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View Full Version : A Hunting We Shall Go {Stare, Closed}



Nevin
10-11-2017, 10:17 AM
“... e you sure this is…” A voice, one Nevin didn't recognize, cut through the darkness that had enveloped him. His mind kicked into gear almost immediately as he tried to figure out what was going on, where he was and why his head was aching like… Ah. Someone had cold-cocked him, laying him out with some kind of weighted sap. Nevin could feel the area around his right eye swelling up and throbbing already. He took stock of his situation.

Nevin was still dressed from what he could feel - he wasn't going to open his eyes just yet, and reveal to his captors that he had woken up. His arms were currently being gripped by two men - each one holding one arm while keeping a hand clamped on his shoulder, keeping him forced down onto his knees as he hung limp between them. Neither man holding him though, was the one who had spoken. That voice had come from a few feet away.

“...he third time, yes. We almost grabbed him at his little alche….” That was a different voice, but this one was mildly familiar to Nevin, coming from behind the redhead. He could swear he had heard it a few times recently - the person had never spoken to him directly though. Or had he just before Nevin was knocked out? Crimson, had someone been stalking him, all the way from Stonevale out here to Corone proper? “Look, see, he's got the red hair and the alchemy stuff.” The voices were clearer now as they argued over his head. “And I saw them eyes like black rubies they were. Dark than dark, but red.”

The person that had first spoken sighed irritably. “But does he have them? We’ve caught redheaded alchemists before, and you swore one of them was our mark. Did you at least check to see?” Them? Nevin froze. ‘Redheaded Alchemists’ was already a fairly specific category that he fit. Maybe he had been grabbed by mistake? "You two. Lift him up, we’ll check now. Sandor, you'd better hope that he's got them and you haven't wasted my time again.”
The two men holding Nevin by the arms shifted their grips, sliding the hand that was on his shoulder down to hold him by the armpit. He was hoisted bodily up, and he was careful to keep his head loose and lolling like he was still unconscious. Panic kept him from moving when he heard a something metal being drawn from a sheath, and then there was a cold point of metal being pressed against his stomach.

Before he could try to free himself, try to escape from what was apparently going to happen to be his death by disembowlment, the blade flashed up, slicing through his shirt and tunic with ease. It took every ounce of willpower for Nevin not to react to his secret being bared before four strangers, and even then he knew he was trembling. The man in front of him whistled, long and low.

“Well, you better thank the Thaynes, Sandor. This freak’s got the tattoos. This is the one we’ve been looking for.” Fear and shame was replaced by anger and shock. The number of people who knew about the lines upon his body could be counted on one hand with fingers left over. Why were these men looking for him? Who had told them?

“Right.” Nevin felt a blow crash down on the cheek on the uninjured side of his face, metal rings cutting his cheek. “Put this tattooed freak in with the other mark.” Nevin felt a cold satisfaction coil in his gut. If there was another prisoner his chances of escape and retribution on these assholes rose. “Worst case one ends up eating the other, and one less mouth to feed before we sell them.” And there went that hope. Crimson, they were putting him in with a cannibal? He was dragged away, as Sandor and the other man began to argue about how much Sandor’s cut should be.

Stare
10-11-2017, 11:58 AM
By will of fate, she knew it had to have happened some time. With the amount of power Vitruvion had, and the many long pale fingers he had stretched in various projects, that had significant effect overseas, there simply had to have been some enemies made. Even those who simply hated him for the fact he had stolen their sister, mother or wife for the Hollow, even those whose lives he had ruined because of some intentional or unintentional circumstance. Even those he had never met, who had no direct connection to him, and lived as far away from Beinost as was possible.

There was always those who detested, and wanted to see him weakened. And the easiest way to do that was to steal one or more of his few greatest assets: his people.

Six months ago it would have meant one of a few. Raevin, for instance, was his Elven captain of the guard, a man integral to his projects concerning military needs. One other such was the half giant Brer - a man with the loyalty of a faithful hound and of very few words. Ventura, Vitruvion's sister, would have been ideal, but she had her own powers and her own methods of evading captivity.

Yet, it was now, and now meant that Stare was included in that number of few people. Walking back from the business agent's store had been the easy part - signing the last few papers to confirm the ownership of the Grand Celestial Brewery over into the hands of Sir Vitruvion Elssmith. It was rather amusing to have the word 'celestial' in the title of the business, but that was part of the charm. When Stare had heard this particular mighty beer manufacturer could be persuaded for a sale, she had told Vitruvion of it. He had laughed, after all the vast majority of the world thought him to be half an angel, hence the 'celestial,' and it seemed all was bliss. A few trips there and back for Stare as his representative and it had come to this. The final signatures, the final glints of money. Stare had left, her hands shoved deep in her pockets, heading right out to the harbour of this unusual, small port town. Gulls shrieked overhead, old men smoking pipes half their size billowing enough mist to cause a change in climate. Seedy fighters with rusty knives paraded the streets, and a single robed woman held a parasol above her head. A salty breeze bashed in against the rocks, rickety jetty and the shore, causing the boats to creak and the waves to smash angrily on the shingly with a sound like breaking glass.

As the wind picked up it battered against her feathers. Grunting unamusedly Stare buried the bottom ahalf of her head into her scarf, so only the top portion of her beak and her beady eyes could be seen. Striding along she had focus for only one place, and that was the boat awaiting her in the harbour. With both the harsh wind lashed against her and the determination set she did not see the professional rogue stalking her. Such was it that her powerful eyes only worked on those she could see, and with a man who had been born from the shadows, who lived in the shadows, she had very little hope.

When she turned down a small alleyway, darker than the others, to take a shortcut to the harbour, the assailant attacked. He had a single second, he knew, before she might notice him, then she would look at him and that - he had been warned - would spell disaster. For this you see was the kenku noble bitch with the eyes, that every good bounty hunter had been searching for for the past three months. If she even glanced at you, it was said, your task would fail, all your plans would go to nothing. You had to be silent, and you had to be quick.

And you had to silence her as soon as you could.

Which was why the only thing Stare felt was a prick. A single sharp stab to the side of her neck. No sooner had she siezed, and noticed the pain, and what it could mean, she began to slip back into unconciousness, as the fast-acting sedative took effect. Quick and dextrous arms caught her, lowering her gently to the ground. As she opened her beak to let out a startled caw, a single, warm hand pressed to the side of her head and a sound was heard.

"Shhh," it said, "Shhh, everything will be fine."

----

She was startled awake by the sound of metal hinges grating. Sitting up in reaction she immediately tried to open her eyes - then found she could not see anything. There was something obscuring her vision - a darkness of some kind. Was it just night time? No, because even as she looked around there was no senes of heat coming into her vision, no even remotest of elements drifting in ... and she could usually see in anything. No, either this was actually a pure pitch black area, or the itchiness near her temples had something to do with it.

Snarling a rapid caw she let a voice echo around the room as she tried to move a hand to lift it in order to scratch that undesirable itch. It was somewhere, curled behind her for some reason, and it twitched at her alert response, moved a millimetre - then stopped. Utterly stopped and there was cold, hard circles of metal around them.

It was only then that Stare began to put the pieces back together and remember what precisely had happened.

And the hinges? There was apparently a metal door opening. And heavy footsteps coming inside. Thud, thud, thud.

"'Ere," said a voice she strangely recognised. "'Ave something to eat, crow," it laughed. Andthe sound of something was dumped.

And Stare snapped her beak savagely, as she remembered then the last few days. The awful, last few days, where she had been handcuffed hand and foot, just as she was now. Blindfolded, permanantly to stop her 'from doin' tha' freaky eye thing we 'eard abou'." One time, she had managed to pull off the blindfold, and the men - her captors - had learnt their lesson and now chained the blindfold around her head. She had left one of them apparently with an ugly skin necrosis that had not yet been healed. And another couple had large cut marks on their hands, faces. That led to her ankles being bound as well, but honestly - when you were stuck in a cage all day and couldn't actually see anthing, who cared?

And when you had realised that after these four days you could not make contact at all with your god on cognitive speed-carrier pigeon, was there actual promise in giving up?

She hissed at her new comer 'dinner' and snapped in the direction of the voice.

"I will eat your eyes with soup," she cursed him. "You and all the ones here."

"Not before we get our money first, bird-brain," the voice replied, cheeringly, and the door was once again slammed shut.

Leaving Stare with an unknown stragner, who she could not see and did not really want to talk to. She did still not know where she was, she still could not contact Vitruvion - her probable saving grace in this hellhole, and she still could not move.

Quite honestly, it could not get worse.

Nevin
10-11-2017, 01:01 PM
Nevin's head was swimming as he tried to get his bearings. The 'gentleman' who had dumped him in this cell had not been particularly keen on avoiding trauma to his ‘unconscious’ cargo. While two men had been half-carrying, half-dragging him between them at the start, one of them had gotten tired of it and let go, leaving the other man with a suddenly much heavier burden.

This had prompted the other one to drop Nevin as well, and Nevin had dropped like a sack of potatoes to hit the ground. His head had still been ringing from the backhand blow that the unknown man had given him, but he had still tried to get up to his feet - any opportunity for escape - only to be met by a brutal blow to the side of his head with a club of some kind. Then another smashing foot caught him in the stomach, and Nevin had felt a surge of bile in the back of his throat.

The short, callous exchange had taken maybe a few seconds, and left Nevin utterly dazed, but still semi-conscious. There had been a brief ‘argument’ about which of the two would finish carrying him to the cell, which he vaguely thought was won by the crook who had the club - something about not going near the bitch who’d given him the rot made him especially vicious. So the kicker had grudgingly started dragging Nevin again, now by the feet, down the stone corridors. The captured alchemist tried to keep his head from hitting the ground too much, but he was already shaken and having trouble with thinking so he did not have much success.

There was a harsh sound of grating in his ears after a few moments of stillness, and he was dragged/thrown past where the sound had come from. There were muffled voices spitting at each other with vehemence, and Nevin could tell one was female, but his head was throbbing too much for him to figure anything else out beyond the fact that it was strangely familiar.

The other person in the cell seemed to be content to ignore him for now - which was a relief because he was still convinced that their captors thought Nevin would get eaten by this person, and anything that kept him alive in this situation was a good thing. That was when Nevin realized that his captors apparently thought him utterly incapable of escape - they had left him unbound, and with most of his clothes. Yes, they'd taken all of his gear, but they hadn’t even bothered handcuffing him.

He sat up - apparently they were convinced that this other person would kill him so they just did not care - and shook his head, ignoring the swelling on the side of his head as he started trying to peer through the darkness in the chamber he had been dumped into, looking to see if there was any other way of escape than the door that his captor had just left. It took a few minutes for his eyes to adjust to the dark, and the throbbing pain in the side of his head to drop enough for him not to hate the thought of opening his eyes.

“Nope, not on board with this.” He massaged the side of his head, trying to feel if he was developing a lump where the bastard with the club had clocked him. Nevin forced his way to his feet, pulling himself up with the cars of the cage, then looked back, trying to peer through the gloomy cell at his erstwhile cell mate. Hopefully they didn't decide to go for him now that he was on his feet - his was a shaky stability, completely reliant on holding himself up with the bars of the cell.

Stare
10-12-2017, 03:52 PM
Stare went quiet as she heard the final creaks of the door being shut. Her body was still but her heart hammered, like every time it really did when she had heard the guards approach, say something outside or create some other noise that might mean then coming towards her. Into her cell. To feed, chain, shout at our spit at her.

But never hit. It seemed, Stare had surmised, that these were bounty hunters. By the way they spoke over the past few days, taking about her as their 'target' and what she was 'worth'. It gave her a clear idea that there was someone out there who wanted her caught, alive and unharmed. They knew about her eyes - she had always had a blindfold here, minus the time she had managed to get it off. And they seemed to know she had some form of telepathic connection, for either by accident or deliberation, her connection to Vitruvion - her greatest chance of getting out of here - was not working. No matter how many mental stabs she sent at the walls of her mind, there was no reply. Before he had not replied ... But not for five days. Not for this length of time. Not without a tiny pressurised hint of him telling her to come home.

They knew her powers, it seemed. And they had her to sell her on, and there was only one reason they would do that. Vitruvion.

They had messed with her head, blinded her, and yes, force fed her. But never before had they placed someone else in her cell.

"You just stay over the other side of that room," she hissed darkly to the whatever other creature was there.

She dragged her legs closer to her body, a ring of harsh iron clanging out as she did. Loudly, she clacked the sides of her beak together, warning the newcomer. Though she couldn't see properly, and could feel the padlock pressed into the back of her head, she could still hear the uncertain other being cautiously scuffing the ground as they moved. What could it be? A new person to tease her cruelly or truly a source of food, that she was expected to eat? Did this mean she was not going to be fed else? Did this mean they were testing her? How did the expect her to hunt when she couldn't move or see. Idiots.

"Stay away or I will attack," she screeched again, drawing her body closer, hoping that the other being could not see her bound and blindfolded state. If she remembered rightly from her brief view of the room, it was indeed dark, and she had the deepest corner.

"Just stay away," she growled, to the chorus of metal. "Just ..." And she shook then, truly scared, her voice betraying her.

Nevin
10-12-2017, 04:40 PM
"Oh." His head was clear now, and Nevin felt he knew that voice - knew it quite well in fact, despite the fact that it had been some time since he had last spoken with the other individual who was currently locked up in a cell with him. There was no way, no way at all that these idiots could have known what they were doing when they put him in here with her. No way they could have known that he would never think for a moment that she would hurt him, at least willingly. If she had been in here so long she had gone mad that was another story - but that did not seem to be the case, as she was speaking clear, coherent sentences, and actively trying to scare him away by clacking her beak in his direction.

He felt a tremor of rage run down his spine at the fear that was in her voice, and he relished the sting of pain as he dug his nails into the palm of his hand, the small white crescents not quite breaking the skin. There was no easy way of telling what had happened to her in here - Nevin was already well acquainted with the fact that these bastards were cruel and rough to their captives. She sounded terrified, a note in her final words that stung him. Stare, Avis, was afraid of him. And he did not appreciate that fact.

