At that point, it was rather easy for Aisha to tune out all of the distracting speaking going on in the middle of the drinking contest, though much of it made a part of her--the Being adventurer part--wonder how in the world she managed to survive among such personalities. But, at least things were going more or less smoothly. However she couldn't help but lower her ears at Ignatz's comment about Angels. If only I knew what Mistress Rynkura would say to that. But doubtless, thinking about the possibility put a slight grin on her face.
As the next drinks were ordered, Aisha glanced up at Mel's comment and laughed, taking a sip of ale. "You can stop the contest once one of them accidentally orders cleaning solution. They're doing alright. But at any rate I wonder how long they can go on." She turned her head back, watching the group with curiosity...she still had a wager within her mind on Gareeku. The thought crossed her mind as to how funny males were when they competed...then she remembered about Keaton, who was holding her own as well as the men. A 'Cubi thing, or what? She shook her head.
Hearing that Ignatz had ordered Jack Daniels whiskey this time, Gareeku smirked slightly.
"Good choice. I hope the Tsikoudia wasn't too harsh for you." the wolf commented. As the next round of drinks were laid down on the table, the wolf took one of the glasses and, this time, took his time about drinking the liquid, savouring the taste of the whiskey as he did so.
Hearing Mel's comment, Gareeku turned to her, the slight smirk back on his face.
"Where would the fun be in that?" the wolf replied to her. "Sometimes you just need stuff that keeps you on your toes, so to speak...
A while passed as Gareeku, Ignatz and Keaton continued their drinking contest, pouring all sorts of liqeurs down their throats as they did so. As time wore on, the alcohol was more than starting to take it's effect. In short, Gareeku was wasted.
"Ahhh..." the wolf uttered as he downed another drink, this time the drink being absinthe. "So then...whos next?"
Ignatz slurred slightly and leered lopside-earedly at the wolf. 'Dumkopf!' he said jovially, and sat back with the much-too-confident moves of a drunk. 'It's alwaysh me.' He swiveled his head around, not quite steadily, looking at Keaton with a mild grin, and then over to the barkeep yet again. 'Hey!' he called, tapping the table with an index finger claw. 'We need a refill here. Don't care what it ish, so long at it's over 60 proof.'
Later into the drinking contest, Keaton started to feel the fine line linking each passing minute, heralded and concluded by the neverending cycle of each poured drink which was swiftly and efficiently drained, blur beyond recognition. Bereft of awareness of time and place, she felt a temporary delirious euphoria spiral over her dazed senses, plunging them in and out of wavering tide. For a while, she felt, each time she downed a drink and shunted the glass off to the side to be replenished with a new taste or sensation, truly blissful.
That didn't last for long, though. Because as the drinking contest ended she felt like absolute hell.
An almighty, pounding thundercloud of a headache had swarmed into her brain, beating away at her bruised and abused skull like a rampaging throng of battle-drums, each pulse and palpitation driving her further into the dirt her once-elated mind had been entrenched in. Her vacant drinking glass, its interior glistening and saturated with the vestiges of different variations of booze, was resting nearby, utterly neglected. Drinking wasn't on her mind at the moment. Far from it. All that Keaton was capable of that moment was clutching her scalp and moaning continuously, barely keeping her nausea muffled by clamping her mouth with her free hand.
Shouldn't have drank so much, but she had to win. Had to beat him into the dirt. She especially shouldn't have downed that last-ditch drink she had requested, absinthe. Keaton could've selected any drink, but she wanted a beverage that would ferociously attack the tastebuds, something that would suckerpunch her opponent right into next Tuesday with its taste and amount of alcohol alone. The sheer amount of drinks everyone had sipped had their toll on the other participants of their contest, but to a lesser extent--Ignatz was merely tipsy, and Gareeku was to a lesser extent wasted. If she were in her right mind Keaton would've attributed her early exhaustion to downing some drinks prior to her entry in their drinking competition.
Their drinks were refilled, and Keaton could only stare despondently at her cup with dizzy, delirious eyes from behind her askew glasses. She wanted desperately to take that final drink, but she couldn't. Just couldn't. Instead she resigned, releasing her head and slumping her face to the tabletop with a muffled obscenity.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Cog caught the bat's look, meeting it evenly, and raised an eyebrow as he shifted in his seat. Ignatz was smiling about something, although what, the wolf wasn't sure. He kept his eyes on the bat for a few moments, his gaze obscured by his shades.
The hell...?
Eventually, the bat's attention turned back to the drinks, and that's where Cog turned his attention too. Drink after drink made it's way around the table, all three participants drinking them down with hardly a twitch. It was powerful stuff too - not a shot under 60 proof, all around.
He watch the contest continue with some amusement, a grin on his face as the bat began to slur his words. Really, he'd expected the wolf to go down first - but then, it wasn't over yet. He leaned back and continued to watch, his eyes gleaming.
To his surprise, the Jackal fell face-first onto the table, signaling her loss. Soft obscenities drifted up from her general vicinity, her final drink untouched. Cog shook his head, chuckling softly. If this was how she felt now, he pitied how she would feel tomorrow morning...
Mel yawned a bit and set her glass down on the bar. She looked to the panther beside her. "Well, that last request is pretty close to ordering cleaning fluid. What say we call this a tie? I give you the name of the town and Ignatz and I tag along for as long as we care to. I'll even allow that you're entitled to about half the nasty remarks you've been slinging around. And let the jackal ride along too if she wishes. Considering the body weight differences she did well." She held out one hand to Aisha to confirm the deal.
Aisha was beginning to wonder what time it was, watching as the contest went on without much of another hitch. Drink after drink, each of the members slowly reaching the point of being under the weather and due for a hammering headache in the morning. It was after a hit of absinthe that Ignatz called the drink, not even naming it. They must have been quite a spectacle by then...the bargoers and waiters would have a story to tell. And for all of her effort, Keaton was one to be respected though her head hit the table first. Gareeku was rather wasted, and the bat's words were already too slurred.
With a sigh, Aisha declined the offer of another drink...watching them had certainly decimated her thirst. And that was when she heard Mel start to speak. She quirked an ear her way, listening to her make the terms to end the contest. When it was finished, the panthress quirked an eyebrow and glanced towards the table. It seemed fair enough...though she had something of an argument about Ignatz and Mel joining, they did have the information they needed. And really, after a time, Mel was rather the reasonable of the two indeed.
Aisha turned to her, eyes narrowed with what could have been suspicion, but she put a friendly grin on her face and shook her hand. "Alright then...deal. Let's get 'em out then, before they all keel over."
The panthress hopped off of the stool and strode over to the competitors, placing her hand palm-down on the center of the table between them. "It's about time to cut you two head-butters off," she smirked. "Mel and I declare it a tie."
"Hehehe, good man..." the wolf replied to Ignatz's request to the barman, his voice more than slightly slurred. Looking to his side, Gareeku laughed somewhat as Keaton seemed to give up. "Awwww come on, you can keep goin'!"
It was then, however, that Aisha approached the table, placing the palm of her hand upon it in the middle and declaring the contest a tie.
"Aawww fuck, we was havin a good ol' time, too!" the wolf replied in his heavily slurred voice, looking up at Aisha with an expression of drunken disappointment. "Cut a dyin' man some slack..."
Surprisingly, and somewhat awkwardly to the girls as well, Ignatz leaned a bit to the side and slapped the wolf's shoulder, his face tinged with inebriated sadness. 'I'sh no use, man. They're women. There's no use in tryin' to persude 'em' he muttered. 'I feel with you tho', bud. Ye'r a good man.' Before Aisha or Mel could remark on this, the bat stood up and looked at them.
'Ehxcuse me, misses. I know what you're both sayin',' he said, and made a bit of a half-mocking bow. 'An' you're right. But I need to help those more needing.' He put his hand on Keaton's back and shook her gently, and then bent down to lay her arm over his shoulder and lift her up, helping her stand. 'Shomeone's got to clear their head.'
Giving the two girls one last smirk that was quite charming in spite of its unsteadiness, the bat turned, steadying the much shorter jackal as best he could, and wandered off in the direction of the bathrooms.
'Easy, girl. There ya go,' Ignatz murmured as he swung open the door, and then helped Keaton to one of the stalls. Giving the jackal a hand at getting in, he closed the door for her privacy, and then walked over to a urinal to relieve himself, far better than he should have been able to when judging from his condition earlier. After a long run, the bat zipped up, went over to a faucet, cleaned his hands and drank some cold water, and then splashed his face with it. Looking up in the mirror above the tap, he wiped his face and straightened his fur and hair, raking it with his claws. The unsteadiness to his moves and gaze was completely gone.
'Crazy motherfucker...' he mumbled to his solemn-faced mirror image. He waited for the jackal to do her business as well, and then went over and rapped the door to her stall with his knuckles. 'How's it goin' in there?' he asked, a big of grogginess back in his voice.
Keaton initially remained silent despite Aisha and Mel declaring the competition to be over, the arm which once held her head upright now draped over her scalp, the other hanging lifelessly in front of her. Other than a few moans and groans, she had absolutely no valuable or intelligible input. Any vigor the jackal once held had been sapped right out of her by the deceptive claws of her last absinthe, leaving her with no energy other than to restrain herself from vomiting on the table right in front of everyone, or from passing out on the spot. What with the way the world was somersaulting around and around in her perspective, it was surprising she didn't immediately toss her cookies (and booze) upon the first few hundred, breakneck revolutions.
"Fffffffuck..." she groaned, then instantly regretted this. Keaton clasped her hand against her mouth again, resisting the urge to vomit, and then waited until the telltale swell of nausea abated. It barely buckled down enough for her to talk again, mumbling in-between her gravelly moans, "Y-y'two c...c'n keep killin' each ot... other with booze. I'm.. jus' gonna res' for a moment."
Much to her surprise, Keaton found herself propped upright by what she believed to be an invisible force. Chocolaty irises swelled and spiraled deliriously as she struggled to look around, eventually retiring with a close of her eyes and an exhausted groan, one which deteriorated into a dangerous hiccup which forced her hand to her mouth again. Her glasses had toppled off of her nose at this point, dangling pendulously on the end of the thin length of chain which kept them anchored to her ear. At first Keaton had no idea it was Ignatz who was supporting her until she saw the slight, blond-tinged blur hovering against the backdrop of her partially monochromatic vision, but even then she knew better than to deny his assistance. Instead she allowed herself to be dragged off, offering as much control as she could through a few scrapes of her feet against the floor. Even that, however, relented, the idea of moving in the slightest being too draining for Keaton's wasted mind.
---
Being deposited in the stall came as a sort of liberation to Keaton. Almost instantly she recognized the white porcelain harbinger itself, staring owlishly at it before she scrambled towards the toilet and latched onto its brim with her claws. Not a single thought registered in her head at that moment--all she cared about at that moment was finally succumbing to the dreadful sickness which had been pummeling away at her gut. Nails raked along the porcelain as Keaton bent over the basin of the toilet, violently regurgitating inside of its belly.
When Ignatz finally checked up on her he was rewarded with a loud, horrid retching sound which was reminiscent of both a sob and a choking gag. A few more, identical noises followed, taking a brief intermission as the present occupant of the stall heaved and struggled to catch her breath, then resumed her sickly worshiping. It finally stopped after a couple of horrid minutes, only for a loud sniffling noise to replace it. Keaton wasn't crying, but she certainly felt like it now that the reality of her headache came crashing down along with her abhorrent nausea.
"G-Gawwwwd..."
~Keaton the Black Jackal
The bat sighed, and rested his head against the door a bit. He had hoped she'd only use the toilet the normal way. But either way, so long as she managed to get the poison out of her body, it was more or less alright.
Ignatz waited until the retching sounds were up, then returned to his slight wobbling and opened the door. The jackal was hanging on the toilet, face down, and a putrid, acidic smell filled the whole stall. Clasping his nostrils together, the bat reached down and gently tugged her up, putting his arm around her and leading her out to the faucets.
'It's alright. Jus' relax,' he said, opening the cold water on full and pulling the pin to cause the faucet to fill up. Fortunately, she hadn't gotten anything in her hair or even messed up very much. 'Feel better now?' He didn't wait for an answer to the question, before he grabbed her neck and shoved her head right down into the cold water.
When the placid laxity of her movements turned hard and struggling, Stygian waited for a couple of seconds, and then pulled Keaton back up out, the jackal coughing and sputtering. He pushed the pin to let the water run out. 'Good,' he said. 'Now drink. A lot.' He then turned to the toilet, went in and wiped the ring, threw the paper in and flushed it, and then left the stall alone. That was enough cleaning when you were in a bar.
By the time Keaton was finished she, despite the relative spotlessness of her face, looked like she had been dragged head-first around every corner of the bar and had been slapped about with a baseball bat. Her ears were drooping on either side of her head, her organic eye was dazed and slightly teary, threatening to overflow with artificial water--the opposite eye remained eerily dry, as though it was bereft of the ability to reflect any form of emotion--and her hair was slightly bedraggled, yet mercifully devoid of waste. Still Keaton's hands remained glued to the seat of the toilet even after her hacking fit had subsided, quaking as the same trembles hiked up the frame of her shuddering body, as though that support was the only thing keeping her from being pulverized by the monstrous weight of her headache. When forced to relinquish her grip she let out a lifeless moan, allowing herself to be dragged over to the sink. Finished or not, she still felt like fresh hell.
"Don'... feel so good," she slurred, clasping her hand over her face. Regardless of her previous opinion of Ignatz, she felt entitled to indulge him--or someone--of how rotten she felt.
Unfortunately, Keaton only realized that he was filling up the sink until after Ignatz had stopped the flow of water, and she had only realized that he was planning on plunging her head in when he actually did so. She didn't flail or scream or make any efforts to escape. She was simply too tired to react in any way other than let the cleansing water wash away at her face--and, holy shit, she was going to drown. He was going to drown her. Nearly screaming, Keaton thrashed and kicked, attempting to pull herself away as she felt her perceived oxygen deplete, expecting for Ignatz to relent in some way, but he remained solid until the moment he tugged her out from the water. Heaving, Keaton swallowed in as much precious air as she could, attempting to evacuate her throat of the water clinging inside of it. All the while she made inhuman gagging noises, clutching at her throat and forgetting how alert she felt in comparison to before.
The jackal made another one of those piteous half-sob, half-gagging noises and slumped against the sink, feeling as though every one of her limbs had been reduced to rubber. Off behind her she could hear Ignatz flushing the toilet, reminding her how she probably should have followed his example before, but for some reason she simply felt sick instead of feeling like she had to relieve herself. For then, she kept her complaints to herself and turned back to the sink, turning back on the rush of water and gathering up as much as she could in her hands, then gulping them down continuously.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Keaton had turned the tap on again and was swallowing down enough water to put out a small fire. Which was precisely what she was supposed to. Ignatz leaned against the wall and waited until she basically couldn't take anymore, and then screwed close the tap. 'Alright. Come on,' he urged her, and helped her off the faucet. She seemed quite rubbery though, and after just a pair of steps her knees gave way and she sagged down. The bat chuckled and shook his head, then crouched down and slipped his hand under her legs. He lifted her up in his arms as if she weighed no more than a doll.
Kicking the door open, the bat put on a slight drunken apparel again and walked back into the bar, then over to the reception counter. 'One room for me and one for this little thing here,' he said, ignoring the looks of the others and the receptionist. He pushed his right arm out from under Keaton's legs and snatched the keys up, then proceeded with walking off and up the stairs with her. She looked already on the verge of passing out, and would be in no state of getting to bed herself.
Keaton probably would've been swallowing water all day, disregarding her nausea, if it weren't for Ignatz's interception, a twist of his hand quickly severing her source of drink and leaving her gulping down the last few droplets which lingered in her mouth. Hissing, she slumped again, squishing her body against the countertop, only for a strong arm to hook around her waist and tug her away from the faucet, hands futilely groping for something to steady her until she was straightened and on her feet. This momentary stability didn't last long--a few shaky steps forward and despite Ignatz's coaxing Keaton was on the ground with a heavy thump.
On the ground, she wearily, almost defensively stared up, as though she were expecting for someone invisible to mock her condition. No such thing happened, though, as a moment later she was being lifted up, much to her surprise, and cradled. For a fleeting moment Keaton was genuinely shocked, wanting to thrash and break free, then crawl up to her room on her own, but the understanding that she was in no state to act on such an impulse kept her reactions curbed. Besides, she was far too sick and far too delirious to even think of attempting such a task. Hand moving on its own, Keaton reached up and grabbed at the lapel of Ignatz's shirt, wringing at it and closing her eyes a little, sopping wet locks of hair draping over her face.
Headache aside, that strange heaviness was gone, having been replaced with an unpleasant hovering sensation which kept her continuously suspended throughout her consciousness. Divided between being fettered by invisible weight and levitating airily, Keaton muttered a little under her breath, no longer moaning, which was a visible improvement, but still trembling. Her head thumped lightly against Ignatz's chest, her own heaving and shaking as it carried breath after breath. When she opened her eyes again the first thing she noticed was white fur, tinged strangely with accented blond, and for some reason--perhaps her inebriation--she felt it pinprick at her attention in a painful way.
"Y'know..." Keaton murmured, just loud enough for him to hear. "I... knew someone with fur like yours..." A dark chuckle, then she looked up at him through the soaked tresses of her hair. "Didn't have... e-eyes like yours though."
Another laugh, slightly drunken and a clear illustration of how wasted Keaton was, just before she let her head hang and rest against Ignatz's chest again, and her eyes closed again. Not permanently or for sleeping, but for relative relaxation.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Aisha had an amused look on her face as Gareeku replied to the declaration that the contest was over, in his slurred voice. She rolled her eyes slightly. And here I thought he'd be one of those depressed drunks, the panthress joked in her mind...however his outright comment about dying set her ears back against her skull.
Before anything more could be said, however, Ignatz interrupted with a comment that she just had to frown at...but at least the bat looked well enough that he helped a very sickly-looking Keaton to her feet and over to the bathrooms. "Right...and yet without women I think the rest of you'd go extinct from the drinking alone," the panthress muttered, passing a smirk to Mel before she turned back to the wolf and his drunken, sour expression.
"If you have to die, I'd rather you do it with a relatively clean mind," Aisha replied to Gareeku in a tone of neutrality, though it was meant really to be a joke, and took one of his arms around her shoulders to help lift him up. Being able to move him however would prove difficult...though Aisha was strong, she wasn't as much to move Gareeku on her own. She glanced to Mel. "You wanna help me move him to a room? Unless you can walk, amigo," the panther added, the last comment directed to him...though if he was as out of it as she thought, Aisha would certainly be insistent on being of help.
Mostly Ignatz ignored the jackal's mutterings. She seemed oddly docile while he was carrying her though, something he hadn't expected from a 'Cubi who had been so feisty before. But he guessed she was the tomboyish type. Be mean to them and you knock them off their feet. Strange, he thought to himself. Either that, or they just put up that front when secretly all they want to do is cry like little girls. There was also the chance that she was just conning him, something regular to 'Cubi. But that wasn't entirely likely at the moment.
Upstairs, Ignatz strolled down the corridor until he reached the first room, opened the door, and then quietly went inside. He shifted the jackal's weight up his arm a bit as he untied her boots and set them down at the door, then went in.
'That's very interesting, sweetie. Let's talk about it in the morning,' the bat said distractedly, throwing the sheets on the bed aside. He helped her off with her arm warmers and gloves, and then her baggy pants. The sleeveless top wasn't really anything big, so he just let her have that and then laid the groggy jackal down, pulling the sheet up over her.
Unnatural as it was for a 'Cubi to sleep, in the midst of the prelude to what would inevitably evolve into a gruesome hangover, Keaton began to comprehend that something akin to rest would be more than beneficial to her intoxicated condition. After all that had occurred, combined with the lazy sensation which both elevated and anchored her drowsy consciousness, she started to feel an additional pressure lurking into the backdrop of her mind: that of true exhaustion, desiring slumber, which instantly and parasitically clung to her stamina. While Ignatz disregarded her poorly-conceived mumblings Keaton continued to utter everything under her breath, coming dangerously close to confessing her life's story once or twice, but preventing herself from toppling over that barricade with what sparse self-control that existed.
Ignatz removed her boots and then stripped her of her clothing, surprisingly to little resistance from Keaton. For a moment she looked as though she was going to violently react, judging by the insidious narrowing of her eyes and what looked like a defensive growl building up in her throat, but this was extinguished when she was covered with the sheets. Oh yeah, sleep. She needed that, didn't she? Sighing, Keaton shifted a little, sinking into the covers. She was close enough to nodding off before when being carried; now she was precariously leaning off of that boundary.
"Y'r fur ain't so bad..." she droned, rolling her head to the side, away from Ignatz. The rest of her body followed, rolling off onto her side, hands clutching and entwining in the wrinkled waves of the sheets. "No...
"Kinda reminds me of snow..."
This time she didn't laugh. Instead she heaved a little bit, then closed her eyes peacefully, feeling it was safe to permit herself to drift off.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
At Aisha's request for assistance Mel slid off her barstool. "No problem. Let me get your room key first." Receiving the key to room 9 from the clerk she returned to the table. "Next to your friend, the squirrel." Getting on the opposite side of the wolf from Aisha she helped get him to his feet. She was stronger than her slender frame would indicate. "Time to retire from the field of battle, your reward to be claimed with the new day."
Smiling only half-sardonically, satisfied at the proceedings, the bat turned against the door and was just about to leave, when Keaton spoke. Her second sentence made him stop and twitch on the spot, his ears flicking and perking straight up. He hesitated for a second, eyes a bit wider and his stance a bit tenser, looking at the door. Then he turned back, and sat down on the side of the bed.
The 'Cubi looked asleep already, but he didn't care. 'What did you say?' he asked her, quietly but with a hidden sharpness to his tone.
When Ignatz turned around to stare at Keaton, he was greeted with nothing more than the sight of her naked back, flipped to face the ceiling, draped in the threadbare sheets in the dilapidated and slightly overused bed. Her bedraggled face was pressed into the beaten, yet comfortable pillow and her body was moving with a strange amount of serene peacefulness to it, the quaking having waned, petered out of her rubbery and lifeless limbs, and the exhaustion permeating her form having ushered in somnolence at last. Within seconds, a soft sequence of dreamy snores started to churn from her body, floating in the air.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
The bat frowned, his fangs slipping into view slightly as he bent down closer to the jackal's oversized ear. Considering how she looked, she must have had just a bit of other blood in her, but at the moment it was the last thing that Ignatz cared about.
'What did you call me?' he said, louder this time. It was almost a little snarl. 'Tell me! Now.' What with her being a 'Cubi and her comment, he was suddenly much less considerate about her comfort. His free hand tensed, his claws slipping out a little further.
Keaton's tranquility didn't last long, apparently, and quite unfortunately for her. One barked comment into her ear and she cursed aloud, her drunken and delirious mind forcing itself to backpedal out of her slumber and past the periphery of weariness. Involuntarily, she jerked her body into relative alertness, much indicated by the elevation of her unnaturally sized ears and her shocked expression as she stared owlishly at Ignatz.
His demands barely registered, understandable given her condition. But regardless, she remained infuriatingly confused, staring with heightened surprise at the bat. In her drunken sense of vulnerability, she seemed... intimidated, puzzled. "I--wha'?" she asked, genuinely perplexed, and struggling to speak with relative coherency. Keaton covered her exposed front with the sheets. "I--I didn't call you anything--"
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Ignatz looked just about to snarl, but his voice was quite low when he spoke again, a slight growl in the back of his throat. 'And what you said...?' he began, dark, dark eyes narrowed and fixed unerringly at Keaton's own.
The bat waited a few seconds, almost about to grab the jackal and do something unpleasant to her. Then his features relaxed and he sighed, closing his eyes. 'Never mind. A mistake,' he murmured, and stood up, his weight shifting off the bed. 'Sleep well,' he said, quite strangely, and walked out, shutting the door behind him.
Well outside, the bat leaned against the wall and closed his eyes yet again, reaching up and rubbing his temple. Idiot. Even if she knows dark magic and she's a Succubus, it's not likely she knows, he thought, scolding himself. And even if she did know, were you thinking of extracting something now? You really are a moron.
"Ya, I couldn't stand the drinking anymore either." said James. "Wait! You said they knew you were an incubus?" He glanced at Gabi and back at Jakob. "They don't know you were... err... That is, they don't know about your past, do they?"
"I hope not," said Jakob grimly. "I think Cog has enough to piece it together, although with luck he's never heard of my... other self. Tales of my infamy are more prevalent in the southlands, and unheard-of in the far north, thank the gods.
"I'm more worried about the bat, but hopefully he hasn't made the connection either. I'm sure he would love to have blabbed about that to all and sundry. Although someone who gets morbid over a few dead bandits is an unlikely mass-murderer so perhaps he didn't think he could get it to stick."
He paused and cocked his ears.
"I hope that stuff's ready. It sounds like the game may be over."
During the time Ignatz and Keaton's eyes locked, the jackal remained truly and unflinchingly perplexed, her confusion becoming exacerbated by how--angry--the bat looked. Dark eyes were narrowed into thin obsidian slits, tension bristled along the tendons barely visible beneath velveteen fur, and, judging by his voice, such a fury was only escalating with each passing second, a stark contrast to how the bat had previously attempted to remedy her intoxication. In comparison Keaton looked surprisingly meek, although this could be attributed to her inebriation-granted vulnerability, the hands wringing the sheet squeezing unconsciously. For a moment Keaton was certain that Ignatz would lunge at her.
But instead he left the room with a cryptically uncharacteristic farewell and closed the door with a penultimate snap behind him. Still looking like a deer trapped in an eighteen-wheeler's headlights, Keaton stared for a moment at the door, pondering what had happened. Why did he seem so angry? She couldn't remember anything that she said which was deserving of such a reaction. All she could recall was telling him he looked like--
Oh. She had said that, hadn't she?
Sighing in frustration, Keaton sunk back down into bed, throwing the covers over her head. Due to her tension and how unnerved she was she doubted she could fall asleep, but that didn't stop her from lying there until she felt her energy restored.
Fucking hell, she thought.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Gabi nodded. "It could have been much worse. But we'll still have to be careful. We're not likely to be so lucky in every town we visit."
She thought for a moment, and then asked Jakob: "Who's Cog?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," said Jakob. "Cogidubnus. The wolf I was talking to earlier. Interesting chap. I don't know quite what he is, but I'm pretty sure he's more than just a normal Being."
"Oh," Gabi replied. "Yes, I was wondering about him. He was asking about us right before you joined us. Did you find out what he wanted?"
"Just a wandering swordsman," Jakob said. "Apparently a teacher of the sword in spare time. Looking for casual work at the moment, or so he said." His headwings, which he had revealed in the privacy of their room, drooped.
"You don't think he was... looking for intelligence on us? Because if so, I've given him a fair bit. Not everything, but enough to piece things together. He didn't seem dangerous, although his mood spiked nastily when he got the idea I was a Being mage, and again when I mentioned trying to raise the dead..."
"Well, I can understand how that idea can be disturbing to anyone..." Gabi commented. "I'd rather not think about that now, anyway. I don't know... maybe I'm just too edgy after everything that's been happening. It doesn't hurt to learn more about those around us, in any case."
"Hi."
Stygian's eyes snapped open at the sudden comment, that wolf from before leaning against the wall with one shoulder and staring at him. His foot was propped up off the floor by his toes, the wolf's posture almost jovial-looking, except for the look on his face. His expression was almost cold, if nothing else, completely blank and unreadable.
Between the two was Keaton's door, and behind the black-clad wolf was another open doorway, the light from inside casting into the darkened hallway. The wolf stood on the far side of the succubus's door, and stared silently at the strangely sober bat.
Ignatz blinked once, then turned his head and faced the wolf's solemn stare unflinchingly. His ears lowered slightly, and he slipped his other hand down to his pants, thumb inside his belt. 'Hello,' he replied, not giving any clues either, seeing as the wolf was not intending to pass on any of his own. 'Can I help you?'
"No."
Cog continued to stare at the bat quietly. He shifted just a bit, uncrossing his arms and scratching at the bridge of his nose before returning to his previous stance. He took a breath, his ear twitching as he did so, and tilted his head just slightly, addressing the bat.
"Quite kind of you to help the girl to bed." he said, one eye narrowing beneath his shades. He paused just a moment. "Especially considering how...drunk, you... are." Cog kept staring at the bat "You had a lot of drinks. It's a wonder you could make it up the stairs yourself. And I thought I he...well." he said, his ear twitching again. "I thought you might need some help, but apparently not." the wolf stated, just as calmly, and pushed himself off the wall. He made a very slight bow to the bat, tilting forward just a few degrees.
"Have a good night, Mr. Ignatz." he said, turning softly and returning to the room with the opened door.
'It's Mister Donovan to you,' the bat said, suddenly. Not loud, but much closer than Cog had expected. He moved very silently, it seemed. Not minding whether if he were invited or not, he stood in the door.
'If you have something to say, say it. I'm not too distraught to pay a man his deserved heed,' the bat said, leaning against the door frame, his facial features darkened by the lack of light in the room and the backlight from the corridor, though still bright compared to his eyes.
Cog paused, turning and looking over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow. He turned, standing in the center of the room and letting his hands hang as hit sides, and gave Ignatz another slight bow.
"Mr. Donovan, then." the wolf said, his voice polite.
"You do me an honor. Heed is, perhaps, something I am sometimes undeserving of." the wolf said, walking farther into his room. He turned, regarding the bat for a moment before speaking. "You don't quite seem a person who likes to be danced around, though." the wolf said strangely, a smile tugging he features. He rubbed his nose, leaning against one of the walls.
"This is an inn, sir. The walls are paper, and I could hear you even if they weren't." he said, scratching the back of his head. "I heard a growl." he stated, simply leaving it at that.
"I'm sorry if I've been intrusive." the wolf said, looking sideways. "But...well. I am sometimes foolish, and I can hardly help hearing things like that. I assumed the worst, which is seldom the fact. My heartfelt apologies." he said, pushing himself off the wall and making a more formal bow to the bat.
The bat had almost contemplated doing something even more unnerving just to get the wolf off-balance. But when Cog turned against him and merely offered a smile, it was Ignatz who was a bit taken aback instead, not that he showed it save the raising of an eyebrow. So. The wolf didn't seem to know who he was. That was fortunate. If he was not acting, of course. And it was Keaton he had been worried about.
The wolf ended his statement, and again, he bowed. What was it with him and bowing? Westerners sometimes had such strange traditions. And judging from his sword... Ignatz searched his memory for the man's name, looking away. He had mentioned it earlier.
'Are you a do-gooder, Mr. Mithlome?' the man asked, some of the hostility vanished from his voice, though the question was markedly rhetorical. He took a few steps in, moving slowly. 'I've met many such in my day. And in my experience they have never boded well. Least of all to themselves.' He looked up at the wolf to accentuate his words, and made a brief pause. 'Your interest in us down there was not unwarranted. But I would still advise you to... exercise caution. In this case as in any other.' The propriety of his language adjusted to match the wolf's, along with his very slight accentuation and strange timing made the bat's words sound sharper somehow.
"Do-gooder?" the wolf said, shaking his head. He laughed slightly, leaning back against the wall as the bat approached. He shook his head again slowly, his voice going softer.
"No. I should think not. Not by any means."
He paused for several moments, finally speaking up again, smiling. "I cause too much trouble to be a do-gooder." he said finally, pushing off the wall. "But though I am generally loath to get involved in other's business, I will occasionally forget and stick my nose where it does not belong."
Cog paused, his face sobering, and regarded the bat. "In general, it has gotten me bit more times than I care to recall."
"I do hope you can forgive my misplaced...intrest. It's seldom I find a group about to kill each other during a victory party." he said, smiling just slightly. "And your advice is taken. But do not mistake my interest for recklessness." the wolf said, his face unreadable. "I am never, incautious."
Again, the bat looked away, before walking even closer and turning to look at the wolf sideways. 'I am not a man who would harm anyone without a reason, Mr. Mithlome,' he said, neutrally now. 'And your concern for the lady does you honor. I am, however, a man who harms dearly when I do get a reason.'
The bat stood close enough that he needed to tilt his view slightly up to look Cog in the eyes now. The wolf was probably a couple of inches taller than he was. The bat's high cheekbones, untied hair and lips gave him a more feminine streak, but he looked the more muscular of the two, and probably the heavier, though both had slender builds. And though both had a distinct, shared hardness to them, the bat seemed ominously darker.
'Cautiousness does you no good if you have no idea what you should be looking for,' Ignatz said, vaguely. 'What are you looking for, Mr. Mithlome?'
The bat was getting very close now, and Cog's fur bristled almost imperceptibly, the scruff of his neck just slightly rising. Both wolf and Iaidoika instincts didn't like people to be too close, and it was making the wolf just a bit uncomfortable. The bat was a bit shorter than he was, which somehow seemed just a bit odd - and Cog, even through his shades, found himself just a bit put off by Ignatz's ink-black eyes.
He still kept where he was, though, his face amiable. "Like I told the incubus. I'm a wanderer. And taking on the occasional odd job helps pass the time between trips." he said, smiling. "I'm trying to find someone. And doing what I do is also a good way of looking."
He met the bat's eyes. "More than that, I'm afraid I can't say." the wolf said, his tone slightly less friendly. He stood up straight, the distance between the two of them closing just slightly more, and took a deep, deep breath, closing his eyes behind shaded lenses and then exhaling loudly. The wolf paused, seemed to shrug, and leaned back against the wall.
"But you don't need to worry about it. The person I'm looking for doesn't smoke Cinder Brand Tobacco." the wolf said politely.
The bat stopped for a second, narrowed his eyes at Cog, and then smirked slightly. 'So,' he said, and chuckled, looking down at the floor between them for a second. 'That doesn't tell me anything of the one you are looking for...' When he returned his look to Cog he looked both pleased and bemused. And there was even something else, something hard to define, to his smile.
'What manner of 'man' are you, Mr. Mithlome? Only a certain kind can distinguish something like that,' Ignatz asked.
Cogidubnus simply grinned at the bat toothily, inclining his head. "I am who I am, and as I ever was." he said, pushing off the wall and past the bat. He walked towards the single desk provided for the small room, and sliding out a chair he sat down, reaching beneath the piece of pinewood furniture to produce a book. He set the blue-backed thing down on the desk, and leaning back in his chair he nodded his head to Ignatz.
"I'm not an Angel or Demon, if that's what you mean, and I'm no Cubi. You've got nothing to fear from me." he said, tilting his head. He reached into his jacket pocket and rummaging for a moment. He paused, shrugged, and returned to simply sitting.
"I suppose I've been honest enough so far. I'm a Were." he said, his his face carefully neutral. He regarded the bat silently for a moment, and then grabbed his book again. "Most of the rumors you have heard about us are false." he stated, crossing his legs. "Most."
Ignatz made no obvious effort to conceal his surprise. So earnest? So direct? Have I run into a good and honest man, a liar or an idiot? All three, perhaps? He chuckled mentally and walked closer.
'I fear little, though you have probably guessed that already. Just as I had guessed a few things concerning you,' the bat said. 'Believe me or not, but I have encountered weres before. Though not under such circumstances. I thought you were all recluses.' Judging from his tone he found the whole situation quite amusing. A little prodding, a little poking... The man shouldn't be immune to it. And I have time to kill, he thought. Well, a little.
Cog returned to his book, but soon found the bat's smirk right over the edge of it and hard to ignore. 'Still does not answer too many questions,' Ignatz remarked. 'Not that I shall try and squeeze answers out of you. But it's funny. So, are you just killing time, or what?'
Jakob glanced at James. He didn't seem to have heard. "Hey, James... is that stuff ready?" he asked again.
The wolf stifled a little jump of surprise when the bat's face appeared over the edge of his book, raising his eyebrows, and making a slight coughing noise put the volume back on the desk. He paused, regarding Ignatz, and resting his head in his hands he stared quietly at the bat.
"I wasn't raised among Weres, so I couldn't say." he said, his voice neutral. "Although its not a fact one generally advertises, no. But I don't really have a problem with that." Cog gave the bat a polite half-smile. "But, yes. I have heard we generally are recluses. Imagine that." he said somewhat sardonically, and again stood, crossing the distance between the chair and the window and staring out into the night.
"I prefer to savor time, not kill it. But as I said before, I'm trying to find someone. And doing what I do is a good way to look." he said, staring out the window before turning to again meet the bat's shiny, ink-like eyes.
"Which brings up the question. What you are doing here, Mr. Donovan?" he said, tilting his head somewhat.
'Killing time,' was the bat's immediate answer. 'I am out of work, and I have a... personal project that I am pursuing, but which is unfortunately held up at the time.' He made a sad face and a shrug, and then leered at the wolf again. 'So, seeing as I already spent a month collecting the wolf, and then went out of my way to get him out of the demon's clutches, I figure I might as well invest more time in him and, even more, in his company.'
The bat paused and sighed as he put a hand down on the desk, sliding back on it and having a seat. 'They're a bit interesting, somehow,' he explained, speaking to no one in particular. 'And regardless of interest, it is better to travel with people than alone.' Especially if you get the chance to exploit and kill them, he added in his thoughts. The 'Cubi, at least.
Ignatz cast a sideways glance at Cog, and then smirked again, leaning back. 'Well, I shan't lie. The fact that Mel saw it as worth her time to tag along sort of made up my mind in advance,' he said, half jokingly.
That wasn't quite what the wolf had meant, but he nodded anyway, looking down into the alleyway behind the tavern. Dark moonlight spilled out over the black, wet ground, and a few unrecognizable lumps of refuse, or possibly vagrants, filled the shadowed corridor. The wolf stared at the rather unscenic view for a moment, quietly looking, and glanced at the bat out of the corner of his eye.
"That's unfortunate..." he said slowly, feeling the cold radiating from the panes. "About the business, I mean. But I suppose I can't argue with your reasoning." Cog kept his eyes distant, hidden behind shaded lenses.
"Traveling alone..." he trailed off, musing. "I haven't traveled with anybody for a very long time." Cog paused, thinking, and turned to look at Ignatz. "A very long time. It hasn't been...practical." he said finally, returning his gaze to the alleyway.
"Perhaps not a bad idea." he said lightly, tapping his hand on the wall. He called back a question to the bat.
"Although, who is Mel?"
Ignatz tilted his head and looked a little bemused. 'Why, the other girl down there. The only light-furred person around save myself,' he smirked. 'White and pure and cold as snow.' He chuckled, and got up again. Somehow, the wolf's tone and mood had changed. He wasn't entirely sure why or how. Probably, he'd meant something else or been disappointed. So what to do...?
'If you are thinking of joining us, Mr. Mithlome, don't get too involved,' the bat said, strolling lazily toward the door. 'They seem on edge enough already.' He passed a glance and a grin back over his shoulder. 'Better then to keep your distance and speak carefully and with the right people.' Again he turned against the door, and paced out. 'For now, goodnight, Mr. Mithlome. Hope for pleasant dreams.'
The right people, huh? the wolf thought, a half-grin coloring his features, and waved at the receding bat.
"Goodnight, Mr. Donovan. The same to you."
The wolf waited until the bat's steps began to fade, and then pushed off the wall, closing the door to his room and then sitting back down at his desk. His expression was thoughtful, and reaching back into his pocket he produced the business card that Jakob had given to him. Rubbing a thumb over the raised ink printed on the cardstock, he slipped it back in his jacket and picked his book back up, reading by the low light of the gaslamp provided.
They -did- seem a little on edge. But the Cubi seemed a bit excitable anyway. he mused, reading over the pages slowly. Well. Perhaps I'll just keep an eye on them. Cog flipped a page, taking his glasses off and setting them down by the lamp. "Every time you do this, Cog, bad things happen..." he said, rubbing one eye before returning to his book.
He paused a moment, and sighed. Well, I was getting bored anyway.
Helped onto his feet by Aisha and Mel, Gareeku swayed slightly as he slowly stepped away from the table. A short while later, he was being led into his room. Falling down upon the bed, the wolf immediately fell into a deep sleep, largely thanks to the alcohol that he had consumed
It was a shaky walk, but manageable, as an exhausted wolf was helped back up to his feet without much more resistance or complaints. Though seeing him so tired, Aisha wondered if she wasn't starting to feel lethargic herself, even if she hadn't had much to drink at all. As the key was retrieved and they started towards the rooms, she certainly had to agree about the day. It had ended rather well...Gareeku was back among the group, alive, and in a strange twist those who took him were now with them on a cease-fire. She wondered how long that would last...but really couldn't think any more of it. Just keep looking forward, chica. That's all we can do.
But finally they made it to his assigned room, and as Mel had put, seemed to be placed near to where James was. She could make out familiar voices nearby, but nothing more was thought of it. The door to the room was opened, and the wolf led to his bed...in which he promptly and literally fell asleep. Aisha released a small chuckle as she rolled the tension from her shoulders. "Can't blame him. Our fearless leader here has a lot to sleep through."
