Spring Festival in the Summer

Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"

Job Log #9747

Apparently the humans felt the need to celebrate the turn of the seasons.

Ironically, by the time that Hosrius had heard about it, spring had all but passed and summer was already on its way in. The warmer seasons were something that the Jirian was far more comfortable with; his homeworld and most of the Jirian ships he’d been on were more humid and warm. Fiore was perfectly capable of reaching and surpassing the warm weather he had grown up in but, on the same front, it was just as viable to freeze and chill a person or alien to the bone.

Nonetheless, the humans always found a reason to thrown festivals and celebratory events. The one celebrating the spring equinox was actually more understandable to Hosrius, as he discovered it was to shine a light on the season where the harvest could be planted and the natural world came back to life after winter. Still, some of the events he’d read about in the festival seemed… less than focused on that and more on silly notions of holidays and odd traditions. Then again, he imagined that others would view the things his people or other races celebrated as strange as well.

But the spring event served as both a reason to learn more about the world and a good cover for finally making contact. Now that Maker was confirmed as alive and thriving on Earthland, it meant his ledger wasn’t clean and he had to take responsibility for the transgression. Maker’s brother had come planetside to aid in the hunt, now more willing to take part in act than he was prior. Grubar was, of course, insistent that he join in as well -- after everything he’d heard about Maker, he was convinced that he was far more interesting than the target they had been sent to Earthland to hunt. Finally, Hosrius had asked Mercury to accompany them, as she was the one that could confirm Maker’s condition with her own eyes.

“So… humans just… look around for eggs and then paint them?” Grubar asked his compatriot. He was staring down at the billboard with all the advertised events, the Scengar looking bewildered and puzzled. “And what in the hell is a leprechaun?”

Hosrius pulled up his armband monitor and ran a quick keyword search. “Apparently they are miniature humanoids that are rumored to harbor gold.” He flipped around the screen so that Grubar could see the crude image that had been uploaded to the database he’d ground.

“Looks more like vanthaw. Nasty little buggers; razor sharp teeth and sharp talons. Good if you cook them medium well though.”

“Yes well, according to this page, there is no definitive proof that they even exist. These are merely caricatures.”

“Stars, that’s dumb. Though this Aester bunny battle sounds hilarious,” the Scengar said with a chuckle. “When’s Merc supposed to get here?”

Hosrius took a look around. “Well, we are a little early but I imagine momentarily. She has a habit of arriving early and surveying the places she has to have meetings.”

“She’s a smart one, that’s for sure. Smart with a tight, firm body.” Grubar let out a naughty little growl as he revisited very fond memories. “And for your mysterious third party? The one that’s Maker’s brother?”

“Much like our dear Xocili, I imagine he’s already here as well. But our meeting with him isn’t for another hour. I figured we could enjoy the festival for a bit before we got down to business.”

“Well Hos, if you really want me to enjoy this festival, I expect you to take part in this dancing around a pole thing. That sounds like something I wouldn’t want to miss.” Grubar said with a wicked grin, tapping on the event and its description.

Hosrius snorted. “I wouldn’t get my hopes up, Grubar.” He was pretty sure he could argue his way out of participating in anything too silly. Then again, he may find himself teamed up on -- Mercury seemed to be just as impish as the Scengar. Perhaps he’d made a mistake in suggesting this particular outing beforehand…

Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"

Job Log #9747

Grubar and Hosrius looked like they were going to get into one of their playful spats when a strange but not unfamiliar woman approached them. She insisted that they could use some sunglasses, offering a pair to each of them. Both of them looked at one another and then with a small shrug, they took their respective pairs and put them on. Only then did they see the woman they knew, her illusion taken away by whatever was programmed into the glasses. It made sense that she was disguised; considering everything that had happened with Maker and his Dread Master brethren. She was meant to be deceased so it would be highly suspicious if any remainder of that number happened to catch sight of her and report it back.

The Scengar grinned. “Merc-” he started to greet her normally.

“-iala. Merciala,” Grubar hopped in, apparently deciding on her code name for the moment. “How nice to see you again. What’s it been, a couple of months since we did that job in… in…”

Now that Grubar had caught up, he actively sought to participate. “Whoresenka!”

“I think it’s called Hosenka.”

“Same difference. There were still a lot of whores there. Which we had to help save from some evil… wizard guy.”

“Yes, that bastard was quite malicious. But we handled that without issue.”

“And then we had sex!”

Hosrius stared at Grubar for a long beat, several hundred thoughts running through his head before he finally turned back to the disguised Mercury. “Still, it was nice of you to come and spend some time with us today. It really had been too long.”

“You’re tellin’ me. You still look fine as hell, girl.” Grubar easily shifted from his descriptive admission to flirting with the Silver Wolf mage without a single beat.

“As for the maypole dance, I might be interested if I have the right partner. But I agree -- the leprechaun relay seems perfect for Grubar.” The Jirian took a quick scan of the description, reading the finer details that he was sure Grubar had browsed right on by.

“Oh yeah? Is it some kind of tossing relay thing?”

“It absolutely is. And with that, you should head on right over there to join the rest of them. Merciala and I will just sit back and watch you dominate.”

The Scengar turned to look at the event line and with a dark chuckle, headed on over. Once he was out of earshot, Hosrius leaned into Mercury and whispered. “I know he’ll make me pay for it but I couldn’t help but take the opportunity to get ahead.” With an impish grin, he led the way over to a corner of the stands. Several festival goers had sat down, eagerly awaiting the next race. “Our contact will meet up with us in an hour or so. I’m sure he’s already observing us from some shadowy corner. He’s eager to hear what you have to report.”

Right about that time was when Grubar was informed of what the leprechaun relay actually was. His complaints were loud enough that almost everyone in the immediate area could hear each syllable. He spun around to find Hosrius and when their eyes met, the Scengar let out a noticeable snort. But rather than back off, he marched down to the fourth spot for the relay, now more determined to win than anything else. As impatient as he was, he was practically vibrating as the gunshot went off behind and the race began. Luckily for the Scengar, he had been teamed with several fast runners, who took an early lead and managed to keep it. But the third person in line was slower, especially with putting on the leprechaun outfit. He managed to just barely get ahead of the rest but his pace was agonizing to watch.

Grubar didn’t even say a word as the runner came up to him. The hat came off easily enough but the guy was having the hardest time getting a leg out of the suit. Grubar glanced at the other teams, now all caught up and starting to prepare their fourth. With a growl, Grubar grabbed the outfit and pulled it on save for the one leg that was still wrapped around the man. Pulling him up and under his arm, Grubar took off, sprinting at a haphazard pace but still supernaturally fast for an alien his size. The man tucked under his arm screamed as they went, the Scengar grinning bright and wide as he rounded the last corner and saw the finish line in his sight. But it was then that his suit, caught between two differently sized beings, malfunctioned, ripping and causing the Scengar to trip over himself. He let out a roar as he spun and toppled onto his back, nearly throwing the man half a field away as he went down. Unfortunately for Scengar, the other runners zoomed past him before he was even able to get back to his feet, finding himself in fourth place as he finally came across the finish line.

Hosrius shook his head. “Yeah I’m… definitely gonna pay for that.”

Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"

Job Log #9747

Hosrius had successfully tricked Grubar into taking part in the relay race, earning himself an advantage in their continuous game of pranks. It wouldn’t last long -- after all, there were plenty of events at the festival that would provide ample opportunity to make the Jirian blush. But for the moment, he basked in the glory of victory and as Mercury slid her arm in his and teased him over his nature, he smirked back. “Come now, we both know someone would have to make the first attempt. My only advantage is that he genuinely believes I don’t know how to play proper pranks. He hasn’t realized that I’ve learned from everyone around me how to play the game better. Now how about we go find ourselves a place to sit and watch as I temporarily get one over the big guy?”

With that said, they made their way up to the stands and sat down, where Hosrius gave her a brief explanation of what their situation was beyond the spectacle of the festival. She remarked that she had little doubt that they would all be interested in what she had to provide but was content to wait until the proper moment to reveal it all. That settled, they turned their gazes and attention to the race and watched the farcical event in great amusement. Grubar took part, despite learning the true rules of the game, and seemed like he was going to come out on top, save for the fact that he had taken along one of his team members. That proved his downfall and down they both went, creating the opening for the other teams to race back and claim their rankings and leaving the Scengar in last place. He pulled himself free of the outfit, grumbling as he walked out from the racing grounds and in their direction. “I had a feeling that the ‘maypole’ thing was going to come into play. But I suppose having you as a partner would make the matter more bearable. I best put on a scene to convince Grubar that it’s the perfect punishment.”

“Ah, you think you’re so funny, eh Jirian?” spoke the Scengar only a moment later as he came up to them. “Look at you, learnin’ how to prank like an actual pro.” Grubar snorted loudly as he held up two eggs; the prizes he earned for participating in the relay race. “Am I supposed to eat these things or something?”

“I believe you hang onto them and when you leave you get a prize but only if you get a certain amount, if I recall correctly.”

The Scengar grinned. “Well then, it looks like it’s beak-boy’s turn. I remember somethin’ about some kind of dancing thing mentioned, right?”

“Now Grubar, we don’t need to do anything hasty. The last thing anyone wants to see is me attempting to dance around. We both know I’m far better suited for running down targets than doing any kind of flight of fancy.” Hosrius lied expertly, his tone even and true. Even he was surprised at how authentic he sounded.

