The City (IC) [M]

[Boog]

Moze grinned and collected the assembled coinage and trinkets. "Thanks much, friend, that'll cover it just fine. Pleasure doin' business wi-"
"Oi! Raek! Shift y' tail, we're leavin' now!"
The orangutan blinked and laughed, "I think your buddies are getting a touch impatient, you better get down there. Hope to see you around again, kid." Without giving the implications of the statement time to settle Moze made his way back around the counter of the adventuring shop (briefly frowning in dismay; he was certain he didn't have to suck in his gut this much to fit through the opening yesterday) and went down the stairs.

--

Jezebel giggled behind her hand a little at Jess and Mykst, disguising it as a cough as she found herself the subject of the rat's attention. "Ah, yes, of course, one second." She finished jotting down a few notes about the Montegu party ("Warning: Large group of adventurers. See if I can get dad to clean the room. Includes one troll. Room service required.") and snapped the book shut neatly, handing a key to Sister Alex. "Now you get back safe, alright?" She smiled in exactly the way sharks don't, a warm gesture of concern and goodwill. Which was surprising given her day, but then, it was an adventurers bar. Fights and people trying to set things on fire was probably not so bad.
"Now then, will that be a room for just one, Ms...?" The girl grabbed a different ring of keys off a hook under the bar and began searching through it, "We've got lodgings for larger parties as well, at discounted rates..."

Meanwhile, the demon quirked an eyebrow as Witt leaned on the bar. She looked... Interested, would be the word, when he got out the blade. Like someone waiting to see a magic trick. However, when he started flipping it across his fingers she just snorted derisively and returned to her drink.

--

"I'd have been happy with it anyway," the wolverine chuckled, scooping the currency off the table. "I used to travel a bit myself, nowadays I just keep this place open and hear stories that people who pass through have to tell. Never got around to getting a memento of Volken, other than a few things to remember. And you're right, the women were pretty..." She smiled fondly, briefly lost in old memories. She reached out to absentmindedly fiddle with one of the coins, the feel of the metal slowly bringing her focus back to the present. "Didn't know that the economy'd tanked though, there's a shame. Things are rough all over." She sighed and held up the coin she hadn't recognized before, the one the size of a seashell, "So where's this one from then? Insignia looks familiar, but damn if I've ever seen a place use something this big. Parking meters must be hell."

--

Eph's arrow struck home before Ed's bolt did, vanishing down the gator-thing's maw. It's oddly furrae eyes had enough time to look deeply concerned before the creature was reduced to bits. More creatures approached from the other boothes, a catlike thing and a giraffe stumping along awkwardly on all fours turning their attention toward the girl. The boar was slow to react to the tentacles surrounding it, grunting and stepping back, not realizing until too late that the amorphous tendrils were sharp. The dog was faster, of both foot and mind. It couldn't move to the side, and going back would leave it too open, the only option was to move FORWARD. The creature lunged, claws bared and aiming for the shoulder from which the tentacles began. Ed's other attacks... Held back the horde slightly, made them cautious in their approach, but they were too spread out and the tentacles too weak at that extension to do more than act as a mild deterrent. The mutant horde approached, yowling and single minded in their purpose...

--

The scratching sound from inside the church came again, louder. Mao could tell it was somewhere at the base of the tower, but to Jinx it felt like something in the very stone under his own paws... There were a few more windows near him, beautiful stained glass showing biblical scenes. Judas' betrayal, Christ carrying the cross, the saints...
Mao was directly beneath the window he had been approaching now. Inside something was snoring. Didn't sound large though...

--

Aisha and Gareeku's footsteps were quiet, but in the relative silence of the museum they echoed. The atmosphere was more like a church than a place of learning, silent and respectful.
Unfortunately, the disturbance was noticed. They heard a gasp from further down the hall and a quick rustling sound. Then the sound of a zipper. Then scrabbling, thumping and cursing. Like someone trying and failing to climb something.
When they reached the room the sound was coming from they finally saw the cause, having finally scrambled up to a nearby broken window; a being, frog by species, with orange and black blotchy skin and a tweed coat. A bag was slung over one shoulder with a few papers sticking out, and his eyes were wide and fearful. The man whimpered once at the sight of their weapons and slung himself out the window, climbing down and legging it down the street.
The room was full of old sculptures, idealized bodytypes in various poses and states of repair. Hercules wearing the skin of the Nemian lion. A sarcophagi covered in a brilliant high relief. Atheletes and politicians of ancient ages...
And a forgotten pencil and piece of paper, with a half-finished sketch of a bust of an old man.

--

Meanwhile, back in Oldhill, a bus crashed.

[Tipod]

"I know you'd love to tinker with a shur-fine weapon, but--" Payden paused as Traxen handed over the headsets; devices he'd never seen before, though they were obvious pieces of headgear. "...but I just want it put together, okay? Don't lose any of the bolts, either." He fastened the gizmo and adjusted his cap, fighting the urge to bark some military jargon. At least when I'm in the bowels of a haunted tenement, I won't have died all alone.

At the distant sound of crashing metal and steel, the sheriff stiffened. ...the city? Shit, it sounds like it just happened the next street over. "And hurry up, would you? I'm don't even feel safe outside the city gates."

