Lost on the Streets of Alvadas (Syndela)

[Rafaelle]

It was not hard to guess what the drunk was intending when he parted from the rest of the group. The fact that he found a neat corner to tuck himself into for his personal needs was a miracle in itself. By chance, it happened to be right next to the house where the rogue waited. The smell of steaming urine was disgusting but this was not the time to be squeamish.

Rafaelle observed everything from atop one of the houses. Were the nobles less intoxicated and enthralled with each-other perhaps they could have even caught a glimpse of a dark figure crouching by the edge of one of the houses, watching them silently with an amused smirk. He found their constant laughter immoderate but it was still amusing to study them vicariously from a distance as though they were animals in their natural habitat. Which they were not, however, having walked quite a bit of distance away from the safer grounds of their noble houses. At least that is what Rafaelle thought.

The young man was struck with many bizarre ideas of how to entertain himself. Letting the company see him was certainly not a good option for that would ruin the surprise. Humans were not the only ones caught by the mysterious forces at wake in Alvadas. Animals too could easily fall prey to the trappings of illusions.

The moon was shining bright and they were precariously far from the safer blocks of the city. The rogue cleared his throat as quietly as he could and gingerly crawled away from the edge to remain completely concealed. His view was obstructed as well but it did not matter as much.

He inhaled deeply and concentrated to conjure the image of a solemn wolf in his mind, and imagine the echoing howl of the beast. With his best efforts, he imitated what he thought might sound akin to an animal. It was never too hard for a human to produce a sound similar to a howl of a canine and Rafaelle doubted these fools could distinguish between the two anyway.

The hollow sound reverberated from every lonely corner and the laughter was abruptly interrupted. His wolfish howl lasted for about five seconds, starting from a higher note and ending with a more lower menacing tone.

There was silence, but the howler could tell there was tension in the air. "Wh-what was that? I thought you said these streets were safe!" Panicked one of the women after a prolonged period of shock. A minute, most likely, but to them it seemed to stretch. The drunkard who was about to pull up his pants and leave had dropped down against the bin he hid behind, and lay there, bewildered and frightened.

"That was not funny at all! You stepped over the boundaries this time!" One of the other men cried, appearing to have sobered somewhat from the shocking event. "It wasn't me, I swear on my father's name!" Came the reply from behind the corner.

Another silent moment ensued and the tension rose.

[Syndela]

Syndela heard the howl too, being in the same vicinity as the six drunk noblepersons and the troubleseeker. The hairs on her scalpline stood up, knowing well the sound was false but all too real. During the times spent in the woods travelling to Alvadas, she had encountered the wolves. Terrfying yellow fangs gnashed and clamped out from the shadows. The maws of those pack creatures had almost killed her at one point and the memory of hearing their howls during the thicket of night chilled her to the core. They too, would pay one day.

Huddled almost in his own urine, the male behind the bin fastened for an attack and held himself closely. A whimper escaped his lips, adding to the pathetic value of his existance. The other five huddled together, though not spooked. They glanced about, hoping to catch a glimpse of the horror that lurked in the dark.
A male with a pointed goatee strut out, encouraged by the alcohol to assume position of alpha male. " Come out, dog! I'll have you down on the ground dead before you even think twice. " On que, a hand held throwing knife was removed from it's holster, attached neatly to his belt.

The noble behind the bins quickly pulled up his pants and belt and made a run for his friends. Exquisite leather shooes clapped loudly against the stone as he ran, long legs stretching out to carry him as far and fast as possible. " Oh, put that away Darcy! " Called out the third female, this one wearing a cyan blue dress with a peacock feather headdress. Darcy turned to flash a grin at his lady, turning around to face her and spinning a bit too far so he stumbed just slightly. " Do not fear, my love! I will swear unto myself and this grande city that I will protect you and your friends from harm. " With a waving hand the noble proceeded to swoop into a bow, his tailcoat flapping out in the momentum.

Another burst of laughter came from the group only much quieter. The possible idea that a large wolf lurking in the darkness had imposed them enough to lower their voices. " Should we go back to the manor? I have the kitchenmaid baking some lemon tart. " Proposed the woman in pink, looking between the group members with a sluggish smile.

Finding all this detail in such a dark street gave the Symenestra a clue as to what he was up to. Could he possibly be interested in stealing? If so, would turning him into the local authorities earn her enough money? Perhaps so or perhaps not. She would need to wait and see. After all, the show had been amusing and most entertaining so far.

[Rafaelle]

While the nobles exchanged words, the rogue hastened to change his location. His boots made sounds but not enough to attract the attention of the group who were laughing again, albeit not with as much abandon or recklessness as before. In fact, it sounded forced.

