Nakmarr Party: Bodies

[Kels]

It is time for the murder of this murder mystery party to begin.



These events are happening immediately after the bath bond scene with one scene flowing directly into another so at the start of this scene Arako and Amaya are in her room, Shin and Nick are entering the hallway where Nick, Arako, and the sirens all stay, and the sirens are all in thier rooms. All other chars are unaccounted for, but probably enjoying the party.

Good luck gumshoes and victims.

[Nykolas]

His focus is all over the place and that is why he doesn't acknowledge the smell of blood right away. If he were a real vampire it would have caught his attention but he is not so it does not. He stops at Arako's door and is getting ready to pound on it. The little voices in his head are all screaming at him. He is no match for Arako and knows it. He also is trying hard not to keep the image of Shin in the bath room in his mind and is annoyed that memory won't pack away to a recess in his astral fortress where he keeps unnecessary memories. The door behind him that leads to Ossires' room starts to open. Wait...is that blood? His light jade green eyes turn down the hall to look back at Shin. His first thought is if Shin is okay, there is a little concern on his features but the smell of death hasn't begun so might just be a lady on her monthly. Those tend to smell a little different. Before he can shift through all his thoughts on the matter a gun is fired.

Vision for Amaya:

SPOILER: Click to show

The door opens behind Nick. His eyes are first on Arako's door and then on Shin. He never sees the danger. The gun that is used an ether caster. It fires magical light energy, the bane of shadow. Nick jerks forward suddenly as the light passes through him and explodes his heart. The gunman steps out into the hall toward the falling Nick and fires another shot to finish the job.

[Amaya]

Lounging lazily across her bed, Amaya smiled up at Arako with a teasing glint in her eyes. Taking a lock of his hair between her fingers, she twirled it lazily. "And just what is it that you intend to do with me now, I wonder?" she asked teasingly. Her brother's abrupt disappearance had served to amuse her greatly. Moreso when she noticed that his clothing had been left in a pile in the spot where he'd been standing. She had little doubt that when her brother returned, he'd be in a spectacularly foul humor. But was a thought for when he returned. At the present, she was far more interested in the man who was supporting himself just above her.


Given her earlier visions during the truth game, she could quite honestly say that she was fascinated to learn more. Curiosity had always been one of her besetting sins. And she was intensely curious to learn more about Arako. Hovering so close above her, there was no way that he could miss it when her silver eyes suddenly began to glow with a frigid blue light. Amaya's entire body went stiff as she witnessed the Keloshian being gunned down just outside her door in front of her brother.


Her brother. He was there. It could still be stopped. Hands setting to Arako's shoulders, Amaya pushed against him hard in an attempt to get out from beneath him and bolt to the door. "Sage! Behind him!" she screamed.

[Shinkiro]

Shin fell back a step with a faint frown as Nick gave him that gentle shove. He might have considered asking who the Keloshian intended to drown, but he was fairly certain that he could guess. But his focus shifted quickly. Nick may not have noticed the faint hint of copper in the air at first, but Shin took immediate note. Dragons were primarily carnivorous, after all. And he himself had a penchant for hunting his own meat down while in dragon form when the opportunity allowed for it.


His pupils contracted immediately as he loosed a reptilian hiss. Where is it coming from? He turned his head to search out the source when he heard the scream inside his room. "Sage! Behind him!"


Turning immediately in response to his sister's screamed warning, Shin launched himself toward the door across the hall, transforming as he went. An angry roar cut the air as a sleek golden drake easily twice the size of a griffon barreled forward.

[Kels]

This is the third floor so you can see how big it it and where the hole leading down is. My map maker doesn't have images to help show the crystal steps, so you'll have to pretend they're there. That would be where those private baths are in the rooms in the lower left, they now don't have their own bathes, the other stairs are there.



