[Horizon's Key] Job 01: Shakedown (Chapter 2)

At first, the Kohanian didn't seem to have heard the cargo specialist, then with a sly grin, he stood from the chair he had been sitting in and walked to the door, unbarring it, and then opening it wide to reveal a night on the other side, that seemed to eat any light that managed to escape the open door. When he turned back to his 'guests', there was an odd glint of understanding in his eyes, one that had not been there a moment ago.

"Then by all means, I wish you the best of luck. I'm sure with your weapons getting used, you will fare better than the other off worlders who come here thinking to make an easy profit off us. That we're just back woods yokels who will be fascinated by your guns and armor. Maybe you will be different and won't have your remains sent home to your family in a little tube." Blood Sky said as he motioned that Eliot could leave if he liked.

Leaving the door open, the elder cougar moved back to his chair.

"After all, it's not like the legends we make up are real or anything. We're just mystical crazies who believe in gods and demons because we don't understand the world around us. I would happily remind you that we were created for this world, while you all know nothing about it. But by all means if you want to hide behind your weapons because you think they are superior or give you some sort of advantage against things here, there's the door. Don't let it hit ya where your momma split ya."

And then, the glint was gone, and Blood Sky just stared at the door.

"Now who was careless enough to leave the door open on a blood moon night? Don't you all know that it's on nights like this that the Dark Lady patrols the forests with her creations to pick off unwary travellers?"

He reached for Gem's arm, pointing to the door with the stem of his pipe.

"Would you be kind enough to get that, Miss. Just put the log that's next to the door across it lengthwise to keep out the Mokoi."

Then it was a relighting of his pipe, and his eyes stared wistfully into the fire.

"..." Eliot stared, dumbfounded, at the open door for a few seconds before focusing his gaze on Blood Sky again. "I didn't mean to be disrespectful; I just get... Nervous when I'm not allowed to defend myself the way I was taught."

Something their host said to them when they first landed suddenly returned to Gem's memory. She nodded to Blood Sky and got up to close and bar the door, after making sure Nicholai and Kassiopea were comfortably inside (as much as was possible with Kassi's bulky suit). She glanced at Eliot as she walked to the door with a meaningful look...Tha's enough for now...and then returned to the table when she was done. "Ah think we're 'bout ready for some sleep. Thanks f'th' dinner, Huntsmaster," she said politely. "We better get rested for t'morrow."

The cougar watched all this, and then nodded his head as he used a stick from the fire to light his pipe. Once the room again started to fill with the lightly sweet smell of the burning tobacco, or whatever he happened to be smoking, Blood Sky rose from his seat.

"Well, you're more than welcome to stay up in the loft if you like. It's plenty warm, and should be rather comfortable. We have cots laid out with blankets and pillows for you, or you could take one of the hammocks if you're feeling that more your style..."

He grinned, bowed his head, and then sat back down to stare into the flames, ears twitching at the sounds of motion all around him.

Eliot remained at the table, collecting everyone's earthenware bowls before moving them off to where-ever Blood Sky washed or stored his wares before settling down in front of the fireplace with a book and becoming completely oblivious to his surroundings. His brow creased as he looked over the well-worn pages as if scanning for some bit of information. Eventually, he found what he was looking for.

A well-worn page, dog-eared with age and scoured so that the ink had begun to wear away, greeted the patient observer's eye. A small segment of the text appeared to be the center of Eliot's attention:

The book said:

... And when there were none left gathered agound the table, I looked upon the departing crowd with sadness in my eyes. It was the herald of my failure, and the vanguard of the Downfall of Man.

Click to expand...

Within two hours, Eliot was asleep, sprawled out in the chair in front of the fire with the book in his lap.

Thanking their host, Gem took her pack and went up to the loft, looking around a little from the top of the ladder before setting her stuff down next to a cot. The cougar who had surprised them with an appearance earlier was still there, and she looked at him a few moments before settling down to sleep. There would be much need for rest now...

---

As soon as the sun rose, an adult male grey fox arrived at Blood Sky's door with a young mountain lion accompanying him. Behind them a rather large granite construct of a vaguely humanoid form towed a wagon behind it, each movement making a whispering hiss as the polished stone of its joints slid over each other. The granite had many lines etched into its surface, and occasionally a pinpoint of light streaked through the shallow crevices. When the Kohanians stopped in front of Blood Sky's house, the younger of the duo placed a paw on the 'head' of the construct. It stiffened as a cluster of lights shot away from where the mountain lion's paw touched, lasting only a moment before they quickly faded.