Worse, he couldn't see what was wrong with her. She was huddled up in a corner in the darkest part of the cell, and did not seem to have recognized him at all. He didn't dare get too close while she was afraid like this either - he had seen what her claws looked like and he did not relish the idea of getting more personally acquainted with them while she was lashing out in fear - he doubted he would survive such an exchange. He had to think of some way of getting her to calm down - the alchemist didn't even know if she could understand him through her fear.

Slow, careful steps carried him over to the darker part of the cage as his eyes tried to adjust to the gloom. The lines along his exposed chest were glowing a faint red from the blood trickling down his face, but that weak paltry light did not pierce the gloomy shadows that she was huddled in - just enough to show that she was backed into the very corner. Nevin slowly sat down, staying a short distance away from her, suppressing the anger as he closed his eyes.

"While I had hoped to see you again I could have done without the ah, less than stellar accommodations, and I think you might agree with me. So, dear Avis, how would you like to get out of here and exact a little retribution along the way?" He used her old name in the hope of disassociating himself from the assholes who had captured them. And while he generally had an 'I don't care leave me alone attitude' this situation was one he felt comfortable in being... Unbridled. Now, he just hoped that she wouldn't attack him out of fright.

Stare
10-12-2017, 05:21 PM
In that moment, her heart skipped a beat.

Several beats in fact as she heard her old name ... The name she had once had back in the kenku homeland, before she had ever travelled, before baking, before the Hollow. And there were such an honest few people who knew that name that Stare was sure she knew who it was when he spoke it.

As she fit together the pieces - the place, the timing, the lack of much travelling at all, besides that she could not remember in sleep, Stare realised that it just fit together. Her fear vanished, almost at once, her threats became a gasp.

As she figured it out and could not believe her luck. Passionately she leant forwards, ignoring the terrible clanging of the chains that bound her and pushed forwards on her knees as much as she could. With arms pinned behind her and feet bound likewise, she needed to hunker at an awkward knee-shuffling crawl. She grunted and growled as cobbles bit into her shins but she went until she could trust her head and feel the warmth of light onto her feathers.

"... Nevin?" She whispered, unwilling to let the bounty hunters know they knew each other. "Is that seriously you? What on earth are you doing here?"

And she blinked blindly, but anxiously behind her blindfold, at least happy that she wasn't chained to any wall. Scuttling forwards again she hissed more.

"I can't bloody believe it ... You ... Are here? What did you see out there, what are they like? Or have they blindfolded you too?"

With fear that they had she anxiously tilted her head forwards, her beak feeling hotter with each moment it was in the sunlight. Though this place was dark, she knew the damp from the dry, the cold from hot, and she could tell she was now near him - and near light. Slowly she thought of all the things that had happened in the month or so since she had last seen this blood mage - Vitrvuion's ownership of her, her growth in powers, her life - and then she grew excited.

"Yes let's escape," she agreed.

Nevin
10-12-2017, 05:55 PM
A rod of white hot rage shot through Nevin - quickly sublimating into icy fury. Avis was cruelly hobbled, bound hand and foot, barely able to move. She had crawled away from the wall - but crawling was all she was capable of, as he didn't think she could even stand. Her feathers, normally a glossy black, had become matted with filth, likely a result of being here for days.

But worst was the fact that her eyes were covered, and not just blindfolded, they had wrapped a chain around her head, securing the cloth blindfold in place. Just looking at that made his head hurt - the chain had been wrapped up tightly, to prevent sleeping, and looked painful.

He reached out, shooting a one-eyed glance over his shoulder before doing so to make sure that no guards were coming, and carefully took her shoulder, to give her balance as he looked over her bindings. These bastards had made sure she wouldn't be able to escape on her own… But she wasn't.

“Yes, it's me. You filled a special little vial before suddenly running out on me - thank you for the note though.” This was said in a soft whisper, just loud enough to reach her inches away from him. It had kept him from thinking the absolute worst about that situation, and had been the only reason he hadn't disposed of the vial afterwards.

“And no. I'm not blindfolded, I can see - well, partially see.” He said this with a slight pang in his voice that he quickly banished. “The fuckers knocked me out with some kind of sap, and I can't see from one eye. They had a bit of fun whaling on me, but I've been through worse. The idiots didn't even bind me - I'm just a… a tattooed freak of an alchemist, and they stripped me of my gear.” His voice hitched heavily, a wave of shame and anger at his secret having been exposed to clear hostiles.

“I think I was just a target of opportunity - I was trying to travel to a forest I heard of when the bastard snagged me. Whoever wants me, did not warn these idiots of what I can do. Now then.” He bent down and looked at the manacles on her limbs, frowning.

“I can get you out of the cuffs. But I need you to do something.” Nevin slipped one of his arms under her hand, setting it right beneath her claws. “I need you to cut me.” Nevin wanted to say more - to reassure her, to comfort - but they didn't have time. The guards would likely come back soon to check to see if they needed to clean up a body if nothing else.

Stare
10-12-2017, 06:41 PM
She sucked in her breath when he touched her, flinching out of instinct more than anything. If there was one thing the last few days had taught her, it was to take nothing as advantage. Any man at any time to come in and fix more chains around her. Anyone, who did not know what she was worth (probably the reason they had not harmed her yet) could come and rape or kill her. Dinner time was ugly as without her eyes to see Stare had had to rely on her captors in order to eat. Mostly so far it consisted of opening her beak, or having it forced open, and some ugly cold rations forced into her gullet.

So when Nevin - for she was so sure it was he now - touched her, the kenku gasped and tensed. Immediately she ducked her head in apology and made certain to listen as he spoke. Certainly she was surprised when she found out that he was not blindfolded, and she could not help the green snake of envy stab at her breast when it occurred. But then, as she considered, it made sense that she would have no sight, because of what she could do with it, and it made sense to bind her. Because she could take her blindfold off and reduce them to rubble. Nothing stood in the way of her stunning stare now, and the ability of hers to damage skin could go terrifyingly far.

"Why would they target you out of the many on these islands?" she asked, ignoring his request for now to cut him. It was stupid, really. It was never an option, he was her friend after all. He said he could get her out of the cuffs, but she doubted that very much.

So many times, in the past few days, she had tried. Easing her claws into the locks she could reach, and picking. Using a long stick she had luckily found on the ground - well that had led to self-stabbing in the butt, that could be admitted. Truly, she did not think that getting out of these bonds - for now - was possible. It could wait, because right now she wanted to know the reasons why he had ended up here also.

"Nevin, I am sure these ... idiots are bounty hunters. They have not harmed me, besides my ... whatever you can see."

Uncomfortable at the touch of his flesh under her claw, she tugged at her wrists, grunting as they sent her rocking forwards. Only a quick shift of her weight caused her to not topple right over. At least she was away from his reach, however. Stare paused, then continued.

"Okay, that and force-feeding me, because they are dickheads. We need to know where we are ... but if you do not know then I cannot help right now. Your essences of blood won't help today to ... pick a lock. Unless your blood is particuarly acidic now."

Nevin
10-12-2017, 07:58 PM
The way she flinched away tore at Nevin, and stoked the fury in his gut. He knew, knew that she had had bad memories of a situation painfully similar to this - she had told him! - and still he had acted without thinking. He wanted to curse himself for the utter idiot he was, but that was not what needed to happen now. She seemed apologetic enough, ducking her head towards him, but still, the damage had been done. Crimson help him, he was dumb. She pulled away, retracting her arm and nearly falling over in the process, and she had questions that he did not want to answer, but needed to. A long sigh escaped him and he ran his fingers along his chest, feeling them catch on the raised lines of blood that ran across his skin.

"Whoever they are, these morons were looking for -" Whistling from behind him, coming down the hallway, and Nevin cursed. "I'm going to back up to the edge of the cage, until the patrol passes." The whistling individual came into his gaze, the man who had tossed him in here it looked like. The 'guard' was spinning a key ring on an outstretched finger, his other hand resting on an oak club that was hanging from a belt-loop. The man paused when he saw Nevin staring at him with one dark eye, and smirked, jangled the keys in his direction, and turned around and walked away, still whistling. The blood mage waited until he had heard a door close down the hallway, cutting off the whistled tune, before slipping back across the cell floor to Stare.

"Right then. These men were apparently snagging red-headed alchemists from over Corone, according to what the man who seems to be in charge said. But they were looking for me specifically - they recognized me..." Nevin took a deep breath, rubbing his bare skin in aggravation. "They recognized me by what the men thought of as 'tattoos'. They.. they recognized me by the lines along my skin." Nevin sank down, his body dropping into a slump as he finally admitted it out loud, what he had been doing his best to avoid even thinking about. If someone knew enough to send bounty hunters - bounty hunters! After him! looking for him using the blood on his skin as the means to identify him... they had to know the lines existed in the first place. And that was a painfully small list - one of the only people on it was sitting in the cell across from him, and had a direct line to another. No... if someone knew and had sent bounty hunters after Nevin... it was a survivor. "It's got to be a survivor of that bloody cult. I thought all of those people had died..." The words escaped his lips in a disbelieving tumble, taking more energy from him, leaving the alchemist shaking in disbelief. He didn't know how long he sat there, feet away from one of the few people he called friend, shaking at that thought.

Finally he stirred, refocusing his eye on Stare. He had told her that - no, no he hadn't. He had gotten distracted asking about her eyes, and then she offered her blood, and he had never gotten to explain the last of the abilities he had had at the time. If he wasn't so shaken from the revelation he had just had, Nevin might have laughed. "No... no, nothing so exotic as that. I was carrying some acidic blood essence on me when I was grabbed - I hope the hunters don't try to drink it... or no, I hope they do." Nevin's tone was vicious as he said that. "But that wasn't what I was referring to. As long as I have blood, I have a weapon, Avis. I got distracted from finishing my explanation that night." He took a deep breath. "Given enough free blood - or my own, considering I won't resist it - I can create temporary constructs out of a quantity of blood. A hammer and dagger, to break the chains, for example. Or..." His eyes glimmered in the light as he shot his gaze over his shoulder in the direction the guard had gone. "Or, a dagger to kill that bastard to grab the keys from him. He knows I have no weapons, and I can fake being weak well enough. Your call, though the keys might have the key to get that damnable blindfold off of you. Either way though, I need to bleed. As for where we are - major port in Corone, I wasn't out for more than an hour at worst. Not long enough to take us to another city. I was trying to book passage in the general direction of a place called Lindequalme? When they snagged me." He sat back, running one hand over the swelling around his eye, then to the gash on the side of his face. It wasn't deep, and nowhere near enough blood had escaped to be useful. Damn.

Stare
10-13-2017, 03:18 AM
Patiently, she waited, longing to keep the time going, so long as eventually she got out of this dread room. In all honesty she did not know what to do when she got out - she was hoping Nevin would have some sort of understanding of the layout of this place.

And neither did she truly know how Vitruvion would react when she ended up back on his doorstep? Would she face weeks of pain and forced apology-making like she had done many times before? Would she be dragged back to the Hollow?

Pausing, she realised that the latter idea was stupid. Vitruvion needed her now, more than ever. Over the past six months she had become vital to his organisation. No matter what may have happened to sever their connection was not her doing. Indeed, she could still feel the pressure of the cuff against the skin at her left wrist - though admittedly, that might be just the manacles.

An idea struck in her head and as Nevin finished his words she twisted so her back was to him, moving oddly with short motions due to her limited maneuverability. It was all accompanied by the, now familiar to her, shake of chains. As she heard him finish off his description of his power a final decision came to her mind and more eagerly she moved her self back into where she thought the light was.

Or where it should be, at least.

And then she stopped, pausing as the young man mentioned the Red Forest. A sigh set into her throat, as she knew he was rather niave in some ways. Any smart Raiaeran never to go there. It was full of horrors, disgust and crimson trees, when despite all the effort to slay Pode, the Forgotten One there. The forest still had its hunger. And would maybe never stop unless a bold magician ended it.

"Lindequalme, you do not want to go to," she said quickly. "If we must ... I will tell you more about it later, but never go there," she grunted, as she realised just what he might have heard to make him want to go there. "There is a connection to blood. But I need you to look at my left wrist first."

She tried to angle her body precisely where he was. "Is Vitruvion's cuff still there? And if so, we're in very big sh*t. I can't contact him."

She huffed through her beak. "Anyway, check the locks, see if you can make something for them ... And then use my blood, Nevin. Not your own."

"Or use both."

The thought came to her and she nodded, lifting a single claw to move it closer to the opposite hand. It wasn't that hard to do that. They were shackled together after all.

"Use both."

And she began to press into her own flesh.


It's up to you whether the cuff is there or not. I'll go with the flow as to what :) got plans either way

Nevin
10-13-2017, 10:13 AM
There it was, a confirmation! The book that he had seen the reference in had been old and quite faded, and he had barely been able to make out the name of the place and the fact that the entire forest had a connection to blood. But Avis’ words confirmed it - the forest did exist, recently enough for her to know it, and it did have an active tie to blood of some kind! She seemed hesitant to talk about it though, much like everyone else he had tried talking to about the place.

No, he would not force her to join him on his exploration. But he felt a pull there, an urge to go there and explore what was happening. When he'd first read the text - and that had been strange, as he was fairly certain he didn't know the language it was written in, a thought that disappeared into the back of his mind as soon as he had it without his control - there had been a strange reticence. But then, one of the miners had told him, when he brought it up at the tavern one night, that ‘even though the Witch is dead, is still a right unnatural place. An’ that's all Ah’ll say on th’ matter, Alchemist.’. When he heard that, the apprehension about traveling there had been replaced for a moment by glee, which faded and then the pull came.

Nevin’s eyes shot downwards when she presented her arms to him to check to see if her metal cuff was still there, and he felt his eyebrows raise in shock. It wasn't - it had been replaced by manacles and a faded leather wrap. He chewed on the inside of his cheek as he processed that fact, the connection could be removed by removing her cuff. That was important to know.

“No, it's been… Removed and replaced. " He had thought the cuff just a symbol of her still being… subjected to that man’s whims, but that it was actually what kept them in contact… His eyes widened. Vitruvion seemed like a possessive individual, and he was probably going to be pissed that Avis had been missing for who knows how long. That was when she dragged one claw along her arm, bright red blood welling up behind the tip.

