Oct 29 12:54:45 107 PA
From Chronicles
Oct 29 12:54:45 107 PA.
"In the dead of night, this part of the dregs is still surprisingly populated. A group of youths, mostly human with an elf and a rough-skinned blue creature thrown in, stand under one working street light laughing and roughhousing. Their voices carry, and a few give them furtive looks as they pass towards the pawn shop carrying belongings of various sorts. Music throbs from the lobby of the Lady, though the street light in front of it is acting up. Mostly off, it flickers momentarily to reveal -- a shape underneath, wearing a suit and bearing a golden halo. Then the light flickers off, and the figure is gone as if he were never there.
Tirzah does not really expect to spot the one she is looking for. The dregs are far too big and easy to hide in. No she expects that if he sees her floating through the dregs instead of babysitting he will make contact in his usual manner. That's the idea anyway as she walks through the dregs with er sword on her shoulder.
There's a sound, to her left. Laughing, a deep rumbling tone unmistakable for anything but Ahriman. Soon the youths pipe up with 'Hey, look at that! An amazon bitch!' 'Yo, you think she shaves her pubes with that?' The light flickers again, revealing Ahriman, and as he's basked in shadow again the creature remains visible, head to face her. "I admire your subtlety." There's a smile in that voice, somewhere."
"It worked didn't it?" Tirzah points out with no reaction to the youth's accusations. "You probably admire mine as much as I admire yours. Sending Sage a child from her brother in law.." She retorts, crossing her arms with a scowl. "Katsumi's child no less. How did you manage to steal that?"
"Steal?" Ahriman asks, sounding a little affronted. "I recall her giving the child to Sage, for temporary safe-keeping. This is a common practice amongst humans, as I recall, though it has an aboriginal name. Baby-sitting, is it?" Ahriman's face clouds a moment, his lips puckering and his eyes dropping as he ponders the phrasing. "Yes. Similar to a bird nesting on an egg."
After Katsumi's disturbed rests in the Alibi where she was seeking a shelter from the Angelic creature she is sure of her role. She is the hunter after all, the one who should chase such a creature. She memorized the scent of Ahriman well after their first encounter and now she has a sample on the offered business card. The stalker soon catch the track of magical energies attuned to Ahriman, hint of small sparkles left in the weave of energies around. And soon enough she could even pinpoint the general location to stalk the creature. Hopefully no one will notice her.
"If you take something from another it is theft. If you manipulate things to take something from another it is still theft. The child was given to Sage because of you. Why?" Tirzah points out and reiterates. Such a poor mood for the warlock, will probably give her early grey in her hair.
Ahriman raises his eyebrows, wondering, "Was the child ever mine? Did she not get it back? Little Sister, this not-human tried to kill me. I've met someone like her once. Emayn. But this one, she is less civilized. She is closer to her animal heritage than most humans, less domesticated, so I could not fault her for her actions. It would be like punishing the wolf for being hungry. So I did not kill her. Instead I tried to impress upon her that I was the dominant being, gave her pain enough for aversion to me, and set her free to reclaim her cub."
Katsumi in the meantime stalks close enough to actually notice Ahriman figure visually, and she seeks a route to get close enough without to reveal herself to her prey. She can't make a mistake at this time. She notes the other figures around, Tirzah, the bunch of teenagers.
"She hadn't reclaimed it when I left to find you no. That was some hours ago though. But that is not the point. The point is I told you to cease your association with me. You have not. No, every time I find your path near mine you seem to be trying to make that association larger, not smaller." Tirzah points out before reaching back to unsheathe her sword. "So as I see it, if I have to be associated with you. I ought to make it a good association."
"Interesting," Ahriman muses, his head ducking a moment as he lets the words wash over him without reaction. As Tirzah reaches for her sword, Ahriman speaks a few words and is surrounded by a pale blue bubble that glistens in the night air. The dark creature steps towards the edge of the barrier, bidding, "Little Sister, put that ridiculous thing away."
