Fire and Brimstone [IC]

[Dr Archeville]

Success! I knew that- wait... what, do it here, now?! I can't let them know about my demonic side, but demonic magic is what I'd be using to track her. Think, Jos, think....

"Oh..." he replied. "well, you see, I am not entirely certain I have everything I would need to enact the search. It's not that I need anything rare, per se, my magical style is very 'home spun,' you could say. It also requires some time and some privacy; the few times I have enacted a ritual wit observers, things went... poorly."

"But," he was quick to add to his growing web of half-lies, "once I do find her, I will simply approach her as I am, and express interest in continuing our... prior conversation. I can steer her into a trap that you all devise, make her come to you instead of you chasing after her. Would that not be preferable?"

[Kavos]

Gwen thought about it for a further few seconds, not detecting any misinformation on Jos part, Gwen flicked her hand and the solder's began to leave.

One of the women apparently managed to unlock the door, though Jos wasn't about to see how. Although he did notice that as the Armored men left there suit's of armor appeared to turn into normal clothing. They waited outside as the other's finished there business.

"Very well, But Ember will remain with you." She said "He can stay out of sight and out of your way. But he will go with you... that is not negotiable."

"We will begin setting up a trap, Ember will let you know where, when and how once it is established." Gwen explained before turning and heading for the door, accompanied by the other woman and armored man. "Good day Mr Terhune."

[Dr Archeville]

That went slightly better than I expected. I had a feeling she'd have the Pup keep an eye on me, but I also figured she'd leave one of her elementalists here, too.

"Of course, madame," he replied with his Salesman's Smile as they departed.

He then turned to Ember.

Let's hope the Pup doesn't know much about my type of magic.

"Right... well... gather that bowl, that ceremonial knife, the rings from the bottom row of the display case on the far left, and that hand mirror," he said, pointing to various items in his shoppe, "while I collect some reagents from the kitchen."

He headed for the back of the shoppe, feather still firmly in hand.

[Kavos]

Ember simply nodded and went about the store collecting everything Jos had pointed out. Why his mother had chosen him to remain behind was a mystery, after all the 'red bird' was after him it seemed.

[Dr Archeville]

Okay, some pure water... one of these tin baking sheets... these tiny demonic icons I've got hidden under the silverware...

"So," Jos called from the kitchen, "how long do you think it will take for them to set the trap? How long do you think I will have to work on this?"

Please say several days.

[Kavos]

Even though Jos wasn't in the room Ember shrugged, "Probably a few days depending on how they set the wards up, the location and that sort of thing." Ember says, "But I don't really know, Magic isn't really my thing." Ember continues as he finishes getting the last of the item's Jos wanted. "You want these in here or in there?" He asks.

[Dr Archeville]

"Bring them in here, the work will be done down in the basement."

Ah, good, I won't have to do a rush job. Not that I'm exactly sure I'll be able to do this, but.. hey, waitasecond-

"Sirius?," Jos called, "are you around? Your... the fox is here. I believe he is going to be with us for a few days. Sirius?"

Now where could he have gotten?

[Kavos]

'oh now he remembers me...'

Ember thought to himself and he began lugging the stuff into the kitchen. "Master went home, master warn of Red bird, muster probably be working with Lady vulpes on trap." Ember explained, trying to sound like a minion.

[Dr Archeville]

Why is he talking like Jar-Jar Binks?

Jos gives Ember a confused look, then shrugs and turns to the back door, "This way, this way; we have to go out to get down into the basement. Don't worry," he quickly added, "I have several crates and boxes out there blocking the view, so the neighbors won't see you."

The basement had a simple dirt floor, but you'd barely know it from all the boxes and jars and barrels and crates in it. Ember knew most of them; as Sirius he'd helped lug them down here and stack them in accordance to Jos's inventory.

At one end was a workbench, which Jos had used to "touch up" certain pieces, either to genuinely restore damaged items or to put the finishing touches on some of his forgeries. The bench had seen less use since the deal he'd made with Gwen, but Sirius knew he still came down from time to time to tinker with things.

Alright, Jos, time to see just how good you are with the arcane secrets you've learned.

"It is going to take me about a day to work out just how to track her down," he said as he retrieved some sheets of papers and a few small books from a concealed shelf, "and probably another three to actually assemble and construct the tools I need for the search. Fortunately for me, in two nights there's a full moon in two nights, so that should help my divinitory practices."

