RP:Under Surveillance

From HollowWiki

Part of the Rise of Larket Arc


Summary:Valen visits Kreekitaka's Milous Dinosaur Camp.

Milous, Open Plains

Kreekitaka had quite a campsite set up out here in the plains. There was a canal, recently dug, leading out from the swamp, emptying into an artificial lake with several large spiral shells spearing up out of the surface like buildings in a village. Another quadrant of the campsite had a large tent, out of which came the sounds of metal striking metal and the scent of burning coal. Smoke poured out of an opening in the center. Another quadrant held a corral, in which was held several very large animals--approaching the dimensions of a tractor-trailer truck, with scales and huge teeth and claws--bipedal, almost like a cross between birds and dragons. Some, however, were more serpentine, with almost crocodilian heads and webbed feet. The last quadrant contained several large magic circles of various types and gardens for going regeants. All over the campsite, uyeer--the crabmen from the ocean--crawled all about. Some riding the dinosaurs, some playing games in downtime, others doing various other tasks. Kreekitaka was just exiting the forge, cradling in his arms a baby version of one of the more aquatic creatures.

Valen had been flying over head, two dark and rather large wings keeping him aloft, when he saw what could only be described as terrible beasts below. Just what in the nine hells were these things and- His eyes would narrow as he strained to see what looked to be a giant walking lobster-crab holding something in it's arms. Curiosity was definately going to get the better of him today it seemed, so down he went into a nose-dive. the black from his wings seemed to give off a faint trail in the sky as he plummeted, and at the very last second he would spread them out to rapidly de-accelerate as they caught him from his fall...and he touched down onto his feet gracefully before in a blink of an eye those wings were gone. The Vampire would not have landed right in front of the being, not wanting to scare whatever it was or startle it in the least, but rather he would be a number of yards away. Crimson red hair looking quite vibrant, pale skin that looked almost as snow in the sun, and a piercing gaze of the most vibrant blue would once more eye the creatures that seemed to look like the one that had just exited the forge. "Alright, I give up." He would finally say as he was so utterly confused. "Sorry, I was just passing overhead and...Well, I hope I am not disturbing anything uh..." Was it a Sir or a Mam? Now he just felt awkward.

Kreekitaka || There are numerous problems with dropping into a camp full of superstitious crab people with your wings trailing darkness, though the approach might not have been as startling as one might have thought--one benefit to globular compound eyes is a near-complete hemisphere of vision. Still, the appearance of the man's wings was enough to get several nearby onlookers to climb to their feet and unlimber their weapons--huge boneclubs with shark's teeth grafted to one side, or shortswords made from the sharpened claws of some other crustacean. A few had strange dart-like things ready for throwing. Kreekitaka, dressed in all the royal finery expected of a kind of crabs--a brilliant white kilt with silver-and-purple embroidery depicting various creatures locked in combat with each other, and a cape of that same white with a royal purple inside and silver trim, along with a coral necklace decorated with beads of gold and precious stones--held up a clenched claw to the camp to stay their weapons, then turned his attention to the newcomer. "HHHTHe name you seek," rumbled Kree as he approached the winged man, "is HHHTHe GreaTAH! KreekiTAH!ka, masTAH!er of fashion, champion of HHHTHe Warrior's TAH!ournamenTAH!, conqueror of HHHTHe GrassyanDAH!s. You may have hearDAH! of me." He paused a moment to allow all those titles to sink in. "An' if you wish noTAH! TAH!oo DAH!isTAH!urb, why have you fahyen righTAH! in HHHTHe cenTAH!er of our camp?"

Valen , at the sudden unsheathing of weapons, had him in an almost panic mode as he had to fight the instinct to get ready to defend himself. Those weapons certainly looked like they could do some irreperable damage, even to himself with his unnaturally fast healing thanks to being a vampire, and he was wanting no part of that, thank you very much. As it was, he had just been about to activate some rather nasty magic when he noted that they were not attacking on account of this king crab. A Kingler, maybe? In any case, what happened next he was not prepared for as the manner of speech was certainly atrocious and harsh on his ears...though he certainly tried his best to understand. "K-...Kreekitaka?" he would repeat back, unsure as to whether he said it properly or ended up royally messing it up and hurling some sort of slur instead. "Master of Fashion?" Valen's eyes immediately widened, oh the possibilities of perhaps some new clothes! "I have seen your name on the tavern board in Kelay I think, though I may be mistaken." He had no clue what a Grassyandah was so he just left that one alone. That final question though had him realizing that once again, he had not thought his actions through and his head hung in shame. "I...was just flying and saw those...things. Not sure what they are called but they looked interesting." Looking up now, he would continue. "IF I have in any way offended you or your people, Sir, I sincerely apologize and will make my way back home to my Academy."

