Aisha couldn't help but flinch as she heard the bat's suddenly honest reply, covering her involuntary repulsion with a blank expression. Worse? Even than those...things? With a quirked eyebrow, she looked around the group and could see much of the same reactions, either surprised or disturbed. Her gaze dropped to the floor in thought. They had probably seen worse than the spiders already, but not in the very same day.
"How is it worse?" She started to ask. "Could it...?"
Her sentence wasn't finished, however, for she had seen her answer. The spiders controlled their hosts and left them much the same, just as effective parasites, without killing anyone. This condition looked, at least from the outside, to be able to degrade Keaton's mind and alter her perception. It could only possibly be worse than that if it could be passed to everyone else.
She turned back to Jeremiah, hearing his suggestion. "Questions haven't worked yet. And I doubt that interrogation is the best way to go." Then Aisha shook her head at Bambi, at the spell she was about to cast. "Nor is THAT necessary again. I think we wait." Her head snapped up, glancing over to Mel as she started her work on the jackal, and she watched her for a reaction, an expression of concern and pity on her features. She's had some bad luck with this place.
Once more Keaton had failed to answer Mel, the jackal barely comprehending anything the dragon had said. It was as though a great, swarming cloud had filled her head, drowning out any and all noise and sensation save for her own suffering, leaving Keaton inescapably captured in her personal Hell. Barely anything Mel had said registered, save for one word: help. Help? Keaton's ears lifted a marginal fraction, but she made no other positive movements. Some sort of a weird buzzing sound started shrilly whistling within Keaton's ears, making her quickly forget that hopeful second under the sibilant pain which followed that horrendous noise.
She didn't even feel Mel pierce through her mind and wade through the onslaught of memories and images flashing about her head. Things like distant childhood events; particularly memorable moments in her life, as insignificant as they may've seemed to others; and other apparitional memories bobbed to the surface once or twice as Mel glided past them. Maybe on purpose out of respect for her privacy, or maybe to help her hunt down the cause of her insanity quicker.
Either way, Keaton certainly was of no help. She was too busy curled up, eyes rolled in the back of her head--one of which seemed almost artificially glassier than the other in its sclera and lacking any bloodshot, proof that it was indeed false besides its off-coloration--and whimpering every so often.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Bambi looks shocked at the Bat's "distaste" of the Truth..But then she could see that the Bat has suffered pain by the truth and twisted truths. "Truth hurts when denied, my friend to us or by us" says Bam as she smiles kindly to the bat. From the bat's comments, Bambi figured that Mel and the Keaton would need help to see what is true.
PBH added her truth spell into the mix of Keaton's mind by touching the spell to the jackal forehead, "Learn the Truth and Know yourself, Keaton. and to yourself be true." says Bambi as she sends her spell into the sucubus
PBH
Slowly, Keaton's condition seemed to be worsening as Mel went, an effect of that much of her mind being rummaged through and so much information being processed and power shunted through her brain. She trembled visibly, her drooping ears flickering at the edges, and her mouth gaping as she began leaning back, as if she were having a seizure. Gargling, rasping sounds rose out of her throat. It sounded as if she were swallowing her tongue.
"T-the-rrre iss no Kea-tonnn, onnnhhhly...!" she choked out. Then, Bam suddenly walked up and decided to add her opinion to it all. And then, she put her hand down.
"No! Do...!" Stygian exclaimed, all too late.
Everything went much too fast, all of a sudden. Both Mel and Keaton visibly tensed for a moment, and then everyone in the room felt as if that headache had exploded out and affected them too. Just in more ways than one. Bam was flung back as a wild surge of magic hit her in the face. Mel felt whatever was inside Keaton's mind turn and lash out at her in desperation, before she too was knocked back somehow. Stygian swore loudly and was then smacked in the face by the now spastically flailing and foaming Keaton, and knocked back to the other side of the sofa.
Something akin to a shape without substance, like an outline of contoures with nothing in between, began forming behind and over Keaton, writhing like a myriad-appendaged snake. A sort of roar, only mental, cut through the room, making everyone present want to clap their hands over their ears, even though it would probably not help in the least. Towering, the shape toppled the sofa over back and caused the jackal cubi to roll onto the floor, still twitching and jerking wildly.
Looking on as the others tried to help Keaton, Gareeku feel a little uneasy that he couldn't be of any help. It was then, however, that Bam decided to use a spell, only for it to horribly backfire. Before the wolf knew what was happening, a colossal force suddenly slammed into him, sending him flying back and landing hard against a wall, before dropping to the floor, where he landed on his hands and knees, coughing slightly from the impact to his body.
Looking up, Gareeku's eyes went wide as he saw the scene before him, wincing as his eyes folded back behind him at the horrible sound the creature emitted.
"Keaton!" the wolf cried out, getting to his feet, not taking his eyes off of the scene before him. Thanks to Bam's spell, the situation had worsened considerably, and Gareeku grimaced as he thought of this fact, staring straight at the sinister creature forming behind and above Keaton.
As Keaton shook and trembled where she was curled up, unresisting and unreticent to Mel's probing, she had been too engrossed in her own insanity to notice the brilliant, verdant light which suddenly flared up in Professor Hunnydew's palm. Bright, emerald light flashed before her eyes, blinding her with lustrous shamrock. Without realizing it, Keaton's eyes swiveled back into view, her pupils pinpricking and the outlines of her eyes widening in pure, unadulterated shock. Information and memories rushed, unobstructed, through the passages of her mind, flowing at first in a steady, trickling stream, but then bursting in a relentless torrent as she felt what remained of her stability crumble to ashes.
Keaton's breath was robbed from her. Immediately breaking down into harsh gasps and desperate efforts to regain what oxygen had been stolen from her, Keaton clawed away at her head, incapable of controlling herself. Her mouth moved on its own, words coming unbidden, unbarred. Choking, rasping, wheezing, crawling its way past the tightening muscles of her throat until it came into being. "T-the-rrre iss no Kea-tonnn, onnnhhhly...!"
Can't breathe can't breathe can't breathe my throat is going to collapse and they're laughing the demons are laughing--
Laughing, terrible lauging, shrilly echoing over the inferno that had engulfed Keaton's mind. It was a reflection, a message, a shadow of how far she had fallen from her former egotistical, proud self and how those she hated so adamantly were probably laughing at her from their grave.
Oh my God the LAUGHING the fucking BUZZING--
The infernal buzzing was back, shrieking and raging through Keaton's mind like a wailing whirlwind, ripping and tearing at the walls of her brain like thousands of tiny jaws. Her frantic screaming only added to that pandemonium, ringing and ringing and ringing like a banshee's siren. Fingernails embedded themselves into her scalp from under her askew hair, head-wings flailing and ears lying as flat as they could go, as though in a desperate attempt to exorcise the dreadful, riotous noise.
GOD HELP ME I CAN'T--
Then it all exploded. Keaton flailed and screamed, smashing and tearing without any regard toward who or what she hit. Her claw came in contact with something which cursed loudly, but she couldn't reach anybody else in her frenzied swiping. Everyone else had been flung away like ragdolls by the tempestuous force which flooded outward from her body. Even if she were aware of it, she wouldn't have cared--she was too far gone, even too distant to hear the ferocious roar which shredded the atmosphere or to see the serpentine shape rear up from her shadow. The sofa upended itself, sending Keaton tumbling over the floor until she lay in a crumpled, shivering heap, still releasing strangled breaths and miniscule mutterings every so often.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Aisha's eyes narrowed as she watched Keaton's display of discomfort. It looked as if Mel's treatment wasn't doing much, and only making it worse. She couldn't imagine the mental anguish going on inside the succubus's head at that moment...the panther grimaced, leaning forward a little from the column that she had her back to, just to get a clearer look at what was going on.
It was then, suddenly, that her eyes shifted over to Bambi, who still hadn't dispelled despite suggestions given to her. The response was immediate...all Aisha had time to do before the intense shockwave took everyone was to dig the claws from her feet into the floor.
The felid was slammed back against the column and pried painfully out from her anchor, coughing a snarl as she gained her breath back and toppled to the ground.
"Wha..." she coughed again, "What the hell?!" She cast a slight glare at the fae, wondering what could have prompted such a hasty response, before her eyes widened and she clasped her hands over her ears, the horrid roar piercing the minds of the room's inhabitants like a knife.
Then she looked up again, expression of frustration turning into one of awe and fear at the serpentine creature forming above the sprawled and convulsing jackal. And suddenly it felt almost as if Keaton's pain was very understandable.
"Sangre de Dios... (God's blood...)" the huntress cursed and started to reach for her sword, albeit slowly and out of instinct.
Ketefe had just settled in for a minute, her sword finally off of her shoulders and the lemonade cooling her throat, when she heard the varied but familiar sounds of all hell breaking loose in the room where Keaton and the others were.
"Oh shit!" she said in a hushed, panicked tone, grabbing her sword and pushing her chair away from the table. "Never a dull moment in this place," she muttered before running out the door of the kitchen and down the hallway.
Dammitgottahelpoutholyshitwhatthehellaretheydoingtoherwhatsshedoingtothemshitshitshit-
She opened the door and imediately wished she hadn't.
Keaton was trembling and jerking around uncontrollably on the floor, and everyone else was watching, panicked, as a snakelike beast formed behind the terrified jackal.
Ketefe lowered her head, keeping her deadly serious gaze on the reptilian monster, and slowly unwrapped her sword. She crouched a little in an attack position and waited for the right moment to strike.
Jeremiah swore loudly and creatively as he sank to the floor, clutching his head as if to squeeze out this malevolent assault against his skull. Some of them were at the snake thing. Some were at Keaton. Some were at Stygian and his bloody goddamn family castle. A good number where at Bambi. Mostly, though, it was generic swearing.
The ache started to dull fairly quickly though. The spiders needed him useful, needed to suppress the pain so that their only host wouldn't be disabled. Soon he was dragging himself back to his feet, his curse still screaming and ranting. They heard that scream too.
"BAM Be NO PLUSHIE" shouts Bambi from the floor.... PBH is sick and tried of being thrown around by everything in this castle. With all her angry and pain added, she casts a new more powerful true spell. One that will entangling and holds the Snake spirit....a line of green spellfire wraps the Snake-like spector, it holding it fast
BY HOOK BY CROOK!
I KNOW YOUR BOOK!
Give back what you took!
Call Jack on you , I will, you crook!
Far too long, you have die!
KNOW NOW YOU CAN NOT LIE!
For THIS SPELL
HOLDS AND COMPELLS!
So that to my friend you NO Harm!
Tell us, now, WHERE IS YOUR CHARM!?"
shouts Bambi fully into the spell.
PBH will hold the snake for as long as she can, but snake must tell her and all the truth at last.
(OOC):The effects of this true spell is more an entangle and "suggest" spell, it holds and prevents the victim from any further actions expect the victim of the spell must answer any question asked of them truefully...(/OOC)
PBH
Mel was making pretty good progress finding the intruder in Keaton's head. While she had been trained to leave no trace of her incursions behind this other was smashing about like a bad movie monster and consequently easy to track by following the mess. Just as she was getting close she felt a wave of magical energy coming at her. Instinctively she attempted to shield herself from the spell. It was in the moment of distraction that the creature rushed her. For a second it tried to overwhelm her, then as if realizing it couldn't hold cubi and dragon at once Mel found herself forcibly ejected from Keaton's mind, with a magical clout to the head sending her to the floor as a bonus. She was still awkwardly sprawled on the carpet and seeing stars when the howl began. The only luck she had so far was that her defenses were untouched and she was somewhat shielded from the attack that would have been devastating to anyone mentally open. Clawing herself to her knees and glaring up at the mythos she growled, "Let go of Keaton." Any effect this might have had was spoiled when she had to duck Bam's spell flying past.
The creature, whatever it was, shrugged off Bambi's spell without being affected by it in any way. It seemed to be immune, or at least very resilient, to any attempts at psychic control. But then, that should have been expected. The spell was effectively neutralized, and the raging creature merely bent over Keaton against the cat to glare at her. Then, as its form became more clear and began taking on a sort of ghastly semi-transluscent coloration, it became easier to see that it was sneering at her somehow.
Uncustomarily though, it didn't do much more than that. Not in terms of gloating or putting them off with smug comments. It just swept out a huge arm against her, aiming to throw her aside and hopefully into something very hard. If the initial impact didn't kill her, that was.
Stygian was getting back to his feet after being thrown about a bit, and held his head, groaning and cursing foully in a variety of languages. How could that damn kitten think that throwing spells around like that would help?! What she had done just then was like throwing dangerous chemicals into the same beaker at random. In fact, they may have been lucky that the result didn't turn out worse than it had! Then again, when he looked up at the towering monster, he wasn't so sure of that thought anymore.
Still, it was not that horrible a situation. They might have lost Keaton, whether temporarily or permanently, but at least there was one less monster to take care of, once this one was dealt with. It was huge, yes, and nothing like what he had seen before, but it was hardly worse than many things that he had seen before. He just wished that they could have cleared it up without such a bloody incident...
"Mel... back up and start preparing. We'll keep it busy..." he growled, scowling up at the thing.
Immune to magic. The stupid thing was immune to magic. Bam had thrown a spell at the serpent-monster, and it had dusted off the spell like lint off of an expensive jacket, if they ever made a jacket big enough.
Oh well, Ketefe thought, almost smirking. At least that rules out a few ways to kill it. Then she realized that killing the monster might not be the solution. After all, this thing might know what was wrong with Keaton - or, Ketefe guessed bitterly, might have caused it in the first place. If she could stun it somehow, then she and the others could gather the rest from it - whether it spoke or not, what it could do, and how it had gotten there in the first place.
She moved slightly forward, then slowly moved until she was at a leftish angle from the door. She jumped back when the lizard swished its arm at Keaton, then glanced around the room to see what action the others would take. She really hoped she could help this time.
As he stared at the creature before them, Gareeku watched the others attack and tried to think through the situation. When he had been hit, the wolf had not taken on any bodily damage from the creature's initial attack, but it felt like his mind, his spirit, had been attacked.
"Hmmm..." the wolf mused audibly, though considering the situation, it wasn't a calm musing, but more of "shit...what are our options?" that was running through the warrior's mind. Concentrating, the wolf attempted to summon up energy, white flames bursting into life in the warrior's hands. "Here goes nothing..."
With a roar, Gareeku unleashed a wave of soul energy at the creature, the bolt of white flame screaming towards the thing at an intense speed. From thinking the situation through, Gareeku had concluded that psychical attacks obviously would have no effect on something that wasn' physical itself, and this attack didn't work, then it would be safe to say that Gareeku was out of ideas...
The entangle part of Bambi spell had encircled the Creature which it popped like an bubble, the truth finding part spell connected Bambi, Keaton and the Creature for that split second, before the snake-mythos swatted the fae cat away like a fly. An image of the creature's book and the bedroom which it lay in, flashed into Bambi's mind from Keaton's memory, as Bambi's spell fainted away. The Creature's attack sent PBH sailing across the ballroom and landing by Aisha.
"The monster's bottle be a BOOK!" says Bambi as she laying hurting on the floor by Aisha "BY the foot of a Big bed" Bambi says in a whisper. "...know where" PBH faints
PBH
As Mel backed out of immediate range of the mytho's swiping arms she reviewed what she knew about them. Nothing physical would touch it, only energy. She winced as it sent Bam flying when she tried to bind it, the feline certainly didn't land like a plushie. Fully unfurled it was a large mythos, old and powerful. Gareeku send a ball of white energy at the creature. As she waited to see the effect Mel pulled up an assault of her own, a mind disruption spell to make the monster too confused to attack.
Ketefe watched and flinched as Bam sailed through the air and hit the floor, next to Aisha. She couldn't hear well enough amid the chaos to tell whether Bam had broken anything or not, but that was a matter for later. She watched as Gareeku shot a flare of white energy at the ... "Mythos?" she muttered. Ketefe had heard about Mythos, but never actually seen one. Call yourself a warrior, she thought half-amusedly. But how else did you expain the appearing out of the shadows, the uncertain species, the resistance to magic? She wondered, briefly, if Gareeku's attack would work. Then she scanned the room again and noticed Mel preparing a spell of her own. It would have to be a really strong spell to work, if it even did.
Ketefe looked at the Mythos for a few moments, sizing it up. She decided to strike either its eyes or the back of its head, once she knew if the spells had worked or not. If she struck the back of the head, though, it would have to be with her hilt. "Trying not to kill it yet," she reminded herself, as she tensed her muscles and got ready to jump onto the monster's neck at any second.
The creature moved quite quickly for being so large, snaking to the side and sweeping its long tail behind it to surround the jackal on the floor. But it was still not so fast that it could avoid Gareeku's swift assault. The soul energy took, and bit into its side with a seething, sizzling and crackling sound. Its body was burned and peeled by the surge, and it roared out in pain, whipping and striking out with its many arms, one of which came right for the wolf, claws out and headed for his chest. The wolf, still in his movement, saw the gleaming tips coming for him...
It didn't manage to reach him. The next moment, something dark stabbed through its arm quickly as a bullet, tearing through it and pushing it aside. Stygian leapt up at the thing, slashing out with claws extended and lashes and scything blades of darkness ripping out from him, taking form only momentarily to strike at it before they dissolved as he flipped through the air over its back. More snarls and howls of pain from the creature. Yet, the bat's attacks didn't seem to have nearly the effect that Gareeku's had shown. He managed to hit it, and narrowly escape its retaliation strikes, leaping and weaving as the creature struck out all around it, but somehow even the darkness that he formed could not truly hurt the beast no matter what. He was occupying it, but nearly not wounding it at all.
Then the thing reared back, and lightning sparked and crackled. With a scream, Stygian was thrown halfway across the room and landed hard on the floor as a temporary shield struck him, and very nearly reached Aisha and Bam as well. He growled deeply between clenched teeth, slowly getting up, his fur sizzling and trailing smoke.
"Better... help here..." he hissed between deep breaths, his eyes narrowing. There was a bit of blood at the corner of his mouth, but he ignored it. In his mind, he tried going over possible ways to subdue or kill the thing quickly, only for his mind to blur and his thoughts to come in unclear. There was one thing that he knew though; that he would not want to have to go all out against the damned thing...
For a moment, the creature seemed to grin evilly at the bat. Then, it was hit by Mel's spell, and visibly shuddered, its spirit-like form trembling somehow. But rather than be confused, it turned, and snarled at her, its face turning more furious than before. For a second, it rose as it reared back. And then it launched itself against the dragoness, fangs wide open and arms reaching for her.
Smirking with satisfaction as the bolt of soul energy struck its intended target, the smirk then vanished from Gareeku's face as his eyes widened upon seeing the gleaming tips of the creature's claws. Thankfully, however, Sebastian had intervened, distracting the creature away from the wolf. Reminding himself to thank him for that later, Gareeku concentrated as his hands were again engulfed ina shining white flame. His eyes closed as he continued to concentrate as much as he could, the flames engulfing the wolf's hands grew in size and intensity as Gareeku summoned more and more soul energy.
Opening his eyes once more, the wolf looked on as he saw the creature seem to shudder thanks to magic stemming from Mel. Seeing the creature turn towards Mel, Gareeku took the opportunity and, with a yell, fired off a bolt of soul energy with as much strength as he could muster.
Jeremiah watched what he'd already named Jabberwocky make a lunge toward Mel. Now, the spiders made him distrust the rest of the group, that was true. He wasn't too big on the self sacrifice thing himself normally anyway.
She's been healing people and making herself useful since she got here...
He didn't trust her, but he rather liked her.
"God dammit," he muttered, charging to position himself between the beast and Mel. If he was lucky, his curse would want to do something about this. If he wasn't, it would go through him like an acetyline torch and in total give Mel an extra twelve seconds, tops. Assuming Gareeku's blast did anything.
Bal could tell when the Greasy Idiot was going to do something particularly stupid. Black flames were already flickering at the ends of the frog's hair.
Seeing the creature heading for her Mel jumped upwards, her wings opening and with a strong beat driving her towards the ceiling. Luckily the ballroom was three stories tall giving her room to maneuver. She was trying to pull the monster's attention up and away from the others, particularly Gareeku and his attack. And Jeremiah and his attack she belatedly noticed. If the mind disruption spell for confusion made it stop for a moment she'd go all the way to the way to mind wipe and see if that would get it's attention. Putting all the power she could into it she released the spell a moment after Gareeku fired his.
Couple more seconds...
Ketefe observed calculatingly as Stygian went berserk on the Mythos, to little avail, and as the white wolf's energy bolt apparently worked. In fact, it worked very well. So the monster wasn't immune to magic after all. As Stygian landed near Bam and the panthress, Mel flew into the air to distract the Mythos, and prepared a spell of her own while she was at it. As far as Ketefe could tell, it was concentrating on only the dragoness. Which was exactly what she and everyone below wanted.
Now!
Ketefe sprinted foward and then leaped toward the Mythos, slashing at the monster's neck with her lightning-shaped blade.
As the others started to take care of the giant serpent, a Mythos probably more strange than any the huntress had ever seen, Aisha made a wise choice to stay to the side, instead watching as magic was worked upon the beast. Her hand however still lay on her dragonblade's pommel. She had left the holy sword in the kitchen, perhaps the only thing that would have allowed her to help in this skirmish. Though, the last time she wielded it was against her friends.
But the fact that she had pretty much nothing at the moment to help contest it frustrated her. A few of the others had been thrown around like rag dolls, and the masked newcomer had just leaped at the beast in--what she thought after observing everything--a slightly suicidal move.
In the chaos, Aisha hadn't even heard Bam's muttering. She made sure the felid was safe where she had fainted, and then dashed across the room where Keaton still lay, drawing the blade anyway in case the serpent was to notice her. The panther could probably get the jackal out of the way as well, if she was freed of it.
Jeremiah did not make it. After all, the creature was huge, and at about twenty feet with only its upper body raised, it had the reach neccessary to strike both him and Mel. It tumbled into the frog, enormous fangs snapping for the dragon as she beat her wings to fly upward. The frog was thrown aside roughly, receiving a deep gash across his left arm and part of his chest. However, compared to Mel he got off lucky. For all her dragon skin was hard, she could hardly resist the ghastly creature's attacks as they rent her very soul. Teeth like knives cut into her thigh and a fang lodged itself in her pelvis, stabbing deeply and pulling her down. The horrid thing seemed not even distracted as Ketefe's blade passed through its neck almost without resistance.
However, as it closed its fangs around the dragoness, threatening to crush her and slamming down on the floor after its leap, it was hit in the back by Gareeku's surge of soul energy. And it howled. That crackling sensation filled the whole room, and the ghostlike form of the thing flamed and tore. Simultaneously, Mel's spell hit it in full force, and it shuddered and shrieked, dropping heavily to the ground as its limbs gave way. Weakly, it shivered and moved just a bit, its form crawling as it seemed too weak to mend itself, or even get up. Mel felt dripping wetness around her thigh where its heavy fangs still held her.
There was a roar.
"DIE!" Stygian cried, his face twisted beyond recognition with rage. Two steps, and then a leap, halfway through which shadows tore out of him like a storm. Bestial shapes with gleaming eyes, clawed hands, tentacles, schything blades, all made of darkness and all with the same wicked, sharp look, ripped into the howling creature, tearing it apart inch by inch in a ripping tide. For a second, Stygian's form paled and flared, almost glowing while darkness crackled and swirled across and out for it. Then, only a second or so later, the darkness dissipated or drew back into and around him, leaving nothing but a bleeding Mel on the floor.
The bat panted for a moment, and then looked up. He froze, and then ran over to Mel, getting down on his knees.
"Aw shit... Can anyone...? Does anyone know...?!" he began, looking back around at the others.
"Huh?"
That was all Ketefe had time to think as her blade went through the Mythos as if it were a ghost. Then she realized how close the ground was getting. She quickly rolled when she hit the floor, so as not to break anything, stopping about ten feet from the Mythos. She looked up, and screamed when she saw Mel lodged in between the monster's teeth.
Everything else happened very quickly, almost too quickly for her to follow. The white wolf's second blast worked, and Ketefe felt her skin prickle from the surge of energy in the room. Then the beast dropped on the ground, making the whole room shake, as Stygian screamed and shadows flew out of him, monstrous evil creatures everywhere... Ketefe buried her face in her hands and gasped shakily. When the chaos died down, she heard only Stygian breathing heavily, and smelled Mel's blood. Blood! She jumped up, her fear only a quarter forgotten, and ran over to Mel and Stygian, kneeling down beside the bleeding dragon.
"Oh my God...Blood everywhere..." She didn't care if anyone knew healing magic, Mel needed to stop bleeding. Ketefe examined her own clothes, and realized that they were too dirty to use on an open cut without infecting Mel. She sighed almost angrily, and reached up, reluctantly untying her mask. Underneath it was a broken, old, but deep scar. It ran across the middle-left side of her right eye. At this point, Ketefe didn't care who saw it. The new injuries on other people were what everyone cared about.
She dabbed at the blood using the tie-end of the mask, then wrapped it around Mel's thigh, underside down, making sure that the holes were out of the way of the gash. At least she had done one thing to help today. She glanced over at Bam and Keaton, knowing they needed help too, and looked back at Mel. "Can you hear me?" she said softly. "Are any of your bones broken?"
Ow.
Nearby the chaos, lying in a crumpled, disheveled heap of yellow-black fur and entangled leathery wings, Keaton groaned and shuddered as she felt her subconscious return to normal. As bolts of energy illuminated the air and the shrieking roars and pounding pandemonium of the Mythos shook the chamber, Keaton felt part of her mind start to piece itself back together, reclaiming all the shards which had been lost.
What just happened?
Wasn't entirely sure. She wasn't expecting an answer anyway, so it didn't come as a disappointment to her.
I don't think I can move.
Slight stirring. Keaton shifted where she lay, groaning unconsciously in the back of her throat. That confirmed it. She could move. A hand reached up to clutch at her scalp, binding its lithe fingers in the tangled mess of her dirty blonde hair. Her head-wings twitched spasmodically, one of them crushed beneath the side of her head. Not broken, thankfully, as it readjusted itself once she lifted her head slightly. The first thing she saw as her eyes fluttered open was that that the darkness was gone. Nothing but light spilling through the towering, arched windows of the ballroom, and the smell of blood.
Blood?
Keaton first checked herself. No signs of injuries. Her eyes soon led her over to the pool of crimson gathered nearby. Reaching down, she lifted her glasses up with a tremulous hand and reperched them on the bridge of her nose. Mismatched brown eyes traced the path of spreading blood from behind the glass, steadily leading her to what she recognized as a white, scaly figure, crumpled on the ground. Bleeding. It took a moment for her to identify it, but once she did, Keaton didn't feel any shock that she could no longer see the phantoms and monsters which plagued her vision. Instead she felt something entirely new.
Shock. Concern.
"M-Mel?" Keaton asked, lifting her body slightly. She gambled that it would be safe enough to do so. "What... oh fuck..."
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Jeremiah hit the wall and passed out. Well, that went about as well as could be expected, thought someone. We may never know if it was Bal or the frog.
Wings beating franticly to gain height Mel didn't even have time to curse when the jaws snapped together around her lower body. Pain spiked through her, dazzling her vision and scattering thought. Reacting on instinct she raked at the monster's snout with her claws and spit ice at it. The jolt when the mythos heavily landed followed by the fringe effects of Gareeku's attack shocked her mind back to racing speed. She was critically hurt. Mel threw her energy into healing, willing herself to stay conscious. A healing spell without thought to guide it was like diverting a stream into a field without digging irrigation canals, most of the spell would be wasted going places it wasn't needed and she was going to need all the healing she could muster. Then she felt the results of her own attack, the mythos hitting the floor hard, and it's victim along with it. Her wings still spread she didn't even have them to cushion her as she crashed into the marble hard followed immediately by the increased pain as the mythos fangs drove deeper upon impact. As her thoughts dimmed Mel did have time to curse, just once.
As Aisha reached Keaton, she wouldn't have time to check on the jackal as attacks persisted on the Mythos. She could see its form painfully burning from Gareeku's and Mel's shots, its painful cries wrenching the minds and souls of everyone in the ballroom more than it did their ears. The panther stopped and held her hands against the sides of her head. Safe to say, the huntress wasn't prepared for such a thing to have been unleashed.
Then came Sebastian, and needless to say it was a fierce ending to the battle, brilliant and chaotic. At least that's how it felt. Aisha closed her eyes as the beast struggled and caused the room to shake with its bulk, and opened them again to see things calm again, with just the party members in the room...a few of them injured, and one of them critically.
"You're alright, Keaton?" she asked cautiously, making sure she was before walking over to check on Mel. Her eyes widened as she saw the condition the dragon was in. Blood coated the hardwood floor around her body. The newcomer had already started to use her mask as a tourniquet, it seems...but there was a little more to be done. The panther sighed. We need more than one healer around. Especially when one needs it.
"Lemme through," the panther said, pushing through the gathering crowd a little. She reached to her belt and brought out her silvery light-magic bracer, snapping it around the dragon's wrist. Hopefully, there was enough healing energy within it to curb her pain and slowly seal the gash. The artifact had been used quite a bit lately...however there looked to still be work to do.
"Okay, someone help to carry Mel somewhere safe," she said, standing up. "The wound needs to be wrapped. If nobody wants to spare staining their cloak with blood then I'll get mine." She glanced over to where Jeremiah was fainted, and Bam as well. "They might need to be carried out too," she said with a sigh, looking around at the group.
Okay Rynkura, you're right, healing IS a useful skill.
"Great. Just bloody great. Als ob wir hatten nicht genug probleme..." Stygian swore, while still kneeling, not certain what to do. The dragon was still bleeding through, and Aisha's suggestion seemed good, but...
Gently, he slipped his hands under the dragon, and lifted her up, gingerly so as not to disturb her wound. The sensation was quite odd, compared to what he was used to, considering that she was as cold as the floor, and that he couldn't stop imagining her in her twenty-foot form, which made her seem all the lighter. It felt like carrying a fragile porcelain doll. Slowly, he turned with her in his arms and looked back at the others, his face still befitting of his name.
"I'm hoping that you people have a clue. Me, I won't be able to do anything for her until after she dies..." he said, ominously if anything, and began walking against an exit. They would need a bed to lay her down on, so that meant finding a room. He glanced a bit at Keaton with an unreadable look, his mind really still thinking the concept of him in this situation odd. In other circumstances...
Seemingly of its own accord, one of the double doors before him opened, and he walked out.
Even in the midst of her attempts to restore her dismantled and shellshocked mind, Keaton found herself irreversibly staring at Mel's body, even as Aisha and the masked newcomer approached Mel and began their efforts to heal her, or at the very least seal off some of the blood loss. All while this happened Keaton just sat there, staring, staring, staring, her eyes almost childishly wide and owlish on her aghast, exsanguinous face. The muscles in her cheeks were as taut as rubber bands, jaw hanging slack and ears plastered flat, pupils pinpricked down to diminutive dots.
Ultimately, it didn't seem as though the group's conjoined efforts to heal Mel were doing any ostensible repairs--at least as far as Keaton could tell. How odd--either her eyes were too aching and weary to register any minute details of her surroundings, or she was too busy feeling her dilapidated mind start to mend itself. Memories came flowing back, of monsters and demons, of running and screaming and cursing. Of emerald light flaring before her eyes and something tearing out of her--
--Oh god.
Oh god oh god oh god oh god.
Stygian scooped Mel up into his arms and proceeded to exit the ballroom. Momentarily he threw her an expressionless gaze, the door opened almost psychically, and he departed.
It's all my fault.
The guilt wasn't visible on her face--after all, she had braced herself through much worse emotions without any observable changes in demeanor. No, instead she just sat there, staring off at the door, expression vacant, as the shards that remained of her mind started to float back together, ushering in memories all the way.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Ketefe backed away when the panthress walked up and put a bracer on Mel, that seemed to have magical properties. Then when Stygian picked her up, he said something rather ominous. What did he mean, "after she dies"? Mel wasn't going to die... was she? Ketefe shuddered and decided to ask about getting her mask back later. She was used to wearing it.
She glanced over at Keaton and wondered if she should help her. She walked over to the stunned jackal and knelt down beside her. "Are you alright?" she asked gently.
In Bambi's mind
Bam was running through the castle searching for a book, the creature's book that started this all.
She can hear the other running after her or was it the Snake Mythos? it could be both since she heard fighting going on... She had to help, seems how the book was the answer.
she runs from bedroom to bedroom on the floor that is endless. Each great suite, which looks just like the one from Keaton's memory, but none have a book or the book.
The Bat voice- "Truth? The truth never helps. It is fact, and action. It is instant. But people always twist the truth, the very moment they lay their eyes upon it,"
......she turn to Stygian behind her, "But Keaton needs to see the Truth." ....she reach to Keaton...He yells "No! Do...!" As the bat's blackness engulfs her and Keaton screams of pain drives her again to run away to search for the Monster's book. Now, She hears Mel's
pain from the Monsters' attack.
**Oh NO NO THIS IS ALL MY FAULT, Keaton is worst and Mel dying, but the book will stop the creature. Please Mel hang on, **thinks Bam as she continues to run the hallway in her mind. The nightmare starts again...
As tears run down her cheek, Bam softly groans "Mel sorry"
:mowcookie
PBH
Aisha tilted her head as she watched Sebastian pick up the bleeding dragon and walk out of the room, considering his words. Until AFTER she dies? Well, fate allowing, that will not happen. She sighed. There were after all enough people to tend to the dragon, and so far there seemed to be few complications that would get in the way.
The panthress shook her head and looked around. Keaton and the newcomer weren't injured, and neither was Gareeku. Jeremiah however seemed to be out cold, the only other one with an injury that already was starting to close. As for Bambi, Aisha quirked an ear, having heard her mutter something in a semi-conscious state.
She came over and gave the fae a gentle shove on the shoulder. "Hey, amiga...if you're awake, you might as well be of some help." She motioned to Jeremiah, then turned to the others, setting her eyes on Keaton and the guilt-ridden look on her face. "As for you, don't look like that. You weren't yourself."
Her smile was friendly, but urgent. "Let's get things sorted out before anyone starts feeling bad, because that's not going to do anything. I'm going to help with Mel," she said with conviction and followed where the bat had gone through the double-doors, only stopping to grab her cape, if it would be needed to cover the wound, as well as a container of water to clean it if necessary...though the magic properties in the bracer would have kept away much infection.
Running to catch up with him, she cast a concerned look at the dragon. "Hope wherever you're taking her is close, señor. I'll be of some help."
Stygian kept his solemn look as Aisha made her way up next to him and stepped quickly along with his determined pace. There was enough of a difference in the length and speed of their strides that it would have made the panthress look a bit ridiculous, had it not been for her practiced grace and composure. As it was, she just looked like a cat running along a big, grouchy wolf instead.
"I wasn't aware that you knew anything of healing. Not to mention that we don't have much in way of supplies..." Stygian said lowly, eyeing her sideways while keeping Mel steady and his walk level. Behi
Stygian took the swiftest way toward the private rooms. But from the ballroom, that still meant ascending two stairways and walking quite a bit. It felt like a much longer time though, and though he made no show of emotion, his eyes were still fixed on the dragoness' face, which was developing a decidedly unhealthy shade of grey-blue underneath her scales. And as both Cog and Aisha had greatly heightened senses, they could feel that his scent was slightly tinged with odd and hard to read fragarances, only a part of which they could recognize as worry and discomfort. Considering how little the bat usually smelled of anything but himself, that was a lot.
The panthress kept in quick step with the bat, hardly feeling winded as she carried her cape over her shoulder and the water pouch in her hands. She tried to keep a close eye on Mel as they went, watching as the dragon's condition only seemed to worsen slightly despite the efforts they were going through. The wound was more deadly than they thought, or a bite from the Mythos had done something else as well...or perhaps the effects were different for dragons...her ears pinned back to her skull in concern of the possibilities. Still her body took on a small glow due to the bracer's magic encompassing her.
She glanced back at the bat in reply as he spoke, giving a light-hearted chuckle. "My mentor is a healer. An adventurer isn't raised in señora Msh'taan's monastery without picking up a few useful things..." she paused to wave to Cogidubnus as he joined them, appreciative of his help as well.
With an apologetic sigh, Aisha continued. "Sadly I cannot do my own magic, especially light which she excels in and uses for the craft. The best I can do is physical. Medicinal herbs and stopping blood flow and such things." Looking back at Mel and the state she was slowly falling into, as well as sensing Sebastian's own discomfort, Aisha hummed as they started to reach the rooms. "We might have to make do with what we have. Should the situation be as dire as it looks, I would contact her." Her gaze reached the ceiling thoughtfully. "If I could."
After Aisha's shake, Bambi jumps with a start and crys "Mel"...then "*sob* Aisha", but she pain makes her fall back to floor. Breathing heavy, Bambi watches Aisha go to help Mel. Bambi see Keaton and Jeremiah still laying on the floor.
"Sorry Keaton" said Bambi to Keaton looking sad and guilty herself. "Come help our frog" Bam pulls herself up to her hands and knees to go and check on the frog. Cautiously she checks his pulse and breathing, not sure what may jump out of his clothes. Trying to be ready for anything, Bambi removed her shirt and quickly tears it into strips binds the frog's wound on his chest and arm. She had stopped/slowed the bleeding Stil Bam was worried that Jeremiah has loss too much blood.
PBH
As the others tended to Mel, Gareeku merely stood there, panting heavily as he looked on. He knew he could be of no help, having no knowledge of healing magic. Quietly cursing the fact that he did not, the wolf also made a mental note to try and learn healing magic one day.
It was then however, that Gareeku suddenly fell to his hands and knees. It seemed that the effects of using so much soul energy in such a short space of time had finally caught up with him. Now exhausted, the wolf tried to get back onto his feet, but to no avail. The use of so much soul energy had left him drained.
Keaton likely would've been content to simply sitting where she was, hugging her bosom and staring blankly at the door for the rest of the day--or the rest of the century, it didn't really matter--with wings sagging in their sockets and shoulder slumped. As far as Keaton was concerned, in that moment, she was the only person in the room, since she was almost positive that everybody else would've been so revolted with her that they would've abandoned her. Aisha ended up proving that wrong with a gentle, but urgent coaxing.
Keaton looked miserably up at Aisha, hardly convinced, but slightly taken aback by the smile on her face. Ears perked up slightly, out of surprise rather than hope. Deciding she would be of better use off her ass and actively moving than sitting around, Keaton climbed to her feet, arms still wrapped across her chest. She seemed even smaller than usual due to the withdrawn, thunderstruck look about her, face still sticky with bristling trails of greasy, half-dried tears and her only organic eye slightly red with bloodshot. Snorting a little, Keaton inspected her face and flung some strands of dirty-blonde hair out from her weary eyes, hand groping around her pocket for something she almost spasmodically desired.
Finally she found it: her marble, perfectly undamaged as always. Squeezing it slightly in her palm, she walked over to Aisha, remaining at maximum distance as possible without coming across as offensive, and strode to the door, poking her head in.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Startled By Gareeku sudden collapse, Bambi rushes over to him.. Turning him over on to his back, the bare-chested Fae cat presses her head to the wolf's chest to check on a heartbeat and his breathing. Checking him over Bambi finds that the wolf is dangerously exhausted but that he seems to be fine. She quickly gets a pillow from a loveseat along the wall and with it, makes Gareeku comfortable on the floor as possible.
Once that is done, she realizes that Keaton has left the Ballroom. She seemed Okay, but the trama that girl went though she may need help, still. "Keaton" "Keaton" She shouts as she looks down both ways of the hallway outside of the ballroom, but no Keaton or anyone else in sight. Bambi returns to her charges checking on the Frog and then the wolf. Bambi can't leave the frog or Gareeku with no one, but she worries about Keaton.
PBH
"What's keeping you?" Stygian remarked back, without tone though in a way that still could not help but seem rather sarcastic, which was another hint of his lack of balance. Another door opened up in front, on its own as it would appear, and he hurried into the room. A large canopied bed lay past, together with a table and three large chairs, as well as the entrance to a small dining room and a bathroom, conveniently enough. He walked in and straight up to the bed, clearing away the pillows and sheets and laying the still bleeding Mel down on it, very carefully. Momentarily, he ran a clawed hand over the mask that was still stemming her blood flow, before turning his gaze against Aisha.
"We had better start. She's bleeding heavily," he said, almost with a tone of impatience. Then he looked back to the dragon's face, which was going bluer. His last words were with his eyes on her wound, and the thick bluish blood that was running down from it, smearing the sheets as it had his shirt and fur. His face remained level, but something in his scent jumped as he did.
Altogether though, that the panthress chose that moment to mention her mentor was more heralding than she might have suspected. Not far away, less than half a mile, in fact, a hooded figure vaguely reminiscent of the huntress herself was walking, not too fast but determinately and purposefully, toward the castle gates. A figure with a mission.
"Nnnugh..." Gareeku groaned as he was laid on the floor, his eyes shut from the tiredness that had overcome him. A minute or two passed before the wolf stirred. Rolling over to his hands and knees, Gareeku used the nearby wall as support as he slowly got to his feet, though his legs were shaky.
"Damn it..." the wolf quietly cursed to himself, a tired grimace on his face. Thanking Bam for looking after him, Gareeku then slowly but surely made his way out of the room, following the slight trail of blue blood which led to where Mel was being treated.
Aisha just snorted dismissively at the bat's somewhat sarcastic remark and followed him into a room, lavish as the rest of the castle and even fitting enough for their purpose. "On it," the panthress answered quietly and with concentration, peering down at the dragon's wound as if it were a puzzle to be solved.
She drew in a deep breath at the sight of the azure blood, and calmly released her tension with a sigh. The first thing she did was slowly peel the mask away from her side and rolled her crimson cloak up so it became as a giant piece of gauze, similar to how she had used it with Keaton, whom she then noticed was standing at the door.
As she wettened the gash with cold water and started to bind it tight to close Mel's wound, she could only let her concentration stop the overwhelming thoughts and fears that went through her head on the possibility of failing.
* * *
The rumors were true, there was no doubt. Even when some of what she heard was based on paranoia, she could still sense a hint of truth to it all. Yet no matter what kinds of threats and possibilities came at her ears from left and right, she still walked against the pathway to the castle without a single missed step.
It soon loomed into her view, a towering mass of predominant soothing colors masking the true, darker intent behind its abandoned and haunting walls. One could not get past the magnificence of the structure or the way it held its towers high above in the mountainside in which it was nestled. And yet for all of its ancient brilliance she held a stare in her hardened expression which signaled a grimace behind it. Clearly, if this place had come to life again, it did not feel right.
She soon became used to the imposing appearance and approached the front gates, passing through them with a creak and walking across the unkempt courtyard. The point of her staff dug into the porch, and the figure pulled the light blue cowl away from her head. She was a white tigress, distinguished and with an elderly feel about her, despite the way her looks argued. The robe she wore around her waist was patterned in the colors and symbols of the healers, a line of which was of her own making.
The doors loomed before her...with a thoughtful hum, she gripped the handle and listened for anything going on. Her ears swiveled as well to pick up anything strange...the only thing that gave off that air was the foreboding quiet feeling surrounding the outside. Inside...
The felid tugged on the handle and peered into the gloom, emerald eyes calmly sweeping the entrance hall before her. If she was to be greeted by anything, Rynkura was certain to be ready for it. She pulled the door closed behind her and stepped forth with soft and bare pads on the floor, glancing about the huge space. It would take a little time to investigate, unless she was given a prompt otherwise. But already she could hear curious activity...somewhere.
Bambi had been busy using the winter cloak that the frog was still using in this heat as fresh bandages on the frog's wounds. her own shirt soaked with blood. When Gareeku decided to get up off the floor, She run to him first trying to keep on the floor but then helping him to a love seat.
"Rest Rest Gareeku Please." begged Bam time and again... BUt the wolf was determined to go and find Mel. So she let him go, as he left following the trail of blood down the hallway and up the stairs. "GRRR! stubborn!" she crys out and turns to go finish up redressing Jeremia..
PBH
Awareness faded in and out for the injured dragon. Pain wound through her consciousness like a ribbon of razors, making those lucid moments misery. She felt someone doing something to her hip and tried to open her eyes to look, but they were just too heavy to move. Her entire body was too heavy, too hot, and as impossible to move as if it was not hers to control. She could hear people moving around and talking, but couldn't seem to make sense of their words. The location of the pain finally brought back a memory of being bitten. She tried to create a healing spell but her thoughts were too fragmented to manage the task. Coherent thought floated away.
Not knowing what to do as Aisha tended to the wound, Stygian could only stand by and watch as the panthress stemmed the blood flow and cleaned the wound best she could. He knew anatomy and medicine well enough to mend shots and stabs, or infections and sepsis. It was a requirement in what he had made his profession. But that knowledge was merely so that he could destroy a body faster. The sort of messy and torn, not to mention large wound that the dragon had received, was nothing like he could ever have helped heal. Perhaps even worse, had he been able to use anything but the dark magic he wielded, he could have healed that wound completely in a matter of minutes.
As it was, the bat could only stand and frown with an ever growing sense of futility and shame at his uselessness, and a pain that came from a deeply rooted sense of loss. He wanted to leave, but could not take his eyes from the dragoness, slowly slipping away there before them.
"I..." he began, then quietly remembered something, and closed his mouth. He reached down into his back pocket, and slowly pulled out a field flask made of some brushed metal, handing it to Aisha. "That should help. There's a lot of alcohol in that..."
Gently, he traced a hand over Mel's arm, and then suddenly, at the end of the movement, he grimaced, folding his ears. Scents and sounds mixed intensely.
"She's in pain." He bared his fangs. "Her heart is...!"
Aisha tried not to let the pressure start getting to her, though as time passed the dragon's condition worsened--and a few of her friends were now in the room watching--it was piling on...bit by painful bit. She may have known things about healing...but at the point of truth, the huntress was more used to causing wounds.
Still she worked on sealing the rest of the gash that could be covered by her cape, and was careful to handle parts that have been closed already by the magic of the bracer. The blood was more of a stain on the sheets now and to her knowledge had stopped flowing. The energy in the room was intense, waiting and watching. But she worked still with concentration and careful precision.
Her ear flicked back however upon hearing the bat start to speak. Tilting her head as he took out a flask, Aisha reached with one hand to take it while her other held pressure upon the gash to effectively seal it. "Much appreciated," she replied, sensing the worry in his demeanor. All the better to make sure that she didn't fail. But as she started to treat the wound with it, she could sense urgency. Mel seemed to be falling faster and faster away from any consciousness. "I know, I know..." she started to snarl lightly herself and sat back for a minute, holding her forehead. With the binding done, she believed it would mostly depend on Mel's strength at this point...
* * *
Heedless yet of the urgency held elsewhere in the house, Rynkura's curiosity took her further into the castle, the overall ominous feel of the place increasing as it did. The enormous hall towering over her head threatened to intimidate the tigress, though she walked through the hall with a determined enough air to pay it little heed. Sightseeing would be for later...she had heard something. Voices? It was still too far to tell...but if there were people inside, the first one she found would be giving her answers. Perhaps I can prompt for a map to this labyrinth, she hummed to herself.
She let the point of her staff gently clack on the floor as she walked. The last thing that Rynkura wanted was to appear as a surprise to whomever it was she was intruding on, or to appear as a threat. The echoes traveled across the hall. Maybe she would be hailed first.
Of course, that didn't appear to be the case. Various things came to her senses, most of all a disturbing scent...fresh blood. The tigress halted in her steps and peered around, finally having her eyes drawn to the floor. A trail crossed her path, leading from a large room nearby up to a set of stairs. It was a strange hue, a little more azure than crimson, and had a distinctive scent, something familiar but nothing too easy to pinpoint.
Mm. That would be a good start. She looked around, then gripped her staff decisively and started for the stairs, following the trail. If it was as fresh as she thought it was, perhaps there would either be someone to help...or something to get rid of.
click clack tap clack.... Bambi started to hear a noise in the hallways outside the Ballroom, She had finished with Jeremia's wounds.. His chest wound was not bad, but his arm was still leaking some blood. She wondered if she should try to burn it closed after sewing his artery, when she heard this new noise.
SHe runs to the hall to see the back of the white tigress following the trail of blood. She looked like a wizard or a wise shamaness... Hopefully a healer.
"AAHh!! Ah Hello.." shout a blood smeared catgirl without a shirt and only a pair of shorts and boots on. Bambi looks tried and worried. but also shocked to see maybe the answer to her prayers standing in front of her.
PBH
Rice was delicious.
So much so, in fact, Cog had found that after his meal, he'd take a good wander in the garden that he'd seen last night. So much had been going on he'd found himself rather...lost, and he'd though he'd seen the others out of the corner of his eye as he wandered, he'd figured that some argument or another had broken out. Considering what happened in this castle, nothing to get too worried about. Some time to meditate and reflect, and perhaps run through a few light exercises was much more pressing. He was sure it would help clear his mind, and finally he found a sun-drenched veranda that led to the garden. Walking into the garden and choosing a shady spot, Cog dropped down until he was sitting on his own legs and closed his eyes, tuning out the world until only he and the wolf remained. It was his constant companion and reminder, and one that only sometimes chafed. At such times as these, it was usually quiet anyway. He sat and baked in the sun, and as he meditated, felt himself drowse into an peaceful ease.
* * *
Cog awoke with a start, jerking suddenly as a stray leaf floated into his eyes and tangled in his hair. He stood and brushed it aside, putting his hat and glasses back on and shaking his head. Although somewhat startled by the momentary distraction, he did indeed feel somewhat better. At little more rested, at least. After a cursory brushing off of his shoulders, he began walking back to the castle with light steps, his heart again at ease.
He idly wondered if the others had settled their disagreement.
As he was making his way to where the others were treating Mel, Gareeku could feel his strength slowly but surely returning to him, though it would be a while before his strength would be fully returned to him. Stopping suddenly, the wolf could hear a sound, like something was tapping on the floor somewhere. His ears swivelling, Gareeku turned round. It was then that he heard Bam's voice greet someone.
Another newcomer...? the wolf thought to himself.
Just as Rynkura had started up the stairs, her ear swiveled to suddenly hear running from behind. The steps sounded urgent, not aggressive...yet still she froze to let it come to her, with one foot on a step above and the other on a step below. That was when she heard the voice calling for her attention. With a sigh, the tigress gave one more glance to the blood on the floor before turning to see whom was hailing her.
Well, this was a sight. She looked blankly down at the felid before her, who looked fearful and tired...not to mention covered in blood. A different color from this blood, a different smell...but it came from the room in which the trail originated. Rynkura immediately regarded her with suspicion, though in her state she looked more like an intended victim than anything.
The white tiger stepped off of the stairway and set the end of her staff loudly on the floor. "Who are you, and what has been going on here?" she demanded in a deep voice, not overly disciplinary yet still strong enough to intimidate. "Are there others?" She gestured to the stairway and the blood over the floor, then stood fast and awaited her answers. She wasn't going to move until she recieved them from someone.
Even if she was worried about Mel and Jeremiah (how it had taken her this long to notice the frog was knocked out, she'd never know), Ketefe was relieved to see Keaton get up at last and follow the panthress and Stygian. Then Bam awoke and helped out the white wolf and Jeremiah, Ketefe still kneeling and watching. She had found herself a little drained by the events of the past few hours, so she decided to sit and rest for a while. Gonna need my mask back eventually, though... I hope the panthress knows what she's doing.
All too soon, Ketefe smelled something (someone) unfamiliar. Bam noticed it too, apparently, because she got up and ran out of the room. Curiosity.....
No. Not yet. Jeremiah was still injured and unconscious, and she knew he'd be more than a little freaked out if he woke up alone. She stayed in the room, keeping one eye on Jeremiah and listening to the conversation between Bam and the owner of the new scent.
The tigress has the air of a head nurse or a queen.... Someone with an Authority anyway. That she didn't laugh at her, and act more like a mother finding cubs up to mischief. make Bam want to trust the white tigress.
"ah ah ah... Be you a healer? Please please..*heavy Sighing to calm*.Sorry I Bam. we fight big Monster Mythos, many hurt, but Mel Worst Hurry, Ice dragon may die... Please Please up to Mel.!!!" begs Bambi. Fae feline quick runs around the tigress and half up the stairs, where she motions the tigress to follow her up and follow the blue blood trail...The close looks at the catgirl shows the Fae was acting nurse for someone else with matted blood stains on her arms and hands. She has no blood near her mouth, and only one smear on her front head. She seem very worried about this patient Mel that is upstairs, but refrains from grab the healer and pulling her to Mel.
With Tearful kitten eyes, Bambi asks begs "Please Come"
PBH
Jeremiah shifted where he was, half-opening his eyes wearily.
"Hey..." he smiled slightly at Ketefe, "Nice'f ya t' wait. Very nice. Yer a nice lady, Ket..." He closed his eyes again, and stayed that way a while longer before a small, weak chuckle escaped his lips.
"I think I'm sick, Ketefe," he said, continuing to laugh faintly.
The tigress listened with an unreadable expression, but the look softened somewhat as she listened to the girl speak. She indeed sounded afraid, and also like she had just lost some of her ability for speech. The felid also sounded sincere, for all that she appeared.
Her ears pinned to her skull, hearing the rest of Bambi's story with a mix of curiosity while taking in her urgency. A Mythos...and an ice dragon?
"Calm yourself, child," the tigress said in a soft but commanding tone, holding up her hand. "Yes, I am a healer. You speak in fact to the leader of a monastery of healers, just a journey away from this place. Rynkura Msh'taan."
Her eyes narrowed, but she had a quiet smile on her features. "Relax. I will see to this dragon friend of yours, if what you say is true." She observed once again the way that Bambi was covered with blood up to her forehead. Despite the cat's appearance, the tigress sensed that perhaps she was trying to do more good than harm. Rynkura started up the stairs after a pause, gently pushing past Bambi. "You go back to looking after whomever is injured in the room you came from," she insisted. "I can find it on my own."
The tiger then started following the blood trail upwards, stepping up a little faster this time, and her expression hardened with some determination and, yet still, suspicion. By gods, what shall I find now?
Her answer came almost immediately though, as soon enough ahead of her she sensed another presence. Not knowing if it was a hostile one, she approached calmly, leaning towards caution as well. "Who's there?"
Ketefe did a little gasp when Jeremiah woke up and spoke, but smiled pleasantly when he thanked her. A minute and one sentence later, though, she grew concerned.
"Sick?" she said quietly, her eyes narrowing slightly. It felt funny narrowing her eyes without her mask on. She rubbed her scarred eye softly, blinked once, then stood and walked nearer to Jeremiah. She crouched down to face him eye-level, examining his dressed wounds. "Well, you did get a pretty nasty bump before you passed out. And you lost quite a bit of blood, but Bambi took care of your gashes," the feline reasoned, gesturing to Jeremiah's many bandages. "Do you feel dizzy, or are you sick some other way? How do you feel?" Ketefe's medical knowledge was limited to the most basic battle wounds, so she knew if Jeremiah was sick some other way, he'd need a healer.
"Dunno 'bout healers... Real sick..." the frog coughed and laughed a little louder, shifting one arm, "And the worst bit is, knowing I'm sick dun' help. I's suppos' t' be worse when you don't know... jus' feel crappy for no reason, but I know 'xactly whass happenin' and it dun' help at all," his voice was taking on a slightly panicked tone, but still chuckling. Slowly, conciousness began to slip from him again...
Deep within Jeremiah's mind, a figure in a coat and a mask continued making changes to his marionette. He had new parts to work with, with the New Management in charge...
Listening to the conversation closely, Gareeku raised an eyebrow. Whoever this newcomer was sounded authoritative at least, but from the sounds of the conversation, she was a healer. Steadying himself against the wall as his legs shook somewhat, the wolf then heard the wolf call out again, only this time it seemed to be directed at him.
"Only a guy trying to regain his strength." Gareeku answered back, his voice a calm one, yet one could sense the weakness within him that reflected his weakened state. Looking on as the tigress came into view, the wolf could not sense any hostility about her and so was relieved. However, always the paranoid one, he held a slight amount of caution anyway. "Sorry if I sound rude, but who are you, may I ask?"
As the tigress came upon the wolf and heard his answer, she settled down somewhat herself and greeted him with a nod. Looking on his weakened state, so far it seemed that what the felid had told her was indeed the truth, and could only think of how coincidental it seemed that a healer might be needed...and from the previous encounter, urgently.
She couldn't help but chuckle slightly as the warrior posed his inquiry. "In my short life I have met many that I would call rude. I wouldn't call you so; since I just walked into this place, I might be the rude one." She smiled. "Everyone has the right to know who they are talking to. And as you might have heard from the conversation, my name is Rynkura. It may be good to know yours as well."
The tigress paused for a moment, regarding the trail before her and the space which lay beyond. There was still something that felt somewhat disturbing to her about the place. Whatever energy that she was expecting to sense as per the rumors was nowhere to be found, and yet there were injured. With a hum, she shrugged it off and decided to focus on the task at hand.
"I'm guessing you are headed in the same direction as I am," Rynkura said, turning back to the wolf. "Are you in need of much help?"
Biting his lip, Stygian tensed and fought to straighten out the numerous conflicting sensations that ran through his mind. However much the bat hated himself for it in a situation like this, and no matter whether Mel's blood was blue and smelled odd enough to make the sensation a bit off, he was still excited by the very idea of bleeding by nature. And with so much going on and being agitated as he was, he couldn't help but feel the things he felt. That he usually depended on sensations and feelings so much was a bit of a difficulty as well. Fortunately, he had practice at distancing himself. And so he closed his eyes and breathed deeply for a while, leaning with his hands on the edge of the bed.
So finally, he noticed something that had bygone him before. He had let down the spell anchored to the castle that would let him sense intruders before, but his senses were sharp enough in themselves that he easily noticed, once he got a hold of them again. And what he noticed was a new presence.
His eyes blackening over as he opened them, Stygian's face became still as he focused, and his ears twitched just a bit.
"What is...?" he said, turning his face a bit to the side, and then against the door. He began walking, but just as he was to place his hand on the handle, he hesitated, pondering whether he should go secretly. Then he shook his head to himself. Last time it had only been a girl. And this stranger was together with Gareeku, and had already seen Bambi. If she, for it was a she, had wanted to do something, she would most likely have tried a different approach of entry. It was proper to go straight ahead. But he would still...
Quickly, he slipped out the door in his usual silent and smooth manner, and then briskly walked down the hallway, still really making no sound as was his habit. It was just a few moments before he came within eyeshot of the wolf and the tigress.
Observing the tigress, Gareeku could feel no ill will from her, and so was relieved to find his caution to be ill-founded. Listening to Rynkura introduce herself, the wolf smiled and bowed his head in greeting.
"My name is Gareeku Manoko. A pleasure." the wolf replied politely, before chuckling slightly. "I apologise for the lack of a better introduction. Exhaustion tends to take it out of you."
It was then, however, that something came to him...Rynkura...he heard that name before. From Aisha, in fact. He remembered how aisha told him of a figure also named Rynkura; Aisha's mentor. However, now was not the time to be making deeper aquaintences. Mel needed help.
"Most likely I am." the wolf replied to Rynkura's comment about heading in the same direction. "I'll be fine, I'm just exhausted, that's all. Mel on the other hand is in a critical condition. If you could help her it would be greatly appreciated. Just follow the blood trail."
Back in the room where Mel lay, Aisha let her hand fall from her forehead as the tension she felt started to recede. The panther's crimson-tinged gaze was kept upon the dragon, and for the moment it seemed that she was stable. She sighed quietly before glancing curiously up to the bat, who still looked troubled. Before long however, he stood up and started for the door.
The panther let him without questioning, though her head tilted with curiosity as to what he had gone off to investigate. Gods, let it not be more trouble, she sighed and put her forehead into her hands again, watching the still-unconscious dragon and not even thinking of the very opposite possibility that stood only mere steps away from the room.
* * *
Hearing the wolf introduce himself, Rynkura bowed her head in a polite greeting back, however she couldn't help but inwardly smile. Manoko? I should have expected to see such a reputable adventurer name investigating this place.
"Likewise, the pleasure is mine," she answered, then peered down the hall where the trail went on through a darkening portion, or at least it looked and felt that way to her. She gripped her staff. "I won't linger then. I doubt an encounter with a Mythos can very well wait." With a brief farewell nod to Gareeku, she started to follow it...and had only planted but a few steps in that direction when she paused instantly. Someone else was approaching...and they had an unmistakeable feel about them...dark. A very faint pulse of light magic sent through the floor through her staff, similar to the effects of sonar, only confirmed the feeling when it came back with a shadowy feel.
She glanced up to see the bat coming towards them, silent and purposeful. Still, Rynkura didn't show any type of concern, instead regarding him with a calm demeanor while beginning to step forward beside the path of blood. Something was familiar somehow, nothing that she could pinpoint right away. And yet...
"I take it I finally see the host of this place," Rynkura admonished in a calm and neutral tone, in fact it could be taken for polite. After all she wasn't hoping yet to be a part of trouble, considering the situation.
Watching Rynkura go up the stairs and down the hall, She sighed and returns to the ballroom.
She pick up some towels on the way...and walk in find the frog is still out. Bambi hope that Mel will be alright now... And maybe this Healer cause help Jeremiah.. Bambi greeted Ketefe and then to check on the frog.
*sigh* she needed a shower, maybe a new outfit. She would be comfortable like this if she wasn't sticky she thought. Checking on Jeremiah, he seems different and he wasn't bleeding, but something wasn't right.. Was it that he taller or his tail?... a Tail?! What is a spherical tail doing on a frog? She backed away from the frog, he seemed stronger, but she thought it better to keep on eye on him, and let him sleep.
"Oh Ketefe, Get the Gareeku, Please it is about Jeremiah " whispers Bam to Kete away from the frog.
:mowmeep
PBH
"Wait, both of you..." the frog jerked awake and chuckled again, and reached out a trembling hand to Bambi, "Please, don't go. Can't be alone. Come closer..."
(OOC: *Ahem* Tail? Que?)
Bambi moves back close enough to see the frog's face, but also to find a seat close by. She was tried too, hoping the healer would be checking on them soon. which would mean the dragon was on the mend.
PBH
Stygian stopped and scanned the tigress up and down just once. His black eyes gleamed, moving invisibly, but apart from the slightest shift of his gaze his face was kept a solemn, smooth surface. Not the best face for a greeting. More like one fit for a funeral. He did make a smooth bow though, if not so deep, and very slowly and properly approached the elderly woman.
"The unwilling host, I am afraid. For lack of any other," he said, and stood, looking her deeply in the eyes. He was conflicted as to whether he should treat her as an honored guest, or just a chance one. In either case, he really didn't feel like either, for some reason. And it was not just the fact that Mel was at the risk of dying and that the woman herself was almost glowing, radiating a warm aura of... something. Light. A sort of aura that he was quite familiar with.
"I would normally not spare the pleasantries like this. Hell knows that we've had too little of such lately. But I am afraid that I am still going to be so blunt as to ask just what you are doing here, if I may?" he continued, tilting his head just a slight bit and relaxing his posture. That should ease the image out just a bit, he thought. Then, he reconsidered. "We are having a bit of a situation, so if you wouldn't mind...?" he said, raising an eyebrow slightly.
Ketefe eyed Jeremiah with a little uncertainty. Bambi had been pretty nervous about Jeremiah even before he got sick, so she wasn't sure how much she could trust him. Besides which, the frog's behavior was starting to creep her out. It's probably just the sickness, but still... He was acting almost delirious, and he seemed to be getting sicker every second. Waiting for a healer might take too long. She crouched near the frog again, looking at him with a reasoning expression.
"Jeremiah. I'm going to the door for a minute to see if anyone's out there. But you're getting too sick for me or Bam to take care of you properly, and if we wait too long..." She didn't want to finish the sentence, but it was easy to tell what she was afraid of. "One of us is going to have to leave and get a healer here if one doesn't come soon."
The bat's demeanor was as she expected, perhaps a little more so. Eyes of emerald regarded his own dark gaze with still curiosity and respect, looking him over as well. She sensed no hostility, but perhaps caution...or was it concern? The word didn't come to her, but the tigress wondered if she should be intimidated or feel the same ways; it was what a guest of her sort would feel like. At any rate, she made a bow of her head back to him and allowed herself to casually lean upon her staff.
"My apologies, of course I would explain myself," Rynkura smiled. "I'm here for, I imagine, the same reason that your unexpected guests are, if I guess how many of them are adventurers." She cast a glimpse back to Gareeku before continuing. "Suffice it to say as well that I've seen this place before and felt it appropriate to check on recent...events." The last word was said with a slight glimmer to her eyes.
She tossed her head up dismissively before it could be thought on. "But the exact reason for my coming can wait. For now though, I've been implored to tend to your situation." Having noticed after all that he was partially covered in the same bluish tint of blood that was on the floor, it said that he was indeed a part of it.
She straightened her posture and lowered her chin to her neck in light respect, but put her eyebrows up with a look that said most likely that she was going, regardless. "If I may."
"Just... Come a lil' closer," the frog wheezed and chuckled a little more, his eyes taking on that peculier cast they did when he was trying to hypnotize someone. He stared deep into Bambi's eyes, "Gotta tell ya sumth'n', come closer..."
The cloaked thing in Jeremiah's mind continued fiddling with his marionette. Only a few pieces to go. The one who'd arrived in the mask may interract oddly with it as well, she seemed like an interesting playmate. Oh, how much fun there was to be had!
"Yea yes yes Ketefe, Please Go to Bat and Healer, tell them that the Jeremiah sick like before Cold cold" said Bambi as she shakes her head, "Remember to said as before the Cold " The Fae pulls and then pushes Ketefe out the ballroom door. Bambi goes back cautiously towards the Frog after shutting the door on the new kitty.
PBH
When Rynkura simply returned his courtesies and relaxed, Stygian was very nearly relieved. Finally, someone who was polite but decisive and firm. Someone who by the looks of it wouldn't waltz around as they pleased and cause trouble, and who wo...
His train of thought stopped there, when she told of her business. For a second, something flickered through his mind, an unnerving feeling almost akin to recollection. It disappeared though, into the rush of other thoughts and worry that had made its way into his mind. His face didn't shift, but he swallowed, and then looked at the tigress' face a bit more closely. Should he have...?
He didn't finish that thought either. Instead, the bat turned to the side and motioned down the hallway, again nodding just a bit. If she could assist, then he would not protest. So long as he could keep watch of her, everything was under control. And she really did not seem bad, after all.
"Please," he said simply.
Still, as he turned and walked, leading the way back toward the room where Mel and Aisha still were, he could not shake that unnerving feeling. For something to do, he pulled out his glasses from somewhere, and settled them on the bridge of his muzzle. Then he pinched it and closed his eyes. Was there something he should remember...?
As the bat turned to take the position of leading the way to the room where she figured the injured dragon was, Rynkura nodded and proceeded to follow along. "Thank you," she admonished, pleased that things so far had chosen to go smoothly in that place, however a reputation it might have gathered after so many years.
The tigress still held a quiet curiosity for the host, however, noticing only briefly his tense demeanor with her presence. I wonder how long he has been here. Everyone, for that matter...I was given the impression that this place was long abandoned. But if I make good my intentions then perhaps they will be good as to tell me. Patience, after all.
Ahead, as they approached the room, the tigress perked her ears to see if she could discern anything before walking in. All she seemed to hear however was some very shallow breathing and a bit of muttering.
* * *
Aisha kept beside Mel, watching the dragon as her condition seemed to be kept in stability. But to the panthress it was as if she was watching someone teetering precariously on the edge of a cliff...her life could slip one way or the other, and now all that anyone could do was watch and wait to see which way it would fall. Such is a healer's plight...
Occasionally she loosened the binding with her cape to check the severity of the gash, and carefully tightened it in strategic places so that it would try to heal evenly, and even added some more of the substance Sebastian gave her onto the more sensitive areas. Aisha sighed as she sat back again, uttering a few indiscernable words out loud, partially of her birth tongue and partially of the common. Her somber train of thought however was interrupted as she heard footsteps approaching the door...two pairs of them. Who could be coming to watch now? She thought, glancing to the door curiously.
That was when the door opened again, admitting Sebastian, at least as she expected...and someone she certainly did not expect.
The panther's crimson eyes widened instantly, and while standing up, nearly jumped from her seat. Her mouth hung agape for a moment. It wasn't easy to catch the hunter in such surprise, but of course it was the case now.
"Mistress Rynkura?!"
As he leant against the wall, Gareeku could feel his strength returning to him. Taking a step away from the wall, the wolf found that he was now able to stand without the need for support, though he still felt very weak. Following the others into the room where Mel was being kept, Gareeku raised an eyebrow at Aisha's reaction upon seeing the white tigress.
So this is indeed the famous Rynkura that I've heard so much about... the wolf thought to himself. Snapping himself out of his ponderings, Gareeku looked around at the others.
"I hate to break up the reunion, but Mel needs seeing to. She's in a critical condition as you guys know, and personally unlike the proper introductions and reunions I don't think her treatment can wait." the wolf said. He didn't mean to sound rude, but Mel needed seeing to. As he had stated, the dragon was in a serious condition, and he feared that if she wasn't treated soon then her condition would deteriorate.
The frog on the ground chuckled again, "Are you worried about me, Bambi? You strike me as the caring type. Or are you worried about someone else? You also strike me as the clever type," He giggled and pulled himself to his feet. The manner in which he stood up was odd; most people would use their hands to aide in such a matter, leaning forward to put weight onto them before moving up to their knees and from there, standing. He, however, scrabbled at the wall with his hands, pushing himself upright and swaying forward. Jeremiah, or whatever was looking out through his eyes, lurched forward with feet dragging along the ground. "So sharp you'll cut yourself, one of these days..."
And then vanished. An illusion! That getting upright awkwardly was a stall while the real deal, hidden in plain sight, slipped out after Ketefe...
Ketefe wasn't sure she liked being shoved out of a room - or having a door slammed in her face. But she knew Bambi was worried and almost scared about Jeremiah, and probably didn't want him to hurt anyone. So she turned and walked swiftly away from the door, following the blood trail on the ground and the scent of the others (and the newcomer, who smelled feline and female) up a set of stairs and a little ways down a hallway. She finally saw a room with an open door, and peeked around the doorframe to see who was inside.
Mel was lying on the bed, unconscious and with a cloak wrapped around her leg rather than Ketefe's mask. The panthress was standing next to the bed, eyes nearly popping out of her head at the new person, who was standing next to Stygian. The new person was a tall, elegant white tigress; she seemed like the sort of woman who earns respect simply by her demeanor.
"Sorry if I interrupted anything," Ketefe said, entering the doorframe and bowing halfway. "But Bambi and I have a slight problem. Jeremiah's sick and he's acting delirious. Bambi said he was like that 'before the cold.' I assume you know what that means, because I don't." She looked at Stygian during her last sentence. Must the cold I felt last night...
"Could one of you come down and help out, if you can? Neither Bam nor I can help Jeremiah anymore than we have."
As he had already taken time to calm and regain his center, there was no notion from Stygian as he finally got to know the tigress' name, Aisha exclaiming it as if she had suddenly won a hand on cards or something of the like. However, a whisper of a tense and sour, and somewhat spiky scent that smelled something like surprise, irritation and discomfort mixed together snuck through the room for just a second, while the bat moved around behind Rynkura to stand at the top of the bed, placing his hand down next to Mel's head.
