Warmaster here, and has recommended me to fill her position as Air Marshal." He'd say as he took up his own glass. "As for the windwalkers, I don't want her tracked just yet, I believe she's connected to the leaders of the Paja somehow, and I'm hoping Varis can figure out that connection before anything else happens around here..." He sighed again before sipping from his glass, moving back to the writing desk chair.

L`aquera took the drink but set it down. "You asked me what I think but won't follow it hmm? Thats interesting. Why wait? You want them to harm more? Set something else on fire? Sounds like a great plan." She had half a mind to hurl her glass at him. They never listened. And when they finally did? It was already to late. "I won't be casual in how I say this James. Pay attention. The phoenix stones, that bridge, the Temple here, are worth more then your life to the Empire. If anything happens to them, it falls on you by sitting about playing in the muck. If you're prepared to take the consequence of your inaction? Fine. I'll leave you to it." Delicate features were now set in stone. It was quite clear they were to seperated here to continue to listen to the Empire that had given them a place to rule over. So be it. "I'll station my own guards around the mines and the Temple. If your people die, it won't be our problem."

James`Vodera sighed again, softly, almost inaudible, as he sipped the absinthe in the glass, no longer really tasting it. "We've already lost a vulpine guard here... I don't want to lose anyone else, L`aquera... What I -want- is to catch this mole, and crush this group under heel before a full blown rebellion rears its head here..." He said in quiet tones before he set that glass aside finally, tenting his fingers together in front of him. "I will make this right, I won't stop until it is." He said finally, firmly, before lifting those mismatched pools to meet those silvers of hers. "A bigger imperial presence will only hinder things here, and no I don't want to see anyone else die under my watch.. I'll speak with Lady Mae about getting our dead prisoner to speak, possibly Lord Archaon if he deems it needs his own personal attentions. I'll speak with Tenni about dispatching windwalkers to track. As for the portal and the pheonix stones, I'm sure you noticed the increased guard presence there, and Lady Vex has been double and triple checking on them to make sure they stay unbothered."

L`aquera folded her arms, that stare as ungiving as ever. "You want a mole? Then kill some of them and make the dead speak. Until you get the information needed. In the mean time, don't sit around hoping it falls in your lap and get frustrated more of your people here die, are injured, more fires break out. My men will be stationed as I said. You want to create more casualties? It's foolish as fardon hell. All so you can catch one person instead of putting out the fire that is already raging. I didn't think you were dumb, now I have to evaluate all over again." Obviously James wasn't of militant mind or he'd have known this, but there were those in charge ahead of him that should have. "I don't mind sticking around protecting what the Empire fought hard for. I'm sure Infernis won't mind another guest at his Tower and I'll be paying a visit to Archaon. At this point, you've managed to frustrate the hell out of me James. I don't agree with sitting around on an arse hoping something shakes loose. Decisive action works better then flailing around."

James`Vodera sat forward, those ears of his perked and listening intently, and he nodded, once, as she finished. "You're right... I have been acting a damned fool of late, as you would say I need to take my head out of my ass and get with things." He'd say before leaning back. "I want to do right by the Empire, L`aquera, so if that means busting a few heads so be it. I'll see that these fires are gotten under control before too long, as well." If she wanted action from him she'd get it, nothing like having a fire lit under ones ass verbally to get one moving after all. "Any other adivce you can give me, L`aquera? I'll gladly take whatever is given." So long as it didn't include another blade and his skin getting better aquainted, he thought to himself.

<L`aquera> "Consult military minds to flush out what should be dead. Oh yes, and don't get dead again. Its rather expensive." Not that she was footing the bill but it was simply annoying to wait on someone. Rising up, she left her drink where she'd set it and moved out. They were obviously trusting the wrong folks around here to take charge and if anything happened to those mines or that temple, the Gods wouldn't protect those that failed. At least one thing had let up, the heat that had invaded James room. It went with her, out the door and out of the Castle. She'd immediately send a message spell to her Guard and then one to Gabriel. They'd be here guarding what was important to the empire and woe be to any fool she came across. She'd ash them first and ask questions later.

[CallieO]

A Burning House
Chapter 12

"Fear always works."
--Mayor Bellwether, Zootopia

===

Mae-Deth had just gotten out of a busy businessmeeting and had recieved a report about the ongoing Paja Dethsiris mission. She was reading while walking around the castle. Nothing so far from Varis..but..she would have to trust that he would be alright. Luckly James has been ´Rezzed´ and Rolan seemed to be doing well as well. She would push the doors open from her office with a sigh. Of course wanting a break soon as well..but there was no break for being a ruler..it seemed. Respect for Archy. She wore a sexy red and black dress [https://imgur.com/aT0S5Uv] and she would place her two whips and mithril scimitar away while taking a seat in her chair. ¨Bring me a bottle of Black Rum and something to eat please.¨ She said to the servants before returning her eyes to the report. Her legs crossed, exposing some skin.

James`Vodera-Deth sighed softly as he approached Mae's office, his little meeting with the Empress had given him much to think on and none of it he liked; as he come to her office door he'd sigh again, setting himself as he rapped his knuckles along her door. "Its James.." He called, making sure he could be heard clearly even through the heavy door. He wore his normal arch magi robes and breeches, soft soled boots hardly making a sound above a whisper in those halls. He'd eyes the servant as they left the room before shaking his head slightly... No no no, best not going around doing -that-, people might get nervous.

Mae-Deth would hear the knock on her door and she would call out. ¨Come in dear.¨ She simply said. Not letting her eyes trail off the report. A frown could be seen on her face. The Empress had been here while she was away..well..she was curious about what exactly was discussed..she had hoped she was present when this happend..but..it seemed that James would talk with her en do a report..and had things on his mind. Once he stepped inside, her eyes didn´t look up from the paper yet. Her hand simply motion him to take a seat across her desk. ¨Take a seat dear.¨ She simply said as she finished the paper. Then she would place the paper down and look with a serious expression on her fae to james. ¨How can I help you dear?¨ She asked him politely.

James`Vodera-Deth entered upon hearing the returning call, easing open door and slipping inside to approach the desk... Noticing the report in her hands he'd nod once as he took a seat in the offered chair, crossing leg over knee and leaning back soe to get comfy as he waited for Mae to finished reading the report. "Had a visit from the Empress yesterday... She gave me some advice that I'm not too keen on following, namely that of how to find our mole... She suggested to simply start killing staff and getting the dead to speak to find out, but I don't want to do that... I could use some advice from someone who's default state of being isn't angry." He said at length, wondering just how much into detail he should go with L`s visit and their little chat.

Mae-Deth would nod a little and placing the report on her desk in front of her. ¨Yes..I have heared of the visit of the Empress. Such a shame I wasn´t present at that time.¨ She would fold her hands and rest her chin on it as she listend to his words. Still that serious expression on her face. ¨Mmm....so...she said that we need to kill staff and use death magic to see who the mole is? Surely she had said more..Please..Tell me what exactly has been said so that I can understand completely and can answer your question.¨ A soft smile on her fae as she watched him. She couldn´t really give her opinion if she didn´t know the full converstation.. got the full information. It sounded rather radical to kill staff..but..perhaps...

