The Edge of Shadow || Original RP || IC Thread

[Kelevra Black]

Current Location: LaMarche District
Speaking With: Vorlander Solaris

"Two favors..." Finn repeated, his smile growing. "I was hoping you would be better at this the second time around." He said sarcastically. "The deal is too vague. I may not have to kill someone or betray someone. But there is a great wide world of crimes you could ask me to commit for you. Not saying you would, but still... Too vague. Thus, no deal." Finn smiled and almost laughed at just how confident Vorlander was. "The fact that usually works for you amazes me. People are fools if they make such vague deals.

"Those people are overconfident, but I'm not. I know my limitations and I do not try to hide them. I treat everyone like they are smarter than me, and thus I strive to operate at their level, only making myself more intelligent... You know you are smart and clever and you like to show it. I mean no disrespect. I only mean to inform you that I will not make the same deals as other people you have dealt with." Finn shrugged his shoulders. "And do not be so sure I have nothing of value. I have words... More precisely, your words. Words offer the means to meaning... And for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth." And the truth was, Finn knew something about Vorlander. Something Vorlander had inadvertently revealed about himself without realizing it.

"I think now is the time we part ways. I'll send the raven once you leave the gates."

[Hack Thornias]

Current Location: Amick
Speaking With: Finn

“Very well. Just remember Finn, if I do find something out, the cost will be much higher.” He continued to sit there as he watched Finn. The boy may think he had something on him, but there was nothing he could possibly have. If there was one thing Vorlander had made sure of, it was that there was absolutely no way he could ever be prosecuted.

He rose then and led Aine and Finn out of the inn and back onto the streets. He would be taking Aine to the Port via the Grid, then Vorlander’s own teleportation. They would be arriving by nightfall, where they would see the Overlord and begin negotiations.

He leaned in to Finn to say goodbye and said, “You’re a hard man to read Finn, I respect that. But know this, everyone that has ever tried to beat me learns I am not to be trifled with. Make sure you are willing to live with your choices.” He turned and left Finn standing there, not looking back.

He would have to send Finn a reminder that people do not ******** with Vorlander Solaris.

[Kelevra Black]

Current Location: Amick District
Speaking With: None

There was nothing left to be said. Finn sent off the raven after Vorlander and Aine had left. Then he went to the stables, ordered a horse, and set off to catch up with the guard escorting Rohesia. It took about an hour before they were within sight, another twenty minutes to actually catch up. But once they were partied up, Finn announced who he was to the guards and they allowed him to travel. He looked to Rohesia but dared not speak to her just yet. Guards were mouthy... Get some drink in them and they had a tendency to talk about everything the saw or overheard.

And some of these men could have possibly been under Vorlander's thumb. All he did was look at her from time to time, always giving her a reassuring glance and occasionally a small awkward smile. Once they were in the Amick District, they would bring her before Kain to talk about the coin she had used at Castiel's expense all that time ago. But the meeting would take a turn. Finn would see to that.

Soon enough, the Amick District was within their sights, and an hour later, they were entering the gates of Castle Viridian, one guard running ahead to inform Lord Ecanis that there was a prisoner that needed to be judged for her crimes.

[thiswasdeletedyo]

x x

Rohesia started out confident and mighty, but as she traveled on with the guards, it sort of... fizzled out. Her high was gone thanks to the fact that she was in chains. It was never like this in chains before. She looked down at them as they rode on. Clanking the metal together and turning it about. She got yelled at for being annoying. It wasn't as if she killed someone and what would a dead man do with that coin now? She became pretty irritated when they were about halfway to Amick, hoping the mood was to pass so she wasn't bitchy to the lord who would be doing her sentencing. Finn finally showed up. That improved everything. She noticed he was looking at her every now and then. She couldn't help showing a wide smile back at nothing. The others would surely think her odd for it.

She stared up in awe at the gates opening, and one guardsman rushed on ahead. Castle Viridian was impressive though she wanted to try seeing the city and figuring out where Mercer had lived, but the attack on Amick may have done away with all of that and she became a bit disappointed. "How harsh is Lord Ecanis?" she asked no one in particular, being taken inside, she looked up at the wide ceiling.

