Once More Unto the Breach

[Aurin]

Hahseu, the Midden
62nd of Frost, 124 of Steel

"...I don't work with them," she said with the cold intensity that he had come to associate with her, "nor do they keep me. They caught me long enough for me to molt and to send you a piece of me, I sssuppose, and then I have been back to my own devicesss."

"Yes, I know." Aurin took the clothes she handed to him, folded them, and set them aside as she changed into her fully serpentine shape. Many people played at power below the surface of the city, and he was only glad they hadn't kept her or he would have had to kill them all.

He offered his hand, and she coiled enough of herself around his wrist to slither up his arm and find a perch around his shoulders.

"All right. Let's get this over with." He released his breath, and then he quit the safehouse. "Remind me to look for Uwyn afterward. I haven't seen the little git in too long."

The dragonborn kid wasn't officially one of his people, but Elwes had kept an eye on him since he started feeding Aurin his soup and his intel. Now, though, Aurin was leery of keeping too close an eye even on Elwes or his other people, lest they become targets in order to influence Aurin himself. Case in point: these people capturing Elwes. And so, Elwes had been the one to keep an eye on Uwyn, though perhaps this effect would trickle down even to the people his people were close to.

His trauma had been triggered, so these people would have an uphill battle getting him to trust them.

That didn't mean he was ignoring them. The key was a problem, and he did want the danger dealt with. He just didn't trust anyone else to do it. If you want something done right, he had been taught, you have to do it yourself. The problem was that Aurin took this to an extreme, but that in itself was another thing he had been taught by broken parents and a broken world.

He cursed because he was a foul-mouthed man, and went to the proposed meeting place.

[Chronicle]

Once More Unto the Breach

62nd of Frost, 124th Year, A.o.S.

It was always best to keep a low profile and know the right sort of crowds, at least, when it came to walking the streets of Hahseu nested deep within the Midden. For Aurin, that meant meeting with guests who had eagerly awaited his appointment with them, and though they waited long enough, what they hoped to bargain from him would finally seem within their grasp. It only boiled down to the location itself, which, given the point of interest he needed to arrive at, a retainer would see to it that Aurin would be shown the rest of the way.

That was their arrangement, to say the least, thus, following the directions as per the instructions he was given to navigate his way from the bazaar. Being the underbelly of the city, Hahseu always had shady and unusual characters that were equal parts crazy and dangerous to some degree. But he understood that more than anyone from the surface, since the Midden had been Aurin's stomping grounds once upon a time. Where he was told to meet this retainer, though, certainly would've sparked some interest, as the direction it required him to go was closer toward the Myriad Manor specifically.

Well, it took him well into that neighborhood of the shantytown for the most part, going from there, though, he would be approaching a stony bridge festering with moss. Leading down from the crossing, though, along the canals, where the once murky overflow somehow posited mildly cleaner water down its channel, walkways extended along the canal that allowed more sewage channels to empty out into the main line he would arrive at. Standing near one of these channels where water barely even trickled out, though, there stood a hooded figure with a lantern positioned on a stone column next to the canal.

Sharply rounded ears perked and faltered often, as the relatively short figure in question stood no higher than four feet tall. Upon closer investigation, the ginger would realize it was a Ratharian Rat, with beady black eyes and small but sharp claws draped beneath his tattered cloak. "So..." The smaller Rathari started lowly yet squeaky tone of voice, the whiskers of his muzzle twitching instinctively upon Auron's approach. "Are you him then?" He kept the low tone as if to avoid drawing attention unto himself, or them as it were, as he reached for the lantern he'd left on the post next to his position.

Before twisting the knob to dim the light within, his eyes went back up to Aurin expectantly, waiting for a confirmation before continuing on.

"Into the channels, into the shadows."

[Aurin]

Aurin squinted at the manor as they approached. Once upon a time, his goal had been to become that manor's master, but he had instead clawed his way up to the Lower-City, and then to the glittering Plaza of Jeweled Arches. With a bit of maneuvering, he might even find himself a place in Cloudhaven, but once again he was changing his plans, instead seeking to spread his interests across the face of Ransera, decentralizing himself rather than attempting to rise to the pinnacle of any one place.

But it wasn't the manor itself that was his landmark. He sembled the rat as they approached, a survival habit now. It took more time and focus to delve deeply, but he could at least sense this one wasn't hiding a blade he intended for Aurin's throat. That was enough for now.

At the rat's question, Aurin nodded. Elwes' serpentine eyes were unreadable, though it might be easy for a rat to read them as threatening. Her forked tongue flickered out to taste the air, not lick non-existent lips at the thought of devouring him. Of course, Elwes did often consider whether new people were worth keeping around or better disposed as food.

