Fantasy Ain't No Rest for the Wicked Pt. 2

[Aridis]

Even knowing that he couldn't die from such wounds, Blair still flinched at the gunshot. Sisceal looked like minced meat after the first shot, she wasn't keen to check on his condition after the second. There probably wasn't a worse sight than seeing someone's face half blown off, but she wasn't curious enough to confirm that. Thea's small rant about his moral transgressions just made her solidify her decision to stay out of this shit. Everyone seemed to have their own opinions on the matter, she wasn't quite qualified to do the same.

Connor and Abel didn't seem too bothered at the news that the blacksmith wasn't human. It was just another obstacle that they could deal with. That was both reassuring and so very concerning at the same time. Either they were experienced with this kind of scenario, or they were simply too tired to care. Or, it was a mix of both. Blair ended up stepping a little behind Abigail to get away from the patron's gaze. Even without looking at him, she could feel his eyes on her and it was unsettling. If they were about to have a repeat of the Gnawbones fiasco, she might just have to risk getting shot to get the hell away from the Horsemen. There were few uneventful days around them and it was starting to weigh on her.

She kept her head down, not wanting to accidentally look at Sisceal's injuries or get another headache from glancing at the blacksmith. Blair did raise her voice so that Connor could hear her clearly, however. Less bullets flying around would be preferable. "Er... According to--" There was a moment of pause, as she realized that referring to the woman as 'Sisceal's daughter' might potentially get her shot too. "--This young Miss, the Virtues are aiming to catch y'all tomorrow. She offered information and a map she got from them. In exchange, she gets a few free shots at uh... him." Blair gestured in Sisceal's direction.

 

[Worthlessplebian]

Abel glanced at the fae-fastened father, the warm, shifting light of the campfire picking out the carnage of his wound. The flesh bloomed like a pale flower, blood running in thick rivulets down, seeping into the heated dirt beside his head, chips of bone, slicked with red, protruding through the sea of crimson, mangled meat. His yellow, pitiless eyes narrowed. The grip on his revolvers tightened, but the Horseman of Plague did not shift as though constrained within a singular moment, even his shadows ceased their coiling embrace.

Then came the flash of a weapon's discharge, its loud report echoed on the weeping wind. For a moment, Abel had thought his reflexes subsumed him, shooting the priest out of instinct and principle. The hidden gun clattered against the ground anchoring his thoughts. Connor spoke, eyes possessed with a tired rage, questioning the favour offered. Abel hummed. A low, almost imperceptible noise, smothered beneath the loud crackle of the flames and the steady winnow of the wind.

Before he could answer, Blair spoke, voice strung and strained by discomfort. Raised a fraction for the clarity she sought to impart on Connor. Abel nodded to her words. "It's as she says." Abel said, voice blunt, dead. He looked to Thea, the teal fire smouldering in her emerald gaze. "Fine, then. The matter's concluded." Abel agreed. He lowered the revolver leveled at Thea, silver barrel gleaming in the ghostly moonlight.

His yellow eyes, ignited like an auburn brazier, turned to Sisceal. "Never," he said coldly. "Threaten me." Abel's voice suffused with a glacial hardness, poisoning the very air with his noxious, miasmic maleficence again. A ripple shot through his hardened muscles beneath his pale skin. The only warning graven into scrimshawed bones. The presence was gone, silenced by the Horseman's efforts. He breathed, though his eyes had not closed, he sought the quiet of his mind, the silence which ebbed the exhaustion's edge to his mind.

"We're clearing out." Abel said, his aim still trained on the blacksmith. He wondered whether Sisceal's spawn would lead them astray, a map provided by their enemies could be proven useful or deliberate bait, bearing only tainted fruit. However, abandoning this place remains the only solution.

 

[Karcen]

" The serpent father must be losing his touch if they caught up so fast, or maybe the stars weren't right for him and his children " Abigal sighed seeing as her little trick hadn't bought them as much time as she hoped. This did mean her tricks wouldn't be as effective from this point on. Still there were other tricks she could use on them, but they might require time.

