TSW - Chapter 5: The Live Drop (4) - The Drunken Oraea

It dawned on Raneaux as they both left, that she the Hawk-Eye were covered in blood. Umbra however could disappear into the shadows of the night, while she would  most likely draw far too much attention, and possibly lead to her imprisonment. Not only that, but she didn't know how the Oraea would react to her wearing the robes, regardless of the stains. She decided to take a longer route around the edge of the village and to head down the path by the pond. She hoped that the monks would at least stay to the centre of the village, to which she soon was proved wrong.

Three monks were drinking by the edge of the pond, laughing and throwing scraps of metal and rocks into the water. The moon rippled on its surface and for a short time, seemed to enthral the them.  Raneaux had considered taking off the robes but time was slipping through her finger tips. She had to react fast. She asked Umbra for help, only to find the shadow of the sparse canopy he had disappeared  into, was now empty. She tried to contact him mentally and found that he was already by the main road, a good hundred feet from where she was now. There was nothing for it but to run. She was light on her feet and the dark material of the robes helped her in part to blend into the night and with panting breath, she made it to the edge of the main road and across to her shack.

She told Umbra that the ranch was closer to the centre of the village but there was a back entrance next to where the creatures were allowed out into their pen.  As they arrived, more the Oraea were getting drunk outside.  There was no way to sneak past this group and the torches they had erected all over town, dissipated all hope of Umbra hiding in the dark. Raneaux thought back to the many days she had been caving all over the Steadfast in search of lost treasures for House Narkonis. She remembered something that had saved her life from ravenous Elchins. Raneaux had covered a glowglobe in blood and the rolling sphere gave her just long enough time for her to escape while the creatures followed their new prey. The same principal, she believed, could apply here. The monks were inebriated and if they were react like the ones by the lake, they could be easily distracted in their drunken state. She sneaked round to the corner of the storehouse  that was on the road to Auspar and rolled a brightly lit glowglobe down the road towards them. At the same time she yelled at Umbra in her mind to silently pick the lock while they were hopefully distracted.

One of the monks had seen the light fly past but it was enough for him to try and convince the others of a ghostly apparition. A few considered the proposal before it was decided that the man in question had probably drunk a bit too much  and was taken back to the Oraea to sleep it off. Raneaux's heart was finally able to rest for a brief moment. Umbra told her that he had been able to infiltrate the building and was ready for her to arrive. She, however, was exhausted from the earlier fight. Her head was pounding and her receding heart beat revealed the aches and pains she had shrugged off earlier. She knew that at least if she was inside, she could have time to rest and recuperate before the drop.

Back at the blood soaked shack, Danton and Xera were cleaning up what they could of the slaughtering of Moma's guards. They had piled the bodies up  behind the bed and had torn rags from the bed sheet to mop up what they had caused. The carnage was overwhelming Danton and the thought that he was instrumental in it felt as if a poison was coursing through is veins. He scrunched his eyes and rubbed his hands over his face considering his next move. His thoughts were disrupted by Moma's drug induced babbling about a sanctum and a river before slipping out of consciousness again. He thought it was best if she was restrained, even if she was a clone. Before he could get to her, her body started to convulse. It was a very familiar reaction to Danton but the fact that she was starting to mutate after swallowing the pill rather than it a consequence of withdrawal ,made him hesitate to intervene. This was not natural, well as natural as the reaction could be. Her erratic  body movements contorted her and threw her off of the bed. She fell onto the bloody floor and soon she was tarnished by the same grisly brush  as Danton. He was now on edge, her reaction was unprecedented and he didn't know how far it would go before its grip was released.  A sudden knock on the door made him jump and he nearly slipped as he rained his footing.

Danton started to panic, nothing he had planned for had gone right. Dehart's men had shown up far too early and he couldn't persuade them to leave before Danton had one of them killed. Moma had shown up soon after and again by Danton's hand he swiftly had four more deaths his conscience. He grabbed Moma as best he could and with Xera's help dumped her onto the desk. He wiped his hands on his robe and tried to neaten his hair. The knocks were more forceful now, accompanied by a deep voice. There was worry and panic in the tones of the man's voice. He asked if everything was okay and if someone needed medical attention due to the blood that was seeping under the door. With no immediate response they shouted again and again, repeating if whoever was inside needed help.  The moment they offered to get assistance from the other monks, Danton scrambled to the door. He opened it a crack, before slipping out and shutting it behind him.

TSW - Chapter 5: The Live Drop (3) - The Ebb of Life

Before the guards could react, Umbra fired a dart at the clone of Moma just before Raneaux's shadow enveloped the room. Khatt-Nipp soon took a hold of Moma. She saw a mountain of artefacts and weaponry over by the bed in the corner and left the safety of her guards. Danton dodged back behind the desk, his serpentine eyes allowing him to see perfectly clear through Raneaux's darkness. He shouted to Umbra the guards' location and he lunged forward with his dagger, but it was deflected off his targets armor. Raneaux fired a arrow point blank at the group, who had now turned back to back for protection. She wasn't intending to pierce the armor, she instead used the force to knock over one of them and in turn, this caused the others to fall.

Over by the bed, Moma's induced visions was getting her closer and closer to the body hidden underneath. Danton knew that the drug could blind people to reality  but he didn't know how she would react and she possibly could be able to see the corpse. He snuck up on her and gently whispered into her ear. He presented a pill of Nastrond and enticed her with it abilities to boost intelligence and power. In her easily influenced state, she demanded that she was given it and soon that too coursed through her veins.  The munitions that she had seen, soon turned into fuzzy neon lights that rose up and swirled around her, as if she had disturbed a kaleidoscope of butterflies. Her heart raced, her eyes shuddered side to side and soon she convulsed and passed out on the bed.

On the other side of the room, Umbra, now knowing that his weapon was useless against the guards' armor, took his inspiration from the laced darts and covered his dagger in Khatt-Nipp. Within a blink of an eye, another was infected and soon he too felt compelled to leave the safety of his companions. He leapt to his feet, convinced that Moma was in danger in a completely different part of the room.  The other guards soon reformed their standing position and launched their own attack. A glance slash cut Umbra' cheek along with a little of his pride. The darkness, on the other hand, allowed Raneaux and Danton to evade unharmed. The problem now was that no matter how hard they were trying, their attacks just couldn't penetrate.

Danton took a few seconds to himself to think of what he could do and a grim thought crossed his mind. If they couldn't attack the armor, then a softer area needed to be targeted. In the cover of the dark, he snuck up on the drugged guard and soon his life started to ebb from his throat. The drug had taken such a hold, that as the crimson ran down his chest plate, he seemed to feel nothing. Danton shouted to Umbra to infect another guard and soon the deed was done. However this guard didn't seem to see Moma or a mountain of weapons, instead he took both hands and gabbed Umbra' head on either side and soon their lips were locked. Raneaux had managed to use the dark to her advantage and had managed to grab hold of one of the guard and restrained him in hopes that either someone would intervene.

Danton went to the aid of Umbra but due to the intimacy, the cut wasn't clean and the cast off tarnished them and room.  Umbra kicked the guard away, allowing him to drain out.  He turned to Raneaux and soon the struggle to keep the guard restrained covered her in similar, lukewarm hues. The last was dispatched by Raneaux, although she had to jump to reach his throat. To Umbra, the fight was over, but for all the wrong reasons. His mutations had allowed him to blend with his surroundings but his mind had been inflicted with horrific visions. He stood alone, blood-soaked, with Raneaux, Danton, the guards and Moma bleeding out on the floor around him. He screamed and couldn't stop screaming. His visions blended reality and fantasy and couldn't see Raneaux and Danton in shock but very much alive.

Outside, Xera had dealt with Dehart's henchman. His trusted artefact had, bit by bit, turned the man into crystal. The problem had been that instead of using it to incapacitate so he could be taken out by martial means, the conversion had killed him. The last discharge of energy reverberated within the crystals and his body had shattered sending shards in Xera's direction which drew blood in the process. During the fight, he had tried to contact Raneaux but she hadn't replied in some time, although the sound of violence inside had now only just calmed down. However that was now replaced with Umbra' screaming. Xera tried to contact her again, worried about what was going on inside. She told him it was probably best that he didn't come in. Although she did not tell him why.

