Thanatos: City of Shadows

[senfood]

Kaz walked through the corridors leading to the elevators of Cer Tower. His calm, collected demeanor hid the excitement that was in his heart about what was going to take place that day. As the elevator doors seperated and he stepped inside, Kaz's thoughts replayed the events that took place before that moment. The arguments, the stagnation within the family. He had loathed how the Cer were run in the past, but it was now his chance to change things for the better. The elvator soon slowed and the doors began to part again. He entered a spacious, empty room. The walls of this room were decorated with paintings of old battles, magical staves and other ancient artifacts. On the far wall, facing away from a large window panaramic window that overlooked the city, was a large stage. On the stage was a podium with the Cer on it, a large, ornate throne behind it and to the right and left, several seats for Kaz's most trusted members. He looked at the room with a sense of awe as he walked to the throne and sat down.
"In just a few hours, everyone will be here. Then I can finally begin what I'd been planning for so long."

[TheBlindMime]

(mintaro enter first, then call in my lieutenants, including Gwyn Aran.)

A brisk morning gale broke over Sebastian as he stood on his balcony, high atop the towering Herald Apartments. The hex owned the building and many of the people within it. Over the last few monthes Sebastians bouts of rage had become legend around the building, maids thrown threw windows because they didn't finish cleaning before he returned, cooks killed because the steak had just bled a little to much and most prominantly of all, the ladies of the evening being ripped to shreds by the end of the night.

Sebastian stood surbeying the area, looking unnaturally at ease. Slowly rotating a wine snifter in his hands to bring vibrance to his merlot, he wasn't a man of very refined tastes. He looked over the city that had seemed so huge, so unnattainable in his youth. It seemed miniscule now. As if he had grown to big for his coup, the hex's property had grown to small for him, it was time for a larger one. The Mors and Cer lands looked to be a blight on his town. Imperfections on an otherwise perfect view. He turned to his companion to make note of it.

She was leaned against his sliding glass window, her complection was quite pale. Her hair had seemed so perfect yesterday, but something about it now, it had lost its luster overnight. Her eyes seemed to be frozen in a look of horror and confusion, this probably stemmed from the wound in her neck. Her neck was long and elegant, at least it had been before Sebastian had ripped it in twain with the wind itself. She should have never doubted him, thats what killed her.

Sebastian merely smiled as he spoke to her, "Like I said love, one day this whole city will be mine. The Cer are strong now because they weakened the Mors and Hex slowly. I shall not let this continue any longer, the Hecate are the rightful rulers of Thanatos. We built the very backbone of this city, it stands here today because of us. And soon only we shall stand within it." A soft breeze blew into the building, readily agreeing to the leader of the Hex.

[Mintaro]

Palimont knocked lightly on the door before entering. He had been summoned so he wasn't worried about his sons temper, But it was still better to follow protocol no matter how loosely one may do it. He moved across the large suite toward the balcony he knew Sebastian would be standing at. Sebastian noticed the blood splatter on the window as he approached the balcony door. He had done it yet again. It was getting harder and harder to find women to send up at night. This one hadn't had a family, so the loss would be minimal. He just had to compensate the brothel for the death.

He moved to the doorway and watched as his son looked out over the city below. "Lord Hex." Palimont said as he took up a relaxed stance. "You summoned me up earlier then usual today. Did you tire of the smell of blood already? Or are we having a meeting of minds today. Perhaps I should ready the chess board?" Palimont inquired attempting to anticipate his sons desires. For all he knew his son just wanted to gloat again. Everything would be made clear to him in due time he was sure.

[Ryu Kurai]

Silmuun summoned Eddie to his side with a thought. "Tell everyone to meet in the dining hall. This meeting is manditory. Either show up or die. Make that clear." He said plainly. He felt his familliar take in the information and process it.

<Understood, master.> The shadow said. The gargoyle-like shape melted into the floor and zoomed underneath the door of the throne room. Silmuun rose, ruffling the fur in his coat a bit. Ulomis, the shadow he had on him at all times, removed a bit of fuzz that had come off of something and stuck to the back of his coat. He advanced out the door, opening it into the hallway. He already knew precisely what he had to do. His clan had been ready to begin an unnoficial war with the Hex and Cer at the drop of a hat, and now he had determined that he needed to be the one to drop the hat for maximum effect. He laughed lightly, his age lines putting even more shadow on his face as he tipped his head forwards a bit. He thrust open the doors of the dining hall. It was decked in black and silver, the table cloth already covering the hardwood exterior of the feasting platform. He clapped his hands twice. A man dressed in a butler's uniform came running to meet him. Silmuun barely cracked his lips and spoke in a soft, deadly tone.

"Let the members of the clan in only if they can prove their identity with their familliar. If other clan members slip by I will torture you until you wish I had killed you. Understood?"

The butler bowed hastily. "Y-yes master. I will make sure the guards are informed as well."

"That is precisely what I expect of you. Any less and I'll let K'Shog take some of his hatred out on you."

