Economies of Scale [Hector]

[Imogen]

Frost XX, 122

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It would be fairly inaccurate to say that news of the bounty had spread through Kalzasi like wildfire.

Firstly, wildfire is a dangerous, often destructive phenomenon which can, in extremis be observed by the magnitude of the blasted and burnt destruction left behind, whereas none of the buildings in Kalzasi caught fire after the announcement.* Next, even understanding the phrase in its proper metaphorical context, the majority of the people in Kalzasi were uninterested in upending their lives to go chasing after some kind of high-value bounty, and would have responded with shrugs. Finally, even insofar as you tamp down your expectations in accordance with these guidelines, the political climate, refugee crisis and questions of succession dominated within the city, and tended to swamp other news.

Yet, among those who were interested in entertaining the notion of a high-value bounty, this was pretty significant.

Although Lyra ran a store within the city and was thus theoretically available to anyone who walked in off the street, in practice she was often away from Ale'Ephrium- and even those who had interacted with the mysterious sorceress personally felt little more enlightened for it. Still, what was obvious is that she was very rich, and so her name tended to add a lot of weight to what might otherwise look like an uncertain and vague prospect. Surely, the logic went, if you could bring her something worth her time, it could well be worth a lot more of yours.

So then, a reputable customer and a high bounty... but a vague objective. Relatively few of the soldiers of fortune haunting the outskirts of Kalzasern society were big-game trappers, and even less were prepared to go and try to capture an actual monster.

Still, Imogen had a small advantage in this arena. Among the refugees which Aurin had helped lead to Kalzasi were members of the covens who had escaped Zaichaer early on in the progress of the devastation, and among those were prior clients. Using the information she'd received from the capricious theater-master and her newfound magic, she'd managed to locate a member of the Kindred.

Luis had been an alchemist for the Coven (perhaps he still was; he was unwilling to discuss the whereabouts of his former compatriots), and as part of his work gathering reagents had become quite knowledgeable about the monsters of the North. The Sunsinger had lured him to a trading post just outside the city with promises of a consultation fee, and he stood uncomfortably behind the large Orkhan woman--Imogen dwarfed him by more than half a foot--as she pressed the various traders for stories of beasts they'd encountered on the roads in the past six months. The witch had thought she might have trouble extracting such tales from the merchants, but she needn't have feared. No, the problem was...

"...might have been giantkin, so great and hairy was the marauder." a man told Imogen, bright eyes earnest, smiling, "And icicles in his beard, no less. The guard only just drove him off, and each time we've had occasion to pass through the northeast passages, I watch the nights with fear."

"Terrifying, to be sure." replied Imogen distractedly. She jotted down "almost certainly just a bandit" on a small notebook, joining another half-dozen similar entries. "Well, I wish I could hear more, but I'm afraid we've taken more than enough of your time already. Thank you so much for the fascinating stories."

The Ork ignored the caravanner's protests and dragged Luis away towards an empty table in the post, scanning the crowd for anyone else.

"How have we done so far?" the alchemist inquired.

"Eleven extremely hairy men; a handful of mycellum creatures bolted from the Warrens, almost certainly frozen to death by now; two aggressive corvids and an unusually plump bear."

Luis did not comment- he didn't have to. This strategy was plainly not getting them very far, but the situation was desperate. The outpost had gotten word of this "Lyra's" bounty, and had bought up whatever credible leads on monsters it could find, asking a *thirty percent* cut of the final takings. Imogen might have been a thief, but she wasn't about to be a party to that sort of highway robbery.

