Velentham left Ieridenth's room and passed through the band of roudy men who were fast growing drunk. He walked to the corner of the immense cavern and sat down on the ground where the wall gave way to a nook. It afforded a small measure of solitude. He stared at his hands, his vision still milk white, his own visage slowly changing from bright light in the midst of the white, to a dimmer color. Gray.
There was no mistaking what it meant. He wasn't clean in his own consciousness, and it was growing apparent. It had to be his agreement with Ieridenth, siding with the sleazy undercurrent of this world, that was changing him. There was no other reason that he could accept.
Velentham let out a growling sigh and shook his head. At least if he could get out of here, his vision would have some level of normalcy. He wouldn't have to see what he'd become. But even with freedom... he could never return home. The ties that held him, kept him above everything, his birthright, was no longer his. He had everything taken from him - his righteousness, his standing, his ability to stand behind his people. He was like a butterfly with its wings pulled off - a caterpillar with memories of flight.
His eyes narrowed a bit more. All he'd ever wanted was the love of Sanria, the comfort of his father's demi-plane, and a family that he could raise and protect. At least he punished his cousin thoroughly for ruining that, even if it did mean he had to kill what he loved.
Velentham felt the twinge in his gut and his anger elevate. It was difficult enough to be in this place, surrounded by evil, but with each negative emotion, he began to spiral farther down still. Why not get out of here and do whatever he wanted? He was still better than everyone else, smarter than even the tribunal that sentenced him here. There was no reason he wouldn't be able to command numbers to do as he willed. There was nothing left to stop him.
As Velentham felt these thoughts, realizing he wanted nothing but to punish everyone alive for how he felt, he also noticed the gray color of himself in his vision ever growing darker - increment by increment.
Making Plans for Escape
"Yes. Even those, I guess."
Ieridenth grinned broadly and sat on his desk. He leaned forward, his face near to Velentham's. "Don't you know that is such a coincidence that I could cloak us as those beasts to get us to the first portal. If you could use your magic..."
"And what happens when we get out, idiot? Where do you think we can go? I can't do what my father did, so-"
"What does that matter?" Ieridenth soothed. "If we can get to the Outlands, we can do wherever we want. Stay in Torch, or move to other places. Sigil is right up the spire-"
"I know," Velentham spat.
"Then, what would you have? Here, or freedom?"
Ieridenth smiled, a look of gracious magnanimity infiltrating his every feature. He held to the hope that the desire to be free of this place would course through Velentham's heart - and he wasn't disappointed. "So," Velentham said quietly, "You disguise us as insects and get us to the portals. I read them and unlock them, and lead us out to Torch?"
"Yes."
"So I do all the work."
Ieridenth felt the cold chill of hatred run through him for a moment before he smiled again. The arrogance of this one was unparalleled.
"Without me you would have no hope of finding the portals. I feel that is beyond equal in our escape."
"And what of your - men?"
"Those of simple minds must fend for themselves, right? After all, they are not Celestial as we are. Hell is not a proper home for our greatness. Wouldn't you agree?"
"And what if we must fight?"
"Then we must. Once in Torch, we can part ways, or, if you'd like, you could hire my services."
"What need would I possibly have of you?"
"One never knows when my special talents will come in handy."
Ieridenth grinned broadly and sat on his desk. He leaned forward, his face near to Velentham's. "Don't you know that is such a coincidence that I could cloak us as those beasts to get us to the first portal. If you could use your magic..."
"And what happens when we get out, idiot? Where do you think we can go? I can't do what my father did, so-"
"What does that matter?" Ieridenth soothed. "If we can get to the Outlands, we can do wherever we want. Stay in Torch, or move to other places. Sigil is right up the spire-"
"I know," Velentham spat.
"Then, what would you have? Here, or freedom?"
Ieridenth smiled, a look of gracious magnanimity infiltrating his every feature. He held to the hope that the desire to be free of this place would course through Velentham's heart - and he wasn't disappointed. "So," Velentham said quietly, "You disguise us as insects and get us to the portals. I read them and unlock them, and lead us out to Torch?"
