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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Feb 2, 2023 0:13:57 GMT -5
In a dimly lit room, Eameia stands behind the captured half-orc with her hands on either side of their temples. The half-orc is unconscious and tied to a chair set beneath a single light. Several of the other captured thieves are tied up and sitting against the wall on the floor with various figures in dark cloaks keeping guard over them as the tiefling works. Her eyes are closed as her magic parses through the half-orc’s mind, extracting what bits of information she can from their recent memories.
Zarius waits in the hall, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed just outside the room, mulling over the final task he has been harassed into carrying out for the would-be merchant allies. Eirynor was resting elsewhere and the tiefling had sent Snow back to the Rookery to make sure everything was fine there. He looks over at his sister as she exits the room.
“Well?”
She holds up a notebook and hands it to him before she steps across the hall into the opposite room. Her brother takes the book and starts reviewing what is inside as he follows her. Eameia picks up a glass of water from a side table in the room before sitting down on a chair.
The room is plainer than others in the estate, focusing more on function than form. There are a few chairs and a table in the center with bookshelves lining the walls. It served as one of the many places where their family stored information gathered through their various business deals and their information brokerage.
“These men are just grunts," the female tiefling begins after taking a sip of water. "The information they have is very limited, for good reason no doubt. At the very least that list has all the groups we have confirmed are working with the black market coordinator behind all this. She’s an elf by the name of Lyari Uldreiyn. I wish I had more to go off of, but this is what we have for now.”
Zarius flips through the pages, glancing through the names listed. He pauses when he sees a familiar name written midway down the list. He looks at his sister.
“Is this accurate? The Crimson Hand is involved?”
Eameia nods. “It is not that surprising. They have their claws in everything these days. Even if they are not directly involved with the Red Rogues, we do know they have had deals with Lyari in the past.”
Lyari is not a completely unknown individual to them. She was fairly well known in the smuggling rings throughout the underbelly of Darkveil City. She was considered one of the more powerful coordinators and highly desireable. It was no wonder the Crimson Hand had gotten her on their side, whether she was willing or otherwise. Zarius' family could only dream of a connection like that, but it was something beyond their reach thanks to the vicious competition between the lesser Ashen Father crime families. They had no choice but to settle for working with the merchants instead.
Zarius considers what this revelation could mean. It was hardly good news and certainly complicated things. Should the Crimson Hand be directly involved with this Red Rogue nonsense, then he very well could have painted an even bigger target on his own back as well as his whole family.
“...What did you learn about the shadow woman?”
“Even less than I hoped given what she did to Eirynor.” Eameia’s tail lashes in frustration. She did not appreciate her childhood best friend being felled and forced to be bedridden. While Eirynor would make a full recovery, she knew all too well that such a defeat would wound the half-elf's pride and no amount of consoling would heal it. “She has not been working with them long. Seems like this was a sudden arrangement. Her name is Mei, but there is nothing in our records about her or anyone matching her description or abilities…but…”
Zarius looks up from the notes at his sister, taking note of the way she avoids making eye contact with him. It wasn’t often that the siblings were vague or dodgy with one another when it came to sharing information related to their work. Whatever had made Eameia pause must be something of a more personal matter.
“What is it?” he asks. Eameia swirls the water in her glass. “Skilled with daggers, white hair, pale skin, has control over shadows…seems familiar, does not it?” She finally looks at him with a frown.
Zarius shakes his head a bit and scoffs. “You are not suggesting-”
“I do not want to jump to any conclusions,” she interrupts, holding a hand up. “Not without more information. I just…worry.”
Zarius stares at her for a moment then looks down at the notes again. It’s not like the thought hadn’t crossed his mind. Caedes had been gone for some time now and he is a changeling. The swordsman named Killian who Kamille had brought with her to the Rookery had called Caedes by a different name. Naturally the changeling had to have the ability to appear different and would likely have a few aliases given his profession as an assassin.
It’s troubling though. Why would the man work with people who were aligned with those he sought revenge against? Perhaps…perhaps that story about wanting revenge was all a lie to get close to the tiefling. But if that was the case, why would he have gone through all the trouble to save his life back in the Marsh Flats? Not to mention Kamille had used a spell to see the changeling’s past at the Marrowvine’s Ball. If she had seen any signs of Caedes having the motivation to turn on Zarius, surely she would have said something.
No. Despite the coincidences, it couldn’t be Caedes. Though there was still the issue of who this Mei woman really was. Could it be possible that another Shadow Crawler did survive that bloody night? What if the Crimson Hand had left one or two alive so they could still use them? News of the assassin group's eradication could have been falsified easily enough. Nothing was out of the realm of possibility. If it turned out that this woman was related to Caedes in any way, then Zarius needed to capture her alive before the merchants started sending bounty hunters after her instead.
Eameia waits as Zarius ponders over what information he has, information that even she is not fully privy to. She taps her fingers on her knee until her patience wears thin and she gently breaks the silence between them. “Perhaps we should talk to Father about all this.”
Zarius shakes his head and closes the notebook. “Father trusts me to handle things. I would hope you would do the same.”
“You could have died in that warehouse, brother. I have every right to worry that your ego and pride are making you reckless!” She slams her glass down on the table. “No deal is worth losing your life over!”
“I-” he hesitates and sighs.
While he’s tempted to share his theories about the shadow woman, he hasn’t told her everything he knows about Caedes and the assassin’s past. He has no doubts that Eameia has come to her own conclusions about the assassin and his origins, she wsn’t an idiot after all. All the same, he wanted to respect Caedes’ privacy and let the changeling choose who he would trust with his personal information. It wasn’t Zarius’ place to out him even to those the tiefling trusted whole heartedly.
“I promise I can handle this,” he insists, hoping to put her worries at ease if only a little.[1]
It hardly works.
Eameia throws her hands up in frustration. “Fine! Take Snow at least. I will look after the Rookery while you two are out being idiots.” She stands up abruptly and shoulders past her brother back into the hallway.
Zarius takes a deep breath and follows after her, keeping a safe distance in case she decides to literally start spitting fire at him. They both make their way to the Rookery to regroup with Snow before hopefully putting an end to this game once and for all.
