A visiting professor

[Tan Li]

The man left the building of his own free will. But she would be back, or had she even left? Li wasn't certain. He was sneaking away in the dead of the night. But his prey still lay in the building - still inside.

What was she up to? The man was free - safe. Now was the time to move. Li watched the man slink away in the shadows. It was unnerving watching her prey walk away. The game she played was foreign to Li. Dranaika wanted food - nothing more. That is what they were - monsters - creatures of instinct - nothing more... but this was not food - this was something else.

But he was free of her grasp. Li waited till the man was well out of sight before he pulled out his umbrella and opened it to the weather before releasing his own invisible shield. He might need the power later. Meditation was not with in grasp when fighting a monster such as this, so he would hold it - keep it close while he approached the so-called woman.

He knew where she was. Knew what she was. He'd find her inside, in a room and there he'd slay her. A testament to his ability, and the spoils that went with it. Not that Li cared about either - monsters disrupted the balance of things. He would rectify that imbalance with its death.

But first Li went inside to find the pretty little snake.

[Jaxen Marveet]

Jaxen didn't take long to abduct the object from the university library. They made a decent attempt at securing their antiquities, but doubtful anyone considered them to be targets of actual robbery. Add in the Ancient Power to bust cameras and pick locks, and Jaxen practically waltzed in and out in fifteen minutes.

He was back at the hotel quickly, shaking the water off his coat and rubbing his hair dry. Keeping his prize dry was something of an improvization, but the raincoat he'd wrapped it in did its job.

The lobby, even the bar were dark in after-hours atmosphere. He nodded at the desk agent who looked up long enough from their chin perched on their hand to smile sleepily, and Jaxen made his way back to the room, ready to read at his leisure. He didn't intend to keep the book forever, what did he need that for anyway, but he did need to take it on his subsequent travels. Finding Manix's booty was going to take a load of work.

Much to his surprise, when he opened the door to his room, he was not alone.....

The ancient power flew into his grasp as he charged in.


Edited by Jaxen Marveet, Mar 1 2017, 05:37 PM.

[Tan Li]

The creature wasn't hard to find. She was leaving the bar when Li walked in to the building. It was a quaint little bar, not really a room by itself, just a place to gather and have a drink while you waited for your room. This was Ireland, and there wasn't a media outlet anywhere in the world that didn't depict the little green men with a drink in hand. Ale, beer, whatever, it didn't matter it was all part of the media representation of it.

The biggest problem would be if anyone recognized him. But the backwaters of Ireland, Li hoped it wouldn't happen, at least not right now. He kept his head down to keep the exposure to a minimum and he followed the creature to a room.

She deftly picked the lock and Li had to wonder who's room she was going into. He lingered and paced until he was certain no one was going to join her. He hoped it was the mysterious man who'd left in a stealthy fashion's room. It made sense, she was stalking her prey.

The power coursed through his body as Li opened the door silently. The creature stood in a black flowing dress and turned and she smiled. "Not who I was expecting." She turned with a smile, a perfectly human smile hid the razor sharp teeth beneath. Li didn't want either of them to latch on to his body.

She lunged at him and Li tried to wrap her up in air, but her body slithered from his grasp. Li drew a knife from the hidden pocket in his sleeve. It was the only weapon he carried. His power was not a weapon, it was balance, and taking a life with it would cause more harm than good. But this was a creature of survival and it was her or him - he would choose it to be her.

She laughed at the weapon and evaded every attack Li threw at her. Her future sense was going to be hard to stop.

[Jaxen Marveet]

A woman - a hot woman - was entwined in the throes of battle with some little chinese guy. Jaxen shook his head. That was not what he was expecting! Fortunately, he was in the right room.

The ancient power coursed through his body, but Jaxen wasn't entirely sure what to do with it. He watched the fight a few moments, mesmerized by the grace and agility the woman possessed. Her black gown was a blur as she slithered around the fighter. It reminded Jaxen far too much of the Naga.

Gaze narrowed, he fixated on the knife the man wielded. Like a ninja. Wait, were ninjas chinese? Whatever. He knew how to use it. And Jaxen's fingers itched to be able to match his skill.

Instead, he grinned a coy grin, drew upon threads of metal and fire until they hardened into a blade, and with the throw of an arm, it flew through the air sleek as lightning.

[Tan Li]

Li was aware of the mans return. The most inopportune time for him to return. The dranaika and he danced. She wasn't completely reading him, Li wondered what the problem was. They were always so much harder to fight in the stories.

His training allowed him to take her on physically, but she should have seen the blade coming the moment it left the other man's hand. It materialized out of nothing and the presence of another god like him was in the room. The dranaika didn't stand a chance. The knife flew true, though Li had to coax the serpentine movements of the woman into a fatal blow instead of the mortal injury it would have sustained. The blow to the neck would have lead to a bleed out, but when the dranaika twisted because of Li's actions and moved just that tiny bit, the blade severed the spinal column and it dropped to the ground like any other piece of flesh.