As a second thought, she carefully took his belt and unlatched his katana from it, leaning it on the wall next to the head of the bed. She had figured he would be more comfortable without having to lay on it if he had to toss in his sleep...and lastly, the blanket was pulled over him. And I hope he does sleep well, after all he's been through today, she added silently.
Then, with a sigh, she stood up and smiled to Mel. "I'm grateful for your help. All of it," the panther spared a smile, before casting one last look at the sleeping wolf. Then, she headed out of the door, closing it softly behind them. "Now all I need to do is find my own room and wash all of this gods-damned blood off," she grumbled, running her claws through strands of grayish-black bangs that had been tainted with a dark, congealed red. "Normally I'm not so picky about being messy, but what the hell."
The wolf safely put to bed Mel moved to a room at the opposite end of the hall. Once inside she cast a rather elaborate spell at the blank space of wall beside the window. A new door appeared, almost crystalline in appearance, on the formerly empty wall. The leopard opened the door and fog poured out like a waterfall. Without heed for the extraordinary indoor weather she stepped through and firmly shut this second door behind herself.
After being put to bed in room 6 across from room 11, Ephrael fitfully woke and slept. Waking up again she decided (even in her inebriated state) she needed a shower. Crawling out off the bed (literally) she stumbled to the room's bathroom, picking up her pack half way. Slowly stripping off she climbed into the shower and started the water, letting it soothe her aches and wetting down her fur and hair so she no longer resembled a flufball.
Finishing up she toweled off and slipped into her nightclothes from her pack. Walking back into the bed area with a slightly clearer head she didn't see the small black and cobalt blue form sitting on her bed till she nearly sat on it.
"Hiya Eph!" Rex said causing Ephrael to jump and let out a loud "Eeep".
Gabi's ear perked up when she heard the 'eep' coming from the opposite room.
"That was Eph," she said, quickly opening the door and peering into the corridor.
She sniffed the air, looked around and listened, trying to figure out if she was being attacked or if she'd only found a nasty bug or something. It hadn't been a scream, she realized, but something had caught Ephrael by surprise. She needed to know what it was before doing something potentially stupid.
Jakob looked up at Gabi, torn between the fact that something was up with Ephrael and that James seemed to be in a daydream. He snapped his fingers in front of James' face three times and sighed.
"I'll watch James," he said. "She's probably just woken up somewhere strange or something. Do be careful though, and let me know at once if it's anything more than that."
Ephrael glared at the warp-aci. "You could have given me some warning ya know Rex." She said as she calmed down.
"But where's the fun in that" Rex replied as it floated of the bed. "'Sides the look on your face was priceless!"
Eph pouted at the aci. "So what do I owe the honor of this visit? I thought the Captain had been pulled from this?" She asked as she sat down on the bed, this time noticing a package Rex had left there. "Oooh you brought me something!" She squealed as she stood up and grabbed the Aci in a hug.
"Yea the boss had me raid the armory...He was seriously pissed about being pulled off."
Eph released the aci and started opening the paper wrapped bundle.
Eph was talking to someone, but she didn't sound afraid or agitated anymore. Still, Gabi didn't recognize her interlocutor, and she couldn't detect a distinct smell, which she found quite unusual. She thought it would be best to check things out just to be safe.
She knocked on the door of room 6 and asked Eph is everything was alright.
Pausing her unwrapping of the bundle Eph looked at the door. "Quick hide!" She whispered to Rex, as she padded over to the door. Opening it fraction she stuck her head out. "Oh hello Gabi."
"Hello," Gabi replied, rather confused.
From the sounds she'd heard it was evident that Eph was trying to hide something, but what could the reason be? At least she didn't seem to be in trouble, or in any case not the urgent kind. This reminded Gabi of how much she still ignored about the tasmanian devil. It didn't feel like it, but it had only been a few days since they'd first met.
"I..." she began. What was the right thing to say in a situation like this? "I was around here and I heard you... shout, or something like that. Are you ok?"
"N..No nothings wrong, I just gave my self a bit of a surprise." Ephrael lied. It was at this moment Rex appeared sitting on Eph's head.
"Hiya Gabi" It cheerfully waved a paw. Ephrael's face was locked in a horified look.
Jakob could distinctly hear three voices coming from the opposite room. "What's going on out there?" he called.
The warp-aci's apparition startled Gabi for a moment, but she still didn't understand why that was troubling Eph. It was unusual, but if she'd got a brick for every unusual thing she'd seen in her travels she could have built a new house by now.
Gabi was shifting her gaze between Eph and the warp-aci and thinking of how to react, when she heard Jakob's question and turned round to answer.
"It looks like Eph has an unexpected visitor," she said.
She didn't want to make Ephrael any more uncomfortable than she already was, but Jakob would have found out within the next minute and she'd much rather avoid making him nervous in the meantime.
"Please relax," Gabi told Eph. "I don't know what's going on, and I think it'd help if you explained it to me, but whatever it is I don't think it'll be bad enough to turn me against you."
Deciding it was probably safe to leave James for a few moments, Jakob hurried over to see. He blinked, staring at the clan marking.
"That's Paladin's warp-aci," he said.
"I...um." Eph tried to scowl at the aci. "You know for an aci thats assigned to a Ranger you're lousy at stealth Rex."
Looking back at Gabi Eph blushed. "I kinda did some work for Paladin Sheppard...Rex came here to drop a gift off to me."
Rex was now buzzing around, that was until he spotted Jakob. "Why hello there Mister Cross."
"Please don't call me that," Jakob hissed, looking around furtively. If we're run out of town because of your loose lips, I'm gonna send you back to the Darkness.
"I'm curious about Paladin's abrupt departure, though," he asked. "What's he up to, and are we likely to get him back? If the bat-demon turns nasty again we'll need all the help we can get."
"I'd like to know that too," Gabi nodded.
And what made you so anxious, she thought, but didn't dare say it. Jakob's reaction I can understand, but what do you have to fear from a loud-mouthed warp-aci? Or from letting us know he's here?
"Speaking of which the boss is calling see ya!" Rex said before disappearing in a flash, Leaving a flustered and embarrassed Ephrael standing by her door.
"H-he didn't tell me anything either...Just dropped the package off."
After saying farewell to Mel, still with a little bit of reluctance on the whole matter, Aisha shook her head and managed to fetch the key to her own room. The bar seemed to finally have emptied out a bit, except perhaps for a few lagging patrons. These places are always too interesting when we visit, the panthress hid a smirk. Outside, darkness had long fallen into the late-night hours. Thus, when a long yawn broke through her jaws, she figured it was time to trudge back to the rooms.
On the way, however, she found that there seemed to be something going on in the hall where everyone's rooms seemed to be close together. Both Jakob and Gabi were standing in the doorway, speaking to a voice that she recognized as Ephrael. Aisha made her mind to keep walking past, not paying any heed. It was probably business that she didn't want to get into.
As she passed them, however, saying her good nights, she "accidentally" let out a stray thought. I hope they realize that talking too far into the night might disturb some of those who DO need sleep. With a hum, she entered her room and locked the door.
It was only a short bit of work to finally wash the traces of blood from her fur and clothing, sometimes having to scrape off what was dried. The wounds from the battle hadn't lingered too long...a few scars stayed in places, but those could easily be closed if she lived to manage getting back to the monastery in Soldeluna. Then, she almost literally collapsed onto the bed, face-first into the pillow. She had only one wish for her prayer: No. More. Kidnappings.
Gabi heard - and smelled- Aisha walk past, but her friend left too quickly for her to do anything. She turned her attention back to Ephrael. For a moment she wondered how much it would be right to ask, but then she decided that if Eph was trying to keep a secret it was her own job to find the way to keep it.
"Do you know what's in the package?," she finally asked.
'Yeah, tell's!' a deep voice suddenly exclaimed. Ignatz stumbled up to them suddenly and untimely, leering. He looked like he'd had one too many, though somehow it didn't seem to have had the appropriate effect on the noisiness of his steps. Adding to Jakob's discomfort, the bat somehow saw it fit to lean on him and shake his shoulder a bit. 'Don't mind, pleash. I'm shorry to have upset you so.' He grinned at the wolf, smelling of smoke and alcohol.
Gabi glanced at Ignatz and stepped aside, then turned to look at Jakob.
Is there any way to take him to his room, or just away from here?, she wondered.
I know I got a little over my limit but this guy seems to have blown past his, gods does he stink...Eph thought as the Bat spoke to Jakob.
"I don't know whats in there, I was going to open it just before you knocked."
The bat let go of Jakob and went over to lean against the wall next to the door, giving Eph one of those sly, dark looks that he seemed so irritatingly good at. 'Well, go on then,' he said. 'Don't mind me. If you wan' me to leave, you'd better say it, sweets.' He chuckled. 'A guy like me knows when he'sh not wan'ed. But on the other hand, he doesn't give a damn. Not in the company of the likes of you.'
Grinning a bit off-kilter, the bat laughed mentally at the ambiguity of his own statement, and wondered whether if Ephrael would think he was flirting with her or threatening her. He pondered the look Gabi had just given Jakob. No doubt they were speaking mentally. A penny and an arm for your thought-reading, he muttered in his mind. But then, I'm glad to have my mind impenetrable instead. One point for me.
Jakob was too irritated by the bat leaning on him to concentrate on reading minds. After all, the bat's mind was impenetrable anyway, which as far as he was concerned was proof alone that he was no Being. The spell was far too powerful for that. From Gabi's look it seemed he'd missed something, but it was a pretty safe bet what she was thinking.
"It's a present from her fiance," he said pleasantly. "One of the top guards from Xe'Pherion city. A very jealous guy," he added.
Ephrael's cheeks which had held a slight blush now went bight red, as she stared wide eyed at the bat and the wolf.
Haha me with the Captain?!?! Gods I wish b-but it'd never happen...Ooooh dear *Warning! brain is in process of meltdown please stand clear*
The bat drew his shoulders up and made a snorting little snerk. 'What a shame. A guard,' he said, turning a bit. Then his grin flared up again. 'Ah, well. If he thinks he can hold down an adventuress...'
Seeing Ephrael's blush made the bat slow a bit and pause, looking quizzically and drunkenly at her. Did I go overboard? he thought. Or hit a nerve? No, wait. She's just not dressed. Phew.
'Well?' Ignatz asked, tilting his head as he looked at the tasmanian devil, and then poked her nose. 'You goin' to show us, or is it goodnight?'
"I...I don't think I know you well enough...Sorry." Ephrael said to the bat, flinching as he poked her nose. "And I wouldn't disrespect Paladin like that."
The bat made another chuckle, then rolled his eyes a bit, something that was most hard to see due to their coloration, and then strolled lazily past. I disrespect anyone I wish, little one. Mostly because they so often deserve it. His thoughts were far meaner than his face.
'Whatever suits you,' he said dramatically, a hint of disappointment in his voice before it vanished a second later as he turned back to the three, grinning again. 'It's late either way. G'night to ya,' he said. 'I'll see you in tha' mornin'. He barked a laugh, and then turned, walking down the corridor in that overly confident drunken way until he stopped near the end and slipped into his room.
Once the bat was gone, Jakob quickly poked his head back into room 11 to make sure James was okay. He seemed to be asleep. Satisfied that the angel was safe, the wolf nipped back into Ephrael's room.
"So..." he asked. "What's Pal sent?"
Ephrael lead the wolf and vixen into her room. She sat down on the bed and started to unwrap the fairly bulky package.
Finally done, on Eph's bed was a pair of Kukri knives with a faint blue glow to them. Next was a compound bow much like the one Ephrael already had but far less battered and felt much lighter. And last was a quiver of about twenty arrows which were made from steel like most of Eph's others, but these had runes stamped into the shafts.
She pointed out the runes to Jakob. "Um I'm not sure but are those fire runes?" She spotted the card that had been on top.
To Eph
I thought you could use these in your search for Jade. Look after yourself lass.
Pal.
"You know, I think they are," Jakob said, turning one of the arrows over in his hand. It wasn't just observation, he was feeling the magical flux of the enchantments upon it.
"These aren't cheap... use them wisely. Whatever you did for Pal it seems to have made a big impression on him."
Gabi nodded, and covered her mouth quickly as soon as she realized she couldn't supress the yawn.
"Sorry," she said. "I'm sure everything will make more sense in the morning, but it's late and I'm exhausted. I wish I could stay up longer, but I think I should go back to my room."
"Good idea, but do be careful. I don't trust Ignatz," Jakob said.
Now, do I want to get a room? I could warp back to the Academy for the night, or I could get a room. Or I could curl up in someone elses room... heck, I could patrol the corridor until morning. Ugh, what a boring idea!
Tossing a coin, he eventually came to a decision (best out of nine) and a few minutes later was spread out on a reasonably comfortable bed in a room fairly close to James'.
"I'd be surprised if anyone here trusted them," replied Gabi, yawning again. "Goodnight, Jakob. Eph."
With that, she went to her room and, this time, sleep came easily. She was too tired to even try to think of all the things that worried her at that time.
"Good night you two." Eph said as they left for their own rooms. Putting her new equipment with her old, she then climbed into her bed. The amount of alcohol she had gone through quickly caught up with her and soon she was snoozing.
Softly the sunlight made itself apparent as dawn broke, the familiar golden glow of the sun rising higher into the sky as the morning wore on. Slowly Gareeku came to from his slumber, his eyes opening gradually as the initially blurry vision began to come into focus. Yawning slightly, the wolf began to climb off of the bed that he had been sleeping on, before the headache made itself apparent.
"...Ugh..." he groaned quietly, gently rubbing his forehead as he looked with squinted eyes out of the window to the street below. Already the bustling crowds of yesterday had returned, the people in the town going about their business once more.
Looking over himself, Gareeku frowned somewhat.
Huh...should have had a shower before I started drinking last night... the warrior thought to himself as he looked at his blood stained fur and clothes. Luckily there was an en-suite shower in each room of the inn, and so the wolf slowly lumbered into it, before turning the shower on and feeling the pleasant sensation of warm water washing over his body.
A short while later Gareeku emerged, a towel wrapped around his waist and his fur, now cleaned of the blood and gore that it had sported after yesterday's ordeal, fluffed up some after he had dried himself. After initially trying to press the fluff down, the wolf gave up after not much success (though it was better than what it had first been) and put his clothes back on. Looking down at the stains on his outfit, Gareeku frowned again.
"I should really this cleaned up, but I don't have another outfit on me..." the warrior muttered to himself.
Gathering his possessions, the wolf then made his way to the bar downstairs. Once there, he ordered some breakfast with some strong coffee, taking a gulp of the dark liquid as he waited for his food. It was then that, out of the corner of his eye, Gareeku noticed a newspaper rack, filled with newspapers that the inn's staff had bought for customers to read while staying in the bar. Grabbing one, the wolf then sat down at one of the tables, taking another gulp of coffee as he began to read.
Reading the article on the front page, Gareeku raised an eyebrow. It was a report on the state that Gareeku and the others had left the mansion in after defeating that demon and his hordes of assassins and guards...
The town's security was left shocked and confused yesterday when investigating a report from a member of the public that there had been some sort of battle in one of the mansions located throughout the town. Upon arriving at the apparent scene of the battle, it became apparent that there had indeed been some sort of battle. What had been even more surprising to the security forces, however, was that the bodies that they had stumbled across inside the mansion belonged to members of a gang who call themselves the "Black Claw". Nobody knows who had battled with them, but security forces believe that it was most likely a group of adventurers.
"We are still investigating the incident at this time." One member of of the security force said in a statement given to the public. "However, we are grateful for whoever engaged in battle with this dangerous organisation, as their grip on the local area prior to this incident had been strong, despite our best efforts to try and combat this threat."
Despite calls for a reward to be given to those who had battle the Black Claw members, the security forces have decided not to.
"Thanks to the Black Claw, resources in this town are very limited at this time." the statement continued. "We offer our sincerest apologies and our deepest thanks to the adventurers. Whoever they may be."
"Huh...and I could have done with a bit more extra cash..." Gareeku muttered as he turned the page...
"Good Morning," said Jakob, entering the bar and heading to Gareeku. He was clutching the cap of a thermos flask, which contained a portion of something which looked vaguely similar to coffee. He offered it to the white wolf.
"One of James' concoctions," he said. "Supposed to good for hangover, assuming he made it right. Anything interesting in the news? And do we have a plan for today?"
Aisha grunted as the morning sun seemed to hit her eyelids forcefully, knocking her out of a dream that was already beginning to be forgotten. It took a moment for her eyes to stop blurring and adjust themselves to the light and to the shapes of the room that she was in, as well as the memories of the previous day to come back to herself. Yawning, the panthress sat up and stretched while looking to the window. It was a rather uneventful night--thank the gods...--and she wondered just how late everyone slept.
It took only a moment for her to straighten everything out, including her hair, and put on her clothes. By then, the faint smell of breakfast that was emanating from downstairs and throughout most of the inn caught her nostrils. She wasn't as hungry as she was last night, but the sense was quite relaxing all the same. "Maybe something light will do," she muttered to herself and clasped her weapon belt around her waist before heading downstairs to the tavern.
Already there were people there, mostly strangers who had come inside to eat something or to start the day. She caught sight of Gareeku and Jakob at one of the tables and smirked to herself. I thought the fearless leader'd wake up a bit later. With a hum, she browsed the breakfast items before making her way to a table with a glass of milk and a plate of bacon and sausage. Doing so, she passed just behind the wolves, nodding her good mornings and noticing that Gareeku was busy reading an article of a newspaper. She only had to skim a few words over his shoulder to know that it was about their group.
"I see we're famous," she laughed and went to sit down.
'Yes, how most very pleasant,' a slightly coarse voice retorted to Aisha's comment, closing along with a set of near-silent feet. Dressed in an open shirt and a pair of dark jeans this time around, Ignatz strolled into the bar while eying the others, eyes showing a hint of morning fatigue. 'Coffee, please. Cream, no sugar,' he ordered. 'And do you have any... small things? Mice, perhaps? Lizards? No? Then coffee it is.' The bat sunk down a few chairs away from Gareeku and Jakob, sighing and then giving them a tired look. 'Ending up on the front page is seldom as good a thing as you might think.'
A bright "Good morning," preceded the sight of a vibrantly clad figure. Mel was wearing a brilliantly red coat over what at first appeared to be a white skirt but as she moved turned out to be very full trousers. She ordered a breakfast that seemed large for such a slender person then took the seat across from Ignatz. "How is everyone this fine day?"
"We're... famous?," Gabi repeated as she joined the others.
She took a glance at what everyone was looking at, and meditated on the possible consequences.
"I see... I guess it could be worse," she concluded "At least we don't have a price on our heads."
She turned around as she heard Mel's voice, nodded politely and went to get some tea and fresh bread and cheese. She'd use the chance to take a break from cookies now that other options were available.
A while later, James wordlessly shuffled into the dining area. He was still in his purple and gold star pajamas and had a really bad case of bed head. He stumbled into a chair, nearly tripping over it and then awkwardly sat down. He hardly looked like he was awake yet, his droopy eyes were still half closed. His tired gaze rested on Jakob.
"Mmmm... Sorry for..." James let out a big yawn. "spacing out... in the hall last... night. Hadn't slept for a couple... Yaaaawn... days. Guess it finally... caught up. Been too... stressed out with... Yaaaoh... Oh that cursed yawning! Too stressed with the oracles and such... to sleep."
Eph appeared next to James and pecked him on the cheek. "Thanks for taking me to my room last night."
She ordered a hot breakfast and proceeded to wolf it down.
Gareeku seemed absorbed in the paper, so Jakob decided to leave the potion next to him in case he wanted it. Of course he might still be mad about the bandits in the forest...
"Good morning," he said to James. "I wasn't sure if you'd be up yet, so I took the liberty of borrowing a thermos-full of your hangover potion in case the others needed it. I hope you don't mind." He put the flask on the table.
"Well, I'm glad it worked out okay," the wolf said. "On first read I thought they were referring to us as the Black Claw."
So saying, he wandered over to the counter, returning a short while later with some kind of cinnamon pastry.
Gabi came back to the table in time to greet James.
"It's alright, I'm glad you've managed to get a good night's sleep," she told him as she sat down to eat. "I'm glad I've managed it too. We had a long day yesterday, and who knows when we'll get another break?"
(OOC: JP ninja'd me.)
Unsurprisingly, the previously-incapacitated jackal was late in arriving at the table, the sound of heavy footsteps heralding her approach. Unlike Ignatz's silent and inconspicuous appearances, there was no effort to conceal the clumsy and plodding sounds of her footsteps, either out of sluggishness or not seeing much of a point in deriving entertainment from someone's surprise. Keaton entered the room, expression lugubrious and still harboring minor signs of intoxication--not in a grotesquely delirious manner as was exhibited last night, but fixated in a display of agitation and apathy. Her ears were plastered back and her lip hiked up to expose her canines, and she hadn't bothered using metamorphosis to clean up her disheveled appearance.
One glance at the newspaper and Keaton scoffed violently. She hadn't looked at it, but from everyone's comments she had summarized its contents. During her entry she remained uncharacteristically quiet, looking unpleasant but still without any caustic responses. Keaton was among the small collection of Cubi who occasionally ate physical sustenances, but she didn't bother with ordering any breakfast. Instead she just trudged up to a chair, yanked it out from under the table, and collapsed into it, arms draped over the back.
Then she noticed Ignatz. As intimidated as she was by him last night, Keaton merely disregarded his presence, although shakily. Her memories were groggy, but not enough to entirely blur the events of what had happened. She would've delved deeper, but currently her head felt like it was being used as a battle drum. Slumping backwards, Keaton tilted her head back. No greetings. Instead she just mumbled, "Does anyone have any asprin? Tylenol? Fuck, I'd even like some water."
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Jakob turned to Keaton, a small, crude tumbler appearing in his hand.
"James brewed something up, you're welcome to try it, " he offered. He's gonna get lynched if this doesn't work, he added mentally.
James didn't quite know how to take the kiss Eph gave him. He never received many... The last kiss he had was from his late fiancée. He had told no one about the girl he had almost wed or how she died. He didn't want to focus on such sorrowful memories though and pushed the thought aside. James did however blush slightly in spite of himself and said how glad he was to help.
James turned his gaze back to Jakob. "Wha? I didn't even... hear you come in to take the... tonic. I must have been... yaaaawn... really out of it." James absentmindedly ran his fingers through his messy hair to scratch his head. "Please do offer it to our hung over comrades though... It should help them... out. Plus, I can't take the smell of booze breath..."
James gave Gabi a wave and said his thanks before ordering a large bowl of banana pudding.
James looked at the bowl for awhile. His sleepy eyes began to close and he passed out, falling face first into his pudding with a splat.
Keaton appraised the tumbler cradled in Jakob's hand for a moment, examining it critically. Hesitantly, she took the container from the fellow Cubi and sniffed at its contents, as though she expected for it to be impregnated with a vile venom, and diverted her glance to Jakob. An eyebrow, festooned with a single silvery ring, lifted in a smooth curve. She didn't trust anything that was distributed by an Angel. For all she knew it could've been some mind-controlling formula, or something to ensnare her soul so she was bound to fulfill any dirty task they demanded of her, or...
But it didn't smell lethal, and she couldn't detect anything magical. Keaton was also starting to get more than a bit irritable because of that insistent headache, and needed some form of relief.
"Ah well," she said, "Bottom's up."
With that, she gulped down some of the contents, rested the tumbler on the table, and settled in the chair, waiting for the formula to kick in. Tasted a bit bitter, but Keaton didn't mind. She liked bitter foods and such, plus she could resist the sharp taste. After a minute of pensive thinking the headache started to subside, at least to a palpable extent--enough for Keaton to realize and examine her mind, as though she were observing its recovery from a third-person perspective. Wow. The thing had actually worked. She was starting to feel better. Almost simultaneous to that moment, James's head fell into his pudding, an act Keaton observed with a slight amount of surprise to her expression.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
'I'd be surprised if there were anything you could take,' the bat commented with a dour face, and then set about downing his coffee, followed by a glass of water. Finished and seemingly satisfied, he leaned back and stretched his arms out, observing the others with part disinterested skepticism.
Booted footsteps sounded out from the stairway, a series of quick thumps, and a very alert, fresh-looking and black clad wolf emerged from the upstairs. A brown pack was slung over his shoulder, and he looked around the room once quickly, taking note of those gathered. He paused for just a moment, raising his eyebrows.
With a slightly amused glance, Cogidubnus grabbed the back of the blue squirrel's head and removed it from the bowl of pudding, a slight sucking sound emanating from the bowl. He let go of James's blond hair, shaking his head.
"I know it's good pudding, but maybe you ought to slow down there..." he said, shaking his head slightly.
Walking past him and taking a seat at the far end of the bar, the wolf quickly ordered a cup of coffee and adjusted the pack slung over his shoulders. The slight, square bulge of a book pushed against the edge of the cloth bag.
Gabi ran to aid James. For a moment, she wasn't quite sure of what to do. He had seemed fine a moment earlier, and then he'd just collapsed.
One step at a time, she told herself.
She lifted his head, checked his breath, moved him slowly until his back rested on the back of his chair and then checked his pulse.
It was odd... he didn't seem to be poisoned, or even fainted. He seemed to be asleep, but no one fell asleep so suddenly, without even the chance to check where their head would land. He might be drugged, or it could be magic. She'd test for those things if her attempt to wake him up didn't work, but it was best to try the simple options first.
She shook his head and shoulders gently, checking for a reaction. She didn't even notice Cog's presence, as her mind was completely focused on helping her friend.
(OOC: ninja'd again.)
Jakob looked at the squirrel with mild concern. Jakob squinted, checking that he couldn't see the Angel's soul. He wasn't dead... he seemed to be asleep. Narcolepsy by the looks, he thought. I wish I could remember all that stuff about Angel sleeping habits. Of course, Azrael was far older than James anyway, so it's not really a fair comparison. In any case, it was outside his experience.
"Good morning," he said to Cog politely. "I do hope I didn't bore you with my troubles last night."
Though his face was still covered in pudding, James otherwise seemed fine. His pulse and breathing were both normal. He stirred and awoke again as Gabi shook him. For a while he just looked at Gabi and held her hand, not knowing what to say in this embarrassing situation. "I... err... I didn't just pass out, did I? I'm fine though... really. I'm just... really tired. I don't think I ever passed out before... I think I took too much sleeping meds... Haven't slept for days... needed sleep... Why does my face taste like banana pudding?"
Gabi sighed with relief, and laughed with the release of the tension.
"Don't you scare me like that again!," she scolded him, trying to contain the laughter; a hard thing to do while thinking of an answer to James's last question.
"Your face has had a close encounter with your breakfast," she finally said, offering him a napkin. "Will you please be more careful with medicines in the future? They can be dangerous when used incorrectly."
The last bit of conversation drew Stygian's attention to Gabi and James. The bat watched them with dark eyes under a frown for a moment, before his gaze trailed off and his face softened into pensive depression. No sooner had anyone noticed though, before he closed his eyes, snorted and shook his head slowly, and then leaned his head back into his palms again.
Mel, halfway through her breakfast, paused and looked over to the table with Gareeku at it. "When are we leaving?" she asked of the wolf. "I am ready to go now but I can see that others need a bit more time." She gave a look to the nightwear clad James.
"Morning..." the wolf murmured in reply to Jakob's greeting as he continued to read the newspaper. His head was thumping, but Gareeku ignored it. Let's say he was somewhat used to it.
"Not right now. I might have some in a bit." Gareeku replied again to Jakob. It was then that, looking over the top of the newspaper, the wolf saw the others arrive, one by one. Aisha was the next to come down. Hearing her comment about the article, Gareeku smirked slightly. From there on, however, he didn't notice the others come down until he noticed that his breakfast was being placed on his table. Setting the newspaper down, he started to eat the cooked breakfast.
It was then, however, that Mel asked him when they would be leaving. Remembering last night, and the fact that a draw had been declared for the drinking contest, Gareeku mentally cursed to himself. He couldn't answer her straight away, due to the fact that his mouth was full with food. After a few moments, the wolf swallowed the food in his mouth before answering her.
"As soon as possible. I don't want to be hanging around here all day." Gareeku replied. "Thanks to the last couple of days we've got less done than I would have liked."
As such things often happen, the bartender came back right as Jakob was speaking to Cog. Attention divided for a moment, Cog kept an ear cocked at the incubus as he paid for the drink and scooped up the cup, and as he took his first sip he shook his head at the other wolf.
"By no means, good sir. It was my pleasure." he said, bowing his head respectfully at the incubus. "If more people thought as you do, the world might be a little safer to live in." Sunglasses slid down his nose, the wolf's eyes were sincere.
"If you want to apologize for making people fall asleep, though, you might start with him." he said, pointing at the blue squirrel with his cup. "Late night, I take it?"
Gabi turned round when she heard Cog approach.
"Oh, hello," she greeted him. "Sorry I didn't hear you come, I was too worried... Luckily it was no big deal. I think we've all had a late night. And a long day before it."
There he was again, asking questions about the group. She felt she ought to do something to level the field, but she was out of good ideas.
"What about you?," she finally asked.
It wasn't a good question by itself but it could be used as a first step.
Polishing off the remains of her breakfast, Eph let out a small belch. "'Scuse me" She said as she sat back in her chair.
"So we are headed north, any idea's where Gareeku?" She asked the wolf.
"I slept well, thank you." the wolf said, taking a sip of his coffee. He sighed, the steam curling up from the cup displaced by the exhalation, and took another sip in short order. The wolf seemed to melt into his chair, relaxing visibly.
"You are very kind to ask, Ms...?" Cog trailed off. The wolf looked at the other Were oddly, and taking a deep breath, one of the wolf's eyes narrowed appraisingly.
"Gabi," Gabi replied plainly. "And you're Cog, right? We didn't get to talk much last night but Jakob told me about you. He didn't tell me what brought you here, though."
Seeing that James was okay and Gabi was engaged in conversation with Cog, Jakob kept half an ear on the conversation, and turned the rest his attention back to Keaton.
"Hey, baby, what's your clan?" he asked, his voice completely deadpan. Flirting with the jackal was the furthest thing from his mind, and it showed. But if she was going to be travelling with them, he wanted to know more about who she was.
"Long few days actually..." said James, replying to Cog's question. He quickly ate what was left of his pudding and stood up. "I guess I better wash up and get ready... I didn't even realize I was still in my PJ's. Maybe a cold shower will help wake me up too..."
Still wearing that weary expression, Ignatz smiled suddenly and uncomfortably. 'Perfect. Let's make a break for it while he's up there,' he said, as if James were not sitting perfectly nearby. No one seemed to find it amusing. 'I'm kidding. Sheesh...' he added.
After the brief and glum moment, the bat simply kept silent, diverting his attention between pondering Mel's current actions and plans, none of which he had been introduced to, and to the far more interesting subject of Jakob approaching the jackal Cubi, something that was so mismatched that it made him anticipate comical effects immediately.
"Me?" the wolf said, grinning at the vixen. "I'm afraid I was brought here for one, singular reason." He said, his face suddenly falling somewhat. His voice went low. "You see, Ms. Gabi..." the wolf paused, glancing at the door of the tavern, then back at the vixen, and looking at her gravely for a few long moments – it couldn't have been more than a second, but the sudden silence was eerie.
"The whiskey here is really rather good." He said shortly, taking a sip of his drink.
The wolf smiled past Gabi at the squirrel. "'Tis a braver man than I am, who enters a Tavern in naught but his pajamas!" he said cheerfully, his nose in his drink.
Still recuperating from her headache, Keaton kept her eyes closed in an almost meditative state, her mind utterly blank, focused intently on simply recovering and edging its way out from the quietly palpitating numbness beating away at her brain. For a moment Keaton looked almost contemplative, a peaceful alternative to her normally volatile nature, but this facade almost immediately vanished when she heard Jakob speak. Her eyes opened instantly, her ears flicked, and her head jerked upright as though on a pivot as her body elevated itself out of its slumping posture.
"Wha'?" she asked drunkenly, blinking the frosted sheen out of her eyes. Jakob had asked her something. About her clan. And in a manner which struck an unpleasant chord with her until she posthumously registered the deadpan flatness to his voice. Even then, that left the topic at hand. Keaton was well aware of how unpopular her clan was among other Cubi--and sometimes just recalled as a bad memory, or not even recognized at all because of its policy of lurking in the shadows after it nearly faced extinction--and the idea just made her head reel with memories.
Forcing a pleasant smile, she said luxuriously, "Oh yeah, my clan. Of course. Right," Keaton snapped her lithe fingers together. "Well, introduction time. My name is Keaton, and I'm from the NoneofYourFuckingBusiness Clan. It's an offshoot of the ShutUpandDie Clan. On my mother's side."
A fat-looking fly hovered to the table, attracted by the scent of the breakfast, landing on the area in front of her. One glance at the curious insect and, before it could escape, Keaton jabbed her finger out in an imperceptibly fast movement and squished it beneath her nail. Almost in a perfunctory manner, she twisted her wrist, and abandoned the crushed carcass in favor of steepling her fingers and smiling pleasantly at Jakob. "Any questions?"
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Gabi couldn't help but chuckle at Cog's reply.
When James left, she approached the Wolf again.
"He needs a break," Gabi said. "Things have been tough for him lately. I wish we could all have some peace, but I don't see that happening any time soon."
Having gone back to eating his breakfast, Gareeku stopped again when he was asked another question, this time by Ephrael.
"the town of Ghaelia." the wolf replied, before taking a gulp of his coffee. "It's not too far from here. A day or two, maybe."
With that, Gareeku went back to eating his breakfast. Listening to Jakob try to start a conversation with Keaton, the wolf listened in for her reaction, raising an eyebrow at her once she gave it.
"Bad hangover, I take it." the wolf muffled between gulps of his food.
One of the good things about being despised, Jakob reflected, is that it makes you immune to random bursts of hatred like this.
"For the moment, no," he replied easily. "But if your plans include tagging along with our party, you will likely find that questions follow you unbidden... posed by others, if not by me. In any case, I shall trouble you no further."
So saying, he turned back to James. Well, that touched a nerve. Wherever she hails from, it's likely not highly-regarded. Pity... one day she'll learn that the tighter you cling to your secrets, the more painful it is when they are revealed.
Ignatz rolled his eyes. It wasn't his business, really, but it couldn't hurt to get a word in. It would certainly serve a purpose to jab at Jakob, and at the same time address Keaton.
'You should give it up before you even start,' the bat said, looking out the window but somehow still managing to direct the statement right at Jakob. 'You're Cubi yourself. You know what it means.' He paused, touching the tip of one large fang with his tapered tongue. 'And you know there's no use, no purpose, and no chance in Hell at getting to know unless she lets slip.' He kept staring absentmindedly out the window, apparently at nothing. Not to mention it will be that much sweeter to know myself without sharing the knowledge with anyone of you, he thought.
Despite the agreeable mood that Aisha had been in when she came downstairs, she couldn't help but suppress a growl through a closed mouth when Ignatz was heard coming down, pausing in her eating to his sarcasm when it came to her statement about the front page. Well, what happy company we have, she thought to herself and just continued to eat.
The panthress listened to the others as they each came into the bar, the girl herself sparing a nod of greeting to each in return. Mel was the next to come down, dressed in colors fit to give the hangovers a bigger headache. Gabi, what seemed like a very exhausted James, Ephrael, Keaton, and finally the silver wolf who had spoken with a few of the others the last night came in, and conversation was initiated...in which, she was one of the few who preferred to be off by themselves. But if one had her hearing, one couldn't help but eavesdrop anyway.
James had been acting as if he hadn't gotten any sleep at all, literally dropping into his breakfast. As Gabi helped, Aisha watched with a bit of concern for their traveling companion. I wouldn't have thought of HIM as one to drag his feet, she thought. She tried to ignore the banter about 'Cubi and clans going on between Jakob and Keaton, who turned out to be an unfortunate addition to their party, according to her...a good help in the fight, but what would she still be here for otherwise...?
She did agree with Gareeku, when he heard his statement, though. More than anyone, he had no time to lose. But because of the setbacks...just how exasperating was it for the others, as it must have been for him?
Aisha finished her breakfast rather quickly and hummed thoughtfully, thinking of the name of their destination. "Good that it's close, then. But I for one am rather eager to get back to the traveling," she said, turning in her chair, hand resting on the pommel of her Dragonblade. "I am also curious about those who weren't a part of our group until we were forced to run them over," the black jaguar joked to the others. It was a grim effort, and she expected nobody to laugh, but humor was humor.
Cog nodded at Gabi. "Your friend Jakob was telling me you were having some troubles. Something to do with a demon. Bad stuff." the wolf said, shaking his head and taking a drink of his coffee.
"It doesn't look like you'll be getting much rest soon, though." Cog said, looking up at the vixen, and nodding towards Gareeku. "Moving on so soon after a battle can be tiring. Perhaps better than the consequences of staying."
The wolf took a sip of his drink. "You seem to have made the paper." he said, his eyes glancing over at the front page. "Rewards are nice and all, but demons have friends too." Cog coughed, and continued to sip his steaming drink.
"Depends on the Demon," Jakob interjected. "Many pure Demons have a 'Might-makes-Right' attitude whereby they are unlikely to seek revenge. Ultimately it depends on the individual, though. And if by 'demon' you meant 'Creature' generically, well, anything goes."
Hmm... Keaton said that SAIA couldn't help her, or something. Next time I'm in the Academy I'll have to search the records for her name...
Ephrael smiled at Aisha's comment, but she was a little uneasy, as she was beginning to be a little uncomfortable as Keaton, Jakob and Ignatz were going at it. Eph just didn't like people arguing...Especially not creatures in her immediate vicinity, things tended to get messy.
"Umm If anyone wants me I'll be in room 6 packing..." She said as she paid for her meal.
Jakob's statement passed Ignatz by as a true and appropriate but obvious remark. But the bat blinked, and then sighed slightly at Aisha's words. His mood really was not that good in the mornings. Either way, whatever the manner of her comments, he recognized her dissatisfaction and irritation. There was no immediate need to alleviate them, but then again it would not be very helpful to just let her be either.
'I thought I told you,' the bat said, managing to keep his tone much more pleasant than his morning-weariness would have made it. 'Ignatz Donovan, bounty hunter, and for the right price a fair bit more than that. I don't usually hire to creatures, but the pay was substantial enough and our latest client's manner covert enough that I reconsidered. A mistake, I admit.' He shrugged. 'Mel, my associate, speaks for herself,' he continued and gave a look and nod in Mel's direction. 'More specific questions can be taken care of later. Now, as for running people over, that brings to mind... If we want to move faster, we should get a car.'
The wolf smiled at Jakob. "Not all demon's friends are demons themselves." he said, bowing his head towards the incubus. "And besides. If you believe might makes right, what's to stop your right to revenge? Just because your friend was weak enough to get killed, doesn't mean you're not strong enough to kill his killers." he said, shrugging. "Perhaps I'm wrong, but I'm willing to wager it's not a positive."
The wolf cocked an ear, pausing suddenly, and then took a drink of his coffee. He turned towards Jakob again.
"He's a bounty hunter? I'm to take it your hiring on adventurers, then?"
"The bat? I don't really know who he is," Jakob replied. "Or what he is, come to that. He seems to be exceptionally good with dark magic, so I'd guess he's either a demon, an incubus or a very powerful Being mage." he glanced idly at the bat and then back to Cog.
"Anyway, Gareeku is the leader of our expedition, so if you're interested in joining, he is the wolf to talk to."
Gabi was surprised at the turn the conversation was taking. Some of it she'd heard many times, but didn't expect it to come up now, among this group in particular. As for the conclusion... it was quite unexpected.
"We're hiring now?," she queried. "I'm sure we could use some help, but we should be careful about who comes with us. I'm not nearly as concerned about what Ignatz is as I am about what he's willing and able to do. And you know how some adventurers are too... Not all of them, of course, but there are many who would bring us nothing but trouble."
Jakob shrugged. "As I say, it's Gareeku's decision."
But I hope the bat won't be in the party. No good can come of it if he is.
"I know, I'm just voicing my thoughts..." Gabi sighed. "I guess it must be hard for Gareeku. Making all the decisions with so much at stake and... so much weighing on him. But he doesn't let anyone help him. I wish I could make things better for him... For everyone."
Snorting derisively, Keaton canted her head roughly to the side, swinging some bangs of dirty blonde hair out from her eyes. As indifferent as she appeared, she contemplated Jakob's words, pressing two digits to her forehead and leaning against the table. That gave her a lot to think about. These furrae were apparently searching for kidnapped members of their families or associates, something she normally wouldn't give a damn about, but given her current situation and motivations triggered her interests nonetheless. Her motivations, of course, centered around the ambiguous location of her mother and twin. It was unlikely that they were grouped together with those kidnapped, but she was willing to dive upon any lead provided. After all, Keaton had nearly exhausted her options.
