Dreadlords The First Domino

[Edric]

Castle Aubert - Western Anirian Territory

"You're asking?" The words still rang loud in Edric's mind. The flicker of emotion he'd felt when speaking them, the confusion that had drawn over him.

"Of course."​

Had been the Archon's answer. The serenity in his tone almost appeasing the Exiles concerns in that very second. It had seemed so strange, so foreign. He had spent days, weeks at the stronghold in the Falwood. He had trained, talked to the others, even managed to make headway. All that time Gilram had been gone, or looming.

Duncan, Ulrich, even Mae had been there. Watching, assessing, but the Archon hadn't said a word. Until one day Edric and a few others were assembled, and he asked them each in turn.

"I'm not a King Edric, I'm not your Commanding Officer. I'm not even an Archon anymore. I cannot command you, but I can ask you. So I am. Will you do this for me?
​

It would have been a lie to say it took him long to answer. Edric had known the moment the man had stepped through the door that he would say yes. Knew that whatever task was set before him he would complete it. He knew it was the only way. The only possible path he could take to getting his chance. So he would do whatever he had to.

That was why he now climbed the seaside cliffs of Castle Aubert.

His fingers dug into bare stone, the raucous call of the sea below echoing all around him.

A few feet below and to the side climbed his compatriots, all of them soaked to the bone as rain slashed down. Above them loomed the great citadel, and within what Gilram had sent them for. It should have been an easy mission. A clutch of Dreadlords against whatever guards House Aubert had left behind in his empty castle?

It should have been easy, but of course Edric and the others had no way of knowing the daughter of House Aubert had decided to vacation for Kressmis in her ancestral home. Marking the famed holiday with a Gala.

 

[Chasmine]

Though in her current state there was not terribly much Chasmine could do, she'd offered to accompany the others to be of help in any way she could.

Being away from the power and energy of Gilram made it that much more difficult for the specter to maintain her presence - so she remained close by the others, appearing in fits and spurts along the way, hovering in the air nearby while the others risked their lives dozens, if not hundreds of feet up on the cliff face.

"It's not much farther," she offered distantly to Edric, having hovered above them to check that they'd not be meeting any unexpected occupants or Guards, "the ledge above is clear."

 

[Mae Heilig]

It wasn't fair. She'd been torn from Gilram's wondrous presence to help a bunch of the new kids fetch an object he required. What if he needed her for something? Who would ensure he was eating properly? Duncan? Please.

Regardless, he'd asked her to go to Castle Aubert and she was going to abide by his command.

It had made sense. If there was something unexpected or anything about this job went awry they'd be able to use Mae's magic to help ease the situation. And when you were dealing with a minor house that swore fealty to Weiroon the chances of a surprise were ever present.

"Thank you Chasmine," she said with a warmth to her tone as Mae lifted herself upwards and held out a hand to help hoist the next Dreadlord. The ghoulish child had been correct, just off in the distance one could see the palatial estate which was... far more lively than they'd been expected.

Bobbed blonde hair vibrated as she shook her head and let an exasperated sigh escape. "That place doesn't look all that abandoned."

 

[Jinx]

A giggle came from below as Jinx swung up the cliff with relative ease. The lithe girl had a talent for climbing, mainly because her arms elongated taking the form of long water tentacles that swung her up the cliff.

The sound of the ocean beneath serves more as a reassuring hum than the threat that it likely was to many others.

Jinx had quickly agreed to join this mention as soon as she was given the offer. She had joined the exiles with the expectation that they would go to many new and interesting places, but the past few weeks had left her locked up and going stir-crazy.

"Maybe they are having a party...Merry fuckin Kressmis and all that." Another giggle escaped her lips as she continued swinging up the wall.

 

[Edric]

A ghostly whisper crawled over his spine, and a shiver quickly followed.

Fingers tightened for a brief moment on the rock he had been holding. Teeth setting against one another as he took in a sharp breath. Thunder cracked somewhere behind him, a flicker of lightning casting shadows onto the wall around him.

