A Contract

Gorandis: You there, you're one of Nahele's possessions aren't you? <*He calls out to Lucy from the depths of his hood*>
Lucy Silverblood: <*raises a brow*> I am, Im also her Secretary, do you have an inquiry?
Gorandis: Yes, though perhaps without so many... witnesses.
Lucy Silverblood: Perhaps you would like a seat inside?
Gorandis: That would be for the best.
Lucy Silverblood: Follow me then.

Lucy opens up her notebook, tapping her quill in an ink reservoir not to fer from herself. Jotting down the date she would look the robed man up and down trying to determine anything of use but to no avail.

Shifting back in her seat Lucy adjusted her dress removing any crinkles she happened to find. Placking her book down on the table she would look at the man before her, one of the girls eyebrows raised in interest.

”Alright, Ill try to within the best of my ability answer your questions. Is it fine if I write down some notes in the process of our chatter?”she would ask, tapping her quill against the hard leather binding of the notebook.
(Lucy Silverblood)

Such a pain, to have to go through some... pet of Nahele's... But, it was the easiest way of doing things. Sucking up his own pride, Gorandis had followed Lucy through the white tower, still under repairs, and had taken a seat directly opposite from her. He lay his staff on the edge of the table and leant forwards in his seat, taking a moment to try and peer at her book.

"You may write notes, yes." His voice came out gravelly and calm though there was the slightest hint of insolence buried within. "but I would prefer to simply speak with Nahele about this. The only reason we are having this conversation in the first place is due to formality. It is a waste of time and quite the disrespect to me all things considered..."

His fingers came to drum on the table, small red sparks leaving scorch marks as his tempo increased. "But... I will put up with it in order to not cause too much trouble. What I want to talk to her about is Noctis. Why she had to kill and devour him more specifically, he was a tool of mine and in a few years he would have been quite the harvest."

"But he was cut short and now I am looking for recompense from your owner... I feel I am owed it."
(Gorandis)

The secretary sighs, writing down the entry for the conversation that is starting to unfold,placing her quill down as she returns her neutral gaze upon Gorandis.

Leaning her weight on her right elbow she would gesture towards him.”I'm well aware most people would much rather speak to the queen directly but alas I was put in this position because of that very reason, to help filter out people who have simple requests or serious inquires.”Lucy would say, trying not to sound too disrespectful in the process.

Looking back up at the robed man she would speak again.”The man known as Noctis was killed by Queen Nahele herself. I Happened to be in the room when the fight was incited. The cause of the whole thing was her wife, Upon receiving orders to reform our ranks Noctis challenged Nahele’s partner in wedlock and thus his life was put on the line.”she would say in a cold tone continuing on.

Pulling her chair a bit closer to the table, Lucy would write down the word “Inquiry” Under the date. ”The rest of the incident following to his death Is a blur, as I was hit in one of my queens outbursts, the one that ended up in the untimely demise of Noctis. I have no idea of the content of the fight that lead up to the moment, but when I came to the room was covered in gore and Nahele and her partner were huddled together. I hope that answers your first Question.”she would say, tugging at her chipped anti-magic collar.
(Lucy Silverblood)

"I know how he died you idiot girl, he told me himself. That is not what I am after." He reaches into the depths of his robes and pulls out a black crystal. it shimmers dimly in the light and a purple sheen seems to come and go across the surface like a thick internal fog. The crystal is placed onto the table with a heavy thunk.

"I wanted to know why she killed him instead of locking him up. Does she simply not know runework when she sees it?" He gestures to the crystal. "This. This is Noctis, or rather what is left of his essence. Nothing more to him now then this black thing. And it could have been so much more. but no, your Queen decided to kill him. And so I seek more, perhaps it well end up being you or perhaps it will be someone else but I am not leaving this place without my recompense."

"She has robbed me and i do not take kindly to that. But there wont be any hostilities, far too little to be gained through that. She seems reasonable enough to understand this situation. Besides, I also wish to set up plans for the future." His previous anger seems to subside somewhat as his grip closes back over the crystal, pulling it back into his robes.

"She eats people but lets so much go to waste..."
(Gorandis)

Lucy flinches back from the table, not expecting the mans words to be so harsh, Lucy would quickly try to regain her composure as she pulled herself back inwards.

Picking up her pen she would write “compensation” In her book. ”I believe the reason behind his death was simply a combination of my queens vice and the stagnation Noctis caused. He dared to state his boredom to her when he himself was doing nothing, using her as protection, that was as much as I could gleam from the reasoning.”the girl would say.

Sighing, Lucy would look at the hood of the man. ”If you want a more concise answer Im afraid you will have to ask her herself, If I'm aware she is in the throne room now, you may be granted audience if you wish”she would gesture to one of the generic guards, sending them off towards the hall. ”I have just arranged that for you if you want to indulge.”the secretary would say, closing her book, hoping not to anger the man before her again.
(Lucy Silverblood)

"If she is so content with messing with things that belong to other people then she would obviously not mind if I did the same." He glared at Lucy his own hand coming out before he gently clenches it, sighing. "But I would rather not do so just yet. That can be left for another time. One that didn't hinge on me acting like I care..."

