(IC) Scattered Shadows FRP

[Shenorai]

(( OOC: This is the RP Thread. For the discussion, go here. ))


Scattered Shadows
​

Silver moonlight bathed the lands below in its gentle glow. Fog had rolled in throughout the valleys of this region, veiling the rivers and villages that dotted the Lowlands. It was a fairly humid in these early hours of summer. An eerie calm was cast over the lands, as though it was quieter than it should be out in the wilderness.

A covered wagon drawn by a pair of mules followed one of many dirt roads throughout the valley. Along with its goods, there were only three passengers on this cart: an elderly man wrapped in a cloak and simple cotton clothing who was driving a cart, his teenage grandson garbed in tougher hemp clothes and a fleece poncho who was sound asleep on top of a shipment of woolen hides with a wide-brimmed hat over his face, and a hooded young woman in a black turtleneck, black shorts, and a hooded red coat who was simply sitting at the back of the cart with one leg dangling over the edge. Beneath his wide-brimmed hat, the elder looked back into the cart, moving the tarp just enough to see the young woman.

"Yer not asleep yet?" he asked with a gravelly voice.
The woman didn't even flinch. "There's no rest for the wicked," she replied simply.
A chuckle erupted from the old man's throat. "If ya insist, miss. We'll be coming up on Runesong shortly. Ya should be able to see its lights from there."

The woman's face was still shrouded in her hood's shadow, but she gazed through the opening in the tarp. Up in the mountains ahead, the city of Runesong sat just above the fog, as though jutting above a sea of clouds. The city itself represented a marriage between the Arcane and Technology, where magic and invention came together and relied on one another. The minds behind such constructs never seem to cease, for lights illuminated the streets of nearly all districts. It was rare for the entirety of Runesong to slumber, for the city was always lit. Thanks to the fog, there was an odd halo that surrounded the city, like some sort of hallucination.

"Are ya sure yer not going to head back with us?" the elder frowned. "I'd feel better with a guard out on the roads."
"I'm sure," she replied. She nodded toward the sleeping teen. "Perhaps someone should teach him how to use a sword or something. It'll save you from hiring guards for every shipment."
"He's still a young un," he grunted before letting the tarp fall.

Taking this as a cue that the conversation was over, the woman simply turned her gaze to the horizon. In twenty minutes time, the colors of the sky were beginning to shift. The dark blanket overhead began to give way to a pale, golden tone that stretched out from the east and seeped into the streaks of clouds. Already, she could hear other wheels creaking and hooves clopping nearby. They were approaching the massive main gates to Runesong now, open and welcoming the early arrival of several merchant carts. The large doors had been wrought with iron and took on the decorative shapes of two golems, knelt back-to-back. After a brief exchange with the guard, the wagons were allowed within.

"Dawn of a new day," the woman muttered as the wagon passed through the gates.

 

[Ruko]

Serei sighed as her eyes fell on the smog veiled city. It was a disgrace, she thought. Magic and technology were not meant to mix. From her position, she could see little beyond the town, however to the east she noticed a strange patch of light. The edge of the panel was a faint blue and rather hazy and she knew it was aetherial in origin and she was one of few who could see it, and even that that was only due to her relic. "Something's wrong. We're being followed." Her companion turned to face her. He was a relatively aged goblin-like man by the name of Smithson. His gear contrasted greatly with Serei's own. His mantle was a faded brown and he carried all sorts of trinkets and ornaments, all of which were probably explosive. "Ma'am I suggest we move with increased speed." His voice didn't fit his attire and sounded rather similar to what one could expect from a "british" person. They mounted their steeds and headed on towards the cursed city, looking over their shoulders occasionally to see if they were being pursued. The goblin did this out of habit rather than actually being able to see anything.

They galloped through the gate of the city, startling a few merchants on carts also heading through, and halted in front of the nearest stablehand who was happy to take their horses for a small fee. Smithson was also handed his pay, and went off to find a tavern to spend it in. Serei retrieved her map from one of several bags and studied it carefully, cursing occasionally as the industrial dirt clouded it's detail. She eventually gave up entirely and approached the leaat hostile looking guard, who happened to be near to the gate she had just passed through.

 

[Shace]

Flick wondered the forest for a long time, collecting furs to trade in the city of Runesong. He and his panther, Longma, lived in a cave near the city for few years now, Always keeping an eye on what he has ended up calling "his woods."

This day a deep fog had covered up most of the forest and the mountain area though, and main road to Runesong seemed to be getting a bit busier than it normally was. Before Flick went to the city, he grabbed his cloak, and looked at his panther and said "Stay here."

Flick observed from a high tree, staying in the fog as he saw a very strange wagon going to the city. He saw three humans on it, and decided it best not to go the normal way.

