Private Tales The Raven Club Gathering

[Amadeus Greywood]

The Raven Club was still empty save the dwarf, Ogden. No patrons about, no revelry.
The dwarf and mercenaries remained in the building as added security. Naturally the doors were locked, nobody got in without permission of the owner or without a key.

As the dwarf was finishing up his job closing up the club the locked front door opened.
To hear that door open and the sounds of many boots on the floor instantly put the dwarf on full alert.
"We're closed! I suggest you turn right back around and walk outta here!"
This caught the attention of the mercenaries as well, the guards at the doors drew their weapons and menaced whoever was coming through the entryway...

The two guards intimidating scowls turned into looks of surprise and recognition. They backed away and sheathed their weapons as a female dressed in tight leather armor, a hood and a face concealing mask stepped forward from the shadowy entryway. She was decked out in knives and daggers strapped all over her body. The guards backed away further as more mercenaries entered the room and calmly insinuated themselves around the room. The dwarf was speechless as he watched all of this go down.
Two mercenaries picked a table in the middle of the room and took the chairs off setting them around the table.

*Step**click*

*Step**click*

*Step**click*

*Step**click*

From the darkened doorway a well dressed man entered the room using a cane to help him walk. A metal brace supported his left leg as he steadily entered the room. His shocking blue eyes scanned the room only briefly, yet missed nothing.
He made his way to the middle of the club and sat down at the cleared table with the dagger clad woman on his left side, standing at attention like the rest of the mercenaries, feet shoulder length, back straight and hands behind her back.

Amadeus Greywood leaned back in the chair, the metal parts of the brace squealing as his leg bent and moved.
Even the dwarf was quite, you could hear a pin drop as the middle aged man fixed the same dwarf with an unwavering stare that lasted for an uncomfortably long period of time, during which the dwarf was unable to maintain eye contact.
Finally... 'The Father' spoke...

"Your name is Ogden. You work for Mister Lavelle, Isak Lavelle, the owner and proprietor of the Raven Club, correct? Is he finally here? Let him know that I'd like to speak with him and his associates... Now."

 

[Isak Lavelle]

Fighting back tears was one of the hardest things he had ever done. Isak learned from a very young age that shedding tears could be taken as a sign of weakness, and that thought was so forced upon his mind that he almost forgot how to even cry. He knew Alliria didn't take kindly to tears, especially those of sadness.

But in the moment that he felt Eilerias' arms surrounding him in a tight and warm embrace, Isak could feel his heart sinking, so much that he let a few more tears drop. Her embrace was like he had found a place so safe that he could think about letting his walls down and breathe easily for once, not worried about what schemes he'd have to come up with to survive another day in that city.

She hadn't shunned him away, never pushed him aside even after hearing his story, she was even crying over him. He could feel her tears on his scarred skin, and the thought of Eilerias being sad for him made him realize that he could perhaps trust someone to know him beyond the plans and business deals. He wanted to prove to himself that the words of his former master could be wrong. That he could trust people like Eilerias and the rest of the crew.

Her question brought him back from his thoughts. "He was a experiment, like me. He helped me escape from my gilded cage."

Isak had turned to face Eilerias, and they were never this close as they were now. He could see her golden eyes clearly, the soft and beautiful details of her face. He had never been this close to anyone, and it made him nervous, but then his thoughts wandered back to Khet again, the man in the Shallows.

"But I failed him. I promised him something that I couldn't give." Isak was supposed to give him peace. A merciful death to free him from his pains, but Isak couldn't. Instead, he hid Khet outside the city and gave him money to set up his shop in hope he'd be useful to him in the future. In the Shallows, no one would ask why that malformed man who had so much knowledge about magical artifacts would be living there.

Isak's hand moved on its own towards Eilerias' face, carefully caressing her cheek and wiping away her tears. "The city doesn't like tears." His lips had formed a small smirk, the irony of saying that after his thoughts from earlier, after he had shed tears of his own just a moment before.

He just couldn't bear the thought of someone crying over him, he didn't deserve it. Isak had buried that past and tried his best to move on, and he wouldn't fail again. He had a job to complete, and he would make sure that they all come back alive and unhurt. He had enough time to think over the final details of his plan to take that sword.

Suddenly, there were knocks on the door, alerting Isak and Eilerias. Ogden pushed it open and Isak could swear that the dwarf had seen a ghost, judging by his face and how heavy his breathing was. "Boss, there's a man waiting downstairs to meet ya!"

Business called again, it seemed. But he would forever cherish that tender moment with Eilerias, hoping they would repeat it in more peaceful times. He trusted her now, enough to want her presence as close as possible.

With a confident smile on his face, Isak nodded to Eilerias and quickly grabbed another one of his white long sleeved shirts from the wardrobe and putting on his gloves shortly after getting properly dressed. He was now waiting for her at the door, anxious to meet this man who had come into his club in the middle of the night.

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias held tight as Isak's truth came out. She tried to soothe him with her touch, it was a subtle technique she had practiced, usually to calm people who were at death's door. She couldn't bring back everyone, but she could make their exit from life as easy as possible. It made the person feel warm and comfortable. She did feel guilty using it on Isak, but she couldn't help but want to comfort him.

"You are not an experiment. It's not your fault." She said as he turned around. She could see the pain in his face. A pain she could not heal. She listened to him as he said something about a promise. What could he have given him? She wanted to ask, but his expression gave it away. Death. He was meant to kill this man that instead left him bleeding in the swamp.