With a plan nearly formulated in his mind, he passed by many roofs fleetingly, heading in the direction from whence they all came and where they were about to head back, he assumed. Too bad there was no partner to rely on. Nevertheless, he could at least give it a try.


"That does not sound like a bad idea at all! What do you think, buddy?" The man who was called Darcy flicked his knife back where it was taken from and wrapped his arm around his friend's neck who just arrived among them once more. But after a briefest of moments, his face contorted from the smell of urine in which his comrade managed to smear his own clothing. He backed away, and looked at the rest of the group who seemed to concur with the idea of departing the accursed streets. "Well then, errr... shall we?" He proposed while rubbing a hand against his exquisite tunic with an expression of profound disgust upon his countenance. Everybody mumbled in agreement except for the drunkard who did not quite understand why Darcy acted the way he did until the sour looks of others that flicked down to his pants and up as they passed by told him everything.

The woman in cyan, following last, sighed patiently and tapped his shoulder. "Come on..." and as they began to tread up towards the hill where the upper classes resided, another chilling howl broke the serene silence of the night. It came from the very direction they followed before, as if the same wolf or its long lost companion blocked their way.

Unexpectedly, even to Rafaelle himself, some mangy dog answered from somewhere, but was stopped abruptly, probably by its master's shoe judging by the whimper.

"Wh-what now?" Asked one of the men while Darcy held his knife already with his woman creased his cloth in her desperate clutches.

[Syndela]

The furnace of curiousity burned with such intensity that Syndela felt heat collecting around her figure in the darkest hour. Why was this human turning against his own kind? He was young, unarmed (or so she presumed so) and outnumbered. Intimidation from the mimicry worked, the nobles huddling together with morale stooping to an all new low tide. But not for Darcy.

Darcy pushed his fiance aside, letting the woman huddle toward the other women instead. Arrogantly he paced up the hill from where the second howl originated. " Come out here you filthy beast! I'll show you how to howl once I throw my dagger into thy eye!~ " Being as sophisticated as possible, Darcy swooped up his throwing knife and aimed it at the darkness itself, uncannily in Rafaelle's direction. " Reveal thyself and you will be punished! "

" Oh Darcy..." Expressed his partner, the tone of her voice conflicting both shame and flattery. Alcohol did wonders on mixing emotions or ether emphasising one to the extreme. One of the other men too stepped out from the group and peered at the terraces, his fingers fiddling out to pull on Darcy's arm. " Would it not be better just to go home? This dog sounds close but it could be locked withheld unto one of the houses. " The posh male flicked a vigilant browlift in the direction Darcy was facing, thick red moustache twitching.

" No! " Darcy shouted and yanked his arm free, stumbling forward a little on the slippery path. " I will slay this beast with my very hands if it so shall approach! " Like a valiant knight in shining armor, Darcy broke away from the group and ran up the hill, his tailcoat flapping. If he continued to run away would the illusions seperate him from his companions entirely? Fuelled with the thirst for more entertainment, Syndela pursued over the rooftops keeping Darcy flanked as the Symenestra pounced from roof to roof.

Why was this childish scheming compelling her to act like this?

[Rafaelle]

The fleeting shadow was barely distinguishable from the rest but he managed to catch a glimpse of the Symenestra. She stuck around this whole time after all? The way she traversed the roofs could only be described as scintillating. An arachnid trapped in a body of a mammal? No time to philosophize about such things now. At least the prideful male rid the rest of the pack of his obnoxious presence. Though he preferred that they stayed together, it did not foil his plans yet.

The houses were a bit too high for his liking and the boy did not like the prospect of breaking his legs should a landing go awry. Luckily though, the house he currently crouched on was close enough to another for him to climb down by stretching his body between the two. He snuck to the edge of the house and pressed the soles of his boots against the wall of the neighbouring house and gingerly began to lower himself into a dark narrow alley below next to the road where one of the infuriated nobles stormed past with his back against the opposite wall.

The incumbent air of unease and fear still hung above the rest of the group. "He's going to get himself killed!" Cried the red-moustached man and pointed vaguely in the direction where their companion had disappeared as though swallowed up by the city's deceptive streets. "We should stay here and wait for help!" Cried a woman with a squeaky voice, her arms curled around the one in pink, most likely to stop them both shaking from the combined impact of chill air and fear.

"I think we should move." Declared Darcy's fiance sternly, too mad and frustrated at the man who so boldly rushed into danger without realising that he was endangering himself and leaving them without his protection... not that he was of much help in his drunken state anyway. His deeds rarely matched his loud mouth as well.

