Cold Hearts IC Thread

[Malochai]

With a grimace, Indoril lifted some of the chain over one of the bars and let it swung down, and repeated this until the chain was looped around three times. The head he had already shackled snarled at him, but it was unable to summon the fire and spit it at the elf, instead trying to bite at him through the bars.

"Yeah, you damned beast, not going to be able to get me here ..." he murmured, holding another of the shackles in his left hand whilst he hung, grasping the bar with his right. The head growled, and then it seemed to turn to a whine, and another head slammed into the first, knocking it out of the way. Deep, dark eyes glowered at him through the bars as the hydra stared at him, head waving slightly side to side like a snake who was entrancing its prey. The beak-like mouth shot forward, and rebounded from the metal bars slightly dazed. Throwing the shackle onto the ground, Indoril pulled himself out and then picked the hinged metal ring up off the floor and leapt up lightly, throwing the restraint around the neck of the hydra. Two heads tried to snatch him from the stone ground, but he evaded both of them and then climbed up the beasts foreleg with elven agility and dodged between thick, tree-like necks until he found the one he had thrown the shackle over. Dextrous hands closed the restraint and he smiled to himself.

"Okay, the beast's restrained! Just ... Avoid the fire ..." he bellowed, before swinging onto the ground and picking up another shackle. "Arkeith! Aid me putting the rest of these on!
"Mythas, get your worthless rump out of the damned grate!" With another muttered prayer to Anath Raema, he started to completely restrain the hydra. 'Seems I should be getting the payment for this,' he thought sourly, 'given how I actually stopped the beast!'

 

[Get of W'soran]

Arkeith came to his feet in a smooth motion, having thrown himself into a side-roll to get out of the beast's way once Indoril shackled the beast.

For a few moments he watched Indoril shackle the beast, committing the Druchii's movements to memory as he had a terrible feeling about what would be expected of him next.

Arkeith was brushing himself off after sheathing his blade as the highborn predictably shouted at him to help.

"Bloody have to do everything." Arkeith muttered grumpily.

Running over to the shackles he lifted one, checking the chain was secure. After being reasonably sure the chain wouldn't come loose Arkeith tied the restraint around his waist and approached the beast carefully, luckily it seemed distracted by it's recent securing.

Arkeith slowly approached the beast's leg, ready to climb it as Indoril had just done but as did so one of the heads lunged at him however the knight spun out of the way easily enough with the grace and dexterity of a Druchii swordsman. Reaching out he wrapped his arms around the neck which immediately reared up at the feeling of the elf's arms wrapped around it. As the head straightened itself up the knight swung around it to slide down and land on the Hyrdra's back.

Sighing with relief that it had worked he stood as close to the neck as possible, using it to shield him from the other heads.

Arkeith was feeling reasonably happy as he untied the chain from his waist until the beast shifted quickly and the knight slipped, almost dropping the manacle in the process although he managed to catch himself.

Cursing angrily he swiftly made his way to one of the necks and snapped the shackle around one.

 

[Mello]

Eventually the beast was subdued and Anaeya deemed it safe to come out.

"Well that was... urm impressive" she murmured, just as Mythas soggily climbed out of the sewer.

"Nearly smells as bad as home." he chuckled, before frowning and sniffing again, and moving around the room, following his nose, before stopping at Indoril.

"Indoril... you do smell of home. Did you decide to eat some of Sylvia's food or something?"

A caw was heard from down in the sewers, by the satisfied tone of it, Sylvia was having a great time eating.

 

[Malochai]

Indor snarled at Mythas, his noble features near bestial.

"I see you decided to flee when the hard work started,'" he called as he swung around on the bound necks of the hydra and rested on one of the heads. "I say you get nothing for this contract; I did the vast, vast majority of the hard work ... He helped a bit," Indoril announced, gesturing at Arkeith briefly.

 

[Get of W'soran]

"Indeed Mythas, Lord Indoril did all the important parts, that they also happened to be the safer parts is a mere coincidence." the Knight said with a smirk as he jumped of the hydra and walked away, feeling safer the more distance he put between himself and the creature.

