When: Tria 38, 81379 Where: Empty house in the northern area of the city. Who: http://shadowlack.com/persona.php?id=699Khaela Mesha-Khaine</a> & http://shadowlack.com/persona.php?id=542Koani Grader</a>. Notes: Private for http://shadowlack.com/forums/index.php?showuser=131Shriker</a>. - - - Khaela had been having a rough day. He had been called upon the scene at early morning, searching for clues to the odd Grader rumors. If he ever found the dragon who started them, they would be dead by his hands. Of course, the curtious Ramathian Gyleka would never let him do anything of the sort. But, who's to say they even knew. The only one Khaela had told was Koani Grader, who was due any time now. He had made it clear to her that it was important. Otherwise, he would never bother the daughter of the Arch Magos. Even she knew nothing of them. A threat had been made here. It was directed towards the Graders. On the large stone walls, clearly inked out in red for the world to see. Anything relating to them made Khaela very nervious. Before even asking Koani Grader to come, he had sealed some charms upon the entire house. Of course, the ones who made the thread would return sometime. He would never bring her in any danger. "Uh, Gorlek Jaluseymt, fhus abaj nupa na suca og tokh u qyr." he mumbled, scattering some things across a weather worn couch. The room contained furniture left from the old owners. Only a few items remained. The faded orange couch, followed by a chair, only having three legs. He hated dragons who bothered him, especially during the early morning. The "Rlyyp Uttuttemt." would understand the wrath of Khaela Mesha-Khaine. Perhaps not today, though. He slumped over on the faded couch, a dagger in hand. It was going to be a long day. Indeed.
"Well, it's Khaela," Koani said with a faint shrug of her shoulders. She'd been discussing unimportant matters quietly with Vythe. Vythe only sighed in response. "You can wait outside," she informed him. "I'll be sure to give you a holler if I need any help. Doubtful though, well, given his usual precautions." Vythe nodded and tapped the tele-link that he wore. "Just keep in touch," he said. Koani chuckled quietly and moved up the four steps of the building where she was to be meeting Khaela. He had very pressing matters to discuss with her it seemed and had needed her to come without a moment's hesitation. Upon reaching the door, Koani pressed her right hand against its frame. It thrummed quietly with Khaela's invisible magic insignia. It was a nice feeling. It was Khaela's mark alright. She knocked three times on the door before casting a glance down at Vythe. The guard still had one eye on her.
Khaela nodded. "Welcome, Koani." he called, directing her over to the faded couch. It was going to be a very long morning. They had much to discuss, and even more to learn. He looked around the room, scanning the walls. Switching into Ramathian, he broke into conversation. "Las ot das pyfm sy rotematt sham.", throwing the dagger into the red letters on the walls. It exploded into a fury of colours, a clear picture being drawn of the "Rlyyp Uttuttemt." for Koani to see. Three dragons, each wearing musty old leathers, hoods covering thier faces. Each had an iron sword, of red colouring. The image faded into the lettering as Khaela stepped forward. "Huba iyo abaj taam shata pjudymt ravyja." he asked, turning towards her. He feared that Koani was in danger. He would not let any harm come to her, no matter what happened. He would rather die for her, than see he come under seige.
Having let herself in, Koani looked about the room. It was pretty shabby and run down. Specially considering the upscale part of the city it was situated in. That in itself was bothersome. "Khaela," she said in response to his greeting. Always the bearer of bad news he was. Although Koani hadn't had too many dealings with him in particular, she knew that her father had. Most likely some of the information that he had learned from Khaela were what had caused those ever deepening creases of concern on his brow. Also it was likely Khaela was having a tough time lately, as were most pendragons in her service. Pendragons were upset. Deciding that now was the right time to make a move. She couldn't blame them though. What better time than now? With Karryasa gone, Zamfir out of commission, and the only one holding down the home front was her - Koani. The Grader's eldest, and "crippled" daughter. She sneered at that perception. She'd show them all of course. Until then though... Anti-Grader crimes appeared to be on the rise. Which was where Khaela came in. Koani faintly pulled at the skirt she was wearing. It was a pale ghost pink with bright red flaming designs along its bottom. Her shirt was likewise pink, but fringed with black instead of red. Her long aqua hair she kept swept back over her shoulders, a few thin braids scattered amongst their lengths. She certainly wasn't dressed for espionage, nor for concealment. Most of Koani's wardrobe really screamed to be noticed. To be looked at. She often mused to herself that that would be her downfall. Her eyebrows rose as Khaela hurled a dagger at the wall. She had missed reading what had been written their earlier, but watched with pursed lips as a picture began to draw itself there. It depicted an imposing looking crew of three. Their hidden faces (cowards...), matching weaponry, and dispositions certainly made them look as if they were serious. It wasn't just someone's childish prank it seemed. When Khaela turned to her with his question, she answered him. "My. Us lauts mys sy ni jakyllakseym. Fhus py shai fums?" she asked, knowing already that it was most likely 'the usual.' Someone's life of course. Perhaps hers, perhaps her father's. Perhaps they were ambitious and wanted both of them. Perhaps her siblings as well.
