Completed Poison me, poison you. Aha~~ {Ninus}

[Ronan Dugal]

Fall, 19th, Year 509 Even at this time of night there were people roaming the Syliran streets. There was the sound of people laughing, coming from one of the closed doors along the street. In the alley next to it, the sound of a whore plying her trade. In the alley across from it, a guy was running away from two others, for whatever reason. The sound of night was everywhere. Ronan loved it. It showed so much more truth, now, in the dark of night, then when the sun was up. Syliras wasn't Syliras until you saw it like this. At least now it was honest. Considering the current situation, the smile on his lips felt wrong, but Ronan did nothing to prevent it. His feet carried him through a maze of streets and alleys until he found himself on a seemingly darker and dirtier back street. Earlier that day, he had been called to the suite of a friend, who was apparently very sick. They hadn't seen each other for quite some time and had never really been more than acquaintances. But when his beautiful wife had asked for Ronan specifically, Ronan hadn't hesitated. And he had been right not to. The man was obviously dying, the doctor who had been hired to help him had found out that he was poisoned. A slow, killing poison. It made Ronan wonder what his friend had been up to that it warranted this agonizing death. The situation had been made clear to Ronan in a few words. They needed an antidote for the poison but didn't know anyone in that specific field of work. So they had called on Ronan, someone who had the reputation, amongst friends, that he knew people everywhere. Well, he didn't. Ronan sighed to himself as he walked along the street. He had finally found someone. Or more precisely: he had people find someone for him. Although he didn't know people everywhere, he knew enough people, mostly street children and orphans, who knew people who knew people. That's how he had gotten the name. And a strange name it was. Aurellius. He sounded more like one of those scholarly bookworm types than someone who could help in his current situation. But Ronan had it on good grounds that he could help. He turned right and faced a door. A very nondescript door with no sign outside. Hopefully this was the right place. It wouldn't be the first time Ronan would hear of someone useful only to find them mysteriously vanished after a visit from the knights. Used to the dirt and dust of the lower parts of the city, Ronan pressed his fingers against the wood of the door and opened it. Nothing in his behavior and the way he carried himself would tell anyone he was trying to solve a matter of life and death.

[Ninus Aurellius]

The Prince of Rats Ninus heard the door creak open from the alleyway to the left of it. He cracked open an eye, lifting his head from the bedroll. His bleary vision adjusted to the light seeping through cracks in his tiny shanty home, illuminating dark shapes scurrying and shifting in the dark. He sat up on the bedroll, naked, shoving a half-rotted blanket to the side and resting his palm on a wooden box. The poisons were still here. Good. He stood up in the darkness, feeling his head just brush the tin top of the shack. He flared his nostrils like a wild thing, taking in the scent of rodents that mobbed his home. They stayed there for shelter, for food, and for protection. Alleycats were poisoned here in hideous ways, much to the rats' delight, though the rodents often found themselves as replacements for the felines in lean times. Ninus reached down and grabbed one off of the floor, looking it in the beady eyes. "Something is here. Something that does not smell of darkness and rot, but of wealth and soap. He offends me. Find him." he hissed at the animal. The rat sank its teeth into his hand, and Ninus didn't hesitate. He flung the rat at a group of its fellows, panicking them and sending them streaming out of the alleyway and flooding around the stranger's ankles. Ninus looked at his injured subject. The rat lay seizing and drooling, and he eyed the bloody bite on his hand. "I distilled cyanide yesterday. You watched me. Is suicide so preferable, one darkness exchanged for another? Mine is warmer, and with a full belly." he growled as the rat shuddered and lay still. Ninus stepped outside, seeing the last of the rats scurry out of the alleyway. He approached the mouth, a brass syringe in hand. It contained the self-same cyanide he'd mentioned to the ill-fated rodent. Ninus knew to be careful here; perhaps it was one of the knights come to find the skilled poisoner who hid here. Very well, Ninus had several alleys he could run to in such an emergency, many of them either a pain or loathsome to get to. He laid eyes on an unusual looking creature opening the door to the building. Ninus knew the owners weren't home. A thief? Why would a thief bother with such a low-class residence; indeed even thieves had enough class not to shit where they ate. This man looked rich. "A coin doesn't fall far from the pouch before getting snatched up by the dirtiest of fingers." he warned him, his eyes raking up and down Ronan's figure. Ninus was protecting his home. More specifically, the plants and equipment therein. Normally he would ignore some street rat robbing from another of his kind, but this one looked to have a purpose. Ninus wanted to make sure it wasn't finding his skinny neck.

