Furrae Chronicles: Webs of Destiny (IC) [M] {3}

[Tapewolf]

One of the good things about being despised, Jakob reflected, is that it makes you immune to random bursts of hatred like this.

"For the moment, no," he replied easily.  "But if your plans include tagging along with our party, you will likely find that questions follow you unbidden... posed by others, if not by me.  In any case, I shall trouble you no further."

So saying, he turned back to James.  Well, that touched a nerve.  Wherever she hails from, it's likely not highly-regarded.  Pity... one day she'll learn that the tighter you cling to your secrets, the more painful it is when they are revealed.

[Stygian]

Ignatz rolled his eyes. It wasn't his business, really, but it couldn't hurt to get a word in. It would certainly serve a purpose to jab at Jakob, and at the same time address Keaton.
   'You should give it up before you even start,' the bat said, looking out the window but somehow still managing to direct the statement right at Jakob. 'You're Cubi yourself. You know what it means.' He paused, touching the tip of one large fang with his tapered tongue. 'And you know there's no use, no purpose, and no chance in Hell at getting to know unless she lets slip.' He kept staring absentmindedly out the window, apparently at nothing. Not to mention it will be that much sweeter to know myself without sharing the knowledge with anyone of you, he thought.

[Aisha deCabre]

Despite the agreeable mood that Aisha had been in when she came downstairs, she couldn't help but suppress a growl through a closed mouth when Ignatz was heard coming down, pausing in her eating to his sarcasm when it came to her statement about the front page.  Well, what happy company we have, she thought to herself and just continued to eat.

The panthress listened to the others as they each came into the bar, the girl herself sparing a nod of greeting to each in return.  Mel was the next to come down, dressed in colors fit to give the hangovers a bigger headache.  Gabi, what seemed like a very exhausted James, Ephrael, Keaton, and finally the silver wolf who had spoken with a few of the others the last night came in, and conversation was initiated...in which, she was one of the few who preferred to be off by themselves.  But if one had her hearing, one couldn't help but eavesdrop anyway.

James had been acting as if he hadn't gotten any sleep at all, literally dropping into his breakfast.  As Gabi helped, Aisha watched with a bit of concern for their traveling companion.  I wouldn't have thought of HIM as one to drag his feet, she thought.  She tried to ignore the banter about 'Cubi and clans going on between Jakob and Keaton, who turned out to be an unfortunate addition to their party, according to her...a good help in the fight, but what would she still be here for otherwise...?

She did agree with Gareeku, when he heard his statement, though.  More than anyone, he had no time to lose.  But because of the setbacks...just how exasperating was it for the others, as it must have been for him?

Aisha finished her breakfast rather quickly and hummed thoughtfully, thinking of the name of their destination.  "Good that it's close, then.  But I for one am rather eager to get back to the traveling," she said, turning in her chair, hand resting on the pommel of her Dragonblade.  "I am also curious about those who weren't a part of our group until we were forced to run them over," the black jaguar joked to the others.  It was a grim effort, and she expected nobody to laugh, but humor was humor.

[Cogidubnus]

Cog nodded at Gabi. "Your friend Jakob was telling me you were having some troubles. Something to do with a demon. Bad stuff." the wolf said, shaking his head and taking a drink of his coffee.

"It doesn't look like you'll be getting much rest soon, though." Cog said, looking up at the vixen, and nodding towards Gareeku. "Moving on so soon after a battle can be tiring. Perhaps better than the consequences of staying."
The wolf took a sip of his drink. "You seem to have made the paper." he said, his eyes glancing over at the front page. "Rewards are nice and all, but demons have friends too." Cog coughed, and continued to sip his steaming drink.

[Tapewolf]

"Depends on the Demon," Jakob interjected.  "Many pure Demons have a 'Might-makes-Right' attitude whereby they are unlikely to seek revenge.  Ultimately it depends on the individual, though.   And if by 'demon' you meant 'Creature' generically, well, anything goes."

Hmm... Keaton said that SAIA couldn't help her, or something.  Next time I'm in the Academy I'll have to search the records for her name...