"Why should I? Those kids want to see how good I am with it. I should give them a demonstration." Tirzah remarks before taking a moment to do her own cast. A brief second is spent drawing from the elemental place before she conjures three electrical balls and releases them to create an electrical field above them all.
Katsumi decides to close enough to the nearest point where she could stay in cover from the eyes of the little gathered group, and takes a sprinting position to get ready for a strike at the right moment. Though this is time it is not only a the hunger what drives her, there something else along with the primal needs in her head, sticking and driving her to act.
The dark creature's eyes sweep up at the spell rising into the sky, and he muses, "You're here to kill me as well, Little Sister? To gain notoriety in my death?" He clicks once with his tongue, sighing softly, and a stream of soft words slip from between his lips as he leans against that barrier, watching Tirzah with black eyes.
"I'm certainly not getting any in being merciful with you.." Tirzah starts to reply before the spells grabs her concentration a moment. She shakes it off and looks much more pissed off as she brings the large flamberge across to sweep against the barrier.
As Katsumi feels the sparkling energy of magics released and being formed slowly into a spell she sprints to get her prey. The full body armoured Coalition stalker reaches the creature soon, but she faces with a magical bubble, a shell she has to cut through to reach the desired delicacy. Her double vibroblades are aimed to break the bubble.
The bubble wavers, shockwaves running in circular paths around its pale blue surface as one, then two and three blades strike it from opposite directions. Ahriman's hands shoot up, as if to hold the shield out, and he speaks a few words to raise a second barrier inside the first, saying aloud, "There is your victim, Little Sister! Tearing at my shields, alive and whole."
Tirzah is momentarily surprised by the entrance of the stalker, and does not swing her sword again. "Yes indeed. Fitting that she should help me pop your bubble isn't it?" She points out with a chuckle.
The first bubble crumbles under the onslaught, vanishing in a flash of blue light that briefly illuminates this dark corner of the dregs. The street is clearing as individuals flee an attack between armed individuals and a magic-user, while the front gates of the Ivory Lady and the Pawn Shop are closed and barred. One gets the sense of weapons being readied elsewhere as people huddle and hope it all goes away. Ahriman throws up another barrier, arms wide as if to physically hold them in place, and he yells at Tirzah, "Little Sister, this farce has gone far enough! End this or I will!" He spits another few words in his slithery language at her, trying desperately to hold his ground.
"I am ending this farce." Tirzah points out before her mind gets attacked again, removing any reluctance in her to watch as Katsumi does most of the work. "Though your efforts are not gaining you any points here." She adds before hacking her large blade across the shield one way, then the other.
The Asian stalker tries to get through of the last magical shield, continuing to hack and slash the energy with her claws. She would bite as well if she could through the spiked skull helmet she had. But she can't. And she would only loose her theet on the shield.
Ahriman merely hisses, the intersection plunged into darkness as one shield falls, and another begins to split and bend under a hail of attacks. His arms raise, pressing up, and another shield rises invisibly in its place. The unnatural darkness kills the streetlight, the city light reflected off the clouds, and the stars.
Another pair of slashes will rain down on the shield and Tirzah starts to look a little conflicted. "You know, if you were more elemental and less evil we would have got on great. I can understand their indifference to this world and its people. You however are far from indifferent. You see the world in it elemental components and thing they are there to serve you."
Katsumi has no philosophical debate with Ahriman. Perhaps her world is much simple. Ahriman is the source nutrition and she has to prove she is not a prey of his, but the opposite. Her vibroclaws hit the shield from the left then the right, then repeats the act from left to right with small shouts of annoyance to the persistent nature of the shield.
The last shield flickers and fades, a small flash of blue in a black abyss. There is a sense of motion, something moving as a slithery set of tongues speaks another few words, and another shield sprouts nearby in the dark. Then nothing -- another black stillness, another shield.
Tirzah scowls as the shield switches from encasing Ahriman to encasing her. She takes the opportunity to draw on the elemental plane and bring a phantom to assist.
