She had sent the crow hours ago to reach him. She had some sort of desire in the blackest part of her heart for him, yet she knew not why. Seeing that she usually got what she wanted, she had sent a letter since you wanted to see him. And she was sure he’d be here, him being one of her most faithful and well-liked Chosen. In fact, she had the idea of putting him in her Elite. But she had no plans for her Elite yet. Being in her Elite would make him much like a lesser God of her own element. He’d be very, very powerful. And that would make him useful in this war of hers. Sadly, no one knew her secret: she was Goddess yet again.

Soon, the whole of Imythess would know when she set up her plan. She’d be in the head of the army, waiting and heading for what would have been her death, had this not happened. She would be making an attack on the larger of the cities their first attack would be going on. She smirked and looked around, waiting for him to walk in the door at any moment now. She had her hood pulled up over her head, long black hair lying down against her lap. Everyone knew it was her. Her power pulsed through the tavern as if they were all inside a heart.

Only the real Seele would know it was her in that corner. No need for a fake to tell her secret to. She would trust him, and him only. Only he would know she was Goddess again, and that there was no way they could be defeated now. She thought she was all-powerful. Sadly, she did not notice the fact that there were more than one God that she’d be up against. Perhaps one God or Goddess would take sides with her. That would be helpful, even though she’d deny needing the help, but accepting it anyways. ‘The more the merrier.’ Also, ‘the more Gods, the more destruction of the others’. She grinned and stared at the door, seeing through her hood easily.

Seele halted outside the doorway into the Tavern, leaning slightly against the wall. His breath came in short bursts. The path he had taken down the alleyway was painstakingly obvious due to the series of dark footprints on the cobblestones.

Bloody footprints.

It had been a very, very long time since Seele had been injured. He had rarely suffered harm to himself in the years after he had come to Imythess. After his takeover of a kyton demon injury had seemed impossible due to the chain armor that completely covered his body. But... he had not expected this. He had received a message from Ranewan and had began traveling to her location with all due haste. She was who he served, after all. But his haste had made him careless. A group of dragon riders had sprung out of one of the forests he had passed over, waylaying both him and his own draconic mount. Although Seele had destroyed them easily, one had managed to slip his enchanted blade inbetween the metal links to cut deep into his ribs. Seele had tried to use Dark Regeneration on the wound, but the weapon had been blessed by a holy hand. He could do nothing to heal it. He could not stop however; after all, Ranewan was the only person in Imythess he feared enough to obey. The only person he respected enough to obey. the only person...

He thrust the door of the tavern open, tightening the tattered cloak around himself in order to hide the wound. Limping slightly, he walked a few steps into the tavern before searching for Ranewan. There. In the corner. He could feel her aura like a comforting blanket wrapped all around the room, but it was strongest there. He weaved through the tables utnil he reached her shadowy seat. "Milady..." He slowly lowered himself into the chair across from her, clenching his teeth against the new rush of pain. But he made sure none of his discomfort appeared on his face. He laid on pale hand on the table, the other clutching the slowly bleeding wound under the cloak. "You... called?"

Finally he has come, and her eagerness subsided within her. She let out a sigh of relief, fearing that her crow had failed her. Sent it to the wrong person. But the Crow had succeeded in delivering the message to her beloved friend. “Yes, my dear Seele. I have called. Sadly, we will be leaving this table and going to a room for more privacy. That I will explain to you in a moment…” she said as the barmaid came over, bringing Ranewen and Seele a glass of wine. Both were red. But was it wine or blood? Ranewen couldn’t tell the difference, but she didn’t care either. Whatever it was…it tasted good. And that’s all that mattered to the Goddess.

The barmaid then left them to peace and no one seemed to pay attention. Ranewen had been here before the tavern opened and pushed the tables away from this specific one. And she also paid ten gold coins to reserve it for them. They would have somewhat privacy, but you never knew what kind of privacy you had in a place like Balefire. “Seele, I have something that needs to be told. No, it’s nothing bad. In fact, I’m sure you’ll be…impressed and happier.” She grinned seductively. Yet, that’s not the grin she had intended. It just came with her demonic infused, in Erinyes.

She stood up from her table, taking the wine and the bottle in her left hand. She looked at Seele, a questioning look in her eyes. Something was wrong with him. She felt a weakness—or some sort of hurt—in his aura that was here. It wasn’t as strong and hating as it usually was. “Are you okay, Seele?” she said, looking at where his hand held his cloak. Something was definitely wrong. The normal Seele would’ve probably had both of his hands on the table. Yet one clutched at his side. And therefore, it brought some sort of curiousness to her. She frowned slightly. Not out of anger, but out of curiosity. Had he been injured? If so, why didn’t he tell her in the first place? Hiding it…perhaps? To impress her or something of the sort? To show no weakness in him, even though she’d feel it mentally, but not see is physically? It was one of those. She had yet to wait and find out.

