[Quest] A Dark Rendezvous (Anselm, Avari, Leigo)

by **Anselm** on July 1st, 2012, 6:40 pm

Anselm stood still and silent an arm's length away from the frightened girl. Her back was against the wall of a brick building and the three of them had her effectively hemmed in. His cold gray eyes gazed at her steadily, although she could not see that because of his cowl. There was something odd about the pendant but he couldn't decide what it was. It does not appear to be enchanted, he thought It feels like ordinary glass. What makes it so important to you, girl? Anselm didn't have enough pieces to put the puzzle together yet, but he suspected the pendant had more than just sentimental value to her. He suspected it lay at the center of whatever the three strangers were up to, and his curiosity was piqued. Her companions could return at any moment so time was of the essence.

He waved his hand dismissively, the first movement he had made since taking up his position in front of her. As he did so, he concentrated on extending his own aura outward until it included the girl's. He conjured up a feeling of terror inside himself and pushed it toward her. It felt to him like a gentle breeze flowing out of him and into her. The effect was immediate and obvious. She seemed to shrink into the wall, shaking uncontrollably, her breathing reduced to little gasps.

“We have come for the pendant,” he announced crisply. “My companions are dangerous people. Give it to me now or I cannot be responsible for what might happen to you.”

He had her full attention now and took advantage of it by leaning toward her and pulling his cowl back just enough for her to catch a glimpse of his face. Her eyes filled with terror. She saw the deep purplish bruising that surrounded his cold, dead, staring eyes. She saw the skin hanging off his jowls as though it was melting and about to drip on to the ground. She saw the puss-filled sore on one side of his nose and the angry red scabs across his forehead. All this in the span of a few seconds before his face disappeared back into the shadow of the cowl. She was whimpering.

He conjured up a feeling of deep relief inside himself and pushed it toward her as he said in a quiet voice, “On the other hand, it might be enough to just tell me what is so important about it.” He paused to push a mild suggestion at her: This is my way out. "And then you can be on your way."

by **Avari** on July 3rd, 2012, 6:51 pm

At first, Avari felt hopeful when she saw the strange, pale, golden-eyed woman seem to relax and grow calmer as she turned to listen to the Konti's words. When she stopped talking, though, the woman's back visibly stiffened and her face hardened into an obstinate mask, and Avari's hopes sank. No matter how unsteady she looked, the woman was clearly not about to be persuaded by soft words and a gentle manner. As the woman defiantly refused to tell them any more about herself or the pendant, the Konti cursed the uncharacteristic impulse that had urged her to show herself to the golden-eyed woman and try coaxing her. Now the woman knew what she looked like and what her voice sounded like; she could identify her in the future, even if all she knew was the "name" that Avari had given her.

It had been monumentally stupid of Avari, and she knew it. The best thing she could think of to do now was to back away, just as the golden-eyed woman had demanded of her, and let the old fortune-teller have his attempt at persuading the woman. Raising her hands in front of her, she stepped backward so that the old man was now closest to the woman and held still while he spoke his piece.

She had always thought the old man's voice was unnerving in its harshness, but when he addressed the golden-eyed woman, its gravelly tones sounded positively chilling in their crisp resolve. He sounded not as though he were trying to persuade her of anything, but simply as though he were stating unalterable facts that she would have no choice but to believe. Avari marveled -- and, it must be said, shivered a little -- at the ominous flatness of his voice. To punctuate his words, the old man briefly pulled back the cowl of his cloak, and Avari craned forward, eager and curious to catch a glimpse of his hitherto unseen face. He replaced the cowl long before she had a chance to see what it had concealed, however, but if the woman's reaction was any indication, it must have been unsettling indeed.

Wondering if the woman's eyes would turn toward her again, Avari decided to do her best to follow the old man's lead and attempt to look like "dangerous people." She kept her hands raised and curled her fingers into menacing claws. Unsure if this was enough, she began wishing she knew whatever magic had allowed her Charoda friend to transform his arm into an enormous lobster claw back at the Winter Ball.

Instead, Avari settled for drawing her eyebrows together into her best fierce glare. Inwardly, she prayed to Avalis and Yshul alike that she actually appeared dangerous and not foolish or laughable.