James`Vodera-Deth nodded slightly. "Oh there was more said... mostly to the tune of what an idiot I'd been during this debacle... No doubt she was still rather upset about her concubine having potshots taken at him, and I don't blame her..." He went on to explain how she'd wanted him to track Jessie using windwalkers, how he should have just killed the goldwing outright and had a necromancer to get her to talk, and about how she'd be stationing her own guards around the mines and Temple. "Mae... Does the term earth shatteringly big mean anything to you? Cause thats something else thats been bugging me of late... Something Jessie said before she escaped."

Mae-Deth would listen to his words and then takes a deep sigh. ¨Yeah..I wasn´t to happy about it either..hearing about Gavin being hurt...but I believe he is staying at Kable and alexis house right?¨ She asked him. ¨Not sure if that was the best decission either....¨ She looks up as the food and drinks was brought. She would stand up and fill two glasses of black rum and offered one to james before taking sips from her own glass as she walked around in the office. She listend carefully to what the Empress had said and thought..thinking things over. She would blink. ¨Wait ..what?¨ She asked him with a frown. ¨Earth shatteringly big?¨ She would approach james. ¨What did Jessie say *exactly* when she said that..¨ She would take sips as she frowns more. Wanting to know more.

James`Vodera-Deth accepted the glass of black rum graciously, taking a slow sip as he nodded slightly. "Aye, at least he was last I heard." He said, gaze idly following her on her march about the office. Then the frown... He hated when people did that, it usually meant bad things... As she approached him he would frown slightly as well. "Just that something big was coming, earth shattering big... After that I had a knife in my back, so I missed whatever else she might have said on the matter.. Speaking of which, any word from Varis yet?"

Mae-Deth would nod a little. ¨Mmm...well I don´t think Gavin should be there too long. The Paja Dethsiria could easily find him there..in case it was a ´attack´ on the Empress.¨ She softly said. She would think. ¨He needs to be removed to someplace else..outside of Dethsiris or on a island of Dethsiris. But..I don´t know in what medical condition he is at the moment.¨ She explained. ¨Do you know his status?¨ She asked him before taking another sip. ¨Mmm...well it could mean a lot of things..something to be taken serious..something not so..just a simply thread...but I have a feeling that we must take this seriously with things that going on so far..¨ She would take a seat next to james and crossed her legs again. One hand resting on his shoulder. ¨you have been doing a fine job James, don´t worry about the words of the Empress..Altough..I agree that we need to do something more and not ´wait´on Varis.¨ She would take a sip. ¨Tell me..that..dimitri guy..he was..killed? What did you guys do with his body?¨ She asked him curiously while she was thinking about a plan.

James`Vodera-Deth frowned deeper. "I don't know his status currently I know he appeared to be unharmed when I saw him last week, just a bit shook up about being fired on if anything." He said with a sigh, he didn't know why he was concerning himself with L`aquera's concubine, but he was. "What do you mean by it could mean a lot of things? What are you not telling me?" He hated more than frowning people being left in the dark about important matters, but he'd not press the issue as Mae rested her hand on his shoulder, and he'd offer a smile in return. "I try not to, but unfortunately having worn her collar before I can't help myself sometimes.. As for Dmitri I honestly don't know what been done with his body, but I'd very much like to hear what he has to say on the matter.. And yes, according to what we've seen he was strangled to death in his cell, then bled out to make it look like a suicide."

Mae-Deth would nod. ¨Well I will seek to it that he will be brought safely to the Empress...or if needed to my private island that is well guarded with undead. But I don´t want him to stay there in case it is a direct attack on the empress..then he can be in danger..¨ She would sigh and shake her head. ¨I know that these lands are very mysterious James...It has a history..a lot of old Magi stuff happening here...we had the mines with the moriels..the portals..the hurricane..now this..¨ She looked at him. ¨I don´t know exactly what she meant..but I wouldn´t be surprised as it has a connection with old Magi..¨ thats all she could say as there was just simply to little known. She would squeeze his shoulder to reasure him. ¨I understand..she is somebody close to you...But don´t worry..we will get to the bottom of this and solve this.¨ She would kiss his cheek. ¨Now..as for the future..every corpse you collect..you will bring it inmediately to me or Varis.¨ She would stand up again and walk around with her glass of black rum. ¨I´m going to use my death magic to talk with dimitri...I also want the shadows to be involved. Let them spy in the castle..We could use a change self spell to make them look like servants and on the look out for that mole.. Yewakai is one of the shadows..so she should get involved in this as for the Master of Secrets Kable. Also...I think the empress is right on one thing...¨ She would frown more and take another sip. ¨We might need to start making..´fuzz..¨ She would smirk darkly..wickedly. ¨We are going to do exactly what she say´s..killing..and use the death magic to find that mole.¨ She looked at james with her darkened eyes..that filled with some darkness. ¨Then the mole will eventually ´want´ to come out as he would be scared for his life..or she..of course..¨ She laughed a bit wickedly with that.

James`Vodera-Deth sipped his rum as he listened... Old Magi... The mines... rumors of -something- underneath the castle... His free hand would lift and rub at his clean shaven face. "It already feels like I'm in over my head, Mae... I'm not a military person, most of these things are beyond me right now but... I'll do my best.." He smiled a bit as she squeezed his shoulder, nodding. "Thank you, Mae, for the kind words." He said simply before falling silent once more, feline ears perked again as he listened. He blinked. "You want to actually start killing staff here? You're serious?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing, shaking his head slightly. "I s'pose if there isn't a better way than it'll have to be that, but still... It just doesn't sit right with me.. I want to find this mole as much as you do Mae, so I'll go along with it... What should we do first?

Mae-Deth would nod a little. ¨I know dear..that effect is on most of us here..getting all over our heads.¨ She chuckled. ¨But..that makes this place so interesting and alluring no?¨ she grinned a bit more wickedly. Laughing from his words. ¨My dear!¨ She laughed more and shook her head. ¨I said we are going to start a fuzz..think about it..¨ She would turn towards him. Those blue eyes filled with darkness. Oh she was..enjoying the idea..¨ We want first want to find that mole..so.. we get our spies to go undercover as our ´staff´ and keep there eyes and ears out for interesting things... surely the mole will also have different behavior then most of our staff.. ¨ She started to explain.. ¨Then we are telling the whole house that we are looking for a mole..of course the mole himself wouldn´t be really fuzzed about it..but ..when we actually start to ´kill´ the mole would feel scared..like alittle prey in a trap...so..the mole would either be disposed by running or by doing something radical.. In the meantime we talk with the dead and get answers.¨ She grinned more. ¨You have faked your death...so.. we can ´fake´ more deaths here.¨ She gave him a wink. ¨You get what I am saying dear?¨ She smirked. ¨Beside..if we cause a commotion here..then in the gloom..their attentions is on us..and not on Varis and on what he is doing.. Win win situation?¨ She raised her glass. ¨See what I am saying?¨

James`Vodera-Deth could have smacked himself for not catching on sooner, in fact he very nearly did just that as his free hand twitched, but he stopped himself. "I follow you now Mae." He said with a grin of his own as he raised his own glass slightly. "Yes, cause a commotion here and get the mole to reveal himself... Maybe the Empress was on to something after all, I was just too blind to see it." He started to chuckle a bit, and in a few moments had broken into outright laughter, though he quieted back down quickly. "When we find this mole, I'd like him taken alive... I have some questions I'd like to ask him, no pussyfooting around like with Jessie the first time..." He said, matching that wicked grin he'd seen on Mae's face not long ago.

