Blood on His Feathers
Log Info
- Title: Blood on His Feathers
- Emitter: Ravenstongue
- Characters: Ravenstongue, Telamon
- Place: Ravenstongue and Telamon's house
- Summary: Telamon comes back from running errands to find a bloody trail and an open front door to his home with Ravenstongue. He rushes inside and finds a bloody, but empty bedroom. Telamon is almost consumed in his despair for a moment before he hears Pothy, who's been shut in the water closet and is covered in blood. The raven explains what happened to Telamon: Ravenstongue's been kidnapped by a mysterious hooded figure that seemed to know who Pothy was. The garden pixies rush in, dressed for war, and divulge that they spotted the figure speaking to a woman that Telamon suspects to be Lady Ainasse Son'doriel, Ravenstongue's stepmother, a few days prior. Telamon orders the pixies to find and speak to the Feathered One, Ravenstongue's fey ancestor, before he departs with Pothy in tow to gather friends for the search effort ahead of him.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- Dramatis Personae =--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- Ravenstongue 5'0" 99 Lb Half-Elf Female Short half-elf girl with violet eyes and black hair. Telamon 5'6" 140 Lb Half-Elf Male A platinum-blond half-sil man with dancing dark eyes -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-=-= NPCs of Note =-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- Lily-of-the-Valley Pixie Female A blonde pixie who is a massive fangirl. Mirabilis Pixie Female A green-haired pixie who tolerates Lily's existence. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
- Lúpecyll-Atlon house, morning.
It's a sleepy morning. The clouds are dense in the sky, but they are unaccompanied by rain, sleet, or storm. The almost-lack of wind makes it feel that the world is standing still, that the morning might last forever--but such implied promises are almost never kept.
This weather is what inspired Cor'lana and Telamon to sleep in a tad, followed by morning tea and curling up on the couch with each other as per usual. Even Pothy had decided to sleep in, snoozing away in his book nest in the study. But Telamon eventually decided to heed the call of necessity, donning day-clothes and departing from the house to attend to some matters.
When Telamon returns, the idyllic sight of his happy home has something wrong that's immediately apparent:
The front door is ajar, left open in a way that neither Cor'lana nor Grandfather ever leave it open. And there's a trail of blood that comes from further inside the house, as though from a dragged body, that descends onto the front step until it abruptly vanishes.
For a moment, Tel freezes. Panic grasps his heart; terror his brain. Then experience takes over, his eyes flashing, as he hisses, "Akar irhandi." Wrapping himself in magic armor, he swiftly approaches the door... pushing it open with a fingertip to peer inside, the other hand open and ready.
He doesn't speak or call out. Not yet. Someone may still be here. If so, he may have to ask questions. His only thought, a prayer: 'please let her be safe'.
The blood trail continues into the house. There's an eerie contrast between the red on the floor and the rest of the house--the furniture is undisturbed in the living room, everything as it was before Telamon left.
But the bedroom door is wide open, and that's where the blood trail leads--ending at the bed, where it seems like Cor'lana was napping before whatever happened, happened.
That's a logical conclusion to make, anyway, as the blood is caked on the mattress, the covers and pillows thrown ajar. She was attacked and then dragged on the floor out of the house--
"Telamon!" comes a voice from the water closet. It's Cor'lana's voice. But then there's the sound of beating wings from the other side of the door.
For a moment, all Tel can think of is 'someone's murdered her and stolen her body'. Blood all over the bedroom. His heart is frozen. His fingers curling into hooks. He can feel a scream starting to bubble up in him and he knows it won't end, nothing will ever stop it--
Then he hears her voice. HER voice. It's like he started breathing again. He scrambles over, heedless, and yanks open the water closet door. "Lana! LANA!"
It's not Cor'lana on the other side. But it is Pothy, albeit with blood smeared on his cream-white feathers. He looks just as panicked as Telamon, somehow, all fluffed up and looking like he might fly into someone's face talons-first at any given moment.
"Telamon!" Pothy says, using his true voice--which is disconcertingly distressed for the voice of a cherubic young boy, almost on the edge of tears. "Someone... Someone came in the house and attacked us. They took Lana. They... they took Lana! I... I tried stopping them, but..."
Pothy just flies onto Telamon's shoulder and nuzzles into his platinum-blond hair, making little bird-whimpers. A raven's version of sobs.
The fact that Pothy is here, and not off with his next inheritor, is a sign. Still a bad sign, but... after a quick casting to translate Pothy's tumbling words, he gathers the raven close. "I know you did." Stroking the raven gently. "Talk to me, Pothy. Tell me everything." His hands tremble as he touches the familiar's feathers.
A bitter thought springs up in his mind. "I should've been here," he says in an anguished tone. "She and you were in trouble, and I wasn't here."