"I'm him."

He didn't ask for a name, nor had he given his. He thought this was the selfsame rat who had delivered the message. Being forced into working for the manor had been the indignity that nearly driven her above as he had been offering for years. Perhaps when this was over, she would, and he would train Uwyn to be her replacement as Aurin's eyes and ears and—sometimes—hands in the Midden.

"Where to, boss?" he asked, deferring to his vertically challenged guide. This wasn't one of Yserloo's fêtes to raise money for the theater; he was here to do a job and gain some intelligence regarding the Mad King who lurked in the foul-smelling shadows down below.

[Chronicle]

Once More Unto the Breach

62nd of Frost, 124th Year, A.o.S.

It became apparent that Elwes generated small discomfort within the Rat, but to be sure, the wary Rathari tweaked his whiskers at the confirmation that Aurin gave him. It was possible the Rat merely wanted to size him up first, or perhaps, withheld expectations on what he might've had in mind prior to this meeting. "Okay then." He sounded agreeable, and with a flick of his fuzzy fingers, the switch that powered his lantern twisted to kill out the flame. "Hope you can see, as we'll have to wade in the dark first."

The Rat's muzzle pointed toward the gaping hole of the water channel he stood nearby, suggesting the three of them were due for a walk in the smelly and slimy tunnel nearby. "If not, well, you could always hold my tail." The jest was made lightly as the Rat decided to start his march into the channel, mindful to check the bridge nearby before nodding for Aurin and Elwes to accompany him. Their walk into the tunnel could have either remained silent at their preference, but it would become increasingly noticeable how deflective he remained, offering simple yet half answers until they were to finally arrive.

The Rathari seemed untroubled by finding his way into the tunnel, and after reaching a junction where the tunnel split into four ways, he chose the left tunnel without any sense of doubt in his stride. Before long, they would reach a barred door somewhere within the channel, to which the Rat stopped at and proceeded to dip a hand in his pocket. He fished out a rusted iron key that fitted into the lock on the door, undoing it so that when the door was brought ajar, the black beady eyes would finally turn to rest on the companions he'd guided down here. "Just beyond the door here, there's a chamber further beyond the tunnel."

Seeing as how he wanted he seemed to want these two to trust him, he displayed patience in letting them decide on whether to proceed. Whether they preferred him to remain ahead, or simply went on in, he proceeded to close and lock the door once more with the key quickly pocketed. Inside, there was an arrangement of pipes that led down the tunnel, stone pipes that channeled loose water into different areas of the sewer networks. A shoddy wooden crate and partially corroded wooden chairs were situated on a central platform within the chamber. Old rusted machinery that once seemed to alter the flow of certain channels remained inert, and the sound of dripping water in a few spots suggested weathered pipelines in certain areas.

Situated around the large box were the four chairs; however, in one of those chairs, sat another large figure with a lean on the beaten-down furniture. At the notice of their arrival, though, his shoulders perked with elevation as he raised his head.

Donned in half-plated steel armor, with a leather cloak wrapped around his shoulders, the hood of the cloak had been pulled up to mask all but the visor on their face. On the wall behind their chair, a weighty sword nearly seven feet in length rested against a pipeline on the wall.

"...Took you long enough." The voice muffled beneath the steel mask sounded gruff, even deeply textured, and as though his gravely tone felt native to the area.

"Yes, yes, we're all here now." The Rat curtly retorted with a flick of his hands toward the man, who simply wrapped his arms over his chest patiently. "Oh and about earlier..." The rat's pointed toes clicked lightly on the stone floor of the chamber, before he rounded the chairs and sat in the one across from Aurin; so that he faced the ginger and his scaly companion with an amused grin. "I'm the boss in this little setup we have."

The Rathari then gestured to the two free chairs left at their makeshift table, before beckoning them to join with an earnestness he certainly kept hidden before. "Come, come! We've got business to conduct!"

"Into the channels, into the shadows."

[Aurin]

"Yeah, all right," he said quietly.

After the light went out, he held back until his eyes adjusted, and then followed, feet finding ledges so he wouldn't have to be soaking in liquid shit or whatever other effluvia was in these waters. He was hardly dainty, but he didn't want to vomit on the job. In any case, Elwes would tighten around his neck if he were about to misstep, and he would freeze.

Thankfully, this was unnecessary, and he was quiet, focusing instead on his footing and memorizing their route in case he had to reverse course without the rat's guidance. And, in any case, it was dangerous down here. Best not to advertise their presence with too much noise.

