Furs in Steam Chapter 2
A peel of thunder shook down the city streets, reverberated off walls and windows, until crashes what felt to be just above where the Wolf and Lynx stood beneath the buildings awning. Adjusting his wide brimmed hat Razien nodded, "Better be in a hurry, I don't believe it will be stopping any time soon." "It won't be too far will it?" Torqariyan asked in return raising his hood but not all too certain what good it would do in an utter downpour. Tapping his cane the Wolf began down the cobblestone street with a laugh nearly drown out by the thunder, "Scared of a bit of water?" Rolling his eyes Torq followed behind without word, but keeping his eyes to the clouded sky watching as intense blue electric light flowed through the gaps that shown only more empty darkness beyond. "What did you think of the dancers Torq?" Razien called out as best he could over the storm while trying not to shout. Though trailing behind the Lynx answered back more quietly, "I wasn't paying much mind, I'd only wanted to eat you were the one so enticed by them." "Don't pretend you didn't even spare them with the slightest glance, I know you may not be fully committed to the Lynx but there were a few of them among those girls," he chuckled seeing if he could get a rise out of his old friend. However in response Torqariyan chided, "Perhaps I should have been so set on that Leopard you were staring at then? Besides I have eyes only for Haven, a once married man should know better." "There were Rabbits, you could always pretend..." Razien stopped with a yowl as a heavy boot stomped his tail to the stones. Stepping passed Torq shook his head, "You'd best just leave it alone Raz, now can you hurry? I am freezing out here."
Passing the gate in a hurry the Wolf lead the way, noting that the maid of the manor must have visited his rooms as the window no longer glowed with the soft light of a candle but was pitch dark. The door was locked, a good sign for Razien as it meant master Altara was still out, removing the silver key from his pocket he let the two of them in. In a heap the hooded cloak and long coat fell as both men shook off their wet fur; Razien reeking wet and Torqariyan shivering from the cold. Gesturing to the stairs that divided at a landing part way up Razien indicated the left set that lead towards his rooms. Allowing Torq ahead of him the Wolf hastily put up their wet clothes and made for the wash room that sat beneath the main stairs. Exiting with a towel for each of them Razien worked at his fur with one trying his best to dry out at least some of his more thoroughly soaked pelt. As he rounded the corner for to ascend the stairs he found Torq at the top staring down at him with an unsettled look to him. There were words in his muzzle as he came near but at the landing Razien could see what made the man pause so uncomfortably. A grey paw had his throat with the cleavers from the kitchen resting below the lowest finger waiting dance across his fur and spill open all of the blood within. Running his mind through of all the possibilities of who and why; Master Altara thinking him a thief, one of the elder Wolf's rivals, a murder, a robber, or anyone who thought so daringly would have acceptable but the voice, not its sound but the familiarity of their words shocked him worse than anything else.
"Razi, predictable old Razi, should I ask why you and Torq are allying with one another or is it safe to assume you are again up to no good?" a husky albeit feminine voice asked from just behind the Lynx. Setting his jaw, stern yet attempting to not come across threatening the Wolf replied, "Sephera, what bring you to Verillia or more importantly what brings you to my home?" "Business, but not the way you'd assume," she revealed her face, half clad in a veil of in dahlia. So overcome with his own odor he hadn't realized that flowery scent hanging in the air, "Back at it again then? Come to clear the board of all the pieces and for what this time?" "Not all the pieces, I have my scores to settle and well now knowing where you are what's a girl to do?" the Leopard chuckled lowly gleaming whites in a full grin visible even through the veil. Torqariyan hadn't struggled even slightly but bristled at this, "If you've come for him why am I the one with a blade against me?" "I overheard you to, wanted to know what you had to do with all of this up here, care to tell or will our host be leading this discussion?" Sephera's paw tightened on the Lynx's throat, she never had cared from Torqariyan and his interjection was just moderately annoying enough to cause her to remind him of this. Raising one paw Razien hoped to regain control of the conversation and calm any of his friend's worry, "Seph you're going to have to let him go, Torqariyan sought me out and has things he has to discuss with me." "And I should just go off to chase my tail in the dark, I see," she spit cunningly, there was no hope of her taking anything with ease and calm. Forcing words through the death grip on his vocal chords Torqariyan managed speech, "She can stay Razien, if you trust her she can hear." "Well let him go then, guess you're about to be part of all this too," Razien assured as he made his way up the stairs towards them. Letting the Lynx go to stumble forward into the Wolf the Leopard smiled wryly still, "We will see if I care even a little for whatever games you two are about."