Instead Flick decided to take the back gate, and enter the city that way. When he got into the city, two people on horses galloped right pass him. He noticed one looked like a goblin and the other looked human, but he couldn't get a good enough look to know for sure.

Flick decided it was best try and not stay in the city too long, so he went to his normal fur trading merchant.

"Flick my boy, what you got for me today?" the goblin merchant asked.

"The usual haul" Flick said take a bag out of his coat, filled with animal furs, and put it on the table.

"Good haul today, Flick, I will get your payment ready, just wait here," the goblin merchant said, and went into the back of his office.

Flick stared around the city, seeing the crowds of night elves, goblins, and other creatures gave him comfort, but the city also had many humans in it, and Flick only knowing a few humans in his life, and they were all slave owners, made him ever so weary of talking or trusting them.

"Here is your payment, I think you will find it fair," the goblin merchant said handing Flick a bag of gold.

Flick looked inside the bag and nodded, "Fair enough, as always, have a pleasant day, and I will see you soon."

Flick looked at the gold then decided while he was in the city that he should stock up on supplies, so he started to head farther into the city.

 

[Shenorai]

The line of merchant wagons constantly paused and continued into the city as each driver stopped before the gate guards. It's customary to declare one's goods and passengers before being allowed into Runesong. Yes, the woman knew full well that this was normal for nearly every large city, but that didn't make the process any less boring. With a sigh and little else to do, she leaned her head back against the post behind her. Her eyes may not be paying attention, but her ears were still listening to what was going on around her.

"State your name and declarations," a tall, slender guard dully commanded, clearly tired of this routine.
The old man gruffly replied, "Nathaniel Hawkins. My grandson, Eli, and my guard, Miss Shenorai Eterna, are in the back. We're bringing in wool and leather today."

The second guard, easily three heads shorter than the first and far rounder, hobbled around behind the cart. Shenorai's emerald eyes followed the guard to ensure he kept his distance from her. However, she did nothing when the guard leaned in to peer at the cart's goods and the slumbering lad within. After moving a few sheets of leather and wool aside to ensure nothing was hiding beneath them, the guard stepped back and gestured at his colleague.

"All right, you're free to go. Welcome to Runesong," the tall guard nodded to the elder driver, motioning toward the cobblestone road.

With a few clicks of the tongue and a few taps with the riding crop, the mules pulled the cart into the city. Almost immediately, Shen realized the buildings they were passing by were a part of a fairly recent expansion of Runesong. There was a stark contrast between shops that specialized in gadgets and gizmos and the shops that specialized in magical wares. The former appeared to incorporate more stone bricks and iron into their architecture whereas the latter favored wooden slats and highly colored paints and fabrics. Nathaniel certainly wasn't kidding when he mentioned that the city was like a manifestation of an awkward wedding between two completely different occupations. Massive walls of stone bricks divided up the city into districts. Whether or not it was to maintain some sort of order to the city or to separate specific denizens from other races was unclear.

Thanks to the early morning traffic, it would be awhile yet before Nathaniel and his cart arrived at the Open Market district. Empty stalls of wood and stone were dotted along the side of the road, built in front of the permanent establishments in the district. The massive fountain in the center - a statue of the Malik himself welcoming visitors with open arms - was also surrounded by stalls. Here, foreign merchants were able to haul their goods to the city, rent a stall, and sell off their wares. Nathaniel, having paid well ahead of time, pulled up to one of the stalls just off to the right of the fountain.

When the cart finally came to a halt, the old man pulled the tarp aside once more. "Well, we're here, Miss Eterna. You'll be all right on your own, then?"

Shen gave a nod. "I will, thanks. Will you need any help setting up shop?"

Nathaniel chuckled. "That's what Eli is for," he grinned. With a swift motion of his wrist, the elder brought the riding crop crashing against the nearest post, making the tired teen yelp as he was suddenly yanked out of his sleep. "Up and at 'em, Eli! We've got work to do!"

Yawning obscenities, the teen slowly pulled himself to his feet, already gathering the blankets of wool he was sleeping upon. Shaking her head, Shenorai slipped off of the cart and squinted as she surveyed the district. The other traders were setting up their wares at the surrounding stalls. Before long, this district will be filled with more people than she cared to deal with.

Shen's thoughts was interrupted by the elder once more. "Oy, Shenorai!" he hollered, making his guard snap to attention. He held up a small sack of coins between a pair of fingers. "Don't think you're going to slip away without your payment," he smirked. The sack was tossed at the woman, which was caught single-handedly. "Don't forget your gear, too. Can't be too careful, now."

