Private Tales Cherry Rose Inc. Reunion

[Eilerias]

Eilerias nodded, disappointed that Gwendolyn wouldn't be coming after her, but she understood. She could feel how exhausted Gwendolyn was and knew it would not be kind to keep begging Gwen for comfort in this state. She pulled her in for one more hug as the woman stroked her hair and suggested she rest as well. "I'll try, but I'm just so overwhelmed." She squeezed her. "Thank you for everything you've ever given me, Gwen."

She walked past Cleo, trying to reassure her that she didn't require someone walking her just down the street, but Gwen's orders took priority over hers. "Fine." She grumbled, taking a few more minutes to enjoy the cup of tea before leaving. She heard a small disturbance at the door between Cleo and another voice growing aggressive. Charity? She thought to herself, getting up to see what was going on. "Hey" She said, realizing quickly that this was not a matter for her to be involved in. "Uh Cleo, I'm just going to go. It's alright I really don't need a chaperone." She smiled awkwardly, quietly praying Charity would come back with her and not disturb Gwen any more than Eilerias had.

The walk was quiet, but nice. Eilerias felt much better coming back after confessing everything to Gwen. She was feeling much more happy to be around all the others as she reentered the Raven Club. Her eyes immediately targeted Isak who had appeared to be drinking a lot more than usual. She couldn't blame him though, she had been a little too harsh with him. She walked over to him, noticing Urchin looking particularly excited about something. "Hello again." She smiled, sitting in Isak's lap and giving him a quick kiss before backing away and blushing. She had never shown affection in front of their friends before and it was kind of...nice. "I apologize for disappearing, I just needed to clear the air with Gwendolyn. Poor Gwen...she looked and felt so exhausted." Her voice grew a little concerned as she spoke. "I really hope what I did wasn't what made her so drained....though I really wish nothing or no-one else would do that to her. She doesn't deserve it."

She paused for a moment before suddenly wrapping her arms around Isak. "I'm sorry for shouting at you." Her voice was muffled as she continued her apology tour. "I shouldn't have snapped at you."

 

[Gwendolyn Vollmund]

“Leave her be you selfish little pup!” Cleo said finally after her last attempt. Her expression was deadly serious as she shoved her away and into the dirt. “Mrs. Vollmund has been doing nothing but work for your father and worked in her personal business, and you all lied to her shouted at her and turned her away. Only for her to return to find Your father ever so willing to throw her heart into a tailspin even further.” Cleo finally said with venom practically dripping from every word. “You all lied to her and turned on her one by one. Elirias was lucky to still have her health and Isak still lucky to have his life. Your all lucky she’s grown soft. A younger Gwen would have truly ruined this night for all involved.” She finished letting her words sink in before continuing.

“So I would say she’s had quiet enough for tonight and barring you from the archives more than justified. Good night Mrs.Brairthorne. I suggest returning to the friends you haven’t turned on yet.”

She spat before moving back from the doors as the heavy oak slabs slammed shut. Charity would find her tune no longer lit and the doors would no longer respond to her presence.

 

[Isak Lavelle]

Isak had been thinking on what Urchin had said for some time. With every minute that Eilerias didn't walk through the Raven Club's door, he was downing more wine and growing even more worried, thinking of ways to put her mind at ease, for whatever reason that was troubling her.

For all he knew, she was distraught over what had happened with Gwendolyn. The woman whom she considered a mother had stormed out of the place after learning Isak and Eilerias had been keeping their relationship a secret for months. He knew what Gwendolyn meant for Eilerias, she told him the story of how she ended up taking refuge in Alliria after some traumatic events in Vel'Anir.

The alcohol often served to let his mind loose, to help Isak in his crafty ideas, but right now it only just made him feel worse about himself.

Charity had left as well, and Ogden went off to grab more drinks from the cellar, leaving Isak alone with Urchin and Gilgamesh, with each man focusing on their own drinks. Silence had taken over the place, but not long after, he heard a sound coming from the front of the club, and he finally laid eyes upon Eilerias again, as she looked back at him. Isak wanted to get up and run to her, but she had been quick enough to reach him first, sitting on his lap and surprising him with a quick kiss.

His heart began to beat faster, but it wasn't filled with worry now - only bliss. He held her in his arms, a bit tigther than what she would've expected, probably due to having been desperate while she had ran off. Eilerias started to apologize to him, but Isak looked at her, confused. Why was she feeling sorry? She had every right to seek some peace, especially after the events of the night.

She wrapped her arms around him and Isak moved to settle his face on her neck, closing his eyes and taking in that warm feeling of that gesture. "Don't be sorry, my love. It was all my fault." He spoke, his voice also muffed against her skin. None of that mattered now, only that she was there with him again.

Ogden came back with a few more bottles of wine, just in time to see Eilerias and Isak embracing each other. With his mind filled with more alcohol than sense, the dwarf loudly exclaimed congratulations to the pair while opening up a bottle with his teeth. Isak could feel Eilerias trembling in his arms, and he looked as confused as he had ever been. "Congratulations? What for?" He asked the dwarf, who quickly laughed him off.

"Ay don't be slow wit me, boss! The lil lad inside Miss Eilerias! She's pregnant!"

Eilerias was... pregnant? How in the world...

Isak looked over to her, his eyes widening in shock as he tried to process what Ogden had just said. "Eile, what does that mean?"

 

[Charity Briarthorne]

"Please Cleo... I need to see her!" Charity begged repeatedly, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. With one final rough push from Cleo, she stumbled backwards onto the street, and fell on her rear. She heard the sound of a heavy bolt locking into place and then silence.

Charity sat on the edge of the street, hugging her knees as tears streamed down her face. It was really her own fault that things between her and Gwen had gone the way they had. She had been so intent on defending Eilerias from Gwen's wrath, that she had failed to notice that Gwen was the one hurting. The two people she thought she could trust, the two women who she treated as her own flesh and blood, had both betrayed her trust on the same night. And Charity had made matters worse by running after her and yelling at Gwen about how she was being selfish.

Rising shakily to her feet, Charity walked down the street, still quietly sobbing. Before she knew it, she was back at the Raven Club. Charity took a moment to lean against the side of the building and tried to calm herself. She stepped through the door, attempting to wipe her eyes before anyone noticed she had been crying.

Charity had arrived just in time to see a drunk Ogden emerge from the cellar with wine and announce to Isak that Eilerias was pregnant. A small smile formed on her lips as Isak Looked at Eilerias in confusion, and she walked over to the table to sit next to Urchin. "Ya hear that kid? Looks like we get to keep drinkin'! To baby Lavelle! " she cheered raising her glass and putting up a happy façade. Charity put an arm around Urchin's shoulder and pulled him closer until he was leaning into her.

She looked around the table at her friend's happy, cheerful faces, before looking at Urchin with a soft smile. Charity could worry about Gwen later. Right now she was just happy to be back with her friends.

 

[Urchin]

The lad was a little taken aback when Charity suddenly got up to leave. "Hey, where ya goin'?" he asked, watching her leave with the sad little eyes of an abandoned puppy who doesn't know what to do when it's owner leaves for work... "Well, guess the ladies 'ave all retired to the drawin' room... Is this the part where we all start gamblin' an' drinkin' scotch an' smokin' big ol' cigars an' stuff?" the lad joked, since it seemed that all of the women had cleared off, leaving the men to their business.

