15th of Septus: Tevin's Cross

15th of Septus

The childe scuttled across the floor towards the main room. He moved towards the chair that was sitting in front of the tall fireplace. He bowed, just barely bobbing his head in the direction of the chair.

"Mother," he spoke in a rasping voice, "We have another visitor."

The woman who was sitting in the chair stirred only slightly. She reached a single hand out towards the boy and the boy quivered for a moment, fearing punishment. The woman's voice a like silk and she spoke in a calming voice.

"Do not worry Johsiah. I am not displeased with you, I am just amused by the fact that we have more visitors, and not even three days have passed." The woman stood up and stretched slightly. Her skin still appeared supple in the firelight, but she could feel the sagging that was happening. She could tell that her skin was getting old and there was nothing else that she could do. She would have to have another dinner to solve the problem.

"Allow them inside Johsiah. I will meet with them here." The boy nodded his head and then quickly scuttled out of the room. The woman sighed for a moment and then walked towards a small mirror that was on the wall. It faced the only entrance to the room and she looked at her eyes and the contour of her face in the mirror. She took a finger and  ran it under her left eye. As she did so, she noticed almost as if by magic, that the crows feet that were not there, were starting to appear. She frowned at the older woman in the mirror.

The magic was wearing off.

At that moment, she saw the reflection of Johsiah and then two men behind him. She spun around and then smiled. "Welcome gentleman. How may I be of service to you?"

The first man, a tall lanky fellow with dark brown hair that was in a tangle, wearing a chain shirt under a tunic of blue with a large golden lion over his breast. "Is your name Ma'mdre Catheil"

Avera Catheil smiled and said,"Why yes, that is what I have been going by for quite a while. How am I able to help you two?"

The man looked to the other, who was dressed similarly nodded his head and then said, "We have reason to believe that a band of adventurers had come through here. We have reason to believe that they are the same people who stormed and robbed Conclavus on the Nineteenth of Lanth."

Ma'm Catheil smiled slightly and then said, "I don't think I know at all what you are talking about."

The second man, most obviously a Bishop, frowned and then said, "We actually followed them here Ma'mdre..."

"That's Ma'm to you. You may not use my true appellation as you are not of the faith."

Avera had a strange look in her eyes and the first Bishop coughed before he spoke, "Pardon us Ma'm Catheil."

The woman nodded her head and then inclined a hand towards the first Bishop. "Please, tell me what it is that you have to say then."

The first Bishop nodded his head and then said, "We actually followed them to this area Ma'm Catheil. So we have reason to believe that they had stopped here on their way to somewhere else."

Avera arched an eyebrow. "So you think that whoever broke into Conclavus actually stopped here? What would that be fore then?"

The second guard interrupted, "You know about Conclavus?"

The woman waved her hand in the air and shook her head as she turned and took two steps towards the Bishops that were within her home. "Of course I know about Conclavus. Who wouldn't have heard about it then? They are just the most powerful people in the world was all."

The first Bishop nodded and then responded. "You can see our hesitation to just walk away from this Ma'm..."

Avera smiled and then began to walk towards the dining room. "I can see what you mean then good sirs. In the meantime, we can continue this discussion in a more comfortable place then for me?"

The second Bishop looked around and then looked at the kid who was standing in the doorway right behind them. A look of disgust passed over his face as he looked at the filthy urchin. "I trust it will be easier to talk to you then?"

Ma'm Catheil turned and looked over her shoulder. "Of course. If you wouldn't mind joining me for a quick supper then?"

The flaxen haired Bishop nodded his head. The other followed after him. The woman walked into the next room and as she did so, she called out.

"Jierra, please get something ready for the table here darling. Perhaps, I believe it is Heather's turn to serve dinner this time."

The woman sat down at the head of the table and then smiled and motioned to two other chairs on either side of her. "Please, sit gentleman."

The Bishops both nodded their heads and sat down. A few moments later, a young girl walked out towards the table and climbed up on it. Ma'm Catheil smiled a rather wicked smile and then said, "Ahhh, Heather, a pleasure for you to join us. Please serve diner."

