Private Tales An Answer After Dark

[Crux]

"Overwhelming... Yeah, I suppose it is." Crux grumbled, recalling the first time he'd gotten lost between the layered walls of the city. "There's people who've lived here for years who still get lost. I was one of them, for a long while."

As they neared the massive city, one could begin to make out the layered walls that separated its several districts. On the farthest side, opposite the gate they neared, stood the imposing Allirian Keep, acting as a benchmark for the impressive and innovative architecture that slowly dwindled to more modest structures the farther east one looked

"We'll be passing through the slums first." He cautioned Ria as they approached the gate to the marshy outskirts of the city. "Not too crowded, but keep your eyes open and your limbs in the carts. If the pickpockets don't get you, the muck of the marsh will."

The Shallows weren't actually all that bad, even had a fair few shops worth visiting. Even so, there was no telling what the abrasive folk living here might do to earn the ire of the shifter beside him. Last thing he needed was another corpse to add to the count.

Or maybe it was this frustrating new protective streak he was dealing with, wanting to shield her from harm. Gah, should have just had them walk the slums.

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

Illyria hid her bag well, keeping herself seated beside him as the wagon rolled through the slums. At least, she suspected that was where they were now, having no real clue at all what the term meant. It looked grand still to her eyes, as homes, businesses, alleyways, everything making up this place was largely more populated than anything she had seen in her years.

"Oh, look! A cat!" Illyria's soft voice came out in a delightful observation as an orange tabby cat darted across the path of the wagon, her green eyed gaze following it's path until it was gone from eyesight. A small smile spread across her lips, and she took to watching the people going about their day as they travelled through. Smells, sounds, and sight, there was a lot going on, but she took a more curiosity stance.

If she had been walking through this crowd, she would experience the overwhelming aspects of it, but sitting higher up than most stood, she was more comfortable to observe this new experience.

Crux

 

[Crux]

He'd never seen somebody marvel at a place considered by many to be the armpit of the city; Illyria gazed in awe and wonder of the slums as if they were the glimmering gilded streets of Dornoch's innermost gardens. Crux supposed it made sense, though. Before now, that settlement by the portal stone had been the biggest mark of civilization she'd experienced.

It was almost cute, the way she sat straight as an arrow and took it all in, like an attentive student in class. Perhaps The Shallows were an ideal setting for her; not too crowded and robust, with a hint of familiarity in the sparser nature of the buildings.

Looking down at his hands, wrapped tightly around the reins, Crux grimaces once more at another tug in his chest. Every time he felt it, the knowledge of what it was grew.

That didn't mean he was any more used to it.

"Ria..." Crux brought the wagon to a slow stop, looking over in her general direction, but avoiding direct eye contact, wary of the warmth her gaze brought to his chest. "It gets much more crowded from here. Maybe we should stop here for a while, let you stretch your legs?"

It wasn't as though she couldn't take care of herself, and if anybody did try anything... Well, it wouldn't be the first conniving bastard he'd had to bury in the muck.

"Come on, I need to check something anyways."

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

She was quiet now, looking to Crux for his guidance and assurance. Once he parked the wagon, Illyria grabbed her bag, not trusting to leave it behind as she followed behind him and out from the driver's seat.

There was only a sliver of apprehension in her muscles as she pressed herself closely into Crux and stayed with him as he moved. Illyria trusted him to know what this city was like, and that if he deemed the crowds to only multiply, the worry seeped into her person.

"What are we checking?" From what he had told her of Alliria, it was fit for a great many of jobs, business, and connections.

 

[Crux]

No sooner had Crux's feet hit the ground had Illyria pressed herself into his side, latching onto him as he circled the wagon towards the alleyway that the cat had darted into, between an old stonework building and what looked to be an abandoned shack, complete with frayed wooden boards protruding outwards, crooked and rusty nails having given up on maintaining their hold on the structure.

Again, there was that momentary tension as she held him, but it passed, far quicker than it would have even hours prior. A cautious hand rose to rest on Illyria's back, a show of both affection and protection from any who'd seek to harm her, of which there could be many in a place like this.

"Those cult freaks... the first one I spotted was loitering in this alleyway." Crux snarled, recalling the skinny little twig, how he'd nearly tripped over his own feet running from him. As they neared the alley, a small child, dirty and dressed in rags, slinked out from one of the holes in the dilapidated shack, eyes going wide as he noticed the couple approaching him. "I want to see what he was looking at, or for." He continued, ignoring the child until they stood almost directly in front of him.

