Disappearances aren’t unusual occurrences in the Ash Landsl. In fact, they’re practically the norm given the population is predominantly made up of outcasts and criminals. Random appearances on the other hand, those are far more strange. Especially if what appears without any trace just so happens to be a whole ass warehouse full of weapons just on the outskirts of Darkveil City.

Just in the past week, rumors of this supposedly haunted warehouse had started spreading like wildfire through the urban streets of Darkveil. It didn’t take long for those rumors to reach the various information brokers working tirelessly through the city. Zarius was no such exception.

There were a lot of strange claims floating about this building, some say it is the workshop of a wish granting witch, while others claim that it is Ziev’s doing, messing with time and space itself resulting in the building being teleported from a different era or place in Charon. Some even claim that a colony of fairies built it overnight to lure in unfortunate souls to consume.

Clearly the rumor mill was in full operation, and since this was a pretty recent occurrence there had been little fact checking as of yet. There were a few desperate treasure hunters who had already gone missing after setting out to investigate it which has only fueled more of the far fetched claims.

Well, when you cannot trust your sources, best to dig up the truth of the matter yourself. To assist in this endeavor, Zarius had tried to track down Cyran, but hunting down a hunter was easier said than done and it seemed he was unavailable at this time. Surprisingly, someone else was available though.

He hadn’t intended to drop by Del’s smithy so soon, he’d hardly had any time to give more thought to his earlier deal to commission Del for a custom weapon for his father. It felt strange to go and visit her without Cyran given what Eameia had finally disclosed to him about the woman. Though he is certain his sister still did not tell him all that she saw, what she did share was enough for him to grasp the seriousness of the situation and the severity of the consequences of choosing to protect the woman.

He’d almost scolded his sister for deciding something so important before they had a chance to discuss it properly, but he had to bite his tongue when Eameia revealed how close the two elves were and what they had gone through to get to this point. There was no helping it if the two loved one another, and Cyran was too valuable of an ally to lose at this point.

It was going to be messy and complicated regardless, but despite the risks, it made more sense to stick with those he already trusted rather than give the Crown what they so desperately wanted. Zarius wasn’t one to so easily back down from a fight to start with, so that worked in Del’s favor even if she was completely unaware of what was known and being said behind her back.

Still, Del was not his first or even second choice of assistance. But seeing as both his favored hunter and friendly neighborhood assassin were busy with other tasks, he had to settle with what he could get. At the very least Del had already proven she could be counted on in a fight, and if she trusted Cyran it shouldn’t be too difficult to gain her trust himself.

Approaching Del's smithy, Zarius knocks to announce his intrusion before stepping through the threshold into her workspace. He sent Del a letter ahead of time, requesting her assistance and giving a general timeline on when to expect his arrival at her shop from which they would then depart for the mysterious warehouse. He glances about the space.

“Miss Dalaela, are you here?”

---

SPOILER: Click to show

Description: Locals have asked for help in dealing with a rather nasty creature that has taken home in one of their buildings. Shops, homes, basements, regardless of what it is, a Mimic has decided to hole up there, killing pets and livestock while threatening the life of those who own the building. These creatures are difficult to get rid of because of their ability to blend in with their surroundings and literally become a normal object, like a chair or rug. Go in, root out the mimic and dispose of it the best way you can.

In the wake of Mount Drakholt's upheaval and the chaos it left the Ash Lands and surrounding areas of Charon in, Del had found herself neck deep in that which she did best; fixing things. At least, that was what she preferred was her greatest skill. In this case, it was certainly the most useful.

Since the destruction, their first priority had been repairing Shades Valley, to ensure the children had a safe place to sleep and stay once they returned from Sol City. Moving what she could from her own decimated forge to the side-alley between the next building, and erecting a privacy fence so she could work in relative peace, with a tarp covering her. It was easier to do so, to keep an eye on things, people, until they could settle again. The rebuliding of her shop as a priority came much further down the list to the Valley, and to those in need around her.

Still, she tried to make time where she could, for other, personal projects.

Within the ruins of her forge, Del stood at her anvil striking a cold piece of steel over and over, pounding it with steady, unrelenting focus into the shape she needed. The place has somewhat fallen in on itself; the roof is partly caved in, and the floor is a mangled mess, but above the quiet forge, there is a canvas tarp stretched across the shattered beams of her ceiling to keep the worst of the soot off. It's here that she needs to work on this, an hour at a time, before getting back to the other duties she had relegated for herself.

So deep is her focus that Del does not notice, for a moment, the approach of someone else until a gentle knock is applied to what remains of her threshold. She glances up sharply, high on alert before abruptly relaxing into an apologetic smile. Zarius. Of course. "Apologies, I lost track of the time," she sets down the hammer with a light huff, and carefully, with cold tongs, puts the piece she was working on away in her satchel for another day.

