Open Chronicles The Lost Children

[Aramis]

Aramis raised a well groomed brow at the defiant squeak from the girl and gave her the reassuring smile a wolf did to a rabbit before turning his attention back to the clear leader of this small band.

"Of course," he repeated, spreading his hands before him as though anything less would be an insult. "Everyone is in the same mindset but organising Dreadlords who all believe themselves to be the only right voice of reason is... well," he gave another charming smile that caused his dimples to appear. Such a large group of powerful people would not be content to sit and whitter away the hours for long. They all hungered for more. For the life they had had taken away from them.

"As it stands, we've split into different groups to cover the five different criminal families that run this place. To understand how it works," he rubbed at his chin as he thought of the information he himself had learnt from his sources only today whilst he inked her skin with a ferocious sea serpent. "It's a horrible mess. One pin and the whole thing collapses but then so does the trade. We need to carefully take out each pin but have our own pin to slot in place instead. Otherwise we'll have the city and... nothing but empty pantries and streets."

 

[Osbert]

"Right." A single word said with certainty to punctuate Sybille's statement. There weren't going to be any revolutionaries or ex-Dreadlords to deny them. Not now, not ever again.

He listened intently though at the explanation from Aramis. It made sense, at least to him, and it gave everyone a set task. That was good as a specific job also set a limitation of sorts. Not that there was anything to stop a pack of Dreadlords from taking the entirety of Syzemore themselves but if each group took down just a single crime family they'd be tasked with conquering four groups of Dreadlords if they wished to seize the entirety of the city for themselves.

Though, Osbert felt fairly certain that at some point they'd have to forge alliances with other Dreadlords. Likely kill a few too. The Dreadlords were many things but none of them were particularly good at sharing.

"Fair guess that the family we're taking down has already been selected for us?" If Aramis and the others had been here for weeks then they'd had time to plot. Ideally Shiloh, Sybille, and himself would've gotten a chance to size up their options and pick the most valuable one (or at least the one they'd reason was most valuable).

Would be a real shame if they were just tossed the sympathy portion of the city.

 

[Sybille]

Sybille wanted to argue the point, but she couldn't really.

Most Dreadlords, by simple nature, thought they were better than the next one. It was how they had been taught, at least most of them. The Academy did not encourage cooperation. They were meant to be weapons of war, functioning in their own method and wiping out whatever was in front of them.

That type of training generally ignored 'working with others'. It came as no surprise that comraderie didn't suddenly manifest when they left the Republic. It was a miracle that Sybille got along so well with Os, much less anyone else.

Though she supposed that wasn't really the Academies fault.

It was that very same point which played in her head as the two of them spoke of what would lay before them. Her mind casting not over the near, but the distant future. What happened once they got rid of the five families? When it was no longer Crime Families but only Dreadlords left?

Sybille thought back to Os and hers last mission, she thought back to Ceja.

Her stomach roiled ever so slightly as she realized that taking the city would most certainly not be their biggest problem.

 

[Aramis]

"Of course," Aramis all but purred and then glanced to the bar where the other Dreadlord had disappeared. There was something very uneasy for Aramis when new Dreadlords did not stick in their designated groups. He liked to know where everyone was for Dreadlords, if anyone, could cause the most amount of trouble in the least amount of time and all his best laid plans would be ruined. He needed to keep them... under control. But in a fashion that they did not feel those invisible collars.

"Probably best if we discuss such things somewhere a little more private, all the walls have ears here," he brushed a hand through his hair and subtly flickered his eyes to the group playing cards. To anyone who had been paying attention several of the party kept glancing in their direction and several chances to win had been missed; clearly their attention was on something else.

"Get your friend and let me show you the Clubhouse."

 

[Shiloh]

Speaking of which...

Aramis thoughts were followed by the sound of some bowls and cups getting knocked to the floor as Shiloh was thrown out of a backroom and onto a table in the main area. A very large individual came walking out after, along with the barmaid who quickly ran into the back near the kitchen.

"You got a lot of nerve talking to my girl."

Shiloh simply lay their sprawled across a table that had barely stayed together. He slowly pushed himself onto his feet with a big grin on his face.

"Sorry friend, but I think if she was your girl then she would not have been so handsy."

He shot the girl a wink, now that she was peeking out from the doorway to the kitchen.

