The Assassin's Way
part 17 The Nutty Professor
"How much for the dogshit in the window ?"
-unknown
22 June 2055
5PM unknown Vault, Redwood Forest
A very long agonsing moment passed. Time seemed to fall still for the young version of Mark, and as Sazhori and Mark watched they too were envolped in the strange animus world. As the two watched they saw that young Mark was sans headscarf, as a young man of twenty six he was rather dark in skin color due to the sunlight in Egypt, not to mention his knowledge and skills at the time were still limited. Of course it was another seven years before he returned to Arendelle, when by that point he had to look up the place as he had all but entirely forgotten about it.
But that didnt matter, what mattered as the two observed was how young-Mark was going to survive the massive bulewark of an aunt who simply spoke calmly "Mark Wolfe, adopted son of my sister Snowfeather." The armor seemed to stand slightly taller, thin in body and strength as well it looked, yet it was massive, the feline woman inside it cultivated sheer muscle ready to fight. "You have passed the test of sand, shadows, and knowledge. Now, comes the test. Of Strength." Sensishi could not see what Mark had for weapons, only a pair of hidden blades as Vaeyuko had insisted on only those weapons.
He saw then what his aunt meant, sight was Senishi's weakness, she couldnt see, so that meant not only sight was her weakness, but somewhere on her armor was another weakness, and Mark had to make a mark of contact with it to pass the test. That is what his aunt meant by using his sight over other senses, finding the weak point in such beautifully designed armor wasnt going to be easy. And with just his hidden blades, he doubted highly he could get too close from the front.
Senishi didnt need advanced technology to see or hear, everything with her enchanced hearing and sense of smell and touch had a sound, Even colors had a proper sound, Senishi could hear Mark breathing, mostly in shock at taking in the sheer size of her. But it didnt matter. She didnt wait long before she set her right arm as a shield arm, a energy shield formed from it, spreading like glass from her forearm and extending into a viable zeihander type shield as she grunted something as her otherthand formed a green energy sword.
Young Mark forced himself to be ready for anything, staring hard at his aunt as she settled into a shield wall stance, the energy sword on his aunts left arm glowed brighter, as if charging for some reason, then she fired it, a plushed laser blast of some form. Mark dove out of the way of the shot, it faded behind him. "Holy fuck, nobody said anything of lasers" Mark grumbled. As he was getting to his feet he noticed that he was somehow closer to his aunt. She lunged at him, fast and hard, a heavy grunt was heard as she swung her shield arm, stretching her body as she did so.
Young Mark used the speed of the sudden smacking to fly into the air and land behind his aunt, quickly turning around he saw briefly a possible weak zone, but he knew he had to stay one step ahead of that heavy shield, as light as it was in her massive hands, he knew it was heavy, he felt the thing slam into him, but he used it to launch away. She quickly turned towards him, charging her arm sword again for another pulse. Mark waited, backing up slightly as Senishi charged and fired another energy pulse from her sword. Mark ducked forwards towards her
She swung her massive shield arm at him, using it as a bounce board Mark launched himself over her head, twisting as he did so to see if he could spot the weakspot again, There, the base of her back. Perfect! Mark landed on his feet once again and darted for his aunt, she was quicker, faster than he thought as she turned on a dime and rushed at him again. He had to carefully time his move, the fight could be quickly over had he not been working out over the years since he joined the family overall.
Senishi grunted, stretching her body as she swung her shield arm at Mark he span out of reach, a hidden blade striking against her armor but doing no damage as far as he could see, he missed the weakpoint. He needed that mark of contact, and he knew he could not go for any other.
Mark held still there, just out of range. It seemed the only way he'd get past his aunt and hit that weakspot was if he could take aflight. She could hear every other movement he did, and that gave away his position. However, he couldn't fly, and climbing the walls would only continue to make noise. With an exhale, he bolted, running around the room, in a large circle around his Aunt. Of course she followed, facing him the whole way. Suddenly he broke left, running a few steps up the wall before, with a grunt of enormous effort, launching himself in a back-flip towards her.
She knew he was in the air, and reflexively brought up the shield arm to swat him down. She nearly succeeded, but he only bounced off of it with his hands, allowing him to complete the flip and land behind her ihard/i, but quick enough that she couldn't turn in time while his hidden blade met its mark, and settled in the single weakpoint in her armor.
Young Mark sighed, and then collapsed onto his butt, panting from the effort he'd exerted. He'd be feeling that in his muscles and bones for at least a week, he thought.
The mark of contact had been made as Mark slid to his butt and Senishi relaxed, her shield folding away into her arm vambrace as she turned towards where Mark hit the floor. "You have managed the mark of contact, nephew. You have gained my respect, and have passed this test, but there are still two more. You're going to need this" She held out something to him, it was a disc of some sort with a pale green edge to it.
But as he reached to take it he quickly found himself shirtless. Senishi leaned close "Keep on your path, do not stray from it, keep your focus, and only then you may prevail the next test. Do not focuse on just one, but the many." With that she took a step back to the center of the now reformed room as another door slid open. Lines of black and white made a sort of hallway to the next chamber. There were two waiting for him there. Senishi's much much smaller triplet sisters Silvermane, and Snowmane.
The two of which fought more like a dirvish than a human. The fact that they could use their tails just like a hand made it six swords against two hidden blades. How small were they compared to Senishi ? They were a half head smaller than Mark himself
Young Mark looked at himself as his shirt vanished, eyebrows furrowing before he got back to his feet, gulping hard, nervous for the next chambers. Nodded at the piece of advice, he moved on through the hallway to the next chamber. He looked to Silvermane and Snowmane, and his grip on the ring Senishi had given him, and he cleared his throat. He hadn't really interacted with these two at all, and quite honeslty, didn't know what to expect.
Snowmane was the first to speak, Her voice echoed in the chamber and it looked liek they stood upon thin air as a device of pale blue formed beneath their feet. "You survived the first five tests. Impressive" She said
"We watched you grow up with our family, Mark Wolfe. You show promise." Said her twin seconds later as Mark stepped into the chamber he too was standing on a strange device of magical energy holding him in the air, the floor looked to be a dozen meters or so downwards.
"You bested Redmane, Shadowmane, and Vaeyuko, And you managed to to pass Senishi. But we have yet to see how you fare with more than one against you at once" Snowmane said simply. As she spoke her sister relaxed her stance, two swords in hand, and a third held neatly by her tail. Like a scorpion's stinger as Snowmane did the same movements.
"But can you get past us ?" Silvermane asked. As she spoke she sprang for Mark, the magical energy briefly formed stepping points in thin air as she neared him. The disc that Senishi had given Mark was both a weapon and means of protection and defense. a shield of some form. But there was two he had to face off against and the last time he had done that, was when he faced down Talaks family and servants.
Gripping the identity disk, he sprouted a shield from it and used to block their first attack. In that moment he also realized what he needed to do - knock them off their feet. Using the shield to make them bounce back, Mark darted for Snowmane, seeing that she was taking longer to reach the ground than Silvermane, and aiming to hopefully trip her up and make her fall.
