DAY 825
Given that she's no longer in charge of the dungeon offensive, Cerise Darktouched has had a fair bit more ti recently to see to her other duties. To so extent, the Emissary's been continuing to fulfill her primary role of intelligence agent and analyst in service to the Dragonlord. While she's not quite in the thick of things, she's neither enshed in the frontlines nor stuck all the way back ho in Dragon's Jaw which ans she's well-placed to manage a fair number of the reports that filter back from the front. Aside from that, though, the diplomat's also been making sure to do a check on the prisoners in the Grassbrook Fort at least once every two or three days.
In a sense though it's all beco a rather aningless routine by this point. It's been over a month since Grassbrook was taken, and all of the low-hanging fruit available in terms of interrogations or turncoats had been achieved weeks ago. Not that there had been anything particularly exciting even then - a couple of soldiers had been lured across the line by the promises of money or demon company, but none of any notable rank. Cerise herself had been tempted to play the seduction ga given that she has dietary needs of her own, but unfortunately her position ans she's forced to reserve herself as a 'prize' for the higher-ranking prisoners, and none of them have shown any signs of responding to her barely-hidden innuendos.
Still, it's not like she has that many other demands on her ti, and should she fail to make any progress she can always settle for taking one or two of the incubus guards behind the nearest building for a quickie. Sotis they have spare manacles on them, and with the general environnt and atmosphere of a prison camp...
The Emissary shakes her head as she makes her way through the camp, refocusing her thoughts. A succubus of her position has to focus her desires, not be led by them, even if she has been in need of ever-increasing amounts of stress relief lately. Fortunately she finds the distraction she needs as she passes by one of the camp's 'special' prisons. The recently-built building has guards of its own, but what catches her eye is Lady Gilda Highbranch as she exits the small structure.
"Lady Highbranch! Taking your evening tour of the camp, I suppose?"
The half-elf glances at Cerise before looking up at the sky. "I suppose it is getting darker earlier now, isn't it? We're certainly into autumn by now. You're doing your evening round as well?"
The pair exchange insincere smiles as Cerise approaches. "I'd planned it for earlier, but paperwork...you know how it is. I suppose I might even literally be in your old position, soon - they tell they've finally gotten around to repairing the damage your traps did to your estate, so perhaps I'll be able to make use of your office in another week or so."
Gilda harrumphs. "I hope you're not expecting any thanks for repairing the damage caused by your invasion in the first place, Emissary. And I hope you find my chair quite unpleasant for your comfort."
"Ah, but it could be your chair yet again, if you choose to side with the Domain. After all, once we claim the forr kingdom of the Rainlands, the territory will need new administrators..."
"Yes, yes, we've done this all before." The imprisoned noblewoman rolls her eyes. "Honestly, I'm surprised you're still keeping here. I would have thought you'd have sent us down south beyond the border by this point."
Cerise shrugs. "For you, well - as long as your husband remains within the dungeon proving himself to be a nuisance, your presence here could still be of use. Another reason to join us, after all. A word from you and I'm sure the dungeon would release him and your retainers, and you could be reunited once more. As for the soldiers, I'm told our prisoner transport units have been rather busy with more...active regions of the front. The fort serves its purpose for the ti being."
Gilda smiles at the attempt to manipulate her. "Forty days and my husband resists you still? He does the house of Highbranch proud, I must say. I hope he continues to do so for much longer."
"Well, the longer the two of you do, the longer you'll get the enjoy your comfortable stay in the forr officer's quarters here. Speaking of..." Cerise tilts her head towards the building Gilda just left. "Is Taly enjoying her current residence? I'm afraid we haven't been able to make comfort a priority as much for her as with you."
"Indeed, the banshee's spirits remain high. I understand your intentions with her even less than I do with those involving ." The half-elf frowns. "You cannot break her, you cannot threaten to kill her, and she cannot possibly betray her dungeon. Is her presence here just a matter of keeping her away from her floor in the dungeon?"
"That...and the possibility that she may yet prove key to aiding us in convincing Xenia to end her pointless last stand. We are still willing to accept her surrender after all, even now." The demon tries to keep a pleasant expression on her face, although the reminder of all of the soldiers she lost trying to take the first four floors still stings her internally.
"Well, good luck with that. You intend to speak to her next?" As her warden nods, Gilda turns to make her way back to her own quarters. "Very well, then. You know...I have a feeling. Perhaps she will have sothing interesting to say to you tonight..."
Cerise raises an eyebrow at that, but the silver-haired woman doesn't cease her departure and the Emissary doesn't feel inclined to try and puzzle it out of her when the prisoner in question is right at hand. Sighing, she turns towards the nearby guards. "Anything to report? Lady Highbranch has been behaving herself on her visits?"
"Nothing unusual, ma'am. The prisoner did request 'personal attention' from Janalia, who's on the morning shift, but since she's been uncooperative we've been continuing to deny her requests." He pauses for a mont before continuing. "Although she has been getting more...persuasive."
The succubus scoffs at that. "Perhaps spending all of that ti around Worthy's easy indulgences has worn down her tolerance for chastity. A good sign, perhaps. Very well - allow in, and I'll see how things are for myself."
