A Mercenary Among Merchants

[Aveilthé]

He took two mugs and turned towards December,
with a toothy grin. "Aye... uh..." His face may have
looked damper than usual due to persperation. "I
have a confession to make... I don't... much like
cocoa... or at least I don't anymore..."

Fortuné looked goofily at December by this point,
but in a handsome way.

[Felypsa]

oOc| I heart Fortuné. Can I hug him? XD

At his words, “I have a confession to make,” December tensed, not knowing what to expect. But then he followed it up with such a ridiculous confession that she stared at him for a full minute like he had gone insane. But then, surprisingly enough, she cracked a smile, then took the other two mugs. “Don’t worry, Imi will probably drink twice as much. She loves it like a cat loves catnip…although, thankfully, without much of the aftereffects…” Still smiling, she walked out of the kitchen, heading back to the room with the fireplace. Fortuné, she reflected, could be so positively silly that it was impossible to take him seriously. He is certainly unlike the typical creature of the dark. I hardly know what to expect from anymore.

The moment she saw December enter the room, bearing cups of cocoa no less, Imi returned to her natural form and, twittering happily, flew across the room to her friend. December grinned at her and said, “Oh, don’t try to deceive me; I know you’re only happy to see me because of the cocoa.” So saying, she set the two mugs on the table, and Imi, not even bothering to refute December’s claim, dove for one of them, sipping up copious amounts. The half-seraph rolled her eyes slightly, but could not suppress a smile. She then scanned the room, her smile fading, and saw the urchin-girl, Jolene. A strange glimmer caught her eye, but before December could ask Jolene what it was, Imi was chirping again. She looked up as Fortuné would enter the room. My little friend has gotten rather attached to the vampire, she thought, amused.

[Relairah]

Ears twitched slightly when Imi chirped and flew toward
December who had once more entered the room. She didn't have
to look to know. She smiled to herself listening to December talk
to Imi. Speaking of cocoa, she thought. She pretended to pull her
gaze away from the picture she was standing in front of, and
turned, her pivot and the moving of her newly acquired dagger
from where she had it in front of her to behind her back was
easily done all the same, so it might seem she hadn't held
anything at all. Her bright orange eyes watched the girl and bird
silently for a moment. She looked toward the floor and sighed
slightly, before looking up once more and moving toward
December.

She perched a smile on her face and reached out to take one of
the cups December had brought. Holding it in her hand a
moment, she gazed at the dark cocoa inside, before beginning to
drink it gratefully and with pleasure. It warmed her all the way
through, and she almost forgot to keep holding the dagger with
her one hand behind her back. However, she was sure perhaps
it was obvious she had something. She didn't all that much care if
they found out. She could always run... couldn't she? So, she
didn't put all that much effort into hiding the fact she held it. She
lowered the cup after a moment, licking her now brown-stained
lip. "Uhm, thanks." she said briefly with a smile up at December.
She was quite unused to expretions of gratitude.

[Aveilthé]

Fortuné crept around the corner to the grand livingroom, but
halted near the threshold. Brilliant green eyes glinted as he
paused, half of his body lingering half-heartedly behind the
doorway, thus his entire being was half shaded by shadow.
He eyed the odd human girl with uncertainty, almost like a shy
young boy who was forced to be presented by company by his
parents' wish. This wasn't exactly how he felt, however. The
beast inside him forced him to clutch the side of the door with
contempt. His heart was a raging battle, it seemed. A part of
that won him over, however. Carefully he retreated, wanting
to be away from that girl for a while. He cannot go near her
without killing her... or worse...

[Felypsa]

As soon as Imi saw Fortuné retreat around the corner, with cups of cocoa no less, she fluttered through the doorway to join him. She sensed something was wrong, and chirruped anxiously at the vampire. She did not fear him in the slightest, but was concerned for him as a friend might be for another. She did not understand that the problem was her other friend, Jolene. Dipping her beak into one of the mugs, she twittered at Fortuné in an endeavor to cheer him up.

A slight noise alerted December, who missed nothing, and she observed that Fortuné found Jolene’s presence too much for the moment. That was too bad; after a brief pang of sympathy for the vampire, she turned to the human girl. December narrowed her eyes while the girl drank, inspecting her thoroughly. When Jolene murmured her thanks, December blinked in slight surprise; she had not been expecting gratitude of any kind. Gruffly, the half-seraph replied, “No problem.” But she could not warm up to Jolene, even despite Imi’s obvious affection for her.

