Carrying Out a Threat

[Gwydion Nefarine]

A fairly short man approached a small, run-down house. It appeared to be vacant. In fact, it had been vacant for some time. It was on the poor side of Bravil, a place where beggars crowded the streets. Normally, there would be someone living in a place like this. It could provide shelter, after all. But this house was said to be cursed. Most of the people in this part of town suspected some sort of devilry. This man knew full well, however, that it had only been a result of the multiple murders done by a man he only knew as Vincent. He looked up at the cloudy, moonless night. These were perfect conditions for such a meeting.

He and another were carrying a large box, with some obvious difficulty. They set it down on the door step and knocked on the door, thrice, then paused. Twice, then paused. Once, and they waited. The door creaked open. A whisper came to their ears. "Ah, Dasuke and Renardo, I see your assignment went well. Come in." The speaker was none other than Vincent Ladrón.

[Willow]

Dasuke followed his companion, his hooded cloak worn to conceal his face and stature, his boots making no sound on the street. He nodded curtly to his master, and dropped to one knee briefly before rising, his hood falling back as he did. The dim light revealed a sharp, pale face with serious, deep-set amethyst eyes on a gaunt face. His hair was even more jaggedly cut, as if he'd cut it himself with a dull knife, but judging on his appearance, he probably had. Dasuke glanced at his comrade, and smiled faintly at Vincent.

"Yes sir." He lifted up the box, with the help of Renardo, and carried it inside before following Vincent into a larger, more suitable room. "We sent in the thief for a distraction. Unfortunately, there was a little trouble with the shopkeeper's spirit, but we got out all right. The thief is dead, I made sure of that myself." His eyes were hard, cold, and he spoke causually of what had obviously out-right murder. "We retrieved the girl, as you ordered, sir."

[Gwydion Nefarine]

"Good, she'll be very useful to me," Vincent said. If Renardo had not been almost as evil as Vincent, he would have shuddered at the way Vincent spoke those words. What he could do to her, he could not imagine. "Bring her inside," he continued and Dasuke and Renardo did as they were told. Vincent eyed the box hungrily. "Open it." Renardo managed to get it open, revealing Tifa, unconscious, inside. Her hands and feet were tied and she had a strip of cloth bound over her mouth. "Ah, good. She's not hurt. Get her out and follow me." Again, they obeyed and followed him to a dark room in the back of the house. Vincent stepped in front of what seemed to be a closet and opened the door, revealing a staircase. They followed him, going deep underground. When, they finally got to the bottom, Vincent lit what little candles there were, casting a dull, ominous light over the room. It wasn't very large. It was about the same size as a one room hut and had stone walls. There were a couple of chairs, one of which, Vincent motioned to. "Set her there." They sat her in the chair, with her arms behind her. "Now, tie her down." They did. "Now, leave us for a few minutes." Tifa started to wake up. Where am I? she thought.

[Willow]

Dasuke didn't move until Tifa had fully regained consciousness, and for a moment their eyes locked, a faint smile playing on his lips. Then, he looked away and at Vincent. "Have fun," he replied quietly, and bowed stiffly once more before sweeping from the room. Dasuke Kitori didn't plan to go far; He wanted to hear her scream, if Vincent would remove the gag. Hopefully, he would, because after all, if someone else heard, they would merely assume it was one of the 'demons' than inhabitated this place.

I'll need to spread more rumors soon, he thought, leaning against the wall in the hallway outside the room, his eyes shut and his head tilted back. He held a throwing knife in one hand, and flipped it end over end as he stood there. Point, hilt, point, hilt.

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Renardo followed Dasuke into the hallway outside the room with the closet.

Tifa was almost fully awake now. She glared at Vincent with hatred. There was a lot she was wanting to say to him, regardless of what he'd do to her. Vincent smiled and brought a ring out of his pocket. "Do you know what this is?" he asked her. Without waiting for her silent response, Vincent continued, "The Golden Eye. With this, I can infiltrate your mind and read all of your thoughts. Yet, it has one drawback. I can only remain in your mind for five minutes. So, here's what I'll do. I'm going to look in your mind and find out who Cloud knows exactly and where they are. If I miss anything you'll just have to tell me." He grinned wickedly and activated the Golden Eye's power.

((I don't have enough time to post again. Sorry, I'll be on Saturday))

[Willow]

ooc- I'll wait till one of the others gets here first (cloud or someone.)

