Private Tales The Silence of Bones

[Alistair Krixus]

This was...not really something that Alistair thought of much. He stopped focusing for a moment to really get a good answer, but then he remember the darts and focused back in on his surroundings.

"Hmm, I'm not entirely sure."

He spotted another trap of some sort near his left foot. He simply pointed it out to Everleigh, and then kept moving.

"I guess it would depend on how much of a hurry I was in." He paused realizing that his answer was partly dodging the question.

"If I had to be in that town, then I would simply push through the storm since that was my responsibility. If I could successfully avoid the storm without shirking any of my goals or duties then I would go around...Fate implies events outside of my control, right? I believe that some things happen for a reason that I can't control, but I also do everything in my power to ensure that when I run into those events that I can handle them and continue on my journey...I suppose in that sense I believe in fate."

Everleigh Ebersol

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

Everleigh nodded her head along with Alistair’s words. Well, he was mostly right. And she had a little bit of word play. And of course, Alistair gave the common dreadlord initiate answer: go through the storm. She sidestepped the little trap, peering down at it for a moment. Another trick-slab. A part of her told her to press it and see what would happen. A second passed by, and Everleigh resisted, going back to following Alistair.

“The idea with fate is that no matter which choice you took, you’d arrive at town as the same time as all the other choices. Neither choice would be the better choice. No matter what you did, you’d arrive at that town the same way. Like if the town had requested help and by the time you got there, everyone was dead. You’d think ‘maybe instead of going through the storm which made me lose my bearings, I should’ve went the mountain path.’ If you had turned around to continue the journey later you would have thought ‘I knew it, I should’ve gone through the storm.’” Everleigh shrugged, and rolled her shoulders back.

“I don’t know if I believe in fate,” this was the first time she had shared her own beliefs on the question. Often she’d take her fellow classmate’s answer and then be on her way, never divulging her private thoughts. “It’s rather depressing. Even more so after the revolution. But if fate does exist,” she grinned wildly again, momentarily lost in her thoughts, “I’d kill, no, I’d do anything, anything, for a chance to outwit it.” And she would do anything to win.

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair was silent while he listened to her explanation, nodding along in thought. They were getting deeper into the temple now and the area up ahead must have gotten large, because the acoustics of the room shifted.

He took a chance to look back to Everleigh and nodded in agreement.

"If that is what fate means in this instance, then I think I would have to agree with you. Otherwise, fate would remove the need for effort or challenge anything. It would mean that no matter how hard either of us works that we would get to where we need to be when the time is right...I don't have the patience for that stuff. If anyone is going to tell me what my limits are then let that be me."

The fate that Evie described was so constricting and...like she said, depressing. If it was true, then what would be the point in half of the things Alistair had been put through. There would have been no point in the torturous hours spent with his father or the proctors because Alistair would become a dreadlord no matter what...No, that did not sit well with him.

"If fate like that did exist, then I look forward to us being the first two to defy it."

Everleigh Ebersol

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

“You’re thinking of destiny, that’s different.” Everleigh corrected, her voice was light when she said this, finding no need to chastise Alistair. Philosophy wasn’t something the academy taught, it was useless for a weapon to think about the great questions of the world, to wonder who they were, where did they came from and where they were going. But Everleigh had spent many times on the verge of death, not from a hard mission, but from a deadly venom or poison. From something that she was fed, to grow stronger, to be better.

She had experienced a state of limbo that she was certain not many initiates knew about. And it was in those times, when she swore she was outside of her body, peering down at herself, that wondered about fate. About death. About destiny. About all the things that she had questions for but couldn’t find the answers.

“No,” Everleigh corrected again, before looking at Alistair with a beaming face as if she was told the best news ever. “I’ll defy it on my own. Those are always my terms.” Her expression was sweet she may as well have been telling Alistair that he was her greatest friend, her strongest ally.

When they were in the center of the room, that was when the poison eater heard it. The sound of footsteps, muffled, purposely quiet. She spun around, pulling out a flat blade and quickly licking the blade as her eyes glowed gold. The footsteps couldn’t be heard, as if someone stopped. We’re they being followed? Or was it all just in her head? After all, how could someone see in the dark if they didn’t have a light source or possess magic?

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Now Alistair was confused. He had thought that he understood what Everleigh was asking, but apparently knowledge of what the two words meant just was not enough.