With a simple, "Thanks," Shen stuffed the sack in her pocket before turning back to her belongings. The belts holding her crossbow and quiver were strapped on before she hoisted her pack out of the cart. She never traveled with all that much. She didn't like to be slowed down. The woman gave a small wave to the trader and his grandson before starting to venture around the district, simply making a slow lap around to see what sort of supplies were sold here.

 

[soulcorruptor]

It was beginning to be a long walk for the two traveling men and as such one of them was growing irritable, the dense fog adding a sense of gloom to the air did little to improve either of their moods as well. As one of them lowered their head some a slight growl was heard coming from the cloak. The other one laid a hand on the others shoulder and spoke to him.

"Calm down Calden, no need to get upset because of this fog."

The one identified as Calden just growled again and tried to speak "You don't hear" by that time the noise grew louder and the other man turned his head backwards, a wagon was coming up behind them and at a decent pace. The other man waved a hand to try and catch the attention of the cart driver. The motion went unnoticed as the cart drove past them and as it passed managed to splatter mud on the twos cloaks. Calden let out a howl of anger at this.

"Now not only are we in this accursed weather, but our cloaks now covered in filth Vex. Would you still tell me to be calm and not upset in the slightest?"

Vex just laughed at this and shook his head. While normally such and act would upset him he noticed something his friend of higher senses did not, perhaps due to his ever growing attitude right now.

"Yes indeed I would. Why should we fret over this when something more important is in front of us. Look not even a mile away now it's a city. We can find a place to stay, food to eat, and as well place to clean up. So why worry over this now?"

Calden turned his head towards the city, then back to Vex and spoke one last time to him before picking up some pace to get to the city. "You know I really hate you at times like this."

Vex let out another burst of laughter before he himself picked up pace, the thoughts of a good meal and place to rest now carried his feet.

 

[Ruko]

Finding three guards to be no help at all, Serei started asking people she just stumbled across. Somehow, none of them knew of what she was looking for and it made her wonder whether the shop even existed at all. She hated the contrast between new and old. It made navigation stupendously difficult and confusing and she ended up just sitting next to a fountain, watching an old man and a sleepy teenager set up a market stall. She saw a woman take a bag of coin from the elder man and walk off confidently. After a while, she stopped watching this woman, and went back to working out how to find that which apparently doesn't exist.

(sorry for short post. Started it then forgot about it and had like 5 mins to finish it when I remembered it.)

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

Certainly one of the stranger things out in this world but far from the strangest, was the man in ebonsilk raiment who rode atop an androsphinx. By all appearances, it could easily be told he was a member of some sort of religious order thought he exact god he served was hard to tell. He was attractive, as most Aasimars were, with pitch black hair that framed pale flesh well. He was neither corpulent nor was he sickly as the tailored robes showed and the little bit of flesh that could be seen from the sleeves showed the start of lean corded muscle. The mace at his side was well-worn, ancient one might say, yet it was just as good as ever as any blacksmith worth his salt would tell you. His eyes were unseen, hidden entirely by a band of black silk that he often fidgeted with yet for all his movements, it never once seemed to move.

The beast he rode was larger than any normal horse and twice as heavy. It's leonine body was well defined and the tawny falcon wings were well tended. It walked with pride at a brisk pace, it's slightly humanoid face watching the road while it's rider seemed content to just sit there though he did look around him occasionally, an odd thing given that he appeared to be blind. The wind caught the rider's dark grey cloak and it cracked out in the wind causing the rider to wince ever so slightly.

"Are you alright Seiglinde?"

The deep voice came from the androsphinx that the man rode and though it was blunt, it was filled with concern.

"I am fine, Akalo. That snap was just particularly loud to my ears. I just wasn't expecting it."

Seiglinde's voice was nearly two octaves higher and made him seem far more sickly than he was, the seeming weakness of it coming through.

"I just wish there was something I could do about it that didn't render me completely useless."

His manner of speaking revealed that Seiglinde had had some education beyond the typical monastery would have given him and it seemed evident by the choker he wore tight around his neck. He often played with it, his fingers delicately tracing the intricate designs on it to form a picture in his mind of his family crest. Or rather, his adopted family's crest. It was one of the crests of the Feywild, one of the realms almost completely inaccessible to mortals. Few knew of it and most would simply assume that this choker was of someone design and while it had amazing craftsmanship, it seemed to have no value to anyone but a member. It was the crest of the Seiglinde Archfey, the House closest to the Seelie Fey's Queen and it showed that he was a consort of the house. While he had no political value at all, he was still very dear to his adopted family and even more so to the Acting Patriarch, to whom he was the consort of. Or at least, consort in name only. There were far deeper things at work than just simple sex.

Again he played with the band around his eyes as the pair headed even closer to Runesong, the next on a long list of places to visit and the next on a long list of people who just very well could die.

