ben_hassrath | for skremisher

for skremisher

[ The crumbling walls of Summerswind Palace are far from welcoming. The noblewoman that lived here is long dead, her heirs, long dead, every servant that every set foot inside this place, long dead. And here they are, tasked with being nothing more than scavengers, rummaging among the ruins for heirlooms and secrets. They were the sort of secrets the Ben-Hassrath would be interested in as well, the beginnings of many noble lines, weak points for more than one well-to-do house in Orlais.

Still, that didn't stop the place from giving him the creeps. There was something that just... wasn't right about it. It was a crypt in castle form, and in crypts there were spirits, and where there were spirits, there were demons. This does not deter him, if anything it gives him all the more reason to puff out his chest in front of his Chargers, lead the way into the ruined keep. Everything was draped in cobwebs and dust, and it's far less exciting than the sort of his excursions his men are used to. Still, it's a job that pays in both gold and information, and those are the more valuable, in the end. Bull signals Krem to him, pointing the others off in different directions. ]

We'll split up, cover more ground, that way. You all know what we're looking for.

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[The Chargers' jobs sent them to all kinds of places - a crumbling palace was far from ordinary but at the same time, there was very little to be considered ordinary about this place. Krem had seen the hair raise up on the back of Dalish's neck as they started to get closer, the woman no doubt feeling something there. She wasn't the only one. Even though Krem wasn't born with magic, he was still Tevinter - he could sense pieces of the Fade and spirits if it were close enough, being exposed to it all so regularly back in his homeland. It wasn't the strongest sense but it was just enough to keep him on edge.

Something wasn't right at all. Why did they come here of all places? Some things we better left untouched.]

Right - Chargers, keep your horns up and we'll regroup as soon as we can. No one moves alone here, always work in pairs or groups of three. I can't say what we're dealing with here but with luck, it's not going beyond giant spiders. Keep your guard up.

[He nodded towards their men and women, the Chargers all nodding and making a sound of acknowledgement in unison, heading off in the directions Bull had pointed them to. As they moved off, Krem remained still, staying put with the Qunari for a moment longer, until all the men were out of earshot.

He turned his attention towards his Chief, a grimace on his face as he looked up to him. He wanted a straight answer now that they were alone.]

You've said what we're after... But why do the Ben-Hassrath want it?

[Bull wouldn't have accepted a job in a place like this without a very good reason.]

[ Bull watches his Chargers fan out, begin to work their way through the palace, creeping out of sight. It isn't until he can no longer see them that Bull looks down at Krem, shaking his head. Officially, they're here for papers and trinkets, lost valuables of some noble line, but there's more to it than that, there always is. ]

There's something very... old, here. [ He sounds cautious when he speaks, as though simply talking about it is dangerous. ] Old, and powerful.

[ Just what it is, he can't truly say. The Ben-Hassrath know something is here, but not what that something is. That's for him to discover. ]

You and I will be looking for that.

[He knew there had to be something more to all of this. Krem folded his arms and tilted his head a little at the Qunari, looking a bit incredulous over it all - yet at the same time, there was something exciting about it all. In a way, it reminded him of times before the Chargers, when it was just himself and Bull, doing all they could.]

Of course there's something old here. [It was almost sarcastic the way he said it.] Dust, bones, trinkets from an old woman who's probably been around since Andraste was burnt at the stake.

Question is, what? [Krem allowed his arms to fall to his side, rolling his shoulders a bit as he looked around. He still sounded serious though, there was still something about this house that left him uneasy.] There's something in this house, Chief. I've lived in Tevinter long enough to know what a spirit feels like - and a demon, for that matter.

[ Just the word 'demon' makes Bull suck in a sharp breath, and he hates himself for it. Fucking Ben-Hassrath, sending him in to deal with demons... bastards. But this was his work, it had to be done, and no demon will ever get the best of The Iron Bull. ]

We'll find out, before too long.

[ Krem doesn't have to come with him on Ben-Hassrath business. It's an unspoken rule between them; Krem could leave and join the rest of the Chargers and Bull would think no differently of him for that. He's thankful, though, that most times, Krem chooses to stay. ]

Spooky crap like this is usually in the basement, or the attic. Your Vint-senses giving you a feeling either way?

[Vint-senses. There was a name. He snorted at it though and gave Bull a bit of a look.]

I'm not a mage, how am I supposed to know? [He grimaced and then looked down the hall, giving a shrug. He wasn't a mage, he couldn't outright sense the location of a spirit but he could sure go on a hunch.] I'd say we'd best check the basement... Have a feeling that in a place like this, it goes on forever.

