Past Tense – Sheryl, the Fae-Touched – 5.05.2020

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This is the story of the assassination of Girelle Vellus...

There was a nervousness to the ambassador that he did his best to hide, but to one intuitive enough and knowledgeable in recent events, it was plain to see. Sheryl, curled up to Astra’s side on the K’ul Groan wind-wagon, had just asked a difficult question of the half-elf.

“I know you have something that inhibits my ability to read your thoughts, Girelle. Would you allow me to Detect your Thoughts so as to confirm we are travelling with the real you?”

He had looked at her and she had seen the spike of anxiety shoot across his face, but she held his gaze, her intent clear – just a reassurance, not an invasion. Taz had raised the question of whether or not they knew it was the real Girelle they travelled with. As some might say, caution is never for naught – a shield is a heavy burden until the day it saves your life.

The ambassador breathed in deep and slowly removed a ring from his right hand.

Taking out her shiny copper piece, Sheryl let it dance across her knuckles as she cast the spell, asking a question only the true Girelle would be able to answer, which he did. Sheryl looked to Taz, and he had nodded, satisfied. Dropping the spell and putting her penny away, Girelle had quickly put the ring back on and was even quieter afterwards.

The fae-bard had pulled her harp onto her lap and started playing, Arkadius joining her on his lyre, softly singing in Sylvan a calming song, which seemed to help ease the tension Girelle had after the little interrogation. He might not have understood the words, but to Sheryl it seemed he appreciated the gesture.

“He must really trust you if he allowed you to read his mind like that,” Astra remarked through their telepathic link.

Sheryl had kept her face blank but a small smile was conveyed internally. “His will is strong and his intentions are good. I would like to keep him safe if we can Astra.”

“Together we will do a great many things, Merla. This will be but the start,” Astra reassured her.

Sheryl hoped she was right.

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The room without windows descended with mechanical clunks and clanks, tightly packed with Girelle, Sheryl, Arkadius, Mace, Taz, BB, and Serpentine. At first, the airotaur and minotaur escort with them had been hesitant to let Astra come down but Sheryl insisted upon it, and either through her charming smiles, or perhaps because of the hint of fey magic to her words, the winged unicorn was brought down with the next group.

“I would like to not go into that horrible box room again.”

Deep red velvet carpets lead the way through a great stone archway to a grand hall that cuts off at a T-juncture. The walls themselves were at least fifteen feet high, well over the heads of the minotaurs guards who were acting as general security for the event. Paintings of such detail and illusion, made to trick the eye into thinking they were three dimensional, were on display on the high walls, along with sculptures done by master artists. It was clear a lot of effort had been put into making the whole entrance of the Domum Mendiculus something opulent and grand. But there was something about the way the carpets ran and the curtains draped, the way the paintings made you think the subjects were trapped within rather than just skilfully painted optical illusions, even how the walls met the ceiling or how corridors cut off when it looked like they should keep going, that made it obvious what they were walking into.

A maze.

“I think we will have to, Astra. It is the only way out,” Sheryl said grimly.

Mace had asked along the way, subtly, to Girelle, “Do you think this is part of the underground cathedral that we had previously found ourselves in?”

The ambassador had thought for a moment, troubled, and quietly answered, “I do not think so as that was farther north-east of Jarvenol but…”

“So it seems the others do not trust this either. They are wise.” Astra had remarked.

“I told you my friends are smart, he probably being the most cunning.” Sheryl glanced at Mace and half smiled.

Their arrival into the palatial hall where the other senators, dignitaries, honoured guests and all their bodyguards were, was marked, mostly due to Astra. Her presence was unmistakable as she stood a head taller than most there. For Sheryl who sat upon her companion’s back it was a whole new perspective and she enjoyed it. The looks, the stares, the attention. She had not realised it but it fed a craving in her that allowed her to hold her head higher.

They start to see me…

She did not bask in it for long though. Taz, BB and Mace stuck close to Girelle whilst Serpentine, who had disguised herself as a high elf noble woman adorned with all manner of glitz and glamour that had many of the men fawning over her, had gone off to mix and mingle. Arkadius had taken off up to the rafters and Sheryl…

“Conductor Nimbus! It has been a while, how are you?” Sheryl said as she spotted the tail-coated, wild haired genasi.

“I’m sorry who… Wait is that… Sheryl?” The conductor of the Zot Goran orchestra stops and turns. “I did not recognise you and your… remarkable mount.” He briefly studied Astra before flashing a smile, spreading his arms. “It is great to see you. How do your music studies go?”

They proceeded to catch up, Sheryl making sure to stay within range of Girelle. But Nimbus had been clever and he kept her occupied so she didn’t see what had happened. It was after the air genasi had stepped away and she saw Arkadius swooping down when a cold stone of dread sunk into the pit of her stomach.