Her mother was over two thousand years old. She didn't even need to breathe anymore. It was likely she would've killed anyone who would've dared to lay a hand on her. But she had no idea who these abductors were, or what their powers consisted of...
Occasionally her eyes would dart up once or twice to observe Ignatz from afar, who she regarded with an unusual amount of anxiety to her countenance. And then there was that guy. Keaton was uncertain of what to think of him. All that mattered was the had affected her last night, something terribly, terribly foreign to her, and something she attributed to moments in her life she never wanted to relive again. Things she had shunted under the carpet to forget and smother. Vulnerability was a dreadful sensation in Keaton's mind, and she loathed anyone who made her reminisce it again.
She had trouble enough shepherding her memories. For a moment, Keaton's expression adopted a shaken, thunderstruck look, but it vanished five seconds after its materialization, and she glanced to the table, focusing on the corpse of the fly she had decimated.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
'We're going with them,' the bat stated, putting a pair of fingers to his temple and leaning on his hand as he looked between Cog and Jakob. 'It was a deal, and we're keeping it.' With his other hand he reached for his second cup of coffee he'd retrieved. 'Oh, and just so you know,' he said, stopping with the cup just a bit from his lips. 'You were wrong, wrong and wrong.' He then sipped nonchalantly.
Mel looked from her meal towards Gabi at the vixen's comments. "Do not confuse us with hired help, miss. We shall not be taking your orders. Your leader accepted a bargain that made us comrades for as long as we wish to be in exchange for the information I alone thought to seek out regarding the location of the ram's master. Information that you people will only get in pieces." The leopard gave the group a mildly disapproving look, "So far you have shown yourself the types with very elastic moral codes. The types who carry on about other people's behavior yet can find a thousand loopholes for your own." She caught Jakob's eye, "Tell me, Mr. Holier-than-thou. If I had given you the location last night you would have run off and left us, despite the honest bargain made, would you not?"
"No," said Jakob evenly. "But I would never have agreed to such a bargain in the first place. We got this far without your help and we would have got further still if you hadn't sold Gareeku to that demon. I might add that you promptly stabbed him in the back, which is an ample demonstration of how highly you value your bargains."
Watching the sudden burst of animosity between Mel and Jakob brought a musing smile to Ignatz's face, as he leaned to the side and watched them. It was rather good that Mel had said what she had, as the bat himself wasn't so sure he could have done the same without seeming less than amicable and on point.
'Tell me, how should it matter that he was our former employer? Especially if he tried to stab us in the back first?' the bat said, amusedly. 'I am all for skepticism and critical thinking, but you have to have some perspective to go with it, wolf.' He directed his smile toward Jakob, but kept it short of a smirk. 'Not that we can attack you on the points of being convenient or having more important things to do.' He closed his eyes.
There were certain things that the bat liked saying far more than others. What he was about to was one such thing. 'But the deal is made,' he continued, almost leering. 'And there is nothing to complain about. And I can't see either reason nor right for you to do, so why don't you just be a good boy and finish your breakfast, and we can get on the road?'
Cog looked at the white wolf in the corner surreptitiously, murmuring something to himself as he sipped his drink. They weren't hiring, it seemed, but it seemed they weren't adverse to any free help they could get. Cog's eyes drifted towards one of the windows, his hand scratching his ear.
He'd definitely found better contracts than that before.
His comment, however, seemed to have incited quite a bit of commentary concerning the bat and his companion. Cog kept quiet and listening, nodding his head to Gabi in front on him in silent agreement. As Jakob spoke, the wolf quirked an eyebrow, and then had to give a toothy smile at Mel's comments. He took a drink of coffee and set his cup down.
"You may be letting your emotions get the better of you, Mr. Peterson." he said respecfully. "If someone takes out a bounty, it's not the bounty hunters fault for making a living. And I wouldn't worry about double-crossing." he said, standing. "Bounty hunters are pragmatic, if nothing else, and they don't seem to be doing this for the money. It follows that it would take more than money for them to switch sides." he said, smiling.
Cog walked over to the white wolf in the room, making a slight bow to the fellow lupine and tipping his hat.
"I'm looking for work." he said politely. As he said so, however, his face seemed to drop somewhat, and he almost gave a short sigh before continuing. "I'm willing to work for free."
"All to easy for my kind," said Jakob, as Cog commented that he'd let his emotions run away with him.
"I'm long done," he replied to Ignatz. "But it's Gareeku's call." As a wolf, he was not prone to savour something has delicious as a pastry.
While there was much he could have said, arguing was pointless. Better to ignore the bat entirely, since he was obviously baiting him for sport.
I have infinitely more of a right to complain than you. I can't change what Gareeku's done, but I can watch you like a hawk. You'll not stand between me and my kin.
As Mel and Stygian argued with Jakob, Gabi's look sank into her now empty cup. If I hadn't got that letter, I'd probably quit right now, she thought. I'm not even sure of what we're doing anymore.
Upon hearing Cog's statement, Gabi looked at him, stunned. She still didn't know much about him, but she certainly hadn't expected him to make such an offer.
"You're willing to work for free?," she repeated. "Why? You don't even know us."
Aisha spared a quick nod to Ephrael, the only one who seemed to have heard the panther speaking, before she went up to her room to pack. With that, she continued her usual way of being in the background, listening to others speaking...the only other who didn't seem to take part in active conversation was Gareeku. And she probably couldn't blame him.
Her ear flickered, however, when the bat caught her attention by replying. It appeared he heard her as well. She narrowed her eyes just slightly. "You didn't have to reiterate, I have a good memory of who you said you are. I was wondering about Keaton," she glanced to the jackal, giving a nod in her direction, and speaking directly to her with a slightly apologetic look. "And what you're going to do now after having been dragged to that massacre with us."
The conversation shifted then, and it was easy to tell that the party members were getting uneasy about having Mel and Ignatz with their group. I wonder if I should tell them that I was the one who accepted the bargain. Gareeku was too drunk. Her ears flattened to her skull. I hope that wasn't a mistake. I promised that I would help. But this has been looking like far from help.
"They're going, regardless," Aisha just said. "They have information we need. It's fair, muchachos, so let it go." Thus, her attention then turned to the silver wolf who was addressing Gareeku about being hired help for them. Like Gabi, the jaguar too was curious as to who this one was to take a sudden interest in them. "She's right...I don't believe some of us have caught your name yet." She said as-a-matter-of-factly. Their party was getting to be a large one.
As James came back, he looked much more professional looking and alert. He wore a new sleeveless jacket to replace the ruined vest. He seemed to be filled with new air as well. his past anguish seemingly behind him. Speaking to no one in particular, he spoke up.
"Seems to me it's a matter of how much everyone wants their family back. Would you be willing to travel with Ignatz, Mel, Keaton, and Cog in order for the extra help to save the kidnapped, or go without? Are a few conflicting personalities going to stop you from saving the ones you love? I have a feeling we haven't seen the worst yet. A couple of us nearly died recently..." he looked to Gareeku as he said the last bit. "I put my life on the line and very well could have lost it for no other reason but to help my friends. If you love your family as much as I care for my friends, we can certainly stand up to a few quirky personalities for their behalf."
"What concerns me is not quirky personalities, so much that these two may turn against us after their bargain is fulfilled," Jakob said. If not, earlier... As before his voice was calm and level, as though he was talking about particularly difficult filming conditions.
"These two are very powerful, and I don't even know what they are. I'd like to think we can trust them, but I'm far from convinced. In any case, what's done is done, so I suppose we'll have to make the best of it. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get my things."
Jakob walked out of the front door. A short while later, he came down the stairs, clutching his satchel, coat and the key to his room which he handed back to the innkeeper.
James turned to Ignatz and Mel. "I'm sure you two are professionals. I don't believe you would kill indiscriminately and without reason, you kill and capture for money much like I do... Like true bounty hunters. I of course frown on some of your bounty choices, but I trust you won't kill any of my comrades during the trip."
But if you so much as threaten any of my friends even after this mission, I swear I will hunt you down with unrestrained vengeance. He purposefully lowered his mind shield on this thought for the cubi present, particularly for Jakob to show that he was still was not fond of having to travel with those two.
Jakob sat down and pretended he was looking at the pictures on the wall. In reality he was concentrating on James. For the most part he'd done this with Gabi, but while James' mind-shield was down, he may as well use it.
"We didn't need them," he told James. "We've got an enchanted map, and I can return to the Phoenix Temple if need be. It's tempting to split up, but I can't abandon my comrades..."
Ephrael returned ready for the road, with her new knives strapped to her thighs, both quivers on her belt and her new bow in her hands.
She sat down across from Jakob.
Mel smiled at James for his show of logic, if not true support. Then her attention went back to Jakob. She looked quite seriously at the wolf cubi. "Do not tar everyone with the brush of your personal issues. Just because you struggle against your base urges constantly does not mean everyone does. Your greatest temptation may be no temptation at all to others."
As Gareeku continued to eat his breakfast, he listened as the others bickered once more. Sighing slightly, the wolf set the cutlery down on the plate, picking up the cup of coffee and taking a sip as he looked out the window near to his table, watching people walk past as they got on with their everyday lives. He knew he wasn't mister popular at the moment after having made the deal with Ignatz and Mel, but quite frankly he didn't care. He was prepared to do a lot to get to the bottom of this ever-increasingly frustrating expedition. He didn't trust them completely either, but as mentioned, he was prepared to do a hell of a lot.
His face then showed a level of discomfort. It was evident that Gareeku was in pain. His whole body was overcome with a dull ache as he sat there. His body felt tired and weak for a few seconds as the pain coursed through him. It had been a little while since he had last suffered from pain like this, but this time it felt stronger than before. It could only mean one thing. His time was running out.
It was then, however, that the wolf heard a voice to the side of him. Looking to see who it was, Gareeku saw that it was the stranger who had been chatting to some of the other members of the group. Hearing the other wolf's comments, Gareeku smirked slightly.
"Good. Because I can't afford to pay you." the white wolf replied before taking another sip of his coffee. "Why do you wish to join us, even for free? I don't even know you. Not even your name."
As he waited for the other wolf to answer, one of Gareeku's ears the perked up as he heard James speak. Looking over, the wolf watched as the squirrel glanced at him when referring to the fact that some of the group nearly died yesterday. Hearing this, Gareeku smirked again.
"I'm used to it." the wolf replied flatly, before turning back to the other wolf. "So then..."
At first, the wolf turned his head towards the vixen, giving her a slight smile, and a shrug. He tapped the pack on his back, adjusting it so that it hung off his coat better.
"Why? Because, good lady, if you could afford my services, you wouldn't be in this tavern." he said, a slight grin on his face as he bowed at the vixen.
His ear twitched as the white wolf beside him spoke up, however, and he quickly turned to regard the fellow lupine.
"My name is Cogidubnus Mithlome." he said, pausing just a moment to consider the wolf's other questions. He didn't quite have an answer - instead, the wolf merely shrugged, and waved a hand around generally.
"Because I'm bored, and these are rather nice people, and I'd really rather not see them all get killed." he said quickly, his gaze sliding over to the wall somewhat. Not that one could see - his eyes were obscured by his shades. Even so, the wolf scratched his neck, and whispered something at Gareeku.
"That, and most of your party seems to be trying to kill other members. One more level head here would be very helpful to you. Besides, I'm offering you the services of an Adventurer-for-hire for free - it's not as though I could make things worse, could I?"
The wolf coughed, and adjusted the shades on his glasses.
Listening to the other lupine speak, who had introduced himself as Cogidubnus, Gareeku sipped some more of his coffee, before turning to him, the slight smirk back on his face.
"Touché." the white wolf replied. "My name is Gareeku Manoko. A pleasure. Your services shall be much appreciated."
Finishing his breakfast, Gareeku then drank the rest of his coffee, before standing up and sliding his chair back under the table.
"I suggest we make a move." the wolf said to the others while deciding that he would need to do something about his ripped-up outfit. "Time is against us."
Especially me...
The bat was about to speak up against the building animosity between Mel and Jakob with a hopefully disarming comment, when James interjected. He thought he noticed something in the timing between the squirrel and Jakob that triggered some former experience, but instead of doing anything, he simply heard them out, and then laid his eyes on Cog when the conversation shifted in the third wolf's direction. Leaning back and spreading his arms and stretching a bit, he then made an amused little sniff, as the corner of his mouth drifted upward.
'Maybe we should have gone for that approach instead, Mel?' Ignatz said, still keeping his eyes on Cogidubnus. 'Fake identities may be lies, but the fresh starts they offer are not.' It sounded like a joke, and probably was, but even though he used no intonation the formulation and the mention of false names and faces was enough to trigger thoughts and thoughtfulness concerning being on guard and attentive, in case they might be dealing with another disguise.
While Aisha set her coins on the table for the things she ate and drank, she observed the mood of the group. There were some, especially Jakob, who was still adverse to letting the bat and Mel join in...but a deal was a deal, and they were going to have to run through with it if there was to be any more progress made. Without saying it, though, the look on the panther's face seemed to make it clear that she too would be keeping an eye out.
Then she listened in on the conversation between the two wolves, the silver one finally introducing himself as Cogidubnus. There was a light smirk as he spoke of his reasons for coming. If there was to be more animosity, another level head would have been welcomed.
But she did happen to notice the grimace of pain on Gareeku's face, the same look he had before she realized that he was dying. She turned her gaze away for a moment. It bothered her that there was nothing she or anyone could do to help...nothing...but to keep moving forward.
And hearing the wolf announce that it was about time to leave, Aisha stood as well. "I certainly agree with moving on," the huntress confirmed, double-checking to make sure that she had everything, and looking around at the others. Glancing back at the silver canid, she nodded politely. "Good to have another with us, Cogidubnus. I'm Aisha."
Gabi nodded. She still didn't know what to think about Cog's presence and stated intention, but at least he'd done nothing bad to any of her friends yet, which was more than she could say for the other new additions to the team. At least there were still some friends she knew and trusted in the group. She could rely on them if things went wrong, and she'd do everything in her power to help them if they were in trouble. With these thoughts, she stood up and walked to Aisha's side.
"Yes," she agreed. "We should get going."
"Mr. Manoko." he said politely, making a bow, and took a step back to lean against the wall of the doorway. At the white wolf's words, the rest of the party began to stand and get ready to leave. The wolf patted the side of his satchel, making sure everything was there. The stiff resistance of the spine of his book, and the odd lumps and hard shapes of his various small possessions and monies reassured him that he hadn't forgotten anything. He pushed his shades up the bridge of his nose, and waited.
At the red-cloaked panthress's words, the wolf merely nodded his head, smiling at her. "A pleasure...Aisha." he said, not knowing her last name. He noted the boomerang hanging from her belt at the sword at her hip, and nodded.
He found himself suddenly examining his new party-members. Gareeku used the same sort of blade as he did, and his clothing screamed martial artist. His ragged appearance seemed to indicate he wasn't a stranger to using the weapon, anyway. The Cubi Jakob, now toting a large coat, was a filmmaker, but also a teacher at SAIA. Fighter by trade or not, that spoke volumes about the wolf. One of the bounty hunters he'd already met, and he seemed to at least have half a brain, and the other one, a feline of some sort, seemed to have garnered a special kind of...'respect', from the others. If her skill was as sharp as her mouth, she would be formidable indeed.
The yellow Jackal, hung over as she was, was toting an enormous mace. Werther or not she could use it was another matter, but she didn't seem to be dead yet. The nice vixen, Gabi, he hadn't seen any obvious signs of weaponry on, which left monk or spellcaster. Either way, she survived this group's last attack. Still, something struck Cog about that one...
The blue squirrel and the girl with the bow he hadn't met before, and didn't know anything about. Except that the squirrel seemed to enjoy his pudding very much.
Cog grinned to himself, and waited for everyone to get ready. It seemed he'd picked the right time to volunteer.
Mel stood and brushed the crumbs of breakfast from her brilliantly red coat and white divided skirt. Having already paid her bills she dropped a tip on the table for the waitress and stepped around the table. She bowed politely to the new party member. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Mithlome. I am Mel. That most recently stood for Amelaine Donovan. "
"Most recently? I see..." Cog said, the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He removed his hat and bowed deeply and formally to the brilliantly-red coated feline. "A pleasure, Amelaine."
He returned his hat and leaned against the wall again, his eyes drifting every now and then to the door. One could never be too careful, especially with a party this big. Everyone had their own special enemies to consider, as well as the attention and scrutiny such a band brought on naturally.
He didn't bother asking the feline what brought her on this journey. He'd heard her state her reasons quite adamantly earlier, and he doubted that any more questioning would shed light on the subject.
"Already ready?" he said, smiling, and noticing the feline's new and fresh clothing and a lack of any sort of luggage. He made mental note of it: on the other hand, she could just be very rich and wasteful, true, but he somehow doubted it...
'She responds to "Ice Queen" as well,' Ignatz added at Cog's first comment, smirking a bit. There was no need for introductions from his side, at least. And unlike these others who to him seemed prude, Mel and he had a quite healthy and amusing mutual tolerance for and enjoyment of exchanging playful comments and insults.
'Yes, and well that is,' the bat added, after the query from Cogidubnus' side. 'Allow me to express my opinion that we should get this show on the road, and some mild expression of annoyance at certain people's tardiness.' He sounded serious, but the fact that his morning tiredness didn't seem to have passed entirely took the air out of the argument a bit. 'I would also like to reiterate my suggestion that we acquire some manner of transport.'
Mel laughed, just a little, when Ignatz interjected a new nickname for her. "But ice is such a refreshing change when there are so many hotheads around. I affect it to stand out from the crowd." She glanced at the little gold watch pinned to her jacket lapel before responding to Cog's question. "And yes, I am quite ready to depart. I would not think there so much to prepare considering the vagabond way everyone arrived. The hamper of lunch I ordered for the road is already done and waiting." She sighed softly, "I think I will wait outside to give the illusion of progress. "
"Ah." the wolf said, his voice mixed with a bit of amusement and something else. Ice Queen. Well, that clinches it. he thought, and stepping out of the way of the door he let the red-coated feline through.
"I'm sure we'll be out shortly." the wolf said, finding another spot to lean against the wall and wait.
He looked at the bat. "Transportation? I assumed we were walking." he said, his expression turning sardonic. "If we can actually afford transportation, perhaps I should have asked for something in return..." the wolf grinned, and adjusted his hat.
Ignatz looked boorishly up at the wolf. 'Well, you thought wrong. I enjoy my exercise as much as the next man, but walking for days on end, out in the sun?' he said, closed his eyes, and shook his head. 'This is not a holiday trip. I think the others can agree that we can't afford to be slow.' He said that almost gravely, but it was rather convenience and a bit of irritation that went through his head. I wouldn't cover ground like that during the day anyway, he thought. And I could move much faster if I were alone.
The wolf shrugged. "Ah, well. When you've got no place to go, you're usually not in a hurry." he said, adjusting the strap on his bag. "If we need to get somewhere quick, though, the walking ticket isn't that fast, no."
He scratched his chin. "Did you have something in mind?"
Listening to the conversation, Gareeku frowned.
"Then feel free to go ahead and use transportation." the wolf replied. "I am walking."
He agreed on the fact that they had no time to waste, but in short, Gareeku hated transportation. He would much rather be putting his legs to good use than sitting in a seat for hours on end.
"Besides. I can't afford it. I'm not made of money." Gareeku commented.
"I'm easy," Jakob said. "If we need transportation, I can pay for us." He had taken the money during his visit back to SAIA, shortly after the bandit attack. Really it was for paying off any future bandits, or anyone else who needed a bribe, but the cost of a taxi wouldn't make too much of a dent in it.
There were other ways too. If they could get Jakob or a Warp Aci to the destination quickly, they could bring back the others back in shifts. But Gareeku seemed to have his heart set on walking, so if that's what he wanted, fine. If I was slowly dying, I think I'd want to spend the last of my life in the open too...
'I'm not exactly poor either. If you'd rather take a carriage, or go down to the docks and catch a ship, I'd gladly pay for the expenses,' Ignatz spoke up, in a surprising act of charity. 'I mean, it's not like you haven't deserved at least something for being caught and locked up by us. Not to mention it so well coincides with both our interests.'
As the patrons of the room conversed among one another and discussed their methods of transportation, Keaton remained in an almost unnervingly statue-like state, her muscles frozen and taut beneath her saffron-sable fur, fingers fixated in a steepled arrangement beneath her chin. Her head was propped up against her knuckles, ocher-orb eyes locked on the furthermost wall as she repeatedly turned over the options in her head, still prodding at that one idea which was bothering her. Ultimately, Keaton's expression was devoid of passion or emotion, easily concealing the emotions lurking behind her calculative countenance.
Then, with a rubbery squeak, she jabbed her heels into the floor and pushed her chair outward, climbing to her feet. Imperceptibly, Keaton's hand flicked within her pocket and she surfaced her hand with a brilliantly colored, lustrous marble pinched between her fingers. Flipping the marble in the air, she caught it effortlessly, then slinked behind the group. Her eyes combed the congregation of characters in search of a distinctive white canine.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Listening to the others somewhat protest, Gareeku growled slightly.
"I said I am walking." he snapped. "If I say I am walking, then I mean I am walking. You can all get transportation if you want. I am not."
Quickly checking he had his possessions, the white wolf looked around the group.
"Let's go." he said gruffly. "You know what? Fine. We'll get transport. Happy?"
With that, the wolf stormed out of the tavern, clearly agitated.
As the others stood, getting ready to leave the town finally, Aisha nodded with slight approval. Things finally seemed to be going smoothly. Even Keaton stood with the group, and though the panthress hadn't gotten an answer from her on why she'd be going, she shrugged it off...perhaps it was best that many questions weren't asked. Another ally was always a good idea.
But then, the thoughts that things were going smoothly turned around on its head when Ignatz had mentioned getting some sort of transportation, and even fervently so, even after Gareeku had already said he was against. Aisha had stayed quiet about that...much like the warrior, the huntress was used to walking most often to different places. It made adventuring lingering, and more enjoyable when each mile traversed was a personal milestone. Though it seemed the opinion of some was just to get somewhere quicker...who could blame them when their families were in danger, but still...
Aisha's head suddenly swiveled toward Gareeku when he voiced his opinion, in a clear voice, and stormed out of the tavern. The panther's ears pinned against her head...this was no way to begin an adventure. With a sigh, she turned to the group...mostly to Ignatz, Mel, Cog, and Keaton...the newcomers. The rest of their comrades hopefully knew what she was to say. Her tone was level, neutral, hopefully reasonable.
"If you all are coming with us, you would be advised to have some respect for Gareeku's position and opinion. Out of all of us, he has the most weight on his shoulders, as Gabi had put just a few moments ago. It would be very ill to go against him. More so because there are more of us who will stand with him, no matter what."
She let that sink in, before turning and moving out the door in a trotting pace, hoping to catch up with the wolf. I go where he goes, she had decided.
The bat's head and ears swiveled around as Gareeku suddenly stood up, fired off some indignant comments, and then went out, slamming the door after him. Aw, fuck. We insulted him, he thought. Seems he's a bit touchy. Well, if he's dying... Or maybe he just has a temper. Even through Aisha's statement, Ignatz kept his eyes on the door. Then, he sighed, and leaned forward in his seat, putting his forearms on his thighs. Maybe it wouldn't be too good to go with them after all.
The bat sat so for a few moments. Then, his eyes drifted up in an expression of hesitation, settling on Mel. He held them, then glanced over all the others, and then finally locked his gaze at the newly arrived Keaton. Meh. It's a bit of animosity, he thought. So what?
"Well, that's settled that," said Jakob pleasantly, heading out after Gareeku and the panther. "Anyone else coming?" He added as he reached the door.
The Tasmanian devil stood up and followed after the white wolf.
"Gareeku...Did you want to get some new clothes? I know a shop on the way out of town and they stock stuff like that." She said when she caught up to him.
Gabi was rather shocked when Gareeku stormed out of the room. More than ever she wished he would open up, but she couldn't see that happening any time soon. When Aisha and Jakob manifested their will to follow him, she joined them. She wished they could rescue the kidnapped as fast as possible, but if the group was splitting up she'd much rather go with the ones she trusted.
"I'm going," she said, and turned towards those who were still inside, looking at James in particular. "Are you coming?"
Much to Keaton's frustration, just as she approached the white wolf, he departed the room for reasons which were slightly ambiguous to her. It was probably out of annoyance, as far as she knew, but at that moment she was somewhat lost when it came to motivations in general. They had a questionably-motivated pair of mercenaries, one of which she wanted dead, the other who managed to intimidate her; an Angel; a nosy wolf Incubus; a silver-furred swordsman who behaved politely, but who she didn't quite trust yet; fox lady who Keaton didn't know well enough to pass judgment on, but who looked nice enough; a Tasmanian Devil archer who, as far as Keaton knew, couldn't hold her booze; a dark-furred pantheress; and herself, who was utterly fucked up beyond recognition in terms of capricious stimulus. Oh the joys of being a Succubae and experiencing not only mood swings, but emotional instability, trauma, and personality disorders.
It was quite an eclectic group. With a sigh of resignation Keaton inclined her ears backward and glanced to Aisha, who was speaking directly to her, Ignatz, Cogidubnus, and Mel. Something about respect--Keaton felt her curiosity pique, somewhat. What was going on with this Gareeku fellow? He seemed to be in pain before, but she hadn't been paying much attention to her surroundings, and hadn't observed his behavior for any defining attributes to a malady or injury. It probably wasn't an injury...
Keaton exhaled through her teeth. Oh well. Right now that was irrelevant; she'd ask someone about that subject later. First and foremost she had to discuss something with the alabaster wolf. Shaking her head, Keaton spun around on her heels and walked out the door, following the approximate path that Gareeku had taken. Normally she would've hummed, but was too focused to do so.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Beginning to walk down the street, Gareeku heard A familiar voice; Epharael's, to be exact. Listening to what she said, the wolf didn't say anything for a moment, before beginning to speak.
"I'll be fine. After all, we don't have any time to waste." Gareeku muttered in reply. In the direction he was walking, it was becoming apparent that he was heading for the docks.
"I guess we're all going the same way, after all," Gabi shrugged, wondering what that had been all about.
"Let's go," she suggested, as she picked up her pack from her chair and turned to follow Gareeku.
Ignatz merely sighed and slapped his knees, before getting up. He'd put his bag by the side of the bar when walking down, and as he passed Gabi and followed Keaton, he just swept out his hand and swung it up and the strap over his shoulder. Moving on toward uncertainty... he thought to himself.
"Indeed. I'm coming miss Gabi..." He followed after Gabi and slipped a few acorns into her hand. "A few stun bombs for your protection." As James gazed at the docks memories of home began to wash over him.
Noticing he was heading for the docks (It is her home town after all), Eph spoke up again. "And I know a stall down by the docks aswell...I don't want to force you Gareeku... But I give that vest you're wearing about another day before it falls apart. Hell gimme your size and I'll run ahead and get you something."
Surprised, Gabi thanked James. She hadn't expected the gift.
"I've been thinking..." she told him as they walked. "Maybe I could learn afew things from you too. You may have noticed I'm not very good at fighting, now I've seen that I can't always rely on magic and the way things are going, I'll be lucky to survive many encounters like the last one."
"I know some unarmed combat," Jakob put in, slowing down a little to catch up with Gabi and James. The important thing was to keep between them and Gareeku, so that they would be able to see which way he was heading.
"I've never been a very good teacher," he added, "but if it's going to be useful to you, I may be able to cover the basics."
A little while later, the group has reached the rather picturesque docks. Lined up along the water side were boats of all shapes and sizes, ranging from small yachts to larger, ferry-like watercraft which were situated a bit further away. Walking up and down the waterside were what appeared to be staff who worked at the docks, making sure everything was in order with the boats and their owners.
"Excuse me." Gareeku said as he approached one member of staff in particular, a female raccoon. "Are there any ferries leaving for the north sometime soon?"
"I'll just check for you sir. Please wait here for a minute." the raccoon replied politely, before walking off to find out. Watching her go, the whitr wolf then turned to the others.
"So then. Anyone mind telling me what Mel's first "clue" is?" Gareeku asked. If one were to check the map, they find out that another message had appeared upon the back of it.
North is the direction you desire, for it will be there that you will approach what you are looking for, whether you realise it or not.
Not the most helpful statement in the world.
Jakob still held the map within the voluminous folds of his trenchcoat. The trouble was, he didn't really want Ignatz or Mel to know about it. With a sigh, he pulled it out and unfolded it.
"North is the direction you desire, for it will be there that you will approach what you are looking for, whether you realise it or not," he read, and promptly folded it back up again.
"Any ideas?" As he spoke, he folded the map back into his coat. Or so it appeared. As he released his hand, it vanished into a small hyperrealm, a trick he'd seen done with swords once.
Gareeku walked out of the Tavern, and Cog took that as a sign that the group was moving on. Pushing himself off the wall, he walked out behind the white wolf and into the dusty street, following Gareeku down to the docks.
He pulled his hat down further on his head as he noticed them walking towards the docks. He'd spent some time on ships before. He sighed, and shook his head. At least he didn't get seasick anymore.
"Pretty sure, anyway..."
Aisha felt more appreciative of the rest of the group, as soon as they started to file out after Gareeku behind her. The wolf still walked headstrong and with purpose, however they were going to get there or not...and that certainly was what the situation needed. No hesitation, or conflict. A part of the panthress, however, despised the thought of rushing...especially when it would just lead to the wolf's death.
Another friend's death.
Aisha's dire thoughts kept her from listening to the small conversations that had been initiated...but they were soon drenched when she looked upon the sight to which they were lead. From the docks, water extended far off into the horizon, and boats of many sizes lined their sight and rested upon the gently chopping waves. Aisha tilted her head, just a small smile appearing in her eyes as she appraised the scenery. She knew not what sea it was, nor ocean. But the smells and senses of hope that it brought had an air of poetry. This part would probably go in the song about this saga.
After Gareeku checked with the staff on finding a ferry, he had turned to the others for their opinion. Aisha glanced toward Mel, about to demand what it was. But that was when a few of the maps were brought out, one of which she saw glancing over a shoulder, and her eyebrows raised. "Strange. But if north is the direction it chose, and that you chose, we're headed the right way."
James was just about to answer Gabi when Jakob spoke. He listened to Jakob's suggestion of unarmed combat and grinned. "We'll figure something out for you miss Gabi. I'm quite good at martial arts and use it quite often to defend myself when caught unawares. You may like the self defense aspect where you don't aim to kill, but to subdue your opponent." Kept a lot of my bounties alive that way. "I've never formally taught, but I'm sure you'll find me a decent teacher. Or course, should you wish to try something else you can. I believe you may even be handy with a rapier, a slender sword which you won't find that heavy."
---
"My ideas are only assumptions at this point." said James trying to answer Jakob's question. If it where at the Northern most point in the world then we wouldn't have to worry about missing it, no matter where we start from, we'll find it. But there seems to be a hint of something where we may run across our goal sooner then expected... We may even have someone following us, who will guide us as we near our goal. One thing's for sure at this point though... I'm really starting to hate cryptic messages."
'Cryptic can be good sometimes,' Ignatz said drolly from behind James. He'd slid up behind the party in what seemed to be the customary manner for him; smooth and uncomfortably silently. 'It has a tendency to filter out the stupid,' he added, glancing around under the brim of a quickly produced hat that while quite warm for the weather at least helped keep the blasted sun out of his eyes.
Having produced a parasol from somewhere to shade herself from the sun Mel strolled behind the rest as if it were an afternoon promenade. Compared to the rest with their packs and weapons the unburdened leopard in her brightly colored outfit truly appeared as if she was on a pleasure jaunt. If the white wolf's decision to head to Ghaelia was counter to whatever information she had she didn't show any distress.
"Sometimes it does," Gabi replied to Ignatz's comment. "But when the writer wants the reader to get there anyway, it doesn't really filter anything, does it? I'd say it mearly creates entertainment for some at the expenses of others. Then again, you seem to like that kind of thing too much."
As he waited for the member of staff to return, Gareeku listened to the others speak amongst themselves, rolling his eyes at some of the comments.
"If we are all done flinging insults at each other like children..." the wolf spoke up, his arms crossed as he looked at the group. "Then I would like to know from our clue-bearer if we are headed in the right direction."
It was then, however, that the member of staff returned.
"Yes sir, we do have a ship leaving in half an hour, but you are welcome to board the ship now if you like.
"Yes we will, thank you." Gareeku replied, then following the member of staff to the ticket office, where he paid for himself.
Once he had done so, the wolf then made his way to the ship itself. The boat was a large one, but not as big as some of the other boats in the docks. Shaped and styled much like a ferry, the white paint that gleamed in the sunlight gave the craft a polised look. The people who owned the boat obviously were proud of it.
Stepping on board, Gareeku gave his ticket to the crew member who was stood by the entrance, before making his way to the front of the boat, where he stood, leaning on the railings as he gazed out to the horizon.
"If anyone's short, I can pay for several," Jakob said, as Gareeku boarded ship. He waited for a moment to see who, if anyone,would take him up on his offer, and went to pay.
Aisha had stood back while the others put in their two cents on the subject of being clued in on leaving, arms crossed. She had to roll her eyes, wondering just when it will be that they will start cooperating like a group. But at least they had some more help on their quest, however she still doubted how much help they would be. The panther had to wonder about something...if there were these two having hunted the group, how many more of those were they certain to encounter?
But soon, the staff member returned and guided the way to the ticket office, and to the ship that they were to take. When Aisha laid eyes on the vessel, she was impressed. Large enough to take them all, small enough to leave a good view of the sea. So long as nobody gets seasick, she added.
Hearing Jakob's offer to the others, Aisha shook her head and walked up. "I can pay for myself, but thank you, Jakob." Thus she did; it set her behind just a bit, but at least left enough that it didn't matter. And then she followed Gareeku aboard the gleaming pearlescent vessel, walking slow so as to get used to the slightly choppy motion that the water caused until she went to lean on the side.
"So this is a boat," Aisha muttered. It was obvious that the feline never had much in the line of experience with that mode of transport.
Surprisingly, despite her belligerent nature and her normally consistent urge to interfere in every argument that occurred in her presence, Keaton did not participate in Ignatz's attempts to rouse a reaction from the others, being more focused on following the others in the group. Once they arrived at the pier, Keaton started frantically searching through her pockets for money that she didn't waste on booze, fortunately finding the appropriate amount of money needed to board the ship. Normally Keaton was financially bankrupt from constantly wandering, never adopting a consistent job, but when she could, she either picked up a freelance assignment to earn some money legally, or stole acquisitioned something from an unfortunate soul who meandered in her direction when she was in a bad mood.
After she was allowed onto the ship, Keaton resumed her search for Gareeku, her chocolaty gaze combing the ship for the distinctive white wolf. Not far away, she noticed him leaning against the railing and staring off at--well, the horizon, she supposed. From behind, Keaton walked over to him, the sound of her heavy footsteps the only harbinger to her approach.
"Uh, hey," she said, tapping Gareeku gently on the shoulder. "You're--Gareeku, right? Think we can talk for a minute?"
~Keaton the Black Jackal
"I'm done," Gabi replied to Gareeku's words before turning back to James. "I'll take you up on your offer, thanks."
Then Jakob made another offer. She counted her money. She seemed to have enough this time, but not by a big margin. Unless she found a way to earn some money, she'd have to start borrowing from her friends.
As she got on board, she approached Jakob and told him: "I'll see if I can manage to get some blood cookies out of my bag. That way they might help me pay for our next trip."
As worried as she still was, she felt a tinge of excitement when she looked at the see from the boat. There was a wide river near her hometown and her family had sometimes taken boats for fun when she was a child, but she'd never sailed on the sea before, nor gone on a long aquatic journey.
Watching the water grimly from the edge of the pier, and still as he passed over the walkway, Ignatz was the last to set his foot on the deck of the large boat. Fortunately it was simple enough to pay for oneself, and considering the capital he had, not to mention what they had just earned the day before, that was small change at the moment. To his great liking, they weren't even searched. He were somewhat conflicted about going by boat; cabins provided a nice stay, and he was familiar with seafaring why waves and tumbling did not bother him, but he did not like the sea particularly much. And he'd also found that most regular sailors weren't the most agreeable sort to him, for some reason. If there was anywhere he was comfortable being on a ship, it was up in the masts, or under deck. So, when he stepped on board, he immediately began looking around for some place alone and out of sight.
Cog's ear twitched at Jakob's offer, and a for a moment adventuring instincts told him to accept the rather generous offer of free passage. He wasn't hurting for money at all, really, but a penny saved and all that. Still, the wolf kept silent, instead approaching the ticket vendor himself and giving him a measure of silver coins.
Ticket in hand, the wolf boarded the ship quickly, and took up a position on the far side of the ship, facing the open ocean. The sea breeze quickly filled the wolf's nostrils, and he let his hand drift up to his hat, keeping it from flying off.
The wolf couldn't help but enjoy the view, but he still made a grimace. Seafaring vessels and him usually had an agreement - he stayed away from them, and they didn't make him seasick or give him cabin fever. He absently wondered how long they would be on the ship...
Mel paid her fare and boarded the ship. With her bright blue sunshade still over her head she took a place at the rail. She didn't get seasick or claustrophobic, but having sunk several pirate ships in defense of the being village she once called home ships always struck her as vulnerable. The rest of the party was ignoring her for the moment and for the moment she was quite content to be ignored and watch the little fishing boats hard at work in the distance. She was having a little bout of nostalgia for that long ago time.
As he stared out at the horizon, Gareeku then felt a tap on his shoulder and a voice. Turning to look, he found that it was one of the newcomers; Keaton.
"Uh...sure..." the wolf replied. "What is it you want to talk about, exactly?"
The instant Gareeku turned around, he was greeted with an uncharacteristic, toothy grin brandished in his face, etched in ivory-white over the jagged streaks of ebony-tainted saffron of Keaton's face. Clearly, there was an underlying edge of discomfort to Keaton's smile, as though she wasn't used to exercising her facial muscles in such a positive manner, but she resisted regardless, and leaned back to grant Gar some personal space. To make the wolf more malleable, she needed to present herself in a more benevolent, trustworthy manner, and give him what he wanted.
"Hey there!" she said cheerfully, beaming from every molecule of her face. Keaton continued, feeling she was on a roll, "I just have a small favor to ask you" - suddenly, her expression fell. Sighing, Keaton ran her hand over her face, disgusted with her charade. Attempt to convince Gar or not, she didn't enjoy being so... outrageously out-of-character from her original personality, even when she was a skilled impersonator - "oh to hell with this. Listen, I... well..."
A sigh of resignation. Keaton shrugged her shoulders loosely. "I want to join your group. You're looking for kidnappers, right? Well, I'm hoping they have two people I'm looking for."
~Keaton the Black Jackal
When he turned around, Gareeku was quite surprised to be a huge beaming grin on the jackal's face as he looked at her. It was becoming painfully clear that she was making an effort with this over-the-top smile, which only caused the wolf to raise his eyebrow as he looked at her.
As Keaton tried to get her words out, Gareeku leaned back against the railing, folding his arms as he waited for her to say what she wanted to say. Once the jackal had said what she needed to, the wolf looked at her for a moment before he spoke.
"And what makes you think I can trust you?" the wolf asked, looking at her with a neutral expression, his voice possessing a calm, almost soothing tone as he spoke. "The world is full of people, both being and creatures alike, who would gladly kill someone once their back is turned."
Turning away, Gareeku gazed back out towards the horizon, a distant look in his eyes as he did so.
"To get them back...to free them...only to leave them again..." the wolf said softly. "Provided I get them back..."
Looking back at Keaton once more, Gareeku looked at her dead in the eyes.
"Fine. You may join us." the wolf said, a slight nod of his head as he spoke confirming the words he uttered. "But I will keeping an eye on you, just like the other newcomers. In this world, trust between strangers must be earned."
After paying for her ticket Ephrael headed up the gangplank. She could of followed Gareeku but saw he was talking to...'Oh what was her name' She thought 'I guess I'll find out some time, she seems to be going with us'.
Waving to Gar she headed up a deck and towards the bow where she found some deck chairs set up. Shrugging off her pack and bow she pulled out a pair of sunglasses and lay in the chair closest to the bow.
Although Keaton's previous grin had been insincere and uncomfortable, something akin to smirking elation colored her angular features when she heard Gareeku grant her permission to join his group--albeit there was a tangible sliver of begrudging hesitance to his voice. Probably because, with the addition of Mel and Ignatz and their questionable alliances to his party, he had enough on his plate. Understandable, but at least Keaton had made her intentions rather clear. Impersonator or not, when she was honest, she was honest. The Cubi race often thrived on lies, both small and of incredible magnitude, but Keaton could be frank when she wanted to.
"Hey. We may have not gotten off on the best of starts, but I'm not going to start stealing souls left and right," Keaton said defensively, holding up her hands. "I have some degree of self-control. Scout's honor."
