Down the slopes of the imposing mansion, beyond the sprawling vineyards; ruby red grapes glistening in the sun, a shoreline of fine sand traced around the island compound. It was early morning, the sea receded further than usual before it swallowed the path to the villa late day. A mist laced the fresh air and the smell of salt hung within. It was warmer than usual under the cloudless sky. Shark fins seemed to breach and fade along the shore, a cruelty about this place still lingered. An albatross flew high above, landing on the sea only to be taken down deep as a large shark snatched it from the surface in a large splash. 

To Bellighul, it was a wonderful day for tea. Although he despised the celestial object now reigning, he did rejoice in the pleasantries it offered. Beneath a large black umbrella, he lounged comfortably upon an vintage rug, dragged out by his Undead Servant many acres from his villa. Beside him, a silver tray of delicate pastries, cucumber sandwiches and jams. His teapot whistled beneath a small fire, tended to by Jacapo, his Scarecrow Majordomo. 

"My Lord, your guest is approaching! I'll begin to fish...surely a red snapper or two lurks nearby."

Bellighul nodded, waving him off as the teapot was filled with lemongrass, black tea leaves and lavender by his Majordomo. Setting it on the rug, on a base of iron, Jacapo happily lifted a fishing pole and made his way to ankle deep water. A quick cast out into the distance sounded, delighted to attempt a fresh catch to impress. 

The Dark Lord would wait to dine, however until the guest arrived. Another umbrella, jet black in color, hovered over another expensive rug next to his. He was wearing a large red robe, damask printed with embroided golden string and pearls about the cuff. It was surely decadent, but he would wear something other than black on a rare occasion. 

His ghoul, Ronaldo, was dog-like as it threw a stick across the beach and chased after it. Simple pleasures after all, were for the undead to experience. Ronaldo rushed the new arrival, running at them on his knuckles, to lead them to their master. 

"I am glad you recieved my letter, Song of Light. It has been too long....please, sit. I'll have Ronaldo fetch the wine shortly, for being a simpleton he knows the more dust on the bottles, typically the better they are." Bellighul smiled, his ashen hair caught in the wind as scarlet eyes narrowed suddenly. His Handsome visage looking at a large dull grey rock, where the all too familiar Hylltywyll seemed to peak over. It was barely eight hours since their last encounter, the pact they made. He had thought the creature left for good, fearful of the hauntings that lurked within.

Also a fact, he casually left out of his letter, surprises awaited Cantio as well. 

It has been a long time since Cantio last saw Bellighul in the smokey gambling halls of Zeinav City, amongst the nightlife of great diversity. The Bellighul which he remembered was a man who creaked when he moved; every inch of him covered in ebony; leaking darkness from his edges as though it were a dear friend. Yet, he was a man who appreciated the arts; a hint of kindness behind the void of his eyes; and a great breadth of knowledge— the man spoke like a poet, but seemed to hold a grudge against the nobility of Zeinav.

This had led him to believe that the former master of the Obelisk of Ahriman was not quite the nobility in which he'd originally sounded, but... as Cantio strolls through the sprawling vineyards of Bellighul's villa, he realizes how incredibly wrong he was. The villa is lavish and beautiful; the mist is soft and light beneath the warmth of the sun; but while he is admiring his surroundings, he witnesses an event: a massive shark leaps from the depths of the sea, snapping its jaws closed around an albatross sitting on the water.

Feathers puff from the edges of its mouth as it drags the bird under, and Cantio chokes on a surprised noise. He runs to catch up with his escort, laughing nervously to himself while he flips out his fan with a soft thwmp!, and fans himself in the humid air of the seaside to calm down.

It's lovely here, but it's also a bit... ominous in a way, isn't it?

No, no... he will not be rude! It is beautiful despite its... quirks. Cantio takes a breath, straightening his posture as his escort takes him to the beach-side, where he is greeted by an excited dog— wait, not a dog! A person!? Cantio practically rears back as Ronaldo approaches him while using his knuckles as a mode of transport... which Cantio has never really seen a humanoid figure do before. "Hello—" he greets Ronaldo, laughing softly to mask his anxious energy. "Oh my, you gave me a bit of a spook!"

He sees a familiar figure on the horizon, and follows Ronaldo to... wait, that's not Bellighul.

