Ludelle's head slowly rose as her ears caught the first change in the buzzing silence that had become her world. Unbelieving at first, too cautious to latch onto fake hopes, she listened to the footsteps as they slowly grew in volume, drawing images in her mind. She didn't dare move least they were coming for her, but at the first sound of voices her awareness awoke like an inflamed and feverish organ, suddenly pushed to trying harder than. It was a pleasant stimulation in a timeless world.

Listening to the voices, she quickly realised what was going on: she was getting a companion. One she immediately took a liking to when he demonstrated his insubordinate nature. “Another one.” She thought almost happily. His words were confusing – what did he mean the ring is keeping him alive? - but the voice behind them, a slight growl, the unsaid “fuck you” pulled at her lips and her heart strings. Of corse, he was quickly punished for his insolence but surely he'd foreseen that and still didn't give a shit. And judging by the sounds, he wasn't going down easy either.

The woman tilted her head down so nobody would see her smirk even if they shone a light in the cell. Ah, if only they tried to taze her. Electricity had no power over her, it was a one-sided relationship with her always on top and if they had given her any spark whatsoever... oh, the things she could do. She wasn't a murderer so she would probably stop herself before she incinerated anyone, but right now giving some of her pain back to her torturers was a magical fantasy.

Whatever, that wasn't happening. Everyone in this prison was aware of her magic and was strictly instructed not to give her any opportunities, even despite her alchemical alterations. Putting the violent desires to the back of her mind, she crawled slightly towards the bars, curious to catch a glimpse of the prisoner. If anything, her dark attire made her almost invisible in this darkness unless a light hit the reflective lines on her skin. She managed to see the inmate briefly before he was overpowered by the guards and disappeared into the cell. The guards mentioned something about a hacker that made her hair stand on end but then they vanished as quickly as they'd come.

Ludelle stared into the neighbouring cell even as all light retreated, leaving the place in the same utter darkness as before. It was intimidating, but it was also giving her courage. With one hand on the bars, bitter that she couldn't sense the man's electromagnetic field as she used to, she wondered if she wanted to engage him in conversation. The hype of getting another soul she could talk to was dripping away, slowly replaced with doubt and dread. It seemed almost too easy, too convenient. A rebel like herself, placed in exactly the cell next to her? A little show to gain her trust and then a quick retreat, letting her spill all the confessions the court needed to hang her? Was it all a ploy, a play, staged by the Stygian Blade to expose her? It wasn't beyond them, she knew. Would placing hope in that man be foolish? Or would it be foolish not to accept a gift from the heavens, a chance at freedom?

She was cautious and over-thinking everything. She knew that but couldn't help it, she had to be to survive. Still, caution wasn't always the best way ahead. Sometimes it only stopped you from proceeding.

“Hey.” She called softly in the darkness. “Who are you? And what are you doing here?”

Calder slept like a stone, not having had much rest prior to arriving at the tower. He rose late, and took his time stretching and planning his opening feint... it would be with the Avatar of Storms. It would be interesting to see how the man would react. He'd doubtless see right through the ploy, but perhaps he would play along and find his own uses for it, like a proper fae lord. If he didn't notice the ruse or chose to ignore it, no matter, it would still give him some practice with the new mask. Calder reached into one of his pockets, and pulled out a sealed clay jar, not much smaller than his head. He opened it carefully and then muttered something under his breath, and his hands warmed up, and in a few moments the jar of thick broth was bubbling gently. Calder put the jar to his lips and drank the whole jar in a series of large gulps, enjoying the warmth flowing down his throat and then seeping into the rest of him. It was time, the late risers were stirring, he'd just make it to Christian's office before a line started if he left now.

Plodding into the corridor, Calder made his way to the lifts, with a slow heavy step, completely devoid of grace. He trudged along, grunting in reply to any greetings offered by others in the halls. Waiting for an empty lift car, he gazed at around him dully, seeming to take in very little of his surroundings. Doing his best to cultivate the dumb strong stereo type with his fellow initiates. Why? simple, the less they knew the less they could tell someone else, regardless of their level of motivation. The elevator opened, and the few beings in it looked at him and quickly emptied the elevator. His scaly body stood 7'11" tall, and close to 4' at the shoulder, he was not a being that others felt comfortable with in an enclosed space, like an elevator. Calder stomped onto the elevator, and gazed at the buttons blankly before pushing one, seemingly at random. The doors closed, and he grinned maliciously. Mortals were so easily deceived preferring to see what they wanted rather than the painful truth of the matter.

The doors opened and Calder plodded out, passing an armed and armored girl(Adéla) he'd not seen before on her way out. He grunted a greeting at her, and plodded on by without changing pace in the slightest. Stopping at the door to Christian's office, Calder waited a moment before raising a fist to pound on the door three times. He then stood there staring blankly at the door awaiting the summons that he expected would soon be forthcoming.

After a moment of silence, the prisoner dragged himself to the front of his cell and slumped against the wall facing Ludelle with a dull expression. He looked older, with a sun-deprived complexion, and smooth, human skin tht was marred by a few wrinkles around his eyes. He didn't appear to care about cutting his long, dark hair, as it lay freely against his chest. It looked like it had been beautiful once, she could tell, but time and neglect had sapped the life out of it. His eyes were boring and human, of some dark shade, but not black. Humans. They were always so arrogant and racist, but this one looked beaten down, beyond caring about things as trivial as pride. Of course, this was the ward for dangerous magic-weilders, so he had to have something. It was strange that he was able to hurt the guards with his magic despite the anti-magic zone around this place. Perhaps he was powerful.

In his eyes, she noticed something unusual. Gone was the look of fear and trepidation that was so common to first time prisoners. This was no timid whelp. Nor was there petty anger or sexual lust or even a spec of redemptive regret. The eyes were simply cold, confident, and remorseless. It was like looking at someone who had lost everything and yet continued to walk on like an unstoppable zombie corpse, like he had been summoned, controlled, or driven by some oath he could not forsake. It was nearly terrifying to witness.

Then those eyes suddenly flicked to her. Detachment... a broken soul, unable to love, a true psychopath, with the key to unlocking his heart dangling delicately around his neck.

The man's head tilted, and his piercing glare softened slightly. The voice had belonged to a women from another cell. It was dark, but Damien was certain she had the head of a bird. He thought to himself. Surely it didn't matter who or what she was. She was here, and that meant she was a criminal. She was just another failure, a potentially good and righteous person fallen to corruption, a fool, and a shameful loss to society. But what did Damien care about society?

Nonetheless, if he wanted to network his way into the heart of the enemy, if he wanted to serve his god, he was compelled to speak. He had to play the role of fellow convict and glean all the information he could. He'd be getting out of here soon once his guild was informed of his capture.

A soothing, deep, slightly ragged voice flowed slowly like the comforting growl of a male lion. Ludelle's dread ebbed, squelched by the rapture of curiosity satisfied as the man spoke, "Does it matter who I am? I am a villain, a murderer, and now I am a prisoner. I am a fiend, girl, and I will kill as many of them as I can before Yishreenok finds me worthy." That was a pretty morbid statement, but other than his spiritual affiliation, it didn't reveal anything of his street loyalty. Damien intended it that way. He looked at her, making out what he could with his human sight. If he got her name, great. If he didn't, he didn't. In obedience to the mysterious mission he had been given by his chosen deity, to continue to live until whatever Yishreenok wished was carried out, he asked her, "What are you in for?"

