Finis Chaldea

[Bloodedge]

Artoria's arrival to the hall was welcomed by the bowing of her knights. For what so recently transpired, she was no less organized than always... as expected of Camelot's sovereign. Both Tristan and Bedivere rose when the queen spoke, the former choosing to address her inquiries. "It seems there are no more ruffians in the castle. The insistence of this one that there are more, I believe is a ploy to draw our attention. Still, the others remain vigilant," he explained. As for general information however, there was one thing. Since Bedivere had been the one to locate this mysterious object, Tristan left him to speak on it. "There is one thing worth your attention, My Queen. This..." the younger knight said, holding out the strange headgear for the woman's inspection if she so desired. "Sir Tristan and I have spoken about this. We believe this is how they managed to get so far. I wore it briefly, and I... disappeared. I've never seen anything like it," he said. Surely there was no other way those men made it past all the knights in this castle. Somehow, one of them must have been extending the abilities of the Artifact Bedivere discovered.

[Apollymi]

Camelot's sovereign looked to her knights and found comfort. She didn't know she'd know such a thing in truth, but here and now she could take comfort in being surrounded by trustworthy men. "Raise your heads," she said to her knights first and foremost. But then, both Tristan and Bedivere rose from their bows. Apparently, there were no more 'ruffians' in her castle. According to their prisoner there were more of them, but Tristan believed this to be a ploy to divert attention. Artoria herself believed it was likely a half-truth but she turned her eyes on this particular criminal and felt much better about having castrated him. There was a certain amount of hatred bubbling just beneath the surface of Artoria's visage. Hidden were these fires within her eyes, but she still aimed the full weight of them towards this man who thought himself above her autonomy. In the meantime, Artoria was told by Bedivere about the cap they'd found outside of her room. Ah, an artifact which makes the wearer invisible stretched to 14 total men. She reached out taking it into her hand and examining it. There were few artifacts she held that made her question their origin, but this one couldn't have come from a standard craftsman. "An artifact that can do something like that has to be Divine in quality. I have never seen anything like it before... but I can only be so surprised this day," Artoria said. Her voice still firm and even. In a moment like this even when her mind was in turmoil, she managed to look mostly unfazed.

"Fourteen of them, broke into Camelot, stole away to my room with a quality of Artifact unknown to this level of the world. With mana which would allow them to defend against the sheer pressure of my existence. Not warriors. They were far too easy to kill for that to be the case... so," Artoria's eyes were now once more on the criminal. "Who sent you?"

[Bloodedge]

The cap was taken and inspected, and indeed believed to be something from beyond this realm. It certainly wasn't crafted by anyone in this area of the world. According to Artoria however, it had to be something beyond humanity as a whole. "Very true. It behaves like a culmination of Rogue skills," Sir Bedivere surmised. Neither of the knights could truly understand the ramifications of this reveal, but it was concerning nonetheless. Well, whatever the case, there would soon be some answers about this intrusion and attempted defiling. Who sent this group? Artoria wished to know. It made sense that a group of rapists didn't simply gather together of their own volition. No, someone sent those men with the intention of doing harm to the Queen of Camelot. If she didn't find the answer herself, someone undoubtedly would in her honor. Ah, but there was some form of answer coming Artoria's way. Perhaps it was not the answer she truly sought, but it was an answer nonetheless. "Tch! You foolish bitch; don't you know? You upset the divine one, so you were to be our plaything until there was nothing left to ravage! Perhaps I lost my chance. Oh well; someone will have their way with you until you've broken down," the eunuch proclaimed.

[Apollymi]

A culmination of Rogue skills? Artoria could see that, she hadn't given it much thought but those weren't the type of skills that one could come across. Surely none of the men who'd ended up in her bedroom had ever actually managed to be sneaky. Actually, after killing them in some of the most brutal ways she'd killed anyone since coming to this world, she was more than certain none of them would have been able to win against her in open combat. This man was very bold for one who was currently castrated with no hope. Still, Artoria was ever so slightly shocked to hear herself referred to in such a way. She was pretty sure no one had called her that specific epitaph the entirety of either of her lives. 'Hold it. Hold it... exhale.' Artoria kept her breathing even and she blinked only briefly before once again turning her gaze to this man. He had no idea the woman he messed with, was one who could have killed him 12 times over already. "Foolish am I?" she said those three words just to keep herself calm. Rule one of interrogation was never to let anyone know your weaknesses. It was good to avoid mentioning anything about yourself and even better if everything didn't seem to bother you. "Well, I invite you to enlighten me about your divine one. No one wants to live and die in ignorance..." she said that sentence so very lightly, but strangely she meant it. Artoria was very curious about what kind of god would sanction the rape of a Queen who had done nothing. She knew horrible people who wouldn't ever stoop so low, so what deity would? Well, she'd find out, and do her level best to make sure such a creature never saw worship again. What could Artoria Pendragon, Queen of Knights have possibly done to upset anyone? The list of people who were her enemies were made into her allies, and those who weren't were dead. At this point, it was strictly speaking impossible for her to have caused any legitimate offense to anyone.