"I am glad you recieved my letter, Song of Light. It has been too long....please, sit. I'll have Ronaldo fetch the wine shortly, for being a simpleton he knows the more dust on the bottles, typically the better they are."

Dear Solaria, it is Bellighul! When did he become so handsome?

After the world's quickest double-take from behind the safety of his fan, Cantio smiles warmly at the man and snaps his fan closed. "I was delighted to have received your letter, Bellighul. It was an honour to have you reach out with your invitation, even after all this time." he flatters; he definitely doesn't notice that Bellighul's looking at something from over his shoulder. "It really has been far too long; your villa is beautiful, and you are looking even more vibrant than ever." Cantio politely takes a seat nearby, crossing one leg over the other as he looks towards Jacopo out in the...

Is that a scarecrow in the water with a fishing pole?

He is doing his best to not to linger too long on any one thing in his vicinity, but this really is a bit of a shock, given the last time he'd seen Bellighul! "It seems so many things must have changed since we last saw each other?" He looks at Bellighul with a warm smile, still absolutely clueless and taken by the atmosphere. "But I suppose those are stories for another time— how have you been, Bellighul? It's lovely to see the former master of the Ahriman once again; or, do you go by another title these days?"

The mischievous Fairy watched as a familiar man walked up to greet Bellighul under a large, shady umbrella. He could understand why the man would be under such a thing. It was far too sunny out for his liking. He much preferred the dark or the shadow, where he could disappear from sight to sneak around and cause trouble. This open beach with few shadows underneath the bright sun in a cloudless sky was horrible.

Hiding back behind the large rock, one of the very few places he could possibly hide on this sandy beach, he lifted a hand to his chest. If he wanted it to be darker, he would just make it darker! A small wisp of smoke-like shadow was plucked from the fur on his chest and held in his hand. He tossed it into the air where it vanished as if it was siphoned away by something, smiling. Soon, the sky grew dark as clouds began to fill it. At a glance, the clouds looked completely normal, but if one were to be flying high in the sky, they'd see these clouds weren't nearly as far off the ground as they should be. A canopy of smoky darkness in the guise of an overcast sky covered the beach, casting a shadow over the sand and water.

Finally, Hylltywyll could move about as he pleased. He could mess with the pale, arrogant man that had tried to trick him the night before and had been fooled into making a deal with him. The man had no idea he was easily capable of fixing the ebony bookend that had earned the ghost's wrath. He had fixed it and placed it back where it was, though maybe a little sloppily, that morning after leaving his many stolen trinkets underneath the hedge. He would have to be a little more cautious of what he broke since they might be haunted, but he could just repair anything that caused him trouble and steal or break whatever didn't.

As an added bonus, there was an easy target for scaring here now as a guest, one he knew was an easy target from experience. He crept over, undetectable thanks to the shade of the clouds he'd made. Or he was mostly undetectable. The sand made sneaking around a little difficult. He cursed under his breath, but his magics made it silent to all but him. He had to drop to all fours to scurry carefully, shifting the sand as little as possible while he made his way over to the two men beneath the now unnecessary umbrella.

"It has been prosperous, my estate is still growing yet I find myself humbled by your words. It truly is an honor to have you here."

The sky began to darkened suddenly, clouds seemed to hover lower than usual making the once vibrant beach dulled and monochrome. Although, Bellighul hated sunlight, he became angered that a pleasant mood was taken from him. Wise enough that even a mighty storm could not produce such a manifestation. He knew well magic was at work. That damn creature Bellighul internalized. It was no mere coincidence that Hylltywyll had shown his scruffy head and his day was being ruined. Though, his fury began to ease its way out, as he clutched the knife firmly as if strangling it momentarily. 

"It was a bit too warm for me, anyway." Bellighul said with a smirk, his eyes tracing the sands for some sign of life. He could not harm the fairy, but he willed something horrible would happen to it by chance. "Anyway, no, my titles are the same...although there are some in Zeinav City who call me rather slanderous things. I suppose jealousy is at play. Marring my reputation is all they can do for now." Names such as the Necromancer were of little concern to him, yet fanatic, tomb robber, the accursed one, did seem to bother him. It would make charming the locals more difficult, perhaps delaying his progression deeper into society. 

