@SilverDragonsBlood
"I don't like this."
Arryn sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as his bodyguard shifted beside him, eyes flicking warily around the dimly lit taproom of the inn. "You don't like anything, Bo," he muttered- rather petulantly, but she was starting to get on his nerves.
"That's not true." His half-sister shifted her weight again and put herself more firmly to the side of his chair. Better chance of being able to fight or flee from that position. "I like Jadenshine. Which is where we should be."
The young Lord Sylvaren twisted in his seat to glare at her. "Are you
quite through? You've been griping about this trip for
weeks and it hasn't changed my mind. We're already
in Zantaric, what makes you think I'll just turn tail now?"
"Maybe I'm hoping you've stumbled into some good sense," she snipped back, and he had to resist the urge to stick his tongue out at her like they were still children. "You could have done this through letters," Bo continued in a low hiss. "But no. No, we just
had to come out here to meet Father's "associates" in
person because that's how
he would have handled it-"
"Enough." Arryn spoke through gritted teeth as he stared at her. "Enough, alright? I get it, you're irritated with me. But like it or not,
you demanded to come along, so can you take the next five minutes and just
shut it."
No sooner were the words out of his mouth then he regretted them, eyes going wide as Bo stared at him in something like disbelief. He
never spoke to
anyone that way, least of all her.
She must have really been getting on his nerves.
She could see the surprise in his face when she didn't argue back, but just nodded. "You're right. I chose to come." She sighed and rubbed at the back of her neck, glancing around. There was a...a feeling in the air that she couldn't quite name. She didn't like it. And, well, Arryn certainly didn't seem to want her hovering. "I'll...check the perimeter again. Don't move."
Before he could respond she'd moved away from the little alcove they'd sort of appropriated for themselves earlier in the evening. Arryn tried not to think about how well she blended into the general crowd, especially in her work gear- how easy it was to lose sight of her.
Well. If she thought he could be left alone he certainly wasn't about to complain. With a small sigh, the young Sylvaren lord dropped his head forward into his hand, staring down at the table.
I just want to get this over with...
Keryth Wistari crouched on the rooftop of a nearby building, hands jerking in sudden movements to convey some kind of message to a figure on the building across the street. He furiously turned away, frustrated by the other person's refusal to listen to him.
Selusa Finicci crouched on the other building, watching Kery's signals. She simply rolled her eyes, legs swinging off the edge of the roof. She waggled her fingers in response with a small grin.
After spending the morning in her brother's empty apartment, Sel needed to stretch her legs and skills. Seeing a young nobleman roll into town was just the kind of easy target the elf woman was looking for. The guard that came with him probably wouldn't be too much trouble, but Sel hadn't had a good fight in a while and was starting to crave one.
Unfortunately, Kery just seemed to be out to kill her fun. She didn't know his real name, as he was just annoying about anonymity, so she just called him Bird's Eye. Seemed to annoy him, which made her enjoy it even more. Damn do-gooder...
Glancing down, she saw that the guard traveling with the young noble walked out of the inn. Following her slightly, Sel found her eyes rolling once more. Who else would show up, but her asshole of a brother?
Dressed in the king's finest as usual, Alderon just had to screw this up for her. His velvet robes of red and purple made him stick out like a sore thumb in Zantaric, and he apparently liked it. He strolled into the inn's taproom, throwing her a wink, which just pissed her off even more.
Bo caught a glimpse of the scarlet and violet dandy and the hairs went up on the back of her neck. She set her jaw and drew her cap a little lower over her head as she followed him back into the inn.
That man positively reeked of trouble, she just knew it. She called it a sixth sense; Arryn preferred the term "overprotective meddling". Meh. To each her own.
Getting tired of waiting, Arryn stood from his table with a sigh and arched his back in a long stretch, then glanced around the room. No sign of the contact he'd been told to watch out for.
No sign of his watchdog either. Hmm...
Smirking a bit to himself, the young lord meandered his way up to the bar and raised a hand to flag down the barkeep, ordering a stiff whiskey.
Bo almost never let him drink if she could help it, like he was still a child. Gods, sometimes she was just maddening.
