Closed Cross Purposes [Clyde Sullins]

[Daegron]

Winter 19th, 514AV
early evening

Inspection.
The wind threatened to pull his cloak away. Relentlessly it screamed through darkening alleys, frantically running amidst the few who dared to face it on their way home. It's dry touch was like a cold razor running upon his skin and for a moment he stood still, enjoying the sensation. His emerald gaze wandered on the lake's surface where ripples danced madly invoked by the wind's caress. A feeling of dread rose to engulf him; fearful he wondered what kind of horror was hidden in his own reflection.

Thankfully, he'd found relief in the form that rippled before him. Raelann's compassionate gaze, flushed cheeks and pleasantly harmonious characteristics were a soothing sight. It is as he had described in that mirror; when things were hard, he'd resort to him,and that transformation would be his shelter. In that shelter he could find solace from the horrid nightmare that molested upon his soul. He sighed and pulled his cloak to protect himself from another chilling gust of wind. As the Ravosala made a sharp turn, he was reminded of another reason why this guise suited him.

"Did you remember now ? Giving me a location would be a lot faster and helpful..." The Ravosalaman's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"I'm beginning to remember, friend, it's been a long while you see. Worry not of any tardiness though, it matters not to me." he responded, grateful to hear Raelann's assuring and mellow tone instead of his usual harsh growl. What was he supposed to say ? That they were following the Ravosala in front of them ? That he needed to know where that Ebonstryfe Soldier was living ? His gaze fell upon the gangly mage once more, remembering the events that forced him to follow this Sullins fellow in the first place.
"Let's make this a left turn, just like the one in front of us, I think we're getting close..."

----------

a couple of days ago..

"So, scum, what makes you think you can use magic like that in Ravok?" The officer's tone was cruel, just like the mailed soldier's gauntlet that grabbed on the Morpher's throat. He was pinned against the wall by this surprisingly strong young man; his breath was wheezing under the sheer force. The alley was empty and no one would dare intervene.
"You know what the punishment is for such acts ? There is a reason why magic is restricted and regulated here, outsider..."
"I am a citizen !" Daegron managed to growl before bursting into a choking fit.
"Nonsense ! These papers are either fake, or stolen from their original owner. You do not deserve those, petcher ! True Ravokians are proud of themselves and NEVER try to hide their true appearance, let alone with foul sorcery ! You disgust me, how the hell did they let you crawl in the Ferries ?"
He really had no answer to that. He didn't know what series of events had brought him in Ravok, nor could he ever imagine. What was he supposed to tell him ?
"The Black Hole would be too good for you, scum..."
The officer's iron-clad fist flew straight for Daegron's gut and connected forcefully. Another choking fit followed and the hands that held him did not falter.

The Commander's appearance was daunting to say the least. Six feet something, muscular, rugged and in his early forties, sporting a neatly trimmed moustache. His gaze was the most scary thing about him; stern, as if looking straight into one's mind. He'd seen his fair share of battle and from the way he acted, it was painfully clear that he despised magic.

"What am I to do with you now ?" The commander's question wasn't directed at him but sounded more like a frustrated outcry. "Why shouldn't I cut you where you stand ?" The all too familiar sound of a blade unsheathed echoed in the alley like a terrible shriek of doom. The touch of cold steel against his very throat, rivalled the wrathful Stryfer's gaze...

----------

And now...

So he stood on the narrow walkway, his eyes staring at the man they called Sullins, This probably was his place; a house or a laboratory, perhaps this supposed wizard's abode. He knew that there was no reason to linger around there any more, lest the man discover that he's been watched and followed. Daegron, not really the stealthy fellow, had taken every precaution he could think of, occasionally changing faces while trying to keep his target in sight. He'd done enough for today.

But a mere moment before the Morpher disengaged, he noticed a slight, unusual pause in the Stryfer's moves. And it suddenly struck him that this particular pause was repeated quite often these last few bells, as if following a certain pattern, a routine. The next though made his pulse race and his breath uneven.

"What if he's spotted me?"

[Clyde Sullins]

At first Clyde had not been suspicious, had not noticed anything going on about him. In the regular passage of a day his various duties and tasks took him about Ravok and too various locales within. But what had alerted him had been a gentle tingle upon his spine and Cha's skin, a clear of sign of djed at work nearby. While Ravok was by no means as reserved with magic as Syliras or Sunberth, nor was it as free as Sahova, mages were uncommon enough to be noticeable. If nothing else it was to be noted and addressed. However several times this day Clyde had felt the vague tingle of magic about, of someone actively using djed nearby. While he might not notice a mage near him unless he directly looked via Auristics, the passive sense of active magic was easy enough. Each time he had felt the tingle he had discretely searched about, trying to pin down who the magic user was. However though he'd sensed it several times, he had never pinpointed who it was using the magic. The simplest conclusion was that the person was either hiding, or that various people were using magic about him, and so he was not seeing the same magic user... The latter seemed unlikely, magic being a rare enough thing, which implied someone was using magic near him by stealth. This brought him to direct the Ravasolaman to his home. While it was hard to pinpoint the magic user about town, particularly with so many people about, in a more private area he would be able to inspect only the one aura, if said person then followed along into his home. Then he could find out if said person was an innocent bystander, or a magic user, and perhaps said unknown magic user about town. A simple enough tactic to ferret out the person about town, even for Clyde's relatively unskilled investigation abilities. Getting off the Ravasola, Clyde walked a short way down the walkway before he arrived at his home. As usual the front door was unlocked, as little was hidden inside. However deeper inside was his lab, behind a door that was always locked. Heading inside his home into the common area, Clyde headed across to the wall on the right with a door that went to his lab, unlocking the door to let himself in, and then locking the door behind him. The doors on the back wall led to a pair of bedrooms that were used by his cousin. His own rooms were through the lab. Locked within, Clyde waited, heading over to sit at the writing desk across his lab. He supposed if he heard a knock he'd know someone was about. He'd have to go on from there.