“So…what is that?” she asked rather bluntly, pointing to where she had seen the glint of metal. She knew Jolene had knives on her, but this was…different, somehow. Something supernatural about a glimmer of light. Like it was something of importance, something her seraphic blood was responding to. Which then begged the question: why did Jolene carry such an object? December’s suspicion and wonder of the girl increased.

Fortuné may be right; she is not all what she seems…Speaking of the vampire, December hoped Imi would look after him. She did not trust him out of either of their sights; not because he was at all a suspicous character, but because he was prone to getting into mischief.

[Relairah]

Jolene's bright orange gaze followed Imi as she went toward
where the vampire had just disappeared. She was sure it had
been the vampire, because she was sure she had seen
movement in the shadows briefly. Her brows furrowed slightly in
curiosity. It seemed she was being avoided. However, her
attention was drawn away from Imi and the vampire toward
December. She wasn't surprised when the other questioned her
about the object she had found. Her arm came out from behind
her back, her grip on the hilt of the dagger tighter than it
appeared to be. She held the dagger out plainly, letting
December see it.

"What... this?" she asked casually. "Uhm, I'm not exactly sure... I
found it and picked it up while you and the vampire were in the
kitchen." It was true, just not the full story. She looked up from
her gaze upon the dagger to December. "Why?" She set the now
empty cup upon a small, round table beside her, not letting her
gaze stray from that of December's.

[Aveilthé]

OOC: I feel... purturbed... murr.

"I'm glad you're with me, mon petit ami," murmered the
vampire, gently caressing Imi's shimmering feathers. He sighed
morosely, feeling almost vulnerable again. Such a feeling
came for no particular reason, being what blood he has.
Perhaps it was simply his personality.

Fortuné then made a decision. "I'm going to go for a bit,"
said he, more to himself than to the mockingbird.

He'd leave December and the girl alone for a while. There was
nothing else quite interesting about this house; he had visited it
countlessly before. It was almost like his home.
At least, it was never touched before by others but him and now
those girls.

He retreated farther back into the shadowed hallway, his eyes
adjusting to the darkness. As he reached a broader corridor,
he spotted a doorway that was obviously where he intended
to go. It was rotted and dusty, but fingermarks upon the handle
suggested that it had been opened before, though was slightly
layered. It was simply another exit to leave the great house.
He opened it, then stepped through it, and out to the night.

[Felypsa]

Imi would not allow the vampire to depart the house alone. Transforming sanguinely into a snowy owl, she followed him into the night, where she could see and hear clearly. She made not a sound, for owls were famous for their silent flight, and landed on a nearby tree branch, watching Fortuné unobtrusively. She knew well enough that there were times when people needed to be alone; December had had those moods set upon her many times. But Imi refused to leave anyone completely alone. She would be unobstrusive, but never absent. When people wanted to be alone, they really needed companionship. Imi was that companionship, but stayed silent to please them. She surveyed Fortuné out of the corner of her eye, and listened with one ear for danger. The night was still, but that could change any moment. Any moment…

December did not touch the dagger, but she eyed it skeptically. It shimmered with a cold light that made her shiver. But she knew that material. Though the knife was plainer, it was the same as…in revelation, December unsheathed Seraphim suddenly. Her sword glinted palely. They were different, the two weapons, but December felt they were made of the same kind of material. Her eyes widened with the realization. “This can’t be,” she whispered, looking from Seraphim to the dagger. After a moment she sheathed her sword, but she caught Jolene with a piercing gaze. “Where did you find this?” she demanded. “Tell me everything.” Inside, she was shaken. How can this dagger be made of the same metal as Seraphim? That material cannot be found on this plane.

[Relairah]

Bright orange eyes watched December steadily, curiously,
cautiously, wondering of what the other would do. She didn't like
the other's reaction. She knew that a dagger wasn't much
against a sword, especially like the one December carried, but
she didn't care. When December unsheathed her sword, Jolene
jumped back, as she did so drawing out her right dagger, as the
new dagger that well, Imi had found was in her left hand. She
spun it between her fingers so that it was in attacking aim, and
frowned, furrowing her brows. Her ears twitched, catching the
words December whispered. What couldn't be? What was the
half-seriph talking about? Her eyes narrowed slightly in
suspiscion. She made no move to attack, yet stood ready.