"Careful, wouldn't want to hype them past what they are." Justin quipped and continued down the hall, following the increasingly intense scent of all things breakfast. Eggs, bacon, coffee, and yes, the underlying scent of cinnamon. He had to admit that the smell was fantastic. He hadn't been too hungry before but now he could definitely feel hunger lurking at the edges of his mind. A cinnamon bun and a cup of coffee really did sound appealing. "But with how good they smell, I don't think you were exaggerating. Who knows, maybe they did invent a little bit of culinary magic for them."

The investigator grinned, turning off of the main hall and into the cafeteria. It had an efficient layout; food to the right, stations spaced far enough to avoid too many traffic jams, and seating off to the left. True to form, Justin filled a mug of coffee as he walked by the machine and sipped it as he surveyed the rest of his options. Cinnamon bun, definitely. Probably some eggs and bacon. Maybe a glass of orange juice. Pancakes were tempting, but he was already having plenty of sugar. Time to consult the expert.

"What else is good, Mr. Otto?" He paused to take another sip from his mug, then glance over to the other young man. "You're the resident expert. Which, come to think of it, reminds me; what does the average day here look like? Any briefings? Required meetings? I haven't seen too much structure yet. Which isn't a bad thing, it's just... Curious. Not what I would have expected."

Christian’s voice came from the other side of the door. “Come in.” He’d moved back to his perch in the window sill now that he’d handed off the assignment to The Master of Blade for all intensive purposes.

Turning Christian studied Calder as he walked in. Fae, troll by the look of it and too smart for his own good by half. It was always a pleasure and a headache to deal with the Fae, Crow was bad enough with his Shaitan blood, Calder looked like a whole different ball of wax. “What can I do for you my friend, I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced yet. Christian hopped down from the window again and crossed the room. With a swift motion he drew his chair from the desk and cause another studier chair to grow from the floor on Calder’s side. Sitting Christian clasped his hands in front of himself.

Calder opened the door, and ducked through as ordered, before closing the door behind him, perhaps a little harder than really necessary. He watched Christian as he moved from the window sill to his desk, considering the man whose service Calder had just joined. The Avatar of Storms did not disappoint, he was visibly a formidable person, though his aura of ... well his wealth of experience showed, and in a good way for a man leading a guild like this. Calder lumbered across the room, still playing the hulking brute for what it was worth, uncertain just how much the man before him could see through it. Falling gracelessly into the conjured chair, Calder spoke in a low monotone, clearly enunciating every word, though apparently with some difficulty.

"I am called Calder Dylan of late. You needed muscle, I wanted work. I'm not fond of fooormaaaaliities and would like to start right away. What tasks have you that I may do Stormlord?"

I consider Stormlord, he is a powerful entity and indeed a potential rival. IF I can myself become the Avatar of Water, a currently vacant position in the hall of avatars, but as of yet I had not made myself know to the Queen of Water. Hopefully after a few hundred years of working for the Stormlord I would be able to make an open bid for the position. That's not to say I would do nothing about it today, just that I would be careful to hide my hand as much as possible; including utilizing the stereotype "brute" that many people held, some of them unconsciously. Beings can't sell information they didn't know they had, and knowledge is power after all.

Christian flicked his eyes up to Calder and frowned. “It’s been a long time since I’ve met a Fae that feels they’re best served as a front line soldier”. Christian pulled up an active roster and activated Calder. “If you really feel you’re best served on the front line I’m sure Spectre and Megelis could use someone who is capable of knocking down walls and bashing in skulls.”

Christian let the suggestion hang eyeing Calder suspiciously. It was probably a bad idea to offend Calder if he was in fact as intelligent as he appeared. At the same time it might be better to have a full Fae on board with this. “Do you belong to a court?” The question actually had little to do with Calder’s front; it was an attempt to protect his mistress of Sight. Crow was a child of Yishreenok which was dangerous enough but he didn’t need Oberon or Mab sniffing around if they figured out who Akime was.

That is why the fae breed trolls, like me. We are only half fae to them so throwing us into the fire is of little concern. It is what we are born to do, if it kills us... well, too bad but there will be other trolls.

Calder didn't think any of that was news to Stormlord, but perhaps it was... Hmm, it would be difficult to know what was and what was not news, especially to someone as old as Stormlord. Given his reputation, that shouldn't become a problem, just a minor nuisance at most. Calder had wondered why no one at recruiting had asked him his court, and was not surprised to be asked for it now. In truth he had payed his debts in full and owed no court any allegiance at the moment. However, Calder did have an outstanding offer of employment from Mab to protect the new Winter Lady. An offer he had declined on grounds of his being to young, and there by lacking in necessary experience, to protect one so important as she. Mab had laughed and said that the offer would remain open, if Calder ever changed his mind. Still that information wasn't something Stormlord would know about already and it could cause problems, so he'd have to figure that out on his own time.

I have paid my debts, no court holds my oath.

My gaze drifted to the window behind Stormlord, and the sky outside. I wondered what courts had agents employed in the Stormlord's guild and tried to think of any agents I knew of that might be suited to the service of this man. A few came to mind, but they were all busy with other assignments as I recalled... So to date, the Tower of Stars had yet to draw any official attention from the fall court. And nothing I'd seen or heard had indicated any particular interest from the other courts yet, but I hadn't been looking then so I might have missed something. Something to dwell on perhaps the Tower of Stars could provide me something besides experience... Hmm, if so, it would behoove me to do what I could to obtain their debt. I drop my gaze to Stormlord and return his question, with a slight tilt of my head to my left.

Have you a court Stormlord?

Calder Dylan was intrigued by the man before him, and was nearly willing to drop the facade simply for the sake of enjoying intelligent conversation with someone not trying to enslave him... Not yet, he decided. He wanted to finish his first mission and figure out where exactly he fit in this organization, before he started trying to change it too much. He might be on thin ice if the Stormlord had a grudge against the fae, and many who knew of them had plenty of reason to do so. Stormlord's words indicated that he had met several fae, perhaps even many fae, so that might be more probable than Calder hoped. He resolved to take extra precautions to give Stormlord exactly zero reasons to hate him in particular.

Christian chuckled. “I haven’t used the term Winter Court in years. Does Mab still use that term? Oberon renounced the title of Spring Reagent years ago and I don’t think anyone has the stones to call The Erlking The Autumn Lord.”

Who is this guy?

Standing up and stretching Christian walked back over to the window and stared out it. “You will find the courts have no sway in the Tower of Stars. I personally settle all of the Knights debts and anyone or anything that comes looking to collect is dealt with harshly. You will find more than your fair share of Fae here but I warn you that many of the won’t immediately see you as kin.” Christian’s thoughts flashed to his last batch of recruits and the Gæians that had arrived. A pair of the brothers from the Hare tribes and a member of the Lion tribe. Christian’s brow furrowed and his eyes tracked down as though he were staring down through the tower towards the Mistress of Sight’s office. “However they will all treat you as a fellow Knight. If you have any outstanding debts or offers I suggest you tell me know so that I may close them for you. The Knights are expected to have no leverage to be used against them. If something comes up in the future and I was not made aware of it prior I’ll be rather put off.” Christian folded his arms and turned back. “So why the act? I might have bought it if you were an Ogre but by the looks of it you’re family started as Elder Sidhe and Water elemental. Which makes me doubt that you are okay with being stuck on the front line. I suspect ambition. And if that is so you’re in the right place.” Christian raised an eyebrow inviting a response.

