Scion of the Dragon
Zanders frowns, a twine of annoyance touching his face. It wasn't overly like The Rich One to be so cryptic. He was not a trickster, he was a King- he spoke as he meant and meant as he spoke. On the other hand....This wasn't the first time he heard of troubling brewing in the distant north- ghosts of every kind had started to move form their haunts, risking the dangers of the sunlight to flee some grim threat. There where a hundred different a stories and thousand different rumors, passed from shade to shade, that reached him. Something had them all afraid. Something was disturbing the dead.
Of course, there was also the war on- but that was a problem for the warm bodies.
Carefully considering Zanders starts to pace, circling the shade. This could be The Rich One- or even the Iron Queen, it was Winter after all, and he answered to her almost as much as his King. Subtly was more her style a well- acting where her husband could or would not. In someone threatened the order of life and death, the threatened the Underworld, and if The Rich One did not wish to or could not move openly, moving his champion in secret might be something he or his wife would do.
But...something didn't sit right.
"Why should I trust you when you hide so much from me?" He asked coldly, running a nail down the side of his pomegranate.
"You are never taller then when standing up for yourself"
"All will be explained soon, Voice of Hades. You must have questions, but I cannot answer them. I must wait for someone."
"Of course you are, little one. That is why you speak the tongue of the Tuatha Dé Danann and the mortals who surround them in the lands of the Rumpeltiltskin, Winter King, and Alf-folk. That is why you are unfazed at the prospect of standing in front of a goblin." There was disappointment in Doc's voice. "If you mean to lie, faeling, make a more convincing story."
Grim nodded at Karl, still with that wolfish grin on his face. He handed the shapeshifter a card.
"Tear this, and I will appear. Though, if you would have it, I would give you a piece of advice before you begin."
Still not embarrassing enough to stan billionaires or tech companies.
Karl took the card and placed it very delicately inside of his cigarette case so as to avoid damaging it for the moment. He avoided eye contact with Grim and replied in a tone much steadier and more confident than he felt, "Of course. I'll hear your advice."
Scion of the Dragon
Zanders fought down his annoyance and inhaled sharply. He could defeat the spirit if need be- and he was no one's puppet, but one God's servant. He did not enjoy being jerked around like this.
But, on the other, if he didn't find out the why and the who of this, it would be a pointless endeavor. And if it was The Rich One, it would be a failure and a shame. Nothing to do then, but wait.
"You are never taller then when standing up for yourself"
Keep Hope Alive
Jack eyed the Wardens with no small amount of caution. He saw one of them prepare to draw his sword. It seemed their guide knew them but it wouldn't pay not to be cautious. Jack made sure his pistol was in full view of the Wardens but didn't draw it.
He'd been training with it since he could hold a gun, he could draw and start shooting in a few heartbeats. But hopefully it wouldn't come to that. Instead, Jack cleared his throat and said, "Greetings, Warden Walter," Jack took off his hat(Not his enchanted baseball cap but a regular dress hat) and nodded at the female Warden, "Warden Weaver"
"I am Wizard Clark and this is Wizard Williams. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance," Jack finally wrinkled his nose at the stench and noted the dust gathering, "Let me clear the air here and we can talk like civilized people" It took Jack a fraction of a second to gather himself and he spread his staff around the air muttering " Nebulo " He'd used this spell countless times and it should clear the air of the worst of the stench and must around most of the mill. Hopefully he wouldn't embarrass himself in front of the Wardens.
edited 27th Aug '13 6:04:34 PM by Mr.Didact
Stand Fast, Stand Strong, Stand Together
"The next spellslinger you parley with may not be as lenient as me when it comes to making promises, nor will he be partial to swearing anything on his power. He may very well either reject you, or, if he is like me, decide you're more trouble than you're worth if you've obtained sensitive information."
He winked at Karl. His one eye turned a bright, icy sky blue while the other remained a dull, grey color.
"One only has as much power as one has foresight, after all. And some see better than others."
He rose from his seat abruptly and bowed his head at Karl. "Good day, 'Karl Nacht.'" Then he walked out of the café and simply...disappeared into the crowds of people outside.
"I apologize for the rather unregal surroundings, Voice of Hades. I'm afraid I was somewhat delayed."
The man now stood behind Zander, looking much the same he did at the café. He gave the Voice of Hades his most disarming smile.
"I'm sure you have questions. Ask away."
Rhian grinned. "Did a colonial just imply he was 'civilized'? That's novel."
edited 27th Aug '13 12:54:55 PM by math792d
Still not embarrassing enough to stan billionaires or tech companies.
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
Anton smirked slightly "Barely approaching two centuries as a country and now they think they are the center of western culture. How adorable."
He then raised his hand calmingly. "No offense meant."
"You can reply to this Message!"