Raneaux had retracted her shadow, which revealed the extent of what had happened in the dim light of the glowglobe. The four guards were lifeless on the floor, with their blood running down every surface and fabric. She reached out over to Umbra, who jumped back at her touch. She told him through his mind they were fine, the fight was over, they were safe. He shook the vision out of mind's eye but the reality was as grim. The tepid smell of iron caused Raneaux to nearly vomit before she choked it down again.   Danton on the other hand seemed almost unaware of the carnage he had wrought. He was now rifling through the guards' personal belongings, pulling out coins with his bloodied hands. 

Xera had had enough of waiting outside and cracked the door open. The smell caused him to wince a little but he concocted far more rancid odours. Danton yelled at him to shut the door behind him, which he did, although he grumbled under his breath at the barked orders. Danton then turned to Raneaux and Umbra and told them that they needed to head over to the ranch in preparation for the live drop.  He reminded Raneaux that this wasn't just about the Rejuvenator, it was about her Windrider as well. She wiped her face as clean as she could with the sleeve of her cloak and motioned to Umbra  to follow her. 

TSW - Chapter 5: The Live Drop (2) - Moma

With evening drawing in, the shack was slipping into darkness. Danton withdrew one of his glowglobes from his satchel and placed it on the table, dimming it to a soft glow. The man who entered seemed a little malnourished and was light on his feet as he stepped forward. He bowed and greeted the three of them much like Mullen and his brother Dakk had in the Cloudtouch apartments. Danton was a little relieved that the façade had be bought by the mark. However the man was full of questions, querying why Moma had changed the agreed plans so late into the transaction and why Dehart had not been told. Danton deftly explained away his doubt and soon the location and the time of the intended live drop was acquired. At a little past midnight, the items were to be delivered by the courier to breeding ranch for Seskii's. He explained that due to the lateness of their arrival and festivities taking place, they had yet to identify the building to secure it.

With a quick glance from Danton over to Xera and Raneaux, his intent was understood and they left . They knew exactly where the building was but the problem was the other of Dehart's men. He was standing outside and refused to leave, which made them question  what they should do. Raneaux established a link with Xera, much like she had done with Umbra.  She told Xera to go after the building while she was going to wait outside to make sure the other man did not interfere.

 Inside Danton had tried to convince the man to leave the rest of the transaction to him but he was refused. He told Danton that he had strict orders to wait for the currier, this presented a problem. Danton tried to intimidate him, saying that as a Magister, his will superseded Dehart's authority.  In response, he found that Dehart had the same authority as the robes he was wearing. This slip up made Jarvis grip tight to his dagger.

Whatever organisation Danton had stumbled upon, he knew that most had one weakness, the desire for power. He placed a vial of blood on the table in front of him, the Cursed Qui blood he had extracted when in he was in the mines. He told the guard that he had something of interest and got him to examine it. The lackey held it at arm's length, now suspicious of Danton's actions. He slid it across the table, quizzing him of the relevance of a vial of unidentified blood. Without saying a word, Danton poured a drop from it onto the table and then extended a telescopic staff from his pocket. He waved it over the spot of blood and in just over a minute, a life-size hologram of the Qui materialised floating an inch off the table above the spot of blood, projected from a crystal in the staff head. The man leaned in and Danton knew he had him hooked.

The henchman told Danton that it would be of great valuable to Magister Dehart and if he had the schematics, they would both have a bright future. Danton allowed him to garner a closer look, drawing his sight closer to the table. With him distracted, Danton looked over to Umbra  and drew his finger across his neck. In the blink of an eye, Umbra had cupped the man's mouth and blood ran down his neck. Umbra suddenly dropped the body, not in disgust but from the shock from Raneaux shouting in his head. She told him that the other man outside had walked to the edge of the building and had just bowed to a portly woman. She was a little taller than Raneaux, dressed in the same robes as they were , caring a scythe with a blade big enough to slice Raneaux in two. She was accompanied by four heavily armoured guards each opening carrying shields with two brandishing broadswords while the other two had battle-axes.

Umbra spurted the information to Danton and he knew now that had to act fast. He gave Umbra a vial of Khatt-Nipp and his blowgun with the already laced darts. Danton motioned towards the bed in the corner to hide the body and lifted the corpse up. They dashed across room, trying not to let the blood spill onto the floor. They shoved him under the bed and used the blanket to cover him up. Danton quickly told Umbra to tell  Raneaux to get support from Xera but she replied that he had already left and she had actually been standing guard outside  The truth of the matter however was that Xera had never actually  left the vicinity of the building . He didn't want to act alone and without support so he had turned back moments after reaching the edge of the festivities.  He appeared around the corner as if deliberately following behind the woman as part of her entourage.

When the woman had caught sight of him, he was dismissed to enjoy the party in endearing tones. Her voice was kind, gentle and nurturing. Everything about her, from her voluminous curly locks of auburn hair, down to the way she carried herself, conferred a sense of motherliness. For a split second Raneaux was reminded her own family and promptly found herself with the woman's hands rifling through her hair, with her saying how lovely she looked. Raneaux was lost for words and did the only thing she could do and let her in. The woman thanked her and complimented her on being such a good girl and allowed her to stay in the room although she was told to shut the door behind her

By the time the woman and her guards had entered, Danton had made sure the hood of his robe covered most of his face and that Umbra had disappeared into the shadows. He tried to make light conversation, coming to the realisation that this was most likely Moma. He told her that the guards were unnecessary and almost seemed an insult to the trust between Magisters. She smiled and shook her head and refuted him. She joked about Danton's lack of security and giggled to herself. Danton was disarmed by her lack of a threatening demeanour. She was calm and polite, she referred to him varying ways as if he was her lover, or her child. He had never come across someone from what he thought was the darkest corners of the Steadfast, who didn't use that fact to their advantage. Without his words he had nothing to save himself and in turn everyone else . Without thinking, he tried to turn the tables, knocking the glowglobe off the table to distract her.

 The globe bounced on the wooden floorboards as the guards shouted and Danton called out for help. The room flickered between total darkness and faintly lit. In mere seconds however, the ball was abruptly stopped underneath the soul of the woman's left foot and light was restored.   In her left hand was the scythe she had entered with and in her right, was now the device that Danton had used on Dehart's grunt. Her guards were ready to leap into action but she held out her arm to stop them. She thanked Danton for the gift before drawing the scythe down the centre of her body. Danton looked on in confusion and horror as the woman separated into two down the seam she had cut into her flesh . There were now two of her, both carrying scythes but only one with the item belonging to Danton. She thanked Danton for the gift and bowed her head a fraction before tapping the scythe on the ground and she and the staff faded into nothing. Danton knew this maybe the day he died.

TSW - Chapter 5: The Live Drop (1) - The New Plan

As they left the Orator's office, Danton saw an opportunity to try and coerce the Hawk-Eye to his cause or at least temporarily and extended the offer of information of the woman and Lord Rossley if he agreed to help them first. Umbra took a few minutes to think and reluctantly agreed. In the meantime, Xera had spotted Mavis riffling through the banqueting table and the far end of the Oraea. He asked her what she was doing and in response told him that she was doing his job. She had given up hope that they or Eryn would return to her and had started to take matters into her own hands. She had fleetingly seen a priceless whisky that Eryn had brought back from Auspar before he disappeared to the Oraea and wanted it back. His eyes darted over to Raneaux who had snuck back up the table and was again stuffing her face. He could on her the outline of a bottle hidden under her clothes and hoped that she hadn't stolen it already. Her actions were the last straw for the Grand Orator. He marched over to her, grabbed her by the scruff of her collar and preceded to drag her to the door to chuck her out. In response her shadow enveloped the room, snuffing out the lights. There were shouts and screams from the monks who were plunged into confusion. Danton yelled out to the Orator, warning him or his monks to never to touch Raneaux again. From the other side of the room Mavis cried out with joy as she grabbed hold of a bottle believing it to be the whisky she had been searching for.