He was speaking mostly to himself though he was certainly speaking aloud. "Fine, I'll go and speak to her now. Hopefully she will be more helpful and hopefully she wont be an idiot about things... She owes me and if she can't see that then I'll just have to settle the score..." Once more the glare passes over her before he begins to stand.

"Escort me there. I would rather have her know that my time has been wasted first hand. And I would very much like to see you explain this to her, to see if you've been paying attention to whatever I've been saying. You don't seem to be writing enough down in your little notepad and I need to make sure that you are listening to me."

"Because if you aren't, then perhaps i will need to show you why you should respect others when they talk by giving them your full attention."
(Gorandis)

Lucy Silverblood: <*nods*> Follow me once again if you may.
Lucy Silverblood: My queen, a person of utmost importance wishes for your audience.

"So- you...I see...." Pinching her brow, the disgruntled woman heaves out quite the sigh. "I can understand the desire to protect your so-called sinners, but letting things like that live will only sully the name of your people. Neries like, say, Naph, you, or even the fool who attempted to follow your caste system-...you are fine, but cretins like the thing I devoured, and the idiot who attempted to lie to me?" Fangs creep from the maw of the beastly creature. "Are hardly worth of consumption."

A familiar scent manages to reach her nose, and behind it is another- Lucy is bringing someone, so she needs to wrap this up soon. "Fall upon a single knee and swear fealty, to me, my Kingdom, and the imperfect-...then, and only then...will I allow you the protection of these lands while you...praise your dreamer." At least this one didn't get on her last damned nerve.

Neries, please.

"Hm- Lucy...oh." A 'face' she hadn't seem in quite some time had approached. "If it isn't the man who put Lasswell in his place...ah, I assume you don't visit for something light-...girl, after you comply-" She snaps pointing at the floor next to her throne. "Stand here, and await further instruction, as I assume this man approaches for something far more important..."
(Nahele)

Of course the Neries would listen to the Queen, it was just better that way. If she had to swear fealty, until she could truly understand what was going on in her head, then she would. Life was precious, and if she wanted the Neries to be valued beyond an outlier girl, than the Black haired girl would simply have to obey, survive, and grow stronger. Strong enough that she could prove herself useful to this monster of a Queen.

"I...I swear my loyalty to you, y-your kingdom... and the imp--imperfect." She said it right... right? THe Neries was terrified of Nahele. The thought of her ripping out Erebes's heart? It still made her sick to her stomach. But quickly she walked over toward Nahele's side as order, staring away from the Queen. She couldn't even look at her, unless she had to.

Those jaws consumed the life of her kin...
(Zurie)

"I will be brief and I will be blunt." His voice rang out over the rather empty room, it was deeper and far fuller of conviction than the last time Nahele would have heard it. "You have robbed me. By killing the man named Noctis too early you have destroyed something very valuable that I wished to possess. Did you completely fail to see the mark I had left on him?"

He spoke harshly and with little tact, the anger in his voice was noticeable and gave the words a hard edge to them. "So you owe me and I have come to seek it out. Now, I am not so bold nor so stupid as to come and ask you for something straight away but rather to propose something. You eat people but you waste so very much of them..."

"So, all I want from you in return is to be able to harvest the essence of those that you kill. That is all." From the depths of his robes he tugs at something, pulling out a large black crystal, the base filling his entire hand. He lets go and the crystal began to gently hover in the air, a purple glow emanating from the onyx surface. Quietly, the faint sound of wailing could be heard.

"This is Noctis turned into something far more useful... yet still not nearly as useful as it could have been... I wish to turn those you kill into more like it."
(Gorandis)

"Good, then when my meeting with this gentlemen here comes to an end, we can discuss the terms of your servitude, but...you've secured your right to aid in the creation of the church you people desire, and to praise your dreamer...relatively freely."

With that, she gives Gorandis her undivided attention--

"Mark? The fool defiled his body with hundreds of runes in a failed attempt to seek power- and by the time I managed to place his flesh into my maw, most of his body had-...ugh." She didn't want to go into the details. "But- if I've wronged you, then I won't attempt to justify my actions with ignorance." Rare, oh so rare is it that the Queen would dare to admit to her own faults.

But she's an adult who's willing to accept responsibility for her actions.

"The non-magi I feast upon to sate my hunger- hardly worthy of your time, but...I have no issue in resolving our little dilemma, and.." She coos, those gems- could they be... "What do you intend to do with these, if you don't mind me asking...ah, if I'd have known you possessed such a talent, so many lives could have been used for a greater purpose..."

The woman rises from her throne. While she stays a few yards away from Gorandis, she does eye the onyx crystal with curiosity. "If I'm not mistaken, I owe you a single morsel...but-...I can agreed to these turns, I merely need one thing from you-..the creation of one of...these. I need a new source of power for my golem- it's all I ask in return.

As you'll come to learn better than most..." She licks her lips.

