[Maaike]

Maaike held her breath, her back braced to a cold stone wall and her wolf ears literally perked. Unusually, her hair was tied up in a ponytail high on the back of her head and she was dressed in black from head to toe, all the better to blend in to the night-time landscape. She'd also deliberately chosen a night when there wasn't much moonlight so that crossing the Thanatos estate undetected would be that much easier.

So far, so good. Despite being a magistrate who should know better, and one of Alexshire's wealthier citizens, his security was surprisingly easy to overcome. At this rate, she'd have the evidence she was looking for and be home by before dawn.

For that reason, Maaike almost called the whole thing off. According to her sources, this man had ties to the black market and, worse, to Ashton. She'd been told he had taken control of Ashton's dealings after his death, but what concerned her most about that was if he'd worked closely enough with Ashton before his death to know about her and Sammy. She couldn't afford to get caught if he knew about Sammy.

And the lack of good security was really bugging her.

Make a decision, Maaike. It was bug out or get on with it time and she wasn't usually so indecisive. As much as she worried about Sammy, in the end she was here for a reason. She'd heard enough about this guy, Conrad Thanatos, to know he was bad news and she couldn't quit now just because the guy didn't value his home enough to hire real guards instead of the two she'd easily bypassed. All she had to do was get into his office and find the evidence Alexshire's Marshal would need to put him away, just like the ones she'd helped put away in her home town.

Drawing in a slow breath, Maaike tip-toed toward the end of the hall while her ears flicked at the slightest sounds, glad she'd had the foresight to wear soft-soled shoes instead of her normal boots - this hall would be hell on her stealth skills if she hadn't.

[NPC]

((Conrad Thanatos played by Joy))

Moonlight shone through the windows, leaving a patterned shadow to the left of his desk. A set of crystals hovered over the papers as he read for the night. They were all orange, polished, and he'd personally selected each shevrock for optimal brightness. Even now, the light shone brightly upon the papers--almost too bright. Pushing the lamp further down the table, Conrad Thanatos sighed as he clicked his pen.

Per usual, the court had been filled with yapping throughout the day. There were the petty thieves, tax dodgers, and even unfaithful spouses. All very earnest liars. They couldn't hope to evade the truth when he easily saw through them, little did they know. Still, it was amusing to see them try, and some people could invent the most interesting of lies. Were he another person, Conrad may have even believed their stories. But truth can always be uncovered from evidence and memories, and this magistrate held control over both.

He was burning the midnight oil, so to speak. His day job wasn't his only occupation, and there were statements and contracts to be examined. Undoubtedly, Conrad was certain that there were people out there who could be persuaded to safely account for his money. However, he was loathe to put that type of responsibility onto somebody else. A handful of things were certain go wrong.

Fortunately, he wasn't the only one still awake. There were his guards patrolling the mansion, as well as Rhilla. The firefox was usually asleep by now, or resting upon her feather bed. However, the creature was paced restlessly upon the carpet by the door. When she saw him glance at her, the fox scampered to the side of his chair, hoping for him to scratch her neck.

“You silly girl,” he murmured, though he smiled with fondness. “It's too late at night to go out for a stroll.”

[Maaike]

Crap.

Thanatos was still in his office, which made getting in there impossible. Maaike had two choices: She could either give up for tonight and come back tomorrow, or check the rest of the house for the evidence she needed instead. The chances of him hiding something incriminating outside of his office were slim, but what if he burned the midnight oil every night? It was dangerous enough to break in once, Maaike didn't want to have to do it again.

Worse, though, she could smell canine. Traces of it were in the walls, the furniture, even the wall hangings, probably where it had brushed past on its forays around the house. The longer she stayed, the more likely it would raise the alarm. She had to do this fast.

Dammit. She knew she should have watched the place more beforehand, but she'd let his (alleged) ties with Ashton skew her judgement.

Backstepping along the hall the way she'd come, Maaike stepped into the room next to the office. Thankfully, the villa's design meant there were no doors to open and close, because Maaike really wasn't convinced she could have managed that as quietly as she needed to.

