What Lurks Beneath the Sky

"Most people at this sanc are more drunk than anything, so you wont have to pay them much mind." said Asura as he led them through the rainy streets that had grown quiet since the latest outburst of Hunter skirmishes. They eventually came to a dingy hole in the wall kind of place with a metal sign that read: 'The Husk'. The door had no hinge, but a thin slot in the upper part of the door for a door guard to see through. He knocked on the door three times and the panel slid back, a pair of weasely eyes looked back at him. They seemed to squint and Asura jumped a spark between his fingers in response. The latch slid closed and the door opened hastily. He led them inside to a rustic, 18-century looking seedy pub. Many large men sitting on stools that seemed a little too small for them sat around circular iron tables bolted to the floor. "Afternoon, Pete!" Asura greeted the bartender. Pete gave a friendly nod back. "Liquor in the front..." started Asura. "Bunker in the back!" finished the barkeep. Pete waved his hand and a section of wall dissapeared in a puff of smoke to reveal a doorway opening up to a set of stairs. He led the group down and into the Husk Sanctuary. "Ah..." sighed Asura, "Home sweet Home..."
 
Andy clapped quietly. "So it's settled. I won't stay long either, I just want to nap. Lead the way Asura!" She glanced at him smiling, having noticed his nervousness earlier.
 
As they entered the Sanctuary, Veela felt rather uneasy about it. She hadn't like them any more than being chased by the magehunters. "Nice place." Veela looked around some more, until the wall disappeared. "First time I've seen that magic put to use in a long time."

Veela looked at Andy. "Why won't you be staying long? I don't like these places, which is why I'm only in here to dry off, and then I'll be on my way again, but for a Vamp, you'd think this would be a great place, wouldn't it?" Veela inquired, questioning Andy. For some reason, it felt strange for her to not be the only one that didn't want to stay in one of the Sanctuaries, then again, she was never a fan of handouts, and using the sanctuary for more than what she needed felt like one.

"I have my own....we'll call it area, that I stay at. It's safe and well guarded, but I try not to draw attention to it. How do you know this place so well, Asura?" Veela was actually intrigued by the way he could just walk in, say a few words and have the place open to him without problems.
 
"You have your orders, Captain."

Augustina spoke curtly to the Mage Magehunter in front of her. He gave a sharp nod and left. Adjusting her elbow-lenght gloves, a smile graced her face.

This was going to be an...interesting night.
 
"Well, you see, as soon as my parents found out that I was born with the Lifelink, they turned me in to the government. That was ten years ago. Peter, the barkeep was a friend of my fathers. He hated my father after that and he took me into his pub and created this sanctuary. He is born with the Lifelink too. No-one gets in or out without going through Pete. And nothing, I mean NOTHING get through Pete forcefully. He is more powerful than i could possibly imagine. He has been like a father to me..." said Asura as he grasped a nearby bottle of scotch whisky, taking the cork in his teeth and spitting it across the room into a bin. He poured a small ammount into the bottom of a short glass and sipped it. The warmth filled his body and he sniffed the strong, sharp scent of the whisky. "You are welcome to stay here as long as you like, however often you like. My home is now your home. And don't worry about Pete. Any frind of mine is a friend of his."
 
Andy follwed them inside and listened as. " they spoke.

She smiled when Veela questioned her. "There are always strange men in these places," she replied, laughing. "No, actually. I just don't like being indoors, I'm somewhat claustrophobic."
 
She held out her hand, the sphere of water floating, growing with each drop that hit it. The man's eyes disappeared for a moment before she heard a click.

Ravenlocke smiled greatfully to get out of the rain...even if she had mastery over water. As she looked around the room, a locke of white hair covered her right eye.

Perfect.
 
"Well, I'm sure Pete can fix you up a room. Trust me, every room here is bigger on the inside. Pete is the master of physical manipulation and illusion. He can do just about anything." smiled Asura. "Tell you the truth, it does get pretty lonesome here. Most people who visit this sancutary are only here for a couple days." he said sadly, finishing the whisky. He poured a fresh salvo into the glass. He looked up again. "Oh, and the men upstairs? An illusion. They dont even speak to me, only to themselves. When a stranger who passes the door without permission, they are the first line of defence. They become physical and then beat the living piss out of whoever is unfortunate enough to get past the door guard! HA! But seriously... Yeah. Pretty lonely..." Asura rolled a ball of crackling static between his thumb and forefinger. He flinged the bolt at the fireplace and it lit up. "I'm beginning to learn some illusion stuff from Pete. It is really difficult to get right, but when you do, it really feels like you've acomplished something..." and with saying that, Asura traced an outline with his finger and a rudimentary and slightly wonky clothesline materialised by the fire. "You can hang you're clothes there." he said with a polite smile before taking another sip of scotch. He heard footsteps upstars. "Pete? what's going on?" Whoever was there, they would not be getting past Pete in a hurry, be they enemy.
 