He preceded the rat through the doorway. Always ready to be stabbed in the back, he relied on his intuition and his senses. Once again, it paid off and there was no knife in his back once the rat was leading the way once more.

"Aye," he snorted. "Hence I called you boss." Aurin was content to let the rat lead the way considering his employers had him here under a sort of duress. Once all this Mad King madness was over and done, he was going to pull Elwes out of the Midden and ignore it like most of Kalzasi did. Dank, stank business, and he didn't want anything to do with it anymore.

Wearing plate armor in the sewers was an odd flex, but Aurin kept that to himself. The light was still dim, and he didn't recognize the voice, and didn't think he would even without the metallic resonance of his helm. But he had his aura melded with Elwes', and as her tongue flickered, he could taste the air. He didn't understand how it didn't sicken her, but her senses didn't cause nausea, so that was a small blessing.

Aurin leaned carefully onto the back of one of the chairs, but didn't risk it breaking under his weight.

"Right, enough cloak-and-dagger bullshit. Tell me what's going on so we can get this over with."

[Chronicle]

Once More Unto the Breach

62nd of Frost, 124th Year, A.o.S.

The Rathari across from Aurin might've chuckled a bit, if only due to the uncanny perception their new companion had. Elwes undoubtedly had minor grudges for her capture before, which likely didn't set the tone very well for this meeting beforehand... But rest assured, their new Rat friend appeared to have simple, if not decent, intentions in store. "Straight to the nitty gritty business then. I like that!" Their whiskered companion remarked with a light enthusiasm in his tone, his beady eyes flicking toward the outfitted stranger next to them. The reserved figure barely even budged in response to the humor the Rat beheld, leading the furried Rathari to clear his throat before leaning over slightly to undo the clasp his lantern remained attached to.

After twisting the switch valve to activate the pyrolith shard within, the dim lighting of their makeshift gathering table soon glowed a bright and vivid orange. The Rathari proceeded to sit the lantern directly at the middle of the crate, before leaning forward warily as to avoid creaking his own chair a bit too much. "For starters, I'm your host Twitch, and this silent and broody companion is my fellow contractor."

"Just call me..." There was a deliberate pause in his tone, as if the man actually needed a moment to consider before sharing the name. "Hound." Whether that remained a codename or a simple alias, it was something that wasn't necessarily used too often around Kalzasi.

"Not much for conversation I've learned, but, our good friend 'Hound' here came seeking some aid from my colleagues. Should I tell the story or would you prefer?" Twitch inquired almost excitedly but certainly with some modicum of respect, not wanting to steal the man's thunder in regards to the job that landed in Twitch's very claws.

"Go ahead." Though patient and with a mild gesture of approval with his hand, Hound seemed more inclined to remain still and quiet, as if he wanted to minimize too much observation from present company.

"Riveting!" Twitch responded before gazing at Aurin and Elwes with a bit of zeal around his eyes. "To start, my fellow mates within the guild had started to investigate deeper parts of the Midden over the past several months. With the help of Hound here, we've managed to discover a secret buried deep, and I mean deep, towards the bottom of the sewer networks that travel downward near the Warrens." Twitch then quirked his head with a minor flick in his ears, a more apologetic expression folded around his muzzle when he gestured toward the scaled companion with Aurin.

"We'd discovered that a set of keys exist that will allow us to investigate this secret, but we think the last one we're looking for is locked away in a vault on the way down there. Which in turn led us to keep our ears open in the Midden, and when we'd heard whispers of your companion seeking information... well..." Twitch fidgeted a bit more nervously before raising a clawed hand as a gesture of good will. "I can assure you my friends saw she was well taken care of, and when she mentioned you, well, that there was all we needed to finally solve the missing piece of this puzzle."

The Rat paused a moment to let that information sink in, but eagerness had started to rise within him, and so the Rathari leaned forward to ask the important question of this meeting. "Do you... have it with you by chance? A black key with a gemstone of some kind?"

"Into the channels, into the shadows."

[Aurin]

"Yeah, all right," he said again. "Then you can call me Fox and her Snake."

Elwes tongue flickered. She stared at Twitch and Hound with her beady, unreadable eyes.

Aurin's tongue did not leave his mouth, but he too watched with hazel eyes that would have done well in a poker game.