[Paladin Sheppard]

Ephrael smiled at Aisha's comment, but she was a little uneasy, as she was beginning to be a little uncomfortable as Keaton, Jakob and Ignatz were going at it. Eph just didn't like people arguing...Especially not creatures in her immediate vicinity, things tended to get messy.   

"Umm If anyone wants me I'll be in room 6 packing..." She said as she paid for her meal.

[Stygian]

Jakob's statement passed Ignatz by as a true and appropriate but obvious remark. But the bat blinked, and then sighed slightly at Aisha's words. His mood really was not that good in the mornings. Either way, whatever the manner of her comments, he recognized her dissatisfaction and irritation. There was no immediate need to alleviate them, but then again it would not be very helpful to just let her be either.
   'I thought I told you,' the bat said, managing to keep his tone much more pleasant than his morning-weariness would have made it. 'Ignatz Donovan, bounty hunter, and for the right price a fair bit more than that. I don't usually hire to creatures, but the pay was substantial enough and our latest client's manner covert enough that I reconsidered. A mistake, I admit.' He shrugged. 'Mel, my associate, speaks for herself,' he continued and gave a look and nod in Mel's direction. 'More specific questions can be taken care of later. Now, as for running people over, that brings to mind... If we want to move faster, we should get a car.'

[Cogidubnus]

The wolf smiled at Jakob. "Not all demon's friends are demons themselves." he said, bowing his head towards the incubus. "And besides. If you believe might makes right, what's to stop your right to revenge? Just because your friend was weak enough to get killed, doesn't mean you're not strong enough to kill his killers." he said, shrugging. "Perhaps I'm wrong, but I'm willing to wager it's not a positive."

The wolf cocked an ear, pausing suddenly, and then took a drink of his coffee. He turned towards Jakob again.
"He's a bounty hunter? I'm to take it your hiring on adventurers, then?"

[Tapewolf]

"The bat?  I don't really know who he is," Jakob replied.  "Or what he is, come to that.  He seems to be exceptionally good with dark magic, so I'd guess he's either a demon, an incubus or a very powerful Being mage." he glanced idly at the bat and then back to Cog.

"Anyway, Gareeku is the leader of our expedition, so if you're interested in joining, he is the wolf to talk to."

[Gabi]

Gabi was surprised at the turn the conversation was taking. Some of it she'd heard many times, but didn't expect it to come up now, among this group in particular. As for the conclusion... it was quite unexpected.

"We're hiring now?," she queried. "I'm sure we could use some help, but we should be careful about who comes with us. I'm not nearly as concerned about what Ignatz is as I am about what he's willing and able to do. And you know how some adventurers are too... Not all of them, of course, but there are many who would bring us nothing but trouble."

[Tapewolf]

Jakob shrugged.  "As I say, it's Gareeku's decision."
But I hope the bat won't be in the party.  No good can come of it if he is.

[Gabi]

"I know, I'm just voicing my thoughts..." Gabi sighed. "I guess it must be hard for Gareeku. Making all the decisions with so much at stake and... so much weighing on him. But he doesn't let anyone help him. I wish I could make things better for him... For everyone."

[Sunblink]

Snorting derisively, Keaton canted her head roughly to the side, swinging some bangs of dirty blonde hair out from her eyes. As indifferent as she appeared, she contemplated Jakob's words, pressing two digits to her forehead and leaning against the table. That gave her a lot to think about. These furrae were apparently searching for kidnapped members of their families or associates, something she normally wouldn't give a damn about, but given her current situation and motivations triggered her interests nonetheless. Her motivations, of course, centered around the ambiguous location of her mother and twin. It was unlikely that they were grouped together with those kidnapped, but she was willing to dive upon any lead provided. After all, Keaton had nearly exhausted her options.

Her mother was over two thousand years old. She didn't even need to breathe anymore. It was likely she would've killed anyone who would've dared to lay a hand on her. But she had no idea who these abductors were, or what their powers consisted of...

