Fable - Ask Retaliation

[Charon]

Free reign from Lili to do as he pleased with their prisoner, and thanks to Ignatius he didn't even have to deal with the cleanup of Ellis' corpse? And Jaxan and Del were kind enough to let Charon have all the fun to himself? How wonderful, how truly wonderful! The proctors would have never let Charon do all this. Lili and company truly were the best, the very best!

Red flared back into Charon's eyes and that familiar, creeping sensation began to radiate from him once more. The boy pulled the little pointed stick from a pocket and marched over to the architect, who was now well and truly terrified. Sweat poured off the man's brow, he wriggled relentlessly at his bonds, and he cried muffled pleas through his gag. Oh, how it whet Charon's appetite, such that he licked his lips in excitement.

As Charon descended on the man, eager to start prying nails from his digits, the architect managed to loosen the gag enough that his mouth came free.
"Wait! Waitwaitwaitwaitwait, PLE-HE-HEEEASE, wait!" The man pleaded, desperately trying to worm his way out of Charon's reach. "I'll tell you anything, I'll tell you anything! Pleasepleaseplease just keep him away from me, keep him AWA--AHHHH!"

Even as the older man begged, Charon had already worked one of his boots off and was in the process of burying the wooden skewer beneath one of the prisoner's toenails. Blood seeped quickly as Charon wrenched the thing in, the architect unable to keep himself out of Charon's grasp.
"Awww, Lili, he wants to talk! Will you halt my fun so soon? HAHAHAHA!" He cackled, eagerly whittling away as more and more blood drenched his improvised torture tool.

 

[Jaxan]

Jaxan held in a sigh but averted his gaze as ChaCha began to delight in the old civvies cries of pain.

Jax wasn't a squeamish guy. In fact, he delighted in causing some pain and torment from time-to-time. But what separated him from some of the others was it needed to fulfill some purpose. He was happy to let Lil or Trixi or even Iggy come up with the braincraft, they were all smart as a whip. But when they needed a bit of muscle he was ready to provide.

Just felt hard to indulge in messin' up some poor old gaffer's toenails. Weren't no sport to it.

"You can 'ave the all of 'im," Jaxan told Iggy with a nod, "will be plenty for me to work with once we have a lil' meet and greet with the council."

Let Lil or Del talk over these 'plans' with ChaCha or something. Braincraftin', that's what they did.

"Ey, Del?" he gestured towards the gal with the purple eyes, "what'd that council have in terms of like... security? Protection? Buncha guards or?"

It truly eluded Jax why Ellis wouldn't have just came back with a few corpses. If the smart folk couldn't settle problems with words Jaxan found you could always fix something by killing all the troublemakers.

 

[Liliana]

Liliana listened to the screams with about as much excitement as a rock.

She had never really cared much about violence. To her it was just a means to an end, but she knew Charon enjoyed it, and that made it a useful tool. Ignatius had the plans the architect had come with, and her gaze loosely poured over them as her companion continued with his torture.

Gaze flickered slowly over the maps, Ignatius at her side. "This, will be a good spot to have our meeting."

She mused quietly to her portly companion. Her finger pointed to a small church that sat on the outside of the town. "We just need one of the Council members, so I can have a...chat with him."

"Jaxan can watch from there, You and Del can have my back, and Charon..." She mused. "Well, he can wait in the rafters."

Liliana glanced over towards Charon and the architect.

"Oh good." She mused as the Architect relented. Turning on her heel in the sand and walking over towards the begging man. "I'll make the pain stop. Make it stop completely, but I just need a name. One name. A councilor that will still meet with us. Talk with me. Give him my point of view on things."

The Architect's body seemed to wrack, fear gripping his eyes, pain tensing every muscle in his body. He looked to Charon, then to Del.

"P-promi-promise he'll stop?"​

"Of course, Dear." Liliana said with a smile.

"C-councilor Veten. He-he-he has trade interested in Vel Tiran."​

Liliana smiled, reaching out and patting the architect on the cheek, before turning back to Charon. "Do what you want with him, Charon. I have what I need."

The man began to scream, yelling of betrayal, promises, whatever else, but Liliana didn't listen. She pulled herself upright and stepped back towards Ignatius, ignoring the begging pitiful little creature. There were great things to think about.

