The Beasts of Civilization

"Brain damage vould definitely lower oo'r abili-tee to adapt 'ere. Zoh oo' could always git a job as a minion. Don't need brains at all for zat." He nodded at her. "Anyvay, ve should git down from 'ere." Without asking her permission, he walks forward, sweeps her from her feet - and jumps off the building, landing on his feet.

He immediately walked out of range of that horrible alley, and set her down. "I do theenk zat oo'r guide vill be 'ere soon, oui? Not many vill attack oo' vit me aroun'."

This seemed to be true. A few individuals peeked out at the two, only to panic and retreat, some with the loud crash of closing windows. The presence of the two together seemed to have created an aura of fear for the calabrian people.

It satisfied Dar to no end. "Oooo... ze people fear oo'." He turns to her, giving her a smile. "I like zat. Fear eez... a hobbee, on mine." He shrugs. "I no not leev far from 'ere. Eet vill not be zat long of a valk... seence oo' do not seem to be a fly-air... an' eef I remem-bair right, ze tales say zat hoomahns are rather inept at ma-geec."
 
At a glance and with such a thin frame, Wren wouldn't have thought he'd be able to keep swooping her up like he did. Calabrians definitely had more physical strength than the typical humans. Though there was a twist in her gut at the sudden falling motion, they landed neatly on the ground before she even had a chance to think twice about it.

Wren fixed her clothing a second time, casting a frown at the blatant fear of the people. Dar seemed to be a amused with it, but she wasn't. It directly contradicted what she wanted to do in Calabria.

"I'd rather not be someone's minion. Never did take orders very well. And, no, humans don't fly. But some are good with magic. I don't dabble in myself - well - outside of asking mages or wizards to enchant my Trunk when I do them favors." Wren was looking around again. She was tempted to start calling out Kharg's name and go looking for him, but regardless of what Dar said, she was rather afraid people would come pouring out of their houses with pitch forks and torches.

"I wish they wouldn't be so afraid of me. I wanted to make friends here."
 
Samantha watched the commotion as Dar rescued the human girl. Quite heroic. Smiling, she glanced over at Azkha.
"Tell me, does he do that often?"
 
Kharg

Kharg's eyes narrowed as Wren was rescued/kidnapped by--! "Repense," he muttered the name as a growl and climbed onto the balcony! He knew of them and it was their reputation he was more concerned about. Specifically, how it related to Wren now that she was in the company of one.

He used the railing as a spring board to jump up and land on the roof! Then it was a simple matter of strength, agility, and some moves that belied his seven foot tall muscular frame to meet Wren and the Repense as they talked with each other. He was just in time to catch Wren expressing how much she wished the Calabrians weren't afraid of her.

"There ye are, lass." He stood on his back legs as he stopped beside her. He gave a curt nod to the Repense. "Repense."


***

Azhka

Azhka glanced at Dar as he looked down at the city below. Mind over the heart, heart over the mind. In their world, which one you followed determined whether you lived to see the sun rise the next day or not. Most Calabrians would have considered choosing the heart over the mind a dangerous and foolish thing. Azhka believed it to be dangerous and reckless, but also necessary at times.

Azhka heard Sam and met her eyes. She wasn't one to talk lightly and she was not about to share anything that could be deemed revealing information about her master. There were too many ears about and she trusted none of the nobles with the exception of Dar.

The puma turned and ran. She had no reason to stay there and every reason to be by Dar's side.
 
Dar offers a narrow-eyed smile to the crossbreed individual. "Oo'r a big vun, aren' oo?" He offers a curt nod in return, grinning. If he knew that he was Repense, than he'd be knowledgeable of the Repense' affinity for fear, dark magic, and other things of fouler natures.

He loved being recognized for what he was - deception was key for his survival.

He shrugs, flicking his hand aside in an aristocratic manner. "I vas jus' say-eeng to Meez Wren 'ere... ze inns of zis town vill not accept oo'r presence. Oo are meeth-ee-kal creature to zem. I veell off-air oo a place to stay... eet eez dan-ger-ous out on ze streets at night... oo may return to oo'r journ-ee een ze morn-eeng of course..." He nods, turning and walking a few bits away. "Come, zen. I 'ave an appointment tonight, an' I do not vish to miss eet."

That, and he hated keeping Azhka out of the loop, or not giving her warning at all. His heart sunk - that worried look she gave him sometimes was worse than any scolding she could give him. His face showed no emotion, but... his heart still clenched, as guilt crept up into his brain.
 