Seele's mouth twitched upwards into a smile for a brief second. She was adept at reading him, if nothing else. But he should have suspected as much. They had been friends for a long time, through times of peace and times of battle. He slowly removed his hand from the cloak and laid it on the table. The entire hand was covered in blood so dark it appeared black, covering his pale flesh almost like a glove. His following smile was a little weaker than normal, but the light in his eyes was not diminished at all.

"It is... merely a flesh wound, Milady." He knew that both the fact that he had not revealed the wound nor healed it earlier would contradict this fact, but he didn't care. he spoke carefully, knowing no tavern was completely safe, no matter how secvluded their table might be. He had many, many enemies in Imythess. Showing even the smallest sign of weakness in a crowded tavern would not be smart. He had not necessarily meant to hide it from Ranewan, but rather from everyone else. He tapped his hand on the table, bloody fingerprints staining the oak planks of the table, before reaching with his clean hand to grab the glass. He only shook a little as he raised the goblet to his lips and downed the red liquid inside quickly.

"But if you have something to tell me... I am all ears..." He leaned forward slightly, brim of the wide hat flopping down to cast their shade over his eyes. "The matter of my... wound can be discussed later..."

Ranewen grinned at him. He snapped her singers and soon enough the two were in the room above where they were standing. Like the table, it had been reserved for them. The last room at the end of the Inn, in a corner where no one ever really stayed. She also reserved two other rooms around them to get any eavesdroppers to go away. She had a way without telling him of her powers. His wound had obviously been touched by a Holy god and it would be left there, open, making him suffer horribly. She placed her hand upon where she saw his hand before and muttered a few words. She took her hand away. “Is it healed?” she asked, a smirk upon her face. It should’ve been. If not…well, she didn’t know what would happen.

Seele smile broadened as a warm darkness enveloped his side, searching tendrils soothing the pain of his wound. When the former Goddess asked he lifted up the tattered cloak to look at the wound himself. Underneath the layer of fine black chains there was a large hole in his tunic, surrounded by dried and fresh blood both. However there was no trace of the large wound he had received earlier. "Yes, Milady... your power amazes me..." He traced the hole with one pale finger as his eyes widened in realization. He stared up at Ranewan, lost for words for a minute. "But... those wounds made bya God... can only be healed by..." His eyes got, if possible, wider. "Another..."

“Only by another God can the wounds made by a blessed blade be healed. And therefore, I present to you, your Goddess, Ranewen. True and only Queen of Darkness,” she said and took a mock bow, a smirk upon her face. “Which means, Seele, you are one of my Chosen yet again. Back in the Floh’l Del Oloth as my favorite of the Chosen.” She grinned an evil grin. A grin so evil ,that only one of pure darkness could tell it was actually a smile. She poured them both another glass of wine. She looked at him, that look in her eyes of in Erinyes. She then stretched out her hand, the glass for him in it.

Seele's eyes were still wide. A Goddess fallen, risen again to her post? It seemed impossible... but there was no one more deserving of the title than her. Her inner darkness was unmatched, her power feared. His eyes returned to normal, a slow grin creeping across his face, giving him a rather manic expression. "My dear Ranewan... this is perfect... your power, reurned!" He reached out and slowly took the glass from her hand, her golden eyes catching and holding his. Although of the same hue, her gaze was so much more powerful than his own. It drew him in...

The effects of the Eryines were matched with no other being. They could seduce the most stubborn of virgin men if they wanted to. Her eyes could reel in a fish from a different ocean on a different continent. She still held his gaze as she lifted the wine glass up in the air. “Cheers for a war already one, though no one knows it,” she said and stained her lips with the wine. She then grinned after placing the wine glass down, letting her eyes off of him. If he really liked her the way it just seemed, she wouldn’t even have to use her powers for him to fall in love tonight. Something that one like him would probably never do, unless with his Goddess herself.

Seele was frozen until her eyes moved, breaking him free of the spell of the Erinyes. He did not know it, of course; the Demonic Infused knew little about those of the other types. Seele slowly lifted the glass to his lips, taking a small sip of the thick red liquid. It tasted sweet and wonderful, which made him take another small sip, this time taking time to enjoy the taste on his tongue. As he tasted the wine he watched the Goddess, his eyes unreadable, only that familiar hint of madness in the gold irises. "Yes, to the war we can not lose... not with you at our lead..." His voice was quiet, without the normal undercurrent of arrogance and cruelty. It was the voice of a scholar and musician, long consumed by a unforgiving darkness. He gently set down the glass and placed his long, pale hands on the table.