Of course, that latter promise could easily be redacted with Keaton claiming she was not a scout (this was true), but she had no intention of doing so. After all, she wanted to travel with these people. "And look, I'm a useful fighter. I've had five hundred years of experience under my belt," Keaton pointed her thumb toward the mace strapped to her back, "So you don't have to worry about looking out for me. Plus, I can help you guys out when you need me to."
The smirk returned to Keaton's features, then she turned away, waving to Gareeku over her shoulder. "Either way, I'll try not to give you a reason to punt me out," she said boisterously. "Oh, and..." A reluctant sigh, then she attempted a less devious smile - much more successfully than her first try. "Thanks."
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Jakob stared out over the railings, but he kept an ear open as Keaton spoke to Gareeku.
Nothing wrong with stealing souls from the dying, he thought, just as long as you let them go afterwards.
Jakob didn't have much experience with boats, although he had collected schematics from his stay on Earth, and even built lavish scale models - a childish distraction from the burdens of running his empire. Not that anyone would have dared say so, or even think it too loud.
There were things to like about them though, especially the powered ones... an engine room full of noise and diesel fumes could be music to his ears. In any case, it was far too long since he'd had a pleasure cruise and it might even be a way to distract himself from the burdens of their quest, at least for a short while.
Listening to Keaton explain that she would not betray them or do anything to step out of line, Gareeku turned back to face the horizon as the cubi spoke.
"If you say so." the wolf replied. "But in my experience, peopl can really seem like they mean something, only to stab you in the back at a later date. So I'll be keeping an eye on things."
Hearing Keaton say her thanks, Gareeku glanced to her from out of the corner of his eye for a moment.
"...No problem..." the wolf said in reply.
A short while later, the large funnels on the top of the vessel began to excrete more steam as the ship's horn sounded, signalling that it was about to set sail on it's journey. Making final checks that the boat had been freed of it's tying to the dockside, the staff working at the docks then waved the ship off as it began to make its way to the harbour's entrance.
After having bought a drink from the on board bar, Gareeku was back at his position at the front of the boat, leaning against as he took a swig of the ale. Looking out at the horizon once more, the wolf hoped that the journey would not take too long.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" said James as he slid up to Gareeku's side at the front of the ship, watching the seemingly endless waves. "A sea that stretches on beyond what we see. Kind of like life. We never know what might be in store for us up ahead. There are times of calm, times of hard weather, but always heading towards a goal." Looking at Gareeku now, James looked more serious. "Gareeku, I want to make sure you reach your goal. If I have to go through the storms of hell for you, I would." James gripped the railing tighter, his nails digging slightly in the wood. He didn't want him to die, but it was becoming painfully obvious that he won't last much longer. "Tell me... What is the thing you desire most now? I swear to you I will get it done."
Suddenly hearing James' voice, Gareeku looked to see the squirrel join him, also watching the waves stretch on to the horizon.
"Wise words indeed." The wolf replied to what James first said. Looking at his old friend out of the corner of his eye, Gareeku noticed that the bounty hunter was now looking straight at him, a more serious look on the squirrel's face. Listening to James as he continued to speak, Gareeku smiled slightly, his eyes looking back at the water that the boat was sailing across.
"There is nothing that needs to be done. Only the successful completion of this quest matters to me now." The wolf replied, putting his hand on James' shoulder. "You have already done more than enough for me by joining me and the others on this journey, my friend, and I thank you for it."
"I was already on this mission before we crossed paths once again..." James admitted. "There are a lot of rich people paying top dollar to get their loved ones back and to bring justice on those who wronged them... It was something I couldn't pass up." James looked away and took a deep breath. "I must sound like such a heel saying that, but the money was not intended for myself... Never was." James looked down at his feet which he shuffled around, his old boots showing lots of wear and tear.
"You might have noticed I haven't been living a life of luxury though I easily could have with all the money I made, but it was never intended for myself in all my years of hunting. I never told anyone before, but all this time I've been donating most of my money to the failing, broken down orphanage I grew up in. There are a lot of mouths to feed there... And I felt with my skills, it was the best way to help. I may not have had the best childhood, but that doesn't mean others must suffer. I have to help people in need... So when I saw you guys were taking the more direct approach instead of the longer, easier way I was taking, I couldn't leave you to face all those dangers alone. You're my friend, I can't leave you behind. I'm sticking with you to the end, no payment necessary."
James put his hand on Gareeku's shoulder. "At first it was just for the kids, but now I have another motive: To help you make sure you see the faces of your family again."
It would have been such a pleasant conversation. However, as should have been expected, and as simply is with how things go for some hateful reason, Gareeku and James were interrupted by a passing creep.
'How heartwarming. Just don't be so quick to get your hopes up, kid,' Ignatz said darkly, pacing slowly past behind the two. He looked around distraughtly, back and down to the hatch leading into the forward cargo room. Where the heck do they expect us to go if this trip is going to take a while? he thought.
'You know, not that I'm saying what you've done isn't gratifying work, but you ought to look out for yourself first. That's the only way to get things to develop, so you can make even more of a difference,' the bat continued, not even looking at the two as he kept searching. 'And keep a clear outlook on things. Because those storms of Hell you mentioned aren't nearly so easy to defy as you'd want them to be.'
"Have you lost something?" Jakob asked the bat in a concerned tone. It looked almost as though he had dropped a contact lens and was trying to find it.
Listening to James explain how he did not live a life of luxury despite the good money he earned, Gareeku nodded his head as he listened to the squirrel tell of how he donated the money that he earned to the orphanage that the squirrel grew up in.
"Maybe I should have been a bounty hunter instead of ah adventurer." the wolf commented, a slight smirk on his face as he spoke.
It was then, however, that Gareeku heard another voice comment on the conversation. Looking round, the wolf saw that Ignatz had decided to chip in on the conversation.
"Fuck off Ignatz." Gareeku said rather bluntly. If Ignatz wanted somewhere to be alone, then the cargo hold would probably be the safest bet. Hardly anybody went down there, especially not on this particular journey as there weren't many things that were being taken across the waters, and none of the cargo was particularly valuable.
Turning back to James, the wolf's facial expression was now one of grim seriousness.
"All I am concerned with right now is freeing those who have been kidnapped." he explained. "Before it is too late."
"Without hope though, there's nothing..." breathed James almost inaudibly. Despite not being fond of Ignatz, James did find some grain of wisdom in his words. Those storms may not be the easiest to navigate through safely, but it'll be an exciting ride...
"We'll free them, all of them. The gloves are coming off when I see the despicable demon who's done this..." he said as he looked at his new gloves which Jakob magically patched. He made sure to choose his words carefully though. He didn't know what the crew's stance was on angels. "I'll shake the pillars of hell with holy fury, unashamed of what I am, you can count on that."
He looked back towards Gabi. He had told the vixen that he'd help her train to be able to better protect herself. "If you'll excuse me now Gareeku, I'm glad we had this talk. I'm going to see if I can teach Gabi a few things about fighting." He gave a small wavelike salute to his pal and walked towards the vixen.
"So, Gabi? Have you decided on what you want to learn? We could try unarmed combat or even some swordplay if you want to try that out."
"I heard what you said to Gareeku," Gabi told James. She usually tried (often without success) to stay out of other people's private conversations but she thought this one deserved a comment. "I must admit I'm quite impressed. I think it's a great thing, what you're doing." She felt her cheeks become slightly warmer. "And helping me too... I don't know how to thank you. Things would be much harder if you weren't here. I..." she thought of his question for a few seconds. "I've never used a sword before. I've heard some say they're harder to wield than they look, so I don't know... Do you think I could learn to use one?"
Just barely listening to Gareeku at first, Ignatz crouched down and lifted the hatch to the cargo room, peering down into the darkness. A sharp, musty smell of chemical treatments and hard chill, and other things that cargo spaces mostly smell of, hit him, making his nostrils flare. 'I will. You just make sure that you don't fuck up instead when I'm not around,' the bat responded to the wolf's statement, not looking back up. There we go. This will be nice...
James' response though, drew more attention, even if initially only from his high-strung tone. 'Yeah, like we didn't know your wish already. We're all quaking with anticipation,' Ignatz added sarcastically. 'Talk less, think more. Angels are usually so full of themselves...' And you have such a bloody way of making it sound as if it were important when you speak... he thought.
Finally seeing it fit to withdraw from the conversation, the bat kicked up the hatch, swung himself down, and tugged it shut after him with his free hand before letting go and dropping down, finding a place to rest in the dark.
"Oh... You heard that?" said James sheepishly. Wait... Was she blushing? He looked away for a moment. Please don't do this to me... I already had to suffer through seeing my fiancee die. Please don't grow too attached to me... "N-no thanks needed. I'm just glad to help. If you want to try swords though, I suggest a rapier. It should be light enough for you to wield and relies less on brute strength and more on swift reflexes."
James quirked an eyebrow in Stygian's direction, but said nothing. Heh... as if he knows what my wishes are. What would he know about me anyways?
He drew his attention back on Gabi. "So, would you like to try it out? I have a rapier with your name on it."
Jakob watched as the bat descended into the cargo space. His body language seemed to indicate relief, but why? Was he just seeing a nutter at work, or was there some deeper reason? Now that he thought back to it, the bat was noticeably less comfortable outside. Agoraphobia? He wondered, but turned away as the hatch closed.
Gabi and James were duelling, and while he was better with a crossbow than a sword, it would still be interesting to watch. He might well learn something, and in any case he'd offered to teach some of the basic martial arts that he'd learned from Destania.
Despite the overwhelmingly depressing and oppressive thought of having to endure another three-month-long floating hotel stay, possibly, the wolf could not help but hear the blue squirrel speaking to Gabi about swordplay - specifically, offering to teach her a rapier style.
Cogidubnus turned away from watching the ocean, and leaning on the railing instead began to watch the ensuing swordplay. In general, the wolf had found rapier-style fencing...ineffective. The weapon was great at thrusting-style swordplay, but if you could get inside the guard, the weapon was largely defeated. It wasn't really very effective against armor either, and in general, he'd found them to be less than effective against weapons other than other rapiers.
The wolf narrowed an eye beneath shaded lenses, and watched.
As the ferry gently lurched away from the dock, Aisha held onto the railing until she gained her footing on the deck. Leaning against it with her back, she watched as that portion of land slowly floated from view...and that chapter of the adventure was left behind them in favor of what lay ahead. A wide, azure sea with silver linings upon the waves filled her view, and she could barely keep her eyes from it...as soon as the panther was sure that she had gotten her balance back.
After that, she turned and decided to listen to the various conversations going around. She was near to the bow where Gareeku was, first joined by Keaton. So the succubus was to be a part of their group after all...there were no qualms there, a powerful ally indeed. Then he was joined by James, and then Ignatz, who put in a rather snide comment before trying to find a place to himself. By now, Aisha had accepted the presence of the bounty hunters in the group...nearly. But she felt it wise to not place a word in.
One ear swiveled to listen to James and Gabi speak of the squirrel teaching her to fight. That's pretty wise, she thought. It was hard to know if something would come up that would require the whole of the party's power. Still the panther felt rather confident in their abilities. Am I really that much an optimist? Aisha laughed silently. But most of the same members of the party had seen adversity and survived.
Thinking about the previous adventure made Aisha grin somewhat, reminiscing. It was hard to find more trustworthy adventurers. Glancing at Gareeku, she certainly agreed with James. No matter what the cost...the missing ones would be found. "I hope they have a good view as well, those who are lost." she said to him, turning her gaze to the water.
Hearing Ignatz's comments, Gareeku rolled his eyes, before turning back to watch the horizon.
"Oh yes, oh mighty hero. I will be such a good boy while you're away." the wolf responded, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Faintly, he could hear James, Gabi and Jakob discuss her training, subtley swivelling one ear to face their direction so he could listen better.
It was then, however, that the wolf heard another voice; Aisha's. Hearing what she said, Gareeku glanced at her for a moment.
"That's if they have a view at all." he replied.
He has a point, Jakob thought grimly to himself. What... what would I do... if we get there - wherever there is - and find that my father's dead?
He shivered. The last time that had happened, Johan Cross had been born. He prayed that it would not happen again.
Gabi worried for a moment as James looked away and spoke nervously. She wondered if she had said or done something wrong. As the lesson began, however, the discomfort seem to have passed and she was able to focus on the task at hand. She felt a bit embarrassed when others turned to watch. She was almost certain that everyone else had more fighting experience than she did. But that was what she was trying to fix, wasn't it? She tried to focus on that and did her best to remember the feel of the right movements so that she could repeat them when needed.
"The rapier I gave you is a dulled training one." said James. "You won't cause serious injury to me even if you do hit me with it, so don't hold back. I'll give you a proper one once we're done." James glanced around him. They had quite the audience. It's just a basic swordplay training... If they want to see something epic, they should see me and Gar spar.
James proceeded to show Gabi how to properly hold the sword as well as how to thrust and parry, often having to make adjustments by moving her limbs slightly so she could execute the moves correctly. Once it seemed she was able to perform the moves without aid, James pulled off his backpack and set it on the ground in front of him.
"Ok, let's spar for a bit, but we'll do things in slow motion to begin with." he said as he drew out a training sword from the bag for himself. Of course there was no way a real sword could have fit. To those who were unaware of the magic the backpack possessed, the sight would have looked quite strange.
James and Gabi proceeded to slowly fence, letting her get accustomed to the blade. "There is something you should keep in mind with rapiers..." said James as they performed their slow motion battle. "It is a light sword and can easily be pushed aside by larger weapons. This is where you need to count on your reflexes. Heavier weapons generally take a little more time to ready after a swing. You need to back away from such attacks and go right back in to finish it."
They used the rapiers a little while longer before James began switching his weapons to demonstrate. "That's right... Good dodge, now thrust and you've got me."
As James wrapped up the training session he pulled out an elegant rapier with a strange hue and presented it to Gabi. "It's adamantine. Given special heat treatment in it's crafting to make the already super hard metal even harder. It should make you pierce through about any kind of armor as well as make the critics envious. I want you to practice a lot more though. Also try to use another light weapon in your off-hand, like a dagger in case someone slips though your guard. You should find that instinct will kick in and your foe should get a startling surprise."
Gabi listened to what James had to say and replayed the words in her mind to make sure she understood.
"You're giving it to me?"
This was much more than she had expected. She reckoned James had a lot of powerful weapons hidden in his bag, if he could spare something like that.
"Thanks... I will practice," she promised. Then, she thought of his final advice. "I've used both hands to fight before. Not with a sword, but... I'll do my best to find a way to make that work."
She looked around. Some watchers had left but others were still around. Why had they been watching her? They'd only made things harder. Wasn't there anything more interesting to do than watch a vixen walk her first steps with a rapier? At least it was over for the moment. She thought of all this as she held the new sword, turning it this way and that to get a better look at it and get used to holding it. She decided she'd look for a more private place to practice as soon as she could.
"James, I believe you mentioned that you know some unarmed combat," Jakob put in as Gabi and James finished sparring.
"I'd be interested to compare notes, if that's all right with you. It's not something I went in for in a big way, but I have found that some of the defensive stuff can be very handy in the right situation."
Aisha glanced back up, hearing the wolf reply to her statement. Her ears flattened slightly, thinking about it. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to spend the whole trip worried about her comrades' closest friends and relatives. Though nobody personal to herself was kidnapped, she still held as much reverence to the situation.
"True," the panther nodded. "But, at least here's hoping that they are being treated decently. I haven't gotten much of a chance to hear about the letters all of you were sent, but I doubt they have said anything about them being harmed, ser claro." Her eyes narrowed, and her mouth into a slight grin. "And if they were, I'd certainly help you take down whoever the hell is responsible."
The words she spoke were sincere, but were also spawned of her bravado. Whatever Gareeku knew about Aisha, the huntress hadn't lost any certainty that they would come out of their situation...perhaps it was foolish bravado, but bravado nonetheless...it was her way of sharing courage. Her face turned serious again, however. He won't die with the regret that they weren't saved, she vowed anew.
Turning from the water, she set her gaze then upon Gabi and James as they sparred, a bit of a distance away but still visible enough. The hunter remembered when she was taught how to swordfight in her younger days. "Heh...I'm suddenly reminded of my mentor, Rynkura. You want to learn to fight and have a very healthy respect for the blade, she's quite good for that."
As Aisha spoke again, Gareeku stayed silent as he listened to her. The pantheress' bravado was something to be admired in a way. Maybe he was being too pessimistic. But with each passing day, coupled with the fact that he did not have long left in this world, the wolf's hope was diminishing bit by bit.
It was then that Aisha turned to watch James and Gabi spar, commenting on how she was reminded of Rynkura, her mentor.
"I would have liked to meet this Rynkura that I've been hearing so much about..." Gareeku commented. His ear was still facing James' and Gabi's direction, listening to them speak of teaching her both armed and unarmed combat. In a way, the wolf was surprised that Jakob apparently knew as much about martial arts as he said he did, having not seemed like the sort of person who would know so much about something like fighting arts. He had considered helping with Gabi's teachings, but due to the fact that it seemed that James and Jakob had taken it upon themselves, the wolf concluded that he would most likely just be getting in the way.
Mel's lazy circuit of the deck brought her back around to where the lessons were taking place. She stopped and spent a few moments watching the training and all the onlookers. Finally she spoke to Cog, who was closest, "While learning to defend herself is of great value I have to wonder if this will be too little too late for Miss Gabi's immediate purpose. A lesson or two with a weapon that takes time to learn before throwing her against trained fighters seems rather misguided on her friend's part. Perhaps a nice heavy bat coupled with her healer's knowledge of body parts most vulnerable to crush damage would keep her safer." She slowly swung her parasol in demonstration before returning the sun shade to rest against her shoulder.
No sooner had Gareeku finished pondering Gabi's training with James and Jakob had he heard another voice. Looking round, he saw that Mel had decided to give her thoughts on the training. Listening to what she said, the wolf knew that she had a very good point. Gabi's knowledge of body parts thanks to her healing abilities would be and extremely useful asset in a battle, something which Gareeku had never really thought of before, and was secretly kicking himself for not even realising something like that.
Turning back to watch the waves, Gareeku thought that he had better ask Mel where they should head to after they had arrived in Gaelia. He hadn't asked Mel before due to the fact that Gaelia was the nearest location in a northernly direction, and he still felt a bit sore about the events that had occured in the last couple of days. Thinking about it, however, even though he thought she had been rather stuck up and acting like she was far superior to the others at times, she may have even been...well...quite nice. After all, thinking about it, Gareeku knew that she and Ignatz had just been doing their jobs, though he didn't like Ignatz one bit.
"Hey." the wolf said to Mel, who wasn't too far away and so would be able to hear him as he turned to face her. "I'd like to know where we are supposed to head after Gaelia."
The wolf watched Gabi and James move through a routine, with a little bit of light sparring. He noted James's suggestions to the vixen, and his various techniques to compensate and increase the weapon's effectiveness. The wolf was unmoving, listening to the squirrel just as much as the vixen was. Swordplay had been his passion for almost two hundred years - and although James was teaching basic strategy, he found himself interested in the blue squirrel's take.
As the lesson ended, however, and James presented Gabi with a adamantine rapier, the vixen seemed to look around at the group with a little resentment - the wolf paused for a moment, puzzled, and then realized that the vixen had probably never practiced in front of anyone before. The way he trained, early on, you trained among dozens of others - stage fright was quickly eliminated.
He pushed himself off the rail and approached the vixen, bowing slightly.
"That was very good. Especially for your first time." he said, his voice sincere. "Don't feel intimated by the watching eyes. They don't matter - we all start in the same place."
He made another bow to the vixen, and smiled again. "There isn't anything ten-thousand iterations won't fix." he said, moving back to the railing along the ship.
He was surprised when the snow leapordess approached him, sun parasol in hand, and he grinned at her words. She used the parasol to great effect, kneecapping some imaginary foe.
"Oh, I don't know." the wolf said, looking nowhere in particular. "It takes a long time to get good, true. The great teacher was fond of saying that real training doesn't come from the training floor, though..." he mused, looking up for a moment. "She's survived this long without dying and without a rapier. She'll probably be alright."
He turned and smiled at the feline. "Although that isn't a bad idea at all."
James gave a nod to Jakob. "Ya, I did mention I know some unarmed combat. I tend to use it if I want to subdue foes rather than killing them outright by the sword. I'm not legendary by any means, but it would be misleading if I said I wasn't any good. I've captured many bounties and survived many assassination attempts with my martial arts after all... But seeing the many different styles out there, it would be interesting to see what you know. I know Gareeku gave me a pleasant surprise a couple years ago when I fought him." James grinned and looked over at Gareeku, remembering how he bested the wolf before. "You put up an awesome fight, but I got a handsome bounty from ya then, didn't I Gar? You fed a lot of kids that day."
Mel nodded in agreement to Cog, "As long as she does not come to rely on questionable skills when she has more reliable ones to hand she will be fine."
When Gareeku questioned what she had found out from the papers in the desk Mel answered without hesitation. It wasn't like that shifty Jakob character could abandon them in the middle of a sea voyage. "About a day's walk beyond Gaelia is a town called Kielemin. The Black Claw have recently taken a big interest in it. I will bet diamonds to daisies that the ram's boss is there, expanding their territory."
No sooner had Mel said those last words, before there was a tapping sound heard from right below between where she and Gareeku stood. And although they might not have gotten it at first, the best guess as to the origin and point to this tapping, was that Stygian was not too keen on having her reveal all the secrets and points that made sure the rest of the adventurers didn't just take what they wanted from them, and leave them in the dust. It was also a sign that the bat was a prying douche.
Listening to what Mel said, Gareeku nodded his head in acknowledgement.
"So the Black Claw have their dirty little paws on Kielemin..." the wolf muttered as he pondered the news. He had heard of Kielemin before, but had never been there himself. Regardless, they may be in for a difficult time, so sooner of later they may have had to do a little preparing.
It was then, however, that a tapping sound made itself apparent between Gareeku's and Mel's feet. Wondering what the hell it was for a minute, Gareeku then rolled his eyes when he realised what, or who, it was; Ignatz. From the tappings, the wolf guessed that he wasn't too keen on Mel giving away too much information.
Gareeku would cease from pondering this any more when he heard James speak. Looking up, the wolf listened as the squirrel spoke of the day when they first met; by fighting each other. Listening to what James said, Gareeku scowled.
"You got lucky. Nothing more. And besides, if I remember correctly, you didn't win the fight fairly. You shot me with a tranquilizer dart." the wolf growled, his arms folded and clearly not impressed.
Is that the bat tapping down there? Geez... Even when he's away, he's still a nuisance.
James looked back at Gareeku and shrugged. "Ok, ok... so I did end up tranquilizing ya in the end. Can you blame me though? I had to transport you somehow... You were my bounty then. You've got to admit though, we were pretty evenly matched till then."
"I don't know much about these 'Black Claw' people," Jakob said, surreptitiously sliding the hatch's bolt home with his foot, "But if they're behind this, what do they want? What motive would they have for kidnapping 'Cubi?"
"That is something that I would like to find out." Gareeku replied to Jakob's questions. "And I am determined that I will."
Listening to James reply to his comments, the wolf looked at the squirrel for a few moments with a serious look on his face, before a small smirk made itself apparent.
"That we were." Gareeku replied before taking another swig of his ale. "It isn't often that I meet another with such a liking for martial arts. I would have enjoyed the battle much more were it not for the circumstances that we battled under."
Hearing Gareeku's comment about Rynkura, Aisha chuckled and opened her mouth to say something, but then shut it again. She was about to say that someday she may show him and the others the monastery (those who can be trusted, anyway....), but somehow it was easy to forget about his condition for just a minute. And so, trying to not look forlorn, she smirked. "You might've liked her. She's a tough old teacher."
Then she watched as Gareeku grabbed Mel's attention, asking where they were to be headed next. The panther's ears quirked, interested in this information. It was nice to not have been kept in the dark...and between the kidnappers, Aisha had to agree that Mel seemed easier to get along with. Her eyes narrowed. "Black Claw...I think I've heard of them somewhere before..." Aisha muttered. "Nice to know who we're dealing with."
Her keen hearing also suddenly heard the tapping under the floor, and she shook her head. It was information that was vital to the group, there was little business for the newcomers...and it was quite appreciated. It wasn't like they could stop them following if they wanted anyway. With a hum, Aisha stood back on the railing and watched the talk between the wolf and squirrel, a smirk on her features, before she decided to head to the bar and get a drink of her own. Men. I wonder who'd come out if they sparred right now. Probably be a tie or something.
"Damn," Jakob said, as he realised that Gareeku didn't know much more than he did.
"Anyway, James - and Gabi, if you're interested... I think you know of my reluctance to fight. The usual techniques for my kind are somewhat... overt, to say nothing of messy," he shuddered.
"So we're also taught techniques more appropriate for a Being," Jakob added, speaking in a slightly convoluted manner to try and minimise his references to the fact that he wasn't a Being himself.
"My teacher was highly-trained in numerous unarmed combat techniques, but the one which really took my fancy was a form of what some people call 'Judo'," he said. 'Some people' meant 'Some people on Earth', but he wasn't going to elaborate on that.
"The basic idea is to turn your opponent's strength and inertia back upon them. You can probably see why I found it more appealing than the more proactive styles..."
Gabi did her best to ignore Mel's venom and Ignatz's tapping. Of course she could hit someone with a bat, that didn't take much skill at all. But carrying a heavy bat around wasn't very practical, and few enemies would not see the blow coming in time to dodge. She could hit an enemy with whatever was at hand if the need arose, but she wanted to acquire finer skills so that she could be more in control when she had to fight, especially if she ended up in another situation in which using magic was impossible.
When Cog approach her and spoke gently, she seemed to relax a bit. Although she was still intrigued by this mysterious wolf, he was acting kindly towards her, and that gave her emotions a break.
"Thanks," she told him. "I'll keep practising. I didn't have a chance to learn earlier... but I'll do my best to learn fast. I don't want to be a hindrance."
I didn't get a chance to learn earlier... she thought, half bitterly, half nostalgically. My parents weren't keen on those things and since I left home I'd never felt confident enough to ask someone to teach me. Until now... James asked me to teach him something so I felt it was ok if I did the same. But I must toughen up. Shyness will take me nowhere fast. I've managed to survive so far by a combination of wits, luck, the things others have been willing to teach me and the things I've figured out by myself. But things are getting more complicated now. I must stop worrying about being embarrassed. There are far more important things at stake than what others may think about me.
When Jakob spoke about martial arts, she smiled. She felt that at least a part of the tension had left her.
"Yes," she said. "I like that concept too."
The wolf's ears flicked.
Judo... he mused, raising both eyebrows and making a strange face, and then turned to face the ocean again, shrugging. An art that espoused redirection and inertia manipulation, but tended to emphasize throwing techniques to exclusion. Ostensibly nonlethal. A lot of variation within the term Judo, though - there were some styles that favored combat, and others there were more of a sport than a martial art. The wolf shrugged.
He wasn't getting paid as it was. Teaching was extra.
He didn't study empty-handed styles anyway. Letting a hand fall across the black-wrapped hilt of his katana, he stared into the ocean, trying not to think about the coming boat ride.
He supposed he would see how well his new companions fought when the time came.
Having spotted the new wolf on his own Eph decided she better learn who he was.
Getting up she left her bag and bow on the deckchair. Stalking over to him she taped the wolf on one shoulder and slid to the other side.
"Heya." She said with a smirk.
"Good morning." the wolf said amiably, turning and giving a smile to...nothing at all. Raising an eyebrow, the wolf continued to turn until he found himself facing...he wasn't quite sure. Whatever it was, it was smirking at him with quite an amused expression, and was carrying a quiver with her.
Cog smirked back at the girl, his expression turning sardonic, and made a formal bow to the archer.
"Hello yourself. Cogidubnus Mithlome, at your service." he said, his voice tinged with amusement.
"I'm Ephrael." Eph said, a little surprised that he had bowed to her, blushed a little. "A-are you j-joining us?" She asked stammering a little.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ephrael." he said, smiling just a bit as he turned to look at the water again. "And yes, I will be. For free too!" he grinned, looking at the strange little archer. "Your lucky day, for certain." he said, the expression on his face joking.
He nodded to her. "Jest aside, I am. I take it you're a part of this group here?"
Eph nodded in answer to his question "My sister Jade was taken, so I joined up with the others." She said as she also leaned against the railing. "She's all I have left, mom and dad were killed in a demon attack about eight years ago."
Mel frowned discouragingly. Ignatz and his tapping on the deck plates had been in the right, these adventurers had no intention of honoring the agreement. Since giving them the information about the next stage of the journey she had been treated most shabbily. Every time she began the most innocent conversation with someone another member of the party dragged them away before she spoke a second sentence. First Gareeku by the squirrel with the odd emotional swings and now Cog by the archer girl. Being marginalized and shunned was not the bargain agreed to.
Mel tapped her fingers irritably against the shaft of her parasol, the mild and amused mood she had been in so far turning cold and disgusted. She absolutely despised people who made bargains only to break them. She furled the parasol then tapped the ferrule against the deck twice. With each gentle tap a wave of magic ran outwards through the ship. "Must I remind you that your bargain for the information given was that Ignatz and myself be included and you people behave in a civilized manner. Your exclusionary tactics are bringing you close to breaking our bargain. " Her caution given she turned and made her way to one of the upper decks. A cloud moved to cover the sun but it was unclear if this was a reaction to the snow leopard's magical display.
"Oh, I'm sorry," said Jakob, pausing in mid-demonstration as Mel complained. "I thought you'd already know this kind of combat. Poor teacher that I am, I can only handle about two students at a time, although you're quite welcome to ask me about it later."
Oh. Perhaps she meant her position within the party? Well, that's really between her and Gareeku. He's the leader, after all.
Feeling the pulses of magic, Gareeku turned to Mel as she spoke of her dislike that the rest of the group were apparently shunning her. Narrowing his eyes, the wolf watched her walk off as his fists clenched with irritation.
"Excuse me." Gareeku said to the others, before walking off after her to one of the upper decks.
"Calmed down yet?" the wolf said as he approached Mel, his arms folded and an eyebrow raised, clearly not impressed with what she had just said. "You know, for someone who has been lecturing the rest of us about how to act, I must say how you just acted was rather immature."
Taking a swig of his ale, Gareeku then looked back at Mel once more.
"Ignatz hasn't been exactly making an effort to mingle, what with cooping himself up in the cargo hold and the way he has been provoking members of the group." the wolf continued. "And some of us in the group have known each other for a long time, and considering the fact that we hardly know and that we didn't get to know each other under the best circumstances. Not everything is about you. A lot of us miss the loved ones who have been taken from us, so part of the way that we are talking to each other is to support oneanother and to take our minds off of the situation. I advise that you get over yourself."
Turning away from Mel, Gareeku then began to walk away.
"Feel free to join us when you have decided to grow up a bit."
Mel didn't even bother to look away from the ocean, but she did speak before Gareeku made it back to the stairs. "I was trying to socialize and play nice. I was not even intruding upon conversations. It is your friends ending any conversational attempts I make by breaking up conversations before they can start and dragging other people away. Considering you are the only one with any sort of legitimate grudge perhaps they should notice that you are the only one even attempting to deal evenhandedly." She sighed and added, "I will be back when the urge to live down to their expectations has passed."
"Hey Mel, wait." said James. "I only meant to give a quick remark to Gareeku, I didn't mean for it to be a 'conversation breaker'. For what it's worth, you're much more pleasant to be around then your bat companion. But let's not pretend, shall we? You and Ignatz nearly killed off a good friend of our group and it's still fresh in our memories. So you want a legit excuse, there it is. I don't think you want us all to put on big stupid grins and pretend to like you either. As Gareeku mentioned already though, Ignatz hasn't exactly been Mr. Social and it's not helping you any. However, despite Ig's winning personality, I was just starting to warm up to ya. If you want the group's condition to improve towards you, I suggest to even attempt to build friendly relationships with us. You haven't exactly tried to even approach me and I even spoke up to have you come along and tried to end the stupid squabbling."
The wolf nodded at the archer-lady, his face sympathetic. "I am truly sorry for your loss." he said, his voice sincere. "I'm hoping that maybe I can help keep all you ali...I'm hoping that I can help you all until we can find your missing family members."
He gave Eph another smile, when two rather strange taps seemed to flow out from the deck. Giving a rather irate speech to the white wolf, she walked off and up to the deck above. The wolf followed her shortly, anger evident on his face, and shortly after him the blue squirrel ran after her. Cog raised an eyebrow, leaning back on the railing and facing the deck. He let a hand rest on his head, keeping the sudden breeze from knocking his hat off, and pushed himself up.
He wasn't sure why the others seemed to think being angry with the strange cat was going to make anything better. The squirrel, James, seemed to have some idea as to how business as a bounty hunter worked, but the rest of them...the wolf shrugged.
"Excuse me." he said to Ephrael, his coat caught for just a moment on the breeze before he walked up the stairs to the above decks, dodging a even-angrier looking Gareeku before making it up.
The squirrel was talking to the leapordess, and Cog again leaned against the wall, on the wall next to the stairway door. He adjusted his hat.
"If I may, Ms. Donovan, most of these people don't seem to be professional adventurers. They tend to take things a little too personally as a result, I think." he started, his voice conciliatory.
"Give them a little time, and I'm certain they'll warm up. They may be paranoid and cold now, but after a few nights of you not stabbing them, and perhaps after the next conflict this group experiences, you'll find them much more amiable. Defending a friend goes a long way here, methinks."
He smiled at the leapordess, tipping his hat. "If that is indeed what you intend, next foes we meet." he said, his eyes staring over his glasses with an amused glint. He adjusted his hat back into place.
"Fear makes people act stupid. I think perhaps those below are no exception."
Mel sighed. "You're right. I shouldn't expect people worried over missing relatives to behave in a professional manner or even as reasonable adults all of the time. I hope they can get over the fact that I can't work up an equal amount of panic over some strangers." She turned so she was leaning backwards against the rail, facing the other two. The snow colored leopard smiled a bit. "A peace offering?" She swung her furled parasol to the side and tapped the deck again. Rather than waves of magic this time there was only a small whooshing sound as a largish wicker box appeared. "I had ordered a hamper of food at the inn when I believed we were headed for a forced march. Would you care for some lunch? The meat pies looked rather decent."
James sighed in relief. It seemed like things were finally going to go smoother between them. He clasped his hand on Mel's shoulder. "Well, when things calm down, hopefully you'll have less reason to be uneasy around us. In better settings most of us are a rather fun loving bunch. I can hardly turn down a free meal either, thank you Mel." James then proceeded to take a meat pie out from the box.
Before he started to dig in, he gave Cog a nod. "You seem to be quite the decent sort my good fellow. It should be a pleasure having you along with us."
Aisha had nearly left the conversations of the others behind her as she strolled slowly to the bar and grabbed a drink for herself. Thankfully, things weren't all that expensive on the journey; saving money was quite another reason that adventurers liked walking, she's always heard. Save it all for food, a room... I must be saving more, she thought to herself with a slight smirk, being used to sleeping in trees.
The panthress ordered herself a glass of water...moreover, glimpsing the sea for so long had made her itch for something that would quench thirst better than anything else. By now she had even gotten used to the slight rocking of the ferry on the waves. And that was when she could sense something else, a wash of energy running below her feet like a sound wave, or something similar. Her tail ring hadn't flared, so it wasn't darkness...but somehow it felt like magic all the same. Would they have hit something, the waves from the impact would have been much more violent.
Quickly, Aisha gulped her water down and went back to where the others were, where the thing originated, and heard a bit of commotion...namely Mel, berating the adventurers, when she cocked an ear back to where she was. Gareeku, James, and Cogidubnus though had spoken to her...so the panthress had little to jump in with. All of the valid points had been made already.
*"Te merecer el confianza, en nos debes tener confianza," she muttered, crossing her arms over the side of the ship and laying her head upon them.
*("To earn trust, you should have trust in us.")
"If you will excuse me for a moment gentlemen," apologized the leopard as she pulled a bottle from the hamper. Moments later Mel was climbing down into the holds. "Ignatz? I brought you some lunch." She held up the bottle of wine the inn keeper had included in the hamper.
For a good few seconds, there was no response. The crates and tarp-covered stocks in the cargo hold sat perfectly still and silent, the only background noise being the occasional slosh of water against the hull. Then, Mel heard a slow breath right behind her, above her left shoulder, and then the bat's voice.
'Oh, nice,' he said shortly. His coat laying on one of the crates with his boots under it, he was hanging upside down from the ceiling, having moved up beside her. Twisting in some slow, contortionistic way, he bent away toward the nearest tarp-covered pile, stretched out one hand-like foot and placed it down, and flipped himself over onto his haunches. Putting his hands out under him, he swung his legs between them and out, and then planted himself neatly on the side of what was probably a barrel laying down under that tarp, then reached out a long arm to accept the bottle.
'Thank you kindly, sweets,' he said, black eyes glinting a slight blue sheen in the murkiness of the room. 'Not treating you too nicely up there, are they?'
Throughout the various interactions taking place on the ship, Keaton remained relatively introverted, automatically looking for a comfortable niche on the ship to occupy so she could maintain distance from most of the party members. Now that her participation in the group's hunt was validated, she found it was safe to relax, or at least isolate herself, as she felt she had fulfilled her obligation to "socialize." Oddly enough, the jackal felt uncomfortable about being friendly or forcing a facade around the assorted individuals. Fortunately for her, her search resulted in her slinking off to the side, and Keaton simply leaning against the railing, out of sight, out of mind.
After some time, she seemed to lose interest, and started to fidget where she was standing, the hand in her pocket toying with the marble nestled inside. Cubi weren't exactly notorious for their attention spans, but at least she was getting some compulsion to talk to someone. Or do something. Keaton already wasn't exactly on the best of terms with the group due to her misanthropic attitude, so she didn't see much of a point in attempting to kindle anything positive.
A shuffling noise. The leopard waltzed leisurely past, Keaton's eyes unconsciously following her. Even when she was obligated to be on good terms with most of the group, Keaton didn't trust Mel, or her accomplice. Speaking of the bat, where was he?
That question was answered well enough when Mel climbed down into the holds. Blinking, Keaton suspiciously narrowed her gaze, then slunk over, peering down into the holds. For a moment, she felt tempted to wander down after the leopard, see what she was up to; but Keaton had no intention of being cornered by Ignatz like she was last night. Anyone who made her feel vulnerable like that--she hated them.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Seating herself on one of the crates Mel shrugged, "Hazing newcomers is a time honored tradition all around the multiverse. I just hope they get past it soon. It has been a long time since I worked with anyone but professionals. The cubi must be feeding well on all the emotions."
Mel heard a small sound and looked around then back down as a rat ran past her foot. She laughed a bit. "Didn't you take care of the hitchhikers?" But at the same time the nearby ladder developed a bit of a sheen.
Extending one long, curved claw, the bat hooked open the cork of the wine bottle and slowly pulled it out with a practiced motion. He peered after the rat, idly twirling the fingers in his other hand. Slowly, smoky slivers of darkness began congregating around them, taking on more and more solid forms, until with a movement of his hand he formed them into a bowl-like shape, where they quickly settled into a black cup-thing, like the top of a wine glass, made of something that looked like almost organically looking, smoky black blown glass. As he spoke, he began pouring the wine in with careless ease.
'I'm saving them for night snacks. About the adventurers... Give them time. You were the one who suggested going with them. I only came for the Cubi,' he said. 'She didn't tell that other one her clan name, but...'
The bat stopped at about the same time that Mel noticed something by the stairs. Only for a moment though, as he raised his gaze, face away from the opening, and then grinned shortly. Putting the wine bottle down, he raised the cup in his hand.
'Of course, I have yet to apologize to that one for my poor manners the other evening,' he said, swirling the wine just a little and settling back. 'A man should have more self-control than that, especially in the presence of a lady of such beauty and charm. Yes, indeed. It was most shameful of me to lose myself around that creature of grace and flawless manner.'
Throughout the whole of this speech, Ignatz's voice retained that same level of seriousness, up until the accentuation on 'most', where it quickly took on a character of sharp sarcasm. The jackal up the stairs could really hear the smirk on his face.
'Wouldn't you agree, Keaton?' he finally added, still not looking back.
Lighthouses might house the key... but can I reach the door?
I want to walk on the sea, so that I may better find a shore
But how can I ever keep my feet dry?
I scan the horizon, I must keep my eyes on
All parts of me.
Jakob smiled to himself as he thought of the song. What was it called? Act 4 of 'Lighthouse Keepers' or somesuch. Actually, he thought, most of the lyrics of that act are rather apropos. And walking on the water is something I really need to try someday.
The others had gone, to eat by the looks of it. Jakob was undecided as to whether he should join them. To be sure he wasn't hungry, and he'd been eating a great deal more food than usual. Any more on top of the recent influx of emotions would not be good as he'd have to work it off, so he stood alone in his long black coat, resting his hands upon the railings and staring out across the water.