 

[Delaney Lennox]

Delaney looked over at Jaxan and huffed, “Security. They didn’t have any. They didn’t even do us the curtesy of letting us think they were scared of us. Quite rude, if you ask me!” They were going to learn who to be truly afraid of today. They were going to regret even that small slight of not bringing any security.

Delaney nodded at Liliana when she assigned her and Iggy to watch her back. She would. Her attention was taken by the Architect not too much later as he begged. He really had not even had the worst of what Charon could inflict. Weakling that deserved to die.

“Whenever you are ready, Lil, we are too. Let’s get us a fucking councilor and have a proper meeting.”

 

[Ignatius Voll]

Coming together nicely, the plan. For how impromptu it had been. But when the report got back to the Academy about how Proctor Ellis bungled his part, ended up dying for it, and they the initiates saved the mission, aughha, all of them were due high marks. Only natural. And high marks on a mission like this would smooth over Ignatius's lagging grades in the areas of physicality. Pah. Like he had time for that. And like it was even necessary for him.

Charon's predations (those uncomfortable tingles emanating from him, augh) upon the architect provided the backdrop for Liliana's devising of their next step. Delaney's report was promising, as the Vel Innis officials were suffering from acute overconfidence, much like that dalcop Vance back at the Academy. Oh goody. He and Del were to be with Liliana during the new and improved negotiations. Delectable. There was something special about watching a fool's face disintegrate with realization at the precise moment of its dawning.

Ignatius felt a rumble in his stomach. Ah. The power from his concoction. It was ready. Right on time--both Ellis and the architect could be disposed of in due order. Jaxan didn't need any bits from either, so all was well.

"One moment," Ignatius said as Liliana turned and left the architect to his fate. "And I'll be ready."

He sauntered over to Ellis's corpse in the beach sand. His back to the group, he took in a big breath, the latter half of it sounded wet and as if he were gurgling. Then, like some fiendish monsters found in the wilds of Arethil, Ignatius spewed a torrent of greenish acid from his mouth. It splattered on Ellis's body. On the sand. Violent hissing, steam rising. Ignatius spewed the acid there...and there...don't forget the other arm...there...until all of Ellis's body was covered and dissolving.

Within a minute or two, only bones and discolored sand remained, and even the bones were breaking down and would be gone within a few minutes more. Ignatius wiped at his mouth and flicked his hand down at the bones.

"Out with the old, in with the new," Ignatius said.

Liliana Jaxan Delaney Lennox Charon

 

[Charon]

Charon looked on in dismay at first as Liliana promised safety and comfort to the group's hostage. The man cracked like an egg, of course, spilling everything Lili wanted to know like so much vomit. Charon's excitement nearly began to wither away, until...

"Do what you want with him, Charon. I have what I need."

Silence became a stray break of his voice. The little voice crack became a low giggle. The giggle became laughter. The laughter became manic. To see all this man's hope built up only to be so thoroughly dashed to pieces was truly beautiful. Artful, even. Charon was so well versed in breaking the body, but Liliana was a mistress of breaking the spirit.

The karambits were no longer good enough. With a flick, the sharpened portions of Charon's armor descended past his fingers, forming wicked claws. He pounced on the architect like a lion upon game. Skin was torn, peeled away, shredded through. Bones were crushed and snapped. The architect screamed all the while, unable to pass out as Charon's foul magic kept him from fading.

Just then, Ignatius used his own powers to melt through the body of Ellis, reducing it to naught but ooze. A sinister thought crossed Charon's mind as he popped one of the man's eyes from its socket, still attached to his body by muscle and optic nerve alike. Charon pointed the man's eye at the frothing pile of melted Ellis that still remained.

"Do you know what that is, my friend? That's your future! That's you in just a short while! Nothing will remain of you, nothing! Ahahahahaha!" He taunted the slowly dying man, carving away gleefully until there was no life left to give him breath.

When all was said and done, Charon stood, soaked with blood and smiling wickedly, satisfied with his work for the time being. "Ahhh~...What next?"

 

[Jaxan]

Alrighty, so they had a name now. Councilor Veten. Where the 'ell was Vel Tiran? What in the 'ell was a trade interest?

Borin' shit.

