A Throne for a Warrior

[Moneytalks]

"From ourselves??" Vixen managed to look suitably affronted. Sith was always making her feel like a child constantly in trouble. Luckily, she was glad he was coming along so she brushed his comment aside with a smile. As for the other two. "What are you... following us now?" She asked them, "this isn't a free-for-all job got it? Sith, Garret, Travesty and I... ALONE... we don't need anymore help... you'll more likely be a liability."

With that she turned on her heel followed by a smiling Sith and a grinning Garret. Travest shrugged his broad shoulders at the two strangers in mute apology before he too followed Vixen.

 

[Moneytalks]

ooc: Cryo... excuse me... but if you take note... Vixen and Garret already left the Tavern, thats how they caught up with Sith...

 

[Cryo]

OOC; ok, so let's assume their just outside the doorways.


IC; They followed behind anyway. At least untill they were outside of the Tavern. "Kelvin will follow you. And believe me, he's more of an asset then a liability. just ignore him if need be and don't try to protect him at your own cost. He can take care of himself."
"And what of you?"
"I will be flying overhead!" Rick Whisled, and Cryo appeared from the side of the tavern. Jumping onto Cryo's back, the chocobo flapped his wings and began rising swiftly into the near dawn air. They quickly dissapeared from sight.
"So I guess your stuck with me. Don't worry though, I'll leave your stuff alone... for the most part."

 

[Nyte]

::nyte frowned seeing bre:: stalker! :;she hissed a bit:

 

[Sith]

"When I say 'keep you safe from yourselves' I mean " started Sith in his school teacher voice, the one that was a signal that a log speech was coming " that as the past has proven time after time, you have the ability to get a standard situation that is deteriorating and make it deteriorate faster, endangering yourselves and anyone around you. We could put as an example..."

Sith can't finish, Vixen stops him "No examples, please, Sith."

"But it is a very enriching example. It is when..." tried to retake the monologue.

"Point understood, Sith, we don't need any examples." said Vixen, who didn't really agree with Sith's point of view, but wanted to avoid being exposed to one of Sith's long monologues, and thought the fastest way would be to make it look as if she agreed.

 

[Moneytalks]

"Please Sith, I understand, really... no explanation necessary." Vixen's voice was most decidedly confident and finally Sith sighed, realising that he wouldn't be falling into monologue on this occassion. Vixen visible sighed in relief as she did as she was told. She ignored the little tag-alonger.

"Garret, basically I need to get Travesty, Sith and myself inside the castle stronghold. Once inside I'm hoping Sith will attempt his shadow magic to get Travesty and myself inside the particular room we need. Once inside I'll do my thing, if Trav is especially lucky we'll get to see the said person himself totally humilated, otherwise... Trav intends to arrive at the castle tomorrow as an expected guest, in which case at the very least he'll see the after-math of our little escapade."

Travesty nodded contentedly at Vixen's brief explanation.

"So," Vixen continued, "from what I have been able to gather, entering the outer courtyard shouldn't be a problem, lot's of comings and goings to blend into. Garret and I should have no problem dealing with the few overzealous guards. We enter..." She started to draw a map in the dirt at their feet with a zap of electrical charge from her finger... "here," she continued, "this is the main foyer... left to the hallway which breaches into three seperate doorways... we go right... then up toward the third level... once there we should be able to find the said room... I have word that he is a rather high ranking official, thus his door should be specifically adorned." Everybody nodded their understanding... "okay, two guards minimum here and here... possibly a few around here... there are patrols, but... " she estimated the time... "for the next hour the royal exlaimer is taking villagers comments, warnings and gossip... so the guard patterns tend to be a little lax as they keep the riffraff in line. Okay?" They nodded again.

"Good!" They walked briskly towards the castle. Reaching the gates Vixen put on her most flattering smile. She beamed at the guard. "Oh... lovely day Sir... ain't it?" She giggled, "oh... busy too... do ya think a mere girl like m'self will be able to get the ear of the exlaimer?" Garret guided Sith and Travesty into the courtyard without much notice from the guard who was happily flirting with Vixen. Vixen pumped him for information before she smiled and left the guard with a sweet kiss on his cheek in thanks.

"Honestly, those guys will speak to anyone, the man in charge should rotate them more often... they're clearly too bored... Guards change over in about 15 minutes... we better move to take advantage." Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

 

[Cryo]

"Hey, guards may be guards, but anyone can get lucky now and then. How about a little diversion to...distract the guards?"
"What do you have in mind" asked vixen, not expecting much.
"Well, two things. I can put an illusion over you to make you look like guards, thus weather coming in from the side or the front door, noone would bother questioning you. Or, I have a little sleep powder I can use. It's non magical, it's odorless, and totally effective. Just a little gust of wind and the entire castle is out for a hour"

 

[Sith]

"I would prefer the sleeping powder... illusions have a tendency to disapear at the most critical moment. Sleeping powder plus charm magics if needed should do the trick. Or maybe illusions plus sleeping powder, and maybe charm magics. Or maybe illusions plus charm magics and maybe sleeping powder." pondered Sith.
"Well, what will it be?"