[1] Smooth Talking
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Feb 5, 2023 19:38:42 GMT -5
What began as a promising arrangement has quickly sloped into a nightmare. She’s thought about what’s occurred over the past few days; she’s replayed it all in her mind ceaselessly. She’s considered the warehouse and the single mercenary that resided inside. Though she doesn’t have proof, she recalls the way the combatant hadn’t used a weapon, as well as their ability to disappear… as if invisible… … The gods in the heavens know that she does not want to consider the possibility that the mercenary in the warehouse had been Zarius, but that possibility remains. She had never bothered to unmask the individual inside— much too haughty that this small job was already too far beneath her to take in its full sincerity… …and she had almost impaled them through the chest. Mei sucks in a steady breath to maintain her composure, closing her eyes as the wagon rocks and jostles on uneven, ill-kempt roads within the outskirts of Darkveil City. Zarius’ arrival to the finch’s shop, which… much to her disdain had been reportedly, ‘greatly damaged’ in the scuffle… has really taken her off her game. She likes to think she’s good at improvisation; words come easy to her for the most part; but there’s something about this whole ordeal that ties her tongue every time she tries to think of how to go about this. There are going to be consequences and she knows that very well; there is no avoiding them no matter how well the terms she was on with Zarius were prior. She may not know what form those consequences will take, but they will come. It’s the natural circle of the underground; straying most often leads to punishment, death, or worse… The easiest way to avoid them would be to run, but she may as well declare herself both guilty and a coward. No matter the case, she has certainly breached Zarius’ trust after her stunt with Eirynor; even if she didn’t know, there are rarely free passes in their line of work. Mei opens her eyes, looking around at the gathering of lowlives she’s been paired with for another warehouse robbery— one on a timeframe— and hopefully one uninvolved with Zarius or his family. Lyari was, in fact, too generous; the elven woman gave her until dawn to make an emergency hit and deliver it to their drop-off… or consider the deal off. It seemed impossible to accomplish with the timeframe given, but… The woman lowers her eyes and grips her knees tight; she wanted this arrangement before, but she needs it now. She needs something to give as leverage— some kind of proof that she wasn’t just fucking around carelessly— or trying to play Zarius and his family like a fool. … The thought alone leaves a bad taste in her mouth. Thud!There’s a horrendous sounding thud as Mei slams the face of a human mercenary into one of the beams in the warehouse; the woman falls backwards, collapsing in a heap against her gear. “ Make it quick!” she snarls over her shoulder; there’s a crack and a grunt as another mercenary falls at the hands of one of the other red rogues, trapped against the warehouse wall with a sword to the gut. Mei’s dead heart flutters with a wave of anxiety; this team that Lyari has put together though seems to be more specialized; and their hit this time is significantly more well-guarded… for good reason. There’s been some illegalities smuggled into this warehouse; rare crystalline salts from Zeinavian Mines which make a wild hallucinogen when their smokes are inhaled have been hidden amongst high quality table salts and sugars. What makes her heart sink further, is that these are the kinds of dealings that the Crimson Hand used to have a rather stern embargo on… the idea that she’s pushing through a job for them, in addition to what she already knows… settles heavy in her chest. Gods damn it all.The drop of the latch at the door echoes throughout the warehouse as it falls, and Mei pushes the door open to let the moonlight in. “ We need to be on the road before dawn! Get what matters and let’s go!” She stands in the wake of the other rogues as they pour into the warehouse; a few snarl at her tone, and others give her cold glances. It’s fine. She looks towards the sky, red eyes narrowing sharply at the lavender gradient of the sky behind smokey clouds; tale-tell signs of a soon-to-be dawn; a few more hours and the sun will be peeking over the horizon to end her nightmare of a rendezvous with this elven marketer. She pushes all thoughts of Zarius and this entire fluke to the back of her mind as she spins on her heel and stalks into the warehouse; she needs this arrangement to come through without distraction; and she needs to get this shit to port before dawn.
That’s all that matters right now. What comes next in the wake of what she's done can wait.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Feb 5, 2023 22:19:12 GMT -5
On the return trip to the Rookery, Eameia explains that one of the rogues she invaded the memories of revealed that the group was going to move the goods from the finch’s store to a pick up point for some smugglers who would be arriving in the early morning hours. There was a good chance that someone would at least arrive there to explain to the smugglers that there were no goods to deliver. With any luck, it would be the shadow woman.
It was their only chance to capture her and then track things back to wherever Lyari would be last seen. Coordinators were well known for packing up shop and moving about when a job goes sour, so this would be their best bet at finding her. Though messing with a coordinator with the connections that she had would be very risky and possibly draw some ire from her clients.
Upon entering the tavern at the base of the broken clocktower, Zarius is surprised to see Snow is not alone. Kvasir was there and so was Charlotte. Apparently Caedes had asked the herbalist to watch over Charlotte for him for a night…but he still wasn’t back from whatever he was doing in the city.
Zarius exchanges a concerned look with Eameia. Both had assumed Caedes was off on a mission far from Darkveil and that was why the changeling hadn’t returned. This new information was disconcerting and unfortunately only made their suspicions of who the shadow woman might be harder to ignore.
The tiefling apologizes to Kvasir for the trouble, and assures him that all is well. It was times like this that the tiefling hated lying, especially to those he wanted to keep a good report with, but that hardly changed how good he was at making any obvious lie convincing.[1] Kvasir did not need to get tangled up in this messy web, especially if the Crimson Hand was involved.
Speaking of webs, Charlotte was sitting on one of the stools next to Kvasir, absolutely covered in flower crowns. She looked antsy and like she was expecting to see someone else.
Zarius wasn’t great at reading spider body language, but it was pretty clear she too hadn’t expected Caedes to be gone for so long.
This was bad.
He sighs and lets Eameia play host to Kvasir while Snow restocked on arrows. He looks down at Charlotte and forces a smile.
“Alright, Miss Charlotte. Let us go find that idiot.”