Settling down beside the hearth, now roaring with flame, the chill finally began to leave Torqariyan as well as his nerves worked to steadying. Sephera sat opposite him, sitting cross-legged on Razien's bed with one of the thicker of blankets wrapped around her shoulders, her dancing attire not quite suited to the still somewhat chill air of Spring. After having lit the fire Razien had given both of them time to settle he sought and finally found the book he nearly hidden from himself on the shelf. Stepping passed the bed he dropped the black leather bound volume beside the Leopard, "Thought you might like to know how your society, people, or whatever term you designated your clan of killers has fair since the the forging and breaking of the seals." "There is no need, I have read this but these are stories of half-truisms if not outright lies. No I know the truth of it all and how Metrux has changed since our time," she shot daggers at Torqariyan as she made the second remark. Seating himself in old rocking chair, something this vessels mother had rocked him to sleep in when only a cub, Razien put forth the obvious question, "Care to explain? I know only what Dravvin wrote in those pages of your assassins and their fate." "Dravvin was nothing but a lying coward, he infiltrated the most surface level group of the Legion and walked away to print these "secrets" down as though honest facts. The truth of it all is that the Legion left Metrux after the war, the political assassinations amid the war were their work but they have now faded into the Verillia without many hopeful traces of being found," Sephera no longer focusing hatefully on the Lynx but being now more friendly with the Wolf. Despite it being only a worse idea to prod further Torqariyan spoke up, "So all of the high profile murders in Metrux since the war, all of which baring similarities to the Legion's marks, and of course not to forget the distinguishing materials left behind; all of those are just imitations?" "I did not say they were no longer active, merely they do not remain on the other world nor have been easy to find on this one, but that does not concern you," Sephera glared at him until the Lynx again turned away shutting himself up.
A brief moment of silence passed before Razien indicated the man with his eyes, hoping the Leopard would take the hint and soften her mood towards him, rather she bit back some of the venom to her words but proceeded nearly in the same attitude, "So what is it you have tell us, something important maybe?" "War," Torqariyan stated, assuring himself both were attentive before continuing, "There is a war on the horizon or will be if what will come to pass does without proper precaution. A hole that augured through the wall that shielded Verillia from Metrux, that's how the Great War started you remember? Well there is another from the breaking of the Seals and all my efforts to stop them from eroding so tremendously." "Another hole, what of it, we just confine it with the architecture of a portal around it like any others they were not set in one of those arches," Razien was immediately skeptical of whatever danger was felt by the Lynx. He waved the other man to silence, "It's not the rift itself that is concerning its to where it leads. We were lucky last time that it only opened the divided between Metrux and here but this other is not a connection between the two but from here to somewhere else. I traversed it once and did not stay long but as I looked about the ruin and decay of another world I was certain it needed to be sealed." "And that's why you came after me, what would have happened had you succeeded in killing me?" the question had been on the Wolf's mind all night and now he was dying to hear the answer. Abruptly Sephera cut in, "Wait a blood-marked moment, he tried to kill you tonight?" "I didn't try to kill him! There was a doubt in my mind you'd be willing to help seal this portal so I had thought defeating you, forcing you to make a deal for your life would work. Regardless that's not quite important right now, we need to close this gateway to make certain nothing comes of this mess," Torqariyan looked ready to scream in fury of the other two's outcry but he maintained control. Rocking forward and cementing himself in place with his feet the Wolf looked to the Leopard, "What do you say? I have to go with him myself just to see this if not help in closing the hole but what are you going to do?" "I parted ways with the dancing troupe as you can very well imagine, surely if I asked they would take me back, after all whenever they were trying to win over the owner to grant them a venue they would use me however I'm intrigued. Can we see this world before Razi has to close it shut forever?" Sephera asked, putting on her faux sweet voice. He only regarded the two mouth agate, "Of course not, we have no idea the danger within and... I don't know how you two speak of this so casually as though this isn't something that could end in a colossal mess of blood and destruction." "I suppose in that Tor, we simply have more faith in the mortals and their ability to conduct themselves in a responsible manner rather than turn as quickly as possible to shattering skulls," the Leopard grinned.