His gaze turned upward, hand soon following as he grasped Mae's arm and pulled himself onto the ledge. Above them the sound of music could be heard, and for the first time Edric saw the lantern light of the castle itself.

"Do we abandon mission?!"​

A voice called out over the sound of the storm, one of the other Initates. "No!"

It wasn't Edric's place to answer. He wasn't in charge of this mission, he wasn't the leader, but he couldn't have this stop. He needed to earn Gilram's trust. He needed to get closer. This was the only way.

"We keep going!" Edric called out, glancing at Mae for a brief moment. Not entirely sure if he had overstepped. When she offered no rebuke, he just nodded, and slowly turned himself around. He grasped onto the rock up above, and then quickly climbed the rest of the way.

His fingers eventually fell onto the edge of a balcony, and with a quiet grunt he pulled himself over the railing. The sound of his boots landing on polished stone drowned out by the storm around him.

Ahead of him lay a set of ornate glass doors, no light casting from them. Though on another balcony further above he could hear the sounds of music, louder now, and see bright firelight breaking into the darkness of the storm.

 

[Chasmine]

If she'd had the compunction to respond, she would have answered in a similar manner. Gilram was counting on them and Chasmine was not of the disposition to disappoint. She'd done enough of that in her life already.

Her silent self trailed after Edric, fading in and out of view before coming to settle nearby, touching down so that she appeared to stand upon the walkway by him. Her proximity marked by a cold aura, Edric might find that in a curious turn of tables it was the ghost sapping energy from him.

Not enough that the normal person would notice, but given the nature of Edric's powers he certainly would.

"I can scout ahead while you find a way inside," her gaze shifted to Mae, given the older girl's seniority within the group. Finding no fault in the plan from her, Chasmine would turn and walk right through the glass doors, dissipating as she did.

 

[Mae Heilig]

Both the water manipulator and the boy-who-couldn't-die seemed eager to press on despite their intel being wrong. That was good, promising even, as the work they did often required adaptability. Mae simply nodded to Edric with an approving smile as he insisted they press onwards.

Rain thundering down upon their heads was replaced by the mellow sound of stringed instruments and brass.

It was definitely a Kressmis party. One could tell almost immediately from the tunes that were being played. The familiar jingles of, 'It's Beginning to Feel A Lot Like Kressmis,' a clear indicator of the festivities going on several floors above. Briefly she thought back to her time in Old Vel Anir where she'd likely have been an attendee at an event like this thrown by the Great House she'd pledged her loyalty to.

It was the voice of the semi-translucent girl that broke her wandering mind. "A fine idea, please proceed Chasmine." Mae knew the girl was likely trying to weasel her way in on Gilram but she could turn a blind eye knowing that her lover would never betray her. Chas would learn in time and aside from the secretive meetings Mae actually liked the girl.

She gave a firm look to the rest of the exiles, "stay on your guard until she returns. If we are discovered we silence whomever it is quickly and quietly." With that she motioned for the rest of the team to find a way to open the latch of the door.

 

[Jinx]

Jinx hummed as she hopped up onto the ledge and joined the others. She perked up when she heard the song being played.

She sauntered over to the door and looked at Edric in a playfully condescending manner. "Oh, don't you worry your little immortal heart."

She held out her hand and then thinned into the water as it began to crawl under the door. She began to lightly sing to the beat of the song above but used the words to a different song.

"I'm dreaming of a reeeed...Kressmis." A click followed the finishing of the line as the door lightly swung open.

 

[Edric]

A nod tipped at Chasmine as she offered to scout ahead. Lips thinning as he found himself wondering what she had gone through all these months. He watched her for a few moments as she flew off into the building above.

In the castle she would find two central floors, both occupied with the goings on of the party. Steps brightly lit with torches then extended out from the core of the keep. Half a dozen of them extended outward, each sprawling into a tower which contained carious rooms.

The center of the Keep was almost entirely occupied, swarming with servants, guests, and staff. Music flowing out into the rest of the place which seemed quiet.

