Pour Me Some Brandy [closed to Leoric]

[Zaxan]

Rated M - For Mature Material

The jade-cloaked feminine figure was meandering around the streets, her bare feet gentle on the dirt paths between the different shoppes. Gisela was the first city she'd been in since her most recent departure on her own again. Her nomadic lifestyle called to her from her employed state, causing her to sneak away in the night. Maen's emerald eyes searched the crowd as she pulled her hood from her head, exposing her face. She wasn't obviously half-elven, unless you caught sight of her ears.

Maen walked up to a stall in the market, tilting her head as she looked through the red apples. Her mouth was watering from hunger that she'd been replacing with her desire to get to Gisela. As she glanced up towards the grocer, he locked eyes with her. With a slight snarl, Maen set the apple back down, turning her back on the fruits. Her crimson tresses cascaded down her back, flowing as she moved away from the market with haste. A sign caught her eye from down the street. Her mouth turned to a smirk as she made her way towards the door that the sign hung over.

She opened the door with some effort, entering the dimly lit bar. The smell of alcohol and body odor hung in the air heavily. Maen wrinkled her nose, glancing around the room. Many men turned their heads to give Maen an over-look. She grimaced in their general direction before taking a seat at the bar. She peered around -- she'd never been in a bar before. Her previous work hadn't allowed her to leave, and the Dryads had taught her to fear anything new.

She looked down at her hands, flexing her fingers. The small golden bands shone in the flames, causing her to lift the corners of her mouth in a weak smile. She'd stolen them from her boss' cabinets. A chuckled escaped her lips as she caught a weary glance from the bartender. She immediately turned her facial expression to a bland one, "I am not crazy. Pour me some Brandy, would ya?" She shook her head before turning her back to the bar to face the occupants, searching, for what she didn't know.

[NecroDancer]

David stood up and and gently rolled his shoulders. He had just wrapped up his first show in Underwood as he was preparing to walk inside the Tavern and get a drink when he was stopped just outside.

“You, Magician, I got a bone to pick with you!” a clearly frustrated voice said from behind him.

“Well go ahead and pick one, i got over two hundred bones.” David jokingly said as he turned around. “What’s the problem friend?”

“I am no Friend, you cheated me out of money!” The mans tone clearly getting more agitated as he got closer to the Con-man. David felt a lump in his throat as he had seen this happen all too many times with his shows.

“I did no such thing, You just are really bad at keeping your eyes on the right Cup” David said as he shrugged his shoulders. “If you have some complaints make sure to take them up with Gray he is my manger.”

“Hey Don’t drag me into this!” The now talkative spirit said as he appeared just above David’s right shoulder. “You know most men don’t like it when they lose”

“Who the hell is Gray?” The man asked as he looked around.

“Gray, do your thing” David said as he traced his finger across his Ulder wand on his belt. “Gray is an ideal, of every living thing around us.”

“Oh please that is disgustin…” The man was cut off as a mug that was sitting outside the tavern on a window ledge began to levitate and launch itself towards the agitated individual. “... Da fuck is going on?”

It didn’t take long before more poltergeist activity began to happen and rocks began to levitate around them.

“Either you can take up your complaints with Gray, or i am going inside to enjoy a few drinks and you go on your merry way knowing that you failed the Eye test that i put you through.” David’s anxiety was beginning to peak as he abhorred violence but knew the only way men like him would listen or learn would be by brute force scare tactics. “Gray, stop”

A bunch of rocks hovering near the man's head suddenly dropped to the ground just as lifeless as usual and the man took a few steps back. As a Chair took a few steps outside through the front doors of the tavern. It’s legs moving in much the same fashion as a horse's walk.

“What is your decision? Or shall This gray help you out?” David crossed his arms as he leaned up against the wall of the tavern.

“You cheated me out of money, i won’t forget this you son of a Salvaran whore” He spat as he turned around and marched away angrily

“Then that would make us Brother’s eh?” David mumbled under his breath as he let out a large sigh and walked in through the front doors of the Tavern. Most of the patrons calling out his name and cheering as his Spidersilk cloak gently fell behind him. It seemed like most of them had been watching his show earlier and kept asking him to do tricks for them.