"Please. As much as I think that this whole situation could be better, to understate things, I do not wish to be such a poor host as to let one of my guests die," he said, looking gravely at the tigress. It was not the only reason, but it was true. "None of us here have the skills to help her through this, it would seem; not in a way that matters. Well, at least, certainly not I." His eyes were still as dark and cold, but they were tinged with concern somehow.
Then, in came Ketefe, and for a moment Stygian turned his face to her, that concern vanishing as his face tensed a bit again. But as much as the cat's interruption was irritating, it was still urgent. Her words could only mean one thing, after all. Still, he did not feel ashamed when he wished that he simply wouldn't have to deal with this one.
"GRRRRR JEREMIAH!!!!!!" A scream a Yell sounded throughout the castle from the ballroom.
The Fae catgirl slammed both doors of the ballroom open, Bambi in full Fae Mode stood looking up and down the hallway. She scannedwith magic sight to find that invisible traitorous frog. Looking from floor to ceiling, as she rushes to follow Mel's blood trail She see a ripple in her visioin and attacks with a fae fireshot. The magic fire burns and outlines him but a second... Yet She loses sight of him again.
PBH
Hot. It was too hot. Mel felt as if someone was poking her in the stomach with a flaming torch. She whimpered. She wanted to go home. She dreamt of home, of ice as far as a fast dragon could fly in a day. She dreamt of ice and snow and frigid water.
And as fever dreams filled the dragon's mind illusions began appearing and disappearing in the nearby rooms and halls. Hallways became glacier crevices and stairs frigid waterfalls with lacy edges of ice. Crystal chandeliers became dangerous clusters of icicles, and furniture drifts of snow. Strange beasts wandered in and out of the icy landscape.
As Rynkura stepped through the door and suddenly heard her name, her eyes fell upon Aisha with the same amount of surprise that she had shown. Her normally confident face had crossed for a mere moment into confusion and questioning. Why and how did she...? Then she glimpsed the dragon upon the bed, wrapped in a familiar bloodstained cloak. A light smile crossed her face before looking back to her foremost student and charge...one could say that it showed some pride, guessing already the events of the past moments.
"'Tis to see you too, chica," she started to say to the panthress, only to hear Gareeku enter the room and say his piece about the dire situation at hand. The healer glanced back at him and nodded her solemn agreement. "Well put, sir Manoko." She turned back to Aisha, who was standing straight in respect yet still looked to be in some shock. "Talk will be had later, my girl." With a silent and quick nod from Aisha as she stepped out of her way, the white tiger started across to the bed and sat beside it, laying her staff upon it, at the foot, while the bat stood at the head.
Hearing his words, full of truth and concern, Rynkura briefly bowed her head. "By my oath and power I shall do my best," she said with in a soft voice filled with utmost sincerity and confident practice...after all she had said those same words for too many years to count. Her hands suddenly had a soft white outline to them. The tigress soon immersed herself in total concentration, tuning out any other noise and distraction to come after that.
"Ice dragon..." the tigress muttered beneath her breath, as if trying to recall a few things. She carefully removed the cape from around Mel, revealing the horrid gash and the intensity of it. Her hand passed over her fevered body once. "Traces of a healing spell have been here already...good mind on this one, strong will for pain," she kept muttering. Her eyes flashed a lighter tone of green, further seeking the intensity of the injuries...much blood lost, torn on the outside, a few internal injuries which hadn't been controlled...there was one of the main problems.
An uttered command, and the tiger's staff passed enough light magic across the sheets to encompass the dragon and hopefully keep her pain at bay. Finally, she placed her hands on the parts of the dragon's body where she had pinpointed the internal injuries, and pressed. "She will feel very warm for just a few moments as the spell adjusts to her body's energy and recommended temperature, and then should cool rapidly when it does," she explained, just in case the ice dragon couldn't well tolerate warmth as well as thought...Rynkura tried to avoid having to explain liability as much as possible during her work.
The dragon's body was encompassed in a bright golden glow then, as Rynkura closed her eyes and allowed her spell to replace her sight. The first thing she was going to do was seal the internal ruptures, and that would take some energy to do. She could feel Mel stir meanwhile, mostly through her spirit and her mind...she even sensed a minor bit of the dragon's own magic. She didn't investigate it, nor block it...only let it flow, for hindering Mel mentally could only make things worse. Physically, all that the dragon would feel was the burning sensation of pain just start to deteriorate while a softer warmth flowed across her veins and coming and intensifying slowly enough that it hopefully wouldn't frighten her.
Aisha watched from the side meanwhile, leaning on the wall and toning the elation and relief she had been feeling down while observing her master. Fortune could not have been more at their backs...and especially at Mel's. If things were true to Sebastian's words, then Rynkura was the one to push the dragon's teetering life back onto its balance, though she too looked somewhat annoyed when Ketefe interrupted. Priorities...as she would say right now.
Having Mel healed had been an expected thing. That the dragon's brow and pained look smoothed out and that her face paled back to its normal complexion was expected. What Stygian certainly had not expected was the sudden rush of magic, and the surroundings suddenly starting to change, part slowly and inchingly and part flickeringly and fast, into some sort of arctic landscape. As Rynkura continued her work, it actually started feeling cold around them, snow falling on his head and powdering his hair like dusting on a cake. Confusedly, Stygian looked around, and then down at the dragoness. It was one way of dealing with the problem, he thought. But still...
"If this place turns into a snowglobe, I'm not going to take responsibility for clearing the stairs. Or for making sure we are not made a tourist attraction," he said lamely, not knowing what else to do in the situation. He could have untangled the magic immediately around them, but what would have been the point? Not to mention, if it was of any help to Mel, it was best to let it be.
Again, his gaze went to Rynkura. She seemed to be doing her work very fast, though without stress or effort. A damn good healer, thus. Though he should have expected as much, with that aura of hers. She had turned out well, fortunately. Not as he had feared. Still, he would certainly not make an effort to give her hints to remember. He wanted to keep out of that old business, like he had told the wolf. Even if some of it was not so old at all...
Suddenly, a thought hit him, and almost made him lose control of his face again. He stood, frozen with his eyes on Mel's face for a bit, before turning to the tigress. And he made sure to avoid looking at Aisha as he did.
"So... I suppose that we owe you our gratitude then, miss Rynkura. Me, in particular," he said, as smoothly and levelly as he could. "As I said, I will have to inquire as to your business. But now that we seem to have things under control, there is no reason to be informal." He did have a pretty good idea as to her business anyhow. "Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Sebastian Caerule."
He made a properly low bow, closing his eyes in a gesture of humility. As long as he didn't give her any names or hints, with fortune it would all pass by. Or she would come to realization slowly and comfortably, which was preferrable to the other alternative.
Watching Rynkura walk over Mel and begin the healing process, Gareeku feel a sense of relief wash over him as he saw the wounds healing up. However, the wolf was surprised to find snowflakes beginning to fall from above, sprinkling onto his fur and easily visible as they landed on his black nose. He could feel the air getting colder rapidly as the surrounding quickly began the process of becoming a winter wonderland.
"That's...interesting..." the wolf muttered to himself. Luckily for him his lupine fur would seem him through most of any coldness that would make itself present during this time, but the sudden change in temperature was still a great surprise regardless.
Turning back to watch Rynkura heal Mel, Gareeku was surprised at how quick the healing process was taking. If the speed of the healing was anything to go by, then what Aisha had told him of the mistress was indeed true. She seemed a most interesting woman, and the wolf was curious about the tigress and her magical talents.
Ketefe felt something wet and cold land on her nose. Confused, she looked down and found her nose gathering snowflakes.
Waitaminute. Snowflakes? We are still indoors, right?
She dusted a little snow off her shoulders, then glanced at Mel. She did a double take at Mel's rapidly closing wounds, then looked in shocked admiration at the tigress healer. She had helped Mel's wounds, and had... made her cold? Understandable, if she was feverish, because it was hard to imagine how hot an ice dragon needs to be in order to have a fever. But how could that affect everything? This was impressive magic indeed. Maybe Ketefe should ask Dyixaz about learning magic when she got back.
"How long does it take to become that powerful, if you don't mind my asking, ma'am?" Ketefe asked, walking a few steps into the room and staring at the healing Mel in awe.
Rynkura hadn't heard the commentary as the healing progressed, or felt as the room's temperature plummeted and snowflakes fell upon the furniture and the people within, making a soft and white powdery film over everything. She hadn't noticed any of that until finally the internal wounds were finally closed and the blood no longer flowed needlessly. She opened her eyes as they returned to their normal shade of green, and then curiously glanced upward as snowflakes were lost on the white parts of her fur.
"The dragon is doing this herself," she informed with a soft chuckle as she started to close the gash on the outside. "She is trying to compensate for her temperature rise. But with the spell it should start plummeting. Right about now." At that point the surface of Mel's body started to feel cold again, cold enough to have probably numbed one's fingers...which hopefully would be the perfect comfort level for the ice dragon to calm.
* * *
Aisha, who was standing off to the side and yet close enough to watch her mentor work, shivered a little bit as soon as the snow started falling. At one point she walked around to grab her blood-drenched cape where it had been put aside, and grabbed Ketefe's mask while she was at it, tossing it back to the previous newcomer. As the panther pulled the cape around herself, and smelled the blood encompassing it, she had to smile slightly, for her pride was easily felt for helping to keep the dragon alive long enough for Rynkura to appear. And yet...
I guess I'm not needed in here anymore... she thought to herself with a slight dip of her head and walked silently towards the door without a word said, not intending to be a part of the crowd that had formed around Rynkura to watch the healing. She crossed out of the doorway and leaned back on the wall next to it, an ear craned to the door so that she could still hear everything. Her eyes were kept ahead however, an idle and neutral gaze watching the snowy landscape made out of the castle's interior.
* * *
Back inside, the soothing glow around Rynkura's hand trailed over the gash straight across Mel's body and closed it. Soon even the scar that it left behind had started to vanish completely into more or less pristine dragon skin, and scales which would grow back in time. With a deep breath, she let the light magic spell linger over her and then dissipate completely.
She grabbed her staff from the foot of the bed and, as a second thought, snapped the healing light bracer from around the dragon's wrist and stood up, nodding in satisfaction. "Depending on how good she is at recovering she will most likely be resting for a while yet." The tigress turned to the bat with a light smile, her gaze passing around the others to address them as well while speaking. "But rest assured she will survive."
Rynkura's eyes then curiously fell back upon their host, who had started speaking, and stood straight to listen. Caerule... her eyebrows raised slightly as he finally spoke his name. So he was indeed a part of the castle, which meant that her investigation was either made easier or harder...but nonetheless she agreed that thinking about it too much could wait. She smiled and made a bow back to him. "A pleasure, Sebastian. I am Rynkura Msh'taan...and you are most welcome for my help, for I was glad that I could give it." She stood up again, briefly holding the bracer in her right hand. "Of course, everyone who had put in effort to keep her alive may also deserve some thanks," she added, only just noticing Aisha's absence from the room. A light smile crossed the tiger's features...she was always nearby still, if she knew the girl.
Before anything more could be said, she quirked an ear at Ketefe's inquiry and laughed quietly, glancing at her. "An affinity for magic depends on the individual, child. I have known a few Beings who were better with it than some Creatures. It is not a skill easily practiced or gained. As for how long it takes..." she hummed, "It may also depend on your dedication. I have spent a lifetime in practice. Something habitual if you are a type such as I," she grinned, before turning back.
"Speaking of magic. Would it be much trouble to inquire from someone as to just what kind of Mythos was responsible for this?" She quirked an eyebrow, curious. There were many strange things about the castle that she probably needed to be caught up on...this, the healer figured, was a good spot to start.
Watching the healing process come to an end, Gareeku listened as the others conversed, choosing rather to listen than to speak. Heh. Thought as much... the wolf thought to himself with a slight smirk as it was revealed that it had been Mel who had changed the environment to a more wintery one.
"Thank you for your help, Ms. Msh'taan. It is very much appreciated." Gareeku said after she had introduced herself, bowing slightly in a polite manner.
It was then, however, that the wolf noticed that Aisha had left the room. With a mix of curiosity and concern filling his mind, Gareeku turned and began to leave the room as the others continued to converse. Arriving outside of the room, the wolf found Aisha to be standing to the side of the entrance. Noticing the somewhat distant look on her face, Gareeku stepped forward.
"Is everything ok...?" the wolf asked as he gently put his hand on her shoulder, the concern he felt evident on his face as he spoke.
As she continued to hear the conversation going on in the other room, the temperature out in the hall still stood stable and cold for the time being...yet she barely minded it, only keeping her gaze forward into the ice-ridden surroundings. Whether it was an illusion or not, it certainly felt and looked real enough.
Aisha was even distracted enough to not even look up when she heard someone approach. But upon hearing Gareeku's voice and feeling his hand on her shoulder, she glanced back up at his concerned face. The panthress gave him a soft smile in return and laid a hand on his arm. "I'm fine, amigo...I just didn't feel like being in the way. Now that Mistress Rynkura finished the healing, I would have only been as much use as taking up space," she said with a bit of harshness evident in her voice.
She chuckled softly however, having just heard Rynkura mention subtly from the room that even her student deserved thanks for the help. "I must sound like such a child. But if your mentor and guardian is a powerful healer, and you yourself are bent on killing and destruction, and vengeance...in their presence and after a tense situation such as that, you tend to feel intimidated in the eyes of others. Just a danger and a bother. It has always been that way."
This would have been a side to Aisha that only few would have seen...remorse for her chosen path, despite how fervent and dedicated she was to it. She shook her head, dismissing the thought. "Don't get me wrong. I am very happy, and especially relieved, to see Rynkura again after quite a long time away from the monastery...and also too relieved for Mel's life," she smiled, evident of a sincere and serious tone. "But I prefer for now, if perhaps it is preferred, to keep out of her way. Whatever she is here for."
Listening to Aisha explain the relationship between her and Rynkura, Gareeku frowned. Judging from the blood stains on Aisha's cloak, it seemed that the pantheress had done a lot to help.
"Well judging from the blood stains on your cloak, I'd have to disagree. If it hadn't been for you then I think that Mel would not have been so lucky." the wolf replied, his tone of voice a reassuring one.
Listening to Aisha explain how she felt that it would be best to keep out of Rynkura's way, the frown of concern reappeared on Gareeku's face.
"Then I'll keep you company." the wolf replied firmly, a reassuring smile on his face as he leant against the wall next to her.
Stygian wanted to sit down, but unfortunately that was not a question in the situation. Now, while the spell might make it a bit less comfortable to go chasing around the castle, there was still the question of fixing the situation.
"Some sort of mind-invading mythos. A many-limbed thing the likes of which I've never seen for one. Not really that interesting either. Just disturbing," he said to Rynkura, looking down at Mel for a bit. It was how he felt too; that sort of thing should be hunted down and made extinct, according to his sentiments. "It doesn't really change anything. However, while we're on the topic of parasites, I think that we had better resolve a previous situation. If you will excuse me... Keaton, will you come? I think you might be of help."
Swiftly, he stepped away and slid out of the room in his usual manner, silent even as he passed Gareeku and Aisha. He had paid some attention to their conversation, but felt that it would be better to leave them to it until he could catch the panthress on her own. That is to say, if he wanted to. For now, he made his way back toward the ballroom, so they could start their search from there.
The moment Keaton entered the room, she trudged her way to an unoccupied chair, deliberately avoiding the gazes of those around her. Of course, they were already paying attention to Mel, something she was ashamed she felt thankful for. No matter how much she tried to remain detached and distant from the current situation, the sight of Mel's body kept her firmly tethered to reality, a place she had no desire to be in. Not with the people she felt she had wronged. Why was it such a big concern to her? She had done worse. Aisha said it wasn't her fault. Yet she found herself plagued by wretched, terrible guilt.
When the area's temperature drastically decreased and ice started to materialize around the castle Keaton barely noticed, even as a few snowflakes drifted down into her already disheveled hair, caking it with a soft layer of fuzzy alabaster. Ears flicking upright, Keaton stared up at the ceiling, then the place around them. Misty illusions of wintery wonderlands were flickering into existence, from icy waterfalls spilling in cascading waves of frost, to serrated edges of ice manifesting around contours and outlines of furniture...
Must be Mel's work, Keaton thought, as she glanced to the dragon. Rubbing away the unpleasantly cold sensation creeping along her limbs, she continued to stare around as more and more of the apparitions appeared, radiating bright, hiemal waves. Despite any instincts, Keaton remained where she was, resigning herself to vaguely wishing that one of the icicles that had formed over her would fall and impale her through the head.
That was when another newcomer arrived, this one an elegant, willowy tiger wielding a staff. She emitted a calming, commanding energy about her, one which Keaton idly attributed to her own mother--that was, when she wasn't enraged or fighting. Blinking in surprise, Keaton was just about to open her mouth when Aisha exclaimed what she assumed was the tigeress's name.
So Aisha knew her? Surprises, surprises. And she seemed to be there to help, not exacerbate the situation. Without any invitation the tigeress marched to Mel's side and set about healing her. Keaton's head-wings twitched and her body stiffened as she observed Rynkura's work, at first reticent about allowing her near Mel--but then again, if this tigeress could heal, she was possibly the only person who could truly help her.
Stygian spoke. Keaton's ears pivoted in his direction.
"Me?" Keaton asked, shock evident in her face. "I... uh... sure," she climbed out of her seat and walked over to where Stygian had beckoned her, slightly suspicious, but nevertheless willing to undo the damage that she believed she had inflicted. "What is it you need me for?"
Stygian didn't answer immediately, however, instead exiting fluidly from the room. Ears tilting curiously, Keaton moved to follow.
Before she left, she craned her head over her shoulder, sadly sparing Mel one last glance.
Then she slipped through the door and gently closed it behind her with a resounding click.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
The bat looked straight forward as they traversed the frigid hallways, the only sound of his walk the occasional crackling of ice where he set his foot down and could not even his step. It might have been a comfort. Otherwise he moved so silently that one might have taken him for a ghost. He did answer Keaton when he thought they were out of clear hearing range for Aisha and Gareeku though.
"I'm claircogniscant, not telepathic. That frog is uncalculable, and I don't know what he might do. And contrary to what I've gotten some to believe, I can't sense everything," he said dimly. He turned his face slightly toward keaton, granting her a slightly glowing look. "You however, should be able to hear him and his voices quite clearly." They turned around a corner. Up ahead were the doors to the ballroom, visible though they were covered in frost and almost hidden behind snowy drifts and a cover of glistening stalactites.
"There is another thing as well. I can't hide well in this sort of landscape at all. Or move." That was easy to see. His all-black clothes stood out against the pearly white and pallid blue like an inkblot on a paper. And with light playing around in the snow there was little shadow for him to hide in, even though it had turned dark outside. Seeing the pallid fur that covered his shaped chest under that billowing shirt, he could probably have blended into the snow if he took off his clothes, however making that suggestion...
"You remember how that cat in the mask looked?" he said, still looking at Keaton. "I want you to look like that. We're going to lure him out."
Keaton followed Stygian, identically matching her pace with the taller bat's despite the difference in the lengths of their legs. In their wake and before them, furniture became encrusted with shimmering layers of ice, snow and chunks of hail showered from the ceiling, and ever more wintery, diaphanous afterimages manifested. Whereas Stygian's footsteps were silent, nothing more than whispers perfectly blended in with the whistling of the arctic winds; Keaton heard snow and ice crunch beneath her feet. Halfway through her trek she had to shapeshift herself into a pair of boots to protect the soles of her feet. She didn't want to end up scratching herself.
Stygian finally spoke when they were a good distance away from where the others were. Keaton's ears swiveled upright, tilting attentively. What he had to say was rather startling, to say the least. He needed her help? That was stunning, especially since, in her downtrodden and crestfallen state, all Keaton could remember was being a detriment to the group in one way or another. First there was being perfectly unarmed against the archangel, then there was being possessed by the spider, and now there was this.
"I remember what she looks like," Keaton said, dusting off her hands and brushing her hair free of flakey powder. "So I get to play Princess Peach? Sounds fun..." Nodding her head, she took a step back, stretching her wings to their fullest. Fully envisioning the masked feline's visage in her mind, Keaton prepared to transmogrify her body into the perfect likeness of their bait.
She started to concentrate, allowing every facet of her body to warp and modify. Black, curling markings straightened and retracted into crisscrossing orchid stripes, rearranging until they had formed a nearly monotonous, yet sharp pattern. Yellow fur started to ooze over with azure, and every strand of her hair was dyed a cobalt blue. Ears became shorter and more felid, tail slimmed, membranous wings shrunk into her shoulder-blades along with her head-wings, scarred tissue formed over her face, and her clothing started to change into an exact replica of Ketefe's, sans the mask, which had been used to bind Mel's injuries from before.
Within seconds, Keaton had become a perfect doppelganger of Ketefe. That was, save for the white Jyraneth Clan marking barely visible on her hip. She just needed something to cover that. Craning her body around, Keaton examined every corner of her body. "Ah, there we go... I think that works," she said. Even her voice was twisted to mirror Ketefe's. Voice imitation was a skill she had perfected hundreds of years ago. Finally her saffron eyes landed on the Jyraneth Clan marking.
"Except for that pesky clan marking. Do you have something to cover it?"
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Bambi, The not-Jeremiah thought to himself, creeping along invisibly, Is bloody scary when you piss her off. The fae cat's pursuit had caused him to panic, and by the time he had caught up with Ketefe she'd already reached the others. From there he listened to those around Mel, finding out what was happening. Poor Mel. And she tries so hard to look after everyone else. The rest of the group knowing what was up was a minor issue; he had his tricks. When Stygian and Keaton went off to locate him he could have crowed with delight as he followed; two of them, seporate from the rest, and fairly powerful. Earlier, Ketefe had been the only one present who hadn't previously shown some manner of immunity to control by the spiders. Keaton was doubly useful; not only was she stronger, but her mental abilities would allow him to locate Mother for further aide and instructions. He thought hard about how to go about this, noting that Stygian knew about his curse. Admittedly, there are points where it wasn't truly lying low, but I only recall informing Cog about this. Most curious...
His shape was still fairly close to normal; Spooky wasn't finished setting up just yet. He cast a quick illusion over himself and stepped out of hiding, already adjusting his voice to what he hoped sounded right...
The canine known as Tough Guy, who had been lost earlier, stepped out from behind a snow drift in the hallway to the ballroom. His suit was torn, although compared to the wounds they had been torn up to bind he looked pristine.
"H-hey..." He staggered forward, arms reaching out toward Stygian and the disguised Keaton, "Where... Where were-?"
The view out of the ballroom was dark and obscured, the frost that clung to the tall windows distorting and shading the moonlit landscape to the two figures who entered. Drifts of snow lay over the place, and a gentle wind created by the magic that gripped the place sending some glittering sprays up around them.
Then, there was a rustling, and the creaking of snow under soles. Stygian calmly turned his gaze toward the source of the sound, his ears leaning forward just a bit. He didn't say so much as a word. For a couple of seconds, he didn't move. Then, his eyes narrowed.
"Tch. And this was even getting fun, somehow. 'Peachy' indeed..." he said, not really getting the manner of speech, but using it anyway. He looked to Keaton. "Well, I guess it's a dissappointment. Do you want the honors, miss? We won't lose sight of him again now, that's for sure." The illusion wasn't bad, but the bat could tell the magic from far away. Not to mention the idea of the wolf showing up again so suddenly was a bit silly.
Bambi had somehow miss that crazy frog, as he back tracked back to the Ballroom. After a carefull search of side hallways and corridors, she finally makes it to the Mel's sick bedroom.
Seeing Snow, "oooo, Frosty"
Even if she is over-enjoyed to see the Dragon on the mend. The Fae feline stands with flaming hands and full wings and not much lease in front of Keaton and Gareeku, "Crazy frog be bad, hunting Ketefe and maybe us, Maybe Spiders". She turns and runs back to the ballroom.
PBH
Alerted by the sound of snow being crushed beneath shoes, Keaton-Ketefe casually craned her head over her shoulder in the direction of the disheveled wolf approaching her and Stygian, ears quirked individually and eyes half-lidded. Snow swirled past, carried by a gentle breeze which passed through the hall. She, too, remained utterly silent as she stared at the canine, golden eyes combing over his body and absorbing every detail about him.
At first glance it appeared to be the smartly-garbed canine who had once accompanied them. From what she remembered, Bambi seemed to have quite a thing for him. According to Stygian the canine before them had to be an imposter. Shame, she had wondered what had happened to the original. Keaton glanced back to Stygian.
"You can handle this one," Keaton said, still using Ketefe's voice. "I'm not in the mood."
~Keaton the Black Jackal
With a peaceable nod, Rynkura stepped aside to allow Sebastian past her, also sparing a farewell to the one he had called to follow him. The tigress stood within the room alone for a few moments, thoughtfully digging the point of her staff into the light layer of snow on the floor. She glanced back to the still-sleeping dragon with a look of thought as to what she had just heard.
A parasitic Mythos. No wonder there also seemed to be a small amount of damage to her mind. Good thing she is a strong one, the tigress hummed to herself. Such a creature was disturbing just to think of as a possibility, no matter how rarely they could even be found. And if that was one monster the party in the house had encountered, what else was there? I would have even thought Aisha's curiosity bypasses this place...but then, she is here. I may have to ask her what has happened thus far. As Rynkura kicked the snow drifts away from her feet and started towards the door, her ear craned to hear the conversation just beyond, and her head shook slightly with a light smile on her face. Soon enough.
* * *
While listening to Gareeku's reassurances in reply to her childish moodiness, or at least she thought it had sounded as such, Aisha couldn't help but smile...or help as her face became warm. She looked down at her cloak, stained and darkened with blotches of Mel's azure blood, then looked back to him again. "Thank you for that," she softly admonished. At least she knew her efforts were noted. It was then that she spotted Sebastian and Keaton walking past through the door, paying them little heed and looking as if they had a bigger priority. She let them go with a nod and without question, tugging her cloak tighter about herself in the slowly ebbing cold.
But at Gareeku's firm insistence on keeping her company, she chuckled and shook her head, moving her hand from his arm up to his shoulder. Aisha looked as if she was about to speak against him...but instead, as if on a second thought, it was a look of appreciation for the wolf's presence. "You're a true friend, Gareeku," she smiled. "But I wouldn't want to trouble you either if..."
She interrupted herself then as Rynkura stepped out of the doorway and into the hall, glancing over the path ahead before turning down to lock her serious and yet warm gaze with Aisha's. The tigress didn't allow a tense pause...she reached out to give the panthress her bracer back. "You did well, my child. Your friend perhaps will need company as she awakens. Should you or anyone wish to seek me out, I shall be about the castle, more likely in the library." She smiled, then spared a nod to Gareeku. "And it was nice meeting you as well, sir Manoko," she said, having remembered to finish her formalities. Then the tigress turned and stepped through the winter-painted hallway.
Aisha watched her for a moment, holding the bracer briefly in her hand, before placing it back into her belt and turning to the door. "You heard her," she chuckled softly to Gareeku and stepped back into the room, curiously turning her gaze to the dragon in the bed.
Ketefe caught the mask, uttering "Thanks" to Aisha as the panthress left the room. She appeared not to notice. The cat turned her attention to Rynkura, surprised to learn that Mel was causing the snowstorm. Was she doing that unconsciously? Cool, Ketefe thought and purred to herself. This was even more fun than she'd thought.
She listened patiently and attentively to Rynkura's explanation of magic, then contemplated what the tigress had said. Years and years of work, just for extra power? Ketefe decided to put learning magic aside for later. It sounded very interesting and rewarding, but there was no telling whether she'd even have a natural knack for it. Then when Stygian (Sebastian, she reminded herself)mentioned Jeremiah, she suddenly remembered the original reason why she had gone into this room. She started to follow Sebastian and Keaton after a few minutes, but when she paused in the doorframe to see how far ahead they were, she could barely hear them talking about something. She strained, trying to tune out her other senses in favor for hearing, as Jarevei had taught her.
"cat in the mask...look like her...lure him out..."
Of course. Keaton could shapeshift; Sebastian was going to use her as bait. Well, more accurately, use me as bait, Ketefe mused. She decided to stay put, so as not to wreck the charade. She sat on the edge of the bed, wringing her mask in her hands. She noticed it was still a little grimy with the dragon's blood, so she tied it around her wrist rather than wrapping it around her head again. Then Aisha and Gareeku entered, and she gave them a pleasant smile.
"Is this what caused the cold last night?" she asked quietly, scooping up a handful of snow. "Why'd she do it then?"
The first sign of a change in Mel's consciousness was a fading out of the furthest away illusions and the cold winds calming. Mel began to hear voices and tried to listen and make sense of them. As she became aware of the real world even more of the false one disappeared.
Slowly Mel realized she felt horrible. Just as slowly she remembered that horrible was much better than before. The illusions faded away entirely, leaving just the real snow behind in the sickroom as she regained the memory of the attack and being torn up. She forced her eyes open and managed to rasp, "What happened?"
Listening to Aisha speak, Gareeku smiled softly. Keeping his hand on her shoulder and leaving it to gently rest there, the wolf then looked up as he noticed Sebastian and Keaton walk past, heading off to attend to some business, it seemed. Pondering this, the wolf then turned back to the pantheress as he felt her hand on his shoulder. Listening to what she said, Gareeku chuckled, and was just about to reply when he turned to see that Rynkura had emerged from the room.
Observing the encounter between the two felines, Gareeku bowed politely when Rynkura addressed him.
"It was a pleasure, Ms. Msh'taan." the wolf replied as he bowed, watching her leave before turning back to Aisha. However, just when he was about to speak, the pantheress gave the other to go back into the room.
"Yes Ma'am." Gareeku replied with a chuckle, before walking back into the room with Aisha.
As they walked back through the doorway, it was then that Ketefe asked them of last night's cold.
"We had a little problem with spiders, and we found that the only way to get rid of them was by freezing them." the wolf replied, assuming that the feline probably would have wanted a straight answer. Walking up to where Mel was laying, Gareeku watched her for a few seconds before glancing at Aisha from the corner of his eye. He was worried about her; she seemed so down. Wishing that there was something he could do to help, the wolf then realised how he had been acting. He wasn't normally this...well...soft, was he? Aisha was a great friend, probably his best friend, but to be acting so gentle...that was like him...was it?
Before he could ponder this any more, however, Gareeku noticed that Mel was stirring. See her wearily open her and ask what had happened, the wolf chuckled softly.
"Well lucky for you we had a healer on hand to help." he replied with a smile, before looking at Aisha, smiling softly. "But I think there is a certain pantheress who did more than enough to make sure you were ok."
It was all getting irritating very fast. And when Keaton passed, Stygian just shrugged, and then turned against the approaching man, doubtlessly Jeremiah in disguise.
"This might hurt. I just want you to know... I don't care the slightest," he said, and took a step.
The sudden motion was too quick to see clearly, and with the darkness to conceal him and the moonlight to play tricks, Stygian seemed to dissappear entirely. Then came the gleam of claws, making a streak that seemed to last in the air for just a moment, before the man felt the skin on his upper back, right between his shoulder blades, being slashed up neatly, and the spider residing there cut to pieces. That wasn't the end of it though. The others on him had to be taken care of. It was why he had gone close in the first place.
Pausing, standing still for just a brief second, Stygian breathed. Then he spun a bit, his elbow cracking right up into the back of Jeremiah's head. And then he moved in a blur again, around in front of the man, gripping him and swinging him up through the air like a toy, and over into a huge snowdrift piled up over a sofa, placing him deep in it on his back.
Once more, Stygian stopped. That would keep the spiders from taking the man again immediately. He took three brisk steps over against the frog, reaching down.
Spiders skittered, and there was another pair of slashing motions, wetness spilling on the snow. Then the bat stepped back, wiping his hands in the whiteness and then flicking his fingers to clean his claws. He still watched Jeremiah, suspiciously. When the man didn't get up after a few seconds though, he turned away, and paced back in the opposite direction again.
"Let's go, Keats," he said, almost nonchalantly. "I think we should deal with this snow."
Leaving so immediately might have been confusing, but Stygian had reasons. The first was that he didn't want to spare the frog more attention than that. The second was that if there were more spiders, they could use Jeremiah as another bait. And the third was that he had much, much more important things on his mind.
As quickly as he had made his way to the ballroom, the bat was back by Aisha and Gareeku. He didn't catch Rynkura walking away. However, he did step in just in time with the illusions fading, and the only snow left being the one in the room where they had put Mel. Without knocking, he cracked the door open just slightly, and peered in. When he saw her stirring, he opened it slightly more, and slipped in, almost closing it behind him.
"There was a fight. You got bitten. You bled pretty badly," he said, more clearly than he felt, and walked over next to the bed, giving the dragoness a very slight smile, in spite of the other things on his mind. "Things turned out fortunately though. An old a... tigress showed up." He almost bit his tongue at that one. He had to calm down. "An acquaintance of Aisha, it would seem."
Mel looked confusedly from face to face. A healer? A tiger? She paused on the new feline who had showed up just as the fight with the mythos began. But she wasn't a tiger, or old. She felt too exhausted to think, she'd figure it out later. "The mythos. Is Keaton okay?" She counted faces, "Cog, Jeremiah, Bam too?"
As Mel started to stir among the bedsheets, Aisha breathed a sigh of relief, having felt a little better than she had been before. The tense feeling that had come when trying to keep the dragon's thin life holding on had vanished as a result. In a way, the panthress did feel somewhat proud about the fact her own mentor had stepped in to help.
Listening to Gareeku answer Mel's inquiry, her ears pricked with a bit of surprise as he mentioned her efforts to help. She chuckled shyly and shook her head, laying the bloodstained cloak to the side. "It was all I could do to keep you alive," she answered honestly. "All that anyone could have done." She glanced back to the wolf with a smile of thanks for his compliment. She briefly wondered if the reason she felt better was due in part to his reassuring words...
Then she turned to notice Sebastian walking back into the room, adding to supplying the information to Mel. That's about as clear as anyone could get, the panthress thought with a slight roll of her eyes as she watched him move to the edge of the bed. She quirked an eyebrow at the way he mentioned Rynkura though, as if it sounded somewhat off.
Dismissing the feeling, she shrugged with a slight chuckle directed at the bat. "More than an acquaintance. Rynkura is my teacher and my guardian. I owe her my very life, when it would have been lost." Her look darkened briefly, then she smiled again with a glance back to Mel. "She fortunately arrived to help. You'll meet her soon I think. The important thing is that you feel back to yourself again. And I think the others are okay...they were when we left the ballroom."
Of course Mel was exhausted, and confused. But worrying so much and so quickly...
"There's no need to worry," Stygian said, leaning down and gently putting his hand on her brow. "It's all covered. What you need to do now is sleep. I'd appreciate it if you took away the snow before it damages things, but that can wait too." He tilted his head just a little. "If you're cold as ice, I guess things are fine with you. So then you just have to rest up. I'll see to it that you get something to eat later."
Still smiling gently, he stood straight again, and turned, though he made sure to keep that smile on as he looked over to Aisha and Gareeku.
"Well then. I guess the situation's over," he said. And he stopped, before he said anything further. He had caught a whiff of some familiar smell, and looked between the two of them for a second, before his eyes steadied on Aisha.
"I was thinking of heading off. I will be taking supper, if someone wants to join in later. But that's not until in a couple of hours. What happened to our other guest? Didn't get a chance to speak properly with her." It would be better to start there.
In the Ballroom
Bambi was not as fast as Stygian can be with his shadows, but she was getting the hang of flying... She just thought of fast and suddenly her feet off the floor and she zipped down the hallways and stairs. She reached the Ballroom again to see that the frog was again out cold on a sofa this time. The snow was starting melting around the room.
Bam checks him over again this time with magic-detection sight, and found that he was without any spiders on his neck or arms... With the excitement over, she started feeling the cold through tore her dress, and she longed for a bath. She shivers in the cold as she powers down and then she turns to see that Keaton/Ketefe.
"Hello, You OKAY?" Bambi asks the Keaton, but she was gone. She hears some noise of Jeremiah's transformation.
PBH
Meanwhile, on the couch, the not-Jeremiah felt itself panic. With the spiders removed, some of the additional parts used in its construction would fade soon and it would return to normal. It only had so long to complete things...
No longwinded cackling this time; he lit up with white flames like a bar of magnesium. He stood up, shrugging out of his tweed coat as a grey substance poured down his face and shoulders and hardened into a mask. His teeth grew jagged and sharpened, two of them becoming huge, venomous pincers. His skin changed from green to splashed patterns of black and orange. His eyes became like those of a drowned man, black and jellylike, and more eyes opened up in a seemingly random pattern on his already severely altered face.
A cubi's shapeshifting is a fairly elegant process of wings twisting and flowing together over the body. This was a disturbingly organic procedure, gristly crackles and pops accompanying the bulge growing on the back of his neck, and the eight chitainous legs that grew from that bulge and reached to the floor. His arms and legs were longer, yes, but supported by these spiders legs they still dangled over the cold stone of the castle. The beast opened its mouth and cackled like gunfire, following after Stygian along the wall. As Mother ordered...
Mel's gaze drifted to the room as Sebastian mentioned snow. Why was the room full of snow? She ran a hand through the snow on the bed. Even at home where it was consistently cold they didn't keep snow indoors. She'd be wet very shortly if it wasn't removed. A wind came up within the room. It twirled around the space pushing snow ahead of it like a dog herding sheep. Soon it ended up against the long window facing the balcony. One hard push and the door swung open, snow flying out like a mini blizzard. With all the snow gone and assured that she would stay dry, Mel took Sebastian's other piece of advice and let herself drift into sleep.
In the Ballroom
Bambi watches and then following Keaton's stare at her back and turns again at the sleeping ah Frog?
"Bad Bad Froggy... No cookie!!!" Shouts Bambi as fires off magical attrack at the escaping Spider-morphied frog. Bambi is not about to let him leave this time. Flying to the spider, and attack it to knock it out.
"NO Cookie No cookie!" she yells with each fist-size fireball at the big spider. The explosions of her attack echoes through the castle. and knocks the spider to the ballroom floor.
PBH
All Keaton could do was watch in increasing shock as Stygian unleashed his fury on the disguised canine.
In a flurry of fists and arms the canine was flung back and forth, knocked about like a pingpong ball until he was lying face-flat in the snow, bruised and battered. Things moved far too fast for Keaton to keep up with, almost with a brutal grace, but the results were a testament to what had happened enough.
"Oh Jesus," was all Keaton could say as she stared at the crumpled remains of the canine. Noticing that Stygian was leaving, she whirled around to face him and quickly dashed after him. "Hey, wait for me!"
--
Keaton followed Stygian, quickly dissolving her meticulous shapeshifting so that way she would return to normal. As her normal characteristics leaked back in, she skidded to a halt outside the door to Mel's room, allowing the remnants of the shapeshifting to fade. Once she was completely back to normal she started to open the door.
"Is Keaton okay?" Keaton heard Mel say, much to her infinite shock.
She came in simultaneous to the moment Stygian was reassuring Mel and explaining the situation to her. "Hey Mel," Keaton said with an uncharacteristic amount of shyness, ears laid flat and head-wings lowered in an almost submissive gesture. Even if Mel felt no ill will, she still felt personally responsible. "Are you doing alright?"
She realized that Mel had fallen asleep. Biting her lower lip, Keaton slipped completely into the room.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Ketefe raised an eyebrow at the farfetched explanation Gareeku gave for the already confusing situation. "It'd probably take me a couple days to make sense of anything that goes on here," she muttered.
That was when Mel began to stir at last, and relief washed over the cat. She sighed a little in satisfaction, then perked her ears at Stygian's tongue-slip. What was he gonna say? 'Acquaintance?' Does he know Rynkura? That would explain why he gave his other name, but Ketefe didn't know why he used two names in the first place, so it may have just been a preference. She needed to figure out who she could ask about all this and get a reliable answer.
As the others chatted with Mel, Ketefe stood up and examined her mask - which was still tied around her wrist. Then she looked at the snow in her other hand. Back to the mask. The snow. The mask. Well, she did need to get the blood off of it, however little there was.
She walked over to one of the chairs, which was now snow-free thanks to Mel, and perched on it with her feet tucked under her. Then she untied the mask and experimentally rubbed melted snow on it, trying to wash off the blood. When Stygian asked where "the other newcomer" was, Ketefe looked up, unsure whether he was speaking of Rynkura or herself. Something occurred to her. Rynkura had been traveling a little ways, right? So she might have seen...
"Did you mean me, or Rynkura?" Ketefe spoke, standing. "Because I need to ask Rynkura something, too." For that matter, she might as well ask the others at some point. If they had seen anyone who looked like her, they'd remember. We're kinda hard to miss, Ketefe thought with a smirk.
Then Keaton walked in, and Ketefe's train of thought was momentarily interrupted. Dropping the remaining snow and balling up the mask in her hands, she walked over to Keaton.
"Did you see Jeremiah? What's wrong with him?"
Hearing Ketefe speak her opinion of the situation in the castle as well, the panther couldn't help but chuckle...that is after all what everyone had thought after coming. "You will get a story on the spiders later," she assured the felid. "It was much more of a situation than it seems." She waved to Keaton as the jackal entered the room behind Sebastian. At least she hoped that the others were as safe after their ordeal.
With another hum of relief, Aisha watched as Mel heeded Sebastian's words and fell asleep with relative ease, after ridding the room of the snow that had gathered on the furniture. She could not imagine the pain the dragon had been in just earlier, but she could certainly imagine her elation at being alive and healed, and therefore able to sleep without the hindrance of extreme pain.
When the bat faced herself and Gareeku, she tilted her head with a bit of curiosity. She too had caught something amiss with his presence with Rynkura...however she figured it was little of her own business. Her mentor could very well take care of herself. After craning an ear back to hear Ketefe replying, she sighed, wondering if the tiger would really enjoy taking much company at once. Still, with a bit of reluctance, she nodded back to him. "If you mean Señora Msh'taan, she said that she might be headed towards the library."
With a sigh, she stood again and hummed, glancing around the others and back at Mel. "We should let her get some sleep," she informed. Now that the situation was over, getting something to eat later did sound like a good idea.
* * *
Rynkura made her way through the halls and corridors of the castle, easily finding the stairs that she had used to get to the room. While traversing, she watched with still fascination as the illusory snowscape returned to its true guise as the interior of an abandoned and foreboding palace, though still a palace it certainly was.
Much like Aisha, it hadn't taken the tigress long after the little exploring she had done to map out where she had been and where she still had to go. With the cold dispelling, it was little trouble to find the library on the first floor. She bypassed various familiar scents, that of blood and very faint scenes of death, events that she could only imagine have passed in the time before arriving.
Her staff clacking gently on the floor and echoing across the vast hall, the healer's gaze swept from far and wide and from low to high every detail encompassing the library's corners. Dusty tomes lined the shelves, many if not all of them having not been opened for too many years to count. Hm. A good place to be, she thought and stepped further into the room.
The only warning the not-Jeremiah had was Bambi's cry of 'No cookie!' It snickered to itself as it twisted out of the way, picking itself up after the blast knocked it to the floor. "God bless fae airheadedness, eh love?" a confused expression briefly crossed his face as something occured to him, "That even a word?" He crossed his legs and propped up his head on one hand as his spider legs inched him back up along the wall. Gotta get into position, but not spook her, "Airheadishness? Airheadossity? Damn, what's the term for that anyway..." With a shrug, it launched itself from the higher ground it had gained toward the cat, aiming to strike her feet first. Get her out of the air, and out of his hair, and then a few poisoned bites and blows will finish it from there.
"Either way, thank god the lab coat was probably for show."
Señora Msh'Taan. The girl had quite some respect for the tigress, thus. It was just a minor intonation, but that and her behavior told him what he needed to know. Stygian wondered for a second whether she was a harsh teacher or not. With what she must have seen, that wouldn't be out of the question. She had seemed rather gentle outward though.
"Thank you," he said, with a nod to the panthress. Eating would come later. "I'll see you in the library then. I think I should take a few minutes just to see to that she is welcomed properly."
He gave Mel a final glance, and then turned, walking out through the door and slipping away, for all intents and purposes vanishing.
"Looking for something specific?" Stygian's voice came from the end of the row of shelves that Rynkura had just passed, perhaps a dozen steps behind her. She hadn't heard him entering though.
The bat looked up at the books, and stroked the smooth wood of the shelf as he leaned on it, getting a reminiscing look in his eyes.
"The first time I was here was with my mother. The only time, really. The second visit, I didn't really stop to admire the books. I think it looked different then. Bigger, somehow." Slowly, he turned his gaze toward the tigress.
"I don't think I recall your face either. A relative, perhaps? The Caerules were solitary, but the family branches. Or maybe it is just business. I shouldn't assume you're here because of personal matters. But if you are here concerning business, I think I must dissappoint. I am of the family, but..."
He shrugged, and smiled. Just that.
The spider's eight legged attack down on her, causes Bambi to freezes with fear... And she wishes to be smaller.... Non-Jeremiah attack stabs Bambi's torn but empty Lab-coat and clothes into floor. Has the Fae disappeared?...The spider just see a small green ball of light floating up. Then a full blast of green hit the spider again from it. Bambi as 10 cm tall green pixie blasts the spider again and again, and her attacks seem more pinpointed but still the same force, as they started burning off the magical morphic addition to the frog.
"AIRHEAD AIRHEAD, BAD BAD MEAAN FROGGY! NO FLY Cookies for you." SHOUTED PBH
PBH
Wasting no time, the not-Jeremiah picked up the shredded lab coat off the floor and hurled it in the now minimized fae's direction, letting it catch her attacks rather than itself as it skittered around to blindside her. "Fly cookies? I'll admit I'm being hurtful, yeah, but that's blatant speciesism," it reached out with hands splashed with orange and black like the rest of his body, webbed fingers cutting off all escape as they curled around the fae cat.
IMMOBILITY!
CONFUSION!
PAIN!
The not-Jeremiah held tightly, letting the toxins its slick skin was now coated with do their work.
"Heheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheh..."
PBH burns a hole through her lab coat quickly, but flies through the hole and into the webbing in the hands... "Immobility, Confusion, and Pain" hits her but not as the spider would wanted. With the pain, Bambi starts losing concentration her size starts to increase, but her fae fire also burns brighter torches and burns the hand that holding her. She is still confused when she falls to the floor at her full size. She rolls up onto her hands and feet away from the spider, but looking in the wrong direct to see him.
PBH
Rynkura had not lost herself for too long in the silence and reverence to be kept in the grand room, idly taking her time in searching through the different book titles. She neither looked for a specific title nor lingered on any particular one. It was often how she managed to pass time, only passing her gaze across the dusty bindings until something seemed to catch her eye...and so far none had done so.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, having suddenly heard a voice as if out of nowhere. She lifted her staff out of caution and glanced to where she heard it, and put it down again on the floor with a soft clack when the tigress saw that it was only Sebastian. Again he came as something of a curiosity. Rare was it that anyone would sneak up on her. She chuckled lightly and shook her head, composing herself to listen to the bat's statements.
"Mm...this place as a whole seems that way," she calmly replied in agreement, feeling perhaps as intrigued with the castle as she had been when arriving. The tigress paced slowly across another row, eye contact flickering between him and the shelves. "To be quite honest I haven't much of an idea as to what I am looking for."
She turned back around to face the bat with an apologetic smile on her seemingly aged features. "I am in no relation of blood to the Caerules, as far as I am aware. But the lineage is known to me, as is this place...and as was some of their dealings." Her voice became solemn and her gaze averted to the intricate ceiling. "All too long ago for any business to probably be of significance now, perhaps. In a way a part of the reason I came was to see for myself if the stories told were true. Including that about its abandonment."
Rynkura's head lowered, and she caught his gaze again, silent for a moment as she contemplated his previous sentence. "I cannot help but note that you said 'were', considering the Caerules. They are gone but for you?" Her head tilted curiously, but her emerald gaze was piercing, little shown of an innocent inquiry as much as searching for the truth. "If I may be permitted to ask."
To Rynkura's inquiry, Stygian just chuckled, and looked down for a bit.
"They're gone, y es todo," he said, and then looked up again, facing the intensity of her green eyes head on. "I'm of the blood, but I think they would hardly have counted me as an honored son. Wasn't raised in a way they would have approved of." His smile was rather meaningful, right on the borderline of becoming a smirk. "But that business would have grown old, I have a hard time to believe. For a family who kept so many secrets, they sure had a habit of meddling in things."
She had to be there because of what had happened between them and the Don'Chels. There was no question. And that the panthress would turn up too... And he was right at the heart of it. Did she know about his imprisonment?
The bat's ears twitched just a bit as he heard noise from somewhere off in the castle, coming from the direction of the ballroom. And as it did, he just ignored it. Whatever happened there, he would let happen so that it would be easier to clean up later.
"One might actually call it fortituous that they came to an end. Along with so many others. Well, all their 'business' at least..."
The not-Jeremiah snarled. It didn't have time for this, or it would fade away before it accomplished anything. It hurled a gob of stringy slime with a sweep of its arm, pinning Bambi to the ground. It skittered off in the direction of the damaged dragon while the lump of slime solidified into a tangle not unlike spider silk. Either hostages, or hosts if mother can be found, or possibly just easier prey. Either way, that's where I'll find members of the group in worse shape than this fae with seemingly unending stamina... It chuckled to itself, casting an illusion to blend in with the ceiling it snuck along. Oh, the fun to be had!
"ME BE STICKY"..... A confused Bambi wonder why Why Is she stuck to the floor? Her fae fire burns away the webbing mess from around her...quickly but she is still too confused to see what to do next.
"Spidy Froggy attack me why?" the confusion spell makes it hard for Bambi to think. Why Jeremiah is was attacking me... Is it Jeremiah attacking me? A few moments pass, and she realizes that the ballroom is now empty What was going on?
"Frog hurt, Mel bad, and Healer come and then..and then" remarks Bambi as she collects her thoughts and the confuse spell fades...
"must ASK MEL" said Bam and she get up and rushes up to the stairs to Mel's room.
:mowdizzy
PBH
"Hmm?" Keaton barely registered Ketefe's question from where she was standing, her arms folded before her bosom and hips tilted. "Jeremiah?"
Oh, the irony of timing. Stifling a chuckle behind her hand, Keaton leaned against the wall, inclining her head in Ketefe's direction. "He'll be fine," she said, arranging her arms behind her head. "In fact--"
Before she could say much else, she heard a loud thud resonating from outside the door. Blinking curiously, Keaton lifted her finger to signal "one moment" to Ketefe, then walked to the door rather hesitantly. With a twist of her wrist she opened the door, then peeked outside.
Her hesitancy was certainly justified. The first thing she saw was Jeremiah, mutated and warped beyond recognition into a nightmarishly grotesque beast, and a very naked (what the fuck?) Bambi Hunnydew, pursuing the crambling, crawling beast.
For a moment, Keaton thought she was hallucinating, up until she was unceremoniously jolted from her stupor by the realization that Jeremiah was barreling right towards her.
"Oh SHIT!" Keaton exclaimed, rushing away from the threshold of the door.
Something to fight with. Something to fight with. She needed something to fight with. Stupid Sebastian, taking my mace... Keaton cursed her circumstances thrice over as she scrambled about the room in search of a properly heavy, weighty projectile weapon. Within a few seconds, something suitable landed in her field of vision: the wardrobe. Wings flaring, her wing-tentacles elongated and unraveled until they were sporting enormous, three-fingered claws with tapered, muscular digits. Each clawed finger of the wing-tentacles sunk into the wooden hide of the wardrobe as she hefted it upright, straining visibly as she carried it across the room.
Keaton transfered as much energy as she could into one swing as she flung the wardrobe at Jeremiah.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Aisha stood for a moment after Sebastian had left the room, watching Ketefe question Keaton about Jeremiah. Her head tilted slightly in curiosity, wondering if something had happened in the ballroom while everyone was upstairs observing Mel's healing. The masked felid had come originally to tell them of the frog's condition, after all...
With a last glance to the sleeping Mel, the panther sighed and briefly turned to Gareeku with a smile. "We've done all we can here...we should see what's going on downstairs." As Aisha grabbed her cape and tied it around her neck, she started for the door, where Keaton suddenly looked to be peering through the crack of it with caution. After a moment, the panther could hear a few different sounds as well...scrabbling and running, respectively.
"What the heck...?" Aisha had started to ask, but she was cut off as Keaton reeled from the door, opening it to reveal a very disfigured Jeremiah, whom she only barely recognized as a result. She grabbed her boomerang out of her belt just as the succubus flung the heavy wardrobe at the crazed spider-like beast, and she hung back, waiting to see what would happpen next while also glancing with obvious distaste at Bam's appearance. "Stay out!" she snarled to both of them, standing near the doorway.
Needless to say, they probably weren't going anywhere if Mel was in danger of being disturbed.
* * *
Rynkura regarded the bat with a solemn and yet inquisitive gaze as he again spoke his piece. In particular she noted the expressions he had shown when speaking about the Caerules, as if he had a particularly unpleasant history with them, or perhaps other than he had made his name sound wanted little in connection with them either. The tiger's ears even quirked slightly as he used a bit of a forgotten tongue.
Still she had to nod with agreement when he spoke of their business. "Es verdad? Indeed, I guess a few things regarding them would have lingered even when their line did not." She smiled slightly and turned to the shelf next to her, running her fingers and eyes along the spines of various books.
Her eyes then fell on a title and she carefully picked it out, curiously and thoughtfully flicking the pages back as she continued to speak and walk towards a table in the epicenter of the library. "I humbly admit that I could not help but hear their name sometimes in my long travels, especially when I served advisor and a sort of...guardian to a dwindling line of adventurers. Or the name of a certain lineage of demons in parallel, and even a few differing ones of angelic blood," she added with a hum and set the book on the table.
"I have been following connections for some time...not as a personal favor, but as a favor to those who have ended up unfortunate as to end up on the wrong end," she added with honesty, or as much honesty as she could while hiding names...after all she saw nothing to be lost. "Often leading to dead ends. Secretive, yes, I'll give them that," she chuckled and set her staff on the table where she sat down, then glanced back at the bat inquisitively. "But perhaps it is fortuitous that they have gone. You've lived here for long enough to know, I guess?"
Rynkura paused however to glimpse upward, where even through the stone foundations she thought that she had heard a somewhat heavy impact. "Mmh, I hope that whatever is happening up there, it won't have to end up with someone hurt again. Somehow I always imagine such a thing with Aisha," she muttered with a chuckle.
And now I merely need to- OH HELL! The not-Jeremiah braced six arachnid legs against the ground behind itself and shoved the wardrobe away from itself, "Alright, the crap?" it clambered up a nearby wall, glaring at Keaton as though she'd lobbed the furnature at it out of- oh yeah.
Damn, it's this tiny little door and I've got a snowball's chance in hell of sneaking in now. How am I supposed to get in? The theory was that, with the dragon in crappy shape, all it had to worry about was the comparatively weaker fighters (that is to say, weaker than a cursed angel and a goddamn fae). However, they now not only had the advantage of its having to come through a bottleneck, but the fae behind it had cut off an otherwise easy escape.
Fine then, I'll wing it.
"Well, since my staying out is so very important to you..." the not-Jeremiah executed a mocking bow, spider legs inching it slightly further away, "Grandma always said a gentleman does as a lady requests, and I do so like to consider myself a gentleman..."
As soon as it was far enough away, it pulled itself closer to the ceiling to push off with (what we shall for the sake of designation call the limbs Jeremiah started out with) its real feet, launching itself toward the doorway. Spinning through the air like that, the armored spider legs shielded most of his body. "And if you believe that one, I'll tell you another."
Ketefe listened to Keaton's answer, wondering why the jackal laughed behind her hand as she answered. She frowned a little, not seeing what was so funny about her delirious friend. Then the entire room heard a loud thud from the hallway. Ketefe turned her head, then turned back to Keaton, giving her a "what the hell was that" expression. Keaton went to see what it was, froze, and then screamed.
"Keaton?!" Ketefe rushed to the door along with Aisha and Gareeku, and when she skidded to a stop, she found herself wishing for the eighth time that day that she had never come to this damned place.
It was Jeremiah - or it had been Jeremiah. The kind and humorous frog had been replaced with a grotesque spider-creature, complete with extra eyes, spindly legs, and a sickening grey substance over his face. Behind him was Bambi sans any clothing. Ketefe quickly looked away from the fae and concentrated on Jeremiah, reaching over her shoulder...
Hang on. Where was her sword?
"Oh fuck!" Ketefe cried, realizing she'd dropped it in the ballroom before running to help Mel. The others were shouting at Jeremiah to stay out, and for a minute, he seemed to comply... before launching himself at the door.
Ketefe did the only thing she could do. She threw herself to the ground and covered her head with her arms, screaming "DUCK!" to the other three warriors.
"I'm pretty sure that they can handle it. They've proven themselves capable so far," Stygian said, his eyes still solidly fixed on the tigress. "Between us, I think she's the most levelheaded one there. Strangely. The others each have their own set of problems, but she... Do you mind if I smoke?"
He had already flipped out his etui, and the brushed titanium lighter that he always used, and placed a slim cigar in the corner of his mouth. There was something that might bring memories back. He hadn't smoked last time he saw her, but his mother had favored the sort. And he didn't care if it was a library or not. The books weren't so fragile that they'd fall apart from a little smoke. Puffing to heat the tip, he flicked his lighter shut and slipped it down his pocket, and then put the slim cigar between his fingers, breathing out.
"Well, I hardly think that she is without her own troubles as well. There is something beneath that surface, something... painful," he said, and scratched his chin. "Guarded or not, that was inevitable. Wasn't it, Ryn?"
Slowly, he stepped closer, taking a breath from his cigar and letting the smoke trail out between his teeth lazily. His dark eyes seemed hot like coals behind the fog.
"I haven't lived here, you see. I died here. For a long time. And I know you're not to blame, even letting it happen... But then again, I let some other things happen too. Terrible things."
NSFW (http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/PBHunnydew/angryFaePBH.gif)
The confused Bambi finds the morphed Jeremiah busy beating at Mel's bedroom door. This sight clears all Bambi's confusion in a flash, and she quickly rushes the non-Jeremiah with a new spell, "Dispell magic", and "Remove curse"...
PBH hopes these spell blasts away Jeremiah extra limbs, and returns him to more himself, Well, Maybe Spider-frog.
PBH
"I don't mind," the tigress replied idly to the bat's inquiry about smoking...her gaze had turned to the book in front of her, as if her attention was diverted; but her ears steadily followed his voice and position as he spoke, and with a certain calm concentration. He certainly seemed more familiar to her as the conversation moved forth, and the noises from above didn't help much either.
Then something seemed to click in her mind, as soon as Sebastian mentioned more of about her student, and more specifically, hinted about the pain that she held within for so long. Her mind was starting to race with questions, and especially concern yet for Aisha, and it was only evident by the tiger's snaking white tail having started to twitch just a little faster.
She closed the book in a flurry of dust and stood slowly from her chair, facing the bat while taking her staff to lean on it. Her gaze must have been just as intense as his own, but perhaps without the hints of subtle intimidation. As he finished his piece, she slowly nodded. "So you may have, Sebastian. I guess your 'death' would count for naught, as I see it didn't last," she chuckled. "Still, some would count themselves blessed, and others cursed, to have come back after a long time. I can only guess as to which you must be." Her head shook. "In any case, the past is the past, though it is not easily forgotten," she added with a gleam in her eyes.
She turned briefly to pick the book up again. "Aisha does have a level head," the tigress admonished still with calm pride in her voice. "As well as intense focus and a determined spirit. She has her father's blood, an adventurer's child as one could hope for." She gripped her staff a little closer to herself. "The pain is that she has never gotten over his death, nor the destruction of her family's last safe home. She has her mission of seeking retribution." Her eyebrows raised slightly, in caution of her words. "As I have my own."
* * *
With a snarl of frustration, Aisha ducked away from the spider-like Jeremiah as he charged for the door, only for him to be slowed down again by Bam. Standing up again, she made sure everyone was into the hallway before quickly reaching up to close the door to the room and standing in front of it with her blades drawn against the frog in case he tried again.
"What the hell as gotten into you?" the panthress snarled. "Mel is recovering right now! And we're going to make damn sure that it will be a peaceful one."
She wasn't at all sure what went wrong with Jeremiah this time...but hopefully the frog had enough sense to not keep trying. Having helped save a life, it wasn't that strange for the panther to feel somewhat protective of it.
The two spells Bambi hit the not-Jeremiah with in midair smashed its spider legs into stubs, and then it had a door slammed in its face. Could you say pissed?
It picked itself up, legs very slowly regrowing with those stretching, popping, gristly noises. "I..." It said, "Have no words. I mean, do you have any idea how much that stings? And the sheer indignety? My volcabulary completely lacks any profanities that accurately describe you." A flick of its wrist and a tiny, two inch wide fireball appeared at the end of its finger. "Then again, given present company, the no words thing is probably nothing new to you by now." Be insensitive to her condition, insult her, make her angrier. Angry people make stupid mistakes, and there's no resource more valuable than a stupid enemy.
Bambi moves beside Aisha to also block the Spidy-frog from the rest of the group. she has been running and fighting awhile now. With heavy breath as she says:
"Sweets pixies! , *Breath* Aisha *breath* Froggy be sick, too. *breath* Now, Spiders took Frog. *Breath* Where Healer? *breath*"
Bambi stands ready to hit the non-jeremiah again with fae-fire the second he trys to move towards them. Yet, She stands as if she force herself to stay up-right as her chest huffing & puffing with each breath.
PBH
A crash jolted Mel awake. While she really wanted to ignore it her self-preservation instinct, coupled with the sounds of shouting, running around, and a door slamming, kept her from simply closing her eyes and going back to sleep. She pushed herself up and looked around, no one remained in the room with her to ask. She pushed herself the rest of the way up and swung her feet off the bed. She almost managed a laugh when she looked down at herself. Her coat and shirt were missing, soon spotted in a sodden pile on the floor. Both her camisole and pants were irretrievably ripped up, only staying decently in place due to a liberal gluing of half-dried blood. But somehow she had kept her boots. She did smile at the sight, she had done enough healings to know that focus was so tight that the boots hadn't even been noticed by her caretakers. More muffled thuds and shouts came from outside the door. Mel stood and quickly made a dizzy little catch for the mattress. When the room stopped spinning she started across the room to see what was going on.
A smile spread around that cigar, wedged between large, sharp fangs. Stygian's gaze remained just as piercing, not even veering to look as the tigress shifted her staff, or her tail. He stayed still, but he lowered his voice, his tone becoming more of a murr.
"I'd like to think that it's fortunate for me and unfortunate for some others, this return," he said. "Though frankly, the opposite turns out to be true ever so often too." He didn't hold a grudge with her personally, but she had always been on the opposite side, from his point of view. And even if she'd never so much as raised a hand against him, that still counted for something. "Though to mention curses..." Another sensitive point. But not because of what had happened at the castle.
"You know, I still remember when we were... young. Even having become as I am, I remember. Some things were even good back then," he said, turning and looking aside for just a bit. "I remember that thoughtful little kitten who'd always pick the butterflies out of spider's webs." He chuckled, and pulled on his cigar again, then breathed another streamer away from her. "One time, I asked you why you took out the butterflies. I said that the spiders would starve. Do you remember what you answered?"
Calmly, he turned back to her, looking her in the eyes and letting his hand fall to his side.
"You said that you didn't want the beautiful butterflies to go away. And then I asked why you didn't save the cicadas or the crickets. And you said 'No, those eat each other. And they're noisy and fat so they can feed the spiders better'," he said. His eyes were embers.
"You didn't care about the suffering then. You knew the spiders had to feed too. And you wanted the butterflies to be pretty for you." There was no smirk on his face now. "And that's why I always liked you. We were somewhat similar. At first glance, at least."
He made his last pull, the cigar almost burned down to the butt. Calmly, he took it, and then stubbed it out in his palm, unflinching.
"The problem here, you see, is that Aisha doesn't just have the blood of her father, but her mother too. That was always strong. And she is no butterfly that you can save. She isn't a cicada or a cricket either," he said. "She is a spider. A very venomous one. And while you may have saved her from being eaten, there's no telling if she will still bite you. Because I'm not the only one who made the choice not to be there."
It might have been unfair. But it was still true. He knew. And as he turned away, he could already see the tiny hints in her face, feel them in her smell.
"She's your pupil, yes. But think of what might happen if... when... she discovers. Me, I intend to keep a close watch for that. Maybe you should too."
Calmly, he strolled out, picking up a book and heading back toward the noise.
Ketefe picked herself up off the ground, glaring at Jeremiah, every muscle in her body tensed. She slowly tied her mask around her face and, keeping her gaze on the spider-frog, inched over to where Bam was.
"The healer's in the library," she whispered, trying not to move her mouth too much as she did so. "Go get her and Stygian. And uh, borrow a cloak or something before you go."
Her eyes flickered across the room, looking for something, anything, that she could use as a weapon. She decided on a largish piece of broken wood from the wardrobe Keaton had chucked. The splintered board was about four feet away. As she inched it closer, first with her tail, then with her foot, an idea came to her. What if I distracted Jeremiah so he doesn't chase Bam into the library and kill two of the most useful people here? I could run into the ballroom and get my sword... Nah. If he followed her, she'd probably die, and if he stayed and fought, the others might die. Still, she needed to stop him chasing Bam...
"I'd watch my tongue if I was you, Jeremiah," she said aloud, scootching a little away from the others in case he attacked. "Because for the record, you look like something that crawled out of a toilet and died."
The not-Jeremiah hurled his fireball at adventurers (Which went wide by a mile and hit the wall with a sad-sounding "paph!" This wasn't one of the huge honking things that Bambi had been chucking around) and emitted another harsh, gunfire-rattle laugh, only speaking again after the laughter had died down.
"Ah, can I call 'em or what?" the abomination chuckled a little more, "Pretty, competent and a sense of humor. And at least I don't look like something that stayed there, doll." Can I call 'em. I. Referring to myself. Am I the one who called that? Is a chain the same chain when you break the links and put them together anew and out of order? I suppose I am Jeremiah for a given value of "I am"...
I am someone with no time for such contemplation.
The not-Jeremiah had no more magical power to work with than the frog, but had less qualms about exhausting or damaging itself from overusing it. It had to think in the short term. A fireball being too small to do anything didn't mean that it had failed, just that it had to do it again. The not-Jeremiah held its hands wrists together before it and spread its fingers, webbed digits forming a scalloped seashell shape facing the door. It chanted something tribal-sounding under its breath, various runes forming before its hands as it readied a barrage...
The abomination winked at Ketefe, once. "Nicccccce Massssssssk..." And a stream of fireballs left its hands.
Bambi was waiting for Jeremiah to attack.. Boy, He is getting annoying, but she saw not going to be baited into getting angry at him. She checks around the spider-frog, and see a hanging single lamp over his head. She fires up a sweep of fireballs at the hitting the floor, Jeremiah, who burned and knock off balance and then the lamp, which falls toward the fallen spider-frog.
PBH
Walking on two feet was hard work when you were dizzy and tired, Mel decided after the second time she had to stop and cling to the furniture. She swapped to her true form, but at half the size. That improved her balance, even if a twelve foot dragon was still a lot to maneuver across a room. She paused at the door and listened. Lots of familiar voices, thumps, bumps, and crashes, the feel of magic, and the smell of burning wool, probably carpet. She prepared several spells, then, crouching slightly so she could see out, jerked the door open. Half the group was in the hall facing down a reptilianish-spiderish mythos. "Freeze," she roared at the group adding a touch of magic to her roar to back up it's authority. She was also quite prepared to make the command literal for anyone who had other ideas. She glanced at the smashed armoire and the clothing strewn around, the slowly smoldering carpet that would have to be doused, and scorch marked walls and asked, "What is going on?"
Using its half-regenerated spider limbs, the not-Jeremiah batted the chandelier away from itself and sent another barrage after Bambi, backing away to avoid being clubbed over the head by the more traditional fighters while he was focusing on the fae. And then, of course, Mel showed up. The individual who was probably the greatest threat to Mother. The abomination grinned.
"Why, Mel," it chuckled, more fireballs igniting at the ends of its fingers, "Was wondering how long it would take you to show up..."
Standing back as the others battled against that...thing...Gareeku kept his hand firmly on the hilt of the katana at his side. Then, when Mel had appeared with her rather commanding introduction, the wolf saw that the creature was focussed on her. Perfect.
Dashing forward with incredible speed as he unsheathed his blade, Gareeku closed in and aimed his sword at the slowly regenerating stumps, as well as the other limbs that were still intact.
Gareeku's blade went through the first half-regenerated leg with ease. The second with mildly less. On the third it got stuck in the exoskeleton halfway through. The not-Jeremiah simply gave the wolf what could only be called a Look, and sent one handful of fireballs at him point blank. The other handful he cast toward Mel.
Finding his sword to be jammed in the exoskeleton of the creature, Gareeku then looked up to find a handful of fireballs being fired at him. Grunting with pain, the wolf was sent flying backwards, landing hard on his back with another loud grunt of pain. However, Gareeku was not one to give up so easily. So would called it stubborness. He preferred to call it determination. Rising to his feet, the wolf dashed in again, bright white flames enveloping his hands as he summoned up a mixture of soul energy and light magic, before firing them off at the spider-like creature as he retrieved his sword from the thing's exoskeleton.
Most attacks against the not-Jeremiah hadn't been all that effective. The wardrobe and chandelier had been deflected, damaging only the legs. Bambi's assault had knocked it around, but hadn't done much in the way of damage.
Gareeku's blast hit dead on. The abomination had taken all it could. The blasts that thudded into its body lifted it into the air, spinning almost gracefully before slamming into a wall, shattering the spider mask. (Almost gracefully. It was, to a degree, Jeremiah.) There was a hiss, and a column of steam from where the creature had fallen...
Jeremiah lay there, mainly returned to his normal self. The first time the specter had changed him his teeth remained slightly large afterward. After this, his skin retained the blotchy black and orange pattern (although a slightly lighter shade thereof). His coat was still on the couch he had been on when he'd first assumed that shape, his tie dye shirt was slightly stretched around the collar and ripped along the back. His hat had been lost somewhere, and the frog looked somewhat sickly due to magic overuse. So there lay the amphibian, tired and damaged.
The nude Fae quickly ran in front of Mel before the small flare-size fireballs hit her. The fae turned her back to attack to use her wings to deflected the last attack of the Spider-frog. After grunts from deflecting the flare of magic, She looks worried at the weak Mel and reaches out to her to help her back to bed.
"Help Mel Bed NOW?!!" said Bam.
PBH
Rynkura said nothing through Sebastian's exchange back to her words, but simply kept a guarded face and a slightly tense demeanor. Her eyes were blank and lacking emotion as he gave his analogy, a little calmer than she really predicted he would be. What she hadn't expected was that a memory came up after so long, that even though she shouldn't be so familiar with the bat, he seemed as much. And even more so with her student.
The tiger didn't reply to his words this time. She couldn't really; she simply watched him walk off, the grip on her staff suddenly growing until the wood dug into her palm. How DARE he think that I would...!
But there was truth in those words. The tigress had tried all she could to protect Aisha from herself in the past...hiding her adventuring lineage, only to have found the girl's resolve stronger than thought...and now this. This place, and the connections...Rynkura suddenly found herself somewhat conflicted. Sure, Aisha would not be happy. And if things went well, she wouldn't have to endure it. But there are some things that can't be hidden forever.
