The Forgotten Zodiac

((Yeah, she is. Unless you don't want her too.))

"Very well, then. I had no intention of dropping my guard, but I'll be sure to stay alert." Alexander glanced at Morgan to check if there were any more topics, then lifted his hand from the paper and settled into his work routine until Dagan arrived. The night looked to be expectionally interesting.

((No, that works well. xD))

Dagan was not the first to enter the room, nor did the first person to enter knock. She merely opened the door and walked in as though it were nothing, a key in hand. Morgan stood at once, not recognizing the woman, naturally. She tossed him the keys, a curled smile playing on her lips. He caught them easily, but threw them aside in time to catch her hand as she swiped at him with knife in hand.

"Hm, perhaps you are as promising as Dagan said...release me," She said quietly, her voice like a river of milk and honey. Smooth, sweet, and easy to fall into. Morgan seemed to lock up, struggling to keep his fist around her wrist. She laughed at this. "You're actually capable of resisting me? Let's see for how long. Let go of me, darling. Have a seat. Relax. Melt away your worries and stress under the sweet sound of my voice. Let go and--" She let out a small yelp of pain and tried to jerk away, but quickly found that she couldn't.

"Sorry," Morgan struggled to speak, still fighting her seductive and enchanting voice. "I just paralyzed our arms. I'm not letting go for about half an hour."

"Wha--why'd you do that? Tch...you're more serious than you look about this stuff. It was just a test, and now look at where we are." She snorted, trying to pull her numb arm away from him, but his frozen grip was, as usual, as tough as iron.

"I take everything seriously." Morgan did not look amused. "I suggest you drop the knife."

"Why don't you take it from me?" She taunted, noting that his left hand had remained in his pocket for the entire encounter. "Show me your other hand."

"No." Morgan said bluntly. He sent another zap of elecricity through the wires on his hand, and she was forced to release the knife. "Good." He smiled and looked over at his young charge. "Look, Alexander. Here's a sight you don't see every day. A Siren."

"Ohh, clever boy. You even saw through my disguise." She snorted. Sirens commonly wore very traditional tribal gowns and outfits; she was wearing a slim dress that fell over her feminine form in a gentle wave, a flashy maroon hat to match it. A thin grey half-coat fell over her shoulders, topped with grey fur. She had black hair that fell easily past her shoulderblades, and blue eyes the color of the sea. Better men than Morgan had found themselves fallen prey under her beauty and voice.

"I didn't notice at first glance. The keys gave it away. Alexander and myself are the only ones with a set; the third is with the innkeeper, which he doesn't give away. You made him give it up, though. As for the disguise...you can change the white of your hair, but makeup tends to rub off. You can't hide grey skin for long." Morgan glanced pointedly at her hairline and her wrists around the cuff of her gloves. "And your voice makes it extremely obvious."

"I'm surprised. I have most men lapping at my heels."

"I'm not most men."

"Okay then," Alexander deliberately interrupted the conversation, also having avoided any control under her voice. If he hadn't avoided it, he would have stepped between her and Morgan as soon as she asked Morgan to let her go, for the Siren control extended to all those who heard it. His left hand was tucked behind his back carefully, to hide the long, thing cut he'd inflicted on himself with a letter-opener. It was actually the first time he'd had to do it, though it was a very common occurrence among people of influence that Sirens were a worry. "Can I assume you're the person I was supposed to meet with? Or are you just a Siren that decided to break into my rooms?"
To clear things up significantly, Dagan came in behind her looking exhasperated. "I'm sorry about her." He addressed the Siren, a tone of annoyance audible in his voice. "The innkeeper is stuttering and staring at the wall. Can I have his keys, please?"

The Siren pouted at him. "I'd love to, but your muscle-man friend threw it over there. I can't move my arm now, either. He paralyzed me, Dagan, how rude is that?"

"You attacked me with a knife. My apologies for assuming you were a foe." The 'muscle-man' tutted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "The keys are there," He nodded towards the beds. "You didn't mention a Siren, Dagan...unless this is the friend you were referring to."

"I am indeed his friend. I've been with Dagan since before he started his little business. Don't worry, spend long enough around a Siren, and their magical voice becomes just the same as any other. You won't be immune to all Sirens, though...just me. But you knew that already, didn't you? Considering your magic use, I'd say you're a rather learned man. My name's Virellis, but you can call me Vi. Vi Lowell. Before you ask, no, I'm not related to Dagan. I was disowned by my tribe, so I took on his surname instead."

"But you hide as his wife when you need to." Morgan tutted.

"Learned and perceptive. What's your name?" Vi smiled her curt little grin.

"Morgan."

"Surname?"

"Lowell." Morgan growled.