Nevin suppressed a shiver as his magic began to sing to him, sweet sweet exultation and promises of everything he could do with her blood, all the possibilities that he knew of and the hidden secrets sure to lie trapped inside the scarlet life fluid. Of all the blood that he had worked with since becoming what he was, hers made his skin sing the most enticing melody.

He ruthlessly squashed that, focusing on the fact that getting out of here meant one step towards finding out just where the person that had placed a bounty on him was, and one step closer to Lindequalme. With a grimace he waited until Avid had bled enough to form a dagger - the smaller of the tools needed for this. When there was enough - just barely enough - he reached out and twisted his magic around her blood, ignoring the way the lines on his outstretched hand began to glow brighter, a warm cherry red in the dark of the cell.

The blood that had collected on her arm and on the floor beneath it flowed into the air under Nevin’s hand, shaping under the guidance of his will into a short, stout dagger with a thick blade and a hilt with almost no cross guard to speak of. He grasped the dark red hilt as soon as it had finished forming, ignoring the jolt of satisfaction that ran through him as he touched the blood-crafted object, and swiftly gripped the bottom of his cut shirt. With one smooth motion he sliced upwards, separating a long strip of the fabric that he then cut loose.

“Avis, I'm binding your wound first. You're the better fighter of the two of us, can't have you getting weak due to too much bloodloss.” Moving quickly he went to wrap up her arm to stifle the blood falling from her.

Stare
10-13-2017, 02:17 PM
F*ck.

Removed and replaced. By some other thing digging pressure into her wrist. Either simply the manacles holding her in position, or another thing of a similar sort. Either way it was a good sign. The craft work that had gone into making the cuff was of Ansaldo's design also - that Vitruvion had told her. "I communed with my father for three days," he had said. That meant the skill gone into making the thing that had been laced with magical, unbreakable metal thread, and created in some otherworldly metal itself, was forged with the magic of two gods. Though it had not allowed Vitruvion to see her whole mind at once, at least that was what he had told her, it has allowed to see and hear what she did, observe and speak to her from afar, and send her the jolts of punishing pain that had been necessary at the start of their working relationship.

As far as she knew about the cuff it meant that Vitruvion could not contact her at all. It was if the line then had been snapped closed, and it was likely that he was frantically searching. It also meant that in this place was a powerful mage of some kind, potentially dark, who had either equal divine or celestial powers ... Or sufficient demonic powers that could be compared. That thought made her go still with apprehension, suddenly aware of what it could mean. Vitruvion, now, perhaps at his wits end would find a use of his deceleration of official ownership over her - that was something that she wouldn't be telling Nevin soon. Who knew who he might react. Vitruvion had agreed to keep that new part of their relationship silent, at her bequest.

But would he now? That was unknown. Did he possibly think that she had somehow taken off the cuff herself and ... Escaped? Now that was going to be an interesting conversation.

But then the thought struck her as she allowed Nevin to wrap her new, self-given wound. Could she use this as her final ability to escape his clutches and never look back? Yes, those who knew of the international Hernsford slavery laws might find out that someone was looking for a singularly kenku slave, and offering a very likely high reward. But she could get out of this, and then run away, to a distant land. Keribas, Melnach ... She could truly possibly get away. It would mean leaving so many people behind, her friends she had made: Nevin, for one; Matriarch Lady Philomel; even Raevin, Vitruvion's captain. Yet it might give her a new opportunity. It would mean leaving behind a whole life of high respectability, skills learnt and admirable amounts of money.

But that was a decision she could make. That she could try.

Sucking in her breath she angled her head as if to look where Nevin was just tying the last knot on her hand. Though he was a new friend she felt for this human greatly. He was a good man, with good intentions, despite his background. He and her had sort of swapped lives - she had had the easier start, he the easier now. That connection made her heart beat and in that moment she knew that a decision to leave him behind could be incredibly hard. Especially as now she longed to meet him in Raiaera and take him to the Red Forest. Vitruvion's vast godly knowledge would surely help.

Ugh. Stop thinking.

Furiously she shook her head and held her hands up higher for the young man to percieve the locks.

"How much can you undo?" She asked. "If you can, I need my eyes. If my cuff is off then that means there is an incredibly powerful mage here of some sort, possibly with demonic connections. So I need my eyes if possible." She paused.

"You'll like my eyes. They do new things since we last met."

Nevin
10-13-2017, 04:11 PM
Swift, gentle movements finished binding the wound, and strangely for the first time Nevin wished he could heal without needing to resort to a potion. But that wasn't possible, not yet, so tying off the bandage around her thin arm would have to suffice. Then he frowned as she spoke, and began studying the locks scattered across her body. Only a part of his attention were on her words, so what she said after wanting her eyes most didn't register to him right away.

The locks on her manacles were visually the same, probably due to similar construction. The lock on the chain around her head was different though, of a finer make that didn't match the rusty chain it hung on. He could…yes. That would work. Nevin was about to make a cut when what she had said percolated past his attention on her cuffs, and his back went ramrod stiff.

“I… See.” Well. If he hadn't been fairly certain that getting her free of these abominable bindings was necessary before, he was definitely at that decision now. Nevin gritted his teeth against what he knew was coming, peeled off his glove which ended up flying off somewhere in his haste, and slid the edge of the blade along his palm. His blood began to well up and he took a deep breath.

“Avis. I’m going to touch the back of your head where the lock is. I need you to not flinch away, OK?” His voice was soft both with concern and the need to keep hidden from any guards that might be in the hall. Bloody skin touched metal, and Nevin paused a moment to make sure that Stare didn't flinch away before he began working.

Held semi-solid by his magic, Nevin’s blood flowed into the padlock, oozing out of his body and into the cold hard metal under his palm. This was difficult - his magic wanted to surge forth, pulling more and more blood from everywhere to satisfy the singing choir of his skin, and it wanted to flow forth and fill every crevasse of the lock. Nevin could not let it do either - one would kill him, and the other would be useless in this situation. He had to maintain a steady concentration on his magic, forcing it to obey him when it wanted to do so much more than he let it.

With a sudden jerk he felt that it had been enough, enough blood had fallen under the force of his magic to create several small lengths of metal. A steady twist, and the redhead felt the strangest sensation like a part of him was stuck - and then, with a click, the lock sprang open. Nevin let out a sigh of relief and quickly dropped the dagger to one side and pulled the now loose chain and the blindfold off of his friend.

“I can have the cuffs off in a moment. Ah. Hang on.” Well, he hadn't thought of this. Nevin looked down at his hands - one empty, but one with a red key looking like it was growing from his palm.

Stare
10-13-2017, 06:43 PM
She did not flinch.

The only real reason she had before was the shock of having someone touch her. There were few moments in her life when someone had been kind with their hands on her body, and she had not expected one of the times to be here, in this cell. True, Vitruvion now had his moments, where he ran his hands through her feathers like a proud father would a child. In those times he had a soft smile placed on his face that spoke of utter delight and satisfaction. Before then, there had been no contact between Stare and her dwarf baker master. And living with the kenku, in a society that was fueled by honour, there was little to no physical contact except for fighting practise. Though loving Stare's mother and father had still been the traditional type and treated her with respect more than anything. Allowing her the chance to initiate physical contact at all times. But never presuming it. Which meant Stare, as Avis, had never sought it, because she had not truly known it.

And now - now his gentle hand was laid over the chain at the back of her head. A tingle of grating and fine metal and the lock that had held the chain so forceably tightly over her eyes fell away. As soon as that was done the kenku furiously rubbed her head against her shoulder, longing the fabric away. Her eyes blinked, hungrily, searching for the light and waiting for it to come. Bit by bit it arrived, feeding the thirsty eyes like a well, allowing them to drink to their heart's content. Furiously she rubbed harder - the millimetres of the reveal slowly coming into her eyes as a thin line of dull light hitting her. But to her it was the bright sun of a midsummer's day and even more desperately she struggled for it, pulling herself a small distance from Nevin.

Ready to buck her head and fling the whole thing up and off.

Eagerly, her eyes drank in the sight.

They were still in the same room as before. About ten foot by ten foot, at the smallest of guesses, with half the room shrouded in a deep shadow. That part she had hidden in for the last few days. The rest, where she was now, was given illumination by a high, barred window set in a stone wall. On three sides of their room there was stone - the fourth having iron railings to stop them from approaching any further. Beyond that was an empty, dark room, possibly another cell, but shrouded mostly in dark also. Stare had not heard anything from that room in the past five days, and she saw a broken door hanging on the hinges. It suggested why Nevin had been stuffed in this cell also. Safely, she assumed that there was no one else here.

Quickly, her eyes adjusted. There was some form of magic that resided in her ability to see beyond what others could that allowed that. It also allowed her to noticed the darker parts of the room clearer than another might - so she could see into the darker corners of the place and actually notice they were completely alone. The door set into the wall, the one that led outside, had a small window itself, but it gave so little light and indication of a person beyond. Carefully, her head movements likely in this time rapid and amusing to one just watching her, she slipped into the beyond-crimson part of the spectrum and found herself able to focus on the heat patterns of the world. Herself, her knees and beak before her with clear, and the cold stone of the room was obvious too. Similarly, the iron bars gave off a powerful coldness in blue, that was directly mirrored by the sight of a lone red man far down the corridor.

So they were safe from interrupters, for now.

And now -

Now she spun around, her hands and feet still tied, her memory of what had happened filling her once more, just as the amazement of being able to see again wore off. Five days, here. Five days, with no Vitruvion. Her cuff, gone. The presence of a powerful mage, likely. Her friend, in the cell also.

Awkwardly she slammed back down, a light ringing filling the room as she did. And her eyes that had been starved of light, likely looked darker than they had ever been with the feathers around them dull and ugly, fed on the sight of her friend. And she filled her lungs and let out the happiest sigh she had in a long time. Red hair. Deep, dark eyes. Young face. It was he. Nevin. The alchemist, in true form, staring at a blood-coloured key in his hand.

She tilted her head.

"What is it?" she asked. "You made a key?"

Then her eyes dropped to the broken padlock on the floor by his feet, that was twisted with a length of rusted chain. Quickly, she fitted the pieces of the problem together.

"Ah. The key was made for that. Hmmm." She tugged on the manacles, and growled under her breath. But she paused, and thought. "Idea. Get the guard from the end of the corridor. He might have keys. Bring him in here and I can finish him off."

Nevin
10-13-2017, 08:22 PM
It was the gasp of relief and joy that made him look up from the key growing from his palm, and he took in Avis' face with his currently one-eyed gaze. She was staring at him through bloodshot eyes, the feathers around the top of her head matted with days of sweat. But the happiness in her gaze made her eyes shine despite their mildly abused state, and Nevin shifted, an acute awareness of the flow of his blood informing him of the fact that he was now blushing upwards from his neck. The flush of red crept up his exposed chest, easing some of the stark contrast between his normally pale skin and the vibrant red lines that ran across him.

Thankfully she gave him an out, reminding him of the fact that though her eyes were now free, her hands and feet were still bound. He waved his hand sharply, the key breaking free and falling to the ground with a strangely wet sound, then knelt down and picked up the dagger he had dropped. He flipped it over in his hand repeatedly as he thought of how to get the guard over here.

Calling out, telling them that Avis had gotten free would not work, though that was his first idea. That would just raise the alarm immediately and have the guard call for reinforcements. No, he needed something else, something that would cause concern but not outright fear. A vicious grin split his lips, distorted by the swelling and framed on one side by blood.

"Go hide in the corner alright?
These hunters are concerned by the money they're getting from you, so thinking you're dead would probably make him freak out and come running." He swept a hand towards the shadowed corner she had been in when he was dumped in here. Pale fingers curled tight around the hilt of the blood-dagger, pressing the blade up against his sleeve, obscuring it from easy view.

"Once he's in here, he won't leave.
Not when he's one of the ones responsible for your current state." This statement came out thicker than he had intended as his anger at what she had experienced surged, the icy fury threatening to swallow him up for a moment. He shoved it back down and made his way over to the cage bars, checking one last time to make sure she was out of easy sight from the bars of the cell before calling out.

"Hey! Hey, goat-buggerer!" The man down the hall snorted, his head swinging up to look in Nevin's direction. "Yes you you ugly sack of potatoes!" The man pushed away from the wall he was leaning against and started walking towards the cell, pulling his club from his belt. Nevin's hand tightened on his dagger.

"Just thought you might want to know that I think the other prisoner's dying or dead. She started making these choking noises and I thought I heard her collapse, but I'm not going near it in case it's a trick to get me close enough to attack. Not that she'd really need a trick but hey, your sorry fat head doesn't need to know that." Nevin's last sentence was said under his breath, possibly loud enough for Stare to hear, but not enough for the guard to. What he had heard made the guard speed up drastically, breaking into a light run.

Within moments he was unlocking the gate, and Nevin started to turn in his direction - only for the guard to lash out with the club, smashing into the side of the alchemist's head. It hit the gouge that the head of the hunters had made earlier, making the wound bleed more freely even as Nevin's head smacked against the cell bars. The Alchemist staggered backwards, his head now drowning in a fresh wave of pain.

Stare
10-13-2017, 09:30 PM
It did not take Stare long to react.

Quietly, and subtly, she had been waiting in the corner, creating the ruse she was collapsed or dead. Just what exactly had made the jailor assume that was the truth was beyond her, but then he was an idiot. Was he thinking, as he strode towards their cell door, that her chains would keep her from being a true danger. Was he thinking, that his jibes about her 'eating' Nevin were in fact never going to lie in reality? Stare would have defended herself until the last, despite having been blinded and trussed up like a yuletide turkey. With any man, woman, or other, she would have give a good fight before dying with a last breath. Had the man really believed that she would go from being deadly loud and defiant, to a meek, fainted bundle? Just what had been going through his head as he walked in to meet Nevin.

And then endure a failed attack with a knife made from hardened blood, and club the young man on the head.

Well, that was something that Stare, peering from the darkness, would not allow. The man, after all, did not know she was there. He assumed she was at least blind and chained. He did not consider the fact she might dangerous, so helpless had she been left the last few days.

Her knees already tucked beneath her, Stare leapt as a reign of fury from the corner, her beak wide open and calling a cheer of war. The door was still open, and the guard had just walked in and hit Nevin, without the boy having done anything but turn. It caused a problem - and that was the guard himself. So Stare needed to deal with him. She called and she awkwardly lunged, using the faint elements of her might to attack. Her beak flew open and though she barely got two feet her eyes were still daggers.

