Private Tales Haunts of Kindred Spirits

[Jakub]

Andrei looked at Samara, unable to hold back his chortling voice. "This one has a sense of humor," the pale figure added, walking behind the female vampire, taking a good look at her. At a moment's notice, Andrei returned to Jakub's side. His cloak half retracted to reveal a mahogany-colored dress shirt with a high collar.

"One higher fae and one lower fae." Andrei didn't bother to retain eye contact, turning his back to the two while gesturing for them to follow. "Higher fae are as magical as they are material. Lower ones are nigh-indistinguishable from elven folk. They bleed much the same way we do," intercepted Jabuk, arms neatly folded behind his back.

"Correct. The higher fae I caught was doing some hideous things to local children. She was abducting them, killing them, using their remains for her potions." The taller man shrugged his shoulders as if unphased and unsurprised by what had transgressed. "Such as the nature of fae. They see mortals as cattle, especially humans, hence why my friend highly dislikes them," Andrei emphasized the word 'friend' thinking of Jakub.

"As for the other one," Andrei snorted, "I couldn't care less. She was merely unfortunate enough to find herself in the wrong place at the wrong time." Jakub threw Samara a glance, observing her reaction to the entire situation. He wholeheartedly hoped that the vampiric lady wouldn't lash out. Predominantly for her sake, Andrei wasn't the one to be taken lightly.

Soon enough, they reached a neatly decorated but somewhat remote building. The trio had to traverse about a dozen intersecting streets before they arrived, a testament to Andrei's crafty nature. The strange bloodsucker purposefully located his home where it would be hard to reach. Atop of that, the structure was unassuming. Commoners wouldn't guess that someone was holding people in its basement. Jakub shuddered at the thought. Andrei purposefully placed sound isolation on the basement's walls. That way, even if the captives were to make noise, no one would hear them.

Andrei grasped the doorknob, swinging the doors open to reveal a cozy-looking, well-furnished living room. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my abode. Feel free to enter at your leisure," compelled the towering, ashen-haired figure as it bowed slightly before the two.

Samara Asenta

 

[Samara Asenta]

Samara rolled her head slightly before she thrust her chin into the air while the creature prowled about her. If these two so much as tried to imprison, enslave, or otherwise treat her as cattle they would soon find out just what kind of 'Vampire' they were dealing with. The post traumatic stress would kick in releasing the darkness, and the less inclined to care about those around her the less likely she could hold it back. Daylight only lasted so long.

When Andrei gestured for them to move, a sharp glance was tossed at Jakub daring him to 'command' her forth. Only a second would pass to give him the chance to make that mistake before the Elf ventured forward of her own volition.

A drawn out sigh passed through her dark lips. "Higher Fae. Lower Fae. Their kinds have names, and I'd know a great deal more if I knew them." Not that she knew the names of every species in the realm. Samara knew much from her time back home and her travels thus far, however. One didn't become a powerful mage by refusing to learn new things. Even if that power was no longer in their control.

"I will take the 'Lower' Fae." Her eyes shifted ever so slightly to regard Jakub as the man seemed interested in her response. As they moved, the Elven woman's countenance hadn't flickered in the slightest as the men explained the situation.

Come now, Sweet. Why not demand the Higher Fae? I'm sure their soul would be delicious.

"Just another consumed by the world." Her words might be easily mistaken for a Vampire devouring one's blood until death, though Samara was actually commenting on their 'guide's' tactics. Wrong place, wrong time? Hardly the rationale of someone that tried to distinguish themselves from the rest of the monsters.

Samara followed as fast or slow as Andrei desired. Even if they walked out in the open, the Elven woman wouldn't bat an eye. After all, unless she wished it most could scarcely tell she wasn't just another Elf passing through. Though she did turn her head aside whenever a stray ray of sunlight lanced its way through her eye as they busily darted street to street. An early morning sun was not as bad as the mid-day one, but it caused her eye to lose focus for just a second.