"You little shit!"

The large man roared as he stepped forward to grab Shiloh.

Osbert Sybille Aramis

 

[Osbert]

Osbert nodded as Aramis kept speaking. He'd make no complaint blowing off this rundown shanty bar. He just hoped this Clubhouse had a better selection of booze. And food. The weeks on the road had made him eager for a decent meal.

"Very well, I'll go collect Shiloh and then," a crash and an argument.

An audible sigh escaped from Osbert's lips but just as the big man lunged towards the roguish Dreadlord the oxygen-manipulator sprung into action. His sudden movement caused the entire table of card player's to clear in unison as well.

In an instant there was a hulk of a man rushing forwards to grab at Shi, a half dozen grunts dropping their playing cards and rising to their feet, and Osbert tugging at waves of oxygen and pulling them away from the giant of a man's nostril and mouth.

Before the group of card players could cross the gap the giant of a man, whose girl Shiloh had almost certainly sullied, was gasping for air. A bar brawl wasn't really something he'd planned for tonight, but you rolled with the punches.

Though, surprisingly, the card players weren't grabbing at their knives...

 

[Sybille]

A loud sigh dragged from Sybille's lips as Osbert and Shilo found themselves embroiled in yet another brawl. This was the third time it had happened since they'd left Vel Anir, and she was starting to think it was going to be a running them.

Fingers pinched the bridge of her nose, head shaking slightly as she turned away from the whole fiasco and grabbed the mug of her awful ale. Never noticing the table of card players.

She wasn't going to throw herself into the middle of this mess. A fight was one thing, but if someone threw the wrong punch and got her mad...well, it was better to leave the thugs with a few bruises rather than burning the whole place down.

Taking a sip, and trying not to make a face she turned her attention back to Aramis. "What the clubhouse like?"

Sybille asked, just loud enough to be heard over the coming chaos. If it was anything like this place, they would have to do some serious upgrades.

 

[Aramis]

Aramis leaned casually to the left just before a bottle smashed into the wall behind his head to the right.

"Oh, wonderful darling. Simply wonderful. It used to be a manor belonging to some merchant or other but he decided to leave town indefinitely and wisely left its care to us," he smiled and then took out a cigarette case from inside his coat pocket. The noise around them was getting worse. People who hadn't been a part of the original brawl were using it as an excuse to work out the frustrations of the day. With a scream a dwarf was put through the centre of the card players table sending glasses, money and cards flying everywhere.

Aramis lit the cigarette he had selected and put another behind his ear for later.

"I suggest we go," he lit the one in his mouth and stood. "I'm sure your friends will catch us up," he held out his arm.

 

[Shiloh]

A gentleman should never hit another while they are down. Ha, yeah right. Gentlemen were idiots. Shiloh took the opening for what it was. He jumped into the air and then crashed his elbow down into the nose of the man who was now gasping for air. He would have to thank Os for that later.

"Alright, whose next? I have some important business to attend to." To emphasize what business he was referring to, Shiloh waved over to the barmaid that had started this whole mess.

It did not take long for others to come running up on him, and he quickly jumped back into the fight. He might not be the most melee focused of Dreadlords, but he was still trained as a dreadlord. Kicking the shit out of these guys would be childs play.

Don't get him wronged, he loved nothing more than winning magical duels, but there was something so relaxing about just beating the crap out of somebody.

Osbert Aramis Sybille

 

[Osbert]

Osbert's knuckles were reddened from the latest bar brawler who joined in. Using too much of his oxygen magic was probably inadvisable here. Who knew what this mysterious "clubhouse" brought with it and besides that throwing a few good punches was more than enough to dispatch the kinds of half-drunken foes this establishment brought them.

It was only after their own table of Aramis and Sybille cleared that Os decided this had all gone on long enough. He gave Shiloh a tap on the shoulder and used a thumb to issue a notion towards the door, "time to get moving."

Another fist came his way, this one attached to the body of a lithe human with curly brownish hair, connected on Osbert's cheek. The stinging of the strike was annoying enough, and there'd certainly be a bruise in the morning, but it earned the lithe man a fist to the gut followed by Osbert throwing the surprisingly light young man into a few pitchers of ale.

"I'm serious Shi, we're leaving. Now." Os back away towards the door and found himself in the dark of night with Syb and Aramis already waiting outside. "He makes friends a bit too easily," he said with a grin while pointing towards Shiloh.