As the man came into view, the faint light lining the catwalk illuminated his features. If she didn't know any better, she'd have thought he had spent half his life in this cell. It wasn't just his overall appearance, it was something deep and... dusty... in his very eyes. It was unsettling. But not intimidating, just enough to keep you on your toes.

His voice spilled in the empty space and it sounded soothing, but his words drew a frown on her face. Everyone who spoke so leisurely about mass murder was someone to be weary of, and the fact that he was seeking approval of the Death God only made matters worse.

Ludelle readjusted her position, sitting down and resting her arms on her knees as she leaned on the bars. As he posed his question, the first thing that came to mind was to brag about the truth. Of course, she didn't follow that urge. Instead, she had to make up a lie. There was only one small problem. It was the Blind Cat. Long ago, when she first met him and she was still but a foolish little girl, she had made a promise. Back then the word “pact” meant nothing to her, the notion of loyalty sounding as far-fetched as the tales of Heaven. But the Cat hadn't forgotten and there was no way around the promise she'd uttered herself. In exchange of his power, she'd promised to tell the truth and nothing but the truth for a full day every friday. Now, the question was, what day was today anyway? Well, only one way to find out. Try to speak a lie and hope it works.

“I'm here for scratching my exes car with my keys...” she smirked as the words left her lips effordlessly and decided she might as well enjoy what time she had left. “...and bashing the window in... before I filled it with dynamite and ran it in his office before blowing it up. In my defence, he totally deserved it. Much more than I deserve being here.”

Damien couldn't see, but her eyes were pinned on him, glinting with curiosity. He didn't look like the type who appreciated jokes and might very well lose all interest in her, but it was worth the try. Anything to escape the dread of her situation and feel alive again.

Realising that she should ask something in turn, she asked how long he'd been there himself and what for, although she hardly had any interest in making friends with prisoners. It was just a way to pass the time.

Calder was slightly confused, though he didn't let it show. He hadn't said "Winter Court." None of his words had been a season of earth, much less the name of particular court of fae. True he had considered two courts in particular in his active thoughts, but unless Stormlord could read surface thoughts, he couldn't have picked up the term "Winter Court" from Calder... Perhaps he had implied it somehow, though how was lost to Calder Dylan. Though, Stormlord's statement about the Erlking being addressed as the Autumn Lord, brought a slight upturn to the right side of Calder's mouth briefly before he erased the trespassing emotion from his face. He knew a being with the stones to do exactly that, though Calder would never dream of it, not since he'd finished paying his debts to that court.

Christian was a wise man settling with the fae as rapidly as possible. They hated being rushed, but were not unreasonable when it came to the sale and purchase of debts. Calder was not perturbed or offended in the least that other fae might not view him as family. Fae aren't like humans, always trying to find or make some kind of familial relation with those around them. With the fae, family meant nothing, everything was dependent upon whom held your debt, or the greatest share there of. He would not consider any fae he met here as family, though he would have no difficulty respecting them as fellow knights of the Tower of Stars.

Calder was curious as to why outstanding offers were on Stormlord's list of things that needed to be laid bare, but then he considered his own master of a few centuries ago, and granted that any offers from him would be of great importance to Stormlord. Hmm, this would mean dropping the act, still better that than to needlessly offend the Avatar of Storms. Ahh, he did know, very well the mask had served it's purpose then and was no longer of any use between the two of them. And Calder Dylan instantly shifted into a being of intense focus and high alertness. His gaze sharpened, without narrowing to a glare or squint, he shifted forward in his seat slightly, and rested both his large hands, palm down on the arms of the chair. Both demonstrating their emptiness and placing them where he gained the most leverage from them. His feet slid back slightly so that only his toes touched the floor, though his heels weren't far off the ground. This Calder Dylan was clearly a fighter, nay a slayer and he was completely comfortable with himself and his surroundings. A slight grin touched his scaled lips, before he responded to Stormlord's queries.

"In reverse order Stormlord: First, knowledge is power. The less you have the less you can lose. Knowledge, like all other forms of power, can be lost. Thus, as precaution, primarily for myself, though also secondarily for those around me, I don a mask that gives as little knowledge as possible.

Second, I have one outstanding offer. I am told it shall exist as long as I live. The offer is a trade of knowledge in exchange for my service as a bodyguard to the Winter Lady. I have politely refused the offer, but it still stands. Do with it what you will, I have no interest in pursuing it at this time.

Third, I expect no less from the other fae here and offer no more in return to them.

Fourth, I'm not sure where you picked up the term Winter court, as I never identified any particular court verbally since I've entered this room. If you must know, I last served the Erlking, through an intermediary. Incidentally, that fae has the stones you described. However, as I said before, my debts are paid and they have no hold or sway upon me at this time.

Finally, you are not wrong in your conclusions, ambition does drive me. As a son of a reputedly powerful water elemental I have an eye on the vacant position of Avatar of Water, though I do not currently consider myself worthy of making any claim on that title. I also nurse a few minor grudges that I intend to let simmer while I am in your employ, the better to lull my foes into complacency. Eventually, I will leave this place, for a time or for good I cannot say, but I will leave. And on that day, those grudges will be satisfied. Until then, Christian Highfell, Avatar of Storms, I am yours to command. What would you have Calder Dylan do for you today?"

My voice is the sound crashing surf on a distant rocky shore, fluctuating with each wave as well as with the tide itself. It is neither to quiet nor to loud, to low nor to high, though it does favor the bass scale. Still, for all it's inconsistencies there is some quality that never fades, like the sea it is undaunted by the rocks before it, knowing that time is on it's side, so my voice conveys a timeless confidence and certainty. I sit quietly awaiting Stormlord's response, eager to prove my worth and feel the tides flowing through my veins again. Today was the first page, of a new chapter, of a new volume of my life, and I could hardly wait to see what lay hidden in the pages to come.

Lightning rippled in the storm lords eyes as he smiled. “You’ll have to excuse my deception. Sometimes you have to shake the tree and see what falls out of it. You didn’t mention a court but I picked the most likely and hoped I’d snag something with it. You’ll have to forgive me as I can’t have members of any of the courts running around the Tower. Mistress Akime is a little too high on too many peoples person of interest lists for me to let members of the courts wander around the Tower of Stars. We’ve had...problems..”

The Dragon roared as it crushed the body of a hag against the stones of the tower before hurling it into the coming Winter Storm. “She is mine oh, Lady of Air and Darkness. Next time you send an agent. I shall tear down your halls upon your head and salt your fields.

Shard let the lightning arc from his hands charring the Giant to a crisp as he stepped over the bloody remains of the Autumn Knight’s Hounds. “Tell your Master if he wants her, He’ll have to bring the whole hunt and be ready for blood”

Christian ran the Satyr through with the Heart of Storms. “This is Titania’s last warning, I shall bring ruin to the Summer realms if I see one of your kind in my Tower again.

The Shard roared as he lifted the Ogre above his head and smashed its back against the ground shattering the ground and the Ogre’s back. “Tell Oberon I’m not interested in his deal and that he can leave my Mistress of Sight alone.”

