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Into the Moral Darkness: (Now a Completed Story!)
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<blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3742287" data-attributes="member: 35788"><p>Semeion and Charis managed to bring Allyssa back to consciousness and get her to her feet. Allyssa struggled against the captivity, but despite her struggles she soon was positioned underneath the balcony. As they moved, Allyssa hurled nasty insults towards Semeion and Charis regarding the idiocy of Lord Ironblood’s guard. Neither Semeion nor Charis were impressed.</p><p></p><p>The guard who had shared a post with Charis smiled as they approached the staircase underneath the balcony. <span style="color: Lime">“It sounds to me like you have a nasty one there. Tell me, is there bite to her bark or have her fangs been filed off already?”</span></p><p></p><p>Allyssa didn’t wait to give a response even though she knew the question wasn’t directed at her. <span style="color: Red">“You had better hope that I don’t get loose, for I’ll be happy to show you how sharp my fangs are. I’ll disembowel you while you’re still alive to see it. Then you’ll know how sharp my fangs are!”</span> The palace guard delivered a backhanded slap to Allyssa’s mouth, spraying blood as Allyssa’s head jerked towards Charis from the assault. </p><p></p><p>Charis wiped some of the blood spatter away from her own face and gave the guard a disapproving glare. <span style="color: Orange">“There’s no need to beat a bound prisoner, sir. You can’t expect that she’ll actually be able to fight back; and you can’t expect that she’ll take kindly to insults, either. Besides, her words are nothing more than the dung spread from her dark religion.”</span></p><p></p><p>Allyssa laughed. <span style="color: Red">“Dung? You will see what dung I spread, you Bemme and Reah loving princess! If you think that you can keep me in this bondage, you have another thing coming! You will see just how powerful my faith is. Yrraxea will not leave me here alone.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion smiled at the comment. <span style="color: Plum">“I do believe that the city jail has a few cells within it that prohibits magic from working. In fact, we have experience with them! Once you go into that prison, you aren’t coming out.”</span></p><p></p><p>Allyssa grinned and spoke slowly. <span style="color: Red">“Heed my warning, mage. Yrraxea will come to my aid. Even in Tongra, Yrraxea will come.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis didn’t like her tone, and Allyssa’s facial expression weren’t growing on Charis either. <span style="color: Orange">“I thought that was the point of stopping you? Oh, and just so we can set the record straight I should also add something very important. We’ve already stopped the other assassins. We captured and detained them a few days ago.”</span></p><p></p><p>Allyssa looked shocked for a moment before allowing a calm look to spread over her face. <span style="color: Red">“It is no matter. You stole Opheiluka from the service of the Queen of Avarice. I replaced her. I have no doubt that other replacements have been found already. In fact, the assassination attempts will likely already be accomplished!”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis felt better after hearing Allyssa’s words. It didn’t sound like she really knew just what the party had been able to accomplish with Brandt and Master Searthu. <span style="color: Orange">“Oh? I imagine that Ankh-Bahl will have trouble finding recruits from the pit that we banished her into. By the time she is able to climb out of wherever she came from in the first place, you’ll be old and gray.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion quickly followed up on Charis’ explanation. <span style="color: Plum">“What you don’t know is that the wizard in Eberdeen who had been working for the service of Yrraxea has been dismissed. The evil succubus dwelling inside of him has also been dismissed. With your capture, all the assassins have been caught. With the wizard and his master destroyed, that doesn’t leave much left of your plan, does it?”</span></p><p></p><p>Allyssa didn’t let the words have any effect upon her. Since her earlier lapse, her face had become as if it were made of stone. <span style="color: Red">“Does it matter? I serve the Queen of Avarice. All things will eventually be hers; there is nothing you can do to stop her advance. And I still doubt that you can hold me, much less stop my Queen.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion shook his head at Allyssa’s overstretched confidence. <span style="color: Plum">“We shall see.”</span></p><p></p><p>Allyssa allowed the grin to return to her face. <span style="color: Red">“Indeed.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis wasn’t about to let Allyssa’s dark confidence overshadow the victory that they had just accomplished. <span style="color: Orange">“Indeed.”