[techmaster-glitch]

   "Yeah yeah, I hear ya..." Traxen muttered to himself as Payden's voice still came through the van's external microphones. Replying over the external speakers, he said, "Don't worry, I can assemble the gun as we make for our mutual destination. You'll have it back before we enter the gates." He moved the nearly-complete spiderdrone on the worktable aside, and started to lay out some of the pieces to the gun, when Pamcawv spoke up. "Drones-re-turn-ing." Traxen put down all the gun parts and turned to the wall of monitors, and guided the cameradrones in through the automatic access hatch on the top. At about the same time, he head a weird and distant sound on the external micophones again, and started getting a few faint and strange data readings as Pamcawv attempted to interpret the faint sound and synchonize it with readings on the radar/sonar/seismic sensors and some small snippets of other data from the cameradrones. Traxen was midly interested in whatever this anomaly was, but he didn't want to take time to investigate it himself, what with nearly being ready to enter the "City".
  The drones that just returned needed to be recharged, so he dispatched a new small cameradrone, slaving it to Pamcawv and setting the objective. The drone left through the top of the van, gained some altitude, and then began wafting it's way in the general direction of the source of the anomaly. Its camera and other sensors provided new data to Pamcawv, which continually altered the drone's flight path to bring it closer and closer.
  Traxen then began punching some lines into a keyboard, which activated Payden's headset, causing him to hear a small popping sound. Traxen then started speaking, but instead of his voice being broadcast on the external speakers, it came through the headphones on Payden's headset. "Testing, testing, one two three, do you read me-" Traxen stopped as he realized something, he didn't know the cop's name yet!. Laughing to himself, Traxen continued speaking. "Hey, I forgot introductions! The name's Traxen Ridgrey, what's yours?"

[Lisky]

Ed first felt satisfied as meaty chunks rained for a few seconds.  His feeling of satisfaction was further enhanced as the Boar suddenly became tangled and impaled on the blades.  He pressed his advantage there, sinking the pointed blades deeper into the beast while pulling them outward.  He hoped to rip the beast in half.  The natural waver of the tentacles acted as an almost sawing motion, and helped weaken the flesh with which Ed was pulling against.

The dog on the other hand was quicker.  It came a beastly gate and suddenly dived.  The move Ed tried required expert timing otherwise the hound would end up behind him.  He rolled his entire upper body,  using his left shoulder as bait, while rolling it high and back, in the same motion, his right arm, upon which was perched Ed's clawed and misting hand, raised towards the beast's chest.  He tried to explode the thing at the same moment he hoped the claws would make contact.  He shifted the tentacles that were meant for the dog to cover his blind side, and try and deter any additional assault while he dealt with this current opponent.

[Myr]

What?

The aforementioned troll-wolf blinked as his employer called for him "I'll be right there," He grunted in what, one could swear, was a slightly sour tone. Still, now he had to wonder what she meant by shifting his tail. Wagging it, maybe? Eh, whatever. He had enough to figure out in what little free time he might get anyway.

Still, at least said simian was quite pleased with the deal, and that was good enough for him. "Right, I'll see if I can, eh?" He chuckled, the tone somewhat gruff as he hoisted the bag over a shoulder and turned towards the stairs. "Maybe I can find a few more gifts from those not needing them before I get back."

Anywho...it was a mere moment or two before he was down, ears perked alertly as his free hand moved towards his axe-if only to show he was ready...and because, as it were, there was a new being in the room. Yet another rodentine one, but larger, and certainly more capable. "And this one?" His head panned slightly, pale eyes narrowed. "And you, small mouse," he said as he glanced at the 'roo-rat in question. "You say you don't have anything to contribute? Can you read maps?"

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha's ears were pricked against the soft, scratching noises in that one mysterious hallway...so much like the other hallways, bathed in quiet and darkness.  She kept behind Gareeku as they ducked into the adjacent hall, carefully as their padded feet could keep them while they watched and waited for whomever was there.

But somehow nothing could be kept quiet in the museum.  The echoes of their sneaking feet could be heard traveling over the ceiling and melding with the pen scratches, which had suddenly stopped.  In its place came the telltale sounds of scrambling, dropping, and the zipping of a bag.

"Ah crap," muttered the panther as she came out from their hiding place and started forward into the chamber with quick steps, hoping to catch whomever was there before they left.  She hadn't drawn her weapon yet; she'd only hoped to cut them off.

But soon it would be seen that they were too late to stop them.  The amphibian, it turned out, was ready to leap from the window, regarding the adventurers with scared eyes.

"Hey, wait a minute...halt!" Aisha growled as he jumped...but the frog had already gone from sight, a bag slung over his shoulder like he was no more than a common thief.  He was too fast, so all she could do was stare out of the window.  She wouldn't use her weapon on a Being simply to stop him.

With a sigh, she shook her head and turned back into the room.  It had a real ancient Greek motif, full of sculptures and carvings of old heroes.  It seemed to also double as a small office or whatever it was being used for, considering the pen and paper that was left behind...plus the sketchy drawing.