Eilerias wanted to share her past and the voices with Isak. She could sense how vulnerable he was being with her and she wanted to open up to him as well. She could trust him to keep quiet about the shadows talking to her. "Isak I need to..." her words were cut short when he began to wipe away her tears. A soft smile appeared and she leaned in as if to kiss him, but the dwarf barged into the room before she could.

She let go of Isak and stood next to him as the frazzled dwarf spoke. He looked terrified. Was he still scared because of her healing spell or did something happen with the mysterious stranger at the bar? Her brow furrowed as she watched Ogden, but soon softened. Isak was confident. This was a good sign, surely.

She watched Isak get dressed and stood in front of the mirror. She looked like hell. Her eyes were bloodshot, the stranger's dress she was wearing was dirty from the Shallows, she was barefoot and her feet were covered in ashes, and her bruises were on display. She took down her hair from the bun and let it fall to the middle of her back, before trying to style it in order to hide the bruises. If this was the mysterious stranger from the letter, Gwendolyn would be there and she didn't want to try to explain what had occurred earlier in the night. Gwendolyn was a fair person, but her presence still terrified her.

She made her way away from the mirror and stood, next to Isak, ready to head down. "I look terrible." She laughed. It was hard not to. Her entire life had gone to hell because of one letter and she was about to meet the author. "I'm going to kick his ass for this." She joked, walking down the hall and then the down the staircase into the lobby.

 

[Charity Briarthorne]

As she flew with Cleo, Charity recounted the story of how Gilgamesh had found her in the slums and adopted her as his own daughter. Charity stumbled a bit as Cleo dropped her a short distance from the ground and transformed back into her human form.

The door of The Raven Club crashed open as Charity burst in. Even though the guards and mercenaries stepped forward to block her way, she didn't stop. The club's guards sheathed their weapons upon seeing it was her, and the others stepped back out of respect. She rushed over to the man seated at the central table.

"Daddy!" Charity exclaimed happily, wrapping her arms around him for a side hug. "Why didn't you tell me? You know I hate being kept in the dark about these things!" she pouted. Grabbing the chair to his right, she scooted it as close to him as he could.

Charity gave a polite nod to the leather clad woman standing on the other side. "Hello Mistress Jexa." Known to most of the criminal underworld as the "Ebony Specter" she was the one who taught Charity how to fight. Charity received a disdainful look in return and laughed. Jexa had attempted to teach her the fine art of assassination, and found Charity's knack for wild, reckless fighting disgraceful and unprofessional.

Charity sat impatiently in her seat, tipping it onto its back to legs and crossed her arms. She was dying to find out what was going on. More than that, she wanted to know why her father had thought it was important to not tell her about this, even if he didn't tell anybody else.

 

[Sirius]

Sirius walked into the club just a few minutes after their client, or whatever he was, this man known as "The Father" did. He himself seemed to be a little smarter than Charity by not going to prison, which was odd as most guards tended to glance his way more often than any other, and significantly less emotional than Isak or Eilerias. Really, he'd just gone to collect a few items and to commune a little his patron Kalia Oro Khastan on the subject of his current mission and what it might entail.

Ultimately he'd just done a little bit and spent the rest of the time, well, resting. So he was basically no different or more integrated then than he was when he first walked in. This was a job, and he knew better than to get attached to anyone.

He was also there in time to see Charity erupt into the room and accost a man she referred to as "daddy". He could only assume that he was some sort of father figure, or she was a very, very strange woman. Either way he waited for any sign that they were about to get to business, and was still as he waited.

 

[Isak Lavelle]

Isak watched Eilerias get ready to go downstairs, probably with a more lascivious look than he should. But then he realized she was trying to cover some of her bruises with her long hair, and that thought prompted him to clench his hands and look away, feeling the anger slowly burn away in his veins.

It didn't take long and she came to face him at the door, taking his attention again. She had a bit of a worried smile on her face, and Isak could already guess why. They barely got any rest since the meeting earlier, just a series of unfortunate and messy events when they were supposed to be preparing for the job, to leave as soon as possible, and now this mysterious man was waiting to meet them, barging inside the club in the middle of the night.

He could hear a few voices coming from downstairs, but paid no heed to them. He was solely focused on Eilerias, captivated by her mesmerizing beauty even after all that's happened. "You don't look terrible."

He didn't mean to say it out loud, but that was his awkward idea of praise. Isak knew he'd have to work harder on that even though it was a start. He couldn't help but smile at her, gently taking her hand as she walked by him to leave the room. He wanted to thank her for all that she did for him that night, but Eilerias had been saving him for a longer time than that. All of them actually, she was the anchor that kept everyone grounded and unhurt through all the jobs over the months that passed after they met.

Isak let her guide them downstairs and to the lobby, and they arrived just in time to see Charity rushing forward to embrace someone at one of the tables. The cane and leg brace instantly grabbed Isak's attention, details that he remembered being spoken to him by his old master years ago when he was talking about some of the dangerous people that controlled many aspects of Alliria.

He never got a name at the time, but Isak could feel he was dealing with someone powerful the moment he laid eyes on him. What did impress him was really the happiness coming from Charity as she called that man... 'daddy'. Isak always suspected there was more to Charity than people could normally see, and his eyes had always been more inquisitive than the ordinary gaze.

Everyone locked way something important about themselves, one only needed to know which keys to use.

Isak stood behind Eilerias, towering over her like a watchful guardian. He could sense some of the people there looking at them with more curiosity than they should be, but it didn't bother him. The time to address gossip would come later.

