In the seediest port, there stood an even worse area near the dock. A single row boat wreathed by dark, ominous fog. The eerie cloud spilled out across the water, creating an almost physical boundary against most. No matter what winds blew, the fog remained unwavering. This boat, carved from yew, was the entrance to Death's realm. Most stayed away, but a few with a death wish approached. Today, Kale strode through the fog without blinking an eye. He hopped into the boat and it moved out to see of its own accord.

The boat dropped; it plummeted, ultimately ending up on a candle-filled river. It was a strange sight to be sure, but any feeling of fascination was washed away quickly. Kale had leaned out of the boat, looking towards the candles when a deathly hand reached up and reached for the collar of his shirt. Its skeletal claw found hold, but it was quickly severed at the wrist by a rush of air and Kale scrambled back to the center of the boat. "So this is Death's little trap, is it? Fine. I guess I just have to wait," he said with a grumble.

As the river progressed, Kale found himself struck by the familiar stages of grief. Each one struck as though being hit from some divine source of electricity. The sensations and emotions struck anew with the same force as losing his sister again. Each stage seemed to last forever, but finally he was returned to what had become his 'normal' state. He found himself passing through gates and into a land of utter depression. This was the world he lived in now.

Eventually, after many sights and experiences, Kale finally reached the silver doors to the palace. He sighed in relief and threw open the doors, the best he could anyway, and entered the massive Gothic manor.

"Lady Death," he called out into the manor, "I've come for information that only you can provide."

Kale waited in silence, listening to his call echo out deeper into the mansion. He called out again, assuming it might take more to lure out the goddess, "I am Kale Grenich. I've come to ask about the fate of Alairia Grenich." He listened as the last name he shared with Alairia echoed out into the distance before fading.

Heavy-soled boots landed on the dark floors of the entrance hall of Domus Tenebris, signaling that someone approached the newcomer who had just arrived. From around a corner, a woman appeared, walking towards Kale. Her hair fell in long crimson sheets about her shoulders, her eyes a striking emerald color. She was clad head to toe in black leather armor, though the hood from her cowl was lowered. "She's not here, human," she said as she walked towards him, her eyes scanning his form up and down as if she were sizing him up. She nearly spat the last word of her sentence, as though the detection of the visitor's species were overly disgusting to her.

When she was no more than a few feet from him, she rested both hands on her hips and shifted her weight to one foot, staring at him silently for a few moments. After a beat, she let out an exasperated and somewhat annoyed sigh. "But let me get the Reaper to stop everything she is doing, because Kale Grenich is here, asking about his… whatever," she said, her voice near to dripping with sarcasm. "I can give you a piece of information, though, meat bag," she said. "If you're seeking information about someone's fate, and you've come to Inferos… I'm guessing the outcome is probably pretty bleak."

She took a few steps, circling around Kale before coming to a stop in front of him again. "I'll see if she has a moment to spare," she said, knowing full well that her duties of guarding the entrance to Domus Tenebris in Dalanesca's absence needed to come first. The last time she had taken a visitor for her own devices, she had faced unspeakable torture from her employer.

Rather than walking away, however, Jazrael stayed in the exact spot she stood in. Her eyes glazed over momentarily, before turning completely jet black, with a small ring of red around the edges. She did not speak, though her expression changed, almost reflecting as though she were in some sort of trance. She remained this way for a few minutes before her posture and expression relaxed and her eyes shifted back to their original emerald. "She'll be here shortly," she said, and there was a hint of annoyance in her voice as if she had been hoping her mistress would decline giving him an audience.

After a short moment, however, the air near the pair rippled and shimmered slightly, and the Reaper appeared beside them. Her raven hair fell in loose waves past her mid back, and she was dressed rather interestingly, black and red leather and lace covering her form in intricately crafted clothing. Her eyes burned a red crimson, which faded to an icy blue as she appeared. "Jazrael, leave us," she said, never looking at the other woman - her eyes fixated on Kale. The red-headed demon left immediately, though a scowl covered her visage.

After the two had been left alone, Dalanesca turned to face Kale once more, standing in a more head-on position.  "Forgive Jazrael for her behavior.  She is a Crossroads demon… not exactly known for their tact when it comes to dealing with the living," she said, chuckling slightly.

