Northern Winds [NC-17] (IC)

[Boog]

Richard nodded to the pantheress, muttered a quick "Nice t'meetcha," and turned back toward the red wolf.
"Alright, you who know this guy may be used to this, but I personally don't appreciate being bullshitted. 'S just not something I take well to. If you've run into the leather-headed pyro before then by definition you know more than you've said. Is he likely to keep doing this all over the damn place?" Someone that okay with being seen has to have either a patch or friends in the highest or lowest of places, and this doesn't seem like someone prone to subtlety. If this sort of night starts becoming common because this goddamn gunslinging poncey MUTT couldn't cover his damn tracks, I swear I'm gonna lose it...

[Stygian]

The wolf raised an eyebrow at the undead one's aggravation. A feisty one, eh? He didn't appreciate people with too loud a temper, or undead for that matter. Not at all. And people were already aware of his identity, or would be, if the guns hadn't given him away already. That meant a little scare was in order.
   "There's a wide line between bullshit and laying your words, ape," the wolf hissed, his voice changing as he took a pair of slow steps forward. And as he did, his entire skin and fur started to become ashen, black cracks spreading over his body and darkness practically rolling off him, little seething tendrils and flares of darkness rippling as he began shifting form, things crawling under his decaying hide.
   "One is knowing what's appropriate and the other is not. Which one did you just commit to?" he said, flashing teeth that for a second were as black as the 'flesh' in his mouth and his eyes had turned. Then, as his new shape settled, his torn and cracked features again mended and gained color.
   If one looked to character, the man who now stood in front of Richard was practically the polar opposite of the pleasant-faced and straight-cut wolf. He was a bat, of about the same height, perhaps a bit shorter, probably spot on six feet. Blond and long-haired and with fur in very nearly the precise same tone, he had mildly rounded but strong and sharp features, and very handsome at that, though there was a clear predatory streak to them. He was athletically built, slender but muscled and hard as old wood, and his large hand stroked his holstered gun down a significantly longer arm. Sharp fangs that showed from under his lips just a bit glinted as he spoke.
   "Consider your situation first. And don't presume that you're the only one with brains, Richard," the chiropteran said scathingly, his sharp-tipped ears folding back a bit. "And the name is Stygian to you."

[Boog]

"I'll remember that," And what your face looks like, and your name, and that you're a mage of some variety, and that you're really easy to offend and act on said offense. He thought to himself as he backed up. Wasn't worth a fight; Marya'd be asking what happened as it was, "Well then, Stygian, is this gonna start being a common event around here? Am I going to have to arm myself before I go out drinking now? That an appropriate question?"

[Gareeku]

Standing to the side somewhat as he listened to the others converse, Gareeku's eyes opened as his name was mentioned by Stygian. So it is him.
As he was talked to, the wolf removed the hood from his head anf revealed the familiar white fur and spiky black head hair. There was a difference in him, however. Visually, it was his right eye; no longer was it the same deep blue colour as his left eye. The white of the eye was now red, with the iris yellow and the pupil just like a feline's. It wasn't just that, however. There was something about him. He was different from the Gareeku that people had known. He was somewhat darker.

"How about you just shut up for a minute, instead of mouthing off." The wolf said, his voice calm and his facial expression deadly serious as he turned his gaze towards Richard. Turning back to the others, Gareeku nodded his head.
"Yes. It has been a while." the wolf replied in the same calm voice. "I haven't been that bad since we left each other, aside from the...changes..."

[Stygian]