“Look, i just want something to drink, it has been a long day and i need to recharge my batteries.” He turned his gaze to a beautiful lass nearby and he felt the same Anxious lump in his throat as he couldn't take his eyes off her for a moment. But when he finally did he walked over to the bar where she was stood and ordered himself the Bar special before turning to her.

“Hey, The name's David, What is a gorgeous gal like you doing in an awful town like Underwood?”

[Zaxan]

When the bartender slid the brandy down the bar, Maen stretched out a hand in efforts to retrieve it. When her fingers clasped around the mug, the door to the bar opened. Pulling the drink to her lips, she took a swig. Her face immediately screwed up, obviously disgusted by the taste. Amidst the new experience, Maen turned her attention to the door she'd heard creak seconds before. Her emerald gaze settled upon a man in a cloak. When the others were cheering, she narrowed her eyes -- who was this man? Maen turned to the bartender, who was cheering along with the rest. "Who is that? Why does everyone adore him?" Her voice came out sounding accusing, almost as if she were jealous.

"That, my dear, is David Garett. The local magic act." He winked at Maen before returning to a deep discussion with one of the men sitting two seats down.

Maen tilted her head, her hair shifting in the light. Huh. Her eyes ventured over the cloak, which was no doubt made from Spidersilk. She used to help her mother weave the silk when she was younger and more forgiving of her life. Such sticky material when it was fresh. The calls for him to preform more tricks came from all around as he approached the bar. When he denied them, the crowd's faces sunk as they returned to their previous engagements. He chose a seat near her. A small smile played on her face as she turned back to the bar, lowering her face to stare into the terrible drink they called brandy.

"Hey, the name's David." Maen's head shot straight up, the voice shocking to her ears. She turned to look at the man, her face flushing with a bright red tint, almost comparable to her hair. "What is a gorgeous gal like you doing in an awful town like Underwood?" Maen looked down, this was a bad place? How could she have wandered this way and not known? She smiled, lifting her face to meet his once more. "I am Maen. I'm a nomad, just traveling around until I find a job, or something." She turned her attention back to her brandy, swirling it around with her finger. "So, I hear your a magic man?"

[NecroDancer]

“Magic man? Well some do say i have some talented fingers” David tipped his glasses low enough to look at her with his eyes that almost seemed to shimmer silver. And winked at her casually before pushing them back up “But i must say you do have a beautiful name Maen, It suits you”

David quickly tapped on the side of his wand a few times before pointing at his mug, causing one of the many nameless spirits following him to enter the mug and float it up to his mouth before slowly tipping it for him to drink hands free. He then pointed towards a dirty dish that the man behind the counter was just about to grab before it began to float and put itself into the water. Followed by one plate after another, one at a time. It wasn’t long before the crowd was cheering and asking him to do certain things around him. At this point David simply tapped his wand three times quickly before whispering Gray the spirit that David had begun to call his best friend quickly emerged in a small ball of light and zip around his head before disappearing into a mug in front of a patron who was begging to get something done to him. The mug quickly tipped itself over the patron causing him to roar with laughter. It wasn’t long before the energy that David was giving Gray to do these tricks began to play its toll. David’s eyes seemed to lose their shimmer and he seemed to be breathing heavier.

“Whew, seems those drinks are going right to my head. I may need to have a lay down soon.” David looked over at Maen next to him and offered her another wink. “Want to see what these Fingers can do? Care to join me for the night?”

[Zaxan]

Maen blushed at the compliment to her name. "I was named by the Dryads -- I've lived with them my entire life, as long as I can remember." She tilted her head, sending her locks pouring into the front of her jade cloak. "They never let me out of their sight. I guess fearing that my father may come back, to try to raise me." She tucked a hair behind her ear, exposing the very faintly Elven shape they had.