 

[Shenorai]

The hooded woman's initial search around the district proved to be fruitless. She should have known that what she was looking for wouldn't be in the first district she would explore. Fate never made things that easy for Shenorai. As she completed a lap around the district, she could feel her stomach knotting up just a little.

"I'm going to have to start asking people, won't I?" the woman muttered with a frown, seemingly to no one.

Yet Shen wasn't on her own. She felt the slight chill of something drifting within her. A younger voice of a teenage girl spoke softly in her ear. Yes you will, Shen. Either that or get a hold of a map. I've heard this place gets very confusing.

"No kidding," Shenorai sighed. The voice's response didn't ease her anxiety at all. In truth, she hated talking to people. Constant face-to-face interaction was not her cup o' tea. With a deep breath, she began to approach some of the locals simply wandering around.

The shop she was searching for was known as Mitula's Mystique. From what she could gather from a few of the denizens who actually knew of the shop, it was a store of the occult run by an unusual fortune-telling gypsy of sorts who offered her alchemical services to the public. However, unless someone had a need for her potions or foresight, most people around here seemed to stay away from her. Some people outright refused to answer Shen's inquiry regarding the shop.

Already looking exasperated, Shen came across a robed woman with dark hair streaked in gold. From the dark hue of her clothing and the elaborate ornament upon her head, she merely assumed that this was a student who may have studied at the Arcane Academy closer to the Malik's keep. The robed one looked about her age too, if not a year or two shy.

"Pardon me," Shen asked to snatch the woman's attention as she approached. "I'm searching for a shop called 'Mitula's Mystique'," she began, drawing out the name of the shop for the sake of clarity. "Do you know where it is?"

 

[Ruko]

Serei looked up as a voice interrupted her daydreaming, which she didn't take kindly to. Standing before her seemed to be the woman she had briefly observed several minutes ago. It asked a question, but she didn't respond until she reached an appropriate natural break in her thoughts. "Mitula you say? I do not. It happens to be the store I had, until recently, been attempting to discern the location of." Assuming the conversation to be over, as she had given what she thought was an adequate response, she returned to her thoughts.

((I don't know how you did it but you managed to pretty much exactly describe the thing I was going to be looking for :P))

 

[Shenorai]

(( OOC: Great minds... ))


"I... see," the hooded woman muttered, crossing her arms. Really, with so many people trying to avoid the topic of Mitula altogether, Shenorai was half-expecting a blunter negative response. After a small sigh of disappointment, she opened her mouth to simply brush off the robed woman and go along her way.

Rather, she would have before being interrupted by that voice in her head again. Shen, invite her to come with us. You're both going to the same place anyway. Might as well have another set of eyes to keep a lookout for that shop.

Shen's mouth closed and her jaw clenched shut. For a mere moment, she gave an accusingly venomous sidelong glance to no one in visible sight. Her expression softened back to her usual indifferent state. Would hitting two birds with one stone really be such a bad idea? Such a notion would benefit them both. Three may be a crowd, but in this case...

At last, Shenorai spoke again. "Well, if you're still looking, perhaps we can search together? If that's all right with you, of course."

A small giggle rang in her ears. See, Shenny? People aren't all that scary! the voice teased.

Quiet, you, the human thought to herself, still fighting that urge to speak outwardly to the voice that plagued her.

 

[Ruko]

Serei was interrupted once more. She looked up, almost exactly mimicking her earlier movements. "Uum, sure. I don't see why not." She stood up, briefly checking she hadn't left anything, then paused. "Any idea where to start looking? I've exhausted all my ideas save finding the court mage and asking him to scry for the location."

(sorry for shortness of posts, I dont like getting too far ahead.))

 

[Shace]

Flick ended up buying most of the supplies he needed. He never enjoyed the city that much, but at the same time, found it fascinating that so many different types of creatures could live in one area. At the same time though, most of them kept to themselves. Flick slowly walked around listening to conversations. One skill he always had.. Listening to people even in busy loud cities.

He enjoyed the noise, but at times he felt like it was too much and that is why he decided to stay in a cave outside the city with his panther. He saw an empty bench in the middle of the city and decided to take out a loaf of bread he bought and ate some, as he slowly listen to people passing by.

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

To many, Runesong would seem surprisingly out of the way for someone of Seiglinde's station. There was no war, no plague, no religious crisis, no real need for a Saint to show any attention to it. Seiglinde would agree with anyone who said as much; he was here on personal business and if his station was required in some form, he was willing to help so long as it didn't interfere with his oath.

He served Modreus, the god of retribution, and as such his oath followed along a similar vein. Unfortunately, he had had to put aside such an oath for his and Arkanus' well being; the presence of the black silk band in their lives would allow them no rest, no matter what was done. To that end, he had gone so far to make a deal with the devil, so to speak. While it pained him to do so and he abhorred having to make such an agreement, it was necessary to find the next piece of the puzzle; at the very least he was not so restricted as some of his counterparts.