A part of him prays that they don’t, and that the changeling will be back here when they come back with some sort of alibi that clears him of all suspicions. Deep down though, he cannot deny the evidence that is stacking up against someone the tiefling considered a friend. The list was already pitifully short, and the thought of crossing Caedes’ name off of it made him feel strangely ill.
Once Snow is ready, they depart from the Rookery and head to the pick up point at the port to ambush anyone dropping off any messages for the smugglers.
Arriving at the pick up point, Snow gets to a high vantage point which allows them to keep an eye out for anyone approaching from down the streets or along the docks.[2]
Zarius, however, remains on the ground in a nearby alley where he can watch for anyone skulking through the shadows. He turns invisible with Charlotte clinging to his back under his cloak.[3] It’s a strange feeling, but she seemed more comfortable there and it was helping a little with her nervous trembling.
He wish he could say the same for himself. It's rare that his nerves ever were an issue while on missions, but this time was different. There was so much more at stake than he ever expected and he couldn't deny that he had conflicting feelings bubbling about everything.
If this Mei person and Caedes were the same person, what would he even say? They had fought back in the warehouse. He had almost bashed the woman's skull in and she had nearly turned him into a dartboard. Not to mention what had happened to Eirynor. The look of fear on the woman's face when Zarius had confronted her in the alleyway burned into the tiefling's mind.
He closes his eyes tight and shakes the thought from his mind. Dawn was fast approaching. With any luck...or lack there of, he would have his answers.
[1] Smooth Talking [2] Surface Scaling (Snow) [3] Invisibility
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Feb 6, 2023 19:19:53 GMT -5
She doesn’t really understand what’s going on. When she had first seen Zarius, she was excited. She had scraped at the windows, thrilled to show him and Caedes the pretty flowers that Kvasir had made for her during their day out— and naturally, she had been convinced Caedes must be with him. Even if he wasn’t, Zarius was bound to know where he was, and maybe he would still like to see the flowers! Except, as it turned out, he didn’t know where Caedes was… Charlotte’s excitement had drained from her body language; and her expression would have fallen if it could. Why doesn’t he know where Caedes is? Usually he knows… Did something bad happen? Did Caedes leave forever? No, he wouldn’t do that… right? Not without her? The longer that she listened to Kvasir, Eameia, and Zarius consider the discrepancies left behind by the changeling’s absence, the more worried she had become. Her uncertain anxieties had gradually built and had begun to show more physically through her spindly frame in a trembling so precise and violent that the sharp tips of each of her eight legs had begun to clatter and bounce against the windowsill she stood on. By the time their conversation had ended, Charlotte was covered in flowers of all kinds from Kvasir’s hope to cheer her up. She had looked up to Zarius, pitifully trembling beneath layers of beautiful petals and braided vines, when he smiled down at her and offered to go find him. She had nervously bid her temporary farewells to Kvasir, which were quieter than usual so she certainly hoped he had heard her, and climbed up into Zarius’ arms— only to relocate on his back seconds later. Now, she still dangles there; Zarius is unreasonably warm— more than Caedes ever is, and even more than Kvasir! It’s kind of cozy, actually… She hardly realizes that she’s fallen asleep over time, snuggled up to his back and hidden beneath his cloak, until she hears the distant rattle of wagon wheels.
It’s almost dawn by the time the wagon crosses Darkveil City lines; all things considered, it’s a normal supply wagon at first glance— but it’s the time of day that makes it odd. Darkveil City isn’t exactly known for being kind in the youth of its day, nor during the shadows of its night. A supply wagon out in the dawn typically means, for most, that they should stay out of its way.
Hooves clop loudly against the stone road, driven by a pair of dappled draft horses; the wagon and its driver slip, relatively ignored, through the quiet streets of Darkveil. The wagon is covered, making it difficult to see what— or who— might be inside; but it could be noted that a human man, scruffy and unsavoury looking, is sitting up front with the driver— a crossbow held in his lap, with a watchful look on his face as the wagon passes by backroads too small for it to fit into. One of the dappled horses tosses its white mane as it passes through the buildings into the open air of the port; it breathes a heavy snort when it feels eyes on it— but no one would ever know the cause. Despite the horse’s hesitation, the driver clicks and snaps the reins, pushing the steeds forwards through its discomfort. Gradually, they slow their pace as the man with the crossbow instructs the driver to halt; a few taps on the wooden frame of the wagon seems to be a signal; because a half-orc steps out from the back of the wagon, casting a glance around, before fully dropping from the back of the wagon. Charlotte creeps up Zarius’ back, her spindly legs settling on his shoulders as she peeks over just enough to see what’s going on. The conversation is, for the most part, quiet— the ships docked in port are just as sleepy as the city— save for the figure of a single shadow who seems to be watching them on one of the merchant’s ships. As dawn creeps closer, the light pours over the front of the wagon, briefly revealing a familiar pale woman speaking with the crossbowman up front. She hadn’t even seen her leave the cart! (1)
Suddenly, Charlotte seems to perk up, lifting herself higher on Zarius' invisible shoulders, her mandibles clicking excitedly at the sight of Mei.
(1) Shadow Dancer
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Feb 7, 2023 0:04:19 GMT -5
Snow is the first to notice the approach of the covered wagon. They stay hidden on the roof and avoid moving around too much in case anyone is keeping an eye out for trouble. Zarius hears the sound of the heavy horses clomping across the cobblestone towards the port. He peers around the corner and watches closely as they approach the pick up point.
He's surprised there is a full cart of goods. They must have hit another warehouse somewhere else in the city.
Great.
Just great.
These goons also looked a little more heavily armed than the previous ones. Meaning they were better prepared for trouble. Two or three guards weren't a problem for the tiefling to deal with at the end of the day.
It's not just the the crossbowman and the burly half-orc though. From Snow's perch they can just make out movement on the deck of one of the ships as well. They shift a bit nervously. If the smugglers were already here, they would be quickly outnumbered if a fight broke out.
The tiefling keeps watching as the sun starts to bath the rooftops in sunlight.
