In the city of Zeinav, Aledüne and Kamille had finally agreed to meet again after the events of The Part Of Minor Annoyance. Having agreed to meet in public, at a tea saloon where they could talk in private without fear of the other, they where now sitting, looking at each other awkwardly. Kamille and her past making speaking about her past difficult, and Aledüne with his paranoia and fear of being rejected. They both felt something for the other, if uncertain. Eventually Aledüne speaks up, having been uncharacteristically silent and reserved, even avoiding direct eye contact.

"I apologise for by quick departure the other night, I was surprised and didn't quite know how you would react to finding out so suddenly. Not that I expected you to figure out like that either, but I hope..." BANG!!

The door flies open, and about ten people charge into the small room the two had reserved for themselves. Five of the men rush Kamille, restraining her and preventing her from casting her powerful magic. The other five rush Aledüne, and after restraining him take a syringe and injects him with it. His body falls limp.

"Knock her out, we need to hurry lest our activity is tracked." One of the Cultists, wearing a mask comes walking in and points to one of the five holding her. His voice is eerily familiar, but before Kamille could consider who it was everything went black. 

The next thing she knows she wakes, finds herself bound and gagged in a metal cage on a wagon in the middle of the desert. Non of the men surrounding the small caravan responded to anything she did, and her restrains where preventing her from casting any magic. Her inventory carried by one of the men outside she can only watch as they continue their walk further into the desert. 

As she relaxes, having surrendered to the idea that there was nothing she could do to escape at this moment that she realizes that there was another body in the cage she was in. Aledüne was laying, covered in a tarp that prevented the sunlight from reaching him. His body limp he was clearly still out by whatever it was that they had given him. Also bound as she was, a special set of iron cuffs with a set of glyph tied his hands to his back. Dark magic that would seal the magic of the user. Kamille could guess that the same cuffs were restraining her own hands as well.

The trip continued for the rest of the day and well into the night. But eventually they arrived at their destination. An old ruin it seemed, a small portion of a larger building was sticking out of the sand, and dug down on the side, an entrance had been revealed. Guards were stationed on top of a nearby hill as lookouts, and the place seemed to have been disguised as an excavation site.



Once inside it became apparent how massive the structure was. The entrance hall, clearly that of an old temple was constructed out of stone. Remarkably preserved, the place might even be from a time were Bellighul was still alive. The design of the place certainly seemed to fit with what he had previously told her. Taken out of the cage she was now forced to follow as they brought her deeper into the complex structure.



Eventually she and Aledüne were escorted out of the great hall and into a set of corridors. Deeper and deeper they went, and more more whole the entire place seemed to be. Eventually she questioned her initial assumption that the place was ever abandoned, but it was clearly not so any more. Wherever she walked, more people could be seen. A barracks, a shrine. Even a dining hall where she could smell the food being made to feed everyone here. For all purposes the place was fully used and inhabited. But something seemed familiar about the place, and eventually she noticed it. The mark of Lunala, the goddess of the moon, the night and darkness was inscribed into the walls in various locations. And some of the cultist carried the mark on their masks. No matter her desire to ask question, nobody graced her with anything but silence.



After ten more minutes of walking through various rooms, corridors and hallways they arrived at what was clearly a prison. It was a relatively small room with two cells. Both barred with iron. About five meters wide and two meters across, it allowed captives to see each other but not out the door where they came in. Kamille was thrown into one of the cells, and the limp body of Aledüne was thrown into the other before the cultists who had escorted them walk out and locked the door as well. They were alone.

"Damn, that took too long. Being dead can be boring when you have to pretend for so long. Are you ok?" Aledüne suddenly sprung to life, clearly having recovered from whatever they had given him long ago. He looks at her, concern on his face.

It was complicated.

Her heart was in a turmoil she never expected, as a ghost from her dearest memories ressurfaced to haunt her. In some level, she knew the unfairness of putting such weight on Aledüne's shoulders, as he had nothing to do with her past with the Lord of Ghouls. But the coincidences were too much for her to ignore...

Until.

Like many other times before, she offered to read his palm - an endeavour meant to be cunning and deceptive, as people often thought little of it. But her expression said it all: She did not expect to find out what she did. His sudden departure surprised her less than what flashed before her eyes, his intentions bared before her spell.

