05-16-2018, 05:45 AM
Many years had passed since the day of Erik’s adoption, the young, quivering boy gradually becoming a formidable psychic in service of the mad God. The psychic was in bed on one particularly frosty morning, even more so than most mornings in the north. A knock on his door roused the reluctant cultist from his slumber, his sister’s voice calling to him through the door.
“Erik! Wake up, father is calling for you!” Freya called, her voice obscenely cheery for the bitter morning, as always.
“I’m coming.” Erik replied groggily as he climbed out of bed. The psychic’s chambers were comfortable enough, as to be expected of the room of an elder’s son, but sometimes Erik couldn't help but dream of what his quarters would be like if he was part of a less monastic cult. The psychic slipped on his tunic and trousers before donning his mindbreaker cloak. Mageslayer hung faithfully at his side, just as it had done everyday since he had forged it on his tenth birthday.
The psychic yawned as he opened his door and stepped outside, his yawn cut short by sudden shivering as the cold air hit him. Freya grinned at him brightly despite the chill, manic joy ever present in her slightly violet tinted eyes.
“I thought you'd never get up.” She said, moving next to her brother as they walked down the quiet halls of their home.
“You can feel the cold as much as I can, surely you didn't find it easy to get up?” Erik replied in his typical monotone.
“The only chill I'm feeling here is from you.” The priestess teased. Despite being adopted siblings, Erik and Freya couldn't have looked more alike, nor could they be much closer had they been related by blood. Both were thin and pale, with similar shades of brown hair and blue eyes, although Freya’s heavy use of psi had stained her irises a slight purple. The pair spent much of their time together when not occupied with something else, although being busy was a common occurrence for mindbreakers of noble descent.
“What does father want?” Erik inquired. He hadn't done anything wrong, but a faint sense of nerves always seemed to bore into Erik whenever his father wanted to speak with him privately. When you were as busy as Magnus Vrell, one on one talks rarely happened without good cause.
“I was told he has a job for you.” Freya replied, sending a shock of relief through Erik. “Something about the tombguards.”
“Hmm? The death priests?” Erik inquired. The mindbreaker temple city was built in close proximity to another belonging to a cult of the death God, albeit a much smaller one. Through means lost to history, the severely less populated tombguard cult fell under both the protections and the influence of the much more powerful mindbreaker order, and interactions between the two cults were common.
“You’ll soon find out.” Freya said, as the pair neared Magnus’ office. Erik reached for the door handle, but Freya stopped him before he could open the door. “He wanted Brynhild here, too.”
“So it's probably not going to be a quiet day, then?” Erik mused at the new information. Brynhild was his retainer, a handpicked bodyguard and friend to stay by his side at all times, just in case. While tough, spirited and determined, the girl wasn't the greatest at the ‘all times’ part of her job. “Should I go look for her?”
“No need.” Freya said, her eyes flashing with violet energy for a moment. “She’ll be here in three, two-” Before the priestess could finish her sentence, the sound of frantic footsteps became audible down the hallway. The retainer shot around the corner before skidding to a halt before Erik, panting hard.
“Erik… You shouldn't... do that... to me…” The blonde mindbreaker said between heavy breaths. “I nearly had a heart attack, I thought you'd been abducted!”
“And where were you?” Erik asked. “Our rooms are next to each other for a reason, you must have heard Freya.”
Brynhild’s face flushed red as she averted her gaze. “I was indisposed.” She said, which Erik took to mean that she was in the bathroom, not an uncommon occurrence.
“No matter.” Erik said. “Although one of these days I might actually be assassinated while you're ‘indisposed.’”
“Don't say that, it makes me too nervous to use toilet.” She replied.
“Well, I'd best be going.” Freya cut in. “Good luck, you two.”
“Thanks, Freya.”
“Thank you, Lady Freya.”
“Well, let's see what this is about.” Erik said as he knocked on the door of his father’s study.
“Come in.” The gruff voice of Magnus Vrell called from within. The two younger psychics entered the office, meeting the harsh gaze of the mindbreaker elder. “Welcome, Erik, Brynhild.”
