Chapter 2: Clipped Or Broken
The Cantori Diamond was alive with the sound of rolling dice and clinking coin when Jacobus returned with Iker. The Diamond never slept, day or night the sound of gambling, luck and loss would reverberate. They used one of many zip lines to get to the higher chambers where the Crows roosted. Jacobus marched Iker into the fledglings area, where Heir and others were training. Walking near where Viago, Teia and the First talon were talking round one of the small round tables.
All the fledglings here currently were from the newly formed House Egrativi, they all turned when they entered, no doubt because Iker was covered in blood. Heir rushed over with fire in her eyes as she regarded them. Heir was a lithe elf with short black hair, her face Vallslin tattoos were dark and pointed, like an arrow which seemed fitting for an assassin. She wore the form fitting blue leathers of the crows, her blades always at her side.
"Mierda, what on earth happened here?" Heir began checking Iker for wounds.
"Its not my blood" Iker mumbled while looking down. In the light, Iker was a gangly youth not grown into his frame. He was human with Antivan hued skin which always seemed an oddity when Crows stuck to the shadows so much. His brown hair was bound in a tight ponytail with bangs hugging the side of his face. Chestnut eyes watched Heir with defiance.
"You are gonna wish it was" Jacobus snapped. Jacobus himself was not much older than Iker but the things that had happened after his cousins death had made him mature quickly. Plus Iker was new to the crow way of life. He had been orphaned by the Antaam and wanted to fight back, his family had not been of any house rather Iker had been a son of one of sailors that helped transport supplies.
"Why? She jumped in and interfered! I could have done it!"
"Done what exactly and who is this she you refer to?" Heir glared at them both.
"Iker thought it would be a good idea to take a contract without permission" Jacobus looked back at Viago who was opposite the First Talon. He could see the First Talons back tense, he swore he saw purple light at his shoulder blades, but he dismissed this as he turned back to Heir
"What's he gonna do? I'm not scared of anything" Iker sneered which left his face when Heir hit him full force on the back of the leg with a training sword.
"You will speak with more respect!" she pushed him down with the tip of the sword. "Now who's this "she" you spoke of?" she looked to Jacobus.
"Rook" the one reply silencing Heir for a moment.
"Hijo De Puta!" Heir looked over and froze "Oh little chick, Viago will be the least of your problems"
Iker looked as everyone was inching back with fear, including Heir. All eyes where wide and focused behind him. He turned to see the First talon walking towards him with purpose, purple and black fade wings hanging from his back. His eyes were aflame with purple light. When he reached Iker he grabbed him roughly by his collar. He choked as she was lifted into the air like he weighed nothing. Iker was then pulled close to the mans face, close enough to get a whiff of coffee and ozone. The First Talon put his nose close to the bloodstain that still covered his face and shoulder, inhaling deeply. The voice that emitted was angry and forced as if the vocal cords where straining to get the words out.
"Rooks Blood! Tell why!" When Iker locked eyes with the purple flame he felt fear. But when the purple melted to blown brown, full of rage, he knew terror "You were asked a Question boy!"
Lucanis Dellamorte, First talon to the Crows was tired. He didn't know what was worse, when he forced himself not to sleep due to spite when he was in the Veilguard...or wading through the never ending parchments and responsibility. True his Grandmother Caterina oversaw most of it, but he still had to do some, to learn and to be visible. If he saw one more request to assassinate the candlehops he would stick said candlehop up their ass. He didn't care how creepy people thought they were ( though he tended to agree..hell even spite agreed) They had their uses.
Teia was opposite him, her seductive form reading through another contract, she tucked a stray strand of her voluminous hair behind her elven ear. To the left of him Viagos sharp visage was also supposed to be reading but he had glanced at Teia when she moved. Viago was always aloof, abrupt but Lucanis didn't miss the flick of adoration that filled his eyes briefly. Also the small smile in his well kept beard before he locked eyes with Lucanis. The smiled turning into a frown before he looked back at the parchment in his hand causing Lucanis to laugh softly and take a sip of his coffee.