Her head lowered as she walks down the street, Celaeno slows her pace with a fixed scowl at the sudden permeating darkness. One hand moves to rest on the shorter of the two swords on her right hip, ultimately stopping as she frowns to herself, conflicted as to whether to press on into the darkness or find a different way, the flash of blue not helping her to make up her mind.
As her target fades into the shadows she jumps in to disable the field around Tirzah instead. Katsumi has experience how Ahriman likes to trap people into his bubbles.
An unnatural darkness permeates this section of the dregs. The Pawn Shop and the Ivory Lady are barred up, the street largely clear save for Celaeno fingering her weapon at the edge of the black. Small flickers of blue emanate from inside, while the air above seems to have come alive in a zephyr prowling above caged lightning. There are words in the darkness, in a language Katsumi would not understand, and then a flicker of magic yet again.
She was focused on bringing forth an aid from another plane. Too focused perhaps, and Tirzah finds her focus on that task inexplicably fading to be replaced with a new task. Obeying her dark master.
Celaeno grunts as she moves to produce a cigar, lighting it before she ducks her head down again and begins pressing forward through the darkness. What's the worst thing that could happen?
Katsumi does not realize the domination however and interprets Tirzah's lack of action as a hesitation. She continues to smash the energy field around her.
Another figure emerges from the deeper portions of the Dregs, although Daeni carries no carcass or other trophy on this occasion. That the dim light of any stars seems to all but vanish ahead is curious, although the actions of those within in it may be even more inclined to grab her attention.
The shield falls under the onslaught, and Ahriman falls inside, towards Tirzah, spitting words as another shield rises in its place around both of them. His slithery tongue continues, words falling as if from four harmonious whispered voices, tripping over one another beyond the tail end of the spell.
Tirzah looks to Ahriman as he takes place beside her with a nearly fond expression. Though his whispers mar that with conflict. "Won't kill.." She says slowly softly, trying to shake the cotton out of her head.
This is certainly interesting, although Daeni is not surprised that the conflict in the darkness is comprised of the participants whom she recognizes. Ignorant or unconcerned by whatever angst, magic, or other threats slung about, she enters the dim unimpeded. If there is to be violence, she does prefer a front-row seat, as it were.
The Asian stalker's priority has been changed to dissolve Tirzah's shield to get rid of the bubble that holds both of them instead. She is trapped now and that is not a good sign.
The dark being's voice might be heard again, throwing up yet another roadblock under the last one, arms outstretched as if to hold it in place by sheer force of will. His voice continues to speak that alien language, red bleeding into his black gaze as he stares at the approaching stalker held just millimeters away, eyes narrowing as the claws slash repeatedly across his shield.
Tirzah nods slightly to Ahriman's continued whispers and slowly turns her focus to the attacking stalker. "Float." She commands ever so softly, drawing on her link to the elemental plain to lift Kat up into the electrical field crackling above.
As Celaeno pushes forward, ever forward, she frowns slightly at the blue that seems so happy to flicker in her path. Crossing the street to get as far away as possible without actually changing her course, she frowns at the spiked silhouette whose claws are continuously flashing across it, before lifting into the air. She gives a sharp whistle.
As the stalker lifts into the air Tirzah considers what else she can do to disable the attacker for her master. She identifies the field preventing her from doing so and strikes her sword at it with two slow heavy hits.
"Humans come kill you, Shadow? Am surprised still alive." Daeni's snort carries an amalgam of amusement and derision. She is not especially fond of Ahriman, either. For the moment, she does little other than approach the conflict and speak.
Katsumi tries to finish the remaining shield, as she would like to disable the source of the problems.
Celaeno watches the approaching Daeni, frowning to herself more and more. One sword is drawn - a short red-hilted thing with a golden-red blade, but she simply stands at a distance, taking a puff on her cigar.
Ahriman waves his hands in the air, placing another shield in the air, and hisses something aside at Tirzah. Another shield comes up, closer to the pair of casters, and the black being yells, "I am not food! Cease and I will show you food, animal! Continue this pointless assault and you will be destroyed!"
