Vakker remembered quite a few horrible things done by many people that had been forgotten over the years, including a few he'd done himself. What Cyran said was pretty true. But, he wasn't sure it only applied to Elves. Many races lived fairly long lifespans, Elves just seemed to be more egotistical than the others. Maybe they got some secondhand ego boost from the Sun Elves being the ruling family.

"I just do my best to avoid them. I really just can't find quite so many clients anywhere else though, so it's an annoyance I must endure." Vakker sighed with mock exhaustion.

There were nobles and merchants all over Charon, but most of the governing bodies were here in Sol City. Small local governments just weren't as profitable as these overarching structures. He also did his best to make sure Elves didn't take quite as many positions of power as they might want to. Assassins and spies would be helpful with that, so he was happy to meet these two. But, such business talk could come later. He was enjoying some more relaxing conversation.

"That's true. If it wasn't, I'd be out of a job, wouldn't I?" Vakker joked, looking at Zarius.

"So, you're from Zeinav. I've heard rumors about someone quite special there, building some huge mansion on the coast and apparently using necromancy. Are you acquainted? I don't assume all people from Zeinov must know each other or anything like that you know, you just seem to be glaring at him quite often. You're not friends, are you?" he teased Zarius.

“That is true.” Cyran said in regard to Zarius’s statement. There were plenty of nobles, regardless of race, that were nothing more than fools with more power than they knew what to do with. He’d taken care of enough nobles to understand how dangerous that unchecked authority could be. He was aware his outlook on politics was pessimistic, but he wasn’t paid to form opinions on the people he dealt with. That was why he often tried to keep to himself.



“I suppose no other city compares to Sol City.” He said mildly, though it was clear from his tone that it was no compliment. Perhaps he would find success in the ash lands, if Vakker ever wanted to cater his services to criminals. He doubted Vakker would see the same successes as he would here. Most criminals would be too shrewd to blindly listen to someone whispering nothing in their ear. Sol City had no shortage of shallow nobles whose only accomplishment came from their parents' names that were more than happy to have someone much more competent take care of their affairs.



He’d heard vaguely of the necromancer that Vakker spoke of, though nothing much. Admittedly, Cyran had been… out of the loop on many of the comings and goings of other countries. These days, he rarely paid much attention to rumors. He had noticed Zarius glaring at the man dressed as a peacock- one of the more ostentatious costumes he’d seen tonight- every once in a while when the man entered his field of vision. He leaned back, wondering how Zarius would answer. Vakker was looking to even the scales by eliciting the same reaction from Zarius that the tiefling had in the both of them by mentioning elven nobility, and from the look on Zarius’s face, it would likely work.

Zarius’ smile looks a lot more forced as the topic shifts to Bellighul. He tries not to make his distaste for the necromancer so obvious as he responds to Vakker’s question, but it definitely was a sore topic.

“Definitely not friends. That man is a murderous psychopath. The first time I encountered him was in the Marsh Flats. He started a bloody fight shortly after arriving on the scene, killed a man and then attempted to kill me and another adventurer. Luckily a hydra showed up and diverted his attention.” He sits back and crosses his arms with an irritated huff. “The fact that he is here at such a high profile event is very concerning and an ill omen if you ask me.”

He meets Vakker’s eyes, lets the smile drop and continues in a serious tone. “I am no advisor, but if I can offer my honest opinion you would do best not to associate with him. He may be powerful, but he is a madman. No good can come from it. Practitioners of necromancy tend to draw the wrong kind of attention, and any associated with them risk just becoming another corpse for them to puppet.”

He did not want to mince words. Bellighul had proven himself to be a deadly foe and one with dark ambitions. The rumors could attest to that all on their own. The tiefling intended to look into the necromancer more closely after their first encounter, however he had been so busy since then that he hadn't had a chance to get back to Zeinav himself. That said, he had informed his family of the deranged undead mage and had agreed to keep an eye on things in case he made any big moves.

He never expected to see him here amongst the noble crowd and dozens of adventurers. It was unnerving. It was insulting. The way the necromancer paraded around the room without a care just spoke to his arrogance, and how he looked down on all others who crossed his path. 

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Vakker responded to Zarius's rant about the peacock costumed man. It was a bit amusing how much the Tiefling seemed to hate him. They must have some kind of rivalry beyond just a fight in some swamp.