The bat's dark eyes turned against and eyed Gareeku, seriously and carefully in a way that was characteristic to him and almost him alone. He was that sort, the kind that saw through the dark and obscure, and rooted out the workings behind; the kind that had been trained to instinctively value and calculate, and to see what made things tick. And while his gaze was clear and his face steady, his thoughts were racing. He could feel that darkness about the wolf clearly, and it intrigued and worried and also gladdened him in a way, though the last was just a byproduct of his feelings, really. It reminded him of that of his own, too.
   He was going to find out if it was something dangerous or useful, he immediately decided.
   "I hope to hear all about it. Later. For now, I think that we need to go elsewhere. That was not a threat, but a quick and easy attack. That means there will be more, once the ones behind it realize we're not dead," Stygian said. He slowly turned and picked up his gun, spinning it a lap and a half as he slid it into his left holster. "Split up, or all together? I know which I prefer," he then said, and started walking out toward the street, heading to get his motorcycle. On the way he quickly glanced the other wolf in the party, who was getting up. "But I would still advise that you keep in company to..."
   People started gathering. The scene began to attract a crowd. And here, in Haszal, there was a sizable police force, which had serious training and equipment. The sound was much to faint for a normal being to hear, but Stygian could pick up sirens from somewhere. And whatever rogue enforcers attracted to the scene might be even more dangerous.
   "We should get out of here, quickly." He said that very seriously, and looked back toward the others while walking backwards. "Mask yourselves and don't bother stopping."

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha had to roll her eyes at the way in which the undead one behaved, humorously believing that patience was a virtue that he might have left behind in life.  Stygian's threatening display of transformation seemed to be the perfect way to silence the sort, but as always the sight of it only unnerved the panthress, down to the way her tail ring took on a briefly intense glow.

Looking back at Gareeku, her expression turned to one of concerned interest at his slightly new appearance (the familiar-appearing eye sending a light shudder up her spine upon seeing it) and darker countenance.  Thinking back to before, the wolf indeed had left his comrades with little to go on but worry and guesses on what would happen...and where.  She wasn't at all surprised after thinking about it...one thing about Gareeku hadn't changed, and that was the mysteriousness.  She replied with her familiar smirk.  "Changes or not, old friend, I for one am glad to see you're in one piece."  Despite the fact you may have to tell us a few things later, she added to herself.

Aisha got up suddenly however, upon hearing a crowd gathering, followed by a few sirens in the distance.  She watched the bat leave without trying to stop him.  Though the huntress would have gladly liked to try for the Stygian's head, the prospect of fighting him wasn't one to be looked forward to.  Nor was this truely the time, for nobody was prepared for anything, much less what had happened in the bar.  Everyone who had been there was a target, innocent or not.  All they were prepared for it seemed was running.  Hrm.  Enemies or friends, for now we're on the same side.  Let's just watch out.

"Dammit," she cursed and pulled the cowl back over her head, muttering a spell into the gold-colored collar that kept the cape around her neck.  The camouflage enchantment it gave the fabric shifted from red to instant shadowy black, darker even than her own fur.  "I think it wise to stick close," Aisha said quickly to the others and nodded back towards Stygian with a "no-problem" expression, then started looking for a way out of the alley, keeping an eye on the directions the others chose to go as well.

She'd be close enough to be of help if needed.  But the felid's direction wouldn't be all that easy to discern with her level of stealth.

[Cogidubnus]

Cog stood up quite slowly, one hand dusting his coat off while the other helped to raise him off the ground. He removed his hat and tried to brush some of the white detritus from the explosion off it, and scowled to find it sticking quite well to the felt. He placed it back on his head before adjusting his glasses, and making a shallow bow to the wolf that had saved him.
"Thanks." he said, a bit of a frog in his throat. He coughed, clearing his throat. "Usually ignoring the barfight works for me. Nicely done." His tone conveyed a bit of chagrin. In honesty, he'd fallen asleep in his cups. It had been a long day. He suspected it was about to get much longer.
At the wolf- no, at the bat's insistence, he pulled his hat somewhat over his face, the brim obscuring what features it could. The panthress had changed her rather vibrantly red cloak into a shadowed black – a good idea, as the red made her practically impossible to miss. It occurred to him that needing to hide meant more bombers were on the way. And, of course, it was likely Cog too was now a target, simply by association. He again scowled, turning from the scarred wolf to the bat.
"Maybe you should just have paid the mage a bit more, eh..." he said, his hand resting across the hilt of his blade. His voice grew quiet as the bat talked to the undead one, and his face blanched somewhat.
Stygian. He didn't want to say the name was legendary - infamous might be better. In addition to the rather sinister and dark reputation attached to it, there were at least four very dark spells he could recall offhand that were named after him. He was indeed famous, among certain circles.
If he was nervous, here was becoming an increasingly bad place to be. He dipped his hat yet lower, took a bow, and started to walk in the opposite direction of the destroyed tavern.
"Nice to meet you, gentlemen. Pleasure was all mine." he said, his walk picking up. He placed a hand on his hat to keep it from blowing away, and didn't look back.