"I'm quite the glutton."

With that, her head turns to Lucy- "This one, his name is Gorandis- remember it well. Add him to...the list. Going through you to continue our meetings would be a waste of our time."
(Nahele)

The crystal is grabbed from the air, the soft wailing subsides as the purple glow vanishes. "The mark was quite... Noticeable." The centre of his chest, just above his stomach, began to glow the same deep purple. A shape formed, reaching out in the form of a large hand. One that pulsed heavily before slipping away into the air.

"The crystals are my own, there are to be power sources to be used in the future... think of them as long storage human sacrifices... I have several plans for them, all of them my own mind you. No offence but I would rather no ears hear my plans before I can put them into action." His eyes move across the two stood by the throne.

"I could create a crystal for you, yes, but only once I have been repaid. The next crystal is mine, the one after shall be yours... The idea of a golem... Disinterest me to say the least. You already have enough mindless servants, why make one of them immortal? Besides, there are far greater servants to be found elsewhere."

The air behind his left shoulder began to splinter. A deep, black crack forming in the air that widened into a smoking oval. A deep, bassy thrum could be heard, almost like breathing as two red gleams swivelled in the dark to look at Nahele directly. "There are far more interesting things to be found beyond I find."
(Gorandis)

"Fair enough, and...the golem I intend to make-.." She cackles. "It will be far from mindless, and more useful that most of the idiots who attempt to cling to my teets for power." Her eyes begin to roll. "Anyways..." The crystals, the intrigued her, rare is it that she finds something that stands out-- something unique!

"I see-..." Her golden orbs merely wander to the demonic eyes that peer through the manifested void. "To each their own." He had his demons, she had her magitech- everyone had their hobbies.

"When another cretin decides to climb into my mouth, then we can...arrange something- ah, but...would it be possible for you to create those...in mass?" She coos, hums weakly, and even giggles. "If so, I'd like to invite you to something that you may find to be...amusing." The red eyes are glanced at. "...and your 'friends' are more than welcome to attend the party."

It was only a matter of time before the city needed to be purged.

"I'll settle my debts with you soon enough. It's only a matter of time before something else seeks to end it's life: suicidal tendencies."
(Nahele)

He waved his hand and the void snapped shut, leaving little trace it was ever there besides a small trickle of ash flickering to the floor. "Yes, it should be more than possible to create a large number of them... but to do so would require a large area to be prepared for it. A runic circle that would encompass the entire area with enough power behind it to rip out all of the essences."

"Possible very much so and I could likely do it on my own at this point... I shall be in Loranthis for a while longer. There are a few people here who have caught my interest and I wish to monitor their growth to see if they're worth being marked... I also have some ideas about that radiant dawn that seem to defiantly sit to the south of us."

He shrugs lightly however, at odds with his tone and words. "Regardless, if you need me you can send for me. Though do try to send someone responsible." His eyes flick over to Lucy once more. "I would very much not want to be disrespected once more. Those that do so tend to regret it very painfully... As the Queen of New Alteros can attest..."
(Gorandis)

This talk of storing people's essence for usage in the future. Was this normal actions in places like this? Was this acceptable? She wasn't sure. For now, she was just the peanut gallery, all she could do was stand firm, stand at the Loranthis Queen's side until something else was requested of her. Not wanting to piss off this particular queen even in the slightest. She was start here for now, so she'd might as well make the best out of it.

Still, to know they cared so little for other's lives--- this was not a person she followed out of choice, but rather necessity of life. Maybe one day her dream of going home to Nerebia would be fulfilled.
(Zurie)

The secretary sighs, her shoulders drooping from being targeted once again. How was she supposed to know every soul in the city, perhaps the job was far too big for the woman's shoulders. So Lucy would bow in an attempt of forgiveness.

”I'm sorry, I didn't mean any disrespect, I shall alert the guards to this matter for the future..”Lucy would say in almost a hushed tone.

Looking over at Nahele, her face turned into one of worry, For someone even she shown respect to and the girl dident know, that was a grave error on her part. Lucy shivered wondering what the punishment was going to be later for her actions, her gaze returning back on Gorandis.
(Lucy Silverblood)

"I could deliver the same warning, but truth be told- I don't know how painful it is to be eaten alive. But- you've addressed a concern, a valid one-...as the job of this woman is to help keep organization...not disrespect those who seek an audience with me." Golden orbs begin to leer at Lucy, and for a brief moment, the thick, obnoxious depravity the radiates from her soul- it cascades upon the throne room like raging waterfall.

"In that case, I'll alert you when it's time...and-..." Impulsive, her hands begin to shake. "I'll send someone competent for your summons, in the event that I need to speak with you, now then-..I have some issues that need to be resolved."

She snaps. "Zurie, Lucy, come with me. We have much to discuss, and..." Her nose begins to twitch. "I believe punishment is due for someone who's shown ineptness in their assigned work."
(Nahele)

Zurie: Yes ma'am.
Gorandis: Then I shall await your summons. <*He nods, it was small, deliberately so, he would never bow*>