The possibilities were endless. Move after move could be met with counter after counter, and there were too many pieces waiting in the wings, unknowns all, shrouded by a fog of war too thick and dense to cut through. Such was always the trouble when playing against more than one opponent. That said, the board promised potential... deadly potential. There were no safe plays, only daring ones. Yet at the very least, he supposed, he could count on some measure of civil behavior.
"I'd like to stand."
Rotunda Crow released his grasp on Osric's hair and stood back as he nodded. "Gnasher."
The mountain below the midlander shifted, and his legs were suddenly free as he was lifted by the arms and dumped unceremoniously onto his feet before the demon. The Hyur glanced back over his shoulder in time to catch the Roegadyn's furious glare as the beast took up position opposite the highlander, flanking Rotunda's left even as Forgehands flanked his right. Osric took a deep breath and met Rotunda's eyes. Tall. The bastard was so tall now... and young.
"I don't understand how I can help."
"You don't have to. Suffice to say that your cooperation is all that is required."
The sergeant swallowed and his gaze wandered. Even if he could reasonably expect to outmaneuver these... "men"... in such a confined space, there was the one named Pierre to consider. The Elezen with the sword stood very near to the only exit, and even as Osric's eyes swept over him, there came the sound of shuffling sand, and from beneath the door rolled in a pile of ash covered by a thin layer of smoke. The ghastly stuff gathered and rose, expanded, and resolved into the Keeper of the Moon from earlier. The git winked at him and leaned back against the door.
The sergeant gaped.
"Do not mind Khuja'ya. He is always late," chortled Rotunda, and the other Crows followed suit. Their laughter was disturbing, to say the least. Ortolf chuckled, Khuja'ya tittered, Gnasher guffawed, and Pierre remained silent and vigilant.
"But... Filiangeri's reports... once... once dispatched... not corporeal for at least a bell...."
"Practice makes perfect, Sergeant, and we've had much time with which to practice, to exceed our limits. There remains only the matter of your limits. They must needs be overcome, if I am to have my way."
"I... what?"
"Ortolf will meet you here, in this chamber, once a fortnight. The first meeting... shall we say seven suns hence?"
Osric frowned down at the scattered grains that covered the floor. This must have been storage, once.
"Friends and family," he muttered as he glanced back up. Rotunda merely raised an eyebrow.
"What of them?"
"As y'said, we had an understanding once. You betrayed the spirit 'n' letter of our agreement."
"As did you. I ask again, what of it?"
"How do I know you won't do so again?"
The demon rolled his eyes, and that serpentine tail swished back and forth in obvious amusement.
"You don't, Sergeant. But is that truly the price at which you may be bought?"
"For Jin'li?" He hesitated for a moment. "...aye, aye, it is."
Rotunda looked pensive. "I will not lie to you by claiming that I am not prone to the occasional fit of vengeance, Melkire. That said, consider that you and I are rational men who value life, and that our adversary values no such thing. Whereas my brush with death has strengthened my resolve, for Epinoch the experience served merely as the final push that pitched him over the brink of madness and past insanity into the chaos that is irrational thought."
"Moreso than y'know," interjected Osric. "He came to Kanaria last moon, spoutin' dark prophecy, ill omens, bad portents...."
"Truly?!" The demon surged forward, and his hands came down hard upon the midlander's shoulders. "Ha! The gambit has paid off, after all!"
The Hyur jumped, startled. "What are you about, Adin? Eh?"
The Au Ra coughed into a fist as he withdrew. "Sergeant. Consider that I have nothing to gain from visiting pain, suffering, and death upon you and yours, and that I might have everything to gain by directing you towards a mutual foe and aiding you in the vanquishing thereof. Now. Do we have an accord?"
There was no help for it. He was, quite literally, cornered with his back up against the wall.
"Aye."
"Excellent! Seven suns hence it is, then." The demon's eyes gleamed, and he abruptly spun on one heel and made for the door. "Gentlemen."
Khuja'ya stepped aside to allow Rotunda out the door, and with one last flick of the tail, the Auri abomination disappeared into the light. The Crows held Osric pinned in place by their stares, and then they, too, vanished. A sudden howling gale swept noxious fumes out of the chamber, and the air pressure slammed the door shut behind them.
