Dreadlords The Republic of Blood

[Erodin]

Kortes - Island of Cortell


"Three targets." Erodin said simply, pointing to the map laying on the central table within the hovel they would call a home for the next three weeks. The Dreadlord's expression utterly deadpan and without a hint of amusement as he looked at his gathered hirelings.

"The Bishop Adre." There was no need to go over any of this, of course, he expected that each and every one of them had read the dossiers they'd been given before their departure. If they hadn't, then he would simply leave them behind as they got caught in whatever they should already have been prepared for. There was no place for the incapable on his team. "The Holy Mother Orina."

A title that meant as little to Erodin as it did the woman herself. She debased it near daily, if their information was anything to go by. "And First General Torrik."

Three targets, all well secured, and all expecting to live out their lives in the comfort each of their positions afforded them.

They were wrong of course, their fate had been marked the moment General Marr had come to Erodin.


"Your deal is still in place." Erodin could see the man's displeasure at having to speak to him with even a small amount of deference. This whole conversation was painful for the General, and the Dreadlord couldn't help but revel in that. Ever since he and Amelie had pushed their way back into the Republic, the Guard had tried to stay away from them as much as possible. A habit that was now broken. "I'm not forcing you, bu-"

Erodin waved his hand, cutting off the man. "Oh no, think nothing of it, General. I am a loyal servant of the Republic, more than willing to do my duty."

The smile on his face was almost genuine, though from the General's piercing gaze it was clear the man hardly believed him to be speaking the truth. No concern of his course. Amelie and he had their plan, and he knew well this would work well with it. A few corpses in Kortes would buy them some much needed acclaim, and there was the other thing...

"But one thing." Erodin said plainly. "I lead, and those that come with me are killers."

He stated, Marr frowning. "No bufoons, no jokers, no one who will question or stop short of a cut throat. I won't take the ill-prepared with me. Understand?"

For a moment the General almost seemed like he would object, but Erodin knew he couldn't afford to. This task was too important. The death of these three targets could very well topple Kortes. A boon that the Republic was practically desperate for given the situation in the west marches. "Fine. You'll get what you need."

The Memory flickered through Erodin's mind as he looked over those whom he had taken with him on this mission. His face remaining the same implaccable mask it had been nearly the whole time they had all been together.

"Orina first." He declared. "Of the three she'll send up the least warning signs to the other two. She'll need to die quiet."

Erodin finished, stating the simple fact as though they weren't assassinating one of the most renown figures in the city.

 

[Houri]

"Luana! Err.. not you, Maz. There's a mission I think you'd be perfect for..."​

Houri idly spun the plain signet ring on her finger round as she examined not the map laid out before them, but the Dreadlord they were to apparently follow. The Defector Turned Noble. Rumours had flown through the Academy after the deal had been struck and since graduation, she had found just as wild - if not wilder - rumours about the pair of killer lovers in the Garrison. When the Major had told her who exactly she would be taking orders from, the terse edge to his words was enough to confirm her suspicion that the rumour most of the upper tiers of the Republic did not enjoy their new found allies. She was curious to see for herself what kind of man made the Generals and Houses so uneasy.

It was a much nicer thing to focus on than the uncomfortable realisation she had been chosen, along with the others gathered, for her history of being quite comfortable with blood on her hands.

We are comfortable though, girl. This is the way it should be. How it used to be.

But wasn't the whole point of us making friends and learning restraint that there is a better way?

A snort. A better way? That way got us more hurt than the old way.

Houri pushed the bickering voices to the back of her mind and squared her shoulders.

"Why don't we simply take them all out at the same time, Sir? A coordinated attack," then it hardly seemed to matter at all if an alarm was raised.

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

"The answer is simple, Dreadlord Luana." No longer Initiate Luana, as Vittoria had grown accustomed to, but now present on a mission that put them working closely with a renowned First Rank Dreadlord. Her own father had spoken highly of Erodin and his wife Amelie during their time working for House Virak, and even a young Vittoria had hoped one day the Viraks would want her in their ranks.

Of course, that all changed now.