Pushed back against the hardlight shield that formed Snowmane hit the pane of glass she stood upon hard before flicking up her feet and using her body like a wave to keep from getting knocked off the glass as Mark swept a leg under her. Silvermane darted for Mark a second time. Catuching the hard light shield with both blades before snaking her tail over her shoulder to poke at the thing with the tip of the third sword she carried.
With his attention on her, Snowmane got back to her feet and very briefly traded blocks and a parry before thrusting one sword towards her nephew. The aim she knew was not to kill him, but to make a mark of contact at the very least. Yet Mark ,though a young man at that time, was still fast and agile even after getting knocked around by Senishi. A normal man would have broken apart under such a whack that he simply sprung off of
Mark was also agile enough to pull of some maneuvers most people only saw in movies, and he did so very well, practically doing a limbo walk to dodge twin stabs from his aunts, while bringing his Hidden blade up to lock them in place. Without a shirt it was very easy to see his muscles working to make him move and keep balance, and also what he was planning to do based on those twitches of muscle under his skin.
After locking the blades in place, Mark, with a great amount of effort, launched himself into the air, hand-standing on those two locked blades while rotating his body, legs spread apart, to aim to kick both of his aunts in the head, bring his legs in, and then continue the spin while falling to try and trip them once more, keeping his shield raised high in order to block any counter attacks.
Briefly as Mark locked their blades together the three fought hand to foot one hand each to both of Marks feet before Silvermane hit the floor twelve meters below after getting kicked in the chest hard enough to lose her balance. It wasnt easy however, once below the level of the glass panes Silvermane was out of the fight so she went and stood under the only way out.
One on one then between Mark and Snowmane, the two were both fast and skilled. They moved with speed, first hand to hand combat, one hand to two, Mark was fast, but not fast enough as defending with the identidy disc was one thing when using just a hidden blade in the other. Turning about to get around the hardlight shield Snowmane struck and parried before getting her swords un locked from his defenses.
Finally after ten minutes, or possibly ten hours, with the speed and skill of their fighting sparks were flying off their weapons as Snowmane backtracked and settled into another Scorpion stance, this time using her blades more in defense then offense as Silvermane watched from under them.
By that point, Mark had learned to effectively fight his aunt, and figured that by now he wasn't going to knock her off her feet conventionally. He'd need to do something she wouldn't see coming. Something he'd never done. Until now. He mimicked her stance, concealing his smirk behind the shield he was using, before charging her once more, aiming a shield bash for her chest, his foot aiming to hook inside her leg and trip her to knock her down.
She was expecting the shield bash with the hardlight energy to slam into her, but not the tripping up. She slammed onto the glass floor as it reformed under them, an everchanging mosaic of movement and light Snowmane snapped up her third sword, from between Marks legs and gently smacked at him with the flat side of the blade on his left shoulder. The classic left shoulder tap so to speak to draw attention away from the for front and the prankster already on the other side of said looker.
In this case, Snowmane was already getting back to her feet both swords spining rapidly towards her nephew
By then Mark had fallen for the old shoulder tap prank enough to know better. He knew he was only fighting one person, so there was no reason to turn around towards the third sword. Instead he continued to advance as his aunt scrambled to her feet to attack him, and he leaped forward, in between her arms as they came towards him, all but tackling his aunt like a line-backer, while also hooking her leg again to get her to fall, and then stay on the ground so that he could pass this challenge.
Of course she wasnt expecting Mark to do iThat/i Nobody had ever gotten past her defenses to try and tackle her dead on. Well, there was Senishi but she pretty much sent the younger triplet flying after that tackle. and that was dozens of years before Mark was even born With him within her defenses she let go of her swords in her hands and pretty much hugged him, the third sword snaked up thanks to her tail to his left. The black shining of the blade was wickedly sharp and ready for use.
But one thing set the blade apart from her other two which were a brilliant white and silver. It was black, and designed to give as much as it got. And it looked well kept. and very old. Of course for that kind of steel there was only one pair. But that sword had the same design as a sword he remembered his father using briefly in Arendelle years before. So how did his aunt get it ?
For a moment, Mark settled, sort of enjoying the feeling of a hug from his aunt before the blade of the sword caugth his eye, and he sat up, moving to quickly snatch it. Cauasing his aunt to chirp as he snagged it from her tail's tight grip and took some fur with the blade "This... was my Father's sword..." He said, holding it in his hands and practically giving it an expert shake-down with his eyes as he looked it over. Yes... Yes this was his father's sword, alright. Everything was exactly as he remembered it. Deep within himself, he felt a twang, but he dismissed it as only missing his family, and not the first hint of Kalda's presence within his soul.
Swinging the sword briefly in his hand, he reveled in how perfectly it suited him. Like it was imade/i for him. He turned to his aunt, basically asking if he could keep the sword as a reward for passing her test.
Of course he was still seated on her, a giggle came from below them as stairs formed of the glass and Silvermane stepped up them. A strained slightly in pain voice from below Mark as he looked to Snowmane was heard asking "Can I have some of that fur back please ?" When he had snagged the sword he'd also taken a small bit of her fur at the time. Which then nearly caused Silvermane to completely breakdown laughing at Snowmanes next question "Can I get up yet ?"
As soon as Mark got up to help her up Silvermane spoke "The sword is yours. A friend of your mother sent it to us some years ago, Said we'd know when to give it to you" She said with a gentle resting of her hand on his left shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze before stepping back as Snowmane spoke up. "You passed the test, the sword is yours. You're gonna need it. The last test..."
"Good luck" Silvermane said as black walls faded open to show a light lined doorway to another chamber. Neither of them said anything of who Mark was going to face next. He already knew he was facing is aunt who was more skilled at smacking him int he chest than anything else.
But what he did not know was her preferences for such a fight to occur
With a nod, Mark smiled, sheathing the sword, and stepping through the opening towards the next chamber...
The final chamber was a massive packed city street, of course it was all holographic in appearance yet the hardlight holograms made it far more realistic than Mark would have liked People were moving fast, fleeing the scene of something unknown, a bomb perhaps, But Mark was thrown off his feet in the throng of people and hit the ground just as soon as he entered that last chamber. Blackmane stepped into view as Mark got to his hands and knees, she was behind him. "Are you having fun ?"
Young Mark smirked "The time of my life" He said, He knew her skills from the outset and shot to his feet, he had to get past his aunt to get to his mother for his Hood, right ? He sprang at her, she ducked back as his fist went wide. Blackmane backtracked, Mark chased after her, swinging his other fist she did a backwards handstand and then easily dodged his foot before catching his second kick and forcing him to dodge her strike at him before catching him in the chest with a foot. Mark went flying backwards on the cement before scrambling back to his feet and running at his aunt.
Right when he was about to strike her did Blackmane suddenly lift off the ground in an easy jump. Landing on an earby low building she smirked. "Since you seem so intent to pass me, let me tell you know exactly what you must do."