"Yes, I can see this isn't working, but I'm not ready to give up so quickly. Come on, the answer isn't going to waltz in through the front door if we sit here chattering."



~~~

*Actually, one did, but it was unrelated.

[Hector]

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The business that two of the Gelerian Imperium’s Inquisitors had in Kalzasi was entirely unrelated to any sort of bounty. But in the pursuit of what was their actual purpose, the intrepid pair had come across one that was, admittedly, enticing. Mayhap it was a needless excursion, perhaps it would wind them away from their actual purpose, but frankly…neither of them cared. It was rare to sidetrack Vergil, Hector being the one far more easily distracted, but in this case? Embarking on such an excursion was actually his preference— for while the beast was wanted alive, hydras were regenerative by their very nature, and he very much wanted a supply of the beast’s leather, its blood, so on, for endeavors far more personal than anything that had brought them to Kalzasi. At the very least, he wanted enough to be able to study it and, through Necromancy, perhaps replicate the regenerative properties it possessed such that he’d not need to find another beast in the future. He saw potentially infinite value in this little venture.

Convincing Hector to go along with such a task was infinitely trivial, too. For one thing, though he had forgotten the greater history and context of their relationship, he did find it exceptionally difficult to outright ignore the older man’s words; something about Vergil was always so very compelling to the elf. For another, hunting this hydra sounded fun to him. And then lastly– the two of them had met the client, Lyra, prior. Given what the two of them had seen of her, what they’d learned from their fateful encounter, it was an easy conclusion to draw that currying her favor was a worthwhile reward in and of itself.

Hector and Vergil were not, by training, trackers. That didn’t mean that they had no tools at their disposal for things in that vein, however, no– vampyres by default possessed a bit of an edge in this regard. Given how their senses were heightened as a consequence of vampirism and that they could grant themselves further boons by willful channeling of aether, they were veritable bloodhounds by nature; it was just that they needed a scent to go off of, so to speak, and these hydras were not anything they’d ever encountered prior. That part was the main conundrum; actually finding it once they had a trail to follow would be easy enough.

After inquiring around about where one might come across any little bit of their quarry, they were directed to a trading post on the city’s outskirts as well as a few alchemical shops. Anything derived from the northern hydras were, of course, very rare, but that’s all they needed– any little thing. The trading post in question was rumored to house a great deal of merchants, specialities varying from crafts to reagents to hunting spoils to things more magical; it sounded the most promising, frankly.

And as the two walked in, such a place was…busy. They wandered for a moment, perusing what wares were being sold and keeping an ear open to conversations around them, but eventually, Hector caught the gaze of another of the Kindred’s wayward souls. The elf’s expression held no recognition when their eyes met, but Luis’ did; the two had known one another. To say they were close would’ve been a reach, but Hector and his family worked rather closely with alchemists, botanists, doctors, other apothecaries– so on. They’d worked together, traded with one another, the like.

Vergil was not oblivious to this wordless interaction, and following Hector’s line of sight with his own, he did recognize the face of the man whose attention they had caught. Vergil had been a client of Luis a couple of times; he preferred to buy and sell within the covens, and though he did not isolate his patronage to any particular one, he frequented Kindred and Grimalkin most. Luis had always been a reliable sort, if memory served, and the man held a veritable bestiary recorded within his head.

Then there was the Orkhan woman in his vicinity. The funny thing about that was that Hector did recognize her…although it was from a very strange dream. The two had, of course, never actually met. It was passing bizarre to have one stranger staring at him with a look of familiar recognition, one that he could not recall at all, and then further, for said stranger to be in the company of a woman he had thought was a figment of his imagination.

Placing a hand on Hector’s shoulder, Vergil spoke, “...come. We– no, I…know him,” gesturing over to Luis.

Vergil’s words appeared to have caught the boy off guard, but before he could gather his thoughts for a response, his companion was moving and so he went along without a word.

“Luis– how…serendipitous. Full glad am I to see that you’re well,” Vergil speaking to this man by name only resulted in Hector’s eyes flitting between the two men and the Orkhan woman in rapid succession, entirely puzzled.

He had plenty questions he wanted to ask, but he figured letting the conversation progress might answer some of them.

“...I know not what brings you here, but we are…looking for something. If I recall correctly, your knowledge of northern fauna is hard to match. Might you know where one could come across anything relating to the northern hydras? Anything at all will do, really.” Straight to the point, Vergil always was.

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Aidolon Speech

'Thoughts'

"Kathalan Tongue/Speech"

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"

[Imogen]

Luis turned away from the orkhan witch as Vergil's words reached him. For a moment, he looked very odd indeed--almost as though overcome by some manner of trepidation--but then a genuine smile broke over his face as the light of recognition filled his eyes.

"Master Vergil, is that you?" the alchemist asked, "I'd thought for sure you were dead in the Doom."

As the Kindred mage turned, his companion did as well. Imogen was quite a tall woman, though not by the exaggerated standards of the Orkhan people, and her green skin was speckled with small iridescent scales- a genetic callback to the obscure opal dragons of legend. Though she was dressed fairly comprehensively with leather coat and fur mantle, strange tattoos were visible across her bare arms, stylized depictions of strange monsters featuring prominently.