"We didn't know we were in trouble, either, Tel," Pothy tries to soothe him. "It's not the first time an inheritor of mine's been snuck up on, beaten, and taken, but... They always take me, too, because they think I'm a mundane bird they can sell. This... This person, knew who I was, Tel--"
Pothy shakes his head, making a few more raven sobs before seeming to get his thoughts together. "S-Sorry, I should... I should start from the beginning. Lana laid down for a nap, and I was up from the nest and was eating snacks in the living room when I saw someone unlock the front door. It was a tall, hooded figure--it was almost like there wasn't a person underneath the hood, it was so dark--and they walked in. I hid myself when I saw him walk in... It might be a him, I think, the voice was really, really deep... just in case I could sneak up on him and rattle him, get him out of the house. But then he came into the bedroom and I heard Lana scream, so I charged in, and..."
Pothy shivers in his spot on Telamon's shoulder. "There was blood everywhere. He was hurting her. I tried to fly at his hood to gouge his eyes out, but he moved so quickly, and... He tossed me hard to the ground, and he cast a paralysis spell onto me and Lana. He looked at me and said, 'You're not coming with us, Apotheosis,' and... he picked me up, threw me in the water closet, and I couldn't move. It sounded like he dragged her out of the house before picking her up... And I don't know where he went."
The white raven whimpers again. "At least she's alive. I haven't felt the call to move on yet. I only feel that when the inheritor has truly passed on."
Telamon listens, trembling as well. But... she's alive. Where there's life, there's hope. Clinging to that thin strand, he takes a deep breath. "Alive. They need her for something. That's... something, at least." He walks over to his chest, and pulls out a few things. Magical gear, which he dons, and some odds and ends which he stuffs into his haversack.
That done, he carries Pothy out of the blood-stained bedroom. "He knew who you were. That means someone familiar with Lana's bloodline and its... peculiarities." He looks at the blood trail again, his face tightening. "Someone is going to fucking die," he says flatly. The anger, the rage burning away the fear and sickness.
Then a thought. "Pothy, did we hear anything from the pixies?"
Just as Telamon says the words, two familiar pixies come jetting in through the front door. But they're dressed differently than normal. Their flower dresses appear to have been exchanged for 'armor' made from strips of wood and plant matter. Mirabilis is wielding a tiny staff, and Lily-of-the-Valley is wielding a tiny sword.
They don't look especially intimidating, but their faces are grim as can be as they both land on the floor before Telamon--taking care to not land in the trail of blood--pointing their gazes to the floor as they kneel.
"We, Mirabilis and Lily-of-the-Valley, are sworn to Lady and Lord-to-be Lúpecyll, and so therefore we are at your command, our lord," the two pixies say in unison. Then Mirabilis says, "We saw it happen from outside. The hooded man picked up Cor'lana, tried to cast a teleporting spell and failed, and then picked her up and vanished with an invisibility spell. He appears to be a powerful magician of some sort."
"Which means he didn't need to attack Lady Lúpecyll in such a horrifying manner," Lily-of-the-Valley says with an uncharacteristic glower and focus on the matter at hand. "He wanted her to suffer before taking her back to wherever it is he's taken her."
GAME: Telamon rolls spellcraft: (17)+13: 30
Telamon's expression lightens slightly. Switching to Sylvan, he says gently, "It lightens my heart to know you're safe. If this person was as powerful, and cruel, as he seems... he would not have thought twice about hurting you.." He nods slowly. "He couldn't get around the dimensional ward on the city. That may have slowed him down."
He takes a deep breath, fighting back another wave of panic. Keeping his voice clinical, toneless, he says, "He knew who she was. He also wanted to hurt her. Which means it was personal." He slowly clenches his fists again, the knuckles popping softly. "I don't know if sealing the city will do any good. The university district's not that far from the gates, and if he was invisible he might've slipped through. Or used flight to simply clear the walls."
He takes another deep breath, and then reaches into his pocket for a handkerchief, and a jar. Carefully, he soaks the handkerchief in the spilled blood, before depositing it in the jar and sealing it. "Whoever this is isn't thinking. If they'd been smart they'd have cleaned up after themselves. We can track her with this, and some divinations." Putting the jar away, he looks at the pixies. "Can you remember anything else, my friends? Any fragment of knowledge could be vital."
Lily-of-the-Valley looks a little guilty for a moment, even with her head tilted down to the floor. "Lord Lúpecyll-to-be," she says, "I... I spotted the figure a few days ago, when your cousin came to visit. He was down the street, speaking with a blonde elvish woman. I thought nothing of it at the time."
The normally dimwitted, happy-go-lucky pixie goes from zero to a hundred in less than a second, full-on sobbing. "I should have informed the both of you! I didn't realize they would be here, attacking Lady Lúpecyll! I am... I am so ashamed! Please, please forgive me, Lord Lúpecyll-to-be!"
Pothy looks down at the pixie from Telamon's shoulder. He looks at Telamon and says, "I could eat her as punishment, but I don't think she would taste very good, and I also don't like eating things that can talk," he offers/disoffers. It's Pothy's way of trying to put a little levity on the situation at hand.
Telamon's eyes widen in shock. "Blonde? About so tall, expression like she's eating a lemon?" For a moment, he looks stunned... and then the rage is back. Eyes glowing with anger, and his hair starts to float around his face. Then a name grates out of his throat, a curse. "Ainasse Son'doriel. It has to be."
