Castle Entrace Gate, and Courtyard

[Red Gypsy]

Knight Of The Dark Void

Behind him, a wagon trundled through the open gate and the driver directed the four-horse-team easily to back the wagon up to the main door. He secured the reins, secured the brake, then jumped down and gave Ray a polite nod. The man was huge. That was the only real way to describe him. He was well over six feet tall, though how tall was a little hard to tell thanks to the muscles under the flannel shirt and leather vest. Not to mention the thick black beard and black hair pulled back in a tight ponytail at the base of his head.

He was wearing dark blue jeans and black boots to go with the flannel shirt and leather vest. In short, he looked like a version of Paul Bunion but without the axe...

The man just gave that one polite nod then moved over to the doors. Those doors were a thing that one had to see to believe: they were actually the old drawbridge converted into two massive doors that had a smaller door carved into them. But this man walked over and used all those muscles to open the bigger doors wide.

Once they were open, a bevy of other people came out and greeted him happily before they moved to start unloading the wagon.

But one person that came out wasn't like the others: he was a little over six feet or tight at it, but he was lean, almost as if he was more bone and sinew than muscle; that wasn't to say that he looked anorexic or anything like that, he was just that lean and lanky; he had dark brown hair that was pulled into a ponytail at the base of his head that hid the fact that that hair fell to his waist; he was dressed in a pair of old and worn jeans that looked like they'd been washed too many times, and a t-shirt that was a red and blue tie-die.

He had a clipboard in his hands with a pencil to mark off the inventory as it came through the doors and looked as if he hadn't noticed anything or anyone else. He gave a brief nod to the larger male, who just smiled at the distracted air of the bookworm.

As Ray got closer, he was able to hear a comment that was probably a bit strange to him. The larger man grinned at the thinner man, "Cain, I think you forgot your shoes again," he said in a voice that was more baritone than base but fit his form well.

The thinner man gave a nod as he checked off a few more items on his list but didn't look away from the stuff being taken inside or his list, "Didn't forget them. Couldn't find them. So I gave up on them. I'll probably find them next week or so," he said in a distracted tone, "Did the crate of books arrive yet? I know Sebastet and I ordered some..." he asked then looked up as a large wooden crate was offloaded and carried inside, "Ah! There it is. Thanks Rex. I'm sure that the staff will appreciate the ale too. You make the best stuff I've ever tasted," he added then turned a smile to the larger male and offered a hand.

But as Rex shook the hand, it was easy to see that the tie-die shirt didn't clash. Cain had one crimson eye and one a deep sapphire blue. So his quirks didn't end with missing shoes...

Rex just grinned at him, "Looks like there's a new arrival too. Try not to be too rude to him," he said with a hint of laughter to his voice as he motioned to Ray then moved back to the now-empty wagon and got it in motion, heading back to the village.

Cain gave a frown over that last bit then turned that frown onto Ray, "Don't recognize you, so you probably are new. Then again, that doesn't mean much, I don't remember faces much these days," he said simply as he tucked his pencil behind one ear.  

[CrimsonKlaw]

Red Gypsy

"Trust me, that is a far better greeting than I usually get while on the job."

Ray gave a slight bow, using a tad bit of energy to ensure he wasn't bowing in the completely wrong direction, given that he was blind.

"My name is Ray. I'm a representative of the Richter family, sent here to help with both the soldier problem, and various other issues. I apologize if sometimes I'm not speaking or looking in the right direction, but as you can see..."

Ray tapped at his blindfold, and shrugged.

"...I kind of have a hard time helping it."  

[Red Gypsy]

Knight Of The Dark Void

Cain gave a shrug of one shoulder, "You aren't the first bling person I've met and you likely won't be the last one. But I have to wonder what soldier issues you're talking about... I haven't heard anything about any soldiers," he said simply then gave another shrug as he turned to head on into the castle.

