3 Days Remain: ‘Friendship’

[Mari]

"Take me in a heartbeat?" Amari repeated, her head still buried in the book. She scoffed."Go ahead. Strike me down. Kill me. What would that achieve exactly? Would it really make you feel better in the long run?" Amari asked. Glancing briefly up at Philomel. "Get...Veriden, was it? To rip out my throat. All that will achieve is a bloodied Library, and another death upon your hands." Amari shut the book with a snap.

"Thing is, Philomel..." She mused. Amari didn't know Philomel, but she didn't seem like the type to just let loose and sink her blade into something. The woman had an air about her that Amari couldn't describe. Philomel felt familiar, as though the energy that radiated from her was something Amari had known for a long time. Yet, this faun, this creature was a complete stranger. "I think you're better than that. Smarter than that. For all the talk - you're just as frustrated as I am. So, to save us both our blood. Let's end this pissing contest, we aren't brutes."

Amari turned her attention to the bookshelf. Half hoping her words had eased the tension between the two; and half hoping that Philomel would wander off to bother some other patron.

"You're not a human, are you?"

Amari's hand stilled. Resting on the back of yet another book in her fruitless search. The question caught her off guard. Amari was expecting more heated words. A retaliation, a sword to her side, a slap to her face. Anger. What she was not expecting was the whispered question from the faun.

"I don't know." Amari admitted. Equally as quiet. Her eyes fell. She hated it. She hated feeling so powerless, not knowing exactly what she was. She knew that her soul wasn't human, but as to what it was. She hadn't had a clue. She didn't know where to start. Madison was aiding her in this seemingly fruitless search - but Amari wanted to take things in her own hands. "I am human. Physically." She stressed the word as she glanced back up at Philomel, who was holding a book tightly in her hands. "Why do you ask?" She snapped. Amari instantly regretted the tone she used, seeing the faun's ears press back against her head. Her grey eyes focused on Amari.

Amari sighed. "Sorry." She muttered, glancing away. "Look. Philomel it's been..." She paused. Unsure of how to put their exchange. "Different... but I am a busy woman. Again. If you don't have any real business with me. I ask you to leave me be." She said, this time with less venom. Her tone exasperated. She was done with the bitterness. She had no real qualm with the woman. Despite her stubborn and self righteous attitude.

If anything, under different circumstances - Amari suspected that her and the odd faun-like woman may have been...not entirely friends, but far more amicable toward each other.

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

The man Shinsou recognised as Vaeron stood alone by the library entrance, arms curled up as he leant against the timber doorframe. His question preceded a glance of stout curiosity regarding the Telgradian’s sudden appearance here. It wasn’t just that, though, that puzzled the man. Vaeron could feel the cold seeping into his bones from the draft through his clothes and the frosty wood nestling in his back, which caused him to shiver a little, but the enigmatic Osiris seemed to suffer no such ill effects from the harsh Salvarian climate.

“It’s been a while, Vaeron,” Shinsou replied, acknowledging his mutual acquaintance with a light nod. “It seems our paths often cross at the strangest of times. I know I can trust you, but to tell you why I’m here might require a little bit of explanation.”

The Telgradian, broad as he was tall, had an odd frost tint to his usually golden eyes. There was a calmness within him that wasn’t present in their previous meetings. They stood alone in the cold, and Vaeron listened, and he learned. He listened to Shinsou discussing why he was in Salvar, of how his hunting of slavers had led to his meeting with Amari. He learned of how the redhead’s soul was something not of this world, and that she was supposed to be in the care of the Brotherhood encampment in the northern wastes. He pondered the underlying tension in Osiris’s voice as the man explained what he had sensed in the cave, and wondered what caused them to harbour the concern he did.

“To be frank,” Shinsou explained, putting the finishing touches to his tale, “I’d be ready for anything. There is a great deal of darkness swelling inside her; a fractured feeling that wasn’t present the last time we met. The reason I’m telling you all this is because I have no idea what Amari is capable of. The girl I met was damaged; barely alive and broken, but there weren’t any negative energies like there are now. There’s no telling what has happened for her to not be in the Brotherhood’s care anymore.”

He watched as Vaeron’s eyes pierced through him as though he never existed. Osiris knew the man was already thinking about enforcing Philomel’s safety as his eyes fixated in smouldering anger upon the door of the library.