Suddenly he felt a presence approaching behind him - it was the snow leopard wandering over to the hatch where the bat had gone. Judging from the basket, she'd gone to feed him too. Not for the first time, he wondered what kind of a thing she was, but it was not something he was likely to find out in a hurry.
Given how cold, irritable and condescending she tended to be, Mel was one person he intended to have as little to do with as he reasonably could without seeming rude.
Just then, a thought occurred to him, and he went to find Gareeku.
The wolf smiled, making a small bow, and accepting one of the meat pies from out of the basket.
"I am a little peckish, thank you." he said, taking a nibble from the edge. The blue squirrel also took one, and speaking cheerfully to the wolf. Cog merely nodded, taking a bite out of his pie before responding.
"You are kind to say so." he said, extending his free hand. "Cogidubnus Mithlome, sir. You can call me Cog."
For a good few minutes, Keaton merely stood at the front of the entrance to the hold, pivoting on her tiptoes and attempting to peer, unsuccessfully, into the hold, as though her glare alone would penetrate the darkness obscuring her view. After Mel disappeared down the hold she had been listening in on the conversation she that was taking place within the bowels of the ship, although given her lack of equipment the voices were quieted and whispery. Large ears alone didn't suffice as supersonic espionage tools. Keaton was perfectly capable of creating some sort of sound amplification for her to hone in on, but she was partially fearful that the two mercenaries would detect that use of dark-oriented magic.
However, this method at secrecy was irritating at best. Maybe she could go down into the hold. Hopefully the two weren't too close to the ladder, and maybe she could adopt a shadowy form and hide in the shadows before they could realize her presence. A risky bid, but Keaton was just about ready to attempt such a maneuver. She concentrated, allowing her influence to reach out, inviting the shadows' presence closer to her body. As had happened a million times before, the darkness responded immediately, crawling toward her body and enveloping her calves and combat boots, stretching up in diaphanous trails from the hold. Unaware of the icy sheen which had encrusted the ladder, Keaton started to climb down it, preparing to completely assimilate herself into the darkness by the time she bypassed the fourth rung and conceal her presence. On her way down, she overheard Ignatz's voice.
"...I only came for the Cubi. She didn't tell that other one her clan name, but... A meaningful pause, then Keaton halted in-between her descent, suddenly aware of how slippery her hold on the ladder was and how difficult it was for her to maintain her balance. "Of course, I have yet to apologize to that one for my poor manners the other evening."
Keaton remained where she was, suddenly abandoning all pretenses at stealth. She frowned, the mask of darkness which was slinking onto her features stopping short of the jagged creases of her brow. Ignatz was continuing. "A man should have more self-control than that, especially in the presence of a lady of such beauty and charm. Yes, indeed. It was most shameful of me to lose myself around that creature of grace and flawless manner..." At this point Keaton was almost certain he was being sarcastic. She could almost hear the bastard grinning. Driven by morbid curiosity, Keaton started to attempt to step down again, just as Ignatz spoke again.
'Wouldn't you agree, Keaton?'
Slip. Keaton's heel grated against the next rung of the ladder, sliding right across the layers of ice. Her hands jerked down another inch, still trying to grip but failing quite spectacularly. Any and all exclamation - a curse, a scream, anything - was prematurely terminated in the middle of Keaton's throat as her hands unwittingly released the ladder, letting her fall--
--Keaton landed with a heavy thud, right on her back, at the foot of the ladder.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
"Gareeku," said Jakob, "Our party has grown rather large, rather quickly and now consists mostly of people we have never met before. While I am hardly one to complain about shady pasts, I do think that we should to lay out some code of conduct, for times like now when we are idle, or visiting somewhere. If one of our new recruits starts killing people in the middle of a tavern or something, we could easily end up with a price on all of our heads.
"Specifically, I'm a bit concerned about what the leopard - Mel, wasn't it - did to the guards at the manor. I think that we should, at a minimum, try to agree not to just randomly murder people who happen to be in the way like that. And..." he gulped slightly, "no soul-slaying."
For perhaps five seconds the bat contained himself, and all Keaton saw as she looked up was a shadow of his back and shoulders, point-tipped ears perking up like horns through his waves of hair. Then, he began chuckling, figure shaking, and when he leaned over forward he was outright laughing. Slapping his hands onto his knees, he stood up, flexing the finger-like toes on his feet, claws clicking against the floor a bit, and then strolled lazily and uncharacteristically audibly over to the jackal where she lay, beaten and knocked into a mess on her back. Leaning over her, his face upside down to her vision, he grinned, bangs falling and almost concealing his darkened face.
'Curiosity bruised the jackal, it seems,' he said lowly, voice still full of mirth. 'Did you get tired of the fresh breeze and sun too, or were you just... itching for our pleasant company?' Closing his mouth and narrowing his eyes into a smirk, he stood looking at her a moment, then raised an eyebrow and reached down a hand to her, offering to help her up.
James took Cog's offered hand and shook it. "James StarRunner, of the reformed group of bounty hunters known as Heaven's Grace. 'Keep the good kicking, give evil a licking.'
James heard something heavy fall into the hold. Did someone just fall in? He heard snipits of the conversation below, but chose to ignore it. They seemed to be playing nice for now.
James brought back his attention to things above deck and took a deep bite into his meat pie.
From her place on the floor, the shadows congregated over Keaton's body bled and retreated back into the darkness, crawling like thousands of diaphanous, parasitic wisps. Fortunately the shield partially encompassing Keaton's form had insulated most of the impact as she hit the floor, but she still felt nothing short of disoriented as she stared weakly around the room, vision blurring and adjusting erratically. As her consciousness drifted back down to the tangible she started to become aware of the fact Ignatz was laughing rather loudly off to the side, Keaton felt irrational rage start to flare in her slightly bruised chest. She hated being laughed at. Hated it. Her hands balled up into fists, and she snarled menacingly on the ground, although her rakish position and her bruised countenance decreased the intimidation factor.
Then Ignatz's face appeared over her head, and Keaton growled slightly in a way very similar to an infuriated dog. An invitation for "dog" jokes, but she didn't quite care at that point. In the face of Ignatz's query, she merely snorted, then mumbled, "Yeah yeah yeah, laugh away, assface..." she wasn't quite in the mood to come up with a rebuttal. "How do I know you're not constructing some kind of bomb to blow this ship sky high or somethin'? Somebody's gotta keep an eye on you..."
She tried to get up on her own, but failed rather miserably, as Keaton found herself on her side the next moment. Blinking, the jackal tried to shake off her borderline concussion, then stared bleakly up at Ignatz's proffered hand. Her eyes narrowed, and, rolling onto her stomach, she thrust her hands to the ground and pushed herself onto her feet, ignoring his offer for assistance. Once she was on her feet again, she drunkenly swayed and pivoted for a moment before regaining her balance and readjusting to her new, upright position.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Muttering things under her breath and rejecting his offer of aid, the jackal stood up before Stygian. His smirk dimming a bit, the bat retracted his hand and stuck his thumb in his pocket instead, taking on a leisurely stance.
'Have it your way then. But leave out the poor excuses,' he said, attempting to turn the conversation back on keel. 'Because we all know you wouldn't be keeping your eyes on me, or us, were it not for your own nature.' He had a perfect addendum to that, but kept it in. If she didn't ask what he meant, it wouldn't be as amusing. So instead he shrugged. 'Not that I object, of course. Your "concern" is noted. And...' He leaned in a bit with his neck, lowering his head to make up for those nine or ten inches differing between him and the jackal as he smiled slyly at her. 'I'll be happy to say you can stay, if you find it uncomfortable up top.'
Mel snorted at Keaton's absurd excuse about bombs. She'd just shown that she had more than enough magic to sink a ship without resorting to mechanical assistance. But one couldn't be expected to come up with a good excuse for nosiness while seeing stars. Hearing Ignatz invite the jackal to join them Mel added, "Sure, stay and join the party of the newcomers to this adventure. Pull up a crate. At the very least sit until you can see the rungs on the ladder."
Keaton arched her back a little, resting her hand on the small of her back and cracking her spine. Ever since her impromptu conference with the floor, the long-delayed aftertaste of pain which was stinging at her spine was starting to torment her. It could've been worse, though. If she had her wings out, there could've been a possibility that she could've broken one due to the fall. Either way, her shoulder-blades felt like hell, and she was likely going to develop a nasty bruise for her troubles.
Keaton scowled a little at Ignatz at his comments, although she was too dizzy to completely comprehend them. Seemed a little irritated at the fact she almost told him to go fuck himself for wanting to help her to her feet... plus the height difference between both bat and jackal was quite upsetting. At a meager five-foot-two, Keaton wasn't a very intimidating sort in terms of height, but she liked to think she made up for it in other areas. When encountered with one who was much taller than her, she couldn't help but be spiteful, regardless.
"Whatever..." Keaton mumbled, trudging past Ignatz. She decided to take Mel's advice and use a crate as a seat. "I'll just sit down." Dragging a crate used for storing supplies out into the open, she dropped herself onto the corner, then slumped, still flexing and stretching her back in order to relieve the tension and pain built up. "Dammit..." Her eyes opened. "What are you two doing down here, anyway?"
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Turning to watch Keaton as she passed him, Ignatz strolled back, flexing his long, gripping toes a bit as he did. He was walking carefully again, and his hips and shoulders almost rolled as he moved, smoothly and silently.
'I was actually trying to find a nice spot to take a nap, before Mel came down and got me something even more pleasant,' he said, and picked up the black cup from where he had sat before, taking the bottle in the same movement and raising it meaningfully against Keaton. 'It's lunch time, and one gets what rest one can. Besides, staying out in the sun and the breeze might have been fun if it were July and on the beach, but...' He looked at the jackal meaningfully, and leaned back. 'Well, I've never been a day person. And it was a relief to get away from those others. Caution is one thing, but direct hostility...'
The bat stopped, leaning the glass, or whatever it was, back and taking a long and slow swallow of wine, closing his eyes. Drumming against the crate beside him with his fingers a bit, he sighed, and then looked up at the jackal again.
'They don't quite seem to hold so much hostility toward you though, somehow. But I think that might be simply because you're another 'Cubi. Heh. It's like we we're a rare species menagerie...' Ignatz said, chuckling, and then putting down the wine. 'Go ahead. Have some. It's actually Mel's, but I don't think she'll object.' He gave the feline a bit to the side a pleasant smirk, and then looked back to Keaton. 'I think I heard that Jakob fellow complaining about how we managed the guards at the manor. Uncharacteristic for... someone like that.'
The bat had been about to say 'a 'Cubi' at the end of his last sentence, but changed himself. It was a little bit too much prejudice at once. But from his statement and tone one could at least draw the conclusion that he did not agree with the wolf's worries, and more importantly that he had quite sharp senses.
Keaton hummed nonchalantly in response to Ignatz's answer. Deep down, she felt both a mixture of relief and disappointment - disappointment that Ignatz and Mel hadn't given her a reason to throw them over the edge of the ship, and relief that the aforementioned mercenaries weren't in the hold simply to discuss any clandestine conspiracy against the group... or more importantly, herself. Their motivations for being down in the hold appeared innocuous enough, but Keaton doubted their sincerity. Tension was still evident in Keaton's features every time Ignatz moved in a manner which appeared suspicious or reached out of sight, even gripping the edge of the crate when he produced the black bottle.
He set it in front of them, and Keaton eyed the bottle nervously. Keaton glanced up at both Mel and Ignatz, raising an eyebrow, then sighed and reached down, picking up the bottle and, with one deft motion, gulped down a great deal of its contents. Gasping for breath as she separated her lips from the bottle's neck, Keaton set the bottle back down onto the floor, wiping at her mouth and coughing. A little of it had gone down her throat the wrong way. Once she finished hacking her lungs out, Keaton gazed back up at Ignatz.
"Yeah, didn't think there'd be many Cubi in the group..." she mumbled. "Though that makes me wonder..."
A thoughtful pause, then she spoke again, "What exactly are you two, anyway?" Keaton pointed to Ignatz, the angle of her finger switching between both Mel and Ignatz, deciding that there was no use being polite about this subject.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Mel cocked her head at the jackal as she downed half the wine. Seemed like a waste to consume it without tasting it, but evidently the cubi preferred effect to flavor. Maybe it would calm down her twitchy behavior, she was jumping every time either one moved. The bottle apparently gave her a bit of courage as she pointed her finger alternately at each of them and asked what they were. Mel smiled blandly and answered as if she hadn't understood the question, "A mage of several disciplines. A bit of a healer. A collector of stories. And if I must say so myself a pretty good jeweler and creator of enchanted objects."
"Reformed bounty hunters?" the wolf asked, pausing just a moment to wolf down his meat pie. "I suppose there isn't anything wrong with being particular about your contracts." he said carefully, wiping a crumb from his mouth.
"Excuse me, I don't think I had the chance to eat breakfast." he said somewhat apologetically. The sea breeze passed over him for a moment, blowing his coat out behind him. He stood a little to the side, which seemed to help calm the garment down a bit.
"Tell me, Mr. StarRunner, did that leopard and that bat go around kicking puppies at random before they joined this group?" Cog said, smiling slightly. "Because by the looks of some of the people around here, I'd have to guess they did a lot of that."
His gaze grew distant, invisibly, as it was hidden behind his sunglasses. "There are far rougher and meaner types than the kind who give out meat pies. I recall one blackguard I once knew who had a penchant for setting forests on fire, and then burning the game that was flushed out of the ensuing inferno. Real bastards." he said musingly.
"Ah, well. You people use judo as a combat form." he said, almost laughing before he caught himself. "No offense, of course! But I've never seen a group of...well, I guess you're not adventurer's either. Either way, a group that tries to fight off demons with nonlethal combat, I suppose."
He paused, brushing a silver strand out of his eyes. "Being a former bounty hunter, I think you know what I mean. And, besides." he said, nodding his way back to the thump that seemed to emanate from behind them. "It's not like they've tried to kill anyone yet, yeah?"
"Unless that meat pie was poisoned." Cog said, pausing. "Hm."
"Hmm... Reformed may not be the best word for my group of bounty hunters... Reorganized I should say, built anew." said James. "We still find plenty of contracts though. There is still a lot of evil in the world." James watched as Cog gobbled down the pie and listened as he spoke again.
"Forgive the pun, but you really wolfed that down." James laughed. "There won't be need to excuse your eating habits in front of me though. As for as those other two go, their method of killing were quite grotesque for most of the group's liking. Not to mention their other actions that have been looked down on as well. They are quite professional about their work though, I know there are far more terrible souls out there."
"As far as the non-lethal combat goes, I'm certainly not one to hesitate to kill when needed. I can't speak for everyone in the group, but it seems most have had some manner of adventures, even if only they were put into dire circumstances at the time and not as professions as Gareeku, Aisha, and myself have chosen. The group still is an interesting assembly though, that's certain. Some of the group really are quite passive, but a few of us are actually willing to kill. Also, I strongly don't think the pies are poisoned, but if they are I have some all purpose anti-toxin that... might work."
"It's not so much they way they did it as the fact they did it at all," Jakob said, glancing at Gareeku. Was he listening? The bat probably was - someone seemed to have let him out of his cave.
"What upsets me is that it was unnecessary. Ignatz is just oozing dark magic and Mel...well for all I know she's a Fae or something. Either way it would have been trivial for them, with that kind of power, to sneak past the guards or even stun them. Instead they went straight for murder, and the only reason I can see is that they did it for shits and giggles. You call that 'professional'? You wonder why I don't trust them? What they did back there is just the sort of thing we need to prevent in future, if we wish to continue the mission without our party being arrested or simply killed out of hand as a threat to society."
He glanced at James with a sour expression. "It may be easier for you to kill all your targets and bring them in dead, but the price is usually better when they're alive, and it reduces the possibility of a bounty of your own when you kill the wrong person. Maybe I'm just being old-fashioned but from where I stand, killing people simply isn't a nice thing to do.
"I'll admit - reluctantly - that it is sometimes unavoidable, and much as I'd love to I can't ask the party not to kill anyone else ever again. But if we can keep such occasions to a minimum, and only when we are directly threatened or attacked first, it will make me - and the people we meet - a lot happier. Is that too much to ask?"
"I thought you knew me better then that Jakob." said James, who seemed a little hurt. "I reiterate what I just said... I kill when needed. I'm no murder happy psychopath. I keep my foes alive whenever it's reasonable to do so. That's what gets me through without accidentally killing innocents, which by the way, I have never done. I don't approve of the way Ignatz and Mel conduct their business either, but they are still professionals in their trade. I know many points of your history Jakob, you know full well we can't be expected not to kill if the need arises. While I don't want to kill innocents either, there are many dark things that do seek us harm. Don't hesitate if your life or the life of your friends is threatened to be extinguished when such dark forces come. That said, I agree we should try to avoid conflict if possible."
Jakob looked somewhat relieved and even smiled a little. "Good," he said, "you had me worried for a bit there. If you have any doubts, let me say this a third time - I am not asking to restrict how we handle a battle situation. I just want to ensure that we don't cause them unnecessarily. Because one bad apple in our party can spoil the whole barrel, at least as far as the law is concerned."
"I don't care what laws we break I want my sister back." Ephrael said from behind Jakob. "Oh and is this yours?." She asked dangeling a wallet in her right hand.
That's just the attitude we don't need, Jakob thought as Ephrael piped up. There are still some places where they execute for petty theft...
Sighing, he took the wallet from her and turned it over in his hands. "No, it's not," he said. Jakob usually kept private things outside the physical realm, like he had done with the map.
"Aye ye sure?" The Tazzie devil asked to confirm. She was rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, her face a mask of pure innocence.
Having gone back to leaning against the railings on the ship, finishing his ale as he looked out at the water, Gareeku then heard a familiar voice, glancing momentarily to see that Jakob had approached him. Listening to what he said, the white wolf nodded his head slightly as Jakob made his suggestions.
"Mmm. I agree." he replied. "However, you never know, we may end up all becoming close allies, just like what happened a couple of years ago. Call me optimistic, I suppose."
Listening to Jakob continue to explain his thoughts on the situation that they were in, Gareeku then to where another voice had spoken up. Seeing that James had also approached and given his views, the wolf continued to listen as they talked.
Before he could say anything, however, Ephrael suddenly appeared with a wallet in her hand. It was pretty obvious that the wallet was not hers, and that she had stolen it.
"If you want to remain a free person, then I advise that you stop fooling around and stealing people's possessions." the wolf growled, clearly not impressed. "The last thing that we need is to be stoped by the authorities because somebody could not keep their hands out of other people's pockets."
A little intimidated by Gareeku, Ephrael shrank a little. "Ok, ok its no ones...It's one of my gag wallets." She said "I was just trying to be funny, I'm not really any good at this person to person stuff ya know?" Leaving the wallet in Jakob's possession she turned tail and and hurried back to her deck chair.
"I'd like to think we can be allies too," Jakob said, "but... well. I guess we'll have to see how things go. Trust has to be earned. I know that all too well."
"Anyway," he continued, amending his proposal with a certain amount of irritation, "Since I omitted theft from my original list - perhaps we can simply agree that all party members should stay within the law when we aren't in a combat situation... however hard that may be for some people?"
He glanced back at his leader again with some relief, as Gareeku evidently agreed with him - at least in principle. Hopefully when they were all together again as a group they could finalize it. After all, they could hardly expect Mel, Keaton and Ignatz to agree to something like this in absentia, no matter how reasonable it was.
Jakob opened the wallet out of idle curiosity, to see who it belonged it. There was no name and it seemed to be empty, so he left it by the bench and began to work on something, a small cylinder of plastic which he had surreptitiously created and was now filing into shape.
Keaton merely laughed hoarsely at Mel, a sound which held all insincerity and no mirth - partially because the jackal found nothing humorous at all about Mel's answer. Ending her laughter with an unladylike snort, Keaton started to work with adjusting the belt attaching Catastrophe's holster to her back. Quite fortunately, Catastrophe being pinioned so uncomfortably against her had not resulted in any unnecessary injuries after Keaton had fallen, but she could still tell that there were a few bruises bloating under her fur from where the handle had hit her back. Other places were starting to ache, too. If the group (or the ship) had a healer Keaton decided she'd see them later.
Keaton wished she hadn't put down the bottle, because she was already craving the wine again. Fancy or not, it was still fucking alcohol, and she wanted it. "Yeah yeah yeah, real funny, sweetheart," Keaton said brusquely. "I'm not stupid. You know what I was talking about." Almost exasperatedly, she threw her hands up. "Race. Don't make me spell it out for you."
Almost lazily, Keaton looked at Ignatz, eyebrows furrowed. "And how about you?" she asked flatly, then laughed. "You look like a Being" - she came close to adding something offensive to the end of that name, but, to her credit, avoided caving into her anti-Being upbringing - "but you can't be. Seem to hate just about every race, though."
~Keaton the Black Jackal
The fumbling with the clasp of her weapon earned Keaton a raised eyebrow from Ignatz. The bat didn't move, nor was he particularly tense or alert at the time, but his attention turned and he very quickly focused on the there and then, instead of listening in on what he could catch of the conversation up on deck.
'Careful, sweets,' he said, not hostilely but with a hint of warning in his voice, raising a single finger at her, before he lifted his cup again. 'Certain questions should be approached with a bit more timing and care.' He put the glass to his lips and had a long, gentle swallow, looking at her with dark eyes over the edge of it. When he put it down, he sighed. 'And somewhat more decorum. As for my general hatred of creatures... I'd say it is justified. But how come you say I can't be a being?' He tilted his head and looked a bit quizzically at her.
Almost immaturely, Keaton merely rolled her eyes in retaliation to Ignatz's final question, then responded automatically. "Hello. Beings couldn't do the freaky shit you did back in the holding cell," she stated as though it was the most obvious answer in the world. Keaton shrugged somewhat insensitively. "No way. If they get something lodged in their neck, it stays lodged."
Scowling a little, Keaton stopped plucking at Catastrophe's belt after a while, deciding it was best to just leave it alone, even if her weapon did feel too uncomfortably close to her bruised back. Not to mention, she mentally added reluctantly, Beings couldn't get the drop on me like you did.
"Though, Creatures don't normally like guns," Keaton muttered, extending her index finger and pointing her thumb upright so her hand pantomimed a gun-like shape. "Most of them are pretty uptight about that bull..."
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Caught somewhat off-guard by the sudden conversation that started around him, the wolf leaned back against the railing of this ship as the other's spoke, listening. He adjusted his hat a bit, giving the incubus somewhat a look as he did so, and let his arm rest across his sword hilt.
"You seem to know a lot about the leopard and the bat's capabilities. They can turn invisible?" he said, looking at nothing in particular. "Or are masters of stealth?" he paused, looking up at the bounty hunter and the incubus in turn. He went back to looking at nothing intently.
"If my intuition doesn't lead me wrong, I'm guessing these guards were guarding something the party needed. I'm also guessing it wasn't something that you could just ask nicely for. Leaving foes behind you alive is never a good idea. Caring for the welfare of others is certainly something I can understand," Cog said sincerely, "but getting killed isn't going to do your loved ones any good."
He pushed himself off the railing. "I've not just fallen of the adventuring wagon. If I suspect something or someone has a bad intent, I will react accordingly. People might die in the course of getting from here to there. Decide how much you value your father's life, or your sister's life, as compared to your enemies."
He looked at Jakob specifically. "In any case...if they are as powerful as you say, how do you plan to stop a hypothetical massacre?" His glasses slid down his nose somewhat. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Don't bind the hand that's going to help you. Or assume that you need to - either their hands are coated with more blood than any of us suspect, or their not stupid enough to kill unnecessarily."
Pausing, he added an addendum. "At least, not stupid enough to get caught killing unnecessarily."
"The 'bat'?" Jakob said, pausing at his carving to turn back to the other wolf for a moment.
"I doubt that's his base form. Whatever kind of a thing he actually is, he was a feline when we first met. Unless of course there are two Ignatz Donovans, both with a female feline companion," he smirked.
"I still say he's a Demon, from all the dark magic he's used. As you may know, they can literally vanish into the shadows. As I hear it they pulled something like that off to take Gareeku without opening the door. Aisha saw it, so perhaps you should ask her.
As for the leopard, I haven't seen much of her magic demonstrated apart from the usual ice stuff, which is not uncommon for a snow leopard Creature. But consider her attitude. She acts like she hasn't a care in the world - no natural enemies at all. That either means she's found enlightenment or she's at the top of the food chain. And when we were back into the manor interrogating whatsisface, she was talking about mind-reading. That's pretty serious shit - you have to be many times my age to pull that off and even then it's extremely dangerous. That was either a slip of the tongue or she's out of our league," he concluded.
"The guards? They were just a bunch of Beings guarding the manor. I don't know if they were in on what was happening there or just a bunch of hired goons. From the look of shock on their faces she pulled some kind of distraction and murdered them." He shivered.
"I knew a thief once. His base form was a snow-leopard too and we were defending a Being town from some invading demons. He put his hands around the demon's head and sort of squeezed. Froze him completely, bursting the arteries and rupturing every cell in his brain." Jakob shivered again. "I guess it must have been quick but I can think of better ways to die. In any case, that's sort of what she did, judging from the corpses, which she left frozen upright in plain view.
"Now, Snell, he wouldn't have needed to do that, because he would never have been seen in the first place. No need for any messy cleanup. Or, if I'd done it, I could have stunned from from behind, knocked them out for 12 hours or so, easily enough time to do what we had to. Instead she... wasted them. And it was completely unnecessary..." he looked rather haunted for a minute.
"Decide how much you value your father's life, or your sister's life, as compared to your enemies.", Cog said, and glanced at Jakob.
"I know that line of reasoning," the incubus replied. "Turn it around. My father drummed into me that life should be considered sacred. What do you think he'll say if his rescue is accomplished by leaving a river of blood in my wake?"
"And as for stopping a massacre? I don't know we can. But does that mean we shouldn't try?" he stopped carving and looked up at the other wolf.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend until the other enemy is dead, and then he's my enemy too," he said. "A bit nihilistic perhaps, but I've seen it happen again and again. I don't recall a situation where that kind of philosophy worked out in the long run. Yes, she's our ally now, but she was the demon's ally before, and look what happened to him! While I'm afraid they may cause trouble enough as our allies, I don't want to think about what will happen when our truce ends."
The bat looked sideways a bit in a manner akin to rolling his eyes at the jackal. Or, at least that's what she thought he did. Even with a bit of light and wind seeping in through the crack of an opening in the hatch to the deck above, and a long slash of light being strewn on the floor, reflecting in the bat's eyes, it was hard to see any sort of movement in his dark eyes. Keaton couldn't be sure she had seen any even in the sunlight. There was just a bit of the light, glinting back at her with a purplish-blue sheen, as he looked at her from the shadows.
'In this world, magic has endless possibilities, it seems,' Ignatz said, smoothly and darkly. 'And I would say that Creatures only have a head start when it comes to power. It's mostly because beings live so short a time that they accumulate so little of it, see so little success...' He peered at her for a bit, and then leaned back against the barrel behind him. 'Though, if you must know, I am sorry to say that the answers may disappoint you. I have no idea what dear Mel here is, since I've seen it fit and polite not to ask. And me?' He smirked, and made an exasperated gesture with his hands. 'Heaven only knows what I am. As if it mattered to our situation anyway...'
Putting his arms down and leaning his head back a bit, the bat gripped and stroked his cup with a hand, closing his eyes and then looking up at the roof when he opened them. Jakob was going on up there again. If you are so insistent on defending your friends against us, Cubi, Ignatz thought, why don't you just try and find some leverage instead...?
"You're missing my point, Mr. Peterson. Judo is not going to stop any massacres." he said carefully. "I'm not saying don't stop a massacre. I'm saying, if they are as powerful as you think, you might have to change your attitude about killing."
"As for his base form, if he's a shapeshifter there isn't any telling. You wouldn't know any more than I would. As for invisibility, they say that an Incubus would steal your soul as soon as look at you. They also say a Were transforms during the full moon." he paused, looking at the other wolf. "Him being a Demon doesn't really mean anything, even if he is. I don't know if Demon's can intrinsically melt into shadow - perhaps he can melt into the shadows. Even if he could...doesn't mean the leopard can. People will die in the course of this, Mr. Peterson, and the blood isn't fake or a squib. Werther it be freezing a brain or through a cut to the throat, a death is a death is a death. Life is precious, and a life should not be taken lightly - never taken lightly. Just as it should not be risked lightly."
He paused. "I'm surprised that you can paint those who guarded your foe so innocently. I'm willing to bet the swords at their waists weren't for show." he said, looking at Jakob. "Do you think they didn't understand what their job entailed? Suppose they saw your two bounty hunter companions, and were going to raise alarm? Perhaps getting around them was impossible - perhaps getting around them was too slow. The fact is, Mr. Peterson, you're assuming a great many things that you can't possibly know. Things about those guards, things about the two bounty hunters, and about the circumstances of those deaths. Maybe you could have knocked them out for twelve hours - maybe not. I imagine such precision would have to be a Cubi trait. But not everyone can do such a thing, even if you can. And it certainly does not mean the bat or the leopard can, irregardless of her claimed power."
Cog continued to look at Jakob. "As for your father's opinion...perhaps you can ask him, if you find him." he said, his voice careful. "If he's still alive when we get there. I don't mean to be callous, Mr. Peterson, but I'd rather my allies stab my opponent in the back then let them stab mine." He sighed. "From what it sounds like, if you could heal me later, you'd quite let them."
"As for that last bit, it does happen again and again. It doesn't make it any less necessary, on occasion. And, no, sometimes it may not work out in the long run." he said, looking over a the sea for a moment. "At least there was a long run. I don't know what happened to the demon, but I can guess they had something to do with it. Even so..." he looked back at Jakob. "If your truce ends, I don't suppose there's anything you can do about it, is there?"
Jakob sat quietly for a few moments.
Finally he looked up at the other wolf and smiled. It was the Old smile, just for a moment. Then it was gone.
"Mr. Mithlome," he began, in a low voice. "There was a time when I was less... caring about the lives of others. All told I took about ten lives, which truth be told was not many for... my kind. The tales of which you speak are true to a point. I have seen Demons use the shadows, and there are some of my kind out there with the attitude of which you speak, but... even in my madness I was not that cruel. Nonetheless, in certain parts, under an alias, I am notorious."
"For the last century I have been trying to put that episode behind me. I can't undo what I did but I wanted to try and make amends. I have never killed since... what you are suggesting I do is... revert? Surely, there must be another way... there must."
If only you knew, Mr. Peterson. Sometimes determination and principle changes things. Sometimes, it is the only thing that can. And in this world, one single person can have so much power as to change the world. But people are people, and morons are morons, and cowards are cowards. And most often, things are so much more complicated. Those like you certainly do not detract from that...
'By the way, a gun is a far greater security and intimidation than that thing of yours...' Ignatz continued, away from his thoughts and with a nod toward the mace the jackal carried. 'Faster, deadlier, and a bit more of a presence. At least around creatures. It makes you more...' He raised the cup in his hand and swirled it a bit, pausing. '...unpredictable.'
The world remains a slow and backwards and dreary place with your sort of reasoning. Because you cannot change people. You cannot achieve improvement with withdrawal, cannot sustain drive without a need, or a desire. You can only change yourself, and you can only exploit the world until you understand how to improve it; it is all necessity and effect. So far you have really done neither on a significant level. So keep up your struggle, wolf. Until you die, and feed someone else's search for power...
Slowly, the bat drained his glass.
Cog was silent as well, regarding the man calmly. His eyes, hidden behind those shades, were empathetic, and the wolf leaned back on the railing. He pushed his glasses back up his nose.
"I couldn't say, Mr. Peterson. A change of heart is an admirable thing, and you are the arbiter of your own soul." he paused, looking at him softly for a moment. "All I mean to say, is that you should not bind the hand that does what you cannot, for you." he said, pausing, "And then accuse the hand of being bloodstained."
"I will take this under advisement," Jakob said dourly, and was silent for a few moments, returning to the work on his object as if it held solace for him. When he next spoke his mood was lighter.
"But we are getting distracted," he said. "The original question was not 'we must achieve our goal without killing a single person', which deep down, even I think is unrealistic - though it pains me to say so - but rather 'can we please avoid attracting undue attention to ourselves', a much more reasonable request, don't you think?"
He clicked his fingers and a tiny sphere appeared, which he deformed and inserted in an opening of the cylinder, where the sphere returned to its normal shape. It was a whistle.
"I think it's ready," he said and with a smile not totally unlike the dangerous one, gave a hard blast upon it. The whistle was shaped to sound somewhere in the 40khz band, which Jakob couldn't hear, but a bat could.
Mel chose to answer by changing the subject. She noticed Keaton's stiff movements and her fidgeting with the tight holster for her mace. "As I mentioned, I do have healing skills. Now that we are all one big happy team I would be glad to see to the bumps and scrapes you have recently acquired."
"Oh, by all means." Cog said, enjoying the cool ocean breeze blowing over him. "But, again, I don't think we're really going to have to worry about that. They may kill people, but they don't strike me as stupid."
As soon as Jakob blew the whistle, however, Cog jerked, and quickly clapped both hands over his ears. His shades slid halfway down his nose, the lenses almost comically askew.
"GAH!"
Jakob almost jumped himself, startled by the reaction of Cog, and by the looks of it Gabi as well. Oho, he thought to himself, So that's what you are.
"I'm sorry," he said. "It should have been outside your hearing range. I didn't think... I forgot that some Creatures have more acute hearing than others..."
I'll just have to make the frequency higher.
Cog's eye glanced at Jakob's little whistle, with almost a dangerous look in his eye - he was about to grab the thing and throw it overboard before the other wolf Cubi stopped, leaving only a faint ringing in the wolf's ears. Cog slowly let his hands down, looking sharply at the whistle, and then Jakob in turn.
The little device had sounded like the faint, ringing whine one could hear around electronic devices, but multiplied in volume a hundredfold. It had been painful to the wolf, anyway, and from Jakob's innocent expression the Cubi hadn't meant to make a whistle Cog could hear.
It still made Cog wonder what the hell Jakob was doing with a high-frequency whistle, anyway.
"What the hell are you doing with a high-frequency whistle, anyway?" Cog said, pushing his glasses back up his nose. He seemed a bit flustered, and Cog scowled. If he had meant to make a whistle only certain creatures could hear, that was low. He would have told the man if he'd just asked, but making a dog whistle only Weres could hear seemed like a cheap trick.
Gabi's reaction to the whistle hadn't gone unnoticed by the wolf, either. He'd thought the vixen smelled familiar, somehow.
"It wasn't aimed at you, I assure you," Jakob said, looking shocked, and gesturing downwards in the rough direction of the cargo hold. "Although I suppose it was a bit of a mean trick, even for its intended recipient. I guess I'll have to increase the pitch."
As he spoke, Jakob scrawled something hastily on a piece of paper. Ig loves to eavesdrop, I'd like to force him out of bat mode, he wrote, and showed it to the other wolf.
Cog was still looking somewhat nonplussed as he read the paper, and after reading Jakob's note twice he raised a single eyebrow.
"Why do-" Cog stopped, shaking his head, and taking the pen out of Jakob's hand scrawled something back. Despite being written without any support but his hand, the note was written in script.
Why do you care?, it said barely legibly, and as an afterthought the wolf added one more line before handing it back to the wolf, underlining it once.
Do you really want to poke the 'homicidal maniac'?
Why were mind-shields invented? Jakob wrote by way of reply.
"You're right though, it was a mean thing to do."
And no, it's probably not wise to antagonise him, although he had it coming. I'll save it for emergencies. he wrote and pocketed the whistle.
Cog read Jakob's two remarks - his face had lightened somewhat, as the prank on Stygian had been explained to him, although the effects that it had on him personally had definitely put him in a less than pleasant mood. He could still hear a faint ringing.
After reading the short note, however, Cog's gaze grew positively cold, and saying nothing as the incubus pocketed the little whistle. He stared at Jakob, expression unreadable behind his sunglasses.
"Mind shields were invented because reading a person's thoughts is an unconscionable invasion of privacy. You should never say something within the earshot of another that you don't want them to hear." he said, taking a single step back from the incubus.
And you treat your allies in quite an interesting way. "Remind me to never stand in front of you, Mr. Peterson." he said, tipping his hat to the incubus, and turning to walk to the upper level.
Dammit, thought Jakob, staring at Cog with a bemused expression as he left in a huff. What the hell is the difference between prying on someone's inner voice and what Stygian has been doing all the time we were in the tavern? And is doubtless doing now? Pretty much nothing! And we were getting on so well. Memo to self - never mention the m-word in front of him again.
Hoping the other wolf would calm down later, Jakob settled down and watched the waves again.
Within the span of a second, Keaton almost felt herself succumb to an unfamiliar and long-loathed sting of intimidation as she realized how absolutely, opaquely dark the bat's eyes appeared, something which became increasingly more apparent to her after noticing the effect the sinuous column of light had over Ignatz's features. Unwittingly, she compared her own eyes to the bat's - her right eye was a solid, chocolaty shade; its opposite companion oddly pale and lusterless, the pupil a diminutive dot framed by the pallid ring of beige-brown.
When Ignatz explained that he had no idea what Mel or even his own race was, Keaton's expression adopted something akin to both a disgusted scowl and a pout. Judging by the sigh of resignation she emitted, she didn't believe Ignatz's excuse, but wasn't going to pressure him for answers anymore. Reaching down, Keaton picked up the wine bottle again, lifting it to the light so to measure the remaining contents pooled at the bottom. Deciding there was enough to drink, she tipped her head back, and started to down the leftover wine, only for her to start choking as an unexpected exhalation of breath left her at Ignatz's remark about Catastrophe, thus causing her to swallow both a lungful of oxygen and wine. Keaton started coughing loudly, doubling over and hacking away. When the coughs subsided and she was able to breath again, she tremulously set the mostly-empty bottle on the ground and glowered defiantly at Ignatz.
"Catastrophe is better than any fuckin' Being" - nearly said something unpleasant again, just barely avoided it in her moment of vehement anger - "gun," retorted Keaton. When Mel offered to rejuvenate her injuries, Keaton sighed and shrugged off the belt, prying the holster from her back and gently lowering it, and Catastrophe, to the floor in front of her. She then redirected her glare to Ignatz while gesturing for Mel to approach and heal her. "Can't find a better mace."
When she said this, it wasn't her merely speaking to intimidate or infuriate - she sincerely believed Catastrophe was the finest mace in existence. Most likely a far, far cry from the truth, what with the wide variety of magically-imbibed weapons on Furrae, but after all the memories Keaton had attached to Catastrophe, she wasn't going to admit that it was inferior to any other weapon in any capacity.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Keaton's mood might have been more effective at irritating Stygian, were it not for the fact that quite suddenly the bat had suddenly twitched and lowered his ears as far as they could go, clamping his hands over them, looking upward with a snarl caught on his face. When her coughing fit was over and the angered comments came, he had canted and turned his head to the side and was scratching and prodding the inside of it with a clawed finger, his expression one of utmost annoyance. He blinked with one eye, and then flicked his ear wildly, beating the side of his head with his palm.
'That... hm... may be as it will,' he said distraughtly, before shaking his head and sitting straight again. 'But a mace or a clumsy weapon as such is of no use to me. The targets that I don't kill, I most likely want to keep undamaged. A gun has more range, is more practical, and much harder to react against. And besides,' he said, and placed a hand on one of the darkly glistening metallic firearms strapped to his side in a concealed holster, 'these are not just "any fuckin' Being guns". They're professionally crafted. My own.' He looked at Keaton more seriously. 'I make ones like them, among other things. Not that I won't have these replaced soon. I have been working on a new design.'
"You should try the meat pies the leopard got for you, Mr. Peterson!" the wolf called back as he walked up the stairs to the second level. "They are quite good."
His voice was actually quite friendly sounding, although one could hear the subtle admonishment inflecting his tone.
"If anyone needs me, I'll be upstairs." Cog said to no one in particular as he disappeared up the stairwell to the second level.
Nothing wrong with being prepared, but I'm surprised at that kind of blind assumption and judgment. the wolf thought, standing by himself on the second deck. He's not your typical incubus, no. But I suppose...ah, well. Perhaps demons have troubled him before.
Cog stood by himself for a moment, before murmuring something to himself, and going to stand in the middle of the deck. Crouching down and then sitting on his forelegs, the wolf sat, breathing for a good few minutes before grabbing his sword.
It wasn't long before the a low, slow swish of blade cutting air could be heard, regular, paced, and slow.
When Keaton consented to the healing Mel stood and moved beside the jackal, putting one cool hand on her shoulder. Mel paused for a moment to watch Ignatz strange behavior but he stopped as quickly as he started so she went back to the healing while the other two debated guns versus maces. She was more of a crossbow type herself, not that she resorted to physical weapons very often. Keaton's injuries were more annoying than serious and in only a moment the healing was over. "There. That should be a lot more comfortable."