1. Bath
2. Bath
3. Hilda's Reps (didn't make it)
4. Rhade Dupree
5. Nick and Lola
6. Siren Princesses
7. Oss and Thrall
8. (originally was Ambrose, now changing it to a griffon and rider) Haven't picked the pair yet.
9. The Thulaks
10. Teshylo, Fylla, and Mouver (reps from the Mage Council plus duelist bodyguard)
11. Shin and Amaya
12. Captain Ambross and Lady Ramina
13. Felix and Imari (private privy, but no bath)
14. Croudimai
15. Draylen Faemlo
16. Ambassador Leon Vryce and Troy
17. (mistake, not it's own room)
18. Lord Jashen
19. Drazio
20. Ezra
21. Reitori
22. Arako
23. Trishae
24. Coulalt
25. Central Stairs

In this scene Arako and Amaya are starting out in room 11, Nick is at the door to room 22, and the gunman is coming out of room 7. Nick and Shin have just come up from the south and were in one of the bathrooms along the southern wall. Nick dropped his dirty clothes in front of door to room 5, where Lola and Troy currently are. Ayden, Lark, and Myia are in room number 6.

[Arako]

Arako was enjoying his little game, but at times he wasn't sure who was playing who. That thought also made it all the more fun. Like playing chess with a worthy opponent. If the game is too easy, it's no fun at all. His smile fades and he watches her change in curiosity. He is a very curious sort, probably should have been a cat. Arako does not fight her push and watches her as she runs for the door. Behind who? People use all sorts of magic at his parties so he doesn't get alarmed and check every little spell or happening. He could if he wanted, but then he'd be too busy to have fun. He very quickly uses the shadows to reach out and 'touch' every male at the party, starting with Shin and Nick. It didn't take him long to realize Nick was in distress. The first bullet hit. Nick's own shadows were starting to act a little crazy. Something darkness in the manor house. The almost distant screaming and laughing Amaya had heard when she first met Arako can be heard again by those that are still and will listen. It's over the entire house, not just the room this time, though Arako is still figuring out what is going on, so nothing too obvious is happening. Arako thinks to move past Amaya through the shadows as he did before, but it seems rude, like she might need him in this moment so instead he follows her. “Trish, fold the game, come to my room.” His voice travels through the shadow to Trish. On her end only she hears it, though on his end, Amaya can still hear him speak.

[Nykolas]

Nick realizes right away something went wrong. He was looking down the hall toward Shin who is on his left. The gunman is behind him and to his right so his peripheral didn't even catch the movement. It was a crime of opportunity, not planned in any way. There was no way anyone would know Nick would be at that door in that moment, but the gunman's hatred of Nick overtook any sense he had to keep hidden. The ether shot hits it's mark. The magical energy enters in through his back and passes out his chest, right where his heart used to be. It explodes on it's way through him. He slumps toward the door and then looks down at the smoking hole in his chest, trying to focus on what just happened. Dragonic energies erupt behind him and to his left. He wants to turn his head and see what Shin is doing, but his head doesn't want to turn. His knees give out first and he starts to fall toward the floor, slumping down the door. His hand on the door starts to summon shadow and then leaves a black trace down the door where it touches. He doesn't mean to be calling the shadows, but he wants to hide and armor up, to regroup and then kill what is trying to kill him.

The mix of the dragon energies behind him and his thought about needing armor, -and maybe a little bit of that image of Shin in his head with his scales- triggers his bioarmor. The armor does not cover him completely, he doesn't have enough energy to maintain that. It's like something dragonic erupts in the empty cavity where his heart used to be and bursts out from there to seal the holes. Not enough. You have to beat. Nick speaks directly to the armor, but it speaks with dragon psionics so it's possible anything he says to it can be heard by other dragons in close enough vicinity. He doesn't have much in the way of magical to just spare wildly, but he wills a little bit of magic into himself and utters a word, though without a beating heart he finds it hard to find the breath to speak well. The words is barely audible, but the magic hears it all the same, “fix.” Something magical happens inside him, but the effect is not easy to see. His used his technomancy abilities to release nanites inside him to try and help with the repair. They aren't programmed to make a new heart. He never thought to need that. They start to try however. At first the dragon armor and the nanites start to battle, but then their magices merge through their connection to Nick and they work together. By the time Nick has hit the floor, dragon scales have erupted out of his chest and back and cover the holes there. The nanites mend the flesh as best they can right up to the scales so there are no gaps for infections to creep in. Or anything else unwanted.

