Debauchery of a Soul-Eating Wraith

***

-Larnak's Lording Hall-

-Half an Hour Earlier to Evian's Realization-

Herbert Larnak did not just accept the Snitch's word at face value.

First, there was silence in the hall...

Partly due to disbelief and partly because Herbert wished to let what he had just heard set in.

"What's your name?"

"Minks, My Lord." the man replied in a groveling tone.

"How certain are you of what you speak?"

Minks nodded with certainty.

"My Lord I will never dream of making such a thing up."

Minks was sure of the information he held. He had just now been motivated to reveal what he knew out of fear of what the coming Turf war would cost him.

Lord Larnak's brows furrowed still struggling with what he had heard.

"I know Viyeen Complex. It belongs to Erik Lockheart... He still conducts business there... He still pays the required taxes." he mumbled.

Minks shook his head.

"It's all a lie. They are all in on it. It's all a trick- A front.

The Custodian of the Mansion, a man by the name of Gillert spearheads the Crew."

"This is-" Larnak started to say before he shook his head.

Minks took a step toward and pressed.

"My Lord, I assure you, I do not lie.

It took a lot of work to even be sure. The infidels who work in the Estate pass information to the Complex with the use of checkpoints and assistance by 'local vendors' who act as intermediaries to not draw unnecessary attention to their dubious activities.

It's all a massive scheme."

Herbert stroked his jaw and he stared at the man hard- so hard, he caused him to shiver,

"If what you say is a Lie, there will be consequences."

Minks stood at attention, beads of sweat forming on his forehead,

"I swear it on my life!"

Herbert took that pledge serious.

Minks' life was on the line as the information he gave entered the process of verification. The whimpering snitch was taken all over the Estate pointing out those who he claimed were members of the Resistance.

The lot of them, all of whom lacked any cultivation prowess to boast about, were locked up and tortured to reveal what they knew.

The majority cursed out Minks' name, cursed out Herbert Larnak's as well, and still refused to let their work for the Resistance so far go in vain. Others were no less committed to the Resistance but unfortunately succumbed quickly to the pain and Cultivational pressure of individuals beyond their physical ability.

And yet, the sad truth was, their confessions were not needed.

Herbert Larnak, as Lord of his Territory had every tyrannical 'right' to show up at the Viyeen Complex, and take the torture to those who could potentially handle it but what would be the fun in that?

Weak as these Resistance-informants were, they had defied his rule and if there were any more of them within the grounds, he demanded to know who they were.

Also, punishing the powerless lot healed some of Herbert's bruised ego for having underestimated and overlooked them in the first place. Not once had he or the others who shared the illustrious Territory ruling name 'Larnak' considered they were being worked from the insides.

It was a level of oversight that could only be tagged as foolish.

Now to be fair, with how limited he had now learned the Resistance's Martial strength was, a few gleaned information hardly did them any good, but even still, the thought of them having such an advantage remained haunting.

Grabbing the armrests of his chair so hard they almost splintered, Herbert addressed the Captains now bowed before him.

"You know what to do."

While Amira nodded and looked somber and alert, Donan grinned and gripped his spear even harder.

The Spear-wielding Captain had been hoping for a chance to make up for his missed attack on Evian Stygian nights before and this just might be that chance.

"I do, My Lord. I will not let you down."

...

-Viyeen Complex-

*Bam*

"Ah, I give up!" Gryon said as he hit the table littered with maps of the Larnak Territory.

"It's still standing. So much for the 'Muscle of the Crew'," Carleine said as she eyed the table with a smile.

Gryon ignored her.

"No matter how I look at it, there's no way we can get it done. They'll be expecting us now. No way they don't have plans to counter everything we have to throw at them," he said and then sighed,

"I miss Evian."

"Where did he go, anyway?" Gillert asked while going through heist items stored inside a spatial pouch.

Gryon let out a snort.

"Who knows? He likes sneaking around, that one.

