Plotting

[Rhaine]

The room was in charcoal, silver, black tones, with dark blue and cyan accenting lights. A large table had maps, notes, and a laptop on it. Rhaine's study was located at the top of one of three Temple spires, so the view was magnificent - one-way transparent crystal dome allowed to see mist-covered mountains, fuzzy green of forest, and far away - hazed steppes. This scenery was dissected by sharp blackness of "claws" that adorned the spire like a crown.

The rift opened silently, bypassing the circles of intense warding. Something was blinking on laptop already, and Rhaine looked at the message, directing her hand at the laptop and forcing the message to open as a hologram.

"As always - I leave it for a day, and work piles up like..." she sighed, masking her comment with this sigh. The comment was obviously of "less pleasant class".

"That's the nature of the beast," spoke emerald-eyed shifter that followed her through the rift. A soft smile graced his lips as he spoke. "It is never done and when you think you're done, there is always more to do."

She looked through the note. It was a list of names, against something that appeared to be a location name, with a description that sounded like that of a rich and potentially industrial area. "A reward for a duty done, is power for doing a new duty. Baatorian way. And here as I suspected..." she frowned, fingers tracing a few lines on the hologram. "Three out of four major families in this district have their sons currently imprisoned for attempted murder. They challenged young initiates of the Temple, and used poisoned weapons. I wish to stop these foolish attempts, but not losing these people. These families basically control Var Datha district, and it's valuable for integrity of country we're... slowly converting."

"It is not unusual for the young of a powerful family to feel they are beyond retribution. Using poisoned weapons can be twisted to look dishonorable and that it shows their own weakness if they could not best opponents with their own natural prowess. If you present it to their parents in that regard, that they disgraced the family name with their actions not with what they did, but the how. You could get the parents to agree on a form of punishment," Artemus spoke soflty and raised a hand to lightly rub at her shoulders, answering her question as best he could with the information offered, and in a way that blue bloods would understand as well.
It was a good idea, and with minimum adaptations it could work. Rhaine wasn't arrogant enough to deny it, even if it wasn't hers.

"I will see if I can make it semi-official. It has to pass by the central Council of their country, at least by the three Grand Dukes. They need to have an illusion of being fully in control of the situation," she said, smiling to Art.

Definitely, the shifter needed more information about G'fenvass. She could not stand being alone on these missions, surrounded by obedient followers and bored to death by this obedience.

"Just an effect you have on me - adding more confidence than anything can..." she murmured, turning to face Artemus and wrapping her arms around his waist. "I'd need to plan arguments for the talk with these dhoine. But that can wait. Would you wish to get more information about G'fenvass, to help me deal with it?"

"Of course, love," he brushed a lock of hair from her eyes. "And there is nothing wrong with being confident. It is a trait many respond to and others look up to."

Pulling a map, Rhaine smiled to Art. "At the moment, at least one country in G'fenvass is fully and completely under protection of Temple of Asmodeus. We have eliminated a worship of false deity there, and now are working at spreading influence"

"Maedd, I remember," and he did remember. Actually, the consequences of Rhaine's duel with Maedd led to their reunion. "Best way to spread influence is with rumors, charismatic individuals strategically placed to speak to small groups individually," he smiled a bit as his hand lighlty ran up and down her side.

"Something we have already done. Our agents work here.." priestess encircled a good area to the west and another to the north from area already "protected". "The southerners... a confusing place, hard to find agents to work in a country full of damn pointy-eared"

"Glad you're a step ahead of me. Elves in the south?" a frown darkened his face a bit. "That place may need to be given up as hopeless. Not sure how many of the fae folk would go for a dark deity such as Asmodeus. The only hope you'd have of getting influence there would be your more young and headstrong elves, under 200 or so."

"Precisely. We did have some elves serving Him in Clandestine, but... it was a long time ago. You think it can work? We will try," she looked at him again.

"Its worth a shot, besides. They're a bunch of elves, what do you really have to lose?"

"Pleasure of seeing garlands of cut off pointy ears?" Rhaine chuckled at the imaginary picture.

"Getting the youth, still leaves the older ones to get your garland," Art's smile felt like a drink of brandy, it streamed warmingly, touching her very soul.

"Yesss. And might give them nice internal problems...." she grinned, with the impish mischief and sneaky expression of fun-plot-player.

"Exactly," Art winked. "I'm more than the pretty face I put myself to be. But lets keep that between you and me."

"Of course... " an idea rushed through her mind, quick like a lizard. "You know, love... youngsters usually just adore a chance of showoff..."

"Yes they do, therein lies your point of influence."

Rhaine's eyes sparkled with excitement. "And lure some pointy-eared younglings into a trap... these kids love swordplay. Do you think what I think?" she purred, looking into the emerald eyes of feline shifter, with a wicked fire sparkling in deep midnight blues.

[Rhaine]

Rhaine returned to her study in the Temple. Crysal dome of ceiling darkened, keeping sun from blazing into her overly sensitive eyes. She was happy to remove the disguise shell. Golden tan color of skin, unhuman deep, glowing, gem-like pupilless whiteless eyes... Eyes that remained blind to normal visible spectrum no matter what she did.

She sat down in a deep, comfortable charcoal-colored armchair, and chilling touch of Presence spread over her, filling each quasi-cell of her body. Long time ago she feared these moments - but these times were gone. Now she embraced them.

My Lord...

She felt the images of meeting with Sith rushing before her eyes. Blazing bright, almost painful. Pain coursed through quasi-veins. Punishment came, and she accepted it willingly, for she knew she was guilty.

Yes, Lord. I realize...

An image of antimagic shell around her figure in her visions. But the shell didn't protect her, it was caging her. Figurine of Rhaine in the vision tried to struggle out of the shell, and Sith was mauling on it.

Yes, Lord. I realize I was defending and showing minimum and thus allowed him to beat on me. This is a hazardous habit I must get rid of, I shall try, Lord... Masquerade of Bound saves our lives, but my life belongs to You... My mistakes shall be corrected.

A feeling of cruel, cold laughter. Laughter that echoed through her, a voice from... Beyond. From Nessus. No fear. Fear is something that was burned out ages ago, in the searing pain of initiation. She was withstanding the Presence with the trained and open silence. I'm yours, Lord. Yours. I'm open to your wrath. She knew it was a test, one small test any of them had to pass. It could end in an eternity of paying for a mistake, or...

Image of emerald-eyed shifter floated before her eyes. Red ribbons wrapped in bows around the picture of Artemus.

And she realized that she passed the test. And was given a new one.