Edric slowly leaned back, fingers gently flexing as he rested gently on the balls of his feet. Watching the other Dreadlord and shaking his head at her. He heard the silent echo of the doorlock within the rain, and then immediately stepped forward.

With the others he entered what seemed to be someones accommodations. A four poster bed sat in one corner of the room, as well as a door to a bathroom, desk, and various other sundries.

No one greeted the wind creating the only movement in the room.

 

[Chasmine]

The spectre glided through the building, fading from sight altogether as she passed through an interior wall. In her short interlude, Chasmine found the warmth and activity of the party inside a curious thing to encounter. Not only had she experienced so few things of this nature in her life, but the energy given off by the happiness and the amount of people present was alarming. Everyone seemed to radiate a gilded ambiance and it nearly drew her in - the proverbial moth to the light.

Catching herself, she cut through a wall into a hallway beyond and floated directly into the path of a servant.

The man stuttered in his steps, gave a heavy shiver, nearly dropped the silver platter in his hands, and then paused with a pale look on his face. Chasmine backed away as she watched another servant round the corner ahead.

"Jeral, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost," said the second servant.
"I just got the chills - do you feel a draft?"

She didn't linger to listen to the rest.

Upon returning to the room with the glass doors, Chasmine found the others slowly piling in, awaiting her intel. Drifting in through the doors to the darkened bedroom, her ghostly form appeared before them out of thin air, "The party is within the central chambers of the castle. The servants and guests are using the primary halls, but there are a few secondary halls toward the back against the cliff that are empty."

 

[Mae Heilig]

Mae followed the initiates into the manor, glad to be completely out of the heavy wind and rain. They didn't have to wait long for Chasmine to report back, relaying the layout of the palatial estate and safest access-ways.

She mused for a moment taking in the situation. To Gilram's credit he'd formed a solid team for this assignment, Chasmine was as reliable at information gathering as she'd always been, Jinx was proving to be a great utilitarian asset with how quickly she'd gotten them through a locked door, and based on what they were able to glean from Edric's powers he'd serve as a more than competent muscle if it was needed.

If anything unexpected occurred, well, that was why Mae had been sent.

"I suppose we take the secondary halls then," she said in a low tone to avoid any passing ears, "though we likely will need to make our way towards the central chambers at some point."

It didn't hurt to be thorough, they could be lucky and the item they sought might be in some semi-abandoned wing of the mansion. Though in reality she doubted it, more than likely it they'd eventually have to pass through the festivities. Most of these Anirian Nobles built their estates similarly with their most prized possession in nearly the dead center. The more she thought on it the more she believed that the abandoned halls would be a waste of time.

"On second thought..." Mae took the room they'd intruded upon in with a more focused look. It was clearly the room of a young noble, judging by the quaint the size it may have even been a visitors room. But off in the corner was a trunk, half opened with ornate dresses befitting an Anirian noblewoman spilling out.

She eyed their group up-and-down before casting a questioning look towards Edric, "how do you feel about crossdressing?"

Perhaps if they looked the part of noblewomen they could casually saunter through the central chambers.

 

[Jinx]

Not even a thank you, how rude. Jinx strode into the room quickly starting to dig through the dresser looking for anything of value worth taking. Yes, she knew that she wasn't some thief, but she was looking for some sort of souvenir to memorialize her first mission.

There might as well have been white noise in the background with the discussion about some sort of plan or strategy. These were just a bunch of lame nobles. They should just kick the door open, throw out some threats, steal some food, and then do whatever they wanted.

At least, that was what she would have thought if Mae had not kept talking. With her last sentence, Mae suddenly became the smartest person in the room by far.

"Yes, absolutely yes. Perfect plan." Jinx laughed as she quickly made her way over to look for a dress that would compliment her eyes.

"Oooh, Edric this would look great on you. It's pink!"

 

[Edric]

"No." Edric said sternly in reply to the two women, his gaze in that moment enough to cause most to whither.

He'd danced at a Gala. He'd run the gamut of noble competition. He even had a fucking state dinner at the behest of the Academy. Edric wasn't going to suffer another humiliation just because someone else wanted him to. This was one freedom he would take. One choice he would make. "You dress up."