Ephreal sulked as she ate some meat sticks from her pack. 'I only ment it as a joke...' She thought, only to be hit by a second. 'Eeep I hope they don't throw me out! Gods I don't know what to do, I'd never see Jade again!' Eph radiated sheer panic.
She was torn between going and begging forgiveness, and worrying about them giving her the boot if she went near them so soon...
Deep down, some concealed, mostly-smothered part of Keaton found Ignatz's graphic reaction to her loud, guttural coughing hysterical, but it was distaste and furiousness at his unintentional insult about Catastrophe which prevented her from laughing. Instead, she simply folded her arms and diverted her glance, even as Mel approached and started moving her cold-saturated hands over her back. Beneath the gentle, healing ministrations, the bruises started to shrivel and disappear from nasty, black-and-blue lumps to mostly-hidden dots. Experimentally, Keaton flexed her shoulder-blades; the sorest part of her body, testing whether or not they were liberated of any pain.
"Catastrophe isn't any normal mace," Keaton countered viciously, "See him?"
Reaching down, Keaton picked up Catastrophe, and cradled the weapon close. It was apparent that despite how proportionately large the morningstar was in comparison to her body, she exerted no visible effort in carrying it around. The weapon was mostly black, from its giant, spherical-spiked head, to the rigid, diamond-shaped blade adorning the opposite end of its handle, almost an opaque, atramentous shade. Each of the spikes coating Catastrophe's clubbed head coalesced from black to a strangely whitewashed alabaster, not pure or pristine in hue, but lifeless, like the light emitted from fluorescent bulbs. The same gradient effect was reflected in the blade at the bottom of Catastrophe. Finally, and perhaps the most notable characteristic about the morningstar, was the strangely angular symbol carved beneath Catastrophe's head, also in white, also glowing with that dim, moribund luster.
"He's capable of manipulating and controlling the darkness itself," Keaton snarled. A wicked smirk played at the edges of her lips as Ignatz fingered his gun-holster. "I don't care if your guns were custom-made or made piece-by-piece by underpaid, overworked orphans forced into labor in sweatshops" - although overworked and underpaid and sweatshops often went hand-in-hand - "I don't think any gun can match up with Catastrophe. I've fought Beings with guns. And guess what happened to them?"
Keaton extended her index finger, then drew it with painstaking slowness in a horizontal line across her throat, eliciting a choking, garbled noise in the back of her throat. No further explanation was needed.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Maybe I am too paranoid, Jakob thought, and selected one of the smaller pies.
Giving Cog a few minutes to settle down, he made his way discreetly to the open area where the other wolf was practising and watched, keeping his distance.
Jakob had gradually lost interest in swordplay when he was about half his current age, but it didn't stop him appreciating it and it was clear that Cog was very good at it. Too good, he thought to himself. He's either a child prodigy or there's more Creature to him than I thought. Demon lifespan, perhaps?
He waited politely for a pause in the other wolf's training and then spoke.
"Very good," he said. "Better than I was at my height. Now, forgive me if I'm intruding, Mr. Mithlome, but I thought you ought to know one thing... save for times of emergency, I do not pry on my allies' thoughts."
"Anyway, I hope that helps to set your mind at rest," he added, and turned to leave Cog in peace.
Cog sat across from another, in an almost meditative state. He'd been speaking for some time, and the things being said were not pleasant. He could see the others tension.
He'd been a thorn in his side for a long, long time. Cog realized that he hadn't come to speak as soon as he saw the other leaning forward.
Cog's hand slid to the guard of his blade.
As close as they were, drawing would be difficult, but he wasn't going for his sword. The other reached for Cog's hilt, intending to snatch the blade from the wolf. Cog reacted in the subtlest manner, tilting the hilt of his sword down closer to the ground.
The man leaned forward further, reaching for the hilt, and just barely overextending himself.
It was all Cog needed. Moving the hilt in a quick circle, he brought the hilt around and over the other's hand, and bringing his other arm around he grasped the hilt and lunged forward, rising on his knees and thrusting his still sheathed blade forward. The sheath slid with only a little resistance in the wolf's belt, and the metal-capped hilt smacked the other square in the nose, knocking him back. Quick as lightning, his left arm pulled back on the sheath while his right arm kept the sword out, drawing the blade and cutting out in a silver, horizontal arc.
The cut drew a line through the other's chest, severing muscle and tendon. It would be very difficult for him to lift much of anything without any strength in his chest to assist him.
Miraculously, the other somehow managed to draw his blade, and struck - but the wolf had already brought the blade back, and in a block that flowed into an overhead strike brought his sword down on his opponents head.
The other dropped onto the deck, blood pooling around him.
Cog watched for a good while, motionless, before bringing the sword over and around to his side, and then as he stood swinging it in a short arc. A spatter of blood whipped off the blade to fall onto the deck, and keeping the blade's tip pointed at the other's body for a good few moments, finally brought it back. It crossed his body, and using his hand as a guide the wolf slid the sword forward over his hand, and then back into the sheath. Imperceptibly, his index finger and thumb clasped the flat of the blade, squeezing the blood off the weapon as it slid into the sheath.
Cog looked at the body, waiting for it to stir. When it did not, the wolf clasped the hilt in his right hand and pulled back, situating the sword back into it's normal position.
He turned and looked at Jakob, listening, and then nodded in recognition.
"There are some things you may not want to read in my mind, Mr. Peterson." the wolf said, watching the filmmaker leave him alone on the breezy deck.
The much-exaggerated dramatic gesture drew the corners of the bat's mouth upward, and made him chuckle a bit. The Cubi really did have a way of going over the top with quite a few things. Like a teenage girl with an automatic carbine thrown into a criminal syndicate meeting, trying to prove herself. Or, at least that's what it seemed like to Stygian. Not so much adorably cute as laughable at some points. But still a bit to smile at, in a dysfunctional way.
'Is that so? Well, I suppose that's rather impressive,' the bat said, stifling his chuckling and making a slow, respectful nod toward the jackal. 'Just remember that it's always good not to depend too heavily upon a weapon. Your own skills are always the backbone and the strength. A weapon is just an extension of that.' The bat smiled dimly, eyes narrow, and then drew his guns. The long, dark-steel revolvers gleamed terribly in the murky light. Spinning one and raising it, cocking it with the side-mounted hammer next to the frame-integrated shock absorber at the back, Ignatz held it out to the side, as steadily as if his arm were fused iron.
'These guns, I made myself. Not the best piece of equipment I've constructed, I admit; they suffer somewhat from some impracticalities and ammunition shortness,' he said, before slowly turning the gun, training it on Keaton's forehead. 'But they certainly get the job done, despite some over-penetration.' He held it there for a few seconds, then span it back and around as quickly as if the heavy piece weighed like a feather. 'A bit clumsy as well. Which is why I am going to pick my new ones up as soon as possible. Those are the ones I am hoping to start manufacturing,' he added, looking down at the steel in his hand, before putting it back in his holster. 'And you then, Cubi? What goals are you chasing? Or... perhaps, since you are what you are, I should say people? Creatures? Items? Few of your kind seem to make an honest living.'
Aisha let her eyes wander over the ocean, while her ears kept on the sea of controversy that seemed to grip the party. She could hear a latch from far away as Mel left the main group and went to see her accomplice in the hold. That left people talking on the deck, speaking behind her about the newcomers and expressing general discomfort, however peaceful the view around them seemed to be.
One thing that was said however was what dropped her out of silence with a loud snort. It was the conversation between James and Jakob, along near Gareeku and Ephrael, more or less about keeping within the law in their doings. Aisha shook her head slightly, wondering how any experienced adventurer could follow the law when often times they take the law into their own hands...or in the case of bounty hunters and for-hire assassins, play the arm of higher powers; in many cases so that their own hands are never sullied.
The panthress herself had gotten into trouble a few times in her career. She could respect the laws of different cities to a point...but to her, the only laws to follow are those of common sense and decency. Take only lives of the murderous, defend yourself, steal when you have to, and never hurt innocents. The vows she took when she first became an adventurer. And none of her targets have ever given themselves up without a fight. In a world as diverse as Furrae, it was hard to be completely pacifist without being thought of as weak; unless they have enough force to throw around so that they can argue otherwise. An ironic catch.
"Case in point," Aisha muttered, watching the rest of the conversation. She was curious, watching the strange whistle that Jakob produced and seeing Cogidubnus and Gabi nearby wince upon hearing it. The panther rolled her eyes and leaped onto the railing of the boat, balancing herself perfectly as she sat on it and took in the sights and smells of the sea.
At seeing Ignatz's lips curl upright in a subtle, malicious smirk, Keaton scowled distastefully and allowed her grip to clench around Catastrophe's melanoid handle. Other than that slightly aggressive, telltale shift of position, that venting manner she clutched the shaft in her hands until her knuckles popped rakishly like bony knobs against her skin, she reflected no other movements which presented an intention to strike. Even her grip subsided, her fingers relaxing, but her face remaining fixated in that scowl as Ignatz amiably continued talking. Irritated as she seemed by how he didn't seem to be taking her seriously, Keaton said nothing else which could be interpreted as belligerent.
"Catastrophe is a magnifier," Keaton explained bluntly at Ignatz's remark about balancing her fighting abilities, "I can control the darkness on my own, but Catastrophe helps magnify them and make it easier for me to control." Before she could say something particularly insulting about Ignatz's selection in weaponry, he flipped out his revolver and centered its barrel in the direction of Keaton's forehead, cool light glinting off of its sleek metallic surface. Pupils pinpricking in the blinding light gleaming along the revolver's barrel, Keaton's muscles stiffened defensively and she started to bare her fangs, as though she were preparing herself for the moment Ignatz was going to fire.
Fortunately the bat didn't want to, or so it seemed, as he pocketed the gun a moment later. Casually, the bat asked Keaton what her goals were, apparently allowing some of his aforementioned Cubi-hatred seep into his words. In the face of this, Keaton merely snarled, her ears flattening. "None of your damn business," she remarked coldly. Reaching down, she scooped up the belts strapped around Catastrophe's holster and drew it up, starting to sheathe the weapon back in its leather pocket. "That's what. 'Sides, I take it even if I was after any souls, your goals wouldn't be all that much different..."
Her pierced eyebrow raised, the silver stud perforating it emitting a slight glow in that thin slash of light. "I heard what you said. You said you were staying here only cause of me. What do you want?"
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Keaton's explanations and then her harsh words didn't faze Ignatz enough to so much as twitch an eyebrow. However, her last words, the very direct question of his former statement, did make him slowly shift. A dangerous glint appeared in his eyes, as they widened, and his gaze lowered while he sat forward, underarms resting on his knees, until the black spheres seemed to melt together with the shadows beneath his brows, and all that was left was the glint of light reflecting off them.
'You,' the bat said, slowly and darkly. Putting his chin between finger and thumb, he held his eyes on her, the cold of his gaze seeming to fill the room. However handsome and suave he had seemed at one moment, and petty and assholeish at the next, those former images were whisked away like smoke in a swift breeze right then. He wasn't grinning. Not even smirking. There was the merest inclination toward a smile on his lips, but with the deep shadows over his pale features, his face seemed to have turned a facade over something dark, a characterless mask of white hiding something of which only those icy, bone-chilling gleams of light could be seen. His gaze was still, unfaltering and intense. The sort of transcendent look that frightens even in ordinary people, because one can see that there is nothing but sheer focus behind it, cold and hard. Deadly sharp intent. The look of a killer without hesitation.
'I intend to stay with these people, because it serves my goals. I could have chosen to simply move on without them, perhaps use them if such a time would come. But you went along now, and that's what settled this,' he said, voice still and nonthreatening, but something in the background seemingly accompanying it, causing shivers. 'You pricked my interest, Cubi. You know nothing of my goals, and I don't think you would understand them. You know nothing of my business, and I don't think you would want to. Now you know at least that I will be watching you, waiting for a reason. Take that knowledge to heart, and be glad for it. Because it might keep you from making a mistake you will forever regret.'
A few hard, heart-clenching seconds passed, as the bat simply sat there. Then, the bat closed his eyes and breathed in, sitting back once again, face fully illuminated once more. One could not help but feel as if he had slipped that mask back on again. He had opened a crack in a seemingly ordinary door, and exposed something tantalizing and absolutely frightening beyond it, and then shut it firmly before anyone had chance to catch more than a glimpse. Now, instead, he lazily rolled his neck a little as he leaned his head against the crate under the tarp, looking a little tired.
'But really, I don't think I need any more particular reason than making things easy for myself. We've gone for a long time,' he said, his tone back to normal. 'This looks to be an interesting and restful business. If we can just shake the ire of the others, I'm sure it will be pleasant.'
Initially, Keaton felt somewhat confident. Spouting her typical acrimonious assholery always endowed her with a certain sense of self-control and superiority, making her feel elevated over the situation, over the consciousness of others; beyond concern or any other perceived weaknesses. And those who resisted were routinely disabled with a suckerpunch to the jaw or an uppercut which sent them reeling, or if they were particularly troublesome, an attack from Catastrophe "himself."
The chiropteran before her, however, was different.
And that bothered her, especially when his eyes seemed to narrow, their shadowy outlines smothered by the surrounding darkness trickling in syrupy streams over his alabaster features, swallowing up the sacrosanct white and drenching it with scattered pool-pits of ink. Then for that moment, Keaton did the unthinkable, and hesitated. When she was perfectly sound in body and perfectly sober, not made vulnerable by inebriation and lack of weapon. It was something she'd hate herself for later, something she couldn't cover up with lies or denial. The acidity of Keaton's words vaporized on her tongue, leaving her mouth dreadfully evaporated and devoid of moisture, or the articulateness needed to define her future sentences. All she could do was just listen to Ignatz, indignation and outrage starting to escalate somewhere beneath the absolute, stunned surprise. Looming on the sidelines, wanting to lunge and interrupt the bastard in the middle of what Keaton saw as his condescending rambling, but finding itself anchored to its spot by that dreadful hesitance.
Again, Keaton found herself bereft of action or appropriate behavior. She hated it. She wanted to shout, suddenly reacting irrationally to this increased stress. Stress was never something Keaton loved. In fact, she was prone to nervous breakdowns, little episodes which were routinely kicked into the same skeleton-closet all her other meltdowns were caged and contained, along with some she had even shunted out of her memory.
Amidst the silence, she stumbled and groped for any emotional resonance exuding from the chiropteran. But she received nothing. How could the bastard not emit any emotions?! The only time she had felt that happen was when--
The bat leaned back, and the sparse light in the room flooded his face again, chasing away the shadows. Keaton suddenly felt grateful for the cool darkness coating her face, oozing over the black shapes cleaving into her saffron-furred features, because it effectively masked the unreadable blankness to her expression. That was clearly the look someone made when the words they had were chased away. At Ignatz's next comment, Keaton merely sunk in her seat, simmering, her hands still gripping Catastrophe with an iron-hard tautness, and diverted her glance to a suddenly very interesting crate of cargo collecting dust in the far corner.
"I don't see that happening," was all she said, and then Keaton went very, very quiet.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
The bat kicked his feet up a bit, and folded his arms across his chest, covering most what was visible of his torso through his open shirt. Tilting his head a bit to the side, he looked at Keaton with mild surprise and an expression of innocence that would have held up in the most scrutinizing court. 'You don't believe me?' he asked, tone falling in with his expression. Then they both adjusted to confidential pleasantry. 'I can be a nice person too. Don't believe me?' He chuckled. 'Being a nice person is easy, contrary to what people believe. Being an idiot is what is easier, but it's only because you you don't have to think. Being a nice person takes half a brain. Being a bad guy? And making it, being a bad guy?' He smirked, but in an eerily friendly manner. 'Now that takes your full attention.'
Innocence or not, Keaton didn't appear amused nor convinced with Ignatz's nonchalant demeanor. Whatever intimidation she had experienced seemed to evaporate in the face of his innocuous expression, indicated by how flat her countenance collapsed. Quite a sudden and dramatic transformation from vulnerability, yet some of those lingering vestiges of discomfort remained in Keaton's form, even as she forced herself to behave indifferently.
"So you're saying you can actually act nicely to these people?" Keaton asked coldly. Her death-grip still intact around Catastrophe's handle, she leaned back, although her posture was devoid of confidence. She seemed as though she was unconsciously, with some barely-existing pocket of self-hatred or preservation, making herself appear as uninteresting or unappealing as possible. "I'd like to see you try that."
Actually, she didn't. Keaton just wanted to make it out of the hold alive, or at the very least without a fight. She didn't want to get thrown off of the ship for misconduct, instigating any fights, or even worse, being shunted out of Gareeku's traveling-party a scant few hours after she was actually introduced among its members. Keaton had no problem discussing her motives for traveling with Gareeku, but with someone she feared and loathed, she wanted to keep her intentions as disguised as possible.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Jakob glanced down in the rough direction of the hold. I'll have to pay them a visit later, he thought, but there was something he had to do first.
"Excuse me," he said, collaring one of the crew, "When are we likely to be arriving?"
A fast steamship could make about 35mph, cutting a journey of several days on foot into a few hours.
Still smiling, Ignatz leaned a bit forward and looked attentively at Keaton, attentively and perhaps a bit challengingly. The 'smug bastard' role was edging into his behavior a bit, but he tried staying as courteous as possible.
'Prepare to be entertained then. Or, perhaps you would be willing to make a deal?' He chuckled shortly, passed Mel an equally short glance, and then licked his lips. 'If I manage to inspire some sense of... trust and companionship, not to mention agreeability in them... Would you be willing to try the same, and behave around them? Of course, that should include not only them but us as well.' The bat made an indicating gesture between himself and Mel. A slight grin was forming on his lips. 'And that of course includes having such good manners as to not exercise excessive violence, steal any souls, burn or pillage, rape or torture innocents, etcetera...' He rolled his eyes and waved his hand as if mentioning those things were mere trivialities and a perfunctory addition.
But while the bat may have been speaking calmly, behind the mask he was rather excited, and going through a number of better and more purposeful points to acting 'decently'. Firstly, it would hopefully stem the quarreling of the group, and more importantly show the others that if the jerk of a bounty hunter and a vicious Cubi could get along, they should feel a bit ashamed about not being able to put hostilities aside themselves. Secondly it would be a nice little needle in Keaton's side. But best of all, from how he had formulated the suggestion, it sounded as if he expected good behavior all the time, however he had not exactly put it that way... After all, cheating could only be called so if it were discovered. Otherwise it was often referred to as cleverness.
'What say you, sweets?' Ignatz finally said, with that particular expression of his and a gentle smirk on his face.
Mel smiled at the pair and their ongoing contests. "Who gets to be the judge of this decent behavior challenge? I am sure the preacher would volunteer, but somehow I get the feeling he will be our biggest challenge. Any reminder that we are not beings sets him off. His highly romanticized picture of beings as naturally gentle and harmless creatures." She laughed at the very idea. "Perhaps Mr. Mithome. He has no bias from earlier events."
Hearing Jakob's voice, the crew member, an otter to be precise, turned around to face the wolf. Listening to his question, the otter thought for a second before replying.
"We should be arriving at our destination in a few hours, sir. Our intended time of arrival is 4pm." the otter replied.
After the others had left to wander off somewhere else, Gareeku had turned back to watching the waves as the ship continued on it's journey. Taking a deep breath, the wolf took in the fresh sea air and felt it fill his lungs as he did so. It was then, however, that Gareeku thought about how he had snapped at Ephrael. Although she shouldnt have fooled around like because of the attention that they could have attracted, he still felt bad. Turning his head, the wolf looked as Ephrael was sat on a chair some distance away.
"Hey." A voice said to Ephrael's side. If she looked up, she would see that Gareeku had made his way over to her. "Mind if I join you?"
Pulling up a chair of his own, the wolf sat down next to her, looking at her with a soft, reassuring smile; a far cry from the scowls that he had displayed in recent times.
"I want to apologise for the way I snapped at you." the wolf explained. "It's just that I'd rather that we didn't get lots of attention, especially from authorities. If we were to be stopped by them, it could jepordise our efforts to find the ones that we care for. I hope you can forgive me."
Ephrael looked up as Gareeku called out to her. "N-no I don't m-mind." She said softly in response to his question.
As he sat down Eph noticed that he was smiling nicely a her, something she and not seen the wolf do since she had met him.
She fidgeted as Gar apologized, knowing she should have read the situation before she tried the joke, 'I just wish I was better at that' Eph thought.
"It was my f-fault Gareeku...I shouldn't of p-pulled that p-prank. I guess I wasn't t-thinking straight, I'm kinda out of my depth. I mean I've never been an adventurer before, and yesterday I k-killed someone...A few people actually. So I should be asking for your forgiveness, I'll try not to do that stuff again."
'Apt choice. I'd say we ought to invite him down here...' Ignatz began, then swigged and drained the last of the wine in his black glass. He then leaned forward on his knee, and with a swift movement of his hand, dematerialized it in his hand, the solid matter turning into thick blackness which dissolved in an instant into inky, drifting smoke. Only, it didn't look quite like smoke, and it evaporated far too quickly in the windless cargo storage. '...were it not for the fact that I wish to rest,' he concluded, his gaze blank and cold.
Standing up, the bat straightened, and cracked his neck a bit, rolling his shoulders once and flexing his fingers. He closed his eyes, sighed, and then looked down at Mel and Keaton with a far more pleasant expression than just a moment ago.
'I think I will retire for a short while. Alert me when... things are looking more pleasant,' he said, eying Mel during that quick pause in his words. She would know that what he meant was that she should tell when it grew dark. Smiling a bit more charmingly, he faced Keaton next. 'And please consider my... offer, miss. I think it would be quite fitting of the situation.'
Even as his form darkened and disappeared into the shadows and out of sight toward the back of the cargo hold, the bat was still smirking.
"Okay, thanks for that," said Jakob to the crewman, and headed down to the cargo hold.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you people," he began, unsure how to phrase what he was going to say. "But, well... hmm... Are you sure it's a good idea to be in here? The crew might object..." he said, rambling slightly.
"Uh, anyway. To be frank, I don't trust you, and it's pretty clear you don't trust me either. But we are in the same party, so I was wondering if we could set aside our differences for now, and at least agree not to provoke each other too much?"
Gabi took a few moments to recover from the whistle, and looked around to find out what was going on. She noticed Cog seemed to have been disturbed by the noise, but most others didn't seem to have registered it. "Oh, great," she sighed.
She still didn't understand why Mel had stormed off like that. Why was she offended if it was her who kept treating others as objects, and their lives as currency? She wished she could figure her out. She was still a puzzle, and a potentially dangerous one. Cog was a mystery too, but at least he seemed to be trying to be nice. Exaggeratedly so, but still. Maybe he was trying to be both nice and funny.
When Jakob left, Gabi decided to follow him. She had a feeling she'd learn something if she did, and she didn't feel comfortable staying where she was anymore. She arrived in time to here his proposal. She felt she had arrived at a bad time. She had to say something or else others might think she was sneaking.
"Err..." she began, biding her time. "I... guess I agree," she finally said. Not that any of you care about what I think, she thought, but at least I may be able to stay here now.
She knew it had been a lame entry, but then again it might be for the best that Ignatz and Mel didn't think much of her. They might ignore her, which was better than being the focus of their attention.
As Gareeku listened to Ephrael as she explained how she had never been an adventurer before, Gareeku nodded in understanding, having been in her position once himself.
"...I know how you feel. It can be hard, being an adventurer." the wolf replied, his voice somewhat distant as he began to think back to when he first started out. "Unfortunately, killing is one of those things that becomes easier the more you do it..."
It was then that Gareeku snapped himself out of it and turned back to Ephrael.
"I also want to apologise for the way I've been acting in general. Things have been...well...hard." the wolf said to her.
Keaton seemed to hold the demeanor of a scolded puppy as Mel and Ignatz discussed the terms and conditions to their so-called "good behavior contest," her shoulders bunched inward and her muscles bristling with barely-condensed tension. Teeth ground together as a minuscule way to curb her frustration, eventually gritting together as her vicious fury petered away into obscurity. For the most part she had been stunned into silence by the fact Ignatz didn't seem to be trying to deceive her, and that the cunning chiropteran actually was going to make an effort to be polite. The rest of her was just mostly indignation. Seemed all the troublemakers in the group were peering over each others' shoulders to take a page from their books.
In-between her fuming, Keaton realized that Ignatz had disintegrated the drinking glass in his claw, its outline dissolving into fading particles of diaphanous smoke. He looked far too pleasantly at her. Keaton irrationally hated it, especially since she was used to having enemies who went out of their way of making her miserable, instead of using conniving and ambiguous techniques disguised behind a benevolent facade. As Ignatz addressed her, Keaton felt her hands tense around Catastrophe's handle, and she forced herself to numbly nod her confirmation.
And with that, the bat seemed to simply disappear, swallowed up into the blackness of the cargo hold. Keaton blinked, gawking for a minute, openly stunned - until she realized that he probably orchestrated the darkness to contain himself in it, or something to a similar effect... she was able to execute the same ability. It was a favored skill she ordinarily used for subterfuge. Around that same time, Jakob chose to enter the hull, apparently with the intent of talking to them about their behavior.
Glancing up apprehensively, Keaton eyed the fellow Cubi, then said, "You're a bit late. Ignatz" - she refrained from impersonally referring to him as the bat - "Just... erm... left." Keaton decided to skim over the details, and simply cut to the chase. Time to exert how "polite" she could be. "Look, you're... what's your name? Sorry for, well, earlier..."
~Keaton the Black Jackal
"Distance doesn't seem to matter where Ignatz' hearing is concerned," Jakob said, "I'm sure he's listening. In any case, all I'm really saying is that we should (A): Keep our petty squabbles to a sensible level, and (B): Try to avoid doing anything that would upset the locals. Being run out of town or getting a bounty on our heads really isn't conducive to completing our mission. So far we seem to have avoided that, but only just. It was simply good fortune that the guards Mel killed belonged to the bad guy. If the demon bloke's alter-ego had been the charismatic leader of the town, we could easily have lost our heads by now."
"Not a problem," he replied as Keaton apologised. Deep down he was a bit surprised given her previous behaviour, but he was going to have to keep an eye on them anyway.
"Call me Jakob," he added, and almost gave her a card, but stopped when he remembered that she'd apparently been kicked out of the Academy. "Jakob Peterson."
"Its ok Gareeku." Eph said as she scratched the back of her neck. "I think all of us are a little on edge with our loved ones missing. We don't even know if they are ok...That scares me and I don't know what this is all about, why would they take Jade and the others."
She fidgeted eventually pulling out her piece of the map. "Even these are a little strange...why give us clues instead of a ransom? I mean isn't that why people get kidnaped??"
Listening to Ephrael as she spoke, Gareeku nodded his head in understanding as she spoke of the fact that it wasn't even known whether their loved ones were alright or not.
"I know how you feel." the wolf replied. "At first I thought that this was all some kind of attempt to claim the bounty on my head or something, but I don't understand why the others had their loved ones taken from them as well. This has left me quite confused, but you can bet that I'll be getting some answers."
Looking on as Ephrael drew out her part of the map, Gareeku listened as she spoke of how they were given clues and not a ransom or anything.
"I know what you mean." the wolf said as he looked at her map. Drawing out his own piece, Gareeku looked at the two of them and noticed how there were no markers or anything similar on them, which was probably due to the fact that they were on a ship sailing across a very large body of water. "I don't know who sent us these maps, or who is giving us clues, and I don't know whether we should trust them or not, but it's the only thing that even remotely helps us in our search."
Nodding acknowledgement to Ignatz just as he was disappearing into the darkness Mel hopped off her box and was giving a bit of a stretch prior to climbing back up onto the deck when the wolf cubi started down the ladder. She sat back down if the party was going to keep going.
Mel listened politely quiet while the two cubi conversed. Sitting atop the crate with her legs crossed, elbows on knees and chin in hand she gave every appearance of a young child listening eagerly to an exciting story. But there was a new edge to her voice as she quietly asked, "Mr. Peterson. One question before we throw a blanket of civility over our expedition, just so I am in complete understanding of where we stand with each other. Are you assuming that I am stupid or that I have impulse control issues? It must be one or the other for you to be so worried about my behavior when in a catalog of yesterday's adventures I rank far below you and your trusted companions. In either case let me assure you that I am one of the last people you should worry about bringing attention to the party. "
"It's too early for me to tell if you have - as you put it - 'issues'," Jakob said simply. "But the fact remains that we found Gareeku by following the trail of corpses you left behind. Perhaps I'm being old-fashioned, but the way I see it, that's just not being socially responsible." And a big black mark in the behavioural issues game, he added mentally.
"As for us attracting attention, would you be so kind as to remind me what we did wrong? Until your shadowy friend spoke up we were, to all intents and purposes, a perfectly normal set of adventurers fresh from a battle."
Mel's relaxed posture didn't change. Obviously if he had to make up crimes to ascribe to her he didn't have any legitimate complaints. "You might have been following a trail of corpses when you came across me but they were none of my doing. They were dead when I arrived. For all I know you got there first and had a little snack." Her eyes went to the necklace he wore to show what she meant. "Prove you were not doubling back when you found me releasing prisoners. And I was not among the ones torturing the demon or asking for a live victim to put his soul in just in case his body wore out before you were done breaking him. Then it was off to the bar just one street over, still wet with blood. People who get loud and chatty when they drink should not hit the bars during a mission. You were loud enough to attract Mr. Mithome's attention and who knows who else walked off with all the information flying about?"
Jakob sighed. "I had hoped we could paper over our differences, but evidently I was wasting my time. Look. Someone frozen to death in the middle of a backalley in record temperatures usually indicates an ice-mage. Ignoring that fact that the victim was a Demon, the only person I have seen in the last few days using ice-magic, is you.
"So, heading to the area where this anomaly was found, we ran into a couple of guards left standing dead, killed by some kind of magic that doesn't leave marks. The sort you'd get if you froze someone's brain, for example. We went inside that building and promptly found you, happily casting ice-spells at us! Now I was always taught that the simplest answer was usually the correct one..."
"Yes," he continued, with a slight growl. "I got vicious back after the fight. I wasn't in a normal state of mind, which by the way is also why I fell apart in the bar afterwards. Of course part of it was a damage-limitation exercise after your fine friend opened his mouth. What were you saying about getting loud and chatty when drunk?" his lip curled slightly at the memory and he glanced involuntarily into the gloom of the hold.
"But I'll have you know I'm through with soul-slaying. The problem is, how to prove it."
He tapped the side of his head. "If you want proof, I could let you look inside. For the purposes of your inquiry, you are quite welcome to see anything within the last 48 hours. I have but two conditions. Firstly, you can look, but you can't touch. I think that goes without saying, and we have to have some level of trust if we are going to be comrades, which was the bargain, after all, wasn't it?
"Secondly, we set aside our petty squabbles, or try to ignore them as best we can. Certainly, comrades should not antagonise each other."
He paused. "Would that be proof enough?" I hope you know what you're doing, he thought to himself.
Mel shook her head and looked the wolf straight in the eye, "I do not need to check your memories because I do not really believe you did it. But it is not very comfortable to be accused of something you never did, is it?"
She went over the events of the attack in her mind. True, she had killed the assassin who had tried to execute her in the alley, but after that no blood was on her hands until the very end of the battle in the throne room. She was positive that Ignatz was the one who had cleared the way but revealing that would do nothing to help the overall situation. Three assassins in kill or be killed situations had met their ends but everyone else she had dealt with in the mansion had either taken a nap or received a little mental nudge to go to the kitchen and not return until they had eaten a snack. She shook her head, they had her pegged as a deranged serial killer and all she could do was persistently not be one. "I am willing to be as polite as I can be but until your people can pretend to meet me part way I do not know how successful this effort will be." She glanced up at the vixen peeping through the hatch. "As I stated before I can live either up or down to expectations."
Eph was silent for a few minutes thinking on what Gareeku had said. "So what do we do when the ferry docks?" She asked finally, Her voice squeaking a little. "The maps didn't say anything other than north..."
'I wanna hug damnit...why do I want a hug?' Ephrael thought sighing.
"So if it wasn't you, it must have been Ignatz," Jakob said. He'd never seen the two of them apart, and if it had been the work of a third party they would have met them inside the manor.
"Shit! I should have realised he would be the problem. In that case I apologise for casting aspersions, incorrectly it would seem. As you point out I can hardly complain about one corpse given my behaviour last night, but... did he really have to die at all? Hundreds of years ended just like that doesn't seem right..." His ears drooped.
"Very well. If I can trust you to be discreet, can you please try to impress this on your friend as well? Perhaps it's just the way my kind think, but as a rule people who go around parading that they're special come to a sticky end. That is his choice of course, but I'd rather he didn't drag the rest of us down with him as well.
"And as for getting along, can we at least agree to try?" Jakob gave Mel a faint smile for the first time. Part of it was relief... the demon was a problem, but the snow-leopard, whatever she was, was the one he had truly feared. While he still didn't quite trust her, it was nonetheless something of a burden off his mind. She was, after all, the one who had insisted on joining and that in itself was a lever they could use against her if, gods forbid, it proved necessary.
Gabi sighed when Mel looked at her, finally deciding to speak.
"Live up or down to our expectations... that's the second time I've heard you say that," she replied. "That's what I can't take. You seem to be putting on an act all the time. Sorry if I'm too honest, I'm trying to fix things, not to make them worse; but nothing about you seems real. It's hard to trust someone you don't know anything about. Or worse, when all you know are little pieces that don't even fit together. Who are you?"
Mel shook her head at the vixen, "Do you think I should extend trust to you? You know as much about me as I know about any of you." She fiddled with the parasol that was still beside her. "No one in this group is without their masks, including you, Miss Gabi. Who are you? It is a little unfair to ask for what you do not return."
Shortly after her shaky, insincere apology, Keaton leaned back and breathed as though an enormous weight had been alleviated from her shoulders. All metaphorical, of course - not to mention the issue wasn't actually concerning her, it just made her feel like she was one step ahead of Ignatz in their unofficial contest. Regardless, the output of ambiguous relief Keaton undoubtedly emitted would probably keep Jakob from assuming otherwise - probably, she assumed.
Then Jakob confronted Mel on some... actually, Keaton hadn't the foggiest clue what their exchange was about, nor the morals which were lurking behind either side of the debate. Both Jakob and Mel were rather unconcerned about their spectator, however, and probably for good reason - Keaton didn't really care what was going on. It became confusing to the point it simply petered out any interest she had with an unceremonious fizzle. Frowning a little, Keaton stood up, stretched her arms outward, and scooped Catastrophe off the ground, walking to the entrance to the hold. On her way, she edged around the vixen woman from before - Gabi, was it? Damn, the group was too big for Keaton to keep track of. She'd have to start listing people, and observing what would and wouldn't irritate them so she couldn't accidentally say the wrong thing at the wrong time which she was so undeniably prone to doing.
Putting a little too much thought into this. She was getting that obsessive competitive streak again.
Oh well. Humming lightly to herself, Keaton finally ascended the final step and walked into the sunlight, pacing about the deck in search of some other place to occupy.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
"You think we can be compared?," Gabi shook her head in disbelief. "Maybe everyone you've met so far has deep dark secrets, or maybe you just think we all do. I don't. I'm a healer, I know some other kinds of magic, including defense magic, and I'm learning to use a sword out of need as you've obviously noticed. I got a letter saying someone I cared for had been kidnapped, but oddly enough no names were mentioned. So, as naive as you may think I am, I'm here to try to rescue all the kidnapped, whoever they are, and also to help my friends because I care for them. And it's not all that hard for others to get me to care for them, I end up warming up to most people I get to know... except those that are hostile. So, there. Is there anything else you'd like to know, or are you ready to start giving what you demand from us?"
"Ladies, we are all entitled to some secrets," Jakob said. "As a rule I don't go around blabbing about who or what I am to just any old passer-by. If I did, I'd probably have someone trying to collect a bounty on my head, and that goes for most of us.
"There are Beings who would pay good money to see one less 'Cubi, Angel or Were, and there are Demons and other Creatures who would gladly pay for the head of Aisha or Gareeku.
"Mel here may have a very good reason for not revealing her race, although to be fair it won't help her integrate with the rest of the party.
"Personally I have few reservations about revealing my nature to other members of the party - after all, knowledge like that can be vital in times of crisis, but I can understand someone's reluctance." And we might not like the answer when we get it... he added mentally.
"Her race?," Gabi asked, puzzled by Jakob's assumption. The thought hadn't crossed her mind before. "I don't care about her race. I'd like to know what her intentions are."
Addressing Gabi first, Mel said, "I am not as deep and dark as you have built me up. I am Mel, decent mage, part-time creator of enchanted objects, and often an errand girl for my grandmother. My intention is to help you find the demon who was the master to the ram who tried to kill me. Not as romantic as your reason, but a simple and clear one."
Turning back to Jakob she looked at him quite seriously, "You believe knowing everyone's race is that important? I think just the opposite. Race divides more than it unites. If you are going to insist on mistrusting me have it be for my own unique personality instead of the fact that you have seen me in feathered wings."
"I believe that it can be important to know the capabilities of a team's members in advance," Jakob said. "I have long outgrown stupid grudges against others on grounds of their race, if that's what you mean."
Turning to Gabi, he looked at her thoughtfully. "Do you trust me?"
"Hold on a moment," Gabi told Jakob.
She took a moment to reflect on Mel's word. They sounded like they could be true. She'd need time to get to know her anyway, and she still wondered what her connection to Ignatz was, but at least she didn't seem that hostile now.
"Alright," she addressed Mel. "I'll try to treat you better... as long as you don't attack or threaten me or my friends, which I'd like to assume you won't. There are things on which I think we will never agree, and I'll stand my ground if they come up, but don't see that as an attack because it won't be. As for you..." she now turned to Jakob, "I trust that you mean well, and that you'd never actively try to hurt innocents. But my trust isn't transitive, if that's what you're asking. I trust Gareeku too, but I wouldn't trust everyone he trusts."
Jakob was slightly put out by Gabi's reply... it wasn't quite the answer he was expecting, but it should still work for the purpose of his example.
"No, that's not what I meant. But simply put, you do trust me, even though you are aware of my past. If we had just been introduced, and you knew all the evil things I did long ago, would you still have trusted me?
"What I'm saying is that Mel here may have an equally dark past, and like me, she may have grown out of it. Would it be fair to judge her on that?"
He paused, "That was my point anyway. From the sound of it it came too late," he grinned.
He turned back to Mel. "Well, Ignatz notwithstanding, it looks like we have some kind of truce, thank the gods. Can we agree to be civil to one another as well?"
Aisha could have looked out at the ocean for hours on end, her hands carefully and tightly gripping the rail and keeping her balance. Below her feet she thought that she could see a few shoals of fish swimming about in the clear silver-blue water. But after a while of peace, the panther could hear some of the others speaking.
A few had gone down into the hold and back up again; namely Mel, Jakob, Gabi, and somewhere along the line, Keaton. As far as she could hear, they spoke of acting civil towards each other, as well as the issue of trust. Well, so long as nobody takes actions against us again, I dare say I'll trust newcomers as far as this journey will go, she decided to herself. Except for the past "copycat" instant, nobody had done anything to Aisha personally. It was her friends she worried about.
She flipped back off the railing and stretched, strolling across the deck and passing that group with a nod, nothing more. She wasn't going to get into that conversation. But then, Aisha spotted Gareeku and Ephrael pondering over their maps. Tilting her head, the huntress came into eyeshot just as Eph had asked what to do after docking.
"My guess is we'll probably just keep going that way," Aisha voiced, glancing over their shoulders. Just as Gareeku had thought, it was funny how the maps were the only things that gave them clues to the directions. Talk about trusting shadows. "The thing I wonder is if you're not being led into some kind of trap. If it was indeed the kidnappers who went to the trouble to send the maps and messages to you."
Listening to what Ephrael said, Gareeku was about to reply when another familiar voice spoke first. Glancing to see who it was, the wolf saw Aisha leaning over them, also studying the maps that they held in their hands. Listening to what she said, Gareeku nodded his head slightly.
"I know what you mean." the wolf replied. "But as I just said to Ephrael, it is the only thing that even remotely qualifies as a lead. It may very well be a trap set up by the kidnappers. I can't speak for anyone else, but I personally am prepared to take that risk."
A buzzing of multiple conversations from the ship ran through James' head. He almost wished he didn't hear as well. He sighed and pulled out a deck chair, book, and earplugs from his backpack. He wasted no time in setting up the chair and lay back in it. He popped in his earplugs and pulled open his book, "Advanced law and regulations of the world".
Had it been the sensible thing to do, Ignatz would have actually settled back and tried to get some sleep. But not overhearing what the others at the entry to the cargo hold were all saying would have been impossible, and so he moved around them and observed the group in their conversation. What they said, he could easily have guessed. What they did and how they moved though... Such things could tell one many, many things about someone. Even 'Cubi were sometimes careless with their subconscious hints and gestures.