</span> She turned to the palace guard. <span style="color: Orange">“I assume that you have a detention center on the premises until she can be housed in until arrangements can be made with Warden Farette? I’m talking preferably about a jail with magical defenses?”</span></p><p></p><p>The palace guard nodded in the affirmative. <span style="color: Lime">“We have both, ma’am. We’ll take her from here.”</span></p><p></p><p>Allyssa remained oddly quiet through this stretch of the conversation. Her eyes still followed the flow of the conversation, but she didn’t interrupt the communication any longer. Charis noticed a slight curling of Allyssa’s lips. She was approving of the conversation.</p><p></p><p>Charis nodded slowly. <span style="color: Orange">“Very good. But be careful. She seems confident, much too confident.”</span></p><p></p><p>The guard smiled politely. <span style="color: Lime">“We can handle her, ma’am. She’s already bound, and we’ll likely just keep her bound until the city jailors arrive. There’s really nothing to fear.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion pursed his lips and offered one more suggestion. <span style="color: Plum">“Keep from beating her, too. She’s all but defenseless and beaten already. There is no sense making a cornered dog even angrier.”</span></p><p></p><p>The guard nodded and the door opened behind him. The opening of the door startled him, and he spun around in a defensive posture. He was met by Rhema coming through the other side, and she was as startled to see him as he was to see her.</p><p></p><p>Rhema laughed once the initial start had passed through her. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t think that you all would be this close to the door.”</span> She looked to Allyssa and then to Charis and Semeion. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Are you all about ready to get back to the temple? Brandt and Ischarus are gone, and if you don’t mind I’d like to get there.”</span></p><p></p><p>Allyssa grinned as she heard the concern in Rhema’s voice. <span style="color: Red">“Oh, don’t worry. The poison on the arrow has likely killed him already.”</span> She had already begun to understand that her assassination attempt here had been foiled by an intricate deception.</p><p></p><p>Rhema bristled at the thought, and Charis was quick to divert her concentration. She spoke to the guard to bring the conversation back under control. <span style="color: Orange">“If you can take her from here, we’ll be on our way.”</span></p><p></p><p>The guard nodded and took control of the bonds that had her tied in the back. He pushed her in the back to get her to climb the steps in front of her. When they had passed through the door, Rhema closed it from the outside. As the door clicked shut, she turned back to her friends.</p><p></p><p>Rhema was clearly unsettled by Allyssa’s assertion. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Shall we? I know Brandt is a great healer and we were expecting poison. But I’ll just feel better once we get there.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis and Semeion both flanked Rhema and embraced her. Charis decided that she would risk speaking out of her faith. <span style="color: Orange">“Ischarus is fine, remember? You left him in Reah’s care.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema breathed in deeply and began to walk down the steps. Semeion and Charis remained at her side and kept the pace that Rhema set. It wouldn’t take them too long to get from the palace to the center of town where the temple sat.</p><p></p><p>When they reached the edge of the palace garden, the guard at the gate smiled and let them through. <span style="color: Lime">“I understand that the lord’s life was saved today. Thank you all.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema smiled half-heartedly. She hoped that the sacrifice hadn’t been too much. However, it was Semeion who answered. <span style="color: Plum">“A life was saved, but the greatest implication has yet to be announced. Fingerdale is safe today, and with any luck the lack of news on this day will be the only thank-you that we need.”</span></p><p></p><p>They passed through the gate and walked about ten feet before the guard called to them again. <span style="color: Lime">“Sir! Madams!”</span></p><p></p><p>The trio slowly turned back around to face the guard at the gate. He gestured backwards and pointed toward the palace. A guard was running to meet up with what was currently left of the party. Semeion motioned for Rhema and Charis to stay where they were.</p><p></p><p>Semeion walked back to the gate and gripped the iron bars that now kept him out. When the guard who was running towards them approached the gate, he slowed and took a moment to catch his breath. <span style="color: Lime">“Sir, There’s been an incident.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion was displeased. They had just taken care of the last of Yrraxea’s threats and he wanted to enjoy to peace that came from that knowledge. <span style="color: Plum">“What kind of incident?”