"Yes."
"So I do all the work."
Ieridenth felt the cold chill of hatred run through him for a moment before he smiled again. The arrogance of this one was unparalleled.
"Without me you would have no hope of finding the portals. I feel that is beyond equal in our escape."
"And what of your - men?"
"Those of simple minds must fend for themselves, right? After all, they are not Celestial as we are. Hell is not a proper home for our greatness. Wouldn't you agree?"
"And what if we must fight?"
"Then we must. Once in Torch, we can part ways, or, if you'd like, you could hire my services."
"What need would I possibly have of you?"
"One never knows when my special talents will come in handy."
Exploitation of Treasure
Ieridenth read for a long while, ignoring the sounds of raucous and drunken laughter from beyond his door. His eyes were intent on the passage before him:
"Guardinals are all known to possess the ability to speak with any animal."
Did any animal include insects? Ieridenth sat back for a moment, his fingers on his chin. If he could disguise himself and Velentham as Mezzoloths, even speaking as them, they might have a chance. The problem would be ensuring Velentham didn't go crazy. He was already spiraling down the longer he was here. It aggravated Ieridenth having to call off his men to deal with the petty squabbles they all got into.
He closed the book and placed it beneath a few others on the pile beside his desk. Then he got up and walked to the door, peeking his head out. "Friend, Velentham," he called. Once he had Velentham's attention, he waved a hand. "Come, let's chat."
"What do you want?" Velentham said as he approached.
Ieridenth closed the door behind them, noting how big Velentham seemed in the small space of his room. He held his hand out to his chair. "Please, sit." Velentham obeyed. "How good are you at reading runes?""Expert," the Guardinal snorted.
"Even demonic runes?"
"Runes are simple, much like those who can't read them."
Ieridenth let the insult slide and he grinned lightly. "I have a proposition for you, my friend. One I think would be mutually beneficial for both of us."
"Go on."
"There are portals in this land which lead to the various levels of Gehenna and eventually," here Ieridenth paused and fluttered his hand to the sky in a grand gesture, "out."
"That is how most of these forsaken places work. What is the proposition?"
"You can speak to animals, can you not?"
"I try not to link with simple minds." Again, Ieridenth let the insult slide. "But you can."
"Yes."
"Even those insects that had you on the ground simpering like an invalid and ready to accept death?"
This time, Ieridenth smiled at the fresh bloom of red that came over Velentham's cheeks. Insult delivered, action required.
"Guardinals are all known to possess the ability to speak with any animal."
Did any animal include insects? Ieridenth sat back for a moment, his fingers on his chin. If he could disguise himself and Velentham as Mezzoloths, even speaking as them, they might have a chance. The problem would be ensuring Velentham didn't go crazy. He was already spiraling down the longer he was here. It aggravated Ieridenth having to call off his men to deal with the petty squabbles they all got into.
He closed the book and placed it beneath a few others on the pile beside his desk. Then he got up and walked to the door, peeking his head out. "Friend, Velentham," he called. Once he had Velentham's attention, he waved a hand. "Come, let's chat."
"What do you want?" Velentham said as he approached.
Ieridenth closed the door behind them, noting how big Velentham seemed in the small space of his room. He held his hand out to his chair. "Please, sit." Velentham obeyed. "How good are you at reading runes?""Expert," the Guardinal snorted.
"Even demonic runes?"
"Runes are simple, much like those who can't read them."
Ieridenth let the insult slide and he grinned lightly. "I have a proposition for you, my friend. One I think would be mutually beneficial for both of us."
"Go on."
"There are portals in this land which lead to the various levels of Gehenna and eventually," here Ieridenth paused and fluttered his hand to the sky in a grand gesture, "out."
"That is how most of these forsaken places work. What is the proposition?"
"You can speak to animals, can you not?"
"I try not to link with simple minds." Again, Ieridenth let the insult slide. "But you can."
