RP:Launching Another Investigation
Part of the What Lurks Beneath Arc
Characters
Chapter 3: Launching Another Investigation
Cerinii trudged on in to the Throne Room, a little quicker than usual. "Stupid leg... Assume the correct pace.." She mumbled, attempting to slow her pace and allow the new leg to assimilate to a more normal pace. Scorpious is nestled upon her shoulder, watching the world quietly. Stinger idly playing with a few curls of her hair. Sweet little thing he was. She glanced around, in the hopes of finding the Snow Maiden. A day of hunting was ahead..
Satoshi is present and accounted for, albeit not on the throne as she should be. She's seated on the floor beside it, intently watching a young Frost Giant minstrel sitting before her, in the process of tuning a lyre. Cerinii's entrance is enough to break Satoshi's focus however, and she looks over her shoulder at the approaching avian, studying her closely a moment. "Your pace is odd today." Queen Obvious of Obviousdom, at your service. The minstrel in her company might even have slapped his face, if he wasn't holding a delicate instrument.
Ayras does slap his own face, however, as he manages to enter just as Satoshi makes her comment; having been ghosting behind Cerinii on the way here, he had fully seen her odd gait. Indeed, even as he strides forward his face is still being acquainted with his hand, his head shaking. A sigh escapes him as his hand slides upward, brushing his extensive hair out of his face.
Cerinii smiled faintly, "Ahh, you noticed." She grinned, "New leg. Still needs some.. tweaking." She paused, "Never had ein metal leg before. Weird sensation. Not quite used to it." She then took a bow, wings flaring in a respectful display. Of course, she didn't really notice Ayras until he sighed. She straightens up, dusting down her robe. "Hello, Herr Ayras. How goes the hand?"
Satoshi eyes Cerinii's new leg curiously, a brow quirked. "Do I want to know what happened?" A glance and crooked smile for Ayras follows, along with her own comment after the avian's. "Am I the only one here without a metal limb of some sort..? Es this a good or bad thing, I wonder?" The last question is directed at the minstrel, who merely shrugs and resumes his tuning work.
Ayras comes to stand before the throne, dipping into what might seem a very uncharacteristic bow fit for a military leader to perform; crisp and precise. "I would count yourself lucky to not have a metal limb." His gaze shifts towards Cerinii then, and despite his words, a smirk grows on his lips. "And the hand is working wonderfully. Nice and...shocking."
Cerinii grinned, "Well.. Metal has its benefits und its costs." She paused, "Mein leg was exploded, by Triyul." She managed a faint grin, "Another failed assassination attempt. Perhaps I should invest in security." She then became serious, looking between Ayras and Satoshi, "Any further disappearances?"
Satoshi's grin falters and any witty remark she may have had for Ayras is lost with Cerinii's question. "One." A nod from her signals Tharn, standing off to one side as unobtrusively as a giant can, to continue. "Sehnir. A squire. His family says they believe he's been breaking the curfew, and didn't return last night."
Ayras shakes his head, his eyes turning to the Frost Giant knight. "That makes two, then. "Two, then. A merchant disappeared last night, as well. An avian that was visiting to browse our wares for possible imports, named Augustus. That is what I was actually coming here to report, now that I sent word to his wife."
Cerinii paused, "Augustus, you say?" She sighed softly, "I knew little of him, he often came to Armantium to see if he could find anything of value." She looked to Satoshi, "We must do something. I know it is foolish to say, but.. We must hunt these things down."
Satoshi growls, a sound oddly both feral and musical. "Now you're speaking my language~." In a fluid motion the little cryomancer is on her feet and stalking toward the pair of avians, her hunting instinct igniting a light in her eyes that hasn't been seen since her bloodlust was suppressed. "Let's turn this predator into prey, shall we~?" Tharn merely sighs and dutifully follows, knowing an objection is useless on his queen.
Ayras keeps his expression strangely neutral after Satoshi's declaration. His wings, for once lined with armor, ruffle in such a way to sound as if they are made of the same material as the man's armor, the plates rubbing against each other. Something in his eyes promises death; the gods alone know why he has suddenly taken a keen interest in the disappearances.