Alone in the library, save for the sounds of conflict above having ended abruptly and her own thoughts, the tigress shook her head and returned to the book she was reading. She may be venomous. But if I remember correctly, spiders may also eat other spiders.
* * *
The panthress watched the grotesque mix of amphibian and spider try its hardest to face the people before him, all of them determined individuals with skills that most likely normally surpassed his own. It was pure insanity, building up in that seeminly tiny hall, now that everyone bar for Mel was out of the room to guard it. Fireballs were flung at the door in every which direction, some of which were deflected by the panther's magic-proof dragonblade. At this rate the hall could catch fire...Aisha silently berated the stupidity. She couldn't use her boomerang in this state either, for fear of hurting someone else. All she could do was duck, weave, block, and be ready in case Jeremiah couldn't be held by the others...
Suddenly the door was jerked open behind her, which caused the panthress to roll away and suddenly stare from her position at Mel, a very ticked-off ice dragon to say the least. It only made the panther grin slightly. She was certainly well enough back to full health, if not by now. But it turned instantly back into a grimace again upon hearing "Jeremiah's'' voice, berating the dragon. Aisha certainly wasn't one to see such ignorance from the monster that he had become...and Gareeku seemed to mirror that feeling as he made his assault, which to everyone's great relief, finally was the mutant's undoing.
What IS it with this place and spiders, anyway? the panther hummed, replacing her blades while sending the wolf a light smirk. "Well done." Her gaze passed around the hall, a sigh of relief emitted. "Everyone." Upon hearing Bambi berate Mel on being awake, however, Aisha rolled her eyes. "The dragon can be awake if she wants to. Let her be." She grimaced. "And for heaven's sakes, put something on."
Her eyes then fell cautiously on a damaged Jeremiah, lying against the wall. "The hell was that about...?"
"Please?!" added Bambi to Mel after Aisha ragged on her... She looked puzzled at Aisha.
"Something on? " Asks Bam and then looks down at herself "why?" Still her puzzled look is meet with stares and disgusted glares.... "But me comforty, Oh you are not.. *Heavy Sigh* Okay Fine fine" Bambi was hoping to get a bath and she can try on some of those dresses if everyone want her "dressed". She starts to seeks out the room she and Gina used last night. But If she ever gets to meet that healer, she was going to give her an ear full.
PBH
Mel frowned at the fireballs coming at her. She cast two spells, one after the other. The first was a power wave, turning the fireballs and sending them back at the mythos-thing. The second was going to be an air blast, tight and focused on the midsection of the spider-thingy, like a cannonball to the stomach. She pulled it at the last second to avoid hitting Gareeku. It was a good choice for the wolf managed to take the spider-reptile thing down. Bam started pushing on her front legs, trying to convince her to head back to bed. "I was asleep until there was a fight in the hallway. And I will go back when I get some answers. What happened? And why are you naked? Was that mythos Jeremiah? Is someone going to put out the fire in the carpet?"
Jeremiah stirred, but made no effort to get up. He wasn't even entirely sure he could. What was Aisha talking about? The last thing he remembered was-
Oh no, the frog's eyes snapped open, looked around at the scene he'd caused. He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't think of what to do next. What do you say after that? 'Whoops, sorry 'bout that' probably wouldn't cut it. And he couldn't claim that he wasn't himself, because he still wasn't sure if he WAS when the specter took over. It was as though he was... What you would get if you broke him down and made the parts into something new. He remembered that clawed wraith from his first time in the castle and simply looked up at the huntress, mortification and confusion evident upon his face.
an Angry Bambi turns back to Mel and Aisha
"MY guess be Frog hidden a spider on him During Snow Spell,
Froggy hurt protecting Mel,
Healer Help Mel but Not Jeremiah
Spider Took hurt Frog
Spidy-frog go hunt Mel. but Bam stop spidy-frog and lost clothes when fighting Spidy-Frog." Bam rapid Fire comments
"Hump" Bambi leaves and stumps down the Hallway.
Cog walked down the hall stairs, concern evident on his face. He was attired in the clothing he had picked up, having changed just moments ago. He'd heard quite a large whump, and that usually meant little good in this place.
Upon arriving, however, his eyes widened, and he stood quite still for a long moment. Laid out before him was the detrius of battle, broken furniture and blood spatters decorating the walls. He took a step back and grabbed the sword at his hip, and let go of it just as quickly. Whatever had happened here was over.
He took stock of the situation, his neck twitching every moment or so. He tried to speak, but merely croaked something unintelligible out, and cleared his throat instead.
He tried again. "What...who...I..."
Cog simply stopped and shook his head. "This is why we can't have nice things!" he said, his voice a bit strangled, and he himself seemed somewhat confused at his own statement. He stood there for a moment, then jerked and averted his eyes from Bam. "I...well..." he coughed. "I suppose...is...what the hell?" he finally said, his eyes locking on Jeremiah.
Upon hearing the spider-frog's jabs at her, Ketefe hissed a little quietly and forced herself not to adjust her mask when the thing winked at her. (She willed her body not to shudder at that part.) Then he started shooting fireballs at everyone and everything around him, and Ketefe backed away a little to letthe others fight; she was not being a coward, she simply knew that she was unable to fight without a weapon. Upon seeing the almost-monster simply bat a chandelier away like it was a fly, she kicked the board away, realizing it wouldn't be much use.
This is how Jarevei must feel during a fight, she reflected as she ducked out of the way of various fireballs. She watched as Gareeku and Mel and Bam mostly took care of everything, but the climax finally came when Gareeku broke the spider-thing's mask. The creature hissed and went back to frog form, still with a strange skin-pattern and looking very tired, but Jeremiah nonetheless. Aisha walked up to him, looking more than alittle deadly, and Jeremiah simply lay there, looking ashamed and scared. When Mel asked about the carpet, Ketefe glanced at the fire, only just noticing it.
She untied her blanket-sheath from her back, walked over to the fire, and smothered it. The sheath was heavy enough to hold a jagged sword, so it worked pretty well as a fire-proof blanket. Then a new person walked in; hey, it was that wolf from the beginning of all this madness! She tossed her sheath off to the side, then walked up to the wolf to explain - well, give a summary, more like.
"Keaton freaked out, a Mythos attacked, it got Mel, Stygian killed it, Aisha's teacher came and saved Mel, Jeremiah got sick because of spiders, he turned into a freaky monster-thing, he's not quite back to normal yet, and all this before dinner."
She paused. "Oh, whoops. We haven't been properly introduced yet." She extended her hand. "I'm Ketefe Solowynd. I followed you and the bat here several hours ago. Who are you?"
Cog stared at the newcomer for quite a long time, his eye twitching underneath his glasses as he absorbed the news. He opened his mouth as if to speak, and simply put his face in his hand and groaned.
He peered at the stranger from between his fingers. "Cogidubnus Mithlome. Charmed." he said, suddenly leaning against the wall. "I...well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."
He sighed. "You start to relax, and it all goes to hell again. I really am starting to loathe this place."
"Well, I'm certainly glad that you're having such a pleasant stay. Really," Stygian said, approaching behind Cogidubnus, walking while reading the book in his hand, and holding two other thick volumes and an apple in his free hand. "Take it from me; this place can get really cozy and familiar after a while. And your pleasure is my pleasure. I'm just glad that you're entertained in a proper..."
He stopped, his mouth open and formed around the next word, as he looked over the mess in the corridor, Gareeku with bloodspatter on him and his sword out, Aisha just standing, Bam naked and trying to usher a twelve foot Mel in through a door, the place looking completely chaotic. He stared for three seconds. Then, he shut his mouth with an audible snap.
"I'm not cleaning this up," he said, very simply, and then glanced over Jeremiah on the floor. Then, he turned to Cog and Ketefe, and looked at them both expressionlessly. For a second there was utter silence, before he spoke again.
"Who wants tea?"
Mel reverted to her anthropomorphic form and leaned against the doorframe. She was tired, slightly dizzy, and wasn't sure she understood what happened. "Did I understand right that Jeremiah shielded the spiders we were trying to kill? And they turned him into that mythos-like creature?" She looked around and asked, "Is there anything I can do to help? If not I think I'll get cleaned up." She picked a bit at the clothing glued to her with dried blood. "I'll take that tea once I'm presentable."
Mel's words seemed to jerk Jeremiah back to the present. "Wasn't my idea!" He blurted, "The spiders. All that. I didn't shield them, they got me again."
Cog quirked an eyebrow, fought the sudden urge to laugh, and simply nodded solemnly at the bat. Tea would be nice. "I'll take some tea." he said, pushing himself off the wall and walking towards the door, being careful to avoid the pieces of broken furniture. "I think they're all fine. Serves me right for leaving you all alone for five minutes."
Stygian humphed in response, something that could have meant anything, and turned, passing Mel and Bam quickly to put the books in the bedroom, and then strolled off down the hall, turning a corner and disappearing. It was less than five minutes later that he returned, carrying a gilded tray balanced on one hand, with cups, a few small jars and a steaming pot. And more books in his other hand, as well as a sketching block and a couple of pens and pencils. Calmly ignoring the mess, he walked into the room, and set the thing down on the table, before casting a disapproving look at the destroyed door.
"I would appreciate a fix for that. Privacy is always nice," he muttered, looking over the splinters. He poured himself a cup, took a small spoon of honey, and still standing, stirred and sipped it a bit, glancing at the room's other occupants over the rim from behind his glasses. "Easy business, isn't it, Mel?"
Bambi helps Mel back into the room. Bambi is shocked at the calm Stygian, as he got tea. She places her hand over the door pieces and they quicky grow and mend back together. The repaired door can close, now
"Mel, You need anything? Would you like some tea?" askes Bambi as she stand by the tea tray and pour tea.
PBH
Ketefe watched Stygian leave and come back with tea, and giggled. His calmness about this whole situation was starting to strike her as a bit ludicrous. "I'll take some tea. I'm starving." She grinned and started to walk into the room as well, pausing to glance at Jeremiah. "You coming? The tea might do you good."
Jeremiah nodded shakily and got up. "Yeah, thanks Ketefe. And erm, sorry about..." he waved one hand to indicate the general this-ness of the situation, "What I did," entering the room where Stygian had set up a sort of temporary bastion of civilized society amidst all this mess, the frog brightened up considerably and tried to put a more lighthearted face on things, "Can't say I wouldn't appreciate something stronger, but I think after that display I should be happy with what I can get. Hey, Styg, what sorta tea's that anywho?"
"Well, I dunno about the others, but I forgive you," Ketefe shrugged. She knew that in a weird way, Jeremiah had been himself the entire time, but she also knew that he wouldn't have acted like that normally. She stepped fully into the room, found an empty chair and sat. Then something in Stygian's arm caught her eye.
"Huh. You didn't strike me as the artistic type," Ketefe remarked, watching the bat. "But I guess nothing really surprises me anymore after what's happened in the last few hours."
Mel looked around at the chaos the quiet room had become. "Um, I need to clean up before I can eat anything. If I can find my bag, that is." Sebastian picked the bag from the chair it had landed in when her nurses had undressed her and put it in her hands with a bow to her and an irritated look to everyone else. Armed with what she needed she disappeared into the bathroom, which she locked with a loud click. Getting her destroyed clothing off smarted quite a bit; the dried blood pulled at her scales and at the still tender spot where the gash had been. After a quick wash she fished around in her bag for more clothes. The bag was magic, like most of her possessions, and despite being smaller than her spread hand held half her home. Pants of darkest burgundy wool this time, and a tunic of silk a shade lighter, trimmed in gold braid. Her tall boots impossibly disappeared into the small pouch and short half-boots replaced them. A finally she took off the gold coin she always wore around her neck and replaced it with an elaborate pendant centered with a ruby. It was a charm for health, which she felt she needed at the moment. Fastening her pouch back on her belt she took a deep breath and unlocked the bathroom door.
Keeping that irritated look, as his former glance didn't seem to have done the trick, Stygian put down his cup and sat down in a chair. He would have walked outside and ushered everyone else along, were it not for the fact that it would have been pointless for the smashed door. Well, that one was fixed now, but still... They were all still completely clueless. Aisha and Gareeku were keeping to the corridor still, but the others...
"Russian Bergamot. By the way, it's nice to see that everyone is so collected. Wouldn't want anyone to feel shocked and uncomfortable after all that," he said. He gathered his face a bit, and instead focused all the heat into his eyes, something that he had more practice at than anyone else he knew. His first awling went to Bam, and he seemed not the slightest bit perturbed by her nudity. "Really, just go ahead and settle in. Never mind that Mel needs rest, or that I left the other pot and cups in the kitchen." He'd have to change too, and that mess had to be cleaned. And they could find another sitting room elsewhere. There were plenty of them.
"Maybe someone would like some scones too? It's really not too much of a bother...!" he said, putting just a bit of a hiss into his tone. Now, it certainly wasn't a case of him being unsure of whether he was desired for company. He was the host, and he had responsibilities, but they were acting like utter fools to him, and if all they could understand were clear signals, then he would damn well give them clear signals. His gaze finally landed on Cog, before he could pick up his cup for an excuse to look away. While neither he nor Ketefe had really done anything to deserve that sharpness, he was still uncomfortable about the wolf.
Despite being nude, PBH makes no effort to cover herself and act as if she was clothed. "Meep" yells Bambi in surprise at everyone coming in and says " I ah I Hey out out Okay Stygian you give Mel Tea and get her to bed.. Me just fix door... Everyone OUT. ! " Bambi with her arms wide shoos everyone but Stygian out the newly repaired door...and closes it with herself and everyone outside.
"Sorry Everyone but Go to Kitchen, Scoot. food and tea there" commands Bambi, As she marches pass them to go back to the rooms she slept in last night. She wonders where Gina is, but takes a quick shower and dress in a silk emerald gown from one of her wardrobes in her room. And then she heads for the kitchen herself.
PBH
Cog raised his eyebrow at the bat, and without breaking his gaze picked up a single cup from the tray. Behind his glasses, however, his eyes betrayed the slight sense of amusement he found welling up.
He waited his turn and calmly poured himself some tea as he regarded Stygian. "I think tea will be fine. Scones might ruin appetites. Almost dinnertime, yes?" he said, upturning a flipped-over chair and taking a seat. "Might settle the nerves." he said, his own tone inflecting somewhat. His face, however, betrayed his mirth as he struggled to keep himself from breaking out into a grin.
"I'm sure the fae would love to get the cups and whatnot after she dresses. For now, sit. Have a drink. There seems to be something to talk about." he said, nodding his head towards Jeremiah.
He was about to take a drink when Bam started to herd them all out the door. He raised his eyebrows in irritation, but politely left and waited for the fae to walk down the hall before opening the door and rejoining the three.
"Forceful woman, that one. Was she naked?" he said, grabbing the teapot and pouring another cup.
Finally, they left, leaving the bat to sit and sip from his second cup with a frown on his face. And they wondered why...
Looking down on himself, his frown turned to one concerning his clothing. He was still dressed in that same shirt and pants, made sticky with blotches of azure blood. His fur was stained with it too. So he calmly waited for Mel to finish in the bathroom, so that he could borrow it quickly after that. Then, they could talk or she could rest or whatever was more appropriate. Though he'd have to fetch some other clothes. And that was better done now.
Setting his cup down, he opened the closet, and used the darkness to slip up to his still blacked out room. When he got down, he had a full change of more proper clothing in his hands, and shutting the door behind him, he put it down on the chair beside him, taking up his cup again and settling in, waiting.
Ketefe was almost settled in when Stygian pointed out - with very little subtlety and a very scary expression - that Mel still needed rest and the food was downstairs. Quickly realizing her faux pas and blushing ashamedly, Ketefe stood and obliged Bam's command that everyone get into the hallway and downstairs. Stupidhead, she mentally berated herself once she was outside. Of course Mel still needs rest, even if she's standing and talking. She recovered slightly, remembering that she needed her sword back and it was downstairs anyway.
"I need to get my sword from the ballroom first. I'll meet you guys in the kitchen later," she said, snatching her sheath from the ground and starting to walk downstairs.
Mel was pleasantly surprised to find she was mistaken about the room being in chaos. Only Sebastian and Cog were left sipping tea. As she started across the room Sebastian stood and passed her, disappearing into the bathroom. The tea smelled delicious and she eagerly took a seat and poured herself a cup. After a few sips she managed to smile at the wolf. "Please tell me that everyone decided they didn't like tea and not that there is another crisis."
Walking off when the chaos had died down, Gareeku stopped to give Jeremiah a disapproving look, before leaving, taking a walk around the house. A little while later, the wolf had ended up in the kitchen, having taken a seat by the table in the room. Having got himself a glass of water, Gareeku took a gulp, secretly wanting to have a glass of ale.
Jeremiah winced at the wolf's glare, adding another meek sounding "Wasn't my idea..." to the previous stream of excuses as he filed away with the rest. He found himself wandering toward the library, hoping to look into anything that may give him any leads regarding what was going on. The angel who had created the specters had to have gotten the abilities from somewhere, maybe there were leads on a cure in the library. Assuming he could ignore his Inexplicable curse making up for its earlier silence long enough to accomplish anything.
Once the commotion had died down, Keaton folded her arms behind her head and kicked irritably at a loose piece of mortar which had tumbled from the flaky ceiling. Throughout the battle she had remained on the side, considering it too tumultuous to enter the fray without accidentally getting punched or swiped in the eye from either Jeremiah, or one of her comrades. If she had Catastrophe with her she probably would've put up a decent fight, at that. Fortunately, Mel had arrived to put an end to the havoc, followed by Stygian, and... frankly, the whole situation moved far too fast for Keaton to register.
Ah well, at least I got to throw something, Keaton thought, snorting. Didn't mean that the (naked!) Bambi had to practically usher them out of the room, even if it was in the interest of keeping Mel comfortable. Then again, it probably wasn't good to get on Stygian's bad side.
Noticing that Ketefe was going to get her sword, Keaton sheepishly walked over to her. "I'll come with you. My mace is down there too," she said amiably, purposefully ignoring Jeremiah.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Throughout the exchange after the battle, Aisha had simply kept away from Jeremiah as he was slowly recovering from his own ordeal. The panther shook her head slightly as the others seemed to ignore him, loathing of what had just happened, though the look on his face after she asked what happened confirmed that he was just as confused as the others. Perhaps scared.
She stayed silent, having not even spoken up as Sebastian passed and asked whom would like tea. After that ordeal really, the panther was more hungry than anything, though perhaps dinner would wait just a bit yet. I still left a bit of rice out...well, maybe it can be saved for the others, she thought, waving a quick farewell to Gareeku as he left for the kitchen.
Aisha watched as the frog started away from the group as well, towards the library as she remembered the direction. That's when she also remembered that's where Rynkura was...or at least where she said she was. The panther hesitated for a moment, then started across the hall. Aisha knew not to ask of the tiger's business...at least for now.
* * *
After what seemed like a long while, Rynkura closed the book that she was reading in the calm and yet somber solitude of the library. The only light for the moment seemed to come from the waning sun's rays through the tall windows. Her eyes however were still lowered, locked upon the book's cover. It looked to be just another portion of the castle annals, more things that she knew somewhat already.
Her thoughts kept wandering back to what the bat had told her. Now that she remembered, and now that he was freed, what would happen next...for Aisha, and for herself? There couldn't have been much to do as of yet...
The tigress pricked her ears, having heard footsteps starting to come across the corridors. Looking up, her emerald eyes set upon those walking in...first an individual whom she hadn't seen yet, which made her wonder just how many more adventurers had come to investigate a supposedly cursed palace. Then finally a face that she knew all too well, the crimson eyes set upon black like two pools of blood, that of her student's face.
"Señora?" Aisha smiled and made a polite nod to her mentor. "Sebastian asked us all for tea. And I made rice, if you'd like dinner too. Or whatever someone makes," she laughed lightly.
Despite the severity that seemed to pervade the tiger's earlier conversation, she smiled. Aisha was always interesting in her demeanor at least. It almost made her wonder how the scared child that she had saved from a burning village could have such venom as was said. Almost.
"I'll join you shortly," Rynkura nodded back, her eyes then settling upon the frog. "And who might you be then?"
Cog smiled at the dragon from behind his tea. "No crises yet, I think. Everyone went to the kitchen. I don't think it would be a good idea to leave you quite alone right now though." he said, swishing the tea around in his mouth and peering at the bat from behind his glasses. "Not that Sebastian isn't a good protector, now, but I'd rather be here and be useless and not be here and be needed. Besides." he said, sipping a little more tea. "This is really good tea."
After her shower, Bambi stands in front a mirror with only a towel in her hands, and wonders "Why"... Her fur was thick enough to cover her like a t-shirt on even if she was nude. She miss her days at home, where she could relax in only her in her apartment. But she was feeling she need more space, now. A garden maybe.? Still, her friends disapproved of her showing off, and she would have to "get dressed".
Her magic was coming in stronger by the day, but this was the first time, she was at full power for so long. What am I do if or when I lose my clothes again? I like Aisha and the others enough to respect their wish for me be "dressed". She thought when notices a line of small green specks starting to grow round her neck and then travel round and down her back and across her chest and around her back again below her wings finally circle around her hips. it was just a line of tiny leaves that didn't cover much of anything. But it may grow into something more later... She will the line of leaves away.
Bam sighed and went to the closet, it was filled with ballroom gowns and hooped skirts and corsets. She signed again from one extreme to the other. She would die of heat exhaustion in the three or four layered things in this closet. Still, one gown caught her eye. A dark green gown, which had a beautiful silk green outer dress. She try the outer dress by itself. The back of the dress started just below her wings, whom seems stubbornly remain this time. The chest was a little tight on Bambi with a low neck line, but she could breath. Without the inner hoop skirts, it's length fell to her mid-thigh to mid calf and her legs could move freely. This will do and do very nicely. she thought
Wondering to herself, when did she start liking fluffy dress? as she went to the kitchen, to find Gina and the rest of the adventures. She was all smile for Gina and Gareeku.
"Hi, Gina What would Gareeky like?" asks Bambi with a patting hand on his shoulderas she passes him to the stove and a kiss for Gina. She fires up the stove and starts looking at what was left in the pantry of bags... She puts a few bottles of wine out on the table, and then some veggies out. Maybe a roast from icebox.
Once Mel was out of the bathroom, Stygian got up and shed his bloodied shirt, throwing it over the arm of the large chair he'd been sitting in. Next came the wrappings, which came off in a much faster fashion than it looked as if they should have been able to, tied tight against hard muscle as they were. All he did was loose the upper end, right about the middle of his biceps, and then pull with a twist, and the strips came loose all at once. There was a bit of clatter and a thunk.
Throwing the bloodied strips onto his shirt and picking up the knives he'd forgotten, and pulling one from his foot, Stygian then turned, picked up the clothes he'd chosen, and walked into the bathroom, loosening his belt. He muttered a few curses before closing the door.
Getting the water to warm for showering wasn't too hard, and thanks to a little 'persuading' went in five minutes rather than the time it should have taken. He wasn't entirely sure whether his fur was as stiff and dusty as he imagined, but it felt damn good to get it out. Once he was done, he snatched a towel down and shook what he could of water out, then rubbed down, and tied it to his waist to lay out the clothes. Black underneath, as always, but this time he wasn't going to keep his collar on or let that dominate. His silver necklace went in first, then he put on the neatly ironed shirt, making thanks that it wasn't starched, and slipped on cream white ironed and pressed pants, put in the manchettes, silver ones too to match the necklace and earring, tucked his shirt and then slipped a similarly cream-colored tie into a neat Windsor, tightened his new belt and finally slipped on the cream jacket, before taking out his round, slim-framed glasses and putting them on, and then putting his feet in polished black shoes. He straightened the things shortly, made a quick look in the mirror, and then opened the door, slipping back out into the bedroom.
"Hm? You're still here?" he said to Cogidubnus, before he could catch himself. He was calmed down now, but he had thought of just having a cup or two and then letting Mel sleep. Now, Cog had stolen his cup, and he needed to get another one.
"Guess that's just as well. I'll be back in moments," he said, before they could get a word in, hiding any irritation in his tone and slipped out of the bedroom as well, setting off to the kitchen at a pace that would really have him there in moments. It wasn't that he walked fast, but with every shadow, he sort of... slipped forward, somehow.
Quickly, he strode into the kitchen, not mindful of the others there at all, and took out a cup. He'd be slower at getting out of there, if there really was nothing else to do.
Well well, someone I haven't alienated yet, "I might be Jeremiah," the frog replied, holding out his hand to the elderly tigress before him. Hm, best keep things formal, This was a woman whose age had probably never been an issue, bringing only competence and an overall demeanor that she was used to being respected, and for good reason, "Don't believe anything they say abou-" a look of mild surprise crossed his face as he realized what he was saying, "Alright, mebbe believe some of what they're saying about me. I'm just here to do some research on a few things," His eyes alighted upon the volume of the Castle Annals in Rynkura's hand. Mebbe something about the angel in the sarcophagi; nobles are all about keeping records of everything about their family down to the number of hairs on their body, right? "Amongst them this castle's history. I don't suppose you're done with that book, Missus...?"
Ketefe smiled back at Keaton. "Okay then," she responded, descending the stairs and heading to the ballroom with the jackal.
Thankfully, her sword was right in the open and unharmed. She wrapped it in the somewhat-scorched sheath, and as she did, she remembered what she had wanted to ask not just Keaton, but anyone who had traveled prior to coming here.
"Hey Keaton," she said, turning to the succubus, "Did you do a lot of traveling before coming here? Because I'm looking for two people and I thought you or the others might have seen them."
"Msh'taan," the tigress answered Jeremiah as she took his hand and shook it with a polite nod of her head. "Rynkura Msh'taan. And, I'm sure you might not be the worst thing in this place," she added with a slight grin as the frog mentioned his reasons for coming to the library. Aisha, who stood to the side with her arms crossed, discreetly rolled her eyes as if to say, "you have no idea."
Regarding the book in her hand, Rynkura simply handed it to him while reaching back for her staff, which still set upon the table. The orb on its end gave off a soft glow in the library's darkness. "I am finished, indeed. Seek what you will." With that, she turned to where the panther was standing, only to see her blood-drenched cape flaring behind her as she already started walking through the hall and toward the library's entrance.
Impatient as always, the healer chuckled silently and followed out after her, a short walk through the castle's labyrinthine corridors toward the kitchen, where already voices could be heard.
"I am curious as to hear about what's happened since the lot of you arrived here, Aisha," the tiger started in a casual tone, as if they were back at the monastery asking about her recent adventures.
The hunter laughed as they passed into the kitchen, idly waving at those who were there. "You probably wouldn't believe most of it, Mistress."
"Try me," the tigress chuckled, awaiting the story with patience as she leaned her staff against the wall and took some water to drink. Dinner would have to be interesting, considering her affinity for meat.
"You look n..." began Mel but Sebastian disappeared before she could finish. "Nice." She noticed that Cog was also in a new outfit. "You too. Are we having a party?" She looked at her own rather casual outfit. "I feel underdressed." Then she smiled, "We've certainly survived enough to have earned a party." She sat back in the chair, "Although I think this teaparty might be enough for me right now."
Stygian regarded Aisha and Rynkura with but a glance as they entered, calmly picking up a pot and pouring himself a cup, and getting a jar of minted honey from one of the bags still on the floor. He took just half a spoonful, and stirred, looking down at the cup while his ears were swept just a bit back, keeping on the conversation. They would have to make a proper supper soon. Though he didn't interrupt. He just stirred his tea even, and then turned to wander back in the general direction of Mel's bedroom, sipping as he went, this time really taking his time about it. He watched walls, paintings and vases, old suits of armor and sculptures as he went, taking in the place with all his senses and examining it. It might have been a bad idea to keep the place, but it certainly was good enough to sell, at least.
He arrived back at the corridor where he had left, still seeing the place a mess but not really caring for the moment. Stopping at the corner, he made sure to keep quiet and not to get into any draft, so as to spread his scent. He sipped the last of his tea, his ears trained on the door a bit before him, listening in on what Mel and Cog were saying and waiting for an opening to step in. If he would, that was.
Bambi feels that Mel and the others need a good hearty meal and the roast may take a hour or so. Still they had time, she started the 7 pound roast after added some herbs and spice to it. It should be ready in a hour, she thinks ( and her magic unknowingly helps it along.) She got Gina to help cutting the veggies with her after started boiling water in a pot for some rice and parsly.
It seems the Bat left some tea going for them here, and scones. So she pour Gina and herself some tea, and started to help Gina with the veggies and a salad.
"Gareeku, Like something more than Water?" asks Bambi with green wings standing out. This is the first her wings have been showing when she was not in a battle.
IN time the smells of roasting beef and seasonings draft and wander up though the castle.
:mowcookie
PBH
Cog tilted his head and took another sip of his tea, and made a show of looking himself over. "Nice? Really?" he said, half-smiling. "I thought I rather looked much like I did. Of course, that was before all this mess..." he said, his voice sardonic. He tugged at his collar. "I suppose I do look rather nice. Of course, she was a very good tailor..."
He grinned at the memory, and sipped on his tea. "If we are having a party, I suppose I'm dressed for it. But celebration would be a bit premature, I think. Besides, you need your rest." He sighed. "Might help if we knew what the hell was going on, here. No answers and silence are hardly helping us prepare. But, I'm just whining."
Cog set his empty cup down and crossed his legs. "I suppose I'll wait for Sebastian to get back 'till I go. It's probably not a good idea to leave you off by yourself. Or anyone, I suppose..."
It seemed that he had those with a bit of brains in their heads summed up nicely and neat, Stygian thought. Still, for the moment he disliked that Cog was nice and reasonable as much as he liked it. Or maybe it all just irritated him. That was more likely.
As silently as he had walked through the corridors previously, he thus set off toward the door, still mindful of giving off any indications of his presence. It was like the night before, in the ballroom. He would be sure to make the point that as long as they were here, he could come and go as he wished, and without any warning or sign. That wasn't just about principle. In this case he wanted to discomfort a bit. He made a very slight rap on the door with his knuckles before he went in.
"Back. They're making supper off in the kitchen," he said, walking in and settling in a chair with a bland expression.
After accepting the book from Rynkura with a nod and a "Thanks," Jeremiah had immediatly began going through the old tome.
The first page he flipped open to almost made him laugh. He had to bite down on the collar of his shirt to prevent his doing so (on the basis that his laughing that loud may have negative connotations to the rest of the group from here on out), snickering slightly around the makeshift gag. He almost felt a little bad for Sebastion. For all his own family drove him nuts sometimes, at least he never had to refer to someone as "Auntie Golgotha." As he read on past the title on the top of the page, the grin died away. Right, Angels. It was funny how, now that people could call creature bluffs, that word was often said with such distaste. This book helped that make a lot more sense, Jeremiah's face growing less and less mirthful as he read on. He looked up from the pages a moment and shook his head. What was with this family? Regardless, he had research to do. And so he read on...
"Are they?" responded Mel to Sebastian's remark that supper was being cooked. "What time is it anyway? How long was I out of it? I don't even know how the battle came out. Since everyone was upright and making a mess in the hallway I'm assuming someone figured out how to get rid of the mythos. Was that the mystery healer who saved me as well?" At the mention of the healing she found herself playing with the pendant around her neck and forced her hand back to her lap. At least the memento was doing something useful, supplementing her health.
Cog nodded at Mel, and tilted his head. "I'm afraid I don't know. I was...outside." he said, his voice somewhat droll. "You take five minutes to meditate, and suddenly everyone almost dies. I think I mentioned my growing love for this place."
He sighed. "But that's just me whining again. I don't actually know anything about that. Just that you were attacked, somebody-or-other healed you, and that Jeremiah went crazy and tried to kill all of you."
He leaned back into his chair, and let his head rest in his hand, nodding at Sebastian. "Our host may know more. He was here for some of that, after all. I think."
There were a lot of technicalities, of course. Jeremiah was a whole lot more than just crazy. There was the whole antagonism between him and Rynkura. There was the question of the battle with the mythos and the whys right there. And then there was Cogidubnus' remark. Frankly, all that moaning about the castle being an uncomfortable place were beginning to become a bit irritating. Stygian didn't want to adress any of it specifically.
"It's nearing half past nine. You weren't out that long," he said, keeping his face and tone neutral. "The mythos was the result of Keaton wandering around the place all on her own. Something I honestly wouldn't mind as much if it were only those who went off alone who suffered the consequences..." he continued, as calmly as if he'd been talking weather, "The healer was a tigress, named Rynkura, apparently. Or Mrs. Msh'Taan, rather, I think we should adress her as. A close relation to Aisha."
With fingers whose careful, exact moves belied their size and strength, the bat poured himself another cup, slipped some minted honey into it and stirred. The ear of the cup itself wasn't large enough to fit more than two of his fingers, but he held it rather steady.
"Is that so?" Cog said. "Msh'taan. I'll remember it." he said, suddenly standing. "In any case, I think it may be time for me to depart. Just keeping company 'till you arrived. Mel being alone and all that."
He made a bow and headed for the door. "If you need anything, I'll be in the ballroom." he said, walking out the door.
"...And that's when we all hid in the castle's boiler room while Sebastian and Mel flash-froze the place to get rid of them..." Aisha continued explaining the story to Rynkura, inbetween helping to fix dinner and warming leftovers back up. The shudder was finally gone from her voice when speaking about the spiders, so that she spoke to her mentor in the most confident way that she could. It was of course the whole story that she knew of, right down to some of the finer details when the tigress asked for them, perhaps with some interjections from the others in the room as well.
Of course, true to the panther's word, Rynkura couldn't really believe some of what she had heard. Her glance had passed from one person to the next, settling briefly on each as parts of the story pertained to them. Gareeku who had freed the bat...all of them who helped to down a powerful archangel (even with a curious glance to the diminutive ferret girl)...and even an imagined thought of Sebastian who had, in his ways, kept a watch on the adventurers. So the castle no longer had a hold upon its curse...but according to the story of the mythos and the spider woman, that didn't mean it wasn't still full of surprises. That could probably also be summed up by Sebastian, if she weren't somewhat cautious to even look at the bat.
"...And you heard the whole Mythos chapter, pienso," Aisha finished while offering some of her fried rice to the others as appetizers. She shook her head with solemnity. "You can imagine it wasn't easy. We have lost a few of our party, mostly newcomers. But we watch out for each other very well, I assure," she said with a smile to Gareeku as she offered him a plate as well.
"So I trust," Rynkura nodded, still leaning on one of the far corners of the kitchen so she wasn't much in the way. Her emerald gaze was focused, but if one looked closely, it was also quite thoughtful. She did however want to turn the conversation away from its somber tones. "This enchanted sword you found...where is it?" She inquired with interest...after all, enchantment was another of her old hobbies.
Aisha only had to point. The blade rested right in the corner where the tigress was, its surface gleaming still as if it had never gathered dust. She gripped the handle and held it in front of her for inspection while the preparations went on. Definitely familiar...
Keaton nodded weakly to Ketefe, ruffling her leathery head-wings atop her scalp and striding alongside the feline, albeit with a significant less amount of confidence in her step than she normally would. Still feeling somewhat shamefaced, perhaps, about being possessed by a malicious Mythos and being driven to the brink of insanity--but who could blame her?
She remained silent throughout their short adventure to the ballroom, either out of rare reclusiveness or just because she needed concentration to locate her mace. Two times had Catastrophe returned to her by the spiritual connections shackling Kytharion's soul within it, but she supposed that the third time wasn't always the charm. She found Catastrophe lying near where Ketefe had abandoned her sword, scooping up the weapon and gingerly inspecting it for any damage.
Satisfied that it was safe, she looked to the taller feline. "Hm?" she blinked. "Well that depends. What do they look like?"
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Bambi was busy with the dinner preparations, completing her stir-fry veggie and rice and ask Gareeku to cut the roast beast, but she seem to make a point of avoiding the tigress and her eyes. Rynnkaru would note that she was "dressed" and clean, if a little more Fae than when she last saw her. Her fae wings were out and large, and her antenna also out and glowing brightly
PBH serves everyone with a smile but just serves Rynkaru with a grim look.
"We talk Aisha, please?" asked Bambi of Aisha after Aisha had finished her story to her mentor and leave Aisha with her mentor...
PBH
As Aisha finished setting out a few more plates, she could finally lean back on the kitchen counter with a light sigh and look around. Bam of course was still busily bringing out food, and even asking Gareeku for help though he looked as if he would rather just start to eat.
So, the panthress watched as Rynkura sat aside and continued to analyze the sword's power, passing some of her own magic through the blade just to see a reaction. The tigress hadn't even noticed that Bambi seemed to avoid her gaze, but Aisha did. She tilted her head curiously. What did she suddenly have against her mentor?
But then the felid asked her to talk, to which she answered with a glare to her back as she walked out. Guess I'll find out.
Shaking her head and rolling her eyes, the panther kicked away from the shelf she was leaning on and followed after the cat. As soon as she was out of the kitchen, however, she stopped and crossed her arms. "And what, may I ask, has you in a snit?" Aisha asked with one eyebrow quirked. One could tell she was quite tired about now and only wished for peace.
Bambi smiles to Aisha takes her out to the kitchen gardens but they can see the other though the window. She turns to Aisha but it fades when she see Aisha's mood.
"*sign* Why do I ...ah we need clothes?" ask Bam with real confused look on her face. But then Bambi realizes that Aisha is upset about her angry at the healer. Why what is the healer to her. wonders Bambi, she looks at the healer through the window.
"*Humph* What be the healers' job after a battle?" asks Bam in a calm but a controlled voice. "What does their Duty call them to do?"
PBH
The panther's look was blank as Bambi asked her questions, in fact she looked more impatient than anything. She watched her with incredulism, shaking her head as soon as she finished and following her gaze to the window where Rynkura stood.
"I thought everyone knew that," Aisha said with a bit of sarcasm. "After battle, healers are bound by their creed to tend to the wounded; either side of the field, neither the worse nor the better." She hummed. "And that's exactly what Rynkura did. She helped Mel. She did what she was asked to do, by you if I was told correctly," Aisha quirked an eyebrow, "yet you are treating her with disdain. Something, in fact, that isn't a very good idea with her status," her voice was a low hiss. "I know her better than anyone, so it is best to trust me on it."
The panthress started to turn back into the house. "And by the way. We have clothes for the simple reason of modesty. Or did you forget that too? Surely you couldn't have, as you were dressed upon coming here. If you don't feel well dressed, that's fine, but it's a courtesy to be so among a crowd."
"Why Tigress not come to Frog when Mel was well?!" shouts Bambi.. "She knew I need her heal for Jeremiah after Mel, I told her and then I send Ketefe to Mel and Rynkaru to remind her about frog. Where she go? She be not with Mel when we last fight Spidy-frog. GRRRR WHY Bam can't talk?"
With tears, Bambi steps deeper further to the garden, turning away from the kitchen, Aisha and the others... Looking over the plants, "I try I try to help. but..."
Aisha stopped in her tracks for just a moment as soon as she heard Bambi's shouting, sighing and shaking her head...though this time with a bit of pity. The felid certainly seemed to have her own bit of bad luck in the castle as well, the same as everyone.
After a moment to calm her frustration the panther came up behind her. "Well, think back. Perhaps Mistress Rynkura didn't know that Jeremiah was affected with anything. And he's still alive with your help, isn't he? That should count for something. And even if she did know...if you're talking about the curse, she couldn't have helped with that," she pointed out. "Mental sickness isn't her specialty. And she couldn't have heard the commotion anyway, being in the library. It's not at all her fault. Else, amiga, she'd have come. Give her the benefit of the doubt for just saving Mel's life."
She gave the felid a light smile. "As for your helping, you're just trying too hard. You seem to want to solve every problem when not everything can be solved with your methods. You are persistent, but sometimes, it's in the wrong way." With that food for thought, Aisha turned back to the house, back toward the kitchen.
To the point and to the truth, she sighed.
With eyes closed Bambi says to the departing Aisha "Maybe Maybe not Jereamiah's curse no, But I met her covered in Frog's blood.. She could have check on me or the frog's wounds" *SIGH*
"And Sorry Aisha, I like being without clothes too much, but I wear them for your sake." remarks Bambi, she waits a moment outside in the garden, and returns to the dinner after Aisha.
PBH
When Cogidubnus rose from his seat, Stygian looked up and raised an eyebrow at him. Did he sense a smell of irritation? Even if not, the suddenness of his action did hint toward discontent. Probably, he himself had caught Stygian's scent, even if he did try to mask it with tobacco and... of course. He had just taken a shower. That meant that he'd have to focus instead. Keeping his emotions and thoughts in darkness was instinctual to him. Like breathing. But suppressing them, to keep them away entirely, even from his smell...
"You don't have to leave," he said. And he didn't. But... "I was just going to ask what you wanted for supper. It's what I promised Mel, at least." It was uncomfortable to have Cog stay, but it was uncomfortable having him go away if it was because he sensed what was going on. And in turn, Stygian himself was complicating things as he was doing now, but...
Stygian shut off the stream of irritated thoughts sharply, and sipped his tea. Focus. He had probably let some irritation slip through there, but even if Cog sensed it, it could probably mean anything to him.
"I brought magic books too. There's something we could discuss. At least, that would probably get Mel to sleep again," he said, and managed a slight smile.
Jeremiah now had several books out in front of him; other volumes of the Castle Annals, books on magic both dark and otherwise, records of strange curses, all that suchlike. Amidst these were pieces of blank parchment and writing supplies that had been left over from earlier calculations regarding the effects of the arachspearians. Fun fact; Jeremiah had never used a quill pen in his life, and was thus often swearing to himself as he inadvertantly blotted out one or another bit of important information in his notes (usually due to Bal taking the time to go "BOO, crazy!" every so often to make the frog jump).
I could take the words out of the books...
Nobody can ever get at anything you take, Plic.
Dun' wanna share my treasures.
So how would your taking them help?
Help?
Forgot who I was talking to... Jeremiah groaned as the formula he'd been working out became another unpleasant smudge. Alright then, he thought, grabbing another piece of paper, what else do I have to work with?
At the top of the page, he wrote "Sources of Information," and underlined it. He added the library to the list first, soon followed by Sebastion. After all, he'd be the caster of the specter curse's closest living relative, mebbe he knew something.
He thought a moment, and then added Mel. She's smart, probably good with magic, all that.
So, what characterized these sources? The library contained a lot of books, but with access to everything it was often impossible to find anything. He drew an arrow from the word "library" and wrote "disorganized."
An arrow from Mel, "Has ability and good reason to kick my ass."
An arrow from Stygian, "Has ability and probably doesn't want a reason to kick my ass." Hmm...
The frog snapped his fingers and added Gina to the list. After all, some of the spirits in her had to know something. One of them was even called the Librarian, for crissakes! Now, what characterized this source? An arrow from her name, "Knucking Futs." What else? "Seems to like Bambi; if loath to help, talk to her." Alright now, what else was there. Ah yes, "Killed the angel."
Waitaminute...
Gina had seemed more lucid since killing the angel.
They never found the angel's body.
That sword did weird things.
The angel spoke in many voices. So did Gina.
They never saw the angel's body.
Gina was more lucid.
A second arrow from Gina's name; "DANGEROUS POSSIBILITIES! Do not entreat without big, scary backup that does not share-" another arrow, leading to Stygian's description. He also added a "Last resort!"
He leaned back in his chair and sighed, passing his hands through his hair (which he'd tied back into a short ponytail to keep out of his face while he researched). No point in jumping to conclusions, but...
Cog paused as was about to exit the doorway, slowing for a moment before he turned around again. "Ah, well, as long as it won't bother Mel too much. By your leave, my lady?" he said, tipping his hat to the resting dragon. He walked over to a chair, and filled his cup with tea before sitting back down.
"I can smell a roast, so if you do get dinner, some of that is always lovely." he said, taking another sip of the citrus flavored drink. "And as far as magic goes, I had quite a few questions indeed. Quite a few."
He grinned. "For example. I know the exact spell and ritual for summoning Ixion, god of lightning. And, no, I haven't tried to actually summon him. But, I know how. I know how to throw the most powerful bolt of lightning ever devised. But..."
He stretched, made the gesture for a minor spark, and the spell fizzled on his fingertips. "My form is perfect, but nothing really works. It's...vexing. And I have no idea why." he said, finally leaning forward, and sipping a little more tea. "Perhaps you could enlighten me?"
"I'm fine." the wolf had muttered flatly when Bam had asked if there was something that would like. As the others conversed amongst themselves, Gareeku just sat there, seemingly staring into space as the smell of the roast beef grew more apparent. Upon being asked to cut the roast, the wolf did so, albeit reluctantly. Carving the meat and setting the slices upon a different place, Gareeku then set the plate of meat on the table, before beginning to pick atthe rice that Aisha had given to him.
The spark sizzled between Cog's fingers for a brief moment, and then died down. His form was perfect, yes. But there had been barely enough magic in that one to make it work. It might have been just for demonstrative purpose, but...
Stygian's gaze then fell on Mel. And he pondered. With a pensive look, he sipped his tea. Then, he chuckled.
"I'm wondering... Maybe we should start a club for dysfunctional magicians?" he said with only partly acted humor. "From what I've seen... You, Cog, should have a good deal of potential, being a were. But if you can't use your feral form, then..." Steering clear of that topic wasn't going to happen, but they didn't have to attack it immediately. So, instead, he turned to Mel again, and set his gaze firmly on her.
"You, on the other hand, certainly don't lack power. However, I was very surprised when you couldn't just freeze the castle down by yourself. By all means, you should have been able to on short notice. So I'm guessing you're more lacking in the practice or knowledge department." That might have been harsh to say, but it was still true. He shifted his gaze between them. "In short, you two are each other's perfect opposite when it comes to magic. And me... Well, I'm a 'special' case too."
Cog looked away for a moment, the recollection of that particular moment making him uncomfortable. His face sobered, and he started up again. "That's...only a problem during a full moon. But...I don't know." he said, suddenly staring rather intensely at the teapot.
He sighed, and sipped his drink. "I lack raw power, is what you're saying. Understandable, I guess. Never really cast spells before in my life."
He muttered under his breath, and flicked his thumb like a lighter, creating a very small, flickering flame. "Not something that one can just fix though, I'll guess." he said. He frowned with irritation as the little fire flickered and died. He set the hand on his lap and turned back to the bat.
He idly tapped his cup. "Special? How so?"
Bambi sighs, she is more angry at herself, now. The healer may not have know how serious the frog was, and in the end, she would have been in a battle for her life with Bambi as her only defender. Also, she realized that she was a coward not to bring this to the healer, herself.
Bambi smiles at Gareeku for carving the roast and gives him a hug and beer, that she found in the back of the icebox, someone forgot about. Seeing that everyone seated had food, she goes and pours some wine for anyone who wants some. On the fresh second bottle, she has come to the Healer and sits by her.
"Why you not help Jeremiah after Mel?" Bam asks the healer with sad eyes and small voice.
PBH
Ketefe looked and felt a little embarrassed about having to describe who she was looking for. Keaton was sure to guess just what her connection to them was, and if there was one thing Ketefe hated, it was telling sob stories, even her own. But hell with it. Keaton needed to know if she wanted to help, even if their descriptions had changed from the time Ketefe had seen them. So Ketefe breathed once and continued.
"Well, one's a man and the other's a woman. Both are feline. The man should be in his mid-to-late forties, and he has the same fur and hair color as me, but no stripes. He's a little over 6 feet tall and has a medium muscular build. The woman is of average height, but she might be shorter than me. She has purple fur with light purple stripes, and dark purple hair. It would also help if you'd seen them together, but if not, that's fine." She fervently hoped that they'd been together, and waited for the jackal's response.
Rynkura had watched Aisha and Bam leave from the corner of her vision, only with a small amount of curiosity before she returned to her work on analyzing the relic in her hands. The panthress had said that the blade caught fire as she swung it...but what she seemed to be looking at was a mix of strange properties that tied into whomever used it.
Hm, this will have to be tested later, the tiger thought to herself as she rested the sword back into the corner of the kitchen, just as Aisha came back in with what seemed to be a look of exasperation in her crimson eyes, as well as a bit of sadness in those of Bambi. Yet she did not question, as it wasn't her place; instead she seated herself on the table and started to partake of the roast, giving thanks to those who prepared it beforehand, while Aisha sat to the side and simply watched everything that went on.
But as the small feline asked her question, Rynkura looked up from her food and glanced without moving her head. "So you've decided to say what the trouble is, child. Certainly better than sulking. Now...Jeremiah, you say? Ah, yes, the frog whom I had met coming out of the library. He seemed to be alive, at least, yes?"
She smiled softly. "I indeed noticed upon your meeting me that you were covered in a different color of blood. But you had been quite hasty--with good reason--in pointing me to the direction of the one most in need of help; you did not mention the frog, nor did you mention what kinds of injuries he had, whether or not they were life-threatening. But I still entrusted you to take care of him whilst I couldn't. And you lived up to that trust, am I right?"
There was a gleam in the old tiger's eyes that said that she certainly knew she was. "One of the things I teach my pupils in the art of healing is that no matter what, the one in the most need goes first. Things like cuts and scrapes can be fixed by anyone. And sensible ones know that you cannot always depend on a healer for every little injury." Her gaze was intense, but kind. "Just keep that in mind, child, and do not be angry with me if I again fail to fulfill what I know others can."
Keaton inclined her head back as she finished listening attentively to Ketefe's description, cupping her finely-sculpted chin in her hand and gazing up at the immense, dust-encrusted chandelier dangling from the ceiling.
"Huh..." she muttered, drumming her foot against the ground. Finally, she resigned, giving a disappointed sigh as she glanced back to Ketefe. "I'm sorry to say I haven't seen anyone matching that description. I mean, I'm 500 years old but I spent most of it in isolated areas."
Slight shrug. Keaton looked genuinely apologetic, a gesture which was entirely foreign to her. "Sorry..."
~Keaton the Black Jackal
It was a tricky question, but a good one. And it might give a bit of perspective. Also, it didn't really give any significant hints, so Stygian was ready to answer it. That was, without twisting his words too much.
"It's complicated. Suffice to say that in order to achieve the kind of... power," he said, with a bit of hesitation. After all, it was arguable just what it was. "...the kind of power that I possess, you have to sacrifice a few things." Slowly, he sipped his tea, and then sighed. "It requires changing yourself, your soul, so much that the spark that usually is what creates magical talent is... taken away. Everything is dedicated to one end. In essence, you specialize yourself. It's the only way to really ascend to the next step of power."
It was not the only sacrifice. Though he would not tell them so directly. There was no meaning in that.
Ketefe watched the elegant jackal and waited for her reply. Upon hearing the negative response, she sighed. "Oh well," she shrugged. She'd half-expected this anyway; there was no guarantee that they were still alive, and if they were, they'd be living in crowded places so they'd be harder to find. "Maybe the others have seen them."
Her stomach growled, reminding her of where the others were at the moment. "Let's get to the kitchen," she suggested, smiling to let Keaton know she wasn't upset.
With a sigh of defeat,"*sigh* So few words, Bam got back. Be tired ov misun'er sterand in's..uh Live up to? close to kill him. I be. OH Peace, healer. Eat and I go eat too." said Bambi as she calms herself and goes to get some food for herself.
Bambi was in the middle of serving herself, when Ketefe and Keaton enters in the kitchen. She smiles at them and hands them a plate each, and shows them what food they could have. Roast Beast, streamed rice, and stir-fried mixed vegatables. That sweet rice from earlier, scones and jams.
"Com' and eat" says PBH to Ketefe and Keaton
Keaton nearly released a sigh of relief at Ketefe's words, happily hefting her mace so it rested heavily against her shoulder. Being nearly her height, Catastrophe looked like it should've weighed more than one of Keaton's stature could lift, but thanks to a number of charms cast on it, it was as easy to swing as a feather in the breeze.
"Well, glad I wasn't too useless," Keaton said with a roll of her eyes, managing a smirk.
Upon Ketefe's suggestion that they return to the kitchen, Keaton nodded her head acquiescently. "Well I don't eat, but let's get there before they think I've gone crazy again," Keaton would've laughed under normal circumstances, but instead looked sheepishly off to the side, like she wished she hadn't mentioned that atrocious incident. Right outside the door, Keaton flexed her shoulders, rolling them slightly, then strode into the kitchen behind Ketefe.
Time to continue being a bitch to everyone and act like nothing's bothering me.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
She's still upset about the Mythos, Ketefe realized when Keaton looked sheepish about her own joke. But it wasn't her fault, as far as I know. After a brief amazed look at Keaton lifting a mace as big as herself without even straining, Ketefe talked to the kitchen with the succubus in tow.
She grinned when Bam handed them each a plate and gestured to a table full of food. "Don't need to tell me twice," she purred as she walked to the table, took a slice of meat and some steamed rice, pulled out a chair and sat. She glanced around her shoulders and smiled.
"Geez. I keep expecting something bad to happen now that I can relax. This castle is making me paranoid," she smiled.
Cog sat quietly, not quite sure what to make of Sebastian's words. He poured a cup of tea to distract himself, his face pensive.
"That sounds like a great deal of sacrifice. At least, a great deal of change..." he said, adding a bit of sugar to his cup. "All for the sake of power. But I still doubt I understand exactly what you mean." he said, leaning back. He regarded Sebastian and half-smiled. "And, yet. You've not quite explained yourself, excepting that it took a great deal of change on your part."
He raised a hand. "I'm not saying divulge your secrets, good sir. From what I understand, that's somewhat a faux pas among spellcasters. Although..." he sipped his tea, and paused for a few moments before continuing. "I've yet to see you cast a conventional spell. Not like Mel, certainly. And...I've never seen someone who can do what you can do with shadow. I suppose I've answered my own question." he said, shrugging. "In exchange for the ability to use magic conventionally...ah, well. Listen to me ramble."
He gulped his drink. "Dysfunctional magic users indeed. Yet, it's the strange ones that are hard to kill. If I may ask?" He said, tilting his head. "I'm still somewhat curious as to what can be done with Mel and I."
Stygian sighed, and his cup clinked faintly as he set it down on its small saucer. He put it down, and then began pouring himself some more.
"I paid a price, so that I could fulfil my revenge upon my family for... doing what they did to me. So that I would never have to depend on anyone else again," he said, and put half a spoon of honey in his cup and stirred. "So that I could free myself, and so I would never again have to fear the darkness." Cryptic as that statement was, it should have given them some idea, and slowly he brought his cup to his lips and sipped, waiting for his words to settle, before he set it down again.
"The idea is to... sacrifice for a cause. Very symbolical. In return, one transcends to a new state of power, of being, and takes on an... aspect, if you would. It really is a tad bit more complex than that, but roughly, that is what happens." He could have told them about the religious connotations to it all, but he wasn't sure how much they knew about that, not to mention what they believed. It would have been a bad move altogether, in fact, for other reasons as well.
"As for you two... Well, in Mel's case, I'd guess that it is only a matter of education, of getting down what she must to allow her to tap into all that power, and practice. And to get around what she can't learn. You though..." he said, and looked at Cog over his cup as he raised it. "I have much less of an idea what might be wrong with you. In fact, I have as good as none." He sipped, and then set it down again. "Believe me, if I knew I would tell you. But as experienced as I might be, I, like anyone else, know only a small part of all that is magic. And I am not a therapist."
Mel looked at her teacup as if she was reading tea leaves. "I have an education. A good one. But it was a long time ago and I certainly lack the practice in the grand spells. Although the last days wouldn't prove it I actually live a rather low-key life. I don't know if I even remember the grand spells after all these millenia." The pendant felt as if it weighed a ton, reminding her of the shortcomings it masked. Little weak spells for the little weak dragon.
Ketefe ate in silence for a minute or two, but questions began to buzz around in her head because of the quiet.
"Hey, um..." she spoke up to the general room. "This might seem like a weird question, and it probably doesn't have a straight answer, but... seriously. What's up with this place? Traps? Mythos? Brainwashing spiders? Is it cursed or is Stygian just really paranoid and has a weird way of installing security? The people in town seemed to step around this place if anyone got curious, especially outsiders." Like me, she left hanging.
As Mel spoke, the bat's face, turned to her, did not seem to alter very much. However, somehow there was something that made its way into his expression, a mix of curiosity, contemplation and even concern. He tilted his head just slightly to the left, and kept his black-eyed gaze on her. Did he want to risk being impolite with her? She hadn't moved, but that gaze and the feeling... Yes, that feeling. Shame. She wasn't too bad a liar, but he was a master, even if it wasn't a thing he took pride in.
"I see. Well, in that case..." he said, and sipped his tea again. She was missing the point too. It wasn't about the spells. What he had felt in that circle he remembered very well; she was terribly powerful, a well of untapped potential. This close, he could even feel it, like basking one's hands over a fire. Except, of course, in her case it also felt like placing one's palms in freezing water as well. "In that case, I think that a bit of practice would do you good. That library is going nowhere. And there is much still to do here, if this place is to become the least bit manageable. That is, if you are staying. Though one still wonders just why." He chuckled and shot Cog a short glance, before he could stop himself. He had meant to comment on his words from earlier, but now it would probably have seemed like he had instead discreetly told the wolf to piss off. He was being too damn clumsy.
If Cog was offended, he gave no sign to show it. He nodded at Sebastian's words and gulped the last of his tea down, setting the cup to the side.
"Who knows? Perhaps a little practice might do me good as well. Or perhaps we'll stumble upon something else useful. And getting this place a little easier to live in would be nice too," he laughed. He poured himself another cup, and sat back in his chair.
"Aren't you forgetting something, though?" he said to the bat, his face suddenly serious, and inclined his head toward Mel. His face seemed stern, but he stared at the bat with mirthful eyes. Hid behind those dark lenses, of course, he betrayed little such emotion.
Both Aisha and Rynkura looked up from their eating upon hearing Ketefe's inquiry, one with an amused look on her face and the other with what would call a solemn seriousness. But it was the panther who spoke after recieving a nod from the tigress. She laughed. "That's what the lot of us originally intended to find out when we came here, muchacha, and still hope to find. But the castle was actually a lot more menacing than this, before we had to take care of a powerful archangel."
She glanced around the room. "What was her name again? Sath-something? Some sort of relation to the bat." She shrugged. "But the rest of the curses around here now most likely have nothing to do with him, seeing as before we came he was imprisoned for a number of years..." she paused upon saying that. They hadn't been in the castle long enough to really be sure of who wanted to curse who.
Rynkura's gaze meanwhile was turned away from the group, feigning ignorance as she ate through her share of the roast. After all, she could not yet be bothered to let others know what she knew.
Ketefe's eyes widened as she listened to Aisha. "Archangel?" That's the last kind of person I expected Stygian to be related to. She stared into her plate for a second, pondering both this and why anyone would want to trap Stygian. Yes, he was scary and most certainly powerful, but what had he done to get himself imprisoned here?
"When you say you 'took care of' the archangel, do you mean you had to fight her?" she said, looking at Aisha. "And how'd you guys find out about the castle in the first place?" No wonder the townspeople had avoided telling Ketefe about this place. If suspicious stuff had been going on here ever since Stygian was imprisoned... Just how deadly was this place?
The point was hardly lost on Stygian. He took a final sip from his cup, then set it down with a minimal clatter, and exhaled slowly.
"Well, not really. Remember the decorum," he said. "And we need to know whether she'll take something for supper before we leave." He turned his face toward Mel, head still tilted and looking anticipating. "I could cook something up myself. It doesn't take too much time."
Mel set down her teacup and stifled a yawn. She had barely closed her eyes when the commotion in the hall had pulled her out of bed and exhaustion was catching up with her. She was sore, and dizzy, and tired. She managed a smile. "I am hungry, but I'm not too fussy right now except that it be meaty. For some reason I'm feeling a bit anemic." She looked at the blood trail across the room and the smile went a little crooked. "I wonder why?"
Cog laughed. "A little weakness can be excused under the circumstances, I think. I smell a bit of rice along with that roast. Perhaps some greens. Those would be good for the blood. I think. Dragons eat greens, yes?" Cog said, a grin suffusing his face. Taking his cup, he stood and made a bow to the dragon. "I hope you start feeling better quickly, Ms. Icewing. I expect dinner will be back shortly." he said, walking towards the door.
Bambi finished her dinner. and set up a meal tray for Mel with extra meat... She wonders where the Bat and the wolf are? Most of the others were finishing their meals, too, when Bambi takes the tray up to Mel, and knocks on her bedroom door.
The fae feline hears a faint cry from a wild overgrown dark garden courtyard just outside the hallway's windows. Yet, Hearing a Cog coming at Mel's door, Bambi turns back to Mel bedroom. with Mel's supper.
PBH
Finishing the meat and rice, Gareeku gave thanks to Bam who had given him and hug and beer. Taking a gulp of the beer, the wolf observed the others as they conversed with each other, among other things.
Aisha let out a light sigh, the sound coming from her nostrils as her mouth was full of food. She swallowed and then glanced back at the newcomer with a quirked eyebrow. "We followed rumors. Or, I did. The same should be true with the others. And then we let curiosity lead us into a trail to Hell," the panthress chuckled, mostly at the irony in the words due to the fact that it was partially true.
Her eyes then turned dark. "And yes, we did have to fight her. She had the entire castle under her control, sending out demons and giant wolves and things of that nature. It was Sebastian and Gina who both dispatched her in the end, with that sword," she nodded to the holy blade that sat in the corner.
With a last gulp, the panthress placed the empty plate in the sink and washed it. "But, I can't answer every question about this place. Only the bat could, and I doubt he'd want to anyway," she smirked slightly.
She heard a soft chuckle as Rynkura came up behind her and also placed her plate in the sink. "Chica, many questions are best left unanswered."
His ears twitching with the activity nearby, and his nostrils flaring for just a second, Stygian got to his feet.
"That's your supper, unmistakably. I hope you like the roast. Though it seems she makes it rather sweet..." he muttered, and followed suit with Cog. He was sitting closer to the door, so he reached and opened it first, and made a shallow bow in his and then Mel's direction. When the door was open, he looked out and faced Bam with one of those black-eyed, blank stares meant to discomfort. It shouldn't be quite enough to scare her. But then, that was probably inevitable.
"Yes? Thank you for that. You can place it in here. Was there anything else?" he said pertinently, stifling a smirk.
"Schoo, schoo, Tray be Mels alone.." says Bambi and walks pass the bat with an annoyed look. "There be dinner for boys, Down in kitchen"....
Bambi places the tray with enough meat for three tigers, in front of the dragon.
"Eat up Mel. All for it, and you need sleep." commands the little Fae-feline girl. She hover over Mel with her arms crossed, to ensure that Mel would eat.
PBH
Mel took the plate from Bam appreciatively. "Thank you very much. It looks very nice, Bambi." After a moment she realized that the feline intended to watch over her to make sure she cleaned the plate. For some reason this struck her funny, probably because she was millennia older than the girl. "You don't need to watch me, Bambi. I'm not going to hide the vegetables in the flowerpot. I haven't done that since I was 5,000. I promise I will eat my meal and then take a nap. You can trust me. Go have enjoy your meal with the others."
Jeremiah considered the option of joining the others and discarded it. They probably wanted little to do with him right now; best use this time constructively and keep researching. He'd found an interesting lead for when all this was over; information on a fae who was considered a master of curses named Puck the Nth. Something to keep in mind relating to his preexisting condition. Then again, if he ever got close to figuring out how to do it Plic would probably just steal the answer from under him, but it was a start.
As he continued going over old castle records relating to old curses, he studiously avoided looking at the piece of parchment he'd written his observations relating to Gina on. If I'm wrong, I could end up in deep trouble. If I'm right, the frog shuddered, Then after dying, the angel jumped ship to someone whose body was allegedly a motel for wandering souls and not telling the others will also get me in trouble. Bah, I'm getting ahead of myself. Focus on the specter for now, and see about whether that problem even exists later.
"thanks but No No me eat before..." says Bambi as blushes for being so demanding of her mentor. She goes to see if there is any tea left and is disappointed that the tea pot is empty After setting the teapot down a hard clang, she shouts "humpt Men!" Sweeping up the tea tray, She heads out the door and down towards the kitchen...
Once again outside Mel's room, Bambi again hears that faint cry or scream from the garden below, She turns and looks to see only dead trees and vines in the light of twilight expect of one large pale green tree in the moonlight. The tree is a willow that is tall and bright surrounded by the dead garden..like a candle in a stormy night. She blinks her eyes but then only sees the hallway and the darkening windows. She shakes her head and goes back to the kitchen with the tea tray.
PBH
Suddenly, there was the quick, dry sound of a pair of very light steps behind Jeremiah, and he heard a familiar voice calling him, just down the aisle of bookshelves.
"Hey. What's up? Don't you want supper?" Gina said, looking up at him with concern, her eyes still a pallid, clear white like polished porcelain. "I don't think that it's a good idea to be walking around just like this. I'm getting worried for the others too. They're wandering around so much."
- -
Having slipped out and closed the door behind him, Stygian stood and looked around for just a moment, before straightening and turning in the direction of the kitchen.
"Well then. I guess I'll retire," he said, not quite straight to Cog but certainly directed to him, before slowly starting to walk down the corridor, headed for the kitchen to pick up what little he wanted for supper, and to be gone.
With the room cleared and silent Mel realized how tired she was. She slowly worked her way through the meal. She knew she needed the food to recover from her injuries and that she would sleep much better on a full stomach, but without distractions she found her attention more on the bed than the food. She was sure it was good but she was barely tasting it. But she dutifully cleaned the plate before crossing the room, kicking her short boots off and laying down for a nap.
Jeremiah was a nervous man, and a frog at that. He tended toward being somewhat jumpy.
"Gah!" he whirled around and grinned nervously at Gina, "N-Nah, I'm good for now. I doubt the others want much to do with me at the moment. Not too hungry anyway. Bit safer for them to wander anywho, what with the big swords and magical power and suchlike. They're better prepared for dealing with anything that might show up. I'm better off staying in the nice, safe, repository of ancient and possibly cursed tomes," he sat down again, wringing his hands nervously, "You sound a lot better than you did before. More collected. You feel alright?" he chuckled as he hurriedly stuffed the paper he'd made his notes on into his pocket, "I remember when we first found ya. Feeling better?"
Aisha chuckled as she set her dishes away after washing them, having listened to her mentor's statement. "You know as well as I do, Mistress, that those questions often lead to the most benefit. And only creates more curiosity," the black jaguaress added with a smirk as she dried her arms on a towel, glancing to the tiger as she grabbed her staff. "But I do have one that I hope does warrant an answer. How long is it do you plan on staying?" Her head tilted.
There was only a second of hesitation from Rynkura. Her ears pinned back slightly, before she barked a laugh and turned back to her with a quirked eyebrow. "You want to be rid of me already, niña? I'm hurt." The smile she wore was one of warmth, countering the slightly indignant look that Aisha gave her in return. "It is up to the castle's master whether I shall stay or go ultimately, but..." she turned her emerald gaze to the window. "The sky has darkened, and wise travelers do not start a journey under the moon. I may be here for the night, if allowed. As I assume the rest of you will be."
Looking around at the others in the room with a nod, she also gave them a look that, when read, signaled caution. "But if I'm correct in what I have heard, I would too be careful when sleeping in this place."
" 'Sleep with a blade in drawing distance...' " Aisha recited with a smirk. "We're fine, señora. You have a good night."
With another gentle smile, Rynkura nodded and started out of the kitchen, also bidding everyone a farewell in turn. The healer always made a discipline out of going to bed just a smidge early--Aisha knew it well--and thus it was also wise to even find a room in the grand interior of a palace beforehand. The white tigress did give a quiet sigh of relief upon stepping out of the door, however. As long as she does not ask why I am here, just yet.
Watching her leave, the panthress lingered in the kitchen, not really too sleepy as of yet, but quite satisfactorily full with her meal. She stared at the ceiling with a distant, concerned look. "I wonder where the others are. I hope they're not starving, there's plenty left."
Cog sighed at the bat's comments, and trotted somewhat to catch up with him. "Retire? You haven't even eaten. At least, not that I've seen." Cog said, coming up alongside the bat. "Besides, it's barely even nine thirty. You can't be thinking about bed yet."
They both were heading to the kitchen, so he assumed that Sebastian was indeed going to get some food. "At the very least, you're going to have to come out of that room sometime, if only for more booze." he said, grinning. "And there's always magic to talk about. If you don't mind, we could go to the library. See if there's some reason why a gerbil on a wheel could generate more magical energy than I."
Stygian turned his eyes to Cog for a brief second, and then looked forward, sighing.
"It's not that you're not actually generating the energy, so much as you're not using it. Your form may be perfect but your feeling..." he muttered. But he couldn't really get off the topic as easily as that. The wolf would be on it. "And what business is it of yours anyway? I thought we were clear. And my sleeping habits shouldn't be your concern either." His tone wasn't perfectly rid of irritation, nor was his posture, but he didn't care in this case. "There's a day tomorrow too, and I'm sure you can ask Rynkura for some things too. I'm fi..."
Suddenly, the bat made a sound in his throat, missing a step and just catching himself. He slowed, and steadied himself on a wall slightly with his right hand, his left halfway raised. He almost gritted his teeth, but then exhaled and began pacing again, muttering.
"I'm perfectly allright."
At the bat's words, Cog merely inclined his head and nodded. "As you say. And we are clear. I bid you a good evening, then." he said, coming to a stop as Sebastian suddenly stopped and grabbed the wall for support.
"Are you...allright?" he said, Sebastian answering his question for him. Cog stood still for a moment, his face painted with concern. The bat simply kept moving. He watched him keep walking for a moment, and jogged again to catch up. He wished to say something, but... the bat would simply take it as more interference. Cog kept his mouth shut as they both walked to the kitchen.
Bambi returns to the kitchen to drop off the tea tray, and smiles the tigress and the panther. "Thanks", she says as hands the dishes to them. And heads to the library, she hears Gina and Jeremiah.
Bambi feels guilty on not worrying about Gina, but she stops by the door out of sight of Gina and the frog to listen. She asks these questions of Gina, but she was unable or unwilling to answer her. Maybe she had an answer now for the Frog, who seem afraid of the ferret girl for some reason.
PBH
Gina smiled, somewhat uncertainly, at Jeremiah and looked to the floor for a second.
"Yeah. Much better," she said, and then smirked. "I really don't think you should be walking around on your own though. No matter what the others are doing." There was something out of place with that smile, however friendly it was. "Everything is nice and calm and safe right now, and we wouldn't want that to change, now would we?" she continued, slowly walking closer and looking up at the frog with her alabaster stare. She stopped a few steps short of him, and her expression changed to one of serious sincerity.
"Please don't cause trouble. There's been enough trouble already," she said, her gaze as solid as white marble.
- -
Snarling shortly, Stygian kept up his stride, until he and Cog arrived at the kitchen. Once there, the bat went through the things from before, producing another plastic bag of blood, and then a bit of meat and fruit to go with that. Getting a glass, he set the things on a tray to bring with him.
"Thanks, Aisha. No, we're not ignoring the food," he said, without looking at the panthress, and then continued, directing his words to Cog.
"I just don't see why you'd want to worry or bother; it's not a problem to you. The library is open, and though I don't think you'll find it easier than being instructed..." He finished setting the things on the tray, and poured some blood into the glass, sipping it.
"I've already apologized, and I'm not out to put you off. I just want to be left alone if no one wants me around and I'm not needed." That was being as frank as he could.
