[b]“You’ve met with an interesting fate, now haven’t you?”[/b]

The man pinned to the tree looked up with fading eyes, half-conscious and bleeding. The masked man had appeared without notice or warning, starting at his pathetic form with those haunting eyes of his. His mind struggled to piece together a word for the man, only to realize that he had no name. Only a title.

“J…Jester of the…Court…please…”

The Jester did not make a move to assist him, merely tilting his head curiously. And then he chuckled. The man blinked, confused, before raising his voice a little higher to sway the Imperator’s closest benefactor.

“Jester….help me-wait, what are you doing?!?”

The masked man reached out with an outstretched hand. At once, the pinned man’s body began to dissipate into nothingness, his entire core slipping out of reach. His flesh, bone, and blood all began to tear away into scraps of dissolving pointlessness. Yet his mind was kept conscious, aware, and intact. Jester made sure of that.

[b]“Praising the dark gods of old, are we? That’s a terrible sin you know. Worry not. I forgive you for such blasphemy. Be calm in knowing that you will be missed substantially. Farewell side character.”[/b]

The man was no more, though his mind was sealed into the spot at the tree. Forever trapped, howling with silent screams to the world and the fate that would play out before him, over and over again. For all of eternity.

[b]“Hmm.”[/b]

The Jester looked up to the sky, narrowing his eyes in newfound interest.

[b]“It’s you then, N’kara. Finally causing trouble, are you? Heh…it seems it can’t be helped then.”[/b]

The masked man began to fade away from the gruesome scene, his purpose meant for elsewhere.

[b]“What a foolish little girl. Don’t you know that all gods give worship to me?”[/b]

By the time Sable’s group had reached the nearest town of Rivenwood, the Imperium soldiers had all but left. There were a few stragglers still in search, but they too soon left on their way to depart for the growing night. 

Sable was brief and brisk, stating a robotic farewell to the gathered group before departing for the night in an inn not too far away from the one both Mal and N’kara found themselves in.

Sleep did not come easily for her, though morning did eventually come. Paying for her services to the inn-keeper, she made her way to the center of the town’s square, waiting for the others who would no doubt awaken as well. 

The next Relic was close.