The Silver Sphinx

 

“Gallows humor? Mebbe that's what ya call havin' yer hangin' at dawn and yer visitor at noon."

overheard in the prisoners' dining hall

 

 

Third Lower Day of Savorus, 126 HR

Sarin felt a light drizzle hit his face as he sped across the sky of Sigil on the back of his griffon Silverfeather. He was on his way to the Prison and had chosen to travel by air, as usual when in a hurry. During the flight, he recalled what Lady Morânia had told him. The group had returned from Elysium through the same portal they had used to travel there, so they had emerged at the Great Gymnasium. Of course, they had all wanted to report to their factols – except for Sgillin, who didn't belong to a faction. The half-elf had therefore sought out a tavern in the Market Ward to have a drink, ideally in company. The others had left the Great Gymnasium, including Morânia, since Rhys had not been present. Not far from the headquarters of the Ciphers, the group had then been intercepted by several Mercykillers, including Mallin's protégé Alisohn Nilesia and a half-orc amazon named Garush. Sarin was familiar with this name because it had been dropped relating to the Hive Strangler Murders. The Illuminated Toranna, who had infiltrated the faction of the Dustmen, had stated at the time that a half-orc of that name had asked her about the whereabouts of Eliath. There had been few people in the smaller street where the encounter had taken place anyway, and the number had quickly dwindled as the Mercykillers arrived on the scene. In a tone that was both imperious and mocking, Nilesia had told the group of the Chosen that Factol Mallin wished to speak to them. Sarin had already met the young woman, who was only seventeen years old, when she had accompanied Mallin. And although she had been more moderate in his presence or that of other factols, the paladin could still vividly imagine how she had behaved towards the Chosen. According to Morânia, Garush had been more polite and had given the impression that, unlike Nilesia, she was rather uncomfortable with the whole scene. When the Chosen had refused to accompany the Mercykillers to Prison to see Factol Mallin, Garush and Nilesia had repeated the request, the one more matter-of-factly, the other rather lacking self-control. This had led to a brief exchange between Nilesia and Garush, as the two women apparently had not agreed on the manner of proceeding. However, Alisohn had conceded that Mallin had not mentioned Lady Morânia with regard to his summons and that she was therefore free to leave. The Cipher had used this chance to move away from the group and make her way directly to the Barracks to personally inform him of what was going on. However, she had been able to observe how the Mercykillers had forced the Chosen to follow them. They had obviously been very well-trained members of the faction - Mallin obviously wanted to play it safe. Morânia had also watched that his soldier Kiyoshi had threatened to take his own life if the Mercykillers did not leave the group alone. This had apparently been prevented by Garush, who – according to Lady Morânia – had moved unnaturally fast and thus stopped Kiyoshi from follow up his words with deeds. Sarin sighed to himself. Another point he would have to discuss with his new soldier. Honorable suicide might be common, even desirable, in Kiyoshi's culture, but it was by no means an option in the Harmonium.

Yet, as much as he disliked Kiyoshi's behavior, his colleague Mallin was currently causing him even more displeasure. He knew that the factol of the Mercykillers and paladin of Hoar was not exactly known for his tact. His tone could at best be described as brusque and his methods required getting used to. But to kidnap four members of other factions on the street under threat of force, without them having done anything wrong – that was a bit much even for Mallin. So Sarin had not hesitated after Lady Morânia's report, but had immediately rushed up to the roof of the Griffon Tower to reach the Prison as quickly as possible and clarify the matter. He allowed Silverfeather to land on Petitioner’s Square, directly in front of the Mercykillers' headquarters. There he instructed the lady griffon to wait for his return and demanded to be let in. The guards at the gate did not seem surprised by his appearance, so they had probably been expecting him. One of them, an older orc, led him through the entrance hall and down a long corridor, then up a staircase to a heavy wooden door reinforced with iron bands. Sarin knew that a room for interrogations was located behind it. In addition, people were kept there whose fate was still unclear: whether they would be put in one of the cells or released. This fact alone sent his blood pressure soaring. Not only had the Chosen, including a soldier from his own faction, been unlawfully taken away, but they had also been placed in a room where criminals and felons were usually held. The orc opened the door for him and announced his arrival before stepping aside and letting him enter. The factol of the Harmonium quickly let his eyes wander across the room to get an overview of the situation. Kiyoshi, Lereia, Naghûl and Jana were sitting on four separate chairs, all with their hands behind their backs, apparently tied. Their expressions ranged from tight-lipped to angry, but they didn't appear to be injured, which gave Sarin at least some relief. Next to Jana, who was sitting on the right, stood a half-orcish woman with narrow eyes and an obviously tense posture. This had to be the amazon Garush. On the left side, next to Kiyoshi, he saw a very young tiefling woman with short black hair and yellow eyes - Alisohn Nilesia. She seemed to enjoy the situation much more, for a satisfied, slightly mocking smile was on her lips as she eyed the prisoners. Mallin who had faced the Chosen now turned to him. The Mercykillers' factol was very tall for an aasimar of human descent, standing over six-seven high. His black and red armor, which made him look even broader than he already was, made him an impressive - and intimidating - sight. The signs of his celestial heritage were very subtle: an almost imperceptible alabaster shimmer to his skin and the golden glow of his eyes, nothing more indicated that he was an aasimar. This was in stark contrast to the rest of his appearance and the scars that ran across his face. His hair was black with only a few gray strands, although he was well over fifty.