“Vaeron, we must be careful. There is no guarantee that Amari is hostile. Philomel can handle herself. If we go in there and take an aggressive approach, we could be doing more harm than good. Besides,” Shinsou cautioned, “I’m just here to investigate.”

After a moment of consideration, and wondering whether or not his loyalty to Philomel outweighed the opinions of a mere acquaintance, Vaeron nodded to signify he understood. Shinsou supposed he admired the archer’s loyalty to the faun and the Gilded Lily, and even the respect he had showed the Telgradian. Truly, Philomel had chosen her guardians wisely.

“You do your mistress a great service, friend. Let’s see just what in the blue hell this is all about. ”

Shinsou had fought the undead in the toxic red forests of Lindqualme, had partaken in the conflicts of deities on the desolate island of Lornius and hunted slavers through the unforgiving tundra of Salvar, but nothing made him quite as nervous as this situation and what it spelt for Philomel and Amari, as well as what might have happened to the Brotherhood contingent who had been looking after her. As his hand rested on the door, Shinsou questioned whether he had made the right decision to place Amari with his men. Even as doubts zipped around his mind, the Telgradian reasoned he could still hold on to that integrity. He had done everything a man could reasonably have been expected to.

Hadn’t I?

He felt the tension crest as he opened the door, Vaeron in tow, and entered.

[Philomel]

Certainly there was no way she was just going to leave.

Philomel had found something interesting, and she wanted it. Veridian could just feel the passion fueling her, beating through her system, making her heart soar and her non-existant wings flutter. Eyes animatedly widened, fixating on the red-haired girl ... no beauty that was angling her way down the aisles, ignoring the fact that the faun had proclaimed something and been found right.

The plain truth was within this book, the one Red had barely glanced at and had dismissed as if it had no matter in the grand scheme of things. Or perhaps she had never seen the actual pages, merely glanced and registered the fact the faun was holding such a device, and not taking in the illustration that was indeed slightly angled away from her.

This was the version of events that Philomel liked the most, and thus she accepted them as truth and neared the girl again. The book she closed mostly, swapping it to a single hand and inserting her forefinger to hold open the page. Thumb and remaining fingers held the tome steadily as she opened her mouth to engage fully in conversation, listening to the words, the change in tone, the (dare she accept or mention it) apology. Intake of breath was summoned, eyes blinked to begin the first phonem, but then -

Movement. Footsteps.

Her eyes glanced to the right and her breath caught in her throat. Lodged there, like an uncomfortable cough, wriggling its way into personal insanity.

The first reaction of hers was to tell him off. For the furst figure she was, striding up the corridor, albeit uncertainly, was Vaeron, the very man she had been sure to tell to wait outside. Having come only with him was a risk, but a risk worth taking. Vaeron after all was her closest ally in the war against all foes, the one who stayed close by her and actually had enough respect for herself and himself to want to be near her, to serve her, yet also had his own point of view that he was not afraid to ever communicate.

But her first reaction was quickly overtaken by another. For he was not alone. For a second man - the second man in Philomel's life was currently walking up behind her compadre and had eyes of brilliance gazing at her. At them. At both her and Amari, the red girl.

A man Philomel knew very well and who should certainly not be here. Definitely not in the plans.

Not in the grand scheme of this endevour.

She stared back and shouted, incredulous.

"Shin?" she asked, "What in Drys' name are you doing here?"

[Mari]

"You're not leaving are you?" Amari said, defeated as Philomel simply looked upon her with more interest. "If you insist. Let's just get a cup of tea somewhere. I don't think what I am loking for is he...r...e..." she trailed off, hearing Philomel mention a name Amari had burried deep within herself long ago.

"S-shin...? Shinsou?" Amari asked. She took a step back, seeing him here...It had been almost two years since she last saw him. Since she gripped his hands tightly with promises of admitting everything to him. That was before though...her brows furrowed and she glanced from Philomel to Shinsou, then to the other man.

"So this was a trap..." She muttered bitterly, feeling foolish for allowing her guard to fall in front of Philomel. "You're all together, hah..." She rose her hand to her forehead, shaking it in disbelief. Her voice cracked as she struggled to cope with the various emotions that bubbled up to the surface. Heartache, betrayal, loss..."So you've finally come to kill me then Shinsou?" Amari asked.

"What? Amari...no..." Shinsou pushed past both Vaeron and Philomel, reaching out to grasp her wrist. Amari froze at the action. Her body tensing. "What makes you think I'd want to...kill you?" His own voice sounded just as pained.

