Debauchery of a Soul-Eating Wraith

–Half an Hour Later–

A knock at the door was followed by Aren's voice,

"Cardinal, I have returned."

The doors opened and Aren walked in with a respectful bow while she delivered the feedback from the task she had received from her mentor.

'Mmm, what's this?' Aren asked herself when she felt a strange tension in the air. She looked between Evian and Cardinal Krion but they both remained at ease and gave nothing away.

"Well, I suppose that ends this meeting?" Evian spoke out suddenly.

"For now," Cardinal Krion said, "We still have more to speak about and I would like your answer to my proposal."

"Of course," Evian told her with a graceful bow, "Can I leave with Aren though? She promised to lead me to where my others have based in the City."

"Oh? Did you not stay the night with them?" Lillian Krion asked with her eyebrow raised in surprise.

Evian smiled and with a slight glance toward Aren, he said,

"No. Priestess Aren was kind enough to let me stay with her through the night."

"Was she?" Lillian asked as something seemed to dawn on her. She noticed it, especially by the blush that had now shown on Aren's cheeks,

"Very well, you can both leave. But Aren, return to me at your earliest convenience."

"Of course, Cardinal," Aren said as she and Evian walked out of the study before the doors closed sharply behind them, leaving Lillian alone.

The Cardinal kept her eyes on the closed doors and she frowned. While she appeared calm and in control, it had been quite difficult keeping her eyes on Evian's face during their considerably short meeting. It brought up 'strange' thoughts that she felt, should she dabble in, would only pull her into some decadent indulgence.

She was glad he was gone. At least at first, because she thought it would give her some respite, only for her to realize the feeling remained and might have even gotten stronger.

She let out a sigh, took her eyes off the door, pushed away all distracting thoughts from her mind, and got back to matters that required her attention for the day.

•••

Outside the Study, Evian and Aren walked side by side as she led him out of the Sanctorum.

"So how was the discussion?" Aren eventually asked.

"It went well," Evian said with a nod.

Aren did not ask what the discussion was about. While she was in the dark about what could have caused the tension she felt, she still was aware of what her Mentor wanted and that was a relationship with the Golden Child in some shape or form to aid her campaign for Pontiff.

That had indeed been the case. Even all conversations about the events of last night and the one that had seemingly started it all and caused the death of the previous Pontiff were masterfully linked to Lillian Krion's attempt to garner support for her candidacy.

Evian had no issue with being 'pursued', However, he did not think he could give Cardinal Krion or anyone else a link to Astrid because being her 'Proxy' was only a cover to get him into the Holy City and he did not really have that deep a relationship with her.

That said, Evian thought this could work as a bargaining chip. If he relayed the matter to Astrid and got her to agree to provide support to a Candidate, they might be able to use that to gain access to the Sanctorum's Holy water.

Of course, there were a few obvious issues with this plan;

First, Astrid had no interest in the Church and for her support to hold any weight, she would likely have to commit herself to the Arcane Faith.

Second, while Astrid was sought after, Evian was unsure if it would be enough of an incentive to convince any of the Cardinals to betray the Church and help him steal the Water. If they became Pontiff, it might be possible because of the power they would wield but even that was a long shot and had other minor issues that made it almost sure things would go awry.

Third, selecting who to discuss the water theft with itself was an issue. The moment he risked it and his proposition was rejected, he would be effectively locked out of attempting to rob it himself.

No, the plan for a bargaining chip had to be kept on the back burner for now.

'Sigh— So complicated. And there are other matters to think about. If I were to take Cardinal Krion's words at face value (And I should as she has no reason to lie), the Wraith with the Zombification ability was different from Agenon.

Two Wraiths working together against the Church— There might even be more…"

He and Aren were now out of the Sanctorum and the Priestess paused.

"Is there something we're waiting for?"

"Yes. Transportation."

Less than a minute later, a Carriage stopped right in front of the two with the driver looking out the window to smile at her,

"Miss."

"Thank you, Gerald," Aren said as she led the way into the Carriage."