At last they arrived at the creature's home. Another sigh passed her lips, though this time it was airy and punctuated by a slow roll of her shoulders. "Kind of you to invite us in, Andrei. My name is Samara, and you can be certain of my discretion." A gentler smile graced her lips even while her icy eyes exhibited an unnatural stillness and slight dilation belying her hunger.

"Occultist," a clipper tone returned to the Elf's voice, "next time a lady offers to share a breakfast with you, perhaps you'll be as gracious as Andrei." So wasn't livid as she'd been earlier, but that hardly meant she'd 'gotten over it.' After all, the man hadn't so much as acknowledged that he'd screwed up -- let alone how.

Jakub

 

[Jakub]

The room was well lit, stocked with a handful of magical crystals that provided it with artificial lighting. Andrei pulled up a pair of leather-covered chairs. Perhaps calling them 'chairs' wouldn't do justice to the furniture in question. They were much closer to sofas than mundane, wooden chairs. The towering figure went for a tea set, coupled with a steaming kettle, three cups, tiny spoons, and a honey jar. He laid them out before Jakub and Samara, expecting them to pour the liquid on their own accord while he tended to some errands in a different room.

Jakub's half-lidded eyes shifted to meet Samara's, indicating that he was tired and had no desire to entertain her bickering. "I simply did the most convenient thing," mused the blue-eyed human, reaching down to grab one of the cups filled with a steaming liquid. Jakub almost burnt himself from how hot it was. If not for the mug's handle, it would've been impossible to hold it. "Tired..." He flopped into the chair, back sinking into it with an expression that grew increasingly wearier by the second. He swung his head backward, making him see Samara in an upside-down frame.

"And here I was, thinking that you would've been satisfied with a free meal," came the grousing voice of an obviously exasperated man. If not for the concealed smile dancing in the corners of his lips, Jakub would've looked grumpy. "Ultimately, it doesn't matter. Actions speak volumes more than words. I intend to treat you justly, but I can't promise you a constant flow of satisfying locutions."

He then moved his lobe into a more natural position. For a moment, Jakub felt that leaving his neck exposed for too long would compel Samara to try gnawing on it. "Oh, and by the way," he chuckled, "try not to frown too much. Wrinkles shouldn't be allowed to ruin such a pretty face."

It was then that Andrei crept back into the room, having disposed of his cumbersome cloak. The vampire brandished a slightly oversized backsword attached to his hip, indicating that he could fight. "Everything has been prepared. Are you two ready?" The question felt more rhetorical than sincere.

Samara Asenta

 

[Samara Asenta]

"What is convenient for you can be upsetting for others," Samara replied tersely. She might not be hundreds of years old -- a wise Elf or a jaded Vampire -- but that didn't mean she was oblivious. The easy way out was rarely so for all parties involved; and not all parties were those you were conscious of at the time the choice was made. After all, she was forced to confront the question of convenience daily.

From where Samara sat, she turned her head just enough to look over at the man that sat nearby. Her eyes did stray from his lips and to his exposed neck as he spoke.

Which do you want more, Sweetie? To feed me his soul, or feel that hot crimson pump down your gullet?

A quiet, but audible series of creaks and pops followed Samara's fingers as they dug into an arm rest. The way her fangs itched. How her muscles burned. A fog began to gather about her mind, and the desperate beat of her heart began to fill her ears. What might have passed over her lips in response were lost as dark tendrils slithered over her shoulders and down her arms. An unseen presence that would gladly guide the Elf to what her body so desperately desired.

Then Andrei's voice caused Samara to drew in a sharp breath and stand to her feet. Her lidless, blue eyes lingered on the Occultist at her side. Why should she wait to feed on a Lower Fae when there was such a dark, juicy meal within arm's reach at that very moment?

Samara bent over the Occultist, one hand placed upon the top of the plush accomodations the man had occupied while the other stopped just short of touching his face. "I can feel it inside you," the Elf breathed the words just for Jakub to hear. "She greatly desires it."

When she felt her eyes begin to stray from his, Samara straightened up as suddenly she'd stooped over him. Slowly one of Samara's foot pivoted on the floor just before. The other foot lifted gradually as though a great weight were strapped to it. After the first step fell in Andrei's direction the second was just a hair easier. "Aren't we always?" she replied to Andrei's rhetorical question with one of her own.

