as written by Peachy00Keen and RAmenAmen
Inside the abandoned warehouse...
The car pulled into a poorly lit alleyway where it rolled to a halt. They were in front of a large, abandoned warehouse, that by the look of it hadn’t been used in over a decade. These old relics littered the outskirts of Lutetia in the disused industrial district. A large garage door opened noisily as they approached, and the driver eased the car inside. Eris couldn’t see where the door was operated from, but it began to close the moment the car crept inside. The engine died cleanly, and the driver’s door clicked open, moments before he opened the passenger side door and motioned for Eris to join him.
"What is this place -- I mean, abandoned warehouse, obviously, but why? What made you pick this particular decrepit mass of steel and stone over any of the others?" she asked, glancing around the poorly-lit interior of the building. The air felt cold and clammy, and the stench of mildew filled her nose. Pandora, who had been unconscious in her lap for the duration of the car ride, was beginning to come-to.
Her legs wobbled beneath her as she was gently but firmly pulled from the vehicle and to her feet. Her eyelids were heavy, her thoughts were fuzzy, and her mouth felt like cotton.
"What's going on? Where's Savien?" she tried to say, though what came out was a series of mumbles and incoherent moans. She stumbled across the floor, guided and held upright by Eris.
“I chose this warehouse because it is mine, Ms. Montblanc,” came a crisp, educated voice, as a slender man walked out of the darkness toward the pair. He was tall, but not overly so, wearing a dark cloak over his shoulders. His hair was long and grey, tied in a neat ponytail that hung down to the middle of his back. He wore a pair of old spectacles over his warm, hazel eyes, which were currently focused on Eris. His face was turned up the smile of a proud grandparent. He was clean shaven, with faint lines of age creasing an otherwise smooth face, save for an awkwardly long nose that gave him a permanent inquisitive look. The man clapped twice, and a pair of servants, a man and a woman, emerged from the shadows behind him.
“If you don’t mind, Laurine will see to Pandora. I assure you, she will not be harmed. I only wish to see her kept safe. Your equipment and your vehicle are in the adjacent garage, where they have been kept safe. I have no doubt that the Order will search your apartment soon enough.”
Narrowing her eyes, Eris gave the older gentleman a once-over. He seemed kind, though so far, his exhibited ability to track down information and produce necessary equipment to pull off a tricky heist left little question as to his power. She decided to tread lightly.
"My address isn't in the public records... How did you find me? And why me?" she asked, her eyes still squinting incredulously. A young woman, presumably this Laurine the man had mentioned, came over and relieved Eris of Pandora's mostly-dead-weight. She watched as the barbarian girl was carried off with care, in spite of her clumsy attempts to kick and swing at Laurine as she fought through the remnants of her drug-induced stupor.
After the pause, Eris returned her attention to the old gentleman and delivered two final questions: "More importantly, who are you, and why did you specifically seek out me?"
“You can call me Morgan. I chose you, my dear, because you are among the best at what you do, and you were available when I needed you. It also seems that we have similar interests and concerns, of which we might discuss in a more… comfortable… setting.”
Eris nodded and gestured in a sweeping sort of bow. "I don't see why not," she allowed, "You've been hospitable enough so far." She took a moment's pause as she rose from her bow and met the old man's gaze with a glacial stare and a briefly steely tone: "As business partners, as it would seem we have become, I expect that hospitality to be continued. I strongly advise against anything less." The tone faded and she continued as if the interjection had never happened. "After you, sir."
Morgan chuckled at Eris’ comment, and led her across the warehouse to a single door, which looked as worn as the rest of the place. Behind the door was the start of a hallway, leading to a desk outside a small office. The desk was covered in paperwork, but remained vacant. Morgan led Eris through the door into his office, where the décor changed dramatically. The floor was made of immaculate white tile, with a large rug between the door and the mahogany desk. A laptop sat to the left of the desk, and a few loose pages were arranged on the right. Paintings covered the walls of the room, which was oddly well lit, compared to the warehouse they’d just been in, and behind the desk was a large bookshelf. As Morgan sat himself in a large, leather office chair, Eris noticed that the books lacked titles, and were instead simply marked with a month and year, going back several decades. He gestured to the chair opposite him.
“Please, take a seat.”