It meant that the jailor was ultimately attacked from the shadow, as a death caw rang around the stonework. With concentration on his ankle, Stare willed a severe amount of pain on him, as much as a blunt knife stabbing. Letting out a loud groan the guard dropped the club from his hand - and then dropped to one knee. He cried out in pain as Stare landed with a thump on the ground.

Yet still she soldiered on, and threw her hatred eyes at his face. No sooner had he bent to clutch his ankle than a large bubbling mass of skin began to appear on his cheek, the genuine flesh dying rapidly away. He screamed and clutched at it, but all that that did was cause the skin to flake off, then fall of into his hands.

"Finish him off!" Stare hissed in a cold, detesting voice, as spiteful and horrible as Vitruvion had made her. "Kill him."

Nevin
10-14-2017, 01:35 AM
Nevin had recovered from the two smacks to the head as Stare wrestled with the bastard jailor. He had pushed his way back to his feet as she made the man collapse - and how had she done that? Nothing seemed to have happened to the man before he collapsed, dropping his club. The blood mage had already begun moving as soon as the man went to grip his ankle, and then began screaming as his face began to rot.

"With pleasure, dear Avis." Nevin's voice came out in an angry hiss as he lunged forward, wrapping his arm one arm around the man arms, forcing them down. The other hand snaked forward, driving the blood-dagger deep into the man's neck, cutting off his screams of agony with a wet, coughing gurgle. Nevin took no chances, and ripped the blade back out, allowing a gush of blood to hit the ground, then dragged the edge of the blade through his eyes. He watched as the man fell over, coughing up blood weakly, impassive as one hand reached upwards to him. Nevin stepped on that hand, and searched the man for the keys to Stare's locks. There were a few keys on the ring that the jailor had jangled at him, one of which matched the blood key he had used to unlock Stare's first chain. Nevin moved over to Stare and began testing keys until he found the one that unlocked her hands and feet.

Once she was free he gave the body a kick and stood up, swaying slightly as he did so. He scooped up the club into his hand and hefted it, testing the two weapons. Stare was... Drained, weakened by her time in captivity. He moved over to her and pressed the warm, slick hilt of the dagger into the hand of the uninjured arm.

"Take this, conserve what strength you have. Until we can find my supplies, one of my potions should help you out. And... You're not the only one who picked up a new trick." Nevin straightened up and headed cell door, pausing in the now open doorway to stand guard until she was ready to move out.

Stare
10-14-2017, 09:40 AM
Heavily she breathed as he finally released her arms and legs from their five day long hold. As blood returned in full pressure to them she felt her whole body begin to experience a long, dreadful tingling sensation. Eyes fixed on the dead body of the guard she semi-focused on herself, and trying to ease her form back into a fighting position as she considered what was to come.

Now they had killed someone it would not be long before they needed to act next. The corridor lay before them, and even with her heat sight, there was nobody in view. That gave the next few minutes at least an easy prologue to the likely devastation that they would have to cause beyond. And it was even possible that the guard was alone in this level or area. With luck perhaps no one had even heard his scream of pain as she had mentally and visually stabbed his ankle. That gave them longer still perhaps to ready themselves before someone else came to check on the prisoners and find their colleague deceased. It gave them longer to prepare, longer for her to ease her muscles out from their currently agonising ache into a fighting stance.

As the blade of blood was pressed into her hand she felt a warmth run into her. Gently raising her eyes away from the corpse of their joint efforts, she focused on Nevin for a while, watching as he stood and bade her to conserve her strength. It was true her body was shaking, twisted and contorted as she had been for the long time, but her body had suffered more before. Indeed, she had been kept in a cage for two full weeks when she had tried to escape the Hollow. And she had been fed. Belief in herself was currently high, and Stare was determined to be more than just a weaker counterpart. True, as she tried to stand she found her leg begin to buckle beneath her, but the hold on the dagger she had was firm. Instinctively her hand had curled around it like a baby's around its mother's finger. It made her sinews awaken with expectation, bursting with reason and the knowledge of how to fight.

So she forced herself to tense, and her body to still, sucking in deep charges of breath. Rolling her shoulders back she refused to look at the state of her form right now, knowing for a fact he feathers would be fragmented and far from proudly glossy. In fact she could feel the missing cover of several tail feathers, and the negated feel of the cuff on her wrist.

Sighing she placed away the problems she would need to deal with later away, the decisions she could make and stalked over to be behind Nevin, one of her legs limping as she did.

Pain and a small peek told her it was a place that the plumage had all but been worn away and her skin was insanely ruined.

Ugh. She looked away and kept behind him, dagger in hand and ready to do what she could. With him she gazed down the corridor. And waited for a moment until the calls began to come.

"Gundred?" Came the word. A pause, then a grunted repetition. "Ehhh ... Gundred?"

Stare looked back to the body, likely 'Gundred' and her body stilled. Silent, she watched for Nevin's reaction as the next call sounded worried.

"... Gun ... Dred?"

Nevin
10-14-2017, 02:14 PM
Nevin bit back a curse. Of course he had chosen to act minutes before one of their captors came looking for his friend. A quick look to Stare showed that she had come over to him and was looking at him, her body still and tense. The blood mage took in a deep breath as the person calling for 'Gundred' became more concerned and started coming down the hall. It would be only a few moments before they turned the corner and could see that the first guard wasn't in the hallway and that the cell door was open. Fine. Nevin concentrated on his left hand, the one without the club in it, and started moving down the hall as quietly as he could, picking up speed.

"Oi, Gundred, now's not the time for games. They told us that bird woman could do some freaky things with her eyes." Heavy footsteps began approaching as Nevin tried to reach the corner of the corridor before the other person did. "And who knows what that tattooed freak can do, nobody's told us a thing. Gundred!" Worry and fear filled that last hour of the name and four feet away from the corner, Nevin knew he wouldn't make it in time. He snarled under his breath and flexed the magic tingling across his skin, swinging his arm up into a position over his shoulder.

Scarlet threads seemed to crawl from beneath his glove, weaving together as his arm came up, building into larger strings, then cords, then ropes - until they formed a blood red whip that writhed about in the air, almost independent of Nevin's motions. The guard coming looking for his friend turned the corner and the blood mage's arm snapped forward, whipping out and twisting slightly as it reached full extension. The whip shot through the air just as the guard saw Nevin and started to open his mouth to scream for back up; those screams were cut off before they could begin as Nevin’s bloody weapon wrapped around his throat and tightened when Nevin pulled his arm back. The guard was pulled off of his feet by the whip, and his hands came up to his neck, frantically trying to pull the whip off as his lungs cried out for air. What he did not see at the time was that every time his fingers touched the whip, he lost some of the skin on them, his blood leaving a crimson trail down his chest into the floor.

Nevin braced his foot against the guard's shoulder and pulled his arm back, using the motion and his control over the whip to keep it taut, watching with a blank face as the guard scrabble at his leg, the movements becoming weaker and weaker as the seconds passed. Finally the man's attempts at freeing himself stopped, and Nevin let the whip go slack, then pulled it away. Once the whip had coiled back up around his arm - moving unnaturally to do so - it revealed that around the guard's neck was a section of flesh where the skin and some of the muscle had been torn free. Nevin stared at the man for a moment, suppressing the shiver that ran down his spine. This was the first person he had killed with his scarlet threads, and he didn't think it was much of a pretty sight. He forced the revulsion at his own ability down and the threads unraveled from the whip, disappearing under his glove and sleeve.

"So... Sorry you had to see that.
We should go quickly, now that two are down more are sure to come. I remember the route to the head honcho's office - they didn't know I was conscious when they dragged me away." Nevin carefully did not look in Stare's direction as he began walking down the hallways, only pausing to listen for her to get close before moving again.

Stare
10-15-2017, 05:54 AM
As she watched the lithe form of the snake-like crimson whip float out of his veins, Stare felt like she was not so much a lone demon anymore. Truly, in this place, she was not a dark angel of vengeance to be feared, but suddenly had an ally in the most terrible of times. All that had made her who she was - her half year in the Hollow, her decade before that of facing death and sorrow, her slow evolution now into a powerful magic user - had changed her personality to some dark effect. Perhaps they were not as dark as the possible mage who dwelt here, and perhaps they were sourced from a pure divine being, but those origins of her core being had definitely made her more bloodthirsty. More despairing in the setient being condition. More spiteful by nearly everything.

She nodded as the man fell back, neck free from flesh. Blood splattered the dark rocks of the passageway and even threatened to douse out one of the torches set into the wall. There were three altogether, and they managed the light in this place along with the natural illumination coming in from the cell's high windows. As Stare drank in the new brilliance she glanced over at Nevin, checking that he was well and saw the crimson whip slide back to join his veins. For a moment she blinked and he began an apology.

"Sorry you had to see that ..."

She grunted quietly and limped up the rest of the corridor to come stand beside him, not listening to the rest. Gladly, she left the cell doorway behind and saw the corpse at a better view. Mounds of skin and sinew were now scattered or burnt away, and his jugular was open for all the world to see. A thin white flash told of a bone from the underside of his jaw where the whip had scraped. It was an elegant but ugly death, and Stare had seen worse.

She balanced on her good leg, not feeling the true strength yet to excel her speed. With dagger in hand she looked at Nevin and then further up the corridor where this foe was from. The route seemed to extend for a while and darken, only one torch in its path. But as she could see now, and her eyes pierced the gloom she saw that it veered to the right at the end.

"Corner at the end," she extended a hand into the gloom.

Taking in a low breath she then heaved pressure back onto her injured ankle and began clumsily walking again. She held her dagger steady and kept her eyes peeled, striding and expecting Nevin to follow.

Onwards she went, cautious but steady and hearing no footsteps but their own. As they got the corner of the corridor she needed to rely on her dark vision more. But thankfully, apparently, her eyes were better than her body was, and adjusted accordingly to her will. Slowly she stopped pressing herself against the inside wall of the corner and looked around at Nevin. With a small nod to him and a smirk in her eyes she focused on the fact there was a lack of light coming from up ahead and hoped this meant no further enemies.

Just as yet.

And then she geared up herself, paused, and then peeked around the corner.

Only to have her heart sink as she saw stairs leading up. No men, no guards, but a steady set of stone stairs built into the continuing corridor, veering around a corner. And from them, just at the twist, was another dim light.

Sign of more life.

Nevin
10-15-2017, 01:07 PM
Nevin followed Stare's outstretched hand as she gestured into the darkness - her vision truly was remarkable, he knew that there was a turn somewhere in this gloom, but there was no way he would have been able to pinpoint it without basically running his hand along the wall until he found it. As the two of them walked down the corridor her studied her from the corner of his eye, making sure she was on the side that wasn't currently swollen up and throbbing in discomfort. She didn't seem to care about what he had done to the guard - had stared at the body with a slight bit of satisfaction gleaming in her eyes before moving onwards, giving the cooling corpse no comment. Nevin wished for a moment that they had the time for him to pull an essence of vitality from one of the two bodies that they had left behind, but that thought vanished almost as soon as it came into his head - he would not be working blood magic on blood from a sentient, unless it was donated as Stare's had been. That way led the end goal of the cult, and he was not about to advance their goals by doing what they had wanted him to do.

Then they reached the corner and she motioned for him to stop, peering around the corner carefully as she did so. Nevin knew what she was seeing - the stairs that he had been dragged down. It wasn't far past them to the next corridor, the one where the man who inspected him and had recognized him as the hunter's target had his office. The blood mage gritted his teeth, flexing his wrist slightly as he readied the threads of red that were currently coiled around his arm under his sleeve. Soft steps carried him past her, one finger pressed against his lips as he padded quietly up the stairs - not as smoothly as she would have been able to do in most circumstances, but right now his legs were uninjured, and if someone came out onto the stairs when they were ascending them being able to move with a sudden burst of speed may prove vital.

So up he went, moving as silently as he could, gripping the club in his hand as he moved along the stairs. He reached the corner and paused, twisting his head around the corner to peer around it with his good eye. The stairs continued upwards, the light growing brighter as they reached the area of the building that was normally occupied, more torches placed along the walls. They'd lose what element of stealth they'd had down in this corridor - but they were out of the cell block now - surprise would still be on their side, if they could get rid of any patrolling individuals before they raised the alarm. Nevin twisted his wrist in a gesture to follow and slid around the corner, his eyes probing the hallway beyond to see if there was anyone currently walking down it.

It was... easy for him to see where the man's office was. A normal person might have missed it - but Nevin couldn't as his magic sang to him - his blood left a trail behind him from the cuts, and the largest amount was singing to him from further down the hall. It wasn't the room itself, but the choir on his skin could guide the blood mage back along the route his blood had marked. But Nevin saw something that made him freeze - sitting in a chair, either half or fully asleep, was a guard sitting in front of an unmarked doorway. The odd thing was, the doorway had a large iron lock sitting on it, and the dozing guard had a key for it hanging off his belt. There were a few things that could be in the room - their gear perhaps, or another prisoner maybe? Or just a treasury for this band of bounty hunters? Nevin waited for his friend to catch up and whispered to her.

"The room I was examined in is further down this hall. Should we investigate that locked door or head there? I don't see the way out yet unfortunately." His words were spoken in a hushed tone as kept one eye on the guard to make sure they hadn't been heard.

Stare
10-15-2017, 07:03 PM
Stare took a long moment to peer around the corner with one eye. For a while she fixed it upon the sleeping guard, watching the rise and fall of his chest. If Nevin was watching closely he would see the glint in her eye die as she shifted to the aura plane in which she saw the souls and energies of the people of the world. In the sleeping guard she saw a cerulean type of halo surrounding his body, marking him out as a neutrally opinionated man, but with a rebellious streak, and a steady simple grey energy flowing from one chakra to the next. The flow was free and gentle, with no real blockage in any spaces, and seemed to just generate as energy does - naturally, without any hindrances or otherworldly forces. That meant he was unmagical and thus likely unassuming, and his steady flow meant it really was just asleep. A normal, dreamless sleep.