However, a bit to her surprise, though she wouldn't admit it,
December placed her sword back in its sheath. She caught
December's piercing gaze with a mischievous, almost smirking
gaze. She slowly placed her dagger back in its sheath at her
right side and side-stepped a step, keeping her eyes on
December. "Why? I don't have to tell you anything. I found it.
That's all you need to know..." she paused, glancing down
at the dagger she held in her hand, studying it a moment. She
still wasn't all too sure of what December was so excited about,
she had a sort of idea, but couldn't verify it in any way at all. Her
bright orange gaze turned up towards December once
again. "Unless of course, there's something you're not telling
me... say, if I'm to give you information, why not give me some as
well, hmm? Why are you so interested in this dagger?"

[Aveilthé]

"Imi," the vampire chuckled, watching as the mockingbird
morphed into an owl, "you seem like the clingy type, eh?"
Fortuné spoke softly, sort of in an edgy tone. He began to feel a
bit nervous again. Perhaps it was that bird, watching him. It felt
to him like that bird was a bodyguard of some sort. Or perhaps
the mockingbird followed him to make sure he wouldn't do
anything rash? He continued walking, half wishing Imi would
stay behind, but he knew he would never win. In truth he was
glad of her company. It was difficult to say how Fortuné truly
felt at the moment. His feelings were like the turning of a
cart wheel; simply unremitting and too constant for his liking. He
was wearisome because of it.

Feeling restless now as the rays of the soft moon touched his
face, he trotted along with more vigor, consuming ideas with
every step of the way. If only he had his violin with him, he
could play for the sleepless townspeople off the street -
to earn himself money, for perhaps December (and privately
excluding the human) and Imi, or perhaps... to lure more prey.

Fortuné halted in his tracks. No, I mustn't think like that now,
he screamed, in his head. He clutched his cranium and shook
his head, trying to rid himself of the terrible instincts welling up
inside of him.

The night is young, and you're all alone, save for that bird.
Kill the bird. Be free. The world is yours. The humans are your
subjects.

His knuckles whitened as if he tried crushing the thoughts from
his head. His whole body trembled for a bit. Then it stopped.

This wasn't precisely hunger that was on his mind at the
moment. It was something different. Something more than food.

[Felypsa]

December let out an exasperated noise when Jolene insolently put the dagger back into its sheath, and rolled her eyes when the girl assaulted her with questions. She let out a breath and calmed down, telling herself that this wasn’t a big deal, but she could not help but feel that it was. “Don’t be so suspicious,” she snapped at Jolene, though in truth she herself would probably be just as mistrustful as the urchin was. But December was too distracted, too confused to pay attention to diplomatic behavior. Confusion made her irritable.

She sighed impatiently before deciding to explain. What could it hurt, anyhow? Normally she would be overprotective of the secret of her heritage, but she suspected Jolene already knew about that. Besides, Imi trusted her. And if December couldn’t trust in Imi’s judgment, what could she trust in?

“That dagger,” she said, pointing to the sheathed knife, “is made of the same material as my sword, a metal that cannot be found on this earthly plane. That concerns me.” She did not clarify what the metal was, or how she herself acquired such a sword if the substance was so unheard of. “Now will you tell me?” she asked impatiently.

*

Imi continued to follow the solitary vampire, hooting only when Fortuné spoke to her. Imi didn’t think of herself as “clingy,” though she did like following people about and watching their individual escapades. If she were truly “clingy” as Fortuné suggested, she would not leave December’s side (or shoulder) for even a moment. But here she was, winging through the soundless night beside a conflicted vampire.

And Imi could tell Fortuné was conflicted. It didn’t take a genius to figure it out by the way the vampire stopped suddenly and clutched his head. Imi flew silently above him, watching but not contributing to his inner struggle. She was not afraid of him: she had a childlike trust in his inner goodness, and felt he could prevail over whatever horrific instincts he had. Yet even if he did (and he would not, she maintained), he could do no harm to her. He could not fly. He was not as swift as she. Imi could easily escape, and fly back to warn December should Fortuné decide to attack. But he wouldn’t. He just wouldn’t.