Then she finally appears. The shadow woman in the flesh. He's not close enough to hear what she's saying to the crossbowman, but he assumes it has to do with the job. They weren't in any particular hurry, and so far no one had disembarked from the ship. There was still some time to work with, but who knew how much.
He glances over his shoulder at Charlotte as she creeps over his shoulder. Her chittering confirms his worst fears. The shadow woman named Mei was indeed the same person Zarius had taken a chance on trusting for the past several months. The same person he trusted to watch his back at the Marrowvine’s Ball. The same person he invited to live in the Rookery with him.
Zarius had a plan.
Had.
Now that plan was basically useless. Unless he decided to take Caedes out along with all the other guards.
Could he even do that? The sun was rising so he would lose his advantage. But Caedes was a Shadow Crawler, a highly trained assassin with shapechanging capabilities. Zarius had seen some of his skills himself. He was an expert killer, he was–
The memory of a dark bedroom filled with the scent of blood flickers into his mind. The ornate carpet imported from Zeinav City was soaked in a puddle of blood pooling out from underneath the body of a dark skinned female tiefling. Her golden eyes wide and dull with her throat slit cleanly through. The echo of his father shouting and a maid’s gasp of horror ringin his mind.
Zarius unintentionally takes a quick step back, his heartbeat racing in his chest. Closing his eyes tight, he steadies his breathing and calms himself down. There was no time for this. He had to make his move.
"Well, Miss Charlotte, let us see what this is all about."
Zarius steps out from the alleyway and starts walking towards the caravan. While he could sneak up on them, he decides against it. He was a known face in the city and they were out in a public space in broad daylight. He allows the veil of invisibility to fall off of him as he approaches with his hood down and that practiced smile adorning his face. Though to someone who knew the tiefling well, it looked much more forced than usual.
"Good morning, gentlemen." He calls as he stops a non-threatening distance from them and his eyes land on Mei. "And lady. Sure is early to be dropping off such a heavy load. Must be something pretty important."
Snow watches Zarius anxiously. Their tail twitches and they slowly notch an arrow, ready to fire on the guards if they make any aggressive moves towards the tiefling.
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Feb 12, 2023 19:12:23 GMT -5
“Good morning, gentlemen.”
Mei stops; she can’t remember what she’d been saying to the driver no less than a few seconds ago. The voice which calls out to the group amongst the pier is so familiar and unexpected that it catches the words in her throat, flatlining her already anxious trains of thought into nothing but empty dread.
She blinks and purses her lips; then, she turns her eyes to Zarius without moving from her position. She already knows that it’s him by the sound of his voice; but what she doesn’t expect is Charlotte to be with him.
Her heart drops into her stomach despite the neutrality that lingers in her expression— it’s practiced, but forced in this situation. He doesn’t seem hostile to Charlotte, though. Is he going to out her right here and now? A quick and nervous glance away from the tiefling seems to crack her facade for only a split second. Zarius knows; there is not a question in her mind that he doesn’t know.
He knows, and the way he’s smiling while he regards her presence? She can only interpret it as anger.
An amalgamation of conflicting feelings roil in her chest at the sight of him; she can only assume that Snow and Eirynor are somewhere close by, as Zarius isn’t foolish enough to come alone; he’s smarter than that. What she’s not sure of, is if he’s going to start a fight right here and now. She doesn’t know his emotional state.
She just knows that no matter what happens here, she’s the one who’ll be in the wrong.
There’s a crackle of unease that spreads throughout the group she’s with; there are those who know Zarius too well, those who don’t know him well enough, and those who only know him by name. None of them seem to know what to do in this situation,or how far to take it; and no one had expected the potential of a turf war with the Rha’Oriyn.
It was just a smuggling job; armed as they may be, these men are mostly still grunts.
Her red eyes flick towards the driver, who pulls back to lock his arrow on the crossbow he’s been holding; she reaches out and places a hand on his forearm. He stops when she shakes her head; she’s not ready to try and face Zarius, but she doesn’t really have a choice here, does she?
“Are you all being paid to stand around? I don’t think so. Keep it moving, boys! Don’t forget you have a deadline.”
A couple of claps punctuate her call. Although Zarius is met with scowls from the bulk of those present, there is one smiling face that greets him— just as forced, yet apologetic. While most of the men who’ve been leering at Zarius turn their ill will to her after her call, a few give him a hesitant and skeptical leer before slinking back to what they’d been doing before.
Eyes are still watching him, though.
“Good morning!” she calls, stepping away from the wagon; much to her disdain, the driver she’d been talking to slides off his perch and follows her to Zarius. Fuck. God dammit. She needs to talk to Zarius alone, and he doesn’t seem to pick up on the cold glare she offers when she realizes he’s tagging along.
She stifles a sigh, heels clicking against the wood on the dock as she strides towards the tiefling. She racks her brain for some kind of signal, some kind of anything that she can use to… her eyes flicker to Charlotte, then rest back on Zarius.
Maybe this is a good thing that she’s here, actually.
The man next to her leers at Zarius warningly, and he is lucky that she cannot currently carve out his eyes.
“Hi, is there something that we can help you with?”
If one were to listen very closely, or have heard it before— there’s a strange emphasis to her words. It’s a lingering hiss that follows each syllable; one which seems to affect Charlotte alone. The arachnid blinks a few times. Her excitement at seeing Caedes fades when she realizes that something is wrong here; it’s taken her a while, but it’s not until she hears Mei speak to her in her own language that she realizes the situation.
“Zarius…” her voice is tiny, barely audible over the sound of the men on the dock; and Mei is still talking, filling the empty air with idle talk. On her end, it’s mostly to ensure Charlotte isn’t heard by the moron lingering nearby. “We’re just getting an early start; you know how merchants can be. Haughty, huffy bastards— we’ve got a deadline is all. They want to set sail before sunup, that whole lot...”
She scratches at the tiefling’s shoulder to make sure she has his attention. “He says he needs to talk to you if you'll give him the chance, but he can't with that guy here... what's going on?”
