What Makes a Monster

♱Seventy-Nine♱

Third Person P.O.V.

"Your Grace, Lord Movell and Lady Connte are here."

Soran scowls. The displeased grimace stands out against the equally stacked and scattered papers across the desk. Sharp nails tap impatiently against dark mahogany. The chair is knocked to the floor after Soran abruptly stands. Already, Higra is moving through the room to rearrange the papers.

"I told them not to show up unannounced!" He hollers, sensing the headache to come. His teeth grind beneath snarling lips. Focusing, Soran can hear the annoyances conversing rudely in the foyer. Veins throb in his temple that he digs two pointed fingers against.

"Are they alone?" he asks.

"Yes. They brought something with them, although I was not informed what it was." Higra's information has Soran raising a quizzical brow. He suspected a plethora of new shipments in, more Unborn corpses or secrets to search through in hopes to find answers to the ever growing issues. However, by the sounds of it, they haven't brought much and that confuses him.

Thanks to Karsissia and Quelen, the Unborn have slowed in whatever plans they had been plotting. The most Soran has been told is not to worry, take his time, and he certainly has been. He doesn't want in on their troubles to begin with. His involvement is more forced on both sides. If Soran had control, he'd drop search on both sides and hide himself away on a farm in the middle of nowhere. Wallie would probably like that, a quiet cottage for the two of them.

"Your Grace?" Higra calls, cutting Soran's thoughts.

He rests a fist over his lips when clearing his throat. "Don't bother with pleasantries. They're unwelcome."

"As you wish."

Higra bows when Soran steps out of the room, taking his time to descend the stairs. Lord Reiner Movell is the first to greet him. His flamboyant bow has Soran rolling his eyes. At least Lady Silva Connte doesn't mask her distaste. She's grimacing similarly to Soran, the two meeting in a heated stare that could melt the chandelier from the ceiling. Soran wishes it would and, preferably, crush the both of them.

As Higra said, they brought something with them. There's a crate that appears as nothing more than a typical box that could perhaps hold new furniture or supplies. Soran knows better though.

"What part of announcing a visit do you not understand?" he asks. His steps are heavy down the steps, each click of his shoes echoing in the empty halls.

"If we announced ourselves, would you even welcome us?" argues Reiner. His grin is as annoying as his attitude. "Besides, you know why we're here."

Soran sighs. The three stand in silence, two of which glare all the while. Then Soran grumbles his way back upstairs while Reiner and Silva follow. The box is lifted behind them, glowing a soft white, the same as the tip of Reiner's staff. With no one in the upstairs hall, they descend into the basement beneath. Soran has already removed his jacket in time for Silva and Reiner to enter with what they've brought, which is less than expected.

"Is this all?" asks Soran, eying the single corpse within the crate. Inside there's a magically sealed coffin to contain the vilis swirling within the corpse. Both Reiner and Silva step back when Soran opens it, peering within at a plagued victim of Karsissia and Quelen's attack. He knows not to mention the truth. Being the middleman is difficult.

"A plague nearly wiped them out," Reiner explains from a distance. "But that hasn't stopped their meddling. The area around them is growing worse. Silva's knights couldn't even step into the area without protection stones. Whatever they're up to, the plague hasn't stopped them, I'd say they've gotten worse."