Fiery paladin of vengeance [https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ADCreHeyqWu04Svsa7CRQoUOSb9ZHCWEGHuRxkzMz9DDiBcSnZdNCeSIRMYvKPfQ2YjsfyGDUdcg-S-99IFG_obSSATa_aDJPDImbp7GcCfXYoHrQ2GTW3I40W8HJlgOomTPwllx_kJO4G7RFyEqKdub1HWS=w621-h931-s-no-gm?authuser=0]
“Thanks for coming here, Phoenix,” Paul said as he shut the door to his study behind her. He gave an apologetic smile, “I know it makes you feel a bit uncomfortable. I can only assume it’s because you view it as the house of a noble family instead of my home. But this room offers a bit more privacy than your dorm.”
“We need extra security for this talk?” Phoenix asked with a raised eyebrow, “Why are we here, Paul?”
“A couple things actually,” the paladin began, gesturing for her to sit in one of the chairs between his desk and the door as he walked over to a small cupboard behind the desk. “First, I requested that the AOA have your party go on some road missions again. Not just to clear monsters along the main travel routes for the few that still take them but to also deliver supplies to the outlying fortress towns,” he explained, grabbing a pair of glasses from the cupboard and filling one with firegut ale for himself and the other with aplet juice for her.
“We’ve been able to keep up pretty well so far, so the supplies shouldn’t be needed in a huge rush, allowing for the time to hunt along the way. You won’t want to take the scenic routes but you have a comfortable window of time.
“I already explained these reasons to that little party leader of yours and he’s on board, though I get the feeling that he’s still trying to get on my good side for some reason,” he added with a smirk as he handed her the glass of the sweet drink.
“Fear of being annihilated by an Emerald Caster?” she suggested, returning his smirk and taking the proffered glass.
He gave a small bark of laughter and shook his head, “With the way he didn’t back down during that first training session? I doubt he fears death from a stronger opponent.”
Phoenix nodded slowly, seeming lost in thought for a moment before her eyes narrowed at him, “You’re trying to get me out of the city?” she guessed. He simply tilted his head in confirmation and she inquired, “Murinah? You think she’ll come after me again?”
Paul shook his head this time and explained, “There’s a decent chance she still believes you to be dead, actually. You vanished after her last attempt and the whole city knows I was looking for someone.”
Phoenix raised an eyebrow at him but he ignored it as he continued, “You have also only gone from your home to the coast then here. Unless she just happened to see you in the crowd during those short trips, her whole family should think you’re dead right now. That gives us an advantage and gives you some safety from a follow-up attempt.”
She seemed to understand and asked, “So we go on this road mission while you look into her dirty secrets with that friend you mentioned to find something to charge her and the family with?”
He paused for a moment, unsure of how much to divulge exactly as he kept his aura tightly restrained, “That’s the general idea. I did want to ask if you had those chains you mentioned being forced into.”
“Yes,” Phoenix asked while conjuring the silencing chains from her collection, “She and her brother used these on me the first time. Do you need them as evidence for your investigation or something?”
“Something like that. I have a very specific need that would be better accomplished if I had those available,” he stated carefully.
“I… I’ve been planning to study ways to break free from them. If it’ll help stop Murinah though, I can try to figure out another way,” she explained while holding them out towards him.
Paul picked up the chains, looking over them carefully before agreeing, “It’s a good idea for you to protect yourself from them if you think you’re being targeted for capture and not just killing. These locking kinds are controlled items though, so how a child like her got one is subject to investigation on its own. I can probably get you an alternate variant that’s used for training, however. It’s not that uncommon for some people to train or spar while wearing them in order to become familiar with battling against silencing effects or focus on techniques.”
“I’d still like the locking kind to figure out a way to remove them and free myself if someone tries to use them against me again,” the Wayfarer clarified.
He thought about that for a moment, recalling that he could likely get another by just filling out the form at the AOA that he used to do when hunting necromancers for the Purifier long ago, “Hmm, I might be able to get a special dispensation for it. I’ll let you know what I can do.”
“Sounds good. Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?” she inquired curiously.
He hesitated a moment, watching her carefully as he said, “There’s a man I’d like you to meet with. He’s a priest of the Mender who works with Adventurers that have experienced traumatic events.”
Phoenix’s eyes widened, obviously not expecting that, “You want me to see a therapist?”
The paladin nodded, “He is very skilled and well respected. He has even worked with other people that have the Soul Mark of a god. He will keep your secrets, like he does theirs, so you should be able to talk freely with him about everything. And I mean everything. I believe he can help you work through some of your grief and anger.”
“You think I have anger management problems?” she asked a bit incredulously.
Paul gave her a flat look, “You rampaged across the wilds for seven days and died in a duel with a Sapphire Caste monster.”
She huffed, “Yeah, alright… you might have a point there,” the redhead admitted then gave a frustrated sigh and asked, “How do you handle it? I felt the rage in your aura.”