In the dark, Xera was helpless but was soon grabbed by Danton and helped out of the and into the revelry outside. With a swift kick Raneaux slammed the door shut, although the darkness she had caused lingered even after she had left. She seemed far to happy for what had just happened but the explanation was soon brought out from under her clothing, the rare and almost priceless whisky. She wiped the food stains off from the faded label and stuffed in back on her person. Satisfied she then scanned the crowd for hostiles and saw something familiar yet made her uncomfortable. Two plain looking men were weaving in and out of the crowd, with the embroidered symbol that she had seen on Dehart's robes. She immediately turned to Danton and informed him that the curriers, or at least their guards had arrived early. He turned to Umbra and asked him if he could follow them as the three of them were more than likely to be recognised. He nodded and Raneaux patted him on the arm and as her touch left him, he could hear her voice inside of his mind. She said if he needed anything, all he had to do was think it and she would respond. He squinted his eyes at the young girl, her lips had not moved the entire time, she had only smiled. A little confused, he slipped into the shadows, his skin melding with the tones and patterns behind him before his body disappeared into the darkness. Raneaux smiled again at his impressive abilities.

Danton had not been prepared for the schedule to be brought forward and looked at Xera and Raneaux in hopes that one of them had an answer. It soon dawned on him though that he did have a plan, although it would need a little re-working. He asked the girl if she had kept the robes from the apartment complex, the ones that were apparently made for a Magister. She nodded and moved behind one of the buildings closest to them and the three of them put on their costumes. Umbra soon communicated over that the two men were still looking for the drop off zone and seemed to have no further clue to what they were doing in the village. Raneaux relayed this information and Danton smiled, his fanged teeth protruding slightly. He told her to tell the Hawk-Eye that he should lead them away from the crowd to the north side of the village and to an empty house they were about to claim. He hoped that they would follow without question when he would mention the name Moma and when they would arrive, the trap would be sprung. She replied that he agreed to the plan although he had his reservations. Danton ignored Umbra's worries and soon a house was selected and broken into and it was time to set the scene.  

Only two pieces of furniture had been left, a bed with a moth-eaten throw, and a sturdy desk. Danton and Xera moved the latter into the middle of the room to provide a more imposing position. Danton asked Xera what he really knew of the woman from Qi, to which his reply was nothing at all good. She was brutally strong, deceptive, manipulative and a replicant. Xera told him she could be one of hundreds of clones, a few of which he had encountered in Auspar. Eryn knew a lot more about her and her kind and that may be why he was kidnapped.

When the table was in position Xera searched it to make sure there was nothing that would go against them. At the same time Umbra announced to Raneaux that that he had been able to confront the two he was following and convince them of a change of plans and were a feet away from the building. As she relayed this information, Xera found a pair of shoes in one of the drawers. As he reached in to grab them, a bright blue light was given off by the soles and in tandem there was what could only be described as the sound of an orchestra in full swing tumbling down a hillside. Umbra's voice shouted in Raneaux's head, telling her that the guards had heard what was going on inside and were now questioning the validity of his claim. She told him everything was fine and to try and calm to the two of them down. He replied that one was remaining outside to stand guard. Within moments there was raps at the back door in what seemed to be an attempt to sound like secret knock. Danton grabbed Raneaux to stand by him behind the table, while Xera was told to stand to the side and then he called out for Umbra to come in.

TSW - Chapter 4: Old Ties (9) - Umbra & Orion

In response to harming the Grand Orator, his suit of armour pushed Raneaux to the side and started to comfort him and the darkness that Raneaux had caused. She soon retracted her shadow and the light above the table faded back. The group were stunned to find that the armour it had its own sentience and seemed in part to care for the Orator. The striking tones of the black  and scarlet of its synth  were matched by it's bright red pulsating lights in its eyes. The armour's face could not move but the look it gave to the group while it tried to stop the Orator from crying was verging on threatening. It refused to converse with the three of them and only glared back. They unconsciously retreating a few steps  towards the staircase. Upstairs there were shouts of a fleeting argument followed by the patter of steps on the stone staircase. Danton and Raneaux gripped their weapons, reading themselves for another attack.

A dark shape emerged from the shadows of the stairwell, as if emerging from inky waters. The figure was undistinguished man, dressed in varying hues of black and dark grey. His lack of colour and nondescript apparel seemed to be more of a conscious choice than anything else. He tripped on the last step and fell face first to the floor. A dagger fell from his possession and skidded on the floor to  a few feet away from him. He strained his head up and realising there were five sets of eyes now staring at him, he reached out for his dagger. The man's hands were not gloved but they had a peculiar quality, the skin was nearly indistinguishable from  the stone of the ground. There was a feint outline of his grasp and in response to him arming himself, Danton raised his weapon and questioned who he was.

The synth suit started crackle with electricity coupled with the same sound that had happened before the discharge that had rendered the groups items inoperable. The figure leapt to his feat in defence and held his dagger close to his chest. He told them he was known as Umbra, a Hawk-Eye and was he searching for a woman who had travelled from Qi. She was connected with a recent murder of a man named Lord Rossley and she was now his bounty. This was far too coincidental for Xera's liking, raised Shatter-Stone and aimed the artefact at him. He told the Umbra that mentioning Lord Rossley put him under suspicion, especially with what he now knew. With the Hawk-Eye's mission statement now aired, the Orator stared intently at him, then meekly asked what the woman looked like. The description Umbra gave made the Orator's heart sink, his stomached twisted in knots and his grabbed his clothing trying to comfort himself.

His visceral reaction was all that the Hawk-Eye needed and tried to question him on his relationship with the woman. The Orator tried to explain but the words choked him. The little he could convey was dismissed by the syth armour in cackling tones, as false memories and emotions. It's voice was aggressive and inhuman, unlike that of Valma. Umbra, was taken aback by the intelligence the suit had. It was self aware, with even a touch of sympathy for the man it was apparently comforting. It's voice left Danton feeling uncomfortable and tried to change the subject, moving towards the fate that had befallen Lord Rossley. Umbra mentioned that his neck had been snapped but the bruising from the injury signified that a single hand had managed not only to pin him up to the wall where he was found slumped against, but  was also strong enough to dispatch. He motioned the action and Danton shuddered, while this only confirmed what Xera knew.  The nature of murder, the description of the woman and the emotions that were slowly fading from the Orator was too much for him to bear. He excused himself while drying his eyes, explaining that he needed to be visibly present at the festivities and disappeared up the stairwell.

This now left the suit of synth armour staring, or at least what was presumed to be staring, at the group. An uncomfortable silence now filled the room. The sounds of the merriment upstairs echoed down, an eerie counterpart to the visually threatening armour. Xera had been observing it and had worked up the courage to try an identify what it was. This process was usually quick and untraceable but as soon as he started he began to smell singing hair. A small portion of the back of his hand as well as part of his temple were showing signs of being burned, which was swiftly followed by the pain of it. The suit shifted in a jerking motion, startling the group. It stated that Xera had not asked permission to scan it and had burned him as a response. To a paranoid eye, it almost seemed to have enjoyed hurting him. It told them that for as long as it had existed, organic life, especially humanity was primitive at best and their method]s rudimentary. It told them that it's name was Orion and it had a temporary alliance with the Orator but it was now strained with the interference of the woman. The Orator had promised to direct Orion to its own kind, intelligent machines under the oppression of organic life but it was still waiting for the information as he was too preoccupied with his own emotions. Raneaux tried to reason with Orion after spotting a few valuable trinkets around the room but its response was unwavering. It stated that it had no qualms in killing them all if they did not leave immediately. Regardless of the misguidance of the Orator with the woman, Orion needed the information and for that to happen he needed to recover. It threatened that if they didn't leave now, they would never leave at all. There were hints of advanced weaponry beyond the groups comprehension in the make up of its armour. Bursts of steam and the cackle of electricity warned them that some were slowly being armed. Orion stood up and took a step forward and the group turned tail, knowing they were outmatched and out-gunned. 