Isak took a few steps forward to properly introduce himself with that confident smirk of his. "I'm afraid we're far beyond gambling hours, but I'm told someone asked for me. Perhaps you could introduce us then, Charity?"

 

[Gwendolyn Vollmund]

“Well well. Gilgamesh.”
Gwen entered gracefully. She had abandoned her black hooded robes and her generally low profile attire and instead wore a very nice but still muted midnight black dress.

It spoke of elegance without being too frilly or gaudy.

“I would say it’s been too long but I haven’t ever found that to be true.”

Her long flowing silvery blonde hair was tied up in an nice bun and held with a long pin of solid gold wrapped in black leather. She looked amazing. Far from the dusty archive keeper she often appeared to be.

Always covered in dust, spider webs and ink stains. Now she looked like a true socialite.

Her hazy eyes moving from the father to his body guard.

“Jexa.” She said with a slight nod. Cleo on the other hand stared daggers at the knife clad woman.

The normally shy, professional was looking very much like she’d like to throw down with Jexa right then and there.

Never taking her eyes off the rival bodyguard as she pulled out a seat for Gwen as she sat before taking her place by her side. The information brokers hazy grey eyes took in everyone now here.

They noticed Eilerias.

And the bruises...

Her hands clenched into fists but she remained calm at the table. That could be pried from her and dealt with later. She was Gwens personal doctor as well as her best medic for people she needed to help on the hush.

If something had threatened her then they threatened Gwen. Threats did not exist very long in her world.

“I had assumed our meeting would be quick and private. Given our history I would think you wouldn’t need to resort to such secrecy. I don’t do gatherings like this.” Gwendolyn said to the man with a toss of her hair. “Besides..I canceled clients for this..” She grumbled.

A slight flicker of her form as her bangs gracefully swished from her eyes would signal to Charity and any other keen eyed people Gwendolyn wasn’t there at all. This was one of her projection illusions she often used to deal with

multiple clients..

multiple enemies...

and things she didn’t feel comfortable..

I mean..

Didn’t feel like attending in person.

In reality the man always enchanted her. To say she had not had many lovers was not to say she had not had any.

That however was something she kept locked away in her heart. Refusing to remember the pain of that part of her life. In reality she had known who it was.

She just hadn’t been able to accept it. Hanging on to the possibility the second symbol would mean something..Something different...

The fact she had let her hope blind her in such a way was a testament to how much Greywood intimidated her even if she played it off as being too busy or distant to care.

 

[Amadeus Greywood]

"Daddy!" Charity exclaimed happily, wrapping her arms around him for a side hug. "Why didn't you tell me? You know I hate being kept in the dark about these things!" she pouted. Grabbing the chair to his right, she scooted it as close to him as he could.

Charity gave a polite nod to the leather clad woman standing on the other side. "Hello Mistress Jexa."

Amadeus Hugged her somewhat stiffly as she burst into the room in her classic chaotic wave of potential destruction.
"Patience my whirlwind, all in good time."

He looked up when Isak came down the stairs with Eilerias.

"I'm afraid we're far beyond gambling hours, but I'm told someone asked for me. Perhaps you could introduce us then, Charity?"

Amadeus turned his head to the side as he regarded the club owner. Cockiness, it was an endearing trait in his book, but his face was impassive.
"I speak for myself, Mister Lavelle. I'm Gilgamesh Briarthorne, your employer."
He addressed the room when he introduced himself.

“I had assumed our meeting would be quick and private. Given our history I would think you wouldn’t need to resort to such secrecy. I don’t do gatherings like this.” Gwendolyn said to the man with a toss of her hair. “Besides..I canceled clients for this..” She grumbled.

If he noticed that Gwen was merely an illusion he gave no indication that he cared. He looked at her with his humorless stare.
"Your clients have always been able to wait in the past. I'm glad you found the time to attend."

With everyone present he spoke up.
"I hired you all for a job, your expertise and abilities carefully studied to make sure that this job will not fail... By now you know, you're after a special sword and you don't need to know why. When you locate the weapon you are not to wield it or even draw it from the scabbard."

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias watched curiously as Charity and the stranger hugged. Daddy? She thought, raising an eyebrow as she looked back and forth between the two, then down at the man's squeaky leg brace. She stared for perhaps a little too long, trying to make out why he would go about life with a leg brace instead of asking her to heal him. It was odd, especially if he already knew of her as an experienced healer.

Her staring was stopped when Gwendolyn entered the club. She looked gorgeous. She was sure her jaw dropped as she walked to the table. She had never seen her in anything but dark and dusty old robes. Eilerias was a little embarrassed, showing up to something that was important enough to make Gwendolyn clean up, looking like she had been crawling through a field all night.

Eilerias grabbed onto Isak's wrist as he stepped forward to introduce himself and squeezed it gently as if to say "behave" before letting go and giving a slight bow to their employer. So he was Charity's father...

"It's nice to meet you Sir." She said, smiling softly.

Eilerias turned her gaze towards Gwen and noticed her briefly stare at her, examining the bruises. Eileras looked away quickly, towards the ground to avoid her suspicious stare while the stranger continued speaking. She knew Gwendolyn would kill anyone who messed with her, but Eileras forgave the mistaken stranger who's ashes covered the soles of her feet. Not everything had to be Gwen's problem to deal with, and Eilerias could already feel her stress earlier in the day. It was best to keep this issue to herself and not make it an inconvenience for even more people than it already was.