"He wouldn't happen to have a soft spot for puppies or something, would he?" Rohesia turned her head to look for Finn, making sure he was still with her. Obviously Finn was special, beyond a regular Finn, she wondered about asking him for his last name. That could come after when she thanked or cursed him. Now, she had a lord to plea to for mercy and that was scaring her a bit...

Rohesia, is there a problem? ;; here is my body, in Amick district and we speak, Finn.

[Diandra Moon]

Aine Aiyana

Location: LaMarche District
Speaking with: Finn, and some ruffians

That note of authority automatically set her back up. She didn’t put up with it from Castiel, Luca, and she barely tolerated it from Kain because he was careful to word things are requests with her so he at least gave her the illusion of having a choice…Kain at least understood that appearances meant a lot. And Finn obviously didn’t realize that either because his insistence to speak with the woman made things appear to be far more than they did at first.

She started towards the door and waited until Finn and the woman had their attention on one another before she slipped over to a group of men who looked capable of having a few extra skills up their sleeve. “Can I get you fellas to do me a tiny favor?”

“Five gold coins and we’ll do whatever you want short of killing someone.” One said with a smile.

“That’s good. I don’t need anyone killed. One of you go get the guards for me. I need someone to keep me from sight, and the rest of you to make sound cones so I can eavesdrop on someone without them figuring I out.”

“Easy enough.” One guy darted out the door and before she knew it, she was out of sight, and therefore out of mind. She trusted the other men were making the sound cones and she cast one for herself over Finn and Rohesia. Once they were upstairs, she shifted the cone and followed Finn’s voice behind a closed door. Handy little trick, and she was glad she had learned it when she had been on bedrest. She could only pick so many locks before she got bored and needed something else to do.

She listened to the conversation about how the woman was spying on Vorlander. She had to give the two credit. It was good to be on your toes where Vorlander was concerned. Kudos to them. Once their conversation had concluded to making things look as if they had done what most went upstairs to do, she quickly jotted down two letters and smiled to the group who had helped her out. “Another five coins to anyone who can take this to Lord Ecanis and Lord Armand in Amick District before the guards deliver the woman to Lord Ecanis.”

“I’ve got some contacts that will get me there ahead of guards. You can pay me when I get back for the letters.”

She jotted down another note. “Ecanis first. Give this to Lord Armand and he’ll pay you for the letters’ deilvery.” She handed that over and he slipped off right before Vorlander walked in. She set the five gold coins on the table she had promised for their help and smiled to Vorlander, chatting inanely the entire time it took the woman and Finn to get back downstairs. Then the guards came in as if on cue and that was that.

The woman looked like she wanted to gut Aine, and Aine ignored her other than making sure she didn’t try to attack her. She had that much sense to refrain. Her letters would get to Kain and Luca shortly before Rohesia arrived at Castle Viridian. She just hoped Kain wasn’t too annoyed by the circumstances when the woman got there.

Then they were on their way to the Port. She had to say, she wasn’t too pleased about going, but Vorlander was right…Even if for the novelty, Aine’s reputation would get them as far as the castle gates. “I’m about as ready as I’m going to be.” She said to Vorlander as she waited for the journey to begin.

[Kelevra Black]

Current Location: Amick District
Speaking With: Rohesia Malle & Finn

Lord Ecanis,
I am sending a prisoner to you. When I met your brother in Lusca, that very same evening a woman took advantage in more ways than one of Castiel's offer to buy her dinner. Needless to say, he was pissed. He muttered about it nearly the entire way to Dorian. I came across the woman in LaMarche. I recognized her and was willing to let it slide until she pissed me off-which we all know isn't a way to help me forget.

Finn was adament about speaking with and I eavesdropped. She is spying on Vorlander. She could be working for anyone, but given the murder/suicides, my guess would be a Guild. That's the only reason I'm warning you she is on her way. I want us to play nice with the Guilds if at all possible until Slade is taken care of.