</span></p><p></p><p>The guard looked straight towards Semeion and spoke hurriedly. <span style="color: Lime">“The captive tried to escape her bonds and was successful for a short amount of time. She managed to steal one of the guard’s blades and a quick battle ensued. One of our guards is dead, but the captive was killed as well. I thought you should know.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion cursed slightly. They had wanted Allyssa alive for purposes of interrogation. He turned to Charis. <span style="color: Plum">“Why don’t you take Rhema back to the temple? She deserves to go to her husband after all the stress of today. If Allyssa is dead, there’s no threat to me here anymore. I’ll stay, investigate, and then meet up with you both back at the temple.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis nodded and directed Rhema to come with her. Rhema readily accepted, happy to head towards the temple. Charis turned around once more to see the guard closing the iron door that only moments ago had kept Semeion apart from the guards. She turned back towards the direction she was walking as the door clicked back into its place of security.</p><p></p><p>[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]</p><p>Semeion and Charis managed to bring Allyssa back to consciousness and get her to her feet. Allyssa struggled against the captivity, but despite her struggles she soon was positioned underneath the balcony. As they moved, Allyssa hurled nasty insults towards Semeion and Charis regarding the idiocy of Lord Ironblood’s guard. Neither Semeion nor Charis were impressed.</p><p></p><p>The guard who had shared a post with Charis smiled as they approached the staircase underneath the balcony. “It sounds to me like you have a nasty one there. Tell me, is there bite to her bark or have her fangs been filed off already?”</p><p></p><p>Allyssa didn’t wait to give a response even though she knew the question wasn’t directed at her. “You had better hope that I don’t get loose, for I’ll be happy to show you how sharp my fangs are. I’ll disembowel you while you’re still alive to see it. Then you’ll know how sharp my fangs are!” The palace guard delivered a backhanded slap to Allyssa’s mouth, spraying blood as Allyssa’s head jerked towards Charis from the assault. </p><p></p><p>Charis wiped some of the blood spatter away from her own face and gave the guard a disapproving glare. “There’s no need to beat a bound prisoner, sir. You can’t expect that she’ll actually be able to fight back; and you can’t expect that she’ll take kindly to insults, either. Besides, her words are nothing more than the dung spread from her dark religion.”</p><p></p><p>Allyssa laughed. “Dung? You will see what dung I spread, you Bemme and Reah loving princess! If you think that you can keep me in this bondage, you have another thing coming! You will see just how powerful my faith is. Yrraxea will not leave me here alone.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion smiled at the comment. “I do believe that the city jail has a few cells within it that prohibits magic from working. In fact, we have experience with them! Once you go into that prison, you aren’t coming out.”</p><p></p><p>Allyssa grinned and spoke slowly. “Heed my warning, mage. Yrraxea will come to my aid. Even in Tongra, Yrraxea will come.”</p><p></p><p>Charis didn’t like her tone, and Allyssa’s facial expression weren’t growing on Charis either. “I thought that was the point of stopping you? Oh, and just so we can set the record straight I should also add something very important. We’ve already stopped the other assassins. We captured and detained them a few days ago.”</p><p></p><p>Allyssa looked shocked for a moment before allowing a calm look to spread over her face. “It is no matter. You stole Opheiluka from the service of the Queen of Avarice. I replaced her. I have no doubt that other replacements have been found already. In fact, the assassination attempts will likely already be accomplished!”</p><p></p><p>Charis felt better after hearing Allyssa’s words. It didn’t sound like she really knew just what the party had been able to accomplish with Brandt and Master Searthu. “Oh? I imagine that Ankh-Bahl will have trouble finding recruits from the pit that we banished her into. By the time she is able to climb out of wherever she came from in the first place, you’ll be old and gray.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion quickly followed up on Charis’ explanation. “What you don’t know is that the wizard in Eberdeen who had been working for the service of Yrraxea has been dismissed. The evil succubus dwelling inside of him has also been dismissed. With your capture, all the assassins have been caught. With the wizard and his master destroyed, that doesn’t leave much left of your plan, does it?”</p><p></p><p>Allyssa didn’t let the words have any effect upon her. Since her earlier lapse, her face had become as if it were made of stone. “Does it matter? I serve the Queen of Avarice. All things will eventually be hers; there is nothing you can do to stop her advance. And I still doubt that you can hold me, much less stop my Queen.