 

[Cryo]

"Everyone sleeps on guard duty once in a while. But when it happens during the day, people get suspicious. Better decide soon"

 

[poohlive]

Garret looked over at Vixen, "Personally, magic or powder migt get us a distraction, but eventually people will know something is up. We will be inside, and the place is going to be swarming with guards. They may be bored, but there are more of them then us, and personally I don't want to kill innocent people just for a prank."
After he said his peace Garret whisped to Vixen, "You are running this show, and I will stand by whatever you have to say, but personally I think we can do it your way."
Vixen looked at Garret, then slowly in turn t everyone else, as if contemplating what should be done next.
Garret hoped she made the right choice, he didn't want to die, or worse spill innocent blood.
"Ok," she began...

 

[Cryo]

High above the world, Hidden in the clowds, flew Rick and Cryo. Since takeoff, he replaced his helmet with one standared issue M-3 tactical helmit, obtained from his time serving Sicon, and modified to display more then just statistics, distances, aims, temperatures and other such things. He was looking through the eyes of his partner. Well, there were camera's installed into the material of his visor which allowed Rick to see. He listened to Vixen's plan, seing if they might need a little timely intervention. Sounded like a no from what he heard, but you never know what cards you will be dealt.

 

[Moneytalks]

"Ok... we do it my way... I've had longer to look into the castles layout than anybody. Putting the whole castle to sleep is NOT an option... however... having that powder as a stand-by isn't a bad idea. Look this isn't going to take all day... we're going in and we need to be out in an hour tops... that's why I didn't want any extra people..." she looked specifically at the stranger.

Taking a breath, "we split up but we head for the same place okay? Garret and Sith... me and Travesty... you... can do what you like but if you get in my way I won't hesitate at killing you... and don't bother giving me any of your smart-ass remarks... I WILL kill you... understood? FINE... let's move... Sith, Garret... you move out first... if you're not there when Travesty and I arrive I'll know I have to go to plan B... otherwise... " she grins..."I'll see ya there!"

"C'mon Trav... as for you," she said to the short man, "you might as well come with us"

 

[Cryo]

Kelvin tossed the powder (bag and all) towered Vixen, so she can decide when to use it. He knew that even if she killed him, Dimo (here known as Rick) would be right there with a pheonix down. However, sometimes it does not due to be playfull. He'll fall back, and wait for their either completion or ple for help. At least, thaty was what he told them.
as soon as everyone was out of sight, Rick landed and cast an invisibility spell on Kelvin. THis spell was under controll of Rick, (who has great control) so even if Kelvin attacks or casts spells, the spell won't lift.

 

[poohlive]

Garret followed Sith to the entrance, two guards standing outside. Sith motioned for them to stop.
"Well, what now, they are guarding the entrance pretty well."
Garret wished Vixen were here, she could charm them to death with only battering her eyes, yet work with what ou got, thats what his father told him.
"I got it covered."
He took out a bright and shiny blue diamond, fake of course, but still looked like the real thing. Garret flung it into the road, it caught both of the guards attention. They rushed over to get it.
Garret smiled, "now's our chance."
They made their way into the garden, and then to a side door. That's it, they were in. Garret looked over at Sith.
"Well, this is your department, I got us this far."
Sith looked one way, then another.
"All right," he began...

 

[Drago_Bloodtooth]

And they were out amoung the woods now, outside the castle walls where the passage had let them out behind a large fixture of rocks.

"Full of surprises as always, eh Draggie?"

He smirked to her, he knew he had to have ways to get out, heavens he could not stand the entourage. They'd never let him out to have any freedom... royalty did have that price. "Well, sometimes we all need our ways, you know?"

"Heh, you and your sneaking out... you act like some poor teenager who has to climb out the window because their parents won't let them out." She grinned to him.

"Oh heavens... you know, you try being a royal and see how easily you get to have a vacation." He smirked and shook his head before moving down along the path through the forest. "Now come on, I want to find this thing before it hurts someone."

 

[Nyte]

:smirks:: royalty no.....oldest daughter of a wealthy family yes..god i had no freedom...was expected to marry wealthy and be the perfect wife...

::drago raised a brow, a part of nyte's past that he didnt know. she paused:: So what brought you here?

::nyte smirked and grin:: i eloped with my low class peasant traveling artist sire ::she tapped her shadow blade for emphasis:: so firebreath, what exactally are we hunting?