Now he calmly examined his colleague from the Harmonium. “Sarin, my friend, that was quick.”

“Mallin,” the paladin replied, his voice hard. ”Maybe we should have a little talk.”

The Mercykillers' factol remained composed despite his clearly visible displeasure. “Yes, Sarin, I think that's an excellent idea,” he said. “So, let's talk.”

His immediate concession briefly threw Sarin off stride. ”Here? Right now?”

“Why, yes,“ Mallin replied. “Unless you have objections? By the way, I'm impressed that you arrived here so quickly.”

“The bal'aasi told him, for sure,” Nilesia remarked with a look that clearly expressed her displeasure.

“My bal'aasi,” Naghûl explained, with a proud smile despite the awkward situation.

Mallin had obviously not yet been informed of this, for he frowned questioningly. “Bal'aasi?”

“Yes, Factol,” Garush replied. “There was a woman with horns and white wings with the group. But you did not mention her among those we were to bring to you. So we let her go. I'm sorry if that was a mistake.”

Sarin had scrutinized the amazon carefully and couldn't help but feel that, unlike Nilesia, she seemed to be relieved by his arrival.

Mallin gave her a curt nod. “No, you have done right.” Then his gaze wandered back to Sarin. ”A bal'aasi, hm? Interesting, what you have snatched.”

The factol of the Harmonium took a deep breath. He tried hard to keep his displeasure in check, but it was anything but easy. “I haven't snatched anything, as you put it,” he replied irritably. ”What is this about? Perhaps you would like to explain what by the Lady you are doing? You can't just arbitrarily arrest someone! You're clearly exceeding your authority!”

Mallin's gaze hardened. “Careful, Sarin,” he growled. “The laws of Sigil state unmistakably that the Mercykillers may make arrests when there is no Harmonium patrol nearby and there is an immediate threat.”

Sarin thought he had misheard. Was Mallin being serious? He pointed energetically at Kiyoshi. “And him?”

The other Chosen also looked at the young man and raised their eyebrows, while the soldier himself sat in his chair with an almost petrified expression on his face, staring straight ahead.

“He's hardly a patrol,” Mallin replied dryly.

“That's ... “ Sarin shook his head in disbelief, but he knew that it was useless to argue with his colleague at this moment. ”I'd rather not know why none of our patrols were around. What I would like to know, though, is where you see an immediate threat here.”

Mallin pointed at the Chosen. “Suspicion of rebellious and subversive activities in this group.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Sarin saw Lereia gasp in outrage, while Jana, oddly enough, shook her head thoughtfully. Unfortunately, he had neither the time nor the opportunity to fathom what the Athar's reaction might mean. “Of course,” he replied sourly. ”You can twist anything to warrant an arrest.”

A smile appeared on Mallin's lips, which could well be called provocative. “And no one knows that better than the factol of the Harmonium, right?”

Sarin had no idea what was going on with Mallin, with whom he had always collaborated well, but he felt his blood throbbing in his temples with anger. ”I refuse to ...”

“No, don't,” Mallin interrupted his colleague. ”Are you really saying that you have never arrested someone under this pretext because you thought they were suspicious but had no other evidence?”

“Point taken,” Sarin reluctantly conceded. “However, I have to wonder if this was really necessary.” He now turned to the Chosen. “Are you hurt?”