[Bloodedge]

Oh? The little queen truly hadn't a clue who sent for her violation. It was beyond audacious that she knew not who the "divine one" he spoke of was. Worse yet, she thought he would tell her information she sought after that emasculation? Such jest. "Kukuku! I'm supposed to tell you? I'll tell you..." he started, pausing as his eyes traveled over that royal form. She was so perfectly constructed. Ah, if only he'd managed penetration before having his manhood severed. Well, there was no going back now. "How about you put my cock back on, then spend a good long time cramming it right up your tight ass! Then it may be worthwhile for me to tell you anything, little queen." No information would be gained from this man today. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Should that elegant queen actually do as he demanded, he'd tell her whatever information about the goddess she wanted. Of course, that would only come after he finished the task he'd been given of ruining her forever.

[Apollymi]

Artoria found herself staring at this man as he stared at her. He apparently didn't wish to talk, she supposed that would be fine, except it was exceedingly annoying that every few moments he spewed profanities out of his mouth. "I am truly surprised, I figured being castrated would end such vulgarities," Artoria stated, she was still so very calm. What kind of god would allow their worship by someone so vile. She might have assumed some sort of enchantment, but that seemed counter-intuitive. Some divinity sent a group of men to rape her. A man from that group, had been castrated but was still sexually frustrated enough to spew vulgarities at her. "Obviously, I can not return your missing appendage... and I would not even if it was within my power. You are obviously quite untrustworthy. I have to do what I can to protect others from your wayward behavior," Artoria stated as absolute fact. Any man who would attack someone defenseless was basically an animal, and deserved to be neutered as one. The fact that he kept yelping like a wounded dog was proof. Perhaps he served no god, perhaps it was just an excuse? Perhaps he and his group were simply a band of rapists, who liked young looking girls and as such she was simply their type. That would be new... no that didn't work out at all.

'Agravain, left already. I suppose it is a bit annoying for my interrogator to be out and about. Well, not really I could always consult someone else to find out the information needed.' So what was the Queen of Knights to do? Well obviously, she should consult her knights and see if any of them had anything to say. "Where is Merlin? I wish to know if he knows a single divinity that would sanction such actions... also if any of you know, I would take that information from you..." Artoria said as if she was perfectly content to ignore the cockless man before her. If he wouldn't be forthcoming there was no need to engage.

[Bloodedge]

"Wouldn't that be a lovely outcome for you? As it happens, vulgarities tend to accompany dismemberment," the rapist griped. Alas, nothing positive would be coming his way at all. Artoria gave up rather quickly on acquiring the desired information from him, choosing to rely on her knights and the one called Merlin instead. Tristan did not know of the gods and their methods, nor did Bedivere. Ah, but Merlin did; Merlin knew most things in this world. It just so happened to be the case that he'd already made his way to Artoria's side, or... perhaps he'd been there all along? No matter when he made his way here, he was standing only a pace behind Artoria by the time she asked for him. "You never think to look over your shoulder. You should pay more attention to the people around you, my king~" the sorcerer quipped. "Surely you don't expect me to know about the divinities of this world? The gods are only capable of manifesting around their linchpin," he said, despite actually knowing all the information Artoria sought. "Far be it from one who walks the lower plane to truly know their methods. Besides, it isn't as if I ever have useful information to give~♪"

[Apollymi]

A good outcome for Artoria? Well, that would have been sleeping her designated eight hours and waking to do her training drills with no interruption. How strange was it that a man who thought to rape her decided that she was somehow wrong for how she chose to defend herself. The audacity of this man was frightening. Ah, but now there was Merlin, who was apparently just over Artoria's shoulder. "I pay plenty of attention Merlin, you have not been in my immediate vicinity in quite some time," ah the mage spoke but he had no real information to offer. He claimed not to know, but when he made such claims in moments like these it was usually him being meddlesome. Strange though it was, he was remarkably missing when she was fighting off fourteen rapists in her room earlier. Would she blame him for that though... no. Not right at the moment, but she was barely holding on to what was left of her psyche. She almost needed to kill something and it was a very dangerous position Merlin was placing himself in right at the moment. Even if he didn't think she would kill him, her closeness to mental break might make her try. The grip on the hilt of her sword remained the way it was, but those eyes that shifted to Merlin showed several things and none of them good. "I expect that you know a lot Merlin," she mentioned withholding what was left of her attitude. The part of her hidden speech that would have ended in a blind rage that would consume half of Camelot before it was quelled. Yes, she would hold that part back, even as that fury ate away at her inside."I already know where they came from, I am asking who sent them..." she said very carefully. The Queen Artoria was holding on to her inhuman image so hard right now it was breaking pieces of her soul. "If you will not say, do not infantilize me," Artoria's words were quiet, careful and calm. But her eyes were losing more and more light by the moment. 'If this one won't talk, I could just remove his head and wait for the next batch. Eventually someone will tell me what I need to know...' Oh, her brain was switching straight to murder mode. Well, that wasn't true exactly, her brain hadn't left murder mode, not since these men had entered her bedroom. She'd avoided murdering this man for information, but if he had none to give, then the sentence would be death. White noise was in her ears and nothing but absolute fury in her heart, but she was stilling it with every breath. Artoria was preparing to kill with every beat of her heart. Beginning the steps towards playing judge, jury and executioner. She didn't need witnesses, she'd been there so there was only one thing left to check and if there was only clarity she would mete out this punishment with nothing to tarnish her honor. She cared not about her conscience. "Is he bewitched?" that was the last question she would ask Merlin. That was simple enough for him, and he should know by now, why Artoria would ask such a question.

