Missions and Misdirections (Eridanus)

by **Mirage** on March 26th, 2012, 6:06 pm

63rd of Spring, 512 AV

The world was slowly returning to its normal pace, the eves of disaster now beginning to fall from the fair city of Alvadas. The recent work of the Alvadas Government has seen that many locations within the city were relatively monster free, and the Illusions of Alvadas were once more confined within the city limits. All was well, and everything was in order... Or so it would appear.

This man, the on called Eridanus, had gained a bit of fame within the Department of Illusions. Many saw him for his skill at arms, others for his quick wit and nimble mind, but still others cared little for the Ethaefal and his ways. In the end such speculations by his peers mattered little, for when the Illusions of the city were called into question there were no longer distinctions between friend and foe.

The halls of the Department were abustle with workers streaming to and fro carrying papers to their designated locations. Desks were piled high with notes and forms, logs and manuscripts filled filing cabinets and littered shelves all about the Department. There was much to be done, and work was going on as per usual. Nothing of interest seemed to be taking place in the least.

Eridanus had been called, messaged by his own department in order to perform a job. Once the man reached the front doors of the department he would be met with the flurry of work spoken of before, but this was not where he was to go. Continuing on past this, through a maze of desks and bodies, Eridanus would find himself walking down a long hallway with many branching doors to the sides, and all were locked. At the end of the hallway there would be a door, the golden plate on the front stating simply: Supervisor of Illusions.

He had been called by Vena Swivle to perform a task that he knew not of, but surely to be called by the supervisor herself would indicate something interesting, no?

Upon opening the door Eridanus would be presented with a medium sized room decorated and adorned with lavish curtains and blush rugs. Upon the walls there were countless wardrobes and drawers, and many exotic garments could be seen hanging from racks on the upper walls, laying upon dressers and hanging on hangers all about the room. Directly in the center of the room was a large oak desk with legs carved in the shape of eagle talons, and behind this desk stood a woman, a symenestra woman with fine hair pulled up in an intricate pattern. She stood with her back to the door, gazing deeply into a mirror that was 2 feet taller than she and more than 3 times as wide. Her dress this evening was an black embroiled dress that drug on the ground. The open back and sensual cut of the font left just enough to the imagination to be modest, though not enough to take away from her sensuality. Upon her shoulders was a silk shaw of the deepest purple color, partially see through so that her pale skin could still be observed.

Vena would turn as Eridanus entered the room, casting an alluring smile over her shoulder, "Hello my dearest Eridanus. I am glad you could make it."

Waving a hand a chair would mysteriously appear from no where in particular, and Vena would motion for Eridanus to sit as she took a seat in her own lavish arm chair of startling emerald velvet.

by **Eridanus** on March 26th, 2012, 6:25 pm

The calamitous storm that ravaged the city was over, but it brought its own share of tragedies and hazards in the form of potent lingering djed mutations, and massive destruction. Eridanus had thought that he had seen the worse when he was spirited all the way from Alvadas to the City of Illusions to save the city from the long-dead menace Drysalla Everheart. It had been chaotic that day, with crumbled buildings, explosions, and masses of bodies sprawled all around. It was like the result of a war.

The aftermath of the djed storm was no different. No, it was worse. Horribly mutated monsters, their powers and sizes augmented by the wild djed ravaging the region, invaded the city, slaughtering at will. Depraved groups of people, mostly non-local adventurers and mercenaries, banded up to form looting parties. The nicer ones occupied themselves with looting abandoned buildings. The more brutal ones accosted others.

Eridanus spat at them, for taking advantage of others while the city was in danger was a ridiculous notion. He had been accosted by one such group before, but they had clearly not met a master swordsman before. Fortunately for them, such an encounter had been their very last.

The ethaefal shook his head distractedly, his thoughts bringing him back to the present. He had been summoned to see the supervisor, and as such he dutifully navigated his way through mazes of office personnel and desks to get to the location. The last time he had met the kindly Akalak was when he was discreetly interviewed and offered the job. Though Varla Swivle was huge and muscular like his fellow warrior brethren in Riverfall, there was a compassionate and understanding quality to his glint that earned Eri's respect.

