Scales For Hire

Smiles was certainly no immediate threat. He looked up at the snake, observing the body language of the being... it was actually fairly difficult. Smiles was used to dealing with mammilian targets: reading the intent of someone so far removed from his own comfort zone made it tough to use any of his useful bard abilities. Still, he felt he could at least assume he was honestly apologetic. The coyote's ears perked a bit, and his stance relaxed. He chuckles nervously, the way a coward normally would. He steps forward, holding out a meek hand and accepting Tethebi's offered peace.

"I guess that's alright... I'm not really used to... big folks. At least not without the backup of my old traveling companions..." His eyes turned brighter, and he smiles wide. "I'm sure you've heard of them... my songs have become popular in a pretty good distance..." He observes the man. "You look... tough. Strong..." He looks at the snakeman's arms: "With a quickness that serves you well..." Taking a look at his hands: "Your hands show the dregs of fire... either you've camped out recently... or you're capable of minimal pyromancy." One ear folded over, giving him a questioning look. He blinks, holding up his hands, "Oh! Oh goodness, sorry! My apologies... I don't... normally dissect people in that way... not out loud, at least.... I'm just nervous, is all... that, and you remind of my dragonblooded friend, Vythera."
 
Ben was in the shadows, as was steadily growing more and more typical. Dei Maal had opened a portal to the prime material, saying something about how Ben needed a vacation, and how that his moodiness was not doing him any favours. Dei Maal was always patient when he said these things, but he couldn't help but thing that the displacer beast was somehow mocking him. Ben was very young, after all, and probably very strange, even to Dei Maal. Being a normal child was very hard for him. He probably stuck out like a sore thumb, even cloaked in the shadow. He was this dusk boy, not surprising in itself, but had an expression of absolute seriousness and gravity not usually present on children. He was only nine, and looked much younger than that, but there he was, a nine year old boy with an expression of absolute seriousness, watching the small band curiously.

Curiosity was going to get him killed one day. He came out from the shadows to stare intently at the group. They weren't human, which he supposed was hardly surprising. They were on the prime material, after all. He missed earth. It seemed very far away right now. He had to make the best of it and get adjusted to this whole scenario. Besides, he had no real reason to miss earth. It had never done him any favours, or had been kind to him. He thought about how Dei Maal introduced himself to people, rather than just staring there awkwardly at them from the side of the road, but his ideas for what to do all seemed vaguely sinister. Perhaps it was good to get away from his adopted father for some time.

"Erm," he said. These would be first people other than Dei Maal that he had talked to in a while, "Er, are you adventurers?" Ben knew all about adventurers. Dei Maal had told him about them. Ben thought it sounded like an idiotic career path, but perhaps it would prove to me more interesting than it sounded.
 
Tet didn't have a need for body language. His Jacobson's organ told him everything he needed to know about a person with the flick of a tongue. It gave him information like gender, approximate age, emotional state, even arousal level. All the same, it was a guilty pleasure of his to watch people squirm when he moved or opened his mouth.

He gave Smiles a lop-sided smirk and shook his hand, careful to not be too rough. "I'd imagine someone like yourself might need help with travels. Maybe Miss Haz will partner us up so you won't have any troubles running errands for her?"

As the child approached, Tet looked over at him curiously. It was rare for humans to approach him. Even rarer for women to approach him. But kids? Kids only came within rock-pelting distance on a dare. All it usually took was a loud hiss or menacing growl to get them to run off, and they would trouble him no more. But this kid...this kid had the look of maturity in him. It was as if he'd seen all of life, and knew it didn't get any easier with age.

He turned slowly to the child, trying his best to be as unintimidating as a 20-foot, 800-pound snakeman could be. "I am. My friend here is a bard, though he's seen his fair share of adventuring as well. How can we help you?"
 
"Adventuring? Goodness gracious no. Not that nonsense again." He spoke to the child, placing his hand over his eyes, "It's terrible. 'Please don't touch the obviously evil cursed book', 'please wait until you can make the jump distance before jumping', 'please do not break in the door I'm trying to pick'... And the ever-present 'please prevent that person from putting his bladed instruments into my flesh, that would be great'." He takes his hand away, "Trust me kid, adventuring's only really fun for warriors. If you're into the constant danger, go for it... If you care about your close friends enough to study magic just for the sake of keeping them alive, you've got a lot of work on your hands... Still," he admits, "The money's great, and you can't beat making friends who'll back you up no matter what..."