 “So. Jazrael tells me that you have come seeking answers about someone’s fate - Alairia Grenich, to be precise,” she said, her eyes slightly narrowed as she looked at him. “She also tells me that you claim to be Kale Grenich… a name I have most certainly heard before,” she explained, though after the initial explanation no further information was offered. She recalled Kale from another time and another place, but she did not know if he would remember her. She had changed much since her arrival to Revaliir, and no longer even physically resembled the person she once was.

“I may be able to offer you some information on your sister's whereabouts,” she said, after a moment of silence between the two. Her words seemed to imply that she knew intimate details about the person in question. “But why would I? When has the Reaper ever been known to do something without it being to her benefit?” she asked, placing her hands on her hips as she looked to Kale, awaiting his explanation on why he thought that Dalanesca should help him.

The visitor looked thoroughly unamused by the woman's behavior. His icy eyes locked onto the newcomer, a woman who had never once met him yet held such venom in her voice. "What's wrong, love," he purred maliciously, "Don't like humans? Even ones so good looking?" The woman continued once she was close, after a momentary pause anyway. If the woman's words were filled with any more sarcasm, Kale would not have been surprised in the least to actually see if spilling from her lips. Ridicule and snide remarks flowed into one ear and out of the other, Kale's stare never faltering even as she circled around him.

He remained quiet, even as brilliant emerald eyes glossed over before turning jet black. The young man watched with a raised eyebrow as expressions became… Blank? Kale couldn't quite place his finger on the word and contemplated whether this word or that word more properly described the woman's face. After what seemed like a silent eternity within his own mind, he saw jet black eyes flicker, shifting back to the emerald green from before as her body seemed to relax. A piercing gaze fell once more upon his current hostess, poorly mannered as she may be, and Kale's mouth spread into what even he had to admit was a cocky smirk. "Gee," he gasped, feigning shock, "I guess I must be important if she stopped everything for a mere human meat bag."

A new woman appeared beside them; wavy raven hair down her back, leather and lace, and the eyes. As blue eyes rose to the woman's face, he caught sight of fading crimson. It stunned him for a moment even after they were icy blue. Without even thinking to do so, he made note of her eyes now; they were an icy blue as his and his sister's. Point of interest for contemplation at a later point. This woman, whom Kale could only imagine was Death and Darkness herself, dismissed his greeter without ever breaking gaze. This presented a dilemma: Should he break eye contact with the goddess, a move that had burned him before, or should he continue to return her unerring gaze? What the hell, he thought, I've always been one to tempt fate. And he looked to Jazrael and quickly said, "Thanks for your wonderful company. We really must do it again sometime."

They were alone now, Kale and Lady Death. Descriptions and paintings didn't do her justice; how does one capture the alluring call of Death anyway? He was caught in thoughts almost to the point of missing what the goddess was saying. "Yes," he said hesitantly while collecting his thoughts as rapidly as possible, "She could probably stand to work on that a bit, when dealing with humans I mean. I imagine persuasion plays a rather significant part in her service to you. I don't imagine you have the same issue though; not with your looks, anyway."

The goddess continued to speak and Kale began gathering his wits about him in preparation to address Dalanesca. He waited, attentive and silent, until she was finished.. She was a goddess after all. "Business before pleasure, yes. I lost track of Alairia some time ago and have been unable to find her. I've come to the point where I need answers no matter the cost. I need to know where my sister is and I figure that you, rather than my-." He cut himself off before closing his eyes to backtrack a moment, "Rather than Angela, would be better able to answer my questions. I am Kale Grenich, once Sibling to the likes of Angela, but that was a long time ago. I also remember Dalanesca, though I don't recall having the pleasure of her company in any godly situations. You're no less lovely now, though, I must say. In fact, I hear a lot of tall tales and not a one comes anywhere close to doing you proper justice." His lips had, while he'd spoken, twitched into an appreciative smile, "It's been some time since my eyes have set on someone like you."