“That sounds exactly like what I want to see then. Let’s get to it, Hos.”

The Jirian sighed. “Fine. But I’ll only participate if Mercury joins me. At the very least we should have someone more attractive there to draw attention away.”

“Sure, I wouldn’t mind watchin’ Merc shake that ass of her’s,” the Scengar agreed, giving Mercury a once over and smirking.

Well, it seemed he had hooked Grubar rather easily. No doubt the Scengar was patting himself on the back, thinking he’d accomplished the perfect comeback. And to his credit, it wasn’t like Hosrius was actively looking forward to taking part in the dance. But having Mercury there would, at the very least, take away some of the embarrassment. The pair walked over to where the other dancers were gathering and Grubar found himself a tree to lean against, smug and proud of what he had accomplished.

Both Mercury and Hosrius were handed a ribbon and then told that they had to move around the tree trunk from where the ribbons descended. But that was the only real instruction they were given and soon enough the music had started and everyone just started to… go. The music was easy to follow but each person had their own interpretation of what movement should go with it. At first, the Jirian just walked behind the other groups, looking around and trying to gauge if anyone was matching the other. When he found that there was truly no pattern, he shrugged slightly and then began what could only be described as a waltz with the ribbon acting as partner. It was different from any that existed on Earthland; a dance he’d known since he was much younger. It was a Jirian foot dance and Hosrius put it on display masterfully, gliding around the trunk and spinning the ribbon about as he went.

He almost got lost in it before he found himself right next to the tree and the length of ribbon he’d held was spent. All of the other dancers had finished as well and applause came from the spectators around them. “Well, that was surprisingly more fun than I expected,” Hosrius admitted as he turned to face Mercury.

“Well that was a bust,” Grubar stated as he walked up to them. “Here I expected you to make an ass of yourself and instead you looked as graceful as a meerakan.” As Mercury and Hosrius were handed their eggs, Grubar snorted again. “And now we’re outta time. Our boy’ll be waiting in a few minutes. Let’s go grab our prizes or gifts or whatever and head on over.”

Once they’d turned in their eggs for their prizes, Hosrius and Grubar led Mercury back through the festival but opted to dip behind some of the tents. Most of the vendors had set up so close to one another that their canvases created make-shift alleyways, hidden from view. “Remind me to sneak you behind here later for some fun, Merc,” Grubar said with a lecherous cackle.

They rounded a corner and there, standing before them, was a humanoid figure clad in heavy, cobalt armor. A white cape and hood adorned his shoulders and covered most of his head save for the face, which was covered by a white mask. He looked at the three of them and then gestured behind himself with his head, signaling them to follow him. Now that they’d met up, it was time to head to the meeting place.

Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"

Job Log #9747

The mysterious brother so Maker was quiet as he turned and led the way, separating them from the joyful presence of the festival. Mercury would no doubt notice the serious change in both Hosrius and Grubar, each of the aliens as quiet as their trail leader and even a bit stiff. It wasn’t out of any kind of fear or anger towards the other alien but rather a quiet respect, which was saying something considering the way Grubar usually showed his respects. The woods would serve as a perfect place to discuss what they needed to discuss, masking their presences in the deep, foliage-formed dark. Of course, that was counting that none of them had been followed in the first place. The trees provided decent cover for both them and anyone that was too curious. But with Mercury there, it was highly unlikely that anyone could possibly get the drop on them and from what little they had revealed, their connection was just as methodical in his own practices of covert action.

They watched a decent distance before the armor-clad alien came to a stop. He didn’t turn right away, even as Mercury gestured for all of them to remain quiet. Both Grubar and Hosrius shared a look as the Xocili pulled out a small device from her pocket and turned it on. Nothing seemed to happen -- which, of course, meant that something had happened that they couldn’t detect. Even as Mercury began to shed her disguise, both Jirian and Scengar checked their armbands for readings and found no fluctuations in the energy levels around them. “Well I’ll be damned…” Grubar said with an amused snort as the Silver Wolf Ace explained the features of her gadget.

Ironically, Hosrius was already preparing to open the discussion with a proper introduction when Mercury herself walked right up to the armor-clad alien and held out her hand. Finally he turned to face her, his head shifted ever so slightly to look at her extended limb. After a moment, he reached out and embraced it but not like other people on Earthland did. His arm extended a bit and gripped her around the forearm, lacking motion or shake but instead applying the slightest pressure from his fingers. “No one was following now. But Hosrius and Grubar were being followed before.”

Grubar and Hosrius both looked surprised. “What? How is that possible?” the Jirian asked.

“Ain’t no one that slick that they could avoid both me and Hos. We’d’a picked them up,” Grubar protested.

“No one would have, save perhaps Mercury,” the alien’s voicebox communicated. He reached behind himself and when his arm came back, it was now holding a clay ocarina. He brought it up to the mask and, amazingly, was able to produce some kind of air to make the instrument play. Using his fingers, he produced a series of notes and, as he did, a series of runic symbols and meticulous relay symbols lit up on the instrument. A moment later, the air shifted near the tree that was closest to them all. Materializing out of nothingness was a figure who resembled more of a husk than anything else. A large blade was plunged through its stomach, embedding it to the tree. Its eyes were gone, dried blood caked around the sockets and out from the empty areas where the being’s ears should have been.

It would most likely take Mercury a moment, considering the change in appearance, but no doubt she would recognize the woman as the former wife of Chishan, Zifu.

Hosrius and Grubar blinked. “What in the hell?” the Scengar asked.

“She looks humanoid but she is composed of negative energy that masks her. It essentially camouflages hers, like a specter -- incapable of making noise or being detected, other than by extreme measures. A favorite of Maker’s; he clones the original host into these twisted, nonsentient slaves that he uses as his eyes and ears. Once you told me that you’d confirmed he was alive, I had a suspicion his next step would be to craft these. If he’s been rattled, he takes extra precautions about locating any dangerous threats. I imagine it wasn’t hard to discover you two here, considering your… appearances.” His head shifted just enough to look between Hosrius and Grubar before settling on Mercury once more. “I’ve destroyed its eyes, ears and all of the devices he grafted onto it. It isn’t even really alive but I wished for you all to see what we’re up against.”

He tucked the ocarina back underneath his cloak and then clapped both his hands together. A series of relay symbols appeared on his sword and then the damaged clone ignited into blue, roaring flames. Within seconds, it was reduced to ash.

“So you were able to find this thing because of your history with it?” Hosrius asked after a few moments.

“Yes and no.” The alien paused for a moment before reaching up underneath his hood and pressing something beneath. The hood and cloak broke apart and reformed into a scarf that wrapped around the alien’s neck, quickly followed by the body armor shattering and disappearing into nothing. Beneath he wore a faded green sleeveless tunic of sorts, with golden buttons running the length of the front from neck to hip and a leather garter belt that wrapped around his midsection. A tight black undershirt poked out from beneath the open armor slots, running down to his open biceps, his skin slightly ashier than a human’s but not nearly as gray as Maker’s own flesh. Finally his mask melted away, revealing a man with sage green hair that swept back and behind in sharp swells. An eye patch covered his right eye, crafted with leather and adorned with a mechanical eye of sorts while his left displayed a similar green color to his hair. “My naked right eye has the special ability to allow me to see and comprehend everything,” he explained, reaching up to tap the leather part of the patch.

“Then why are you wearing the patch? And how are you making your clothing change and your sword burn? That isn’t any technology I’ve ever seen.”

“That’s because it’s not. My brother’s speciality is technology while I focused my efforts elsewhere. I practice in the art of alchemy.” He looked back at Mercury, seemingly ignoring the question about the patch. “I’m the Blade, by the way. My apologies for being rude.”

“I thought it was just Blade, no ‘the’.”

“No, my brother and I gave up our names long ago. He is technically the Maker and I’m the Blade. We are the last two of our kind, as the rest of our people were sacrificed by my brother for his own purposes. Now he lives to ‘create’ with his own perverted inclinations and I bring his machinations to a permanent end. If it is easier, you can just call me Blade. From what I understand, this planet is accustomed to addressing people simply by self-chosen titles.”

“Not unless you think you’re some kind of big shot,” Grubar said with a snort.

“I do not believe that I am a ‘big shot’ as you say. I am here to carry out my duty and simply to learn what I can and act out the justice that has been wrongfully robbed of myself and Hosrius. Speaking of, he only told me that he had been in contact with someone that had bore witness to Maker himself, alive and well. He then proposed a meeting and I provided the details. Whatever you know, Mercury, I would greatly appreciate hearing it.”

Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"

Job Log #9747

If Blade picked up on the flirtatious tone from Mercury as she admitted her distraction, he didn’t comment or show any knowledge of it. He simply gave her a curt, appreciative nod. “If the past is any indication, Maker’s methods for his cloning process vary depending on the subjects. I believe he views it as a challenge -- see how much genetic material he can manipulate and utilize from a living host before they’ve exhausted their usefulness. Whether this poor woman is still alive or not, I cannot tell. At the very least, she will not be alive much longer; no doubt he’s created several clones similar to this from her body.” The way in which Blade spoke of the matter was with disgust. It was clear to everyone around that the machinations of his brother made him sick.