The elf strolled inside, his piercing eyes taking in the entirety of the situation. To say the least, Alderon was known in Zantaric. Not only did he dress and hold himself like the nobleman everyone was sure he was, but he was a member of the Friends. And you could be damn sure everyone knew about them.
Immediately spying a boy no older than twenty with silver hair and slightly pointed ears, Alderon rolled his eyes. Not an elf, he thought. Ears aren't pointed enough. Only leaves a Fae.
Waltzing over to the boy, he sat down across from him. "You're new," he said, not bothering to introduce himself. "What brings a Fae to Zantaric? And where's your guard? Surely, you'd not be foolish enough to come alone."
Sel gritted her teeth, watching the guard follow Alderon inside. He's gonna get himself killed, she thought, pinching the bridge of her nose.
Climbing down from the rooftop, she earned a few strange looks, but it wasn't anything new. Sel walked inside after the guard, seeing her brother sitting across from the boy she had seen before. "Motherfucker," she breathed, leaning against a wall to listen and observe from afar.
Arryn had to exert a significant force of will to keep from jolting out of his seat, glancing over at his sudden companion with wide eyes. He hadn't actually been expecting anyone to approach him.
"I'm not Fae," he blurted out reflexively, then flushed. Wow, that was not smooth. Clearing his throat, he tried again, "Fae heritage. And what makes you think I don't have a guard?" He raised an eyebrow, falling back on the safety of a confident, noble persona. "Perhaps you just can't see him."
He was bluffing, mostly, but he was actually right. Bo hovered in the corner, watching the dandy sit beside her brother and start talking. She narrowed her eyes, her lips curving up in a snarl as her hand slid to the hilt of her blade under her cloak. If he made one wrong move, she'd be on him in an instant.
"Shut up," Alderon said quickly, furrowing his brows. "I just said you had a guard. Do you not listen? Or are you foolish? The latter is more likely, but no matter. Not important. You still haven't answered me."
He placed his fingertips together in front of his lips, peering at the young man sitting across from him. It probably appeared like the elf was going to speak again, but he was simply waiting for the nobleman to answer why he was in Zantaric.
Sel took in the entire scene. She knew very well that her brother would be able to handle himself in the event of an attack, but she just didn't want to give him that opportunity. The woman knew that Alderon was an addict when it came to bloodshed, so it was better to err on the side of caution.
Unfortunately, that mindset changed when she noticed the nobleman's guard slide his hand beneath his cloak. She floated quickly over, knowing that no one would really notice her. That was a gift she had. If anyone thought they saw her, she was quick enough to slide right out of view.
"Don't do it," she whispered from almost behind the guard's left shoulder. "It would be a really poor decision for your health and that of your ward."
Bo went still. "And what makes you think that?" she hissed out of the corner of her mouth, eyes locked on her brother and the stranger. Her fingers tightened reflexively on the hilt of her blade.
Arryn blinked, rather taken aback. He glanced quickly from side to side, suddenly wishing he hadn't been quite so snippish with Bo. "I'm doing business," he replied- honest, if a little vague. But then what exactly was this man expecting?
"Simple," Sel said with a smirk. "From where I stand, I can cut your throat faster than you can draw your sword. Without you, that boy is as good as dead here. You and I both know that he would be eaten alive in Zantaric. So, I repeat. Don't do it."
Alderon narrowed his eyes at the young man. He didn't like vague. Vague was all he did when it came to strangers, but he hated getting a vague response to the questions he posed. "What kind of business?" He probed. "What business would bring someone like you all the way to a place like this?"
Arryn started to lean back, obviously uncomfortable. "Why exactly should I tell you that?" He quirked one eyebrow, trying to seem more confident than he felt. "You haven't even told me your name, Ser."
Bo gritted her teeth, grip on her hilt white-knuckled. "Without me, that boy might be dead in the next ten seconds," she hissed. "Let me go, and I'll get us both out of here as quietly as I can."
The elf sneered, disgusted at being called 'ser' or anything like it. "If you must know, my name is Dr. Alderon Finicci," he said. It was as though simply stringing the sentence together was tiring for him. He didn't understand why the young man needed to know his name. It wasn't like Alderon was being interrogated! This was about the Fae boy! "And yours?"
"That's not how we're going to do this," Sel said. "Answer my questions, and I'll make sure you both get out of here unscathed. Don't comply, and you both might lose some fingers and maybe an eye. Depends if I feel creative. Why are you two here in the first place?"