Inside, she found a small room lined with bookshelves. One shelf was filled with leather-bound books and closer inspection told her they were first editions, hand-scribed in Latin. They were probably worth more than Greenview each. A couple of the shelves were filled with relics, some of them modelled after dragons and all of them looking expensive. In fact, this entire room reminded her of the one Ashton had showed her, just once in their early marriage, and then locked her out of.

His treasure room. Which meant...

Crap.

Maaike wasn't indecisive any more. As much as she wanted to take this guy down, he wasn't only connected to her husband. They were the same. Maaike knew better than to mess with a Dracovari.

Now if only she could make it out of the vlareon's villa before he "heard" her coming - assuming it wasn't already too late.

[NPC]

Even a neck scratch wasn't enough to calm the firefox. The scratches occupied Rhilla for seconds before she became wide-eyed and restless again. She lifted her muzzle away from Conrad to face the wall, and he had to pull her toward him again. “What is it, a bug?” Conrad chuckled, but let go of the fox. Something was obviously bothering her, otherwise she wouldn't be so strange this way.

To humor her, Conrad spread out his senses--and immediately slammed them upon the intruder next door. He wasn't sure if his attack hit home, but he willed the intruder to remain where it stood. Conrad angrily shoved a book over his paperwork before striding out of his office and into the adjoining room. Even more important than the contents of his office, this room summed all that he held in value. It carried priceless antiques from his travels. It held replicas stories from even before the dragons' exodus to Nirim. It held presents from his children who have long since moved out to start their own families. There were things in there that were valuable only to him, but the majority was valuable to both him and other people. He'd hate to lose any of it to a scheming harpy.

Nostrils flaring, he stormed into the open room to face the thief that dared to invade his treasure room. It was his, and it was all he could do to stop his 'varian instincts from wanting to tear this thief in pieces. Still, his eyes roamed toward an engraved dagger hanging upon the wall, and he plucked it off the hooks. “Thief! How did you avoid the guards?” Eyes narrowing, he hit a hand upon the switch to see the thief more clearly---if the thief was still here. It had to be, for Conrad saw no way out except from the front.

((Wasn't sure how much I should GM, so I've kept it as little as possible. ^^))

[Maaike]

((You can GM if you like! ))


Maaike froze. It wasn't a deliberate lack of movement on her part. As far as her mind knew, her legs still should have been moving her back towards the hall, so what under Hel was going on?

Maaike tried to move again. Instead of taking a full step, the muscles of her leg twitched but she was still standing on the exact same spot. She wanted to swear (because Maaike's fear always translated into anger) but the outburst she could feel simmering in the back of her throat was dangerous. Either she would alert Thanatos to her presence, or confirm her location if he already knew she was here.

And it figured that whatever was happening to her was because he already knew. Ashton had used similar techniques to keep her in line and make it harder for her to fight back. The very thought put her at the brink of panic, and so it was with wide eyes that met Thanatos' verbal attack, only blinking when he turned on the lights and half-blinded her.

Immediately, she went on the offence. Maaike didn't want him to realise just how he was affecting her, or that she was no common thief.

With a coy fluttering of her eyelashes, she feigned, “Guards? What guards?” Maybe he'd be too annoyed with them to focus too much on her. In the meantime, she made another attempt to move, this time towards the small window opposite the door with intent to dive through it and roll into the fastest get-away anyone had ever made in the history of Elysian-kind - but of course she was still just as trapped. Maybe more so, actually. Didn't 'Vari skills improve with eye contact?

Fidgeting in her skin, Maaike bared her teeth and snarled.

[NPC]

Under the crystal lighting, Conrad saw that the intruder had a slight but toned figure, was of medium height, and dressed in the standard thieving garb. Her eyes were wide with the shock of her sudden paralysis, but they quickly narrowed to a lofty gaze. As the woman blinked her pretty eyes at him, Conrad realized that she wasn't immediately recognizable, but he knew that he'd seen her somewhere.