Thedrama between the others over threats was not really intresting boys being boys. It was always funny how she seemed the most stable around here. She certainly had the most stable family life given she has none. Blair had mostly hidden and the mysterious girl was just bring dragged around by them, they should do something nice if they hit the time. Blair was stuck with them now as a virtue wouldn't care if she wasn't really a horseman she was involved. Hostages were just collaborators when the paperwork was filled.

As abel said they were leaving Abigail let out an annoyed sigh slash whine that only younger people made when told the plan was changing " Can I at least pick our next stop a town would be nice maybe we can doll Blair up? She might be as cute as Thea there if cleaned up. " her tone was playful as she asked but the other horsemen would know she had a plan to hopefully slow the virtue. No one could stir up a mob better than her.

" oh and Thea next time you come by I suggest you have a name and iron. That or flowers abd a pretty dress I am sure we could find some place nice for a date " giving the girl a good hint towards dealing with her dad or the fae holding him on this plane.

 

[Axeykins]

"I ain't got time for that, but I'll gladly show you some lead too if you keep this up." Despite the glare towards her, the young woman suddenly felt her cheeks flush. A slew of emotions both worry and fluster that she did not expect nor want in those moments. Hair tips flaring up in fire she gave her cheeks a quick slap to refocus herself at the task at hand. She'd have to mull over whatever that was later. "I know I know, but you don't have to keep lecturing me on it every time." She looked back at the old dwarven man briefly. Much as she huffed and puffed she was getting nowhere real fast before making her pact. Damn near died out there even."You just have to learn to keep up with me once in a while. Specially when we're this close. I'd have had him if you had those damn weapons ready by now. I know he's even playing possum right as we speak. He's taken harder hits back home and knows it. Always has been a good performer." She waved a hand in the direction of her father still bellyaching on the ground. Giving his boot a little kick. "Git up already you old jackass. Unless you want to screw over your pals too acting like dead weight soon as paw paw or one of the others finds y'all."

The old priest's good eye flickered towards her and then the rest of them. Shooting Abel a particularly cold glare as it passed over him for the admittedly well deserved attitude he'd gotten from the man. He was tempted to make a retort. The only thing stopping him was the idea of getting more holes in him or outright decked in the face. That being said, with a ragged cough and a grumble he got up off the ground easier than he should have. Spitting more bullets out onto the ground through his exposed jaw. He stood looking like a ghoul himself shredded to bits, but he was standing fairly steadily. Certainly more than he usually had after getting wounds to this degree with twice the attitude on his face. Enough to match his daughter on surprisingly

Thea looked rather content with herself for outing his act. As promised she produced a map she'd swiped and copied from their persuers. "They're not too far from here but the tricks I've seen which I'm guessing was from all you have worn em down for the day. You should have time for some rest here if need be, least till dawn. The hounds that PawPaw has out can't quite get her yet either. Seems they have a limit of how far they can go from the man." She measured it out for them from the last place she saw him. "All of your usual hideouts have been mapped out but not all searched yet. Looks like they're goin from the outside in to attempt pinching you in somewhere. Slow to move though despite knowing them all since they haven't gotten the word to everyone just yet with some discourse between them all not believing their fellow Virtues. You got em good getting the old coot out of retirement suddenly. Some are busy with other places you hit too providing aid. They're trying to get smaller guys out but you know well how that goes. No patrons means they're no match for you lot." As she explained more details of her mappings she made sure to clearly a mark to highlight every rout or rumored location the lawmen would be. "Any other questions?"

 

[Soviet Panda]

"Hounds and Virtues coming at his beck and call. Who the hell is Pawpaw and how come we've never heard of him before?" Connor voiced aloud as he craned his neck to get a look at the map Thea revealed, his revolver unconsciously never wavering from the dwarf no matter which way he swayed. "And how do they know our hides?" At the moment, he did not want to think about what that meant. "We got to go somewhere they won't think then. Abigail, you might get to sleep in a bed sooner than you thought." If they knew their hides out in the wilds, then perhaps they could hide amongst one of Abigail's cults, after she's gone and made one if necessary.

