Metropolis (Slaves to the City) - Chapter Two

[Phoenix]

Nikolai sits up a bit straighter in his chair and smiles a little. The gold was of course welcome, but flattery and a challenge were much more welcome currencies. He nods at his visitor's words and picks up the vial. He holds it up to the light and squints at it for a second. He purses his lips and studies it for a long moment before turning to Thialon.

"Hmmph, well you were right to come to me of course. Those idiots down at the apothacary's don't know magewort from their own backsides. . . and the price they try and charge for glass these days! Fifteen gold they said, even though it hardly be worth ten and them will all that fancy jewelery and trying to turn lead into gold. Lead into gold, I ask you! Lead in their heads more like it!

He fades off into a muttered assault on the local competition for a few minutes before suddenly coming back to himself and the business at hand.

"Erhem, well yes. I suspect that I can look into this for you. I don't suppose you'll be telling me where you found it, or why it has you chaps all in a tizzy?"

He looks expectantly at the chap in question.

Without speaking Thialon simply holds the vial up for the gnome to see the liquid clearly. He shakes it and the liquid spashes around inside, dribbling back to the base as normal once the motion has ended.

Slowly Thailon tips the vial over until it is upside down. The liquid doesn't move, staying stuck to the 'bottom' of the vial.

"I can't tell you where we found it yet, but can you explain that?"

 

[Fenris]

With training that Jovik has passed on well, the children move into the streets determined to help Wasp elude his persuer. By the time that Jovik had made it to street level and across to a better vantage point the action was over, he could still see the yellow robed man in the crowd, but his wards had eluded them. Kuni tugged at Jovik's pants, looking up at him without speaking, but Jovik simply knew that that was a signal that the little one had done what he had told him to do.

Jovik turned to look back at the yellow robed man once more, keeping an eye on him in case he made any further moves. There was a gesture from his hands in the crowd, something that the crime lord couldn't quite make out, and then the wave appeared.

Like water lapping against a shore, energy came from the yellow robe like a wave, pouring through the crowd and freezing everyone in place. Leaves hung motionless in the air, people's mouths frozen in mid conversation, everything stopped.

The wave rushed over Jovik too, there was no escaping it, but nothing happened to him. The yellow robe began to pick his way through the crowd, searching for something, Wasp? Jovik's looked about, searching for his children.

Through the crowd there were other movements, the children were fleeing into the streets, they were not affected by this phenominon. Kuni's meek little voice called up to him, "Jovik, can we go now?"

"Yes, I think that's best Kuni. Into the alleys and be quick about it now" With a puzzled and pensive look over what just happend, Jovik ducks down below the level of frozen people and makes his own way into the familar dark alleys. He isn't sure what happened here, but he doesn't want to stick around to find out. He will meet up with his band later. They will find him, they always do.

 

[hafrogman]

Without speaking Thialon simply holds the vial up for the gnome to see the liquid clearly. He shakes it and the liquid spashes around inside, dribbling back to the base as normal once the motion has ended.

Slowly Thailon tips the vial over until it is upside down. The liquid doesn't move, staying stuck to the 'bottom' of the vial.

"I can't tell you where we found it yet, but can you explain that?"

Nikolai looks at the vial with no small amount of wonder in his expression. He scratches thoughtfully as he regards his new mystery with rapt attention.

"Well now, that is unique. Hmmm. . . it seems like you have found yourself an alchemist."

He nods decisively at Thialon, but then stops to consider something.

"One moment please."

Then he mutters a few arcane words under his breath and passes his hand over his eyes. He fixes his gaze on the vial and concentrates.

[sblock]I presume that this is not something I am already familar with, and that I will be researching it. Then casting Detect Magic.[/sblock]

 

[jkason]

"Ohhhh, Ari." Suddenly the trolls speech clears to a well pronouced sentence, "I know all about Ari, listen little man, how much does this Ari want from me to leave this little business alone then, I am not an unreasonable man you see. If he can guarentee my people's safety in this neighbourhood, I have no problem with cutting him in."

Ru's inner tension eases. His smile of comradery no longer requires him to force it. Master Gis is always telling him not to jump to conclusions; clearly he has the right of it in this case. This is a day of inverted expectation, to be sure.

"Wonderful to hear," Ru replies. "It's always good to have a businessman of your obvious savvy associated with our organization." With that, Ru offers Ari's standard percentage to the Troll.

[OOC: I don't know what that percentage should be, but I figure Ru would be pretty easily familiar with it.]

