A Knot in the Loom, Chapter 2
Suggested Music: Bobaflex - Bury Me With My Guns On
Voresyl flashed into the somewhat humble hotel room he had been staying at in Nexus, his hand was on the door handle about to pull it open to exit the room. Literally the moment before his danger sense alerted him that his meeting with Arkanian would be a dangerous one, not that he needed the Loom of Fate to tell him that. Voresyl backed slowly away from the door with sigh of relief, escaping the trap of a meeting by Arkanian was close to a miracle. Voresyl backed away from the door slowly at first, letting out a long sigh as thoughts of his next moved rushed through his head. The Gold Faction needed to be told at once, Arkanian had the potential to be a serious black-eye for the entire faction, especially him.
The heavy oak door of the hotel room burst off it's hinges with enough force to splinter it's edges and send them across the room into the face and body of Voresyl. The crack of the door echoed and was followed by two more smoldering booms from a plasma tongue repeater before Voresyl could gather himself to react. Both shots hit their target, the first blew through the Sidereals knee cap and sent him towards the ground, the second hit him in the shoulder and tumbling backwards. Voresyl hit the floor hard and the back of his head smacked the wood floor disorienting him momentarily, even still his reactions and training kicked in. He drew a preprepared prayer strip from inside his jacket, moving to slap it to the floor as he discharged essence into inscribed piece of paper. Another crack from the barrel off the plasma tongue repeater pierced Voresyl's hand, the fire pearl split the star gazer's knuckles and scattered his fingers across the floor.
Voresyl turned his eyes in agony towards the doorway where his assailant calmly entered the room, smoke billowing from the barrel of the soul steel firearm. The tall form of Arkanian was now unmistakable as he approached the fallen Sidereal, the hollow stare of the familiar deathknight locked with the terrified eyes of the star gazer.
"I would apologize for my intrusion old friend, but I think we both know it would be disingenuous." Arkanians voice was a smooth as ever, a heavy tone of sorrow dripped from each word, though it was hardly because of his current situation.
Arkanian drew a paper think soul steel playing card from his left sleeve, flicking it between two fingers before he bent his knees and knelt over the fallen Sidereal, he pressed the ice cold card to the forehead of the star gazer. A faint hiss was released from Voresyl's covered caste mark as the magic metal burned into the skin where the Sidereal's essence touched it.
"Don't touch that."
Arkanian stood back up and gave a silent look down at the motionless Sidereal, a coy smile touched his lips before he turned his back on the enemy and crossed the room towards the table and chairs. Arkanian grabbed the back of one of the wooden chairs and slowly dragged it back towards where Voresyl was laying with a pained grimace and took a calm seat.
"What is this Arkanian? You know I won't give you anything you want." Voresyl spoke through clinched teeth, his ability to channel essence somehow blocked by the soul steel burned atop his caste mark. If he could remove it he would be able to send a message to Heaven, but Arkanian knew that. He had to buy time and hope for an opening.
"Oh yes, I am quite aware of that. If you knew anything I needed, I wouldn't be doing this."
"Then why bother with all this? What is it you hope to gain?" Voresyl paused for a moment as his chest heaved slightly, a sputtering cough produced a trickle of blood on his lips. "If not information, then you're looking to erase yourself. You know it's too late for that."
"No. I'm done running." A hint of the ravenous hatred that consumed Arkanian's very being seeped into his words. With a flick of his wrist Arkanian quick drew his pistol and fired a single shot with a single motion, a second flick of the wrist spun the weapon back into it's holster at his side.
"I told you not to move."
Voresyl's other hand was now split through the palm with a blast from Arkanian's Plasma Tongue Repeater, the blast nearly tore his hand completely away from his wrist. Voresyl yelped quietly in pain, trying to restrain the pain so it did not cloud his mind and knowing that no amount of calling would bring him any help. Arkanian stood up with a dissatisfied gesture.
"You... Star Gazers always believe you're a step ahead of everyone. You arrogant fools, you spend so much effort trying to see you've fallen blind without realizing it. Even your pathetic puppets could sense your growing weakness, your time of manipulating Creation has come to an end. At least have the dignity to accept your fate."
Voresyl opened his mouth to speak but with another lightening quick flick of his wrist Arkanian drew his weapon and squeezed off another shot, this one landed squarely between the eyes of the Sidereal. The force of the exit wound caused his head to bounce off the floor before falling lifelessly back into his own puddle of blood with a satisfying splat.
Arkanian dropped two wooden coins from his other hand onto the chest of the fallen Sidereal, they bounced softly on his robes before coming to a rest heads up.
"Pay these to my old keeper when you see him."
Brilliant Tsunami Masked by the Tower stood with her hands on her hips in silent protest as she looked under the hood of her most rebellious apprentice at the exit of Celestial Gate 17. Saro's hands wrung tightly around the Star Metal Staff at his side as he awaited the inevitable scolding from his Sifu who had caught him attempting to pursue a lead in the death of a companion.
"If you're really going to go through with this, you should at least have all the information. As you might have guessed, some of it was conveniently left out of our official report to The Bureau of Heaven. Making sure this information never falls into the hands of the Bronze Faction is currently the highest priority of The Inner Circle, telling you is a serious offense on it's own." Brilliant Tsunami spoke with a stern tone that didn't quite suit her normally playful personality, however she was hardly one to block the path of a student.
"I understand Sifu. But this is a matter I must resolve personally." Saros spoke with confidence without raising his voice from his typical hushed tone.
"Okay. You'll need this then." Brilliant Tsunami handed over a thick leather pouch that seemed fairly full but was almost weightless and pressed it firmly into Saros' open palm. "Don't open this here. Empyrean Dream Magistrate and Bodhisattva of the Masked Starfall conducted our investigation, they were lucky to stumble across this message. I believe it was meant for you. Naturally it was left out of our report."
"Thank you Sifu, I'll conduct my business as quickly possible. I believe the Bureau is starting to become suspicious of my vacations." Saros' turned and started for the gate exit, pausing without turning when his Sifu spoke her farewell.
"I don't need to remind you how dangerous he is. Voresyl was far more experienced in these matters than you, if sense a shift in his demeanor... escape. We won't come looking for you."
Brilliant Tsunami turned and walked further into the gate, approaching the Celestial Lions the guarded the entrance into heaven while Saros proceeded through the gate to Creation.