TSW - Chapter 4: Old Ties (8) - Confronting the Orator

Danton was confused. He had no point of reference to any of this  but from the reaction of Xera to this news, he knew that there was more to it. There was fear in his eyes, a fear Danton knew well in the eyes of those about to die. Valma was now in shock and its words looped over and over, unable to break its cycle. The only word that Danton could pick up on was the word 'Herald' and that immediately pointed back towards the Oraea. Not only had there been mention of a Herald figure and in the books which Xera had 'borrowed' from the Oraea, it's true title was the Herald of War. From what Odessa had said, the Grand Orator like Lord Rossley, had fallen dramatically in love with a woman he had only just met, the two could not have been a coincidence.

In the meantime; Raneaux, too scared to close her eyes again, decided to escape the confines of the Drunken Talon without being seen.  She had been in worse positions than this on her expeditions for House Narrkonis but never inebriated. This lead to a few foolhardy decisions, which saw her fall out of her bedroom window and twisting her ankle as she landed. Embarrassed and needing comfort and security, she headed towards her shack which she had commandeered at the edge of the village, away from prying eyes. She tended to her injury with what little she had stored away before trying to find the group again. Raneaux was soon in awe of what the Oraea had done, transforming the near lifeless village into a dazzling array of colour, smells and new faces. The lights reminded her of Eryns flames and soon the party was tinged with sadness for her. In the crowds, she spotted Danton and Xera and an upturned metallic pyramid twirling and floating behind them and she ran up to them as they approached the Oraea.

Danton had tried to convince Xera to question the Grand Orator himself, given his apparent new found knowledge of their religion and his own history with Valma and what it knew. Xera's timid nature however saw him withdraw back into the texts he had been given, leaving Danton to fend for himself. He had managed to bring the Orator into one of the two prayer rooms away from other monks. He presented Valma and told him to listen to its words about the Herald and offered a small amount of purple dust to him. He rubbed the dust through his finger tips and soon his jovial demeanour changed to that of concern. He questioned Danton as to where he had found the dust and the creature, which Danton deftly avoided. The Orator pursued further, asking why Danton had become involved with the affairs of the Purple Order while still maintaining he was a non believer. All Danton could say was that it was in connection with Eryn and they needed to know what the Orator had not told them. The Orator quickly interrupted Danton, responding to a shout which Danton could not hear. He abruptly excused himself from the conversation, saying he needed to attend to his betrothed and darted out of the room.

As the Orator left, he was watched by Xera and Raneaux, who had been keeping to the sides of the main hall in case of trouble. They saw the Grand Orator hurrying into another room. He was followed out by Danton who asked them both if they had seen the woman the Orator had implied to be attending to, to which they shook their heads and pointed to the door. With the festivities now in full swing, they were able to slip past the monks and into the chamber. It seemed to be the Orator's office and living quarters, with nothing out of the ordinary. That was apart from a bookshelf that  had been moved to the side, revealing a opening  in the wall and a carved stone staircase leading down into the dark.  They could hear the Orator speak to someone and immediately chased after him.

The room they suddenly found themselves in was a library of sorts with heavy burdened shelves, full of  tomes, dusty and disorganised.  A single light hung over what could only be described as work bench or operating table. There again were spots of blood on the metal framework of the counter, scorch marks upon the metal and the straps attached to it. There were four large manacles that seemed to be used to restrain hands and feet what had been warped by heat. Caught completely off guard, a pulse of red energy washed over them. Any device they had been carry that could display its active state dimmed into darkness. The sounds of air escaping from valves, and heavy metallic footsteps echoed in chamber. They were soon attributed to an eight foot mechanical monstrosity of synth and metal, with what appeared to be a cannon for an arm, now aimed squarely at the group. From inside the metallic suit came the synthesised  voice of the Grand Orator, demanding that they leave him and his betrothed alone. He told them they would never take her away from him, and he would rather die than for her to fall into their clutches. His aim was imprecise, as if he was fighting aim. Blasts of energy careered to the sides of the group, although some managed to at least graze his intended targets.

Raneaux summoned her strength and from her golden veined shadow, darkness spread across the room which swallowed light above the table. The Orator could be heard arguing with himself, demanding the lights on the suit to turn themselves on.  Raneaux herself was soon overcome with the a sense of guilt and confusion, a frustration she could not explain. In the darkness, she tried to reason with the Orator, saying that he knew he wasn't engaged and that there was no woman he was in love with. Xera followed by implanting a suggestion in the Orators weakening resolve, trying to compound the fact that he and the woman he was defending were never together. Soon Raneaux's words broke through, and they could hear the Grand Orator bursting into tears. The suit of armour seemed to eject the Orator as he collapsed in front of it to his knees and continued to sob. Between the bawling, he tried to apologise to Raneaux, saying he never meant to cause him harm, and for things to go that far. He wished to suffer as much as Eryn had when he was brought down here to be tortured for he knew. Raneaux's only reply was slapping him with every ounce of her being.   

TSW - Chapter 4: Old Ties (7) - Valma's Return

Danton and Xera meanwhile had retraced their steps back towards Xera's lab. On their initial visit, they had been focused on the interior of the lab and not the outside. Around the corner and behind the building itself, there were remnants of an intense fire, although the building itself had not been licked by the flames. This was definitely Eryn. There were a few tiny dots of blood on the grass, as well as a metal support pole that had bent in half, with the upper section seemingly ripped off.  On closer inspection of area, there was more of the purple dust that they had found inside, which now glittered in the dying light of the day. The specks of it trailed away across the grass, past the pond, towards the road. They had little else to go on, and without Raneaux able to contribute to the investigation, followed the breadcrumbs.

The monks of the Oraea were finalising the decorations and the stalls, with most now relaxing and taking part in the festivities. They had taken over the central part of village and it soon became obvious that the trail lead away from prying eyes, to an abandoned house at the south side of the village, next to the road towards Auspar. Like most of the buildings in Darkperch, the residents had never returned and regardless of Eryn making sure of the security of the empty houses, some had been broken into much like Xera's new lab. This one was also on the brink of being an empty shell. There was no bed, no chair, no comfort or semblance of a home. There were only two things that had been left, a desk and a belt that hung on the wall.

As Xera walked in and saw the belt, it started to shake and vibrate before a trinket that had been attached to it fell to the floor and grew in size till Valma appeared, confused and dazed. Danton was shocked, not by the sudden appearance of the creature but by the blood that had dried in the intricate designs on it's metallic faces. Instead of being questioned by the two, Valma started its own tirade of inquiry, desperate to find out where Eryn was. It professed to having no knowledge of where it had been, where Eryn was, or why the biological matter on its surface was human blood. It had thought it had been playing a game of 'hide and seek' but as it tried to access its memories, it found them corrupted along with a recent implementation of a code in its system, that caused it to be forcefully shut down.  Without any answers coming from either Xera or Danton, the creature was soon stuck in a loop of desperation, confusion and anger, relentlessly  talking to itself and at the two that had discovered it.

The desk to the Valma's side had been cracked in the middle, as if punched in frustration. The open drawer of it contained torn up scraps of paper, with the scribbling of words upon it. Xera tried to keep Valma quiet while Danton tried to figure out what the parchment used to be, and if at all, what it could  tell them. Each piece was contaminated with the crystal dust and was soon reformed into what appeared to be a letter. Valma's conversation flitted between the topic of  Eryn and responding to another voice, although the latter was dismissed as Valma's rambling .

The letter was addressed to a woman known as Talia and from what was still legible, it was a love letter or a pledge of fealty to a lover, by a man known as Lord Rossley. Danton knew that name somehow. He thought back to Qi, trying to block out Valma. Lord Rossley was known for his interest in devices and artefacts that stored immense energies, in fact, he was one of the foremost experts of the subject in Qi. From what Danton could remember however, that before he had left Qi only a couple of short weeks ago, Lord Rossley was a bachelor and never intended to marry. His words however showed utter dedication and devotion to the woman to the point where Danton had to stop reading.  Lord Rossley confessed he would lay down his life for her and wanted her to return to the city before he took his own life.

