Alliel gives the hookah a taut smile.

"I would like an alliance of sorts, knowledge for power.  I give you power as I can and you give me knowledge as you can.  Consider it a mutually beneficial relationship between equals.  I am Alliel of the Dark Arts, a goddess of sorts and you?"

"Death occurs only to the weak, do not mourn them - pity them." he said coldly. "The club can still go places. I will help you get there if you let me."

Sura

"There is still the matter of initiation," said Zast. "You need to steal fire from the heavens, prove that your intelligence, in both senses, are worth training and persevering. Worth adding to the Club. I.. our antiseers have sensed the presence of a merging, between one of the Deepest Nihili of the Abyss and a God working for the Conclave. We wish to know how such a relationship can exist and what the man's ideology is regarding the Conclave - is he zealot, or just a man doing his job? Furthermore.." He stopped at this. "We have reason to believe that he holds the mythical - in certain antiseer circles - Starvation Cannon, capable of bringing ruin to entire Realms, worlds if need be. His name is Pitt Cairn."

Zast nodded.

"We would need confirmation - or adequate evidence against the claim that he holds the Starvation Cannon, and details with his relationship to the Thrice-Black Thing, one the Deepest Nihili. Are you interested, Lord of Sand?"

Alliel

"I.." rasped the hookah, smoke billowing from within the tarnished bronze. "I hold no name. It has been so long since.. I've been called. So long. I need Title, but I cannot.. I am afraid, sir diabolist, that.. that you have a lesser demon in your service. Apologies.."

Alliel smiles at the Hookah.

"I wished for one such as yourself, one I can have as my friend and servant in my own rise to glory.  I am a mistress of those arts other despise and I believe I can offer you such as you lack.  Right now I wish to find prey - a god that has sufficient power for me to slay but not enough to be a threat.  If you aid me now in finding such a one I will aid you in reclaiming your name and in rising to power within your own kind."

Sura's eyebrows rose. "I'm afraid not. Zast, it is now you that has to prove worthy to host me. You have tarnished the clubs image. He paused briefly. "I understand that there is procedure that must be kept to - but in light of recent events, we're altering the procedure. I will investigate this Pitt Carn for you, if only to sate my own desire for knowledge. However, i have a task for you. You have weakness, Zast. I asked that you head to The Dead Seas of Jormungandr and face your fears. There is something that dwells deep there. You will capture it alive for me. As a business man, i am sure you see why you must do this. I must know if my investment into the club will be worth while.

Sura tilted his head slightly. "Do we have an understanding?"

Sura

Zast examined Sura coldly.

"You are mistaken if you feel that single moment of weakness, as the city fell from above and my past came to harry at my heels, is an example of the way I typically run business," he said. "You'll also be forgiven if you believe my mourning for the loss of my students was in any way a sign of hesitation to act. I have heard of the Kraken which dwells within Jormungandr - who deals business with Brors, the Master of the Rarest Horrors, without hearing the story of the impossible beast that dwells below?"

He shook his head.

Alliel

"I can.. help you," said the Hookah. "Yes.. man who skips through time. Traveler through the weakest currents. Ancient hero reborn to.. nothing, to failure. Xellos. I can help you."

Alliel smiles down at the Hookah. She reaches down and lifts it.

"So a service for a service.  Now I wish your help to find a god to hunt.  When that is down we will see about getting you enough power to form a more appropriate form.  Is that fair?  I seek a weak god to hunt, one with some power of divinity but no power of arms."

"So you see my predicament. You have to show me, no, prove to me that it is not how you run your business.

Sura

"My business is just that," said the First Knight of the Hydrathapoles, a little testily. "My buesiness. Forgive me, Sura, but I fel your implications to be insulting. It is still my club - I am still the First Knight - and I do not have to prove myself to anyone. If you are no longer interested in the Club, I am sorry, but I have much more pressing matters to deal with than hunting the undefinable Kraken of Jormungandr. Classes must continue. We must consolidate what little power we have remaining to us."

Alliel

"Xellos.." said the Hookah, more insistent now. "Wanderer.. through time, journeyman of the temporal.. no consolidations - of power.. easy to kill.."

Alliel's eyes narrow as she realises what the hookah is saying.

"Right, where do I find Xellos?"