The Dreadlord told them, half turning towards Chas.

"Can you find me a Guard?" The plan was a good one. There was no arguing that particular fact. "Someone by themselves."

Killing one was better than two. "I'll leave the two of you with your modesty."

Edric jested, bowing to them with a flourish and stepping back onto the balcony. Hoping Chas would find what he needed.

 

[Chasmine]

The geist could not help entertaining a moment of intrigue at the suggestion. Dressing up! How fun that would be for them - but at the suggestion of Edric in a dress her own hazy expression sobered entirely. She had seen Edric in a suit once before and it was just another memory she took effort to suppress. When he turned to her, it took a little extra effort to do.

Chasmine blinked at the request, her face unsmiling as he opted for his own plan before stepping outside. With a wistful look toward the girls, Chas turned her gaze upward to the ceiling and then faded from sight.

Reappearing in the room directly above, she shivered into view before phasing through an exterior wall of stone, back out onto the balcony walkway outside. Her search did not take long as two guards on duty at the far end of an overlook catwalk briefly met up on their rounds, took a moment to chat, then passed by one another. One of them was striding back in her direction and there was only one route he could take.

"Up here," came Chasmine's faraway voice from above Edric's head. When he looked up he'd find the rain driving down upon him through the translucent girl as she looked down over the guard wall at him, "there is one on the way. I will distract him."

 

[Mae Heilig]

Good. Jinx was eager for it and Edric was showing that he could think of his feet.

This was going very good. "A guard would be less conspicious," she didn't need to say what had been left unsaid. That even with four inches of makeup and a proper wig Edric wouldn't pass as a lady if anyone came within three feet of him. The guard angle was creative and it complimented the rest of the plan.

"We'll be prepared once you two return," she agreed with Chas and Ed.

No sooner had the pair left then Mae grabbed her own dress of choice from the trunk. A violet and green piece with silver metal adorning various parts. "When we served the nobles," she spoke absent-mindedly to Jinx, "they often prepared pieces like this for us." Though they were far more functional. A mixture of noble dress and Dreadlord armor.

Those days were behind her now though. And these children would never serve a noble house directly. A shame, really, as it had taught Mae a lot about the lives of the nobility in the few short years she served. A lot of court politics and governance. Skills this new generation would have to learn after they seized power, after they carved their own way through the future.

Mae proceeded to apply makeup from the cosmetics placed upon the counter, tied her hair with a silk ribbon left in a top drawer, and then turned to Jinx to offer any help the younger woman might have needed.

 

[Jinx]

Jinx pouted as she watched Edric leave. Oh, he was no fun at all. Still, she was not surprised, and by the time the door closed, she had turned back to the attire.

"There goes my Kressmis."

Well, this was awkward. Jinx had never worn a dress in her life. She walked over and began to try and decided what colors would look best on her. Purple was a nice color...maybe with some gold. She did like gold. That was it, no need to put to much thought into it. Jinx swiftly put on the dress, but that was all that she did.

Makeup? Yeah, right. She had never bothered with makeup.

Hair? What was wrong with her own braids? It was the same style she had used since she was little.

She really had no idea what else she was doing, but that hardly matter. Soon the killer would start and she definitely knew how to do that.

 

[Edric]

A ghostly whisper reached his ears through the rain, and Edric's head turned upward. He spotted Chasmine floating just a few inches from the edge of the balcony, a nod tipping his head.

Within seconds he was once again scaling the wall. His clothes had long ago been soaked through, but Edric seemed to pay no mind at all. Quickly he moved up towards the balcony, climbing as silently as he could until he reached the thick stone railing.

Fingers curled on the edge as he waited for Chasmine's distraction.

"Huh? What the hell..."​

He heard the Guards voice echo out, and then the sound of boots stepping out onto the marbled floor. Rain drops fell on a metal helmet, and Edric could heard the man drawing closer. In an instant he pulled himself up and over the railing.

Before the man could even respond Edric grabbed him.