The shadows start to pool around Nick where he has fallen to the ground and to the door. They darken and begin to get deeper than most shadows. Nick leans against the door and closes his eyes, which have been glowing gold since he was shot. He is unable to remain conscious through the pain and the lack of a beating heart pumping oxygen to his brain. As he fades, the little voices that have been screaming in his astral fortress all start to drop silent one by one. The voices are all him. The last thought he has as he fades is for safety and he finds a little comfort in the dragon next to him, Shin He starts to sink a little into the pool of darkness under him, but not enough to be alarming.

[Howard Grimm]

Howard found his way into the party knowing everyone would end up high and drunk and that there would be lots of neat things that he could sell on the black market. If he knew who Arako really was, he wouldn't have tried it. But he figures Arako is a coward who hides away most the year, only being seen at the start and the end of his parties. His sister Lola has been coming to them since they got to this planet. Why she gets the invitation and he doesn't is beyond him. He is just as good as her! He will make a killing, both literally and in money and then their father will have to acknowledge he is the better child. Howard is very much the coward he thinks Arako is. Might be why Drake never thought much of the boy, though Howard will never realize that, nor believe anyone who tries to tell him. Nick never keeps his mouth shut. He likes to say mean things and get in the way and Howard hates him for it. He's such a dick and now is Howard's chance to silence that dick. He'd brought the gun in case Nick got in his way. He is sure Nick isn't what he seems, he just isn't sure what Nick is. He's tried to tell Drake Nick was working for someone else, but Drake and Lola both seem to love Nick. Almost as if they wished he was the son instead of Howard and that has always been what bothered Howard the most. To top it off, Nick didn't even seem to care. Howard opens the door and sees Nick standing there with his back to them. He can't let this chance pass him by. The vampire is too quick. But he brought a weapon that can kill a vampire. He raises his gun and can't believe his luck. Nick doesn't even seem to notice, but he notice everything. Some higher power has to be on Howard's side. It's fate. He fires his gun which hits it's mark right as the dragon charges. Where the hell did the dragon come from?! Howard takes a step back in sudden fear, looking at Shin in shock and disbelief. There is a shimmer of light behind him and over his shoulder that is mixed with the chimes of a pixie then both he and the pixie are gone.

Just gone.

There is no sign of where they went or how they went there other than a little surge of magic right before hand. It is clear that the pixie did whatever just happened.

[Amaya]

Amaya spares only a brief glance for Arako as he summons Trish. Not even the faint sound of laughing and screaming from the shadows phases her at this point. No, her focus is on reaching her brother. More importantly, on reaching Nick. If she were quick, she might be able to rewind his time enough to ensure that he survived his injury. Time magic, however, was a fickle thing. And it wouldn't work on a corpse.



Her eyes went from glowing blue to glinting silver as she sprinted down the hall and around the corner to where her brother was. A tiny tingle ran through her at the feel of the pixie's spell. Light magic. Skidding, her gaze shot to the open door of Ossires' room. She caught a brief glance of the human inside before he vanished before hurrying to Nick's side.

[Shinkiro]

Roaring his fury, the golden dragon shot forward. A fanged maw opened wide to try and snap shut on the human, to close on nothing but thin air instead. Claws dug into the stone, splintering it with ease as Shin roared again, his tail slamming into the floor. "Dunv ad urr!" He considered the possibility of pursuit before catching sight of his sister.



Turning awkwardly in the hall, he clambered to her side, his mismatched eyes turning down to Nick as he took a quick assessment of the injury. "Ik ho urlakhd, Sakdol?" Shifting his front feet anxiously, he lowered his head to gently prod at Nick's arm.

[Arako]

Arako turns the corner from the north hall into the east. Not that his little pocket realm has a north and east. He starts to hault in his steps seeing the dragon whom is big enough to almost take up the entire hall. He looks toward the stone near the door to one of the siren rooms, but before he can think to step in there and check on things, something else catches his attention. He half leaps, half runs toward Nick suddenly and will shove his way past Amaya and Shin if he must to grab the other. The shadows are starting to draw Nick in at a faster rate. “No!” Arako cries at the pool of shadow, “this one is mine!” His magic laps forth at the shadows, trying to seal the portal while dragging Nick out of it at the same time. Voices bark back a response at Arako and then start whispering shadow talk among themselves. Arako yanks Nick up out of the shadow. He starts to hand him over to Shin to carry him when Trish clears the corner in her full demari form. She moves faster as a snake than with legs and her poker game was actually pretty far from them. It's a big house.