Kreekitaka waved a hand to dismiss the thought, which got a few suspicious glances and flared facial crushers from his men. "No, no. Your wings mereyee appear very... hm... Vekhnrnian. Frankyee, I am accepTAH!ing recruiTAH!s aTAH! HHHTHe momenTAH!--I have few who wish TAH!oo begin a yong yanDAH! campaign, an' many creatures TAH!oo riDAH!." He gestured to the 'things' Valen had pointed out with a clench of his facial crushers. "HHHTHey are DAH!inosaurs, accorDAH!ing TAH!oo my sources, an' HHHTHey are marveyous, are HHHTHey noTAH!.? CerTAH!ainyee enough TAH!oo strike fear inTAH!oo HHHTHe hearTAH! of any forces in my way."

Valen was really trying his best to keep up with this being's speech but it was certainly not easy. Looking once more at what he now knew were called Dinosaurs, he had to admit marvelous was certainly a word that could be used to describe them. "You mean to tell me, that you are going to end up having recruits ride these dinosaurs?" His gaze would then return. "That is either the most mad thing I have ever heard, or perhaps the most ingenious one. It is all too curious how often those coincide, as well as the amount of times one cannot tell them apart..." He tried to picture himself on top of one, but it just..looked wierd. Granted, when he had ridden his ex-husband through the skies, now -that- was certainly a different story. In his mind he simply assumed he appreciated dragons more than these wingless reptiles. "And just where will this campaign take you?" In his head, he had decided to say dash it all and see what he could learn from this crab and his dino-sawyers. "If it is too terribly far away, I may ask to be a recruit, though I would of course have to ask for another leave of absence from my job. I teach magic you see, at the Academy in Larket, and I have just returned and been graciously appointed back to my old position after studying magic abroad."

Kreekitaka || At the sound of the word 'Larket', -everyone-, including Kreekitaka, visibly tensed up. A couple of uyeer actually started towards him, but again Kree raised his claw to stall them. "If you pyan on joining us, you mus' swear your ayegiance now," he said, crossing his arms. "I am noTAH! in HHHTHe habit of reveohying my pyans TAH!oo HHHTHose who may wish TAH!oo HHHTHwarTAH! HHHTHem." Kree, dude, just the other day you sharing your plans freely with someone else. This was mostly for the benefit of his troops, honestly--he was willing to share, but not everyone was so ready to give their target to a Larketian. Quite a shame, really.

Valen raised an eyebrow, and that clever Vampire could mostly piece a number of things together but not the whole picture. "I...am afraid Sir Kreekitaka that I might need to haggle for some more information before I swear my allegiance. My loyalty is to my students above all else, I keep them safe, I help them learn." that fact was final, and he seemed unyielding in that respect. True, his students were the most precious thing to him in his life right now, regardless of age, and he would not let a single hair come to harm on their heads if he could help it. Curiosity though was rife on his face, and so he decided to try a compromise. "What if, instead of swearing my total allegiance, I gave you something else...Hrm?" He had noticed the other folk who had started towards them, and made sure to watch them now from the corner of his eyes. "Surely there must be something I can do, to show that so long as the Academy is left untouched, I will think on your venture." then it hit him, the most obvious question. "Sir, If I might ask, what is the reason for this at any rate? Obviously Larket is of some interest to you...Otherwise your people would not have been so startled. Is....something wrong with the city?"

Kreekitaka rumbled, considering these things--the academy? Why would he attack civilians? And something being wrong with the city--hmm, had he not heard? This was information he could part with. "You mus' noTAH! be aware of how we perform wars," he said, after a moment. "We fighTAH! ouTAH!siDAH! any ciTAH!ee, so HHHTHaTAH! no structures are harmeDAH!. SomeHHHTHing is wrong wiHHHTH iTAH!, yes. However, I know noTAH! how DAH!eep HHHTHe corruption goes, an' so I cannoTAH! expyain furHHHTHer. I am sorry, buTAH! HHHTHis is everyHHHTHing I am abo TAH!oo say."

Valen did not understand why he did not think that the war, since that is what it had been called, would have been fought outside the city. "Forgive me, I have not been in wars or battle, but I appreciate and am grateful for you explaining that to me. It certainly is helping me to understand. I also understand that you cannot tell me more than what you have already." Now, he was in a predicament. He had seen their camp, he had seen what appeared to be a leader, and he knew that there was most likely going to be a war at some point. Why had the King not told him...? Why had even the headmaster of the academy withheld that? His eyes narrow at the thought of Percival holding back such important tidbits, and it almost made his mind burn as his thoughts raced. "Forgive me once more, Sir, but when the King granted me my position back there was no mention of any war or even any discontent. As far as I knew, with the exception of my friend Lydrain's dissappearance, everything was exactly how I had left it almost exactly one year ago. Would you at the very least permit me to ponder what I wish to do? Or do I -need- to make my decision now?"

Kreekitaka thought about that. He clearly knew that they were planning to attack things, and he knew the new king... but he seemed to be contemplating a decision. "You may choose eventuayee, however... I mus' insisTAH! on you remaining away from HHHTHe king an' his servanTAH!s. If you wish TAH!oo yeave before choosing, you are TAH!oo have supervision aTAH! every momenTAH!. I cannoTAH! have you yeaking information before I am reaDAH!ee for iTAH!s reyease." This seemed like a fairly mild sentencing to Kree--he could have insisted on the man staying in the camp and basically being his prisoner. This way, he'd be unable to share information, but still able to check on his students.