When the matter turned to learning more about Maker’s supposed continued existence, the attention turned to Mercury. She explained in great detail that her involvement with Maker had been circumstantial at worst, pure luck at best. She’d learned of Maker upon meeting Hosrius but had only done a little bit of research, not believing that the madman was anywhere near Earthland or its people. In the midst of getting involved in what sounded like a highly complicated conflict, she learned that someone within the ranks of one of the organizations involved was called the Engineer. It hadn’t taken her long to discover that he was far more advanced than the people of the current world and correctly assumed he came from the stars, like her. His intricate, technological designs rivaled that of many advanced races, just coming in below her own.

Fast forward and her fiance disappeared, leading her to try and find the culprits. Supposing that the Dread Masters were responsible, she had found one of their bases and gone to investigate it herself, in hopes of finding the Engineer. It had worked but mostly because he had been waiting for her, having crafted an elaborate trap for her as a means of testing her strength. Apparently he’d learned of her being Xocili, a remark that earned her a slight widening of the eyes from Blade. Like the rest of the galaxy, he had assumed that her people had joined the annals of history, not unlike his own. She continued, explaining that Maker had removed himself from the situation so as not to engage her personally but one of his former comrades had come and it was he that had called the Engineer by his real name. That’s when it had all clicked for her.

With barely an effort, Mercury summoned forth a screen and began to display said meeting in its entirety. All three of the men watched quietly as the event took place before them, displayed right from the beginning of her infiltration. It was a rough situation to behold, though Mercury played it off rather calm and casually, even with Scourge joining the mix. Once the video had reached his end, it was safe to say that every attention was turned to Blade for verification. His face was stone cold in contemplation, still staring at the screen as he processed everything he had seen. “It’s him,” he confirmed, reluctantly.

“By the Stars…” Hosrius remarked with a sigh.

“Alright so he’s alive. That sets that stage. The next part is figuring out what we’re gonna do to put him down for good this time,” Grubar spoke up, crossing his arms.

“Was this the last interaction with him?” Blade asked Mercury, turning to look at her. “It seems unlikely that he’d go to ground just from a revelation like that. While he will be wary of your advanced abilities, he’ll believe himself superior. It may already be crafting his next step as we speak.”

Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"

Job Log #9747

It was unsurprising to learn that the reason Mercury was doing her best to disguise her continued existence was due to Maker’s actions. As she put it, being undercover was the only means of assuring that Blade’s brother believed she had been successfully assassinated. Gesturing to the screen, she stated that their interaction in the bunker had been the sole encounter that involved directly interacting with one another. Up to that point, it had been a game of testing one another, seeing what the other was capable of. It wasn’t until she had been able to crack into his operating system that she’d had even the slightest inkling that he was far beyond the capabilities of Earthland. While Mercury doubled down on analyzing the samples she had, Maker made a move on her fiance, attempting to end his life.

She provided a copy of the weapon that had been used, turning it around so that he could take it. Wrapping his fingers around it, he brought it up to his eyes and looked at it carefully, his covered eye already producing a statistical readout for him. No doubt it would be an exact replica of components that Mercury herself would be able to create. As she explained it, she was able to forge a copy but it didn’t operate in the same manner, most likely missing a key component. Blade nodded. “Then let us see what my brother may be hiding,” he said coolly. Balancing the blade on a single finger, he brought his other hand up above it. A streak of light appeared behind his finger as he began to draw a circle around the weapon. The alchemical circle complete, the blade was held up by the force of the strange power, giving Blade free reign to fill in the remaining sigils.

“Though a copy, your eyes still took in the sight of the actual weapon itself. If it’s too much to ask, could you possibly provide a frame from your memory of the original blade?” Counting that she was amenable and did as he asked, he would draw another sequence of sigils around the screen. “Though alchemy is not as precise as this world’s magic, it does have shortcuts and theorems that can bypass even the most advanced of technology,” he explained calmly, simply providing background to what he was attempting to do. With both circles drawn, he reached back for his ocarina and played a quick three note tune. The sigils lit up and the copy of the blade was swallowed up by light, becoming a glowing outline of its former self. A second later and it had returned to its previous form… though apparently, not quite. “I have transmuted your memory into the copy, effectively making this blade the exact one that destroyed itself.”

“And now,” Blade spoke quietly as he placed his hand against one of the rotating circles. The copied blade shivered and then broke apart, as if it was being pried in all directions by invisible strings. What remained in the center was a swirling mass of unidentifiable energy, the red mass spinning and twisting like a living orb. “I’ve removed the elements that were easily identifiable by scans, which left us with… this.” His tone shifted, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the element. “This… I had no idea Maker had dabbled in thaumaturgy, though it makes sense…”

“The hell is thaumaturgy?” Grubar asked.

“Yet another study of creation and destruction through supernatural means. It relies on rare, volatile regents to craft even more dangerous creations. It shares points with alchemy, which is the only reason why I can recognize it. I’ve only dealt with thaumaturgy in a handful of situations. It’s a dead practice, mostly because those that practiced it created horrors that destroyed them…” He sighed. “I know of one person who may still have tomes on thaumaturgy. I will contact them and have them forward the information to me. Within the next couple of days, I’ll be able to identify this mass. In the meantime…” Blade pressed his hand against another sigil. The circle split in half down it’s middle and began to curl around the crimson mass. Hard lines made of shining gold light formed over what looked to be glass. Within moments, a glass-like cage had formed and slowly floated down to rest in the palm of Blade’s hand.

He held it out to Mercury. “Keep this safe. Do not let anything break the seal or else it will destroy itself much like it did before. Please, if you don’t mind, continue with what you were saying before.” And so she did; Mercury explained that the day after her confrontation with Maker, she was kidnapped herself and hauled back to the Nazru. But as it turned out, Vandrad had returned and alongside the two mercenaries and several other friends, they were able to free her and the rest of her people. Of course, time waits for no man or woman and within a week of their return, Maker and his compatriots made their move. “I’d heard rumors that few Xocili had survived but they were always dismissed as rumors. Even where I’m from, the devastating dominion of the Nazru is well known. My sincerest apologies that you and your people had to suffer at their hands,” Blade lamented, bowing his head slightly to her.

Mercury provided insight on some of the more convoluted parts of her and Vandrad’s life, including the Dread Masters. She explained their intent with targeting Vandrad and what the organization’s overall goal was. From there, she went out to tell of how they launched their simultaneous attacks on Vandrad, his family and herself. Scourge, one of the Dread Masters at the time, had become disillusioned by their tactics and had used his advantage in attacking Vandrad to make him stronger and give him the edge over the Dread Masters. Maker himself had targeted the home of the du Wolffs, Vandrad’s family, but had apparently missed his targets as well, once more thanks to Scourge’s planning ahead. She explained that the clone that Blade had disintegrated had once been a woman working against the Dread Masters or at least seemingly so. She’d betrayed her husband and friends and taken their people and their resources over to the other side. As far as Mercury was concerned, Zifu’s current predicament, as dark as it was, was well earned.

The attack on Mercury hadn’t gone unnoticed ahead of time by the Xocili. She had used her abilities, her magic, to create a clone that the Dread Masters had ‘killed’, thereby eliminating the last of the targets. Then Scourge and Vandrad had arrived and the three of them had rushed off to where the bulk of the Dread Masters had returned to and wiped them out. Since then, nothing major had happened. Maker had captured some of Vandrad’s people, who were from an entirely different universe. That was surprising to hear, though Blade didn’t look too shocked by the news. He’d experimented on them, no doubt, and as far as Mercury was concerned, that just added to the list of grievances. He was a snake in the grass and it would require a great deal of cunning to get to him. But, the bit of good news that she had was left until the end. Calling back to her ability to make a clone of herself, she explained that she was able to keep a connection with the clone. The ‘dead body’ had been taken back to Maker, no doubt so he could experiment on it. She was able to hear what occurred in the room where her clone was and it seemed he had every intent on trying to revive her after taking her apart. She planned on letting him think he had succeeded so that she could gather greater intel on his plans.

“That isn’t an advantage, that is a veritable boon,” Blade spoke up, sounding, for the first time, almost excited.

“And sounds exactly like something you would do,” Grubar remarked with a chuckle.

“Yes, I have to agree.”

Blade was about to state that there was no reason to not use that advantage and gain access to Maker’s hiding spot. But Mercury cut him to the quick, shutting down his thought before it had time to truly take root. As he looked at her quizzically, she revealed that Maker already knew that Blade had arrived. She brought the screen back and Maker’s voice played over the speaker, greeting his long lost brother.

Blade hissed between clenched teeth. Mercury surmised that Maker had tracked the ship’s approach in the atmosphere and considering Earthland was not a space-faring world, having merely trespassed on the void rather than ventured deep into its depths, it made sense. And since he’d already been tracking Hosrius and Grubar, it was safe to say that Maker was aware of the players going against him, save for Mercury. She offered them several means of protection, in the form of her own guild, her fiance’s family and the militaristic force that policed the current country. They had already taken in a woman that had once worked under Maker and had apparently earned his ire as well. Her and Scourge had experienced Maker far more than anyone else on the planet and Mercury offered to set up a meeting. Blade was silent for a moment and then nodded. “I would greatly appreciate that. I’ll admit, my hastiness to get here has given away my attempt to get the drop on Maker and it seems I must be far more cautious than I already naturally am.”

“If I might make a suggestion, why not utilize all three of the safeguards offered? It wouldn’t be wise for all of us to be in the same place at the same time, as it allows Maker to plan for one larger scale attack. With the rest of these Dread Masters devastated, he will lack the numbers to launch several simultaneous attacks like before. So if the three of us each go under the protection of each offered body, it will stretch his means.”

