Seventy-five gold wouldn't hurt me any 'Phion mused, glaring at Pink who was bouncing along ahead of it, making a game out of leaping over every obstruction on the street. The dragon-cat insisted on coming with it to the village this time and when 'Phion ignored her, fabricated a cloak of her own and trailed it. Damn menace.
'Phion was in it's usual human cloak, the grey haired man in a blue coat with an eyepatch over the right eye. Pink's cloak, however, was irratatingly eye catching. She appeared as a little girl with flame-red hair to her waist, big violet eyes and a very white dress that clasped at her neck with fluffy skirts descending to her ankles which were in equally white lace up boots. The mind flayer focused on her cloak as she scampered, looking down at the actual creature would seem odd. Humans didn't usually walk with their heads down unless they were feeling depressed, and it wasn't sure it could come up with a good depressing reason if it were confronted by a soft-heart.
A tanned woman with light brown hair gathered up in a messy bun passed the red haired girl and the grey haired man. She pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders and glanced over her shoulder at them. They were different...somehow. She had no time now to trail them, she had an appointment. The woman let her eyes linger on the pair long enough to get a good impression of what they looked like. The sun was nearly at the roof of the sky, Tearshed would be getting antsy if she didn't show up soon.
Tearshed swished his pointer finger along a ridge of patina crusting the arm rest of the bench he was sitting on. Burgundy was late, she was always late. Damn whore, she was probably busy with a customer. Boredom breeds thought, and think Tearshed did, smirking at the first one that crossed his mind. A whore named after a wine. It was fitting, in a lewd way. And there was the little lewd lady now. Her face was flustered and her steps quick. Tearshed grinned at her, there was no way he could be angry at her when she had guilt painted all over her.
At least it was guilt and not the cheap cosmetics most whores smeared over themselves. Some just didn't have the brains to apply it so they looked better. Burgundy was probably too poor to afford it, which confused Tearshed a little. She was fairly attractive, she was either diseased or had a litter of brats at home to take care of. No matter, the men she did sleep with had no control over their tongues and she was willing to share any interesting information she heard. Which was why this meeting was taking place.
"Sorry," she gasped, slumping beside him. "I got held up a bit."
"Doesn't surprise me," he said softly, tilting his head down some so his words wouldn't be audible to any others. "I'd bet a whore would get a lot of men that can only hold it up a bit. Got anything to tell me?"
Burgundy wanted to roll her eyes at Tearshed's comment, she held back though. "There's a turncoat in the castle."
Tearshed recoiled, blinked a bit to let the shock settle in his mind and leaned forward again, locks of black hair falling over his eyes. "You sure?"
"Yes, I've heard both soldiers and shadows talk about him, in a good sort of way too."
"Shadows eh? Who?"
"Silverleaf's apprentice Pine has given his word and the words of other shadows in that cabal."
"Hmmm, tell me about him."
Thirty feet south of the bench Alcée Maverikko reined his red gelding to a halt. The horse pinned his ears back and stamped his foot, irritated with the sudden stop. "General Verde?"
Verde, a tallish man with unmistakable ginger hair combed away from his face and behind his ears, started and turned towards the voice, leaving him halfway across the street he was crossing. "Ah, Lord Maverikko. Out for a ride?"
"Yes," Alcée answered slowly, he was going to find Paris. Jinny's planning and preparing be damned. Seeing General Verde wasn't an odd enough occurance to halt for. Though seeing General Verde walking in the village wearing civillian clothes was... odd. "What brings you out here?"
Verde put his hands in his pockets and licked his lips. "My sister is ill. I wanted to see her without drawing attention to myself."
"Then I won't keep you from her," Alcée nudged his horse forward, keeping his eyes on the road and his thoughts back on Verde. Without drawing attention... Verde couldn't get that much attention when he was visiting.
Verde counted to three after Alcée rode off, looking over his shoulder on three. His horse was traveling at a steady pace, his hair wasn't disturbed, there was no flash of sudden movement. Good, the Mordecai had no reason to be suspicious, he was only here to see his sister after all.