Bellighul hoisted the ceramic teapot over two matching silver goblets, slowly pouring the floral concoction and handing one to Cantio. Even in the shade his attire was radiant, the pearls on his cuffs danced in luster still. His hair rustled behind him as he clutched a pastry, balancing his forearm on his bent knee, shadows writhing beneath him, motioned by his growing anger and emotions. 

"Less talk of me, what has the Song of Light enchanted as of late? I assume some adventuring as well..." He did his best to focus, whereas the vile mischief maker did its best to avoid detection, Ronaldo, clutching several bottles of wine in a basket alerted Bellighul with but a gruff hiss. The ghoul standing on the edge of the vineyard behind them and down on the beach. 

He listened carefully to Cantio's response, not interrupting as he started to consume the raspberry scone and tea together. But in the back of his mind he knew well it was only going to get worse from here. 

His free hand held the knife tighter...but before he would have an outburst, he called out. 

"Jacapo, how goes the hunt? Will we see a white whale on the line before long?" He jested, as his Majordomo had been reading a tale of revenge against such a behemoth. Preparing for a role on the local stage...being Bellighul's villa. The Dark Lord loved drama, especially tragedies, thus the Majordomo often recited them during the night at Bellighul's leisure.

"No my lord! But!"...the scarecrow marched a bit deeper into the sea. "I believe I have something! Strong!"

"Wonderful. Cantio, you must here Jacapo's recital of the Merchant of Moonglade, I was able to have the entire performance written down." He dropped the knife and veiled his mouth as he chewed after another bite, turning his body slighlty around to gaze back. "Ronaldo, the wine if you..."

His ghoul and the wine were completely missing. 

"It is an honour to be here," Cantio returns with a bright smile; brighter than the sky, at least. His smile fades slightly as he looks up with a blink; he watches clouds drift across the sky; until they all but blot out the sun. "My, it was sunny just a moment ago, wasn't it?" He cocks his head, trying to determine if he'd actually seen so many clouds on his way through the villa... but he was so taken by the scenery, that honestly, he wasn't looking much at the sky. Yeah, that's probably it.

He blinks, turning his eyes back to Bellighul as his knuckles turn white around the knife he's holding.

Should he be worried about that?

Cantio blinks up at him as Bellighul admits it was quite warm out, and Cantio breathes a soft laugh. "Ah... it was a bit warm, wasn't it?" he agrees, crossing one leg over the other as Bellighul continues; he notes Ronaldo returning with the wine, but doesn't stare. "Oh? Well, that's dreadful of them." he bemoans at his revelation. "I've had my share of odd names over my years of travel— Oh, thank you—" Cantio smiles warmly as Bellighul offers him a goblet of tea. He holds it carefully, "—but to be honest, the names speak more about them than they ever will of you."

He takes a sip of his tea; it's floral and herbal, still warm from the teapot; and under the cool, overcast weather... it's actually quite nice. He does notice the way that the shadows beneath Bellighul's feet writhe as he dips his head to sip his tea, however... he also recalls the way they had once flickered from his robes in the smoky room of the Dusty Refuge.

It's the way Bellighul is clutching that knife like it's a lifeline which makes Cantio the most nervous.

"Oh— oh, nothing all that exciting." he chuckles, holding his goblet carefully; it's a bit heavy, actually— he wonders if it's real silver. "I have traveled to the Dragon's Cradle for several weeks; performed in Sol City, which... was certainly not my favourite experience." He scratches the side of his face with an edge of nerves, then shakes his head. "I've also been inquiring with a mage's guild recently, although it feels a bit silly as a minstrel to... Oh."

He hesitates in his short ramble as Bellighul calls out to Jacapo— the scarecrow? He looks out to the water, then looks at Bellighul with a mild appreciation. "Ah, I quite like that novel, myself; but, um..." The bard looks out towards the water as the scarecrow marches deeper into the sea. "Not to worry you, of course, former master of the Ahriman; will he be okay going that far out?" Cantio can't help but recall the shark he'd seen snapping up that albatross; and the idea of going into the shark-laden water made him shiver.