Karl payed for the meal and left shortly afterwards. He smoked his cigarette on the way back to the inn he was staying at and tried to calm down. The shapeshifter was involved in something big and was working for someone he neither understood nor trusted. Then he foolishly tried making what seemed like a clever move and possibly angered a very powerful being. When Karl reached his room, he immediately broke out a bottle of whiskey and drank straight from the bottle. A little drink might settle his nerves. He then paced the room, planning his next move. After several minutes, he had made the decision to do the job quickly and never speak of Grim again to anyone.
Karl shifted into a new form. A few minutes later, the transformation was complete. Before he had been an elderly man, stooped and somewhat amiable-looking. Now he was a tall, thin, slightly disheveled man. He wore a faded brown suit and a noticeably mismatched grey hat with a pair of large spectacles. The new form was middle-aged and balding, his brown hair just starting to go grey and he wore a mildly bewildered expression. Karl felt it a good physical representation of an absent-minded scholar with an academic interest in the book.
He took a deep breath, holstered his Peacemakers under the jacket, and filled several pockets with ammunition. The shotgun would be too difficult to conceal, so he left it in his room. Normally Karl didn't like going armed unless he knew a fight was coming, but this job had him spooked. The risk of being defenseless outweighed the risk of the guns being found. Karl left his room and headed for the store to begin his search.
edited 27th Aug '13 3:40:44 PM by Millardkillmoore
Combat mode, engage
James felt a small smile cross his face. "Alright people, enough teasing the colonial. How about we open up these orders and see what we're doing here." He said, holding up the envelope as he did
-dramatic music ensues-
"There aren't any such things as Fae! Last I checked, I was still bloody human."
She tells the goblin with a certain amount of heat, none of it feigned.
edited 27th Aug '13 4:49:40 PM by SixthSaint
Josiah cocked a brow at Doc and gestured with an upward palm at the woman, as if to tell the goblin, Really?
Keep Hope Alive
Jack grinned good-naturedly, and held a hand near his ear, "What's that? I can't hear you over the sound of my Freedom" He chuckled slightly but composed himself when James presented the envelope. He hoped his swallow wasn't audible, "Let's get to it then."
Stand Fast, Stand Strong, Stand Together
Scion of the Dragon
Zanders considers the man for a long moment, as if slowly working himself to a conclusion. Then speaks.
"No." He says flatly, standing, arms crossed. "The answer is no, to the question you haven't asked."
edited 27th Aug '13 8:06:41 PM by LMage
"You are never taller then when standing up for yourself"
Doc raised an eyebrow. “An unaware faeling? We must remedy this state of affairs." He approached Maggie with a callous disregard for the concept of personal space.
"Be that as it may," the figure said, sitting himself in front of Zander, "you're probably curious why you're here. And the look on your face tells me you just might have figured something out." He grinned.
The envelope contained a few images of the factory inside the city, as well as a blurry, unfocused picture of a man in a uniform that none of them recognized.
"This man is one of Heinrich Kemmler's apprentices, stationed here in München and responsible both for the factory's operations and for maintaining Kemmler's relations with the other supernatural factions in this part of Germany. His elimination would not only serve to dismantle the factory, removing pressure from the Wardens currently fighting the war, but would also allow us to loosen the reins on the other supernatural factions. Some of them may even decide Kemmler is more trouble than he's worth and help us eliminate him and his ilk."
"As far as we're aware, anyone who walks into the factory does not come out, besides a few workers who leave every morning at 6:00 and come back around 12:00. We don't know what they're collecting or where from, but we -can- determine that the place reeks of black magic. If you can, destroy the structure itself." Rhian was studying that passage particularly intensely, but her concentration faded with the sentence after. "However, eliminating the Kemmlerite comes first. He has in his possession a book on the Gjallerhorn that an associate of the Council wants retrieved, but this is a secondary priority as well."
"The exact size and makeup of the Kemmlerite's forces are unknown. You have permission to make allies of your own if you find your current numbers insufficient for the task. Good luck."
"A.Luccio."
edited 27th Aug '13 11:24:47 PM by math792d
Still not embarrassing enough to stan billionaires or tech companies.
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
"Well. Sounds doable." Anton said calmly.
"You can reply to this Message!"
Josiah rolled his eyes, rather thinking she was just in denial.
Maggie eyed the creature coming towards her with a degree of nervousness.
"Um, wot r'ye gonna do to me?"
Scion of the Dragon
Remains standing. "I know everything I need to know." He says coldly. "Let's fallow this through logically shall we? You have the power to steal me from my bed in the dead of night and bring me across half the world at your pleasure, you certainly have the power to kill me, but you haven't yet- which indicates that you need me for something." He digs one of his sharp jagged nails into the skin of the pomegranate, drawing juice. "Y Ou are not affiliated with or in connection with my King, if you where he would have simply contacted me with the usual measures to give me my mission. This means that you are either another of the Olympians-" A glance up and down. "Which is a possibility. Or you are another pagan deity or entitiy. If the first, that means you are attempting to make me a pawn in the middle of your games of pleasure and power- to which the answer is no, my King has made clear that he is apart from your petty struggles and has no desire but to be left alone in his domain with his court." He traced the finger down the side opening up a slit along the red skin. "If the later- that means one of two things. That you are either a entity or the representative of a group with enough power to actively risk such a drastic insult to The Rich One without fear of retaliation, or that you are desperate enough to risk such retaliation at of the hope that I might assist you in whatever is that troubles your domain."