The guard open the door for the agent, and Cerise steps inside. Fortunately it's an easy spell to improve her nightvision, for while it was getting dark outside it's even dimr here in this one-cell chamber. Of course, given that the prisoner the place was built for is an expert in shadow magic, there are counterasures in place should Taly manage to cast so of her spells. Each corner of the room has a magical lantern placed within it, prid to flare off if any shadow magic is detected.
As for the more physical concerns, those are handled by a mixture of iron bars and magic circles. Taly's cell sits in the center of the room, a free-standing cage, and around that cage several arcane circles serve to limit her mana, warn of escape, or to trigger barrier spells if soone should try to cross. Enchantnts carved into the bars nullify sonic spells, and the banshee's talon-like fingers have been filed down to prevent her from using them as weapons or tools.
Despite that the Banshee Queen seems to be in a pleasant mood as she watches Cerise step forward. "Emissary! Fancy eting you tonight! And what a good night it is, don't you think?" She gestures towards one of the small windows placed near the ceiling of the room, allowing in just a hint of moonlight. "Granted, I don't have to worry much about the evening chill. How are you?"
"Not so bad." Cerise raises an eyebrow as she takes hold of a nearby chair and places it in front of the cell before taking a seat. "I spoke to Lady Highbranch just before stopping by, you know. She ntioned that you may be in a talkative mood tonight, and you do seem to be in good spirits. Perhaps you have sothing to tell ?"
"I do!" Taly grins as she takes a seat in a chair of her own, although hers is spun around so that she might rest her crossed arms on its back. "Although obviously I can't just give away all my secrets like that, you know. Perhaps if I was seduced into the service of the Dragonlord..."
Cerise smiles back. True, there is sothing rather...dangerously alluring about the undead woman with her pale skin and raven-black hair. In other circumstances she'd be happy to play along even without the promise of any sort of exchange. But, alas, she has objectives to fulfill. "I'm afraid you've been far too reticent to make such offers at the drop of a hat now, Taly of Highfalls. Although the offer still stands to improve your conditions. A better bed, food, so entertainnt...of the non-physical kind. Assuming you an to offer us sothing of actual value in return, of course."
"Value? Oh indeed, I've got sothing of value. How much do you value your life, Cerise?"
Although Taly's smile remains, Cerise's quickly fades away. "You're in no position to make threats, Taly. I, on the other hand, am. For example, if you'd like to negotiate safety for the life of your sister..."
"Sely's in good hands." Taly brushes off the remark without a hint of concern. "Besides, you misunderstand . I'm not threatening you. I'm making an offer."
"An offer for my life? Sorry, I find myself quite secure these days. We're far from the front lines, and I'm at no risk from the dungeon here in Grassbrook. Not even in Xenia's wildest fantasies could she threaten right now, and you can do even less. A dozen mages participated in the construction of your cell, and we know you've tested its security for yourself."
"Ah, a girl's gotta keep herself occupied, you know?" Taly shrugs. "Here's sothing you don't know. Lyota's alive."
Cerise just barely manages to control herself from reacting visibly. True, she wasn't particularly close to the fury demon. The woman had been a good agent and bodyguard, but they hadn't been friends, lovers, or anything else of that sort. Still, despite the lack of a reported body she'd taken for granted that Lyota had died so ti ago. "Alive? How - taken into the dungeon, you an? Before we captured you? I see...you're hoping we might arrange a prisoner exchange, then? It...could perhaps be considered, although you may be more valuable than my bodyguard alone."
Taly's grin grows wide. "Such flattery! But, no - here's a second tidbit for you. Lyota is working for Xenia now."
This ti Cerise doesn't stop herself from leaning forward, a look of disbelief on her face. "If I may be crude, Taly - bullshit. For one thing, Lyota has been a devoted servant of the Domain her entire life. For another, I absolutely refuse to believe you could have persuaded her to change sides in rely the few hours you could have spent with her before your own capture."
The banshee shakes her head. "We didn't. I didn't have anything to do with it at all, really. No, she flipped soti after you caught ."
"But how could you - " Cerise pauses, considering Taly's words. "...You've discovered so way to communicate with Xenia. Let guess...so sort of coded signal in the mana connection? No, we would have noticed the fluctuations. Psychic classes are exceedingly rare, I doubt Xenia has any of those skills, or Challengers with them within her inn. How has it been done? And what is it that Xenia wishes to say?" Cerise rises to her feet. "You're not stupid. If you're revealing this now then you have a reason. Xenia has a ssage for ?"
"A ssage? Oh, no, Xen's got way more than a ssage." She pauses, and a mont later there's a rumbling sound from elsewhere in the fort. Cerise turns her head towards the nearest window, and with a bit of magically-enhanced hearing she can suddenly make out the sound of guards shouting, soon followed by the clash of spells.
"An attack? Here!? Xenia couldn't have possibly have snuck that many monsters past the forces on the mountain!" Her eyes turn back towards Taly's, and the satisfied look on the banshee's face only serves to unsettle her further.
"True, you might have control of the forces on the mountain. But we've got control of the ones under it."
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