"Is this the place?" asked the mountain lion, returning to the fox's side.

The vulpine nodded. "Blood Sky's house is a common landing zone. If they aren't here, then he can likely point us in their direction. But I was told they would be staying the night." He stepped up to the door and gave three raps on the frame.

---

The sound woke Gem from her light sleep. She slipped out from under the covers on her cot and leaned out over the edge of the loft, holding onto an overhead crossbeam as she waited to see who was there. She would let Blood Sky answer the door.

Eliot stirred from his chair as soon as the mysterious fox he couldn't see knocked at the door.

"The hell? I should still be asleep..." Regardless, Eliot stood up from his seat and set the book carefully down where he had been before, retrieving a large stone pestle from the table and holding it like a club. He crossed to the far side of the room and concealed himself, hoping that the person at the door couldn't see him in his hiding place.

It was not Blood Sky who moved towards getting the door. In fact, there seemed to be no sign of the owner of the house. Instead, the cougar from the night before walked out of the kitchen area and to the door, opening it wide and inviting the two visitors inside.

Once both of the new arrivals had entered, the cougar moved back into the kitchen and began to speak with them in Kohanian as he prepared a light breakfast and some travelling food for the Key's crew, not paying any mind to Gem or Eliot's movements, though he did notice them.

Eliot sighed in relief. So the cougar trusted these guys... It's not much to go on, but they haven't tried to kill us yet so I guess I can come out.

Stepping nervously away from the corner of the cabin and lowering the pestle to his side, Eliot cautiously strode into the kitchen area and replaced the granite pestle on the table. "'Pologies," he muttered as he crossed to the table and waited for the cougar to finish the breakfast, steepling his fingers beneath his chin and dozing to pass the time as the warmth of the fire spread across him.

"<Are they still sleeping?>" asked the fox, entering the house after thanking the cougar for his hospitality.

The younger cougar who had accompanied him shook his head before the host could answer. "<One is awake upstairs and...>" He glanced at Eliot as the Nepleslian approached. "<...that one obviously isn't. There are two others who are, though. They all smell like they live around machines, but...one in particular...>" His voice trailed off while he looked around the ground-floor room again. Then he glanced up at the loft, meeting Gem's eyes briefly.

---

A slender, long green wire snaked down from under the sleeve of his traveling tunic and dropped to the ground, twisting itself into a simian-style shape before the wire let go of him and began moving about the room. The wire construct had four limbs but no fingers, and a 'tail' that was longer than any of the other limbs. Where a head would be, there was only an organized tangle of wires forming a socket that held a dimly-glowing stone at its center. The 'eye' looked around a little, then scurried up the table leg and leaped from the tabletop to the edge of the loft, quickly climbing to the peak of the ceiling over Gem's head. It clasped a fixture in its tail and lowered itself until it was stone-to-eye with the ship commander.

Gem was unnerved, and a little confused. She thought this was a pre-technological society, how did they have robot drones? Then she noticed that there were no real robotics in the little construct and frowned. She stared at its stone 'eye' until it drew itself back up and let go of its perch, dropping back down to land on the young cougar's shoulder. The Kohanian patted the construct on the 'head' while listening to his elders converse.

((OOC Note: In case any of our readers haven't seen that notation before, dialogue in < > is spoken in a language unknown to the crew; in this case, Kohanian.))

<As you can see, your companion's assessment is very true. And now that you are here, I am free to attend to the matters which brought me to this gentleman's house.> The cougar hunter remarked, brushing past the fox and his young companion.

Just as he was about to leave however, another figure, this one wrapped in a loose moss green robe, with a drape around his neck obscuring his muzzle, moved past them, towards the house. Without a word, he handed the younger cougar a message meant for the fox, but as was custom of an apprentice, or traveling companion, the cougar was to read it, and relay the information to his master. On the parchment was written,

To Whom This May Concern.

I have sent to you one who will aid in the final portion of your mission, when you come to face the ultimate evil that has been holding up the supplies meant for the City in the Stars. I guarantee that he will carry his weight appropriately, and will not complain should you ask him to accomplish tasks that civilized society would find deplorable.