“Check on the siren!” He jerks his head toward the door, not even sure if she can see the motion past the dragon in the way. “You're in the way, change back.” Despite having just told Shin to change back, he starts to prop Nick up against the dragon so he can follow Trish to the other room if necessary. Through the holes in Nick's torn fabric he can see the dragon scales of Nick's armor and pauses for a moment to consider their source.

[Trishea Lirya]

Trish slithers around the corner, but doesn't have time to consider the scene before her of the dragons with her master and her favorite rock star. She'd pause to get upset as any fangirl should, but an order is given so she darts past Shin, ducking and squishing as she must to get past him. Like snakes, naga can squish themselves through tight spaces. She comes from the south hall, same as Nick and Shin did. She soon disappears into the room. Her voice yells back, “One dead.” She gives no other information at that time, as she is still accessing the situation.

[Nykolas]

Nick starts to slowly become aware of a babbling stream in a forest. The wind softly rustles the leaves of the trees and there is the sounds of animals. Nick lays on the bank looking up at the sun through the canopy. It's almost blinding and he has to blink a couple of times.

“Whud ulo avai kaavk?!” A rough and deep voice booms through the forest. It's not the voice of Nick. The birds scatter and everything flees in terror. Nick sits up suddenly and sees a very old and very angry demari marching toward him. Nick starts to take in a quick breath but breathing is hard. He is suddenly aware of the pain again and the question spreads through the forest. Where is his heart? Darkness starts to close in very fast on the forest all of the sudden, the trees warping and the water running black. The demari steps into the stream, splashing through it. “Wuko ik!” The demari is very old, as one can tell by the great many horns on his head. His silver hair almost can't be seen any longer, except that it's worn pretty long. As a demari ages their horns get bigger and then they start to grow new horns which also get bigger. Their essence is in their horns, which also makes them highly sought after in black market alchemy dealings. This demari is also fair skin, which is more rare among demari. He is tall and broad and dressed in a very ancient way. He wears no shirt but has a long loin cloth covering his font. His horns are mostly black with flecks of silver or red, some are black at the roots and tipped in blood red. His tail is black with silver rings and red tip. His wings are red with black linings. His tail sways angrily behind him and his wings are slightly outspread, but not completely so.

Nick suddenly gasps for breath and reaches out for that which has a hold of him. It's Arako. He looks down at the closing pool of shadow that was at his feet. The shadow realm tried to claim him. Shadow is his element, but he's not of shadows, he can't really linger there. Not and retain his sanity. He tries to gasp for another breath, but breathing is hard through the pain. He leans against Shin and looks up at the others. His eyes are jade once again. He sees Arako looking and can't help but to inspect himself. He looks down and rips at his own clothes. The armor has blocked the holes, but it's it's not good enough. You have to be my heart. He quickly brings to the front of his mind everything he's ever seen, heard, or read about hearts and how they work so the armor.

[Amaya]

Moving aside as Arako leapt to pull Nick from the shadows, Amaya turned instead to look toward the open door that Trish had vanished through. Blood and fear... A hand lifted, pressing to her face a moment. It seemed that her vision was coming to pass far sooner than she had anticipated. Parting her fingers, she glanced to her brother between them. "Retake your form, Brother. There's no prey here for you."

[Shinkiro]

Shin growled at Arako briefly as he propped Nick against his side. Turning his head, he regarded the Keloshian with worry, relaxing only when he saw Nick open his eyes again. Breathing a huge sigh of relief, he let his head rest on the other man briefly. "Don't try to move just yet." Amaya's command caused him to lift his head, looking at his sister briefly before he gave an awkward nod.



His form began to shrink rapidly, scales receding back into his skin as he resumed his elven form. Kneeling on the floor, he steadied Nick with one hand, frowning with concern. "Did you feel it, Sister?" Shin turned his head to look at her, his eyes narrowed. "That was light magic." His head tilted, eyes closing as he inhaled deeply, scenting the air. "A pixie.."