Daeni is not fond of Katsumi, either, but if Ahriman wants her incinerated, preventing such would remind him of his impotence. There is also something decidedly ...improper with no apparent opportunity for the other self-dubbed predator to retaliate or escape. To this end, Daeni passes beside and below Katsumi, grasping an ankle to pull her lower and aside.
Katsumi wears proudly of her junk of Coalition armour. Or not so proudly, anyway by being floating in the deadly electrical field she has little choice by now than to continue what she did until the end. She still tries to destroy the bubble desperately.
Celaeno takes the opportunity to finally approach, giving a single puff as she does so, glancing up at the suspended psi-stalker. "That you in there, Big Dark?" she asks, hand lifting her hand to knock on the blue dome. She notes Daeni's motion to help with a shrug, "Seems like all you're causing a bit of a fuss," the comment's a bit dispassionate, given the circumstances.
"These two tried to kill me," Ahriman replies gamely. "Now they flail at my whim. Perhaps they will remember the lesson. Though this one," Ahriman points at Katsumi. "Drop the lightning and raise her out of reach of my field, Little Sister," he speaks, eying up. "This one has attacked me twice now. She did not learn her lesson the first time. I even fed her! What do you imagine will change her mind?"
Tirzah was preparing to cast something that would prevent Daeni's continued interference but belays with the order. The electrical field dissipates and Katsumi is lifted up, 180 feet up..
Katsumi does stop her raged furry against the various shapes of energy fields made by wasted magical energy. There is a much better place for that. She just floats high up with an occasional rain of pieces of her junked armour.
Two blinks are made; the first that the electrified woman did not move and the second that Daeni begins to rise with her. It is a simple matter to release and return to the ground, after which Daeni straightens to approach the energy field surrounding Ahriman and Tirzah. "Twice? Think need better learn how kill you. Maybe should teach."
Celaeno nods, "Sounds pretty bad, really," she notes, grunting in vague agreement with Daeni. "Couldn't tell you what to do about getting her to stop, but I'm not sure electrifying her's the way to go. Much less flashy ways, don't attract all this unwanted attention." She puffs at the cigar.
"I tried less flashy the first time," Ahriman says off-hand. "Chaining her up someplace to use like the animal she is would prompt every do-good-know-nothing in the city to fall on me with slavering jaws. Honestly, I could use her. Can you imagine the compliance I would receive if magi had to choose to pay Sinclair or be beset upon by that magnificent beast? But I'm afraid she's too feral to understand. She simply smells me and attacks."
Without any other order Tirzah stands silently at her master's side, the fond look returning to her expression.
"Will teach." Those two words are uttered as Daeni chooses to solve the issue with little flash or fanfare. Blades are drawn to strike at the field in quick succession. Should it remain, she shall repeat, should it crumble, one will be released in order to seek a handful of Ahriman.
Celaeno nods idly to herself, pulling the cigar from her mouth in a quick motion, "Well, then what's your choice then? Just going to axe her? Seems like there're plenty who're just looking for an excuse like that. Just chomping at the bit, y'know? So, what's the plan, Big Dark? I don't have any reason to take offense at this little show you're putting on, but eventually there'll be money in it." She takes a small puff, "You remember our friend the Dragon? People'll go through a hell of a lot for money." And Daeni goes apeshit on the bubble, and she frowns, hefting her sword experimentally.
Ahriman recoils as his shield buckles under a refreshed assault, words spilling from his lips as he refreshes the shield in a panic. "Lift her, Sister!" he calls, scurrying back against the tail end of his shield. "Well, can you kill *her?* he asks, staring at the crazed elf.
"Float, wont kill.." Tirzah replies to her lord and master with little emotion at all aside from devotion. With that she puts all her remaining energy into floating Daeni. Wouldn't fit to allow Cel to cause her to fail her master after all. Daeni is lifted high into the air.