They observed rat and suit of armor going back and forth, and then listened to the short story, such as it was. After Twitch's question, the silence gathered. After a few moments, Aurin finally said, "I'm not a religious man, but I think the sin of you and your associates might be hubris. There's a reason the wing boys monitor the Warrens. And the secret buried down there is associated with someone calling themselves the Mad King. Whether that's zombie Jacien or some asshole with a boner for his brand of bullshit... Why would you unlock it? No. I did not bring the key with me. It's evil, and again, I'm not a religious man. The Grand High Poobah Talon Novalys Arcas Reborn wouldn't take it to protect the city—so probably best someone else succeeded his father—and he taught me how to ward to keep the thing away from what's down there.

"Is that why your associates kidnapped my friend and you dragged me down here? To use the evil key to open a door that was locked on purpose somewhere between the bottom of the sewers and the Warrens? I may be crazy... I have been accused of having a death wish... but if that's all you've got to go on... I'm not that stupid."

He felt a flicker of something in Elwes' aura. She would probably beg to differ on that point, but she was a cold-blooded cunt. That was why they got along.

Now his eyes were openly suspicious. He knew this had been a bad idea, but he didn't want Elwes to have to look over her shoulder more than she already did. He didn't want to worry after her or, Mists, even that Uwyn kid he was trying to groom into a proper informant.

[Chronicle]

Once More Unto the Breach

62nd of Frost, 124th Year, A.o.S.

Twitch might have actually displayed a bit of anxiety when his nails fidgeted a bit, the silence a testament to the patience he tried to display before Aurin finally came out with his answer. 'Hubris? Where did this suddenly come from?' The shock of that statement led the Rat to display bafflement as his ears curled back a bit, his beady eyes widening at the remarks their keyholder made regarding both the object and the kidnapper's actions.

Admittedly, Hound, who remained much like a statue, grew to a point where even he moved a bit, the leather of his gauntlets straining from the balled grip of his fists beneath his elbows being the most prominent reaction. "Since wh..." His gruff voice came with a minor growl to it, before the cloaked figure withheld his tone and refrained from speaking any further.

"Heh, well now that's a bit of a surprise." Twitch drummed his fingers a bit more orderly now, getting a sense of bearing with his thoughts, now that the Fox had said his piece. "Evil, you say? Hmm." The Rat brought a curled finger-claw to his chin, and for a moment, his whiskers lived up to the name, shaking up and down a few times. His gaze then shifted back to Hound, who had remained the same as before, though the visor and hood did shift to suggest the figure was looking back at the Rathari. "You never said anything about that before."

"And you haven't exactly delivered on your end of the bargain either." There was a curt tone in Hound's voice, but the northern accent was stronger now, similarly so that Aurin might've been able to pick up on the dialect. Even so, that didn't stop Hound from turning his visor to face The Fox and his scaly companion. "So He's the one who helped you keep it safe?... No surprise. But..." The hooded figure leaned forward a bit with an arm resting on the crate before them, the weathered wood straining from the weight of his elbow when he shifted his weight a bit. Suggestively, it was discernible that the burly man beneath the cloak was at least around six and a half feet, depending on how tall he stood without the boots on, that is.

"The key is certainly not evil. It may guard something evil, yet, what if there is also a tool this 'High Poobah' of yours might want? What then?" Twitch's ears perked, but there was a sudden discomfort around his eyes now, as though this were a new sudden development to the 'simple' plan he'd shared before. "This one? Only wants to impress his friends with loot," the masked figure admitted with a nod to Twitch, "but judging from the sound of you... You'd rather find a valid reason for going down there. Regarding the Mad King?... So why not investigate the vault? Wouldn't you rather learn a little bit more about what the Mad King wanted there?"

Hound then leaned back into his chair as the planks underneath him whined severely, his visor facing the lantern now as the glow of it's light danced with the shadow of his hood. "And if you're worried about what's evil waiting below... then don't. I've sought a way to exterminate what's in that facility, and once I come face to face with it, it will undoubtedly be erased from existence." Hound's words were heavy with a pure cold edge, almost venomous and grudgeful of whatever 'it' he referenced.

Another silence came between them for a moment, Twitch having drooped his large, rounded ears in shame; for the fact Hound blatantly made him seem like nothing more than a thrill seeker treasure hoarder. "You didn't have to be so rudely blunt about it." The Rat muttered in offense to the quieter brute, who clearly was more interested in seeing what Aurin might've had to say now.

"Into the channels, into the shadows."

[Aurin]

From the way Twitch reacted, it seemed entirely plausible that these people weren't even being up front with each other, let alone with Fox and Snake. That didn't bode well for mission success either. He suppressed a sigh. Elwes shifted upon his shoulders as they both observed the interaction between Twitch and Hound.