Gregor laughed and followed. "I'm Gregor, Black Magic Arcanist" he chuckled, his dark snakes behind him hissing in an ancient language, " Gregor, are you sure we should trust them?" Gregor just turned his head to them and nodded, speaking back, "We need the vampyre's soul, Wraith." He knew quite a few words in the language, hoping not to be understood by the others. The adrenaline the dark energy had provided him during the fight help him not notice the pain of the bullet wound he had sustained in the stomach. "I do believe I require some healing assistance" he said as blood began to stain his white undershirt. "I can however, conceal all of us from human view in return" As they walked into the sanctuary he let out a sigh of relief, though the lights inside bothered his eyes greatly. "Excuse me, Asura, I believe it was, My friends here, the snakes, as well as I, being raised in the arcane arts of darkness, are extremely sensitive to the light, and I'm afraid if there isn't a room in which I can turn the lights off, it will extremely difficult for me to heal, or use any of my magic." he pleaded. He didn't plan to take the vampyre's soul completely, just some of her power so that he could save his brother, Avery, from the mage hunters. His brother was only 11, and Gregor being 267 years old he deemed it necessary to make an example to his brother by saving him, unless he was already dead. The thought angered him, and personally, he and the mage hunters had no quarrel, but now, things were different, He brushed his wet black locks out of his face, and he commanded his snakes back into the deck of cards, and they did so. After this he pulled his hood out to keep his eyes out of the light. His pupils were different, his eyes altogether were different. For others who could see better in the light, but had to wait for their eyes to adjust to darkness, he however, could see perfectly in the dark, and had to wait for his eyes to adjust to the light. He studied the sanctuary from under his hood, seeing nothing to significant. The only reason he had saved Veela and joined the others was because, quite frankly, he needed help. The others he had tried to recruit, were either to scared of him, like the mage-hunters were, or to weak to prove helpful. He felt different about this group, though.
 
Ravenlocke saw there were a few men sitting on stools that were just shade too small for them...but the stools held none the less. Pulling back her hood and brushing back the straying bit of hair, she approuched the bar.

"You wouldn't happen to have any Cúrioc back there behind the bar, would you?"

Cúrioc was more commonly know as Bottled Lightning, at least outside the Western Fringe. A blue tinted bottle was pulled out.

"Damn...I was hoping you had Red. Oh well. Shoot me."
 
Andy lay her head down on the table, yawning. "Hurry up with that room," she muttered, though she smiled as she did so.

What was it about blood that always made her sleepy, yet energetic at the same time? It was a contradiction, Andrea realized, but she couldn't control it. It was like an energy crash.

She listened quietly as the others spoke, not making much of an input. Instead, she got lost in the thought of starting to drink energy drinks constantly. They wouldn't do her much harm after all.

When she heard Asura call something up to her friend, she sat up straight. "Do you think it could be other mages?" she wondered aloud.
 
"I can get Pete to arrange you a room like that. No problem! As for you, Andy, be patient. If there are mages here, I hope for thier sake that they aren't up to any funny business. Stay here..." said Asura as he walked upstars. When he reached top of the flight, the door had been sealed. He waved his hand and the door turned transparent from his side. There was a lady standing by the bar, with bottled lightning. If she got in, she must be a mage. Asura stepped through the door without opening it using rudimentary illusion prowess. He walked over and greeted the lady. "Hello there! Welcome to The Husk! Can I get you anything?" he asked politely.
 
Ravenlocke jumped in suprise. Where the hell did he come from? Catching her breath, she smiled.

"I was about to have a few rounds of Cúrioc," She indicated the bottle of one of the stongest alcohols in Kingdom and surrounding Fringes that rested on the counter. She raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to the 'new comer'.

"Care to join me?"
 
"Well, for a pretty little lady like you, sure thing." smiled Asura. "Curioc! Ha, well well. Are you sure? Pete here makes it himself. I consider myself a drinker and this stuff knocks me on my ass every time..." he cautioned the lady. "Where are my manners? My name is Asura. And yours?" he asked as he lifted her hand to his lips and sent a tiny, tingly spark up her arm. "Ah, water mage? Very nice. We should get along... swimmingly..."
 
Ravenlocke nodded.
"I can handle Blue Cúrioc no problem. I prefer Red Cúrioc though. More of a kick, and it reminds me of Home."

She giggled like a schoolgirl as Asura took her hand.
"My name's Ravenlocke, but please call me Raven."

She jerked her hand back at the light shock, a cry of pain escaping her lips. While it was brief, as a water mage it hurt like hell.
 
"Woah, I'm sorry Raven..." said Asura shyly. "I couldn't help it... I do that sometimes when I'm excited..." He blushed as he looked over to Pete. All Asura had to do was nod and he slid a bottle of the blue Cuiroc down the bar. Asura picked up a pair of shot glasses and poured out the syrup like liquid into the glasses. He passed one to Raven. "Look, I'm really sorry... I hope you can forgive me?" said Asura, blushing so hard it could make a rose jelous.
 
Gregor yelled to Asura , "I'm going to need that room, I'm getting quesy"

(Sorry for short post, hard to think)
 
"Sorry!" he shouted in reply. "Pete, I'm going to need a room for Gregor. He's a dark-o so no lights, mate. Cheers." he winked to Pete who winked back, waved his hand and a distant sound of shifting brick rang through the building. Asura heard a shout of thanks and turned back to the lady who's company he had momentarily neglected. "Bottoms up?" he asked swavely.
 
Raven shot Asura an indigent look before laughing. She took the offered glass, her eyes focusing on the liquid contained within. For some reason, it looked more white than blue.

"I'll forgive if this turns out to be any good."

Before she could knock back the crackling drink, she heard another voice. She eyed Asura as she took note of the subtile sound of shifting brick.

"You didn't tell me you had friends in the back. I was wonder why I sensed others nearby, but couldn't see them."
 
Andy sighed and leaned back in her chair, tilting the front legs off of the ground. She started considering leaving the place and finding some abandoned building to nap in. Not that the sanctuary was all that bad, it was quite nice as a matter of fact, but, as she'd said before, she was slightly claustrophobic.

Andrea stood up abruptly. "I need something to drink," she said. Getting drunk, or even buzzed, always camed her nerves. She looked toward the bar-keep. "Can I get a plain ol' beer?" she asked.

She remained standing until the beer was brought to her. Immediately she began drinking, letting the alcohol flow into her body.