That the quakes had affected them all was not news, but she felt guilty nonetheless for not going by the Rookery in the immediate aftermath of the collapse-- that the clock tower was no longer a fixture in the skyline of Darkveil was... foreboding, to say the least. But as she had heard of the safety of the fellblood siblings and all those in their employ, she knew they would call on her when she was needed. And that day, apparently, was today.

Though, to her knowledge, Zarius had plans to make use of Del's other skillsets.

She steps around the counter to greet him properly. "How have you been? How are repairs going?"

The damage is pretty extensive here as well. It was unfortunate that Del had worked so hard to get the forge up and operational only for it to be hit so hard in the earthquake. Seems like bad luck followed her just as much as it followed everyone the fellblood associated with. 

He looks around at what Del had managed to put back together in the meantime. At the least it was functional, but it was still pretty haphazard. Perhaps it would be worth it to speak to his contact in the black market about finding some able hands to aid in repairs. 

"That is alright. I imagine you are very busy these days."

Needless to say there was plenty of work for someone skilled in repair and construction currently. Those in the trades have become in such high demand that there were rumors of carpenters being kidnapped to work for the syndicates specifically and not their competitors. Luckily it seems that his family's protections have kept the 'recruiters' at bay for the time being. 

"Could be better," he replies as he steps further into her workspace, careful not to disturb anything as he does. "I feel like I am being pulled in every direction these days."

The second question about the Rookery elicits a long sigh from the fellblood. He wasn't too keen on speaking about the destruction of a beloved haunt from his childhood now being nothing more than a pile of useless rocks and splintered wood. Especially with Del who would probably feel compelled to do something about it despite her efforts being better directed elsewhere. 

"Unfortunately that collapse was pretty severe. I do not foresee it being possible to fix anytime soon."

They'd already gone through the process of relocating everyone else to more discreet locations. They were lucky no one lost their life during the quake and even luckier that no one managed to pick them off while they were homeless and vulnerable. Not to even mention how lucky it was that no one managed to scavenge any important documents or other secrets from the wreckage before they could too. Last thing they needed was to hand their enemies any more leverage. 

They got lucky. That was all. He just had to keep thinking about the loss in that way to keep himself on track. He couldn't afford to be distracted by any sense of melancholy. 

He shrugs. "Though really, what can one expect building so close to an active volcano? None of this should come as a surprise to anyone."

Looking back at her. "Are you ready to go?"

"To say the least," she huffs a soft laugh, taking a quick look around the shop around her. It was unfortunate, of course, but it would be fixed in time. Housing and shelter was the priority right now. "I think we all are."

Between her work as a carpenter and smith, trying to take on jobs, Cyran neck deep in his own work, and the world falling about around them, it was a miracle anyone was able to keep their heads above water. It seemed as though those of the Rookery were not much different. She nods an understanding. "Spread thin like butter over too much bread, I think is how the saying goes?"

She was saddened to hear it might be some time before the Rookery could be prepared; that sigh of his rather said it all. It was a heavy impact to the business, she was sure, but if Zarius and his sister and their other employees lived on the property, then they had lost more than just the building; there were memories too. And those were infinitely precious, weren't they?

Zarius was acting awfully cavalier about it, though she knew-- thought, anyway-- that the whole thing had to have been devastating. With how close everyone at the Rookery seemed, that threat, that near loss, it made sense for it to weigh heavily. The way Zarius was trying to brush it off, though, made her head tip slightly. If he was stretched so thin, had he even taken a moment to grieve what he had lost?

"I think it goes without saying that I would be happy to assist in the rebuilding efforts as well." she lifts her brows at Zarius, as if he should have known she was going to suggest this. "The Rookery is an important place, not just for yourselves, but for socializng, for morale. Once Shade's Valley is fully repaired, I'd be happy to lend you my services. Oh, ahh," Del pats her side, touching her satchel. "yes, I'm ready to--"

"Mree!!"

Out of the wood-work-- quite literally-- a little Flitten prises himself out of his hidey-hole, and flies over to greet the new guest, who smelled of... strange things, like the volcano did. And of other people, other cat(?) smells that made his tiny bee-like wings buzz with excitement. New friends! He alights on Del's hand as she stretches it out for him to perch on, and the Flitten preens for their guest, showing off his very handsome wings and holding his tail high in confidence, back slightly arched as if requesting tiny pets.

"This is Chip." Del, having no other choice, makes the introduction, giving the Flitten a wry look. A rumbling-buzz emanates from the body of the palm sized creature, something akin to a purr. "He was a gift from Cyran when I opened the shop. He's a lively little guy, very friendly. You saying hi, Chip?"

