Forums » General Roleplay » The second most valuable treasure of the dragon

The Blue Tyrant bent over the dying man lying down, his blood dyeing the sand in red from the wound he had in the back, done by a triangular piece of steel, itself coming from the former car burning only a few meters further. The yellow eyes of the dragonborn were not pointing toward the golden watch or the diamond ring. No, they were toward the picture peeking out of the man's pocket. He slowly extended his arm to pick it and watched it while the desert silence was only tore by noises of crackling fire and distant gunshots. The man moaned something, his respiration cut by his perforated lung.
Ezmelik shot him in the head, making it explode, while still looking at the photo, and started to walk away. He crossed the truck stopped on the side of the road without even making a mocking or carnivorous smile at the prisoners. One of his "soldiers", a boy the age of about sixteen, moved to him, trying to get his attention.

"Sir, what are we supposed to do with the prisoners ?"

Ezmelik raised his head, looking like he didn't hear the first question, but when the boy started to say it again, he interrupted him with a hand movement, like he was expelling flies, not even looking at his interlocutor or the topic of the talk, crying against the steel of the truck, heated by the blistering sun.

"Put the tourists in good shape in the truck. Kill the one too damaged or too old to survive. And the guides and natives, but keep the corpses, this time. Their friends will need to eat."

He continued to walk toward his jeep while the assault rifles started to sing and their victims to scream, but even this melody didn't make the Shrike smile, he kept a serious air, watching the picture impassively. When he got aboard the vehicle, his driver, worried, asked him if he was okay.

"Yeah, Cadmael...I was just wondering...could you find that woman ?"

The dragonborn handed him the picture of a girl, about twenty, with pastel hair and a sort of ivory skin. The picture looked like it was shot in the street without even the consent of the main character. There was a crown on the observable side of her neck. On the back, there was a message written in what appeared to our warlord to be Italian. Only two words were in a comprehensible language.

"Arcada, California. Find that place."



The warlord inserted the last bullet in the cylinder of his gun, a sleek black revolver with a belligerent and threatening look, a Mateba M720, shooting .357 magnum electro-thermal cartridges. Not just some fancy and techni-cool ammunition, but also fearsome and extremely powerful slugs with a recoil kicking the wrist like a mule. Only a dragonborn with a cybernetic arm could fire it with one hand from a non-ready stance without breaking something in his hand. The weapon was a bit scratchy on the edges, but it was in a very good shape for a veteran.
The brakes of the van screeched, indicating it was the destination. The Shrike made the cylinder turn in his clicking noise and looked his soldiers conceal their weapons in their jackets.

"Remember guys. We must be ready for any scenario, even the simplest one. So, don't do some cowboy'y stuff unless I ask you to do so. And please Abelgario, clean that stain on your shirt, we are trying to be gentlemen."

He holstered his revolver under his arm and pushed the back door of the van, going outside. They surely made a strange group. The disguised soldiers watched the street, making sure no cops would bother them while Ezmelik arranged the collar of his custom-made jacket. He traded his usually very military and shallow outfit for something more presentable, but which cost him at least two children. It wasn't the first time, but it was still rare. Of course, the quality of the suit clashed with the man wearing it, certainly clean but covered with scars and already smoking a cigare.
He entered the bookstore and his men took place at each side of the door. The Shrike looked a bit like a mob boss, followed like that by his three flying monkeys. He calmly walked between the bookshelves, looking at the written masses of paper with a smile. He red the binding of some of the books silently, and then turned his head toward the girl he came get.

"Books. They can hold both knowledge and lies. Unfortunately, most of them hold the later. But most of the people don't care because when they read a book, they don't seek knowing or truth, they seek fictional worlds and ways out. They seek the lies."

He slowly approached the woman with an amused smile. He didn't looked threatening, not beyond his kind naturally was. In fact, he looked friendly, almost benevolent. But his speech was way off this attitude, he was said with a sugar voice, but the about was fierce.

"And you, young creature, are selling those worthless ideas, those pricey lies, those dreams convicted to never come true. So here comes a little bit of questioning. Do you believe in those lies ?"

Like every monday at six, Ev opened The Crooked Corner, her store, and took her place behind the ocunter. Usually there wouldn't be guests until about one, or two, so she took a magazine out and flipped through it. Tody however, when she opened the hdoor, she got out her small notebook and wrote in it, feeling weird about the day to come.

When the men entered she thought nothing of it, afterall, people dressed nicely passed by arcada all the time, and some needed something to read. She stood up straighter and put the book under the counter, looking at the men. It was sort of strange that some men stood by the door while the one, undoubtedly the one in charge, looked through the shelves
.
Ev tilted her head at the man's quote about people seeking lies, but before she could say anything he was at the counter. She was kind of offended, but then agian, it was true-somewhat true. People did read to get away from things that were happening. She listened to him speak once more, but frowned when he asked if she were selling lies.

"I have no clue who you are, and you have no clue who I am. My mother taught me it was rude to accuse someone of something, for they might not have done it. This is one of those times. You see, I offer non-fiction for everyone, hell I even recommend it, But who am I to tell the customers that they cant read fiction, or 'lies' as you so kindly put it."