He nods, his advice over. "Sorry about the rant, kiddo." He smiles softly, "I am a bard, like he said. These days, I give out quests... Not go on them..." He pauses, looking at Tethebi. "...Though my money's getting a little low and I need some tales... I might take you up on traveling a bit, if you promise to keep me unharmed." He nods, looking towards the kid... A little unnerving the way this kid kept looking at him. Felt like there were mutliple pairs of eyes... Worse, Smiles felt sure he saw the kid's shadow move. "Hey, I'm heading to the tavern I work in... You're... Free to join me, I guess... They normally won't allow kids in, though. You got a family?"
 
Ben looks at them curiously, blue eyes flickering over the enormous snake creature, before back at the coyote-man. Unlike some people, he had no real fear of snakes, and none of dogs. Ben wasn't sure of the last time when he had felt genuine fear. He supposed it was when Dei Maal first stole him away - but then again, he had gone willingly. It was just anxiety or apprehension. Not really feel. Ben had an unnerving aura when he thought about Dei Maal - it was as if the shadows bent to his will, or something genuinely dark flickered across his face. A shadow, maybe.

The kid, however, didn't seem particularly threatening in demeanor or mannerisms, "I'm not exactly an adventurer myself. My father, adopted mind you, suggested that I get away for a bit. See the world a bit, before returning home." He shrugs his narrow shoulders, blowing a piece of blonde hair out of his eyes, "I am not interested in stabbing people, cursed books, or breaking doors, I assure you, sir." He frowns, "My only desire is to understand a little more of this particular pocket of existence." He quickly adds, "I'm not from around here."

He curses himself inwardly. He wasn't exactly the most subtle child, and hadn't spoken to anybody but Dei Maal in some time. It was hard to not reveal too much of himself within a moment. He figured that since the gig was up, he might as well offer them a name. He extended his hand, "Ben Witters-Maal." He replied, and drew a hyphen in the air with his free hand, "It's been hyphenated since I was adopted."
 
Tethebi listened to Smiles go on, and had to chuckle at his dramatic portrayal of adventuring. It wasn't always as dangerous as he described, but for a child, it'd be entirely too perilous. It was best to dramatize it, in order to discourage any foolhardy ideas. One thing Tet had thankfully been spared was the sight of any miniature skeletons or corpses in his journeys, and he was hoping it would stay that way.

"Don't you worry, Smiles. I've taken my fair share of arrows and blades in my time." He looked down at his scaled length with a nod to it. There were numerous scars of all shapes and sizes. Some had healed well enough to be covered by scales again, but others had healed poorly and skewed his scale pattern. Not that it mattered, really. His race alone discouraged women, with or without scars. "You won't die while I'm around."

He saw the movement of Ben's shadow, too. Had his headache been entirely gone, he would have recognized the movement of the shadow as a reality. However, his vision was slightly blurry at the moment and he attributed it to that. He couldn't shake the sensation that the kid was a more mature person than any child had the right to be. For now, he decided to trust the youngster, not seeing any reason to behave differently. Until the boy proved himself otherwise, he was just a well-spoken, curious young man that had a dark air about him.

"Well, Ben, we've got a business meeting of sorts to attend. If you want to come along, I'm sure we can get you in for a field trip of sorts, to see how a journey starts," he offered. "Can't hurt, really. We just won't have any alcohol at our table or in our room."
 
Smiles hadn't been kidding: he had experienced all that junk - far too young. Some of his close friends had indeed died during those first adventures: folks who had gone to the school that Smiles had eventually gone to. He looks to Ben, shaking his head, "Your dad took it upon himself to kick you out of the house too, huh? Hopefully he has the intention of letting you back." The coyote scowled: a strange, dark look on the usually-optimistic face of the man. His ears flicked backward in distaste. He sighs, however, shaking his head.

At the mention of being from a different plane, Smiles lights up. "Oh!" He nods, "That explains a lot. I've read of the other planes of existence... I was around when they merged all those years ago... a friend of mine helped to fix them." He chuckles knowingly, tail swishing. "I'd ask which you're from, but... well... it seems rather obvious... as for wanting to know more about this plane... well, little better you can do than come to a bard. The real bard, not those womanizing wastes of space that claim the title of bard and do nothing to give any honor to the title despite those of us who work for the name still being treated as misogynistic snots." He frowns again, sighing. "Sorry, I... have a problem with some of the other bards." His tail swishes in irritation.

