RP:Trinkets Of Promise

Part of the The End's Not Near Arc

Summary: Hureig graciously accepts the task of finding an assassin, or naive courier to present an odd trinket to the Reginae during the upcoming Coronation. He travels to the bath houses in Cenril with Naga guard in tow to meet Iblis, a splish -splash lady with a heart of gold and all manner of pets. Hureig makes outlandish promises and vague explanations to snare Iblis in his ploy; delivery this to Reginae and you will find yourself with a new beholder to call your own.

Bath House

Iblis is splish splashing in a bath. Innocent looking enough, if one can look past the oddities of her heritage and company *A baby beholder and a black rabbit with red eyes*, though there are rumors following her wherever she goes. Her distinctive heritage coupled with her unique pink hair and eyes make her a dead giveaway anywhere... and the bodies she's left behind in Rynvale, and the attacks she orchestrated in Larket, and even the thieving from a Lord she did in Xalious all came back to haunt her on occasion. Most of that was lies and slander... but there was a grain of truth to every tale.

Hureig was an oddity in and off himself. Not many Frost Giants traveled into the lowlands. Even fewer had a pair of impressively armed and angrily looking Naga flanking him. And even less would ever set a boot inside of a public bath house; Hureig was too accustom to frigidly cold pools that needed a good hammering to open up to step in a lukewarm pool. But here the sickly looking Frost Giant was, flanked by Naga, walking into the waters that brought a chest rumbling sigh of relief from him. But of all the oddities and strangeness of his arrival and of this scene, the most prominent was the necklace he wore. Not even the water could hide the darkness of its centerpiece. The vial's contents swirled and raged; it was a veritable storm within the glass. But if one had eyes attuned to darker things, to chaotic things, they would see more than just swirling clouds. Lightning lashed out between thunderous claps, magic that was anathema to the world itself. He wore the chaotic fury as though it were only a simple necklace, not even enough to bother him as he laid his head on the rim of the bath in total relaxation.

Iblis commanded the power of an artifact of chaos that was beyond her own understanding. She was currently using it, with a sponge mounted on the end, to wash her back. The Staff of Exquisite Chaos broiled with energy, and the bunny and beholder reacted to the giant's own amulet... but Iblis did not. She just washed her back, with bubbles in her hair, and sank deep into the warm waters of her bath. She didn't even notice the presence of Hureig, not yet. She might have tried to move further away from him, if she had. She didn't like the presence of males, very much... and he was a larger male than most.

Hureig had to act as though the splashing and the other presence were an annoyance that required his attention; in short, he had to act like an ass. It was a difficult thing for the even tempered, jovial Frost Giant, for anyone who had ever met him before knew he was the kindest of sorts. But his task now was far from kind, his mission as dark as the waters around his turbid amulet. He cocked open and eye and saw the bunny and beholder staring him down. He lifted a hand, and the guards behind him slithered to the sides of the door, their weapons crossed over it to block entrance. "Your creatures would look fine upon my door..." He threatened, or attempted to threat, his try falling short of the usual aggressiveness.

Iblis looked up at the threat. The bunny didn't react at all... it was no living creature, but a hex of ill luck incarnate, but the beholder... it cringed away from the giant, and the naga, and hovered behind Iblis. She stood, unashamed of her nudity, and saw the exits blocked, the giant, the strange snake people. She saw the fear inspired in her beholder. Her eyes were wide, though with what? Fear? Anger? It was hard to tell. Her expression was... strange. Half her body glowed with pink tentacles, and black, oozing pools appeared all around them, tentacles snaking out of the depths of another realm, slowly, questing for the naga, and the giants. Soon enough, they would fill the room, and their touch was cold as death... not that a frost giant would mind such cold.

Hureig dipped his head when Iblis stood; she may not be ashamed of her nudity, but it was beyond the pale that the Frost Giant should look at her. He was ashamed enough for the both of them. But with his head down, he did not see the tentacles snaking over the water. He did not see the pink glow, nor did he see the oozing pools. Only when he heard the exclamation of a Naga cut short by a gasp did he look up. Despite being armed, despite their death assured, the Naga did little to keep the tentacles from ensnaring their bodies and wrapping around their throats. Only when they were lifted from their tails did they begin to beat their fists upon the tentacles. It was Hureig's turn to rise now, to shed all but his sickly frame, his hand thrown out at Iblis. "Stop!" He declared. He implored. Gone was the arrogance and in its place was a plea. "I said -stop-!" Perhaps it was his command that kept the tentacles from collapsing upon him and constricting the life out of his body, but by the way the chaos within the vial fought against the glass that encased it, it was probably the amulet's protection. "My benefactor would be displeased if you were to kill Her servants...and the offer she wishes to extend would most certainly be your death. So, please. Stop. Let us talk like..." He was a Frost Giant. Iblis was some sort of chaotic being from the Hells themselves, for all Hureig knew. "Equals."