Where she had tried gentleness and coaxing, the old man had resorted to using fear and threats. Avari could only hope that his method worked better than hers, and worked quickly, before the frightening-sounding companions of this golden-eyed woman returned with murder on their minds.

by **Leigo** on July 3rd, 2012, 8:06 pm

Leigo wasn’t a fan of the old man, but some credit ought to be given. In what little time they had, he managed to go from the Konti’s peaceful approach into a full frontal intimidation attempt. While he found the very thought of Nuit displeasing, one had to give him credit. Usually Leigo wasn’t the one to follow up on anyone’s assumptions, but he would give in for the moment – the old man’s plan could work.

Stepping pass the Konti who seemed to be trying to act tough brought a smile up to his face. He might’ve found her to be more disturbing if they were at sea, but here, in Zeltiva’s gut she was nothing. It was probably enough to terrify the already broken girl. Or it would maybe make her laugh, ha, that would be quite a sight.

Once next to Anselm, Leigo was still smiling, examining the girl from close range. She wasn’t human either – there was no doubt about it. When did Zeltiva become so infested with these unwelcome creatures? The corpse stealer and the she albino and now a thing with claws, it made him sick… they all made him sick.

Without ever dropping his attempt at a welcoming smile, he asked a question that wouldn’t come as a surprise. “We were sent to get the pendant, right, but” his hand slowly crooked at an awkward angle, giving him better perspective of the girl “what makes the damn thing so valuable?” giving the girl another head to toe glare, he backed up a bit before concluding. However, he never intended to give her enough time to answer before continuing.

“I don’t think she’ll talk, we ought to burn her alive” still smiling, he brought a finger up to his lips “that would give her time to spill it. And besides… no one would hear her scream this time a night.” Tone calm and the boy seemingly ordinary – none seemed a threat. Still, there was something about the way he remained smiling while opting to cook the stranger alive – it made the air colder somehow. She was certainly not the murderer to blame for his family’s death, but she was tangled with Lion, he was certain, and that made her no better in his eyes.

Somewhere deep inside, he wanted a genuine reason to hurt her.

by **Cascade** on July 4th, 2012, 8:44 am

The young girl gave a squeak and she fell to the ground in a light thud. Trembling, she cowered to herself, taking these people out of her view. The cloaked man's face was terrifying. A feeling of fear welled up inside her, as if eating her persona. She tried to drown out their voices, but she failed.

In addition, the old man's companions were also working on instilling even more fear in her. Her lithe figure continued to tremble as she looked up at the three. Her strange eyes were reflected everything she felt. They said that she would cooperate.

She looked at Leigo, her eyes pleading. "You were sent to get it...? No, please, don't burn me!" she begged. The girl didn't know that Leigo was lying, that none of them had heard of the pendant before this night. However, they all pretended accordingly, making it seem like this had been their plan all along. Leigo's words were a reflection of what her own companion had said earlier -- and she knew her companion. That woman had meant it, and if this man was anything like that woman, then she clearly had to give them what they wanted.

With shaking hands, she rummaged in the folds of her cloak and brought out a simple glass pendant. It hung on a glass chain. The way she held it with much gentleness suggested that it was very fragile, and it was a wonder that it had been kept intact after all that had happened so far. It was in the shape of a dolphin, and it shimmered in the darkness of the alley, catching all of their eyes.

The girl held it in the air. She directed her hand towards the Konti, because out of all of them, Avari was the one who frightened her least.

"It's going to be held in a warehouse on East street, on the 38th... I'm not lying, I-I swear! You'll find all the valuable artifacts you want there!" she continued. What 'it' was, she didn't say -- she assumed she knew what she was talking about. "This pendant is what you need to get in. Also, d-don't forget to wear masks... The warehouse will be marked by a nightshade plant... n-now, please, spare me!"

oocWill edit the date into this post later. Just assume she had said it.

by **Anselm** on July 4th, 2012, 9:52 pm

Two days later.

Even with a hood covering his head, Anselm had to hold up his arm to shade his eyes against the early morning sun as he watched Leigo making his way up the hill to the small shrine overlooking the city. What a strange young man, he thought. Suddenly he was aware of Avari standing behind him, seemingly having appeared out of thin air.

“My dear,” he said slowly without turning around. “Must you always make such dramatic entrances?” He wasn't sure but he thought he might have heard a small chuckle.