"And that is ?" Young Mark asked her
Blackmane smirked "Survive"
The younger version of Mark smirked as the older version just rolled his eyes, as a younger man he was so cheesy, so... innocent really. He hadnt really focused on the fact that he killed for a living. Mark scrambled up the wall of the building his aunt stood on, and the simulation moved as if he was climbing up a wall to get to her. As he crested the top he sprang at her fast
Knowing she would redirect his momentum rather than try to stop him, Mark took this into consideration, and landed and rolled to his feet, darting away from his aunt quickly. Surviving didn't mean fighting her. Not directly, anyway. Knowing this, he leaped down from the building and quickly vanished into the crowd just as he'd been taught. He took slow, deep breaths, and quieted his heartbeat and breathing to completely vanish from hearing and sight as his slender frame vanished in the mesh the bodies.
Hiding his scent was something else entirely, and gritting his teeth, Mark quickly snatched a cigar from a passerby, puffing on it to blow the smoke all over himself, stifling the cough it brought forth as he needed to remain silent in order to cover his scent with that of cigar smoke. There were many people smoking on this street, and all he had to do was keep his scent mixed with theirs. He knew Blackmane hated cigar smoke and that she was likely to avoid them.
The croweded street was fast to absorb Mark into it, Blackmane too as she stepped from the building into the throng of people. Moving from one to another she searched for her nephew. Nowhere could she find him, she passed right behind him just within his reach as he stood with another fellow, smoking a cigar. For a training chamber ,rthe digitalis was hyper realistic for sure. A hand was held up, feeling for his scent by way of magic. Using it like a compass she found where Mark had briefly stood before heading for the smoker, but when she got close to him again. A flick of the wrist and a energy ball was thrown. Slamming into a building ewith a crack far above, partsof building began to fall, scattering the crowd.
Unbeknowest to Blackmanehowever, Mark went with the flow rather well. And went right past her. But of course she was heading right to the falling debris
While Mark passed his Aunt, he smirked, and quickly picked her pocket, hand taking a small locket from one of her pockets. Hiding just within the scattered crowd that began to reform and observe the damage, and Blackmane, Mark examined the locket. It was old, but it was in pristine condition. The picture inside? Of Blackmane and Snowfeather's mother, a Couger - literally, of a woman. Mark smirked, and closed the locket, wrapping the chain around his fingers as he formed a calm fist to hold onto it.
He then began to toy with his aunt, doing as she had done in numerous demonstrations: Throwing his voice as he moved through the crowd. Sometimes he'd show himself, and then vanish again, only reappear some distance away while not disturbing the crowd in the slightest. "Come and find me Auntie! Over here! No, over here! Maybe here? Who's the woman in your locket?"
Present-day Mark face-palmed hard. "I was a fuckin' idiot..." he muttered.
Indeed, the dumbest question to really ask when one thought on it carefully. Blackmane darted her vision around, her calm demanor didnt betray her emotions as she finally focused on her own scent that of the locket. her expresison was one of not amused whatsoever. And right befor his eyes Blackmane took on some rather beautiful black panther features as she focused on her nephew, where his voice had come from. He asked who the picture was of! How did he get her locket ?
Mark somehow lead them into the back alley paths and overgrown with rockework buildings. Alleys built in such a manner that it was next to impossible to really get a truck inside them, yet somehow the garbage truck was... moving ? Blackmane halted, looking up she saw where her nephew stood, at least a shadow of him. Jumping lightly from the ground she sprang to the upper ledge and then from there to the balcony overlooking the street. Eye level with her nephew.
"Ok, lets play this game" There was another crowd of peiople, and Blackmane easily disappeared into it. Somehow the street went from a busy New York style place to an Egyptian street, a market place. Blackmane was on the second level of the three level massive structure, it was similar to a mall but it was actually an open air market. Blackmane moved through the stalls of a food vendor. Looking carefully around she spotted a vendor that had what she wanted and snagged it. Flares, perfect
"Why would I play this game? The object is to survive, auntie. Not find you." Young Mark replied before vanishing into the crowd himself. After a few minutes of narrowly avoiding his Aunt, Mark finally figured out that her locket would naturally smell different than he did, and now that he was in an Egyptian Market Place, the smell of Cigar smoke would also be different, to that of hooka smoke. And there wasn't any chance of him going near a hookah. Managing to snag some clothes from a vendor and cologne from another, he began to blend into the crowd once more.
The locket, however, did not. To trick his Aunt into turning her back to him, he placed it plainly on the fountain in the center of the market-place, and waited.
"You already are" Blackmane replied, setting a few flares off, cause am ess in one area to draw or drive off a crowd, then she moved to a lower level She moved through the crowd easily. Bumping against the shoulders of a few before sidestepping into an alley before exiting from the archway into the fountain area of the massive market. Without being seen she observed everything. Merging with a passing crowd near the fountain one second the locket was clearly visible, the enxt, it disappeared as she snagged it
Dressed like a member of the crowd Mark couldnt see her whatsoever. Stepping up a flight of steps and out of view of the fountain area Blackmane broke off from the crowd and took a look over what was going on on the lower level. Easily spotting her nephew as she took a seat on a bench and watched him as he searched briefly for her locket.
Howewver she did speak, her voice echoing through the marketplace fountain area "I see you..."
Mark quickly vanishe back into the crowd as he heard his aunt's voice, and was quick to find his way around her. "No you don't!" he said teasingly in his energetic young voice. How much longer would this game go on if he was unccessful in landing a "killing" shot on his aunt? He'd never beat her in normal combat otherwise... so how long did he have to last?
A question that would soon be answered as he began to sneak up on her then, moving slow and silent, making sure his scent blended with the crowds as he did so, keeping his eyes on her the whole time.
"Stay right there..." he thought to himself.
"Yes I do" Came her voice as she was right behind him before disappearing into the crowd before he could turn. How had she gotten so close ? Easy, she had tracked him for the most part, when he was searching albiet briefly, the fountain for the locket. the locket had his scent on him, and therefore allowed her to track him that way
But the crowd was moving a little too quickly and once more neither could see the other
At least until that unhappy moment the crowd disappeared and Blackmane was alone sitting by the fountain, her back to him... Or was it her ?
Mark unsheathed his sword silently as he snuck up on Blackmane's avatar, and raised it so the hilt was against his chest, and the blade pointed out. In one swift thrust, his sword pierced through the bench and through the body of Blackmane's avatar.
Then the world fell apart...
Briefly, ever so briefly, as the world fell apart, lines of white and black coalacing into a floorless void under his feet and a skyless void above him, Mark was in the loading screen of a sort. Did he pass the test ? "You made it" came Blackmanes voice. Turning about he saw her, but at that same moment instead of seeing her, he also saw their surroundings, a house, well structured, one he once lived in long ago, on fire on the upper floors. But briefly the man she was speaking to was someone he barely recognised
"Barely, the kids are safe, can we drive them off and ensure the kids are safe ?" His father asked as he knelt next to Marks uncle, Nathan had fallen earlir in the day in question. Marcus just then found him.
"My sister will care for your son." Blackmane said
"Thank you, take this" Marcus handed Blackmane something in a plain white cloth. "When the time is right, give it to him, he will know." The memory faded as Blackmane took the parcel with a nod.