"Milady... why do we go onward?" His voice was still untainted by his madness, a uncommonly long hiatus in the derangement that gripped him. "We serve the Darkness... we exstinguish the Light... but is there nothing left for us, when all is done?"

Ranewen shook her head. "No, Seele, there will be nothing left for us here. And therefore, we will move to new places - to new worlds. I will bring an evil so great, that no light will exist. Of course, when we come back someone would surely rise in protest in secret. There is always some sort of rebellion that comes with taking something over, you know?" She smiled dangerously. "But perhaps I will let Taras stand, surrounded in darkness. Give them a chance to fight back. A neutral Goddess lives there, and therefore we cannot attack her until everything is darkness and our forces are great, for the goddess if the Goddess of Blades. I, myself, would not wish to cross blades with her."

She then let her golden eyes set in on his for a second. It was enough to stop him for a moment, but not enough to seduce him. If they were thinking the same thing, he's make a move. But they were talking about more important things.

Seeles' eyes were caught on hers for another instant, a instant that stretched into eternity before reality gave him a hard slap in the face. He found himself at a loss for words for a moment, a strange thing for the learned scholar. His vocabulary was almost unrivaled, but he still could not think of what to say to his Goddess. His beautiful, lovely Goddess. The only lady on Imythess he would ever serve with his entire heart. "Maybe..." his voice was quiet and smooth. "There can be something left... maybe not for all of Imythess..." His voice grew, if possible, even softer, barely a breath. "But there can still be something... for us..."

Ranewen smiled. A full smile, revealing the vampiric fangs that hid behind her teeth. Being a Goddess, though, she did not feed on blood. In stead, she fed on the souls of the dying, which satisfied her just as much. "Yes..." she said, gold eyes fixing in on his two different-colored ones, "Something for both of us. Here, my love, we could never grow bored, especially with all of our threats thrown into the Abyss, the portals seeled for eternity," she said with a grin like no other man could have possibly imagined. Unless, of course, he had come in contact with an Erinyes, though some called them a succubus. "Imythess shall never be boring when you have one whom you love. Would you like more wine, Seele, or have you had enough?" she asked, her voice as seductive as her gaze.

Seele's lips slowly curled into a small smile. His derangement was still held at bay, miraculously. Perhaps because he was actually using his twisted, black heart instead of corrupting it with rage and loneliness. "No, my dear Ranewan, I have no need for wine with you here..." His eyes sparkled with a mischeviousness and joy that most believed had long departed his body. But none of those had ever seen him around Ranewan. He had felt a strange tie to her from the start; her ascenscion had only increased that strange combination of loyalty and love. A deep love that could never be broken, even through death. He said nothing, simply met her seductive gaze with a small smile.

She smiled. She remembered when her and Seele has first met. When they had first met, neither had power and both were still partially on the path of good, if there really was one. But she brushed away the memory and walked towards Seele. She motioned towards the bed. "You must be tired from coming here wounded," she said, sitting down on one of the beds in the room. There were two, side-by-side with a small gap in between. The one she sat at was the one closest to Seele and farthest from the wall. She looked away from him, her gaze going to the floor. Why was she using her powers as an advantage? If he really loved her, she wouldn't need to use her Erinyes powers.

Seele nodded slightly, slowly standing. Now that she mentioned it he felt the fatigue in his body, the weariness that lived deep in his bones. It had been long since ha had slept; insomnia was a sing of most great scholars and sorcerors. Seele was both. He had not slept for a long time, and his injury had brought that deprivation back. He slowly walked around the bed Ranewan was on, but paused before touching his ow. His Goddess was looking away, her golden eyes on the floor. As silent and weightless as the Darkness he sat behing her, one finger tracing the demonic markings that curled over her neck. He slowly lowered his neck to rest his forehead on her shoulder, his palm gently pressing gently against the side of her neck. "Milady... what bothers you?"

Ranewen looked to her left. "The eyes of the erinyes were basically controlling you. I felt as if I was using you for some reason and to me, even if I am evil, it seems wrong. I'd rather you love me by yourself than be me being an Erinyes," she said, leaning her head to the left, to rest atop his. She felt his breath on her demon mark, this made her shudder. Not out of coldness or being uncomfrotable. She didn't know why, but she still smiled.

Seele smiled slightly, turning his head slightly so he could look up and and meet her gaze. "The eyes of the Erinyes... oh yes... I remember a scroll I read on such a thing..." He thought back. The Erinyes demon takes the shape of a beautiful woman, with only her golden eyes reveraling her demonic origin. One look from these eyes can seduct the strongest and most vigilant of men unless they are under the protection of A Divine Being... "Erinyes, eh?" He laughed softly, closing his eyes. "I am not so weak minded... if this was not what I wanted, it would have been wuite clear as soon as you broke eye contact... but..." His hand slid up her neck to gently stroke the raven-black hair. "I want it this way... my dear friend... my dear Goddess... My dear Ranewan..."