Somehow, this woman had gotten past the guard that circled the perimeter of his villa, as well as the one that wandered the halls. Those useless half-wits, he should have known better than to hire anyelis. He was thoroughly annoyed at how his guards had failed, but not as much as he hated this trespasser. Her mind was a slippery thing, jerking and pulling at his as she tried to run for the windows. He grimaced, and with some resistance, suggested that she walk away from the window and put her back against one of the walls. He couldn't recall how he'd met her, so he immediately associated her with his job in the court. “Don't play stupid,” he spat, “You dare wander uninvited...what is this, then? An attempt at petty revenge for when I last sentenced you?”

But that wasn't right. He knew this as soon as the words left his mouth. Somehow, his impression of the woman was that she was weak, fragile...easily manipulated. Somebody had once described her as thus. Eyes narrowing, he ghosted his mind over the woman's and wondered out loud, “Where have I seen you before?”

[Maaike]

Crap, crap, crap.

There was a reason Maaike was saying that in her head over and over again. She'd learned with Ashton that she was particularly weak-minded when it came to 'Vari mind-bending, and that the only way to regain some semblance of self-control to muddy up the works. While she didn't want Thanatos to know she was almost literally quaking in her boots, she was a little too panicked to think of a better chant.

She would have laughed at his gross misinterpretation of her actions if she wasn't so relieved. As long as he thought she was some petty crook out for revenge, he couldn't know who she really was, and that meant Sammy was safe. Sammy -

No! Dammit, think of something else, something else. Cheese. Mud. Rain. Greenview bathed in moon- No, dammit, cheese! Mud! Rain! Cheese!

And then she realised that at his mental suggestion she'd walked clear away from the window, weak-willed moron that she was, and she repeated her mantra with renewed determination. Cheese, mud, rain, cheese, mud, rain, cheesemudrain!

She renewed her efforts to escape, too, shooting Thanatos a glare to cut through glass and diving towards the window once more. She didn't even entertain the thought of answering his question, and filled her head with the thought that no matter what he did to her, she was going to escape. He'd have to kill her to stop her.

[NPC]

Conrad had such an easy time delving into the thief's mind, it was almost laughable. But then again, only very few people were ever able to withstand his abilities. The woman's mind supplied him with a flood of words and imagery. There were plenty of curses and nonsensical words, but her frantic mantra only revealed how nervous she was. But as much as she struggled to jump out of the window, she couldn't budge an inch. With a smug smirk, he raised an eyebrow at the woman.

Well, madam, let's see where you're from...He saw a large mansion surrounded by heavy iron gates and ancient trees. Each wall had arching windows, and a magnificent fountain that was so familiar. The antique architecture hinted at 'Varian backgrounds, and abruptly, Conrad realized that it the home of an old friend and colleague.

The Maaike he'd heard about was a weak little thing, but now she was eyeing him with such hatred. It was unbelievable how much she'd changed--into a thief. Pathetic. She probably broke the night she discovered the dead body of Ashton, and now she was defiling the Dyer name. He'd warned Ashton against marrying a Therian. They were so barbaric and fickle.

Eyes narrowing, Conrad shook his head and advanced toward the woman. Oh, she could try to escape and die while trying, but only when Conrad let her. “My my, look how far you've fallen, Mrs. Dyer...” he chuckled and shook his head scornfully, “Ashton would be rolling over his grave if he saw things right now.”

((Sorry for the delay. Busy week. >__<))

[Maaike]

Maaike wasn't going anywhere. No matter how much she fought, his "suggestions" were just too much for her. She'd learned the hard way with Ashton what that meant, but at least Thanatos didn't know who she wa-

Crap.

“Mrs Dy-?” She started to feign ignorance, widening her eyes to look at him curiously as if she didn't know who this "Mrs Dyer" person was. She thought she might have pulled it off, too, because the second Ashton's body hit the floor she'd severed any ties she had to the vlareon. Except, experience told her that Thanatos would see right through her act just like he'd seen right through her, and that she'd be punished for the lie.