"Mrrrp!"

"Good boy," she lifts Chip to her face, allowing the little beeline to nuzzle her cheek affectionately, before setting him back on his little wooden house. "We'll play more when I get back. Be good."

"MRAH!" Chip chirps, before promptly assaulting his house with his claws, sharpening them on the wood.

Chuckling, she turns back to Zarius, adjusts her satchel, and nods. "Now I'm ready." As they exit her forge, she follows Zarius up the road a little ways, glancing his way. "Your missive mentioned an investigation, correct? What other details do we have?"

Zarius watches Del interact with the tiny creature before scoffing. "No wonder my cat likes you, you have a way with animals."

When he turns to leave the forge, Del would catch sight of something strange with the back of the fellblood's jacket. There is a pitch black blurry mass clinging to him, and the longer she looks at it, the more it seems to be moving. Out of the void, two bright, round, yellow eyes appear with fully dilated pupils. Del would recognize this entity as Ebony, the troublesome black kitten that attacked her hand when the Rookery was still standing. 

Upon spotting Del, the cat mass starts to vibrate with very loud purring which makes the fellblood stop walking. He listens to the noise, tilting his head a bit in confusion before glancing over his shoulder, first at Del, then at Chip and finally realizing that the sound is not coming from either of them. He cranes his neck to look over his shoulder, and just catches sight of the furry creature clinging to his back. His face darkens with a wave of embarrassment as he realizes that Ebony has hitched a ride and he didn't notice until just now. 

Clearing his throat, he recomposes himself. "Uhm, Miss Delaela, it seems I have made a miscalculation."

He did not account for the tenacity or impossible stealth of this tiny black street kitten.

"Would you please remove Ebony from my back?"

After Del successfully frees the tiny kitten's claws from the fabric of his coat, Ebony squirms out of Del's grip and immediately darts for the nearest dark corner of the forge.

The fellblood sighs. "My apologies, I did not intend to bring her here. It will not be easy to catch her, but perhaps Chip can keep her out of any trouble."

He's doubtful, but he really did not want to delay their mission due to the cat's antics. He knew all too well that the cat would do as it pleased, regardless of the situation. Both he and Caedes had he scars to prove it. 

Ebony certainly has no intentions of being apprehended, as she just lies in wait for the two-leggers to depart from the forge. Her eyes dart back and forth as she takes in every escape route, hiding hole, or precarious ledge amongst the forge's ruins. In this game of 4D chess, the cat was 10 moves ahead of the fellblood, and both pet and owner knew that. 

It was a lost cause, so Zarius relents, apologizes profusely to Del, and promises to remove that cat as soon as they return from their immediate task. With that, they depart out into the streets of Darkveil. 

Once they're back on track with the little pets left to fend for themselves, the fellblood's shoulders relax. He nods in response to Del's question. 

"Correct. We are going to be looking into a warehouse on the edge of the city. Rumors on the streets state that it appeared overnight and potentially is filled with dangerous goods. It is all very suspicious and there is a high likelihood that things are not as they seem."

Part of him suspected this was all a ruse to lure unsuspecting victims into a trap. Perhaps this was a scheme by one of the Ashen Fathers to take out runners and agents of rival factions. Or maybe this was a new tactic by the cult behind the disappearances around Darkveil.

That thought made him worry a bit. If that turned out to be true, he'd be walking Del right back into the hands of those Cyran had so desperately tried to save her from not even a few weeks ago. The elf had been tolerant of many of Zarius' underhanded actions, but endangering Del was not likely something he would be forgiven for.

Del's eyes widen, surprised, "She does?? Oh, I just really like animals," she utters a quiet laugh. It was hard to tell what Ebony was thinking. Impossible, even. But she did quite adore the ferocious little cat and her very sharp hunting implements. "I didn't get to have one when I was on the road, so now that I've somewhat settled, it was a great welcoming gif...t...."

Del trails off as Zarius turns his back, finding herself locking eyes with the very same speck of void manifested as a cat that they had been discussing and at a total loss for words. Even so, she cannot stifle the delighted smile as Ebony starts purring enthusiastically. "Clever girl!" she slow-blinks at Ebony, before realizing she was getting distracted. Ahem. "Of course, yes, one sec," she steps forward to gently unhook Ebony's talons from Zarius' shirt, one hand scooped gingerly under her legs to give her somewhere to put her back paws so the task could be completed. "Okay, I think I've got--oop!" The moment Ebony starts to squirm, Del changes her grip, allowing Ebony to vault out of Del's arms and scamper off to the gods knew where.

...Well. Now there was another cat in her shop.