[Ronan Dugal]

The sudden troupe of rats scurrying over and around his feet had Ronan step back from the door. Even now, after all this time, he still wasn't used to certain things happening down here. The door of the apartment had creaked open slightly under his touch, which was odd considering the amount of people who could and would take advantage of an open door. Right as he was about to step in the apartment to determine if it was the right one, a man seemed to pop out of the alley next to the apartment. "There are no coins falling here, my good man." He nodded towards the man. His keen blue eyes connected with those of the man in the alley, capturing his gaze for a moment before he let it go. "And dirty fingers might get cut off if they tried snatching." The words were not spoken as a threat, but simply as a statement. At first glance, Ronan was obviously not in the right part of town. His clothes, his smell, his features and his looks. All screamed money and rich to whoever could see him. Dark red clothes covered his body, a black line in the middle, embroided with simple designs of white and gold thread. And all clean, not a stain on them. A dark brown cloak was covering up most of it, although Ronan hadn't consciously thought of it. The soft features of his face, framed by the raven black hair, made him look almost feminine. The well kept, slightly tanned skin made him look younger for his years and all the more handsome. But there was something about him, something about the way he carried himself that screamed the exact opposite. Whereas his clothes and looks said upper class and rich, the way he walked and the way he perceived the world around him said so much more. Ronan was at home here, although he stood out, the alleys and the lower city were his home in Syliras. Not wanting to have the man think him a thief or anything, Ronan turned his attention to the alley dweller. "My good man. I'm looking for a Ninus or Nunus or something. Aurellius by last name. My contact said I could find him here." He didn't want to explain the whole reason for him being here, not to a stranger at least. According to the information, Ninus lived here, in this apartment. But the dust and dirt inside and the open door told Ronan one of two things. Ninus hadn't been here in a long while or the information he had was wrong. Ronan hoped for a third option. "If you could help me find him, there might be coin in it for you." Ronan lifted his hand up, the palm aimed towards the floor, a single silver Miza sticking up from his middle and ring fingers. He quickly brought his index finger up and across and pulled the coin over his middle finger. A moment later, the coin was resting between his thumb and index finger as he held it, halfway between him and the man but far enough away from the man in case he tried anything funny.

[Ninus Aurellius]

The Prince of Rats Ninus eyed the silver mizas, wondering if this man worked for the knights. But the knights usually brashly rushed in and demanded their version of justice. They were loud, abrasive, and used to getting their own ways. Rarely did they resort to bribing. He looked the man up and down again. A feminine looking creature to be sure, Ninus didn't like the look of him. But not a scrap of platemail or insignia on his person, which boded well. He didn't often get rich men referred to him; mostly wives and husbands with grudges, or an assassin looking to further his career. "I will take you to the prince of rats." Ninus said slowly. "Come with me." His business was referral, and he knew that he would have men seeking him out more often than not. Perhaps this man was an out-of-towner, staying at the inn where he had plied his trade. Or heard of him doing so. He walked into the alley, feeling darkness close over them again. Ninus felt more comfortable with the dark, and definitely felt more comfortable dealing with strangers on his home turf. "Give me the coin, and I will get him." Ninus told the stranger. He waited for the silver, holding out his stained and cracked fingers. He held eye contact with the stranger effortlessly, with the patience and dedication of the truly mad. He neither blinked nor looked away. "He does not see many who he doesn't already know. If he refuses you, you will leave." he said. The implied threat hung in the air. If he decided not to help this man, he could easily dispose of him. But he had not yet made up his mind, and was considering hearing the entirety of the situation.

[Ronan Dugal]

Not one to simply step into an alley with strangers, Ronan kept one hand loose, close to his belt, just in case. The other one held the coin, like a charm, as he walked after the strange alley dwelling man. It wasn't so much the darkness of the place that had Ronan on edge, it was the presence of someone he didn't know that had him there. Not wanting to touch the man and risk any sort of bodily harm, he tossed the coin towards the man, aiming it more or less for his hand. "There's your coin. Now get him." Ronan demanded, getting a little irritated with the man. Why did the ones with information always have to be the smelly, unclean ones? When was there ever a person with information smelling like roses and milk baths while wearing satin robes. And who looked pretty on top of it all. And preferably female while he was at it. But no, nothing of the sort. A guy who lived in an alley and was probably best friends with the rats who made their home in his home. Ronan sighed as he nodded at the instructions. "If he refuses me I'll leave. Now get him." Ronan did his best to hide his irritation. The more the man talked, the less time they would have to find a proper cure for the poison that ravaged his friend's body. His right hand never wavered from his belt, his thumb hooked behind it. Ronan waited for the man to get Ninus Aurellius. As soon as he would appear, Ronan would explain the situation and they would be off. Then he could help his friend and get over with this business. He wondered why he had taken the deal. There wasn't even anything in it for him. No profit, no gain. Only the gratitude of a pretty woman. Did Ronan work for gratitude? Perhaps the smile of a pretty almost-widow had more effect on him than he realized. Ronan shook his head, slightly amused with this little insight into himself, as he waited for the alley dweller to fetch the man he needed to see.