"Yes."
"Even those insects that had you on the ground simpering like an invalid and ready to accept death?"
This time, Ieridenth smiled at the fresh bloom of red that came over Velentham's cheeks. Insult delivered, action required.
The Old College Try (1-2)
'Sanria?'
'What? What do you want?!'
'I want to know if you could spare a few moments, I'm here with Colin.'
'Is that so? Are you on your knees with him this time? What more can you do to me, Kaliadra? You send him to me and then you turn prostitute again?'
'It is not that way, I assure you...'
'You assure me, you whore. Leave me be. You've done enough already.'
'Please... I will only ask this then do as you bid.'
Sanria growled her spell and appeared in her old den where Kaliadra sat beside Colin. The gladiator was very obviously nursing a hangover, and it infuriated Sanria. "So. You were drunk. So what do you two want?"
"I just... I had a bit too much to drink and I don't quite remember what happened last night."
"You don't?" Sanria tried to keep her voice even. It wasn't working.
"I, uh, sort of remember talking to Kaliadra. And then I thought maybe I dreamed of, um, being with you. But maybe that wasn't a dream after all..."
"No. It wasn't."
"I... I just don't know how to do this Sanria. I thought I could. I really did..."
"What do you mean, you thought you could?" And here, panic crept into Sanria's mind. This couldn't be happening.
"Be without you. Live without you. Bear the thought of you being with him, a part of some other family. It's not right Sanria. It's just not. I know it, and you know it."
"I'm married to him, Colin... I'm pregnant with his child. I... do... love him. Maybe not like I should, Gods know... but..." The words all sounded so familiar, it sickened Sanria of her own self.
"I know you two are married. But Sanria Eosos? It doesn't even sound right."
Sanria looked to the fire. He had echoed the same exact thought she had from the moment the wedding had concluded, the same thought she had each day she woke and looked herself in the mirror. What she couldn't admit to anyone- ever. "I thought doing what I did with Kaliadra might somehow change things..." he continued. "Put an end to it... force me to do what I thought I couldn't otherwise. But, Sanria, it just hurts even more."
"Yes. It does."
"I don't know how to live with that hole inside of me. You are supposed to be with me. You are supposed to be my wife. Nothing else has been so clear to me."
He got up and came to her, his hands held before him, and Sanria felt as if he were begging. She had to maintain her resolve. "You told me that it was for the best..." she reminded him.
"It's just eating me up inside. I thought it would get easier... but it's only killing me more and more."
He neared her, and Sanria felt the gravity as sure and as strong as ever. Always, it was the same. The mere proximity of Colin had the same outcome as two drops of water within a short distance. Molecules vibrating until they collide and merge, and so it was when Colin reached out and pulled her suddenly to him. "This is supposed to be our time together. Really together, like we haven't been for so long."
Sanria felt him breathing in her hair, felt herself melting into him as he held her. She finally resisted, though she could not exit his grasp.
"Colin... you have to let go..." she said quietly.
"I don't want to ever let you go Sanria."
"Colin... I'm with Gilean... I am with him now..."
"But you aren't supposed to be with him. You're supposed to be with me."
Sanria did resist, much more than before. She threatened, telling Colin she would not see him again no matter what. She bargained and asked him to leave her alone, but her words were nothing against the forces working in her body. She hated how weak she was, how incapable she was of simply leaving or using magic to keep Colin at bay. It was the one thing he knew about her, the power he held over her, the physical.
"I'm with Gilean, Colin. I'm his wife," she protested half-heartedly.
"No. I don't see you as his wife. You will forever be my wife. You belong to me."
He begged her to stay, but with her body sated, Sanria's mind could at last work again. "I will not see you again, Colin. Ever. This can never happen again."
"Please, don't say that."
"What about Gilean? Wasn't he your friend?"
"I don't care about Gilean."
"What about Matinus? Nioma?"
"Stop... I don't want to hear it."
"You need to hear it," she pressed. "This cannot happen again. I will make sure it doesn't."