But with the moanin' and cryin' coming from ChaCha's little play toy and Iggy's stinky concoction there weren't much reason to hang 'round with the civvies. He saddled up round side Lil and Del, a grin forming that caused his cheeks to go taut.

"We find that friendly council-guy and then," a finger pointed at the church Lil had gestured to just earlier, "convince him to round up his pals?" He wasn't tryin' to audition for some role in the brain squad but anything at all beat the stench of whatever the other two men were up to.

Plus that architect's voice made 'im sound like a dyin' duck.

 

[Liliana]

Unlike some other of her esteemed colleagues Liliana did in fact like to think. Really it was the thing she did most back at the Academy.

She was well aware that her magic was hardly the strongest or most powerful, but it was certainly one of the most useful. With the weavings alongside a small nudge, one word here and another there, she had found that getting anyone to do anything at all was a rather simple matter.

As long as it was framed right. "Well."

It was exactly as she had said before. Charon had likely been too lost in the throes of his passion for blood that he hadn't heard. She shook her head for a brief moment, and then motioned towards the ramp which Proctor Ellis had wandered down just a short while ago to meet his face.

"First thing first we get off this fucking beach." Liliana exclaimed with a roll of her eyes. "I'm sick of the sand in my boots."

Without waiting for any of the others to acknowledge her the Initiate began to traipse up the ramp.

The Walk to the city itself was not a bad one, and like so many of the newly rebellious cities it seemed Vel Innes was far too trusting. The gates still lay open, and as they approached the two Guards by the gate simply waited for the group of Initiates to approach.

A smile pulled at her lips as they wandered closer, her fingers unfurling as her unseen magics cast forth towards the guards.

Both the men seemed to shift for a moment, and then their gaze focused entirely on Liliana. "Hello there, we seem to be a little lost...you wouldn't mind helping me, would you?"

"O-oh of course not ma'am. Yes. What were you looking for?"​

"We were looking for the Church of Saint Althwin." Liliana said, a rosy smile on her lips.

 

[Delaney Lennox]

Delaney followed Liliana in silence. She preferred her silence so she could hear her shadows better. They were fickle and got quite upset when she ignored them. The two Guards were easily swayed by Liliana's magic and they were rather quick to point the group in the direction of the Church of Saint Althwin.

Liliana was impressive and Delaney enjoyed watching her get what she wanted. Delaney could get the same answers but there was usually more crying and death involved. Liliana was so poised and clean.

The group started in the direction of the church and she let Liliana take the lead again rather quickly.

 

[Ignatius Voll]

Time to leave the beach, and to leave Proctor Ellis's dissolved remnants interred there. A shame, that great feats accomplished by necessity in secret had to remain that way. How much Ignatius would have loved to lord the slaying of Ellis over the other initiates of their class. Particularly Vance, Edric, and Noel, each one of whom could use a taste of the sobering reality that Ignatius trumped all of their feeble efforts. All of the other initiates weren't even worth mentioning.

Ignatius strode along, hanging to the rear of their troupe with Charon. And he elbowed him. Gestured his head toward the Weaved guards at the gates, Liliana playing them like a lyre. So ensorcelled were they that they'd no longer even the liberty to notice all that blood on Charon's person.

"It never gets old, does it?"

Of course it did for their most prolific murderer. But Ignatius adored poking him in such a manner. Maybe for the same reason Charon adored tormenting his victims so: for sport.

Charon Liliana Jaxan Delaney Lennox

 

[Charon]

There was something about being soaked in the fresh blood of your most recent victim that generated something of a lingering high in a person. Or, at least, in a complete psychopath like Charon. Ignatius prodding would've been met with a blank stare in most circumstances, but as of now Charon was still quite enamored with Liliana's mind-altering magics. Instead, Ignatius received a sharp-toothed grin and a knowing, red-eyed glance.

"S-she'd make a wonderful torturer..." He stammered back, all too eager to follow in his companions' wakes. After all, as long as he did, fun always arrived eventually.

 

[Jaxan]

”Bruv there’s more to life than gettin’ your murder fix,” he whispered back to ChaCha. Jax luved that little freak but sometimes the fella was ratcheted up a wee too much.

What made Lil useful was she didn’t needta dirty ‘er wee lil’ fingers. That was what ChaCha or Iggy or Jax to the Max brought to their lil’ family.

“That way missus,” guard numero uno gestured off to the west.

