It, that Betrays. Short story, part 2.

It that Fled. Short story, part 1

My take on a hybrid supportive build guide

The Iceberg did not change since Rin’s last visit. Freezing cold, desolate and relatively safe. Purified.

Years ago, when Mutewind arrived in the Wraeclast, their goal was to purify, to cleanse all the corruption. Now, they are just survivors, a handful remaining members of once great clan, living in a small area of Dreamworlds they managed to claim as their own.

Rin Yuushu was an explorer and later, ambassador of their people. Once elders realised that the crusade was lost, it was time to speak not from the position of power, but as equals with other inhabitants of this accursed land. However, clan’s reckless actions turned both Oriath and Wraeclast people against them, they were labeled as fanatics, murderers and bandits. “Warband”.

Desperate for any kind of help in their mission, Mutewind were easily persuaded by Catarina, exchanging their vast collection of maps they failed to cleanse for promises of better tomorrow.

Rin often wondered what were the other member’s motivations to join the Syndicate. Original “Forsaken Masters” might have known master of Undeath in person and maybe they even knew her actual plans. Outcasts like Riker Maloney could not find a better place in society to make use of their skills, vagabonds like Jorgin had nowhere else to go, and double agents like Rin herself were there as a part of Catarina’s truce with different clans.
But there were others, cold-blooded murderers, plunderers and rapists. Wretched scum amongst villains, they were having twisted fun committing crimes they could not be possibly punished for. Rin shuddered, remembering their team stopping Hillock, who apparently did not realize, that raping fresh corpses is not okay.

Latest Syndicate gathering had left an uneasy feeling. A couple of members were missing, presumably captured by Jun of the Order of Djinn, and Vorici went off to organize a jailbreak.
That weird thing from Beyond finally went completely mad and stormed off yelling, that everyone is doomed because “It that Betrays has done it again”.

Nevertheless, it was time to return to the base once again to report back the results of the clan meeting. Mastermind’s lair was well hidden behind layers of magic, portals responded only to certain auras and it was completely inaccessible from outside except by Syndicate members. Old Order or Djinn headquarters, augmented by Catarina’s dark barriers, it was considered the most protected place ever existed, and rightfully so. With how often “exiles”, criminals exiled from Oriath and twisted by Wraeclast magic, harassed Syndicate outposts, they surely would try to siege the main thing, given the opportunity.

After travelling through the portal chain, Rin immediately sensed the smell of smoke. All the fancy ornaments in Lair were pretty flammable, so it could mean a disaster. Korrel Goya was the first one to suspect there -- his complete lack of common sense coupled with ill temper were enough to set something, or someone on fire for a variety of reasons, or without any reason at all.
However, as Rin got closer to the main entrance, that version became less and less probable. The floor inside was covered in traces of recent skirmish -- mostly stray icicles. Two bodies were present as physical evidence -- one impaled on the wall by the same icicles, another one half-buried inside huge purple spot on granite floor, chaotic energies still oozing from it. Closer inspection revealed that buried one was Karui origin, undoubtedly one of the exiles, while unfortunate target of winter orb was one of the Syndicate members, a thing from Beyond. For all she knew of the exiles, they wouldn’t return to bury one of them, even if some survived the assault.

- Hnnnng… - Impaled thing suddenly awoke and tried to free itself. - Someone is alive, lucky. It tried to warn them, but they did not listen.
- What happened there? How many exiles were attacking? - Last thing Mutewind would do is touch the thing, even if to break it free from ice.
- Five jibita, one mara. - It nodded in the direction of dead Karui and tried again to get rid of the ice prison, to no avail. - Ashhhtss. Listen and do not blink.
- Why? - Rin was caught off guard by this request.
- Quick movements. Distraction. Khoshht. There is an important item. It, that Raises knows how to use it and someone had their final death today. If It is gone, steal the item and run away. Destroy if possible. Must… not… let… them have...

Thing collapsed before finishing its monologue. Again, most of what it said didn’t make any sense, but this time Rin didn’t have the luxury to ignore its words. The item in question was most likely Horns of Kulemak, the relic Catarina used to make her servants come back to life. However, the “final death” part was unnerving. What secrets could Master of Undeath hide even from her subordinates?

There was only one way to know for sure, and as Rin made her way through old Forbidden Vault and hideout passages, she liked the situation less and less. Automated defences and lesser servants didn’t seem to slow down the attacking exiles, the body count was over fifty to zero. Main fight seem to have happened inside Sculpture Garden, Catarina’s throne room of sorts. Central sculpture was still burning with greenish fire of death magic, death and destruction was everywhere. One by one, Rin passed by corpses of fellow Syndicate officers, every single one of them having the same emotionless facial expression. Whatever Mastermind did to ensure their loyalty still didn’t help her to survive this day -- her throat was slit almost to the point of decapitation. Janus Perandus, the likely betrayer Thing was trying to warn everyone about, did not outlive her by much. His dying face was a mask of horror, as he was not smart enough to realize he was going to get betrayed himself until the very end.

This was bad. Remaining exiles might have been still inside, ransacking safehouses and plundering whatever valuables they can carry away. Caught in a thought, Rin did not notice one of the shadows move.
- Hey, Mutewind, you lost?

Jun Ortoi, last of the old Order of Djinn was hiding all these months, using exiles to track down Syndicate members and torture pieces and bits of information out of ones she didn’t execute on spot. All the countermeasures against her did not succeed, but against immortals time was not on her side and eventually she was bound to slip and fall on someone’s knife or magic spell. Instead, Jun managed to overthrow whole Syndicate.

There was nowhere to hide or run and Rin readied her weapon for what most likely was her last fight. Maybe without exiles around he had some chances against the veiled death...