[Boog]

Richard growled slightly at the dismissal of his questions; he wasn't involved in this crap, all he'd done was be there! This guy was acting as though these enemies of his were after everyone, or at least those who he'd met before. Which they very well might. I survived, and I saw the guy's face. Would that be enough for them to be after me?
"Don't gotta tell me twice," Richard snarled to the bat's advise of vanishing, already turning to leave. His coat had been lost in the flaming bar, but if he kept his head down he could take advantage of the fact that nobody really wanted to look at him too closely. He walked quickly, working out an intentionally convoluted path home. In case this is one of those times where discretion is the better part of paranoia...

[Stygian]

The bat did not remark on Cog's statement, nor Richard's anger, but paced away and out into the adjacent street, heading up toward where he had put his motorcycle. No one seemed to have made an attempt at stealing it at least.
   As he passed into the street though, he noticed the man standing on the corner down on the other side of it, by the waterfront. A hard-faced and unsurprised man, dressed in clothes quite similar to those that the alligator had been wearing. The feline man looked his way, and then dissappeared around the corner. And Stygian sighed. Another one was on the roof across the street too. He could tell, despite the girl's attempt at hunching down and keeping only her eyes over the edge. So, no one would be allowed to leave unimpeded then.
   The black and silver shape of his motorcycle came into view. An overpowered piece, it sat low on fat tyres, with huge brake discs, a pair of near dead-straight nozzles under the seat for exhausts and a huge engine, set between a large supercharger and intercooler. It looked naked, hard, and brutally and functionalistically sleek. Just the way he liked.
   He snapped the lock on the rear wheel open and put it back in position, then saddled up and looked behind him, down at the alley and the place that had formerly been a bar. Now, a small crowd was out on the street in front of it, and a strange-looking police vehicle was making its way along the riverside road against it. The other sirens had to be fire engines. More importantly, now people were starting to move in to see who was the cause of the crime. A guardsman, and several people that looked the sort who would just 'apprehend' anyone caught on the scene and bring them in just for the chance it might be someone involved. Any town that had adventurers had that sort.
   Stygian turned the ignition, and smiled contently as the engine roared out a bit, then settling into a low and deep mechanical purr. He kicked the stand away and set down his foot, waiting for the others to get out of the alley.

[Sunblink]

Originally Keaton didn't care much for the outburst between Richard, the primate Undead, and the anonymous wolf they had encountered until aforementioned lupine began to transform, his canine features twisting and warping into those of a familiar chitopteran's. Ears shortened and refined themselves into tiny points, rust-hued fur started to turn an ashen, blackened soot color as branching cracks spread over his muscles, and within a heartbeat, the moment Keaton's eyes blinked incredulously, in place of the wolf was a bat she knew in the past.

Stygian.

'Damn,' was all Keaton thought unabashedly at his metamorphosis, eyes wide.

Of all the times and places to run into so many of her old companions--first Aisha, then Gareeku, who was concealed beneath his cape and cowl, and now Stygian--utterly confounded her, yet she couldn't help but feel slightly pleased at inadvertantly discovering her former friends. Certainly she had failed at locating her only surviving sibling and mother, but being reunited with the only people she could really consider 'friends' came as a pleasant surprise, all violent circumstances set aside.

"Hello, Stygian," Keaton said playfully, gloved hands set on her hips and a broad smirk on her elongated, cream-hued muzzle. "Long time no see. Now what kind of fine mess have you gotten us into this time?"

He didn't have time to answer. Around them, quite a crowd had congregated, drawn to them thanks to the fiery blaze raging in the smoldering tavern behind the adventurers. Hard to believe she had almost forgotten about the pandemonium that had occurred beforehand, especially with the brilliant orange glow cast against them and the unbearable heat radiating from the immense flames lapping at the smokey air. When Stygian insisted that they leave, Keaton was more than happy to comply, her heavy, combat boot-clad heels padding along the stone-encrusted earth.

