"Ah, yes. The imp," Argor says as he turns to the door. He opens it with his magic, and sees Osprey, Cole, and a slowly recovering Rutai.
Rutai clenches at his head as he sits up, and looks at the golden man in the doorway wearing Argor's effects.
"Oh, Boss. What've they done to you?"
Argor uses his magic to grasp the demon and pin it to the floor before it can flee.
"Retrieve our wands from Rutai. There should be two. Sabrina," he calls out over his shoulder, "Do you hypothesize that the curative wand will offer you any respite?"
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"I don't think it would. Much of the damage you've taken appears to be internal. Plus there seem to be other aliments involved such as a poison effect. Furthermore, your mind seems to be suffering. That would mean... Regenerate plus Heal? That should..."
Sabrina shouts to Argor. She turns her head toward where the voices are,
"I'm a little stressed out right now, Sabs! Evidently, our baby sister can teleport people across continents, and that serum you ingested turns people into monsters and goo, and Dear Desna I don't want to make things worse! I don't think anything short of Miracle fixes goo!"
Osprey shrugs, reaching down and relieving Rutai of the wands. He walks over and hands them to Argor. "Looking good, Blakros. You and Gianluca could be brothers."
"Perhaps," he replies as he looks over to Gianluca, taking the wands in hand, "So what do we do with him? He really hasn't done anything wrong, and has even proven himself quite helpful."
Cladissa stands mute, staring in shock at the new Argor while he dismissively reacts to his familiar.
A sudden wave of regret and uncertainty crashes over her. She'd needed to rebuild him, in a way, to restore him from the soul-crushing crisis that had literally reduced him to a quivering mass. She hadn't, however, intended to remake him in such a fashion.
"Argor, I... I'm sorry," she begins. He -- he thanked us? She almost recoils from his gratitude, such acknowledgement coming from the wizard usually reluctantly at best.
"It wasn't my intent to cut you off from Rutai. I had to guide you out of that state, and did it the only way I know how. I followed the same methods I use for myself when I suffer pain and loss. It-- it wasn't my place."
Argor turns to Cladissa and offers her a genuinely warm smile.
"Nevertheless, what's done is done. I see the world differently now. And looking back on the way I processed information, as well as the actions I took, I cannot help but feel confusion and regret. Not for all of them, mind you. Some of the business decisions I made have proven quite cunning and fruitful. And the political clout I previously attained, while originally a matter of pride, now I can try and use them for something meaningful."
He shrugs and adds, "Unless, of course, your paramour pursues my ruin. Which he wouldn't be entirely wrong in pursuing," before falling quiet a moment as he turns his gaze back to the pinned imp on the floor.
Cladissa takes a step back as she flinches from the mention of Preston. "He's my paramour no longer. My emotions were so raw, I cast away his brooch and finished things with him. I may come to regret that. Right now, I'm too numb to feel much of anything. I doubt he realizes you still live."
Still amazed, she leans forward and stares into his golden eyes. "You truly are okay with this?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" he says as he places a reassuring hand on her cheek, "Life is life, it moves but it one direction. We cannot change what is in the past, but perhaps," he withdraws his hand and looks to the imp, "perhaps we can make amends for some of the wrongs we have done."
He smiles a wry smile and adds, "Like hastily said words and actions committed in a heated moment? Where would he have gone?"
Osprey tilts his head like a bird as he watches the conversation. "If the imp isn't your familiar anymore, he doesn't belong on this plane. I'd send him back to Hell where he belongs. A dismissal spell would do the trick I think."
Rutai squirms desperately against the invisible force holding him down and silent, a look of true panic on his face.
"True, that is an option," Argor nods, "but Hell is a truly terrible place, and as I said, he really has done nothing wrong and has served me faithfully to date. Is there perhaps a ritual we could perform to cleanse his soul in a similar manner as mine?"
Osprey shrugs, "No clue. That's way beyond my pay grade. Honestly, it seems like you guys have things in hand. I need to get back to the Grand Lodge and let Dreng know you're okay. He also could use my help sorting out the mess. One of you might want to go find Grommesson. Last I saw he was wandering around looking for Anya, I don't think he knows where you all went."