Khaela shifted, nervious at thier current situation. He marched around the room slowly. Finally, after a few tense moments, he spoke. "Shai fums iyo paup, ni lupi." Khaela said, in an extremely sad voice. He was tough, but Koani was the only thing that brought another change in him. Koani always dressed to impress, in Khaela's eyes. It was one of the things that made her stunning, but she had far more beauty on the inside. At times, he wished that she would let it show, instead of hiding it away. She was very stuborn, as was her mother. He tried to smile, but on days like these it was very hard to keep one content. He turned away to the other end of the room, staring into the broken staircase. "Ros py mys fyjji, vyj E fell gjysaks iyo, ut E tfyja ravyja, yj pea sjiemd." The words were true. He would, nothing would ever get in his way. Those dragons would be sorry that they ever bothered him or the Graders. Khaela Mesha-Khaine would make sure of it. He would use all the magic in his blood to make sure that no harm would come even close to her. But even then he had more worry. There was more than three of them. A dozen, or more had been here.
Koani nodded her head faintly in response to Khaela's statement. Of course they wanted her dead. Ever since the large trial with Stormwing... well, it seemed as if everyone had suddenly wanted to get their kicks in. Perhaps 'finish off' what Stormwing hadn't. There were some who had been assuming that it was she who was keeping Zamfir from power as well. That she was going to permanently usurp him. Although, that isn't to say the thought hadn't crossed her mind. Thinking about doing so made her heart ache though. She had already lost her mother and didn't even want to imagine losing her father as well. She moved slowly over to the couch, watching Khaela as he stared at the remnants of some steps. This place was in even worse condition than she had first thought. He broke the prolonged silence with a pledge of loyalty. To Koani, it seemed rather appropriate given their current situation. "E cmyf, ump E uggjakeusa es," she said faintly. Perhaps she ought to be more worried though. It seemed as if her walls, her family's walls, were crumbling more and more every day. Soon there would be only rubble left. Maybe it was all just a matter of time now before it all came crashing down on her. "Py iyo cmyf fhi shai fums na paup? Shaej nyseba gajhugt?" she asked after a while. There was no doubt in her mind that Khaela had gathered at least some information. Knowing him, he probably hadn't even slept last night.
"I have no idea." he responded, a hand hovering over the broken stairs. Any dragon could tell that Khaela had an accent in other languages, besides Ramathian. He had been born learning the language of his lands. It was Nera, his father that had made that choice. He was a very hard force in thier home. Perhaps one of the reasons Khaela moved out as soon as he could. But then again, he wondered sometimes if his father was in the Fronima somewhere, or if he had faded away in time. "I am honoured to serve the Graders, and especially the one and only Koani." he said, moving towards the old coffee table. They had made one error in the entire scheme. They had bothered Khaela Mesha-Khaine. She was worried about her father, of course. "E fell nuca toja shus Zamfir et tuva, Koani." Ara Meshazu and Nera Khaine had been murdered a few months after he had turned thirty six. The reason was unknown to him, but he swore that before he entered Fronima, he would have the blood of thier killer on his hands. There was a tattered fabric on the coffee table, covered in a minimal amount of blood. It had belonged to one of the assassins.
"Oh," Koani said after a moment. That must have been why Khaela had been so adamant about meeting with her right away. That's why the situation was so dangerous. The leads on those making the threats must have become dead ends or run dry. Perhaps they were meaning to do a little toying with their victim - with her. Try to make a statement for whatever cause it was they were crusading for. "That's too bad." Whatever the case, she wasn't about to allow herself to get worked up over it. There were threats on her life everyday. Some, sure, they were more serious than others, but she wasn't about to allow it to interfere with her work. "Touching Khaela," Koani said in response to his statement about it being an honour to serve her. Her words came out as being a little sarcastic and bitter though, which wasn't quite how she had intended them. She frowned, lightly shaking her head. Today was going to be a bad day it seemed. She let herself slowly slide onto the threadbare couch, her movements a little restricted as her broken ribs were still on the mend. The once simple act of just bending was hurtful. There was a sharp pain in her gut as she settled into a sitting position. Koani held her breath for a moment, then it seemed to just ebb away, faintly throbbing, but bearable. Khaela, in the meantime, had moved onto the subject of her father. "That's just it though," Koani said. She hadn't really been meaning to say anything on the subject of Zamfir. "You, I, we can try to keep him safe. I know this may sound silly, perhaps even a bit cliché, but see, none of us can save him, keep him safe, from himself. He's been-" Koani stopped herself. This really wasn't the time, nor the place. "You know, just enough about that. Do you have any leads, anything at all on this group making the threats? What makes them different from all the rest?"