He smiles pleasantly at Bellighul regardless, nodding in agreement at his suggestion. "I would love to hear it," he agrees with a soft laugh; he takes a short sip of his tea, following Bellighul's gaze to... nothing. "Hm?" Cantio swallows his mouthful of tea, placing a hand politely over his mouth as he does so; wasn't... he standing there, just a moment ago? "Perhaps he... forgot something...?" Cantio suggests, tail flicking with an edge of nervousness as he takes a brief look around the beach for the missing Ronaldo.

Hylltywyll snuck along the edge of the vineyard, wanting to not be on the sand. It was worth the slightly roundabout path to get to the two chairs on the beach. He could much more easily creep through the grass than over the sand. Also near the edge of the vineyard, standing on the sandy beach, was the ghoul servant of Bellighul, Ronaldo. The Fairy disliked the ghoul. The thing had tried to catch him yesterday and even that morning as it was going about its chores, trying to undo all the messes the little Fairy made. Hylltywyll relished any opportunity to spite the dumb ghoul, often sending them to the basement. They were easily outwitted.

Hylltywyll smiled as he stalked behind the ghoul once again. They stood there with bottles of wine in hand, waiting for a signal from the master to come forth with the drinks. They were trained well for someone so dull. The fairy placed a hand on the sand, their shadow expanding toward the unsuspecting ghoul. Below the ghoul, the shadow formed a black circle in the sand, and the ghoul suddenly fell down into the hole with a muffled thud into a hole in the ground.

The men on the beach clearly hadn't heard anything over their conversation and the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore. Hylltywyll looked down into the hole with the ghoul at the bottom. It wasn't very deep, but the ghoul was caught off guard by the sudden fall and needed a moment to recover. Hylltywyll grabbed one of the wine bottles that had fallen from its grasp and waved to the ghoul. Ronaldo looked back up at him in confusion before the hole began to close around him, burying him alive. Or not, since he was undead. He should be fine.

The Fairy snuck toward the backs of the chairs, walking right over top the spot where the ghoul was now buried. Invisible to all but the most observant of people, silent, and nearly undetectable. He held the wine bottle just as the ghoul had, mocking it, as he walked over. He stopped his little march and stood still as Bellighul and the other man looked right past him, unable to see him, probably wondering where the ghoul servant had gone. He waited until they looked away to move again, not wanting the shifting sands to expose his location.

Bellighul's handsome face smiled, eyes alluring as they seemed to wander off into the sea. "Jacapo fancies himself a great fisherman, I would not worry much about his well being."

"Perhaps, you would play something, if you felt so compelled, last at the gambling hall I haven't heard anything remotely as beautiful? I'd love to host a performance of yours once the amphitheatre is complete. It will be the talk of Zeinav." Bellighul proposed, the tea warming his lips as he drank another dram, though the wine was still on his mind. 

"Jacapo! Ronaldo may have found himself stuck in the wine press again...It was so dreadly difficult for you to clean if I recall." A horrible sight indeed, as it took several days to get all of the undead out of the pourous stone. Or, mostly all, perhaps giving the wine is rather distinctive flavor that has become famous in Zeinav. An earthiness, it was called, at the last great wine conference and merchantile where it won a silver for the red and a gold medal for the white variety. 

"Master, I obey you faithfully however, the beast is about to snap the line! Yet, if I may beach it, the day is ours! A wonderous catch!" The scarecrow said proudly. 

"Ah, you are quite right, let us see the leviathan!" Bellighul seemed rather amused, he was not fond of fishing nor would he attempt it in the first place. He was far too much of a dandy to sully his hands. 

"What in Lunala?" Bellighul leaned forward, his raspberry scone still half eaten and he stared at the water. 

The scarecrow marched backward, feet digging deep into the sand as his frail arms seemed to drag the catch onto shore. Yet, this was no ordinary fish, or even a shark. The creature bore limbs, its head entirely too large for its purple body. Stout, scaled with eyes large as dinner plates. Its fins wagged and a large fish like mouth filled with teeth that hung outwards. It was a Kua-toa, short and rather stupid fish folk. Its webbed hand clawed at the sand as it rose, barely to the hib of the average human and a makeshift spear of coral and decorated with seaweed was pointed at Jacapo. The bait and the line still hanging from it's jaw. 

"My Lord..." Jacapo dropped the fishing pole into the sand and slowly backed away. "I do believe we have interlopers."

