Duskmantle

[Requiem of Insanity]

“Don’t worry, Jensen!” The immortal said flatly as he mocked the voice of Sei. Well, what his interpretation was anyway, since the man was a telepath. “You’ll find it quick enough!” Jensen observed the box one more time and looked to each detail of the intricate box. He opened the lid, found a small ballerina in a white dress with a little violet flower stitched into the side. She twirled back and forth as he jiggled the box, and with a snap that echoed in the halls he shut the case and continued forwards.

Jensen sighed as he held the music box in hand, looking around the caves of the old underground tomb. Most of the place had been renovated, but some sections had been left to rot for the rest of time. Jensen had no clue what to do or look for as he made his way into the undeveloped section of the tomb. Construction supplies was still left from when the teams were preparing to dig out another barracks for the ever growing army, but at that point the Ixian Knights had located their castle. How in the hell a castle as big as the one they lived in remained secret for so long was another one of those Sei mysterious that just make no sense.

But then again neither did this mission. In the cave space where there was no room, in a structure that was never built, meets the team that doesn't exist, led by a woman who was dead.

“Yeah Sei, easy…” Jensen muttered as he looked to the halls and dropped the box off on a stone alter with flowers for a deceased soul. “How I wish you were dead, mi’lady Remi.” Jensen built up spit, let it go upon the tombstone that was erected behind the alter, and then angrily turned the key to the music box. As the music echoed in the halls Jensen couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease he felt. Thinking wisely he trotted away back to the real world.

And a bat hovered over him, landing upon the music box and smiled.

[Requiem of Insanity]

“Laconic, how is the latest batch of Blood Sire coming?” Cassandra called out over the bubbling sounds of multiple vats being taken into root. The robot servant of Cassandra Remi looked to the pot, made a few whirring sounds, and then looked back to her with a shrug.

“I can already conclude based on batch twenty seven’s progress notes that we stirred in to much Spider Root. The batch is ruined.” Laconic lifted his hand to the pot and tossed it the large cauldron in the center of Cassandra’s new work area. Now that Sei had moved the majority of his army to the castle the underground tomb became her domain. She sectioned off far more rooms and turned one of training dojo’s that belonged to Sensei Hotorui into her new laboratory. Where once incense was the only smell, it was now replaced by noxious fumes and intoxicating, exotic smells.

“Damn the Thaynes!” Cassandra cursed. Before the robot could reply she shot him a quick glance. “Yes, yes, I am well aware that the Thaynes have no ventured interest in my poisons and damning them doesn’t do anything but massage my own ego!” She spat. “Considered it massaged, and get back to starting a new batch!” Laconic looked to the shelf at the end of the room. ‘

“We have insufficient resources,” Laconic told her in a chirping voice. Cassandra angrily turned to the robot again after stirring in a few ingredients to her latest poison she was wanting to try. “Doing a diagnostics on Inventory.” Laconic’s eyes began to move quickly over each shelf in her laboratory.

“Cut the computer bullshit!” Cassandra bellowed. She slapped a hand to her face and sighed deeply. How much she longed for the days when she was by herself. No clingy daughter, no asinine robot, no bat named Dizzy, no Seth Dahlios! Just her and her love. She thought about those olden days with fondness, feeling the warmth of memory lane filter into her thoughts. She then started to feel cold, her perfect memories fragmenting into screams and blood with flashes of her father’s face.

A month ago Cassandra Remi had been on a hunt for a woman who she thought was playing games with her. When she was ready to finish off her prey a dark cobweb from her past was revealed, and her father chained her to a table and performed a ritual to grant him immortality. The wounds, now long healed since then, still left phantom pains, and the worst part of it all was the feeling of watching her Dark Twisted Love leave her. Cassandra’s Dark Companion had fled from Jebb Remi, and she hadn’t felt his presence in forever.

“We’ll simply go and purchase new supplies for the latest batches! Take money from the coffers Laconic, and return with what we need.” The robot nodded and headed for the locked chest at the back of the room, his finger turning into a small key that unlocked the chest. When he opened it the robot’s metal fist jiggled the coins before slamming it shut.

“Insufficient funds.” The robot’s tone was neutral as he turned to Cassandra. “Could this perchance be because the Midnight Meanie has had funds revoked by Lord Sei Orlouge?” Laconic was smiling, despite the neutrality of his face. Cassandra rolled her eyes as the robot used his nickname for Cassandra, as the robot found absolutely not a shred of fear in any of her abilities. Cassandra was thinking of a retort, but Aerith had spoken up before Cassandra could.