[It was best they get exploring that as soon as possible. Even though Krem knew he could easily go join the others, he wasn't about to leave Bull's side. They were a team - always had been.]

Don't have a good feeling about this, Chief.

[He started to move down that hall, where a stairwell awaited them at the end. He glanced over his shoulder to the large Qunari, still a bit uneasy about this.]

Let's see where it takes us.

[Uneasy - but if it was important to Bull, he wasn't going to turn tail.]

Me neither.

[ Usually, the directive from the Ben-Hassrath isn't much more demanding then their order from the noble, kill something else, find some other valuable; but this is different. It gives him a chilly feeling, an unshakeable coldness that grips his body. Fear, he thinks, wanting to spit out the word like a bad taste in his mouth. ]

Basement it is.

[ The castle stretches upwards several stories, four, at least, but so is it built upon a steep hill. This gives him visions of a basement that stretches down far into the ground, with more floors below than it has above. Lots of evil things in basements, even regular ones.

He takes the lead in descending the first set of stairs, which lead to a plain wooden door, just barely hanging onto his hinges. He opens it and finds servant's quarters, or what used to be servant's quarters. It's dark, and dusty, the air heavy with the stench of old things. So far, at least, there's nothing immediately out of the ordinary. ]

[A sprawling, spiralling basement that went on for longer than any basement ought to. That was the vision Krem had - though whether that was true or not, they'd uncover soon enough. The young Lieutenant remained close to the Qunari, keeping only a step or so behind him as he looked around, watching either side of the staircase as they descended further into the dark. Faint light came from the windows above and the torches a few of the Chargers had lit on the upper floors but it still wasn't enough. The further they went, the less light they'd have.]

Wait a minute Chief. [As he opened the door to that dark servant's quarters, Krem brought his hand up to touch Bull's side, urging him to be still for a moment. He looked up to the man, just enough light to make out his features.] Be useless to have us fumbling in the dark. I've got an idea.

[From his pouch, Krem pulls out a pair of glowstones he'd gotten from Rocky some time ago - always useful things to have. He rubbed them together with his hands, urging them to light up - casting a faint yellow-red glow as they activated. The stones were small but they did the trick, casting that bit of light without having to worry about fumbling with torches. He held one of the stones up, shining it into the dark room.]

Be a little easier to take a look now...

[He held the stone up to examine the frame of the door - it was cracked and warped, twisted into a shape that wasn't right. Wide at the base, narrow in the middle, slightly wider at the top. The frame taped on one side, as though it had been broken and haphazardly repaired repeated times. The door looked like it had been all but hammered into place years ago, the hinges rusted and squeaking as Bull held it open. A gentle push would probably sent it to the floor.]

Think you can fit your horns through that frame? Or should I poke my head in there and take a look?

[ Krem catches the little things that he misses, now and then, the simple things, like a light source. It's one of the many reasons why he's glad to have Krem at his side in this, in everything he does. If it were Bull alone, he might be fumbling his way through the darkness instead. ]

Of course I can fit.

[ And if he can't, he'll find away to make it so. As it stands, with a little tilting of the head and some force, he can fit through the frame. It was clearly made for folk much smaller, but he makes it work. The servant's quarters are empty, and silent, a tomb with no corpses held within. The dust makes him cough, but otherwise, there's nothing remiss about this area. There's much more for them to explore. ]

Come on, there should be another door, something that goes to the dungeons.

[ In a place like this it'll be the servants quarters, then the dungeons, and then... he's not sure what, but they're going to find out. ]

Always with these dungeons...

[Krem muttered and shook his head after his own quick sweep of the servant's quarters. Nothing too unusual here - just a lot of dust. Dust, little spiders, the musty stench of old bedding and stale air. No one had been in here for years. Krem as content to keep it that way, quickly making his way out and after Bull, keeping his glowstones held high enough to see.

The yellow-orange light illuminated the shelves as they walked, dusty bookshelves, books in piles, discarded trinkets. Nothing worth much note, everything covered in too much dust and too many cobwebs to care for.

As Bull opened a few more doors and poked his great head into darkened rooms, Krem would shine a light where he needed it - through the Vint stuck to the halls outside. His interest piqued as his glowstone illuminated something on a shelf, the yellow-orange light reflecting something, a shine from some kind of jewel. Krem's brow furrowed, moving away from the door Bull was at and towards that shelf.]

And you said this woman was Orlesian, right?