Mae-Deth smirked seeing him almost smacking himself. A loud laugh..perhaps a bit wickedly..but she was mae..and she was a necromancer.. She liked darkness. ¨Goodboy.¨ She teased and gave him a wink. ¨Exactly..and of course we are taking him alive..and if something happends..and he *does* die...we have enough magical way´s to make him suffer as well. We could alway´s trap his soul into a object..Varis is able to do that or we could simply rezz him and torture him or use other way´s..¨ She chuckles. ¨So..first things first..get Gavin to the Empress herself or to a highly guarded place...Make sure the shadows are going undercover as house staff to be our eyes and ears..´killing´ staff in the meantime..and catch the mole while keeping the attentions on us.¨ She would take sips of her black rum while looking out of the window. One hand on her hip. ¨Mmm..didn´t they say the disliked us necromancers? That we are a disgrace for the dead? Well..we can lure them out more to let ´undead´ walk around more..what if we ´kill´ the staff and let their ´undead corpses´ walk around hmm?¨ She grinned more. ´We could use corpses that match the race..change them into ´staff´ members and let them walk around a bit.. Surely the mole wouldn´t want to become a ´mindless´ undead minion.¨ She said with a shrug. Not offended that the Paja Dethsiria saw them that way. Most people had their opinion about her kind.

James`Vodera-Deth sipped his rum to hide the faint blush on his cheeks from her teasing, he had gotten used to hearing that phrase from the Empress while under her collar. "Oh I have my own ideas for this mole, Mae, none of which they will enjoy." If Jessie thought what she went through was bad, she didn't know James... "I'll head over to Kable and Alexis' place later to see about moving Gavin, I'll go with him if need be to make sure he goes... L` did mention she was waiting for him to peek his head up..." He chuckled softly before finishing his rum, setting the glass down. "They did mention a dislike for necromancers, aye, I think I'm beginning to like this plan of yours, Mae, should prove entertaining to watch..." He said as he finally stood from the chair, stretching his body and getting several loud pops for his efforts

Mae-Deth would see that blush and that made her grin more. So cute.. She would grin a bit. ¨Well do enlighten me then with your plan for the mole when we get him dear.¨ She gave him a wink. Of course allowing him his way´s if she approves of it. She would smile hearing him talking about Gavin.. ¨Good..¨ She approached James as he stood up and placed her hands on his shoulder. ¨Gavin is dear to me..and I want him to be safe. And what´s the best place to be safe then with the empress and her army at home?¨ She chuckled. One hand reaching out to stroke his hair and playfully scratch behind is ears. ¨I am glad that you have joined the house dear..you have been a big help so far..¨ She grinned. ¨Oh I am not only a beauty dear..you will be surprised that this one also has brains.¨ She teased and gave him a wink. She would retreat her hand and then cross her arms, making her tits push up. ¨Thank you..Of course we are also going to entertain ourselves.¨ She chuckles some more.

James`Vodera-Deth grinned back at Mae as she grinned, though he wasn't sure why. "I'll be sure to speak with him, and aye no safer place than the palace right now for him.. I just hope L goes easy on him." He said with a chuckle, smiling as Mae placed her hand on his shoulder again before that hand shifted upwards, catching him off guard with that assault on his ears and a purr would rise in his throat unbidden. "D..damnit Mae..." He stuttered out, just barely making sure to listen before she pulled her hand away, though a part of him wished she hadn't. "As for my plans for the mole? Why spoil the surprise? Lets just say what I did with Jessie was only a warm up." He said, giving her a wink, though his gaze was momentarily pulled down to those breasts as she pushed them up before snapping back up... Burn this woman and her teasing! He still rememberd he owed her a favor as well, and was half wondering when she would collect on it.

Mae-Deth would nod. ¨Mmhhm..good..Oh..and perhaps..you can ask that Traael girl to join you and assist you in escorting Gavin back to the Palace.. She is of the Imperal guards after all..and think that it would be wise to have some more forces to assist in this important matter.¨ She said. She smirked more..hearing his purrs. So cute. ¨Oh..she is just very concerned..which..I totally understand..I would´ve killed already some people if I had heared about something happening to my concubine.¨ She chuckled and then hear his mutters..seeeing how he looked at her breasts and she would step closer and retreat her hands to his ears and started to scratch again. ¨Okay okay..I will continue then as you want it sooo badly dear.¨ she teased and gave him a wink. ¨Mmhmmm...I like the sound of that..just..get me involved is all I am asking...I would like to see you..in action..¨ She teased. Of course she knew that james knew he owned her a favor..and that was part of the fun..having them thinking over and over when it will happen.

James`Vodera-Deth nodded slightly at that. "Yeah, I think I will ask Traael if she wants to join me in returning Gavin. Just as soon as I can confirm his whereabouts, anyway." He suddenly wished he stil had some of that black rum to sip, his throat suddenly feeling parched. "Aye, the Empress can get a bit over protective of what is hers..." He absently reached a hand up to touch at one of the newer scar in his shoulder. Then she stepped closer again, and once more he found himself purring as her hand returned to his ears. "Nng.." He murred out as he started to lean his head into her hand. "S..sure thing.. Mae..." He murmured out with a small stutter.

Mae-Deth smiled. Happy that he would get traael involved as well. It was important that Gavin arrived safely back into the arms of the Empress. ¨Well I wouldn´t blame her...I can be that sometimes as well...well..sometimes..perhaps..often..¨ She chuckled as she kept scratching those cute cat ears. One hand would go to that scar in his shoulder. ¨How are you feeling dear? With all the stabbing and losing limbs and stuff? Are you able to relax as well?¨ She asked him concerned. Not wanting him to overwork himself just like Tenni could be..and herself. She smiled as he leaned into that hand and she continued to scratch his ears and caressing him while her other hand would caress that scar softly. Not liking to see her house members injured.