"Hydra...?" Luis repeated as Vergil's question concluded, tone bemused. "The native hydra of Karnor are quite rare. Save for when they choose to lair in the middle of a trade route, they're also quite invisible to the casual traveler. I don't know that-"

"Let's not be hasty, Luis." interrupted the Ork. Her voice was somewhat higher and sweeter than her size might have suggested, though it was still well within the alto register. It was also, despite her appearance, heavily tinted with the classic Zaichaeri accent. "It sounds like these gentlemen are on to something interesting over here. Tell us about the hydras."

Luis gave Imogen a disconcerted look, then shrugged. "I suppose it's your money. The Greater Northern Hydra is an offshoot of the marsh hydra down south, near Sangen. They're a lot rarer and a lot less active; they tend to sleep a lot in underground caves or the bottom of lakes, eating fish and the occasional deer or bear. The average adult is only a bit larger than a horse, but some of them can get really big."

The Orkhan woman grinned. "Well, now, that does sound promising." She turned to the other two again, and offered them a very slight bow, making a little flourish with one hand. "Gentlemen, I'm Corporal Imogen Ward. Of the Sunsingers."

A name which wasn't terribly familiar in Kalzasi, but certainly well-known in the Covens. The Witch of the East and his mercenaries were a young and strange coven, but they had held back the entire Order for the last few decades. It was whispered that they used a strange and stolen magic to reave their weapons out of raw sunfire, which burnt through earthly magics like a campfire did spiderwebs.

"I imagine you're here after the sorceress' bounty, like everyone else? Well, I'm afraid that this trading post's owner's bought up every rumor from the past two months, and anyone with anything worth saying's sworn to secrecy. Man wants the lion's share of the bounty just for telling what might be out there." The dark look on the Ork's face communicated expeditiously what she thought of that notion. "Here's an idea; we take the information without paying him a damn thing, go out and fulfill the bounty, even split."

Luis coughed, looking incredulous. "Corporal, this man is a doctor, I hardly think he intends to capture a monster. In fact-"

Imogen waved Luis' objection away before he could complete it. "I've seen the young guy here fight, he can hold his own." She did not bother to clarify this blithe reference to the strange, impossible encounter from Hector's memories. "What say you?"

[Hector]

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“By some stroke of luck, I managed to slip out on an airship along with my student– I was in the middle of gathering herbal reagents with him when it happened.” Vergil’s words were tinted with a cordial warmth– it really was nice to speak with somebody he knew from Zaichaer again.

Hector merely blinked; unsure what to say, unsure if saying anything was appropriate. He felt a nudge in the back of his mind from his aidolon, omnipresent as he was; the spirit wanted him to ask questions, search for answers, but Hector felt frozen, unable to make a decision; if he spoke now, his words would be jumbled.

There was, however, great relief for both of them in knowing that though the city was effectively leveled, Coven witches had managed to survive. And while they had sworn allegiance to a completely different nation at this point, old allegiances, for them, were only severed in word. Vergil held great love for the Zaichaeri covens and would likely, in whatever capacity he could, aid them at any opportunity. Hector, well…he used to feel similarly, but with his memories locked away? Anything about Zaichaer caused him immense confusion…nonetheless, it was nice to know that there were survivors, that people he apparently once knew were still around.

The two of them appeared unassuming. Hector was dressed light; a loose white shirt and darker pants. Vergil, by contrast, was dressed dark, formal, but equally simple. With them, Vergil carried a bag, reasonably sized and styled similarly to what a traveling surgeon might carry. It was, however, runeforged– capable of holding far more than it appeared. By looking at them, one would never assume either party to be a hunter nor any sort of combatant on the surface, so the bit of bewilderment Luis held at their interest in the hydra was understandable– neither of them were known for their combat prowess when they lived in Zaichaer, either. It wasn’t as if the Covens were keen to their status as vampyres; even with the Covens’ broad acceptance of magic, not everyone within them held a fondness of vampirism…in fact, most did not. A shame, that; vampirism was an incredible magic when wielded well.

Both Hector and Vergil listened as Luis began to speak, though when his Orkhan companion introduced herself, Vergil looked surprised for a moment, but then pleased– he’d heard of Imogen’s exploits through tales told by friends and the like back when Zaichaer was a functional city. However, both would wait to respond until she finished speaking, as it was clear she was not done after her introduction.

Vergil was in agreement with Imogen’s plan, but then, when she commented about Hector’s combat prowess, his brow furrowed. What?

Hector smiled that she remembered, too. It wasn’t just his mind. They’d…somehow met, genuinely.

“She’s right! Magic is…the only thing I’m good at.” Hector sounded chipper at first, though his tone shifted to a bit more bashful at the latter point. “I’ve full confidence that with Imogen, we’ll be fine!” His voice reinforced the fact that he certainly believed every word he said.

“...and if anything does go wrong, Vergil can put anyone back together. He does keep a whole menagerie of Necromancy tools in his bag at all times!” Hector continued; really, in his head, he didn't see much risk.

Then there was the fact that Vergil was well versed in using Vitalis itself to weave flesh back together even in the thick of a fight, but that wasn’t something that was appropriate to announce in a crowd. Even Hector knew that.