Guard number B chimed in too, “it’s right across the way from the Zinos Manor, can’t miss it.”

Jax nodded and the group started walkin’ like it was goin outta style. Once they were just on their own Jax felt like clarifyin’ things to his lil’ bud. ”Murders pretty great ChaCha but for sure you gotta have other interests,” Jaxan paused as they got nearer to the church, ”take Lil for example, she’s into that silly board game.” (note from outside of Jaxan’s head: that silly board game was called ‘Poke’ and it was one of the most popular strategic games in Vel Anir, similar to Go)

”An’ I love scrap bookin,” Jax imparted, ”Just sayin’ is all.”

 

[Liliana]

Liliana listened to her dear companions speak amongst one another as they made their way through the city, her face as impassive as ever. The group got a few passing looks, but most folk didn't seem to pick them out a crowd.

To anyone that didn't know, they just appeared as another pack of roving teenagers. Not all that dangerous, but most certainly annoying.

"Can you call it a scrap book when you paste most of the pages on your wall, Jax?" The words were not meant as a cruelty, but simply a wondering question. She had the misfortune of seeing Jaxan's room before, and there were certainly no books in it.

Her head shook, and they turned the corner.

Ahead of them the old church came into view.

It was a dilapidated, broken down pit of a thing. The building looked half ready to collapse, but at the very least it would serve the purpose she required. Without waiting for permission or even a word she stalked towards it. Her hand coming against the door, and finding it locked.

A sigh escaped her, and she turned towards the others expectantly.

 

[Delaney Lennox]

Delaney had continued her silence as they walked to the church. Her only noises came from her foot steps and a few snickers especially when Jaxan mentioned his hobby of scrapbooking. She just shook her head and smiled at her friends. They were a special bunch.

Liliana had tried the door and now she was staring at the rest of them. Oh, Delaney stepped forward as a tendril of shadow came to wrap her finger. A moment later, the tendril was slithering towards the door and then up it like a snake. It slipped between the door and the door frame to wriggle its way around the lock and move it. Her tendrils had many different uses and each one was useful.

The door popped open and the tendril of darkness disappeared into thin air. She moved her arm to indicate the open door with a sarcastic curtsey to Lilith and the others.

"Your door, my lady," all sarcasm as it dripped from her dark lips. Liliana knew that Delaney was not being serious. They had known each other long enough that her sarcasm did not get her into fights...at least not with this group.

 

[Ignatius Voll]

S-she'd make a wonderful torturer...

Jax had his say (but why try and convince their handy murderer that he could amount to more than that? He was good at what he did, and it was useful.) Then Ignatius had his. "Oh, disregard our friend Jax, Charon. Your 'murder fix' is what makes you, you. That's why you and Liliana function so well together. She twists the mind, you rend the body. You could start your own 'scrap' book, think about it."

Collecting was a hobby anyone could get into. Jax had his pieces of parchment, Liliana her board game pieces presumably, Delaney...bird feathers or some such? He really didn't know but she was likely to have something as well. Ignatius had his jars of surreptitiously gathered specimens (the privy rooms at the dorms were an excellent source of ingredients for his unique brand of magic). ChaCha, as Jax called him, could collect various trophies if it tickled his fancy. The only problem would be the Proctors--they might object to the inevitable smell. And this was how Ignatius could introduce Charon to the wonderful world of sealed glass jars.

They all made it to the Church in due time. The locked door presented a minor obstacle, nothing Delaney's versatile shadow magic couldn't resolve. Ignatius sauntered in after Liliana, taking a glance around the interior. Pews were broken or missing altogether, pits formed from broken floorboards dotted the ground, windows were shattered and the ceiling partially caved in. The place looked well looted--Saint Althwin, wherever in the hells he was, had to be proper vexed. Aughha, it was almost as if the whole war was fought in this one building alone.

Now they just needed to summon Councilor Veten, their little peach, to a nice, friendly meeting in here.

A glance to Liliana, "I take it some guard could be persuaded to fetch Veten for us." Then, thinking further, a glance to Delaney, "Or perhaps he'd be better convinced if you personally conveyed an urgency for this meeting of ours."

So far as Veten knew, Proctor Ellis was still alive. And that could be useful.