"Coordinated attacks are too obvious, too much of a spectacle of our power and intentions..." Larrainth smiled, that odd expression that was merely muscle and lacked the warmth and true emotion that should accompany it. "It would alert others, who may not be targets, but nonetheless, to target prominent figures in a society, stealth is best. Is that not right, sir? To not draw too many eyes on their deaths?"

She turned her attentions to the pale haired man, a flicker of wickedness wielding life into her smile now. "Quick and methodical, one by one." No nonsense.

Vittoria's name had been suggested with some hesitation from the Proctors, who saw her magic as something to truly fear for what she could do, but it was the easy compliance to command that had them believe she was merely doing this for show... and she was. What they had forgotten was that Larrainth wished to be an Archon one day.

She would listen and learn now in order to reach that goal.

 

[Fabien 'King' D'Amour]

A Second Level formerly in the service of House Virak and the crazed child of House Luana. There was a time when Big Sis would have been gobsmacked at the idea of her darling brother cooperating with such gutter trash. Times change, it seemed. If not for the fact that Vittoria had asked him to come along, King would not have deemed this worth his time. At least they were doing something interesting this time.

The Luana girl immediately broke a rule and second guessed Erodin. Ballsy or dumb, King couldn't decide which. Vittoria offered her thoughts, and King couldn't help but grin. Her fervor never ceased to impress him. Still, he had his own interpretation.

"I can't help but think that taking them out one after the next is even more of a grandiose display than going one by one. Killing one and then waiting will ensure that the others are more alert, more prepared for the next strike...and still they die," he supposed, absentmindedly twirling his swordbreaker in one hand with a smirk. "That sends a message, doesn't it? Nothing stops our great nation when it knows what it wants."

A few more quick spins of the curious knife and King slotted it smoothly back in its holster, then shrugged.

"Not that I mind quick and quiet."

 

[Erodin]

”Larrainth is right.” Though in truth, he would have preferred to do the job as the Luana girl suggested. It would have made the job quicker, easier, and far more simple.

At first he'd questioned why Marr had tasked them in this way, but a small bit of logic and a word to his little rats in the Vigilite had been enough to understand. The killing of these three was not meant to evoke an outcry or change the path Kortes walked on. Just the opposite.

”We're not here to send a message.” Erodin stated plainly, glancing briefly at D’amour. ”We're here to cut the pillars this city stands on without anyone realizing they're being cut.”

Because In a few weeks time, the Republic would be coming to stamp it down. It was obvious, if one had the complete picture. The western border with Cortos was under increasing threat, the Guard had been tested there more than once. Kortes was a long standing thorn in the side of the city of Tychos, Vel Anir's main ally in the area. The island of Cortell, where the city was located, would also make an excellent staging area for any future naval operation in Cortos.

Simply put; The Republic would take Kortes for itself.

Erodin did not spell out the fact to his three companions, but watched them each carefully as he continued their briefing. Wondering which of them would figure it out, and reminding himself of what Amelie had whispered into his mind before he'd left. Pawns are found in all sorts of places, my love.

”The three die quiet, and they die in ways no one thinks to link back to Vel Anir.” He told them, then pushed some of the papers aside, revealing a map of the Holy Mother’s estate. ”Luana, you're up first.”

”We need a storm, the strongest you can manage.” Erodin stated simply. ”Larrainth and I will lure her out to her balconies.”

The Dreadlord continued, then looked at D’amour. ”And you'll ensure she falls.”

Intricate, but it would leave no questions to be asked.

 

[Houri]

Houri didn't bother to hide how she rolled her eyes at the Initiates' brown nosing.

Deaths will raise eyebrows no matter how they are dealt. The Cortosi are not fools, the Second Level hummed quietly under her breath in agreement. Kortes would fall without these pillars whichever way it was done, she just preferred for her missions to be quick. A petty assassination was perhaps one of the more boring of her missions this month.

Oh yes a magical storm after a bright clear day, how would they ever link that to Vel Anir.

Houri stifled a sigh. Unimaginative. Predictable. Boring.