Cog raised an eyebrow at the bat. "If you need to rest, go ahead." he said, grabbing a plate. "And if you want to be left alone, by all means. But, to answer you, yes, I want you around." he said, a little emphasis on the last part. "But don't feel obligated. Do what you want." he said, putting a smattering of a few things on his plate. "But again, yes. I want you to stay."
He found a stool to sit down on. "As for why I'd want to worry or bother, well." he said, a bit of irony entering into his voice. "I don't see why my worrying or bothering is any business of yours." he said, paraphrasing the bat.
Jeremiah inched back further into his chair from the approaching ferret. This could mean a thousand different things. The trouble she's referring to his causing could be about his earlier affliction, or it could be for exposing her cover, or for making it look like she was the angel when she wasn't. The thing about safety could be a threat, a warning, both, or honest concern expressed by a still mildly befuddled mind.
But whatever she was, Legion, angel, young woman stuck with him and the others in all this trouble, maniac, damn creepy, there was one thing she was right about.
For tonight, there had been enough trouble.
"I'm glad you're doing better, Gina," Jeremiah smiled pleasantly. Angel or being, he felt bad for her. He was a sucker for the maligned monster; that was why he'd set out the pancakes for the spider woman, because she'd been through so much. So had this girl, whatever she was. The others would have to be alerted, in some inconspicuous way that would negate any mistrust he'd be treated with, but for now things were safe and there had been enough trouble. He stood up.
"I think I'll take your advice. After all, I'd claimed before I would keep an eye on you and did an awful job. Mebbe you're the one who knows best."
Smiling, the ferret nodded to the frog and made something almost like a small giggle.
"Thanks. I wouldn't know, but..." she said, and turned a bit. "You're sweet. But don't be lying now. That would be very bad. For everyone."
Her face didn't change, but there was the slightest bit of firmness put into that last statement, before she stepped around and walked off, heading back in the direction of the kitchen, something unavoidably deceptively innocent about her appearance and demeanour.
- -
There was a sort of slap when Stygian set his glass down on its foot, much harder than needed. He turned and directed his black gaze toward the wolf, his face a sort of scowl, though not an entirely angry one. There seemed to be more hints of sadness in it.
"Don't try and turn it around like that! It doesn't make sense. Neither part of it. But sure, I will oblige," he said, picking up a grape and popping it into his mouth.
"If it will be enough. I've told time and again that I did not ask for being your host and being responsible, but..." He stopped, not wanting to digress, and then sighed.
"I don't mess around; not like that. And even if you are being honest, you may still not know what you're actually saying. That's the way it always is." His gaze was firm and hard, solidly locked on Cog.
The Library
Bambi starts walking into the library, and gives a mischievous grin to the ferret on see her demeanour.
"Oooo Gina, where Cream? and bad girl in no sharing with me" teases Bambi as she hugs the little ferret.
"and Gina not scare Jeremiah, how he learn to be good?" she asks Gina with a wink. "Come Jeremiah, dinner almost over, lets see whats left for you"
Bambi leads the way back to the kitchen with Gina by her side "Sorry, Gina, I be carin' for Mel and forgot you", she apologizes."but Dragon will be well, now and you stuck with me"
At the Kitchen, Bambi hands the frog a plate and helps him get some food from what was left. She and Gina gathered the empty serving plates and pots and takes them to Aisha and Rynkura. Cog and Stygain continue their debate as Bambi and Gina clean the empty tables and help finish washing the dishes.
PBH
Aisha's ears quirked suddenly as she heard voices from beyond the kitchen door, just some moments after Rynkura had left the room. From the sound of it, they didn't seem to have run into her, but instead the familiar voices were engaged in their own discussion until they entered, Sebastian especially with what seemed like haste.
"Well, good," she chuckled at his reply, though he didn't seem to notice her otherwise. After a pause, the panthress shrugged and also nodded in greeting to Cogidubnus before turning back to the sink and noticing that some of the others had just left their dishes in there to wash. With a hum, she decided to clean those too, just out of politeness. They better not think I'd make it a habit... she grumbled to herself, but in a light-hearted fashion nonetheless.
It was hard to stay that way however, listening to Cog's banter with the bat, and still when there were others in the room. The panthress said nothing during the exchange at first, feeling it neither necessary nor in her place to do so. More likely than not, it could be resolved without help. The rest seemed to have the same kind of idea.
As Bambi came back to help with the last of the dishes, Aisha muttered a quick thanks and dried her hands, then pulled the sleeves back down to her wrists, though she had forgotten that one was still ripped. Another day, another repair, she smirked, glancing towards Gareeku. Necessary, nontheless.
"Ketefe," the panther suddenly said as she turned, tilting her head slightly. "Now that you've heard what we went through in this place, are you planning on staying anyway?" Her eyebrows quirked. "Just out of curiosity. We have bad luck with newcomers," she smirked, but the look in her eyes showed that she was just joking around about that part. Mostly.
* * *
In another part of the castle, somewhere on the second level already, Rynkura walked the dark halls alone with only her staff clacking on the floor for an accompanying sound, echoing across the corridors in short intervals. The tigress wasn't as intimidated by the hollowness of the building as she had upon first entering, but it still had that feel to it.
The healer found an unoccupied room easily at least, as shown by the sheets on the ornate bed having gathered little disturbance in its folds and dust. It was as if it had been centuries since it was used...the tigress probably couldn't say time went that far, but then again, it was hard to really know. Years always went fast, with many changes and no mercy. It mattered nothing as to what race you were, that was the truth.
I never thought that I would even be in this place again, much less sleep in it, Rynkura thought to herself while closing the door and placing the staff to stand next to the head of the bed, as well as untying her sky-painted cloak from around her neck, hanging it over the relic. Without its protective shadows, it could be seen that she wore a strap around her shoulder, carrying a sheath with a shortsword on her back. Indistinguishable unless one looked for it.
"With a blade in drawing distance," she muttered to herself with a slight grin and leaned on the windowsill, watching and listening to the night instead of falling asleep right away. Aisha knew how to protect herself at least. Rynkura's emerald eyes narrowed...now the healer just had to be used to it here.
Cog raised an eyebrow as he munched on his food, but kept himself silent. He wanted to snap back with something snarky, but...that wasn't going to help things. He took a breath, and carefully chewed and swallowed a piece of roast before speaking again.
"Thank you for coming with me." he said, his voice sincere, and kind. "And, yes, I am being honest."
He declined to comment further, instead busying himself with his food. Despite himself, he found himself worrying about Ms. Msh'Taan's leaving, presumably for bed, by herself. Cog's face soured for a moment. Bad idea., he thought.
Ketefe listened patiently to Aisha's ominous summary of the battle with the archangel, glancing surprisedly at Gina when Aisha said that the ferret and Stygian had taken care of the archangel. Never did learn much about her this whole time, did I? Wonder what she can do... Ketefe pondered. Then Stygian and Cog walked in, and Ketefe couldn't help but stare as Stygian poured himself a glass of what was unmistakably blood. The smell was faint to others, but overbearing to her. Breathing through her slightly-open mouth, she tried to continue eating the little that was left of her dinner without looking at Stygian. She smiled at Bam, Gina and Jeremiah when they walked in, but quickly went back to her food. For some reason, smiling around Stygian felt weird.
Then Aisha asked if Ketefe was going to stay now that she knew of the dangers in this place. She looked at the panthress and shrugged. "I do still wanna help out here - it's the least I can do for basically breaking in. But I probably won't stay for more than a few days - my boyfriend back home might get worried. Besides, the reason I came to this town is because I have to find two people and I've been looking for a long time. They're not in town, as far as I can tell." She didn't add that she didn't even know if they were still alive or not. They could hear the story later if they thought they could help.
Jeremiah simply followed Bambi and Gina obediently and took what food he was offered, figuring a full mouth would keep him from doing anything stupid like talking to the others. He chowed down and kept to himself.
Slowly sipping the blood in his glass, Stygian leaned with a hand on the counter, closing his black eyes and flaring his nostrils a bit, murring as he enjoyed it. Lazily, he picked up a piece of well-fermented cheese off a plate and slipped it into his mouth between sips, slowly letting it melt and rubbing it against the roof of his mouth, the strong, sour and somewhat salty but creamy taste contrasting the irony sweetness of the blood perfectly. He got a slice of roast and started getting some dark bread to lay it out on, when he suddenly sniffed, and then looked over at Ketefe.
"I'm really sorry to be discomforting you..." he said, his face suddenly hinting a smile. He did resist the urge to give Cog a look for that though. "We haven't had any other visitors here. And if they actually reached the castle before all this happened, then... well..."
Leaving that sentence unsaid, he returned to the roast, having another glass and garnishing the sandwich with a bit of pepper before taking a bite out of the slightly reddish meat.
Oh crap, Ketefe thought, he noticed. She looked up at Stygian and smiled apologetically. "Sorry. I have kind of a sensitive nose, and I didn't want to seem impolite. And as for my... for the people I'm looking for," she corrected herself, "I didn't really expect them to be at the castle anyway."
She glanced at her plate and swallowed the mouthful of rice that was left, then snagged a scone. She didn't really feel like leaving yet, and besides, she had nowhere to go.
Aisha nodded as Ketefe finished her piece, leaning her back against the counter's edge with her arms crossed. "Indeed, and sad to say we haven't come across any others in this place but ourselves. Otherwise you would have been told," she smirked slightly. "But then again I doubt we have been through every floor. And I doubt that Mistress Rynkura will stay for too long either. As for the rest of us..." she shrugged. "We haven't been called to anything more interesting."
As the panthress finished her sentence, Jeremiah had walked back into the kitchen beneath everyone's notice. She at least gave him a nod of greeting...she was open to the possibility that what had happened wasn't all the frog's fault, and it was in the past anyway, if recent.
Aisha kept silent as Sebastian spoke to Ketefe, setting her chin down to her neck and closing her eyes in a posture of some content; her ears kept to the duty of listening to the room. Though her food had been finished, Aisha still felt no reason to go off by herself as her mentor had, and instead waited to see what some of the others would do. The panther too felt concern for Rynkura, but knew that the tiger could very well take care of herself.
Once they finish with pots, pan and the serving dishes, Bambi takes Gina out into the hallway and out of the kitchen area.
Once in awhile she looks to the southwest looking like she is listening for something she can't quite hear.
"Can Gina talk, now?" asks Bambi "or Gina be sleepy?" as she leads the way toward the bedroom they share last night...Was it just last night? PBH wonders. Bambi listens to the quiet castle and the night sounds as she waits for Gina's answer. She leads Gina slowly and loosely by the hand, but she lets Gina set the pace as they walk through the nightime hallway toward their bedroom.
PBH
The ferret just stared at Bam, not at all along with what she was saying, or so it seemed. It didn't seem to be the speech difficulties though.
"Um... Yeah, sure. Why not?" she replied, looking a bit confused, and perhaps somewhat tense as well.
- -
Picking up the traces of nervosity and discomfort in Ketefe's scent wasn't as easy for Stygian as it might have been for Cog, but when it came to reading signs and people and to interacting with them, he believed that he had a very good edge. Still, Ketefe seemed much too tense, even if polite. Softening her up wouldn't be a bad idea.
"Listen... I'm responsible for this place, however much I may not like it..." Stygian said, sounding serious and a bit solemn.
"And I have no reason to be dishonest. Not now. Not with you." Slowly, he settled down in the chair opposite to her, set down his glass and gave her a close, direct and honest look. His eyes were hot coals, hidden just slightly by the bangs of his pale blond hair.
"Whatever it is, you can tell me. Trust me; if I'm taking this right, it's just the sort of business that I know," he said, making sure his face was smooth and his tone just right, so as not to have that image of the monster from before come to her again. He had a lot of charm to draw upon, when he wanted or needed. Sad that he had probably lost practice over the years he had been imprisoned.
Gina and Bambi walked awhile in silence thought down the halls. Then Bambi stops to look over a castle's courtyard, a overgrown, ivy-choked wood of about one arc with one great tree that had grow over the castles walls Only the top of the Tree seems glow in the moonlight, which was free of vines. Red light pockets glowed ramdomly around the dark ivy filled courtyard.
"Gina can you tell me about this garden? Why does the ivy want to kill the tree and us? Do you know who planted the Father Tree?" asks a sad Bambi.
PBH
Ketefe kept her gold eyes on Stygian as he spoke, curious even if she was still nervous about her earlier slip-up. The now-faint aroma of blood still surrounded him, but that wasn't what was making her nervous. He wasn't trying to scare her; in fact, from what she could tell, he was honestly trying to earn her trust. His eyes were still piercing, but his face was relaxed, even concerned. He knew she was trying to hide the truth, or at least, he probably suspected it. Ketefe sighed softly after he'd finished; she really hated having to tell this piece of truth to anyone. Waves of nostalgia and doubt passed her mind, as they always did when this topic came up. She didn't want to be pitied; it was an uncomfortable subject; there were so many reasons not to speak. She did her best to ignore them and finally spoke.
"Well, if you mean what I'd been trying to avoid saying, I might as well tell you," she said, keeping her eyes on Stygian's. "The people I'm looking for... they're my parents. They've been missing since I was eight."
Aisha listened to this exchange, and subtly felt Ketefe's nervousness around the bat. It was something out of the panther's training and experience, she figured, being able to sense emotions and tension while relying on senses other than sight. Not that she could be rightly blamed either, but she had grown used to the presence about him and the castle in general. Perhaps soon, Ketefe would too.
As the felid gave her reason, regarding those she had been looking for, the panthress quirked her ears and opened her bloodred eyes just slightly to glance across at her. "Your parents? Well, I certainly wish you luck in finding them. I would sympathize," she said in an apologetic tone, closing her eyes again; either tiredly, or simply to hide the evidence of a dark memory, one couldn't be too sure. "Mine are dead."
Stygian nodded, leaning forward a bit and eating a bit, and then sipping up the rest of the blood in his glass.
"That's a pretty serious matter. I'm wondering what would make you think you'd find them here," he said. It was a nicer way of saying 'what was so particular about them that you'd link it here?', one which he much preferred. He wouldn't try and use looks and charm against her that far, that fast. That would be pushing it, especially with the response she'd given. Not to mention that it was getting late. Leaning back in his chair again and slipping out a golden watch much resembling a Longines from his pocket, he glanced at it out of the corner of his eye. It was slowly getting toward midnight. And even though he'd rather stay up, he didn't see much point with that this evening.
"Either way..." he said, standing slowly,
"You think about that until the morning. I don't think I have to guide you to a room; the third and fourth floors should be full of them. You might want to consider sleeping close to someone else though. And, while I might sound a bit cliché when I say it, don't go out late without someone else." He smiled at her, his eyes glowing darkly beneath the bangs of his hair.
"I wouldn't lose sleep over it though. It's not as horrible as it sounds." Chuckling softly, he made a bow to her, and then turned, eying Cog slightly.
"I'm going to make a quick check. Then I'm retiring," he said, as he had no worries for Rynkura, and knew where Gareeku and Aisha were. Keaton though, he had not seen. And considering her state...
"You do as you please," he finalized toward the wolf, and then slipped out of the room, strolling off.
- -
The ferret let out a short sigh, and walked up to the tree, trailing a gentle hand over the bark and vines, looking up, pallid eyes gleaming in the faint light.
"This is a sapling from the tree we planted on the back slope when this castle was built. That was Ahura's work. He created this place. He wanted it to be the home of us Caerules forever," she said mournfully, sighing. "High aspirations and hopes. We thought we could find refuge from the demons and the devils here. And we were right, mostly. We didn't expect that one of us would bring them here though..."
Slowly, Gina let her hand fall, and turned back to look at Bam. "That's why the vines are trying to kill us," she said "Because we let them. Because we give them what they need to. It was what Ahura always said, and Michael. They were both right. We needed to shut ourselves out, if ever we were to find peace." Her eyes looked almost tearful, her face full of pain.
Cog sighed as Sebastian exited, and chewed the rest of his rice slowly before taking his plate to the sink, taking half a moment to wash and put it away before leaving. He paused and picked up a bottle of that whiskey before heading out.
"Right, right. Perhaps tomorrow." Cog said to no-one in particular, padding down the soft hallways back to his room. It occurred to him that he was breaking his own rule being alone. He shrugged and continued on - after all, it wasn't like anyone else was being cautious either, or like they'd barely escaped being mindless spider-drones just hours before. His face soured, and he fingered the cap on the liquor. Perhaps in a moment, Cog thought, before ascending the staircase and finally getting to his room.
The room was pretty much as it had been, excepting for a few of his old clothes scattered here and there. He kicked aside a pair of pants and brushed a shirt off a table before setting the bottle down, and sitting down beside it. There was a faint pressure on his feet, and his face skewed in irritation as he bent to check it.
The sheath of that knife he had bought from the gunsmith peered out at him from inside his boot. His face brightened, and he took it out with a grin. He'd been wanting to try something out with this.
Setting the knife on the table before him, he coughed and picked up the bottle, and leaned back into his chair, staring at the blade. He opened the cap, and took a swallow before trying to dredge up what knowledge the curse had given him about enchanting...
Bambi looks worried around the garden but follows Gina in the forested garden to the base of the Father Tree. The vines and their red glowing pods moved no more than any other plant, as they past them.
After Gina's answer, Bambi takes Gina's hand in her own hand and she places them on the Tree. "True peace is earned, Gina. You can hide from the world, but you can't hide from yourself. Real peace must start from within oneself, and help can be from one's family or beyond." As Gina touch the tree, she senses a peace and a warm through herself from the tree and sense of "Welcome home" "Your sister missed that in her envy and hate. You can't find your peace without help, even in death And I think Stygain missing that, too."
Dropping from above, two nuts from the tree come to land on their noses. Bambi giggles "Gifts from your father's tree?.. Gina" Bambi hands one to Gina and then she eat the other one. "mmm good, yes? Enough for tonight. Come, you can cry on me." She give the Father Tree a pat and says "thank you". Hugging Gina, Bambi gathers up her and walks them out of the garden, but still a feeling of an evil staring at them from somewhere comes over her. She closes the doors to the garden with shiver and then smiling she takes Gina to bed. Still feeling the warm welcome from the Tree, Bambi falls asleep.
PBH
Keaton spent the remainder of the feast distanced from the rest of the party, sitting rather morosely in a chair with her arms draped over the back of it. Not needing to eat, she found no reason to really participate or contribute to any conversations in any way, especially when she was still under the impression that the incident with the Mythos was of her fault. Sighing inaudibly, Keaton climbed to her feet once everyone was starting to filter out of the room and made her way out of the room, grabbing a bottle of whiskey on her way out.
Considering the foul mood she was in, she probably needed some alcoholic reassurance. With her, sadness led to devastation, devastation led to anger, and anger led to her getting drunk off her ass in an inebriated effort to curb her rage.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Jeremiah finished his meal and listened in on what was going on around him.
"Sorry to hear that, Ketefe," the frog said, sympathizing with the girl. Missing your parents, that's gotta be tough. Nothing more important than family. Styg's mention of where the rooms were reminded him that he'd slept in a chair in the library the other night. Oh, and that he was exhausted. Was the spider thing only this morning?
"Anywho, night all," he excused himself and headed upstairs. The staying close to others bit was only a good idea if you weren't in the doghouse. A few people seemed unlikely to be pissed, but still. He was tempted to spend this night in the library tonight too and keep going with his research, but both Gina AND Stygian saying that would be a bad idea had him a little spooked. Those two agreeing, expecially in light of his suspicians, was probably a sign of an immenant apocalypse in and of itself. He managed to find a room with nobody else in it, removed his shoes, glasses, and hair band, and promptly collapsed onto the bed. It was a little too soft to be really comfy, but he was too tired to care.
Don't let the bed bugs bite.
Or a pissed off friend who's looking for a fight.
Mebbe another game tonight?
And a fond "goodnight and screw you" to you lot too, Jeremiah thought as he drifted off to sleep.
As the others started out of the kitchen and decided on sleep, Aisha managed to catch a yawn of her own. The night was waning slowly into the earlier hours, and the panthress would rather have it that she awaken naturally early rather than sleeping in until lunchtime. There was a light smirk as she thought of Rynkura. Knowing the tigress, she may well be awake before anyone else, depending on who was a habitual early bird in this bunch. At least she wouldn't try to awaken Aisha...this wasn't her monastery after all.
She bade good night to everyone who left in turn, although she cast a concerned glance at Jeremiah, and more so at Keaton. Neither of them seemed to be over their previous problems in the day, but instead felt isolated and warped by the experience. The panthress could only imagine how they felt...but she only shook her head, feeling that saying anything wouldn't help. The best thing was a night of sleep. Something would be said if they kept up their sulking.
...As well a sleep as anyone could get, thinking of those spiders. Aisha hummed. It seems she wasn't very well over that part either.
With a shake of her head, she made sure that the plates were put back in their places and grabbed the holy blade from its place in the corner, before glancing back at Gareeku, still in his ever silent vigil among a dwindling crowd, it seemed. "Another night in a 'haunted' castle, amigo." She gestured humorously in air quotes with the word, then cast a quiet smile at him. "Might be a good idea to retire as well. And," she paused before turning around, toward the kitchen exit. "Thanks for watching out for me. The spider thing, and Mel...I owe you another one." She chuckled.
Once out of the room, Stygian heard just a bit of moving and speaking behind him before he turned his attention forward, pacing down the hallway in just the general direction of his rooms, wandering around a bit.
He paced so for half an hour, perhaps, taking a stop past some common rooms and the main hall, not really minding anything. The ascent to the rooms above was slow and filled his head with thoughts and tiredness.
It was his nose that brought him the whereabouts and mood of Keaton. Her glumness and anger mixed with the scent of scotch to form a noxious, drunken, peppery scent that boded ill and pain. He'd have ignored that scent from most others. But now, with the sudden desire to do something, and being interested in Keaton as he was, her having been the only one yet so far who displayed any similar traits or knowledge with him, he decided to just chance. So he walked past her as he headed back to her room, slipping out of the shadows and easing the smoothness of his steps so that the sound became at least slightly audible to the less-than-supernatural ear. He didn't say anything, but just strolling like that and giving her a contemplative, concerned look, he hoped that he made his point anyhow.
Ketefe cast a surprised and dismayed look at Aisha when she heard that her parents were dead. "I'm sorry," she said truthfully. After all, up until a few months ago, she had assumed her parents were dead, so she knew what the pain of loss was like. She gave Jeremiah a grateful look when he offered his condolences. The frog had had a more trying day than the rest of them, and she didn't want him to feel upset.
When Stygian asked his question, Ketefe paused. She had come to the town to look for her parents, but she had come to the castle to stop all the chaos she'd heard. I don't think Mom and Dad would trust a place like this... especially not Dad, she smiled to herself. She listened carefully to Stygian so she'd remember where the rooms were, and more importantly, to his warnings about traveling alone. Then he smiled at her, and quite a bit of her apprehension towards the bat went away. He was being far nicer than he had been earlier.
As the others began to leave the room, Ketefe felt her own growing exhaustion. She stretched and yawned, trying not to look as scary as cats usually do when they yawn. She took her sword from the floor, pushed in her chair, and took her plate to the sink. She rinsed and dried it herself, then left it on the side. Then something occurred to her.
"Shit," she muttered, smacking her forehead with her palm. "I left my other stuff at the tavern." Granted, it wasn't much; just three outfits and some paper, but still. "Ah well," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'll get it in the morning. 'Night, everyone," she smiled at the remaining people as she scootched past Aisha and walked upstairs.
Passing Keaton, she cast a slightly disapproving glance at the bottle in the succubus's hands. "Careful," she advised the jackal, slowing down a little. "Hangovers feel worse when you're upset, I'd think. And what happened wasn't your fault anyway. The Mythos is the one who attacked everyone. Not you." This sounded weird, her 19-year-old mouth lecturing a 500-year-old demoness. But no matter. She kept going.
Finding an empty room, she propped her sword up on the nightstand, removed her mask, and flopped on the bed immediately. It didn't take her long to go to sleep.
Stopping upon Ketefe's appearance, Stygian eyed the feline blankly as she passed. Then, he turned back to Keaton. He stood for a moment, just looking at the jackal, and then stepped off, still without a word but with a final glance and sad smile toward the bottle that said that he was hardly so quick to judge things like that normally, but that he still thought Ketefe's words were worth pondering at least. The shame that Keaton had exuded beneath all that anger and bitterness made it very clear how she felt. What he was to do about it that wouldn't come as a late-night and personal intrusion though, he didn't know. Or didn't let himself know; after all, he was still somewhat dispirited, and quite unconvinced that she would want
him of all people for company.
Stygian finally arrived at 'his' room, entering with a sigh and closing the door behind him. He sat down on the bed for a second, before undoing his jacket and shirt, neatly folding them over a chair by the bedside, then kicking off his shoes and doing the same to his pants, and finally slipping under the sheets with a mutter at the lonely darkness. He was fast asleep within minutes; it was mostly when he felt good that he found himself restless.
- -
The following morning found the castle battered from above by a torrent of rain and occasional thunder. It seemed that the unnatural storm from before hadn't emptied the forces of the actual weather. Rather, it seemed that the weather had been strengthened by the strange occasion. After the clouds that had rolled past and around the mountains, there had come a new front which had quickly smothered the meager sunlight from the horizon and past, before the day could even dawn properly. It was the autumn ghost of the north, bringing with it storms from the bay of Haszalim and the taigas and snowy inlands of the east. While the climate around Arrien and the surrounding country was temperate and warm in the summer, and had perhaps the best winters there were according to some, the autumns were mostly a glum and cold period when people sat inside and rode out the weather, waiting for October's end.
The smattering of rain on the windows and a gust which whipped it even harder, almost completely blurring the view outside, woke Stygian. He opened his eyes, turned his attention toward the windows, and then rolled over. He hated autumn.
Mel awoke to the sound of rain against the windows and vague memories of a dream that she was a doll that members of her extended family kept moving about. She stretched and admitted it wasn't as much a dream as a reflection. She slid off the bed and decided on a shower, her cleanup the night before had been rather abbreviated. After a long cool shower and a thorough buffing of her scales she looked to her clothing. The burgundy outfit was thoroughly rumpled after being slept in. Mel picked up her suede coat from the floor. It was a favorite, and being heavily magically enhanced it had repaired itself of the tears and blood stains overnight. With a sigh she decided that a reminder of the attack was not the best choice and regretfully folded it away. With a little fishing in her bag she pulled out navy pants, a white camisole, black boots, and a bright blue riding jacket with gold buttons. She dressed quickly then added a little gold watch to her left lapel. She was as a little stiff and sore, but ready to go hunt down breakfast.
Cog's eye snapped open to the crack of thunder. Staying motionless in the sudden darkness, Cog silently listened to the rain patter against the windows as he awoke. A slight expression of contentedness suffused his features, and stretching underneath the covers for just a moment he rolled out of bed and strolled back to the table. He snagged his pants as he walked, and fishing his legs through he hopped back to the desk.
His knife still stared up at him, much as it had last night. Scattered parchments smeared with ink, most of it legible, surrounded the blade, although the knife itself still displayed no sign of enchantment. Despite his setbacks, he picked the blade up with a grin and set it back into its sheath, laying it down on the table before heading out from his room.
The shower was unoccupied, and it was the work of a few moments to disrobe and shower, although waiting for the water to heat took more than a few moments. The only real snag he ran into was after showering, his hair quite a tangled mess, and him without a comb. It took some rummaging to find something suitable, but quite soon he was groomed and re-dressed. He returned to his room for the rest of his articles, stuffing the knife back down his boot, and sliding his sword back through his belt he made his way to the kitchen. Breakfast would no doubt be soon, although he planned to make a cup of coffee before anyone else would be up to drink it.
It took some time, but finally, Stygian managed to drag himself out of bed and get up. Cracking his neck just a bit, he slipped down on the floor in a purposefully fluid motion and started stretching, realizing he'd have to work in again the morning routine that he hadn't done in a century and a half. He bent and loosened stiffened joints, yawning widely and breathing deeply to sober up from his morning head.
A good quarter of an hour later, he was in the bathroom, lingering in the shower for another ten minutes, and then went back out, laying out clothes more familiar than those of an evening before; wrappings, a loose white shirt with black cuffs that formed a spike pattern up the sleeves, and pants with a similar decoration by the ankles. He sat down and scribbled some things on a paper and in the notebook from before, before starting to get his clothes on.
- -
The kitchen was empty and dark. None of the lights had been left on, and some of the dishes were still out, although the place couldn't be called messy. Not yet. The cupboards were all closed, most of the place was clean as if recently washed and the spaces on benches and the large table where they had sat the evening before were open. The bags of things that Stygian had purchased before still stood, if almost empty now, against one of the counters.
It was when Cog went through the things though, knowing that as coffee was a dryware someone might not have had the sense to put it in a cupboard yet, that to his great frustration and partly also disbelief, he couldn't find any.
Halfway into a single step away from the group Keaton froze, her unusually long ears (the side-effect of having a Fennec Fox for a father) quirking in Ketefe and Stygian's direction. Rigidly she craned her head around, a surprisingly acute expression on her face. She listened to everything told to her without any comment, the whiskey bottle dangling from her gloved grip limply. Sighing, she reached up and massaged the bridge of her nose from behind her glasses, letting them slide down her muzzle slightly.
Keaton said nothing else, not even a sigh of resignation. At least she was much more receptive than she normally would be on a bad day, and Ketefe's words had clearly effected her. Once the two had bypassed her, she started to make her way towards an appropriate room.
--
She didn't drink the whiskey. Instead she had engaged in a rather one-sided staring contest with it until she resigned and spent the rest of the night sleeping. Normally she wouldn't sleep in unfamiliar surroundings, but she needed something to pass the hours by. This wasn't SAIA, after all. Feeling somewhat groggy after awakening, Keaton lifted herself from bed, snatching up the bottle and uncorking it, then downed a pint of it before re-corking it and setting it back down.
One glance at the window confirmed it--it was raining. Bullets of water pelted the glass, blurring what was beyond it into a multi-colored mosiac of blacks and greys. Booming thunder reverberated outside the azure walls of the castle, brief lances of lightning illuminating the monochromatic clouds pinstriping the darkened sky.
Her kind of weather.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Bambi woke up with a start from the thunder, but she freezes in place.. Not wanting to wake Gina, she slowly settles back down to the bed, as the still sleeping Gina moves back to her side. The ferret girl settles against Bambi and sleeping with a look of peace. Bambi lays watching the sleeping ferret and listens to the rain in the gloomy dawn. Bambi dozes after awhile and finds the ferret on her chest but awaking, the rain continues outside from brighter but gloomy sky.
"Hey, Sunshine, are you okay?" PBH whispers with a smile. " If you want talk... I will listen."
PBH
Despite the dull roar of the rain outside, a faint rustle could be heard in the darkened kitchen, followed by a short gasp. Silence reigned in the kitchen a moment, all sound except the storm outside hushed.
Cog was bent over the sacks of groceries, each looking quite rummaged through. A sudden lightning bolt thundered outside, producing a tremendous crack - light flashed in the kitchen, illuminating it. Cog's face was stony as he examined the bags.
He took one deep breath and stood, turning to the cupboards, opening each one in turn. He kept his pace slow and measured, his expression unchanging as he rifled through each one, until he reached the last, fruitless cabinet.
He turned to the table in the middle of the kitchen and sat, putting his head in one hand and rubbing the bridge of his nose with the other.
"Perhaps there is some tea somewhere..."
After looking out at the lightning for a while and trying to discern if any of her remote cousins were riding the storm Mel left the window and headed out of the room hunting for breakfast. She stopped within two steps outside the door. She had no idea where she was. Nothing in the hall looked familiar, this wasn't the same hallway as the bedroom she had used during the afternoon. She shook her head, it had to be a simple problem to solve. Picking a direction at random she went looking for a downwards staircase. The kitchen was on the first floor so she just had to find the way down.
Ketefe awoke to an impressive crash of thunder. She immediately felt grateful for two things: she didn't have to sleep outside anymore, and she hadn't had the nightmare about getting her scar last night. She hadn't had that nightmare for a few months now. Rubbing her eyes and purring, she rolled over onto her stomach to watch the rain pounding against the windows. She had always loved watching thunderstorms, as long as she wasn't outside when they happened. She could hear faint activity in the rooms around her as the others left, but she decided to wait around for a while and watch the storm before going downstairs.
It was a Stygian looking much more fresh than he felt who walked into the kitchen, looking at Cog with a dour expression. The back of his hair set up in a neat ponytail, he peered out from under the loose bangs still over his brow with his blackened eyes, his right ear with the golden ring in it twitching.
"Someone's agitated. Did I actually manage to piss you off in your sleep?" he said, expecting the worst. He walked over and began going through the cupboards, aiming to make himself a rather meaty sandwich and some tea.
- -
Moving slightly and breathing a long, tired murr into Bam's fur, the white ferret mumbled something before rolling onto her back a bit.
"I'm... wanna snooze a bit..." she moaned, pulling a pillow in closer and pressing Bam's arm down under her. "I'll talk... but..."
Jeremiah got up. This was, in his opinion, the worst mistake he made every day. If he never did it, his other mistakes would never follow. Now, how does a non-coffee drinker wake up in the morning...?
The crash of thunder was probably the first sudden noise in a while to NOT make him jump. Instead, he smiled sleepily. Problem solved. He went over to the window and threw it open, sticking his head out into the gale. He was a frog. He liked the rain. He leaned out a little more and let the chilling rain do its work, and then turned around to locate his glasses. Mebbe today wouldn't be so bad after all.
His hair was still sopping wet when he bumped into Mel by the staircase.
"Hey. Erm... Morning..."
At fist, Cog didn't respond, his face carefully blank. After a moment, he seemed to notice Sebastian, his face still quite nonplussed.
"Not you, no. There is...", Cog coughed, and put his head back into his hand, one arm laying flat against the table.
"There is no coffee here." He murmured, muttering something else under his breath before scootching out from the table. "Not a drop to be found, anywhere."
He sighed and stood, returning to the appropriate cabinet to grab a mug, and then turning back towards the bat. Another bolt of thunder struck, and the flash of lightning glittered off the front of his shades. His face was still stoic.
"Please. Tell me there is at least some kind of tea here. Black, green, red, white. Hell, I'll take anything!" Cog's voice was somewhat sharp.
He sighed, and leaned against the counter. "Sorry. Just...well, even on the road, I usually take something." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I shouldn't snap. And, I lied. Anything but wolfsbane."
At his last words, the corner of Cog's mouth quirked slightly, and promptly returned to it's former, blank position.
" Sleep wonderful idea... no rush, *sign* I be here for you " says PBH as she lays down close to the white ferret.
PBH
Stopping for a second, a slice of roast in his hand, Stygian eyed the agitated wolf, the flare of his nose quivering slightly. Then, without looking away, he just ate the piece of meat and proceeded to cut another slice for himself, before walking over to another cupboard.
"I'm not a coffee man. Tea though, we certainly do have. It's hardly the same, but I don't think it would be hard to make some very black stuff..." he said, unperturbedly and calmly so as to try and counter the wolf's mood by example. "We could get some in town, probably, but..." he continued, and looked at Cog with a meaning face that clearly said would you really go out in this rain?
Cog got Sebastian's meaning quite clearly, although his expression remained unchanged. He turned his head the slightest bit to the left, and looked out into the storm, considering. He seemed about to answer when another crack of thunder boomed through. He sighed, and shook his head.
"I like rain, and coffee. But I don't like rain that much." He nodded glumly to the bat. "Tea is fine, thank you."
Cog took a deep breath, and though one could not see it, he closed his eyes, letting himself calm down, and exhaled softly.
"Tea is better for you anyway. Gives me an excuse to make a scone, also." Cog turned and opened one of the bags, bringing out a small piece of bread. "You seem to be taken care of there, but if I can make another, if you'd like. Butter's in the second cabinet to your left, if you'd be so kind." Cog indicated with his free hand, opening a drawer and pulling out a knife to saw the bread open with.
Ketefe decided she was hungry enough to stop watching the storm. Putting on her mask and grabbing the straps on her sword's sheath, she walked out of her room and figured the directions to the kitchen were "down until the smell is really close." Seeing Mel and Jeremiah (with a soaked head) by the stairs, she grinned and walked over.
"Great morning, isn't it?" she greeted them with a big smile.
Mel smiled at rather damp frog, "Good morning, Jeremiah. I trust you managed to sleep well despite the troubles of the day." Before he could answer the masked girl arrived with a bright and cheerful greeting. Mel turned and gave a formal bow, although a bit stiffer than normal due to residual aches in her abused side. "Good morning, miss. I'm afraid I didn't catch your name yesterday. I am Melodie Icewing. Please call me Mel."
"Nice to meetcha, Mel. I'm Ketefe Solowynd," she replied, stepping back and bowing as well. Getting back up, she looked at Jeremiah. "I might've figured you liked storms, too. So, does either of you know clearer directions to the kitchen than 'down'?"
With the final good-nights recieved and sent, Aisha had been one of the last to leave the kitchen with weary--and also wary--steps trudged towards her room. She carried the holy blade close, in a cautious upright position so that she wouldn't accidentally skewer anyone that she happened to walk into. As always she found it rather easy to navigate the floor, but it seemed quite different if one navigated through the dark. Closing the door and setting her things down, the panthress found it easy to shake off the troubles of the previous day. The next morning would probably bring some more promise...
...But that notion was erased in the blink of time's eye. A powerful roar of thunder raged across the morning clouds, making her eyes shoot open wide, startled. With a breath she glanced to the window and saw the gloom, so dark with clouds and storms that for a moment she wondered if it was actually morning. The panthress ordered herself on her feet and curiously walked toward the window, staring up at the lightning and tracing the path of raindrops on the glass.
Is this an omen, I wonder...? She thought. Then with a sigh, turned her back to the storm and started to get dressed, as a flash of lightning brightly illuminated the room for but a split second.
Aisha continued listening to the storm as she navigated the first-floor corridors, looking to get a bath and some washing done before breakfast...and before Rynkura could be found and lecture her about it, she thought with a smirk. She hadn't forgotten that her cape was covered in blood, after all.
* * *
"Well, I'm no map, but perhaps I can be of marginal assistance," a deep, soft voice said suddenly from one portion of the dark corridors where Ketefe, Mel, and Jeremiah were standing.
Emerging from a corner, her presence given away by the clicking of her staff on the floor, was the distinguished white tiger. She was already dressed and fully awake, and they could probably discern that she had been so since earlier that morning. Rynkura greeted the three of them with a polite bow of her head, a kind smile on her features while also maintaining a sense of vigilance.
"Forgive me, I followed your voices after doing some exploring. All are having a good morning I trust? And Mel, it is good to see you have recovered," the tigress nodded to the dragon. It was the truth, except that Rynkura didn't really do that much in the line of looking around. She had a pretty good memory of the castle's layout, or an idea of memory.
Mel bowed deeply and respectfully to the older woman, "Good morning, milady. I understand you are the one to whom I owe my recovery. You have the gratitude of Icewing." She stood straight and continued with a smile, "I'm afraid I was not aware enough to catch your name the last time we met. Nor to remember how I got wherever I am now from the ballroom, so directions would be greatly appreciated."
Having gone over to the stove and put water on to boil, Stygian stopped for a moment and looked around at Cog, his eyebrow raised. The dog was that tense, not to mention cranky, and then still managed to be nice to him, in spite of everything? There was a marvel more wondrous than much he'd seen.
Upon the entry of Mel, the bat was pouring the boiling water into the pot and putting the lid on, turning to her with a somewhat tired look but still a smile. The others were settling in, and breakfast looked to be more crowded than supper the evening before. He hoped that they could be just a little silent though.
Cog sawed the little circle of bread in half, setting both sides face up on the counter, and turned his head to see if Sebastian had gotten the butter. He seemed to be busy with the tea - in his present mood, Cog agreed with the Bat's decision. The tea was far more important. He walked to the correct cabinet and pulled out a little stick of butter, careful not to squish it, and turned back to his scone in the making.
Ms. Msh'taan seemed to have already arisen, along with the others. The masked one was still there, as was Mel - he was glad to see her looking a bit better.
He bowed to the tigress. "Ms. Msh'taan. I've heard all good things. Cogidubnus Mithlome, and a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Cog finished his formalities and turned back to his biscuit, turning again to the bat.
"I'll take your silence as a no, then. Ah, well. More scone for me!"
Again, Bambi wakes to the distant rumble of the storm. She looks down again at the sleeping white ferret. Listening to the rain, she sings very softy a song that comes to her.
Everytime the rain comes down
Close your eyes and listen
you can hear the lonesome sound
Of THE sky as it cries
Feel the touch of tears that fall
They won't fall forever
In the way the day will flow
All things come, all things go
Hear it in the rain
feelings strain
and in disarray
Late at night you drift away
I can hear you calling
And your name is in the rain
Leaves on trees whispering
Deep blue seas, mysteries "
Gina awakes to see Bambi looking deep into her eyes.
"even when this moment ends
yuo can't let go this feeling
Everything will come again
In the sound falling down
Of the sky as it cries
Hear your name
Call you from the rain ", sings Bambi and fades away (OOC –Based a song by Enya, "Hear It in the Rain")
She looks at Gina and awaits
"Don't be that way," the bat said, snatching the other half from Cog with a half irritated, half bemused look on his face. There were better things to do than bantering about meaningless things in the morning. Buttering the slice hastily, he took the teapot and set it on the table, starting to arrange saucers and cups for the others. He hadn't expected them to get things in order before him, but strangely irritable as he felt he still couldn't help but think
are they expecting me to be their butler?! Finally settling in his chair, he had tea once it was ready, and then sat silently, sipping his cup and thinking of other things.
- -
A look of surprise and of concern on her face, Gina moved up on the bed and over against Bam, peering at her. Reaching slowly for her, she opened her mouth, then closed it, and then looked down into the sheets with a shameful expression.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't lie to you. I just... Can you not tell the others?" she said slowly, and weakly.
Jeremiah was completely unable to avoid a look of guilt when the previous days issues were mentioned.
"Yeah, erm... You feeling alright? After all the... Y'know... Oh hey Ketefe! Morning Rynkura" He was obviously grateful for something drawing attention away from that bit of what could be severely understated as awkwardness.
Yeah, sorry about going nuts and attacking you. You feeling okay? No hard feelin's? Hey, could I get directions to the kitchen?
Shaddap Bal.
"Yes, ...I promise to tell only Mel, and only if something will endanger others, love..I will tell only enough to Mel to save us all. Still, Beware of Jeremiah, he fears you, he will dig into the library to find out about you" said Bambi "I will help, anyway, you need"
Bambi hugs Gina with a sign and a purr.
PBH
"Morning, Ms. Rynkura," Ketefe said amiably, bowing to the tigress. Her stomach growled its greeting. "If you could lead us down to the kitchen, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you."
Staring at the wall for a while, the silence finally seemed to demand some sort of interruption from Stygian. And so, wanting to be as no-nonsense as he could, he set his cup down and looked, first at Mel, then at Cog, as he folded his hands and leaned, supporting his chin on them with his elbows on the table.
"So. Terrible weather. What are we to do?" he said, thinking of a few things and how he wouldn't mention them.
- -
Gina eyed Bam very seriously and stroked her arm, slowly, worry and sadness on her face.
"You can help me by not telling Mel either. I..." she began, then sighed and started over. "I didn't die down there. I want to avoid Jeremiah, yes, but most of all I want things to be calm here in the castle, and... I want to go out. I want to go into town," she said, something akin to longing glinting in her ivory eyes for a brief moment.
Okay I will not tell. Mel. Why Can't we go? We can go to town, and beyond if you like I need to go back to Lost Lake for some of my things.." says PBH
:mowhappy
PBH
Having fully prepared herself, Keaton emerged from her room, still carrying the bottle of whiskey with her in the gloved grip of her right hand, and fully garbed in an entirely new outfit obtained through shapeshifting. Another beneficial trait to being a Succubus--there was no need to purchase new clothing or waste hours meticulously repairing fibers and fabric. No, all she needed to do was conjure up new apparel, although it took a great deal of practice to separate it from her own flesh.
The outfit was more elegant and modest than Keaton's normal clothing selections, although it left her stomach exposed. Painted in shades of black, its lower half swept the floor while its upper segment tightly hugged her outline, tapering out into flaring, looser sleeves. Beneath the right sleeve was an elongated glove, leading from her shoulder to her wrist, while the opposite arm was clad in a much shorter glove. For once, she was devoid of her head and back-wings.
Giving herself a once-over, Keaton exited the room, taking a small swig from the whiskey bottle and giving a departing glance out the bay window. Dark clouds still blanketed the sky, hailing thousands of droplets of clear water from the smog. Fresh dewdrops strung like pearls along the surface of the window, splattered in delicate, lacy dollops in almost painstaking design. Running her hand through her hair, Keaton entered the chamber where everyone was assembled, shrugging her shoulders.
"G'morning," Keaton said sarcastically, sipping the whiskey. "Lovely weather we're having this fine, fine morning, aren't we?"
~Keaton the Black Jackal
At Mel's reply, Rynkura smiled and bowed her head back to the dragon. "Well, Mel of Icewing, the gratitude is taken with honor. I am Rynkura Msh'Taan." Looking around to the others as they too said their greetings, the tigress motioned for them to follow after a quick look around, and started walking. "I am on my way to the kitchen as well...so follow me, if you would. And for future reference it may be wise to commit to memory the layout of these floors," she advised lightly.
On a first inspection, the corridors indeed looked all the same, daunting and dark while the storm continued outside. But there were subtle differences along the walls and corners, such as cracks and worn stone, that could be followed. But even castles never stayed the same through time...Rynkura had to pause for a moment or two before they finally found the stairways that finally led to the first floor. It was then an easy trek to the kitchen, where her ears picked up a couple of male voices, also about as awake as the others, perhaps a might less so.
Another flash of lightning lit the windows as Rynkura stepped into the kitchen alongside the dragon, masked felid, and frog, allowing them in before herself. Eyes settling on the others, she glanced to the wolf first with a chuckle and a polite nod. "Ah, one more introduction. The pleasure is mine then, sir Mithlome."
She then glanced to the bat, the formal politeness still in her expression...neutral, not at all a hint of anything else. "Good morning to you as well, Sebastian." Setting her staff to the side, the tigress walked up to the cupboards. "Let me help with setting things up, if you please. 'Tis the least I could do after my welcome here," she said with a light grin, the emotion in her emerald eyes reading as reasonable and perhaps friendly. There was little reason to be otherwise right then, after all. She spared a quick hello as well to the jackal that had walked in.
But at the bat's inquiry on the storm outside, she didn't offer an answer, but simply stared out into the gloom through a window. Mm. I might be staying for a small while yet, too.
* * *
Aisha meanwhile was looking over her somewhat damp cape in the washroom, having gotten every last bit of blood from the crimson fabric, and her ripped sleeve was easily sewed back on. She herself was already dried from her bath and evidence of the last day had been erased from her being. It was quiet in the room, save for an occasional roll of thunder, the sound as loud and demanding in the heavens as a war drum.
It was the quiet and solitude that she certainly didn't mind, feeling like she could make her time linger after searching every corner and part of the ceiling for spiders, as per experience the last encounter. She found none, of course.
There was also the thought of Rynkura. The panther knew that she wouldn't leave in this weather...and after thinking about it, she didn't really answer her question on exactly why she was there. She could believe that the tigress had the same curiosities as the adventurers, to an extent. But the tiger never bothered much with adventuring herself for simple curiosity. That small knowledge was what gave Aisha a twinge of concern.
Angels...Aisha shook her head and took her cloak in her arms, leaving the washroom for her own room where she left her weaponry. If Ryn didn't wish to say anything, she wouldn't press. Yet.
Mel followed the tigress through the halls and down the stairs. As memorization was an occupational requirement for her she had no problems getting the layout straight in her mind. Soon they were at the kitchen. Sebastian and Cog had arrived first and seemed to be arguing about scones but it didn't take long before everyone was seated with a cup of tea.
Sebastian's question took her by surprise and she set her teacup down. "Do? I guess that depends on if you plan to change the weather or endure it." Keaton's arrival stopped her from inquiring further. The jackal looked outwardly well, neatly groomed and in a new outfit, but the fact that she had evidently started the day with something stronger than tea didn't speak well of her mental state. "Good morning Keaton. Come join us for breakfast."
The bat raised an eyebrow at Mel's reply. Change the weather? That might be possible, but it was hardly advisable, nor something that he'd opt to do. After all, though he disliked the rain, he certainly had no reason or will to make it go away. Not for the time being.
"I wasn't thinking of that. I had in mind something more along the lines of 'what pastime or conundrum are we to engage in, while held here by the blasted weather' for starters," Stygian said, looking at Mel seriously. He leaned onto the side of the chair for a bit, tilting his head and taking more tea. "This place is ordered enough, but I am sure I can come up with a dozen or so things to keep me from disturbing you. Yet that still leaves all of you. And I don't think you'd be so delighted to spend your time rummaging through the library after these our recent escapades..."
Sipping, the bat looked a bit solemnly into his cup and murred under his breath.
After following Rynkura to the kitchen and nodding a silent "good morning" to Stygian and Cog, Ketefe sat and poured herself tea. She'd get solid food when everyone wasn't bustling around. She turned and smiled at Keaton's sarcasm. "Well, I kinda like thunderstorms when I'm not in them," she said amiably. She eyed the jackal's new attire and her lack of wings, then turned to Stygian.
"Well, I -was- gonna go back to the place I stayed the night before and get the stuff I left there, but the weather kind of killed that idea," she replied. Then she remembered the dinner conversation.
"And about what you asked last night... like I said before, I didn't expect to find my parents at the castle. I already asked around town and no-one had seen them. And I know they'd avoid any place too big or conspicuous. I just came here to help out," she explained.
"Well, actually, the library's probably still a good place to be going through," Jeremiah ventured as he rooted around for some manner of breakfast suited to his cooking skills (i.e. none), "We still don't know everything that could be here. If what happened with Keaton is any indication then dispatching the angel didn't get rid of everything dangerous around here, and many of these dangerous things are bound to be documented there. Unless there's some other guide to the castle's various curses lying around?"
"Wait... What... Who die? and You are... ? Is it this about that sword? .. Please Geena tell your tale... I will not tell, but what about the rest of us? "
PBH
Chewing half of his scone and fighting off a sudden burst of drowse, Cog gamely tried to engage himself in the conversation. Despite his most valiant efforts, he found himself almost nodding off, his drifting mind caught under the sway of the rain and the lack of required caffeine. He had almost fallen forward into his scone when another crack of lightning thundered through the room, causing the tea saucers to rattle and making Cog jump almost straight up.
As he did so, his eyes refocused, landing on Keaton, who had apparently arrived. Drinking. Already. He raised a single eyebrow.
"Little early to be kicking back on the bottle, isn't it?"
Cog's voice was tinged with concern. Not that he was a great example of prohibition, but he liked to keep it at least 'till after noon. Especially when drinking straight from the bottle. Whiskey was a great many things, but perhaps not the best for starting out the day.
Out of the corner of his ear, he heard Sebastian musing about possible activities for the day. Cog turned his head briefly, pausing for a moment as Jeremiah spoke.
"Well, perhaps not with a map, but a couple hundred years in close proximity to hell might do some things to a place. Something that would need doing sometime."
Cog grinned slightly. "Or we could play chess. I do play a mean game of chess."
"I'm sure you do..." Stygian murred, pouring himself another cup while silently thinking
'though not right now, I'd guess' to himself. He made a pause to study Keaton, first with a pleased eye at her attire, but one that lost its glimmer rather quickly when he noticed that she was actually drinking from the bottle in her hand. His face souring again, he turned back to his tea.
"Expunging the curses on this place, whatever of them may be left, is my task; it is not something that you should be doing, for obvious reasons. You might want to help out, well... I'd say then that it might be a good time to give that magic a try again. Though this time, I'd think a lengthier session would be needed," the bat continued, looking as glum at that prospect as anything else.
"Maybe we can entertain ourselves as we go..." he added, obviously not entertained.
- -
The ferret looked straight at Bam, almost through her. She drew herself up slowly, claws still clenching the sheets below, her look one of something of irritation. Slowly, like wisps of fog gathering, the outline of two large white wings started forming behind her back, thickening.
"I need to stay here, to keep watch. But I want to go out..." she said, very meaningfully.
Cog nodded at the bat tiredly. "Yes, well. Something I'd like to figure out too." Cog grinned drowsily. "I'm sure we could find some way to entertain ourselves. Chess, again. Charades. Pin the tail on the magical anomaly. Fun with transformation magic."
Cog stifled a yawn.
The bat made a short nod, and jadedly looked into the table, before suddenly, upon his realization of something, a glimmer rose in his eye. Slowly, his face turned into a deceptively mild smile, and he looked toward Cog.
"Alright then. We shall," he said, and raised his cup, slurping to hide his grin. Then, he slowly set it down and got up. "I'll even promise to get you some coffee if you make it worthwhile. Mel, if you want to, you can join as well," he continued, slowly walking toward the exit and idly brushing a few bangs out of his face, thinking.
Before he stepped out though, Stygian turned back with a quick, plain look at Keaton. He purposefully ignored the bottle still in her hand.
"I think you should come too, miss. I'd rather enjoy an assistant experienced in the Dark," the bat suggested. "We should bring something more to eat anyway." In truth, what he wanted was for Keaton to stop being drunk at little past nine in the morning. She was somewhat reminiscent of himself, perhaps. Only she hadn't done the mistake he had. Yet.
" such Cute Wings" whispers Bambi and hugs Gina with giggles.
"Ah So,You are a sweet angel, Gee. I will not judge you because of it as some might, but I am not a fan of the Angels as whole either. Still, what do you guard in this castle? Can you tell me your side of the story? The hellgate is closed, isn't it? " asks PBH seriously. As she settles down to hear the story.
PBH
Mel looked up at Sebastian's invitation to be an assistant at his curse removal ceremony. She shrugged and took her last sip of tea. "I will join you." Taking his suggestion that a snack be carried along she got up and put some bread, fruit, and cheese on a tray. Then she waited to follow along.
Jeremiah grinned sheepishly. He hadn't been hinting at helping out so much as Jotting down where to avoid and maybe figuring out how to not go insane again. He seemed to be taking in the same group as before, meaning he wouldn't be expected, but he still needed to figure out what was happening...
But not this early in the morning, and not if it means further annoying this particular group of people, and with that, he sat down for a quick breakfast. C'mon, he has to have bought some sort of cerial the other night, didn't he?
Ketefe finally moved to get a piece of bread, still listening. She perked up a little at the mention of magic. "I'm a little curious about magic since coming here. Mostly since I've never used it. Can I come watch?" she asked, buttering the bread with the left-out butter and a knife she'd gotten from the table.
As he rose, Cog took the teapot and poured himself a cup, letting the steaming liquid sit for about half a second before grimacing, and kicking back the whole thing. The scalding liquid blazed a path over his tongue and down his throat, and finally settled for sitting quite hot in his stomach. Despite the extreme discomfort, Cog kicked it back in a single gulp, setting his cup down and pouring himself another. This time he waited to add cream and sugar, and stood to follow the bat out of the room.
Rynkura kept her ears upon the conversation, though the only sound that came from her side was the soft clanging of the cups and plates together as she helped to set the table, then took some tea for herself. The tigress did not mind the fact that she was only regarded in her appearance with greetings, and with nothing more afterward. Likewise she still had nothing to offer for what to do in the storm's duration.
However her attention was caught the instant that Cogidubnus mentioned dispelling curses or at least messing about with magic...to which she noticed the bat take a bit of interest and promptly lead a few of the others out of the room which he had named. Her eyes narrowed slightly...there was even going to be a tag-along. A moderate curiosity was tinged behind the tiger's gaze, and she wondered if she should see this for herself as well...
"Where's everyone going?" Another voice suddenly cut through the silence, its bearer walking through the door. Instead of her usual clothes, Aisha wore something a little more akin to the time period that the castle seemed to have come...a golden shirt with frilled sleeves up to her wrists and a crimson vest which she left unbuttoned in the front--even in somewhat formal attire, Aisha was never one to be too neat. The panther only wore her navy-blue trousers with it, instead of the skirt it would go with. Her black belt completed the attire, boomerang strapped to the left hip as was always her habit to carry, as well as the light-enchanted bracer on her wrist. The tail ring was always a given in anything she wore.
Aisha's red eyes fell on those remaining in the room, her head dipping politely. "Good morning, Mistress, everyone," she muttered before she turned her head back to the door again. "What's their hurry?"
"Precisely what I wish to know," Rynkura hummed, before reaching behind her into her cloak and tossing it through the air. "Aisha. Catch this."
The panther swerved to catch what the tigress had thrown with one hand. Her fingers wrapped about a long ornate sheath, quite brilliantly patterned on its surface with runic symbols that seemed akin to some of the things she had seen in the library's annals...some of which seemed to have been partially or wholly erased with time. A strap ran down one side and connected to the other, allowing it to be worn over the shoulder. Aisha's eyebrow quirked. "Where'd you find this?"
Rynkura smiled. "It was the closet of the room in which I slept. See if it doesn't fit that fiery blade of yours, perhaps. Now if you will excuse me..." the tigress started past, hoping to follow those that had left.
Aisha only thoughtfully stared after her, then wore the sheath around her shoulder as she started for a bit of breakfast. "Alright, what'd I miss?" she inquired to those left in the kitchen...also guessing that not a few of the others haven't awakened yet either.
Stopping and then turning to look at Aisha as she strode in and watching the exchange between her and her tigress mentor, Stygian smiled somewhat and was a bit amused to see some who got along so well, even though concern and irritation still mingled in his mind. Should he? It was only good order, he supposed.
"We would have nothing against it if you chose to join us as well," he said, plainly meaning both Aisha and Rynkura. He made a special sort of emphasis as he looked to the tigress. While her decisive and stern manner might have given her an air of authority, it was precisely the sort of thing that Stygian normally frowned upon. And while he disliked attending as host, in this situation he had no compunctions against it if he had to choose between that or the other alternative. He intended to make sure that everyone knew that however little he might intervene, he was still in charge of the situation.
"If we are all so unoccupied, then perhaps it would be best. Anyone who wishes..." he said, and then turned and walked off, heading for the library.
The invite was all he needed. Jeremiah gulped down the last of his makeshift breakfast sandwich and followed the others to the library, double checking the list he'd made of all the books he'd been over the previous night that had seemed useful.
Old bookshevles, half-melted candles and a storm made for a rather ominous atmosphere in the library. Cog reached over to one candle and made a flicking gesture, a few sparks flying out from his hand and kindling the flame to life. He picked up the candlestick, holding the thing by the pewter base, and began to walk down the stacks, looking for something useful.
If nothing else could be said for the collection here, it was varied. Books of fiction and verse stood alongside tomes of magical power, and books of every subject were seemingly juxtapositioned next to books that had seemingly little to do with each other. It didn't quite help that the books were sorted by author; mages, by nature, were eclectic writers. Thaumaturgical tomes were often placed next to pamphlets of light verse. Which, although sometimes comical, wasn't much for helping him find something relating to his particular condition, or something about the castle itself.
Cog sighed and turned a corner. The letter above that particular aisle was marked with a large 'D'.
Stygian chuckled at the hopeless and somewhat lost gaze and feeling that Cog emanated, walking past him with one heavy tome to find another. The bat's face was somewhat calm, but his ears were pert with amusement.
"You just figure out what you want to ask of me, and I will answer. In the meantime..." he said, taking out an only somewhat thinner book titled 'Transmogrification Excellence' from the shelf and putting it atop the one already in his hands, continuing to pace and scan the rows. "In the meantime I think that I shall go prepare a few things for practice. And amusement." That last part sounded ominous.
Ketefe followed the others to the library, popping the tiny bit of bread in her mouth and eating it quickly. Don't want to leave crumbs, that would be impolite, she thought to herself, smirking a little. That thought had sounded like her mother.
Once they reached the library and it was properly lit, Ketefe's eyes gleamed as she gazed around in wonder. "It's beautiful," she said quietly, smiling. She began to hunt around for a good fiction book, and briefly wondered if they had any books in Braille. If so, Jarevei would love this place, she thought, grinning.
Despite the bat's kind tone, his words sent a chill up Cog's spine. The last time he'd seen Sebastian cheerful was...he'd never seen the bat cheerful, he didn't think. Not really.
He shrugged, and continued down the stacks. Gold and silver filigree peered back out at him, announcing the authors of each work, as well as the title. He sighed, and picked one up at random. It wasn't like he was finding anything titled "Cures for Magical Ailments" or "Words and Philosophy with Werewolf Mages". He took something titled "Response to the Illusionist" and continued to the stacks.
By the time he was finished, he had only three books in his hands. "The Response to the Illusionist", "Advanced Magical Theory Vol.1" and "The Blood Moon". Advanced Magical Theory was there mostly as a reference - there had to have been at least five copies of the thing near the back. The Blood Moon, however, he hoped to be much more helpful. It was written by another were mage, anyway. It might help.
He returned from the stacks to the sitting room part of the library, and took a seat in a comfy chair next to his books.
In the middle of reaching up to take another sip from the flagon of whiskey, Keaton froze, her ears swinging upright. Blinking confusedly, Keaton hastily lowered the bottle, staring inquisitively at Stygian. He needed her help? Distantly, in the back of her mind, Keaton was vaguely reminded of how she assisted him in finding information on the curse that once twisted their bodies and afflicted them, and how her knowledge of Dark Magic had been utilized.
"Huh?" Keaton set the bottle on the table, the whiskey sloshing around inside the glass interior. All she had taken from it were a few sips to begin with, as the drink was barely depleted, but she started to realize that drinking such an alcoholic drink so early in the morning wasn't exactly the brightest idea she had. "Sure, I can help."
Noting that Stygian said that they needed something to eat, Keaton gathered some food with her wing-tentacles and followed the others into the library, humming slightly to herself.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
It took a while, as they collected books and scanned the library for points of interests. It took a long while. Stygian began stacking books over on a cleared table, along with papers, pens and other things such as scales, flasks and vials that he returned with after some lengthy disappearances from the library. He began bringing lunch as well; cold slices of roast, bread and cheese appeared on the end of the table, and the smell of some soup began drifting off him.
'Set that down over there... Now, please bring some candles and a copy of Dauman's Theory of Consistency, will you sweets?' he said in passing to Keaton with a smile. 'Oh, and some schooling books! I'll want to see some exercises...'
In short time, the bat had ordered the table as it seemed that he saw fit. Following, he dusted and brushed off the floor space he had chosen, and drew a perfect circle, about two steps across, with a heptagon on the outside of it on the floor in chalk. A quite basic starter circle, for the most general forms of magic.
Once done, Stygian nodded to himself, went out to get the soup (a creamy goulash) and sat down at last, having a slice of cheese and reading from that book on transmogrification from earlier.
When Stygian had turned back to regard herself and Rynkura, Aisha simply kept her questioning glance. Instead of answering her question, people were still filing out of the kitchen and towards the library like the ever-curious sheep that they were. She smirked at the comparison, however sleepy a mind it came from. Not sheep...sheep were often led to slaughter.
"Sí?" She inquired upon catching the fact that she was invited, just as Rynkura. Another flash of lightning rung outside in the dark gloom that was dawn, and with it, the panther shrugged and grabbed a piece of buttered bread of her own to munch on for a small breakfast. "Alright then. Knowing all of you and magic, it may be something worth seeing," she said with a grin and followed Rynkura as she walked out.
The tigress chuckled. "You may learn a little something as well, child."
Aisha only rolled her eyes slightly. "Despite that, I'll enjoy it." This only made Rynkura snort indignantly and chuckle again. However stern that she was sometimes, Aisha knew that the tigress wasn't without some humor. The panther's mind then set to other thoughts, including wondering still if the others were just oversleeping.
Rynkura, however, took the invitation with a wise amount of caution, immediately regarding the bat's look as a clue...an exchange that Aisha either failed to notice or decided to shrug off. This is still your party, bat, and I won't be the rock in the way of it...but still... said the look that she returned. It was something of a warning without being even slightly provocative. The tigress just wanted little trouble during the visit, especially concerning Aisha.
As they walked into the library, Rynkura sat with a few of the others near where Sebastian was setting things up, eyes settling interestedly on the circle he was drawing. Aisha stood to the side, leaning on a bookshelf with her arms crossed. While she never bothered learning magic, there was always a piece of her mind that kept a slight interest in what it could do.
Cog kept a wary eye on Stygian as he settled into his chair. His eyes were narrowed a little under his shades - the bat was making him nervous. He took the smallish, leatherbound book by his side and began to read through it. The red lettering on the side proclaimed it to be 'The Blood Moon', the cover an image of a full moon, imposed over the flower of a wolfsbane plant. To Cog, it made a kind of grim irony - both things were deadly to werewolves, but both could also be a great benefit, used correctly. He opened the tome carefully.
He didn't say anything for quite the long while, engaged in reading. Occasionally he would change position, or stretch, but other than that, he was seemingly dead to the world. Raising an eyebrow at one line, he paused, and seemed to mull it over a bit. He paused, and shut the book with a bang.
"I have a question."
Cog stared at the bat seated in front of him. "My problem is I can't access the magical energies I already have. This book, if anything, confirms the abnormality of that. What's more, this curse shouldn't even be on the radar. It feeds from the moon, not me..." Cog shrugged, and lay the book beside him. "I should be fine. So, that leaves me." Cog grinned sardonically, putting his head in his hand. "Perhaps you have some idea as to why I won't access the power? Or, am I missing something?"
Mel wandered around the library rather aimlessly. She kept an eye out for books about removing curses but with so many people searching the picking was rather slim. Coming across a spiral staircase made of wrought iron curlicues she climbed to the second tier. It was darker up there so she called a ball of light that followed her around like some sort of glowing hummingbird. Mel paused and looked down over the delicate railing to the first floor. She winced a little, her sudden transformation two days before had made quite a bit of a mess of the otherwise elegant space. She should be looking for housekeeping books.
She looked around the second tier. It was quieter and dimmer up here, the hardwood floors with Persian runners muffling footsteps rather than amplifying them like the marble floors below. The books here were older, the bindings less flashy and gilded than the ones below. She wandered the stacks, seeing if anything caught her eye.
'You're missing something allright...' the bat began with a smile, setting his chin in his hand and leaning on his knee. He was looking straight at the wolf with a rather musing expression, secretive but not really.
'I think you've already seen the real solution to your problem. Well, in a way, at least. But you need some more motivation to actually get to it. And more realization.' That could not have been completely lost; as emotionally clueless as most he'd seen, as
everyone really was, the wolf had quite the brain when he decided to use it.
'There's a great difference between types of magic, stemming mainly from intent and application, really. There are things that aren't really magic either, but simply applications of power. For starters,' he said, and raised his hand, the skin visibly paling and his fur ruffling as blackness circled it and streamed through his fur, the points of his clawed fingers already blackening and turning long and knife-like.
'This isn't magic. This is power. Magic is the knowledge, power is the way, and the result is... the effort of them both.' He smiled toward Cog. It had been quick enough that it should have sidetracked him successfully.
'However, in my case, the knowledge is really just there. I can't use traditional magic, with all the flashes and fires, as I've... changed the nature of my soul, rather than my knowledge,' Stygian continued, and then stood, picking up the chalk again.
'You, however, I think have not limited yourself in soul but in heart. Which, in effect, is just the same, only it has to be broken in some other way.' He began drawing on the floor, next to the other circle, a much more complex set of lines and symbols.
'You seem to have a loathing for mages and wizards. I'd normally try and direct your attention to others who possess even more unjust power. But I don't think that'd solve the problem, really,' the bat continued, made a little glance toward Mel up on the walkway, and then smirked up at Cog, finished with the circle. 'It's not the people that you hate.'
Suddenly, he pressed his palm down in the middle of the new circle, and the sudden flare of darkness, like black light, blue and purplish toward the edges, dazzled the wolf's eyes for a second.
When Cogidubnus could see clearly again, the whole of the library seemed somehow to have darkened, the view through the windows obscured behind a murky tenebrum. That was not all that was amiss though. He could feel it.
'The people you loathe, sure. But it's not them that you hate. And do you know why, miss?' he said.
'Because while you're but a swordsman, there is something that lets those people do nasty things like that.' The bat's hand stretched out and pointed toward Mel, who was suddenly a bit more than half of her full real size and clinging to the side of the bookcases in the wall.
- -
Letting her fully formed wings slump and looking down again, Gina sighed and clenched the sheets again.
'The gate is closed, for now. This place is still very close to the darkness, but... There's nothing pulling it down anymore. I'm just...' she said, and then sniffed. 'I'm not trapped anymore. But this place isn't safe either. I can feel it. There's much more... And something's coming, Bun. I can feel it.'
Shivering slightly, the angel swallowed and looked toward the cat with wet eyes.
'I have to stop this. I just have to. Even if I have to destroy this place...' she said, her voice trembling.
Cog listened carefully to Sebastian speak, and stood to follow him and watch as he drew the circle on the ground. He nodded to himself as he listened, filing the information away. This was useful to know, if nothing else.
He opened his mouth to object that he didn't quite hate mages as much since the whole curse debacle, when Sebastian suddenly pressed his palm into the center of the circle. A dark flare blossomed where he pressed into the stone floor, blinding Cog for just a moment as he recoiled. The darkness was infectious - the dark light seemed to permeate through his pores and seep into his skin and stay. It felt as though mud was being sucked into his skin, and then a feeling of brief heaviness.
Cog opened his eyes to a somewhat darker world. The light from the candles seemed not nearly so bright, and the sky outside was much dimmed, even from it's stormy outlook. The flashes of lightning that crawled across his vision were not nearly as vivid...and there were other things, also. As the bat spoke on, Cog looked at himself. He felt...himself, flush just a little bit. He looked back up at the bat with narrowed eyes.
"You're not making your point very well, sir. This is supposed to make me hate it less?" Cog took a single unsteady step towards the bat. "This is hardly inducive to a cheery outlook."
Cog walked up to the edge of the circle and stopped, sparing a glance at Mel quickly before turning back to the bat. "I've made myself plenty clear about what I dislike, good sir. I hate idiots that use magic poorly. Which, to my knowledge, is almost all of them." Cog crossed his arms. "Thus far, you're not really helping your case, either."
The bat tilted his head, looking both bemused and confused. He hadn't expected immediate success, but that reaction...
'My case? I'm not trying to help anything. This...' he said, pointedly walking close and pointing the wolf in the chest, 'this is revenge for earlier. Sweet revenge, really.' His smirk was as acerbic as ever as he looked at Cog, head still tilted a bit sideways. 'I've much time to spend, using this and working out this place,' he continued, gesturing at the darkness. 'And in the process I can toy around; see what's fun, and not just what's on the itinerary.'
Chuckling lightly, the bat turned and walked back toward his chair. He had to get the wolf angry. It was a perfect opportunity to reach two results; firstly, remove his blockage and get him to really draw upon that power; secondly, to get him off his tail for a while.
Jeremiah was surprised by the flash, to say the least. One, because he hadn't been keeping an eye on Stygian, and two, because afterwards he looked up and saw a big heavy dragon clinging to the bookshelf above him. With a noise not entirely unlike "Yike!" He gathered up his books and notes and moved to another table, setting things up the way he liked them.