"What?" Amari tried to jerk away, but he tightened his grip. Adamant that he'd get his answers. "How about I show you?" Amari turned to face Shinsou. Placing her hands on either side of his head, her thumbs resting on his temples.

"Drys-shit!" She faintly heard Philomel swear; but the following moments faded away as she forced Shinsou Van Osiris to relive her memories, as though he were experiencing them in her body. He'd feel everything she felt, he'd see everything she saw..

-------------------------------------

I gripped Shinsou's hands tighter. He was leaving again, I didn't want him to go. I wanted him to stay. My heart ached and I wasn't entirely sure why. It was heavy with the knowledge that I wouldn't know when I'd see him again. I wanted to tell him. I wanted to tell him what I felt, ask whim why I felt what I felt. I wanted to tell him that I wanted to kiss him, and fall asleep to the steady sound of his heartbeat. Instead, I offered him a smile.

"I'll see you when you return."

"Same to you, Amari." He said with a smile, ruffling his hand though my hair. He boarded the ship, and it took every ounce of willpower I had not to collapse to my knees crying.

FLASH

David threw me against the bed with the entirety of his strength. I struggled to roll away, falling to the floor. "Please!" I cried out, tears spilling over my cheeks. "Leave me alone! Leave me alone and I won't tell anyone! Just go David...don't do this."

He laughed in my face and a feeling of dread hit the pit of my stomach as he loomed over me. His shirtless form glistening in the pale moonlight. Shinsou said I was safe here...I thought I was safe here. So why...what drove David to this? "Please..." I choked. "No can do, sweetheart." He leaned down and picked me up by my wrist. It hurt, but not as much as the sinking, defeated pain I felt in my chest. He pressed me up against the wall, and I felt his hand explore my body. I wrenched my head away..

"You're a virgin, right?" He asked me. I refused to answer. He chuckled darkly. "You'll learn to love this. I'll teach you all sorts of things." He loosened his grip on my wrist, distracted he started to unbuckle his pants. I jerked my hand away and gave him a hard push, he stumbled and fell. Right out the two storey window. He gave a startled scream and there was a sickening snap.

"D..Dave..." I was afraid to look. Afraid to see what I had done.


---------------

The exchange must have looked strange to onlookers, Amari stood with fingers pressed against his head. Shinsou's legs buckled and he fell to his knees. Tears dotted his eyes. "Amari..." he breathed, "Stop..." But she didn't.

-------------------


FLASH

Sampson shook his head. "Shinsou's going to have your head for this." Those words...I couldn't believe them. "Y...you lie." Sampson shook his head again. "You love him, right Amari?"

My breath caught in my throat, was that what I was feeling? My face must have given it away. I felt his hand rest on my shoulder, I instantly recoiled. Last nights ordeal still fresh in my mind. "Amari, he doesn't love you. He's a bit of a notorious playboy. I've seen how you two act. You pull away from any sort of physical interaction. He's grown bored of you. With the death of David - he'll have to execute you."

I curled myself into a ball. Silent sobs wracked my body. I didn't want to believe it, but Sampson had always been there for me. He had never lied, not once.

"W-what do I do...Sampson..."

"Leave. I'll ensure you have supplies and clothing. Go to Knife's Edge. Create a new life for yourself." He offered me an odd smile. "Go get your things."

Flash

I had written a letter. Or tried to. I told Shinsou I loved him. That I was sorry for everything, how afraid I was. How I just couldn't face death right now. I gave it to Sampson, who promised he would give it to Shinsou. I offered him a smile. "Thank you..." I hugged Sampson goodbye and made my way toward Knifes Edge in the cold, dead of night.

I had walked for some time, and paused to take out rations from the pack.

It dawned on me as I stared down at the pile of rocks in the pack.

Sampson had sent me to my death.

FLASH

My vision was blurry, I stared first at Aurelianus, who had torn off another section of my flesh with nothing but his bare hand. I writhed, making the bloodless flaying more painful. I shrieked, unable to process the sheer pain that wracked my bleeding body.

My eyes shifted to Lichensith Ulroke, who sat leaning over a chair covered in strips of my flesh. A small grin across his features.

I gave another scream; the deep throbbing burn of the lacerations in my leg; the nettling fire of being peeled one bit at a time. Even the cool air still managing to slither into the room despite the doors being closed... it was too much...