The waves the crashed softly gave rise to four other purple heads, barnacled and scaled. Other of it's kind began to storm the beach, seemingly chanting in a language of silly sounds. The gazed at the pair, those enormous eyes flickering a sense of harm as they pointed their spears and rushed at Bellighul and Cantio; Hylltywyll as well although the loungers were unaware. 

A spear flew from the sea, more of them in fact, and struck the pastry out of Bellighul's hand and shattered his teapot. 

A crime, to the Lord of Ghouls, punishable by death. 

“Ah… of course. I trust your word, Bellighul.” Though he says not to worry, Cantio still cannot help but do exactly that: after all, that albatross was a natural fisher of the sea, wasn’t it? And Jacapo… well, Jacapo is a scarecrow, isn’t he? Or is it that he’s a scarecrow enthusiast? Or, perhaps a method actor? Bellighul had mentioned a recital of the Merchant of Moonglade previously— although, he cannot recall a scarecrow amongst any retelling that he’s heard.

He looks up from his tea, offering the ghoul lord a warm smile at his request. He nods, speaking after he’s swallowed his mouthful, “I’d love nothing more than to play for you again,” he agrees. “It’s not often that I have the pleasure to play for one with tastes as refined as your own—” He sets his tea-cup down with a soft clink, and goes about removing his violin’s case from his shoulder. “—and, I would love to play at your amphitheatre. My, you really have it all here, don’t you?”

The clips of his violin case snap, but his hands hesitate as Bellighul idly mentions Ronaldo, possibly having been stuck in the wine press, which… He furrows his brow beneath his mask, gazing off to his right with narrowed eyes as he ponders what he means by that. Is it a joke? Ronaldo seems relatively unflattened, so… maybe it’s a joke. He laughs softly, offering an unsure commentary of, “Oh, dear; I hope not.” as he pulls his violin from its case.

Jacapo calls out to them as Cantio starts to tune his instrument; gentle plucks revealing where the notes have become too sharp, or too flat, while he travels. He looks towards Jacapo as Bellighul calls out to him while he turns the pegs of his strings, quietly thrumming them as he waits to see what the scarecrow man has caught on his line.

He hesitates, thrumming a note a little too loudly, as something marches right out of the water after the scarecrow fisherman. Surprised, Cantio bounces up to his feet, tail swishing and bumping against his chair as he turns with urgency. “What in the world?” His golden eyes widen as the fish creatures stomp up to shore. “They’re… Um… Not friendly, I’m guessing?” He looks to Jacapo as he starts to back away.

With a spear thrown towards Bellighul, nearly striking the ghoul lord and shattering his teapot; Cantio draws his fan from his belt, and tosses his violin into the air in favour of stepping forwards from beneath Bellighul’s umbrella. “Heaven’s sake! Are you okay, Bellighul?” He unfurls the parasol before the ghoul lord to block him from further attempts with a practiced flick of his wrist; in conjunction, a halo of light shrouds his violin and bow in a glittering outline.

As the Kua-Toa charge forth with their makeshift spears, Cantio waves his hand; this was certainly not what Bellighul had in mind, surely, when he wanted to hear another performance; but unprompted, the sound of his violin fills the chaotic beachside. ⁽¹⁾ This one, is a new song; one which he has learned from a mentor in the Dragon’s Cradle… which might make the ghoul lord feel rather invincible, as though nothing could touch him.

Which, at this moment, is perhaps quite dangerous for the Kuo-tua with Bellighul’s temper, already brewing beneath the surface of his handsome visage…

---

^{(1) Note of Immunity — You can now play a protective tune that forms around you or an ally, swirling around them and creating a protective shield. For their next post that protected target will be immune to any and all damage, preventing them from feeling the effects of damage for the entire duration of the note. This note can only target one person at a time and can only be played twice per topic.}

Hylltywyll dove to the side to avoid the spear that was thrown through the teapot and directly at him, despite being nearly invisible. A spot in the sand was suddenly impacted by something unseen behind the two men beneath the umbrella. These fish people had earned the wrath of Bellighul with the breaking of the teapot, and that was something to be feared, but the wrath of Hylltywyll was something not to be ignored either. With a magically silenced snarl, he rose from the sand and glared at the kuo-toa that had thrown the spear.