Kale had paused and his eyes had lost focus upon the goddess' only to drift momentarily across her figure. The moment he realized, his icy blue eyes locked back upon hers and he continued with a forced cough, "I don't expect you to freely give information, though I wouldn't object if you deemed it fit to do so. My sister is all that might remain to me in this world. I lost everything to the rift that brought me here. Angela wouldn't even let me die the one chance I had, speeding my own body's natural process and preventing me from bleeding out. I don't have much to offer at all; nothing a goddess would deem fit to take anyway. I could offer my service in trade, but that may be about all I have."

"Oh, business doesn't always come before pleasure," Dalanesca replied in a dark tone, her eyes traveling up and down Kale's body.  "In fact, I much prefer it the other way around…" She fell silent for a moment, letting Kale think what he would of her comments, before continuing to speak one more.  Her eyebrows raised as he mentioned Angela, but she let him continue without interjecting until the time seemed appropriate.  

"Ah, yes.  Your name does sound familiar.  I am sure we have crossed paths in another time and place… but who is to say when," she said, her voice somewhat distant as the memories of the past momentarily found their way into her mind.  She brushed them off, a smirk spreading across her lips.  "I see flattery has gotten you somewhere in the past - you may be in luck, sometimes it works with me," she said, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Sometimes."  There was a strange tone to her words, and it was unclear whether or not it was annoyance or amusement that filtered through.  Catching the drift of his eyes, she could not help herself but to comment on his behavior.  "I know, you like what you see… but I doubt you could handle me, given the chance," she breathed, licking her lips.

Topics of discussion shifted and she listened to Kale's explanation of why he had come to her, her face remaining rather emotionless and straight as he spoke.  She gave no indulgence as to what her thoughts were, remaining rather stoic until he had finished speaking.  "You're correct in the assumption that my information will not be free," she said.  "And generally my heartstrings are not easily tugged," she added.  "You may think you have nothing to offer… but I am sure I could think of something," she added, eyeing him up and down once more.  He looked rather tired and worn down, but there was still something there that piqued her interest, and an idea sparked in her brain.

"I've got… a job, you could do for me, in turn for information about your sister," she said, after a moment of silence.  Folding her arms over her breasts, she continued speaking, her voice feigning annoyance.  "The question is whether or not you would be willing…" Trailing off, she brought her hand up, tapping a finger to her lips.  "How would you feel about making some… deals with people?" she asked.  "I'm a bit understaffed these days, and could use another agent up there, making deals and collecting on deals… deals for souls, mind you," she said, smirking once more with a devilish glint in her eye.  "What do you say?  How badly do you want that information about your sister?"

The whole exchange seemed to be going well. Perhaps far too well for a mortal dealing with a deity. Vague comments no doubt meant to send the mind racing into the realms of wild fantasy flowed from ruby lips; Kale was no more immune than the next dull oaf before such a presence. His face flushed slightly as his mind went where it willed, racing through various possibilities before being harshly reigned back in. "I don't know, I think I could surprise you, Dalanesca. I've lived a while beyond my years, after all," he said with a wink and a smirk, "I've handled whatever life's gracefully placed in my path up to this point and I do so love to test what I can handle."

"Perhaps I'm in luck either way," he managed to say, "Should flattery fail, I suppose I could always fall back on other talents, though perhaps not all would be satisfactory. I'm sure a talent for destruction and reckless endangerment of one's self to achieve one's goals wouldn't prove terribly endearing to Lady Death."

A grin spread across Kale's face as the dark goddess addressed his tale and, he , "In my line of work, perhaps former line of work, very little is free. Though I daresay my heartstrings may be tugged under the right circumstances." He'd missed the assessing look, blinking and shifting his balance and stance at the wrong moment. His eyes locked fast at the word 'job,' his full attention set to analyzing Dalanesca's next words; deals with deities often took horrible turns. Admittedly, his focus was slightly shaken as the goddess folded her arms, the motion drawing a glance that lingered a moment too long before snapping back.

As she continued, Lady Death seemed to be thinking as she tapped her finger upon red lips, though Kale was skeptical that this wasn't a more thought out plan. She offered a job; deal with mortals to trade for their souls. The glint in her eyes impressed a rather raw deal, but the goddess followed with a tug at his own heartstrings before he could say anything. Kale had shown his hand too early and been played for a fool. "I accept," he said, "For Alairia's sake, I'll make your deals and collect your debts. Now, where is she?"