[Ninus Aurellius]

The Prince of Rats Ninus saw the flash of silver and his hand snapped up like an alligator's maw, closing around the coin and shoving it into his pocket. He smirked and pulled the bedroll out onto the cobblestones, settling himself down on it. "The prince of rats wears an uneasy crown, day in and day out feared and hunted like his brethren." he said. "Especially in this city. The walls know too much and never stop talking, the king in the counting house drinking blood and wine. The king who is not a king, the knights who are not knights. The gods are swords in this place, and swords always thirst. Tell me, what are you then? A god or a man? A rat or a knight? A benevolent evil? My knights have fur and tails, and live humble lives." He tilted his head uneasily as he looked up at the man him his sitting position. A large rat emerged and crawled across his lap. Nearly two feet long, she sprawled easily across it like a cat. She was fat and sleek, with a large head and beady intelligent eyes. She fished in Ninus' pocket for the coin and worked around it with her paws, curiously sniffing at it. "What does such a rich man want with such a humble prince?" Ninus asked, rubbing his knuckles against the great rat's cheek.

[Ronan Dugal]

Of course. Ninus did not live in the apartment situated where the alley meets the street, no. Ninus lives -in- the alley. Ronan gave himself a mental slap for his mistake. Then he returned to the reality of it. So the man he was looking for was crazy, which he had sort of expected, but why did he also have to be dirty and living in a hovel like this? Ronan sighed as the man stopped speaking. "Ninus Aurellius, I presume?" Ronan spoke casually, not really set back by the loss of the silver Miza, although he should have known who the man was. When he found that street kid again, he would take some time to explain him a little about proper information. Ronan squatted down, the end of his cloak touching the wet and dirty alley ground. "I'm a simple man. Not a rat nor a knight. Not benevolent nor evil. Just a man. A simple merchant. And I was tasked with finding you. A man is dying, poison is eating away at his life. It is killing him slowly but surely and without your help... humble prince, he will die. And not to worry. The hands that pay your fee for helping him live are much richer than the hand that paid you to find you." He smirked at the last bit, although his eyes showed he was far from amused. The fat rat was checking his coin in the man's lap as Ronan explained his request to the man. "I need you to check on the man and determine which poison was used. Then you'll create an antidote, if possible. You will be paid a fee for this and all materials needed will be supplied. I don't have much time so... Will you do it?" Ronan pushed himself up and stood in front of the so called 'prince of rats'. He had delivered the message and had done his duty. If the man now decided not to accept, then he would have to find someone else. And he would continue on until his friend was either safe or dead. But he had been pointed here first so he was hoping for the man to accept. Taking into account the man's current housing and friends, Ronan was quite sure the lure of money, no matter who he got it from, would draw him out. While he waited for the man to consider the offer, Ronan was already working out another direction for his own goals. Antidotes were always high in demand and, depending on the customer, especially valuable. Perhaps he could use this man's skill to his own advantage, earn some quick money for himself. Ronan took a step back, casually, giving the man space to move in and, at the same time, protecting himself in case Ninus was not amused. The earlier implied threat still echoed in his ears.

[Ninus Aurellius]