[Arako]

Trish reemerges through the door carrying a wounded Oss in her arms. Arako stands and turns to look at her as she comes out and Shin's form shrinks back down so he can see past the dragon. He is hesitant to leave Nick's side in this moment, but Nick wasn't the only victim. “Move them both into my chambers. That is the safest room here. We need to get out of sight before the other guests panic and start killing each other.” He sighs and is not pleased at all. He slumps in his posture just a little as if his spine just doesn't want to be straight right now. This is worse than that time Esteius killed that unicorn. Not not politically, just body count wise. He stands back up and seem to shrug off whatever mood was about to creep up on him. He looks down at Shin, “I'm going to get your your sword and you are going to defend him.” He nods toward Nick and puts emphasis on the words sword and defend while speaking with the same demanding tone he'd use on one of his minions. He then looks up at Amaya and Trish, “The rest of us are going to find out who did this and end them.” After we see the injured to my room. He nods toward the door behind Trish and as she makes her way toward him, she uses the tip of her tail to close the door behind her. Arako then takes a moment to eye the other guests doors around them. The siren princesses have not yet emerged and Lola and Troy might have been too far down the hall to hear any commotion. Best to check on them all, just to make sure they are alive, and not the murderer. He turns and opens his door then steps inside and holds the door open so the others may enter. He waves them all in quickly. “Siren in my bath, rock star in my bed.” Trish comments back that it sounds like a party and she seems to be enjoying herself, though a clever dragon will see that she is actually a little on edge and it's her defense mechanism. Arako just grins back at her comment.

[Nykolas]

"I felt it." Through the pain and the shortness of breath that causes he is only able to say short sentences, but then he has never been much of a talker anyway. His voice shows the strain however and that annoys him. He isn't speaking of the pixie, though he felt her too. He is trying to make a joke about being shot. He definitely felt that. He leans into Shin and tries to listen to the other's heartbeat and then focus that rhythm toward his armor so it can act as a heart. It's not intended for this purpose so he isn't even sure he'll manage. But so far it's been responding and is filling the gap and learning from the nanites which are carrying oxygen through his system for him in place of a heart for now, but they can't keep it up. He can't keep his energies directed at them indefinitely, but the armor has it's own energies and isn't a spell. All this annoys Nick, but one thing he has never been is too proud to ask for assistance when needed. Keloshians are much like dragons in that they value strength. They are a warrior people and one must fight their ways up the ranks of the conquering nation. But they also know their strength is in each other and numbers. “Carry me.” While his armor is trying to figure out how to be a heart, he can't risk elevating his heart lv by moving around on his own too much.

[Amaya]

Absolute rage. It was etched in every line of Amaya's body. Just when things were getting fun. Her silver eyes narrowed dangerously as she pushed herself to her feet. Ruining a perfectly good party. Worse, attacking the one person that her brother had shown a genuine interest in! She was going to shred that little upstart into bite sized little pieces and feed them to her brother one by one. The thought brought a vicious little smile to her face before she looked to Arako. "I presume that I also have leave to make use of my dagger." Give her credit, despite the anger coursing through her, her voice was completely calm and steady.



Tanek's fang pulsed in her heart, almost in question. Amaya merely smiled, awaiting Arako's decision politely. It would be rude to draw it beforehand, after all. Her gaze flicked to her brother and away as she noted his bizarre state of dress, an amused snort leaving her. A towel and a Keloshian vest. That's a new one. Perhaps she should see to it that her brother was clothed at some point as well. Not that he likely cared all that much. No, her brother had never been one for modesty, not even as Sage. Then again, she wasn't much for it herself. Arms crossing, Amaya shifted her weight as she considered. She'd caught little more than a glimpse of the human, hardly enough to be a positive way of identifying him. The pixie, though.. That had potential.

[Shinkiro]

Even if no one else noticed Amaya's fury, Shin was keenly aware of it. Just as well. It matched his own. Supporting Nick carefully, he listened to Trish and Arako speak. His eyes lit up when Arako made mention of returning Shibien to him. "I promise not to go randomly murdering other guests," he commented sarcastically. Amaya shot him a sharp look of warning, the rebuke plain. He ducked his head briefly to her in deference and silent apology before looking down at Nick.