Argor nods, "Reginald," he calls out. The older butler slowly steps into the room.
"Would you be so kind as to accompany Master Osprey here to the Grand Lodge and let Lord Grommesson Blakros of our whereabouts?"
Osprey nods a greeting to the butler, and then impatiently makes his way out of the house and back to the Lodge. The streets of Absalom are still in chaos, with less scrupulous factions having taken advantage of the attack to loot and riot. Guards' whistles and fire company bells fill the night air. It's going to be a long recovery.
Once the pair locate Grommesson, they inform him of what has transpired, and that his friends are safe back at Verde Heights.
Back at Verde Heights, the sound of neighing horses and a carriage arriving at speed interrupts the Freaks' conversation. A few moments later, Hamaria and Anya Blakros come charging into the manor, a bevy of halberd wielding Blakros guardsmen at their back. Hamaria calls out. The women look disheveled, but otherwise unharmed.
Cladissa shrugs at the question of Preston's whereabouts. "I cannot say. But right now, I should attend to Sabrina. She's dealing with a strange sort of madness ever since coming into contact with your... primordial state. Though hers is more physical than emotional, clearly her mind is being affected. Go, attend to your household; I'll join you if you need me."
She then goes to help Sabrina, her spider legs tasting the air around her. "There's a presence around you, Sabs. Shall I create a network of webbing to entrap it? Or do you trust it?"
Argor takes her hands sympathetically. "They have her, My Lady. This accursed Onyx Alliance has taken her captive, to the best of my knowledge. I know not where, or her current condition. But I assure you I will do all that I can to bring her home safely."
"What?...No. There must be some mistake. At the Irorium, when everything started happening, I saw her go with them. Why would she go with them Argor?!" Hamaria's eyes are wild with animal fear.
Anya hangs her own head, attempting to shrink into herself.
"Because that was in fact a shapeshifter. A doppleganger, sent to infiltrate our ranks. I was able to learn of Imrizades capture from it before it was dispatched," he says, his own golden eyes welling up with emotion, a bright, silvery tear managing to escape his eyelid and streaking down his face.
"If she yet lives, I swear to you that I will find her."
"The Penumbral Accords...no...the curse......RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggghh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Hamaria's wail makes the soul hurt. She begins beating at her chest, and clothes. She tears clumps of hair from her head in a heart rending display of unrestrained grief.
Anya blanches before she too begins to weep uncontrollably.
The guards shift uncomfortably, unable to look at their mistress. They maintain a stance of attention, too disciplined to intervene.
Argor waves the guards back, in order to give his Aunt-In-Law some privacy in her grief. He looks to Gianluca, "Bind Rutai, and do it well. He is quite crafty," before leaning on his staff as he kneels beside Hamaria and places a comforting hand on her shoulder.
His mother-in-law(?) collapses into Argor, clinging to him like a child. She pays no care to her expensive garments as she weeps.
Anya joins them, hugging Hamaria's other side as she also cries.
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When Cladissa arrives, Sabrina appears to have gone into a coma.
"Argor is being... nice? What is this? I can't even...!"
However, it quickly becomes clear that she is just being a drama llama.
"Hey, Classy! So someone's actually there, huh?" she greets.
"I'm nervous right now, Sabs! Our baby sister Shion just teleported me like half a continent."
"You said that you were fine and acted all collected earlier!" Sabrina retorts with a giggle. "And if you're so worried about the cutiebug, why'd you bring her into the lab full of fumes and chemicals?"
"I was still numb! An infant just teleported me like half a continent! Now that Mr. Blakros is okay, I just remembered that fact! Also, Life Bubble and Delay Poison are wonderful spells, and I'm concerned about our big sister! ...This is the weirdest dream ever!"
Sabrina states nonchalantly, "Cladissa seems to think that you're really here, Maybe Imaginary Setsuna."
"Hmm... Classy seems nice... Alright, if she promises not to hurt Shion, then I'll drop the stealth game. Wait... And me! And me! She wouldn't hurt a pregnant woman, would she?!"