"I assume the Republic doesn't want it's future property damaged...?" She quirked a brow as she waited for some denial then continued. "If you just plan to make her fall a sea fog would do as well." And would be less likely to turn into the type of tropical storm that could wreck the rest of the island when she let go of her control on it.

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Vittoria's brow twitched at the idea of her luring someone, but she had never played a part she could not do well. She would obsess over this plan in the moments she was quiet, playing it out in her head.

She shared a look to King, her slight surprise leaving her as she reminded herself that nothing could go wrong if King was here with her. They were inseparable from the moment they became friends, and together have excelled higher than those in their class. The Terrible Two indeed.

"A fog should work. I will need King's help in casting a concealment spell to hide him on the balcony, unseen... and for myself, well, I am sure opportunity will present itself." Vittoria's face fell back into that odd smile that was not a smile, her eyes dead and expression gone, it was simple lifting of the corners of her mouth.

 

[Fabien 'King' D'Amour]

Still questioning orders immediately after being told not to? King folded his arms across his chest and raised a brow at the Luana girl. It would've been simple to just amplify her storm magic (derivative of the Pirian brand as it was) to ungodly degrees and bring ruin down upon their target. Subtlety was really that important here, it seemed.

The role King was given was perhaps the most personal of the bunch, and for that he was grateful to their wonderful team leader.

"By all means, I'll see it done," he grinned, matching Vittoria's glance. With the right amount of magic his magic applied, he could easily send the Holy Mother hurtling to her doom without ever laying a finger on her. "And you know I'm more than happy to be a team player, Vitt."

The old hag was as good as dead already.

 

[Erodin]

Erodin smirked at the Luana girl, the puzzle laid out before her figured out. Her minor trespass forgiven as his thoughts immediately turned to the steps beyond this utter waste of time. Perhaps something can be done with this one.

After all, she'd already shown a propensity before for wanting to do things the correct way. If Marr had let him, Erodin practically knew he could have taken the whole of this city with just these three at his beck and call. The Dreadlord mused to himself for a moment, dreaming of a time when simple fools didn't lead. Briefly lingering on the thought before he waved his hand dismissively.

"Whatever gives us cover." In truth, Erodin had never much been one for micromanagement. His collection of rats did their duties well because he chose them for their skills, allowing them the freedom to do the task as they pleased was simple logic.

The same attitude held true for working with other Dreadlords.

You could read a dossier, you could study and learn, but no one could direct another's magic better than they themselves. It was easier to give a task, and let that task be solved.

Of course, if it wasn't, he'd happily leave the Luana girl hanging bloody from her ankles.

"You have four hours, cast whatever spells you need." Erodin said in response to Vittoria, the Dreadlord going over the finer details of the plan before the four of them set about preparing for the evening. Sundown came quickly after, and the darkness of the night slipped over Kortes.

Four hours later, precisely as the Dreadlord had stated, the small team found themselves crouching atop one of the tall buildings opposite the Holy Mother's Estate. The manor itself was a large compound like building, surrounded by a massive wrought iron fence. It's first three floors decorated with tall windows and ornate mouldings. The Balconies of the fourth floor extending forth as Gargoyled perched protectively upon their corners.

Guards patrolled the inner gardens, their lanterns shining lights as they slowly moved along their routes.

 

[Houri]

There didn't need to be a command for Houri to know it was her turn to get the mission started. Taking a deep breath that she let out through her nose, she let her body drift into a state of focus. Emotions were the easiest way to control weather and the most natural, but there was a reason she had been one of only three in her class to be granted the rank of Second Level straight out of graduation. The last year of the Academy had taught her the one thing the fields of battle had never done; control.

A silvery mist clouded her eyes turning them an opaque white.

The fog started off as a thin veil that gave the buildings and guards below a fuzzy edge, but it was not long before it grew so dense that it was difficult to make out one another despite how closely packed they were. The building before them seemingly vanished altogether, barely more than slight stain to indicate it was still there. With such a heavy fog came a creeping cold and an uncomfortable dampness that seeped deep into the bones and left condensation on skin.