Besides, I'm only doing to her what your brother did to me when I dumped wine over his head, teaching her lesson. Castiel did not suffer for the lack of coin and we all know it. I want her to learn that if she plans on spying on anyone, more or less those in the combined cities of LaMarche and Amick, to be better at watching her tongue and pissing people off. I'll send word to Luca to send the money to cover her debt to your family. Simply scare some sense into her for me since I don't have the time. If you can find anything more specific out I wish you luck. Just don't do anything irreperable to get the information please.

Please watch over my family while I am gone. I would appreciate it.

Sincerely,
Aine Aiyana Armand

More business... More time consuming business. Luckily he had managed to get his wife under the sheets not too long ago. It had helped relieve the stress, but now he had to do one of the hardest things a Lord should ever have to do - judge someone. He would have had the girl brought before him, but when a guard informed him that Finn had come along, he figured the meeting would likely not be as private as he would have hoped. So instead, he went to them.

"I would not call myself harsh, my lady." Kain said. As he had been coming down the hall toward the room, he had heard her asking about him. "I like to consider myself fair, and I believe our friend, Finn, would approve." Kain waved the guards away, leaving the three of them completely alone in the audience hall

"I would agree with that. Which is why I chose to accompany her."

"Aine sent a letter. She suspects this girl is a Guild agent. Would you defend a Guild Agent, Finn?" Kain asked, the letter in hand and his eyes stone cold. This was a serious question, with only one feasible right answer.

"I would. If that defense form trust and in that trust we may fight a greater threat. But this girl is not Guild. She and I spoke. She was not spying on Vorlander for the sake of spying." Finn looked to her and placed his hands behind his back. "She is a thief, and given what she did to Castiel, I'm sure you have no trouble believing that."

"Aye. A thief she obviously is."

"She was stealing from Vorlander. Not spying. Have you seen his office building in LaMarche? It's extravagant and gaudy. It practically begs to be robbed. This girl was trying to find some coin so she could feed herself on the streets of LaMarche. She ducked into a vent when the murder/suicides occurred. She was too afraid to come out, because she is not a murderer... And then Vorlander, Aine, and myself arrived. I noticed her, but did not give her up right away. What do you think Vorlander would have done to someone trying to steal from him?"

"Probably take her hands so she could never steal again." It was an exaggeration, but probably not too far off. The story was, in all regards, completely believable. The girl was in a dress that was not made with that cut in the side of the skirt. She couldn't even afford a whore's clothing. She had to try to make it herself.

"Precisely. So I gave her a subtle message to meet with me. Because I have no authority, but I thought she may know something about the murders... I was her safest option to report what she saw... And believe me, she saw something worth your while."

[Kelevra Black]

Current Location: Amick District
Speaking With: Rohesia Malle & Kain Ecanis

Rohesia was still in chains, and Finn was between her and Kain, his back to the girl while he spoke, his hands hands behind him, gesturing at her with fingers crossed, begging her to simply play along with his lie. "And believe me, she saw something worth your while."

This piqued Kain's interest. She had been hiding in Vorlander's offices, so whatever she saw that would interest a Lord like Kain would have to be something big. And it was. Businessmen like Vorlander never seemed to get so big so quickly, everyone had wondered how he had done it. But nobody had an answer. He half suspected that Rohesia did, but Finn knew that, in that regard, he would be disappointed.

But what Rohesia had to offer would hopefully make up for it, Finn hoped. He could not be certain how Kain would take it, but with any luck, it would warrant something from him. "What exactly did she find?"

"I will let her tell you. I have spoken for her enough. But once she finishes, I will tell you why I believe it is worth looking into." All eyes fell on the girl. "Rohesia, tell Lord Ecanis what you saw while crawling around in that vent."

[Diandra Moon]

Luca Armand

Location: Amick District
Speaking with: Lord Kain Ecanis

Luca was led into wherever Kain was meeting with Aine‘s little prisoner. He didn‘t approach them, just waiting in the background. Aine had told him to bring some gold to cover the girl‘s tab to the former house Viridian, now Ecanis, and to bring a little something extra for Kain. Unfortunately, the guards and Finn had been him here by mere moments.