“Hello father.”
“Greetings, elder Magnus.”
“I asked you here for a very important job.” Magnus said as he crossed his arms, cutting an imposing figure even while seated at his desk. “You are familiar with Minerva Auger, correct?”
“The sister of the tombguard high elder, that Minerva Auger?” Erik asked, a sinking feeling manifesting in his stomach. The psychic had never met the girl but his relationship with her brother, Marcus Auger was somewhat tense, especially after the witch he was attempting to woo destroyed half a dozen buildings in a magical nova, receiving an ‘I told you so.’ from Erik.
“You don't hear about many other Minervas this far north, do you? Anyways, one of our priests extracted a piece of information from a captured mage about an assassination plot on the girl, and you two, are going to the tombguard necropolis to make sure it doesn't happen.” Magnus said grimly. “And please, try to be a little conspicuous. We want them caught and executed, not just scared off.
“Of course, father, we’ll leave for the city as soon as possible.” Erik said.
“Very well.” Magnus Vrell said, nodding slightly as Erik and Brynhild turned to leave. “Oh, and if you see your brother, can you send him and his retainers here, please?”
“Which one?” Erik asked, turning to face the elder.
“Sigurd. Didn't Freya tell you that I've already spoken to her and Ormund?” Magnus said, a slight hint of surprise in his stony face.
“She didn't, and I will. I’ll see you within the week, father.” Erik called back as he and Brynhild left the room.
“I hope so…” The elder psychic said quietly when his son was out of earshot.
Once they were far enough away from Magnus’ office, Brynhold sighed with relief.
“Thank Gal’skap, he didn't say anything about me leaving you unguarded.” She said. Magnus was notoriously strict about his retainers protecting his children with every inch of their being, despite the fact that every Vrell was a formidable fighter in their own right. So far, Brynhild’s early morning lapses in vigilance had gone unreported to the elder, despite their frequency.
“Maybe I should say something.” Erik said, shooting a sideways glance at the girl. “Surely that will encourage you to hold it in until I wake up.”
“Erik! That's not funny.” She hissed as they approached the intersection of a corridor.
“Are we discussing Brynhild’s morning episodes in the chamber pot?” Erik’s younger brother, Sigurd said as he rounded the corner, a grin plastered on his face.
“Lord Sigurd, not you too!” Brynhild groaned as the sandy haired Vrell chuckled.
“Morning, brother.”
“Good morning, Erik, Bryndhild. Where are you two off to?” Sigurd asked curiously. “Not traipsing off together, are we?”
“Not this again.” Erik said, his expression darkening, drawing giggles from the younger Vrell. Typically being the elder sibling would earn some respect, but Erik was only six months Sigurd’s senior, so it didn't count for much between the brothers. Brynhild blushed violently at the remark, only amplifying Sigurd’s laughter.
“Oh, by the way, father wants to see you.” Erik said, having learned to silence his brother’s ribbings over the years.
Sigurd’s laughter was cut short by Erik’s announcement. “He isn't upset, is he?” Of the four Vrell children, Sigurd was easily caught in hot water with their father the most, largely due to not showing enough respect to the other elders and their families.
“I assume he just has a job for you, although only Gal’skap knows what he might say. Bring your retainers with you, too.” Erik said. Although most elders and their children only had one retainer, Magnus saw fit to give Sigurd three, solely to try to keep him in line. While it was moderately successful, the boy had surprising success in slipping away from his guards.
“Ah, ok, thanks.” Sigurd said as he dashed off to find his retainers.
“Father will kill him when he finds out he slipped away again.” Erik said, drawing a giggle from Brynhild. “Come on, let's get going quickly. I'm eager to see what Marcus has been up to while we’ve been gone.”
“Erik, please, we don't need any more buildings burning down.” Brynhild said. The hardest part of her job wasn't when someone tried to kill Erik, it was when he was around the young tombguard man.
“Hey now, that was the witch, not me.”
“What about the other time?”
“Well… Let's just go, okay?”
