Trafalgor slowly approached the statue that he had discovered the week before on the outskirts of Gulu's territory, one end of a rope in his free hand and staff in the other, and gave a sigh before turning to the man on the other end of the lead.

"This is your last chance to change your mind, Mateo. Once we enter Inferos, your fate is in the hands of Lady Death. Say the word and I shall allow you to share the same fate as the rest…"

The man had his wrists and hands bound with rope in a complicated fashion that prevented any sort of freedom of movement, but was otherwise unbound. Had the man received any lesser sentence, he would not be bound at all… no, he would not be here at all. The man, Mateo, barely reached Trafalgor's shoulder in height and was easily one hundred pounds lighter in weight. He had dirty blond hair, a tanned and weathered complexion, and wore simple cloth pants and shirt black and tan in color respectively. 

He was also slated to die.

Two nights prior, a small raiding group made up of various mercenary-types attempted to sack Gulu. When the hunters and other residents of the village managed to repel the group and were able to get a head count of the dead, they immediately noticed a number of missing - almost solely women and children. After calling for Trafalgor, who lived outside the main village some way, the leadership of the village convened a war council. That night, for the first time in his life, Trafalgor saw every able-bodied man and woman not caring for the remaining children and infirm leave the village as one… with only one objective in mind: hunt down the raiders and retrieve their kin.

It did not take long for the natives to find the mzungu, what with Trafalgor and Midori leading the hunt, and the residents of Gulu immediately fell upon them like a whirlwind.

As the sun rose to greet the new day, its light shone upon the mass of Guluans returning home in victory… and a dozen of the raiders being led like dogs on a rope in a line at the center of the group. Many were beaten badly, but one had remained untouched. That one was Mateo, the merchant that the raiding group had conscripted into their employ at knife-point to transport their ill-gotten goods for them. Mateo had surrendered as soon as he realized that his group was under attack and had frantically explained his circumstances.

Unfortunately, Gulu's laws were not as forgiving as some other villages' were.

Had the group only taken material things that could be replaced with time and silver, then that would have been a different matter. However, as soon as they had taken people, death had been the only fate awaiting them. Of the twelve, eleven of them had all quickly been sentenced to death and had those sentences carried out almost immediately… but Mateo was something of a grey area in their laws. He had been helping the raiding group, but he was doing so under duress. The people of Gulu held honor and family in equally high regard… and by Mateo's words, the only reason he had not already chosen to kill himself was the slight possibility of escaping from the group at some point to alert the authorities and return to his family with his own conscience (and ideally, his coin purse) intact.

As a warrior and one who had dealt death on the battlefield many times before, Trafalgor could empathize and understand the man's dilemma. However, Gulu's laws were very firm on the matter - all who were party to abductions of Gulu residents were to receive death. 

The man had managed to keep his own personal funds separate and hidden from the raiders and had even had plans to escape as soon as they came within a day's travel of Mamlak. It was just his rotten luck that Gulu was not merely some defenseless village.

With the decision made, and the word of the Elder being final, Trafalgor offered up an alternative with the potential to mostly satisfy all parties. The statue that he had discovered earlier in the week was one honoring Serafina, the recently ascended goddess of Death and Debauchery, and it had the ability to transport people to her domain - or rather, her temple.

Trafalgor's mentor and guardian after his mother had passed on, Father Sidney, had been a devout of all the deities of Revaliir and had made the journey to each of their temples, taking highly detailed notes about every deity, their temple, their personalities, and even managed to make excellent sketches of them. He kept all of his books at the church that Trafalgor now used as his "courtroom" as Mtetezi and had gone over those tomes many times over the years.

However, with the death of the previous Lady Death and the ascension of the new, there now existed a void that Trafalgor felt should be filled. He had been toying with the idea of continuing his mentor's work, but had been trying to decide what might be a good offering to bring. He had decided after some thought that fine alcohol would be a good choice and pulled a number of bottles from his personal stockpile of saki to give to her as an offering… and then the attack happened.

Mateo was now simply awaiting his execution, but Trafalgor felt that he deserved a chance for a small measure of atonement… and a potential chance to prove his words with his deeds. During his short time researching the publicly available information about Serafina, he had heard about a test being required for any who wished an audience with her. Trafalgor's offer to the Elder and Mateo was such:

Trafalgor would take Mateo with him to Inferos to be offered to the new Lady Death as tribute alongside his own personal offering. When the two reached their test in order to reach Serafina's temple, if Mateo either beat Trafalgor through his trial or was able to pass it up to an hour after Trafalgor himself did, the village would remove the taboo on his name and Trafalgor would personally deliver his personal funds back to his family with a tale of him dying to the raiding group and his effects being found as such.

However, his life was still forfeit… and once they were in her temple, his fate (not to mention Trafalgor's own) was entirely in Serafina's hands.

Mateo's brown eyes met Trafalgor's deep green firmly. "I'm sure. I just want this to finally be over." Trafalgor gave a solemn nod and turned back to the ivory statue of a woman, scantily dressed, drinking from a flagon of wine with one hand and slitting the throat of a man with another. He reached back to grab the bindings of Mateo, then pressed his closed fist around his staff onto the statue.

'I desire an audience with the new Lady Death, Serafina Volkov,' he thought firmly in his mind. 

And then then their surrounding shifted from the plains of Mamlak to what looked like the dilapidated remains of some sort of castle keep's hallway… lined with many, many doors. From the sky above them rained ash and the sounds of pleasure and pain came from all around them from the various doors nearby… as well as further into the distance. Trafalgor tore his attention from their surrounding and turned fully to Mateo. Within a few moments, Mateo was free from his bonds and the rope secured in Trafalgor's rucksack. 