The young lord glanced around again. Where on earth was Bo? She's almost never left his side for this long since she'd been appointed his official guard. "Arryn," he replied warily, leaving out any title or surname. "Now, this was...ah, intriguing, but I should probably be going, Doctor Finicci." He nodded and moved to stand.
Bo growled under her breath and made a cautious movement to the left, trying to slip out of the corner. "I'm here to protect my b- charge," she replied bluntly.
"Sit down," Alderon said quickly. "If you value your head staying attached to your neck, I suggest you stay. Then again, I suppose it doesn't make much difference either way in your case. No, stop. Sit. We haven't finished." He took a breath and tilted his head to the right. "What business are you attending to?"
"And what about your charge?" Her tone made it clear that Sel caught the guard's minor slip. She didn't mention it, but she wasn't going to just let it slide. The woman moved silently with the guard, not letting her position be remotely compromised. "Why's he here?"
Arryn blanched, but froze in place. "I- I'm setting up a trade deal. Well, renewing one," he stammered out, eyes wide as he shrank back into his seat.
Bo saw her brother's fear and growled. "Either get him out of there or kill me," she snapped at her faceless companion. "Because if you won't help him I will."
"Now we're getting somewhere," Alderon said, giving Arryn a crooked smirk. "Renewing a trade deal. Then, this isn't new. Family deal is the safest assumption, so why? What kind of deal are you trying to renew, hmm?"
A briefly and chillin chuckle was released from Sel's lips. "You're overestimating your place in this, and that's very dangerous." She wasn't sure exactly what the guard was trained for, but it was clear that Sel was much more comfortable in the situation.
Then again, Sel wasn't the one who was in danger.
"The elf sitting across from him is my brother," she said. "Your charge is in no danger, as long as he's smart enough to listen and cooperate. My brother isn't one for violence; that's my role."
Bo's lips curled back in a smirk. She'd figured out where her little extortionist was, the exact distance between her and the voice, the voice and the wall...
In a movement almost too quick to be entirely human, she whirled and pressed Reaver's blade against the woman's throat, one hand snapping out to pin her wrist beside her head.
Arryn was saved from having to answer the doctor's questions by a commotion in the corner. He glanced up, startled, and his eyes went wide. "Bo!"
"Sel!" Alderon said at the same time Arryn exclaimed. The doctor quickly rose, the reason for him being there momentarily fading from his mind.
Selusa was legitimately stunned by the guard's speed. No one had ever been able to actually pin her, so the woman was completely out of her element. Not that she'd let that show. Thankfully, she was master at hiding her emotions. She had to be, growing up with Alderon.
A few people in the room with them leapt up with weapons. Most of them didn't know who to point them at. A few pointed at Alderon and Sel, while those who knew the elven siblings aimed at the newcomers.
"Drop. Your. Weapons." A voice echoed through the room. Alderon and Sel both looked towards the door, as did nearly everyone else in the taproom. There were two people standing in the doorway, a man and a woman. Both were dressed in black and red uniforms, but the man had a mask over the top half of his face. When no one responded to him, he frowned. With speed that would've matched the guard's, he snatched his whip and cracked it on two men's swords. An electric current surged through them both.
The girl smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. She was just going to let him handle the situation that time.
The man shrugged, walking into the room. "I brought my girl in here because I wanted to have a nice, quiet drink. Didn't know I'd have to break up a fight to do so! Drop them!" Weapons clambered to the floor. "See? We can all be friends."
Alderon stiffened in his seat, exchanging glances with the man in red and his sister. "I'd listen to him," Sel said. She had no idea who the new guy was. Only seeing him a few times around the town, Sel hadn't exactly thought he'd be coming to her rescue! Or sealing her demise...
Taking advantage of the doctor's distraction, Arryn darted to his guard's side, eyes flicking around warily as people got to their feet, weapons drawn.
Bo bared her teeth at the elven woman, but she slowly lowered her blade to hang at her side, moving protectively in front of her brother as she did so.
She glanced toward the two newcomers as Arryn drew himself up slightly and said in a cool, even tone, "We didn't mean to cause any trouble. We'll just be leaving."
