[center][h1][color=f49ac2]Lys[/color] [color=00aeef]Chres[/color] [color=springgreen]Nashep-Natjier[/color] [/h1][/center] [hr] [color=springgreen]”I…I’m not sure.”[/color] The Nashep-Natjier admitted with a frown. [color=springgreen]”I’m not entirely sure what the Hekkru-Natjier is planning. His goals once aligned with my own… and perhaps in a way they still may… but now...”[/color] The Nashep-Natjier shook her head. [color=springgreen]”To hand such a powerful Stray Thought to a man like Xyrlos… To me, that indicates that the Cutlerware is not key to his overarching plans. But to steal it…”[/color] She frowned, trailing off. Turning to look at the others, eyes narrowing. [color=springgreen]”The Being didn’t send you here all here for the Cutlerware, did he?”[/color] Her eyes began to widen in worried understanding. [color=springgreen]”You all didn’t even know, did you?”[/color] The Nashep-Natjier cursed under her breath. [color=springgreen]”We spent our time talking about the wrong things.”[/color] She turned to look ahead. [color=springgreen]”The Cutlerware is one of a family of Stray Thoughts called the Omnicrafts. They have the ability to shape and understand reality itself. Of the five, the Cutlerware is perhaps among the most dangerous of them.”[/color] She looked at Jen warily. [color=springgreen]”So while relinquishing them of the Cutlerware would be wise. Doing so is not only dangerous, assuming you wish to continue existing as you are, but thus far, it has proven anything but easy… I’ve never known a moment where that man wasn’t holding the damn thing… Fidgeting with it as if it were some toy.”[/color] [hr] [color=aec957]"Hey, is that you Chres? And who are these people with you and what happened?” [/color] Chres jumped at hearing his name. Twirling, he whipped out his hatchet, swung and- Princess Lys caught Chres’s arm. A quick reflex that had surprised him. [color=f49ac2]”A little jumpy there, aren’t ‘cha Chres?”[/color] She said with a bemused smile. Chres frowned, looking at her hand on his arm. He was beginning to think this woman was more capable than he initially thought. Particularly for a princess. Letting go of Chres’s arm, she waved and smiled at the others. [color=f49ac2]”Hey Jen, Nice to see you all alive too! Sorry to say, but negotiations went poorly with old Ru’Tev. But we did run into a few monsters while picking up some new friends along the way.”[/color] She thumbbed over to Nia and Pyter. [color=f49ac2]”Allow me to introduce, Nia and Pyter. Nia, is particularly interesting. Says these bracelets here are blocking our abilities. Says the keys should be in here in the Foyer. Oh, and how does she know that again?”[/color] She turned to look to Chres bemused. [color=00aeef]”She worked here for a time. Found her in one of those cages in the basement.”[/color] Chres lied. [color=f49ac2]”Worked here and a friend of the family. Very interesting.”[/color] Lys said with a smile. Chres shot her a look. [color=00aeef]”You’re starting to become more annoying than her.”[/color] He said, pointing to Sil who had spent the last several minutes doing laps around his head. [color=a2d39c]”Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”[/color] Sil said, as she did another lap around his head. Chres sighed as he eyed the Nashep-Natjier with a frown. [color=00aeef]”Your skin tone and hair… We once met another person like you not long ago. Went by the name Kharu-Natjier. You know him?”[/color] The grip on his hatchet tighten. The Nashep-Natjier raised her eyebrow before answering. [color=springgreen]”I do, unfortunately.”[/color] She said. [color=springgreen]”But he is no ally of mine. Hasn’t been for many a year.”[/color] Chres’s grip did not loosen, for at that moment a strange screech broke off from down the hall. Strange shapes stepped into the foyer. A man with a tangle of spider-like limbs with elongated hands that had long sinewy fingers. Threads of sticky silk spilled from a deformed and spider fanged mouth. A whimpering woman, with splinters of stone, metal, wood fused along her arms and legs. With each step she took, her feet fused to the floor. Ripping away pieces of tile that flowed upwards with the other splinters up the course of her legs. And then a jumble of… many? A knot of tangled people and limps crawling along the ceiling and walls. Chres took a step back. The usual conflicting intruding thoughts flowing into his mind. THIS. IS. NORMAL. Chres brushed the thoughts aside, accepting them. The Nashep-Natjier grabbed one of the supports of the banister guarding the ramp downwards from the second floor. She kicked at it, snapping it free and breathed out. The wooden support transformed into a spear. [color=springgreen]”It seems some of Xyrlos’s monstrosities have caught up with us.”[/color] She looked to the others. [color=springgreen]”This is why the Cutlerware is dangerous. It heavy handedly changed the nature of what is and what should be, and then shoves it down your throat. Do not fight the thoughts flowing through your mind. Accept them.”[/color] She then stared warily at the weeping woman with the splinters of things jutting out from her skin. [color=springgreen]”That one seems exceptionally dangerous. Whatever you do, do not let her touch you!”[/color] Chres frowned as he faced off the creatures. [color=00aeef]”Nia, I think you best get to work and find those keys.”[/color] The knot of limbs and people turned its many heads at Chres’s words and looked at Nia. With a loud screech, it leapt from the walls, launching itself at Nia’s face.