Plotting and Justice

The first to reach him as he groaned at the scrapes and bruises he'd just given himself, was Elui. The rabbit girl stopped short in the door way, panic giving way to shock and an almost worshipful - Ahsch grimaced to himself and cast Threefold senses. Yup, he sighed to himself. Elui was wreathed in worshipful awe alongside her shock.

The second was Avery, who stormed in, rapier drawn, **** in her eyes. "Who the..." she started, snarling, the whites of her eyes no longer white but instead the red of dark, coagulated blood; her bared teeth were more like fangs; the nails of her free hand were long and sharp, and she held that hand in an instinctive claw-shape. But she too came up short, staring at Ahsch. Her blade slowly lowered and the almost demonic features faded.

And her eyes seemed to moisten, if only slightly.

"A..." she started, then paused, swallowed. "Ahsch?" she asked, her voice just a hairsbreadth from cracking.

The hrafthi smiled sheepishly, very aware of his nudity and position on top of the remains of his former crib. "I... hope this wasn't anything too valuable..." he said hesitantly, indicating the wood beneath him.

Then suddenly, almost as quick as a blink, he was being embraced. Elui's expression of shock deepened as she watched on, witnessing one of the few moments of vulnerability Avery had ever shown.

He wasn't sure, since he was equally as shocked by Avery's sudden hug, but Ahsch swore he heard his wife whisper something.

"Nothing as valuable as you."

It was hardly an hour later that the entire group had managed to convene - thankfully, after Ahsch had retrieved some clothes from his seven-months-unused room. The Dominant Mage looked around at those assembled, weighing his options.

Eventually, he made a choice. "Some of you already know the whole story," he said, meeting a few gazes, "but the rest of you don't. So that's the first step here, before we do anything else."

All told, Dorin and Elui took the new information about the reincarnation office and Ahsch's self-decided Boons and Innate Spells and stuff without too much trouble. If anything, from what Ahsch could see, Elui's conviction wavered for a moment, then became stronger than before, while Dorin just sighed, chuckled slightly, and otherwise maintained his devotion to his master.

"Now that that's out of the way, I just want to make things clear: Kirasiel is innocent. The assassin's only bond with her was..." he glanced at the royal. "Well... it was one-way, and it was the bond of an assassin and a potential target." The Head of House Celes blanched. "His real bonds were with Byrdrek and Fauna, his employers."

Rwnil raised an eyebrow. "As impressive as it is that you managed to obtain that information while you fell to your ****, was that all you found out?"

Ahsch grit his teeth. "I was a little busy..." he muttered.

The ascendant sighed. "I withheld revealing this until such time as you were back," she said to the annoyed hrafthi before turning to the group, "but when I arrived, I was able to find out where he came from. His organization."

In a flash, Avery was in front of the elder hrafthi, snarling, a hand on the hilt of her rapier. "And you didn't tell us?" she growled.

Rwnil didn't even flinch. "Would you deprive your husband of his ****, little... royal?" Only a few present were confused by the pause, but those who did know recalled that the ascendant enjoyed referring to Avery by her race.

Avery's gaze slid to Ahsch, conflicted. And part of that was doubt, a sense of disappointment creeping in... which the Dominant Mage was confident came from her belief that he was too soft to seek ****. A fact that had been true for he entire time she had known him.

At least, prior to now.

"What's the organization? Can we find it?"

All eyes turned to the Dominant Mage. Again, Rwnil's eyebrow lifted. "Yes, I know where their headquarters are located, as well as all of their hideouts and safehouses."

Ahsch nodded, then looked at Avery. "House Odestag has its own troops, correct?"

His wife blinked. "Yes, all the Houses do, to some extent. Though the Odestag Guards aren't numerous, we're more of an industrial house..."

"Can we mobilize them?"

Avery's eyebrows both went up. "In the city?" He nodded, and she shook her head. "Not without the authority of the Head of a High House..." she trailed off, and everyone's gaze turned to Kirasiel.

She paled again, slowly shaking her head. "They're already watching me, if I..."

"I'll protect you," Ahsch interrupted.

Her face was strained. "You couldn't protect yourself," she whispered, guilt written across her face.

"We weren't prepared," he said. "We were caught off-guard. We didn't even know they were planning it." He smirked. "They won't be prepared for us. We'll catch them off-guard, because they couldn't possibly know that we know the things we know. Or that I'm still here."

Kirasiel swallowed, "B-but... they might decide that I..."

Avery growled. "You got him killed and now you're going to cower, just let the people who used you, who killed my husband get away with it?" she all but screamed, starting to march across the room.

Ahsch grabbed his wife's arm, stopping her. "We'll take out the assassins first. Fast and quick. We crush them like bugs, and then we go to the ruling family. I wouldn't put it past an organization of assassins to keep some dirt on their employers, and with what I know, we can prove that Byrdrek and Fauna orchestrated the **** of a fellow royal." He frowned. "Though... I assume there was an investigation into that. How did they escape the inquisition?"

Kirasiel grimaced. "They have one of the head inquisitors in their pocket - or rather, fellow Irztonites scratching each others' backs." Her expression morphed into apologetic defeat. "I just... can't get any proof."

Ahsch considered that, wondering if he could use the gnosis of his bound word, or extend it to others. A stirring of his divinity gave him confidence that something to that effect was possible. "Okay, so we have a few possible things we can throw at them, and I'm willing to bet that we can make it work, especially if we have a god on our side."

"Enochiel isn't well-known or respected enough for even His Prophet, with proof of His power, to sway the ruling family," Elui spoke up softly.

"The idea is, they won't just be taking our word for it," Ahsch replied. "But even if we can't prove it, if we point the finger and have just enough evidence to launch a real investigation..." the others nodded. "So we take out the assassins, then go straight to the ruling family and make our accusations. During that time, I'll protect you, Kirasiel."

The human girl didn't look convinced. "I... it's not just me," she quietly protested.

Ahsch took a deep breath, thinking. The tingling of his divinity caught his attention. "I give you my bonded word," he said, voice resonating with power and gnosis, "I shall not allow Byrdrek Fel'len or Fauna Odestag to bring harm to you or your family, else I swear to you a Blessing of Enochiel."

Every eye - even Rwnil's - were wide as they stared at Ahsch. "I promise you, Kirasiel."

Eyes wide, she mutely nodded.