Getting back to the enclave Rain goes to the training center where now both Artanis and Cloud have joined in on training, Lord Straud has gotten to the point where his skill is almost matching the trainer created but wants to now work on teamwork to bring Logan down much more effective.
Rain enters the room and watches for a while as the two youngsters get pummeled by the clone again and again, finally interrupting them from their beatings Rain informs them all about locating the final essence.
“Good now we can end this rabble once and for all, Rain where is the last stone” says Lalandra and upon explaining to them where it was and who has control of it, Strauds face grows serious.
“We need to tread carefully and think of a good way to convince them of handing it over to us” Straud said thinking a bit until Rain spoke up again
“We kind of have a problem with that part” Rain said quietly, and then explained that he and Eve had already had a first encounter with the group.
“I can’t believe this Rain” said Straud falling back into his chamber chair “You know better than that, to go up against such people on your own is beyond conventional sense Rain”
“I wasn’t alone uncle, I was with Eve” spouted off Rain
“Who from what we know has helped us this far but we don’t know yet her true intentions” argued Maylor
“You mean you think she’s evil!” Rain defenses to him
“What we mean to say is for the time being you should return to her to make sure she doesn’t do anything serious” notes Cynn to him
“She has lost too in this fight against Colossus, she doesn’t do such acts out of sheer sport” bolted Rain
“And do you yet remember our loss to his blades” spoke up Cloud
“Yes, our parents and nothing so far have given me a clearer outlook to hold back my anger, but try losing your daughter and see how long you will hold out?” Rain threw in Clouds face
“She lost a child to him” Dawn said saddened
“She wants what we do” added Rain
“Then do as I ask Rain, and watch her, use your words to keep her at bay from acting out” Cynn said to him
“But…”
“Those are my orders Rain now heed them out” Cynn snapped at him
“Yes Judicator, as you command and in doing I will prove you all wrong” Rain says leaving the chamber building
“Do you think he will try anything foolish Captain” Cynn ask Straud
“No, Judicator he will obey your commands, he has had nothing but the utmost respect for you especially and will hold loyalty above personal gain in your name” said Straud
“Lets us hope so for his sake for we have lost enough in this war against Colossus, such a loss to me would be unbearable. Now to plans at hand we should go to the locations Rain gave us and seek out these Mandarians” she said to the rest and they then departed to suit up for the mission.
Gathering outside the Mandarians camp through a teleport done by Cynn, all were in attendance except for Rain who was watching Eve. Elanee held back at the city attending her duties as well as Tristan who was holding down the Captain’s badge for Cloud. The group looks around to see burned tents and smoldering fire ashes all around the complex of what was left of the camp site.
“What the; what happened here” said Cynn looking around shocked at the condition of the camp “Did they leave after their encounter with Rain?” she continued looking around still but more to Straud’s face to get a reaction, picking up some ground rubble and looking around carefully Straud shook his head
“No, they were attacked by something, I just can’t tell if the bodies were burned or stowed away somewhere else” he said
“That doesn’t make sense, who could do this so quickly, I thought that this race was very powerful as well as old” inquired Dawn holding her hand over her face to cover most of the smell from being attracted to her heightened senses.
“Maybe…” says Maylor gesturing to the group the notion that Eve had a part in this
“No way, Rain would have been back here to say something or at least come back to find us to say she was missing” defended Cloud to him
“He could be under a mind spell like before; it has happened” added Maylor
“But again impossible, Rain was given a circlet from Elanee to protect from future attempts and I saw him wearing it when he left, regardless of your argument to that end Maylor, her powers cannot simply be mimicked without out notice of small flaws” barked Cloud back at him
“Hey don’t get me wrong I love Rain like a son but I am just saying ideas, and probably everyone else’s as well” Maylor concluded
“Ok that’s enough!” snapped Cynn “Let’s find some evidenced for your accusations before we act on such thoughts” she commanded and nodding their heads silently they obeyed.
