Jailhouse Visit

It is a gray, gray day. Made more so by the rough stone interior of the Arcanist's Guild. After Aelwyn had put out a few feelers to look into what had happened to Jacob (and the other members of the Crimson Circus), he might well have been surprised to learn that Jacob had somehow landed himself not in the normal jail which Alexandria had - and where the rest of the Crimson Circus troupe had found themselves in the aftermath of the day that they had performed... But rather the dungeons of the Arcanist's Guild which is normally reserved for the worst of mage-kind. Those driven insane by the workings of magic or whom pose a potent arcane threat to society.

Thus, after being stripped of all weapons and magical items, Aelwyn finds himself following a guard into the depths of these chambers followed by one lone ally - Thoth. The echoing of their steps is almost drowned out by the insane babbling of the voices rising from below. They pass many cells holding various individuals, some... Sit on their cots drooling, eyes vacant; lost to the mysteries of their own minds. Others cling to the bars shouting the secrets of the universe in broken voices that make no sense. Still others huddle in the shadows, peering from the darkness with eyes that hold loathing for all living things.

Jacob, as you approach his cell, is sitting on his cot, his clothing the same charred remnants of that which he'd been wearing during his fateful performance. His half-scarred face laid bare and his expression pensive. He winces occasionally at the sound of some too-loud shout and the clanging of bars, his body healed of the damage which he had done to himself. His hands lay clasped before him.

It was not the very first time Aelwyn had dealt with the Arcanist's Guild, all weapons bared, dangerous magic abound... but it was certainly the first time he had been this far below.

He didn't understand it. Magic was not his forte nor interest and dealings with any jail he'd gladly avoid... but even with all that, he couldn't understand the reason. And now he was here with Thoth, towards whom he glances. "This one is grateful for the company," He quietly rumbles, as they make their way along.

Finally, after unsettling journey that was bringing Aelwyn more to the edge - Jacob. The ruddy sith-makar was wearing naught but pieces of his armor and a loincloth - which made the leather straps around his stomach and the charred scales still evident all the more obvious.

"Jacob." Aelwyn quietly says, walking up towards the bars. There's a pause, then he adds with a tilt of his head. "Not the reunion either of us were hoping, is it?"

To be beholden to humanity and understand it, means seeing both the good and the bad. With a renewed desire to come to understand those around it, Thoth wished to see this. They have not learned much of Aelwyn yet, being so new to Alexandria, but the small little War Golem follows the Sith-makar dutifully.

Made out of magic, it could not well give away all that made it function. For that would mean to leave itself above. But it gave away as much as it could before traveling down.

As Aelwyn speaks of being glad to have company, Thoth isn't certain what to best say in a moment such as this. The only thing it mentions is; "This one is glad to accompany the Other."

Broken wings shift and bend a bit as they step down into the realms of madness and languish. Tilting its head to listen to some of those secrets. Watching the eyes that loathe. Gazing at those who have lost themselves.

Then, there is Jacob. Thoth's body halts besides Aelwyn as they arrive there, and quiets. Considering the strange shouts and the burnt body. Unfortunately, while Thoth can mend, it cannot heal.

What a sorrowful being, before it. It shall bear witness. Though it also reaches out, to see what further magics may still linger on this being before them.

GAME: Thoth rolls Knowledge/Arcana: (4)+12: 16

Jacob turns his eyes toward Aelwyn, his eyes darkening a little around the edges. He has an air of... hopelessness around him. As though he's simply given up. "No, I suppose not."

Silence lingers in the air for a long moment. "What are you doing here?" It's an obvious question to ask.

Aelwyn stands there in silence. The hopelessness was mirrored in his own, bright orange eyes. Slowly then, he steps closer and slides his hands through the bars, taking light hold of them. There's a faint rumbling chuckle. "Do you need to ask?" He stills for a few moments, shifts his weight from one foot to another, before he adds. "Brother."

The ruddy sith-makar glances towards Thoth, before he returns his eyes towards Jacob. "The others are held elsewhere. They are fine." He grits his teeth as he says those words. "Should I be surprised you went for the special accommodations again?" He asks with a dead grin on his face, and half of a joke in his tone.

Whatever once touched Jacob, the little bird wizard can't get a read on it. Too fading, or too powerful, eluding its knowledge. It stares at Jacob in that moment, as the two brothers re-acquaint themselves.

It looks up at the Sith-makar when he gazes at it. And then it turns to look to Jacob again.

Jacob looks down as Aelwyn takes his hands. There's a connection there, years of friendship - of being family between them. It's clear that in spite of that connection, that Jacob hadn't expected any visitors. Not after what he'd done. A ghost of a smile trickles over his lips, pulling at the scars on his face. Aleywn's words a fond memory for them both. "You're too good for me; too good for all of us."

He seems weary. "I knew it when you left, that you were better off chasing your wings than you'd ever be trapped with us."

Aelwyn's fingers search for those of Jacob's; claws lightly digging for flesh, as if he could become closer. "I'm not." He interrupts. "I know what I did. I knew what to expect." He hisses, in frustration. "And I have a heavy price to pay for those wings." He glances towards Thoth again; almost as if the tiny mechanical bird was his lifeline. It easy to lose yourself down here.