 

[Cryo]

High overhead, Rick watched. He was wairing a helmet not known in this world, the technology far beyond even his homeworld. The visor was down, allowing him to soom in and get a closer view of what was going on. He could see Garret and sith, waiting by the gate, He could see Vixen coming from the side, he could see his partner, a white silohette, walking among the battelments, assesing the situation. He could see a number of chromatic glows, indicating magical items, barriers, and people, though none of them were in the way to impede Vixen's plan.
Rick smiled. This was going to be fun to watch.

 

[Sith]

"OK, Garret. We'll do it the old fashioned way. We'll be there when Vixen arrives, in fact, our problem will be waiting there without being spotted!"
Thus said, he started gesturing and intonating, and they both became mere shadows. Then they shadow walked to their destination, where Sith cast shadows around them to stop prying eyes.
"Well, you are probably a better guard than I, Garret, so if any guards spot us..."

 

[Moneytalks]

Vixen and Valdor nocholantly walked through the castle and up the stairs. Thanks to careful ducking they managed to reach the desired room's doorway without arousing suspicion. Vixen looked around. If Sith was using his skills to hide himself and Garret, one had to know what to look for to even hope seeing them. A wavering in the air indicating something. "Sith? Garret?" Vixen whispered. Suddenly Sith's head materialised. Vixen groaned, "don't do that it's too creepy!"
Sith grinned and removed the shadow magick from himself and Garret. "Better?" He asked.
Vixen ignored that remark and pointed to the door. "We need to get in there... think you can manage it Sith?"
Sith frowned, "well, unless their is more than the usual magick protection it should be simple enough..."
"You two stay outside and warn us if anyone approaches okay?" Vixen told Garret and Sith just as Sith muttered the words and teleported her and Travesty the couple of feet required to get them into the room.

They reappeared inside the room. It was elegantly furnished. Clearly it belonged to someone high ranking. Travesty grinned evily as Vixen handed him the candles she had purchased from the old lady. "You really think this will work?"
"Trust me!" Vixen laughed, "when have I ever let you down? Besides... no one would ever suspect this... go on..." she bowed with a flourish indicating the bed... "M'Lord... do your worst"

 

[Sith]

Sith decided it was better to prevent so he cast again his enveloping shadows and stood watching with Garret.

He felt about strange about leting Vixen and Travesty alone, because they always managed to get into trouble.

 

[Cryo]

"Everything going smoothly?" A voice came out of less than the shadows Sith and Garret were hiding in. They chose to remain silent, as they know that noone could spot them. "Relax, it's me. Kelvin. I told you I have a few techniques up my sleve"
"Kelvin, where are you! I detect no magic around here"
"Oh, my magic is too unique to be detected by your methods. Besides, the invisibility is sustained by my companion, about 5,000 feet high in the air." If they were outside looking up, they might have been able to see a faint little black dot, which was Rick riding the black chocobo.
"Has anyone seen you yet?"
"Well, one person almost did in the mess hall when I tripped him, but he thinks he hit a table leg instead. Oops, SHHhhh, here somes someone."
The usual guard made their round, walking past the doorway. He didn't seem very interested in his job. There was no sound coming from the door, the shadows, or that strange ghost that breathed down his neck. So he moved on. Kelvin later giggled. "About half of the castle thinks there's a ghost about, and that it's going for the treasury, so we're allright for a good 3 hours or so."

 

[Moneytalks]

Travest thought carefully before placing one candle in the middle of the bed. Vixen raised a brow at the obviousness. He shrugged, he was a guy it was a natural assumption. She sighed and shrugged her shoulder as she gave him the simple spell that would activate the candle. Nothing outwardly seemed to happen. He placed other candles in the drawers and another where the man kept his shaving equipment still another in a fine pair of boots that were obviously for a special occassion until he had no candles left.

"Done?"
"Yes M'Lody Vixen it would seem so."
"Finally!" She rolled her eyes at him. She walked around the room with one hand raised outwards. She whispered softly and a soft glow appeared where around each of the candles... she seemed to be almost singing a song as the chant went onwards. Finally she finished up in the centre of the room and snapped her fingers. The candles disappeared and reappeared neatly stacked in her hands. "The spell has been cast M'Lord... " She smiled wickedly.

They found the normal stash of candles and replaced it with their newly enchanted ones. "With each lighting of the candles he will experience the humilation of which you thought when the candles where placed understood?"
Travesty nodded. Vixen shook her head, "I don't want to know what you were thinking when you put that one in his boots... Travesty just grinned nocholantly.