Turning her eye slightly she focused next on the door, switching into her sight that allowed the view of heat signatures. Though there was a great hunk of wood as a door in the way, blocking any direct light, there was still a grill set in it. And through that grill there were no recongisable pulsing red or white forms, not like the sleeping man. Not that Stare could see in any way.

"He's not magical," was her whispered conclusion, sneaking back around the corner to stand with her friend and ally. And current joint escapee. "He is very asleep it seems too."

Gripping the hold tighter on her dagger she gestured down the corridor.

"You go ahead and scout maybe. I can easily take care of him. The room with the lock seems to have no people in it."

She looked at Nevin for a moment longer, then grunted, not waiting for a reply. Picking up her feet she suddenly slid out into full view of the corridor and immediately set to limp over the man. Carefully she trod, eager to set each claw down with the lightest of clicks only. But it seemed the man was deep asleep anyway. For she did not disturb him in the few paces it took to cross over to him. Bending down like a grim reaper she paused before shoving a hand over his mouth and jerking back his head. Suddenly and surprised he awoke, and began to struggle - but his cries were muffled and her hand ... quick was her blood knife. Smoothly and practised was her cut, and she sliced his neck open without any qualms, as easily as she would cut bread.

"That's that done," she whispered to herself, wiping the blade on her ragged clothes. Bending down she swiped the keys from the man's belt and looked at them. Now they had both the prison keys and this set - hopefully it would be enough to open every door here.

Without looking once at Nevin, she tried to ignore the passion racing in her heart after ending a life. Gundred and the one in the corridor below - they really had been Nevin's handiwork, not hers. This one though, was undeniably on her consequence, and it made her pulse quicken with excitement. Such a power it was to take away a life. So beautiful and so consequential in the grand scheme of the world. With one swipe of her hand she had stolen the man's future, as easily as Vitruvion took so many others ... Then helped so many others. The power writhing within her to potentially kill people was astounding, and incredible, and she felt it rise in her like a hunger that could not be satiated. Certainly it was something she had only experienced in recent months, as the regard for her master had grown, and a small understanding for why he was the way he was. But it was not something she truly wanted. And the conflict within her she was sure could be seen in her eyes, hence her turning her back to Nevin and heading straight for the door near them.

It took her two tries of two keys to find the right one. As she did she peered into the room through the grill to see various boxes and crates along with a rack at the back. Unlocking the door easily she swung it open and marched in, thankful to see no people hiding behind the doorway. Pausing, she scanned the room once before noticing a rather ornate set of chainmail hanging at the back, along with a strangely formed helmet. One that looked disgustingly like a plague doctor's mask.

A grunt came from between her beak edges and she grabbed her armour before starting searching for her weapons. A scuffle behind her showed that Nevin was quietly coming further down the corridor, wordless and as active as she. He peered into the room a little, and she turned her head to look at him once before going back to her searching. And she left him to decide what was his from this place.

After a couple of boxes she found her two twin daggers, attached to their belt. Shoving this around her waist, after pulling on her chainmail she looked ready at least for the next fight - but on still she looked. And searched. Her noises grew louder and her grunts of dismay became solemnly echoed, as she cursed her leg and cursed herself and cursed everything. But she could not find it. At all.

Her cuff. It was not anywhere in the room.

Vitruvion, she concluded, was going to be so very mad.

Nevin
10-15-2017, 08:42 PM
Nevin had watched, silently, as Stare slipped up to the man, her feet making soft clicks on the stonework as she moved. He had thought, for a moment, about stopping her, about ending this one himself when she said he was asleep, but had decided not to - she would likely need some form of vengeance on these men for capturing her, and hurting her while she was their prisoner. So he watched, his eyes not flinching away, as she yanked the guard's head back and dragged the blood dagger across his skin, the sharp 'edge' slicing through flesh and muscle. The man struggled for only a moment before slumping, any screams he might have made stifled by her clawed hand, and light faded from his eyes.

Nevin walked over to her, his eyes scanning the corridors quickly, watching for anyone else who might be approaching. So far the corridor seemed quiet though - no one had heard the muted momentary struggle. That was the third of these bounty hunters that had fallen to the two of them. Even if they got rid of no one else on the way out, this would be a nasty blow to the group. But Nevin did not think they would be so lucky as to meet no one else. No, this place would probably stink of carcasses by the time they were done here, and the blood mage honestly could not bring himself to care about it. His attention was brought back to his friend when she managed to get into the room, moving quickly inside.

He began to follow after - freezing a moment when he thought he heard footsteps coming from further down the hall in the opposite direction. The man cursed and looked around quickly - then realized that the body would give them away even if nothing else did. The club was shoved into his belt and he grabbed the corpse off of the chair, dragging it into the storage room that Stare had disappeared into. Inside was a large room, filled with boxes and crates of differing sizes. Nevin shoved the body behind the door, ignoring the blood trail for now - nothing they could do about it as things stood. With the carcass temporarily situated, Nevin looked around for Stare, not seeing her at first - or rather not realizing that he had seen her. He almost didn't recognize her at first, as she had found her armor and weapons, though he did recognize those daggers on her belt.

Their stuff was here! With that realization burning in the back of his mind, Nevin moved quickly, scanning the boxes. His crossbow, staff - they were in a box, underneath which was folded up his cloak. He dragged those items out of the box they were in quickly, then let out a mild curse under his breath when he realized that they were not there - so he searched another, and another, noticing that Avis was also frantically looking for something. But while her search came up empty, one hand splaying against her leg in pain, Nevin's turned up a result - stored in a box that he had to pry open was his alchemical goods. And tucked into the very bottom of the pouch, hidden away - three crimson, glowing vials. Nevin had to bite back a cry of victory as he sorted through the bottles, and pulled up one in particular. Swift footsteps carried him over to the cursing Stare, and he handed the bottle over to her.

"Take this. It should help you recover a bit from what these bastards did to you. I'm sorry - it will taste like blood." He didn't have more time to explain though - or ask why she was so concerned. Outside of the door, Nevin could hear a voice, no two voices - and they did not sound pleased that the guard was missing. He cursed and rushed back to grab his crossbow - and did not have the time to find the bolts that were currently missing. Instead he was forced to blood-craft a bolt out of the wound on his palm, and he nocked it into the string, prepping the weapon and aiming it at the door. "Drink that quickly. I'll buy you a little time. Just don't forget about me there, alright?" He shot her a distorted grin as he moved towards the door.

A figure turned into the open doorway - and for a second the mage cursed himself for forgetting to close that behind him - and Nevin pulled the trigger before the man could react. There was a soft twang as the cord snapped forward, propelling the bolt forged from blood through the air and into the man. Unfortunately, this man was more on guard than the last few that they had dealt with, and managed to dodge to one side, keeping the bolt from hitting him dead in the center of his torso. But as he was still in the doorway - and there was someone else outside - he couldn't move far enough to completely avoid the blood-bolt, and it buried itself up to the 'fletching' in his shoulder. The guard let out a cry, and the second person in the hall did as well, and he raised his weapon to charge at Nevin, who he thought was now defenseless.

Nevin threw his crossbow into the man's face, disorienting him as he had not expected a move like that. This let Nevin drop his shoulder down and body check the man, forcing him out from the doorway and into the hall. The man was in half armor, wearing leather gear, so when his back smashed against the wall under the scrawny mage's weight, he was stunned and a bit out of breath. Nevin followed this up by grabbing the guard's face with his left hand - and the threads that had been hiding up his sleeve snaked out through the hole in his glove, sliding inside of his mouth and gouging up the inside of his throat. The blood mage collapsed with the man, following him to the floor as his hungry threads feasted inside of the man, spilling blood straight into the neck. He was interrupted though, by a heavy foot that smashed into his side and sent the alchemist tumbling away, red tendrils spewing from his palm. He felt and heard bones at least crack if not break under the kick, and he looked up at the man who had kicked him.

"Fuck, you really are a freak, aren't you? What, you actually kill the little bird bitch? Damn, there goes my cut of her pay." Nevin recognized that voice now, staring at the man who was holding a sword in his face. This was the bastard that had cold-cocked him and brought him here - Sandor. "Guess I'll have to go see what all the fuss was about her. Shame, I prefer them living but oh well." Oh, oh no he was not implying what Nevin thought he was. The icy rage that Nevin had been bottling up burst forth into a white hot rage, even as Sandor tensed his muscles. He stabbed downwards, intent on ending Nevin - who was rolling out of the way, ignoring the wave of pain from his ribs. The threads in his hand wove back together into a whip, which he wrapped around one of Sandor's legs, yanking on it roughly to knock the man off balance.

To his credit, even as he fell to one knee, Sandor reacted quickly, swinging his sword around and slicing through the whip of blood-red threads that had snagged him. The motion looked smooth, almost like he had anticipated it - but he hadn't, from the way he was holding one hand against his leg where the whip had shorn through his pants and begun to eat away at his skin, even in the few seconds of contact. Nevin felt as if a limb had been cut - more than just hair being cut away, losing the threads hurt, almost like he had lost fingers or toes. He had known that the threads reacted to his will, but he had never thought - had never wanted to think - that they were anything more than lines on his skin, merely living on his flesh. This proved to him though, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the threads were actually a part of his body, and he would have to take more care with them in the future. But the future was not now - now, he lunged for Sandor, slapping the torn edge of his whip against the hand that held the hilt of his sword. Sandor let out a bellow of pain and punched Nevin in the side, trying to force him away - but the furious blood mage simply took the hit, trading it for lashing across Sandor's eyes with the mutilated end of his own weapon. The hungry threads, now ravenous, ripped away at everything they touched, leaving a bloody, gouged trail through Sandor's face - and irreparably damaging his eyes.

This was the end for him - now completely sightless, bleeding profusely, Sandor could not protect himself from the blow that ended his life. Nevin had let the threads actually retreat this time, returning to their home beneath his skin, and dragged the club from his belt. He gripped the wooden weapon in both hands, side-stepping several half-hearted swings as the bounty hunter tried to keep his impending demise at bay, and brought it up - and then down, hard. The wood met the man's skull, and both gave way with a sickening crunch and a loud snap. Sandor remained kneeling for a minute before collapsing to the ground. Nevin followed not long after, drained from the burst of rage and exertion of fighting for his life.

Stare
10-16-2017, 02:28 PM
Even as she heard the twang, and the thud of a bolt hitting ... something, either flesh or wood. It did not matter to her. Blood or splinters might fly and she would still be suffering the same panic. For no matter how many people might die around her, no matter how many bodies may be stored in this small hole, she was concentrating. And her frustration was growing.

"Just where the fuck is it?" she yelled.

The crates and boxes in the room were all overturned. Some were broekn in her fury, their halves scattered to either side of the room. Broken bits of wood, shards and random nails were sticking up in places that really were not safe for anyone. Not even a prison where torture was likely.

Not even a place like the Hollow.

As Stare heard the shouts of a man outside, that was definitely older than Nevin, she remembered her friend suddenly. Pausing whilst holding the current box she was smashing to pieces she looked down at the vial in her hand. Nevin had said something about healing. Lifting the vial up slightly she saw the swirl of crimson and suddenly what he said came to her. Before she had not really been listening - after all who would when one of the items vital to their future happiness wsas missing and possibly, or rather should be in this room?

Red liquid meant blood, and from Nevin that meant useful. He had mentioned healing, and she trusted the man, thus she pulled the vial to her face and plucked out the stopped with a careful tug of her beak. Then, as the bedlam continued outside and words such as, "you are a freak," and, "I prefer them living," came around the edge of the door. Pausing, she seemed to grasp something of reason again, and she threw the contents of the vial down into her throat. As the iron and copper tasting liquid slid smoothly down her throat she glanced back at the room around her, with the remains of the room around her. All she saw was a shattered place, with a throat-cut body lying on the floor, the cobbles slowly becoming drowned in blood. On her body was her chainmail, around her waist were her dagggers and waiting to the side, back on the hook where she had rehung it was her helmet. Jaw tight and meaningful understanding coming to her she began to realise the futility of her mission.

Honestly, she had been through every crate in this room. Twice at least. She had found various other times - rusted daggers and food supplies - as well as a chestpiece armour that seemed to be made from a deep red drakescale. It was around the correct size for Nevin, but perhaps he had not seen it when he had come in first. Certainly it was his colour, and certainly it far too elaborate for any of these guards, who seemed content in their leather hide. Grabbing it and her helmet mask she quickly tied the two of them onto her belt, and then made certain to also collect the keys. Twisting around she placed her back to her irrational mind determined to search for something that was not there and took up her two daggers. Marching out into the corridor she caught the last descent of Sandor the guard. Blinking, she nodded to Nevin who seemed to be stunned, standing there over his third body, blood slowly dripping from the club in his hand.

"You kill well," she said quietly, as she strode over, her eyes glancing down the their most recent corpse.

Then she turned again, her heart still racing and part of her still screaming for her to go back to the store room and look for the cuff. Vitruvion will be mad, it cried.

Forcing herself onwards she gripped her daggers tighter, eyes growing darker as she percieved the rest of the corridor before them. It was wider than the one below. Perhaps eight feet across and with a couple more doors went off from the sides further down. At the end of the corridor was an archway, which was bi-sected by a perpendicular corridor, routes going left and right. The sets of keys that they had would go far, it was to be sure. But what did wait for them next was going to be difficult. A mage would await them certainly, though he had not come yet. More guards was definitely possible, however they had not come with the commotion so far. Going over to the closest door that was set to the side she peered in through the small grill - for it was a mirror to the one behind. Within she saw an empty room, save for a low bed to the back, and a small trunk on the floor. A candlestick on a table.

"Bedroom," she said, back to Nevin. "No one is in it, and I would wager the next one is the same. Onwards," she suggested, raising a dagger and pointing to the end of the corridor.

Nevin
10-16-2017, 03:05 PM
Nevin forced himself back to his feet, body throbbing, and looked to Stare, who still seemed distracted and nervous, though she did seem to be in much better condition. She'd probably had time to drink the healing potion, then. Then he noticed as she walked away that there was anothet piece of armor hanging from the back of her belt.

"Collecting some spoils?" His voice came out more strained than he intended for it to, but he thought it was understandable. He looked down at Sandor, then dropped the shattered remains of the club he had used, and scooped up the sword. While he wasn't an expert swordsman, he knew the very basics - the pointy end went in the enemy. It would have to serve him now - his staff was not here, probably discarded by these bastards when they'd captured him.