In the real sense though, he couldn't just let the demon die - he was a healer after all. And so long as the demon hadn't offended him, he had no reason not to do what came naturally to him. Between a rock and a hard place, he did what his instincts had told him to do and patched the demon up as best as his magic would allow. Grateful though snarky, the demon had relinquished a tidbit about a Mitula in Runesong who had the power of foresight as well as general knowledge of many things. Surprisingly enough, the demon knew precisely where she had a shop, having come to her before, and had so graciously given Seiglinde the information. Though he had felt somewhat unclean afterwards, no penance was needed though he did increase the time he spent in supplication if only to show that he still followed his path.

As the gates of Runesong loomed before them, they found their way blocked by the guards at the gate, obviously suspicious of the person who rode a sphinx. In truth, a touch of wonder was also there for true sphinxes were rare, especially in such populated areas and as such, passersby paused to look for a second before realizing that the guards had stopped them and hurried on their way.

"Halt! Who would approach the gates of Runesong so brazenly?"

The guard's words were full of mustered bravado and too much theatrics, no doubt a result of having what might be one of the greatest dangers to come to Runesong in years and making a mark for it.

"Saint Jarenyth Seiglinde," Akalo the androsphinx answered, his deep baritone resounding off the walls. "In service to Modreus and his companion Akalo who speaks before you."

Akalo's voice had just as much theatrics to it though rather than being full of bravado there was pride there instead with a touch of mockery.

The three guards looked at each other, wondering who this person was. Granted, Seiglinde had only risen to the station a decade ago and most people had no clue who he was but he didn't mind the obscurity - it left him with more time to pursue his own meditations and goals. Seiglinde turned to look down at the guard who spoke with what was a baleful glare given his eyes had been hidden.

"You wish for proof?"

He began to speak words in the Celestial tongue, a language forbidden to most mortals. Their cadence was strange and had a mystical feel to them even when not used in such blessings. It flowed easily from his lips like a spring and winded as one with such fluidity that the words seemed almost solid enough to float into your ears. And then it was over, there only having been a few seconds of the unintelligible language. Had they been able to understand the language, they might have known it was a prayer invoking a patron god for a favour. As it was, Seiglinde had been blessed with the power to give such favour and had given it to the guardsmen.

Though they seemed no different from before, they felt different, stronger, more confident, surging with vitality. Though they had been at their posts for hours, they felt they could do twice that and still be up for more. Those with more magical natures would even be able to see a faint golden aura surrounding the three. It was well known that this magic could be performed by any of the truly religious but it took time and several prayers to do such to a single person and here Seiglinde had blessed three men and women in mere seconds - a feat only a saint could perform.

"I hope that serves you well against those who would cause harm to this realm, that you might strike back against them as they struck against you."

He gave a slight bow of his head and it was returned by the three guards who, unlike before, went about with steady deliberate steps, bravado gone and replaced by real confidence as they let Seiglinde and Akalo enter Runesong proper. As they approached the Open Market district, they continued to garner more stares and even a few glares as the sphinx made his way through the streets with a grace expected on one with a feline body.

"Akalo, do you happen to see a jewelry vendor with a purple awning? Mitula's Mystique is supposed to be a few alleys beyond it."

 

[Shenorai]

The slightest kink of a smirk formed upon Shenorai's lips. How ironic; asking someone to scry for a woman who is capable of scrying. Yet before she could respond to such a suggestion, she felt a sudden urge of excitement bouncing around within. That voice was getting very uppity about something, much like a child encountering an idol she adored. Why must she be so distracting now of all times?

Oh my gods! Shen, look! Over there, by the archway!

The woman glanced over toward the entrance. Immediately, her brow raised beneath her hood. Striding through the district was a creature she never thought she would have a chance to see in her lifetime. A sphinx, of all things. Atop such a noble-looking creature was an unusually tall man garbed in a holy raiment and, of all things, blindfolded. Shenorai found herself nearly gawking in awe, as did many of the other residents and shopkeepers who also spotted the rider and his mount.

Shen? Shen, are you listening? the voice urged to the human.

Shenorai snapped back to attention, realizing she was staring. She adverted her eyes from the grand beast. "Mn?" was the only noise she made to acknowledge that she heard the voice.

They're looking for Mitula too, the phantom voice pointed out. She's going to be pretty busy today, it seems.

But the human stopped listening after learning that they were all searching for the same person. The very same shop. Perhaps Fate or Luck was on her side after all. Shen merely glanced back at the robed woman before her and motioned her head toward the sphinx.

"C'mon," she beckoned. "Let's follow them. Sounds like we're all heading to the same place."