"Just doing my job, ma'am," Gerald answered.

The Carriage carried an air of dignity that told Evian that access to it was a matter of Aren's background which he had learned since last night was not simple. She was related to a Cardinal after all.

Evian entered the Carriage and once he was seated beside Aren and properly settled, the Carriage started on its way. Gerald didn't ask where they were headed and seeing as Aren didn't attempt to inform him, Evian guessed the driver already knew where to drive them to.

"So will you do it?" Aren asked then.

"Do what?" Evian asked, seemingly confused.

"Will you help Cardinal Krion?"

"Well, I'd like to. She seems charming but I'm not so sure I can,". Evian said.

"Hmph! Why? Because you're already allied with the Lorient faction?"

Lorient faction referred to Priestess Arleen, Daria, and of course, Pontiff Candidate, Callum Lorient.

Evian chuckled at her words but rather than deny it, he just played along,

"Well, I spoke to Cardinal Lorient last night and I happen to think he could make a good Pontiff. But then, I'm no expert at politics and I'm not even an Arcanist so who cares what my opinion is anyway."

As he spoke, Evian made sure to make his tone sound dejected, and hearing it, Aren's heart clenched in her chest and her expression softened,

"That's not what I meant. You can support whichever Candidate you see fit. But anyone besides Cardinal Krion would be wrong. I hope you…"

The way Aren stopped short in her sentence alerted Evian immediately,

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"There's magical energy here. Weaving together all around us." Aren said, her sharp Sixth Circle senses picking up the strangeness in their environs.

Right then, the Carriage stopped and Gerald's voice came from the front,

"We're here."

"Where?" Aren asked. Her angry tone made it clear this was not where she had wanted to be taken.

Gerald looked back then but even before his face was on them, Evian could feel a powerful collision from the driver's body. A collision between Spiritual and Eldritch energy!

"Gerald…?" Aren started with her eyes wide when she felt the collision as well and also saw cracks start to appear all over Gerald's body.

It happened in the space of a second. Even less than that;

Gerald's body glowed and went bright and then…

*BOOOMMM!!!*

… He exploded. Destroying the Carriage with him.

Evian wrapped an arm around Aren's body and pulled her against him. Her face pressed into his chest as he threw all caution to the wind and cast his most powerful defensive Spell; .net

The Gates Of Gaheena!

The mighty gates appeared and slammed toward the source of the explosion. The explosion had been so powerful and radiated such might that Evian knew Wraithic Phasing would not get him through it. Plus, in his stubbornness to no longer purchase or upgrade spells with the Decadent Store, Evian's Phasing remained at the level of a Wraith Lord and this explosion surpassed that.

*Crack!*

*Crack!*

*Shatter!*

The Gates of Gaheena shattered into pieces but before Evian and Aren were left to face the might of the explosion, a powerful wave of Spiritual energy exuded from Aren's body even while her face remained pressed into his chest. It was her Spiritual energy but mixed with the Aura of someone at the Seventh Circle… The Aura of Lillian Krion.

It all congealed into a Shield that protected them from the blast until it finally fizzled out and left behind a mighty cloud of dust and smoke.

*Cough* *Cough* *Cough*

Aren pulled herself from Evian's body to survey their surroundings. She saw symbols shifting in the air while bound together by Arcane Circles which weaved together to form an Array.

'So that's what I sensed,' she thought.

Evian looked at his body and hers. Their clothes were singed by the flames but overall, they seemed to have come out of the explosion well enough.

"Oh Gerald, what did you do?" Aren murmured with the tone of someone who did not still believe she had been betrayed and sure enough,

"He must have been compelled somehow."

Evian didn't disagree with her. It was a valid theory, it just didn't help them.

"You survived."

As the voice sounded, a being materialized. He looked gaunt and was garbed in a black cloak with the hood pulled down to show off a face. The stranger in black smirked,

"That's good. There's more fun to be had then."

Others began to arrive then with movements circles beneath their feet as they traveled into the Array with cruel smiles and a readiness to dish out pain.