Li dropped the power now that danger was over. Panting and out of breath, Li bent over to help the air into his lungs faster. A slow meditative state he reached until til his breathing was calm and he could retake the power again if he so choose, but he didn't. He stood up with a smile and held out his hand. "Thank you for the assist. Tan Li. I'm sure you have questions."

[Jaxen Marveet]

The moment the woman hit the ground, Jaxen's vision misted. He blinked and rubbed his eyes as memory clawed its way back in.

His grip on the power tightened as he slipped further into the room. He knelt by the woman and tilted her limp chin. "Sybaris,"
he said to the dead woman. Hesitantly, he parted her lips, peering at the shards of razor-sharp teeth within. "Bitch."


He stood up, wiping his hand on his sleeve and pulled the book from his coat, depositing it on the bed. He turned and looked at the door a moment, realizing he'd left it open. Probably not the best idea to let just anyone see a murdered woman on the floor of his room. He bent flows of Air around until it pushed it closed. Rather satisfied with himself, he finally gave the chinese dude a moment's consideration.

"Tan Li."
He studied the man's face, but didn't comment on any recognition he found there. Given that they just killed a woman together, he was likely safe to share his real name. "Jaxen Marveet,"
and he gestured at the woman. "And that is Sybaris."
Before he could stop it, his hand went unconsciously to his throat as he shivered.

"You can explain why the hell you're killing women in my room as I pack up. It won't take long. So I suggest you hurry the story along, Tan Li."


He shook out his rain coat and began to pull his belongings from drawers, practicing with the ancient power as he did.

[Tan Li]

"That is a dranaika and not a woman."
Li said flatly.

"She is a monster. I kill monsters. That's the story. What I'd like to know is why she let you go. Dranaika kill their marks not send them on errands."
Li watched as the man had control of his gift. The presense was never warm, and Li disliked the use of it in such mundane ways - it was the power of gods and should be used for great things, not packing your belongings, but he said nothing.

Li smiled. "What did she send you after?"
And why?

[Jaxen Marveet]

Jaxen was concentrating on the task at hand, barely listening to his visitor and co-murderer. He wasn't exactly sure how he felt about this new development. He never truly considered killing anyone before, monster or not. The cannibal guys didn't count, they were actual monsters. Even though he didn't actually kill any of them, he was more than happy to let White take care of it. Sybaris did nothing except get a fangy-hard on for him, and who could blame her for that. Thoughts betraying him, he glanced at her face. She had been pretty, for an old broad. She'd said she was a thousand years old, or more, he couldn't remember.

Li did ask something at the end of his rant that caught his ear, and Jaxen's gaze traveled the short distance upward to the man's face. God he was boring. "She didn't send me after anything. I was going to get it on my own."
There was probably no harm in telling him the rest. Maybe saying it out loud would make some sense of it. He shrugged. "She said i'd find something, and to bring it to her when I did."


A bad taste filled his mouth then, and he stifled a shiver. His voice fell to a whisper, "And now that she's dead, I know the truth. I would have done it. I would have done anything she said. And I don't know why."


It did sound stupid now. He took a breath, shook off the atmosphere clutching at him, and zipped up his bag. "Looks like it doesn't matter now. You have a ride to the airport?"

"I'll ride with you."




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Thus ends the reign of Sybaris

[Tan Li]

(( very cool! ))

Li had never heard of a dranaika wanting anything other than food, but she clearly wanted this - whatever this was. Li had to find out. He smiled and nodded at the man's impetuous nature. He did own him something he did kill a monster in his room. A quick text to the local Atharim house would have a clean up crew here in the minutes. And a do not disturb sign on the door should take care of any who might accidentally stumble upon the body of a seemingly innocent woman.

Li smiled at the other god. "I've a private flight back to Moscow if you are going that way."
Li had a missing wolfkin to find and kill back there, this had been an impromptu visit and it was well past time to go home damned his PA's schedule!

Besides he wanted to wrangle the truth from the man, what had he been after... He needed to know why a monster wanted something brought to her!

(( sending a pm ))

[Jaxen Marveet]

Jaxen paused just before hefting the bag onto his shoulder. If he weren't at least attempting discretion, he'd continue to use the Ancient Power to carry it along behind him rather than hunched on his back. Oh well, manual labor it was. There was still a good chance to leave the city without being noticed.

He did perk up when mention of private jet was dropped. "As it happens, that is my exact destination. I take it you don't know who I am, then?"
A sly grin pricked his lips as he looked over his traveling companion. "Maybe I could get your autograph on the plane?"
He smirked and waved the man on, ready to be out of there.