Cerinii sighed softly, shuddering slightly as the gooey metallic liquid took over her skin and eyes. Down the throat, in the ears. Becoming solid within seconds. She murmured, her voice a hollow echo, "The hunt is on then. I trust one of you can lead the way..."
Satoshi quietly responds, "If they're like the last one, then I know who can." Without further comment, the foxkin plunges a hand into her sleeve, winces, and pulls it free a second later with the skeleton of a mouse dangling from her finger by its tiny yellow teeth. A shake of the hand and the skeletal rodent is dropped to the ground before Satoshi murmurs, "Nom. Find us some lunch." The mouse gives a twitch of whiskers long decayed into nothingness and bolts off, scurrying in zigzag lines as he sniffs out the nearest source of newly dead flesh. Satoshi only hopes he doesn't lead them to the butcher shop. Again.
Ayras is surprised when Satoshi pulls...is that a skeletal rodent? Yes, yes it is, literally nothing but bone. The work of a necromancer, probably. A very bored necromancer. Who spent way too much time in taverns. He does not, however, waste time following the thing. Sadly, where Ayras follows it to...is the kitchen. "You stupid little-" the rest of what Ayras shouts is covered by the sound of falling pots, pans, and utensils.
Cerinii does not follow, instead she pulls Scorpious by the stinger. "Mein little sweetheart, go find what we seek.." She rummaged through her satchel, picking.. a toe? Yes, a giant toe.. She holds it to Scorpious, who pinches a skin sample. "Last location.." She drops the toe, waiting for the mouse to pick it up and help in the search.
Satoshi goes to retrieve her bored-Necromancer's-pet-project from the kitchen and set him on the right path--by means of feeding him a taste of the giant's toe... and the end of a feather she long ago plucked from Ayras' wing. "Go on, you. Giant and avian." A nudge of her feet is all Nom needs before he dashes off, giving Scorpious a wide berth as he points himself westward. The mouse is no bloodhound, but he knows the scent of dead flesh and sentient beings are his favorite snack, allowing him to bypass slaughtered animals while he sniffs out a more... desirable meal. Tharn mutters to himself about 'creepy mice and scorpions leading a search party..' as he follows.
Ayras : Sparks are literally flying between Ayras and Nom before Satoshi sends the rodent on its way. Both fortunately and unfortunately, the vampire finds a living mouse in the kitchen, and so he blows it up with a nice electrical strike before he follows after both mouse and scorpion. Of course, now the kitchen crew has a new door in the far wall. And two less ovens.
Cerinii watched as Scorpious skittered down her form, running off to seek out the last location of the giant foot. Racing with Nom, often lagging behind. You know, getting too excited - tiny legs getting all twisted together, poor wee thing. She looked to Satoshi, murmuring, "I suppose you need to be more careful than the rest of us, Satoshi. You are ein better fighter than me, most likely. But.. You are the Queen. We are expendable, you are not." Her lips creaked into a smile, metal screeching. She continued to walk on, very cautious and very wary. She couldn't risk something happening.
Satoshi simply does not know the meaning of careful... at least, when she's on the hunt. And she's met plenty of horrors in her time to have no concept of fear for the unknown. She's fought regenerating flesh-ghouls the size of houses, hordes of vengeful goblins, rampaging couatls, the Underdark's worst nightmares, and the monstrous Whiskers. These furtive hunters don't worry her. On the contrary, they intrigue her, as well as anger her. Bastards. Stealing her people from -her- city. No one steals from Satoshi and lives to tell about it. And so it's with a determined air, and a blatant disregard of Cerinii's words, that the vulpine hurries after Nom--who's currently easy to find, as sparks of blue lightning dance inside his ribcage, courtesy of a near miss by Ayras, and light him up like a tiny will-o-wisp.
Ayras stalks behind the two women; while he may have superb eyesight, he prefers keeping an eye on the targets that are easiest to see. He, like Satoshi, has faced many challenges that are certainly more dangerous than this - right? - but he sees Cerinii's point. And so, with that in mind, he drops back a bit further, taking up the rear guard position.