[Daegron]

Contemplation.
As the target entered his supposed house, Daegron was left standing outside and wondering. He realized that he hadn't actually given enough thought on his method of approach and thus he was uncertain on how to proceed. There was no room for failure. Under Raelann's guise he felt pretty safe but on the other hand, the predicament that he'd found himself in, or rather that he'd caused to himself through carelessness, was pretty dire. A struggle between two men of power and authority, and he was in the middle of it; it was clear that he would be the target of them both. He was certain of the fact that should the conflict grow and escalate, both those Stryfers would be quick to put the blame unto him and send him on a one-way trip to the Black Hole. And truth be told, he wasn't certain if the side he was forced to work with was the right one. His hand thoughtlessly reached in his pocket and his fingertips caressed the soft fabric of the satchel that the Stryfer had given him. What could that thing be? He was curious but smart enough to not find out on his own. Perhaps the less he knew, the better it would be

The mage seemed to mostly ignore his existence and that could mean two things.

One theory was that Clyde was pre-occupied with whatever was in his mind and couldn't care if there was anyone following him. Mages tend to be very thoughtful and focused into their projects, something that made them aloof or sometimes even oblivious to mundane details. If the target didn't know neither cared to find out, Daegron's job would be far easier. Look around and grab as much information as possible, then plant the damn thing into the Sullins' residence and disappear. Inelegant, but simple and relatively safe. As safe as walking into the wolf's maw.

The other was that Clyde knew very well that he was followed; perhaps there was a way to detect the Morpher's unique trail of Djed. Perhaps he was as strong as to be able to see through the transformation. Physically it would be impossible for one to see through the Morph, because it was very real, and not the product of an illusion. The shapes were not ideas to be dismissed but flesh and bone twisted and bent by sheer will. But his Master had explained to him once that there are kinds of magic that offer deeper insight in a whole different level. This theory was dangerous, for it meant that the mage was fully aware and could predict Daegron's purpose. It could mean that the mage already had a plan to deal with a nuisance like himself.

There were two powers inside the Morpher's mind that struggled as he approached the door. The one was pride, about what he could achieve, about the challenge that was presented to him. About how he'd be able to adapt, overcome and turn this shyke into something worthwhile. The other was apprehension. He was doomed, and no matter how he dealt with the situation, it would only delay his eventual demise.

Not really fixed on a plan, he thought that cautiousness was necessary. He needed to get those two petchers into direct conflict so as to keep himself safe. A careful approach was the best. There was no reason to rush things. He was also curious about what kind of beef the Commander had with this Sullins person. It would be best if he simply approached the mage and find out a few needed details before doing anything stupid.

A good story formed into his mind. A simple one that was enough to cover both theories. In either way, he did not want to be identified as a potential threat. He walked to the door and knocked twice.

[Clyde Sullins]

Clyde was not overly surprised to hear a knock at the door. Letting out a sigh, with Cha in hand, Clyde headed over to the lab door. Having locked it on his entry, Clyde unlocked the door, passed through, and then locked it behind him. Now in the common area of his residence, Clyde headed for the front door where the knock had come from. It being winter, the window was shut to keep out the cold. That meant he couldn't peak through it, but then neither could whoever was at the door. As he neared the door though, Clyde began to feel a slight tingle, a all too familiar tingle upon his neck and Cha's skin of djed active in the air. The feeling of magic being done. Clyde could only assume that the person on the other side of the door was the one using magic, or at least someone nearby. But he did not so easily discard the thought of the person knocking being the magic user. Too many coincidences made things unlikely, and the simplest explanation was often the true one. If this person was the current magic user, they were likely also the one Clyde had been feeling about all day, or one of the ones if it indeed was more than one user. Opening the door, Clyde was met by an unknown male, one he did not recognize immediately. Perhaps he had seen him before, perhaps not, it was hard to say. However as he opened the door the tingle of magic nearby intensified due to proximity. Willing his aura sight to extend, Clyde built up his djed within Cha, flowing it back and forth along the length of blue wood. Once it was built up properly Clyde released it, letting his awareness spread out from Cha and latch onto that of the man before him. Almost immediately Clyde heard the buzz of djed emitting from him, verifying that this man was indeed in the midst of some form of magic. Initially though he could not tell if he was the magic user, or simply had a spell effecting him currently that was put on him by another. All of this took a few moments, a simple reading of the peripheries of the aura of the man, basic easily obtained facts tied in with the more passive sense of active djed. For anything more certain Clyde would need time, time to examine and understand the mans aura. Staring back at the man from the open doorway, Clyde spoke after his few moments of silence. “Yes, did you need something of me?” With that things were firmly in the other mans court, the expectation on him to explain why he was here or what he wanted. After all, this was Clyde's house, and his door had been the one knocked upon. Hopefully said answer would give him time to further search out the man and his aura, and to learn more of him. Even then Clyde was already at work, focusing his aura sight on the man's aura, pulling and shifting and listening deeper and deeper.