Maaike could take a beating, but she was afraid of what Thanatos knew. He clearly was in her head and that probably meant he knew about - cheese, mud, rain! - so she was expecting a whole lot worse than physical torture here.

So she did the only thing she could do. She snarled and piled on the scorn. “Ashton can take long roll off a short cliff for all I care, you vlareon. He cut me off from my family and left me destitute! What's a girl s'posed to do?”

She didn't wait for an answer or for him to take a stroll through her thoughts to find out if she was telling the truth. She knew it was pointless, but she fought anyway, and managed to rip her arm out of his control just long enough to shoot her fist towards his arrogant face.

[NPC]

His eye twitched. The wretched harpy was still playing dumb, even when she knew that he was monitoring every thought in her head. As he pried further, he was greatly disappointed to see that she probably hadn't cared for Ashton at all, and in fact--“cheese, mud, rain!”

“Will you stop that?” He snapped, but she cut him off and confirmed his suspicions. She cared not a bit that her husband was dead, and she still held a grudge. Conrad frowned wondered just what the dead 'vari had done to make Maaike resent him so much, but before he could find the reason, she broke from his focus and slammed her fist on his jawbone.

Cursing and stumbling, it took all of his control to ignore the pain and slam his thoughts over hers. That wench! Hand held against his cheek, he stretched his jaw experimentally to check if there would be something worse than a bruise. “How dare you!” he spat with a tone laced in new anger.

Resolute, Conrad reached briskly into his shelf and pulled out a velvet box. Within the box were small vials of narcotics, and the fumes of each were powerful enough to knock out a dragon. Slowly, Conrad walked to Maaike until they were only a few feet away from each other, and he made sure that she was painfully paralyzed. He saw just how much she detested him, and he took delight in it. With a sardonic curl of the lip, he popped a vial open. “You do not deserve this, kelpie, but I'm going to be generous. On behalf of Ashton's memory. Do not come near me, or New Alexandria, again.”

As Conrad held out the drug for Maaike to breathe, an image of Greenview flashed in her mind. “Or else.”

((I think I'll need one more post from you, and then we can start the real fun! ))

[Maaike]

Maaike probably would have enjoyed his irritation, or maybe just the knowledge that she'd got a rise out of him from her stubborn attempts to block him out - if she weren't still trying so hard to get out from under his thumb. She wanted to laugh when he acted all high and mighty, like Ashton was the best thing since shamrocks were unearthed and not at all the monster she knew him to be. Maybe Thanatos had been fooled by the facade he'd put up, but she doubted it. A pair of Pets like them, she really doubted it. It was much more likely that Thanatos knew exactly the kind of man Ashton had been, what he'd done to her and to so many others, but still thought the sun shone out of his -

“Ugh, what under Hel -” That stuff, it smelled foul to her Therian senses. No, wait, it was dulling her senses. She tried to hold her breath, knowing that bad things would happen if she let herself faint, but it was too much. Her eyes were closing of their own volition, and suddenly she was on her knees falling backwards. You vlareon. You vlareon, I'll -


((Maaike's unconscious. Do what you will! ))

[NPC]

((Bwahahaha! ))

With a sigh, Conrad stepped aside as the therian folded onto the floor. Maaike had fallen to her side, and as Conrad lightly prodded the edge of her mind, he was satisfied to find it in deep sleep. Normal dragons would be out for an hour or so, but for someone small...Mrs. Dyer should be out for the rest of the night. She'd probably wake up with something close to a massive hangover, too, and serves her right. As he smiled smugly, Conrad reached for the box on his shelf and tucked the vial back into its spot.

After setting the container on his shelf, he reached for his COM and pressed one of the numbers on speed dial. The number didn't go through, and when he called a second time and reached voicemail, he dialed the second line. “Erwin, you numbskull,” he gritted his teeth when he heard the voice on the other side, “I pay for your comfortable home and medical fees, and you play doorman to a thief! Where is Rodrick?” Of course, the luckless Erwin hadn't a clue about anything, and could only mutter apologies. Exasperated, Conrad told Erwin to find his partner and report to the office later.