“Not physically, factol,” Lereia replied, giving the Mercykillers present a dark look.

Out of the corner of his eye Sarin saw Nilesia roll her eyes at this remark.

“That's right,” Jana confirmed. “But it would be a relief to get rid of the shackles, factol.”

“They're complaining a lot,” Nilesia noted with a smug grin. Garush gestured her to be quiet, and she fell silent, albeit demonstratively annoyed.

Sarin made a mental note to react more calmly when his children got on his nerves. Their behavior might sometimes be exhausting, but Mallin's protégé was on a completely different level. He paid no further attention to her comment, however, and addressed his colleague instead. “Would it be possible to untie them? That's no way to treat people.”

“If you wish,” Mallin growled. ”As long as they don't try to do anything stupid.”

There was a touch of irony in Sarin's reply. “Since we're all here to talk, I'm sure no one will do anything stupid.” He looked at the Chosen. “Right?”

“Of course not, factol,” Lereia replied earnestly.

“At least not first,” Naghûl added, glowering at Nilesia.

Sarin couldn't suppress a brief smirk at this remark.

Mallin, on the other hand, nodded to Garush. “Go ahead.”

The half-orc was pulling out the key to the handcuffs when a thought came to the paladin's mind as he glanced at his soldier. “Just a moment,” he asked. “ I'm afraid, first I have to clarify something.” He stepped over to Kiyoshi, and now he noticed a change in his soldier that had escaped him before due to the poor lighting in the interrogation room. Kiyoshi's eyes were no longer dark and human, but orange-yellow with slit pupils. He must have had another dragon blood surge in Elysium. In addition to the scales on the back of his hands and forearms, his brass dragon heritage now apparently also showed in his altered eyes. Sarin nodded slightly as he took note of this fact, then leaned down a bit towards Kiyoshi. “Soldier,” he said softly. ”Lady Morânia told me about your little performance. You will not attempt to take your own life, is that clear? Those are my explicit orders.”

Kiyoshi's expression seemed even more stoic than usual. “As you command, honorable factol Sarin-gensui,” he replied, then stared straight ahead again, motionless and wordless.

Sarin, who had come to know his soldier's tendency towards unconditional obedience, trusted that the young man would follow this order. So he stepped aside and nodded to Garush. The amazon now approached the Chosen and unlocked their shackles, one after the other. All of them except Kiyoshi thanked her, rubbed their wrists and then looked expectantly at Sarin and Mallin.

The Mercykillers' factol nodded curtly to his colleague. “Satisfied?”

“Not really,” Sarin replied dryly. “But it's a start. Considering that you are still doing something that I deem unlawful.”

Mallin's golden eyes narrowed. “Perhaps we'd better talk about what you are doing , Sarin. How you are bending the laws of Sigil – or breaking them ...”

“Pardon?” Sarin raised an eyebrow. “What are you accusing me of?”

“Oh, come now, don't act so innocent,” Nilesia interjected. ”You know exactly what our factol is talking about, hm?”

Garush gave Nilesia a staggered look as she spoke like this to a factol of Sigil. Her tone could clearly be described as impertinent, and Sarin was both annoyed and surprised at the young woman's behavior. He wanted to give a sharp retort, but before he could say a word, Mallin was at Nilesia's side, grabbing her by the neck. Due to the considerable height difference between the two, she squirmed in his grip like a puppy and hissed briefly - apparently Mallin was not too gentle.

“How dare you speak to a factol of Sigil in that manner?” he snapped at her. ”You will apologize!”

His harsh tone made her quickly lower her eyes. She still squirmed in his grip, but quickly gave up and then looked at Sarin. “I ... apologize for my disrespect, factol. I'm sorry.”

But her tone sounded more defiant than remorseful, and Mallin's golden eyes glowed dangerously. “This is not what I call a formal apology to a factol, Alisohn,” he rumbled.

He put a heel into one of Nilesia's knee pits and pushed forward while he still held her by the neck. She buckled immediately, her knees hitting the stone floor. Despite her insolence, Sarin was not particularly happy about the scene. An apology on her part was certainly in order, but the paladin did not like the way it was being forced upon her.

“Mallin, that's not necessary,” he said soothingly.

The Mercykillers' factol pushed Nilesia's head down until her hands touched the stone floor as well. Only then did he let go of her. “It is. She has to learn her place. And that she won't get away with something like that.” He gave her a hard slap across the shoulder. “Go ahead!”