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion shook his head at Allyssa’s overstretched confidence. “We shall see.”</p><p></p><p>Allyssa allowed the grin to return to her face. “Indeed.”</p><p></p><p>Charis wasn’t about to let Allyssa’s dark confidence overshadow the victory that they had just accomplished. “Indeed.” She turned to the palace guard. “I assume that you have a detention center on the premises until she can be housed in until arrangements can be made with Warden Farette? I’m talking preferably about a jail with magical defenses?”</p><p></p><p>The palace guard nodded in the affirmative. “We have both, ma’am. We’ll take her from here.”</p><p></p><p>Allyssa remained oddly quiet through this stretch of the conversation. Her eyes still followed the flow of the conversation, but she didn’t interrupt the communication any longer. Charis noticed a slight curling of Allyssa’s lips. She was approving of the conversation.</p><p></p><p>Charis nodded slowly. “Very good. But be careful. She seems confident, much too confident.”</p><p></p><p>The guard smiled politely. “We can handle her, ma’am. She’s already bound, and we’ll likely just keep her bound until the city jailors arrive. There’s really nothing to fear.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion pursed his lips and offered one more suggestion. “Keep from beating her, too. She’s all but defenseless and beaten already. There is no sense making a cornered dog even angrier.”</p><p></p><p>The guard nodded and the door opened behind him. The opening of the door startled him, and he spun around in a defensive posture. He was met by Rhema coming through the other side, and she was as startled to see him as he was to see her.</p><p></p><p>Rhema laughed once the initial start had passed through her. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t think that you all would be this close to the door.” She looked to Allyssa and then to Charis and Semeion. “Are you all about ready to get back to the temple? Brandt and Ischarus are gone, and if you don’t mind I’d like to get there.”</p><p></p><p>Allyssa grinned as she heard the concern in Rhema’s voice. “Oh, don’t worry. The poison on the arrow has likely killed him already.” She had already begun to understand that her assassination attempt here had been foiled by an intricate deception.</p><p></p><p>Rhema bristled at the thought, and Charis was quick to divert her concentration. She spoke to the guard to bring the conversation back under control. “If you can take her from here, we’ll be on our way.”</p><p></p><p>The guard nodded and took control of the bonds that had her tied in the back. He pushed her in the back to get her to climb the steps in front of her. When they had passed through the door, Rhema closed it from the outside. As the door clicked shut, she turned back to her friends.</p><p></p><p>Rhema was clearly unsettled by Allyssa’s assertion. “Shall we? I know Brandt is a great healer and we were expecting poison. But I’ll just feel better once we get there.”</p><p></p><p>Charis and Semeion both flanked Rhema and embraced her. Charis decided that she would risk speaking out of her faith. “Ischarus is fine, remember? You left him in Reah’s care.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema breathed in deeply and began to walk down the steps. Semeion and Charis remained at her side and kept the pace that Rhema set. It wouldn’t take them too long to get from the palace to the center of town where the temple sat.</p><p></p><p>When they reached the edge of the palace garden, the guard at the gate smiled and let them through. “I understand that the lord’s life was saved today. Thank you all.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema smiled half-heartedly. She hoped that the sacrifice hadn’t been too much. However, it was Semeion who answered. “A life was saved, but the greatest implication has yet to be announced. Fingerdale is safe today, and with any luck the lack of news on this day will be the only thank-you that we need.”</p><p></p><p>They passed through the gate and walked about ten feet before the guard called to them again. “Sir! Madams!”</p><p></p><p>The trio slowly turned back around to face the guard at the gate. He gestured backwards and pointed toward the palace. A guard was running to meet up with what was currently left of the party. Semeion motioned for Rhema and Charis to stay where they were.</p><p></p><p>Semeion walked back to the gate and gripped the iron bars that now kept him out. When the guard who was running towards them approached the gate, he slowed and took a moment to catch his breath. “Sir, There’s been an incident.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion was displeased. They had just taken care of the last of Yrraxea’s threats and he wanted to enjoy to peace that came from that knowledge. “What kind of incident?”