[He raised the stone up, taking a step back as it revealed the source of that glimmer - a blackened, human skull with emeralds resting inside the sockets. The skull itself appeared to have bandages across it, darkened from age and grime. That gave it a blackened appearance. Bandages on a face, gems for eyes - a dusty old crown resting beside it. The skull had been mummified at some point. That only meant one thing.

Krem swallowed and looked over to Bull, hoping the man would have an answer.]

Why does she have a Nevarran skull?

[ So far, there's been nothing of particular interest. The whole place smells of decay, not human decay, but the way everything begins to waste away, eventually. Many of the books they pass look as though they'd fall apart if you dared lift the cover. It's all fine by him, let them ease in to whatever lies ahead, rather than be drenched in it immediately.

That hope, however, is short lived. Bull's prodding at a pile of rags that he swore he had seen move moments before. Nevarran skull. Death cult crap. Should he even be surprised anymore? He inhales slowly, as though exasperated, marching over to take a look at the thing himself. ]

Looks like the real thing.

[ He inspects it, but has no interest in touching the thing. Just looking at it was more than enough for him. ]

So, necromancy. I can't wait to see what's waiting for us below.

[Krem sure as hell wasn't touching that thing either - and he turned towards Bull, shining a piece of glowstone around them, another set of stairs nearby - almost obscured by one of the bookshelves.]

You really want to go deeper? We might be going a lot deeper than necromancy here, Chief. Would be surprised if we say all kinds of nasty--

[Krem suddenly froze up, a shiver going through his back. His body tensed sharply, eyes wide. His breath came in short, shallow gasps as he looked to Bull, swallowing hard.]

...There's something on me, Chief.

[All this talk of spirits and necromancy was quickly apporaching blood-magic levels. Who knew what kind of terrors lurked down here? Who knew what otherworldly beasts could be watching them, eyeing them? What kind of creatures could be trying to burrow into their skin and take possession of them? Krem was a Vint - he'd heard of magic that could do that. Now that they were in the dark reaches of a spooky, scary Orlesian ruin with Nevarran skulls, his imagination was starting to run.]

G-get it off me, Chief!

[His voice waved a little, pitch going higher as his eyes came up to Bull, pleading for the man to save him. He kept the arm he held the glowstones in up, slowly turning around, trying not to disturb whatever manner of unholy creature had chosen to latch on to his back. Slowly, slowly he turned --

And upon Krem's back was a larger than average spider - though it was still smaller than Krem's own hand. It was tangled in a cobweb, all but dancing all about the young warrior's back trying to get it off.]

[ Krem shouldn't feel too bad about the outburst, because it had set Bull on edge, made him alert, ready to strike. He was still looking for something deadly as Krem flailed, and is actually relieved to see that it's just a spider, despite the outburst. He swats at it with one hand, managing to knock the creepy crawly to the ground and swiftly stomping it beneath his boot. Sorry, spider. ]

I think I just saved your life, again.

[ He says it with a sort of shit eating grin, as if he hadn't been on high alert himself moments ago. He wants to laugh about it, but the cold feeling in his stomach prevents him from doing so, and the grin will have to suffice. He has another comment lined up, but it dies on his tongue, as the sound of a child crying echoes through the room. Bull turns his head sharply, thinking (hoping) that perhaps he was just imagining things.

The sound does not persist, and as far as he can see, nothing has approached them. But it has put him back on edge, and Bull looks to Krem, hoping more to be told that he's hearing things than for any sort of confirmation. ]

You... didn't hear anything just now, did you?

[Krem could have retorted. Krem could have swatted at his friend, given the Qunari a push and told him precisely where he could've shoved that spider he just swatted off. He didn't though - because his head immediately jerked in the direction of that wailing child, feeling a very steady and very real chill climb up his back.

He swallowed hard and slowly nodded, staring into the black abyss that was one of the rooms further down. He could feel his pulse quickening, breathing out through his nose as he slowly nodded, breaking his gaze away from the direction he heard the cry.]

I think I did. [If Bull was on edge, Krem was on edge. He took a small step forward, knowing they needed to investigate. Bull wasn't going to let that one go. Neither was Krem for that matter.

Nevarran skulls, wailing babies, random spiders - this better be worth it in the end. He glanced over his shoulder again towards Bull, moving forward with his glowstones, towards the stairs that led down further - where that crying had been heard.

He swallowed again, not yet ready to take that first step down. It was maybe a foolish thing to ask but it was out of his mouth before he could even scold himself for asking-]

Y'think there's ghosts here, Chief?

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