“You took sweet fucking time,” Vindrexis shrugged away from the wall he had been standing and started towards me. For a moment I held him in my eyes before I stopped five feet from the throne and settled into a bow.

“My lords,” I murmured.

Sabazios shifted a little, his fat barely covered by the deep blue fabric that was wrapped around him. His eyes glanced from me to Vindrexis, who came stalking closer. For a moment longer kept in my bow, before straightening and turning my black eyes on the half-god. His white hair was pulled back from his face with the familiar grey strip of fabric. Slowly he came towards me, arms folded still, coming down the dais until he was less than a foot. Those glorious bronze eyes stared at mine, and he narrowed his eyes before grunting and pulling away.

“Report?”

For a moment I blinked before I realised he wanted news of my mission. “I crippled the city, my lord,” I said, spinning my eyes back to look at Sabazios as Vindrexis began to circle me. “They were near starving when I left and - I killed the kenku.”

A breath suddenly sucked in near my elbow. The white haired godling appeared at my other side and it took strength to not jump. “You killed her - the other one?” His eyebrows were raised. Then he sighed. “Idiot, you were supposed to get her alive. Stupid idiot of a-” and he continued to curse me as he slapped a hand across the back of my head.

I blinked, but made no other gesture as the pain resounded around my head - mostly because I was used to such things. Agony was just part of my undead life, after all. So I stood there, unmoving, simply blinking as he vented his anger through the use of colourful words.

“Nevermind, at least he will be weaker without her,” he waved a hand and came around to my front. “What I want to know is what the girl is?”

Ah yes, McKinley. She was in my room with some hope, and so out of sight. I lifted my naginata into more of a saluting position as I looked to Vindrexis. “My lord, she is a musician. A …” I could not say friend. That was far too fast. I was not too sure if I had any right now. “A recent acquaintance. She ... “ I paused, knowing already that Vindrexis could not read my mind and thus I could lie to him. “She wanted to meet the most noble lords,” I inclined my heads to them one after the other, “But - she wants to be able to leave here.”

There was a pause in his step and a sound of his boot scraping along the ground. Vindrexis paused, and then grinned, his marvellously endearing smile spreading from cheek to cheek. His expression went kind, gentle and eerily inviting.

“Of course she will be able to leave,” he said in a soft, warm voice. “Lead on.”

He gestured with a hand that uncoupled from his fold. WIth a glance to Sabazios I received a simple nod as communication to the demon, and then I bowed again before turning. Picking the spear off the floor I started off, dimly aware of Vindrexis following close behind. Sabazios had said nothing, but that was not unusual. Between the two of them Vindrexis was the mouthpiece, the idea creator and the brains. The demon lord … this was his land. His men. They each had authority over me and in vain I tried to treat them both the same, but I knew Vindrexis was truly the one who directed many things. After all, he was clever and brilliant. He had come to Sabazios to show him the truth of the way of things, and help him purge his followers, guiding him into the way of how things should be in the world, and leaving the past behind.

Gods, after all, I knew now, should always be in charge.