It takes a monumental effort to not simply lash out in blind fury. "You didn't know, Lily. I thought... I thought we were done with them. With Lana's family." His jaw flexes. "I warned him. I told that piece of shit I wouldn't stay my hand if they caused us any more grief." His eyes are dark and cold now, deep space lit by distant stars.
"Lily, Mirabilis... I need someone to try and contact Alud'rigan. I have no way to do it directly. He'll be crazy with worry. Make it clear he is NOT to act without me... or my allies." A thought comes to mind. "I hope this isn't tangled up in the Seelie Courts, but it seems a little... rough for them." He looks around, bitterly, at the mess. "No time to even clean up. Pothy, can you think of anything Lana would need? Besides a rescue." he adds with a wry smile.
"Probably clean clothes, when you get there," Pothy says somewhat quietly, his blue eyes wandering on the bloody trail on the floor. It's more than clear that he's worried. "And a hug and a kiss from you, most likely. I doubt they'll be feeding her much of anything, so maybe food is in order."
He looks at Telamon, blue avian eyes fixed on him. His talons dance a little nervously on Telamon's shoulder for a moment. It's not a painful feeling, as raven talons are not sharp enough to pierce human skin, but it is a bit of an odd one, as Pothy doesn't really fidget. "I should have ripped that woman's face off," Pothy mutters.
Lily-of-the-Valley and Mirabilis both look at each other nervously. "We can try," they both say. Then Mirabilis says, "He's not been around much lately. I think that incident with that buff elven man has made him pull back from the mortal realm a little... We could check the bookshop, though."
Telamon strokes Pothy's feathers, using a cantrip to clean off the blood. "We're going to get her back, Pothy," he says quietly. "I have not come this far to give up now." He holds up his left hand, the one with the ring, before clenching it. He smiles grimly, "I'll toss a few things into my haversack, before we leave."
He looks to Lily and Mirabilis. "Here are my instructions, my servants." He's surprised at how even his voice is, and how easy the words come. "I am going to leave here, and collect a few friends. We will then travel to the Lady Ainasse's last known location, Llyranost. We will find the truth of this matter -- no matter what."
He takes a deep breath. "You are to try and contact Alud'rigan, and then you will watch and maintain the house. If something serious comes up, find Master Tomas at the Shining Chalice and tell him you need help. He'll arrange for things." A pause. "I am not returning without the Lady Cor'lana Lupecyll-Atlon."
The pixies nod, still kneeling before their lord. "Of course, Lord Lúpecyll-to-be," they respond in unison. "It will be done, by your command."
Not many mortals can say that they wield command over fey, and while Telamon's only got two pixie servants... Perhaps this is the origin of a veritable mortal lord among the fey. Or maybe Telamon's just charming. Either way, even Pothy looks a little impressed. Or terrified. Maybe both.
"If that was her on this street a few days ago," Pothy comments, "I'm not sure that taking a trip to Llyranost is the right option. Especially with the ward... I bet that Cor'lana is still here in the city. You just need to ask around. Investigate. And it's easier to do that with a group of friends, like you said, than by yourself."
Telamon exhales. "The wisest tactic would be to get the hell out of the city, if I was in this... person's shoes. But..." He makes a face. "You may have a point, Pothy. Being invisible isn't the same as being undetectable. They may have gone to ground." He steels himself, walking back into the bedroom. Averting his eyes from the horribly stained bed, he reaches into Lana's wardrobe, pulling out some clothes -- there's no uncomfortable hesitation here, as they get added to the haversack.
That done, he steps back out. "Lily, Mirabilis, if you find yourself at loose ends... try to clean up the blood and mess here. I know you're... small," he can't help but grin a bit. "But when I bring Lana home she might appreciate a tidied up house." Stepping into the kitchen, he pushes some preserved foods and a waterskin into the haversack as well. "Anything else you think we need, Pothy?" His eyes glitter. "I have no intention of trying to do this alone. And I know some people who will happily help out." He shows his teeth in something that is definitely not a smile.
The pixies both nod fiercely as they rise. "Yes! We can clean!" Mirabilis says, raising her tiny staff in something like a warrior's determined stance. "Don't let our size fool you. We'll make sure this home is spotless so you can enjoy it again with Lady Lúpecyll when you both return!"
Pothy hesitates for a moment. "...I would normally say snacks, but..."
He sighs. "I'm not hungry. I don't think I can eat again until Lana's safe and home again."
Clearly this is a dire situation. Pothy doesn't want to eat.
Telamon reaches out, and gently takes Pothy in his hands. Cuddling the familiar like a child, before transferring the raven to his shoulder. "We're going to get her back," Telamon says gently. "First stop is the docks." There's an icy look in his eyes, a grim pleasure. "Aryia's probably still working on her ship. I think she'll be happy to take a break to help out."
He nods briskly to the pixies. One last look around the house. Clenching his jaw. "Alright," he says, to himself. "Here we go to save the day." And then he walks out the door, locking it carefully behind him.