He led them to an impressive-looking motorcycle stationed nearby, which he quickly mounted. Keaton whistled at the sight of the contraption--she had an inexplicable appreciation for such modes of transportation. Keaton craned her head over her shoulder. Quite a good deal more people had joined the crowd clustered around the tavern, including some law-enforcers and the telltale, resonating sirens of incoming vehicles.

Time for them to get the hell out of there.

"'Scuse me," Keaton said with feigned courtesy, climbing onto the motorcycle. She briefly glanced around for some trace of any helmets or anything, but not locating any, she shuffled uncomfortably in her seat behind Stygian and encircled her arms around his waist, not having found anything to serve as a seatbelt. She had never been on a motorcycle, fascination or not.

Somehow she got the feeling she would regret this, but she didn't have much of a choice.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Somber]

She had listened to the enchanges with care.  There were times to speak, and times to listen.  She noted the physical changes Stygian and Greeku made, and doubted they were illusions.  She appeared vaguely unimpressed, however.  When Richard turned to go she turned to leave with him as well.  Outside there were more than enough shadows to work with, and she whispered a spell that covered his form in black shadows that solidified into a close approximation of the coat he'd lost in the fire.  She gave a little smile and nod to him as she walked besides him, out of the way of the bike and the bystanders.

"An interesting night.  I have to wonder where it will lead."  She said as she pulled the illusionary hood further over her eyes.  "I think I'll crash with you for a while."  She said a second later as she thought about it.  "After all you're much more familiar with this place, while I just got off the boat."  Of course asking his permission or if it were okay never once entered her mind.  She was, after all, a demon.

[Gareeku]

((OOC: how can you know about the changes? Your character has never met Gareeku before.))

Saying nothing, Gareeku recovered his head with the hood of the cloak, before beginning to head off to the end of the alleyway, intending to use the shadows to conceal his movements.
"I will follow you, Stygian." the wolf stated. "And like the others, I would like an explanation once we get to a safe location."

[Boog]

Richard raised an eyebrow at Somber's mention of staying with him; that could be an issue for reasons other than the obvious.
"Somber, I hate to break it to ya, but you killed a guy with your bare hands back there. Unless you can convince me that there is one hell of a compelling reason for things to go otherwise, I am not letting you into my house," Although, if this is as deep as I think, it'll be good to have someone around who can do that whole killing thing fairly well... Gah, there's gotta be some sort of purina brand short, violent chick chow that just happens to smell like me. That's the only explination, "Didn't you find yourself an inn or a hotel or something to stay at when you first got to town?" Obviously not, but she was throwing around a good amount of cash. Mebbe I can advise her to someplace.

[Stygian]

Stygian simply let the motorcycle roll down the gentle slope of the street, over close to the alley entrance, and then stopped. He turned his gaze toward the others, making sure to ignore anyone watching them promptly.
   "Let's all move fast. We're being watched, and we'll need to shake attention," he said. He looked over the members of the party, and muttered, fingering something in his pocket. He knew all too well that it would not work, if they were all he had to go on. But...
   His gaze stopped at Richard, and he eyed the ape intensely.
   "You. Can you drive a car?" he said. Slowly he slipped out his hand out of his pocket, the clink of keys audible, and his eyes averted over against the low, black and mechanical-looking ride that the thugs had arrived in. The idiots had expected to leave alive, so it was most likely not jury-rigged.

[Boog]

Richard stopped, almost at the end of the alleyway, and looked back.
"Yeah," The baboon replied hesitantly, not wanting to really stick around. All these people on foot, a vehicle could attract attention. Then again, so could just waltzing out of the scene of a fire. He reached out for the keys, "Which vehicle?"

[Stygian]

"See many around?" the bat sneered at Richard, and then revved his motorcycle. With a yelp from the jackal behind him and a jump out of the way from the baboon, he skidded the thing around, a little streak of black and smoke coming off the back tyre. He patted his pocket, fingering a coin-like object through the cloth.
   "The Dragon's Grin. It's a large inn at the south part of town. See you there!" he laughed, and then let up the clutch, burning rubber as the motorcycle roared away as if fired from a gun.