James`Vodera-Deth was purring like a kitten by now, nuzzling into those scratches; as she touched his shoulder he'd give a faint wince, those wounds were still fresh and painful it seemed. "I'm doing better since getting stabbed this last time... Though the loss of my hand and fingertips was pretty bad... I think I'd rather get stabbed again than go through that a third time." He managed to string an entire sentence together despite the teasing of his ears, those mismatched orbs opening after another moment to look at Mae. "I've found time to relax, yes, hell I even managed some time with Naut recently, we hadn't seen each other in a while." He said before falling silent again.

Mae-Deth grinned from his purring..so cute.. Such a lovely sound. So..she wouldn´ t stop. She was very carefull and gentle with her touches. ¨..I wouldn´t even know how it would feel like to have lost a hand and fingers..¨ She sofly said. She would smile. ¨good..I am glad that you were able to find time to relax..and got some time with your wife..must be nice.¨ She would use her magic to refill both their glasses with black rum before offering him one. ¨Its good..isn´t it? One of my favorite drinks..¨ she chuckles as she looked at the black liquid in their glasses. Other hand still scratching behind his ears.

Rolan-Deth was in his bedroom close to Mae's own quarters. He was glad to be in a stable enough condition to be in his own room again, and the healers had even given him the supplies to dress his own wounds. And, that's precisely what he is doing now. He wraps his chest and stomach up with the gauze after applying some of that burn salve Naut`Kyn had given him. Then sits on the edge of his bed for a few moments. He feels isolated since the incident in the catacombs, so much secrecy around it.

James`Vodera-Deth was finally getting some control of himself, lessening the nuzzling of his head against that hand of Mae's as she continued to scratch at his ears, accepting that refilled glass with his right hand, still having phantom pains in the left he didn't want to risk dropping the thing. He sipped as he considered Mae's words, unable to bring himself to pull away from her hand as he had with the Empress. "It hurt... More than any torture I've suffered through... It was odd though, watching my fingertips start to slowly ash themselves from being..." He said quietly, remembering that night as he stared at his left hand, still not quite matching with the rest of his arm in terms of skin color.

Mae-Deth would drop that hand that was scratching behind his ears and she would softly hold his hand to watch it. Seeing the different skin color. At least it wasn´t a babyhand anymore She would frown a little and nods. ¨Well..I haven´t been through that...but..there was this one time..my wing got badly injured during one of those missions to ship the Dethsiris fruit...I couldn´t fly for a bit..and that really sucked.. I also one time got my ribs broken..and that...hurts a lot as well I can say..but..I mostly hated it to just be pinnend to the bed..that sooo not suits me.¨ she chuckled. Gently brushing fingers over his hand. She would then let go of his hand and walk with her glass of black rum to the blacony of her office. For a moment taking in the dethsirian air. ¨Take as much rest while you can james...I have a feeling that we won´t be able to do that for long.¨ She said as she frowned while watching over the lands and taking sips of her drink.

Rolan-Deth had been recovering for days, and the healers had given him a note that Victus had left after the incident. It said to see Mae or Tennibrook if he wanted to know what had happened in the catacombs. He holds the small letter in his hands and stares at it for a moment. Then crumples it up and tosses it on the floor befoe getting to his feet with the help of a walking cane he had been given. His back and abs were still very sore, and he's regaining his range of motion. He walks down the hallway to Mae's office. Then knocks firmly, the man's large hand and considerable strength would be a dead giveaway to anyone who's ever heard him knock on a door. So, it wouldn't be a mystery as to who it is. He waits patiently on other side of the door.

James`Vodera-Deth would be grateful for her releasing his ears finally, though it took another moment or three for his purring to cease. "Pain and suffering is never a fun thing, but it has its purposes.." He'd say before joining her on that balcony, this time his hand reaching to rest on her shoulder as he smiled a bit. "I'll do that Mae, and again, thank you.. I heard from Tenni I'm to be promoted soon to her old position, after passing some tests of course.. I'll try my best not to let Dethsiris down." He said, new confidence filling his tone as he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "In the meantime Mae, I think I'll do just that and relax for a bit." He said, that easy smile on his face once more.

Mae-Deth would smile at him when he joined her on her balcony and squeezed her shoulder. One hand raised and on his hand. Petting him genly. ¨Of course dear..Of course..I have heared great things from Tenni. That you have been mastering your skill...so you will become the next Air marshall when you pass the test..which..I am sure you will do.¨ She smiled at him. Another nod. ¨Yes..¨ She would then hear the knock on her door and for a moment looking over her shoulder. ¨Come in Rolan..we are at the balcony.¨ She called out, knowing it was Rolan. Not knowing in what for shape he was. She would look back over Dethsiris while taking sips. ¨there is also something else James..but..I will talk with you about it *after* we have solved this whole..rebellion thingy.¨ she chuckled a bit and waited for Rolan to join them.

Rolan-Deth slowly pushes the door open with the hand he isn't using to hold the walking cane with when he hears Mae beckon him in. He closed the door behind himself, seeing her standing with James on the balcony he seems slightly surprised. He had heard Rumors that he had been killed in the prison break. But, they were just rumors. He has a seat in the sitting room after pouring himself a glass of rum.

James`Vodera-Deth let that easy smile of his linger, looking over his shoulder as Rolan joined them, he hadn't seen the man up and about since seeing him in the infirmary ward after the escape and he'd been pretty badly burned thank to Varis and Victus. He shot a glance at Mae, wondering if Rolan had been included in this little plan or not but if she didn't say anything neither would he. He'd look back to Mae again, brow lofting slightly. "After? Alright Mae, just send word when you're ready to tell me and I'll meet you." He said with a chuckle as he sipped his rum once more, fumbling in his pockets to take out one of his cigars, holding it between fingers for the moment as he knew not everyone approved of his smoking habits.

Mae-Deth would look at James and pets his shoulder to let it be for now. ¨Yes..After..I will let you know when it is the right time.¨ She explained and then she would look at Rolan and frowned. ¨Hello dear.. Are you feeling slightly better?¨ She asked Rolan concerned as she walked towards him. Gently lifting his chin to look into his gaze. ¨Things didn´t go quite well down there huh...what happend?¨ She asked him concerned. ¨I believe miss Naut has been taken care of you?¨ It was a shame..they really needed more healers...

Rolan-Deth had taken a sip of his rum and set it down on the short table in front of him. He had given James a polite wave, but it did seem like he was looking at a ghost considering the rumors he's heard about the prison break. He would allow Mae to lift his chin, he has a look of confusion and anger on his face. The anger was just under the surface, and he's trying to keep calm. "I went down to the catacombs, maybe to see if there were any bodies that needed to be moved. And, I was attacked by a dark elf. The elf stuck me to the wall with blood webbing, then Victus was there and he knocked over a brazier." He pulls a small teddy bear he had placed on the seat beside him out and looks down at it. "Jessie, this little girl from the village...I had rescued her mother from a blink cat some years ago. She was there, in the prison. What is going on?" He looks up from the worn teddy bear.