Christian shook his head coming back to the present as he looked at Calder “I don’t think we’ll have a problem though it sounds like your ambition would piss off a Fae Lord since you’re looking for power to rival their own. I can’t help you if that is your goal to become the Avatar of Water since I stole my mantel.” A mischievous glint appeared in Christian’s eye as he said it. His father had never forgiven him the grandest theft of all. Then again The Elemental Lord of Storms didn’t have to as it was not up to him since the council had ruled it a legitimate passing of birthright through trial by combat.
“As for today I’d say report to our Master of Blade and the Lady Revenant. They should be collecting Knights for a strike team as we need to break a few people out of prison.” Christian looked back to his window considering the rest of his day. “Oh and If you need help with those grudges we are very good at settling scores here. Trust me.” Christian smiled absently before walking back to the window to stare out it.

Reaching into his deck case on his hip he drew out the 6 of Gales. “I think dark clouds are good for today don’t you? I like dark clouds, it heralds great things on the horizon.”

Calder chuckled at Stormlord's mention of the Bloody Maiden. Earlking had been rather displeased to see his efforts thwarted, but had ultimately been content to know that his failure was shared by everyone else who had sought her. Thankfully, Calder's skills had been better suited to other tasks and so he'd never been tasked with trying to infiltrate the tower. A lazy smile settled on Calder's face as Stormlord continued. He enjoyed the prospect of his first mission being a prison break, it was fitting in a symbolic sort of way. In this act, Calder would be finalizing his break from the fae realm, in search of greater things. He appreciated the Stormlord's generous offer to aid him in his grudges, and was not disappointed that he'd receive no help on his path to the avatar of water. But he'd spent his entire life until very recently indebted to his patron in the Erlking's service, so he was not eager to put himself in debt to anyone right now. He could wait, and would wait, until he could achieve his goals alone and of his own accord, lest anyone say his achievements came from the efforts of others.

Yes sir, let the clouds bring the treat of wind and rain, so that anyone not required to be out and about, will stay out from under our feet later. Less loose ends to tie up that way, making for a nice, neat, and relatively simple operation for the new recruits. Thank you for your time and generous offer Stormlord, I will keep it in consideration. Where may I find Lady Revenant? The Master of Blades seemed to have other business when I saw him last.

I rise to my full height, standing tall and proud at about 8' flat now that I didn't need the mask. My scaly hide rippled over my moving muscles displaying a strength and grace that had been hidden before now. I incline my head to Stormlord and await his answer, sliding nearly silently behind my chair, so that it would not hinder my departure. I liked Stormlord, not the least because he had successfully defied so many beings of equal and greater power than himself, but also because I could see that he was an excellent leader. I noticed my heart beat a little faster than usual, and I could feel the tide was coming in, filling me, surrounding me, empowering me and I looked forward to the coming conflict with eager anticipation.

Christian's eyes flicked towards the door. "Ask Sentinel, I'd asume he's with Adele if she's half as pushy as she seems." Christian turned back to the window. "Take Marielle with you if you would? I think she was harassing Crow, in fact take Crow with you as well. The Croweater is holed up in the morgue and Marielle should be either there with him or near by. Both of them are Channeled magic users that make use of items. Only kind of magic that works on the inside of the prison" Christian turned back "Adele is going to be pushy and unsubtle. I'm sure you know how to handle people like that. Let her lead the way. Marielle will make sure you get out and Crow will deconstruct anything that so much as looks at you funny." Christian turned back to the window. Officially dismissing the Troll. Not that Calder was beneath him, it was just that the skys were calling Christian. It was time for another date. Raven had been on her own for far too long.

Christian smiled out the window before using his will to close the door of his office. “Archive tell Raven to head to the top of the Tower. With that Christian got a running start and dove through the window as he passed through it his body rippled and he grew in size to his dragon form in one fell motion. Massive wings beat as he pushed himself through the air towards the top of the tower.

Grey clouds swirled in the air above the tower as he reached out and warped reality into a dimensional bubble in the air above the tower preventing magic and force from escaping it as well as matter. Giving it a flat glass surface as well as adjusting the gravity along the walls of the bubble and adding smoke glass geometric architecture to climb and hide within as he rose towards the bubble. If raven hurried she could catch him on the way towards the bubble.

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The musical sounds of water hitting pavement trickled in the air as Raven’s footsteps tapped against the pavement. She chuckled a little. “He couldn’t ask me in person, could he?” And with that she licks her fingers before running them through her platinum locks of blonde hair. The woman inhaled, then disappeared from existence.

Christian’s Dragon form surged up past the edge of the tower in one fluid motion. Come on my beloved I have a surprise for you The voice resonated in Raven’s head as Christian heaved himself up onto the edge of the tower before standing on his back legs and beating his wings once to stabilize himself.

There was a sound, a holding of breath to prevent laughter. Already Here. Beyond the edge of the tower was the woman in question, standing boots first on the side of the building, arms crossed. Her hair stayed obedient to gravity, however, falling at a 90 degree angle from her horizontal silhouette.

Christian landed on his legs and turned his body slightly so that she could climb onto the spot where his neck met his shoulders where she use to ride all of the time. I moved a dimensional bubble a ways up above the tower I thought we could play a little Christian wiggled his tail and hind legs like a cat waiting on her to climb onto his back.

Raven weakly smiled before swiftly climbing onto his neck. She sat upright, running her fingers along the familiar, yet resistant bronze scales. “Yes of course. To where are we going?” She scratched along Christian’s body.

“You’ll see” Christian’s voice rumbled like distant thunder warm against Raven’s leg as he launched himself into the dark clouds. Climbing on powerful wings that stirred storms Christian breached the clouds and hung suspended in air above a plane of dark grey glass with structures and platforms extruding from the surrounding walls as the whole structure was a ball of the grey glass through which the storm could be seen. “A play ground”
The lady calmly stepped down from Christian, cinnamon eyes collecting the stormy clouds in front of them. After a long moment they then took in the bronze of the dragon in front of her. “Play ground?”

“yes. I wish to see how your skills have progressed since we last parted” Christian shifted back into his human form. “I know you’ve been playing around with the Dark Star Sword and I’ve seen a few of your new tricks.” Christian leapt backwards and landed on one of the platforms suspended in air. “Show me what you’ve learned?”

Raven paused, her brow furrowed. “I won’t use the dark blade on you, however,” With that she leaned down a little, tossing off several layers of her jacket and armors off of her. Underneath it all she had on was a simple black tank top with white wrappings layered over her chest and stomach. Her arms, now completely exposed, had a black tattoos engraved down the left, the intricate patterns representing a sharp norse theme. The right was pure, aside from the slight mint glow strips from the hi-tech metal inside it. “I suppose I could show you a few things I’ve picked up over the centuries.” She smiled confidently. It only lasted a second, but her eyes had their old shine back in them.

Christian smiled “Oh is that so? Well then impress me.” With that Christian popped his neck and thunder ran outside the globe of glass around them. “I think you will find I’ve acquired more than a few tricks of my own my dearest Raven.”

She exhaled and a purple glow appeared around her. An ancient grin appeared on her face, one that spanned since their earliest years, then she disappeared completely.

Christian snorted and flicked his left hand out a nimbus of white light in the form of one of his claws in dragon form swiped at her ledge playfully. Even though it was easily several feet across on the palm of the talon. “You plan on just standing there?” The talon smashed through the glass she was standing on. The glass cascaded across the floor before reforming into another ledge elsewhere.

Raven’s form suddenly appeared and she stumbled and got on her knee. “Shit…” she exhaled before chuckling. Immediately after she charged at Christian, her eyes beginning to glaze over into the purple of clouds at night. The purple around her bathing her and extending the reach of her limbs.