 

[Isak Lavelle]

Isak felt Eilerias reaching for his wrist, feeling her soft touch in a silent request that he could guess it was in hope to see the young man approach that meeting with a calm and clear mind. Of course, Isak was nothing if not calm and well assured about his business, especially in the face of powerful men and their well equipped bodyguards.

He quickly glanced over at Charity upon hearing the man's introduction. Gilgamesh Briarthorne... as in Charity Briarthorne. He was actually fond of the surprises that whole job was bringing to him, but he supposed a conversation with Charity about her true involvement in all that would be in line to happen, at a later time.

Well, at least having a name attached to his mysterious employer felt like a good step forward. He knew Gwendolyn was working hard on figuring out a identity, and that meeting had saved her a lot of resources now, and Isak's too for that matter.

From the pocket of his white shirt, Isak took out one of the cards that were sent to him, skillfully throwing it at the table without taking his eyes off Gilgamesh. "The cards were a nice touch."

"Isak Lavelle, pleasure to finally make your acquaintance." He said after a short pause, a dry smile on his lips.

He casually took a seat the table with Eilerias by his side. He could see Gwendolyn in her pompous attire looking at the woman beside him, no doubt having noticed a bit of her bruises. That thought only brought back anger to Isak's mind, which he tried his best not to show to the rest of the people there. He still blamed himself for not being there for Eilerias, to protect her sooner.

Gilgamesh's words quickly brought him back to reality. Straight to business then, Isak thought to himself.

"We will not fail. Although leading my crew to such a dangerous job would certainly warrant a better explanation of the details regarding that sword, but I'll settle for hard coins for now."

Isak gazed upon Gilgamesh again, his eyes fierce and his words blunt and sure. "Prepare our reward for when we get back, you shall have your blade."

He could see that everyone was there now, and Isak eagerly waited to move on with his plans once that meeting had finished.

 

[Charity Briarthorne]

Charity frowned as she sat in her chair. Something wasn't quite right about the man sitting next to her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. He looked like her father and sounded like him... but he wasn't her father. Of that she was certain.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Eilerias and Isak descended the stairs holding hands. What were they doing up there?! she wondered to herself. Noticing the bruises on Eilerias' neck, a wave of shock and anger flowed through Charity. She looked at Isak. Had he done this to her? No... He couldn't have. Charity just couldn't picture him doing something like that to such a close associate. Besides, if he HAD hurt her, she wouldn't be stuck to him like a newlywed wife. She paused - Why do I even care? Doesn't affect me in the slightest. Even so, seeing Eilerias hurt like that made her upset, and she wasn't sure why.

Charity looked back at her fath- the man sitting next to her. She leaned forward and gave Jexa a questioning look, but only received a cold stare in response. Leaning back in her chair, Charity's frown deepened. Who was this man sitting next to her?!

She looked up as Gwen entered the room and a look of amazement formed on her face. Gwen looked so beautiful! Charity had never seen Gwen dress up for anything before and wondered why she had bothered to for this meeting. And she seemed to know her father?! What the hell was going on? Charity noticed a slight flicker to Gwen and realized that this Gwen was an illusion and not really there.

Finally the man spoke.

"I hired you all for a job, your expertise and abilities carefully studied to make sure that this job will not fail... By now you know, you're after a special sword and you don't need to know why.

Charity huffed. Father or not, it seemed like she wasn't going to get an explanation for the job.

When you locate the weapon you are not to wield it or even draw it from the scabbard."

Something clicked in Charity's mind. That was it! If this man had really been her father, he would have pointedly said that last bit directly to her. He would have known the temptation she would face upon getting her hands on the sword. And this man had hugged her back! Gilgamesh Briarthorne was not an affectionate man. Any time she would hug him he would just take it stiffly, waiting for her to release him. This man was not her father. It was one of his middlemen. Or at least she was pretty sure it was.

There was only one way to find out. Charity kept track of Jexa out of the corner of her eye, slowly unsheathing a dagger as she listened to the conversation.

 

[Sirius]

With everyone present he spoke up.
"I hired you all for a job, your expertise and abilities carefully studied to make sure that this job will not fail... By now you know, you're after a special sword and you don't need to know why. When you locate the weapon you are not to wield it or even draw it from the scabbard."

Simply said, but certainly far more complex to pull off. Unless they intended to outright assault the castle and make it look like an attacking army or something. But he didn't think that was the plan, and he could only bring up two or three dead bodies at a time, so it was basically out of the question. Complex plan it is.

But the instructions were clear, get the sword, don't take it out of the scabbard, don't use it. Okay. That they could do. He trusted these people to abide by such instructions, not because he knew them well, but because they knew that there would be consequences if they didn't.

There was only one way to find out. Charity kept track of Jexa out of the corner of her eye, slowly unsheathing a dagger as she listened to the conversation.

He being slightly more observant than one might think caught onto what Charity was doing. However he didn't call out or question it yet, no, instead he watched carefully, his hand ready to fly to his mace in case she did something stupid.

But why would she reach for her dagger? Did she not refer to this man as her father? And there certainly didn't seem to be any tension. So what was her game?

All he could do was keep watching.

 

[Amadeus Greywood]

Gilgamesh stood up from his chair.
"Your payment will be ready and waiting for you each respectively once the job is completed successfully."
The man didn't suspect what Charity was planning. In fact he seemed ever so slightly anxious to get out of that club and away from all of them.
He turned to take his leave and allow them to make final preparations.

