*After Simion*

The Dark Lady glances around her garden as she walks through it, not really
seeing it as she opens the door into the Slain Hero.

(Red Aura) Brannin is sitting on a comfortable chair.
Vraez kneels in the dust, eyes on the ground.
(Charmed) (Red Aura) A roc is sleeping here.

The door closes behind her.

Vraez stands up at the sound of the door and glances around nearvously.
Vraez asks 'Hello? Is anyone there?'

The unseen demoness nods at Brannin. Brannin looks up calmly and nods back
in greeting, not bothering to answer the slave girl.

The demoness smirks to herself and says 'Indeed there is.'

Vraez looks around, wondering who'se voice it is she hears, then lowers her 
eyes once more.  Shivering slightly she sits back down.

Brannin nods at Lilith in agreement and says to her 'Greetings Lilith, you 
are looking.. well.' He looks at she closely, clearly not meaning his words
of greeting.

Vraez, realizing who has entered the room scrambles to her feet and curtseys
deeply. 'Greetings, Mistress.' she stammers.

Brannin looks to the slave for a moment and then quickly turns his head 
back the the demoness.

Smiling at the girls obvious discomfort, Lilith steps from the shadow where
she was hidden. Vraez steals a wary glance towards her mistress. Lilith 
merely nods at the girl.

Vraez eats some fresh vegetables, quickly as to not disturb the other two
in the room.  She then glances up and says 'If you would both excuse me, I 
am in need of more vegetables...'

Lilith nods at the girl, excusing her to leave.  Thankful for the chance to
be away from the demon, the slave nods her thanks, stands up and leaves in
haste.

Brannin turns his head to watch the slave leave, his expression is 
unreadable but his dark eyes gleam coldy in the dim light.  He then looks 
back at the Dark Lady.

Lilith glances to where the slave left then back at Brannin curiously.

Brannin ventures 'You are looking worn Lilith.' He peers at her again, as
if assessing her. 'Is something amiss?'

Lilith glances at him and shakes her head slightly, denying any possible
weakness.  'Not as such.  Simion needed a lesson, it was merely a tiring 
one.  I will be fine' Lilith looks almost suspiciously around before slowly
resting on on of the large chairs.

Brannin nods, an uncertain look on his face.  Just then, Vraez glided back 
into the room and sat back down where she was before she left.

Lilith sits back in her chair, letting her head tilt back with an inaudable
sigh.

Brannin's expression becomes even more distant as the slave enters the room.
He looks at Lilith once more.

Lilith tilts her head forward again, it seems to be a great effort for her to
do so.
Brannin glances into his sphere for a moment and then puts it away, sliping
a sphere of soulfire in a magical elven backpack.

Lilith manages to raise a fine eyebrow at Brannin.

Brannin hmms to himself, ignoring the arched brow and says 'Have you seen 
the master Lilith? It has been long since he has ventured from the mist.'
He shifts slightly in his chair 'We had wished to see his guidance in a 
matter...' Brannin's chin moves overso slightly in the direction of Vraez.

Lilith's tired eyes searched his face 'No I have not.  I saw him once, we 
had...a disagreement of sorts, I have not seen him since.' she stated 
tonelessly.

Brannin sighed slightly.

Vraez begins to look at Brannin at the sound of his sigh, then quickly 
lowers her gaze once more to the floor. Brannin chuckled at the movement.

Lilith drew her legs up onto the chair and rest her head in her hand, 
seemingly seeking a comfortable position in which to rest.

Brannin said to her 'Your slave does not like Our eyes.'

She didn't bother to look up before answering 'Not many like to look at 
death.'

Vraez shudders slightly as she hears Brannin's words, a look of agreement on
her face when she hears Mistress' own.

Brannin asks Vraez 'We hunger, do you know where the baker is?' She nods.
Brannin gives Vraez some coins. 'We request a few loaves of bread.'
Vraez nods again and hurries from the room once more.

Brannin shakes his head.  'How did you land her, Lilith? She must have cost
a goodly sum.'

Her eyes still closed she said. 'A soul actually.'

Brannin asks 'A soul?' He looks skeptical, weather of the statement, or her
judgement was unclear.'hmm.. perhaps the one who did give us the vision of 
her.' He looks thoughtful then almost demands. 'Who's?'

The demon opened her eyes again and asked 'Whose soul did I trade?'

Brannin nods. 'Such a high price for, even that quality of slave.'

She waved her hand dismissively 'A rather useless soul actually, it had 
sentimental value to the one I traded it with however' She closed her eyes
again. 'They wanted another I had, but I was far to attached to it.'

Vraez glides into the room once more. Brannin 's eyes darken slightly as he 
looks at Vraez. 'Is this all you could buy with 10 gold?' He demanded as he
looked down at the megar bread.

Vraez says 'No, Sir. Do you want more? If so, I will go back.' She looked
to her mistress for help.  Lilith nod at Vraez.  The slave hurried away.

Brannin shakes his head. 'You are correct Lilith. We weaken as time passes.'
He looks lost for a moment. 'And the strength of the master is distant.'

Lilith glances out the door and nods weakly.

Vraez glides in from the east, giving more bread to Brannin. 'Is that 
suitable sir?'

Brannin nods at Vraez and said 'That is suitable. We had thought for a 
moment you wished to cheat us..' Brannin's tones lingers ominously.

 
Vraez lowers her eyes, even as a small smile comes to her lips at Brannin's 
approval...

Lilith looks somewhat disgusted at the entire thing.

Brannin arches a brow at the demon then back at the slave as she tells him.
'Never, Sir. I incorrectly assumed that you wanted only two or  three loaves,
and planned to give you the change.' Vraez lowers her eyes once more.

Lilith gestured towards the food to clarify to Brannin what had disgusted 
her.