Valen would blink as if he had just mis-heard something. Remain away from the king, when he had asked to meet with him at a later date? Stay away from his own Headmaster, his boss? The latter would most likely be impossible and he would fold his arms over his chest with indignation. "Now just hold on there. Supervision at every moment? Supervision by who exactly? Also, how would I remain away from my own supervisor when I have classes that I must be present for to teach?" The thought alone was causing his mind to race. Perhaps some collateral to ensure he would-...No, there was nothing he had that could be used to ensure his silence. Darn it Valen, this is why you do not fly into strange places! True, he viewed the sentencing as mild himself as there were certainly other alternatives, though there was just the tiniest sliver of a smirk forming as he asked a simple, yet possibly dagerous question. "One last thing...What seems to have you thinking you can stop me from leaving Sir?" He held up his hands in a non-threatening gesture. "Then again...If I could have left, why have I not done so already? I am just curious as to your answer, well...all of them really."

Kreekitaka rumbled, slightly amused. That last question was, in fact, fairly dangerous. If this being was very heavily magical, it could be difficult to stop him--but then, Kree did have a solution. He snapped open a claw and extended five small tendrils into his belt, pulling out a half-dozen little vials which he then swiftly dumped into his water tanks. He rolled his shoulders and took a moment to breathe in, absorbing the water that was mixing with the potions--yes, there it was. He clenched his facial crushers and bowed lightly. "You are cerTAH!ainyee weycome TAH!oo try," he said, his voice sounding slightly amused and a little deeper and richer, "however... I DAH!o noTAH! recommenDAH! iTAH!." There's no telling exactly what was in that mix of potions, but whatever it was, it was going to be in Kree's system until that water ran out. "Io senDAH! one of my men wiHHHTH you, armeDAH! wiHHHTH HHHTHe same mixture HHHTHaTAH! fyows HHHTHrough me righTAH! now. HHHTHe oHHHTHer questions are for you TAH!oo answer. How you TAH!each your cyasses is noTAH! my probyem, nor your reasoning for sTAH!aying." He shrugged. That much seemed fairly straightforward.

Valen grinned on the inside. The fool had just given him yet another vital piece of information, potions of some sort that may or may not neutralize magic. What Kree could not realize, is that Valen would never use his magic to harm another unless he could help it and wherever there were shadows...he -always- had a way out. However, he would play along for now. "Very well Sir Kreekitaka, you win. I agree to your terms." Idly, he wondered what would happen if the King came for a visit while he was teaching a class, but if he voiced such a thing it would surely lead to this being's 'insistance' that he stay. "You will have my answer in two days time, and until then I hope you and your people fare well. It has been...educational." A goodness, he was making puns now? "Merry Meet Kreekitaka, until we Merry Meet again." He would then await to be escorted as promised, all the while wondering just what he had gotten himself involved in.

Kreekitaka nodded, figuring that was good enough for now, and clattered for attention before selecting one of his various warriors and giving him various orders in his native tongue, which consisted mostly of clattering his paddles together in various combinations and other sorts of body percussion. The uyeer nodded and went off to go equip himself. Another warrior went to collect a mount--not a dinosaur though, notably. He returned with a large sea scorpion--something very scorpion-like, with a segmented body and long tail that arced overhead, but with paddle-like limbs that it walked on somewhat awkwardly and huge mantis-like talons rather than pincer claws, armed with chitinous spines each the size of a sword. The creature was the size of a large truck, and it was apparently intended to serve as their pack animal for their trip. Clenching his facial crushers in respect, bowing lightly, he gestured to the beast and the warrior who would be returning shortly. "Your escorTAH!. Be aDAH!viseDAH!." Kree decided one final threat was in order. "If you syip away from your guarDAH!, he is TAH!oo reTAH!urn TAH!oo me immediaTAH!yee an' Io have TAH!oo assume you an' HHHTHose you have spoken wiHHHTH are no yonger civiyians." He crossed his arms. "I DAH!oo noTAH! wish any harm on you or yours, buTAH! I cannoTAH! ayow treachery TAH!oo harm my conquesTAH!, comprehenDAH!.?"

Valen watched for a moment before feeling a sick sense of dread fill his stomach. Just what in the nine hells was that huge monstrosity?? That huge scorpion thing honestly scared him more than the thought of being under guard did, though now was not the time to panic. As he listened to the words of Kreekitaka now, he could only look at him with a simple nod. "Very well. I promise, I will take good care of him." Looking to the guard for a moment, he decided to test something later. "Treachery is something I do not abide either, and those that break my trust are sure to fall into ruin and waste long before I turn to dust or ash. Until our next meeting, make sure you take care of those Dino's, okay?" A playful smile would be given, before he would motion to his guard that he was leaving. Honestly, this was going to suck if he could not fly. seems he would not see Schezerade for quite some time, at least for two days at the most but still. As he left, his mind continued to spin with possible ways out of this. He would not allow this to last if his answer was that he could not join Kreekitaka's army...