"Choose a door… behind it, you will be faced with a trial unique to you. It may be anything… so be prepared for anything. Should you manage to both discover the nature of your trial and escape, I will see you on the other side and we shall greet the goddess together."

Mateo's disposition paled slightly, but he gave a nod before turning back to meet Trafalgor's gaze. "And our agreement?"

Trafalgor nodded and placed his right hand over his heart. "On my life and honor, if you complete your trial in the allotted time frame, I will personally take your silver back to your family and tell them the tale we agreed upon as to your fate."

The condemned man gave a semi-relieved sigh, nodded, then turned immediately to the nearest door, threw it open and stepped inside, closing it behind him. If nothing else, Trafalgor could admire the man's courage and determination. Wasting no further time, he too chose a door and entered it.

What awaited him on the other side was a scene that haunted both his sweetest dreams and worst nightmares.

Trafalgor opened his eyes to see the wooden ceiling above him… the only light coming from the moons outside the window of his room at Yamada-sou. He sat up in his bed and looked directly towards the door, knowing what would appear through it in scant seconds. Sure enough, his room's door slid open almost silently and a small figure quickly stepped inside and closed his door behind themselves. As the figure stepped closer to him, he heard his own, much younger voice speak out.

"Yukino… what are you doing here?"

As his Sensei's daughter came closer, her beautiful figure clad only in a sheer dressing gown being revealed to him in the low moonlight, she said nothing in response as she slid her robe from her pale shoulders and giving him a clear view of her bare body… leaving no secrets or misunderstandings to be had as to her reasons for entering his room.

What followed was Trafalgor's first night of passion with a woman that he actually cared for beyond friendship. And when the morning came, as Yukino lay there sleeping in his futon, Trafalgor left the room with all of his belongings on his back and departed from Yamada-sou for the last time, just as he had intended to from the outset, to continue his journey of self-discovery. Never to know if laying with Yukino resulted in a child. Never knowing if she would have decided to accompany him had he given the offer to her. To this day, he had never even sent a letter to the inn where he lived and trained for two years to check on his Sensei and Yukino. 

Trafalgor wasn't sure if he ever would, either.

And then the scene repeated…

Trafalgor opened his eyes to see the wooden ceiling above him… the only light coming from the moons outside the window of his room at Yamada-sou…

Trafalgor's Mind Tower slammed into place, making him flinch as his perspective shifted from his younger dream body to his actual body watching the scene from the sidelines as the door to the room slid open to reveal the dreaded figure of his first love sneaking into his room in an attempt to convince him to stay in Ataiyo be a part of their family instead of continuing his journey and leaving the next day.

He felt his body slightly convulsing as the adrenaline in his body started to bleed out and find an outlet.

"Truly… this a most dangerous trial…" he said to himself shakily as the implications of the trial were made apparent to him. Had he not been able to break out of the loop, he may well have willingly stayed in this imaginary world until eternity came… or just as equally likely to have remained uncertain about his past decision and allowed the loop to torture his psyche until he was unable to leave. He took one final deep breath and calmed his mind and body.

"Begone. My past is just that; my past. Nothing remains for me there," he said firmly, forcing his mind to focus on the 'truth' of his words. He then stepped passed the futon where the vision continued unabated and slid open the door to his room. Instead of the hallway outside his room in Yamada-sou, the view was that of an exquisite garden with a pathway leading toward a building of black and white. He slid the door closed behind him and stepped into the garden, allowing his eyes to wander freely around himself, taking in the sights of the various plants, flowers, fountains and, of course, statues depicting various scenes of debauchery.

Trafalgor gave a smile at those. 'Relaxing, if not a tad disturbing to most. Perhaps I can sketch the grounds before I depart…'

He approached a fountain set to one side of the pathway leading to the building and sat down, setting his rucksack and staff to either side, reaching in and removing an hourglass from his rucksack and setting it on the ground by the bag.

He then settled himself to wait for Mateo… sending a small well wish his way now that he fully understood the nature of the trial the man faced.

Fortunately, he did not even have to wait ten minutes before he heard footsteps approach him from the path he had come from. He opened his eyes and looked up to see a shaking Mateo before him. He quickly regained his feet and placed both hands on the man's shoulders with a smile. "Congratulations on completing your trial, Mateo. I am exceptionally proud of you."

He gave a shaky smile, but said nothing in response. Trafalgor decided not to pry as to the content of his trial, instead turning and regaining his gear before clapping his free hand on Mateo's shoulder. "Come. Lady Death awaits."

The pair made their way towards the building ahead of them. As they passed the highly ornate columns, the beautifully crafted black door gilded in gold filigree opened of its own accord. Neither man paused and continued through the doorway without even a sideways glance. Upon entering, both took a moment to look around the room, taking in the hall and finding their bearings. Trafalgor recovered first and approached the long bar along one side of the room, trusting Mateo to follow, and approached the nearest of the two figures; the very handsome man dressed in dapper clothing. When he reached the bar, he took a seat on a stool, leaning his staff against the bar next to him and setting his rucksack on the stool next to him before returning his attention to the figure opposite him from the bar.

"Hail, barkeep. I seek an audience with the Lady Death, Serafina Volkov, and bring tributes," he glanced over and placed one hand on Mateo's shoulder with a soft squeeze. "But before that, I wonder if it might be possible to partake in some libations for the two of us? It will likely be his last and I admit to needing something with a bit of kick after that… trial." The last word came in a slight growl, but his ire never quite reached his eyes as he met the eyes of the barkeep, Mind Tower still fully in place after being caught unawares in his trial.