“Yes,” She said honestly. “And now it’s our team that suffers!” Laconic shrugged to the daughter of Cassandra Remi, her red hair tied into a tight ponytail and tucked into the back of her black shirt. Cassandra sighed again.

“Keep stirring the pots, I’ll go through the usual channels to ask Sei for more requisition. I’ll need to hide most the materials under medical terminology and all that jargon. Aerith, have you mastered Aislinn Orlouge’s signature yet?” With a hesitant shake of her head her daughter reluctantly told her no. “It’s alright, dear. I’ll just have to steal another of her sheets before they get picked up again is all.” Laconic looked to them both.

“Must we deal with secrecy? Why do we not have our own requisition forms?” The robot inquired. It took two weeks to break the robot of the habit of using the words Query, before starting a question. Cassandra thought about her answer.

“I’m dead, Laconic. How do you think the army will feel to see that a dead person is asking for ingredients to what could only be assume poison to help aid a team designed to remain in the dark? Remember, we are not true Ixian Knights. We don’t exist.” Cassandra said smugly. Laconic looked to her, and then shrugged again.

“I find humanity frustrating at times. Very well, Midnight Meanie, you can continue to play your games.” Cassandra was about to retort when she heard the flutter of wings down the hall. She looked to the flying form of the bat named Dizzy, and the creature bounced up and down before clinging to Aerith’s shoulder and smiling as she nuzzled with the fell creature.

“Mind his lice!” Cassandra said.

“Do not!” Dizzy shot back.

“You have two small infestations growing upon-”

“Shut it tin can!” Dizzy shot back as Aerith began to shoo the bat away. With a sigh Dizzy took to flight, darting over all the different potions and landing upon an empty pot. He looked to Cassandra and then opened his ears.

“Listen, Mistress!” Dizzy said sweetly, as if entranced. Cassandra looked to him, and then cocked her head to the side towards the door. Something was echoing down the halls, faintly, but she couldn’t quite make it out. Aerith began to say something, but with a violent glare and a shush from her mother she remained quiet. Laconic looked to his master and she closed her eyes, a small smile creeping upon her face as she listened. He checked her status and noticed that by all rights she shouldn’t hear a single thing from as far as the sound was coming from, but with a few more seconds she began to hum to the tune in time with it.

“I will be back,” Cassandra said sweetly. As she turned she lifted up The Butcher’s Bill, a dehlar sword that resembled more of a butcher’s blade than anything else. When she hit the hall, she felt the music rise in her soul, and her hum turned to song as she stalked down the shadows. All manor of small creatures began to scurry as she walked, a baleful wind echoing down the halls as the song drifted to her ears without interruption. She listened to the tune, sang with it as she made her way to the entrance to her secret lair. The music began to fade, ever so slowly as the key that wound it up began to die down. She placed her hand upon the back of the gravestone marker. Cassandra felt the earth shake a bit as the tomb opened, and she walked in front of her own grave marker. Buried beneath her was an empty coffin meant for her.

That made twice she cheated death, she mused. The ballerina upon the music box twirled ever so slowly, until it stopped completely and looked right at her. With a ginger finger she touched the ballerina, her other hand touching the key to the box. She twisted the key, but she also twisted the doll in counter to the motion the key turned.

The music played again, but this time the ballerina didn’t dance, instead animating as it looked to Cassandra and bowed. When the doll lifted up, the voice of Sei spoke into her mind. She observed the wooden musical instrument as he did his greetings, noting the details of the doll.

“I do hope this method is workable for you, Cassandra. If not I can resort to a few other methods, but I figure this best fits.” Cassandra nodded to the doll, but knew the motion meant nothing. It wasn’t like Sei was there.

“I have a mission for you, Cassandra. You and your team. There is a man randomly beating people to near death in the deserts of Fallien. I need you to take care of this man, but beware, for he is a legendary fighter, on terms if not better than Ta'Gaz. It will require quite the skilled assassin to eliminate him.” Sei’s voice faded with the music. “Leave at your discretion.” Were Sei’s final parting thoughts.

Cassandra looked to the music box, saw the doll bow once more, and then twirl until the music ended. She tested the doll to see if she could replay the message, but it didn’t budge. So like Sei. She quickly looked to halls and entered back into her secret sanctum quickly.

She had much work to do, and her poisons would have to wait.