James`Vodera-Deth would dip his head slightly in return of the wave from Rolan, thinking to himself that the last time they'd met he'd been in disguise as a human woman, which made him chuckle softly. "I'd heard my wife was looking after you Rolan, she told me you'd been burned pretty badly.. You say you were attacked by a dark elf? Clean shaven, short hair?" He'd ask, sipping his rum again until it was gone and he'd look inti the glass with a slight frown. "Why is it always gone so soon?" He mumbled to himself before looking back to Rolan.

Mae-Deth would see that confusion and anger on his face. ¨Calm down dear...calm down.¨ She would say. She would listen to his words and looked at the teddy. Then a deep sigh. ¨Look Rolan....You should know what the plan is..but..you need to calm down.. you might know Jessie..but she might have changed as well..life has effect on people.¨ She would take a seat next to Rolan-Deth and motioned James`Vodera-Deth to take a seat as well. ¨Please..James..inform Rolan about the situation and about the plan.¨ she explained..as James was the one involved with it at first.

Rolan-Deth is beside himself. It's been days and nobody has bothered to tell him what happened, or debriefed him about the prisoner. He's had to gather tidbits, and it's all rumors as far he's concerned. "Calm down? The Paja Dethsiris has little Jessie. And, there's a dark elf assassin roaming the jungles. What do you mean...." He growls lowly and gets ahold of himself when Mae sits down beside him, and mentions a plan. He would look up to James, "Plan? You better talk fast...." The big man was in bad shape, but he still has a violent streak a mile wide.

James`Vodera-Deth nodded and came over, taking a seat in the indicated chair. "Alright, so the rumors of my demise were exaggerated a bit... the prison break you witnessed was staged for Jessie's benefit, thats why it had to look like Varis killed me, you see.." He'd pause for a moment, sipping his rum before continuing. "Jessie is involved with the Paja, Rolan, and I'm convinced she has connections to their leaders somehow. Varis is currently undercover with them to try and get us some answers... Believe me Rolan, I didn't want to put anyone elses lives in danger aside from my own, which is why I volunteered to take a knife in the back for it." He said, placing that cigar between his lips now but not lighting it just yet.

Mae-Deth would place her hand on the thigh of Rolan to keep calming down himself. ¨Yes.. its what james said. Varis is currenly going undercover in the gloom and hopefully with the Paja Dethsiria.. So..it was staged..and I don´t believe it was the plan to have you running in there and Victus doing that... I am sorry that you went through that.. ¨ She would squeeze his thigh a little bit, reassuring him. ¨So... currently Varis is with Jessie to find out more information... while we ..in the meantime have a plan to find the mole that we believe is here in the castle.¨ She would smile at Rolan and then shift her gaze back to James. Smiling to him.

Rolan-Deth takes the teddie bear Jessie had given him in both of his hands after listening closely to what they had to say. He stares at it and strokes the ears of it with his thumbs. Mae's hand on his thigh did have a bit of a calming effect on him and he takes a deep breath. "I feel so helpless here.....I'm that little girl's hero. Well, I hope Varis succeeds. But, I know the Paja Dethsiris....if they suspect she's flipped they'll kill her and blame it on us." He winced in pain as the burns on his midsection reminded him they're still healing. "I....I've got to do something."

<James`Vodera-Deth> "I feel about the same, Rolan, about the Paja and what they might do." He said. "At least your looking better than the last time I saw you in the infirmary..." He paused briefly and chuckled as he remembered. "Oh right, that was me that came to see you the other day, had to keep up appearances and all that." He leaned forward in that chair then, still with unlit cigar hanging from his lips. "On the plus side, if this plan of Mae's works we'll find out if its more than one mole in the castle or not.." Always cover two things... as many bases you could and your own ass, and James had done both adequately enough.

Mae-Deth would caress the thigh of Rolan..knowing that he might flip and her touches helping him to calm down. ¨Sweetie...I know you are feeling that..but the most important thing..the thing you can help us all and jessie with..is by recovering..as that is your first priority.¨ She told Rolan. She would shift her gaze to James and nods a little. Then a grin. ¨Yes..I have a plan..that could work..¨ She said as she shifted her gaze back to Rolan. ¨So..as Varis is undercover..we need to keep their attention on us...so..what we are going to do are striking two things at once..first we let our shadows go undercover as out house staff..be our ears and eyes..looking for that mole and seeing and hearing things suspicious...in the meantile we are going to make a fuzz here..saying that we know there is a mole underneath us and we start to ´kill´ them.. The mole would eventually feel scared and go running away..or do something stupid so that we can catch it..this also covers for a good distraction from the gloom. The Paja heat us necromancers...so..to even lure them out more..and that mole..we are going to use corpses to disquise them as the ´killed house staff´ and let them walk around the castle more.. ¨ She explained to Rolan.

Rolan-Deth sighs as he feels another twinge of itchy, burning pain from his muscles and skin as the healing was progressing slowly. He looks between them, shaking his head at James he thinks it's best to add some levity to the situaton. "Well, you make a very attractive human girl James." He picks up the glass of rum and downs it quickly, for the pain. Then listens to the plan, "That's a terrible fate, being a zombie servant in this castle. It could work, but I'm not much for schemes. I'd sooner drag them down to the dungeons and beat it out of them...." He growls lowly, maybe he just said that because he feels so upset about everything.

James`Vodera-Deth smirked and lifted his glass. "I do try." He'd comment back, he didn't really think his disguise was all that attractive, just something he threw together in the spur of the moment. "You may yet get that chance, Rolan, if my questioning doesn't yield anything useful to us." He looked to Mae then, nodding slightly. "I do hate parting ways Mae, but I really should be going." He would look back to Rolan as he stood, nodding slightly to the Dream. ""Take care of yourself and get healed up Rolan, we may still need you in the future." He'd dip his head slightly to Mae before setting his empty glass aside on the desk, lighting that cigar finally with a snap of fingers as he headed for the door.

Mae-Deth would laugh with that. ¨Oh dear..did Rolan hook up with James?¨ She laughs a bit more. ¨I know you aren´t for the schemes part dear..but.. at least we should try.¨ She would then look back at james and smirked. Standing up and made a polite headbow in return. ¨You know where to find me if you need anything dear. Please take a rest..and..if your wife has interest in becomming a healer of the house..please send her to me..and I will make sure she will get a position here.¨ She would then watch him leave and then refilled the glasses of Rolan and herself with black rum.

Rolan-Deth waves politely to James as he gets up to leave them. He had set Jessie's old bear down on the table, "Thank Naut`Kyn for me when you see her. I feel much better now, and I'm glad you're safe." He would turn back to Mae, picking up is glass in a silent toast before downing it quickly. He's still in quite a lot of pain. "It's not my business to plan, just to be your hired muscle right? You're lucky I'm injuerd....I'd be out there looking for her right now."

James`Vodera-Deth would wave to both of them. "I will.." He called as he left the office proper, heading off to take care of a few things.