Brannin bahed goodheartly.

The demoness tilted her head slightly at Brannin's odd change of moods.

Vraez smiled softly, not noticing her Mistresses disapproaval.

Brannin said 'We enjoy to sharp sting of hunger.. it reminds us that the 
weak must die in order to feed the strong.'

The Dark Lady said 'Disgusting habit, eating that is.' She shook her head.

Brannin asked 'You did never enjoy the taste of an enemies blood upon your 
lips when it splattered from their dying bodies? Or the meat of a freshly
killed beast who has eluded you for a time?'

Vraez keeps her eyes low and makes no comment, for she must eat to live...

Lilith glanced up. 'I suppose I did, the thought of eating something now, 
sickens me.'

Brannin frowns the replies cheerfully 'Ah well. More for Us.' He winks.
Brannin yawned and pated his firm stomach, leaning back into his chair.

Lilith peered at Brannin tiredly. 'Indeed.'

Vraez ate some fresh vegetables and smiled.

Brannin looked at Vraez.

Deciding to voice her observations, Lilith stated 'You are acting rather 
strangely Brannin.'

Brannin looks over to Lilith and raised an eyebrow at her. 'Please explain.'

She said 'I am worn, but not so much that I don't notice.'

Brannin almost smirked condesendingly. 'And what do you notice, DarkAmber?'
Brannin turned his full blackened gaze upon Lilith.

Lilith waved a dismissive hand at Vraez. 'Towards her most certainly, you 
are acting, not yourself.'

Vraez relaxed as she felt the dark gaze upon her shift away...

Brannin grumbled slightly.

Lilith closed her eyes for a moment, raising a hand to them before opening 
them again. 'Your mood changes and shifts, and has done so several times 
while I've ben here'

Brannin says 'We are, as you know, on edge.' He spoke sharply, as if she were
a child who should know better. 'The master has been gone for quite some 
time. '

The demoness' anger flared at his tone, but she did not betray her anger to
him.  Her face remained unchanged. 'Indeed, what little control you had has
clearly slipped away'

Brannin's gaze darkened at her words.

It didn't stop her as she continued. 'I know just how long he has been gone.'
Lilith pushed herself up to peer at Brannin with her crimsion eyes. 'You 
asked if I thought you were weak in this, I wasn't sure then, but I see now 
you are.' She speaks with an even, and subdued tone. She peers then at the
slave girl, then back at Brannin.

Vraez shudders slightly under the peering gaze of her Mistress...

Brannin's voice shook with his slowly crumbling control. 'You have no Idea 
the control we must exhert. We take counsil on your wisdom Lilith, and have 
been sheltered neath your wings. But We'll not be mocked in front of..' He
glanced at Vraez. Brannin's liquid black eyes glistened as the golden streams 
wormed through them. Brannin's voices are raspy and shearing like a cold 
blade.

Lilith looked at him mockingly and said 'I have no idea?  Lost child, it is 
you who have no idea.  I do not mock you, I tell you what I see before me.'

Brannin remained steady under Lilith's intense gaze. But his anger seems to 
have left his eyes. Replaced only by a cold void.

She said 'If you had the blood of a demon coursing in your veins, you might 
understand what real control is,' Her eyes flare with demonfire for a moment.
'Jvar has given you everything you need for control, are you strong enough 
to use it?'

Brannin clenches his jaw and finally lowers his eyes like a chastised child.

She held out her hand, palm up. 'You have liche in your veins, the very 
essence of control.' She closed her hand into a fist to make her point 
even more clear.

Brannin says 'And also the torrents of raw need.. they too call to Us. But 
you are correct.. Our Master has given to us all that We require.'

Lilith sat back, her face becoming neutral again. 'You think what you feel 
now is anything compaired to what it could be?  It isn't.'
 
He noded slightly, not really listening to her anymore.

Lilith closed her eyes again and leans back.

Brannin looks up, pleading to be understood 'But we are also a man Lilith. 
You know this.' He spoke as if it were an explination.

Dark laughter rose up from the demon. She glanced up, her eyes feral for a 
moment, like a animals. 'Better man than beast.' She growled, allowing the
demon to take over for a second before lowering her head again to regain
control.

Brannin sighed. 'We are sorry to have displayed such weakness to your eyes.'
Brannin's eyes lock into stone, seemingly having completely missed the demons
point. 'It will not happen again.'

Lilith growled slightly and waved a dismissive hand 'Past, it is all past.'

Brannin noded and got off a comfortable chair. 'Again, your wisdom is 
appretiated Lilith.'

Lilith sits up and shrugs, feeling no wisdom was really imparted at all.

Brannin kissed his fingertips and touched the dragon mask which covered the
left side of her face. 'You have shown us the truth.'

Lilith snarled and jerked away from his touch. She glared. 'Do not, ever 
touch me.' She hissed at him.

Vraez hears the noises Brannin makes and risks a glance up before lowering
her eyes quickly at her Mistress' snarl.

Brannin smiled slightly to himself, his eyes once again containing Jvar in 
them and departs.

Lilith glared at the door before sitting back again.
Vraez ventures a glance up at her...'Mistress...are you alright?'

Lilith starts out of some thought and nods. 'I will be fine.'

Vraez noded and lets her eyes linger on the black snake mask for the briefest
of moments before lowering them to the ground once more...

Lilith flashes her eyes at the girl, narrowing them. 'Be wary of where you 
place your eyes.'

Vraez shudders slightly as she feels the red gaze upon her. 'I beg your 
forgiveness, Mistress. I will not look again.' Vraez smiles fearfully.

Lilith flared her nostrils in anger before her face becomes blank again.
'Good.' She glanced around. 'I grow tired and need rest, should you need me,
I will be around somewhere.'

Vraez noded as Lilith stood and left the room.