A few minutes later Leigo joined them and they went into the Storm Shrine, where Anselm produced three identical glass figurines in the shape of a dolphin. He gave one to each of them.

“The glassmaker and I are not on the best of terms,” he grumbled. “I had to pay him twenty-one gold mizas to make the copies. You each owe me seven.” He held out his hand to receive their payment and then said, “I believe that concludes our business.”

OOC :

by **Avari** on July 5th, 2012, 4:43 pm

Avari couldn't help chuckling somewhat wryly at the old fortune-teller's comment when he noticed her stealing up behind him at the Storm Shrine. She took a moment to bow briefly before the shrine as a sign of respect, even though she was no sailor herself to worry about fair or foul winds blowing their ship safely or astray at sea. Someday, perhaps, the Konti would wish to leave Zeltiva and travel even further into the wide world, and it would not do for the god of wind and storms to remember a careless slight or show of disrespect if she chose a sea voyage to her next destination.

That done, she quipped at the old fortune-teller, "Sorry to have disturbed your ears, old man. Next time I'll try to make less of a ruckus when I show up to these private meetings."

A few minutes later, the blond boy with the disturbingly cruel mind had joined them, and the old man passed out the glass replicas of the dolphin pendant that the golden-eyed woman had shown them a few days ago at the docks. Avari examined hers minutely, marveling at its craftsmanship. She'd had no idea that fine glasswork such as this could be found outside Mura's House of Glass, but the tiny dolphin wrought in clear glass was lovely and delicate in every detail. She wanted to ask who had made it, but decided against it, not wishing to display her ignorance of even one of Zeltiva's many secrets.

Despite the pendant's fine craftsmanship, Avari hesitated when the old fortune-teller grumbled about their owing him part of the purchase price. This charming little pendant was more than just a vain adornment, after all; it was a ticket to something dark and dangerous, something that had rendered the golden-eyed woman almost speechless with terror and seemed to involve her murderous, ruthless companions. In the two days since their encounter, the Konti had done some thinking. Avari was no stranger to danger, but she had no desire to pay the price of death or near-death for the sake of something she didn't even fully understand. Perhaps it would be wiser not to go poking her nose into some shadowy matter upon which she and the others had stumbled by mere chance, especially when the aforementioned matter could get her killed.

For a moment, she eyed the pendant dubiously and raised her hand to give it back to the old man. As she did so, however, a ray of early morning light caught the glass dolphin and made it shimmer, causing prismatic rays of bright, colorful light to radiate from the transparent, finely-blown glass. Avari caught her breath at the sight, and an avaricious impulse made her close her hand over the pendant without even consulting her brain.

Perhaps she could at least hold onto this little thing, even if it represented something terrible. It also represented a chance for future profit and opportunity, if Avari grew more daring or skillful. And she couldn't say no to that.

The Konti dug into a side pocket and brought out seven mizas, dull from much use and wear. She dropped them into the old man's hand and nodded in agreement with his final statement.

"I appreciate your getting these to us, old man," she said to the perpetually cloaked and cowled fortune-teller. To the boy, she said nothing, but merely pursed her lips and shrugged noncommittally. "Perhaps I shall see you there, perhaps not. We shall see which one of us fortune favors most."

With that, the Konti turned on her heel, adjusted the wide-brimmed hat on her head to a jaunty angle, and waved her fingers lazily in a nonchalant goodbye to the two men.

by **Leigo** on July 6th, 2012, 1:41 pm

Solely out of courtesy did Leigo stay long enough to hear their words. Regardless of their monstrosity he still held out his hand. Using the same hand to drop coins and take up the pendant as well, he didn't question Anselm truthfulness. He just wanted to get out of here with the least possible amount of contact with these... these creatures. The blond got his wish as he was soon heading away from the planned meeting place. Away from the shrine.

by **Cascade** on July 19th, 2012, 10:43 am

Adventurer's Loot

Anselm's Loot :

Avari's Loot :

Leigo's Loot :

Overdue grading, but here you go! Good job to all of you! This thread surprised me as well, such as... who knew Leigo was such a psychopath?

Enjoy the following quests, and good luck! Avari, it's too bad you won't be able to participate in the next quests, though I appreciate your contribution to this one.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to PM me!