Knocking on the door, he let himself in. Though he had not been inside this room for a season already, the familiar scent and decorations of the room brought back the memories of his first visit here when he felt completely lost. Varla had been his light of illumination.

However, he found himself looking at a fashionably dressed Symenestra woman, who addressed him in such a familiar way. He had not known any other Symenestra women besides Shai, the consort of the white-haired rogue Antar Noth.

As she offered a seat to him, the ethaefal continued to stare at the woman in a dumbfounded manner. However, he noticed his slack-jawed expression and quickly changed his face to a more neutral poker face. He had not seen her before, nor had he noticed her around in the Department of Illusions. That only meant one thing; could the Supervisor have been assassinated by some random force who infiltrated this secret location?

"Who... who the hell are you?" Eridanus uttered silently, a suspicious glint in his eye. His body imperceptibly shifting itself into an unarmed combat stance. He did not carry his blades around while in the Department for there was no need to due to the massive security - both physical and invisible.

by **Mirage** on March 26th, 2012, 7:04 pm

The chair rocked back as Vena crossed her legs under the desk, folding her hands in her lap. A smile spread across her ruby lips, a glint shining off of her venomous fangs. When she spoke her voice was like silk, smooth and lilting with just a hint of amusement, "Oh my, do not tell me you do not recognize me my sweet Ethaefal. You break my heart with such harsh looks," Her eyes roamed over Eridanus musclar form a moment, taking in his tone and build while touching a finger to her lips, "or perhaps those are shivers."

Her laugh filled the room for a moment, the sound of merriment carried a hint of her larger form. When her eyes met Eri's once more, Vena crossed her arms under her breasts, "This form that you see is but one face that I choose to wear while within the halls of this department. I do not know what face you have seen of me before this, but without a doubt I am Vena, Supervisor of the Department of Illusions and caretaker of your fate within this department as well."

Snapping her fingers the chair moved closer, nudging Eridanus behind his knees, "Now, if you will sit we shall discuss the matter at hand, but please," She batted her long eyelashes, "Feel free to stare. It gives me a certain... thrill."

Laughing once more, one could not tell if this woman was kidding or truly serious. Much of her actions, her movements were reminiscent of the Varla Eridanus had met before, and yet others would lead him to feel he was speaking with a different person entirely.

Vena would wait for Eridanus to sit before continuing to speak, "Now, there is a very peculiar occurrence that has taken place just before the Garden of No Return, a flower to be exact, and so we are sending you there to investigate.

by **Eridanus** on March 27th, 2012, 11:02 am

The intruder did not seem perplexed at his motions, taking it all in in an unperturbed manner. Her explanation entered his mind, but his brain was still processing it in the confusion.

Eridanus blinked.

"...w-what? Is that even possible?" He protested, though he should have known better. Alvadas was a city that provided many surprises; he should have gotten used to being surprised by now, if such a line of thought worked.

Sitting down at her behest, he observed her more carefully and admitted that her actions were quite similar to the Akalak that he had met in the Winter. Tapping slightly into the welll of djed within his body, he mentally brushed past the Supervisor's aura, recognizing the tinge of familiarity. Auras did not lie, if anything. Nodding to himself inwardly, he cut the djed that fueled his brief use of auristics, and finally convinced himself that Vena was indeed Varla.

"So... you want me to investigate... a flower?" Eridanus clarified. He had instantly processed it as a ridiculous notion upon hearing it, but in order to show respect he had erased all traces of incredulity from his voice.

Be careful, his inner voice told him, for everything in Alvadas was not what it seemed. If the DOI suddenly gained an interest in a flower to disregard the normal chain of command regarding mission assignments and got its Supervisor to personally brief an agent, it must be one hell of a flower.

"Why are you telling me directly?" He continued in a measured tone. He left the rest of the sentence silent, which was understood to be 'when you could have delegated the mission downwards as per normal protocol and leave my superior to brief me instead'.

by **Mirage** on March 28th, 2012, 4:15 pm

Vena tapped her fingernails on the desk, eyeing Eridanus with a measured gaze, "Be careful of your skepticism Eridanus. I have seen many, just like you, who have underestimated a situation given to them." She smiled and clacked her fingernails on the desk once more, "One such man scoffed at a mission we sent him on to investigate a curious little brick on the side of the local residence that would vanish and reappear at random intervals. Sadly his remains were never recovered."