"Kharg! There you are." It took him long enough to hunt her down, she was starting to get a slight bit worried! Wren fell in to step next to Dar, tilting her head in amusement at being thought of as a mythical creature. Calabrians themselves with sort of mythical on the human continent. She was having fun discovery what was myth and what was reality!

"Dar's offer is really nice, so we can stay with him tonight. I mean, it beats being all sneaky and I doubt there's much places to hide on the city streets here." Though while walking a thought occurred to her.

"...Kharg, where is my Trunk! You didn't drop it in the street somewhere again did you? I know I said no one can break in to it, but it's a devil of a hard time trying to track it down when someone steals it!"
 
Kharg

"I am no' leaving you with the Repense while I fetch ye trunk, lass," Kharg replied, meaning every word of it. "The streets offer danger but no' more is dangerous than a Calabrian noble." He was following her inside. He couldn't leave her alone, not here, not with him. He would have to find another way to secure her trunk.


***

Azhka

Azhka paused on a balcony just overhead, spying on Dar and the hairless monkey he had brought back with him. What was he doing?! He was going to put himself in danger like this and she didn't like it when he did that. Those nobles would see. They'd want to attack him somehow. She'd have to prepare more of her traps.

The only betrayal of emotion was the narrowing of her eyes before she turned and ran back to Dar's rooms to commence with preparations.
 
Azkha's actions gave away more than she thought they would. Her hurried nature meant that this wasn't a regular occurance; otherwise she might have kept slightly more composure, slipping out of the party quietly.

A hero, huh. That would make things interesting. You could count on many Calabrian nobles to work exactly for whatever would be best for them, no matter the moral consequences. And for the Repense representative...ironic.

Hrm, what to do...she sat back in her chair, smoking and thinking quietly.
"Cat, watch what our friend Dar does with the human girl for me, will you? Don't be too suspicious."
 
Dar smiled - a sinister look. It was the cold smile of a predator looking upon his next meal. "Oo'r guide eez... smart, to know of our... reputation. I vill go vit ze two of oo' to get oo'r bags, so as not to... leave me vit' oo." He nods, walking with them and retrieving the bags.

While a young black mouse hovered over them as if to take what's inside, one look at the grouped three and the frightened creature scurried back into the darkness.

"Good... now zat zis eez settled, ve vill 'ead to my place of residence..." He then turned, striding down the main road with purpose towards the massive mountain-castle ahead. "...Kharg, vas eet? Ples-air." He looks at the man up and down, eyes narrowing. "...I 'ope oo are pre-pair-ed. Oo are right abou' ze nobles. Ve are a... predatory bunch, unlike zeez street scaveng-airs."
 
Wren was a lot more comfortable now that her Trunk was secured once again. Though she was curious about Kharg's expression, she would save those questions for later when the, uh Reepens? wasn't there. She looked around curiously at the places they passed, but it was the castle they approached that interested her the most!

"So you are a noble. I did figure. My luck must be getting better! I wanted to meet Calabrian nobles so we could speak about human and Calabrian relations." Wren paused for a minute, tilting her head to look up at Dar.

"You in the castle with a bunch of other nobles? Kharg told me there isn't a King for Calabrian anymore. I imagine it's gotten interesting there."
 
Kharg

Kharg lifted the trunk on his back and followed. He walked behind and between Wren and Dar. If Dar did something to threaten the lass, his position would enable him to deal with him quickly and efficiently. Repense were not known for their physical strength but he had been raised knowing physical strength was just one of many weapons in a Calabrian's arsenal.

He didn't reply to the Repense's words but he did give a slight nod. He was as prepared as he could be given the circumstances. He just had to keep in mind that he had another's welfare to be concerned with should things get ... what was the term the fleshies had for this ... hairy.


***

Cat

"As Mother wishes," he replied. He would do her bidding and they would never even know he was there. He gave a deep bow, a fitting sign of homage for his Mother. He had never seen a human before up close but curiousity, recklessness was something that had been trained out of him.

Cat slipped out of the room, silently, although none but Sam probably noticed him being there at all. He found his way down the hall, out the door, out of the castle and into the shadows ...
 
Dar snorts loudly, shaking his head. "Oo know, most con-see-dair catch-eeng ze at-ten-shun of ze nobles to be a curse razzer zan a bless-eeng. Zair are re-ree-sen-ah-teeves of every Major and Minor House on ze continent, each vy-eeng for pow-air. Myself een-cloo-ded." He nods, turning to glance at them, "I am try-eeng to get ze major 'ouse Bisclavret eento ze throne... zair adaptability veell 'elp ze kingdom greatly."