[CallieO]

A Burning House
Chapter 13

"Rebellion has its roots in government's incompetence and indifference."
--Mike Barnicle

===

Jessie had acquired a long white cloak which she'd appropriated from someone's clothesline, and was using it to cover her face and her golden wings. She's using a Change Self spell to give herself the outward musky skin tone of a moriel, along with their characteristic red eyes. She had made her way to a safe place for the Paja Dethsiria outside the Cave of Dwindling Light, where she is a regular congregant, always in disguise, no one ever knowing she's really a torian. Moriels aren't exactly known for their tolerance of other species, after all. One hour and 57 minutes had passed since Jessie had set the rendezvous here with her rescuer, and she reaches the appointed spot. He's got eight minutes to show up or she's out of here. No doubt the whole Dethsiris Armed Forces are after her for murder. A murder that she didn't commit.

Varis came out of the temple when this 'dark elf' showed up. Varis had been there before her and had gotten somethng to eat and drink while waiting for her. His short hair and clean shaven face helped him blend in with other moriels and he gestures for her to enter the temple. "Come in, come in. Eyes are about. don't want to be spied on... now do you?" He asked her, moving back into the building and to go down the stairs into the temple itself. What Jessie didn't know was that this was Varis's temple, he knew the in and outs of it by memory and also knew how to get into the Gloom from here, though no one else BUT him knows that. at least he thinks.

Jessie shakes her head in response to Varis's question, and follows him inside. "Bless you, brother," she says. She removes her hood and acts as if she belongs here, but she doesn't take off her cloak. She's not talented enough with the spell yet to remove the wings, which would definitely out her as a torian. She'd gotten a pretty good look at Varis, and knows this is the person who had freed her. She had to know if he was part of the Paja Dethsiria or not. There was one way to be sure. Jessie leans in to speak sotto voce into Varis's right ear. "Hope is home," she says. One of the many Paja Dethsiria pass phrases. Does he have the proper response?

Varis-Deth nods to Jessie and follows her down into the temple. There he had set up a place where she could eat some sandwiches and had a glass of bloodwyne waiting for her. "I don't know your catch phrases," he said to her honestly, "But I want to become a freedom fighter as well. I think I proved my wish to be introduced into it." He said to her, picking up his own bloodwyne glass and taking a drink from it. "I'm tired of Imperialists thinking that they can take over Dethsiris and ruin everything I worked for down here! And Kirva dammit I want to be left alone!" He said to her, passsionatelty. "Since they can't leave me alone, it is time I bring the war to them... and that's when I learned you were being held in the prision cells. I tried a few times to come to you to talk to you, but I wasn't ready to kill anyone yet.... but then today, I realize i was ready and did it."

It had been a few hours since Jessie had eaten, and she *is* hungry. She reaches for a sandwich. Pimento cheese. Gods be praised. She takes a bite and chases it with a sip of wyne. "Who are you?" she asks him. "And how did you get inside the castle? How many people did you kill to get to me?"

<+Varis-Deth> "My name is Varrik," He told her with a bow. "I'm an acolyte of this temple. How did I get into the castle? Easy, through the catacombs, and if you include the guards it was around 6 total." He said to her. "Not counting the bastard himself." He said to her with a look of total disdain.

"By the gods," Jessie says. She needs a little time to process this. So much death. The vulpine guard who'd been killed in the fire, the seven men Varrik had killed... and that's not to forget Dmitri. Dear Dmitri. She looks away, and reaches into her cloak for her right wing, pulling off a golden feather with gritted teeth and placing it against her forehead. A thought occurs to her. "Do you know who killed Dmitri?"

Varis-Deth shakes his head. "No, I do not. I'm sorry, Jessie, that I could not get to him in time to save him. Do you have any ideas who would have?" He asked her softly, those violet eyes of his looking into her crimson ones. "Would you like me to avenge him for you?" He asked her gently, reaching out to place a hand upon hers, his face showing heavy regret and concern for the goldwing one.

"No, I don't know who would have killed Dmitri," Jessie replies. She allows herself to be comforted by Varrik, but only for a moment-- and she does not cry. She doesn't allow herself to cry in front of strangers. "Dammit. I led him to this. I saw an opportunity, a vengeful and angry young man, and I told him everything he wanted to hear, that his feelings were justified, and who was to blame for his troubles. He believed me, and did things for me. Along the way he started doing things for himself... and at some point, we fell in love. It didn't happen all at once, but gradually, over time." Jessie sighs. "And now his life is extinguished in an imperialist's gaol. And not even by the imperailists themselves, but by... it had to have been... one of my own comrades, trying to stop him from speaking up." Jessie smooths out the golden feather in her hand, caresses her own nose with it, and then kisses it before placing it in a candle and watching it burn into nonexistence. "I'll help you into the Paja, Varrik... but if I find out that it was one of them who did this, I will not suffer that person to live. And if I find out it was a higher-up who ordered Dmitri's death, I will burn the whole fucking thing to the ground." She gives him a stern look. "I don't want to have to fight you too... but if I have to... I will."

Varis-Deth watched her face and eyes as she talked about Dimitri's death and nods to her when she hears her speak she would help him into the Paja. "Thank you, Jessie. But if it does turn out that someone higher up gave the word to silence him I will help you destroy the Paja as well. I am deeply sorry for your loss, my dear." He said softly to her, but meant every word. "But... this means that the Paja has someone on the inside if they were able to kill Dimitri before speaking, so they have a double crosser. do you know who that might be?" He asked her gently. "One who works for the Imperials but does undercover work for the Paja's?" He asked her more specifically. "And why would they want Dimitri dead? What did he know?" He asked her gently, picking up her hand and petting it softly.

Jessie frowns. "Sorry, I don't trust you enough yet to share that information," she says. "I have a list of suspects in my mind-- we have more than one Paja member entrenched in the house-- but suspicion is not proof. I also won't tell you what he knew. I *can* tell you that he was already higher up in the organization than I was, though, because he was willing to commit more violence than I was." She takes a bite of her pimento cheese sandwich. "He was privy to information about our future plans that he was unable to share with me. Our agent probably assumed he'd break under torture, and they killed him to stop that from happening." The goldwing frowns. "The imperialists are led by necromancers. Do you know if they were able to get information from his corpse, via the Speak with Dead spell?"

Varis-Deth shakes his head. "That I do not know... but knowing them they will use that spell to try to communicate with him." He said softly to her. And then he nods, understanding the untrusting of him. "I do understand that you don't trust me yet. But there will come a time where you will, and we will carry off where Dimitri left off. I am nto scared of killing, I am not scared of violence. I Just need a chance to prove myself, and I will. Breaking you out was the first step, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get these Imperialists out of power. I want my home back to how it was." He tells her softly. Meaning every word.