{Something Wrong?}

{yeah, I just had a bit of trouble, but now it's way better !}

The big lizard laughed a bit, stretching his scarred lips in an amused smile. He made a sign toward the neck of the bookseller, where the crown rested like a curse, or a gift. He knew the mark, or the hex, from a "friend", someone he used to contract with to gain power over the mortals and luck over is life.

"I know at least one thing about you. Well, more about your brood and the tainted blood flowing through your veins."

He turned his back to look at the books again, resting his elbows on the counter, pressing his goal of plain domination once again. To be fair, he already liked this creature. She wasn't the weak little nice and quiet critter he was used to. She certainly seemed fearless and it tasted good. Destruction is always fun, but to collapse a tough will is always funnier.

"Well, I didn't say the one seeking or buying the lies are any worse than other."

Though something bothered him and he couldn't keep it any longer.

"But seriously ? No clue at all ? Not even the memory of a face in the newspaper ? Seriously, here they talk about people dying of electrocution after trying to fix the toaster with their teeth, but not about a bus of tourist disappearing in Somalia ? It's not like I didn't try to be as noisy as I could !"

He waved his head, looking like a bit disappointed. But he finally turned again to face the girl. His look was now serious. He leaned toward her, getting a bit closer.

"If I offered you that sort of lie, but as a truth ? A one-way ticket out of the civilization, to a savage and unclaimed land, the soil filled with oil and diamonds ? A primal Eden where nothing is wrong, where no god exists and where you can do everything you want ? A place where you can take a sunbath one day and chase exotic creatures under the rain the other ?"

Evangeline looked at the man with nothing less of astonishment as he talked about her bloodline's mark, she self consiously covered it with her jacket, which didn't stay, but it was the effortthat counted she told herself. She rolled her eyes at the word 'tainted blood' and held herself back from protesting that it wasn't tainted blood, but it was tinged with some. She huffed.

She seemt to drift off while he complained some more over 'Lie Selling' and 'Lie buying' until he got to close for comfort and asked her a very startling question,

" I do not quite understand the riddles you are telling, but I am not going to ask you for translation. The whole fact that I would take up an offer of any kind from ...you...horrifies me more than any horror story in this building. You can't just waltz in here and expect me to talk to you personally while I am at work, Now if you excuse me, I need to start getting back to work, thanks."

He got even closer, enlarging his smile. The fight was open, she said no and started it herself, he was in his own right to step on hers. His shark teeth drew a carnivorous grin. This close, their apparence were really clear. Ivory white, in perfect shape, razor sharp. Two of them were a bit setback, longer and thinner, folded against his palate like the fangs of a snake.

"I don't see any customers here, I'm the only one you get to work with for the moment. And I don't even get it. I offer you the heaven on a silver plate, and you reject it ? I won't say it's fatuous, because it's not. You are right to question the quality of a product before buying it. You never purchase a gun without knowing if he fires as intended."

He laughed before continuing.

"But the thing is, I'm not selling it to you. It's free, and you will get it willingly or not."

"Little too close bud..." she warned backing up, "And if you keep threatening me you will be thrown out willingly or not.."

That was it, he had enough fun, now he wanted it to finish quickly.

"You know it's not gonna end like that. It's my last offer. Either you get out of here walking on your feet or you get out of here struggling on my shoulder."

His pupils got thinner, he was focusing his entiere vision on her. His hand slowly reached under his jacket, ready to get his gun.

"Well I'm damn sure not walking out and I don't know about the other either..."

Mel scrambled for anything to use as a weapon, but instead slipped a bit and fell against the wall, but she quickly recovered, grabbing a box cutter.

The big lizard laughed, seeing the blade dancing in front of him. He drew his revolver out of his holster and put it on the desk, keeping a firm hand on the grip.

"Don't be silly, you seriously think it would pierce my hide ? I survived a shot from an AK at point blank directly in the back, that's not a puny cutter that will go further."

He cocked the hammer of his gun and pointed it on the girl. The shot made the sound of a thunderclap. A steam trail stayed in the air a few seconds, showing the path of the bullet in a twining fashion, from the cannon to the wall behind the woman, grazing her cheek by only half of an inch.

"So ? You put that toy on the floor and you follow me ?"

{{so sorry, i haven't been myself, just kinda depressed and didn't want to push it on everyone, but im back now.}}

Ev didn't budge until he shot the bullet, she shook a bit and sighed shakily.

"who are you and why do you want me? I don't know you!" Ev said panicking,

she dropped the knife and put her hands up in surrender.

He raised the cannon of his gun, blowed the steam out of it and put it back in its holster. He took the picture in the pocket of his jacket and showed it to the girl.

"I saw you and I instantaneously recognized the birthmark of someone I used to work with."

He moved his hand toward the girl with suddenly a bit more of gentleness, looking almost sorry for the fear he caused to her.

"Listen, miss, I don't want to harm you. I just want you to follow me. If you don't want me to hurt you, well, be obedient."