Turning he looked at Indoril "Can't really be angry with him after all hiding was the more intelligent option just look what happen to poor...err..the loud one, I don't recall his name." it was Arkeith's turn to sniff loudly "That is a horrid smell."

Still smirking at the highborn he gestured towards the girl "Who's the child?"

 

[Malochai]

"Yes, placing myself in the way of a hydra so that I could shackle it was safe," Indoril snorted. "And in addition to that, if it weren't for my plan, we could all likely be dead anyway!" Indoril's tone was indignant, but in Arkeith he saw someone who could actually be near to his own station, although, obviously, still slightly below him.

"And she is just a waif the fool Shevael picked up ... In fact, as I understand it, she saved him ... Shows you how brilliant he was, I suppose," Indoril said with a shrug, shooting her a look as if to tell her to keep her mouth shut.

 

[Get of W'soran]

Arkeith took Indoril retort in silence maintaining his somewhat infuriating smirk.

Truthfully agreed with the statement, Indoril's plan had saved them after all, although Arkeith was fully aware it was he that had took on the most dangerous parts of the mission such as baiting the beast.
Still no reason to injure the nobleman's pride.

"He was fairly useless, no great loss." Arkeith said looking at the girl.

"And how does one so small save a fully grown elf?" he asked.

As he questioned the girl another thought popped into his head.
"That woman I met earlier, the one who hired Shevael, was she not part of the job? Why is she not here?"

 

[Malochai]

"I wouldn't know how she did it; I met up with them just outside of this chamber. What I do know, though, is that it wouldn't be difficult for her to be more intelligent than him ... Probably wouldn't have been difficult.
"As for January ... Khaine himself only knows. It matters little, anyway. She won't deserve anything for the job even if she does turn up - you and I did the work!"

 

[The Archivist]

January stalked around the hallways, looking for indications of the head of houses living quarters or a portrait of the head of house.

 

[Get of W'soran]

Arkeith chuckled at Indoril's words as he collected his throwing knives.

"I like that assessment." he said as he worked.

After a few moments he returned to the others and the knight tilted his head staring at the girl "Well we should leave, right?" he asked the others "And we shouldn't leave any evidence of our being here."

 

[Mello]

There was an ostentatiously large heraldry over a large central flight of stairs, heavily guarded by what looked like elite guards. They were furnished in gold, along with intricate carvings of mythological beasts.

----

Mythas grinned boyishly.

"Getting out of here is a good idea." glancing towards the sewer grate while absently fiddling with this sleeve hem.

"Indoril seems to have familiarised himself with the sewers, maybe he could leave us out?"

 

[Malochai]

"I notice you spent enough time down there whilst myself and Arkeith were fighting the hydra ... Scared of a two-bit, mangy reptile, are you?" the other elf replied scathingly, eyes flaring and hand spasming slightly as he longed for a weapon.

"And how did you get in, anyway?" he asked, angered. "You may as well make some contribution to this effort, Mythas!"

 

[Mello]

Mythas shrugged. "Got in through the roof, don't think Arkeith would have made it in without me either" he chuckled as everyone argued out who did the best.

"Last time I checked we were working together, rather than having some elaborate competition. Also, who is this girl?" he gestured half heartedly at Anaeya.

 

[Get of W'soran]

"Possibly true." Arkeith admitted with a shrug "Climbing about from roof to roof is not something I am overly experienced in."

Arkeith gestured to the girl. "So what do we do with her?"

 

[The Archivist]

January looked for a side staircase.

 

[Malochai]

"And yet I have no doubt that you would trumpet your own accomplishments louder or sooner, had you any to trumpet," Indoril said snidely, before turning and glancing at Anaeya. "A waif the fool Shevael brought with him, after she'd saved him. That's all I know."

Without another word, the highborn began to walk from the chamber and walked towards the Cold One chamber, distinctly aware that there was still one of the creatures remaining.

 

[Mello]

A smaller entrance was serving for slaves and others to enter the same room as the over grandiose staircase. Asides from that, no other entrances.