"That's alright, I don't... think you could have stopped that if you wanted to." Del laughs. She glances to Chip, also dubious. Chip was a wonder, a dear, a delight, but he was not the most methodical of cat-creatures. But as she thinks this, Chip is already standing at attention, tail sticking straight up and slightly poofed in surprise. His ears are not back, but pricked forward, his pupils fully dilated.

A friend.

"Chip--"

Before Del can finish her sentence, Chip scampers off the edge of his little wooden house, tumbling down the side. His wings buzz, catching him before he hits the ground, as he takes off in search of The New Friend.

"...They'll be fine." Del doesn't sound sure, but there wasn't much they could do about it at this point. It wasn't as though Chip was defenseless, with his venomous claws and ability to fly, but maybe... maybe they could get along?

It was worth a shot anyway.

Out on the streets, Del's gaze moves about them, noting corners, checking roof tops; an old force of habit that refused to die out. "Overnight... I mean, by all accounts, that does point to magic of some kind." she clicks her tongue thoughtfully. That was a large bit of magic to do all at once, as clearly the house was not simply an illusion, or it would have been dispelled. "Do you know if anyone has gone inside yet?"

Two round eyes gleaming gold peer out from under some rubble that had yet to be cleaned up in the far corner of the workshop. Ebony watches intently, ears pricked forward and end of her stubby tail twitching in anticipation of the arrival of her next victim. But instead of a vulnerable ankle of an unsuspecting two-legger, what comes into her line of sight is far furrier and much closer in size.

Ebony starts to rumble with audible purring. 

Mrowr~

She creeps forwards towards Chip, haunches wiggling with the threat of a pounce soon to come. For once she shows some self restraint and instead crawls along on her belly up to Chip with her whiskers twitching as she sniffs. 

---

Meanwhile, Zarius leads Del through the streets of Darkveil to the edge of the city. 

"Yes, some people tried to break in but they have not been seen since. It is highly suspicious which is likely intentional. My guess is that someone is luring people there. The question is why."

Were they walking into a trap? Probably. Could they handle it? He sure hopes so.

At least neither of them were acting in a panic about this situation compared to when Cyran had to rescue Del and then she in return had to rescue him. He still wishes that Cyran had waited for at least a few reinforcements before confronting that crazy cult. It's wild that they both managed to escape with their lives. They got lucky.

He glances her way as they walk. "If things go sour, prioritize getting to safety."

It felt necessary to say despite being something that seems like common sense. Given what Eameia had relayed to him about the situation Del and Cyran found themselves in though, it seems common sense is not so common these days.

Before long, they arrive at the edge of the city where the buildings are definitely worse for wear. Many of them had been abandoned and thus were never repaired from the previous earthquake that wreaked havoc across the city. Yet one conspicuous building seemingly had little to no damage, and that was the aforementioned mystery warehouse. 

It's not the largest building, but it sticks out like a sore thumb. There are no exterior windows or any access points other than the front double doors which oddly enough have a bar across them on the outside rather than on the inside. If this was just a normal warehouse, whoever built it clearly did not understand that locking something from the outside wouldn't do well to protect whatever is inside. 

Zarius glances around, but there is no one in the immediate vicinity. Darkveil sure was a lot quieter these days.

"Any suggestions on how to approach this?" he asks, wanting to give Del a chance to voice any thoughts she may be having now that she can see the building herself. 

Chip, his tail still a little surprise-poofed, watches the New Friend belly crawl towards him with interest. A polite and friendly greeting! He stretches his tiny head out as far as it will go, sniffing in return as the two kittens get acquainted, nose to nose. A handshake, if ever there was one. A cordial hello among two apex predators.

--Then Chip starts play bouncing, popping up and down like a piece of hot, dried corn in oil. An invitation! An offer of a play-time most fun with a New Friend! "Mrrp!!!"

---

Why was a very good question, one Del was not often in a position to ask. Typically, things happened, she dealt with them accordingly, and then moved on. Anything beyond that was a matter for people who actually had the pull and wherewithal to provide answers for these things. Some stones were better left unturned.

Though this did smack of what had occured not long ago. Her brow furrows in concern as they walk. The cultists had been... handled. Thoroughly. If this was their attempt at a come-back, they certainly picked the wrong city to keep provoking.

Del meets Zarius's gaze evenly, before nodding, once. "I'll definitely keep that in mind." An amicable enough response, she figures; she wasn't a fool (probably) and knew that being safe put her in a better position than being at risk did... but when the lives of others were involved, dust and ash, did she ever feel compelled to assist. Often times bodily.