He would have continued to ask more questions on the matter. Alistair hated not understanding something. Not knowing something was fine because he could always go out and find the information. Not understanding was worse because it meant he or someone else had given him the information and he still did not get it. That just made him feel ignorant.

Alistair was about to ask another question when he stopped along with Evie and drew his sword. His vision into the dark, while good, was not very far...but he could change that.

His eye glowed a soft blue before one of the runic eyes on his arm slithered down his torso, leg, and then to his foot before it made its way on the ground. With a quick motion in the direction, he believed the sound to have come from, his eye darted off into the darkness to find their stalker.

Alistair offered Evie a quick look that said, he would continue the conversation later.

Everleigh Ebersol

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

A cloaked figure behind a pillar, Everleigh couldn’t see them, but that figure wasn’t stupid. Or, perhaps they just had just enough intelligence to know that this was a pivotal point in their first meeting with these outsiders. A sweet smell that reminded Everleigh of a field of wildflowers and a warm spring day began to fill the room. Everleigh could feel the effect immediately, her hand twitched, her focus softening as she felt a layer of comfort engross her.

There’s no need to fight. There’s no need for violence. Please. Be calm. Be calm. There is no danger here. We are all happy. Smile. Smile. S M I L E.

“What the fuck,” Everleigh said, feeling her mouth begin to curve up. It instantly reminded her of Liliana and how she could change emotions or even control someone’s mind. And worse: take away their mind completely. It didn’t take a genius to realize it was the smell, that dizzying scent of flora and honey and grass. It was like she was in a verdant field, the heat of the sun such a comfort she could close her eyes, and the moment she did, butterfly wings caressed her cheek. Then she was on a cloud, and everything around her was so soft.

Soft, soft, soft. But the sun was so bright, she had to close her eyes.

Taking a nap wouldn’t be so bad, would it? The light behind her lids grew and grew and grew—

“FUCK!” Everleigh shouted, opening up her eyes just in time to see that cloak figure holding up an outstretched hand towards her. She dodged the moment fleshy, wet with phlegm tentacles shot out at her. As she rolled to her side she threw her flat blade, nailing one of the eight tentacles. Didn’t matter what sort of creature the cloaked figure was, as long as it was living, her poison would work.

Much to the poison eater’s dismay, all eight of the tentacles seemed to dislodge from the figure’s open hand, falling to the ground and shriveling up and writhing in agony— much likely due to Everleigh’s poison. Yet the figure was standing just fine, and had began advancing forward, mumbling incantations under their breath.

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

The smell was pleasant. Alistair could feel his own mouth turning upward into a smile, but these people did not understand who they were fighting. There were a handful of people at the Academy that could manipulate emotions like this. After dealing with these types long enough, Alistair had set up a few safeguards to ensure things like this did not happen.

He activated his mind calming rune. The feeling always made him uneasy. The rune kept from his mind being played with, but it also turned off essentially all of his normally occurring emotions. It left Alistair as a being of logic and efficiency. It also meant that it was very helpful when he was asked to do something he despised.

Alistair might have beat the charm easily enough, but he did not move quickly enough from the tentacles, as his vision was focused down the hall. He felt the strong tentacles wrap around him squeezing the are out of his lungs, but thankfully Everleigh was quick to react and the tentacles quickly fell away.

He sucked in a deep breath of air before taking his sword and moving quickly towards the figure. "Thanks for coming to us. It saved us some time." The speed rune on his boots activated as he lunged at the cultist. He'll teach this guy not to smack him around with a tentacle.

Everleigh Ebersol

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

Everleigh quickly pulled out a couple of her throwing spikes, eyes glowing gold once again as she coated the six spikes quickly as Alistair charged. Three spikes were in each hand, thankfully being ambidextrous meant her accuracy on either hand was equal to one another. She stood up, and would’ve thrown the needles but paused, looking around. It was possible she could hit Alistair, and instead she was looking around, wondering if there was another cloaked figure around who could take advantage of this opportune moment.

The cloaked being greeted Alistair with open arms, the incantation complete. A great flash erupted from the being, and for a second the entire room was lit up by a magnificent pale blue light. The smell of the sea full of chilly, stormy brine encased the entire room. And yet, that fresh water scent held something more, something deep and dark and dangerous.