He sits, pulling out a single ruby like seed and popping it into his mouth. "I shall assume that you are not a Greek- if you are powerful enough to steal me without fear or retribution, then you are powerful enough to acquire your own servants to deal with your problems- so the answer is no, I will not help you, I instead accept my position as prisoner in this conflict and will await either my rescue or my successful escape. If you are merely desperate, the answer remains no- unless you can produce a reason I should trust someone who kidnaps me, locks me in with a Shade, and dose not even have the manners to give me the Guest's Gift, as is custom among my people." He digs deeper, pulling out a few more glittering seeds and hands them to the man.
"Pomegranate seed?" He offered politely.
edited 28th Aug '13 9:20:32 AM by LMage
"You are never taller then when standing up for yourself"
Cephalopod Lothario
The bear kicked, and Zahir moved to the side-not quite fast enough. He hadn't been expecting that. Stupid. Why should a man wearing the form of a bear fight like a bear? The kick caught him, sent him staggering backwards, almost falling over a branch.
Time for a new tactic. Bear's quicker than he should be, but still not agile.
He continues his backward movement, moving to put a treetrunk between the bear and him, tossing the knife at the creature at the same time. Little more than an annoyance, likely...but it would get it's attention. He readies his sword, drawing another small throwing knife, and calls out to the creature, voice soft and even.
"Who sent you?"
edited 28th Aug '13 9:28:17 AM by DrTentacles
The man grinned at Zander.
"You are partially correct. I do owe you a gift, as befitting of your status."
He held up the palm of his hand. Inside was a smooth, polished stone, inscribed with a symbol Zander did not, at least immediately, recognize. However, he could feel that it had its own power, and holding it in his hand was like his fingers holding onto an insulated power line.
"However, there is one assumption in your hypothesis that is incorrect. The Rich One does not want part in any power struggles, but he and I have common responsibilities. And, as it stands, common enemies. His enemy may be killed here, stemmed at the root before he goes on to become a direct threat to you and your master. Thus, we struck a bargain. It was in his best interest, and in mine."
He sat down in front of Zander, cane laid out in front of him, though it seemed to have spontaneously grown a few sizes.
"So I will ask you, Zander, Voice of Hades, on behalf of your King, to lend me your aid, for the security of his realm and mine alike."
The goblin tapped Maggie on the head a few times, before his hand became enveloped in...something. Whatever it was, it was bright green, and to Maggie's skin, it felt wild and untamed, like a hurricane or a forest fire. And something in her stirred.
She may not have been consciously aware of it, but the parts of her that were fae remembered on their own. Like water being poured into a vessel, images rushed to Maggie's eyes. Images of the Fair Folk, of the Summer Court first and foremost, all greens and whites, their power that of life, growth and wildness. Some part of Maggie, some subconscious mind formed by her nature, one that yearned to spread growth and life, sprung forth.
"This should do, for a temporary solution."
The bookstore wasn't much. It was an old, run-down, scrappy-looking thing, most of the shelves half-empty, others destroyed. An ancient-looking man sat behind a slightly burnt desk at the very back of the room, apparently deeply absorbed in a book of his own.
Eventually, the other members of the Fellowship roused and started circling around Boris, still wearing their face-concealing clothes.
Rhian nodded.
"Should be. Well, what's our first step, O fearless Warden?"
edited 28th Aug '13 9:40:55 AM by math792d
Still not embarrassing enough to stan billionaires or tech companies.
Scion of the Dragon
Zanders takes the stone and pockets it, frowning. So- his original conception had been correct. Loaned out in order to affect matters without himself being directly coupable to the events taking place. Plausible deniability.
"Suppose I doubt you." He asked, lacing his fingers together. "How do I know you are what you say you are? Forgive me if I seem rude- you must understand, look at things from perspective."
edited 28th Aug '13 9:57:55 AM by LMage
"You are never taller then when standing up for yourself"
Maggie notices that she feels...different and backs away from the creature.
"Wot d'bloody 'ell did ye do to me?!"
Karl looked about him in apparent confusion for a few moments, blinking rapidly and almost seeming to be lost in such a tiny location. He then pretended to have spotted the old man after slightly under half a minute of faux-bewilderment. He walked to the man, cleared his throat once, and spoke to the man in rushed German, "Excuse me, sir, but are you the proprietor here? If so, would you mind assisting me? I'm looking for a rare book and was hoping you might have a copy."
edited 28th Aug '13 10:30:45 AM by Millardkillmoore
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
"Well, the obvious one. Find a place near the target for observation. Get some intel. Then blow it up and behead the necromancers. Fine with you?"
"You can reply to this Message!"
Josiah looked at the goblin and then her. He snorted with a dismissive snort.