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Feb 12, 2023 23:25:35 GMT -5
Zarius watches the goons get back to work, his eyes narrowing slightly but the smile never wavers. He wasn’t sure what they would do when he confronted them out in the open as he did. The reception was less than friendly as to be expected, but he wasn’t sure it was a good or bad thing that they obeyed Mei’s orders.
He nods to Mei as she greets him. “Perhaps.”
As Charlotte whispers in his ear, the corner of his mouth twitches.
Talk? Of course they needed to talk. All the cards needed to be laid out on the table and Caedes needed to explain just what the fuck was going on. It was unfortunate that right now wasn’t a good time and the tiefling's mind was still racing to come up with some sort of way to keep this situation from getting worse. No matter how good he is at talking to people and bullshitting his way through even the toughest situations, this whole mess was different.
The tiefling glances back at the men unloading the cargo. He could stop them in their tracks, but that wasn’t exactly why he was here to begin with. He wasn’t being coerced into protecting any more stolen supplies. No. He was here to apprehend someone who could lead him back to the ringleader. To Lyari.
He could feel himself starting to tense up the more Mei babbles on. It was undeniable. He was getting upset to the point of the façade breaking away. If he didn't do something about it quickly, he might slip up and escalate the situation.
Taking a deep breath, he turns his attention to the driver. “You should not leave your horses unattended. They look skittish and could hurt someone if they were to spook.” A wisp of black smoke that escapes between his lips as he speaks the words, and the driver’s eyes almost glaze over in response.
“Yes…they are very skittish beasts.” He gives a nod to Mei before turning around and walking back to the wagon.
The tiefling looks back at Mei. Though he bought them some space, it wouldn’t last forever and there were plenty of other eyes on them and ears tuned in to their conversation.
Zarius clears his throat a bit, the sting of the smoke lingering in his trachea. “I am curious as to what kind of cargo is being moved about so early in the morning. No offense, but your group hardly blends in with the average dockworker, even in Darkveil.”
While he could expose Caedes here, it hardly seemed in either of their best interests. Well, who even knows what Caedes' goals are anymore. Everything he had told the tiefling up until now came into question. The feeling of dread of having misjudged the assassin is unshakeable, but Zarius does his best to not to let his emotions get the better of him.
Meeting Mei's gaze, those red eyes are so much harder to look into than before. He considers his next words carefully. “You in particular stand out quite a bit. I know a lot of folks in Darkveil, though I do not think we have crossed paths before.”
Glancing towards the ship, he can see more figures starting to appear and move about the deck. It is pretty clear they were readying for the supplies to be loaded up. This whole operation would be wrapped up in a matter of minutes.
“Will you be boarding that ship as well?”
If Mei…if Caedes wanted to run from him, this was his best chance to do so. Staying in the city meant that there would be difficult choices and harsh consequences after the events of the past few nights. Even Zarius wasn't too sure how this whole situation would pan out at this point. There was so much at stake and...he wouldn’t blame the changeling if he up and left to avoid the fallout. Caedes had crossed a line and his deception was slipping through his fingers whether he liked it or not. Judging by the false smile on his face, it seemed like he was less than happy to see Zarius right now. A shared sentiment.
Gods. Why did Eameia always have to be right?
The tiefling does his best to calmly wait for Mei’s answer, though Charlotte would feel the tension in his shoulders and smell the scent of brimstone coming off his skin.
[1] Profane Command (1/2 post duration)
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Feb 13, 2023 17:39:37 GMT -5
Smoke wisps from the corners of Zarius’ lips when he speaks; and Mei blinks, her gaze flicking to the man who’d accompanied her. His eyes become glassy; his expression softening into an absent-minded neutrality that follows when he simply agrees with Zarius, and wanders back to the wagon.
“.....”
Mei stops her prattling once he’s left; her shoulders lift in a deep breath to prepare herself for a conversation that she is certainly not prepared for. “We’re just temporary hires,” she answers; that’s not necessarily untrue. In fact, there are small glimpses of the truth in most of her words. “Delivering salts to the docks from the warehouses to be dispersed; the contract ends by sun-up, so we’re working late.”
She shrugs nonchalantly.
… But it’s hard to look Zarius in the eyes; she’s thought she’s learned to read some of the tiefling’s body language over the time she’s spent with him at the Rookery; but now she’s beginning to think it’s less that she has any understanding, and more that she’s always been on Zarius’ good side for the most part.
She’s never quite crossed the line, but over the past few days, she’s utterly obliterated it and left only a wall behind her. There’s no backtracking on this, and the uncertainty of his gaze just makes it hard to hold up to it. Something about the tameness of this conversation, as though they are just two strangers meeting on the street, adds to a feeling of uncanniness that settles heavy in her stomach.
She’s not… used to this.
She has been in the wrong before; she’s met punishment under the gaze of golden eyes, furrowed brows, and white-toothed snarls; but back then, she knew he was mad. It was clear; it was so plainly written on his face despite the calm tone of his voice.
She might have preferred it had Zarius lashed out; at least she would know where she stands.
“Darkveil is a big place,” There’s a wistful absence to her tone, her red eyes readjust with a blink; he’s lying like it’s natural, playing along like it’s true. She doesn’t understand why; he knows and she knows that he does. He could out her at any time, he just… isn’t. “There’s every chance that we have crossed paths before… but perhaps you never noticed.”
She hesitates on his next question, eyes darting to the ship.
Boarding that ship is an option; she could leave Darkveil City behind… but it’s an option that Mei hardly entertains. It’s not that she wants to stay and see how poorly this all will pan out for her; but in the end, does she have many other choices? She’s here for the Crimson Hand, who reside in the heart of the city. Sure, she could leave like a coward. She could choose to preserve her own life, as if she has one left to preserve, but her desires would pull her right back to the heart of Darkveil City… next time with two targets on her back.
The recollection of Zarius, bathed in cyan flame the night previous rises to the forefront of her mind; and something uncomfortable swells in her chest.
The feeling is enough to shudder her facade for a moment; her red eyes turn away from Zarius; lashes fluttering half-lidded; her brows furrow and her jaw tightens. It’s hard to read; maybe guilt, maybe regret, maybe dread, or maybe neither of the three; but it falls away in a split second, softening with a sigh from her lips. “No.” she answers, her tone suggesting a matter-of-factness to the denial lifting from a breath of air. “I won’t be.”