Hopefully, Aine wouldn‘t be too annoyed he hadn‘t been able to deliver the Veil of Truth to Kain before the girl showed up, but oh well. He could easily explain his presence as being his business since his neice sent the girl, and he felt the need to see to it that things were handled how Aine would want them handled. Let the girl wonder exactly what that was. Aine had a reputation, and not all of it was façade.

So he simply leaned against the back wall and waited for the moment he could give Kain the gold and be done with his business.

[Hack Thornias]

Current Location: The Port
Speaking With: Slade, Aine

“Then let us depart.”

Together they walked to the Grid and in moments were whisked away to as far as the Grid could take them to the Port. They got as far as the Sister Cities when the Grid stopped, they had to walk the rest of the way.

Thankfully Vorlander had considered this, he simply took Aine’s hand and teleported them, the souls he had absorbed feeding his energy and letting him get them both to the Port in under an hour. The walls were imposing but he feared nothing, Slade was expecting him.
They were stopped by guards at the wall and as a reply to their inquiry as to why they responded he said, “We are representatives of the Families of Power. We have come to speak with the Overlord, I demand safe passage.”

The guards stared at each other for a moment and then nodded, escorting them all the way into the Port and then into the Palace. He kept Aine close to him the entire time, “We must be on our guard Aine, we are in the Overlord’s home.”

They were brought into the throne room where Slade was waiting, sitting on a throne and looking every bit the part the man played. “Welcome emissaries of the Families. Welcome Aine Aiyana and Vorlander Solaris. Welcome to my home.”

[Diandra Moon]

Aine Aiyana

Location: The Port of Overlord Slade
Speaking with: Overlord Slade and Vorlander

She didn’t need Vorlander’s warning to be on her guard. She didn’t know if it was nerves or what, but she was able to keep from throwing up when they finally reached their destination. On the way back, she was going to make a point of asking Vorlander how he was able to teleport when it wasn’t one of his Conduits. She remembered him complaining about it in passing once. But that was neither here nor there. She kept her eyes open as they made their way to the throne room, and out of habit she immediately found every possible escape route she could take if she needed one.

Aine wasn’t in a dress, so she gave a slight bow, barely bending her body as she inclined her head. “Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice Overlord Slade.” Castiel had long ago warned her about not addressing him as ‘Overlord’ and so far as Aine was concerned, titles were just meaningless words unless it was Castiel. It wouldn’t hurt her to use one to keep her head on her shoulders. She kept her voice light rather than with the thread of annoyance that would usually run through it when she used a title. She had every intention of keeping her head where it belonged and get back home to her children.

She should have figured he’d be expecting them. It was obvious in the way he was sitting on his throne. No one just sat on the throne all day hoping someone would show up. How would they ever get any work done?

[Hack Thornias]

Current Location: The Port
Speaking With: Vorlander

He had left Andrina after a short time when a messenger informed him of the arrival of the emissaries from Drathia. He immediately teleported into the throne room and waited for them to arrive. When they did he was polite and welcoming, as befitting a Overlord.

When Aine spoke he grinned and replied, “It is my pleasure Lady Aiyana. I am aware of why you have come. I know you are here for peace talks, but I believe there is someone who would like to see you. Isn’t that right Droston?”

Droston appeared in a doorway and walked in towards the two of them, “Yes my Lord. Hello Aine, it’s good to see you.”

Slade smiled as he saw the looks on the two visitors, one of them hadn’t been expecting that. “Aine, please, spend time with your brother. Vorlander and I will discuss business in private.” All part of the plan.

He left Aine in the throne room with Droston while Vorlander and he went into a private antechamber. The moment they were inside Slade took his hand and teleported them both the his Sanctum, a place Vorlander could not possibly have known about.

In the privacy of a room no one knew about Vorlander looked at Slade and said with a smile, “It’s good to be back home, Brother.”