Blade nodded once more. “Maker rarely acts firsthand when it comes to fighting, unless given no other choice. And these clones of his are merely extensions of his eyes and ears -- it will take him time to build up combat forces for even one attack, let alone multiple.” He turned to look at Mercury. “I shall join you with these… Silver Wolf guild people of yours.”

“Ah hell, and here I was hopin’ to get in on Mercury,” Grubar grumbled.

“All you would do is laze about and try to have copious amounts of--”

“Hey, I can do all of that and still get work done. We still have a bounty to collect on too, you know.”

Blade turned his attention to the other aliens. “Genesis,” he remarked quietly. “It is in our best interest to capture that bounty sooner rather than later. In fact, I would say it takes priority.”

That seemed to confuse both Grubar and Hosrius. “Why?” the Jirian asked.

“Because,” Blade replied, a soft sigh escaping his lips. “Genesis is one of Maker’s creations.”

Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"

Job Log #9747

Blade knew very little about Earthland's magic, having only given the phenomenon a cursory glance. His interest had been heightened by the sole fact that it did have similar abilities and lengths that other forces in the universe could possess. But magic seemed to rely upon a particle that existed on the home planet and beyond called ethernano. It was fascinating but his time was short at the time. Hearing Mercury talk about the similar line between thaumaturgy and necromancy reinforced that he'd have to dedicate some time to learning what he could.

But the topic switched to Genesis, as Blade explained that the current target of Hosrius and Grubar should take precedence. When he revealed the withheld information of Genesis' background, Mercury, Hosrius and Grubar were all surprised by the news. The Xocili woman took charge of the conversation, admitting that she hadn't been able to dedicate a good time to help her bounty hunter friends. But if they were willing to provide the information they had, she would be able to make a decent dent in some of the missing parables, or so she seemed confident.

“He's one of Maker's?" Hosrius repeated. “Why weren't we told?"

“Your employer didn't know. He's wanted for other reasons beyond being a creation. Only I and Maker knew before I revealed it now," Blade explained. “But it's not so simple to explain Genesis without going into the finer details of Maker and I's origins." There was a slight hesitancy in his tone, the topic clearly uncomfortable for him.

“Well we ain't getting any younger. And if we're gonna do this, we deserve to know everything.” Grubar spoke up, grunting and crossing his arms.

Blade glanced over at the Scengar, considering him for a long moment. Then after that solid beat, he gave him a nod. “We must go back forty cycles ago when my world, Teras Prime, was still thriving." Blade pulled out his ocarina once more and played six flowing notes. The tune somehow continued after he had pulled his mouth away, the haunting ballad echoing off the wooden trunks that surrounded them. As Blade exhaled, a thick, glittering mist rushed out from his pursed lips. The smoke swirled around in the area in front of them and began to take the form of a pearlescent globe. Shapes formed on the surface, expanding and flattening into landmasses. A planetary illusion slowly turned in front of them, the aforementioned Teras Prime.

“Teras Prime was a mecca of scientific promotion and study. My people were born with a proclivity for the sciences, having freed ourselves of global conflict so that we could pursue a greater destiny among the stars. We'd only just begun to meld with the galactic community when Maker was born. His birth came upon the ending of a festival, his arrival hailed as a precious gift. He was the youngest of three, myself being the middle child and our eldest being Halcyon. At the time, we weren't a family of much import; living with comfortable means but without the elegance that others enjoyed."

“"Maker quickly established himself as a prodigy. He displayed an intelligence far beyond his years, comprehending and solving complex proofs and theories that more mature scholars had spent lifetimes crafting. His thirst for knowledge and intelligent superiority began catching the attention of the masses and his creations garnered him fame and fortune quickly. As he rose, so did our family. It seemed that Maker was destined to bring glory to our family and to our entire world."

Blade paused, frowning. “Halcyon and I… we always felt something was wrong with Maker. There was no doubting his intelligence but with that came a coldness. We'd catch him looking at us, studying us, almost amused at how small we were in comparison to him. When he was eight cycles past, he was caught performing an illegal experiment with some of the indigenous creatures that lived on our world. He was chastised and he simply shrugged it off, explaining that creatures of lesser intelligence were only allowed to exist at our leisure. He may have been punished worse but his star was on the rise, as they say on this planet. He had far too much potential to punish too badly or so my parents believed."

“Halcyon joined the Defendants, which I believe operates similarly to this world’s Rune Knights. Though not as technically brilliant  as Maker, Halcyon proved himself a confident and brave leader. He rose quickly through their ranks until he had established himself as a commandant. The Defendants didn’t offer as much prestige as the sciences but there was a noteworthy respect for what they were responsible for. I, on the other hand, hadn’t found what I felt connected to. I was capable in all aspects, capable of advanced engineering and scientific theory and a modest warrior. Meanwhile Maker was breaking records and making breakthroughs on what felt like a daily basis. But everything turned when he announced his all-encompassing project; the All-Knowing.”

“All he explained it, the All-Knowing was a complicated but attainable scientific process that would bestow upon our people the ability to comprehend everything and anything. Every piece of knowledge that was ever put to paper or would be was just within reach. As you can imagine, the elite members of our society were all too eager to partake in such a glorious, almost divine gift. And Maker promised any that desired it would be granted it, as his gift to his people. Resources, funds, test subjects -- everything a person could need was handed to him without remorse or deeper consideration. That was when the first rift began; Halcyon was the only one who spoke up against him. He believed that Maker was trying to use the system for his own benefit and that whatever experiment he was planning was far more dangerous than he let on. Our parents, understandably, were outraged along with his superiors and he was ousted from the Defendants and exiled from our world. The last time I saw him, he told me he was going to find a means to stop Maker before he enacted whatever plan he had been working on.”

“The creation of the All-Knowing was going to take many cycles and it did. When it was near completion, I set out to find Halcyon, wanting to join him. I’d watched over the cycles as Maker grew even more distant from our family and began to believe that he truly meant to do us wrong. Unfortunately, my departure fell within the timeline of when Maker revealed the All-Knowing project. I had arrived at a trade station, only a few sectors over, when Halcyon reached out to me… from Teras Prime. He’d hoped to warn me and upon learning that I was off-planet, he told me to stay away until he’d done his job.”

Blade went quiet for a moment, his eyes lost in the memories as he spoke them. As if reacting to the trip back in time, the view of Teras Prime began to change. The once pristine world grew dark, the color draining into a deep and rotten red. “I, of course, ignored my brother’s command and returned home immediately. I arrived… too late.” He glanced at the mutated image of his home world. “The All-Knowing was nothing more than a global siphon. He had drained the world of its intelligence; quite literally absorbing the brainwaves of our people. He’d even managed to tweak the system so that he could absorb knowledge from the world itself, attaining memories of our world’s evolution and advancement. I returned to a dead world, with Maker the last living creature among the husks of our people. Halcyon had made it to Maker but too late, his body nearly gone by the time I arrived.” Blade was gritting his teeth behind pursed, tight lips. “Maker looked at me with amusement, saying that he was surprised I survived. But he was simply beyond me at that point; his intelligence and acumen making him a living tribunal of genius and ability. He could process millions of different ways to kill me before I even made a move but genuinely didn’t care to. I was not worth his time and he said as much, granting me my life so that I could wallow in agony and pain until I perished. That was when he declared himself Maker, his birth name just another sacrifice for his goal of supremacy.”

“I gave great consideration to listening to his words. My brother had been the warrior, my other brother the genius and I had simply occupied the middle between the two. If Halcyon hadn’t been able to stop him, what hope was there for me? Even now, I do not know what chance I stand against him. But, perhaps foolishly, I decided to try. If he was the Maker, then I was the Blade. The weapon of a lost people that would enact vengeance against him through whatever means possible. There was an entire universe full of other beings that Maker couldn’t fully comprehend and with that, I had the advantage. I set out on a multi-cycle journey to learn whatever practices I could, accumulate what wealth I could so that I could find the means and methods to take Maker down. That eventually led me to Hosrius, a bounty hunter whose record and ability was unparalleled. I was upfront in my belief that I did not know what chance he stood and was genuinely surprised that Hosrius brought back physical proof of Maker’s death. If I tell it truly, Hosrius, I never believed him fully dead. All the evidence I had seen up to that point made me believe that he made several back ups for any situation. I just… hoped I was being too apprehensive.”

“During my travels and during my long hunt, I noticed things about Maker as I chased after him. He claimed to have intelligence beyond that of mortal beings but as time went on, he began to get sloppy. My belief is that the weight of such knowledge was too much for an individual to handle and he, instead, crafted a means to contain the intelligence outside of his form. The other was that he had chosen his new title specifically so he could create. That’s when I began to hear about Genesis. I believe Earthland has a word for what he is; a homunculus. A synthetic being, created rather than born into existence. Based on the limited information I had gained about him, he was to act as Maker’s body guard, a mere pawn to keep danger at bay while Maker went about his plans and plots. He was unlike the other clones; he was synthesized out of pure essence and biological genetic material. Perhaps that’s where he had found his fault; he’d made Genesis too well. The creature saw no profit or benefit to simply acting as Maker’s pawn and instead struck out on his own, wanting to discover his own path. He isn’t… he doesn’t seem to be a truly wicked creature. He has broken the law in several sectors but killing aimlessly and murder are not among his crimes. If anything, he seems to idolize the living -- Hosrius and Grubar can tell you that in the dossier, there is a long list of men, women and everything in between that Genesis has ‘spent time with’.”

