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The Black Tower (Lost One and Nekrosilisk)

Nekrosilisk88

Nekrosilisk88

Wolf in the Shadows
Supporter
Joined
Mar 6, 2009
Location
Beaverton, OR
Jasper cursed as the wind howled about him, blowing his cloak open, and exposing him to the pounding rain. Its stinging bite was not only painful, but it was making it harder for him to find purchase on the slick rocky ground. He could feel his feet slipping and he was certain he'd be blown away away if he didn't find shelter soon. His yellow eyes scanned the darkness for a cave or abandoned building he could hole up in. In the distance he thought he could make out the dim outline of tower.

He fought bitterly against the wind to reach the shelter he'd seen, though as he neared it he could see it's stones were black as pitch and there was something ominous about it, something forbidding. He felt trapped on the horns of a dilemma , something told him that the tower should be left, but if he remained out here he'd surely die. give his options he decided to enter the ominous building. Walking about its circumference he finally reached its ebony door, and opened it stepping into the tower, and out of the storm.
 
As he entered the world around him would shift and ripple. The door slamming shut just as he entered. The old abandoned tower becoming larger and people appearing as they hurried by all dressed in shades of dark red, blues, purples, blacks. All of them holding the same solemn faced expression a few stopped and stared a woman with a small child. "Why are you wet, the magess made it rain last week." the small fox kit giggled as the mother led him away down the road among the others.

A figure moved silently towards him a tall slender wolf male with a white spot over his eyes. They were dressed similar and the mangy canine seemed eager to get somewhere. "What are you doing here? The servants are supposed to report to their stations now." he growled grabbing the soaked panther's wrist and trying to lead him away. "And why are you wet? Fall into a fountain or something? Fiona will be furious if her meal is late come on!" Apparently the wolf assumed that the odd panther was another kitchen servant. After all no one every willingly entered the Magess’s, black tower. Especially if they knew the legend.
 
Growling and baring his fangs, Jasper ripped his arm free of the wolf's grip quite expertly. His eyes narrowed and became dark and menacing while his ears twitched and his fur bristled. His cloak swirled back revealing a dagger to one side, and a rapier on the other. His paw gripped the hilt of his rapier as he instinctively went into a fencing stance.

"Keep your hands off me scum. Do i look like a servant?" His eyes closely watched the wolf and those others around him for any hostile movement. "There's a bloody gale outside and this place looked abandoned so i ducked in for some cover from the rain. If I've intruded I'll just be going." His fingers flexed on the hilt as he waited for a response from the wolf, ready to start backing towards the door.
 
"You're an outsider!" The wolf accused with a soft angry growl his own fur bristling in response to the challenge. "You can't leave now." he said brown eyes flashing. "There is only one way in and one way out. The out is in Fiona's chambers and no one gets in there unless they have death wish. Look behind you there door isn't there any longer. You're stuck here like the rest of us. If you want to keep that head attached to your neck you'll report to the kitchens after you get into some dry cloths, understand?" and he turned on his heel and left tail wagging slightly.

At that moment something metal landed in his hand, a key with a number on it. If he looked to his left he would see a tower within the tower a great twisted beast. Figures dressed like him fell out like a steady trickle. Despite the obvious anger the wolf was trying to help him. The key was to a spare room somewhere near the top. Outsiders were often killed within five minutes of entering Lavonia Tower. Jasper was simply lucky he'd met someone willing to help him...
 
Jasper didn't notice the key at first as he spun around and was shocked to find the door in had in fact disappeared. His eyes went wide as he ran back to where the door had been but sparse moments beforehand. He ran his hands along the wall in disbelief only confirming what his eyes did see, there was no longer any door. He heard a small chink as the key fell from his open hand to the floor. Bending down he picked up the key, and seeing the new tower, he began climbing it. Trying the key until he found the door it belonged to.

Stepping into the room it appeared to be sparse decorated not so different from his own abode, and yet these were clearly servants quarters. locking the door behind him, he stripped out his wet things and hung them up to dry. He could see a dresser and began rummaging through it until he found some clothes that fit. his shirt was bit loose on him, but the long sleeves allowed him to conceal his dagger on his wrist. After sliding his rapier and lock picking kit under the mattress to hide them, he left the room and by means of asking several of the servants he made his way into the kitchen, decidng for now it was better to blend in, until he figured out what was going on.
 