With that, Shenorai readjusted the pack over her shoulder as she began to cut through the crowd of people forming in the district. If the shop's presence wasn't enough of a draw for the civilians, the word of an exotic creature being in town would no doubt bring even more curious people. After nearly shoving her way through, Shenorai made it to one of the many roads leading out of the Open Market. The Sphinx would lead them down an older path, climbing uphill as they drew just a little closer to the academy. This area seemed more arcane focused, with only a couple gadget shops closest to the Market. Their destination would take them up to a two-story building simply standing at the street corner of an intersection. Really, Shen was thankful for the feline's appearance; this road would not have been her first pick should she try to search through this city on her own.

The building before them had been painted in more somber tones of violet and dark brown in order to add a more mysterious vibe. The cloth awning over the massive door sported three different shades of purple and had an embroidered symbol of a crescent moon arched over a yellow iris dotted with a faded black pupil, as though the moon itself was an eye. The two display windows were purposely tinted just enough to display the potions, dream catchers, unlit candles of all sorts of colors, and small spirit stones that had been carved into various shapes. One would need to press his or her nose against the glass in order to get a peek further inside. The words, "Mitula's Mystique" had been painted delicately upon the window in white and yellow paints, the font boasting intricately tangled designs.

Yet as the shop sign came into view, Shen's steps became more hesitant. Many years had passed since she had seen her old acquaintance, let alone spoken to her. Truly, she wasn't even sure if Mitula would recognize her after nearly seventeen long years. After all, Shenorai was a mere child back then. She found herself merely standing across the street from the shop, looking up at its higher floor and wondering if that is where its inhabitant was.

 

[Ruko]

Serei, unlike the majority of citizens in the area, approached the sphinx and it's rider with caution, and hung back as her acquaintance walked. The pair, rider especially, had a dark aura about them. It was an almost exact trace as Jex's own, however it was fainter, fuzzier. It was as if somehow they had managed to mask their aetherial presence. If this man was her nemesis though, he did not take notice and she followed them safely to the shop. When she saw the peculiar storefront come into view, she had particularly mixed emotions. Her first thought was that she was now two steps ahead, but this was quickly silenced as the other half of her mind contemplated whether or not she had been forced to take a step back. If this man was Jex, then she had lost before the battle even began.

Wary of the sphinx and it's master, and seeing that neither them or the woman had taken action, she approached the door and knocked lightly on it. She was not sure of the proper etiquette when introducing oneself to a mystic. Should you state your name, or do they already know it and take it as an insult if you assume they don't?

 

[Squee]

Virgil, known by this time as Doctor Elmdor Ketone, was within a local apothecary, Mitula's Mystique. He had been here before, in fact, this was his favorite place. What nobody knew was that he actually used his powers to progressively take peoples injuries as his own. It was illegal for him to use the hospitals supplies on himself since he wasn't an admitted patient. As such, he suffered a lot of pain in his recovery process given that within Runesong were many accidents. It was, after all, a land of magic and technology. Instead of simply dealing with the pain, he frequented this shop due to it's great variety to aid his already fast recovery. The scenery was its own sight, appearing rather original. Upon being greeted by a pleasant silver bell when entering the building, one would see a natural looking room. Most furnishing was done with wood, stained rather darkly. It reminded Virgil of a time much more simple, seeing as how many logs were used. Despite the great appearance of the place, the best part in his opinion was the scent. Incense burning combine with the aroma of the various creations in the shop mixed in such a wonderful way. To be completely honest, it was part of what he came here for. There were various wrapped dolls and paranormal trinkets adorned the shelves that were on display for customers, which Virgil had little interest in. Dangling from the ceiling were cut stones, they often were a good tell if someone was around as their polished bodies would glow.

At this point, Virgil was recognized in here. Well, they knew him as Elmdor Ketone, or Doctor Ketone. Mitula, the owner, knew more about him, such as his name being a fake, but she was good about keeping it a secret. If people knew about his powers, he'd be forced to use them for people. Granted, that was what he was doing now, but he'd rather be doing it from his free will. Regardless of his regenerative properties, it still took time, he was still human. The healing salves were fantastic, especially on his body, but he appreciated more than just that. Sometimes the process of regeneration was rather pain inducing. As such, the pain numbing medicines were his personal favorite, but he was running low. That was what he used the least due to the majority of injuries being nothing on his durable body.

Once he grabbed what he wanted and placed them within a basket, he walked to the counter. Behind the sales floor were many more potent herbs and medicines, but Virgil never had any interest in them, his body only needed a small amount of aid to keep up his work. Behind wooden beads on both sides of the sales counter were velvet curtains, and between them stood Kaya. When they first met, Virgils very pale skin and dark choice in clothing probably startled her. Being so pale was odd, even in this area filled with diversity. Mitula was currently out of site, probably behind the wall panel that he'd never had the privilege of seeing behind. Regardless, he was ready to make his purchase as he showed the goods to Kaya. He had earned a well deserved trust, he was an honest man.

