The Keepers of Chaos: A Vault of Hell

Riu Astrial: LXII

A Clash of Swords: LXII

"Honestly? I prefer banana cream." Riu responded, the pastries at 'Hot as hell.' bakery was always a treat she relished in. Herod began to furiously shake his head clutching a peach filled donut with a disappointed look on his face.

"You could not be more wrong, the banana cream tastes like someone left it out for weeks!" Herod protested. "Tell me Andraste what do you like? C'mon you can possible prefer-"

"Banana." Andraste shot back quickly.

"THE TRAGEDY!" Herod cried, Riu held her hand up laughing a little, "Puderis the world has fallen into chaos!! The idea, Banana over pea-" Herod paused his tirad long enough for Riu to start breathing again. He was silly but she'd been going to 'Hot as hell.' since she was a child. "There's a city guard guy running at us." Herod whispered. "Where's Adleth? Did she steal anything?"

"No." Markos chimed in. "but we.. were supposed to go over to the Gralhund villa and instead you insisted we get pastries... also Yeah I agree with Herod."

"How dare you blame me! I'd blame my stomach.."

"Let's focus on the guy hm?" Riu suggested they were directly near the manor since they did leave the yawning portal a while ago it seemed this guard had a purpose. "Excuse me sir?!" Riu cried out, the guard was soaked in sweat, his heavy plate armor shuffling against itself. He huffed and puffed nearly passing them. "Sir, where are you going?!" She reached out and grabbed the cloak, he was most likely exhausted leading to the easy stop.

"S-stop I have to go! TrollSkull manor needs- there's.." The guard gasped for breaths like he was clawing for air. Wait what? What was it he said?

"Sir, we are the owners of TrollSkull, what's the matter with you-" Riu was cut off by the guard jumping at her.

"The Gralhund villa! There's been an attack.. One.. one of your men sent me to find you! Tall.. held a big rifle of sorts, screamed at me to get you all.. They're under attack there's something and-" Riu wasted no time listening any further she snapped her head to Andraste.

"Go!" Riu yelled, the druid nodded jumping at the ground her fingers became claws and her body rippled with muscle, fur coated the skin and her hair became a mane. Riu didn't react to the lion form before Andraste took off down the street towards the manor. "We've got to go." Riu conceded grabbing Markos's little hand the guy looked around in a little panic.

"W-wait!" She took off down the street Herod closed behind her. "Get the guard! Get jalester tell him Mark-" Markos yelped before he was pulled closer to Riu. She silently thanked her crazy friend, he had tried to get them reinforcements but as far as she was sure her friends needed these reinforcements; themselves. Andraste was far off in the distance disappearing in a crowd of confused and frightened people. The three of them ran next to one another Markos wheezing and panting.

"Have you never done cardio Markos?!" Herod exclaimed even though he sounded out of breath. "Fuck I did.. Not expect this much running, my stomach is in knots!" Riu giggled, they all needed more long distance sprinting practice. Markos gave the both of them a weary look, like talking would just use more air. People and stores fronts whizzed by like magic missiles. Murmurs in the streets spoke of a lion pouncing through and other passerbys said they would contact the city guard. Riu pressed on easily out racing Markos even in her heavier plate, though Herod was in simple gilded leather so he was far faster. Riu gripped her mace and held it firm, turning the handle over in her grasp while running, it wasn't much be she had to be careful to not let the damned thing dangle around hitting her as she ran.

"Around this corner!" She barked, the group had to practically hit a slide turning sharply at the intersection. "Four O.. four O.." Riu muttered her eyes snapping from one street sign to the next. The road began to change as did the height of buildings, they got shorter, more refined, the stones under them were more uniform and decorative, they were entering a higher class neighborhood. "Four..." off in the far distance as small villa's began dotting her vision Riu spotted a larger house on the horizon. "Four O seven." Riu pointed up at the far house, a large villa on a medium plot of land with three twinned towers on it. "That's it! Gralhund villa." She prayed silently that Andraste had already found it. The tall iron gate fence lined the perimeter with small spikes atop the center fold a few feet away Riu spotted a pair of large open gates pushed inward. She made a beeline for them. The yard was about what you'd expect for nobility, shrubbery everywhere, long grassy fields, benches and fountains like a traditional upper class family, though the gardens were messy, the shrubs were not properly trimmed and the fountains edges were dirty. Worst of all.. Riu couldn't shake this.. Evil feeling. The air felt hotter here, and it smelled of sulfur.