Christian moved faster than the eye could track backwards to the wall and let loose a hail of crystal shards which exploded into electric charges which skittered across the glass. “Have you heard the new Nickname they’ve given me? Lord Shard.” Another fusillade of the crystal shards landed as he leapt again his eyes blazing with lightning. Landing with his feet on a vertical wall he grinned down at her.

Raven lay beneath and took all the hits, her body shaking a little. She looked up at him, her grin still apparent as purple blood started dripping down her forehead. A laugh gurgled out of her. Then, without any warning, Raven shattered into a million pieces of glass. A clone.

Without any delay Raven appeared on the wall vertical to him, sending black bullets straight to his chest before disappearing again.

Christian crossed his arms and projected the heart of Storms in a solid sheet of Crystal in front of him as the bullets slammed into it falling in a hail of lead to the bottom of the sphere. The shield shifted into a single bow. Christian drew and arrow and let it go. The single arrow splintered into two dozen forks of lightning which scoured the thirty degrees of the sphere in front of him before he leapt again. As he impacted the top of the sphere an ethereal draconic tail impacted the roof causing a ripple in the glass to radiate from him as he drew the six and seven of sparks from the deck of storms and unleashed thirteen bolts of lightning straight down the length of the sphere.

There was a crack of the lightning, as if it struck something, then the sight of more shattered glass appeared to the far left of Christian. Suddenly Raven appeared behind him and reared for a roundhouse kick to the head. There was dark energy in her leg, and it swirled and spiraled like a purple singularity at the sole of her boot.

Christian dropped and whipped out with his tail aiming for her base leg as he twisted his legs around in a flurry of hind leg claws aimed at her body. Ethereal wings swiping the air around his human form. Christian smiled as he began to warm to the fight a little.

As Raven fell she felt the connection of part of the tail hitting her body, her hands collecting in a symbol directly under her chin. She shattered again, the faint sound of coughing echoing in the air as she suddenly appeared behind him and used the momentum of her kick to connect knuckles with his shoulder, the energy from her leg popping out her bone and connecting to the glass underneath them, swallowing a huge diameter of it and creating a spiderweb of cracks across the entirety of the bubble.

Christian yelped in surprise more than pain before he simply changed full scale into his dragon from sweeping wings and tail in a circle to clear Raven from the area around him before he shifted back to human form. The Four of Gales appeared in his right hand as he swept it to the side causing a set of four tornadoes which spiraled outwards from him in a circle.

Raven reeled back, her legs buckling as she got sucked back into the tornados. Alright, play that way. He felt her subconscious wink at him. Inside the tornado she let some of the shards of glass cut into her skin and the wind rapidly attack the strands in her hair, giving it a wild look. There was an unsettling noise, like wind being ripped apart, before the tornadoes collapsed into nothing, leaving Raven there with wild eyes and her arms crossed. The shadow energy around her created dark wings that spanned about as large as Christian’s dragon wings.

“Hey now” Christian roared and shifted into his dragon form as the deck of storms began sticking to his skin, transforming everything the cards stuck to into storm clouds, translucent scales and lightning. “Two can play like that” Christian smiled in his dragon form at her.

Raven pouted a little.

Christian gave her a sad dragon face in response.

She looked at his dragon form up and down. “One too many cookies?”

Christian turned and looked down his side. “Nooo. I’ve been building a tower for a millennium and a half. For the record half that darn thing I personally built. Dragons just get...bigger. As we age. No fair making fun of me for being bigger. I’m not fat” Christian looked back at her and frowned sticking his nose in her face and snorting.

“I saw the cookie jar in your quarters, no need to hide it.” Her pout turned into a collapsing smile, threatening laughter. “And the brownie jar, and the dog treat jar--”

Christian nosed her with enough force to spin her in the air, “I built a tower, you brought home a ship. I deserved those cookies.”

Raven couldn’t hold it any longer. She broke into an unusual fit of laughter. Her eyes wrinkling a little from the huge toothy grin on her face. She hadn’t smiled like that in a while. “After centuries of learning martial arts, tech, and the shadow’s ways I come home to my lonely little dragon.” She rubbed his nose and hugged it.

Christian stood on hind legs and placed his two large claws over his nose to hold her to it. “Yes. Lonely.” Christian reverted to the slow halting syntax he’d used when Raven and he had first met. Not out of nostalgia but out of familiarity. “Please stay”

He felt her nod against it. “Bring me to your belly? the boogers in your snout are threatening me..”

Christian plucked her from his nose and curled around her tucking her against his stomach and curling his whole body around her as the cards peeled off his scales leaving him a rather large bronze drake as the sphere compressed and the card glass became softer and he lay curled around her in the middle of the dark storm clouds. “Better” his voice rumbled against the already threatening sky.

Raven pressed her cheek against his soft belly. “I haven’t fought with my full potential in such a long time, my body still rejects me from using anything beyond what I should. It’s like gears rusted over.”

Shifting around her Christian settled. “I’m worried that the new generation of Knights won’t be okay without me fighting alongside them. But I know it’s time to step down. Maybe you and I should retire now that you’re home.”

Raven frowned. “Perhaps some day, but in this day and age there is still so much to live for and help with.” The woman hesitated. “I haven’t used my divine form in almost six hundred years.”

Christian huffed. “I know how you feel. But it just feels like if I could find someone to take over a little more I might be able to step back. The Avatars of Metal and Sand haven’t been seen in 600 years. I’m one of the only ones with a public face and It gets me in a lot of trouble. It’s been tough here without you.”

Raven tensed up a little. “It’s been hard, watching my crewmates grow up and die for me, out of age, disease, or battle…”

“You know I took in a kid who has grown into my Master of Blade, a little girl of a Shadow Elementalist who is the second in line for a position as an Avatar of Shadow and the newest True Fae Akime. All of which have cost me more in the last 800 years than the previous thousand years ever did.” Christian wiggles some more. “And I found a Master of Word who seems intent on outliving me”

Raven’s posture suddenly filled with slight solitude. “Right….Dragons pass eventually…”

Christian rumbled. “Not this Dragon. I’ll leave the rest of my lengthy lifespan. AFTER I stop being the Avatar of Storms. IF that ever happens. Which by the looks of things I’m approaching a critical mass in terms of magic and experience that not much can trump. Especially with almost all the God Weapons accounted for.”

Lady Marrowblade laid back as she played a little with the dark energy swarming her. “Grandma wants me to fully utilize my divine form before she steps down from the moonless night position..but I’ve been ignoring her.” Her face hardened.

Christian Snorted before squeezing her. “You’ll live forever on your own right? Do you want to be a Goddess? I wouldn’t want my dad’s job but I mean if you want to be a Goddess I guess I can take over the family business.”

Raven’s expression remained the same. “It’s not that.” her eyes grew cloudy with melancholy. “I still can’t fully control all of my power. It’s….wreaked chaos to everything around me..I’ve tried, but it’s too dangerous. So I’ve been refusing.” She looked at Christian with sad eyes. “I’ve slaughtered the entirety of one of my crews before. Accidentally.” It was almost as if tears threatened her stare. “I had to clean everything up afterwards..alone.”

Christian peered over the edge of his belly at her. “The first time I used the Ace of Storms the way it was meant to be used I wiped out an entire city while I was fighting a Devil Lord. It brought down a mountain on top of the city I was trying to defend. When I sent the Devil back to the abyss I turned around and walked away. I never once looked back on the city. If you really want to learn control the tower is built like nothing else in this world. It will be safe here. You will be safe here”

Raven frowned. “Okay.” She didn’t sound convinced, but her tone suggested a change in conversation. “Let's talk a little bit more before going back to our duties, I’ve missed this.”