Occasionally her eyes would dart up once or twice to observe Ignatz from afar, who she regarded with an unusual amount of anxiety to her countenance. And then there was that guy. Keaton was uncertain of what to think of him. All that mattered was the had affected her last night, something terribly, terribly foreign to her, and something she attributed to moments in her life she never wanted to relive again. Things she had shunted under the carpet to forget and smother. Vulnerability was a dreadful sensation in Keaton's mind, and she loathed anyone who made her reminisce it again.

She had trouble enough shepherding her memories. For a moment, Keaton's expression adopted a shaken, thunderstruck look, but it vanished five seconds after its materialization, and she glanced to the table, focusing on the corpse of the fly she had decimated.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Stygian]

'We're going with them,' the bat stated, putting a pair of fingers to his temple and leaning on his hand as he looked between Cog and Jakob. 'It was a deal, and we're keeping it.' With his other hand he reached for his second cup of coffee he'd retrieved. 'Oh, and just so you know,' he said, stopping with the cup just a bit from his lips. 'You were wrong, wrong and wrong.' He then sipped nonchalantly.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel looked from her meal towards Gabi at the vixen's comments. "Do not confuse us with hired help, miss. We shall not be taking your orders. Your leader accepted a bargain that made us comrades for as long as we wish to be in exchange for the information I alone thought to seek out regarding the location of the ram's master. Information that you people will only get in pieces." The leopard gave the group a mildly disapproving look, "So far you have shown yourself the types with very elastic moral codes. The types who carry on about other people's behavior yet can find a thousand loopholes for your own." She caught Jakob's eye, "Tell me, Mr. Holier-than-thou. If I had given you the location last night you would have run off and left us, despite the honest bargain made, would you not?"

[Tapewolf]

"No," said Jakob evenly.  "But I would never have agreed to such a bargain in the first place.  We got this far without your help and we would have got further still if you hadn't sold Gareeku to that demon.  I might add that you promptly stabbed him in the back, which is an ample demonstration of how highly you value your bargains."

[Stygian]

Watching the sudden burst of animosity between Mel and Jakob brought a musing smile to Ignatz's face, as he leaned to the side and watched them. It was rather good that Mel had said what she had, as the bat himself wasn't so sure he could have done the same without seeming less than amicable and on point.
   'Tell me, how should it matter that he was our former employer? Especially if he tried to stab us in the back first?' the bat said, amusedly. 'I am all for skepticism and critical thinking, but you have to have some perspective to go with it, wolf.' He directed his smile toward Jakob, but kept it short of a smirk. 'Not that we can attack you on the points of being convenient or having more important things to do.' He closed his eyes.
   There were certain things that the bat liked saying far more than others. What he was about to was one such thing. 'But the deal is made,' he continued, almost leering. 'And there is nothing to complain about. And I can't see either reason nor right for you to do, so why don't you just be a good boy and finish your breakfast, and we can get on the road?'

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog looked at the white wolf in the corner surreptitiously, murmuring something to himself as he sipped his drink. They weren't hiring, it seemed, but it seemed they weren't adverse to any free help they could get. Cog's eyes drifted towards one of the windows, his hand scratching his ear.
He'd definitely found better contracts than that before.

His comment, however, seemed to have incited quite a bit of commentary concerning the bat and his companion. Cog kept quiet and listening, nodding his head to Gabi in front on him in silent agreement. As Jakob spoke, the wolf quirked an eyebrow, and then had to give a toothy smile at Mel's comments. He took a drink of coffee and set his cup down.

"You may be letting your emotions get the better of you, Mr. Peterson." he said respecfully. "If someone takes out a bounty, it's not the bounty hunters fault for making a living. And I wouldn't worry about double-crossing." he said, standing. "Bounty hunters are pragmatic, if nothing else, and they don't seem to be doing this for the money. It follows that it would take more than money for them to switch sides." he said, smiling.

Cog walked over to the white wolf in the room, making a slight bow to the fellow lupine and tipping his hat.
"I'm looking for work." he said politely. As he said so, however, his face seemed to drop somewhat, and he almost gave a short sigh before continuing. "I'm willing to work for free."