Even more surprising was that they eventually arranged to meet sometime afterwards. She wasn't sure of what to make of such meeting, but she had, perhaps foolishly, left the Black Quills out of that ordeal. And when they sat in awkward silence, she thought she made right by that decision. Despite of what she might have seen, Aledüne didn’t look like he wanted to do harm to her, and his uncharacteristic shyness left her... hopeful? Was he ashamed? Fearful? She couldn’t know, but...

Perhaps.......

Whatever she was hoping for, their meeting was abruptly interrupted by a group that seemed to know exactly what they were doing. They knew who they were dealing with, and were quick to restrain them both with cuffs that suppressed their magic. And no matter how much of a fight they put up, they were quick to restrain them - yet she managed, before being knocked out, to open the window for long enough to allow Mischief out of the building.

And then darkness.

Zeinav sun greeted her rudely, and while she was confused for a moment, the memories of her last waking moments hit her. For a second she started to stress over the possibility that Aledüne might have set an ambush to her - it was only fitting, seeing as she discovered who he really was. But Aledüne was made a prisoner with her, limp by her side and restrained in the same way. That eased her heart for a minute, but not much.

Despite her attempts at striking a conversation with people at the caravan, they all remained silent. While she didn’t recognize where they were taking the prisoners, she did recognize the symbols and Lunala's presence throughout the entire place. This didn’t sit well with her, but there was nothing she could do at the moment with her restlessness. At leas while the sun was still on them, she could see a dark spot in the sky that indicated a raven followed them at the distance...

Cultists in Zeinav hardly surprised her, but rather the way that encounter had happened a couple of times to her. Except... it felt a bit different this time. They didn’t spare her a word, but offered her water and shade. And once before their cells, the man that rudely threw her into her cell was imediately scolded by another cultist. In her experience with cultists and their prisoners - sadly a topic in which she had just too much experience for her liking - they weren’t often so careful with their sacrifices.

That couldn’t be good.

As Aledüne rose, making it evident he had been awake for sometime, Kamille seemed to take a fright. A weary, shaky sigh escaped her lips.

"I'm as good as I can be... Are you hurt? Did you, by any chance, have enemies among the cult of Lunala? I wouldn’t have guessed that turn of events, if you know what I mean..."

Her humor was a bit more prickly than usual, but given the circumstances, it was understandable. With a pained groan, she rose and leaned against the bars of her cell, looking around to see if she recognized the place. Then, she rested her eyes on Aledüne. It was a complicated, judging gaze.

Now sitting up he twists his arms from being on his back to overhead and then his front.

Stretching he meets her gaze, raising an eyebrow as he raises his cuffs. "You think I had anything to do with the kidnapping? I can promise you that I have been keeping a low profile, and the only cult I ever interacted with I made sure to decimate before leaving" He thinks back to his encounter with Sylvari.

"Its strange though, they had obviously been keeping an eye on me for a while. Enough that they knew what I was, cause its not just anything that can put me under. Woke up mid trip and have been keeping an eye on things since."

Now that he can move a bit more freely he takes a closer look on the cuffs. Metal, inscribed with glyphs that obviously suppressed both of their magic. Not finding any way to get loose he gets to his feet, and from his back he extends two bat like wings and closes his eyes.

"The place is massive, and we are far from alone here. I think I can count about 100 men just within half a kilometre of here, take or add a few. Any idea on how we can get ourselves out of here?" He keeps a neutral tone, business like almost.

Not wanting to sit still he tries to squeeze through the bars like a cat, dislocating his shoulder with a crack in the process to no avail. He keeps a neutral look on his face as he talks to her, no longer revealing any emotions that might clue her in on what he might be thinking. 

As much as she wanted to doubt Aledüne, she saw the folly in such line of thinking. He wouldn't risk as much to... what? What was the point of it all, exactly? With a heavy, tired sigh, she looked away.

"No, I don't think you have anything to do with this... Although you can't blame me for doubting your intentions, can you?"

It wasn't meant as an insult, but if she could feel it sting him a little she wouldn't be terribly concerned. Actually, he put on such a professional look that it bothered her to no end. Unlike him, she was often one to wear her heart on her sleeves, and she was definitely frustrated at that moment. When she sees that he is capable of extending two batlike wings, she looks a bit surprised.

"What else can you do?"