The girl smiled and then pulled a knife from her belt. The first Bishop looked on placidly, but it was the second Bishop who saw the knife. He tried to get up, but there was nothing to be done. Ma'm Catheil frowned and waved her hand and the Bishop seemed frozen to the spot. He was forced to watch as the girl took the knife and plunged it into her stomach and then jerked the serrated knife upwards towards her heart. She then reached into her stomach and  pulled out the fleshy part from the inside of her chest cavity.

"I hope you two don't mind," said Ma'm Catheil, "I do love a little liver at times."

The first Bishop then calmly got up and drew his short sword. "I am sorry Ma'm, but we will have to take you in for questioning and for harboring information."

The small girl on the table passed the bloody chunk that was her liver to Ma'm Catheil and continued gushing blood over the table. The older woman took it and then frowned as the girl swooned backwards in a moan of something that sounded a little like a strangled cat and pleasure all at the same time.

"Really now gentelmen, is that how you treat a lady after she has allowed you into her home?" Avera narrowed her eyes and twisted her hand once more. The second Bishop made a strangled cry.

The first Bishop lunged forwards towards Ma'm Catheil. She raised her hands and two of the grubby urchin children who were hiding in the darkness flew forwards to attack the man.

"Children! Protect your Mother!" Her cry echoed through the house and as it did, eyes peered through the darkness of the house. The First bishop pulled forth his holy symbol and spoke to the fallen priestess.

"By order of Conclavus, I now pronounce a Judgement on you Ma'mdre Avera Catheil, daughter of..." He was suddenly cut off by a small boy who lunged for his jugular with long taloned fingers. His sword swung though the air, smacking the child stoutly in the stomach and cutting him savagely. The child fell to the floor in a whimper and was soon set upon by the other children who were near him like rabid wolves.

The Bishop raised his holy symbol once more and said, "By the might of the Gods, you will be punished! Iomedae's Light burn you!"

The woman cursed as she stumbled out of the smiting light of the Bishop's holy symbol. The damn man was a cleric! She stretched her fingers out and then said, "Great Champion, fight for me! Fight to protect me!"

The cleric frowned and looked at her and said, "Catheil, we know that you have helped the adventurers who broke into Conclavus. All we need to know is if you were given anything by them. If you are merely harboring them, then we can find it in our hearts to be lenient, but either way, you will face a judgement."

Avera cursed for a moment. Had her spell not worked? She gathered the shadows around her and fed them slowly into her small children's bodies. Chanting into their minds, she was about to cast a spell to strengthen them for an attack when the other Bishop moved forward and swung his ax at the first Bishop. The first Bishop stumbled and Ma'm Catheil chuckled. She had been right! The second Bishop was a fighter, and not just any kind of fighter, but it appeared as if he had been taught in the Mountain Barbarian ways. He swung in rage at the cleric and the cleric scrambled to protect himself.

As they fought, Ma'm Catheil spoke into the minds of her children. "Alrenth, Jacobinni, Johsiah, Felicis, Adria, and Moiren; you all help me out of the house, the rest of you keep attacking the Bishops, make sure that they do not leave the house. Do this for you Mother."

The six children that she called came at her beck, shuffling frantically through the house and helped her out of the living room into the main hall and out the front door. The rest of the Children were savage and threw themselves with abandon at the intruders in their home. Ma'm Catheil listened as they hurtled their bodies at the intruders inside of the small place that had become their home.

She didn't blink an eye though. As she stood outside with six of her children, she raised her hands up into the air. She chanted words under her breath and made the few arcane gestures she needed and then pointed at what was once her house. A bolt of lightning flared down on the house and the entirety of the house lit up. Screams were heard from the inside and she once again began her chanting. Nothing could be left of the scene. AS she finished her chanting, she pointed again to her abode and it burst into flames.

She smiled wanly and then pulled up the hood of her cloak. "Come children, we have some people to see in Amaranth." She motioned with her hands and began to walk barefoot across the ground in the direction of the city of Amaranth. the six surviving children looked at the house and then soon followed, scurrying behind her.