"Well, until you are our Sworn Brother, until you have undertaken an official mission on behalf of the True People of Dethsiris, until you have sweat and fought and bled with us, and undergone intense questioning under truth spells, you'll forgive me, but you are not one of us yet," Jessie says. "I *am* grateful to you for breaking me out of that gaol, however. You saved my life. They would have hanged me as a rebel and a traitor." She fights back the urge to spit on the floor disdainfully. "I am disgusted by the imperialists. They install necromancers-- people who bring the undead bodies of the fallen-- into power over us. Not just Archaon, but Mae, too! The Lord *and* his second-in-command, both necromancers. They forget that those were once real, living people with hopes and dreams, with personalities, with lives every bit as nuanced and complex as their own. With people who loved them. And they have to watch as their bodies are twisted into mindless soldiers for the wicked cause of subjugating the people of Dethsiris. It's an abomination. Vulpines have a word for abominable people such as this-- 'tezha'. It fits them perfectly."

Varis-Deth nods to Jessie. "I understand, Jessie. But trust me when I say I am ready for these tests." He tells her softly, taking a drink of her wine. She listens to her speak about necromancers and declines to adress any of it, instead merely nodding his head as if he agreed with her. "Tezha, eh? How intresting. I never knew that." He said softly to her. "But I will remember it in the future." He said to her and was glad he hadn't been doing any necromanic work in several days so the stetch of death and decay weren't upon him.

[16:40] <ABurningHouse-Deth> !time
[16:40] <Desdaemona> Current time (as shown by Message Board) in UTC/GMT is: 2022-07-26 20:40:32 - please remember this is NOT game time

"Wait here," Jessie says. She finishes her wine and leaves Varrik alone in the room for a few minutes. Jessie looks around for her friend from the Paja, and comes across Pasachu. Knowing that people can disguise themselves, she goes up to him and whispers in his ear. "Hope is home," she says, the Paja Dethsiria code phrase.

Varis nods to Jessie. "As you wish." Varis said, and relaxed in the room while he waited for Jessie to come back out with homeever she was wanting him to meet.

Pascahu is an aged male dark elf with white stubble on his face and a nice head of silver hair. Presumably he would have been a refugee like most of the dark elves in Dethsiris, and a farmhand. But his time in the Army had given him the skills and discipline to help the rebellion. He smiles down at Jessie "And the heart is free my child." He would look concerned for her. "Where have you been?" He whispered.

"I was locked up in a Dethsiris gaol," Jessie says. "Try not to worry. I didn't betray any terrible secrets. Follow me." She leads Pasachu to the room where Varrik has been waiting for her return. There are sandwiches and some wine. She gestures to Varrik. "Pasachu, this is Varrik, my rescuer from the oppressors. He vanquished several of them, including my inquisitor, during the jailbreak. Varrik, this is Pasachu, a very important veteran of our movement. Varrik has expressed interest in joining us, but I don't trust him just yet; we need to talk about it."

Pascahu ducks into the small room they had Varrik waiting in. He's pleased to see her rescuer is another dark elf refugee. "Thank you for bringing young Jessie back to us safely Varrik." He picks up a slice of sandwich and takes a bite before sitting down across from him to get a better look at him. He's slightly shorter than Varrik and has work toned muscles himself. "Well, you're a big fella. Can't imagine you've gotten that size eating these sandwiches hmmm?" He pats him on the shoulder firmly. Eyes moving to look at Varrik's face. "Fresh out of the gloom hmm? Why'd you leave to come here? Me, I assaulted a superior officer when he tried to rape my wife....powerful people, they think the world belongs to them..they're scum."

Varis was leaning against the wall when Pascahu and Jessie came back in to talk to him. He pushes off the wall and nods to Pascahu when he is thanked for rescuing Jessie. "It was my pleasure. And I was a breeder in the gloom... needed to be strong to sire powerful daughters for the bloody matrons. Then was transfered to manual labor slave after they killed my only son." He said to them both. "I left the gloom to find peace. but these imperialists have taken that from me as well." He said to Pascahu and Jessie.

"Well... with any luck, my friend, we will all soon be rid of them," Jessie says. Turning to Pasachu, she mentions, "Dmitri was caught after he set a second house on fire. And he was murdered in gaol and it was made to look like a suicide. I could do nothing to stop it; in fact, I didn't hear it about until three days after it happened. This worries me. Now that they have possession of his corpse, their necromancers can Speak with Dead. We have to assume that whatever Dmitri knew-- and he knew more than I do about our operations-- is now in the hands of the oppressors."

Pascahu listens carefully to both of them as he finishes up the sandwich he had grabbed. When Jessie mentioned Dmitri had been killed he slaps his hand on the table. "Those bastards...I can't believe they'd do that. This is a people's movement, we don't kill our own." He scratched his stubbled chin and thinks a moment. "I'm sorry, I know you loved him. Just know I didn't have anything to do with it." He growls under his breath. "His death stays with us. Word gets out about this and the whole movement could fall to pieces. The imperials are worse, they'll strip this little island bare and force us back into slavery if they can."

Varis says nothing as he looks back and forth between Jessie and Pascahu. "They've already gotten the Imperial Gaurd involved and the Empress's Flagship Davak LaRone on the grounds as well ready to push back. So whatever you want to do, you have to think carefully, else it will be for naught. They plan on storming the province shortly." He tells them both before resuming leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

Jessie places a comradely hand on Pasachu's shoulder. "I wouldn't have even begun to suspect *you*, Pasa. This cell doesn't kill our own. But someone who had access to the inside of Castle Dethsiris murdered our Sworn Brother, and made it look like an accident. Whether it's an actual guard, or one of our undercover agents, I will not permit this to stand." She looks to Varrik. "Shit, L`aquera sent the general. We may have to go deep underground."

Pascahu sighs as he hears the news of an invasion force coming to Dethsiris. He looks to Varrik, "You say you snuck into the castle and killed their guards without being seen? I wonder if we could use you to try and scuttle that boat. Could give us some more time to prepare a counter punch."

Varis lofts a brow. "You want me to scuttle a ship that has hundreds of men on it? Just how do you think I can do that?" He asks them. "I may know my way around the castle, but I don't the shipyard and again, that ship is full of people. someone will spot me... unless... Unless I can get undercover on their side, then they would never suspect me near their ship." He said as he hummed to himself trying to figure out a way to get rid of that ship without being noticed.

Jessie looks to Pasachu. "I think scuttling L`aquera's flagship is more heat than I want to bring down on us," she says carefully. "Not hating on your creativity, but if we destroy that ship and kill that many imperials, including General Davak, L`aquera will personally burn the jungle down to find us. We'd *all* be hung, drawn, and quartered on public display."

Pasachu shrugs his shoulders. "Well, I always did have a flare for the dramatic. I suppose you're right young Jessie, and I suppose our first order of business would be rooting out this spy hmm? Can't be safe with someone telling the imps all our dirty little secrets." He keeps his eyes on Varrik for an uncomfortable amount of time. "So, tell me what happened? How'd you wind up breaking her out?"