Well, Isak seemed to have a lot on his mind and wasn't in the mood for conversation, so Urchin directed his attention to Mr Briarthorne. "So, sir... I were wonderin'... 'Ow old was Charity when ya brought 'er in? Ya sure got the pick of the litter with that one. She's a peach. Ya must be awful proud!"

The little boy's club didn't last long though as Eilerias soon entered, seeming a lot less upset than earlier as she sat on Isak's lap and kissed him. "Hey, yer back!" Urchin declared happily. "We was just talkin' 'bout ya. Isak were tellin' us 'bout how much 'e loves ya an' 'ow yer the best thing what ever 'appened to 'im an' stuff," he said happily. Though it didn't seem that Urchin needed to tell Eilerias how much Isak loved her. It was obvious just by the look in his eyes whenever he looked at her.

"Ay don't be slow wit me, boss! The lil lad inside Miss Eilerias! She's pregnant!"

"Uh..." Urchin mumbled awkwardly, considering that every person in this room knew that Isak was about to become a father before he knew himself. "... Surprise!" he declared, not really knowing how else to react. "Sorry I didn't bring nuthin', but I weren't expectin' no celebration. If I'd known I'd 'ave brought cake." As the lad rambled, his eyes remained on the couple, trying to guess how Isak felt about this unexpected news. Hopefully his initial reaction would be, "I'm going to be a father! Hurray!" And not, "Oh shit, what the hell am I supposed to do with a baby?"

Before he could find out though, Charity returned just in time to join the party. "Hey, yer back!" he declared happily as he wrapped his arms around her in a clingy hug before leaning his head on her shoulder as if she were a human pillow.

"Ya hear that kid? Looks like we get to keep drinkin'! To baby Lavelle! "

"To any excuse ta drink excessive quantities of alcohol!" he toasted, raising his glass, draining it, and once more cringing at the strong taste. The wine was certainly doing it's job though, Urchin was more than a little tipsy by this point, hence his need to learn on Charity for support.

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias shook her head as Isak tried to take the blame for her outburst. "No, it really wasn't you-" her sentence was cut short by Ogden loudly celebrating. Her eyes went wide as he announced once again to the entire room that they were going to be parents. "I...uh..." She nervously stuttered as Charity and Urchin took this as an excuse to continue the reunions festivities.

The news was very sudden and unexpected. She knew next to nothing about how the body worked aside from details Gwen shared as she took her in and tried to explain the world to her. Of course Eilerias hadn't suspected pregnancy to be the root of her illness so she was in shock as well.

"I'm sorry." She whispered into Isak's chest as she pulled herself into him. "Ogden told me the same thing. I thought that was why Gwen was so upset with me. I didn't know." She let out a sigh, trying to figure out the best thing to say in this moment, but she had nothing. "I really didn't know. That's why I wanted some books from Gwen so I could figure out what was wrong with me." She shut her eyes as she thought for a moment about how disappointed Gwen must be in her. All the years of lectures. All for nothing. The stupid priestess was just unteachable. She followed her gut, not the advice of someone who knew anything and everything there ever was to know.

She tilted her head so she could look at Charity. The scene outside the archive wasn't exactly a pleasant one to pass. There was a fear in the back of Eilerias' mind that Charity would try out some of her new skills with Cleo and either kill Gwen's assistant or herself in the process.

Her eyes were red. Eilerias noticed, making a note as she watched her toast. She tried to fake a smile back to her, but it probably wasn't convincing enough. She truly had no idea if she was happy. She was scared and confused. Mostly confused. Her meeting with Gwen made her feel better in some aspects, but overall she was lost.

Letting go of Isak, she looked at Urchin. "Set up a card game or something, I need Charity for a moment." She ordered both Isak and Urchin as she took Charity by the arm and led her up the stairs, not saying a word until they were in the room she shared with Isak. "Are you alright?" She asked, looking into Charity's eyes. "It's okay if your not, just tell me what's going on with you. Your eyes are bloodshot and your nose is all red. You're definitely not that drunk and the only conclusion I can come to is that you were crying." She pulled the girl into a hug, preparing to use a little bit of magic to make her feel better. "Tell me everything that happened. Talk to me."

 

[Charity Briarthorne]

"Hey! Wait!" Charity protested as Eilerias grabbed her by the arm. "I'm not done with my drink yet!" Honestly she doubted there was enough alcohol in the entire club to make her forget about what had happened at the archives.

She allowed herself to be led upstairs and into a room to sit on a bed covered in furs.

"Are you alright?" She asked, looking into Charity's eyes. "It's okay if your not, just tell me what's going on with you. Your eyes are bloodshot and your nose is all red. You're definitely not that drunk and the only conclusion I can come to is that you were crying." She pulled the girl into a hug, preparing to use a little bit of magic to make her feel better. "Tell me everything that happened. Talk to me."

"What? Of course I'm alright! Nothing happ-" As Charity looked back into Eilerias' gentle eyes, tears began to form once more. She sighed and wrapped her arms around Eilerias. "When Gwen came downstairs after seeing you and Isak, I followed her outside. I... I told her that I thought she was being too hard on you and I tried to reason with her, but she ignored me."

"Then-" Charity paused, not really wanting to talk about what had happened. But she knew she was safe talking to her new sister about it. "Then I started shouting at her. Told her that it looked like she was abandoning you when you needed her the most, and that she was being selfish."

"When I went to see her at the archives to try and make up for what I had done, Cleo stopped me. She kept shoving me away from the door and I have never seen Cleo that angry. She gave me a whole speech about how we all had betrayed Gwen and let her down. And... She told me that Gwen had ordered her to never let me into the archives to see her or for any other reason ever again." The tears she had been so desperately trying to hold back suddenly released like a floodgate. Charity buried her face in Eilerias' shoulder and bawled like a baby.

"I-I don't know what to do Angel. I realize that is all my own fault. I was so fixated on trying to get Gwen not to be mad at you and Isak, that I didn't think about how she felt. We are the only two people that she can truly trust, and we both betrayed her in the same evening."

Charity just wanted to hide away from the world and never come out of hiding. "I really don't know what I'll do without Gwen in my life. I wasn't trying to upset her and I feel awful. All I want is the chance to apologize and make up for what I did..." Tears ran down Charity's face like a waterfall as she sat with Eilerias, grateful to have somebody to listen.

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias rubbed her back as she cried, her hands glowing softly as she tried to calm her down. She felt guilty that all of this was her fault. Charity didn't even know her and Isak were together until that very night. Sure she didn't snitch on them, but was that really something Gwendolyn considered an act of betrayal? "Shh.." She tried to calm her. "It is not your fault. I was the one who lied, I asked you to lie on my behalf. I told you to betray her, but I've talked to her and she forgave me. I know Gwen is very upset right now, but please give her some space."

"She's been through a lot tonight. I could feel how tired she was...There was a lot of sounds of things slamming and breaking in the archives while I waited for her." Eilerias frowned, "She just needs some space. I'm certain she will forgive you, you are like a daughter to her. More so than I." She let go of her, wiping her tears.