[Tapewolf]

"All to easy for my kind," said Jakob, as Cog commented that he'd let his emotions run away with him.
"I'm long done," he replied to Ignatz.  "But it's Gareeku's call."  As a wolf, he was not prone to savour something has delicious as a pastry.
While there was much he could have said, arguing was pointless.  Better to ignore the bat entirely, since he was obviously baiting him for sport.
I have infinitely more of a right to complain than you.  I can't change what Gareeku's done, but I can watch you like a hawk.  You'll not stand between me and my kin.

[Gabi]

As Mel and Stygian argued with Jakob, Gabi's look sank into her now empty cup. If I hadn't got that letter, I'd probably quit right now, she thought. I'm not even sure of what we're doing anymore.

Upon hearing Cog's statement, Gabi looked at him, stunned. She still didn't know much about him, but she certainly hadn't expected him to make such an offer.

"You're willing to work for free?," she repeated. "Why? You don't even know us."

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha spared a quick nod to Ephrael, the only one who seemed to have heard the panther speaking, before she went up to her room to pack.  With that, she continued her usual way of being in the background, listening to others speaking...the only other who didn't seem to take part in active conversation was Gareeku.  And she probably couldn't blame him.

Her ear flickered, however, when the bat caught her attention by replying.  It appeared he heard her as well.  She narrowed her eyes just slightly.  "You didn't have to reiterate, I have a good memory of who you said you are.  I was wondering about Keaton," she glanced to the jackal, giving a nod in her direction, and speaking directly to her with a slightly apologetic look.  "And what you're going to do now after having been dragged to that massacre with us."

The conversation shifted then, and it was easy to tell that the party members were getting uneasy about having Mel and Ignatz with their group.  I wonder if I should tell them that I was the one who accepted the bargain.  Gareeku was too drunk.  Her ears flattened to her skull.  I hope that wasn't a mistake.  I promised that I would help.  But this has been looking like far from help.

"They're going, regardless," Aisha just said.  "They have information we need.  It's fair, muchachos, so let it go."  Thus, her attention then turned to the silver wolf who was addressing Gareeku about being hired help for them.  Like Gabi, the jaguar too was curious as to who this one was to take a sudden interest in them.  "She's right...I don't believe some of us have caught your name yet."  She said as-a-matter-of-factly.  Their party was getting to be a large one.

[James StarRunner]

As James came back, he looked much more professional looking and alert. He wore a new sleeveless jacket to replace the ruined vest. He seemed to be filled with new air as well. his past anguish seemingly behind him. Speaking to no one in particular, he spoke up.

"Seems to me it's a matter of how much everyone wants their family back. Would you be willing to travel with Ignatz, Mel, Keaton, and Cog in order for the extra help to save the kidnapped, or go without? Are a few conflicting personalities going to stop you from saving the ones you love? I have a feeling we haven't seen the worst yet. A couple of us nearly died recently..." he looked to Gareeku as he said the last bit. "I put my life on the line and very well could have lost it for no other reason but to help my friends. If you love your family as much as I care for my friends, we can certainly stand up to a few quirky personalities for their behalf."

[Tapewolf]

"What concerns me is not quirky personalities, so much that these two may turn against us after their bargain is fulfilled," Jakob said.  If not, earlier...  As before his voice was calm and level, as though he was talking about particularly difficult filming conditions.

"These two are very powerful, and I don't even know what they are.  I'd like to think we can trust them, but I'm far from convinced.  In any case, what's done is done, so I suppose we'll have to make the best of it.  Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get my things."

Jakob walked out of the front door.  A short while later, he came down the stairs, clutching his satchel, coat and the key to his room which he handed back to the innkeeper.

[James StarRunner]

James turned to Ignatz and Mel. "I'm sure you two are professionals. I don't believe you would kill indiscriminately and without reason, you kill and capture for money much like I do... Like true bounty hunters. I of course frown on some of your bounty choices, but I trust you won't kill any of my comrades during the trip."

But if you so much as threaten any of my friends even after this mission, I swear I will hunt you down with unrestrained vengeance. He purposefully lowered his mind shield on this thought for the cubi present, particularly for Jakob to show that he was still was not fond of having to travel with those two.