“Then maybe we can help you out with such proof” said a voice in the air and suddenly appearing out of thin air Mandarians came out of invisibility with swords drawn and pointed toward them all, blocking all paths of escaping and pinning them down faster than even Dawn could get armed. Cynn’s group signals mercy full into the air to show no attempted at resisting.
“Who are you?” Cynn asked
“Not friends of yours but of the fallen ones here, I am and have been waiting for such a party to come along so that I may reap my retribution for what your clan has done to mine” the winged man spoke harshly
“We are not responsible for this atrocity done here I assure you of that” Cynn says to him
“I will surely remember those words as I cut them from your lips” he says raising his sword to her exposed neck
“WAIT!” said Straud “we are honestly not to blame, we came here in peace asking to negotiate for a certain stone you keep in high regard”
“Well your too late for such talks little Drow, for it has been stolen and carried with its swift absence the loss of many of my brethren sworn to the temple’s command to guard it”
“Stolen! How! When!” struck Straud with a massive shocked look to his face
“Your face speaks the truth for such one is hard to hide from our people; you truly are not from the same group that attacked us not more than mere hours ago”
“No, not at all” added Maylor
“But you bare the same marking upon your back side as one who came before you”
“He must be talking about Rain” said Cloud
“Yes Rain that was his name as well as a scantily clad dressed human with red hair carrying a different symbol” answered the man still holding the blade to Cynn’s throat
“We came here in defense of his betrayed rudeness for he spoke not from my willful command but from his own heart”
“Then he must be hunted by you as much as me, for it was soldiers baring her symbol who attacked us led by a cloaked man in a blue who fought through and stole the stone of power from us” the Mandarian continued slowly letting down his blade
“Rain could not have and would not do the thing you say he has” snapped Straud
“And the woman” the winged man bolted to him
“We cannot speak on her behalf for any of this” spoke up Maylor
“The stone of power, is it a ruby colored jewel with swirling black shroud in its center?” asked Dawn to him
“Yes” he answered
“Damn it” said Cloud “why would she take it like this and from us, she can’t use it without the other two” he finished and pausing in his thoughts Cynn spoke quickly “I have to go check on the other stones, for if this was her plan she could be attacking the enclave as we speak and all hope will be lost” and not waiting for an answer of approval she disappeared.
“Where is she going” barked the man raising his blade again to Straud
“Just to make sure we won’t die very soon” Straud added “but in the meantime why don’t you take us to the battle site so that we may see the carnage you so adamantly think we caused”
Seeing no danger to that end the man nods for his men to lead the group to the battle site to see the remains.
“Oh my god” covered the mouth of Dawn to the sight of such carnage that laid before her, bodies of the fallen temple disciples lay slaughtered and lifeless on the ground bringing a count to around twenty men. The rest of the dead were as the Mandarian said, dressed in the robes and armor of Eve’s personal guard pierced with their own weapons and dismembered on the ground.
“You knew to kill them with their own weapons, impressive” added Straud
“That was difficult to figure out from the beginning but after some of them fell we started to think differently”
“Where are the rest of your dead?”
“This is it, we are difficult to kill my dear Demon” he says answering Artanis’s question “Forgive the accusations given to you by my quick judgment, your actions and reactions to this event show me that you are not responsible for this” and sheathing his weapon he turns to Straud
“You look like a forceful leader, my name is Falcon, Lord Marshal Falcon, leader of this clan” Straud bows and introduces himself as well and pledges a word to help find the creature who did this and bring them to justice. Honored by the act Falcon allows them to leave to see if they can offer more help on their own clans end to find this person, but gave them a warning for if they can’t find the culprit his clan will not rest until Rain is brought to justice for he is the only one who showed hostile traits and collaborating with the enemy. Helping them out with a teleport through his own magic the Mandarian sends them back to the enclave to reassess with Cynn.