Daeni is hoisted into the air, to little surprise, given the announcement and prior demonstration. Following the reflexive moment of struggle, the huntress sheathes her swords. "Put down, maybe let live." In place of her blades, she retrieves her bow, knocks an arrow, and draws it back. For the moment, her aim is upon Ahriman, as Tirzah seems to be such an obedient listener.
Celaeno's gaze drags to the floating Daeni, and she gives a sigh. "Oh? Who'd you have in there with you, Big Dark?" Her sword starts crackling with a white light, which she holds up ineffectively as a lamp, her only other sources of light having vanished. "Seem to be painting yourself into a corner, though." She grins at the voice, shrugging. "Or maybe not, maybe not. Didn't hear a plan, though."
Ahriman bodily grabs Tirzah and hefts her into the air, walking her away from Celaeno before speaking softly to himself and casting a spell. No bubble seems to appear. The darkness dissipates, and the black being just stares up at Daeni, standing in front of Tirzah like a shield. He peers briefly over his shoulder at Celaeno, asking, "Are you here to assassinate me as well, Celaeno? This is three attempts. Fuck you humans. How is it that when I punish without slaying I am evil, and when these pathetic mongrels fall upon me with murderous intent I am wicked in defending myself? Your rules are bent! You hear me? And I'm not fucking following them any more!"
Celaeno just grins up at the direction of the voice, "Not me, not me, I don't care. Were you listening? This is just a bit of light in the darkness. Don't rightly care what was going on before I showed up." She grins as the darkness fades to allow in at least a little light, and her sword extinguishes itself with a soft crackle before she slides it home. With a few puffs at her cigar, she turns to look at the apparently distraught creature, tsking slightly to herself, though she seems content to leave her sword sheathed.
The black being chants a few words, his breath going cold to cloud the air before him. Snow coalesces about his right hand, ice summoned from a colder place filling his grip before the dark being lobs it back at Daeni, high into the sky.
Daeni catches the ball of snow, albeit with her face. If this was intended to calm, curtail, or otherwise cease her ultimatum, it does not have the desired effect. Instead, she looses at Ahriman, readies, and looses, all in rapid succession. He is not the only one who can fling objects.
Celaeno watches, smirking to herself as she takes a step back and to the side so she can keep everybody in front of her in her field of vision. She clicks to herself as the orb strikes home, smirking to herself.
The bolts each slam into Ahriman, breaking and ricocheting away. One shatters and skitters 'round and 'round down the street, one imbeds in the asphault below, and the last blows a hole in a nearby wall. Ahriman refreshes his armor and hurries Tirzah away, living to fight another day.
She may be direct, but Daeni is not stupid. Her quiver is not limitless, and Ahriman's protections seem easily replacable, if not terribly sturdy. When she subsequently nocks and draws, her aim is more controlled, with less haste, and zeroed upon his companion, between pale red bangs and similar brows. Her target disappears when Ahriman bolts, causing her to instead yell, "Coward! Is why humans try kill! Know is easy! Know you run, afraid!"
Celaeno watches as Ahriman takes his leave, though she frowns as he runs off with Tirzah. "Doing all right up there?" she asks Daeni, moving to a spot generically underneath her. "No need to get all upset," she says, peering up. "Want me to stick around and wait for you two to come tumbling down? Bit of company, perhaps?"
Ahriman kills the engine on his six-wheeler, peering out at the time of night. The dawn approaches, but he has a couple of hours yet. Reaching back behind his seat for rope, the black being points at a nearby tree with branches at about nine feet and directs, "Get out of the truck, stand under that tree, and remove your clothes and armor. All of it." He doesn't even look to see if his command is being followed as he slips out of the vehicle, unwinding the rope to stride out across the small clearing. The corded end is tossed over a sturdy-looking branch nine feet up, and Ahriman pulls down the free end, beginning to tie a knot. Without a word Tirzah moves to the indicated location and begins to remove her clothes to reveal the leathery synthetic armor underneath. It follows immediately there after with a zip and a bit of wiggling. Tirzah stands naked save for the beads in her hair and jewelry on her body.
