The RP

[Tetra]

Evie ate another grape. "I think home?" She thought a moment about what she said.

[sunter]

"You are correct Evie. We would be wise to follow behind. Regroup and figure out what's next. What Adminius and Aeronwen were saying worry me." She looked over the two them. "But not tonight. You're in no condition to travel. You need rest. And Evie's pregnant. Too much extortion would be unwise. We'll leave tomorrow." She looked at Evie. "Does that sound good to you?"

[Tetra]

She pouted comically. "But charrrrloooote." She stood. "Hehe yes that's fine."

[sunter]

"You two get some shut eye for now." she said. "I'm probably not going to be asleep for a while, so I'll keep an eye out." She added, sliding down the wall.

[Tetra]

Evie looked at Charlotte with concern, then nodded. "Okay. You want ali in your bed?"

[Nobody]

"It would be better if I did not sleep." Alaric looked at the two of them pleadingly. "If I am well rested I would only me stronger when the madness comes. Tie me up, before you sleep."

[Tetra]

Evie looked at alaric grumpily but nodded. "I'll tie you up if it will put you at ease. But I trust you."

[sunter]

"Evie's right. We trust you." She let out a sigh. "Besides, if you don't sleep now, you'll sleep later and be just as strong."

[Nobody]

Alaric relented. "I hardly trust myself. But I have faith in you, so I accept your trust." He went to one of the beds. "I hope neither of you ever experience the relief I do at sleeping in a bed."

[Tetra]

Evie giggled. "I'm very glad you're relieved to be in a bed." She smiled, Laying down in the other bed. "Get good rest ali. And Charlotte, feel free to join me" she smiled patting the bed. " better than the floor."

[sunter]

Charlotte couldn't help but laugh a little. "Thank you Evie. As much as I appreciate the offer, however, I'll have to pass. Not exactly comfortable being too close to anybody." She said, sitting back against the wall facing the two beds.

[Tetra]

Evie frowned. "If you change your mind, the offer is open. I'd love to take the floor, but for the sake of my baby. I'll keep the bed..."she laughed softly, laying down.

[Nobody]

Outside the room, a heavily cloaked figure waited at the door, ear pressed to it. It stepped back silently, steps muffled magically. It leapt from the window and fled in the direction of the heart of Libertatem. It stopped at a brothel, departing minutes later as a young noblewoman, hair piled up on top of her head in an elegant bun. She casually made her way to the council chamber, flashing a card granting her an immediate audience to the guards. She entered the large circular room, and knelt before the high seats.

"Your High Honors, I bring word of the two Chosen, and of your knight. We found them, staying in an inn, and they had the First Knight with them. They plan to bring him back to Arviragus and regroup with their allies. He looked to have been through something awful, in the time he has been missing. What do we do?"

The oldest of them looked down at her through the pince nez fitted snugly to his nose. He pursed his lips and turned to the others. They nodded.

"My dear," he began, raising a hand shaking with age and signing a form, "your report is aptly timed, as ever. You shall receive a bonus for this dangerous mission; two enemies of the state, especially those of their caliber, are not easy to obtain information from. Your discretion is appreciated, of course. What state was the poor lad in? Keep it precise, please."

"High Councillor Gorman, sir." She swallowed. "He was in a state of mental and physical distress. He was heavily scarred, and he begged them to kill him more than once."

A look of alarm passed over the faces of the councilors, along with a wave of whispers. Gorman held a hand.

"They've tortured him. I don't know why they would have turned on their fellow Chosen, and the Gods know that he has seen enough hardship with the loss of his family, but this cannot stand." He looked over at the form he was filling out and began amending it. "However, we cannot detain them here. Our elite forces are currently acting as a show of our good faith in Arviragus. Did the traitors say where they were going?"

She nodded. "They are returning to Arviragus, my lord. There... is one other thing, my lord."

He nodded and gestured for her to continue.

"My lord, the newly crowned King of Arviragus was there as well. He wanted to kill Tepes there and then."

More alarmed looks.

Gorman let out a ponderous sigh. "I believe there is only one course of action appropriate given this information. We will report this information to our agent in Arviragus. Matters from that point will take a drastic turn, depending on the events that unfold." He handed the form down the line, each member of the council signing it. "That will be all, young master."

She hesitated.

"War, then?"

He nodded to her.

"War, sadly. But for the good of our people. This cannot stand. They have taken our best and debased him, for no deducible reason. Liberatem is the land of the free, and they have taken his freedom. They have taken the gifts of the Gods and turned them for their own benefits and pleasures. This is heresy, and an act of betrayal so profound that I can hardly bear witness to it, in my age. You have done well. The highest honors await you."

She nodded, and left the room.