Astra, sensing her unease, made her way over without being told and the crowd parted like water. They quickly conferred about the situation: A dark blue-skinned air genasi had come over carrying a box, claiming it was a gift from the mayor of Jarvenol, Gianna Madhand. Mace had stepped forward, saying the ambassador shouldn’t carry anything, that it was a job for him, when the platinum ring had magically bound itself to his hand as he took the box. The dark air genasi had merely said, “That’s okay. You will just die second ambassador,” before stepping into the flames of a nearby brazier.

“We should get out of here,” Taz suggested as he looked at the other guests. No one else seemed to have noticed what had just transpired.

“Or perhaps this is a ploy to make us leave which is what they want us to do,” Girelle had countered.

The mayor had taken to the stage at this point, orating about the progress of great changes to come to K’ul Goran.

“The corridors would be the perfect place to set an ambush,” BB added.

“You’ve done your rounds right ambassador?” Sheryl had asked.

“Well if I leave now it will be noted…” Girelle said cautiously.

“That’s fine,” she waved her hand. “We need to keep you safe. Let's–”

It was at this point that Sheryl had stopped and finally registered what Gianna Madhand was saying to the room.

“K’ul Goran will be the joy of the future, undergoing a great transformation… which none of you will be part of.”

From behind her purple toga dress the minotaur had pulled out a red lacquered mask, one all too familiar to Sheryl and her friends.

By Summer's Light...

The general guards started putting on their own red masks whilst from behind veiled portals stepped four green Abishai, large fiendish dragons, bringing the scent of fire and brimstone with them, their frightening forms causing some people to scream in terror. Sheryl had recognised them and knew there was no way they should stay, not if they wanted to live.

Reaching out her hand to Girelle she had said, “Get on!” whilst Mace cast a shroud of darkness to cover their escape.

BB had been paying attention to their journey through the maze earlier and so she started to help guide their way out. But they had not gotten very far before the dark blue air genasi appeared before them walking out from the flames of one of the sconces.

“And where do you think you’re going?” she drawled as she looked between Mace and Girelle. As she spoke the illusion fell away revealing a beautiful woman, wings of blood red feathers, pale skin, clad in black plate armour, a vicious sword at her side and a longbow in her hand. “We are going to play a game.” She grinned hungry. “These rings make us invulnerable to anyone else’s attacks but each other's. Here, let me show you!”

Without seeing it happen Mace was shot twice but the woman, Tessera, made no move to continue her assault. Taz had stepped forward swinging his weapon at her but as she had said, nothing happened. The devil (“An erinyes,” Sheryl informed Astra.) had only laughed tauntingly. BB touched both Girelle and Mace, granting them Greater Invisibility whilst Sheryl, subtly gifted her own blessings to both men and Astra.

Raising her voice over the devil’s laugh Sheryl said, “You are not the first one to try to get a foothold in this Realm. But like the others, we will banish you.”

“You have only been playing with lesser beings. You have no idea what true power is,” Tessera had sneered.

Sheryl’s face darkened, features shifting in preparation as Astra stomped her hoof, feeling the fey energies gather around Sheryl.

“I know what true power is.”

A Phantasmal Force burst forth around the erinyes’ legs and she screamed out, bound by something none of them could see and Sheryl had heard Mace chuckle. Arkadius had swooped down but though he had picked up her hint, his attempt to Banish her to the Hells from whence she came failed. Taking that as their cue the group bolted, Blue on Astra’s forehead guiding their escape, with BB’s help, down the correct paths.

“I WILL BE HUNTING YOU! THERE IS NO ESCAPE!”

“Do not run too fast, we cannot leave any of them behind!” Sheryl cautioned.

“That devil will catch us,” Astra pointed out.

“Then we will deal with her. I will not abandon any of them.”

Astra was proven right. The group had just finished climbing up a set of stairs when Tessera stepped out of the flames down a corridor to their right and fired her bow in Mace’s direction. But BB’s fey tattoos glowed and the luck of the ’Wilds won out. The erinyes howled in a rage and disappeared into the fires again.

As they ran, smoke started to gather overhead. Arkadius could be heard coughing as he flew above and they all could feel the heat of a fire from somewhere behind them. BB nearly had them turn the wrong way once but caught herself just in time. Sheryl looked back at her firbolg friend and saw panic beyond the threat of the devil-woman and knew something had to be done. Holding on to the vines on Astra with one hand Sheryl started snuffing out the torches down the corridors they ran and she could hear the rage filled scream of Tessera from the winding corridors behind as her paths were cut off.