Ahriman reaches for Tirzah's hands wordlessly, tying them together with a series of knots designed to bulk up the rope about her wrists, lessen the pinch of the coiled strands. Though as he grabs the far end she wouldn't know it. The black being easily hoists those hands high, pulling Tirzah so that she has no real ability to move in any direction without losing her feet. "Tell me why you attacked me," he speaks softly, bending over to gather the clothes and armor.
"I was tired of you meddling with my life, thinking you have the right to do so." Tirzah replies to the question flatly. An honest answer if not as passionate one.
Ahriman neatly folds the clothes, an idle motion, resting them on the hood of his truck as he wonders aloud, "And what did you hope to gain by attacking me?"
The folding of the clothes will reveal a lead box, just the right size to hold a certain artifact. "I was going to remove that which made you think you are superior to others."
"Be more specific," Ahriman bids, careful to not even touch the lead-bound box directly. Tirzah's shirt gets wrapped around it, and he very carefully puts it aside. The black being shrugs a shoulder, tilting his head and eying the nude human.
"I was going to let the mobius artifact consume your ability to recover and store arcane energy." Tirzah answers specificly.
"And how is that done?" Ahriman wonders, glancing aside at the box with a little frown. He narrows his eyes at the box, then peers back at Tirzah curiously. "Also, how is one cured of the artifact's affliction?"
"Contact with the artifact establishes the siphon. The siphon remains established unless shielding is put up between the artifact and the source. The box shields against siphoning." Tirzah explains in the same flat tone.
"Curious," Ahriman notes. "Are we not already targeted by this siphon? Would not opening it resume the previous link? Or, once severed, must the link be reestablished through contact?"
"I'm not sure. Haven't had reason to open the box since the retrieval." Tirzah admits, the answer seems to cause her discomfort in its inadequacy.
"Ah, Pandora," Ahriman says, as he lifts the box and puts it back in the truck. "I think I can no longer trust you with the box." The black being steps back then, away from his truck, and eyes the woman. His gaze goes up, then down, and he slowly circles the redhead to gain a full look at her. "Your mate is a woman. Have you ever been with a man?"
"I have." Tirzah answers flatly.
Ahriman steps 'round in front of Tirzah, and tilts his head back a moment. Then, after a short pause, he releases Tirzah of her mental domination. The dark creature merely watches her with silvered eyes, waiting to see how quickly the situation sinks into her.
As domination does not block the victim's memories Tirzah has been quite aware of her situation all along. As such her scowl is much muted as there seems to be little point. "Now what?" She asks with much contempt, her bare feet fighting in the dirt since her hands are tied.
"I don't know," Ahriman admits, pursing his lips. He waves a hand at her, up and down, as if indicating the whole of a tapestry at market. "I could rape you. Use your body, then tear you to pieces and scatter the evidence. That would settle the issue, yes?" He tilts his head, and eyes Tirzah.
Tirzah hesitates a minute, giving in to show some fear at that prospect before she regains her resolve. "It would, with me anyway. And you certainly could. You would not want to be seen in Kingsdale afterward for a few decades, but perhaps you think that is worth a few minutes of satisfaction?" She replies, still shifting her feet through the dirt.
Ahriman scoffs. "Your human rules. You attacked me. You aided others who attacked me. Even as I claimed you, others attacked me. At least one of you meant my death. You meant to cripple me. You still do." He says that last with a certainty. "How *can* I let you live? Hm?" Ahriman pushes away from his truck, stalking towards Tirzah. "How do I escape this without killing you? Then tracking down that elf and slitting her throat?" Ahriman stops before Tirzah, apparently unafraid of kicking legs. "The stalker I might make headroom with. She may prove to be an unending menace as well. You tell me. How do I walk away from this without spilling so much blood?"
"By walking away." Tirzah says frankly before some consideration into an explanation. "I tried to warn you. To curb this path. You didn't listen and forced me out. Then you went further and forced me in on their side." Another minute to consider what else to say before she manages. "Did you honestly expect this to end without blood?"