[Boog]

"Right folks, you heard the creepy bastard!" Richard called out as he got into the drivers seat and unlocked the other doors, "In ya get, you lot!" He revved the engine as the others got in, feeling the powerful machine waking up. So far tonight he'd gotten a free drink, spoke with a rather polite lunatic, fled from a burning bar, pissed off a mage, and was now about to drive to an unfamiliar location in a impressive-looking vehicle at what would most likely be breakneck speed. Yeah, Marya's gonna kick my ass.

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha had wandered a little out of the alley, keeping to the sides of walls where the light of the flaming building behind them cast shadows, out of sight where some of the others may have been a bit more conspicuous.  However she stuck close enough to be counted as one of the party, listening in to the plans as Stygian found his motorcycle, Keaton not far behind.

Her head tilted though at the idea of everyone simply riding to the appointed destination.  "Dragon's Grin..." she repeated quietly to herself, keeping the name in mind as the bat sped away like the flames of hell licked at the machine's heels.  Her eyes then narrowed at the vehicle that Richard started up, her feet kept fleet as she walked, eyes scanning just in case they were about to be spotted.  The panthress was confident enough in her skill to perhaps have gotten away from the scene and toward the inn herself without attracting attention.

But then again, it was getting harder to leave the alley with a crowd gathering swiftly around the burning remains.  And who was more suspicious than someone dressed in black...let alone carrying weapons?

"Hrmph..." she snorted.  The panthress didn't much take to the use of such machinery, but in this case, it was better than being near-vulnerable in the open were she to be caught, and in an unfamiliar city.  Aisha was stealthy...but not stupid.  "No need to be ordered," she muttered.

She slunk into one of the back seats of the car on the baboon's suggestion, hoping there was room for everyone else, including her remaining comrade.

[Cogidubnus]

 Cursing and dodging to the side as the Motorcycle roared past him, Cog quickly whipped his head around to see what bastard he'd need to flip the bird to as he drove away. His surprise at seeing the infamous Stygian driving such a incredible piece of technology was only trumped at the bat's cackling as he drove off, and his shouted instructions towards the rest of his party. Cog turned to look at how exactly the other's intended to get to the said tavern, and his eyes widened as he saw the undead guy start up a rather imposing-looking  black cadillac-esque vehicle. He hadn't really taken him for a g-man...perhaps he merely had strange taste. The others were pouring into the vehicle, and judging by both the crowd gathering, and by the sirens he'd heard caterwauling and getting closer for some time, running away on foot might be foolish. Taking a desperate look back towards the open road behind him, he grimaced and made a somewhat torn looking face, and ran towards the black car.
The black-clad panthress beat him to a seat, but he slid in right after her, removing his sword from his belt even as he scooted down to make more room for others. Sitting down in cars with swords was generally difficult. He instead laid the weapon across his lap and extended a hand towards the panthress.
"Cogidubnus Mithlome. I don't think I caught your name." he said pleasantly.

[Stygian]

The motorcycle really was going fast. And Stygian was no slow driver. The huge engine thundered underneath him and Keaton, the pipes behind the jackal roaring out a rasping, whirring song. The compressor hissed and the cylinders smattered and rumbled, while the bat whipped the thing between turns and drove so hard that Keaton had to hold around him desperately just to stay on sometimes. Buildings and the occasional vehicle snapped by quickly, as they made a beeline almost straight through the city.
   Then, as they took a shortcut through a park, jumping down some stairs, Stygian snapped out a cell phone and turned low beneath a bridge, going slow for just a minute as he dialed up a number. He put the phone to his ear and revved the engine down into a low grumble, which was easy, considering that the machine had so much excess power to go on.
   "Come on... Say you've kept it..." he muttered.

   Back at where the others were still getting into the car, a figure got up and to the back of the roof she was standing on, before jumping down and then getting out a cell of her own, just tapping two buttons to dial. The thing rang up, but no voice greeted her on the other side.
   "They're still alive. Two passengers. We'll tail them. Dragon's grin," she said, quickly. Then, she closed the thing and put it back in her pocket, and walked away.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

The young snow leopard was just returning to her table with a large stack of books when she got a dirty look from the librarian. Only when she bent over to set the books down did she realize the music she was hearing was coming from her bag. It had been a while since anyone had called her on the little phone. She had tried to convince Grandmother that the phones were valuable tools but hadn't gotten very far. Grabbing the bag the apparent feline ducked into an empty alcove. She found the noisemaker at the bottom and flipped it open. "Hello. Mel here."