As Zarius asks her opinion, Del grimaces slightly propping her hands on her hips as she eyes over the building. "Well. It's not up to code." she clicks her tongue thoughtfully, looking at the building with a tilt of her head, as though the structure would make more sense from a different angle. "This thing has no ventilation, for one thing, so whatever is going to be stored here is either going to combust or rot. Double doors, but not big enough for large cargo, which you'd think people out here would be storing en-masse. No sign of any such transport that might indicate usage. And... the timbers." Del squints, feeling an eerie chill creep up her spine. Something was definitely not right. "Never mind the fact this thing just appeared, but look at the half-timber around the exterior. They're... perfect."

It was unheard of to not have something even a little off kilter, especially after what had been done to Darkveil lately. Moreover, wood was not a common resource as the stone, and quite expensive, so any use of wood whatsoever had to be quite cheap to be able to import in any meaningful quantity-- when you went cheap, you came out with flaws. Beams that were uneven lengths, fill gaps that had to be double patched, joists that creaked in the strong wind.

"It's too symmetrical," she explains, shifting her gaze back to Zarius. "The joists are practically seamless, even from this distance. And I can't tell what it's made of, from here. It looks like... oak, maybe, but that's not a tree that grows in the Deadwood, and the colour is a little off. I'd have to get closesr to have a sure look at the grain to see the quality." Which, of course, presented its own problems. Once they started to delve into this place in earnest, there likely wouldn't be much room to turn back. The'd have to ensure they had an exit plan. On the whole, the building was entirely unsettling in its structure and design.

More importantly, she really doesn't like how quiet it is.

"With that all considered," Del resigns herself with a sigh. "It's a trap. Apart from burning the building down, which is a bad idea given that people might still be alive inside, we're not going to be able to wait long enough to lure whoever is inside out here. So, I suppose this means we're going to have to walk into the trap in order to find out just what sort it is we're dealing with."

Ebony watches Chip bounce about, calculating the perfect angle of attack before bouncing and tackling Chip. She keeps her claws sheathed as to not hurt the buzzy furball. Besides, her claws were tools only for use against the two-leggers and she had to keep them in good condition should Duchess Charlotte's servant suddenly appear. 

She's quick to let Chip back up and jumps back. Clearly Chip was inexperienced in the world and needed a teacher, a mentor in the sacred chaotic feline arts. Ebony purrs and coaxes Chip to follow her up onto a table with many a piece of clutter on its surface.

Yes, the perfect training ground.

Ebony proceeds to knock a piece of metal off the table which sends it clattering to the floor with a metallic pang. Her large round eyes then look towards Chip expectantly as her tail twitches from side to side. 

---

Meanwhile, Zarius and Delaela are at the odd warehouse, standing outside it and figuring out what their next move will be. The fellblood listens to Delaela's observations. He's a bit surprised at all her applicable knowledge for this strange situation they were faced with. She points out details even he overlooked.

It's impressive, and he's starting to understand a bit better why Cyran grew a fondness for her. Delaela was clearly intelligent, knew how to hold her own in a fight, and was passionate about her hobbies. She also came off as fairly earnest, a rare virtue amongst all the two-faced liars in the world. And a stark contrast from what one would expect from someone with such a large bounty on their head from Charon's rulership. A victim of a corrupt system, obviously. 

He can't say that he particularly cares if anyone is still alive inside, a sentiment it keeps to himself as to not tarnish the smith's opinion of him. He's gotten pretty good at refraining from saying unnecessarily cruel things while in the presence of others with different morals from himself. 

The idea of just walking into something they're pretty sure is a trap is not one he likes, but Delaela is not wrong, they have few other options given what they can see before them.

Zarius glances around at their surroundings. If this was an elaborate trap, there should be some other evidence of them either being watched from nearby buildings or at least tracks in the ash leading towards and from the warehouse. Surely it was too far from the city center to have a connection to the underground tunnels.

But there's nothing.

No tracks in the ash.

No windows of other buildings with a good view of the entrance.

Nothing.

He sighs. "Alright. Be ready for anything."

Stepping up to the building, he tries his best to keep his footsteps as quiet as possible on the off chance they could get the jump on whoever was inside.^[1] Wishful thinking, especially as he tries to lift the bar blocking the door from opening. He gets a good grip on it, but it oddly doesn't budge at all.

That's odd.

He might not be as strong as Shaa, but he could lift a decent amount of weight and the wooden beam does not look that heavy. Trying again, it still won't move at all. However, when he tries to let go, his hands are stuck to its surface as if adhered to it with some sort of glue. 

"Uh...I think I am stuck."

Was this seriously the trap??? GLUE??

Before he can voice his thoughts on the absurdity of the situation, he feels the beam shift unnaturally in his grip and watches in alarm as both his hands are sucked into the side of the building as if it wasn't made of wood at all.

His mind flashes back to the situation with the ooze in the Marsh Flats and he digs his heels into the dirt. The panic from potentially losing both his arms breaks his cool and collected demeanor for a moment as he desperately tries to pull free. 