His bicep quickly wrapped around the man's throat, locked into place by his other arm as he easily choked the man. Fists bashed backwards, the guard struggling as much as he could until the air began to grow too thin and his body went limp.

Without hesitation Edric dragged the unconscious man beneath a small outcropping, quickly beginning to strip him and himself. Not offering any modesty for the ghostly figure still floating nearby.

 

[Chasmine]

The ghostly girl watched Edric, but not for the reasons most other girls might. There was something curious about him that she'd never noticed before, and Chas wondered if it had something to do with her current ... state of unliving.

Stuck in the spirit realm as she was, she experienced the world around them quite differently of course. Where they saw the present and the living, Chasmine existed in a plane that often seemed to be stuck in time. Witnessing the world as it had been at various points in time, all at once. Often there were other spirits still here, attached to the memory of their lives, unable to pass over and beyond.

Sometimes there were darker things, but either she'd become more adept at avoiding them or they'd begun to see reason to avoid her.

In making herself visible and forcing her geistly presence upon the living realm, Chasmine could also see other things. The essence of spirit ichor where it found itself anchored - primarily, she could see the spirits of the living. Each person's spirit was unique, like a thumbprint, and gave clues to the type of person it embodied.

Edric's ...

Well, now wasn't exactly the right time.

Her gaze drifted down to the now completely undressed guard, "He's going to wake up," she remarked to Edric gently. Sure enough, the man was beginning to stir. Stubborn one, that.

 

[Mae Heilig]

Mae looked at herself in the small mirror that lined the desk. She looked passable as a minor noble, which was good as these accommodations were obviously for an unmarried, minor noble, judging by the size of the mirror and the quality of the dresses.

Then she gave Jinx a once-over and shook her head. "You're lucky you're young."

Were she even a few years older the idea of a young noblewoman not wearing makeup and not having her hair done up would've been suspicious. Had these children spent even a year in the old ways of the Dreadlords they'd have picked up on these customs but having only known the academy, well, it wasn't surprising.

"If anyone asks," Mae grabbed hold of a small clutch dangling off the bed post,"you've been studying in Dornoch. You're making a fashion statement that is all the rage in the Erdeniin Empire."

With that Mae simply walked out of the room with Jinx in tow. Every guard they passed simply giving them a curt nod as they made their way to the central rooms and the music grew ever louder.

 

[Jinx]

"Erdeniin Empire?" Jinx mumbled under her breath before she was pulled off by Mae. Wait, they were going now?

Jinx let herself get pulled along, trying not to look too out of place as Mae seemed to be far more comfortable in this situation. It wasn't Jinx's fault for not being a natural in this situation. When you are literally stuck inside a glass globe for most of your life and only let out to kill things, then you can become a little awkward around crowds.

She just kept running through the cover-up that Mae had just told her. It was so impressive that the guards just let them through because they acted like they were supposed to be there...That was so dumb. These were bad guards, right?

Jinx whispered to Mae from behind "So no just killing?"

 

[Edric]

Edric pulled on the guards leather gauntlet, his head immediately twisting towards the man as Chasmine whispered her warning.

A quiet groan of pain escaped the guards throat, his eyes slowly flickering home. In an instant Edric dashed towards him. One hand snapped over his mouth as his foot cracked down on the man's wrist. There was a loud snap of bone and a muffled scream as Edric stared down at the man.

Utter and complete terror poured through the mans gaze. His silenced scream turning into pleading whimpers.

"No mistakes." Edric whispered, the words lost in the rain.

He could feel the man shift beneath him, try to fight, but it was too late. The life drained from him, not in an ebb, but a tidal wave. It drained within seconds. The mans whole body violently shaking, and then slacking beneath Edric's touch as the man's life ebbed away.

In the span of a breath the mans muscles withered, his skin pulled tight, and even his bones seemed to crumble. The guard turned to dust beneath Edric's touch, the ashes of his body melting away in the rain.

Wordlessly Edric pulled himself off the cobbled stone of the balcony, tossing the extra clothing over the railing of the balcony before wordlessly walking into the Castle.