Osric Melkire collapsed onto his hands and knees.
Gods help me.
Deep down inside, he knew better. The gods could have had no hand nor part in this madness.
"I'd like to stand."
Rotunda Crow released his grasp on Osric's hair and stood back as he nodded. "Gnasher."
The mountain below the midlander shifted, and his legs were suddenly free as he was lifted by the arms and dumped unceremoniously onto his feet before the demon. The Hyur glanced back over his shoulder in time to catch the Roegadyn's furious glare as the beast took up position opposite the highlander, flanking Rotunda's left even as Forgehands flanked his right. Osric took a deep breath and met Rotunda's eyes. Tall. The bastard was so tall now... and young.
"I don't understand how I can help."
"You don't have to. Suffice to say that your cooperation is all that is required."
The sergeant swallowed and his gaze wandered. Even if he could reasonably expect to outmaneuver these... "men"... in such a confined space, there was the one named Pierre to consider. The Elezen with the sword stood very near to the only exit, and even as Osric's eyes swept over him, there came the sound of shuffling sand, and from beneath the door rolled in a pile of ash covered by a thin layer of smoke. The ghastly stuff gathered and rose, expanded, and resolved into the Keeper of the Moon from earlier. The git winked at him and leaned back against the door.
The sergeant gaped.
"Do not mind Khuja'ya. He is always late," chortled Rotunda, and the other Crows followed suit. Their laughter was disturbing, to say the least. Ortolf chuckled, Khuja'ya tittered, Gnasher guffawed, and Pierre remained silent and vigilant.
"But... Filiangeri's reports... once... once dispatched... not corporeal for at least a bell...."
"Practice makes perfect, Sergeant, and we've had much time with which to practice, to exceed our limits. There remains only the matter of your limits. They must needs be overcome, if I am to have my way."
"I... what?"
"Ortolf will meet you here, in this chamber, once a fortnight. The first meeting... shall we say seven suns hence?"
Osric frowned down at the scattered grains that covered the floor. This must have been storage, once.
"Friends and family," he muttered as he glanced back up. Rotunda merely raised an eyebrow.
"What of them?"
"As y'said, we had an understanding once. You betrayed the spirit 'n' letter of our agreement."
"As did you. I ask again, what of it?"
"How do I know you won't do so again?"
The demon rolled his eyes, and that serpentine tail swished back and forth in obvious amusement.
"You don't, Sergeant. But is that truly the price at which you may be bought?"
"For Jin'li?" He hesitated for a moment. "...aye, aye, it is."
Rotunda looked pensive. "I will not lie to you by claiming that I am not prone to the occasional fit of vengeance, Melkire. That said, consider that you and I are rational men who value life, and that our adversary values no such thing. Whereas my brush with death has strengthened my resolve, for Epinoch the experience served merely as the final push that pitched him over the brink of madness and past insanity into the chaos that is irrational thought."
"Moreso than y'know," interjected Osric. "He came to Kanaria last moon, spoutin' dark prophecy, ill omens, bad portents...."
"Truly?!" The demon surged forward, and his hands came down hard upon the midlander's shoulders. "Ha! The gambit has paid off, after all!"
The Hyur jumped, startled. "What are you about, Adin? Eh?"
The Au Ra coughed into a fist as he withdrew. "Sergeant. Consider that I have nothing to gain from visiting pain, suffering, and death upon you and yours, and that I might have everything to gain by directing you towards a mutual foe and aiding you in the vanquishing thereof. Now. Do we have an accord?"
There was no help for it. He was, quite literally, cornered with his back up against the wall.
"Aye."
"Excellent! Seven suns hence it is, then." The demon's eyes gleamed, and he abruptly spun on one heel and made for the door. "Gentlemen."
Khuja'ya stepped aside to allow Rotunda out the door, and with one last flick of the tail, the Auri abomination disappeared into the light. The Crows held Osric pinned in place by their stares, and then they, too, vanished. A sudden howling gale swept noxious fumes out of the chamber, and the air pressure slammed the door shut behind them.
Osric Melkire collapsed onto his hands and knees.
Gods help me.
Deep down inside, he knew better. The gods could have had no hand nor part in this madness.
![[Image: 1qVSsTp.png]](http://i.imgur.com/1qVSsTp.png)
