Late 19th Century England; a Quest & an Ally Continued

[bitterguardian]

A few hours of rest, room service tea and sandwiches; These are all Horvath allows himself before resuming the trail of the last of a group of Morganians set on an assassination plot. He's come this far only with help, and the recent battle with the sorcerer Gautier and his two apprentices could have gone far worse. As it stands, there will likely be questions raised. The sorcerer's bodies lie charred in the home of one Lord Phelps, last to purchase a poison chalice the Morganians seek to use. Lord Phelps himself, Horvath suspects, will also be discovered dead in the manor, since Gautier was impersonating the old man to lure Horvath into a trap. In the wake of their deaths, Horvath found only a decoy chalice, a simple cup cloaked in illusion.

Gautier's compatriot, a younger man named Don Chevelle, was not in the fray, yet Horvath's information gathering had the man sighted in town. The sorcerer Chevelle is, for the moment, the only lead he has left.

Revisiting Lord Phelps' manor in town is risky, and Horvath takes pains not to be seen. It's a wise move, since he sees a number of carriages and a car out front of the house. The bodies have clearly been found, and the authorities are on scene. Out of sight, he stalks the house, pulling at fading traces of power. The chalice was here. Chevelle was here. The thread he has to follow is thin, but it's there, illuminated in his mind weaving out the back of the house and up a broad alley, stretching toward the edge of town.

He's taken on a single Morganian alone before, but the fight earlier today has left him at a disadvantage. The power is there, rebuilding after a short rest, but he's tired still. Unfortunately, time is of the essence. Fortunately, he has an ally in Dr. Evangeline Nix. It's dark, when he returns to the library and knocks politely on the door to her lab, but he's rested and cleaned up a bit, and he's too restless to let it wait any longer.

Comments

[ladyevangelinenix]

Eva goes for the chalice with her free hand and holds it up for Horvath's inspection. Last time the chalice had been a sham, she's not taking chances this time. "Genuine article, Mr. Horvath?" She asks.

Somewhere behind them, the roof shudders ominously.

[bitterguardian]

Horvath's eyes narrow slightly, as he studies the cup, but the look of relief on his face gives her an answer even before he speaks aloud. "That's it. Hold ont-" His glance darts to the roof at the creaky warning. "I'm going to teleport us."

That's for her benefit, since Chevelle gets no say in the matter. Horvath's power is limited, but it seems they're at the end of accomplishing this mission, and they need to get out of here fast. Horvath's ring glows blue, as he makes a gesture in the air, aiming to take them all to his hotel room for the sake of privacy and expediency. He'll have to return to the station for the horses, once Chevelle is dealt with.

[ladyevangelinenix]

"Ouf..." She says, once everything stops spinning and lurching. "I can't say I'm very fond of that particular mode of transportation." She admits. However, she is quick to train her focus and her gun back on Chevelle.

[bitterguardian]

"Sorry, it probably does take some getting used to..." His rueful smile is brief, but genuine.

"All right, you, sit on the- oh dear. You're still bleeding... Mmn." Horvath frowns, eyeing the captive sorcerer's leg wound. While he considers where to have him sit that will make the least trouble for housekeeping, he works at pulling the rings off the other man's fingers. He's big enough to simply strongarm his captive around, half-supporting the man so he doesn't just collapse where he is.

Chevelle whimpers, eyes widening as his rings are removed. "Are... you going to kill me?" His gaze darts from Horvath to Eva, or at least her unwavering gun.

"I'd prefer not to. I'm not a Morganian, you know..." Horvath murmurs conversationally.

[ladyevangelinenix]

"And while I am mostly on the side of good and don't really have a taste for violence, I have had to kill two of your associates in self defense and I am just a bit on edge, just now, with you magical types trying to kill me twice in a full twenty-four hours. I will only advise you not to make any sudden movements." She says, with a flash of her teeth. Her fangs are very small but not unnoticeable.

