Shrike7: Alberik nodded, glancing around the room at the captive orcs and freed slaves, as well as the rest of her unit. "Stay here and guard them, they shouldn't be left alone, and this sounds beyond the capability of blades, I fear. Anya's in charge. I realize I'm leaving you without an illusionist, do what you can to rejoin the battle, but stay safe. Anya's in charge." She told the group, her tone somber as she turned to follow the sphinxes, turning her attention to them. "What can you tell me of the being above us?" She asked once they were in the hall and out of earshot.
HME220: The soldiers looked somewhat offput by her instructions to guard the captured orcs, but no one raised any objection. Anya, however, had a question; "Should we try to rejoin the rest of our forces then?" Once that was answered, Alberik was free to leave, following the sphinxes up as they crept away. It was the kinder of the two that answered her; "It is a thing from another time. An older being, like us but of greater might. It is sealed, but the orcs have discovered it, and the lord of this place makes use of it to empower his men. It, in turn, has manipulated him into slowly working towards betraying his king."
Shrike7: "If you can do so and ensure the safety of both the former slaves and your captives, then yes. I will maintain the magic on you as long as I can, but try not to rely on it, I won't be able to warn you before it fades." Alberik answered, leaving the room and it's occupants under Anya's discretion. She listened to the sphinxes, eyebrown lifting in surprise at the description. "What are it's own goals, if left to it's own devices? Such a being could prove to be a powerful ally, if it can be trusted."
HME220: "I cannot be sure, but an obvious supposition would be release from its prison. I would advise against trusting it..." the more affable sphinx said, at which point the other interjected; "Leave the outsider to her own fate! Her actions are her own to decide." The first sphinx frowned, but continued in a somewhat less clear manner; "Such a being is likely to look after itself first, and its allies second. This should not surprise you."
Shrike7: "it doesn't surprise me, but i do like to hope, on occasion." She answered, glancing towards the snappier of her temporary companions. "Freedom would of course be the bargaining chip, But if I can't be assured of it's word, then I doubt I would risk such." She confirmed, glancing down side halls as they passed. Seemed they had made it above the worst of the fighting, at least, they hadn't encountered anyone else yet.
HME220: "A prudent way of thinking of things," the sphinx replied. The lack of encounters lasted as Alberik and her two inhuman counterparts climbed up the steps, at least for a good while. There was one point, when they literally walked into a group of orcs prepping for battle, but before the commander could even get more than the first word off the crueler of her summoned creatures simply opened its mouth and unleashed a wave of flame upon them. The orcs were killed, left as little more than charred husks before they could even reach for their weapons. Soon enough they arrived at a doorway, and the sphinxes paused as the kinder of the strange fae turned and said; "The commander of this place lies behind this door. Prepare yourself."
Shrike7: Alberik let out a small gasp at the suddenness of the encounter, casting a quick glance over the corpses bt realizing nothing useful was liable to survive that. She nodded when told to prepare herself, casting a quick spell and causing an aura of light around herself, fading over a few seconds as it sunk into her until it was barely noticable. "Ready as I'm going to be, i think." She answered, bracing herself slightly as the pair ahead of her opened the door, following them in if nothing jumped out at them.
HME220: The door opened (or rather smashed down) to reveal the orc that Alberik had seen across the wall back when she'd been maintaining her disguise, accompanied by a quartet of orcs in a wave formation, clad in full plate and already hefting weapons she could discern immediately were enchanted. The two sphinxes separated upon prowling into the room, their eyes set on the figure across the room, some sixty feet from the door. "Ahhh, so some have made it here already?" the orc asked inquisitively, his voice possessing a distinction that Alberik hadn't heard from his kind before. "Have you come to take what's mine?"
Shrike7: Alberik followed the pair in, keeping herself just in from the door as she looked over those arrayed, her gaze settling on the speaker when he spoke. "I've come to take back what isn't. God's Reach belongs to the elves." She said simply, not making any agressive moves just yet. She kept her hand on the sword at her side though, to make them think she would rely on that first, if nothing else. "Use whatever you have up here to call off those below, and you and yours can leave unhindered through the gates, minus the slaves. We both have a more important enemy than each other, I'm not interested in unnecessary bloodshed."
HME220: "Oh!" the orc exclaimed, amusement evident in both his features and in his voice. "Oh oh oh! You want this pile of rocks, do you? What ever for? Ahhh, the slaves... So you want the fortress, and the meat? What will you give me in return, hrm?"
Shrike7: Alberik stiffened slightly at the orc's response, the tendrils on her face twitching a few times before falling still. "I don't want either of them myself, I'm doing it for their own sakes. You raise a point, though. I already offer the end of the bloodshed happening right now, and free passage out. Aided elsewhere, if you require. Do you have any suggestions in particular, on top of that?"