Liliana Delaney Lennox Jaxan Charon

 

[Charon]

”Murders pretty great ChaCha but for sure you gotta have other interests,”

"I-it's not really about the kill, Jaxan, it's what c-comes in between..." Charon managed. Already he was starting to revert back to his normal, more tolerable self. He awkwardly rubbed his arm. "Nothing else really...satisfies."

Hobbies were all well and good, and the post-revolution proctors had certainly tried to get Charon invested in something besides his obsessions, to no avail. There were just some things that no amount of therapy could fix, not when one had been forged in such a focused fashion as Charon. The Academy had thoroughly broken him by now.

Oh, disregard our friend Jax, Charon.

That was more like it. Charon really did like Ignatius more than most. Ignatius understood. Pain and death were what made Charon now. Not embracing that fact was just...silly.
"That's...not a b-bad idea, ehehe. C-could help me go a bit longer on a dry spell."

For now, Charon would let his companions do the heavy lifting. Diplomacy was certainly not Charon's forte.

 

[Jaxan]

"Ah c'mon Lil, you know the Proctors ain't gonna give me a book for 'em," which was the whole reason why Jax had started pressin' doodles and writings to his walls. "Trust me, I asked, they thought I was just gonna rip the pages out for fun."

Not an entirely untrue assumption. It did sound fun to rip pages from a tome for no reason other than sprinkling the bits all around. But ultimately he just wanted to 'ave a spot to jot down his thoughts. Even if most of 'em were expressed via drawin' and such.

Jax cast a look on Charon but dismissed it quickly, "right, whatever mate."

If the boy-o wanted to torture folk that was just gonna have to be his business. Least Lil kept the kid in line.

He was fixin' to rush the locked door, shoulder first, but then Laney used her whacko shadow magic and propped the thing open. Interestin' little trick there and saved Jax from bruisin' his arm. He hustled inside after the rest and then let loose a low whistle.

"What a fuckin' dump," he said low enough for his pals to hear but without carryin' the tone out to the extremities of the buildin'. "Let's get this Veten and go."

His hands balled into fists as the uncomfortable space started gettin' to 'im.

 

[Liliana]

Liliana stepped through the doorway as though she did not notice Delaney's sarcasm one bit.

She knew the girls verbiage well enough to detect the tone within her voice, but it hardly mattered to her. She stepped like a Queen regarding her subjects, moving into the empty church as though it were a palace waiting for her.

She glanced around for a moment, then dipped her head in acknowledgement of Jaxan's suggestion. "Yes. Let's just get this over with."

Someone, she honestly wasn't sure who, dragged one of the Guards in front of her. It might have been Ignatius, given his particularly helpful mood, but Liliana didn't notice. All she noted was the touch of her weave upon the innocents mind.

She whispered into the guards ear, offered him a command, and that was enough.

Twenty minutes passed, and she knew that the man would find his way to the church.

In the time that passed the Initiate had taken her perch upon the alter of the Church, lounging as though she were Empress of a whole nation.

"Take your places, everyone." She mused. "We'll have company soon."

 

[Delaney Lennox]

Delaney watched Liliana perch herself upon the alter and just smirked. That was the perfect spot for her holiness. Delaney, herself, had listened to the entire conversation between the boys and she decided to now comment on it as she drew near Ignatius and Charon.

"I like you how you are, Charon. There is nothing like watching the life drain from someone's eyes after you have broken them." Her smile was dark as she draped her forearm on Iggy's shoulder.

"Our little group wouldn't be the same without either of you," she purred.

 

[Ignatius Voll]

Ignatius had indeed fetched the guard who would fetch Councilor Veten. A necessary step. A tiny piece of the puzzle, which, when put altogether, formed the whole picture of the plan. And this was to be their magnum opus. Five Initiates, sans their guiding Proctor, quelling an entire rebellious city. Clearly, such an achievement had to be worth more than mere high marks. There were actual graduated Dreadlords who'd rot and wither before such a task, failing where Ignatius and the others were bound to succeed.

Everyone had their place in it, this triumph. Delaney, because she was intelligent and never let a good tool go to waste, agreed with him on Charon.

And it was likely Charon would get to leverage his talents yet again. He and Jaxan were to wait out of sight, applying their muscle with the element of surprise if and when such became necessary. Oh, and it would. Councilor Veten was sure to be foolish enough to think he was in a position of control, the little peach.

