The Arena was just beginning to get busy when I arrived, and found Xenograg in the volunteer?s couch. It had been a long time since I had seen him, and we greeted. ?I trust your travels have been successful??
He nodded, ?very, in fact.?
The man is always moving, always on the go, and I would have liked to talk further, but Dimitri arrived, and seemed very surprised to hear that fire has struck in New Haven. Rhaine was also shocked to hear about the fire. I?m surprised, with as many deaths as were associated with the arsonist attack on Baron Maxiumus? home. Rhaine muttered something nasty under her breath as Dimitri lamented ?what is this city coming to??
The faux Farek arrived, seeking duels, but he was lucky and found one as the elven Warlady arrived. She was greeted by both Xenograg and Rhaine. I had recently learned that she lived in New Haven as well.
Xenograg was preparing to depart, and so when he asked if I would be willing to fill in, I agreed.
Rab arrived, and in his usual jovial humor inquired how I was. As I told him I was worried, he pulled up a chair and inquired why. ?Arson.? I told him, then proceeded to inquire about his association with Max. He was as perplexed as the rest of us as to what the purpose of the arsonists activities might be.
I left him to change and returned from the back room in time to see Rhaine greet her brother, but he appeared to be extremely exhausted, dropping onto the chair like a dead weight. She inquired if he was tired, and he smiled, ?tired, yes, a late night last night, but things are underway.?
I bid Xenograg good evening and heard Rhaine tell Vitus that she?d obtained a particular gem. ?Even without having to teach someone a useful lesson.?
Vitus appeared to be somewhat disappointed, ?that easy, was it? Oh well, I should be happy.? He told her he needed a drink, and that he could barely hold a blade, at least for sport. And then, the duels began to come in, and I had to focus elsewhere.
When next I looked up, Vitus was tearing strips of fabric from a ragged gray and red robe, wrapping them around his bloodied hands. Rhaine was shaking her head, ?Knight solution. Let me take care of your hands Vitus.?
He grabbed the hilt of a sword he carried, testing the grip in his wrapped hands, ?no need, this will do just fine.? Somehow, that gesture of male stubbornness reminded me of Klinton. They?d rather do it themselves than admit a weakness sometimes. He looked at the bindings, as though checking to see if blood had seeped through, ?it?s fine, Rhaine, I will live.?
She shook her head, ?You?ll live, but I dislike seeing your hands wrapped like this.?
Farek came in seeking duels again, and as I tried to get him a match, he snarled, ?I assure you, I am the one and only, woman.?
Sliding a cool blue gaze over him, ?You have yet to convince me imposter.?
He snarled louder, ?Not even my utter dominance of Alais and Tommy and my brilliant comeback against the mallet wielding eccentric??
Shaking my head at him, ?That is no proof. You are not the Brigand I knew.?
Rab chimed in, ?He sounds the same.?
Rhaine invited her brother to dance in the ring with her, and I heard him tell her that he was still rusty, and that he didn?t want her to have to fix anything else. He?ll learn about the healing wards of the ring soon enough. Vitus won the match, and Rhaine told him he should have shut her out. I have to laugh, sometimes there is simply no right answer. She grew instantly hot when he suggested she use a lighter blade next time to even things up, and called it the use of an excuse for losing. Somehow I suspect Vitus was having too much fun baiting his sister.
Vitus grinned at her, ?next time use a lighter swords, and to make things more even, we will find a caller that is less attractive.?
I lifted my gaze to his, ?such pretty words Vitus.?
He chuckled, ?Pretty words hide a dark heart.?
That seemed to make Rhaine even more angry, ?we will go outside NOW, brother, and see what we can do without a caller, and without your excuses for not shutting me out the way a Knight should!
He shook his head, ?Don?t pretend you were never a Knight, Rhaine. As long as it has been for me, still knocking the dust out of my ears.?