The Fairy's fur was now covered in white sand from his dive. Unforgivable. Absolutely unforgivable. They were seething with anger. It was coarse and rough, and now it was all throughout the fur on the entire front of their body, making the fuzzy creature itchy and annoyed. Hylltywyll grabbed the spear, coating it in the same shadowy essence that hid his from detection and making it vanish into thin air, and turned to face the sea and the incoming enemies.

The five fish people ran up the beach, spears in hand, but one of them suddenly vanished from view. A hole in the sand, like a pitch black shadow, had appeared just in front of them as they ran. There was no time to even comprehend its appearance before they went tumbling down into it with a gurgle-like shriek. The others didn't seem to notice, or perhaps they didn't think it was more important than the targets in front of them. Either way, the creature was abandoned. The hole disappeared, shrinking back down to nothing, and leaving the creature entombed beneath several feet of heavy, slightly damp sand.

The glamourous Bellighul was beyond furious; his tea party and peaceful evening surely was to be ruined by the vile Hylltywyll. Now, amphibious fish-folk had not only stormed his estate with malice they had broke his favorite tea pot; vintage porcelain from several centuries prior. He had all but forgotten about his scone, but in the chaos as the pair of friends rose quickly, the tray had been knocked over and the desserts and sandwiches encased in sand. His eyes glew like scarlet stars, orbs with malice and dark plots shining from them. His ashen hair danced in an absent wind, shadows now crawling across his form, writhing and clawing from his damask robe. 

Yet, his abominable appearance was further bolstered by a gleam on his person, Cantio's Note of Immunity turning the unarmored Lord of Ghouls into a temporary titan. He felt the magic across his form, whilst he witnessed a Koa Toa sink into the sand and buried alive. This creature is wonderfully cruel, Bellighul mused internally, speaking in a slight praise of Hyltywyll. 

Thus, he speed off quickly towards the small band of foes; utilizing the Blink spell to cross the distances remarkably quickly. He teleported directly behind the most forward Kuo Toa, his form blurring into it's new temporal place with his hand raised upward. Summoning his Spirit Shroud, a spectre appearing above him, a phantasmal howling into the overcast as it magnified his spells within ten feet two-fold. A Death Swipe spell conjured in his hands, long purple blades of energy mounting his fingers like a jagged daggers which struck a foe down in a red bath. He turned his agression to another nearby, the spear striking his chest harmlessly as he slashed once again. Felling it down with a single stroke. 

Spears flung across the beach yet reflected off the Lord of Ghouls, they had no protection as the overcasted shore was illuminated by a series of overcharged Chromatic Blasts; the air rippling as the Spirit Shroud boosted them into cannonade of Dark Energy.

None could flee, bodies drifting into the sea to be consumed by sharks and whatever lurked in the depths.

The Lord of Ghouls now marched towards Cantio, his anger subsided and importantly his attire unsullied. 

"Now, where were we?" He spoke as Jacapo opened a chest on the beach, gathering another afternoon tea set and several more pastries from a cloth. 

"Creature, you may join us as well." The Tomb King announced in the air. Sitting down on the vintage rug, he watched as shark fins drew closer to the shore tinted red. "Ah, yes...I recall. As far as my possessions, I have many and affords me a life of luxury known by few, however, I would like to share this with my people. Are you writing anything presently? I would very much like to hear what the Song of Light has been dabbling with." He says completely nonchalantly. 

There is a lot happening at this moment.

One of the Kuo-tua disappears, sinking deep into the sand without warning; which makes him a bit frightened of the beach, actually. Are there just… sinkholes, lying around like that!? On the beach!? And then, Bellighul moves past him— bolstered by his own spell— an impervious titan— and he is a work of art as he moves. Ashen hair blown by the wind, scarlet eyes glinting in the sun, shadows writhing beneath his fine robe, lashing beneath like angry serpents—

And no sooner has the inner poet in him finished waxing internally about this moment, all at once, Bellighul becomes a true nightmare.

Cantio’s golden eyes widen as Bellighul speeds forwards with absolutely no hesitation; dark claws emerge from his fingertips, and— Cantio lifts his parasol to hide himself from the gore which follows. He winces, shoulders tensing as he ducks his head away from the moment; after a second passes, he peeks over the circumference of his parasol.