The scene shifted slightly as foodsteps sounded. Blackmane stepped into view as if through a doorway as the Animus blackroom faded away, leaving Mark standing on solid ground. "You made it." She said anew, Blackmane had a soft smile on her face as she spoke. "I was not exepcting you to connect in such a manner. You learned well and used what you learned better than hoped."
She smiled again at her nephew. Then she pointed at him, "There is one thing missing" She clapped her hands twice, and Marks cousin Lazul stepped into view, he carried with him a parcel of plain white. "This belongs to you" Blackmane said, "When you have it on, your mother is waiting with everyone else"
Mark opened the parcel, and his eyes widened. "My robes?" he wasted no time in putting them on. Official Assassin Robes! Finally! They were missing the hood, though... it seemed that would need to be sewn on. But... if he passed, then... He would be getting his hood soon! The robes were a little big on him - it seemed Marcus misjudged the age at which Mark would earn them, but that just meant he could grow into them as he aged.
Mark looked to his Aunt with pure joy in his eyes, and a giddy grin on his face. He sheathed the sword, and then couldn't stop himself from fidgeting. He was just too excited!
Blackmane smiled, turning to Lazul she simply said "Lazul, if you will"
"Of course Aunt Blackie" the blue robed asian cousin of mark had a smile and gave a nod of respect towards his cousin before heading and activating the door. Allowing the three to enter the final chamber whnich was oddly, the main hall of the Elisar manor, but it wasnt just the whole Elisar family that was present including Blackmanes own mother. But several Den Masters and two other Mentors of the Brotherhood were present.
It seemed Mark receiving his hood was in fact a very big deal. There was one man Mark barely recognised, even as a full grown adult in the present observing everything, older looking, sternfaced, yet skilled beyond his ken. There were also a few others Mark didnt recognise. Several of them heads of other Dens and cities.
As practised, or perhaps not, present-Mark couldn't remember, young Mark dropped to a knee when everyone came into the main hall, and he waited for the actual ceremony to start. He'd done it. He was getting his hood. He was a full Assassin now. Well... soon, anyway. Young Mark couldn't stop himself from smiling, but remained kneeling until told to rise.
One face even with him on one knee he knew to be standing above in the ring, there were a few dozen chairs, highbacked and each one had someone standing before it. A woman spoke. "Laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale koulun moumkine... The wisdom of our creed is revealed through these words. We work in the dark to serve the light, We are Assassins" The voice went silent, then spoke anew
"Grandson. Twenty years ago you came into our family at the request of a dear friend. Out of the darkness you have come into the light, and from the light, you will return into the darkness" Snowblood, Marks adopted grandmother,themother of Snowfeather and her sisters, said. "Are you ready to follow the Eagle's Path ?"
With his head still bowed and on one knee Mark simply said "Yes"
Snowblood smiled thinly and spoke "Where other men blindly follow the truth remember..."
"Nothing is true" Mark responded
"Where other men are limited by morality or law, remember..."
"Everything is permitted"
"This is our creed, we are dedicated to protecting the freedom of Humanity, of Dragons, of Tigris, of Eagles. We work in the dark to serve the light, our creed is our law. Our family is yours." Snowblood continued. Mark knew in his heart was coming as his twin sisters came and stood on ewither side of him as their grandmother spoke. "Serena, Serenity, Mark. The three of you have passed your trials, You have learned all we can teach. Stand up"
Once they did so, Snowblood spoke anew, "Mark Wolfe, adopted son of Snowfeather, Serena Elisar, daughter of Snowfeather, Serenity Elisar, daughter of Snowfeather, I name you Assassins." Three servantae appeaed then carring their hoods. "Receive your Hood. Become what you were born to be"
As they received their hoods, Blackmane spoke "These are the words spoken by our ancestors, the words that are the heart of our creed" She said
"Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent" Said A unkniown man, whom Mark later met as Senishi's husband, Emreis
"Hide in plain sight" Said Blackmanes husband, Martin.
"Never compromise the brotherhood" Said Snowfeather
The memory soon faded. Blackmanes voice echoed on the walls "Let these tenants sear into your minds, They are the rules of our creed, of our family, And remember, you never turn your back on your family, even when they turn their backs on you"
Some time later after finding the way out of the strange vault, which as soon as they left it, crumbled to dust to leave others from finding it, Mark and Sazhori found the car and managed to indeed find their way out of the redwoods national park they had somehow meandered in to. The drive home was a quiet one, no music even played. Mark it seemed, was planning something, but what the Raven did not know. It was nearly sunset.
Mark pulled into the barn and parked the dodge "Something is on your mind. Something about what you saw in those memories. When you gotyour hood, your offical Assassin rank and everything. Facing each of your aunts..." Sazhori mused softly "You learned something, didnt you ?"
For a long moment Mark was silent. He had indeed learned very little if that, even in the memory corridor he was unable to see just how each of his aunts worked. Redmane dealt with swords, and magic at once, Shadowmane dealt with shadows in such a manner that Mark would need a teacher to help him with shadow boxing with her as it was. Vaeyuko dealt stritctly, it seemed, in puzzles of all kinds.
Senishi dealt with brute strength and speed, Silvermane and Snowmane both worked in tandem like gemini. and Blackmane and Snowfeather themselves were sheer power, well, Blackmane was sheer raw magic packed into a beautiful womans body, but that was beside the point, Blackmane was younger than Snowfeather, the two were twins, Blackmane was the eighth daughter out of eight girls. Their mother too was an eighth daughter of her own mother, also an eighth daughter. {that is all the math really}
And Blackmane dealt in all sorts of things as it was
"Are you alright ?" Sazhori then asked when she didnt get an answer right away from Mark, she was about to wave a hand in front of his face when he moved, well, when he spoke
"I'll live... Not sure what that memory was supposed to tell me. I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually." Mark answered, waving away Sazhori's hand before she could wave in his face. "What's next on the agenda?" he asked, half sighing as he stretched his legs briefly.
Well, That was that then it seemed, Sazhori tried to remember exactly what their plan was, they were supposed to plan on how to get Marks cousin free of Vitas grasp, and also get her drug free at the same time. But that was left for another day as Sazhori remembered the other plan, blowing up a few Templar controlled flying aircraft carriers. Raising a hand at the question of what was next on the agenda she withdrew a notebook and opened it "Gas refueling, remember I got the plans for the airships, they're all identical and the mechanics assigned to them would much rather be assigned to newer models of the same ship." She said
Mark nodded as he walked towards the house, taking Gas Refueling as also a lunch break. He hadn't eaten all day and needed something to fill his belly. "Fuel sounds good right about now." He muttered, almost on auto-pilot as he entered the house, gave Ruthie her usual greeting hug, then made his way to the kitchen to make himself something to eat. "And airships... what time will they be at the refueling docks again?" he asked as he started expertly making the finest Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwhich anyone had ever seen.