 

[Sybille]

A manor.

Good. At least they wouldn't be stuck in some rathole. Perhaps she could even have a bath. That would be utterly delightful, though with her the water never really lasted too long unless there was a steady supply. Osbert always joked that she was her own Sauna.

The thought was dashed as the chaos of the fight grew even louder, and Aramis plucked himself up from the chair. She frowned for a brief moment, glancing over towards Os and Shi, a small prickle of distrust still clinging to her.

You're no less a Dreadlord. Sybille reminded herself. You can melt half this city if you want to. One stranger isn't a threat.

Rather daintely, she grasped Aramis' hand and pulled herself up.

Almost immediately he would notice the extreme warmth of her touch. Her skin almost blisteringly hot against his. "I need an umbrella."

Sybille remarked, plucking one from a stand by the door. Sweeping outside to where they waited for the other two. Her face turning into utter disapproval just a few minutes later as Os tried to excuse Shiloh's behavior.

 

[Aramis]

Aramis gave a start at the touch of her hand upon his arm. Even through his coat which was made of good wool, and through his silk shirt underneath, the heat radiating from her was like standing shirtless in the full midday summer sun. It wasn't uncomfortable, not yet, but he certainly believed she could make it quite uncomfortable should she wish. How very curious and, more importantly, useful.

"Allow me, mon feu," he smiled and took the umbrella from her hand, holding it above both their heads. If she got wet did the flame go out? Important information he would need to gather before the missions started proper. There would be no good sending her to the docs if one slip into the harbour would kill her. For Aramis, wanting the umbrella was as simple as he didn't like getting his hair wet.

"Friends and enemies it seems," Aramis drawled and took another puff of his cigarette, blowing the smoke away from his companions out of courtesy.

 

[Shiloh]

Things were starting to get a little dizzy. Why did his head hurt? Oh, that's right. He had just headbutted a guy. It was a shame, that guy's nose would be broken for weeks. For all of his confusion, Shiloh did hear Osbert's command.

He stumbled over to the door, smashing one more victim's face into a table. He looked back towards the kitchen. Shiloh could not see the woman, but she would get the point.

"Farewell my sweet, til we meet again."

With those last parting words, Shiloh stumbled out into the street to see the others. A big grin spread on his face as he straightened himself up.

"Well, they all seemed pretty nice. A bit more civilized than Vel Anir though."

Aramis Sybille Osbert

 

[Osbert]

Osbert pulled his coat tighter to try and keep himself warm. He didn't much mind the rain, at least not enough to bother with an umbrella, but he picked up on Sybille's disapproval and Aramis' annoyance quick enough.

The only way you ever managed a group of people was with some give-and-take. Sure, Shiloh could be a handful, but they'd all been taking orders their entire lives. He wasn't going to admonish the quickdraw for simply being himself. At least, not yet. Shi knew well enough not to cause a scene when they got to the clubhouse and considering Shi wasn't a bloodthirsty sociopath he was already ahead of most of the other Dreadlords they could've chosen to pal around with.

"Friends and enemies," he repeated without breaking his grin, "but he knows when he needs to be on his best behavior." At least, Os hoped so as their bar brawling comrade stumbled out of the pub.

He glanced towards the puff of smoke that trailed through the air from the cigar and into the dead of night. "Right, should we be off then?" The sooner they got to this 'clubhouse' the sooner they'd know precisely where they stood in this city.

 

[Sybille]

Sybille graced Aramis with her first smile as he took the umbrella, though that was all the thanks he would receive.

"Does he?" The redhead asked Os, turning to Shiloh with a rather dubious look. "I haven't quite seen that talent out of him."

Not that he wasn't useful or anything.

Shiloh, just like the rest of them, had his talents. There was a reason that they had all chosen to travel together instead of separately, and truth be told Sybille trusted the other redhead far more than she did a laundry list of other Dreadlords.

"Yes, we should." She said emphatically to Os, motioning to Aramis to lead the way.

Sybille wanted to be out of the rain as soon as possible.

 

[Aramis]

Aramis threw Shilo a rather doubtful look but he didn't refuse to take the younger Dreadlord with him. Instead, he merely inclined his head to Sybille, of whom he was already imagining a thousand ways to paint to capture the exact shade of her hair, and then started off through the rest of the city.