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“Hello!” says Rain waiting for a guard to escort him into the Zenith tower, “Where the hell are the guards” Rain says to himself letting moments go by, with Eve greeting him looking very stressed and worried
“Eve what’s going on!” Rain echo’s as he is quickly pulled into the tower portal by her, getting to the other side he jerks his hand away from her
“Ok, Eve what is happening, why are you acting like this and where are your guards…and your servants” he finishes looking around at a homely empty hallway
“I don’t know, seriously Rain I’m scared, none of my men or servants were here when I returned”
“None of them Eve” Rain questioned to her frightened face that Rain saw no deception from,
“No, not one was here, it’s like they all vanished!” she said franticly
“Well did they leave a note or some sign of where they went?” asked Rain
“They’re not kids Rain” she boasted out “They’re men and servants, no I have no idea where they went to, but something frightens me more than that even. These men are loyal only to me, they are under my control due to the fact that I created them centuries ago, and the thought of them being swayed to another’s control terrifies me to no end” she said and closing her eyes she covers he face thinking of a possible explanation, Rain comes close to her and shields her with his arms telling her that it will be ok.
“These men are master killers of many arts, I’d hate to think what someone would bring them to do” and lifting her head suddenly she looks alerted to something
“What is it now Eve” Rain scampered
“Someone is at the gateway…Straud and Cynn, and more”
“The meeting with the Mandarians clan must be done we should go and see what they have found out” and nodding her head they go to meet them.
They exit the tower through the portal and upon entering normal terrain and are greeted by six men from which two quickly slap upon Eve’s wrists blue energy emitting cuffs,
“What the hell is going on here” Demanded Rain as he was pushed aside to stand by Straud
“Relax this is only a precaution Rain for we have some disturbing news from the settlement” explained Cynn “It appears that our young Eve here has had men recently attacking the settlement and made off with the stone we seek”
“WHAT! ME! That’s obscured why I would betray our alliance in such a manner” Eve blasted out loud
“That’s what I would like to know as well, but until your innocence is proven those cuffs stay on you”
“What are these anyway” Eve asks
“I won’t tell you how they work for fear you will disable them, but they keep your powers at bay from use” Cynn says to her
“This is insane if Colossus is somehow watching this now, he will attempt to assassinate me and I will be powerless to stop him, not to mention that you will lose a great ally to your cause”
“Then we will assign someone to watch over you until…”
“That will be me and I will not be argued on it either” snapped Rain to Cynn’s face interrupting her tongue from reprimanding his insubordination of respect, she glares to his look of hot headedness and slowly agrees to his offer knowing the verbal battle would never be ended.
“Ok, how can I prove my innocence” Eve asks Cynn
“By allowing us to search your home for a deep and thorough inspection first of all”
“Done!” she stated “Do you wish to go now”
“Yes” Cynn said to her
“Do these cuffs block my mind links?” Eve asks
“They shouldn’t” reassured Cynn and closing her eyes Eve reopens the portal and the group then enters the tower.
Searching around shelves and working towards the main library the group comes up with nothing, Rain refuses to search for the item self-knowing that she had nothing to do with the heist.
They open the doors to the main room of study to find a blue cloaked figure standing in front of them, its face was covered and it had a reddish black glow resonating from behind him.
“There you are my master I have beginning to think that you have forgotten about me” the cloaked figure states to her
“Master I’m not your master who they hell are you anyway” Eve bolts to him
“I am your head Captain Milady surly you remember or have you lost your mind, anyways I have what you requested just as you ordered and will take my leave like you commanded” and spinning it’s cloaked in a circle it falls to the ground leaving a bluish smoke dissipating from the head hole with a laugh echoing as it left. But sitting on the table behind it was the stone they were searching for.
“Oh my god” Eve says in disbelief “That is not my doing I swear …”
“Shut up! Eve” shouted Cynn “I have heard just about enough of your lies”
“She’s not lying Judicator, I bet my life on it, she returned to find her tower abandoned and empty” Rain protested
“And did you arrive with her Rain or after she was already her”
“After but I…”
“Enough Rain!” Cynn said to him, “Captain! Take Miss Eve into custody and hold her until we can arrange a meeting with Lord Falcon.