“He means fucked,” Grubar spoke up, wanting to clarify for Mercury.

“Yes, I believe that fact wasn’t missed,” Hosrius remarked with a slight roll of his eyes, having seen no reason to clarify what was already heavily implied.

Blade nodded. “I was not the one that put the bounty on him, as I wished to find him myself and learn what I could from him. Despite his upbringing, I believe he harbors no positive feelings for Maker and could very well provide insight into a weakness we can exploit.” Blade looked at Grubar and Hosrius. “I understand that you both need him to fulfill your contracts but I simply ask that I be given a short time to talk with him. That is my only condition to help you in finding him.”

“No skin off my back, since I’ll be the one takin’ him in,” Grubar said with a grin.

“Good, Grubar. Keep that confidence. It’ll help keep you warm at night after you’ve lost the bounty to me,” the Jirian replied with a cheeky smirk.

Blade ignored the banter to look at Mercury, even as he dismissed the image of Teras Prime. “I imagine you have questions. I’ll be happy to answer them but perhaps that’ll be better once we have moved to safer means.”

Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"

Job Log #9747

Their time in the woods had come to a close, now that they had a plan. And it was fortunate that Mercury had already received word from Themesycia and Serilda agreeing to house the two mercenaries at their respective homes. With Blade already deciding to accompany Mercury to Silver Wolf, she assumed that Grubar wished to go to the island with the du Wolffs. The Scengar chuckled. “Ah, you can read me like a book, can’t ya?” he posed his rhetorical question with a cheeky smirk.

“Just try not to get into too much trouble?” Hosrius spoke up.

“I ain’t gonna do anything that no one else isn’t willing to do,” came the snorted reply as Grubar shrugged.

“What kind of trouble would come from these… du Wolffs?” Blade asked, curious.

“Well, like our dear Genesis, the du Wolff clan and their people are kind of, completely horn dogs. A bit like the Nowana race from Norkan IV; they like to explore beyond the boundaries of, what do Earthlings call it…? Monogamous commitment,” the Scengar explained. “You get it; you spent several years with the Nowana, right Blade?”

He nodded. “Indeed. So I’m to understand that ‘trouble’ is classified as sexual exploits then in this case.”

“Unfortunately,” Hosrius returned.

“Now he’s just sad that he doesn’t get to go,” Grubar chuckled.

“Well I suppose, enjoy yourself?” Blade offered to the larger mercenary.

“Oh don’t you worry, pal; I will.”

With that all settled, Mercury summoned her teleportation ray. Blade drew several small sigils in the air in front of him and then separated them with a small gesture of his hand, moving them to hover in the air just outside of their combined proximity. “This will clear the air and ground of any and all molecules that could be used to identify where we were. Just in case,” he explained as he dropped his hand to his side. Mercury used her device to summon a portal to the island, to which Grubar walked through with an excited chortle. Once he had passed through, that pathway was closed and the next was opened to Serilda and Mythal’s estate in Era. Hosrius moved through and gave the two remaining aliens a gentle wave before he, too, disappeared along with the portal. And finally, the last one for the two of them was opened as Mercury called out for the avian creature called Bandit. Once he had pleasantly perched himself on her shoulder, she turned to him and asked if he was ready, smiling and calling him handsome.

It took less than a millisecond for Blade to revisit everything he’d read about on Earthland. Though ‘handsome’ was not the universal word, its derivatives all meant the same thing at the end of the day. He hadn’t read anything about humans in the world greeting each other by such titles without intent or purpose behind them. Perhaps it was just her way of being… friendly? “As I’ll ever be, gorgeous,” he replied. There was no reason to not reciprocate her complimentative word with one in the same fashion. She had mentioned a fiance -- a title given to one that was meant to be a mate -- so it’s not like she was approaching him out of any kind of physical or emotional attachment. Or was he simply assuming there as well? If her fiance’s race was similar to the Nowana…

He put a pause on that line of thinking as she led him through the portal to a rustic yet charming foyer to a much larger building. She welcomed him properly, stating that she believed he would benefit out of being there, given that the Silver Wolf guild established itself so that it could study and preserve knowledge and items of important historical significance. The guild boasted a collection of lost and forgotten knowledge pieces that were unrivaled, while also doubling as a ‘tourist attraction’ with its hot springs and spas. She told him he should partake in them, as getting proper rest before handling conflict could provide insight and advantage. “Indeed, I had reviewed the so-called ‘magic guilds’ of this land before making contact. Silver Wolf did seem the most intriguing out of the lot, at least on a personal level. I believe I’ve visited other places such as these spas you speak of and they are quite refreshing. I’ll have to take you up on your suggestion.”

They took a brief recess to speak with someone at a desk and notified the official records that he would be a guest of her’s. That meant he was given a wider berth in terms of clearance around the guild. After that, she escorted him to where he would be staying -- her quarters in the guild. They arrived and her avian pet flew up into the rafters, finding a comfortable perch in which to sit and watch. Mercury explained that she rarely stayed in the quarters, as she was usually on the island with Vandrad and the rest of his family. She assured him that he would be protected, as the guild itself had been sealed by magic so anyone that had any kind of hostile intent would be stopped from even finding the guild. But Mercury herself had installed several other countermeasures to her room, essentially making it a safer vault within an already impenetrable vault.

She referenced her computer interface, stating that it had direct access to her databases outside of personal information or memories. Everything else, especially all of the information she had collected whilst on Earthland, was available to review. As she saw it, that would be the best place to start. He nodded. “Agreed. Let me remove these armored vestiges and change into something more appropriately casual.”

His hand rose up and drew a series of sigils in a line before his hand twisted and gestured, sending the sigils to arrange themselves vertically beside him. Matter began to take form over the sigils, starting small but quickly expanding into clear and obvious fabric. While that was taking place, Blade was detaching portions of his armor, pulling them free of his body and releasing them in the open air. But before they could fall to the ground, they would be caught by some invisible force and began to disintegrate, as if their removal was fueling the creation of the other clothes. Mercury would very quickly realize that he was wearing quite literally nothing under the armor save for a flimsy loin-cloth like covering, which he also removed and dismantled. He showed no emotion or hint of anything over the fact that he was standing before her as naked as the day he was born, his gaze turning to his clothing to see if it had been fully realized.

“Genesis is crafty but also a showman. He enjoys staying just above the radar that his existence can be traced, if the right person is looking for it. I believe he gets a thrill out of the chase,” Blade explained, turning his gaze back to Mercury upon realizing that his clothing wasn’t finished yet and not wanting to stand in silence. “But he also follows a pattern; he establishes himself as a syndicate leader, generally in contention with the law. Our first step will need to be figuring out where he established himself. Upon a cursory glance, I hadn’t seen any drastic increases in crime that would point towards him but…” His voice trailed off as he glanced back at his clothes. Then he began to dress himself, pulling on a pair of baggy, green pants. Brown combat boots were pulled on over that and then an extremely tight green shirt that practically married itself to his muscled form. He tied a sash around the middle and pulled up two suspenders from the sash over his shoulders.

As he finished dressing, he looked back to her. “This may seem an odd question but… does this planet have brothels? I believe that’s the correct word.”

Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"

Job Log #9747

He was fun?

That was not an adjective he’d heard described about himself ever. Of course he knew what it meant but he’d never been, what many would call, a bundle of joy and amusement. His past had left a deep scar on him and he could hardly remember a time when he had smiled, let alone had a period of enjoyment out of any particular thing or event. Even when he’d heard about Maker’s demise, it hadn’t given him any kind of reprieve or fulfillment. Perhaps that’s when he should have known that his brother had still been alive.

Nevertheless, his replied comment about her looks had earned a very amused and bright smile and a compliment that was followed by a wink. All evidence that she was flirting with him; an odd pastime to partake in, given her relationship status. Though she did speak excitedly about Norkin IV and the Nowana, wishing for an opportunity to go there. Only people of a certain set of mind or curious about learning some of the Nowana’s trance-like meditation generally ventured to the… amorous planet. Within his mind he forged a list of observations about the Xocili, now quite curious about her, as much as she was with him. His comment on her looks may have been out of reaction but it was hardly a lie.

They arrived at Silver Wolf and soon settled into her room. Once there and preparing to embark on their studious journey, Blade opted to change out of his more protective gear into something far more comfortable. Given his time spent throughout the galaxy and having not experienced the stigma of dressing down in front of someone of an alternative gender in a long time, he paid no thought to his state before her. And it seemed Mercury didn’t really have an opinion on the matter one way or the other either; she simply went to the bed and got comfortable. Rather than just stand in silence, Blade continued his thought process on their hunt for Genesis. He’d observed a lot in his hunt for the project and knew the pattern fairly well at that point. And with someone as detail oriented as Mercury seemed to be, laying out everything he could for her would certainly help on their search.

As he asked about brothels in the world -- a word he was sure meant the same here as it did elsewhere -- she told him quite plainly that there were numerous. Better yet, she had been to several and even knew one quite well. That was… quite the admission, even going as far as to say that it was a guild controlled and operated by her best friend’s husband and wife. Did she mean to imply that there was some kind of three-way relationship in play there? He could hardly believe that Earthland was so free-thinking, given its current technological state. Mercury put forth the question on whether Genesis had any pattern when it came to brothels; quality, occupants and the like. It would help her to narrow down her parameters and if that didn’t pan out, she could ask Monica, the aforementioned best friend, to help out. Apparently their brothel/guild was also an informational hub. He inhaled slowly as he thought. “He has a penchant for mysterious men and women; ones that can match him in wits and flirtation. He enjoys enigmas, as he considers himself quite the enigma. He did go through a period where he leaned more towards those with red hair but I believe that particular streak is over. Other than that, he has no consideration for the quality of the organization or the people it employs. As I mentioned before, he enjoys physical intimacy on an incalculable level; if I were to make a joke about it, I would say that he is solely aiming to sleep with the most organisms possible.”