Most of the journey he made the idle conversation of a guide of sorts, pointing out places along the route that were of interest primarily to him with a few key strategic buildings and notes about the city too such as where various gangs chose to drink or which shops were owned by important families that were worth remembering. Up and up through the swollen underbelly they walked until the streets became wider, the view more pleasant and the smell even nicer. Flowers lined peoples window boxes and flags fluttered in the breeze.

Eventually he stopped outside iron wrought gates and waved a hand to the two guards positioned outside who let them in by turning a great cog wheel.

"Welcome, to the Ravencroft Estate."

 

[Shiloh]

"Oh, I assure you. You have not discovered even half of my many talents."

Shiloh shot back with a grin as he mockingly bowed to all of them and then followed after them. For the walk, Shiloh remained silent deciding to actually pay attention to the spots where Aramis said the gangs were drinking. He might visit those places later.

He did not have high expectations for the rest of the night. Apparently, they were going someplace nicer, but that told Shi that it would just be boring.

Their arrival at the next destination complicated things for him. It looked exciting in a way that a horror story might be exciting, but boring in a way that high society often could be.

"Wow, how gothically...grand?" His tone betraying his confusion.

Aramis Sybille Osbert

 

[Osha]

Others

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others

Osha squeezed her eyes closed. Palms pressing flat against her ears as she rocked back and forth on her seated position on the floor of her room. The room she'd been given by Aramis upon her arrival to the estate the night before. A pale eye cracked open.

Go away.

She mouthed to a seemingly empty space.

A sharp inhale, as her second eye cracked open. One hand dropped from her ear. Then another. Wearing a jacket that dwarfed her frame, she pushed herself to her feet and flung the door to her room open. Gold tassels flopped on her shoulders as she walked, hands stuffed into her pockets.

A black dog nudged its wet nose against her pocket. "Vishka," Osha looked down and shook her head. A whining noise left its mouth.

She could hear them now, as she neared the great doors and the entrance hall. Booted feet carried her swiftly down the carpeted stairs. The black dog following closely at her side, a low growl leaving its throat as the others entered. Osha tried to keep her eyes on them but couldn't help her gaze wander as a man with a sword through his chest walked right through them, whistling a shanty tune. Completely out of tune.



Shiloh Osbert Sybille

 

[Osbert]

Os tried to keep an ear open as Aramis gave them a guided tour through the city. He almost interrupted to ask about "Harriett's House of Hoarders" but refrained as Aramis' passion for, "Calminto's Copious Crafts, Inc.," sparked interest in even himself. Maybe once they were running Syzemore Osbert would take up painting or calligraphy himself.

The up-town side of Syzemore was far nicer, and smelt far more pleasant, than the area they'd arrived in. Maybe they really could carve out a decent life in this city after all. That thought was simply magnified as the gates to the Ravencroft Estate opened up. "I'll take gothic grandeur over a dive bar with rickety floor planks," he responded.

Although now the question on his mind was whether or not they'd displaced a family of Ravencroft's or if they had some unknown benefactor?

Those questions would have to wait though as the door of the manor was opened by a broad-shoulder Dreadlord with long, flowing, blonde locks. A brown-haired girl and her dog standing just behind him.

"Welcome," he called out in a gruff voice, "we got more hands Aramis?"

 

[Sybille]

Sybille listened to every word as carefully as she could.

She took in every connotation, every slight twist of tone. Everything and anything was valuable if used the right way. That was the first lesson she'd learned at the Academy. The first thing that the Proctors had forced into her mind.

Memorize and Analyze.

Just in case anything would be useful later. "Me too."

Sybille finally added in agreement with Os. Her gaze flickering over the building with a careful eyes. A few figures shifted behind the windows, stepping somewhere or drawing curtains. Her lips thinned, and she wondered just how many others they would find here.

Again that turmoil within her began to flicker, her skin growing ever slightly warmer as a pinch of anxiety grasped her flesh. Slowly she shifted slightly behind Osbert. Guarding herself as they stepped into the manor.

 

[Aramis]

"You know me, Lars, always out recruiting," Aramis purred and folded the umbrella neatly away once his small little gathering of youngsters had stepped onto the porch out of the drizzle. He wouldn't want the little firecracker to get wet now, would he? He had settled on how he would capture her likeness. Oil pastels on a midnight black piece of canvas. He stepped up behind the others and closed the door behind him.