“Ouch.” The young tiefling woman ground her teeth, but then lowered her head a little more as she addressed Sarin. ”Please ... please forgive me for my disrespectful words, Factol Sarin. I had no right to behave in such a way, so I humbly and sincerely ask your forgiveness, my lord.”

Sarin took a deep breath. He perceived the scene as more than unpleasant, although a quick glance at the Chosen revealed a clear satisfaction at least in Naghûl's eyes. He couldn't blame the tiefling, given what the Mercykillers had just done. But still, this was not a scene to his taste. So he nodded quickly to Nilesia. “It's forgiven. It wasn't that dramatic, after all.”

“Good,” growled Mallin. ”You may get up, Alisohn. Out you go, to your quarters.”

When she stood up, it was obvious that she had bitten her lips bloody with her pointed canines. She nodded curtly at Mallin and then left the room, quickly but upright, her eyes full of defiance.

“I apologize for this incident, Sarin.” Mallin turned back to the factol of the Harmonium. ”Nilesia is young and wild, it's not always easy to keep her in check. But I will punish her, of course. And I assure you, I will not be too gentle.”

His words gave Sarin an uneasy feeling. “I'll bet you do,” he replied. “I ... know your punishments.”

Unpleasant memories awakened, and a meaningful smile appeared on Mallin's lips. “Mhm. It's been a while.”

“Yet unforgotten,” Sarin replied, briefly lowering his eyes.

Mallin's smile was difficult to interpret as he replied. “Good.”

But Sarin pushed the unwanted thoughts aside and looked him firmly in the eye again. ”Let's get back to what you're accusing me of. What, exactly?”

Mallin's expression darkened again. “For example, you are detaining four people in the Barracks who have clearly expressed a desire to join another faction and who cannot be accused of anything. One of them is a half-orc named Alvion, who wants to join the Mercykillers. You have no right to keep aspirants away from other factions.”

Now he had caught him off guard, as much as Sarin hated to admit it. How could Mallin know that? With an alarmed look, he turned to the Chosen. “Did you ...?”

But they also looked genuinely surprised. Even Kiyoshi's stony expression showed a spark of disbelief.

“Not a word,” Naghûl assured him.

Sarin looked back at Mallin. “How do you know?”

“That doesn't matter,” the Mercykillers' factol replied curtly. “But we can go to Hashkar and let him clarify which of us both is further beyond the law.”

Sarin buried his face in his hands for a moment and sighed deeply. ”Mallin ... please. We have always worked well together. Why are you so unforgiving?”

“Because I tried to talk to you three times, Sarin!” There was a certain amount of honest annoyance in Mallin's voice. ”And you avoided me every time or fobbed me off with some bad excuse. So I felt I had no choice but to resort to such measures.” He pointed at the Chosen. “I'm not the kind of man you can ditch, Sarin! You're lucky to be who you are.”

The paladin noticed how he tensed up, how Mallin's words made him alert and cautious. “Yes, I suppose so,” he replied. ”But I'm not a man who likes to be extorted. And that's what you're trying to do.”

Mallin's tone of voice actually became a bit more conciliatory again. “I don't want to extort you, Sarin. But once again you are so stubborn that you more than live up to your faction's nickname.”

Sarin frowned, but Mallin now turned to his ‘guests’. ”You want to know why you are here?” They nodded, and the Mercykillers' factol eyed them with a calculating look. “What do you think?”

Naghûl straightened up a little in his chair. “If I assess the situation correctly, factol Mallin, it's about the fact that you know something and wanted factol Sarin coming here to talk about it.”

“And we are the leverage,” Lereia added.

“Yes, damn right.” Mallin nodded. ”I had hoped that Sarin would show up here and finally talk to me when I would invite you here. Nevertheless, I admit that my approach was a bit brusque. So I'll make the first move by apologizing for this incident.”

While Jana and Kiyoshi looked straight ahead and said nothing, Lereia nodded slightly. “Thank you,” she said. “I accept the apology, but I would like to add that I feel offended and annoyed by the way we are often treated.”

“I don't know what happens often,” Mallin growled. “But this time I understand your annoyance.” He indicated a slight bow of the head.

Naghûl nodded as well. ”Thank you for your apology.”

