Ryudo Lee's Legacy

[Cheese Foxlee]

Winger sat up with a groan.  "I forgot about the inn." He said  getting to his and feeling his bones creek.  "All right lets get back, I guess.  There aren't enough clues here to lead us to another location anyway.  Atleast now we can take our time about it." 

[Snuggles]

Rei looked to winger. "I can get us their no problem and fast too... if you want"

[topher chee]

Turns to look at Pan, "Very true..."  He then looks at the others to see what they think.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel stood and placed the telescope safely in a corner. The twitching of her expressive fluffy tail told that she was aggitated but she managed to chuckle and say "Interested in the stars, young man? Help me pick up my papers and I'll let you look through the telescope later."

Once the mess was relocated from the floor back to the tabletop Mel returned her attention to Aisha. "Thank you, Miss deCabre, for your help. I'm trying to prove a theory that celestial objects are landing in a pattern, or are at the very least aimed." She produced a small shiny stone that she placed on the bar and with a faint glow an illusionary map appeared floating above it. Almost a little world it had cities and forests and rivers all laid out in miniature. At various spots multicolored flags had been placed. "I understand that you were a member of a group that hunted down quite a few of these celestial objects and I was hoping that you could pinpoint their landing spots for me." Mel touched the map and a new flag appeared outside of town. "This is where your first piece was found, just outside this town. It's interesting that so many objects land within a short distance of a population center without ever landing in one."

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha tilted her head with slight interest when Mel brought out her illusory map, listening to her explanation.  They fall in a pattern...?  Huh.

She nodded and held her head on her palm, narrowing her eyes at the map while trying to concentrate on various places.  "I still think it's coincidence that the angel landed in roughly the same place as before.  Why another one fell, I'm not even sure either.  My job along with everyone else was not to know, but to recover and protect."

Quickly, she went through her last adventure several times over in her mind like trying to piece together an old map that had a couple of years to be torn away.  Which path led where...there was a desert, a village in the trees...so many battles...

Finally, she pointed to the distinct spots where they were found.  "Here, here, here, and here...although, when we found most of the body parts, others had found them first.  Where we found them might not be where they landed.  But I figure that's close."

The panther yawned suddenly and started when everyone's food and drink arrived.  "That's all I can tell, ma'am, I'm sorry.  We're all a bit tired."

[Cogidubnus]

Cogidubnus sighed and buried his face in his palms. "It does not take 5 people to decide to return to the inn, gentlemen." He said, lurching to his feet. "If one of us can teleport us all, that makes everything much easier. If not, please, the rest of us should start walking."
He eyed the newly found mage. "Unless, of course, we have a survivor who cannot indeed walk." He walked toward the cart, trying to avoid stepping on the newly-dug graves, for fear of disturbing the undead below. "If she can't, we could use the cart." He said calmly, stopping behind Carran, examining his fingernails. He did not indeed relish the thought of either pulling or waiting for a cart all the way back to town. "I don't suppose you have a scroll of windwalking hidden upon your person somewhere?"

[Stygian]

Clarissa looked at Aisha's and Melissa's business, apparrently completely confounded by it all. She shook her head and got to eating, while Mikey ran over and clung to Aisha's tail once again. Seeing Aisha's yawn, she muttered something and looked a bit glum and fearful again.
   "Perhaps we should get some rest. And I need to get home later. I'll just eat, and then be on my way," she said, and then looked a bit shyly at Gareeku. "I... think I would like someone to take me home though. It's obviously not safe..."

[Joat]

Pan jumps on Sylva's head. "Everyone, join hands. We must all be in contact with each-other if we are all to be teleported."

"This is convenient, but you still haven't answered my..." Sylva begins.

"If you must know, you threw me to the ground while you weren't in control of yourself."

Sylva looks very guilty. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

"It wasn't your fault. Like I said, you weren't in control of yourself. Anyway, I'm not dead yet, so don't worry about it."

[Gareeku]

As he ordered the food and drink, Gareeku turned his head to see what was going on. Seeing that Aisha and Clarissa were comforting the frightened boy, the wolf smiled at the young feline, before bringing the food and drink over to a table near where the squirrel had sat.

