As their prey entered what looked like the place of meeting, the large cat leapt off into the air, a near impossible leap, propelling it to the very centre of the target building just as lightning streaked across the sky.

Even as it sailed through the stormy, rain whipped air it changed, shifted and took on another form.

A sleek, monstrous form.

Darker than black and with no discernable eyes it rush through the air towards the designated house and by the time it landed, soundless despite the long claws now displayed on its feet and hands, it was salivating even in the storm.

As a clasp of thunder shook the city it slunk over the side of the build, out of sight.

 

Hoping that Banglen-Yp is on the bridging roman sends Please try not to eat anyone...."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:03, Fri 27 July 2007.

A chorus of "You're no funs"  come from the other cats, surrounding the building.

The horned man takes his stroll around the square, pausing, occasionally, to peer into shopfronts.  From his actions, an observer might suspect that he was just out for a pleasant evening stroll, if only this particular evening were not quite so unpleasant.

Ignoring the windoe of the dead shop, he passes it by, and then turns into the alley.  At that point he speeds up, rushing through to the area at the rear, before finding a place to hide and peer back through the narrow passage.

Once he is satisfied that nobody is following him, he moves up the low steps to the rear door, opens it, and goes inside.  If he notices the woman hidden in the corner, he gives no sign of it.


On the roof, those who follow him meet up with those who follow the women.


Inside, the shop is dark, and ancient boards creak beneath the Rokt's heavy tread.  He moves through the building, unaware that an eyeless gaze follows him from the darkest corner of the ceiling, where the shadows seem to coalesce into something monstrous.

He steps, carefully, past a place where somebody has, at some point, torn up one of the floorboards.

Then he stops, spreading his hands far out to the sides.  "Ah... dhis is good.  You are here."  He half bows to the woman, and spares a nod for the other one, half-hidden in the shadows.  "Have you brought dhe item?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:28, Thu 26 July 2007.

 

Other than bridging the gap between the buildings, the black sleek monster was unaware of any such thing while it slowly, barely perceptibly, moved into what it perceived as the ideal spot for observing without being observed as well as being able to leap into action when the time came.

Its long tail curled up around its shoulders, placing the spear-like tip in a ready-to-strike pose.  The lips remained sealed, however, to prevent the near constant drooling from betraying its presence.

                                        Inodorous.

                                                                                Ectothermic.

                                                            Nearly unperceivable.

With no scent and no heat signature it was tricky at best to know it was there, and few species ever did look above their heads since they could not themselves sit up up there.

But there is was, noting every move down below it with its eyeless stare, ready to spring into action.

 

Roman circles the building, high up, looking for an entrance he might use, unseen.  A broken window, perhaps or even one left open.  As he goes he slowly descends, still careful to avoid notice.  If the woman outside were to raise an alarm the exchange might be called off.

There is an entrance, one which Roman, in his somewhat amorphous form can get in through, likely the same window that Banglen-Yp had used, the glass scattered on the floor inside, as the frame swings and creaks on straining hinges.

The room inside is dark, right up beneath the gambrel roof of the structure.  There is a door at the far end, slightly ajar...

Roman hovers near the window, ready to storm into the building if the occasion demands.  Inside, without the cover of the elements he might be seen, and nothing must endanger the exchange.  This seems the best compromise between the demands of the situation,

Roman waits at the window, visible to the cats in their positions on the rooftops around the yard.  Three stories below, though, the hidden woman is more intent on the rear door of the shop than on the random swirls and eddies in the rain.

From where he hovers, Roman can hear voices, somewhere far inside the shop.  Distance, the sounds of the storm, and the quiteness of their speech, all conspire to make it impossible to hear what is being said.

Fear not the dark, but what may lurk therein.

To Roman's senses, and to those linked to him, the voices sound a little louder, but still not clear enough to be heard...

In the courtyard, the woman moves from her hiding place, edging closer to the rear door of the shop.

The predators lurk, assigning amongst themselves the targets. One to each limb of the not-demon, one to the cube which is not-cube, one to each of the women, shifting to reinforcement status once they leave.

The task doesn't take long, and they circle the building slowly.

To Roman's ears, the voices stop for a moment.  Then a single word reaches his ears clearly, "Treachery!", followed by some more, again too low to hear.

In the yard, the woman who had remained outside starts when she hears that word.  She draws a knife, and takes up a position near the door.


Suddenly there is a sound which does not belong... laughter.

Roman wastes no time in blowing through the broken window.  Hopefully Banglen-Yp can handle the situation until he gets there.  As he goes, he listens, hoping to gain a little more information on what is truly happening inside.

A mental shout emanates over the bridging,  The followed woman betrays!

Of a sudden, much of the former plan is discarded.

They drop like lightning onto the street, and charge at their targets.

One pounces the woman in the street. Claws sheathed, but not allowing her to leave.

Five others charge, heading through the walls, their roars loud as thunder, Ahmad first of them all.

Two remain ready to chase escapees.

A mortal fever haunts the dying earth
Our hearts and souls stand still and wince
I can't save your day,
Rescue won't take your hand,
So sleep the day away
Sleep, my dear
And our god hides in calm


Inside the shadows lurk, the shadows lurk as the world dances blindly.