[thiswasdeletedyo]

x x

She would curse the woman a thousand more times. For what reason would you tell a lord you think you're part of a guild? Obviously, Aine Aiyana wanted to kill her for one little comment, but she had to bite her tongue. Rohesia thought she would like to keep her hands, and her life. She stood still and stared at Kain and Finn. She noticed his hands and before that what he had said, she would gladly go along with it.

"I saw Vorlander and his hidden office, within which he spoke to a man that had not been there before. I could not see him clearly, but the two spoke of things they had planned. The stranger wanted to know if it had begun, he answered with that it had and the clock hands' turn, then he inquired on the status of his limitation. Vorlander replied that it was being taken care of. Whatever the two spoke of, they will see to it that it happens soon," she said as calmly as possible. "That's what I heard and saw, Lord Ecanis."

Rohesia had to swallow, her mouth suddenly dry. Had she ever been so nervous before? It must have been the chains, the standing before a lord. She was thankful that it was just the three... four of them and that the guards had been shooed away. If he thought her of a guild, then there may be many more, right?

Rohesia, is there a problem? ;; here is my body, in Amick district and we speak, Finn & Kain.

[Diandra Moon]

Aine Aiyana

Location: The Port of Overlord Slade
Speaking with: Droston

Aine grinned, though she felt sick to her stomach for the action. One really shouldn‘t smile pleasantly at someone they detested, no matter the reason. She had hoped to ask about her brother and his family once peace talks had been concluded, but it seemed Slade had anticipated that…

She felt her stomach drop to the bottom of her feet when she heard Droston‘s voice refer to Slade as ‘my Lord.’ What the ********] While she was surprised, she kept herself from being verbal about it. Though she could tell by Slade‘s look she hadn‘t completely hidden her surprise.

She watched Droston warily. There had to be something wrong with him, and she searched him, trying to find some sign or visual explanation. She found none. It was probably a good thing Aine wasn’t known for being physical with the hugs and such or this might seem a bit awkward to anyone observing.

“It‘s good to see you too, Droston. Dare I ask about Elle and the twins?” She figured at best they were being held prisoner, at worst, they were dead.

[Hack Thornias]

Current Location: The Port
Speaking With: Slade

“It’s good to see you again Vor, it’s been years.”

“Twelve to be exact. It tends to sting when your father gives your younger brother the crown.”


“Well one of us had to get the looks, and it certainly wasn’t you.” Slade smiled at the man and then in a moment both of them were embracing. It was good to be back home.

“In LaMarche you mentioned it was being taken care of.”

“Yes, my deal with Slevin the Prophet limits me. Thankfully the boy wasn’t clever enough to think about the loophole he gave me. The deal said I couldn’t use the Power he gave me to aide you, he never said anything about my financial power, underlings, or anything else. Just the… Power.”

“Well we’ll have to fix that then, I assume you notified your agents in Serith.”

“Of course, five agents with links to the Port, each of them thinking they serve the Overlord. None can be traced to me.” He grinned and his teeth once again were revealed to his younger brother.

Slade and Vorlander were related by blood, through their father. Slade’s mother was actually Sandor’s second wife, the first wife had been Vorlander’s mother. Conceived during a ritual of the Revenant he had been horrified at Vorlander’s appearance, although he visited the boy from time to time. He had grown up in Cavandia until his mother died, it was then his father came and took him to the Port, where Slade was already born.

The two had grown up together until Sandor decided that he wanted Slade to learn to rule alone, so he sent Vorlander back to Cavandia to make his own way. It had only been when he had crossed back to Drathia that he met his brother again. And it was there that they had plotted.
“It’s a shame that I have to be the face of evil, you look the part much better than I do.”

“Oh please, you may have gotten the looks, but I have the brains.” Slade made a scoffing sound at that but the two of them were very comfortable around each other.

“So I suppose we should come to an arrangement about peace?”

“Let’s say a cease-fire for the term of six months. You will also make concessions by naming several of your spies in the cities so they know you are being honest. They will make no action, covert or overt to move against you.”

“I like it, although I hate paying them.”

“Deal with it, better to pay than to have your head on a spike.”

“True.” Slade rubbed his chin but otherwise kept the smile on his face, this was working for both of them