As someone who was easily bored, Serafina found being a god absolutely wonderful. There were so many ways she could amuse herself, and she was discovering more and more as each day went by. Most recently, she had taken to replacing the female bartender in the foyer of the Hall of Indulgence. This allowed her to filter through some of those who came through seeking an audience with her. A simple aura masking spell made it rather easy to hide her true nature from them, unless she deemed them worthy of her true identity. The day that Trafalgor made his journey to the Hall of Indulgence happened to be a day that she had chosen to do such.

As Trafalgor and Mateo sat down at the bar near the male bartender, the female bartender – the goddess in disguise - glanced up and moved down towards their direction. She had given the male a sideways glance, and he had scurried away from his position, busying himself with polishing some goblets that were stacked on one of the shelves beneath the bar. She met eyes with Trafalgor as he made to order beverages for himself and Mateo. ”Sure thing, sweetheart,” she said, her voice a low and sultry tone. She walked away for a moment, busying herself with pouring some red wine into three goblets, not bothering to allow the pair to order their beverage of choice. “You sound like you need this,” she said with a wry smile as she set Mateo’s goblet down in front of him and slid Trafalgor’s towards him. She took a drink from the third herself, setting it down on the counter in front of her.

“The Temptress prides herself on the layout of this realm,” she said, her crimson painted lips spreading in a smile, revealing pearly white teeth. “The trials are by far the pinnacle of that. Did you get a nightmare, or a dream?” she asked, clearly referring to whether his trial involved pain or pleasure. She glanced at Mateo once more before looking back to Trafalgor. The man brought as a tribute was quietly sipping the wine. It seemed as though he was quite resolute that he was not going to leave the realm, and chose to enjoy his beverage while he still was able to.

“She’ll be happy with that one,” she said, smirking slightly and nodding towards Mateo. She leaned across the countertop slightly towards Trafalgor, clearly putting on a flirtatious air. “She’ll be happy with you, too… though perhaps not for the same reasons,” she added, her smile becoming somewhat more devilish. She was dressed in what looked like rather expensive clothing, but was quite provocative. Her corset left little too the imagination, and laced up the sides rather than the front, exposing much of her flesh. The skirt she wore had high slits up either side, the paleness of her legs poking out each time she moved. Both garments were in a black fabric with red embroidery. Her blonde hair was piled on her head in an intricate hairstyle, and dark makeup lined her eyes. It was clear she was there as a distraction to lure men (or women, if they leaned in that direction) away from their intention of visiting the goddess.

“So what brings you to the Hall of Indulgence? Obviously you want something from Lady Death if you’re bringing her a gift,” she added, nodding her head towards Mateo once more, who seemed to swallow nervously as he was acknowledged. “Are you looking to bring a loved one back from Inferos? Or perhaps you’re looking for assistance in sending someone to one of the Circles, instead,” she thought out loud. “Or maybe, you’re just looking to enjoy a night of pure indulgence… I’d be happy to help you with that,” she added, giving him a little wink. “I could summon the Lady of Woe, you could present your tribute, and then I could show you just what this realm has to offer,” she added suggestively.

When Trafalgor returned his attention to the opposite side of he bar, he was only mildly surprised by the woman's presence replacing the male's. From the glint in her eye, it seemed she intended to be the only one serving them. He only glanced to the side for a moment to note the location of the man before returning his eyes to the beautiful woman in front of him and stating his request. The tone of her voice made it clear that Trafalgor would need to be on guard against seduction… but he mentally shrugged, expecting nothing less from someone in the service of a goddess also known as The Temptress.

He was slightly surprised that she had brought back a drink for herself, but brushed it off as inconsequential as he gave a nod of thanks to the bartender. He had not been to a high-class bar in many years, but he had taken the time to take in the woman's attire fully, appreciating both her sense of dress and the way she carried herself. She was dressed both fashionably and seductively. Her entire image just screamed… what was the phrase? Ah, yes, it screamed 'Take Me Now!' Had Trafalgor not been in a relationship already, he would have allowed his eyes to appreciate the sight a tad longer. Instead, he made certain to keep his eyes on hers as she asked about his trial.

Trafalgor took a moment to lift his goblet, bring it to just under his nose, inhale the rich scent deeply, and give an appreciative smile before taking a sip. "Delicious…" he commented as he allowed the taste of the obviously high-quality drink permeate his taste buds. "Well, I'll be honest and say that I have mixed feeling about the trials… but I can definitely appreciate the simplicity of them on the surface." He took another long sip before continuing. "It's the absolutely devious way that it has the potential to trap you inside that makes it terrifying," he commented with a rueful smile, raising his goblet in a small toast. "So I suppose she should take great pride in the trials. In answer to your question," he went on, lightly swirling his wine, staring down into the cup, "I got both." Trafalgor didn't go into further detail, instead taking another long sip of the excellent wine.

He glanced over at Mateo and noted that he was no more forthcoming with an answer now than he had been before. Understandable considering the situation.

Trafalgor took another sip as the woman began to flirt directly with him. Well… if she was going to be blatant about it, he supposed he could play along. He allowed his eyes to drop from hers and roam for a few seconds, first to her cleavage proudly on display, then further down before returning back to her eyes. "I suppose that both of those things are in my favor, so I'll just have to trust you at your word and count my blessings," he said with a mischievous grin before taking another sip. He glanced down and noted that it was getting a little low and mentally shrugged. 