Khaela nodded, hearing the sarcastic tone in her voice. He knew she had no intended on such, but it came out. It was about to be a long day, and it was already an early morning. He looked around the room once more, making sure it was clear. It was something that would make anyone nervous, nevermind the dragon which had to manage them. "They are demons." he answered, clouded by hate. "And now I am ever so sure it was them who murdered my mother and father." in a harsh voice. It obviously had some relations to the situation. But the trouble was that he had no idea what they might be.
Koani twisted around slightly to get a better view of Khaela. She didn't exactly like the harshness in his voice. That dark, angry undertone. She couldn't blame him though. Specially if his assumptions were true. She knew all too well what it was like to seek out and confront a killer. Regarding Kakosenas and those ties she had to her own Mother's death. Of course, Koani's allegations had been unsupported. There had been no proof... and in the end, the murderer had walked. Thinking about it infuriated Koani. She had known. Deep inside of her heart, she had known. She would have staked anything on that feeling. That absolute certainty. Although Koani considered 'business' finished with Stormwing, she wasn't quite finished with Kakosenas. Not by a long shot. Despite what her colleagues had recommended, Koani had set up a few contacts to keep 'tabs' on Kakosenas. Either the murderous thill had grown wise to them, had been tipped off, or was just abnormally paranoid, Koani wasn't sure. Whatever the case, that yellow moray eyed female had repeatedly given her contacts the slip and led them in dizzying circles. Koani, seeing that nothing productive was coming out of it, had eventually called them off and sent them elsewhere. She'd leave her alone for a bit, Koani had decided. Let her develop a false sense of security. Sooner or later Kakosenas would be bound to screw up and Koani would be ready. "Khaela, I could assign someone else to the case. If it's too personal I mean. Though I can understand if you want to follow it by yourself. Perhaps I could get some pendragons from some of the other departments to help you out. Is there any particular reason why you think these were the same filth that murdered your parents?" She hadn't been too sure how to respond to his demon comment, so had figured this was the best alternative. Although Koani didn't know the exact details regarding the demise of Khaela's parents, she did vaguely remember glancing over a case file once. Procedure dictated that all pendragons in the Grader's services have extensive background checks. Thankfully, that in itself wasn't Koani's job, although from time to time she did like to read up on various employees.
He looked away from Koani, hoping to show that he was strong enough for her, strong enough for the Graders. "I remember them." He knew that he should not be reminding Koani of her own mother. It was a very hard thing to remember. "E'n sucemd sha kuta, vyj rysh yv ot." He knew enough of the Graders history to know what was bothering Koani. It was something he would rather not bother her about. The morning had soon turned into afternoon, as the sun rose from the enchanted skies. Khaela was one to enjoy the beauty of the small things. The sun in the sky, the moon in the night, the smile of one, Koani Grader. "Gajhugt fa thyolp suca u rjauc ump das tynashemd sy aus." he asked, hoping to draw her away from worried thoughts.
"Well, mere memory may not be enough to jail them. We need proof," Koani said quietly. She had learned her 'lesson' of course. Unfortunately, unless they could find a substantial lead, there wasn't much they could do until the assassins made an attempt or fouled up somehow. Left them some bread crumbs if they were cocky. Attempt was of course the optimistic way of viewing it. Although she really did have no desire, nor plans to fall victim to some group of rogue assassins. Where would be the honour in that? Koani had always had plans to go down fighting, and fight she would. Maybe that was why she was surprised by Khaela's suggestion. She'd been expecting to jump right onto the case, buckle down and get to work sorting out this tangled mess. The proposed idea that they take a step back from the problem and grab something to eat? Koani looked at Khaela, a slightly puzzled expression on her face. She supposed that she could eat something. The hasty breakfast that she had eaten earlier had been rather light. Maybe she was a little peckish. "We could do that."
He nodded. "I have some evidence refering them to the house, and to the Grader threats." he answered, showing the bloody cloth to Koani. "It must have been ripped off when they approached the stairway." Khaela had been checking for other things in that area of the house before. He had a feeling they had left something more. Something that would leave them in a hard cell for many years. He was sure of what they had done. Murder, times three. "Fa kyolp aus, ump fyjc ym sha kuta." he suggested. He had been in such a hurry that morning, and was actually hungry for a change. He was too energized by the case to even notice. Koani, on the other hand, he had no idea if she had eaten before. He was only hoping to draw her away from worry and conclusions. "Ump fham fa uja dyma, E un toja shai fell fulc jedhs emsy ni sjug." he said. They had left something behind.
