Metropolis (Slaves to the City) - Chapter Two

[Phoenix]

Jovik lay there trying to make sense of it all. What had just occurred. He still wasn't sure. Was it a dream? Where had the thieve's guild members gone? His head hurt and he was breathing heavily, but other than that he seemed OK. First order of business he thought was to get out of this damn cursed and haunted house! It seems to have turned into an extention fo the Apartments, it was busy enough. Did anyone NOT know about it. He slowly sat up, getting his bearings. The mist was gone, had it ever been there? His money was gone, but he had bought his way out of a fight hadn't he. He remembered Zsath's words and hesitantingly checked if his sword was still with and him and lastly, slowly his hand went to his throat.

Jovik's sword lay by where his hand was, its blade splattered with the blood of the stranger, Zsath. His hand run across his throat, perfect, not a scratch. He could vaguely remember when he was disembodied, looking down at his corpse, that his body seemed to be in perfect condition.

Strange.

 

[Fenris]

Jovik's sword lay by where his hand was, its blade splattered with the blood of the stranger, Zsath. His hand run across his throat, perfect, not a scratch. He could vaguely remember when he was disembodied, looking down at his corpse, that his body seemed to be in perfect condition.

Strange.

The Jackal begins swearing, uttering curses to and from every diety, god, and demon he can name. "A Liar! Nothing but a low-down soul-stealer. Grrrrr. I mean steal THINGS, not souls not bodies! Well I suppose he got what was coming to him in the end" and Jovik laughs but stops suddenly and starts swearing again "Where's his body? I know I killed him, his blood is still warm on the blade. What in blazes is going on today. I need a drink. No I need many drinks. And what in the name of Mother Cauphriol was wrong with those boys." Jovik hated magic, partly because he couldn't understand it but mostly because he couldn't control it and felt helpless around it. He had little experiance with it and all of it bad (today just reinforced his opinion of it). What he needed was someone who could help him, explain who this Zsath character was and what that damn yellow-robed guy did to the crowd and what happened to the boys. Baeval, at the Vomiting Jester, he knew lots of people. " I can kill two birds with one stone" said the Jackal, drinks and leads. He suddenly remembered, Damn, I still have to come up with 50 nobles for Rashul, assuming he was still alive he tought with a smile. He made a mental note to look for easy marks on his was to the tavern and to keep an eye out for any of the guild members who where there earlier, especially one of Gradlin's old boys, they would talk more easily. Maybe then he could find out what they saw as Zsath came in.

 

[jkason]

The men were in perfect positions to meet the 'zombies' head on. Smashing them to the ground effortlessly with clubs, staves and blades, the dwarves fell once more to the city street. But laying there in the dirt, mud, and their own bodily juices, the creatures moaned and wailed, it seemed that death would not claim them...

Ru's nose wrinkles and his lip turns up at the sight and smell of the bodies that refuse to die. He'd never ... gods, this was wrong in too many ways to figure.

"Enough," Ru finally declares, to the disappointment of the hack-slash loving Wos. Ru looks up and around quickly rather than acknowledge the half-ogre's pout.

"Unless someone's got some divine favors handy, I'm out of ideas. They're down if not out, and their ruckus is going to draw attention sooner rather than later. We're gone."

So saying, Ru gestures for the half-ogres to take either end of the pole still holding their hostage. He sets Twilit to guard their backs, Daan the left flank, and he takes the right, pointing the group on to the Delphi district and the warehouse on Reddlin Street.

 

[hafrogman]

"Good bird!"

Nikolai shouts a thanks to his familiar as he makes a dash for the door. He slams the door shut behind him and presses his entire weight up against it for a split second as he attempts to regain his breath. Panting slightly he wracks his brain for the words to one of the few spells he had been able to master. . . they came to him in a flash and he began to speak, mentally praying that he might complete the spell before the assassin recovered enough to follow. . .

"Ostium obsignare . . ."

[sblock] Move, and I suppose closing the door is a move action. But next round he'll try and cast Hold Portal on his bedroom door unless the assassin has forced the doorway open by then.[/sblock]

 

[Phoenix]

"Good bird!"