A few tears fell from Eilerias' eyes as she continued to feel guilt for causing so many issues. "Promise me you will allow her some time to rest. I'm sure when she's feeling better, she will speak with you. You won't lose her." She really had no advice to give besides letting Gwen rest. She said it herself that she needed it. "You should stay the night, Urchin too. There's plenty of rooms you can stay in and maybe in the morning we can go see if she's feeling better, or maybe she will have accepted my invitation to come back here in the morning. Regardless, there's not much to do but give her time so let us wipe away the tears and return to the others. There is no use dwelling on this when there is a party going on." Eilerias smiled softly as she helped Charity off the bed and led her back down the stairs, intending on continuing her conversation with Isak once she knew Charity was feeling at least a tiny bit better.

 

[Amadeus Greywood]

His memories of that time were clear and vivid... Bodies were littered everywhere, blood combined and pooled into great puddles. Gilgamesh and Gwendolyn stood at the edge of a cliff, both of them splattered in blood as they embraced one another ignoring the carnage around them... Gilgamesh stabbed her in the back between her shoulder blades, the tip missing her heart by a hair... Her fall from the cliff and her look of betrayal as she fell... Turning away to finish his work as a single tear escaped his stoic persona...

"So, sir... I were wonderin'... 'Ow old was Charity when ya brought 'er in? Ya sure got the pick of the litter with that one. She's a peach. Ya must be awful proud!"

Gilgamesh's musing was pleasantly interrupted. He regarded the young lad for a moment before smiling at him.
"She was five years old when I found her, I imagine quite a bit younger than yourself. I am proud of her but not because she was perfect. She told the truth before, she was not the "pick of the litter", but she was perfect for my purposes. She had nothing of her own, not even skills or a decent name, so I was gifted with the opportunity to give her everything and more."

The girls returned and it seemed life returned to the reunion as well... They were a bit raw he could tell but he decided it wasn't his affair. He needed to focus on the matter of real importance... This was the first he'd heard it confirmed that Eilerias was pregnant though he obviously suspected it.
That was an added obstacle... Not only did she break her vow of chastity but a child was to be born of it. It would only make his job more difficult to convince her superiors. Again she would have to educate him on her church, he still knew too little about her religion to formulate his plans.

First step was to officially adopt her and he was already drawing up the proper documentation and squaring this with the appropriate people in her church. He would have to do some investigation into their religion while he was there. He would see what he learns while he keeps an eye on the reunion here... There was still the warning he gave Gwendolyn about the danger presented to the members of the Cherry Rose, had she forgotten about that? Still, he would keep them safe, his children were here after all...

 

[Urchin]

"She was five years old when I found her, I imagine quite a bit younger than yourself.

Urchin chuckled a little at Gilgamesh's assessment. "Yeah, just a little," he agreed. Quite a bit younger than him? The lad was nearly an adult! Though to be fair, he was often mistaken for being several years younger than he actually was. Probably due to his height. It was the dwarf in him.

I am proud of her but not because she was perfect. She told the truth before, she was not the "pick of the litter", but she was perfect for my purposes. She had nothing of her own, not even skills or a decent name, so I was gifted with the opportunity to give her everything and more."

"Well, ya certainly did that," the boy agreed with the smile. "An' she's real grateful to it. Thinks the world of ya. Can tell by 'ow close she is to ya. Seems like she really loves ya a lot." After all, she'd been snuggled up to him all night. Must be nice. Urchin had never had a father... Well, he had one somewhere, but had no idea who he was. When your mother was a whore, pretty much any man in the neighborhood could be your father. You could walk by him every day and never even know. A shame. Urchin certainly could've used a male role model in his life... But, he made do with what he had.

After the girls returned and Urchin celebrated with a few more drinks, they suddenly disappeared once more. "No! Dun go! I were comfy!" the lad whined, clinging to Charity's arm that he was previously using as a headrest... But Eilerias had something important to talk about, and so the two women went upstairs, leaving the men alone once more. Turning to Isak, he noticed that the poor man still seemed rather in shock since the surprise announcement. "Hey, Mr Isak, you okay?" he asked, suddenly realizing what scary news it was to find out that you were going to be a parent for the first time. There must be a lot going through Isak's mind right now. "Hey, dun worry. It's gonna be fine. You'll do great. Ya got that protective nature in ya. An' Miss Eile is a natural mother, I can tell. I mean, she were offerin' ta make clothes for me five minutes after I met 'er, so she obviously got them motherly instincts... An' not only that, but now the baby's gonna 'ave a super rich grandfather ta dote on it. Right, Mr Briarthorne?"

 

[Isak Lavelle]

A child...

Isak could scarcely believe that. He never once imagined that it was possible to even love and be loved, and to have a baby come out of that, it felt like a wild dream. Even though he was so shocked with the news, he was happy to hold Eilerias in his arms as she sought to make him feel more at ease, up until the point where she left. Isak still had so many questions - he was still terrified and felt so ill prepared for whatever would come next, but Eilerias had simply ran after Charity, taking her upstairs while Isak looked paralyzed.

What could he even say, or ask? He began to question himself if that had been what made Eilerias so ill lately, and even wondered if she was hiding that from him, probably out of fear that he would run away, unable to face that massive change in their lives.

It was something to lead a life like theirs with no other relations but themselves, but to have a child, so young and innocent, tucked in the midst of it all...

He had so much to think about, and even the massive space of the Raven Club's lobby felt too small for Isak. He could hear Urchin trying his best to cheer him up, but his words were falling into dull ears, with Lavelle barely paying attention to what he was saying. To top it all off, Eilerias had vanished upstairs with Charity, seemingly avoiding Isak and his questions. Could it be that she had ran from the club earlier that night because of that?

She seemed caught up in other matters, and Isak refused to trouble her with all his thinking. He would have to dwell on it alone, like so many times. He got up from the chair, flinching from Ogden's touch as the dwarf sought to give him one more drink in order to calm him down, but Isak ignored him, ignored them all, and walked to the door, stopping right before he opened them.

"The fountain." It was all he said, loud enough for them to hear it, before Isak left the club, taking in the cold night air as a welcoming breeze.

There was a small fountain near the Raven Club, a quiet place where Isak would often go to think about his plans or just enjoy the peaceful silence on his spare time. He had taken Eilerias there a few times, and he knew she would know what it meant once she heard it.

Isak wasn't meaning to simply disappear, but he hoped she would understand that he also needed his moment. He didn't understand why she was running from him now, or why she was so preoccupied with what other matters she had at her hands, especially when they had something so important to discuss, so Isak just preferred the comfort of that familiar fountain, the calming sound of the running waters. He wished Eilerias would go after him, but he wasn't even sure of that anymore.

Isak sat there alone, looking at this hands and asking himself what in the world he was supposed to do now. Isak, always so calm and prepared, was now desperate and lost, but yet with a glimmer of hope in his heart that maybe that child could mean a good change, in both his and Eilerias' life.

 

[Eilerias]

As Eilerias reentered the lobby, excited to get back to her conversation with Isak, she realized he was nowhere to be seen. That's odd...She thought to herself, looking to Ogden for an answer as to where Isak went. Was he upset with her over this child? Did he not want children? Her thoughts grew more upsetting as she worried over his whereabouts.

"Where's Isak?" She asked to no one in particular, however Ogden was quick to respond.

"Boss went to get some air by the fountain."