“Erik! Wake up, father is calling for you!” Freya called, her voice obscenely cheery for the bitter morning, as always.
“I’m coming.” Erik replied groggily as he climbed out of bed. The psychic’s chambers were comfortable enough, as to be expected of the room of an elder’s son, but sometimes Erik couldn't help but dream of what his quarters would be like if he was part of a less monastic cult. The psychic slipped on his tunic and trousers before donning his mindbreaker cloak. Mageslayer hung faithfully at his side, just as it had done everyday since he had forged it on his tenth birthday.
The psychic yawned as he opened his door and stepped outside, his yawn cut short by sudden shivering as the cold air hit him. Freya grinned at him brightly despite the chill, manic joy ever present in her slightly violet tinted eyes.
“I thought you'd never get up.” She said, moving next to her brother as they walked down the quiet halls of their home.
“You can feel the cold as much as I can, surely you didn't find it easy to get up?” Erik replied in his typical monotone.
“The only chill I'm feeling here is from you.” The priestess teased. Despite being adopted siblings, Erik and Freya couldn't have looked more alike, nor could they be much closer had they been related by blood. Both were thin and pale, with similar shades of brown hair and blue eyes, although Freya’s heavy use of psi had stained her irises a slight purple. The pair spent much of their time together when not occupied with something else, although being busy was a common occurrence for mindbreakers of noble descent.
“What does father want?” Erik inquired. He hadn't done anything wrong, but a faint sense of nerves always seemed to bore into Erik whenever his father wanted to speak with him privately. When you were as busy as Magnus Vrell, one on one talks rarely happened without good cause.
“I was told he has a job for you.” Freya replied, sending a shock of relief through Erik. “Something about the tombguards.”
“Hmm? The death priests?” Erik inquired. The mindbreaker temple city was built in close proximity to another belonging to a cult of the death God, albeit a much smaller one. Through means lost to history, the severely less populated tombguard cult fell under both the protections and the influence of the much more powerful mindbreaker order, and interactions between the two cults were common.
“You’ll soon find out.” Freya said, as the pair neared Magnus’ office. Erik reached for the door handle, but Freya stopped him before he could open the door. “He wanted Brynhild here, too.”
“So it's probably not going to be a quiet day, then?” Erik mused at the new information. Brynhild was his retainer, a handpicked bodyguard and friend to stay by his side at all times, just in case. While tough, spirited and determined, the girl wasn't the greatest at the ‘all times’ part of her job. “Should I go look for her?”
“No need.” Freya said, her eyes flashing with violet energy for a moment. “She’ll be here in three, two-” Before the priestess could finish her sentence, the sound of frantic footsteps became audible down the hallway. The retainer shot around the corner before skidding to a halt before Erik, panting hard.
“Erik… You shouldn't... do that... to me…” The blonde mindbreaker said between heavy breaths. “I nearly had a heart attack, I thought you'd been abducted!”
“And where were you?” Erik asked. “Our rooms are next to each other for a reason, you must have heard Freya.”
Brynhild’s face flushed red as she averted her gaze. “I was indisposed.” She said, which Erik took to mean that she was in the bathroom, not an uncommon occurrence.
“No matter.” Erik said. “Although one of these days I might actually be assassinated while you're ‘indisposed.’”
“Don't say that, it makes me too nervous to use toilet.” She replied.
“Well, I'd best be going.” Freya cut in. “Good luck, you two.”
“Thanks, Freya.”
“Thank you, Lady Freya.”
“Well, let's see what this is about.” Erik said as he knocked on the door of his father’s study.
“Come in.” The gruff voice of Magnus Vrell called from within. The two younger psychics entered the office, meeting the harsh gaze of the mindbreaker elder. “Welcome, Erik, Brynhild.”
“Hello father.”
“Greetings, elder Magnus.”
“I asked you here for a very important job.” Magnus said as he crossed his arms, cutting an imposing figure even while seated at his desk. “You are familiar with Minerva Auger, correct?”