Varis-Deth met his eyes for those long uncomfortable amount of time, never flinching never moving. "I work the rose garden, but before then, I worked in the catacombs tending to those necromancers undead, so I learned the catacombs pretty well. And AFTER they removed me there and moved me to the roses, people talk freely there and I heard that if Jessie didn't talk again this time, then they were going to kill her on public display as a warning for all of the rebellion to know it won't be tolerated. And I sat on that, and it bothered me, so that's when I decided to break her free. I took the back way through the catacombs to the dungeon, downed some guards on the way and broke her out. We had some interference at the exit, and a really fast man chasing after us, which is where I got these injuries, and she distracted the guard at the entrance and we were able to get to the jungle with little problem. She told me to meet her here, at a certain time, and here I am."

"Those fucking bastards," Jessie says. They'd lied to her. She'd never known for sure that her execution, let alone her public execution, was ever on the table, but she's not surprised. She'd accepted that as a given when they'd captured her. "They don't even have a specific crime they can pin on me. Just being a Paja is enough, apparently." She doesn't mention to either man that she'd actually been relatively cooperative. That's not something she wishes to reveal. "Well... they were questioning me about what Dmitri knows. I think the idiots are too stupid to realize they've got necromantic magic that'll make his *corpse* talk. We should retrieve his body away from that place before they grow a brain. What do you think, Pasachu?"

Pasachu sighs and shakes his head at that. Even though he had gone with the riskier plan from the outset, he was older and cared about Jessie as well as the rest of his people. "No, I'm afraid that's too risky. They've probably already taken what they can from the poor soul by now. If you thought of it, they certainly have. Better to try and fortify our positions, and lay low." He shakes his head and looks rather forlorn at the news of Dimitri. "Dmitri was foolish, and reckless. You see how he ended hmm? You two would be well to take what you can when the opportunity is right, and keep the imperials attention away from you."

<+Varis-Deth> "So we just lay low? For how long? At what end?" Varis asked Pasachu. "They are going to be looking for us, and I know for a fact this temple isn't safe from them. Haven't you heard of the black Phoneix stones and the moriels who are trying to get them? The Imperials are watching all Cave of Dwindling Lights and all Gloom entrances. It wouldn't surprise me if they think ever Moriel is in the rebellion with that much distrust of them." He said. He was growing angry. "Plus, where am I to hide at? They know where I live and they know I go to this temple. I'm purely screwed. And if the Matrons in the Gloom find out where I'm at, they'll hunt me too. So I'm sorry if I seem a little upset about all of this, but I'm out of options, and I would rather not die for saving Jessie without good cause."

"Varrik gave up everything to save me from a humilating death at the hands of the invaders," Jessie says to Pasachu. "He may not be a Sworn Brother yet, but we shouldn't dishonor this sacrifice. Rather, we should take advantage of what he knows about House Dethsiris, and maybe do some stick-and-move tactics. Do some things with Change Self spells. Make it impossible to tell when the next attack is." Jessie looks to Pasachu, and places her hand on his shoulder. "I do not doubt you mean it well, but I won't abandon the movement. These bastards killed my lover."

Pasachu sighs in exasperation. "Well, it seems like you won't let this one go. I understand, truly I do. That bitch killed some of my best friends....." He sits down on a stone bench. "Alright, we've got to do whatever we can to hurt these bastards. Steal their corpses and give them proper burials, burn their food stores. Anything we can do to sabotage them. We have people on the inside, servants and sympathetic ears. I even heard the bird woman with the blonde hair hired our Rolan. You remember him, right? If we swayed him....we'd have a fightin' chance."

Varis-Deth anger had cooled off some as he listened to Jessie and Pasachu talk. "I can get to the bodies. I know that catacomb better than the Imperials, and can sneak around without them noticing. That back door isn't often guarded, and if it is, then I can take care of the guards. I just need to know where to take the bodies." He offered. "And a place to stay in between missions. I know where the hidden food storages are, and I also know a little bit about the Dome. I've been in it before to tend t the roses there some." He said softly. "And I want to be sworn in before I do anything else. I want someone to have my back should I ever need it." He said firmly.

"Yes, I remember Rolan," Jessie says. "In fact, we met up with him on our escape route. We were able to immobilize him without harming him. I don't think I could bring myself to hurt the man who saved my mother. He *would* be a valuable asset." She looks to Varrik. "I think we *should* swear you in. But Pasachu's the senior member here. It's not up to me. What do you think, Pasa? He's already shed blood saving my life. And he has nowhere else to go, now."

Rolan-Deth nods and gets to his feet with no small amount of groaning. He places a hand on Varrik's shoulder and smiles. "Alright boy, you've got nowhere to go and no family. Now, we're your family hmm?" He places his other hand on Varrik's shoulder and grips tightly. "Do you swear that you won't betray your brothers and sisters? That you'll fight the imperials with every last breath you have? Until they're gone, or you're gone?" He fixes Varrik with an intense gaze, staring straight into the elf's eyes to gauge his sincerity.

Varis-Deth nods to Jessie and then looks to Pasa when he gets to his feet and puts his hand on his braod shoulder. He looks deeply into Pasa's eyes as he speaks and doesn't even flinch when he gripped Varriks other shoulder. "I swear this to you by my Dead Father. I will not harm my Sister or Brothers nor will I betray them. I will remain faithful through blood and tears and thick and thin." He said, without lying. Of course, he nevere said what brothers and sisters he wouldn't betray, but his words rang true to the truth spell, and his violet eyes stayed on Pasa's and there was nothing but pure conviction in them.

Rolan-Deth nods and grins almost fatherly at Varrik before giving the larger man a hug and patting his back. "Right, welcome to the Paja. We need to get out of here and get back to the village so you can blend in with the locals. I'll get you a job, and we'll start working on undermining the imps. Jessie, you should definitely lay low. They know you now."

"Yes," Jessie says. "I know. I should go away until the heat dies down. Maybe I should even leave Dethsiris. It feels like a betrayal... but they know me, and they don't know you. Varrik, Sworn Brother... I'll set up a meeting for you to see Yaru, our Sworn Sister, tomorrow at one of our safe houses. Here is our passcode. 'Hope is home.' 'And the heart is free.'"

Varis-Deth wraps his arms around Pasa and hugs him back. "Thank you for this. It feels good to be part of something again." He said softly and lets the other man go. He nods when he said about going to the village and meeting the locals and getting a job. "I will do my best at doing everything you tell me to do, and I have some friends in the castle where I can get information from." He looks to Jessie and nods, reaching out for her shouder gently. "And the heart is free. Got it. Thank you Jessiee, for everything, and I'm glad they didn't kill you." He said and then tried to hug her as well if she allowed of course.

Pasachu wasn't sure exactly where to go from here. He wasn't the tactical mind of the Paja, but the heart and soul of the movement. "Right. I don't know where to go from here. It's a shame about Dmitri, but I don't think we'll get his body back. They defiled it anyway. Jessie you need to get some rest, and Varrik should go talk to someone smarter than me."