Operation Magpie (closed)

[Doomsday]

Jineh walked through the near darkness that was dispelled only by a flickering orange light that gave just enough light to keep one from falling into one of the various boxes of bolts, nuts, screws, tools or wires. "This looks like the place, but where is he?"

"Hmm?" the voice echoed and the orange light was overwhelmed by a bright light shining in the poor cat girl's face. "Sorry miss kitty cat, I don't give out milk when I'm working, come back later."

"But, but I came, you said that your labs for rent."

"Oh, why didn't you say so or at least were too vague. 500 gold an hour of work with unlimited use of tools and parts... 450 if you kiss me."

Jineh felt pale though not from the scandalous from the small bearded man that was even shorter than she was or that he expected her to kiss the face covered in clock grease but the fact that even with the kiss she couldn't afford to use the labs, an hour wasn't long enough at all. "Err... what about a good kiss."

"400 if the kiss is good." The little man smiled wide, showing that his mouth was rather clean.

"That's still a little much, I only have 200." Jineh smiled with blush thinking that she really would rather not kiss a stranger for a discount, it wasn't right for a priestess to act in such a way.

"Then go away, I have to make some money." The little man pushed up his goggles to loose an evil glare and then put them down to get back to work.

Jineh shivered slightly as her tail wrapped around her leg. "Please..."

"Well you could do me a favor. I doubt a cute little thing like you is cunning enough but if you sneak into the competition and get me something of interest, maybe something that hints of black sorcery then I'll let you use my lab for just a sweet smile." The gnome laughed as he showed an add for an alchemist shop and lab. "this is the guy and here's his address, don't get caught."

Miss Doomsday's heart raced as she thought about what she was doing was theft.

"I know you're thinking I'm asking you to steal and it's wrong, but what's more wrong, you moonlighting as a thieve or this man stealing souls to power his dark arts and sell to the unsuspecting masses. I just need some proof and this place is yours for whatever work you have or even if you have some one special to tie you up for more realistic play."

"nonono! I just have some work to do." Jineh blushed and took the paper.

~

"This is the place." Jineh said looking over her shoulder at Arachne who was sitting on the wall behind her.

"Madam, I think you are foolish for even considering doing this."

The kitty looked up at the building and was about to agree, for the place was big and intimidating old red stone. It wasn't the biggest but it was still a big spire and there was probably some underground lab. Still the sign reading 'Lak's Alchemy' had some odd symbols that sent shivers down her spine and the girl didn't know what was causing it.

"I have to. you need a tune up and I really need to make something." Jineh stepped forward and froze. "I'm just scared."

"My lady but pardon me when I say that you should be scared."

[BlackAndBlueEyes]

If there's one thing I like about working at a library, I get access to the restricted area. Tucked away in the corner of this particular Radasanthian library lies a small room locked behind a door with a "no entry" sign taped onto it. You needed a damn good reason and special permission from the head librarian in order to even see the room. Curiosity was the only cause I needed, so one day while the plump woman was taking a nap in her office, I slipped in and relieved her of the keys. I had a copy of that door's key made and returned the original set. That dumb bitch never suspected a thing.

Many times since then I entered that room and browsed through the selection. As I suspected, the shelves were packed from floor to ceiling with books about chemistry, the supernatural, the arcane, and everything else that might not be considered good summer reading. I lightly touched the leather-bound volumes, my eyes darting back and forth, looking for a title that caught my eye. Advanced Chemistry. Yes, this one looks good.

I spent the better part of the next two days tearing through the pages as I sat behind the librarian's desk. There were heavily detailed formulas and directions for creating a buttload of potions and powders in here--healing gels, tasteless and odorless poisons, general medicine, and the like. There was one name that popped up quite a bit in that book: Lak. Supposedly Lak was a great alchemist, credited with creating some of the formulas for the more dangerous substances in this book. For a while, I began tossing around the idea of meeting this person; his knowledge could help me out as an assassin. The more options I have to deal death with, the better. The library at the Dirks Estate can only teach me so much.

So, it was time for me to broaden my horizons a bit.

I did a little research on Lak, discovering that he had a lab set up right here in town. Everyone I asked was a bit reluctant on giving me information, however. Something about rumors involving darker arts such as soul stealing in order to fuel his work. I shrugged it off--I wasn't going there to do a term paper on the guy, I just wanted to study some more of his successes, maybe even relieve him of a volume or two of stuff I could use.

Not knowing how long it would take me, I merely told the head librarian that I needed sudden time off to go back to the Pagoda in Scara Brae to answer a challenge. I flashed her the old parchment notice I kept in my satchel from my fight with Elias Sid. Luckily for me, she fell for it, and wished me good luck in my fight. It felt strange, being a Warrior in the Dajas Pagoda and spending my free time couped up in a library instead of hanging out in Scara Brae with the rest of the hierarchy. No one would suspect that the scrawny girl in the black blouse top and blue jeans that signed out books for faithful patrons was considered one of the ten best warriors in Althanas.