“Your guarding time is over Rain” Straud says gently pushing Rain aside to grip Eve’s wrist
“Eve you have nothing to fear, I swear to you I will find the true culprit behind this” Rain says to her softly and knowing that nothing she could say would sway Cynn’s command she keeps quiet and cooperates fully with them. They take her to Silverspire city where the last cell designed for superpower mages is still empty and is put into it shackled up. The stone is placed with the rest but then brought by itself for trading purposes.
Waiting in the main hall of the court chamber until Falcon arrives Rain sits impatiently along with Cloud, Dawn, Artanis, Tristan and Straud who is really only there to make sure Rain does nothing rash.
“Where are they?” Rain says impatiently pacing back and forth
“Oh Rain please would you stop that already, you’re making me dizzy” spouted Dawn to him
“I don’t understand why you can’t even speculate the fact of Eve having something to do with this Rain” stated Cloud to him sitting in a chair leaning back a bit
“And I don’t see how you can say that with the sheer proof of her solid cooperation thus far” Rain spat back at him
“Rain, you said it yourself that she is the only one who can mentally control her men, she made them after all” replied Cloud to him
“Yeah well when you and the rest were gathering up the stones, I was around her a lot more and leaned much, and just maybe if you did the same you might see my view” Rain argued
“And if you were around her less like me you would see mine, look we can sit around and discuss this all you want but will come to no compromise; so let me ask this. Is it possible that your personal feeling for her are clouding this issue?” asked Cloud
“Personal feelings, Cloud the woman lost a child!” shouted Rain to him
“And we lost our parents so don’t use that, look I’m sorry for her loss truly I am but that is still no reason to justify illogical rash actions” Cloud snapped back
“Boys” said Straud
“She wasn’t acting out, she was set up Cloud” Rain bolted
“By who Rain huh, no one else knew about this” Cloud blasted back
“None that we know of any way” added Artanis
“Cloud let’s get one thing straight you are now a father and congratulations for it, but make no mistake; you’re not mine! So do me a favor and let me deal with this my own way” Rain says sternly and then walks to a distant corner of the room and standing up Cloud yells to Rain
“And let me tell you, you pull anything like this again and I will always intervene to protect our family, because I’ll be damned to see you throw it away for some enticing girl you have only known for the better part of a month” and finishing Straud yells at the two of them to stop this quall and stay quiet. Cloud sits back down and gives Rain an evil glare and Rain one back. Time seems to pass slowly for a while longer until the council comes through the door and passed them into the courtyard, following them is the emissary from the Mandarian Clan and following him is Cynn and Maylor who Straud goes to catch up to and walks beside into the room. The doors shut behind them and the young group waits outside for they this time were not allowed in.
Eve sits in her cell shackled at the wrists contemplating her situation and its conclusion among other things.
“Well you knew this might happen, and since they now have all the stones your time with them has come to an end” Eve thinks to herself “Besides this is probably the best way to end the infiltration anyway” and walking back and forth around her small space given to her she thinks deeply to herself and grows tears that run down her checks. She wipes them from her face and shakes her head “Man girl get a hold of yourself, you’re a bloody dragon for crying out loud…stop thinking about him he’s a damn Drow and more over your enemy” and having a serious saddened look come over her face she thinks “No, this can’t be happening you don’t have feelings for the mortal you’re a dragon, it’s retarded you don’t love him…do you?” Thinking deeply to herself she hears a voice from the entrance of the cell door
“Oh my, Sephinroth what have you gotten yourself into this time and why the long face, you know blue really isn’t your color” Logan laughs softly
“Why are you hear Logan?” she asks
“I heard that you found the final stone, pretty much landed right on your kitchen table isn’t that right?” he smiled
“You bastard it was you wasn’t it, you set me up and used my minions” she said
“Well not me it was actually a demon that did the mind control of your minions but yes I helped a little bit, got to hate those delivery men always showing up at the most unfortunate times eh?” and growing red with anger Logan perks up “Now that’s more your color Sephinroth and gees that took nearly no effort at all, I knew I should have been a cleric”
“Get the hell out of my face you impudent speck of dust” she demanded
“I will but first I have a request, where are the stones being kept” Logan asked
“They’re in…waiting, since I was left out of the loop on this little charade I’ll leave him out as well, tell him if he wants those stones, come and get them”
“You traitorous deceitful bitch, I ought to bleed you dry right now you little…”
“Oh and what are you going to do bite me!”