Hearing Clarissa's request, the wolf smiled and nodded.
"Of course. Just let me know when you want to go." he replied.

[Stygian]

The wolfess sat down, and started eating in silence. The bar was dark and mostly empty save for themselves. There seemed to be a sort of gloom hanging over it, a darkness that was unusual, even considering the closed windows and sparse lighting.
   Clarissa finished her meal, and stood up.
   "Excuse me..." she said, and headed for the backroom.
   There was a tug on Aisha's tail. Looking down, she could see Mikey.
   "I'm sorry. I really am," he said. At first, one might have taken it for another excuse for the telescope. But there was something to his tone. It was calmer, and much more steady than before. More than it should have been.

[Aisha deCabre]

While still watching Mel's map with a bit of interest, Aisha finally paused to start eating her sandwich, with a smile of thanks to Gareeku for getting the food.  It would pass for as good a breakfast as any.  Her sleepiness was forgotten as her stomach was filled.  Though with the dark shadows lingering in the room over the bar still, feeling almost like clinging remnants of the night past, the exhaustion couldn't be completely forgotten.

The black jaguaress finally finished and gulped lightly at her ale, listening to everyone's conversation and often turning around to smirk at Mikey as he clung to her tail again.  Every moment or so she playfully twitched the tip of it, where her softly glowing ring was.  She attributed the effect to the sleepy haze in her eyes.

But when there was a slight tug, she glanced back to the child curiously, her head tilted as she turned around to face him.  "Sorry, for what?  You were already forgiven for the telescope incident...so there's no need to worry..." she had started, until she paused to reconsider the tone in his voice.  It sounded a little more...well, she couldn't pinpoint it.  One was tempted to say "mature", the way it sounded deliberate and calm in a child's voice.

Aisha blinked and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.  "...Are you okay?"

[Stygian]

Mikey grinned up at her with the sort of sinister smile that no innocent child could ever have made. His eyes, locked with hers, were slowly changing, going black from within, green irises glowing and coming to a point around an almost invisible pupil. His shadow... was much larger than it should have been, and thicker. It was so dark that it looked almost painted to the floor, and it writhed...
   "Like you'll never get rid of your shadow..." he sang a bit, with a steady, beautiful voice.
   Then, the little feline's shadow started crawling in, flowing and swirling up around him. His skin seemed to grayen and swirl too, like dust or ash, and he changed as his shadow flowed into him, the only fixed points on him being his eyes. He grew taller and broader until he looked down on Aisha from above, changing his whole shape and appearance as fast as any Cubi could have done, until the darkness took on a decided texture and crawled back, fading into a colour, and someone completely different stood before the panthress.
   She recognized Sebastian from before. The bat's blonde fur and general features were unmistakeable. But he seemed to have changed somehow. The "priest's" face had been stern but familiar, solid and dependable. His face now, though generally similar, seemed... not younger, but somehow different. Just as hard, but more well-shaped and less edgy, with taller cheekbones and a less blunt nose. As did the rest of his slender and long-limbed but muscular frame. His hair was a bit longer, and less straight, waving a bit in the neck. His entire appearance seemed to have grown more predatory, more... sly and sinister, but handsome. Two other differences were apparrent. This Sebastian did not hide his eyes, venomously green and black, behind a scarf. And this one had a much longer, almost lizardlike tail covered in blonde fur swaying lazily behind him.
   "...you'll never get rid of me," he finished the verse in a much deeper yet just as perfectly melodious voice, and chuckled. "Hi Schätze. It's nice to see you again," he said, his eyes still locked with Aisha's. Then, they darted to the side, and fixed on the squirrel.
   "That's a very convincing disguise, Mel. Nice to see you too."

[Azlan]

Carran leaned heavily on his staff, the prospect of another survivor was a cause to rejoice, but a sense of dread instead accompanied  his thoughts. 

The sorceress, some type of canine, gingerly stepped down from the cart and put her own two feet upon the ground.  Her free hand braced against the cart while the other one clutched at her wound.  Her legs were exceptionally shaky and she nearly pitched over thrice, but she remained standing.  The spell from Sylva had helped greatly.

Defiantly she remarked, "I'll manage... the name is Alia... Beshley..."