Blade had only established what he believed was a predicted number of partners for Genesis and speaking it out loud would have made it even more unbelievable. As he moved over to the computer on her desk, she asked him what the plan was for Genesis. She expanded upon the question, wondering if he was simply hoping to get information or if it involved an attempt at recruitment against Maker. And on that thought, she asked if he had any additional information about Maker that could help her out. She hadn’t gotten a chance to see his face and, as far as she knew, no one else that had been in close contact with him had either. He sighed softly through his nostrils. “The last I saw him, he looked similar to me. The only difference was his hair was pink and he had it done up in a strip along the middle of his head. But I imagine he has changed his appearance since his attempted murder at Hosrius’ hands.”

“As for Genesis…” he sighed softly. “In a perfect world, I would be able to retrieve information from him at his own behest and manage to recruit him to help me. And perhaps that is still on the table but it seems impractical. Hosrius and Grubar both need him to fulfill their contracts. Hosrius I know well enough and he may be willing to delay his bounty collection until Maker is taken care of but Grubar I only know through association. Asking two bounty hunters to hold off is almost too selfish to consider but on the other hand, Maker is a danger beyond anything Genesis has ever amounted to.” He let that sink in for a moment before he continued. “As of right now, I seek only to speak to Genesis and see what he is willing to share. If he offers assistance, then we will ‘cross that bridge when we come to it’ I believe is what the humans say.”

With his piece said, he took a seat next to the computer. “I haven’t said this yet but I appreciate your assistance in this manner, Mercury. If there is anything I can do to repay the debt I surely owe, please let me know.” His tone was softer than it had been before; genuine in his sympathy. His gaze lingered on hers with a kindness that many, if any, got to see from the one called the Blade. After a moment, the softness was swallowed up by the shell of his drive. “It seems we have some work to do. Let’s get to it, shall we?”

Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"

Job Log #9747

A mutually beneficial venture. It was an understanding that Blade could get behind and did so for the next few weeks that they worked together. Though they hadn’t come up with any conclusive proof of Genesis’ existence or his organization, they were making progress. It went by quicker and smoother than it would have been on his own and, in a strange way, it was nice to have the company. Mercury was a brilliant woman, though her charms and flirtations were hard to decipher. By the time they finally took a chance to meet up once more, Blade had a mile-long list of things she had said and done that made him wonder if she was simply being friendly or actually trying to engage him. Even he wasn’t so out of touch that he couldn’t sense there being a slight sexual tension but he couldn’t help but wonder if that was simply a one way street or not. It was something he decided he would address later, if only to get a conclusion one way or the other.

Enough time had passed that Maker’s spies would, most likely, have grown stale. That wasn’t to say that if they knew where they were, they weren’t being watched. But establishing a routine of never leaving the buildings they were in made the overwatch, if it even existed, follow the same procedure. And with each of them outside of the meeting spot possessing a means to get around without actually leaving where they were, it made things a lot simpler. With the meeting set at the home of one Serilda Sinclair, the woman housing Hosrius, it was on Mercury and Blade to use her translocator ray to journey there. With everything as prepared as it was going to be, Blade gave the Xocili woman a firm, approving nod before she used her device to open a portal directly at the home of the Rune Knight Field Marshall and her fiance. They arrived at the front door and Mercury let them in easily and swiftly. A butler of sorts greeted them and led them through the entryway and front hallway to the room where the meeting was set to happen.

It was a rather large, grandiose room -- one that would usually be utilized for more formal means rather than the semi-casual meeting they were going to be part of. It was the kind of room where men and women would gather to enjoy a nightcap after a long, elegant dinner party. Couches and armchairs had been arranged to half-encircle one another, allowing everyone to interact with one another without having to turn too far or lean in too much. The curtains had been drawn completely, blocking out all the natural light but also preventing any wayward eyes that could have attempted to pierce the secret gathering. The only out of fashion area was a playpen area in the corner, where several childish knickknacks had been gathered in the spirit of entertaining younglings. Serilda, Patricia and Hosrius were already there, talking a little among one another. Once Mercury and Blade appeared, Serilda deposited her daughter in the playpen and moved towards them. There was also a canine creature on the ground, staring at them with the calmness of a trained pet.

Serilda greeted Mercury first before the Xocili properly introduced the Field Marshall by her formal title. Blade reached out to greet her hand with his as she welcomed him and spoke a little of what Hosrius had told her. “The pleasure is mine, your Grace,” he said, the words foreign to him. While he had encountered a few monarchs in his time, he’d still needed a little coaching from Mercury on how to produce a proper greeting for someone of royal nature. “Mercury has told me a little about you as well. I admit that I envy your position with the… Rune Knights, I believe they were called. Such an organization is worthy of praise, as is their leader.”

With the formality out of the way, at least for now, Serilda gestured to the seats and introduced Patricia. The doctor stood to her feet, dressed down in comparison to her usual attire. She had on a light gray, buttoned sleeveless shirt and a pair of light blue jeans, tied to her hip with a white belt. Gold hoop earrings hung down from her ears and a large pair of spectacles adorned her face. The most out-of-place part of her outfit were the long black glove-like sleeves that ran from the tips of her fingers to the middle of her biceps. “It is an absolute pleasure, the Blade,” Patricia stated, approaching the alien and offering her hand.

Blade took it in his and shook it. “Please, just Blade is fine. I’ve heard a lot about you, Doctor Reeves. Mercury’s complimented your abilities to decipher, decode and replicate technology far beyond that of this world’s.”

“Then she is being very kind but I feel l’ve only scratched the surface of what lies beyond.” She took a moment to look at him fully. “You know, you look a lot like Vandrad. Noticeable dissimilarities but there is a resemblance.”

“Yes, Mercury told me that during our time together. She even provided a picture. I… did not see it.”

While the two of them spoke to one another, Mercury wandered over to greet Hosrius. “Well he still looks to be intact. I guess you haven’t broken him yet?” the Jirian teased with a sly smirk. “Also I had no idea Patty was such a fan. She had some… very interesting questions about you.”

Patricia could have talked to Blade for a very long time for innumerous things. But once she spotted Mercury heading over, her attention went right to the Xocili, politely telling Blade they would have to take some time to speak later. Then she turned to Mercury. “Thank you, Mercury. If I may be so blunt, you are looking as luscious as always. Serilda and Mythal have been very generous with their company and I feel I owe them both and you and Vandrad a great debt. I’m just…” She took a moment, swallowing down the concern that she thought she had buried awhile ago. Patricia hadn’t seen Mercury since before her kidnapping and she had put duty and obligation on top of her worry. But now seeing the Xocili, the relief was breaking through her barriers. She let out a small, shaky breath and managed a small smile. “I’m happy to see you. I was worried about you and Vandrad and seeing you here and well… well, I didn’t know how much I needed it.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Mythal had appeared in the doorway. Directly beside him was another canine hound, though this one looked far more energetic and less disciplined than Xiuh. His long tongue hung out of his mouth as his tail wagged back and forth a mile a minute. And directly behind Mythal, towering over him, was Grubar. “Express delivery from duWolff island. Looks like Everance dropped him off right in the entryway.”

“What’s happening everyone?” the Scengar asked with a chortle. “I’d say it’s been a long few weeks but they flew right by. Lemme tell ya, them duWolff ladies sure know how to d-” he stopped once his eyes fell upon the baby set up in the corner, with the two twins inside. “...decidedly keep a guest entertained. Sorry, didn’t know the young’ins were here,” he amended his sentence, the slightest shade of blush on his face.

“My stars, I didn’t know he was capable of blushing,” Hosrius spoke up.

“Hey, I got my lines. I’m not gonna be gross and disrespectful in front of kids. They’re the future,” Grubar grumbled.

Ignoring Grubar’s humorous display of humility, Blade approached Mythal. “Your Grace, I am Blade.”

Mythal snorted. “Grace? Nah, that’s just Seri. You can just call me Mythal,” the Rune Knight director disarmed that notion, offering his hand.

“Well, if you take into consideration the hierarchy of the realm Kingdom Darkness…” Patricia began.

“Let’s not overcomplicate things. Mythal is fine.” As he shook Blade’s hand, he looked around. “Seems we got everybody but Scourge. We sure he got the message?”

“I’m sure he did. But as one that spent time with him, I can say that his timing was not the best. He had a knack for arriving late almost every time.”

As if that was a universal cue, the air adjacent to her shimmered for one millisecond before the full body of Scourge appeared. Grubar, Blade, Hosrius and Mythal were all immediately on guard, while Patricia practically leapt away from the sudden appearance. The former Dread Master was coughing, wearing a brown cloak that was practically falling off of him. It also happened to be on fire near the train. Scourge ripped the cloak off and tossed it in front of him before loosing a small spark of magic, vaporizing the flaming outfit. “Well, so much for that,” he muttered before he looked up at everyone on guard and put his hands up. “Terribly sorry about that. The war has made moving about much more complicated. You try and avoid one roadblock and suddenly you’re conspiring to enact a terrorist plot.”