She looked down to her cuffs, inspecting them a bit closer. Looked like very powerful ones, perhaps the most intricate ones she'd seen so far - and once again she was flustered to think she had that kind of experience.

"We need to understand what is it that is keeping us from our magic. In my experience, it's not just the cuffs. If they were really careful, they also prepared an anti-magic area somewhere around here, and they won't leave us out of it so easily. If I can get just a bit of my magic back, I could summon Kalaf and-"

The Witch stopped for a moment, as she thought she heard someone approaching. Shaking her head, she glanced over to Aledüne.

"I'm assuming this is not what you expected for our meeting... I wonder what the excuses would be, though..."

It was clear she was still a bit sour by the revelations, although she shouldn't be so trusting of someone she had just met. It felt a bit more personal than she'd like, something a little closer to the heart than she'd like to admit - no wonder she was being as prickly as she was.

He laughs, shaking his head and putting up his hands in an apologetic gesture. "No, it was not what I have pictured at all. Abduction isn't what I consider a good time, crude behaviour taking someone by force. You could say this is not my first time, and that was already a life altering experience so I feel I have had enough of them for an eternity. No pun intended as you have figured out what I am now. But like you, most of my abilities are tied up at the moment."

He kicks the chains binding the cuffs together. "If we are in an anti magic field then these cultist are a lot more aptly supplied than I would think. Either way, if I can get these off of me I might have a trick up my sleeve that would allow me to get out of here." Taking a deep breath he readies himself, and with a grunt, swallows the pain as he starts to push more strength into the cuffs. His wrists extending, and with a pop falls out of its socket as he breaks his wrist to free himself. Biting his lips he can avoid screaming, kicking the cuffs away in disgust. "Now if they still have the area covered I am going to be upset." The pain still showing on his face he tries to steady himself.

"Wait for me here, I will get back soon." With a glance he offers a smile, before suddenly dissipating into smoke, leaving the room under the crack at the floor. (1)

A minute passes. Two minutes. Five minutes. No sounds, and Kamille is now alone.

---

(1) Demon of the Mist.

"Perhaps someday we might be able to bond over our terrible experiences with cultists, then..."

Despite whatever her opinions of the man she held right now, Kamille had to give it to him: he was relenteless, and it was something she definitely valued. She flinched as she watched him try to slide the cuffs out, and even averted her eyes as she heard the sound of his wrists breaking. 

That was some commitment.

"What? Wait? Where are you going?! What are you-"

But he was gone, and once again she was left alone with her own thoughts. Not long enough for her to plan anything, as in a matter of moments a group of cultists entered the room. They all had white masks to cover the upper half of their faces, all dressed in simple black robes - plain and simple. The only mark that gave away their group was a black crescent on the forehead of their masks.

They imediately take notice of the absence of one of the prisoners, and whisper among themselves, before one of the group splits and runs back through the corridor they just came in. One of them approaches Kamille's cell.

"Good evening, my Lady. I apologize for the rudeness of our methods, but I'm sure you can understand my position here - time is of the essence, as they say. I'll explain everything as we go along our path tonight, but I can assure you, right now, that this chapter is already written in the Book of Fate. All the of outcomes are already known, despite of what you want. So I suggest you cooperate with us. I want no harm to fall upon you tonight, and if such happens, the responsible will pay with their life. You have my word."

It was... an unusual approach from a captor towards a captive. The man's cadence was sing-song, pleasant even, made to enthrall audiences and deliver messages. Kamille recognized a fanatic, even if a charming one, and while his words were met with distrust on her end, she nodded along. Perhaps, if she was deemed compliant enough, they would allow her some wriggle room to find her way out.

Maybe.

"We'll take you to be prepared for the ritual, my Lady."

"Ritual?"

"I'll explain on the way. Come, my Lady."

Despite the honeyed words, it didn’t look like they would take off her cuffs anytime soon. When they opened her cell, she seemed to consider for a moment. If she bolted now, she'd probably miss her opportunity to build up their confidence to the point of lowering their guard. Instead, she complied and followed along. 

Only to be received by four more guards outside of the room, certainly the comitive to take her, while the man that approached her at first walked by her side. They were all burly and looked heavily armed, but despite their position, they...

They didn’t lay a finger on her, despite a gentle nudge to walk forward.

The VIP treatment seemed more concerning than she would've hoped.