She picked up and glanced at it curiously, turning the paper around and looking at both sides, before locking eyes with Gareeku again.  "Looks pretty much like we just stumbled on the home of a scavenger," she said and frustratedly replaced the drawing with a light slap of her palm on a flat sarcophagus.  "Though I'm not sure what to make of this...it's curious."

[Noone]

Kyirri kept alert, keeping a careful eye on those around him, mostly those he considered likely to cause trouble. His face kept a static, calm, yet alert look to it, eyes gazing around with an icy glance.  Constant vigilance... the moment I stop is the moment I'll get hurt... again. Sound of Andrace's tail flowing through the air briefly drew his attention to her, whom he had neglected to keep a close eye upon. His face kept his same expression, as if only his eyes weren't frozen solid. A brief strand of confusion went through his head as he attempted to comprehend what she was trying to do. He then resumed staring around his surroundings, alert for the possibility of other problems. I hope she keeps the erratic behavior to a minimum...

His senses again helped him pick up Raek, he turned his stare to him as soon as he could be heard. He stopped moving around when he was addressed, he didn't even raise an eyebrow to express surprise as Kyirri looked up at Raek. He spoke in his usual monotone

"I can." He first responded, silently hoping that Raek didn't buy something without knowing it was. After a moment's pause, Kyirri inquired "Can you?" He continued to stare at Raek, eyes never breaking contact, yet he still kept alert of his surroundings.

[Stygian]

The rat shook her head noncommittally and shrugged a bit, shooting Jezebel another glance over her shoulder.
   'A single room will be fine. Nothing big or fancy; just get me something small and cozy where I can set these down,' she snipped, biting her lower lip for a moment and looking down at the cases in her hands. She sighed. 'I'll pay up front,' she said in a low voice as she set the things down again, a bit bothered with her own unconcerned hastiness, reached into her short-sleeved jacket, and extricated a worn and by the looks of it highly compressed black leather pouch. She poured a couple of gleaming golden coins into her palm and placed them on the counter with simultaneous lacquery clacks.
   'If there's anyone or anything that needs a ride to the hospital, I expect you to help out,' she said plainly, then picked up the cases again and turned her gaze once more to Mykst and Kali. Instantly, she was all smiles once more.
   'Wait just a little bit, kitties. Or, if you would really like to,' she said, with a puzzlingly both egging and patronizing smirk, focusing her eyes on Mykst, 'you could hold the door.'

[Paladin Sheppard]

Judging the Cat-thing to be more of a danger the Tassie Devil Noched and fired two arrows one after the other. Not waiting to see if the arrows hit Ephrael shouldered her bow and drew her Dagger's, and instead of striking out at the two monsters attacking her pirouetted around them and started her deadly dance on the rear of those attacking Ed.

[Angel]

As they waited on Jess's answer, the kids each contemplated what they'd done with others so far. Mykst pondered how exactly he'd meet up with Payden, or whether he even would. He didn't like letting anyone down, but the others seemed set and he didn't want to argue with any of them either. Of course, with him, it always seemed more like an argument on the other person's side. He didn't mean for it to happen that way, it just always did.

As for Kali, she was pondering why she'd just asked Jess what she had. She could feel eyes on her, impatient and confused ones more than anything. She herself didn't really understand why she'd done it, she just knew that someone with that many guns would be useful. And besides, Mykst had looked kind of cute when he'd tried to help her, even if Jess had eyed him strangely earlier.

When the rat made her next offer, Mykst blushed a bit, and paused before answering. But before he could reply, Kali spoke up. "I'll do it. I think he's strained his arms enough for one day." Mykst blinked owlishly at her, but didn't protest.

"Um...I'll go wait with the others, then," he said hesitantly, moving to stand with the group by the door.

[Stygian]

The steps creaked ominously as the girls ascended the stairs to the rooms, and it was hard for Kali not to get the feeling that any second they were going to collapse in front of her, where the rat graciously climbed upward with a sway in her steps and apparent ease, not bothered by the way the wood trembled under her.
   'So did you find him as a stray and nurse him back to health?' the rat asked suddenly, as they stepped over the threshold of the stairs and into the short corridor laying on top of the bar. She smiled cheekily back at the lioness. 'Or do you like the ones who just want to be held?' She stopped outside the door to the room, backing up and giving Kali space to open it.

[Myr]

The monstrous canid kept his gaze on Kyirri thoughtfully. Well, it seemed thoughtful anyway; for all one knew he might not even be thinking of anything at the moment.

"Good," he grunted finally, an ear twitching back slightly as he kept his attention on the small chap. "I've just gotten a map-book of the city you can use." Pity he couldn't recall the name of the Mythos that had written it just then, but still. "Might be heavy, but the Innkeep says it's the best there is for that city."

Hmm? Raek blinked at the sudden inquiry into his partial education, doing that perfect impression of 'What?' that just went so well with his brutish face. Of course I can read! Well...okay, maybe not so well, and certainly not the big words. Deciding to be careful with what he said-just in case Kyirri was trying to poke fun at him- he answered a touch hesitantly.

"I can read, but maps give me a headache." The hand over the axe twitched slightly, more like an action one doesn't even think about, really, as he continued in that gruff voice of his. "I'd rather use my nose, eyes, or ears to find something than look at a piece of paper, or work at keeping my employer alive...and any of their companions that I'm able."