 

[Isak Lavelle]

Isak remained in silence after his words to Gilgamesh, his gaze switching back and forth between a few of the people at the meeting. He could see Charity's unease as she slowly reached for her dagger, while also noticing how tense that man's bodyguards were, as well as the other tall mercenary who carried a mace. He remained calm, but Isak wouldn't be surprised if a fight were to break out at any given moment.

Instead, Gilgamesh's words cut through the heavy air and grabbed their attention. He was blunt and looked almost annoyed for being there, quickly taking his leave shortly after responding to Isak, who only nodded towards him. He watched as Gilgamesh and his guards left the club, slamming the door shut on their way out.

With that hurdle out of the way, Isak was now ready to put forth his plan and explain the details to the crew. He glanced at each one of them before slowly rising from his chair, waving at Ogden. The dwarf brought him one of Gwendolyn's scrolls that he collected from her office after their previous meeting, handing it to Isak. The young man swiftly opened it across the table and pointed to a spot on the map.

"Elbion is a few days journey from here, but going by sea would be faster. I'll secure us safe passage aboard a ship tomorrow, so you all need to be prepared to leave as soon as possible."

He took a step back and crossed his arms in front of his chest, surveying the scroll from afar and thinking upon his strategy. Either breaching or infiltrating a fort would always be a hard task, but with the right tools, Isak could make something out of it. Still, his eyes wandered off to Eilerias, already worried about involving her with such a risky part of the plan. They all knew that there were serious risks involved with that heist, even though they'd be rewarded handsomely for it, but Isak would do anything to make sure they wouldn't just walk towards their deaths.

"Once we're close to the keep... Eilerias will enter it as a priestess, offering her healing to whoever needs it." Isak said calmly, but never taking his eyes off her. "Take a few notes of what you see inside and once night falls, give us a signal. Me and the mercenary will enter it shortly afterwards, undercover."

He looked at Sirius now. The man was a warrior, so outfitting him as one of the mercenaries hired to defend the Keep would be the easiest part of that plan. Isak just had to find some armor and a sword for himself, even though he wasn't very fond of using one.

Isak put his gloved finger on the scroll, tracing a line over it before glancing at Charity. "After Sirius and I reach the keep, we'll unlock one of the sewer gates for you. Once we're all inside, we can go after our prize."

His voice grew deeper and he looked even more serious than before as he gazed at the thief. "And Charity? Just the sword... No detours." He knew that the possibility of Charity wandering off to steal something else within the fort was real, but he thought a simple warning would suffice. Nonetheless, Isak was already hard at work thinking of ways to compensate for any surprises. It would be impossible to imagine every variable, but he'd try to prepare the crew for most of them.

"Ogden has a contact near Elbion, some other mercenary company. Once we grab the sword, they'll create a diversion, possibly attacking the fort while we slip through the battle without anyone noticing."

He backed off the table and looked at the crew again, a confident smile on his face. "We'll have only a few hours to pull this off until the ship leaves, and we would have to return to Alliria by foot. Probably chased by mercenaries too."

He didn't exactly trust the people there, save for Eilerias and Ogden, but he knew of their skills and that they would be up to the task. The information Gwendolyn had provided was more than enough and Isak had the utmost confidence that they would be returning to the Raven Club in a week's time with Gilgamesh's prized sword and their pockets filled to bursting.

 

[Charity Briarthorne]

Charity was extremely disappointed as the man who was supposedly her father got up and left. She resheathed her dagger sat back in her chair. It made sense that Gilgamesh wouldn't make an appearance himself, but Charity was still pretty peeved that she hadn't gotten to see her father.

"After Sirius and I reach the keep, we'll unlock one of the sewer gates for you. Once we're all inside, we can go after our prize."

A look of shocked indignation appeared on Charity's face as she listened to Isak's plan. "WHAT THE FUCK LAVELLE?!? Entering through the sewer?! What kind of entrance is that?!" she shouted banging her fists on the table. "You said I deserved a "grand entrance". Is running through slimy sewers you idea of "grand"? Blowing the front doors off is 'grand'. Storming the keep with ten thousand mercenaries is 'grand' If you really expect me to agree to crawling through filthy sewers, you've got another thi-" A sharp stern look from Gwendolyn instantly silenced her. "Ughhh... Fine... Whatever... I'll do it... I guess...." Charity pouted, slouching back in her chair and crossing her arms.

His voice grew deeper and he looked even more serious than before as he gazed at the thief. "And Charity? Just the sword... No detours."

"Goddamn man! Do you have something against this job being fun? You have heard of 'fun' haven't you? It's the thing that makes a job enjoyable instead of being a lame ass chore." Charity grew quiet again after another look from Gwen. She only half listened to the rest of Isak's plan and continued to pout.

 

[Gwendolyn Vollmund]

Gwendolyn had felt a bit peeved that she hadn’t seen the real Gilgamesh as well but remained silent not seeming to notice Charity realizing it was not her father either.

Isak laid out his plan and Charity had predictable objections. A stern look silenced her quickly and somewhat focused on the task at hand. Gwen herself paid little mind to the plan. Her service here was complete at any rate, now she would watch from the side lines. She was admittedly a bit jealous. She missed those days.

She still had the power and the fitness to fight with the best of what the underworld had to offer, but she often found herself going a bit..Overboard. She had fought that side of herself for most of her life and encouraging it now after so many decades of successful suppression was simply foolish. However once the meeting did conclude she would simply nod.

