TSC - Chapter 6: Reactions (7) - Jesanthums

Eryn already knew why there were here. He had expected as much from the moment Chloe started causing trouble in public. They were here for her mind and the body that came with it. There would be no use in arguing her sanity; the priests would do anything to cure the King and create peace in the Steadfast.  If Chloe's madness could help cure him, nothing would stand in their way.

Eryn now thought back to the fact that she had threatened him while in a fit of lunacy and wanting to finish what he had started without hindrance, handed her over. The priests never said a word, however the leader smiled as he took hold of Chloe and passed her on to his followers. They left without confrontation or conflict. As Eryn turned around he bumped into the Grapnel guard who had purposefully blocked their way. To Eryn it would seem the priests were expecting a fight, or at least an initial rejection. The Grapnel quickly parted ways as the Aeon priests turned into the main walkway. Xera, although relieved that she had gone, now also questioned Eryn and how easily he handed her over, knowing what possible fate she would have.

An hour later they arrived at the Undercroft Market. Xera showed Eryn the way to his makeshift laboratory. It being located in the foundations made sure of two things; nothing of value could be kept overnight but also nobody would question what he was doing. As they arrived there were a couple of men, dressed more like poachers than city thieves. They were lowering down creates, with air holes that bled soil when knocked. The boxes were swinging violently, although no possible wind could rock them. Eryn questioned to what was in the crates, specifically the two that dangled from the floors above. Xera replied that they were an ingredient of sorts, volatile if untrained from infancy. Eryn was not satisfied, Xera was evading the question. He was about to peek through one of the crates that was on the floor when he heard a familiar voice. Styenbeck bounded out of the building with authority and a demanding tone. He commanded the poachers to carefully lower the specimens. One of the men became distracted by his shouting and in doing so, allowed the crate to swing to the floor. In a sudden sweep, Styenbeck was knocked off of his feet and was pinned to the wall, his only saviour was the barrier he had constantly surrounding him. His paranoid fears at least this time, saved him from being crushed to death. However the case had smashed open and the creature inside had now mounted a few crates to the side to get a height advantage.

It was dog like, although definitely not a domesticated animal. Its skin was made of thick bark and its head was that of giant flower with a serpents tongue for the stamen. The petals were a pale purple and green with black dots that blinked on its surface. It's claws, or perhaps roots dug into the crate below it before it lunged for an attack. It tried to pounce at Eryn who deflected the creature with fire hoping that its plant like nature would easily burn, he was wrong . Instead it retaliated by spewing a cloud of orange spores that enveloped the group. It was at that point Lily tumbled across the crate that pinned Styenbeck, suddenly appearing from his jacket pocket and rolling to the floor. A little dazed she stood up into the cloud and reacted violently, squinting her eyes and coughing wildly. Xera sent a dart into the creatures skin but it only seemed lodged. It lashed out at Eryn and was sent flying. Its landing was hindered by the other dangling crate it smashed into, freeing two more of its kind.

 One started its assault on Eyn, impaling its barb from its tongue into his shoulder, the tip of which could be seen from his shoulder blade. Lily was still reacting to the spores and now tried to find open air. Xera, refusing to give up tried to force one of the creatures into immobility, however the lithe target dodged easily. Eryn's coat of flames finally managed to sear off the creature from its impalement but now had no idea how the two of them would defeat their foes without Lily's assistance. Through the orange spores that had surrounded Lily, she was able to fire off a bolt of bone to one of the creatures, sending it back up against the wall. However, she immediately started cough after and retuned to look for air.

The three creatures were now circling them, tongues lashing. Styenbeck tried to berate Eryn and Xera, to get them to continue the fight, only to receive an impolite gesture from Eryn. The three now pumped spores into the atmosphere into a thick toxic cloud. It impaired vision and Eryn knew they would left defenceless if he did not do something. As he looked up and around he noticed the halo of fire above his head had burned away the spores around it. This gave him a dangerous idea. He shouted for everyone to get down to the floor and focused his energies to his fingertips and plunged them into his halo. He then made gestures as if he was trying to pull it apart from the inside of the ring. Fire spread from his tips in a circular fashion and ignited the cloud in a fireball. The creatures unfortunately breathed in their ignited spores and died on contact burning from the inside out. Xera was a little shocked and disappointed, the Jesanthums he needed were dead, he however did not let Eryn know of his distress, only their name.

Lily, finally able to see and breathe easy again gave a brief nod to Eryn before moving the crate out of Styenbeck's way and demanding answers on 'The Harvest'. He pushed past her towards Eryn and offered him a cigarette as thanks. It was gratefully received and instantly lit. A smile crept on Styenbeck's face as Eryn tasted his favourite food, although  he could not quite picture what it was. Xera stepped in before he could take another puff and yanked it from him, stamping it out on the ground. He explained that he and Styenbeck had been working on a personal project, the creation of Black Sunshine, a highly addictive additive that created sensations of your favourite food, when inhaled.  A way to to supplement some of the more expensive ingredients in the cigarettes while still being addictive. Eryn grumbled and tried to search to for a cigarette on his own person before realising Chloe still had nearly all of Styenbeck's stolen stock but luckily found a packet.

Before the conversation could continue, Lily grabbed Styenbeck by the collar and dragged him away. She wanted answers and loudly vocal. This raised a question for Eryn and so he too tried to follow up on 'The Harvest'. Styenbeck protested at both of them, but especially Lily. He accused her of being Silas' new favourite and that he had known of the plan but nobody had told him when it was going to happen, expressing that he was always the last to know. Eryn's barrage of questions were dodged with only one plea, for him and Lily to leave as quick as possible, to which she agreed readily. Now left alone with Eryn, Xera asked who that woman was, and where she had come from. He had no good answers for him, only ones that lead down darker paths. Overhead he could hear screaming as he saw two bodies fall. One was in the direction of Lily, whose screams he heard with the possibility the body had most likely fallen on her. The second fell next to Xera, and then more followed suit. Some had obvious signs of injury from the fall. Blood spilled onto the walkway, and as Eryn knelt down to see who the dead were and he recognised a face and the mercury that trickled from her eyes, and the corner of her lips. It was Neave, well a clone. He inspected the other bodies and they too were a facsimile of Neave. Now very concerned for his Neave's welfare and to a much lesser extent Shroud, he thumbed over the obsidian disk he had been given and Neaves voice rang his ears.

Without allowing him to speak, Neave asked if he had found out where her children were. He replied they were possibly taken by house Lyathra. She laughed and in a joyful tone shouted out loud, We can now extract his memories, we have received the information we needed. She thanked him politely with no tone of familiarity or past acquaintance. As she abruptly cut the connection while a man's disturbing screams echoed in Eryn's head. What had he just done?