Ranewen grinned, resting her arms arouns his shoulders, her and chin now resting upon his right shoulder. Should anyone come in now, she'd have their heads with an instant! The Goddess? Love someone? "Well, my Love, I am glad to see that you do not refuse such an invitation." She grinned in a mocking way, staring at the wall opposite her, and then looking hard to her left, only being able to see some of Seele's hair. Oh, how she loved him.

Seele raised his head and looked at her face with a soft expression no one in Imythess had ever seen. The elf had lived for a long time, centuries. He had felt sorrow, rage, loyalty, friendship, corruption, betrayel, madness. Not love. Never love. But there was no doubt that he loved Ranewan. The Dark Lady he would serve with all of his soul... He slowly raised his other hand to gently touch her cheek, pale fingers tracing over her skin as lightly as a spider wlaks on its web. "How could I refuse any such offer from you...?"

Ranewen smiled. No one in their right mind (except for those sarcastic assholes Ranewen occassionally came across, who would have said "Someone in their left mind?" or something of the sort) would refuse such an offer from someone so high on the hierarchy. She glanced at his fingers, then at his face again. "That is very good to know, Seele." she said, then placed her head so that her forehead leaned on his, their noses just barely touching.

Seele's smiled and slipped his arms around her shoulders. "Ranewan..." but the next pause was sudden and unexpected as his tentative grip on sanity was shattered. His eyes widened, golden irises seeming to puch back the black pupils until you could barely see them. His grin went from kind and loving to crazed, white teeth showing. The demon mark on the left side of his flace flared for an instant as his derangement assumed control. To find Ranewan right... there.

What the hell...? "What the hell?" Seele leaned back in order to get a better look at the woman's face. Yes, it was Ranewan. No doubt of that. "Milady... erm..." FOr the second time that day he didn't know what to say, but this was for an entirely different reason. Shock. "You are awfully... close, at the moment, eh?" His grin grew wider, eyes sparkling with a dangerous mixture of intelligence and understanding. He was just crazy enough to tease a Goddess found in a potentially intimate position.

Ranewen looked at that smile and remembered. So, he did have a split personality type thing going on, eh? She tried to pull back fast enough, but he had saw her already. She wrinkled her nose. “What are you talking about? Seele… You were just… different but now…” she gave up on trying to know what came on. Did he just mimic her? She smirked, a smirk that only the devil himself could only do besides her. She narrowed her eyes in a glare-like look at him. Bah! She should’ve known this could never work out.

“That look in your eyes was gone for a long time from when you came into the Inn. Do you even remember what happened?” she asked, her voice cold and heartless unlike it was before. She crossed her arms in front of her, pulling the hood up on her head again, letting her hair fall out of it still.

Seele looked at her, head cocked to one side with a bemused expression on his face. Suddenly understanding lit up in his eyes and he laughed, a strange expression on his face. "Oh, Ranewan... he finally got up his courage?" Seele's laughter dripped with contempt, buty it was not aimed at the Goddess. No, it was aimed atr himself.

"You see, my dear Ranewan... I am the true Seele..." He gestured towards himself, trying and failing at a modest look on his face. "That pathetic loser who came into the inn could not handle his own darkness... so I was born... his pathetic will cannot hold me out, so I take control most of the time... how did he escape..." He frowned slightly, then snapped his fingers together. "Ah, I remember! The wound! I must have been weakened enough by that..." He murmured madly under his breath.

It's not true... you are not me... The soft voice did not come from Seele's mouth, but it was undoubtedly him who was speaking. It was the same voice he had used earlier, with Ranewan.

"See what I mean? Pathetic..." Seele chuckled again, scooting a bit further away from the icy stare of the Goddess. She didnt appear to be in the best of moods.

Ranewan...

“You’re lucky I like you… Or perhaps you’d be leaving right now with your head lying in your two hands,” she said coolly, watching Seele with those cold, golden eyes. She didn’t know if the effects would work now or not, but she wasn’t trying. But her eyes seemed to be trying to. She almost muttered the entire spell to change her eyes, but some pain in her back made her stop. It was the Erinyes demon. She wasn’t going to let this man get away without being ‘played’ with.

Ranewen simply rolled her eyes. If she had to, she’d cover her eyes while talking to him. She’d still be able to know where he was in the room. There weren’t very many places to go to nowadays. “You know now, though, Crazed One, that you are much less powerful than me again, if you did not hear my words earlier,” she threatened, about to snap. But she held her emotions in, her inner-demon screaming to be let out and nearly kill Seele. But she held them behind that calm, pretty face. Well, most thought it was pretty. But she, in particular, didn’t.