Jakub

 

[Jakub]

Andrei squinted at the sight, pointing his finger in the two's direction. "You are not doing the nasty on my brand new furniture," asserted Andrei, leading them down a flight of stairs that seemingly stretched into infinity. Either this part was underground, or Andrei somehow figured out how to warp reality. It took them minutes to reach an expansive hall. When they arrived, there was nothing to be seen sans a mottled concrete wall.

The occultist cocked his head, observing the structure with great interest. He searched for an opening, scouring the surface of featureless walls, scanning for any nooks and crannies installed into the freckled granite. Jakub licked his lips, noting the washed-out battlements, one grey leaching into the other and each just as frigid without the sun's nurturing embrace. His gaze darted from one end of the chamber to the other, initiating him to distrust the notion of these walls harboring an exit.

Andrei noted the reaction, smirking as his hand levitated near the stone's surface. Suddenly, the formation rearranged, and a small platform emerged from one of the walls. It was no bigger than Andrei's hand. In fact, it seemed to resemble one just as much. Andrei pressed his palm into it, watching the bumpy protrusion come to life as it radiated with brilliantly colored light. A green hue enveloped the vampire's appendage just as he was retracting his hand. All of a sudden, the obstacle was no more.

There, in the wall's center, stood a large, rectangular entrance. There was no telling where all the material went, other than the fact it seemingly vanished into thin air. Magic was at work, a powerful one at that. Andrei led them into a featureless room. Nothing about it stood out except the two see-through pods located near the center. Both pods housed humanoid forms. It was two of them in total, one per capsule.

The first was a blonde, curvy woman with pinkish skin, green eyes, and lightly pointed ears. She wore a simple dress that hugged her voluptuous bodice. She appeared unconscious but alive. Presumably, she was the lesser fae Andrei spoke of, judging by her more human-like qualities.

The other was human in nothing but shape. Her hair was bloody red, reaching down to her lower back. Her ears were extraordinarily long and oddly pointed. But it was her skin that stood out. That pale, nearly translucent hide of hers looked every bit as alien as Jakub expected. Even Samara looked relatively tanned by comparison. This fae was bound from head to toe in a straight jacket. She'd been gagged, limiting her ability to speak. Furthermore, a layer of padded clothing draped over her eyes, inscribed with powerful binding runes that'd prevent her from using magic.

Samara Asenta

 

[Samara Asenta]

As they descended into the deep, Samara's eyes became enveloped in darkness with silver-white rings set as meticulously crafted gems upon a royal canvas. The fiend's influence manifested itself with ease in such places. Not that the Elf had succumbed to terror yet; there were no chains about her wrists yet, but there was the growing unease of all too familiar surroundings. Such feelings were a delight for the beast that taunted its plaything in the world far out of reach. Sweet promises of release were often whispered into Samara's ear if only she stopped running.

The Elf watched as the male Vampire set to work showing off his magical prowess or the influence over those with such ability. "I admit, your domain possesses the hallmarks of greatness." A smile spread over her dark lips as her eyes slid from the capsules to that of Andrei himself. "Yet it is bereft of decor. Baubles, artifacts, trophies of who you are and what you have accomplished. Do you keep such things hidden from strangers, or have you no need? They hardly seem in danger from your livestock."

Even the fiend was curious to learn the nature of Andrei. Was the Vampire consumed in darkness, uncaring for the plight of those it fed on? Did it seek to empower the monsters that prowled the world, yet maintain a precarious balance to ensure hunters didn't come knocking needlessly? Or was he a pragmatist? A creature that did what was needed to survive. If that meant securing living creatures to feast upon or entertain guests then he'd acquire only so much as he needed. No more, no less. Were they a hunter that killed for sport, or livelihood?

She strode forward to examine the women trapped in the capsules. "It seems you do not conduct experiments or torture here." With how empty the room was it seemed Andrei merely kept his food well preserved until needed. If that were true, however, why only two? "I hope we aren't depriving you of your own needs, Andrei." A smile resurfaced as she turned to look back at him.