"Your more than a fool than i thought if you do not understand the situation we're in. You say this is not how you run your business.. but i have yet to see any different. In these harsh times you turn away a potential ally? I would think, according to these circumstances, protocal is out of the picture and status is removed." Sura paused. "Prove your capabilities and the clubs to me and you will have a peer, teacher and student in me."

Sura

"The seizing of the Kraken is a near-impossible task," said Zast, finally. "Ask me something that is a little more just and I may comply. But you, Sura, you will need to still perform your task. If we are to be partners in the Club then we need to both be proven."

Alliel

"Here. Here. Right.." the demon cackles, and it is a rasping, smoky sound. "Here. Sixteen thousand years.. gone. Age of ... Ascendancy. When this was.. when this was.. it belonged to Nicodemus of Narcotics.. you need - need a - Nicolai Gate.. through time and space.." There was the laughter again, but it wasn't mocking - the demon was simply contemplating once again owning a name.

"I will undergo your tests. However, i will ask that your task remain the same. I will join you but, together we can work out a way to capture it for the club. Agreed?"

"So we need a gate?  Next problem would be where to find one.  Any ideas?  Could there be one in Xellos's own realm and would you have any idea where that is?"

Sura

Zast examined Sura quietly, and then smiled.

"If you will accomplish your task first - give me some time to rebuild the Club's affairs - and then, if you'll join me, we shall take the Kraken from whatever sunken God claims it. Yes. That is acceptable."

He seemed to visibly relax, taking out a bottle of blue-black liquor and pouring himself a generous glass.

"Drink, Sura? It isn't poison, this time."

Alliel

"Nicolai.. Gate. Nicolai.. can be built. A gesture. Of power. A gesture.. of power.. can show you, friend.. can.."

More smoke spurted from within the hookah, and Alliel got the impression that it was excited. Perhaps it had retained some valuable information after all.

Alliel breathed out very slowly.

"Good.  So friend tell me how to create such a gate.  Can you describe the gesture of power required?"

"No, thankyou." he said. He walked around, examining the room as he does so. "Tell me, what is my first task?"

Sura

Zast sighs and repeats himself. "Attention. Our antiseers have sensed the presence of a merging, between one of the Deepest Nihili of the Abyss and a God working for the Conclave. We wish to know how such a relationship can exist and what the man's ideology is regarding the Conclave - is he zealot, or just a man doing his job? Furthermore.." He stopped at this. "We have reason to believe that he holds the mythical - in certain antiseer circles - Starvation Cannon, capable of bringing ruin to entire Realms, worlds if need be. His name is Pitt Cairn."

Alliel

"I..."

There was a long pause, and Alliel shivered involuntarily.

"Take me. Take me to.. take me to the Methodes. Take."

Alliel nods.

"I can summon my own methodes gate and send you through it if you wish.  If I do I am not physically present at the other end currently so would be unable to join you.  Would the mere summoning of the gate be enough or would I need to step through to the physical gate?"

She summons the methodes gate to take her home while waiting for the answer.

"Right. And where is he located currently?"

Sura

"Our antiseers believe his realm to be that of Bilbligh, in the 44th Meta-District according to the Conclave," said Zast. "It is a rolling place filled with hills and farmland. Beyond that, I cannot help. Knowing the name of the place you should be able to find your way there, but if that is not the case then we have a working Methodes Gate, if you need it."

Balast

"Please.. please," said the hookah-demon. "Show me.. the source.. source.. need the source.. physical location.." It seemed to be getting weaker. Perhaps manifesting without name was damaging it..

Alliel waits until she has returned to her tower and then sends the Hookah daemon through to her other self.  Once that is complete she begins to wander the streets looking for a place that might offer training in the combat arts.

"I will head there immediately. I will report back when i have news. Farewell Zast." He leaves for Bilbligh.

Sura

There was a shattering of laughter - a terrible feast - a vendetta between paradise and utopia - and it was done. He was in Bilbligh.

Balast

Balast soon comes upon a small temple on the western outskirts of the city. Resting within above its windows are faded words: "The Second Gambit Dojo." There are no guards, and the place seems empty. This might be what she was looking for.

Alliel walks into the Dojo and looks around for anyone to speak to.  While she is doing so she starts working on her fine control of her existing weapons.  Darts are lifted into the air to sweep in simple patterns around her until she has found out how many she can control and what level of control she has.