Cypress hit the ground hard, shoulder taking most of the hit. He groaned, rolling onto his back and looking up to the ceiling. Or lack thereof. It was a giant chasm, high above a layer of churning smog that reflected the light back down like some kind of strange ceiling light. He did a quick sweep around the hallway, it was lavishly furnished in reds and golds, blazing scones lined the walls in perfect rows, a grand throne sat empty at the end of the corridor.

"Your smaller than I thought you'd be." A deep voice boomed. The vampire startled, hastily pushing himself into a sitting position on the plush red carpet even though it hurt his shoulder. Holy Veras-- wait don't finish that in his presence--

The fire and forge god sat-- no-- sprawled on the throne Cypress had sworn was just empty. At least the man assumed that's who he was, he'd never seen the god before, even though the god talked to his servants frequently (or so he had heard).

The celestial was intimidating, wings dark and leathery, like a giant bat. The flaming halo on his head almost too bright to look at, and heat radiated off of the god in waves, his large clawed hands grasping each side of the throne loosely as he leaned forward. His body looked like it was sculpted out of the mountains, rugged stone armor protecting a magma core.

Cypress quickly got to his feet-- wait wasn't he supposed to be dead? As if reading his thoughts, the god spoke up. "So your the vampire commander eh'?" The god's voice crackled and snapped like a campfire. "You've been the one flavoring my air."

"Excuse me?"

The celestial shifted in his throne, resting his head on one of his enormous hands, using the other one to motion vaguely towards the gaping hole in the ceiling. "All the smoke in Terreryn-- it comes here."

Oh. The bodies.

"Yes, don't worry, I quite like the smell of burned hair. It's fantastically appalling!"

Cypress shifted nervously on his feet, for once not having anything to say.

"No, yes your right, we should get this scene over with so the story can continue moving, my bad. Anyway! The reason your here and not in that slinky demons realm-- Ah--" A sheet of paper materialized in front of Verasil, but began to burn as the god went to grab it. Verasil hissed, clicking his tongue in annoyance and instead directing the paper to Cypress. "Here-- hold that. Yes towards me, no don't look at it!" The green eyed man obeyed, holding the scorched paper up for the fire god to see.

"Lets see...ah no wonder you aren't out of your mind. You killed your father?" The vampires grip unconsciously tightened on the paper. "He was a monster." "But still, with your own flames too?" The man hissed (weak compared to Verasils slithery tone) and crumpled up the paper, lighting it on fire. He yelped when instead of just catching the paper, his fire exploded in size before fizzling out (well atleast the paper was gone). Trying to maintain his composure Cypress did the one thing he was good at. He yelled at Verasil.

"Look, I don't know why I'm here but if its so you can critique my life, by the gods I will find some other way to die that doesn't involve a fire!" The vampire snapped.

Verasil rose from the throne, flames licking his golden halo, eye's burning brighter than the sun. "Now thats the attitude I'd been expecting from you."

Cypress realized just how bad of a situation he'd gotten himself in as the forge god advanced, every step making the carpet smoke under his feet. Verasil towered over the vampire, leaning in close. The heat was almost suffocating. "Tell me little commander-- how much do you really value the life you had? Weren't you just a glorified cleaning crew? " Cypress grit his teeth as Verasil grabbed his arm, hand so giant it engulfed the entire lowerhalf of his forearm. Something in Verasil's eyes told the man that the god had made a decision. "Be mine instead. " the celestial hissed, eye's almost literally burning into Cypress'.

It was a statement, not a question. God-dammit that was a statement! The vampire cried out as his forearm seared under Verasil's hand, the white hot pain being the last thing he felt before the god was gone and the Forges were back. Laughter echoed in the back of his mind, a little voice-- no a thought, in his mind musing the prospect of making the vampire fireproof. No, you'll be fine, as long as you die in a fire~~~

(I love him)

Soterra stared at the flaming man who had disappeared in the flame that had engulfed him and reappeared in the same fashion.
She wasn't sure what had just happened, not wanting to raise any questions.
Her surprise was enough to even put her hunger and fatigue out of mind as she found herself unconsciously stepping out of her hiding spot to get a closer look at him.