She calmed somewhat, accepting a glass of Liquid Fire. I chuckled, ?That was a nice win Vitus, you have some skill with that blade.?
He nodded, ?I had to test it, and I could think of no finer test than sparring with Rhaine.?
I kicked off the stiletto heels, glancing around the nearly deserted Arena as he inspected the newly forged blade. Rhaine was looking with some disgust at her cup of coffee, ?Someone should try importing good coffee here.?
Daigotsu arrived, and I could see her brighten at his appearance.
Rising, stretching, I told the room that if no one was going to use the rings, I was finished for the night. But, Daigotsu and Tasslehofl stepped into a ring. Their conversation was odd, as Daigotsu told Tass ?You?ve become rather? popular as of late it seems.?
Tass bowed slightly, ?All for the greater good, Milord.?
That in itself was odd. Tasslehofl is lord in his own right?.
?Rash none the less. You would bring a mob on yourself if you are not careful.?
He told Daigotsu, ?I shall be careful, Milord.?
?My faith in you being careful is fading. You had better think harder before you become the end of us all.? Daigotsu told him in a reprimanding tone. ?You could have picked a younger being. I?m surprised you?re not in a wheelchair.?
?There is great power here, Milord, once the body is healed.?
Daigotsu then asked, ?and yours is where??
?destroyed? was the gravelly answer.
Daigotsu snarled at him, ?you should be relieved I like my own body. Too tempted to end this?. Headache.? He left the ring abruptly.
About then, Vitus began speaking to his new sword, ?shhh.? He muttered, standing abruptly to draw the blade and lay it upon the table, whispering to it. Finally, as Rhaine summoned a dark rift, Vitus rose and threw the blade through the rift, ?I told you to shut it!?
I blinked at him, and glanced at Rhaine. Vitus smiled at me, ?sorry, I haven?t had my medication.?
I gave him a non-believing smile before rising and headed to the back room to change. At last, walking out of the back room in pale blue silk suit, I pulled the three platinum picks from my hair, letting it cascade around my shoulders, ?Well, That was a long night,? I said to no one in particular as I headed for the callers sofa and grabbing the remains of my scotch.
Rhaine seemed disappointed about her loss to Vitus, but as she asked me if I agreed, Vitus spoke up, ?She lost to a dusty old Knight that has been in the ground for nearly two hundred years.?
I smiled, ?Ah, but from what I heard, you believe as a Knight of Midnight, he should have bested you.?
She grinned at her brother, ?He should have shut me out.?
Vitus can be a very smooth talker, and at this moment, he?d turned that smooth talk on Rhaine, but she?s not believing a word of his flattery. I asked her, ?are all Asmodeans such smooth talkers??
Vitus chuckled, ?There are some that confuse me with a Snake at times, but no, not all Asmodeans are smooth talkers, most Knights lack eloquence.?
I sat down into a comfortable chair, ?and you gained this eloquence of speech by?.?
He stood with a smirk, ?have you ever tried talking a woman into a life of unyielding servitude? Takes some talking.?
Apparently he?s had four slaves that he?d not paid for, simply talked them into their status. I do not agree with slavery, and am absolutely certain that no man is worth selling your very soul for, under any circumstances.
Rhaine departed, leaving Vitus and I alone in the deserted Arena. We spoke at length about slavery and power.
We discovered that we had both been to Underdark, but his reason for going was again slaves. I told him I could never accept the society and how it treated the males there, and that it was a world of stark beauty, and unspeakable cruelty.
Vitus looked at me, ?yes, it is, but I can be a cruel being, and in some ways, I could admire the extent of their cruelty, but I can?t respect a race that teaches their men that their women are superior, or vice versa for that matter.?
I asked him if he knew how Vicar Raevyx had escaped that world, but sadly he had not met Raevyx, telling me that he?d been brought into the Asmodean fold after his ?death.? It was a subject he was pained to discuss, and I apologized for bringing up painful memories. He blinked, ?No, it?s fine, I have to learn to cope with it eventually, anyway, can?t let it rule me.?