"You keep a diary?" she asked as she sat down, pointing a thumb toward the books on the shelf as she plopped herself down sideways in the chair, hanging her legs over one arm.
“I keep notes on things. Information is valuable, you know.” Morgan picked up the top page from his desk, lazily scanning the page. “Let’s see here… ‘Eris Montblanc, human, twenty-seven years old, Lutetian, formerly of the Monastic Order, currently works as a mercenary.’ You were raised in a wealthy family, until their demise. You turned to the Order for guidance and training, but fled before taking the vows. Smart girl. You turned to witch hunting until you realized that the world was more complicated than it seemed.” Pleased with himself, Morgan opened a drawer and put the page away, before turning to the next one.
“Pandora ‘DeSangue’ Boukoillos, human, twenty-two years old, Mydalsan. Daughter of Pallas, who was the son of Erebus. Raised just outside Mydalsa as a shepherd of sorts, until her village was slaughtered. I brought her to Lutetia before she could die there, though the men responsible for her care betrayed me and failed to deliver her. She found her way to Lutetia City on her own, where she was quickly taken in by the paladin Savien. You’ve been with the Order; you know how the rest of the story goes without your intervention. The reason for such urgency was their imminent departure for Mydalsa, where she would be in great danger. Any questions before we continue?”
"You certainly seem to do your homework," Eris smirked, "But what's it for? I get that my skills are of use to you, but why the girl? She doesn't seem like anything special."
She paused for a moment, letting her mind wander as she took in the details of the office.
"What about Savien? He's pretty attached to the barbarian girl from the sound of it. Won't he come looking for her? I mean, I couldn't care less if the Order ransacked my apartment. I'm sure they already knew where I lived. There's nothing of value left there besides a fresh gallon of milk in the fridge." She took a breath and hesitated before continuing. "I suppose thanks are in order for that point. I'm sure the Order would have gladly confiscated my belongings had you not had your men retrieve them."
“The girl means nothing to me, personally. I owed her grandfather a debt, and I always pay my debts. As for the Order, let them come. They’ve oppressed and attacked the innocent for far too long anyway. I owe them a debt, as well. I intend to repay them in blood.”
Eris raised an eyebrow at Morgan's comment about the Order. "Not a fan, huh?" she ventured, trying to read more about the man. "Sounds like you've got your fingers in a lot of different pies, buddy." She stretched out and turned to sit upright in the chair, meeting his eyes with a level gaze, "Something tells me I'm an ingredient in at least one of those pies, otherwise you wouldn't have brought me along so far. What's my next assignment?" One corner of her mouth twitched up into a sly grin as she completed her sentence.
“Your assignment will be to protect Pandora and my organization from the Order, should they pursue us further. Keep an eye on Savien. Perfect paladin or not, he’s likely to involve himself personally in this case. How you deal with him is up to you. Your first week’s pay is with your belongings, along with the key to your new apartment. Try to stay off the grid, this time.”
Her other eyebrow perked up. "House keys? Really... What is this organization I'm going to be working for then? Do I get the honor and privilege of knowing the name of my employing organization?" She waved one hand dismissively, "as for prettyboy, I'll handle him if we cross paths. It would be my pleasure."
Before settling back in her seat, Eris inserted one more question: "If the girl is to stay with me, how do you propose I keep her from running off or knocking down the walls?"
“I suppose you’ll have to talk to her. Surely it can’t be that hard?” Morgan smiled wryly down his long nose as he thumbed through more papers. “Aiglenoir is a small company that dabbles in natural commodities throughout Issunar. We trade from Lutetia to Iveria to the Cerulean Coast, but don’t concern yourself with that. Your job needn’t take you out of Lutetia unless you want it to. Start by talking to Pandora. Find out what she knows of the Paladins, and help her understand what they really are.” The man looked pained, and old, and his face turned tense. “Now, I need some time to go over the events of the past day. I must bid you farewell. On your way out, tell my secretary Laurine that I need my medicine.”
We're going to need to restrain that little beast if I'm to talk to her at all.
Eris nodded politely to Morgan as she stood and turned to the door. With one hand on the handle, she spoke away from the man.
"I trust that if I have any questions, I can direct them your way?"
Morgan’s gaunt face made his glare that much more intimidating.