</p><p></p><p>The guard looked straight towards Semeion and spoke hurriedly. “The captive tried to escape her bonds and was successful for a short amount of time. She managed to steal one of the guard’s blades and a quick battle ensued. One of our guards is dead, but the captive was killed as well. I thought you should know.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion cursed slightly. They had wanted Allyssa alive for purposes of interrogation. He turned to Charis. “Why don’t you take Rhema back to the temple? She deserves to go to her husband after all the stress of today. If Allyssa is dead, there’s no threat to me here anymore. I’ll stay, investigate, and then meet up with you both back at the temple.”</p><p></p><p>Charis nodded and directed Rhema to come with her. Rhema readily accepted, happy to head towards the temple. Charis turned around once more to see the guard closing the iron door that only moments ago had kept Semeion apart from the guards. She turned back towards the direction she was walking as the door clicked back into its place of security.</p><p></p><p>[/Sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nonlethal Force, post: 3742287, member: 35788"] Semeion and Charis managed to bring Allyssa back to consciousness and get her to her feet. Allyssa struggled against the captivity, but despite her struggles she soon was positioned underneath the balcony. As they moved, Allyssa hurled nasty insults towards Semeion and Charis regarding the idiocy of Lord Ironblood’s guard. Neither Semeion nor Charis were impressed. The guard who had shared a post with Charis smiled as they approached the staircase underneath the balcony. [Color=Lime]“It sounds to me like you have a nasty one there. Tell me, is there bite to her bark or have her fangs been filed off already?”[/Color] Allyssa didn’t wait to give a response even though she knew the question wasn’t directed at her. [Color=Red]“You had better hope that I don’t get loose, for I’ll be happy to show you how sharp my fangs are. I’ll disembowel you while you’re still alive to see it. Then you’ll know how sharp my fangs are!”[/Color] The palace guard delivered a backhanded slap to Allyssa’s mouth, spraying blood as Allyssa’s head jerked towards Charis from the assault. Charis wiped some of the blood spatter away from her own face and gave the guard a disapproving glare. [Color=Orange]“There’s no need to beat a bound prisoner, sir. You can’t expect that she’ll actually be able to fight back; and you can’t expect that she’ll take kindly to insults, either. Besides, her words are nothing more than the dung spread from her dark religion.”[/Color] Allyssa laughed. [Color=Red]“Dung? You will see what dung I spread, you Bemme and Reah loving princess! If you think that you can keep me in this bondage, you have another thing coming! You will see just how powerful my faith is. Yrraxea will not leave me here alone.”[/Color] Semeion smiled at the comment. [Color=Plum]“I do believe that the city jail has a few cells within it that prohibits magic from working. In fact, we have experience with them! Once you go into that prison, you aren’t coming out.”[/Color] Allyssa grinned and spoke slowly. [Color=Red]“Heed my warning, mage. Yrraxea will come to my aid. Even in Tongra, Yrraxea will come.”[/Color] Charis didn’t like her tone, and Allyssa’s facial expression weren’t growing on Charis either. [Color=Orange]“I thought that was the point of stopping you? Oh, and just so we can set the record straight I should also add something very important. We’ve already stopped the other assassins. We captured and detained them a few days ago.”[/Color] Allyssa looked shocked for a moment before allowing a calm look to spread over her face. [Color=Red]“It is no matter. You stole Opheiluka from the service of the Queen of Avarice. I replaced her. I have no doubt that other replacements have been found already. In fact, the assassination attempts will likely already be accomplished!”[/Color] Charis felt better after hearing Allyssa’s words. It didn’t sound like she really knew just what the party had been able to accomplish with Brandt and Master Searthu. [Color=Orange]“Oh? I imagine that Ankh-Bahl will have trouble finding recruits from the pit that we banished her into. By the time she is able to climb out of wherever she came from in the first place, you’ll be old and gray.”[/Color] Semeion quickly followed up on Charis’ explanation. [Color=Plum]“What you don’t know is that the wizard in Eberdeen who had been working for the service of Yrraxea has been dismissed. The evil succubus dwelling inside of him has also been dismissed. With your capture, all the assassins have been caught. With the wizard and his master destroyed, that doesn’t leave much left of your plan, does it?”[/Color] Allyssa didn’t let the words have any effect upon her. Since her earlier lapse, her face had become as if it were made of stone. [Color=Red]“Does it matter? I serve the Queen of Avarice. All things will eventually be hers; there is nothing you can do to stop her advance. And I still doubt that you can hold me, much less stop my Queen.”