Unhallow|Rivenway, Ronduin

[Kender Bard]

Cascata led Kalian and Bael to the Temple of the Forces. The priests there were on their knees, weeping and praying alternatively. Bael sneered and half leapt up and ran off, while the other half stood their ground firmly. Bael ignored them. He was inspecting the shrine. "Gather a crowd," he ordered the two of them.

[adris]

River heard the call of Cascata and her decree. Immediately wanting to find her and see what was wrong he came to the building with her offices, only to see the group leaving. He follows them to the temple and stands where he can clearly see Bael. With a very serious look frozen on his face he studies the demon, taking in very subtle nuances that his mind could translate into behaviours.

[Kender Bard]

Once a crowd had been gathered, Bael roughly pushed Cascata and Kalian aside so that he may stand before them all, unfurling his wings and letting everyone take in his glorious vileness. Still, the priests in the background huddled and stared, only to go ignored by the devil. The people stared frightened at their new lord.

"The Forces will not save you," he bellowed. "For the Forces are dead. Only the incarnation of Evil will remain. Therefore... You will not be needing this." Turning, he lifts his hands up high. At first, seemingly nothing happens... And then a curtain of flames engulfs the temples, flammable materials suddenly combusting. The priests within the temple scream and cry in agony and Bael laughs heartily at their pain.

[Devon]

Kalian clenches a fist tight and tries thinking of ways to gain the upper hand against Bael. Spotting River, Kalian is actually able to relax a bit more. He might not have gotten along with River well the first time they met, but he knew he would at least have some form of help against the creature now that River was there. With the fire in the temple Kalian touches his signs together and starts to create water to douse the flames.

[aivea]

Bel tenses and clamps one hand onto River's shoulder involuntarily. However, she remains silent.

[adris]

River pats Bel's hand and looks to her for a moment. He nods his head, she dosn't deserve to be here and she dosn't deserve to see this. He cannot let this all come to pass. He first whispered to Bel.

"Run now, get Gale and get to the furthest end of Ronduin that you can. This is an order from you're leader, for both of you."

He turns again to face the deamon. His eyes stinging from the fires, his ears from the screams. His stare remains cold and his lips silent at first though. He then puts his words together and decides he must speak.

"You certainly are powerful, worthy of respect Lord Bael. I must ask you're forgiveness for my curiosity though. The forces are immaterial and immortal, how is it they can be dead? An act of you're awe inspiring strength perhaps?"

[aivea]

Bel nods and flees in search of Gale.

[Kender Bard]

Bael didn't deign to answer River; not when he was enraged by the number of other citizens who dared to try and douse the fires of the temple. Reaching out, he grabbed Cascata and snarled, "Cease! Or I will CRUSH her!"

Some stopped. Some wavered. But a number kept right on going. After all, the Mother was only the Voice of Ronduin, and not worth all of them combined. Even she knew that. Bael didn't, though, and he stood stunned for a moment - but only a moment. Then he shoved Cascata aside once again, lowered his head, and charged into the ranks of the people, lashing out with claw and horn and wing, going into a wild frenzy of fighting. He trampled the living and the dead equally and the air was filled with yet more screams of pain as many impromptu firefighters turned and fled.

[Devon]

Kalian breaks away for a moment rushes over to Cascata. "Leave now Cascata and close the doors behind you." Kalian urges her towards the door as quickly as possible.

[adris]

River stepped forward calmly, he didn't deign help with the slaughter. He couldn't fight the creature alone, he had to learn more. It hurt to see the people suffer, to see the attack on them, they should have saved themselves. He did form a small break between the royal couple and the demon though, now noticably standing out from the crowd. He didn't mind repeating himself after the din quieted down.

"Noble Lord Bael, you certainly are powerful, worthy of respect. I must ask you're forgiveness for my curiosity though. The forces are immaterial and immortal, how is it they can be dead? An act of you're awe inspiring strength perhaps?"

If he didn't get an answer this time he would move forward with just getting attention and notice. His gaze was cold, showing no emotions either way. Was he a scion of some sort? A messenger for a greater God? Perhaps for the counterpart of the Earth Mother he existed as the forces did for her.

[Kender Bard]

Bael was calming down now that the people had fled. He happily smeared himself with the blood of the fallen as he answered, "The Forces are dead because they cannot reside in a realm that we do." He chuckled darkly.

Cascata hesitated. "Come with me," she begged Kalian. "Oh please, come with me!"

[Devon]

Kalian shakes his head. "I'll join you later, but if I don't do something about this bastard now he'll hurt you and our baby. Now please Cascata go and shut the door behind you."

[Kender Bard]

Hands trembling, she cupped his cheeks and kissed him. "Don't die," she whispered, then hurried off, praying Bael would not notice.

[adris]

River rubbed his chin, listening carefully, nodding with respect. The entire time he was praying he could give Cascata enough time to run. The fact that she begged for Kalien gave him pause though.

"I see, yes that does make sense. I must honestly say you're power is something I bow to. You said something about Evil, are you a servent of him, or a part of him I wonder? And if so, why would you have an interest in the material, such as land or people, when you obviously have the ability, strength, and cunning for much greater things."

He was going to poke for as much info as possible, he knows the beast wouldn't just blurt out his weakness. All the same though he felt this sinful creature may share one major fallacy a lot of human beings have, a love for talking about oneself.

[Devon]

Kalian walks up behind River and glares at Bael in front of them. "Stop chatting up this bastard River..since you're here I hope I can count on you to help River. I am honestly unsure of what we can do, but I'll be damned if I let someone like him push around Ronduin and my love."