The Keepers of Chaos: A Vault of Hell

Riu Astrial: LXXVIII

An Unexpected Guest: LXXVIII

*Click.. click*

Riu sat in the room pensive with each second marked by the ticking of a clock. "So.. uh.." She stumbled over her words just barely able to get them out. Andraste sat roughly ten feet away from herself at another table in the bar, being unusually cold to her; no words were exchanged, just the two of them up at two oclock in the morning.

"So uh." Andraste responded. "Do you.. Normally get up this early? I mean it makes sense for me.. Full blooded elf and all, but you?" the elven woman frowned at Riu giving her an odd look. She shrugged and continued rolling the coin in her fingertips watching the small insignia roll over her joints like a boat through the sea. She thought about all the fighting she had done with Alekz.. Only for him to collapse in tears. He was right.. She got her revenge.. But still, it didn't mean she was wrong.

"Just.. couldn't sleep all that well.." Riu replied she hated the way that it stung her tongue. Was she really unable to sleep? Or did she simply want to avoid the nightmares that would plague her. "I would ask what about you but.. You.. kinda.." Riu didn't finish the sentence, it didn't really matter. She let her brain wander for the briefest of seconds, slightly proud of avoiding an absolute catastrophe with Alekz and Markos charging the Gralhund villa. Although, deep down she longed to put her fist through that house and raze all of its inhabitants to the utter ground.

"Mmm.." Andraste held up a drink in her hand, turning it over like she was inspecting it for inconsistencies. "I'm glad you sided with me.." she looked up and gave Riu a smile, "They would never have listened to just me.. They're headstrong and fucking crazy.." Riu got the feeling Andraste was really emphasizing crazy.

"They aren't all crazy.." Riu muttered, she couldn't help smiling a little thinking on both the duality of Markos's insanity and the other members of the party being rational. "Just.. mostly Markos."

"Do you.. Even know what happened to him?" Andraste inquired. Riu shook her head in response, she didn't really have a clue. Reaching slowly she gripped the map in her pocket Adleth had helpfully picked back off of the cultist, she stared intently at it. Cassalnters crypt.. Marked in the center of the photo, like instructions.

"I don't really know.. Not that he tells any of us directly, just kinda.. Hints towards it." Riu recalled when Markos headed to bed summoning his familiar and speaking to it in that odd guttural language. "I don't understand what this map is supposed to be." Riu spat angrily, it was just a fucking picture of the city of the dead with a big ol x on where the cassalnters crypt was located.

"Well, we can always go and see what it is in the morning? Perhaps I'll distract the others from trying to charge the Gralhunds." Andraste offered hopefully. Riu started to nod her head, yeah that could work.. It wasn't a bad idea just what-

*Ercreek*

The once silent, dimly lit room let off the smallest of sounds as a loose floorboard presumably from the new work slipped in place. Both Riu's and Andraste's attention was brought to the far corner of the room where the noise had come from. Standing slightly hunched over in the darkness was a rather tall drow figure.

"You.. you're seeing this right?" Riu quizzed to seemingly empty air Andraste stood up instantly Riu followed her. This had to be a dream, because otherwise she was about to throw hands.

"Who.. might you be?" Andarste asked the figure in the distance, who froze when she spoke. The drow turned a little bit, he had a large irritated expression while gritting his teeth.

"Ah... shit." His voice was a nasally higher pitch that gave you the creeps, like a dull spear sliding against jagged rocks. "Hello there.." The drow continued, he was dressed in fine leather and silk strappings like the noble adventurer's son; Keldo Ivlem it looked like a rogue attire but made devilishly stylish. "You... I don't recognize you... you're not a part of this. Normal group." The drow continued, now stepping out of the shadows he aimed his words towards Andraste but Riu.. she recognized that voice, that all so creeping sensation of death. She hardened into a determined look, slipping her spell casting focus on as she brought it up in a show of strength.