"Okay, Classy, so Setsuna is a little scared right now. Apparently, our little baby sister Shion has phenomenal cosmic powers and just teleported them both from Varisia to here. Her concern for Argor plus general disbelief and numbness let her keep a cool head for a bit, but now she's worried about Shion and her kid... If she drops the stealth, do you promise not hurt them? She's carrying two kids right now, admittedly in different senses of the verb," Sabrina summarizes.
"Sabrina, at this distance, I think she can hear me just fine, but yeah, Sabby just made a good summary of this absurd situation," a quiet whisper admits.
A look of annoyance crosses her face. "Sabrina, how long have we known each other? Of course I wouldn't harm an infant. Or anyone else unless it was in self-defense. If this is really your sister Setsuna, and baby sister Shion here, I'd like to meet them. And maybe figure out how a child could teleport across the Inner Sea. We could talk about how our fathers knew each other..."
Cladissa's eyes go wide and she staggers on her feet while she gasps as though she came upon a sudden realization. Her spider legs reach out and stabilize her before she falls. "That's right! Do you-- did you know?"
"Vaguely in the neighborhood of one and a half to three months, but it certainly seems like more than a year, doesn't it? Heck, sometimes it feels like we've know each other for over two years!" Sabrina happily rambles nonsensically without missing a beat.
She uses one of her new tentacles to catch Cladissa.
"Of course I know, Classy! You're dad saved ours! I was the one who told you that, remember?" chirps Sabrina.
At the mentioning of the story, the unseen finally decide to join the world of the visible.
For a second, it appears that Sabrina summoned herself from the moment when Cladissa first met her. However, the differences are both very subtle and very obvious. While Sabrina was definitely pretty originally, it was clear that she never put much thought into her personal appearance; on the other hand, this woman is simply gorgeous, stunning even.
Her long, dark onyx hair is carefully maintained in what Cladissa recognizes as a popular style for nobility across the Inner Sea. Her lightly tanned skin is utterly flawless, and her perfect nails are painted midnight black. Her eyes resemble the most idealized paintings of the oceans themselves. Her outfit is a little haphazard; she wears a mishmash of magic gear that is probably more expensive than the entire team's combined. Meanwhile, it looks like she is wearing Desna's starry skies themselves. However, despite everything, she manages to pull it off.
The newcomer casually slips a ring back onto a finger with one hand and carefully rocks the infant she holds gently.
The baby is simply adorable. She is dressed in tiny Kyoni baby pajamas and wrapped up in a blanket like a burrito. Her hair is the same shade of black as her sister, though she obviously has much less of it. Its style sort of resembles the fluff of a baby chicken. Her eyes are a piercing lilac, and her elf ears are a few sizes too big.
"Hello, Cladissa. I'm Setsuna, and this cutiebug is Shion. We're Sabrina's sisters. It's a pleasure to meet you.
"I apologize for the stealth antics. I'm... a little mixed up right now. I was in Magnimar watching Shion. She started crying for reasons I'm trying to determine. When I tried to calm her, she abruptly teleported us here. I kept quiet to avoid making a scene... Granted, Shion here seems to have calmed down as Sabby's pain subsided somewhat."
As if offering a greeting of her own, Shion makes some cute baby noises.
"She says 'Hi, Classy! I'm Shion! Nice to meet you!'" both twins say simultaneously.
They pause for a second before laughing together.
Cladissa pushes back the hood of her very old, out-of-style cloak. She has a head of rich, luxuriant hair that is fairly wild and unkempt, though it still shines with a radiant gloss that makes fingers ache to feel its silky smoothness (her one succubus feature she simply had to keep).
Her face has settled into a rather pretty one, having sloughed off the sharp, angular features of the drider yet not returned to the heart-melting beauty of her earlier incarnation. Her eyes are bright, and they leak a faint lavender energy.
She leans in and coos at the baby. "Aww! Who's a cutie? You are!" She lets Shion grab a hold of her finger and plays a little tug-of-war with her strong grip. "I have an idea," she announces.
