Mage the Ascension: Rule of Shade

[Dark Silver]

Arkady's voice made the Bastet pause, then take a step back from confrontation. Coppery eyes watched the dragon-spirit warily, thinking over what he had said. "Were Asshley and Tina your favoritess asss well?" she asked probingly, naming two of the girls murdered.

The atmosphere suddenly became very dark as the Bastet asked her question. No longer was it just a dimming of vision, indeed overhead clouds were beginning to form.

Fortunately for Supiyaw, the Guardian was bound within the node itself, unable to leave it's boundaries. Whoever bound him to guard, knew well the dangers of such a powerful creature being allowed to roam.

"I will rend you flesh from bone!" the boy shouted, human flesh giving away to reptilian scales for a few scarce moments.

Yet he didn't make a move for her, "They were my Children. You had no right taking them from me!"

[Cynical Cat]

Arkady grabbed the Bastet's arm and pulled her back. "It's not rational and very wrathful. Come, we leave."

[LadyTevar]

Supiyaw was in full agreement. "I have my answer," she said, allowing Arkady to gide her away. She did, however, keep herself between the Russian mage and the angered dragon. "We should avoid the Quad walking back to your car," she added dryly, probably unnecessarily.

[Cynical Cat]

"Da," said Arkady. "Best to avoid lizard. Almost as scary as Black Spiral Dancer. My car this way."

[LadyTevar]

She cocked her head, looking at him curiously. "You've fought the Spirals?" she asked, giving one of many nicknames for the Wyrm-corrupted mutts. "I'm assuming not alone ..."

He still had her by the arm, but she was saying nothing and not pulling away. Bastet enjoyed all physical contact, not simply sex. In Supiyaw's mind, Arkady could pet her and she'd be nearly as happy as if he'd bedded her. Nearly.

[Cynical Cat]

"Yes," he said. "Not alone. Tasha was with me both times. Fought once, ran once. Killed them both times. Why you made me jumpy. Before you, only shape changers I met were them."

[LadyTevar]

The Bastet looked to Tasha. <You two alone fought them?!> Her voice was much calmer when she spoke. "That explains much. Sorry you had to meet ill-begotten filth first. I can promise I look much better when I have to rip heads off." She gave him a smile, showing him she was teasing, before giving into curiousity.

"How many were after you each time? I've never ran into them myself." Fomori, yes. Spirals, no. Bastards hunted in packs. Pack vs single cat is bad odds.

[Cynical Cat]

<I was just a kitten> replied Tasha. <I hid in Arkady's pocket. They were horrible.> "First time there were three attacking, but only one were I was. Came through front door. Smashed through, not opened. It was big wolf man, like Howling movie. The other we were alone, on street. Saw it first, ducked into Metro to hide. Saw us, came after. I used magic to flee. It followed. Very fast, both times. Fled through Metro. Lead it in front of train."

[LadyTevar]

Tell him, or not tell him....

"You only have one kill then," she sighed, feeling he needed to know, just in case. "Train would have to pulp it totally to kill him, although it may have been maimed for a time." Her copper eyes watched him to judge his reaction. "I have taken a full shotgun blast to the stomach. It was healed before his dead body hit the floor. Silver and fire are the only ways to kill them, Arkady."

[Cynical Cat]

"No, it was dead," Arkady said. "Train went over the body. Went back and checked. Brains leaking out of skull, cut in two just below sternum. Electrical burns. Then I set it on fire."

[LadyTevar]

A couple of blinks as she thought of the sheer damage. "That would do it..," Supiyaw admitted. The electric burns alone would have been nasty. "Burning the body also kept the Taint from spreading to an innocent." <He is very brave, Tasha. You are so lucky to have him... Will you Share?>

She noted he said nothing about her bragging. Either he didn't want to think about her as a raging killing machine, or he couldn't reconcile her with the images in his memory. Her free hand reached over to gently rub his where he held her arm.

[Cynical Cat]

<He is his own person. That is for him to decide,> replied Tasha. Arkady leaned into her touch. She was an attractive woman after all, and he had time to recover from the shock of her being a shapeshifter. "Bad times," said Arkady. "I am sure you have many impressive accomplishments."

[LadyTevar]

<Him to decide, you to approve. He loves you first above all.> She only feigned to be Rowin's familiar, the bond between Arkady and Tasha was true and stronger than any the Bastet might ever share.

"I am still young," Supiyaw demurred. "I think you have done far more." It was one of the reasons she was attracted to him; as with Boxer, Arkady was a world traveler and accomplished mage. That he leaned into her touch made her nearly purr.

