FriendsintheShadowsPartTwo

The cellar still stank of dank earth and sweaty bodies. It stank of old men hiding out, plotting out the fate of a nation cloistered within their shadowy stronghold. It stank of a plan, most likely suicidal, and most likely one which would involve him intensively. Rain heaved a sigh, cocked his head, and gave a dry expression.

"Let me get this straight," he started,"You want me to make contact with these Anathema, and make a deal with them? What do you want I should offer, my immortal soul?" Whitemane Vocal stood impassively before him, a half-smile playing on his lips as he eyed the much younger Exalt fuming before him.

"You don't think they can be trusted?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No I don't. They will be nothing but trouble for our plans, uncle. Their leader, the skin-changing sharkman, is a low-life pirate with a reputation of anti-Realm sentiments. His friend, the other skin-changing devil, is an Icewalker, I stake my life on it. I recognized one of the Dynastic traitors as Tepet Jasala, who was last seen fighting alongside her dead legions against the Bull of the North, and the other had all the markings of a Cynis. That doesn't exactly inspire confidance in me. They are loose cannons, and I think we should get word inside the Palace Sublime for a Wyld Hunt to be formed." The assembled surviving elders of Iselsi all shifted their weight a bit, giving each other looks of concern. Again it was Whitemane Vocal who spoke.

"We understand your hesitancy, young Rain. But understand the situation we face. Each day we come closer to having our last refuge, the Palace Sublime, moved to within the walls of the Imperial City, and certain death. Each day Mnemon and her house comes closer to their goal of our total elimination. And each day we lose another of our too few valuable agents to her machinations.

Now we have an edge. This Mako devil and his allies have done what we've been trying to do for years, in eliminating Mnemon Rofel. Now that he is in the same predicament as we, he'll be searching for allies. Mnemon won't hesitate to dispatch assassins to kill him and his companions, we must reach him first. You must make contact with them. If they can be reasoned with, then you must reason with them. This is the will of the elders. You know your duty. Do you accept?" There was a pause, as Rain looked at Vocal and the other elders. He knew that if he said no he would be liquidated, since they couldn't risk him leaking what he knew. At least if he said yes, there'd be a chance of survival at the hands of the Anathema. Looking Vocal right in the eyes, Rain spoke.

"I accept. If these devils can be dealt with, than I shall make the deal. What good is a soul for anyway?" Somewhere deep inside, Rain knew he was going to be eating those words.

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