"What?" Teia asked, her heavy Antivian accent brushing past her lips.
"Nothing, Mierda! Please tell me we are done." Lucanis leaned back in his chair, looking around the room and seeing fellow Crows going about their business. He tuned his ears to listen to the conversations around him, Heir was putting the new fledglings through their training at the back. In the round entrance area hear him, he could see someone trading with the shop keep valuables for gold . After everything that happened, they could have returned to the grand opera as the place of operations but this place seemed to have reassuring place for the crows. It had never fallen, infiltrated yes ( by one of their owns help) but never fallen.
"Come now Lucanis, is the Demon of Vyrantium scared of some paper?" she laughed at the look on his face.
"Quiet, paper can be deadly and you know it" he replied eyeing Viago.
"I have not poisoned the parchment this time" Viago didn't look up from reading as he said that tone so matter of factual that you knew he had before.
"Did it work last time?" Lucanis was genuinely curious.
"Of course it did."
"How?" Viago finally laid the parchment down and leaned back, crossing his arms across his chest.
" You have to make the material enticing, so they will either pick up the tainted parchment repeatedly or any new ones you send" he preened his perfect moustache.
"Which of course means love letters" Teia laughed as she leaned into Viago's side, with a sultry tone she asked "Is that how you will finally be rid of me Mi amor?"
"Hardly" Viago scoffed but he looked at Teia with kind eyes. " speaking of love letters, have you you heard from Rook?"
Lucanis sighed, hand touching the wyvern tooth dagger at his side. "No, but I expect her back soon. It was a basic contract from the shadow dragons."
"Good, she promised to help with training." Teia looked over, seeing Jacobus with one of fledglings walk past the entrance way to where Heir was " House Egrativi will need much assistance from what I have seen so far." She indicated where Heir was standing to Viago but then saw Lucanis head snap to one side and inhale deeply. "Lucanis?"
Lucanis shot up, knocking the chair he had been sitting on to the ground. He turned sniffing as purple light filled his vison, feeling the wings emerge from his back he stalked toward the scent he had caught. "Lavender, hope, Blood, Her blood, Why?" Spite growled in his head as they walked.
Spite could see this young mortal on he floor heart beating quick,fear overwhelming as he was casually picked up by spite. He could feel the other two coming up behind him but that didn't matter, all that mattered as her blood on this quivering thing. So much blood, too much blood. He pulled the thing forward as he hadn't decided what it was yet. Contract? friend? enemy. The latter being more likely at this moment. He put his and Lucanis nose to the drying blood that covered face, neck, armour and inhaled deeply. The scent that hit was unmistakable, they howled in rage and concern in their mind.
"Rooks Blood! Tell why!" He felt Lucanis take over control but the anger didn't lessen "You were asked a Question boy!"
"Lucanis, calm, he can't breath" Teia hand touched his arm. He lowered the fledgling down but did not release him. The young one was pure terror, yes they had heard the tales but not many had faced or seen him like this and lived.
"Please First Talon. May I speak?" Jacobus walked forward, he was scared yes but as head of his house, this was his responsibility. Lucanis turned to him but said nothing. " Rook saved Iker from a large group of Antaam, she was wounded. I gave her healing potions. I asked her to return here but she said she was going home to Casa De Riva"
"Why where you near Antaam? Your house has no current contract Jacobus" Viago eyes narrowed.
"Forgive me Talons, as one of my house took it upon himself to acquire a contract without permission when he was very ill equipped to do so" Jacobus bowed low to them both " This will not happen again"
"How bad was Rook hurt?" Lucanis Demanded.
" She gained a deep wound to her left shoulder First Talon" Lucanis looked down to the boy in his grasp, at Rook's blood. Deep would be an understatement from that spray. He almost threw the boy away from him.
"Teia see to this crow, what you find out will determine if I clip his wings or break them. Viago I will meet you at your home" With that Lucanis ran and leapt, spites wings carrying him on the warm breeze towards Rooks childhood home.
"Find Rook! Heal Rook! Rook Live" Spite worried as he pushed himself faster.
A/N Hijo De Puta = son of a bitch