Crux came to a stop in front of the boy, his hand tightening and lowering from Illyria's back as he reached for his waist, for the belt that held his whipblade. The boy stumbled back, ready to run as fast as his legs could carry him as the imposing figure drew from his waist...

His sack of coin.

"Watch the wagon, kid." Crux ordered, rather gruffly, and flipped a single gold piece in his direction. The boy was so skittish that he didn't catch the coin, and had to take a moment to find it, giving a quick, frightened nod before scrambling over to the cart. Crux turned his head to watch him go, before flashing the faintest of smirks to Ria. "If he asks about all the blood, we'll tell him you skinned a couple pigs with me."

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

Illyria made a face, but was unsure at what exactly. "The less questions the child asks, the better." She was on guard now, ever since Crux had mentioned he had seen a member of the cult this way last he was here.

In an effort to keep them on task, she reached for his hand and interlaced her fingers with his, squeezing them. "It should be quick then. Doesn't seem to be all that much in this alley. Whatever it was he was looking at, or for, it will be seen by us." If she knew the cultist's scent, she could make this a lot quicker for them both.

There was no need to mention her unease being on her feet in this area, now realising how the buildings towered above her. On the wagon, she felt less small. Even beside Crux, she became aware of how sickly she looked, how easy of a fight one could pick with her and win.

Crux

 

[Crux]

Crux could tell well how uncomfortable Illyria was without need for words; The tight grip of her fingers as they locked snugly with his own was a silent admission of her fear. While he'd never admit it, even Crux felt his pulse quicken, being so hot on the trail of something that had, through trickery or otherwise, bested him. There was a difference, a tangible one, between chasing prey, and chasing your own predator.

"There doesn't seem to be, but there's always a nook to miss, always a hole for a rat to squeeze into." Crux sneered, considering this little pack of scavengers who'd outsmarted him to be no more than that; vermin, to be sought out and stamped out. Still... even rats can have a vicious bite. "Stay close to me, Ria." He held her hand close as they entered the alleyway, slipping in between the two old structures.

It was, as Illyria had inferred, an unremarkable place. Aside from the refuse lining the sides of the thin byway, there wasn't much to look at. One side of the alley was broken and splintered wood; too jagged and damaged to move by hand, and certainly too dangerous to squeeze through unless one was small and slender, like the urchin from a moment ago. The other was solid brick, in fair condition given its place in the slums. It was, however, rife with peculiar markings that some with too much time and too little money would consider to be 'art'.

The wind gave a peculiar howl down the alley as Crux reached out to run a hand along the stone, the scowl almost seemed permanent on his lips.

"Do you smell anything?" He spoke to the woman beside him, "These freaks all wear similar cloth. I wouldn't be surprised if they have similar scents. Your nose is far better than mine." One of the many reasons he found himself thankful to have her here with him. Something about her presence, how reliable she'd proven herself...

It brought some security.

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

She was glad to have something to do to take her mind off the thought of being watched, of something lying in wait for them. His asking for her assistance allowed Illyria to take a moment and concentrate on the magic that filled her veins. She called upon the nose of a wolf, scenting the alley.

"I'm not sure what you are after but..." She inhaled and turned her head from one side to the other, wandering a few steps before coming to a pause. "I smell a sort of... burnt wood. Strong, as if there were a number of them standing... here." Illyria stopped, turning back to see Crux behind her.

Her brow lifted in question, waiting for his next words.

 

[Crux]

Honestly, Crux wasn't completely sure what he'd hoped her to find, either. Illyria had superior senses, though, and he was counting on that to at least point him in a general direction. Perhaps he was winging it, but it simply wasn't in his nature to admit when he wasn't in complete control of a situation.

He had faith in Illyria, and she'd yet to let him down. This time was no different; Using senses of the wolf she so frequently took the form off, she set off down a random path along the alleyway, following a trail completely undetecable by Crux. A small smirk tugged at his mouth as he followed close behind, peering over her shoulder, trying to see if there was anything he could perceive.

