((That works, and it's fairly close to what he would do! :D))
((previous post edited, by the way.))

He pulled out a healing potion, one of the few he had remaining, and uncorked it.

"Good...I'm sure we'll work well together, Viska." he smiles, cruelly as ever, drinking the potion, then beckoning her over, "What are these, and what purpose do they have here?" he gestures at the items, now spilled onto the floor.

"Also, I have a way to make that little telepathic bond you established permanent. We will be able to communicate without the others overhearing."

"Very... well..." Viska manages, dropping her swords, straining to telekenetically summon Za'rel's equiptment, polymorphs back into her human form, and hastily dons her armor and weapons.

"This will do.. If we're being spyed on." Viska replies, now fully human again, the polymorph working admirably. She doubles over for a moment in pain, but finally composes herself, after coughing up a mouthful of blood. "Those are the bargaining items. Rings, Amulets, Rare draconic spell componets, all to tempt you with. And, *snatches a long, thin sack* MY bag of holding." she then walks back to her dropped swords, tossing each of the 6 massive weapons into the bag, and then slinging it behind her cape.

"I'm not sure to be impressed or not, now I have to endure you twice as much as I usually do."

He smiles, as if pondering something, even as he looks through the items. Taking out a potion, he says calmly, "If you would prefer not to wait until your regeneration takes effect, drink this."

He returns the table to an upright position with a quick spell, then magically deposits the spilled items back on it. Sitting down in a fine chair, he places the healing potion on a table.

"Just out of curiosity...what would you have done with me, if you had won?"

Viska stumbles over to the table, gratefully grabbing the healing potion and slurping it down. Taking another seat, she gently rolls the vial back to Aeryn. "No thanks to your Disintrigration spell, but I would be quite capable of functioning by myself by now."

"Approximately an hour ago, I lost a rather competent lieutenant. I was hoping I could get you to replace her. Unfortunately, I am more concerned as to what will become of me, under you."

"Interesting...who was she?" he asked, picking up a spellbook, its title written in Dark Abyssal, along with a Ring of Telekinesis and a greater Ring of Wizardry.

"I'm still thinking about what I want you to do, so feel free to imagine while you answer my question."

"Another Marilith who I enslaved along the way to becoming a rather powerful general of the abyss. Unfortunately, my master elected to throw my life away on you, seeing you as a threat. He won't like me telling you that, but I'm not his anymore, now, am I?" Her mouth curls into a grim smile.

"He might even be a better master. Perhaps I could eventually usurp him at the end of his natural life." she thinks, thoughtfully.

"Well. Personally I thought you'd order me to lay seige to the drow city of Menzoberranzan. With a good battleplan, a few months to get the first houses thrown agaisnt each other, we could pull it off, not like we have a reason to, and it would certainly attact... some unwanted attention. from Lloth. Asmodeus and Mephistopheles probably wouldn't look too highly on it either."

OOC: Menzoberranzan? We're in the Forgotten Realms!!??

Oh god...Aeryn is Gromph Baenre's son! It all makes sense now! :D

If we ARE in the Forgotten Realms, it changes nothing except the background...

IC: "Oh, how did you enslave her? What became of her?" he began paging through the spellbook, looking pleased at the vile potency of the spells contained within.

"Lolth is currently not answering the prayers of her Clerics, and some believe that she is dead. If she is truly incapacitated, we can invade Menzoberranzan...though it's already under siege by its enemies. I doubt two archdevils, proponents of a lawful form of evil, would care about a goddess of Chaos." his lips curved in a wicked smile as he looked up from the book, into her eyes, "You're right...you are mine, now, I just have to decide what to do with you." he grinned, as though savoring a particularly cruel thought, then returned to looking at the book.

((Spellbooks. dear god, at this rate, Aeryn will soon surpass Elminister in his munchkindom.))

"Defeated her, of course. A bad trait, begging for mercy is. She tried to summon me after being overwhelmed, I politely declined, and told her to die."

"She's alive, that much we know. One can never expect what an insane goddess will do, however." Viska continues strategizing. "I'd rather not know what you have in mind." she finishes, dryly.

((That's impossible, he's Elminster! Nothing can be more munchkinny than Elminster! Well...almost nothing.))

"Too bad...so, what goddess is holding her prisoner?" he looked up, then answered her earlier statement, "I intend you to serve as a consort, advisor, confidante, and general lackey...I might add more, when it suits me." he gestured offhandedly.

"We aren't sure yet. We only know that she isn't dead."

Cringing at his other remarks, she continues, "Very well then. Master (almost choking on the word) Aeryn."