Private Tales The Eye is Caught by Light, but the Shadow has More to Say

[Eilerias]

"What? You offered to do this? Why?" Violet growled, a bit surprised. "Its not gonna be easy ya know." Her eyes widened as Eilerias told her she was bored. "Don't tell me you're some kinda psycho bitch that thinks killing people is fun? Even I don't do that!"

"No, no. I'm most definitely the most sane of my family." She pondered the thought for a moment, laughing at the thought. She had met two sisters other than Charity very briefly, but she was still confident she was the least psychotic of all of them. Sure, she had just murdered a poor woman to show off...but it wasn't as though any of them hadn't done something like that before. At least she didn't kill the woman for fun.

"You're Charity's- our sister? Ya don't look like a demon." Violet mused. "Much too... Cute." She licked her lips hungrily with a small spark of lust in her eyes. Eilerias would've made for some excellent after dinner entertainment, but there was no time for that. She was on the job after all. "As much as I don't wanna believe it, I do sense traces of Father's power in ya..."

A sweet, innocent smile returned to her face as she explained who she was. "That's because I am not a demon. I was not created by some sort of ritual like you lot. I was adopted by Gilgamesh out of convenience and I owe it to him to not be a complete waste of space any longer than I already have." She raised a brow at the comment about power in her.

Father's power in ya...

What did that even mean?

"Go inside and get me another piece of meat and somethin' ta drink. But don't let anybody see you. Think ya can do it?"

"That's it?" She laughed, thinking there would be more after she waited a few seconds. "You want me to prove myself by getting you free food?" What a strange request... "Okay then..." She would sigh quietly, choosing not to get angry over such a menial task. "Give me a moment."

Eilerias looked around the area for a place to enter the Raven Club without using the doors of the building. The lighting that had been installed since the last time she was in Alliria made for some new shadowy spots. "Perfect." She mumbled quietly, walking away from the woman into the darkness where she would vanish from sight almost immediately.

---

She scanned the Raven Club from the shadows inside the building. Just like the exterior, the interior had also changed quite a bit since her last visit. A large bar sat in the center of the room, making getting the drink a little more complicated. She thought about her options: She could grab the meat first, but Ogden had quite the nose on him. He'd surely smell it before she could get the drink. If she grabbed the drink first and spilled it, someone may follow the trail to her next position before she could get back to violet.

In the end, she decided to go for the drink first.

She moved carefully in the shadows of patrons, dancing around them to avoid their drunken steps and arms flying about as they shouted at each other during their games. She had made it behind the bar rather quickly, but Ogden was watching like a hawk. What would get him to move? She thought to herself for a minute before something caught her eye. A coin on the ground.

Brilliant.

She got down on her hands and knees and crawled under Ogden to grab the coin before she'd stand up and chuck it as hard as she could at the back of some large bald man's head. Perfectly on cue he'd stand up and look for the person who dared to strike him. The man, turning bright red, would make his way over to some drunken man who was laughing at him. Of course, Ogden scurried out to try to break up the fight and Eilerias was able to fill a large mug with ale before getting into the kitchen and picking up whatever meats were ready to be served.

---

After a few minutes, Violet would see Eilerias emerge from the same shadows she had entered carrying everything she was requested. "Enjoy. Now for the actual task?" She cocked her head to the side, waiting for a response. "I'm much more than a waitress."

 

[Charity Briarthorne]

A sweet, innocent smile returned to her face as she explained who she was. "That's because I am not a demon. I was not created by some sort of ritual like you lot. I was adopted by Gilgamesh out of convenience and I owe it to him to not be a complete waste of space any longer than I already have."

Why does Father take in these damn mortals? Violet wondered. In her eyes, Gilgamesh had just gotten extremely lucky with Charity and how strong she was able to become. But this tiny woman... What use could he have for her when he had a personal army of demons at his disposal? "Out of convenience?" Violet asked. "Why? Did something happen to make father want to take you in?"

After giving Eilerias her task, Violet watched curiously as she disappeared int the shadows. She didn't know many people who could use shadow magic, even among the sisters. Did Mother teach her? she wondered..

---

Violet stood against the Raven's Club wall whistling tunelessly as she watched the patrons going in and out. In only a small matter of moments, Eilerias reappeared from the shadows carrying the meat and drink. Violet greedily snatched them from her, and they were gone in a flash. "Thank you sister... That really hit the spot!"

Now for the actual task?" She cocked her head to the side, waiting for a response. "I'm much more than a waitress."

"Right... Right... The job." Violet still wasn't entirely convinced that Eilerias was up to the task, but she decided to trust Charity's judgement. "I s'pose ya proved yourself enough..." she pondered. "Alright. C'mon. I'll tell ya 'bout it on the way there." Violet picked up a large axe off the ground and threw it over her shoulder.

"Yer target's a man goin' by the name Stockton." she began, leading Eilerias towards the harbor. "Not his real name of course. Anyway, he's been feedin' Angelica information for years, but we haven't been able to track him down 'til now."

