M
Midian
Guest
Original poster
Dante flinched away from Lilth and withdrew the chewed-up arm.
"Don't touch me," he muttered.
Instead He walked over to the window and leaned on the solid, ornate framing. Down below he watched the Queen show Zoduz and Nyx around the gardens much as she had done when Shola had brought him. He wondered what she was telling them. When he'd first come the Queen hadn't been very forthcoming with information, only telling him that he had been chosen to help save the worlds, all of them, and that once the others were assembled she would explain everything. Naturally suspicious of everything anyway, his hackles were even more raised at such important information being withheld. Good news didn't stay cooped up long and it worried him that there might be a good reason the Queen was waiting to have them all in knee-deep before telling them what was going on.
And what could Lilth possibly know about any of it? She'd had even less time to acclimate; at least he'd had a solid month of bouncing around the palace and prying information out of Shola (who was the most loyal secret-keeper he'd ever met). He only knew that somehow his fundamental makeup as a being had changed when their ritual had happened. She'd accidentally called him a Purifier once and that had been the end of any information flow. Were they all sacrificial lambs, then? Was that going to be the big reveal?
He scrutinized Lilth from the window and frowned. Her situation with them was far different than his. At least his life had been in the shitter before he arrived and coming had saved him from execution. But it had looked like she'd had something of a life going for her before all that shit went down. If he knew what sympathy felt like Dante would have realized he was feeling sorry for her, but as his social skills stood he felt a little nauseous and blamed it on only having tequila in his system.
"So your guess is as good as mine about all this. I think it's time I paid the Queen another visit though. You know how to get into the garden? I'll be down there."
He opened the window and was suddenly over the edge, nimbly climbing down the facing of the castle despite his shoulder and arm. Silently he landed behind the party and it would have remained unnoticed except for Zoduz's sharp instincts. He crossed his arms and leaned on a tree as the three turned to face him and offered a perfunctory, slightly predatory grin to the queen.
"Showing the newbies around, huh? I hope I didn't miss any of the orientation, like why we're all here," he said flatly and the Queen flushed at his casual impoliteness. Briefly she wondered how he and Zoduz, for sharing such a distasteful profession, were so un-alike in manners.
"I will explain everything when everyone is assembled. I believe I've already mentioned that to you," she replied tartly.
"Yeah, but the thing is, your highness, I've been quite awhile on this thin little promise and I'm starting to get a little pissed," he replied, stepping up to her until their faces were inches apart. Several guards started up from their posts and began to close in, nervous and on edge.
"You know they can't stop me," he murmured quietly and the Queen's face blanched, her lips a thin, hard line across her face.
"I do not like to repeat myself," she said stiffly and drew herself up to her full height, looking down the bridge of her nose at him. Not scared easily Dante didn't budge, waiting out her conviction until Lilth's presence in the garden drew his attention away. Not wanting the guards to use her as leverage he backed down with a wry grin and stepped back to lean against a white column.
"And where are these "others"? I think we all want answers soon," he finished, glancing over at Lilth. As he spoke a cry was raised at the front gate and the guard party, along with Blaze, Piper and Shola, stumbled in followed by a wave of smoke.
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EARLIER
"You'll be able to keep them at bay at least! Thank the goddesses!" Keta said urgently to Blaze as the Whisps circled them in, cracking, popping, and groaning unnaturally like the wood of an old house. Piper squeaked and shuddered, but also summoned a bright light in her hands that instantly drew their attention.
"We're not far from the city walls!" a guard yelled. "If we can make it there we'll be safe!"
"Can you and the girl keep them at bay until we get there?" Keta asked and Piper nodded, looking up to Blaze for reassurance.
"Time to use that fire," Piper said and tossed her ball of light out into the crowd of Whisps. One shrieked and began to chase it and that seemed to set off the others as they barreled towards the party. At the far edge a guard was caught in the arms of a Whisp, the creature squeezing the poor woman until her bones broke and then devouring her whole. The others were more fortunate, moving in the protection of Blaze's fire and Piper's light until they made it into the city walls. At the boundary to the city the Whisps began to twist and writhe, hurriedly digging themselves back into the ground. The party made their way into the walls of the palace courtyard and were met by the Queen and the other Purifiers with astonished looks on their faces.
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The Queen shot Dante a smug look and then hurried over to the party as Shola was removed from the litter, hands over her mouth.
"The healer's down at the ocean stabilized her, but she needs treatment now. I'll take her to Imal," Keta said and hurried away with Shola in her arms. With some effort the Queen restrained herself from following them and instead motioned for Blaze, Lucas, and Piper to join the crowd standing around her.
"Dante, as asked, here everyone stands assembled. All of you, rest tonight. Tomorrow morning I will speak to you all."
Without another word she turned on her heel and stormed into the castle, a guard stumbling over himself to follow her. Dante shrugged it off and turned to Blaze and Piper.
"Well, that was helpful. Looks like we're going to be one big, happy family. Fucking fantastic."