As she posed her question directly as to why he had come to see Serafina, presenting her logic behind the question as well as the many potential reason for his arrival, Trafalgor couldn't help but give a lopsided grin as she continued. He outright chuckled as she propositioned him directly before finishing his wine in one large gulp, putting his goblet down on the bar after and sliding back towards the woman. He leaned forward, a thoughtful expression purposefully set in place, and stroked his beard, as if in deep thought as he spoke. "Hmm… No, no… I don't have any loved ones that would appreciate being brought back, even if I wanted to do so. As for sending someone to anywhere in Inferos… well," he gestured towards Mateo with one hand, "getting someone here isn't really a problem for me. I'd also not presume to tell Lady Death where she should place a damned soul. Entreat her as to a desired outcome… maybe." His eyes hardened slightly for a moment as he continued. "And while I appreciate the offer in the spirit it was given," he began with a tight grin, "I'm afraid that I will have to respectfully decline as I am already in a happy and committed relationship." 

He allowed his face to soften as his grin turned playful and he returned the wink. "Not to say that I wouldn't take you up on that offer were the situation not exactly what it is." He gave a light wave and went on. "No, I have actually come with tributes," he paused as he reached over into his rucksack and pulled out one of the three bottles of high quality (and high-proof) sake he had brought and held it up to show the woman, "in the hopes of being able to continue the work of my late mentor." He placed the large bottle down on the bar as he explained. "My mentor, Father Sidney, was a devout of all the gods and goddesses of Revaliir. During his life, he made the journey to each deity's temple and learned as much about each of them as he could… likes, dislikes, personalities, rules and powers, even sketches and portraits of them and their domains. After the death of Lady Dalanesca," Trafalgor took a moment to bow his head in reverence, "and the ascension of Lady Serafina, I felt that the duty of continuing his work fell firmly on my shoulders."

Trafalgor reached into his robe and pulled free a brand new journal, holding it up for a moment to show the bartender before tucking it safely back into his robes. "At first, I intended to come with just the three bottles of sake as an offering. However," he turned his head to Mateo with a sad smile. "Circumstances have dictated that Mateo's life become forfeit. Frankly, the situation he was caught in can be simplified down to he was caught between a rock and a hard place… and due to the nature of his circumstances and my village's laws, he was condemned to death." He turned his attention back to the woman now and gave a slight nod. "That being said, I felt that he deserved a chance at a modicum of redemption due to the unfortunate nature of his 'crimes.' So in exchange for willingly being a tribute to Lady Death and facing her trial head on, his name has been cleared of its taboo in my village and I am sworn to fulfill his single request upon returning to Gulu. For his courage and steadfastness in the face of his fate, as well as successfully overcoming his own trial, I intend to entreat the Goddess of Death and Debauchery to grant him an appropriate death."

Trafalgor leaned back from the bar and gave a shrug and sigh. "Beyond that, I merely wish for a few hours of her time in order to learn all that I can about her and her domain and document it as my mentor once did with the previous Goddess of Death," he finished with an easy smile.

Serafina’s curiosity was piqued as her question regarding what trials the has presented for this newcomer, and her eyes narrowed slightly as he began to answer, though seemed to leave out the best part, not delving into what happened. “Mm, sometimes a combination is just… truly exquisite,” she said, her eyes returning back to their normal gaze. She chose against questioning him and trying to find out what he had experienced – she was sure she could find that out at another point in time.

A devious glint crossed Serafina’s face as Trafalgor spoke of his involvement in a committed relationship, and she let out a dark chuckle. “What happens in Hell, stays in Hell,” she said. It wasn’t for show – most of the men and women that made their way to the Hall of Indulgence gave into temptation and forsook any monogamous practices they generally adhered to in the mortal plane. “Your loss, I guess,” she said with a shrug, and took a drink of the wine she had previously poured.

The goddess was at least entertained with this visitor, and she listened to the beginning of his explanation of why he had made the journey to the Hall of Indulgence. She was impressed at the respect he showed in bowing his head at the mention of her predecessor, and did the same. Through all of her personality flaws and selfishness, Serafina knew that honoring those gods who had come before her was of the utmost importance. As he spoke of wanting to meet with ‘Lady Serafina,’ a grin flashed across her face for the briefest of moments.

She kept a watchful eye on Trafalgor as he placed the offered bottles of sake upon the counter. Her gaze then shifted with interest to the bottles – Serafina had only tried the drink a few times that she could recall, and she was not remembering much about it. “Any sort of spirit is an easy, yet powerful gift,” she said, approval audible in her voice. “She’ll be pleased.”

She sipped on her wine as Trafalgor went on to tell the story of why Mateo had been brought along as a tribute as well, idly drinking as she listened. After the tale had been regaled, she drained her cup and set it to the side, leaning against the countertop of the bar towards him. “You know, it’s fascinating to me. You were able to bring a tribute, a living, breathing, tribute, without actually doing anything wrong,” she said, and it was true – she was rather impressed by that aspect, even though she found pleasure in doing things that were entirely wrong. She thrived on breaking the rules and overindulging, of course, but she still had admiration for people who had at least some sort of a code of ethics. “But, you seem to be a learned ma, what with your continuing the research on the gods,” she added, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him.

With a rather quick movement, she hopped up onto the countertop, swinging around so that she was sitting with her legs dangling over the side that the two men were on. She gave a sideways glance to Mateo for a moment before turning her attention back to Trafalgor, at which moment she dropped the spell that was masking her aura. “To back up ever so slightly, while I am a fan of the many honorifics that have been bestowed upon me, I am far from a lady,” she said, with a sly wink. In a very nonchalant fashion, she extended her hand towards Trafalgor. “Serafina Volkov,” she said, her trademark smirk stretched across her lips. “And… I don’t’ believe you’ve offered your name just yet,” she added.