When Hound turned to him to explain away his concerns, he said things that contradicted the things Talon had said almost four years ago. While he didn't trust Talon as much as most people in Kalzasi did, he didn't know Hound from Arsoren. How he expected Aurin to take him at his word, he didn't know.

"I offered Talon the key; he refused, said it was more dangerous in his hands than mine. He masked its signature from those who sought it, and I added my own wards as I was able. So, no, he doesn't want what's down there. As for going blind into a vault locked by a key that a draegir can't fully read on the off chance that I might learn something...? For all I know, the Mad King is in the vault, and the Mad King is an unknown variable.

"I'm sure you're very powerful, Hound, and I feel so safe in your presence." This, of course, was delivered drily. "You are an unknown variable as well. I hope your confidence in the face of unknown odds serves you well, but that isn't enough for me."

While Aurin had his Semblance running all the time, it was mostly a sort of alarm system to alert him of imminent peril. Traveling to places like Solunarium and Sol'Valen had made him a little more circumspect when scanning people. There, he had encountered people whose skill and power with magical tricks outstripped even his own, and he felt as though he had reached the limit of what he was capable with most of his tricks. The last thing he wanted was to dive into the thoughts of someone who would recognize what he was doing, take umbrage with it, and fuck him up.

"Here's a counter-offer: you persuade Talon Novalys to have me release the key that I'm keeping in trust for him. Then I'd be only too happy to produce it."

[Chronicle]

Once More Unto the Breach

62nd of Frost, 124th Year, A.o.S.

As tension developed between the gathered parties it was increasingly apparent that an impass was being reached. Aurin's little trick wasn't necessary to determine this, although there was a noticeable apparent brush of thoughts from one of the two in the room. Twitch's thoughts and impressions had gone from excitable to perplexed and troubled, even as he clearly had not expected to face such a major setback. Then again, his flighty demeanor upon hosting this meeting only proved just how truly unaware he was.

Hound, on the other hand, was nothing other than silent, so much so that no thought or sentiment would echo loud enough to be determinable. But one thing Aurin's talent would've touched upon would've been a sense of static, not unlike what a Negation ward would signify if it were detected. "Well uh... Maybe we," the Rathari started, though not before he had grown noticeably slow, so much that he practically came to a full stop midsentence with his entire figure frozen in place.

And not just Twitch. The drips of water within the room seemed to suddenly stop also, as all trace of sound dulled to a complete and utter silence. Droplets that had fallen hung in midair, even the flame within the lantern failed to stir and flicker the amber glow it emitted. All but the Fox and the Snake were left in a complete state of petrification, that is, until Hound finally sighed beneath his visor and elected to rise from his shoddy chair. "None of this is necessary anymore."

The click of his plated boots tapped on the stone floor as he shifted to a full stand, rising at a height of six feet and four inches as he moved to approach the sword. After simply gripping the hilt of the blade, he hoisted it onto a clasp at his back, sheathing the large weapon without so much of a struggle before turning to face Aurin. Through his visor, he decidedly issued one last warning to the keyholder. "I tire of trying to sway you again and again, Aurin, and it seems you're set on this path of resistance. But bear this in mind..." He issued with a raise of his gauntleted finger. "There's another who seeks this key far more eagerly than I do. Her intentions far contrast mine, even, and she'll do anything to get her way."

He lowered the hand with a slight shift of his head, the visor suggesting that his gaze turned to the immobile Rat still sitting across from the Fox. "Keep in touch with that one if you choose. He'll be of more use to you in the future, more than he has been for me, it seems." The stoic figure regarded before turning to face the stone-lined wall his blade rested against, a swirl of aether radiating from his form, before a Railway portal opened at the wall's surface. Beyond it, the bright light of the surface shone through, beckoning the chill of Frost to enter the room as he started to step through it. "We'll certainly see one another again soon."

As Hound gave his final words and parted through the portal, the boundaries of Slipspace around it shuddered, and caused the egress he'd walked through to swirl into a close. Then, in the blink of an eye after Hound's exit, everything within the room resumed as if what transpired never took place. The lantern's flame danced once again, the waters throughout the pipes flowed and dripped onto stone as before, and even Twitch began to finish the statement he'd started to express earlier. "reach out to this Tal..." And just like that he paused, noticing a dramatic change in the scenery now that they were minus one figure at the table.

"And he's gone. Well, that's a bust already." The Rat admitted with a hefty sigh of disappointment, his shoulders slumped into the arch of his chair after a moment. But then his whiskers fidgeted a bit, and as he straightened up, he looked to Aurin with a slight furrow in his brow. "Did it suddenly get colder in here?"

"Into the channels, into the shadows."