I smiled, ?No, you cannot, but you do not need a prying woman treading unwarily through your memories either.?
He chuckled, ?It was a prying woman that saved me at one time.?
We sat and talked far into the wee morning hours. He was surprised to learn that Iggy Vossen was here as well as Vanion, and that RhyDin seemed a strategically ideal place for expansion of the Armies of Midnight.
We spoke about the Myr?Khulian?s, and rumors that Vanion was working on a new project. Vitus gave me a cold smile, ?Then it is good I have been working on a few projects of my own.? He didn?t wish to go into any details about his project, and thus I did not press.
Rhaine had granted him rights to her hideout, and so he had a place to stay. I laughed as I told him about how Rhaine upsets the twins. I gave him a bit of the history between Lucien and Raevyx, and Gabriel and Rhaine.
We spoke about his family, he has three sons, and a woman who?d borne them had disappeared with his grown sons. There seems a coldness about his view on his offspring, but he was clear, ?They are adults now, and no longer needing of my care, but I think they left with their mother.?
He told me that he and Rhaine were not fraternal brother/sister, but rather blood brother/sister, which explains why they do not look anything alike.
As I got comfortable in a chair near Vitus, I asked him about his earlier comment regarding the strategic possibilities of RhyDin. He leaned back, ?well, from what I understand, this is a nexus, and travel to different realms is much easier here. The Temple of Asmodeus is falling in Clandestine. It is nearly a dead religion. The upper ranks are riddled with greed. I think the Grim Lord has given up on them. So, RhyDin could be a jumping point for the Army of Midnight to gather, and launch assaults on our enemies in other realms.?
I pondered that a moment. There were an increasing number of realm runners in RhyDin. Nexus points are useful, and dangerous.
He continued, ?And, we can bring back converts from other places to be garrisoned here.?
I looked at him, ?You?re looking to form a new temple, as Vanion did.? It was a statement and not a question.
He nodded, ?We have no desire to lay claim to this place, if that concerns you. In fact, having the Army of Midnight based here could benefit the populace here as well. Construction has already begun.? He did his best to try to re-assure me that we would have nothing to fear from the Asmodeans moving into RhyDin.
At length, he asked me what my company did, and I explained to him that I was a weapons and explosives manufacturer. He grinned widely, ?then, you should only benefit from having us here.?
I gave him a soft laugh, ?That is only if I garner the business from your legion.?
I showed him the handgun I always carried, and the small glass sphere of binary liquid that I made for Tareth Thorn. He was a bit puzzled by them, and so I did invite him to come to the plant for a demonstration of both articles. He felt they were rather small, but he was used to broadswords and magic.
As I set about returning the DE to the shoulder holster, he grinned, ?got anything else in there you want to show me??
I laughed, sliding the glass sphere back into my pocket, ?No, nothing else hiding in here, although Klinton believes I?m a walking arsenal.?
He gave me a piercing look, ?You sure??
I raised cool blue eyes to him, ?Yes, I?m positive about what weapons I carry.?
He chuckled darkly, ?I wasn?t referring to weapons. At any rate, I think the Legion and your company could benefit highly from a co-existence here.?
I laughed as I buttoned the silk jacket, ?I know you weren?t. But then, some men would say a woman?s charms are a double edged weapon. I would be happy to discuss business with your Legion.?
He told me the new Temple was being constructed in the north, deep within the mountains and well beyond the city limits. They did not wish to draw their wars into the city, nor the city?s wars into their Temple.
It is certainly not good business to destroy the city from which you hope to have goods and services provided, and they sound as though they would prefer not to have the city?s politics intruding on their affairs.
We agreed to meet again at the plant, where I would show him how to use my form of weaponry, and with that, he walked into the night.
The city has become an eclectic gathering of the widest assortment of creatures. I wonder how long it can maintain it?s aura of tolerance and acceptance. Glancing up at Gabriel, I locked the Arena for the night and returned to the Palazzo.
