Chap 3 - Time to take stock...
Urd watched as Snape strode down a small, but well tended, road that lead to a castle in the distance. It was quite picturesque with the sun hanging in the sky behind it. Turning lightly on her powder blue one inch pump, she headed for the nearest pub. Since she was going to be here awhile, she decided to wear her power blue business suit, hoping to attract less attention. It was slightly working. A few glances about told her that these people had no fashion sense when it came to normal cloths. They dressed in a mish-mosh of eclectic styles that kind-of went together. Mostly they ran about in robes. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her wallet. Glancing inside, she remembered that all she had were Yen. Sighing, she knew her drink was going to be delayed.
She stepped into the the nearest opened store and headed for the cashier. They should be able to tell her where to get her money exchanged at. "Excuse me, can you tell me where I can exchange my money to your currency?" She almost said the pound, but she vaguely remembered that the wizarding world used a different currency all together.
The cashier smiled at her. "The best place is at Gringott's, the main branch is in Diagon Alley, in London. We don't get many visitors here who haven't already exchanged their money, so we don't have a branch here. You can use the Floo to go to Madam Malkin's and walk from there. We have a direct connection. Just step in and keep your mind blank, you'll end up at Madam's."
Urd waited to hear what the charge was going to be, but the girl stopped speaking, and gestured her towards the fireplace. As Urd was about to step into the flames, the girl grabbed her arm. "Don't forget the Floo Powder! You'll burn up."
'Maybe the powder is set to the location I need to go? I might as well try it. Then I can see the substance in action.' Taking a pinch of the powder, she tossed it into the flames. When they turned green, she stepped in.
"Remember keep your mind blank!"
Urd whooshed off into the dark. Stretching her senses about her, she tried to figure out how this potion worked. Picking out the different herbs by the scents, she started working out their ratios in her mind. Before she could finalize them, she landed in a fireplace of a seamstress. Stepping out of the grate, she left all the soot behind her. Walking up to the lady who seemed to be the proprietress, she bowed her head in greetings. "Madam Malkin?"
The gray haired witch nodded as she looked the tall dusky skinned woman over.
"The cashier at Bingum's Sweets and Pastries let me borrow her fireplace so that I could get to Gringott's. Where might I find them?"
The child on the stool in front of the mirror cast her an amazed look. Madam just smiled slightly. "You can't miss them. They are the largest building just down on the corner."
Thanking her, Urd walked out of the busy shop and into a busier street. One quick glance about showed her how much her current outfit stuck out like a sore thumb. With a mental toss of her head, she called up a long black robe with lightening bolts streaking across the neckline and down the front center opening. Leaving it open so that her blue business suit was visible, she headed towards the largest building in sight.
As she walked through the wards that surrounded the bank, which she discovered Gringott's was, she assessed where she needed to go. All she wanted was to exchange some Yen into whatever the currency here was. The first thing she noticed was the goblins. The second thing she noticed was that they were running the bank. 'Well... they will at least be honest. If not, their own wards will get them.' Picking a line, she waited patiently. Her eyes flickered every where, taking in everything. Goblins, those that were not helping customers, were scurrying about as if some one had dropped scalding hot water on them. Whispers were flying about behind hands and then behind doors. As she stepped up to the counter, she ignored all the running about. The only thing on her mind was exchanging her money and finding out where she could find a good bottle of sake.
"How can I help you?" The little goblin voice was clear over the small din in the large room.
"I need to exchange money." Urd waited for the next question. She could tell that there was one.
"From which currency to what currency?"
"From Yen to whatever you use around here."
The goblin blinked as a little light brighten up on the row of blubs next to his elbow. "One moment please. I have to check that exchange rate." Hopping down, he moved quickly to the main desk near a gate. The goblin at that desk followed him back. He was the one that addressed her. "If you could follow me, we can't handle Yen at the front desks."
Sighing as she saw her sake getting further away from her, Urd followed the slightly large goblin into a small room. In the room an even larger goblin stepped forward and bowed slightly towards her. As Urd returned the greeting, he spoke. "What do we owe the honor of having one of the Goddesses come to our humble bank?"