“It seems like you have everything worked out. Seems sound enough at any rate.” She would turn her gaze to Eilerias. “We will talk more when this is over child.” She said her tone relaying her feelings about seeing her bruised. The tone was unpleasant. However it shifted as her gaze softened.

“In the mean time be safe. I would not sleep well until my grave if something happened to you.” Her gaze would harden again when turning to Isak.

“You know the consequences of you return my contractors damaged Isak. My best thief and my best healer. I trust them to you because you have proven worthy of my best. Do not cost me assets you can never hope to replace.” She said neutrally.

It was not a threat.

Nor did she seem upset.

It was simply deadly serious before vanishing with a small poof. Cleo would remain at the chairs side until Charity moved to leave.

“Ms. Brairthorne. Ms. Vollmund requests you in her office before you depart if you would oblige her.” Cleo said with a closed mouth smile. Now in public and not staring down a person she wanted a piece of she found her usual self consciousness of her teeth and other quality’s once more.

Her horn fading back into her hair, her unblinking red eyes fading to blue and her teeth hiding behind her lips.

If deciding to enter Charity would find a Gwen far from the illusion she had sent in her stead. Much like the archives the run on her wrist would light allowing her to enter the office as she pleased. Another perk only Cleo enjoyed as well.

She looked tired. Granted she always seemed a bit sleepy, but this was different. She would jump slightly as Charity entered.

Snapping the book she was reading shut and sliding it to the side.

“Oh..Charity!”
She said looking up. Whatever she had been reading must have been something very..dark. One of her grey eyes had burst a blood vessel and blood was slowly flowing from one side of her nose. The book snapped back open and tried to bite her.

“ I..I thought you would be off on your heist by now..” She said as she finally wrestled the unruly tome closed and snapped the lock in place. Tossing it in one of her desk drawers she looked down unable to meet the young girls eyes.

“It was nice to see your father again..Wasn’t it..” She said with a half smile that seemed almost desperate. Cleo watched from the doorway before taking her leave. Good. Maybe her boss could take a moment to reconnect with her “daughter.” And take a break from reading those demon texts she had been glued to since she first laid eyes on Gilgamesh and sent her doppelgänger to be on the safe side.

It was a demon.

She knew it was and so did Gwen.

But Cleo was forbidden to speak more of..Him..There were rules that went well beyond pacts of servitude. So Gwen had begun her study immediately.

Cleo whistled as she walked out of the club. Gwen would thank her later.

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias shot a confused look toward Isak. "I'm going...alone?" Her voice was shaky. "You told me you weren't sending me like a lamb to the slaughter." She stepped away from him, trying to hide that she was terrified. "You lied to me." It was a whisper, but she was sure he heard.

Charity's sudden outburst made her jump. She wanted to laugh at her needs for a fun heist, but she couldn't. She got a much better deal. At least she didn't have to throw herself into a pit of mercenaries. Alone. She would have much preferred to smell of sewage for days.

She sat down at one of the tables Gilgamesh had been at just moments ago, resting her head on her hands. What had she actually gotten herself into? She was just a healer. She just wanted to help but someone had started bringing in questionable people to see her in her church and they soon found out she was healing criminals. She knew what they were, but she still couldn't say no to a hurting body.

Eilerias looked up as Gwendolyn spoke to her. Her voice was cold and her words appeared to be aimed towards Isak. She cocked her head to the side. It dawned on her then. She thought Isak hurt her. "No-Ms. Gwendolyn! It's not what you thi-" She tried to defend Isak, but she was already gone.

More than anything, she wanted to speak with Gwendolyn. She wanted to clear the air and tell her what happened, but she was afraid. Gwendolyn was the closest thing to a mother she had and it was unfair to hide her feelings from the woman who saved her. Still, she felt guilty. She ignored her lectures. She was stupid and careless and got herself hurt. She wanted sympathy, but Gwendolyn wasn't one to sympathize with the stupid and weak who got themselves into accidental situations. She didn't do accidents.

As people began to finalize their preparations, she stayed in that chair. Something felt off. The man. The Father. She could hear whispering, but couldn't make anything out of the voices. Whatever it was, she didn't like it, but she couldn't say anything. It was Charity's father, their boss. They would probably blame it on her hitting her head on the stone floor earlier in the night if she brought up the voices, so she kept quiet and waited for the others to be ready to leave.

 

[Charity Briarthorne]

“Ms. Brairthorne. Ms. Vollmund requests you in her office before you depart if you would oblige her.” Cleo said with a closed mouth smile.

Charity looked up at Cleo as she rose from her chair. "Huh? Oh... Of course. I'll go see her right away." She made her way to Gwen's office, Cleo close on her heels. As she approached, the rune on her wrist glowed and the office door silently glided open.

"Oh... Charity! I... I thought you would be off on your heist by now..." Gwen said with a slight jump of surprise. She looked exhausted, even more so than usual. A blood vessel had burst in one of her eyes, and her nose was bleeding. Charity rushed over over, sitting on the corner of Gwen's desk and spinning to face her. She pulled out a soft cloth she used for polishing jewelry and gently wiped Gwen's nose. "You promised you wouldn't work yourself so hard, remember?" Charity gently chided her as she finished wiping the blood from her nose.