After a moment, she hopped down from the bar and moved towards Mateo, looking at him in a semi-scrutinizing fashion. “You say you wish for him to meet an appropriate end,” she repeated from his earlier declaration. “What would you deem appropriate for his crimes?” she asked, her eyes never leaving Mateo. “I have quite a creative imagination when it comes to ways to end someone. Do you want him to meet a fast and painless end? Or do you want him to suffer? I could keep him alive for ages and feed on him,” she said, her eyes changing colors for a moment as though the whites had been filled with blood. “I could feed him to my dogs,” she said, as thoughtfully as though she were contemplating on what to eat for dinner that evening. She reached out and placed her hand upon the side of Mateo’s face, who seemed to be rooted to the spot, but a look of terror had cascaded across his features. She leaned around him slightly, inhaling deeply through her nose.

“I must say, he smells as though he would make an awfully good meal,” she added, clearly enjoying the notes of fear emanating from Mateo. At first, it had seemed as though Mateo was accepting of the fact that his death was going to be used as a tribute to the goddess in order to repent for his crimes – but now, the thought that he could be used as a meal was a bit more terrifying. She stepped away from him after a moment, turning her attention back towards Trafalgor, her head tilted to one side as she awaited his answer.

Trafalgor could only nod and smile easily as the bartender shrugged at him and drank from her goblet. He reached out and lightly stroked his staff leaned against the bar, knowing that Daphne could feel his touch and magick just as easily as if he were in the same room with her through it, before moving it away and continuing on. 

He didn't know if the woman had also been under the service of the previous Goddess of Death or not, but he appreciated that she joined him in his quick show of respect towards Dalanesca. At her comment and assurance that the spirits would be appreciated as a tribute, he gave a grin and tapped the neck of the first bottle he'd placed out. "I am glad to hear that. This one is best served hot during the cooler seasons and," he pointed at the last two bottles, "these are best appreciated when chilled and imbibed when it is hot out." If these two were ever likely to actually serve his tribute to Serafina, then he thought it would be prudent for them to know the difference between what he'd brought.

He definitely felt a small prickle of pride at the bartender's fascination with his bringing Serafina a live tribute while doing so 'ethically.' To have his Path validated, even in this instance, was something of a balm for his soul that enabled him to reaffirm to himself that he had chosen his Path wisely. "Truly, it means much to me to hear you say so," he replied with a soft smile. Her next words, however, caused him to quirk an eyebrow. "Your thinking is sound…" he trailed off, her slight change in demeanor and tone sent a jolt through his gut. Even as she suddenly hopped up onto the counter of the bar and swung her legs to his and Mateo's side of it, Trafalgor's mind raced to review the conversation up until that point.

He had missed something… he knew now that he had… but what had he missed? 

As she stopped hiding her aura, Trafalgor's senses were temporarily overwhelmed from the sheer power and feeling of death until he firmly stopped himself from passively sensing his surrounding with his magic. The woman's next declaration struck him like a bolt of lightning, freezing him with his mouth agape for a moment… until her wink kicked his mind back into working order and he barked out a pair of laughs with a wide grin. Serafina's introduction and extended hand only caused his demeanor to brighten further. He smoothly took her proffered hand softly into his right hand, turned it slightly so that her knuckles faced upward, and brought his lips to the knuckle of her middle finger in a light kiss. "Humblest apologies for the late introduction, my Goddess," Trafalgor said as he raised his head and opened his hand to allow her to pull her own away at her leisure. "I am Trafalgor, last known member of the Kampala line, and the Protector of Gulu," he introduced himself, translating his official title into common for Serafina and giving his family name aloud for the first time in almost twenty years.

As she hopped down from the bar and moved to Mateo, Trafalgor turned fully in his seat to watch as Serafina seemed to almost stalk around the condemned man. He tempered his own feelings about the man firmly, making sure to keep himself professional. Whether or not he had realized it before, he had already begun his audience with the one he sought information from. He intended to remain so until his duty was done.

And then she went and asked the singular thing of him that was guaranteed to override his professional mien: His opinion.

He stared into the Goddess of Death's eyes for only a moment, and then broke the contact with a rueful laugh and shake of his head. "Truly… you delight in asking the most difficult things of me." Trafalgor looked once at Mateo, who looked absolutely terrified compared to his earlier attitude, then back to Serafina. "Frankly, I have been torn on that very subject for the past week. However, since you have asked me directly, I will tell you that I am split between two equal, but distinctly different answers," he admitted with unwavering honesty.

He then firmly took every single negative emotion and thought about Mateo, dove into his mind scape, and shoved them into a small clay pot before firmly slamming the lid into place. His mental avatar then turned to another, almost identical pot, reached down and shifted the slightly ajar lid fully away from the container. As his perception returned to Inferos, he could feel himself fill with compassion and empathy for the man beside him as a semblance of serenity fell over him. "One half of me feels nothing but compassion and empathy for Mateo and his situation. He was coerced to assist slavers in their transporting of both sentient and non-sentient creatures and people under threat of his death." He gave the man a small smile and continued. "I understand his desire to simply survive with the small hope of escaping away and calling the authorities attention to the slavers… his wanting to just make it home to his family. Were it up to that half, Mateo would not even be here and would already be on his way." He turned back to Serafina and gestured to the man with one hand. "It was this half that prompted me to make my deal with him in the first place." Green eyes shifted to Mateo. "It is this half that is proud of how he has been comporting himself until just moments ago."

Trafalgor shifted back into his Mind Tower, shoved all of those positive feelings into the recently vacated container and sealed it once more. His avatar then turned back to the first pot with an impassive stare… then lashed out with a furious kick that shattered it into a thousand shards.

He almost lost himself in the nearly palpable core of rage and disgust he had for the insect his eyes now glared down at from his towering height… but reigned himself in before the urge to reach out his arm and snap the man's neck with his hand took hold.