Orange eyes return towards Jacob's. "Tell me what happened." Then he looks down towards those hands. "Why are you here?" Hands, hands. Then back towards Jacob's eyes. "What did you do to yourself?"

A story. A story of someone finding a new path for themselves.

It is a bitter kind of thing, to Thoth, who is following in the path of its creator. He looks down, seeing claws dig into flesh. Looking to Aelwyn, when he glances to him. It wonders what is needed in this moment. What does he remember others do in moments like these?

Its broken wings shift a bit. So, it reaches out and touches Aelwyn's hip; "Flying can be scary." It answers.

Jacob sighs, his own softer fingers holding onto Aelwyn's sturdy scaled claws. "We went to that estate, and you... You weren't there. We didn't think much of at the time but when we arrived; the nobleman turned out to be dealing in fiends himself."

The memory is clearly a harsh one. An unpleasant one. "The fiend killed Alexi in a snap of fire. I..." He doesn't touch his face, doesn't remove his hands from Aelwyn's grasp, but there's a moment where he thinks about it, where the skin on his face twitches in memory. "I was burning up, and all I could think was that we were all going to die... So I told it that if it let us live, that we'd repay it somehow."

Shame stretches across Jacob's face and he stares down at their joined hands. "I tried so hard to blame you for everything. That's why we finally came to Alexandria. I found out you were here and... I was so angry." The last words are a whisper.

GAME: Thoth rolls Knowledge/The Planes: (12)+11: 23

Aelwyn leans his head against the bars. He listens, eyes on Jacob. He listens, hearing all those words create vivid imagery in his head. He listens, even if part of him didn't want to.

There's a long period of silence.

Before Aelwyn bangs his head against the bars. "Alexi." Another pause. "I left because I saw a statue." The Dragoon quietly admits. "The large dragon one, in the yard." He inhales sharply. "I felt the wind under me." His horns grind against the bars. "Such a fucking stupid thing."

Those orange eyes turn to look back towards Jacob. "Everyone said it was the best show they had seen." He gives a slight grin on his lips, twisting them apart in his typical macabre way. "Fire, demons, devils. They cannot believe it." This is the part that he was dreading. "Why are they keeping you here?"

"This one asks, what was the promise that was truly made?" Thoth asks of Jacob in that moment, when he's done talking. "This one believes, your contract... it is perhaps not completed." It then looks to Aelwyn. "The Other, Jacob, may still be in danger." It points out.

"The devil, slain on this plane, does not mean the devil is gone." It adds to this, hoping to illuminate Aelwyn. It then looks to Jacob again; "What was the exact promise?"

Jacob looks at Aelwyn, the silence between them thickening. 'Why are they keeping you here'. It's obvious to Jacob, but clearly not to Aelwyn. He turns his eyes onto Aelwyn's companion then, the unfamiliar bird-like golem and frowns. "I just... Said we'd repay it. I don't remember the exact words I used, I just begged for our lives. I'd have said anything."

He takes a breath and then admits. "It's been whispering to me since then, sending me little messages. Suggesting that I hunt Aelwyn down, that his life would be... fitting."

Jacob looks at Aelwyn then. "Maybe that's why I'm here. Because there's a fiend's voice in my head." A crooked smile spills hopelessly across his lips. "Personally, I think it's because this is where they keep folks who summon fiends before they... Meet Vardama."

It was not obvious to Aelwyn. It was not obvious because he didn't want it to be obvious. His breath though stifles and he looks at Jacob. His tail slowly coils about him. It was cold.

"... you couldn't summon a wisp, brother." He then says, roughly chortling. "Why would they keep someone like that here?" His head leans against the bars again. "Tell him, Thoth."

Orange eyes look towards the tiny construct then. "People leave here all the time, do they not?"

A fiend's voice in his head. People who summon fiends. Thoth glances aside to Aelwyn. The death of him is desired?

"No. The Other must stay here." The little bird tells Aelwyn in that moment. "For Other - Jacob's safety, and Other - Aelwyn." It tries to impress on the Sith-makar. "But..."

It then asks again; "What did you promise the fiend? Did you sign a contract? This is important." Jacob's eyes slide over to Thoth again, measuring the golem carefully with his eyes and then shaking his head slowly. "I didn't sign anything. I just told it that I'd pay it back. That's all." He frowns a little. "That, was more than enough."

His hands pat Aelwyn's gently. "I don't think they're letting me out of here brother. Not ever."

Aelwyn wasn't going to be satisfied with that. His hand slides up and he grasps Jacob's. "I disagree." The Dragoon says, firmly. He swallows, nostrils flaring. His hand slides up to touch Jacob by his cheek. "There was nothing you did wrong." Except for the whole summoning evil part. He glances towards Thoth, then back towards Thoth.

"If there is no more danger - then what?"

GAME: Thoth rolls Knowledge/The Planes: (17)+11: 28

"That is not enough." Thoth answers Jacob then, closing its oculars. "There is no contract." It then tilts its head down a bit, and steps forward.