On her way out, for a split second, she seemed to spot something that made her blood freeze in her veins, if only for the memory it triggered: a cultist crossed paths with the group, heading the opposite direction, no doubt to inspect the cell with the missing captive. A deep blue hue flashed behind his mask, before they carried on their separate ways.

In the meantime as Kamille is escorted away to be prepared for the ritual, Aledüne tries his best to avoid the cultists, looking for a key to assist Kamille in getting out of her cell. It would be a lie if he didn't consider just leaving her to her fate, and what all his instincts screamed for him to pursue. All his instincts except one that is. His empathy, and the strange emotional attachment he could feel towards her. He hated it, but she reminded him of who he used to be for some reason. Maybe because she has seemed so animated when he first met her. So full of the life he was never going to get back.

He pushes the thoughts aside and pulls himself back to the present. He was walking down a corridor, having followed two cultists who had talked about bringing a set of keys to their superior. A man they had talked about with quite a bit of fear and so were too busy to notice the shadow that followed them down the dimly lit corridors. The place was a maze, and Aledüne could imagine that if he was to find his way out it would potentially take him days to find the right path without help. Another reason he needed Kamille, and an excuse for him to return to her. (1)

Happy with the thought he sees the cultists take a right, now standing in front of a room that seemed properly guarded. "We have the altar key for the Lector." They give each other a sort of salute, holding their hands in front of their eyes as they stand at attention as if they were military recruits. The sign, since it pertained to the goddess was likely in reverence to her dark nature, a symbol to never see themselves equal to the divine.

"I am afraid the Lector is checking up on the prisoners that arrived recently. He should be back soon. Give the key to us and we will hand it over to him as he arrives back." The cultist he had followed nods and does as instructed before they turn around and returned where they had come from.

Damnit, Aledüne thought. it wasn't the key to the cell, and they would likely raise the alarm soon when they sees that he had escaped. But if he could get his hands on this Lector maybe he could get his hands on the cell key, and interrogate this man on how to get out of there.

Sneaking up on the two guards, who quite frankly were relaxing on duty, it was easy for Aledüne to dispose of them quickly using Eldritch Claws, then resurrecting the two of them as undead. With the undead ready, he opens the office and prepares to ambush the Lector upon his return to the office. The office lights would be unlit, and the undead guards ready to grapple the man as soon as he entered. (2) (3)

SPOILER: Click to show

---

(1) - Cloak of Shadows = A wispy cloak of shadows forms around your body causing you to appear as a simple shadow. If you are currently standing in darkness or a shadow, your image becomes harder to see, but not impossible. Unless someone is extensively searching for you they will find it hard to see you.

(2) - Eldritch Claws (Tattoo) = These fist weapons are arcane tattoos that rest upon the hands and feet of their bearer, and ignite when needed into a construct of arcane energy that engulfs the users fists and feet giving them claws that are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance like effects. The bearers unarmed attacks with their feet and hands now cause slashing damage and dark damage. (Manifests as black burning nails.)

Aledüne had asked her to remain at her cell, but it's not like she had much choice. They were being kind to her as long as she was cooperating, which was a much different experience from when she was held captive by what she now knew to be Vulcadreaus cultists. But everything pointed that those just wanted to chuck as many people as they could into Mount Drakolt, which made her think what were the intentions of these people that now led her deeper into the maze of corridors that made out their hideout.

She would know soon enough.

"When the knowledge of the Truth spreaded, it was a shock for many. For some, it weakened their faith to know that their gods were dead and buried all along. It is not for the faint of heart to take this kind of revelation without considerable heartbreak."

Kamille remained silent. He prayed for Lunala. He praised her as his first love - to the point where she could realize her jealousy rearing its ugly head for the first time. It was a different kind of love, of course, but her heart wouldn't know the difference at the time.

And as her thoughts went to her missing paramour's goddess, the presence of Lunala seemed to manifest itself around her as if summoned by her thoughts. She recognized the symbols, the colors, and the clear respect for the Pale Dame. It didn't take much for her to do the math.

"You worshiped Lunala."

The man, who hadn't introduced himself, shot her a satisfied look.

"We still do, my lady. In fact, the recent revelations gave us a renewed purpose. It plucked the weeds among our group, strengthened our faith, and gave us a new direction."

For a moment, the man stopped walking and turned to the Witch, taking her hands into his own. He was a scholar, much like herself, which was evidenced by his soft hands and long fingers.

