Editing The Princess of Commorragh (section)

==Chapter Four==

It took another hour before Reri could rid herself of the Mon’keighs and return to her jetbike. True to her word, she sent a quick vox to Hobert telling him he had guests coming his way before launching herself into the air. As fate would have it, the Poisoned Tongue’s base of operations was not too far from where she was in the Bone Middens. The tricky part would be getting to T’sal though. She was not an Archon of great standing, but would be sure to have a least a few guards around her at all times. Unless…


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“So let me get this straight, the Queen of Commorragh sent her daughter, the Princess, to personally ask if I’d like to be a part of her next realspace raid?”

“That’s correct.”

T’sal’s eyes narrowed as she set her cup back down onto its platter. “You’ll forgive me if I’m skeptical. Neither I, nor my kabal, has done anything worthy of notice.”

Reri shrugged in return. “That’s precisely why she chose you. If you do well, you’ll make a name for yourself and owe her favor. If you fail, then another kabal turns to dust. Either suits her needs.”

The Archon considered this for awhile, giving Reri time to take in her surroundings. After gaining an audience with T’sal, Reri was taken to a parlor room not unlike the one of her own home. Two armored Sybarites stood guard at the door watching her every move, but she could easily deal with them should she need to. The key was in snatching up the blue, crystalline cube that stood on a pedestal behind T’sal. 

“When does she want us?”

“In two day’s time. You can be ready by then surely?”

“Of course. Now if that’s all, I have other matters to attend to…” T’sal rose, as did Reri. Just as the Archon turned to leave, the latter spoke.

“By the way, where did you get that cube? It’s a lovely piece of ar…”

On cue, the Sybarites lunged at Reri from behind. Dropping low, she swung her hair and easily severed their necks with the barbed hooks concealed within. Alarms began to resonate throughout the compound as T’sal screamed into a comms device. Energy bursts charred the spot where Reri was but moments ago as she lunged at the Archon. A blurred dance of daggers followed, finally ending with an uppercut that sliced T’sal’s torso clean open. 

As the Archon slumped to the floor, the corners of Reri’s mouth twisted in a perverse glee. She removed a dazzling gem from a concealed pocket of her armor, causing T’sal’s eyes to widen in horror.

“You wouldn’t…!” the dying woman screeched, only for her cries to be cut short as the stone was shoved into her mouth.

“Oh, but I would. You’re going to be a lovely little bonus for my employer. And, knowing him, you’re going to be spending the rest of eternity in agony. Isn’t that simply delightful?”

Blood coated Reri as she plunged her blade into the woman’s chest. After plucking the now-filled soulstone from the departed Archon’s mouth, she stood and turned to face the Kabalites in the doorway who had arrived far too late to save their mistress. 

“You have two options: Either you recognize that all that was once hers is now mine, or you will share her fate. Choose quickly.”

Helms swiveled as the group looked at one another. A moment later, those assembled bowed their heads and departed. Only one remained: a figure a head smaller than the rest, but one whose armor immediately identified them as Dracon. 

“We are yours, Princ… Mistress. What would you have us do?”

Reri walked over to the cube, plucked it up, then waved for the man to follow her. “I care not for the politics that come with managing a Kabal. You shall report to Dracite Ksani of the Cult of Strife. She can handle the integration and whatever else comes of this.” 

She paused as a thought crossed her mind, then added, “You will also tell her that The Princess of Commorragh sent you.”

Confusion was evident in the Dracon’s body language, despite the bodysuit which adorned his form. “As you wish.”

With that the conversation, and Reri’s task, was over. All that remained was to return to Vect and claim her reward. ''That, and a long bath'', she thought to herself. 


---


Supreme Overlord Vect watched as the young Wych’s jetbike faded from view. She had been rather prompt her in delivery, and had even gifted him the delight of a trapped soul to torment. A fine tool, one that he would continue to use. 

Rising from his throne, he left his viewing room to pour over the contents of the cube which he had been brought. As he passed through an archway, a voice stopped him.

“Do you think she knows?”

Vect smiled. “Not a clue. Though she’s brought me something interesting.”

A laugh. “She '''is''' my daughter, after all. Now, where is [[Hesperax's Pet|it]]?”

The Archon flung the small, leather-bound novel into the shadows where he knew Lelith was waiting.

“The last existing copy. As promised. The author has been maimed beyond recovery and all other traces of it scorched from existence. Though, I would have thought…”

A dagger sailed by Vect’s head, just far enough off the mark to make the Queen’s mood perfectly clear. “I may enjoy giving a show, and even tolerate pict-recordings of them, but this is the sort of thing I cannot allow to exist.”

“You never cease to amaze.”

“And you need to be more careful if that cube contains what I think it does. You know Malys will be furious.”

“Let me worry about that. I shall let you know if and when you are required again.”

“I’ll see you in a week then.”

With that Vect was alone. It was not long before he reached his private study and was sealed inside. Only two rooms in Commorragh could rival the amount of artifacts and other such trophies contained within, and the gap would only be increased by the cube’s contents. Walking over to a rather impressive diorama of the Siege of Commorragh, Vect tapped the sides of the cube causing it to spring open. Almost immediately, a mechanical recording began playing.

'''++THE EMPEROR AND LOCAL MECHANICUS SMILES UPON YOUR WISE PURCHASE. THIS BATTLE BARGE IS LOVINGLY CRAFTED…++'''

Vect removed the tiny metal ship from its bindings and tossed the rest of the talking package away. Affixing it to the location where he distinctly remembered seeing it during the Siege, he stood back from his work and smiled. 

“Wonderful. It’s finally complete. Now then…”

After settling himself down in a nearby chair, he produced the soulstone containing the late Archon T’Sal. “Before we begin, did you know my story dates back to the twelfth...”

Mid-way through her bubble bath, spires away, Reri could have sworn she heard a scream.