[Bloodedge]

"How could you be so sure?" Merlin questioned. Maybe he wasn't there before, or maybe he was there even longer than she'd been awake. He had reason to believe she wouldn't have noticed if he hid himself in some manner he considered simple. Those assailants managed to by pass her and the knights quite easily, after all. She could have dealt with those men easily though, had she actually taken his magical training many years ago. Channeling wind through a sword would not be any true help. "You'll have a chance soon, you know? Take something magical," he said in passing, vague as ever. Meanwhile, Merlin sauntered around the restrained aggressor, his finger touching the man's temple. Silence overtook him immediately, and a wisp of energy followed Merlin's finger back into his hand. He slipped that little wisp into his own head, taking hold of every dream the man ever had, whether sleeping or waking. He was not bewitched, per se. "Not exactly," was how Merlin chose to put it into words. There was no magical effect on the man, but he wasn't exactly sane either. "Well... in a way, he is. Any spell cast on him is not of a magical variety, but of his own choosing. The amount of devotion here can just barely be differentiated from magecraft. Imagine the Charisma Skill turned up to eleven, then multiplied by six. That is where his mind is, but his actions are of his own choosing when following the light at the end of an infinite tunnel."

[Apollymi]

"Yes. Normally when you are near it smells of flowers and annoyance. Even in my sleep..." she said to Merlin. "Especially in my sleep," she said that last bit as a correction. That might have been an oversimplification of what Merlin smelled like to her, or rather how his powers interacted with her person. Or maybe it was a confusion of emotions? Artoria couldn't know it, but as a person with a Dragon Core, the magical abilities of others tended to cause her to feel nothing but annoyance in her body, aggression and the desire to dominate and kill. All of which were held at bay, by Chivalry and Knighthood. Merlin was being coy and facing down fury with the same annoying smile on his face, giving her the advice of taking a magical skill. Artoria realized in the moment she had to stop thinking about this situation, because if she didn't she'd have to mentally rationalize the betrayal of Merlin letting her be raped as a lesson, which was the only way she could conceptualize him of all people not being the one to help her when he sulked about all the time. Did he realize it she wondered? Did he know how his attitude was being translated in her shattered brain? Excalibur was planted in the floor before her, mostly to keep her from lashing out partly because she felt better with a weapon in her hands, but she could have been exactly the sort of person who would kill him for the slight he'd just indirectly planted in her head as something he'd done.

Artoria knew from experience he'd decided that she didn't need the information she sought, but for a man who'd told her she'd be a monster who killed everything to protect everything... he was certainly stopping her ability to kill, and limiting what she could protect. He was even being more annoying than normal... was this because she was already upset? Probably, but there could be no true calm in the Queen of Knights while she was on the verge of a murderous rampage. In all actuality the only thing keeping her from murdering both this last ruffian and Merlin were the Knights standing before her. Actually, that wasn't entirely true, she could be calm but only while thoughts of murder drained what was left of her happiness from her soul. She could be calm but only while standing in front of these knights who followed her because they deserved the leader they sought. Instead of all of that, she got useful information out of Merlin, but it was so very conditional. This man who was so sure he was going to rape her wasn't bewitched. But instead he made his decisions based on the devotion he had into an infinite void with a light at the end of a tunnel. That was outrageous. Artoria herself knew the full devotion of her knights and she would never expect such actions from them... but Merlin did say this was his choice. "That is all I needed to know," these were the words of Artoria as she finally pulled her sword out of the ground. A mask of serenity was on her face, but those eyes of hers showed an emptiness she'd managed to hold off in this world. "The punishment for what was done and attempted here of his own volition is death, any objections?" Artoria would wait, and as the one who'd proclaimed the sentence she would carry it out. Of course, if any of the Knights had an objection she'd hear them out.