"The Fiend cannot speak to you here, Other - Jacob." It then remarks, clicking its beak. "The Other needs a Cleric to come here, and free you if your soul is held, or if you are suffering a possession of sorts. This one cannot cast such magics here. But it can advise the guild..."

It pauses. "But this one thinks the guild knows this already."

It looks up to Aelwyn. "This one believes this Other needs... mental assistance, after having a Cleric see to them."

Jacob gives Aelwyn a look of hopeless exasperation. He knows exactly what he's done and it is certainly not the 'nothing' that Aelwyn tries to play it off as. He'd nearly killed them both. Had, for a moment, briefly... succeeded at least with himself. "They've no reason to help me." He says softly. "Even if what you're saying is true, why would they? I'm likely to spend the rest of my days here."

Aelwyn grinds and twists his lips. His fingers curl into a fist. "No, you are not." The ruddy sith-makar hisses, trying to pull Jacob closer. "None of you are." His tail moves behind him. "There is always a reason. You should know that. Always a reason for someone to barter with you." He breathes heavily. "This one will find a reason for the guild to help you."

But what Thoth was saying... Aelwyn didn't follow. "Do not speak with such a shroud." A pause. "What does Thoth mean?"

"This one believes this Other may suffer a 'Martyr Complex'. This one has read about this in a book." The small War Golem remarks.

Thoth then looks up at Aelwyn, noticing that Aelwyn is so quick to just... dismiss what this man did. Thoth wasn't there... but still.

"This one believes you should go through psychological evaluation as well. This one believes you are too blind." It clicks its beak and looks back to Jacob once more.

"This one is saying that Other - Jacob requires a visit from a Cleric, and then, extensive mental counseling."

A startled look leaves Jacob's face as he listens to Thoth's evaluation. Then suddenly he laughs. It's an odd sound to hear in a place such as this. "That friend of yours has the right of both of us." He laughs and shakes his head. "You're crazy for thinking I'm getting out of here, and I'm surely crazy for wanting to be here."

Aelwyn looks at Thoth, incredulous. To him - everything made perfect sense. He takes a step back and, "I NEARLY KILLED HIM!" He shouts. "I watched him die! I-" He turns his head towards Jacob, shaking as he hears that laugh. He breathes heavily, then leans back against the bars, horns clanking audibly.

"It's a crazy world." The draconian raises his hands and scrapes his fingers across the bars. "So why can't we be a little crazy together?" He rumbles a chortled laugh, still shaking. "And get you out. I will have wings to show." He bangs his head against the bars. "And you have shows to give."

Thoth watches with what almost looks like a sense of... detachedness. There's nothing in those oculars indicating that it is surprised by Aelwyn's sudden outburst.

"A mentally unwell person, cannot help another mentally unwell person heal, Other - Aelwyn." Thoth remarks, touching the Sith-makar's hip. Tugging a bit on their clothing, similar to a child might. Its voice neutral, but calming. Not fully monotone.

"Other Aelwyn, calm yourself. And be patient." It remarks.

"Such things, this one is come to understand, must be handled slowly, and with patience. But this will not be the right place for this Other." Thoth remarks, looking to Aelwyn. "This is not the right place for them. This place will not allow them to heal. So, invite a Cleric. Have them look at Other Jacob, then have them transferred to a place of mental health. There, you can visit him, under the watch of those who know better than this one, and the Others present here in this moment. It is not freedom, but it is Healing."

At this, Jacob merely shakes his head, his laughter replaced by a rueful smile. He offers no words now, he seems to realize that they will do him little good here. Instead he looks at Aelwyn a little sadly, and lets Thoth calm the sith-makar down.

That look drove Aelwyn mad. He couldn't bear watching his brother like that, having given up. "Jacob." He says, with a firm glance towards the other. "I will find that cleric. This fiend that did this to you. I will pay my debt." His fingers attempt to pry the bars momentarily. "Do not give me those eyes."

The last one was more pleading.

"I will come back. Please?" The draconian offers his hand through the bars.

Thoth watches. It does not speak further. It instead takes a step back as Aelwyn begins to reach out. It's not like it could stop Aelwyn with its little body. Instead, it turns to look at the other cells here. Such an unfortunate place. So many people... trapped like this. All these cages. So far, being here with Aelwyn and focusing on Jacob has distracted it but...

"This one wishes to depart this place." It's started to realize its own triggers, and rather than coping, it rather flee this sight before it tears its wings further apart. It can already feel those ticks at its neck. The shift of its wings. Everything starting to come in closer towards itself, even though it measures to movement within the area.

Jacob touches Aelwyn's claw. Holding it for a moment. "I'll be here." He says, like a promise. But it's not as though he can leave. As if he has anywhere else to go. He lets Aelwyn go. Nodding toward Thoth. "Take your friend. This is no place for the likes of you."

He settles back on the cot in his cell then, watching them leave. Past the tortured souls that have found their rest here beneath the ground. Somehow, when they walk through the doors of the guild at last with their equipment in tow into the gray, gray world... The sensation of that place lingers like an oppressive hand on the shoulder.

A flock of ravens fly overhead, crying out their cackling song to the gray world, flying free.

-End