Tearshed smirked, Burgundy definitely earned her gold this time. Her news made his blood run a little faster. Or, perhaps it was just her. He pulled a few coins from his pocket and placed them in Burgundy's palm, clasping his fingers around her hand. "How'd you like to double that?" He breathed, perking an eyebrow.
Burgundy fought the shudder, but there was nothing she could do about the sickening air curling in her stomach. Just because she Saw her meeting the evening before didn't mean she had to be accept it completely. There was nothing she could do to avert it without destroying the wheels she set in motion, so she smiled coyly, raising both eyebrows.
"Try and catch me!" Pink called, leaping into the air and hovering, her cloak jumped and whirled. 'Phion looked annoyed, as always, but Pink didn't care. This was the first time in a long week and half that she got to go out and stretch her wings. She skirted around the corner of a building onto another street, tossing her head back and laughing.
<center><font size=7>!!! BOOM! </font></center>
For a deafening moment the entire street was lit up by rolling flames that came racing from the doors of the buildings. Black smoke lingered thickly after the explosion, blotting the sun for a moment until the breeze dissapated it.
The closeness of the blast made 'Phion lose his footing. The mind flayer shook its head and stared dully into the smoke. It'd been a while since he'd been in a city where one had to watch for explosions...
"F*cking hell," Tearshed growled, grinding his heels into the ground and looking up at the cloud of smoke snaking its way up the sky. He let go of Burgundy's hand and clenched his fists.
Burgundy didn't hold back her grin. This occurance was so very wrong, but she did love surprises.
---
Pink couldn't remember why she was on the ground. Her nose, mouth and chest burned and itched. All she could see were wisps of black and grey. She couldn't move, and she tried. Tried standing, tried fluttering her wings, tried lifting her head. Nothing would budge, they all felt so heavy. The shallow breathes she managed to suck in stung bitterly. If only her eyelids would close, so she could wake up from this nightmare.
'Phion stood and walked into the destroyed street as the smoke was clearing. The explosion charred everything in its path to a dull black. Everything, except for Pink's cloak which lay bent in the center of the street, it's white dress and red hair bright against the char. 'Phion dismissed it and stood looking down at Pink.
Her eyes were open, staring up at him because the eyelids were burnt off. What remained of her fur was blackened and stiff. The leathers of her wings were gone and only the stumps remained. Lines of smoke curled off her body which in most places was burnt enough so the flesh clung to the contours of her skeleton. She drew a little breath and her pupils flitted over to him, widened a little.
"There is no hope for you," 'Phion chimed, crossing its arms. "Rest your eyes and it will be over quicker."
Once the explosion sounded the animals within hearing range paniced. Alcée's red gelding flung his head up and spun away from the street. He ran for a block and a half before Alcée got him back under control.
"Sh*t," Alcée looked over his shoulder and scowled at the rising smoke. He couldn't afford to be drawn into this situation, Paris was out in the world somewhere and needed to be found. He nudged the gelding into a rolling canter, which the horse happily complied, and guided him on the road leading to the castle. After he left the village he could sweep around and continue on from there.
Burgundy ran, letting her shawl fly behind her like the wings of a bird. Tearshed left her soon after the disturbance and she fled as soon as he was gone. The streets nearby were full of running people and animals, but their feet were fueled by fear, anxiety or pure curiousity while Burgundy was almost dancing with joy.
Pink sputtered and tried to get to her feet. 'Phion was lying, right? It was just being cynical like it always was, right?
It was leaving. Pink drew a whistling breath and called after him mentally.
Ulliphion!
'Phion!
Don't go.
Please don't go.
Please??
The mind flayer melted into the crowds of people entering the street, curious onlookers and those desperately trying to find loved ones who had business on the street that day. One woman began crying loudly.
Pink's neck wouldn't move, so she couldn't turn to look at the newcomers. She would catch snatches of glimpses of them. Rushing away, not even noticing that she was there. Their colors faded, dulling to greys and finally jet black. The burning smell fading to an afterthought and the heaviness in her limbs diminishing. Then thumping of feet against the burned earth began to quiet, leaving only the sound of the woman crying to linger on a moment before it too faded away.