Dar leads them to the gates of the castle, where the guards that stood there each tucked their tails between their legs, moving to the side to allow the much smaller bat passage, glancing nervously at one another.

A wave of heat washed over them as they walked into the obsidian-black castle, caused by the lava floes far under them. It's darkness was offset, light structures and colors tastefully placed so as to allow it a more regal than intimidating look, though the infernal heat remained. Dar looked around for a moment with a smile, smiling happily. "Ah, zat heat... 'ow von-dear-fool."
 
Wren didn't have the same appreciation of the heat. It was hot and muggy outside and now inside the walls it was just as warm! The cloak she hadn't bothered to put back on was now in her hands gently fanning her face as she admired the look of the place. Very fine, very important looking. The nobility of Calabria must all be important and probably rich people.

"Sounds like a mess. Honestly, I would probably prefer a more quiet moment to spring - um... a Human Presence on everyone, but I guess Luck had something else in store for me!" Wren had stopped walking for a brief second, eyeing an ornate painting on the wall, but she was quick to catch up again.

"Do you think you can introduce me to some of the nobility? I don't want to impose, but I definitely want to meet as many people as possible. If nobility are accepting of me, maybe I won't have so many broom swung at my head when I visit new cities." The sheepish look on her face suggested that she already had quite a few meetings with brooms.
 
Dar nods, "I could... een-tro-duce oo. Though zair eez some-zeeng I veell 'ave to do first... follow me." He turns, silently leading the way up a variety of stairs, trying to get to his own room without incident... unfortunately, this was not possible for him.

A good crowd of nobles that had seen him 'save' the human female were standing in the hall, waiting for him... viciously licking their teeth and grating their claws in less-than-figurative ways.

"Dar'zuul... interesting. I thought the Repense were less... generous... than that."

Fur bristling on the back of his neck, Dar frowns. Turning to give a warning glance to Wren's bodyguard and thinking fast, he turns to look at the nobles, biting his cheek with his needle-teeth to produce blood. "...I merely vished to try some-teeng new." Swooping his winged arm over Wren, he attaches his teeth to her neck, feigning the drinking of blood - his own appearing from his cheek onto her neck.

The smell of the blood easily caught by the nobles, who suddenly had the fear restored to them. Raising himself from the now-bloodied, probably-terrified body of Wren, still clutched to his body body, he glares at them. "Begone. Allow me enjoy my meal, lest oo be next."

One could rarely see a group of nobles run the opposite way so quickly.

Once the coast was clear, he took a hankerchief from his breast pocket, wiping his blood from her neck. "...Vanted to avoid zat, zoh ze display veell make influencing zem easi-air..." Eyebrows furrowed in worry, he looked to Kharg. "She eez unharmed. Eet eez my own blood... come, ve vill get oo changed from zose bloodied theengs... an' my servant eez likely vait-eeng."
 
Wren wasn't expecting to see a group of men and women waiting for them as they turned a corner. In fact, she was going to be more than happy to excuse herself to allow Dar the chance to finish up with his business.

But that wasn't quite what happened!

On a normal basis, Wren wasn't one to scream or yelp when faced with attack. She'd pull out a weapon and get to swinging! But those Calabrian reflexes were quicker than she could see coming! One moment she was looking at confused nobles, and the next she was being grabbed and giving a loud squeak of surprise! She could feel the blood at her neck, and was so sure she had just become a snack-food for a very sneaky bat.

So when he was apologizing and wiping blood from her neck, Wren was struck with a great deal of confusion. Pale faced and startled, she opened her mouth to speak at least three times before she finally gathered up the words.

"I- yo- Um, huh?!" Wren stepped back, a hand slowly rising up to her neck. Not a bite at all! The entire thing had just been for show. Now she felt a little stupid having panicked like she did. Straightening her shirt, she cleared her throat and tried to wiped that startled expression off her face for something less ridiculous.

"Ahem. Yes, right. I'd appreciate getting clean, definitely."
 
He seems to consider something for a moment, and nods, walking forward to open his room and walk in. He then stopped, giving an apologetic glance at his likely-worried servant, before letting Kharg and Wren within his room... moving to lock the door.

Then came a ridiculous change over the course of an exhausted sigh. His stance shifting to a less hostile state, his facial features softening, his eyes loosing their predatory gleam. He flipped around, hand moving over his own rapidly-beating heart in an effort to calm himself, ears drooping.

"I've nev-air 'ad to theenk so quick-lee as just zen." His tone, now softened considerably, actually sounded... pleasant, to the ear. He looked to the two, "I apologize for the deceit, zoh a leetle Repense such as myself vill not ev-air 'ave ze strength to stand up to zose berserkers."