 The only thing they could do now was return back to Xera's lab, in hopes that Valma could somehow reconstruct its memories based on the remnants of what had happened. As they crossed back towards the lab across the village, Valma became increasingly distracted by the festivities, pleading with Xera and Danton to let it join in on the games the Oraea monks were playing. Xera knew how that might end. If Valma deemed them losers, like the others that had lost to it, they would be harmed, or even killed. He hurriedly ushered Valma away from any further distractions, although it constantly protested .

Valma's conversations soon drifted way from addressing Xera and Danton when they arrived, into a fragmented dialogue with what appeared to be the air itself. Valma's  aura was shifting violently, hues were no longer blended together but were instantly replaced. It's natural spinning kept changing directions and erratically stopping before a metallic scream echoed from within its being. It's voice was no longer childish and demanding, it now had a degree of maturity and with it the tone of disbelief and grief. It's memories had in part recompiled and in doing so, revealed fleeting stills to Valma. Eryn had been attacked by two women. One had been a plump  middle aged woman carrying sacks of dust that Valma had conversed with. The dust, that contained the voice with familiar crystalline tones, the voice it had heard inside of Chloe. The other woman was instantly recognisable, the woman that had delved inside of Valma and had irrevocable changed it, Neave.

TSW - Chapter 4: Old Ties (6) - The Oraea

No sooner had Danton offered his help, Xera stomped out the ruins of his lab and straight towards the Oraea. There was only one possibility of what could have happened in his mind, the Oraea had broken into his lab and stolen from him and he needed answers. His ferocity however was soon quashed as he entered the Oraea itself and caught sight of the fourteen or so members milling around. The building was far older than the houses around and was made from the grey stone quarried from the mines. The floors had been made out of a lighter granite and were tiled in geometric fashion on the floor, creating a mesmerising pattern. To the left and right were open alter rooms in the small entrance hall, beyond was the main chamber, housing a plinth and a large Amethyst Vase. The sculpture was  the exact same colour as the dust found in the laboratory. To either side of statue, were two solid wooden doors followed by a matching pair beyond before  the main chamber met the end room which contained a large dining table in the process of being laid for a banquet .

Xera could see that not only were they outnumbered, but some of the members seemed, at least visually, threatening. All walks of life could join the Purple Order and he was doubtful of their safety if things were to turn sour. At the very back of the Oraea was a small terrace  with a fountain and beside it was a man in garish robes and he presumed the man was in charge. it was Danton however who approached the man. He had a friendly demeanour under his furrowed brow and grey hair but it soon turned against Xera, when he compared the order to the other Purple Monks. Within a few short shouts, he was piled high with books on the history of the Oraea, with the first penned by Silas. 

Danton had tried to move the conversation towards the subject of Eryn by offering a conversation over the banquet table to which he was refused. The food that had been laid on the table was for the monks only but Raneaux hadn't heard what he had said. She was desperately stuffing her face with meats, breads and other delicacies, all washed down with wine. With the last sip of the bottle gone, she realised that she had seen the bottles before. These had been brought by Eryn.

Danton glanced over at Raneaux, and seeing the bottle in her hand, tried to distract the Grand Orator as he was referred to by the other monks. He tried to talk philosophy, about the futility of existence but was scoffed at by the Orator. He told Danton in no uncertain terms, that  regardless of the threat the Great Devourer posed, they had to survive and in doing so, had to first vanquish the Herald's Army. Danton turned to Xera for any information, only to see him use his abilities from across the room to swipe an unopened wine bottle from Raneaux grasp. The Orator  caught sight of her and started to shout for her removal. Danton tried to reason with him, by getting Jarvan to look after Raneaux. She had now been shooed away from the banquet and was now drunkenly spinning around the vase statue and giggling to herself. Soon Danton's mask of innocence was questioned by the Orator, who asked for his real reason for bothering him and his followers. Danton sighed and told him about Eryn and disappearance. The Orator shifted uncomfortably on his feet before telling him to speak to a woman named Odessa, who he had seen last speak to Eryn.

Odessa  had been praying in one of the front rooms, muttering words under her breath when she was interrupted. She remained hooded, although from her body language she was either tired or upset. Danton asked her what she had needed to speak to Eryn about, to which she gave little information. She revealed only the fact that she had talked to Eryn before he left about the festivities for the night ahead. Xera believed he saw something in her that told him she was lying and attempted to coerce her into cooperating. She quickly broke down at his request, her hands covering her face, now dripping with tears. She told them that she had sent Eryn to the north side of the village, on the way to the mines. She had been threatened by the Orators betrothed, a beautiful young woman who had only been in the Orator's eye for just under a week. She had been told to send Eryn there with no questions asked, otherwise she was threatened with not living to see the festivities in the evening. She showed them a deep purple bruise on her arm where the woman had grabbed her. Odessa told them that the woman had incredible strength and she feared not only for her life, but the Orator and the Oraea. 

The description of the woman sparked a memory within Raneaux. There had been a woman who had arrived from Qi with the builders, along with an art dealer, a brutish looking woman, and a foppish musician.  She had seen the woman demonstrate her strength in front of the builders. They had scoffed at her lithe build but soon she was consistently  out-performing them with ease. Some of the men soon showed noticeable signs of being scared. She relayed that as much as she could before her stomach churned on the wine and her cheeks filled out before she ran out of the Oraea followed by Jarvan.

Jarvan told Danton to go on without him as he attempted to bring Raneaux to Drunken Talon and to bed. When they arrived, Mavis was not too pleased with Raneaux's state, muttering the bad influence of Ethis but knew that Jarvan was a capable man after helping to look after Lina. She had still not awoken from her illness and so after Raneaux was tucked into bed, Jarvan spent the rest of his time with her.

 As Raneaux's head hit the pillow she fell instantly to sleep. The ink of her imagination formed into a young girl she had never seen before, a girl made of amethyst. She was accompanied by a chiming voice calling for war. Shards of crystal pierced the girl causing her to scream out in pain over and over again until she shattered wit the voice echoing laughter. Raneaux bolted upright. She was instantly awake, covered in sweat  and she could feel tears  had run down her face while she had slept.

TSW - Chapter 4: Old Ties (5) - Break In

After what had happened in the city, it was obvious that the next port of call would be back to Darkperch. Jarvan had managed to locate his master, and brought with him a pill box of Nastrond, along with a gift from his sister. A little apprehensive he asked Jarvan what the gift was, he was surprised to find it was a ring with his family's crest. At first he thought it was a joke, some sort of mockery for him being ostracise by the family but Jarvan soon put his fears to rest, telling him that it was in fact a device that had been disguised as a piece f costume jewellery so that it would not fall into the wrong hands. Jarvan pressed down on the seal and slid it to the side, revealing a set of intricate wires, plates and crystals. On the underside was a small indentation that could be pressed further in. Jarvan told Danton that Isadora knew how much he wanted out of Auspar and so provided him with the means necessary. With it were simple instructions: think of place you have been before, make sure everyone you wish to travel with is no more than ten feet away from you, press the indentation and should arrive safe and sound. Danton looked at Jarvan with suspicion in his eyes but Jarvan just nodded his head, trying to comfort him in some small way.

He took the device to Raneaux who agreed on its properties before asking if he was selling to which he shook his head and she in turn pouted. Danton enquired if either Raneaux or Xera t had anything left to do in the city, to which both said no. He brought them off the main thoroughfare and into a back alley before activating the ring. There was a bright flash of blue light while the world around them stretched out in front of them before compressing back changing from the spires of the upper levels of Auspar, to the wooded pond nestled between the houses in Darkperch. Raneaux asked why they had arrived here and not somewhere less conspicuous and away from prying eyes. He thought back to the days before  leaving the village and the hours spent by the pond under the watchful gaze of Jarvan while watching the reflection of the fuzzy neon lights in the water. He dismissed her remark by not answering and asked where the group wanted to go.