Truth to tell, the bat was adept at reading people just by watching them, not just by talent and experience, but by profession and studies. One who knew - which meant no one, really - would have been surprised at the sort of educational background he had. And just from what he saw on the adventurers right then, he could draw some conclusions. Both Mel and Jakob restrained their movements and language somewhat, and seemed to be thinking of other things aside of the immediate subject. The wolf appeared a bit stiff and tense, standing defensively and, like Mel, deliberately taking very clear turns speaking and probably was not so sure of what he had come down there to do in the first place. And Keaton, who was just leaving, seemed mostly just emotional and sulky. Considering how she seemed a visually-focused person, and her body language seemed to hold a high tempo, that probably meant she wasn't thinking deeply about anything at all. Of all of them, only Gabi seemed to act naturally and as if she were speaking her mind. This of course meant that she sent out clear signals of agitation, but muted ones, and had a quite defensive stance as well. Her looks, the way she actually formulated her statements as commands and terms...
They are still worried about me. Heh. To the bat, it seemed almost ridiculous. I have much bigger fish to fry, he thought, and more importantly, I hold to my word.
Aisha watched the map in thought, unconsciously memorizing a few locations as she listened to Gareeku's reply. She wondered how far away from the coast they were by now, looking at the sea portion, but glanced up when he finished.
Her nod was one of agreement, a light grin on her face. "I wouldn't have expected anything less. And I think the others involved would agree with you," she said with a glance to Ephrael too. "After all, it is everyone's family we're talking about. Hard for someone to back down when there's possibly something they could do about it."
The panthress was remembering her own family. When they were lost, back then, she was too young to be able to do anything. She wondered if helping her friends regain theirs could help her to feel some redemption for that. But moreover, it was about the fact that she promised she'd do what she could for her comrades.
She nodded her confirmation. "I'm certainly prepared for the risk as well."
Mel hopped up from her box and held out her hand. "I have no grudge against any of you. I will use my company manners."
"Thank you," said Jakob, bowing slightly. "Now, I suppose I should see what the others are up to, so if you'll excuse me..."
So saying, he headed back to the upper decks where Gareeku and the others were. It looked like he'd caught the tail end of a conversation.
"I couldn't find Ignatz," he said, "But Mel and Keaton seemed to agree to the proposal. The basic code of conduct thing," he added. "Is there anything new afoot up here?"
"Maybe we should all go," Gabi suggested.
She turned towards the door, stopped for a second and looked back, then headed out to meet the rest of the group.
Mel let her hand drop back to her side unshaken. Civility was certainly subjective. This was going to be a test of her patience. Mel also noticed that no one else had agreed to anything. She would be watching them to make sure they didn't try to pull anything. She picked up her staff, disguised as her parasol, and made her way back to the deck to see if there was any of the cheese and bread left in the food hamper.
Listening to Aisha speak of her willingness to take whatever risk to help them, Gareeku smiled appreciatively and nodded his head slightly, thankful of her commitment to helping them.
"Thank you Aisha, that truely means a lot." The wolf replied, the grateful smile smile on his face as he spoke.
It was then, however, that Gareeku noticed that Jakob had appeared, apparently listening to the tail end of the conversation that he, Aisha and Ephrael had just had. Listening to what the lupine incubus had to say, Gareeku nodded his head slightly in acknowledgment.
"Good. That should hopefully keep things quiet for the time being." the white furred wolf replied. "After all, the last thing we need is to cause raised eyebrows. I think it goes without saying that it would be best to remain inconspicuous as much as we can."
A little while later, on the flat line of the horizon, something was slowly creeping into view. If one were to keep looking, they would that what on the horizon would soon become clear.
"Ah. So we finally reach land." Gareeku said as he noticed the land on the horizon. Looking on as the land crept close as the shop moved through the water, his eyebrow began to raise slightly. "Doesn't look at all familiar, though...at least, not the land around where we need to be..."
"Nothing's ever easy, is it?" Jakob said, with a thin smile.
"How far away from our destination do you reckon we are? And indeed, how are you faring?" It was never easy to speak of Gareeku's condition, but it was not something he could overlook either.
Aisha smiled back when she caught Gareeku's grateful words. "Anytime, amigo," she replied to his thanks, for she certainly meant it. Whatever trouble they were to come across from that time forward, the huntress hoped that the others as mentally prepared for it. Still there was a part of her that wished to slow time down, for she still knew all too well that time was running short.
She quirked an ear, followed by a glance, as soon as Jakob came at about the end of their conversation. It was found that the panther had as much relief as the white wolf when it came to finally having certain members of the party getting along. If it was going to last, all the better.
For a while, she hung out on that part of the deck with the others, keeping her eyes out for anything interesting on the expanse of blue that surrounded the vessel. When in fact something did seem to rise out of the horizon, she perked and squinted. "Well, finally," she smiled. They were getting closer. I wonder if we should rouse the others.
But as she caught Gareeku's words, her head tilted, observing the scope of the waters and the slowly-growing strip of earth. "Hm, we do have the map. Hopefully we'll be where it'll be easy to get our bearings. Still..." she mused, her hand laying carefully on the pommel of the Dragonblade, "Good to be cautious."
Listening to Jakob's comment, Gareeku said nothing, but secretly hoped that this would be some sort of simple mix-up. Knowing his luck, however, that would be unlikely. Listening to the lupine incubus' question, the white furred wolf turned towards him.
"I'd say we're about half an hour away from that land up ahead." Gareeku said in reply to Jakob's first question. With his mind switching to Jakob's second question, the wolf merely gave a short "I'm fine" answer, before looking away again. Of course, he wasn't fine, but Gareeku had pride, and was going to try all he could to fend off his condition for as long as possible, though the strain of it all was starting to appear somewhat. Since the beginning of the journey, a difference could be seen. Compared to how he appeared at the start of the journey, Gareeku did not look as lively or energetic as before. Indeed, he looked more tired, more stressed, more strained. Though Gareeku wouldn't admit it in a hurry.
"I suppose we shall soon find out where exactly this land is supposed to be." the wolf commented, looking on as the land in the distance crept ever closer. The water that the ship sailed through was now much calmer than before as they neared the land ahead. Everything seemed less bright, more dull, a haze in the air beginning to grow stronger by the minute. Noticing this, Gareeku's eyes narrowed somewhat.
As it was still evidently light outside, Stygian was reluctant to go out of the cargo hold. But the short nap that he had taken had been all that he needed to revitalize himself, and he hadn't been able to stop thinking about things. This made staying down in the cargo space and laying against a pile of barrels seem quite boring. Then again, he wasn't sure but he thought that if he were to go topside the atmosphere would rather turn hostile instead.
In the end, his irritation with the boredom won out. And as he knew himself, he understood that he would have far more pleasure darkening the mood and disposition of one of his traveling companions, or at least become energized with tackling a dispute. So, getting up, the bat adjusted his coat, and fumbled inside of it for a couple of seconds. Taking out a pair of round, pitch black sunglasses, he put them on, adjusting them over the bridge of his muzzle, and then walked over to the stairs, walking back up and undoing the hatch to step out.
Mel had packed away the mostly untouched food and was just watching the water when land came into view. Something felt wrong. As she carefully watched the land come closer she allowed the brilliant red to drain from her jacket. This didn't seem like a good time to stand out. Much like the air around them the color faded away until she was once again wearing the soft grey suede of the day before. She leaned on her staff, no longer disguised as a parasol, trying to sense what was happening.
"Rather drab looking place." Eph said looking at the horizon. She got up from her chair and went over the the railing, leaning over slightly.
Keaton spent most of her time loitering about the deck, meandering aimlessly in search of something to do. Being social was not something she was accustomed to, so it took her a great deal of courage to even approach even remotely near any of the other members of the party, especially after she had behaved so deterrently. For all she knew, just about everybody had an immediately unfavorable impression of her, which dampened her chances of succeeding in her and Stygian's little "good behavior" contest. After spending a very productive hour of doing absolutely nothing, Keaton finally succumbed to the nasty, curling sensation in her stomach and collapsed bodily in an armchair on the deck.
She frowned miserably to herself, then sighed, letting her arms hang limply from either side of the chair. This was going to be harder than she thought. And she didn't even do anything. Being near other people instead of making an effort to drive them away made Keaton feel uncomfortable. Or rather, since it seemed to happen on its own at times, maybe she was just imagining her discomfort because she was aware of the fact she had acted poorly before.
She had to reconcile with somebody in order to start earning people's trust, and start putting her ahead of Stygian. She just wasn't sure who.
It was then Keaton noticed that land was approaching, and the waters were rather eerily still, instead of rapidly churning like they were before. At first Keaton thought little of it, other than appreciating the fact they were finally going to get to explore someplace other than the boat's deck, but when she noticed the uncomfortable ambiance her attitude started to change. Was it just her, or did everything seem... duller? Judging by the tension of the other party members, this had apparently not gone unnoticed.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
'Can you say "ominous", children?' Stygian's voice came, pronounced in a disguised and nasal voice with a bit of a mocking tone to it. The bat stepped forward, past Keaton and up beside Ephrael, as silently as ever, black eyes fixed on the horizon. He flashed a bitter smirk, then let his face settle into a more serious, concerned expression. Studying the waters and the sky for a few short moments, he turned his head to look at the rest of the group.
'I think saying that one is having a bad feeling about this is... pretty redundant here', he commented. 'It's all I can think of right now though. Anyone else getting more?'
Hearing the bat's voice, the wolf turned to look and watch him step up beside them. Slighty raising an eyebrow at his seemingly mocking tone of voice, Gareeku listened as he commented at the fact that even saying one is having a bad feeling was basically redundant.
"Very true. And not at the moment, though I would prefer not to get anything else either." The white-furred wolf replied as he turned back to watch the slowly approaching land form in front of them. "Well, whatever it is, I think it goes without saying that we should stay on guard."
The ship's staff seemed to be equally confused as the rest of the passengers. This certainly wasn't what their destination was supposed to look like.
"Throw down the anchor." The captain, a gruff-looking german shephard canine, said to members of his crew that were stood near him, his eyes fixed firmly on the land ahead. "I'm going ashore to see what's going on."
Surprised at their captain's decision not to just pass the land by a look for a safer-looking spot to dock at, the crew also knew better than to disobey their stern captain, and so set about doing what they were told.
"Excuse me ladies and gentlemen!" the captain's voice then announced from the megaphone that the captain himself was holding, standing on the edge of the upper deck as he looked down to the confused passengers below on the main deck. "Although the situation appears to be other than fine, I can assure you that virtually everything is how it should be."
Pausing for a second, the captain wore a slight smile that displayed calm and collectiveness.
"I will be going ashore very shortly to see if I can find someone who can point us in the right direction. I-"
"-So we're lost?! Great, we are stuck with a captain who doesn't even deserve to step foot on a boat, let alone take charge of one!" An angry passenger suddenly shouted. Hearing this, the captain looked down and glared at the man responsible for the outburst.
"I can assure you sir, that I know the route that we have taken is the right one to lead us to the right destination." the captain replied, his voice sporting a light growl as he spoke, before turning to the rest of the passengers. "I will leaving you in the very capable hands of my crew while I step ashore."
"Huh...he would be a fool to go alone." A passenger near Gareeku comment under her breath. Glancing in the passenger's direction, the wolf took in her comment, before turning to the others.
"Personally, I suggest going after the captain and any crew members that go with him." he suggested to the others. "For one, I'm also curious as to what exactly is on that land, myself."
"As you wish," Jakob replied. "Though it occurs to me that this could possibly be a contrivance of our enemies." He stared out into the mist.
"Perhaps I'm just being paranoid again. Either way, I suppose we'd better gather our things..."
Listening to what Jakob said, Gareeku nodded his head in understanding.
"That may be, but I'm uncomfortable with letting the captain and any crew members that do go with him go on their own." The wolf replied. "If anyone doesn't want to depart for the land, then they are welcome to stay on the boat."
For a small while, Aisha's eyes were fixed on the land coming up before them. To say that she wasn't also concerned and curious would have been a lie; even the tip of her tail twitched as if she expected her ring to start glowing from the look of the place alone. Her attention was only broken as soon as the bat finally came out of hiding and assessed the place as far as the others had. It made her wonder all the more if the place was even on the map.
"Ominous, creepy, dark, strange; if you want more adjectives, I have them," the panthress muttered, still keeping a hand safely on the pommel of her sword while the boat stopped near the overshadowed shore. Looking around, even the crew of the boat had a few looks of confusion. The captain however did his best to convince them otherwise, as everyone turned to listen to his voice on the megaphone.
Aisha blinked after his announcement. Out in a strange land alone? I wonder how many of the crew even have anything to defend themselves with.
Gareeku had then voiced his concern; also taking the words out of her own head as well. Staying on the boat for some could have been a good choice. But if the captain and some of the crew were going, well...it was safe to say that someone should have had some sailing knowledge just in case.
"I'll agree on going along," she voiced, after his short discussion with Jakob. "A few more good eyes and ears in a strange place never hurt."
Safe to say, the huntress was already quite prepared.
Gabi wondered what the captain was really up to, but was it a good idea to follow him and try to figure out, or would it just divert the group from their real mission? How far were they from their real destination? Still, considering the mood among the group it probably wouldn't help to introduce more doubts.
"I think we shouldn't split up now," she said in response to Gareeku's words. "The way things are going, we might be unable to meet again. Even if following the captain may add more trouble to the ones we already have, I'll go where the group goes."
Chuckling murkily for just a moment, the bat slid behind Ephrael and Aisha and over next to Gabi, where he could see both one of the smaller boats for landing and the entry where the gangplank would be laid out. 'Well, I won't say much about "a few more good eyes"...' he said, peering slightly sideways from behind his glasses, the obsidian spheres shielded by them barely reflective. 'Splitting up won't kill us, but all things considered it would create too much problem if we couldn't get back together.' He looked between them all, once over, then back, gaze lingering a little longer at Keaton and Gareeku than any others, even though this couldn't be seen, neither on his eyes nor glasses.
'I won't say that I, personally, have any problems with going out alone, even. But the way you people stick together, it would be a shame to ruin that, now wouldn't it?' he said, after a brief pause, half in jest. Placing his hand on the deck railing, he looked toward the shore a bit more, before speaking again. 'And either way, the way things are, if this turns out to be where we're headed after all I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to just ditch right here.'
"That's the thing, we don't know if it's where we're headed or not," replied Gabi. "Unless you know something you're not telling us, we don't even know where we are right now. Then again we can't be sure of where the ship will be heading either. You know the reason why I said we should be together, but if it's your choice to go out on your own, I personally wouldn't mind."
It would be quite a relief to get a break from him, she thought. But it wouldn't solve the bigger problems. Why is it that I don't feel any better about this whole situation than I did when I first got the letter?
Mel came down the stairs from the upper deck to the main one where the group was gathering. With her pale coloring and grey outfit she was almost part of the fog aside from the softly glowing stones in her staff. "This place certainly feels unnatural enough to be what we are looking for."
Inexplicably wearing his shades in the midst of such a fog, Cogidubnus Mithlome walked down from the second level to join the rest of the group, not even his hat disturbed from whatever it was he'd been doing up there most of the time. His jacket billowing out just slightly behind him, he walked past the two people talking, the bat earlier and the familiar-smelling fox, and leaned on a nearby railing next to them. The fog didn't really seem to bother him, although it was a wonder the wolf could see at all.
The bat almost sighed, looking away from the fox next to him. I suppose that she won't let up her suspicions easily, he thought, but just voicing things aloud like that is about as irritating as it is pointless. No one needs the reminder that we're 'bad guys'.
'Yes, right. I would have to emphasize Mel's comment there', he added, pointedly ignoring Gabi's comment. 'The chance of this sort of thing cropping up on a regular shipping route... Well. It's fucking Furrae', he said with a roll of his eyes and a sudden tone of resentment. 'But it still seems too unlikely to be a coincidence to me.'
Stygian's comment about Furrae made Gabi wonder what he might be comparing it to, but she soon decided that was beside the point. In any case she was satisfied by the lack of a retort from him. She looked at Mel instead.
"There are many gloomy places around, but do we have any better clues? Something's clearly going on here. Whether it's related to our mission or not, I can't tell. If there's anything you know, it would be helpful to hear it. If you don't... we'll just have to hope we make the right guess."
Mel advanced to where Gabi and the others were watching the mysterious land. "While the island is most certainly gloomy, I said it was unnatural. I meant that literally, but I think everyone here can feel that."
"Sorry if I chose my words poorly," Gabi replied. "Does anyone here have any idea of whether this place has anything to do with out goals or not, or at least whether it would do any good for us to leave the ship now?"
Jakob, brooding, suddenly looked up and glanced at Gabi. "It's not something we can easily determine," he said. "If it is in any way caused by our enemies then yes, it is directly relevant. Investigating it may provide a shortcut. It may give us a vital clue. Or it could easily be playing into their hands, to our downfall."
He paused. "Personally, I'd say Gareeku has a good point. Can we, in good conscience let the Captain and crew walk into such a situation alone where we might provide a crucial advantage? In any case, ethics aside, we'll have a hell of a job nursing the ship to our intended destination if they die."
On the other hand, this will delay our mission. Possibly beyond Gareeku's endurance. But I'm sure he's taken that into account.
Walking back to her deck chair Ephrael picked up her bow. "I'm up for following Gareeku, but should we leave the ship unguarded? I'll stay if you ask me too but as I said I'd rather follow Gar."
Eph fidgeted a little unnerved by the strange environment the ship found itself in.
Gabi sighed. She wondered if things would get any easier if she could read minds. Not that it would ever be an option, but imagination has no bounds.
"I just wish I knew what the captain was thinking," she said. "What he really wants. Can we be sure we can trust him? I may be starting to get paranoid, but someone is toying with us. It's hard to know whether we're doing the right thing or walking right into a trap."
'Walking into a trap or not, what's there to hesitate for?' Ignatz broke in, looking between Gabi and Ephrael. 'There's no reason to guard the ship, and it can't be a trap if we know about it and we're prepared. Which, evidently, we are, considering how this looks.' He gestured toward the shore. 'That makes it a lead, not an ambush.'
Gabi shrugged. "Okay, I know we'll end up going anyway. We might as well stop spending time on this discussion. Just be careful, everyone."
The bat tilted his head, looked at the fox, then closed his eyes and shook his head slightly. 'Well, I apologize if you feel I've said something wrong', he said, then looked back up at the vixen. 'But it's not me who's pressuring or demanding anything here. Rather, it's the situation.'
"We leaving so soon?" Cog said, stretching somewhat as he pushing himself off the railing. His coat lay flat against him, in contrast with it's billowing in the whipping winds earlier. No breeze was there to lift the dense fog, and in the humidity the wolf felt a bead of sweat flow down his neck. He walked calmly towards the gangplank, seemingly unconcerned.
"Don't forget your sword, Ms. Gabi." he called back, adjusting his hat. He seemed to look around a moment. "Did anyone see where that basket of food went? Little hungry again..."
He continued walking forward, hand draped over his sword hilt.
"Oh, I wouldn't," Gabi assured, wondering why Cogidubnus had said that.
She had the feeling he was trying to communicate with her, but what did he want? He was still a mystery for her.
She followed him while thinking of what to say to him, and finally spoke.
"I doubt we'll get the chance to have a meal right now. I can give you some cookies if you want. There's no telling which ones will come out, but they can fill your stomach."
That wasn't what she wanted to say. She wanted to ask a lot of questions, many of which she still didn't have words for. But this was not the time. There were more pressing matters to deal with. All she could do now was offer a solution to the immediate problem so that they could all get on with whatever it was they'd have to do.
As if on call, Ignatz snerked and gave Gabi an amused look. 'Cookies. Healthy food...' he said sarcastically, then leaned back on the railing. 'Unless you happen to have any with blood in them', he joked, 'I think I at least will pass.'
"Funny, you're not the first one to ask for that," Gabi remarked.
Not that she had offered anything to him, but she doubted any blood cookies would come out of her bag.
"Cookies?" Cog said, raising an eyebrow at both the bat and the vixen for a moment before shaking his head. "Eh...that's alright. I'm partial to oatmeal raisin, now, but I'll spoil my dinner, I think."
The wolf grinned just a bit, and adjusting his hat again walked for the gangplank, intending on making landfall. Water wasn't a place for wolves anyway.
"Ok, then," Gabi shrugged. "I'd like to know why you said that about my sword. I keep getting the feeling that you're trying to tell me something, but I don't know what it is. Or maybe it's just my imagination. Anyway, I don't think we'll have the time to talk much right now. I wish I knew what we're going to do."
Gabi sighed as she looked around, trying to find out what the group's decision would be and how long it would take them to reach it, even though she suspected that everyone wanted to leave the ship. She also wondered when she'd have the chance to have a peaceful conversation with anyone.
Noticing everyones preparations, James put away his earplugs and book. Listening silently for a few moments, he gathered from the conversations of what they were going to do.
Having had sailed near this area with pirates before, he would have thought he would recognize this island, but he couldn't recall anything about this place.
James thought about whether he should go or stay. He had some experience with boats if things came down to having to protect the vessel, but he also could certainly lend a hand to the crew going ashore to check things out. deciding on an action, James stuck a small device on the underside of the rail and put on a set of headphones.
"I'll be coming along too."
Keaton quirked her eyebrows curiously as she leaned over the railing, inspecting the unnaturally tranquil, murky waters. Amidst her examination, she heard Ignatz's voice and felt her hackles raise, the sudden paralysis of those erectile hairs spreading to the rest of her petrified furs. Out of impulse more than anything, Keaton felt her hands squeeze the railing until her knuckles bulged out against her skin and her flesh drained into a cadaverously pale shade. Damn bat scared the piss out of her. She didn't want to admit it, but he did. He probably knew it, too, which made his presence even more infuriating and unnerving.
Around the same time, James finally decided to join the group. Keaton captured the familiar blur of blue out of the corner of her peripheral vision, somehow compelling her to cant her head just slightly; enough to afford her a better glance. It was that Angel, she confirmed. Great. She forgot about him. Not only was it going to be excruciating to be in the company of a race she detested (Beings Keaton could tolerate; most of her prejudices regarding the supposedly-inferior race was for the sake of preserving the traditions of her clan, anyway), but he was another testament to the fact Keaton had already dug herself deep. Her repugnant behavior towards James was probably one of the main reasons people in this group had compunctions about letting her accompany the party.
Then, it clicked. Keaton nearly shouted her revelation. Of course! She said she needed to reconcile with somebody in order to solidify everyone's trust in her! This was perfect! The opportunity practically prostrated itself before her. The idea of being civil to an individual belonging to the Angel race made Keaton sick to her stomach, but she knew she could endure it. But she couldn't make it too sudden. She had to go with the flow. She had to curb some of her more emotionally-fueled instincts and let everything happen naturally. In the unlikely event that James decided to interact with her, she'd try to act rationally. Eventually she'd drop the apology for her previously rude actions, and then she'd be a mile ahead of Ignatz by having a new ally. As much as Keaton was loathe to admit it, Angels were capable fighters, as her experiences could attest.
It was foolproof. No question. Keaton hid a satisfied grin by turning her head back to the island, continuing to survey the scenery.
Not once did Keaton stop to consider that James might not accept her carefully-constructed apology, or would see right through her lack of sincerity.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Aisha stood back for a moment and watched the others as they made up their minds on who was going or staying. So far it seemed like the majority agreed with Gareeku, although Gabi and Jakob had reasonable doubts. Who knew if this was a side trip, or if it was really going to lead them closer towards their goal...but if something happened to the ship's crew, they weren't going anywhere at all unless they would have to learn some quick sailing.
Well, we'll never know unless we try.
As much as she didn't like to admit, even their once-adversaries seemed to have the idea, although they seemed to be rushing right out on the gangplank. James was the last one to volunteer to come along, almost surprisingly, his having been fairly quiet recently. "Good to have you with us," the panther nodded.
Looking out over the water and onto the desolate landscape, there was still doubt floating in her mind as well...perhaps as it was for everyone.
James nodded at Aisha. It felt good that although they were both competitors in the bounty hunter business, that he still felt welcome. Not only with Aisha, but most of the group with the newest of the group being the only exceptions.
"Honestly, I didn't know if I should stay or not. We'd be leaving the boat pretty vulnerable with most of us leaving." James tapped the headset he wore. "So I set up an audio transmitter on the boat just in case."
James looked out on the island. While it looked ominous, this was no time to be shaken or paranoid. Fear leads to mistakes. Kicking off from the railing, James somersaulted off the boat and into the shallows.
Jakob stared at James for a few moments. "I suppose that might be an idea," he said. "On the other hand, if things do go bad on the boat, we might just end up knowing about it without being in a position to help.
"Nonetheless, I shall accompany our little shoring party." As the Angel left in his own peculiar manner, Jakob hefted his backpack and made for the gangplank.
Ignatz merely watched the others as they made up their minds, then cocked an eyebrow at James' impromptu acrobatics. Shrugging and sighing to himself, he walked over toward a rope ladder near one of the landing boats. The others could wet their feet or swim to the shore if they wanted. If he'd have wanted a tropical tour... Wasn't it supposed to go dark soon?
"Just a reminder." Cog said, smiling. "You seem a gentle soul, is all. But although you've got your sword with you, don't leave it behind on the boat, yeah?" Cog bowed slightly to the vixen, and turning back made his way down the gangplank and onto land.
Waiting for the discussions on the matter at hand to finish, Gareeku glanced out at the mist-shrouded island in front of them. The feeling that something was wrong; the aura of gloom and sadness that everyone could feel lingered and refused to go away. The fact that the captain and some of the crew were willing to step onto the island an investigate also troubled the white-furred wolf greatly; one of the reasons why he was keen to join them in orider to keep an eye on them.
Turning back to the others, he found that the discussion were more or less finished, and that a couple of the group's members had decided to go after the small group of staff which had now left the ship.
"It looks like a decision has been made, then." Gareeku commented, before turning to walk across the gangplank after Jakob.
Stepping upon the island, the mist seemed to get even worse as soon as their feet touched the firm soil. As well as this, a wind that blew momentarily had picked up, and yet the mist did not move at all. What they could see ahead was what appeared to be an area of grassland, with a crude pathway that looked like it had been formed by simply ripping the grass out of the ground. On the pathway, members of the group would be able to see faint footprints leading away.
"Well, at least we know whether the captain and his collegues have gone..." Gareeku muttered, before beginning to walk along the path.
If one were to walk down the pathway for about 5-10 minutes or so, they would also soon see the faint silouettes of buildings nearby, as well as what almost seemed like faint whispers in the wind.
(OOC: While writing this post I was listening to a bit of ambience. Namely, number 45 on the list on this page (http://www.tombraiderchronicles.com/soundtrack/thelastrevelation_soundtrack_02.html) (It's near the bottom of the list on that page), so if you'd like to listen to it while in this area of the rp, then by all means go ahead. Adds to the atmosphere in my opinion)
Aisha expressed her relief with a sigh as the decision was made to leave the boat without much more debate. She followed behind Gareeku and the others on the gangplank while keeping her eyes on the fog in front of them.
A shudder crept up her back as soon as her pads stepped upon the soil, harsh and weathered, while the wind added to the effect. It was as if the land itself, and the pattern of the weather, were both greeting the newcomers with intimidation. Be on your guard, said the wind...watch your step, said the mist...here you should go, said the path. The fresh footprints on the grass-pulled trail seemed to be the trustworthy thing to follow. Aisha kept up, fingers kept near the weapons on her belt as she brought her hood up.
"Where are we...?" the panther muttered, wondering that for the hundredth time and feeling like she wanted to break the silence before it was filled by more uncertain sounds in the mist. The snap of a twig, the rustling of the grass...and the whispers that came to their ears when the first shadowy buildings came into sight. Somehow, she'd be surprised to find if anyone actually lived there.
James snickered inwardly to himself at Jakob's comment about the possibility about not being able to help the boat. If you say so Mr. Teleport...
Pulling out a fine yew bow and dull cloak, he readied himself for what may lay ahead. Leaping into the vegetation, James cloaked himself in his surroundings and disappeared.
Following along behind Mel didn't like anything about the island. The unnatural quality appeared designed to discomfort, which only made her more suspicious of the whole situation. At least the somber mood of the island had infected the others and put them in a serious professional mood.
Gabi was relieved when she heard what James had done. At least now she wouldn't have to worry about not finding the boat again should someone else take it. A lot of things could still happen, but that was one less possibility to worry about. She was about to comment on this, when James sommersaulted his way out of the ship. Show off, she thought, but she smiled. After all the stress he'd been going through, he had the right to have some fun.
Cog's reply didn't mean much to her, not that she'd expected it to. But if he didn't want to say anything, then she wouldn't press the issue. She had lots of other things to worry about, and Cog, while strange and mysterious, seemed harmless enough not to be one of her main concerns at that moment.
She left the boat right behind the others, and followed the group. She still had a bad feeling about the place, but she comforted herself in the thought that she was not alone in that. For all she knew, that place might have been specifically set to creep everyone out.
She held her sword firmly, wondering if she'd be able to use it correctly in a real life or death situation, and hoping that she wouldn't have to find out too soon. Well, I still have my old tricks in case that one fails, she told herself. And the others are here, they can help too. She did her best to calm herself down, but for some reason it wasn't working very well.
It took about two minutes of wandering and looking around, the group making their way onto the island and down the path, before the bat rejoined them, appearing at no certain point and in no certain way, just falling in behind them. Catching a last glimpse of an eerily skulking James before the Angel disappeared, Ignatz flashed a brief but noticeable expression of annoyance, and then looked to the others, before sighing and turning his gaze down, walking on, apparently not mindful of anything in particular.
When the murky signs of what appeared to be some settlement up ahead finally came into view, the bat did not react at first. The moment they were close enough though, and the hints of whispering started, he sighed and groaned. 'Of all the cursed...' he said, in an agonized manner. 'If this is a haunted village, I swear I'll shoot myself. I already did that this year. And twice the one before that.'
Plainly, if Ignatz thought he was being funny, he was not.
"Hmm," Jakob said, peering at the faint outlines of the buildings. "Reckon there's anyone home?"
If not, they wouldn't be the first to have disappeared, he thought grimly. But so far this does seem far removed from the modus operandi of our chief enemies. I hope it doesn't prove too long a distraction. With a shiver he tried not to think of the tales he'd read in his youth of people who walked into the mist and vanished. Don't be daft. It's probably just fog. But the whispering...
To distract himself he cast out his mind, hoping to catch a thought from the crew. If the town was a modern one with concrete paving, the footprints would soon dry up and other means of tracking would be necessary.
Unlike (apparently) Ignatz, Keaton had minimal experience when it came to supposedly haunted villages, and was left quizzically staring at her fog-saturated surroundings, eyeing the distant silhouettes of the dilapidated buildings like they were suddenly going to lurch to life and attack her. Given the current evolutions and discoveries which were being made in magic, Keaton wouldn't be terribly surprised if some overly ambitious Demon conjured up a spell for the purpose of controlling buildings. At this point she was just being paranoid, but who could blame her? This place was fucking creepy.
Keaton withdrew Catastrophe from its holster on her back, leveling Catastrophe's head to the ground. At its close proximity, the spikes encrusting Catastrophe's head barely grazed the earth. What is this? Some kind of ghost town? Keaton wondered. Ghost towns, Keaton actually had experience in. She recalled taking sanctuary in some of the derelict and mildewed buildings in the ghost towns she encountered - considering she was, by all intents and purposes, a drifter, it was the most appropriate shelter she could find at the time. Sometimes she had to improvise.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Eyeing the silouettes in the distance, Gareeku's eyes narrowed as he heard Ignatz's remarks. It seemed that he had been to a few interesting places. Ears twitching as he heard the faint whispers in the wind, the wolf's eyes glanced from side to side, taking in the scenery that could actually be seen, which wasn't exactly much.
Walking on as he followed the footsteps, Gareeku saw that the foot prints seemed to get fainter as he moved further along the path. This was partly due to the ground underground becoming firming and less moist, but there was also something else that seemed to almost replace the footprints. Specks of some sort sprinkled here and there along the path. Examining them closer, one would find that those specks were a dark liquid; blood.
As Keaton gripped her weapon, looking at the silouettes in the distance, something shimmered in the mist ahead, before abruptle disappearing. However, no sooner had she seen this had she felt something; a feeling like somone was running a finger along the tops of her shoulders and the back of her neck, before feeling someone, or something breathe into her ear.
Keaton was not the only one who experience something like this; Gabi would also feel a finger running along the side of her face, while other members of the group such as Jakob, Ignatz, James and Mel would able to see the faint outlines of figures in the mist, almost as if they were made of the mist itself, before abruptly disappearing. Gabi in particular would also see a face of one of these figures; a face of pain and despair, though the species was hard to figure out. Noticing these things happening, Gareeku grimaced, his hand firmly his weapon.
Remaining as perfectly stealthy as he could, James grimaced. This does not bode well... Whether the ghostly images were in fact ghosts or some form of trickery, he did not know. Either way though, it meant something was afoot. From the near tangible aura the island possessed, it would seem that these apparitions were in fact real ghosts.
James gripped his yew bow tightly and wondered for a moment if even this enchanted weapon could work on those who were incorporeal. Dang it all... Pulling off his gloves, he felt his wings return. If he had to, he would use his angelic heritage to put the undead to rest.
It wasn't clear yet if the ghosts caused the blood to spill (which didn't seem likely to him) or if they were going to oppose the party. James nocked an arrow, but did not fire. He would press on first and find out more before he revealed his location.
Aisha had suppressed a bit of irritation at the bat's words before...for if there wasn't anything closer to a blatant disrespect for perhaps the ghost town that it was, that was certainly close. Of course, it only hit home the most to the panthress because her own village was just as abandoned. Only this place only felt so, being quiet and with only the murk and mist for company.
Nor had her home felt as plainly creepy either.
The silhouettes came closer, almost seeming to descend upon the group instead of the reality that they were the ones approaching. With each step, the footprints they followed were disappearing from the path. Gratefully, the footfalls of the others were breaking the utter silence; if anyone with the most stoic composure were to have been left alone in such a place, with illusions darting about and other things for their heads to imagine, certainly they would go completely crazy after a while.
Especially when they actually saw droplets of blood every so often...the huntress knew the dried, black-crimson colors of entrails when she saw them. It only made her grip tighten all the harder on the Dragonblade's ornate hilt.
The apparitions hadn't gone unnoticed by Aisha, especially when she would feel the tension of the group members in response. The muscles in her legs and shoulders seemed to bunch on their own volition in case of a fight.
I hope we're getting the hell out of here if the blood of the captain and crew are among the ones on the ground, she thought. Instead of saying that out loud however, she muttered something when another fleeting mist-being caught her eye...something like a prayer-command, a habit picked up from her mentor just to set her mind at ease. "Ve en paz, descansan en paz, pero no nos molesten." ("Go in peace, rest in peace, but don't bother us.")
After all, ghosts could only chill, and not hurt. Couldn't they?
Keaton realized her vigilance was starting to pay off as she noticed the two, empyreal silhouettes wafting imperceptibly in the distance, their diaphanous forms trickling and tapering into the misty air. Their impalpable presences only momentarily remained; in the next moment, just as Keaton felt herself blink from surprise, they were gone, having taken advantage of her temporary blindness to disappear. Keaton scowled venomously, squeezing Catastrophe tightly again, until she felt her knuckles rise and strain in knobby bulges against the skintight material of her leather gauntlets. The oddly-opaque, obsidian armguards layering her gauntlets scraped and clinked together like neatly-arranged plates of shadowy chitin.
She was troubled by this phenomenon. The Undead was hardly an uncommon occurrence in Furrae, but ghosts? Just as Keaton was about to turn around to alert Gareeku, she felt something smooth glide down her skin, a hairsbreadth away from the fibers of her fur. She felt that same, ephemeral touch trail across her shoulders and neck, surprisingly intrusive yet not perverse. Then Keaton felt someone breathe into her ear and hissed loudly, swinging her body around with her elbow protruded outward and her fist clenched, ready to drive her elbow into the stomach of any offending entities.
From where Keaton stood, her elbow merely slashed through the air harmlessly, merely distorting the mist surrounding her into tangled wreaths from where her arm passed through the mist. There was no one there, and Keaton was at the back of the group, having fallen behind in her inaction. She glanced back and forth, pupils pinpricked and ears lowered, gritting her teeth, and then sprinted ahead, not wanting to be left behind. Not many living people knew this, but Keaton spooked easily.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Jakob was somewhat disturbed. In the 900-odd years he had lived, he had never come across a mode of death quite like this. There were stories of ghosts, of course, but he had never actually met any, or heard any reliable reports of such.
"Hello?" called out softly. "Is there anything we can do for you?"
Gabi was startled when he felt a finger run down her cheek. She had been expecting someone to show up eventually, but not someone who could touch her before she could even detect his (or her) presence. She looked and sniffed around, trying to find out if there was someone or something material behind this, but couldn't find anything. It was then that she saw the face.
Gabi couldn't make out who or what the face belonged to, but it filled her with a profound sadness. Whoever its owner was, he or she -not even that was quite clear- seemed to be suffering greatly. She wished there was something she could do to help, wondering if any of the spells she knew would work on a ghost. She'd never seen one before, she hadn't even been sure of whether they existed or not, but she'd heard stories just like everyone else. Stories of both known and unknown origins, which often contradicted each other and had never come from reliable sources.
What could she do? What was it that the ghosts needed anyway? If they were, in fact, ghosts. They could be the effects of a spell, but in that case it would have to be a very good one, as she couldn't detect any traces of magic.
Or it could be an illusion spell, she thought. One that affects our ability to detect magic as well as our physical senses. If that were the case I could do something to break free from it, but I might get in trouble for that... Or I could just ask them what they need and keep the other option as a backup plan.
While she was considering her options, Jakob asked the question. She relaxed a bit. Now she could wait for the reply before deciding what to do.
Mel scanned the fog, being just a little startled when the mist seemed to coalesce into figures. While ghost was the first thing that jumped to mind she shook that off and debated between spell effect or really exotic mythos. The presence of blood inclined her towards spell and a living source. She gently sent out feelers to see if she could determine which choice was correct.
Irritatedly, Ignatz rubbed his temple, while his right hand went to his hip under his coat, thumbing one of his oversized pistols. As silly a gesture as it might have seemed, there was not much else that he could do. It was plainly evident that something had the village in its grip. The question still remained though, what and why. Personally though, he had already filed this occurrence as 'hindrance', an obstruction that he could do little save endure.
Perfunctorily, he corrected himself, while recounting the ammunition he had on him to himself. He could probably have done something about this, but not under these circumstances. It made him want to throw caution and care overboard and just get things done instead.
'Watch out for anything unusual', he said, almost under his breath, still thumbing his gun. 'I mean, besides the mist. And if it shows signs of thickening anywhere, stay away from it. Things that look anything like this rarely aim for the flesh, which makes them all the more dangerous...'
Tail flipping slowly from side to side behind him, just barely brushing the ground as the iaidoka walked softly in the mist. If the spirits concerned him, he showed no signs of it, but merely followed the party with one hand draped over the hilt of his blade, his gaze hidden by shadowed lenses.
Trailing the group Ephrael clutched her bow to her chest and muttered to herself "This is reeeealy creepy..."
With his glancing from side to side, Gareeku observed the mist-figures.
"They are not here to harm us." the wolf said quietly as he watched them...watched the blurred looks of sadness and despair on their faces. "They do not wish to be here at all, that much is obvious."
When Jakob spoke out, he did not receive an answer. The whispers carried by the wind continued; indecipherable whispers that followed the group as they continued onwards. When Mel sent out 'feelers', she would find...nothing. Nothing to suggest it was a spell. Nothing to suggest there was a living being...just...nothing.
"We should get moving." Gareeku said, before beginning to continue onwards, his eyes on the trail of dried blood on the ground.
Before long, the group had entered the town. The looming grey buildings rose up above them on either side of the street. Still the mist lingered. Still the whispers were heard all around them. There was no one in the town the group now found themselves in. Absolutely no one.
"I don't like this at all." the white wolf growled softly, his hand now back on the hilt of the katana at his waist as he spoke. "Hopefully the captain and his crew members will be around here somewhe-"
He didn't have to say anything more. As he spoke, Gareeku happened to look off the side and spotted something. On the ground a few metres away to the right, was a pool of dark crimson blood. From the pool there was a trail of it leading off into the mist, like something had been dragged away. In the middle of that pool of blood lay an object. Looking closer, one could easily see what it was; what remained of a severed arm, along with the tattered remains of a crewman's uniform.
Normally, it took a lot to give Aisha the creeps. Nobody ever snuck up on her...she was the one who always did the sneaking. If a target felt that they had eyes on their back, those were her eyes. It was her weapon at the ready. It was her silent draw.
But now, that was quite different. One never knew what was hiding out in the mist, covering the land around them so that any noticeable features would simply crawl out of the shadows. Her ears perked when she heard Gareeku's voice, regarding the spirits around them with their saddened, agonized expressions. If they don't wish to be here... Aisha wondered, feeling a small sort of pity for them, why is it that they cannot leave?