Gwen ignored Charity's concern for her, but not in a rude way. It was almost as if she was lost in her own little world and didn't even hear Charity. “It was nice to see your father again... Wasn’t it...” Gwen mumbled quietly not looking at Charity. She had a strangely desperate looking smile on her face like a young woman talking about a crush. "Hmm? Oh, yeah I suppose it was. But we both know that wasn't my father. Just one of his enchanted goons." Charity said distractedly as she pulled Gwen from her chair, and led her to a small low couch in the corner of the room. As she gently directed Gwen to lay down, Charity pondered the best way to ask her next question.

"Umm... Gwen...What's going on with you? A-Are... You okay?" Charity finally managed to get out as she sat on the floor and leaned back against the couch facing away from Gwen. "I've never seen you react that way to anybody. For as long as I've known you, I've never seen you get all dolled up for a client. Do you have some prior history with my father?"

 

[Isak Lavelle]

Isak cursed himself, his hands on the table and his head turning away not to face Eilerias. He wasn't supposed to care, he was supposed to stay focused on the plan and trust that it wouldn't fail, that everyone there knew what risks a job like that entailed, but he couldn't. Her words had reached deep and it made him falter, made him question all his decisions, something that he never did. He wasn't supposed to care for Eilerias like that, but he had told her pieces of his past that he left buried for years, that no one else knew, and he even learned to trust her.

Was he betraying that trust now? Was he being ungrateful for all the times she helped him without asking nothing in return? Isak couldn't even dare to imagine that, but it was all he could think about when he heard her whispers and glanced upon the hurtful look in her eyes. She truly believed he was sending her to her death.

Like a lamb to the slaughter. Damn you, Isak.

"Eilerias..." He wanted to say something, anything that could put her at ease. He had to know that she trusted him, that his devious schemes would work to perfection and everyone would get out of that place with their prize and unscathed. But instead, Gwendolyn now raised her voice to grab his attention, and he saw Eilerias slowly back away from him.

Seeing her that afraid hurt him like the deepest cuts of a sharp blade, and he couldn't think of anything to make the pain stop. Isak turned his head to look at Gwendolyn, visibly upset. She was putting her 'assets' in his hands, their lives were his responsibility. He knew that Gwendolyn trusted him, and his abilities, to make all that work, but he wasn't seeking their trust or approval.

He wanted hers. He wanted Eilerias' trust that he wouldn't fail. "I won't fail, Gwendolyn." His voice was much rougher than before, and even though Isak had talked to Gwendolyn, his eyes were fixed upon the priestess by her side. He wouldn't fail, he never did. Or else, he wouldn't have survived for this long, he wouldn't have escaped his gilded cage.

Isak spent the next few minutes in silence, torn between rushing over to Eilerias to try and talk to her or simply staying put and thinking of ways to improve his plan while everyone else said their goodbyes for the final preparations before the trip. Gilgamesh's arrival and that meeting had given how much to think about, but he wasn't worried about that man or Charity's seemingly distrust of him, at least for now. He would investigate that later, when his mind wasn't solely focused on remembering Eilerias' words and the look in her eyes after realizing what she would have to do for their plan to work.

Once everyone started to leave, Isak mustered enough courage to reach towards Eilerias as she looked to leave and take her hand, trying his best to match her gaze. He could almost feel his eyes trembling as she looked at her, his gloved carefully clutching hers as his whole body went tense for being that close to her again.

"I..." Isak stuttered, desperate to say something. "I'll make sure nothing happens to you. Trust me." He almost wanted to run from her gaze, but Isak stood still and confident. "Please." It was barely a whisper, but he needed to ask.

He needed to hear her, to know that she trusted him with her life. He realized it was a selfish request, but it was the only thing he wanted to know at that moment. He could think of the plan, Charity and her father and everything else that was happening later, but in that moment he could only think of Eilerias.

 

[Gwendolyn Vollmund]

"You promised you wouldn't work yourself so hard, remember?" Charity gently chided her as she finished wiping the blood from her nose.

“I’m fine child. I was born for such labors.” She said quietly. “Besides. These effects are temporary consequences of reading demon text. But I’m protected. they don’t remain or worsen unless the crystal in this ritual amulet has cracked.” She said pulling out an amulet with a nearly shattered gem in its center. “And as you can..see..” Gwen said with an exhausted smile fraying at the edges as her eyes fell on the stone. It must have cracked hours ago and she hadn’t noticed..Too lost in her exploration of the written word and how to turn its power to her will.

“Oh dear..” She said with a defeated sigh tossing the amulet aside as her mood shifted like the last bit of light from the fire before it was pissed on and snuffed out.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah I suppose it was. But we both know that wasn't my father. Just one of his enchanted goons."

She would allow herself to be led to the couch with no resistance. It felt good to have the young one around again even if just for a few moments. As Charity sat with her back to the couch facing away from her Gwen almost reached out and laid her hand on the girls shoulder. She stopped however. Something deep inside halting her.

“Yes..He wasn’t acting himself was he..” Gwen said with a simple nod of agreement. “At least he tried. I wasn’t allowed to see my parents after I was 8 and I forbidden to see them again until 18. In fact I..” She faltered.

"Umm... Gwen...What's going on with you? A-Are... You okay?"

“I..I’m fine young one. I’m no old woman to be fussed over. Besides like I always say you never get to the top if you aren’t willing to pay the fare.” She sat quietly for a moment before Charity spoke up again.

"I've never seen you react that way to anybody. For as long as I've known you, I've never seen you get all dolled up for a client. Do you have some prior history with my father?"

She tensed at that.
She almost lied.
Told her that she didn’t know what she meant.
Almost.
“Yes..We were..Close at one time..” She said quietly placing her hand on the girls shoulder. “I can’t talk about that right now. I need you to understand. I have much to do..Just wait until this job is complete at least...” She said giving her shoulder a light squeeze.