Vergil blinked, evidently very perplexed by their connection. “I…well, it’s true that my specialty is healing, but Imogen is right. Hector and I have only survived this long by merit of our own adaptability, which, at this point, covers everything I’d consider necessary to hunt this beast. We are…a bit more than meets the eye.” He felt the need to first point out to Luis that the two of them were not going to blindly walk into doom. He also felt the need to not mention their involvement with the Inquisiton.

“Genuinely. And to find one such hydra, all we need is a piece of its body– leather, blood, bone, anything. Should we be able to do that, we can bypass involving the trading post owner. Perhaps we can buy something here? Or maybe Luis could point us towards where one might have left a trace.” He would not elaborate on the mechanism by which he’d use this to track it.

Luis was surprised by this. He knew little of Hector, only that he had been taking well to his studies beneath his parents, as well as later under Vergil, and that he was precocious with his Summoning. Many thought he’d go on to do great things if he could hone his focus, but he was…so young and callow. Looking at him, combat prowess was the last thing one would expect. And of Vergil, he knew the man was a consummate healer, but not much else. He wondered just what it was the two of them had gotten up to since the city blew and what secrets they must’ve been hiding prior, even.

But before the alchemist could gather his thoughts to ask anything of his own, Vergil looked between Hector and Imogen, then added, “...but would one of you care to explain why you recognize one another?”

Hector and Vergil were rarely apart for long since having left Zaichaer, and if Hector remembered Imogen, that meant that they had somehow encountered one another within that period of time. In his head, that made no sense whatsoever, because there really was no opportunity for such a thing that he could think of.

To his question, though, Hector replied, “...we met in a dream!” He stated this matter-of-factly, oblivious to how strange that such a thing would sound.

Vergil’s eyes narrowed. Learned as he was, it wasn’t as if he were unfamiliar with the concept of the Land of Nod, but it was utterly baffling to him that Hector would’ve been plucked from his sleeping form and into an interaction with Imogen of all people.

“You…what?” Luis’ words took the thoughts from Vergil’s head.

"It was neat! Wasn't it, Imogen? But...does that mean the man on the comet and...everyone else...are real people, too?" Hector's continued commentary did nothing to assuage the confusion possessed by Luis and Vergil.

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Aidolon Speech

'Thoughts'

"Kathalan Tongue/Speech"

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"

[Imogen]

"Essentially correct," the Sunsinger conceded, "And I still haven't collected my fee for that little misadventure. Well! I'll get around to it later. In any event, the answer to your question is yes, they're all real."

Luis looked baffled, but Imogen spared him no explanation. "A species of summoning magic, I suspect, though I don't think Mr. Maze has ever possessed that particular Rune. It's sensible. Beneath the skin, we're all of us just spirits, right?" The Orkhan woman grinned at Hector, then held out an arm. A moment later, her arm fell, limp- away from a ghostly image of itself. Imogen waggled the translucent specter of her own fingers, then let that ghostly hand fall into the physical one, rolling her shoulder as spirit and flesh became one once more.

"I don't-" Luis interjected, then automatically paused for Imogen to interrupt him. When she didn't, he blinked in surprise, then continued, "I don't think that's true. Even in Nod, the Rune shouldn't have the power to summon a mortal spirit."

The Orkhan witch grunted, closing her eyes and cocking her head slightly to one side, as though to communicate that she wasn't particularly interested in arguing that point of speculation or, indeed, in the direction of the conversation. "Take it up with the Circle if you'd like to debate the theoretical, Luis. Now, what I'd like to know about is this hydra trace that Mr. Vergil is looking for. Do you think the trading post has such a thing?"

The alchemist sighed, never happy with Imogen's habit of simply skipping over seemingly-profound happenings, and never less happy than now. Still, he raised a finger to his forehead and fell silent for a moment, thinking deeply about the matter. After a moment, he opened up his eyes.

"Not as such, but there may be a way. A trader who ran into a hydra on the road and lived to tell the tale would, firstly, have certainly met one smaller than lady Lyra desires. But more to the point, even if they escaped with a bit of flesh caught in the wagon or hacked away, it would not last long; hydra flesh decays rapidly if left untreated, collapsing into a mush reminiscent of fungus. It must be treated with a special oil from the Everwilds even to last the few days it would take to reach a trading post."

Luis caught the looks of disappointment building on Imogen's face (and perhaps others) and followed up- "But perhaps all is not lost, depending on Master Vergil's methods. Hydra leather is often collected from the fallen heads, which means that the beast it comes from commonly survives the encounter."

Imogen snapped, suddenly catching the alchemist's drift. "So it isn't a new bit of the beast we need, but an old one?"

The older Kindred witch nodded, looking very pleased at his own notion. Perhaps he had cause- there weren't many creatures for whom an ancient sample might be better than a more recent one.
"The hydra leather treatment preserves the distinct scents and essences of the beast from which it comes, for the enchantments people prize on such material do not otherwise function."

"That's an easier task entirely." Imogen glanced over the lodge, at the muscular guards and heavy-set traders and the glass-paned office of the obscenely wealthy owner set up on the second floor. "Yes, I can get these people to show us any hydra skin they might have. In fact- Luis, if you'll come with me? Gentlemen, be ready to act."