Besides, when I say I miss Evian, I mean the Real Evian. Not the Grey-haired new guy."

Ember's ears practically twitched at the undertones of dissatisfaction she could detect from the large man's words.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Gryon shrugged.

"You KNOW what it means. He's not the same."

"Of course, he's not. He lost his memory." Ember reminded him.

"So he says. A loss of memory doesn't change a person's personality." Gryon retorted.

"How would you know?"

"It's common sense, Ember.

Two days he's had with us. Two days he's spent getting to know the City, the Territory. The Old Evian would have real plans already and not be talking about something as foolish as robbing the Larnak Family Vault."

Ember shook her head.

"That might not be as foolish as you think." She said and caused even Gillert and Carleine to raise their brows.

Gryon laughed.

"What? You shut it down too when he brought it up."

"Gryon, that's enough," Gillert said quietly but firmly, "Plans or not, Evian is still an asset to our cause. We should appreciate that."

Gryon raised his palms.

"I appreciate it. He's just no longer the same, is all I'm saying."

"And that's a good thing," Carliene said with a smile, "He's much much better now. I mean, have you seen him? Really seen him? Taken a real good look at him?"

Gryon rolled his eyes aggressively and he would likely have said more had Gillert not raised his right hand to demand silence while he keened his hearing.

"What is it?" Gryon whispered but as he keened his senses, he heard and felt the disturbance that had caused Gillert to call for silence.

Ember and Carleine heard them as well;

For the first time since they had been using the Mansion as a hideout and subsequently named it Viyeen Complex, they were visited by Guards of the Larnak Estate and it didn't look like they were there on a courtesy visit.

Gillert took a deep breath and walked out to face the visitors while the rest of the Crew remained indoors in hopes they would not have to show their faces.

Those hopes were destined to be dashed.

Even before he saw the Squads awaiting his exit in the Mansion courtyard, Gillert's senses could already pick out the many Patrol squads that had surrounded the premises just waiting for anyone who dared try to escape.

The Guards who stood at the entrance of the Estate, all well below the Second Order had been smacked aside already with any replacements bound to have the good sense not to come over and undoubtedly lose their lives.

The Crew was on their own.

Captain Donan grinned when he saw Gillert.

"Gillert, I presume?"

Gillert nodded.

"Yes, I am Gillert. What brings-" he started but was quickly interrupted.

"Good. You already knew to show your pathetic face before you got called out.

This gives me hope that the process of your capture will be an easy one."

Gilbert smiled. A clear attempt to put himself at ease. It worked a little.

"Capture? How so? The business we conduct at this Complex is legitimate. Erik Lockheart..."

Donan interrupted with his voice raised.

"The business of heading a Resistance against your Lord is not Legitimate. You have a lot to answer for. Now do come quietly.

That's not a request. It's an order... For your own good, of course."

"The Resistance? What gave you that idea?" Gillert asked intent on still playing dumb while he eyed the encirclement trying to detect an opening he and the others could take advantage of.

Every single Guard on the Courtyard had the pressures of their Orders out and they were all Elites.

Learning from experience by dealing with Evian, it had been agreed that the Second Order Guards were of no use. They formed the majority of the siege around the Mansion but were properly interspersed with Third Order Elites.

"Cut the hullshit. The Jig is up!" Donan said and he slammed the butt of his Spear into the ground with a powerful *Thud!*

Almost as though the sound was a command, Elite Guards rushed into the building Gillert just come out of to ransack it and fish out other members of the Resistance undoubtedly lurking within.

*BANG!*

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

Following a loud sound of impact, at least three of the invading Guards were tossed out. All yelling at the pain of getting hit by powerful fists.

*Sksh* *Sksh*

The sounds of blades cutting through flesh followed before the three remaining members of the Crew showed their masked faces.

Gillert groaned at what he saw as impatience on his allies' part but he quickly became alert as a sharp spear tip came charging at his midsection.

---