------

Shinsou had started screaming, feeling everything. Feeling his own flesh being peeled from his body. Feeling the heartache and pain, feeling his mind crack. Amari didn't stop. That was, until she was forced to. Shinsou gave a gasp of air as Amari's hands were wrenched from his forehead.

Vaeron's blade had found it's way to her side, blood seeped from the wound. Amari blinked, trying to place where she was. She too had been reliving the memories, and wasn't entirely with it. Before she could make heads or tails of the situation, she felt a sharp blow to the back of her head, and her world went dark.

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

Shinsou awoke to the sound of feet stepping all around him. Hazy murmurs and fragments of conversation drifted in the air, but his mind was too confused to make sense of it all. Groaning softly, he wiped a sore hand across his eyes, and blinked several times.

He was still in the library.

Rubbing his head, Osiris took the time to assess the situation in more detail: He was still in his clothes, but his skin itched like hell and his skull thumped with a resounding headache. He couldn't feel the familiar weight of Shira hidden in his coat, or his coat at all. In fact, upon further inspection, his greatcoat was on the other side of the room, crumpled in a pile. The only thing keeping him comfortable against the harsh Salvic cold was his endurance to ice. More to the point, he was surrounded by people; specifically, Vaeron, Philomel and an unconscious Amari, who looked as if she had been wounded. She seemed to be clinging to his coat as if her life depended on it, blood from her wound staining the white fabric.

“What the fuck happened?”

One by one, the memories started to piece themselves together. Amari, whom he had assumed was in the care of the Brotherhood as he had left her two years ago, had made some ridiculous accusation about him trying to kill her. Shinsou was completely baffled by this. Before he could muster up a single question, the redhead had settled, for a manic moment, on showing Shinsou her past forcibly. Then, he had seen it all; David, Samson, the letter…

Aurelianus and Lichensith…

He had heard those names before; names associated with the dreaded Crimson Hand. They were enemies of the Gilded Lily and the faun, Philomel. Now, it looked like they had made another enemy in Amari. As he got to his knees, with so many thoughts to pick apart and contend with, Shinsou could feel the corruption in her frothing. Was this the work of the Crimson Hand?
Was this what he was responsible for?

The thought occurred to him that if Amari had truly been tortured and corrupted this badly in two years, the Brotherhood, even he, was directly responsible for it. He had left her in their care. He had been the one that had abandoned her to the camp, no matter the reasoning at the time. All this was because of him. Yet, what more could the Telgradian have done? His father’s arrival at the camp had forced his hand. Shinsou had to lead the Council of Five away from Amari, or else risk putting her in grave danger. It was then he remembered Samson’s lies.

There will be fucking murders when I get back to Whitevale. I’ll have Storm shallow fry the bastard!

It was then that his thoughts, and eyes, wandered to Philomel and Vaeron. He grimaced as he shook his head.

“I have no idea what you are doing here, Phi, but things have gotten a little bit out of hand. She showed me everything. Right now, Amari is supposed to be in the care of the Brotherhood in the northern wastes,” Shinsou explained, “But it would appear that the men there betrayed us. That has led to the unfortunate situation we find ourselves in now. Amari found herself at the mercy of the Crimson Hand which, again I assume, has led to this."

Shinsou strained forward onto his knees, spitting a bit with every other word. "I've fought monsters, I've killed people and I have even felled empires, but never have I felt the corrosion I feel within her body at this moment.” The Telgradian finished with a slump, hanging his head and sputtering for air. It felt as if the will to live had been sucked right out of him, but then he locked eyes once more with the beautiful faun. He had forgotten how much he had missed her. It had been such a long time since they had last met. There they sat for a time, almost like they had so many things to say to each other that they couldn't find words for any of it. It was true in some ways.

"Philomel..." Shinsou asked, "...what do you know about two men called Aurelianus and Lichensith?"

[Philomel]

Naturally, the first thing she had done was panic.

When a relative stranger that you yourself have been hunting down comes forth and presents herself as a threat, the first thing to do is be wary and on guard. Philomel, being Philomel, had acted with equal threat, and indeed, she had actually considered asking Delath up here to burst into the library and cause a raucous just because. But then there had been the book. And then Vaeron had come in. And then-

No relative stranger, no matter how interesting, is allowed to harm a friend of Philomel van der Aart, Matriarch of the Gilded Lily, mistress of the night. So when 'Red' had placed her hands forwards and basically caused him to go into severe heart palpations ... well.

