Devilish Dealings

(JP with Ender)

Jyneith slowly raised her head up from the floor where she lay stuck in the small cell and a smaller magic circle to keep her from trying anything. Even though that silver and iron collar around her neck graven with holy symbols was more than enough to keep her from escaping.

The man’s words came into her mind like they were wading through syrup. Slow, sluggish and muffled. “W-why would I make a deal with you…?” she asked.

"I'm not a fool, I know that Aldous alone could wipe this building off the map, let alone Soularous whose presence is causing those great storms as well. It is my fault you are here anyways, I might have not summoned you, but you were brought here in hope to aid me. The only reason the head of the church ordered your capture was to cure me of my sickness. Arrogance and false information, you are nowhere close to the one who cursed me and I don't think you have what it takes to heal me. No offense." He spoke gently to her, his voice quivered, fighting the urge to cough.

Jyneith tried to push herself up to a sitting position, but her foot made contact with the outer edge of the circle. She let out a shriek of pain. A small wisp of smoke rolled off her foot. Despite this she managed to sit upright. She took a deep steadying breath before speaking. “Is that meant to be an apology?” she asked weakly. “You have kept me here for so long I’ve lost track of time. I can’t feed when I am here. You see my kind as monsters but look at yourselves. I’ve done nothing to harm any of you and you are subjecting me to this tourcher.'' She opened her mouth to keep talking but nothing came as the runes began to glow on the collar again. Sensing her aggression rising.

Chris leaned against his cane for support, "Faith blinds many to the truth. That's what the fiend who cursed me told me. I was like these knights, proud of my violence, my hate towards your kind. I was known as the Purifier, I alone once slayed numerous demons. Do you know why I did it? I did it because my faith told me it was right. My kind will do many things for what they believe is the greater good. Even if that means snatching a demon lord from their home, tormenting them, before putting them into a torturous cell. All because it's what's good in their eyes. Something I had to learn was wrong. Some things are tolerable for the greater good, and other things are just plain cruel." He began to cough a few times before he forced himself to stop, knowing it would evolve into a coughing fit if he didn't stop it.

The next words Jyneith spoke were not kind, but lacked the aggression as before. “Tell me…” she paused, “If you were to be cured of this illness would you revert to your wicked ways? Murdering because you were told it was right and not because you knew for yourself?” she asked. “I’m not asking you to disavow a belief in a higher power. There is plenty to believe in. What I am asking is, is your change of heart because you truly believe that evil and good are not black and white, or is your change of heart a self-righteous attempt to repent before your death at the hand of an illness you brought on yourself?”

He simply closed his eyes and thought about the faces of his lost family, "If there was a good reason to go back. I don't wish to be cured of this disease. I'm after something more. What I want isn't repentance or forgiveness. What I wanted was to take my rightful place for my sins, not my wife and daughter that crow faced demon took from me. Twenty five years I suffered, not from demon rot, but guilt. That my family, my beloved wife and daughter, are trapped in the Abyss, for my bloodlust. I can die with this church for all I care, I only want to save truly innocent souls." He showed such determination that his dead eyes gave off a small tinkle of light.

Jyneith’s voice didn’t carry any malice this time but her face showed no sympathy. “I don’t understand what you want with me.” Her shoulders slumped, already tired of sitting upright. “I can’t do anything to help you,” she elaborated. “I’m the Lady of Lies. I can’t drop the moon on the people you want killed, I can’t summon my brothers or sisters here for you to kill even if I wanted to. I can’t help you. So please just let me go. I won’t send anyone to take revenge on you. I won’t even tell Aldous the whole story...just let me go home.”

The man sighed, "If it was only that simple. I can’t realise you, outright that is. However nothing says that a commotion happens that simply allows two demon lords to free you unnoticed." He glanced at the guards before leaning to the cell. "This is where I make my deal, I help free you, and allow me to speak with Aldous, so I can face the beast that calls itself Thurzal. I promise, I swear to my family, that I can distract the building enough for you to be taken unnoticed, and make sure everyone escapes unnoticed. I can even help you contact them, all it takes is a simple scratch on a circle." He whispered quietly to Jyneith, making sure the knights he shooed away didn't overhear.

“That’s all you want?” she asked not really believing him yet. “You just want to talk to Aldous, you know sort of havok he’ll bring down on you and everyone you know if you lie or he thinks you aren’t on the level right?” she asked him. “You’re going to have to explain how this meeting came about and if you’re not truthful one hundred percent he’s going to be an inferno I won’t be able to quench.”