Jos paused abruptly, "you're not... affected by the full moon, are you?"

[Kavos]

Putting everything down where he was told to, ember shrugs. "I can let them know when your ready." He says as he move's out of the way.

Chuckling softly as Jos ask's about the full moon, "Well I do get a rash down...." He begin's quite seriously before he starts laughing, "No, I'm not affected by the moon." He says as he finds a seat on a crate.

[Dr Archeville]

Good, I won't have to worry about him trying to gnaw off my kneecaps.

Jos starts making a mildly disgusted face, then is clearly relieved when Ember comes clean. "Ah, excellent. I would hate to disappoint Sirius' matron by telling her I was unable to complete my work due to you tearing my throat out after some full moon-fueled rage. Though I suppose the fact she was leaving you here to watch over me for as long as it takes me to do this should have tipped me off to that... unless, of course, she wanted me dead after I finish this."

... let's try not to think about that possibility.

The planning stage took several hours, drawing diagrams and charting planetary positions, and cross-indexing the names of various entities that Ember may never have heard of. Once that was done he started the actual construction process, cutting a frame out of a tin baking sheet which he said would house the mirror he was use to locate the Mysterious Woman in Red. The mirror itself would be made in part from some of the gemstones from the rings Ember had gathered; he'd replace them with fakes later.

Around 1:00am, Jos start yawning and stretching, and generally showing signs of considerable fatigue. "I am going to have to stop soon for sleep."

[Kavos]

"I don't eat shop keepers there almost as bad as clowns... Clowns always taste funny, and shop keeper's always look good on the outside but they just never live up to exspectation's on the inside... A bit like used cars." Ember says chattering away.

As Jos got to work Ember watched on silently. He certainly understood most of the principles but he just couldn't put his paw onto what exactly Jos was doing.

Shrugging as Jos said he was tired. Ember stretched... "You got any food?"

[Dr Archeville]

... what?

Jos chuckled, a bit nervously, "yes, well, I am sure you would not want to eat me anyway; I am probably very high in cholesterol."

And very, very spicy.

When Ember asked about food, he pointed up, "help yourself to whatever is in the refrigerator. I believe there are a few steaks in there, and some chicken." He yawned and stretched again.

And if it means getting you out of my hair for a few minutes, all the better; some of these processes can be sped up with the application of hellfire, which I cannot summon while in this form.

[Kavos]

Chuckling Ember nods, "Probably, although those kids that work at the fast food joints I bet there's is higher." Ember say's jokingly about the High cholesterol

"Sweet." Ember say's a little to enthusiastically. "You want anything?" he ask's as he start's to head for the door.

[Dr Archeville]

That's it, go on.

Jos waved Ember off, "I may have a glass of warm milk before going to bed, but nothing else. Eating late tends to give me indigestion."

Okay, once he goes I'll wait a few moments to make sure he's gone, then scoop up this stuff and duck behind that pile of crates there, so that he can't see me if he should come back. A quick change, a quick blast or two of hellfire, then change back before he returns. I can crush up some of these gemstones and bend some of these metal pieces while he's up there, too; I can't do so now because I don't want to tip off just how strong I am to him.

[Kavos]

Ember heads up to the kitchen and begins' to scour through the fridge. Sniffing at the steaks and the chicken Ember eventually cringer's He was hungry now and didn't nessisaraly want to eat raw meat... Heading to the front counter Ember found the phone book and started flicking through pages until he came to something he liked.

Using his new skill at morphing Ember call's up and make's his order. 20 minuets later Ember, looking like Sirius picked up his order from the delivery boy and headed out back again.

Jos easily heard Ember coming down into the basement. A strange flash of light also helped alert Jos of ember's arrival. Ember, Looking like a werefox again came wandering down with two large pizzas, a full liter of soft drink, a loaf garlic bread and an ice cream cake...

looking over at Jos Ember shrugged, "What do you know how much energy this body goes though? I have to eat this much just to stay this size, let alone put on weight." Ember said defensively as he found an out of the way place to put the food down.

[Dr Archeville]

Exxxcellent....