Carefully Alia retrieved the two halves of her staff and tore a strip of cloth from her robe to bind her injury. 

Meanwhile Carran turned to Cog and spread his hands, palms up, "sorry, fresh out of windwalking scrolls."

Alia was intriqued by the declaration from Pan, "teleportation would be nice, I don't think I'll make it too far walking."  To illustrate this point she swayed and collapsed on Carran and then Cogidubnus before choosing to lean on Cog for support while she held hands and waited for the magic to commense.

Carran too decided that this might be best, but first he turned to face the remains of the hovel.  He pointed the business end of his staff and spoke a quick, simple word, "Fire."

The hovel became a roaring blaze, searing away the gruesome scene of carnage that remained within. 

Taking up the offered hands, the fox added a bit of chanting to the teleportation incantation.

[Joat]

“What are you doing?” Pan asks Carran.

[Azlan]

Carran opened his eyes and turned his head slightly towards Pan, "What am I doing?  I am adding resonance, nothing more little one.  Now please, let us be teleporting away."

Carran continued his chanting.

[topher chee]

    Topher had his eyes clenched as he waited for Pan to teleport them.  He heard a faint chanting that seemingly grew louder and louder.  He opened one eye and saw that it was Carran who was chanting away.  At first Topher chuckled a bit.  He bit his lip and closed his eye again,, waiting for the teleportation process to be complete.

[Joat]

“No idea what ‘resonance’ is, but TELEPORT!” Pan says. After a moment, they teleport to the inn.

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha had been watching the child quizzically for a moment when he answered, and the grin he gave had made her very uncomfortable.  Her tail ring had started to glow with increasing intensity as the shadows lifted around him.  But when his eyes changed, that was what made her practically jump back until she was literally sitting on the bar.  She had on her normally calm face a look of such genuine shock that she could hardly believe it herself, becoming more disturbed as the figure grew straight and made from his flesh.

When Sebastian finally reappeared, her right hand was covering her mouth, crimson eyes having become huge discs in her sockets.  It was seen that her fangs were tightly clenched when she did finally remove her hand.  "...You!  But...you were..." she stammered, and then gulped and blurted, "You were killed!  And the child...Where did...?"

With a pause, she took a deep breath and slowly lowered herself back to one of the stools, just as there seemed to be a shimmering in the air that could only denote a teleportation spell.  But she paid no heed to it yet...her eyes narrowed.  She had seen shapeshifters in her career...but nothing came as close as that did to leaving her utterly disturbed.

"...What are you?"

[Mel Dragonkitty]

The squirrel made a face at the bat. "Well, it was a good disquise. Thanks a lot."  Then she looked at the shimmer in the center of the room. "Incoming teleport," she warned.

[Stygian]

"Thanks, I noticed," were Stygian's only words before he shapeshifted again. This time, he assumed the shape of... no. It couldn't be!
   "More guests barging in on us? No tienen ningunas maneras?"* the white tigress dressed in a gray, formal robe now standing before Aisha said in a clear, low but strong tone. "Are these friends of yours, chica?" She moved over to the side of Mel's table, and sat down on a chair, neatly smoothing her outfit and then staring at the party with a look that brooked no nonsense.

   It was only after he had assumed this new shape that he recalled that Stygian realized the stupidity of it. Aisha might be overcome by her curiosity, or her wish to hurt him badly now, enough to delay revealing him... But it had still been a bad call to mimic Rynkura, of all people. Still, there was no choice but to play his part for now.

*(Spanish): Have they no manners?

[Azlan]

Carran took a single step forward, brushing off some unseen dust, particles of magic and interdimensional space only noticeable to those who could or bothered to look.

"Princes, masters and Archmages do not require manners, when one can destroy an entire continent at a whim, others beg them deference.  We do generally practice them because it avoids mishaps, mistakes and generally uncomfortable situations."  The fox eyed Pan with a disapproving glare.

The fox could not miss that he appeared to have stepped into a tense situation, nothing had happened, but something was entirely wrong.

Aila quickly took a seat as her strength was limited and she had been standing far too long as it is.