Charlotte sinks down, cowering on Zarius’ tense frame while she tries to process what’s happening. She’s worried, but she doesn’t know why in its entirety; perhaps it’s because of how unfamiliar Zarius’ body language is, or perhaps it’s the smell of brimstone. It could be the cryptic conversation points, or the many men working behind Mei—-
-— who turns her red gaze back to Zarius, her smile not quite as false as it had been prior. “There are too many threads tying me to Darkveil City...” She looks at Zarius for a moment before adding, “... tangled as they may be.” She blinks her gaze away, listening to the shouts coming from the ship behind her, before looking back at him.
“... Is there anything else I can help you with?”
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Feb 14, 2023 20:21:04 GMT -5
Zarius watches the pale woman closely, focusing on her body language, her facial expressions, and the tone of her voice. Now that they're not currently trying to kill one another, Zarius feels like an idiot for not putting two and two together. This identity of Caedes' isn't all that different from how he has normally looks, and in retrospect, even the behavior and way of fighting is the same. The pale skin, white hair, the mocking tone, the daggers.
The tiefling's eyes dart down to where Caedes normally has his iconic blade. He can't see it under the cloak, but he knows it's there. The assassin hadn't used it during any of their previous encounters. Considering the tiefling's embarrassing defeat in the warehouse, he couldn't blame the changeling for not taking him seriously.
He shifts his weight back onto one leg and tucks his hands into his pockets.
"Yes, well, there was a time when I thought I was pretty perceptive."
There's an uncomfortable tension between the pair as they converse. Underneath his friendly smile, Zarius was angry and bitter about the whole situation. They couldn't really talk about anything about it given the many eyes on them. There was no way they could have a proper conversation out in the open like this, but simply inviting Mei back to the Rookery under the guise of being friendly wouldn't work as much as he wished it would.
They were beyond simple solutions.
The tiefling's eyes narrow. It didn't seem that Mei was lying about staying in Darkveil even if she had the chance to take Charlotte now and make a break for the ship. Zarius clenches his jaw to keep the conflicted feelings from breaking through his smile.
On one hand, he may actually get the answers to the many questions he has for the changeling. He has so many. He also has the chance to keep his promise to the merchants and his father.
But on the other hand, he was expected to bring the culprit behind the thefts back to the angry merchants. If he didn't bring in someone to take the fall, the deal would fall through. There was no getting around it...
His eyes meet Mei's for that brief moment before she turns to look over her shoulder at the ship. She doesn't see his smile falter. By the time she turns back, his false smile is still as it has been this whole time.
He nods slowly. "This city has a way of sinking its claws into you sometimes."
“... Is there anything else I can help you with?”
It was the tiefling’s turn to hesitate. The friendly smile becomes thin lipped, and he closes his eyes for a moment before he shakes his head. "No."
As hard as it is, he has made his decision. A decision that would have dire consequences no doubt, but there are some things--no, someone he is not willing to lose.
He glances past Mei at the ship and nods towards their shipment. "My apologies for taking up your time. Good luck with your salt delivery."
Before she can say anything more, he turns away from her and walks down the street with his hands tucked in his pockets. The thugs watch tensely as the tiefling finally leaves them alone to their work and they manage to get the rest of the supplies unloaded from the wagon.
Once Zarius is out of sight of the docks, Snow meets up with him on the street.
"We're leaving?" The catfolk asks, evidently confused and worried about what will happen next.
The tiefling nods and gently lifts Charlotte off his back, handing her over to the catfolk. The spider likely wanted to stay with Caedes, but that would raise too many questions from anyone who takes any notice of the large arachnid.
"Snow, please take Miss Charlotte back to the Rookery." He then looks down at Charlotte. "Wait for him there."
"But what about-"
"I will handle it. Do not worry."
Snow frowns but nods. "Yes, sir."
After the tiefling has left the docks, the driver comes back, none the wiser that anything had come over him.
“What was that about?” He asks Mei, a look of concern on his face.
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Feb 14, 2023 22:27:38 GMT -5
“ No.” The tension in the air never really fades; and the finality in Zarius’ denial sends a wave of anxiety shuddering through her as the terse conversation comes to an end. He’s faking the smile, but without context there’s just no way for her to know or even guess at what he’s thinking. If he means anything by it, or what he’s gathered from the cryptic conversation hovering over this entire ordeal. “ Thank you.” It’s not what she wants to say, but it’s what she says anyways. Still, his insincere apologies and wishes of good luck hang in the air; they bite into her, leaving behind a lingering guilt in their wake. Her facade cracks once he’s turned; arms rising to cross beneath her chest; displacing the length of her cloak and offering a glimpse at the very same dagger which Zarius would know was hidden on her person. This is the way the conversation has to end; there’s too many eyes to speak openly; but it leaves her unsettled nonetheless. There’s a thousand more things she doesn’t just want to say, but needs to say; but she won’t, not yet. She knows better than to entertain the itch in her legs wishing to follow, or the tightness in her throat aching to call out and make something unspoken right. If it can be made right. The idea of slashing her ties to Zarius so blatantly through her own blade settles uneasily in her stomach. There is no amount of sorries or apologies that can fix what she’s done; she didn’t mean to deceive him, but she has; she didn’t mean to hurt Eirynor either, but she did. She has crossed the line too many times, and left herself no way out. Trust is such a fragile thing; if there’s anything she learned under her father, it was that you simply don’t play with it in their business. Doubt in such a volatile setting spreads like the plague; a seed at first, and then a sapling, until it blooms into something bloody.
It doesn't matter if it's true or not; it doesn't matter if it's rumour; doubt kills in their business.
That's just how it is. Did you learn anything at all from those who came before?By the time the present comes over her again, Zarius is gone; and Charlotte has gone with him. Mei shifts her weight from one leg to the other, grimacing sharply when a voice cuts through her disheveled thoughts and disjointed feelings.