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias' eyes stayed glued to the floor as Charity left. She wanted to follow. She needed to speak with Gwendolyn before they left, but she couldn't be sure Gwendolyn wanted to speak with her yet. When Eilerias caught her looking between her and Isak, she sensed that she was upset or disappointed in her.

Isak's gaze felt like it burned through her skin as he stared at her. He asked her to trust him. The very word she had been lectured over and over not to fall for. This was a place where you couldn't trust anyone, not even your own shadow and he wanted her to trust him after planning to throw her in a lion's den.

"No." She muttered, looking up at him with dark purple eyes. "You aren't going to make sure nothing happens. That isn't your job." She pulled her hand away from him suddenly and placed it in her lap. "I can't trust you. I will make sure nothing happens to me, and I will be there to heal any of you if something goes wrong."

Her words were blunt, but honest as she stood from the chair and excused herself from the club. She stepped outside into the chilly night and stood there, debating whether she should go explain herself to Gwendolyn and clear Isak's name or not. She wanted to ask about the shadows and how to stop them from being so noisy, but she had no idea if Cleo would even let her in or if Gwen would accept any visitors aside from those with the mark that allowed them inside whenever they desired.

She decided to head in the direction of the archive, unsure if she would have the courage to bother Gwen or if she would just take a walk there and back to clear her mind before they set off for their heist.

 

[Gwendolyn Vollmund]

Cleo looked at her with an understanding look but said nothing as Eilerias concluded her conversation with Isak.

Cleo respected the man and feared him, but he was just another client. Eilerias on the other hand. Being a member of the church Cleo often felt a bit uncomfortable around her but she knew her heart was pure and her mistress trusted her. As she finished the assistant would approach her as well.

“You can also see Ms. Vollmund if you wish. There is still a bit of time before you must all depart. I can let you in when she is ready.” She said kindly. Specifically staying at a bit of a distance however. The glowing light the dwarf had feared WOULD actually burn her.

 

[Eilerias]

"Yes, thank you Ms. Cleo." She said, bowing before Cleo politely. "Please, let me know when her and Charity have finished their conversation. I just need to make sure she's okay." She continued walking quietly towards the archives. The cold air stung her bare feet and left her nose and cheeks pink.

She really had no idea what she was going to tell Gwendolyn. So much had happened in such a small span of time. Things Gwendolyn had the right to be upset with her for, but not Isak. None of this was his fault. She was too trusting. She was the one who didn't assess her surroundings or question why her door was open before entering.

 

[Charity Briarthorne]

“Yes..We were..Close at one time..” She said quietly placing her hand on the girls shoulder. “I can’t talk about that right now. I need you to understand. I have much to do..Just wait until this job is complete at least...” She said giving her shoulder a light squeeze.

"But... I..." Charity fell silent. If Gwen couldn't talk about it, then there must be a reason. She reached up and placed her hands over Gwen's returning the gentle squeeze. "Okay, but I won't forget. I'll keep bugging you until you tell me!" Charity said jokingly. "I'm going to go get ready." she said slowly standing up.

As she reached the door, she turned back to Gwen. "Please promise me you'll be more careful. I lov-" Charity realized what she was about to say and snapped her mouth shut. She never said that to anybody. Not even her father. "I-I mean... I really care about you and don't want to worried about if you're alright the whole time I'm away. So please...."

 

[Gwendolyn Vollmund]

Gwen jumped slightly when her squeeze was returned but accepted it greatly.

She seemed reluctant but understanding about the sensitivity of the topic at hand. And even if she didn’t Gwen felt that the respect she had for the archive keeper would allow her to trust that the truth would be found at the right time.

“Child wait a moment.” She said pulling her self up with a groan she fought to hide. All the years she had spent with her cycling through her mind. Wether Gwen liked it or not the girl had earned this. Meeting her at the door way she placed her right hand to the girls cheek to make sure she held her gaze. “I was a bit harsh today after the meeting. I apologize young one.” She said with true conviction. “But it is only because I care for you greatly as well.” She said somewhat stiffly before she did the unthinkable.

Gwen did not like to be touched or touch others in general for that matter, but in that moment it didn’t feel like how it felt with others. It felt right. She pulled the young woman into a hug. Words unspoken were held in the embrace as she broke it off after a moment.
The girl had never had a mother.

Gwen knew she filled that role in her life and had been running from it for the entire time they had known eachother.

Maybe it was time to stop running from it.

Placing a gentle kiss on her forehead just as her mother had done all those decades ago. It was a tender moment for a woman with the personality of a rusty, steel, bear trap. “Be safe. Remember what I taught you, and return with a good story for my shelves will you?” She said with a soft smile that remained until the woman departed.

Gwen sighed watching her go. Almost as if every step that carried her further away, further undid the happiness her visit had brought. She went back to her desk as her nose started to bleed again. Cursing in demonic she wiped it away leaving a streak as Cleo entered.

“Ms.Vollmund. Eilerias would like a word before she departs as well.” She said before giving her a slightly disapproving look. “And that’s not a nice word to hear in any language even if it’s my own.” She added with a slight huff.

“My apologies send her in.” She said with a dismissive wave as Cleo returned to the young healer and told her Gwen was ready to see her. When she would enter Gwen would smile.

“It isn’t time for my check up already is it? I’m hardly prepared.” She said with a light chuckle at her weak joke.