He nodded, ?very, in fact.?
The man is always moving, always on the go, and I would have liked to talk further, but Dimitri arrived, and seemed very surprised to hear that fire has struck in New Haven. Rhaine was also shocked to hear about the fire. I?m surprised, with as many deaths as were associated with the arsonist attack on Baron Maxiumus? home. Rhaine muttered something nasty under her breath as Dimitri lamented ?what is this city coming to??
The faux Farek arrived, seeking duels, but he was lucky and found one as the elven Warlady arrived. She was greeted by both Xenograg and Rhaine. I had recently learned that she lived in New Haven as well.
Xenograg was preparing to depart, and so when he asked if I would be willing to fill in, I agreed.
Rab arrived, and in his usual jovial humor inquired how I was. As I told him I was worried, he pulled up a chair and inquired why. ?Arson.? I told him, then proceeded to inquire about his association with Max. He was as perplexed as the rest of us as to what the purpose of the arsonists activities might be.
I left him to change and returned from the back room in time to see Rhaine greet her brother, but he appeared to be extremely exhausted, dropping onto the chair like a dead weight. She inquired if he was tired, and he smiled, ?tired, yes, a late night last night, but things are underway.?
I bid Xenograg good evening and heard Rhaine tell Vitus that she?d obtained a particular gem. ?Even without having to teach someone a useful lesson.?
Vitus appeared to be somewhat disappointed, ?that easy, was it? Oh well, I should be happy.? He told her he needed a drink, and that he could barely hold a blade, at least for sport. And then, the duels began to come in, and I had to focus elsewhere.
When next I looked up, Vitus was tearing strips of fabric from a ragged gray and red robe, wrapping them around his bloodied hands. Rhaine was shaking her head, ?Knight solution. Let me take care of your hands Vitus.?
He grabbed the hilt of a sword he carried, testing the grip in his wrapped hands, ?no need, this will do just fine.? Somehow, that gesture of male stubbornness reminded me of Klinton. They?d rather do it themselves than admit a weakness sometimes. He looked at the bindings, as though checking to see if blood had seeped through, ?it?s fine, Rhaine, I will live.?
She shook her head, ?You?ll live, but I dislike seeing your hands wrapped like this.?
Farek came in seeking duels again, and as I tried to get him a match, he snarled, ?I assure you, I am the one and only, woman.?
Sliding a cool blue gaze over him, ?You have yet to convince me imposter.?
He snarled louder, ?Not even my utter dominance of Alais and Tommy and my brilliant comeback against the mallet wielding eccentric??
Shaking my head at him, ?That is no proof. You are not the Brigand I knew.?
Rab chimed in, ?He sounds the same.?
Rhaine invited her brother to dance in the ring with her, and I heard him tell her that he was still rusty, and that he didn?t want her to have to fix anything else. He?ll learn about the healing wards of the ring soon enough. Vitus won the match, and Rhaine told him he should have shut her out. I have to laugh, sometimes there is simply no right answer. She grew instantly hot when he suggested she use a lighter blade next time to even things up, and called it the use of an excuse for losing. Somehow I suspect Vitus was having too much fun baiting his sister.
Vitus grinned at her, ?next time use a lighter swords, and to make things more even, we will find a caller that is less attractive.?
I lifted my gaze to his, ?such pretty words Vitus.?
He chuckled, ?Pretty words hide a dark heart.?
That seemed to make Rhaine even more angry, ?we will go outside NOW, brother, and see what we can do without a caller, and without your excuses for not shutting me out the way a Knight should!
He shook his head, ?Don?t pretend you were never a Knight, Rhaine. As long as it has been for me, still knocking the dust out of my ears.?
She calmed somewhat, accepting a glass of Liquid Fire. I chuckled, ?That was a nice win Vitus, you have some skill with that blade.?
