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Post by Delta on Dec 8, 2023 19:29:11 GMT -5
Dante chuckled and swished his tail so that he was giving her an eskimo kiss before drawing it off her shoulders. He said, "Is that your way of telling me I'm devilishy handsome? I appreciate the high praise." He winked and also dried off his feet and slipped back into his shoes. He said, "Of course! My plans certainly haven't changed, and well, time spent with you is time spent well indeed."
He would approach Kalaf on the assumption they were going to fly out and said, "I have to say Kamille you're a very warm person. Doing the spymaster work I was worried you might be colder, and there was a brief moment where I wondered if I was simply indulging in hero worship. But this was quite reassuring; you're a kind person Kamille. Thank you."
He hopped onto Kalaf and said, "And you my winged friend! I heard what you said back there. It's rude to pretend someone isn't present and make idle threats. I'll have you know I'm a highly valued employee in this spy company." He couldn't hide his smirk and said, "But it's alright, I'll forgive you since you're taking us to Stargazer Village to see the night sky."
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Dec 9, 2023 9:39:41 GMT -5
"I will never deny this, Mr. Dante: You're devilishly charming."
The praise came effortlessly and genuine, light as his mood. Kamille had been told before she felt like a warm person, and she tended to agree it was both a strength and a weakness: she created attachments easily, and was capable of raising hell if her connections were threatened. She did blush a bit at his comment on it.
"I'm glad you think that way... I hope to always stand up to your expectations."
Kalaf didn’t seem to be done with his bath, so when Dante approached, the drake just blinked slowly at the fellblood.
"I didn’t threaten you, little one. If I had threatened you, you wouldn’t feel so free to-"
"Maybe I should get this back, thank you!"
Kamille seemed to feel something was going on between them, and she quickly approached Dante to her her necklace back, so the fellblood wouldn’t be listening to Kalaf's jabs. Kalaf didn’t adhere to mortals' ettiquete, ever, but Dante was probably the first who talked back to the old drake. The thought had her laughing openly.
"Mark my words, Mr. Dante: your tongue will be the end of you!"
Her tone was playful, however, and it looked like she was having quite a bit of fun seeing this bold fellblood talking back to a stubborn, old drake. Who would've thought!
Kalaf did need a bit more of encouragement to get out of the water and agree to take them to Stargazer village. It was clear his relationship with Kamille wasn’t one of subservience or even of a tamed beast and its Master. Kalaf was a being of his own, independent, and clearly kept around Kamille and indulged in her wishes out of... love, perhaps? It was an interesting partnership, to say the least.
Eventually, the great beast got out of the river, and after flapping his wings and showering them both like a wet street dog, he finally took them to their destination: Stargazer Village.
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Post by Delta on Dec 9, 2023 10:20:03 GMT -5
Dante laughed and said, "Those who live by the sword and what not. If it's to be death by tongue, well.. I shouldn't talk of such saucy topics in front of Kalaf, it seems indecent." He winked and hopped on the Kalaf Express with Kamille, saying, "Onward then!"
As they took flight, he felt more used to the sudden updraft though there was no helping his stomach dropping as they burst into the air. He took a deep breath and said, "My this is quite exhilarating. I can see why I made my confession from hundreds of feet off the ground. If my emotions didn't send my heart aflutter then surely sky rocketing into the clouds sure would!"
He looked down once more over the landscape of Moonglade, the river carving borders within the tightly knit forest. He said, "I'm curious to know how you and Kalaf met. He seems rather attached to you, and he doesn't seem like the type to be very friendly to strangers. Did you hatch him as an egg? Pull a thorn from his paw? Was he there for the big showdown with Vulcadraeus?" He again used Kamille to counteract the inertia of their ascent and also because the rush of wind made it hard to hear, so he had to basically press back against her to hear anything she was saying.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Dec 9, 2023 11:20:06 GMT -5
" Kalaf's sister tried to eat me."
How delightful.
"It's a rather long story... I went to help a researcher friend that was missing during his travels. He was around Mt. Drakholt when he went missing, and following on his tracks we found out some cult inside the volcano. Among other things, they were capturing and locking away some whelps. We managed to free them, and I even found an egg."
It was quite the adventure, and she seemed to remember fondly on it.