Eilerias nodded and once again went chasing after someone, ignoring Gwendolyn's suggestion to get some rest. "Isak!" She called, walking along the path that led to the courtyard with a fountain in the center. She didn't realize how cold the air was as the night went on, the seas on either side of Alliria bringing cool breezes.

She finally spotted him and ran over, shivering as she sat on the edge of the fountain next to him. "Hey," She broke the silence as she grabbed his hand, unsure of how to proceed. "I'm sorry." She said in a whisper.

I'm sorry...

They seemed to be the only words she knew how to say since she came back. She didn't know exactly what she was so sorry for, but thats all she felt. She felt sorry for ruining their future trips, forcing them to settle way earlier than either had anticipated. She felt sorry for putting a target on a child's back solely for being associated with them. She was sorry she didn't know or even suspect it. She was sorry for running off and taking care of everyone else before giving herself a moment with Isak to just talk.

"I'm sorry."

 

[Gwendolyn Vollmund]

“Finally master Amadeus...” She whispered in his ear. A blood stained smile that spoke of the true happiness she felt around him. “It’s so cold out..Won’t you hold me a bit tighter..” She asked with slight giggle. “This was a wonderful victory..” Sheging about at the carnage

“Our family will..”

She felt him tense. Instinctively scanning for threats to her master. Almost ignoring him completely.

Her guard was completely dropped and yet she still almost managed to counter what she felt coming, looking into his eyes however..she hesitated..

She simply wouldn’t believe what her instinct screamed at her.

“It..It’s so cold..” She muttered. Her emotions effectively rendered unconscious from the veritable haymaker being thrown her way both physically and mentally.

She clung to him for a moment weakly. Glancing behind her and down into the water below.

Not the water..

Anything but the water...

”M-master please..” She whimpered. Her eyes meeting his in that final moment. The realization seemingly finally crashing into her brain.

“Don’t let me fa-.”

The plummet.
Blood choking her throat as she screamed.

Gwendolyn awoke with a start. Falling forward out of her bed.

Sweat poured from her body.
Her long, silvery hair matted and stuck at odd angles.
Darkness burst from her.

Throwing her bed and general furniture against the walls with an aggressive pulse.

Gwens eyes darkened.

Her teeth blackening into razor like chips of obsidian. Her nails following suit as Cleo burst through the door.

“Mrs.Vollmund! Is everything alright I..” She froze a Gwen turned on her. “I’ll just..” The demon said with a nervous chuckle vanishing into thin air.

The archive doors opened from her room as she entered. Venting her rage inside as they closed.

She woke to a warzone.

Shelves obliterated...

Again..

This was happening too often.. She couldn’t hide it forever let alone keep this pace up. What if Charity or Elirias betrayal had brought out..She physically shuddered..

She would be waking up to broken bodies rather than bookshelves and Isak either among them or a permanent and ruthless enemy.

She did feel better at least..She stood and clapped allowing the door to her room to appear. Entering she would close the door.

A short pause before peeking inside to see pristine shelves once more. It always happened that way..But she would hardly call herself a keeper if she didn’t check.

“M-Mrs.Vollmund?” Cleo asked peaking into the room before fully coming inside at Gwens reassuring nod.

“Yes Cleo I’m alright..” She said with a smile. “But I need you to rearrange somethings for me today. I need to look into a few things regarding what Mr. Briarthorne warned me about yesterday.” She said as she left and entered her bath and changing room.

Cleo nodded and her clipboard was out and being scribbled on in an instant as she sent word to those Gwen planned on meeting with throughout the day,

Cleaning up and dressing in a fresh set of robes. She left only to enter her pristine archives. Cracking her knuckles she would chuckle to herself.

“Ok Gwen old girl.” She muttered to herself. “Time to do what you do best. Turning vauge clues into precise truth..

“Enemies enemies...” She would say with a smirk as the doors shut behind her.

 

[Isak Lavelle]

There were so many things running through Isak's mind at that moment.

So many questions... How would he protect both Eilerias and this child now? How could they bring someone so little and innocent into their world, so filled with adventures and danger? And also, why was Eilerias running from him? Isak couldn't even imagine what she was thinking, that she would now be a mother. He feared that she would blame herself for all that, for having this child, and for her pregnancy being what caused that storm at the start of the reunion.

As hurt as he was at the possibility of Eilerias avoiding him over all those doubts and worries, he would never let her blame herself, especially not for something so pure and beautiful.

He heard a voice calling to him, but not just any voice. It was her voice, the sweet tune that always calmed him, she was looking for him. She had come after all, even though Isak feared that she would continue to avoid him. Eilerias took his hand, but Isak still couldn't look at her. He was afraid, he was so afraid of everything now.

She apologized many times over, making him even more confused, but Isak couldn't think of anything to say. He was at a loss for words, even though he wanted to soothe her. Instead, he could only think of a question to ask of her now. "When?" It was a vague question, he knew as much, but Isak wanted to know when she had realized she was carrying a child, their child, and why she had ran off and not told him.

He could feel her soft skin, so cold in that night, while he kept looking to the trees and the dark alleyway. He wouldn't let go of her hand. "You didn't tell me before. Why, Eile?" His voice sounded heavy, perhaps with more sadness than worry now. "Did you think I would... run?"

Isak couldn't blame her for that, not when he had ran away all those months ago, when they first kissed, when he realized he loved her, and how that frightened him. Back then, those feelings were overwhelming, and with so many fears and questions, he chose to flee from them, from her. But not now, now it was different. He had changed, he was a better man, and it was thanks to her. Isak finally looked at her, his eyes watered after he previously showed little to no emotion in all that time they spent in silence, the only sound being the waters of the fountain.

"I... don't know what to do." Admitting that hurt more than he thought it would. Isak always took pride in knowing everything, anticipating every move. To admit that he was lost, especially to the woman she loved, it felt like he was throwing away all that persona that he had built, as if he tore down all those walls that protected him.

He never had a father before, how could he know how to be one now? He was so afraid of disappointing Eilerias, of not being a good father, a good husband. He was so afraid of not making her happy.

Isak shut his eyes, allowing his head to fall to Eilerias' shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him, and he did the same. In that cold night, all they had to warm themselves was each other, and that had always been his preference. They spent a long time in that tight and warm embrance, sharing no words but comforting each other with their silent understanding.

Slowly, he broke the hug to place his hand on her belly, pressing his forehead against hers as he smiled shyly. Isak felt like his body was moving on itself, and even touching her had him so emotional, tears beginning to slowly fall down his face.

He didn't know what to do, but he was sure of one thing. "We will love this child with all our hearts, and I will keep you both safe." Isak looked deep into her eyes when speaking, hoping that she could see that he truly meant those words. Gently, he put his hand to her face and caressed her cheek, his smile growing even bigger before he leaned in to kiss her, the moonlight gleaming over them at that beautiful fountain.

"Eilerias... thank you."

He was a father now. And perhaps, in time, that would prove to be the biggest adventure of their lives.

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias tilted her head as Isak questioned her. "Ogden told me while you were talking to Mr. Briarthorne. I figured Gwen must have known too. She knows everything....I thought that was why she was so upset with me." She looked away from him. "I couldn't tell you before because I didn't know. Believe me please, I had no idea. I wasn't going to interfere with your talk with Mr. Briarthorne, it seemed important so I took the time to apologize to Gwen and I told her everything."