He nodded, ?I had to test it, and I could think of no finer test than sparring with Rhaine.?
I kicked off the stiletto heels, glancing around the nearly deserted Arena as he inspected the newly forged blade. Rhaine was looking with some disgust at her cup of coffee, ?Someone should try importing good coffee here.?
Daigotsu arrived, and I could see her brighten at his appearance.
Rising, stretching, I told the room that if no one was going to use the rings, I was finished for the night. But, Daigotsu and Tasslehofl stepped into a ring. Their conversation was odd, as Daigotsu told Tass ?You?ve become rather? popular as of late it seems.?
Tass bowed slightly, ?All for the greater good, Milord.?
That in itself was odd. Tasslehofl is lord in his own right?.
?Rash none the less. You would bring a mob on yourself if you are not careful.?
He told Daigotsu, ?I shall be careful, Milord.?
?My faith in you being careful is fading. You had better think harder before you become the end of us all.? Daigotsu told him in a reprimanding tone. ?You could have picked a younger being. I?m surprised you?re not in a wheelchair.?
?There is great power here, Milord, once the body is healed.?
Daigotsu then asked, ?and yours is where??
?destroyed? was the gravelly answer.
Daigotsu snarled at him, ?you should be relieved I like my own body. Too tempted to end this?. Headache.? He left the ring abruptly.
About then, Vitus began speaking to his new sword, ?shhh.? He muttered, standing abruptly to draw the blade and lay it upon the table, whispering to it. Finally, as Rhaine summoned a dark rift, Vitus rose and threw the blade through the rift, ?I told you to shut it!?
I blinked at him, and glanced at Rhaine. Vitus smiled at me, ?sorry, I haven?t had my medication.?
I gave him a non-believing smile before rising and headed to the back room to change. At last, walking out of the back room in pale blue silk suit, I pulled the three platinum picks from my hair, letting it cascade around my shoulders, ?Well, That was a long night,? I said to no one in particular as I headed for the callers sofa and grabbing the remains of my scotch.
Rhaine seemed disappointed about her loss to Vitus, but as she asked me if I agreed, Vitus spoke up, ?She lost to a dusty old Knight that has been in the ground for nearly two hundred years.?
I smiled, ?Ah, but from what I heard, you believe as a Knight of Midnight, he should have bested you.?
She grinned at her brother, ?He should have shut me out.?
Vitus can be a very smooth talker, and at this moment, he?d turned that smooth talk on Rhaine, but she?s not believing a word of his flattery. I asked her, ?are all Asmodeans such smooth talkers??
Vitus chuckled, ?There are some that confuse me with a Snake at times, but no, not all Asmodeans are smooth talkers, most Knights lack eloquence.?
I sat down into a comfortable chair, ?and you gained this eloquence of speech by?.?
He stood with a smirk, ?have you ever tried talking a woman into a life of unyielding servitude? Takes some talking.?
Apparently he?s had four slaves that he?d not paid for, simply talked them into their status. I do not agree with slavery, and am absolutely certain that no man is worth selling your very soul for, under any circumstances.
Rhaine departed, leaving Vitus and I alone in the deserted Arena. We spoke at length about slavery and power.
We discovered that we had both been to Underdark, but his reason for going was again slaves. I told him I could never accept the society and how it treated the males there, and that it was a world of stark beauty, and unspeakable cruelty.
Vitus looked at me, ?yes, it is, but I can be a cruel being, and in some ways, I could admire the extent of their cruelty, but I can?t respect a race that teaches their men that their women are superior, or vice versa for that matter.?
I asked him if he knew how Vicar Raevyx had escaped that world, but sadly he had not met Raevyx, telling me that he?d been brought into the Asmodean fold after his ?death.? It was a subject he was pained to discuss, and I apologized for bringing up painful memories. He blinked, ?No, it?s fine, I have to learn to cope with it eventually, anyway, can?t let it rule me.?