Four large spider legs reach around from her back and begin spinning and weaving lines of iridescent silk. After a short while, she's made a small shimmering gown for the baby.
"What do you think? I'll bet I could do better with practice. New appendages and all," she says.
Turning her focus to Setsuna, she reclaims her finger and sticks out her hand for a shake. "Nice to meet you at last. I hope to meet your mother some time soon as well. But it'll have to wait. Absalom's suffered a major attack, and we've got a lot of work ahead of us."
With a word and gesture, her eyes light up more as she studies Shion with augmented sight. "Let's see if we can learn something about you, shall we?"
Argor signals another servant, "See the Ladies Blakros to some private quarters."
Once they are being tended to, he turns and regards the imp once more. He lifts he creature up with magic, and studies it for a time. "I know not to what extent you worked your machinations to subvert my soul..."
Rutai strains against the small rope holding him, "I didn't! Okay, at most I maybe subtly strove to get you to ditch Arctyryx for me, but I never worked to change you, like this treacherous lot!"
He raises a hand to silence the imp. "Nevertheless. The fact remains that your presence is no longer required or desired. Yet, your service during your tenure as my familiar was loyal and at times saved the very lives of some of my companions. To that end, I will not force you back to your home plane," he says as he undoes the rope, "But shoulder paths ever cross again, and I learn you are attempting to work against me, I cannot promise you such mercy a second time."
The imp looks around desperately.
"Is that understood?"
With what would almost seem a tear in his eye, the little devil nods and vanishes from sight, a brief fluttering of a nearby curtain the only evidence of his departure.
Argor then steps back into the lab, "My apologies, but there is much we must attend to, and little time to do it."
"Again? Yeesh," Setsuna mumbles, sounding surprisingly unsurprised about the idea of Abasalom suffering a major attacking.
Shion isn't quite old enough to smile yet, but she seems to enjoy Cladissa's company.
"That's actually very nice!" Setsuna and Sabrina both compliment at the same time as they inspect Cladissa's little present.
"Well, Mr. Blakros, I think I can help get one of your editors back on their feet. Cladissa, if you hold Shion for a moment, I'd like to patch up my sister; I think a Heal plus a Regenerate should be more than enough. Sabby, do you have any magic that could help me?" Setsuna postulates and inquires.
"I prepared a couple Blessings of the Snake Father. It gives a discount regeneration," the mutated twin offers. "You know, I don't think that'll be necessary anyway; I really think- OWMYKIDNEYS."
Sabrina again folds to the ground like a cheap suit.
"Argor! You...you not only survived, you've found yourself." Gianluca puts an arm on his comrade's shoulder. Reflexively, Gianluca also detects evil, but he can already tell what he'll find from his companion's disposition.
"I am so sorry, by the way, for the deception and betrayal you experienced at the hand of the Onyx Oligarchy, and especially for the loss of your potential child.
"As you say, Preston has just cause to pursue your conviction...but given both the stress you were under and your recent changes, I hope that you might make atonement in some way."
Nyug smiles (at Argor, or her own Alchemical success, or both).
"I'm glad to see you back too...and would be fascinated to hear what your experience of all of that was. When you're ready."
"All the more reason to find him quickly. Not that I fear punishment, if that is what must come of it. But rather, if he will allow me to seek atonement in private, maintaining my station and prestige would give me access to far more resources to truly help the people of this city," he replies to Gianluca.
He then turns to Nyugelle, "Most certainly. But perhaps when time is more our ally than foe."
To Gianluca, he asks, "I suppose he would head directly to his superiors at his temple. Wouldn't you agree?"
Gianluca nods. "Shall we fly there, and see if we can speak to him? You can still fly, yes? Can you tell how else you've changed?"
Turning to Cladissa, he adds, [b]"By the way, I picked up his broach when you threw it down. Argor's right. You might want to reconsider. Do you want to come with us?
"We could fly, or, if able and willing, Cladissa could teleport us, though I understand her apprehension in doing so."
Cladissa takes a step back, eyeing the brooch warily. She had happily accepted the chance to hold the baby. "I-- I don't want to see him right now. I can take you to the Seventh Church if that's your best guess, but I'll take your leave once you're there."