Everleigh was blinded by the light due to the dark-vision rune, and covered her face with her arms until it was over. When she uncovered her face and opened her eyes she was meant with a strange, aquatic chimera. The form was essentially human but much, much larger, like a giant, and its arms had turned into tentacles. The most horrifying thing was the head now resembled a gigantic bear paw clam shell, and coming out from the slight opening was a series of tentacles and thin tendrils that pulsed and glows with reminded Everleigh of a man of war she had consumed years ago.

The sea monstrosity stepped forward, it’s fleshy legs creating a slimy sucking sound as one massive tentacle moved to knock Alistair back and away from it. Everleigh had no idea how it could see Alistair as it had no eyes, or anything that seemed to look like eyes.

“Alistair give yourself some space!” She commanded, throwing all six of her throwing spikes at the monstrosity. She had aimed it at the side of the creature but it turned quickly— which surprised Everleigh considering how large it was— and her throwing spikes were met with a grotesque back covered in seashells and crustacean shells and legs. The throwing spikes did strike, but the beast didn’t seem effective.

Everleigh then pulled the lance from her back, and licked that blade as well. She had wanted to do this with some distance between her and that thing but it looked like she’d need to get in close after all. Unsurprisingly, that wolfish grin and excited glimmer had reappeared.

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

It had actually happened. Some crazy-looking sea creature/chimera/demon had shown up. The sudden flash of light had momentarily blinded Alistair. He was almost certainly going to get hit when he heard Evie's warning. That meant something was coming, either from her, the tentacle creature, or both.

He activated the eye that was still on the floor to give him a view of the situation. The image was all upside down in his head, but Alistair had grown accustomed to such strange views.

He leaped to the side trusting Evie's darts to slow it down. They did, but he had been hoping for a bit more. Alistair took a few more steps back while allowing his vision to refocus.

"Any plan?"

Alistair made sure to keep some space in between him and Evie, that way the creature would have to split its focus between the two of them. With such a large creature, the quickest way to kill this thing would have to be through Evie's poison. He could do some damage on his own, but it would take several hits to do anything substantial.

Everleigh Ebersol

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

“Other than not getting killed?” Everleigh asked. She was thinking. Really she was as that strange creature started lumbering towards them. Now it was moving slow when a moment before it pivoted so quickly when Everleigh threw her spikes. Surprising to many, Everleigh was an aggressive fighter in one on one fights, she often made the first move or did something that would set a plan in action. With many people, a series of plans were often devised within seconds, she could always just picture the different likelihoods of someone doing something based on her actions.

It was how she was the one often leading the fight, because she constantly forced the other person to just react to her. Mixing in her creativity and out of the box type of rationality and she could easily maneuver her opponent just how she wanted to.

But beasts were different.

Their mind was pure and complete instinct, the type to still attack despite being hurt. So the best thing was to disable them as fast as possible and then go in for the killing blow. The only issue was that part of the hard part in disabling one’s foe was that it meant there were multiple opportunities to be attacked when defense could be down.

“My lance gives me more breathing room. That shell head is suspicious. Those blue tendrils? Either electrocutes you or poisons you.” The tendrils were at least thirty feet long and would be a passive thing they would have to watch out for whenever the creature twisted or turned. “We see how it attacks and defends then wear it down and then can land the killing blow. Oh and last but not least, have fun bringing this nasty lil shit down.” And with that being said, Everleigh was off.

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair nodded at the generalized plan. He was aware of Everleigh's aggressive fighting style which he had seen in action at the Academy. He was also aware that Alistair would likely be considered the opposite. He could be aggressive when he wanted to be, but he was far more defensive in nature.

He would defend and get a feel for an opponent's rhythm and let them make the mistakes. Then Alistair only had to make the finishing blow when he had a grasp of how his opponents fought and their weaknesses. This was not needed when he knew the individual but was suited for fighting unknowns...like a tentacle monster from the void.

"I can make it do that. Just wait for the right moment and go in...It's been a while since I have had any real practice." He said with a smirk appearing on his face.

Alistair took out his dueling dagger in his left hand and several runes activated across his body as he took a step forward. Runes of speed and perception appeared on his clothing, while a rune of heat appeared on his blade making it glow with red hot heat. Finally, his new favorite activated along the hilt of the blade. The mirage rune made Alistair's form shift and change close to his position, making it extremely difficult to hit someone like him that relied on speed as a defense.

"Alright, you overgrown squid! Come at me!"