"Doesn't matter anyway, I guess. I just have to worry about the library these days. Come on and I'll see if I can find Sebastet for you. She usually knows what's going on," he commented as he started into the castle.

And yes, he was treating Ray as if he had no problems following him. He'd made it here from the village on his own, after all. If he could navigate the Safe Path, he could navigate getting up three steps to get into the castle.

"Turn a hair to your left then back to the right after you get up the stairs," then resorted to an annoyed mumble when he walked right into the wall instead of through the doorway, "Blasted walls... I just hope I can find Sebastet soon. I have to get those books catalogued before sunrise," he had a point, though. He really did have to get finished with some work in the library before sunrise.

He and sunlight had issues. And he didn't want to be smelling scorched vampire in the library again...

He turned to make sure that Ray was managing alright but managed to ram his bare foot into the wall instead of remembering that the wall was there. That bit led to a bit of confused swearing under his breath that really didn't make much to anyone but Cain.

To say that Cain was a klutz was an understatement of monumental proportions. He was also accidentally rude or insulting. It was just the way Cain was. There were rumors that Sebastet had brought him here to run her library to keep him from getting staked by some well-meaning librarian....  

[CrimsonKlaw]

Red Gypsy

Ray stood there for a minute, then shook his head.

"Is it bad that that's one of the warmer welcomes I've received...?"

Ray followed Cain's instructions, following him, while keeping his head down to hear his footsteps better. From what he could gather, Cain would lead him to this "Sebastet" who could give him more information.

It was curious that even Cain didn't notice the influx of soldiers in the area, considering he had a run in on his way there. Ray couldn't tell if Cain was oblivious to what was going on, or if he didn't care.  

[Red Gypsy]

Knight Of The Dark Void

You can post in the Front Room from here, then I'll move Sebastet in. But you gotta try to give me a bit more to post to, if you can... Please?

Cain was an individual that was usually oblivious to the externals of life. For him, if it didn't involve the library and his books and scrolls, it didn't exist until that existence was forced on him. He was the ultimate bookworm.

If Dev wasn't tracking him down every other week or so to feed, Cain would have dropped into bloodlust several times over in the last six months alone. If the servants weren't on standing orders to check the library an hour before dawn, he would have been burned every day for the last six months alone.

As it was, he was still a little tender along his left arm since the burns were still healing.

Cain rubbed the offended body part then managed to get through the doorway without mishap, "Sebastet's better at greetings and stuff than I am. We usually keep my interactions with other people to a bare minimum whenever possible. Keeps me from accidentally insulting someone," he explained then moved them both on into the Reception Hall, then into the Front Room.

There, Cain saw Ray into one of the plush chairs in front of the fireplace, then basically abandoned him after sending a servant to find Sebastet for the man.  

[Dameon Black]

Red Gypsy

Egan Savage
Egan allowed Wind to hold onto his hand without a word as they moved toward the courtyard. He could sense that Wind needed to hold on like this in order to keep going, and he didn't want to take away his lifeline. He knew that Wind needed to get outside after two years stuck in his room. And he wanted to give Wind what he needed.

Egan looked around the courtyard as they arrived. "Here we are," he said. "Why don't you lead the way here? You can decide exactly what you want to do out here and where exactly you want to be, and I'll just follow your lead." He was trying to get Wind to focus on more pleasant things and take his mind off of what was troubling him. He knew that it wouldn't be that easy to get past the trauma Wind had experienced, but he was trying to start the healing process. There really wasn't much else that he could do right now.

 

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black

Wind was more than grateful for Egan holding his hand on the way to the courtyard or he knew he would have chickened out. As it was, he finally stepped out on his own and lifted his face into the sunlight with his eyes closed, loving the warmth that he'd missed. Of course, the light revealed that he'd paled out quite a bit over the last two years, although Egan wouldn't be able to miss the hint of gold to his skin that showed how close to the surface his demon actually was.