"Greetings to you, fair citizens of Alvadas." Sounded a voice from the dark and out came the young thief with a benevolent smile present on his lips. Despite his friendly manners, his appearance was still a startling experience to the already spooked group held on edge. The woman in pink squealed, the drunk who managed to soil himself yelped and fell on his butt and the others gave him an almost overly dramatic stare of sheer disbelief and fright.

Such a reaction was anticipated. At least none of them threw anything sharp in his general direction. They were relieved a moment after as they realised it was but a young man. The man with the moustache was about to say something but he fell silent as the most decisive woman preceded him: "Greetings... stranger... I do not suppose you... heard the howls?" She asked reluctantly. There was a hint of suspicion in her eyes. The sudden appearance of a new face could not have been a coincidence, or could it?

Rafaelle flicked his eyes to the rest of her companions to assess the situation as briefly as possible without blowing his cover or giving away his motives. The other two women were huddled together and appeared completely helpless, relying solely on their more decisive friends. The drunk at the back was probably not even aware of the dire situation, and would agree with the general consensus of the group no matter what. The other man, though emanating an affronting odour of alcohol, seemed sober enough to comprehend what was going on.

The main challenge was to disperse the suspicions of Darcy fiancee, however. "Ah, yes. The legendary black hound of Alvadas." She raised a brow at him with a tinge of bewilderment. "Oh, you have never heard of the tale? I thought everybody was familiar with it. Unfortunately, there is no time to discuss. Whether the legend is true or not, can only be guessed but one thing is certain. There is a wild dog on the loose, and a few disappearances have been reported around this here area..." He spoke gravely and then stopped to let the suspense linger in the air. It was rather hard to keep his face straight at the sight of their frightened expressions, and he turned away from them to let his features twist into a grin involuntarily.

"Fortunately for you, I can make your journey safer. I was specifically tasked with overlooking this place to make sure nobody got lost on their way. However, I require a marginal sum for my services." Rafaelle looked at the woman over his shoulder again, assuming she was going to give the answer. Yes, the rogue did not look like a formidable beastmaster or anything of the like. But did they have a choice if they were truly convinced that something was out there?

[Syndela]

She couldn't beleive her eyes as Rafaelle stepped out to greet the huddled defensive townspeople. Did this fool welcome death so easily? Any of them could have possessed a weapon, no matter how atrocious or unconvinent the outfit may have seemed. Strangely, the suspence caught the Symenestra too, leaning forward to catch the next sentence in this dramatic play. Entertainment, and raw. Just how she liked it.

Assuming the position of alpha, the pink lady managed to step forward, finding her eyes locking with the lifeless stare of the rogue. Cowering in their shoes, her female friends provided little comfort or support in this 'crisis'. How could they have been driven into such a mess? Just when the night was going so well...

" The black hound...? " Riddled with a sense of suspision, the flamboyant wigged woman narrowed her eyelids, thick makeup obscuring her eyes to seem the gesture almost vacuous. The female in the cyan dress spoke up, gently patting her female counterpart to soothe the shivering that overtook her shoulders. " We should just go. I have the lemontarts ready, they are done! Can we just leave? We may eat once we go back." A sense of desperation lifted her voice, and also a taste of annoyance.

Snapping her fan shut, the pink haired female finalised her decision. " You may lead us, but only if we collect Darcy. He's run off and I refuse to leave him out here alone! Heaven knows what else lurks out in these streets. " Heavy moustache wriggled as the fatter male cleared his throat. " If we get lost, then what do we do? "

The fiance sighed, finding no answers. " I do not know..." She glanced up into the shadow, holding the fan sincerely to her bosom. " Please be safe, Darcy. "
As if on command, the howl of a dog reverberated the cold nightly air, possibly from the source that was silenced beforehand. Countenance and worry turned to panic as the women squealed, ducking down to avoid the invisible curtain of terror that fell upon the group like a soggy wet curtain.
" Go go~! Please let us go and find Darcy! " Converted into beleiving the beast was fully real, the pink wigged woman pushed her fan between her breasts and picked up the heavy pink skirt. Heels clacked against stone loundly as she trudged up the hill at a hurried pace, compelling the others to shake off the peril and take flight after her.

This show was getting better by the second!

[Rafaelle]

Rafaelle had no volition in the case as the decision was finally made and the group made haste. He ran past them all to lead the way, not encumbered by alcohol or heels. The walls had already changed since the gentry first passed by and they could only hope that nothing shifted during Darcy's courageously foolish charge... or brave retreat. It was impossible to track any footprints for none were left against the hard pavement.