Jakub

 

[Jakub]

Andrei strode across the room with feline grace. With a mere clap of Andrei's hands, a chair emerged from the tiled floor, allowing Andrei to drop his frame into it. He looked at Samara with a small smile, waving off her question. "I am hardly bothered by guests, especially friends. It's been so long since someone familiar visited me," he added with a sigh, head resting in the palm of his hand. A pang of sadness washed over his face as he gazed into the vast space. "We conducted some experiments on humanoid creatures like orcs and trolls, but that was ages ago. This room is no longer a laboratory that it used to be."

"As for the number of faes," he snorted, "Currently, I possess no more than two magical capsules. Fae is hard to keep restrained. If humans were in question, I could keep a dozen down here." Andrei cracked his neck, unwinding the tension that built up during the nighttime. "Alas, I do not drink blood, so quantity hardly matters. I feed only myself and a few close friends."

Jakub paced around the room's confines, looking out for any recognizable signs of his once-beloved study. He spread his arms like wings, watching violet sparks of magic bounce off and land on the floor, being absorbed by it almost instantly. In a heartbeat, more chairs began to emerge, looking brand new, undamaged even. There was a working desk, a writing desk, and what appeared to be an operating table. Jakub carefully traced the tips of his digits over the material, finding it brand new, untouched by the passages of time. "So many memories..." the man mumbled, not caring about being heard by anyone but himself. He remembered the days when chemical vials, scalpels, needles, tweezers, paperwork, and so much more littered these deserted tables.

Alas, those were days gone. No man, no matter how powerful, could bend time to his will. "I remember when we used to work here, experimenting day and night, chatting, drinking, joking." Jakub spun on his heel to face Andrei. His eyebrows sloped into a dismayed expression. "What happened?"

"Fifty years passed by like a breeze. That's what happened, Jakub," responded the taller man, tapping his clawed fingertips against the smooth surface. "I am no longer the scientist that I used to be, but," there was always a but in these conversations, "I am content to see that you stayed true to the craft. Congratulations, my friend."

As if struggling to swallow the lump building up in the back of his throat, Jakub's teeth chattered, and the human sighed, forcing a puff of air through his flared nostrils. "It defines who I am."

Samara Asenta

 

[Samara Asenta]

A soft laugh bubbled forth after Andrei's remark about keeping his prey. "Fae can be such troublesome creatures, but well worth it in the end. They possess such a deep and rich connection with the mystic power of this plane. You can only push a Human body so far before it begins to literally fall apart."

The Elven woman turned to regard Jakub as he conjured some familiar surroundings. It quickly became apparent these rooms weren't just commanded by Andrei. They weren't as hollow as they seemed. Perhaps they responded to the thoughts or desires of those that knew the trigger? A marvelous magical construct that elevated her appraisal of the pair in Her presence.

"Whyever for?" The white rings turned back to the Vampire comfortably settled into his chair after the men caught up on lost time. "There are so many secrets to uncover about the world. So many different combinations to try and new creatures to fashion." Samara slowly circled one of the capsules before She stopped with one arm around it, and Her gaze once more on Andrei. "How long did you two practice together, I wonder? If fifty years passed unnoticed, you must have explored such secrets for so much longer. I would like to hear more of it."

Even Jakub received a look from the woman of growing pallor and dark smiles. "And I would love to learn more about this thing that defines you, Jakub. Such a rare aura about you." A matter that those that could sense the essence of things would not an unmistakable change in the Elf's own. "There's much you and I could discuss."

"Although," a slight shrug and pout of Her lips followed as She crossed over to the other capsule with the High Fae in it, "your little 'pact' doesn't bode well for us sharing our darkest secrets." The silent tap of Her finger upon the capsule accompanied the resurgence of a smile on Elven lips.