Raek shrugged, the knotted muscle in his shoulders bulging in strange, if slight, ways from the action. "I figure you and the one with that living book can work together on it, if you want." The lupine troll snorted, suddenly seeming amused. " 'Sides, not my job to think a lot."

[SpottedKitty]

Andrace gave a very slight approving nod as she listened to Raek and Kyirri. She'd hired the wolf-troll almost on a whim, she didn't usually pick up any minions for a straightforward adventure like this. And he seemed to have some brains in that thick furry skull: she hadn't thought of maps. The city had been picked over by treasure hunters for a long time, they couldn't all have come out again (when they did) insane, or in body bags.

She raised an eyebrow and flicked her tailtip when she saw Kali helping the rat with her luggage. She'd thought the younger lioness was impatient to get started. Andrace gave a quiet sigh and leaned back against the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest, waiting at least somewhat patiently. A faint tick-tick-tick noise turned out to be her right-paw claws, drumming lightly on the floor.

Andrace glanced at Mykst as he approached, and enjoyed the view for a moment before sternly telling herself the grey cat was already claimed. By the time she was Kali's age, she'd already lost a couple of prospective boyfriends to The Older Woman: now that she was The Older Woman... hmm. She already knew Kali's family followed many of the old leonine traditions. All of them? It might be just wishful thinking, but — no, even if she picked the right moment to ask, and asked in the right way, the girl wouldn't agree to share...

..would she?

[Yugo]

The big hog roared passionately down the empty highway, its engine pulsing and throbbing like an angry heart beneath its red metal cover. Its wheels were a blur as they kicked up dust behind the heavy bike, driven to mad heights of fury by the octane-fueled violence that boiled within the chrome-covered machine that drove them. Gloved hands calmly grasped the handlebars, neither afraid or bothered by the fact that the beast could fly out of control catastrophically at any moment. The hot haze and glistening sands beside the burning pavement reflected in flashes and glimpses in the side-mirrors, the occasional shrub, cactus, or animal life caught in its flickering gaze. The white wings on the front panel proudly proclaimed the animalistic vehicle's maker, not unlike the eagle it derived itself from. The matte-leather seat cushion and saddlebags were all that gave any indication of civilization and containment to the brute, and even that seemed very little when the wind and terrain were whipping by it at high speed.

The large female wolf eased back into the cushion, enjoying the extended ride quite thoroughly. A criss-crossing of scars dotted her grey-furred face behind the goggles that sat atop her muzzle, their opaque darkness reflecting the harsh desert sun away from her eyes so that she could see. She wore no helmet of any kind, preferring the feeling of the hot summer breezes blowing at her face and through her fur to the ideas of comfort and safety. Compared to the dangers she put herself through every day, the possibility of dying in a motorcycle crash was not high on her mind. Thick arms pushed out from the holes in her leather vest, their surface carved with iron slabs of muscle. Thick elbow-pads covered their respected areas, the cloth attached to them running up her forearm and to her gloves, leaving only half of her arms xposed to the open air. Leather shorts ended halfway down her thighs, and thick combat boots hid her feet and shins all of the way up a matching pair of kneepads.

This was not, of course, her professional attire. Although she certainly enjoyed wearing them, and they definitely fit her current situation, the battle dress uniform that was folded neatly in one of the saddlebags would much better serve her purposes, at least functionally. She pondered on the manila envelope she had picked up at one of the local bars that mercenaries and hired guns like herself tended to gather at. It was an easy enough job on the surface. Find a stolen jewel. Her only problem was who had it.

The wheels turned slightly as she angled off of the road towards her appropriate destination, the desolate City looming up on the horizon.

[Mao]

The scratching sound from inside the church came again, louder. Mao could tell it was somewhere at the base of the tower, but to Jinx it felt like something in the very stone under his own paws... There were a few more windows near him, beautiful stained glass showing biblical scenes. Judas' betrayal, Christ carrying the cross, the saints...
Mao was directly beneath the window he had been approaching now. Inside something was snoring. Didn't sound large though...


Mao considered both sounds for a moment.  He hadn't hoped to be so close to anything capable of movement within the city thus far, but it seemed that it wouldn't be the case.  The scratching sound seemed to be moving, and it was moving somewhat nearer and somewhat rapidly as far as he could tell.  Then there was the more innocuous sound of the snoring.  A trap maybe?  Or maybe someone in danger from that ever approaching scratching?

Mao didn't like either possibility, but the latter was something he couldn't allow if he had the power to prevent it.  He maneuvered himself as best he could and focused his sight on the window so as to get a view of the room.

[Cogidubnus]

Giles looked at the woman first, one eye narrowed, and then at the coin, and scratched his head. "Ah. That one. Not so many good memories. From the temple of the holy city of Antioch, straight from the hand of Presbyter Solovan."
He seemed to be leaving something unsaid. Regardless, he gave her a small nod, and made for the door.

"That one I might not spend for awhile." he said, holding the door open. "People who would recognize it will be in town soon. It might make them ask questions."
He stared at the wolverine. "You seem pretty smart. I'm sure I don't have to tell you, you didn't see me."