Sarin folded his arms and glared at Mallin, who then briefly bowed to him. “That goes for you, too, of course,” the paladin of Hoar explained. ”I ask your forgiveness, Factol Sarin, and I will accommodate you in due course. I hereby owe you a favor.”

Sarin nodded slowly, but looked at Mallin suspiciously, expecting more to come. Sure enough, his colleague continued.

“And in return, my friend, you can now offer me a little apology.” Before the factol of the Harmonium could reply, a tiny smile appeared on Mallin's lips. “Unless you would rather offer it to Pentar.” Sarin's eyes narrowed and Mallin seemed to thoroughly enjoy his not-quite-hidden irritation. “When she finds out that you've been detaining one of their members for weeks without authorization. A certain Eliath, right?”

Damn it. What else did Mallin know and, above all, how? Sarin realized that his control over the situation was beginning to slip away, and there was little he hated more. Again, he cast a questioning glance at the Chosen.

“With all due respect,” Naghûl explained. “We haven't said a word, Factol. You can take that almost literally.”

Sarin believed him. From what he had seen of the Chosen so far, he doubted that they would have told the Mercykillers anything voluntarily. So he turned back to Mallin. “What makes you think that?”

“Is it true or not?” the Mercykiller asked relentlessly.

Sarin took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. “Am I being interrogated here?”

“I thought you agreed to talk,” Mallin replied.

The factol of the Harmonium spread his hands in a defensive gesture. “By the Lady ... Yes, it's true. How did you know?”

“That doesn't matter,” his colleague fended off the question.

“Mallin, you wanted to talk,” Sarin remarked angrily. ”So let's talk to each other honestly and don't treat me like one of the criminals you're guarding here.”

“All right,” Mallin said, a tad more conciliatory. ”I know it from factotum Zamakis. She was in the Barracks to speak with the four you freed from the Plane of Fire. As I understand it, you had to concede this at the direct request of Factol Skall because you were … operating in his headquarters without authorization.”

Sarin briefly twisted his mouth and folded his arms. “Yea, keep rubbing salt into my wounds. And on that occasion she saw Eliath there?”

“Yes, and she apparently knew him.”

“And why did she inform you of that?”

Mallin smiled briefly. “I have a little arrangement with Skall regarding the exchange of information. So, now I'll ask a question again. Surely you had an idea what it was about the last few times I wanted to talk to you. Why didn't you want to work with me? Or at least discuss things with me?”

Yes, why? Sarin sighed inwardly. Of course he could give a precise reason, but he had little desire to spell it out for Mallin.

When he didn't answer immediately, the Mercykillers' factol shook his head disapprovingly. “Lady Erin, isn't it? Of course, the Sensates aren't exactly on good terms with us.” He glanced sideways at Naghûl. “By the Lady, she really has you under her thumb, hasn't she?”

“I am under no one's thumb!” Sarin replied energetically. But he sensed that he was almost less annoyed by Mallin's choice of words than by the fact that he had so unerringly twisted the knife in the wound. Yes, lately he constantly had to consult with someone about fundamental decisions, and he didn't like that at all. He felt that he was going to lose his temper, a weakness he didn't want to show here and now. “Damn it, Mallin, can we please talk in private before we have to go at each other's throats?”

The grin that had appeared on Mallin's lips shortly after he had mentioned Erin grew even wider. “You want to fight? Well, why not? Would be a nice diversion.”

Sarin regained his composure and sighed deeply. “Mallin ...” His tone sounded almost pleading, he was aware of that.

The Mercykillers' factol waved it off. “Yes, all right. We'll talk in private. Just you and me. Like we've done often enough in the past to solve problems. Your people may leave.” He turned to the amazon. “Garush, lead them out.”

Sarin felt a sense of relief, more distinct than he preferred. He turned to the Chosen. “You heard him. Leave.”

“Thank you, Factol,“ Naghûl replied, apparently addressing both of them. The four rose and hurriedly followed Garush outside.

When the heavy door had fallen shut behind them, Mallin pointed to one of the chairs at a table a little further away. “Well, Sarin,” he grumbled. “Let's talk, then.”

The factol of the Harmonium nodded. Yes, it was inevitable and probably about time. Of course, he couldn't tell Mallin too much, and his colleague would likewise only reveal a few selected things. But it was a first step towards each other. And no matter what the other factols might think, he was convinced that it was the right one.

 

--------------------

played September 12, 2012

Sgillin had gone straight to a tavern after returning from Elysium because his player wasn't there that evening.