A knock sounded at the door drawing all three within to focus and for Razien immediately concern as to whom was at his door this late at night. Shera, the silver Fox who had been the family's maid since before he had taken Lesus' form, stood in the opened door a bit baffled to see the diverse guests seated inside. "Young master Lesus, I don't believe your father would be too found of the company you've taken in this evening, however I'm quite happy to see that you're not in here talking to yourself again," she admitted a warmness to her tone that the boy's mother rarely shown. Looking between the others the Wolf rose and came over to the aging woman, "I am very much aware Shera, but I'd appreciate it if perhaps you not tell him of them. They're schoolmates from the college but I know he would still be wary any association with anyone further off than a Fox as one of my colleagues." "It's quite alright darling," she pinched his cheek in the manner of a close aunt, "I'll keep my muzzle shut tight but I won't be helping you sneak them still this evening. Best you wrap up whatever it is you're about, your mother and father may be out until midnight but that's no excuse to keep up to such odd hours, you're all growing children need your rest." "Shera I swear you'd treat as if I were still a cub if I let you," he laughed beginning to close the door. With a broad grin the Fox chuckled lightly too, "Everyone needs their rest Lesus, you need it to grow and well if it's not apparent I need it to keep my beauty." "Then I'd say you must have never missed a night of it," Razien always soften around the old woman, Lesus' parents were not the most loving but their maid made up for it tenfold. Giving the Wolf a peck on the head the Fox stepped out of the threshold, "You're a real silver tongue you, I'd worry for my daughter were she a Wolf. But I best be on my way, someone made a mess in the entryway, lots of water and two coats more wet than they could ever have been dry. And don't worry I only saw you as far as your father's concerned Lesus." "Thank you, Shera, we appreciate it," Razien closed the door still grinning wryly to the floor as he heard her steps quieting down the hall. Turning to face his cohorts he was met with a look of curiosity and perhaps disgust from Sephera and what could only be described as a gobstruck expression from Torqariyan.
Locking the door Razien strode across the room again and sat opposite Sephera on his bed still looking between the two waiting for an answer to their turn of moods, "What's wrong with you too?" "You've been playing as Lesus since he was a boy haven't you?" Torqariyan spoke his tone tinged with disgust and astonishment. Turning a curious glance from Sephera to the Lynx he nodded, "No not all that long, he turned all of twenty cycles last Summer and I've only been him for seven of those cycles." "For seven years, or cycles in your Verillian terms, you've been this boy? That's only perhaps half of a year after the seals were broken, did you just take him right out the gate?" Sephera asked abhorrence clear in her voice despite Razien not seeing her expression. Holding his hands palms upraised the Wolf shrugged, "I didn't know what else to do, I pushed over into this plane and ceased someone who would one day be of influence until I could figure things out. If nothing else my plan would have worked to keep eyes out for any of the Bloodkin which would at least by time until there could be a permanent solution, one that didn't involve us left in stasis so long as the seals held." "You don't at all concern that Lesus was only a boy when you took him, that he could not understand why or how and if you were to let loose your control and somehow his awareness remained after all this time he would come to so lost that he'd be without hope of returning to a normal life," came Torqariyan his gaze fixing Razien sternly. Finally cracking a confused look of his own Razien took both parties in with his gaze, "I have no intention of just departing this body, Lesus is likely gone forever by now and if not it would be cruel to simply step out and turn it all over to him. It is unfortunate but his path ended as soon as I took over just as either of the lives your vessel's lead before you unseated them." "Fair is fair, but he was just a boy it's truly a shame really that he would be taken from this world so early," Sephera said with a shake of the head. Smoothing the back of one ear the Lynx agreed, "So long as you aren't just stepping away abruptly I can't quite add much more, but understand Raz I took a grown man's form and despite her lack of endowment I would be hard pressed to say Sephera took any but an adult woman's body." "Hey! And yes I did take a mature Leopard's body valuing versatility over physical draw thank you very much," Sephera broke her fierce stare at Torqariyan and allowed the room to fall silent as she curled her tail into her lap. Reclining himself on the bed Razien didn't feel himself drift off, hadn't known how tired he had become or how desperately his body needed rest until it had an opportunity to get it.