A Drow's Dilemma Ep. 65: Lotta

The tiefling's eye twitched, and an aura flared around him - like him, but not quite. This aura was evil, while the one Faust walked into the room with was not particularly evil. Caleldir could see a Lawful aura, but not. And Althaia could see evil, but not. Overall, he was a roiling, confusing mess who looked like he was barely able to control himself.

Even so, Faust managed so far to not blow up on 'Ashyr Blackdawn.' He still had an aggressive posture, but apparently he decided against attacking outright. There were questions to be asked first, and he was already blocking the only escape. "What have you done with Carlotta." He demanded in a warning tone. His nostrils flared again. "Carlotta, I can smell you. Get out of here if you can. I don't want to hurt you." He seemed sincere.

Within the bedroom, Carlotta put her back to the wall and shut her eyes tight. She was afraid, but was also being as quiet about it as possible. She did not heed the tiefling's advice. The drow had vastly different expressions. Selene waited and listened in excited anticipation - here was someone the party hated. Here was a man who she could justifiably torment. Ashyr just looked pissed and impatient.

"What have I done with Carlotta?" Caleldir asked with one brow raised. "You may smell her right now, but that is only the lingering effect of her presence. What sort of thing do you think I am?" He left that unanswered, but the implications were that he had done something terrible to Carlotta.

A snarl ripped from the tiefling's throat befitting of his fiendish ancestry, and he met the other man in the middle of the room with an angry clash of blades. At first, the tiefling was cautious, testing. Then a look of confusion crossed his features. With inhuman speed, the tiefling dodged out of the way of the other man's attacks. He never even got close to being hit. This guy... would never even be able to dream of beating Lord Faust in a fair fight. And that baffled Faust a little bit.

Althaia sighed internally. She wished that she could be the one to take the tiefling on, but that would probably ruin whatever insane plan Caleldir was engaging in. Probably something suicidal. Like usual.

Testing done, a look of derision settled onto the lord's red features. "Honestly, I thought you would be more of a challenge." Faust informed him. Then discomfort replaced his derisive sneer, and his head twisted as if to shake off some invisible thing that apparently crawled over his head. Even through that he was able to neatly dodge or parry anything that the other male threw at him.

It annoyed Caleldir to realize exactly how much he was overmatched. Old Magolben would be downright ashamed to see him right now. The ancient Titan had not lost a sword fight since before swords were invented in this dimension. And here his only son was, getting his ass handed to him by an angry red ball of fuzz and horns. Wait... what was that thing that Faust did? Trying to shake off an invisible thing? Or was it a manifestation of his psychosis.

Faust recovered a moment later. "Still, I cannot let you live. You are a danger to my people, master conspirator." In one almost delicate motion, he twisted to the side and plunged his sword through Caleldir's heart. Unfortunately for Faust, he wasn't aware that that was exactly what 'Ashyr Blackdawn' wanted.

Sheesh. Sometimes Caleldir wondered how normal people even dealt with the pain. He could hardly stand it, and he had faerie skin that dulled damage from anything but cold iron. Somehow, though, he managed to stay upright. He stood in place, and smiled at Faust. "Heh. Old fool. You fell into my trap." He went fully spectral. "Did you think that I was just some elf? I am far more than that, tiefling." Oddly enough, it was still Caleldir talking. "Althaia! Ashyr! Selene! Now is the time!"

Althaia, moving at an astonishing speed, cut off Faust's escape at the door, brandishing sword and shield. Faust would not be easily able to escape that way.

Faust's eyes widenedl. Retreat must have passed through his mind as his eyes flicked towards the door he had shut behind him. But then there was an impossibly beautiful woman blocking his way. He yanked his sword from the heart of his enemy and backed off again to another corner of the room to reassess the situation.

A third time Faust scented the air now that 'Ashyr's' allies were in plain sight. Except one of the the people was named Ashyr as well... either it was a coincidence or... "Who are you? What are you?!" Confused, golden eyes looked at each of them. "They all smell... Oh." He mumbled to himself. Then those eyes narrowed as he seemed to realize what was going on.

"Convenient isn't it, fiendspawn?" Selene gloated. "I promise, we didn't all fuck each other to hide from your nose. Just an unforeseen benefit."

"I am not Ashyr at all, Faust." Caleldir said, his voice beginning to crack. Soon, Goelon would take over. He did not have much time. "I am Caleldir Hissael. These are Ashyr and Selene Duskhaven, and Althaia the Nymph. We have come to end your tyranny. Now, be a decent chap and surrender, or we will be forced to do unpleasant things." It was then that he fell backwards clutching his head with an unearthly scream. Then, when he was but half fallen, he stopped in mid air.

Ignoring gravity and phasing right through any solid objects nearby, Goelon rose up. "Or resist," he boomed out (although, due to magic, the sound would not be heard outside of this room). "That is way more fun for me." He began slamming the tiefling around with massive bursts of telekinetic energy and force missiles.

Faust was able to either dodge or roll with the magical blows Caleldir or whoever it was in front of him flung towards him. But while he was able to keep up, he was unable to respond to the questions and comments that the group surrounding him voiced. Had it just been this ghostly man against the tiefling, they might have managed to continue this way all night, and the victor may have even been Lord Faust. But there was also a mage and a ranger harrowing him from the sides. So he fought with grim determination until sweat began to darken his fur and drip down his mostly hairless face and neck. Faust would not be able to take much more of that treatment.

Indeed, after perhaps only a minute Ashyr found her opening. There was a pattern she saw in Goelon's attacks that Faust had not yet pieced together in his desperate attempt to overcome his unfortunate odds. She rolled to the side, and popped the portal to R.I.S.A's dimension directly behind him. Just in time, he stumbled backwards and right into the trap.

Upon entering the alternate dimension, Faust dropped immediately unconscious. A frustrated, bestial roar echoed across the room - both inside and outside of the portal. The whole castle thrummed and shook with the power of it. Both drow - but no one else within sight - went to a knee clutching their heads in agony. Their screams temporarily added to the angry roar.

Then it was silent.