The decision was easily made, with Mavis shouting at people on the road towards the mines. They became aware that the once near lifeless village had turned into a hive of activity. There was as many as twenty Purple Order Monks dotted around, putting up bunting and decorations along with the ever present image of an amethyst vase.   As the group walked onto the road they could see a small line of monks being bossed around by Mavis, who were taking food and drink out of her establishment and setting up banqueting stalls, as well as taking a portion to the Oraea. Uncharacteristically for Raneaux, she approached Mavis and talked to her about what was going on.

 From the sidelines, Danton noticed that Mavis seemed to know Raneaux and crossed with the fact that no one else had seen her before she had started following him to Auspar, made their relationship all the more interesting. She soon returned, saying that Mavis needed Eryn's help but  he hadn't been seen since he delivered most of the alcohol he had brought from Auspar to the Oraea. According to Mavis, the Oraea and its monks had finally established themselves in Darkperch after converting the remaining Purple Order to their unified belief and were now celebrating this fact.

Xera was now feeling very uncomfortable, he had slowly gotten used to being around regular company but with the numbers of the Oraea swelling into the streets, he was paranoid that they would go near his lab. To that end he told the group he was going to check on it, to which the rest soon followed him. It had been built inside an abandoned house that didn't give much room or much natural light but he had made sure that he had installed locks that only a few people could ever break into. To his dismay as he arrived, a solid puddle of metal had formed below the door and the lock had been melted out of its fixtures. He tentatively pushed the wooden door open and found his lab in chaos. Papers littered the floor, glass vials had been smashed, liquids of varying hues and thickness were dripping down from where they were once held and the plants he had grown for his equipment were cut down before they were ripe. He scrambled around in the mess trying to find his rarer and more valuable ingredients, to which he found still safely stored away.  The equipment he had brought over from his lab in Auspar had not been removed. as he started to sort through it all, it became apparent that there was nothing missing that was worth any value in itself. What he did find however,  was that any research he had on Melvile, the Flower Network and the possibilities of extra dimensions  in conjunction with the network, were missing. The only evidence he found was a scrap of paper with a crest burned into it and traces of crystal dust in a familiar hue of purple.

There was something recognizable about the crest  to Xera and he soon stood motionless as he tried to recollect. The fragments of his childhood soon briefly aligned themselves, the symbol had been etched onto his mothers ring, which was one of the few memories he had from then. He could not identify it any further and so he showed the symbol to the group. Raneaux had no idea on the origins of it but almost as an interruption, Danton offered his help after his butler had nodded to him. Xera hadn't seen the subtle communication but the offer of help was intriguing, on the one hand he believed Danton to be trying to buy or persuade his loyalty but on the other, his serpentine eyes gave hints of knowing something more.  

TSW - Chapter 4: Old Ties (4) - Cloudtouch

Danton was soon helped to his feet by Xera, who had decided to step in after Elvira had left. Danton refused to speak and so made Xera's task of helping him more difficult. He started to move on, supporting Danton as they walked. He asked Raneaux what had happened to Danton but all she had seen was his eyes glow faintly before he fell to the floor and started to cough up blood. Xera shook his head and gave Danton a sip of his water before it was followed by Danton's hip-flask. He told Xera he would be fine and tried to stand on his own but soon had to be supported again. Xera told him he needed to rest and likewise for Raneaux, who hadn't really stopped apart from medical intervention since she been infected and cured. They both were reluctant to comply but were eventually sat on a bench overlooking a drop to the city below while Xera asked around for information on the apartments that were now above them.

His line of enquiry was soon met with resistance. It was not what he asked that the people objected to when he approached them, it was his clothing. He certainly did not resemble anything close to the fashion of the rich and his presumption in talking to them, left him red faced. The only people willing to talk to him were the Metricious. They were the eyes and ears of the richer parts of the city and for the right amount of money, sold their secrets. Xera soon returned with lighter pockets but with the information they needed. Mullen and his brother Dakk were staying in a rented apartment in the south side of the complex. The buildings themselves were being rebuilt but some were still habitable. Most of the residents had moved into more suitable accommodation for their status leaving most of Cloudtouch empty and the security measures, such as the barred windows, had been removed before refurbishment

Raneaux was soon on her feet after a quick rest and had already started eyeing the buildings for entry points. She told Xera that the best entry point would be through one of the windows, rather than risking talking to the guards and taking the lift directly up. To Xera's surprise, after he had told her the specific room, she scrambled up the trellises and walls with ease, arriving on the window ledge without breaking a sweat. She was now two floors above them and could see only a few spots where she could throw a rope down to help Danton and Xera up. The only problem was that she had no anchor for the rope and she certainly couldn't pull them up. She heard the murmurs of men talking behind the glass pane of the window and pressed herself up against the wall in hopes she would not be spotted. Both voices were gruff and low, but were also agitated and augmentative. There then came the sound of a bang on a table and more shouting before two sets of heavy footsteps fell silent as they walked out of the room.

She poked her head around and looked through the glass, noticing that whoever was inside was now gone. She forced open the window and jumped down with light tread. Inside were furnishings she was more familiar with, a old set of lounge chairs, a cracked table, dusty curtains and stubs of candles. She tried to pull at the table to assess its weight and was unable to move it even by a fraction. She hoped the table would be strong enough to support Xera and Danton's weight and tied one end of the rope to the table and chucked the other out. She then turned her attention to not being seen as experience had taught her and set about making sure the door were locked. The one door out of the room had not been locked nor did it seem to have a way to lock it from the inside. She shook her head and sighed and muttered distain under her breath before pulling out a set of lock picks and jammed them into the lock. She gentle pulled on the door and the lock gave resistance. She was happy, at least for the time being, that they were safe as they could be.

Soon she was hastily joined by Xera and Danton who were still arguing over the best technique to climb a rope. Danton had been advising him on how to climb but with Xera nearly slipping halfway through, he now blamed Danton. He rebuked Xera's remarks and put down what had just happened to his own incompetence. There was nothing that Raneaux found that she could understand. There were papers on the table but no pictures. There was however symbol on flat piece of pearl, that dangled on the end of necklace, hanging from a nail on the wall. She and rest did not recognise the symbol but for it to be engraved onto something precious, must have meant something. Danton eyed over the papers; they were concerning multiple payments and meetings with a person named Moma in Darkperch. As Danton read the list of items that Moma had bought, Raneaux recognised some of them, including a few he had acquired herself. Raneaux knew firsthand how dangerous some of these artefacts were and the vast amount being bought by Moma meant only one thing, whoever Moma was, was create an devastating arsenal. 

Xera had managed to find a trunk of clothes in the meantime that was in the corner of the room and covered with moth eaten rug. Inside of the trunk was a collection of robes all in the same style, along with a purse of gold. Raneaux spotting the clothes, dived in and changed, before being followed by Xera and Danton as they heard approaching footsteps. There was low tones of grumbling as someone tried to force the door open before they used brute force to break the door from the lock. The two men, one portlier than the other but sharing the same crooked nose and silvery blue eyes, had both entered brandishing weapons but had stopped in their tracks and soon bowed down to the two hooded figures they were now in front of. Xera on the other hand had applied a grey goo to his clothing, allowing the fabric to bend light around him, rendering him in effect invisible and as normal out of harm's way. The brothers apologised to the 'Magester' for intruding, and for not knowing of their arrival.

Danton played the part of displeased leader almost too perfectly. His tone and wording made both Raneaux and Xera unsure of Danton. It was almost as if he was used to abusing and insulting subordinates. He told the brothers that there was a discrepancy in the documentation of the most recent acquisition and he needed the facts to be set straight. The bothers started to quake a little in the shoes and both fell to their knees apologetically. He asked them for the location of the Rejuvenator, to which they both  stammered that it had already left the caldera and was on its way to Darkperch. Danton flew into a rage and told the portlier brother to hold his sibling still while he drew his karambit. He told them both that the transportation report had said nothing of it and accused them both of lying and intentionally stealing from them. He could tell both were no longer scared but terrified on the edge of turning into blubbering messes and so he and so he started to prey on that as well. He offered them one final chance, to bring him the currier. They started to weep as they told him that the currier had been organised by a third party, Dehart. They were immediately cut off after saying his name. He told them that if they wanted to live they needed to capture the currier for him. He flicked his arm and wrist, dismissing the larger man's hold over his own brother and sending them both out the room. As the door shut Daton ,breathed out heavily and rested against the wall now relieved that the issue was over.  For both Xera and Raneaux, they now felt uneasy about how effortlessly Danton had taken to behaving like a cruel oppressive leader.