When Sabrina shouts about her carrying capacity from the floor, she turns to face her. "You're not going. You might be getting better, but you're not ready for a teleport trip. Stay and rest. Visit with Setsuna and Shion. I can teleport Argor and Gianluca, but I've already been to Taldor and back today, so no trip back. And if we guess wrong, you're walking to your next guess."
She passes Shion back to Setsu, then pinches her brow. "I could scry on him, but I truly don't want to see him. Not right now. If he thinks Argor is dead, he wouldn't be working against him. Let's focus on finding Imrizade."
Unable to travel as fast as an osprey or imp can fly, Grommesson heads back to Verde Heights on foot. The city was in turmoil with the attack of a flight of black dragons. Besides some building damage and crowds of people, there were no carriages available. So, step by step to the heights of Verde.
Along the way after the Osprey found him and told him that the Freaks were there, his step lightened, and his pace quickened. They would know where his mother is.
His mood improved slightly in hope as he finally arrived and entered the manse. "Anja! Anja!" He knew it was not polite to call out. A noble should have a let a servant announce him and search for his mother, but he cannot wait. Today is an extraordinary day.
"Grommesson!" With a squeal of relief, Anja races from the parlor and buries herself in the large half-orc's embrace. Her tears restarted in joy with her son returned. He visibly and physically relaxed in his mother's embrace. All of his worry and concern evaporating.
After a minute or so, Anja disengages showing her cosmetics wrecked by rivulets of tears. "What's going on? The imp said that the Freaks were experimenting on Argor?" Grommesson asks while the two walk hand in hand to where the team of Freaks were in discussion.
Cladissa smiles brightly when Grommesson shows up. "Oh, good to see you're all right! Last night was rough for all of us. But the imp was misguided. We were trying to save him." She looks at Argor with a strange expression. "And we might have."
When Grommesson arrives, Argor smiles at him. He steps over and clasps the man on his shoulder, "Glad to see you made it out alright. Your mother was worried sick. But, not everyone has emerged unscathed..." he looks towards where he can still hear the sobbing of Hamaria.
"Cladissa, I understand and respect your decision not to interact with him at this time. Thank you for aiding me once more."
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"Alright, Classida, just hold her like so, and be short to support her head like that... There," Setsuna says as she very carefully hands over her baby sister. She turns to her big sister and asks, "Give me a second."
Setsuna casts a spell and somehow becomes more Elven and Human at the same time.
"Ready when you are, Sabby."
Sabrina nods and casts her first Blessing of Snake Father spell; Setsuna follows it up with quick one-two Heal-Regenerate combo.
The room erupts with bright but ultimately completely harmless divine light.
"...That was overly dramatic," Setsuna deadpans.
"I feel amazing!" declares Sabrina proudly. Much like Argor, she has undergone a golden transformation. The new look helps offset her otherwise horrifying appearance.
Now standing at six feet tall on all fours, Sabrina looks like an exaggerated version of Nyugusk at his most mutated and then some. She is covered in a combination of thick golden plates and hide. She is built like a dire polar bear and a dire silverback gorilla on steroids. Her teeth and claws look like they could rip through brick and steel. However, the most eye-drawing features Sabrina now sports are the dozens of extra eyes and a multitude of tentacles.
Said tendrils promptly wrap around Setsuna and hold her tight.
"How are you still talking if you don't have a humanoid mouth?"
After setting her little sibling down, Sabrina stretches and turns to Cladissa.
"So we're going to search for Imri? You're going to want to find something like a piece of her hair for Scrying. And then we're going to need some means of Teleportation."
"...Do you want my help? I don't mean to sound boastful, but in terms of raw magical power, I'm probably as strong as Her Majesty now." Setsuna offers as she cradles Shion, who now seems completely at rest.
"...No," stats Sabrina as one of her extra eyes focuses on Shion. "You need to watch that little cupcake right there, Setsu. Mom just lost Dad; I can't even imagine her grief if she loses a child. You should also start figuring out how to get back to Varisia. I mean, as much as I enjoy your company, weren't you in the middle of something important?"