Sanria disappeared to the safety of her office, sending a tell to Gilean to inform him she'd be working late. She sunk down into her chair, her head in her hands. Why she could never do what she meant to do, Sanria did not understand. It seemed every step she took was the wrong one. A matter of inability to stay on one path. 'No,' she thought to herself, 'this time will be different. This time, I will make this stop. I have to.'
'What? What do you want?!'
'I want to know if you could spare a few moments, I'm here with Colin.'
'Is that so? Are you on your knees with him this time? What more can you do to me, Kaliadra? You send him to me and then you turn prostitute again?'
'It is not that way, I assure you...'
'You assure me, you whore. Leave me be. You've done enough already.'
'Please... I will only ask this then do as you bid.'
Sanria growled her spell and appeared in her old den where Kaliadra sat beside Colin. The gladiator was very obviously nursing a hangover, and it infuriated Sanria. "So. You were drunk. So what do you two want?"
"I just... I had a bit too much to drink and I don't quite remember what happened last night."
"You don't?" Sanria tried to keep her voice even. It wasn't working.
"I, uh, sort of remember talking to Kaliadra. And then I thought maybe I dreamed of, um, being with you. But maybe that wasn't a dream after all..."
"No. It wasn't."
"I... I just don't know how to do this Sanria. I thought I could. I really did..."
"What do you mean, you thought you could?" And here, panic crept into Sanria's mind. This couldn't be happening.
"Be without you. Live without you. Bear the thought of you being with him, a part of some other family. It's not right Sanria. It's just not. I know it, and you know it."
"I'm married to him, Colin... I'm pregnant with his child. I... do... love him. Maybe not like I should, Gods know... but..." The words all sounded so familiar, it sickened Sanria of her own self.
"I know you two are married. But Sanria Eosos? It doesn't even sound right."
Sanria looked to the fire. He had echoed the same exact thought she had from the moment the wedding had concluded, the same thought she had each day she woke and looked herself in the mirror. What she couldn't admit to anyone- ever. "I thought doing what I did with Kaliadra might somehow change things..." he continued. "Put an end to it... force me to do what I thought I couldn't otherwise. But, Sanria, it just hurts even more."
"Yes. It does."
"I don't know how to live with that hole inside of me. You are supposed to be with me. You are supposed to be my wife. Nothing else has been so clear to me."
He got up and came to her, his hands held before him, and Sanria felt as if he were begging. She had to maintain her resolve. "You told me that it was for the best..." she reminded him.
"It's just eating me up inside. I thought it would get easier... but it's only killing me more and more."
He neared her, and Sanria felt the gravity as sure and as strong as ever. Always, it was the same. The mere proximity of Colin had the same outcome as two drops of water within a short distance. Molecules vibrating until they collide and merge, and so it was when Colin reached out and pulled her suddenly to him. "This is supposed to be our time together. Really together, like we haven't been for so long."
Sanria felt him breathing in her hair, felt herself melting into him as he held her. She finally resisted, though she could not exit his grasp.
"Colin... you have to let go..." she said quietly.
"I don't want to ever let you go Sanria."
"Colin... I'm with Gilean... I am with him now..."
"But you aren't supposed to be with him. You're supposed to be with me."
Sanria did resist, much more than before. She threatened, telling Colin she would not see him again no matter what. She bargained and asked him to leave her alone, but her words were nothing against the forces working in her body. She hated how weak she was, how incapable she was of simply leaving or using magic to keep Colin at bay. It was the one thing he knew about her, the power he held over her, the physical.
"I'm with Gilean, Colin. I'm his wife," she protested half-heartedly.
"No. I don't see you as his wife. You will forever be my wife. You belong to me."
He begged her to stay, but with her body sated, Sanria's mind could at last work again. "I will not see you again, Colin. Ever. This can never happen again."
"Please, don't say that."
"What about Gilean? Wasn't he your friend?"
"I don't care about Gilean."
"What about Matinus? Nioma?"