Sazhori had no idea that Ruthie surivved the Draconian whiskey so well, So when she saw her in the house when Mark gave her the usual hug of greeting she simoply raised an eyebrow but nodded a hello to the older woman. Who somehow only used her swordcane more or less like Charlie Chaplan used a can, as a prop. The raven followed Mark to the kitchen as Mark spoke. "Noon, July first, a week and a half to practise and make the bombs, I think, I can check the time logs again if you want me to be sure" Then again they could have Car Key do it
Briefly looking out the back window of the house towards the large backyard Sazhori briefly saw what had to be three women, all of them dressed similar to each other sparring in the yard. A mother and her twin girls beating the ever living shit out of each other and the trees around them and somehow managing to not make a mark on each other
"Aww how cute." Mark said before taking a bite of his now finished sandwhich. "They're bonding." he said, getting a dirty look f rom Ruthie for talking with his mouth full. He nodded to the women, Kamerliah and her daughters, watching them spar for a moment before sighing and moving to one of the recliners in the living-room, sitting down and kicking his feet up while he ate.
"If our window is at Noon, then we've got some time to kill before we do anything... have Key do it, she owes me a favor... I think." he shrugged before finishing his sandwhich.
Fortunately that was indeed the case that Car Key owed Mark a favor, or was it the other way around ? For the brief moment Mark watched the three in the yard very briefly as he turned away a fourth woman entered the picture which even caught Kamerilah's attention but not her daughters, whicvh allowed for Yin to knock her own mother on her ass in the yard.
"I will see what I can do" Sazhori said, briefly leaving Mark alone with Ruthie in the front room of the house. From the brief moment Mark observed the mother and daughter bonding moment as he had called it, he'd seen celarly what kind of weapons the girls used. Ulaks werent easy ot learn or control, but the two of them used the weapons effortlessly
"Something on your mind, boy ?" Ruthie asked to Mark then as she took her seat at the other recliner, Launching the poor cat nested on the top of the thing into the air briefly before it settled into her lap
Mark nodded to the Raven as she took her leave, and was swallowing the last bite of his sandwhich when Ruthie spoke to him. Licking his lips he shrugged. "Almost always... currently? Trying to figure out what the memory of my Hood Ceremony and Trials is trying to teach me by surfacing now." he answered.
Ruthie sat back in her chair, the cat purring in her lap. She pointed her cane at him. "For one thing, You have issues only you can deal with, But one issue is above all the others. You are keeping secrets, and some of those secrets can compremise even yourself if they dont compremise the Brotherhood." She had a point. The third tenet was the most important of the three. What could compremise himself ? "What you need to do is learn to trust yourself with others. Even your own family" It wasnt easy to keep secrets from Ruthie. "Among others" She held a picture of a certain someone in her hand. Now how had she gotten that picture ? Oh right, it was her house after all.
Mark was silent as Ruthie spoke, and his eyes locked on that picture in her hand. He was keeping secrets... Secrets that he'd kept hidden for a while now. His suicidal thoughts and even half-attempts, his nightmares from Arko, his entire being alive. Secrets. Things that eventually would need to come out.. or kill him. Either way, Ruthie was right, it was time for Mark to start coming clean, and to start forgiving himself if he was ever going to go back to Arendelle and see Elsa again.
"I'd like my picture back please..." he said softly, holding out his hand. Their chairs were close enough for him to just lean over and take it, but with Ruthie, it was better to ask. Makes things go smoother.
"Once upon a time, we had ceremonies, the Hood, the trials. The Journies. But I do not think either of us are really the type for that. You have your tools, you have your training. But you are missing something." She held the picture, Elsa was rather pretty. Ruthie of course knew her parents, a very brief meeting during the Korean War. But that was so long ago.
At his look and request she half smiled. but didnt hand the picture back just yet. "Do you trust her ?" Her meaning Sazhori
Mark nodded as she spoke, but at her question he paused. Did he? "Good question..." he mumbled, eyes searching for an answer as he looked down at the carpet-covered floor. Sazhori had saved Mark more than he sometimes cared to admit, and while at first her presence and protection was rather annoying and unwanted, he'd grown to at least like her. After a moment, he nodded. "Yeah... Not like she gives me much a choice anyway but yeah... I trust her."
"Perhaps the real question is... does she trust me?" he said, also speaking of Sazhori.
"That..." Ruthie poked at Mark with her swordcane briefly, "Is something you will have to ask her yourself." She then rapidly knocked his head with the cane again, like the first time they had met weeks before. "But the real question is. Do you trust, yourself ?" She knew of one of his secrets, his near attempts at his own death, but somehow not doing just that. She also knew of the vaults.
She set the picture of Elsa on the nearby table, a few other pictures were present, members of her family, her husband, Anthony Big Sr with Ruthie, and their son when he graduated highschool, then later graduating college. Plus all sorts of other pictures of various kids and families that Ruthie helped over thje years. Many of them working as part of the Pit Crew and local Police Department
Mark was silent again before lowering his hand and leaning further back into the chair, his face vanished in the shadow of his hood and he lowered his chin. "No." he said quietly. He didn't trust himself. One honking big secret off his chest, and perhaps told to the best person to tell it to. Anyone else would coddle him. Or try to kill him, or worse
Ruthie let out an affirmative "Hmph.." and set her cane down.
The cat chose that time to hop off Ruthie's chair and climb onto Mark. Alllll the way up to his face and sit on his chest, ducking her head down and looking in under his hood at his ewyes directly. As if saying 'Peek-a-boo' Fact was, if Mark couldnt trust himself, who could he trust ? If he trusted Sazhori with his life, how could he not trust himself with it ? And then there was the cat sitting on his chest staring him in the eyes
But the house cat, a common light gray and beautiful white tabby with a white stomach and black and brown and ginger tail seemed to want to sit directly on him, seemingly knowing where his eyes were as she stared with oddly iwise/i eyes at him directly, as if pushing him to his limits simply just by looking at him. She never used her claws, execept for climbing up his leg at the time
It now begged the question, Could Mark trust a cat not to kill him ? If he could get his cousin away from Vitas, away from Talak, break her of all those drugs, could he trust her not to kill him ? Could he trust him not to kill him ?
Mark's eyes bore into those of the Housecat, a dim bronze glow lighting behind his eyes. He blinked slowly. An affectionate, understanding blink. He knew those eyes: Yaeko Wolfe. Did he trust this cat? Yes. If Yaeko was going to try something, she would have done it already. She wasn't one to give anyone a chance to react. Usually. But in this case, he lifted a hand up to the cat's head, and gently stroked behind its ear.
The cat purred as Mark scratched behind her ear, as his hand moved down her back she trusted ihim/i enough to elevator butt as most cats did with content purring that was loud as Ruthie simply watched what Mark would do as the cat had their attention. Was there a lesson here somewhere ? There was.
"Wow, Yaeko is a lot smaller than I remember" Kalda commented within Marks mindscape. He was right, either something was up or Yaeko was channeling through the housecat to help Mark figure out how to trust himself, a moment of thought as Kalda shuffled a deck of cards, solitare really ? Finally after dealing out the cards and going through the deck did he speak again. "I trust the cat wont do anything to harm you, and the cat trusts you." Kalda went through the deck of cards again, leaning to look at Mark. "I trust you" So if Kalda, himself, trusted him, Could Mark trust himself too ? Maybe so.
