Fair Play

[Sasha]

Sasha stormed out of the basement and up the stairs. He was peeved that the bastard wouldn't teach him -- said he couldn't. He didn't beleive him.  The fury and fire with in boiled and brewed inside.  Though it didn't threaten to overtake him. It could, he knew it. But he was in control, and he wasn't even holding the life blood even though he squeezed the shard tightly in his hand. It cut deep but it wasn't a bad thing or a bad feeling. Sasha relished in that pain.

It was freezing outside, but Sasha felt none of it as he stormed passed people. After leaving the Red Light district people looked at him strangely. He was a bull in a china shop blowing through people. They cursed in various langauges but Sasha didn't care. He didn't understand any of it!

[Zephyr]

Finding the little git had been a little harder than anticipated until they got a hit he'd entered into Durante's no-fly zone. They had eyes and ears there. They knew who came and went and noted everything. He was a person of interest. But an untouchable one. And so were the people around him -- mostly because of the known retaliation. He'd level them without out a thought. Zef knew that without a shadow of a doubt, he'd just most recently leveled Vaia Plus -- it could only have been him. Took out in vengence, though Jacob wasn't exactly sure why.

Eido and Zef followed the brash kid through the streets until he was well away from the red light district. The streets were busier but the sidewalks were fewer than the summer months -- Moscow winters sucked the life out of everything.

Zef quickly caught up to him and rammed him into the side of the building and then dragged him down the alley way. She wasn't exactly sure what to do but the creepy little thing seemed to have a mind of it's own as she brought it close to the godling. It wasn't only a moment before it scuttled from her hand and snapped into the base of his skull and he dropped to the ground without a scream.

"Fuck!" But the words were no sooner out of her mouth than the second one was scuttling it's way up her arm and latched into the back of her skull... Zef thought she screamed. But she wasn't sure as she collapsed into the slush pile on the side of the road.

[Sasha]

Sasha woke up clutching the back of his head. It screamed at him in pain. It radiated through his whole body. It almost numbed his whole body from the severity of the pain.

His fingers found a smooth metallic object embedded in the back of his skull. A gentle touch to it sent sparks through out his body, he moved his hands away and the pain eased, but only barely, he still felt like every nerve in his body was on fire.

He reached for the power with in, it would calm the pain or at least fuel it's fire, but it was unattainable. He could see it off in the corner of his eye, but whenever he reached for it it slipped through his fingers. It was there but not there, like an illusion.

Sasha screamed! He saw the woman lying on the ground attended to by another, he lunged for the standing woman to knock her off balance, but his feet were frozen in place, he couldn't move towards them. He wanted to, but he couldn't make his body move towards them. Panic coursed through his body, what was happening!!

[Zephyr]

Zef woke up with a pounding headache. Eido was looking over her and staring at the man she'd tamed. Or so she hoped. She lie on the ground and looked up to see him screaming and frozen in place. She could sense he wanted to hurt her and as she sat up she smiled. He couldn't. The device wouldn't let him.

That was all she really knew about it. She could sense him, sense his power, not really touch it, but sense it, it was dark and menacing and strong. He was strong. It was almost intoxicating.

"What's your name boy?" Zef said, as Eido helped her up. She was ever the vigilant care taker.

He screamed and tried to move. Zef thought about hurting him, sending him to his knees and then he was... kneeling on the ground panting as if electricity coursed through his body. She smiled. "I ask again, boy, What is your name?"

He stammered out. "Sasha."

"Good boy. Now you'll stand. And you'll walk with us. We have much to learn."

The boy didn't really have much of a choice as his body jerked upright and then forward as if moved by puppet strings until he fell into the rhythm behind them. Zef didn't look at Eido, she was almost certain she wouldn't agree with her methods. But it didn't matter, at least it wasn't her. She was obident of her own free will, and that was exactly what Zef wanted.

She was building her army of godlings.

[Eidolon]

Eido was a silent shadow at Zephyr’s side, as she nearly always was, especially in the days following her brief absence and the resultant changes in her manner. After Jacob’s visit, Zephyr’s brooding over the strange jewellery had resolved to action, and Eido didn’t question it – outwardly at least. They had never spoken of whatever had happened, though Eido surmised enough to understand that the other woman was dealing with loss. Such emotions were likely to flame recklessness, and Zephyr’s passions raged hot at the best of times, which was why Eido stayed quietly close. But the subject of their hunt did not sit entirely easy with her. If Zephyr needed a channeler on which to test the device, Eido would have far preferred they use it on her. But despite promises of servitude, they had not been able to recreate a situation in which Eido had been able to access the reserves of her own power. And Zephyr pointed out that her loyalty would make the experiment moot anyway.

She couldn’t disagree that the Atharim’s notes on this man marked him as dangerous, not simply in theoretical terms, but in actual terms. But none of this sat easy. Silently, she helped Zephyr back to her feet, glancing once at the metal now attached to the back of her head. The trust between them would be tested by this; already Eido considered the honour of her word, and the reasons for it, against Zephyr’s methods. Nothing betrayed her thoughts but her eyes were vigilant. Conflicted. The man did not seem able to move. His scream was ear-splitting. The way he soon fell to his knees made her swallow in discomfort.

She said nothing as she followed.