The first thing he would notice was how vast the kitchens were; everywhere people ran back and forth carrying baskets of fruit or loaf of bread. Others were in and out gathering food before leaving on horseback to deliver it to one of the several slums that made up the common folk's living quarters. Upon entering he'd find the wolf that helped him before wearing a large red band on his arm and directing the others as he stirred a great pot of soup. "Ah there you are, I need you to take these baskets of food to the slums to the north of the kitchens. When you get their deliver them to an old cheetah name Kenneth, he'll hand out the food and tell him. 'The best secrets are the ones everyone knows.' “And he turned his back to him and added five whole chickens to the boiling stew.

Obviously it was some kind of code, the wolf had made that much obvious. The cheetah would be sure to ask any questions he had if it had not been for one thing. Fiona disguised as an attractive serving maid stopped him. As much as Lucas liked to think his information ring was a secret she knew, really she wasn't as unforgiving as everyone seemed to think. Placing a hand on his shoulder green eyes smiled back at him. "You're new aren't you?" she said softly the loose robs hiding her obvious voluptuous frame. "Lucas thinks he's being secretive by not telling Fiona of new comers like he should, but he's not very good at It." chuckling she handed him a slip of paper. "After you deliver the food, come to this room in the servant's tower. I'll answer any questions you have...."
 
Jasper grabbed the basket as it was hastily handed to him. He smiled politely, though clearly a bit irked as he made a mental note of what he was told to do. He saw the young woman coming towards him as he prepared to leave. When she placed her paw on him he bared his teeth. It was bad enough he stuck out like a sore thumb around here, what was with people and grabbing him. He snatched the piece of paper from her, and made his way off to the slums.

It didn't take him long to find them, or to find the old cheetah Kenneth. After handing the food over, he thought about what came next, did he trust the wolf, or the dame? neither one seemed particularly off to his gut, and he really didn't know enough to make an informed decision. Fishing a coin from his pocket he decided to leave it to chance.

"Heads for the geezer, Tails for the dame." he muttered as he flipped the silver coin in the air. Catching it neatly, he slapped it onto the back of his paw and glanced at the result. With out a word, he pocketed the coin and turned leaving the kitchens for the servant's tower. Pulling the slip of paper from his pocket he looked at the number and little trouble finding the room. Pausing for a moment out side the door, he raised his paw and knocked.
 
Fiona had just slipped out of the robes that allowed her to blend in with her servants. The dress she wore was nothing short of magical. In certain light the low cut top and long skirt were purple, other times black clinging to proud full breasts and wide hips. Her stomach was flat the barest hint of muscle outlined by the sheer panel that covered her middle. Her black tail swished lazily from side to side in boredom. Of course she was still playing the part of serving maid, but the women often wore things like this when no in uniform. Most just preferred not to.

Softly padding over to the door she ushered him inside paw on the middle of his back before shutting the door. The room like his was sparsely decorated except for a large gold chest at the foot of the twin sized pallet that served as a bed. Everything else was carved of the same dark wood that occupied most of his room as well as hers. "Please sit." she gestured to the chair by a small desk. "I'll explain everything to you."

Who better to explain how Lavonia Tower worked then the very woman who created it? Sure on more then one occasion she'd killed outsiders. Usually females as they had far too many living here. Never males as impressive as he, with the ability to wake the long dormant lust in her slender body. After all she needed a powerful male to help her rule, he seemed promising.
 
Jasper snarled as she placed her paw on his back, his teeth once again becoming visible. He flexed his paw as his tail twitched, and he resisted the urge to snap her arm. He muttered something incoherent under his breath as he took the chair she offered. Though he may have appeared relaxed when he sat down to the casual observer, so many years in his chosen profession had left ever ready to move, and attack.

He looked at her with his narrowed yellow eyes. As he spoke his voice his voice seemed dangerously quiet. "I realize this world is rather secluded from mine, so you probably haven't heard the tales. As such I'm going to give you a rather courteous warning now, and I'd appreciate it if it was cycled rather quickly. I'd don't like physical contact, unless I initiate it. I have a rather well earned.... reputation for breaking appendages if you follow my meaning, miss..." he waited for her to fill in the silence with her name before he continued.
 
She raised a slender eyebrow and her green eyes sparkled in amusement but she didn't say anything to further his anger. "My name is Sasha." she commented her voice holding a soft musical lilt. "I'm not trying to seduce you; I'm trying to help you." Well that was a lie; she was trying to seduce him, just not now. "The way you move I take it you're some kind of mercenary? A thief perhaps? We get them in here constantly; the storms Fiona creates around the outside of the tower are designed to lure people here. Most of the time they're outlaws because, really who else would be wandering around the woods? Lucas used to be one of the best thief’s in the outside world, ever heard of the Shadow Fang? He claims to have led them once upon a time....but I digress."

