?Alright, that we didn?t see coming! What the hell, was she doing there!? An what the f*ck was the deal, with the armoured cavalry! I mean there was like.. Sh*t, at least four mounted and that didn?t count the ones, waiting back on the next block! Not to mention the roof top archers, either!?

Kerrithra Al?Tuatha, would have continued.. Much to the rather annoyed expressions, of those around her.. Luckily, Henrietta had other plans, and simply slapped the rather excitable Mithra upside her head, causing her to cease instantly.

?B*tch, do that again and I?ll rip your f*cking throat out!?, spat the newly pissed off Mithra.

?I?d like to see you try, ?retorted Henrietta..

?QUIET!?

Instantly, both had done just that.. They ceased their verbal spat, and quieted once more, as they looked to the doorway, of their hall..
What they saw, caused both parties to righten themselves rather quickly, as they in turn made for the planning table in the centre of said hall, each knight taking a side of the table.. The pair still looking rather unnerved, as they watched him enter the hall.

There was no word for the pair.. No inkling of acknowledgement, what so ever, as he neared the table. Garbed still in the blackened armour he had worn before, as the etched runes of frost that adorned said armour, softly shone and vanished just as quickly.. Eyes of azure narrowed somewhat, as he took his place, between the pair, yet again no acknowledgement at all.

For his eyes were fixated on something far more pressing..

The series of maps, and files spread about the table.. To be rather more specific, a certain pair of files. The gauntleted hand, lifted.. Reaching for the files?

?I?m sorry! I can?t help it, Brian! It?s her! I mean come on, how the hell were we supposed to deal with that!? She wasn?t supposed to be there, she--- Damn it, Brian.. It??Well sh*t, you know who the he??

Kerrithra Al?Tuatha, got no further with her rant. Courtesy of a severely placed fisted back hand, that landed squarely upon her mouth, and nose. The result was instant, as the Mithra staggered backwards.. Hands lifted to a rather bloodied face, as the momentum carried her further, resulting in her landing flat on her rear in a skidded stop.

Eyes widened, as the Mithra simply whimpered through her bloodied maw.. Hands holding tight, as blood began to seep through her fingers in kind. The shock felt deeply, as Kerri had been taken completely unawares. Henrietta watched on, a shake of head taking hold, as she softly began to speak.

?My Lo??A hand lifted once more, cutting Henrietta off rather soundly.

Eyes of frost looked upon Henrietta, as he began to speak.

?Not a word.. Not a damned word.?

Quickly, he turned and began to stalk towards the planted Kerri, who in turn began to scoot herself backwards as best as she could.. Until she ended up against a pillar. Another muffled whimper came, as emerald eyes began to well up. An unsure glance, to the left, and right as she looked for something.. Anything, that could help her!

Stopping just short of her, the gauntleted hand reared back once more.. Runes of blood, appearing about the artifact, as fingers flexed more so. Eyes of frost narrowed more so, as a frown began to take form upon his face.

Those gathered, were simply stunned.. Henrietta turned, and actually took a step forward, her mouth opening to object, a she did so.

Tears began to stream down, the face of the Mithra as eyes widened more so.. Rapid blinks took hold of her, coupled with a series of shudders.. Bloodied hands, slid from her stained mouth, as arms lifted to shield herself as best as she could.. Gurgled whimpers became more audible, as Kerri openly began to convulse..

Her mouth opened more so, as she began to speak, yet the words could not be made out.. More than likely a testament to the bloodied nose, and swollen mouth she had received at the hands of her attacker. Suddenly, he moved towards her, and a cry erupted from the Mithra!

Her eyes closed, as she doubled up, praying for it to be quickly ended. Henrietta then moved towards the pair, a cry of protest escaping her as well, hoping in some way that she would get through to him, and spare her companion from further injury.

Just as quickly, Henrietta stopped.. A muffled cry heard from the knight, as she did so. Eyes widened somewhat upon what she saw before her.

Kerri?s eyes were closed, as she cried out yet again..

And then there was no more crying. No gurgled protests, no scrambling.. She wanted to move, but for some reason, she couldn?t..

Slowly, eyes of emerald opened.. Still welled up, as she saw Henrietta a bit away. Henri?s eyes still widened, as she was seemingly frozen in place as well.

