#thethirdseat

      This man...his beloved. How time had been cruel to him. His very soul seemed broken, no longer alight and bright as it once was. What a mess. To be rattled from his dark slumber only to be reawaken in a cell the very next moment in a world wholly unfamiliar to him, where men in dark steel all lined the outside of his new abode. Confused and disoriented, he had lifted his head. But this, he who stood between the dark colored men now...was a sight near incomprehensible.

“Your eyes...how they’ve all but lost their glow. Is this truly you, my Hades?” Hythlo asked from the opposite side of the glass that kept them apart. He stayed in the middle of his cell, like a cat uncertain of it’s new owner, untrusting. Could one blame him in his state? When the soul one knew for millennium now looked so distorted and tainted. Twisted. 

It's very unlike Hythlodaeus to stay late at the Bureau. He works hard, certainly, a fact he enjoys keeping to himself, but he does not work to the point of exhaustion.

Usually.

In an unprecedented turn of events, that is exactly what he’s done today. He’ll blame the students who let their awful (now denied) concept loose in the building this morning. Now, though, he can hardly keep his eyes open to study the paperwork in his hands. Any bit of irritation has faded to pure ambient emotion, a light swimming fog around his soul. He needs to file for repairs— Repairs he couldn’t help with after expending too much aether catching the damned creature. He would eat dinner when he finished, he’d told himself. Too late.

        𝐇𝐞’𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞’𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝.  Though  well  should  he  have  known  such  an  outcome,  still  he’d  protested  beneath  the  silk  trappings  of  Radz-at-Han,  sweat  still  gathering  at  the  base  of  his  neck.  Ambushed  not  by  any  enemy  of  the  Satrap  or  of  the  Scions,  but  one  of  his  very  own,  his  closest  confidant  and  friend.  Said  friend  pleading  with  him  alongside  a  ‘new  old  friend’  as  he’d  taken  to  introducing  himself  with  far  too  much  amusement  in  his  eyes.  He’d  misliked  the  man  from  the  very  first,  recognizing  him  from  that  strange  spectacle  upon  Ultima  Thule.  From  the  words  exchanged  he’d  thought  it’d  be  the  last  he’d  seen  of  him.  

                Him  and  his  most  surly  companion  who  accompanies  him  now.  For  a  being  of  nigh  unimaginable  power,  this  Emet-Selch  certainly  looked  as  put  upon  as  he  and  from  that  along  with  the  strange  rapport  he’d  borne  witness  to  between  the  sorcerer  and  the  Warrior’s  other  new  friend,  do  a  number  pieces  of  a  peculiar  puzzle  slide  into  place.  He  stops  short  in  his  tracks  with  a  sigh,  ‘tis  one  thing  to  have  a  travelling  companion  on  his  ventures,  yet  to  have  one  who  seemed  to  sap  all  joy  by  mere  existence  and  darken  even  the  sunniest  of  afternoons,  he’d  rather  not  bother  at  all.

"I don’t know why you’re complaining Emet-Selch,” Venat offered cheerfully, wiping a glob of slime off her robes and flicking it away into the grass beside her. “Neither of us died! So, obviously we were successful at subduing the creature and saving the researchers!”

Granted, they may not have needed saving if she hadn’t been poking at things she shouldn’t be, but one never learned without poking at unidentified holes! Looking at the gaggle of researchers taking copious notes over the slime being’s carcass, they were clearly excited about all this new information they’d obtained.

A pause, and Venat reached over and up to lift a bit of slime off his shoulder.

    it hasn’t been long since he acquired the new title of emissary and he had already brought himself on a pedestal not only thanks to his impressive attitude towards work-related things , but also because he seemed to like acting as a sort of guiding light to any lost soul ... even if it meant snooping into more private business -- business that had nothing to do with him , nothing to do with the convocation itself .   he didn’t know the members quite well , yet he could recite their titles and their roles by heart .

    and disputes ... he didn’t tollerate any of the sort . but loghrif stated it clearly , and her tone remained banging in his head even hours after the debate .

    the young emissary regarded the esteemed emet-selch with lips curved in a pout , frowning . that might be because not a soul dared intervene , yet not a single soul dared warn him . with arms crossed to his chest , elidibus sighed .   “ i wish i knew it sooner . i cannot bear the thought of upsetting a member of the convocation -- that is outrageous ! ”

   “It’s good to see you my dearest Hades.’‘

 Amethyst eyes glittered with a soft happiness only Hades could bring him and with a soft giggle would he reach up to playfully pat the others sharp cheek.

Blows raspberries against his stomach.