Vena's eyes fell upon a stray bit of fabric on her desk, and her hand snaked out to grasp it with two thin fingers, "But yes my dearest, to answer your question it IS just a flower. A very peculiar flower that changes the color of its petals depending on the time of day." The Sym's eyes strayed over the strip of cloth, her fingernails picking at a loose thread on the side, "For some reason this flower no longer changes colors, and you, Eridanus," Her eyes came up to meet the Ethaefal's, "Are to investigate why this is."

Vena smiled and looked back down at the cloth, tugging at the loose thread as she spoke, "I can see that this was not what you were expecting was it? Perhaps you were hoping for a thrilling adventure into the underground, or a quest for some long lost hidden treasure?" Vena chuckled and tugged harder, the fabric beginning to unravel, "Allow me, then, to inform you of some very important information. We, the Department of Illusions, are a branch of the government that is hidden. We are a secret, and we value obscurity more than anything else." Her eyes looked up from her work for a moment to examine the man before her, but she quickly turned her attention back to the fabric, "We know many things about this city Eridanus. We have power, more power than any would like to think. We are powerful because we know things that no other departments can know, and this information is kept by only a select few individuals." Vena's finger pulled delicately on the string, the fabric completely unraveling to nothing, and her eyes caught Eridanus' with a piercing stare, "We are the keepers of this city. We are the ones that see to it that Alvadas is not torn asunder by its own power. We hold the keys to the greatest treasures, and the most dangerous secrets, of this city... We are the keepers after Ionu himself."

Her hand absently brushed the thread from her lap, steepling her fingers once more as she looked over Eridanus, "In truth, I like you Eridanus. You are strong, you are wise and experienced, however, I do not trust you to hold the fate of the city in your hands... not yet any way." Her arms folded under her breasts once more as she leaned back in the chair, "You are, as of now, a Surveyor. You are of the lowest rank within the department, and you have many tiers to climb before you may be entrusted with the greatest of all secrets that we hold." Her smile spread once more, and her fangs could be seen glimmering in the light, "You ask me why I chose to tell you myself? This is such a mundane, almost routine mission so why not simply have one of my underlings speak to you instead of doing so in person?"

Her nails clacked against the wooden surface as she stood, walking around to stand before Eridanus, leaning on the desk. The cut of her dress revealed a full figure and pleasing curves. Her pale skin was almost white and paper skin. The thin lines of her veins could be seen along her forearms and neck, but these marks did little to take away from her natural looks, "In addition to your briefing, I have another task that you must perform. One of the greatest importance."

She leaned up from the desk and bent forward so that she could look Eridanus in the eyes. When she spoke her words were soft, urgently spoken, "You must tell me..."

She leaned back up and spun once, the folds of her dress cascading around her when she came to a stop once more, "How does this dress look on me?"

by **Eridanus** on March 28th, 2012, 4:35 pm

Indeed, everything was not what it seemed in Alvadas. Eridanus grimly took what the Supervisor said about the poor sod before him to heart, mentally berating himself to never be complacent. Complacency was highly risky especially in Alvadas, for illusions masked the true danger of the twisted reality that permeated the city.

"I'd like the briefing notes regarding this, if any. And also any additional support equipment or personnel I am allowed to requisition for this mission," the vantha said formally, remembering the mechanical way his direct supervisor used to brief him regarding missions in Alvadas. It was robotic and bureaucratic, but he liked it because it was systematic and held all the information he needed. Vena Swivle broke the trend, and he found himself constantly being distracted by her antics.

She finally sought to reveal his last question, and his heart began to beat slightly faster. Perhaps this additional task was the big one. He was by no means overly ambitious, but it was only a matter of time before he would get tired of merely inspecting and checking the various mundane illusions around the city. He joined not only because he was forced to because of Protocol 202E, but also because he wanted to save the city from the horrors of the underground, and to discover lost knowledge and secrets hidden in the Streets Below.

Wait, what?

Eridanus blinked. Unknowingly, his mouth gaped partially open in an expression of utter incredulity. She called him all the way here to give a personal briefing for that? Quickly overcoming his faux pas, the vantha hurriedly changed his expression to one of appreciation. He had never really felt sexual or romantic interest in anyone, possibly due to the focused and asexual nature of his celestial form. Still, his mortal seeming had the weaknesses of mortal men, and upon the Supervisor's modelling he could feel an unfamiliar urge emanating from within his body.