Setsuna's own eyes widen upon remembering that little tidbit.
"...Yeah. Geez, unless Shion randomly warps us back somehow, I'm going to need some time to grab the spells myself."
The Oracle glances out the window and seems to be study something about it...
Sabrina materializes right next to Argor.
"Hey, Argor! Mind if I park my sisters here for like a day or two?"
She smiles, revealing teeth thicker and bigger than Argor's head.
"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, Mr. Blakros," Setsuna adds politely. "I can make sure that we'll literally be unseen. I've (somehow) trained Shion to activate my Ring of Invisibility by playing Peekaboo, and as Cladissa can attest, I'm really good at hiding myself."
Argor nods, "It would be a pleasure. Have Reginald set you up in appropriate quarters."
Grommesson takes pride in being welcomed back by the famous Freaks and his idols. He smiles and stands a bit taller and broader.
"Master Argor, you look different. Do you know where to start looking for the real Imrizade?" He looks around, especially at Sabrina trying to decipher what has happened.
Cladissa's eyes go wide at Sabrina's final form, the greater shock being that she continues to take it all in stride. "Amazing," she murmurs to herself.
Then turning her attention back to the issues at hand, she answers Grommesson, "We first try to scry for her. Imrizade should still have belongings here that will aid us in scrying upon her. Argor, let's see what we can find, if it's not too distressing for you. I think some of her adventuring gear would be our best bet -- it's doubtful the imposter would have tainted them."
"She has been here for quite some time. If you would prefer to focus your immediate energies to that search, then perhaps that is for the best. Grommesson, I believe they are correct, you should all begin gathering samples of her personal effects. But I must go and attend to the larger threat to our situation," he says. He begins to levitate into the air, "As I stated before, my ability to help in the long term will be severely limited if I am imprisoned for the actions of my former-self."
He then flies off, alone, in search of Sir Preston, heading first for the Seventh Church...
"Argor--!" Cladissa yells after him. Well, that part hasn't changed, at least. "Cole, go follow him. Give me a signal if you need me to come."
Cole meows once, then fades into obscurity. A cat-shaped cloud of mist speeds out of the room.
Cladissa sighs, then starts heading to the master suite. "Let's go, Grom. Sabrina, this should be easy. I've got my scent back, so you can rest and catch up with your sisters. I won't do anything reckless without letting you know, promise."
Argor flies above Absalom, taking in the devastation caused by the Onyx forces.
So much unnecessary death and destruction. This cannot be allowed to stand.
As he approaches the Seventh Church, he lands and signals one of the wardens. "I am here to see Sir Preston. Is he here?"
Cole easily keeps pace with Argor, and drops into some nearby shadows to observe from a distance.
===============
Cladissa sifts through the closets in the master suite. She comes across a small case containing a bottle of Galtan red wine. She gasps -- it was her gift back when she was invited to the Blakros estate after saving her from the museum. She didn't drink it, but saved it, she thinks while fresh tears fall.
Collecting the bottle, plus a few other belongings that predated the wedding, she heads to Argor's private office and arrays the items around an elaborate mirror.
"Gianluca, Grom, Sabs," she says, collecting them, "it's time."
Argor flies above Absalom, taking in the devastation caused by the Onyx forces.
So much unnecessary death and destruction. This cannot be allowed to stand.
As he approaches the Seventh Church, he lands and signals one of the wardens. "I am here to see Sir Preston. Is he here?"
The guards are on full alert, and in much greater numbers than would normally be seen outside the church. Being the middle of the night, after a massive terrorist attack, the raise their weapons and point them at the unfamiliar man.
"Halt! State your name and remain at least five paces back from the cordon, or we'll be forced to defend the church with immediate lethal force!" the paladin who appears to be in charge shouts. The guards are made up of high level paladins and priests, equipped with obviously magical arms and armor. They surround the church in a ring, a few feet between each of them. More churchmen and women equipped with heavy crossbows stand on the roof of the church, covering all angles of aerial approach.