This... this is all wrong...

"Shut up!" Seele's voice was snappy and arrogant, his eyes narrowing with anger. "You are nothing, Seele! Nothing! I rule over you!!!" The elf leapt off of the bed, completely ignoring Ranewan. His hands curled into fists, dark power crackling around him. "So, you want to test me? You have done it before, and lost! But try, try..." He cackled madly, throwing back his head as the demonic marking on his face began to glow with black energy,

"Enough." His face froze in that laugh, eyes going wide. He stepped backwards from Ranewan, mouth gaping in terror. The quiet voice was louder now, so loud that even Ranewan could hear the internal struggle. "I have had enough. You are not me... you can no longer rule me... I am the true power here!" Seele snarled, trying to respond but found he couldn't speak. His eyes betrayed an emotion few would ever see on the pale features.

Fear.


A whirlwind of dark magic enveloped the elf, hiding him from sight as negative energy whipped the sheets off of the beds and bled Ranewan's hair around a bit. Within seconds it was over. Seele was slumped on the ground, eyes closed, hat knocked off onto the wooden floor. His breathing was shallow, but slowly becoming stronger and more even. The demonic markings on his face crawled with dark energy.

Ranewen had been muttering words to herself, an orb of frost in her left hand. She glared directly at the insane Seele, ready to just launch it in his direction. But then something had happened. She heard the real Seele’s voice and now he was lying on the ground, his breathing coming in quickly, sharply. She watched him with a gaze that would kill someone from the light side. Not literally, but they would always dream of it in a nightmare. Maybe even worse. Or maybe less. She didn’t know and didn’t bother to ponder over the fact. She simply sighed to herself and rose from her bed, walking over to Seele and looking down on him.

Frowning, she nudged him with the toe of her boot. “And you say you are powerful, but can’t even fight yourself and still breathe,” she said mockingly, watching him with those golden eyes, which were intended to use their powers. And she let them. This would let her know if it was the real Seele of the fake one. If it was the Seele she knew, he would welcome the glance. If it was the insane one…well, he’d use his own demonic powers to fight off the intent gaze. Her lips were pressed together in a fine line as she glared at the man on the floor. But which was it? The Seele she loved? Or the one she hated?

She’d find out soon enough, and so she had to wait for him to look in her direction, which would be soon.

Seele suddenly coughed, one hand slowly moving across his face. "I have always fought myself..." His head was down, silvery-blue hair covering his face completely. "But I always seem to lose, for some reason..." He coughed again, a small trickle of blood fromt he corner of his mouth quickly wiped away. When he looked up his eyes had returned to their normal state (or as normal as his ever were), a small smile on his face. However, as soon as her eyes caught his he found himself unable to move again, stuck there on the floor. Caught by her dark beauty and that trace of anger in her gaze...

“Ah, back to normal, I see. Or as normal as you could possibly she get,” she said, her tone mocking his other personality. She then let the power in her gaze subside and she stood up from the bed, turning towards the door. “Seele, I think it’s time to spread the word to the people about the army and have people sign up, if you know what I mean.” A grin crept across her pale face as she opened the door. Down in the Purple Lantern would be a great spot to start. Most of the people in there would join. She even saw a couple of dark knights, in which would be the Knights of Ranewen soon enough. But she had to wait for that epic battle to show her return,

She then looked down at the floor and back at Seele, watching the blood creep out of his mouth like a small creek coming back to life after a long drought. “I could rid you of your other side, you know…If you want.” Her eyes glowed in the darkness after she blew the lantern out, which was hanging on the wall. She then walked out into the hallway, hearing the people downstairs already. This side of the Inn was silent, though. No one was around, which was a good thing.

She sighed lightly, her boots clicking on the floor below her black dress. The front of her dress was made up of black belts. Underneath, however, she wore a tunic and pants, both of the color black. The boots didn’t match the dress, though. They did, however, match her pants and tunic. She looked back behind her, wondering if Seele was following her or not. She shrugged. Perhaps he was too weak of something of the sort and couldn’t get up off the floor. Well, I’m not going back to help him, she thought with a slight sigh.

Seele waited for a second more after she left the room before sighing himself, opening up the folds of his tunic. On his chest a large wound was dripping blood, red dripping out of the chain links that covered his body. He chuckled grimly, eyes narrowed. "You just couldn't disappear without a fight..." He sighed and closed the tattered cloak again, concealing any trace of the wound. He doubted the Goddess would approve of the sudden madness and subsequent injury. She was not the most forgiving, at times.