She had acted. And nodded to Vaeron. A swift flash of the Kraken, his holy and blessed long dagger and Red had been distracted, and released Shinsou. A few more nano-seconds later and Philomel's own elbow had been plunged into the back of the neck - getting the plagus nerve that leads directly to the brain.

Then Shinsou was released. And then she had the chance to finally round him and get a fucking answer as to why the hell he was here and how the hell he knew that bitch -

Cut off. Thoughts, prepared words, feelings. All slammed into a wall as Philomel froze, two names slipping out from Shinsou's curved lips.

"What do you know about ..."

Pause and breathe.

"Aurelianus and Lichensith."

Those bastards.

At the mention of the names four things happened. Four creatures stirred and four noises were made. Veridian, still curled around Philomel's shoulders drew back his upper lip and let out a fierce, hateful hiss, claws extending to dig into the neck piece of Philomel's chest guard, and tail danergously twitching. Vaeron, still with indigo blade naked in the flickering library illumination, tutted in a dark way and narrowed his eyes over to where Amari now lay, unconcious by the faun's touch. Then there was the faun herself, fists suddenly clenched, confusion more than anything ablaze and passion stirring within her breast, as she began to let out a string of curses. Finally, there was the fourth of the party, a mighty, but low rumble, coming up from the bowels of the very foundations beneah them, a thunder of empathetic voice granted solely for the benefit of his lady mistress.

"What did she show you?" she suddenly demanded, knowing now, naturally, that this bitch had done some sort of mind-alerting spell over Shinsou with her fingers of glory on his temples. "What she say about them?"

Vaeron stepped forwards towards the girl, blade up and ready in case she was actually awake and might stir. He bent down and began to, without any orders or suggestion from anyone, grab a length of his robe and tear it into a long strip. Leaping from her shoulders Veridian saved his anger for now and jumped next to the mage to guard him less anything might happen as he prepared to bind this obviously dangerous new threat.

Philomel's attention, however, was on Shinsou and his recent ordeal. And his words.

"They are ... old friends of mine. Aurelianus is a demon, never to be underestimated, and Lichensith is a ... well a man, and he has power over this one. I tracked Amari here because she is his new toy, and I will have her as mine, as one of my girls and under my influence no matter what you plan to do or anything. I want her, and I need her as a weapon against him because our history ... our ... past ..." Her heart beat fast, her breathing was ragged. She was losing it. The book was slipping from under her arm. Her anger was getting the better of her and -

Breathe. Know. Be who you are.

Her teeth grated. And she felt Delath begin to come to the surface of the earth, though unbidden, but deperate to protect his mistress.

"What you need to be aware of is I was not always in power. I did not always have my own power, Shinsou vaan Osiris. I was once a pawn, like you were when you first came here, like we both are, in a way, for the Brotherhood. And the kings that ruled my life where Aurelianus Drak'Shal and Lichensith Ulroke. But things happened, things came to be, and I rose with my power. I was granted the ability, by Drys and by fate, to become who you know me as, Matriarch of a great army. And as their paths faded, mine became clear. They became lost with the murmurs and rumours of time so that I could shine like a bright star."

She paused. She raised her chin and stared directly into his eyes.

"They are the torturer and once proud master of the assassin's guild, and now they are planning to bring back the old court from the dead.

"They are my old allies but they have also been my enemies. They are not to be trusted."

[Mari]

Heartache is a funny thing, it has a way of sneaking up on us. Making us do drastic and often dangerous things. I acted irrationally, but how could I not? I saw him and everything else just...didn't exist. In those few moments I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around him and hear his heartbeat against mine. Then came my Masters warnings, then the realisation that the man I thought I had loved wanted me dead. He wanted to rip my head from my body and cast it upon a pike, and I don't think even my revival would aid me in such a predicament.

The group discussed shifting to a more private locale, an Inn above a pub Philomel suggested. A place she knew where it was safe from prying eyes and enemies of the Brotherhood and the Gilded Lily.

Vaeron scooped her up into his arms. Amari's eyes fluttered. She shifted and groaned. "Sh-Shinsou..." The name that left her lips was spoken as though she were rolling over to embrace him. Lilting with tones of forgotten love, desire, and heartfelt memories. Her head pressed into Vaeron's chest, and she clutched Shinsou's jacket tighter against her form. Refusing to let go, even in a state of unconsciousness.