It was just a matter of time before it took over, but it was strangely hanging back and allowing Wind this moment outside. After a moment, he opened his eyes and moved further into the courtyard, over by a large haypile that hadn't been put into the barn yet. He didn't say anything as he simply dropped back into the clean hay with a soft laugh, finding that he'd missed such a simple thing as playing in a pile of hay. He used to do stuff like that with Dancer and Aten while Blade watched them tolerantly.

The hay was warm from the sunlight and smelled so clean and fresh. His rooms hadn't been aired out in two years and now seemed as if they were stuffy and cold. He closed his eyes as he relaxed, thinking that he wouldn't be having any problems with his demonic side. Somehow, since he'd made it out here without any problems, he was thinking that there wouldn't be any issue. Yes, he was in denial about it. But he would have a few moments of peace, at the very least...  

[Dameon Black Alt]

Red Gypsy

Egan Savage
Egan smiled as he watched Wind move further into the courtyard and drop into the large hay pile. The action was sweet and cute, and Egan found himself following behind him. He stopped in front of the hay pile and looked Wind over with a grin. "You make that hay look so comfortable, Wind," he said. "I think that I'll have to join you."

He gave Wind a moment to get ready and then dropped into the hay pile with him. He turned onto his side and watched Wind for a moment. He noticed how pale Wind's skin was despite the hint of gold that revealed how close his demon was to the surface. He knew that he would have to deal with the demon soon enough, but he hoped that the demon would give Wind a bit of time at least.

He leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Wind's lips. "You need to get more sun. I think that I'll have to drag you outside more often. Being around others will be good for you, too." He rolled back over a bit, trying to distract Wind again. "So what else would you like to do? Do you just want to play around in the hay for a while longer? Or is there something special that you really want to do now?"

 

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black Alt

Wind gave a soft pleased sound when Egan dropped down with him and even smiled at the kiss but closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the sunlight for a moment, "I think I missed just laying in the sun like this..." he said softly then lifted Egan's hand in his to look at his fingers for a moment, suddenly feeling oddly shy.

"I can feel it, you know... An itch under the skin... A flash of heat... It's close... I just don't know what'll push it over the edge... I don't want to go too far and risk it right now... Once it's under control, I'd like to go running. I miss the forest. But for now... I think this is far enough," he said, still in that soft tone.

He finally sat up and looked around the courtyard, "I used to come out here to practice with my magic while my sister did archery. Sometimes Dancer would come out and we'd let our animals out to play for a bit. I can't tell you how many times we went over the barn there and almost fell off the outer wall. Thankfully we were in cat form and had the balance for preventing falling. But it was so fun..." he spoke of the memories with a small smile, just a hint of sadness coloring his voice.

In truth, he wasn't sure if they could ever get that back. So much had been taken away....

His skin took on more gold as he sat there and his temperature increased. He truly was getting close to shifting. But it was as if his demon was waiting for something...  

[Dameon Black Alt]

Red Gypsy

Egan Savage
Egan was still smiling as he watched Wind enjoy the sun. It was nice to see Wind trying to enjoy himself a bit, even if they both knew that an interruption was going to happen soon. He noticed that Wind seemed to be a bit shy all of a sudden and tilted his head a bit as he listened to what he had to say.

He let out a soft sigh and laid back a bit more. "I know that it's really close, Wind," he said. "It's like my demon can feel yours, so it's anticipating it. I've never really gotten to let mine out, so it's just waiting for its time. So your demon will be taken care of. I can assure you of that. And then we can go running as much as you want."

He could see Wind's skin taking on more gold and feel the increase in his temperature. He rolled back onto his side again. "Once we've dealt with your demon, you can have all of those good times again. You need to spend time with friends and loved ones. I know that you said they tortured Dancer, but he should be back here once he's finished healing. It's been two years. They should have made some good progress in his healing. If you want, we could even go see him if he's still going to be gone for a while." He didn't know how much longer it would be before Wind's demon came out, so he was trying to offer up a few ideas to distract him.