"This tower was built to imprison the great Magess Fiona about 500 years ago. The mages guild felt threatened by her after she discovered a way to remain eternally young and beautiful without making a deal with a demon. For the first century she worked on enchantments creating a world within the tower and then lured people here. There are approximately 2000 people in this tower with 30 new ones on the way. It just like the outside world water flows, trees bear fruit. There are seasons and festivals. We have nobles and thieves, assassins. The only difference is that Fiona has some measure of control over them..."
 
He chuckled when she mentioned the no longer existent band of thieves. He waited for her to finish speaking before he replied. "Hmm I see, it appears the job i took a year ago isn't quite finished yet then, but still I've been payed, so I suppose I can let the last remaining member of the Shadow fang live." He smiled wickedly as he said this, almost as if it brought back some particularly fond memory.

Jasper leaned forward, with a subtle shift in the way his feet were positioned, and rested his arms against his knees. "But anyway, do continue this is most intriguing." His tail swished idly behind him, and his ears perked as he listened to her, and most importantly, to the way she spoke, and the subtle inflections in her voice.
 
"You're a mercenary then? An assassin? How interesting. Best not let Lucas know he fancies himself a thief prince still." she laughed softly and tossed shifted in her seat. "As I'm sure Lucas told you, there is only one way out a portal in Fiona's private room, where no one knows were is. Well unless of course you manage to get an invitation into her bed, it's the only reason Lucas knows so the rumors say. However he cannot for the life of him remember how she looks, he says she cast a spell after she grew tired of him."

"So outside of the servant's tower there are five slums, and beyond them the farmland. Often times Fiona will target a certain person in her scrying glass and bring them here, such as certain famers or tradesmen. We have a small collection of nobles that share quarters with her but most are common folk. No one starves, there is no disease. If not for the fact you can never leave it's almost like its own little paradise. We have wild animals as well; they live in the wild lands beyond the farms. Rumor has it they locked away the last of the feral black dragons with her, but know one has ever seen them."
 
Jasper seemed somewhat bemused as he stood up and walked to the door. "Thank you, Sasha," He said it with emphasis as if he were trying to make a point. "I think that will do for now. Though it is a pity that Fiona can't hide herself as well as she believes." With that he steps out of the room and is gone back to the kitchens, his stomach growling a bit.

He cracks his neck as he pieces together the information he gathered from the woman whom he was now certain was the tower's mistress. He looked about the kitchen for the wolf Louis. Time to gather a bit more information, and rustle up some grub, he hadn't eaten anything since before entering the storm several hours ago.
 
Fiona simply watched him walk away chuckling softly to herself, so he was smart as well? No one ever saw through her disguise before, usually because they assumed she was some cold hearted bitch. Shrugging softly she snapped her fingers and reappeared in her actual bedroom and sighed. Now everything had just become about 80 times more difficult. She could play stupid, hell she'd had 400 years of acting lessons to teach her how to.

"You're back?" Louis question as he stepped down with two bowls of stew and handed him one. "Did you get the information you were looking for?" the servants ignored them of course, most though Louis was insane anyways. "Or is there something else on your mind?" using long dromant thief insticts he was able to tell that the panther was distracted by something. "Don't tell me you ran into Fiona? You're not cursed or anything are you?"
 
Taking the bowl Jasper shrugged his shoulders. "Just piecing information together. Though yes, I did run into Fiona, at least I'm fairly certain i did." He drank down some of the stew. "She's not bad looking either. And no I'm not cursed, though one might want to ask you the same question, given your past relationship?" He waited quietly for an answer from the wolf as he sipped at his stew.
 
The wolf froze and looked at the panther strangely as though trying to recall what he was speaking of. "I don't remember really, I rember she purred when you played with her breasts or indulged yourself with her body. But other then that nothing. I know she's a feline but the spell it makes it hard to recall much else." So the head chef was indeed hexed as it happened to be. "Did you see what she looked like? Was she wearing the full bodied veil, did she mention me?" the questions followed after one another in quick sucession before he paused. "Not that it matters I have a mate now, I wouldn't go back to her if she begged me." and that was a very obvious lie.
 