She leaned over, playing with the water in the fountain as she agreed. "I don't know what to do either." She was sad as she admitted that to him. She had always wanted the family, but now she felt like the was ruining their time together, exploring Arethil before they would get married and settle down. She pulled her hands out and wrapped them around his body, still apologizing every so often.

"I don't know what I should do. I feel like I've ruined everything. We will never get to see the griffins or the towers we planned on seeing." She sighed. "And the poor child will be a target for anyone who is an enemy of the Cherry Rose. I don't know if it's safe here."

She smiled, tears still in her eyes as he caressed her cheek. "I'm so afraid." Was all she managed to say as he thanked her. Was she supposed to tell him he was welcome? She wasn't sure, but she opted to stay silent as he held onto her for a while before the two of them stood and made their way back to the reunion. "Perhaps we should have rescheduled this, with the hosts having so much going on today." She commented as she opened the door, reentering the Raven Club. "I feel so terrible for everything that's happened tonight."

 

[Charity Briarthorne]

Charity calmed as Eilerias held her and rubbed her back. She knew she should've listened to her father's warning about visiting Gwen. Gilgamesh had never led her astray, and Charity had learned over the years that he always knew more than he was telling.

Eilerias was right too. Gwen needed time to calm down and rest after the night she had. "Of course Angel. I promise I'll leave Gwen be for now. I'm sure she'll find me when she's ready to talk. I'll talk to Urchin, I bet he'd love to stay the night!" As they rose off the bed, Charity gently held Eilerias' hand and gazed into her golden eyes. "Thank you Eile." she said quietly and kissed Eilerias on the cheek. "I feel so much better about all this now!"

Once back downstairs, Charity returned to her seat next to Urchin. She gave him a warm smile and opened her arms, inviting him back in to snuggle.

 

[Amadeus Greywood]

"Well, ya certainly did that," the boy agreed with the smile. "An' she's real grateful to it. Thinks the world of ya. Can tell by 'ow close she is to ya. Seems like she really loves ya a lot."

Gilgamesh nodded in agreement. Sometimes they had their rough patches, their relationship wasn't a smooth sail, but Charity did seem to be genuinely affectionate towards him. It was her genuine nature and the way she wore her heart on her sleeve that protected her from becoming part of a world far darker and more perilous than even hardened criminals were aware of.

Gilgamesh returned to his glass while Urchin's attention once again shifted. He listened absently to the conversation he had with Isak.

An' not only that, but now the baby's gonna 'ave a super rich grandfather ta dote on it. Right, Mr Briarthorne?"

He raised his glass in silent salute but the sentiment didn't reach his eyes.
Childbirth was something altogether too pure for his tastes, though that's as far as his self-examination went on the subject. Something about it, no matter how impure the circumstances, always brought a little more light into the world. At one point he wouldn't have minded that light and would have rejoiced with the others, but now it was almost like he was obligated to have some sort of disdain for the whole affair.
Again he absently massaged an ache in his crippled thigh and carefully straightened and bent his knee with a quiet complaint from his brace to keep it from growing stiff.

Some injuries cut deeper than the wound.

Eilerias returned with Isak. He wondered if there would ever be a dry eye tonight besides his own. At least Urchin hadn't started any waterworks either.
Charity came downstairs and everyone was finally back in one place and the night could maybe go back to normal... Maybe...
He drained his glass and set it down on the table without refilling it. Even now his mind was elsewhere, literally. He still ran his business being literally everywhere at once, handling deals and tasks that required his personal touch all at once... And his eyes elsewhere saw things very pertinent to what was going on behind the scenes...

Gilgamesh didn't even have time to stand before the doors of the club were kicked open and a large group of nondescript thugs carrying Shortswords, daggers and clubs stormed in. They all wore masks but their identity didn't matter. They moved purposefully, moving tables and chairs out of the way and without a word to take down everyone in the room.

The guards of the Raven Club were nowhere to be found.

Within seconds everyone was under attack all at once with overwhelming numbers.
Instinctively Gilgamesh grabbed his cane and tried to get to his feet, but two attackers were already coming at him and kicked simultaneously to knock him back in his chair and to the floor where they could take him out quickly.
He sat back and pushed against the table with his good leg, sliding his chair backwards with a loud squealing and away from immediate threat. The chair tipped backwards when the legs caught a crack in the floorboards and Gilgamesh used the momentum to roll backwards and come up on one knee with his cane at the ready.

His face was impassive, but inside he was seething. Nothing warned him of an attack this soon, except for the tiny message intercepted that he saw moments before the door crashed down... Nobody could have predicted this.

 

[Urchin]

Well, Isak didn't seem to be taking this news particularly well. To be fair, Urchin couldn't blame him. To find out for the first time that you're going to be a father, from an entirely unplanned pregnancy, when your lover is supposed to be a virginal priestess who has made vows to never touch a man... It was a complicated situation. He probably just had to clear his mind and figure out how best to deal with the situation.

Shortly after Isak left, Eilerias went after him and Charity sat down once more where Urchin resumed using her as a human pillow. "They'll be alright," the lad said confidently. "Ain't the first folks in the world to 'ave their lives made a little more complicated by a baby, an' they sure as 'ell wun be the last. Might be a lot o' pointless drama right bow, but it'll all sort itself out in the end. Besides, the two of 'em seem real 'appy together. I'm sure they'll do a great job."

Looking up at Charity with a contented smile on his face, he noticed that she didn't look quite so happy as he did. "Hey, Charity, you okay?" he asked with genuine concern after seeing how red her eyes were. "What's wrong?"

Sadly, they didn't really get much time to talk about whatever was on Charity's mind, as the Raven Club was suddenly attacked by what Urchin could only assume were hired mercenaries. These certainly weren't a group of rowdy drunkards with a petty grudge, they had come armed and with the intent to do some serious damage... And here was Urchin without so much as a pocket knife to defend himself. This was not going to end well.

"Charity!" the boy found himself yelling out, surprised to find that his initial instinct in this moment of danger was to push himself up from the chair and throw his arm out in front of her, acting as a human shield in case the men tried to do her harm... A rather counterproductive instinct, considering she was far better equipped to deal with these bastards than he was, but he didn't really have time to dwell on it.

His second instinct was to find a weapon, and very quickly, he found one. An empty wine bottle that he personally had drank about half of, leaving him very wobbly when he leaned down to pick it up. Once the bottle was in his hand, he hurled it across the room at the oncoming attackers... Clonk! The bottle hit one of the soldiers square on the back of the head. A perfect hit! ... Unfortunately, unlike in stories, it usually takes more than a single hit to the back of the head to knock a man unconscious, so not there was a rather angry man with a sword in his hand and a nasty bump on the back of his head... And Urchin had no weapon.

His third instinct was to find some way to defend himself, and he hands went instinctively to the chair he had been sitting on. Having spent most of his childhood in sordid taverns, he knew that a chair was the best line of defense you could have on your side in a bar brawl. If someone charged you, they would be charging into the chair rather than you, which could seriously hurt them if they managed to charge into one of the legs. And even once they collided with the chair, they would have great difficulty reaching you with the seat of the chair in their way. It made for the perfect shield... The only issue was that the chair was only effective against one enemy at a time. He didn't have one enemy, he had several. All he could do was stand in front of Charity and hope she had a better plan than he did.