Nikolai shouts a thanks to his familiar as he makes a dash for the door. He slams the door shut behind him and presses his entire weight up against it for a split second as he attempts to regain his breath. Panting slightly he wracks his brain for the words to one of the few spells he had been able to master. . . they came to him in a flash and he began to speak, mentally praying that he might complete the spell before the assassin recovered enough to follow. . .

"Ostium obsignare . . ."

Scrabbling across the room, Nikolai almost falls short of the door as Quoth flies in front of him, flapping his wings eagerly to get out of the room before the gnome. A noise behind Nikolai urges him onward, throwing himself through the door and onto the floor beyond.

With a deft kick the door slams closed and, lying on the ground, his magic builds and takes effect. The door glows for less than a moment before a heavy force bashes against it from the other side, then again, and again. The door holds.

 

[Phoenix]

"Enough," Ru finally declares, to the disappointment of the hack-slash loving Wos. Ru looks up and around quickly rather than acknowledge the half-ogre's pout.

"Unless someone's got some divine favors handy, I'm out of ideas. They're down if not out, and their ruckus is going to draw attention sooner rather than later. We're gone."

So saying, Ru gestures for the half-ogres to take either end of the pole still holding their hostage. He sets Twilit to guard their backs, Daan the left flank, and he takes the right, pointing the group on to the Delphi district and the warehouse on Reddlin Street.

Walking through the streets of Metropolis baring a bound dwarf with a bucket on his head held between two large half-ogres brings the typical response from people, none. The Delphi district was a good hour or so away, and before they got within blocks of Reddlin Street the dwarf woke up.

Snarling and writhing, there were horrible noises coming from within the bucket. At a look from one of the twins, which one was it again, the half-elf nodded at Ru and said, "If we had used a gag or a bag he would've choked himself to death, this way he stays alive and we don't get bitten." There was a thud behind the half-elf, and their captive was silent once more.

The warehouse was easy to spot, and even if it wasn't the two dwarves in chain shirts with axes standing in front of it would've been enough to give it away. With a simple nod to the guards, the group entered.

Constantine waited nearby, sitting on crates with two gnomes who were playing cards with him, Blue Yukon* by the looks of things, and he was loosing. At the entrance of Ru's group, the troll stood and watched them approach.

"So, let's get this over with..."

[sblock]*Blue Yukon was a card game invented by halflings many years ago that revolves around the players needing to build as many 'houses' as possible and populate them with the right type of people. It wasn't an easy game to learn, but it was a game that was difficult to play without betting, so it was popular everywhere.[/sblock]

 

[Phoenix]

Baeval, at the Vomiting Jester, he knew lots of people. " I can kill two birds with one stone" said the Jackal, drinks and leads. He suddenly remembered, Damn, I still have to come up with 50 nobles for Rashul, assuming he was still alive he tought with a smile. He made a mental note to look for easy marks on his was to the tavern and to keep an eye out for any of the guild members who where there earlier, especially one of Gradlin's old boys, they would talk more easily. Maybe then he could find out what they saw as Zsath came in.

Baeval sprayed ale from his mouth, covering the table and moistening Jovik's tankard and arm. He laughed then, a loud hearty laugh that insinuated that he understood Jovik's jest and appreciated it immensely.

The walk to the Vomitting Jester was a short one, but it was somewhat surreal. There was something wrong with the people in the streets, Jovik watched as one man stumbled drunk across the street in front of him and collapsed in the mud. It wasn't strange, people were drunk all the time. A woman stared at him from a shop window, a child sat in the mud and played with a dog, two men argued over the price of a fish.

They were all...different.

He had ordered a drink, then another, paying with the scant amount of silvers that he'd managed to pick up on the way. Slim pickings tonight. Baeval was there, as he usually was, and soon Jovik had asked him about this Zsath person who he had killed.

"Zsath? So you, the mighty Jackal, met and slew Zsath? Oh, that's rich my friend, rich indeed!" It took a moment for the man to realize that Jovik really didn't recognise the name. "You've been spending too much time in the cups my friend. Zsath is the name all the priests use for The Reaper...Death my friend, the soul collector, the end of life, finit!"

The laughed again, trying to drink from his tankard. "So The Jackal has defeated Death himself, wonderful, now I can walk the streets at night safe in the knowledge that I'll never die. Ha!"

 

[jkason]

The warehouse was easy to spot, and even if it wasn't the two dwarves in chain shirts with axes standing in front of it would've been enough to give it away. With a simple nod to the guards, the group entered.