Everleigh Ebersol

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

Everleigh hoped that her and alistair could flow well together. Fighting one large opponent together was fine and all if it was stationary, but the initiates would be facing a challenge that the academy didn’t necessarily prepare students for. Everleigh would have to watch out for the monster and Alistair to prevent any sort of fatal collisions. It would push Everleigh’s melee flexibility to it’s breaking point.

With a roar she stabbed at one of the tentacles, curiously still trying to find the creature’s eyes. It shifted, the tentacle slightly undulating and twisting around so that her forward stab couldn’t hit it. Which was fine, with a few quick side steps and spinning her lance around with one hand, she aimed to stab again, skipping over the blue tendrils as the creature shifted to take Alistair on.

The mirage rune was incredibly useful, even someone like Everleigh would struggle with in a close-range fight. Yet the creature didn’t seem to hesitant as the right tentacle acted out in a broad sweep with intent to knock back both Everleigh and Alistair. The poison eater was able to jump over it with support from her lance to give her extra momentum, and she seized this opportunity to stab downwards with her lance, nicking the tentacle just in time.

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair moved to run towards the tentacle that was coming at the both of them. He slid underneath it, while Evie jumped over the top. He took his heated sword and left a sizzling cut on the underside of the appendage. One of Alistair's runic eyes always kept track of where Evie was. His specialty was especially adept at keeping track of allies and enemies while still allowing him to fight.

Now, he just needed to convince this thing that he was a bigger problem than Evie. He conjured a few arcane bolts and sent them towards the creature. They were not killing spells, but they provided enough of a sting to get the thing's attention.

"Is that all you got?"

It wasn't clear if he was talking to Evie or the eldritch creature, but it would do its job either way. He knew that Evie would not turn down from the challenge, and he really hoped that this thing could understand what they were saying.

Everleigh Ebersol

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

No sound came from the beast yet, or rather, one sound that permeated from all the rest. There was the wet, mucus squish from the tentacles, a knocking sound from the shell, a sound of shifting sand from the creature’s back. The creature was a seaside orchestra that sung of the ocean’s unique and mysterious ecosystem. Even with the nick from Everleigh’s lance or the bolts that had hit the beast, no roar of pain or suffering could be heard. But perhaps the creature had no vocal chords to produce such a sound.

Everleigh was curious about such a thing because perhaps she was just the inquisitive type or maybe moreso because her brain was working. She’d figure things out, she’d understand what this creature was, what it’s weaknesses may be. And then it clicked. Because really, those arcane bolts seemed to do more than just distract the beast.

Everleigh noticed it because she was so close to it, but it was like the electricity spread across a larger area than intended. And when that happened, the beast’s movements did slow down slightly. And of course. Water and lightening? Two very, very bad combinations. But in this case? The best combination that the initiates could hope to make.

“Alistair you think you can do a stronger electro-attack?” Everleigh shouted, dodging the tentacles through a back step and swinging her lance. She noted how the beast seemed careful to evade the blade at all cost, even willing to change it’s attack. Did it know there was poison on it? Could it recognize such a thing? Everleigh hoped it was some sort of instinct rather than the beast knowing what her personal magic was.

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Another tentacle whipped out at him and he spun away just quick enough to avoid the attack by inches. He was dealing with too many attacks to really focus on how the creature had handled the attack. An unending barrage of tentacles seemed to keep striking out at him. Every time, Alistair danced out of the way just in time.

“Alistair you think you can do a stronger electro-attack?”

"Yeah, give me a second." He responded without hesitation as he slashed at one of the tentacles and took a step back from the creature, creating a small amount of space.

In this case, College magic would be more efficient, so he began to whisper the verbal component underneath his breath while dodging another tentacle. In his free hand, a large ball of energy appeared like the last time, but it then began to elongate and sharpen, taking the form of a lightning bolt.

"Here it comes!"

He tossed the bolt in the creature's direction and as large as it was, it was almost impossible to miss. It did not mean Alistair would get a chance to enjoy his attacks because a tentacle swiped at his side. A quick arcane shield activated from one of his runes. It ensured that the tentacle did not come in contact with his skin, but he was thrown into a wall on the other side of the room. He groaned in pain as he felt some of the wall break, behind him.