 

[Shace]

Flick heard a commotion going on near the main entrance of town. He over heard a few of the people talking about a Sphinx coming into town. Flick never seen a Sphinx come into town, in fact he heard they were almost all annihilated. He decided to head towards town to see this Sphinx.

Along the way he saw many people staying away, but Flick continued to move forward past the crowed that was staying away. When he got close only a few people were near the Sphinx. Flick stayed back while he saw someone approach the Sphinx. Flick was very curious about the Sphinx so he stayed back and waited to see what would happen.

 

[soulcorruptor]

Vex and Calden has finally made it up the the gates of the city and were greeted by a fair number of guards, at least four of them walked up to the pair and one shouted demanding them to stop. The one guard was acting overly cocky and even raised his hand against Vex to his chest to prevent him from moving further.

"What business do filthy trash like you have in our fair city of Runesong?"

It was Caldens turn to calm Vex as he placed a hand on the others shoulder as the former noticed the later was going to draw his sword from being addressed in such a mater. The former also annoyed and even let it be known as he spoke to the one guard.

"We are but simple travelers and ran into some unfortunate accidents on our way here. We would like to gain entry for a place to rest from our travels and also a place for us to clean up."

The guard looked back to the other three as if to obviously deny them entry to the city and find a reason to do so. The other three shrugged their shoulders finding no fault with the ones logic, so the other guard relented and lowered his hand and stepped aside allowing the two passage.

"Welcome to our city, you will be welcomed as long as you don't cause any trouble."

Vex and Calden entered the city gate and were overtaken by it's appearance, in their travels they never came upon a city as this. Technology and magic seemed to mix together in this city in such a strange way where they worked in harmony with eachother, it was an odd sight for both of them. Both of them finally lowered their cloaks hoods to get a better look of the city, to say the least it was stunning to both of them for various reasons. Vex was amazed to see magic being used in ways he did not think was possible, while Calden was amazed at seeing such advanced technology compared to the village he left so long ago. Now finally the two came across a nice looking in. A building made of stone and marble by the looks of it, a sign attached to a metal overhang simply read "Crossroads Inn". Vex started to walk towards the building with Calden in toe when the former stopped causing the later to bump inn to him and burst in outrage but was quickly silenced as the former held up his hand. He began to look around the various stores around him as something felt strange to him, he was attuned to many magical energies and could easily sense various energies at times but now he was sensing something off strange and unfamiliar. His eyes fell upon a shop sign that read Mitula's Mystique. He also noticed a couple streets down the way an odd sight, someone was riding a sphinx, ignoring that for now he decided it was best to follow this odd feeling.

"Calden something feels odd about the shop over there, I can't quite place it but it feels different somehow. So I would like to investigate before we go to the inn."

Calden grunted at this, he wanted to clean up but at the same time came to trust Vexs feelings. If something felt off to him it was most likely worth looking into. So the two of them ventured into the shop and were greeted by a variety of aromas. Various isles lined with potions and herbs of sorts, the smells were intoxicating to Calden and he realized at that moment something was wrong. He was becoming more sensitive to smell and worse yet he could feel his wings trying to grow from his back, something in this store was blocking the seal he had on his dragon powers or more to say undoing the magic seal he had on himself. Now Vex on the other hand was beginning to feel sick in a sense his natural connection to magic was feeling more distant to him, whatever he felt from here was something that seemed to block magic and he was starting to regret coming in here now. He started to look around for the cause of this, if it was an herb or something more unnatural.

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

The androsphinx paused just outside Mitula's Mystique, its features peering up at the signboard. In an odd parody, so too did Seiglinde's covered eyes seem to read the board. Deftly, he got down, landing with a practiced ease and grace that belied his seeming condition. He patted Akalo's shoulder, to which the androsphinx sat down on it's haunches and gazed about them across the street, his watchful gaze taking in everything. Seiglinde had been about to head to the door when he sensed someone slip past him and rap lightly on the door.

"It's a shop you know," he said with a smile to the person, looking as though he were meeting their own eyes. "And it seems to be open to me."

Again he smiled what would be a warm smile were it not for the silk band around his eyes that made the smile turn frigid. Then in a strange turn, he slowly turned around to look at Shenorai.

"It's rude to stare," he said, his voice carrying strangely. "Though I'm sure that if you seek Mitula, she will be more than happy to assist you. Why else would she have a shop?"