While he lacked the power to really ever be a truly powerful magic user, at least his study habits were arcane and unfathomable. An old joke back when he would teach was that if one were to move one of the stacks of papers on his desk two small but occultically significant inches to the left, it was quite possible to summon Cthulu himself. Just a joke, but he'd never once found his papers disturbed. Stacks of books and papers were arrayed haphazardly at best on the table as he flipped through "The workings and maintainance of hexes."
Cog's face tightened, eyes narrowing under shaded lenses. He briefly considered tackling the pompous ass, but stopped dead in his tracks.
"Revenge?"
Cog let his arms drop to his side and stood still, listening to the rest of the bat's tirade with only half an ear. His face was inscrutable, although his posture was somewhat slack. Even after the bat finished ranting, he said nothing, standing still for a long time. He took a deep breath, as though about to sigh - when his eye caught the bat simply sitting in his chair, the same acerbic grin on his face. He instead snarled, and nearly drew the sword from his hip.
"Fun? Oh, well! Wouldn't want to ruin your fun, you bastard!" Cog's knuckles were white as they clenched his blade. "Revenge? How the hell do you figure that! It's somehow my fault you got your gender bent?! Oh, wait! I know! Perhaps you resented my making advances on you while you were drunk off your ass! Oh, wait - " Cog's voice dripped with acid. "I forgot. That was you!"
Cog clenched his hand reflexively, glaring daggers at the bat, and let go of the sword. "I must admit, turning you into a chair is only slightly less appealing than throwing one at you right now. Who knows? Maybe a good bit of fury is what I need right now." Cog sneered at the bat, taking a step towards him.
Though Cog did not see it, the hand that had been clenching his sword was sparking with electricity as it rested at his side. He continued to walk towards the bat, oblivious.
"Okay I think, Com'on then" says Bambi, sensing the building magic as well as Gina's growing fear. She did not stop to get dress. but She jumps out of bed and wills the growth of a leaf dress to grow out of her fur. It is still not covering her fulling more a mini skirt and bikini top covering her front.....
"Gina, WE will do our best to save our friends and save the world. I know, you save us before.. down in the pit. Please, do so again. And I promise we will go into town for an ice cream if we live." says Bam as she heads to the library and the greatest source magical disturbances
PBH
Mel was standing amidst the stacks, smiling softly in memory as she paged through a book about the enchanting of magical objects. She had known the author and could hear his voice in the printed word. All of a sudden an odd feeling crept through her, it was like her magic was suddenly outside her control. She felt herself sizeshifting without doing it herself. Luckily she only went to half her natural size, about twelve foot. Unluckily that was still about twice the size of the intended occupants of this library and the nearby bookcases ended up in the same state as the ones below, toppling with a series of crashes and a rain of books to the floor, some even making it to the floor below. They weren't the only thing in danger of ending up on the floor below, Mel felt the decking creak dangerously beneath her as her weight increased. She clung to the bookcase bolted to the outer wall, trying to shift some of her weight from the floor. Flight was out of the question, she was hunched over just to fit between the tiers and could no longer fit through the space between the railing and the next tier. She tried and tried to get her sizeshifting back under her own control but it was locked away from her. "Not funny. Property damage happening here. Stop it."
The darkness promptly receded, and not a moment too soon, the magic sort of snapping back under Mel's control. It had only been a distraction, though not a good one, apparently. And for the moment, Stygian's attention was on Cog. Just a bit more fury, and then the next step would be to hold it and focus it somewhere else. Silas would have loved this, he thought. But so would all the others as well...
'I let you people stay here. I chose to confide in you, after years of imprisonment and misery, and what do I get in return?!' he snapped back at Cog, in a manner he never normally would. He was speaking his mind, in a way, but wasn't acting anything like he should; no arguing, no points, no perspective. All to get the wolf's blood up. 'I get smacked around, ridiculed and treated like some menial butler!' he snarled, standing and pacing over to the wolf with hard steps. His black eyes seemed to bore their gaze into Cog's.
'You don't know how lucky you are. Had things been just a little different, I would have killed you and left in a heartbeat,' he seethed, his voice half a purr, half a snarl. Tiny lines of black and crawling movements across his skin were clearly visible to Cog's eyes, and there was something almost palpable about the darkness now, something that the wolf could feel, like a pressure building.
'I am still considering,' Stygian growled, glaring.
While the others seemed to distance themselves from the events, both Aisha and Rynkura (one more so than the other) kept their attention on what Sebastian was doing. The tigress peered over the table she was sitting on, listening in as the bat answered Cogidubnus's curious--if not eager--inquiries. She had to admit that it was interesting, as well as the proficiency that their host had with it; that part, she wasn't at all surprised about. But at the sudden flare, and the skin-crawling feeling of darkness encompassing the room, she was reminded why the particulars of that art wasn't her kind. Rynkura could only silently hope that the explorations would be more or less harmless, as she turned her head to glimpse a book sitting open next to her.
...So much for the hope. Before long, an argument had sparked between the curious wolf and the bat, one which the tigress stayed out of. She hadn't been there to see anything between any of the party members. Aisha, meanwhile, had. The panthress tilted her head and uncrossed her arms, perplexed at the sudden explosion of attitude, and looked about to interject...until a loud creaking from above caught her attention instead...the dragon, growing again, and a little late she noticed. Her eyes widened. "Mel!"
Rynkura watched as the panthress hovered near the stairs to the upper level until things seemed to feel normal. The tiger didn't call her student back; the girl was careful enough, and it wasn't at all her place here to throw commands...or questions for that matter. Instead her eyes settled on the other two, wondering about the real source of the commotion. She kept the staff in her grasp, shifting a little uneasily in her seat...perhaps things would settle themselves, and if not...
Upon Stygian's request, Keaton breezed through the library, busily gathering the books he needed and setting them in a neat little tower on the table. For someone who was recently and partially inebriated, Keaton seemed to be in a much better mood than she was last night, as most of her guilt and feelings of inadequacy had been alleviated. Still, she continued to turn over Stygian's new nickname for her in her head: 'sweets'? Certainly better than some of the epithets that people had dubbed her with in the past (such as 'bitch,' 'sadistic she-hound,' and other unmentionables), so she didn't complain.
Well, now what? Finding nothing else notable to do, Keaton swiped a slice of bread off of the food assembled on the table and took a bite into it, murring quietly. She had forgotten how nice simple food tasted. Taking a seat, Keaton picked up a book, flipping through the pages and fidgeting, occasionally drumming her fingers silently against the hardcover surface of the book.
Cogidubnus and Stygian seemed to be having a conversation of some sorts. Glancing up from her book, Keaton tried to act as inconspicuous as possible, mostly in case something went horribly, horribly wrong. And it did. One moment they were talking rather casually, the next minute Stygian had pointed to Mel, triggering a strange and unexpected transformation in her: her height rocketed up similarly to how it did when her draconic heritage was revealed, only not to the extent that it was before. Altogether dropping the book, Keaton bolted out of her seat as the dragon struggled to regain her footing.
"Shit! Mel!" Keaton exclaimed, running past the shouting Cogidubnus and Stygian after Aisha, to the stairs. Her wing-tentacles began to unravel from her wings, extending to a whip-like length.
Their argument was getting borderline violent, and if worst came to worst and a fight broke out, Keaton juggled with the idea of intervening. She had never fought Cogidubnus, but she had been subdued in the past by Stygian when she was possessed by their arachnid antagonists. Chances were that she would lose to the chiropteran. But he wouldn't kill her...
...would he?
Not that that mattered right now. They needed to help Mel.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Ketefe had been listening to a little of what was said between Cog and Stygian, and a few things had caught her ear. Was Cog a werewolf? And what did Stygian mean, "changed the nature of his soul"? Well, she didn't want to interrupt them; questions could be asked later. She went back to looking at book titles, finding one on basic magic and one with Braille dots on the spine. She had just started to take them off the shelf when the dark flash happened.
"The hell?" she said, stepping towards the place where Stygian and Cog were. What had happened was unexpected, but not as bad as some things that had gone on here. Mel was suddenly much bigger, almost full-size Ketefe guessed, and Cog and Stygian were fighting about something - not physical just yet, but she suspected it would be soon. Strangely enough, although he sounded angry, the bat seemed the calmer of the two. Something was altogether strange about the fight, but that wasn't the main concern right now.
Ketefe half-ran towards Mel, not really sure of what to do but knowing she should help somehow. "Mel?! You okay?" she called, hoping the dragon was alright.
"Confide!" Cog practically screamed, his voice barely recognizable, and his face was contorted in a snarl. "You have confided nothing, except how much of an, an annoyance we all are! Selfish bastard! We should have let you rot on that stick!"
Cog let the bat finish, his fingertips still sparking and crackling. But as the bat began to whisper to him, the wolf began to shake just slightly, both of his hands clenching and unclenching. His shades, slid down his nose just slightly, revealed his eyes, and they stared out at the bat in pure hatred, the gleaming yellow a compliment to the gleaming white fangs beneath them.
"If things had been a little different...." Cog choked, and the werewolf, normally given to such calm and dignity, so much more suited to peaceful reflection than unbridled emotion, growled - his face contorted with rage and more than a little sadness as he snarled, a sound of complete and utter fury. "Oh, by all means sir - if you wish to kill me, please. Just try."
Cog looked down and finally noticed his hand arcing with ropes of lightning, and drew back a moment before grinning bitterly. "Oho! It seems you were correct! Bastard."
Cog again growled savagely and lunged forward, both hands on his blade - but instead of drawing it, he simply slammed the pommel into Sebastian's nose, knocking the bat backwards. He let go of the sword quickly, one hand pushing the blade deep into his belt, and the other moving in quick, arcane passes as lightning crackled over the digits - and in time with a thundercrack from outside, a thick arc of lightning flew from his fingers at the bat as he drew his sword, charging him.
That was the cue! Stygian felt the magic surge, and while wild and raging, fluctuating in strength some, it did not waver. A perfect result. Of course, before he could find his composure again and speak, he was faced with the wolf's wrath. And while he'd seen much of his moves up until then, he wasn't prepared for quite such an assault.
Stygian flew back and hit the edge of the heavy table hard, being knocked down on the floor, his broken nose spilling wet blackness. He snarled in pain and immediately snapped his eyes back at Cog. In the second between that the wolf's sweetened features turned into a twisted snarl and she flashed out a lightning bolt at him, he pushed off the floor and somersaulted back in a smooth arc, continuing the movement with a dash to the side. He felt the lightning slash, the skin and fur on his right arm sizzling and stinging with it. But he was already at Cog's side, black claws extended and ready to brace the first sword strike. Not that he intended to give her the opportunity though.
His elbow hit the wolf in the chest hard, knocking Cog back as he himself had been. And with that done, he had the time to move he wanted. Darkness tore out and took shape, ripping and flowing beneath and around him. His shirt and hair rustled as if in a breeze.
'Stop it!' the bat snarled, his voice already twisting as his veins blackened, just as his teeth and mouthflesh. 'I've proved my point!'
"You have proved nothing! the wolf screamed, his very countenance seeming to alight as he steadied himself, one arm around his gut. Lightning crackled from his hands and flowed from the edge of his blade, the wisps of electricity sometimes snaking out from the sword to fade into the air.
"What?" Cog stared into the blackness, his eyes still gleaming. "Oh my! 'The horrible wolf has proved my point? Look at him, slapping me around? The one I confided in, look how he repays!" Cog snarled, suddenly standing straight. "Betrayed!" Cog mocked, his voice venomous. "I knew it all along!"
Cog's voice seemed to twist suddenly, not quite the tenor the wolf normally had. His eyes gleamed ferally. "You're not fooling anyone."
Cog spat at the shadow, and faster than the eye could see brought the sword up and struck, the blade a arcing, silver crescent. Lightning flashed from the sword, and underneath his breath the wolf had started chanting, a sudden feeling of ozone and a strange prickliness surrounding the area. As he brought the sword up in a flowing block, he extended one hand to the storming heavens, a ominous rumble echoing through the chamber.
Mel felt her magic return to her control and immediately she shifted downwards. She didn't stop at her being size, but shrunk down to her smallest one, the size of a pet cat. She scrambled onto the bookshelf that was bolted to the wall until the ominous creaking of the floor and the crashing of the bookcases subsided. But not all the sounds were coming from the level she was on. There were sounds of running, and shouting, and crashing below. And several different people shouting her name. "I'm here. I'm fine. Hold on." With the path to the stairs blocked by the mess she jumped from the bookcase to the wrought iron railing, assisted by buzzing wings. Balancing on the rail she looked first to the stairs where Keaton, Aisha, and Ketefe were. "I am beginning to hate this library. Don't try to come up, there are bookcases blocking the way." Then the sound of lightning too close to be the storm caught her attention and she looked to the center of the room. Sebastian and Cog were fighting, flinging both blows and magic. She couldn't do anything about the sword, but the lightening was different. She grabbed at control of the growing storm, starting a game of keep-away with the wolf.
The flash cleft through the blackness like a huge blade, which it effectively was, sending crackling energy into the dark and dispersing it violently for a fraction of a second. The bat looked as if he were about to make another dash, and wouldn't have time to escape, when the slash went through him and ripped only darkness apart.
Cog caught the movement of something crawling, parts of the darkness that snaked and clawed all around. He didn't have time to catch the clawed hand that closed firmly on his neck from right behind though.
'I was fooling you. I am fooling you. And all the more fool are you!' Stygian hissed into the wolf's ear. 'I never betray. Never!' Blackness crawled all about him and there was a sort of dark glow, like a bluish purple and black aura to his eyes. His hand constricted Cog's airway. Before he could get the other around the wolf's free arm though, he felt a sharp pain as a stab landed in his gut. The darkness hadn't hindered the blade, and the bat's flesh sizzled as it bit deep. Stygian screamed through clenched teeth before he caught himself and hissed, a horrid sound. Yet, he forced himself to keep his grip and get closer.
'And you're out of your league, bitch!' he snarled.
Shapes circled them, hidden in the shadows but audible as they hissed and seethed. The darkness crawled and slithered. Then, with a many-voiced but unison roar, it threw itself over the both of them, the bat joining it. And Cog was left with nothing but pitch black around him.
Jeremiah ducked under the table as soon as he heard the metal pommel of Cog's sword hit meat.
"Oh would you two get a damn room?" he muttered, to nobody in particular or either of those two with good enough hearing, "I mean, come on!" The smell of burning parchment reached his nose; Cog's slinging lightning about had set some expensive looking books on fire. "Mel! Fire!" Hoping the ice dragon could take care of it, the frog's eyes darted this way and that as he sought something he could use to stop them.
Halfway up the stairs Keaton froze in place once she heard Mel's voice emanate from above, the jackal's head snapping upright to face the feline-sized dragon perched on the railing. "Mel, you're alright!" Keaton exclaimed, allowing herself a small sigh of relief. Her shoulders slumped as the tension in them released, her wings sinking slightly with them. "Jesus Christ, scared us there."
That was when she heard what sounded like a loud, hoarse cry of "BASTARD!" from a voice that wasn't immediately recognizable, resonating from down the staircase. Craning her head around with deliberate trepidation, Keaton felt every bit of tension that had oozed from her muscles snap right back in, binding her bones like thick, ropey rubber bands.
"Shit!" Keaton shouted, whirling back around and dashing down the staircase. "I'll be right back!"
Drawing her mace from the holster strapped to her back, Keaton jumped off of the final step just as she saw Stygian and Cogidubnus leap forward at each other, as though drawn together by a strange, magnetic force. Around them, corroding, withering blackness rushed and lunged in smoldering clumps toward the struggling, writhing pair; terrible, darkened shapes twisting and thrashing in the sudden explosion of shadows.
He was... shit. He couldn't be. He was going to drag Cogidubnus into the shadows.
"FUCK!" Keaton exclaimed, running toward them. There was no hesitation, no thinking. Just a quick calculation of what needed to be done.
Slowly, the saffron began to drain from her body as the shadows sloping beneath the bookcases stretched up to meet her form, twining and tangling up her body until a thick, sable layer of darkness completely caked her curvaceous outline (once more, with the exception of her clan marking). Wings pressing against her back, she sprung through the air toward the center of the massive collection of fanged faces and atramentous apparitions, feeling her body sink through and a horrible, horrible coldness flood through her veins, suffusing her soul. There was a sudden lurching of the shapes, as though each and every one had dove upon them, devouring them, and leaving behind nothing but a vacant space on the ground.
Cogidubnus, Stygian, and Keaton were gone.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Bambi and Gina reach the library, as the dark cloak of magic has caught up Stygian, Cog and Keaton. Bambi saw the shadow blade stab the bat. She cried out and send spheres of light into the blackness as lifelines to the bat, Cog and Keaton, but crys out in pain as her lifelines of light are cut and the darkness fades into the shadows.
PBH
Cog spat out something foul, and opened his eyes to a yet darker world.
He couldn't see the bat anywhere, although hints and wisps of shadows seemed to tug at the edge of his vision - in the distance, there was no horizon, but simply darkness. It was impossible to tell where he was, or when the wall of darkness cut off vision - it could be feet, or miles away.
Cog breathed heavily in the darkness, his eyes still smoking with anger, searching for some sign of Sebastian. He stood there for a long while, his breath slowly slowing, and the anger fading from his eyes. He stood still in the darkness, and he suddenly closed his eyes and sighed, putting his face in his hands. He pushed the shades back up over his eyes - his hands no longer sparked with electricity. Quickly, and without flourish he sheathed his blade at his hip, and took a deep breath.
"Shit."
Despite there being only darkness, there was a breeze present, threatening to blow off his hat. Cog held onto it with one hand and started walking, waiting for someone to show up.
Walking in that emptiness was eerie. The darkness spanned everywhere. Though he could see a shady outline, looking at himself, the ground was nowhere to Cog, and each step that was taken in the blackness was unreal. It led nowhere, it went nowhere. And the breeze shifted, as if it were not air but the actual darkness that moved around him.
There was something moving around him, he realized. As did Keaton, not far and yet an eternity away from him. The slithering sounds, the rasping breaths... what hadn't brought them to their ears sooner, one couldn't know. Or maybe, they had only just come closer, seeking out what had entered the blackness...
'You think I would bother with you at all if I wanted to end you?' The voice that came from behind Cog echoed and snaked in the nothingness. 'You think I would so much as speak to you?'
There was light. A sudden light. Something behind them. Cog could see it, Keaton too, growing closer, bridging the depth of infinity between them, putting them at perhaps twenty paces apart. It was dim, but growing closer.
From behind them, a specter, a ghost of some sort, approached. The features of the shining, pallid white apparition, seething with some sort of ghastly flames or light that cracked and crumbled around utter blackness, conjoined with the rest of the dark around them, were recognizable as Stygian's. But they were far more beautiful and hideous at the same time; hollow eyes that spread black lines around them; fangs darker than ebony, mocking the sorrowful face they were set in; the hideous, living darkness spilling out the back of his muscled, cracked torso like a pair of twisted wings.
'I don't know why I do this, or why I stay. But I feel that I must. And I shall,' he lamented, sparing a glance to Keaton, and then floating forward, closer to Cog. 'I hope you can settle with that.'
He looked at the wolf for a second. And then his light faded, burning away. At once, there was only the darkness and the horrors of it again. And then it rushed at them, clawed them, pulled and tore. And suddenly, they were thrown outside, and back into the library.
Cog stared at the apparition in silence, glad indeed for the darkened glass between his eyes and the bat. His demeanor had altogether changed, from enraged anger to a seeming melancholy resignation. He listened calmly as the bat spoke, unmoving, and watched calmly as the apparition came closer. The bat finished, and Cog sighed, his gaze no longer meeting the blazing white thing.
As Sebatian faded, however, he stumbled forward, not expecting the sudden influx of darkness, and as before he found himself consumed by it.
* * *
The next moment, he was spat back outside into the library and the world of light, taking a tumble over a few piles of books and overturned tables before coming to rest.
As Mel concentrated on keeping control of the storm the wolf was raising she watched Keaton jump from the stairs and join the fray, only to have the seething darkness roll over all three of them and swallow them up. Like waves at the beach the darkness receded, but there was nothing left behind, they were gone without a trace. Actually there were probably lots of traces, Mel acknowledged, but none for her to read as she had no skill with shadows.
Jumping from the rail she used her wings to glide to the floor below. Once landed she changed her size back to the one everyone was accustomed to, her magically enhanced clothing reforming as she did. She looked to Rynkura as the other experienced magic user in the room, "Any ideas what just happened, Mistress Msh'taan? I've not a..." But before the dragon could finish her thought a thin ribbon of the darkness reappeared and unceremoniously tossed the wolf and the jackal back into the library with a crash and thud of yet more fine furniture being treated like that in a cheap tavern. Keaton came to a stop nearby and appeared unharmed. Mel looked to the wolf, the female wolf. "Cog?" she questioned. As she stood stunned a smell of smoke wafted past. Only then did her brain finish processing what Jeremiah had been shouting. "Fire? Where?" Spotting the smoldering books Mel formed a column of magic around the area and evacuated all the air from inside, smothering the flames. With a sigh and a shake of her head she commented, "We've done more damage to this room in two days than 164 years of occupation by bats, spiders, and wraiths managed."
Aisha tried not to pay attention to the fight continuing on the floor below. She could hear almost every word, blows to the individuals' pride and mind. But she was only intent on reaching Mel, who at that point had finally gotten control of the magic placed upon her and returned to a fair size. Her sigh of relief wasn't even heard however, above shouting and books being strewn all over the place. Flashes of darkness flew along behind her back, as well as the sound of blade cleaving air.
"Oh holy...!" She snarled upon rounding to see the commotion...but something held her fast to the railing of the stairs. Among the commotion she could hear others shouting, including Jeremiah, and she swore that Rynkura's strong voice had cut into the maelstrom with a resounding "HALT--" as the bat had his grasp on Cogi, before being cut off quickly, going to no avail as much as anyone's words...and without hesitation, it swallowed both individuals, a charging Keaton alongside, and left the library in a very stunned silence.
Aisha caught her bated breath after that, and stepped down from the stairs, eyes searching around for any trace of the vanished. There wasn't a one...just a large mess.
Just then, Rynkura was spotted pushing the table that she was sitting upon before upright again, a shimmering barrier of light having been cast around herself. It was dispelled easily with a hand gesture over the orb of her staff, at which point she released a slight growl, nothing loud, but supressing aggravation. "By the Spirits...!" she coughed. "I have never thought the fool that--"
"--Mistress?" Aisha interrupted, her arms crossed and head tilted. The tigress straightened herself and turned to them, just as she heard Mel's inquiry.
Her expression too was thoughtful, but also carried a hint of haste. "I've only little to go on..." she started replying, only to join everyone in jumping away from that spot. In midair, a shadowy tendril materialized with the wolf and jackal in its maw, virtually spitting them back on the floor and disappearing once again. No sign of Sebastian...but the other two were an easy relief to find safe.
Aisha went to help Keaton to her feet. "You both alright?" she inquired, while Rynkura proceeded to lend a hand to Cogidubnus as well.
Despite the situtation, she managed a chuckle at Mel's statement. "It's in my experience to have noticed that animals keep a cleaner domain than any sentient race has been known to." With a sigh, Rynkura looked around. "Well. While we are cleaning up here, would you mind telling us what that was all about, Sir Mithlome?" she inquired politely to the wolf, sparing a quick glance to Keaton as well, while Aisha made a mere agreeing hum in the background and started to gather the strewn books while listening to the conversation. The tigress would probably find more information in what they had just experienced if she was to even try answering upcoming questions.
As the panther walked, she could feel slight movement by her feet, like little ripples in the air by the floor. She knew that Rynkura was again sending small waves of light through the room, which would let her detect any peaks of darkness...barely noticeable to many unless they were really paying attention. Must be looking for the bat's hiding place, she surmised quietly. Good luck with THAT...
Ketefe sighed in relief that Mel was okay, although she was much smaller than normal, and then went bug-eyed as she looked at the chaos all around her.
Cog was being pulled into a depth of blackness by Stygian, and Ketefe was sure she'd heard the sound of a sword stabbing flesh. Lightning was crackling all around, no doubt caused by Cog finally tapping into his power, and angry shouts could be heard from both him and the bat. It made Ketefe's fur bristle to feel the storm rising in the room, although Mel was keeping it well-controlled. The evil creatures Stygian had made earlier were whipping around Cog, and then Keaton jumped into the writhing darkness. Then Bam and Gina entered, Gina with a pair of wings and Bam panicking and trying to send light into the twisting chaos of the battle. In a split second, Cog, Stygian and Keaton had disappeared.
Ketefe suddenly felt very cold, surveying the damage done to the library and the actions of the others in the room. She noticed that in her panic, she'd taken out her sword, and every muscle in her body was rigid. Thankfully, she didn't need to fight, because then Cog and Keaton were hurled back into the library. Sheathing her sword quickly, Ketefe ran over to Cog, stooping and offering her hand to help him up.
"What the hell was THAT?" she said, trying not to sound too shrill and afraid.
Not many moments later, the almost liquid shadow, set against the broad back of a shelf, which had spat out the wolf and jackal, began writhing and receding into itself. The outline of Stygian staggered and emerged from it as it sank away, taking familiar form again as the darkness began lifting around them all. Unsteadily, he stepped out and looked at them.
'I hope you have a good time now,' he finally said, after a few seconds' pause, his eyes all glares. Then, his face, more pallid than normal, tensed and his jaw clenched, as he shook and made a pained sound. He clutched a clawed hand at his chest, and then immediately turned, unsteadily hurrying off, nearly pushing Ketefe out of the way and stomping past Bambi and Gina.
'Out of the way you pixie!' he snarled, moving his hand to his bleeding side.
Jeremiah clambered out from under the table and dusted himself off, the tension abated for now.
"Yeah, how about that?" he said, overhearing Mel's comment, "Time, nature, supernatural wossnames, and this place gets taken apart by an argument. We could probably sell some of these stories to the Twilight Zone, make a fortune," He grinned, Lets keep thing upbeat, keep it light...
My winnings in our next game say those were the books that would have helped you oust Spooky.
Pretty words gone!
Keep things upbeat, people would question you yelling at yourself, "Man, I hope none of those were about getting rid of remaining wraiths. Anyway, we all intact? Keaton?" he turned toward the cubi, eyebrow raised, "You got pulled into whatever the hell that was too, are you alright?"
Cog was still for a moment among the tumbled books, before pushing himself off the floor and again spitting out to his side something foul. He grimacing and slid his legs under him, sitting down.
It wasn't long before the others came running, some staring at the mess and others running up and others offering him a hand to get up, asking questions. Cog waved away Ketefe and Rynkura's hands, his face just a little sour, and pushed himself off the floor. He wasn't hurt, per se, but his movements were slow nonetheless. Hes eyes locked on Mistress Rynkura.
"Yes. I would mind." Cog's voice was stiffly polite. "Ask...I don't care. Later. Just..." Cog barely suppressed a growl, instead sighing, and he bowed to the others. "My apologies. If you will excuse me."
With that, Cog walked out of the library, towards the opposite door. He brushed by Jeremiah as he passed, giving the frog somewhat a glare behind his glasses before leaving the library and heading...he wasn't quite sure. Away.
The first thing Keaton was aware of once she entered the shadow realm was that everything was, understandably, gone; engulfed entirely by limitless black. Not even the floor was there, giving Keaton the sensation of levitation, as though she were hovering instead of walking along the invisible floor carpeting the abyss. Clutching her arms in something akin to a slight hug, Keaton glanced around, inspecting her surroundings and remaining on alert for any volatile shifts in the eerily quiescent environment. Who knew what would happen? Just in case, she kept the darkness blanketing her active. Stygian was able to manipulate it to his advantage during their last violent encounter, but in this piceous plane, she had ample material to draw her power from.
She finally located Stygian and Cogidubnus a good distance away, or at least what she assumed was them. They, too, were coated by darkness, leaving them as mere silhouettes. Sudden, resplendent luminescence ignited, and in the darkness an apparition materialized, approaching them, speaking. Bearing a strange similarity to Stygian, mostly in his atramentous optics than his sleek, moonwashed visage.
Keaton listened carefully, her eyes half-lidded and her expression curious, although most of her facial features had been partially erased due to the shadows encrusting her form. She listened, she listened, and she listened, absorbing every word like a sponge, and monitored Cogidubnus's expression; a difficult task, seeing as his eyes were obscured by darkened glass.
Before Keaton knew it she was ejected from the shadowy chamber, regurgitated right back into the library in a crumpled, black-soaked heap. Around her she felt her concentration snap, making the layers of darkness caking her body literally sprawling about her outline the moment Keaton's side hit the ground. Webs of ichorous sable pockmarked her body, writhing and bubbling along the surface of her fur like toxic waste, splayed in thick strands as the remnants of Keaton's shadowy shield wavered and flickered spasmodically. The white light that once illuminated her eyes had drained, leaving them unusually glassy and unfocused; one eye completely devoid of iris or pupil, while the other's brown iris still glistened with dying vestiges of alabaster energy.
"Uuugh..." Keaton groaned, rolling onto her side and clutching her head. Reacting instinctually to her pain, the goo collected on her body boiled and withdrew, retreating in a viscous puddle around her ankles. Behaving somewhat similarly to normal shadows, but far too tangible to be considered "normal."
Keaton probably couldn't have gotten up on her own, being too dazed and confused from what had just occurred to think intelligibly. Thankfully, she found herself hoisted to her feet by Aisha's helping hand, where she arched her back and rubbed at her aching hips. "Agh. I am NEVER, EVER doing that again," Keaton said, running a hand through her disheveled hair and attempting to return it to relative order, rather than the aerodynamic mess it had become. She offered a weak smile to Aisha. "Thanks."
Her head snapped toward Stygian's direction as he stormed out of the library, right past Gina and Professor Hunnydew. Keaton felt her lips twitch in her characteristic scowl as she kicked the remains of black ichor off of her feet. Like a startled spider the strands of goo crawled off of her toes, siphoning back into the pool.
"You're WELCOME, by the way!" Keaton shouted after Cogidubnus, then scowled, dusting herself off. The shadows pooled around her feet convulsed and immediately flowed back to their original, average positions about the room, as though magnetically drawn. "Yeesh. Next time someone gets dragged into the shadows, I'm not going after them. Now where the heck are my glasses?"
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Staggering forward as quickly as he could, Stygian ascended some stairs, heading for his room as fast as he could. The wound in his side was burning, as he struggled to feed darkness into it to heal it. Unfortunately, the weakness that had come over him and the piercing pain in his chest made that a very hard task. In fact, one which he couldn't pull off.
He made the last step of the second flight of stairs, and then stumbled and sagged down on the floor. He grunted as he fell to his knees on the cold stone, panting. Chilly wetness was running down his side, staining his shirt black and making the fur stick to the inside of his pants. It seemed the wolf had hit his liver.
His senses somewhat blurry, the bat grunted and turned over as well as he could, and pushed himself back, slumping against the wall. He loosened his belt and then tied it high up around his stomach, over the wound, tightening as far as he could before the pain and shaking of his hands became too much. Then, he allowed himself to pass out.
Outside, the storm kept slowly rolling by.
The crack of thunder woke him. He immediately wondered how much of that he'd slept through. Wearily, Stygian turned his gaze toward the window at the end of the hall. The rain was still pouring down. With that dark sky, one couldn't be too sure.
Fully repaired after her impromptu encounter with the floor, Keaton stretched her arms over her head and sighed, shaking her head. Slowly, her head-wings emerged from her scalp, flexing themselves experimentally so the creamy membrane was fully exercised and free of any cramping irritation. Since her new clothing lacked any back to it, Keaton wagered that freeing her wings would likely end with her apparel tattered, so she kept them hidden.
For once Keaton found herself inexplicably fatigued by her ordeal. Perhaps it was the difficulty that accompanied attempting to merge oneself with the shadow realm. Distantly, in the back of her mind, Keaton wondered if Stygian was facing the same, exhausting repercussions. She was a Succubus, so she would recover rather easily from any languor, but she was uncertain of his race...
Idly, her eyes, the prosthetic one still vacant and barren of pupil, traced the subtle splashes of tainted blood besprinkling the floor in gory gouts. Stygian's blood, no doubt. He had been stabbed by Cogidubnus, after all. Sighing, Keaton walked limply over to one of the chairs parked near the tables, seating herself on it. She'd pursue him later. Right now she needed to relax, and alleviate herself of the sluggishness that afflicted her.
--
Thunder boomed and lightning flashed outside of the castle as Keaton walked down the hallways, following the speckled trail of blood Stygian had left. She was wearing her glasses, having discovered them somewhere near the table she was resting at, and the pupil in her right eye had finally been restored after a moment of relaxation. Admittedly, she hadn't expected to see him crumpled against the wall, but some part of her reasoned that considering the depth of the injury it was understandable. Made finding him easier, at least.
Crouching slightly, Keaton looked to Stygian. "Sebastian. Yo. Look at me," she said, "You alright?"
Stupid question, but hey, it was instinctual.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
It took a few seconds before the bat reacted. He just sat staring out the window. Then, without turning to look at her, hand still on his side, he spoke.
'No. I never am,' he said solemnly. Then he looked at her. His eyes were as black as ever, but they seemed to have lost all their heat. He held his gaze for a bit, then looked down at himself and sighed, before trying to get up. It went slow and shakily.
'Usually that doesn't take much out of me, but...' he began, steadying himself against the wall. He stopped and changed subjects. 'I hate being just hated, but it seems to be my lot. Can you help me to my room?' he then said, looking at Keaton as if he was expecting her to laugh and walk away.
Keaton watched Stygian's reactions attentively, her face one of solemn seriousness. Occasionally her gaze shifted to clinically examine the wound in his side from afar, judging the severity and location. She was no doctor, but she could tell that it was serious. When Stygian finally spoke Keaton sighed, ears drooping slightly. Brown, mismatched eyes, one false, the other organic, met black, smoldering, atramentous oculars.
Much to Keaton's surprise, he actually requested her help. Stygian would probably be the one to be surprised next. Instead of laughing at him, Keaton merely walked over to him, concentrating enough to conjure up a set of tentacles, which emerged in rippling pairs from her midsection. Using them, she gently helped Stygian to his feet, keeping the claws of her tentacles away from his injury.
"Alright," she said, looking up at the significantly taller bat. "I'll help you there. Just, uh, try not to lean on me too much."
Keaton remained silent during their trip to Stygian's room, either out of respect or how she was casually trying to avoid the awkwardness of the situation. Despite the slowness of their movements Keaton kept them urgent, so that way they would approach the room without Stygian losing too much blood. Once they made it, Keaton led Stygian over to the nearest comfortable resting spot (a sofa) and draped him over it, the tentacles retreating back into her body once the task was completed.
"There you go," Keaton said, leaning down again. "Is there... y'know, anything else I can do? I'm not a doctor, but your injury looks pretty... well, pretty bad..."
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Ketefe withdrew her hand when Cog waved it away, and stumbled a little when Stygian stormed past her, almost pushing her over. She pivoted and gave the leaving bat a slightly-angry, mostly-bewildered look. She turned away from the door after a minute, deciding that chasing after him would be a really bad idea. He smelled bloody. He's probably badly hurt and doesn't deserved to be yelled at by someone who isn't, she mentally reasoned. Apparently, Keaton had noticed the same thing, because she left the library shortly after Stygian did.
The feline's eyes took in the sight of the partially ruined library, people getting up and checking themselves for injuries, smoldering books on the floor, and bookcases toppled over.
Sighing, she gave herself a once-over to make sure she was unharmed. Then she went to work picking up the books that weren't damaged and trying to find out where they went.
"Y'know," she said, passing Jeremiah as she picked up more books, "I don't care how useless I am without it. I am NEVER learning magic."
"Trust me, it doesn't help you much afterwards either. Aw Damn!" The frog glared down at a scorched and ruined tome, the cover of which still intact enough to bear the title 'Torments of the Arcane: Afflictions Magical,' "Gotta be kidding me..."
Pay up!
DAMN!
He flipped through it a little bit, before eventually setting it down with the books he'd been using before. It was pretty wrecked, but there were a few bits still intact that he figured may be useful. Waste not. "Never a dull moment around here."
Sitting down on the bed and slowly undoing the belt, Stygian gently checked the wound with fingers and claws. It had partially sealed up, but the sensation of cold and the slowness of it were unmistakable. As was the sticky wetness of his shirt.
'I heal everything in time. This might make a scar, but it won't be too...' he started, a plain lie. It had been some intense magic. He'd have to remake the tissue later, even if he did heal it up, to get it back in pristine order. Heavy organ wounds weren't ones that could be left. Parting the shirt, he looked at the wound, and then in the mirror across the room. Hair in a ruffled shag, pale, messy. He couldn't help but feel he looked like shit.
'It's alright. I'm used to it.' The bitter smirk that accompanied the tone as he looked to Keaton again was rather explanatory. Before it was interrupted, by another choked sound, and his hand going to his chest again. He grimaced.
'I... think it would be... helpful though...' he said. A slight trickle of new wetness started running down his side. The tension had opened the wound. 'I need blood or darkness to heal this. Something to leech...'
Aisha had given a friendly smile back to Keaton as reply to her thanks, and had gathered a bunch of books in her arms, when another surge of darkness caused her tail ring to flash behind her...as it had been doing for pretty much the whole time. Revealed from the portal was the bat as he walked around and faced everyone, his appearance one that betrayed a weakness and injury. She could hear a slight pause, a silence that cut through the air as it happened...even Rynkura turned to look, after letting Cogi out of the room without another word said but a respectful glance and the hope that he would be fine too after a time.
But as he stormed out with naught but a glare and a few harsh words passed, the panthress had almost started after him out of some concern for his health, but stopped when she was next to the tigress, who looked after him with a slight grimace in her features. "You can't help?" she heard Aisha ask.
Rynkura held her pause, then met her eyes again solemnity behind it. "Sadly, I fear the kind of help he needs cannot come from my craft. Leave him be for now, chica...let us just take the time to clean this place."
The panthress continued her work without saying or thinking much more on the subject, placing her bundle of books on different shelves again and setting said shelves upright. But her mentor thought better to continue speaking to the girl more carefully about the nature of the castle or the inhabitants. As time passed and a few sought to leave, at least as was true for Keaton, quick farewells were said and the storm outside continued to rage...nature as always heedless of its people's doings.
The stained glass effigies of angels and saints, normally golden-bright and glorious in the daytime were rendered ominous by the raging storm outside. A few of the great glass mosaics lay broken and shattered, and the wind howled through the gaps, the storm raging through the only entrance to the castle it could find. The rain pattered and splashed on the soaked carpet, slicking the broken glass beneath it and staining the carpet darkly, splotches of dark crimson amid a sea of brighter red.
Across from the broken, shattered remains of a stylized cross sat Cog, sitting on one of the raised steps near the front of the chapel, the wind whipping his jacket and hair about him. His hat lay beside him on one of the pews, with his sword laying neatly down next to it. Rain beaded on his glasses, obscuring his vision, and yet Cog remained still, simply watching and feeling the wind and the storm outside. Behind him was a large, golden glass effigy of Micheal, the Archangel, and to his side, the large round window above the pulpit depicting Azrael, the Angel of Death, with his silver scythe poised over the congregation, as if preparing to swing, and this claim all those in attendance.
"About a stone cast from the wall, a sluice with blackened water's slept - and o'er it many round and small..." Cog intoned, his face twitching just slightly in a half-grin. He brushed some hair the wind had blown over his eyes, and continued staring at the storm. His eyes slid to the Angel's above and beside him - and, shaking his head ever so slightly, scooted backwards just a little bit, resting his back against the stone wall. He sighed, and muttered something under his breath, a thundercrack muffling whatever he might have said. Cursing something, he looked up at the storm, and continued to watch.
Stygian looked up at the jackal, with something in between bitterness, sorrow and pained guilt, and then got up off the black sheets.
'I'm sorry... I won't ask anything of you... Don't mind, okay?' he said, as gently as he could, and hung his head. He wanted to talk to her, to accept her help. But what to do and what one would like to do were entirely different things.
'It's what I deserve anyway. Can't do anything without paying a price,' he said, managing a little bitter smile.
- -
The library was a mess. Again. Books were strewn about, there were burns over the floor and a shelf, the table was much more disorderly than Stygian had left it, and the group were mostly just standing around. The last of the darkness' influence on the place was receding, but it didn't do so much at this point, seeing as how the black clouds were still rolling past and thundering outside. In short, it wasn't so fun. The complex symbol that Stygian had drawn on the floor still glowed a bit, fading dark light spreading around black lines.
'This place really isn't fun...' muttered a voice. It was Gina, the white ferret back to normal and standing, leaning a bit on the feline.
Mel heard Rynkura's comments to Aisha, that the bat didn't need conventional healing and that cleaning the library was the best use of time. Taking another look at the library Mel sighed. The majority of the damage was her fault, although with help from the bat. She was starting back up the stairs to clear that mess when she realized Gina was speaking. She had been so quiet since the big battle that Mel had practically forgotten about her. In the hurry over the crisis with the wraiths and spiders Mel had never finished healing her leg, although it appeared fine now. "I wonder if this place ever had any good times?" pondered Mel aloud as she continued up the stairs where she began using her magic to set the entire tier back to rights.
Gina swallowed, shooting Mel an unseen glare and opening her mouth. She closed it before she could speak though, a sudden sorrow passing over her features, and then just looked to the floor, her hand gently clutching Bambi's fur. Then, she snorted and walked off.
Jeremiah, Mel, Aisha and Rynkura were left with the shelves, the books, the tables and chairs, the glyphs and the things strewn about on the table. And, the rolling clouds outside the windows.
- -
More peels of thunder accompanied the slow, hardly noticeable change of lighting, the sun wandering away behind the cover of clouds. The horizon began turning somewhat orange, the tinged light rippling through watery windows. In a way, the tainted beauty of it made it seem as if time passed faster. Or maybe it was just the circumstances.
- -
The chapel really was a place of solace now, in spite of the havoc it had hosted. The faces of the saints and angels seemed almost alive in the dim light. And there were interesting points to the decorations as well. Unfamiliar scenes, ones that occurred in no text that Cog had read, were depicted in places. And there was a prevalent theme of the struggle against demons and devils, the bringing of justice and of what could only be the interpretation of divine balance, rather than piety and humility, that stood out against many churches. The Caerules expressed the intensity and way of their faith even there, it seemed. Even more, it became clear that they had considered fighting evil, rather than suffering it, had been the right course of life.
Keaton listened to Stygian with a surprisingly sympathetic look on her face, one which she quite obviously wasn't used to distributing. She glanced between the disarming look of pain and guilt engraved on Stygian's angular facial features and the ichorous, gruesome gash cleaved into his side, an increasing look of conflict encroaching into her expression. As the bat climbed to his feet Keaton let her shoulder slump, then walked over to him so she was standing right in front of him.
"Hey..." Keaton started with surprising gentleness, her head-wings drooping. "Hey. Don't... don't say that."
Weak, she knew. But she wasn't exactly experienced when it came to comforting people. When you grew up among perceived murderers and seasoned warriors, coming across people who needed emotional consolation was rather few and far in-between. Especially when one's mother encouraged bottling up your emotions and letting them smolder and blister in private, all in the interest of hardening her children into powerful soldiers.
"Come on, you're hurt. You can't reject medical help because you feel like you deserve it," Keaton said, stumbling over her words, "It's just ridiculous. I don't care if you can heal yourself or not, I know what it's like to go through injuries without getting any help and it... it fucking sucks. Just let me help out."
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Ketefe looked up from her work as Gina left, then continued. Most of the books were pretty badly damaged, but some of them were still in good reading condition. She found the Braille book from before under a pile of mostly intact magic books and a toppled shelf. As she started to lift the shelf, she looked at the symbol on the floor.
"Should we leave that there for now?" she asked. She didn't want any more chaos happening, but she didn't know if interfering with the symbol would make everything even worse.
Placing a palm on his forehead, Stygian sighed and tensed.
'I'm sorry. It's a bit hard. But basically, I need to leech off something or someone to feed myself. And unless I'm mistaken, you're tired as well.' His tone was plain and clear.
'And I do deserve it. I think you've seen some things. I can feel it. But I think I've done worse...' he muttered. Removing his shirt entirely, he pressed his hand against the wound hard enough that the firm muscles rolled under his fur.
'Not that I won't try to make up for it. I guess that's why I'm doing all of this shit. Really...' he continued, looking at the floor.
'I shouldn't be surprised about all of this. Things don't change that easily.' He sighed.
'But, I guess that's my lot. I'll just have to make the best of it...'- -
Almost immediately after Ketefe's words, the glyph stopped glowing, and with a little ripple across the black surface of the lines that had been chalk, went still. The unusual, composite symbol flaked a bit, no power to sustain its activity. A silvery vial fell off the table with a clatter and rolled over to it.
Lifting a finger to silently signal for Stygian to wait, Keaton walked over to the other end of the room and retrieved a footrest from the nearby armchair, dragging it over and perching herself on it. Attentively, she quirked her ears and furrowed her brow, staring with grim seriousness over the rim of her glasses to gaze directly into Stygian's eyes. She tried not to act nonchalant and temperamental to his situation, like she did to just about everything else, and instead reacted with startling sincerity.
"You said you needed darkness. I can provide it," she stated simply, abandoning her bitchery for compassion. For demonstration, she lifted her hand and focused briefly, allowing the faintest wisp of violet flame to circulate in her palm, trails of somersaulting steam dancing from the wavering tongue of fire. "I've done my share of bad shit... more than I can recall," she shrugged dismissively. "It really takes a lot to phase me. So I don't care what you've done. If you let me, I'll fix your injury."
~Keaton the Black Jackal
The bat just sighed and lifted his hand. Choosing not to seize the flame, he simply let her pass it over the wound. It would heal him either way.
'I think I know a few things for starters... But I really am sorry. Just out and still I manage to bother people this much...' he said sadly. 'I should calm down a bit. All this damn bother...' Slowly, he moved a hand to his chest. It met only hard muscle, but that wasn't what he felt. He swallowed, warm pain shooting up his side as the injury regenerated, dark flesh closing and veins of black receding. It took perhaps a minute before there was only skin and pale fur again where the wound had been. Once it was done, Stygian exhaled deeply.
'Thank you,' he said, fixing his ebon eyes on Keaton's. 'Good to have someone who appreciates darkness around, sometimes.' His smile was slight, and still carried traces of bitterness. But it also had a bit of warmth. And it was earnest. Quickly, he cast a look toward the bedside table, and then the pillows. He wouldn't be able to go back to sleep.
'I know that I shouldn't feel sorry, but what I fought with him over down there really was true. And I don't like... I mean, I like your company. But I scarcely know what to do, nor what to say. And I know that being as I am, I am hardly the best company,' he said, staring into the floor. 'It isn't the first time I've hurt someone. Not just hurt, but like that.'
With Stygian's silent command, Keaton reached over to the chiropteran's bloodstained side, gently pressing the very tip of her finger against one of the tattered flaps of flesh. Purple energy twined and twisted in writhing, electrified bands, weaving through the skin and saturating the tainted blood. When she was certain that enough dark energy had flowed into Stygian's blood, she removed her hand, allowing the flame to extinguish with a quiet burst of vibrant violet light and a floating cloud of scarlet smog.
After that task was completed, Keaton leaned back and listened, resting her head in her hands as she thought about how to respond. "If you feel like you bother some people, what if you made more of an effort to try and, y'know, not to?" Keaton knew that probably sounded stupid, but hey, she was improvising. That came with risks. In between words, Keaton kept a clever eye on Stygian's wound, monitoring its regeneration.
It was finished. Dusting her hands off, Keaton snapped her fingers for flourish, setting off a split-second ignition of black light between her fingertips. "Magic fingers," she said proudly, then returned the grin with a slight amount of triumph that she had, finally, done something truly useful during her time in the Castle. This vanished, however, when Stygian continued to speak, ushering in the return of Thoughtful and Sympathetic Keaton.
"I don't know, you've been pretty helpful. I mean, you saved my life back when I came into the castle. I still owe you for that one," Keaton noted. "We all owe you for leading us through the castle, and I guess we haven't entirely done our part." She folded her arms behind her head. "Just a gal's perspective though.
"Do you want to be alone for a while?" she tilted her head. "Now that the wound's repaired and whatnot?"
~Keaton the Black Jackal
The bat sighed again, his shoulders slumping as he looked into the floor. He sat still thinking for a while.
'You're right, but that's just a few things. And you're not indebted to me. I was the cause of the mess anyway. As for the other... well... I am trying, but I couldn't well help the wolf without doing as I did,' he said, and then snorted. 'Bet he loathes me by now. And then the others...' That brought on a quick, bitter little chuckle.
The offer to leave him alone inadvertently brought on a little twinge of pain, but Stygian kept still and composed. He slowly shook his head, and smiled jadedly.
'No, I think...' he began. Then, he looked up. Slowly, he rose to his feet and walked over to a heavy chair, throwing his shirt away. Discarding his pants similarly disregardfully, he grabbed the clothes from the evening before, laid over the arm of the chair, and quickly put them on, save the jacket which he just threw over his shoulder. Finally, he went over and took out an umbrella from beside the wardrobe.
'I think I'll go for a walk,' he said, a warmer and more inviting smile directed toward Keaton now, and then he casually opened the door and slipped out.
"Well," Keaton was quick to respond, curling each of her fingers toward her palm individually. "It's not every day I get my life saved by someone, really. I don't really care if you were the cause of the mess..."
A noncommittal shrug rocked her shoulders as they tilted upright, rolling her shoulder-blades together. She reached up, scratching behind the joint of her head-wing, which flapped repeatedly before it folded inward, steadily disappearing from sight as it sunk into her head, disappearing behind the bangs of her windblown and disheveled hair and vanishing altogether once it completed its assimilation with her body. The opposite head-wing repeated this process. Rubbing at the nape of her neck, Keaton continued:
"As for the others, I can't speak for them. They're probably wondering what the fuck just happened."
When Stygian walked over to the opposite chair and removed his pants, Keaton averted her eyes respectfully, avoiding a number of smartass remarks that could've been used at the moment. By the time she glanced back he was already changed into a new pair of clothing and sporting an umbrella. Going for a walk? Well, that was certainly better than isolating himself with a considerably damaging injury, and the smile he sent her way was surprisingly encouraging. Inviting, perhaps. He exited the room, leaving Keaton alone.
The jackal glanced down and rummaged through her pocket, her hand quickly surfacing with her beloved marble. Iridescent colors merged and twined together endlessly, moving in a softly churning loop as one hue changed to another. Tossing the marble in the air and catching it, Keaton set the marble back in its pocket and left the room as well, feeling oddly satisfied.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Bambi shocked to her core by the darkness that is Stygian... Having her magial lifelines cut by the darkness closing, Left her shaken.
When Stygian reappears with Cog and Keaton, She sees only the bat appear in front of her and her balls of light come fly out behind him and return to her. She stood blinking one minute the Bat is front of her, the next moment, she see the library, and what mess it is in as Gina grabbing her fur.
Bambi follows Gina with her eyes and then looks at the others with sad eyes. She closes her eyes for a secound and a magical force flowings from the fairy which causes all the wood for the stairs, upper level floor and the bookshelves repairing and righting themselves. The Stygian magical circle and everything inside it were not touch. In fact, the bright green light went around the runes and left it alone. The books and papers are still all over the place, but the damage to library is gone. and then the feline fae is gone running after the ferret angel.
PBH
Cog raised his eyes to the carvings and engravings, regarding each with a careful eye. Ironic twists on old stories lined the walls, oftentimes harsher, or simply different than he remembered the old tales being - some images he did not recognize at all, although the theme throughout remained constant. The keeping of divine balance, of mighty angels subduing and binding the darkness. Cog shook his head, finding the images distasteful. They reminded him of most of the paladin types he had met: bright, just, and very cold.
Cog looked at himself again, and sighed. He need to 'un-bend' himself, as it were, unless he really wanted to spend the rest of his life this way. It might take his mind off things, anyway. He stood, brushing his soaked hair away from his eyes, and retrieved his things. His hat felt heavy on his wet head.
As he left, he took one last look at the chapel, and at the Angel of Death staring down at all of them. The scythe seemed to veritably gleam with malice as it stared down at the congregation, the promise of ultimate death. Cog's face darkened.
He raised his hand, his index finger curling over his thumb, as though he was about to flick something away. He flicked the finger over his thumb, sending forth a tiny wave of force. Azrael seemed to bend for just a moment, the air distorted by the wave, and then shattered, falling away from the round window. The sound of broken glass echoed throughout the quiet chapel.
"Amor est vitae essentia, mendacium. Vita mutatur, non tollitur." Cog murmured, turning and heading for the library.
Some time passed yet again, as they cleaned and worked. Alone, though he had half expected and wanted Keaton to come along, Stygian walked through the heavy rain, smiling a bit at Keaton's reaction before. It didn't matter whether he would be drenched. It was much too easy to fix that. And even though he disliked the rain, for many reasons, there were certain times when it was nevertheless something ineffably
right about it and the feeling that it invoked. Right then, at least, it did.
- -
Almost hatefully, the dark left eye of Azrael glared as Cog left the chapel from half a face. The scene was left incomplete and inexplicable, like some outro from a movie. The wolf's steps echoed silently through the still halls.
The library was as it had been left. Except not. Some burn marks still on the floor, the rest of the place was tidy enough, save the glyph on the floor and some of the mess on the table. It was a place to start new things at.
With the library back to rights Mel was bored. She should have been busy scanning books and gaining knowledge, but she still felt a little out of sorts from her misadventure the day before. For a while she wandered the stacks, hoping a book would catch her interest but eventually she ended up back in the central part of the room. The bored dragon noticed a small, stoppered vial on the floor and bent to pick it up before someone stepped on it. She was going to set it back on the table but her attention was caught by the glyph on the floor. She stood staring at it for a long time. This wasn't a form of magic that had been taught when she was in school and she was still trying to figure it out. She bent closer, trying to get a good look at the flaking material that had formerly been chalk when she lost her grip on the vial she had picked off the floor.
The Fae cat runs or fly after the ferret angel as she continued down the halls and up the stairs, never seemly enough to catch up but never losing sight of the white ferret. they run to an unknown tower to top room that looks cross the lake and the valley and to the town, the storm still rages off and on outside the windows and doors to a lookout balcony rings around the tower.
A crack of lightening and a Boom thundering, Bambi finds the white ferret looking out through the rain to the few lights of the town. "Gina, It is okay, we need ...mmm. *sigh* What comes, Gina, can you tell? The Wolf and the Bat set something in motion, they know not in their feud. but I think I feel something... What is it, Gina, or Is it something hurting you?" asks Bambi, as she come up to the ferret. Bam hugs the girl from behind and watches the rain with her, waiting for her and comforting the guardian, who has had no comfort.
PBH
The symbol was indeed quite strange. More sharp-edged and sort of cruel in design, it was unlike anything that Mel had seen before. She recognized some of the designs of it, like the
torquero and
metamorphis patterns. But the way they were intertwined wasn't sensible. The lines were incomplete in several places, and in some it defied how the magic would behave. It didn't make any apparent sense.
Then she dropped the vial, and obviously wished she hadn't. The little glass container hit the floor with a slight crack. There was a brief surge of magic, the symbol glowed slightly as two parts of it were connected, and then the vial turned into a raven with a fine wristwatch in its beak, just as Cogidubnus entered. The bird eyed them both irately. There was a burst of chill wind, and it flew up, passing low enough that its talons touched Cog's ears before it flew out, dropping the timepiece and leaving the still slightly glowing symbol behind.
- -
The ferret shuddered slightly in the cold, her face transfixed in bitter sadness.
'I don't know. It's evil,' she said. 'It has nothing to do with... with that down there. This is older.' Her eyes on the town, she kept still and silent a while. 'It's here.'
Ketefe watched with intrigue and more than a little unease as Mel accidentally dropped a silver vial on it. The vial turned into... a raven? Holding a watch... Ketefe pinched herself once, but no, she wasn't just dreaming. The raven flew out with a gust of cold air, dropping the watch and leaving one confused room and a glowing symbol.
Ketefe arched an eyebrow at the symbol, part of her wanting to touch it and see what happened, but the rest of her knowing not to touch anything glowing black.
"Soooo.... anyone know how to get rid of it? Rynkura? Mel? Cog?" she asked, moving her eyes over the individuals she mentioned.
Jeremiah had still been reading and researching when the glass hit the ground. He thought he might have something, a description of something close to the specters...
That part of the book was scorched.
He sighed and looked up at the raven making a break for it. Well, at least this time the random crap came with an expensive looking watch.
IT be here Where?" asks Bambi as she tension up and hugging the ferret more. She breaks from the ferret and turns to start running back to library to warn the others, but stops and turns back to Gina.
"Gina, you are not alone anymore, we will help but we need to know what we can do to help you. Should we alert Stygian?" asks a worrying Bam
PBH
Cog's ear flicked as the bird flew over it, his face sour. He paid the bird no mind, merely stopping in his tracks, sighing, and bending over to pick up the watch, and flipping it over once or twice.
"A watch. Mm." Cog regarded the thing disinterestedly, and letting it dangle in his hand he walked towards Mel, and the strange circle that Sebastian had drawn. He'd somehow used it to transform him. It was likely it could change him back.
If he could make sense of the damn thing.
Ignoring the elephant in the room, Cog instead turned to regard Mel and raised his eyebrow. "Perhaps you know what it is?"
Cog indicated the circle with his head, his arms crossed.
With the surge of magic Mel jumped backwards, ending up falling and landing on her tail. She could observe that the contents of the vial somehow connected two broken parts of the design before the bird appeared and flew off. She was just standing and dusting herself off when Cog asked her if she understood the magic of the glyph. "Not completely. I understand the theories behind it, and recognize some of the symbols, but they are used in a way that I just can't make heads or tails out of." She glanced to the table Sebastian had been working at. "I wonder if his notes are clearer?"
The cleaning work continued onward through that part of the day, while the storm outside showed little sign of stopping anytime soon. Sometimes the thunder would cease and rain would replace the sound, pounding away just as loudly at the windows...and sometimes the reverse would happen, accompanied always by flashes of light passing through the sky.
Aisha put the books back on the shelves in no particular order...while many of their covers had been burned from the fiasco that the titles now only beloned to obscurity, at least the pages of the ones she had been holding were still whole. Whoever was the librarian would have such a fit, the panthress thought with a smirk.
Rynkura meanwhile had finished her section of the destruction and payed minimal attention to the others as they investigated the glyph left behind by Sebastian. The dragon in particular looked enticed by curiosity at the symbolic runes. The tigress however was cautious. While she understood it was created to cause little harm, nothing was more dangerous than playing on the edge of a precipice of knowledge too deep to cross.
She was about to say so, in fact, when suddenly Mel had dropped the vial she was holding into the circle, causing a brilliant flash to briefly illuminate the room. It caught the corner of Aisha's eye, and Rynkura's full attention. They stood to watch the raven that replaced the flash, as it immediately winged from the room through the door and dropped the watch it had been carrying in its wake. Then the eyes of the two felids fell on Cogi, the both of them waving a quick greeting at his appearance.
"The heck was that?" Aisha muttered, her eyes following after the bird. Rynkura's eyes narrowed as she laid eyes again on the etched glyph, an ethereal glow coming from it after the interesting display.
"You could check the notes," the tigress answered Mel as she approached, "But that could have been more dangerous than it was. Unless you really know what you are doing, I suggest perhaps that trying anything else can wait for a moment, if it is not urgent. Sad to say that not even I have touched on this sort of thing," the tigress sighed, unknowing of how to help.
The panther's eyes rolled, unseen by her mentor, at listening to the whole thing. I wondered when she'd start sounding like a teacher again. While the others were occupied, Aisha put another few books back on a ruined shelf and hummed. "I might as well go after that bird, see if I can't open a window for it or something." It'll give me an excuse to explore the place a little more...
Rynkura however seemed to echo her thoughts. "Child, I understand that disaster followed the last one of you to go exploring."
There was a pause, considering her words and also just how deep her caution still was. But Aisha found it rather easy to shrug off at that moment. "I'm just going to look," she reassured, heading for the door.
What was rather unfortunate was that not only were there no notes about that sort of circle or magic in the contents on the table. There was nothing written by Stygian or a Sebastian something at all. And the only thing that came close was a theoretical on the principles and workings of the 'darker side' by a J.S. Scheiner.
So Aisha walked out, leaving the others with the strange symbol, and not very much for a lead. She heard the caw of the raven from before somewhere down the hall as she did. It seemed unusually dark for a bit, but only briefly. It wasn't enough to really warrant attention, but for a short moment her tail ring flickered, and she felt the unmistakable prickle of eyes watching her.
- -
Gina spun around and looked at Bambi with eyes wide.
'No!' she exclaimed sharply. 'If he doesn't know yet, he shouldn't know! We have to make sure the others are safe, somehow...' There seemed to be more to that statement than just what she said. She was obviously afraid of the bat, but even beyond that...
'Let's... let's try and think of something...' she said slowly, walking toward Bam.
"Okay, we can fly to the library where most are..." says Bambi and she wings down the stairs to the library's floor level Here at the foot of the stairs, Bambi thinks she see a black crow or a black bird something down the hallway, but it hard to see it PBH looks to Gina to see if she see it. Bambi starts to ask her, but changes her mind and she has them quickly running toward the library and Aisha
Bambi sees a troubled Aisha looking to the end of hall. "Aisha?" The Fae turns a worried look at the watching dark. "Ah MEEL!"
PBH
Mel nodded her head in agreement with the tigress. "You're right, I can't figure out enough of it to know what is going on." She bowed slightly to Cog. "We'll have to find a different way to remove your curse unless Sebastian chooses to return soon." Then the dragon turned back to the design on the floor. "My accident shows that this shouldn't be left unattended. I think we should fence it off until it can be deactivated." She created a wall of magic, much like the one she used to put out the fire earlier. She began carefully wrapping it around the perimeter of the magic circle, staying well away from the actual glyph. The spell was moving very smoothly and gently until a shout of her name startled Mel.
Looking slightly triumphant as she closed the door to Stygian's room behind her, Keaton ambled casually back to the library, confidence clear in her gait. For her, she had finally accomplished something in the Castle after being nothing but a detriment and a tool for various malignant forces, and positively nothing could go wrong for her at that moment in time, not even a single iota. Considering her volatile temperament, however, the happy-high she was currently riding on could've been extinguished with the slightest accident.
Keaton entered the library simultaneous to the moment an enormous, brilliant flash set the room afire, forcing her to shield her eyes with her forearm from the intense glow. Without realizing it, Keaton uttered a curse under her breath, waiting with eyes shut for the light to die down so she could safely remove her arm. The rushing of black-feathered wings alerted her to the sudden presence--and departure--of the raven where the archaic circle was once scrawled, as well as the death of the incandescent light. Shakily lowering her arm, Keaton entered the library, looking around with a slight expression of confusion on her face.
"Fuck," she said, barely acknowledging Cogidubnus's presence as Aisha left the room. "Th'hell happened here?"
~Keaton the Black Jackal
The slip-up was all that was needed. A shield or ward might have held off any detrimental effects the symbol might have created, but adding more magic to it, when it was already tampered with, was not a good decision. A part of Mel's wall slid into the symbol, and a flare of darkness burst out from it. The next second the dragon was suspended above it, rotating oddly in the air, dark... shapes, crawling all over her. Distantly, she felt the movements of the things, like huge centipedes clawing their way over and under her skin. This was far from the worst of it though.
To anyone unprepared for and unadapted to the dark energies of the underworld, call it Hell or Tartaros or whatever one might like, interacting with it is sure to have some sort of effect, and most often not a beneficial such. To directly link to the power of the Dark, to try and do anything with it without strict control, would be like playing with radioactive, contagious materials wearing nothing but a sweatshirt. And Mel was given a much more exact and vivid demonstration of this comparison. Her eyes blackened over as she was rocked with twitching and contorted in the air. Terrible, horrid images and sensations passed through her mind to fast to handle, while things were touching and looking at her mind, some of them curious, others half-insane with sadness or rage. And trapped as she were, she had already completely lost control, unable to do so much as move a finger against what was happening.
"Holy crap, MEL!" Now there was an obvious reason to yell. With Styg and Cog the results were more humorous than dangerous (after all, with most of those here either scared of him, preoccupied or quite possibly capable of being understanding of an act of war, Cog was the only person there was for tall pale and creepy to decently bicker with. He was really the safest one in the castle), but this did not look funny. In the manner of concerned but not particularly useful individuals everywhere he did his best to get to the one in trouble as soon as possible, and once he got there planted himself at a spot no closer nor further than five feet away and panicked.
Not getting any immediate response as to what had occurred in her absence, Keaton resigned with a sigh and looked around the room for an available seat, or at least something to provide some form of amusement. Unknown to her, Mel was still tinkering with the seal she had barely acknowledged, although the dragon's studying of it attracted her attention. Something about it wasn't right... it seemed distinctly dark in origin upon further, distant examination. Tampering with it likely wasn't going to be a smart idea, as lord knew how it would react to direct probing.
A sudden voice startling Mel seemed to trigger it. There was a sudden burst of darkness, forcing Keaton back with a startled cry, and then Mel was whisked into the air, spinning about on her own axis. Keaton's pupils contracted down to little, brown dots before they flared dangerously upon seeing the wildly crawling shadows--shapes--she wasn't sure what to classify them--skittering all over Mel's spasming form.
Instinctually, Keaton's eyes snapped down from Mel's body, then to what had started the catastrophe: the symbol. Messing with it would possibly put her in the same predicament, but it was worth trying. Without wasting any time, Keaton sprinted towards the ring, dropping to her knees beside the periphery of the bloodied perimeter. Brown eyes darted frantically in their sockets as she scanned over the ring, searching for the way to stop it--all it needed was a little modification, something to rearrange the ordering of the symbol so to sever its connection to Mel and stop its rampage.
Even then it was rather foreign to her. Most of it was luck of the draw and guessing as Keaton smeared, swiped, and erased, reorganizing and redesigning. With a punctuating sweep of her finger Keaton smudged the line of one emblem over another, pressing her finger to the very corner of the ring and concentrating. If all went correctly, this would work...
~Keaton the Black Jackal
For a second, Mel froze, and then the dark, arthropod-like semi-liquid black things emitted something like cries and tried to jump away from her. The next second, there was another burst of darkness, though this one was more akin to a sudden rush of wind, and with a thump Mel dropped to the floor.
The sudden aura of discomfort that had come over the place faded away like a bad odor driven out by a draft and air freshener. Under Mel, the dark sign was turned into a mere smudge on her pants. But still, there was a sudden wrongness about the whole thing. Those pants seemed a bad fit all of a sudden.
Those who noticed it first were, of course, Keaton and Jeremiah, the frog now having to look up a bit to look straight at the jackal's face. The prominent change in center of gravity and looks were quite shocking. It seemed that Keaton in her haste had only changed a few parts of the symbol.
"... Woah," was pretty much all that came to mind for the poor frog. Hard to be eloquent in that sort of situation. "... Keaton? Mel? Are you... Okay?" As many of you know, shock generates ellipses. Can't be helped. "What on... What happened?"
Aisha quickly followed the bird's trail through the corridors out of the library, keeping her steps slow and quiet so that she could discern the creature's noises from those of the outside. The soft rumbling of thunder still echoed and shook the walls of stone, sound through solid...but the deeper she went, the more she could better get used to the atmospheric pattern. The subtle sound of flapping wings, the cawing that showed it still had a presence...the huntress had a smirk on her features. A chase was always fun.
And yet she remembered, while her eyes scanned the ominous darkness ahead, that she was alone in going after the raven. Aisha questioned why that was for but a few moments after she passed Bambi and Gina in the halls, heading in the opposing direction. She barely gave them the time of day...if something was happening in the library, she knew that Rynkura was one of the best to help take care of it. And the more time she spent to decide things for herself, the better.
The cawing caught her ears again. The obsidian bird sounded only lightly agitated. Hm. Birds are usually wrecks when they're trapped. Must be calm if it was generated from a magic circle, the panthress observed with a snort. Nevertheless, her cautious nature got to her again and she followed the path past her room. Inside she retrieved, between her two trusted swords, the holy blade and slid it easily into the sheath that her mentor had found, still wrapped around her shoulder and resting on her back. Then, following those subtle noises, she took a deep breath and padded into the gloom.
Gods condemn this castle, I'm not going unprepared again.
* * *
Rynkura stepped a fair distance away from the circle as Mel attempted to seal it, unsure if it was the right course of action to take. The tigress did not doubt the dragon's abilities, for she found evidence of proficiency while alone healing her, but there was something she didn't trust about the situation itself...
And as she mostly hated to find, her assumption was correct. The healer found herself casting her light barrier again as the magics backfired and sent those closest to it sprawling away.
In the wake of it, Rynkura cautiously undid the barrier spell and stood up upon hearing the voices of the others. "By the...well, we shouldn't have attempted to mess with that thing at all..." she hummed in an obvious fashion. "Is anyone hurt...?" she started to ask, but her voice trailed off in leu of an incredulous look, after glimpsing the others.
Mel just stayed where she had fallen, not moving. Her eyes were still dark, no longer black with dark magic but the normal bright blue was dimmed. The mental shields that had been stymied earlier slammed down tight, a fortress around her mind. Instinctively she tried to purge the dark with light and a slight glow began to shine. She needed time to process and regroup after the assault and shut down until she regained her balance.
Bambi is torn between helping Aisha in her hunt of the demonic crow, and getting to the Library where she feels something else is a foot. Hearing Mel's cry, she decides to go on to the Library, where the feel of dark magical force seem the strongest.
"Aisha, Don't get too wrap up in the hunt, not to says Hello or call for help, Okay?" yells Bambi after the pantress.
"Gina, Do come to the library, I would Rather know what we are dealing with than chase a dangerous bird through unknown hallways." says Bambi to Gina, and heads on to the library hoping Gina will still follow her there.
Bambi gets to the library in time to see Mel drop to the floor, and horrified to the dark stain left on the dragon's body. Bam rushes over to the dragon and the tigress,,and she finds Mel has seemed to have lost weight and in need of healing, again. Also the dragon feels tainted to the Fae. Bam tries a light spell to clean smudge on her pants, but it didn't even fade. That Something or someone is laughing at her and them, she felt certain of it.
Bambi eyes the magic rune circle on the floor with worry. Then She sees Mel is awake and is fighting the darkness, she adds she own light magic to Mel's fight.
PBH
Ketefe was at a complete loss for words.
Mel had been trying to do something about the symbol, but it had all become fubar rather quickly. Keaton and Bam had come in, and somehow Bam's interruption had distracted Mel long enough for a bunch of evil demonic things to come out of the symbol and attack her. Thankfully, Keaton had (sort of) saved Mel by changing around the symbol, but now everything was becoming even stranger. Some people looked different...
Oh dear Gods, no.
Ketefe looked down at her new self in abject horror. She bit her tongue, afraid to hear her own voice. She managed to keep herself from fainting, but she sat heavily on the floor. She shook her head a few times in disbelief, then curled up, folding her arms over the tops of her knees and burying her face in the crook of her elbow.
I want to kill someone.
A light humming and the taps of steps was the only warning Stygian gave before entering, carrying a folded umbrella and a still wet black coat. Casually, he walked in from between the shelfs and swept his gaze across the scene, his eyes for some reason having returned to a normal, only slightly azure-tinted gray from all black. He froze on the spot. And for a moment there was not so much as a cough to break the silence.
When the bat broke the silence after a few seconds, it was with a tone so neutral that it could only possibly mean disappointment and the immediate loss of all regard.