"Splendid, Supervisor. That dress complements your figure very well, not to mention the marvelous arrangement of color," He said as sincerely as he could. The words were normal, rote - learned simply by observing human society throughout his centuries on Mizahar. However, this time there was at least an ounce of true sincerity - the rest was normally faked quite convincingly - due to that unexpected effect the dainty Symenestra woman aroused in his poor mortal shell.

by **Mirage** on April 1st, 2012, 7:06 am

Vena's smile broadened, and she laughed brightly, "Oh, now aren't we the charmer. I must say I grow more and more fond of you as time goes on."

The Sym looked down at her dress, admiring its form as it settled about her legs, "It is rather nice. It comes from a well known seamstress in some city or another." Her eyes came up to meet Eridanus', "It is rather nice, however, there are others that I am more fond of to be sure."

Her smile never fell from those ruby lips, "I have need of your further services."

With a flurry of cloth Vena turned, walking delicately to one of the wardrobes against the wall. Throwing the doors open in a dramatic fashion she stepped within, the inside obviously being a lot larger than what it appeared to be. Several minutes later Vena stepped down from the wardrobe, a new dress of crimson silk upon her shoulders. She spun in s circle, the flow of this dress much wider than the other. The slit in the front reached down to her naval, and it was only a thin piece of cloth that kept her modesty.

Touching a hand to her collar, Vena laughed and walked closer to Eridanus, moddeling this dress as well, "Tell me my dearest fallen, what do you think of this one then? It is an import form one of the many talented ladies of Mura. It cost quite a bit, but I believe it was well worth the expense."

She would wait a moment for Eridanus' reply, and then once she was satisfied she would return once more to the wardrobe. Thus it would begin. Back and forth Vena would move, each time coming out wearing a new dress of unique styles and newest fashions. These dress were of multiple kinds, dozens of colors and with varying degrees of modesty. After three more dresses Eridanus would quickly realize that this could go on for hours, and so it would if the man did not figure out a way of leading Vena back to her original purpose... and fast. However, he should be wary of his methods. After all, she did hold his fate within her thin fingers.

If Eridanus cared to notice, there was a mirror on the inside of the wardrobe door, facing him where he sat. There, just out of the corner one could just see the figure of the Department supervisor as she undressed and reclothed herself.

by **Eridanus** on April 2nd, 2012, 6:41 am

Before Eridanus knew what happened, the Supervisor had already changed to another dress, this time more revealing and seductive. He had no idea what kind of situation he was in, and the change of pace was a bit too abrupt for him to handle. Fortunately, he knew what she was looking for, as were all women do whenever they asked a man for opinions.

"How tantalizing, Supervisor! This design adds a very seductive emphasis to your image, though I must caution against wearing this in front of weak-minded males without proper self discipline for they may very well give in to their urges," Eridanus remarked glibly.

That was enough for Vena Swivle and she returned to the closet that appeared out of nowhere, intent on getting more opinions for more of her dresses. She had an exceptional skill of undressing and dressing for it was only moments later when she strode out towards her subordinate, all raised hips and sultry smile.

"What about this? At the risk of sounding overly flamboyant, this dress was hand-made by the ghostly seamstresses of Black Rock. Or should I say... soulmist-projection-made?"

The dress was black with the appearance of aristocracy and nobility. The complex and intricate obsidian tresses seemed darker than black due to the ghostly properties from its morbid background, and the stark contrast of Vena's pale skin with the gothic but regal dress formed a combination that was pleasing to the eye.

Black Rock Dress :

"Just... wow Supervisor. Intriguing backstory notwithstanding, you would no doubt be happily welcomed to any social gathering by virtue of your fashion sense!"

Vena Swivle gave a grin and she hurried back to the closet. Eridanus mentally rolled his eyes, though he was quite comfortable sitting in that chair while a beautiful lady gave him a show. As she changed, he looked around the office in boredom and realized that the mirror was open at a certain... interesting angle.

The rest of the Supervisor that usually remained clothed was as good as the rest of her body suggested. A small part of him wondered if she was truly born with it, or was it a result of the same magic or illusion that allowed her to change her form.