~~~

A few minutes later, a fight broke out atop the second floor of the trading post, an argument which was immediately audible throughout the building.

"Absolutely impossible," declared an older man, a thin human fellow, "You could never hope to find one of the truly great hydras. All we know about them comes from mages, who can study from afar. You'd never survive up close."

"Not true!" protested the ork woman he was speaking with, angrily, "My great-uncle saw one, a worm the size of a hill! Damn near crushed his entire trading train!"

"Absurd." Luis sneered; apparently, he wasn't a half-bad actor himself. "Stupid girl. Every family has legends like that, but they aren't meant to be taken seriously. Did your 'great uncle' ever show you any proof?"

Imogen wilted a bit under the tirade. "No... he only just got away with his life-"

"There, you see? No proof. No-one who isn't a prince has anything to prove that their families ever encountered a true monster."

Across the room, a half-dozen men shifted in place, all suddenly filled with the determination to prove this asshole wrong.

[Hector]

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The notion of Imogen needing to collect a fee for something that apparently happened in Nod was perplexing to all three other parties present. But at the conjecture around Summoning, Hector shrugged.

"If that were a thing, I wish I could do it myself– and I'm pretty good with the rune– so I'm not sure…but people break the rules of magic all the time." Hector didn't elaborate on precisely what he meant, however, because his most profound example of this was the strange way he could turn blood into metal.

Announcing oneself as Vitalitasi was, perhaps, not the best idea in so crowded a location if at all.

The conversation's topic rapidly shifted back to what was, ostensibly, most important. Vergil set his arms crossed over his chest, a slight sigh escaping him. Pragmatically, he knew now really wasn't the time to prod more about this dream adventure; he'd definitely ask Hector, at least, about it later.

As Luis went over the practicality of acquiring any piece of a hydra, neither Hector nor Vergil had any exacting input as it would appear that their best option was to come across the leather itself. And to that, somewhere like this ought to be the best place to find such leather, if at all. It was rare, yes, incredibly, but it was valuable, and anything for which there is a market, it will be procured and sold, somewhere, sometimes.

Though when Imogen said 'be ready to act,' the pair of vampyres had no idea what exactly it was she meant; however, they weren't the worst at thinking on their feet.

Through the beginning of the faux argument between Luis and Imogen, they said nothing, because the act of the other two serving as bait was appearing to work well enough on its own. Rather quickly, though not all at once, several people made their move to approach. Some appeared to be hunters, perhaps trackers, armed and rugged as they were, but two were very obviously little more than tradesmen.

The first of that group appeared to be two who worked together; one of the traders and a man who looked really rather intimidating but low in the social skills department. It was the tradesman, a short, stocky man dressed quite well, who would speak.

"You really think that nobody has ever lived to tell the tale of a hydra encounter? Nay– that's profoundly stupid! Hydras may be hard to outright kill, but people have been lopping off the heads and other parts for leather for years. It's really quite lucrative, and as somebody who prides himself in procuring all manner of leather– from the most basic to rarities such as hydra leather– I can show you." He sounded arrogant.

It was, at this point, unclear if the man that stood alongside him was some sort of guard or somebody he commissioned to hunt for him.

One of the other men to approach added, "...he's right! I was going to say I've seen him sell it myself."

Another claimed to have sold that very man leather from an encounter he'd had with one a while ago, but he did say he had no plans to do that again– his life had almost been taken prior to him getting away. He'd come back after the beast was gone to harvest what had been left behind.