"Ah... hm," Koani murmured while looking up at the bloody cloth. Was it the blood of a victim, or a victimizer? Whatever the case, it unsettled her. "That's not right," she said while easing herself up out of her seat a little painstakenly in order to stand. "That's not right at all. Do you think they were purposely careless? Or, hm. I wonder who's blood it is. Have you run a DNA check yet? If it was a victim, we may have them on file if the body was recovered." Of course an extensive check like that took ages in order to get results. There were so many variables open for comparison. Not to mention that DNA mutated in some pendragons... so most likely that would be another dead end. The spiny thill headed over to the door, her long aqua tail drifting along the floor with the ends of her skirt. Part of her was actually relieved (albeit still rather surprised) that Khaela had suggested this dual task of working and eating. Perhaps once they had removed themselves from the scene, they'd be able to think better as well. "Had you anyplace in mind to eat?" she asked. Koani was also curious about this trap that Khaela had laid, but trusted that they would have plenty of time to talk about that.
<span style='width:100%;font-weight:bold; font-size:10px'>Out of Character</span> <table class='ooc'><tr><td>^^;. I've been rather busy with school now.</td></tr></table> He nodded. "It's very wrong, indeed." he answered in a hushed voice. "Ompaj sha PMU tkum es uggaujt sy ra sha rlyyp yv u pjudym, Arixx Tsujju, aeshaj sha beksyn yj sha nojpajaj. Sha klysh fyolp maap vojshaj satsemd vyj vemdaj engjatteymt, ut ni nudek ymli dyat ty vuj. " He looked around the room once more before stepping out the door of the cold, musty home. "You choose." Khaela Mesha-Khaine had other things to worry about than what they would eat. They would be coming for the cloth soon, which was safely tucked away in a small bag he carried.
"Arixx Tsujju? Never heard of them," she answered. Even the pendragon's surname was a complete mystery to her. At least they had linked the blood to a name though. Just how helpful that would be, Koani had no idea. Forensic magic wasn't exactly a forte of hers. She steadied her right hand on the door latch, thinking to herself for a moment. She then cast an over the shoulder glance at Kheala, her look contemplative. "I think I know of a place we can go. It's small, but I believe it'll do," she said as she pulled the door shut behind them. Vythe was there waiting for them at the bottom of the small set of steps which led up to the decrepit hideaway. He smiled a little wanly at them, then waved them closer. A moderately sized vehicle was awaiting them. It was silver and trimmed with black, but strangely, it didn't seem very reflective. Sort of like it had had all of its polish worn off, and the result was a dull, drab, gray. As Koani and Khaela made their way down the stairs, Vythe pulled open one of the passenger doors.
Khaela sat down on one of the seats, drawing his attention the the house once more. He gazed out the window for a few seconds before realizing he should presenting his findings to Koani. "From what I undestand, these dragons have been causing revolts against the Graders for some time now, although they have remained rather secretive." he explained in his accented English. It caused a great deal of pain to him to see her worry. He would forever follow the Graders, no matter the dangers. He was there to protect Koani from the dangers of foolish pendragons. They knew nothing of the word honour. The familiar ringing of his phone filled the silence between conversation. Khaela had little choice but to answer, it could be another clue. "Khaine tgaucemd, iat, E taa, E fell ra shaja ut tyym ut E vemeth og ybaj haja." It was nothing but another meeting to add to his morning. Khaela carefully checked over his schedule, writing some notes next to the current date. It was going to be a long, but interesting day.
Koani entered the vehicle, albeit rather slowly. The simple act of bending was still quite painful, and with no adequate painkillers, well, Koani just had to deal. She again held her breath and lightly bit her tongue as she sat down. Once settled and moderately comfortable, Koani smoothed out her pale pink and red flamed skirt. The interior of the vehicle was actually quite quaint. The upholstery a deep luxurious shade of navy blue. Much unlike the rather drab exterior. Somewhat living up to that old adage: beauty lies within. She leaned back a little in the seat as she listened to Khaela. “So, you think that this group has been behind a lot of these upsets? The thought of someone organizing those had crossed my mind, I mean, some of the demonstrations had to of been planned... but they're so random. We've never really been able to pinpoint any could-be perpetrators. Hm, who was that? If you don't mind me asking." Koani asked after Khaela had finished talking on his phone.
He flinched at the sight of Koani in pain. It was something he hated to see above all else. At the moment he felt rather useless, not being able to do anything for her. "It was an old friend of mine, Bartuc Shadowhawk, he might have a lead for me, I will notify you afterwords of course, if any changes occur." He stared out the window, eyes scanning the cold, cloudy skies. Time passed in a blur of colours, but Khaela was always looking back, never forward. He could never move on after the things he had seen. There was no hope for a better future, unless people could learn from thier mistakes.
