Private Tales The Urathiin Syndicate

[Jeremiah]

Jeremiah held Faith for longer than appropriate in a combat situation. With their attention diverted it was hard to say what old man may over take the battle without their attention.

Yet it felt so secondary now. To the revelations that they'd both achieved that day. Fromiere couldn't win anymore. They'd done it. They'd actually won.

Jeremiah pulled away from the hug with his arms still on hers, looking deep into her eyes.

"It felt like the manifestation of all that's good and bad of you and your sister. Has to how it came to be, perhaps that's for another adventure. I have learned about myself as well. It seems we both have some searching to do."

When Jeremiah finished speaking, Fromiere threw Marius from stop him, aiming to cast a spell as soon as soon as possible.

The man of bronze sprung to and replaced Marius is the blink of an eye. A single foot holding Fromiere in place. The old wizards wounds preventing him from withstanding any kind of pressure from the automaton.

"Now I suppose we should allow those nasty Dreadlords decide what to do with you. Vel Anir could use some cleaning up top if you ask me."

 

[Rämna Sisters]

Faith nodded, drying her eyes with the back of her hand. He was right, this whole ordeal had shaken her, and it would take time to figure out exactly what that meant going forwards. Jeremiah moved so quickly to stop Fromiere's last attempt at resistance that her cloak was whipped up in front of her along with her hair.

The old man grimaced under the metal foot, but a wheezing laugh tried to find its way out. "You are a fool if you think the Syndicate could exist without support from the noble houses. They will not allow me to come to harm, and their thick-skulled soldiers won't do a thing without their permission."

Faith stepped forwards, her face harder than usual. To say she disliked Fromiere would be a grand understatement, and it was straining her usual principles of leaving judgements in the hands of God. "The Holy Creator teaches forgiveness. I do not think the noble houses follow those teachings." She narrowed her eyes at the writhing man, and his laughter faded to a silent scowl.

Marius was the next to speak. "You are correct. Urahil is not known to be forgiving."

The noble house of Urahil. Urathiin. It was incredibly obvious, in hindsight, but Faith was not a native Anirian.

"But my brother is a snake. If we do not kill him here, he will slip away again." He pulled himself to his feet, and he finally looked his age. "I will do it."

"No." Faith said, her voice becoming stronger by the minute. Maybe some small part of Harmony had lingered, for she felt a righteous confidence in herself and cared very little for who might disagree. "Jeremiah was right, that is not the right way to end this. Fromiere will answer to Vel Anir. The people have lived in fear, but with the syndicate gone they will have no reason not to demand justice."

Marius seemed unsure of this plan, but when he looked at Fromiere there was more than just hatred. Seeing the man broken and bleeding on the floor might have cracked a small window into what was once a brotherly bond, at least enough for a moment's mercy.

"I will see that they do," he said finally. He retrieved his staff and delivered a final shock directly to Fromiere's chest, knocking him unconscious.

Faith turned back to Jeremiah. Although the light had returned to his eyes his body was still damaged, and his neck still badly cleaved. She gingerly touched the broken metal. "I wish I knew how to fix you," she said. "Should... should we find a smith?" She couldn't help but laugh a little out loud. How utterly absurd it would look to anyone else, for her to be speaking to a metal man standing over an evil wizard in a secret lair.