 

[Isak Lavelle]

It seemed that Isak and Eilerias shared the same worries regarding their child, to be raised in a rather unconventional environment, but there was a thought ringing on Isak's head that made him feel a bit more confident. The same thought that he once told Eilerias, and that they liked to say every so often.

'We can do anything, as long as we're together.'

They would love and raise that child together, and there would be plenty of time to worry about all the things that they would have to tackle in the future, but right now, what mattered was that they were truly a family. His fingers traced her back as he sought to calm her down now, with Eilerias fearing that she had somehow ruined all those plans that they had for the future. "We can still visit all those places that we wanted, my love. But perhaps our little one won't have the best view from inside your belly." He tried his best to cheer her up with his poor jokes, chuckling a bit at his own terrible effort.

"We will be fine, I'll make sure of that. Together, remember?" He said calmly, taking her hand and slowly guiding her to stand up from the edge of the fountain, before Isak raised his head to look at the starry sky. It was a beautiful night, if not too eventful. Isak recalled that the others were probably waiting for them back at the club, and he had began to feel worried about Eilerias' health and her condition out in the cold. He wasn't exactly an expert in pregnancies, but he would take every step to make sure that she would remain in perfect health and care in that time. "Now I see why Ogden was so thrilled, that cheeky dwarf... He truly does know about everything. But still, you should've told me that you were feeling so sick, Eile."

They shared a few more words as they walked back to the Raven Club, hands entwined as if they were giving strength to each other, with Eilerias stopping to say something before she finally reopened the doors, and all eyes fell towards them again. Isak felt a bit awkward as they walked inside, a strange silence taking over the place.

"I... I believe we should share the news then." Isak suggested, shyly looking at Eilerias and blushing for a moment before gazing back at the rest of the people at the lobby. "We are going to have a child." His voice came out with a excitement that seemed unusual for Isak, but he didn't feel bad or strange about that at all. Ogden quickly came over to congratulate them, offering another toast in celebration. Isak let Eilerias have her moment of happiness with Charity and the others as he went to grab a drink from the table.

Some more wine wouldn't be too bad now, especially with the night taking a more peaceful route. But Isak couldn't be more wrong about that.

Just as he went over to Eilerias' side again after grabbing his glass, he looked over to Gilgamesh to find him a bit too quiet, as if his mind had been wandering elsewhere. Not long after, the doors to the club were slammed open, and many mercenaries rushed inside, carrying weapons and barking orders to take down everyone there. Isak's first thought was that his own guards must've been defeated already, which made him question the aptitude of those men that dared to attack them.

This was an attack on the Cherry Rose, but most importantly, on his family.

Isak put himself in front of Eilerias as the marks on his right wrist began to glow with a red energy, flowing forth until bits of fire formed a sword out of thin air. "Stay behind me." He said to Eilerias, his only concern right now. He had to protect her - the punishment for those mercenaries would come later.

He saw Urchin and Gilgamesh having their hands full with the men who attacked them, and then one of the mercenaries bolted towards Isak and Eilerias, with Lavelle swiftly swinging his sword and taking him on, running the blade through his gut without much effort. He had barely missed the other man coming from his flank, determined to catch Eilerias off guard, but Isak rushed towards him before he could touch her, his sword falling to the ground in the effort to defend her. The man saw an opening to attack Isak then, bringing down his axe towards him, but Isak had been nimble enough to roll to his side, grabbing his arm and locking it behind his back as his other hand held the man's headtop.

"Bold move." He whispered to the mercenary's ear, his voice taking a rougher tone before his eyes started to glow with that same red energy. The tips of his fingers started to take on fire, spreading across the soldier's head, and it wasn't long until the mercenary started to scream in agony as he felt his body burning from inside out. The mercenary fell to the ground, burned to death as Isak looked to Eilerias. "Are you well, my love?"

Isak inspected the rest of that impromptu battlefield, the lobby of his precious club, with chairs and tables being broken and thrown around in a effort to fight off those invaders. He looked to Gilgamesh now, frustrated and in need of answers to what was happening. Surely, the man would know something about those people that attacked them, even if he was a bit busy fighting them off.

"Gilgamesh, what is the meaning of this?!"

Isak could see that the mercenaries outnumbered them easily. The time for answers would have to be postponed, now they had to fight for their lives before that. He picked up his sword from the ground, guarding Eilerias again as he stood ready to fend off the next charge.

 

[Charity Briarthorne]

Charity jumped up out her chair in surprise as the armed men crashed through the door. She could barely believe her eyes as Urchin also leapt out of his chair. Not to run in fear, but to put himself between her and the attackers. She watched speechlessly as he grabbed a wine bottle and threw it at one of the men, before grabbing a chair to defend himself with.

Coming to her senses, Charity snatched the chair out of Urchin's hand and smashed it in the face of the closest man, sending him reeling backwards. "A chair? A CHAIR?!? What the fuck were you going to do with a chair you dumbass? These guys have swords!" Charity shouted angrily at Urchin as she ushered him to stand behind her. She hadn't really meant to shout at him, but over the short time she had known him, she had developed a mother-like sense of worry for his safety. "Here. Take this and stay behind me." Charity unsheathed her daggers and handed one back to the boy. "If any of these bastards get near you, just start stabbing!"

When one of the mercenaries charged towards her, Charity grabbed him by the shoulder, spun him around and buried her knife in the side of his neck. Pulling the blade forward through his neck, she stepped forward in a flash and stabbed another in the heart. A quick kick to the groin followed by a stab ended another.

Charity danced between the mercenaries, her attacks almost too quick for the eye to see. Slashes, stabs, and kicks led fluidly one into another. She wondered what Jexa would say, seeing her fight like this. She had learned far more from Jexa than her elder sister probably realized. Where Jexa had seen strict forms and attack combinations, Charity had seen potential new ways to mix the strict disciplines together. This had lead to her sister throwing her hands up in frustration every time they fought.

Noticing her father was under attack, Charity quickly made her way towards him. She ran forward just as a mercenary took a swing at Gilgamesh. Gathering a bit of energy around her hand, she hit the man with a running punch, sending him flying off his feet and through a table. "Daddy!? Daddy are you okay?" she asked as she continued to fight his attackers.

Using her new power to punch the man had opened the floodgates as voices trickled into her mind. "These feeble men are worthless... You're invincible... Forget all else... Kill... Kiiilll...." Charity giggled madly to herself as the dark voices began to fill her head. It felt like the more blood she spilled, the louder and more convincing the voices became.

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias laughed at Isak's suggestion to sharing the news, staring at Ogden as they entered. "Someone already spoiled it for nearly everyone except Mr. Briarthorne and Gwen. Ogden announced it while the two of you were speaking." She rolled her eyes as he came over to congratulate them once again, carrying wine for Isak. She waved him off and began to make her way over to Charity and Urchin when the sound of doors being flung open and Isak pushing her behind him startled her.

Caught off guard and confused, she fell backwards to the ground, watching the scene unfold from behind Isak's legs. She felt completely useless, watching as Isak took down someone who looked intent on harming her. What was she meant to do? Heal them to death? Her only useful power was her newly discovered ability to make a barrier around herself, but even then she likely couldn't protect all of them and it took a lot of energy to create the shield.