With that, he closed the door, and began making his way down the street. Directions, it seemed, were superfluous. Just walk and you'd get lost. So, he began to walk towards the towering buildings, and look for signs of encroaching evil.
It seemed a good place to start.

[Noone]

Kyirri maintained his icy stare upon Raek, still observing his every action. He was somewhat uneasy about Raek's bulging shoulder muscles, and his twitching axe-hand. Probably means an itchy-trigger finger, low tolerance of irritation, also appears to have an unusual sense of humor, if that snorting sound is anything to go by. I'll have to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't make any sudden moves. I'd rather not make assumptions, but I don't want to take unnecessary risks either. Kyirri kept his distrust to himself, after a moment, he replied.

"I hope that you checked to see that whatever you purchased is accurate and usable before you received it." With that, he turned away, and put himself against a wall near the entrance. He continued to observe the place as he waited for his companions to assemble.

[Myr]

Perhaps the small fellow was a distinguished survivor...or perhaps was just the wary type, one could think, as the lupine Mythos allowed the observations. Still, it wasn't so bad; Raek was used to being stared at. Besides, one could reason, being wary of a brute that, even now, was starting to feel hungry again was a good thing. While being trustworthy (Now that he was being paid) it wouldn't hurt to be careful...and certainly avoid any mortal injuries.

They could also be thankful of the values he'd learned about not following his base nature-for the most part, anyway. Oh well, back to reality.

The troll-wolf met the 'roo-rat's gaze stolidly as the little chap spoke...and then walked away. Probably trying to hide fear, or something, Raek thought to himself as he decided on a course of action. While he didn't know what Kyirri meant by 'accurate and usable', he could have the rodentine being check. And if the one with that mobile book wanted to take a look, he figured she would too.

"I wouldn't know about that, but if the Innkeep can put stock on it, I would," he grunted as Kyirri settled in near the door, "But how about you check it?" Reasonable enough question, really, one could say. And even if it was a bit out of date, it wouldn't hurt to have around.

So, it was a simple matter of the brutish canid stepped over-and, as it were, seemed to loom imposingly over the 'roo-rat in question. Not intentionally, of course, it was just hard not to when you looked like him!

"Here." He said gruffly as he reached into the bag he'd purchased and removed the large book in question. In his hand, it looked more like a normal hardcover, to be honest. But that was just in comparison. Then one might realize that not only, should he put it down, that the item in question was considerably bigger than the initial impression gave, but probably a bit heavier as well (Maybe within the six or eight-pound range). Whomever had created the book certainly put a lot of effort into it, no matter how old it might be. "If you can carry it, it's yours to use." His lightly fuzzed tail flicked back and forth lazily as he held it towards-and a touch downward- Kyirri.

[Yugo]

It was rare that any location, created or otherwise, would feel with Kaela such a strange sensation of ominous foreboding and potential disaster as this place did. It was not the kind of locale that would have normally set her on edge as it might have with other places. Through every soot and dirt stained window of the City Kaela felt there was a pair of eyes staring out at her, lips licking hungrily in anticipation of a meal, and the thoughts, however fabricated or real, had been enough to set her heart racing the moment she had crossed the black wrought-iron gates that proclaimed the unnamed City's borders. It had been as if she had been willingly passing through the jaws of a predator. Perhaps even now there was no turning back, and she was trapped. The numberless rumors that abounded regarding The City's vast reputation for figuratively (or more frighteningly, literally) devouring its inhabitants and visitors had not skipped her mind. It was also why she had requested far above her normal fee when she had accepted the job. Hazard pay was one thing. Potential suicide was another.

Once inside she had slammed through the gears of her bike until she had reached an almost breakneck pace, racing through the City streets at a tempo that would've certainly earned her a few points on her record in any populated city. As she gazed around the City, dodging the occassional abandoned car, her stomach lurched, suddenly wishing to be in a significantly friendlier place. Had the great mountainous buildings here been inhabitated, it would have been a wretched and depressing place to live, their every aspect neglected and poor. A thick residue of filth and pollution seemed to coat every surface, stopping for the many pock marks and cracks that thrust their way through the structures. Even the stone itself seemed to be rotting and diseased in a way that was impossible over a few decades of abandonment, and the air was stagnant, almost yellow with the taint of evil that the sun overhead could not dissipate. An overwhelmingly wet humidity washed over the old wolf's fur, filling her nostrils with what smelled like a wet animal or a fresh corpse. Most eerie was the fact that the only sound that reached Kaela's ears was the growling of her bike and nothing more. None of it seemed possible over a few short decades without the aid of a great catastrophe or magical assistance. Perhaps it had been both.

She had been almost ready to give up any hope of retrieving the jewel and head home to return the money, her bike now approaching the outskirts of the City,  when a faint inhuman chorus reached her ears from across the many post-war era homes. Kaela immediately killed the old hog's engine, the engine's dying note fading behind her as she pulled to a stop alongside the neighborhood road to confirm what might have been a result of paranoia. Her boots crunched on some debris that had floated along in the wind as she stepped off of her bike, her aural senses picking up the same sounds that had caused her to stop in the first place. With an impending sensation of alarm Kaela deftly unlaced her boots, removing them quickly, and set to dressing herself. Perhaps it wasn't necessary, but it would protect her a great deal more than her current clothing. After a short time the wolf managed to redress herself, putting her clothes on over her leather outfit, and she threw on a black flak jacket over the dull gray and black camouflage that now covered her body, elbow pads and knee pads in their appropriate places.