"Zoh zis 'as giv-en a von-dear-fool opportunity... eef zey theenk oo to be vampiric, like zey believe me to be, zen zey vill treat oo vit respect... I'd just need to-" It was that when the blood began to dribble from his mouth from the previous inner-cheek wound. As if just realizing it, he wearily drops into a chair with a 'whooooo'.
 
It took a moment for her heartbeat to still, but as Dar's appearance eased, so did her own. Being reassured that her initial trust of the man wasn't wrong perked her mood right back up again. Wren was grinning as she admired the room and still absently trying to wipe away any left over traces of blood. She never thought of herself as squeamish or overly girly, but there was just something skin-crawly about having blood on you.

"No, no. That's okay. I'd rather not go around pretending to be a Vampire. I'm a hundred percent human and that's what I'll be known for!" Wren stopped near a mirror to check and see if she cleared away the blood. Well, didn't look great, but that's what baths were for.
 
"Leesen, eet eez fine zat oo 'ave some racial pride teeng zair, but 'ere? Eet vill geet oo eaten. Or vorse. As a false-vam-pair, oo 'ave protection, and un-dair ze fear of ze Repense, oo 'ave ze freedom to go vairever oo vant, as long as eet eez at night."

He moves over to the mirror himself, opening a drawer under it and pulling out a thumb-sized vial, sticking his long tongue into it and scooping out some of the paste inside, applying it to the side of his cheek.

"As veell, eet vill increase zair Fear, giv-eeng me more pol-ee-tee-cal clout, myself. oo vill be do-eeng me a favor eef oo play along..." He smiles apologetically at her. "Oo do want to be save 'ere, do oo not? Oo'r bodyguard ez not a deterrent to ze Beasts een ze castle."
 
Kharg

Kharg didn't like this at all. Once the door to the Repense's room was locked, he was surveying the place, arms crossed and tail swishing behind him. He listened to the conversation, more or less because he wanted to hear the Repense's reason before he outright attacked him. It was a tempting idea but one even he knew was stupid, especially while in the castle where there were dangers than one.

"He has a point, lass," he said reluctantly. "The nobles will no' hesitate to attack or use ye to benefit themselves. I will stress again the considerable danger ye are in. There is no King with which to unify them or more importantly, to bring them under control. I understand ye still wanting to keep true to your human roots but 'tis either pride or survival."


Azhka

Azhka had gotten everything she was sure she'd need by the time Dar returned--with two visitors. She stood in the background, behind and slightly to the side of Dar, ready to defend and attack if needed. Hm, but by the look of the large Calabrian who came with the hairless monkey, she may have to do some improvising.

But what was Dar doing? What was he thinking?! She had sneaked out, prepared with her things when she'd spied his little show in front of the nobles, then sneaked back in before he was through. His reasons sounded practical enough but would that be true in the long run?

Azhka knew better than to speak out now. So she patiently waited until he was through, not wanting to draw attention to herself.


Cat


Cat watched the other nobles leave, hiding out in the shadows. He'd witnessed the grand show the Repense had put on and followed the group to the Repense's chambers. Mother would want to know about this, for sure. The Repense having the creature for a snack, scaring those twists. It wasn't until the door had closed behind them and he heard the locks that he turned and slipped back to Mother's side. The room was well protected against spying from any angle and to attempt to do so would require him to run the risk of being discovered which were against his orders.

Oh well, perhaps Mother would be pleased with what he had seen and he did so want to please her ...
 
Wren turned around to plop her hands on her hips and give Kharg and exasperated stare. He wasn't helping at all.

"It's not about my pride, it's about-- It doesn't matter. You just have to understand, it's important that I don't lie about who and what I am. I need to be myself, even if that means things won't be as safe as we'd like them to be." They put so much stress on how dangerous this place was. Wren understood, she really did. But she wasn't going to let fear of death and doom to her.

All of this seriousness was just too much. Even the beautiful cat that must've been Dar's servant was standing nearby seeming a bit bristled and cross. Wren felt the need to lighten the mood.

"Jeeze, with Calabria such a mess, maybe I should run for Queen myself. No better way to unite a kingdom than with a common target to be confused by, huh?" she cracked a wide grin, waiting for that chuckle the joke was supposed to follow. Nope, just Kharg looking at her like she was a maniac.

"I'm kidding! Really, if I am a problem for you here, I can leave. I don't want to put anyone through unnecessary danger. And you" she pointed at Kharg, "should stop worrying too! You're a guide, not a babysitter! "