She watched in horror as Isak burnt a man alive, doing her best to suppress any of the pain she could feel herself taking on prior to the man's death. She nodded as Isak asked her if she was alright, still staring at the body as her own pain began to subside. It was a terrible curse, feeling the pain of others, but it was something that helped her immensely with her work and she was getting better at hiding it from her associates, fearing she would be rendered completely useless in the groups future endeavors.

She got to her feet, watching curiously as Charity giggled to herself. Was she enjoying this? She wondered, backing up further away from the scene, her hand resting over her stomach protectively as another one seemed to target her. She worried, a familiar feeling taking over that she didn't want her friends to witness, the feeling of her own shadow coming out. It was a feeling she had only had once before, in Cerak when she unknowingly used it to save Isak from the building collapsing on him.

Not even Gwen knew the true extent of her darker powers, she hadn't witnessed much more than Eilerias talking about strange voices and seeing figures that others couldn't.

She ducked behind the bar, realizing that she had no control over it, it was coming out whether she like it or not. Falling to her hands and knees, going completely still, a purple-black smoke-like material began to flow from her mouth, pooling on the floor beneath her, eventually shaping itself to about her height and figure before the smoky being made its way back out from behind the bar while Eilerias sat, immobile. The way it moved was inhuman, gliding along the floor towards the man who had gone after Eilerias, moving quickly as it went in to snap his neck.

 

[Amadeus Greywood]

He was beset by his two attackers immediately, they were fast and brutal, a tactic to keep them off balance and on the defensive. They attacked simultaneously, he was in a defensible position down on one knee, he used his cane like a sword to deflect their blade and club combo and delivered a sudden counterattack to both of them against their kneecaps. That took them a few quick steps back and gave him time to fully stand with a squeal of his leg brace.

His attackers recovered quick enough and went on the attack again. He skillfully blocked again and this time went on the attack himself.
He used the hook of his cane to deadly effect, catching one by the wrist and giving it a quick twist rewarded by the sound of snapping bone which caused the thug to drop his blade.
He caught the ankle of the second man with the hook and tripped him to his back where Gilgamesh then brought the metal dragon head through the man's skull, ending him instantly.

As he straightened again a thug had flanked him stealthily and now struck.
A wooden club clanged against the metal brace on his leg but to no other effect.
There was a brief pause as the thug stared in shock at how ineffective and miscalculated his attack was, Gilgamesh looked down at him disdainfully before he delivered a backhand to the lad's face and sent him unconscious and sliding across the floor.

Now he had a brief moment to assess the other members of the Cherry Rose before his next attackers got in striking range. Isak was defending Eilerias but she was struggling with something rising to the surface... Something that dimmed her naturally bright spirit as she took cover behind the bar.
Urchin and Charity were working well together, she skillfully put her assassin training to use in her own barroom brawler sort of way.

"Gilgamesh, what is the meaning of this?!"

Gilgamesh hooked a thug around the neck with his cane and slung him across the floor while catching the wrist of another thug with his free hand, bones snapped in his grip before he brought his cane to bear as a club to his face, ending another life.
"I am afraid this is Just business, mister Lavelle."
His voice was casual as he caught another by the throat and instantly crushed his larynx, dropping the man as he choked on blood.

Another attacker went flying before he could reach Gilgamesh, he felt his power vividly and strong as it built up again after Charity used it.

"Daddy!? Daddy are you okay?"

She was feeling his power building within her and Gilgamesh allowed himself a brief smile of approval, she positioned herself to protect him and he caught her giddy laughter.
"Never better, my daughter. These men are of no consequence, no need to let them leave in one piece."
It was a gentle encouragement and a slight nudge to her power. The more she used it the stronger it became, he was pleased that she didn't run from it when the cards were on the table.

He didn't use any power himself, he killed with his cane or his bare hands. The sickening sounds of bones snapping and bodies falling surrounded him as he stood beside his daughter to face the thugs... Even tho they fell easily they had numbers, and they were obviously prepared to face elite fighters of the Cherry Rose, these were professionals in their own right... A shame their business would end here.

 

[Gwendolyn Vollmund]

Gwen heard them before they struck.

But only just barely.

How they had entered gave her pause.

Too much pause.

She barely tilted her head before the blade zipped past.

Buried behind her head clanking off the stone of her studies walls.

It almost nicked her chair.

Her dragon leather custom tailored chair.

This wouldn’t do at all.

As assassins emerged slowly from the shadows around her she found herself smirking.

It always felt good to stretch. “Oh my..Quiet a few of you I see..” Gwendolyn remarked her eyebrows raised at the number of angry, highly trained killers crammed into her halls. Her home.

No this wouldn’t do in the slightest.

Her grey eyes sought out the eyes of everyone. Gleaming back at her. No human could now shield themselves from her sight. Her right hand crackled with lightening as she removed her robes leaving her in a simple light armored chest piece and black pants.

The chest piece was dragon leather and studded with black steel. It resisted the heat of her lighting far better than the bandaging covering her tattoos. As her marks became visible it was the gathering forces turn to take pause. They knew the power of the broker they had been hired to kill, but they did not know the magnitude of her influence. A few attacked instantly. Knowing how much swift destruction was needed. Too few understood too late. Those that hung back suddenly found themselves devoured by the very shadows they hid in.

“Cleo! We have guest!” She yelled as they few who rushed her finally met their target. Only for her to vanish in a shimmer as they drove their blades home. She seemed to appear in the middle of their line like..Well magic.. “Ta-da!” She said with a cackle. Her lightening striking all around her frying the lucky ones completely to ash. The unlucky were quickly eaten by Cleo. She was a blur of teeth and shadow. Fallen enemies from either Gwens lightening or those that escaped the fate of shadows quickly disappeared with barely time to scream.

Gwen basked in the destruction and gore. She glanced about a moment longer before turning away. Moving to put her robes back on after flipping a body off of them. Cleo only ate half of the poor bastard..

The demon was watching her weight after all.

“All you ever let me eat is low life’s! Do you know how much drugs and alcohol I consume. If my tolerance wasn’t almost indefinite I.....balloon up like....” Her mind would often block out the unblinking demons tittering but she had gotten the point mostly..

Cleo appeared before her as if (and probably was.) summed by her mention in thought wiping blood from her mouth. She was soaked with crimson, gore splattering attire. “They used a shielding rune ma’am. I analyzed the matching runes of both entry and concealment. This isn’t good..I..We should go to Mr. Briarthorne...”

“No.” Gwen said with iron clad certainty. The demons form shimmered as the gore dissipated leaving the Raven haired woman leveling an unnervingly unblinking frown towards her master.

“I shielded the archives and added the runes to the erchives enchantments but if they did it once they will find a way again..” “I’m sure it will hold long enough to send word to Gilgamesh wothout having to see him.” Gwen retorted stubbornly.

“Besides you need a nice fast paced flight to work all those “drugs and alcohol” out of your system. Don’t you.” Gwen continued with a smirk. “Shut up! For your information these people were not lowlife assassins ok!? They actually seemed to eat a very healthy diet. That’s why I splurged a bit..” Cleo admitted breaking her gaze. Even the unblinking demon could never seem to win a staring contest with the hazy eyes information broker.

“Send word now Cleo. Quickly please.” Gwen said dismissively waving her out. In all honesty the information broker was buzzing with excitement. A new and worthy foe! One that had actually breached her defenses! She was already compiling where to begin and with Cleo gone for the moment she could do so without the threat of any distraction.

