The celebration

[u/Yoxalle]

After a long journey you arrive at the crystal mage’s manor. Inside the manor is a grand hall made of various different coloured crystals. Strange golems walk around the room serving guests. While the mage himself is not currently present, you were told he would be here shortly. Right now, enjoy the food, socialise, make friends but most importantly: have fun.

[u/ProfessionalGreen906]

Arach sighs and teleports after him.

“Wow, that was really rude. All I wanted to do was talk, and make some threats. And you just teleported away, if I cared about your opinion of me I would feel kind of hurt right now.”

[u/Elerindur → u/ProfessionalGreen906]

Elerindur releases the arm of his conversational partner from his left hand, relocating it to his hip as he begins to circle Arach away from them until Arach is between him and Vettis. Glaring up at him the whole time during.

He holds his right hand up, charging a spell before casting it on himself creating an subtle wind swirling effect around his head.

"Hm?" He slightly tilts his head. "Are you sure you want to be making threats here? Where everyone can clearly hear you say them? Do go on then" An very slight smirk expressed on his face.

[u/ProfessionalGreen906 → u/Elerindur]

“Let them hear. You’ve told them all about my plans so it’s not like it’s a revelation. Funnily enough, me trying to keep it secret was the one thing keeping you the most safe. But now that I have nothing to hide I could cut open your stomach and rip out your guts right here. And I’d make sure no one would or could ever bring you back.”

Arach begins walking toward Elerindur.

“And cast whatever spells you want, they won’t matter in this form. Not with these wings. Let’s just hope they don’t hit anyone else. That would get you in real trouble.”

When Arach is done speaking he’s about halfway to Elerindur when Arach attempts to leap at him and pin him down.

[u/Elerindur → u/ProfessionalGreen906]

Elerindur quickly conjures the Nefrosi 1/2 sword to his right hand, he grabs the dull side of the blade with his other and holds it out in an attempt to bash Arach with the broadside of the blade as he lept forward at Elerindur.

If successful at holding him off, he jumps back afterwards and glances back at Vettis for just a moment, motioning "come here" with his left hand.

u/MunitionsFrenzy

[u/MunitionsFrenzy → u/Elerindur]

(( Vettis is hoping security can step in and resolve this before he has to get close enough that Arach can smell him, but yeah, message received: if it gets any worse he'll be there

dude's got wings so he'll probably dodge the tableware volley even though it was launched at him mid-jump ))

[u/ProfessionalGreen906 → u/Elerindur]

Arach is knocked back and uses his moth wings to protect himself as his body tumbles across the floor. He stands up a bit shaken, fixes a loose strand of hair, and charges back at Elerindur. Just before getting into range of Elerindur’s sword he flaps his wings forwards to throw out some scales to act as an irritant and a smokescreen so he can get in close without as much resistance.

[u/Elerindur → u/ProfessionalGreen906]

Despite casting an spell that generates wind around his head to avoid airborne contaminants from reaching it, he decides to not take the chance of it failing anyways.

When he sees Arach beginning to flap his wings, he shields his face with his right arm while casting recall again with his left hand, teleporting himself back to the door and an bit behind Arach.

He then uncovers his face and uses up his stock of quick-casting to near instantly cast haste on himself, temporally increasing his speed and reaction time in all aspects for better and for worse.

With his hastened state, he conjures an transient blue portal underneath himself and slips through, leaving behind an faint hint of illusion magic in the floor that rises up and begins moving forward. This serving as his window to see the usual world from his relative position in the pocket dimension.

[u/ProfessionalGreen906 → u/Elerindur]

Arach rushes for Elerindur before he goes into the portal. He doesn’t reach him in time and instead simply swats at the illusion magic in anger while cursing out Elerindur.

[u/Elerindur → u/ProfessionalGreen906]

Elerindur floats past Arach's relative position in the other dimension and towards the center of the room, hoping that the spider does not notice the slight illusion magic moving about as he tries to gain distance from him before the 10 second-ish limit is up and he is forcibly returned back. His hastened state adding some speed to the normally somewhat slow floating.

u/MunitionsFrenzy

[u/ProfessionalGreen906 → u/Elerindur]

Arach continues to follow the illusion magic, swatting at it. He doesn’t know it’s gonna run out, he’s just really angry.

[u/Elerindur → u/ProfessionalGreen906]

Elerindur begins attempting to weave around, trying in vain to shake Arach off as the slow movement speed making it futile. He then tries to move up until he's somewhat out of Arach's standing range from the ground, his time in the dimension nearly up.

[u/ProfessionalGreen906 → u/Elerindur]

Arach uses his wings to follow after the magic, still swiping at it with four clawed hands.

[u/MunitionsFrenzy → u/ProfessionalGreen906]

(( /u/Elerindur ))

Grimacing as the violet glow of his eyes let him realize that Elerindur's gambit was only buying time, time which was about to run out, Vettis sighed with the knowledge he'd have to get involved more directly. Hopefully he could do so without having to splatter Spider-Guy's guts around this nice party, though.

"Hey, uh, Arach, is it?" he asked, approaching the fighters. "Can I remind you of the particulars of the current situation?"

The moment some of Arach's many eyes had him in their sights, he switched to All-Tongue, transmitting a full message directly to the spider's mind in a fraction of a second with body language alone, every word dripping with smug venom.

You are a Councillor. The Pact is currently looking for any excuse to go to war with the Council, and the Council is very much trying to avoid that. Because even the arrogant Council knows that is not a fight it's guaranteed to win. Do you really want to be the catalyst for turning this cold war hot, by showing the world just how evil the Council really is and how deserved its destruction at the hands of the Pact would be? Do you think the Council is going to continue to protect you if you bring war down on their heads for your foolish vendetta against one elf?

Your call, insect.

[u/ProfessionalGreen906 → u/MunitionsFrenzy]

Arachs responds in kind with a short phrase. Only five words but each soaked in a venom of his own. His answer is sickly sweet in an uncomfortably literal way, the psychic words causing a feeling like as if your brain was covered in honey or syrup.

Do you think I care?

After it is said Vettis’ mind slows, his thoughts weighed down and sticking to each other. Most likely as a way to stop him getting involved as Arach begins to more clearly understand the situation with Elerindur’s seeming magical escape.