It wasn't until she stopped suddenly in a rather innocuous spot in the center of the alley about halfway down that Crux realized just how sharp she was. Chiefly, because he saw absolutely nothing. It was just as dirty and unremarkable as the rest of the alley, and yet Illyria claimed the scent was most potent right here.

"Just... standing here? In some random alleyway in the slums?" The question seemed poised more to himself than to her, a muttered annoyance as he dropped to a knee and traced a finger along the ground. It didn't make sense-- Even in terms of crime, this part of the shallows was considered completely ordinary: So boring that even the low lives didn't notice it. "What are they, running a prayer circle and scenting their clothes? Why burnt..."

Something clicked, and Crux looked up from the floor, to the splintered and dilapidated building the child had slid out of. On first glance, he'd just thought it ruined by lack maintenance, but...

"This building wasn't like this the last time I was here... It's been torched. Look, there's scorch marks on the edges of the wood."

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

Illyria shifted, approaching the building with curiosity.

"Same scent." She confirmed, crouching and leaning forward. Fingertips kept her balanced, keeping quiet a moment before her head whipped to the side, listening.

"Someone is inside. Shallow breaths, but... they are healthy. I can smell them..."

Jade eyes now locked onto Crux, towering well above the crouching Illyria. She would not move without his say so, serving to his lead on this investigation.

 

[Crux]

The wise thing to do would have been to find an opening; To sneak inside without being detected and track who or whatever had concealed themselves within this shoddy excuse of a hideaway to question them, interrogate them if neccesarry. It was a shame then, that Crux had no intent of being wise. These people had embarrassed him, debased and imprisoned him.

If there was one of their number slumbering peacefully in this shithole, there would be no interrogation. Raising an arm, Crux grit his teeth as he sent a pulsing wave of stored magic through it. His skin ran black, only for a few seconds as the concentrated blast expelled from his palm and collided with the weakened wood with a thunderous crash.

Splinters flew about in all directions, clattering and cracking against wall and floor like hailstones. The building itself shifted a bit, threatening to collapse from the sudden change in it's weight and support. Thankfully that, at least, was averted. The gaping hole in it's side? Not so much.

"Take me to them." He snarled. "Now."

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

Her eyes watched as his skin darkened until it was onyx, but after a short few seconds, he had returned to his natural state. They both could change, a thought that fascinated and made Illyria feel... comfortable. That he would understand her better than most could.

And that snarl on his lips, it was a caress that brushed at her ears and she had to steel herself from shuddering at the warmth she felt. Illyria listened, turning to guide Crux into the rundown building. Her steps were slow, cautious, but the with scent of magic like charcoal burning at her nose, Illyria did her best to navigate them both into the interiors.

But a body was not found until Illyria encountered someone laying against the softness of hay in what looked to be an old kitchen. She stilled, waiting for Crux to take lead once again. She was merely his compass in this, happy to witness what may unfold.

 

[Crux]

Under any other circumstance Crux would have balked at the idea of using Ria as some glorified bloodhound. It mattered not if such tasks suited her talents, when he'd grown to see her as so much more than a tool, or the wolf she'd been when first they'd met. To Crux, she was equal, the first he'd considered such in all his life.

He would repay her service by giving her a front row seat when he ripped the fools who dared cross him limb from bloody limb. Even as they searched the dilapidated property, following the scent of life within, blackness pulsed across his skin with his heartbeat. Stored magic, twisted by the hate that feuled him, ready to be loosed upon whoever it was his Ria led him to.

At least, until he saw what it was she'd led him to.

A woman, dirtied and bruised, lay shivering in the pile of hay collected on the floor of the kitchen. Her clothes were ragged and worn, her hair matted and dirty. The color of Crux's skin quickly returned to normal, the muscles that had only moments ago been so tense with rage now softened as he looked down upon her.

"The owner, I assume."

Slowly, the woman turned her head to look up at them, fear glimmering in brown eyes hidden behind filthy black hair. Her voice was weak, and it trembled with nerves. "Y-you're not with them?" shakily lifting herself up to sit. "Wh-what do you w-want?"

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

"Answers." Illyria blurted, but she did not apologise to Crux for speaking first. Between the two of them, Illyria looked less intimidating, with her shorter stature and youthful face, despite the gauntness to it, there was no mistaking her softness in her human facade. "There was an incident ---"

"--- you!" The woman gasped, recognising Crux. "I watched them take you!"