It was at this point that Vergil chimed in, directed to the tradesman who claimed to sell it. "All of this is well and good, but have you any on hand? It's hard to believe from words alone."

"Yes! I always keep at least some around as a sample regardless of stock. Prospective clients like to see it." The merchant was clearly eager to back up his claims and therefore reinforce his pride. "This way, if you would."

And with that, the merchant gestured towards where his wares were set up– his micro-emporium was actually rather fancy to look at and spacious compared to a lot of the other people here. If all parties followed him, he would appear to open a cabinet among a large array of similarly heavy, wooden pieces of furniture and rifle through it before he turned back around and setting a piece of scaled leather on the counter before the group.

"See?" He appeared triumphant. "If you're looking to buy, you'd have to place an order, but-"

Vergil cut him off, "...may I see it? I might be."

The little man pushed the piece forward, and with that Vergil picked it up, inspected it for a moment, then sniffed it. This might appear strange to onlookers but he did so as it weren't and without comment.

He turned his head and upper body back to his companions, "...definitely genuine," but in the same movement as he did this, the nail on his thumb shifted briefly into an extraordinarily sharp claw and he cut a small piece of it off.

Turning back towards the merchant, he placed the main piece back down and the tiny one he'd stolen in his pocket. His movements were swift and smooth, the little man didn't actually get to see him do any of it except the return of his property. Nor did anyone else, really- the way Luis, Imogen and Hector were standing when he turned to face them blocked view, and it wasn't as if they would say anything.

"I may be back; I wasn't expecting anyone to actually have any...didn't bring money." He shrugged. This was a lie; he kept his money in the featherlight bag he always carried around.

Vergil would then step away, back to facing his companions. "That's all I need. I can't exactly guarantee the size of what we'll run into with any degree of certainty but I can find us one…or several if the first is too small." His voice was flat, matter-of-fact.

Though Hector did not say anything, the boy appeared delighted.

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Aidolon Speech

'Thoughts'

"Kathalan Tongue/Speech"

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"

!	Message from: Aegis
	In the event the writers believe this thread should be broken up into multiple threads, I give permission for those to be crafted as normal in the locked out season without need of placeholders so as to better maintain flow and continuity.

[Imogen]

Imogen beamed at Vergil's flat pronouncement, always chuffed by the straightforward success of a harebrained scheme.

"Certainty is always too much to ask; I'll take a shot in the dark."

The Kindred alchemist seemed a lot less convinced. "I don't mean to dash any hopes, but most hydra die as adolescents. Even if that hide comes from one which has had the time to properly grow and mature..."

Imogen waved off Luis' naysaying, still grinning ear-to-ear. "No reason to confront your failures before they even happen, Luis! Assume, if you will, that we've a lead on a genuine behemoth. How might we trap the beast?"

The other witch looked at Imogen uncertainly, but did not respond right away. Obviously he'd given the matter considerable thought ever since he'd first been approached by the Sunsinger, but sometimes time and expertise alone did not yield clear answers. Luis closed his eyes, raising a hand to his head as he thought about his reply, and for once Imogen did not jump in with any sort of interruption. She had come to recognize this tic in her companion.

After a time, Luis sighed. "The answer to that is going to depend a lot on the bulk. A centurial hydra, one which has found an optimal lair and spent the years growing, is far too large for a team of men to move. If you intend to transport it, you'll need to devise a lure of some sort, to move it under its own power."

"More than simple prey, I take it?" Luis nodded, and Imogen shrugged. "Well, so mote it be. I don't suppose you know any effective drug-"

Luis was already shaking his head, but it shouldn't come as a surprise. Hydra were rare, as he'd said, and anyone trying to drug them for transport was looking at the little ones in any event; you couldn't just scale up the dose a thousandfold. Furthermore, the beasts possessed a legendary store of vitality. It should come as no surprise that a creature which would not die when beheaded was likewise difficult to poison.

"No matter, Luis, we'll figure something out. Worst comes to worst, we have a brawl on our hands. Master Vergil, how shall we hunt it?"

The Kindred alchemist stared at Imogen with undisguised horror.

[Hector]

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To Imogen’s immediate enthusiasm, Vergil did smile back at her; a bit infectious, that enthusiasm of hers.

Luis and Imogen quipped back and forth, the Orkhan interrupting him prior to Hector or Vergil being able to offer any of their own input. They stayed silent a moment longer as the other two moved to the subject of logistics, and then when Luis looked horrified at the suggestion of genuinely hunting one, Hector couldn’t help but to giggle a bit.