“Yes. Now, please get out.”
Inside the abandoned warehouse...
The car pulled into a poorly lit alleyway where it rolled to a halt. They were in front of a large, abandoned warehouse, that by the look of it hadn’t been used in over a decade. These old relics littered the outskirts of Lutetia in the disused industrial district. A large garage door opened noisily as they approached, and the driver eased the car inside. Eris couldn’t see where the door was operated from, but it began to close the moment the car crept inside. The engine died cleanly, and the driver’s door clicked open, moments before he opened the passenger side door and motioned for Eris to join him.
"What is this place -- I mean, abandoned warehouse, obviously, but why? What made you pick this particular decrepit mass of steel and stone over any of the others?" she asked, glancing around the poorly-lit interior of the building. The air felt cold and clammy, and the stench of mildew filled her nose. Pandora, who had been unconscious in her lap for the duration of the car ride, was beginning to come-to.
Her legs wobbled beneath her as she was gently but firmly pulled from the vehicle and to her feet. Her eyelids were heavy, her thoughts were fuzzy, and her mouth felt like cotton.
"What's going on? Where's Savien?" she tried to say, though what came out was a series of mumbles and incoherent moans. She stumbled across the floor, guided and held upright by Eris.
“I chose this warehouse because it is mine, Ms. Montblanc,” came a crisp, educated voice, as a slender man walked out of the darkness toward the pair. He was tall, but not overly so, wearing a dark cloak over his shoulders. His hair was long and grey, tied in a neat ponytail that hung down to the middle of his back. He wore a pair of old spectacles over his warm, hazel eyes, which were currently focused on Eris. His face was turned up the smile of a proud grandparent. He was clean shaven, with faint lines of age creasing an otherwise smooth face, save for an awkwardly long nose that gave him a permanent inquisitive look. The man clapped twice, and a pair of servants, a man and a woman, emerged from the shadows behind him.
“If you don’t mind, Laurine will see to Pandora. I assure you, she will not be harmed. I only wish to see her kept safe. Your equipment and your vehicle are in the adjacent garage, where they have been kept safe. I have no doubt that the Order will search your apartment soon enough.”
Narrowing her eyes, Eris gave the older gentleman a once-over. He seemed kind, though so far, his exhibited ability to track down information and produce necessary equipment to pull off a tricky heist left little question as to his power. She decided to tread lightly.
"My address isn't in the public records... How did you find me? And why me?" she asked, her eyes still squinting incredulously. A young woman, presumably this Laurine the man had mentioned, came over and relieved Eris of Pandora's mostly-dead-weight. She watched as the barbarian girl was carried off with care, in spite of her clumsy attempts to kick and swing at Laurine as she fought through the remnants of her drug-induced stupor.
After the pause, Eris returned her attention to the old gentleman and delivered two final questions: "More importantly, who are you, and why did you specifically seek out me?"
“You can call me Morgan. I chose you, my dear, because you are among the best at what you do, and you were available when I needed you. It also seems that we have similar interests and concerns, of which we might discuss in a more… comfortable… setting.”
Eris nodded and gestured in a sweeping sort of bow. "I don't see why not," she allowed, "You've been hospitable enough so far." She took a moment's pause as she rose from her bow and met the old man's gaze with a glacial stare and a briefly steely tone: "As business partners, as it would seem we have become, I expect that hospitality to be continued. I strongly advise against anything less." The tone faded and she continued as if the interjection had never happened. "After you, sir."
Morgan chuckled at Eris’ comment, and led her across the warehouse to a single door, which looked as worn as the rest of the place. Behind the door was the start of a hallway, leading to a desk outside a small office. The desk was covered in paperwork, but remained vacant. Morgan led Eris through the door into his office, where the décor changed dramatically. The floor was made of immaculate white tile, with a large rug between the door and the mahogany desk. A laptop sat to the left of the desk, and a few loose pages were arranged on the right. Paintings covered the walls of the room, which was oddly well lit, compared to the warehouse they’d just been in, and behind the desk was a large bookshelf. As Morgan sat himself in a large, leather office chair, Eris noticed that the books lacked titles, and were instead simply marked with a month and year, going back several decades. He gestured to the chair opposite him.
“Please, take a seat.”