They got to the mechanical box room and proceeded to climb in, Sheryl and Girelle staying on Astra’s back. Serpentine, also seeing BB’s distress, said they would meet them up above, making sure the area was clear and stepped through a Dimensional Door. Mace, clever as always, was able to figure out the workings of the control box and got them moving up. A brief but tense moment of quiet was had…

“Mace, could I see your hand?” Sheryl asked.

“Is it cursed?” Astra spoke to her.

“That would be… yes. It is.” A grim line appeared on the small woman’s forehead.

“I have an idea, but I am not sure if removing just one will be enough…” she hesitated.

“I am assuming they are cursed?” Arkadius asked. The boxed room was slowing down as they approached the ground floor. “Would it help if I also Removed the Curse on the erinyes’ ring?”

Sheryl nodded.

“But what if she–” Mace had stopped, unable to continue. Sheryl saw fear and was reminded of the last time something hell bent on killing Mace had been chasing him. That time, it had succeeded.

“I give you my word Mace, today will not see your Song end. I will not leave you alone in the dark. I will bring you back. You have to trust me.”

He had looked at her and merely nodded. She was about to say more but the doors opened and standing there facing BB and Serpentine was Tessera.

“Are you prepared to die?” she called out to Mace and Girelle.

Either he believed Sheryl or he was hiding his fear because Mace said, “I will only rise stronger than before!”

Then the final showdown began.

Mace cocked his Oath Crossbow and fired but Tessera used her hell-forged sword to block the bolt with ease. Charging into the room, she sliced into him three times and Mace fell to the floor in a burgeoning pool of blood. Suddenly the plan she had formed was falling apart so Sheryl tried to adapt, trusting that Arkadius would stick to his part of the plan. She had Astra try to grab Mace and to bolt out the doors but Tessera grabbed hold of his body and would not let go. Frustrated but not losing hope she tried to Charm the creature but it failed as the erinyes was getting a battle crazed look to her eyes.

Sheryl was so focused on Mace and the erinyes she did not hear or even feel Girelle dismount from Astra’s back and start to stealth his way out of the boxed room. So when an enlarged Taz grappled the devil and started dragging her outside Sheryl breathed a sigh of relief. Arkadius even ran up and Removed the Cursed ring, which stunned her to stillness for a moment. But the erinyes saw movement on her sword arm side and grinned madly at Arkadius.

“Thank you.”

Taz had not known Girelle was outside the room and Arkadius was not able to stop her, none of them were. Sheryl watched as Tessera raised her vicious longsword and proceeded to impale Girelle upon it again, and again, and again.

Blood sprayed, droplets hitting her wide, mad grin. Girelle, gasping for air, hands stained with blood as he attempted in vain to keep his life from escaping, looked up at them in desperation as he slumped to the floor, the light already leaving his eyes.

No. This will not be how this ends!

Sheryl glanced down and softly said, “Get up Mace. Show them all your cutting whit,” her words aglow with healing magic. Astra charged forward, rearing up and beating Tessera in the chest with her hooves as her wings fanned out to their full breadth. Though she was winded and Taz had a firm grip on her, the devil parried Sheryl’s first swing of her rapier but not her second which carved out a deep line across her beautiful face.

The others surged forward, unloading all their might and magic into her. Tessera stayed grappled, laughing in a battle craze until the final stroke took her life. As they stood around her the remains of her form became smoke and then disappeared, all traces of her vanishing.

“Merla, look!”

Sheryl turned and saw a small weasel poking her little head out of Girelle’s bloody double-breasted, military-style jacket. It squeaked at Arkadius and the two of them rushed over to the half-elf, Sheryl dismounting from Astra. Between the two of them, they got Girelle back on his feet, albeit shakily.

“Once again, you saved my life,” the half-elf said, leaning on Arkadius more so than Sheryl, as he looked around at everyone. “I cannot… thank you…”

“We were doing our job,” Arkaidus said not unkindly.

Girelle gave a half chuckle but stopped and clutched his stomach where the blood was. He was no longer bleeding but the magic healing him could only do so much for now.

“Let’s get out of here,” Taz said, scanning outside the entrance.

“Can you ride?” Sheryl asked. Astra was kneeling down so as to make it easier for them both to get on. Girelle nodded, his face ashen.

The group left the Domum Mendiculs, keeping to the side streets. They did not linger in Jarvenol, as it was clear the city was not safe for them.

It would be a day or two afterwards that the repercussions from what transpired that night would start to be seen. Sheryl and Astra stayed on in Zot Goran and what they learned would drive home a surprising bitter taste of betrayal to the fae-bard. But that is a story for another time…

This was the story of the assassination of Girelle Vellus…