A few hours had passed, before Amari finally stirred. She groaned as she lifted her head. The room was dark. Her memories were slowly recollecting themselves. "Where...am..." She had been in the library...then that strange goat lady had a conversation with her. Amari had begun to let her guard down, then....

Then....

Shinsou had appeared, it was an ambush. They all clearly knew each other.

"Shit..." Amari muttered, she could feel the wound at her side. They had attacked. Amari pulled, and realised she had been tightly bound by an oddly smooth, silken rope. The hushed voices in the room fell silent. Amari tilted her head, she was greeted with darkness. A blindfold. Amari took a few deep breaths, allowing herself to calm down.

"I'm surprised I still have my head." Amari muttered calmly. "I must hand it to you, Philomel - you almost had me fooled."

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

A little dizzy from the experience of Amari hijacking his mind, and still a bit tired from the effects of his extensive training in Salvar, Shinsou listened carefully as Philomel explained her own situation, her ponderings, and her history with Aurelianus and Ulroke. That the pair had not just caused havoc in Amari's life but also caused the faun a considerable amount of distress in hers did not sit well with the Telgradian. He was starting to build a picture of the types of people - if they even qualified as people - he would be dealing with. They were beneath him; the type of unquestionable evil that Osiris strove to wipe out, but they were also members of the feared Crimson Hand. Any action would provoke a reaction.

“The Crimson Hand is a sophisticated syndicate. Aurelianus and Ulroke will be well protected, and their guards won't be the same idiots that I’ve handled pretty easily elsewhere in Althanas. They'll be heavier hitting and loyal to a fault. For now, until I have a bit more intelligence about their operations, I'll have to cool it. Besides, we have another problem.”

He gestured to the form of Amari, who was bound and wounded in the corner. She looked almost resigned to her fate - as if she were expecting to die at any second. Or was she just calm and without fear? Shinsou couldn't tell - her soul was so muddled with different energies it was impossible to read the girl.

"Amari..."

The Telgradian scrambled to find the right words, cognizant of the cold atmosphere around the triumvate that drove urgency into the matter of why they were all there. The simple explanation was the truth, and the truth was about as believable as any lie. Shinsou eyed Amari's face for weaknesses but his keen vision couldn’t pick up enough from her stoic expression. She was unreadable.

“I'm not here to kill you, Amari. Listen to me. After Telos took me from the base in the northern wastes, I trained with him. I managed to evade the Council of Five thanks to him, but if I had gone back..." He kept his gaze fixed at the woman, "I don’t know what would have happened. They would have come there for me. They would have found you and you'd be dead. My father knew this; that's why he took me far away. ”

Everything came to him faster than he could communicate, and Osiris was wary about bombarding her with too much information.

“Let me simplify. I had to stay away to keep you alive. I finished my training a day ago and sensed something was wrong with you, so I came to investigate. I didn't know what Philomel and Vaeron are here for, but we go way back. She's an affiliate of the Brotherhood too. As for Samson..."

A frown crossed his face. Discretion always proved the better part of valor.

“He's a dead man when I get back. He's played you for a fool.”

It sounded crazy. The whole thing sounded ridiculous but it was as close to the truth as it could be.

“The only person who owns control of your situation is you. I don't know what's happened to you because you only showed me what happened at the camp. I need to know what the hell happened to you.”

The different possibilities bounced around his head as Shinsou considered what might have occured. Corrosion, corruption and darkness of this intensity was far beyond what he had sensed from any single entity on Althanas since his arrival. Yet, he sensed no evil. It was as if she had been tainted.

As the snow beat down about the building, Shinsou took a deep breath into his lungs and let the cool air calm him from the inside. The smooth buzz settled his muddled brain, relaxing the paranoia and crazed hypotheticals, and waited for some sort of explanation.

[Philomel]

Her arms folded as she leaned back, considering Shinsou before her. As he spoke she felt slightly moved, the same way she had always done whenever their paths had crossed. That time in the battlefield, when he had just appeared. That other time when they had crossed swords in order to test her metal. Then those few conversations, at night, by the ships, walking down the harbour shoulder to shoulder, speaking of times gone by, about their past lives and who they were and who they wanted to be and ...

Gaze switched over to Vaeron. He was sitting on a bench with Amari's head on one leg, a hand cautiously still over his trusted indigo knife. Even though she was completely bound, and in a most gorgeous way too, there was still a possibility that her magic could get out of her. One touch of her hand on the sea-mage's flesh and disaster could be spelled out. In his blood.