[Tapewolf]

Jakob sat down and pretended he was looking at the pictures on the wall.  In reality he was concentrating on James.  For the most part he'd done this with Gabi, but while James' mind-shield was down, he may as well use it.

"We didn't need them," he told James.  "We've got an enchanted map, and I can return to the Phoenix Temple if need be.  It's tempting to split up, but I can't abandon my comrades..."

[Paladin Sheppard]

Ephrael returned ready for the road, with her new knives strapped to her thighs, both quivers on her belt and her new bow in her hands.

She sat down across from Jakob.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel smiled at James for his show of logic, if not true support.  Then her attention went back to Jakob. She looked quite seriously at the wolf cubi. "Do not tar everyone with the brush of your personal issues.  Just because you struggle against your base urges constantly does not mean everyone does.  Your greatest temptation may be no temptation at all to others."

[Gareeku]

As Gareeku continued to eat his breakfast, he listened as the others bickered once more. Sighing slightly, the wolf set the cutlery down on the plate, picking up the cup of coffee and taking a sip as he looked out the window near to his table, watching people walk past as they got on with their everyday lives. He knew he wasn't mister popular at the moment after having made the deal with Ignatz and Mel, but quite frankly he didn't care. He was prepared to do a lot to get to the bottom of this ever-increasingly frustrating expedition. He didn't trust them completely either, but as mentioned, he was prepared to do a hell of a lot.

His face then showed a level of discomfort. It was evident that Gareeku was in pain. His whole body was overcome with a dull ache as he sat there. His body felt tired and weak for a few seconds as the pain coursed through him. It had been a little while since he had last suffered from pain like this, but this time it felt stronger than before. It could only mean one thing. His time was running out.

It was then, however, that the wolf heard a voice to the side of him. Looking to see who it was, Gareeku saw that it was the stranger who had been chatting to some of the other members of the group. Hearing the other wolf's comments, Gareeku smirked slightly.
"Good. Because I can't afford to pay you." the white wolf replied before taking another sip of his coffee. "Why do you wish to join us, even for free? I don't even know you. Not even your name."

As he waited for the other wolf to answer, one of Gareeku's ears the perked up as he heard James speak. Looking over, the wolf watched as the squirrel glanced at him when referring to the fact that some of the group nearly died yesterday. Hearing this, Gareeku smirked again.
"I'm used to it." the wolf replied flatly, before turning back to the other wolf. "So then..."

[Cogidubnus]

 At first, the wolf turned his head towards the vixen, giving her a slight smile, and a shrug. He tapped the pack on his back, adjusting it so that it hung off his coat better.
"Why? Because, good lady, if you could afford my services, you wouldn't be in this tavern." he said, a slight grin on his face as he bowed at the vixen.

His ear twitched as the white wolf beside him spoke up, however, and he quickly turned to regard the fellow lupine.
"My name is Cogidubnus Mithlome." he said, pausing just a moment to consider the wolf's other questions. He didn't quite have an answer - instead, the wolf merely shrugged, and waved a hand around generally.
"Because I'm bored, and these are rather nice people, and I'd really rather not see them all get killed." he said quickly, his gaze sliding over to the wall somewhat. Not that one could see - his eyes were obscured by his shades. Even so, the wolf scratched his neck, and whispered something at Gareeku.
"That, and most of your party seems to be trying to kill other members. One more level head here would be very helpful to you. Besides, I'm offering you the services of an Adventurer-for-hire for free - it's not as though I could make things worse, could I?"

The wolf coughed, and adjusted the shades on his glasses.

[Gareeku]

Listening to the other lupine speak, who had introduced himself as Cogidubnus, Gareeku sipped some more of his coffee, before turning to him, the slight smirk back on his face.
"Touché." the white wolf replied. "My name is Gareeku Manoko. A pleasure. Your services shall be much appreciated."

Finishing his breakfast, Gareeku then drank the rest of his coffee, before standing up and sliding his chair back under the table.
"I suggest we make a move." the wolf said to the others while deciding that he would need to do something about his ripped-up outfit. "Time is against us."

Especially me...