[bitterguardian]

Privately, Horvath is a little amused. He's not quite sure what his reputation with the Morganians is, when it comes to mortality rates, but if Eva can throw some fear into the other sorcerer, he's all for it. Pocketing the other man's rings, he lets go of his wrists at last. Whether the man is truly helpless without his rings or not, he'll feel helpless, and that's enough. "Here, don't bleed out on me. I may need questions answered..." It's a grumble, but Horvath focuses a moment on healing the flesh wound just enough to stop the bleeding. He's not offering any painkilling spells, though.

Chevelle looks utterly bewildered to get any healing at all, but when Horvath brusquely directs him to sit on the bed, he moves obediently. "That's... you're... not a sorceress. What are you?" He stares, cowed still, but slightly less so now that Horvath has let him go. He rubs his wrists, reddened from the tight grip of before.

"That's no way to speak to a lady." Horvath grumbles, offering to take the chalice.

[ladyevangelinenix]

"I haven't the faintest idea." She replies cheerily. "Unknown, pending scientific investigation. It is catching, however, so if you try anything, try not to get any of my blood on you." She hands Horvath the chalice but doesn't take her eyes of Chevelle. She'd made that mistake before with his underlings. Even without his rings, she won't trust him.

[bitterguardian]

She didn't warn Horvath of that, earlier, but he makes no comment on it, just takes the chalice with a quiet breath of relief. He's not yet sure if he should outright destroy it, or just lock it away somewhere, but for now he wraps it quietly in wards, ring glowing, and watches Eva with the captive sorcerer.

"..It's a disease?" Chevelle shifts his injured leg and winces, muttering, "Sale pute... catching she says..."

Horvath's growl is like thunder, full of menace and warning. "One more word, and I may rethink your fate. You do not speak unless I say you can."

[ladyevangelinenix]

He would have to have an open wound with blood-to-blood contact, and even then he might not get it, but Eva will explain all to him later. The way the color drains from Chevelle's face is worth the bit of psychological warfare.

"I heard that." She says, rolling her eyes. "I once shot off a man's nose in a duel at university for calling me such a thing, so if you'd like to keep your nose, I'd do as Mr. Horvath says."

She glances at the chalice. She hopes he will at least let her make a study of it before he does whatever he's going to do with it.

[bitterguardian]

So much for any hope he had that Eva doesn't speak French. Horvath strolls over to stand beside her, regarding Chevelle thoughtfully with the chalice still in his hand. "I could just knock him out... erase his memory of the past twenty-four hours or so and leave him wondering where this went and what happened to his Master and compatriots..."

"...Master Gautier is dead, then." Chevelle flinches once he's said it, since he wasn't given permission to speak.

Horvath raises an eyebrow warningly.

[ladyevangelinenix]

She did have the typical formal education afforded to most women in her youth. Not that that particular phrase would be part of a governess' vocabulary. That she had learnt off a charlatan medium who did not take well to her having exposed his sham trade for what it was. Also she can understand Aramaic, Sumerian, Latin, and Greek, retaining a little street French is no trouble.

"That would be best. No need for more bloodshed. If you have it in you." She says, very aware of how much magic he's used since his recovery period.

[bitterguardian]

The most taxing thing he's done today, in fact, was healing her. Horvath doesn't regret it for a second, though. She's more than repaid the favor in assistance. "I... could probably use a full night's sleep, after this. But I'll retrieve the horses first." He rubs his eyes, nodding mildly. "Is there anyone else involved in this assassination plot? Be aware that the answer could make the difference between my taking away the knowledge that your Master is dead." Horvath moves toward Chevelle, looming, although it's hard to say whether or not that's actually deliberate.

Cringing slightly, Chevelle shakes his head. "O-only the five of us, and Herriot's dead, too..."

"Mm. So I heard. That means you're the only one left alive. I pray you never lead your own apprentices to such ruin." Horvath sighs, and lifts a hand, ring glowing.

Again Chevelle flinches, as if he's expecting to be struck, but then he makes a slow collapse back onto the bed, out cold.