She returns to furrowed brows and a natural, exasperated puff of air in the breadth of a second. “Just a misunderstanding,” she answers, her voice flat; she turns on her heel, pointedly making sure she doesn’t turn towards the driver, lest she risk any inconsistencies in her expression. “He’s gone; just leave it, we’re almost done with this drop-off. Miss Uldreyn will be waiting impatiently for a report when we're done here.” She walks off before the driver has a chance to respond; he looks at her hesitantly before throwing a glance over her shoulder to where the charcoal tiefling had vanished. After a moment's hesitation, he wanders after the woman towards the docks where the shipment has been unloaded and the captain of the merchant’s vessel is waiting nearby to speak and to finalize the deal.
Charlotte grew restless when Zarius turned to walk away; she turned around on his shoulder, staring after Caedes with chittering mandibles and an anxious shiver— but Zarius never stops, he just keeps going and leaves him behind. She doesn't understand what's just happened, she just knows it's not good.
By the time they've reached Snow, Charlotte has crawled onto the tiefling's back in an attempt to keep Caedes in her sight— but eventually, he was gone, and she feels Zarius' hands around her.
“ Zarius…. Zarius….?” Charlotte wiggles her legs disconcertedly when the tiefling picks him up; if she could cry, the tone of her voice would signify this was about as close as it would get. She rests in Snow’s arms uncomfortably after the change-off, her body shivering anxiously in the aftermath of the conversation that occurred. She’s still not entirely sure what’s going on, just that neither Caedes nor Zarius are happy about whatever’s happened. She turns in Snow’s arms, looking up at the tiefling worriedly. “What’s going to happen? He's going to come back, right?”
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Feb 14, 2023 23:17:33 GMT -5
Zarius sighs and crouches down to be at eye level with Charlotte. “He will come back for you. That much I can say for certain.” He gives the spider a reassuring smile. There were no doubts in his mind about what he said. It was the only certainty he had when it came to the changeling.
“Just wait at the Rookery with Snow and Eameia. I have some loose ends I need to tie up.” He looks back up at Snow before rising back up to his full height. "No detours."
"Yes, sir," the catfolk replies quietly.
"Good. Tell Eameia that I will need her help once I return to the Rookery. We are going to have a lot of work to do."
Zarius glances back down the road towards the docks. His eyes linger on the empty street for a moment before he turns away and heads off on his own down the street.
Snow is worried, and it shows on their face, but there is little they can do to help in this situation other than whatever Zarius says. They gently hold Charlotte and make their way back to the Rookery across the city.
The clouded skies of the Ash Lands lighten with the rising sun, though few rays of sunlight are able to pierce through the smoke. The large estate belonging to Zarius' family is unusually quiet for this hour of the morning. All of the servants are seemingly absent from the halls, and only the invisible guards linger in the halls. Zarius stands in his father’s office, hands held behind his back as he faces his father. Unfortunately, Anselm was not the only one present in the familiar office with the painting of Mount Drakolt looming in the background.
While his father sits behind his desk and listens intently to his son's report– the man's piercing gold eyes inescapable in the confines of the room–, the leader of the merchants fumes from the corner, flanked by his own armed goons.
"This is outrageous!" The leader stomps his foot like a petulant child having a temper tantrum. He points accusingly at the younger tiefling. "Yet again you failed and have nothing to say except half-assed excuses for your own incompetence!"
Zarius does not look at the man, keeping his eyes on the edge of his father's desk as he listens to the venom spat in his direction from the merchant.
"This was your last chance to prove you and your family have any value to me and my associates," the man takes a step towards Zarius, "and you went and wasted it." He stops when he's right in the tiefling's face. He is a bit shorter than Zarius, but he still scowls and sneers as if he is looking at some sort of insect before him. "To think someone of your supposed skill level would be given the run around by a bunch of costumed fools."
"I chose to let the Red Rogue go." Zarius states, his eyes still never making contact with the man's but rise to meet his father's keen gaze.
Anselm’s eyes narrow, and he gives his son a discerning look.
"What?" The man asks indignatnly, his brow furrowed in a frown so deep it likely would become permanent.
"I chose to let the Red Rogue go." He repeats.
After a moment of tense silence, Anselm nods, completely calm and composed. "I see. I will terminate the negotiations then."
The man, on the other hand, stands there stunned, his mouth hanging agape at the confession followed up by Anselm's declaration. "You’ll what?!"
Zarius clenches his fists and his tail curls. The reaction does not go unnoticed, though Anselm's attention is drawn away from his son to the merchant whose face is so red he might as well be called the Red Rogue.
"You have made a fool of me." The merchant seethes through clenched teeth while he points accusingly at Anselm. "I always had my doubts about you. You're not a real Ashen Father. You and your family are nothing more than frauds."
Anselm calmly rises to his feet, a dark glower on his face directed at the man. "I am afraid there will be no need to continue any discussions."
The man scoffs. "That goes without saying! You will regret playing me for a fool." He puts his hands on the end of the desk and leans across it with a sneer. "I will ensure all my associates know of your humiliating failure."
"I think you will find that quite difficult.” Anselm rests his hands behind his back and looks down his nose at the man. “Corpses make for poor conversationalists."
A blade pierces through the man's back from out of what seems like thin air. Eirynor's invisibility drops for only a moment as he pushes the blade between the man's shoulders and through his chest. Blood gushes from the wound and the man's mouth as he coughs and sputters, grasping at his chest.
None of his men jump to his defense as they too are silenced by previously invisible blades lying in wait throughout the room.
Anselm steps arouns his desk and up to the man, looking down on him with disinterest. He wipes some of the blood that spurted across the surface of his desk up with his hand "Fear not, perhaps the gods will smile down upon you and return your soul to this world in a more fitting form, like a slug. Spineless and covered in slime." He wipes his bloody hand off on the front of the man's coat.
Eirynor twists the blade and pulls it out quickly, allowing the man to drop into the puddle of blood pooling across the polished floor and expensive imported rug.