[Cogidubnus]

Cog instantly slumped into a chair and hissed as his tired bones settled. He was about to order a whiskey and slump into unconscious state when he noticed that people seemed to be staring. Using every measure of his wits, he deduced the best way to use his newfound attention, and met the eye of the barkeep.
"By God, I need a drink!" He said, taking his hat off and putting it on the table. The barkeep nodded and began mixing something or other together. He watched it eagerly as it made it's way from the barkeeps hands to the waitresses, and finally to his own. He nodded thankfully, held the brown liquid up to the light, and took a long, slow gulp. He set what remained on the table, and greeted the missing memebers of the party. "Aisha, Gar, good to see you again..." He looked in vain for Mrs. Greene and shrugged. "Good to see you all again. If you do excuse me, I'm going to pass out." He managed to narrow one eye at the two. "Gravedigging is somewhat tiring."
He swallowed the rest of his drink and leant back, putting his hat back on and pushing his shades close to his eyes, eager for some rest.

[Stygian]

"Just because you can doesn't mean you have the right to, príncipe," the tigress said, very clearly. Then she looked at Cognidubnus with a not particularly interested expression, but a much more friendly one than the one she had given Carran. There was some sort of calm and determinate dignity to her presence that simply demanded order.
   "I could do well with something to drink myself. Tea, please," she said to the barkeep. "Sugar, no milk. Now..." She turned against Aisha and Gareeku in particular. "I've heard a lot about this Angel business, and I thought that it was done with the first time this happened. Gods know that you did anyhow, chica, when you came back home with singed fur and tail whipping..." She made just the tiniest smile at Aisha, as tender as it was humorous. Then, when she received her tea, she sat back and sipped a bit, holding the saucer steadily with one hand and the cup with the other, and hummed a bit.
   "Are you going to chase after this one too, Aisha? Cree usted que puede repararlo aún otra vez?"*

   Now, Stygian felt like laughing. He was practially pulling flowers out his ass, so to speak. However, from the expressions of the feline before him and her wolf companion, he wasn't doing a half bad job at it. Still, he could be pulling a botanical garden and she could just defoliage it with a few words. He had to shake them up in some way.
   The boy is safe. So is the wolf. Work with me on this, he sent to them, the whisper reaching Gareeku's and Aisha's ears only.

*(Spanish): Do you think you can fix it another time?

[Gareeku]

Nodding to Clarissa before she heading to the bathroom, Gareeku turned his head just in time to see the boy changing. His eyes widening, the wolf watched as the boy morphed into none other than Sebastian, although his time he seemed different...more sinister...

"What the hell...?!" he muttered, nearly dropping the drink his hand, before slamming it down on the table and getting up to confront the creature before them, his hand beginning to slide the katana at his side out of its sheath.
"I'd answer her question if I were you...what have you done with the boy?! If you so much as harmed him even a little I'll kill you." the wolf snarled.

It was then, however, that Sebastian morphed into another form; this time changing to someone Aisha obviously recognised, due to the expression on her face. Noticing the others re-enter the inn through teleportation, the wolf nodded to Cogi in greeting, before his eyes locked back onto Sebastian in his new form.

Hearing his voice in his head, the wolf growled.
And why the hell should we...I thought you were a priest, but it seems appearences can be deceiving. Be warned...I'm watching you... Gareeku replied mentally, not caring whether Sebastian was able to hear it or not. All trust Gareeku had held for Sebastian was gone. He had just witness him take possession of a boy's body, and then proceed to imitate someone Aisha obviously knew and cared for. It was safe to say that whatever Sebastian was, he wasn't in Gareeku's good books.

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha's composure was regained when the others started reappearing in the inn...she even waved hello back to everyone and cast them a "welcome back" smile...but inside of her mind an inner fire raged.

It was easy to see that she was more than shocked at his newest transformation, straight from child, to priest, to a tigress...one that looked like none other than her mentor.  The voice, the demeanor, even the language, he had gotten it practically all down, except for the tiniest details that would have told Aisha that it wasn't really her...even if she didn't see the transformation for herself.

For a small while, watching the shapeshifted tiger's mannerisms against the group, she was seething with frustration and anger...she even had to pull the cowl over her eyes just so that nobody caught sight of her expression and would question about it.  Gods is he lucky that the REAL Rynkura isn't here to see this.

