So'thaes was crouched above the shrine in which Mathsaen and his lapdogs congregated. Viridescent eyes that seethed with hate watched his brother leave, not yet, not until they have suffered first. He had his command, his orders, and he would follow them. She had given him room to freelance, and targets of opportunity would be made to suffer, but his focus was on one, Kayil.
One of the priests left alone, he let his eyes slip into spectral sight, only one other was inside with Kayil, this would be a good kill. Dropping from his perch, wings spread to carry him silently over the unsuspecting cleric. The wings folded and he landed upon the zealot with an impact suppressed by the grassy terrain. One foot pinned the priest's face into the grass while he bound the man's hands behind his back before gagging him. It was a simple matter to haul his prisoner back out of sight near his perch.
Robes were torn away and fel sigils were carved into the man's chest to keep him silenced. The knife was sheathed before he grabbed the back of his prisoner's neck, hauling him upright to stand teetering over a fall that would certainly cause a great deal of damage. There they waited, one focused fury, coiled and waiting to be unleashed, the other a coward, too scared to even utter a whimper of protest. They knew who he was, they knew what they had done. They should have expected this, but they were too sloppy, too confident that the Light would protect them. The most satisfying lessons to teach are those that were unexpected. He was going to enjoy this, his prey, would not.
The younger paladin departed, leaving Kayil alone, just as he'd expected. Of course this first among zealots would stay behind, proclaiming his victory over those he thought impure. So'thaes was of pure blood, he understood where the power in House Highsorrow had always rested, and it was not born of the Light, but shadow. The knife reappeared in his hand, dragging across the priest's throat before he removed the gag and casually tossed the body toward the shrine.
A sickening crash sounded as the priest crashed into a wooden bench, cracking it nearly in half, So'thaes rolled his shoulders in a dismissive shrug, he'd hoped to completely break the bench. Kayil rose and ran outside, shield and flail in hand as he looked around, wide-eyed at the scene before him. Good. It would have been no fun if he'd forgotten his weapons.
So'thaes sheathed the knife before dropping from his perch, no effort was made to slow his fall, not this time, he wanted to inflict pain, this would be slow, loud and brutal, just as the Night demanded, as she had ordered. He felt the impact even as his knees bent to absorb it, the force driving Kayil violently into the ground. So'thaes rolled with his momentum sliding to his knees behind the paladin with a growl that most would call inhuman, demonic.
The paladin shook his head roaring "Who DARES?" Turning, the paladin looked toward the shrine as he rose, his eyes widening in the first hints of fear, seeing the furrows in the dirt dug by So'thaes' clawed hand. "You..." The rest of the thought was cut short as So'thaes launched himself into the paladin, shoulder crushing the shield into his chest, the impact enough to force the air from Kayli's lungs as he tried to brace himself and not lose his footing.
Pushing back with all of the strength he could muster, Kayil swung his shield wildly, trying to separate himself from his attacker, he succeeded in making space, but So'thaes had anticipated this, and clung onto the shield with both hands, using the momentum of the swing to violently wrench the shield free with a sharp snap that echoed into the night air to mingle with Kayil's first scream. One arm broken, not nearly enough.
Wild-eyed, Kayil looked between his arm and So'thaes, he called upon the light, wreathing himself in it, feeling it empower him. He strode forward, leaning all of his weight into an arcing swing of his flail, only to realize that So'thaes stepped inside of it's arc, taking a glancing low on the back of his shoulder. One taloned hand gripped the top of Kayil's breastplate, pulling them face to face. The hatred blazed through So'thaes verdant eyes with a molten fury. "You cannot win, the Light will..."
So'thaes transformed then, growing taller, stronger, demonic. He spun, throwing Kayil through a wall of the shrine, collapsing part of the roof in upon the paladin. He launched himself forward, carried by bat-like wings, landing upon the rubble to drag Kayil through it, holding him aloft in one hand before answering his prayer. "The Light will not save you." Gripping the paladin's other arm, he twisted until he heard the satisfying crack of bones shattering. Another wall of the shrine collapsed as Kayil was hurled through it, So'thaes stalked toward him, an apex predator hunting helpless prey. Lifting the man in one hand, he turned him to face the crumbing shrine before unleashing his hatred in a gout of felfire that erupted from his eyes, tearing through the remaining wall of the shrine.
As he turned, Kayil hung limply from one hand, dragging along the ground. So'thaes paused long enough to collect the body of the priest, lashing them together on the saddle of his wolf, riding away into the night as the shrine finally collapsed in his wake.
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