The butler gulped at the mention of K'Shog's name, the Familliar's hatred of humans well known to him and the other servants. "Yes master!" He said, bowing lower and rushing off.

"Good, you had best fear for your life." Silmuun said softly to himself. "Because anything that doesn't concede to me will be killed, nice and slow."

[Death Dealer]

Kronta busted through just repaired doors quickly after getting wind that there was a meeting today. The doors were slammed loudly against the thick walls as Kronta went from the back half of the compound to the front, to the meeting room, which he abruptly started acting normal in, knowing better than to break anything in this room. He walked semi calmly, with a heavy fire in his eye, to a smaller throne, right behind the leader.

"I hear we have a meeting. It better be quick. I left a plate full of steak to come to this thing." Kronta gruffly and swiftly growled out, nodding at the leader slightly before sitting down, and setting one leg on top of the other.

'That steak better not be too cold when I get back.' Kronta thought to himself as he waited, as patiently as the wild man could, for the other Cers.

[Obsolete57]

Sirius opened his eyes to the gargoyle-like form of Eddie the gargoyle-shadow. Before Eddie could so much as transfer information Sirius nodded and glanced down at his own familar, his shadow. The only downside to having your shadow as a familar is that you had to keep it out all the time, and then it had to follow your movements exactly. Sirius got up and wrapped his cloak around himself, pulling his hood up and over his eyes. He headed off in the direction of the Clan's headquarters, rapier at his side, out of the alley where he slept, mistaken for a homeless man.

"I will be there soon master," he muttered, barely audible.

[TheBlindMime]

Sebastian merely smiled as he turned to his father, "You know that's a smell I'll never grow tired of." he laughed a little as he finished the last of the merlot in one big gulp. Breathing a deep sigh of relief afterwards as his arm rocked quickly to the left, hurling his glass towards the street below. "No, I believe that today is a day to look forward. I need my lieutenants here so we may move towards more profitable ventures. So call for Bronson, The Myers brothers and Aran. Tell them if they aren't here in an hour I'll have their successor bring me their head by brunch."

Right as Palimont began to acknowledge his son's wishes Sebastian interjected once more. "And Palimont, I'm in the mood for kitten pie today." Sebastian turned to the city once more to survey what would soon be his.

[BassDouken]

Jerik sat in his room, reading a book. He looked over the pages as he flipped them from time to time. His jacket was draped over the head of his bed. As he was reading, a small furry thing scurried onto the coffee table in front of Jerik. Jerik paused and looked up at it.

"What is it little guy?" He said as the furry shadow jumped off of the table and onto Jerik's lap. "No, no walks tonight, I'm almost done reading this." The creature curled up on Jerik's leg and began to emit a noise that sounded like it was purring. Jerik smiled as he got back to reading his book. He only got a bit farther when the light dimmed, flickered, and then came back on. He looked up again and saw the figure of Eve standing near the doorway.

"Yes Eve?" He asked.

"Eddie was by, there is a meeting tonight, soon. You need to bring a familiar for identification. That was the extent of the message."

"Tonight? Well so much for finishing my book. Thank you Eve. Would you care to go to serve as the identification?"

"Of course sir." Eve said with a bow.

The black shadow on Jerik's leg chirped up. "Ok, you can come along too. Guess that you are going to get that walk after all."

Jerik got up from his chair, placed a bookmark in his book, and doned his jacket. The shadow climbed up onto his shoulder as he walked out of his room with Eve in tow.

[ThanosOfTitan321]

Gwyn Aran knocks on the door to her master's office. Her kwandao was on her back.

Palimont opens the door for her and she steps into the room.

"Sir, what is that you'll have me do?" she asks Sebastian as she bows.

[Gorefiend]

Azetheros strolled down the street. He kept his katana at his hip, as usual. His hair was messy, as usual, and his familiar was strolling right next to him, as usual. He looked up, and saw the gargoyle form of Eddie. He saluted informally. Walking on with his gaze on the gargoyle, who seemed to understand what was going on and flew on, attached to a building's side.

"Meeting tonight?" Azetheros asked. "Mandatory? Ok. Anyhthing new?"

The gargoyle flew away, and Azetheros looked at Gorefiend, still walking.

<You know that behavior could get you killed one day, right?> Gorefiend warned.

<I know. I know. But considering I dislike the whole 'Reign of Fear' that our master has decided to use to lead us, it's a small luxury I give myself in exchange for loyalty. And you of all should know that I'm loyal and hardworking, and that I have not failed him so far. I do my job. If my job is to recieve a message, I do so, even if I am a bit informal. Besides, we all have to release every now and then. Why, I think our master makes a very good case for it.> Azetheros responded.

<Your master, not mine. I serve only you, Az.>

<Hey, watch it with the puns there! And thanks Gorey, that's nice of you. Just make sure he doesn't know that. Now, let's better get going. Don't want to be late, now do we? I for one like this city.>

With that, Azetheros and Gorefiend turned towards the Mors central, hurriedly.