The town looked to have little in the way of answers. The buildings were nondescript, the streets hollow of living voices, the continuous whispering of spirits from the wind the only other presence to the group.
Aisha's grip held on her weapon, looking around as she kept up with the group. But no sooner had Gareeku interrupted himself, did she follow his gaze. The sudden sight made the panthress gasp, raising a hand to her mouth...a severed arm, a pool of crimson, and the familiar pattern of a uniform, all in plain sight.
"...Crap...Crap!" she growled and slid her sword out of its sheath. "We're not dealing with anything friendly. Should we follow the blood?"
"Oh shit," Jakob said, and turned away from the mess. His voice came out slightly strangled. "I don't give much for his chances with... with that kind of blood loss. If the others are like that, there's not much we'll be able to do for them."
Aisha spoke up, echoing his own unspoken question. He glanced to face her.
"Following the blood may leave us in that state too."
"Let's think. In the worst case... if the captain and his immediate subordinates are dead, we'll have to commandeer the ship ourselves. Indeed, it would serve us well to turn back now so that we can set sail before whatever did... that... comes for us." He paused.
"But if there are any survivors, it would be criminal to leave them when they might be saved. And if not, well... they deserve a decent burial."
He turned back to Gareeku. "What should we do?"
As he walked along, keeping close behind the rest, apparently either ignoring the spectral figures' presence or not discomforted by it at all, Ignatz's black gaze was mostly unreadable, until he caught whiff of a very familiar and, to him, very enticing scent. That made a little green gleam light up somewhere in his eyes for a second, and slipped a more focused expression onto his face. Slowly stepping up, he regarded the blood and severed limb for just a moment, unconsciously licking his lips and quelling the urge to let a more vicious expression take hold.
'Tala om handfallen...'*, he remarked in some language the others had trouble understanding, voice even chillier and deeper somehow with the other accent he adopted for a moment. 'Arma krake...'** he said next, stifling a snicker and keeping his face level instead. Turning to Aisha first, then to Jakob as he spoke, he shook his head and regarded them both.
'I'd be against that, personally, unless you are positive that we can handle whatever did that,' he said. 'Look closer at the blood. They can't have gotten here much faster than us, but the blood is dry, and not spattered. There's just enough in that pool to be from that arm alone. But there are no other traces of struggle or violence around. That means that whatever did this could kill one of the crewmen off just like that, probably pinning him to the ground even while others were around. Or, even more likely, it brought him here or chased him down after it had disposed of the others in a more 'clean' manner, and then ripped his arm off and dragged him away, leaving a trail for us.'
The bat silenced for a few seconds, and looked between Aisha, Jakob and Gareeku, each in turn, as if to make sure that they had followed his explanation. He wasn't going to tell them that his quick conclusion came from firsthand experience. And not on part on the one observing the trap...
'I'm not entirely against following it, of course. Just, not directly along the red trail...'
For a moment, Gabi felt nauseous. It was probably the smell of the blood and the sight of the severed arm in addition to all the tension already present. She wished she could be somewhere else. Almost anywhere else. But she gathered strength to compose herself. She hadn't wanted to come here in the first place, but she wasn't going to go back alone. Firstly, she wouldn't leave the group if they decided to keep going, and second, whatever had done that could be anywhere and she didn't want to be alone if it found her.
"Why did they come here anyway?," she questioned once more. "We don't know who or what we're dealing with, who we're trying to help or even why. Can we at least stop and try to come up with a plan before we keep walking into the unknown? Either that or go back to the ship. I'm not keen on the idea of leaving innocents behind, but we don't know for a fact that there are any here."
James kept his bow at the ready. The crew wasn't that far ahead of them and yet, he didn't hear any sort of attack or even a single scream. If whoever attacked the crew was still near, they may already be aware of the party's presence. James remained out of sight and listened on his headset for any change upon the boat.
Mel only glanced at the ripped off arm. It was unimportant except as a warning. She was more disturbed by the fact that she could sense no magic and no life signs in the immediate vicinity. "I would have to agree with Miss Gabi regarding having a plan. Whatever did this is a top of the line predator: quiet, efficient, and fast. Stumbling about in the fog is not the path to survival."
She kept quiet her thoughts that while there were good fighters in the group the only predator they had as a countermeasure was Ignatz. She decided to stand a little closer to the bat.
At the sight of the severed arm lying in the pool of blood, Keaton turned slightly pale and glanced purposefully away, her ears flattening. Her reaction had nothing to do with some deep-seated haemophobia, but she understood, quite thoroughly, what finding a dead crew member entailed. Undoubtedly, many of the other members of the crew on the boat had suffered similar fates, which obviously meant that there was a more menacing, tangible presence evident on the island than ghosts. Off to the side, Keaton overheard Stygian utter something in a language with which she was distantly familiar. She was only able to translate a few lines, given, despite the fact she was practically nurtured on that particular language, she rarely used it in conversation, and therefore forgot how to use most of that language.
Keaton shuffled her feet a little, edging nervously over to Gareeku. She leaned in toward the arctic wolf, still keeping her ears flat. "Excuse me, boss-man? Not intending any disrespect or nothing, but..." Keaton swallowed, using her hand to adjust the pearlescent, gold-framed pendant securing her muffler. Her eyes unconsciously traced the puddles of blood surrounding the nearby, severed limb. "What's the plan?"
~Keaton the Black Jackal
"W-well I-ii think we should follow that b-blood trail" Ephrael said overhearing the Jackal's question to Gareeku. "I k-know who ever owned th-that arm is probably d-dead but the rest of the crew m-might have gone after them..it..whatever"
She was scanning the area as she spoke, her longbow following where ever her eyes went.
Pulling out and raising one handgun, Stygian drew back the hammer with a sharp click. Strangely, it looked as if he were raising a finger or something, to make a point.
'That would be the least advisable course of action, I should say', he commented, looking blankly at Ephrael. 'But if it gets us out of here faster... Mind though that one or two of us might bite the bullet, in that case. So I'd rather we take a side route or set up a counter-ambush.'
"If we are going to follow the blood, best to do so indirectly," Jakob said. "That may not help much but it should give us slightly better odds than following it straight into the arms or jaws of whatever's at the end of the rainbow.
"In any case, Gareeku is leader," he added in a deferential tone. "The final decision must be his."
Raising his eyebrow somewhat at being referred to as "boss-man" and as the leader of the group, Gareeku listened to the others' suggestions. Like some members of the group said, it was a very good idea to follow the blood trail itself, but Gareeku wanted to try and get to the bottom of this. However, at the same time he didn't want to drag anybody who didn't want to be there into it.
"Personally, I agree with that while we should not follow the blood trail, this needs further investigation. Some crew staff may still be alive, and I want to find out what the hell is going on here." the wolf said to the other members of the group. "If anyone does not want to be here or wants to return to the ship, then we shall head back without any of the crew members. It's your call."
However, the group would not have time to dwell on a decision for long, for as soon as the wolf finished speaking, a faint silouette suddenly appeared in the distance, further down the street into the town. It moved around in a sporadic motion, staying still for periods of time before scuttling around at great speed. At first, whatever it was had not noticed the group, but that would soon change, as the silouette's head suddenly jerked up, looking at if whatever it was was looking straight at them, before emitting a horrifying screech that would send chills down even the hardiest of spines.
James took aim for a non lethal part of the silhouette's body. He wasn't sure what it was yet and would rather not kill it outright. He just hoped that screech didn't already attract more of his kind. After making sure his arrow tip had a heavy dose of tranquilizer, he loosed his arrow at the figure and rolled off to another area to hopefully keep his cover.
Tail swishing idly behind him, Cog watched James's arrow cut through the mist towards the screaming silhouette, and took a step backwards. His ears twitched, and one of his legs slid back slightly. One of his eyes peeked over the tops of his shades, the yellow orb shining in the fog.
Although none of the group could remember the wolf drawing his sword, it glittered by his leg softly in the mist. He adjusted his grip, keeping it in a low guard as he listened.
Aisha's grip never lessened on the Dragonblade's handle. A portion of her attention couldn't leave the severed arm on the ground, even though it was still easy to listen to the others opinions. While some had their own variations of following the trail presented, some also had good arguments on why they shouldn't...while the rest awaited Gareeku's jurisdiction. Slowly, eyes settling on the crimson and her mind already preparing a prayer of pity for the victims, she knew that going the dangerous route wasn't the best idea.
The wolf confirmed so a moment later. The panthress assumed a straight stance...she certainly wasn't going to run away from such a mystery. Besides...which one of them actually knew how to sail a boat?
"Bueno, then, maybe..." Aisha began, only to pause like the others, her voice quieting, upon catching the vision of a silhouette darting about in the mist ahead of them. Her eyes narrowed as it zipped around with either a near-ungodly amount of speed or a simple breach of illusion, like the snap of a bad picture...
Either way, when it stopped...stared...and then let out such a beastly screech that Aisha felt briefly like she was walking into a nightmare...somehow it seemed the group guessed that was one of the creatures they were dealing with. First an arrow was flying from the grass, and Cogidubnus was readying...
Aisha in a state of alertness was already prepared, or just hyped up with enough adrenaline to justify her quick actions. There were no questions asked, no time to think about what it could be...just the fear that its terrifying image gave off. She hopped back once and, with a snap of her left arm and a grunt, a whirling flash of silver cut across the mist and towards the thing. The boomerang whizzed just moments after the arrow.
Slanting his ears back and growling, the bat stared in the direction of the creature down the trail with an expression of anger and utmost irritation. Already having one revolver at the ready, and the other at a second's draw away, he instead slipped his fingers into the packet of cigarettes he had in his pocket. Dimming the look on his face into one of mere annoyance, he placed a rolled sliver of white in the corner of his mouth, and flicking out a slim lighter, he lit up.
'Gentlemen...' he said, his voice low and controlled. Raising one gun, and placing his hand on the other, he aimed dead at the silhouette. 'Now is when we scatter and take cover.'
"Seconded," said Jakob, as Stygian took aim. "But try not to kill them if you can," he added rapidly. "If it is a foe, we might be able to learn where the crew are if they're still alive..."
So saying, he faded from view. Of course sight was not the only sense their assailant might use...
Mel ducked to the side of a nearby building and began the casting of a lightning spell. If the physical attacks didn't have the desired effect she would try a magical one.
'I don't do non-lethal very well', the bat replied solemnly. Then he fired. The gunshot was more muffled than any other firearm of that kind would have been, due to his revolvers' excellent design, but it was still a crack so sharp that it seemed to shatter the image of the surroundings as it broke the silence. A bolt of hot lead, thermite and cordite residue hurtled through the air like a sliver of lightning, straight at the silhouette.
'Ain't sabots, but if that thing has anything like normal skin, it's going to be hurting pretty soon, he continued. 'I'll remember to aim for the knees though, so you don't have to be afraid to go near the horrid, screeching beast. If it has any.'
Another crack split the air, and the bat breathed a cloud of bluish smoke that mixed with the mist. Stroking the handle of his other gun, prepared to move instantly, he began unleashing upon the creature down the path, whatever it was.
"Well isn't this pleasant." Gareeku growled after the creature had emitted its shriek. No sooner had it done so, had people starting firing at the thing.
"Fucking hell..." the wolf cursed to himself as they did so. "Talk about shoot first, ask questions later."
However, whatever was fired at the creature would not work. the projectiles fired at the thing simply went through it, doing no damage whatsoever. Not a moment after this had happened had the creature, seemingly morphing into a dark mist, before blending in with the fog around it.
Not a second later, the creature suddenly appeared, still as a silouette of some sort, right next to Gareeku, before he knew what was happening, the thing swung at him, catching the side of his face and tearing his flesh, knocking the wolf off of his feet. Looking up, the wolf grimaced at the creature as it raised his arm again, ready to deliver another, potentially fatal, strike.
Aisha watched intently as her boomerang, as well as the other projectiles, flew towards the creature as it appeared...it was like they were moving in slow motion, the others waiting for their various weapons to hit...
And they didn't. The creature disappeared into the mist, becoming a part of the very air. As her weapon came back to her hand, Aisha cursed and swished her head around. "Dammit, where'd it go?" she growled. "Please tell me it's NOT another ghost..." It was easy to see that the panthress was getting tired of the group being played around with in the creepy mist.
But no sooner had she tried to think of a plan, than she heard a noise from within the group. Gareeku had fallen...and the beast was actually there with them, towering over the wolf and ready to deal another blow...things were moving far too quickly, with little time for anyone to think...
"Oh no you don't..." Aisha growled and lunged with her magic-proof blade, hoping to at least distract the thing so Gareeku could get up...if she didn't tear a hole in it first...certainly something had to work.
Now that was a whole lot more to worry about. It was the first time any of the others had seen any sort of reaction of surprise or shock from the bat. Instinctively training his gun on the creature as soon as he caught it snapping into existence right next to them, his eyes widened, and he stepped back, futilely trying to get a clean shot at it for a second, before realizing that both Gareeku and Aisha were much too near.
'Fuck! Skip what I said about cover!' he called out, somewhat clumsily holstering his firearm and moving slowly backwards. A teleporter like this would pick them off one by one if they broke up. His other hand flashed in a swift movement, and he drew a long, wicked-looking knife from somewhere. 'We need to move!'
Before he could do anything further, Aisha fell upon the creature, and with a cursing snarl the bat sidestepped and circled the creature with a couple of leaping steps, aiming for its flank instead. Wisps of black gathered to one of his hands as he readied a bolt of dark magic.
James' eyes widened as other attacks were aimed to kill. What the heck do they think they're doing!? All attacks seemed to be in vain though, but it didn't help to relieve new worries. Oh great... incorporeal beings...
James lunged in to tackle Gareeku to the ground before letting off a smoke bomb to mask their escape. He would let Aisha and Stygain try their luck against the foe for now.
Now they've annoyed it, Jakob thought. It might have helped us before, heck it might even be one of the crew, twisted beyond recognition through some dark, horrible magic...
But whatever it was, something this intangible was not a thing he felt he could tackle. Remaining invisible, he made for James. Ensuring Gareeku's safety should be the priority.
Gabi instinctively covered her ears as soon as she heard the screech, and when she managed to react everyone was fighting. She thought of using a stun spell, but doubted it would be effective on an opponent of that size. She then thought of a possible way to focus it and intensify it -she had heard that some metals had the capacity to amplify magic, though she had never had a chance to test it-, but by then she was able to witness the failure of all other attempts at hurting it. "Not another ghost," she thought. "Or is it an illusion?"
But soon, that last theory went down the drain, as the strange entity slashed Gareeku's face. That had to be more than illusion, but then why didn't any attacks hurt it?
The question itself brought a crazy idea. It was a long shot, but there didn't seem to be anything left to try... nor to lose. She put her initial plan into action, only with a different spell. unsheathed her sword and pointed it firmly at the attacker, then used it to channel her healing magic.
"Please let this work," she repeated in her thoughts, not stopping to think of who or what was the recipient of the request.
As the rest of the party attacked the creature with generally ineffective results, Cog stood still and watched, taking a step backwards only when the ghost itself seemed to teleport right next to Gareeku, and attack.
The others scrambled to counter the phantom's attack, and one person seemed to be trying to save Gareeku, letting off a smokebomb and further obfuscating the situation. Too many people to try anything direct - he could hit any one of them.
The wolf reached into his coat and pulled out a worn, golden coin, and looking away flipped it into the air. Phantoms could seldom stand direct sunlight, and as though Apollo himself had stepped off his flaming chariot, a second sun exploded next to the wolf.
As the creature emitted its screech it touched something primal deep inside Ephrael, she had heard something similar the night her parents died. Eyes saucer wide, she didn't notice the warm trickle of liquid running down her legs before her terrified brain sent one coherent thought, RUN.
A high pitch scream erupted from the marsupial's mouth as she turned and fled, no thought to direction or to seek a hiding spot.
Ephrael disappeared into the mist, radiating enough terror that even someone not equipped to sense emotions could feel it.
Over the gunfire and barrage of attacks, Keaton was preparing her weapon when, suddenly, the Tasmanian Devil Being - Keaton had never caught her name - standing nearby released a blood-curdling scream and spun away. At first Keaton watched in slight disbelief, momentarily surprised by the uncharacteristic display of horror amidst the seasoned adventurers. She would have been completely distracted if it wasn't for the considerable noise the creature and its opponents were making throughout the indistinguishable blitzkrieg, if only because of the horrendous and nearly overwhelming output of terror the girl issued.
Keaton felt her head reel for a moment, then, without thinking, she yelled out, "HEY!" to try and stop the girl from running. Apparently she didn't hear her, because she vanished into the fog.
Well, Keaton was looking for an opportunity to gain the group's loyalty and erase her previous reputation as a bitch. Maybe retrieving the Being would serve as that opportunity. Inhaling sharply, Keaton leveled Catastrophe and raced into the fog after Ephrael, shouting a little too quickly over her shoulder, "I'll go get her! Take care of that thing!"
Running at a brisk pace, her heavy combat boots clapping against the ground, Keaton kept her concentration centered on Ephrael's projected stream of horror, using it as a barometer to measure the distance between them. Whenever she faltered off-course or away from Ephrael in the blinding fog, she felt that horror fluctuate slightly, but as she approached the Tasmanian Devil the emotions intensified. Once or twice Keaton nearly tripped over her feet, but she quickly recovered and maintained her pace.
~Keaton the Black Jackal
Mel had the lightning spell ready with nowhere to use it. Too many people tangled up together and an electrical attack was in no way pinpoint enough to keep from harming allies. She held the attack as she watched for an opening, flinching a bit from Cog's light attack.
It all happened so fast...the creature's screeching was deafening, hurting his ears as the thing preparedto strike. The blow would never come, however, as Aisha had moved in, her glistening blade moving through the air as it struck its target...or rather, went right through it. Hissing, the shadowy thing whirled to face Aisha, before everything was suddenly shrouded in a plume of smoke.
Gareeku could then feel himself being dragged away, knowing that it could only be one person; James. Once they were clear of the melee, the white wolf put a hand to face before taking it away again, seeing that it was covered in blood.
"Damn it..." the wolf growled to himself. Half of his face was in fact stained crimson. The gash he had suffered from that creature was deep, and it hurt like hell.
Sure enough, Gabi went ahead with her gamble, what followed was another deafening shriek from the creature. But this time, the shriek was one of pain. Gabi's healing magic had in fact harmed the thing, rather than heal; a most interesting development indeed. Stumbling back, the shadowy creature then turned its attention on the vixen, hissing angrily, ready to attack.
Ahead of Keaton there was sickening crunch, like that of someone running into the side of a building, and both the horror and the scream died as one.
Whether the young hunter was alive or dead Keaton would have to find her to tell.
Her sword came down quickly, almost like a guillotine in slow motion to her eyes...only for the blade to go through the seemingly incorporeal beast. No hint of flesh, no sign of blood clinging to the glistening edge...
"Oh damn it," she cursed as it, thankfully, turned away from Gareeku and started for the panthress. She held up her sword for defense and tried to step away, though her mind was reeling from just trying to recover from its unnatural screeches alone. What the HELL kills this thing?!
They would find out very quickly. No sooner had a sudden smokescreen obscured her view partially, did the black jaguar hear another scream--this time an actual painful one--eminate as its attention again diverted to the source of its pain: Gabi.
Taking a second to look around, everyone looked alright...but Gareeku had been slashed across the face and his blood was flowing. Aisha gritted her teeth and was one of those to rush to his aid, though not before noting the beast wasn't about to turn away from its new target. At least they knew now how it worked...
"Gabi! Amiga! Whatever you did, do it again! Hurry!" She called, this time gripping her boomerang, in case the monster needed to be diverted again...
Keaton faltered in her stride and cringed away from the deafening screech of the unseen monster. Although she was a good distance away from the skirmish, she still hated to imagine what atrocities were going on over there. Part of Keaton was relieved that she wasn't participating, assuming the actual altercation was as graphic as what she was envisioning. Shrugging away those unbidden thoughts, Keaton returned to searching for the hunter, occasionally calling out her name in a voice that was swallowed up by the miasmal fog. She was doing a good job of keeping up to the runaway archer thus far, at least, but navigating the smoke was virtually impossible for someone without any magical assistance.
Right ahead of her, Keaton heard a loud crunch, and at last the continuous screaming ended. Keaton was at first grateful for the silence, but registered that this change might not be as pleasant as she thought it would be. After all, Ephrael could be hurt. With the archer no longer running blindly, Keaton dashed through the fog, trying to reach her.
James took his gloves off, letting his wings shimmer back into existence. "I've never healed anyone else before..." he said as he focused light energies into his palms, making his hands glow. "This may sting a little, but I've got to stop the bleeding."
Putting a hand up to Gareeku's face, he tried to repair the damaged veins. The deep gashes would likely still show as he wasn't nearly as proficient as Gabi, but now James felt confident that Gareeku wouldn't bleed to death within the next five minutes and live long enough for Gabi to finish the job.
"Take down two minions of evil and call me in the morning." James said in a mock doctor's tone.
After the rough patch job, James tackled headlong into the action again. Keeping his focus, he kept his hands glowing in healing powers and clenched his fists. Time to beat some holiness into these freaks!
Gritting his teeth, Ignatz fell back, inky smoke sizzling between his fingers and dissipating. He growled something indistinct and bit down on the quickly shortening sliver of death in the corner of his mouth. They were fighting it back, and he could not do much. The vixen's strange deduction seemed to have proven right; he himself had not made the connection as the thing seemed simply too incorporeal, and though he had fought ghosts and wights before he had resorted to entirely other means then. If the thing was opposed to light magic and good energies in such a manner, it was unlikely that anything he could throw out on short notice would be of use. Well, anything that he would allow himself to, either way. He still had a whole lot else to mind...
Falling back and caught up in that line of thought, observing the phantom and its pattern of attack, the bat only noticed the ping of the coin ringing to his side, and didn't even pay it much mind, though it seemed strange. There had not been a thing to indicate the importance of the maneuver the wolf intended to pull off. Still, for just an instant, as the very first flicker of light shone off the coin's surface, the bat seemed to flinch, and his dark eyes widened as they turned toward the little shining object. He gasped, his mouth open in a silent scream, and spun around with a twitch just a fraction of a second before the thing went off in a blaze of light.
The metallic sound of his knife hitting the ground was accompanied by a scrape and a sizzling, crackling sound. His pained shout came from eerily far off.
Clutching one still smoking hand to his face and blinking with his blinded eyes. Snarling ferally, he cursed, and followed the scent of Ephrael and her fear. If this went wrong...
Keaton would have completely missed the Tassie Devil, had it not been for a bloodstain on a wall. It was just the right height for Ephrael's head, and sure enough there she was crumpled up at the base.
It appeared Eph had run full tilt, head first into the wall, and broken her muzzle, but that was enough to put her down and out.
Encouraged by her success, Gabi continued what she was doing.
(OOC: sorry, I couldn't think of anything else to say under the circumstances and I thought it'd be best to post just to get things moving.)
Seeing that Gabi seemed to be doing the most damage to their foe Mel stepped behind her, in a position to protect her from any new threat that might approach.
The first thing Keaton saw was the bloodstain on the wall. Cursing violently, she skidded to a halt, immediately assuming the worst, and followed the telltale smears of the splatter down, until her eyes landed on Ephrael's prone form. Shit! Keaton thought, running over to the fallen Tasmanian Devil. Resting Catastrophe on the ground next to her, Keaton knelt and tested her pulse, assessing the Being's body for any severe injuries. As far as she could tell, judging from the dislocated angle of her muzzle, she had possibly broken her nose. Keaton hissed in sympathy, but felt somewhat relieved that Ephrael was alive. If Ephrael had died, she wasn't sure if people would have suspected her to be responsible. She didn't think this was selfish, just simple pragmatism.
Using her wing-tentacles, Keaton scooped Catastrophe up and cradled Ephrael in a net of tentacles. "Hey, are you alright?" she asked, testing the depth of Ephrael's unconsciousness. Without waiting for an answer, she tried to navigate to a safe place in the fog, knowing that it would be unwise to return to the battlefield with an injured Being.
Jakob felt lost... there was nothing he felt he could do to help. James had got to Gareeku first, and while Gabi seemed to on to a winner, healing spells were not and never had been his forte.
It felt cowardly, but the best strategy of the moment seemed to be remaining invisible and keeping out of everyone else's way.
"Just help the others." Gareeku replied to James; it was clear the wolf was not in the mood for jokes; what they were facing had the potential to be extremely dangerous and deadly to them, finding out only too clearly first hand. The thing had caught him offguard, and had the others not been so quick to respond to that turn of events, he had the strong suspicion that he would have been killed.
Getting to his feet, Gareeku watched as Gabi continued to bombard healing magic upon the ghostly creature; like the others, he had witnessed the creature first show signs of harm and pain when being with what would normally be a good thing to someone, and was somewhat nonplussed by it.
As the creature tried to advance, it stumbled as it was showering with healing magic, screeching and snarling, before falling to one knee. The thing may have seemed feral in nature, but apparently it wasn't stupid, and seemingly knew that the odds were stacked against it, and so before any more damage could it dealt to it, it disappeared into a dark cloud of a smoky substance, which in turn disappeared entirely after a couple of seconds. It was gone. For now, at least.
Aisha, weapon drawn, kept a close eye on the events taking place in front of her. Gabi was doing as good a job as any of the warriors had, smothering the creature with magic that would prove detrimental to it. The others were either standing around watching or actually doing something to help...until finally, it vanished, leaving the others in stone cold silence but for their tired breaths.
Sighing, the panther stood straight again and cautiously placed the boomerang on her belt. "Well..." she began, looking around. "Looks like we'll be ready if one of those happens by again. That was brilliant, Gabi. Is everyone alive?"
They seemed to be, anyway, looking at each of them before settling her gaze on the wolf. Gareeku was the one hurt by the beast, but to her thankfulness, he had come out of it well and was healed.
Now what...? She thought, taking a glance over her shoulder where the misty ground still seemed to stretch onward forever. More than likely it was the case that the crew of the boat didn't possess the same magic qualities and resourcefulness that the group did, and were lost forever.
At least she guessed.
"Not to be ungrateful," Jakob said, reappearing, "But I have to wonder if things would have gone more smoothly if we hadn't attacked it." He glanced around. "Think we should move along? It might have gone to fetch its friends."
"I meant to pin it so that it couldn't go nuts on us!" James explained. "Couldn't you feel that dark aura, that bitter intent? There's no way to tell if we would have been better off not attacking. We did glean some vital information about it though. There's something twisted and evil about it if healing magics harm it. I do agree that we should get moving though. It'll be dangerous to remain in the same place."
"Oh snap! Eph!! What happened to Ephrael!?"
Gabi wasn't sure what to make out of it when the creature - or whatever it was- disappeared. She perked her ears for any sign of danger, then slowly looked around. It seemed to be gone. Gabi sighed, releasing the tension of the battle. This was a new experience for her: she wasn't used to being a heavy hitter. She felt pleased with herself, but at the same time nervous and a bit worried. She'd had a weird idea that had somehow worked, and then she'd put all her concentration into her attack. She hadn't paid any attention to what happened around her. What if someone else had attacked her? Or if one of her friends had needed her help? Of course she'd had to keep attacking, it was the best thing she could have done... but it was all so strange.
She was used to thinking all the time, and for a moment during the battle she'd just stopped thinking. She couldn't put into words what she had felt. And there were still so many questions... Did fighters normally feel this way or was she doing something wrong? Would something like this happen again? Would the thing return? Did anyone need help now?
At least that last question was something she could answer. She looked around, trying to see if everyone was alright. Her gaze met Aisha, who congratulated her. Gabi smiled, out of words to form a reply.
"Is everyone alive?" asked Aisha. This question seemed to be the last step to bring Gabi back to reality.
She took a deep breath, and began to walk around, checking on the group. She sighed with relief when she realized everyone was still there, and still alive, but Ephrael didn't look good at all. Gabi would have to wait to catch her breath.
She was walking towards Ephrael to assist her when Jakob spoke out and suggested moving along.
"Wait," she began, but James spoke faster and louder.
"Oh snap! Eph!! What happened to Ephrael!?" the squirrel finally asked.
"I don't know, but she needs help," Gabi replied. "If you want to practise healing magic, now's a good time. I'm a bit worn out from the battle, I could use some help."
She didn't talk to Jakob, assuming he hadn't noticed Ephrael's condition when he suggested moving along. She still wished she knew what was going on, but she certainly wouldn't find out by standing there. She would agree to leave that place as soon as Ephrael was ready to join them.
"I... Have to admit I'm not nearly at your level yet Gabi... But I'll try." he said as he crouched down over Ephrael. "You may have to look at Gareeku after too. I more or less stabilized him, but he still needs some work."
James took a nervous breath in as he closed his eyes, concentrating on the feelings he would need. He layed his hands on Ephrael's face, imagining the fractured bones and broken cartilage. As he breathed out, he eased a healing aura into Ephrael's body. His eyes opened, watching her muzzle start to straighten. "It's a good thing you're unconscious..." James whispered. "This likely hurts quite a bit..."
James kept working on Eph's injuries until it felt like his hands were burning. He pushed through the discomfort a while longer as he continued to heal until his arms slackened and fell to his sides. "I have no more in me..." James gasped. "I'm not conditioned to using this much magic..."
Ephrael's body did look like it was in better shape... but the swelling and bruising told that she hadn't fully recovered yet. James stepped up gingerly, rubbing life into his numb arms. "You're going to have to take over now Gabi. The party really would be lost without you. You did a great job back there."
"Oh hell," Jakob said, finally noticing Ephrael. He turned away dizzily.
"Thanks," Gabi said to James. "For the help and for the compliment. But I was lucky. After I saw how that thing reacted to everyone's attacks, I had a hunch that it could be reversing the effect of the magic somehow, so I thought healing magic might hurt him. It was a lucky guess."
She took a closer look at Ephrael. James had helped stabilize her, but her condition was still serious. What could have done that to her? She focused on the Tasmanian Devil's head. She seriously hoped her brain hadn't taken any damage; she had no way to check. Most of the bones had been set back in their right place. Gabi thanked James for that. She finished sealing them and fixing her muzzle. She didn't worry about using too much magic - considering Eph's record, whether her body came to depend on magic or not wouldn't make a difference. Gabi mentally scolded herself for thinking like that; it wasn't Eph's fault that she kept getting hurt. Well, except for that time when she'd fallen off a tree while stalking the group. Focus, Gabi, focus! she yelled in her own mind. It was evident that a part of her was looking for a way out. She hated this place.
Ephrael had not stirred, even for a moan of pain when James had pried her from Keaton's tentacles. It wasn't until Gabi, using her expert healing skills and magic, was finished that there was any reaction from the diminutive being.
As her eyes fluttered open Eph uttered her first words since fleeing. "Wh-What happened..." She started off with before her eyes widened in fright. "Oh, Gods, where is it?" She squeaked.
"It went away," Jakob said, tentatively glancing back at the marsupial. "I don't know if it's gone for good. It might have gone for reinforcements."
"Will she be able to travel?" he asked Gabi. "She may have internal injuries, I mean. Even if you've healed them, the exertion might damage her. One way or another, I really think we should get away from here if possible."
"I'm not sure yet," Gabi replied. She then spoke to Ephrael. "How are you feeling? And, if you feel like telling, what happened to you?"
"I'm not sure we have time for a full exposé," Jakob said. He was edging towards panic. "If need be I can put a stasis field around her so we can move her safely. But we are not safe here!"
"As opposed to wherever it is we're going?" Gabi replied. "I'm sorry, I know we're not safe here, but I don't think we'll be safe anywhere else. Unless we go back to the ship and I'm not even sure that's an option anymore. If she has internal damage, moving her will be to risky. If she doesn't, then it will be best for all of us if both of you are with us. I'm not asking her to tell me the story of her life, I need to know what her current condition is. And it would help us to know what did that to her and how, in case we meet it. Believe me, I'd love to be far away from here, but we need to be careful. We don't even know what we're facing."
"Wait... Stasis field? Gabi, anything within the stasis field will be like it's frozen in time. We can move the field, but it will be like she hasn't moved an inch. At least that's what I remember the theory as." James explained. He adjusted the receiver in his ear. "Anyways, I'm not picking up anything strange yet on the boat. I believe it's still docked too. With what's happened though, I'm not sure if the boat will be safe either."
James took out a sickly looking brown vial from his bag and took a swig of it. His lips puckered and his face made a disgusted look. "Bleh... It may be a bit bitter, but it will help rejuvenate you so you can use your healing again soon." James said as he offered the rest of the vial to Gabi.
'She's broken her nose and she knocked herself out and lost her bladder. Don't know in which order. The worst she might have is a light concussion, really...' a bitter voice muttered from out of the fog behind them. 'Haven't met an adventurer that couldn't hold up to that and a little spinal compression with shakiness in the knees on top...'
Rolling a shoulder, chewing the crumbled little leftover of a cigarette in the corner of his mouth, Ignatz stepped closer. Holstering a gun, he spat the butt out on the ground and examined the people standing around, obviously checking them for eventual injuries. The question obviously asked was, if he found anything, what would he do about it?
'Healing magic hurts it, so it's likely undead,' the bat said, turning the conversation toward the subject of their attacker without a pause in between, obviously not sharing the others' worry about staying in place, judging from his expression. 'Twenty bucks says whoever used to live here was turned into more of those.'
There's just no end to this, is there...
Though thankful everyone had been okay, Aisha's ears were pinned against her head in slight irritation--or perhaps it was the anxiety of whatever could be coming next--but the banter lined with fear and frustration was just a little much. Two sides of the situation were heard, a fourth side soon after, but there needed to be a fifth, and that fifth looked like she wasn't allowed to talk.
The panther finally had it after Ignatz's comment on the situation. She glanced at the bat sidelong. "Good thing you're here, you seem to know most about the nature of the evils here more than us, señor," she said. There wasn't an inch of sarcasm in the statement, but more like the information could probably be used for something more than idle observation.
Shaking her head, she raised a hand. "If I may add, none of this is getting us anywhere. We can't stay here, but yet we can't leave. Damned if we do and if we don't, sí? So why don't we just compromise and do something, or else we'll no longer be one step ahead of those creatures, since they know we have something to hurt and possibly destroy them. Now, Ephrael can talk, so first of all..."
Aisha turned to said girl. "Let her answer Gabi's question. Ephrael, are you well enough to move?"
"I think so...I'm a little woozy though, and what did I do to my nose owwwww." Ephrael said as she gently probed her muzzle with both hands.
"Where are we going to go?" She said after wincing.
"There's four points on the compass," Jakob said. "All I'm saying is that we want to be somewhere other than where that thing thinks we are. In case it comes back with some friends. However, Gareeku is leader."
Jakob, though distant from a feral wolf, couldn't help but think - at least subconsciously - of the party as a pack, with the white wolf as Alpha.
Freakin' evil place... James thought. If Mistaria hadn't had that stupid war on angels there would still be enough angels nearby to help purge this island.
"Here, up you go." said James as he offered a hand to Ephrael.
Gabi was once more disgusted by Ignatz's words, but she was getting used to it. She wished she could find out how much he knew, but she reckoned asking wouldn't help, especially not here and now. At least Eph seemed to be well enough to move. That was one less thing to worry about.
She hesitated before accepting James's vial. She wasn't sure she needed it more than he did. But she wasn't going to argue with one who was being kind to her, so she thanked him and took it.
She then rejoined the discussion.
"I don't think we're a step ahead of them," she said. "There's still so much we don't know. But I agree that we should move if we can all walk by our own means. How's Gareeku?"
The most immediate danger dealt with the clique closed back in on itself, although with a less united front this time. She did not bother to add her thoughts. If they had stopped listening to each other they certainly wouldn't listen to anyone they considered an intruder. The group's reaction to Ignatz's analysis confirmed her expectation. Mel let the healing energy she had pulled up to defend Gabi's back seep back into herself as she peered into the fog, watching for new attackers as the others sorted themselves out. She absently polished the stone decorating her staff as she watched the swirling patterns in the odd mist for any changes.
Snorting, the bat rolled his eyes and fished for another cigarette in his pocket. The indecision was really not the understandable part of it all, in spite of his former comment. Not to him. It was quite the phenomenon, how after a few years of kicking in doors and calling names, the adventurers who tended to act half-informed - by far the majority - somehow seemed to become aware of their mistakes and hotheadedness or hastiness and, in some rare cases, developed a sort of over-conscientiousness that often lead to just as much ill. They weren't the bad ones though; the ones whose conscience got too big or who got emotional were the real sad cases.
'I don't see you people coming up with theories, and...' he started, sniffing with the fog and hissing slightly at the humidity. His voice was somewhat muffled as he wedged another smoke into the corner of his mouth. 'What's more important is that you're all acting sour, and not for some obvious reason.' He began patting himself over. Had he lost his lighter? 'And you know, were I a psychiatrist, I'd say there's something underlying here. Were I an experienced adventurer at the same time - a little far-fetched, but it works - I would say that it's this place getting to you when it shouldn't be, and that you should buckle up and move on.'
The bat paused, his hand deep in his pocket, before at last he managed to get out his lighter. Thumbing the lid open, he gave the panthress a gaze that was far less irritated than his speech might suggest, and a good bit more sincere. He raised a pair of eyebrows, before looking down. His thumb flicked several times, sparks flying, producing no flame, and he frowned. After a couple more tries, he just gave up, shut the lighter with a click, and stuffed it back in his pocket. He snorted once more, and suddenly, with a faint sizzle, the end of his cigarette was set alight with a little flare.
'And... If I were a doctor too - and now we're just pushing it - I'd say that she's okay,' he continued, sucking in smoke. 'She's rubbing her nose. It hasn't swelled up yet, and evidently touching it isn't too painful, which means that it isn't broken. Secondly, since she's using both hands coordinately and her vision seems fine, she doesn't have any head trauma. The disorientation was from the earlier panic attack.'
Hoping he'd made a point, and also avoided the subject of there being an infestation of things like the one they had just encountered, the bat exhaled, adding to the fog.
"You're getting to me, you idiot," Gabi thought but, of course, she didn't say it. Instead, she said:
"I've just asked about Gareeku. You should try to pay attention instead of just ranting about what you think you'd say if you knew the things you don't. Now please step back and let me do my job. We'll go once we're sure everyone's ready to move."
"Uh, hello?"
Up until then, Keaton had been remaining fairly inconspicuous, just observing the conversation flying between the group's members. However, by now, she was fairly annoyed with having what she viewed as her selfless chivalry go unacknowledged. "Not to be a bitch and all" - this seemed particularly laughable - "but shouldn't I be getting a gold medal here? A shiny watch would work just fine, too...
"I mean, seeing as I have the income of a mentally retarded hobo anything I could pawn would be good."
Keaton mumbled something about needing to pursue a career. If she wasn't, technically, a fugitive herself, she would have considered going into the realm of bounty hunting or even a less scrupulous form of Adventuring. She certainly had the ability to confront more powerful Creatures, or so she believed.
Jakob stretched a hand to the sky and shortly afterwards a small disc of golden metal appeared in his palm. Hurriedly he engraved the name 'Keaton' on it with a claw and handed it to the jackal.
"There you go. Now, can we please look at getting out of here?"
Keaton's words took a part Gabi's mind off Stygian, much to her own relief, although she would need some time to calm down. She watched Jakob give Keaton the gold medal, and looked at them both, confused. She hadn't been able to pay attention to others while she was fighting, and now she was beginning to think she'd missed something important, besides what had happened to Ephrael.
"Eh? What's going on?" she asked. "What did I miss?"
Quote from: Tapewolf on December 27, 2008, 12:26:30 PM
Jakob stretched a hand to the sky and shortly afterwards a small disc of golden metal appeared in his palm. Hurriedly he engraved the name 'Keaton' on it with a claw and handed it to the jackal.
"There you go. Now, can we please look at getting out of here?"
Keaton glanced down at the small, makeshift medal, looking irate. Pinching it between her fingers, she looked back up at Jakob, still frowning, and opened her mouth as though she wanted to say something very harsh to him. However, no words came, and she simply quieted in defeat.
"Oh, you think you're so goddamn clever," Keaton grumbled under her breath as she walked away, moving to pocket the medal. "Everyone thinks they're so goddamn clever. Damned people and their--"
Keaton stopped in mid-sentence, freezing. She held up the medal, examined it briefly, nibbled on its corner, and finally peeled away the gold wrapping. A fine disc of milk chocolate was underneath. "...oh my god." Immediately, Keaton raced away to someplace private (behind an nearby tree, which did not allow much security or coverage, and was only twenty feet away from the rest of the group) so she could savor her prize.
"What did I miss, indeed?" Gabi wondered. But no one seemed to be paying her any attention at that moment. She shrugged, and headed over to where Gareeku was standing. He had some wounds, but none of them were too serious.
"OK," she finally said. "I think it'll be best to get away from here first and finish everything else later. Is that OK with you?" she asked Gareeku.