Christian rolled over and took Raven with him clutching her to his tummy as he rocked back and forth on his back before flopping over onto his right side. “So Marielle. Where did you find her. That child has more sass than you the first day you stepped off the boat and a mouth to go with it.”

Raven chuckled. “Reminds you of someone, huh? She’s like a contemporary version of my younger years. I couldn’t help but take her in.” She smiled wryly. “Her backstory, however..” Her smile suddenly dissolved. “That’s where things get tricky…”

---------

"Geeeeet..."

The ruby-haired swordsman theatrically sniffed the air, pacing up and down their section of the sizable buffet as if a drill sergeant inspecting recruits, scrutinizing each dish with an audible, contemplative "Hmmm..."

"Hmm..."

"Mm..."

"A-ha!"

You could practically see the lightbulb go off in his head, and he snapped his fingers, whirling towards the 3rd tin from the right. Smoky, greasy, calorically and protein-dense with flavor to die for. Crispy crimson strips of pure flavor, glorious and resplendent with an indomitable heart-attack factor for food that was, in actuality, so light on it's own! But like candy, one could never stop at simply eating one strip, or even a trio. No, it got the large tongs for a reason. He could feel his mouth watering even as he gazed upon it, felt it's smell lingering in the air...

"Get the bacon! They do really nice bacon. I usually grab the scrambled eggs and toss some of the cheese on top, melts really nice. Waffle batter's nothing especial, but they've got a lot of stuff you can put into 'em." he responded, taking the time to go through the motions of each step he described, save the waffles.

"As for your other question, right now things seem pretty hands-off to me. You can take up jobs and tasks on your own, but I haven't heard any big announcements or been drafted into anything yet, so..."

He shrugged, expertly balancing a loaded plate in the grasp of one hand while spilling nothing.

"I'd just keep an eye out. You never know, right?"

Akime's dark pupils glided across the quietly bustling theatre. The sound that vibrated off the walls resembled the rustling of forest leaves so closely, that even just listening to that put her heart at ease. It was a relatively small place, a relic of the times past, where people dressed in old-fashioned gowns and kept their voices low and their expressions in check. The wood covering the walls and the stone laid on the ground bore intricate designs of old, each having received a craftsman's finest touch and memorised it for the generations to come. There were no holograms, no artificial intelligence, no bright luminescent lights and not even a sound-system beyond the acoustics of the construction itself. Really, the only presence this century was allowed in the establishment was in the shape of silenced communication devices and subtly masked ear-pieces.

It wasn't modern but by no means was it neglected or forgotten either. The Seven Cats theatre was one of the most popular establishments for the upper-class, boasting with over a thousand years of experience in feeding the crowd's every need. To be here was a privilege and one Akime had for the first time in her life. Her look was immaculate: perfect skin, dark make-up outlining golden eyes gleaming with excitement, just a little bit of blush. Her hair was collected in a beautiful side-coil, some of it escaping, running down her shoulder in lush curls. The dress she was wearing was made especially for the occasion, a sky-blue that draped down past her ankles, collecting on the ground like ocean waves. The natural sheen of her aura was completing the canvas her body had become, coating the dress like frost... white on blue, shimmering like an ever-shifting lace. She hadn't tried so hard in over a hundred years.

Of course, the invitation was for just one plus one, so Ibuki was the only one of her three companions that got to stay by her side. Not because she couldn't sneak the rest in. But because it was morally wrong to do so. In Akime's mind, this place was as holy as a shrine. Too many people had come here to leave an imprint of their emotions in the stone, too many tears were shed and too much laughter had seeped into the wood to have it tainted in any way. Judging by her serious yet soft smile, Ibuki even suspected that if she saw someone as much as chewing a gum in here, she might be pushed to murder. She rarely looked so peaceful and when she did it was a bad idea to interrupt. Too bad that was exactly what happened when a message got through the blocked list of his phone and his ear-piece started flashing a bright blue. Akime glared at him as if he'd just slapped her and he hurried to cover the light and look away while he listened to the message. Halfway through the message he turned to his mistress.

“Ak--”

“I don't want to know.” She hissed without even looking, making the man roll his eyes with annoyance.

“It's from the Tower.” He insisted. Instead of a response, Akime stared at the woman next to her, her look conveying a simple message “Silence him or I will”.

Search yourself, he decided and leaned back in his seat with his arms crossed.

The woman to whom she was addressing had a softer look than what people normally see her as. The strong goddess everyone knows her by was replaced, packed into the silhouette of something fragile. Raven held her hair up in a steady braid wrapped and woven with the golden sun colors, loose strands falling short and framing her face. For the special occasion she wore a neck-strapped wine colored dress to compliment her hourglass curves. Her eyes were their usual golden red, and as she stared at Akime they had many strands of thought woven into her stare.

Part of her arm shimmered with the spearmint metal underneath her skin, concealing one of her abnormalities for polite reasons, as well as create the illusion that one of her eyes, the one she hides behind fabric, looks relatively what it use to be to match the other. A simple fix using her vast well of wild magic. Raven placed a gentle hand on Akime’s shoulder as fire stared into gold.

“Akime, it’s okay, let him listen. It could be important.” it was a crawling whisper as the words dove into Akime’s consciousness, words only she could hear through one of Raven’s countless abilities.

The woman in question turned to look at Raven for a moment, then, having reconsidered being rude, shrugged and stared at the scene ahead. “As long as he doesn’t interrupt. Right now there is nothing more important than this.” A gentle smile twitched over her lips, hidden from the man next to her. “Would you not agree?” After all, even the Queen of Oceans herself had abandoned the love of her life for this evening.

The small pink corners of Raven’s lips gently curved upward as her eyes glanced at the stage absently. [i]”I’ve seen many things like this over the years, but they never got boring to me.”[i] It wasn’t a lie, Raven had always been fascinated with works leaning towards live performances. Her eyes ever so slightly glowed with childish wonder.

And so, without further disturbances the play started.



Amber lay in the sun, a blissful grin threatening to split her face in two. The sun was making her tanned skin tingle but the gentle breeze that was gliding across her wet hair kept her cool. Behind her Cole was reading a newspaper. He didn’t seem to realise how odd his activity might seem to an onlooker… not that there were any. The sun was high in the sky and the Pirate Queen was away, most of her crew were resting in their quarters… and Amber and Cole had quickly gotten bored. Well, mostly her.

So, while no one was looking, they had managed to steal a few planks off one of the life drafts and built a small raft that they could sunbathe on. Well, mostly her. Cole was just sat in the middle with his legs crossed and a newspaper spread over them, making sure his weight balances the raft out. The heat didn’t seem to bother him, although he had removed his jacket. Amber was honestly impressed by his concentration.

“Now can you read in this heat?” She marvelled. “Your concentration is solid, man.”

“I admit it’s hot… but this is a very interesting article. Apparently there’s trouble within The Stygian Blade, someone seems to be leaking information about them. One of their branches is being investigated for using homeless people for human experiments.”

“Honestly? That’s just sick.”

“It is. And that newspaper isn’t even the newest one, it’s from last week. I wonder if they have any newer ones on the ship...”

“I wouldn’t count on it. Everything’s online nowadays, that thing was probably meant as reserve toilet paper.”

The man’s brows came close together and he removed as many fingers from the paper as possible.