A quick glance around reminded Urd that she was still in the plush, gilded, and heavily warded place. "I just need to exchange Yen for wizarding money so I can buy a bottle of sake. That is all."
The goblin raised a eyebrow. "Yen?"
She was getting tired of this. All she want was a drink and then a place to settle down to think. Her task was getting harder by the minute, but she knew Yggdrasil wouldn't let her leave until it was completed. Pulling out the bills, she held them out. "These Yen for whatever wizards use and an explanation of their money."
The older goblin nodded slightly as he took the bills. "Kepwich, explain the monetary system while I exchange this."
Urd looked at the goblin that had escorted her there. "So, you're Kepwich? My name is Urd. Let's make this quick, I have places to be."
"Of course." He stepped over to the door, and talked to someone right outside. Turning back into the room, he gestured to the pair of chairs against the wall. "Would you like to have a seat, my lady?"
Settling in the offered chair, Urd crossed her legs, and waited. There was a quiet knock at the door as Kepwich settled into the other chair. "Enter." The door opened, revealing the smallest goblin Urd had yet to see carrying a tray. "Set it there on the table, thank you." The smallest goblin scurried out after it was relieved of its burden. Kepwich poured a small cup to the brim and then offered it to Urd. "Sake while we work?"
The first real smile of the day crossed Urd's face. "Thank you, Kepwich."
Fifteen minutes later, with knuts, sickles, and galleons tucked in a pouch in her purse and the knowledge of how to use them, Urd left Gringott's. Walking back to Madam Malkin's she considered what she needed to do. She was going to be stuck here in the wizarding world for a while and she needed to research the philosopher's stone. Maybe she could do some research while she was here. Listening about, she tried to learn more about the world that was different than the one she had lived in in Japan. There was a lot of conversation about some school called Hogwarts, and the name Dumbledore was bandied about, sometimes with derision.
The scent of the demon that she had smelled about the blond haired man, Lucius, wafted past her. Turning her head slightly, she traced the smell to a small dark haired man that was striding down the alley just ahead of her. Matching her pace to his, she followed him. When he turned down a disreputable alley, she slowed her steps. Up until here it could be believed that she realized she was in a hurry, but if she turned it would be obvious that she was following him. As a dark fetid smell drifted from the alley, she knew that she had to press on. The demon might not be here, but clues to who it was might be.
The alley's atmosphere was different from the main thoroughfare. People where quieter, the shops were a bit more closed about what they sold. The window displays were set up in a way that provided privacy for the customer who was checking out. The feel of dark, rich, powerful magic flowed about her as she walked further down the small, crooked walk way. Almost absentmindedly she started identifying what would create that particular feel. Some were powerful potion ingredients, some were curses, some were dark magic. 'Dark magic... as strong as some of the weaker demonic magics that I had seen before I became a goddess.' As she walked down the alley, she also noticed that the demonic smell was on a few individuals, each one to a different degree. 'It is almost like each one has a demonic item on them... or like they are slightly possessed by the demon, under its control.' By this time her steps had turned onto smaller and smaller paths until the eaves of the business and houses almost touched somewhere above her head. It was the smell of alcohol that pulled her out of her thoughts. Turning sharply, she entered the squalid tavern that was tucked between a tiny cauldron shop and a rag seller.
The patrons turned to see who entered, and then stared at the woman there.
As Urd crossed the open area to the bar, she could feel the greedy eyes of the current patrons following. 'Please, oh please, do something. I have controlled myself so much today, that I am dying to fry something.' Setting at one of the cracked and worn stools at the far end with her back to a wall, she caught the attention of the bartender. "I don't suppose you have sake?"
The bartender looked her over before answering. "Nop', none her'."
Urd leaned forward. "Mead? Ale? Rum?" The bartender shook his head no to the mead, but nodded to both the ale and rum. "Rum, no ice."
"That'll be a sickle."
Urd raised an eyebrow at the cost, but dropped it onto the counter. "Don't water the rum down."