Constantine waited nearby, sitting on crates with two gnomes who were playing cards with him, Blue Yukon* by the looks of things, and he was loosing. At the entrance of Ru's group, the troll stood and watched them approach.

"So, let's get this over with..."

Ru motions for the boys to set their new guest up for questioning in the corner, though he holds off giving them the go ahead to wake him. First thing's first. He pulls Constantine to the side to consult with him.

"Something's wrong with these things," Ru says jabbing his thumb in the direction of the bound dwarf, "and I don't just mean the cannibalism. We killed some grabbing this one. They came back. Okay, so maybe I figure my luck's really crap--wouldn't surprise me, these days--and there's some Necro out and making trouble. Only we killed them again, and they came back again. I don't know about you, but that one's a big, nasty new one on me.

"Before we start grilling the one we've got, I need to know if you've heard anything about this, or have we stumbled on a whole new set of problems?"

 

[hafrogman]

Cackling madly to himself, Nikolai practically skips down the stairs. He holds his left hand over the last stab from the assassin and goes as fast as he dares and pockets the wand in his ragged robes. He dodges statues and paintings in the main body of the shop, grabs his cane from its stand and bolts out the front door, leaving it to bang shut behind him as he takes off into the streets. He dares not glance back to see if his assailant has made it out the windows yet, but thanks his lucky stars that the window is around the other side of the building.

Knowing his time is precious, he starts off down the street as fast as his age and wounds will let him. Somewhere crowded, he needs to lose himself in the city. Bleary eyed, breathless and faint from blood loss the elderly gnome hobbles down the street leaning heavily on his cane. . .

 

[Fenris]

Baeval sprayed ale from his mouth, covering the table and moistening Jovik's tankard and arm. He laughed then, a loud hearty laugh that insinuated that he understood Jovik's jest and appreciated it immensely.

The walk to the Vomitting Jester was a short one, but it was somewhat surreal. There was something wrong with the people in the streets, Jovik watched as one man stumbled drunk across the street in front of him and collapsed in the mud. It wasn't strange, people were drunk all the time. A woman stared at him from a shop window, a child sat in the mud and played with a dog, two men argued over the price of a fish.

They were all...different.

He had ordered a drink, then another, paying with the scant amount of silvers that he'd managed to pick up on the way. Slim pickings tonight. Baeval was there, as he usually was, and soon Jovik had asked him about this Zsath person who he had killed.

"Zsath? So you, the mighty Jackal, met and slew Zsath? Oh, that's rich my friend, rich indeed!" It took a moment for the man to realize that Jovik really didn't recognise the name. "You've been spending too much time in the cups my friend. Zsath is the name all the priests use for The Reaper...Death my friend, the soul collector, the end of life, finit!"

The laughed again, trying to drink from his tankard. "So The Jackal has defeated Death himself, wonderful, now I can walk the streets at night safe in the knowledge that I'll never die. Ha!"

"Yeah, good one, right?" Jovik laughed weakly, "Come on Baevel, that laugh had to be worth a free round, right?" Jovik's head spun. Death? Death! I killed Death! No, it couldn't be. Jovik had to wrestle his thoughts down to set them in order just like planning a job that seemed too big. 'Ok', thought the Jackal, 'I killed somebody, I know that, I tasted their blood. But maybe it was someone who thought they were Zsath. How did he do that mist thing. Well, hell I can chalk that up to magic right. In fact, how could this guy be death? He said I died by Rashul's knife, but my throat is intact, so he was lying. Would Death lie? I mean sure the Jackal had cheated death many time, but he hadn't cheated Death, had he? Was there a difference? Oh, his head hurt form this. He needed a guild member, find out what they saw. And how can he kill death anyway? If, and that's a big if, death is a person, why would he come for me, and he couldn't be a person, but a god, or at least as powerful. A puny man with a sword couldn't scare a god.' But Zsath's eyes haunted Jovik, those eyes that were unafraid, unconcerned until the blow fell. And all around him, the people, they looked different. The Jackal tried to put his finger on it, but despite his years of reading people, he couldn't pick up on it. He needed to talk to a priest, find out more about Zsath. And there was still his boys. So much to do, but first, he needed to finish this beer and maybe three more.