A good five minutes of quiet passed with the only sound being the cat purring as Mark stroked her fur. Finally as Sazhori arrived with the timetable for the refueling center from Car Key Ruthie spoke. "Well, I best get things ready for tonight. Tony mentioned something this morning while you were out and about, big barbeque dinner, he's setting uyp the pit now. Dont be late" Ruthie then got up and as she pased the Raven in the doorway to the hallway the two women traded looks, Ruthie nodded just barely decernible. Lesson learned.
She hoped. But then, when things got this complicated, Ruthie didnt have to hope, she somehow simply knew things would turn out as hoped
Sacremento University
7PM that same day
The diner was packed with people of all sorts as far as Auji could see, Talon had told him to meet up with him there once he found out more information from the college. Thankfully he had found the required and desired information needed for Auji to track his path ruogh the cathedral without taking in unwanted eyes or ears knowing he was there.
"Do me a favor" Auji said once they were seated and a waiter spotted them and headed their way
"What kind of favor ?" Talon asked his friend as he looked around the crowded diner, even fior a totaliarian state type of place, it was packed with people. Harvard like it felt but it was infact something vastly different.
"Dont order the beer here" Auji replied without a smile
"Why ?" Talon looked at him, confusion written across his face
"Because its like making love in a canoe, not that Xeibo and I tried it yet" Auji told him at that point breaking a smile at the mere thought of his girlfriend
"Making love in a canoe ? I dont get it, though I have done it before back home with some of the girls" Talon said with a smirk
Auji smirked "Yeah, the beer here is like fucking close to water" He said nothing of Talons wild oats back in the Eagle Empire. Finally the waiter took their order and elt, So Auji got down to brass tacks. "Alright lets get to the reason you wanted to meet me here. Six days ago we get you the job at the college as a history professor and everyone already loves you from what I hear"
"It helps being born in the Mythic Realm, every twenty years go to the mortal realm and here to earth for a few years before going back, it helps a lot" Talon replied before relaxing in his seat. "Didnt take more than a day to find out the vital info about whats in St Diamonds Cathedral either."
"What did you find ?" Auji asked
"Turns out that little over a million years ago to possibly one milliion one thousand years ago, St Diamond was buried under Sacremento, the shrine built there became St Diamonds Cathedral when Sacremento was first built the Cathedral was its centerpiece until the early eighteen sixties." Talon explained.
"So we know where it was buried, and when, but that doesnt explain a lot" Auji said thoughtfully
"That's just it, what was reportedly in the local history books and archives I could find was that the shrine was built out of diamond like rock in such a manner that only a dragon or a Eagle or possibly a Tigris at time of the shrines initial construction could do it. But the main thing I found was that the metal found within the shrine buried with St Diamond was not native to the regien, nobody had seen it before and it was stronger than steel and could turn bullets, and break other swords. The locals called it Dragon Steel because St Diamond was depicted as a lady with the scales of a dragon in her skin and clothing. But we both know the kind of steel it was." Talon said
"Duradaeden" Auji said
"Bingo" Talon said
"So when St Diamond was buried and the shrine built she was buried with a iDuradaeden/i sword," Auji mused
"Odds are good the sword is still in her tomb, the casket was never damaged or could be opened due to the intricate locking system. A strange skull design was found built into the structure of the casket, anyone that tried to open it wrong was found dead moments later" Talon said
"But with all the rebuildings of St Diamonds, the tomb isnt underground anymore is it ?" Auji said
"Nope, the tomb got moved four times, but the shrine had been rebuilt around the tomb twice, As of right now, its in the central dome of the cathedral itself. Directly above the altar in the sanctuary of the church proper. Even with your wings, getting to it wont be easy, far as I am aware there might be a free running course though so you could take that" Talon replied
"Ok so there's always a boobytrap, we know that St Diamonds is set to undergo reconstruction tomorrow until the middle of August" Auji said, "With the construction crews present it wont be easy to get in and get out without getting noticed by anyone"
"That's the good news, The local bishop that runs the church in question is tied in with three groups including apparent royalty at the centeral Palace area here in Sacremento. He comes to me this morning with worry about the ancient tomb and wants to ensure there are ways to protect it during reconstruction. I said the only way to ensure perfect protection of the tomb is to keep everyone away from it during the reconstruction, So they're going to seal the dome, tonight. Nobody goes in, nobody goes out of it until the last day of reconstruction on the third of August when its unsealed, that's ten weeks away." Talon said
"And we're supposed to be here only thirty days before getting the sword and going home to Arendelle and meeting up with my mom." Auji said before going quiet as the waiter brought their drink orders.
"Thirty days is a tall order, even from you" Talon said
"No, that's not gonna work, during the construction time, our mutual mess, my dad by birth, will get closer to that blade, I'm to find the sword before he does, And your job is to find the best way to allow me to get into the cathedral as part of staff to get the sword before the Templars get it" Auji said with a snap of his fingers "Grandma insisted I find the blade before dad does"
"Fair point, so we got time to kill" Talon said
"Yes, we do, which will allow you to get the info to get me onto staff, Miss Yu got the watch for us so we have the time piece we need. The rest of it concerns waiting, and keeping away from dear old dad as long as possible" Auji replied with a smirk
1 July 2055
Crescent City Airport
Noon
What was originally planned to be four days ended up being two weeks, first to find the bomb maker, then get ready for the refueling set up. Marcus had come through as promised with the bomb maker for his son, so all that was left was making the things, getting them through security, and then getting them aboard the refueling craft in order to get aboard the targeted flying aircraft carriers properly Mark and Sazhori had to act as refueling workers.
Acting the part was easy enough, just nod and walk. Donning their disguises, they did as instructed as each of the Carriers docked, following the signs marked inside the massive ships to their destinations, splitting off at some points to both refuel the craft, and plant the bombs. Mixing the bombs with the fuel would cause the more massive explosions, and serve to bring the carriers down faster. The process was long, and tedius, with the most exciting thing that happened being a Dock-worker hitting on Sazhori.
On Mark's end, he adjusted the cap he was wearing and sighed.
"'Nother day, 'nother dollar, am I right?" one of the other refueler's asked, waiting for the next carrier to come in, the last carrier of the day to plant bombs on.
"You can say that again. Then again, never thought I'd grow up to be a glorified fuel-jockey. Or whatever we're called." Mark sighed.
"I know what you mean. What'd you wanna be?"
"Wanted to be king of my own country." Mark answered, looking off in the general direction of Arendelle. "Eventually."
"Big dreams... I just wanted to be a zoo-keeper." the man chuckled. Mark nodded, and then sighed as the conversation died down. As Mark walked off the other fuel-jockey simply half smiled. He remembered being part of a zoo for some time. This was just the means of making money to get back where he belonged, to the one who he loved so dearly.