"Don't touch me," he muttered.
Instead He walked over to the window and leaned on the solid, ornate framing. Down below he watched the Queen show Zoduz and Nyx around the gardens much as she had done when Shola had brought him. He wondered what she was telling them. When he'd first come the Queen hadn't been very forthcoming with information, only telling him that he had been chosen to help save the worlds, all of them, and that once the others were assembled she would explain everything. Naturally suspicious of everything anyway, his hackles were even more raised at such important information being withheld. Good news didn't stay cooped up long and it worried him that there might be a good reason the Queen was waiting to have them all in knee-deep before telling them what was going on.
And what could Lilth possibly know about any of it? She'd had even less time to acclimate; at least he'd had a solid month of bouncing around the palace and prying information out of Shola (who was the most loyal secret-keeper he'd ever met). He only knew that somehow his fundamental makeup as a being had changed when their ritual had happened. She'd accidentally called him a Purifier once and that had been the end of any information flow. Were they all sacrificial lambs, then? Was that going to be the big reveal?
He scrutinized Lilth from the window and frowned. Her situation with them was far different than his. At least his life had been in the shitter before he arrived and coming had saved him from execution. But it had looked like she'd had something of a life going for her before all that shit went down. If he knew what sympathy felt like Dante would have realized he was feeling sorry for her, but as his social skills stood he felt a little nauseous and blamed it on only having tequila in his system.
"So your guess is as good as mine about all this. I think it's time I paid the Queen another visit though. You know how to get into the garden? I'll be down there."
He opened the window and was suddenly over the edge, nimbly climbing down the facing of the castle despite his shoulder and arm. Silently he landed behind the party and it would have remained unnoticed except for Zoduz's sharp instincts. He crossed his arms and leaned on a tree as the three turned to face him and offered a perfunctory, slightly predatory grin to the queen.
"Showing the newbies around, huh? I hope I didn't miss any of the orientation, like why we're all here," he said flatly and the Queen flushed at his casual impoliteness. Briefly she wondered how he and Zoduz, for sharing such a distasteful profession, were so un-alike in manners.
"I will explain everything when everyone is assembled. I believe I've already mentioned that to you," she replied tartly.
"Yeah, but the thing is, your highness, I've been quite awhile on this thin little promise and I'm starting to get a little pissed," he replied, stepping up to her until their faces were inches apart. Several guards started up from their posts and began to close in, nervous and on edge.
"You know they can't stop me," he murmured quietly and the Queen's face blanched, her lips a thin, hard line across her face.
"I do not like to repeat myself," she said stiffly and drew herself up to her full height, looking down the bridge of her nose at him. Not scared easily Dante didn't budge, waiting out her conviction until Lilth's presence in the garden drew his attention away. Not wanting the guards to use her as leverage he backed down with a wry grin and stepped back to lean against a white column.
"And where are these "others"? I think we all want answers soon," he finished, glancing over at Lilth. As he spoke a cry was raised at the front gate and the guard party, along with Blaze, Piper and Shola, stumbled in followed by a wave of smoke.
-------------------------------------------------------------
EARLIER
"You'll be able to keep them at bay at least! Thank the goddesses!" Keta said urgently to Blaze as the Whisps circled them in, cracking, popping, and groaning unnaturally like the wood of an old house. Piper squeaked and shuddered, but also summoned a bright light in her hands that instantly drew their attention.
"We're not far from the city walls!" a guard yelled. "If we can make it there we'll be safe!"
"Can you and the girl keep them at bay until we get there?" Keta asked and Piper nodded, looking up to Blaze for reassurance.
"Time to use that fire," Piper said and tossed her ball of light out into the crowd of Whisps. One shrieked and began to chase it and that seemed to set off the others as they barreled towards the party. At the far edge a guard was caught in the arms of a Whisp, the creature squeezing the poor woman until her bones broke and then devouring her whole. The others were more fortunate, moving in the protection of Blaze's fire and Piper's light until they made it into the city walls. At the boundary to the city the Whisps began to twist and writhe, hurriedly digging themselves back into the ground. The party made their way into the walls of the palace courtyard and were met by the Queen and the other Purifiers with astonished looks on their faces.
-------------------------------------------------
The Queen shot Dante a smug look and then hurried over to the party as Shola was removed from the litter, hands over her mouth.
"The healer's down at the ocean stabilized her, but she needs treatment now. I'll take her to Imal," Keta said and hurried away with Shola in her arms. With some effort the Queen restrained herself from following them and instead motioned for Blaze, Lucas, and Piper to join the crowd standing around her.
"Dante, as asked, here everyone stands assembled. All of you, rest tonight. Tomorrow morning I will speak to you all."
Without another word she turned on her heel and stormed into the castle, a guard stumbling over himself to follow her. Dante shrugged it off and turned to Blaze and Piper.
"Well, that was helpful. Looks like we're going to be one big, happy family. Fucking fantastic."