“Wrath, not rage. They are similar but not the same,” he corrected, “Rage is anger given an uncontrolled and volatile form. You displayed that quite well. I take my anger and focus it; give it purpose and direction.”
He leaned back slightly in his chair, “I turn wrath into a weapon to wield when the need is greatest rather than let rage take control and make me weaker for it.”
“I still don’t understand how you can do something like that,” her face scrunched up at the memories of it, “I was so angry… I still am, if I’m being honest. How do you learn to control something like that?”
“Practice. Self-reflection. Therapy,” he gave a small smirk and she rolled her eyes, “There are some magic items that can help, like these,” he said, rolling up one of his sleeves to display a thin golden bracelet around his wrist. “Your party’s Mage uses something similar.”
Phoenix seemed surprised by the revelation as she clarified, “Uriel does? I thought that the chains were just for locking down his abilities.”
Paul nodded slowly, suddenly uncertain, “It is. I’m talking about the piercings on his ears. Those are a magic item that works together to suppress strong emotions and make a person calmer and more focused. I thought you would know this already,” he said with a slight frown.
The Wayfarer shook her head, “No, I just thought they were regular jewelry. I never thought to ask,” she said with a frown then glanced at the bracelet and asked, “Have you always been wearing that?”
“I haven’t needed to for a long while but after our first… talk about your encounter with Murinah, I figured I should keep it on until I’ve resolved this situation,” he responded then inquired, returning to the main topic, “So will you meet with the priest?”
Seeing her skeptical face, he implored softly, “Please, Phoenix, I would like you to do this… for me if not for yourself.”
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The young Adventurer watched her mentor for a long moment, seeming to contemplate the idea, then nodded slowly, “I’ve had quite my fill of doctors and therapists, a lifetime in fact, but I can do this… for you.”
He gave her a genuine smile and said, “Thank you. Your first appointment is this evening. I’d like you to talk to him before you leave in the morning.”
Her eyes narrowed at his already placed plans and his predictions of her agreement but she simply asked, “Where do I go?”
“Here. We don’t want you wandering around the city, remember?” her mentor reminded, then added, “Until then, why don’t you and your party train downstairs?”
“Fine, I’ll go find them and let them know,” she said, starting to stand from her seat.
Paul smirked at her, “They’re already downstairs waiting for you.”
Phoenix’s eyes narrowed at him once more, “Your overprotective parent behavior is showing again…”
‘I told you,’ a feminine voice stated flatly in his mind, ‘You should just make it official.’
The paladin chuckled at both women and mentally told his Familiar, ‘Maybe I’ll propose the idea once this threat isn’t looming over her.’
‘And are you going to mention that you’re a Paladin once more?’
Paul watched the young woman finishing the juice before setting it on his desk with a smile and turning to leave, ‘I’m sure she’ll figure it out eventually.’
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Murinah Ruwena had been ecstatic when her cousin Arktis Neired had returned to her father and confirmed the death of the infuriating woman that had tried to steal the man of her dreams just as he had gotten within reach.
She had been planning and working hard for years to try and get close to the charismatic man that held the attention of a god and proclaimed his kingship as an inevitability.
The stealth specialist went so far as to wait to join the AOA at the same time as him just to make the likelihood of partying up together all the more assured. She had even managed to convince her mother that she would be able to get the gemite to join their family’s cause and she would spy within the AOA in exchange for bringing the man she desired with them to the other realities that the Soul Reapers offered to bring them to.
Her current mood was the best it had been since pushing that Fraser woman over the edge of that cliff to the nest of miserlings. Even the crappy mission she got assigned to wasn’t enough to dim her mood as she planned to quickly get the assignment done and return to the city and convince Dazien that they were destined to be together. He would be a king of their own reality and she would be his queen. Just as it was meant to be.
As she arrived in the area the mission had reported, she activated her camouflage passive and another that muffled the sound she produced as she slowly made her way across the snow covered stones. It took a bit longer than she would have liked but as she crested a small hill she finally saw them, almost two dozen miserlings that were tearing into the carcass of some unrecognizable animal.
After accepting that first mission for the miserlings, she had unfortunately been assigned every one since then as nobody else had wanted them but at least they paid well. This was her fifth time scouting out the reports for them and it still made her a bit nervous each time she saw the disgusting creatures. She couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her lips though, when she imagined the bloody feast currently in front of her as the woman who should have been taken care of by them the first time.
Just as she was about to retreat, having confirmed their numbers and location, she felt something cold around her wrists suddenly. As she flinched to pull her hands to her chest, she heard a soft click right next to her ear that shouldn’t have been possible with her ability active. Then she realized in a flash of panic that it wasn’t active. Her hand shot up to the cold metal that surrounded her neck as she spun around to stare into fierce golden eyes.
Murinah didn’t yell, knowing the miserlings were only a few dozen meters away. Before she could berate the man in front of her, however, she suddenly realized it was Lord Wayland. He looked vastly different than she remembered however. Normally seen around the city in pristine whites and soft creams that made the pure gold of his armor stand out prominently, it had all changed.