He looks apologetically up at Tethebi. "It's good that you're willing to take damage in the name of others. I'm sure there's a song in there somewhere, but I have no idea on how you really act in a combat situation." The coyote gestured for the two to follow him, heading towards the tavern where he worked most often. "Buisiness, buisiness... Yet, something in my gut tells me I'll regret this. There's a little necromantic kid in my head screaming something about 'oh god, you can't seriously be doing this'... and normally, I'd agree... but there's also a ridiculously stupid part of my head telling me that he can totally make this jump, and that 'everything'll turn out fine'." He shrugs with a grin, "Ah, memories..."
 
Ben's blonde eyebrows furrow in an expression of seriousness unusual for a child. He thinks for a moment, thinking back to Dei Maal sending him away. Perhaps he had simply gotten too mopey or disinterested in the Plane of Shadow, which, to be truthful, was not hard. The plane was just like reality, except grey and colourless. He almost wondered if Dei Maal had been banished there, as opposed to simply existing on the plane as a God. He was aware that the creature was godlike. Or close enough. He didn't know for certain, but ripping a child out of his previous misery seemed somewhat god-like. Or at least an act of divine intervention. Ben still didn't know why he had been taken from his home to begin with. Not that he regretted leaving. He just didn't know why.

Ben held up his hands in a defensive gesture, "I'm not interested in adventuring." He smiled slightly, a small cold smile that plays on his lips. His shadow flickers around his face, and then creeps down to stretch long behind him, far too long and thick for his height and built. "However, I do enjoy this notion of a...'field trip'. I will observe your own adventures and perhaps help a little along the way." He shrugs his shoulders, "I'm not certain I'll be of much use to you, however. I am a rather useless human boy who's very far away from his father, and ever farther away from his true home." Ben shrugged his shoulder, and raises a hand, a shadow dancing across it, but then, disappearing, "It is a pleasure to meet you both. I'm happy that you've taken me up on this... arrangement."
 
"You two didn't have a good relationship with your relatives, either, huh? Mine decided I was in need of a...distraction...and sent me off to train with a sword." He tapped the sword hanging from his back, and smiled a bit. "Can't say I'm too upset over it now, though. Did me some good."

Though he was sympathetic with the idea of lacking parental guidance, Tet didn't understand the talk of planes and different existences. It wasn't that he was unintelligent; it was simply that he had no knowledge of other worlds, and regarded them as legend. He listened all the same, though, finding it important to know more about those he traveled with.

As Smiles began moving, Tet uncoiled and followed, matching the coyote's pace. It was easy enough, even without feet. He couldn't fathom the evolutionary purpose of legs; they were unsteady and much less flexible than his tail was. It didn't seem too uncomfortable or inconvenient, at least. He supposed it would be impossible for him to ever know.

"Unless my companions are complete arses, I try to bring them back whole. Of course, I can't prevent everything, but I know a good limb reattachment specialist," he said with a toothy grin, winking. "And to be honest, I'm only half-joking. A mage that was partnered with me had to get his hand regrown because he lost his to a trap."

Tethebi looked down at Ben. He was a liability, or at least he looked like one. However, the shadows the played across the child's skin made Tet wonder. He nodded and kept his gaze level on the Ben. "So long as you don't do anything rash, I won't mind."
 
------- (I have returned.) --------

The stone reached Splice's hand, and he stared at it in shock. The message repeated itself, and he rushed to the king immediately. "Sir, I have something for you to hear," he said, and then gave him the stone. The king gaped, and nodded his head.

"Ah yes, he did seem ill. Here, I will record a message for him in return." He cleared his throat, and did as Tet had instructed him to get it to work. "Hello, Tethebi. I have heard your message, and I wish you well. You are, of course, welcome in my Court any time you need. I have an order for you now, if you aren't too busy to take it. There is a noble who has stolen something from me, and hides somewhere within the next town's walls. We are not able to figure out who it is. If you would like to travel there and find out, I would much appreciate it. I have a copious amount of pay as a reward for not only taking care of this thief, but for retrieving the stolen object. It is a necklace, and it is adorned with a beautiful blue gem. It was a gift from my fool, Nexus. I would much appreciate it. I hope you well, and if you need any help, please inform me. I will gladly send over some soldiers to aid you. As it stands, I am sending Splice to find you, and guide you to the town, if you are willing to take this challenge. He's rather antsy to get out of my castle anyway," he chuckled loudly then, and send the stone's message on its way. "You heard me, Splice. Get a move on."