"You keep a diary?" she asked as she sat down, pointing a thumb toward the books on the shelf as she plopped herself down sideways in the chair, hanging her legs over one arm.
“I keep notes on things. Information is valuable, you know.” Morgan picked up the top page from his desk, lazily scanning the page. “Let’s see here… ‘Eris Montblanc, human, twenty-seven years old, Lutetian, formerly of the Monastic Order, currently works as a mercenary.’ You were raised in a wealthy family, until their demise. You turned to the Order for guidance and training, but fled before taking the vows. Smart girl. You turned to witch hunting until you realized that the world was more complicated than it seemed.” Pleased with himself, Morgan opened a drawer and put the page away, before turning to the next one.
“Pandora ‘DeSangue’ Boukoillos, human, twenty-two years old, Mydalsan. Daughter of Pallas, who was the son of Erebus. Raised just outside Mydalsa as a shepherd of sorts, until her village was slaughtered. I brought her to Lutetia before she could die there, though the men responsible for her care betrayed me and failed to deliver her. She found her way to Lutetia City on her own, where she was quickly taken in by the paladin Savien. You’ve been with the Order; you know how the rest of the story goes without your intervention. The reason for such urgency was their imminent departure for Mydalsa, where she would be in great danger. Any questions before we continue?”
"You certainly seem to do your homework," Eris smirked, "But what's it for? I get that my skills are of use to you, but why the girl? She doesn't seem like anything special."
She paused for a moment, letting her mind wander as she took in the details of the office.
"What about Savien? He's pretty attached to the barbarian girl from the sound of it. Won't he come looking for her? I mean, I couldn't care less if the Order ransacked my apartment. I'm sure they already knew where I lived. There's nothing of value left there besides a fresh gallon of milk in the fridge." She took a breath and hesitated before continuing. "I suppose thanks are in order for that point. I'm sure the Order would have gladly confiscated my belongings had you not had your men retrieve them."
“The girl means nothing to me, personally. I owed her grandfather a debt, and I always pay my debts. As for the Order, let them come. They’ve oppressed and attacked the innocent for far too long anyway. I owe them a debt, as well. I intend to repay them in blood.”
Eris raised an eyebrow at Morgan's comment about the Order. "Not a fan, huh?" she ventured, trying to read more about the man. "Sounds like you've got your fingers in a lot of different pies, buddy." She stretched out and turned to sit upright in the chair, meeting his eyes with a level gaze, "Something tells me I'm an ingredient in at least one of those pies, otherwise you wouldn't have brought me along so far. What's my next assignment?" One corner of her mouth twitched up into a sly grin as she completed her sentence.
“Your assignment will be to protect Pandora and my organization from the Order, should they pursue us further. Keep an eye on Savien. Perfect paladin or not, he’s likely to involve himself personally in this case. How you deal with him is up to you. Your first week’s pay is with your belongings, along with the key to your new apartment. Try to stay off the grid, this time.”
Her other eyebrow perked up. "House keys? Really... What is this organization I'm going to be working for then? Do I get the honor and privilege of knowing the name of my employing organization?" She waved one hand dismissively, "as for prettyboy, I'll handle him if we cross paths. It would be my pleasure."
Before settling back in her seat, Eris inserted one more question: "If the girl is to stay with me, how do you propose I keep her from running off or knocking down the walls?"
“I suppose you’ll have to talk to her. Surely it can’t be that hard?” Morgan smiled wryly down his long nose as he thumbed through more papers. “Aiglenoir is a small company that dabbles in natural commodities throughout Issunar. We trade from Lutetia to Iveria to the Cerulean Coast, but don’t concern yourself with that. Your job needn’t take you out of Lutetia unless you want it to. Start by talking to Pandora. Find out what she knows of the Paladins, and help her understand what they really are.” The man looked pained, and old, and his face turned tense. “Now, I need some time to go over the events of the past day. I must bid you farewell. On your way out, tell my secretary Laurine that I need my medicine.”
We're going to need to restrain that little beast if I'm to talk to her at all.
Eris nodded politely to Morgan as she stood and turned to the door. With one hand on the handle, she spoke away from the man.
"I trust that if I have any questions, I can direct them your way?"
Morgan’s gaunt face made his glare that much more intimidating.
“Yes. Now, please get out.”
