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In the Name of Science!

Started by DragonSong, February 06, 2018, 09:18:17 AM

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DragonSong

Her eyes widened and she nearly dropped the crystal as he handed it to her. "But..." She stared at it, then back up at him. "Aren't they- you just trap them in there? Are they conscious?!"

Kingfisher

It was hard to tell if Alleaya was fascinated or horrified.  Trying toward neutrality, Samuel gave her his take on demons.  "It depends what you mean by 'concious.'  These guys..."  The demonlord gave the crystal a slight flick.  "They're barely above plants in their world.  Power there is related to intelligence.  As a demon ages, it grows in power and wisdom.  Most don't survive that long since many demons are so chaotic and violent."  This was all hypothesis, though, since the man still had no safe way of visitig that place.

"Anyway," the assassin said, shifting the topic a little.  "I use these guys because they are both common and weak.  I can have quite a few and if they get free, there's little risk of burning down the city."

DragonSong

"So...they're like bioluminescent flowers?" That she could live with- imprisoning sentient creatures turned her stomach.

With a little hmm she held the crystal out for him to take again. "You must be very talented at what you do- I've never actually met a demonlord in person before."

Kingfisher

It's...no really that hard," Samuel commented.  And in his mind, it really was not.  The main issue was that many believed that demons were inately evil, as though an entire universe could be populated exclusively by such entities.

Accepting the crystal, the demonlord set it back into its sconce.  "I don't doubt it," he said.  "We're a rare breed.  Mostly 'cause we all carry a standing bounty on our heads."  Samuel gestured outward for effect, adding, "Zantaric is basically our only haven, so you might find a few more if you stick around..."  After all, it was not like they had to hide.

But that was not why the girl hade come down to his lab.  Pointing too the book in Alleaya's arms, Samuel said, "You said you were trying to make something, though?"  Still avoiding an Ultimatum, he went to the shelf of components and asked, "What sort of ingredients does an ancient dragon potion take?"

DragonSong

At the reminder Ally sighed and sort of shuffled after him. "A lot of eclectic, powerful components," she muttered in response, obviously a little bitter about it. "Lots of pieces of dragons are involved, as well as some general alchemical staples. Unfortunately success with the potion seems to be more in its execution than its creation."

Kingfisher

Samuel looked disappointed as well.  "I have most of the conventional sundries, but I don't have many dragon parts."  He also had no clear way of finding such things.  He had burned most of his bridges back home, so he doubted he would be able to do use a visit to Adela to get his supplies.  There might be some black market vendors, but they charged an arm and a leg...sometimes literally.

He had one more play.  "Tell you what.  I'll look into things on my end, see if I can't get my hands on what you need.  You do the same and..."  There was a beat as he quickly cycled through a dozen ideas.  Then he came to his conclusion and said, "I could make a pair of void bags.  Demons bound to a pair of sacks would give us shared access to a collection."  Fixing Alleaya with a look, Samuel asked, "Would you be willing to try that?  Or do you just want to put things together and come see me afterward?"

DragonSong

She thought about it for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Alright...alright, that should work."

Clearing her throat, she glanced away and added with a bit of a blush, "Getting a couple of the dragon bits won't be too difficult. Scales, blood, that sort of stuff...I can just...get that." She cleared her throat again, then snapped her eyes back to look him up and down.

"Why are you so invested in this? Really." She held the book a little tighter to her chest. "It can't just be to get a look at this."

Kingfisher

Samuel had begun pulling together pulling together some of his summoning supplied when Alleaya mentioned acting as the source of dragon components.  He had thought of that but had written it off as too easy.  If she could provide viable dragon components, the assassin probably had everything else they might need. "Convenient," he muttered.

Still, other issues still had to be addressed.  Turning back toward his guest, the demonlord scratched his chin with his human hand.  "Is that so hard to believe?" he asked.  "Granted, I would like to do a bit more than just look at it, but at the end of the day, that's the jist of my request.  Plus..." he continued, seeing another angle to try.  "You're a traveller, I assume.  Can you guarantee that that book will survive on the road?  Knowing there was another copy could go a long way toward giving you peace of mind."

DragonSong

"Well..." She bit her lip, hedging. There was a hint of wariness in her stance; could she really be responsible for letting someone like him get his hands on this knowledge?

Then again, who was Samuel, really? And did she have any right not to let him look at the book?

"Alright," Ally sighed after a moment. "Deal."

Kingfisher

Truthfully, Samuel was not entirely sure anything in the book would be of real use to him.  Whatever professional advantage he got from it would pale compared to calling out demons to do as he bid.  But one does not survive in his line of work by assuming anything is truly worthless.  But, she had agreed to his deal, and was fine by him.