"We heard the adventurers that faced the False God left the encounter with... a shard of divinity. Our hope is that this... this piece of the divine... Might be just what we need to see our beloved goddess, if only for a moment."

She didn't like where this was headed... She had never given any thought for the noise in the back of her mind after the encounter with Ziev. So much happening, so much power bubbling in ways she's never seen before.

So much power.

"I'm aware this is a lot to ask of you, my lady."

Her magic manacles clacked against one another, reminding her how little of a choice she had at the moment.

---

There is a moment when the steps of the Lector stop, at the head of the corridor. Whether it's the blood on the floor, or the necromantic energy that lingered - or just a feeling that warned him that something was off... He stopped for a moment, seemingly hesitating.

He considers, his frozen stare not giving an inch of his thoughts.

Finally he decides to proceed, closing in the distance to his office, entering as he would've had in any other day...

...except this time he is imediatelly grappled by two undead servants, and for a brief moment, as a brief confusion takes place and his mask is knocked off, a glimpse of surprise is caught in the man's face before it become stone cold once again. Other than an involuntary movement of surprise, the man didn't put up a fight. He was tall and lean, his long black hair falling to the middle of his back. First he glanced to the men that held him, recognizing them as fellow cultists - and yet, he didn't show much emotions except for a discrete furrowing of the brow. And then he turned to face Aledüne.

"Impressive. I was wondering where you went."

Aledüne would recognize those eyes, as the tall man reared his icy gaze towards him. Those eyes were filled with stars and nebulas and power. Eyes of deep blue, with a pull so intense as to siphon all light and warmth and life. Inescapable black holes one wouldn't stare for long before losing oneself to the dark.

Similar, but so different at the same time.

Aledüne had stepped into the shadows, avoiding the immediate attention of Lector as he entered the room and was attacked grabbed by the zombies. As they did he revealed himself, stepping out of shadow, facing the man with a calm expression. Hands folded in front of him, he furrows his brow as he locks eyes with the man in front of him.

Silence as he takes a moment, an internal dialog taking place as he tries to make sense of the familiar feeling that staring into the impossible deep eyes of the Lector brings him, the impossibly deep eyes that he had such difficulty getting out of his own mind was now haunting him on a completely unexpected face. The connection might not have been entirely obvious, but somehow it makes sense. This man was likely related to Kamille, her father or brother. The question was if he was an ally or enemy, opportunity or risk.

He needed to figure this out for certain, and giving a pleasant smile he steps closer to the man. "Yes, I was waiting for you. Thank you for meeting with me like this, and I apologise for the unpleasant first impression, but I do need to be careful in my current position." He bends down, leaning in closer to the man to get a better look at the eyes. "You have Kamille's eyes, so I apologise for doing this to you, but I am going to need you to TELL me everything you know about this cult, their plans for me and Kamille and your own involvement." (1) His smile fades, replaced by a look that says that the pleasantries were done on his part, also confirmed as one of the zombies twists his arms slightly, causing further discomfort from his current posiotin.

---

(1) - Powerful Presence = Once per topic, you may make eye contact with a target and cause them to become hypnotized by your mere presence. If you, or your target, are unable to see, this may be used similar to a touch spell.

An uncomfortable stiffness made his body straighten up, as he pursed his thin lips in reaction to Aledüne's presence. The Lector clearly didn’t seem to like the situation, but while being physically restrained didn’t seem to take much of a reaction out of him, to be forced to tell the truth was something he clearly wasn't expecting.

A cold rage flashed before his eyes briefly, soon washed away by a thoughtful expression. The Lector was clearly someone used to high pressure situations, given how Aledüne couldn’t identify a shred of panic in the man, even when cornered. He blinked slowly, staring into Aledüne's eyes - and despite the coldness of his gaze, his next words were laced with a hint of a knowing malice, a mocking smile curving up only one of the corners of his lips.

"But of course you know her..."

Once again, he glanced around to the undead minions that held him in place, his mocking smile vanishing in an uncomfortable, displeased expression. Then, as Aledüne made use of his powerful presence, he would notice him tense up and rage stirr inside as his will was bent. The Lector was powerful, probably much older than he looked like - but yet opened up at a mere suggestion.

"We don’t need all this. I will tell you everything you want to know."

