Back at the Drunken Tallon, Silas'
niece Lina, was blissfully unaware of her Uncle's arrival. She had been drawing
more of the same pictures, a figure of royalty, three figures of magic and
their beast like shadows cast by a candle. Raneaux was a little troubled by
what the girl was drawing. There didn't seem to be any picture of the pale
figure she was rescued by, only the looming dark beneath the feet of the
figures. Raneaux tentatively asked where she had got the
inspiration from. The next thing she knew, Lina had lead her upstairs to a room
that sat between hers' and Danton's. Without even asking Raneaux, she knocked
on the door and lady peered out.
She was a woman who hid behind thick
rimmed glasses. Her hair was unkempt but it made Raneaux jealous. Lina bluntly
asked where she had seen these figures before and showed her drawing. Through
bleary eyes, the woman peered at it for a moment or two before they shot open.
She hesitantly said they were figures from fairy tales although she was
intrigued as to why Lina knew them. It was at this point Raneaux stepped in
with a formal introduction. Lina had disregarded the woman's personal
privacy and walked in, in the meantime. She was called Deanna and what Lina was
drawing was from a tale of three women working for a king who were tasked shut
away dark and treacherous shadows behind magically sealed doors. The tale made
her eyes narrow. Deanna seemed to live her life out of the trunks she was
travelling with, that at the large volumes of books she kept. Raneaux looked at
her a second time, trying to figure out the woman behind the glasses. She had a
blemish free completion and lips that hadn't cracked. The two images didn't fit
but Lina was happy enough and was rifling through her books while Raneaux could
only apologise again for her behaviour.
Danton arrived back with lead in his
stomach. He was tired of his plans being complicated by one person or another
and was seriously considering doing something drastic. Xera pointed out that
both Lina and Raneaux had gone and presumed the worst. They asked Mavis and
Jarvan where the girls were and they pointed upstairs. The pace of his footing
was heard from the door of Deanna's room. Raneaux peeked out and saw both of
them panicked in Lina's room. She called them over and introduced Deanna.
Danton was a little distracted, the only women he had in his life were either
too young, too volatile, or were related to him. Deanna seemed an innocent,
someone free of preconceptions. She reluctantly invited them both in as well.
Her books were found to not just folktales but were also on history and
geology. She was intriguing to Danton, which made him deaf to Jarvan's message
of Silas waiting downstairs. Xera accompanied him in Danton's stead. He was
feeling a little claustrophobic and a little out of his depth. On the way down
the stairs he asked Jarvan if Danton was okay. His reply was solemn. Everything
was fine at the minute but he seemed to be falling back into his old ways with
people he should know not to get involved with.
Sat the centre table, straddling a
straining wooden chair, was Silas. He was flanked by what seemed to be his body
guard. A tall figure with his flesh fused with metallic implants. His clothes
did nothing to hide his mechanics, nor did the holstered axes and swords belay
Xera's fears what may be in store. The man's face was barely human, his form
was unnatural and imposing. He was a perfect counterpart to Silas. Mavis was
flying around the room tidying up everything in sight even if she had just
cleaned it. Jarvan left Xera to go help her, or at least calm her down. Xera
shook Silas' hand but pleasantries were not given, he demanded for his niece,
and why Danton had not come down himself. Xera's excuses bought him some time
to dash back upstairs to grab Danton and Lina. When she heard her Uncle had
found her, she grabbed both Deanna's and Raneaux's hand and would only see him
if they came with her. They both agreed, with Raneaux apologising again.
Downstairs, Silas greeted her with
open arms, lifted her up and swung her around the room in a tight embrace. She
didn't seem as frightened as she had upstairs and Raneaux could find no trace
of it in her mind, no matter how hard she tried. Lina told him everything about
her recovery; Jarvan looking after her every day and the tall pale figure than
brought her flowers and woke her up. She was put down pretty quickly after that
and told to go sit with Raneaux. He brought Danton over to where his drink was
and clicked his fingers as he sat. Mavis almost fell over herself as she
arrived at the table and took Danton's order. Silas had no qualms in insulting
the selection he had been given here. He was even vocal about his distaste for
what he was drinking but Danton ordered the same in hopes that at least,
mimicry would help. Silas was unhappy about the details of his niece's
recovery. He suspected this to be a power play by one of the other families and
tasked Danton to figure it out. If he was wanting to reach Ickwell then
solving it would certainly help towards how he was viewed. His reviewer would
be Mhasst, Silas' bodyguard and head of personal security to which he gestured
to the mechanical man. Danton swallowed heavily. This was perhaps the best
Danton could hope for and provided him with at least some way to
influence Lina into handing him over control of Darkperch.
As Danton walked Silas out, Lina had
gotten hold of the book she had stolen from Deanna. She had been in the midst
of ordering a drink after hearing the tale told by Silas, Lina and Danton. The
drink was to bolster her courage to ask to join but was that interrupted by
Lina rifling through her book. Her heart felt clamped as she saw Lina
turn the pages and she called out in despair when she noticed how close the
paints were to it. Xera managed to grab it off of her in time, knocking down
the vial of green paint onto the floor. Xera sighed and gingerly handed the
book over to Deanna before starting to clean it up. She on the other hand was
almost vibrating with anxiety even after she clutched the book to her chest.
Lina didn't seem to care much, her mind was in another place. She muttered
under her breath that the pale man had returned and she bounded upstairs
without warning.
Raneaux quickly followed and found
her room empty, although the flowers had changed. She could no longer sense her
but caught her voice on the wind by the other end of the landing. It was Xera
however that followed the voice. Raneaux was now too confused about not being
able to sense her. From the balcony of the upper landing he saw a slender pale
figure slip past the heavy brass doors of the domed building across the road.
Without thinking, he jumped down and raced across. The door was still open and
he slid inside into the darkness. There was nothing there, only the dark, the
fissure in the ground, and the hushed echo of running water. Under his feet
were parts of rat, synth and metal junk. He turned around a couple of times to
make sure Lina really wasn't there. He called out to her, his voice the only
reply. With his back to the sliver of light, he heard the laughter of many
voices before the brass door slammed shut and he was plunged into darkness.
No comments:
Post a Comment