Snatching his hat by the tip and sticking it back on his head he followed her out of the room, his own eyes glowing slightly as they sliced through the darkness. "It would be greatly appreciated if you did, Milady... but we have other things to think of." Like always "It is indeed time to spread the word..." His hat hid his face in shadows so that his face could not be seen at all, exept for his eyes. They were unreadable as he followed his Goddess down the hall, his own footsteps as silent as the surrounding shadows.

Ranewen nodded her head as she descended the stairs to the lower level, the Tavern part of the Purple Lantern, and sat in the seat she had sat in before. Many people watched Seele following her in the dark, most probably getting odd, perverted ideas. Then again, Ranewen didn’t care. If they commented on it, they’d be leaving without a head. Or perhaps three or four of them, with no feet or something of the sort. She could do that if she wanted to. In fact, she could basically do anything, except kill another God or Goddess. Sure, she could send them and trap them in the Abyss, but they wouldn’t die or anything. That’s what she was planning. To bring the war to the Abyss, and plan it so that only her troop could get out. And maybe some of the enemy troops, but not the Gods she would be up against.

This thought brought a smirk to her face as the barmaid walked over. She whispered a few words to the girl and she nodded her head. ‘Spread the word’ was the only rather audible part as the woman walked away from her towards another table, where she spoke in a low tone to some sort of large Minotaur. He nodded her head and looked towards the Goddess and the man that was walking to join them. He blinked his eyes, and then nodded his head and got ready to go up and join them to question the Lady and the Man.

Ranewen looked right back at him and the party of three he was sitting with. It consisted of a Minotaur with a sword and a shield at his feet. He was the largest of the four, Ranewen could easily tell. Then there was a hobgoblin with him, who smelled horribly bad. He had a bow with crude arrows on the ground. He gazed at her too and then looked away. The other was a drow, a mage by the looks of him. He had a staff leaning up against the wall next to him, a hood pulled over his head. White hair spilled out from his hood, which gave away his identity. The final was a half-demon, in a human form. Ranewen could feel his presence. He actually looked almost identical to Ryu, Alantha’s human form. She frowned for a moment and then looked back over at Seele. “I think I found us one party so far,” she said and grinned mischievously.

Seele nodded as he slipped past Ranewan to take his seat, lowering himself into it slowly. The cloak seemed to tighten around him and grow darker, making him almost invisible in the darkness of their shadowy corner. His eyes watched the group with a hint os suspicion and a calculating look, wondering if they would indeed be worth of fighting for the Goddesses' cause. The minotaur and hobgoblin appeared to rely on their strength to survive, while the cloaked and hooded man's aura screamd of an arcane focus. Although the last human appeared to be a normal man, his own aura reeked of corruptiona nd darkness. A half-demon... one who feels the need to hide his form... Seele leaned backwards in his chair, a look of approval in his eyes. "They will do, I believe... and if they do not..." His slowl grin was malevolent, leaving no need for him to finish his sentence.

Ranewen nodded her head. “They’ll be sent to the Abyss for an eternity of boredom.” She nodded her head once again, a smirk on her face. She sighed and crossed her arms over her dress then looked back over. Soon, the word was spread throughout most of the tavern. Most of the others in there would make good archer units or foot soldiers or maybe even belong in the cavalry. She didn’t know yet, but she would let them request their positions. And if they didn’t seem worthy, they’d simply be a foot soldier in the first attack upon a lesser city. They would most likely die, but they would die in honor. Ranewen would assure that. She could probably bring them back to life, but it would take too much effort. And if they weren’t willing to leave the world, they’d come back as a spirit fighter: one who could kill easily, but could not be killed.

“They will have to do for now, because they seem the most reliable people in here, minus the horrible stench of that hobgoblin. I might just easily dispose of him. Send him into the city in the midst of battle to offer our proposal. He’ll have the false one with no guards and would be killed probably instantly. It’s the easiest way of getting rid of him without getting into trouble with his friends,” she muttered to Seele, looking around for others who seemed capable of working for her. “Do you see anyone else worthy to work for me?” she asked him, looking around as she said that still. Most eyes were on the two of them, but she paid no attention to it.

Seele glanced around the tavern again, eyes piercing the darkest shadows. "Milady, you seem to have picked one of the more gifted groups..." He skipped over most of the inhabitants of the Tavern. Even in a place where darkness dwelled few possessed the strength they would need, and were therefore expendable. However, his eye was caught bya slight form hunched over near the entrance to the Tavern. Darkness seemed to radiate from this being, although its aura seemed to contain the uncertainty and doubt that had plagued Seele when he had first come to Imythess. Nor was the figure nearly as powerful as Seele, and in compariosn to Ranewan was othing more than a fly to be swatted.The figure was one of the few not looking over at the pair in their dark corner.