“Subduing it might not prove that difficult should we be able to at least exhaust it for a bit. I’ve…we’ve…” Vergil trailed off; he wasn’t quite sure how to phrase his intended plan, for it involved weakening the beast until he and Hector were able to overpower its musculoskeletal system via Rhabdomancy, a trick both of them had courtesy of Vitalis.

“...Hector and I have methods more magical to override the beast’s control of its body. The only problem is that this is not permanent; it’s an active spell cast, so he and I would have to continuously channel aether and be present lest the beast regain control of its faculties. Nonetheless, while we are all present, an adequately skilled Traverser could open a portal and Hector and I can will the hydra through it.” He paused, considering if his own skills were good enough.

“I have Traversion, but if I’m channeling the spell required to puppeteer the hydra it would…be much better if we had somebody else available to make the portal. Further, if Lyra has means of more properly subduing it, which…she very well might, then we’re golden. My only request is that once it is subdued, you allow me to collect a few heads– I genuinely would like an ample supply of the leather to work with.” Vergil very deliberately didn’t specify, but from his tone, one could glean that he had full faith in whatever ability he and his elven companion had.

And looking directly to Luis, “...I…you knew me as a healer and Hector as a clueless boy with an aptitude for magic. We’ve been a bit more than that for quite some time, and the winding path we’ve taken since Zaichaer’s fall has only honed those skills– there is no need to worry about our safety. It would, however, be a lot to explain all at once.” Vergil almost sounded apologetic, as if he felt remorse for something. Internally, this was because he felt as if he’d lied to everyone in the Covens for years about the fact that he even was a vampire; to him it felt dishonest, but he understood the necessity thereof.

To Imogen, “I can use the scent on this leather to track something of size, I think; I imagine the den of a larger beast would be more potent, no? Regardless, once found, we must collectively exhaust it until its energy reserves are low enough such that Hector and I can overpower its will with our magic. Does this work for you?”

And all the while Vergil spoke, Hector was content to be silent. He knew that of the two of them, Vergil was the strategist and he caught on from the man’s vagaries that the intent was to overpower with Rhabdomancy, an idea that he approved of. At the end, however, he did chime in. “If things look dire, Vergil and Imogen may distract it while I can abscond to summon spirits for assistance; the more the merrier, no?” Hector was a surprisingly grand Summoner, and the aidolon that always lurked in his shadow was nothing to scoff at even if he didn't bother to summon anything else.

- - -

Aidolon Speech

'Thoughts'

"Kathalan Tongue/Speech"

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"

[Imogen]

Luis seemed quite curious about Vergil's meaning, his face growing concerned as the other man walked deftly around an explanation. The Kindred were familiar with any number of unsavory ways to obtain power, of course; nefarious spirits, forbidden alchemies, and other remnants of darkened ages which the spirits of the Grove kept secret. They were, perhaps, outside of the Grimalka, the coven most centrally responsible for the traditional Zaichaeri conception of witchcraft, and all the attendant stories of dark bargains.

Thankfully, his mind did not jump to Vampyrism, which was not a common concern within the Kindred at all. He had no reason to suspect his two old acquaintances of any connection with the Menders.

Meanwhile, all of this context was quite lost on Imogen, who nodded as she considered Vergil and Hector's words at face value.

"Well, that's a relief- to be candid, my magic is much better-suited to obliteration than restraint."

Frankly, Imogen wasn't at all sure how the nova-fire would interact with a hydra's legendary regeneration. The coven's magic was quite powerful, capable of melting a Negation ward, disintegrating glamour and even tearing apart kinetic barriers; but it had unpredictable effects on living flesh, and the Ork was concerned that it might actually be suitable energy for the hydra to use to fuel its own regeneration. Or, worse, it might disrupt that regeneration, leaving the beast dead and the client uninterested in rendering payment.

"I'm a competent Traverser myself, so I may be able to handle the monster," the Sunsinger said in answer to Vergil's concerns, "But with some set-up, we can ensure success. Once we find the hydra, give me some time to steal a totem and learn it- I'll use the threat of a territorial incursion to draw the beast out of its lair and keep it in place. Then we can remove some heads and exhaust it at our leisure. Luis?"

The alchemist's concern had morphed into alarm as the Sunsinger spoke. "Do you mean with Animism? Imogen, such a form would be extremely complex to pull off, and if the hydra is sufficiently large, the amount of aether required-"

Imogen interrupted him wordlessly, waving him past those two points, a silent indication that she saw no reason for alarm on that account.