His voice took a monotone yet even more devoid of emotion, all the snarkiness and malice washed away. A soft grunt indicated his discomfort as one of the undead twisted his arm. He offered no resistance.

"If you really want to know all about these people, we'll be here for a while. They worship Lunala, and the head of the group has been efficient enough to have it survive its many downs. Fanatics, zealots, all of them."

He distinctively didn’t include himself while talking about them.

Them.

"Their most recent endeavour is that they hope to usher Lunala's spirit back into Charon. At least it's what tonight is all about. When the truth about the death of the gods came into light, it didn’t kill their faith - much the opposite!"

There was some kind of... disdain in his voice, shaking a bit of the monotone of the trance. He seemed to have strong feelings about this, peering through the cloud of Aledüne's ability.

"They chose her to be Lunala's vessel. You were supposed to be a sacrifice, 'Lunala's child', according to them. With you gone, they'll have to improvise last minute, I'm sure. But I don’t intend on seeing their ritual through to the end - I intend on hijacking this place, actually. I've been infiltrating cults exactly like this my whole life. Breaking them from within takes time - and few have the patience to do it. This time, however, I'll need to use their ritual, tweak it a little, for... my own needs. My survival."

There were no signs the man was resisting in any way Aledüne's charm - despite the fact the vampire could know that deep down he was hating to be spewing out the truth like that.

"Some might even consider it poetic - wreaking havoc into the house of the gods and the pious, seeing as the gods were ones the responsible for this outcome. Say, I have no intention of doing you harm. I can show you the exit if all you want is to be out of here. We could certainly make this a beneficial deal to both of us. Unless you want to die for your goddess as well, in which case I assume we wouldn’t get along."

The truth, laid bare before them. Was it enough?

"You're not a stranger to difficult choices, are you? Of doing whatever it takes to survive. Of being despised for merely being allowed to walk the earth, being judged by the choice of remaining. I'm sure you can understand my predicament."

There is a moment of silence as he gauges the truth in his words. Knowing that the influence was still over him was the only reason why Aledüne even considered trusting this mans words, but one thing still remained to be asked. After all, he was clearly not the kind of man to do anything for unselfish reasons. Not that Aledüne was much different, but at least he had loyalty and honour to consider when making his own choices. This man was clearly just looking out for himself, his survival as he has said. Either way, this cult was something to be wary off.

"Well, before I choose if I am to cooperate with you or not I am going to need to know what it is that you think you need in order to survive. How it is that you are planning on altering the ritual that Kamille and myself is going to be a part off, and what is it that you would offer me in exchange for going along with this plan of yours. Why would it benefit me to work with you instead of just killing you, right now while you are under my control and then go to save Kamille from this deplorable cultists? For that matter, WHAT is your relationship with Kamille anyway? Father? Brother? Or perhaps something else?"

His tone remains polite, but inquisitive as he phases back and forth, tapping his lips with a finger as he ponders the best thing to do. He moves to the back of the desk that belonged to this man, sitting down as if making it absolutely clear who was in control of the current situation.

"I can either be your best friend in this, or your worst enemy. And while I could simply force your hand to cooperate with me, I value free will. Those without a sound mind are rarely dependable, and right now, if I am to save Kamille... If WE are to save Kamille, we will both need to depend on each other. So yes, I will work with you."

The man squinted his eyes, and while it was obvious the situation was less than ideal for him, his cold glare made it clear he was the master of his own emotions. They may have gotten along if not for the circumstances, perhaps.

His words, even when compelled by Aledüne's vampiric allure, felt laced with poison. The vampire could be certain he was telling the truth, and yet... it didn’t feel enough to shake the feeling he was more dangerous than he looked - a snake that played dead and allowed for a predator to nibble at it, waiting just for the right moment for...

...for what?

"All the circumstances of the ritual will be beneficial to me. This place sits on an intersection between two ley-lines, so its a powerful place on its own. I will have to change some of the runes last minute, but I was already able to tamper some with my own."

This person was clearly one with an eye on the long run, as this surely didn’t look like a plan whipped up on spot. He'd been patient, garnering trust and a false sense of loyalty, and now it was the time he'd it set into motion.

No wonder he treaded that conversation with Aledüne so carefully. So much hinged on that. Aledüne had the power to ruin everything, but... He was nothing but flexible. He needed to work things out.