[/Color] Semeion shook his head at Allyssa’s overstretched confidence. [Color=Plum]“We shall see.”[/Color] Allyssa allowed the grin to return to her face. [Color=Red]“Indeed.”[/Color] Charis wasn’t about to let Allyssa’s dark confidence overshadow the victory that they had just accomplished. [Color=Orange]“Indeed.”[/Color] She turned to the palace guard. [Color=Orange]“I assume that you have a detention center on the premises until she can be housed in until arrangements can be made with Warden Farette? I’m talking preferably about a jail with magical defenses?”[/Color] The palace guard nodded in the affirmative. [Color=Lime]“We have both, ma’am. We’ll take her from here.”[/Color] Allyssa remained oddly quiet through this stretch of the conversation. Her eyes still followed the flow of the conversation, but she didn’t interrupt the communication any longer. Charis noticed a slight curling of Allyssa’s lips. She was approving of the conversation. Charis nodded slowly. [Color=Orange]“Very good. But be careful. She seems confident, much too confident.”[/Color] The guard smiled politely. [Color=Lime]“We can handle her, ma’am. She’s already bound, and we’ll likely just keep her bound until the city jailors arrive. There’s really nothing to fear.”[/Color] Semeion pursed his lips and offered one more suggestion. [Color=Plum]“Keep from beating her, too. She’s all but defenseless and beaten already. There is no sense making a cornered dog even angrier.”[/Color] The guard nodded and the door opened behind him. The opening of the door startled him, and he spun around in a defensive posture. He was met by Rhema coming through the other side, and she was as startled to see him as he was to see her. Rhema laughed once the initial start had passed through her. [Color=PaleGreen]“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t think that you all would be this close to the door.”[/Color] She looked to Allyssa and then to Charis and Semeion. [Color=PaleGreen]“Are you all about ready to get back to the temple? Brandt and Ischarus are gone, and if you don’t mind I’d like to get there.”[/Color] Allyssa grinned as she heard the concern in Rhema’s voice. [Color=Red]“Oh, don’t worry. The poison on the arrow has likely killed him already.”[/Color] She had already begun to understand that her assassination attempt here had been foiled by an intricate deception. Rhema bristled at the thought, and Charis was quick to divert her concentration. She spoke to the guard to bring the conversation back under control. [Color=Orange]“If you can take her from here, we’ll be on our way.”[/Color] The guard nodded and took control of the bonds that had her tied in the back. He pushed her in the back to get her to climb the steps in front of her. When they had passed through the door, Rhema closed it from the outside. As the door clicked shut, she turned back to her friends. Rhema was clearly unsettled by Allyssa’s assertion. [Color=PaleGreen]“Shall we? I know Brandt is a great healer and we were expecting poison. But I’ll just feel better once we get there.”[/Color] Charis and Semeion both flanked Rhema and embraced her. Charis decided that she would risk speaking out of her faith. [Color=Orange]“Ischarus is fine, remember? You left him in Reah’s care.”[/Color] Rhema breathed in deeply and began to walk down the steps. Semeion and Charis remained at her side and kept the pace that Rhema set. It wouldn’t take them too long to get from the palace to the center of town where the temple sat. When they reached the edge of the palace garden, the guard at the gate smiled and let them through. [Color=Lime]“I understand that the lord’s life was saved today. Thank you all.”[/Color] Rhema smiled half-heartedly. She hoped that the sacrifice hadn’t been too much. However, it was Semeion who answered. [Color=Plum]“A life was saved, but the greatest implication has yet to be announced. Fingerdale is safe today, and with any luck the lack of news on this day will be the only thank-you that we need.”[/Color] They passed through the gate and walked about ten feet before the guard called to them again. [Color=Lime]“Sir! Madams!”[/Color] The trio slowly turned back around to face the guard at the gate. He gestured backwards and pointed toward the palace. A guard was running to meet up with what was currently left of the party. Semeion motioned for Rhema and Charis to stay where they were. Semeion walked back to the gate and gripped the iron bars that now kept him out. When the guard who was running towards them approached the gate, he slowed and took a moment to catch his breath. [Color=Lime]“Sir, There’s been an incident.”[/Color] Semeion was displeased. They had just taken care of the last of Yrraxea’s threats and he wanted to enjoy to peace that came from that knowledge. [Color=Plum]“What kind of incident?”[/Color] The guard looked straight towards Semeion and spoke hurriedly. [Color=Lime]“The captive tried to escape her bonds and was successful for a short amount of time. She managed to steal one of the guard’s blades and a quick battle ensued. One of our guards is dead, but the captive was killed as well. I thought you should know.”