Oh, the naïveté of unwavering faith! Imi landed on a nearby branch and watched Fortuné fight himself. It was his battle, she knew. And he would win.

[Relairah]

Jolene frowned and scowled when December snapped at her, yet
gave no response. Instead, her gaze fell to the golden dagger in
her hand once more when December pointed to it. Her ears
twitched as December spoke, and she turned her orange eyes
up to the other once more. A metal... not found anywhere on
earth... this made Jolene quite curious. She had already learned
about December not being fully human, back in that alley, thus
no questions about December's sword came to mind. Still.. if that
were true, why would such a dagger indeed be resting in this
house. That was a question perhaps she'd discover with time.

Well, it was her turn to talk now. She shrugged slightly, "I simply
found it down below where we stand. While you and Fortuné
were in the kitchen, me and Imi wandered off to explore some.
We found this hidden cellar in a back room and went down.
There was a bunch of stuff... but Imi found this dagger. And then,
we came back about the time you got in with the cocoa..." she
explained simply. "And just 'cause Imi found it doesn't mean you
can take this from me..." she added. She had no intentions of
simply handing over this dagger to anyone, yet, half-seriph or no.
'Speaking of Fortuné... I wonder where he's gone off to... and,
Imi ran off too. Weird...'

[Aveilthé]

Fortuné turned around, leering at Imi with glittering crimson
eyes. A dark aura seem to have surrounded his very being.
The cold nightly breeze fluttered his dark hair as he took a step
towards the bird.

Something about him had indeed changed. It was like a different
enigma took over his soul.

"Here little bird... come to Fortuné..." His voice seem to have
changed too. Every syllable was brimmed with evil desires.
It sounded both formidable and seductive.

[Felypsa]

December listened intently as Jolene related her story, grinning a little. I should have known Imi would get into mischief like that. Just like her. It also made some sense; Imi probably knew what seraphic metal was like, since she hung around December and Seraphim so often, so she was probably drawn to that dagger. Still, it didn’t answer the question of how it got there or to whom it had belonged. Clearly, though, with Jolene’s possessiveness (which December found reasonable but irritating), the knife belonged to Jolene and Imi now. And Jolene would fight December before she gave it up. The half-seraph fought the urge to roll her eyes.

“I’m not going to take it from you,” she said with exasperation. “You can keep it. It’s Imi’s, and she trusts you with it, so that’s good enough for me. Don’t jump down my throat.” She frowned a little as she contemplated the origins of the dagger. “Although you had better keep it safe. I’m extremely curious as to how a dagger of that material got here. I would like to find that out before I die.” The mercenary cast a look at the sheathed dagger once again, sighed, then looked around the room. “That silly vampire needs to stop sulking,” she muttered. Inside, though, she was worried. What if something happened to him? Imi’s with him, but that’s only so much protection…

*

Imi’s faith in her vampiric friend was ruptured as she saw the frightening scarlet in Fortuné’s eyes. Red as blood, red as anger. The mockingbird knew better than to cross a hungry, desirous vampire. But she let out a prolonged hoot of lament, then became a barn owl. Swifter and less conspicious than a snowy owl, she lifted from her branch and flew away from her transformed friend. She soared through the night back towards the house, hoping to get there in time to warn December and Jolene. She figured she would be able to escape the vampire. But what if Fortuné wandered off into Escavas, alone and uninhibited? Imi had to get December. They had to stop Fortuné. These thoughts spurred Imi on, and she hurried to the house, not looking back to see the dreadful crimson eyes of their friend.

[Relairah]

Jolene grinned, happy to know she didn't have to worry about
the other stealing the dagger. She shrugged, "As if I would
let anything happen to it anyway..." she muttered. She planned
on keeping possession of the dagger for the rest of her life. She
herself was quite curious about it, not just about its origin and
how it got there, but also as to whether or not it was like any
other dagger, only made of different materials. She didn't know
anything about Seraphim at all, thus would have no sort of
knowledge about her dagger. "And besides, you're not the only
one curious... I have a lot to find out about this thing, I'm
sure."