Travelling down the king's road is a silver-etched carriage. The travelling domicile has a curved top, gilded with decorations, closed windows on each side and two horses pulling it through a dense forest. Along the well-stoned pathway, the carriage bobs up and down. Despite all the gold put into its construction, the path was not altogether perfect.
"Oh my god if we go over one more bump, I swear I'm going to kill the driver." Yvette proclaims, twirling a dagger, her expression exuding misplaced fury.
"It's not the driver's fault, you would have much better luck stabbing the ground." Susanna interjects with a cold yet sarcastic tone. Yvette responds with even greater fury now directed towards her.
"Now, now calm down both of you... What are you, children?" Orpheus chimes in with a smug smile.
Susanna turns to him with a sincere expression. Yvette on the other hand ignores him, visibly annoyed about the jab against her maturity. "I'm sorry it won't happen again." Susanna sincerely apologises.
Yvette’s face flushes bright red, reconsidering her stance and leaning back on her seat. "Hmm... Why are we going to this capital city anyway, is this part of your master plan." She says, mimicking quotation marks with her hands. Her mocking completed she continues to twirl her dagger.
"If you must know, it is but you needn't concern yourself with that as I have a different task for you, one I think you would enjoy." He leans forward, looking up at her, tilting his head slightly to the left.
His words intrigue her, prompting her left eyebrow to raise. "What do you have in mind?" She asked.
"You will learn soon enough." He remarks, making himself comfortable, leaving the ominous statement in the air. Yvette smirks slightly, continuing to look out the window.
As sunlight cascades through the glass, the carriage suddenly stops, jostling its occupants. Prompted by the sudden event, the occupants each look out their respective windows. "What was that?" Orpheus asks rhetorically, ascending from his seat. Opening the carriage door, he descends down the three steps, planting his feet on the dirt. Turning to his left to see Lambert seated on his horse, galloping towards a fallen tree in the pathway.
Orpheus peers around to see Lambert and his soldiers attending to the situation. With his head peeking out he feels a slight breeze pass behind him. "Orpheus there is no need to concern yourself, tis merely a fallen tree, we will deal with it promptly." Lambert yells from afar, his men attempting to lift the long two metre and three-foot-wide fallen trunk.
Orpheus nods, re-entering the carriage and seating himself. Once comfortable he informs them of the situation. "Just a fallen tree, they're handling it." He states simply, leaning back and closing his eyes.
Lambert's men struggle to lift the tree, straining to make purchase. The knight, watches intently, placing his right hand on his chin, contemplating. "Move, I believe I can assist with this dilemma." Placing his hand on one of his swords, clasping his gold-encrusted handle, ornated with a red jewel on the bottom. Unsheathing the blade with a swift motion, gliding through the air and catching the sunlight upon its folded steel. Mysterious runic symbols were carved on the handle, halfway towards the tip. The blade ascends to his side, ready for battle. "Initium." Lambert mutters a simple chant; the sword soon becomes engulfed in fire sprouting from the handle.
Raising the blade above and with one hand he slices the tree trunk in two, searing and blackening the trunk. "Finis." He chants a final word and the blade's flame exhausts, dissipating to a regular blade. The sword is then sheathed and his men push the two logs away.
"All right let's resume." Lambert ascends to his horse and leads the carriage back on their journey.
Susanna seated comfortably, pondering the situation as the carriage rumbles into action. "That seems odd doesn't it, a random tree fallen in the middle of our path." Susanna states inquisitively.
"Not particularly but in this instance, you would be correct... Susie very good." Orpheus replies, staring at the empty seat next to Yvette. With a smile, he chuckles gleefully. "Sphaeram Auspectu." Chanting a spell, his eyes light up with an orange glow. His gaze perceives an ethereal aura opposite himself. The aura appears in the shape of a man. The figure is seated comfortably next to Yvette. "Haha, you still haven't learned how to mask your aura. Have you Sevran." He spoke to thin air, directing his chin to the void beside Yvette.
"I guess not... But we can't all be geniuses with every piece of magic we touch, like you." The form tips its head, releasing a sarcastic voice from the visibly empty seat.
Susanna and Yvette both react with different expressions. Susanna expresses curiosity, her eyes darting to the location of the voice. Yvette’s hand drops to her weapon grasping the dagger, preparing to lunge at any enemy.
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"It's ok he's a friend... Come on Sevran stop with the ghost act." Orpheus requested; his hands like stop signs, persuading all parties not to overreact. Yvette and Susanna lower their respective guards, looking towards Orpheus for answers.
Suddenly a person's visage fades into existence. "Boo!" The figure spoke in a husky voice after appearing from thin air. He is seated with his legs crossed opposite to Orpheus and next to Yvette. The man has dark skin, silver eyes and short brown hair. His build is slim yet athletic, six feet tall and wearing a dark surcoat. His little ghost act was to scare the group, the half-handed attempt at pretending to be a ghost, produced unfavourable results. Yvette and Susanna show unamused expressions, they both turn to Orpheus, requesting context.