"Yes, the man who actually identified me was further down the corridor. Should be just one more door, then a t-intersection. I think we need to go left there to reach the chambers he was in, but I'll know for sure when we get closer." That said he began moving at as fast a pace as he could - the sounds of combat would have alerted anyone near by, far more than his footsteps would. He was getting mildly nervous - the mage would undoubtedly be near the man in charge of these hunters, if they weren't in fact the same person as Nevin was beginning to suspect.

The archway at the end of the hall did in fact lead into a t-shaped intersection, with paths leading off to the left and right. Nevin closed his eyes and tried to focus, to see if his magic still sung to him of the blood he had left behind when struck - but there was no unearthly choirs singing, apparently this close to the boss's room the bounty hunters did actually bother cleaning up a little. There were the faintest of notes coming from directly under his feet in the archway, and he thought the spackled blood led left but he could not be sure. He frowned and looked down the corridor, trying to see if one door stood out to his eyes - back tracking would increase the chances of reinforcements coming for them.

Stare
10-16-2017, 04:10 PM
Stare frowned as he walked past, only then moving as she was away from the bedroom for one of the lackey's they had ended the life of.

"Collecting?" she asked. "No, I am not ..."

Then she glanced down at her belt, frowning. Tucked into the leather cords was the drakescale chestpiece that she assumed was his. Brow lowering over her eyes it took her a moment in idiocy to realise what he was saying exactly. That he did not recognise the corslet. That in fact the keep red thing of high protection did not in fact belong to him, despite the fact it very likely did not belong to any of the guards here. Perhaps the mage? No, surely he would keep his armour with him, not place it in the bottom of a crate in a storeroom full of prisoner's belongings. And the master of this jail, if it was different to the likely mage - the same applied to himself. So that meant that the rich, hide breastplate had once been another prisoner's here. One who had perhaps died, and even aided in the breaking of the door to the cell that had been beside theirs ...

"The man who actually identified me was further down the corridor," Nevin was speaking again.

Snapping her gaze up Stare fixed on the man as he began to talk about the fact that there should be a t-section and - oh yes there was. She paused for a moment, thinking he had now become a blockhead, but then she noticed the light. There was only a single torch in the corridor, and that had belonged to the area just outside the storeroom. For a normal being, with normal eyes, it might not seem that obvious that the bi-secting was there at all. Nevin continued, saying that they should try left, just as Stare hurried over to him. It was only on her fourth pace that she realised she was no longer limping, and could only deduce that the healing potion a la blood that the human had given her had worked.

"If you think we should go down there, then let us go," she nodded, peeking around the corridor herself when she got to him.

Left and right she now noticed the light was still dim, and the corridors here continued on in their stone-cold ugliness, aside from a light glinting at the end of each from a window. Really, the people here could invest in some more lighting, she decided. Doors continued also - perhaps three or four down each before heavy doors cut off the end of each. They were seemingly identical, aside from the distrubution of the doors, but at least there seemed to be no one lurking here.

The likely reason why they had not had any recent (in relative terms) company.

"Try left then," she agreed, and started down it, her eyes steady, and pace fast. "There is nothing back there aside from the stairs ... and then more cells."

Nevin
10-16-2017, 10:44 PM
"You're not? Ah, something of yours they'd taken then?" The corridor seemed fairly quiet, so Nevin felt it was safe enough to stop and talk about the strange load that his friend was now carrying around. Then she was peering past him, and he stretched out his shoulders as she looked in each direction. He figured her keener eyes could see through the gloom, only pierced by a few bands of sunlight breaking in through windows. This place definitely needed better lighting.

So the alchemist gripped the hilt of the sword tighter and began walking down the corridor after her, trying to see if he could detect any traces of blood remaining in a room as they moved through the corridors. There didn't seem to be that many people in the place - maybe they were out on jobs? These were bounty hunters after all, a lot of them were probably involved in trying to track down marks.

The two of them has made it a fair portion down the hall - and from what Nevin could remember from his dazed trip down to the cell, they should be almost there. And there it was - A door that was noticeably different from the others. This one actually had torches on either side of it, framing it in light, and while many of the doors they had passed had had a small grate in it for viewing, this one was a solid mahogany chunk. It was slightly ajar though, and a darker, muddled red light was shining from inside of it. Nevin paused on one side of the doorframe, doing his best to listen through it. He frowned - when he focused, he could hear breathing inside, and a faint scratch of graphite on paper, but not much else. No fire crackling to explain the light from inside, and no talking that he could make out. At least -

"It really is quite remarkable, you know. Capable of forming and maintaining a bond to that rather unpleasant fellow over a considerable distance. If I hadn't been forewarned that he would be paying keen attention once we'd removed the cuff, the being might have caught me off guard. Thankfully my sponsor did warn me. Now, the other fellow that Sandro brought in. He matches precisely the description that vampire fan boy gave us. Not worth quite as much as the crow perhaps, but valuable nonetheless." A grunt answered this sudden voice. "Come come, wake up and pay attention. If not for me, you'd have perished to the crow before she was here for a day or two."

So. Two people, at least, inside the room, and no way of knowing where they were in there. Nevin gripped the sword in one hand and curled his other into a loose, empty hold - he could feel the veins of blood on his skin churning, ready to answer his call and burst forth again. He focused his gaze on Stare and nodded. He was ready to go when she was.

Stare
10-17-2017, 04:40 AM
She came to him, her brow furrowing low as she listened to the men. As she remained in the beginnings of her alertness, she shifted the chestpiece of armour from her belt and held it out to Nevin. There was a pause, then she shoved it into his hand with a nod, not quite thinking it was wise to really say anything. Instead they were to wait, to find out more what the beings inside her saying. Steadily her understanding grew.

Inside the room was the mage. Or at least the beast with enough power to remove a piece of divine magic from a follower of that god's wrist. By the sound of his words he had been experimenting with the cuff, but knew what it did and the force of power that laid behind it. Or rather, he has been "warned". By a "sponsor" she realised that there was clearly another behind this. A being who had called for her bounty, likely, the one who had told the mage about Vitruvion's powers. Did this other being know about his godhood? Surely that was impossible ... No one knew but her, Raevin and Ventrua. Unless someone had figured it out. The rumour of him being a half-celestial was supposed to cover that.

She waited until Nevin seemed ready, the dark red chestpiece now upon his body. It covered his torso well, and seemed in fact suited to him, that she was so surprised that it was not in the first place. Indeed, it would protect him from a last number of simple weapons, as would her mythril chainmail. From here, it would be dangerous. If they wanted answers, if she wanted the cuff - gods damned it was with the mage after all this time of searching, she was idiot - they needed to face the ones inside of that room.

She waited for him to be ready, and waited for herself to be ready. Carefully she reached down and unhooked the half helmet from her belt, daggers still in hands - and pushed it over her skull. It framed her upper beak and skull in a tarnished silver metal, leaving space for only her small nostrils and gleaming eyes to peer out of.

"I am ready," she whispered to herself.

Then she tensed her fingers around her weapons.

She placed a hand on the door.

And pushed it open to come face to face with her enemy.

A man standing with the darkest black aura, and black veins of power running hectic all over his body. Chakras chaotic, dark, jagged. A man in torment, but grinning, of chaotic, evil intent.

Nevin
10-17-2017, 11:02 AM
Nevin stared at his friend for a moment, then down at the armor in his hand, then back to her. Had she been caught trying to get a gift to him? Cobalt, that made him feel like an idiot if that was the case. He listened intently for a moment, but nothing else seemed to be happening in the room, so he awkwardly pulled the chestpiece on - it took a bit of work to get it on silently without putting the weapon down, but Nevin did not want to risk being unarmed if the occupants of the room suddenly decided to leave it. The armor hung a bit loosely on him - but not in a way that made it a poor fit, more that he was not quite as muscular as he should be to fill it out properly. This just reaffirmed his decision to seek out physical training.

"Hmm. Do we have any other prisoners than those two at the moment? No? Too bad, we can't experiment with this cuff more. No matter. My sponsor has informed me they will be ready to retrieve the crow soon - after that you can have your men take the redhead to Radasanth. You'll get your fees from that cultists there." A grunt, and Nevin tightened his grip on the sword so much he swore he heard the leather creak under his hand. It was a cultists that had been looking for him - now he needed to find out where in Radasanth they were, and if it was really a survivor. He had location now though, which was more than he could say before.

Nevin turned dark eyes to Stare - he would wait on her go, he'd heard what he needed to about this. She waited a few moments, then nodded. The Kenku led the charge into the chamber, smashing through the door with her hands in the hilts of her daggers. Her eyes scanned through the chamber and found the man who had just finished speaking, her cuff on the desk next to him. The mage sitting at the desk seemed to slump a bit before rising up, frantically scrabbling for his magic focus.

Nevin meanwhile was occupied with the other occupant of the room. He wasn't a burly man like the other hunters had been - this man was clearly more intellectual in nature. Not a mage, but maybe the head of the business who operated on his smarts and their brawn? In either case, he had been caught off guard by the door suddenly flying open, and had scrambled for a dagger on his belt as Nevin rushed him. Nevin's temporary weapon sunk into the flesh of the man's arm and he let out a cry of pain - and kicked Nevin hard in one knee. The blood mage fell, but kept ahold of his weapon, which meant that the edge of the sword dragged down the man's arm, carving off a strip of flesh.

Nevin twisted, rolling to the side as the man tried to kick him again, but not far enough. The man's kick connected with Nevin's stomach - and the man cried out in pain as his foot, clad only in a thin shoe, met the hard scales of the armor Nevin was now wearing.

Stare
10-17-2017, 04:57 PM
Immediately after throwing her stunning stare at the mage, catching herself a precious two seconds of time, Stare ran into the room, letting out a horrendous screech. It sound like a dying bird, mixed with the agonising, painful howl of a wold alone from its pack, but in truth was a noise that kenkus' made when they were faced with a dire foe. Swiftly, and flat out she ran, thankful now of the potion yet still not at her fastest. She caught a brief glimpse of another lackey - except this time more richly dressed - but left him, inviting his end to come at the hands of Nevin.

The blood mage had already proved himself capable of taking lives. What was one more?

Instead, her target was the mage in front of her, now coming out of the stupor she had sent him into with a glare of her burning hate. So full was it right now - hatred of these people here to the extent she did not care about their families' suffering after the end of this - that it had slammed into him with a force like a storm's wind. Now, as he was insteadily getting to his feet she launched at the desk, scrabbling to land on it with her two clawed feet.

"Fff-fuck, how did you-"

Lunging, she stabbed at him with both beak and knife, the fury plain in her eyes. As she did so he drew up a hand, pinching two fingers together as he did. Into the air formed a thin, golden stiletto knife, glinting between the pinched thumb and forefinger. When it came to full physicality he quickly dropped his hand and caught the hilt, a grin forming on his face as did, replacing the shock. Just as she dodged forwardwards he deftly knocked back her fight with his own blade, sparks appearing from it. Gold against white and black, they danced for a a fair few rapid beats, each seemingly as fast as desperate as the opponent, and equally as skilled. The mage was curiously well versed in knifeplay, for barely did she manage to touch him, and it took all of her weapons, including a swipe with a back foot to keep him from harming her.

"Bah!" he suddenly shouted, and she was flung across the room.

Slamming down five feet away into the floor Stare had barely any time to react before she saw him flying up in the air - yes, flying, not jumping - and head towards her. His other hand was swiftly drawing runes and she did not have to look into the aura world to be able to understand a demonic spell was being cast. Sucking in her breath she threw a powerful gaze at the hand he was drawing with, thinking of all the horrible things she had seen in life - and he screamed. His hand twitched, and curled inwards, useless for the next few moments as he heavily landed.

One foot on her stomach.

Crying out in pain she sliced at what flesh she could reach with her legs, and it was considerable - but the mage still held. His useless hand still curled limp at his side but he was baring down at her with the glinting golden knife. The knife seemingly with no edge that she knew would spell the end for her. Desperately she parried against it, but she was on the ground and he had her pinned. It would only be so little time before he managed to get through her defences. Once more she tried to throw her stare back at him - but the mage - well he suddenly closed his eyes. He grinned and kept on fighting, perfectly. Beautifully, smoothly.

Nevin
10-17-2017, 06:22 PM
Nevin rolled to his feet even as the ornately dressed man tested his weight on his injured foot, both men hissing in pain as they moved. The lackey had now had time to draw out his dagger, and Nevin still had his sword - but the bounty hunter was trained at least to some degree in using his weapon, and Nevin was not. But the man didn't know that - and he had already lost the use of one arm, hanging limply at his side with blood oozing and spurting from the long gash Nevin had inflicted on him. His eyes darted past the blood mage to the other fight and he grinned viciously.

Almost, almost Nevin turned to look - but he didn't have that luxury, if he looked away he would likely end up with a knife in his guts. No, he would deal with this bastard, and then figure out what he had been grinning at. That decided, Nevin rushed at him, moving to one side to force the man to turn on his hurt foot. The lackey scowled as he tried to turn to keep up with Nevin, but the redhead was not injured in his legs, so he was moving faster than the man could keep up.

Nevin suddenly jerked to the other side, and the man tried to turn to block - and Nevin swung, gripping the sword in both hands as he attacked. The lackey tried to bring his dagger up to block, but Nevin powered through the shoddy, impromptu defense, slicing another line in the man's torso. The man let out a bellow of pain and lashed out, trying to stab Nevin, but the Alchemist locked their blades together, sacrificing the sword to throw both blades away from their fight. The lackey stared at Nevin, stunned for half a second, before turning and lunging for his dagger or the sword -

But it wasn't fast enough, even as he tried to ignore the pain in his foot to move faster. Scarlet threads burst forth from Nevin's outstretched hand, coiling and twisting together into a deep red whip that writhed and squirmed in the air. With no motion from Nevin the whip snaked through the air, coiling around the man's leg, and Nevin jerked back, dragging the man backwards along the ground, his fingers scrabbling for purchase.