"Learned, perceptive and funny!" She giggled. She looked towards Alexander, and frowned slightly. "Why do I smell blood on you, child? Did you cut yourself to break from my voice? Wait, then that means...you're Alexander Finnigan? Pardon me, sire. I was expecting someone...older."

"Most people do. I assure you, I'm perfectly capable of brilliance." Alexander lifted a cloth from the table and wrapped it around his hand, preventing the blood from flowing down to his fingers or arm. "If you're the friend of the person Morgan told me about, then you're here to tell me about the magical animals and convince me to give you money. You should probably start convincing." He pushed a chair out from the table for her and sat down, watching her skeptically. "I'm still bleeding, so your voice won't help you."
Dagan picked up the keys and held them up so Alexander and Morgan could see them. "I'm going to go return these. Vi, try not to make these people mad. It's sort of important that they like you." He headed out of the room and back down the stairs to help the poor innkeeper.

"Actually, I'm one of the creatures Dagan is fighting to protect. Sirens aren't exactly liked, you see...but enough about me. I assume Dagan already told you of the magical maladies we house?" Vi questioned, her wrist still locked in Morgan's grip.

"Dagan told me, I told Alexander." Morgan shrugged. "Keep that mouth running. I already dislike you greatly; you've got a lot to make up for."

"I told you, I was testing you. And you passed with flying colors." She smiled curtly. "Your quick thinking and capability to see through my disguise leads me to believe that you, sir, are quite the catch. I'd call myself lucky to find you under Alexander Finnigan's command. But that only speaks of Alexander's wisdom, as well; he chose his guard well. Would anyone else hire you, Morgan no-surname?"

"No." Morgan's eyes narrowed. "I was hired by many, but most couldn't abide my lack of manners."

"Pompous fools they are. You, sir, are a man who would defend your own to your very last breath. Whether it be family, friends, workers or boss. You would suffer to protect them. And you do." When Morgan raised a brow, she let loose her tinkling laughter again. "Sirens aren't all voice and charm, you know. We can see further than brain and brawn." She reached up and gently touched his cheek. "Your eyes bear such pain...but you keep it hidden. You wear a mask of indifference to disguise your burden. What bothers you so? That's what I can't see..."

"Enough," Morgan snorted. "I'm starting to like her, Alexander. We could make use of these reading talents, along with the creatures Dagan is offering. Say...I could teach you how to make schedules and plan meetings. I have a feeling you'd be good at it."

"Oh? Already planning secondary uses for me? You want me." She smirked.

"Well, since you and Morgan are clearly falling in love, I guess you're hired. I was intending to leave tonight. Will you be able to join us if I find you transportation, or will it take you longer than that to ready the creatures?" Alexander pulled a bag of coins out of the desk and tossed it across the room at the Siren, paying close attention to the banter between his two companions, though he didn't show it. "I will need a complete list of the animals as soon as possible. No, you don't have to include yourself on it."

"Begging your pardon, Alexander, but I must correct you. I am in no way attracted to this temptress, I merely appreciate her attitude and display of skills." Morgan gave an indignant 'hmph'. The Siren caught the bag in her free hand, smiling.

"We'll be waiting just outside the gates to the city." She tugged on Morgan's hand, but found that she was still stuck. "Um...are you sure you can't let go?"

"Oh, right. Here," Morgan forced his own hand to open, though it was still somewhat numb. Vi rubbed her wrist and gave a short curtsy before practically skipping away, down the stairs. Morgan listened closely, and was able to hear quiet talking, though he couldn't make out much of what was being said. "Well...that was eventful," The Elect shut the door and sat down across from Alexander. "But that reading skill of hers will be more handy than not. Naturally, though, I picked up a couple things myself. Her body language was screaming defensive. She didn't like it when I touched her; she's probably had some bad run-ins before. There were scars on her arms and legs that the makeup hid well enough, meaning she's been abused in the past. That gaze in her eyes just barely hid fear. She didn't know what I was capable of before stepping into the room, and now she knows. And she's mildly afraid, which is a good thing. She'll be extremely unlikely to betray us. Even less likely is Dagan. I like that fellow."

Dagan met Virellis halfway up the stairs and turned around immediately, glancing at her skeptically. "Please tell me you didn't get us fired. We need a sponsor, you know." He proffered his arm to the Siren to escort her out of the building, back twoard their charges. If she had blown it, they had a limited time before they had to change cities anyway. "If you're done already, it was either really good or really bad. Which one?"
Alexander nodded slowly, taking the time to understand everything Morgan said. He had picked up of the defensive posturing, though he hadn't been close enough to see the scars. The fear had also been visible to him, despite how well she hid it. To survive as a noble in this time, you had to be able to read body language. "Dagan left quickly, so I suppose I'm still taking your word on him. I suppose I trust you enough. How soon can you be ready to go?"