The carrier docked, and the ramps were lowered, and the process began again, wheeling the refueling machines into place, connecting them, and then vanishing into the darkness of the corridors of the ship to make sure the fuel was being pumped to the right places. On the way, the bombs were tucked away into hard-to-notice corners. With the uniform and the fake ID associated with it, they were allowed just about everywhere on the ship, except for the reactor itself. For that, they entered the engine room, and while Sazhori kept watch or put on the charm to distract a guard, Mark climbed his way into an air duct, and inched his way into the reactor room, placing the last bomb inside.
It wasn't until they were half-way through with leaving the ship that the bodies of the worker's they'd nabbed for the uniforms were discovered. And the carrier went on high alert. All of them did. Teams began to patrol at the ready to shoot on site, and Mark and Sazhori had to blend into the shadows themselves. That wasn't hard for Mark, seeing as he kept a change of his Assassin's Clothes with him in the cart he was hauling around with all his sensor equipment. Donning his usual Emerald Green cloak with Black Accents, and the rest of his comfortable gear, Mark vanished.
As the recon team slowly inched past him, guns at the ready, he opened his eyes, the bronze glow startling the lead man, who turned to face Mark. Grabbing the barrel of the SMG, Mark nailed the man's jaw with a fist, stepping forward and disarming him, and knocking him out with a smash of his weapon across his head, dropping it with him. Stepping over him to the other three in the squad, Mark's hidden blades found their marks in their arm-pits between the armor plates, and his heel found the last man's knee before Mark's hand muffled his scream and Mark helped ease the man to the ground, holding his head while going "Shhh... Shh" soothingly, not looking at the man.
And then promptly snapping his neck without another noise.
Standing, Mark moved on, and within five minutes, had killed two more recon teams, and then left the carrier via transport array to the rendezvous point with Sazhori, wherever she was. As Mark arrived to the planned meeting point he at first didnt see Sazhori anywhere. At least for a good minute. Then she arrived. combing broken glass from her hair, and smelling of something a doctors office would have smelled like if their medicine bottles had spilled all over somebody. She was also nursing a smallish cut on her arm but she soon ignored the bodily harm as she spotted Mark
"Where have you been ? I could barely get off that thing without getting the once over by the soldiers when we were leaving the ship!" Of course it was her molting issue, hey it was hot, and she tended to molt when it was too dang warm. That tipped off some of the dockworkers that two of them were missing "And before you ask the last one is set in the warehouse. Here." She handed him the detonator thaqt Johns had made for them
"Around." Mark answered her question, taking the detonator and turning it on, flipping up the button's protector, and taking a deep breath before pressing the button. There was a three second delay, but all the bombs went off at the exact same time. The engines' engulfed in flames, the reactors overloaded, and thus the rest of the airships began to explode slowly from within.
Mark smiled watching the massive aircraft carriers fall apart and fall towards the earth, perfect! The bomb placement did the job desired for sure! Marks wrist phone rang, he answered it, holding it to his ear, "Yes ?"
"I am waiting with the car as you said. But we have a problem on the horizon" Came the reply, the voice was that of a certain agent so deep under cover that if she ever saw the Horizon that'd be a damned miracle in and of itself, she of course was in the hoverlimo waiting for Mark as he had asked well before hand
"What kind of problem would that be ?" Mark simply asked calmly as he tossed aside the now useless detonator, The bombs were perfect to destroy four Templar overrun flying aircraft carriers.
"There is no more Horizon." Car Key replied calmly watching the debris and firey wreckage fall like a landslide from far above not far away, causing the ground to shake
Mark smiled again... "Bring the car, we have to go..." He said simply before hanging up, his job was done. Another Templar warehouse was destroyed to boot as well.
"On my way" Car Key replied, then hung up. Leaving Mark and Sazhori to briefly enjoy the fireworks. and then get spotted by a patrol of some of Vitas thugs. Of course they didnt notice the thugs righty away as they instead got some food at a nearby hot dog vendor.
However upon seeing the half dozen thugs Sazhori said to the vendor "We'll take that to go" At Marks confused look she jerked her head in the direction of the squad. They were armed with what had to be a rocket launcher. Now what direction was Car Key gonna come in again ?
Oh, right, it was a one way street, Mark checked his wristphone for the time, seventeen seconds and Car Key would show up. Than again she could be there sooner as the squad quickly scattered as gunshots peppered the ground around them as Car Key came into view. Pulling to a halt the door slid open in the back. "Someone call a cab ?" Car Key asked simply.
"Yeah I did. Step on it!" Mark answered, hopping into the car without a second to lose, closing the door quickly behind Sazhori, and flipping off the Vitas Thugs as they sped off.
"Really? Flipping them off?" Kalda sighed.
"Seemed like the right thing to do." Mark answered as he felt the pressure of Car Key hitting the gas hard as he fell back into his seat. After briefly bonking off Sazhori he called to Car Key who was driving "Where the hell did you learn to drive ?!" He screamed briefly as they tore past other cars, police starting to follow them
Car key never took her eyes off the road as she replied oddly calm. "Forza Twenty Twenty" Easily shifting gears the hoverlimo went from ground use to flying and shot under a pipe hauler, the thugs in the police cars smashed into it as Car Key easily brought the limo under control moments later at a different stop
A moment of apparent calm was heard as Sazhori upchucked out the window before rolling it up, the car that got hit with her recently eaten lunch however slammed into a lamppost and took out a bank. "Can we not do that again ?" Sazhori asked trying to get her heartrate under control
"We'll see" Came the oddly calm reply of Car Key
18 July 2055
Underneath St Diamonds
Ancient cavern throneroom
Noon
"We may have an issue." Draco's voice was ethereal as the room filled with black mist that slowly gathered thick enough for him to maniefest in front of the Wolf Queen as she as usual sat upon her throne. Draco manifested as if walking up steps out of the mist, walking forward and solidifying from the head down, stopping at the foot of the throne's stairs, where a simple magical barrier prevented him from getting closer. For now.
"At least one member of the Star Council knows we're here."
For a long moment there was nothing but complet silence, the drip of water as sactalites formed from the ceiling and dripped to the floor sounded clearly as candles flickered iplink... plink...plink/i "The Star Council... I remember when they meddled in the affairs of my daughter, of my life, and reign of Arendelle. How they turned my daughter, my people, against me..." The Necromancer wasnt happy in the slightest. She grumbled a bit before smacking the throne arm and shooting to her feet. "The Star Council member you saw, what did... it... look like ?"
If anything the guy was tall, wore a black trenchcoat with a hood that kept his face entirely in shadows, never revealing any facial features whatsoever, yet having skills to match even his best Shadowlings and Kobolds. Ingrid started pacing at the top of the stairs
"The shadow of his hood concealed his face, so I couldn't tell you anything, besides that he was tall. Perhaps taller than myself. He matched by Shadowlings and Best Kobolds in combat without breaking a sweat." Draco answered, coal red eyes watching the undead woman carefully. "He slipped away before I could step in." That was only partially true.. Draco let him leave - he knew he couldn't win. But did she? His previous statement was aimed at finding out. Finding out just how weak she thought he was compared to her still.