'You always do complicate things, don't you?'
As casually and unconcernedly as he had walked in, Stygian made a quick turn, coat swinging behind him, and paced out.
"Hey, wait, hold up!" Jeremiah started after Styg, turning back to add a quick "Erm, Rynkura? This is your area mostly, right?" and continuing before he stopped to consider the fact that unlike Cog, Stygian did NOT consider him all that indispensable. Well, gotta make it up to Mel for yesterday somehow... "Stygian, wait!" He caught up with the bat panting, "What... Symbol... Just a sec, if I don't catch my breath I'm gonna sound like Bambi. Hoo... Huehhh... Right. Sebastion, what did that thing do to them? We need your help here."
Cog nodded to Mel, his face still neutral. "Right." He gazed at the circle warily, crossing his arms. "Better to ask the bat." Cog's voice trailed off into a mutter as he turned around, content to let Mel set a wall around the runes. He'd just about walked back to the stacks again, searching for anything to do with transformational magic, when somebody yelled Mel's name out. He flinched, and turned towards the dragon.
Mel had erred, somehow - the glyph was again glowing, pulsing with that strange blacklit light, and ropes of shadows had suspended the dragon in midair. Cog cursed. This was exactly what they had hoped to prevent. He reached into his jacket to retrieve a certain piece of twisted silver, hoping the holy magics might dispell whatever had Mel in it's grasp.
There was no need - Keaton, much more adept than the wolf was with darkness, had gotten there first. She started to change the symbol around, adding and modifying in some esoteric fashion, before the glyph reacted.
The tentacles in the air writhed, and dropped Mel to the ground suddenly. They emitted a strange, screeching wail, and returned back into the glyph from which they came. As she plummeted, however, the glyph again glowed and pulsed, and with a dull whoosh the same darkness that had hit Cog before swept all of them. He felt uncomfortable for a moment, a sensation that quickly passed. The glyph had been destroyed by Mel's fall, and she seemed to at least be breathing.
Cog took a step forward to see if she needed any help, and stumbled, his center of gravity unexpectedly changed. Quirking an eyebrow, he looked at himself, surprised, and despite the dire circumstance, grinned. Something good had come out of this, at least.
As he looked up to regard Mel and Keats, however, his grin faded. Both of them had experienced a similar transformation to his own. Frowning slightly, he stepped forward and addressed the jackal Cubi.
"Keats?"
In all honesty Keaton wasn't expecting for something to go awry, even if she had hastily rearranged something improperly in the rune-encrusted circle. When Mel was released from the shadowy grasp keeping her levitated in he air she assumed automatically that everything had proceeded according to plan, albeit Mel's depositing on the ground was rather brusque and painful-looking. Wiping some sweat that had accumulated on her brow, Keaton climbed to her feet and dusted some of the remnants of sanguine substance still smudged on her fingertips off on the wrist-band of her glove.
That was when she stopped. Something didn't quite seem right. Did her fingers seem... thicker than before? Slightly more muscular? That wasn't... that wasn't...
Involuntarily, Keaton let her eyes venture down her arm, where she hesitantly absorbed all the significantly more athletic features that had seemed to materialize out of nowhere. She started feeling grave trepidation swell inside of her, especially when she noticed everyone's reactions--hell, she even noticed that now she was slightly taller, having boosted in height by a few inches. Height never was a strong suit in her family...
Not even for the males.
"...Fuck."
And Keaton utterly panicked.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
It was the strangest thing, to see someone who was already gone. But Jeremiah couldn't have described it otherwise. Stygian seemed to keep on walking, but as the bat and he passed through the shadow cast between two windows, his eyes seemed to fool him. The bat's contours slunk away, his black-clad shape dimmed. He was no more than a shadow in Jeremiah's vision, and then not even that. The hall was empty. Not even a flutter or a shift, or a scrape of a sole, was heard.
Behind Jeremiah, standing on the socket of a life-sized marble statue of a winged woman in a flowing robe, her arms embroidered with intricate tattoos, was a packet of fine, dark-roast brand mocha coffee.
Too many nightmares. Mel couldn't deal with the vast amount of horrid sensations that had been forced upon her. So she did what she would with memories she had copied from someone else, she gathered them up and locked them away. Of course that meant when she forced herself up onto her hands and knees she had no memory of why she was on the floor. "What happened?" She stared at her hands pressed to the chalk-smudged marble and wondered why she had sizeshifted to a less delicate form than normal. When she heard Keaton starting to panic she jumped up and looked around, wondering what she had missed.
Jeremiah's hands dropped to his sides, "I did not see this coming and am surprised by this turn of events. Yes I am," As he turned to go back, however, something caught his attention.
The first thing he noticed was the statue. Rather well done, although he didn't recognize the sculptor, with an eye for detail on the robes that always impressed the frog when he saw it. Folds and the associated shadows could be a pain working with ink, it was probably harder when you were working with rock. The face was rather beautiful, but he found his eye drawn to the tattoos. It wasn't something you often saw in such a subject matter; angels or Christians both tended toward certain motif, that usually had a dim view of tattoos that looked like abstract designs. He had a personal like of those sorts of contrasts, the severity of the angel conflicting with the simply formless beauty of the tattoos.
Breathtaking...
Is pretty! Is very very pretty!
Plic, if you take anything from this statue-
Has the girl hit a nerve, sir? Cab had been quiet lately. That was out of character for him. Finally, the frog noticed the coffee.
"What's this? Coffee?" He grinned and picked up the package, "A terrible habit, madam. Fairly addictive, and it stains the teeth. Besides, one of your qualities looks as though she should be calm and poised at all times, and caffiene jitters would completely ruin that. I act only in your best interests by taking this, madam." With that, he went back to the library, in a mildly better mood for that moment of silliness.
"Sebastion pulled a him, but I found this after he vanished. Thinking he might have left it or something," he set the bag of coffee on the table next to the watch, "Ah, you're doing alright Mel? Great. As for your question..." the frog looked around a little, and then grinned sheepishly, "Well, I suppose it's a very good question. Where to start?"
Bambi stands up after Mel, she is not sure if the dark magic in the dragon was gone. But she plow on to the real reason she came running down to the others.
"Okay, Okay, I am not sure what is going on, but something Ebil, this way comes and it is here in the castle, now.. or that is what Gina was warning me about. I don't think it was from this circle, but it is somewhere. .... here" Says the Fae. "Where and What is Aisha hunting chasing? Some demonic Crow? Gina, please can you tell us where this ebil threat is? anything?" Bam pleads with Gina.
PBH
Ketefe, having allowed herself two minutes of nothing but emotion, finally looked up. Her eyes were red, and she still looked and felt upset, but for now she'd have to put up with this. She stood up awkwardly, steadying herself on a nearby bookshelf. Then she looked around the room.
"Ok," she muttered breathily. "OK. There has to be some way to fix this. I'm sure there's some sort of book written on how to handle spells gone awry. Gotta find it."
She walked over to Jeremiah. "I don't think Keaton's in much condition to help. Could you help me look for a book on how to fix this?"
Mel stepped over to where Keaton was becoming more and more upset. She paused in mid-step as she realized that Cog had once again become male, but Keaton was male as well, and Ketefe she noticed from the corner of her eye. That explained why everyone was upset. It also explained why her own clothing had felt funny for a few moments. Being specially enchanted to be worn by a sizeshifter the outfit had adjusted itself back to a perfect fit over her now masculine frame. She smiled just a little at the jackal. "Come now Keaton. You're getting upset over a little bit of gender adjustment? This is the least offensive thing to happen since we got here. Calm down and let's see how complex the spell was."
Mel backed off, away from everyone else before she started probing at the spell holding her in the unnatural form. Her track record with her magic over the last few days was rather abysmal and if she did something horribly wrong she didn't want anyone else to suffer. It was her fault that they were changed anyway. Rather than trying to put up an elaborate magical barricade it would have been simpler to move the chairs to make a circle around the glyph. With a sigh she began poking and pulling at the strands of the spell to see if it was anything she recognized.
Cog sighed as he looked at the girls, putting his head in his hands and making a small groan before turning, his coat swishing just a bit behind him.
"I'll go find the bat." Cog said, walking towards the doors out of the library towards where he had seen Sebastian exit. The bat had drawn the symbol - he had bent the girls, and he could un-bend them.
If he felt like it.
Before he reached the doors, however, Jeremiah came rushing back in, holding a curiously small package in his hands. A moment after Cog saw it, its fragrance hit his nose like a brick. Mocha coffee. Caffeinated, dark roast. Arabic, not african in origin, if he wasn't mistaken. The sight and smell of it stopped Cog dead in his tracks.
He let the other's talk for a moment, unfortunately lost in his own little world too much to comfort them or say anything. He stared at the little package for some time, as though he expected it to burst into flames, or run away on hidden legs. He walked over to it slowly, and picked it up gingerly, as though it was something...precious, to him. He took a deep sniff of it, taking in the smell, and nodded his head sadly, a half smile on his face. His eyes were sad underneath his glasses. Cog placed the coffee in his jacket, and taking the watch he had set down on the table next to it, slid the little silver thing over his wrist and snapped the latch into place.
He turned towards the others. "I..." he began, suddenly coughing and starting again. "Someone should probably go find Sebastian. I would, but..." Cog frowned weakly and looked at the carpet for a moment, sighing. "That probably wouldn't be a good idea. The only place he could be is in his room, anyway - if someone does want to go look, I'd start there." Cog nodded his head, and walked back into the library towards the others.
"When Keats took control of the glyph," Cog tilted his head towards Keats as he began to walk down one of the bookshelves, "She altered the control portion of it, stopping it from attacking Mel. Unfortunately, she caused it to replicate it's effect, which was apparently to change genders. Since the glyph is now destroyed, we have several options."
Cog pulled down a book labeled 'Tenser's Guide to Fleshmelding and Manipulations, Third Edition', a large red-leatherbacked tome undamaged by the earlier scuffle, and without searching further set the book down with a large smack on a table. He left it there and walked back to the stacks. "We could try simply transforming them back. But the darkness element worries me. That might stick with them, or resist normal means of transmogrification. So..." Cog trailed off, getting a little too far in the back of the shelves to be heard. He was gone for a minute or two before he returned, a slim, wide hardcover in his hands. "If shadow is the main element of the spell, dispelling that may also bring them back. And what's better to dispel darkness magics than holy spells, yes?" Cog finished, and opened the next book. Every page was made of dark paper, and the entire book was written in silver ink. The title page declared the book the "Magi sub Argetum', or the Mage under Silver. He flipped through the pages for a few moments, looking for something suitable.
"Of course, if anyone else has any ideas, now might be a good time." he said, running his finger down one page.
Rynkura stood dumbfounded for but a few moments, looking around at what the spell had left in its wake concerning those close to it...a few of them with their genders switched. The tigress wasn't very amused, but quietly shook her head. "That is why things like this should not be tampered with," the healer dryly commented for about the third time or so to the group, and stepped forward to assess the damage. Nobody looked injured, which was at least one bit of relief.
But when Sebastian returned for but a mere moment and the room went quiet, Rynkura glanced up and sent him a look of disapproval before he walked out...whether or not he had noticed, she didn't know, but now it seemed the guests were left to their own devices.
As the frog ran to look for the bat, she quickly answered his question. "As I've said just a moment ago, I've never actually looked into this sort of dark magic. Would I have I would have set things right in less than five heartbeats." With that, Rynkura turned back to the others, pinching the bridge of her nose in slight exasperation while looking things over. Her ear however turned to Cogidubnus's explanation, in earnest interest. "It is a worthwhile thing to try," she commented and glanced at her staff. "I know not how much help I can be, but I do however have a considerable amount of light magic at my disposal."
If any of it bridged into what one considered the 'holy' spectrum, however, was something that had to be remembered.
* * *
Aisha had her right hand cautiously lifted to grip the sword's hilt on her back, continuing to traverse the darkened corridors. She stopped for a moment or two often to check her position and that of the bird's, and hopefully the noises she heard meant that the thing was still ahead of her. Whether or not she'd let it go if she found it was another interesting matter. She figured it the right thing to do at any rate. Ravens and such, while symbolic of death to the most superstitious, were still just birds.
It was the feeling of being watched that sent chills up her spine. Her eyes consistently scanned every inch of the place...in front, behind and especially the ceiling...but what could possibly be left after the flash-freezing that the place had been subjected to?
Less thinking, more walking, the panther simply chided herself and kept on.
See a very male dragon that looked like Mel's brother, and then Figuring out that it was Mel herself, and Then looking at the male version of Ketefe and Keaton. She realizes that no one was going to listen to Gina's and her warnings just yet. Still, What about Aisha?
"Healer, I can add my light magics to yours if you need help with the *ahm* girls, but Someone needs to see is if Aisha is okay. Cog, can you track down Aisha, I feel, she was going after something more dangerous than a mear bird. Also, I think, no one should wandering around alone in this castle" asks Bambi of the wolf and the Healer tigress.
"Sure, I'll- Ketefe!?" Jeremiah did a classic double take at Ketefe's appearance, and added another to make it a triple take when he saw that her eyes were all red and puffy from crying, "Oh, Ketefe... Yeah, of course I'll help. Where was that book gruesome had out earlier before he drew that damn thing?" Etches something that dangerous and then just leaves it lying around, freaking irrisponsible, poor girl, grumble grumble, was pretty much the sum of his thought processes right now. Rather instinctive reaction to a young person crying for a high school teacher.
Murmuring to himself as he read, Cog nodded absently to Rynkura's comment, flipping the pages of his book. "Any assistance you could give, Ms. Msh'taan, would be more than welcome. As you might imagine, people proficient in light magics are rare here. I..."
As Bam spoke, Cog turned his head, listening. He narrowed one eye at the Fae, his finger continuing to travel down the current page, although slower.
"I...well, I'm a bit busy right now, professor." Cog said, a hint of irritation in his voice. He nodded his head at the transformed girls, and turned back to his book. "I can help and find her in a moment, if you'd like. Unless you already know how to undo one of the bat's spells."
Cog turned his attention back to Rynkura, shaking his head. "I'm...unfamiliar with the workings of holy magic, but from what I read, there should be...cure-all, spells? Something that gets rid of mundane and magical ailments, I mean. A mithridate, as it were." Cog frowned at the book, and looked up at the tigress. "I fear that might not be enough here, however. We'd need some sort of dispelling effect with it, else we'd get rid of one malady and leave the other. Something to both transform them back, and get rid of the shadow." Cog sighed, brushing his bangs out of his eyes, his face a little soured. "I'm somewhat out of my element here. Perhaps you could recommend something?"
"Mel I will add my magics to you" says Bambi as she puts her hand on the Dragon's strong male chest. The magic lights up with dragon's arua, but layers of dark clouds appear in the arua. The fae magic light spears through each layer as the dark clouds drift around the dragon and the Fae magic lances through to the next level as they move pass as Bam's light reachs down to Mel's core of being. With each new level breached, Bam and Mel feels a wave pain and then pleasure, the fae cat grasp or moans, but she doesn't stop until reach her goal
Once Bam's magic reach Mel's core of her self, the light energies pours into Mel that double, then triples the dragon's magic. And the power intoxiating as the dragon feels her full size, a full dragon size. A ghost of Ice dragon expands outwards and the dark clouds are burned away as the image fills the library.
A mental thought "I see you, Mel" is send to Mel that only Mel can hear.
Mel feels she has the power to do anything. The darkness in her is on the retreat and fading, but still a threat. Mel is still male with a female cat leaning against him, fast asleep and now, sliding to the floor.
PBH
Rynkura hummed in concentration as she tried to go through a few different possibilities in her mind about what to try. Her memories switched and spanned through the events of hundreds of years of her trade and study, which mostly had to do actively with enchantment and defensive things. But then she remembered...
Her ears suddenly pricked briefly as she heard Bambi's question of concern for Aisha and the bird that she had been chasing after. Her emerald gaze passed briefly toward the Fae, and then to Cogidubnus as he answered. The tigress cleared her throat for attention and returned it to the felid. "Your concern is admirable, child, but I raised and trained Aisha. Whatever happens, I trust her to be more than capable of handling it...she isn't one of the more reputed demon hunters in her region--enough to send a small uproar through a couple of clans, in fact--without reason. A conjured bird is hardly worth a bounty." She ended the statement with a light grin of pride. The panther probably would not have liked that she had revealed such a status, but she'd be happy to be recognized all the same.
"We shall find her if she does not return soon. But for now, we have a slightly bigger problem," Rynkura finished, turning back to the women who had been transgendered before them, her fair but hardened face etched in the concentration of a scholar of magic while listening to Cogidubnus. "Hrm...holy magic is indeed a useful choice...light magic, while used in the same ways but not exactly in the same spectrum, can still be dangerous if not handled carefully with shadows. Take into account a known law, light is what creates shadow if there is a barrier to carry it," she smiled. "One of those laws often bent but not broken. Take away the barrier..."
The tigress hummed, then shook her head slightly and stood up. "I might be treading into the obvious here now. But as for cure-all spells, yes, they would exist, and especially in the spectrum of both light and holy magic. If I remember correctly from my work with a group of paladins. From what I see, the spell does not seem all too complicated." She was talking a little more to herself now, but still remembered that she had an audience, and out of habit kept her voice at a steady level, and could only hope that her guess was right about the complication. Damn, but if we weren't left to ourselves...!
"The best thing to do probably then is to be wise with the kind of light magic that we use, and perhaps there is something here that could act as a hold...to separate the elements that bind them to the transformations and just pull it apart..." the tigress paused, suddenly glancing at Bambi, trying something with Mel. "Excuse me, but I wouldn't mess with anything until we're certain. I don't wish to have to heal her twice...Bambi?"
Ketefe sighed softly at Jeremiah's reaction to her - shock, then pity. She hated being pitied, but it was a natural reaction to seeing someone who'd been crying. At least the frog's pity was meant in kindness.
"It's not so bad," she said halfheartedly. "I was just kind of shocked. Maybe he left the book over here." She walked slowly over to the table where Stygian had laid out food earlier, examining it for the book Jeremiah had mentioned. Only thing I'm really not looking forward to is, if I stay like this, I'm gonna have to explain to Jarevei that he'll have to be gay to keep dating me, she reflected. She watched the others carefully, to make sure nothing else bad would happen. Cog and Rynkura were discussing cures for this, and Bam was trying to help Mel recover. Ketefe decided to look through the books Cog had gathered later.
The unfortunate part of it all was that none of the books on the table were authored by Stygian, nor were there any notes or such left of what he had done. He must have known how to create that circle by heart, thus. There were some books on transformation, but the only thing that came close to touching on dark magic was a book called '
A Treatise on The Dark and The Twisted' by one J.M. Morrow.
The fortunate part was that Keaton was collecting herself again. She hadn't reacted quite as Ketefe, but for a while she had been tense as a violin string, red in the face and trembling. She moved back, where she now stood steadying herself against one of the shelves. There was a slight twitch in her eye, and a look of utter annoyance on her face. She didn't look
too dissimilar from before, even though the change was very noticeable. It seemed that rather than a somewhat masculine woman, she had turned around to the opposite.
'Okay...' she began, listening to Cog. She turned to look at him. It seemed that he was beginning to put that knowledge he had gotten to good use. 'Light. That sounds good,' she said, all the while thinking '
Breathe. Just breathe. It's a simple transformation. it will pass. Breathe...' Casting a glance toward the symbol on the floor, she began distracting herself by trying to figure it out. It had a stylized simplicity and quality to it, even when hand-made, but the way the parts of it worked together was somewhat complex.
'I think... It would seem that light would work,' she said, a bit shakily still. 'Use light to purge it, and then we'll see if we need a transformation spell. But... make sure you get all of it. I think you have to,' she said. That was the scary part of it. It seemed to run purely on darkness, and the terribly strong containment seals on it spoke for themselves. She knew that the more pure and powerful the dark magic, the more hazardous it became. In this case, it could be like a virus infection. Get it all out, or it would just return.
- -
Quite unexpectedly, as Aisha rounded the next corner, she had only to take three steps before she heard the dry caw of the raven from above her. Perched on the top of a statue, she had not seen or heard it. The bird tilted its head and looked at her with beady, reddish eyes, seemingly studying her.
- -
Never let it be said that I were inconsistent, Stygian thought, standing in front of the blurry windows and gazing out at the rain.
I'll catch the blame for this as well, so I'll stay away. Let them see that they can solve things themselves... Pulling the curtains, he turned around and slumped down on the bed, settling with a sigh. He grabbed his notebook and fountain pen, and started scrawling. Idly, he began moving the fingers of his left hand, slivers of darkness slowly slipping around and between them.
Mel was busy analyzing the spell. It looked like a straightforward spell except that the dark energy seemed to give it tenacious roots. It needed to be completely cleaned up or it would respawn. Distracted with tracing all the tendrils she only belatedly noticed what Bam was up to, only after her automatic defenses had trapped the girl. Mel was an adult dragon, which meant she was older than the ancient castle they stood in and had many millennia of layers to her defenses. Mel was an illusionist by training and her mind and soul were lodged behind a maze of fake trails, false copies, and dangerous traps that only those trained in mental assaults could tread. The young fae was caught in an illusion, a reflection of her own mind. Bambi spun through a rapid dream sequence until she tired herself out and fainted, requiring Mel to catch her. Mel blushed a little to see what the illusion contained. She was going to have to explain to the fae that she was the wrong species, the wrong gender, and the wrong body temperature for the dragon to have any interest. She put the sleeping fae in a nearby chair and went back to analyzing the gender shift spell.
Jeremiah shook his head at the pretty flashes of light Bambi had set off. One day, that girl will get in over her head trying to help someone without planning it out first, it was easy to sort of extend that teacherly viewpoint to also encompass the rather absentminded feline. He picked up the book by J.M. Morrow.
Dark and twisted does describe this place rather well. Those idiots who made it should be-
Shaddap Nex.
Figuring that it wasn't too likely to jump up and bite him, if only because the odds of there being two cursed books lying where anyone could get there hands on them were too low, he flipped to the table of contents. Lets see if there's a 'how to dismantle' section...
Ketefe slumped her shoulders a little when none of the titles on the table were by Stygian. She glanced at Bam and Mel, and noticed that the fae had fallen asleep and been caught by Mel. She glanced away, blushing. Everything about this situation is SO wrong... But her ears perked up when Keaton mentioned a way to change them back.
"Thank the Gods," Ketefe said, a look of relief crossing her features. "I'm guessing I won't be much help here, but that's still good news."
As Mel puts Bambi into the chair, she awakes enough to grumble "Now, Now, Mr Dragon, I'm not that kind of girl.... Beside I have a girlfriend. If you don't want my magical gift, I will just have to re-charge right heeare,oh mm yawn"
Bam goes back to sleep
PBH
With practiced ease, Cog ignored goings-on with Bam and Mel, instead reading through the litanies of light-based spells set before him. The 'Magister sub Argentum' was filled with light-based spells and praxes, although none seemed to catch his eye quite right. He nodded at Keats as he tapped a finger thoughtfully.
"Makes sense. Of course, let's hope there is something in this book powerful enough to dispel all of it. The book is somewhat...specialized." Cog raised the book and blew some dust off the somewhat musty, but otherwise pristinely untouched book. "Arcanum and lore is has, but practical usage...well..."
Cog set the book down and sighed. "It mentions very little about the actual spells themselves. But it mentions enough that I can gather the rest." He set the book aside and stood up straight. "Not that I expected a practical book of light here."
He looked at Rynkura. "We need something similar to a 'Holy Explosion', to quote the book, without the explosion part. Heaven's Wish, without the destruction bit, as it were. Something extremely powerful, that won't kill when cast. The book mentioned something about 'Aurora'. It sounded spot on. You might know more."
Picking up the book and walking towards where Sebastian had drawn his circle, Cog picked up the chalk that the bat had left there and began to copy the circle emblazoned on the front of the book.
"While you do that, I'm going to try something else..."
Closing on the solution, the group pressed on in their work, unsettled though they might have been. Keaton in particular looked remarkably broody, as she sat down as well as she could and tried to remember the seal as it had been before her alterations. She did not possess photographic memory, unfortunately, and thanks to the complexity of the sign there were quite a few points where she was unsure. But nevertheless she had felt the power as it had flowed through it, and even if that was hardly enough to form a full picture from, it narrowed things down considerably. Pressing her fingers to her lips, she sat muttering, seemingly ignorant of the others's talk and moving around, an amber-furred statue with her, or his, large ears expressively slanted backward, muzzle adorned with a frown.
- -
The raven and Aisha stared stolidly at each other for what seemed an eternity. Then, with the utmost suddenness, the large bird cawed a last time, and with a strike of its broad wings descended on the alarmed feline. However, just as eerily, it did nothing but settle on her shoulder, and turn so it could direct one gleaming eye against her, its talons holding on to her firmly but not sharply. It sat, simply, expressing an inexplicable composure and curiosity.
Having satisfied herself that the transformation spell was fairly standard and it was the shadow magic component that they needed to concentrate on Mel moved away from the window and back to where the glyph had been drawn, intending to study it further. She immediately saw it was different. Someone had changed it. That must have happened during the time she couldn't remember. Taking a good step back from the glyph to make sure there was no magic crossover this time Mel created a small illusion, a copy of the original design drawn from her memory floated in mid air before her. She studied both versions to see where the changes had occurred. As she did she heard Cog speaking and noticed he was messing with circles of his own. "Aurora?" she muttered, thinking of the lovely aurora displays at home.
Hearing the hoarse call of the raven above her, Aisha froze in place beneath the statue where it perched, her eyes the only part of her moving at all to look at it. The ebon creature's eyes seemed to hold inquisitiveness and interest rather than fear. The eyes, glowing red, put her off just a little bit...but because the jaguaress was of the same colors, she thought little of the appearance.
Trying not to scare the bird, she stood up a bit and stared it down, wondering what it would take to get it off its perch. As far as she knew it was an innocent animal...Aisha thought of nothing in killing it. But that still left how...?
That's when the creature decided for her. In a flurry of feathers it dove from the statue and straight towards her, to which point Aisha winced with a yelp and instinctively put an arm over her eyes to shield them. But she felt its little claws grasp her shoulder instead. An eye poked out between her fingers after a second, regarding it with a bit of disbelief as it regarded her with that same curiosity.
With a chuckle, the relieved feline slowly took her hand from her face and tilted her head at the creature. "Well. This is the first time something I was hunting came without a fight," she smirked, however her expression was friendly, and stole a look back down the corridor, to find a window. "...I won't hurt you, but maybe you can sit still long enough so I can let you out of this big stone obstacle course, sí?" She carefully took a step forward, hoping that the raven would in fact be calm.
* * *
"'Aurora'...? It sounds familiar to me," Rynkura admitted with a slight smile at the fact that things were progressing, finally. "We're on the right track."
The tigress observed the group left before them in the library, composed of some very unnerved and transformed people...especially Keaton, she noticed. She wondered if some of her forgotten magic was going to get something of an exercise in this place. She shook her head dismissively and held her staff in front of herself, eyes taking on a slightly lighter glow of emerald than what their original color had been while calling on the light spell stored within. It was the same kind that she had used while healing Mel...only instead of mending what was there, this was tuned to banishing impurities, natural or unnatural...one of the more holy spells she had, and could more than likely work. Her pearlescent fur color seemed to blur a bit at the edges, framed by the bold ebon stripes. Once she knew she could call on it, the tigress returned to normal, only one hand glowing just slightly as a remnant of the spell.
"Alright..." the tigress murmured thoughtfully, glancing curiously at the glyph that Cogidubnus was using to modify the older one...then her eyes scanned the others in the room...Mel, Keaton, and Ketefe. "Will one of you permit me to test this magic before all of us proceed? It will not harm you; merely it will gauge the extensiveness of the shadow element involved."
Rynkura didn't wish to rush headlong into the cure, but perhaps it would show just how close they were. Only a small amount of the banishing sequence would suffice for that.
Ketefe, still standing near the book table, looked up when Rynkura spoke. The blue cat had been listening to parts of the conversation between the tigress, Cog, and Keaton, despite the fact that she barely understood most of it. From what she'd heard, light magic could be used to dispel the spell's dark magic, which made sense, but a transformation spell would also be needed to reverse this particular one. Now Rynkura was asking for someone to test some sort of light magic on to measure how much shadow magic was used in the spell that had tansformed Ketefe and the other girls.
I haven't been very useful up till now; I might as well, she decided. She took a few steps toward the tigress. "I'll do it," she said.
"Healer, Mind that the amount of dark magic may be variable depending on the girl's own nature and how close they were to the orginal spell when to fouled up." peeped up Bambi with her head in her arms "Pixulated protons, That is the last time I try emptying myself of all magic, Groan my head and hangover"
Bam grumbles something and curl up into a ball with fingers rubbing on her temples in her seat.
PBH
Finding a somewhat clear spot, Cog set the book down in front of him and began to copy the lines embossed onto the cover. The pages within had made numerous references to certain properties contained by the eldritch lines, although in typical fashion it had been inspecific as to the actual effects. Something about cleansing, the immutable beat, and 'Heaven's Wind', and yet more obscure holy arcanum. Still. It didn't mention anything harmful, so it might not hurt to try.
Well, probably not, anyway.
Cog drew the lines deftly, moving in quick, brisk strokes and curves. The circle began to take shape rather quickly, and by the time he had finished, Ketefe had volunteered for the first trial run with Rynkura. Double checking his work, Cog put the finishing touches on the rather simple glyph and stood to watch.
"The book said something about 'Cleansing bloody impurity', if that helps any." Cog shrugged, and tilted his head to watch the healer work. He had never seen a master of light magic work, and was curious.
Watching as Ketefe stood up to take the role of the first one to brave the effects of the spell, Rynkura gave the other felid an appreciative nod. "Many thanks for your cooperation, child. This won't take but a moment." And let's hope it works, she added silently.
As the tigress stepped over to where the transformed girl stood, she quirked an ear to where Bambi lay exhausted--but not too exhausted to speak--and only gave a chuckle in reply. "I have worked under such conditions for many years. Don't worry, I take everything into account. You just rest," she advised, and turned back towards Ketefe. She heard Cogidubnus also offer more help as he finished remodeling the glyph. "Cleansing bloody impurity..." she repeated to herself in thought. It sounded indeed much like magical healing.
Looking over Ketefe, she laid her glowing palm gently upon the cat's forehead. "You may become just a little dizzy," she advised in a soothing voice. "Concentrate on standing, if nothing else."
The glow encompassed the light healer's emerald eyes again, giving her the look of being entranced...but the way her ears swerved showed that she could also still hear everything that went on in the room. Likewise a glow encompassed Ketefe's body from head to foot, but very slowly, as if the light poured like molasses rather than water as it was more apt to do in a normal individual. "Dark influence indeed," Rynkura muttered in observation. But at least still the spell's light reached inside, as if peering through the soul as well.
The cat would have felt a pressure through her, not enough to hurt, but enough to cause the weak-minded to have become fearful of the whole process. For the time being she was frozen in place as the properties of the spell sought out its targets of dark impurities. It searched the body itself, blood and bone, and the less tangible properties of the curse, and everything it affected...but as with light, she'd have felt warmth and small comfort, almost as if she was defended. But still she would have felt the slight dizziness as her mind could also be completely flooded with the magic's effects and any resistance the darkness put up...but if she was good at concentrating...
Through the magic Rynkura could detect some of the odd ins and outs. But did nothing to purge the changes...not yet. Not without her word. Only when the light had a hopefully firm hold on the subject.
"Keep concentrating," Rynkura said, her voice normal to the others but perhaps somewhat strengthened to Ketefe, as if she was trying to speak through the hold it had on her mind. "Just keep standing. Don't be afraid."
Then, with a muttered prayer, she gave the word. The light around Ketefe strengthened and swirled through the air akin to solar flares. As it strengthened, so too did the pressure, as it attempted to purge the hold of the shadows.
Ketefe was a little anxious about the effects of the spell, but Rynkura calmed her by saying she'd just become a little dizzy. She doubted she'd be hurt anyway. The transfigured girl shut her eyes and began to focus only on her legs and her balance as the tigress laid her hand on Ketefe's masked forehead. Concentrating wasn't too hard, given the training she'd received as a child. Thank you, Jarevei.
Ketefe only felt the spell begin, keeping her eyes closed the entire time. She began to feel pressure throughout her body, but it wasn't entirely uncomfortable. The reach of the pressure was somewhat alarming; her nerves, her muscles, even her bones felt a strange force encompassing them. Drown out everything else, focus only on your muscles and balance, she told herself.
There was a gentle warmth pervading her along with the pressure, which was comforting. It was like a reassurance, a promise that she'd be safe. Even when the mild dizziness started, but Ketefe focused sharply on her legs, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling.
Then Rynkura's voice rang in her head, a little louder than she'd expected. "Keep concentrating. Just keep standing. Don't be afraid." She did just that, even as the pressure she felt began to increase little by little. This spell can't hurt you, she reminded herself. Nothing bad is going to happen. Trust the spell.
The effects of the spell were hardly as quick and dramatic as those that Stygian had caused. The comforting pressure kept building, and at first it seemed that they might have gone for a wrong solution. But then, slowly, Ketefe started feeling a tingling sensation starting up inside her, like a limb that was asleep waking up again as the shadow was purged from her, prickling and chilling like cold water. She felt odd, squirming movements under her skin much like those she had felt when the darkness came rushing at her, cold and roiling and making her feel like her skin was somehow loose around her moving insides, an odd sensation to put it lightly. It was nothing of the smooth transformation of a cubi or the eerie but quick discomfort of a magical transformation or simple lack of sensation of an illusion. Rather, it felt more complete, like hundreds of hands of ice reaching into one's body and rearranging one's organs to whatever new shape they thought would be right. And the others could see it; it was not the look of discomfort on Ketefe's face that did it, but rather the way her shape crawled and moved. Her hair and skin shifted and re-grew over moving muscle and bone, and she couldn't quite keep her limbs still. The whole of the process did not take much longer than half a minute, but it felt much longer, before she stood back in the same place, unmoving and silent, herself once again.
Cog nodded his head at the spectacle, relieved that Rynkura had been able to heal Ketefe after all. The circle, for whatever uncertain and perhaps dangerous effect it may have had, would be unnecessary. Setting the book down, Cog exhaled a breath of air and smiled slightly, before setting it atop the other book laying on the table and approaching Rynkura.
"One less problem then, I suppose. Ms. Icewing may be able to help you with the rest of the girls. I...well, honestly, I have no idea how you did that."
Cog gave an apologetic grin. "Despite the thunderbolts and whatnot, I am somewhat...inexperienced. I..." Cog sighed. "It would take me far longer to learn to cast that than is prudent. If you'll excuse me." Cog bowed to those in attendance, and sliding both books back into the stacks walked out of the library.
The storm was still raging with fury, and Cog sighed, listing to the distant sounds of rain pattering on the glass windows that lined the hallway. He could see more of the Castle and the grounds outside, the gardens and the stone walls ominous in the late-afternoon storm, and far in the distance the dim lights of the city, visible through the cloud-brought darkness. Cog paused by one such window, the wrought-iron frame and decoration splitting the glass into several pieces. In some ways, it was fortunate the castle had been so cursed - the thrill seekers had been killed by the very real dangers, and the tomb robbers and hooligans were kept away by the very real deaths. It left for a very well-furnished, finely decorated and very dusty palace, really.
Fortress might be a better word. Cog thought, his face blank. Shaking his head, he sidestepped a little stand set up by the window and continued down the hall, his footsteps soft of the dark red carpets. He passed by the staircase without glancing at it, instead taking another left towards the wing that contained the kitchen. It took him only a few minutes to traverse the distance, and once there he grabbed a bottle of whiskey from out the cabinets, before he paused. Patting his jacket for a moment, he stopped, and the faintest outline of a smile could be seen on his face, tinged with a bit of sadness.
Turning around, he took the little packet of coffee from his jacket and grabbed a pot, filling it with water.
As the pressure built, Ketefe began to feel funny. Her skin felt like there were thousands of tiny ice-cold ... things crawling around underneath it, as if she was being restructured from the inside out. It felt rather like the dark spell had felt when it first struck her, but much more uncomfortable. Her muscles and limbs felt agitated, and she was gritting her teeth and squinching her eyes tight with the effort it took to keep still. She could feel her hair and skin moving unpleasantly over her body, and knew she must look even stranger.
After what seemed like an eternity, it stopped. She opened her eyes, slowly, and looked down to find herself female again. Her eyes widened, not with fear, but joy and relief. She bit her lip so she wouldn't cheer out loud, but she gave Rynkura a look of pure gratitude.
"Thank you so much."
Letting the illusionary glyph she was studying fade away Mel closely observed what Rynkura was doing to Ketefe. She saw that the tigress carefully searched out all the shadow magic lingering in the girl then destroyed it by blasting it with light magic. The dragon wasn't sure if she could effectively do the same thing. Her magic was a large part elemental and she wasn't sure if her light magic would pack enough punch to totally burn away the shadow. She shifted her thought, destruction wasn't necessarily the goal, just removing it from her body. Starting at the very tips of her horns and the very tips of her toes she thought of her light magic not as something that spread ever outward, but as a wall, or a screen. She slowly moved the filters towards each other, herding the little bits of shadow ahead of it. She understood Ketefe's need to squirm, it felt rather disgusting as more bits were gathered together.
Bambi watch the process that Mel was trying, and could see the flaw that she was just moving the shadow around and collecting into one area. She was stubborn in her aiding, but she did learn somethings ah sometimes....
A light green glowing of light magic formed between the Fae's hands and stay there floating in front of her. "Mel, only the Shadow will burn in the light sphere, you can put the shadow into your hands and force the dark into the sphere to burn it away. Or this time, you can take the magic yourself and do whatever you need to with." Bambi says as she stands in front of the dragon with her light sphere.
PBH
While Mel's approach was rather different, it did work about as well, though it left her with a good bit of that shadow to deal with. Getting it out of her system, she slowly clumped it together in a ball over her open hand, that grew as the stuff was concentrated and pushed out of her. It soon became rather evident that it was moving, a crawling shape of shadow glistening and shifting within its prison. When finally Mel had expunged it all from herself, what she had was a squirming, struggling little mass of blackness that hovered ominously above her palm.
- -
The quick and inexplicably silent movement would have passed Cogidubnus by, had it not been for the sudden sharp smell that had entered the room and alerted him. Stygian had already turned though, leaving his teacup on the counter and his thoughts of getting something to drink behind, instead now heading back up at a brisk pace to return to his moving. Cog just caught a glimpse of his back and leg through the door before he was already leaving.
Jeremiah snapped the book he'd been checking through closed, hoping that it was just his eyesight and the letters hadn't really been moving, as soon as the others figured out what was going on. Finally, something that hadn't turned into a serious situation. He didn't end up possessed or monstrous, Mel didn't end up wounded, Rynkura wouldn't be putting anyone back together, Bambi stayed fully clothed, it had all just worked out.
Of course, he then noticed the squiggly thing Mel had conjured up, "Yeeg! Alright, before anyone asks no, we can't keep it. Ugh..."
Steal it? Should I? Wannawannawanna-!
Plic, no!
A few times, Rynkura wavered just slightly in her task to remove the shadows and transformation from Ketefe's being, feeling as her magic worked its way through when once she felt that it couldn't do much against the dark feeling. But it weakened and changed the felid, back to the form in which she was born. She willed the flares to stop, the light to dissipate, and the tigress removed her palm from Ketefe's forehead.
The glow faded from the old healer as well, returning her eyes back to normal. Despite her elderly countenance, Rynkura didn't look ragged after using that much energy, but still she had to catch her breath and lean on her staff...the effort merely took the wind out of her. Still she was pleased to see it had worked, and as well somewhat surprised.
"You are more than welcome," Rynkura said, her head bowed as Ketefe expressed her thanks. She smiled with a thoughtful sigh, then caught Cogi's words, also giving him a smile. "It could probably be within your power to try." She said no more than that, and bid him farewell as he left the room, while Mel had concentrated on removing the spell from herself...and quite well. But she wasn't surprised...dragons often had interesting skills.
"Nice work. Your help may be welcomed," Rynkura said to Mel, eyeing the squirming mass in the dragoness's hands with narrowed eyes before glancing to Keaton, the final candidate, for her insight and permission.
* * *
Having not recieved much resistance from the crimson-eyed raven on her arm, Aisha walked down the corridor (cautious of its close proximity to her eyes, however) until she found a window leading to the outside, only to notice behind the dusty ornate glass that the sky was still grey and ominous, much of the morning's storm having been passed over, yet still overlaid with strong winds and a few droplets on her fingers as she opened it.
The panthress chuckled at the wonder of it all. Even a small search mission was still a bit of an adventure. "Calm spot," she muttered quietly, observing of the storm. "Now would be a good time to dash out to freedom and find shelter, yeah?" She urged the creature down her arm, and gently shook it. "Go on now. I oughta get back and check on mis amigos back in the library."
Perhaps they'd have a story for her on returning.
As Cog poured himself a cup of the coffee, savoring the smell of the rich, dark liquid, he recoiled a moment as the smell of blood and ink suffused his nostrils. He eyed his cup and then turned around, catching a glimpse of Stygian's leg stepping out of the kitchen. Cog took a reflexive step forward, stopping jerkily and then moving forward. He set his cup down on the counter before stepping back into the hallway.
The bat was already halfway down the entire length of the hall before Cog got out there, taking long strides back to the stairway. Cog stopped as soon as he saw him, his hand raised in a futile gesture to catch him. He stayed silent as the bat walked away, his mouth halfway open as he watched. He stuttered something, and the bat turned a corner, leaving only the wolf standing by the kitchen door.
"Th...thanks for the coffee..." Cog murmured, his face fallen somewhat. He sighed, and turned back to the kitchen, retrieving his cup and walking back out into the hallway. He sipped the dark drink as he walked through the stone hallways, the storm outside battering against the wrought-iron windows. Stopping short of the turn that Stygian had made, Cog turned and looked out into the storm, and watched the lightning play to the backdrop of the town's dim lights.
A bitter look of indifference tingeing his face a rather uncomfortable way, Stygian stopped his clip and turned against Cog, his eyes rock steady. One hand along his side and the other in his pocket, his slightly tilted head and forward posture, and the look of his eyes, seemed to shout are you really doing this?
'You're welcome,' he said, quickly and casually and making sure not to put any hostility into his tone. It was clear that he was pained anyway. 'It was the least I could do.' That and make sure that the wolf had felt that he could actually channel some magic and put up with his confusion, and draw more hate to himself and put himself in danger, and what was more, actually being so idiotic as to spend time around him and the others when they were all better off without him, certainly when...
He put out the flare of thoughts and the sudden dull ache in his chest quickly as putting out a candle between one's fingertips, and having made that quick statement, he turned again, resuming his quick steps on his way to the stairs.
Cog almost dropped his coffee when he heard the bat behind him, whirling around as the liquid narrowly missed splashing on himself. Cog composed himself quickly as Sebastian spoke, his face melancholy. Almost as soon as Sebastian spoke, however, he turned again, walking back towards the stairs. Cog gripped tightly on the coffee cup, his face tense, and called out to the bat again.
"I'm sorry!" Cog said, looking down as soon as he said the words, and then looking back at the storm outside. He sighed, turning back towards Sebastian. "I...I'm sorry for getting angry with you." Cog stammered. He grimaced. "And for stabbing you." he continued.
Cog looked down, and took a large drink from his mug, the cup obscuring his face.
Again, Stygian stopped, and sighed, both visibly and audibly. With more of a slump to his shoulders, he turned again, standing to the side and leaning a bit in the archway that led into the great hall of stairs.
'I provoked you and I paid for it, simple as that. It's just pain. No lasting damage,' he said. That, at least, was true. All he'd ever had was pain, and nothing to show for it. Nothing good, at least. 'I shouldn't have expected you to see it anyway. It was just going against everything else I've done here,' he said, a tone of stinging sarcasm finding its way into his speech as he turned toward the stairs and slowly started walking up them toward where they parted in front of a large mirror like the one they had went into before, to get to the heart of the curse.
'Either way, you can go back down and have your coffee. I'm no arcanist, so you're better off with your fellow mages,' he said, biting around the last word.
Cog's eyes went wide under his lenses as the bat spoke, his face drooping for a moment before setting again. His eyes stung, and his mug shook as it steamed absently. Cog almost bit something out, stopping himself just short, and took a deep breath, the cup settling as the wolf exhaled. Cog set it down on a window ledge, calling up to the bat.
"That stings. Worse than you know. In some ways, magic has yet again kicked me in the ass." Cog said, and took a single step up the stairs. "But I understand why...you had to make me angry. And I'm sorry that I made it so easy."
He adjusted his shades. "But I also understand if you wish me simply gone." Cog's voice was calm, and soft. He paused for a moment before stepping down again. "I never wanted to be just another source of pain. I'm sorry." Cog bowed, and turned, expecting to leave the bat to his peace.
Unexpectedly, Stygian stood where he did, and snorted.
'
It's your problem. You just don't know,' he said, folding his arms over his chest and keeping a blank stare on the wolf below. '
I don't wish you gone, but you don't know half of it. Why would you want to hang around me? And you don't know what else you want either. Why do you think you can't use that magic? I'll tell you why.' A slight, slight tone of contempt was audible in his voice now. '
You're so conflicted you can't draw it out. And that's why you hesitate and roam and ultimately only follow where you think the situation dictates, or what feels easiest or most natural. Why you can't even control yourself in your feral form.'
Stepping back, Stygian looked at Cog sideways, eyes slightly darker now, less of that clear blue-gray visible in his gaze.
'
You have no idea,' he said.
- -
Aisha had opened the window and ushered the bird on, but the crow just tilted its grip on her arm and sat, looking up at her blankly and unhesitatingly. If an animal like that could have made a facial expression, then it fairly surely would have raised its brow at her and looked confused or irritated. It seemed that it wasn't particularly interested in leaving.
- -
While she had held her tongue before, Gina finally took the time to speak up, seeing as the situation allowed her to make a more careful approach.
'I think it would be nice to bring a little more light into this castle,' she said. 'It's... too dark and cursed. Things just don't feel right.'
Cog's expression turned sour, and he whirled to face the bat, his hand raised. He seemed to almost say something, his fangs almost bared, before he sucked in another breath. Cog unclenched his fist, and let his hand drop to his side. Slowly, he took his hat and shades off, and set them down beside his cup, leaning against the wall.
Giving the bat a look, he murmured something under his breath, and raising a hand snapped his fingers. A thundercrack flashed through the room in time with his fingers, a bolt of lightning landing not fifty yards away, the sound rattled the windows and almost shaking his cup off the table it sat on.
He felt his point made. Pushing himself back off the wall, he stared at the bat, his yellow eyes unwavering.
"Conflicted? Well...probably. The Wolf has nothing to do with that." Cog said, breaking his gaze with the bat and staring outside, his eyes searching the sky. "That's a curse. Magical in nature, specific to my race. Lychanthropy. It makes things in my head...complicated. Two parties are involved in things designed for one." Cog paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. He turned back towards the bat. "It took me a long time to get this far."
"But you are right. I -don't- know." Cog said, walking towards the bat. He stopped just a hair short of the stairs, not quite walking up them. "I don't have any idea. And who's fault is that?"
Cog narrowed his eyes, about to speak, and then sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I...I shouldn't get pissed at you. Obviously. Being around me hasn't done you much good thus far, I know. But..." Cog looked back up at the bat. "I can't know, unless you tell me. Say something. Give me a chance to be around you. And..."
Cog sighed again. "And, I may be conflicted, yes. There is one thing I know. I...do, want to be around you." Cog didn't turn this time, or walk away. "So, maybe I don't have any idea. Tell me, then."
Cog waited for the bat to respond, forcing himself to meet the Sebastian's eyes.
Mel looked at the squirming ball of shadow floating above her hand then at the ball of light magic Bambi was offering her. While she hadn't exactly been showing to her best since she had arrived at the castle she wasn't exactly a magical charity case. Even a little dragon had a significant amount of magic. Then she heard Gina speak about more light and had an idea of how to demonstrate the fact that she wasn't magically bankrupt. Mel smiled at Bambi, "Thank you, but you keep your magic. I think I can scrape up enough to take care of this handful of shadow." She reached up and caught the little ball of light that had been following her around the darkened library like an obedient puppy and force-fed it magic. The light flared like a noontime sun, filling the large room. Mel felt her third eyelid slide up, the light was brilliant enough to make eyes water. The mass of shadow gave a wicked hiss and slithered from her hand. Quickly lowering the light level to a comfortable level Mel watched the shadow mass skitter into the deep shadows under a nearby bookcase.
Stygian kept his cold gaze solidly on Cogidubnus, beaming down on the wolf the same way, up to the point where he stopped and pinched the back of his muzzle. His tone softened, the change of subject was telling, and slowly the bat's eyebrows crept up a bit, his eyes widening though he made sure to keep a level face. What was the wolf saying? He couldn't understand the idea, because Cog was plainly being honest and that was not possible. Not if it was about...
The sudden realization was like a snap, and made Stygian blink, losing composure. He went silent for a few seconds, and then a twitch to the right side of his lips slowly developed into a smirk that he hid by sighing and turning around for a moment, taking a few steps against the mirror and the next set of stairs. Was he being conceited here? No, he knew his judgment. Cog seemed a serious, standup guy. Not the kind who'd say things like that for no reason. Talk about being confused... he thought, his smirk turning bitter and his hand clenching.
A short but bright flash of light reflected from around a corner in the mirror, and Stygian looked up just before it was gone. He looked into eyes that were almost back to their former darkness, and he frowned. Then he got an idea. He turned sharply on the spot, and looked down at Cog, now grinning. If he could get the wolf up there...
'You want a chance to know?' he said, and slowly walked across the floor toward the other stairway, chuckling. 'You've just proven that you don't understand, and that you're not even trying to look past the obvious.' Toward the end of the sentence, his voice began distorting, changing, and his figure somehow became... hazy. As if the shadows cast around him were somehow deeper. For a bit, his appearance looked uncertain, like when one is trying to make out a shape when it's too dark to see clearly.
'If you want to see, doggy, you're going to have to look much more closely.' That was a familiar voice, but not...
The figure above turned, and Keaton's face met Cog's. She grinned wickedly and leaned back against the wall beside the mirror.
'As it is, you're not even trying.'
As Cog listened to the bat, his hand drifted to the hilt of his sword, his arm draped across the hilt. As the bat started to change, Cog's hand clenched the pommel, his knuckles white, the silver endcap digging into his palm. When Keats stood before him, smirking, Cog's eyes went wide, then narrowed in anger.
He stalked up the steps then and there, silent, intent on giving the Cubi...he wasn't quite sure. His hand shook as it gripped the black-wrapped sword hilt, tightening cruelly around the silk as Cog approached Keaton. He almost broke his silence as he approached, a small growl deep in his throat, but nothing else. His eyes flashed as he climbed, bright with anger, and something else.
He stopped suddenly, about two or three feet from the Jackal. Her smell...Cog stopped, resisting the desire to tilt his head, one of his eyes narrowing. He opened his mouth, his gaze sliding to the mirror beside him.
Where the Jackal should have been grinning at him, Sebastian stood instead, his mouth of fangs bared in mirth. Cog stopped dead, his free hand still clenched. He met Keat...no, Sebastian's gaze, with something akin to irritation in his eyes.
"It is difficult to see that which is hidden." he countered, his hands dropping to his sides. "But my eyes are sharp. Sebastian." Cog nodded to the mirror. "And I do try to see. As much as I can."
"As much as you have let me." Cog murmured. His eyes clouded for a moment, and then regained their intensity. "And I see more than you might think. But I can still only see what you show me."
The jackal before him grunted and dropped the smirk a bit, and then she began strolling closer to Cog. And, as if to ridicule his statement, Cog's eyes again fooled him. The shapeshifting was hard to see; it didn't move in a distinct fashion like a cubi's, and Stygian was moving.
'I've shown you. If you had only kept your eyes open, you'd have seen,' she said. And this time, it wasn't Keaton who said it, but Mel, with her exact teacher-like disapproval and reproach. 'It's not about appearances,' she continued, making an open gesture and passing behind Cog. 'It's about common sense. It's about judgment.' Even as Cog turned to follow, the voice he heard turned into an ugly croak, and next he was looking at Jeremiah. The frog eyed him with lowered brows, replicating Stygian's movements in the mirror precisely.
'I am always wearing a mask. And not to hide the scars of my vengeance, but to hide how ugly that vengeance has made me,' he said gravely, arms crossed. 'And even if I live it, the mask is still a mask.'
Again, he changed, walking closer to Cog. And this time, the face was more familiar. The same blond fur and black eyes, the same straight, sharp-cut flared nose, the same slightly tilted ears and smooth jawline. But more rounded and slender and comely around the strength, more feminine. As it had been before. And the reflection changed too.
'Is this the face you are following?' she said, and nodded toward the mirror, drawing Cog's gaze. 'Do you believe in it?'
Cog stayed silent throughout the Bat's tirade, his mouth twisted in distaste. He approached Sebastian again, staring her straight in the eye, searching. Her gaze was hard, as was his - Cog was almost tempted to touch that face, but instead turned, his face a bitter smile. "What face." Cog murmured, looking into the mirror. "I still see a mask." He suddenly wished for his shades.
"That could be your true face, and none of us would know it. Who is to say I've even seen your true face, hm?" he turned, his eyes still hard. "Mel, Keats, Jeremiah...all those are just faces. Even as you are now. Even as you have been. I don't care what mask you wear. Considering..." Cog almost stopped, his voice faltering. He stood silent for a moment, and continued. "I don't even know what you are. Male, female? To you? You change forms like you change clothes. It's all faces you wear. So, no." Cog's gaze was firm. "It's not your face. I don't believe in any of your faces. Some are prettier than others, but...what's a face. To you? Nothing more than a form you choose."
He stood across from the bat, his eyes softening somewhat. "I'm not interested in masks. How...I've never even seen your face! You call me conflicted! Dammit! I've never even seen you! I don't even know what you are!" he finally said, his voice rising in intensity. He stood like that for some moments before he sighed, and looked at the ground.
"But...from what I have seen...masks conceal faces, but can't hide people. But then...dammit." Cog looked back up at the bat. "It's not your form. I know this." he finally murmured.
The bat didn't so much as blink. She looked at Cog. But those black eyes were glowing now, their past intensity having returned. This was about what she had expected. And if he wanted honesty, then...
'Look again,' she said. She didn't move, but then the mirror turned darker somehow, and Cog's gaze was drawn to it. And what he saw...
The room in the reflection was a grim, twisted version of itself, a reddish and dim darkness where one could just make out the cracked and broken rails and fractured steps of dark marble, strewn with the stone fragments. The walls were peeled clean and broken in places, a great hole torn through one into the room behind so that the armament was visible, a gilt-framed painting darkened and withered with age laying by it. The castle in the painting showed even more than its real age. It was a broken, corpselike version of itself; the sort of environment that was host to nightmares. The red atmosphere made it look like some fire was burning just out of sight, everywhere one looked. The surroundings weren't the hideous part though.
Cogidubnus's reflection was his own, though perhaps darker and more grizzled. But the bat was not there. In her stead there was a monstrosity, recognizable only vaguely as something humanoid amid the slithering and crawling tentacles and shapes, formed from the very darkness itself, snaking around it as they emerged from its shape, organic and repulsing. Claws, fangs, eyes glowing like hot coals, maws that breathed poisonous fumes. Spines and glistening skin, like a middle-thing between oily liquid and scaly leather. Hideous didn't begin to describe it.
'It's what I've tried to show you,' the creature said, the face in the mirror that looked much like Sebastian's but not, making a mockery of its features and well-formed lips by means of dagger-like teeth like stained ebony. Its voice was burning, slithering, as infested and seething as its shape. It stepped closer, the bat before him and the monstrum in the mirror that mimicked her moves amid the creeping dark.
'Horrid as Hell itself. Literally,' it fumed. 'In every conceivable way.'
The creature stood in front of him now. And then, frozen as he stood, he felt a hand on his cheek, forcing him to turn his gaze back forward. The same bat's face as before greeted him. But now that same glow burned in her eyes.
'Every way,' she reiterated. Something crawled under her skin down her neck and then vanished. 'And now you can't say you don't know, even if you want to be fooled. And I won't fool you.' Her eyes were awls into his. 'I'm a real-life monster. As bad as they come.'
Bambi bows to Mel with respect, "Very Good, my friend, I wished only to give aid since, I know your magic is more elemental, you are still healing and I could give you some "light" magical energy." says the Fae catgirl when she saw Mel's look of annoyance. "Please Mel, friends help friends even when they are too proud to ask. But I am learning to offer first". The Fae folds her light ball back into herself. and bows low to her again.
Please, Mel I I..." says Bambi "I respect you... I have what seems unlimited power but little knowledge on how use it...I need a mentor of some kind...and now oh .Well Keaton needs your help now. " says Bambi as turns and goes to Gina.
PBH
Cog's eyes stared holes into the mirror, watching as...Sebastian, as he was, stared back at him from the glass. Cog would have lied to say the vision was not...horrifying. It was a scene from nightmares, from the darkest imaginings of his mind. He nearly flinched as something touched his face, but as he watched the hand in the mirror touch his face, he let it guide his face back to the 'real' bat. It was simply her hand, although something had...moved, beneath her skin, as she spoke.
She gazed at him with eyes like fire, and the way that something had crawled out of sight unnerved the wolf. For a moment, Cog briefly found himself...terrified. But he still didn't break his gaze from the bat's. Meeting the pupils glowing like hellfire, he narrowed his own eye, the yellow flaring and the pupils...contracting, into something infinitely more feral. Cog let just a bit of a growl escape his throat before they dimmed, losing none of their intensity. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in.
"A real, live monster. As bad as they come..." Cog murmured. "And yet. All I see is another mask..." His eyes suddenly softened. "Don't you realize what I am? Monster. I'm the kind werewolf that really does turn into a monster during full moons. I've yet to see you kill anyone here. I really would. You're not scaring me away."
He continued to look into her eyes. "You think I didn't suspect? I mean...I didn't...we found you staked to a cross, sealed within a chapel." His voice was soft. "And earlier, in the library? In the dark?" He gazed back into the mirror, and then turned back to the bat, meeting her eyes. "I'm not a fool, Sebastian, despite what you may think. I had...suspicions. Maybe not like...that, but..."
"You've yet to shed a drop of my blood, although the same couldn't be said for myself. So, no." He met her gaze. "You don't scare me. You don't disgust me. I'm not a fool. You haven't fooled me. And you aren't fooling me." he murmured finally. "And I'm not fooling myself."
"Horrid as hell...." he whispered. He turned to the mirror, staring at it full on. "I call thee fair and name thee bright, ye who're dark as hell, and black as night." he said solemnly, intoning the lyric slowly. "Your faces are horrid as they are beautiful. It is for none of your masks that I seek. So..." he finally said, his hand suddenly clenching. He turned to the bat. "I've already said, you wear many faces. Just because your form is dark, does not mean you are not bright." he murmured, before raising a hand. "Just because you think of yourself as a monster, does not mean you are. As bad as they come...well, then. Do your worst." Cog raised his hand towards the mirror, a single finger crooked in his hand. With a snap, he sent a wave of force into the mirror, sending a thousand cracks spiderwebbing through the glass, the entire thing beginning to slide down off the wall. The tinkle of glass contrasted brightly with the patter of rain. "I've seen monsters. I've killed monsters. I've killed monsters here. I see none before me."
'You see none,' Stygian said darkly, narrowing her eyes. She snorted. 'Well, you don't surprise me. Do you think I'm joking?' She turned on the spot and paced around aggravatedly, running her hand through her hair before twisting back and locking her gaze on Cog's.
'Do you know what that was?' she asked him sharply. 'That was Hell. Or the Dark, or the Twilight. Call it what you wish. It is here, all around us. Everywhere we look.' She stepped up close, nearly snarling, tips of fangs showing over smooth lips. 'This world that we see is but a knife's edge between the endless reaches on each side of it. And I have been there. In the dark.' She leaned in.
'The flesh and blood is the mask, the material. But there, the soul is what matters. What do you think I showed you?' she hissed, and paused, taking in the look of realization in his eyes. 'How do you think I know what I am? I didn't forget when I died.'
She stood straight again so she wouldn't have to look up at him so much and folded her arms across her chest.
'Let go and try and understand. Before you do, you'll never surprise me,' she said bitterly.
"You think I'm joking?" Cog said, dropping his hand. "I understand more than you think."
He took in her countenance, arms crossed and her eyes glowering, and sighed. "Just because I don't like what I see, doesn't give me the right to deny it, yes. You are what you showed me. Of this I have no doubt." He turned, meeting her glowing eyes. "But to say your a monster...would not ring true. After all. We should all be dead by now, then, shouldn't we?"
Cog turned towards the shattered mirror, and picked up a peice, idly turning it over in his hand before letting it tinkle back onto the floor. "If you are a monster, then you're no kind I've ever seen. And I don't mean you have teeth and scary looks." he said finally, turning. "Monsters don't act like you do. They don't let people stab them and throw thunderbolts at them at leave them unharmed." He walked up closer to her, staring into her eyes. They burned like coals. "Not to be flip, but they don't go buy coffee for people during storms. No...monsters don't care if they are monsters. They certainly don't show remorse about it. Ironically, it's just that...ah. I think I do see, Sebastian." He smiled at her sadly. "You do good, and yet...yes I do see." Cog paused for a moment. "You call me conflicted."
Before she could respond, however, Cog closed the distance, staring into her eyes. "But before you protest, hear this. I've seen you as you really are." He leaned forward, staring down at her. "I know. I understand. And I still want to be around you." he bit out, using every bit of height and tone he had to put weight into his words. "So don't tell me again I have no idea. Who knows. I may surprise you."
With that, Cog's face suddenly brightened, his eyes merry. Giving a toothy grin, he kissed her full on the mouth, and without giving her time to react trotted down the stairs.
"We'll be in the library, if you care to join." he called back pleasantly, boots crunching over glass before picking up his hat and glasses, and before Sebastian had gotten a word in edgewise he disappeared back down the hall, steaming cup in hand as he headed for the library.
While everyone loitered around the library and pondered about what to do next, Keaton spent a great deal of time studying the rearranged glyphs on the floor and adapting to her newly-masculine body. Surprisingly, after she had come to terms with the hopefully-temporary transformation she found that accepting this new form was relatively easy, if almost instant, once she had become engrossed with her work and thorough inspection of the circle. Recalling the original formation of the runes was insanely tedious work... almost maddening, really. But it was necessary, as difficult work as it was, as Keaton attempted to restore the circle back to its former state. As her finger touched the very tip of the nearest glyph she froze.
In the background, she distantly overheard Ketefe volunteer for something, garnering Keaton's attention. Tapered ears pivoted upright as Keaton glanced in their direction, removing the finger from the edge of the hieroglyph and draping her arm over her raised knee. She watched with a strange fascination as Rynkura worked her magic starting with Ketefe, resting her palm on the azure feline's forehead. Once she was finished, much to Keaton's amazement, she had been returned to normal.
Meanwhile, Mel too had succeeded in extricating the spell from her body, leaving it a squirming mass of darkness clenched between her claws. As the dragon lifted her hand an immense flash of light ignited in the palm of her claw, suffusing the room with energy. The shadows squealed and writhed, then retreated under a bookcase, Keaton's eyes involuntarily following the body of darkness as it withered and died.
After that impressive display, it seemed she was the only one left who was cursed. Either she could attempt her own devices, or she could accept Rynkura's offer. Ultimately, she decided it would be foolhardy to refuse an outstretched hand of assistance, and climbed to her feet, approaching the tiger.
"Alright," Keaton said, dusting her hands off. "I'm game. Go right ahead."
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Stygian stood dumbstruck. Mouth slightly open, cheeks somewhat red, the bat looked perplexedly at Cog's back as he left, and then required a few more moments to gain composure. Then she sighed and shook her head, face turned into a frown. Of all the low blows... she began thinking. Still, she touched her lips once, and then took a long stare at the broken mirror, before swathing herself in shadow again and heading off.
When Stygian returned to the library, he was holding a steaming cup of tea, not coffee, in his wrapped hand. Tattoo showing just slightly up his neck under his open shirt, he went over and leaned on a shelf and studied the progress of the group. It seemed that the only one who was still 'disorderly' was Keaton, and that was about to be solved. That was a relief. He would have minded getting pointed looks from the others, or upsetting things or looking like an ass just standing there watching, except he had his eyes on Cog and pondering some way of retribution.
Aisha blinked at the hold that the raven had on her arm, the resistance it pulled as if expressing an outright insistence on staying right where it was. Twice more as the storm gathered again, she shook her arm and gently tried to coax it into the outside, until a peal of lightning and droplets of rain had forced her to bring her hand back in again and close the shutters.
As the bird regarded her with quiet irritation, so she regarded it with a patient curiosity. "Stubborn thing, huh?" she sighed. "Well...at least I found you so no damage could be done to the place or you." She shrugged. "We'll try again later, if you don't mind." For all that had happened in the castle, strangely, this wasn't the worst thing...she could handle a little raven sitting there for a while. However funny it would be should the panthress be found talking to it. Cheyenne would probably say I found a familiar, her eyes rolled.
Aisha looked around the corridor before finding the path back to the library, letting the creature choose a comfortable spot to sit but not letting it from her sight. The jaguaress listened as the conditions outside continued over the skies, as if for the day the heavens were marking the point of the next great flood.
* * *
Rynkura nodded in assention as Keaton stepped forth, and for a moment the tigress's eyes flickered a bit of concern. From what she had heard from Aisha of everyone's misadventures behind the simple-looking stone walls, the succubus seemed to keep her share of the bad luck, if more so. She knew of the previous curse from that information and what it had took for the inflicted to rid themselves of it. Yet still, what would she be thought of were she to discover...?
Oh but the unknown irony, she thought as the light magic once again gathered itself into her palm and her eyes took on the same glazed-over appearance, behind that of a steadfast healer. All she really wanted to keep her mind on was helping her. "I need not tell you what I had told Ketefe," she told the jackal, "But just the same, please try to keep your concentration."
And so she willed the holy spell to again pour over the jackal's countenance, but this time it was working a little slower, and she knew that it was because darkness was a part of Keaton's own being. She willed and hoped it to still work. And of course there was Mel nearby and the glyph that had been constructed perhaps should things fail.
She even acknowledged the presence of Stygian as he reappeared, but only silently. The light drenched Keaton's outline and reached her feet...the same feelings came to her in what would have affected herself...perhaps the same warmth and comfort mixed with the discomfort of her spell taking hold of the other.
Rynkura muttered the same prayer as before. Then the flares started again, bright and strong...the pressure tightening...the lines severing.
Still in the moments she could hear Keaton, she heard little complaints from the girl...she seemed strong-willed. And within moments, she could feel the shadows of the spell as it gradually re-transformed her as it had Ketefe...the uncomfortable rearranging and shifting of skin, bone, and everything internal to external...then finally, the holds felt like they let go...and Rynkura's palm came away from the succubus, now herself again.
Cog walked into the library quietly, sliding in between the oak doors left open just a crack rather than risk a noise by opening the creaking things. The plush carpets mostly disguised his steps, and he sat down noiselessly in an overstuffed chair as he watched the others work out the rest of their curses. Despite his silence, Cog was in quite good spirits, grinning softly as he sipped his drink. He merely...needed to think, for a bit. He'd talk with the others when they'd finished. Which, by the look of it, would be soon.
Keats was the last one up - Mel and Ketefe had already been healed, the professor standing close to the dragon and Ketefe looking on eagerly as Rynkura murmured a prayer over the Jackal cubi. Light flared and outlined the succubus as she began to yet again transform - in some ways, similar to the way Sebastian had done so, but blindingly bright instead of murky. It achieved the same effect - it was rather difficult to tell what was going on.
As he sat sipping, however, the sudden, sharp scent of blood, ink, and smoke entered the room, and Cog barely repressed raising his eyebrows. Pretending not to see, he hid a grin under his palm as he watched Keats turn back into her former self. The transformation seemed to have gone beautifully, without a hitch. Cog smiled in truth and leaned back in his chair, taking a deep draught of his coffee.
"Beautiful..." Cog murmured, voice low. "Coniecturalem artem esse medicinam, well and truly." He grinned, and sat up straighter, crossing one leg over the other and wondering what the Bat was doing behind him.
Stygian snorted and flicked an ear, walking past when he saw that Cog had noticed him.
'Even guesswork is quite often enough to get you through many things. Unless you're just a dimwit,' he said and took a sip of his tea. It was hot and burned his lips, but the taste was sharp and clear and at the moment more pleasant than the wolf's coffee smelled. 'Then it gets much harder.' Granting Keaton a quick smile upon her restoration, he then kicked back into one of the free chairs. 'Although I can't understand why you didn't just sweep the symbol away and get to work. While we're on that, is there anything particular that you want to do here, or should we proceed right to dinner? I am moving to the northern tower either way. A bit more to my liking.' By that he meant more chilly and secluded, and higher up. He remembered the rooms there; they would be quite comfortable once he could get them in order.
Ketefe's joy faded into simple happiness as she watched Mel heal herself and Keaton get healed by Rynkura. The healing process, as she had suspected, was disturbing to watch and looked just as uncomfortable as it felt. Glad I kept my eyes shut...
She smelled coffee - which she hadn't smelled in a long time - and looked up to see Cog and Stygian had returned. Nodding once at the pair, she looked around the library once, unsure of what she wanted to do. She spotted the Braille book from earlier, and grabbed it. She'd be able to figure out what it said if she tried hard enough, and she needed brushing up on her Braille for her next letter to Jarevei.
Letter. She remembered that she'd left her paper and spare outfits elsewhere, but looking out the window, the storm was as strong as ever. She'd have to wait till tomorrow to get them. She looked back at Stygian and shrugged. "I can't think of anything I need to do right now, but I've definitely had enough excitement for one day."
Mel dropped gracelessly into a nearby chair once she saw everything was back in order. What a day this was turning out to be. The library was in better order than it had been since her surprise size change two days before, if quite a bit worse for the wear. She heard Sebastian's comment about sweeping the glyph up and was surprised to think that would work, considering the effects Keaton's alteration had made. But it was his glyph, he should know. "Dinner sounds good to me. I don't think I could stand much more magic today."
The headtwist was enough. Of course; she'd come from the town, and she hadn't carried a bag. If she was traveling...
'You know, it's not much past lunch, and if I'm to have dinner too then we should go out and down into town,' Stygian said, looking calmly at Ketefe. 'If you want, I'll hold your umbrella.' He added a little smile to that, which managed to be winning even with the fangs it bared. 'How about that? Anyone else up for a walk in the rain?' he continued and looked innocently around at the others. Secretly, he hoped that they'd all turn him down, perhaps even Ketefe too. But preferrably not. It's not in good manners to play with your food, but I just can't help... he thought.
Ketefe arched an eyebrow at Stygian. He seemed to have gotten much cheerier since they'd seen him last. And he'd offered to take her into town. I guess he figured it out.
She went into thought, not looking anywhere in particular. The bat wasn't conveying any malicious intent, and she trusted him on some level. What confused her was this - there was food in the castle, or there had been last night and this morning. So unless they'd completely run out, why would Stygian need to go into town for his food?
Wait..... has he run out of.... oh God.