Again, Kerri tried to move, but she couldn?t. Her head turned a tad, as eyes widened more so, as a gasp escaped the Mithra, as she realized what had happened. Henrietta did the same, as well. Still not fully believing what she saw, yet there is was.

The man was knelt before Kerri, and more so, his arms were wrapped about her. The Mithra was held closely, what could be best resembled as a warm embrace, perchance?

Softly, he spoke.. ?I?m sorry.?

Releasing Kerri, he slowly stood once more, a hand taking hers as he lifted her gently to her feet in kind. Once more was Kerri taken in his arms, as an apology was offered yet again to her. Looking to their left, he called out to someone else.

?Hassim, please tend to Kerri. Let?s get her washed up, and what not.?

The robed man, nodded curtly and waved over another as they approached the pair. Kerri was released once more, as her head was softly kissed. A hand lifted, as fingers caressed her cheek in a loving manner..

?I?m sorry Kerri.. That was not right of me.. Not right at all.? A rather confused nod was given in reply, from Kerri as she was ushered off to be tended to.

Turning once more, the man moved towards the table, nodding to Henri along the way.

?Raven..??, asked Henrietta..

?I know, Henri..?, was the quickly offered reply.

?The time is drawing near, and this is evident.. We need to act on this, and it needs to be soon. If this continues, we may---?

?I know, Henri.. And we will act. We need something decisive, and more so direct.. Her arrival was not planned. I admit, it did unnerve me, but we will act accordingly, and commit to what we originally planned. We?ve elements in our favour, Henri and I will see them used to the fullest of their extent. It doesn?t matter what she plans, I will deal with her, and her newfound forces.?

?And Isuelt, Raven??

?Isuelt is a broken toy, Henri.. But she is my toy.. And I will play with her, till I tire of her, and then we will move on to whoever else, decides to step into our ring.. And I am hardly done with Isuelt, dear.. In fact, that is where we strike next.?

?What do you mean, Raven? Where will we stri??

?Here, Henrietta! We strike here!? he answered quickly, as his fist pounded at the pair of files on the table..

The pair taken in hand, as he thrust them towards Henri, with a rather forceful expression, as eyes of frost once more narrowed. Glancing to the files, Henri?s eyes widened more so.. A glance back to the files, and then Raven.. Back and forth, as she stood there a moment more..

?Are you, serious??

?Yes, I am.. Isuelt, will feel this so deeply, it will force her from this city.. It will force her finally pay for the sins of the past, tenfold and more so, it will show her, once and for all, that her goddess doesn?t hear the cries of pathetic hollowed out whores, who like to play as judges!?

?Raven, the drag?A dragon? Are you.. Do you realize what you have done!??

?Of course, I realize what I did! I have evened the playing field, that?s what I did, and more so, I cannot wait to see the look on that sow of a lizard?s face when she sees our.. Pestilence. Yes, let us see what she can conjure, when she faced with what we have created.?

?You have real?this is really it, isn?t it? You honestly intend to see this through? To its end??

?Henrietta, that is without question, my hand.. I will see this through to its end.. Or my own, and if it is the latter.. gods help them all, because I will take each and every one of those pathetic excuse for heroes with me, as we did once before.. Heh, there is no Katharine and her silly frying pan this time. No, this time.. We will host the final curtain call, my dear. And we will make sure there are no encores this time around..?

?Brian, you ca---?

?NO! Do not use that name! EVER.. I am far more than, that pathetic husk..?
?My Lo??

*thunk!*

Henrietta never got any further.. In fact, she was not the only one that was cut off..

The entire room came to a stop.. The only thing heard was a series of ?gasps? that only lasted moments, as eyes were fixated upon the planning table once more.. And more so, what had landed on the table..

His eyes too were fixated, as a gloved hand reached for that which landed upon the table, and literally put this room on such edge.. A hand full of hair was gripped, as he lifted the freshly liberated head of, Kerrithra Al?Tuatha from the table?

The quite fresh look of utter shock, still upon the Mithra?s face, as the head was inspected more so.. Lifted closer to his face, Raven began to speak softly to it.. Ignoring the droplets of blood that still fled freely from the its host.. Henrietta gasped aloud once more..