Meanwhile, Ignatius himself and Delaney were to Liliana's left and right, adding that touch of extra gravitas when Liliana began talks with their guest.

Ignatius stood beside the altar, his hands rested on his vial belt, thick fingers idly strumming the glasses containing his concoctions.

Proctor Pallatrix and Proctor Kellmir better sing their praises when they returned.

Charon Jaxan Liliana Delaney Lennox

 

[Charon]

Charon didn't fully understand why, but he knew that Delaney and Ignatius' words were meant to encourage. He feigned an approximation of a thankful smile as his excitement continued to dwindle and his calmer self settled back in.

If the plan demanded that Charon wait with Jax for further opportunities for violence, then wait Charon would.
"I'll follow your lead..." He offered Jaxan quietly.

 

[Jaxan]

Jaxan grunted at the ask from Lil and sauntered off towards his designated hiding position.

"Righto," he offered 'ol ChaCha. Sometimes bein' near the kid was unpleasant, guy wasn't the best at controllin' that weird tinglin' feelin' he emanated... or maybe he just liked usin' it all the time. For now it weren't so bad, maybe he was showin' Jax a bit 'o mercy.

With a grin the onyx-skinned initiate added, "if he refuses we can spook the councilor a bit, dun worry, you'll know when." Not that Jax was much of a thinker but he was pretty good at readin' folk. If the meetin' was goin' south Jax would be ready to step in.

And ChaCha was a master of creepin' folk out without even tryin'.

 

[Liliana]

Councilor Veten stepped into the church with all the grandeur of a man who thought he ruled a city.

There were no guards with him, surprisingly, but perhaps the man simply thought that he was untouchable at this point. Liliana stood with her two companions at her back, watching as the man sauntered into the abandoned church.

He frowned a she spotted the noble lady.

"Who...what the hell? Where is Ellis? We had a bargain. There was sup-"​

"Councilor." Liliana broke into his speech, deciding that it was best he not be allowed to carry on. "Vel Anir has changed it's positio-"

Before she could finish Liliana found herself rudely interrupted as the man broke into her words. There was a harsh cut to his tone, an anger.

"SHUTTUP!"​

He bit off.

"Who the fuck do you think you are!? I am Councilor Louis Veten! You're what? A fucking teenager? What the fuck do you think you are talking to me?"​

The man turned on his heel.

"I can't believe the fucking gall of this."​

Liliana frowned for a moment, not quite believing what she was hearing from the man. Who in the hell did he think he was. What in the fuck was he doing. "Del."

The Noble said, a quick, terse command.

 

[Delaney Lennox]

Delaney tilted her head to the side with an evil smile as she sent a tendril so crawl up the Councilors legs and stop him from walking

"What the fuck do you think..."
​

His words were cut off as another tendril of shadow formed a tight gag in his mouth and around his head. He tried to pull it away but the shadows held tight.

Delaney wasn't done though. No, he needed those pesky hands bound...for good measure...

One more dutiful tendril followed the orders of its master and bound the mans hands in front of him. Delaney smiled as she walked around the man, inspecting her work. "Beautiful," she said softly and patted the Councilors cheek. "You really shouldn't be rude when a beautiful women is trying to speak to you, Councilor."

With that, Delaney spun him around so he was facing Liliana again. She gave her friend a small curtsy and then returned to her side.

"My lady..." She said with a flourish of her hand to Veten.

 

[Ignatius Voll]

He really came in here. By himself. Ignatius could scarcely believe it, and yet, here he was. Not some envoy, not a decoy, but Councilor Veten himself. How poorly had Proctor Ellis negotiated with the rulers of Vel Innis for him to have this level of confidence?

Well. As it always happened, the plumpest fruits produced the most satisfying squeezes.

Ignatius didn't need to do anything. Yet. His was a luxurious position at present, simply standing to Liliana's side and watching Delaney bring the Councilor to heel. He flicked his gaze to the doors of the Church, to the shattered windows, still with a lingering disbelief that the man Veten could've had the boldness to arrive as he did, but eventually he settled his gaze back on the Councilor himself.

"Pay attention," he said casually. "The fate of Vel Innis hangs in the balance."

Liliana Delaney Lennox Jaxan Charon