Narrowing her eyes just a fraction, she tugged the strap on her sheathed sword once before meeting Stygian's eyes again. "Well... as much as I hate walking in the rain, I do need to get my stuff from the tavern." She looked around at the others, secretly praying that someone else would come along. Maybe she was just being paranoid, but she really didn't want to go alone with Stygian.
Alternating between taking sips of his drink and listening to the others, Cog leaned back further into his chair and sighed, the drink and the cushion relaxing him utterly. Not to mention the sudden relief from about a thousand little pressures. He felt like he could go to sleep. He swished his cup in his hand, suddenly glad the drink was more than just tasty. As he sipped, he heard Sebastian speak to him, and he inclined his ear in feigned surprise. He smiled slightly at the bat, staying silent.
He listened to the others speak, and as Sebastian decided it might be a good idea to go out on the town for some food. A night out wouldn't hurt, Cog supposed. Still, Ketefe looked remarkably pale for such a comment. Cog raised and eyebrow, sipping some coffee, only jerkily stopping once as he drank. As he brought the cup down, he made as if to adjust his glasses, pushing them back up over his eyes, still staying silent.
Gareeku had completely lost track of time when he had decided to take a walk around the Castle's grounds. As he walked slowly, his mind wandered, thinking about the events he had experienced, the people he had met, and the enemies he had made. Eventually he realised how long he had spent walking around like this, and so decided to head back inside, making his way to where the others were.
"I'll go," Jeremiah offered, "I like the rain, and the more hands you have carrying things the more food you can bring back," He only caught Ketefe's look after the fact. She expects trouble? Wait... He was no fool. While things were a bit too hectic at the time to really comprehend, he knew what had happened when he'd first brought Gina to their ever so charming host. It's Styg. Same guy who chucks gobs of black magic amongst us like a kid with water balloons. Duh. Well, can't back out now without it looking bad... Apart from that was his desire to prove to the others that he was still good ol' vaguely useful Jeremiah, rather than that thing he'd turned into the previous day or the one before that when they'd first arrived, but getting him to admit it would take some effort.
"Besides, gotta pick up some stuff in town anywho."
Bambi goes to where Gina is....And she asks her"Well, it seems we all are going to town. We need not stay with Stygian, but we could have a few hours at the tavern, a meal, and some drinks, and we could fly back home if we need to and fly straight home afterwards.. So what do you say to a few hours break? Or you rather just go shopping?" with sweet smile. Then Bambi leans in to the angel's face
"or would you like us to just stay here without the Bat all alone?" whisper the fae girl into Gina's ear.
PBH
Stygian did notice the sudden air of discomfort, but made no sign of it. He got out of his seat, making sure his slight smile didn't grow into a smirk, and then walked up and over a bit closer to the masked feline. Head slightly inclined as he looked down at her, he did his best to come off as friendly and polite.
'
You're welcome to stay here, of course. But the same recommendations as before are still in order,' he said, and then turned a bit. He watched Gareeku reenter with mild interest and nodded toward the soaking wet wolf with a meaningful look, then turned his eyes back to Ketefe.
'
Shall we get going?' he said with a tilt of his head, and then began slowly walking out.
- -
Gina opened her mouth as if to answer Bambi's question, but upon the feline's advance her cheeks were stained red and she stopped with saying whatever it was she had intended to. Her eyes didn't veer from Bam's, but it was, as always, hard to see with her empty whites.
'Umm... ah... Well,' she began lamely, then swallowed. 'I want to get out of here for a while... This place is uncomfortable... But we can do as you like.' She pinched her mouth a little at that last part and blushed some more, and
then she looked away.
"To the Town, it is!! Oh yea Girls' night out!" yells Fae Feline "School is out and we will take the town by storm." Bambi looks at Keaton, and then Stygian, and giggles
"Aisha, Kefete, and Mel, Come on. Let's let our hair down and go wild" as Bam grabs Gina's hand and rushes her out the door of the library to the grand entrance hall.
PBH
It looked like at least half the party was heading into town. Mel slowly stood and sauntered after the group. Having teleported in she hadn't yet seen the town. It might be interesting. "What is the town's view of creatures? Should I change?" While riling up the townies could be fun she didn't want to cause any problems for the others.
Ketefe stared up at Stygian for a moment when he stood over her, trying to decide whether her paranoia was justified or not. The others didn't seem concerned with his earlier comment at all, and he was acting normal enough. And even if something did happen, she was well-prepared.
She nodded once. "All right," she said, her voice even and calm. She began to walk towards the door, looking amused as Bambi grabbed Gina and ran. She noticed Gareeku had rejoined the group out of the corner of her eye as she left.
"Wow. You missed everything," she told the wolf, her yellow eyes shining as she suppressed a grin. Before the wolf could respond, she went out the door and followed the sound of Bam's footsteps to the entrance hall.
Cog coolly gulped down the last of his drink before rising, pulling his hat down a little tighter on his head and setting his cup on the sidetable. The weather still looked positively dreadful outside, and he pulled his coat around himself as he followed the others out of the room. He raised an eyebrow as the professor dragged the ferret girl out of the room, giggling about something.
Cog narrowed an eye. The ferret worried him somewhat. He glanced surreptitiously to Jeremiah, the formerly possessed girl making him think of the magic teacher, when his eyes slid over Gareeku. Wondering where the wolf had been, Cog nodded at him as he exited the library.
He braced himself for the foul weather, pulling his coat tighter. A little rain never hurt anyone, but storms were still terrible to travel through. Still, the town wasn't too far away, and food and a roaring fire awaited them there.
The first gust of wind nearly blew Cog's hat straight off. Grumbling as he secured it, he used his other free hand to keep his coat closed, rain beading on his glasses as they walked to the city.
Mel's question was sensible, and in truth the presence of the castle had caused the townspeople to develop a slight paranoia toward all that was magic and creatures, but Stygian did not care. It was not something dreadfully important. He smiled and cast a glance toward her while walking.
'Go as you wish, dear dame! For obligation and prudence are matters of concern for us crude and cruel of visage and manner, while your fair countenance and pleasant ways forgive all imagined offenses that pitiful minds may perceive,' he said in a dramatic tone, and smiled.
As he had said, Stygian really did hold Ketefe's umbrella for her. Or, more accurately, he escorted her like a guard through the castle, walking just behind her shoulder and keeping his face straight and mouth shut, until they got to the entrance hall and he closed his shirt, got his coat and stepped out, unfolding a large matte black umbrella. He guided her down the steps, and they all walked the winding road down to the town below, Cog's coat blowing around slightly and Jeremiah looking rather calm for the moment, which really meant that he only cast a suspicious glance around every ten or twenty seconds or so, and Stygian managing to keep the umbrella straight in spite of the wind somehow.
It was when they entered the empty square, where the paved ground was slick with water and the puddles around reflected the steep roofs of the houses around in blurry paint-like images, that Stygian turned around. His face was a bust of creamy pale gold amid the dark gray, red and brown blotches that the world seemed made up of right then.
'Well, here we are,' he said, and cast a quick look toward the tavern. 'If you fetch your things we can meet up here, or back at the castle if you so like.' He didn't seem the least bit annoyed that the others had decided to come along, though in truth he was. 'You can take the umbrella if you want. I'm going to take a walk.'
A little astonished that he had been serious, Ketefe was silent as Stygian guided her a to the entrance hall and down the winding path that led to the village square. That he actually held the umbrella for her amused her a bit, but she didn't say anything till they reached the tavern.
She listened to Stygian when he spoke, her azure face turned towards his pale blond visage. Her paranoia about his earlier comment hadn't diminished, but she believed that Stygian probably wasn't going to hurt her. The guardian-like manner he had shown had somewhat assured her of that. Besides, she hadn't done anything to upset him, as far as she could tell.
"Meeting up here sounds good," she replied, taking the umbrella. "Thanks." She inclined her head politely at the group, then turned and headed to the tavern.
Rynkura had to shake her head and laugh at the procession going on, just after a hectic event had been solved. As the others gathered around and she overheard Sebastian saying something about going into town with Ketefe, the tigress flexed the fingers of the hand she had been using to dispel as if the process had caused a cramp.
While doing so, she watched the door as Gareeku walked in, perhaps having either slept in or had been alone for a while...to whom she gave a polite nod of greeting upon entering (what a story that would be told for what he and Aisha had missed...!) But for a moment, she wondered if the panthress was even going to return. Concern found its way into Rynkura's eyes, and she pondered going to find her.
But right then, as if she were calling the devil, Aisha herself pushed the doors open to the library while everyone was still there and talking of leaving. "Buenas, all, I...wha?" she paused, getting out of the way as Bambi rushed out of the door with Gina, seemingly in an excited mood. Having perhaps not noticing the raven as it sat on the opposite shoulder of the one facing them, the panthress even forgot it was there herself in the apparent rush. She paused and looked to Rynkura with a questioning look.
"Sebastian is going down to the town, and much of the group volunteered to follow," she chuckled with explanation as the said group conversed. "In the rain, no less."
The only movement Aisha made was an irritated swish of the tip of her tail and a quirked eyebrow, before turning and shaking her head. "Crazy. But I guess the excitement can't seem to stop," she smirked before glancing to Gareeku, whom she hadn't seen that whole stormy morning, and giving a smile of hello. "Guess you're going too, huh? And you, señora?" Aisha also asked the tigress as she pried the red-eyed bird she recovered from her arm and perched it gently on the back of a chair.
Rynkura shook her head and sat down. "I am happy right here for now, chica. I could spend hours and days in a library." She smiled. "I may like water, but that does not entail walking in a storm. The rest of you do what you will. And before you waste time asking, yes, everything went well here. But ask someone for details, I'm sure you'll be amused."
...How does she do that? Aisha wondered, as she indeed had been about to ask that question. Then she shook her head dismissively, also again regaining the look of thoughtfulness from before about her mentor's reason for coming. She's either really a Cubus or just really good at reading me. "I guess I'll go and follow everyone. Perhaps there's something in town to do. Haven't had a good mission or glass of ale in days."
The huntress smirked, and turned to walk through the doors and down the corridors to the entrance hall to catch up with everyone far ahead of her, pausing to fetch her cape.
Rynkura meanwhile watched her leave, her gaze then meandering to the rain outside pounding on the windows. "Through a storm, looking for trouble. Hah, adventurers. Woe betide the trouble they find," she muttered in a tone that mimicked nonchalant and amused.
A faint flash and a peel of thunder from somewhere off sounded, and a consecutive bolt elsewhere made the clouds overhead refract the light in that dramatic way that is so pleasant to see. Stygian shook his coat and turned up the collar, watching Ketefe stroll off toward the tavern with a pleased look. When she folded the umbrella back and disappeared behind the door, he glanced around, and then looked toward the others.
'Well, that's that. Do as you please. Let's meet up here in an hour or so. Much later than that and I'll go back up,' he said, and then turned, striding off calmly through the rain. No one out. Not so much as a dog. Pity... he thought to himself. I wonder what will go wrong first... Cog trying to stop me, or Bam getting arrested for misconduct...?
Mel followed the others into the grand entry, reverting to her snow leopard disguise as she went. Pausing before the doors she grabbed her little bobbing ball of light and gave it a few magical twists and prods. When she tossed it back up she had the magic equivalent of an umbrella following her and keeping her perfectly dry and unsplashed. She followed the group slowly, often wandering off to one side of the road or the other to inspect various rocks alongside the path, a few small ones even disappearing into her pocket.
When they reached the town square she showed a little more interest, spotting a jeweler's shop immediately and disappearing inside with only a nod to Sebastian that she had heard the one hour deadline, checking the watch pinned to her lapel as she left the group. She had a few magical toys on her that she wouldn't mind trading, just for the chance to talk to someone who shared her passion for making enchanted metalworks. It was a little selfish to wander off, but she's help those who were shopping carry things back.
The wind whipping his coat about a bit, Cog wiped some of the rain off his shades and watched the others start going about to their destinations. Ketefe headed into a nearby Inn, presumably to get her things. Cog moved under a nearby overhang to get out of the rain, shaking his head as he stepped into the dry air. He removed his hat and shook it as well, a futile gesture. He was completely soaked, and rather cold.
He leaned against the wall and watched Mel head off, and then Stygian towards some unknown destination. Cog put his hat back on and pushed off the wall, a tiny sigh escaping him as he followed the bat. He kept silent, the only sounds the patter of rain on the street, and the occasional splash as he stepped into a puddle.
It was soon that Cog was painfully reminded of how difficult it could be to follow Stygian, especially under the conditions. The rain doused nearly all of the surrounding smells and the shadows that streaked the streets caressed the bat's black-clad form, embracing him as one of their own. He walked at a restful pace for a couple of minutes, looking around and seemingly searching for something as he did. Then, as he turned into an alley, the few lights that cast their pale illumination on the paved stone flickered and died. It was just for a few seconds, and Cog didn't let his eyes off him, but it was more than enough for Stygian to disappear. A slight creeping movement in the dark and a sound like a whisper were all that Cog caught as the bat slipped out of sight.
- -
Upon inspection, the jeweler's shop seemed to have closed, but the adjacent magic and fine mechanics shop was clearly open, though the man ducking behind the windows seemed to be taking things in and preparing to close that one too. His back turned to the window, broad shoulders moving under a white shirt and suspenders, he was bent over some small table, clearly fixing something rather small.
Bambi watch Mel make a umbrella spell, and then made one big enough for Aisha, Keaton, Gina, Gureeka and Cog if he want to come in out out of the rain, but had a low ceiling against the storm and Cog and Gareeku felt crowded under the Fae's umbrella shield
Once they made it to town, Bambi and Gina also started for the Tavern, but Bambi stop Gina and the rest of the Girls.... "Okay Food or shopping ah Where is Mel?" she asks, as she see the Dragon in the jewelry shop... "Well, Mel choose shopping, so we can try looking for some clothes before dinner. We can meet here in the hour like the bat asked. But we, girls, can get a table for ourselves or add the Boys."
The Dress maker's shop seemed to be open, but it had only one candle in the front and no one in the shop.
"Come on Gina, Let's get dress for Dinner, and I can't go around in a leafy swimsuit." Bambi says as she enter the clothing store. She check the fabric's colors out, "So, which would look good on me the blue or the green?" she asks Gina, with both bolts of clothes, one over each shoulders.
PBH
Jeremiah pulled his hat down over his eyes and wrapped his coat around himself a bit tighter, glad that he'd remembered to grab them on his way out. The damp he could deal with, and the coat took the edge of the rainy chill. He watched a few of the others go off in their own directions before starting off on his own as well. Better Cog keeping an eye on Styg than me; the bat loves arguing with him too much to hurt him. Now then... He smiled to himself and rummaged in a pocket for his wallet, checking to see what he had on him, Lets see if there's anyplace around here I could get some art supplies. I feel like drawing.
When Rynkura said that she wouldn't need to repeat what she had said to Ketefe, Keaton nodded, albeit with slight hesitance. She had been so engrossed in trying to reverse the hieroglyphic circle that she had hardly registered anything which had passed between both felines. Pierced eyebrow raised when she noticed the concern briefly flash in Rynkura's eyes, the jackal unaware of her innermost thoughts. Cubi or not, she didn't rely on mind-reading and smashing her way through mental obstacles to reach her destination. It was too... underhanded for her tastes. Something rather hypocritical, seeing as Keaton's policy on foul play hardly ever applied to her. Instead of such invasive methods Keaton confided in natural affinity for absorbing and detecting emotions, as well as her mastery of reading body language... well, mostly. She liked to
think she was a master at it.
Her mild apprehension upon sensing Rynkura's concern faded, however, when she executed the spell. White light spilled over her body like a rushing waterfall, completely suffusing her outline in a manner almost identical to how she would cloak herself in shadows, albeit the prickling sensation that danced along her flesh would normally be absent during the latter ritual. Where it had originated from she was uncertain, and was just as confused as to decipher whether it was a pleasant feeling, or like the prelude to something much more vile. Probably a conflict of elements, Keaton surmised. Either way, the prickling erupted into mild blistering for a split second before it cooled down, bathing her much like the alabaster-ambiance was. Internally, Keaton heard the shrill shrieking of the shadows collected in her body as they were instantly disintegrated under the embracing energy coalescing throughout her insides. It was an unpleasant feeling, sensing something so close to her being so abruptly severed and crushed, but ultimately she felt liberated, especially when the light died down and she was, upon further inspection, her former self.
Keaton glanced down her arms and body, examining herself from every angle, admiring the efficiency the magic had used. She could no longer sense any trace of the darkness inside of her, save for her own, familiar essence. Keaton remarked, "Wow, you really know how to be thorough. Thanks a lot," she said sincerely, flashing a grin in Rynkura's direction.
Now that everything had been remedied, Stygian announced that he was going to go outside the castle, rather openly inviting Ketefe. Apparently because she felt rather uncomfortable, she unconsciously gestured, implying that she wanted someone to go with her. Since everyone else volunteered, Keaton sighed, deciding that it would be best to remain with the group, since it wouldn't be a wise choice to remain alone in the castle.
"Alright, count me in," Keaton said, dusting herself off and following the group.
--
Once outside in the rainfall and the center of the town, Keaton was happy to dart under the comfort of Bambi's proffered umbrella, shielding herself using the trenchcoat she had conjured up previously. "Oof. Thanks," she said to Bambi, shaking her tail free of water in a manner similar to that of a non-sentient canine.
Shamelessly, the rest of her body followed as she individually shed each limb free of water. After seeing that Mel went into the jewelry store Keaton thought for a moment--she rather liked jewelry, although she never would admit it. It reminded her of one of her sisters. Waving to Bambi after she entered the clothing store, Keaton proceeded to walk down the streets, coiling wisps of shadows collecting in her hand. Steadily, it started to forge the shape of something, becoming steadily more and more solid, until it became a pitch black umbrella.
And now safely protected from the rain, Keaton wandered throughout the town.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Even though the evening had still some time to come, darkness was already slowly settling over the town, on account of the heavy clouds. The air weighed heavily and the dark-roofed buildings loomed high on the small back streets. Even to Keaton who was used to hearing the thoughts or feeling the emotions of others, the town seemed bare and cold. A few brief aftertastes of boredom and what could only be called 'coziness' were all that she picked up for a long while, as she walked through the heavy rain.
'Excuse me, miss. Could you please tell me what time it is?' a voice said beside her, suddenly. The speaker was a tall man, a bit over six feet, feline and with a strong build. His fur was a dark-brownish black, and his shoulder-long hair sharply lined and tipped with white in a pattern that almost zigzagged. He made quite an impression in a dark green coat, very handsome features and a smooth, pleasant voice and dialect of a murky character that made Keaton feel oddly relaxed and familiar. 'I'm afraid I lost my watch,' he continued with a charming, large-incisored smile.
That's when it hit her, very suddenly, a sharp surge, no, a flood of fear so strong that the distance it had to come from did little to diminish it. Keaton wasn't traditionally schooled, but no cubi would have any problem sensing that sort of terror. Whoever felt that would be too scared to even think.
- -
Jeremiah had to pass by a closed art gallery and a present shop before he found a bookstore that was still open. With the rain, it seemed that no one was out, and so all the shopkeepers were closing early. The little place, called 'Brooke's Books', was a relatively small two-floor crammed in between two much larger, more heavily built houses with white foundations and walls, so that it looked much like a little rock being squeezed in between two meeting glaciers. The lights were on and the sign said open, but there was no one to be seen through the display windows.
- -
Gina looked at Bam that way she had seen before when she was so energetic. It was a bit surprised, speechless and sardonic, but amused and loving nonetheless.
'The blue. It's just the right tone for your hair,' she said. Then she looked around. 'No one's here. Isn't the shop open?'
Keaton ambled down the streets absentmindedly, curved umbrella handle gripped loosely in her gloved hand. Rain pelted the opaque surface of her shielding umbrella in watery dollops, rolling down its sides in thick pearls and dribbling around the periphery of the umbrella like a distorted, halo-shaped waterfall. While Keaton appreciated thunderstorms, she really only enjoyed them when she was within the comfort of her normally temporary living quarters, not when she was smack dab in the middle of a shower. Sighing, Keaton reached up and tucked some sodden hair behind one of her unusually large ears, feeling it twitch instinctually and jostle the piercings festooning its lobe.
As far as she was concerned there were no stores open which interested her. Hell, there weren't even any emotions to feed on or that she could detect from around the quaint little town. She probably would've continued to venture about until she at least found one which served as decent protection from the rain, or could provide decent emotions for her to leech off of. Keaton didn't expect to discover any humiliation or suffering, but maybe something else would suffi--
A voice startled her out of her musings. Boot-clad foot withdrew in the middle of a step, settling beside her as her head whipped 'round to face the striped feline standing beside her. While normally apprehensive of strangers which seemingly and suddenly materialize out of nowhere, she somehow found herself relaxed, as though soothed by an unseen aura surrounding his form. Probably was his voice, or maybe just an impression he exuded, who knew. "Uh, sorry," Keaton said as politely as someone as brusque as her could manage, "But I really don't have a watch..." To emphasize this, she extended her free arm, which, indeed, had no watch to speak of on it. And magically conjuring one up would garner too much... well, simply put, it would freak him out.
Keaton didn't have to think about it much longer. Barreling at her out of nowhere came a sudden bombardment of screaming, agonizing fear, splitting through her senses like a guillotine through a victim's neck in jagged, angry bolts of crimson. It didn't hurt her head from the overflow of emotions, no; it simply caught her off-guard, the Succubus whirling away from the feline stranger standing pleasantly nearby to face the direction it came from. That was--unnatural. Not the sort of thing one would experience in such a peaceful-looking town.
Quickly, she addressed the feline just as she ran off, "SHIT! Sorry, I--gotta go!"
--
Following the excess trail of wailing terror, Keaton dashed through a darkened alley and swiftly made her way into some sort of backyard, boots splashing through the water. Judging by the way the emotions intensified when she approached the source, she was definitely getting closer.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
A single thought hit Keaton's senses in the time there was; I don't want to die! Then the emotions were clipped off abruptly, dying out in a cold, dry aftertaste like razors of ice, leaving the world bleak and empty again. The darkness that held the backyard seemed suddenly closer somehow.
At first Keaton wasn't sure where she should look. But then, as she walked forward she began to hear... sounds. That's what it was, even though the wet, filthy sound of flesh being torn apart is always dramatic enough that one thinks it should have a word for itself. Rips, smackings and snaps, closer with every step, as her eyes adjusted to the dark. She rounded a corner.
The blood that poured through the torn-up neck of the canine woman's throat had already leafed and spread like veins over the stone from where she lay in the shadow, running fast with the rain but still intense in its redness. Redder than the maple leaves that lay in it, strewn across the gray. The scene had the air of a painting. Her eyes, pupils contracted to pinpricks. Her hand, outstretched and open. Two pairs of feathered wings, the ones on her head tucked, those on her back spread unevenly. Her torso was ripped open from her neck and down. And hunching over her was a blackened monstrosity, crouched on all fours, hideous things emerging from its still humanoid form and swarming around it in a veritable swamp of tentacles, claws and slick darkness that seemed to ripple with muscle.
There was a rip and a wet slap as the thing arched its main head back and snapped its fangs around something from out of the woman's chest. It growled lowly, a sound that made the hairs on Keaton's back stand, then stopped for a second. And then it shifted its weight over to one arm and turned its head around slowly. Burning, glowing red eyes stared into the jackal's.
I don't want to die!
Gone. That single sign of life, along with the surging rush of fear, was extinguished, disintegrating Keaton's emotional guide and any signs of life she had initially detected. Leaving her utterly alone, with only the darkness and the torrential rain for company.
Rather than hinder her or deter her from her goal, this only seemed to strengthen Keaton's resolve as she started off in a random direction, hoping against hope that it was the correct way. In a miraculous stroke of luck, while her original means of following the stream of fear had been washed away with that one, mental exclamation, a new opportunity unraveled itself: in the form of strange, grotesque sounds, like sharp teeth shredding something thick and... wet. Flesh? Too macabre, but she had to expect the gruesome.
While the stench of blood had faded in the rain, Keaton was still capable of using her hearing to guide her, cautiously drawing darkness in corroding clumps towards herself for energy. Better safe than sorry, and in this atmosphere she had plenty of shadows to manipulate and orchestrate to her advantage. Besides, if all else failed, she still had her mace to rely on, which was still hanging casually in its holster.
She definitely needed it, as she realized when she finally advanced on the source.
Lying on the ground in a strewn heap was a winged canine girl, bisected from throat to stomach. Blood diluted in the pummeling rain from around her mangled body, fluctuating and fragmenting around each pellet of water, dirtying the earth and staining it a syrupy sanguine. The deceased girl wasn't what horrified Keaton though, oh no. What caught Keaton's attention the most was the blackened abomination huddled over her, framed by squirming, writhing tentacles composed of pure darkness, still humanoid and yet so ferally hideous. Normally people would've taken a step back, but Keaton found herself inexorably frozen, staring with stunned shock at the horrendous sight before her.
A loud snap as the creature's head jerked back was an abrupt exclamation point to that terrifying silence. Hackles elevated like thousands of yellow-black pinpricks on the back of Keaton's neck as it growled, its body rotating so it could peer directly into her brown eyes.
Everything moved swiftly, fluidly. Keaton reached back and whipped Catatrophe from its resting place, the darkness clustered around its form flashing and shattering almost like the glass of a window pane, orbiting about the heavy mace like thousands of little, eerily glowing shards. Roaring furiously, Keaton leapt at the creature, swinging her mace back, 'round her head, and then brought it down, bright energy erupting from the spikes jutting from Catastrophe's crown.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
He'd always preferred small shops for art supplies. The fact that they couldn't afford some huge edifice was an indication that those who owned the place were, in some way, artists, and would thus have an eye for quality. However, one thing seemed off...
Empty?
He looked in one shop window and, using that marvelous breed of absentminded logic that assumes the slightly smaller window on the other side of the door might offer a more comprehensive view of the same damn room, checked the other. A book store always has people in it when it's open, regardless of weather; it's a great refuge for the quiet types that every town seems to generate. May not have what I'm looking for, since if there was there would probably be someone else here to ogle items they cant afford. Curious. Mebbe there's some boycott going on. Finally he entered with a shrug, assuming the shopkeeper would hear the door and come out. But why let local goings on get in the way of expression, eh?
Deafeningly loud, a thundercrack exploded through the alley, a bolt of lightning striking the roof above them and sending a few clay shingles clattering to the ground. The roar and sudden flash was enough to startle both Sebastian and Keaton, the Jackal faltering before she could swing at the mass of darkness.
Hat blown off by the constant wind, Cog stood at the entryway to the alley, a single fist beckoning to the storm above them. He was ominous in the darkness, hair and coat whipping about him, and the glasses that had slid half-down his nose exposed his eyes, the one visible orb fairly pulsing with rage. His free hand had gripped his sword, and already pulled it halfway out. The hand fairly shook as he held it, and with a metallic clack slammed it back into the sheath.
"Don't touch him, Keats." Cog said, his voice oddly even. He sniffed once, his face somehow darkening even more. "Let him enjoy his meal. Nothing do be done for Andrea now." he said disgustedly, turning and walking off, bending over to pick up his fallen hat as he left.
* * *
Cog cursed as he lost the bat, walking quickly towards the alley. He faintly knew it may do no good. The bat was as good a shadowmelder as he'd ever seen, and could be halfway across the city by now, if not simply incorporeal. The darkness provided by the storm was doing him no favors, and his sense of smell was severely hampered by the rain. Still...
He fairly ran up to the alley, stopping just short of entering. His sharp ears caught just a bit of movement from the other end, and he set off, taking care not to clomp loudly as he ran after what he hoped was the bat.
He ran out from the other end, practically stumbling to a halt. No-one. An empty street. He cursed, a fat drop of rain rolling off his hat and dropping down his nose. He looked around grimly for some sign of him, yellow eyes carefully picking out where he may have gone...and started, catching some kind of movement from across the street. He ran, taking another street ran parallel to this one. He jogged down it, still not-quite seeing where Sebastian had gotten too - the street was completely empty. He stopped about in the middle, slowing down to a walk and finally simply standing. The ran was still pouring, bouncing off his hat and fairly soaking him through. He stood like that for some time, muttering a low curse, when his ears perked.
He could hear crying of some kind. Sobs. Not the sad kind. The terrified, tortured kind. His face fell, and he turned around, ducking into an alley he had missed before. There ahead of him, he could see the shadow of three individuals cast on the opposite wall. He rounded the corner, the wind blowing his hat off. He didn't care to pick it up.
It all happened in a flash, literally. The creature's face twisted into a snarl as Keaton leaped against it. It swept out one knife-clawed hand in an arc, and instantly a thick tentacle formed from the black and followed its movement. It punched out like shot from a gun against Keaton, but didn't go head for her. Instead, it went around and closed the three clawed fingers on its end around her arm and hand, and wrenched her strike way off. It didn't manage to get too close to her before a roaring peal of thunder shook the place and the roof above was torn up. The creature screamed and put its hands to its head, then looked to the wolf. And its face seemed to droop.
Cog turned and hit it. There was tense silence for a few seconds. Then the creature spoke.
'
Damn it all to fucking Hell,' Stygian said.
A door creaked as it opened in the yard, behind both Keaton and Stygian, and the monster snapped his head around. Then the door slammed shut, and shouting commenced from behind it. He snarled loudly, right at Keaton for some reason, and then backed up slowly, before leaping up the wall and throwing himself up on the roof of the building above. He looked down, the grotesque darkness around him drawing in and crawling back into him, melding together to form skin, fur and clothes. He glanced over to the body of the woman, and then when he was back to normal, he darted away out of sight.
- -
When the bell in the door tinkled lightly as Jeremiah stepped in, there was instantly a bang from something heavy hitting wood right beside him, loud enough to startle. And then there was a whine.
'Ow, ow, ow...' came a voice from under a counter. 'Ow, ow shit, ow...' It moved back on the floor.
"Woah!" the frog backed away hurriedly. When the sky didn't fall on him or anything like that, he approached the counter hesitantly, "Excuse me? Are you alright?"
The small green head of a gecko, her eyes hidden behind a pair of round glasses, slowly rose from behind the counter. She had them closed, but even so they were magnified to fill the glasses of her spectacles. She rubbed her bruised head, breathing through her teeth.
'Ow, gee, damnit... Sorry, sir. What can I help you with?' she said in a bright voice tinged with embarrassment.
- -
Cog had a few minutes to walk, before a series of fast taps from steps from behind alerted him to the presence of someone else. And right then, who could it be besides a certain someone?
'
Yeah, that's very convenient! Like I asked you to come! Let me enjoy my meal indeed...' Stygian said angrily.
"Yea, the blue is nice. But this dark blue with silver lightening pattern....mmm...." she eye the cloth closely.... "Okay Let's see if we can find some help. and maybe a dress for you. I will also need some practical everyday clothes. Over here in the clothes section. "
Bambi and Gina head more into the shop and get to the counter with a bell and cash box. "Hey anyone open for business? You left the door open.."shouts the Fae as she rings the bell The girls hear nothing but silence, and there is no light in the back, that they can see...
"Oooo, The monster stories' forever repeating stupid moment... Do the heroes go into the darkness and to find the monster? and get kill. OR Do they do the smart thing and try to go get help? and be laugh at by the unbelieving Friends, authority, or townpeople" jokes Bambi, but she suddenly looks worried into the back.
PBH
"For the moment, sit down a minute. I'd feel like I was being ungentlemanly if I imposed while you'd just gotten beaten up by gravity," he smiled pleasantly, remembering only a split second soon enough that some of the changes effected by the specter might make any display of teeth on his part a bit less reassuring than usual, "I'll just browse, shall I?"
Mel opened the door of the magic shop gently, softly clearing her throat to let the man know she was there without startling him. His work looked delicate and she didn't want to be the cause of ruining his project. She smiled briefly, the place smelled like home with the magic components and acids and metals. She made a second soft sound to alert the owner that he had a customer as she looked around. The contents were mostly locked up or covered up for the night, but the little she could see looked interesting. Hopefully the proprietor was interesting as well.
Cog tried to ignore the steps behind him, but stopped when the bat spoke, bringing himself to turn around and face him. He regarded the bat coolly, but at his sides his hands were shaking.
"No. I don't imagine that you would." He crossed his arms, suddenly unmindful of the rain. He had to speak up to drown out the roar of the raindrops, but raising his voice did not prove a difficult task. He seemed to seethe for a moment, silent, and almost made to turn around again. About halfway he ripped the shades from his eyes and threw them into the wall, the glass shattering on the brick. His eyes were livid, and mixed in with a fair bit of hurt.
"Did you have to eat her, Sebastian?" he said, walking closer, practically yelling. "I'm not an idiot. I was listening. And of course I didn't know, not for sure. But..." he shook, his fist clenching. "You are better than this. I've seen you drink blood. Again, I'm not an idiot." His eyes were blazing. "You can't starve. I understand that. But to kill someone when you don't have to, just for taste..." he trailed off.
"You didn't even kill some random passerby. You killed the Tailor. Andrea. Remember her, Sebastian? I think you're wearing one of her shirts." Cog's voice was venomous. His eyes had taken on that feral look again, and he shook his head as he turned and started walking again.
"Sorry if I interrupted dinner."
Stygian's eyes were heated as they darted around, looking at their empty surroundings but very clearly scanning for anyone or anything that might be within earshot. He hissed between his teeth.
'
She was out in the back. She remembered me. She was cubi! Living in a town on the border, she's probably just here for the food herself!' he growled, pacing closely. His voice was sharp and cruel. '
Can you live on bread and cheese, Cog? I've been locked up! I have to get a decent meal every once in a while, or I'll starve; I'm that much of a monster. Or is it because she came on to you that you're so damn aggravated?!' He shook his head. '
I'm sorry. Next time I'll go eat someone's dog instead then, if it hurts you so much.'
- -
The gecko looked at Jeremiah a bit confoundedly, still rubbing her head.
'Actually, when I heard the bell I go...' she began, then stopped and sighed, blushing. 'Right. Take your time. And let me know if you need something, okay?' she said, a bit more composedly. Then she ducked behind a tall stack of books, and then got under the counter again.
- -
'Be right with you,' the white-shirted man said, his hands moving slowly over the little thing he was so intently focused on. 'Just a second... there!' The thing on the chair snapped. He made a short laugh, and then backed up. 'Perfect!' he exclaimed. With his hands now out of the way, Mel could see that the thing he had been working on was some small, shiny device, not very much unlike a pocket watch. Instead of continuing with some sort of explanation, he quickly swept up the thing in a hand and tucked it in his breast pocket.
'Now, how may I help you?' he said. Now that he had straightened, it was plain to see his species. He was a stag, and it was a wonder she hadn't noticed before, what with his angular and sharp horns sticking up over him. Handsome in an equally angular sort of way, he was tall and broad and smartly dressed, beaming down on her with a smile that was just as neat as the rest of him could be perfectly described as.
- -
Touching Bambi's arm, Gina slowly walked around her, and into the back of the shop.
'Hello?' she called, once. Then, she moved out of Bam's sight. 'The door's open here,' she said, not too loud. 'Hello? Anyone there?' A cold, wet draft hit Bambi's face as the back door was opened.
"You'll be the first to know," Jeremiah chuckled as he strolled off amongst further shelves, stacks, crates, piles, and tables of books. Briefly he wondered what she was getting up to under the counter. Heh, yeah. I've been freaking mutated by the haunted castle I've been staying at, I'm apparently possessed by some laughing ghost, and I'm cursed in ways that even the big betenticled beastie of the castle doesn't know much of yet. Of course what I really want to do is pry. Now, technically, he was looking for a section with art supplies, namely a new sketchbook, pencils, ink, some new g-nib pens and perhaps a few brushes. He'd often found that you can find just about anything up to and including (in the right town, if you knew who to buy drinks for) used car parts. However, while he did have a goal in mind, he most certainly couldn't be expected to not take a look here and there at the science fiction section. And the more obscure political books that caught his eye, he'd always had a bit of a morbid interest in such things. And he simply had to flip through this one labeled "Inadvisably Applied Theology, Philosophy and Archeology" if only because of that NAME. And...
Bambi follows Gina to the rear door and hears voices outside. Cog? likely Stygian? maybe...
Still in the dark of the doorway, Bam calls out "COG? Stygian? Ah Gina?" as Bambi steps out into the alleyway..
PBH
Cog turned again, his eyes a little more than hurt this time. He bared his teeth at the bat, his eyes taking on a slight glow. Thunder cracked in the distance, one, two, three in a row, in almost the same place, and the dull resound of thunder echoed through the streets ominously.
"Came onto me?" he said, sucking in a breath. "Are you insane? You think this is about me liking her?" he said, his voice almost drowned out by another crack of thunder. "You could have killed anybody, and what difference would it make! Making it someone we both know just makes it worse." he spat, now walking very close to the bat, looking down at him. "I understand you can't starve." he said, eyes glinting. "But I would gladly eat bread and cheese for the rest of my life if Mel or Keats or Jeremiah were the alternative. Could you eat them, Sebastian? Ah, but the tailor, she's okay. How ironic. She was just here for food anyway. Doing the town a favor, right?" His voice became quiet. "Until next time."
He restrained himself from hitting the bat, instead simply glowering at him. "If you did eat a dog, that would be one thing. But the flesh of such... lesser creatures just lacks that taste, doesn't it." He said, his voice dark. "Succulent, isn't it? I remember waking up with another's blood on my teeth for the first time. It was so sweet." he said, his voice oddly level. "I couldn't eat for days. Everything tasted like blood."
He stayed like that for some time, looking down the on the bat in silence, fists shaking. He looked up at the sky, and the darkness gathering behind the clouds, and scowled, turning and walking away. Before he got too far, however, he stopped, uncaring of the rain washing over him. He sighed, his shoulders slumping, and turned, regarding the bat for a moment. His eyes were a little less hard. He spoke softly. "If you are being honest, and you must, I... what can I say to that? You can't starve. And if the woman was truly a danger to the town..." he sighed, avoiding the bat's gaze, staying quiet for a long moment. He finally looked the bat in the eye. "I'm not a fool. I stand by what I said. But you are better than that, Sebastian."
He held his gaze. "I won't follow you again."
Stygian stopped, arms straight down, hands quivering. Pain had hit him with those last words. Then, in a movement so quick that Cog only had the time to draw his blade halfway, he stepped forward and raised his hand, clawlike and large, to the wolf's head. But he didn't grip him. Instead, he merely touched him, fingers through Cogidubnus' gray fur. His eyes met the wolf's stare unblinkingly.
'
I could eat you. And Keaton. Though I don't think I'd find Jeremiah very tasteful,' he said, his voice slithering and low. '
It works that way. This power of mine is a bit of a two-edged sword, but at least it's terribly sharp. And I've come to enjoy the taste of blood long ago...' Slowly, he ran his fingers down Cog's cheek, razorlike claws running over the wolf's skin. Rain slicked his blond bangs over glowing eyes behind thin, wet glasses.
'
But I never would,' he said finally, lower, and lowered his hand. His eyes dimmed back to gleaming black. '
Instead I chose someone else. Now I didn't manage to get much, so I'll have to hunt again soon. But at least I'll last some time.' He stood looking at Cog a bit, but as there wasn't much else to say, he just sighed and then walked away. A woman carrying a package rushed down the street under an umbrella, and some music could be heard from a pub, but otherwise the town was as empty as before.
- -
The alleyway was dark and open, rain running in a steady stream down into the drainage a bit off and making a pouring sound. The water was colored a light shade of red, as it blended with the slight flow of blood from the shadowy outline of a body over on the other side of the backyard. Gina was standing to the side of the door, leaning against the wall, looking at the dead woman blankly. Somewhere, someone was shouting.
Not long after the deafening thundercrack had snapped like gunfire through the alleyway, Keaton found herself unceremoniously deposited in a furry, damp heap on the ground, not far away from her discarded umbrella. Fluctuating with her concentration, the darkness circulating in her mace dematerialized into thousands of fleeting, abysmal particles, the umbrella following shortly after and transforming back into the shadowy mass it once was. From on the ground, in a disillusioned trance, Keaton listened distantly as she heard Stygian's voice curse, then a shuffling noise as he leapt out of sight.
Stygian's voice?
Terror hit her.
FUCK.
That propelled her onto her feet almost immediately, pain in her backside be damned. She didn't bother to conjure up another umbrella. Instead she followed Cogidubnus as swiftly as she could, the shadows sloping outward and coiling up her body until she was completely suffused by them. Suddenly, her body broke apart into pieces as she was siphoned back into the darkness, allowing her to follow them, hopefully, undetected and silently. Could Stygian, that fucking bastard, find her in the darkness? Would he eat her as well?
That was a disturbing thought, but it was dispelled when she closed in on his and Cogidubnus's conversation, their images reflected in her mind's eye. ''I could eat you. And Keaton. Though I don't think I'd find Jeremiah very tasteful,' he said, his voice slithering and low. 'It works that way. This power of mine is a bit of a two-edged sword, but at least it's terribly sharp. And I've come to enjoy the taste of blood long ago...' she managed to hear him say over the pounding of the rain, horrifying Keaton to no end. If she had a tangible form she probably would've looked nothing short of mortified. Was every helpful thing Stygian had done just a facade before he lunged in to devour all of them?
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Mel smiled back at the stag. "I am not looking for anything particular, sir. But I dabble a bit in enchanted items myself and have an object or two I might consider trading if something catches my eye." As she looked over the neatly labeled wall of drawers containing magical supplies she put her hand in her pouch and withdrew it. When she opened her hand a butterfly flew out to land upon her shoulder where it could be seen that it was not alive, but a piece of jewelry. Delicate wings of plique-a-jour enamel sparked with an occasional gem slowly opened and closed as the enchanted object crawled a bit down her arm then back again.
As Aisha stepped up with the group and started down the trail to the town, the rain came down upon them with what she thought was quite a force for a midday storm. She saw the umbrellas of magic conjured by the others and chuckled to herself. How resourceful. She had the cowl of her cape pulled over her head the instant they stepped outside, the first time that a few of them had been outside of the castle itself for a few days. The drops pounded her head through the fabric, and Aisha only listened to the sounds it created in the spaces. The panther quite liked the rain, if she were at least expecting it. So she didn't bother taking up anyone's offer of sharing an umbrella...her cowl was waterproof enough.
The town had looked somber under the darkness of the clouds, obscuring the light of day and giving one the illusion that it was draped in a very hazy evening. Her bare paws felt the cold drops of water in puddles across the square as soon as they arrived, actually a welcoming sensation. She stood somewhere offshoot of the group but still in eyesight, listening to Sebastian and silently agreeing with the others to meet up there after an hour. The town was theirs to wander inbetween.
What a day for it, Aisha thought, glancing upward and having the raindrops fall in pellet-like rivets on her face. Looking back around as the group dispersed, she had observed some of the places were either deserted or just closing down. Escaping the storm and taking a day off, she guessed they were doing...they could hardly be blamed. Leaving the place empty and desolate, seemingly hard of welcome.
The huntress pondered following someone, then just shrugged and headed for the bar. Since breakfast was small and lunch bypassed, hunger and thirst won over any natural wanderlust for the time being. And after all, she had promised herself a drink. The place still sounded somewhat lively. Walking into a tavern in these conditions wasn't anything new. The storm outside still made her nerves tingle with the prospect of excitement, the very air itself swarming with it.
Aisha must have been something of a sight, walking into the building. She was partially drenched, having been happy to take her time walking in the storm, and still wearing the somewhat fancy clothing she had gotten from the castle...yet she still carried the sword strapped to her back and the razor-edged boomerang at her waist. She shook her head free of lingering droplets and meandered to the counter on a side that wasn't too crowded.
"Glass of ale," she murmured to the barkeeper and set a few coins on the table, just as a flash of lightning briefly illuminated the whole of the square, close and loud enough to make her flinch. Crimson gaze narrowing at the window, Aisha wondered if she had gotten inside just in time, or if it had actually come from someone.
The later commotion outside was on mute to her. But a few times she could see her tail ring taking on a small, lingering glare of light green.
Stygian kept walking down the street, hands in his coat pockets and his feet rapping against the ground for once. His eyes were fixed straight ahead, mixing sadness and anger, and his neck was stiff with tension. He passed not six feet away from Keaton, right before he rounded a corner and went straight for the square, and disappeared out of sight, his steps fading away.
- -
The stag raised an eyebrow and looked appreciatively at the little jewel insect, humming pleasantly. He stepped closer and eyed the thing, pulling up a pair of small round glasses and placing them on the bridge of his muzzle. Still, he didn't seem overly excited.
'Not bad. Not bad at all,' he remarked with a smile. 'But I'm afraid that if you're interested in selling, or trading, you're going to have to cut me a pretty nice deal. Mostly I do demand-only works. Living in a town like this means that I can get my hands on good materials for low prices, but it doesn't really make the hand-to-hand business flourish.'
Almost the moment Stygian started to approach her Keaton involuntarily felt her breath hitch, even though she knew, logically, that she did not need to breathe, or do any such natural urges when in such an intangible state, in something resembling terror. Despite every instinct screeching at her to run, Keaton remained paralyzed, struggling to control the concentration keeping her linked to her camouflage, even as a thousand different, disturbing thoughts spun through her head. For a moment she thought that Stygian had seen her, but nearly released a celebratory breath of relief once he unexpectedly bypassed her. No further encouragement was needed. The second his back was turned she started to speed through the shadows once more, navigating almost blindly, not even realizing that she needed to traverse the alleys in order to reach the others. She had to warn them SOMEHOW, that Stygian was some sort of cannibalistic creature or something equally hellish.
Once she was certain she was safe, Keaton felt her body emerge, bit by bit, from her shadowy subterfuge, veins of darkness roiling and bubbling over her muscles and deliquescing in wispy, smoking trails through the air. She glanced furtively over her shoulder, allowing her body to run forward despite the neglect of her eyesight--
--when just as her gaze reversed back to its former position, her body froze up entirely once she saw what was in front of her.
Stygian. Eyes glowing like ethereal lanterns as he stared down at her, face calm, yet rigid and unamused, lips barely moving as he spoke. "I would appreciate it if you did not try and listen in the next time," he said.
Keaton didn't respond. Any ability to speak seemed to be entirely robbed from her, like her throat had been completely siphoned clear of moisture. Ears laid flat against her skull as she stared up at his penetrating gaze, eyes widening and widening as he glowered and glowered. Without further hesitation, as though she had expected for him to lunge at any moment, she whipped around and dashed past Stygian, running for her life.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
The jackal dashed past him, but Stygian didn't so much as move to stop her. When she was halfway out of sight, he turned, looking after her. That's it, he thought. Run. Run away from the monster...
It was only a short way to the square, and from there to the road up to the castle. Stygian only cast a glance toward the lights of the tavern, not stopping. The others could find their way back. And, practically, he had gotten what he came for. Any thoughts of Ketefe or what she would do or say he had discarded. He tread the path wearily, hanging his head, his face a bitter mask. Dark thoughts rushed through his mind, and memories caused sharp pangs of pain in his heart.
Cog wasn't expecting the bat to lunge for him, and although considering what he knew, he shouldn't have been surprised. Sebastian had caught him flatfooted, and off-guard. Still, he should have been able to at least get the tip in a position to stab faster than he did.
He was stopped, however, about halfway into his draw, Sebastian's ice-cold claws caressing his face. Cog kept very still.
The bat withdrew. Cog slipped the sword back into the sheath, the metal giving a soft click as it set into place, the both of them taking a single step back. He said nothing to the bat about his words. There was nothing more to say, and the bat turned and walked away slowly, quickly being swallowed into the night.
Leaving Cog standing in the rain, alone.
* * *
He did stand there for a long time. He was already sopping wet, after all. No reason to get out of the rain, really. He'd have to dry his clothes before going to bed. anyway. He hoped the didn't shrink. It made him glad he'd gotten them a size too big...
Cog scowled, turning and walking down the sidewalk. He had no idea where the others were, and didn't much feel like company at the time. He walked until he found a open restaurant, the smallish kind you sometimes find in little towns. Family-run. Sometimes they were simply bumpkins with a grill, but other times you found the really authentic ones. And this was one of the better ones. He could smell the garlic and cheeses from the outside. A good cuisine, if rare this side of the world.
He walked in, the bell tinkling. The staff was mostly lounging around, it being a slow night, and they all gave the dripping wet stranger a look before one of them approached and showed him a table.
Cog ordered some coffee, and watched the storm roll off the glass windows.
Keaton's surge of panic brought her on tense and adrenaline-pumped legs through the alley, back out against a narrow street. Where were the others? She had to get away. She had to get back to the others. To get to the main street, she had to go through one of the other alleys. Her boots beat fast against the ground. Until one suddenly decided to stop. She fell.
Her foot slipping out of her heavy shoe, she tripped and hit the ground, and immediately felt that something was wrong when she was about to get up. Her arms were stuck. So were her legs. She could move them, but something had snagged them and her hair, something strong and elastic that stuck and...
A web.
'Well, well...' a silky female voice purred from behind and above her, descending. 'Still running loose around here? I'd have thought he would kill you or send you off.' She had heard that voice two days before.
- -
Stygian stopped by the first turn of the road back up to the castle. His thoughts ached and fought in an uproar. He was conflicted, he realized. And he was an idiot. But going back down there would make no difference. Even if he felt he should somehow, strong enough that it had broken his usually iron determination.
Mel almost, but not quite, smiled. The stag jumping practically to negotiation meant he probably already had a buyer in mind for the toy butterfly. She just shrugged and continued looking at the items on the wall, with a couple of glances to the sheet-covered displays. "I wouldn't want to leave you with unwanted stock on your hands. If something catches my eye I could probably pay in coin." She turned towards the next wall and with a bored little sigh added "Perhaps something less exotic for a town this size? I have shoe buckles that keep you from getting sore feet."
Seeing the body in the alley, Bambi comes up behind Gina...Gina jumps when Bam puts her hand on her shoulder. Seeing the shock and fear in her face, Bambi gentle calms her as best as she can.
"You know, who did this, don't you, Gina?" asks Bambi as she leads the angel ferret away and back into the store and out into the rain again to the tavern. Bambi is a sight in just a wet green leafy miniskirt and a sleeveless top. But the Horror in the Ferret's face, silence the bar full of 20 people drinking and eating. Bambi and Gina goes to the bar table where Aisha is. Bambi seats the ferret girl, and get her a drink from Aisha's mug into a spare cup. She makes Gina drink from the cup.
"You have seen this, before, have you, Gina?" whispers Bambi to Gina and hugs her. "You aren't alone now. We must find the others, Mel, Cog, and Keaton and everyone. I see Kefete across the room at the stairs with her stuff. I am not sure what happened, but we will not rush to judgement. We could use the healer, but we will have to settle with Mel. We need all the facts. Facts. Aisha find Mel in the Jewelry shop, send her here and maybe you can find the wolf or Keaton? Mel and I will look into this." Bambi waits for the dragon, or the wolf as she holds the ferret.
PBH
Jeremiah gathered up what he wanted to buy. A new sketchbook, some bristol paper, some proper pens and brushes (amazing what you'll find in small bookstores), some ink, colored pencils and a recent sci-fi anthology that might keep him occupied for a whole twenty-three minutes. Remembering the shopkeep's earlier reaction to surprises, he briefly wondered how to catch her attention without surprising her again.
"Excuse me? Miss?" He said, trying not to speak exspecially loud or fast so as not to startle the young woman again.
It was with his stomach souring and making knots around itself, and a very prominent sense of discomfort and pain along his spine and in his chest that Stygian wandered up to the castle, having decided finally that he could do nothing at the moment but leave things be. The shutting of the heavy doors behind him as he entered felt like the sealing of the doors to a prison, cutting him off from the hope and promises of the world and leaving him only with his memories and his heritage. With himself, and all that entailed.
He started walking toward the northern tower.
- -
The stag cocked his head slightly to the side and altered his face just a bit, but whether toward surprise or suspicion was hard to tell. He placed his right hand at his waist and stuck his thumb inside the rim of his pants, placing the other on the table next to him and leaning on it.
'I'd hardly consider that. We've got the apothecary for that, miss. And people who live in the mountains like us don't really have problems with that sort of thing,' he said, in a clear strike of directness. He wouldn't be thrown off by her calling him a peon. 'If you're going to sell anything here, you'd best come up with something a bit more astonishing. But no transformation amulets or patches.'
- -
'Yes?!' the little lizard replied terribly quickly, darting up fast into Jeremiah's field of vision. Oddly, a book balanced on her head and made a little jump as she came up, bopping on her scalp as it fell back perfectly in place. In her hands were four others.
"Just wanted to pay for these," Jeremiah replied, stepping back a little in surprise when the young woman popped back up. Heh, cute. Must have a great sense of balance too, to keep that book there. "And of course keep them after paying. You'd think I wouldn't bother to specify, but the last place I went to was run by a guy with a degree in law and a mean sense of humor."
"I think you misunderstand. I'm a collector and creator, not a traveling saleswoman. I was hoping for something new for my collection, not just to make a sale." Mel checked the little watch on her lapel. "No sense in dragging out every last item I might consider parting with if there isn't anything astonishing to trade for. Could you direct me to a good restaurant?"
Cog sat in the little restaurant for awhile longer, drinking coffee and eating the cheese-filled tortellini they had brought him. He hadn't bothered to order, but hadn't complained when they brought it either. It was delicious either way. He chewed his way through a bit as he watched the storm outside. He could see his own eyes in the reflection of the glass. He turned from the window, looking at his food morosely.
"Besides the force it has to fright, the spirits of the shady night, the same Arts that it did gain, A pow'r must it maintain..." Cog said, silence falling after his words. He looked at the little rolls of cheese wrapped in pasta, swimming in butter and garlic, and seemed to turn green for a moment. He pushed it away, leaning back in his chair and finishing his drink. He paid for the meal shortly after, the only words between him and the staff being his order for his drink. He wished them well, truly.
It unnerved him, the sudden, evil thought of what might happen to them, later.
Cog was wandering aimlessly around the town, not wanting to go back to the castle, and not wanting to join the others either. He was wet, miserable, and extremely depressed, and felt likely that he wasn't in any mood for company at all. He was glad the others had decided to take care of their business. Less likely to come looking for him.
It was to his great surprise, however, to run into Keaton, walking in the rain.
She started back at seeing Cog, her chocolate eyes wide and bright, and walked up closer to him, the umbrella of darkness she had conjured covering them both from the rain. It was dark, but Cog could tell she was a little frightened.
"Cog! You alright?" Her face tinged with concern. "Is...Stygian...is he..."
"Sebastian is fine, Keats." Cog said. He somehow doubted that's what she was trying to ask, but he continued on. "And so am I. It's...just, not now. Talk to Sebastian." Cog looked out into the still raging storm, and back at the Jackal. He paused, searching for something to say, and then nodded at the Jackal herself. "Are you alright?"
Keats paused and nodded quickly, her mouth pressed tight. She looked back at the night, behind her, and then turned back quickly. She looked up at the castle.
"Do...you think we should go back?"
Cog raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't we wait for the others? Or Ketefe?"
Keats looked at Cog, and rolled her eyes. Keats was Keats, after all. "I think she can take care of herself, Cog. Maybe even changed her mind." She paused, and looked him straight in the eye. They beamed sincerity. "You should go back, I think."
Cog regarded her for a moment, then nodded softly. "Allright."
Cog turned away from Keats, and passing back out into the rain quickly felt the night swallow him back up, cold water and lightning his only companions on his trip back up to The Castle.
The stag laughed, a deep, smart sound. His eyes glimmered with humor as he faced her look.
'I'm sorry miss, but we'll have to take a look in the other shop if it's jewels you want. And most things I do here, I make on demand, as I said. I could show you what's in the stash...' he said, and walked to the back of the shop, behind the counter. 'In any other case, you have the nearest restaurant right down the street. To your left.'
- -
The gecko blushed and giggled at the joke, even as she took the books and ticked them off.
'I promise; we don't pull that sort of thing here,' she said, smiling a bit shyly. 'You want a bag with that?'
When Jeremiah left the shop he did so still seeing her smiling at him, book balanced precariously on her head.
- -
When they stepped into the entry hall, Keaton held out her umbrella and let it vanish, the water drops collected on the thick darkness simply falling to the floor, and then shook her clothes, wiping her boots a bit on the carpet. She strolled in slowly, looking around for a while as if lost as to what to do. Then, she turned, and gave Cog a quick look.
'I think I'll go back to the library. Not much else to do,' she said, and set off at a casual walk, hand fumbling in her pocket for something, most likely that marble of hers. As her steps faded all too slow in the empty corridors, Cog was left standing alone in the murky emptiness.
- -
Gina shivered a bit as she accepted the drink, keeping an empty gaze forward. She seemed as if on the verge of crying, but as if she just couldn't find the tears or remember how.
'It's him. He did that. It has to be. He needs to feed. He's done things like that before,' she said, silently.
"Ah Yes, the old survival of the fittest rule the demons go on about. It is a law, I don't like either. I just wish, he could go after some thief or something, if he needs to eat and not starve himself that he can't use some judgement. And Judgement is something we need not to jump to before we have the facts." Says Bambi in a low voice to Aisha, Kefete and Gina.
The bar has gone back to their business of eating and drinking, but the atmosphere was stained, the laugher force, and crowd was quieter than when they entered into the tavern. Fear was so heavy, a non-cubi could see it. Fear of knowing, fear of not want the adventure's monsters after them, but know the monsters were already here. Bambi orders dinner for Gina and herself with bottle of wine for both of them and another pint of ale for Aisha.
(EDIT) "Sorry Aisha, About your ale and I have order you another one..." says Bambi to Aisha.
"Kefete stay with Gina, I am going to get Mel. She is right across the street, Cog and some of the others should be on their way here, soon. I will be back in five minutes at the most." says Bambi
Bambi runs almost flies across the street to the Jewelry store. Bambi is huffing and puffing at the door of the store as Mel hear about the restaurant. She has not gotten herself dress yet, but her leaf bikini has grown to a miniskirt and a sleeveless blouse with a strap over her one shoulder. "ah ah ah oh Hi Mel, ah we may have a problem. Can you come?" asks Bambi.
(OOC... Bambi will show her the body in the alley first, before returning to the tavern, if Mel comes)
PBH
"Depends, the bag cost extra?" Jeremiah laughed, gathering up his purchaces in the proffered bag and waving a polite goodbye as he left. Now where to? I could go back to where we were supposed to meet up, but I really haven't checked out the town much yet. Besides, it's barely been any time at all. Probably none of them are done yet. And so the frog wandered on.
Aisha was rather engrossed in the tavern's atmosphere, listening to the different people muttering and the music playing while munching on a sandwich she ordered. Oftentimes she didn't like places like these if they were too crowded. But then again, there was the old adventurer's rule of thumb: trouble usually starts when you hear of it in a tavern. The people thankfully weren't all too attentive to a stranger in their midst, and she could enjoy a bit of peace.
So much for peace. Her ale had been halfway finished by the time Bambi had come in dragging Gina along, the both of them sitting on her side of the bar. The panther made a small point not to really pay much attention to either of them, but she couldn't help but overhear the suddenly fearful and somber tones that the pair conveyed. But that was when she noticed that her mug had been snatched without a word to her.
She turned to them with a somewhat annoyed glare, but just released a loud and patient sigh when it was given to comfort Gina somewhat. But when ordered to go find Mel, Aisha held up a hand. "Will you slow down? Just what in the world are you talking about...?"
But she didn't get an answer...just another pint of ale in apology for hers having been swiped earlier, which she accepted. As she saw the felid dashing out in a hurry, leaving Gina and supposedly Ketefe behind, Aisha wore an expression of confusion. Glancing down at her tail ring, which had stopped glowing to grow dark again, she wondered and could only guess as to whom was being referred to.
"What in el nombre de Cielo happened?" she wondered out loud and looked with her question at the ferret, while hoping that some of the bar's patrons weren't also too curious of the strangers, speaking of a foul act in earshots of some.
* * *
For the time being, Rynkura had been pretty much alone in the dark library but for the presence of the storm's ever-persistent seige on the skies above the castle and the lingering presence of the past stored in the harrowing quiet. Every now and then she glanced at the little creature that Aisha had returned, a placid-seeming raven perched on the back of a chair and looking like it had its own thoughts on the stormy world into which it was hastily brought.
The tigress had scoured the shelves and respectfully cleaned some of the remnants of mess that had been left behind in their previous exploits...if trusted to be left in the castle without its guardian she was still at least careful with it. Then she proceeded to lose herself in some of the books that caught her eye, from some of the Caerule annals to a few volumes of other topics of interest. One of which was a book studying methods of enchantment, covering everything that she had studied and theories that just seemed far-fetched. She happened to have known the author once, in fact, far too long ago. Silly fool, perhaps you should have let ME help you write this, Rynkura chuckled to herself.
That was when her ear craned to the doorway, suddenly hearing a few footsteps pass. Oh, they're back already...? but the healer's thoughts halted. There were only a few sets, not the trampling made by the small herd that had left. Taking the book with her, she walked over to confront the one heading into the library, and her eyebrows quirked. "Oh, Keaton...welcome back." She regarded the succubus curiously and sat at a table. "I suppose the others aren't too far behind you?"
Mel thanked the stag for his time and trouble and handed him one of her business cards from her own store, not that she got there very often these days. She was just putting the toy butterfly carefully away when Bam crashed through the door declaring she had a problem. The disguised dragon checked her lapel watch once again, "Amazing. Fifteen minutes. I'm surprised we went so long." She allowed the excited fae to drag her out into the storm, putting her umbrella spell back into effect before she got more than slightly wet. Down the block then into a darkened alley the fae dashed. Mel followed at a more sedate pace until she caught up to where Bambi had stopped, in a slash of light coming from the open back door of a shop. The fae was pointing at a dead cubi, female and canine but not Keaton. Since the woman was obviously far beyond healing she didn't really understand what Bambi expected her to do. "How is this your problem? Did you know the woman?"
The body was beginning to attract a commotion now. A woman shakily held her daughter to her, a man in a bloodstained white apron stood frowning, another man in a vest and a woman with a beret next to him. A few more people stood around.
'Six years I've known her, and now I find out she's a succubus,' the one in the vest said, shaking his head. 'What a way.'
'Did anyone see what happened?' the woman asked.
'Yeah. Carsten. He's in there with his shotgun,' the man in the apron said, and nodded at a door. 'He won't open. The cops will be over soon.' Then he cast a glance over against Mel and the winged and remarkably (un)dressed Bam, and his frown deepened with incredulous disapproval. He didn't say anything, but the look that he gave both the girls nearly shouted Having fun watching, you little twits? And he was not the only one to cast an evil glare.
Cog nodded to Keaton, grunting his assertion and moving into the darkness. He could conjure some kind of light with the charms he kept about him, but chose to simply use his eyesight to make his way through. His hand reflexively moved to adjust his shades, and he sighed when he remembered what he had done with them. That had been foolish. He didn't even know if he could find anything like them in a small town like this.
He spent a long time wandering in the castle, trying to avoid what he probably needed to do, going over things in his mind. It wasn't like he hadn't expected this, after all. He knew Sebastian wasn't lying when he had spoken to him. And, at the time, Cog had been fine with it...Cog shook his head. He knew his words to not be empty. This was what Stygian was. Despite his initial horror, Cog knew it not to be simply a matter of preference to the bat. And if he had to choose a target, as much as he hated to admit it, the tailor would have been the best choice - objectively, the bat was right. Any Cubi living this far from civilization, in such a backwater town, was likely there to grow in power, in the way Cubi did... Cog halted in the middle of the hall, staring out the rainslicked windows. He himself dripped water profusely, leaving a trail of water on the carpets.
He couldn't simply write her off as evil. But she was, perhaps, the lesser of evils. What a thing to say about people, even Cubi - and yet, what could have been done differently? Cog sighed, and turned, continuing to walk down the dark hallways. Lightning occasionally lit through the windows, splashing the corridor in a strange, bleak contrast.
Cog realized, somewhat, why Sebastian said the things about himself he did. Why he was always so...distant, so morose. Cog was fairly certain this wasn't the kind of thing one could fix - well, that was the thing. Nothing was wrong.
Cog made his way up to Sebastian's room, and knocked. The door creaked open to a darkened room, empty save the furniture left inside it. Cog's eyes lit with remembrance, and he turned, walking towards the stairs to the next level.
The North Tower, right. Fitting, Cog mused.
He found the entrance to the northernmost tower in the castle unlocked, and as he opened the door he was surprised to find a spiral staircase, leading up and up to a room contained at the top of the tower itself, completely isolated from the rest of the castle. Cog looked at the stone roof, holding the room above him up, and sighed. He fidgeted for a moment, the cold air in the stairway not helping his already drenched state. Cog looked down from the ceiling, finally, but instead of climbing the stairs simply sat on the steps, staring at the windows framing the storm.
Shortly after she had left Cogidubnus's company, Keaton trudged through the hallways of the castle, using memory alone as her guide. While hardly gifted with an Eidetic memory, she had spent enough time traversing her way in and out of the library to recall its location. Fingers finally closed around the marble as she drew her glasses off of the bridge of her nose with her free hand, gingerly holding it out as far as the length of chain anchoring it to her ear would permit. Glistening globs of water still clung to the thin glass of either lense, dabbled gently over the multihued shards composing the right-hand, oval-shaped lense.
Sighing, Keaton pocketed her marble again after turning it compulsively in her palm a few times, then detached the earring possessing the glasses' chain altogether from her lobe.
She overheard Rynkura from near one of the shelves, apparently after the tigress had realized her presence. Still a little jumpy, Keaton nearly leapt out of her skin when she spoke, but thorough restraint only allowed a slight, tremulous ripple to pass over the surface. Nearly dropped her glasses, but she prevented that disaster. Without her glasses, Keaton needed to squint slightly through the colorblind haze crippling her false eye in order to see the alabaster feline.
"Oh!" Keaton said, forcing a smile which wasn't nearly as convincing as it normally would've been. "They're not too far behind, yeah... some of them are still at the town. They'll probably come back soon though."
Probably not a good idea to remain there. The mutilated body of the tailor ("Andrea," Cogidubnus had called her) would've been discovered by then, she guessed. Unknown to her, this assumption was closer to reality than she at first surmised.
And further unknown to her, eight, scabrous legs assailed the ground soundlessly as they swiftly and silently carried a silhouette away in the atramentous darkness of the background.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
"Gina said that Stygain did this. I wanted to see If he murdered her or act in self-defense... I needed a witness more than me. " whispers Bambi to Mel "Mel, I'm sorry, I hope to get some answers. This is too much. Can we get back to the others at the tavern?" asks the Fae, watching the crowd and escape route.
The fae looks shock at the body as there, now is more light to the body.
PBH
Cog had to wait for a good while, with no indication that anything was about to happen. Long enough that he started to really pay attention to the wind howling against the slanted roof outside and the rain smattering against the windows. No sounds came from above. It was just when the wolf was about ready to leave that he heard a loud, scraping sound and then a crash, traveling down the stairs.
- -
Wary of the other tavern patrons and leaning to half-whisper, something that really didn't do too much considering her height, Gina moved her tense face in closer to Aisha. Her eyes were on the feline, but she seemed very concerned that the other patrons should not hear her words.
'Stygian was down here and killed a woman, a succubus,' she said.
"Come along, Bambi. They will take care of their own," Mel hinted as she turned and retraced her steps back to the street. As they reached the darkest part of the alley Mel cast an illusion spell on the fae to make her less noticeable. When they reached the lit street any onlookers would perceive Bambi as an ordinary feline dressed in a long brown trench coat. Looking down the street she turned towards the well-lit building with the tavern sign out front. Softly she spoke as strolled down the street, "Bambi, you shouldn't take Gina's word as strictly literal. She's been possessed by a lot of spirits who may not have a strong grasp on the here and now. Seeing that body might have brought up past memories. And even if she is right, what do you plan to do about it?"
"I am unsure what to do, If she was a evil spy or attracked him first, it would be different... But I am not sure I like the fact that he needs anthro blood to live.. Sigh, I wished, he would just told us about his condition." whispers Bambi as she come up close to the dragon. "And I was really looking to get more clothes. When we find the shopowner dead in the alley."
Then they get to the Tavern's door, the Fae stops outside the tavern door and concentrates on her dress. The leaves of her dress multiply adding another inch to her hemline and neckline. Her Leaf dress was still a short skirt, but her bust didn't look like it would break out at any moment. Nothing could made to help her look less chesty, without cutting off breathing.
"That should a little better Wait, thanks Mel for the illusion."remakes Bambi as she go into the door.
PBH
Cog stood up with a start at hearing the crash, his face concerned. He didn't think the bat was hurt, but this castle had shown itself to have nasty surprises hidden in several places. He could imagine some kind of horror lurking at the top of the towers. Turning and moving his drying hair out of his eyes, he trudged up the spiraling, stone stairs to the door at the top. He opened it, expecting to find the bat inside.
It wasn't the room itself, but some kind of intermediary. Another staircase climbed up across from him and through the floor above him, into actual room. Feet squelching wetly on the stone floors, he crossed to the stairs across from him and climbed up, stepping up and through the floor as he rose.
A dresser and a chest lay smashed into the wall, the wood shattered and splintered into uselessness. They appeared to have been thrown across the room and into the wall. Cog rounded more of the stairs and stepped into the room proper, and saw Stygian sitting on a bed, facing away from him and out towards one of the large windows that dominated the room. The room proper was square, and three large panes of glass covered the walls that looked out past the castle and towards the town.
Here I am. Cog thought. What, exactly, was I going to say?, he continued to muse, and took another tiny step into the room. He was glad the bat was unhurt...but, now...
This is coming, sooner or later.
Cog cleared his throat, the small sound deafening in the silence of the room. He began to speak, stumbling over the words once and then continuing on in a clear, strong voice.
"I...I had something to say to you, Sebastian." Cog paused. The bat said nothing in response, unmoving. Cog continued. "I've given it some thought. And I don't know if...well, it doesn't matter. I've made my decision."
"You may not have been lying, but neither was I."Cog said, and oddly enough, dropped a little shard of glass he'd been carrying with him. The low lamplight reflected off the surface of the little broken shard, and it tinkled as it fell to the floor.
"I'd do it again." Cog spoke, waiting.
The bat sat still, ears drooping, hands across his legs and his strong shoulders slumped and neck arched in tired hopelessness.
'Do what? You'd have to be quicker next time if you'd want to stop me,' he said, after an agonizing pause. 'Not that it would make it so much better. I guess I'd have to go take a bite out of you instead then...' His voice was low, tired, not tense but shaky. 'I mean, that's all I can do.' He turned.
Silent, cold tears were trickling slowly down the bat's cheeks. His face was twisted and angered, his teeth bit together hard and showing. There was still some blood at the side of his mouth. His eyes had returned to the polished black that was normal for him.
'I am this way. It's the price I've had to pay. It's my fault,' he said, the words like knives for the pain in them. 'My fault.'
Cog paused a moment. "I didn't mean I would stop you, Sebastian. You are the way you are. There is nothing you can do about that." Cog said, stepping further into the room. He whipped his hat off his head, shaking the thing out and setting it on the back of a chair to dry. He sat down in the same, carefully keeping himself upright.
"I've...I do not know what you really are. You're no demon I've ever heard of, and you're not a Cubi." He paused. " And I don't think you are an angel either." he said finally, looking Sebastian in the eye. "And I don't know if you were born or made the way you are. Or by who, for that matter. But whatever the circumstance, and whatever the way, you are what you have become. It's...done."