Frozen in place, no less.. Her eyes widened in such, shock as she began to stammer somewhat. Turning to her, Raven held the head aloft a tad.. Raising it somewhat,

?What? Henri, you don?t recognize her? Of course you do.?

?Raven! What?what did you do!? You said they would tend to her! TEND!?

?And they did EXACTLY that, my dear! They tended to her, and now her suffering is at an end.. MY end..?

Pulling the severed head closer towards him, he regarded it more so.. ?All these years? All this time, my dear and this is how it ends for you. I expected more.. But, it is as they say.. What it is , no??

Eyes widened more so, as he offered a soft kiss upon the forehead, of said severed head.

?You will not be forgotten..?

And with no thought what so ever, the head was unceremoniously thrown to the far end of the room.. Landing somewhere in a bloodied roll.

?Let that be a lesson for each and EVERY one of you! I will do the same f*cking thing to ANYONE, who dares to shy away from what we have committed to do!

I do NOT CARE who we face!

I do not care if it is those Scath b*tches, and their broken leader!

I do not care if it is those damned Avengers, and their little play toys!

I do not care if it is the Government themselves, or what is left of the Ravenlock Clan!

I do not care if it is Jenai and her contingent!

Renna, or anyone else!?

Turning to his knight he continued..

?We WILL not falter to ANYTHING!?

?Henrietta!!?

?Y-y-y-yes, Raven??

?You will procede with what I have planned, will you not??

?O-of course!? Henrietta lifted the files once more.. A hand wiped at the droplets of blood, that littered each.. A rather futile gesture, as the blood simply smeared.. Making more of a mess.

?Raven, you killed her..? , the words said softly..

?No Henrietta.. I freed her..? replied Raven, as he walked towards the far end of the room..

He paused in step..

His eyes looking upon a pair of ?iron maidens?.. Don?t know what they happen to be? Well, look it up.. They are wonderful devices from truly wondrous era.. And they have long since been forgotten to some degree..

But not to Raven..

Henri joined him, as did Hassim..

Leaning to the Maiden, a hand lifted to pulled back a small slit.. Exposing a pair of clenched eyes.. Said eyes opened a moment, and clenched once more.. Quickly, the slit was closed, and he then approached the second one.. The same happened.. The slit was opened, a pair of eyes seen and just as quickly it closed.

?I so love these things..?

Kneeling before the maidens, Raven inspected a pair of what looked to be drains.. Akin, to an old grease trap from a diner. One from each of the maidens pooling into a pair of reservoirs, respectfully.

A hand lifted, as a finger dipped into one of the drains.. The finger returned, with a crimson tip. T?was lifted, as eyes of blue examined the blood more so..

The crimson tip ran across his lips, as a taste of the blood followed.

A soft nod , given as he stood to his full height.

Moving back to the first maiden, he leaned once more, as the eye slit was opened once more.

?Comfy? No? No matter.. All that I am, is what you can be.. Again, and again??

Deftly, a hand lifted and adjusted a dial on the maiden itself, twisted it to the right a tad, and pressing in more so..

The result was instant, as whatever was inside began to shriek and howl in an ungodly manner! The maiden shook more so, and if one would look down towards the drain, they would see even more of an ebb.. A cackle ensued, as he looked into the eye slit, watching the tightly clenched eyes, well with such tears!

?Louder! LOUDER! Who the %^$% will hear you all the way down here!?

And then, he pulled back the dial, and reset it once more.. The cries softened, yet remained very audible.

Moving away, he called out to Hassim..

?Tend to the other, in the same manner I have just done. I tire of this.?

Hassim bowed, and set to the task, as Henri followed Raven towards the planning table once more. Ignoring another set of shrieks and cries, Raven turned to Henri once more..

?Ready the Pestilence.. Find the one known as ?Scorpion?, and make ready to move.. And, be a dear will you.. Send my wife some flowers..?

Turning from her, he laughed loudly.. Cackling even, as he waved his arms to and fro, akin to a conductor, even..

?Sing louder and louder! Dance! Dance for us all! And more so.. Die??
Leaving the room the cackling continued more so, and soon came to an end..

Henrietta was left speechless.. Just speechless.

Softly, she finally spoke to herself..

?We are all dead..?