After the play was over and their coats were retrieved, Ibuki finally managed to deliver the message that in Akime's opinion could wait. Christian was summoning the Mistress of Sight to the Tower for reasons he didn't specify. And although it had been at least a decade since she'd last been there, she didn't seem surprised or unsettled in the least. Rather than asking him to find out more, or even questioning why Raven hadn’t told her herself, she was still hung up on the events from earlier in the evening. That was Akime for him, a princess that would never completely escape her upbringing. After having ignored him for the entire trip back to the ship, he spoke up.

“You should stop pouting, you know. I don't even understand what’s the big deal. Who are you even pretending to be, with all that makeup and such an impractical dress? Not even a week ago you were learning to be a plane acrobat, and three hours ago you were competing with the men about who can put up the sails of Blackwing first.”

“No, three hours ago I was getting my hair done, actually, thank you very much. Who I'm pretending to be? I'm not pretending to be anyone, I'm expressing myself and you know that. And for the record, it pains me that my own servant would use the knowledge he has of me against me. You are a world class traitor, you know that?”

“And your best friend.” Ibuki smirked unwillingly.

“No, I can assure you there are plenty of people I like better than you. For example Cole. And he's not even human. You should feel ashamed of yourself.”

Ibuki shook his head and gave Raven an apologetic smile. Despite everything, they all knew that Akime would trust him with her life when it really mattered. He suspected she just really enjoyed a little verbal spar now and again.

“I apologise, Lady Marrowblade.” He decided to retreat and turned to Raven instead. “I can only hope your evening wasn't ruined.”

Raven quickly shook her head strode up to him, putting her soft palm onto his shoulder. Her touch was cold, yet warm. “Not at all, Ibuki.” She then turned her posture back to the huge masterpiece that was blackwing. Home yet again.

“Raven, I don't know how you cope with so many people. How large is your crew? I've never counted but keeping them all in check is really admirable.” Akime waved a hand ruefully. “Maybe I should leave Ibuki in your care. Teach him how to show respect for authority and all that.”

The man shivered as he remembered Marielle and her foul mouth. Please don't, he thought, eyeing Raven to see her reaction. He didn't fear the woman but that didn't mean she wasn't fearsome. He was certain that she could be more dangerous than any sea monster he'd encountered. After all, despite all the years he’d known her, he was certain she had a side to her that he’d never seen. Just like any powerful woman.

Raven’s mouth twitched into a slight smile. “After around two thousand years of learning and experience people tend to swarm to you.” She rubs her chin with her finger and thumb. “Hmm, my crew is what, six hundred? Something along that range, not including visitors.” Her smile creeped a little more towards an eerie vibe before she suddenly vanished in thin air. Before Ibuki would be able to tell Raven whispers behind him in his ear. ”Respect and authority, huh?” if Ibuki turned to face her he’d see that her skin glowed slightly purple, her face dark.

Akime tried to keep a straight face despite the sudden tension that gripped Ibuki's body. His eyes weren't going to pop out but she was certain she heard him take a very sharp breath and hold it in. She couldn't blame him either, six hundred was an impressive number and that was only the crew currently in service, not counting the men that went overboard for one reason or another. Ibuki turned his head slightly to Raven and responded in a very dry voice. “I can assure you I don't need any further training, lady Marrowblade.”

Akime decided that the man's expression is too precious to erase just yet and threw some wood into the fire. “You know, they say there are fates worse than death. I bet it's true. Not to mention how utterly symbolic it would be to have one servant killed by Christian and another – by his significant other.” She couldn't stop the grin. Ibuki threw her a sidelong glare but kept quiet.

Raven was very good at keeping back a snicker as her features evaporated back to their original place, her palm patting him on the head. “That’s okay, I’m sure you’re a very nice man.”

Ibuki let out a small smile and started towards the ship. Behind him Akime engaged Raven in an utterly girly topic.

“A very nice man, just like someone else I know. Has Christian gotten to see that dress yet? I think you’re quite striking in it. You’ve seen him already, haven’t you?”

Raven smiled wryly at Akime. “I just saw him not too long ago, but alas I was going to be late so I didn’t have time to show him.” She ran her hands through her hair and sighed.

“I'm sure he doesn't mind waiting a few hours more. He's a patient man and it will be worth it.”

Raven nodded, her mind trickling away to other thoughts again. She had a look that made her eyes resemble red dust as they skimmed the ship in front of them. “We should head back” she suddenly stated.



“Aren’t you interested in current affairs?” Cole inquired a while later.

“No.”

“I thought you used to be a fighter for freedom?” He questioned. Amber didn't even think for a second before answering.

“That was put an end to. Modern people should lead the modern battles, I’m retired. That’s something me and Akime both agree on,”

“Yet we intervene sometimes.”

“On occasion.” Amber smiled and stretched, causing the raft to rock slightly. That gave her an idea. She carefully slid to the edge of the raft, toes extending to try and reach the water. The closer she got, the steeper the angle of the raft, threatening to flip over.
“I’ll hold you.” Cole suggested, grabbing the back of her shirt and shifting his weight slightly to regain some balance. Amber giggled happily and started dangling her feet in the water, enjoying the sweet sensation.

That’s how Akime, Ibuki and Raven found them. Their faces expressed their opposing feelings: a smile and a frown. Then Akime’s eyes darted to Ibuki… and he found himself flying, or rather, falling, head-first towards the raft. Luckily he managed to flip and landed on his butt shortly before water filled his world and drowned the screams of his friends.

Akime leaned on the rail of the ship, a Cheshire grin on her face. A few droplets of water narrowly missed her make-up. She wished she could join them… Maybe she should go grab a swimsuit? That sounded like a good idea, she decided, heading for her cabin.

“You are such a child!!!!” Ibuki’s voice followed her.

As ordered, Stormlord.

Calder spun lithely on his scaled feet, and strode quickly and quietly out of the room, his body wasting no effort in moving his hulking mass across the room and out the door. In the hall he paused a moment to summon Sentinel and inquire about the location of Revenant and Crow. Confirming that Crow was in the morgue Calder moved to the lift and waited for it to arrive. Stepping into the empty elevator he selected the appropriate level and waited while it descended, trying to ignore the atrocious excuse for music being played.

---

Calder debated resuming his prior mask as the doors opened and he stepped through them heading straight for the morgue. After thinking it over he decided that he had work to do and it would not be benefitted by his mask, which might in fact hinder his ability to perform the requested task. So the mask stayed off, and the tide kept flowing in, the waves beating the rocky shores in time with his steps, or was it the other way around? The door to Morgue opened as Calder approached it and he walked through with pausing or even slowing his stride… which made the sudden body check rather surprising, though Calder certainly had the better end of the deal.

“OW! Dude watch it!!”

There was an impact that felt like a brick wall. If Calder looked down he would see a very grumpy woman who smacked face first into his stomach before bounding back a little, knocking her onto her bum.

“I might say the same of you, I’m a little hard to miss last I checked.”

I chuckle and reach down to offer you a hand up. I introduce myself by way of apology.

“My apologies miss, I’m Calder Dylan. Whom do I owe the pleasure of being so acquainted?”

Calder didn’t yet realize that you were the gal he was looking for, but he was about to be pleasantly surprised at having been saved the inconvenience of hunting you down through the tower. It was a big place, and you aren’t exactly renowned for staying put in anyone place for very long.

