Tiberius accepted the glass, raising it briefly to his lips to take in its scent and the barest sip, only enough to wet his tongue. He could hardly refuse a glass poured by the Archon’s own hand – though the way Demetrius watched his every movement was slightly unnerving.
Well. If he meant any kind of harm … There had to be easier ways for the Archon to punish a subject than a slow poisoning in his very own office. He had not heard of Arvina possessing a sadistic streak. Tiberius listened quietly, thinking back to the night of the ball. He’d not been privy to the interrogations — despite taking an arm off one of the interlopers in the final scuffle.
What do you think? Tiberius’s brows rose and he shot the cat at the window a brief glance before looking back at Deme, head cocked slightly to the side. Exactly what kind of answer was the Archon looking for? He knew better than to lie when common magics could see through common deceptions.
“I cannot speak to their beliefs – whether it is genuine faith or simply a means to someone else’s end. Only that it is summer in Minrathous, and if it is cats you want, there are much easier ways to collect a heap of them than infiltrating the Imperial Palace.” Feeling no ill effects from the wine thus far, Tiberius drank a little more and set the glass down.
“So. Why your cats, in particular? The cultists may be odd, yes. But with a blood sample and a little lyrium, a powerful mage – studied in certain taboo arts – could turn temporary access to your pets into future access to your person. Or, rather, access to anywhere your animals might wander.” Palace bedrooms, the treasury— confidential meetings such as this one. Ah, but it would take a very patient planner to do much of anything with that, relying entirely on the whims of an animal. More than likely the cult had been up to something else. They had been caging up multiple cats which could not have gone unnoticed.
Only phylacteries and blood magic had been heavy on Tiberius’s mind since inviting not one but two southern mages into his home.
“I’m not so full of myself as to dismiss this matter out of hand, my lord Archon. The Imperium's security concerns us all.”
@Demetrius Arvina
Well. If he meant any kind of harm … There had to be easier ways for the Archon to punish a subject than a slow poisoning in his very own office. He had not heard of Arvina possessing a sadistic streak. Tiberius listened quietly, thinking back to the night of the ball. He’d not been privy to the interrogations — despite taking an arm off one of the interlopers in the final scuffle.
What do you think? Tiberius’s brows rose and he shot the cat at the window a brief glance before looking back at Deme, head cocked slightly to the side. Exactly what kind of answer was the Archon looking for? He knew better than to lie when common magics could see through common deceptions.
“I cannot speak to their beliefs – whether it is genuine faith or simply a means to someone else’s end. Only that it is summer in Minrathous, and if it is cats you want, there are much easier ways to collect a heap of them than infiltrating the Imperial Palace.” Feeling no ill effects from the wine thus far, Tiberius drank a little more and set the glass down.
“So. Why your cats, in particular? The cultists may be odd, yes. But with a blood sample and a little lyrium, a powerful mage – studied in certain taboo arts – could turn temporary access to your pets into future access to your person. Or, rather, access to anywhere your animals might wander.” Palace bedrooms, the treasury— confidential meetings such as this one. Ah, but it would take a very patient planner to do much of anything with that, relying entirely on the whims of an animal. More than likely the cult had been up to something else. They had been caging up multiple cats which could not have gone unnoticed.
Only phylacteries and blood magic had been heavy on Tiberius’s mind since inviting not one but two southern mages into his home.
“I’m not so full of myself as to dismiss this matter out of hand, my lord Archon. The Imperium's security concerns us all.”
@Demetrius Arvina
10-03-2024, 10:24 AM