I exited the library, instantly greeted by the midday sun as it traveled in its arc over Corone. The streets were busy as usual, the throngs of people snaking around each other as they made their way through. I pulled out a crumpled piece of paper with the address to Lak's place. It wasn't terribly far away, perhaps an hour walk at the most.

The building itself was a little ominous--it was constructed of a blood red stone, and had a spire that reached far above the surrounding buildings. Above the door sat a sign that read "Lak's Alchemy" and had a few strange symbols carved into the rotting wood underneath. Something about this place sent a shiver down my spine. Were the rumors of dark arts true? I shrugged it off; how Lak did his thing wasn't any of my business, it was what he's done so far that I was after.

Leaning up against a nearby building was a girl who seemed to be equally as intrigued by the building. She had a flowing head of dark blue hair with cat ears sticking out of the sides, and was wearing a modest set of robes that had a few runes embroidered into them. She was about as skinny as I am, maybe a little more so. Her emerald eyes were locked onto the looming red spire, and appeared to be talking to a oddly-shaped spider that sat on the nearby wall.

Weirdo.

I looked back at the building. I couldn't see any signs of life through the pitch-black windows. Was Lak even there? Perhaps he was just hiding out in a back room, working on a new formula or something. I stared at the door for a few seconds longer, before turning to the cat girl who seemed to be enchanted by the place. "Hey. Do you know if Lak is here or not?"

[Doomsday]

Courage, just a little bit. That's all Jineh needed or wanted in order to enter that door to see the dark mysteries that lie beyond and to find her needed evidence. What would the evidence look like? This was going to be tough.

The kitty girl looked to Arachne again who didn't say anything and stood still but someone else came and was interested in Lak as well as she watched the place though the look she gave Jineh was one of contempt that the felin received humans fairly often but at least she did talk to the kitten.

"I'm not really sure. I kinda have to get in there." Jineh said as she flushed and scratched her ear. "I need something from in there. A potion..." The girl paused to consider her lie. "For well um..." The girl was a horrid liar from the way she stuttered. The woman that addressed her seemed to be the type of girl that would be up Lak's Alley as she looked like a dark sorceress and that made Jineh even more nervous. Didn't the user of dark magic use cat tails as an ingredient for a curse of impotence? Jineh really didn't want that to happen.

"Fleas." Arachne said. "Miss Jineh slept in a cheap bed at an inn and caught fleas."

"Arachne!" Jineh yelled as she tossed a stone at the metal spider. "I don't have fleas! I don't!" She looked at the woman and blushed. "Really I don't, I bathe every day, he's lying." Jineh folded her ears and went to the door and turned it, for the door wasn't locked.

Once inside, Jineh wasn't so flushed as she was taken with curiosity. The main shop was something strange and wonderful, not the supper happy meaning of the word but just a bit of strangeness that makes one wonder. The shop smelled of cinnamon hiding rather unpleasant smells with a ton of jars with all kinds of plants and body parts. The evidence wouldn't be there sadly, too obvious and the guard would have dragged him off by then. Still Lak was no where to be found.

[BlackAndBlueEyes]

I couldn't help but to stare at the cat girl as she fumbled around, trying to piece together words to make a coherent thought. She looked very confused, very out of sorts and unsure of herself as to why she was at Lak's to begin with. I never really did like the big city of Radasanth; too many strange people here. Her spider-thing companion chimed in, only serving to unnerve her further. A small smile crossed my blackened lips as the cat girl shouted at the thing. Strange, yes, but slightly amusing.

I silently followed the girl into the store. As I soaked in my new surroundings, a small nagging doubt formed in the back of my mind. On every shelf, in every nook and cranny sat a variety of plants, knick knacks, and, disturbingly enough, glass jars containing dead animals and body parts. My spine chilled as I noted those last few things--there was no telling what I was getting myself into. A thing layer of dust covered everything. Despite the hour, very little sunlight made its way through the stained glass windows, giving the inside of the shop a dark amber hue.

Each footstep seemed to echo as I slowly made my way around the shop, my lip curling slightly in disgust. In particular, I stopped at one jar filled with a cloudy liquid. Suspended inside was some unidentifiable mass of tissue--who knows where it came from, how it came into the owner's possession, or why he has it. I decided to write it off as a part of his alchemic experiments to ease my troubled mind.

I looked over at the cat girl, who seemed to be soaking in the sights just as much as I was. Her ears twitched with curiosity as her bright green eyes darted from one shelf to the next.

But, all I was really interested in was the alchemist's research. I cupped my hands and shouted, "Hey, is anyone here?"