Now without his trenchcoat, Scourge appeared in a tight-fitting black top, cut off at the shoulders. A red sash was tied around his waist and loose, baggy black leggings covered his lower half. Matching black boots covered his feet. As he rolled his shoulders, the earring on his left ear, adorned with a round emerald, glinted in the dim light of the room.

“Damn, those biceps…” Patricia muttered to herself, her voice low enough that really only Mercury would hear her.

“I was hoping to arrive out of doors once I’d found a safe spot to coordinate myself but once I had the Bellian crusaders surrounding me, I had to act as swiftly as possible so I simply locked onto our dear doctor’s magical signature and brought myself here.”

“Bellum was attacking you? Why?”

“I’ll explain in just a moment, my dear Mythal. First, allow me to give proper introductions.” The former Dread Master turned to face Serilda first and graciously bowed his head, tucking one arm behind his back and the other over his stomach. If ever there was a perfect etiquette and form in greeting someone of noble birth, Scourge was as close as one could get. “Your Grace, Princess Serilda Sinclair. Thank you ever so kindly for your generous invitation and hosting this soiree. I am humbled to meet you and your future husband, Lord Mythal Ragnos.” While most people may have sounded corny or even mocking in tone with such words, it would be evident that Scourge was being quite genuine.

“Er… just Mythal. Don’t need any noble titles,” the Darkness Slayer spoke up.

Once he had completed his greeting and introduction to Serilda, he would finally turn to the rest of the room. “A lot of new faces that I have merely heard about but a few familiars. Mercury, darling, you look ravishing as ever. I do hope Vandrad has been treating you well or I’ll have to warn him again that I’m more than willing to step in and pick up the slack,” he greeted the Xocili, an impish grin on his face. “And Doctor Reeves, I’m pleased to see you are well. I trust you’ve been safe?”

Patty cocked her head slightly as she looked up at him, adjusting her gaze away from the man’s arms and body. “I have. I expected you to be surprised that I wasn’t dead.”

“Oh, I’ve been well aware of your survival for quite some time. Besides, I never doubted you would -- you’re a fighter.” The former Dread Master turned to the new faces in the room. “My apologies, gentlemen. My name is Scourge, formerly of the Dread Masters, presently of my own advancement.”

“Hosrius Camnus,” the Jirian offered, giving the man a polite bow of the head.

“Grubar. What’s this about you filling in for Vandrad? Because if there’s a queue for that, I-”

“Blade,” the survivor said, cutting off the Scengar and stepping forward to present his hand to Scourge.

The former Dread Master took it and gave it a firm shake as he looked Blade up and down. “Blade. Simple and to the point,” he said with a grin. “You know, you bear a striking resemblance to Vandrad yourself. No relation?”

“Not unless he is from Teras Prime.”

“No, I believe his people are from Rhaegar, if I recall correctly. Still, what are the odds of that?” Scourge remarked with a chuckle. With that all set, Scourge turned to address the rest of the room. “Anyway, as I was saying before, I was investigating the Bellian hierarchy -- or well, trying. Their immediate exiling of the duWolff family was far too suspicious, even with the evidence supposedly given to them. Though I don’t recall any Dread Master being assigned to infiltrate the Archpriests, I can’t dismiss the notion without proper investigation. But they are quite wary of strangers and my charm only gets me so far.”

“Anyways,” Scourge rounded out his thoughts with a small clap of his hands. “Shall we get to the meeting? I don’t want to bore everyone with details of my own personal ventures. It sounds like we have far more intriguing subjects to address.”

Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"

Job Log #9747

Patricia was not happy that anyone had heard her comment about Scourge but if it had to be anyone, she was glad it was Mercury. The Xocili voiced her own thoughts of agreement. As much as she hated to admit it, and by making said comment she had, there was little denying how attracted Patricia was to Scourge. There were a rare few that she had ever found herself attracted to and had spent many a year experimenting to see if perhaps she just hadn’t found the right person yet. After much physical deliberation, that hadn’t been the case. But none but Mercury, Vandrad and Scourge had ever funneled coal into the fire, as it were.

She fought back the blush that had already attempted to come to the surface when Mercury had paid her compliments only a moment ago. At least Mercury understood and perhaps she was the one woman that Patricia could talk to about the irrational attraction but at some later point. In the meantime, Scourge had greeted Serilda as was asked of her title and she, in turn, approached him and offered a hand. He took it and gave it an equal shake of both polite and firmness. “Well I appreciate the sentiments from them all. I’ll be upfront and say my actions before and perhaps in the future do not always speak of someone worth trusting but I have always done my best to protect Vandrad and the ones around him. Though admittedly, I did more protecting of the Dread Masters when they compiled plans to try and attack you and Mythal. A foolhardy move at the time, as it may have saved us all a lot of trouble but my venture back then was the protection of the planet. But I’m rambling and we are here for far more important issues.”

With the formal greeting out of the way, Scourge proved far more familiar with the rest of the gathered group. Understandably, he made his charming moves on Mercury and she played right along with him, declaring Vandrad as abusive and stating that she may just need him to come and rescue her. “Well you give me a holler and I’ll swoop in with a magic carpet, a glass of champagne and the dance moves that could knock the shoes off a mannequin,” he responded in kind.

The rest of the introductions went by rather quickly and by the time Scourge had explained what his previous issue had been, Serilda was gesturing for everyone to have a seat. And everyone did just that; with Patricia sidling herself next to Mercury, Hosrius making room on the couch for the two of them. Scourge and Blade both sat themselves down on a shorter duvet while Mythal moved over to join Serilda. The only one that didn’t sit was Grubar. “No offense but I don’t think your furniture will hold up all of me and I’d rather not break anything. Everything is so nice in here I’d feel like a real… poophead,” he said, once more editing himself for the sake of the children in the room.

Serilda thanked everyone for coming and assured everyone that anything said within the confines of the room would remain there, as they had taken the necessary means to keep any information from leaking outside. With that settled, she turned her attention and by extension their attention, to the matter at hand; Maker. Mythal and Serilda hadn’t interacted with the man up to that point but they were made aware of him and his machinations so far. She turned to Blade and confirmed that they were related, with Blade giving a solemn nod. She expressed her sympathy that the matter had escalated as much as it had, understanding that it was complicated. “Thank you but Maker stopped being my brother the moment he slaughtered my family and the rest of my people. I don’t think he ever truly was my brother.” A depressing note to be sure but one that was no less true. They had all gathered to bring all of the information together that they had available and see what they could do to formulate some kind of plan. With that established, she left the floor open for anyone to jump in.

“Oh I’m always a fan of starting these kinds of things out,” Scourge said, sitting forward. “Maker crash landed here several years ago in a ship of his own making. Patricia was part of the advance team sent from the Magic Council’s Scientific Team to investigate. At the time, we- I mean the Dread Masters had an arrangement with the Magic Council. We requested the remains before the Magic Council could make their weapons out of it, as the Dread Masters wanted to do the same thing. Fortunately, Doctor Reeves here acted in accordance with her upstanding beliefs and hid the remains of the ship. An act I never got to properly thank you and congratulate you on.”

“Well, it came at the cost of my laboratory, staff and standing with the Magic Council,” Patricia inserted.

“Believe me, darling; had you followed orders proper, we’d be in a far worse situation at the moment. Back to the point, after we’d lost out on the ship’s remains, I was instructed to find the former occupant. And in my hunt, I came across Maker. I knew he was foreign to our world instantly; the green skin and white mohawk were obvious signs but it was the aura about him. I brought him in and he professed the truth, or rather his truth. He was escaping from enemies from space, who wished to use his abilities to ravage their worlds. All he wanted was to promote the growth and further advancement of people the galaxy across. We entered into a devil’s deal, where both sides were intentionally misleading the other. The Dread Masters wanted to use his brilliance and technological abilities to create better weapons against the gods and demons of our world. Meanwhile, Maker clearly wanted to experiment with our world’s magical abilities and see what further knowledge and power he could bestow upon himself.”

“Shortly after that, I’m assuming, is when you approached me as Hasan and employed me?” Patricia spoke up, to which Scourge nodded in agreement. “I was brought on because the Dread Masters had discovered that I had reverse-engineered some of Maker’s technology. I earned a spot on his team and eventually met him as the Engineer. I learned quickly that his methods were less than savory and he viewed human experimentation not only as a must but as an amusing pastime. I won’t go into the finer details of my time there, as I am not proud of many of the things I had to do, but I did my best to act as a mole and to accumulate as much information as possible as evidence.”

“Not quite the perfect mole, I might add. Don’t get me wrong; you had Maker fooled. He was so far up his own ass over his own brilliance that he couldn’t bother to pay attention but I caught on. Which is why I eventually changed your job to meet Vandrad. I hoped by making that connection, you’d find someone you could trust your findings to eventually.”

Patricia looked utterly surprised. “You… knew?” she asked quietly. “And you didn’t just kill me?”

“At the time, I had seen how corrupted the Dread Masters had become. Far more interested in their own benefit than the annihilation of the gods and demons for the sake of the world. Vandrad was already my target for wiping the slate clean and establishing someone with clout. Obviously that didn’t work out, as I was just blinding myself to the fact that the Dread Masters were beyond redeemable. But yes, I knew and I wanted to help you, to serve my own needs, primarily. Apologies.”

“N-No, it’s fine. I’m just… that makes much more sense now, hearing it from you. Thank you, Scourge.”