Instead of mostly gold with white embellishments, his full plate armor was jet black with only a modest trimming of gold around the edges, with small studded spikes spread all over that threatened instant retribution if struck, and glossy black feathers adorning his shoulders. He also bore the distinct full cape of a Paladin, which he had once been, but instead of the pure white she had remembered as a child, it was a dark crimson; clasped together over the center of his chest with the emblem of a deity she didn’t recognize depicting a bird of some kind.
The noble woman thought she knew most of the divine sigils, even the ones that were definitely not members of the Delegation of Radiance, but this must have belonged to a relatively minor god, which seemed odd for such a prominent man. He reminded her of the Dark Knights she had read about as a child that she had admired for their determination and bravery, not caring about who might scorn them.
She felt the effects of a tracking Bane settle upon her, sensing the heightened danger of divine attacks and the slowing of her natural regeneration and she began to spit out, “How dare you cast a Bane upon me. I don’t care which divine prick you serve, you can’t just-”
The paladin cut her off coldly, “Do you know where I got that Silencer?”
The question threw her mind off course, as she blinked for a moment then quietly hissed at him, “How would I know that? It doesn’t matter anyways, remove it this instance! You have no right to-”
“It belonged to you,” the lord stated bluntly, cutting off her furious whispers.
That made her even more confused until she remembered the woman she had used a Silencer on last and the new rumor sweeping the city of the relationship this man had with said woman. Her red ember eyes narrowed, “Lies. What proof do you have?”
“The words of someone I trust far more than you, Noble Ruwena,” the paladin’s voice was low but not quiet and Murinah began to worry that the miserlings would hear them. She hoped the Emerald Caster’s presence would be enough to keep them at bay, however.
“Words are not proof of anything,” the cinderen retorted, “You dare to use [Chains of Silence] on the heir to one of the greatest noble houses in the world based on unfounded rumors?”
“Who said they were unfounded? I have more than words but revealing them before a magistrate would only endanger the person I’m trying to protect,” he explained briefly before grabbing her shoulders and spinning her around faster than she could react as he slowly began to walk her back towards the horde of dark sadistic monsters.
“What do you think you are doing?” she asked hastily, unable to keep the volume of her words as low as she had meant but she continued to protest, “I haven’t done anything to warrant such treatment!”
The voice that Lord Wayland used in that moment had shifted to the tone of a self-proclaimed judge, “You know you are guilty of your crimes. You attempted to kill a fellow Adventurer and when that didn’t work you had your family hire a mercenary to attack them during an enemy raid, endangering the very people you were meant to protect. You are not only an unrepentant murderer but a traitor to both the Alliance of Adventurers and the entire city of Tulimeir. Any last words, Noble Murinah Ruwena?”
The young woman’s mind began to race. How could this man possibly know what she had done? Arktis would never have betrayed her family, that woman was always the ever-loyal lap dog. Her cousin also didn’t know about the first attempt and her brother didn't have the spine to betray the family either but maybe her intended victim had confided in this arrogant man before Arktis had assured her death.
Even if Arktis or Camrin had betrayed her though, there was still no proof to tie her to the accusations. Only words and assumptions. It wasn’t like she had been the one to sink her blade into the redhead’s heart no matter how much she had wanted to. She growled at the judgmental man, “You cannot prove any of that! If you think I'm guilty of any crime then take me before the magistrate!”
“No.”
The word was harsh, cutting through her as the miserlings came back into sight and the creatures were all staring at the pair of them but didn’t move closer to the Emerald Caste aura she could barely sense surrounding all of them, herself included, and it felt like… wrath. His voice didn’t show a hint of the anger his aura made abundantly clear as it suffocated them all and he said calmly, “You will experience the same pain that you made her experience. You will die the same way she did. It is only unfortunate that you won’t come back to experience the rest of what you did.”
Her eyes widened as she realized what the wrathful man had planned for her and she forwent any notion of keeping silent as she screamed furiously at him, “You think you are above the law? Is this some twisted act of justice you think you have the authority to enact?!”
"Justice is going to be served to the rest of your family. As we speak, the AOA and city government are investigating the actions and intentions of your family. Their crimes will be discovered and they will be punished,” he said resolutely and, despite her claims of innocence, she sensed the truth of his words.
His voice dropped slightly as he continued, “For your crimes, however, there cannot be true justice without risking further danger and harm to your victim. So no, this is not justice…”
The Wrath Blade’s voice came from right beside her ear as he spoke with such cold fury that it sent a shiver throughout her body, “This is vengeance."
Then she felt herself get pushed forward into the snow as the Emerald aura seemed to vanish. It was in that moment that she realized the rededicated paladin had not seen himself as a judge but an executioner. Murinah Ruwena screamed as serrated claws and teeth descended upon her and all she ever felt again was pain.