"Later on the same day, we met the Matriarch that came to try and retrieve her hatchlings. I thought she was gonna eat us - so I gave back her egg to try and calm her down... I guess it worked?!"
Now she could properly laugh at the experience, but Kalaf's sister had been a terrifying sight to behold. Beautiful, but terrifying.
"Kalaf found me later on, during my travels around the Ash Lands.... I assume his sister said something about me, but he doesn’t tell me what exactly. He told me he wanted to travel the world one last time before the earth takes him.... or something along those lines. We just... clicked."
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Post by Delta on Dec 9, 2023 11:28:51 GMT -5
Dante's ears when she brought up the cult. He looked back to her and said with a more serious tone, "Really? A cult you say? I'm sure you can already predict with ease as to what I will ask next: were the 'Ashen Fathers'?" He did air quotes, implying the cult itself and not the Mafia families of Darkveil. He asked, "How long ago was it? The Ashen Fathers, bastards as they are at least have a method to their madness. Personal stakes aside, I can't deny their effectiveness and rationale. But the Ashen Father cult.. utter madness."
He twisted in his feelings, turning away from Kamille to look over Moonglade.
"I can't say I have much connection with this place. You are the strongest tie I have to this side of Charon. But I don't even think I could wish such a fate even on my parents' murderers. What the Ashen Father cult and Vulcadraeus did is unthinkable. Nothing justifies genocide."
They crested over the skyline to the village itself. Dante rubbed his eyes and said, "Now look what you done. Is this payback for bringing you to tears earlier?" He sighed and said, "I can't believe I might actually see eye to eye with the Ashen Father rulers. I can't imagine they're thrilled with the fallout."
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Dec 9, 2023 12:21:04 GMT -5
Nothing justifies genocide.
Nothing.
Even being of the opinion that the ends justify the means, she wondered there was nothing out there that would justify genocides.
Nothing.
...right?
"We didn’t stay long to investigate this particular cult... I feel there's so many cults poping up these last few years in Charon! People going nuts! And they are utterly meticulous, this I will give them. Misguided and deluded, sure... But ultimately, like you said... Effective."
Which reminded her...
"Did I tell you of the cult that tried to revive Lunala? Not long ago... They uh.... They tried to use me as a vessel for the goddess. Luckly I wasn’t alone but it could have been disastrous if they managed to do something..."
Dante was the first person she was talking to about the incident. It involved much more than just a bunch of lunatics, but she wasn't ready to talk much more than that.
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Post by Delta on Dec 9, 2023 13:00:49 GMT -5
Dante quirked a brow and said, "That's rather unsettling. I mean, I can't exactly blame them for choosing you as a vessel except that it's rather odd to try to fit one goddess inside of another goddess. Still, I'm glad you don't have an otherworldly being occupying your mind and flesh. That sounds rather unpleasant."
At least he hoped she wasn't being inhabited by a goddess...
Dante hopped of the drake and offered his hand to Kamille. It was mostly a gentlemanly gesture as he knew full well she had far more experience riding drakes than Dante did. Once she was back on the ground, he'd turn towards the town and said, "My, my cultists and drakes oh my! You've had quite the intriguing life I must say. I can see why you are apprehensive about how others might judge you. But nothing I've heard so far brings any alarm to your character. And I mean, you are a hero of the realm!"
Dante looked up to the stars and said, "I've been stargazing in this village once, but I bet you know all the good spots to set up to gaze. Do you have a recommendation my occult inclined friend?"
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Dec 9, 2023 15:50:50 GMT -5
" Oh, stop it, you charmer... I'm glad we got to escape, though... It... It was a lot... But the leader of the group also escaped, so... I'm guessing that won't be the last we hear of it..."
But enough of that, Kamille looked delighted with Dante's gentlemanly manners, taking his hand as she dismounted Kalaf. No matter how efficient she might be, to have someone show her curteous and gentlemanly gestures would never get old, and it was clear.
"Ohhhh, I've been meaning to see one particular place..."
Kamille locked arms with him as they walked.
