Zora found herself in the city of Kinigoh this eve. She was visiting one of the outlying churches to Darkness and Fear, a place where Nemesis was adored as much as she adored him. She had come as soon as night had fallen. Instead of one of her usual dresses, she wore black leather breeches and a billowy white shirt tucked in messily with boots high on her legs. Her red hair was pulled back in a messy updo and her golden eyes gleamed. A single dagger hung at her waist.

An office had been arranged for her at most churches. She was sitting in a plush chair going through some papers and signing some things. Not long later she had a book pulled from a shelf, a mighty and thick tome of Gods past and present. She was flipping through the worn pages reading up on all the current Gods. She was planning formal envoys to most of them to establish good relations between all. She felt the need to prove herself and could not fail at this task.

She wanted to do a little scouting with one particular God. The God of Wrath and Heavens didn’t seem very open to people. The tales of people getting lost in his temple were countless and, well, one didn’t rule over wrath for no reason. In her mind, Zora pictured him having a very large temper. Nemesis may have had a terrifying title, but he was approachable. He was one who could be reasoned with. Emotions such as wrath one couldn’t always reason with.

After a while she found herself at the foot of the large volcano and making the ascent. It wasn’t easy and at the end her muscles ached. She had not used them for strenuous physical activity in some time. There was an imposing archway with steel doors much larger than her, beautifully etched despite what horrors could lie behind the door. She reached out twisted the handle.

Inside it was dark and she felt as though she was floating in the sky among the stars. When she walked down the dimly lit hill, the light suddenly stopped and her vision went black. She felt her way along a wall until she nearly walked into one directly in front of her. Was this a maze? Gods were known to have trials for mortals who wished to enter their realm. Perhaps this was Raith’s.

It was substantially more difficult to navigate a maze when you have no sight. She felt along another path. The shadows here did not comfort her like the darkness ruled over by Nemesis on earth. She heard her own boots clicking on the pathway. She made a few twists and turns before coming back along the same path she had been on. She knew it because she could still faintly smell the oils lingering from her body.

Minutes turned to hours and Zora began to wonder how she was going to get out of this place. She must do it herself! She did not want the embarrassment of Nemesis showing up to retrieve her. She needed to prove to him that she could care for herself and fulfill duties for him as well. 

”Today is particularly dull,” moaned the vampiress as she lay on her back upon a couch of an off room in the temple. She had found this room to be quiet most of the time, despite it not being too far from where the main sections of her Lord’s domain. Syn stared up at the ceiling. One arm was flopped across her taut stomach while the other thrown above her head in a dramatic fashion. Syn did not like being bored, since that meant that there was little attention being fashioned upon her. Legs lifted straight up into the air to gaze at her new bright yellow heels. She needed someone to visit the temple for her to show off her new obsession. That day she had picked a more sensible outfit that would highlight her new acquisition of shoe. Black pencil skirt that came just above her knee, and a white sheer shirt that tucked into the top of that skirt. Even her silver bracelets that clinked on her wrist were on point…and yet no one to flatter her about them.

”Mistress Syn, there is a lost Pilgrim in the maze. She seems distressed, and what is more…she is of the blood.” The flame color haired woman turned her gaze towards one of the servants. Canine smile pulled at the edge of her lips as she flipped up to click her heels on the marble floor. ”Brilliant,” she purred. Crimson manicured hands straightened her skirt before she moved out of the room. Each step there was a sway of her hips. ”Call up the chefs. I want them to give me a tap of our best blood for my little visitor,” she called over her shoulder while stepping out the main temple.

The Maze was instinctual to the assistant now. There was no turn that was unfamiliar to her…at least this variation anyway. Syn had taken weeks to learn every twist and turn to find her way through in order to help find lost Pilgrims. Typically Lord Raith wanted some of the lesser of the staff to find their wayward souls…but Syn did find some glee in finding the unworthy as a snack.

Turn after turn was made until the scent of her target came to her senses. A wicked grin pulled at her lips as she made her final turn. Her gaze was met by another red haired woman that could have been Syn’s mirror if not for the distinct swagger difference. ”Well, well, well….what do we have here? A lost lamb coming to the dragon for a prayer?” Syn’s chin tilted slightly the side as she began to close the distance between them.

As she got closer, there was scent that was unmistakable: divinity. ”Oh oh oh…are we a pet of a Lord of the Conclave? How delightful,” she said with hands clasped behind her back. A continued sway of her form until they were less than an inch from one another. Heels gave the vampiress a slight height advantage. Golden gaze met golden gaze as they looked at one another. ”Syn, personal assistant to our Lord Raith of the Heavens and all of the World’s Wrath. And who might you be?”