I smiled, ?No, you cannot, but you do not need a prying woman treading unwarily through your memories either.?
He chuckled, ?It was a prying woman that saved me at one time.?
We sat and talked far into the wee morning hours. He was surprised to learn that Iggy Vossen was here as well as Vanion, and that RhyDin seemed a strategically ideal place for expansion of the Armies of Midnight.
We spoke about the Myr?Khulian?s, and rumors that Vanion was working on a new project. Vitus gave me a cold smile, ?Then it is good I have been working on a few projects of my own.? He didn?t wish to go into any details about his project, and thus I did not press.
Rhaine had granted him rights to her hideout, and so he had a place to stay. I laughed as I told him about how Rhaine upsets the twins. I gave him a bit of the history between Lucien and Raevyx, and Gabriel and Rhaine.
We spoke about his family, he has three sons, and a woman who?d borne them had disappeared with his grown sons. There seems a coldness about his view on his offspring, but he was clear, ?They are adults now, and no longer needing of my care, but I think they left with their mother.?
He told me that he and Rhaine were not fraternal brother/sister, but rather blood brother/sister, which explains why they do not look anything alike.
As I got comfortable in a chair near Vitus, I asked him about his earlier comment regarding the strategic possibilities of RhyDin. He leaned back, ?well, from what I understand, this is a nexus, and travel to different realms is much easier here. The Temple of Asmodeus is falling in Clandestine. It is nearly a dead religion. The upper ranks are riddled with greed. I think the Grim Lord has given up on them. So, RhyDin could be a jumping point for the Army of Midnight to gather, and launch assaults on our enemies in other realms.?
I pondered that a moment. There were an increasing number of realm runners in RhyDin. Nexus points are useful, and dangerous.
He continued, ?And, we can bring back converts from other places to be garrisoned here.?
I looked at him, ?You?re looking to form a new temple, as Vanion did.? It was a statement and not a question.
He nodded, ?We have no desire to lay claim to this place, if that concerns you. In fact, having the Army of Midnight based here could benefit the populace here as well. Construction has already begun.? He did his best to try to re-assure me that we would have nothing to fear from the Asmodeans moving into RhyDin.
At length, he asked me what my company did, and I explained to him that I was a weapons and explosives manufacturer. He grinned widely, ?then, you should only benefit from having us here.?
I gave him a soft laugh, ?That is only if I garner the business from your legion.?
I showed him the handgun I always carried, and the small glass sphere of binary liquid that I made for Tareth Thorn. He was a bit puzzled by them, and so I did invite him to come to the plant for a demonstration of both articles. He felt they were rather small, but he was used to broadswords and magic.
As I set about returning the DE to the shoulder holster, he grinned, ?got anything else in there you want to show me??
I laughed, sliding the glass sphere back into my pocket, ?No, nothing else hiding in here, although Klinton believes I?m a walking arsenal.?
He gave me a piercing look, ?You sure??
I raised cool blue eyes to him, ?Yes, I?m positive about what weapons I carry.?
He chuckled darkly, ?I wasn?t referring to weapons. At any rate, I think the Legion and your company could benefit highly from a co-existence here.?
I laughed as I buttoned the silk jacket, ?I know you weren?t. But then, some men would say a woman?s charms are a double edged weapon. I would be happy to discuss business with your Legion.?
He told me the new Temple was being constructed in the north, deep within the mountains and well beyond the city limits. They did not wish to draw their wars into the city, nor the city?s wars into their Temple.
It is certainly not good business to destroy the city from which you hope to have goods and services provided, and they sound as though they would prefer not to have the city?s politics intruding on their affairs.
We agreed to meet again at the plant, where I would show him how to use my form of weaponry, and with that, he walked into the night.
The city has become an eclectic gathering of the widest assortment of creatures. I wonder how long it can maintain it?s aura of tolerance and acceptance. Glancing up at Gabriel, I locked the Arena for the night and returned to the Palazzo.