The Inititation {CH & Guilded Lily}

[Lye]

Closed to Zelrius & Philomel

"Why are you sending me to do your work? You lead us now..." Lye chided to an arm crossed Madison Freebird.

"Because I have business elsewhere. And this..."

Madison clenched her fist and Lye dropped to his knees. His hand grasped violently at his chest and heart pounded loudly for both to hear.

"You're going to do something productive for once. Send the initiate to check on the Guilded Lily. Let him work for Philomel but report back to you. You, in turn, report to me. Are we clear?"

Lye glanced up to Madison with clenched teeth and fiery eyes. The seething anger remained contained only by the Briarheart's grasp around his heart.

"Yes..." he dripped with venom. "Crystal..."

"Good," Madison released her fist. "Now go."

Lye, brimming with the urge to kill, rose to his feet. His hand still over his heart, he left without a word.

*******

"Zelrius," Lye began. "Your mission is to infiltrate the Guilded Lily by whatever means. Philomel is an ally and fellow member of our cause. If you are to prove your loyalty, you will become a part of her independent group without her knowledge of your objective. I want you to find out what secrets they have not shared with with the Crimson Hands and report back to me. Do you understand?"

The young initiate nodded.

"I will remain nearby but out of sight. Do not disappoint me. Failure is not tolerated."

With his final words, Lye bled into darkness. His form melted away and became lost to the shadows.

[Zelrius]

Details were missing here and there. That fact alone made Zelrius nervous for the first time in a very long while. The young initiate depended so heavily on knowledge and his allies due to his lack of physical strength. Today, Lord Blackfyre had neither. If he was to join organizations such as the Crimson Hand and the Gilded Lily, Zelrius knew he had to do it alone. When making the decision to leave Michael incharge of his Duties back in Fallien and allowed Gwendolyn to roam free until he returned, Zelrius was most positive that he'd have accumulated far more secrets and knowledge than what he has now. Mistakes were made, too late now. I am almost certain that if I try to make a run for it now, The Crimson Hand will hunt me down and torture me to no end. The boy confided in himself. Zelrius didn't often feel the way he does now. His normally arrogant personality and overlarge ego didn't let him feel fear or anxiety. But Power Groups that have the power to crush countries just aren't something you play games with. Which is exactly what Zelrius had in mind.

He left the vicinity that his initiator had occupied. That man had spooked Zelrius. Normally people with the look and voice that matched that man's Zelrius merely laughed at. But this one had something most did not: Anger. At what, Lord Blackfyre did not question himself with, that would wait for another day. The boy pushed on to the Docks of a local city. Despite lacking much information, The boy had a few clues here and there of the Gilded Lily. The most important of which Zelrius had found out by accident in a voyage to Eiskalt. A Boat travelling past Zelrius's own rode past and offered pleasure for gold. Michael had warned Zelrius against taking that offer. When asked why, Michael only said: "Power Groups seek knowledge. And no one tells secrets like a satisfied man." Lord Blackfyre only nodded in response, turned down the offer. But to this day the image of the ship was painted in his mind. The Feisty Fox the words echoed in his mind as he approached the docked ship. It was time for Blackfyre's strong suit: Mischief and deception. Ironic, it takes those traits to join a group that is supposed to trust them selves, or so Zelrius hoped they trusted eachother.

[Philomel]

It was a normal old day. Maverik was standing, as always, near the gangplank, guarding the ship as people came near and rarely boarded. Still in sunlight the time was nowhere near for the 'red silks' to be deployed - those crimson swathes of silk that signified that The Fiesty Fox was open for the whoring business. But her job was her job until a meeting of the Officers was ever called, hence why she stood outside the entrance to the mighty ship, with her hand on her sword hilt and her stern brow adorned with her dragon-winged helm. Bold as brass and the strongest of ten men, this elf warrior was not to be dealt with lightly - at least a hundred had learnt that in the past year.

At the moment Maverik knew that Philomel was dealing with an Autar's man. For the Gilded Lily to have a serious attempt at spreading their influence into Alerar, first they needed nobles to help their cause. A recent dark elf girl they had freed from an abusive uncle and bouncer, Liadora, said that here the power more or less rested with the Graf high council, but also with the Autar, who were private special agent men chosen out of the nobility to wield power in place of the king. The Matriarch of the Lily was lucky to have such a connection at so early on in the time it took to get here - but then Liadora had been a favourite lover to his son.

So much wealth out of the saving of one young dark elf woman.

The Autar's man, who went by the name of Burgraf Dev'n (another title here, apparently, similar to a junior minister in Radasanth), was in the Captain's mess, along with Liadora. Maverik had been given strict instructions that no one was to know of the Burgraf's presence, and thus she had firmly kept silent when people approached her, not spoken to any of the sailors about his existence, and shewed away any annoying little miscreants who expressed interest in the ship. There was someone else from the town who was to meet Philomel later, apparently, to discuss the Gilded Lily also, but for now the Burgraf was here, and Maverik would carry out her orders to the letter.

One man, though, was coming up the port now, his blonde hair bouncing under the summer sun, his light blue eyes dancing merrily. He was ridiculously young, walked with the spirit of a noble and seemed to have a certain purpose in him. But Maverik would make sure he did not get very far.

In response she glared at him and raised a hand to wave it at him, clearing saying 'go away'.

"This is a private boat, young boy. Be off with you now ... shoo."