"Oh, it's horrible, Dagan. Darling, just look at this," Vi handed him the bag of coins. "It's plain leather. You'd think they'd have more of a fasion sense! Oh, don't look at me like that, sweetie, I sealed the deal for us. Apparently Morgan wanted a housemaiden, too. Not the cleaning part, but the organizing and stuff. And...I read him. He seemed to like that. I have a few questions, though...what on earth is his surname, and why does he keep his hand in his pocket? He could have easily taken the knife away rather than shock it out of my grip...oh, we're meeting them at the front gates. In about three minutes. Best pack the pets up quick."

"Did I bring any bags?" Morgan asked, which was a redundant question. No, he did not bring any bags with him. His only personal belongings that he kept with him was in his right pocket. A small silver bracelet far too short for his wrist, and a knife. The rest of what he needed was in his left. That was all he had to his name, nothing more. "I presume you already packed?"

((Arla is the unicorn.))

Dagan pocketed the bag, resisting the urge to open it and see exactly how much was inside. "They still aren't pets, Vi. They are noble creatures and deserve more respect than you give them." This was a frequent argument between the two. The creatures did not gain resistance to her voice as quickly as humans did, and the Siren had little cause to control them. While this spoke well of Dagan's talents, it allowed her to control them any time she decided to. Virellis' relaxed view of the animals' nature came up whenever she did control them, and it frequently led to days of argument. "Never mind," he said, cutting off whatever retort she had coming. "Can you take care of Arla for me? I don't have time to coax her..."

"You presume I unpacked." Alexander retrieved his one trunk from the closet and collected anything he had left throughout the room. In under a minute, he was completely packed and ready to leave. In four more minutes, Morgan and he had payed their bill with the still-shaken innkeeper and were headed out of the city.

"Certainly. Just make sure my mirror is packed." Virellis smiled, but this one was more gentle. "I'm almost excited. I've always wanted to travel." Due to lack of funds, they couldn't really afford to go anywhere for any longer than a few hours. Dublin had been their home for years now; but it was dangerous, and getting to be more so. It was good they were moving the animals in the evening; the dark streets would provide a small amount of cover, though Vi would certainly have to use her voice on the guards at the gate...

"As if you'd let me forget it." They reached the stables shortly. Dagan entered the people side of the house, which was quite small and not only inhabited by people. One of his least pleasing habits was Dagan's inability to tell adorable animals no, so any of the creatures that could fit inside the house ended up next to him nearly all day.
Lowell and Vi made an excellent team. While it took them more than three minutes, they had the animals loaded into a closed wagon and ready to go. In another five minutes, they were exitting the city and meeting up with Alexander and Morgan.

((And they'll be attacked by Protestants along the way and Morgan will be forced to use his left hand. Any suggestions thereof?))

"There they are." Morgan chuckled. "And look, they have their own carriage." The carriage they had brought was only large enough for one passenger, the driver, and luggage. Morgan, naturally, took the place of the driver. From a distance, it looked like just a simple carriage. But Morgan looked more than threatening enough to make it obvious that the carriage held someone important.

"We don't frequently leave Dublin, but it's good to have something like this, don't you think?" Virellis tutted. "We've been planning to move for awhile. We just lacked...a location."

"And now you have one. Come along, then...the road to Lanstul is a long one." Morgan smiled.

((Do you want to use Protestants or some supernatural creatures? It wouldn't have to be regular people.
Also, would Dagan have combat powers/what would they be? I feel like he would be able to fight, but I'm not really sure how.))

Dagan nodded and tossed the reins to Vi. As they had previously discussed, Dagan was to spend the trip in the back of the cart with the animals to keep them calm. His Siren friend was perfectly capable of handling the horses. Like the magical creatures, they were delighted to do anything she requested.
Alexander entered the carriage and closed the door behind him, preparing for what seemed like an incredible waste of time. That was the entire problem with taking trips. At a minimum, it meant three hours of useless time. As of yet, he hadn't discovered an upper limit.

((Maybe both? Protestants and normall people. Both have a keen dislike for the Nobles, I imagine.))

"Right then. Off we go. Stay close, Vi. We want to get there as quick as possible." Morgan smiled a bit as he set the horses into motion. The stone road leading from Dublin to Lanstul was a long one. At least it was stone and not gravel, like those darn mountain paths. It would be an easy enough trip.

Naturally, Virellis' horses plodded into motion with just a soft whistle from her. They followed after Morgan and Alexander's carriage with dutious speed, although their load was much heavier than Morgan and Alexander. Almost three times as much.