Philomel grew restless at this idea and after Shinsou had finished his calm words with the Amari girl, the faun gave simple orders. Vaeron grunted and lifted up the girl's form to move away from her, leaving her to rest there by herself. Hands tied up behind her back, and from there the rope continued around her form at shoulders, torso (taking the arms into account too), thighs and legs with ankles bent around and up and ... like a neat little package. Just like some men like their girls delivered. Just like some girls liked to be delivered.

Coughing away her distraction, Philomel took up a stance of a straight back and addressed the girl herself.

"As I said I am Philomel van der Aart, and I am actually offended you have not heard of me. I was once the Master of Secrets in the Crimson Hand, and had a large stake in it alongside Aurelianus and Madison. When Ulroke was their slave," she sucked on her tongue a little, her lips curling into a sly smile. "That was the past. Before the fall of the Hand, before its current attempt to rise, I was there, alongside them. Then things fell apart and thus I had to strike out on my own. I am the Matriarch of the Gilded Lily, the greatest society that shall be known to the world."

She paused and looked over to Shinsou who smiled a little at her. Obviously he could not resist. "My history with you is since you met me as Matriarch of the Lilies. Before then ... well I was one of them. I was probably like her," she gestured at Amari, at 'Red,' "confused about myself, just a lowly assassin and spy, working my way through the world. But then the Crimson Hand. Well it fell apart. Some of them call me traitor - hell, there was even a war declared against me and my ladies by them at one point, Vaeron will attest to this ..." Leaning against the wall now Vaeron nodded formally, his inability to smile making him look morose.

"Well. That is that. Now they are back, apparently, and I came here seeking this young woman to see what exactly Ulroke was up to. I am here to save her. To save her from making the same mistakes I did. So the Crimson Hand is back on the rise - well I plan to show them how I have risen also," she breathed in tightly, and raised her chin. "I think declaring war is perhaps unnecessary, Shinsou, my dear, for there is not much to really fault them for except perhaps the torture of a few, and they did do good in the past ... but. But -"

She stopped him before he could say anything, "But, know this. My loyalities with them are extremely fragile now, and with good persuasion I will go with you."

[Mari]

Philomel prattled on about how she was offended Amari hadn't heard of her...again. Whatever small nuance of respect Amari had for the purple haired faun had disappeared and was replaced with sheer annoyance at how egotistically self absorbed she sounded. "You keep harpin' on about who you are - but frankly, I don't fuckin' give a damn who you are or what the Gilded Lily is. I don't give a fuckin' shit about your pissin' contest with my Master or what qualms you two had in the past." Amari tried to pull on the rope but it did little. The rope pressed tighter against her skin, forcing various curves and body parts to become more accentuated. The rounds of her milken breasts spilled out from over her shirt, and the parts of rope that were tightly against more..erogenous areas rubbed up against her. Amari huffed, her cheeks becoming slightly flushed at the mild sensations that erupted in the pit of her belly. "I don't need to be saved. I am willingly serving as Master Ulrokes right hand." Amari muttered, seemingly more subdued then she was mere minutes ago. She stopped pulling on the binds to alleviate the pressure on her skin. "Trapping me here to 'save me' won't do you, nor I any favours."


Amari was still blindfolded. Her world dark, but she had gotten a better grasp on where the two stood in the room. She shifted her head between Shinsou and Philomel. Shinsou sounded pained and concerned. His words erupted in rushed and hurried tones. If Amari didn't know any better she'd swear he was on the verge of crying. A part of her heart ached to hear him so unsettled. He'd always been so very composed. "I was a fool... " Amari whispered, lowering her head. Tendrils of crimson hair spilled over her nude shoulders and tickled her skin. "So you only came back because you thought there was something wrong with me?" Amari asked as she bit back a quivering lip. Why did the question hurt? Why was she afraid of the answer? Feelings she thought were long since dead began to resurface and Amari did not like it. "I loved you, but I was nothing more than eye candy to you, was I?" Amari laughed bitterly. It was easier to distance herself than to allow herself to feel anything.

"I'll tell you, Shinsou." Amari said in a low tone between deep breaths as she tried to get a handle on her short temper. "But first, I expect to be untied. Be damned if I am going to sit here and let you two..." she paused, "...Salivate over me being bound like some sort of peep show."