"This is an old friend of mine, Sevran Susanna, Susanna Sevran. Sevran Yvette, Yvette Sevran." He introduces Sevran to them and vice versa.
"It is a pleasure to meet both of you... Especially you.” Speaking with a sultry voice, singling out Yvette personally, his gaze locked upon her form. “I see a savagery in those eyes, it reminds me of myself when I was young, is this why you called me Orpheus?" Sevran greets both, yet becomes enamoured with her. Staring at the fire lurking within, raging just behind the eyes, writhing desperately to spill forth and consume everything in sight.
"Very perceptive of you Sevran, yes I did invite you because of her. Well, what do you think, could she be a good fit for your organisation?" Orpheus explains, his expression gleaming with a wicked smile.
Yvette looks at both of them, confused for a moment before inquiring. "What organisation and what are you talking about?" She asks with narrowed eyes.
Turning his head, Sevran eyes her carefully. "Assassins my dear... Where talking about your viability as an assassin." He replied nonchalantly, as If the subject of paid murder was simple.
"An assassin?" She replies, intrigued by the concept.
"Yes, an assassin you know... This!" Reaching for the dagger at his hip, a blade is brought to bear, lunging towards her neck. Gently caressing her jugular, his other hand supports himself against the window. His face a few centimetres away from hers, both peering into each other's eyes. "To slow love... With a flick of my wrist, you would be dead." He declares with a chilling tone, gazing menacingly into her eyes.
"Sevran." Orpheus interrupts the monologue pointing down to his lower appendage. "Look down." He adds his gaze turning down towards the lower half.
Sevran complies, looking down to see a blade at his crotch. The weapon wielded by Yvette was ready to strike. "With a flick of my wrist, you would be a eunuch... Love." She gleefully proclaims the ease of removing Sevran's manhood. In response, he smiles, retracting his blade and seating himself.
"Well, what do you think, could she cut it as an assassin, no pun intended?" Orpheus stated glibly.
"Perhaps but why would I bring her on?" Sevran replies, tilting his head amused.
"Good question with a simple answer. You owe me remember?" Smiling mischievously, he replies with an air mystery.
"Ah I was wondering when you were going to call in that debt. You know this will make us square and I will owe you nothing from now on." Chuckling softly, he glares back intensely, letting his words sink in.
Orpheus pauses for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "I'm aware." He declares with finality.
"Excellent then I accept... If that's ok with you love?" Sevran turns his gaze to Yvette, eyeing her expectantly.
"Be an assassin..." Curious over their proposition, she raises her hand to her chin, contemplating the offer. "Sure, why not." She nonchalantly agrees, with no further thought.
"Well, how should we proceed?" Orpheus asks.
"There is a town we will be passing through soon, we part ways their if that's convenient?" Sevran turns too Orpheus, Susanna and then finally Yvette, receiving several acknowledgements.
"Good I will inform the drivers were making a little pit stop, I suggest you hide yourself." Orpheus explains, gesturing to the ring on Sevran’s finger.
Per instructions, Sevran lifts his right hand revealing his silver ring inlaid with a black stone. Raising his hand clenched to his torso, the stone lightly glows bringing forth a dark aura. The aura surrounds him like a cloak of darkness, rendering him unseen once more.
Orpheus then peaks his head out, and the wind caresses his face, jostling his hair. His gaze examines the environment, quickly passing by. Observing a grassy meadow surrounding a dirt pathway, he spots a town roughly a hundred metres away. "Driver, might we make a stop at that town up ahead... One of my associates will depart there." He throws his voice to the man at the head of the carriage.
"Yes sir." The driver replies.
He pulls his head inside and waits until they reach the next town. A few minutes later the carriage suddenly stops. Orpheus, Yvette and a hidden Sevran all depart. The town is small, suggesting a low population from the lack of foot traffic. Behind them is a tavern, along with various stores and buildings.
Orpheus and Yvette walk some distances away to speak privately. The drivers and knights wait patiently near the carriage. "Well, I guess this is goodbye for now... Do we like... Hug or something, I'm not very clear on the protocol here." Orpheus asks, his voice fumbling over every word. Sevran listening to the conversion, chuckles like a childish ghost. "Shut up Sevran." Turning his head to the unoccupied space, directing an accusatory glare.
"No, we don't need to hug... I'm just going to say thank you for all you have done for me... I owe you much and will repay that debt." Sincerely expressing gratitude, tinged with a slight frustration, having to speak those words.
Orpheus reaching for his bag pulls out a communication stone and places it in her left hand. "This will allow us to communicate, hold it tightly and think of me whenever you need to talk." She grasps the stone in her hand, looking down and then coming back up to meet his gaze. "And remember don't let anyone ever hurt you again... Kill them if you have to... And never stop until you attain the absolute power to do so." He states finally, their gazes locked. Yvette acknowledges the statement, nodding in agreement as they share their final look before departing.