Slipping the coin off the bar, he replaced it with a glass of dark rum. Urd lifted the surprisingly clean glass to her lips and sipped. Nodding her approval, she took another sip letting the deep rich flavor roll about her mouth, checking for poisons or other additives. Not that they would affect her, but it would be nice to know if the place was a good spot or a bad spot. 'None... good rich rum, clean glasses and a murderous patronage... this might be a good place to come back to.'
The few patrons that were still sizing her up decided that she might be too big of a fish to handle and turned back to their own drinks. Three of them had a different idea though, but they knew that they had to wait until she left.
Resting her back against the stout dented wall, Urd watched the shadows of people pass by the smoky dirty windows. Her mind wandered the twisting path of that she had followed to get to where she was now, analyzing all the turns and surprises that she had come across since the phone had rung. What had seem liked days was really only less than one. Savoring her rum, she decided she needed to prioritize things. 'First... I have to grant Snape's wish. Second... I have to track down the demon and put an end to its time here in this dimension. I might have to report that to The Almighty so that I can stay here to handle it. Maybe he will let me so that the Valkaries won't have to come. Maybe I should just call up Mom and ask her. Hild has to know who is playing here... but she most likely won't tell me, she is the Lord of the Demon world for a reason. And to call her up would just add to the problems. This demon seems to control people by marking them, leaving little bits of its power in them so that they do its bidding. I think I remember an older, powerful demon who did that. But it was so long ago, that I can't recall his name. Snape seems to have some connection to the people who are demon tainted. I wonder if he is slightly tainted as well. But a demon tainted person wouldn't be able to reach the Goddess Help Line. Maybe the demon one...' Clunking her empty glass on to the scared surface, she frowned. She needed to get back to Snape and learn as much as she could from him.
" 'nother glass?"
Urd glance over at the bartender and then down to the empty cup. "No. Thanks." Pulling herself off the stool, she headed out the door. She didn't miss the three shadows that detached themselves from their seats and followed her. Glancing back, she checked out the name of the tavern she wanted to come back to. 'The Broken Cask?At least that is what the image reminds me of.' She saw the shadows detach themselves from the landing as she walked away. Turning her step into the small corridor that lead to the side of the tavern, most likely where the barkeep received their supplies, she waited. It didn't take long. She spun about as the gravel crunched behind her.
"Can I help you?"
One of the walking rag heaps pulled out a wand and pointed it to her. "Give us your money, and we'll let you walk out of 'ere." The other two wastrels pointed their wands at her.
The bartender watched through the small window that was above the sink. He considered calling the law, but knew it would be useless. Then he saw the smile that crossed the white haired witch's face. His eyes widened as she interlaced her fingers and then flexed them lightly. She looked so confident, but she wasn't holding a wand.
Urd grinned. She could finally let out some of her frustration. It was finally time to fry someone. "Do you know who you are threatening?" Her tone chided them to think about what they were doing, all the while she hoped they wouldn't back down.
"Some rich girl who wandered into the wrong district. Now... 'and us your money." The spokesman flicked his wand, preparing to cast. "Or else."
An almost demonic smile crossed Urd's face, and she decided not to disabuse them of their incorrect idea of her identity. "I'll take the 'Or else'. I've spent too much time in Gringott's today as it is."
The muggers looked at her in surprise as they raised their wands. "Wind..."
The lightening bolts that struck them didn't let them finish their charm. It hit their raised wands and then coursed down until they were all engulfed in an electrical net dancing all about them. Turning towards the taverns side door, Urd left the dirty heaps of the would be robbers lying where they had fallen.
The bartender opened the door. "Are they dead?" His eyes danced over the three smoldering heaps.
Urd didn't bother to glance back. "No." She walked passed him, stepping into the small back room of the tavern. "I'm going to borrow your fireplace." She didn't give him a moment to object. Three steps took her into the blazing fire.
As the bartender watched her vanish into the flames without the help of Floo powder, he was sure that she was not your average witch. Without even a second glance at the smoldering heaps, he closed the door and went back to work.