And he had become more of a mystery than before, as Mel seemed to know him too...both were interested in the whole angel fiasco.  She had at least half a mind to reveal him.

But, she decided not to.  So there were things to be kept hidden.  Fine.  She'd play along.  In this current situation there was really nothing else that she could do otherwise.  At least the panther relaxed a few hairs when she had caught the whisper that the boy was safe.

"Oh, you should know me better than that, señora," she said that word with a slight sarcastic laugh.  "I can't resist a good adventure."

But after Aisha said that, she directed a shadowed glare at him/her from beneath the cowl, accentuated by the fiery and blood-ridden color of her eyes, narrowing them dangerously.  Fine...but I'm watching.  Don't you dare think that you can keep getting away with that after a while.  The slightest bit of trouble, and your cover will cease.

[topher chee]

   Topher walked over to the bar top and knocked.  The bartender turned and Topher asked for a pint of milk.  The bartender nodded and quickly slid the pint over to Topher's hand.
    As Topher gulped the pint down he turned to look at the others.  Everything seemed the usual, besides the fact the group that just teleported back all seemed exhausted.  At first, Topher thought he would go and talk with Cog, but he noticed he was taking a nap.  He turned back to face the bar and exhaled slightly.
     What now, he thought. 

[Stygian]

Because... the voice continued, now clearer and with a calmer, deeper, yet much more threatening undertone, if you expose me you will be putting severe pressure on me. Normally I am a very reasonable person, but I cannot be held accountable for... actions undertaken so as to defend my own persona in this forced situation. I will not be, seeing as how no one here knows of me or my nature. That was as blunt as he wanted to put it right now. He had not appreciated the wolf's threat, but he knew Gareeku, and he was not sure whether he would have frightened him even if he tried. And there is more that would be in your interest, if you have patience, he added just to take the edge off the threat once it had sunk in.
   Stygian darted an eye quickly to the rest of the group, seeing if they had noticed the miniscule movement of Aisha's and Gareeku's shadows. Apparrently, they had not, so all was still well. But even if they couldn't see it, there was no way of telling if they couldn't trace it. And Aisha's tailring had been glowing a bit through the whole conversation...
   He made a decision. He could either leave and start all over again, which would be the wise and patient man's choice, or he could stay and hopefully catch them while off guard. It was risky, but then again with circumstances as they were he had a pretty good chance, and even if they would try and attack him...

   The tigress chuckled lowly, and took another sip from her tea, getting to her feet.
   "Yes, I should... But it seems you always manage to surprise me in some way, dear, so I just try and take everything in step and stride." She walked up almost beside them, glancing over the party of adventurers. "These people, are they the ones you traveled with before? They seem... irritable," she said and made a smile, the tiniest quirk of her lips. "I'd stay and socialize, but I am leaving soon and I'd very much like a word with you, chica. En privado. The wolf can come too, if he likes."

[Joat]

“Irritable?” Sylva asks, “Am I really irritable?”

[Cogidubnus]

Cog barely managed to hide a smirk as he stared at Sebastian behind the shaded lenses. He really had almost fallen asleep, but something had tickled his nose before he had drowsed away: and that smell had make him almost jerk out of his chair. Had they been outside, or had there been a slight draft, the smell of gravedust on his clothes and alchohol in his cup might have masked the scent sufficiently, but as it was, they were inside, and very close. He remembered the smell from his hat the Priest's fell wind had returned to him. Blood, smoke and ink, mixed together. Altogether urbane and toxic, and coming from the woman in grey. He stayed where he was, and didn't make a sound. The longer the Priest thought him asleep, the better.
He would make sure of this one, before he let him out of his sight again.

[OOC: edited, wrong descriptor: grey robe, not silk]

[Cheese Foxlee]

Winger slumped down in his chair and ordered a quart of ale. He nodded to Aisha and the othere. "Glad to see that the place hasn't burned down yet." Winger joked as he took a sip of his drink.  He was tired, but at the same time axious to keep working.  "Does anyone have an idea where we can go to get our hands on a fallen angel's heart."