The Keepers of Chaos: A Vault of Hell

Riu Astrial: X

Family and Friends: X

The tour was probably the worst part. Riu walked down the marble halls with Adleth and Herod in tow. It became evident just how different they were from her. 'Why couldn't I bring the drunk.. Or even the cultist!' She thought, cursing to herself. "And uh. This is the master bedroom.." Riu bit her tongue as Adleth and Herod gave another light hum as an answer. Did they care? Did they find it a bit stuck up? She shook her head, now wasn't the time for confusion. "Anyway, I'll uh. Go ask my aunt if she's heard anything about our missing guy.." Riu said, turning to the two stragglers.

"Oh- yeah," Adleth responded, looking around as if she had only just woken up. "I'll.. head back to my place for a bit; gotta sort some things out," Adleth said suddenly as if she was dying for a reason to leave the fancy palace.

"Oh, sure." Riu bit her tongue and gazed at Herod. "So, do you want to come with me?" Riu asked hopefully, not wishing to be alone with her aunt, hell she rarely ever wanted to be alone in this place. Herod's forest-green eyes looked bored and dead.

"Sure," Herod remarked with a slight roll in his throat. Riu sighed a breath of relief and walked towards her aunt's room.

"Oh- yeah, uh, the exit is just down sta-" She went to speak to Adleth, but she saw nothing, no elven girl standing there like the woman had just disappeared. "To the left.." Riu wondered where that girl had disappeared to. She shrugged, strolling on her heel, and continued marching down the marble hallway, carefully keeping Herod close and away from random rooms. Not that he needed it; she kept shooting him glances, gauging his bored expression. As if he'd expected something else of her that he wasn't seeing. She knocked on her aunt's door. "Eroh'wis!" Riu yelled. "Auntie, I need to speak with you" She looked at Herod, realizing she should. Probably prepare him. "Oh, uh. This house may look nice and all but. Um, my Aunt Eroh'wis. She can be a tad.." Riu thought for a moment but only a moment, as she could hear her aunt approaching the door. "Disorganized." She ushered quickly.

"OH MY RIU!" Riu flinched as the door swung open, and her aunt came out, enveloping her. "What is it you need, sweetie?!" Eroh'wis turned around and walked deeper into the pit. Riu turned to see Herod's reaction. It was priceless, his mouth was agape, and his eyes were practically bulging.

"I know. Just.. don't say anything." She told him quickly before walking into the room.

The room was a mess; the floor was lined with various pieces of trash and newspapers. Crumpled-up pamphlets and torn-up books sat in every corner, honestly? It looked better than usual, and the whole place reeked of cats. Looking around the corners of the dark mahogany room, Riu counted five cat's in total, lying in various positions and on multiple things.

"My Riu sweetie!" Eroh'wis said again in her trademarked ear-piercing voice. "What can I do for ya?" Riu's aunt took a seat on her bed and stared at her with those huge golden eyes. Eroh'wis couldn't have been older than forty, but Selune, did she try to cover that up with fresh makeup, constant hairdos, and insane outfits. Riu looked down at her aunt's strange mixture of bright orange, baby blue, and light purple dress layered with different fabrics. Eroh'wis's hair was pushed up in a crazy twist, what the kids were all doing, her aunt would usually say, with soft features and bold colors. Riu couldn't help but almost chuckle at her amalgamation of a look her aunt always displayed. "Oh, sit, sit," Her aunt said, motioning towards cat fur-covered chairs. "And who might you be?" Eroh'wis said, pointing her little cane towards Herod.

"I'm.." Herod hesitated for a second as he tried to breathe in the cat room. "Herod.." Riu smiled palely before turning her attention back to her aunt and away from the cats.