"Stop... I don't want to hear it."
"You need to hear it," she pressed. "This cannot happen again. I will make sure it doesn't."
Sanria disappeared to the safety of her office, sending a tell to Gilean to inform him she'd be working late. She sunk down into her chair, her head in her hands. Why she could never do what she meant to do, Sanria did not understand. It seemed every step she took was the wrong one. A matter of inability to stay on one path. 'No,' she thought to herself, 'this time will be different. This time, I will make this stop. I have to.'
Shamefaced and Guilty
A diary entry left open upon a small white table:
Gods, what have I done? No... not even Gods, for they have long been dead and gone. I sent Colin drunk and raving to Sanria and of course what I anticipated happening did, in fact, happen. It was foolish of me, I realize that and now I have to deal with the emotions from her.
I have returned from the cavern, to talk to Colin who did not remember anything at all. I contacted Sanria, who promptly gave me an earful of vitriol before finally agreeing to even see the two of us. Then, ah, I must admit to myself my cowardice... they began talking in a most personal fashion and I left. I left amidst Sanria's protests not to... I could do nothing to help it... cowardice and a pang of jealousy. Not over Colin, but over the devotion. The man is nearly singleminded in his desire for her. It brought back old thoughts best left buried.
I do not need to be present to know what happened. I felt it with intensity. I cannot presume to know what will happen from here, but I have done damage to many more than just myself by this endeavor.
Gods, what have I done? No... not even Gods, for they have long been dead and gone. I sent Colin drunk and raving to Sanria and of course what I anticipated happening did, in fact, happen. It was foolish of me, I realize that and now I have to deal with the emotions from her.
I have returned from the cavern, to talk to Colin who did not remember anything at all. I contacted Sanria, who promptly gave me an earful of vitriol before finally agreeing to even see the two of us. Then, ah, I must admit to myself my cowardice... they began talking in a most personal fashion and I left. I left amidst Sanria's protests not to... I could do nothing to help it... cowardice and a pang of jealousy. Not over Colin, but over the devotion. The man is nearly singleminded in his desire for her. It brought back old thoughts best left buried.
I do not need to be present to know what happened. I felt it with intensity. I cannot presume to know what will happen from here, but I have done damage to many more than just myself by this endeavor.
Current Character Description - Zaria Crystabelle Laerna
Once upon a time,There was a beautiful little lovebug flying around in the air.Her hair was long, nearly reaching her bottom,and red like strawberries. Her eyes where green like emeralds.The clothes she was wearing was whoever small.A fancy little dress, and an cape.She was equipped with two whips and one shiny shield,carved with the love symbol of her goddess Sune.Around her neck she had two amulets.One was a heirloom.She had one golden chain with a ruby bell around each anklet.And everytime she danced,she could hear the sound of those tiny bells.In her ears she had two emerald earrings.And when the sun shined upon them they glittered like diamonds.Same color as her eyes.
Current Character Description - Minli
She stands just over five feet, a silky trench coat draped on her slender figure hanging slightly open, billowing out, giving glimpses of bare, powder blue skin. Wide sleeves cut open for two sets of arms; each trimmed at the wrist with a band of a silky, purple material, two with flares of material cascading from them. Each hand holds three long, slim fingers, a purple ring wrapped around one. Long legs taper down to ankles wrapped in soft cloth.
Large and pointed, her ears stand out of a head of royal blue hair. Tumbling past her shoulders, the sides drawn into a pair of long tails tied at the ends with a purple bow on the crown of her head, and a pair of long antennae poke through her bangs and curve down in front of her face. Her eyes are a piercing magenta, her nose petite, and complexion smooth with a calm demeanour.
Large and pointed, her ears stand out of a head of royal blue hair. Tumbling past her shoulders, the sides drawn into a pair of long tails tied at the ends with a purple bow on the crown of her head, and a pair of long antennae poke through her bangs and curve down in front of her face. Her eyes are a piercing magenta, her nose petite, and complexion smooth with a calm demeanour.
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