The stars aren't right!(Helena/Courage Wolf)

[Hentaispider]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Strike comes down quickly, glomping Helena and wrestling with her until she feels better.

"Let's go visit Malken, shall we?"

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Helena heard "lets go burn a church" but she was pretty sure that wasn't what was actually said.... Putting 2 and 2 together and figured what Jasmine had actually said, was "Lets go visit Malken" and nodded.

Giving Strike a kiss and a pat, Helena picked up her bow and arrows, and stretched. "If we're going, lets go" she said moving towards the door.

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Jasmine and Cindy follow Helena. The church, being the highest building in the area, is easily found. Though its doors are closed, there is still light in the windows. The roof of the church menaces many a statue, most of them portraying saints unknown to Helena.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Helena looks up at the church, and then tries very very hard NOT to look at it, because the temptation to actually set it on fire was entirely too much, even with the unknown saints staring down at her.

Sighing, Helena cast her eyes around street. The letter had said to find an address with the church as the starting point, and then to hit the sewers. Looking around, NOT at the church, Helena wondered how anyone got around in this crazy ass city in the first place.

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

The directions are clear enough, and it doesn't take very long to get through the shadowy streets from the church to the indicated sewer entrance. The stench is fairly horrible inside, but Cindy drops in without complaint, followed by Jasmine, who creates several lights once inside, showing the floor covered with green and brown sludge, flowing gently downwards.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

"......... That. Smells.... Fuck it." Helena said dropping in after the others, knocking an arrow after she was down just in case and looking around since Jasmine had been nice enough to provide the light. Figuring she had done stranger things, Helena kept her mouth shut and her eyes open as they moved. After the sewers came the tunnel, and of course, it was a specific tunnel... so she guessed it all hinged on exactly how many tunnels there actually were...

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Following the sewer, Helena eventually finds the right tunnel - she thinks. The tunnel feels musty, though after the sewers, that doesn't feel so bad. The labyrinthine tunnels seem to be almost guiding them, and though there are plenty of crossroads and sidetunnels, Helena manages to follow the directions leading towards their goal. Finally the trio enters into a large chamber with bloody corpses scattered all over and with a twisted and scarred man in the middle, sitting in a comfortable chair. The man seems a source of constant conflict, and Helena can sense... power of some sort in him.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

It was all confusing, and it wasn't at the same time, and Helena was pretty damn certain that if someone didn't want her to find where they were going, she never would, not without some serious voodoo. Through musty and winding tunnels and a maze that had to span most of the city, Helena kept moving, trusting in the directions and finding it odd that she was having no problem actually moving in the right direction.

As they come upon a large chamber, the smell of blood overpowers the must and Helena can almost sense the corpses before she sees them. She doesn't have much time to wonder as she catches a wiff of the man, or rather, the power that seemed to claw around within him softly as he sat within a comfortable chair, his body twisted and scarred.

Helena had to resist the urge to raise her weapon, but resist she did, keeping the arrow pointed at the ground as she looked at him, moving forward slowly. "I take it you're Malken." Helena said softly in way of greeting, trying to find his eyes with her own.

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

As the man turns to look at Helena and her friends, she can see that unlike almost everyone else, he doesn't have a mustache. "Indeed I am. And you would be Helena and Jasmine. It's been a long time since I felt one like you enter my lands. It's a pity that it took so long to arrange this meeting, but I've been busy. I'd like to officially welcome you, and to ask why you are here."

As the white-haired man turns to look at Helena, she feels a wave of malice wash over her, coming from this strange man.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Helena listened to him carefully, wondering what he wanted, he sounded polite, but something about him made her skin crawl... As a wave of malice washed over her, Helena's wings and horns snapped out in reaction, like a dog raising it's hackles, not knowing why, but knowing that it was far more a natural reaction then anything else.

Still, she didn't move, she didn't speak, as if she was frozen, torn between running back through the tunnels and hearing the man out. After a moment of tense silence, her wings stretching and twitching in agitation, she spoke, her voice still quiet, level, as if speaking too loudly would damage the fragile balance that seemed to hang in the air.

"I only want to go home, I never chose to come here."

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

The man doesn't seem surprised by the appearance of Helena's horns and wings, but lets out a ragged laugh. "Getting home might not be as easy as you think. While you're here, why don't you help me for a bit? I can reward you handsomely."

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

"I figured as much" Helena said softly. "We found out first hand just how very hard it might be. As for helping you... I'm not going to lie to you Malken, you set my hair on end. So it depends entirely on what you're asking, and what you're offering." It seemed negotiations had started.

*Jasmine, What the hell is he....*

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

*I don't know. I've never seen a demon like him before. At least I think he's a demon.*

Malken frowns at Helena's comment. "I'm sure you won't find the jobs too unpleasant. There's an arrogant and boorish nobleman named Arel Vishnek, who taxes his peasants almost to death. I'm sure you'd like to see him robbed, yes?"