The demand to be carried earns him a small smile. "As you wish." Shifting his hold, Shin lifted the Keloshian into his arms with little effort and rose to his feet. Without bothering to wait for the others, he shouldered Arako's door open and headed inside. Despite the adrenaline and the anger, his heartbeat remained calm and steady. He'd learned long ago that if he allowed his heart rate to spike too violently for too long, his already unstable magic would become even harder to control. And considering what he'd done the last time that happened, well... He'd learned to control his heart rate in short order. Walking to the bed, he carefully deposited Nick to the mattress. "I will have the heart of the one who did this," he muttered quietly, just loud enough for Nick to hear.

[Arako]

Arako is not offended by the sarcastic remark. He knows Shin was just missing his enchanted partner. He of course has heard of weapons that are sentient, some having thier own souls. In this realm anything given enough magical power can become self aware over time. Not everything does, but it happens. He smirks a little at the attitude. It's cute. Little dragon thinks he can challenge me. He makes an audible chuckle like sound, "only one has ever gotten away with killing someone at one of my parties," he gives a shrug as his smile fades and looks Shin over, "you're just not that cute."

His smirk returns as Amaya puts an end to things with her stern look. So sexy how she takes charge. She is that cute. She is allowed to kill. He takes in a breath and steels himself to save those thoughts for later as he turns his head toward Trishae. "Check on the others. Be discrete. Then return. It is nearly that time and I might be about to do something stupid." He does not give Trish time to advice him otherwise but turns to follow Shin into his chambers.

As he passes Amaya he lays a hand on her arm right under the shoulder. "Not yet. You are my serect weapon. Your brother has to stay here and play guard, but you will get to hunt the prey with Trish." He says in a soft yet firm voice, finally anwering her last even though she asked first.

[Nykolas]

Nick is mostly listening and taking it all in. He tries to focus most on Shin's heart and is happy and maybe a little impressed he didn't have to remind the other to keep his heart rate steady. Nick hates damsels and weak people and Shin is showing off his warrior training. Nick on the other hand can't be making a good impression, laying here all weak. But he is weak, only injured. He reminds himself it is not the same thing. He opens his eyes again when laid on the bed. He likes Shin's sentiment, but that isn't what he needs from Shin right now. He reaches up to lay a hand on Shin's arm in a silent urge to remain instead of hunting the prey as Arako calls it. "I need your heart." His words are still strained just a little but he is starting to sound better. He feels a heat creep over his face, begining on the tips of his ears and one of the little voices in his head is thankful he doesn't have enough heart rate to blush, "rate...the heart rate." He also wants Shin to guard over him but won't voice that. Of everyone at this party, Shin has the most of his trust.

[Trishea Lirya]

Trish enters the room last. She frowns pretty hard at Arako when he tells her to check on the others. She can delegate though. It is within her power as his lieutenant to do so. She looks around with sharp, urgent motions when he reminds her it is almost that time. She sighs as he turna his back, a sign she is to argue at her own risk. She quickly slithers to the large tub and lays the injured and unconscious siren in there. After hearing Arako tell Amaya she is to help hunt, Tish decides to share with her. "They ripped her voice box out. Thought she was the siren. So probably not as powerful as the rest of us. I suspect they use a device." She then makes a motion of pointing at Amaya then to her own eyes and then toward the direction of the crime scene to indicate Amaya should go have a look herself. Trish's form sinks greatly as she does this because she also retakes her elf form.

She straightens her garb and then pulls a small orb from a pocket. She speaks into the orb which has magic that absorbs her words so unless Amaya reads lips she doesn't know what is said. Trish seems to be watching Arako with an urgency. Waiting for him to do the stupid thing he is going to do and ready to pick up the pieces after he does so.

[Ossires]

Ossires has a head injury but not too much of anything else. He moans a little as he is placed in the water but his expression softens, the water making him feel better. He remains unconscious for now.

[Amaya]

A thin smile of pleasure crosses Amaya's face when Arako tells her that she will be allowed to hunt with Trish. It was slightly irksome how he presumed to take command of her brother, but she would allow it. It was his party, after all. It would be rude to countermand his orders. Turning to Trish when she speaks, a small frown crosses Amaya's face as she listens. "Of course. A human wouldn't be able to subdue a siren. It makes sense that they would require mechanical assistance to offset their weakness." It's spoken in a completely matter of fact tone, no hint of scorn or ire to be heard. "I will see if I can locate anything of use."