"The other half, Serafina," so focused was Trafalgor on restraining himself, that any modicum of proper decorum disappeared from him completely, "wants to see this disgustingly pathetic thing suffer unspeakable pain and tortures until the very thought of its own death becomes the sweetest waking dream it has ever envisioned in its entire miserable existence," he growled out as his body trembled in restrained bloodlust and dark magicks. "This half wants this scum to suffer the same thing that all of those men, women, children, and animals being hauled around in the back of its wagon suffered for those two months it worked for those despicable creatures… all the beatings… the torture… the rape… to have its chained and broken body dragged behind the cart as they traveled through the wilds of Mamlak's plains for… for just attempting to obtain their own freedom."

All through his speech, his eyes were locked onto the rat's… and then he stepped forward, grabbed it by the shirt with one hand and hauled the rodent up out of the seat. Trafalgor pulled it closer so that their faces were inches apart while it's legs dangled helplessly. "This half feels nothing but contempt and hatred towards this walking, talking pile of feces before him… for its selfish decision to help enslave others instead of choosing to kill as many of the bastards as it could to help them escape in exchange for its own otherwise worthless life." With that, Trafalgor pushed his arm forward lightly and let go of its shirt, causing it to fall back over the chair it had been sitting in before and tumble to the ground.

Trafalgor closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and re-centered himself… then opened his eyes and met Serafina's with a small smile. "Apologies for the rough treatment of the tribute," he said honestly, but it was obvious that he was only apologizing because he may have damaged the goods before she had the chance to enjoy them properly. "Honestly, I got several mouthfuls of their blood while I was ripping out a few of their throats during our counterattack. I have to admit that I much prefer the taste of freshly killed antelope or bison, but," he gave a shrug as he gave the man on the ground a slightly feral grin, "you know what they say: there's no accounting for taste."

With the level-headedness that Trafalgor had seemed to exhibit when they had first begun speaking, Serafina found herself rather surprised by the shift in his demeanor as he began to answer her question. She was intrigued by his response, and she leaned against the bar top as she listened and watched. A jolt of excitement shot through her body as she watched Trafalgor accost Mateo, and for a split second, she thought that she was going to witness Mateo’s life ending, rather than be the one in charge of ending it. When all was said and done, Serafina straightened back up, her hands finding their way to her hips. She let her gaze linger upon Trafalgor for a few moments as his returned to her before she looked at Mateo in the disgraceful state he had landed upon the ground in.

”Well, I was almost met with disappointment - here I am, having a brand new toy dangled in front of me, and I thought you were going to play with him before I got a chance,” she said, pouting her lower lip out in a dramatic fashion. A grin flickered across her lips soon after, however, and it indicated that she was most certainly not upset. ”I wouldn’t mind, to be honest… watching someone rip someone else apart is… invigorating,” she said, though it was clear that she meant something other than what she said, what with the dark glint in her eyes and the sinister smirk that had spread across her lips as she spoke.

”No matter,” she said, after a moment. ” You have an interesting way with words, Trafalgor, and I’ve already thought of many ways I could… deal with him,” she said, glancing at Mateo again. ”A quick and painless death won’t be fitting if you ask me.” She sauntered over to where Mateo lay upon the ground and crouched for a moment, grasping the front of his shirt much in the manner that had already been done to him. Though the goddess was a short woman with a curvy frame, she lifted Mateo up with incredible strength, returning to a standing position and pulling him along with her with hardly any effort at all. ”After all, with the atrocities you’ve said he committed, it would only be fitting for him to suffer in many of the same ways, wouldn’t it?” she added. ”Beatings…. torture…. rape…” she continued, circling around him again. It was clear that Mateo was following her train of thought, as his face became more fearful. Serafina dragged a finger down the side of his cheek.

She stepped away from Mateo and turned back towards Trafalgor. ”I have decided what his fate shall be - but please, let me know if you do not feel it is adequate, and I would be more than happy to make it… better,” she said, giving him a strange glance. ”Mateo will be sent to Contrito. The ninth circle is where we send the most despicable of people - the ruiners of the innocent.” She paused for a moment, drinking in the sheer terror that now crossed Mateo’s face. ”But no, that is not all… I don’t feel that would be enough,” she said, and with a flash, she had moved back next to Mateo. His left wrist was held tightly in her hand, and with a snarl she lowered her head, sinking her now exposed fangs into his flesh. Mateo let out a howl of pain as she drank from his wrist, making no effort to dull the pain for him. After a moment, she tore herself away from his arm and tossed him back to the floor, the wound on his wrist now bleeding rather profusely.

When she looked up at Trafalgor, she had a rather cheerful smile on his face. ”I will retrieve him from time to time to feed on him and, well, I need not go into further detail,” she added, though it was clear that he would be used for more than feeding. ”I won’t, however, be feeding on his arm. He’s going to look rather ragged in a few weeks' time. Chunks of flesh torn from his chest, his thighs, missing fingers, toes… you get the idea,” she said, the smile on her face a bit out of place for the topic being discussed.

After a moment, a well-dressed man entered the room that Serafina, Mateo, and Trafalgor currently stood in, appearing as though he had been mentally summoned by Serafina, which had indeed been the case. Serafina gave him a nod, and with that, he took Mateo away, presumably to enact the sentence that had been decided for him. Serafina gave a little wave of her hand in acknowledgment to the man who was clearly doing her bidding.

When the pair were left alone, Serafina turned her full attention to Trafalgor. ”Well, it seems we have addressed that issue,” she said, and sat herself down upon one of the stools at the bar top, motioning for him to do the same. ”You said you wished for a few hours of my time, and bringing that piece of human filth here has certainly allotted you as such - you may have my company for as long as you wish to ask the things you wish to know. However, know that there may be some questions I will flat out refuse to answer. As I do not expect you to know what exactly those questions are, I will not take offense if you ask them - however, I will certainly take offense if you press if I tell you to move on. Are we clear?”

