The metallic marbles were now streaming out of an open window and
cascading onto the what looked like market below even though the stall
coverings were in muted tones. There were screams and shouts as the
natural order of the market was turned on its head. Merchants were trying
to offload their goods with addition of their own coin, one or two people tried
to use a hook line without attaching themselves first and servants were
throwing tantrums when their masters wouldn't buy them an expensive item. The gathering
bedlam down below mirrored that of the manor, and without hesitation, Eryn leapt
out of the window assisted by his flaming hand, landing in the Grey Market. He
looked up at the open window above him and the group staring out. None of them
were able to get down safety unassisted and both Braxx and Raneaux were still unconscious.
Reluctantly as a headache started to build, Eryn helped them one by one, as
each was sprayed with Eryn's canister and were then lifted down. Raneaux was
precariously perched on Braxx as they both descended and the extra weight
nearly caused Eryn to lose control and drop them both. Although none of them
had noticed that between being upstairs and lifted out, her hands were now
resting on her lap, rather than behind her back.
As Danton landed, he spotted a figure that shimmered in the afternoon
light and ran off after it before explaining his motives. Raneaux, still passed
out, screamed out in pain before waking up. The drug that had separated her
from the intrusions of the Guldspar had not worked, and she could feel
something else trying to use her senses, trying to take control. She opened her
eyes startled and tried to regain her breath. She turned to Braxx who had not
woken up himself, although was still breathing. She felt as if being close to
Braxx might be making her suspect able and so disappeared before anyone could
argue. She explored the market by herself, taking in the strange and exotic
sights, marred by chaos. Soon a merchant caught her attention with a small
array of Numenera. He was not however offering his stock with extra incentives
but Raneaux hoped she could prey on his obvious lack of understanding of what he
was offering.
She approached him constantly observing, making mental notes on his appearance,
behaviour and speech. She knew exactly what to say and what weak points she
could exploit by the time she reached him. The merchants of Auspar usually had
one weakness, the Numenera. The city was famed for its trade in personal
luxuries but not in something like that. They however, idiotically prized any
item that they believed to be a piece of the Numenera and would normally charge
an extortionate price for an item that Raneaux knew was relatively worthless,
or was selling a priceless artefact for next to nothing. She attempted to rummage
in her satchel with her still bound hands and eventually laid down bent crowbar that she found had also been warped
by the magnetic storm.. The merchant looked at her and then down to what she
was offering and was about to laugh when she pressed her finger to her lips.
She told him that she worked for House Narrkonis and the item he saw in front
of them was a prized item from their collection. The name Narrkonis, carried
weight with the Metricious, the family and their associates were known for
their intrinsic understanding of the Numenera, and the vast and priceless
vaults of artefacts and oddities they kept hidden away. She tried to reveal as
much about herself and her current predicament, hoping that her reputation
would precede her. Of course she knew that the Metricious had heard of her and with
a few choice words, the merchant was convinced of the crowbars rarity and its
value. He offered her the most expensive thing he could sell. A windrider, on
average an eight foot long metallic wing that is ridden as a platform, sailing
a high speed through the air, and apparently once owned by a famous racer. She
looked at him oddly, knowing full well that even he would not be foolish enough
to leave something like that out in the open. His reply didn't really satisfy
her fears. He told her that he would have the board delivered to the closest Narrkonis
Atrium before abruptly excusing himself for feeling unwell.
Danton soon found himself in a similar position. The ever familiar fuzzy
neon lights danced in his view, obstructing his pursuit of the shimmering
figure. If he didn't take the drug soon, what had mutated his eyes, would start
on the rest of him. He darted glances left and right, trying to find a safe
spot to hunker down. The disorder in the market made it hard for him to predict
where to rest. He eventually found an abandoned stall and tucked himself
underneath its counter and swallowed the necessary pill, washed down with
liquor. The lights soon took control of what he could see and he soon passed
out. As ever, Jarvan had followed his master but keeping at a distance, thus allowing
Danton to believe he was acting alone. He was accompanied by Isadora who was
now constantly complaining about having to push the still unconscious Braxx
instead of Jarvan.
Seeing the state Danton was in, she prodded him to try and wake him up.
Jarvan told her it was the side effects of Nastrond if not taken regularly, to
which he mentioned that she should at least have heard of. She nodded, wringing
her gloved hands. Jarvan propped up his master into a more comfortable position
before checking his supply of Nastrond. He now had only one pill left to which
set off alarm bells within Jarvan. The next time this would strike, he would be
fine but the next Jarvan didn't know what would happen. Te only place that had
an abundance and easy to access supple of Nastrond was in Danton's on
laboratories in Qi. To Jarvan's knowledge, the family in Auspar had outsourced
the creation after the incident with Danton, as to stop anyone in the immediate
family suffering the same fate. Jarvan wanted to turn to Isadora but felt it
would not be appropriate and his master would prefer if they dealt with the
situation themselves
The silvery figure was soon spotted by Eryn, along with a trail of
metallic spheres in its wake. Without thinking he gave chase. The figure was
still obstructed by the many market stalls and the panicked citizens all
around. Within mere moments the figure had gone. He had had been chancing what
he thought was a man but he ended up catching the tail end of a Seskii. He rested
his hands on his thigh, regained his breath and breathed in the smell of alcohol.