"Darcy! Darcy, where are you?" The pink woman shouted as loud as she could between her strenuous huffs and puffs. Evidently, none of them were used to the athletic activity and Rafaelle was forced to moderately lower the pace.

In his haste and fury he finally tripped over some cloth laying about chaotically on the ground. Muttering curses, Darcy picked himself up, nearly having gutted himself with his own knife. This was a dead end and all he could make out in the dark was the glinting metal of a tap in the far wall of the alley. Another howl came from somewhere. That same mangy dog. And then the man realized he isolated himself from the rest of the company.

"Priscilla...?" He inquired with uncertainty. There came no answer. The night, or early morning, was eerily quiet and for the first time, his rage began to oscillate with fear. And before he knew it, the walls shifted and he was trapped in the alley. With a startled scream he ran to the wall where there was a clear path he ran upon just a few moments ago. Imprisoned within the confines of four walls he began to call for help. "Anybody out there!? I demand to be released this instant! This is simply despicable and disrespectful!"

Unfortunately for him, the city was built in a way so that loud noises could only be heard by those not too far. He was in luck that he was being searched for, however, and soon the cry of his fiancee reached his ears, albeit it was feint, deterred by many walls and distance. "I am here, my love! Behind this wall! Don't worry, I'll come save you soon, dearest!" The nobleman hit the solid wall a few times with his fist, hurting himself in the process. How dare it snap back at him so disdainfully and hold him from saving his future wife?

It was not hard to determine where the voice came from. Soon, the whole company stood on the other side of the wall. The woman in pink ran to desperately press herself against the cold texture of it, and yell: "Darcy, dear?! Are you there?" After a moment a muffled voice of the addressed man came. "Don't worry, my dear! These walls cannot hold me for too long! Soon, we shall be reunited! Do not fear! And... errr...." There was a moment of silence before the continued with less confidence. "I think there's a corpse with me in here! Oh dear!"

There was, of course, no corpse but only the clothes that uncannily resembled one as well as the makeshift rope. It was not fastened to the metal fence atop the building, however, and thus useless without someone's aid.

"We must do something!" The fiancee squealed and regarded the rest of the company with that characteristic demand of a noble that did not take a no for an answer.

"You! Commoner! Get my dear Darcy out of there!" She pointed her finger in Rafaelle's direction. "Well, m'am, I could offer him advice on how to increase his meagre chances of survival against the attack of a rabid dog but otherwise I am just as helpless against the magic of this city as yourself. Unless, of course, there is extra coin involved." The rogue smiled at her reassuringly. He had no idea how he could possibly get the trapped noble out of there but if the spider-woman was still around, perhaps he might consider splitting his profit...

[Syndela]

Cold brittle night settled upon the town, sinking the temperature lower each passing bell. Summer in this region still held a chill, enough to cast a light layer of frost and dew against the early morning grass. Visible breath poured from Darcy's mouth in quick unrelenting pants, hitting his balled fist against the terrace that now faced him, denying him exit.

" Darcy! Are you alright?! " Called out the balding fatter male, the furry moustache jolting about as he spoke as if it possessed a life of it's own. Feeling his spirit sink momentarily, the knife wielding noble spanked his head lightly against the hard wall, letting a light bump ricket his skull to awaken his numbing senses. " Alas, I am trapped! This town conspires against me, Bermont! " Darcy responded, his voice just barely audible behind the two story blockade.

Frustrated, Priscilla kicked the door of the house. " Let us in! My fiance is trapped in your quaters! Open the door, peasant! " Red lacey shoes battered against old oak, only causing the hinges of the worn entrance to creak violently with the aggressive tactics.
The third howl had lowered their morale so utterly low that even the two remaining males huddled closely, although ignoring the smell of urine. Sighing in lost transition, the pink woman automatically faced toward Rafaelle, distress and smudged make up defilling her features.
" I will pay you extra, just please. My fiance is in there and that black dog is so close! Hurry this instant! " Every pledge seemed kerfuffled by hidden temprement. The nobles seemed meek though could have lived here for many weeks, months or even seasons. Would the impact of Alvadas despite their lavish lifestyle have tilted their sanity?

" Get. Him. Out. " Snarled the wigged matriarch, causing her friends to pipe up in defense. " Hurry! The wolf is getting cl-cl-closer... " Shaking in arms, the rest of the hieracy mearly tremored, surveying the elevating street in anticipated horror.

Red eyes danced above the group, concealed by black silken robes. Only the trickster would be able to discern the sight lingering nearby, having kept the distance until just now. White fangs glimmered out, was that a smile?