TSW - Chapter 4: Old Ties (3) - Elvira

On the other side of the Grey Market Danton had finally figured out what to  with his sister. Although he was still angry at her, she was possibly the only person he could get Nastrond from. He told Jarvan to escort her back to the Ethis Manor and to make sure she returned safely and ensured she had gave him an ample supply of Nastrond. He asked Isadora for directions to the Atrium but as she realised she was about to be pushed to side, she told him to figure it out himself and walked off saying nothing more. He was still within easy walking distance of the market and decided that he it was best if he asked there, although what had recently happened to it, he was doubtful anyone would help.

As he walked through the Grey Market, trying to find someone to assist him, he noticed the disparagement between even the merchant lords and the nobility around. They money that the Metricious had, their status and their influence meant nothing to those born to it. They were scrambling around, helplessly trying to regain a semblance of their businesses while being mocked and stared at by passers-by. This came to a head when a Shadowguard had to intervene in an altercation, placing both the aggressor and the victim under arrest. Danton dodged  behind a wall to keep observing while unseen.  To the far right he could see a heavily guarded woman strolling the market, keeping a watchful eye over the Shadowguard as she walked. He noticed that every time a guard was passing or looked in her general direction, she and her guards would appear to be interesting in something close to them, a trinket, a painting, or a performance. He knew all too well the hallmarks of avoiding the law but for someone who was that heavily guarded, he questioned why she was afraid of the guards.

She was soon approached by a young girl who Danton soon recognised as Raneaux followed by Xera, keeping his usual distance. The woman was at first surprised, but she soon smiled and patted Raneaux on her head, to which Raneaux seemed to have swallowed something sour. A few more words were exchanged before he noticed Raneaux looking around in a panic. He knew Xera wouldn't step in until it was the last resort. Danton decided to abruptly throw himself into the conversation. Raneaux's body relaxed for a moment, introducing Danton as her master. The woman bowed her head, although it was more like a nod than a sign of respect. She introduced herself as Elvira and asked Danton why his servant had approached her. He of course had no clue but was luckily interrupted by Raneaux. She told Elvira that Danton had had something stolen from him while in her possession by a man named Mullen and wanted to get the item back before her master found out it was missing. She had discovered from some of the servants up here that Elvira was the woman to talk to.

Elvira seemed to take this as flattery, although her eyes kept their suspicious stare at the girl. Danton tried to react appropriately and scorned Raneaux for her actions. The words and the tone he used was unfamiliar to her, and somehow cut her pride in half and reduced her to feeling smaller than she had ever felt. Although his reaction was a little suspicious , Raneaux's visceral reaction, almost verging on crying herself, proved at least to Elvira that they were telling the truth. She patted Raneaux on the head again and told Danton that if they needed her help, then her palm needed to be graced with silver. He patted himself down in desperation, hoping to find something of worth. When he realised he had nothing to bargain with, he used his last resort. He told her in no uncertain terms that if she was to refuse a son of House Ethis and the brother to the Keeper of Shins, no amount of silver coin could spare her from her fate.  She turned her head to the side at the threat, taken aback by his blunt  tone. Slowly but surely his facial features were soon recognisable traits of the family. He supported his argument with a signet ring with the house insignia. She licked her lips and swallowed, now realising who she was talking to.

Elvira immediately changed her tone and disposition, offering her help free of charge as long as this altercation didn't reach Christophe or his father. She revealed that she was looking for Mullen because he had stolen an item called the Rejuvenator that was originally hers, before it somehow ended up in the possession of House Narrkonis. She didn't mention how there was a breach in her own security but she knew for a fact that it was definitely Mullen who had taken it from the Atrium and wanted it back before it fell into the hands of the Narrkonis again.  Raneaux had some idea of how the item had ended up away from Elvira, most likely stolen by someone like Raneaux, employed by Narrkonis for their ability to retrieve the Numenera, regardless of the impossibilities that faced them.

Danton pulled Raneaux to the side for a second and asked her if she knew where Mullen was. She told him the location but also told him that Elvira was not to be trusted and would dogmatically follow them to the end if she wasn't thrown off from the trail. Danton readdressed Elvira and apologised for the disrespect that Raneaux had shown her, to which she was grateful for the consideration. He told her that if she wished to assist, his servant believed Mullen to be in the lower floors, closer to the Undercroft than the Grey Market. He arranged for her to meet them in three hours time, hopefully long enough for them to find Mullen themselves. Elvira shook his hand with a surprisingly firm grip and was escorted away.

As she left, Danton's heart started to race, his chest felt empty and hollow, apart from the violent beating of his heart. His head started to throb with pain, followed by a shortness of breath. He tried to steady himself, only to lose balance and fall to the floor. Millions of pinprick, fuzzy neon lights barraged his vision. His body tensed, his muscled ached as his jaw started to burn from the pain that was coming from his teeth. He could taste blood his mouth and was soon spitting it out  onto the boardwalk. He noticed that his tongue was no longer short and flat but had lengthened and split in two. He used it to check his teeth, his top two canines had protruded an extra inch before suddenly and painfully retracting back to their normal length.  

TSW - Chapter 4: Old Ties (2) - The Courier

Since the Great Descent, the noble classes should have felt more inclined to help those more unfortunate, but to Raneaux as she approached the Narrkonis Atrium for the nobility she saw more selfish behaviour than ever before. There wasn't talk of helping those below or even a hint at sympathy, instead they were discussing and gossiping about a proposal by the Chancellery Regent, to pave over the city that fell below the caldera and start anew with those on top. There apparently would be access to the proposed twelve or more floors now below the ridge but no direct sunlight. It was as if Pheylor wanted to start afresh himself, a new city for a new king, no matter what the cost. The nobles around were slowly favouring the Chancellor Regents ideas and made Raneaux hate the city more than she had ever done before. She had tried to keep herself in the lower floors, when necessity brought her to the city and was where the people were far more accepting of her. It was only on a rare occasion she would be sent for by Lord Narrkonis' Steward and summoned to the heights of the city. The Atrium was like those below although in keeping with the opulence of its surroundings. There were wires and pipes, leading from the many instruments and oddities that were tied down to the roof. Each one was a beauty to behold and its function seemed more decorative than anything else. The tan stone walls were riddled with holes for long gone supports of a heavy roof and had been filled with stained glass that shifted its colour and patterns almost hourly.

Raneaux turned to Xera and told him something was immediately wrong. It wasn't a feeling or a strong physic presence that told her that, it was rather the Atrium was now guarded by two men in heavy synth armour. She recognised the men as part of Lord Narrkonis' private guardsman and that could only mean one thing; something had seriously gone awry. She composed herself, stretching her neck muscles and cracking her knuckles. Satisfied she was ready, she bounded up to the guards and tried to walk straight in. They stopped her for a  few seconds. They did not to bar her entry, but mocked her appearance. What Xera overheard was that Raneaux was apparently  still dressed in the same clothes she had been in when she last visited a few months ago, and also seemed to have not washed since. The guards tried to hide their laughter as she scrunched up her face and walked in. 

Inside was another familiar face directing what seemed to be a confused group of scholars in disarray.  The room was filled with colour from the stained glass but the brightness hadn't changed the mood of the room. There was a sense of panic that Raneaux could feel, a slight vibration of emotion. The man she recognised started to raise his voice at the few in front of him and then dismissed them for their incompetence before pushing them to one side as he stormed away. The middle aged gentleman plucked away at his fitted suit, trying to adjust it for the best appearance, although the material retuned to where it had been. With Raneaux being small of stature and the room a tempest of action, it was only a matter of time before she was knocked over. The apology came from the familiar face and as he offered her a hand up. He bowed to her, adjusting his comb over into a more presentable manner as he rose back up. He apologised again for the state of the Atrium and for not knowing that Lord Narrkonis has sent for her without alerting him.