"As you wish, your majesty!" He did a flip, hooted his joy, and then dashed out of the castle's double doors and down into the town. He found a group of what seemed to be Anthro's standing together, and dashed in a flurry of red, white, and gold jingling into the center of them, obnoxiously bowing. He turned to Tethebi, and then said, "Boo. You have a message coming." At that moment, the king's responding stone appeared.
 
Smiles would have replied to Tethebi, though the jester's appearance startled the coyote. With a strum of his lute and a paniced "AHH!", the coyote vanished. The coyote could be heard, however: a jump onto a nearby barrel, and then onto a roof. Still invisible on the roof of the building, the beastman turned to observe the jester. When he revealed to be a member of the royal court, the embarassed coyote returned to the realm of the visible. He did not look pleased.

"Please don't startle me like that." He seems to pout, shaking his head. "It's not good for my nerves." Countless ambushes and attacks on the "back row" of his advenutring party had always made him... jumpy. Still, it was an impressive spell for a moment's notice. He looked to Tethebi, then to Ben. "...Don't you judge me."
 
Ben shrugs noncommittally. He runs a hand through his blonde hair and thinks for a moment. It must be hard to be an adventurer. Things wanting to kill you all the time. Things sometimes succeeding at killing you. He wondered about how many party members Smiles had seen die. He was sure the number was quite impressive, except maybe for Smiles. The bard didn't seem to be terribly threatening or interested in seeing anybody harmed. He was a bit cowardly, even, and Ben found that aspect of the bard rather intelligent. Cowardice got you far in life.

He was astonished when the spell came from the bard. He was still getting used to magic. Even his own. A snakelike bit of shadow played across his hand, wrapping up and down his arm. It might be worth noting what Ben was wearing. He was wearing a T-Shirt. He was wearing a pair of jeans. He was looking astonishingly human, with these tendrils of shadow coming out of his hand. They quickly dissipated, as he waggled his fingers, "So you are some sort of mage, Mister Smiles? I'm coming to grips with my own magic as well."
 
Tet listened to the stone eagerly, keeping to himself the absolute relief he felt. The king wasn't upset, which meant he would still be able to help the man with whatever tasks he needed done. Tet was pleased to hear that the king had an assignment for him already, but here he was, on his way to commit to a different agreement. He looked to Splice and smiled.

"Hey there, friend. So the king has work for me. Again, I apologize for earlier. I didn't mean to leave so suddenly." He sighed and shrugged. "But now I have a problem. I was on my way with these fine folks to pick up another job. Do you think the king would be alright with me taking on two jobs at once, if one is on the way to the other?"

He looked to Smiles...only to find him on the roof of a nearby building. He held in a laugh that threatened to be uproarious. Instead, he chuckled and shook his head. "Judge you? Nooo, I'll forego that." He leaned in toward Splice and whispered teasingly, "That one over there is Smiles, otherwise know as Scaredy Pup." He straightened up and spoke in a level tone again. "And the boy here is Ben."

He had noticed Ben's odd clothing from the get-go, but said nothing. It wasn't a snake's place to tell a human what to wear, after all. His suspicions were right about the boy being more than ordinary, though. Those shadows gave Tet a cold feeling that more than rivaled the air around them. He looked away and cleared his throat.

"Miss Hazz is probably waiting for us by now. Guess we should get a move on, then?"
 
Splice shrugged. "As far as I know, the king is really lax when it comes to getting things done. I'll accompany you then, as an escort from the court," he said, and bowed deeply, jingling a lot as he dipped. On his way back up, a big, obnoxious grin stretched his cheeks. "Scaredy Pup?" He turned to Smiles, and grinned up at him, trying to keep his glittering red eyes from appearing too intimidating. "Greetings there. I am Splice, Demon Fool of Red for the king. Don't worry, I don't bite much," he said with a sly touch in his voice, and slid down 12 fangs from his normal teeth, 3 on each side of his mouth that formed something that looked like one large fang.

"Actually, quite the contrary. I probably won't bite at all. It's excruciatingly boring up there recently, what with the lack of executions, and house-raids. Hopefully this lends a little bit more excitement. Plus, I'm really hoping for a pretty assasination from you, Tet, when we finally get to the thief." He squealed in excitement, letting a little of his madness escape into the air, unchecked. "I know a general idea of where he went, in what town. So I'll be more than obliged to help you find the bastard. You should see my pathetic brother, crying like an infant on the throne," he said disgustedly.