When the formalities had been taken care of, Serafina nodded her head towards the bottles of sake that he had brought as a part of his gift for her. ”Why don’t you show me the proper way to enjoy this drink you’ve brought, first, and then we can get started?” she said - though shortly after, a frown crossed her face. ”Not here, though… let’s go elsewhere, yes?” she said, and without waiting for his response, the pair had disappeared from the entry area of the Hall, finding themselves now sitting in the lush garden of the Hall of Indulgence’s courtyard. Serafina was sprawled out somewhat on a settee, with Trafalgor having been relocated to a rather plush chair. The sake seemed to have been transported along with them, set out on a table covered in black velvet. Several different types of cups had been set out, along with a vessel carrying ice and an element with a flame below it intent for heating things.

”Oh, I like it out here so much better,” she said along with a relaxed exhalation of air. She turned and propped herself up on her side, turning her full attention to Trafalgor, awaiting whatever it was that he wished to learn about her and her domains.

For just a moment, Trafalgor worried that he may have truly earned the goddess' ire… until the quick grin flickered across her face, causing him to chuckle in both amusement and a not minor amount of relief. He chose not to comment about her obvious flirt and not-entirely-subtle hint that she wouldn't mind watching him actually follow through with what his lingering bloodlust desired… and maybe something more. In his current state of mind, or at least until he managed to fully regain control of all of his negative emotions, allowing himself any sort of verbal leeway would be akin to maintaining one's balance upon a canyon's lip using only a single foot with half of it already hanging over the edge.

He could easily stop himself from going too far… but knowing that the end result would be rather fatal for him if he was forced to stop himself, it was simply safer to not say or do anything in direct response to her.

Instead, he reached over and grasped his staff from where it rested against the bar as Serafina mused upon his colorful vocabulary and wording, using it to feel Daphne… and letting her natural calm combat his still-roiling emotions. As she continued speaking, Trafalgor focused on her and Mateo… and knew that his fate was well and truly sealed now. He didn't bother to mention that Mateo had never actually done anything to any of the slaves that he'd been in charge of transporting… but by Gulu's laws and his own set of morals, Mateo simply allowing those things to go on in his presence without doing his utmost to stop it made him guilty of the crime by association. As she listed off the crimes committed, Trafalgor already knew where Serafina intended to send the doomed man.

And he allowed himself a small, satisfied grin as she made her decree, feeling nothing but dark amusement at Mateo's shocked, bleeding form. "Had you asked me if such a punishment was adequate when we first sat down, I would have argued that it was too much…" He then turned and met Serafina's eyes, grin still firmly in place. "However, in my current state of mind, I think all of that sounds like a perfectly fitting fate."

As the rather well-dressed man appeared and moved to carry out Serafina's judgement, Trafalgor looked one last time upon Mateo… and decided to rub a tad more salt into the wound.

"Mateo," he called out just as the servant reached the bleeding and shaking man… then continued as Mateo met his gaze. "As a parting gift, I leave you with these words… and I hope that you dwell on them carefully as you serve your sentence: 'The only thing that must occur for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing.'" Trafalgor's blazing green eyes stared unflinchingly at the man. "I hope those words are burned into your very soul… and that they will guide your actions in your next life should you ever actually be allowed back into the Cycle of Souls."

With that, he turned his attention fully back to Serafina, no longer caring for anything to do with the man.

"Indeed," Trafalgor said simply as he followed Serafina's gesture and sat himself back onto the barstool. He simply gave a nod to confirm Serafina's statement and listened to her terms for his request. After she finished, Trafalgor gave a firm nod with a smile. "Crystal."

At Serafina's suggestion that he show her the proper way to enjoy the sake he'd brought with him, he moved to do just that… but froze as she frowned. "Hmm?" he queried wordlessly with a quirked eyebrow… and blinked as their surroundings shifted from the posh bar to a large garden. He took a moment to take in his new surroundings as Serafina relaxed into her very comfortable looking couch and allowed his free hand to appreciate the plushness of the chair he now sat in. He then grinned over at Serafina and chuckled. "That was smoothly done. I didn't even feel the transition," he commented as he turned his attention towards the velvet-topped table… and frowned. A large assortment of cups was spread before them, many of them perfectly appropriate for drinking sake… but not a single tokkuri was present. 

He stood up from his chair and double checked, just to make certain, but when his initial observation proved true, his frown firmed up and he crossed his arms, idly tapping the bottom of his staff against his calf. "Well, that's absolutely unacceptable…" he mused lowly before uncrossing his arms and resting his staff against the side of his seat. His mind went through the options available to him at present as he returned his attention to the table and stroked his beard. 

He could ask Serafina for her to ask one of her servants to bring the appropriate containers… but rejected that option out of hand. If she knew how sake was served, she likely wouldn't have offered the assortment of cups and glasses… unless it was a test? Trafalgor allowed his eyes to dart over to Serafina's figure for a moment, then gave a soft 'hmm' as he discarded that possibility as well. It was plausible, but he wasn't getting those sort of vibes from the goddess.

Just the same, he decided to cover both possibilities and simply use one of the fancier sake sets he had at his disposal. He had been saving it for a special occasion… something along the lines of a wedding or handfasting gift, but this worked just as well. He gave a firm nod as his decision solidified, held his hands out in front of him, and summoned the set he had in mind from where he had it stored inside his home back on the outskirts of Gulu's territory. There was a slight resistance to his summoning, but the spell completed successfully, leaving a large wooden box in his hands. "Pardon me if I'm wrong… but something tells me that sake is not a spirit that you are overly used to partaking in, is it?" he asked as he placed the box on the table and turned to smile at the goddess. "In that case, would you allow me to teach you the finer points and customs?"