Ahriman laughs softly at that. "This path. With the Stalker? Who has tried to kill me twice, now? You don't understand. I am like a drug to her. She smells me and goes berserk. Are you unhappy that I tried to deal with her like the animal she appears to be? Should I have simply torn out her throat and be done with it? Or must I bow down and be consumed by her, in your civilized society?"
"I'm not your conscience. A conscience is listened to. I wouldn't have had a care for how you dealt with her, if you hadn't send her to Sage to babysit." Tirzah points out before taking a minute to catch her breath. Perhaps from the situation or the battle earlier, shes showing signs of exertion. "You could have sent her to anyone. You chose Sage, you wanted me to know and react."
Ahriman steps closer, snapping into Tirzah's face, "I knew the value you put on children, Sister! I knew that if something came of the child, I would be hunted! Who else can I trust? I trust family! While I took care of business, I trusted family to safeguard me. I wanted someone who would not ransom or harm the .." He shakes his head and peels away, stalking back several steps towards the wood.
Tirzah flinches at the outburst, panting ."Trust you broke by taking a friend of Sage's as your slave." She reminds before trying to recover her breath. "I told you then, you didn't listen. You consider yourself above the consequences of your actions."
Ahriman spins then, tilting his head at the woman. "Trust? Fealty goes both ways, Little Sister. We spoke of this. You're too young to know, but once a liege had an obligation to his serfs. That Stalker, after I punished her for attacking me? I fed her, because she was in my care. Isabeau?" Ahriman waves at Kingsdale, whose lights are just seen on the clouds in the distance. "Tell me how many meals you fed her? How much work you sent her way? How you pulled her out of that trailer park and helped her overcome her addiction?" Ahriman steps towards the woman, chin ducking. "Her crushing loneliness? When I went back, what? A month later? Two? I found her between bouts of drinking, so afraid and so alone that she welcomed me inside to talk." Ahriman laughs at that thought, grinning. "Me! Her nemesis. Some job you've done. She doesn't even work for you any more. She *chose* to work for me. She *chose* to come back, because what she had in the week she spent in my care? The closest thing she's had to family in years."
"That was her choice. I wont claim to understand it." Tirzah replies with a shake of her head before taking some more time to gather the words. "Serfs, that's what you think we are. That's why we fight you. You proclaim yourself lord with no right or honor. Humans have been fighting leader like you for centuries. Shouldn't you have known better than to expect different?"
"Oh yes," Ahriman notes, raising a finger. "All of you are your own personal Lord." He laughs then, a deep, rumbling thing that seems more sardonic than joyful. "You are all your most personal God! Yet even so, you live in the King's Dale. Most of your city-states now are kingdoms. There are some who rise to defend and lead, generally by the iron fist. I'm better than most, but you have my word I can be more terrible." Ahriman slicks the obsidian blade from his belt sheath, wandering towards Tirzah with it held underhand. "Now," he utters. "Can you live with me, Little Sister? Can you accept that my actions have not even broken your laws?" He narrows his eyes and shakes his head, perplexed by that. "That I am driven largely by the assaults of others? If you would ..." He laughs, "just help me, keep the riffraff from biting at my ankles, I won't have to kill your people. Because I'm trying to build something here, and you're getting in my way."
"I am no lord, no god. Though I do have one. Was hoping to introduce you. But it would appear he is busy." Tirzah admits, breaking into a soft exhausted chuckle. "No matter, whether I live or die, I do so as a warlock, an emissary to the elemental plane. I am theirs, not yours. I cant live with you, you wont compromise. You go on violating others and claim you could do worse as if that makes you a saint. I cant help you. Those riffraff will overrun me as surely as they will you. I can keep my distance, was trying to do that before remember."
"So be it," Ahriman replies simply. His laughing stops, head ducking as he he steps up towards the woman, knife raised. The black being crashes into her, knife held low against the kicks he assumes are coming, and he swings it expertly in slicing motions that dismember limbs and sever arteries. At least she died undefiled.