Kaela grabbed the short-barrelled "trench gun" that had been thrust into a side-holster on her back, checking to ensure that it was loaded, and set across the street quickly, her boots thudding loudly against the concrete in the unrelenting silence. The screaming grew louder as she passed from house to house, glancing both ways down each street as she passed from block to block before finally stopping at one of the houses near where she guessed was the epicenter of the incessant and piercing noise. The stick grenades looped against her vest bounced absently, her head slowly peeking around the corner to get a better look. The old soldier did not like what she saw. The changed mutant horde that assailed the two figures near the large bridge across from her stunned her briefly with their deformities and slavering animosity. Was this one of the effects of living in the City? Kaela cut off further thought and sprung into action, hoping to assist the two with whatever she could. Her claws worked quickly and flawlessly as she tugged one of the so called potato mashers from her chest, unscrewing the cap and tugging the cord, counting absently in her mind.

5....4....3.... Her arm levered back and hurled the explosive into the seething mass of monsters from Kaela's hiding place.

[Angel]

Black Magic followed Jess up the stairs not without a degree of apprehension that she couldn't explain. She'd felt nervous around rats before, but she got the feeling this was more than a simple case of the heebie-jeebies. The worry that the stairs would break was also a new feeling, amd her powerful leonine muscles tensed at it.

When Jess brought up her query, the girl steeled herself again. Making her feel awkward was one thing, but she wasn't going to let anyone assume that Mykst was the only thing he looked to be. "The answer might surprise you," she said, smirking at the rodent. "He fell for me back when I was working for this really awful guy. Not a class act like you either, this guy was a real jerk. Anyway, during this big fight that guy was having with some blue-haired chick, he accidentally knocked a chunk of wall at me. Mykst ran up, cast a spell to block it, and saved my life."

Kali walked up to the door and opened it. "Don't assume too much about him." Her smirk remained a smirk, but it was looking a little pointy.

[Stygian]

To so many others, Kali's comment would have been enough of a slap in the face to silence them until such time as they could walk back down and forget the conversation ever happened. Not Jessica though. The rat actually chuckled, as she walked by and set the cases down on the floor inside, tipped them over with the shallower lids up, and then turned to the lioness with a grin.
   'So you've worked around the stage before, have you?' she mused in return, not missing a beat. Her tail twitched, and she eyed Kali up and down. 'Then I hope you don't mind if I give you directions every now and then. Hm. I don't have a suitable costume for you, of course, but I suppose we could work with about half of that...' Exuding a little snerking sound that made her nose twitch, the rat turned, then got down on a knee, snapped open the locks on the cases, and opened them.
   There were no guns, contrary to Kali's earlier assumption. Instead, there was the most tightly packed, wicked assortment of what could only be called a jester's tools that one could readily imagine. Multicolored yet somehow somber balls, bells, long slim metal rods, green and black pins, compartments with stacks of jars and vials, lacquered black boxes, rings and chains, and knives. Lots and lots of polished black knives of all shapes and sizes, from slim little things that were barely more than needles to blades that were like stylized machetes. It was hard to take it all in; though the knives took up most of the space, there were so many fine little details, so many glinting trinkets and gleaming edges and colors. And all of it looked old, somehow. Carefully maintained, but used and worked with until the objects had gained a multitude of personalities all of their own. Kali felt as if she could see little faces staring up at her. She could see little faces staring up at her. How did that make sense?
   'You like these?' Jess asked, and carefully picked up a lovingly sown cloth shape, putting it on her hand. She held it out, and a finely painted clown white clown face turned toward the lioness. She imagined its little glass eyes followed her. 'I made them for the children when I worked as a governess. Unfortunately, Mr. Bonkers here had to stay in the box most of the time...' she muttered with a bitter half-smile on her face.

[Angel]

When the rat not only wasn't floored by Black Magic's remark but retorted very effectively, the lioness paused. She certainly wasn't a typical prey animal, but that didn't matter when one wasn't a typical predator. No, something more than just the snappy response was bothering her. It was the gleam in the rat's eye, the way she looked at her, the knowing look usually only reserved by cats for humans. Then the rat opened her case, and Kali saw the reason why.

It looked like the toy-chest of a child raised by sadomasochists. Knives and bells and chains and boxes, all well cared for (well loved, her mind whispered, and she brushed it off) and old, presented themselves to the girl seemingly without needing help from Jess. They spoke clearly, firmly, and with a smile on their faces: We are deadly. Do not screw with us. Do not screw with our master.

Then she realized, there really -were- smiling faces. But not on the weapons. Jess picked up the owner of one face in particular, and Kali was quite unnerved. The clown doll was obviously that, but it seemed as alive as the weapons. Black Magic's staff had spoken to her, of course, which was why she'd picked it. But it appeared that Jess's weapons not only spoke to her, but that she spoke back. Conversed with them. It was a symbiosis of sorts that made her afraid...but curious, and admiring, at the same time.