They made their way to the door. "I hope those boys have been keeping watch," Vixen whispered. She pulled out a skeleton key and easily picked the lock. She swirled her hand around the keyhole and blew it a kiss. A small glow apeared to emanate from the lock itself then it faded. She tested the door. It opened easily. Vixen poked her head out and could see nobody... but she knew they were there. "Okay... we're outta here!" She whispered as she and Travesty entered the hallway.

Before Sith could shadow hide them one of the guards returned. "What are you two doing up here, this area is not for the public!"
Vixen walked up to him with a decided wiggle which ultimately caught the guards eye though he kept trying to keep his attention on Travesty as well.
"Oh my goodness, are you really a palace guard?" She cooed at him. She pressed herself blatantly up against him. "Oh Joshua... he's a real palace guard darling, I can't believe it, isn't the uniform just handsome?"
Travesty bit back his laughter at her overacting. He nodded in agreement.
"Oh sweetie you simply must have a meal with us, Jessica will just die when she see's me with a hunk of man like you!"
She now had the guards full attention as they started off down the stairs towards the courtyard again. He blushed as she continued to flatter him outrageously, Travesty and the rest following behind. Just before they reached the others Vixen stood up on tip-toes to kiss him on the cheek, at the last minute however she twisted his head so that their lips locked. The guard wasn't complaining but after the initial contact his eyes fluttered closed and he fell at a heap at her feet... snoring.

"Hmmm... " she tapped her chin thoughtfully, "that power stuff sure is powerful. She grabbed a hankerchief from the guards pocket and wiped her mouth before dropping it to cover the sleeping man's face.

They entered the palace courtyard just as the exclaimer started to wrap things up. The guards mistaking them for just so many hangerson that needed to be dispersed.

Vixen giggled, "that was more fun than I'd thought it would be..." She heard Sith sighing somewhere behind her with exasperation. "Well it WAS..." she insisted to the invisible man...

 

[Cryo]

"Well, I had my fun. Oh, if you ask half of the guards about a ghost, they'll pee their pants. Just thought you should know. It's amazing what you can do with a perminant invisibility spell." Vixen laughed, and decided to test that out. She went up to another guard and with a worried look in her face asked him about a ghost. THe guard's eyes widened, his knee's shook, a wet spot appeared through the chainmale, and he shuddered. To emphasize things, someone blew into his ear, making him shriek and run away.
"Do you really have to do that?" asked sith from the shadows.
"What's the harm in scaring a few guards. Besides, if they think there's a ghost about, they won't worry about our little prank!" Vixen said lightly.
"Well, my buddy is getting tired. I think we should hide before I suddenly reappere and REALLY scare the pants off of the guards"

 

[Moneytalks]

Vixen grinned at Sith and the five of them managed to leave the Castle without any further problems. "Boy!" Vixen chortled as she recalled the look on the guard's face... "that was priceless, I won't forget that in a hurry... I need a drink!"

"And the drinks are on Trav aren't they darlin'!" Travesty rolled his eyes heavenward, but didn't disagree with Vixen as they walked into the Tavern again. Vixen noted that Nyte and Bree were still absent as was the hooded figure they had been talking too. She was curious about why they were here she wondered if they would bump into each other again.

She hugged Garret's arm playfully as they ordered their drinks. "Thank you again for the gift Garret, and it was such fun working with you again... I have taught you well" She beamed boastfully. She winked at him as the bartender pushed forward her drink. She took a sip and made a face at the bitterness of the brew. She sighed, "sometimes I long for fine wines and good food again, it's a pity they rarely go hand in hand with our profession" She grinned. "What HAVE you been up to old man all this time, I'd half thought you were dead, hadn't heard a peep from you since... hmmm... when was the last time we got together?"

Sith interupted, "I think I can help you there... as I recall..." he started off his usual speil starting way before the time they were talking about but Vixen indulged him by listening to his take on some of the adventures they had been on together, admittedly they made her look a lot more reckless than she personally she believed she was but that was artists and scholars for you. She smiled at a particular retelling of a certain incident that had Garret blushing to the roots of his hair.

 

[Cryo]

Rick landed and got off the chocobo. Feeding him some greens, Cryo walked over to a shaded section and rested again. Rick sent his helmet into the dimentional void, calling a plane one to resume appearances. He then walked into the tavern, and at just the right moment to emphacise sith's story. "Relax, I'm not a horned demon." He said, and joined his little friend at a table.

"so what are our two mysterious friends up to?" asked kelvin quietly.
"They havn't said mugh recetly. otherwise I would have heard it."
"You were 5,000 feet in the air, maby more!"
"you forget! the russian governmet developed these to reach distances of 10 miles or so."
"oh, I thought you used the american ones. Never mind."

"What was that about rushans and roasted hams?" Vixen was listening to sith's story, but she was able to pick up on a few forign words from the two.
"Oh, just recalling past adventures. No need to bother with us." rick said, satiating Vixen.