Turning on her heel, Amaya walked over to the closed door, pushing it open gently and slipping inside. Her nose wrinkled briefly at the heavy scent of copper in the air before she began to carefully move around the room. Her first object of study, the actual body itself.

[Shinkiro]

Silent, Shin listened to the exchange with Arako, Trish and his sister. Something stupid? Stupider than putting that damn truth serum into the bath? The comment about him not being that cute causes him to snort in derision. "How fortunate that I place no value in your opinion, then," he grumbled under his breath. He started to rise when Nick's words caught his attention. His brows lifted slightly before he moved to seat himself on the edge of the bed near the other man. Much as he itched to have Shibien in hand again, he couldn't simply walk away from the Keloshian.


He might have wondered why, but that was a thought best saved for a time when they weren't about to start hunting for a murderer. No, he would ponder it after whoever was responsible for the attack was safely in the ground. So instead, he leans slightly toward Nick. "What would you have of me, then?" If it was his heart rate the Keloshian needed, he would be best served by Shin cradling him in his lap so that Nick could rest his ear against his chest. But he would leave it to the other man to make the choice.

[Arako]

Arako watches the ladies leave and then glances back over at the sleeping siren. He doesn't look too injured so they can worry about him when he wakes up and question him then. He hears Shin's question, but wasn't looking at him when he speaks. He can guess Shin was speaking to Nick, but this is his realm and he gets to call all the shots. Except for those times he lets people tie him up and do things, but that is a thought for later. “Lie on the bed on your back, in the middle. Nykolas, you lay your head on his chest so you can hear his heart. I'm going to try to pull the ether out of you, and I need to do it from behind.” As he instructs them he heads toward the bed himself and crawls up on the foot of the bed, where he remains kneeling until they get into place. He also does a lot of hand gesturing to them as he speaks on how he wants them to position themselves. “Nick will need to be on Shin's left so I can reach the spot where the ether entered easier.” He speaks in a somewhat hushed tone when he mentions what he'll be doing as if he expects Trish to hear and storm back in to stop him. His shadow is stronger, so the ether can potentially harm him more, but he doesn't intend to put it inside him, just pull it out so it should be fine. He will wait for the men to get into positions before he starts.

[Nykolas]

Nick lays there looking up at Shin, but doesn't want to say any of the thoughts that he fights in his head. They are all strange and new to him, but a little familiar. Some of them are similar to thoughts he used to have when he was courting Prisella. He is also afraid to speak because of the Veritas. He is blunt in some areas, but very guarded in others and Shin is dangerous to his walls that hide the guarded areas. But at the same time, Nick doesn't want him to go. When Arako starts speaking Nick nods, but to Shin, not to Arako. It's a good idea and someone else suggested it so some of that pressure to know what to do is taken off him. He doesn't know what to do. And his advisers are all silent, unable to speak to him across realms. He starts to try and scoot over a little, but is slow at getting it done. Arako's boldness and confidence reminds him of Vass, which does not put his mind at ease, but something in the tone reminds him more of some of his older brothers. They are in his bed, but he is not flirting with them for a change, which oddly seems to add a sense of urgency to everything. He suddenly looks over at Arako with a little glare and can't help but to ask, “Is Vertias in all the water or just my bath?” His words are still a little strained, but he is able to get the entire sentence out before having to take a deep breath past the pain.

[Amaya]

Picking her way toward the body, Amaya considered carefully. She paused a foot away, taking a moment to study it from a distance. She took in the position that the woman had fallen in, the pattern of blood along the floor, and the wound. She didn't bat an eye as she took in the scene. Sinking down to a knee, she leaned in closer to take a better look. "This woman is not a siren." She had suspected as much earlier in the great hall. But now, she was certain. Her eyes moved along the floor to a small trinket, resisting the urge to take it for herself. "Simply an elf wearing an allure charm."