Jasper smiled as he ate his stew. It wasn't bad for servant's food, and given that he decided it to be prudent not asking what went into it. He listened to the wolf's questions patiently as he thought about how to answer them. "I saw what she wanted me to see I suppose. If it was her real face or not i couldn't say. She was trying to pass her self off as a servant by the name of Sasha. Incidentally you were mentioned."

At this that same wicked grin that graced his face when he'd first mentioned eliminating the Black Fang once again appeared. "All I'll say is this. Be glad you disappeared when you did, else you might be dead now instead of imprisoned."

He chuckled lightly at the wolf's bold face lie, and took another drink of the broth in his bowl. "Whatever gets you to sleep at night Louis."
 
The wolf made and odd growling snuffle as he sat down his ears twitching. "I don't remember much about my days as a thief, this place makes you forget things like that. The tower becomes your past, present and future. It wasn't intentional I'm sure but the point remains. But dead? I pride myself on not being easy to kill..."

Bristling slightly he nodded his head before speaking once more. "Sasha eh? I would've never guess she's such a sweet kitten, very soft spoken and willing to help everyone." So Louis had a thing for the magess still, he'd tried to move on but the feline had been like an addiction and he was still having withdrawl symptoms. "Back to the statment at hand. What do you mean I'd be dead if I hadn't gotten caught here, my organization was almost invincible..."
 
Jasper shrugged his shoulders. "What can i say but your group was causing too much trouble for one of the guilds so they hired the best there was to eliminate them, either that or they were trying to get me killed. To be completely honest I'm not sure which. I've made a lot of enemies over the years. Still I got paid well for the job." Finishing the stew, he ran his tongue along the bowl, licking up any remaining scraps of food that were left. "Not bad. Have to get the recipe so i can make it once I get out of here."
 
"You won't get out of here unless you sleep with her." he called as he tossed both the empty bowls into the sink without looking over his shoulder. "I can imagine you go paid well, we were 20 strong before I vanished." it seemed he didn't really care that the panther had killed off his men, after all it seemed so long ago. "Lucky I wasn't around or you would be dead panther." he warned as the dishes started cleaning themselves. The wolf's tail twitched angrily as he look around at the servants who sat eating, "Hurry up there is still work to be done!" he growled out making many of them jump. "The magess does not approve of fights in her tower or you'd have one on your hands now. If not for the fact I have no problem with them being killed off. The lot was weak for the most part, I'm what held them together."
 
The panther shrugged his shoulders as the wolf spoke. "True for the most part, one of them put up a decent fight, but the others were like killing ants. Don't suppose that rule against fighting includes sparring does it? Because if it doesn't, well... I'd like to see if I really managed to earn my pay. But enough of that, what's next on the to do list?" He stood up stretching his arms. "Might as well earn my keep while I'm stuck in this place."
 
A large sceduale appeared before the panther with a list of things for him to do. Drawing the magess's bath,weeding her private garden, just about everything that would involve him to come across her at least two or three times. Sure it was a bit to obvious that she wanted to see him, but the magess was never keen on subtlty. She was curious as to how he had been able to tell it was her beneath the disguise. Perhaps he had some kind of magic as well?
 
Jasper blinked looking at the schedule, then rereading it after the initial shock wore off. A wry smirk appeared on his face as he spoke. "Subtlety isn't her strong suit, and she certainly doesn't waste any time." Neatly folding and tucking the schedule away for later reference he look,ed about briefly before returning his gaze to Louis. "So which way to the lady's abode?"
 
"Yeah when she wants to take a lover she makes it obvious she's interested in them." Louis commented. "Exit this chamber and go straight down a small dirt path. A large house surrounding by void, that is it literarily floats on magic. "If she wants you there a small arch will appear when you enter it you'll be in a small pocket universe. The garden is in the back along with the servant's entrance." his tail flicked boredly. It seemed he remembered that much just nothing more about Fiona.
 
Jasper nodded his head, and made his way towards the magess's house. He waited patiently until the gateway separating it from the rest of the world opened and allowed him passage in. Figuring she'd come and fetch him when she was ready for her bath, he turned his attentions to her garden.

He moved with a delicate grace amongst the plants removing the weeds quickly, with his strong nimble paws. He could identify most of the plants there, gardening not exactly being something foreign to him. He paused though when he saw a few small violets growing in a neat cluster. He gently ran his fingers under the leaves of one in disbelief. "Mother night... how the devil is she getting these to grow here?"
 
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