" HELP!" Yelled from the courtyard, Darcy beginning to feel the pinch on his sanity loosening. Figures and shadows danced in the corners of his eyes, his periphial vision flashing with apparations, claws and faces that were not truly there. Darcy's hair stiffened, goosebumps converging over his skin. The back of his neck felt cold and in hope of keeping his worry in check, he grabbed the already tied rope. Fast fingers and hands pulled the rope rapidly toward himself, praying that it could be used to haul himself out of this deathtrap.

[Rafaelle]

The whole scenario akin to that of a farce played in cheap theatres amused Rafaelle as much as it pleased the Symenestra skulking somewhere nearby. He was sure she would not miss the show after having noticed her with the corner of his eye. Alas, unlike her, he had to put great effort to control his facial muscles from spreading into a gleeful grin and seem entirely serious. He had his own part to play in this comedy after all.

At all the thumping of the door, from behind came an angry muffled answer. "Shut up, we are trying to get some sleep here!"

Rafaelle cleared his throat, and bowed his head to the woman with the pink wig. She still smelled heavily of abundant perfume but even that could not hide the faint fragrance of wine she had consumed during the festivities that supposedly took place before their nightly walk.

"Of course, m'am. I have an option that should work, no doubt." He answered her respectfully before cupping his hands around his mouth and yelling. "Hey, dancer! Come and help the poor lad out of the hellhole, will you? There's more coin to be made!" He had absolutely no idea whether she would grace him with her aid but having met her before, the rogue assumed she struggled to make money herself. Surely she could not resist the opportunity.

The rest of the group looked at him confused. Rafaelle flashed a reassuring smile towards them, especially the scrutinizing fiancee of the trapped nobleman who seemed to be on the verge of breaking down. One of the other ladies fainted with a dramatic sigh into the arms of the woman in blue who was swept away against the wall by the weight, fluttering her eyelids helplessly, painted long with mascara.

Darcy fell on his butt and the last vestige of what seemed like salvation fell down. It was not tied to the metal fence. He whimpered, his forgotten knife dropping down onto the cold stone with a clang. Who knew what lie in store for him in the dark corners of Alvadas?

[Syndela]

Dancer? She had overheard the conversations but since when did he yearn to pull her out from her hiding spot to socialise? He was unwilling to part from his coins before, so what would make the thief wish to share his earnings now? However, the idea of tossing up a noble human over the roof sounded more enticing. Swift dark movements slithered across the rooftops for but a second before vanishing from sight yet again.
Deciding to make the crossing further up near the temple courtyard, the nimble aerobatical dancer leapt from house to house, carrying under the heed of midnight unseen and unheard. Swiftly she climbed down the wall four legged, landing on the ground and rushing across the road in the time it took to take a deep breath. Cold walls met palms and feet, flashing up the opposite terrace and scaling over the fenced roof with a twist of legs over head.

Gritting his chattering teeth, Darcy attempted to silence his sobs, rocking his back against the house whose owners refused to help. Damn peasants. Damn them all! " Why, if I was the lord of this land, I'd have you hanged at the gallows for your refusal to aid your superior~! " Darcy yelled out into the courtyard, enclosed houses and corners forcing his own words to echo back hauntingly.
Trembling pathetically, Darcy gripped his fallen throwing knife, barely pocketting it in the leather shealth at his waist.
Why did he feel so alone? As he opened his wet eyes, he found the ground vanishing from beneath his feet - stars?
The Symenestra carried the human over her back and used the momentum of her run to pace up the elevation of the wall in quick treads. The momentum slowed toward the roof, the impact of the humans heavy weight dragging and slowing her down until she had no choice but to run on three limbs. Tiles slippery in a light layer of frost forced Syndela to move quickly.

She pawed and pushed, feet slipping underneath her as Darcy held fastened to her side with one arm, though most of his body held rested upside-down against her robed back. " Wh.. what!? " The drunk male shrieked in astonishment, the stars dispersing from view with a sudden nudge of a bin.

Splat! Darcy landed in the trashpile with a heavy clang, the sound of wood breaking amoungst other things filling the night air. Some cats in the distance hissed and scattered from their hiding places, the disturbance even compelling a few curses to bellow out from the windows of the residences.

Dazzled and dazed, the knife wielding noble sat upright with his buttocks fitted completely inside the wooden rubbish collection device, his head loping to one shoulder as his eyes rolled uncontrollably within his skull. A shaded figure quickly jumped between the two houses, the crumbling of stone coming to ear as a few pebbles bounced down the tiled roof and pattered on the ground near the group.

Darcy had been put right where he belonged.