Illyria's head canted to one side, a curious animal. She turned her head to look at Crux.

"Did they follow home? Made sure you didn't tell anyone what you saw?"

The woman wheezed, coughed once and winced at a pain Illyria wondered that plagued her still in her abdomen. "No... they took my son. Two days after I saw them..." She stared at Crux, unable to finish her words.

Illyria felt to her knees beside the woman, reaching to look at her wound but she shook her head and waved her help away. "It is much too late for me, sweet girl. But my son... if he still lives..."

The evershifting Illyria frowned, slowly turning to look up at Crux who towered above her.

 

[Crux]

Crux briefly raised his brows at Illyria took initiative. She'd been content to be an aide until now, likely in no small part due to how out of her element she was. Crux knew there was a more commanding side to her though, one borne of the Wolf she'd spent so long in the shape of.

It was always a pleasure to see it come out.

As the pained woman recognized him, Crux's lip twitched. It was bad enough he'd been outsmarted and stolen away, but there had been witnesses? How annoying. Illyria suggested perhaps she was seen, and Crux nodded along. Even if a few days passed, the idea that she was targeted for witnessing an act she wasn't supposed to was far from the realm of impossibility.

Still, something irked him.

"Why take your son and leave you? Why do all of this damage..." Crux gestured to the ravaged home around them. "For a kidnapping?" Not that he expected this lady to have any answers. If she knew anything more, she'd have told them with the last few breaths she seemed to have left. Shrugging his shoulders with an indignant sigh, Crux didn't wait for answers. "Don't suppose you've any clue where they've taken him?

Briefly his eye flicked to the woman's gut.

"Or why it's a good idea to refuse help when it's offered?"

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

Illyria watched as the woman passed before her eyes.

She was not sure if she should grieve, a stranger that never remarked anything special upon her life. She did not move, staying at the woman's side a moment out of respect.

After she was done, she rose and turned to Crux.

"Can't hurt to ask around, no?" If the woman had seen it all, perhaps there were others. "It may give us more of a lead..."

She just hoped they had enough coin to let the child guard their wagon.

Illyria walked about the home, checking through the rooms, the belongings, and the thrown furniture for any signs or clues to something that could bring them satisfaction in this moment. She wandered back to where Crux stood, shaking her head. "Nothing else here."

Crux

 

[Crux]

She died, without another word.

There was some part of Crux, some sliver of humanity deep within him that felt a shred of remorse at her last experience being his incessant questioning. That he'd not even agreed to find her missing brat before death stole her away. It manifested itself as no more than a wince on his face, and a brief aversion of his gaze.

She was nothing. Nobody. No reason to care, and no reason to feel any semblance of guilt. So why, then, did he? Of course, he knew. It was the woman who turned to look at him now, a lover who had also become a conscience.

He gave only a minute nod, watching her from the corner of his eye as she left to scan what remained of the house. Briskly, he stepped back out of the hole they'd entered through and back out onto the streets of the Shallows.

The child still stood by their cart, leaning against it inconspicuously. Emerging from the alley, Crux snapped his fingers and whistled, before pointing away from the wagon and gesturing for him to leave with the nudge of his head. With a moment's hesitation, the youth stumbles away, before making tracks quicker than the tall brooding figure can change his mind.

By the time Illyria re-emerges, Crux is back in the seat.

"We shouldn't stay here. They were in that house recently, and that means they're keeping tabs on the section of the city." Crux sounded uncharacteristically grim as he leaned forward, staring into some middle distance that stretched out before him."I have more leads, more places to look. Besides..." He finally allowed himself a brief smirk. "Haven't even shown you off to the city proper yet, have I?"

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

Illyria leaned against the cart, looking up at Crux with furrowed brows. "All I can think of is how the rest of Alliria will look like if that's the introduction I was given."

She thought it over, hestitating on her answer as she slowly climbed back up to take up her seat beside him again. "Which will we be doing first? Following these leads or being shown this city, properly?" Illyria could not help the smirk, poking fun at the idea of Crux showing her the sights before they even found a place to stay.

The thought of sleeping in a bed again was a warm thought, had intrigued Illyria as to where they would be staying while here in the city, and if he would once against ask for separate rooms or beds. A bed had been so soft, a comfort compared to her den, but being in Crux's arms provided the type of shelter she liked when it came to sleeping. "Where are we staying?"