It never Rains. . .

I find myself in the sitting room of our little common area in the borrow trying to sooth Aimee, the poor thing is chirping and weaving intricate patterns on the coffee table or taking flight and weaving around the room. going by the sounds the others in the house are having similar reaction to their new companions, bah Should have looked more into what they are and less what they can do. A sharp Thud against the door jolts me out of my musings. Liv must be back with an armload of something she never just kicks the door. "Hey Songstress" I call as open the front door to. . . No one, just liv's bag hanging from her Knife. Aimee is over my shoulder and into the bag in an instant the soft chirping noises letting me know the little blue one is in there and nearly the same state as Aimee. what did Liv name her again? Oh well no help for it now. a long white piece of paper in attached to the door. I can't make out the chicken scratches on it, but it doesn't look like symbols on liv's blade. going to need to ask her what those are. damn chicken scratches "HEY LILY. COME IN HERE!" I bellow this is bad, I have seen enough movies to know a Blackmail or hostage note when i see one.

Someone is going to Die, slowly and painfully.

Popping her head around the corner, Lily fixes a frosty look at Liam. "You summoned, sir?" and edge of sarcasm cuts her voice till she sees the dark look on his face. "What's wrong?"

I hold out the note, careful to keep my actions more fluid then i want them to be, she isn't to blame. "mind reading this aloud for the class" the words are sour in my mouth, for all my knowledge not learning one skill. pure foolishness "I can't read this modern chicken scratch." with that I begin lashing the dagger to my forearm I am sure liv will want it back.

Looking nervously between Liam and the page, Lily takes it gingerly and peers at it before reading.

Half-breeds, gypsies and thieves:
Let there be no misunderstanding; any attempt to rescue your companion will result in her suffering and eventual death. As such, we offer a single, reasonable price for her safe release. Deliver to us the defectors, known to you as Ignacy and Hans, to us. Any act in contrary to this will be viewed as treachery and treated accordingly; you will receive evidence of such, should it be necessary.

Concern creases Lily's brow as she looks up to Liam.

taking one end of the lash with my teeth i growl softly "as if kidnapping were not treachery on their part" I roll my wrists to make sure i won't be cutting myself. damn but the blade is as sharp as the difference between right and wrong. "ok Lily, shall we put aside out little prank induced mis-understanding. mind you I am not saying i did it only implying that i may have been in on it. long enough to get the Songstress and come back?" my voice is low and i know my actions are a little to aggressive but i just can't seem to muster up enough to care about those details. they took my kith. Blood and death will be theirs "if so we will need to stop by my old haunt, could be some useful stuff there."

Nodding mutely, Lily looks at the door as if in a daze. Looking back at Liam, "Wat do we do; they said the'yd hurt 'er if we didn' cooperate... An where the el is that walking torch anyway?"

"they likely already Have" the words come out a snarl "the Would be kings have less Honor then a templar in a turkish Brothel." grabbing my jacket "and we aren't bringing the torch or sleeping beauty, if i get a knife in the gut for it so be it, we need fast and we need quiet." I give her a quick glance over "which means us." fingering the old iron key I look down "and maybe a friend of mine" With that i turn through the door "i won't wait up lily, we don't have the time". Gods it never rains, it Pours.

Nodding silently, Lily follows in Liam's wake, Sealing the door inside and out, ensuring none might leave or enter by that route.

The path to the workshop is almost as i remember it the old lock grinding almost painfully. Entering the sound of machinery long unused is almost music to my ears "Lily don't touch anything just yet." then in a louder voice "Hey how far is your project?" the clanking of many feet even more of a musical number as the Arm comes around the corner, though "Arm" is not accurate anymore, the thing standing in front of us is a head and shoulders taller then me, and looks like a greek legend and a brass foundry had a child "Damn, Ok "G" nice work " the legs look like some sort of wildcat made from brass. while the body looks more like an armored . . woman? "do you remember liv?" the golem nods "want to help us get her back?" a terse nod and the golem starts past us out the door. "come on lily, anything else we find is less useful or fun" the grin i have is almost feral. oh this should be fun.