“No thanks needed. You acted as I hoped you would. Well, except for that whole making out with Vandrad thing. Something tells me that was all you,” Scourge shot the woman a shit-eating grin.

Patricia turned fifty shades of red all at the same time and stammered for a moment. “A-Anyway,” she pushed past as best as she could. “I eventually met Mercury through her kidnapping me and bringing me to meet Vandrad. It was not long after that that Scourge released me from my duties.”

“Maker was building up to something and Patricia was about to become his next experiment. Luckily she had both your Grace and Mythal there to find refuge in before the Dread Masters could hunt her down. Unfortunately that was when Maker made his move on Vandrad; attempting to assassinate him without my knowledge. And shortly after that was when he made his sudden departure from the world to his homeworld. While I was busy trying to find him, I encountered Mercury within one of the Dread Master’s fortresses. Deciding to bet on myself rather than him, I joined the experiment and revealed his real name, if only to mock him. Imagine my surprise when Mercury knew all about him.”

“Yes, I had told her the story of my hunting of Maker and named him then,” Hosrius spoke up. “Everything I’ve heard so far sounds like everything I’ve read in the dossier that Blade provided me. Cunning, masterful with technology and enthusiastic about his own advancement. When I hunted him, he had overtaken an entire world and made himself its ruler. He escaped, barely, sacrificing a hand in the meantime and in an attempt to lead me astray.”

“Over the past few weeks, Mercury and I have used her varied and vast capabilities to locate Maker’s first creation; Genesis. He is a homunculus by Earthland standards; an amalgamation of different extraordinary sources. Genesis was meant to act as the perfect bodyguard but instead rebelled and went into business for himself. He is on Earthland, as it is his contract that brought both Hosrius and Grubar here. Unfortunately, we haven’t narrowed our field yet. It’s my hope that we can glean some knowledge from Genesis about Maker, as there are some gaps in his recent methodology. For instance; Maker used some kind of ritualistic ability to absorb the life energy from my world, effectively giving himself the combined intelligence of my people and the world itself. That kind of knowledge should have made him near omniscient and, for a time, my trail showed as much. But over time, his actions have gotten… sloppier, for lack of a better word. I believe he may have transferred all of the knowledge into another creation. I don’t believe it’s Genesis but I could be wrong. Mercury can explain a bit more about what we’ve been searching for…”

Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"

Job Log #9747

Mercury jumped right in where Blade had left the opening, reiterating what he had gone over with her throughout their time together. Genesis was one that lived his life without constraints, either by laws or master, and he got involved in whatever he felt like. Generally that had led him to crime, as rules and regulations seemed to clash with his lifestyle and it was much easier to gain notoriety and income through illegal means. His pattern, up to that point, had involved embedding himself in crime syndicates, generally becoming their leader in a short amount of time. He also enjoyed sex on a ridiculous scale, often seeking a means to quell his desire through brothels. Mercury summoned a small device to the coffee table between them all and projected the image that Blade had provided her, the very same one that was on his bounty collar.

“My Gods…” Patricia said as she stood to examine the creature. “He is quite unique in appearance, I have to admit. He seems to have distinguishing features that hint at an insectoid nature but he is far more humanoid than I expected. Is it odd that I find myself… attracted to it?” she wondered aloud.

“Nah, in terms of looks, he’s quite the eye-catcher out in the galaxy. We ain’t sure if it’s just that jawline of his or if he releases a kind of pheromone as well,” Grubar explained, recalling the information from his and Hosrius’ dossier.

“I doubt that Maker would have created him with the ability to secrete pheromones… but then again, I can’t claim to know much more than what we already do,” Blade added.

Mercury continued while the rest of the room continued to look at the image of Genesis. She outlined the search parameters that they had started with; focusing on the organized crime in Ishgar that operated in or around brothels. They had made use of their connections to the Lusty Titans, with Monica and several others heading out to plant themselves and see what they could learn from ‘in house’ as it were. The image of Genesis disappeared and instead flickered to a map of Ishgar that had been plotted out with their searches. Mercury stated that, as far as Blade had discerned thus far, there was a trail, as Genesis liked to stay one step ahead of the law but only that far. He seemed to enjoy the thrill of the chase.

“Have we considered the possibility that he may have decided to stop being chased? Maybe he wants to escape the hunt for good. He could have made it off world by now,” Hosrius pondered.

Blade shook his head. “Doubtful. Mercury has devices that alert her to people coming in and out of the atmosphere. If his ship had left any time soon, we would have known about it.”

Serilda turned to Mythal and stated that they should compare it against their own, official notes. “One sec,” he said as he popped up and walked out of the room. A moment later he returned with the lacbook, holding the device in hand and turning it on. As he began to open up files, Serilda continued her line of questioning, asking the type of crime that Genesis generally got involved in. Mercury laid out what Blade had presented to her; all of the crimes that made up the entirety of Genesis’ rap sheet. Serilda asked about Lusty Titans working in the brothels and Mercury confirmed that Monica and other members of the independent guild were actively undercover in several different brothels acting as bait. Either he was well aware that they were hunting him and he was laying low or they hadn’t caught onto the right trail, as he seemed the kind to go right into a trap just to see what kind of fun he could get out of it.

Unfortunately, Blade wasn’t fully aware of the range of abilities that Genesis had, as anyone that he’d interviewed on it hadn’t told him of any. It was doubtful that he was powerless; if he was meant to be Maker’s bodyguard, he’d need to be strong and cunning. The only constant was his ridiculous ability to get into people’s pants time and time again. With that leading nowhere, Serilda turned to Blade and asked him about the timeframe of when Genesis would have arrived on Earthland and how he would have arrived. “It would be well over a cycle now, possibly two. Years, I mean. Hosrius and Grubar would have arrived, at most, three months after he would, if my estimation is correct. As for a method of travel, I would assume a space-faring ship of some kind. But even then, I’m not sure if he’s capable of traveling through space without the need of a vessel or if he can use otherworldly forces to get around.”

While the rest of them had continued to lay down information and run down leads among one another, Scourge had, surprisingly, gone quiet. His face was that of contemplation, his brow furrowed as he thought deeply. He looked as if he was trying to recall something long forgotten, some detail or memory that he hadn’t considered important prior. “Can you bring up his image again?” the former Dread Master asked Mercury.

Once she had, Scourge would stand and look at the image for a long few moments. Then his face widened in realization. “Son of a bitch. I’ve seen him before.”

“What?!” Blade was even more surprised, practically launching himself to his feet.

“And I know exactly where he is.” He turned and looked at Patricia. “O Palácio Flutuante,” he broke into Engua.

“The Floating Palace?” Patricia translated, her brow furrowing in confusion.

“I’m not surprised you don’t remember; you were, after all, viewing me as an enemy and probably didn’t give much care about my exploits as Caecilius Moriarty,” Scourge looked up and addressed the rest of the room. “O Palácio Flutuante is the Floating Palace, as our dear Doctor Reeves just told you. It’s a magically infused series of islands, buildings erected on top into a series of casinos, hotels and, you guessed it, strip clubs and brothels.”

“I ain’t heard of any Floating Palace before…” Mythal spoke up, even as he was typing in the name into the lacpad.

“You wouldn’t have. It’s a highly kept secret, known only to major business financiers and the head honchos of specific crime families. Its location is only revealed when it hosts specific events for guests and it’s protected by both magical technology and magical spells to stay hidden from detection while also moving about the oceans around Embrant. The Dread Masters had arranged a business arrangement with them through me acting as Caecilius. Around two years ago, they suddenly claimed they wanted no more part of me or my business. I asked for a meeting and met with an intermediary. I was informed that O Palácio Flutuante was operating under a new owner and he was looking to make his own connections that didn’t include me. I wasn’t given an audience with said owner but as I was leaving, the intermediary retreated behind a set of closed doors. And through that sliver of the open door, I saw him. At the time, I didn’t think anything of it -- Earthland has plenty of odd looking people. He was also wearing a suit so it took me a moment to dress him down from memory to image.” Scourge looked back up at the image of Genesis. “But that’s him alright.”

“A secret escape. That would explain why we never came across it,” Blade said, looking at Mercury. “If this getaway is as secretive and restricted as you claim it to be, how will we infiltrate it?”

“Well…” Scourge rubbed his chin. “If everything you say about him being a bit of a lush and, pardon my language, a slut, we may have an option. While I may not be invited to do business with the operation, the invitation to partake in special events still remained intact. They would still happily take my jewel, they just wanted no part in sharing it. I hadn’t deigned to go there since then because, frankly, my attention on Vandrad took precedence after that. But if I recall correctly, they hold a special gala for the beginning of fall, as well as one for Halloween. I’m sure I can get in contact and get a specific date for either of them. I’d be allowed one guest…” his look of pensive thought broke into a small smirk. “Better yet, I am sure I can get that master of Lusty Titans invited as well. With four of us there, we increase our chances.”

“Chances of what?” Hosrius asked, leaning forward.

“Catching Genesis’ eye. You say he likes men and women alike; one of us is bound to interest him. Then whoever does can seduce him and while they’re busy, the rest of us can clear out the place of its guards and occupants so that we can confront him without anyone being put in danger.” The former Dread Master chuckled. “It’s been quite some time since I’ve plotted a true caper, I must say I’m a bit excited.” He settled his gaze on Mercury once more. “So Mercury, darling, how would you like to be my date? Give me a chance to show Vandrad how to take a woman out proper?”