Jakub

 

[Jakub]

Andrei snorted, slamming his fist into the table's flat. "I dislike the fae," he began, carefully tucking in the collar of his button-up shirt. "They are the type of creatures to mistake confidence with arrogance. Their entire species seems to think that the world is just one big play and that they are the main characters." Andrei's mannerly facade could barely conceal the venom lacing his words. He got up from his chair, fingers snapping with dazzling magic, commanding the pods to open up, leaving their fragile content out in the open.

Jakub looked at his friend with a benumbed expression, eyes glazed over. A part of him felt disappointed with Andrei. The vampire stopped pursuing their old dream. He let it die, and Jakub hadn't quite gotten over it. "You see," Andrei continued, fiddling with the bonds that kept the red-haired fae bound to one spot, "people change over time, especially the long-lived ones like Jakub and me." He removed a portion of the straight jacket, exposing more of that weirdly translucent skin. The gag and the blindfold remained as Andrei threw her to the ground, observing the fae's desperate writhing. She could hear them, make out the noises around her, but couldn't see a damn thing. By all accounts, the woman must've been entirely oblivious to her surroundings.

"When you live as long as we do, your body and core consciousness won't fade, but you are still susceptible to the passage of time. Slowly but certainly, years turn into decades, decades into centuries." A wave of disgust washed over his face as he moved away from Jakub's soon-to-be meal. Andrei didn't lie when saying that faes were intolerable. "During that time, you may shed some of the personality traits. Exist for several mortal lifetimes, and at some point, you'll notice yourself becoming a completely different person compared to what you used to be."

Jakub wasted no time closing in as he wrapped his fingers around the woman's neck, securing her in an iron grip. With one swift motion, he effortlessly hoisted her body mid-air, annoyed by her futile attempts at resisting. Her limbs were still bound, hence why Jakub believed that she could do nothing to him. It'd be a lie to say that he didn't derive some entertainment from the act. After all, it wasn't every day that he got to feast on such delicious sorcery. "How considerate of you to care about my well-being, Samara. But fret not. Your secrets will not disturb me. I'll happily take them to the grave." He was speaking in sarcasm, as per usual.

Jakub shifted a handful of steps away from Andrei, trotting the female with him. He brought her closer as his jaw unhinged further than what should've been humanly possible. A new appendage emerged, bearing an eerie resemblance to a cross between a human tongue and an earthworm. The long, tubular tongue, roughly the thickness of a human forearm, sneaked out of Jakub's rapidly inflating throat. It dripped slime onto the floor as its head unfolded like an onion, showing rows upon rows of circular, teeth-lined suckers. The proboscis lunged forward, attaching to the fae's face, nearly engulfing it whole.

Samara Asenta

 

[Samara Asenta]

Given Samara's earlier disposition toward being quite cross, it might surprise him to find her dark lips growing ever so wider as Andrei spoke. Those brightly burning rings tracked the Vampire as he stalked the chamber and cast the High Fae down to the floor. Where he no doubt believed she belonged.

She wondered whether Andrei was truly angry at the Fae for their pride, or at himself for having lived so long and no longer resembled that which he once was. It seemed such a trite thing -- to lament you were no longer that weak creature that crawled on its belly over the surface of the realm. So was it anger at the Fae believing themselves on the same level as someone that'd come so far? That was something She could understand.

The Elf slowly stepped away from the capsule. Her path carried Her alongside Jakub for a moment. "Samara's secrets wouldn't. And mine," Samara bent over slightly to peer around at the man intent on a choice meal, "have mortals pine for the grave." With a quick smile, the Elf resumed her stride over to the other capsule.

Rather than take hold of the Lower Fae there, however, Samara turned, clasped her hands before her, and watched as Jakub seemed intent on putting on a show for his friend. The smile on her lips didn't waver, nor did any crease in her brow follow. It would be amusing to let the Elf endure this show openly, but this was a rare opportunity. Andrei's -- or Jakub's -- private dwelling had a surprising benefit. It was nearer to where She was than the physical realm. That little extra nudge where She could assert control over her Elf. And how Jakub fed, well, that was perfectly normal to Her.

Slowly Samara turned to regard the Lower Fae in turn. "Come here, Love." A slight cant to her head followed while her lidless gaze remain fixed on the woman. "Come here."