"Despite being able to get out of your cell, I highly doubt you'd be able to get out of this place without help. Especially if they miss me or find me dead - they are already actively looking out for you. They will double their guard and carry on with the ritual regardless. However, if I pretend I was able to capture you again, they might lower their guard... And we'll be able to get real close and take advantage of their surprise. I could put you in some mana-binding cuffs with a tainted sigil, give you the means to escape just at the right time..."

The ideas were already rolling down in his head, and as risky as that was, he seemed ready to cooperate. Not that he had much choice, really.

As Aledüne paced back and forth, his cold starry gaze followed, keeping as much dignity as he could when still being held back by his undead thrall. Then, a mischievous smile crept up his face, twisting upwards just one side of his lips. It was a malicious kind of mischief, a know-it-all smile that would have a child feel guilty.

"Ah, you noticed... She is my only daughter, so I appreciate your efforts in keeping her safe. You may call me Benethuil. I'd shake your hand if you allowed me to."

From the start, Benethuil barely put up a fight against his undead servant, but it was evident the situation was uncomfortable for him. He didn’t fidget or squirm in the slightest, only following him with his deep gaze.

"Which brings me to my question.... What are you to Milly? You seem awfully concerned with her well being..."

A slow blink, the suggestion anything but subtle.

"Either way, I'll tell you this right now: I promise, if you trust me, as is within my power, I won't let these cultists harm either of you."

"Hmm." There seems to be a question to if he would be worth trusting or not. But after a moment of silence the vampire nods. He doesn't comment of the mans motives further, as if there was a mutual understanding between the two men. Wicked though they both be, for now, and for their own reasons they did need to cooperate to get to what they wanted.

"I am not worried about my fate now that I am free, but I do have my own reasons for wanting Kamille to be safe. If you really are her father then I don't think you would want her faith to end here as she is far too precious for such a meaningless sacrifice as to that of a god. Though I am not so foolish as to ever believe you want what is best for her, but rather what you can get out of such a gem."

He gives a short look to the two undead holding him before they release him. A slight hiss escaping their lips as the violent impulses the corpse had been enchanted with wanted nothing more than to try and rip Benethuil apart.

"Benethuil, we are in agreement that we should work together." He power Aledüne has over Benethuil still remains. Trust wasn't something Aledüne did easily, especially not when his life could be in danger. Or hers...

Reaching out Aledüne offers his hand in greetings, a little bit late, but he returns to his usual pleasant tone.
"I am known as Aledüne Nevaar, and while I am likely to never trust you I will go along with your suggestion as Kamille has indeed become important to me. Though had I known she would come with such baggage I would have done well enough to leave her alone." There is a chuckle, a joke perhaps?

"But as I already find myself involved with her it seems I am bound to assist her, as I do find her remarkable. But that is all there is between us, so there is no need to pretend to be a worried father with me. We both know what you are."

"So, Daddy. How do you wish for this to go down, details. And while I am impressed by your willpower I can't help but notice that you somehow managed to escape the details of how the ritual benefits you, even if it is on a lay-line. TELL ME EVERYTHING!" The last words said would ring in Benethuil mind like a siren. Not because there was any volume to the way he spoke, but because the strong compulsion to keep his privacy clashed with the urge to spill it all. If he could withstand it once again there would be no denying the pure willpower that drove him.

His willpower was one thing, but another was that Aledüne had never met someone who was so... dangerous. Clearly a powerful man, something Aledüne was used to confronting and being around. For the third time in his life Aledüne felt unsure about how to handle someone, almost feeling inferior. And while there was no way for the man to know unless he could somehow read his dead mind, Aledüne was putting on a bravado. Unsure about the situation.

At the mention of Kamille's faith, an unpleasant grimace contorts the man's face. It's only there for half a second, and he never mentions it.

Benethuil also doesn't waste time trying to convince Aledüne of anything he is or is not, and when he is fred from the grasp of his undead servants, he doesn't even look that much relieved. With a slow, careful move, he straightens up his dark robe and brushes his hair back. Only then, he offers a firm handshake to seal their deal.

"Glad to meet you, Mr. Nevaar."

There was something unsettling in his movements - how confident they felt, yet completely devoid of any dramatic flair. Straight to the point, focused. There wasn't the slight hiccup, fidgeting or pacing.