Iblis past was hard to pin down, and there was a chance she was, at least in part, from that realm of Chaos, that was more antagonistic to all that was natural than the very hells and their malign inhabitants. Still... she wasn't evil. Not at all. Even if her name meant Deceiver, a secret so few knew, that wasn't her nature. Or if it were, she was such a great deceiver, she too was deceived by the masquerade. She did stop the tentacles, with a thought, those tentacles that belonged to a being far more powerful than Iblis would ever be. She watched Hureig with a grim look, and the bunny hopped up to within reach of him, sniffing at him. The beholder cowered behind Iblis, still. He mentioned her death, and that did not make Iblis any less hostile. She wasn't very bright, and if he was trying to be diplomatic with her, he was off to a very poor start. She was scared... and when she was scared, she fought for her life.

Hureig breathed a little easier when the tentacles were stopped from their deadly onslaught. He just hoped they were heeled before his Naga compatriots were silenced for good. As though it were an armament of equal deadliness to her command of the tentacles, he let his hand fall to his side in equal measure---and he did his best not to reach down and give the chaos bunny's ears a good ruffle. "I am not as adept with this -kind- as you are," He reached up to the amulet and gave it a little flick of display. "But my Mistress...she has command of the monster within this amulet, the monster within the realm, and the monster you yourself just called." The chaos bunny was just too cute, and Hureig was just too nice of a fellow to not look down at it and smile. "Go back to your mama, little thing."

Iblis kept her thoughts to herself, on that. She'd met the being who's tentacles she borrowed, face to face. She doubted, highly, that whoever this 'mistress' was, that she commanded that creature. Her face held an expression of fear and anger still, but now it was smoldering, and impatient. She didn't like this. She didn't like this situation, and she was going to leave, one way or another. She rose and gathered her things, even as the bunny hopped back towards her. Pilar would be very upset if she caused more trouble. She didn't want to fight, or cause trouble. She just wanted to take a nice bath, and eat something yummy.

Hureig made no attempt to physically stop Iblis. She had proven herself more than capable of summoning something that could break him into as many pieces as she wanted it to. So when she began to gather her things, the Frost Giant moved from the most direct path to the door. The Naga followed suit. "For my Mistress' knowledge and power, all that she asks is for you to deliver a trinket. Or if you want gold, she can fill this bath house full of gold coins. Or if you wished for something else, then it is yours." Iblis was naive. Gullible. Easily fooled. To great extremes, in fact. However, she was also something Hureig hadn't counted on, it seemed. She was simple. She wasn't greedy, she wasn't ambitious. He'd have an easier time bribing her with candy than with a room full of gold... it wasn't like she understood money, anyway. Of course, if he didn't realize she was simple... As a hint, she did stick her tongue out at him, on the way to the door.

Hureig was striking out, and striking out hard. This stranger was a mastermind; she was beyond reproach, wanting neither gold, knowledge, or power. But she was of the magic that he had been called to acquire, so he would have to find a way to sway her. But...she was well beyond his ability, and he knew that for a fact. And, then, she stuck out her tongue. That was something new, and something he had not seen before. It vexed him to no end. "Well. I suppose my Mistress'..." He stalled; he looked. "Baby beholder will just have to go homeless. A pity, in fact, for it desperately needs a friend like yours..." Boy, was he desperate.

Iblis paused. Well, stopped in her tracks, more like. Her hand trembled. It was as though she'd been completely paralyzed. She was suddenly right in front of the giant... (how did she move so fast!?) And she had her hands clenched in front of her in a rather childish manner of barely contained excitement, as she stared up at him with an unbelievably intense expression. It was hard to tell what was going on in her head... perhaps she was severely constipated, or trying to stare a hole through his face. Whatever she was thinking, he most certainly had her undivided attention, now.

Hureig was taken aback when she suddenly appeared before him. He had blinked. Just blinked! How could she move that fast? Needless to say, her expression maybe intense but his was bordering on fear. It was only good placement that kept him from being able to take a step back; his back was already close to a wall. "All She asks of you is to deliver a gift to Queen Reginae of Alithrya..." He kept his eyes on her even as his hand motioned for one of the guards to draw close. The Haga did, and in the motioning hand was placed a small leather pouch. "Travel to Alithrya and wait. There will be a large party where the Queen will take gifts. When that time comes, give her this, but do not take it out of the pouch before then. Once you have done that, my Mistress will deliver the babe to you."

Iblis took his words very seriously, nodding solemnly. It wouldn't do for the queen's jewelry not to glow, after all. That'd be very sad, and she probably wouldn't get her new baby beholder! A playmate, for Ohm... how exciting! She went back into the baths, after putting the pouch with her things. She had preparations to look to... she'd have to summon an imp, and ask it to take her to nagaland. She didn't know what a naga was, but it was a land of some sort, apparently.