The Prince of Rats Ninus rolled over the words in his head. This merchant was not coming for some angry reason, not to fulfill revenge against a spouse or competitor. He was looking for help for a friend, or else he would die. Ninus was no doctor, but he did know poisons, and he did know how to counteract them. Though working with the plants had given him a bit of resistance to his own product, he'd experienced a myriad of symptoms from accidentally inhaling or ingesting poison. A memory leapt to mind of eating a roll from the bakery in the Bazaar after filtering a certain mold that cause hallucinations. He'd seen the walls in green for hours, and threw up endlessly. He was lucky he'd lived. He picked up the rat in his lap and pulled the coin out of her small hairless paws. She looked at him indignantly and sat down on the bedroll while her master played with the coin. He flipped the silver easily over his knuckles, rolling the flat of the coin over and betwixt his fingers. "A man comes for life and not death. Sometimes the true knights of the city aren't the ones who scream for blood. Tell me, does this knight have his lady's favour tied to his lance? Shall he tilt at windmills? Or giants? No, he tilts at serpents." he chuckled nastily at his own joke and stood up. "I will come with you." he told the merchant, picking up his portable poison kit. The box was small, simple and wooden with a handle on the top. A guide to making the antidotes from the poisons themselves, as well as descriptions of how to make the actual poisons, was tucked away inside. Ninus looked around his planters for the moment. They were a bit of a ghastly sight. Many overgrown with several types of fungus and one devoted entirely to a mold that was beginning to creep up the wall with slimy, orange fingers. Ninus plucked bits of the mushrooms here and there, and picked leaves from some of the more normal-looking plants. He plucked a very fragrant nut off of a young nutmeg plant and stuck it in his pocket. Most of the basic poisons covered. He eyed the merchant. "What should I call you, Ser?" he asked.

[Ronan Dugal]

Ronan was starting to regret coming here. The man was crazy. But if his skill lived up to his reputation, perhaps this wasn't the worst place to be right now. He watched as the man rolled the coin over his knuckles, much like he had done before he handed it over. It brought a small smile to his lips, although the amusement never reached his eyes. Ronan listened to the man as he spoke more gibberish and nonsense. He didn't want to upset the man now by ignoring him or not answering anything he wanted. Ronan hated this part. Until the man was at the suite of Turan, checking on his friend, Ronan was tied to him, sadly. He shook his head slowly as he let his mind work over the words the man had spoken. He wanted to sound just as learned and crazy as him, not wanting to be outdone. As he saw the man pick up the kit, probably used for his job, Ronan had a moment to look around better. What had first looked like a stack of garbage looked actually quite nice from the inside, considering everything around it, of course. As a street child himself, Ronan could appreciate the apartment for more than a stack of garbage. He waited as the man started to gather some of the things that were growing in his apartment. Apparently it wasn't just mold and dirt but things a poisoner might need or find useful. All the while, Ronan kept rolling the words through his mind, trying to find a good reply to them. He wasn't a knight. But the man hadn't implied knight as a knight but as the knight of stories. The good guy, basically. Slowly but surely Ronan came to an answer. As the man got up from his ingredient searching he asked for Ronan's name. "Dugal. Ronan Dugal. At your service, master Aurellius. And there is no lady to favor this knight. Although his lance has many favors tied to it." Although normally he would shake hands upon a meeting, the man was simply too dirty and too dangerous to touch. After his words, Ronan turned around the balls of his feet and stepped out of the dark alley, back onto the small street. "Now, prince, if you could follow me." And without looking to see if the man followed, Ronan started walking back up the road, slowly but surely making his way out of the lower city parts and towards the more esteemed parts of town.

[Ninus Aurellius]

The Prince of Rats Ninus hesitantly followed behind the merchant, uneasy at leaving his home. But he felt better having both syringe and kit with him. Everything else he could leave behind. If it were smashed or stolen, he would feel grief, but not nearly as much as he would feel if he lost the rest of the poisons in the kit. He tilted his head as he followed the merchant, curious about his friend. Was it truly his own poison that had caused the mysterious illness the man was now laying crippled with? He didn't like coming out of the poorer sections of the city, coming nearer to the fortress. He disliked it. The bazaar he visited out of necessity, not of want. He would have to move from the alleyway. He always moved when someone knew his location, it kept them guessing and kept the knights off of his trail. Perhaps he would rent a small apartment in the Traveler's Quarter...he hated the knights, but the rooms would be easier to control the humidity in, and the plants would bloom well. After helping this man, he would have the money to do it properly. He could keep a window open for the rats...the rats were always welcome. He looked back. His pet was following them. He paused, allowing her to catch up in long, graceful bounds and leap up his leg. He helped her onto one shoulder, feeling her settle her weight against his neck and use her front paws to grasp his hair. It gave her a secure handhold, as she was too big to sit comfortably on his bony shoulder. "Tell me of your friend, Ser...have the gods robbed his breath, does his heart beat against its cage, does he see visions?" he asked. He let the large rat comb through his hair. She groomed him happily, her small paws grasping fistfuls of his hair and rooting through it. Ninus didn't seem to mind in the slightest.