"Help!"

---

[1] Silent Step

A counterattack!! Chip squeaks, flailing feebly as Ebony pounces on him, rendering his defensive-play hopping tactic utterly useless. He quickly scrambles to his feet, buzzing his wings in preparation for another attack-- but Ebony is sitting further back now, purring coaxingly as she makes her way with fluid grace onto the countertop above.

!!! Friendship after all!

Chip flies up to the table, digging his tiny claws into the ledge to haul himself up properly, bounding over to see what Ebony was up to. He watches, rapt with fascination, as she moves a Don't Touch That Please across the counter, batting it effortlessly, and knocking it off the surface and to the floor. Chip peers over the edge, to look at the fallen Don't Touch That Please with fascination.

He sits back and tilts his head at a piece of stone that was sitting on the surface of the table, probably a remnant from the still being repaired ceiling, doing some very intenses feline calculations. Tentatively, he reaches out his paw, touching the Don't Touch That Please with his claws. It makes a slight clattering noise as it's shifted and Chip's pupils blow wide.

He taps it a couple more times, and then baps it, sending it toppling over the edge of the counter. Chip looks over the edge with wide eyes, watching the piece of stone come to a stop, now a changed Flitten.

---

Being ready for anything, she can do. Approaching the building a few steps behind Zarius, to watch his back. Her eyes are around them, on their six, for anything that could be out of place, expecting an ambush-- but from where, she couldn't begin to tell.

And then Zarius says he was stuck, and Del looks back towards him, just in time to watch as the building envelopes his hands, drawing him in.

What in the world...

There isn't even time to process what was happening, not that Del had much idea what sort of sorcery or manner of creature this was, but as Zarius calls out in a panic for help, unable to free himself, she dives towards him, a steely chill rippling over her body as she lashes out at the house, in an effort to break whatever bonds held Zarius still. The first blow, a swift punch[1] around the strange, absorbing, fleshy substance meant to decimate any magic that the house might be under-- and nothing happens. Worse, her hand seems caught, not unlike striking water, and rippling under her blow, drawing her fist in.

"Shit," the next blow[2] follows up with a different strike, that of her palm[3] radiating a bitterly cold, singeing effect for a select few creatures, in an attempt to free the both of them.

---

[1] Bare Hands: Magic Blocking Enchantment
[2] Two Piece
[3] Delaela's Cold Iron Touch

Excellent.

This little buzzing friend learns fast. Chip has proven to have the willingness to cause chaos, now it was time to hone his tools. Lesson two.

Ebony purrs and jumps back down off the table, knocking a few more things off of it as she goes. She then glances around then scurries over to the wooden leg of a simple chair. It is unfortunate that Chip's two-legger does not seem to provide Chip with more luxurious furniture, but this would have to do for now. 

The black cat unsheathes her claws and reaches up the leg of the chair before dragging her tiny hooked nails down along the surface, leaving tiny scratches in it. Not nearly as satisfying as honing one's weapons by running them through an upholstered chair, but it got the job done. 

Satisfied with her demonstration, she looks back at Chip expectantly. 

---

As Del strikes the building, they do impact but neither strike's effects seem to deal additional damage to the alien material the whole of the building seems to be constructed of. 

Zarius leans back, throwing his weight around and digging his heels in deeper. His arms strain against the pull, but the fleshy substance does not let him pull free, tensing as if made of muscles that pull back against him.

Despite his focus on his trapped arms, movement in his periphery does catch his attention.  

Beside them, the outer wall of the building starts to extend into an oddly textured tendril. The pseudopod lashes around the back of the pair before squishing them against the door. The door's surface is sticky and gives as if made from a fleshy organic material rather than wood and metal. The two are pressed into it until suddenly the two pass through, tumbling across the 'floor' on the inside of the 'building'. 

Arms freed, Zarius springs up onto his feet only to nearly slip in the thick mucous coating the surface they were standing on. The pair are immediately assaulted with the reek of decay and some acrid scent. It's a familiar scent. Zarius knows what this is now, but is still shocked at the sheer size of the creature that they had essentially been swallowed by. 

He looks around and locates Del, carefully sliding over to her to help her up if she needs it. 

"It is a mimic, a massive one," he quickly explains as he starts checking his pouches for anything they can use to get out of the sticky situation. 

The oozeling probably wouldn't help their situation, neither would the sootlings or shaping putty. Gods. He needs to invest in some caltrops or other small blades. 

He looks around again. Thank gods he could still see somewhat in the dark given there was no light to speak of inside the belly of this beast. Then again, maybe being able to see their surroundings wasn't such a good thing.