Inside was pleasantly warm. To their right and left were double doors and before them a grand staircase that went up to the second floor. Torches lit the ways and illuminated portraits along the walls or the empty spaces where they had once hung; it looked as though someone were in the middle of redecorating. The doors to their left were open revealing a long room where at one end roared a giant fire. Plush chairs were gathered in small groups here and there throughout the room and a few were already occupied by other Dreadlords who rolled dice or lounged with a book in their own company.

"Ah Osha, how lovely to see you rested and able to join us now," he smiled to the young woman, putting his hat and coat on one of the hooks in the hallway and petting the growling dog without much thought for its growling. "Osha actually arrived not too long ago, would you care to join us my dear?" he motioned to the drawing room.

"Lars, fetch the good port."

 

[Shiloh]

Shiloh stepped into the estate, wanting to be out of the rain. He had to admit that it looked a bit more livable inside. He offered a smile to the two that stood there greeting them.

"Nice to meetcha, Lars. Same to you Osha...and hello scary dog."

Some of him wanted to reach out pet it, but he knew better than that. He looked over to Sybille and Osbert to see their reactions to the house, and he grinned.

"So, is this going to be home for a little while?"

Aramis Osbert Sybille Osha

 

[Osha]

Osha stared. Not at the ghost humming. Or the strange girl who kept dipping behind the one that caught her attention. Or at either of the other gingers(Shiloh + Sybille), though one more cordial than the other.

But at the beautiful boy with emerald eyes (Osbert). Not because of a romantic attraction. But because he reminded her of her brother.

Surprise. Pain. Confusion all flickered across her face faster than a blink.

I can gut him. Easily. Wouldn't need those pretty paint-spattered fingers o'his anymore. Calling ye 'my dear' an'oll. Let me kill'im.

The black dog snapped at the air narrowly missing Aramis' index finger. But it happened to be at the ghost who stood, ready to pull its ghostly sword from its chest, looming near the painter. Osha quickly shook her head but answered Aramis, "Alright." Her pale eyes finally tore away from the only non-ginger with those green-green eyes.

She went to a spot nestled next to the roaring fireplace and slunk into a high-backed chair. The black dog never left her side and parked itself right next to her. Strange eyes shifting lazily around the room every now and then.

Osha's hands picked up a deck of cards that had been left on a small side table, fidgeting with them and giving strange nods or shakes of her head at apparently, nothing.

 

[Osbert]

Syb ducked behind him as they approached the entrance. It was hardly noticeable, she'd gotten good at not doing that overtly, but it was a thing he always noted. Not that he minded, it was like a special sort of security to have someone you could trust watching your back. Besides, between the three of 'em he was usually the one who put the charm on.

Although, Shiloh didn't seem to have a problem charming women but that often caused them more trouble than it solved.

"Nice digs," Osbert said while he looked around at the splendor of the manor they now occupied. The grand staircase evoking memories of one of House Banick's oceanside estates and he perked up at the offer of a port. A good port at that!

But then there was the girl with the dog. The one who stared at him with those pale blues. "Nice to meet you two," he issued with a nod towards Lars and Osha, finally exhaling once the strange girl with the dog turned her attention elsewhere.

Whilst they walked towards the drawing room he issued two more of his thoughts, with the first direct towards Shi. "I think of it as our new temporary living space," home would be whatever estate they seized from the crime lord they took down. "Guessing you can fill us in a bit more on that?"

The second question was addressed to Aramis. Once the port arrived he wanted to just drink and relax. Get the business out of the way on the front end.

 

[Sybille]

Sybille stayed quietly watchful.

She offered no greeting to Osha, nor any of the other new faces that she saw. Instead her lips stayed shut, squeezed into a thin line as she focused on keeping her expression as listless as possible. Never allowing the anxiety in her stomach to rise onto her features.

The former Dreadlords watched their surroundings, the people. Everything. It will do.

She thought to herself quietly.

Though already she knew whatever room was given to her would have the door barred at night and the windows sealed shut. In a place like this, a new place, Sybille would never take any chances. Something the Academy had taught her.

Almost unconsciously she stepped a bit closer to Osbert.