Raneaux asked the Steward of what had gone on. With resentment in his voice, he told her that a man had recently arrived with a windrider for Raneaux, to which he believed was a payment for a job she had been engaged in by his employer.  He had invited the currier in without checking his credentials, and no sooner had the man been shown hospitality, he had disappeared with vital research and an artefact known as the Rejuvenator. The Steward told her that he blamed himself for had happened, for his lapse in security but Raneaux knew he was taking it out on the research team. In particular she noticed a meek looking man who had been part of the group the Steward had barked at . He bad pale skin and hair up kept and ink on the cuffs of his shirt.  The man was now actively avoiding the Steward's glances and  kept his head down to his research. The Steward pointed over to the researcher and told Raneaux that the Rejuvenator was in his possession when it was stolen.

She nodded and turned from him and skipped to researcher.  She asked him familiar questions, the who, the what, the when and the why. He told her that a far better explanation would be to look at his notes, to which she professed she could not read. He sighed before trying to explain the function of the object in terms as simple as possible, although even then it was difficult for her to follow.  He told her that it was used to restore vitality once expended from the user, such as physical or mental over exertion. It could bring the user back to a state before the user exerted themselves, allowing them to do more than they thought possible. Raneaux thought to herself for a second, trying to price what the artefact would be worth the various markets that would trade in such things. An item that that could restore even a portion of effort used would be invaluable to anyone, especially those with warmongering intent. Raneaux  asked him who the man was that had taken the Rejuvenator and he professed to have no clue. He however told her that there were always Metricious members outside trying to hawk their supposed valuables, and one would  might the information for the right price. She then asked about the more important aspect of the theft, her Windrunner. He told her that the package the currier delivered was a carefully disguised plank of wood and with that Raneaux flew into a tantrum and stormed out

Xera during this had turned to what he knew best and was trying to find out who was supplying cigarettes up here. It was in hopes that the nobility might pay more for their pelasures, and even more once laced with Black Sunshine. He was soon pushed aside by Raneaux who demanded from the Metricious that was is mid negations with Xera, information on who had stolen her windrider. He man almost fell over backwards as her aggressive tone turned into a close quarters conversation. He was now panicking with a girl no older than what he presumed to be sixteen threatening his life. He soon spilled his words in a continuous babbling stream. He told her that the man was called Mullen, or so he believed. He was thought to be a man belonging to the Minotaur's which had all been eradicated since the cleansing of their territory by the Silver Palm and the mysterious disappearance of their leader. He told her that the Mullen was rumoured to be staying with his brother in the Cloudtouch apartments in the east of the city although he knew not how either could afford it. She knew vaguely of the apartments, famed as a gated community for the paranoid rich, with their walkways and boardwalks covered with metal trellises leading from a central garden with a guarded access lift. 

Satisfied with that she had gotten out of him, she smiled  and thanked him before stowing the blade she had pointed at him. As she and Xera left, the merchant he told them  to be careful as Elvira was also looking for Mullen. Raneaux paused for a second, allowing Xera to walk on a little further before catching up. Elvira was known by her reputation. She was in essence the counterpart of Dehart, the leader of the Silver Palm in the nobility levels . She was famed for being  a ruthless tactician who valued no life apart from hers.

TSW - Chapter 4: Old Ties (1) - Nastrond

As the chaos started to quell in the market, Danton soon realised that there were now in a precarious position. They had a young girl passed out and a man dead in his wheelchair, both Guldspar, the latter their leader. He tried to coerce the group into dumping Braxx's body somewhere out of sight, before they were caught and accused of his murder. Raneaux, Xera and especially Eryn wanted nothing to do with it. He was already concerned with the fact that he might be recognised up here, let alone with a dead body. He looked down at his case of wine and his aged brandy, and told them he would meet them back in Darkperch. Whatever business Danton had, Eryn now knew he wanted to have little to do with it as possible, now knowing who his family was.

Eryn departed as Danton and Jarvan lifted Braxx off of his wheelchair and into a waste trough outside what Danton had presumed to be a restaurant. They were, to Danton's relief, unobserved and to that effect attempted to rifle through Braxx's belongings to see if there anything of value. Unfortunately for him, he found nothing and in the processes, was nearly spotted by one of the Metricious trying to regain his stall. Danton quickly dusted himself down and glanced over to his sister, who was standing with his back to him along with Xera.

Both of them did not wish to have any part in what Danton was doing but had their own reasons not to leave. This was especially true of Isadora. She had kept to the back of the group while they went in search of Raneaux's Narrkonis Atrium. Raneaux had to be supported by Jarvan as they walked and her directions were not exactly precise. Isadora had allowed the girl to lead the group astray as she had other thoughts on her mind. There were shouts of disbelief from Danton in front, responding to Raneaux's claim that she had managed to grab a windrunner from one of the merchants. This perked up a response from Isadora in her usual bladed tongue, only to be met with a similar response from Raneaux. The clash was uncharacteristically  one-sided. Danton noticed that his sister had become slightly more withdrawn and she  did not argue back. He dropped to the back of the group, trying not to obviously garner her attention. He was soon tapped on the shoulder and the pit of his stomach sank a little.

Isadora pulled him over to one side, with Jarvan stopping a few feet in front and raising an eyebrow. She was visibly nervous and refused to make eye contact. She almost whispered under her breath that she had tried to visit Danton multiple times when she was younger but their parents refused. She told him she had tried everything to see him, to which with shaky hands, she removed her gloves. The skin beneath was scaly with a hint of green and purple and her nails had been obviously filed down from what he presumed were talons or claws. Danton looked down in horror and despair. He had piled so much hate against his family that this was not something he hadn't even conceived. He blamed himself. She told him that she should have been sent away, sent to Danton but instead they hid what she had done to herself. Their family couldn't loose another child, especially not to Nastrond. Since the age of eight, she had been forced to wear gloves to cover up her skin, and had her nails filed and clipped, so that she seemed as human as possible.  Danton didn't know what to do or what to say. She then meekly asked him a favour, mentioning she had started to see things, things that Danton would know. He knew what she was asking for and without hesitation ushered her even further away from the group. He told Xera and Raneaux to continue onwards, although Raneaux was not happy about not being supported anymore.

Danton patted himself down, looking for the container of Nastrond, and without looking inside, gave her his last pill. She soon was sleeping peacefully on Danton's coat, propped up against the wall. He stood opposite her before sliding down the wall himself, not knowing what to do with her. She seemed at peace, almost happy. A seed of jealously sprouted in him, she had been kept in the family, her transformation kept secret. He, on the other hand, had been discarded by the side of the trail with his brother Christophe taking his birthright as Master of Shins. It was as if he had been erased, while she had been cherished. He turned to his butler and asked him what he should do. His reply was what he had to tell himself, every time Danton took Nastrond. He had to wait for her to come out of it, and to support her for the first few disorientating minutes. Then she'll make her own decision. He sighed and agreed and looked over his pill case, now realising himself that he had given his last pill to his sister.

He grunted at the realisation and in response Jarvan offered to head back to Qi to acquire some more from his laboratory. It was at that point Danton realised Isadora must have a supplier somewhere and knew that all he had to do was wait for her to wake up and get the answer out of her.

In a short while she had come round and was groggily trying to stand up. Danton rushed to her aid and  after she was able to stand on her own, Danton asked her who supplied her with Nastrond. He knew that the family  had stopped production of it after the incident with himself. She bluntly said that since she was now running the family business in Auspar, she was her own supplier. Danton slapped her almost instinctually. He yelled at her for messing with forces that she did not fully understand, she had already been stupid enough to take the drug in the first place, and to Danton's disbelief, she was now also his rival in the trade of it