[Gwydion Nefarine]

((ok))

Vincent entered Tifa's mind. So many memories. So many thoughts. So many feelings. He saw memories that ranged from her childhood to a few seconds ago. He observed her opinions on things as minor as what food she liked to what she thought of her friends-her close friends. Vincent felt the fear and worry she was feeling now. That wasn't what he was looking for though. He was more interested in who she and Cloud both knew. There was one, a boy named Zeren. He was at another's-Kakrikya's-shop when Dasuke and Renardo had captured Tifa. Then, there was a hermit, Geal. And Tifa's parents, who Cloud had talked to briefly at the one called Kakrikya's shop. Without warning, he came back to his own consciousness. He gasped. He never really had gotten used to that. He had found a few of Cloud's acquaintances, but he couldn't help thinking there were more. "So, who did I miss?" he asked. Tifa didn't answer. Vincent laughed. "Well?" Still no answer. But, she did say, "Why did you come after me?" Vincent allowed the question and smile maliciously. "Well, let's just say Cloud's fond of you. Now, who did I miss?" Tifa again didn't answer but instead thought about what Vincent's reply might mean.

Her thought didn't last long. She witnessed Vincent draw one of his three daggers, Zeren's by right. "You can either talk and I won't hurt you, or you can remain silent until you've finally had enough pain. Tifa was unnerved slightly. Coldly, she said, "The people you saw are the only ones that both I and Cloud know." It was the truth, but Vincent wasn't satisfied. "The hard way then.........."

Renardo and Dasuke stood in the hallway, vaguely hearing the screams from the subterranean room. Renardo, truly evil, laughed. "Looks like he'll get what he wants, eh?"

Cloud, Willow, and Zeren walked down the streets of Bravil, Cloud trotting because he was in his wolf form. He had had to use the Tears of the Moon Goddess because he still hadn't gotten time to try the collar that Zeren had given him. Not one track escaped him that was made in the last few hours. They were numerous. There was no way he could tell if that was where the kidnappers had come with Tifa. He looked up at Zeren and Willow for suggestions.

[Willow]

"We're close," Willow murmured in reply to Cloud's glance her way. "Right down the street." She nodded in the direction, and broke into a swifter pace. She was eager to be done with it, and to kill that piece of scum who'd tried to murder her. At the memory, her chest panged, but not enough to slow her down.

Inside, Dasuke just nodded wordlessly at Renardo's words. He'd never cared for the man, even if they shared many alike opinions. Dasuke shut his amethyst eyes and held out one hand, palm up, murmuring non-stop under his breath. The air crackled with electricity and matter, and shifted as the energy pulled together, forming substance. The shape was vaguely animal-like, and moved in jerking ways, crouching on two legs and with a long neck, a jutting tail, and a horse-like head. A wyvern, basically, but not quite. It had no eyes, no fingers, not even a mouth Dasuke could see, but it was the first time he'd managed to create a being with that much substance, that defined. Smiling with satisfaction, he released the energy. Prepared for the wave, he braced himself against it. However, Renardo was thrown back ever so slightly, thrown off balance.

Dasuke Kitori swallowed a chuckle and turned his attention to the noises within the room. There were so many ways to kill a human, and even more ways to torture.

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Cloud had to run to keep up with Willow. They ran down the street until they had finally come to the right house. He crept to the doorstep, still in his wolf form. There was a full moon out and he would much prefer to do any fighting outside, but he knew that probably wouldn't happen. He hoped that there were at least windows in the house. He looked at Zeren and Willow, each in turn, waiting for them to signal they were ready. This time, I'm going to kill him and get my sword back, as well as Zeren's daggers, he thought to himself. If it was only that easy......

Renardo got back up with much mumbled cursing. All that was distinguishable was "bloody magic" and something about cursing all magicians in the world. He glared at Dasuke. "You might try trying magic somewhere else," he grumbled.

[Arissa Warrner]

Zeren ran slightly behind them, still unuse to this range of motion that he now had possesion of. Before they got inside Zeren used the keeper to remind Cloud "with the collor you can remain in your wolf form inside."

[Willow]

Willow ignored the fact he was a wolf and bent to work at the lock on the knob. It took her a minute and a half, and trying not to feel satified with herself, she glanced down at Cloud. "Guard just inside the door," she reported quietly.

Dasuke ignored him, tapping into the room with magic. He could feel movement, able to form a vague picture of what was happening.

[Arissa Warrner]

Zeren passed her a dagger. He drew a finger across his neck and gestured inside. He silently drew his own sword

[Willow]

Willow took the weapon silently and gripped it tightly in her knuckles, then nodded, stepping back to allow the others ahead.

ooc- Scuse if I'm like zapped, all of my creativity going into this thread with a vampire on another site. Gah, I have some many people trying to KILL ME. Anyway..

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Cloud, with alot of difficulty, got the collar on himself. He used it to momentarily turn into a human and open the door silently, then immediately changed back to a werewolf. He darted inside soundlessly. Then, he froze as he observed someone had noticed him. Vincent must have put a guard in the house. Drat!

[Arissa Warrner]

Zeren lept through the door and the person fell silently on his sword point. He turned back and gave Cloud a small smile and then started to make his way down the hall.
((is that directed tword me? She's just annoyed, not trying to kill youz))