This reminded him of what Mavis had asked him to do while in Auspar, and with
the mental state of the merchants turning the Grey market into a buyers paradise.
He swiftly acquired a case of vintage wine and a liquor that was labelled to be
over three hundred years old, all for the price of not being seen.
Xera on the other hand, was not having the same luck as Raneaux and
Eryn. He had left the group after Raneaux in hopes of catching her but was
eventually distracted by a book seller. He tried to convince the man to look
back in his stock to find anything that Xera would be interested in, but the
man only presented even more books on art and architecture, although extolling
their virtues and rarities. Eventually Xera had pushed the merchant too far and
he outright refused to serve him. He told Xera to go to another Metricious
member, Bertram which he spat as he spoke. As Xera left, the merchant muttered curse
words at Xera. It seemed that the Metricious guild was not doing favourably
under Chancellor Regent Pheylor, as his name was used in many of the insults
flung at Xera.
On the other side of the market. Raneaux walked away pleased from the Metricious. The thought then
dawned on her that he hadn't told her when it would be delivered. She ran back to him but he still hadn't returned
from feeling unwell. A searing pain blazed though her body as a terrify scream
of man fell into gurgles. The pain faded within her but her Guldspar veins stung a
little. She cautiously jumped over the counter and pulled back the privacy
curtain. In front of her was a twitching corpse sprawled against the crates.
His body had been turned inside out and by what she could see, it had been instantaneous
and violent. As she tried to find out what had happened she noticed a small
blood trail that was leading away from the man, the width of a finger. She
followed it away and deeper into the market. Soon she caught sight of Eryn and
motioned for him to follow. Eventually the trail soon dried but the flicker of
silver caught her eye, and soon she was
set upon by a Seskii that was unlike any other. It was comprised of shimmering
dust and silver marbles with one in the creatures tail marred with blood. She
screamed, alerting Danton and the others to her location.
Raneaux rolled to her side and under a table, with the
creature fortunately missing her by a hairs breadth. As it regained its
footing, it shifted its form, changing
from beast to armed humanoid. Out of nowhere, a bolt of energy caressed a small
part of outer layer of the creature, turning the few marbles it touched and the
market stall next to it in to crystal. Danton ordered Jarvan to stay back with
Braxx and his sister while he and Xera joined in the fray while they looked on.
Eryn conjured up his flaming hand and swiped at the creature. It shifted its
mass allowing the hand to pass right through but for a moment it seemed to
stumble and with that, Eryn left the hand in place, hoping to debilitate it
further. It lurched forward, swiping its
malformed blade at Raneaux, fortunately missing her but showering her in
spheres. From where Danton was stood, he could see that the heat from Eryn had permanently
cracked the metal at its centre. He yelled over to him to blast the creature with
fire and Soon the creature had been reduced by half, with the addition of an explosive
blast from Xera.
However as the dust settled, the creature repositioned itself
and had towards Braxx. It caught both
Jarvan and Isadora by surprise and Braxx was killed instantly. Between the metallic
ball bearings as it jumped, an electrical energy had built up in-between and like a lightning
strike, had discharged into him. Eryn in rage used his flaming hand to dissipate
the creature further, almost singing Braxx, Jarvan and Isadora in the process. Another blast of energy raced towards the
creature from the artefact in Xera's possession. It struck the creature as it
was trying to reform, causing a cascading transmutation as tried to gain shape.
Raneaux composed herself for a second, tiring to block out the numbing of her
senses. She used what strength she had to distract the creature by trying to
move portions of it away as it reformed with her mind. The more it tried to
form, the quicker it was dissipated.
Eryn was now feeling weak himself from over exertion, as his hand disappeared into
smoke. He desperately looked around him for a weapon or anything he could use.
He saw what he thought could help, but instead grabbed a pair of archaic
goggles. It housed a single pane of dark red glass , a thin strip that barely
covered his eyes.. With nothing left
else he could do, he put the goggles on and accidentally tapped the
side. Without warning, a solid beam of light discharged from the goggles
forcing his head back. The beam of light hit where Xera had turned the creature
to crystal and shattered it. In an
instant the dust was dispersed and the metallic spheres dropped like hail to
the floor and rolled away. Raneaux felt
as if she was about to be sick when as she retched, blue smoke poured out form
her as the world span into black.
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