“Belli–”

Spears fly across the beach at the ghoul lord, but as Cantio’s song moves forth, the ghoul lord is impervious to their pitiful attempts at self-defense. “Beli—” Cantio sinks back, eyes wide as a series of flashing, purple light illuminates off his parasol and red skin in reflection of the scene before him. “Bel—” The beach alights with great, dark power from the ghoul lord.

"..."

None are spared.

Still peeking over the top of his parasol; and never having moved an inch; Cantio is frozen in a combination of shock and fear. The shore, tinted red by what lingers of the fish men, is grim. He thinks a fin hit his parasol at some point, but he’s afraid to look for it.

In fact, the initial shock is so much that Bellighul’s voice sends a jolt of electricity up his spine; and the Song of Light stands to attention— his magic cuts short, and his violin suddenly drops, unharmed, into the sand behind him. “Hah?” He looks at Bellighul with wide eyes, then laughs nervously. “O-oh, yes.. Um…”

What was the question?

Cantio looks out towards the water; he makes a double take when he sees the shark fins cutting through the red surface. Quickly, he looks back at Bellighul; suddenly, his scarlet eyes seem so much more sinister; and was he talking to someone else, earlier?

“Yes… yes, that’s— truly, that is incredibly generous of you.” he stumbles over his words, awkwardly trying to close his parasol— it catches on one of his fingers a few times before he successfully does so. “A-ah, me? I am writing a song in honour of the guardian of the shadewood; a unicorn, I’m… not sure if you’ve heard that tale, it was one of the first I stumbled upon when I left my home to pursue the arts. I have also been dabbling in costume design.”

The fish men are gone, completely annihilated in an impressively merciless display of violence from the master of the Villa. Hylltywyll would have been in awe if he had been watching at all. No, once the one that had thrown its spear at him had been properly punished by being buried alive in the sand, he had gone right back to being a menace.

He snuck up to the chairs of the two men, bottle of wine in one hand and a coral spear in the other, easily avoiding notice while they were both preoccupied with the massacre. He reached the sharp head of the spear up and sliced holes in the umbrella and the rug. With that done, he dropped the spear on the ground, no longer interested in it. He kicked a bit of sand overtop to hide it. Soon, the fight with the kuo-toa was over and Bellighul came back to the destroyed sitting area nonchalantly.

The easy target dropped his guitar on the sand when he heard Bellighul's voice. The Fairy's eyes went wide, staring at the guitar. A slight bit of drool dripped from his open mouth. He wanted that guitar. His tiny hands were already reaching toward it, his little fingers opening and closing, grabbing at it. "I want" was all that was running through his mind as he crept over and grabbed the guitar before making a quick escape onto the sand. He sat down and began playing with his new treasure, plucking at the strings with his little claws, the guitar across his lap, a more innocent smile than his usual mischievous one across his face.

Jacapo came forth with a new assortment of wares to continue the tea party, boots stomping into newly red sand as Bellighul reclined back and listened intently to Cantio. Unaware of the shredded umbrella above until glints of soft grey sky peaked through the dozen tears. Likewise, his pallid hand traced the vintage rug, fibers in a grizzled manner along the holes. He let out a gruff sigh, closing his eyes for a moment until a disharmonious meoldy; for a lack of a better term, battered the seascape. Looking backward towards the source of the sound, sharp and flat chords covering the song of the sea and the call of the gulls. 

"A...unicorn, you say?" Bellighul darted his attention back towards Cantio. "No I have not, such beautiful creatu..." A loud pluck snapped from Hylwytyll as he strummed mindlessly with it's coveted object. Bellighul's neck and jaw tensed, whilst he seemed to crush a bulk of sand in his palm. 

He scanned the ground nearby as the teapot began to whistle, another pastry found itself on a small pewter plate. His nerves pushed to the very limit as a bead of sweat dripped from his brow. He attempted to maintain some semblence of order and compose. A deep exhale escaped his blued lips and inhaled deeply. Jacapo took notice immediately, knowing well his master's vile temper. 

"Perhaps, Cantio..." The scarecrow's finger raised towards the clouds. "The Lord of the Villa would take delight in hearing the tale of the unicorn. Oft, I find myself regailing...."