[Aisha deCabre]

As the panthress situated herself in the seat, awaiting the others, she was thankful that she wouldn't take up too much room.  The car looked to seat five, but in this kind of rush more could easily fit.  Her own sword she held upright in front of her, the tip of the ornate sheath digging into the floor of the car.

Turning after hearing the unfamiliar wolf come in after her, the huntress put on a polite smile of her own and took his hand to shake it.  "Name's Aisha, nice to meet you.  These are some wierd conditions to meet under though," she laughed, glancing outside again into the chaos and narrowing her eyes.  She wondered if the vehicle would move just as fast as the motorcycle had done, or faster.  The longer they lingered, the more unnerving the situation was becoming.

[Stygian]

She had picked up. That was really fortunate. If there ever was someone with a sense for assembling information...
   "Hey! Mel! It's me, remember? Ignatz!" he said, the engine rumbling and rasping in the background and the wind distorting his voice a bit. "Listen, I just got ambushed in a bar, and both Keaton, Aisha and Gareeku were there. I figure there's something damn weird going on. I was hoping I'd get some help," he said, almost without interruption. This wasn't really the time to talk. "Listen, I know you're in town. Go figure. If you can, then meet us at the tavern 'The Dragon's Grin' as soon as you can. We'll be there tonight, I hope." With that, he hung up. A bit rude, yes, but then he wasn't the man or in the position for much else.
   He put the phone back in his pocket, and then revved up and switched gears, accelerating away.

   It didn't take long before the bat and the jackal reached the Dragon's Grin. The place was more of a hotel than an inn, really, built out by the water and near the shoreline out to sea, overlooking it and some steep cliffs beneath, before the beach down beneath them. The large main building was accompanied by two lower ones to the sides, all of them built in red hardwood with solid stone foundations and dark green-tiled roofs, in an asian-esque building style. Stygian swung the motorcycle around and slowed down easily, driving up the road and parking it by a tall lightpost in dark green iron, the ornate lamp set on it casting a dim orange glow over the tiled path up to the entrance. He killed the engine, and then planted his foot, leaning the machine on the post.
   "Right. Now, the others should be here soon. Care to get a drink before?" he said, getting right to the point with the Jackal before she got off so he could step down too.

[Sunblink]

By the time the motorcycle had decelerated to a stop before the Dragon's Grin, Keaton was feeling the worst she had physically in several weeks. Having spent most of the ride clinging to Stygian and yelping (well, shouting sounded a lot less embarassing) whenever they hit so much as a bump or swerved too erratically around a curve, it was probably understandable. For someone who could kill without batting an eye and adored stealing souls, Keaton certainly was rather squeamish when it came to fast transportation.

When they had stopped it was like a blessing to her.

"Ugh," Keaton muttered, clutching at her head with the palm of her hand and shaking the dizziness out of her brain. "Crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrap..."

Well that was a lot less pleasant than she thought it'd be. Then again, considering the haste at which they had to depart and the circumstances behind their exit, she hadn't exactly been expecting a honeymoon cruise. Once the final vestiges of nausea had fled her body, Keaton focused on smoothing her hair down, her headwings disappearing within her scalp.

Stygian's words arose her from her vain ritual. "A drink?" Keaton asked, finally succeeding in taming her windblown mess of dirty blonde hair.

Satisfied with the state of her hair, she glanced over to Stygian, then at the rather large tavern she had suddenly grown aware of. It was a rather impressive establishment in Keaton's personal opinion, especially for a place hosting a profession which was often considered rather unscrupulous and unceremonious. After a moment of admiring the architecture, Keaton craned her upper body back to Stygian.

"Oh god, definitely. I need a beer like nothing else," she remarked.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel shook her head at the now silent phone. Of course it was Ignatz and his bowl-you-over personality, blasting her with information then hanging up before she could say yes, no, or maybe. Very similar to the last time she had gotten tangled up with him. And much of the rest of the same crowd was involved as well. She looked at the pile of dry histories on the table and with a laugh tossed the phone back to the bottom of her bag. History could wait on current events. Pausing long enough to grab her long grey suede coat from the chair and tuck her papers into her bag she plotted a route to the Dragon's Grin that would take her past some good spots for hearing about ambushes in bars.