You will find that he has great skills with finding and setting gemstones, as well as being quite adept in the Shadow Arts. He will answer to the name Eclipse, and is an adept fighter in both hand to hand combat, as well as in the use of the concealed Reaver's Claws he has hidden on his person.

One final note: I would strongly recommend against trying to get into conversations about where he comes from, or what it is that he is ultimately seeking. Just keep all conversations short and to the point, and you will have nothing to worry about my gift to you...

Signed, M MW.

Once the missive was in the hands of the shorter feline, for it was obvious from the upper portion of the cloaked figure's head, that he too belonged to the feline families, Eclipse moved to stand just outside the door, looking up and down the road while leaning on one of the wooden posts that formed a sort of gate at the road's edge.

Gem watched the newcomer hand the letter to the smaller of the first visitors. The recipient read it and rolled it up, not speaking to the taller one yet. S'pose I should find ou' wha's goin' on, thought Gem and she made her way down to the ground floor, noting that Blood Sky wasn't there anymore. She walked up to the fox and did her best to smile at him but her eyes showed her caution.

"H'llo, name's Keira Tabier, p'ple call me Gem," she said, sticking her hand out to him.

The fox looked at her with an amused smile for a moment before nodding graciously and extending his own handpaw. "I am Sliver Lightspear, son of Stoneriver. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Tabier," he said in perfect Trade, without a sign of an accent. Then he grasped her arm just above the wrist, leaving her hand in a position to do the same.

The commander of the Key started to pull her hand back at the unexpected variation of the traditional handshake, but when he shook her hand she relaxed and took his wrist, returning the greeting.

Sliver looked pleased as he released his hold and swept that hand toward his traveling companion. "This is my apprentice, Winter Swifteyes." The young cougar nodded to Gem but didn't offer a handshake. She gave him a tentative smile, but he remained expressionless. Sliver glanced at Winter, then smiled at Gem. "Am I right in assuming you are the leader of the F-" He briefly closed his eyes, biting off the term and chose another one before continuing. "-er, the leader of the group we are to bring to the Great City?" he finished, eyebrows lifting at the end of the inquiry.

"D'nno. We were told to check out the town north o' 'ere, nah much d'rection oth'r'n that." Gem shrugged, glancing over at the cougar who was acting as their surrogate host in Blood Sky's absence before motioning for Sliver to have a seat at the table. She took a chair at one side, and Eliot was occupying the chair on another side, leaving two or more open spots. "First've all, I need tah know. How much d'ya know about our mission?"

The grey fox took a seat as Gem did, nodding at her question. "I have been fully informed of your goal, and my purpose is to make your investigation go as smoothly as I can. However, I am not a native of this particular area, but Winter was raised here and knows more than I do of the paths we will be taking." He glanced up at the cloaked feline waiting near the door, then noticed that Winter had been looking at him rather intently for a while now. "Excuse me, Miss Tabier," he said, rising and walking over to Winter.

---

"<What is it?>"

Winter nodded toward the cloaked figure. "<He bears a message for you, from...>" The young one's voice caught and he swallowed. His face remained impassive, but Sliver noticed his companion's tail twitching nervously. "<He was sent as a protector, Master. The message bears no name, but says that we are going to need his services...Sir, if I may ask, what is this mission? I thought this was a guide's work, not a job for a bodyguard...>"

The edge of Sliver's mouth turned down in a faint frown as he looked at the mysterious cloaked cat -- he could catch whiffs of the feline's scent, but not enough to determine age or species -- but he recovered his smile as he looked down at Winter. "I'll find out. Don't worry." He patted his apprentice's shoulder and returned to the table, but didn't sit.

"I believe we may have to eat on the road, Miss Tabier," he said, his full gracious smile returning. "If you would gather your supplies and compatriots, we should leave as soon as we are able. I will speak with you more once underway."

---

Gem went back up to the loft to wake her pilot and security chief (it was a pleasant surprise the previous night to find the loft could hold the Voidwalker suit's rather considerable weight).

"Nicholai, Kassi! Get up, w're leav'n' in five!" she shouted.

Nicholai groaned and rolled over, perilously close to the edge. The ceiling of the lodge popped into his view as his eyes opened. Where am - Right... Nicholai thought to himself before starting to sit up. Instinctively Nicholai's arms spread out to help prop himself up, unfortunately for him there was nothing for his right arm to prop up on. After a brief bit of surprise Nicholai finally managed to balance himself and make his way down from the lofted area. "G'mornin'" Nicholai almost grunted already beginning his search for coffee. His eyes lazily drifted over the tables before catching on Silver then sliding back to gem. "Where's the old man?" Nicholai asked.