When the mug moved, her eyes widened. "Watch out -- oh.. wait.." She tilted her head, noticing he wasn't spilling it, but the mug was actually being lifted to his lips. She noticed that a small bit of liquid remained on his bottom lip. She tilted her head, nibbling softly on her own, restraining from lifting a hand to remove it. "That was fantastic!" She smiled brilliantly, flashing her white teeth. "What else can you do?" She watched as the ball of light moved about, her mouth open slightly in awe. "Show me more?"

"Oh, the drinks are going to your head?" She straightened her back, sipping the last of her brandy. "Uh, maybe you should lie down somewhere? I'm not familiar with the area -- I've been sleeping where I can, usually in trees." She went to stand, flicking a small coin to the bartender. "Stay with you tonight? Do you have a room here?" Her face lightened curiously as he winked at her. Blood rose to her cheeks, causing her face to flush. "What those fingers can do? More magic tricks?" Her nose wrinkled in excitement at the possibility of a private magic show.

[NecroDancer]

David smirked at Maen’s excitement and tossed a coin into the air as the glowing orb floated over and seemed to grab it out of the air and slowly continue its perfect spinning motion before coming to a stop on the counter.

“I do, I have a nice room just at the back here” he smirked as he wrapped his arm around hers and walked arm in arm with her back to his room. The entire crowd inside the bar began to hoot and holler after them, some whistling as they knew what was exactly to come. Once inside the room the orb re appeared again and seemed to undo his cloak for him and folding it nicely before placing it neatly on the table nearby. David undid the top few buttons of his shirt while he sat down on his single seater chair. “Why don’t you come sit down and i can show you how these magic fingers work?”

David gently patted his thigh, showing that he wanted her to sit on his lap. She walked on over and sat down on the edge of his knees with her back to him as he began to massage her shoulders, really working his fingers in to relieve the tension and stress. After a few minutes he put his hands under her shirt on the back and glided them all the way up to massage her shoulders properly. Her shirt pulled up a little bit but not enough to really show anything. But it would of been a little tight and uncomfortable.

[Zaxan]

Maen's face blended with her hair as she was whisked away to the back room -- David's room. She sighed softly, attempting to regain her composure. As she sat on his knees, she faltered to place all of her weight on his lap. "Uh, Mr. Garett.." Her eyes shifted around the room, taking everything in. The bed was rather large, with a classic white sheet on top. Several pelts lined the walls, pelts from all sorts of animals, some she hadn't seen. "Where did you get your, er, cloak?" Her voice slowly trailed off as his hands moved up her shirt. She shifted on his lap, leaning back into him ever so slightly.

"I -- er -- I.." She failed to make words come from her mouth as a soft, almost inaudible moan escaped her mouth. How sweet was the feeling of being tended to. She raised her face to the ceiling, her hair trailing down her back and into his lap. "Mmmm. David.." She bit her full bottom lip, stretching her spine which sounded several cracks. "That feels nice." She opened her eyes slowly, almost as if she were entranced. Maen rose from his lap before settling further back on his knees, becoming more comfortable.

[NecroDancer]

As David was beginning to enjoy himself as Maen pressed against him, dissolving into puddy right beneath his hands there was a banging at the door followed by a frantic voice.

“Mr David! We have a situation!”

“Who on earth?” David let out a frustrated sigh as he removed his hands from Maen and gently pulled her shirt back down so it didn’t look like anything was going on before he pushed her over onto the arm of the chair, he kissed her cheek softly as he stood up and marched towards the door. “What do you want?”

“Demon class anomaly at the Reeves Manor!” the young buy cried out as David opened the door to see the young man pale as a ghost.

“Demon class? Really?” David said rather unenthusiastically as he sighed and looked back at Maen “Well, you wanted to see some Magic, Come with me. It’s not often people get to see this happen. Gray! Show time”

David’s eyes seemed to glow back to life, this time even visible from behind his Sunglasses that he was still wearing in the almost sheer blackness of night. David turned around to head out through the door as the orb of light seemed to manifest around the cloak and unravel it as it elegantly draped around David, Determination behind every single one of his steps.