The masked man gripped his long bullwhip, quickly wrapping it back up and securing it on his belt. He clicked his tongue, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder. "Go on, then," he said. The girl stayed quiet, simply moving through the crowd to sit at the counter, followed by the guy.
Alderon gritted his teeth, exchanging a glare with his sister, who approached him smoothly. "I had this under control," he said to her.
Sel scoffed at him. "You had it under control? This was my hit!"
"I'm getting information," he said quietly. "Stay out of the way." There was a moment of tension between the two, but Sel finally stormed out, swinging her grappling hook to the roof and scaling the wall to perch and watch for when the noble and his guard came out.
Bo nodded to the masked man and ushered her brother passed him out the door. Arryn stumbled slightly, but her grip on his arm kept him upright as they hurried out into the street.
"Bo-"
"Hush!" Once they'd gotten a little distance, she glanced around and shoved her brother into an alcove next to an alley and started checking him over for injury. "Who the hell was that? What did he say to you?"
"I don't exactly- stop fussing, Bo, I'm fine."
"Like hell!"
Sel watched the duo hurry out of the building. She mapped out their possible routes in her mind, deciding not to move. Anywhere they went, they'd have to return to the main street somehow.
Kery peered around the corner, seeing the newcomers hovering in the alley's little alcove. He leaned around, snapping his fingers once. "Pst." He jerked his head, telling them to follow him. Without checking if they were, Kery whirled back, jogging through the narrow passages.
He ducked down another alley, crouching to the ground and pressing a scuffed brick into the building. Pushing in a small door, Kery glanced to make sure they followed and maneuvered into the literal hole-in-the-wall.
Inside, it was beautifully designed with shockingly nice décor, considering it was underneath a dull apartment building.
Brother and sister exchanged a quick look, speaking silently.
Should we-?
No.
But-
No!
We're going.
Bo gave a growl of annoyance as Arryn wriggled out of her grasp and darted after the stranger, but what could she do, save follow? "I swear if that boy doesn't get himself killed here, I'm going to murder him," she muttered to herself.
Their destination was a bit of a shock, especially to the young lord. He glanced around the cosy space with a soft, impressed whistle. "Not bad."
Kery closed the little door, facing his guests and never removing the cloth mask from the lower half of his face. "Call me Shadow," he said. "No, it's not my real name, and no, I'm not telling you my real name. This is one of my many hideouts around Zantaric; you'll be safe here."
He lit a few more candles and sat down on a chair. Sizing the two of them up, it was clear that the boy was much more enthusiastic about being there than his guard.
"The people in red are allies," Kery said. "Mindy Hughes and her ex, Luke Stroud. Luke is pure blooded Fae with power over lightning, and Mindy has three stolen dragon souls at her command. Basically, both are good to have on your side. "
The elves that you met are Selusa and Alderon Finicci. Do yourselves a favor and don't underestimate them. Selusa is a very talented woman, so you really don't want her pissed at you. Alderon... He's a bit of an enigma. All I know is that he's one of the Friends, and he has a dark history involving prison and slavery. Further than that, I have no idea. Both of them could either do you a world of good, or cause your lives to be a living hell."
He took a breath, glancing around. "By the way, you didn't get any of this information from me. I'm a friend, but you have to make sure to watch your own backs. Any questions?"
Bo and Arryn exchanged a look.
"Yes." The guard shifted slightly, protectively standing in front of her brother. "Why exactly did you help us? What do you want?"
Arryn shot her a quick frown, then added, "Not that we aren't grateful, sir. Just...confused."
"I don't get insulted," Kery said, waving off the boy's explanation. "Let's just say I'm one of the few people who actually stays on the good side of things. I collect information and kill people who deserve it."
He realized how that must've sounded completely contradictory, but it was true. He saw it as a way of cleaning up the city.
"I helped you because Selusa isn't exactly my favorite person in the world and Alderon just pisses me off. Anything to annoy them makes my life infinitely better. Now, I helped you out of a sticky situation, so you're going to pay me. Not with money, but information. What kind of business are you two here on?"
Another glance exchanged, Arryn's eyebrows raising and Bo's coming together in a dark frown.
"My- guard and I are here to renew an old contract between my family and a trading company that operates out of the city," the young lord said after a moment, turning back tot their rescuer.