Keira watched Nicholai try to stay on the narrow cot (especially so given his size) and then followed him down to the main room.

"D'nnow. Ah woke when these three sh'wed up. Nicholai, this 'ere is Sliver Lightspear. Mister Lightspear, this's...Nicholai Vanderson."

When Gem introduced him to Nicholai, Sliver offered his hand to the security officer as he had to the commander. "Pleasure to meet you, Nicholai!" the vulpine said with a wide smile. "I look forward to aiding your journey."

Nodding, Gem continued. "Nicholai, Sliver an' Winter o'r there're gonna be our guides." Gem glanced up at the loft. "Kassi!" she hollered up, then frowned. "She a'right? She was a li'l quiet las' night...n'er mind, we gotta get e'ry thing t'gether. You an' Eliot double-check your packs, Ah'll check mine after seein' to Miss Spacey up there."

---

Winter waited patiently near the doorway, nodding toward Nicholai when he noticed the human female motion toward him in a way he presumed meant an introduction. The man was one of the largest of the Furless kind that Winter had seen in his life, but the giant seemed friendly enough. Not as much cause for concern as a certain other current occupant of the room...

While he wasn't out of hearing range, his grasp of the Furless One's speech wasn't very good. So while Sliver and the Furless group's leader spoke, Winter watched them and made intermittent glances at the cloaked feline. It unnerved him that he couldn't make much out of the stranger's scent, as if it was masked somehow. Finally Winter couldn't take it. He left the room and went to see to the stone construct and the wagon outside.

"I gotcha, skipper." Eliot moved to the corner of the doorway he had placed his pack in the night before and pulled it out, settling it on the chair he had been sitting in previously.

He checked over the armor and greaves Mud had given him back on the station- 'I'll really have to get back to her with a gift sometime,' he thought to himself- before moving on to his pistol. He checked the lovingly-cared-for Liberator pistol over several times, examining the action, ejecting and the magazine, loading a few bullets into it, loading a dud clip, taking a few test shots, reloading the live magazine and putting it back into the pack. Then he checked down in the bottom of his pack where he kept his knife and Ulti-Tool, along with a few wax paper-wrapped packages; doubtless his rations for the trip.

Carefully placing everything back into the pack, Eliot looked the rucksack over one more time before shouldering it and moving off towards Nicholai.

"So," the cargo man said, "Scale of one to ten, Nicholai. What are our chances of getting through unscathed?"

The masked figure noticed the motion within the house, and smiled beneath his cloth shroud. The male pushed off the gatepost he had been leaning on as Winter came out. He nodded another greeting to the apprentice before heading up to the house to speak with Silver. The black feline, a panther if one took the time to really notice, leaned in close to the fox's ear and spoke in a hushed almost growl.

"I was sent by Mistress Mistwalker to make sure these off worlders make it to the Holy City. When they do, I am no longer in your service. I have my own task and will not let you hinder that. We move now."

Then he turned and with a flutter of his many folded cloak, went right back out the door and passed Winter. "We leave now." He spoke through the shroud, and started to head down the road towards the heavy forest.

Eliot looked towards the tall, mysterious Kohanian with growing disdain. 'Okay,' Eliot thought to himself, 'I can understand accepting advice from these people for survival, I can understand accepting a contract from them, but when they take command of the mission my boss is leading, that is where I draw the line.

He turned towards the retreating form of the shrouded Kohanian, held on to his pack and stood without moving a muscle. "I'm not leaving, not without the skipper."

"Could be pretty good actually." Nicholai responded to Elliot. "As long as we're smart, don't make anybody mad, and stay inside at night we might not have a problem." When the taller Kohanian said we go now Nicholai walked up to Winter. "Kinda grumpy isn't he?" Nicholai asked before glancing back to make sure that Gem, Elliot, and Kassi were following behind.

Winter's inspection of his construct showed nothing wrong, all of his inscriptions and lines were in place and functioning. He brushed a bug out of one of the guidance lines, it was disrupting the lateral flows.