HME220: "Oh, so you want to take them from me, but you don't want them? What are they for, then? Returned to a dead race, perhaps? No no no... You offer nothing I could not take by force. What will you-" the orc was cut off suddenly as the meaner sphinx angrily interrupted; "Enough of this!" She heaved back and prepared to unleash her breath, using the same spell he'd used before, and the orc simply scowled at her and waved his hand. With a wrench of magic, Alberik watched the gathered energies dissipate before the creature's deadly breath had even left her mouth, leaving the sphinx fairly thoroughly flustered. From the look of it, the orc was a capable mage... Which simply shouldn't be. "The adults are talking!" he said angrily, before turning back to Alberik and saying; "Now.... Where were we?"
Shrike7: The outsider didn't react to the show of force, except for a glance over to the sphinx to make sure it was unharmed, fluster aside, and a look at the apparent mage's entourage, to see what they thought of the development. "I hear tell of a time when Orcs were barely noticed as a race, as well. Tides swell and wane all the time, You would be wise to not discount the elves." She said slowly, a simple statement of fact. "As for what you can and cannot take, I feel that's up for debate as well. I'm not sure what all you're aware of, but the fighting has more or less stalled for now. Difference is, you aren't the side getting constant fresh reinforcements. I had hoped this all to go smoother, but orcs will be leaving God's Reach, and soon. It is up to you and I to set the state they leave in, I think."
HME220: "Aahhhh, wonderful! Confidence! I like it!" the orc said, clapping, and Alberik would notice the blank looks possessed by the orcs beneath their helmets as she searched for their reaction to his magics. "So, you think that you will succeed, and I believe wholeheartely that I will prevail! Interesting.... Well, it seems there's only one way to resolve this, correct?" Giving her a wry grin, he stepped forward and drew a rapier from a scabbard hanging at his side, "I surrender!"
Shrike7: The blank stares returned to her from his entourage was something of an inspiring sight, chances were they would be non-issues if the leader were indisposed. She drew her own blade when he did, settling into a defensive stance immediately. "Amusing." She said in retort. She lashed out with her mind instead of her blade, pushing her willpower against his in the hopes to end it crudely, but quickly.
HME220: Alberik's mind lashed out, and despite the length and difficult she might have expected, she found it surprisingly easy to overwhelm the orc's mind with her magic running to strengthen her will. He was left standing in place, a look of surprise frozen onto his face as she took control of his body. She clearly sensed another sort of presence there, and an extremely powerful one, but it was a very different sort of magic than her direct mind control, leaving her able to assert and maintain her will.
Shrike7: "Disarm yourself, order teh same of your minions." She said quickly, her mind focusing on the other presence, asking the sphinxes a single question before putting her entire focus onto it. "Can you bind them?" That hopefully handled, she focused on the presence. {You must be the being he discovered here.} She sent simply, waiting for a response.
HME220: The orc promptly dropped his sword and said; "Drop your weapons immediately!" The orc knights did so, though they continued to stand stiffly before them. "Yes~" the kinder sphinx replied smugly to her question, allowing her to then concentrate on the orcs while the two faeries conjured vines to hold the orc warriors and mystical chains to hold the caster. When she attempted to contact the greater presence, it struck back immediately and viciously like a readied serpent, trying to lash its way into her mind. Thankfully, however, Alberik was readied against it despite the surpising speed and ferocity, and it pulled back and began to do the psionic equivalent of circling slowly around her. {I was not discovered here... But you are correct.}
Shrike7: Alberik grunted slightly when the thing lashed out, keeping her defenses in place. {The orcs below will no longer be of use to you. Cease whatever aid you're providing them, and let's see if there can be an accord between us instead.} She offered, glancing to her allies as they worked. "It's speaking to me, can you bolster me somehow? The thing is strong indeed." She spoke, barely above a whisper. It wasn't that she thought the being would hear, she was certain it could, that was simply all the attention she was willing to spare at the moment, keeping herself ready in case it lashed out again. "Yourselves as well, just in case."
HME220: Her command drew a snort from the irritable sphinx, who promptly strode up and touched its nose to her cheek. Magic washed over Alberik instantly, incredibly powerful magic that buffered her will like a spell she might spend massive chunks of her energy to cast. {Before we bargain.... Where are you from?}
Shrike7: Alberik let out a breath when she felt the magic rush through her, relief following with it. {I will answer with what i know, if you will answer the same question.} She replied. If it agreed, she continued. {I am not fully certain. Nowhere known, at the very least. Perhaps a when, more than a where. I'm called the Outsider, to some.}
HME220: {Agreed, adding the stipulation that my answer is of similar quality to match your own.} The strange voice replied promptly, and there was a general sense of displeasure about the being after her explanation about herself. {That... Is not informative at all. Not in a useful sense, at any rate, and so I will give you a similar answer; I am older than this fortress, built so long ago, and a man whom some have referred to as a god. Perhaps, however, a rephrasal of the question is in order; What has prompted you to come here? Why do you oppose the orcs?}