Her mind firing into high gear. “Where to begin..Who could have been able to pull this off...” She pondered aloud enjoying the echo of her voice off of the cavernous stone walls.

“How about someone smarter than you.” A whisper tickled her ear.

A hand clamping onto the back of her neck a chill running up her spine as the knife slid into her side between the small gap of her armored chest piece and hip bone.

The elf jerked slightly as her attacker pulled her into a backward embrace driving the knife deeper. “Shhhh..”The woman hushed her.

A cruel smile spreading across her lips.

“I knew all I had to do was send some fodder your way. Just enough to get your blood pumping and your guard would come right down.” Her attacker hissed “know your target” Isn’t that right mother..” She spat beginning to pull the knife free.

“Should have started with my throat.” Gwen croaked using the small window she had as the blade came free and shocking the woman attacking her blasting her off of her back.

“Now why would you call me a silly thing like that..” Gwen said turning to fight...nothing? The attacker had fled as soon as the upper hand was lost..Cowardly but smart..

Gwen hadn’t even gotten a good look at her..

It was then she started to feel faint and rembered the gash in her side gushing blood.

“Well this is at least interesting..” She muttered clutching her side as the crimson flowed between her fingers. “Oh dear..” She whimpered clutching the wall for support as she fell to the ground. Blood pooling underneath her.

 

[Isak Lavelle]

Isak was no stranger to battle, to the adrenaline and the carnage.

He grew up surrounded by it, with death and punishment awaiting for the slightest opening, waiting for him to falter and fail. He carried the scars that proved that, all over his body, the reminders that Atreon left on him, the gifts of strength bestowed upon him.

And so, he revelled on that. He enjoyed the thrill, cutting down the mercenaries as they lunged towards him, his blade in hand, drawing blood all over the ground like a beautiful painting. Isak could see that the others were also busy fighting their own battles, and he was trying his best to push the attackers away from him and Eilerias, but their numbers looked more like a swarm on top of the Cherry Rose.

And still, they wouldn't go down without a fight.

One of the mercenaries that now approached him looked like a seasoned combatant, wielding a twin set of big and sharp axes, swinging them around like they were a child's toy. Isak was panting, the pain that wracked his body being overrun only by the adrenaline, the need to survive. He couldn't let pain and exhaustion beat him now, not when the lives of those he cared about where at stake.

The mercenary rushed towards him, raising both his axes and bringing them down on a single powerful attack that Isak barely managed to avoid, the blow cracking open the wooden floor a bit. The man was a true brute, tall and with muscles from top to bottom, like a menacing tower in comparison to the others. Isak paused for a moment, gauging him as the man continued to swing his axes around, waiting for Isak's move next. He knew he could never take that warrior head on, so he would have to rely on his wits, rather than brute strength.

He also couldn't just burn everything up, not without damning himself and all the people that he cared for.

Red energy flew forth from Isak's wrist as his blade was caught on fire, startling the mercenary a bit before a chair was thrown at him, followed by a barrage of attacks from Isak. He couldn't run and there were no other people waiting to save them, so all that was left to do was face that problem. But the mercenary effortlessly defended all of his attacks, and not long after, he managed to deliver a hard swing towards Isak, who had no choice but to sacrifice his sword to defend himself, the blade flying away from his gloved hand, lost between the piles of broken chairs and tables.

"Once I'm done with you, little man... I'll have some fun with that white haired girl!" The mercenary taunted Isak, and that might've been his gravest of mistakes. Isak didn't care for provocations, but he wouldn't allow anyone to threaten Eilerias. His eyes were taken by that red energy from before, resembling those of a demon now, and as the mercenary brought down his axe to finish him off, Isak merely held his hand, surprising him with a otherworldly strength. He could've answered back, he could've allowed that man to die while hearing Isak's own taunting words, but he simply remained in silence as he punched the man's chest, his right hand going through flesh and bone and coming back with his heart, still pumping with its last beats.

Isak could hear his demon, Bhéron, laughing inside his mind. He was enjoying that as well, it was in his nature as a demon. He wanted to taste blood, and he wanted a feast. Such was their pact, the bond of a warlock.

And so, Lavelle crushed the mercenary's heart like it was nothing, his arm still surrounded by demonic magic, the same magic that granted him with enough strength to punch a hole through that man's chest. His demeanor had been unchanged through the entire moment, as cold as a winter's breeze, unfazed in face of that brutality.

Death wasn't a stranger to him, it was more like a close friend, the first one that Isak ever had.

Isak could see Gilgamesh taking care of his own opponents with ease now, and Charity seemed to have been enjoying her own share of murders, but as he turned to make sure that Eilerias hadn't been done any harm, he came upon the creature of pure shadows falling out of her mouth - the shadowkin from Cerak and Fal'Addas, her father's heritage. A part of him still hoped he wouldn't see it again, but Isak knew that, as much as Eilerias' light grew in strength, so too did her shadows.

Such was the price for power, and it was a price that they all paid.

The creature rushed forth, clawing its way through the other mercenaries with ease, before it turned to look at Isak, its darkened 'eyes' staring at him with curiosity. Or rather, more like a predator examining its prey. The shadowkin jumped to kill him, but Isak could still feel the surge of demonic powers through his veins, the magic that surrounded him now forming what looked like a enormous ethereal hand, covering his entire body like armor, as Isak hoped it would be enough to withstand the flurry of strikes coming from the shadowkin.

"Eilerias! You have to fight back, you have to take control!"

He shouted, looking desperately at her as the priestess still remained on the ground, completely frozen, probably in shock over what was happening. He knew how traumatic that experience was, she once told him about it, and she also told him that she didn't have any control over it, that her shadows were too strong to be pushed aside in times like those, when they could taste the death and blood.

Isak had no choice but to stand and fight back, hoping that his magic would be enough to defend him against that dark creature. Demon against demon.

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias couldn't hear anything as the fighting occurred around her, her vision a hazy black and white through the eyes of her shadowkin, watching in horror as it began to attack anything and everything with a strength that did not match its size. There had been little change in the Shadowkin since it first made its appearance in Cerak and she still had not managed to control it.

The shadowkin quickly snapped the first attacker's neck, dropping his body to the ground before continuing on to a group of them, using razor sharp claws to cut through them, killing them as well. It turned towards the next poor soul who happened to be closest to it, Isak.

No! Eilerias tried to stop the shadow, but she could neither move or speak as she watched through it's eyes.

The shadow pounced on Isak, in an attempt to take him next, however a strange armor was blocking it's claws from penetrating his skin. It tried to strike a few times, but after the last attempt, it appeared to give up for the time being, turning towards the rest of the group to find a new target with no preference as to whether they are friend or foe.

Charity!?

The shadow clawed through other attackers who still remained, killing them, as it made its way towards Charity. Eilerias was unsure of why or how it was choosing people to attack, but there was little she could do. She hadn't had the opportunity to learn about her shadowkin from her father before his untimely death. It jumped on Charity, slamming her into the ground and Eilerias watched as it prepared to drive its claws through the poor girl.

Only it didn't attack her. The shadow's hands slowed as though it were running out of energy, stopping just short of Charity's throat as it began to collapse back into the shapeless pile of smoke which slowly trailed back towards Eilerias who was no longer frozen, but rather slumped over and limp.