"Milady... what of that one?" He gestured slightly to the figure, a movement only Ranewan could see. The cloaked figure could not be seen, except for two thin hands that clasped a large goblet of golden liquid. A curved bow was strabbed to the figure's back, a sheathed sword lying on the table. Seele's eyes were drawn to those hands, seeing curving tatoos that danced down the thin fingers. He recognised those tatoos, from somewhere... "That person appears to be stronger than many here... although they attempt to hide their strength..."

“Perhaps they wish not to be in the war or something?” she said, watching the person he was talking about. She wondered what race he was, for she dared not to see through the hood. Well, she would do it, but she’d rather look normal compared to everyone. She didn’t want anyone to know she was back to power. They’d see shortly. In a battle that she had planned out. Gods and Goddesses could not die, but people thought she could. They didn’t know she was a Goddess. And they wouldn’t know until they thought they had defeated her. She’d fall to the ground, allowing blood to stain the ground—her blood.

When the God or Goddess or general of the current army came to her, she’d rise up and drive a sword through their body. And then the city would be theirs. Although she would not kill the God or Goddess, they’d know it was just about pointless to keep at the war when they knew Ranewen was back to power. But then again, some Gods or Goddesses wouldn’t want to submit to the darkness. Perhaps Oppel would… she thought to herself, but brushed the thought away mentally; she hadn’t seen him in months. It was very likely that he suffered the same fate she did: getting driven to the Abyss.

“Well, Seele, shall we go talk to him? Or let him come to us? I wish not to see his intentions, because he might know someone was reading his mind. And he’d know it was me. And so my secret would be out. I cannot let that happen, I’m afraid…” she said, watching the stranger with her golden gaze.

"He...?" Seele's eyes narrowed slightly as he continued to stare at the tatoos. "No, Milady, I do not think the person beneath those robes is a he..." As if to validate his claim the stranger turned around, green eyes staring at them across the crowded tavern. The face was smooth and rosy, seemingly perfect in every detail. The hair that was contained by the hood was long and brown, only the tips of the bangs visible. "No, not one marked as such..."

She rose from the table smoothly, leaving behind the glass. She snatched up the sheath from the wood, hands clenching around the concealed blade. The hiolt of her weapon was curved and smooth, a black crystal embedded at the end. The rest of her attire was hidden by the long, almost black, dark blue cloak, her hands also slipping upwards into the sleeves. The sword was shoved through a loosely tied rope around her waist before she began walking towards their corner table.

Seele murmured to Ranewan as she cut through the silent crowd that watched her as well as Seele and the Goddess. "Those markings... She is a Shade..." His eyes glittered with scholarly interest. Once a scholar, always a scholar. "A rare type of being indeed..."

But he was silent after that, for the woman had come to their table. Being closer, they could note that her hair was not actually brown but instead a dull red, like old blood. Her voice was quiet and wispy as if the wind could blow all traces of it away. "What have I done to gain the interest of such... beings?" Her green eyes were completely blank and devoid of life.

“Beings? You call us beings? You show a lack of respect, you do, red-haired one,” Ranewen was quick to snap. Then again, the Shade had no idea that she was the Goddess of Darkness. “But we have interest in you. I will get to the point. Do you think you are more powerful than those here?” she asked the girl, her hand on her own sword. This sword was double-edged. One side seemed to be of the element ice, the other fire. She smirked. Who would dare challenge a goddess to a duel? Especially since they could not die. Yet the Shade knew nothing of such a secret.

The barmaid looked over out of curiosity at the corner table, which had now drawn the attention of most of the bar, having heard Ranewen’s rather-loud remark. Ranewen herself had almost jumped out of her chair and just bring the end to the life of one with such a lack of respect. Especially since there was the fact that Ranewen’s power could be felt easily. Even by her. But she was such a rare type, Ranewen did not kill her then and there. She would give the Shade a chance. A chance that she would beg for later on, probably. “And before you say anything else: what is your name?” Ranewen asked, voice cold as she glared up at the Shade.

Most people stared in awe at the being standing, for one would be lucky as hell if he were to see a Shade in his entire lifetime…or afterlife, too. Or perhaps even deeper than that if one would have to endure such pain of death. Living in the Abyss, for example, but Ranewen thought not of that. Instead, she thought of the war and how this Shade would do anything at all for her. Would she be useless? Would she be important? Or just one more person to feed and house was they moved along the continent of Imythess? She would have to use her patience and wait and see.