Cog sighed, and looked out the window to his left. He took a shaky breath, and then looked back at the bat.
"You are, what you are. I wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with what you said in the library. But..." he sighed, and his eyes suddenly soft. "If you are as remorseful as you seem to be, there are things you could do to make it not so bad." he said, his words loaded with meaning. "Ways you could go about it. You are a predator, that much is obvious. Though, It's not always the weak that should be culled, I think." he finally said, not willing to speak much further on it.
"And you wouldn't take a bite out of me. You didn't, anyway."
Stygian looked away and visibly shirked when Cog's last words hit.
'No, but I could. I am always tempted,' he said, and looked at Cog. 'I'm always driven, always aware. That's part of it too. Every pang of pain, every heartbeat, every whiff of scent or caress of warmth... I am aware, and reminded.' He grimaced. 'And there's nothing else that I can do or that I am made for doing. Even I don't understand it all, but...'
Sighing deeply and sniffing, Stygian slowly stood up, and paced across the floor over to one of the pieces of furniture stored in the room, a tall oval stand-mirror in a simple frame. He stood in front of it, and slowly reached out, touching the surface, the reflection of his hand.
'I don't know precisely. Demon, I think. But not the usual kind. No,' he said, his voice turning into a hiss between his teeth. 'A Devil. That's what I am. I made myself a monster so I could destroy my whole life and be done with all the things I hated. And now I can't destroy myself because I'm such a coward.' His eyes took on a bit of that glow for a moment. 'Because I know what would happen to me.'
Again, he turned, weeping and steadying himself with his hands on the foot of the bed.
'I've tried. I've done what I could, but so many have come in the way and so many want to kill me that I couldn't possibly stop! And I was too much of an asshole to even save...' he said, voice going coarse, and then closed his eyes.
'I can't restrain myself, I can't go away and I can't kill myself. And all I want is to die without having to suffer.'
Listening to Gina, Aisha had to choke back a noise of surprise. Visibly tensed, the panthress spared a quick glance around the room to see if anyone had heard, then regarded the ferret with a serious gaze. "You've got to be kidding!" she hissed.
But the look on the girl's face confirmed it. "...You're not kidding..." Aisha said after a pause and sat back up on the stool, still trying to register the news in her still-relaxed brain while turning back to the bar. Somehow it wasn't too hard to believe, considering the darkness that she had felt around the bat...but her mind offered many arguments against any kind of rash action.
It was a succubus...so maybe there was a good reason. At least it wasn't one of us, I don't think. Maybe it's the nature...he drank blood. And anyway, he has no reason to kill one of us...and we were all let out of the castle.
Common sense won out over the instinctual reaction of fear. It's not like any of the rest of us can cast stones over killing, the huntress reminded herself. She wanted to give their host the benefit of the doubt, for the time being. But that still left everyone else...
Finally after what seemed like minutes, the feline having been frozen like a statue while her thoughts converged, she took a gulp from her ale mug and sighed. "If it's nearby, the place is going to be swarmed with attention soon. And they may be looking for strangers," she whispered, adding in a bit of a growl to her voice to give the illusion of just another bar patron gruffly muttering indistinctly. "We may need to gather the others up and hasten back."
On cue, the panther's eyes shot up as the door opened.
Eventually, even Jeremiah would notice the crowd that the dead succubus gathered. At first, all he saw was the crowd. It's probably nothing, keep walking. Then he heard some of the people's comments, their reactions. And what was lose in town just a little while ago? He made his way toward the group that had gathered. Please let me be wrong please let me be wrong please- Dead woman. He halted, shocked that things were about what he expected. He barely noticed the others there as he groaned. "And today had been going so well..."
Bambi walks quickly to Gina, Ketefe, and Aisha. And Hugs the ferret.
"We can go now. Once we find Jeremiah, we will need to return to the castle. The wolf would go back to the Castle, if he see trouble. Keaton is the one I am worried about, but the wolf would get her back to the castle if he has seen her" said Bam softly to the group. "The police will looking for anyone, unusual. I'll have to return for Keaton if she is not at the castle"
PBH
With sadness in his eyes, Cog stood, not quite sure what to do. He'd...never, ever seen the bat like this. Laughter, bitter comments, silence...he'd expected those. But never tears. There was something infinitely unsettling about that.
"Sebastian..." Cog said, not really knowing what to do. "I don't know what, may have been involved in becoming what you are. Or why. But what's done is done." Cog looked down at the ground. "Death will come to us all, Sebastian, whether or not you ever kill yourself, though I would be very sad if you did. But there is no true immortal. Where there is life, however, even such as yours, there is hope. Hell is not the only power in existence."
Cog walked over to the bat, and sat on the bed. "But what you have done, you have done. And what you are, you are. And I could care less why you did what you did." Cog risked a smile. "I've no glue to put that mirror back together again." He sighed. "You can't restrain yourself, Sebastian, because nothing is really wrong with you. But...you don't have to be what you've been made. Eat the bastards who deserve it. That's the whole idea behind adventuring, anyway."
"Besides." Cog said. "Being alone and miserable isn't going to change any of those things."
The bat looked at Cog, his eyes radiating pain. He exhaled slowly, sitting down, looking at his hand. The skin on it had cracked and darkened, and changed, and it had taken on the familiar, claw-like form of his monstrous appearance.
'What am I if not alone and miserable? I have nothing. I am nothing. It doesn't matter who I pretend to be or where I go. I'm going to outlive everyone I know, until either I kill myself or someone else does, and then I'll be torn apart into truly nothing,' he said, almost whispering. 'I've nothing to leave behind. I have nothing to live for, no pleasure in this life. Considering what might happen soon, maybe it would be a better choice to go straight away.'
A few agonizing seconds, there was silence. Then, Stygian turned around. Somewhere deep down he knew he was not thinking clearly, but all he could think was that if he was ever going to dare, then this was the time. A stabbing pain sprang up in his heart, but he only shivered.
'Would you do that?' he asked, eyes fixed dead steady on Cogidubnus. 'End me?'
Eyes wide with shock, Cog gaped at the bat before slowly shaking his head. "No. I couldn't do that." he said, standing. "I could no more kill you than...no. No, I will not." Cog took a breath, and stared back into the bat's eyes. The bat's radiated pain, but Cog's own radiated a deeper sadness.
"How...could you ask something like that? Have you never listened to me?" Cog said. He brushed some of the bangs out of his hair. "Miserable, maybe you are. But...it's not for lack of something to live for."
Cog took a step closer to him, looking down at the bat. There was just a bit of ire in his eyes. "You'd be an idiot to kill yourself now. You have everything to live for, and nothing awaits you in the grave. No one here wants you dead, Sebastian, despite what you may think about us. We are here for you. We may not be much, but..."
Cog swallowed. "At the very least, I am always here for you."
Mel stepped into the tavern behind the fae and spotted Aisha, Ketefe, and Gina sitting at the bar. Bambi ran to Gina and began hugging her. Mel followed more slowly to where the trio were sitting. She leaned between Aisha and Ketefe and softly said, "I don't know what is going on but Bambi seems to want to play girl detective over a cubi killed not too far from here. The local authorities are on the case and I doubt they want help, particularly not from strangers. I'm going to try out a restaurant that was recommended to me. I will be at a restaurant on the left just past the jeweler's shop if I am truly needed for anything. I'll make my own way back to the castle when I'm done."
Not waiting for a reply the disguised dragon slipped back out of the tavern and up the road to where the stag had directed her. A small family place that she might not have even noticed on her own as it was a tiny sliver of a place hiding in the shadows of two larger buildings. A polite little mouse waitress who looked a lot like all the other mice staffing the place stuck her in a back corner near the kitchen door. This really wasn't a stranger friendly town.
Mel's lack of concern over the cubi death, makes Bambi step back from her Nancy Drew mode...
"Okay Okay, I'll stop playing Velma, unless ask to." sighs defeated Fae. "We are suppose to be taking a break... And here comes Dinner, and the wine"
Pouring the wine into goblets, and gives them to the other Girls, "For Love, and Adventure, for all better Future." Toasts Bam and throwing back her wine in one breath. And refills her goblet, "Hey more wine Here, please.. Come on, girls lets eat, drink, and make merry for the morrow may not be so sweet." shouts the Fae.
Not the right one. Stygian sighed and looked down.
'
You don't know and you don't care,' he said, movements in his fur showing as his skin started crawling. Up that close, Cog could hear the sound of it, as if someone had poured a beaker of acid on the bat. When he looked up, the wolf instead saw the female from before, dark eyes glaring. '
You're just sticking around for the pretty face,' she growled, her face a false grin over depths of wounded sadness. Whether it was a bitter joke or serious indignation, even Stygian wasn't sure of. Most probably, it was both. She only maintained her gaze for a few seconds though, before looking away.
'
No. I... I'm sorry,' she said shamefully and sniffed. '
I don't have the right. But you can't help me.'
- -
The fae's merry outburst drew not a few eyes, but the attention was on her for only a minute or so, before the front door was opened again and a man in a dark, dark blue uniform, a large bear with close-cropped hair and precisely trimmed beard, stepped in slowly and heavily. He cast a look that swept over the entire locale, and when his eyes reached Bam and the girls at the table, his eyes froze for a second. Then he walked on in and up to the bar counter, and started talking to the tender.
Bam Slowly sunks into her seat and starts to eat her dinner, "Okay Okay" and sips her wine sparingly. She watch the bear with one eye, but tries to eat her food before he come over.
PBH
Jeremiah stood where he was, listening to the crowd for a while. "Now I find out she was..." "Just goes to show..." "What could do this..." Finally he considered the dead woman again. Deaths of strangers made him think. It was someone he would never know, never enjoy the company of, whose flaws or virtues he would never witness. An individual never sullied with his scrutiny or glorified by his admiration. Just a succubus woman who died on a certain night in a certain way that she didn't see coming.
And it was all such a waste. This one person dead on some random rainy night was just such a damn waste of a perfectly good furrae life that the one who stole it had no right to.
The one who stole it. He couldn't pretend he didn't somewhat anticipate this. Sebastion, Stygian was in town and that funny smile never meant anything good. But would could the frog have done? He was an artist, a dabbler in magic and a pacifist. Wait, back up... The laughing curse, what it made him do and become. He chuckled to himself, I WANT to be a pacifist. Can't even get that right half the time, it seems. Either way, attempting to stop Stygian would have gotten him KILLED.
And would that be so bad, anyway?
Bal, was that you?
Actually, that was you. I wasn't payin' attention.
Would it be so great a loss to the world? A washed up artist who's only a few patches in his clothes away from a dangerous vagrant... Which does the world need more, that or a pretty girl who did nothing wrong?
Jeremiah shook his head. He was starting to scare himself, an occurrence that was becoming far too common, Jeremiah ol' boy, you stop that right now. That's lemming talk.
Indeed, you must maintain yourself.
Butt out. You don't know what will happen to you if I die, you're biased in all this.
Is housing us not a purposeful calling, sir?
The frog sighed. What was done was done. Best get off this topic before he started to believe himself. He could do nothing for her now.
Well, not much, anyway.
Finding a useful place to shade from the rain in the form of a nearby wall to lean against, Jeremiah pulled up his coat to use as an umbrella over his new sketchbook and pulled out a pencil, thinking hard about the cubi woman. Nothing to do for her now but remember her, this woman who he never met.
So lets see, what was she wearing? Go with something not too severe, but businesslike. A woman's suit with a few modifications. I noticed some laugh lines and such, mebbe have her smiling. With her hair not all messed up by the rain and... trouble, it would probably look just so. The face...
The frog stayed there sketching in the rain, trying to mourn this poor woman he'd never met.
Cog looked down a moment, chastened, looking away from her and out over the expanse of the castle. He put his hand on the window, feeling the rain chilled glass, and closed his eyes for a moment before turning back to the bat.
"I told you. Don't ever say I don't know again." he said, his voice soft, walking back to the bat. "And I care very much. I'm just sorry to be a source of pain for you." Cog sighed, looking out at the storm. He turned back, looking into her eyes.
He gazed at her a long time, before reaching forward and brushing a few stray bangs out of her eyes. He offered her a tired smile. "I wish, I wish, that I could help you, my dear. What can I say, but that I see something in you, that you seem to ignore." he said, his hand framing her face. "And I have said many times I don't care about your masks."
"But I would be lying to say I did not find you beautiful." he finally said, removing his hand and standing, and reaching for his hat.
Relaxing upon seeing that it was only Bambi having returned with Mel, Aisha sighed and turned back to the table, setting her focus back on the remnants of food and drink in front of herself already. Her mind a little tired of the whole tirade but still livid, the panthress couldn't help but keep the news of a death nearby lingering in the back of her head. Her eyes narrowed. I wonder what it could all mean.
She listened to Mel speak, and she couldn't help but give a little snicker to her remark at Bambi's expense. It was true...if too many strangers were to start putting an interest into that single event, it would rouse too much suspicion. She knew how single-minded and paranoid that people were at times...the last thing she wanted to do was to help cause chaos.
"Alright, Mel," she nodded to the disguised dragon. "We may soon be right behind you." Her crimson gaze then watched as she left, and could only hope that the others were as far away from the spectacle as possible. She rolled her eyes at Bambi's sudden outburst, but took the small bit of wine that she offered anyway. Here's to careful planning, she added softly, an homage to hopeful luck.
That was when the door opened again behind them, a little more forcefully that time around it sounded, and Aisha tried not to seem so jumpy. But her gaze wandered slowly back, eyeing the bear clad in dark azure, then back again, having seen for the brief time that they've been noticed. Oookay...crap, she silently gulped, settling back within her finely-practice illusion of ignorance and took the last bite of her sandwich. She tried meanwhile to pick up the conversation with her range of hearing. For the love of all, let everyone keep their wits about them.
* * *
Rynkura, acting satisfied with the jackal's response, had chuckled quietly and gone back to reading the book she had chosen. Eyes poured over the words and sentences, but thoughts didn't process them well enough to remember the concepts. The old felid knew tinges of nervousness when she saw them, even when often they were well-hidden. Emerald eyes narrowed, seemingly in concentration, the silence waiting to be broken.
It was, with a low rumble of thunder, adding to the chorus of rain. "That storm persists, stubborness of the heavens," Rynkura said, looking up to the windows, and back again to the succubus, a musing gaze. "I do hope nothing has happened in town." She smiled. "By the way, I apologize for startling you."
Perhaps Keaton would tell what was wrong on her own time. The tigress didn't wish to rouse any unneeded ire by just asking.
A couple of minutes passed, before the bear finished talking to the bartender, and then unhurriedly but determinedly made his way over to the girls' table. Stern-faced and hard, he looked statue-like in his immaculate clothing and frightening size, looming over them at nearly seven feet tall. He passed his gaze over them once, then changed his face into something slightly more gentle than a bitter stare, and spoke.
'Good evening, ladies,' he said, matter-of-factly. 'I'm officer Hector Greene.' He watched their reaction for a moment, and then went on. 'Are you having a nice time?'
- -
Another stab came at the mention of Cog being a pain, and Stygian flinched.
Idiot! she scolded herself in her thoughts.
You complete and utter fool! Why did you say that?! '
No!' the bat said, and grabbed Cog's sleeve before she could catch herself. Realizing it, she let go immediately, and looked down. '
Please. You're not a source of pain. But seeing... seeing you loathe me, seeing you go away...' She clenched her hand, and her claws dug into the sheets. '
I'm... an idiot. You don't have to do anything for me. But please... just... I know how much it hurts to be a pain, and...'
Still red around the eyes, she looked up at the wolf and swallowed.
'
I don't want you to go away. If that's why, then don't.'
"Why yes some good food good drink and good friends out on a dreadful evening, is just what the doctor ordered? Can we help you, good sir?", asks a cheerful illusion wearing Fae, but her bubbly spirits deflates under the bear's stare. She quickly smiles again and looking hopeful that he will ask for help.
PBH
Cog halted at the bat's touch, and looked Sebastian over his shoulder for a moment, surprised. He stood there for half a second before turning around, sitting back down beside the her again, leaving the hat where it lay resting on the chair. He adjusted himself to sit more comfortably, and his fingers brushed the wet sheets were he'd been sitting. He realized his soaked clothes were probably leaving a spot on Sebastian's bed. As he looked over, however, the bat didn't seem to care incredibly much.
"Alright." he said. "I won't."
He stared at the bat as he tried to think of something to say, the patter of the rain droning softly in the background...
Ah, here we go, Aisha thought to herself, hiding another slight gulp with a sip from her drink as the bear made his way towards their side of the bar. She had to hand it to Bambi, she was good at acting nonchalant; perhaps too much so with an intimidating figure looming over them. The panthress at least always looked a little stern in expression herself, off-setting the too-cheerful demeanor. The fact that she was an adventurer was probably obvious due to the sword strapped to her back. But she just hoped that wasn't a grounds for suspect.
She looked the towering ursine over briefly, then put on a polite smile of her own with a nod. "Officer," she greeted. "Yes, we're fine, thank you. As much as we can be hiding from your lovely weather." She kept the sarcasm in her voice to a humorous tone, but her eyes passed over her comrades nearby. Juuust try to keep it calm. "Just stopped here to rest."
Aisha took another gulp of her ale, then tilted her head in a casual fashion while leaning back on her chair. "Speaking of which, what brings a lawman out on such a day?"
Again and again, Keaton habitually fidgeted with her marble, the different blends of melted colors rolling and churning within the glassy sphere, as though she were allowing every bit of nervousness that didn't seep into her expression to channel into her marble as an outlet. Undoubtedly, Rynkura would notice how unskillfully she was attempting to mask her emotions and how her body language was radiating barely-restrained fear and tension, but she tried to distract the sagely felid from any observations she may have made.
"Yeah, I don't really mind the rain, since I like it and all, but when you've been walking through it for a while it kind of becomes a pain" -- she could've said something much more vulgar, but refrained from doing so-- "and, uh..."
For a moment, she pondered if she should indulge Rynkura about how Stygian had mercilessly devoured the Cubi woman in the town. All manner of gruesome predictions of Stygian turning on them next and tearing them to shreds flew through her head, making a barely noticeable tremor run down Keaton's spine. After a few seconds of playing mental ping-pong with her emotions and thoughts, Keaton spoke with surprising steadiness to her voice. If Stygian were intending to eat all of them, he probably would've done it a long time ago. But just in case, she would remain diligent, analyzing his movements and springing on the first opportunity he showed even the slightest sign of treachery.
Surely he couldn't fight against all of them, could he?
"Nothing interesting happened."
~Keaton the Black Jackal
The bear waited, making it seem as if it was a test of patience to hear the girls out, before speaking again.
'Watching the people is every lawman's duty. If you leave your duty behind at your desk, you're unfit to be an officer,' he said, sounding almost lecturing. 'As for me, it takes more than a bit of rain and wind to make me huddle up indoors. You need to be especially watchful nights like this. All sorts of
strange people think they can get away with things they usually won't in the dark and the rain.' His gaze was focused on Aisha now, even though he had shown a degree of surprise at Bam's outburst. 'We're used to slightly odd things around here, but that doesn't mean we don't keep our eyes open.'
Slowly, the ursine placed his huge, beefy paws on the table, and leaned slightly on it. His gaze shifted to Gina.
'Now, I'm not meaning to be nosy, but might you tell me what brought you ar...' he began, as the door opened for a short while, a man in a soaked overcoat stepping in. Then the flapping of wings interrupted him, and the next moment he was staring at the very sudden and inexplicable raven that had landed on Aisha's head.
- -
While Cog sat down again, Stygian sighed. There was a long silence, the smattering rain and a single, soft peel of thunder from far away the only sounds in the darkening room.
'
I've been an idiot to you all the time we've been here,' she began. '
And that's my problem, I know. I do that to everyone I like. Because...' She bit down and swallowed, but the pain had dulled to a mild throb by then. If she was going to get anywhere with this, then honesty and directness were...
Get anywhere? Am I even hoping to get something out of this other than getting to whine for a while? A shoulder to cry on? Since when did you ever need that, asswipe? '
I had a... bad time growing up,' she said, beating down her thoughts and slowly lifting her head to look Cog in the eyes. Hers were dark and deep and terrifying. '
My own family hated me for... for being an Angel. And my other ancestors, the ones who built this place, abandoned me. I was... tortured. I managed to escape, but not before they took my wings.' The memory was painfully clear in her mind. '
And even after that, I've had so many things happen to me that...'
She paused again, listening to the smattering and emptying her mind of everything but darkness, before continuing.
'
Everyone I ever thought I cared for or loved has turned their back on me. Doing what I do, one cannot possibly believe in such things as friends, even less loved ones. And being what I am...' she said, and sighed. '
I've gotten used to the idea that no one could possibly like me.'
"Jinkiies, Officer... We are here to solve the mystery of the Blue castle.." says Bambi, as the raven caws from Aisha. Trying to ignore the thing.
PBH
Cog listened quietly, not interjecting, and letting the long pauses draw out before the bat began again. He waited until he was sure Sebastian was done before speaking, his words soft.
"I understand." he said, his eyes sliding over the room. He crossed his legs, leaning on his elbow as he spoke. "Betrayal..." Cog stopped over the word. "Pain, is not descriptive enough. It hurts, but it numbs." he said, turning to look at the bat. "It hurts you, but more than that, they hurt you. Being close to someone, when they do that - well, whips hurt...but physic yet could never reach, the maladies that thou dost teach...whom first the cramp of hope dost tear, then the palsy shakes of fear..." Cog said, intoning some long-forgotten rhyme. He stopped suddenly, a slightly apologetic look on his face.
"I'm sorry. But...I think...it doesn't matter." Cog sat straight again. "Nothing, could be farther from the truth." Cog looked at her, and and met her eyes. "People are always people. But not everyone betrays."
He stared at her for a moment longer. "And...well...I like you. A great deal. I could no more turn my back on you than myself. So..." Cog smiled, his eyes sad. "Perhaps people liking you is an idea you should get used to."
Mel's simple steak dinner was served quickly and she was definitely feeling pressure to not linger over her meal. But she understood why from the chatter she caught as the nearby kitchen door swung back and forth. The news of the murder had made it this far and the mouse family was more than spooked by the news.
When she was done and settling her bill Mel asked for directions to the grocer and butcher. Besides the fact that she doubted anyone else would remember to shop amidst the excitement of the afternoon she wondered how fast the rumors were flying. Luckily the two shops were on the road out of town. A short walk and she found herself in the butcher shop, and facing the man from the alley, the one in the bloody apron.
The man, a glum-faced bulldog, eyed Mel from almost even height and raised his eyebrows over small but surprisingly clever eyes.
'Yes? How may I help you, miss?' he said, his voice not quite gruff but bothered nonetheless. 'I close at six, so if there's anything you want readied there's still time.'
- -
The bear, glaring at the intruding bird with the utmost disapproval, paused for a second as he heard Bam's words. Then he fixed his gaze solidly at her, his stare blank and yet intense.
'So.That's the way things are, huh?' he said, after an awkward pause that seemed like a whole minute. 'Well, if that's the case, you should follow me down to the station for your
own good,
adventurers.'
- -
'
You sound so certain,' Stygian replied, looking at Cog steadily. '
I wish I could be the same. But I'm very glad you... like me, even in spite of...'
She sighed and shook her head.
Ass. Stop talking. He's feeling awkward and he wants to leave. What are you messing around for? she thought.
He's being a nice guy, that's all. '
Thanks,' she said hesitantly, and gently put her hand on his shoulder. '
I've been longing to hear those things. Maybe not exactly, but... You've helped me. A lot.' She squeezed gently, but still with surprising strength. Then she sighed and turned away, sitting back on the bed with a still somewhat sad expression.
'
If you want to leave, go ahead. I'm going to stay here. Nothing much else to do but fix this place up,' she said.
There, Jeremiah finished his picture and looked at it critically. The cubi woman, looking slightly away from the viewer and smiling distractedly as though someone off the page had just called for her attention. She wore a sweater and a skirt, but the most effort and detail had been put into aspects of the woman herself rather than her attire. Her wings, her hair... However, while equally detailed, the face hadn't inked. He hadn't noticed it until just now. Hell with it, may as well leave it be for now. He made sure the ink was dry before he put the sketchbook away, and his other supplies with it.
Checking his watch and finding that yes, he had time before he was supposed to meet with the others, Jeremiah walked off looking for someplace where he could get a meal.
Cog quirked an eyebrow as the bat suddenly quieted, opening his mouth uncertainly as she leaned back. He stared at her for a moment, comforted by her words, but unfooled by them. Her eyes were still as sad as he'd ever seen them.
He stood, leaving a wet patch on the bed after him. He sighed, and taking a look out the window saw the barest hint of the dusk beginning to set. He paused there for a moment, thinking, before turning back to the bat. His eyes were soft, and there was just the slightest grin on his face.
"I have no desire to leave, really. The night is young, and I have nowhere to be. Unless you need me to get gone." He added as he sat in a chair. He took out a small bottle of oil from his jacket and fished out a small box beside it. The bottle was steel, and the little case was also made out of some kind of metal. They both shone in the dim light.
"I mean, after all." he said, untying the cord that looped around his belt and to his sword, "I could leave, and possibly go read a book or something. But here..." he slipped the sword from his belt, and set it down in front of him. He slipped a small oiled rag out from his case, and unscrewing the cap on the bottle held the little rag to its mouth. He tilted the bottle to the side, the room suddenly filling with the scent of cloves. He set it down, and drew the sword sitting before him, holding it vertically in front of him.
"There's such a lovely view." he said smiling, not really looking out the windows. He ran the cloth up and down the blade carefully, the cloth wrapping around the back of the blade to the front. Soon, the sword glittered wickedly in the dim light, the edge fairly glowing.
"And not that you need it..." Cog said as he polished the blade. "But, if you want, I could help you fix the room. The chest there doesn't look too heavy..."
Aisha had tried to stay as calm as possible while the bear spoke. She could literally read his emotions from the way he stood, and she could tell that he was just testing his own patience with them. Still the panthress nodded during his psuedo-lecture with solemn understanding, acting as if she hadn't noticed the suspicious glance her way. She usually knew how to deal with authorative types, in all of her days past. But this situation was getting to be a little too stressful, for all she wasn't too prepared.
Despite the look that the officer was going into, as he mentally and near-physically cornered the females at the bar, Aisha was ready to give a casual answer as to the question of why they were there. But that was when something landed on her head, startling her nearly enough to make her jump out of her seat, with pure surprise.
"Ah! What's...?" she grumbled and waved an apology to Greene while taking the bird from her head with minimal complaining squawks. As an ebon feather fell from it and crossed her field of vision, Aisha inwardly groaned and stared into its crimson eyes with her own. Whatever the deal with you is, it is NOT what I needed right now... the look told it, and she looked back up to the officer with a chuckle. "I'm sorry, I found this raven stranded a while ago and it seems to want to follow me," she answered, mostly truthfully, as she stroked the back of its neck.
But when she was about to say more, Bambi interrupted with an outburst of her own. This time, Aisha lost all patience and cast the felid a very dark glare. They didn't need to know our intentions. Aisha turned back to the ursine, slowly as she heard his words. Like she had heard many times before, he spat the word "adventurers" almost like a curse. Or with similar emphasis.
Her eyes narrowed, and she sat up straight, her look turning serious. "Hold on, Un momento," she held her palm up in a civil fashion, just briefly. She didn't stand up, but the heel of one foot was, beneath his notice, lifted from the ground and weight shifted to it...ready to dash if need be. "Don't we have a right to know exactly why you want us to follow? Forgive me my impudence. But we've never intended to do anything, nor have we done anything except drink. A little too much for some," she added with emphasis, glancing at Bambi, then back to Officer Greene, with hopeful reasoning.
* * *
Rynkura glanced up from her reading once in a while to glance towards Keaton thoughtfully. She noticed still some of the tension in her actions, but she still paid attention to her words and nodded with a chuckle. "So rain can be. The plants may not think so," she said, turning her gaze back to the book and turning the page. This one had one with pictures of amulets and rings, all old-time relics of enchantment. "But then, just as one doesn't always question why the sun gives life to all, plants may never question the rain like other creatures may."
Getting caught up in her sermon-ish thoughts, Rynkura's gaze turned back to the jackal with a warm smile as she, with surprising calm, relayed that nothing interesting had happened down in the town. "Well, good," she admonished. Her gaze seemed to show more than what she was letting on, when it came to giving up on the subject. But alas, the tigress still didn't push. Perhaps nothing was really wrong, and that the rain and darkness just made her uncomfortable.
"As long as the others come back in one piece. I have enough faith that Aisha will, and some of those with wits..." she laughed. "But, though you may not know me well enough to believe it, I can be told otherwise if something is wrong." She paused, and then lightly shrugged. "And perhaps Sebastian can be told as well. It is in his gracious presence all of you stay now."
Ketefe had headed to the inn, calmly as she could, explained her situation to the owner, and gotten her stuff. Thankfully, it was all still there - three or four spare outfits, some money, a map and some paper for letters. She packed it all carefully in a black drawstring backpack and slung it over her empty shoulder.
But just as she was tipping the owner, she smelled blood. A lot of it. And heard the whispers of people outside. She glanced out the window to see a crowd gathering. She started to go outside, when she noticed Aisha sitting in the tavern, drinking. Then Bambi and Gina burst in, looking frightened and hurried. They ran to talk to Aisha, so Ketefe walked over to listen. She knew, instinctively, that this had something to do with the crowd.
She was right. When Bam rushed off to find Mel, Aisha asked Gina what exactly had happened. Apparently, Stygian had fed off of someone. I knew it, she thought grimly. But the bat had had no choice, she guessed. And though the doubt struck her for a second, she knew he wouldn't have killed Keaton. But what was a succubus doing in town? Maybe she was feeding. In which case, Stygian did something good. Don't assume anything immediately just because someone's dead.
Mel appeared a bit later, with Bam. She told the others she was going to leave, and Ketefe prayed that Bam wouldn't drag them too deep into detective work. Cops, she guessed, wouldn't really trust a masked cat carrying a sword. Luckily, Bam agreed not to drag them into the case, and Ketefe sighed in relief.
That sigh was cut short when the bear policeman walked in and began talking to them. Bam kept up a pretty good facade, and Aisha remained impressively calm, even when a raven landed on her head. Ketefe was just starting to think they could all go home with no trouble, when Bam blurted out that they were adventurers.
It took all her willpower not to start banging her head against the table. Aisha began to explain, and Ketefe showed minimal surprise at the fact that being an adventurer was a problem. Surely he'd realize that they had nothing to do with any of this...
'Why?' the officer said in a hard voice. 'Because it's the better for the both of us, that's why, missy. Unless you've noticed, things aren't exactly all well around here.' He stared them down, scolding. He was still leaning on the table, but his hands were clenched into fists now.
'Now, if you're smart,' he continued, leaning lower and speaking more quietly, 'you'll come down to the station with me and be real quiet about it. I'll have an easier time with these folks and clearing you of charges, and I'd be saving your hides at the same time!'
- -
Stygian looked up, and this time there was a smirk on her face.
'
You think you'd need to help me with moving things around?' she said, voice slightly murring with bemusement. '
If you need the exercise, I won't stop you. But...'
Standing, she moved over the floor with soft steps. It was cold and hard. They needed to bring up carpets; she would remember that. Calmly she walked around the bed to face Cog and leaned on the end of it.
'
I'd rather wait with that, actually. Or at least catch a stiff drink while doing it.'
Aisha's eyebrows quirked in response to this slightly unexpected turn, observing the bear's demeanor with her arms crossed in a small gesture of defiance. The raven she had placed gently back upon her right shoulder. Her head was tilted just slightly, unintimidated by the way he was swiftly losing his calm with them in lieu of impatience and rising anger. Yet, he was speaking as if he were avoiding the curiosity of the bar's other patrons, to just the four women alone.
He wants to clear us of charges and save us? She thought with suspicion.
"Hrm," Aisha hummed finally, leaning against the bar herself, looking back to the bear's hard and serious face. Her own voice was also kept low, and she only hoped the others would do the same thing. "I'd wish to know why you'd trouble yourself to such a gesture on a bunch of strangers...skilled adventurers at that, who can tackle any trouble they come across," she smirked...
...Then the dark panthress nodded, deciding to give in...if only for the courtesy of keeping to the law in an unknown town, which they knew little about anyway other than living under the rumors of the castle. Her arms uncrossed. "If you're so insistent on this point, sir, then I guess we've no choice but to follow along." She looked back to the others for their assertions on the situation. The panthress would be ready should it lead to more trouble for them anyway.
In the past, Keaton had compared Rynkura's headstrong composure to that of her mother's. After this conversation, she almost unquestionably decided that this tigress was much more pleasant and preferable to socialize and interact with than her mother. As sad as it was to admit. While normally not one for cryptic conversation, Keaton found something soothing about Rynkura's countenance, unlike the stoic, no-nonsense demeanor her dearly departed matriarch carried.
Eternally thankful that Rynkura had decided not to interrogate her despite how painfully obvious her discomfort was, Keaton mentally uttered a grateful prayer in her head, restricting a relieved sigh. "Everything's fine," Keaton repeated, knowing that it wouldn't deter Rynkura's knowledge, and that she probably was aware that something was amiss. "I..."
Oh god. It hit her. Stygian. He could kill her to protect his secret--some sort of secret that he was a man-eating, monstrous hellbeast. He explicitly knew that she was spying on him, and that she had recognized him five seconds before he fled... was Cogidubnus in danger as well? No doubt--oh shit...
~Keaton the Black Jackal
"Need to?" Cog said, voice mellow. He turned the sword this way and that, checking that the oil had gone on evenly - the sword sparkled wickedly, light running up and down the blade as he turned it. He peered at it for a few moments before making a face, and murring something under his breath as he passed the cloth over it again. "No, I don't think you need help. I do think I saw you throw a bookcase once." he said, grinning. "But just because you don't need the help, doesn't mean I don't wish to help you."
Cog peered at the sword one last time, before placing the rag back into the tin case, and sliding the sword back into the sheath. The blade glittered wetly, the oiled metal noiseless on the wood. He placed the bottle and the case back into his jacket, and leaned the sword down beside him.
He smiled. "But a stiff drink is always nice, the large objects be damned." He stood, looking around the room. "You have something here, or does it need fetching?"
The bear actually seemed a bit taken aback when Aisha agreed, but quickly stood straight and adjusted his coat with a gruff motion.
'Right then. If you'd be so kind as to come along...'
- -
Calmly, Stygian strolled past the wolf, around the back of his chair, gazing out the windows. Carefully, she drew in whiffs of air into her nostrils without directly sniffing, testing the scent of the place and of Cog himself. Why was he feeling insecure? Polishing his sword all of a sudden was a clearly unnecessary action to take his mind off things.
'
I don't have much up here at all. But don't worry. I'll be back in short order,' she said, and reached down to put his hat on the back of the chair and ruffle his hair quickly. Then she took a step, and Cog felt a brief chill and heard some sort of seething sound.
It only took a minute or so before the shadows began thickening in the other end of the room. The dark shifted and took form, crawling shapes that slithered and entwined and quickly took form, and shifted shape and color back into Stygian, holding a silver platter with a shaker, a lime, ice, a pair of highball glasses with ice in them and a set of bottles on it. She set it down on a table slightly to the side of Cog's chair.
'
Start off with something easy?' she said, already starting to mix. She handed him a clear, fizzing shot with just a single cube of ice, and took one for herself, taking a hefty gulp immediately.
Startled, Cog took the glass from Sebastian's hand and peered at the clear liquid. He flinched once as a bit of the cold fizz bounced onto his face, and shrugging took a careful sip. It tasted like limes, with a hint of orange - he raised his eyebrow and sipped a bit more. He felt it start to warm him up, his body and clothes still a little cold from being outside in the rain. He brushed a misplaced bang out of his eye, and looked at the bat, grinning.
"This isn't bad." he said, sipping a bit more out of the tall glass. "Rather good, really. Not exactly a shot of whiskey, but that's not necessarily a bad thing." Cog swirled the liquid in the glass just slightly, the ice cube bobbling around. He took another sip, drinking quite a bit deeper this time.
"Thank you." Cog sat back down into the chair, taking care not to displace the silver tray set down beside it. He looked out at the storm and the dimming light, suddenly for all the world relaxed. He sipped a bit more of the drink, the citrus in the liquid making him smack his lips, and leaned back for a moment, listening to the rain. He felt just a bit more warmth start rising up through his body, and took another look at his drink, raising his eyebrow.
"No, not too bad at all."
Glupping the last of her food, Bam nodds "Okay okay, I want to finish my wine first, and pay the bill before you arrest me of skipping out on a bartap. Oh First, If I may ask sir... Your badge please just to make this offical, so we know, who we are dealing with.." As she drinks the last of the wine in her cup.
PBH
Mel awkwardly half-smiled at the bulldog, happy that he didn't just toss her straight out. "I guess I am looking for a bit of everything," she stalled as she tried to figure it out herself. She didn't have any idea of anyone's preferences. "Perhaps a ham and would you have any tuna steaks?"
Once the meat was chosen, paid for, and stowed in the market basket she had thought to magically produce before entering the shop she headed for the grocer. The grocer's shop was just a few doors down. Before entering she looked up and down the road, which lead back to the castle to see if any of the others were on their way. She spotted Jeremiah walking down the road. "Hello Jeremiah. Would you like to help pick what to buy for supplies? I pay, you carry?"
Another frown flashed down at them from above before the bear reached into his coat and pulled out a heavy leather pocketbook, flipping it open and revealing a heavy, golden badge. He held it there, as if to assure that they got a good look at it.
'That good?' he asked pointedly.
- -
The bat snickered and sipped her drink. Far more potent than it looked and felt. In a way she could relate.
'
It's called a "Kamikaze". You might want to take it just a bit easy. But I catch your drift,' she said, and walked over to one of the chests. Putting a hand to its front, she pushed it back with ease, and then cleared away the cupboard next to it. Sitting down on the chest, she finished the drink in her hand and looked at the wolf.
'
Whiskey it is next then. Let's see...' she said and walked over to fix some more. '
You know, I was thinking that we could invite the others to drink later. Maybe that would ease the tensions around here...' The next drink seemed to be a tawny brown. She only had a few ingredients to work with, so triple sec and lime juice went into this one as well.
'
Try this,' Stygian said, pouring herself half of the finished result and then putting down the mixing glass. '
It's a "Lynchburg Lemonade".' She chuckled. '
If you want more, I know plenty I could mix up. I've worked as a bartender, see.' She sipped the new drink much slower. She wasn't one to get drunk easily, but that first shot was a quick one to get a buzz. '
You can tell a lot about people from the drinks they choose, you know?' she said, and looked at him, smiling. '
You, I think, seem like the kind of man who'd enjoy a Mudslide. Or a Blow Job.'
Jeremiah was jerked out of his vital contemplations of the deep, innermost nature of where one can find an inexpensive meal in this cruddy town by Mel. He grinned at her cheerfully. "Sounds like a plan. As a matter of fact, considering my limited cashflow, my staying the hell out of the 'buying more things' area of the equation sounds like a brilliant plan. Lead the way."
Nodding his head, Cog took a long drink of his liquor as the bat spoke. He coughed at her last words, then again, eventually erupting into a fit of coughing. The lime and citrus wasn't doing him any favors - just a slight bit of that citrus down the wrong pipe, and what was a mere clearing of the throat got rather out of hand. He spilled a bit of his drink on himself, and as his eyes teared up, he made a show of looking for the spot where he spilled it, his face reddening.
Truth be told, he could care less about spilling the drink on himself. He was still rather wet, and the Kamikaze on his lap was just another drop in the bucket. He'd figured out what the bat meant, but by now the damage was done. His face continued to redden, and he suspected the bat wouldn't think the drink entirely to blame.
He leaned back into his chair with as much dignity as he could muster, and took another, rather long drink, tilting his head back. He sighed as it went down, his mouth again smacking involuntarily. "Ah...well, I must admit, I'm rather ignorant of drinks. I mean, I tried a Full Moon once, back in Senchal..." he looked sideways out the window, muttering something under his breath before continuing. "Whatever you recommend, I suppose. I wouldn't know heads from tails there." he said, draining the last of his Kamikaze and setting it down.
He tried a grin, and reached for the lemonade she proffered. "What kind of drinks do you like, then?" he said, swirling the drink around in his hand. He waited for her to speak as he tried a sip. It tasted like a light whiskey, somehow, with almost a sprightly feel, and a slightly bitter taste. It fizzed in his mouth.
Rynkura still kept an ear turned towards Keaton while reading, occasionally switching concentration from one side to the other. It was quite obvious that the jackal was insistent on keeping something to herself. Not a very healthy thing to do, the tigress thought. As she made her point for the third time that nothing was wrong, and then had started to say something but stopped, Rynkura looked up again and tilted her head.
"Pardon my forwardness, but for someone who insists so, you look somewhat fidgety," the tigress put as-a-matter-of-factly, then chuckled. "Perhaps you should relax? Sit and read, take your mind into a curiosity," she offered, waving a hand around the temptation of pages offered by the rest of the library, then lowered it again. "Or you could get something to eat or drink, if only for the taste instead of sustenance you may not need regardless."
She hummed. "It's a sad world when too much time is put into one's concerns rather than the better ways to banish them."
* * *
Aisha rolled her eyes beneath the notice of Bambi as she asked for the bear's badge. She stood up slowly from her seat so as not to startle the bird on her shoulder, placing coins down on the bar in payment for what she had eaten and drank. The gold-plated piece of proof shown to them of Greene's status was certainly enough to convince them, if his disciplined demeanor already didn't.
She straightened her cape and belt. "It should be," she answered with a slight laugh. "Legit and to the point." The panthress made a gesture with her head for the others to stand as well, then made a polite nod his way. "Lead on then."
And let's just see what happens.
"oooo Shiny " Says Bam starng the barge and then suddenly Hugs the Bear tightly "Thank You". Quick let goes of Officer Green, she gives the barmaid her credit card. And Pays her bill "Ready Gina, lets go officer, sir"
PBH
Ketefe watched the others deal with the cop, and stifled a sudden urge to giggle when Bam hugged him. She stood as the others did. "Okay, then," was all she said. It occurred to her that she hadn't spoken for a while. Hope that doesn't make me seem suspicious.
The grocery store was a large old building, the kind where the wooden floors were grooved from generations of shoppers and modern items sat uncomfortably next to reminders of the past. Mel was glad to see it was a combined grocery and general store so they should be able to finish off the shopping without hunting up yet another shop. It was also quite busy considering the weather. "Grab whatever you think we're going to need for the next few days," she told Jeremiah as she jiggled a shopping cart loose from the line. Produce was nearest so she began picking fruit and vegetables from the neat piles. "Make sure I don't forget lamp oil. And soap, the soap has petrified into unlatherable rocks," she grumbled. "Any suggestion of things I might not have thought of?"
"More snack foods?" Jeremiah suggested with a shrug, "I was looking through what Sebastion brought in earlier, and none of it's really something you can just grab and eat if you're hungry; all ingrediants, nothing you don't have to prepare. Oh!" the frog raised one finger to the classic 'aha!' position, "Flashlights. Most of those lamps are rather firmly affixed to the wall, and I want to go down the hall without worrying about stubbing my foot on anything."
When suddenly Bam hugged the policeman, a rather comical sight as the small fae barely got her hands around his huge form, the bear's eyes widened and he blushed before his face set in an expression of absolute perturbation.
'Could you please come along then, ladies? The sooner the better,' he said, absentmindedly pawing his pockets to check for any pilfered and thus missing items. Satisfied at last with that there were none such, he stood aside to give the girls room to move, one hand constantly hovering around his left hip.
- -
The bat hid her sudden smirk by raising her glass and sipping deeply. That reaction at least confirmed that she wasn't
entirely mistaken. It allowed her to understand the measure of the wolf's experience in that field, and for her to adjust so that she would keep just enough ahead of things for it to be enticing for him and interesting for her. The question was just...
'
I like a good Earthquake, or a Jägerbomb. I like drinks to shake me up, which is hard to do,' she said, and sipped again. Would she be as mean as to mention a Sex on The Beach, or a Hairy Virgin? All in the name of fun... '
I mean, it's not that easy to get to me, in spite of what impression I may have made.'
Slowly, she got up and walked over by the table, a sway in her step, filling up another drink, this one with some amber liquid from a can and some whiskey. She took an ice cube, then bit down and crushed it in her mouth, and then swigged from the glass.
'
Aaah... Tennessee Cowboy. Try it,' she said, speech slurring just a bit from the ice, and strolled over, propping herself on the arm of Cog's chair and proffering him the glass. '
So. Senchal. Not a place I've heard much about, save through business.'
Ketefe moved past the bear first, holding the strings of her bag and looking at Officer Greene's hand over his holster. She wanted to tell him that they weren't going to hurt him, but something told her that would be a bad idea. She looked away and turned her head over her shoulder to the others.
"Ready whenever you guys are," she said quietly, waiting for them to follow.
Mel just shrugged at the frog. "You can be in charge of finding snacks then." Done with the fresh produce she piled more rice and pasta into the cart. Her selections were limited to more basic items like milk, eggs, tea, coffee, honey, and sugar, allowing Jeremiah his choice of the convenience foods. She stood in the spice section quite a while, both to pick a good variety and to listen to the gossiping women in the next aisle. News of the murder was traveling quickly despite the weather.
Cog was still working on his lemonade when Sebastian offered him yet another drink, this one quite a bit darker than the other. He eyed the Cowboy with just a bit of wariness - if he kept this up, he'd be roaring drunk in no time, constitution or no. He finished downing the rest of the lemonade quickly, feeling a slight flush as she leaned against the chair to hand him the glass of dark liquid. He set down his empty glass and took the full one.
He thanked her quietly, somewhat grinning. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to get me drunk. Tennessee Cowboy, is it?" he said, taking a cautious sip. It tasted like a straight whiskey, but just a bit sweeter, with something else he couldn't quite identify in it. Cog raised an eyebrow. "Hm. I do rather like this one." he said, ears perking a bit as the bat asked about Senchal. He seemed to think a moment, before turning to look out a window, his face darkened somewhat.
"Senchal has a lot of business go through it, yes. It's a rather large port, after all." He drank a bit more of the Cowboy down, mulling over the bitter taste. "It is not a very nice place to visit, however. A den of thieves, drugs, smugglers, and addicts, swirled together in a half-burnt down collection of wharves and taverns. Not as bad as some places, but..." he sipped down a bit more of the drink. "Not exactly ideal. Still didn't find Arcturus, either."
He took another drink, and turned, regarding the bat, his countenance lightening somewhat. "I've heard it's gotten much better now that the Gold Cat has taken over, but still not a place I'd like to return to. They had a very nice little tavern by the eastside docks, though. Bartender finally convinced me to try something new. A Full Moon, like I said. Grand Marnier and something else. Tasted like an orange."
He regarded Sebastian for a moment, suddenly smiling. "I was only there for a few months. I fear I've become somewhat the wanderer - I've stayed here longer than I have anywhere else in months." he said, leaning back. He raised a single eyebrow, grinning somewhat. "You do any traveling?"
Sigh "Come on Gina, Maybe you would like to give the nice police guy a hug, too you know."says Bambi to Gina. Yet, Gina was not smiling at the Fae's antics, and was looking worried...
"Hey easy girl" whispers Bambi "We must play along with the bear, and we will go back soon""
The white ferret stood still, looking slightly down. She had been sitting quietly and trying to avoid getting mixed up in the conversation, but now when the bear was direct with them she could be still no more. She looked up at him, and his gaze tensed a little upon seeing her empty white eyes.
'I'm sorry, officer, but we can't come with you,' she said.
- -
Stygian smiled down at the wolf and shifted her seat a bit, turning her back slightly to him and looking out the window.
'
I used to. The whole "imprisonment and torture" thing got in the way,' she said, and chuckled. Then she went quiet a bit. '
Don't really know why I'm staying here, but it feels good to rest, in a way. All I used to want, when I did so much as think while I slept, was leaving this place. Now...' She sighed. A few more long moments passed.
'
I'm going to have to straighten things out with the others later. So far I've only been odd and irritating,' she said, and turned slightly. '
I'm sorry about that, you know? I'm... sorry about what happened the other night too.'
Cog looked at Sebastian softly for a moment, sighing. "Yes, well...you don't need to apologize about that. My fault - I should remember by now when the moon is full." he said, slowly sipping the drink. If he wasn't drunk by now, he was definitely very tipsy - he felt flush, and the former chill from the rainwater was nonexistent. He smiled at the bat, leaning on one elbow and resting his head in his hand. "But I'm glad your feeling better. Truly. Perhaps you can speak to the others when you get back, if you feel like it."
He grinned. "If you feel like traveling, though, there's no one stopping you. But, I must admit..." he said, taking the slightest sip of his drink as he settled back. He looked back up at the bat, still smiling. "There aren't a lot of places I'd rather be than here, right now."
The bat's eyebrows rose and the gloom in her expression matted significantly, as soon as she checked with herself that she had actually heard what she thought she had. A slight smile appeared on her lips, and her ears perked up a bit.
'I'm... Thanks,' she said, hesitantly. The drink had loosened up considerably. It would be easy enough to get him under the table if they kept up that pace. That wouldn't be the least fun though. What was the time? Had the others returned from the damn town yet? What was that odd feeling she was getting? Would the castle need watching or locking up? Was she drunk? A steady stream of questions brought on by habit and hesitation flooded her mind. She turned and looked at Cog. Slowly, she let slip all the stress. Then she lifted herself up on her hands, and slid back down into his lap.
Stygian looked up at Cog, black eyes gleaming. She felt heavy where she lay, legs thrown over the armrest and back on the other, a solid weight of firm and smooth muscle, yet surprisingly light still. One velvet-furred hand reached up and stroked the wolf's neck.
'I like it here too,' she said, carefully. 'I just hope you don't change your mind.'
Sighing slightly upon relief as the others started to make good their time, Aisha watched as Ketefe, followed by Bambi, started off in the direction indicated by the bear. Still the adventurer kept watchful for anything hinting at a sign of trouble...other than the fact that he was going to keep them in front of himself. She honestly didn't expect to get loosely involved with the law. If everyone kept their wits about them, they could sidle back to the castle without a scratch. She wondered if the others made it back easily, those who had come with them. At least, the huntress hoped.
She nodded to Ketefe as the masked felid was waving the others forward, an interesting team of three felines and a small ferret...or rather, three felines, a ferret, and a feral bird. She wondered exactly the extent of the ursine's suspicions towards them. Only two of the party looked like adventurers. The other two looked like they were just along for the ride.
They didn't go far when suddenly Gina spoke, a statement which stopped Aisha in her tracks and made her glimpse back at the ferret, before turning back around, her arms crossed in a gesture of annoyance--or so it would appear to the officer. Her eyes however just asked the girl for understanding...but she tried to avoid reeling back at the empty whites occupying them. "What's the meaning of this, now?"
Confusion reigned now. The raven could be heard giving its assent on the almost-silence with a light squawk by the panther's ear. I swear I'm just going to run if he pulls something on us because of that.
"ah Officer Green, Sir... Can we talk in a back room, PLEASE?.... I am sure we can straighten this all out" says a suddenly serious Prof Bambi Hunnydew. Bambi's appearance changes right in front of the officer. Her hair sweeps back into a pony tail and her lab coat appears in the illusion around her. Her Fae wings disappear under her lab coat and her antenna also dim and flatten into her hair.
"Bartender, We will need this empty private dining hall for abit." calls out the professor...
"Gina, please into the back room and the officer should be able to clear you enough to let you go." says PBH as she guides Gina and leads the way into the dining hall.
PBH
As Sebastian set herself in his lap, Cog swallowed rather hard, his face flushing as she stroked his neck. He set his drink down and took a rattling breath, before exhaling and bringing up his free arm to cradle her as she sat. He managed a grin, his own yellow eyes staring into her black ones.
"People change their minds a lot. Their hearts, not so often." he said, pausing a moment as he stared at her - positively breathtaking in the darkness, her creamy color accented perfectly by the dim light, her eyes twin points of darkness framed by light, her golden white hair falling just so...
"All that's best of dark and bright, meet in her aspect and her eyes..." he murmured softly, leaning forward. He kissed her, taking more time than he had in the hall earlier. He'd meant to surprise her, then - he had no such intentions now. He broke away after a few seconds, looking back up at the bat. He grinned.
"You smell sweeter when you're happy, you know?"
Blushing and taking a deep breath, the bat looked slightly down at the wolf, shapely lips slightly parted over her teeth. He was a good kisser, for someone with a long muzzle.
'
Thanks,' she nearly whispered. She didn't mind enough to directly notice, but the pain in her chest had completely faded away, replaced by tense exaltation. A second passed before she chuckled and smirked at the wolf. '
Are you sweet-talking me, puppy? I suppose that quote is very fitting then...' The man who had said it in the first place had been an extravagant pleasure-seeker. But a good man nonetheless. Though Cog seemed to take very little from him. '
I just want you to know... it's working.'
Again, the bat kissed him, sliding a hand in over his shirt and tugging away his coat. She shifted in her seat as she did, her other hand holding his arm. Then, before he knew it, she'd unbuttoned her shirt. She looked at him closely.
'
You're tipsy,' she said, gleaming ebon eyes meeting his. '
Things are confused. What are you doing?' That last part sounded much more like
are you sure of what you're doing?- -
Regret and worry in her expression, the white little ferret didn't mind Bam's directions but took two steps toward the ursine and looked further up at him. However worried, she seemed adamant.
'We can't go with you. You heard it yourself; we have been here all the time. There's no reason to suspect us. Not even so people can just be content that something's being done,' she said. The bear's scowl deepened at that statement. 'We have our own worries. And we can't let up on our responsibility just so you can have an easier time. I'm sorry.' The bear snorted and muttered something, which Aisha recognized as a saying about headstrong girls.
'You're not going up to that castle. Not if I can help it,' he grunted back at Gina. 'There's not been any adventurer foolishness going on here for years, and I intend to keep it that way.'
Aisha quirked her eyebrows surprisingly at Gina's remarks to the bear; however large the size difference was between them, she didn't seem to care in the least. The tension was rising, and she could feel it. But as the mood shifted, Aisha was starting to feel about taking the side that begged escape.
She couldn't help but shoot a slightly annoyed look at the officer at his muttered remark about women before he spoke. And suddenly she had a good clue as to what was really going on. The panthress walked back to where she had been before, her arms crossed. "Our friend makes a good point, sir. But with all due respect, there is a fact...with the rumors that fly all over this town, and outside of it, about that abandoned and dark place dotting your mountainside," her head tilted, "'Foolish' adventurer activity is a very active and time-honored inevitability. There are those who go for reasons honorable and for reasons of greed...and those just with curiosities to sate." Her eyes narrowed. "And adventurers can simply bypass the town and go straight to the place."
Aisha made a little half-shrug. "You're stopping us, and you don't know which one of those we are, or from where we've come? I think perhaps, we did just come here for a rest," she finished with conviction. "What could possibly be up there that's worse than your conventional demons?"
Oh we know actually...but he doesn't have to know that.
"I'm sorry Officer Green, but we have been living in the castle for two days, now. Gina is a member of the original family. She needs to return... But old enemies of the family will come looking for her. We were fighting a giant spider-lady. She escaped us, but she will be back." says Bambi as she looks out a window. She sees the castle in the few flashes on lightening in the dark stormy evening.
"Gina, please Come here. It is time to go" says Bambi As Gina comes to stand by her, she throws the window. "It's time to fly" Bam flys out the window.
PBH
Mel placed the last of the items she could think might be needed into the cart and waited for Jeremiah to put the last of his choices on top. "Unless you can think of something else I believe I am done shopping." She pushed the cart over for a perky little zebra girl to check out. The girl talked nonstop about nothing and was so amazed by the magically enhanced market basket that Mel had produced that she spent a couple minutes putting things in and taking them out again, laughing at the way items disappeared and reappeared. But eventually she managed to total up the items so Mel could pay. "Well Jeremiah, time for your part of the deal. I paid so you carry." She picked the basket up with one hand and tossed it to him. It was barely heavier than a normal basket of it's size.
Back out into the rain, where she reactivated her anti-rain spell, although it did nothing for wet feet from the puddles. When the got before the tavern Mel said to Jeremiah, "We should see if the others are still here." She had barely spoken the words when Bam crashed through the window and flew away. Mel could only stare for a moment. "Such a strange woman. I suppose it would only be polite to see if the others need help. Why don't you wait here." She left the umbrella spell over the frog and supplies while she stepped into the tavern.
Ketefe stopped and turned when Gina spoke. The ferret was right, of course, but questioning the motives of police was something Ketefe had been trying not to do lately. Bambi tried to straighten everything out, but Gina just continued speaking to the bear, who murmured something about stubborn girls. That didn't please Ketefe too much, and from what she could tell, the others weren't happy either.
Still, Bam flying out the window was uncalled for.
"Bam, wait-" Ketefe started to call after the fae, but broke off when Mel walked in. She glanced at the window again, slightly vexed, then let out a little rush of breath in exasperation. She turned back to Officer Greene.
"With all due respect, I think we might have to leave. She won't cause trouble," she added, tilting her head towards the window, "and neither will we. I promise you, I only came here to get my belongings, and I was in the tavern when the others came."
It was the truth. She knew a law enforcer would require that, whether they went to the station or not.
"Also," she mentioned, keeping her eyes and voice steady, "My friends are right. The fact that we're adventurers shouldn't breed mistrust - we're on your side, remember?"
"Can do," Jeremiah replied, watching Bambi vanish into the night and reaching for a thing of chips at the top of the basket of groceries. It was gonna be that sort of night despite how well things were going earlier, it seemed.
Cog responded by leaning forward to kiss her again, turning aside to whisper in her ear. "I'm not that drunk, my dear."
He slipped the rest of the way out of his coat, his yellow eyes meeting her black ones. "I am myself. I promise not to maul you again." He said, managing only a paltry grin as he took a deep breath of her scent, moving back to kiss her again. His free hand worked at the buttons on his own shirt...
Outside, the dusk was finally beginning to truly fall. Shadowed by the black clouds, the sun finally sank fully below the horizon, the paltry light slipping through the storm disappearing entirely, bathing the land in night.
Cog could feel that in his bones - the pull of the risen moon. But he was not nearly drunk enough for it to matter. The Wolf stayed locked in its cage.
The next moment Bambi opened her mouth, the bear made as if to say something, but was quickly overcome by her reply. His eyebrows rose and his eyes widened, the more she said. It was plain to see, already halfway through her statement, that he thought she must be out of her mind. Gina on the other hand just looked at Bam, mouth slightly open, not knowing what to say. They both watched her fly off, and so did most the other patrons. Then, the bear stepped quickly forward toward the window, glaring after the fae.
'The Hell?! You come back here, or you're resisting arrest, you...' he said, loud but probably not loud enough for Bam to hear.
'Please, sorry, sir,' Gina interjected. 'She's just... well...' She blushed.
'She's a damn fae is what she is! You're going to come with me, and then when we're done you better tell her to get her ass over to the station as well, or else...' the officer irately growled back at her, and at Aisha and Ketefe.
- -
The bat laughed, before dragging Cog out of the chair. Slowly, she pulled him along over toward the bed, leaving behind a trail of shirts, wrappings and trousers on the floor. She slipped an arm around him and fell back on the sheets with a smile.
'
Don't be afraid. I won't break,' she said, sneering, hair falling slightly in her face. Considering the way her smooth muscles played under her fur when she moved, that seemed quite easy to believe. '
You're going to have to try harder than that, doggy.'
Thunder crackled outside.
Two hours later, in the dim light of a few candles, the two shapes under the sheets lay still, breathing deeply. Stygian rested her head on Cog's arm, looking awfully content for once.
'
Heh... That about earns another drink, don't you think?' she said, almost sleepily.
Aisha's eyes widened, her mouth slightly agape, at Bambi's sudden outburst...of the very information that they were trying to keep away from the policeman. She hadn't noticed everyone's stares, of her companions and of the bear, even after she flew out of the window and left everyone behind to face the officer and perhaps even the rest of the bar alone.
Her surprised face turned into a snarling grimace as Greene rushed toward the window, calling after her in vain. Coward and traitor, or else just troublemaker. Typical of a Fae...another one that won't be earning more trust anytime soon.
Aisha kept her ground as the others tried to defend their position as well, and even looked up with relief as Mel entered. Perhaps she'd be able to help...at least she hoped, giving a nod to her as she walked in. But now that the whole secret was out, and the bar patrons just as edgy as the officer, there was no way anyone was sticking around for long.
"I see our explanations have failed...so with all due respect, sir..." Aisha said, returning his glare with a quirked eyebrow while she waited for the right time to exit. She only hoped that the others were just as prepared.
"I don't think so."
"Oops, Damn wings I am not use them yet." swears Bambi as she returns first one window pane and then the other back into the window frame. The wood and glass melds and mends as she replaces them. "I know, I opened the window enough before launch but the wind must have to close them.... Okay, Okay, I know I shouldn't run off. nut still what have you got against Fairy besides our flighty nature?" asks Bambi as sit on the window sel. "*Sigh* I have a phone call coming to me at least, right. "
Bambi returns to the private dining hall with the others. And the embarrassed Fae awaits for the bear to lead the way to the station.
PBH
Mel stepped into the tavern as a bear in a stiff blue outfit was shouting out the window at the runaway fae. From the looks on the faces of Aisha, Ketefe, and Gina the fae had done something profoundly stupid. From the looks of the crowd in the bar she had also abandoned her companions to the untender mercies of an agitated crowd. She had better have a good reason to abandon her allies in a dangerous situation.
Before the feline-disguised dragon could even figure out what was going on or what to do to help the fae jumped back in the window. While she had enough sense to fix the broken glass she didn't give any explanation for her bizarre behavior and just verbally challenged the bear before wandering off into another room. Mel wondered if the fae thought this was just a game and not deadly serious.
His breath coming slowly, Cog looked down at the bat, a slight smile on his face. "Or two, my dear, yes." He said, stroking her hair. He met her ebon eyes, the black orbs gleaming in the darkness. "Maybe more than that, Nin Meleth." he murmured, shifting a bit in the sheets. He stayed like that for awhile, simply laying beside her, enjoying the feeling of being next to her. After twenty minutes or so he gave a light kiss on her head and moved his arm, feeling a little thirsty himself.
He let her head down softly and slid out of the bed, approaching the little tray filled with various liquors. He turned to regard her, a lazy smile on his features, and proffered one of the bottles.
"I may not know how to make anything fancy, but I can pour pretty darn well. What'll it be?" Cog set his still unfinished glass to the side, grabbing the bat's empty one. He raised an eyebrow questioningly, brushing a bit of silver hair out of his eyes.
The police officer took a step back, looking at Bam as if on some dangerous, unpredictable animal. Then, upon Aisha's comment, he turned to look at her, scowling.
'Is that so, miss?' he said with clear disapproval. 'You'd be an idiot to go up to that place. If you want to, then go ahead. But I'm going to make inquiries. And if you set foot in this town again...' He left the sentence unfinished. By now, more than one person in there was looking at them over glasses or tables, just waiting for that first hint of violence that would prompt action.
- -
Slowly rolling over to look at the wolf and murring from laying in a warm bed, Stygian was about to ask for a completely different drink, a Stinger or a Black Russian or something else sweet and strong that fit the moment, before she stopped, and a smirk spread over her features.
'
Make one with equal parts amaretto, vodka and Bailey's, with a dash of coffee liqueur,' she said, brushing the sheets aside just a bit and moving over.
Aisha only nearly took back her earlier thoughts as Bam came back in, seemingly having changed her other mind out of favor of a quick escape. But then her attention returned to the bear, and his reply to the comment she had made. Naturally to see, he was quite ticked. Her eyes only narrowed as his threat, though she was slightly taken aback by the fact that he actually let them go, despite his earlier insistence on keeping them there.
A silence hung between them for but a moment, the felid frozen in her spot and immobile as stone. But a quick look around the bar showed that the patrons were watching the confrontation closely, memorizing the looks of the adventurers in case they were ever to be seen again. The panthress was frustrated...how does one make one understand? A ban. Wondrous. She couldn't help but feel it partially her fault.
Nevertheless, Aisha finally broke the silence with a quiet snort. "From what you implied, I think you don't expect any of us to come back from there alive anyway, oso." Her voice became something of a low and calm hiss as she started past him, past other tables, past several pairs of eyes, and towards the door. "So I won't expect you to believe that we already came from there, as the Fae put...however crazy you think she is."
She looked back briefly, her hand on the doorway. "But...just consider you may know where to find a bunch of adventurers if trouble ever rears its head again." She paused, letting the thought sink in, then gave a brief nod to the others waiting while pushing the door out into the storm. "Let's go, quickly."
Cog nodded in assent, unscrewing and pouring the bottles to the various liquors into Sebastian's highball glass. He'd poured it a bit tall without meaning to, so he took a little drink of the concoction before grabbing his own glass and returning to the bat. He handed her the drink, sipping the rest of the cowboy she had given him down, and sitting back down on the bed beside her.
"That one isn't bad. What's it called?" he said, shifting out of her way as she moved.
For once, Keaton didn't snap at Rynkura's comment with a sarcastic or purposefully hurtful remark in response to her comment about being fidgety. It as as though the bitterness had been drained dry from her system. Sighing slightly, Keaton walked over to a chair, running her hand through her disarrayed and damp hair. Next time she was going to go in such weather, she was going to conjure herself a hat to keep her head dry.
"Yeah... you're right. I really am fidgety," she admitted, albeit reluctantly. "I don't really want to eat, but I..."
The idea of Cogidubnus being devoured by Stygian was inexorably frozen in her mind. What would happen if Stygian had decided to do that, while she was perfectly knowledgeable of the danger? She couldn't have that on her conscience. "I'll probably go for another walk," Keaton said numbly, and waved to Rynkura before she exited the library. "I'll see you in a bit."
As the door closed and the darkly-lit hallway was briefly illuminated with the silvery flash of a lance of lightning, Keaton sighed and drew Catastrophe from its holster on her back. Thankfully, she had not forgotten to retrieve it when she dropped it previously, shortly after she was intercepted when attempting to attack Stygian. Now armed, Keaton steadily wandered, searching for the wolf in question as the deafening roar of thunder rang, loud and melancholy, in the air.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
The bat laughed and accepted the glass, sitting up, still wearing nothing but the sheet over her lap. She took a breath, and then swigged the whole drink down in one gulp, slapping the glass down on the nightstand beside the bed. For a second she shivered, and then relaxed with a slow sigh.
'That's how you drink it...' she murred pleasurably. 'It's why it's called a "Screaming Orgasm".' She grinned toward the wolf.
- -
Finding Cog turned out not to be such an easy task. His room was empty, and while Keaton were Cubi, that left her with senses that were little better than those of a regular being, far short of those of a Demon or Angel. Still, she had her ability to sense thoughts and emotions to go on, and such were not as easily blocked by walls and distances as light or odor.
It was, when finally she reached the fifth floor and went through the northern wing, that she finally caught 'whiff' of something that might at last be the wolf. While she passed by a large door, slightly open until just a bit of some stairs showed through the crack between door and wall, she thought she heard a slight hint of conversation. There was no emotion there for a bit, but then came a quick rush of exhilaration, and then some sadistic pleasure rushed over her. She felt a bit of darkness up there as well, crawling and seething, and embarrassment. And a good hint of the warm, rushing feeling of passion too.
While Mel didn't know exactly what was going on it appeared that they were being run out of town. As long as they could get away from the crowd without violence she would be satisfied. She could just take on a new persona if they had any need to return to this place. She backed out of the tavern as quietly as she had come and returned to where she had left Jeremiah. "It appears as if some of our party can not play nice with others. I believe they will be out momentarily. Perhaps we should wait for them up the road and out of sight of the nice police officer."
Relieved that they weren't stopped by the officer upon exit, Aisha pulled the cowl back further over her head against the pouring rain as she stepped out of the tavern. The square was as dark as ever, though people still seemed to be out watching and wondering what was going on. The alley they were standing around could be clearly seen...and the body, which most certainly wasn't. Her footfalls were quiet amidst the noisy waters and occasional thunderclap...the adventurer and whomever was behind her could easily slip behind the crowd without being noticed, unless attention was called to them again.
Gods seal the Fae's mouth, she thought with a grimace, still a little annoyed at the matter before. She spotted Mel and Jeremiah a little ways up the road, leading out of the town and back towards the dreary castle...which by now, Aisha considered an even sanctuary, strangely enough. So they wouldn't be allowed in town...but who knows, perhaps they would be forgotten after a while. And from the looks of the groceries, they had a lot more supplies to last. However long they were going to be.
The road back seemed longer than it had been. But Aisha trudged through the puddles, already tired of being wet, and too agitated on the inside to care about anything but getting back under the roof and stone walls. Warmth, food, and friendly faces...as her mentor would say, better medicine than most.
But finally, the doorstep in sight, they passed through the heavy metal gate, the unkept lawn, and through the door...the grand entrance hall greeted her and whomever entered, as imposing as ever, and yet as welcoming. Without anything said, the panthress shook her head free of lingering rain droplets through her dark hair and started towards her room to change. Her regular clothes would be dry at least.
"Welcome back," she muttered dryly. The place sounded deserted and quiet, however wrong she was.
* * *
Rynkura observed Keaton's reply to her comment, and nodded when she excused herself to go for a walk. "Take care of yourself then. I'll still be here."
The tigress watched her go through the doors, then turned her eyes back to the book, and the encompassing quiet of the library. But the more time passed, the more the healer wondered if she should have pressed about the suspected trouble. And then her ears quirked, noticing she might have heard footsteps of others returning.
So they survive after all, she mused. More than one way to find something.
Well, that went well, Ketefe thought bitterly, following Aisha and the others, and half-watching Mel and Jeremiah further up the road. Thanks to Bam freaking out the officer, they'd been banned from town. At least we have a few shape-shifters, but I won't be able to go down there anymore. Not that I'd want to...
She was, for the most part, silent on the way to the castle, drops rolling down her umbrella and shadow hiding her annoyance and exasperation. Once they reached the castle, she stepped in the doorframe and shook off the umbrella outside, under the eaves. Then she walked in, setting the damp umbrella off to the side and brushing stray raindrops off her tail and arms.
The castle seemed a bit emptier than usual. But then, Ketefe's first prominent memory of this place was chaos. She arched her back and leaned against the nearest wall, waiting for the others to come in.
Mel stepped through the doors of the castle, dispelling the illusion that made her appear feline and returning the umbrella spell to it's former shape as a bobble of light obediently following her. She bowed to Jeremiah, "Thank you for carrying my basket sir. I can take it off your hands now and get it unpacked." To the others nearby she announced, "We picked up some flashlights for those who do not want to break their toes."
Cog coughed lightly at the bat's words, only a slight smirk evident on his face. "Yes, well." he said, taking a sip of his drink. He turned to regard the bat again, a bit of mischeif evident in his own eyes. "I do recall that face, now that you mention it..."
He grinned and turned to look out the windows, taking a drink every now and again. A crack of thunder echoed through the room, lighting it bright for a moment before it dimmed back into candlelit darkness. He took a deep breath, the patter of rain on the windows suddenly echoing through the room for just a moment. He turned to regard the bat again, smiling slightly.
"Well, since you drained your glass again, shall I get you something else?" he said, tilting his head.