"There’s this druid that told me once he built a towering tree in the stargazing field... The trunk is hollow, and inside there's only a staircase that leads up to a terrace.... Everything is made of raw wood, as he made the tree grow up the way he wanted it to grow. You can't see there's a terrace looking up to the treetop, only flying over it. I imagine it's a great place to have a little secret rendezvous whenever you need it..."
The Witch chuckled softly, poking fun at the fellblood. "How about we try to find this place?"
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Post by Delta on Dec 9, 2023 16:10:20 GMT -5
Dante had to do everything in his power not to point out how romantic of a location she had pointed out, especially given their exchange earlier. He said, "That sounds delightful. Though a small part of me wonders if you haven't already found this tree. This is your home after all. I sincerely doubt you held onto this secret adventure just for your humble friend, but should you speak in truth that you haven't found this place before then I'm delighted to know that I can partake in the discovery of a new location together with you."
He then turned to look at the endless sea of trees that surrounded the village.
"So... how do we find it?"
He looked a little lost turning around and looking from where he was standing. He then looked to Kalaf and said, "We may need to hitch another ride so shortly after dismounting though I'm of a mind to let the creature rest. Will we be able to discern the tree from this grounded perspective? I imagine such a hollowed tree would make itself quite obvious but then again I'm not as versed in the area as you are. Or perhaps you have some kind of magic to help navigate us to the appropriate destination. Either way, if you get lost and scared in the woods you can always hold my hand." He winked with a wry smirk on his face.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Dec 9, 2023 17:32:44 GMT -5
Kamille shrugged.
"I'm not much of a stargazer, to be honest. I'm often more interested in what is... a little bit closer to the ground."
Like black roses and gardens, perhaps. No wonder the vampire lord had swept her off of her feet - he seemed to have learnt her preferrences quite quickly.
"I haven’t had the opportunity to search for this place yet, but I would gues-"
Kalaf seemed to grumble a bit, as he started to round up to take his nap. Unlike any other creature that walked the earth, the drake didn’t even look around to search for a hidden place to sleep. One had to wonder that, probably being the biggest predator around, he could afford not being careful. He pointed his muzzle towards a particular direction.
"Kalaf said he saw a 'weird looking tree' on our way here. He said it was around that way. Let's go!"
Despite it all, Kamille looked excited for the exploration. It took a 15 minute or so walk for them to reach the tree that Kalaf had seen. It was indeed a huge tree, the tallest of the area, with a wide top that during the day would cast a delightful shade for those underneath. There was nothing unusual at the tree per se, but as they walked around it to search for a way to enter, Dante would spot a hatch door half hidden beneath the roots and dry leaves.
And... it didn’t look nearly as abandoned as it should be, with clear signs someone has been using it for a while.
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Post by Delta on Dec 9, 2023 18:14:41 GMT -5
Dante had grown up on the streets of Darkveil. Those who had known the taste of poverty and crime developed a kind of sixth sense for dangers, a kind of raising of the hackles on one’s neck when they sensed danger. Dante narrowed his eyes and said, “A hidden tree that someone happened to find. I’m sure they’re looking to stargaze as well.” A Replicant would step from where Dante was standing, the clone having been summoned using the metamagical effect of Silent Spell. That seemed a rather odd choice and one that betrayed Dante’s suspicion. He would accept the risk of being called paranoid sooner than he would be called foolish for walking into a trap.
“Kamille was this a spot you recently learned of in say the last few weeks?”
If it was then perhaps someone thought she was a good mark. Anyone who thought they could do that to Kamille gave Dante goosebumps. The Replicant gave Dante a salute and went to open the hatch. He had to Lock Pick it open indicated someone wasn’t expecting nor desiring company. Dante reflexively held Kamille’s hand. He could handle being alone, but the closeness of an ally was a comfort he didn’t need often have.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Dec 10, 2023 10:00:30 GMT -5
Unlike Dante, it was obvious Kamille behaved much more like Kalaf on that regard, not without a hint of arrogance: What other predator would dare to try to harm her?
Come to think of it, a lot of her misfortunes started that way...
But despite that, Kamille quickly learned to trust other people's expertise, especially those close to her that would want her wellbeing. She imediatelly halted and furrowed her brow at the fellbloods question, quickly picking up on the implied.
"...........yes. It was not long ago I was told of this."