Everleigh Ebersol

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

Everleigh leapt out of the way, rolling over to the side as Alistair unleashed such a electric blow. She had just caught sight of that bright blue force of energy erupt from his hand and felt everything was going as planned. And for the most part it was, until she heard that crash across from her. Still low on the ground, the initiate tilted her head up just a bit to see a plume of dust and crumbled earth mark Alistair’s entrance.

She didn’t have time to think about it. After all, time was scarce. With a grunt and a yell, she positioned her lance to strike, the large creature momentarily stunned. Sparks were flying all along it’s body, the tentacles that were such a nuisance only spasmed as they were unable to move. Then she struck, multiple times along the torso of the beast, along the tentacles and legs, anywhere.

Her strikes were quick, nearly every second the poison eater was stabbing the creature in a new area. But the stabs weren’t deep, however they didn’t need to be deep. Everleigh just wanted to spread her toxins as much as she possibly could and get it immobile.

The creature fell to it’s knees, it was so heavy it shook the floor slightly as it slumped down. The tentacles were beginning to shrivel up, the skin of the beast turning gray and hard. Everleigh paused, taking two large steps back. Her blade was covered in a slimy green goo which was starting to ooze from the sea monster. She looked over to where she had last seen Alistair.

“Alistair, you alright?” She shouted, still keeping her eyes on the creature. And good things she did, because while it seemed like the body was dying, that clam shell acting as a head popped off, crustacean legs and claws appearing between the mouth and began to scuttle away.

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

What had just happened? Oh yeah, he had been sent into a wall. That would certainly bruise later, but he should be fine. He managed to get to his feet, only feeling a bit of pain.

"I'm fine. Are we winning?"

Alistair discovered his answer when he spotted the shriveling tentacles...but that thing had abandoned its appendages. They might be winning, but they had not won.

"Oh, no you don't."

He conjured another ball of blue energy into his palm, recognizing that this was the best way to fight this creature. He threw it at the clamshell before running after it.

"Don't let it get away."

The others cult members had probably already heard them, but if they had not then they certainly did not need this claim giving them away.

Everleigh Ebersol

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

It was almost comical, ironic even. The body had perished, but the head could detach itself and then try and scuttle off. Everleigh couldn’t see the point of something like that. The shell was obviously heavy and the legs struggled to carry whatever mass was inside. Under water it probably moved much faster, the initiate realized as she chased after it— before having to sidestep out of the way of Alistair’s bolt. She narrowed her eyes in annoyance— only for a second.

The bolt didn’t seem to actually affect the clam— if anything, the shell bounced the bolt off and it struck a pillar instead. Everleigh looked back at Alistair. In all fairness, he had hit that wall pretty hard. But if he shot another ball of energy a little too close for comfort again she was going to punch his Adam’s apple.

The poison eater looked back at the walking clam, seeing those small tentacles and blue tendrils still moving around and about. Perhaps a more accurate hit would be better instead of one large one that could be blocked by the extremely hard shell? She pulled out two throwing spikes, coating them quickly in toxin and then threw them, getting two of the tentacles.

There was a shudder within the clam. And then it collapsed. Everleigh raised a brow and held out a arm, motioning for Alistair to not try and run off ahead.

“It wasn’t that potent.” She warned. “At least, not in my opinion.”

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair was never going to hit her. He had calculated as much. If she would have stayed in the course she was moving, Evie would have been inches away. Two inches to be exact. Maybe he would ask the next time just to be polite. Still, he offered a small shrug when Everleigh looked back at him. He would apologize later.

He hurried to catch up with her, but she was able to take down the cartoonish head before it could get to far ahead. Alistair came to a halt, deactivating most of his runes with a sigh. That went pretty well, all things considered. He glanced back at the hole he had made...All things considered.

"Good...Sorry about the bolt..." He offered weakly before trying to change the subject.

"Do you think we have more company coming? We could keep moving....or set up a trap."

The fight had been loud, but maybe it was quick enough that no one noticed...Eventually, they would have to fight the rest of the cult, so it did not really matter when.

Everleigh Ebersol

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

Everleigh’s gaze slowly left the clam thing to look at Alistair as he apologized. Her face was rather serious, intensely so, a steely gaze that rested heavy Alistair. While her face was unreadable for a few seconds, the initiate shrugged, tossing her braid over her shoulder.

“Lemme know next time. Can’t have the only fun one at the academy dying.” Everleigh said with a half-hearted smile. Her violet gaze went back to the clam head and tsked slightly. “I think if reinforcements were coming they’d be here already. Either they’re much deeper underground than we originally thought or they’re laying a trap for us or are currently hiding or escaping.” She frowned, thinking of what had happened with this figure.