While the exterior of the creature masqueraded well as a warehouse, the inside was anything but. All around them were walls of undulating flesh covered in a slime coating that was both slippery and sticky at the same time. There's the occasional slorping or gurgling noise as this thing's digestive tract does what it does best. The air inside the mimic's stomach is heavy with moisture which clings to their skin and slowly starts to tingle and burn them the longer they hang around. They had no time to waste. If they did not escape soon they would surely see them reduced to nothing more than skeletons if even that.

"We need to get out, quickly, and preferably the way we came in. Any ideas?"

The praise he has garnered from his mentor encourages little Chip to carry his tail high, preening proudly at having done a good job. There were so many things to knock over now-- but, oh, she's moving on! He scampers after, following in her paw prints to the next location-- a chair below the counter. He flits down after Ebony, wings thrumming with excitement, and watches, eyes fixed, as the Shadow Cat proceeds to dig her long, sharp claws into the wood of the chair leg, honing the knives she bore for against the wood.

Now THIS was a lesson Chip knew well. He knew he was not supposed to put his claws to certain things, and The Warm Lady had given him a lovely little house that he enjoyed scratching up and gnawing on, as was his wont... but he hadn't yet tried a chair.

Being a Flitten in the likeness of a carpenter bee, Chip lowers his upper body, wiggling his haunches into position before launching himself at the chair leg, claws digging in to the wood as gravity drags him back down, gnawing on the wood all the while.

---

Pulling as hard as she can, with no movement of their limbs whatsoever, sends a cold panic straight through Del's heart as she struggles against the wall sucking her -- trapped, being trapped, she was being trapped again--

Something she does not see strikes them, driving the pair forcibly against, and inevitably into, the wall. A limb of some kind, but it feels wrong, grotesque, though this is quickly overshadowed by the feeling of falling through the spongy not-wall of the warehouse. It's unsettling to have firm structures like metal and wood move and bend like water, even moreso when they appear to surround something that is decidedly not a structure, but flesh. The force of being pulled through nearly sends Del sprawling, only able to catch herself on the slippery surface of the... membrane of this creature's digestive tract, by taking a knee.

The interior of the creature is wretched and smells just the same. She's about to call out for Zarius when she gags instead, struggling to stand upright... at least her arms weren't trapped, but where was-- ah. A question quickly answered. She gives him a look of relief, accepting his hand to help right herself. Never before had she been unfortunate enough to encounter a mimic, though she had heard of them. All of her previous information, though, suggested they were supposed to be much, much smaller than a place like this. How could they even get this big?

"Thank you. How--" She pauses to cough against her shoulder, trying not to retch at the fetid smell of the interior of this creature's mouth. "How did it even get here without anyone noticing??" It was no small wonder that no one who had ventured within the walls of the "house" had returned to divulge its secrets. In any case, it sorely needed to be stopped, before it could hurt anyone else. Including them.

Still fighting waves of panic of being enclosed against her will, she takes careful, slow breaths through her mouth-- gods, she can taste the scent of rot. She pushes it from her mind. "I can set a fire, I think?" she huffs, running a hand over her forearm as though trying to find wherever the ki came from. "Maybe irritating it is the way out. Can you do something similar? Do you have a lighter?"

Ah. So this little upstart does know at least one of the basics of how to cat. That is a good sign. 

Good. 

Good. 

Ebony purrs in approval and then looks around for the next lesson that should be taught. Unfortunately, there's no dead-smelling pale two-legger to attack the ankles of here. Shame. That lesson would have to wait. Instead, Ebony goes over to a corner where there are some stacks of scrap metal, including a few pans and tubes. 

The fluid black kitten sniffs about then finds a very small pan which she crawls into and SOMEHOW manages to sit in. She purrs loudly and her little tail flits back and forth expectantly. 

---

This situation was...not great. They were literally in the belly of the beast. 

"It probably looked like something else," he says as he looks around the grotesque surroundings. "The last one I ran into appeared to be a carriage at first."

Del's suggestion of fire isn't a bad one. As far as he was aware, mimics were not fireproof on the inside. Though his options for creating fire are pretty limited. He doesn't tend to carry torches with him since he can see fine in the dark himself. That said, he has a little fire to offer, even if he'd prefer not to use it. 

The powers he has gained over the past year are still foreign to him, and they have been growing exponentially. While this has given him more options in combat, it has come with its caveats. When he taps into those powers, the whispers are always there, beckoning him from the back of his mind. If he pushes things too far, he might slip and lose control again.

He can't risk that happening around Del. Cyran would never forgive him if he brought any harm to her. Although, Del could probably more than kick his ass if he gave her a good reason to. She was a blacksmith after all. She wouldn't take up such a profession without being tough and strong. 

"I have a little fire. But not much." He considers what else he has when he finds a small wrapped candy in the bottom of his pouch.^[1]

Oh, he forgot all about that. 