The Witch wouldn't keep him from using the replicant, and watched as he worked. With a soft whisper, Dante would feel as Kamille weaved a spell, and see as the stars fade of her eyes: her eyes are taken by an unnatural darkness, but he knew not to be worried [1], for now she would be able to see in the dark.
She squeezed the fellblood's hand, pulling on him to see the path that opened before them. It was a tunnel meant to connect to the tree's trunk, and she could clearly see the spiral stairs that she was told about. She whispered to Dante.
"There's no one there for as much as I can see, but... It doesn't look abandoned either. What do you think?"
[1]Ebon eyes
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Post by Delta on Dec 10, 2023 10:37:35 GMT -5
Dante’s eyes glistened somewhat like a cat’s as his Dark Vision revealed that which was hidden by shadow. He said, “Call me crazy, but this feels like a trap. I’ve seen cons where a rumor is spread to get people interested in some remote location. It’s like fishing: you cast your line, then when you hook your fish you rob them. What makes it such a good con is you never have to make contact with a mark until the actual robbing. And it’s very hard to trace back unless you walk into the trap. Even more so, it’s entirely possible the rumor of this place is completely unrelated. It’s a very clever setup if that is what’s going on.”
The Replicant held up a hand to halt their approach and gestured ahead. The clone had gone up the spiral stairs somewhat and brought to attention the flickering of candlelight. Dante looked over to Kamille and whispered, “Stay alert. We’re not alone.” He would turn the corner of the spiral staircase, creeping up the sharp wooden turn to see and hear a few people talking. It sounded like they drinking and talking, and eventually he saw four rough looking types playing cards on a chunk of wood that was clearly cut or ripped from the trees inner walls. Dante looked to Kamille and gestured to the bandits silently.
“How do you want to play this?” He whispered.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Dec 10, 2023 18:19:33 GMT -5
Kamille nodded at Dante, signaling she was listening. But for what they could see, she figured that was not the case. The bandits didn't seem ready to pounce on them as they entered - and she figured they wouldn't lock and hide the door if they wanted the place to be found? Still, that didn't mean they didn't need to be careful. She put a finger to her lips and signaled him she wanted to hear on what they were talking and, as silently as she could, she went up the staircase just enough so they could hear what was being said.
"...more than the last offer!"
"Shut up. Ye wanna go ther' by yerself, you can focken go."
An angry thud signaled someone hit the table with a mug.
"I can't go there alone, you know it!"
"Then shut up! Ye already know why we came 'ere. Focken Witch has eyes all 'round 'er forest, 'er monsters would eat us up for dinner!"
"And you're happy with that?! To be ridden off of our first hide out by a woman?"
"Listen, ya little shit. Let the focken Dial Focktrum handle 'er. If we play our cards smart, we can 'ave them fock each other up. Two birds, one stone or some shit. I 'ave a plan."
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Post by Delta on Dec 11, 2023 12:33:22 GMT -5
Dante lofted a brow as his theory he had explained to Kamille proved to be true. He wasn't at liberty to speak so much with the enemy so close by. Dispatching the bandits was elementary, but he also knew that the issue was if one escaped and warned a much larger hornet's nest. He took a moment to come up with a plan, having no qualms with harming these highwaymen. He looked back to Kamille and winked with a wry grin showing he was ready to proceed. Kamille had the power to fight against a dragon god, a handful of bandits would be a parlour trick.
First, he needed to close off the exits. Kamille could obviously cover where they came from, but he needed to get over to the otherside of the room. He decided a bold entrance was the call to draw attention to himself and give Kamille a window to surprise her with overwhelming force. Dante's clone would take the long way around along the edge of the room to cut off their exit deeper into the upper floors. It wasn't a long term solution, but if anyone did break off, there would have to hesitate to deal with the clone before they could scurry away.
Then Dante silently cast a Chromatic Blast towards one of the bandits that was the furthest from him. Again, he wanted them to feel more confident coming to him and Kamille than run away. He would catch the man square in the chest with a lightning which would conduct along the metal knives and studs of his leather to electrocute him until he fell over shocked.
"Ne'er do wells beware! You're in for a scare!"
Abilities Used: Silent Spell -> Chromatic Blast (Lightning). Replicant gets into position to block off the escape.
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