After receiving her response, Trafalgor reached down and slid the front face away from the box, revealing a matching set of two tokkuri and five sake cups. The surface of the glassware had a unique coloring, akin to that of a natural pearl - creamy white when viewed from straight on, but a fascinating mixture of cream, green, and purple when seen from an angle. Given that all of them were curved, it made for a unique viewing experience as the creamy white coloring seemed to move around with the focus of one's eyes. Trafalgor quickly, but carefully, removed one of the tokkuri and two of the cups from the box and placed them on the table, then moved the box to one side to be out of the way.

"Sake is a drink that originates from Ataiyo and has a history longer than that of even Nisshoki. It is a rice-based sipping wine that is regularly fermented with various other ingredients to produce specific flavors and taste pallets. As such," he explained, calling forth his magick to pull a small amount of the moisture in the air to form a globe of water, "a set of customs for drinking it naturally came about. The first, and most important, is that it is considered impolite to both the distiller and the beverage to serve the drink directly from the container it was transported in." He indicated the bottles of sake with one hand as he directed the water he'd gathered to rinse the upper lip and insides of the tokkuri for a few seconds. As the water exited the serving container and moved to rinse both cups, Trafalgor lifted one of the two bottles of sake that were best served chilled and expertly opened it. "That's where the tokkuri comes in," he said while slowly pouring the entire bottle into the large container. "Tokkuri come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and materials, but the important part is that it is a container that can be submerged in water, chilled, or heated without allowing the sake to escape." He finished pouring and put the now empty bottle aside, then flicked his hand to send the floating water out into the garden to water the nearby plants.

He then reached over and, making sure the device was turned off, moved the heating element aside and placed the container of ice directly onto the table. With a touch of fire and air manipulation, he used his magick to heat the air surrounding all of the ice within the container a few degrees… which rapidly melted a fair portion of the ice before he cut off his magick, leaving the container filled with an ice-water mix. "Most varieties of sake are served warm due to the taste that brewing and distilling gives the drink. The warmth simply matches the taste and scent profiles better and makes it more enjoyable to partake… and thus most often drunk during the colder seasons," he continued as he placed the tokkuri filled with sake into the iced water to chill and gestured to the single bottle he'd brought that fit his explanation. He then grinned and tapped the side of of the container of water. "However, in recent years, a few brewers in Nisshoki have developed a new way to distill the beverage… and what they've managed to produce is a more delicate and crisp tasting drink that include various floral and fruity pallets instead of the traditional woodier tones. For these varieties, chilling is the preferred serving method, since heating it almost always destroys the balance of scent and taste of the drink."

Trafalgor gave a small shrug and gestured to Serafina, "That all being said, the whole thing is all based on one's personal tastes… and one should remember to always be careful not to heat or chill sake too much," he said as he lifted the tokkuri out of the water momentarily and used his free hand to point at the bottom of the container. "Tokkuri have an indent here at the bottom that can be used to check the temperature inside without actually touching the drink." Suiting actions to words, he placed two fingers into the indent and waited a few seconds. "For chilled sake, it should be cold to the touch, but not so cold that it feels like touching ice… while warmed sake should feel hot to the touch, but not burn the fingers." He removed his fingers and placed the container back into the water. "This still needs a few minutes… so, while we wait, do you have any questions or comments?"

He gave Serafina the appropriate attention and, once the correct amount of time had passed, turned to remove the tokkuri from the water and poured the chilled drink into the two cups he'd prepared. He then served Serafina before picking up his own cup and taking his own seat… allowing himself a moment to enjoy the garden and for Serafina to take the first sip before bringing his own cup up to partake himself.

"Now, to get the 'official' questioning done," Trafalgor said with a smirk, his emotions now properly settled after his abbreviated explanation about sake, reaching once more into his robes and pulling out the blank journal. He set it in his lap, opened it several pages in from the beginning, then summoned his quill and inkwell beside him and prepared himself to write. "Since I already know that your domains are Death and Debauchery, I think we can skip that one." He tapped the feather to his chin a few times with a 'hmm' and gave a nod. "Yes, that would be more informative. I believe I would like to know how you view your domains. In what ways do Death and Debauchery shape Serafina Volkov as a goddess and a person… and in what way does Serafina Volkov shape Death and Debauchery?"

He made sure to transcribe her words into the book as faithfully as possible as she replied, taking careful sips of his drink as he split his attention between the journal and the goddess. He asked a few follow up questions; things like preferred offerings, taboos to be avoided by visitors, requirements for any that wished to become one of her acolytes, preferred prayers and methods of worship for those still living in Revaliir, and what her powers and abilities granted to her upon her ascension were. All the while, he made sure to copy every word down, pausing only to refill their drinks and the ink in his quill.

Finally, after his line of inquiries ran dry, Trafalgor gave a relieved sigh, now quite relaxed from both the ambiance and alcohol, gave a few blows onto the book to finish drying the last of the ink, and set it aside - dismissing his writing utensils with a flick of his magick. "And with that, I'm done with the official inquiries to add to my ment-" he paused and shook his head ruefully. Even after all these years, he had trouble claiming the things Father Sidney had bequeathed to him as his own. "To add to my library of information about the deities of Revaliir." He met Serafina's eyes and gave only a moment's thought before asking, "Now, I was wondering if I might be allowed to sketch you seated there as you are now? In exchange, I would be happy to answer any questions you might have about me while I do so." He paused a few moments and gave a grin. "No restrictions on questions."