"Alright, I have this." He holds out the candy so Del can see it. "It will make things very hot in here and it might be enough to get it to cough us up, but that means we will be exposed to the heat as well."

---

[1] Dragon Chocolate

Chip observes his new, graceful mentor, delighting in the new location for skill testing he was being led to. This was the pile of Loud, as he knew it; the things that went clatter clatter bang when he tried to scale them. Never in his young life would he have thought about going INTO the loud-- especially when Ebony fits herself into one of the pans as though she had always belonged there.

Well, he couldn't stop now! He had to maintain his streak! But he was so much smaller than Ebony-- what would really impress her?

He spots it, loose and leaning at a slight angle against the pan Ebony had conformed to; a metal tube, hollow, if only through a slender hole that was good for using to scrape thin tools along the interior. This. This would be his method.

He wiggles into the tube, beating his little gossamer wings to try and force himself through. With some struggling and scrabbling and the tube rolling across the floor, chip eventually forces his head through the other side, along with one paw. He bats at the corner of the metal pan Ebony had melded into like a liquid, requesting her attention. "Mmrrp!"

---

Del grimaces; a carriage? Gods, that would have fooled her, she realizes. A battered or abandoned carriage along the side of the road, looking like something terrible had happened? She might have gone to investigate such a thing with nary an idea that the carriage itself was a monster. That would be something to keep in mind if she ever found herself on the road again. The fact that Zarius was here to endure it again really was a testament to his determination and careful consideration of his surroundings. He was a good ally; that Cyran trusted him was more than enough indication for her.

Her gaze lifts towards Zarius' silhouette-- thank goodness she could see in the dark--[1] and spots the candy. She'd had one during their first encounter, with the Hell Hounds, though it had created snow. If this one did the opposite, making things hotter, then so much the better.

She flashes him a crooked smile and inclines her head, lacing her fingers together and bending her arms out and away from her in a stretch. "I'll be aright; hazard of the trade is getting used to heat. If it gets to be too hot, you can stick behind me, and I'll take the brunt of the heat."

It takes a moment for her to focus; drawing on these abilities was still a relatively new concept for the Sylvan elf. Her martial abilities were one thing, but harnessing the energy that seemed to permeate her bones had taken some getting used to. Fortunately, Del was a quick study.

Pulling her hands apart, there's a sound like sparks as the scars on her hands glow gold for a moment, as if surging with heat below her skin[2,3,4]. Fire erupts around her hands and feet, a white-yellow flickering, humble but searing with a heat that doesn't seem to bother Del.

She looks to Zarius, giving him a determined nod. "Ready when you are."

---

[1] Shadow Sight
[2] Monk Prestige III - Art of the Burning Fist
[3] Myriad Barrier (Fire Resistance)
[4] Heat Gland (Fire Resistance)

Ebony watches Chip squeeze himself into a metal tube. It's an impressive feat to be certain, but it'll be even more impressive to see if the young flitten can get out of it. Stepping out of her pan, Ebony then bounds across the room to the window sill. She turns to look back at Chip. 

Mrowr~

All lessons she could teach her fuzzy-buzzy apprentice were complete. For this location, that is. It was time to take things outside into the real wide world where there was so much more to learn. For outside is where there are flying things, walking things, rolling things, barking things, and hidden things. 

She waits patiently for Chip to join her as her bobbed tail flits back and forth. 

---

Zarius nods at Del's reassurance that she can take the heat. He's not too certain about how he'll fare himself, but it would be pretty inconvenient for the effect to work on the person consuming the treat. Either way, it's a risk he'll just have to take. He carefully unwraps the candy, careful not to get any digestive slime on it before going to take a bite.

Then he hesitates. 

For a moment he's frozen and his body is rigid like a board, his breath caught in his lungs. He closes his eyes tight and takes a breath, slowly easing himself back to normal from the involuntary and irrational reaction. After all, why would this candy of all things be poisoned? And even if it were, if they don't do something they'll just be digested which is much harder to recover from if they even survive at all. 

He finally bites down on the candy and ingests it. The magic contained within it floods through his veins and his body temperature spikes. The heat radiates off him and starts to create a stifling heat throughout the mimic's stomach chamber. The fleshy walls shudder and there's a rumbling noise as the mimic begins to move. The heat from the candy's effect not only makes its stomach upset but also causes the air to expand within it. While not intended necessarily, the mimic is feeling pretty bloated and gassy now. 

The heat does not bother Zarius fortunately, the spell not subjecting its caster to the same fate as those around him. The fellblood keeps a keen eye out for any sign of an opening. Sooner or later, this thing would have to let the pressure off somehow. 

---

[1] Dragon Chocolate - consumed to cast Heat Wave