Kery rolled his eyes. "Drop the act, kid," he said. "I know there's more of a relationship between you two, than just guard and charge. I make it my business to know people. What it is? Romantic? Family?"
He narrowed his eyes at the two of them, trying to figure it out without having them lie to him.
At the word "romantic" Arryn went bright red and actually gagged. "Kia, no! No no no no no! Ew, no."
Bo sighed and rubbed at her temples. "Right. You could probably guess we're...more familial, then."
"So, siblings," Kery concluded.
He smirked, though he knew they couldn't see his mouth, his eyes would probably give it away. "Trading company, huh? What's the trade? There are a lot of different trades out of here, not many of which are run by upstanding citizens."
Bo snorted and shot her brother a sharp look. He ignored her primly. "Raw materials," he answered crisply. "They ship them up north to our estate and we-"
Bo elbowed him and he cut off with a sharp yelp, glaring at her.
Kery released a long sigh. It wasn't likely that they would trust him fully, but he just saved their asses and was basically telling them that he would help them out in a village meant to break even the strongest. All he wanted was information!
"Look, guys," he started, clearly growing annoyed by the hesitance. "I'm literally asking for information. I don't give a shit if your family's into shady shit. Most families are. Why the secrecy?"
"Because I don't trust you," Bo responded bluntly. She shrugged. "Don't take it personally or anything, I don't trust anyone. And my brother's an idiot."
"OI!" Arryn glowered at her, then looked to Kery. "My...brother only means that he believes it pays to be cautious. And he thinks I'm not cautious enough.
"It's fucking information," Kery said, growing more and more irritated. "I'm not going to sell it to the next random fucker on the street. I save your asses, and all I want is a few facts in return. I think it's an even trade, but if you don't, I'll up the deal. You tell me what I want, and I give you something on me."
The man closed his eyes briefly, almost like he was gathering courage. He pulled the fabric wrap down from the bottom of his face to reveal the awful acid burns that singed his face to the bone.
Arryn's eyes widened and Bo whistled softly. "Ouch."
"Bo!" her brother hissed, glaring at her. A gentle elbow to remind her to be polite. Turning back to their rescuer, trying not to stare to much, he said quickly, "Look, honestly we're not all that interesting. We take ore and gems and such and turn them into weapons that better hold enchantment. It's common practice in Serendipity, our estate just happens to be very good at it."
Kery pulled his cloth mask back over his face and furrowed his brows. "That is some valuable information," he thought aloud. "So, why are you here, then? Deal gone sour? Renewing the contract? What's the reasoning?"
"Contract renewal." Arryn shrugged. "I took over the estate rather recently, and it's customary to meet with our suppliers in person when the ruler changes."
Bo huffed, folding her arms and hovering warily at her brother's shoulder, but she didn't say anything.
"Thank you," Kery said, putting his arms out to the side and giving a sarcastic bow. Whether or they were his superiors didn't matter. La Volpe didn't kneel.
He flopped back on a chair and put his ankle on his knee. "You're free to go whenever you wish, but there are some dangerous people out there. Alderon Finicci is one of them. Forget his sister. She's powerful, but only in muscle. Dr. Finicci is powerful in strength, mind, and connections. You piss him off, you'll make very angry enemies of the Friends. Take my advice and don't do that."
Kery stood up, opening a small drawer and taking out a very tiny whistle. He extended it to Arryn. "You need anything, blow on this. I'm gonna need that back when you leave Zantaric, though."
"Um...right." Arryn glanced at Bo, then the door behind them, then reached out to take the whistle. "That's- that's really very kind. Thank you."
He nodded politely, almost a half bow, though Bo remained rigid at his side. "We should...probably be going, then," the young lord said with a small smile. "Thanks again for your help back there."
Kery simply nodded, returning to his seat and not saying anything further to keep the duo in his little hideout.
Outside, Selusa crouched atop one of the buildings along the main street. She stayed as still as a statue, waiting for the newcomers to emerge. Whatever they were there for definitely wasn't done yet, so she knew it wouldn't be long before they returned to the area.
"Okay...bye then," Arryn murmured as Bo started shuffling him toward the door, carefully poking her head out to observe the street before she crept out ahead of him.