“The sister of the tombguard high elder, that Minerva Auger?” Erik asked, a sinking feeling manifesting in his stomach. The psychic had never met the girl but his relationship with her brother, Marcus Auger was somewhat tense, especially after the witch he was attempting to woo destroyed half a dozen buildings in a magical nova, receiving an ‘I told you so.’ from Erik.
“You don't hear about many other Minervas this far north, do you? Anyways, one of our priests extracted a piece of information from a captured mage about an assassination plot on the girl, and you two, are going to the tombguard necropolis to make sure it doesn't happen.” Magnus said grimly. “And please, try to be a little conspicuous. We want them caught and executed, not just scared off.
“Of course, father, we’ll leave for the city as soon as possible.” Erik said.
“Very well.” Magnus Vrell said, nodding slightly as Erik and Brynhild turned to leave. “Oh, and if you see your brother, can you send him and his retainers here, please?”
“Which one?” Erik asked, turning to face the elder.
“Sigurd. Didn't Freya tell you that I've already spoken to her and Ormund?” Magnus said, a slight hint of surprise in his stony face.
“She didn't, and I will. I’ll see you within the week, father.” Erik called back as he and Brynhild left the room.
“I hope so…” The elder psychic said quietly when his son was out of earshot.
Once they were far enough away from Magnus’ office, Brynhold sighed with relief.
“Thank Gal’skap, he didn't say anything about me leaving you unguarded.” She said. Magnus was notoriously strict about his retainers protecting his children with every inch of their being, despite the fact that every Vrell was a formidable fighter in their own right. So far, Brynhild’s early morning lapses in vigilance had gone unreported to the elder, despite their frequency.
“Maybe I should say something.” Erik said, shooting a sideways glance at the girl. “Surely that will encourage you to hold it in until I wake up.”
“Erik! That's not funny.” She hissed as they approached the intersection of a corridor.
“Are we discussing Brynhild’s morning episodes in the chamber pot?” Erik’s younger brother, Sigurd said as he rounded the corner, a grin plastered on his face.
“Lord Sigurd, not you too!” Brynhild groaned as the sandy haired Vrell chuckled.
“Morning, brother.”
“Good morning, Erik, Bryndhild. Where are you two off to?” Sigurd asked curiously. “Not traipsing off together, are we?”
“Not this again.” Erik said, his expression darkening, drawing giggles from the younger Vrell. Typically being the elder sibling would earn some respect, but Erik was only six months Sigurd’s senior, so it didn't count for much between the brothers. Brynhild blushed violently at the remark, only amplifying Sigurd’s laughter.
“Oh, by the way, father wants to see you.” Erik said, having learned to silence his brother’s ribbings over the years.
Sigurd’s laughter was cut short by Erik’s announcement. “He isn't upset, is he?” Of the four Vrell children, Sigurd was easily caught in hot water with their father the most, largely due to not showing enough respect to the other elders and their families.
“I assume he just has a job for you, although only Gal’skap knows what he might say. Bring your retainers with you, too.” Erik said. Although most elders and their children only had one retainer, Magnus saw fit to give Sigurd three, solely to try to keep him in line. While it was moderately successful, the boy had surprising success in slipping away from his guards.
“Ah, ok, thanks.” Sigurd said as he dashed off to find his retainers.
“Father will kill him when he finds out he slipped away again.” Erik said, drawing a giggle from Brynhild. “Come on, let's get going quickly. I'm eager to see what Marcus has been up to while we’ve been gone.”
“Erik, please, we don't need any more buildings burning down.” Brynhild said. The hardest part of her job wasn't when someone tried to kill Erik, it was when he was around the young tombguard man.
“Hey now, that was the witch, not me.”
“What about the other time?”
“Well… Let's just go, okay?”
*The emperor of mankind yeets erik into a sun*
[Today 08:03 pm] Erik Vrell : Bruh
[Today 08:03 pm] The emperor of mankind : don't worship gods
[Today 08:03 pm] Erik Vrell : Bruh
[Today 08:03 pm] The emperor of mankind : don't worship gods