"The guards are going into the guardhouses to fetch lanterns," she reported, keeping her voice quiet so that it did not spoil the unnatural silence of the fog. It was hard to tell exactly where she was looking with the opaque white still clouding her eyes. "If you are going, now is the best time."

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Vittoria waited for her moment, watching as Houri had conjured a veil so natural, she wondered just where this fog had come from.

And then it became her turn.

Face devoid of emotion, just the determination in her brow set in a light frown, Vittoria lowered herself to where a trellis ran up the side of the wall, her feet just reaching the first foothold of the climbing ivy. With ease and patience, she climbed down and dropped the last few feet and crept towards the glass doors from the balcony. With the help of Fabien's magic, Vittoria had been able to conceal the entirety of herself, unseen by those above or below, but they would know she had done her task when they heard the locks at the doors all click and unlock, thanks to her secondary magic.

She could pick any lock when left in her clutches after some time.

 

[Fabien 'King' D'Amour]

This really couldn't have been any easier. The Luana girl had done her part in rolling in the fog, obscuring vision for those outside the area and in alike. Vittoria had run the extra mile, after getting a boost from King himself. Having masked their presence to the fullest extent, King could've waltzed through the front door if he'd so desired. Instead he decided to take things on the simple side.

King leapt upwards, amplified by his magic, propelling himself from the ground to the balcony and touching down without the hint of a sound. His head on a swivel, he searched for and promptly spotted an ideal spot to tuck himself away, just out of sight of the balcony's windows. Angelic looking statues of whatever deity this Holy Mother represented stood at either side of the balcony. How ironic that the priestess' own god would be the harbinger of her doom.

Now all King had to do was wait for whatever lure Vitt and Erodin had in store so he could deliver the last, gentle push.

 

[Erodin]

The Fog was in place. The locks were undone, and the girl was just where she needed to be.

Erodin had not moved from his perch besides Houri, he had not tagged along with either Vittoria nor King. Instead he'd simply stayed in place besides the weather girl, his face an implacable mask as he waited out the few minutes he had given his partners to get into place.

Then, his eyes flared blue.

For a brief moment Houri would see an apparition appear within the mist. A small boy, dressed in red finery. Upon his neck hanging the symbol of the Radiant Church. He looked around at first, peering at Houri, then Erodin before suddenly he disappeared.

Within seconds, the wraith shadowed the mists upon the balcony. Forming there and hiding within the sea of white as he came into being. Ghostly head shifting back and forth as his lips parted. "Mother? Mother where are you?!"

He called out in a panic, his voice an echo as it called out within the fog.

Mere moments later, their query appeared. Confusion doubling on the Holy Mother's face as gnarled hands threw open open doors with no locks, eyes setting on a son that was not hers, nor wholly real. She gazed down at the child.

"I-how did you get up here? Who are you?" The Holy Mother asked, stepping out onto the balcony. "Are you alright?"

She asked, the confusion still in her tone as she stepped forward, moving towards the boy and the railing behind him.

 

[Houri]

Houri wasn't sure how to feel about being left with a man who was rumoured to have thrown children out of the Academy Tower to make his wife laugh. She settled on one of the fallen chimneys of their lookout and kept a very wary eye on the other Dreadlord. He was only a single level above her but the gap was far larger than most Anirian's seemed to realise. Plus, he had decades of experience in comparison to her few years. She took a breath and loosened the knife in its sheath against her thigh.

It paid to be cautious.

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Vittoria held her breath, quelling the excitement of their plan coming together. She lingered there on the balcony, by the trellis she had used to climb down nimbly, and watched with eagerness as the Holy Mother took the bait. Vittoria held a fascination for the moments of death, the wrong decisions one could take before their end came for them. She never shied away from death, not when she had witnessed the destruction and brutality of her own unmaking of others.

She could feel where King situated himself, his magic boosting her own that she could cloak the four of them. It was best to be careful, to not be seen and have this tie back to Anir.

Patiently, she waited to see the next moments, the one's that would claim the life of the Holy Mother.