Disconnecting the call, Conrad snapped the COM shut and re-entered his office. As he reached the door, he turned again to check Maaike again--just in case. She was safely unconscious, so Conrad turned and dialed the guard. When that was finished, the 'vari collected Rhilla into his arms and sank into his leather chair.

Upon his desk were correspondences to various dealers, stats on exotic animals, and letters of warning. As he stared at the papers on his desk, he massaged the dull pain in the edge of his jaw. By the lindwyrms, that hydra's head had a painful right hook.

[Aiden]

“Holy crap, someone broke into the house of Magistrate Thanatos?”

“Apparently.” Aiden mumbled as he strode briskly upon East Road. Each exhale of his breath left a cloud of mist in the air. Nights during the spring were still chilly, and that was especially near the Cora. Rubbing the sleeves of his leather jacket, Aiden sighed and treaded up the sloping path that led to the villa. The magistrate's mansion would be further uphill and beyond the cluster of houses. “Honestly, I'm not surprised. Thanatos is so high up and he determines people's lives. Tons of criminals who hate him. What I am surprised about is how he didn't invest more in security. Theo said there were only two anyeli guards.”

“Hey hey, two well-trained anyeli can do the job. Right?...Oh...”

They had passed the cluster of houses and reached the open field. While the villa wasn't very large, it still looked like it could house three families and a taroch. Seeing the building, Aiden chuckled and jabbed his friend. “Yeah, I'd definitely put a scout in each corner of this thing. But damn, if only the city paid me a quarter of what they're paying this guy...”

There was a soft wingbeat in the air, and Aiden looked up to see an anyeli materialize out of the dark. Standing alert, Aiden nodded respectfully as his captain arrived. Since Aiden and Tony had been the closest guards to the mansion, Theo had ordered them to get there fast. The captain had been in the northern tower at that time, but he somehow got here at the same time they did. It had to be an anyeli thing, so Aiden didn't bother to ask.

“Evening, Aiden. Tony.” As soon as the anyeli touched the ground, he walked toward the gates of the villa. The expression on Theo's face was set and grim. Without waiting for a greeter, the captain strode beyond the iron bars and toward the courtyard. “Ready to catch outselves a thief?”

[NPC]

By the time the city guard arrived, Conrad had already hidden his paperwork in a locked drawer at the bottom of his bookshelf. The drawer's lock panel was so discreet, it would take a trained eye to notice something that. Sliding the lock panel so it blended with the wood, Conrad whistled to Rhilla as he sauntered to his treasure room. He skimmed through the room for anything out of place, and narrowed his eyes upon Maaike again. She was exactly where he'd left her. Scoffing, he turned to his bookshelves and flipped through a book, passing time before the guards came.

“Sir, the city guard is here.”

There were three of them, and one of the anyeli stepped forward and extended his hand. “Theo Loukas. Captain of the Guard. We've heard your report, but can you explain what happened again?”

Shutting the book, Conrad set it upon a shelf and put on his best smile. Warmly, he shook Theo's hand and said with excitement, “The city guard! So good to see you. This woman,” he waved his arm in the vague direction of Maaike, and continued with a tone of alarm, “Snuck into my home and tried to steal from this room! I was lucky to be in my office at that time, and my firefox alerted me of her presence.”

Glancing sharply at the fallen figure, Theo crossed his arms and shifted his stance. “I see. Was any harm done to you? And is she...fully unconscious?”

“I caught her and willed her to sleep,” Thanatos lied. Surely the guard knew enough about him to believe that he could do things like this. He didn't want to reveal his store of the sleeping dust. Conrad sent a small frown to the woman, unwilling to admit that she'd caught him unawares and punched him. But he knew the bruise was there, and it would be silly to lie about it. “She punched me in the jaw though.”

