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.
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