The lackey rolled over onto his back to try freeing himself from the sudden whip around his ankle - and let out a strangled scream at the sight of the threads squirming around Nevin's skin, the same threads that composed the whip that was currently making his leg burn in pain. His fingers dug at the red cord, but he learned the same thing the other victim had - the whip was easily as tough as steel, and fingers just could find no purchase to pull it free. Instead his fingers turned raw as the flesh on them was torn away.

"Wh-what are you?" The words escaped from disbelieving whips as Nevin dropped his other hand down, more red threads unclog from beneath his skin, forming another, shorter whip that went rigid. Nevin snarled.

"A Cobalt-taken monster." The short, stiff whip was driven into the soft tissue of the man's neck, coiling around his arm to strike when he tried to shield himself. A wet gurgle, and he went limp, blood leaking around the edges of the red coil in his neck. Nevin ripped the whip away and spun on his heel to see Stare finish her foe - or not. The mage was pressing a golden knife against her throat, a cruel smile curving his lips as he kept his eyes closed.

"I don't know how you escaped crow b***h, my master said his brother had no one close enough to help you." He was gloating, unaware of the results of his lackey's fight. "Reginald, worry about the corpse later. My sponsor wants this one alive, but he's fine with dead too - go check on the cell and see how these two fools escaped..... Reginald - Reginald answer me you misbegotten excuse for a bookkeeper." He twisted his head, opening his eyes to look - right into the furious, burnt red orbs of Nevin. "Oh, dear." Crimson red that had been quietly slithering over to him as he floated suddenly sprang up, coiling around the man's wrist, wrenching the hand holding the dagger away from Stare's throat. The other whip snapped up, coiling around his neck - and this time, the one around the neck was not 'hungry' and just choked the man as Nevin heaved him off of Stare, his muscles trembling as he pulled hard. The blood mage kept the whips on the unknown mage, keeping him pinned as he let Stare recover.

Stare
10-17-2017, 07:47 PM
"His brother ..."

The words rang through her head as she desperately struggled against the mage, her daggers seemingly doing nothing but keep her alive that little bit longer. It came to her that it was strange the mage was using a knife, rather than any more spells, yet maybe this was his way. As he forcefully turned his face away she tried another throw of pain to his ankle on her chest - but this time he seemed to be ready. Just the same as her knives were making no real effect on his feet and legs, it seemed that he was protected by magic. As she allowed an eye to slip into a view of auras she caught a glimpse of his body run with thousands of tiny black lines, but ones that were different from his general dark aura. Instead they were small sable sparks of power that gave the illusion of a suit of armour.

"His brother ..."

What did that mean? That his sponsor had a brother? That could be possible, but why would the mage say that? How could a brother of a sponsor she did not know have any intelligence on her or her cuff, or Vitruvion? What was this - some form of freak show?

It made her more determined to find answers. Furiously she resorted to shoving at he Mage's chest as he went on about how she could be fine dead. He was taking time out of attacking her to speak to his lackey. Taking the opportunity she stabbed against his chest but found the same useless ability - unable to cause any damage. His body sung from shoulders to ankles and wrists in hairlines of black webbing, as some form of magical armour.

Brother. What brother?

Suddenly though, then the mage was caught off guard. A thin black rope of crimson coiled around his neck, snapping around and closed and tight like a coiled snake. Wide eyes appeared on the mage's face, along with disbelief as he was suddenly and entirely yanked off her form.

Back he went, sprawling to the side, the whip grabbing and forcing him away from her, the entire movement taking less than a second. As the pressure was released from her chest Stare felt her lungs rush with lungs again. And she was spluttering, coughing, retching ...

She rolled over to the side, continuing to cough horribly.

"G-get kni-ecch knife from his hand!" She managed to hack out.

Vomit came from her stomach. Thick, awful and blundering. "Get it ..."

"Bah!" The mage attempted to yell a wave of force again, but one time was enough.

Rolling right over, still shaking, Stare shot him the darkest look she had. Shoving the worst of her anguish onto him she made him pause - then suddenly begin to scream in horror.

"Nightmare," she explained in a haunted whisper.

Nevin
10-17-2017, 08:16 PM
Nevin ripped the whip around the mage's wrist around in a circle, the hungry threads sawing, tearing at the armor that was criss-crossing his body. The blood-whip coiled over and over, continuously tearing as the man began to scream. As the black webbing the cracks in his armor spread, deepened, Nevin lifted the arm holding the wrist and smashed it down against the ground, over and over again. There was a strange sound, almost like glass shattering, as the armor protecting the mage's body broke around his arm, deep black lines spreading up his arm as another smash had the golden blade skitter from limp fingers. The mage's screams deepened as the whip around his wrist began to bite into his arm, tearing away at the flesh as blood began pouring out, strangely coating the whip and running along it towards Nevin's arm.

His face a rictus of rage, Nevin used his magic and his muscles, such as they were, to hoist the screaming mage up into the air, and shook him roughly. He kept up the pressure around the mage's neck, watching in grim satisfaction as those black cracks darkened, getting closer and closer to breaking as Nevin's whip tightened around him. The blood mage twisted his head around to look at his friend, and he banished the whip that had now ripped away flesh almost to the bone on the mage's arm. Nevin held out one hand towards Stare, offering to help her up as he kept the mage held in the air.

"I would say we should question this waste of blood, but I don't think he's going to be in any state of right mind to do so any time soon. Perhaps he has notes? He did seem to be writing when we came in here. Ah." His dark eyes, which had turned towards the mage's desk when he had mentioned that, noticed a key glinting on the table, half-buried under some papers. "I believe he's locked your cuff up - that might be the key on the table, there." A tilt of his head indicated it. Nevin shook the mage again, the man's body twisting in the air like a ragdoll hung from the neck.

Stare
10-18-2017, 01:25 PM
For a long time, all she could do was glare.

As she moved her body into a seated position, her chest rose and fells in great peaks and troughs. Like the formation of a mountainous landscape she sculpted swathes through the air, her small breasts actually noticeable for once beneath the mounds of feathers and chainmail. Underneath the hood of her long, tapered helmet she looked with dark, unmerciful eyes. Easing herself onto her backside, not willing herself to do anything more under the circumstances she raised her head up to watch the blood mage, struggle and suffer, the whip dangling him like a dying man on a noose.

Around his neck the physical signs of his armour breaking could be seen, black lines forming like spiderwebs. They appeared as they showed in her aura vision - the actual sense of his power visible here. Still he bore against it, still he survived. She reckoned he could go on for a fairly long period of time - very slowly suffocating to death.

Slowly, though, she looked over to her friend and saw him motioning to the desk. Moving her gaze over to there, but her eyes still as hateful as the day she had met Vitruvion, she spied the silver shine of the key he spoke of. Her breath was patient for a moment or two longer, slowly easing more air into her lungs and steadying her body. Still, slightly it shook, in the ends of her fingers and the remaining feathers at her tail. But, she found the courage and the energy now.

Therefore, with a great heave and a sigh expelling through her nostrils Stare staggered to her feet. Her body, worn and weary after five days of imprisonment and a near death fight, despite Nevin's health potion meanwhile, had its effects. Uncertain was she in her footing as she moved across the floor and grabbed the key from the desk, using the wooden slab of furniture as much of a crutch than anything.

"You missing anything?" she asked Nevin in a hoarse voice, as she searched for a hole to put the key into.

It did not take her long. With one clawed hand gripping tight onto the desk she eased herself down to come face to face with a bottom drawer set into it. There was a small hole there, and it fit the key well. A twist, and a series of clunks and a small flash - and the drawer opened. To reveal inside a metal-lined cupboard, with a cushion inside.

And on the cushion lay three objects. A small dragon-skin covered book, a tiny flask ... and a deep grey cuff.

Absolute relief flooded her, and she felt her life begin to fit together again. All those worries, all that pain - it was suddenly gone as happiness washed over her. A joy to not have to face Vitruivion's wrath, should she return to him. A far lesser chance of peculiar and cruel punishment.

Shoving her hand she took all three objects. Separating out the cuff she shoved it deep into the inside of her tunic, into an inside pouch where it could not ... should not go missing again. Pausing for a moment, she looked at the other two objects in her hand, and then looked back up to the demonic mage, her brow lowering once again.

"What did you mean by 'brother'?" she hissed.


thinking the book could have some demonic rituals in it or something, a way to contact his sponsor? and the flask ... I can change that to something else.

Nevin
10-18-2017, 02:01 PM
Nevin raised an eyebrow and shook his head slowly, though his gaze was locked on the small flask. Whatever was inside was positively crying out to his magic, a powerful crescendo that threatened to drown out his very thoughts. The blood inside came from. Nothing he realized, and it was potent - more potent than anything else he had ever encountered, not even his own blood or Stare's compared to the eldritch chorus that sang to him. It was difficult to pay attention to anything beyond the vial, even if he had been studying Stare as she stood up.

With a visible shake of his entire body, the blood mage twisted his gaze to the other mage. The man was still struggling, ignoring the question that came from Avis. Nevin thought that was rather impolite of the bastard, and shook the man's body roughly, forming more cracks in the armor around his neck. At this point the other mage was concentrating all of his protection there to keep the inexorably tightening whip from fully strangling him - though he wouldn't realize that Nevin had slowed down the inwards constriction when Stare asked the man a question.

Still the other man refused to answer, and Nevin let out a low growl of frustration. While they could wait here longer, that ran the risk of more hunters showing up and changing the situation. So they couldn't wait much longer - so Nevin decided to expedite the process and he walked closer to the man, grabbing his raw, bloody roster and jamming his own thumb under the jagged edge of the man's skin. He ignored the pain ed scream and stared up at the demonic mage.

"The longer you refuse to answer my friend, the worse it will be for you. I can drive the severe same threads under your skin from this close, and have them tear you apart from the inside out." normally the blood mage would be nowhere near this cruel or brutal - but these bastards had been holding his friend captive for days, manacled and blindfolded. To let the man speak Nevin withdrew his thumb from the wound, but held his empty hand up in the air, crimson threads weaving back and forth in a serpentine pattern.

The man looked to Stare, possibly seeking respite from the redhead, and whatever he saw in her eyes made him break. A dark stain spread across his pants, the acrid odor of urine permeating outwards from him. Fresh tears rolled down his cheeks. "M-m-my master -
a being approached my master, and asked for help in getting vengeance on his brother. Said.... Said his brother was reaching too far, interfering too much in mortal affairs." The mage's face drained of all color, his eyes suddenly locked on something. Nevin twisted his head around to see what he was looking at, but whatever had the man petrified in fear couldn't be seen by the blood mage. "No, no, I didn't mean to - I'm sorry, I - grck" There was a strange, muted cracking sound, and the mage went limp.

{Let me know if you want me to change this any}

Stare
10-18-2017, 03:02 PM
With blank, pitiless eyes, Stare watched the man suffer his last moments. Shaking and twisting he became less than what he had been, his ferocity and his vigour fading fast as he became the victim, the prisoner, the agonised.

As he gazed into the blank void, his eyes flashing with fear before he died, her heart raced with his confession. A "being" he said, "had approached my master." Not a man. Not a wizard. Not a king. A "being." By her experience Stare knew that people only used that word when they had a degree of unfamiliarity and confusion when identifying someone. When they didn't think that they were human. Or elf. Or whatever other race. Stare thought about the time she had first experienced Vitruvion's power. It had been sudden, forceful, and she had not been able to fight against him. Truly it had been strange and fearsome - terrifying.

Truly a "being," not a "man."

And then he said, "mortal affairs ..." and she knew.

A second after his neck snapped she ran over, a shriek running through her beak. Furiously she ripped off her helmet before grabbing his body and pulling it down to meet her.

"No, no, no," she yelled, "You do not go like that - with that! What do you mean his brother? What brother? He has no brother! What do you know? Who are you!"

Screeching, she shook him before her face, spitting on him as she did so. When his body simply flopped and he did not respond she glared over the corner that the mage himself had looked before he went. Where she highly suspected he had seen his demon patron.

"You give him back now!" She screamed. "You do not face me and then get away with that. He has no brother! Not here!"

But her shouts fell to silence. The only other person was deadly quiet and just staring at her. Meanwhile the only noise was the drip-drip of the dead mage's blood.

Vengeance. Reaching too far. Mortal affairs.

... Brother.

For in her heart she knew, that by 'he' the mage could only have meant Vitruvion.

Nevin
10-18-2017, 03:49 PM
Stare was... shaking. Nevin could see that, even as he looked at her as she screamed at the darkness in the corner of the room. Whatever the mage had let slip just then, it had gotten to her in a very potent way, and for the life of him Nevin couldn't tell of she was trembling in rage, or fear. She shrieked for answers, demanding to know, but whatever had been there, unseen, gave no reply to the Kenku woman.

Nevin filed the last words away. He wouldn't bring them up with her not now - but he would be thinking about them, turning them over on his head as he tried to figure out why exactly it was that his friend had panicked at them. But for now.. For now, he knelt down and picked up her helmet, then slowly walked over to her. One hand stretched out, hesitating for just a moment before he clasped her shoulder gently.

"Stare... Avis, we need to get out of here. If his sponsor, whatever it was, was watching and knows he died here - or killed him itself it seems -then it is sure to have sent reinforcements. We should b gone before they arrive." He stated into her eyes for a moment before pressing the half-mask into her hands, and swiftly gathered up the book and the vial. His skin shuddered at the contact with the book, and sang as his fingers closed around the flask. He would worry about replacing his broken and lost gear later, for now he tucked these into pouches on his belt and took Stare's hand, trying to lead her down the hall that exited from the other side of the room. Now that he could see it, Nevin realized that there was a faint trace of sea salt in the air - the exit would be down this way. He frowned to himself - no matter what, they would have had to face the mage it seemed.

Stare
10-18-2017, 05:25 PM
She did not resist as he took her hand. Instead she let the anger continue to consume her, filling her top to toe with direst hatred and frustration. Heart beating wildly she followed, knowing that right now she could conquer worlds with the amount of emotion she felt. But it felt good. They were her emotions. Indeed, she knew that truly she could let them go any time she liked with a series of reasonable and logical meanings ... But she did not want to.

Because Vitruvion had a brother. Here, on Althanas. And he had had her kidnapped, by a mage who had demonic gifts. Who had been granted power by a dark hellish being that had stolen his life when he had failed in keeping sane.

Vitruvion. Had. Another. Sibling.