"Are.. you alright?"

Cypress instinctively went to put pressure on his wound, only to yank his hand back from the tender flesh. His skin was covered in a thin layer of black soot, but he could still see the shiny red scar tissue that stretched up his forearm and lazily curled around his elbow. A wandering flame.

He blinked viciously, his eyes felt like rocks in his head-- and he could still see Verasil's white hot eyes, the Forges grungier light provided little relief.

"Are.. you alright?" a female voice called out. His eyes met foreign purple ones. No wait...it was the elf-girl from the pub. Had she followed him? But why?

"Who are you, what are you doing here?" the vampire asked, commanding nature kicking in. Next to him Xleyth fretted. He could tell the older man wanted to interrogate him, or scold him, or cry, which one Cypress wasn't sure, but the overseer kept quiet.

crap double post, I meant to ask if you meant Verasil tho.

(yes Verasil is cool I like him
Big oblivious guy that doesn't realize he burns everything he touches)

Soterra flinched a moment at his tone before composing herself with a sigh.
"My name is Soterra Nazaryan. I am a scholar from Dreystan. I had followed you here with a question I meant for you that I didn't get the chance to ask earlier. But the shock of seeing you nearly die in front of me has blanked my mind on it.. Forgive me."
She certainly wasn't going to admit to knowing he was about to... Hm. Was that what Umbris meant about that instinct? That could come in handy.. If it wasn't so.. disconcerting.

She gave him a bit of a bow, her mind still searching for any explanation to the man's condition. It was almost as if his fatal wound no longer affected him.
Had.. his god saved him too? She had heard the talk of their servants in the land of man before.. But she put no real stock into it herself until her experience earlier today.

( Verasil: *literally only makes his servants read books to him* x'D Omg i can so see that.)

Cypress carefully rolled down his sleeve over his burn, wiping at his face with the end. No use, he was probably only smearing the soot around more.

He looked back up to-- Soterra-- as she finished her explanation. He eyed her up and down distrustfully before turning to Xleyth, keeping the elf in the corner of his vision. "If I were you I'd move the klutz back down to the first floor-- or put him on stoking duty." Cypress muttered to the Overseer. "I'm going to head to the barracks, make sure not a peep about this gets out." "But--" "Please."

The vampire finished with that final request, marching towards the staircase. He slowed down as he reached the girl. They stood staring at eachother for a few seconds until Cypress motioned for her to follow. (For good measure he shot a venomous look towards the klutz that killed him (for the second time in his "life"), who dropped something in fear.)

Soterra obliged, exhaling softly. "You have my word as well. Don't worry. I've been through my fair share of crazy experiences today as is.
We.. should probably find a healer for that wound though."

"No, it will heal on its own." The vampire cut, boots making dull taps on the stone floor. Cypress waited until they'd reached the exit to turn to the woman. "Why did you really come to Helihe? You should be in Ruskar-- or Sheibar, its much safer there for scholars. As I'm sure you know, we've been getting attacked on every coast-- and its only a matter of time before the attacks start inland."

"I know, I know. You don't have to tell me what people have long since already told me long before I left Dreystan.. But there are things you can only learn in enemy lands. My mind has been long made up.
My intentions were to originally travel through to Rostar after I had landed on the continent, but crossing through an active battlefront is no easy task. Suicide, even, I'm told." Soterra shrugged nonchalantly.
"I've already run into my fair share of delays."

Dreystan to Rostar? Cypress thought. This girl wasn't kidding about enemy lands-- Cypress couldn't think of a worst place for her to be.

...

He wanted to keep an eye on her-- for now, until she left the capital. Not because he was worried for the elf-- no, it was a precaution. "I trust that you've secured yourself a place to stay tonight?"