Vakker glanced at the man in question, out and about in the midst of the crowd. He seemed pretty arrogant and his costume was definitely aggressively flamboyant. Though, for some reason, their demeanor felt oddly familiar. Despite Zarius's warning, he wanted to talk to this person at some point during this ball. He just hoped he'd get a chance. Some people tended to leave these kinds of social gatherings early if they felt they had nothing left to do. Generally, those people were pompous and felt their own home was better than that of the host's. Though, the Marrowvine's home was probably one of the best in the city.

Vakker looked at Cyran.

"And what is your opinion of that man? Have you had any interactions with him, even just at this ball? Or is there anyone else at this ball you would say to avoid for some reason?" he asked curiously.

It was interesting to hear about people that even criminals would wish to avoid.

Cyran was inclined to agree with Zarius’s assessment of necromancers- his own dealings with them had only ended in bloodshed. Vakker, on the other hand, seemed especially interested in him, based on the way his eyes lingered on the man just a moment too long before Vakker turned to Cyran and inquired about his own enemies.

“I’ve never met him in my life.” Cyran replied honestly, keeping an eye trained on the necromancer. And I’m not sure if I want to. Zarius’s description reminded him a little too much of Rowan for his liking, and it left a bitter taste on his tongue.

“As for people I’d like to avoid…” he murmured, scanning the crowd. There were plenty members of Moonglade nobility that he’d kept his distance from all evening, though that wasn’t something he wished to address when Vakker could easily cheat and ask them about him. He gave Vakker a wry smile, “… Is a question I’d much rather answer next time we see each other. I can’t give out all my secrets at once.”

Cyran had a feeling this ball would not be the last time he met either man, and maybe then those secrets would come to light, for all parties involved.

Zarius doubted Vakker would take him seriously. In fact, he fully expected to see the red devil conspiring with the blue peacock later. He just struck him as the type to test his luck. Oh well, if Vakker was impaled on the fountain by the end of the night, he’d know who to turn the blame on.

He listens to Vakker and Cyran converse as his eyes wander the crowd once more. It seems the energy of the conversation was starting to wind down as Cyran shot down the question. Caedes had moved on from the snack table but he couldn’t see the assassin anywhere near. Maybe Kamille whisked him off for another dance.

His eyes catch sight of a human woman dressed in a green cloak with a skull adorning her head like a macabre mask. Abigail Abingdon. What was she doing here? It was bold for a member of the Ashen Fathers to be anywhere aside from Darkveil. With how many eyes are constantly on the crime families, any departure not done in complete secrecy risked assassination attempts or returning to a coup. He would have to be wary of her. That was the major reason why he served as an ambassador for his family, so they could keep a wary eye on the business at home while he risked his life to form foreign allegiances. If Lady Abigail was doing the same, either she was very confident no one would recognize her, or very confident no one would dare interfere.

He would have to reconvene with Caedes later. While the Abingdon’s were not a family associated with the Crimson Hand, they still were powerful enemies to keep an eye on.

His attention is brought back to the pair. Perhaps their eyes and ears could be of use sooner rather than later. “I assume you will continue your work here in Sol City after this event,” he nods to Vakker but then turns his eyes on Cyran. “What of you? Do you have any ongoing contracts?”

Vakker gave a small laugh at Cyran's refusal to answer the question. He didn't mind it, really. It was pretty much expected that they'd not want to give away so much information. He wanted to hear such information, but knew it was most likely not going to be given. It did, however, get the man to say he'd meet the Satyr again some time. That was promising.

"Well then, I'll ask again next time."

Vakker returned the wry smile of Cyran with one of his own before looking at Zarius.

"Of course, there's so much to do. And if this ball can net me any new clients, I'll have plenty to do soon." he responded with an air of casualness that made it sound as if he was just some regular businessman. "Did you need something from me?"

Zarius, once again, seemed like his attention had been grabbed by someone in the crowd. For a spy, he wasn't very good at hiding this. His asking Cyran about their current work also seemed a little suspicious. Vakker got the feeling there was someone in this crowd that the Tiefling wanted dead, or at least, was highly wary of. It was interesting.

Did he want someone taken care of? Cyran had offered his services earlier, a promise he intended to honor. Perhaps he would be honoring it sooner than they intended. Zarius had gone tense when observing the crowd, like he’d spotted a genuine threat, one that needed addressing. He tried to follow where Zarius had been paying attention, but couldn’t pinpoint anyone in particular among the crowd of stuffy nobles in elegant costumes.