[Shinkiro]

Shin didn't care for the way that Arako presumed to order him about. Unfortunately, he couldn't find anything wrong with his plan. Scowling to demonstrate his displeasure, he crawled into the bed, carefully moving over Nick to lay on his back. Without pausing, he moved to draw the Keloshian over to him, pulling Nick's head to his chest. His heartbeat remained slow and steady, a calming rhythm. "Whatever you intend to do, be quick about it. I dislike seeing him in such discomfort."


The scowl intensified at the admission. That damned Veritas.. This is going to be a problem until it wears off. Maybe he should ask his sister to use another of her spells to fast forward his body's metabolism in order to rid himself of it sooner. Then again, she might find this entire situation all too humorous and leave him as he was just to watch him squirm. It sounded like something that she would do, at least. Hefting a sigh, he looked down at Nick. At least he'd have Shibien back soon. And when he did...

[Arako]

Arako remains for a second on the foot of the bed on his knees and looks at Nick oddly upon the question. He hears Shin's demand, but his own desires echo it so he ignores it as nonessential in the moment. The shadows quiver just a bit at Arako's will and when he speaks again it's into the shadows and not toward the two in front of him. Shadows can be used to speak across distances to those with mastery over them. “Release Veritas into the manor. If we're lucky we'll get a confession.” He beams a little and tries not to think of all the other things they'll learn as well. If one of his guests wasn't so injured, it'd be fun. It's fun anyway. He then closes in on them before Shin or Nick can voice their shock or try to argue it. They don't have time for that. The lights in the rim dim and Arako hovers over Nick. He has one knee on the bed, that shin laying flat on the bed and supports himself with the hand on that same side, his right side. His left leg agilely crosses both other men to be positions on the other side of Shin for support. His power starts to reveal itself a little more as shadow armor starts to cover his left hand and the room seems to fill with thick shadows that can almost be touched. They swirl and pulse around the trio on the bed. Somewhere in the distance is the manic laughter Amaya heard that first time she touched him and and faint screams of terror and anger and some where emotion is hard to tell. There is a hint of madness in the air mixed with the shadow. Arako wouldn't normally reveal himself to potential enemies this soon in the game, but that ether will start to make it's way through Nick's blood stream. He knows Nick knows this too, how could he not? Even with the magic and technology, if it's left there, it'll kill Nick.

He plunges his hand into Nick's back, though his hand has become one with the shadow armor at this point and in the dim light almost seems to not be there. He lingers his hand inside for just a second and his will is felt through the air again as he tries to gather the ether into his palm. Then there is another second as he tries to pull his shadowy hand out of the lesser shadow creature under him while still holding onto the ether. He's never done anything like this before. The screaming intensifies and Arako is almost annoyed with it until he realizes it was him. The pain, the effort, and the determination all making an audible sound. He can't help but laugh silently at himself as screaming is not a very clever or flashy spell, but audible sounds help focus will either way. Once his hand is free of Nick he suddenly slings it out toward the wall on the other side of Shin where a little box opens and the shadows haul the ether into the box which then seals after closing in the light, which seems way too bright in the dimness of shadow. All at the same time the rest of the shadows and the madness all seem to go away, the job is done and they return to pretending Arako is just a normal elf lord. Of course that's the madness thinking that's still possible after the spellwork they boys just saw and felt.

The ether was more powerful than Arako had expected. Someone really wanted Nick dead and it's a wonder the boy isn't dead. Arako has a faint idea on how that is possible, but he doesn't want to voice it in his own head yet. He pushes off the bed to be back into the half kneeling position, and grins down at them as if to be encouraging that it's over. He starts to open his mouth to speak, but all that comes out is a surprised little, “heh,” as he realizes he's spent. Trish will be so angry. He starts to try to get up, but instead falls to land on the opposite side of Shin from where Nick is. He isn't going to bother again, it's his bed after all. There is a little alarm that starts to sound over on a dresser. A small series of three beeps that occurs three times and then stops. Arako sighs at the alarm and frowns just a little before rolling onto his side to also snuggle into Shin. His intention was to leave Shin's sword arm free for when Khoal brought the sword up, but now he's in the way. On well, anyone would be fools to try something past me. Then in realizing he's touching a dragon his last conscious thought is, don't read my thoughts. Then a deep sleep takes him, the magic having costed more effort than he'll ever let them know.