Even in her perturbed state, Kali was never one to be rendered speechless, or totally afraid. "He seems like he gets along more easily with you than he would with children, yeah," she nodded, almost smiling. "Why do you keep the rest with you, though?" She suspected it was something much more than sentimental value...

[Boog]

The wolverine quirked an eyebrow and nodded as the Blackguard took his leave. Wasn't her place to question, after all... She examined the coin one more time. "Antioch, huh?" She wiped a smudge off part of the edge and placed it in her pocket.

It was a bit of a walk from town to the City, but eventually Giles reached the city gates. The guard was back in his booth, the overweight rat with his hat over his eyes again, snoring. He started to drowsily come to as the human approached.
"Fzz? Whussat... Smell...?" He shook his head, "Like burnin'... Ah! Hrm." Noticing Giles, the booth guard attempted to sit up straighter in his booth (a natural reflex in any minor official faced with someone who looks like they outrank him at SOMETHING). Sadly, his bulk made his posture a little difficult to outwardly recognize. "Welcome to the City, sir."

--

Ephrael's arrows struck home in the cat's arm and torso, dropping it to the ground and surprising the giraffe-creature. It seemed to be having trouble ascertaining where the arrows had come from, not smart enough to work out the trajectory of the attacks. She was immediately on the move again, putting the boar out of its misery as Ed faced down the dog.
Ed's plan half worked; the dog saw what was coming, and angled its attack around the incubus' outstretched hand rather than at it to attempt to rake at his head, chest and the wing protecting his blind side. Ed grabbed its shoulder, there was a rush as his spell coalesced and fired...
The dog was blasted away, which was good, but there seemed to be a surplus of explosions. A second blast, non-magical in nature, clearing an opening in the horde ahead of Ephrael and Ed.

Kaela's grenade had cleared out a good chunk of the creatures, but the remaining ones were already moving in to fill the space she'd cleared. She had to act fast...

--

Near as Mao could tell, some large individual was sleeping in the room above. The scratching was moving again, but it was hard to pinpoint what exactly that was. Quite possibly just a feral raccoon, looking over the building for scraps. It was very quiet. Seemed to be moving around a touch quickly though...

--

As Aisha placed the paper on the sarcophagus she noticed another nearby work that resembled the sketch. It was the face of some lupine man with an expression best described as "stony." Angular features, a scar along his muzzle turning what was already a somewhat disapproving look into something more akin to a scowl...
And something thumped inside the sarcophagus, once, softly.

[Kafzeil]

Jinx coughed and swallowed, sattempting to regain his composure as he felt something statach at the wall he was hanging on.

His mind playing tricks on him? or something very, very real...?

Stay with it, Jinx...just keep climbing and don't Die.

The feline hit man continued climbing, though faintly he could hear Max's voice, thought he could quite make out what exactly was being said.

He noticed the stained glass windows, chuckling to himself. Hilarious that even in such a Hellhole, beauty and art could be found...

His amusement, however, turned to dread as he begun to think about whoever built this Church and what happened to the poor shmuck. Or, for that matter, just what the Hell happened here?

[Yugo]

Kaela leaned out from around the cornerof the house, her eyes fixated on the horde of gnarling growls and hisses, a smirk of grim satisfaction quirking on her face as her thrown payload detonated, its metal sleeve exploding outward and shredding flesh, muscle, and bones alike with equal ferocity. The smile that had so readily appreciated her own handiwork quickly faded as more of the grotesque creatures began to fill in the many gaps created by their fallen brethren, not hesitating for a moment to step on their corpses, strewn body parts, and other unrecognizable pieces of blood-stained body tissue. They seemed packed in so tightly that even a blind man could have scored a direct hit on one of them ten times out of ten. Where the hell are these things coming from? Masked behind that thought was the more insidious and frightening consideration regarding the strangely mutated creatures' creation.

"Fuck it," the wolf muttered, crouching on her haunches and pulling her remaining grenades off of her vest until she had a neat pile of four on the ground. There was a quiet snap as she tore off a small strip of leather from part of her vest, her hands deftly manipulating the small makeshift thong until she had a small bundle of the explosive devices. The caps popped off one by one with a little encouragement from Kaela's claws, the small ball-and-cord from each dangling readily beneath it. "Let's see if this works a little better," she growled, her voice muffled as she tore the the cords out with her teeth and hurled the ticking bombs, their metal shells clinking and clanking as they bounced amidst her enemies.