No emotion showed on her face at Ranewan's tone and obvious anger. Shade's rarely showed their emotions, after all, and she was no exception to this rule. But she could still sense that not answering this strange woman's request would be akin to suicide."My name is... Kerian. It is the closest translation int he common tongue... As for you being beings..." The amount of emphasis she put on the word was similar to Ranewan's outburst. "I had no better term. This man is an elf." She waved at Seele, who grinned mischeviously and bowed his head. The tips of his pointed ears could barely be seen through his hair; she was observant. "But you are harder to classify. You are human in appearance..." Her voice had dropped down, quiet enough that only the two could hear her. "But not in soul..."

Seele's smile broadened as he chuckled softly. "Kerian, eh? You are indeed worthy of your rank." when the green eyes glanced over to meet his he did not react, his own golden gaze meeting hers. It was she who looked away first. "Much to learn, yes, but worthy..." His smile this time was condenscending and slightly malevolent. For the first time the woman showed a trace of emotion, a red blush rising to her cheeks. her eyes flittered down to the table as Seele chuckled again. however this laughter did not reach his eyes, which were still staring at the woman with a mixture of fascination and distrust. To be a Shade at such a young age... she is not all that she appears to be either...

Kerian looked back towards Ranewan, but there was less confidence in her voice now. She still managed to keep her face an emotionless mask, however, but that was to be expected. "The remainder of those here... are nothing. They know nothing of what lies beyond, Mistress..." Her voice trailed off. "I do not believe either of you have given your names."

Seele smiled again and picked up his goblet from earlier, running his fingers over the smooth glass. Yes, she was disrespectful, but she would also be useful. He did so like useful people. But he would not say his name unless his Lady decided the Shade was worthy of her own.

Ranewen decided to give her a chance. Yes, her appearance had worked on even a Shade. But the Shade knew enough to know that she was not human by her soul. She was at least worthy to become to know. “I am Ranewen,” she simply said, looking away from the Shade. “Those here are naught but pawns on a chessboard to me. They can do nothing to harm me and my magic could outmatch them any day at anytime.” She smirked and added onto her own thought, Even you. She wondered, though, if the Shade knew who she was and could sense her power. But could she trust one with such information?

Shrugging her shoulders, she looked back over at Seele, awaiting his reply to the Shade’s question. Should I tell her? she asked him silently, waiting for either a nod of the head of a shake or something of the sort. She then looked back over to the Shade, and then to the others staring at them. This Shade would be taught to respect her. And she would beg for mercy for her tone of voice used with a Goddess, she knew it. But did the Shade? Obviously not, or else she would be on the ground now, kissing Ranewen’s feet, begging for forgiveness. Well, that’s what went on in her mind. But she doubt it would turn out in reality. She did not think that the Shade would bow to her, let a lone anyone.

This led her to her question: should she tell her or not? This Shade could not yet be trusted, unless proven to do so. “So then, Shade, might I ask if you can be trusted?” she asked, not even looking at Seele to see his answer. If he really needed her, he could contact between the tie in their minds that came with being in her Chosen, the Floh’l Del Oloth. She crossed her arms, her grip tightening on the sword in her hand. She then switched it to the double-headed scythe, which leaned up against the wall. She glared at the Shade, almost daring her to speak to her. This brought a smirk to her lips, which soon disappeared as she glanced over at Seele again.

The Shade's gaze flickered back and forth between the Shadow Sorceror and this strange woman. Although the elf's power was heavy in the air, this Ranewan was much better at the subtlties of dark magic. She could not sense how powerful she was. "That depends on why you must trust me... as long as it accomplishes the will of the Shhadows, I shall not betray you..."

Seele smirked and leaned back in his chair, searching for the link that made hima Floh'l Del Oloth. The bond was strong with Ranewan's new ascenscion to Godhood, so powerful that her power almost overwhelemed him at such a close distance. However, he let her power envelop him instead, a warm blanket of negative energy unmatched by any other in the land.

Milady, it would not yet be wise to reveal your true identity to this... upstart. Seele's grin was the most visible part of his face, not counting the glowing golden eyes. Not only is she disrespectful, but she is unsure of her power and the true meaning of her title... she must be forged into a deadly weapon before you can trust her with such knowledge...

Seele himself took a long sip from the goblet before leasurely introducing himself. "And I, Lady Kerian, am Seele. Shadow Sorceror extrordinaire." He bowed his head to her in a manner that would not be out of place in a theater.

The Shade looked at him with a slightly confused expression before turning back to Ranewan. Her left hand slipped out of the robes, showing the black tatoos upon her skin for an instant. They were curved and intricate, arcane symbols weaved into the artistic markings. She quickly hid her hadn again in the sleeves of her cloak, green eyes returning to their normal apathetic state. "but I must agree that most of this rabble seems to be little more than dust..."