She waited while the woman climbed out of the capsule on her own before Samara circled around behind. Both arms draped atop the woman's shoulders and with one hand she simultaneously directed the other's head in Jakub's direction and pointed at the display. Her lips blushed against the pointed earlobe as She softly whispered, "Eyes open, Love. Not ever day you have the honor of witnessing what lies beyond." A moment later Samara's lips teased the other ear, "I could save you. Think I should?" Her eyes fixed on the two gentlemen curious if they had any thoughts on the matter.

Doubtful. Jakub was eating and Andrei was now the disgruntled party. A low laugh rumbled quietly behind closed lips for just a few moments. Then the cool air caressed ivory blades half a second before they sank into the Fae's neck.

 

[Jakub]

Samara's victim could hardly fight back against the vampire's overwhelming brawn. She might've been magically gifted, but it'd not help her against someone like Samara. Instead, all she could do was meekly struggle, impotently pushing her soft hands against Samara's torso in a feeble attempt to escape. Eventually, the fae began to go limp, slipping in and out of consciousness with every pint of blood lost. She was finally dead after twenty seconds of being drained. Her vibrant face turned deathly alabaster from severe anemia. It was a bloodbath. Samara must've done her best to slurp up all the precious bodily fluids, but some escaped nonetheless, staining the lifeless body. Its colors were those of a grotesque rainbow, vermillion mixed with purple and yellow to form a cadaverous landscape. The fae's corpse grew heavier in Samara's grasp, signaling that the soul-spark no longer resided within it.

Jakub paid no mind to his meal, leeching out every once of magical energy he could to sustain himself. By the time he finished, the higher fae's complexion turned to resemble that of a shriveled-up mummy. Her eyes were dried out, having retreated into their cavernous sockets to the point of bare visibility. Her skin turned gaunt, leathery, and incredibly coarse. Dragging a hand over it would feel like touching a sheet of sandpaper. Even her hair fell out in clumps, leaving behind a perfectly bald crown. It was true that she didn't look like a murder victim. No, not a victim at all, for there were no puncture marks or any outwardly visible indicators that a man harmed her. Someone could've easily mistaken her for a decades-old carcass instead of someone who lived mere moments ago.

Ultimately, Jakub showed her no remorse, not even in death. He carelessly dropped her body onto the tiled floor, feeling reinvigorated by the power he so violently stole from it. Without thinking twice, Jakub planted his foot onto the vacant skull, pulverizing it while allowing whatever liquid remained inside to seep away, forming a pungent puddle beneath him. This action earned him a disapproving look from Andrei. The vampire knew all too well that it'd be him who would have to clean up the mess left by Jakub and Samara, a chore he didn't look forward to.

"Are the two of you done eating? I am starting to think that you are playing with your food. Which I hope isn't the case, as it is a sign of bad manners and lack of etiquette." Andrei never raised his voice to threaten someone. Despite that, he commanded an intimidating presence. Enough to compel most people into doing his bidding, either willingly or unwillingly.

Samara Asenta

 

[Samara Asenta]

Samara's fingers released the Fae's body and let it collapse to the floor. They were dead. It wasn't as though they'd feel any pain or indignity at the treatment. Oh, but Andrei didn't seem to approve of some part of the festivities he'd enabled. Some amount of disappointment in their decorum.

Laughter bubbled forth; the back of her hand covered her mouth to be polite to such a fine, upstanding Vampire Lord. "Eating?" The hand fell to reveal a dark smile with her focus entirely on the Vampire. "I wasn't eating." Her eyes slid over to the husk under Jakub's boot. "That was eating. Something I would absolutely love to do to both of you, but then that would be poor manners. You don't harm a generous host, and Jakub's little magic could have unexpected consequences if I tried killing him to break it. Isn't that right, Occultist?" The smile returned in full force despite the accusation.