“The thought had crossed my mind” and hearing someone coming towards them he stops talking and mouths the words “This isn’t over” and dissipates into a blue haze laying low to the floor venting out into the hall and away just as Elanee enters the room.
“Elanee, What are you doing here” Eve asked her
“I’m here to represent you by investigating your innocence Eve” Elanee says with little enthusiasm
“I’m sorry you had to be burdened with such a task, just tell them you found nothing and let me die, I know it’s what you want” Eve snaps
“I don’t hate you Eve despite what you may think, I only just don’t trust you and believe you me there is a big difference that is why I offered to do this” Elanee says to her
“Then why is my next question” Eve states to her
And ignoring the question Elanee continues “But before I go any further with this I have a question for you; I want a straight answer Eve honestly…do you love Rain?”
Thinking for a second hard on her answer tears again come to her eyes and wiping them away she aims her head down “Yes” she says and lifting her head up she looks directly in to Elanee’s face “Yes, I do love him” and nodding her head with now knowing the answer Elanee turns to leave the chamber “I’m sorry Elanee” she says making Elanee stop turning around again to her “That he picked me instead of you, you have a good soul and you would have made a beautiful couple but I can’t control his feelings on this”
“I will inform you of any updates as I make progress to your case, good or bad” Elanee says as she continues out the door.
“You can’t be serious about those terms” says Straud standing up in the courtyard directing his comments to the emissary,
“I assure you I am Captain” says the emissary
“So let me make sure I got this right, if we don’t get the stone back to you and if we do not comply with those terms then you will openly attack this city in retribution” replies Cynn
“That is correct” nods the emissary
“THAT’S INSANE!” shouts Straud “How can you justify such acts as lawful justice”
“Ok look we have the stone…” says Cynn explaining but is quickly interrupted by Straud “But it was destroyed by the accused when she attempted an experiment on it” he finished while getting a look from Cynn that could make him crawl into a hole for the rest of his days
“That is unfortunate, but we require proof of its destruction” the emissary continues
“And if we present you with the remains of the stone as well as the accused will that be enough for you to forfeit the attack on the city?” asked Maylor
And thinking for a second the emissary nods “Yes, that will be suffice”
“Then we will reconvene in one day on which the Drow clan will present here tomorrow the accused as well as the remains of the stone to Lord Falcon” said promptly the human court elder and dismissed the group.
Dawn with her advanced hearing could listen in on the whole conversation through the wall, as she listened she said the words of the sentences out her mouth and seeing this Rain knew that she was eavesdropping on the meeting so he watched and read her lips to find out for himself what was going on. Happy that she never broke her habit she has carried since she was young Rain learned about the ultimatum given by the Emissary and the fate that would become of Eve, slipping into an invisibility form when no one was watching him Rain left the waiting chamber to do something on his own to help Eve.
Coming out of the courtyard Cynn turned her angry glare to Straud and spoke very stern
“What the hell was that Captain, the stone is not destroyed so why did you lie to him?”
“Because even if we gave it back to them do you really think that we would have been able to use it anyway, they wouldn’t have gave it up to us” Straud replied to her
“The only thing that is clear to me right now is that disobedience runs deep in your family tree Captain” said Cynn
“I’m sorry Judicator but this time I have to agree with Straud on this one, if we have Lalandra forge a fake stone to replace this one we will be in the clear” added Maylor
“Well that’s a first” said Straud surprised at Maylor’s worded defense to him “As well as handing over Eve as well”
“I hope it doesn’t come to that or we’ll have one mad mage on our hands” Cloud said entering the conversation
“The King has allowed Elanee to conduct an investigation into her innocence and hopefully find clearing evidence before Falcon gets here tomorrow” Explains Cynn and gathering up the rest Cynn explains to the group about the meeting results when they see that Rain is missing.