 

[Fabien 'King' D'Amour]

Illusion magic might've been considered by many to be nothing more than cheap tricks, but Kress' teeth was it useful. The target was at the edge of the balcony faster than a rat up a drainpipe, and King had chosen his hiding spot perfectly.

It really was just that easy. King could feel his lips curl into an involuntary smile as he curled his middle finger beneath his thumb. He felt the tension of potential energy build behind the gesture, his magic coursing to the spot he wished to augment.

So long!

With a flick of his fingers, a powerful gust of wind and force suddenly poured out from behind the Holy Mother. With such little distance between King, the target, and the balcony, what came next was unavoidable. The group merely had to listen for the scream, and the thud.

 

[Erodin]

We must seize every opportunity, my love. We play in their game now. Amelie's whisper rang within his mind as he sat, perched upon the precipices of the ornate marble building.

Now Count and Countess, Erodin had little doubt that the titles he and his beloved wore would do little to hold off the many enemies they had made. Though they had fortune and land, they had little by the way of friends. There were the dolls Amelie had created of course, the rats Erodin had gathered, but there were never enough pawns.

They would always need more. "Tsk."

Erodin half spat with a shake of his head.

"What a waste of time." He complained under his breath, scattering the seed. "We could have conquered this city tonight."

The words were spoken just as a scream echoed into the night. Loud enough for Houri to barely hear, but enough that she could pick up the trail he had laid. The Holy Mother's fear echoing through the night as she went tumbling from the Balcony and went crashing to the ground. Her bones snapping, and her life flashing away in a moments notice.

A smile spread across the wraith that had been standing upon the balcony. The boy who had lured a woman to her death.

He grinned, looking to the Dreadlords nearby. Peering through the mists as though they were nothing at all. "Back to Base."

It said, uttering only three little words before disappearing into the fog.

 

[Houri]

Houri blinked and the white that had clouded her eyes faded back to her usual soft brown. The fog around them barely needed magic to hold it there any longer, and as she relinquished control it took on its own mind. For the rest of the night it would travel the streets before finally making its way out onto the hills and low country beyond.

With a barely smothered sigh she followed him through the fog.

They were the first two back at the base and she threw herself onto one of the low couches. Patches of stuffing were beginning to escape the tired cushions and she plucked at it absentmindedly.

"Are you stringing them out to try and make this more entertaining for yourself?" fear meant more precautions would be taken by those that suspected, making it harder to get close to them. Perhaps Erodin wanted the challenge.

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Vittoria was soon beside King, or at least where she believed him to be. She had followed the feel of his magic, that tether that still amplified her concealment magic to mask both their presence on the balcony. "Excellent work, my friend." She crooned, the smile heard in her voice.

Just like every other time they worked on a mission together, they moved to leave this place, travelling side by side until they reached the meeting point. She had only caught the end of Houri's question before delicately lowering herself onto a plush armchair. "We wanted to work covertly, did we not?" She raised a brow.

"Or is our plan to change now?"

 

[Fabien 'King' D'Amour]

Confidence and self satisfaction, pure and unbridled, oozed from King as he rejoined his closest friend.
"But of course, love. Did anyone expect any different?" he hummed back, equally as pleased with her. "And as always, you did splendidly."

Erodin's shade gave its order, and in no time at all the Terrible Two had rejoined the other members of their little execution squad. What was all this, then? Another disagreement, or something else entirely?
"Dropping our pretenses already, are we?"

 

[Erodin]

"No." Kress the girl had a mouth on her. If she had been one of the two Initiate's he probably already would have thrown her out the window.

As it stood though, she was a full Dreadlord, and a Luana to boot. Best to continue playing the game as Amelie would instead of giving into his impulses. "I'm doing it the way I was ordered."

Erodin said as he came to a stop in front of the large table in the center of their safehouse. Glancing down at the two remaining dossiers and the map of Kortes which still lay there. His head shaking as he crossed his arms and let out a sigh. "The world isn't about self indulgence and doing things the way you think is right."

As much as that seemed like a joke coming from someone at him.