Centered. Focused. Unbroken.

"Tsc. It doesn't break my heart what you think of me, I'm sure you know. Which is more than I can say about her. There's still time to step away if you'd like, you know. You clearly don't know much about her if you think she has any faith in the Gods. I can point you to the exit and how to overcome its wards and it won't change the course of my plan. I won't let these cultists take her, don't worry."

For a moment, Benethuil just stands there, clasping his hands behind his back, seemingly examining the man before him. The inquiring weight of his glacial gaze was vertigo inducing, one that made the hairs of ones scruff stand up. Suddenly, the thought entered Aledüne's mind.

This man was much older than he looked like.

But he was not just weighing Aledüne, as much as he was weighing his own next words.

"I'm a cursed man, Mr. Nevaar. And I don't know a way of undoing my curse yet. I know, however, how to get myself more time. Which is stealing from someone else. I assume you can figure a hub of lunatics to be a good place for that to happen."

Benethuil walked over to a desk on the corner of the room, and if it was any indication that he was terribly confident, it was the way he promptly gave Aledüne his back. For a minute or so, he started to scribble in a piece of paper what he would show Aledüne in a moment, clearly a sketch of the main chamber of the ritual, its symbols and runes.

For the next moments, Benethuil went in a painfully detailed description of the intended course of the ritual.

"They phrase it as 'the vessel' or 'borrowing her body for the goddess'... But we know there's no real intention of giving it back. The moment where the ritual can get specially unstable..."

He showed Aledüne the runes that would have to be displaced and erased. The perfect timing. The positions.

And then, he went to grab what looked like the mana binding cuffs they had when they first arrived, and slapped them on his own wrists.

"These are defective. Pay attention. You'll get rid of them like this..."

Aledüne listens, watches as the man turns his back on him, only reinforcing his impression that he should be careful. As he starts sketching he approaches and looks at the sketch and listens to his explanation. A complicated ritual, but Aledüne was skilled enough in magical theory that he knew that what the man said was true. Or at least in theory what he said made sense. Still, he was unsure if going along with this mans plans was worth it.

"You seem to have made a solid plan, I must admit that you know what you are doing." There is a pause as he makes his final decision that he will see this through. If he didn't it was going to bug him, the mystery of it all was calling out to his sense of adventure, and he couldn't deny that he did want to save Kamille.

"Very well, I will go along with your idea." He gives off a friendly glance at Benethuil as he builds up to working his charms again. A will full mind as his was something to be careful of, and so a more subtle charm in combination of the mind control should do the trick, he hoped at least.

As he shows him how to get rid of the bindings he waits until he is done before reaching out to grab Benethuil's hand in a quick handshake, with a warmth that is projected into Benethuil's mind and body. This was a friend, someone to be trusted. (1)

"Now that I am trusting you, I am sure you will do the same in return friend. After we are done with this task, we will go our seperate ways, and I will take care of Kamille for you. We are in this together, as brothers. Even if its only for tonight. Agreed?" Every word out Aledüne's mouth is thick with magic. Magic that would almost cripple the mind of lesser men, and yet anything less would be a risk he was not willing to take with this man. Hopefully the multiple enchantments would stick until this whole ordeal was over. (2)

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SPOILER: Click to show

(1) - Powerful Presence (Last application before it expires. ) = Once per topic, you may make eye contact with a target and cause them to become hypnotized by your mere presence. If you, or your target, are unable to see, this may be used similar to a touch spell. A hypnotized individual will follow your commands without question, believe everything you say, and see you or themselves as whatever you ask them to. A hypnotized individual can be induced to fear you or be charmed by you; they can be asked to do certain tasks; or coerced to believe something is real that is not with ease.

If you physically harm this individual, this effect will drop. Powerful Presence will last for three posts before the target returns to normal.

(2) - First steps = Virtuoso's who hold the Muse of Expression lay claim to a truly Charming Smile, so much so that it almost seems like they can cause compulsion in almost anyone when it comes to angling a conversation in their favour. Three times per topic you can put any one person you are speaking to under your charm, causing them to see you as a trusted friend. You can ask them to complete one favour, which they will attempt to do to the best of their ability. This favour can not force the enemy to harm themselves and the more in danger they become, the more likely it is for the ability to end. The person will remain charmed until they sustain damage or complete the favour.

SPOILER: Click to show