"I know better than that, I've learned diplomacy is much better than violence." He scratched at the magic circle, breaking it without anyone noticing before standing up, "She still won't talk, just circles. Keep up the good work, it sounds as if she has lost hope." The knights gave a nod at the man. He started to descend up the stairs, the guards moved to go back to position when the officials began coughing and seemingly fainted. The two guards panicked as the official collapsed and quickly both of them rushed to get him upstairs, being sick was very convincing whenever you faked a faint.

Jyneith took this chance to get free. Having suffered this long she’d stored up magic. Putting her hand where the key would be put in to unlock the cell the metal began to heat. First turning blackish, then orange and then cherry red as it began to turn to liquid metal. Enough of the lock gone she could force the door open. She moved quietly to the stairs and listened. Waiting for the footsteps to be far away. Jyneith would have a hard time getting out of here. Her head was covered when she arrived and she had no idea of the layout of this place but when she knew she could run for it she was going to run for it.

The building became lost in the commotion of Chris fainting, in their panic they forgot to send anyone down to guard Jyneith, and will be for a good minute, they were weak from the act. The plan had begun.

When it was quiet Jyneith made her way up the stairs. Going up, and up. Reaching the top she found a short hallway with five doors, two one each side and one dead ahead. She took a moment to listen and see if anyone was behind any of the doors before checking inside. Looking for her weapons. Not wanting to leave them in the hands of the church. Though she had no luck. The rooms were mostly just bunks and a storage room. Her weapons must be stored somewhere else or the leader of this place took them as a prize. In one of the rooms she found a broom, and pulled off all the bristles. It wasn’t much but it would keep her alive a second longer at least. She moved down the hall, certain death for anyone who met.

It took longer than she had planned or hoped, but she found her way through the twisting hallways, always waiting for anyone to pass before moving to the next intersection or checking a door. Once she’d managed to find an exit, she crouched for a moment, letting out a focusing breath, and letting her wings unfurl.

“STOP HER!” shouted a guard who was still outside, but she shot away, sending a cloud of dust around her as she took flight. Rocketing into the sky, getting out of range of their magic to bring her back down, she reached out magically to her closest known kin. “Aldous, can you hear me?”

Aldous looked up. “Yeah, did you get free?” he asked, confused.

“I am, some man helped me,” Jyneith explained.

“Soul and I were going to break you out. Saves me having to summon him back after the mess we went through up in the Alps. Come to me, so we can talk somewhere it will be safe,” Aldous told her.

Soularous interjected, "Be best if I stay here for now. I have a feeling Vohrlarin is scheming again. Glad to know you got out Jyneith." His voice was calmer now, gentler.

"Jyneith, you said a man aided you. Who was this man, and did he want anything?"

“Funny you should mention that, Soul. Seems he had a run in with Thurzal some time back.”

Soularous thought for a moment, "Thurzal? You mean one of the many demon lords close to the Dark One? Why would one of the Dark Court bother with a mortal. Especially that crow headed freak." He sounded downright confused, "Aldous, does this ring any bells for you?"

Aldous thought for a moment. “Not particularly,” he eventually said, “Not that I pay much attention to politics. A friend of my father’s I think? But you know as well as I do, some things are not for mortal eyes and if someone managed to figure something out punishment is usually dealt out for meddling in things you shouldn’t. For all we know he could have tried to summon something he shouldn’t have. Doesn’t really answer what he wanted with you though, Jyneith.” Aldous said.

“That’s the thing,” Jyneith said. “He didn’t want me, they only summoned me because I was a bargaining chip. He wanted to talk to you…” she seemed worried.

The knowledge hit Soularous soon after hearing her words, "Jyneith, was his name perhaps Chris Van Binsul?"

Jyneith thought for a second. “Maybe? I think he said Chris,” she said, “But I was a bit distracted by my situation. But that could be right.”

"Aldous, that was the Purifier. The one who took down Sivak's father. I now understand, Thurzal mentioned something about bringing a stop to a goddess. That was over twenty five years ago. Some of my imps reported of a speaker of the Sarnian church not agreeing with their methods, and having some unknown sickness they couldn't cure. Knowing birdbrain, he used his specialty, Demon Rot." Soularous sighed, "Aldous, he isn't an enemy, surprisingly."

“We have enough of those already,” Aldous said, remembering they still had Incarious to visit. “Soul, do you think you could put someone else in charge for a day or two. Jyneith’s niece could do it. Least keep them from taking the throne.”

"Dalroth can deal with Vohrlarin. She can watch over the Hells for the time I'm gone. She's done it before." Soularous gave quick orders to his eldest son and Jyneith’s niece. "It is done brother."

She was fast and Jyneith arrived at Aggie’s family home, Around the time Aldous arrived. The two of them working together didn’t need as violant of magic to summon Soularous this time around. Bringing them to the mortal realm once again they could begin to speak more personally about this matter.

Soularous brushed himself off, before he sat down on the ground, "We have much to discuss."