The Chalice is set down firmly on the nightstand. "I'm sorry for that." Horvath is frowning still. "Gautier taught his apprentices respect for no-one but himself." He should have known she'd speak French, and probably a half-dozen other languages besides. "I'll put him back at the train station, when I'm done. Behind the stables, perhaps... memory erasure is... morally dubious, I'm afraid, but I can't think of anything better to do with him."

[ladyevangelinenix]

"Less morally dubious than killing him." She assures him. "Though admittedly I am in no position to judge." She puts away her revolver and goes to examine the chalice with all the wide-eyed curiosity of her usual self.

"I'll wait here. I don't sleep much, and besides, I won't think of it until I'm sure you are back and rested." She smiles at him and then, adds, as a bit of an after-thought: "What I said before, about the vampirism being catching-- you'll be fine. It transfers blood-to-blood and is very hard to spread, or the country from which it originates would be absolutely crawling with the things." She assures him.

[bitterguardian]

"I wasn't worried." He smiles gently at her. "I confess I'm no expert, but I was under the impression it took some deliberate effort. But... I wouldn't mind being able to do without sleep, at least." He crouches to lift Chevelle's feet and slide them over so the man is lying full length on the bed, then pulls over a chair to sit beside it.

"I'll... probably have to destroy that, you know." He eyes the chalice as he sits, noting her interest. "No good can come of a thing like that."

[ladyevangelinenix]

"Probably." She admits, though she sounds a bit sad when she says it. There are many objects of evil in her library, but none that so far have garnered such violent attempts to retrieve them. She must concede for safety that this item should not continue to exist.

"Will you allow me to examine and perhaps photograph it?" She asks. "Before you do so?"

[bitterguardian]

"That... sounds like the best compromise there could be." He nods slowly. "If I thought it were as simple as disenchanting it, I'd leave it as a pretty artifact, but the magic to poison a target was worked into the very making of the thing, and it's even older than I am. Photograph it well, then I'll have it melted down."

He turns back to the man on the bed, letting her examine the chalice while he works. The way he lays his hands on Chevelle's forehead is almost gently paternal, and he is silent as he focuses, ring glowing blue again. He has many, but the one set with the blue stone is clearly the most heavily relied-upon. It takes him several long minutes to work the spell, then as an afterthought he stands and puts a hand to the man's leg wound. Chevelle should be very grateful to have run up against Horvath. He'll kill a Morganian without blinking if he has to, but when he can afford to be gentle, it's his first instinct to help rather than harm.

[ladyevangelinenix]

Eva looks at the chalice all over, makes a rubbing of the engraving on the outside for her journal, jots down a number of things about it's appearance. She'll have to photograph it during the day, but she'll make as many notations as she can about it now and while she's waiting for him to return.

[bitterguardian]

Not only does he heal Chevelle's leg, but under the glow of Horvath's rings, even the blood and the tears in his pantsleg are mended. Of course if they weren't, he'd be wondering how and why they were there when his leg was fine. When it's all done, Horvath straightens and runs a hand over his mustache and beard. The battles today have only been the end of a chase that's had him traveling non-stop for weeks.

"Will you be all right here, while I drop him off and take your friend's horses back?" She is, after all, in his hotel room. Propriety matters less when there's no chance anyone saw her come there, of course, and if she's willing to suffer another magical teleportation he can make sure nobody will see her leave, either.

[ladyevangelinenix]

"I'll be fine." Propriety outweighs her concern for his health and safety. "Don't rush back on my account, if you find yourself particularly exhausted. She would go with him, but she imagines it takes much more to teleport two people.

[bitterguardian]

"Mmm? Oh, I'll be all right. It's not so much the power as the focus- well. Nevermind. I'll be back shortly. Don't open the door to anyone, just in case?" As long as she doesn't let anyone in, nobody can get into the room without Horvath's permission, thanks to magic wards that are simply habit, for him. He's not really expecting trouble now, but it never hurts to be cautious.

With a quiet grunt, but no apparent difficulty, he pulls Chevelle up over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. She's right that the more people he has to take with him, the more power it takes, but he can manage a few more trips yet. Magic energy is like any other kind, and one may find unexpected reserves if the need is great enough.