"The rat's hideout is a small warehouse just outside of the main docks. I'm sure there will be guards outside, but you just lemme worry about 'em." Violet patted the handle of her axe with a bloodthirsty grin. "I'll distract the guards while you sneak inside. Yer looking for a stubby bald man with a long dark beard."

As they approached the harbor gates, Violet stopped. "See that moldy looking building over there? The one with the nets hangin' on the side?" she asked, pointing. "That's where we'll find him." When Eilerias was ready, they would split up and head towards the warehouse.

 

[Eilerias]

"Out of convenience?" Violet asked. "Why? Did something happen to make father want to take you in?"

“Lucinda happened. The little one Charity takes care of.” She stated bluntly. “I don’t think he had planned to take me in, but it was necessary at the time to maintain my relationship with the Church of Light. What a fucking waste that was, though.” She chuckled.

---

What a fucking waste all of this was.

She would give anything to go back. Back when she was a child in Vel’Anir, taken from her orphanage to work in the Church because she had something in her that none of them did. Maybe it was her youthful naivety or maybe it really was her talent in healing. Maybe it was the simple fact that she never fought back against the abusive humans who almost found it funny that the job she was ‘hired’ for was the one that caused her the greatest pain.

They laughed as she cried, absorbing pain from people they all knew had no chance of survival. Yet, they persisted and so did she.

Now, her only connection to that part of her, to Sylvanna, was gone. Dead. Murdered. All because the man she now called her father was distracted enough to let someone take her.

Coming back was a mistake, but she wouldn’t let him live happily if she couldn’t either.

---

"Yer target's a man goin' by the name Stockton." she began, leading Eilerias towards the harbor. "Not his real name of course. Anyway, he's been feedin' Angelica information for years, but we haven't been able to track him down 'til now."

She stopped for a moment. If there were any color to her skin, it would have certainly drained as the name was mentioned. Stockton. There was no way it was the same Stockton Isak had made deals with prior to his death. It was a coincidence surely.

It wasn't possible.

She swallowed hard and continued walking alongside Violet.

"The rat's hideout is a small warehouse just outside of the main docks. I'm sure there will be guards outside, but you just lemme worry about 'em." Violet patted the handle of her axe with a bloodthirsty grin. "I'll distract the guards while you sneak inside. Yer looking for a stubby bald man with a long dark beard."

As they approached the harbor gates, Violet stopped. "See that moldy looking building over there? The one with the nets hangin' on the side?" she asked, pointing. "That's where we'll find him." When Eilerias was ready, they would split up and head towards the warehouse.

The building had changed since she left. It was looking much more rundown than when Isak had taken her with at her request to meet with a vile man who made no attempt to offer her fiancé gold for some time with her. The same feelings from that night began to flood her mind. She was more than happy to rid Alliria of this vile man. Not to help The Cherry Rose, but rather to redeem herself.

She waited, disappearing into the shadows as soon as Violet had began her approach and began her hunt. It was a shithole now, but it the building was still packed with plenty of rooms for whatever it was Stockton actually did. Eilerias had never quite figured that one out when they visited because she was too embarrassed and horrified that the man had thought she was a common whore.

The place had just as many guards inside as it did out. Thankfully it was spacious enough to weave in and out of shadows without bumping into one. She would have to be quiet and pray the asshole at the end of the hall could do the same.

The door was open, a bit odd, but she could see that only he was inside. Sitting behind that same heavy oak desk with his stack of papers and that damned hourglass he fiddled with while Isak was ready to set the man on fire. All of it a plan, no doubt. Some fake concern for her wellbeing just to spill secrets of the Cherry Rose.
It was easy enough to get inside, and after tossing a silver coin behind him to get him to turn away she was able to close the door and lock it.

Click

He turned back as the door was sealed to be greeted by Eilerias inches away from his face. "Hello again," She smiled up close to his face.

"Gua-" He tried to speak and move from his spot only to be met by a darkness creeping up his legs, locking him in place and covering his mouth. It was evident by the look on his face he recognized her.

"Time has not done you well Stockton." She picked up his hourglass, tilting it back and forth before placing it upside down and watching the sand flow through it. "How are you faring without Isak's help?" She could see the man raise a brow. "I will admit I didn't see any of this coming when he was alive. I was blinded by love from a man who was using me to destroy my family from the inside. It was clever. I'll give the two of you that."

She pulled out the dagger that she kept close, poking it into her finger. "But like all things that are good, this is the end for you Stockton." She walked up close, placing the dagger against his neck as the darkness held him still. "I will pray for your wife and children," Eilerias felt a tear moving down her face. "But I doubt they know of the families you ripped apart for money or whatever the fuck Angelica gives you."

She pulled the dagger away, watching the man relax before plunging it in and out of his chest, splattering blood around the office as well as on the priestess. She waited until he was dead before letting the shadows drop him on the floor and stepping over him to rummage through the cabinets. Violet didn't mention anything about papers, but she would bring back armfuls of them. Something in there would help them.

There had to be something about Angelica.

---

She made her way back out after quite some time, blood drying on her face and body. "Violet. It's done." She would shove the armfuls of papers into the woman's arms before collapsing on the ground, breathing heavily. The shadows could be tiresome to work with.