Nodding his head in thanks, Samuel decided to move the conversation forward.  "So, since we have an accord, what say we get to work on your little project?  What will you be needing?"  As he had explained, if it was a run of the mill agent, he would likely have access to it.

DragonSong

Ally flushed, then admitted in a mumble, "I'm...not entirely sure, yet. I need to compare this book with my mother's notes, but I haven't really had a chance to- to read-" A yawn cut her off and she clapped a hand over her mouth, her blush worsening. "Sorry, I'm sorry. I'll get started right away-"

Her eyes widened and she cursed under her breath. "I'm so sorry, I...left my mother's journals at the inn where I'm staying. I have to go fetch them."

Kingfisher

Samuel could not help but smirk at the poor girl's anxious reaction to his inquiry.  "We are in no hurry," the man reminded her.  "If you wanted to start tomorrow, I could walk you back to your inn."  Glancing in the direction of the discarded trophies, the assassin admitted, "I had something I needed to finish up, anyway."  Thinking about it, he really did not want to give the small man an excuse to return.  "I'd be able to meet up with you tomorrow and escort you back here?"

DragonSong

The alchemist nodded, still blushing, but she tried for a small smile. "Thank you, I think that's a good idea," she murmured.

She clutched the book a little tighter to her chest, then glanced down at herself. Her blush deepened and she glanced back up at Samuel through her bangs with a mumbled, "Um, I can wash your clothes and return them to you tomorrow, if that's alright?"

Kingfisher

"That will be fine," Samuel admitted.  His clothes were clearly larger than what the girl should have been wearing so a quick change would do her well.  Striding toward his door, the host opened it, gesturing.  "After you, my lady?" he offered.

DragonSong

"Thank you," she mumbled, slipping past him through the door, the book still clutched tightly to her chest. She hesitated a moment, then turned to ask warily, "Um...d-did you want to walk me back?"

She tried to phrase it to make it his idea...but honestly she was a little afraid that she'd loose her way.

Kingfisher

The youth had already shut the door behind him when Alleaya questioned him.  Samuel tilted his head.  "That was the plan," he reminded her.  His human hand came to rest on the girl's shoulder.  "Where was it you were staying?" he asked.  He knee much of the city so he could easily find their way...

DragonSong

"An inn called the Drunken Dragon." Ally rolled her eyes- it was one of the cheaper beds she could find in the city that was at least reasonably safe, so she wasn't much to question the name."

She tilted her head to the side just a bit to eye his hand on her shoulder, unsure if she should ask him to remove it. It wasn't like he was hurting her, and she wasn't exactly uncomfortable with it...

Kingfisher

The assassin withdrew his hand; Alleaya had seemed to visibly tense at the protective gesture.  Samuel, though not truly infamous, had a small if frightening reputation as a killer and few would risk attacking him if they thought he was worth killing in the first place.  So, he simply walked with the girl, winding their way toward the inn...

It was hardly the best looking establisment in Zantaric's only true city.  It had a doorman, and too a layman, the burly figure would have seemed frightening.  Samuel was not a layman; few enough here were.  Still, the Family that owned it was small time and they seemed to like it that way.  In spite of that, the assassin made an offer: "If you wanted, I could pull out another bed at my home.  It would be cheaper and more comfortable there than here."  Samuel would abide the girl's decision either way and if she prefered her own room over a soft bed, the assassin would simply take his leave.

DragonSong

"Um..." She hedged, debating the possibility as she gathered up her supplies, stuffing her change of clothes into her pack on top of her alchemical components, and her mother's journals.

"I suppose that would make sense," she decided after a moment, nodding briskly. "It would be easiest to have access to your lab if I need it, too."

Kingfisher

"It would be a pleasure to play host for a little longer," Samuel said.  Once the dragon girl had collected her supplies, the assassin offered an arm to carry Alleaya's luggage.  The trip back would be much the same as it was the first time and the rules did not change.

The small dwelling was still fairly well lit as the raised hearth still burned.  Samuel opened up the bedroom, to show Alleaya where she could sleep.  There was only one bed in his house and normally he used it.  "You can take the bed," he offered anyway.  He had other bedding he could set out on the floor and set to work pulling an excess of blankets out of a large trunk in the corner of the room.

There was little privacy in the small room but it was small with a fireplace set toward on side.  Samuel said, "I can vacate when you feel a need to change clothes so feel free to let me know."  It was easier to keep one room heated at night, so it seemed inconvenient for both of them to keep one person to a room...

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