Wide eyed, Lily follows, staring at the odd beauty of the clockwork. At Liam's shoulder, she whispers, "'ould love to know what makes that beaut'te tick."

i get up eat cereal drink coffe and gets dressed "cor blimey mate you havent forgot us ave you?" i sigh as i throw a fork into my coat pockets, i fall over the kitchen chair and pick me up, i walk towards the door and check the handle only to find its gone "thieving girl dun stolen the door knob" i sigh and stroke my hand through my hair "HOUSE! GET ME A WAY OUT!"

I look back and smile "the left arm was mine for a while as in actually my arm." I smile at her look "it was literally just an arm. at the time"

A rumble and the rug in the center of the living area is tossed aside by unseen hands, reveling a large oak trap door with bronze fixtures beneath. A sharp click and the door pops up a quarter inch over flush.

Grinning, Lily studies it further. "Then you did the work?"

i whisper "much obliged" and pick up a k98 rifle my sword my handgun a tissue and my knife and step down into the darkness.

"no the mechanic and the arm did all the work, i just wore it" I look up "to Riech park then?" i am itching for a fight at this point and that seems as good a place to start as any. Taking my gloves out i put them on, and smile "well lily, what do you know about the nazi factions and what hideouts they have?"

Dank earth and stone, punctuated by twisted, decaying roots greet Ignacy, what dim light there is provided by rush-lights gasping for oxygen in the musty atmosphere. The ladder drops in the middle of a passage that runs at least fifty feet, as far as the eye can see under the conditions, in either direction.

i conjure up a small flame to hover behind me and light up the path i drop into the sewers frowning as my boots are stained with shit i notice a ladder leading up to the streets, soon im out on the streets of the nightside and i head for the nearest bar a place called "the last bastion" dont ask me why, i go in and see few nonhumans an elf in the back, i walk up to the bar and asks the bartender a big bald man for a bottle of rum, i eye the figure next to me tall blonde white skinned wearing leather pants and jacket and wearing a hat of some sort "hey how you doing" i say in my most suave manner she turns to me and i realize the error of my decision, she has an eyepatch and her has has a skull pin on it she smiles at me with a cigarette in her mouth "dahling".

"More then I'd like and not enough to help." Lily makes a face in disgust. "Though I have... ways of finding out certain things." She shift uncomfortably, shoving her hands deep in her pockets and adopting a guarded posture.

"magic or the age old art of batting eyelashes?" I watch her posture "Lily, I am not going to ask you to do anything that is that uncomfortable" I take a breath "hell i shouldn't have asked you along, but you have a tricky mind and might see something i miss"

"Its not that..." Lily pauses, thinking. "I've landed in loads of trouble cause I can do what I do, but the Authorities never minded much till I learned... things. I can find out what ever you need, but its tricky not getting lost in the web, and I can guarantee Walker won't like it."

not even sparing a glance "Walker is far less imposing then any who came before him" I start "and you are a clever one i know you can get your way back. maybe the brass wonder here can help me with some theory while we wait so I won't be useless if we come against a magician of any sort" My hand absentmindedly strokes the knife lashed to my arm

"Dahling," The bartender twitches a quarter of the down the polished bar at the sound of her voice, as do half the men in the room. "I would never have thought you'd come looking for me." The syrup of her voice, thick, sweet and spoiling, oozes, intermixing with the effects of the cigarette smoke and perfume to create a haze that dims her features. "Dahl said you were in town with Hans, but I could never bring myself to believe that you where that close."

"What theory?" Lily asks, absently studying a couple on the street as they pass, literally joined at the hip.

a chill goes down my spine "nice to see you too lena" i say in the most suave manner i can despite being terrified.