Bellighul cut his squire off. "Yes splendid idea, if it would please you to do so of course. I would very much like to see your plans for costuming as well." As he brought the warm tea; cinnamon and plum- personal favorite, to his nose, intaking the pleasant steam but another horrible set of chords battered his nerves once again.

Thus, he could not bear the sounds any longer. "Cantio, I do not mean to be impolite but where in the forsaken Hells is you violin?" He knew full well that the fairy had stolen it, even after inviting the mischevious imp to dine with them. He bolted upwards in a fit of rage but quelled it as not make worse company as the day went to discord. His robe bellowed backward, the wind catching as he seemed to gnaw at his lower lip as to guard his voice from hurling insults and discourteous things whilst dining with a friend. 

Cantio, far too absorbed in properly closing his parasol, manages to miss everything going on behind him; and by the time he turns around, he’s surprised to find the scene. The umbrella is covered in holes, as is the rug, and… weren't they fine just a second ago?

... And where’s his violin?

Cantio furrows his brows slightly, looking to the sand where… it should’ve been, but…

It’s not?

It would be awfully rude of him to just wander around looking for it in Bellighul’s presence, though… right?

He clears his throat, reattaching his parasol to his belt with a soft laugh as Bellighul asks about the unicorn; although, carried on the wind, he swears he hears the chords of his violin… “Mm, the Shadewood Unicorn, they call it—” Cantio winces as a particularly loud sharp note resounds across the beach; it’s grating and horrible.

A disgrace to sound and music.

He frowns, looking for evidence of his violin which is very much playing that sound! He’s certain of it!

“Huh? Oh…” Cantio looks back, fussing with a long lock of hair as he strides over towards Bellighul; he sits down on the rug in front of him, chuckling nervously. “Oh, of course!” he agrees, tail swishing across the rug to curl around his bent knees. It's... fine. Maybe it's just the wind, or his imagination. “It’s one of my favourite tales, because I’ve actually met the beast myself—”

Another wince as an odd string of notes resounds across the beach, finally drawing Bellighul’s attention in full; okay, it's not his imagination. Unfortunately.

Cantio smiles sheepishly, lowering his head in a manner that seems almost guilty as he breathes a laugh. “Ah, well…” he starts, but cringes as another horrible strum of notes full of flats, sharps, and mismatched chords. He closes his eyes, furrowing his brows beneath the mask.

“It… it was here a moment ago, but in all honesty, I am not sure where it went, Bellighul. I thought it rude to wander around the beachfront to look for it, but I didn’t expect—” Another horrible mash of chords rings through the air. “—something to find it first and start playing it like this. It’s… dreadful, honestly. Is it one of those little fish men?” He looks at Jacapo helplessly, unsure how to ease the master’s temper as Bellighul shoots to his feet— his gracefully fluttering robe catching Cantio across the face in the wind.

The tiefling sputters and scoots back to avoid another face-full of admittedly soft fabric.

The little Fairy is having so much fun plucking away at the strings that he doesn't even notice how much he's annoying Bellighul with the dreadful sounds he's making. If he had noticed, he would have enjoyed it even more. As he plucks the strings and plays the entirely unharmonious chords, he laughs and smiles.

This wooden thing with strings attached is such a wonderful little prize that he feels like showing a little gratitude to the easy target for bringing it and allowing him to steal it so easily. He stood up and turned to see them still on the now hole-covered rug beneath the now hole-filled umbrella. Stolen guitar in one hand and a stolen bottle of wine in the other, he strolled up the the rug and placed the wine bottle on the carpet and rolled it toward the red man.

Well, there wasn't too much point in going back to so far away. The pale man had invited him to sit with them, hadn't he? And he didn't like sand. He might as well sit on the rug. So he did. He plopped his fuzzy butt down on the very corner of the rug, his bird-like feet in the sand. He sat facing away from the two with the guitar in his lap and let his shadowy disguise fade away and reveal him to them. He didn't care if he was seen. Bellighul couldn't harm him and the other one would probably just run away since they were afraid of him. There was no need to waste his magic anymore.

On the corner of the rug, he continued plucking on the guitar with a smile on his face, laughing each time he discovered a new sound he could make with the different strings.