[Cynical Cat]

"I am mage, you are werecat. We both have full lives before us."

[LadyTevar]

"The Egyptians called us Bastet," she answered. "The Hindu called us Bagheera." Her copper eyes looked up at him flirtingly. "In each, we were friends and more to their magi."

[Cynical Cat]

"The origins of the Hermetic lore go back to Egypt, some say earlier," said Arkady. "One of the houses specializes in heka. They always have catnip toys around."

[LadyTevar]

"Unless you want me drunk and horny ... don't buy me catnip."

[Cynical Cat]

"Will keep that in mind," said Arkady. "Tasha doesn't like it."

[Cynical Cat]

Tasha hopped off Arkady's shoulder, landing on Supiyaw's upper arm and then climbing on to her shoulder. The cat dug her claws in slightly as she found her balance and then relaxed.

[LadyTevar]

Supiyaw winced only a second as claws dug in, before her free hand reached up to scratch Tasha's head. "I don't blame you Tasha... I prefer a clear head as well." A low purr started -- from which one was the question as Supiyaw rubbed her head gently against the cat's fur. Finally she slipped her arm free of Arkady's grasp, only to slip it around his waist absently.

[Charon]

"Alright, How about this. I wont protect you if you do something stupid again, and are endangered as a result... Is that amenable to you?"

"There was no line of sight, but a certain Virtual Adept should have top down photos by now, or I can get it with correspondence. We did find out conclusively that the bodies were dumped, and not killed or defiled here, and that a dark shrouded man is responsible. As for those back at the chantry... Listen to what that dragon said. The Namers Bound Me. the Namers Corrupt, he can smell their stench upon us. Is the reason not to interrogate the "owners" clear to you? I am going to translate the Enochian, and see if Boxer will help out with the use of Time magics... It will give a better picture than scanning through fading memories. But do not inform the others of more than you have to. If you must question them, disguise the questions, or make them seem innocuous" Russell said, as he walked. Young people could be such fools, the fact that this one had an over-inflated sense of his own competence did not help matters one bit.

Jason snorted. "Don't need your protection old man. I can take care of myself. Hell I've been in this game longer than you have."

Jason glanced back at the quad, thinking they might want to head back. "Don't need a top down, you might not know this but I'm a fuckin' genius at doin' math and figures in my head. Get me a good triangulation and I can probably give us something. Though that the rituals don't seem to have happened there makes things a bit off."

Then Jason looked back at Russell and sighed. "The people who own this node aren't the culprits here Russ. If they own the node than they wouldn't have created a guardian that gets so pissed about murders, and would be happy for the sacrifices they give to it. Which is the only reason you'd kill people ritually by the node if you already owned it. Furthermore, we would have noticed that people were getting killed for the node a long time ago. And hell, if they decided they didn't want that guardian there anymore they'd just get rid of them. Especially if this specifically belongs to Steele. So whatever's happening, it's got the guardian confused."

[Comrade Tortoise]

"You may well have been. But you seem to have too much confidence in your own abilities and are young and foolhardy. Those will both get you killed just as fast as inexperience. "
The older man continued
"I have not... had a chance to catch up on whole new fields of knowledge. But lets take stock. We have an angry dragon that cannot or will not differentiate between someone violating its space, and friendly mages. We have a few options. Either the person that did this is an outsider who can hold an angry dragon at bay, can get by the dragon undetected, or they set the guardian in place with an initial intent, and didnt bother to banish and replace the guardian when their intent changed. The later given what you just told me is least likely. So, because I do not know these things... What can making sacrifices at a node accomplish, and what is easier to do, neutralize an angry dragon, or sneak past it?"

[Cynical Cat]

<Actually, it does nothing for me> said Tasha. She rubbed against Supiyaw's cheek with her own.

"Mighty Americans are arguing," said Arkady. "Business and all that. Should see if they have ideas on murders." He gently steered them in that direction. "Besides we can be properly attentive when they tell us proper way of doing things."

[LadyTevar]

"Mighty Americans are arguing," said Arkady. "Business and all that. Should see if they have ideas on murders." He gently steered them in that direction. "Besides we can be properly attentive when they tell us proper way of doing things."

"Hmph," was Supiyaw's retort, continuing to nuzzle Tasha. "First they should find their own tails before telling us how to find ours." The words had the ring of a proverb as she eyed Jason and Russell. "One with no memory, the other with no brains..."

[Cynical Cat]

"Are you done?" Arkady asked the Americans. "If so, going back to chantry to consult with learned and wise holders of dragon's leash."