But the question was - full god or half? Yes, he had been told by Ansaldo that he was the first one purely born from Ansaldo's essence, but with what they knew about the selfish, obsessive, cruel god he might have been lying all this time.

Beak held at an angle Stare surged forwards, her body near to collapsing state now. Held together with determination as she was she knew her excess energy could only last so far. But so focused was she that she climbed the weary last corridor and then a set of stone steps without much failing. The scent of the salt sea air hit her nose as it had done Nevin and memories of the Corone harbour came to her.

A small seaside village. Cobblestones and slate roofs. A curving street going down to the wooden jetties. A bright sun that stung their eyes as they blinked into it, coming up through the staircase, and through a final locked door that was so easy to open now.

So easy with the keys that they had stolen, the lives they had taken, and the suffering they had wrought. Practically, they had tortured a man. Practically, had she been tortured.

Stare staggered out of the doorway and out of the cells she had been in for five, long days. No sooner had they got out than her eyes washed over the view of the same harbour town she had begun in all that time earlier. But except now they were on a hill above it, overlooking it.

Suddenly she collapsed to the ground, her energy rushing away and a single phrase on her beak.

"... I am so sorry."

Nevin
10-18-2017, 06:20 PM
Nevin had been growing more concerned with Stare by the minute - from what he knew of her, shutting down like this could not be good. She had gone from trembling with some emotion to utterly silent, barely holding onto her mask with one hand and not even resisting slightly as he pulled/guided her down the corridor. The blood mage had to let her go to work open the door, throwing his weight against it, and he tumbled out into the bright sunshine, good eye stinging as it adjusted to the sudden light.

With a grunt of effort he forced himself back to his feet - the adrenaline was leaving his body now, and all the aches and pains he had accumulated during their escape were coming back to him. Still, they weren't safe yet, so he turned back to Stare - just in time to see his friend collapse like a puppet with their strings cut, whispering an apology. Alarm shot through him, forcing the pain back down as he rushed over to her.

She was, at best, half-conscious. One eye seemed to focus on him for a moment as he grabbed her mask from the ground and shoved it onto his belt, but the orb had closed by the time he carefully took one arm and levered it over his shoulders. It took two tries for him to stand up, as the first time he tried his ribs cried out and sent a burning wave of pain through him.

But onto his feet he made it. As he got her up, Nevin realized the problem inherent with his initial hold - she was short enough that trying to walk with her arm over his shoulders would just end up hurting her. For a moment he wanted to curse, but they didn't have the luxury of time.

So as she hung there, drained and exhausted, he moved around and scooped her up into his arms. She seemed so small and light as he held her up, and thin cords of red wove together under her body, a supporting network that ran between his arms.a tentative step, and she didn't seem rlto react - so he began walking down the hill, doing his best to follow the path.

The first warning he had was shrill, high, frantic flute notes that pierced through the sky, ringing discordantly as their origin hurtled out of the blue towards him. Nevin had only a moment to brace himself, before there was a loud popping sound and a rush of air washed over the two. Pounds of corvid crashed onto Nevin's shoulder, claws scrabbling for a moment to find purchase on the smooth crimson drakescales he now wore. Worried flutes trilled of toy as Aphrael checked him over, louder notes escaping her she she found the injuries on his face. The concerned, frightened bird broke off her chastisement and worry in a funny, confused twirl of notes as she noticed that her human was carrying someone. For a moment her crimson eyes scanned over the slumped form in Nevin's arms, before she snapped her head around, accusatory flourishes filling the air.

"Wha- what? No! No I am not replacing you with her you silly bird! She's my friend and she's injured. No I will not put her down, she can't stand on her own and we need to get away from here." The low, suspicious piping of flutes trailed off into confusion, then alarmed trilling. "Yes, that's right.
Away from the people who captured us and hurt us. We got some of them but I doubt we got them all." As he argued with the crow on his shoulder, Nevin started walking again, looking worriedly down at the Kenku in his arms, making sure she was still breathing, even if she didn't seem to be registering what was happening.

They must have made an odd sight as they stumbled into town, one human with a Crow-woman in his arms, and am overgrown crow on his shoulders, because all of the villagers gave him a wide birth as he staggered along the streets. At this point he didn't know what on earth he was looking for - the exit from this place? He didn't trust the guards, not in a village this close to their former captors. Still, his feet carried him onwards, precious cargo cradled against his chest, until -

"Who are you, and where are you going with her?" A distrustful, authoritative voice cut through the fog of pain that had descended over Nevin. The alchemist tried to focus on the speaker, but his unswollen eye was swimming in and out of focus. "Wait. Red hair? Are you the one -" whatever the man was saying was lost to Nevin, as with a shrill cry of panicked flutes ringing in his ears he fell to one knee, managing to twist himself round to protect Stare from the ground as he fell.

"Can't say I was expecting that answer."

Stare
10-18-2017, 08:09 PM
Brown, luscious locks. Pointed, angled ears. Sharp, green eyes. A look so direct and immediate it could have caused harm.

Had he wanted to.

As Stare struggled against the warm, inviting arms of unconsciousness the new man moved to one knee and pushed Nevin's limp body aside. Pushing his arms around her chest and irnoring Nevin's mutterings of contestation he tugged her close, her legs dragging along the ground. Pulling her to the side he lay her shivering form over his knee, his keen eyes inspecting her with avid passion, before he tilted his head up and stared at Nevin.

"What happened?" He demanded. But the young man seemed no more able to give answer than her. For a moment the elf - for her was an elf, and his name was Raevin, son of Ralaer - glared, but then he let out a slow, long sigh and began to stand up. Gently he pulled the kenku into his arms and glanced around until he found a useful looking townsperson. Gesturing over he offered a large reward and pointed between Nevin and a nearby inn, just across the road.

---

Several long moments later and Stare gasped, warmth touching her body. Eyes staring around she tried to perceive was was going on around her at the same time as comprehending what had happened. The stone staircase - thy had climbed it. Then, half dragging her Nevin had struggled through the streets of the harbour town as a ... Did she remember a crow? Fluttering around. Just fluttering, calling, shouting. And then -

Gasping, she sat up and immediately regretted it. Blood and dizziness swam to her head, and she began to let out a long, pained groan.

Strong arms caught her. Powerful ones that she knew fairly well.

"Hey, hey," Raevin's voice came quietly to her ear. "Hey, Stare. Everything is going to be alright."

Stare swallowed hard and groaned more. "Nevin ..." She mumbled, "He ..."

"He is right over there," Raevin said quietly, glancing over to a warm fire where Nevin was likewise placed in a chair like the one she realised she was in. All comfy and cushions and warmth, snuggled up in a small room that looked like a classic one from an inn. "... You have a lot of explaining to do, Stare," he told her.

"Ugh," she closed her eyes slowly and spoke with disgust. "You do too. Stupid, taking away my chances of running. I thought about it you know. I could have just ..."

"Gone? Yeah he wouldn't let you," the elf smiled warmly and pushed her back against the cushions as sleep threatened her. "You should know that by now."


Guess we could finish it soon. Maybe a conversation with Nev and Rae?

Nevin
10-18-2017, 08:28 PM
Nevin stirred to the sound of voices - Avis', irritated and upset - running away from someone? The other was the man who'd stopped them in the streets - and the redhead shot bolt upright, his eyes frantically scanning the place he was in. Stare was leaning back in a chair, an Elf sitting in front of her. Not, he realized, Elthas, didn't quite look like the same race even. Differing races of Elves? Nevin's head throbbed, and he held one hand against the side of it, groaning. His immediate panic had died down, as he realized that Stare didn't seem concerned, and actually seemed comfortable in the situation.

That was... a great relief. That meant that she knew this man, since the Kenku did not seem like the type who would relax except around friends. The blood mage sat back in the chair and slowly rubbed his forehead, careful not to touch the swelling around his right eye. They were safe, and Stare looked like she was sleeping more normally now, instead of the utterly exhausted state that she had been in before. While watching the unknown Elf, who was smiling softly at her, Nevin reached out through his bond to check on Aphrael - who was currently on the roof of the building they were in. She had been dozing, but now that she knew he was awake feelings of concern flooded their bond. He tried to reassure her as he raised one eyebrow at the unknown man.

"I... take it... you're not.. Vitruvion." Nevin's statement came out as a croak, and he realized that his throat was raw and ragged at the moment. He frowned and massaged his neck - figuring out then that he was still in the scale armor that Stare had given him. He swallowed and tried again. "I don't think... she'd be that calm talking to him." As he spoke his voice regained strength as he gathered his bearings. "My name is Nevin.
Thank you for... well, I assume for not leaving me in the street, at the very least.




Sure! I think we're about ready to wrap it up lol.

Stare
10-19-2017, 02:35 AM
Raevin looked at the man as he spoke, turning on his feet. From the crouched position he was in he ended up sitting back, sideways on to Stare, facing Nevin. He kept a hand carefully on Stare's lap that, though it might have looked it was for comfort was truly showing her that her life with Vitruvion was not over.

"You would know if I was Sir Elssmith, trust me," he began.

"You must be Nevin," the warm voice said. And he offered a smile. "My name is Raevin, Captain of Lord Vitruvion Elssmith's guard. Our employer sent me over to find this one," he gestured at Stare, "When he could not sense her anymore."

He glanced up at her. "He is worried about you."

"Pah," Stare spoke in a thick, still slurred tone. "He's just wanting back his prop-" she paused, realising she still had not told Nevin what Vitruvion had done concerning her and her person. Tying her to the only city capable of making an internationally recognised slave. "He must be at a loose end without either of us there."

"Well you know that was for your own safety. He told you himself," his eyes went back to Nevin. "Stare and I are ... We'll have become the two vital cogs in Sir Elssmith's machine. I have to take her back home. I hope you aren't going to give me any trouble?"

He looked serious. "Though I will warn you also, while we have this silence away from him. Our employer is intrigued by you. Just make sure he doesn't collect you too. He has a tendancy for collecting ... People. Though he does pay well."

Eyes glancing between the two of them he went on:

"So you were what ... Prisoners by the state of what I've been able to clean up. Obviously with power because they took off the cuff. That isn't good."

He paused, "Is there anywhere we can drop you off before I take Stare home?"

Nevin
10-19-2017, 08:12 AM
Nevin stared at the two for a few moments, his side aching, as he pondered what Raevin had said - and what Stare had tried to cover up. He already knew who, or perhaps at this point more properly what, her Master was, he considered people his possessions, go do with as he pleased. "I... Thank you for the warning, Sir Captain. And for the offer."

And truthfully, the idea of an escort, of traveling in guaranteed safety, and with Stare, to Raeriea, was tempting. But... "Unfortunately our temporary, unpleasant, hosts let slip something that I need to look into here in Corone." Nevin pushed himself to his feet, wincing as his cracked ribs protested the motion.he walked over to the window and opened it, letting Aphrael into the room. She settled onto his shoulder, thrilling softly, faint flute notes that filled the room as she stroked and presented his hair. Some of the tension in Nevin's form drained out as he reached uo and petted the bird's head. He seemed to reach a decision and looked over to the two of them.

"This rather unfortunate event has shown me that I can't keep relying on only my Alchemy and my magic. Do either of you know someone who can train me to fight? Preferably," he added with a twist to his lips, "someone who isn't beholden to your... Shall we say patron?"

Stare
10-19-2017, 12:29 PM
Raevin flickered a small smile to Nevin as he finished. He sat back against Stare's seat, his chest rising up and down before he answered. Eyes flickering around the room he drank in their environment before responding.

"Call me Raevin. Many do. Aside from my father, but he is yet another great man I aim to please."

Slowly he removed his hand from Stare's lap, trusting that Nevin was not going to cause him any bother right now. Though he remained tense a vein of respect came to him for the blood mage, born from what Stare had told him, to what he was experiencing now.

"And call him Vitruvion if you want a name. Stare here does," he waved a hand at her. "Though why you continue to bother to annoy me is beyond him."

"He's a dickhead," was her answer.

Raevin paused, and frowned, but went on. "As to a request for someone to fight for you ... There is an associate of ours in Corone I believe."

Glancing up to Stare he asked, "Your faun friend."

Stare looked at him a while and then thought about it. "What? Philomel?" She blinked, and then actually thought about it. "Well yeah, she's pretty good at teaching fighting. Though she is associated with us."

She looked straight at Nevin. "One of Vitruvion's idiot brothers from the Hollow decided to capture her and make her his. A huge mistake, she has a billion powerful friends and has her own, though small army." A brief shine came to her eye. "She has a dragon."

"Yeah you said it couldn't fly."

"But it's still a bloody dragon!" Stare glared at Raevin, then went back to the blood mage. "Anyway ask any decent brothel in Radasanth and say a friend of the half-celestial sent you. They'll get your meaning and get a message to her."

Nevin
10-19-2017, 12:52 PM
Nevin nodded slowly, looking back and forth between the two of them. He bowed slowly to Raevin, then stepped over to Stare. "I should head out. Thank you both - and Stare, please stay safe. I look forward to meeting you again in better circumstances. I wish I could stay longer, or travel with you two - but I've a hunt to work on myself now. Safe travels to you both." Aphrael trilled, flute notes that trailed off expectantly as Nevin gathered up the few things of his that had fallen from his belt - pausing slightly as he looked at the flask and the book that they had taken from the mage. He turned a curious eye towards Stare and Raevin, and picked up the flask.

"Either of you particularly mind if I take this?" He didn't think Stare would, but didn't know if Raevin would follow her lead on it or not. The two of them shook their heads, and Stare picked up the book, turning it back and forth in her hands.

"We'll take this for now and send it on to you later. Don't worry, we'll figure out where you are so it doesn't just end up sitting in Stonevale unguarded if you aren't there." Nevin sent her a warm smile and slipped out, tucking the flask into a pocket as the door closed behind him.

~Fin~

Breaker
10-21-2017, 05:21 AM
Thread Title: A Hunting We Shall Go
Participants: Nevin and Stare
Judgment Type: No Judgment

Nevin receives 2097 EXP and 217 GP, as well as his requested spoils: Flask of Tainted Water, Demonic Text
Stare receives 2420 EXP and 217 GP

Congratulations!

Breaker
10-21-2017, 05:23 AM
All rewards added.