“Demon class Anomalies are suppose to be extremely rare, they only happen when enough spiritual energy builds up in one place long enough to saturate a creature or object. Killing or destroying the creature/object will not work as releasing the energy will cause it to just merge into another object of its choosing. And it will always attack the living so it can take over their bodies to ‘return to life’.” David said as he took a step outside, not slowing down or even turning around to make sure Maen was still there. If what this young man said was true then there was no time to waste before something serious could happen. As much as he was enjoying himself with Maen in the room. This took precedence over everything.

[Zaxan]

Maen gasped lightly at the rapping on the door. Her eyes widened as she stared at the door, listening to the voice begging for David. She made her way to the rack where she'd left her cloak, placing it around her shoulders once more. "A demon? Those are real? I thought my mother was just telling me stories." She was attempting a calm, composed face, but her eyes gave her away. Her fingers trembled as she buttoned her cloak at the neck. "I didn't know demons were magic.." She followed David, her hair blowing back behind her. Eyes were glued on the pair as they exited, the silence filled the entire saloon. "I guess this is a big deal.." Her voice was weak as she kept her eyes on the floor, avoiding contact with others.

Maen listened as David told her about the rarity of demons, and how they form through energy. "That makes sense -- kind of. I mean, to me." As they exited the front door of the bar, the wind whipped through the fabric of her cloak, causing her to shiver. It was eerie in the streets, no one was out. "They return to life.. in objects, and humans. Is this a human magic demon?" Her eyes were glued to the back of David's head, her heart pounding in excitement. She couldn't believe that a mere hour ago, she was just a girl in the bar. Now, she was being invited on demon extractions with David Garett, an apparent town figure. Maen's cold shiver turned into shivers of excitement, in more ways than one. The heat between her legs was rising with every step she took.

"So.. what if this demon tries to get me..?" The thought had been in her mind every step of the way. She was an innocent form, for the most part. Her face was bright red as they came to a halt in front of a house a few blocks away from the bar. "Uh.. Do you have to go in there..?" She got closer to him, close enough to feel the heat radiating off of his body.

[NecroDancer]

David smirked as he felt her get Closer to him. "Course i do, the Spirit is in there. and it isn't a 'demon' it is a Demon level threat. it is the 4th stage out of a 6 stage danger chart. Above Demon there is a Dragon threat level and then a God level threat. and i wouldn't be able to handle either of those types of challenges."

There was a wave of light that seemed to wash over one of the windows in the front before dissipating back into the house. there was a cold breeze that seemed to wrap around David as he took off his sunglasses for the first time in what felt like ages. he traded them for a metallic looking diamond that he clasped at the front of his cloak. The cloak magically seemed to tie itself behind the Diamond and protruded it out a bit as it began to blow the same color Silver as David's eyes.

"Maen, I want you to stay here, based on what i am seeing this is not something to bring un needed bodies into. it could just make things complicated." David's eyes seemed to swirl with energy as his eyes seemed to follow something darting around the interior of the house. he took a step onto the property as a blood curtling scream could be heard echoing out from inside the house. the shrillness of it seemed to run up and down his spine. He shuddered as the orb lept out of the building and landed before him. It was an all black wolf looking creature with Red eyes and bright yellow cracks running throughout its body, almost like someone had shattered pottery and attempted to glue it back together.

"Demon Level threat Analyzed, Found lacking in power." David mumbled to himself as his wand shot up to his hand from his belt in almost the blink of an eye. as soon as the wand entered his grip several blasts of light seemed to erupt around him as several orbs of light danced around him before coming to rest just behind his head.

The demon leapt at him as he quickly dove out of the way and pointed his wand at an old run down statue of a nameless warrior. within seconds it cracked and pieces of rock broke off as it started to move. "Gray, Keep it busy!"

The Soldier statue seemed to nod in agreement and charged at the wolf. David tightened his grip on his wand and ran to a clear open area of the front yard as he seemed to scribble something on the floor, a faint silver light emanating as he moved his wand before it dissipated into the ground. as he finished up what he was doing he looked up to see the wolf creature tear through the solid stone statue and send Gray's light orb racing back to him as the wolf seemed to snarl and glare at him.