[Stygian]

The rat leaned her head to the side, and looked at Kali in a quite unnerving manner. It wasn't that her face changed much; her smile remained as calmly mischievous as ever, but suddenly her eyes and her smile didn't quite match up. There was a tiny slip of harmony to her expression, a sort of discordance, that was so subtle in itself as to be frightening. Kali surmised some puzzlement in the rat's acrid green eyes.
  'She does horrible things with them!' a voice burst out, nearer to Kali. It was a sort of sullen, anguished whoop, the sort one gets when a man with a naturally deep and rich voice is made to talk in a more high-pitched, screeching voice, and what is worse develops a habit for it. And there was a note of desperation to it as well, making it even more unnerving. Kali, caught off guard, didn't immediately notice the clown doll's little arms waving frantically, its carefully crafted mouth opening and shutting. And the voice really sounded as though it came from it. The lioness imagined she could see Jess' throat moving subtly, but it was one of those motions in the corner of one's vision...
  'Please, miss, get away while you can! She's terrible!' the little cloth clown whined on, nervously twiddling its hands. 'Take me with you! Please! She locked me in the pin box after I tried to warn Mr. Vintz and the Berghoff children, and then she ki-!'
  An audible swipe to the back of the puppet's head silenced Mr. Bonkers with a little gasping outcry, and then the little clown reached back and rubbed its bald, eggshell-white head, turning to glare at the rat holding it.
  'No, we didn't get along, actually,' Jess said in a bitterly amused voice. 'And you're not going to get her with a simple trick like that, Bonkers. Now, behave, or shall I get some matches?'
  'Stuff it, you Jezebel!' the little clown yowled.
  'I know I could stuff you,' the rat replied with insane patience.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Sister Alex's eyes instantly went to the large book when Raek showed it to Kyirri. As always, she practically itched to investigate the volume. It was her reason for being here, after all. But she kept her hands in her pockets even as she frowned slightly at the roo-rat's rather aggressive comment about literacy skills. Either he was an incredibly powerful creature in disguise or trying for mythos-assisted suicide. But Raek didn't take the bait. Alex decided she might come to like the hulking mythos. Rising above expectations was something to encourage in anyone. Dawdling, however, wasn't. What were those two girls doing up there? The nun opened the door and looked out at the position of the sun. If they were going to get any investigating done and be out by sunset they had to get moving.

[Lisky]

Ed was greeted with a claw attempt at his face, if his arms weren't longer, and he weren't a cubi, he'd have had some nasty scars to greet people with for some considerable time.  Instead he caught the beast barely outside it's down range and turned the raging monster into a rain of blood, meaty chunks, and pieces of bone.  The air around him was filled with a red mist that collected on his fur and left a rusty smell in his nose.  He absentmindedly brushed a piece of flesh from his shoulder as the bits of bone clattered to the ground around him.

He was suddenly rocked by a second explosive *THUMP* as kaela's grenade sent shrapnel, blood and bone geysering several feet and temporarily creating a hole in the monster's lines.  As he followed the gyser down, and noted his current 'partner in crime' so to speak.  Her marveled at her graceful movement, and couldn't help but imagine what else she was capable of.

He flashed Ephy a wicked grin as he tried a new strategy.  He hung his tentacles low, pointed up and ready to strike, keeping them in the path of the onrushing hoard.  As the distance closed, the number of weapons at his disposal grew.

Ed planned to ram the steel-hard tips clean through any beast that got into range as he set each tentacle in a position to lunge with massive force, and coincidentally, provide Eph with additional cover as well.  He waved to her while his hands started building up additional magic, giving off the sparkling black mist that gave away the shadow-base that most of his spells were focused around.  Giving her a smile, he shouted, "Ephy, time to get that tail of yours over here, i'll cover you, but i need you behind the tentacles, can't have you stabbed as well!"

[Paladin Sheppard]

As soon as Ephrael sliced deep into the Boar-Thing, she again span away but before she could flick her wrists and dispatch the Dog Ed had made short work of it. Just as she went to recover her bow a conventional explosive went off close enough that she needed to ride out the shock wave and duck to avoid the shrapnel.

As she Rolled over her bow she felt something spear into her backside, looking back it appeared to be a length of someone's bone. "OWWWWW" She squealed as she saw Ed set himself for a new attack.

Limping over she stood behind the Incubus and nocked another arrow.

[SpottedKitty]

It would have taken a very sensitive ear held no more than a whisker's length from Andrace's muzzle to distinguish her quiet sigh from her normal breathing. She might be trained to tolerate "hurry up and wait", but she didn't have to like it. She pulled a small sharpening steel out of a hidden pocket in the collar of her jerkin, extended her claws one at a time, and carefully touched up the already razor-sharp points. I thought she was itchin' t' get goin', the lioness grumbled to herself. What in th' names o' all th' Gods an' Fae is that girl doin' up there — foolin' around wi' th' rat, or somethin'? It never entered her head, of course, to worry about Kali's physical safety, she might be a skinny little thing, but she was still a nearly full-grown feline: even without using any magic she should have no problems handling one rat if Jess became troublesome.

Andrace gave another quiet little sigh and glanced towards the stairs. If she'd been in the habit of wearing a watch, she would have been giving it long, meaningful looks. Sister Alex seemed to be getting fidgety, and the lioness couldn't blame her. Kyirri and Raek seemed to be the only ones not bothered by the delay, they were busily discussing the map book. She tried not to loom over the kangaroo rat as she walked up behind him. "While we're waitin', guys," she said, "how 'bout a quick look through th' maps? Maybe we c'ld save a bit o' time an' decide where t' go first." She looked over her shoulder at the squirrel and cocked one ear enquiringly. "What d' y' think, Sister Alex?"