All throughout the blood massacre, Zarius does not moved an inch. His eyes are tightly shut and his fists are clenched in frustration to the point of trembling. He finally manages to find his voice again after a few moments of heavy silence. "I am sorry, father."
Anselm steps over the merchant's body and over to his son before placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "I may not understand why you did what you did, but I gave you my trust and I respect your decision. While it is not always easy to do so, it is what I choose to do as a show of faith in your judgment. I will handle the rest." He takes his hand off and steps around to his desk. "You are dismissed."
Zarius opens his eyes and nods. Taking his feelings of failure and frustration with him as he crosses the room to the door. He is just about to open the door when his father clears this throat.
"Zarius."
The tiefling stops in his tracks and waits, his hand lingering on the handle of the door. Eirynor quietly wipes the blood off their sword before sheathing it while the other guards begin to gather the still warm corpses littering the room.
"A formal introduction would be appreciated."
Zarius' grip on the door tightens. He hadn't said anything about Caedes in his report, and he left out many details about Mei. While he wouldn't be surprised if his father had come to some conclusion about what was going on, it still made him second guess if he had made the right decision after all. He takes a shaky breath and exhales slowly.
"...with all due respect, father, I am not ready for that."
There's a moment of silence between them before Anselm speaks again.
"Very well. Get some rest."
Zarius just nods before pushing his way through the door and quietly closing it behind him. He looks down at his hand which is still trembling slightly before he clenches his fist. What should be the end of this whole hellish few nights was only the beginning. He just hopes that whatever comes next is worth the gamble he has taken.
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Feb 18, 2023 0:18:05 GMT -5
“ It’s done?” The sun draws higher past the horizon line; the soft illumination of rising dawn highlights the curvature of Lyari Uldreyn’s face as she turns away from the window in her office. There’s a light thump, and a rustle of papers in the aftermath, as Mei tosses a folder onto the woman’s desk without an answer. She’s had time to even her disposition; and she’s taken every second to her advantage. Desperation is like a drop of blood in a pool of sharks to the underground of Darkveil. The more helpless one comes across, the more one can be manipulated; it’s a tactic Mei used on Lyari on that first day, and she is determined to ensure that she cannot do the same to elongate this deal… but it’s true that she needs this to go through. She cannot go back empty handed to Zarius. She can’t. There’s a certain helplessness that comes with the end of this gods forsaken deal, in which she feels her worth to the Rha’Oriyn— to Zarius— sits on Lyari Uldreyn’s shoulders. The fact that he just left without executing her on the spot was merciful in and of itself, but she has an aftermath to handle, one which… one which she can’t piece together. Everytime she tries to envision what she wants to say, or how she’s going to say it, she can’t. There’s no ideal in this situation that she can entertain; there’s no real sacrifice she wants to take; and so, the worst case scenarios have lingered at the forefront of her mind.
But the fact that she has grown easy and comfortable in the tiefling's presence speaks of something she won't entertain at this moment.
Mei takes a slow breath; one quiet enough that she hopes Lyari can’t pick up on the shiver of her nerves. Papers rustle as Lyari thumbs through her records of the transaction, her eyes narrowed as they scan each page with a speed that suggests practice and normality… yet at the moment, Mei feels she could not possibly be reading it any slower. “ No hiccups this time?” “ No, none.” “ Did they have any complaints?” “ Only that it wasn’t what they originally expected; but otherwise, who are they to complain about what we delivered? The market price on Zeinavian Ruby is higher than high quality sugars or flour ever would have been.” Mei feels Lyari’s eyes on her at the mention of her last mission; it’s enough to skip her heart into her throat, but she holds the woman’s gaze— hoping it translates to an air of defiance, rather than one of meekness. “ ...While that’s true, that was less about the product and more about the lesson.” the elven woman admits after a moment of tense silence. “ The merchants who owned the product are nasty bastards; insult after insult; broken promise after broken promise…” Her eyes lower back to the papers. “ ...but they’re wealthy as hell; good investors to have in your back pocket.” She lowers the papers, letting them fall from her palms onto her desk with a gentle thump. “ You can only handle that kind of abuse for so long, though. Such wealthy bastards, that they forget their place.” Lyari’s chair creaks as she sits down. “ In our line of work that’s a deadly mistake. Their punishment went easy on them, and it didn't even go through…” Mei watches Lyari as she picks up the papers she’d dropped earlier; she puts them in order, tapping the sides gently to even them out. “ But… anyways.” She sets the evened papers on her desk, and intertwines her fingers together as she looks up at Mei. “ About our deal... you fucked up the first job, but I can see your worth.” Mei’s eyes narrow, hands tensing behind her back as Lyari draws out her verdict by studying her body language. She prays she’s not as rigid as she feels; there’s a bloom of anxiety growing in her chest as the silence drags on. “ I’ll speak to your handlers.” It takes every ounce of willpower not to breathe a sigh of relief, but her anxiety roils nonetheless. This is good news, but it doesn’t necessarily fix anything she’s done in the process… but it’s a step to maybe, possibly, begging her way back into Zarius’ good graces. “ Thank you.” “ I would, however—” Of course. “ —like to know exactly who it is I will be speaking with. You’ve been awfully hush about your contacts.” Lyari narrows her eyes in a way that she recognizes as skeptical; which is fair, but she’s not under any circumstances about to open the Rha’Oriyn family into Lyari’s line of fire— just in case. " You understand the risk that this puts on me, on my men?" “ You’ll understand who it is you’re speaking with when we meet to discuss the arrangements of our deal.” she insists despite the risks of challenging Lyari’s authority at this point. “ If all goes according to our deal, then they will be a valuable contact. I have no doubts about that; it'll be worth your risk.” Lyari breathes a sigh, tilting her head slightly as she stares Mei down with a sort of predatory look that she understands well in this business— but she refuses to falter on this. With one last sigh, Lyari drops the tension in her shoulders; and although her expression softens, it does not soften much. She lowers her eyelashes, leaning down to grab something from her desk; quietly, she slides a card across the desk at Mei.
She looks down at it with a blink.
“ Call on me when your handlers are ready to speak. I will make time for them.”
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