[Aiden]

When the magistrate started to explain the crime, Theo glanced briefly at Aiden and then at the figure on the floor. At the subtle notion, Aiden nodded and strode toward the far wall. The room had been too dim to distinguish the thief's features, but now that he came closer, his eyes widened in shock.

Quickly, he crouched next to the crumpled figure and placed two fingers on her wrist. Concentrating on the pulse, he found it to be steady and slow. Like the magistrate said, Maaike was merely sleeping.

They'd met only briefly in Espur, so there should have been no reason for him to be so concerned for her wellbeing. Still, he realized that he had been holding his breath. Aiden exhaled slowly before stepping away casually to hide his concern for the other therian. He didn't want to reveal any association with Maaike. Not yet, and especially not in front of the magistrate. So as Tony stepped to his side, he only muttered, “she's deep asleep.” His partner nodded and muttered something in reply, but Aiden was too focused with staring at the ground in thought.

He'd hoped to see her again, but what the Hel--here? She couldn't be a thief--she caught them for a living! So what shade had possessed her to trespass the house of a magistrate?

Unless...a cold feeling washed through his mind...no, surely not...

[NPC]

The other two guards were walking around the room, and one had crouched beside Maaike. Still standing at the entrance with Conrad, Theo uncrossed his arms and looked thoughtfully at the unconscious therian. “Hm. And have you seen this woman before? Perhaps in court? Family member of a criminal?”

Ah, so Theo thought this an incident of revenge. He could work with that. Conrad sighed and made a show of rubbing the bridge of his nose, as if he were peninent on behalf of the woman. “It is very likely that she is the family member of a criminal, but I do not recognize her...” Though Ashton had been a close friend and partner, the deceased 'varian hadn't been discreet enough on his side of the market. It would be a folly to admit that he knew Maaike and Ashton. “However, please don't detain her for too long on my account. She has merely strayed from the path, and I have spoken to her. I am sure that she won't do this again.” Why would she, when he'd shown her a vision of Greenview burning?

Maaike was young and foolish, so he could understand why Ashton had chosen the girl. And now that Ashton was dead, the girl had to fend for herself and Ashton's son. Conrad frowned as he strode to the immobile body. As one of Ashton's closest friends, he probably should offer some help to those two after this was settled...

...oh Hel. He wasn't a charity, and she could rot in Greenview for all he cared. If Maaike couldn't manage her own finances, she should just sell the damned place.

“Take her away.”

[Aiden]

Not all jobs are legal, and not all hunters follow the law. For all he knew, this woman could be a mercenary. Aiden was aware that and very worried. He'd seen her in action, and he knew her as aloof, unyielding, and cruel when necessary. The one time they worked together, Maaike had subdued the criminal by repeatedly bashing his head. If there was a headhunting job for the magistrate, Aiden wondered if Maaike would kill for the right price. Instinctively, though, he didn't think that she was that kind of person.

“Take her away.”

“Aiden?”

As he was thinking, Aiden stared intently at the magistrate's extensive book collection. When the captain called for his attention, he wrenched his gaze from the shelves. He knew what Theo's cue meant, so he nodded and kneeled to loop his arms under Maaike's shoulders and legs. She was hardly a lightweight, but he lifted her fairly easily and stood with Tony's help. Asleep, Maaike looked younger and almost peaceful, but Aiden could still see the hint of a troubled frown. He wondered about what she'd been planning, and he wondered what he should say to the magistrate (if he should say anything at all).

They'd partnered up only to capture One-Eyed Ben, and he owed her nothing. On the other hand, the Elders have always said to trust the instincts. Especially when you're therian.

Tightening his grip on the sleeping form, Aiden walked toward the exit of the treasure room. As he passed by the magistrate, he nodded his head respectfully. “If I may suggest, it may be prudent to install a few more guards around your villa. You've probably noticed too, but crime rates have increased in New Alexandria. Have a good night, sir.”

((Thread complete.
Continued here))