[/Color] Semeion cursed slightly. They had wanted Allyssa alive for purposes of interrogation. He turned to Charis. [Color=Plum]“Why don’t you take Rhema back to the temple? She deserves to go to her husband after all the stress of today. If Allyssa is dead, there’s no threat to me here anymore. I’ll stay, investigate, and then meet up with you both back at the temple.”[/Color] Charis nodded and directed Rhema to come with her. Rhema readily accepted, happy to head towards the temple. Charis turned around once more to see the guard closing the iron door that only moments ago had kept Semeion apart from the guards. She turned back towards the direction she was walking as the door clicked back into its place of security. [Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section] Semeion and Charis managed to bring Allyssa back to consciousness and get her to her feet. Allyssa struggled against the captivity, but despite her struggles she soon was positioned underneath the balcony. As they moved, Allyssa hurled nasty insults towards Semeion and Charis regarding the idiocy of Lord Ironblood’s guard. Neither Semeion nor Charis were impressed. The guard who had shared a post with Charis smiled as they approached the staircase underneath the balcony. “It sounds to me like you have a nasty one there. Tell me, is there bite to her bark or have her fangs been filed off already?” Allyssa didn’t wait to give a response even though she knew the question wasn’t directed at her. “You had better hope that I don’t get loose, for I’ll be happy to show you how sharp my fangs are. I’ll disembowel you while you’re still alive to see it. Then you’ll know how sharp my fangs are!” The palace guard delivered a backhanded slap to Allyssa’s mouth, spraying blood as Allyssa’s head jerked towards Charis from the assault. Charis wiped some of the blood spatter away from her own face and gave the guard a disapproving glare. “There’s no need to beat a bound prisoner, sir. You can’t expect that she’ll actually be able to fight back; and you can’t expect that she’ll take kindly to insults, either. Besides, her words are nothing more than the dung spread from her dark religion.” Allyssa laughed. “Dung? You will see what dung I spread, you Bemme and Reah loving princess! If you think that you can keep me in this bondage, you have another thing coming! You will see just how powerful my faith is. Yrraxea will not leave me here alone.” Semeion smiled at the comment. “I do believe that the city jail has a few cells within it that prohibits magic from working. In fact, we have experience with them! Once you go into that prison, you aren’t coming out.” Allyssa grinned and spoke slowly. “Heed my warning, mage. Yrraxea will come to my aid. Even in Tongra, Yrraxea will come.” Charis didn’t like her tone, and Allyssa’s facial expression weren’t growing on Charis either. “I thought that was the point of stopping you? Oh, and just so we can set the record straight I should also add something very important. We’ve already stopped the other assassins. We captured and detained them a few days ago.” Allyssa looked shocked for a moment before allowing a calm look to spread over her face. “It is no matter. You stole Opheiluka from the service of the Queen of Avarice. I replaced her. I have no doubt that other replacements have been found already. In fact, the assassination attempts will likely already be accomplished!” Charis felt better after hearing Allyssa’s words. It didn’t sound like she really knew just what the party had been able to accomplish with Brandt and Master Searthu. “Oh? I imagine that Ankh-Bahl will have trouble finding recruits from the pit that we banished her into. By the time she is able to climb out of wherever she came from in the first place, you’ll be old and gray.” Semeion quickly followed up on Charis’ explanation. “What you don’t know is that the wizard in Eberdeen who had been working for the service of Yrraxea has been dismissed. The evil succubus dwelling inside of him has also been dismissed. With your capture, all the assassins have been caught. With the wizard and his master destroyed, that doesn’t leave much left of your plan, does it?” Allyssa didn’t let the words have any effect upon her. Since her earlier lapse, her face had become as if it were made of stone. “Does it matter? I serve the Queen of Avarice. All things will eventually be hers; there is nothing you can do to stop her advance. And I still doubt that you can hold me, much less stop my Queen.” Semeion shook his head at Allyssa’s overstretched confidence. “We shall see.” Allyssa allowed the grin to return to her face. “Indeed.” Charis wasn’t about to let Allyssa’s dark confidence overshadow the victory that they had just accomplished. “Indeed.” She turned to the palace guard. “I assume that you have a detention center on the premises until she can be housed in until arrangements can be made with Warden Farette? I’m talking preferably