----------

Anaeya pouted before flicking a wrist, Indoril stabbed himself.

"Watch your tongue, posh git!"

Mythas smothered a chuckle, leaning into Indoril "I seem not to be the only one."

 

[The Archivist]

January walked up to the staircase slowly, watching the reaction of the guards.

 

[Mello]

The guards seemed to know better than to look their superior in the eye, looking either resolutely straight ahead or nervously at their feet, depending on their experience.

 

[Get of W'soran]

Arkeith followed the others, walking behind them, as he eyed the girl suspiciously.

 

[Mello]

Pale daggers of moonlight stabbed out of the surprisingly clear waters in the cave they hid out in. Despite the huge amount of pollution in the form of bodies and gore into the sea, the wildlife did a magnificent job of clearing up as the crystal clear water shimmered invitingly, weren't it for the spiky creatures kurking in the shadows of the same pool.

Mythas wrapped his hands around his knees, despite himself shivering a little after he had bathed in the cold water ti cleanse the smell, covered with a few scratches now that Sylvia tentatively picked at.

"So that's that one done then. Our payment will be dropped off in gold in one of my nests. I can pick up another contract while I'm at it if you like. Unless there's any business you people need to do?"

Anaeya had warned to Mythas for some inexplicable reason, perhaps noticing how he always stayed seperate too. Now she huddled with w blanket around her muttering. "This place is worse than the prison..."

 

[Get of W'soran]

Arkeith walked into the main section of the cave to meet the others, having left for a short time to clean himself up.

He had replaced armour for loose black pants and didn't carry his knives but he still wore his sword.
He wore no top revealing his heavily muscled torso.

Despite still being wet the cold didn't seem to bother him.

As he entered Arkeith heard Mythas talk and nodded.

"Sounds good to me."

The knight strode over to the pool and looked into it with apparent interest but when he heard the little girl speak he barked a laugh.

"Not far wrong." he agreed glancing at the girl.

He didn't trust the girl and had no idea why they had took her along, truth be told the child unnerved him.

Brave...cocky even. Reminds me of my sister when she was young. he thought with a shiver at that terrifying idea.

Running a hand through his soaking hair he rolled his shoulders and stood a distance away from everyone else.

Unsheathing his longsword the highborn Druchii began slowly moving through the drills he had learnt growing up, the patterns slowly increasing in speed and complexity.

 

[Zephyr]

Kelarith had followed the others back to the hideout through the pouring rain, not wanting to confront them right outside the mansion.
He used the old tunnel entrance and walked into the main room.
Another Druchii was going through some drills that looked familiar. The same basic moves he had been taught early in his training...that said the face also looked familiar though he couldn't quite place it.

He finally dropped the dripping wet cloak from his shoulders to the floor. He adjusted his armor and checked his Draich was clear to unsheathe instantly, just in case January's was the friendliest welcome he would have.
His orders were clear but he would not regret slaughtering anyone present if they attacked him. After all, that would be a move against the Temple and that was why he was here.
"Hydra?" he simply asked, his voice betraying amusement.

 

[Malochai]

With distaste, Indoril looked around the cave the Cold Hearts had gathered in. He eyed Mythas narrowly as he spoke, before hearing the little wytch speaking. He grimaced at her voice, tenderly prodding the wound in his stomach. Despite not being too severe, he snarled to himself.

“Little one, be quiet. You are here at an inconvenience to us; it would be easier for us to just be rid of you. You would, no doubt, be of interest to the agents of the Witch King ... Would be a much easier solution than us looking after you. Now, shut up.”

He then turned back to Mythas and looked him in the eye. “I will accompany you to this ... Nest. You know I don’t trust you as far as I can spit; me and Arkeith did the true work - I’ll not be ripped off by some two-bit con artist merchant whose only confidant is a damned bird. Regardless, I’ll take my portion and then head to the Markets. I plan on having some entertainment before I earn you all a nice payment, once more.”

 

[The Archivist]

January climbed the stairs slowly.