In the 20 or so minutes Ember was gone, Jos shed his mortal disguise and assumed his true demonic form. A few concentrated bolts of hellfire allowed him to reshape and re-join some of the metal bits, whispering blasphemies over it as he did. He then ground up some of the gemstones in a mortar & pestle, specially made to handle his superhuman strength. Before changing back, he plucked out a few scales from his eyelids and earlobes and hid them amongst the other components. It would still take several days to craft the mirror, but these 'shortcuts' enabled him to focus on making sure he did the delicate work as properly and precisely as he could.

When Ember returned, Jos did go a bit wide-eyed at all the food he brought down, "I do not remember all of that being in my refrigerator."

[Kavos]

"What I was hungry... and I didn't feel like cooking, so I ordered takeout." Ember grinned as he opened one of the large Pizza boxes revealing a a who's who of the animal world for topics.

As he take's a bite Ember looks over to Jos, "So how'ed you do?" He asked as you try's to look around Jos to see what progress has been made.

[Dr Archeville]

Days pass, and at last Terhune finishes his scrying tool, a large mirror about as big as his head.

Right, time to see if I'm truly as clever as I think I am. I'm eager to track this woman and learn just what she is.

Jos checked over it one last time, then gave Ember the thumbs-up, "I am as ready as I shall ever be, so let us begin. Well, not 'us,' I mean, your participation is not required to- right, I will get on with it."

Terhune gazed into the mirror, and murmured softly as he laid the single red feather from the Mysterious Woman upon it. When he did, the feather disappeared, and the image in the mirror shifted from Terhune's own to a far-off scene....

[Kavos]

"Finally!" Ember mumble's getting up. A small mountain of empty Pizza box's and soft drink littered around the area he'd been lounging at for the past few days.

=========================================================

The Mirror shimmers for a moment, as the arcane energies work there mystical paths... Finally the Mirror focused in on a single red speck. At first it was two small to make out, but it quickly got larger and larger.

Finally Jos could make out the image. It was a large reddish golden bird flying through the sky, A long tail flowed out from behind it. The Bird suddenly began to descend, Jos spied the landscape as the bird came in for a landing. It was some were in Liberty park.

As the Bird landed in a secluded area there was a flash of fire around it. As the flame's settled the bird was gone and in replace the woman remained that Jos had talked to remained. She walked up to a huge old tree, It was at least the width of five grown men.

Walking up to the tree the woman touched it with a single finger, flames spread from were she touched beneath the bark, before the tree itself opened at her command. The woman than stepped into the belly of the old oak tree and vanished from view as the tree closed itself...

[Dr Archeville]

Gotcha!

"Hunh," Jos grunted after a moment. "It appears she's currently inside a large tree in Liberty Park. Though I am sure she is not in the tree, per se, but rather has used it as a portal to... well, I don't know that part. Yet."

[Kavos]

Ember nodded before producing a small rusted old key. Holding it tightly Ember closed his eyes for a moment. Several seconds later he opened them again. "Mu...Miss Gwen would like us to follow her, The trip is almost set but she need's to know were that tree...portal...thingy goes." Ember replied.

[Dr Archeville]

... dammit!

"... ah. Well... " Jos stammered, "that may be a problem. I did not anticipate her going to other dimensions, so I did not include the ability to scan other worlds into the scrying mirror. It can only rack her as long as she is in this dimension, and even then I can only search one city-sized area at a time, and... and... dammit!"

Jos suddenly slammed his fist into the wall, and -- to Ember's surprise -- left a fist-sized hole in it.

"... AUGH! OW! Oh, sonuva-" the shopkeep screamed as he pulled his hand out and cradled it. "There'd better be some ice in the freezer..."

[Kavos]

Ember looked around stunned for a moment before speaking, "I'll go check." he said dashing up the stairs as quick as he could....

A few seconds later he was back with some frozen peas. "No Ice cream, but peas." He say's as he hands them to Jos. "Maybe we should go to the park or something, maybe my sensor's might pick up something? I can protect you if anything bad happens." Ember say's still eying the dent Jos made.

[Dr Archeville]

Good, he didn't catch how strong I really am. Need to keep my calm, for now; I can work out my aggressions later. But if we find the Woman, maybe I can slake another indulgence first....

Jos wrapped the frozen peas around his hand as best he could, "if you think you can do that, I am up for it."

Mirror in his right hand, left covered in frozen produce and cradled under his right arm, Jos was ready to go.