Hadn’t she gone through that turn already? While the vampiress was smart, a maze of a God’s making was enough to trip her up and have her wondering if she was actually going the same direction she thought she was. Zora was growing irritated with the complexity of the maze but was ever determined not to fail her God in making bridges and alliances where there was none. Was she going south? Or maybe it was west? She quietly thanked her God for the fact that he did not have anything like this. Just a simple forbidden forest and the Bastion. 

She smelled the scent of another vampire long before she heard the clicking of heels coming towards her. She wondered if she was due to meet the God or one of his clergy. When the woman rounded the corner, Zora stood for a minute stunned. It was like looking into a mirror beside the differing tastes in apparel. Besides being a vampire this woman was also red headed with golden eyes. A brow raised for a moment as she wondered if this was a trick of mind and magic or simply a hilarious coincidence. 

When the woman spoke with her confident intonation it was clear they were indeed different. Zora could feel a particular scratching at the back of her mind that she once had that kind of attitude and swagger. But alas, her memories were still far away with no sign of resurfacing. “I wouldn’t call myself a pet. More of a right hand,” she retorted calmly, failing to move as the woman drew closer despite how much she liked her personal space. She knew how predators worked and she was not about to show weakness now. 

“Zora, Speaker of Shadows and the Beautiful Nightmare, Champion to God of Darkness and Fear.” She bowed her head in greeting to Syn. “I have come on his behalf. He wishes me to make bridges and alliances wherever I see fit. It seemed fitting to me that darkness and fear and heavens and wrath have a great deal in common and the God seems a likely choice for an ally to Nemesis.” She turned and took a few steps to gain her space back, running her hand along the maze. “Perhaps we can start by building an alliance between us. It is my sworn duty to further my Lord’s power and influence as I’m sure it is yours.”

The Raiqui Labyrinth was a source of great amusement for Syn on a weekly basis. Pilgrims assumed that their arrival to the Orme would be a simple one. The god of Wrath & Heavens would ensure they would learn otherwise. On the occasions that there was a stockpile of lost travelers, Syn was allowed to feed upon those that were deemed unworthy to cross the temple’s threshold. It was a treat that Raith granted to his assistant when she did well by the end of the week. Unfortunately, this lost visitor was not of the edible sort. Too bad truly. At least with this trek out to the labyrinth meant that someone could see her new shoes.

A low chuckle coupled along with a slow spreading smile expressed how Syn felt about Zora’s response. ”She has a small spice,” the vampiress thought to herself. Even if the tone used had been a softer one, there was a bite. Step by step the red haired assistant made her way around the new arrival. Everything done by the Wrath god’s assistant was meant as a test, as well as a way to handle the boredom that had taken over her day. Finally there was something to do.

Brows lifted with interest at the introduction presented. ”Greetings to you, miss Zora, and welcome to my Master’s humble abode.”. An elegant bow was returned to the mirror image woman before her golden gaze lifted to the other. ”I believe that you could be correct on your assumption of alliance, even if I am not the Champion to Lord Raith.”. Syn turned on her heel while standing beside Zora to indicate the direction they were to follow. ”If you will come with me to the Observatory, we can share a meal and speak in regards to your thoughts.”

Syn moved along through the maze at a brisk pace. She wanted to get her guest to the main section of the temple to discuss potential terms. If this was done correctly, a powerful alliance could be brokered over a glass of blood. The temptress hoped she could be brought to Master without issue.

Heels clicked louder upon the marble flooring when they got into the temple. Syn was quite pleased with her new yellow heels as they carried her towards the library. In the gorgeous room, she found the desk that was quickly becoming her standard work space. ”Please have a seat there,” she stated while indicating the ornate chair across from her own seat. Her legs crossed one over the other under the table as she sat back. Gaze remained upon Zora though it was softer compared to their first meeting.

A young woman servant arrived to deliver the pre-ordered blood goblets. Each woman had a goblet placed before them. Syn gave a slight nod of acknowledgement before picking up her goblet. Silver cup was raised in the air towards Zora before the vampiress consumed her blood. A slight moan of pleasure elicited from the woman at the taste. Perfectly balanced.

”Now. You are the Champion for Lord Nemesis. The god of Darkness & Fear; quite a title to be held. And you wish to broker an alliance between your patron and my own.”. She swirled her drink around in the goblet while thinking for a moment. ”What particularly do you think this alliance would bring to my lord Raith? I can’t deny I would enjoy an alliance with another powerful female that could influence the conclave with our voices.”