“I just don’t know where they came from.” She said, honestly stumped. She looked around. “Maybe a secret passage? They were somehow behind us. I feel like if they were already in the room we would’ve known.” Everleigh added. She began wiping the ooze off of her lance. “Trap could work though, but I don’t want to waste much time here.”

A slight sound could be heard from the giant clam. And out slithered a form that looked like an octopus, except the head was that of a bloated, puffy human that had lost it’s bone structure. Everleigh grimaced.

“What the fuck is with these ugly things.” She muttered, pulling out a throwing spike and nailing the strange thing right between it’s eyes. The octopus creature stopped moving, seeming to deflate before it burst open, a spew of green and blue viscera erupting onto the ground. “Gross.”

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

"No, you have a good point. We need to find them. They know this place better than we do, so setting up a good trap may prove difficult."

Alistair seemed to have some sort of idea and started looking around on the floor for something. He paused long enough to cast a small spell before continuing to look around.

"If they snuck up on us then that means that he had to have left some sort of tracks. We can follow them back to wherever he came from." Alistair explained.

It took a few more seconds before he found what he was looking for. The fight had covered up a lot of the movements, so it took some time to find the actual tracks. That was what the spell had been about. It allowed Alistair to ignore any tracks made by him or Everleigh.

"I think I have something...It leads back to the room with the mural...You think their was something in their?"

Everleigh Ebersol

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

Everleigh raised a brow, impressed. Alistair may have used magic often, but at least he did it resourcefully. It wasn’t something she could complain about because she didn’t see it as Alistair being lazy, as she often assumed people like Ella or Edric to be, but rather, he was working smarter instead of harder. And she could always get behind something like that, especially if it meant leading them to this strange cult.

“We could have definitely missed something.” Everleigh agreed. Now was the time for them to make a decision. Go forward or go back? There was no way in hell that Everleigh was going to suggest that they split up. Both of them were equally capable on their own, yes, but they were far stronger together. Not to mention, it seemed these cult members could sway one’s emotions. What if one by itself wasn’t powerful to keep that up, but ten cult members? Everleigh wouldn’t take that risk.

“Let’s go back. It can’t hurt for else to double check.” She concluded. “Unless you want to go forward. We can always flip a coin.” She added with a cheeky grin.

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair looked up from his inspection with a look of deep thought. Doubling back would waste their time, and might even give the cult more time to prepare if they knew they were. He looked down at the track again, one last time before deciding.

"I think we should go back. I'm sure this guy came from this direction. He had to have a way."

He wasn't going to second guess himself. Not right now. Alistair put a lot of time and effort into honing his skills while at the Academy. The least he could do is try and trust himself out in the field.

Alistair finally broke into a grin in response to Evie's. "Besides, if we find a hidden door and catch them unaware, then we can really have some fun."

Both of them were very good at the silent and quick style of fighting. If they could get to the cult without being noticed then they might genuinely be able to kill them all before the cult even knew what was happening.

"If I'm wrong, then drinks are on me when we get back to Vel Anir."

Everleigh Ebersol

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

It was decided. Everleigh really couldn’t care too much either way, the coin flip suggestion was quite a viable option for her. Sometimes it was more fun to just take a choice that wasn’t even necessarily yours to begin with.

“Ooh,” she said, “alcohol? Alistair, if you’re trying to get me drunk for lascivious reasons then you could just say you’re interested. Fifty-fifty chance that I may let you have a little peek.” She wasn’t being serious as could be seen that instead of a coy smile she was wearing a rather impish grin, and her eyes had narrowed and looked a bit cruel. She then began to head back to where they had been in before, the room with the mural. She was really quite interesting in what secret entrance could have been there that she had glossed over.

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair's face instantly took the shade of a tomato. Why was he like this? He shook his head before spluttering out an explanation.

"I-I just meant a drink betw-between friends...Nothing like that." By the time he was at the end of his explanation, Evie was already walking away with her impish grin. He really needed to figure out when that stuff was a joke, quicker, but it just always made him flustered.

He followed after her, returning to the mural room. His eyes instantly went to the mural they had been looking at before. "It has to be over there. If you have a secret entrance then you hide it in the most complicated mural in the room."

Everleigh Ebersol