[Gareeku]

Watching the motorcycle roar off, the hooded wolf decided that prehaps joining the others in the car was a better idea than setting off by foot. With that in mind, Gareeku walked back to the car and got inside, sitting next to the other wolf. Closing the door behind him, the wolf said nothing, the hood of his cloak still covering his face as he waited for the journey to the meeting place to commence.

[Somber]

The ivory lapine also moved quietly into the seat, taking shotgun.  Leaning back in the car, she folded her hands behind her head.  "Ah using the property of your slain foes.  Does it get any better?"  She asked to no one in particular, and then thought and smiled a bit wider, "Well I suppose when you take their soul and bind it into their property so you can rub their noses in their failure for a few more centuries.  There's always that too."  And from the contented smile, it was obvious she wasn't joking.

"So... I'm doing this more out of bored curiousity and an interest in helping Richard."  She turned, folding her arms on the seat rest as she looked back at the wolf and panther.  "What about you two?  You know that guy?  Friends?  Debt?  Or are you just curious too?"  She asked as she rested her chin on her arms.

[Aisha deCabre]

Watching the remainder of the party climb into the car, Aisha too pulled the door shut on her side, trying not to bump into the wolves that were with her in the process.  It might not have been too tight a fit, but nonetheless she much preferred space...hopefully the car wouldn't be occupied for long.  And by the looks of things outside, they had to start moving.  Fast.

Resting her chin impatiently on the pommel of her blade, the panther quirked an incredulous eyebrow at the lapine's comment.  Well, if one didn't believe she was a demon before, they would now.  Nevertheless, she tolerantly answered her inquiry.  "Curiosity is one aspect," Aisha said, her grip tightening at the base of the sword's sheath and cross-guard.  "Also because he's not exactly a friend."  Might even be an understatement, she added in her mind, looking towards Gareeku, who still insisted on wearing his cowl.

Deciding to steer away from the subject, she then looked up at the undead behind the wheel while feeling around for a seatbelt.  "You sure you can get this thing the hell out of here fast enough?"

[Boog]

Richard's skeletal grin broadened slightly. Fast enough? Before the last door had even slammed closed he thrust one foot down, the growl of the engine changing to a resounding roar. Alright, last second head count. Creepy Short Chick, check, Angry Swordsman, check, Funny-Looking Swordsman, check, Huntress, check. Righto then. Now, how did the line from that one movie go...? Richard leaned back in his seat, hunched his shoulders slightly, adjusted his hands on the wheel. Then he turned back to smile at Aisha.
"Hang on to yer butts kids, cos' you goin' for a ride."
With that, before he even turned back to look forward again, he put the vehicle into drive and brought the gas petal almost down to the floor. The car shot off and was already dodging (a word that was entirely applicable to the situation) traffic on the road as he lazily settled back into the chair. Off to the Dragon's Grin...

[Stygian]

Surprisingly, the car ride went without much incident. Whether if this was because traffic seemed scarce that night or whether if their pursuers had let up, was not so easy to tell. The adventurers all got the feeling that trouble was still tight on their heels, and the slow passing of the dark night and the city lights outside the car windows did little to soothe the feeling.
   The Dragon's grin was not so hard to find. The car happened to have a roadmap in the glove compartment, and while Haszal was a big city, and cars and such were still a bit uncommon even for such a place, directions were good enough that it didn't take more than three quarters of an hour to actually get to the place. And it was located a bit outside town, after all. The car turned up on a slim two-lane road, lined with dark trees on both sides that loomed over it, jaggedly cutting into the sky and the near-full moon as they whispered by, and the dark machine softly and smoothly crackled its way forward for a while before the large tavern villa came up on them and they turned into the open space meant for parking. Over by one of the streetlights, they could see Stygian's motorcycle chained fast.
   The lights were on, but the villa seemed still and silent. If there were really people living there, they were probably elsewhere or in bed.