"I would love if we could speak on which creature touched you. Perhaps I know them. I could try bonding with them over a few tortured souls." Jakub had her full attention at that point. It was always delightful for Samara to meet others similar to herself. It'd help with the adjustment. Their deal was a problem, but there was no cause for alarm -- plenty of time to deal with it. Or perhaps Jakub would simply need to be dealt with, but even that could wait.

Jakub

 

[Jakub]

The men exchanged looks, gazing into each other's eyes before bursting into laughter. Both were different, yet similar in a way. Jakub's was more of a snorting chortle, followed by a grin so accented that it threatened to split his face in half. Andrei was significantly more reserved with his laugh but still audible enough to be heard. "That's an interesting proposition," responded the ever so bubbly vampire, "but ill-conceived. I'd advise against it." He was not a violent type, but something about Samara's sudden shift in personality made him roll his eyes.

Jakub's gaze lowered to the fae's corpse. He nudged it with his foot, making sure that the creature would stay dead. The ambient magic of Andrei's laboratory had a strange effect on cadavers. More than once, Jakub saw them reanimating before his eyes. Either that or ever so subtly moving without external influence. It was these occurrences that compelled him to delve into necromancy. An ill-fated art conceived for those all-too-keenly aware of the fragilities brought upon by mortality. For the most part, necromancers were either humans, orcs, or any other sapient race with a limited lifespan.

"Bonding is a strong word." Jakub jerked back, having momentarily zoned out of existence, lost in the wayward machinations of his treacherous brain. It must've been playing tricks on him, that stupid bundle of neurons. For a moment, Jakub felt as if time had slowed down to a crawl.

"It's like saying you'll chat it up with a tornado, or a tsunami, or any form of non-sentient natural disaster," his brows wallowed into a questioning expression, transforming his otherwise blank face into something concerning.

"The eye sees us. We aren't shrouded anymore." The sentence was more of a mumble than anything coherent. Thankfully, Andrei's hypersensitive ears picked up on it. That's where the exchange ended, bringing forth a silent stillness, only stirred by the uncomfortable shuffling of Jakub's feet. Jakub didn't go into details of what, or who the eye was, nor to whom it belonged, but Andrei seemed to understand the overall premise.

"That...isn't good," Andrei's words broke through the silence as he cracked his knuckles. Suddenly a large mass of some thick, heavy, whitish liquid fell onto his shoulders and drenched him. Andrei's face rose to meet its source, only to meet with a humongous, disembodied eye partially fused to the ceiling. The fleshy construct must've been at least a meter in diameter. Its roundness and accented pupil made him think of human eyes.

Samara Asenta

 

[Samara Asenta]

The Elf's head rolled back for her black and white eyes to behold the Beholder, so to speak. "Please tell me this is the 'natural disaster' you would valiantly try to steer me from," Samara remarked with the same tone one might strike up conversation about the weather.

A casual flip of one hand needlessly brushed her hair over one shoulder with no move made away nor toward the sudden Eye's appearance. If it was naught but a monster that plagued them, She would be quite disappointed. All that talk of doom and gloom only to be met by something... how could She not?

"You'd be surprised how deities communicate. Sink an island nation here, fashion another there. Plagues, wars, unfortunate taste in music..." Why shouldn't she resume the earlier conversation? The boys had gone on about the seriousness of what she'd said and then immediately lamented not being hidden from The Eye only for it to appear. Really it was rather rude. Enough to drop a meteor on something the Eye cherished -- or in Her case perhaps a Kraken.

With a drawn out sigh, Samara's eyes fell to the corpse of the lowly Fae before her. A dark plume began to bleed from the floor about the lifeless husk. It slowly caressed and intruded upon the idle flesh within its grasp. Soon, the pretty thing was lifted by the shadowy tendrils as one would a puppet affixed with string. Black veins could be seen beneath the fair skin as her feet were set back down upon the ground and the hollow of her eyes regarded the chamber around her once more.

Her attention slid back to the men in her presence curious what they intended to do with The Eye among them. Of course She would happily dispatch it, if the mood struck her, but chew toy aside they hadn't earned a favor -- the fiend that manifested due to the nature of this 'Study' was not altruistic.

Jakub