about a jail with magical defenses?” The palace guard nodded in the affirmative. “We have both, ma’am. We’ll take her from here.” Allyssa remained oddly quiet through this stretch of the conversation. Her eyes still followed the flow of the conversation, but she didn’t interrupt the communication any longer. Charis noticed a slight curling of Allyssa’s lips. She was approving of the conversation. Charis nodded slowly. “Very good. But be careful. She seems confident, much too confident.” The guard smiled politely. “We can handle her, ma’am. She’s already bound, and we’ll likely just keep her bound until the city jailors arrive. There’s really nothing to fear.” Semeion pursed his lips and offered one more suggestion. “Keep from beating her, too. She’s all but defenseless and beaten already. There is no sense making a cornered dog even angrier.” The guard nodded and the door opened behind him. The opening of the door startled him, and he spun around in a defensive posture. He was met by Rhema coming through the other side, and she was as startled to see him as he was to see her. Rhema laughed once the initial start had passed through her. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t think that you all would be this close to the door.” She looked to Allyssa and then to Charis and Semeion. “Are you all about ready to get back to the temple? Brandt and Ischarus are gone, and if you don’t mind I’d like to get there.” Allyssa grinned as she heard the concern in Rhema’s voice. “Oh, don’t worry. The poison on the arrow has likely killed him already.” She had already begun to understand that her assassination attempt here had been foiled by an intricate deception. Rhema bristled at the thought, and Charis was quick to divert her concentration. She spoke to the guard to bring the conversation back under control. “If you can take her from here, we’ll be on our way.” The guard nodded and took control of the bonds that had her tied in the back. He pushed her in the back to get her to climb the steps in front of her. When they had passed through the door, Rhema closed it from the outside. As the door clicked shut, she turned back to her friends. Rhema was clearly unsettled by Allyssa’s assertion. “Shall we? I know Brandt is a great healer and we were expecting poison. But I’ll just feel better once we get there.” Charis and Semeion both flanked Rhema and embraced her. Charis decided that she would risk speaking out of her faith. “Ischarus is fine, remember? You left him in Reah’s care.” Rhema breathed in deeply and began to walk down the steps. Semeion and Charis remained at her side and kept the pace that Rhema set. It wouldn’t take them too long to get from the palace to the center of town where the temple sat. When they reached the edge of the palace garden, the guard at the gate smiled and let them through. “I understand that the lord’s life was saved today. Thank you all.” Rhema smiled half-heartedly. She hoped that the sacrifice hadn’t been too much. However, it was Semeion who answered. “A life was saved, but the greatest implication has yet to be announced. Fingerdale is safe today, and with any luck the lack of news on this day will be the only thank-you that we need.” They passed through the gate and walked about ten feet before the guard called to them again. “Sir! Madams!” The trio slowly turned back around to face the guard at the gate. He gestured backwards and pointed toward the palace. A guard was running to meet up with what was currently left of the party. Semeion motioned for Rhema and Charis to stay where they were. Semeion walked back to the gate and gripped the iron bars that now kept him out. When the guard who was running towards them approached the gate, he slowed and took a moment to catch his breath. “Sir, There’s been an incident.” Semeion was displeased. They had just taken care of the last of Yrraxea’s threats and he wanted to enjoy to peace that came from that knowledge. “What kind of incident?” The guard looked straight towards Semeion and spoke hurriedly. “The captive tried to escape her bonds and was successful for a short amount of time. She managed to steal one of the guard’s blades and a quick battle ensued. One of our guards is dead, but the captive was killed as well. I thought you should know.” Semeion cursed slightly. They had wanted Allyssa alive for purposes of interrogation. He turned to Charis. “Why don’t you take Rhema back to the temple? She deserves to go to her husband after all the stress of today. If Allyssa is dead, there’s no threat to me here anymore. I’ll stay, investigate, and then meet up with you both back at the temple.” Charis nodded and directed Rhema to come with her. Rhema readily accepted, happy to head towards the temple. Charis turned around once more to see the guard closing the iron door that only moments ago had kept Semeion apart from the guards. She turned back towards the direction she was walking as the door clicked back into its place of security. [/Sblock] [/QUOTE]
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