"-but even if you can pull that off, hydra draw their regenerative abilities from a specialized aether-storing organ. A newly-formed hydra would have nothing like that kind of regenerative power stored."

"I'm not proposing that we take turns ripping off heads, Luis, I just need to draw it out and keep it occupied; I've seen Hector's swordplay, and between us we can certainly keep the damn thing too wounded to murder me."

Luis still seemed apprehensive, but Imogen put little stock in it. She knew the Kindred man was a fine alchemist, but he was not a warrior and she was. She'd fought her share of enormous monsters in Ecith, and knew that her confidence was not misplaced.

"...it's a foolhardy plan." Luis concluded, a little angry, "But I concede that it could work. If the monster isn't too big. You'd have no chance against a really ancient hydra."

The Ork laughed, flapping a hand to illustrate her feelings on the alchemist's worries. "How lucky do you think I am, Luis? You said that the average adult is, what, twenty meters? That's big, but I could kill it by myself if I had to. You worry too much, my good man."

The words seemed to echo oddly in the air, but nobody paid them any mind. It was just another flippant pronouncement of Imogen Ward, the single worst seer in the world.

[Hector]

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

► Show Spoiler

- - -

- - -

Both Hector and Vergil were familiar with the Sunsingers’ signature skills– as a Coven, they were quite adept when it came to both magical nullification and obliteration, but neither could be entirely sure how much Imogen was referring to that aspect of her arcane repertoire versus anything more personal that they currently lacked awareness of. Nonetheless, restraints were something that they actually had ample supply of in their possession by virtue of Hector's mere existence.

When Imogen said the word 'restraint,' actually, Hector’s tiny little brain made the proper connections that he probably should let them know he can create restraints ostensibly out of thin air. Well, that’s how he’d describe it to Luis– the reality was that he needed blood to transform into metal, but given the fact that he was full of it himself, possessed superior regenerative capabilities and carried around Sanguinyte, it wasn’t as if they were lacking in vitality in any way. The hydra’s own blood could easily be used against it in this respect, too.

“I– when you put it that way, I could put all of my focus on restraining it while you and Vergil work to distract and subdue,” Hector responded, and looking now towards Imogen directly, “...you saw what I mean. I can make chains like that with great aetheric efficiency and they’re very strong; I can craft them heavy, too…added density just requires a bit more…raw material, but the hydra itself should have plenty of that. I can make any shape from the stuff, really– weights, hooks, weapons; anything metal we may need I can easily provide.” In theory, he could craft more and more weight until the beast ceased to be able to move. The only limit was blood volume, and between Hector, Vergil, Imogen and the hydra– that was a lot of blood to make use of. In combination with Rhabdomancy, this was a fairly secure method to capture anything confined to a form of flesh.

With how vague he was, one might assume he’d picked up Elementalism and managed to learn to bend metal to his will that way– though a traditional Elementalist would not be able to simply will metal to exist nor would they be able to craft it out of anything innate to a hydra’s biology, so that comment might be confusing to those who do not know what he actually means. However, such a thing could be an additional quirk, mayhap a combination with another magic– there were other explanations than the truth. And while Vergil was aware of the finer points of all of Hector's Vitalis quirks, Imogen had only seen the spectacle of his Metallurgy and Fever Rune, the latter he would use more often than not to generate more blood for the former.

To Imogen’s Animism idea, Vergil quirked a brow. “Once we find it, couldn’t you just use the piece of the leather I clipped? Or do you need something untreated?” Not being an Animist himself, he admittedly wasn’t sure on the finer points of Totems.

Imogen’s rather cavalier attitude to Luis’ reasonable concerns made Hector giggle again– he quite liked her confidence.

“If nothing else…the spirit I’ve bound myself to has an ability to drain vitality. I think that if Imogen and Vergil were to keep it busy for long enough, it’d wither into nothing from that, even an ancient one; my aidolon is…a rather storied creature himself.” Passing vague, he continued to be, as his aidolon was grandchild to Lyrielle, a general to Shaeoth and present Outsider; son of Kirva, mother of monsters; he was a bit more than ‘storied.’

“Well, if we’re all in agreement, and provided there’s no further preparations that need to be made, we can set off. Hector and I have everything; my bag is enchanted, holds far more than it looks.” Vergil spoke up, adding this now that it appeared the plan had been settled.

- - -

Aidolon Speech

'Thoughts'

"Kathalan Tongue/Speech"

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"