Chapter 8: Vexation
As various members of the church scattered about the land to gather information, Mythology and Xevira left the temple and travelled to Aethilforge to meet with Sirrus. The night before, a messenger had brought a letter asking for the meeting. An odd place to meet, they were headed for the Bleeding Bastard Tavern.
“What information do you think he was able to get this quickly?” asked Xevira. “He had only been gone for a few hours.”
“It's possible that Redraven has dug up something on Arkain, and he wanted to get the info to us as soon as possible.”
As they entered the Inn, immediately they knew they had been played. The owner was slain, laying over the bar. No other patrons were inside.
“Damnit! It was a trick to lure us out! Myth, I'll go out the back entrance and circle around, see who is hiding out there.”
Mythology nodded, brandished his tainted swords, and stood facing the doorway. A minute passed, as Xevira walked back in.
“There's nobody out there. This wasn't a trap for us, it was to lure us away from the temple!”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mythology and Xevira ran up to the temple to an awful sight. Elzamine and Armand stood facing each other, merely feet apart. Other fleeting shadows could be seen in the woods surrounding the hall. One of them for sure would be Redraven. Lukus, Ithilidin, Spunky, Arlox, and Angroth stood behind Elzamine, guarding her flanks and the doors to the temple. The duo ran next to the temple walls, coming up alongside their comrades.
“Ahh, Mythology. How great of you to finally join us. I trust you had an excellent journey to our old hang out?”
“Redraven, you bastard. What was the point of sending us to Aethilforge?”
“Ahh, Myth.” Redraven slowly stepped from the shadows of the forest, forcing a cloaked figure out of the woods with him. Whoever was there was of slighter stature than Sirrus, and their hands seemed to be bound together. “I sent you away, so I could get what I needed. Now, I have your attention, and I will get your assistance as well.”
“I still don't understand your purpose here! I've already figured out it was not you that attacked the Cult. It was not you that killed Tiglas. It was that bastard Arkain! I'm after him!”
“That's why I'm here, Myth. I need every last bit of information you have on that bastards location so that I may kill him myself. I'm not giving you that priviledge. Not after you tried to take my life! You will either give me all of the info you have on Arkain this instant,” Redraven pulled the cloak away from the figure next to him, revealing a frightened Riane, “Or she will die!”
Every muscle tightened in Mythology's body. Elzamine gasped in horror. Everyone there knew Redraven wouldn't hesitate. Mythology slowly let his body relax, knowing the slightest movement could motivate Redraven to murder.
“The only things we know about Arkain at this point, were given to us by Sirrus. We just today started reaching out to gather more, and no reports have come back yet,” Elzamine yelled to Redraven. “Let her go! She has no stake in this hostility at all!”
Redraven pulled a dagger out from his cloak.
“Oh, but she does. You see, if I hurt her, that hurts all of you. And if I hurt all of you, that hurts him!” Redraven raged, pointing the dagger at Mythology. “I want him to suffer!”
“You want me to suffer? For what? For trusting you to back the Cult? For trusting you to be there for Tiglas, while I was away?”
Redraven looked away from Mythology, back to Riane. Tugging the rope, he brought her bound hands up to his, and cut the rope away. “There, she goes free.”
Riane quickly darted from Redraven, running towards Elzamine and Mythology. As she got a few feet away, Mythology noticed the sneer in the corner of Redraven's mouth just as his form began to shimmer. Quickly, Mythology unsheathed his dual blades faded from existance as well. Just as Redraven returned to vision, arm poised for a deadly backstab, Mythology slammed into his body, sprawling him backwards.
“Look behind you, you fool! Look what you have done!”
Mythology quickly turned just in time to see Armand holding Riane to his side, his spiked gauntlet pointed towards her delicate face.
“I seen Armand ready to strike at her as I freed her. I had suspicions he was in league with Arkain, and I was using this opportunity to stop him! You ruined this, Mythology!”
“Shut up the both of you!” screamed Armand. “None of you stand a chance against my lord Arkain! None of you shall survive once he sets his sight upon you!”
As Armand, in his delusional fit looked back and forth from person to person, Redraven again faded from sight, back to the trees.
“Now, you will all understand the power my Lord Arkain has!”
As Armand pulled his fist back to strike, Mythology quickly faded from existance. Redraven reached Armand first, taking the full blow of his strike, sending him sprawling to the side. Mythology grabbed Armand by the throat and the wrist, lifting him above the ground. In the turmoil, Armand's grasp on Riane broke and she ran towards Elzamine.
As Armand struggled in Mythology's grasp, Redraven looked up at him from the ground.
“Fool. Arkain is no Lord, and you are a mere puppet.”
Armand's icy glare burned through Redraven. The only thing stopping him from being afraid, was the hell baron holding Armand by the throat.
“You will all pay! You will all die! Arkain will..” The deafening crack of Armand's neck, followed by the thud of his body hitting the ground, silenced all other sounds nearby.
Redraven merely shook his head, and looked away. At one point, he thought he could trust Armand. Now he knows differently. Maybe this was why Mythology left, all those years ago? This feeling of dread. Of helplessness.
“Mythology, for what happened to the Cult, I am sorry. I took offense at the notion you blamed me, and I..” Redraven quit speaking, as Mythology raised his hand to him.
“I don't blame you for the fall of the Cult. That rests solely on myself for leaving. Go, find out more on this Arkain. If anything, we can remove him from this world together.”
Redraven got to his feet, nodded his head towards Mythology, and vanished into the forest.
Turning back towards his friends, Mythology walked over to Riane, and together they walked back into the temple.