Windows and doors are burst assunder, sending glass and wood flying into the room in a hail of jagged shards.  A crash echoes down the stairs, from somewhere on the upper floors of the shop.

As the laughter dies on her lips, the woman's left hand flashes out to grab the bundle on the counter, while her right suddenly holds a knife.  "More of your treachery, Rokt?" she snaps.

The second woman crouches, shielding her face from the flying fragments, rolls and twists... coming to her feet back to back with her leader.  She has a knife in each hand.

The room is suddenly a lot more crowded...

The Rokt reaches over his shoulder, drawing a sword with a heavy, curved blade.


Outside, the third woman suddenly finds half a ton of panther pinning her down.  She still has her knife in hand, but suddenly it seem that trying to use it might not be such a good plan.


Inside, in the most shadowed corner of the ceiling, something black hisses quietly...

 

Fools.  Why did they burst in like that?  The tension had been too strong already, and now, it could only result chaos.

Anyone could die now.


Dropping from the ceiling the sleek black shape twisted around in mid-air and landed nearly without a sound right between the horned man and the women.

With once side towards them each it hissed, loudly and with a sort of scream in there.  It hoped to gain the attention of everyone, including the large cats.  The tail whipped about, but not towards anyone, merely above its own eyeless head.

Standing in a crouch, the end of the sharp tail now poised above its head the thing froze, waiting without making a sound.  It watched everything in the room at once, ready.

The second next move would be its, regardless of who moved first.

 

The intruders hesitate, as the woman's words imply a change, but two move in on the Rokt, two go after the package, and the last one crouches warily before the thing between them.

For now, claws are kept sheathed, at Ahmad's order. "All the people alive are wanted."*

But weight, strength and speed are still applied as they swat and bite at the things the humans hold.


*_catspeak
This message was last edited by the player at 19:18, Sat 04 Aug 2007.

"These animals were at the inn, with the copper-haired woman who spoke up for us." the woman snarls, as she finds herself disarmed, and the bundle knocked from beneath her hand.  "The woman whose words persuaded Haria Nex to turn against me was also with them!  Are they your lackeys, Rokt?"

"Dhey are not mine!  Dhey were at dhe inn when you were dhere, Chanactarsa witch.  To protect you?  Is dhat it?"  As he responds, the man's eyes blaze with fury.

Then the horned man also finds himself relieved of his sword, and the woman speaks again, "Hah!  It seems we have both met with betrayal this night!"


A bizarre aparition enters the room from the door to the staircase... a knot of swirling air and lightning, moving carefully through the suddenly crowded space.

The woman glares at it, "Another of yours, Rokt?  You are pathetic!"

"Mine?  Yours!  Is dhis one responsible for dhe storm which damaged my ship?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:49, Wed 08 Aug 2007.

As the living storm approaches the captive Chanactarsa  voice like thunder speaks "Woman" "is" "deal" "done?"
This message was last edited by the player at 10:57, Mon 06 Aug 2007.

 

Even as the cats swatted at the sword, the tip of the tail came over for an instant, between the cats and the man-demon, but was withdrawn when the weapons was gone from his grip.  The tip of the tail was once more poised over the eyeless head of the creature.  All in one smooth move.

As the whirling wind spoke the creature hissed in what sounded like a parody of laughter, tilting its head slightly.  Then the jaws opened and a second pair of jaws moved out slowly on a bony structure, dripping in some kind of saliva.  These second pair of jaws open in turn, slowly, and then closed again, drool falling on the floor.

Then a small, cat-like mewl is heard from the creature, sounding slightly muffled.

 

"You have interfered in the business of the Chanactarsa." The woman says to the living storm, "That is cause for blood feud!"

The Rokt studies the strange creature which watches him.  Or, at least, it seems to be watching him.  It's hard to tell exactly, as it has no eyes.  After careful consideration, he decides it's probably best if he behaves for the moment.

Outside it appears to be raining giant panthers.

Morgan ducks, entering the crowded room. Appraising the situation, a small smile plays about his lips.

"Pardon the intrusion, but we've been following an unusual creature. We were waiting for your business to finish before coming inside, but there were shouts of betrayal reported, and they thought it might be her. If you could finish whatever you're doing and clear out before she decides to retaliate, I'd appreciate it."

Every word a true one, but I'm not referring to Banglen-Yp.

Tahirah actually takes a moment outside, both to catch her breath, and to regain her composure.  She gives Haria Nex a concerned look - not that one can tell through the hood - and says softly, "It may be better if you remain here, for the moment."  It's only a suggestion, however, and she walks in after Morgan.  She takes in the tableau, especially the strange creature in the middle of the room, but turns to face Daennar Gef.

She bows to the Chanactarsa.  "Our apologies for disrupting your honorable transaction, Daennar Gef."  She speaks softly, her movements slow, letting her demeanor project calm and peace despite the tension.  The knife given to her by Haria Nex lies under her robes, tucked away before the wild panther ride, when her hands were inevitably otherwise occupied.

"There is a matter I would broach with you, that lights upon both your honor and this business, if I may speak before you conclude."  She stops, to wait for permission, prepared to step back if it is denied.