Oh, well. The casual conversation was fun while it lasted.

“I was planning on staying in Sol City for a while after the ball.” After events like these there was no shortage of scorned nobles that needed assistance. “But I’m open to suggestions, if you had anywhere you think I should look for employment.” He said carefully.

"Perhaps in the future. Though this is not the ideal place to actually discus any details." He waves dismissively. "Just knowing there is someone who seems to know what they are doing is in Sol City is useful in itself."

That was true, while he might not have any need for Vakker himself, they may be able to collaborate in the future if any of Vakker's clients become more trouble than they are worth to the advisor. Zarius had already taken one noble family down a few notches with aid of a certain princess bard previously. There was an opportunity to do a lot more with a connection such as Vakker who was considered valuable to those that trust him and his judgement. 

Cyran's skills were also of interest to him. Having a few blades in the hands of those with no established allegiances in Darkveil and with its major power players was useful. If something went wrong, hired hands were expendable after all. Not that he would put Cyran in a situation where death was likely. If he was as skilled as he acted then he likely wouldn't have any problems completing jobs with some support from his family's employees. 

He nods at Cyran. He would be showing his hand quite a bit here, but it was a risk he was confident he could take at this point. "I could certainly introduce you to people in need of your skills should you ever find yourself in Zeinav City or even as far north as Darkveil City."

"Yes, perhaps in the future we can discuss more. You should stick around for a while after the ball. There are some good places to talk here in the city." Vakker replied to Zarius.

They seemed very interesting and they definitely had connections. It was obvious that they'd recognized a few faces in the crowd, possibly important figures from Zeinav that Vakker wasn't so aware of. He knew of the Ashen Fathers and other important political and shadowy figures from all around Charon, but he couldn't say he was nearly as experienced with them as he was anyone in Sol City. He simply had the most time spent here in recent years. Maybe he needed to get out of the city more. Perhaps now would be a good time to expand his horizons slightly.

Their conversation also seemed to be drawing to a close. His wine glass had been empty for a while now and his company seemed to be finished sharing. Anything else they might want to talk about was too secretive for such a place as this. The Satyr also should be getting back to his work.

"Well, this has been fun. We'll meet again, I'm sure. But for now, I need a new glass of wine and to get back to business." Vakker said as he stood up, glancing at both of them. He noted that Cyran's chair was still surrounded by a sheet of slippery ice and smirked.

With that, he left and made his way back out into the crowd, trading his empty wine glass for a new one from a server's tray.

Cyran was about to depart from the sitting area himself when he noticed the thin layer of ice still surrounding his chair left over from Vakkers ‘punishment’. Suddenly, Vakker’s smug smile as he left made more sense. He leaned back in his chair, swirling his empty glass idly. Sitting here alone suited him just fine, he supposed. That was what he’d originally been intending on doing before their conversation started.



“I suppose you’ll want to head off and enjoy the rest of the party, Zarius. I’ll probably stay here a little longer and enjoy the scenery. And give Caedes my regards.” He smiled. “I’ll be in the city for a few days if you need anything. And I meant what I offered. Don’t hesitate to call on me should you need my assistance.”



It was difficult, in their line of work, to create meaningful connections. The games, the secrecy, and the lies were all well and good, but Cyran appreciated getting to see the real glimpses of people behind those walls. He believed he’d seen it in Zarius, and yes, even a little in Vakker. It was welcome, after the years of isolation.


He gave Zarius a genuine smile. “I hope to speak with you again soon.”

Zarius watches the satyr leave then looks at the elf who was trapped by the ice. Though trapped was probably an over statement. If he was a hunter he likely had the agility to clear the span and escape should he really be compelled to.

The tiefling gets to his feet and pauses a moment when Cyran mentions Caedes by name. So, the two were acquainted. That was good to know. He would have to ask Caedes his opinion on the elf's skills later. The assassin's acknowledgement of the hunter's skills would speak volumes to the tiefling more than anything that had been said in this conversation. 

"That is good to know. I will reach out should I need any messes cleaned up." He smiles.

Though Cyran had toyed with both him and Vakker early on, he seemed to have a more earnest soul than Vakker. The elf had a maturity that Zarius lacked, but he wasn't as jaded by his years as Vakker seemed to be. There was only so much false smiles could hide. 

"Likewise. Do not freeze to death before then." He teases with a toothy grin before setting off across the floor and disappearing amongst the costumed guests.