 

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black Alt

Wind gave him a small smile to him, "I know... I'll need your help to face Dancer, though... I'm not sure how to tell him about when Desha died... He'll need to know something, but..." he paused there, not sure how to finish wording that one. He wasn't sure if he could face Dancer at all. Especially after what had happened...

But they didn't get to say much else. A couple of servants entered the courtyard from the outside headed for the door. And his demon took that moment to take him over...

All at once, his skin went fully golden and his eyes turned amber, everything about him turned enticing and he even started putting out a few pheromones to pull in even more 'partners'... He turned to look at Egan and his clothes slowly started to turn to ash rather than simply burning away, revealing Wind in all his demonic glory.

Egan had that one moment to act, but Wind was a bit more slippery than that. He managed to evade Egan's hands and got to his feet, heading for the gateway and the two humans there. A more drastic action would be needed, perhaps...  

[Dameon Black Alt]

Red Gypsy

Egan Savage
Egan nodded as Wind said that he would need his help to face Dancer. "Of course, Wind," he said gently. "I'll be with you every step of the way. I'm not going to make you do any of this on your own. I'm here to help you with everything you need."

He heard the servants as they entered the courtyard and looked over at them for a brief moment. He immediately sensed Wind's shift and quickly turned his gaze back to the other male as his skin went fully golden. He could feel the pheromones pulling at his own demon and growled as Wind's clothes turned to ash. He immediately reached out to grab Wind, but let out a frustrated sound as Wind evaded him and got up to make a mad dash towards the two humans at the gate.

Egan was up in an instant, his skin turning to that same brilliant golden shade as he chased Wind. He hadn't expected Wind to evade his grasp, but he was going to correct that now. He sprinted after Wind as quickly as he could, catching up with him quickly. He tackled Wind from behind, knocking him to the ground. He knew that it would probably leave some scratches and bruises, but they couldn't really worry about that now. He pulled him back up and then looped his arms through Wind's and locked them behind Wind's neck, restraining him. Wind was slippery, but Egan wasn't planning to let him get away. "That was a pretty good attempt. But I have plans for you. Don't worry, though. You'll enjoy yourself." He wasn't gentle as he dragged Wind away from the humans and back towards Wind's room. He made sure to keep a firm hold on him, not letting him get away.
[Exit]

 

[Red Gypsy]

Wolfe Garm

The black dragon gently deposited his unwilling passenger in a pile of hay then winged down to a gentle landing, folding his wings at his side as his swirling eyes watched ehr work to get out of the haypile. His eyes were gold right now with traces of bronze and silver in them, showing that he was concerned but not worried.

And he'd put himself between her and the forest-side exit. That meant she would have to either head inside the castle or deal with him directly. At her swearing, he simply gave a puff of smoke in amusement. He wasn't worried...

He was black from nose to tail, his scales gleaming in the fading light. His spikes and headfrill were simply signs of how dangerous he could be, though the headfrill was tipped in gold to show his former royal status. Retiring as king hadn't been easy...

His tail twitched slightly and revealed the spikes there that doubled as another weapon when needed. But for now, he simply looked at his claws briefly then considered the female struggling to escape the hay he'd dropped her into...  

[Wolfe Garm]