A few moments after she left, Gorman smiled. Unlike the fragile body it resided in, his mind was quick, sharp, and calculating. Playing to her sense of patriotism and common empathy had been too easy. She would spread the word within the night. He looked down at his hands, wrinkled and spotted. Disgusting. The other councilors felt the same. They did not desire to grow old and die, not now that their minds had reached their peaks. It was then that they had met the Master. In the broken body of a former knight, they found their salvation from the ravages of time. And all it would cost them was the life of the young Tepes. Of course, there had been ancillary costs as well, that of the seeress Corinthia. They had used dark magic to bring Tepes back from the other side of the curtain between worlds.

Magic that burned the soul of one graced by the Gods. The heresy was their own.

Gorman grinned, and it was an evil grin, full of malice and cruelty. The others mirrored him, and they sent the belayed declaration of war out on three separate hawks.

Before long the Master would walk, and undying life would be theirs.

[sunter]

Charlotte waited patiently as the two fell asleep. Odds are she wasn't going to get anymore sleep for the remainder of the night. She needed to clear her head. Taking an aimless walk through the streets should do the trick, though where she was headed not even she knew. She quickly lost track of time, unsure of where she had gone or where she was going. When she snapped out of her trance, she found herself standing before Antevorta's statue.
"Well, looks like I ended up here anyway." She mumbled.
"As I knew you would." Antevorta said, standing beside Charlotte. "I never liked these statues."
"Me neither. Why are you here?"
"We have much to discuss." Charlotte groaned. "Understandable, but this is very important." She let out a sigh. "I'm the only one aware of Alaric Tepes' return."
"You sent him, didn't you?" Antevorta nodded. "Then thank you for that."
"Do not thank me so quickly. This is only the beginning. The young king and his mother are correct. Seth has returned, but that is not all." She had a sad look on her face, turning to Charlotte. "It would be better if I showed you." She held out her hands, palms up.
Charlotte hesitated, then placed her hands over Antevorta's. She let out a gasp as visions flooded her mind.
---
The first was a vision of the distant past. Gods don't age, but Charlotte could tell Antevorta was far younger than she was now. She was talking to sombody, but their face was hidden. "I will keep my end as long as you do the same. Seth will fall." Before she could get a better look, the vision dissappeared, only to be replaced by another.

This time, Charlotte watched as Alaric was tortured, mutilated, and healed. His return and Corinthias corpse, which she suspected was still there. Then their confrontation in the forest and the subsequent return to the inn. The vision flashed again, this time, just series of quick shots.

She saw the fall of several gods, new chosen, and worst of all, herself, a blade piercing her chest. She clutched it, wishing the person on the end wasn't who she thought they were, but the future wasn't that sweet.

The final vision was Antevorta holding out her hand to Charlotte. "Come charlotte. His defeat is only the beginning."
---
Charlotte gasped as she stumbled back, away from Antevorta. "What was that? What's only the beginning?!" She clutched her chest where the blade had pierced, only slightly relieved that it wasn't real. Yet.
Antevorta herself seemed drained from the experience. "Only a glimpse of what I can show you."
"That took so much power. But Azrael said the gods give part of their power to their chosen so why could you..." She let her voice trail off.
Antevorta shook her head. "You haven't been my chosen for a very long time Charlotte. Almost a year."
"A year? What happened a year..... Antioch. Only in death can we be separated."
She nodded. "Justitia returned her power to Adminius as did Azrael, but I did not. It matters little. Your power has grown without my help."
Charlotte caught her breath. "So, what now? What are we going to do with Alaric? The gods need to deal with him."
She shook her head. "They are unaware of his return. I'm quite adept at concealment. Let this play out Charlotte. I have one last task." Charlotte looked at her expectantly. Wait, looked? She touched her face, realizing her mask was gone. Antevorta held out her artifact. "Please let this play out."
"I don't... I understand." She took the mask and put it on. "But everybody is going to wonder where I got the mask back."
A simple wave of Antevorta's hand. "Perception Charlotte. It looks just like your old mask. I must go now."
Charlotte nodded absently, still processing everything.
"Oh, and one last thing. I'm sorry. For everything." With that, she disappeared.
Charlotte remained at the statues and, before long, the sun poked over the horizon. Charlotte returned to the room, pausing at the door. At least those two got to sleep. She quickly roused Evie and Alaric from tehir slumbers for their long journey back to Arviragus.
---
Oddly enough, with the addition of Alaric, the trip was made shorter than before. They made it to the Arviragus castle gates the following afternoon. Charlotte wasn't entirely sure how they would be greeted, but she knew it had to be better than their momentary reunion in Arviragus. Hopefully.

[Tetra]

Evie seemed way overly happy to Find herself at the gates, she was lightly bouncing in her horses saddle, Eyes shining excitedly. She looked at Charlotte, clearly impatient.