((I was thinking were-bandits or something. My point being that they wouldn't have to be human. Any non-human sentient creatures would be Protestant, though.))

Dagan settled into the back of the carriage, grateful he didn't get motion sickness. If he did, the small, barely-lit, and hot space would be his absolute worst nightmare. Since he didn't, the man was capable and pleased to spend the trip coaxing the animals into peace and keeping them as much on schedule as was possible.

((It'll be a mix, then. Werebandits, away. Also, Dagan should be capable of some fighting, but he shouldn't be capable of beating more than one or two of these werebandits. So Morgan has to step in and stop them. With his left hand, as they'll be strong enough to struggle against him and smart enough to cut the wires, and/or use them against Morgan. To try and suffocate him or something. Did you wanna play a few?))

The cool night air was peaceful and quiet, permeated only by the trotting of horse hooves and the occasional snap of a branch on the road, or a bump from small rocks. It was awfully inviting for a nap; Vi succumbed to it easily. Sirens naturally required a lot of sleep, more than the average human. So if they weren't busy, they took every chance they could to sleep. Virella's horses followed Morgan's carriage dutifully in spite of her drowse, and stopped in turn. Stopped? The carriage wasn't supposed to stop.

But Morgan had a very good reason to be stopping. Namely, a barricade set in the middle of the road, a vulgar insult pointed towards any and all Noblemen painted on the front. "I suspected this would happen. Miss Vi, be on your guard," Morgan called, sliding out of the driver's seat to move the blockade. When he got no response, he walked around to check on her; she was fast asleep. "Stupid Sirens," He grumbled, moving back to the barricade. He set his hand on it to move it, and immediately whipped his hand away. Tranquilizer needles. Too tiny for the eye to see. Morgan knew at once that they were manufactured by the very party that was about to ambush the carriage. Thankfully, he was quite resistant to this particular tranquilizer; he had trained himself to be so shortly after he was given his role of guarding Noblemen. This tranquilizer was made from synthetic chemicals that only one particular type of person could manufacture or obtain en masse. The same kind of person who could make needles so small the eye could not detect them.

Protestants.

Mogan sank to his knees and fell on his back. Resistant he may be, but not immune. He was still quite awake, but not quite...functional. It would wear off any second now, but this was a bad sort of position to be in...Vi asleep, Alexander vulnerable, and he on the border of unconsciousness. Not good at all.

((Sure, I can play a few. I don't know anything about Morgan's left hand yet, so I'm looking forward to this. Dagan is unarmed, though I wouldn't advise the bandits to open the carriage...))

The situation was, while dire, not quite as dire as Morgan envisioned it to be. Alexander used the window of the carriage to subtly discover what was going on. When he saw his guard collapse, he quickly took hold of the sword stored in the carriage and unsheathed it. The noble pressed himself to the floor of the carriage and quietly opened the door opposite the barricade. He remained low to the ground all the way to Virellis' vehicle, where he attempted to awaken the Siren. Not that it was easy.
Dagan, inside, rose to his feet and exited the back of the carriage. "Why'd we stop, Vi?" he called loudly. "Bathroom break already?" His voice faltered off when he saw the wall and the insult written on it. After perceiving that Morgan was on the ground, he strode forward toward the barricade, pulling a long, thin white strip from his pocket carefully. Unicorn slivers healed most poisons. The ones they couldn't heal wouldn't be used by bandits for immobilization.

((I would introduce the bandits, but it is bed time.))

"Get...away..." Morgan managed to splutter, blinking rapidly as he fought the tranquilizer internally. His body was falling asleep, in spite of his mind in full functioning condition. "They...the-ey'll..." He went limp, gurgling weakly. Dagan didn't get a chance to apply the antidote. What landed between them from the trees above was hairy, toothy, and had a glint in its eyes that told of malice and menace. It growled deeply at them.

But it ignored them entirely, slamming into the side of the carriage and ripping the door off the side. It was then that he spotted Alexander near Virellis' carriage. His mouth split into a wide, toothy grin. "I thought I smelled Noble blood!" He tilted his head back and let out a sharp howl that gained many a reply from the distance. The Werewolf stepped forward on disproportionate back legs, snarling at them. The howls sounded closer this time. A lot closer.

Virellis thought quickly, sliding out of her seat and bravely approaching the werewolf. "Come now, calm down...there's no need for this, is there?" She said smoothly, her magical voice kicking in. "Come now. Let's all just sit down, and--" She stopped and let out a scream as the Werewolf's claws flashed out and caught her side. She fell, and fell still, her wound severe. Sirens were delicate and sensitive, especially when it came to wounds...

The Werewolf growled, turning to Alexander, grinning again. "Come on, then! Put that sword to use!" He slashed out in the same quick swipe that had taken out Vi.