Marielle’s eyes widened slightly. “Calder? Oh you’re just the man I was looking for!” She looks him up and down before frowning. “Well, you know what I mean. I’m Marielle Spade.” She sniffed before rubbing her nose, a scowl creeping up into her features. “Damn dude, your abs almost broke my nose.” She moved the bridge of it between her two fingers as she took his hand with her own. “You bumped into me in a good mood. You see, the old hag I’m working for gave me some new shit for this mission, so if I found you and some other chick she said we could start the operation soon.” Her face beamed. In the middle of talking one of the straps from the performer’s tank top tried snaking down before she caught it, glaring at it before cursing under her breath.

Calder had not meant to cause her injury, but being a troll it was pretty easy to accidentally hurt most other mortals. Thankfully, Calder knew his abjuration magic, and sent a little jolt energy into Marielle, from his hand to hers, it should take care of the pain and any swelling that might be starting, as well as take care of any bruises she might have incurred in the incident. He smiled as she spoke, finally recognizing her as the girl he was looking for.

“How interesting, Stormlord just sent me to find you, Crow, and the Master of Blades. Is Crow here? That would make things a bit simpler for us.”

Marielle snorted. “Raisin face? he’s probably busy jacking off to his new AI system. I just talked to the douche not too long ago to get some files for the blonde bitch. Why do we need to get him?” Marielle itched her back and ran a hand through the long dark strands of hair that were clouding her vision. Crow didn’t exactly have the best encounter with Marielle, though she hardly cared. She just wanted a date with disaster as fast as possible.

“Stormlord says he goes, your mistress says I go, I don’t go if he doesn’t go. You get the picture, or do I need to start painting?”

I ask dryly, certain she was very well aware of why he was going, but wanted it noted that she wasn’t thrilled with the idea. That was fine by me, as long as she could work with him, which seemed almost certain under the circumstances. Since you’re standing in my way, and I’m not particularly interested in flattening you again, I call out with a well projected voice that carries easily.

“Crow! Stormlord has a new task for you!”

The inner doors of the morgue slid back and Crow poked his head out and squinted a little. “Alright hold on I just had to do a microbe scan let me get my things.”

With that the Shaitan disappeared into the bowels of the morgue. ”The herald is coming Crow Eater” Zachary cocked his head at that. “Interesting.” Vulture alit on Crow’s shoulder as he collected his bag and fitted the Crow’s Talons to his wrists. “Is it for me or is there another reason.” ”soon” Crow scooped up a blackened skull and stared into the empty eye sockets. “As your say Vulture”.

Crow stepped from the inner doors of the morgue and closed them sealing them with a circle he inscribed in the metal of the door by extending his right hand and moving it counterclockwise. The runes burned with a foul green blue light. “Now then. What does Lord Shard want?”

Marielle stretched as she gave crow a sleepy expression. “I dunno, ask the walking tank next to me.”

“We have a prisoner to break out, but first, Merielle needs to find… how did you say it? the blonde bitch, I believe were her exact words, then we are supposed to meet with the Master of Blades, presumably to begin planning and or receive a more detailed briefing on the mission. Oh, and it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance Crow, I am Calder Dylan.”

Calder inclined his head in greeting, as he introduced himself to Crow, and then stepped back out of the door, and began retracing his steps to the elevator. It would be a little cozy, but not quite cramped in the elevator. Calder was used to it by now, smaller mortals rarely had the foresight or the desire to accommodate their larger counterparts, though the inverse was equally true. Stepping into the elevator, he sincerely hoped that ‘the blonde bitch’ was on the same floor as the Master of Blades or it really would be cramped in there.

The dark haired girl snickered at Calder’s repeat of her nickname for Lady Marrowblade. It wasn’t long before Marielle squished herself in the elevator next to him, her finger poking at Calder’s stomach. “How the fuck did you get abs that huge?” She poked them more for good measure, eyes transfixed on them like a child is to a toy.

“Trolls are naturally large in nature and in order to support the bone structure the muscle mass needed is necessarily higher, as a result of this Trolls are often employed by others for enforcement and heavy labor. As a result. Large muscles.” Crow slid into the elevator beside the two of them. “They are also rather interesting to dissect because it requires a heavy duty cutting tool to breach the muscles and thick bone structures.” Crow looked at Calder “Nice to meet you too.”

Marielle rolled her eyes. “There he goes again talking about his fetish…”

“At least he has the good graces to only talk about his fetish, unlike a certain circus performer who seems to enjoy a much more active pursuit of her fetish.”

Calder selects the appropriate level on the panel and the elevator begins its ascent while the banter continues.

Marielle’s lips twitched into an ominous grin. “Don’t get me started about my fetishes tankface.” With that she twitched her wrist and out came a card: A second of spades.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened, Calder, returned Merielle’s grin and used the back of his hand to pin her to the wall while Crow and Calder left the elevator. Calder then made his way towards the practice grounds, where the Master of Blades was probably doing some demonstrations for the new recruits.

Crow looked at Calder as he exited the elevator. “She’s going to boil you in your own skin for that. I plan on not being in the vicinity of the fallout.”

“I’ve survived worse, let her waste her energy if she wants to. The tide is high, it will take a lot to boil it all away.”

Instead of her usual explosive approach she just strode out of the elevator, rubbing her face. “Your hand smells like shit..” Marielle grumbled under her own breath, digging her hands into her pockets while tailing behind them. “Luckily miss Marrowblade put a temporary lock on my shit, otherwise we might have all just burned to a crisp.”

With that the group arrived at the training field, where Megelis the Master of Blades stood conversing with another knight.

"Then I should have no trouble keeping up with my own clients." Justin commented, following Otto's suggestions as to how he loaded his plate. Lots of bacon, a waffle, scrambled eggs... Emphasis on the protein, mostly, though given how much syrup and butter he put on the waffle that probably wasn't for health reasons. An apple, a donut, and a glass of orange juice joined the assemblage of breakfast items balanced carefully on a tray. he did not miss the opportunity to refill his coffee mug, either, as he passed by the machine on his way to find a seat. "But I'll be interested to see how this place operates."

The universe had ironic timing, too. A subtle indicator in the corner of his vision prompted him to take a closer look at his notifications. Confirmation that the thief he had been hired to catch had been processed by the police, and his payment was already being wired to his bank account. He dismissed it with a tap on the device's frame, and then took the glasses off and tucked them into his chest pocket. That meant one more case crossed off his list. The other was still pending, but he doubted for long. He'd have to seek out some new clients soon enough. he took another long sip from his mug, and a few bites of food, before looking at his compatriot again.

"So what do you generally do, Otto? Have to keep busy somehow, if things aren't exciting here."

@Wind Wild






Damien listened patiently to her story, casually running his fingers along the bars beside himself in the darkness. He smirked at the end of it. "So murder it is. A life taken for a life promised and then forsaken. Vengeance is reasonable enough to me... but I know you are lying." He seemed amused, but only brielfy before returning to being somber. "The unfortunate truth, is that they don't put prisoners in here unless they are costing the government money, and they don't keep you alive unless you prove potentially useful. You're just an animal in a zoo, your cage will only be opened for you to do your circus tricks, then you are shoved right back into it until you rot. They want what you know, or they want to sell you to someone." The depths of pessimism and blackness around this man were truly repulsive, yet could he possibly be telling the truth? Damien leaned his head on the bars and sighed heaily. "Ten years it's been for me, since my soul was imprisoned. Since then, I have fed only on vengeance. It is only my body that changes location. ... The Blade, dear girl. They have cost me everything."