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Helena listened at the proposal, and then started chuckling. "Vishnek... You see, we know another Vishnek, who was made out to be an evil man and turned out to be quite the contrary. Are you aware of the other job we're here to do and why?" Helena asked smiling. This was a proper fiend, an evil and terrible force not to be trifled with, and Helena felt excitement brewing as her blood started to heat up again. Clamping down on it and wondering what the hell was wrong with her, Helena leveled off.

Looking at Malken again, Helena did something she hadn't done in a long time, she apologised to someone she barely knew. "Sorry for the outburst, but between our current benefactor, the Church, our job, going home, and you, I wonder just what power game is actually being waged under the tables here in this city. I hardly understand this place, But I know two things at least. That I should be wary of the church, and afraid of you. The second one I'm having trouble with, because you send a thrill shooting down my spine, and the first is impossible, because the urge to burn the chapels to the ground is hard to ignore. I see people begging and starving in the streets, and children driven to thievery to survive. I can't call upon the good openly because of what I am, if indeed there are any good people left apart from the random and rare chance, and I have a hard time trusting the more underhanded because of what they are. So here I am, locked in this little limbo, wondering what my next move should be. We can make coin just as easily as you can kill us, but we make far better tools then pretty corpses and the coin is only a means to an end. You've offered a job, what's the reward."

Helena wasn't entirely sure where all that came from, but it had been level and polite, questioning but not overstepping, and carefully weighed. This man was holding cards under the table, and there was more to this job then he was telling them. Helena wanted to know how badly he wanted this done, and why.

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Malken frowns. "You already have another task? Set to you by Oleg, I assume? Such a person as him can hardly escape my notice. He's exceptional in more ways than one. Most Vishneks are no better than the Bolshniks. The reward depends on the spoils of the heist, but I can guarantee it will be rich, perhaps as much as 1000 bridles or more. Unless you'd like something other than money?"

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

There it was again, the offer of gold, always gold. Shaking her head, Helena noted that the only things she would probably keep from a robbery at this point were items of exceptional quality and only as much coin as she could keep in her purse and quickly run with. Thinking for a moment, she looked at malken. "We could use several things more then gold, preferably information we couldn't get from anyone else. Tell me, how loyal are you to Othmar..." she said slyly.

*Anything we need apart from asking for the blood of virgins, daily sacrifices, and dusty old spellbooks?*

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

"I do not seek for you to perform the robbery, merely to help in it. Information I have is certainly for sale."

When Helena mentions Othmar, Malken seems to consider for a moment. "I have no loyalty for the usurper. However, there would be a certain amount of chaos were he to fall, and that's bad for business."

*A major distraction in the city could be useful for when we need to run.*

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Helena smiles like a predator, her lips curling into a mask of hunger and malice of her own. "You think so? What if you could put your own man on the thrown, certainly you have a noble in position to do just that just in case. Othmar is on borrowed time considering what he's done. And Chaos can be very good for business, some of the greatest criminals of my world claimed vast amounts of power due to the chaos such events created. Keep an open mind in this regard. Tell me in what capacity we can help, and I'll give you my immediate decision."

Helena stretched and twisted about, thinking. *Very true, but imagine how useful this man could be.... Even in sustaining the chaos after for his own gain. I suspect that he would level the chaos when his position was secured, and keep the baseline people in more comfort to support better business...*

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Malken shakes his head. "I have an understanding with Othmar. While in truth I wouldn't mind the chaos, the next ruler will be the head of house Vishnek. Even Othmar or the church couldn't change that. And he's neither as flexible, nor as easy to manipulate as Othmar is. As for the job, you merely need to distract lord Arel and his guards for several minutes. Such a task should be easy for you, yes?"

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Helena snorted, shaking her head. "In my world, there was something called organized crime, and it was so close to legal, that even those in power had trouble calling it otherwise. These groups of criminals gained so much power as to challenge entire nations, and the people rallied behind them because it all revolved in keeping the money in the air, of keeping people prosperous enough to pay those who had made there lives easier. Could you imagine the coin you could bring in with half the men you have now, and never have to rob a soul. Imagine if all of those beggars in the streets owned homes, had jobs and businesses, and Every, Single, One of them payed you to keep the situation the same. Willing to take up arms to protect you simply because the life you offered them was infinitely better then what they had. They were called the Sicilians, and they're still one of the most respected groups on my planet. It would take the entire countries military to quash them, and without a truly backable reason to do so, the people would stand behind them. I can do what you ask, easily. But try to see things from my angle, because I have an axe to grind with Othmar."

Finishing her last chance to get Malken in her corner, to see the benefit of rising to power the only way a crime lord truly could, Helena waited for his response. Although rooted in crime, it would improve the lives of those in the streets, give them work and pay, and if Malken was as good as he seemed, establish a new order in the city that was self sustaining. He could even keep the nobles in his corner, If they fell in line. But in the end, it was up to him.