I may be a Dog of War

Red Gypsy

Jenny Lancaster

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Jenny growled for most of the time while she struggled to get out of the hay bale, and swore up a storm in the process “damn it all, I swear I’m gonna kill it, one way or another” Jenny said muffled as she pulled herself out of the haybale finally her hair a mess with bits of hay in it as well as her clothes a mess from being carried in such a fashion and being dropped into a haybale. Putting her hands on her hips a moment she looked at the haybale a moment before she stepped towards it and started digging in it for a moment before she pulled out her gun staff the staff part of it still extended for a moment until she pressed a button and it retracted into itself becoming much smaller and easier to hold. Frustratingly sighing she turned around and looked at the dragon who’d scooped her up and dropped her somewhere and stepped towards him as well as pointing at him “YOU! Overgrown lizard what the hell! Where the hell did you take me and why?” she was furious her eyes were red even as she stopped in front of him her hand firmly grasping the gun staff with full intention of using it, she’d call upon her summons but having interacted with dragons before knew they’d do no good against it, so she’d just have to deal with it personally “and furthermore you think you could have been more gentle, I don’t appreciate a dragon just forcibly restraining me and taking me somewhere against my will I….” She paused as she looked behind her looking at the castle, she didn’t have to see him to know that someone she knew was here, the scent trail was old by a few days at least but still very clear to pick up on, growling again she looked at the dragon again and continue “Great! So, what you kidnapped someone else as well, damn it what else have you done you flying lizard burnt a town down too, I ought to turn you into a pair of boots for this!” She finally stopped and could tell he was blocking her way out of what looked like a courtyard to the castle and just sighed again as she noted that there was a forest off in the distance which meant wherever they were was close to the forest that her forces had landed close to, looking at the dragon her temper hadn’t cooled at all and was still furious that this dragon had the nerve to take her hostage.

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But it doesn't mean i have to behave like one

 

[Red Gypsy]

Wolfe Garm

Pass on the message as you like.

The dragon listened to her for a moment then settled himself down and even propped his chin on one hand to listen to her. She was rather amusing. And downright gorgeous when she was pissed off... So he was rightly appreciative.

In the end, he gave her a toothy grin and tapped her gun staff with one claw, "Put that thing up. It'll only piss me off if you use it. I haven't razed any villages or towns in at least six centuries. I was very gentle with you, in fact. I could have put one of my claws through you instead of around you. You're the first person I've kidnapped in five centuries. And I brought you here because I needed a place to talk to you and inform you of a few things while I wait for my friend to show up," he started then had to give another puff of smoke when he realized what her group had to be here for.

But he had a feeling that they didn't know the entire score...

"Pull up a bench. You might want to get more comfortable," he suggested, simply giving another grin when she gave an angry sound and headed over to one of the benches, "Thank you... Now then, this place is actually a Sanctuary. Your group happen to be invading it with clear intentions of causing harm to the inhabitants. You're lucky I didn't raze all of you when I saw all the weapons. And yes, I said Sanctuary. This is a place for races of all kinds to live peacefully together. They usually manage that quite well. But the Church, and a few others, can't seem to be able to handle that for some strange reason. Too elitist, I guess. They're closer to monkeys than some apes I know..." he stopped himself before he got going on that tangent.

Once he started in on Hunters and the Church, he tended to set things on fire. And there was alot of hay in the courtyard at present...

He lowered his head a little closer to her and got an even better look at her, unable to resist another grin, "By the way... You're gorgeous when you're pissed off..." he couldn't resist telling her that. Just his nature...

He pulled back again and looked up at the door as one of the servants stuck her head out and passed her a grin as well, "Ah! Assistance at hand! Would you kindly go tell Sebastet, Cain, Gypsy, Desha, Dancer, Blade... Someone important... That I found an uninvited guest and invited her to the castle against her will?" he called out.

The human woman simply gave a laugh over it, "I'll send someone for Sebastet. Gypsy is in the Demon realm, Desha is unavailable, Dancer is healing up, Blade is having issues, and Cain is supposed to stay indoors for another couple of hours. But I will go get Miss Bast. She'll be new to you but she'll know what to do. Glad to have you back home, Bane!" she called out before she went back inside.

Bane gave a shrug of one shoulder and turned back to the female, "By the way, my name is HellBane BlackHeart, retired king of the dragons. Welcome to Vampire Island, and Vampire Castle," he said simply, giving her a regal bow of his head.

Of course, all of it might have been more dignified if he didn't have his posterior blocking the courtyard gate...