Nexus had been a mess. The king had tried to make him feel better by saying that he would have someone look for the precious gem, but Nexus was more than depressed by the theft. He was angry. The necklace had been meant for his king, not some scrawny thief. If it wasn't found by Splice and Tet, he'd go and look for it himself. He was itching to get up and do it now, but didn't want to upset his king, or ruin a chance for Tet to make money. He cocooned himself in a thick frozen blob of ice, curled up with his forehead to his knees.
 
Ben was throughly confused by what she said, but it didn't show on his stoic, young face. His blue eyes merely narrowed, and the frown on his cherubic face deepened slightly. Demon Fool. He'd met demons. A foolish small person had even called his father a demon once. but he knew that wasn't the case. He had met an envoy, once, a shadow demon working for the main antagonist of some other person's story. That must have been long ago. He'd lost track. To him, everything seemed so much shorter - he reasoned he'd been a seven year old boy for a very long time now. Dei Maal was always telling him not to fret about that sort of thing. He didn't. Not really. The one thing he did fret about was Dei Maal telling him that his tentacles would grow in soon. That was sort of worrying.

Ben peered at the demon fool, "So you take pleasure in executions and assassinations?" He said it flatly, not with any sort of condemnation in his voice. A small smile played on the small child's face, and a few tendrils of shadow crept up his arms, barely visible in the day's sun, but still there they were, snake like and slithering. He had an aura of coldness around him, like his whole body would be icy to the touch. He listened carefully to the demon fool. A crying prince on the throne. He remembered that. Another prince had come to the Shadow Plane to see his father. A pathetic, mortal prince with blue eyes and dark hair. He said that he needed the throne. Dei Maal had suggested he take it. Eventually, everybody came to Dei Maal, it seemed. Ben wondered about his adoptive father. But not much. He didn't wonder much, because he had a feeling he already knew.

He did a small bow of his head to the creature, Splice. "As mentioned, I am Ben Witters-Maal. I think I shall be accompanying you on your... sojourn, briefly." He stared at Splice with those blue eyes that were nothing like a child's, even though the rest of him was. It was jarring. The shadows began to fade on the rest of him, and he smiled very, very slightly at the creature. That was somehow equally jarring. The smile didn't suit the boy.
 
There was no sign Smiles when Tet looked up for him again. He blinked, pausing for a moment, then looked back to his other companions. It would be nice to have Nexus along, as Tet was a strong believer in comic relief. He grinned sideways at the jester and tilted his head up a bit, adjusting the sling of his sheathe to a more comfortable position.

"I'll try my best, but to be honest, most of the killing I do is anything but attractive. It's usually a messy ordeal. It's considered lucky to be in my company during a kill and get only blood on you. After all, the blade I'm carrying excels in thick, deep wounds. Hell, it demands them."

It was true. He'd let the blade swing further than he wanted it to on many an occasion, and it seemed to sometimes have a penchant for doing more damage than he intended it to. The blade was from an unknown forger and age; Tet had found it on the body of a dead man years ago. Now, he'd only be rid of the blade if it caused him more trouble than it was worth. It cut clean, never dulled, and seemed almost attached to him.

When Ben spoke, Tet turned his gaze on the boy. Upon sizing him up, the snake of a man found himself wondering what sort of trouble he'd gotten himself into. Shadows weren't meant to be a danger. They were only the absence of light, after all. But something about these shadows made him nervous. He looked down at the child and nodded. "Happy to have you, Ben."

Or am I? he mused, flicking his tongue out.
 
Splice bowed and smiled. "I take a certain interest in it, yes. It certainly adds a little more flavor to the daily grind of listening to people's problems in the Court all day long. And house raids are always fun, listening to the children scream once in a while. Then again, I'm kind of... not right in the head, or so the queen used to tell me."

Nexus appeared behind him then, and intruded in the conversation. "And why do you say used to? Oh right, you never told them that, did you?" He jingled in amongst the group, and then smiled at Tet and Ben. "Hello, I'm Nexus. His brother. Did he ever tell you about the queen? Not even the king knows about it. Just me," he said with a sneer.

"Shut up, you goody goody waste of air," Splice sighed in frustration. "I'm out having fun. Go whine about your lost gift."

"Actually, that's why I'm here," he said in a suddenly brighter sing-song voice. He handed Tet a piece of paper with a note from the king. Apparently he was too upset about the situation to sit silently all day, and was given permission to accompany them. "I want to catch the thief too. Though I'm sure you're going to kill him. I'll just make sure that one," he said pointed to Splice, "doesn't do anything overly stupid to get us ALL killed."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back