As she paced, Ingrid slammed her right fist into her left hand repeatedly as Draco spoke. "Bested your Shadowlings, bested your kobolds... Darkness be damned they were too strong even for me, their influence over my daughter and my people had broken my rule and reduced me to this!" Ingrid was all but screaming by that point. Etheral mist flowed off her like fire from her head, her undead face broke, the nose disappearing as she got madder and madder before getting ahold of herself
"Ok, ok.. Memo to me, memo to me. Find their base of operations" Yeah, no pressure. Then came the knock. "Enter"
A skeleton entered, dressed in attire of a captain of the guard "You have a visitor your Majesty, Sir Draco, she requested to see you both"
"Who is our guest ?"
"uh... More like a she"
"Alright, what is iher/i name ?"
"Wouldnt tell me, but says she wants to see you both"
"Send her in" Ingrid grumbled. This should be good. The Skeleton nodded and bowed before stepping through the door, his voice was heard and a woman dressed in a black cloak entered, her face covered by the shadows of the hood, her chin just barely seeable
Draco didn't move while Ingrid was all but screaming, but he did move when the skeleton entered, turning his head to look over his shoulder slightly, and narrow his eyes. Draco turned fully when the woman entered, a low growl rumbling in his throat.. He recognized her, or at least, the way she walked and carried herself. Only one woman who had the gall to walk that way around him.
"Luna." Draco growled in greetings. "You yet live. And our Daughter?" he asked, part of him genuinely curious, part of him indifferent. Their past was... complicated. Before meeting Kethend, Draco had a habit of kidnapping Human women for the purposes of corrupting them and turning them into his Legion of slaves. Luna, however, resisted corruption some how... in a fit of rage, and in a sort of admiration for her strength, Draco "Gifted" her with a child: Hidden Flute. The Bastard Child of the Pits.
Luna lifted her hood, as the cowl fell behind her head her bright brown eyes glittered, a soft smirk on her lips as she heard Dracos question concerning her daughter. "She survived, the branding, and her long life in the pits. Not thanks to you." She said simply, her gace turning towards Ingrid briefly who was glowering at her. An eyebrow raised slightly at sight of the nearly dead woman. "So you ido/i have a boss ?... no that's too strong a word, master is more like" Oo she was treading under thick ice for sure with that comment
But it was true. "Who is this woman ?" Ingrid asked stepping from her throne and moving towards the woman, Ingrid was an imposing figure in her full armor, which she didnt have thanks to the Star Council scattering it across the Mythic and Mortal realms alone!
"Lets just put it this way" Luna said, giving another almost haughty look towards Draco "We're former ... lovers is too strong a word, friends is also still too strong... aquaintences might do"
What, sorry what ?
"You know her ?" Ingrid asked jerking a thumb at Luna, her attention on Draco. And he had a child with her ?
Draco snarled when Luna mentioned that the Wolf Queen was his master, but did nothing otherwise. He hated being reminded of that truth, and wanted still so desperately to be rid of the Wolf Queen's influence in his life. He nodded though, gritting his teeth as he acknowledged Ingrid's authority over him. When Ingrid spoke, he still didn't turn towards her, keeping his eyes on Luna as he spoke. "A former slave-to-be. She resisted corruption... so I let her go... but not before giving her a daughter." Draco said. "That daughter turned out to be Hidden Flute... Bastard of the Pits." he finished, finally turning his head to face Ingrid finally.
"And yet you never moved to interfere to save her from that life, you enjoyed my suffering without my child all my life, she had no childhood, raised in the dirt, in the fights," Luna said simply, she had since reunited with Hidden Flute, the bastard makr would never go away, but nevertheless, they were family again. And like it or not, thanks to the bastard mark, Draco had no link to either of them.
"That does not explain why you are angered towards her" Ingrid mused seeing how Draco was acting towards Luna being there, Ingrid herself was actually rather pleased to see that Draco...spread some wild oats... or in this case, a wild oat. "Why wouild you be so afraid to have such a formidable child, to be your own flesh and blood ? is it because of iHer/i and what she did to you ?" her meaning Light
At the question Luna was suddenly confused, what the hell was the dead woman talking about ?
"Enjoying your sufffering was always the plan. If I couldn't do it with magic, I did it through the child. You seem to think I care for you or the child beyond knowledge that you are both alive." Draco retorted, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "You are mistaken, Luna." he added. At Ingrid's comment, Draco's lip twitched.
"I am not afraid to have her as my child. I have no power over her mind. The Brand cut me off... the most I could do is make her cry. Which..." A twisted smile tugged at his lips as he lowered his chin, the black mist around him darkening. "I may just go and do." At mention of the Light, he fell silent, and the mist turned even darker. A few torches snuffed out.
"No. iShe/i has nothing to do with it." he growled out slowly, his rage brewing, and a few more torches being snuffed out.
For a long moment there was quiet, the uneasy peace that was present seemed to be slowly waning as Luna got her focus back on track and spoke "That is not why I am here, I am merely here to warn you, as I was advised to. Things are moving beyond even my control. I am reunited with my daughter, my brothers both dead she is all I have left. We're alive, you are alive... mostly... " Luna said seeing Draco being... well more ghostly than solid "Which means we can either go about this one of two ways, one, we leave each other alone" Fat chance - Draco was already planning something to do to Hidden Flute
"And two, we fight at some point in the future. Quite honestly I'd prefer the former option, never seeing each other unless we have dire need to, even then I'd rather walk off a disc cliff dead into space instead of seeing you again... or ... her... are you dead or something ?" Luna said seeing Ingrid chortling madly with laughter, as she did her face kept shifting between whole and noseless or even skinless and rotting.
"My dear lady, you have no idea how much entertainment you really are to me. I tell you what. I... we... will let you leave here unharmed, and you stay out of our way, and we stay out of your way..." Ingrid said simply, "Should we ever meet again in the future... all bets are off. Deal ?"
Luna just looked at her, she felt the very fragile peace starting to break under her feet. She nodded. "Deal"
Draco said nothing, only narrowed his eyes, and growled gently, the stone around them rumbling with his throat. He was about to speak when Ingrid cut him off, finishing off this meeting with more... desireable results. For the most part anyway. As Luna turned to walk out, Draco's grip on his own arm, his arms still crossed, tightened, and with a glance from Ingrid, he turned to face the Throne, rather than the woman, effectively being brought to heel instead of lashing out at her.
Just another reason, Draco thought, to kill the Wolf Queen as soon as possible. Or, at least, break her hold over him.
Luna merely nodded, not even bothering to bow or anything given the fact that the Wolf Queen was so long dead Luna didnt bother with any form of curtesy whatsoever towards the woman as she turned to leave. Soon gone as the skeletons stood at either side of the door at attention, looking at... well at nothing with eyesockets you'd think they'd see something ?
However it was as soon as the door was shut and Luna long gone from her undead realm, that Ingrid mused aloud "She was... advised to speak with us ?" A hand went to her chin, her elbow supported by her other hand before lowing her hand and looking to Draco as she asked "Who advised her ?"
Who indeed.