 

[Phoenix]

"Yes, I think that's best Kuni. Into the alleys and be quick about it now" With a puzzled and pensive look over what just happend, Jovik ducks down below the level of frozen people and makes his own way into the familar dark alleys. He isn't sure what happened here, but he doesn't want to stick around to find out. He will meet up with his band later. They will find him, they always do.

Jovik moves away down the alley, weaving past frozen animals and vermin and into a busy <?> frozen street ahead. Confused, he is ill-prepared as the crowd suddenyl bursts into movement once more. Dozens of people suddenly push Jovik around, shoving him this way and that as he forces his way across the road and into another alley.

Waiting there for him is the rest of his crew, each with happy smiles of their faces and jingling pockets.

 

[Phoenix]

Nikolai looks at the vial with no small amount of wonder in his expression. He scratches thoughtfully as he regards his new mystery with rapt attention.

"Well now, that is unique. Hmmm. . . it seems like you have found yourself an alchemist."

He nods decisively at Thialon, but then stops to consider something.

"One moment please."

Then he mutters a few arcane words under his breath and passes his hand over his eyes. He fixes his gaze on the vial and concentrates.

[sblock]I presume that this is not something I am already familar with, and that I will be researching it. Then casting Detect Magic.[/sblock]

Glancing at the liquid through softly glowing eyes, Nikolai watches the liquid glow softly with a magical pulse, then fade as if it were normal liquid. The enchantment cannot seem to get a focus on the liquid, and when it is magical it only registers for seconds before fading away again.

 

[Phoenix]

Ru's inner tension eases. His smile of comradery no longer requires him to force it. Master Gis is always telling him not to jump to conclusions; clearly he has the right of it in this case. This is a day of inverted expectation, to be sure.

"Wonderful to hear," Ru replies. "It's always good to have a businessman of your obvious savvy associated with our organization." With that, Ru offers Ari's standard percentage to the Troll.

[OOC: I don't know what that percentage should be, but I figure Ru would be pretty easily familiar with it.]

The large troll considers the number, scratching his head. "You go back and tell this Ari that I'll give him half of that, then at the end of every two months I'll backpay him the rest of it if I have felt sufficently safe in that time."

 

[jkason]

The large troll considers the number, scratching his head. "You go back and tell this Ari that I'll give him half of that, then at the end of every two months I'll backpay him the rest of it if I have felt sufficently safe in that time."

Ru considers the benefit vs. broken bone ratio of the counter-offer. Then settles in to see if he can't do better.

"Sufficiently safe?," Ru says, raising an eyebrow. "Sounds to me like perhaps you already have some safety concerns. I'm sure Ari would prefer to meet your concerns proactively. You tell me who's been giving you problems, and we'll see if we can't settle accounts to your satisfaction and set us up on a fully paid-forward system. Backpay is always so messy to figure into the books, anyway, isn't it?"

 

[hafrogman]

Nikolai cocks his head sideways as the spell fades from him. His nose twitches slightly with excitement. At last a real challenge. This should be fun.

"Hmmm. . . very well. I am at your service. I shall get started on my research immediately. I shall need to know how to contact you when I have answers for you."

 

[Fenris]

Jovik moves away down the alley, weaving past frozen animals and vermin and into a busy <?> frozen street ahead. Confused, he is ill-prepared as the crowd suddenyl bursts into movement once more. Dozens of people suddenly push Jovik around, shoving him this way and that as he forces his way across the road and into another alley.

Waiting there for him is the rest of his crew, each with happy smiles of their faces and jingling pockets.

"Excellent work my lads. But Wasp, that was lazy of you, lazy and careless. So you give your share to Kuni and Mouse, go on, no blubbering about it. Next time keep your hands on the mark and your eyes on the crowd. Now everybody saw the bloke witht he yellow robes that made the street stop. He is bad new my lads. If you see him again, stay away from him. Drop any marks you have and beat it to an alley. Watch him and let's see what he's about. And let me know he's snooping around." He picks up the hefty purse that Wasp lifted and opens it, peering inside. " Well Wasp you pciekd out a good one today I guess. I will let you have a small amout of your own cut since this was such a rich purse" And he tosses the boys a handful of silver coins each. "Off with you now." And Jovik pleased with the days haul heads off to his favorite tavern for a well earned meal and a bottle of wine. But the days events bothered him. It wasn't just the magic, that you can see everyday. It was the interest an urchin pickpocket attracted. Why in the nine hells, would this yellowrobed devil care about some ninny's purse. It was very curious, and a bottle of wine couldn't drown it.