 

[Chasmine]

It should have been a jarring, horrible sight to behold - watching Edric's powers at work, but for Chasmine it was only sad. In that moment she watched the lifeforce of the man filter away like a dam burst open to pour into the valley of the young Dreadlord's cusp. From the dust she watched the spirit of the guard briefly awaken into the afterlife, and with a pale and weary gaze saw it, too, fade from the mortal realm.

It was likely he would become yet another lost soul, struggling to reason out his senseless, untimely death. She might've helped him pass over, but there were more important things to tend to.

The spectre followed soundlessly after Edric into the castle, a thought of curiosity touching her mind.

"All this time," her soft voice trailed him even as her own ghostly appearance dissipated through a stone wall, "I thought you took people's souls when you did that. I was wrong."

 

[Mae Heilig]

"It's an empire to the north, strange peoples with ideals of multiculturalism." she whispered in between guard stations who whisked them forwards. "It's not unusual for nobles to study abroad. Get a sense of the 'world' outside of Vel Anir."

Though normally that was a path for the black sheep of a noble house or a particularly gifted academic who could benefit from exposure to alternative ideals. Mae never really got it, the notions of the intelligentsia was utterly lost on her.

As they approached the ball room though she heard the last mutter from Jinx which was met with a glare. "No. Killing." It was a half-hiss, half-whisper.

It was one thing if they needed to take the lives of a guard or servant. But a dead noble would only sully their chances of accomplishing what Gilram, oh gods that beautiful man Gilram, wished to achieve. Dead members of the nobility meant an inquiry, which would lead to an investigation, which would lead to questions about who had infiltrated this sort of party. As Gilram's revolution gained ground events like this would be connected and whether they had evidence or not they'd turn the entire nobility against them.

Even if that was the entire goal they had to be patient. Had to wait before they made enemies of the second most powerful faction within Vel Anir.

Once they arrived on the floor of the ball Jinx and Mae were greeted with the sight of nearly one hundred nobles. Some seated and dining on the finest foods in the region. Some, mostly the younger ones, dancing in the middle of the room. Mae grabbed two stemmed glasses of champagne from a nearby waiter and handed one of them to Jinx.

"You don't have to drink it," she whispered as she simply held the glass between her fingers, "particularly if you can't handle your alcohol." They were just accessories. Tools to help them blend in as simple patrons of this grand occasion.

 

[Jinx]

You dont have to drink it,

Yeah, right. She was going to need something to get her through this. Jinx down half of the beverage right then and there, but left a little for later.

"Well, I am not a noble, so I didn't get to go on vacation a lot." Jinx shot back looking around at all the nicely dressed men and women. Her eyes most often trailed on the fine jewelry many of the women wore. Of course, her eyes also sat on the more handsome men...and a few women. It was a shame they were here to do a job. She could have so much fun.

For all of Jinx's fondness for the looks of many of the partygoers, she never looked at them as more than toys to be played with. They certainly were not people. Why should she treat them like people when they had not treated her as such? Instead, she would play with them until they broke, and they would break.

Not to mention, Mae was being an utter killjoy. Maybe if Jinx told her she overheard someone badmouthing Gilram then she could kill someone.

 

[Edric]

Edric came to a sudden stop. The echo of his boots striking the cobbles ringing through the hall. His head slowly turned towards Chasmine, lips thinning. "What?"

There was a sternness to his voice, and yet it was mixed with anxiety and curiosity at the same time.

"What do you mean?" He demanded, rounding upon the ghost accompanying him. Down the hall he could hear the sounds of the party, and yet it was forgotten in that moment. Chasmine's words the only thing that he could focus on.

He had never really thought about what it was he took from people. For him it had always seemed like...everything.

Flashes of the Baron's manor appeared. The men and women crawling from the picture frames. Shouting, screaming at him.

Had those been real? He had thought it a trick, a part of the game they had all suffered within that house. Yet now, in an instant, he was doubting himself. Had those really been the souls he had set free? All the lives he had ever taken made manifest.

Shouting and screaming at him in their misery.