It was likely that the three of them only knew his recent history. How he had taken up with Gilram, worn the mark of a Traitor and stood against the Republic until he'd double crossed the old Archon. But before that Erodin had been a Dreadlord for more than ten years, and on the surface he had been a good one.

His reputation with proceeded him for a reason. Erodin was bloodthirsty, defiant, and arrogant, but he also knew to toe the line. He had served House Virak loyally in his time, never once stepping beyond his mandate. Why? Because it served him well to do so.

Until it didn't.

"Our betters have determined this is the best way to take Kortes." He shrugged, gesturing at the table. "Whether or not we agree is irrelevant. We are not here to plan the invasion. We are here to carry out our orders."

Then, slowly, Erodin looked to Houri. "But make no mistake, if it were my choice. I would be using the three of you to take this place tonight."

 

[Houri]

Houri gave an elegant shrug and inspected some dirt beneath her fingernails.

"From the stories I have heard of you I just didn't expect for you to be quite so... obedient," the rumours that swirled around Erodin and his wife painted the pair as a law upon themselves. Their allegiance was to one another above everything else. Many whispered that was the reason they had chosen Gilram last year and why now they returned to the Republic, seeing a fatter sheep to slaughter. Finding Erodin actually did follow orders was almost disappointing.

Her dark eyes flicked up to meet his.

"I'm sure the Republic will be thrilled to hear it."

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Vittoria was silent during the exchange of the Dreadlords.

There was a cruel smirk lighting her features, listening to either side of conversation in which Vittoria understood both sides. Hells, she was almost convinced to play to chaos after hearing Erodin would use the three of them to take power and control of Kortes. After a few years of her magic being stifled by the Academy because of their fear of her wielding it, Vittoria felt the need to take any chance to demonstrate why she was never an exception.

She was yet to use the help of King to amplify her devastating magic, even just a fraction. One day, the two of them would bring down whole cities.

"We must adhere to rules set against us in order to get to a point of trust. And once trust is bestowed, there is less and less eyes on you as you become free of scrutiny. Then one will have the chance to do as they like."

 

[Fabien 'King' D'Amour]

"The world isn't about self indulgence and doing things the way you think is right."

Well now. That depended on who you asked, and how much power you held. The strong got to indulge themselves as much as they pleased. The weak got to follow orders. That was, as King saw it, the most basic tenet of the old ways as he knew them. What most didn't seem to realize is that the new Vel Anir still functioned under these principles, just with a more friendly coat of paint.

King glanced to Vittoria as she made her point, saying the quiet part out loud. He smiled, confident in her. In himself. She knew as well as he did: for now, the two of them followed orders like good little grunts. One day, however, they'd be the ones indulging themselves to their hearts' content.

At the very least, Erodin seemed frustrated with his position. He had the right of it: the four of them together should have been seizing this entire city by themselves. Unfortunately whomever was holding his leash was presently the one who was allowed to indulge.

"Well then...orders are orders, yes? One down and two to go. If we must continue this little game, let's at least try to be efficient about it," he concluded, almost shuddering at how much like Evangeline--or their father--he sounded in that moment. D'Amour blood really did run strong.

 

[Erodin]

Erodin let out a clip of laughter at the Luana girl's words, his head shaking as he remembered just how fucking stupid being young made you. "Kress. You just don't get it, huh?"

He let the mockery hang in the air before he continued.

"Rather surprising, given your lineage but I suppose they can't all be hits." The Dreadlord quipped, shaking his head before adding. "Your sister probably took all the smarts."

Erodin broke his gaze away from hers. Disinterested in the girls needling and allowing Vittoria launched into an explanation that Erodin had no intention of offering. Though, he did see an opportunity. "Seems at least one of you understands the game."

The Dreadlord said, offering the girl a smile, before glancing to Houri as if to see if she had finally understood. Knowing, of course, that she very likely did. She was a Luana, and the Game of Houses was as known to them as the backs of their hands.

After a second though, he turned his attentions back to the map. Nodding as King moved them onto the task at hand.

"Torrik next." He stated plainly, then looked at the boy across from him. "How would you do it?"

Erodin asked the boy, offering him a small reward for being the one to remain on task.