"I flatter myself, but am I not too indulgent to say that the ladies in Charbosi totally read my mind when I requested a dress from them?"

As she spoke, she pushed the half-door of the closet that covered her while she changed, and Eridanus was greeted with the sight of a shimmering blue dress that rolled over the Symenestra's appealing curves as she walked. The silky material rolled over her body from the movement, somehow appearing as if they were Laviku's waves worshipping the body the dress was on.

Charbosi Dress :

"This dress flatters your figure the most! Laviku himself would be pleased at your very form," The ethaefal complimented the Supervisor without hesitation.

What kind of situation am I in now?!

Eridanus was beginning to realize that this was going nowhere. The variety of colors and the size of the closet suggested no end to this, and the novelty of seeing a beautiful woman model herself in front of him only lasted for so long. Yet, she was also his boss and he needed to express this delicately.

Lost in his thought, he was interrupted again by the Supervisor who somehow magically managed to change her attire yet again in that few seconds that he spent thinking.

"This used to be worn by Alahean nobles. Don't ask me how I acquired this, but it was found in the pre-Valterrian ruins in Denval, and restored to wearable condition by a master tailor in Syliras and an old friend who used to be in the board of directors in the magical department of the University of Zeltiva."

It was indeed a superb dress and one which truly drew the attention of the ethaefal. Perhaps the remnant of his past memories surged in recognition of this design, or it could be the imposing quality of the dress that demanded attention from everyone around its wearer. Either way, he gave a low whistle appreciatingly, nodding his head in satisfaction.

Alahean Noble Dress :

"Regal Supervisor Swivle! Regal!" Eridanus clapped while beaming loudly, his body language answering the question in place of words.

"Loss for words, aren't we?" Vena smiled, and she turned around again.

"I'm not too sure we're supposed to be doing this," the ethaefal stopped her. "I'm pretty sure that Boss Flint will not like workplace complications like this, and I'm afraid our professional integrity may be affected negatively if others happen to find out."

"However, I'll be more than happy to continue this in our free time if you so wish. Let me earn my keep for the government before enjoying the... rewards, eh?" Eridanus at least offered to salvage the situation somewhat, while landing a practised linger on the Symenestra's assets. It was of course all an act, but it was one practised from decades of interaction with mortals and to be honest it was not entirely an act for her dainty figure and pleasing wear made it much easier for him.

by **Mirage** on April 26th, 2012, 9:16 pm

Vena paused in her trek back toward her wardrobe, turing to smile slyly over her shoulder at the Ethaefal, "Oh my, it seems you have a silken tongue as well as a sculpted body. My dearest Eridanus, you never cease to surprise me."

Spinning on one graceful foot, the symenestra walked back toward her desk, sitting and folding her legs so that the cut of her dress fell to either side, exposing pale skin that was so white it was almost translucent. Waving a hand she would sigh, "But of course you are right. There shall be plenty of time after to continue where we leave off, and besides, The whites of her fangs showed for just a moment, "I would like to see what other wonders you might work with that silver tongue."

Her laughter rank out, jingling like chimes in the wind as she touched a black claw to her cheek, her eyes retiring to capture Eri's as her mirth slip into silent contemplation, "Then I suppose we should get back to the matter at hand, no?" Snapping her fingers there appeared a shimming flower over her desk, suspended in air that rotated slowly clockwise, "This is the flower which you seek. It is small, rather unnoticeable. It grows just outside of the entrance to the Garden of No Return."

The flower vanished and Vena leaned over on her desk, the cut of her dress opening slightly as her eyes caught Eri's, "Your task is to travel to the Garden, inspect the flower and then return straight back here to report. Tell me if you find any anomalies or find anything else amiss." She paused, taking upon her face an expression that was unlike her. Her eyes looked troubled for the briefest of moments, but then she stood and turned her back on Eri to look at her reflection in the mirror. Her arms would fold and her eyes would look downward, as if she were making an effort not to meet Eri's eyes, "Also... If you find anyone there, do not engage them. Avoid all contact with any near the garden, and do NOT," Vena turned, her eyes borrowing into Eridanus' as she spoke the last word, "Do not venture into the garden itself."