Both he and Akalo were looking directly at Shenorai who simply stood there looking at the building, unlike the few others on the street who tended to hurry past it like it was a canker. The sphinx had noticed her unusual behaviour compared to the rest of the crowd and had voiced his concern through their empathic bond to which Seiglinde had observed himself, the cursed item at least allowing him some semblance of his vision.

 

[Shenorai]

The hooded woman's gaze immediately snapped down to the one who was addressing her. Yet her own eyes narrowed at the tall man in confusion. Black silk is not easy to see through, as far as she knew. How in the blazes did he spot her? Worse yet, it seemed so many people were arriving at once. Shenorai could feel her stomach knot up in anxiety.

What's the matter, Shen? the voice asked.
With a sigh, the human muttered through gritted teeth, "There are far too many people in there."
And?
Shen was already turning on her heel. "I'll just come back later. When there are fewer custo-"
Nope! Suddenly, an icy feeling ran through both of the woman's legs, as though freezing wires were being shoved through her marrow. Shen froze in place. We're here. You're tired. We're going in, dammit!

Before Shenorai could protest, her own legs were well out of her control. She turned back and began to stride over to the door. The human muttered curses at the entity who had helped herself to her body, but she received naught but mischievous giggles in response. Once she stopped before the closed door, Shen adverted her eyes from the grand beast sitting near the stoop. Which brought the showcase window to her attention. Several gemstones - both rough and polished - were beginning to faintly glow with a lavender light as she drew closer to them. Shen's pulse picked up: There would be no hiding the moment she stepped inside.

"This... isn't funny, Leondra," the woman sighed through a whisper.
I'm only using your legs. I'm not doing anything else, the voice pointed out. Just open the door before I do it for you. Like it or not, we're going inside.

There was no point in arguing any further. Nearly locking her jaw, Shen reached up and turned the knob. No matter how slowly she opened the door, the silver bell dangling from the frame still proudly announced another guest to the shop. A pang of regret already reached in and clutched at her stomach. Far too many people in here. Far too many eyes for her liking. Shenorai simply made sure her hood was tugged over her face as far as possible as she wandered in to browse the shelves. Yet the hanging jeweled decorations proved to be a slight annoyance. Just like in the showcase window, they began to gently glow as she drew closer, yet fade as she walked away from them. She could only hope that these people bugger off so she can have some sense of privacy with the shop owner.

Who wasn't immediately in sight. Instead, a blossoming, dark-haired woman was ringing up a few items for another customer. She was nearing the end of her teen years, by the look of her still-young face and bright green eyes. Her clothing was simple enough: merely a white blouse with short sleeves and a dark tulip skirt with two somber shades of purple. Worn leather was all that protected her feet from the elements and the occasional spilled potion in the shop. Around her neck was a brown ferret with white paws, a white muzzle, and a long black tail. As more people began to enter the apothecary at once, the girl's cheerful nature became far more reserved very quickly. The ferret, on the other hand, perked up every time the silver bell rang.

"And here you are, Doctor Ketone," she smiled to the more familiar face in the room as she rang up the total. "That'll be twelve silver for the lot. Is that everything... for..."

Yet the cashier would be distracted by another customer. One who was showing some very alarming symptoms the moment he walked through the door. With sudden vigor, she set the ferret beside the register and rapped on the nearest door frame hidden by a velvet curtain. As soon as the girl had reached the ailing customer and attempt to even fathom what was wrong, another woman emerged from behind the curtain. Although dressed in a similar manner to the cashier, the middle-aged woman wore many layers to her violet dress. A headdress comprised of layered veils barely obscured the tapered ears jutting through her long and unusually green hair. Much like the eye upon the store's sign, this woman's eyes were a sharp yellow.

As soon as the woman approached the man, she immediately recognized the issue. She reached forth to gently grip the man's shoulder and lead him back through the seance room where she had emerged. "Kaya," she instructed, glancing at the cashier, "The panel. We need him away from the wards."

"Yes, Madame," Kaya quickly replied, hurrying well ahead of the two of them. Behind the Madame's tall armchair in the seance room was a hidden panel, matching the paneling in the rest of the room. Sliding it open revealed a rather modest living area. A sitting area surrounding an oak coffee table had several armchairs, a lounge chair, and a couch. These were carefully placed before a dead fireplace. To the left was a simple kitchen separated by mere half walls. Winding stairs would take one to the second floor, but that left the rest of this shop and home well out of sight.

Yet regardless of the commotion, Shenorai couldn't help but stare at the cashier even after she disappeared from sight. Once again, there was that horrible knot in her stomach. This one caused by a pang of regret.

"...was that really...?"
Kaya grew up fast, didn't she? She looks so much like you, Shen.
Shenorai distracted herself with a stitched doll on the shelf before her. "Didn't expect to see her here."