As he worked, he noticed the wagon move. Not even a full movement, more of a tremor. He stepped away from the stone construct and slowly circled around to the gate at the back of the wagon, keeping his ears focused on it while trying to appear to have his attention elsewhere. Then he heard a faint whimper coming from the wagon near the front.

"Ow~~!"

Stifling a sigh, Winter undid the latch and pulled up the cloth tarpaulin, shifting some supplies to make room for the Furless group's packs and items. He moved a canister and noticed a patch of black fur quickly retreat from being suddenly exposed.

His suspicion confirmed, he left the wagon and again passed the panther as Winter headed toward the house and the masked feline left it. Sliver was in the door, calling something out after the cloaked figure, but seemed to be ignored.

---

Sliver frowned, turning his head to look at the masked feline. "<And what interest does one such as she have in these off-worlders?>" he asked, turning to the native tongue so as not to alarm his guests (as he now thought of this group, seeing as they were new to this world and he was now their host).

"<They are nearly for their departure, it would be contradictory to your aims if they were to leave unprepared.>" His voice rose as he finished the sentence, following the panther outside. "It will only be a pair of minutes more, I am sure," he added, switching to standard Trade and stopping at the doorway to glance at Gem for confirmation.

---

Gem was halfway up the stairs by the time the panther approached Sliver and proceeded to try bumping Kassiopea to try waking the Freespacer up. After no response and making sure the 'Spacer was still alive, she returned to the main floor, overhearing Sliver on her way.

"One minute," she repeated, nodding at Sliver and heading to her pack. She noticed Eliot loading his gun and frowned, then glanced through her pack and loaded it onto her back before heading to the door.

Her philosophy was kind of a twisted one when compared with normal Nepleslian "moer dakka" views. To her, the less someone thought they were going to be shot at, the less they were likely to shoot you first. However, she also knew, mostly from experience, that looking defenseless was a good way to get picked on in the first place. This mission was asking her to leave weapons she was experienced with on the Key for sake of cover, which was fine with her but also made her feel uneasy. Eliot seemed to share that feeling, if his speech the previous night was any indication. Gem reached behind her back, adjusting the way the pack rested on her shoulders but also feeling for the seven-inch piece of scrap steel that she called a knife that was strapped over her left shoulder blade. Most of the metal was covered in cloth, leather, and twine, but enough of it was exposed, sharpened steel to make it an effective weapon, if a bit uncomfortable to have under one's shirt.

"Nicholai, c'mere," she said, waving at the ID-SOL engineer over. "Kass isn' gettin' up, c'n you carry 'er out? I think somethin's wrong, but we gotta go and I'll check'er out on the way."

---

Winter approached Sliver and bowed his head briefly. "<Master, I think we have a stowaway. She will be no trouble for the moment, but may become a problem later on.>"

Sliver looked down at his apprentice, then glanced at the wagon. "<Really, now...is she comfortable?>"

Winter nodded, his ears laying back in embarrassment. "<She is. I am actually impressed that she has evaded notice so far, I have not known her to stay still for so long.>"

The fox broke into a grin and nodded slowly. "<I was wondering why everything I reached for was always at hand. Well, if she's alright, then there should be no problem. In the meantime, we must hurry. Help these people any way you can and we will be on our way.>"

---

Turning to Keira, Sliver nodded. "We have a wagon that you may put your bags in. Our walk will be long, and there are few...er...'conveniences' to make it easy." He looked up toward the loft. "Is the sleeping one alright?"

Gem pursed her lips, but nodded. "Nicholai 'ere's gonna take 'er out to the wag'n, we'll check 'er out on th' way. An' thanks, that'll be a help." She smiled and left the house, going to the wagon and dropping her pack inside the wagon bed near the rear along the left wall. Then she opened a pouch on the side and took out a knapsack, taking a few things out of the main bag to carry on her person.

Then she returned to the house to see if she could help carry anything else out.

((OOC: Woo for playing multiple characters! More apologies for the time gap, I've been working on figuring out how to proceed after AoK's notice of absence. He's given me permission to take over his NPCs here while he turns attention to other plots. So, while there may be more pauses as I work this out, this storyline _will_ continue, and I thank you all for your patience!))

((Hurrah for that.))

Eliot looked over at his captain, shouldering his pack. He looked over at Nicholai carrying Kassi, her unconscious form limp in his hands. Looking back at the two one last time, he turned fully towards Gem.

"So," The cargo-loader-turned-mercenary intoned, "We moving out, skipper?"