She turned back to look at the mirror, pulling at the fabric that drapped her thin form, "Now begone with you, and hurry back." A smile touched her lips as she spoke over her shoulder, "We still have so many more things to discuss."

If Eridanus had any further questions about his quest Vena would simply wave them off and wave him toward the door. It was obvious she wished him to hurry and complete his task, but if Eridanus were to look back just before he closed the door to her office, he might just see Vena lean in closer to her mirror, tap the glass and whisper softly, "He is sent. Let us hope he returns alive."

*****

When Eridanus arrives at the Garden of No Return, he would find everything to be completely quiet. No sounds seemed to reach the ear once one was within 50 meters of the Garden's entrance, and there was a slight chill in the air that was left over from the harsh winter. There, just a short distance in front of the entrance and slightly to its right was the flower Vena spoke of. It was small, resembling a lily though it had 8 petals instead of the usual 6, and its color was a shimmering scarlet that seemed somewhat dulled, as if the life had been sucked from its very color. The ground around the flower looked as if it had been walked upon recently, and there was something... something shining near its base, half buried by dirt. If Eri chose to stop and examine this shine, and then to dig it up, he would find that it was in fact a single, copper Miza.

There was also a soft sound coming from the Garden itself, only noticeable if Eridanus listened closely. It sounded like... crying?

OOCYou can feel free to make up any other signs of disturbance. Humanoid tracks, upturned rocks or broken twigs. Venture into the Garden if you dare

by **Eridanus** on April 28th, 2012, 9:19 am

The Supervisor finally got to the point, and when she summoned the flower the agent quickly memorized and analyzed every aspect of the flower that he could before she made it vanish. Its shape, the angles, the color, everything his senses could get hold of he remembered with as much detail as he could.

Still, the cryptic warnings she gave made him feel a little uneasy, but any other questions that he attempted to ask was waved away, and so there was nothing else he could do but to leave the office. Yet, even as he turned back before he left the Supervisor's strange actions to the mirror increased his anxiety, and it increased his guardedness.

There is something amiss.

Before he left however, there were preparations to be made. Going to his locker, he retrieved his long swords and his weapon harness, strapping them securely behind his back. Extracting djed from his body, he shaped and moulded the formless substance into a body-hugging layer over his entire body, inputting the primary task to absorb djed. The secondary task he left it as a blank, only completing it for later should he require it.

Next, he stopped by the requisitions office, picking up parchment and stationary, as well as a special shielded bag that served as an evidence packet where he would place suspicious items into for further analysis by the research team in the department.

It was time to begin the mission.

*****

Strangely, the area around the natural maze was quiet. It was not his first time here, and this unnatural silence unnerved him. Still, he kept his cool, for he was an agent, and he was professional. Fortunately, he found the flower quite quickly.

That's convenient! But... it seems a little different.

Taking out the parchment and quill, he vaguely sketched out the flower, as well as the environment with respect to the flower. Below his drawing, he noted down several points describing the difference between this flower and the one Vena showed him.

Job done!

However, his eyes narrowed when he spotted something shining near the base of the flower. Taking out his sword silently, he prodded the shiny object, unwilling to go so near the maze. After Vena's cryptic warnings he intended to stay as far as he possibly could from the maze. The sword dug up a single copper Miza, and used the blade to push the miza towards his current position, picking it up when it was within reach and placing it into the secure evidence packet from the DOI.

It was then that he realized a soft crying sound coming from within the Garden.

Do not engage anything or enter the maze.

Yet, what if it was a genuine case and someone needed help? Cautiously, he angled himself as he tried to gain a line of sight to whoever that was making that noise without entering the maze.

He also noted disturbances around the area, spotting normal-sized tracks that could only be made by a humanoid. The tracks circled around the flower, and led into the Garden. The path was pretty clear due to the squashed grass and broken twigs.

If his vision was blocked by the hedge, he would slowly tap into Auristics, seeing through any obstacles that might be blocking his way to the source that was making the sound.

Still, he was careful, after having been temporarily blinded by the wishing Mirror back in Winter. Instead of focusing on the aura of the crying sound, he used the corner of his magical sight to view it, instead focusing on the empty spot next to the source of the sound.

What would he find?

OOCNah Eri's good at following orders