For Hother's part, seemingly now unconcerned with the pair of revolvers still pointed at him, his gaze never left Blair, though she now hid behind the Horseman of Death. "Girl," he called out, " I am Hother, Lord of the Forge, Patron of the Crafts, and Hoarder of Knowledge. I have answers for your questions, but now is not the time for them. Call my name, and I will answer. We may discuss my conditions when that time comes." His words were said calmly, and without raising his voice, but they sounded like the ringing blows of hammering steel. "Thea, once you're done here, I will meet you at the wagon. Do not tarry, there is work to be done." And just like that, he vanished. There was no flash, there was no sign of his departure. He was simply there one second, and then not the next. While Hother did have a flare for the dramatic, as Thea could attest, he was capable of simply doing things as quickly and efficiently as any of his power could.

 

[Aridis]

When Abigail suggested "dolling" her up, Blair automatically glanced down at her own outfit. Admittedly, her clothes were a little worse for wear. She only took what she needed, and weeks of almost nonstop travel hadn't been too kind to the fabric. Her spare clothes were in a very similar state. Up until this moment, she hadn't thought that it was that bad. Someone needed to give her a detailed manual on how hostage scenarios were supposed to work, because this was far outside of any expectation she had. "That's not necessary..." Blair murmured. "I'm fine as I am. I don't want you to waste your resources on something like that."

As the other Horsemen gathered around the map, she happily stayed in the back. The less she knew about hideouts and such, the better. The only time that she actually shifted her position was when she needed to keep Abigail between her and the dwarf. Her efforts appeared to have been in vain, however. No matter how much of a barrier she tried to place between her and the blacksmith, he almost seemed to stare through her body-shields right at her.

The discomfort only grew worse when he actually addressed her. Blair made the mistake of looking right at him while he spoke, which just prompted another flash of that extremely unpleasant pressure in her head. She still couldn't quite process his appearance without her eyes crossing. There was far too much to process after Hother made his offer for knowledge. How did he identify her as someone who needed answers? What were the conditions he spoke of? Why would he offer such a thing at all? And most importantly, who was she? These thoughts, along with a nonstop stream of 'fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck,' kept her from processing just about everything else.

On top of everything, now Blair had to worry about the attention being placed back on her. Fantastic. Revealing her ability to see spirits and souls was bad enough. Nothing could stay simple.

 

[Axeykins]

The young woman couldn't help her look of confusion at the lot of them. It hadn't crossed her mind that she'd have to explain it to this group. She figured they already knew. "I'm honestly flabbergasted y'all don't know Pawpaw. Maybe you recognize him under the name Jean-Paul Packard, ex Virtue, Humility. One of the true originals not these knew wannabes like Truth or Justice. Y'know the lot I've heard the stories of your tangling with them before it's hard not to. Books and leaflets all about it everywhere from all sources human and not. That's why he's got those hounds. Nobody's seen him in ages until his home was wrecked by a couple a you." She motioned to the group. Unsure of exactly which two were the culprits this time.Least that's why I've heard in passing. They've shot down all the birds or beasts I've sent out to listen in. Her eyes narrowing slightly as the old dwarf disappeared. Another surprise to her in truth. Normally at the first sign of a real tight situation Hother was gone before one could blink. Exiting quieter than the faintest breeze. This time he talked to one of the strange women of the group though. What was that old man planning?

Brushing the oddities of her patron to the back of her mind for the time being she turned her focus back to answering questions. The more they lingered the more all of them were on limited time. "Other answer you're lookin' for is right there." Her finger immediately shot over to her father. "He's the reason they know. Him and a Virtue. You weren't found and run out of that town for no reason that while back. Right before this current mess you're all in. If what I heard was right about it, it ain't something worth another bullet from me if that means anythin', but whatever actions you wanna take is up to you. They don't know paths you take at least just where all these hideaways are out there and weren't on the move towards them until people got riled up. Wasn't worth their efforts to be on a completely blind wild goose chase. They also have no idea who any allies of yours are or where the deepest holes you can go to are. Weren't smart or patient enough to ask about those they only wanted your mainstays."

 

[Karcen]

" oh please what is money for if not to spend it, besides not like I pay for anything Abigail assured Blair and that was true why pay when you could make people think you did and you didn't plan to let them live long anyways. " Though I do suggest you don't listen to the short one, there is always a cost and payment never ends " so many patrons didn't let you just quit there was no I'm done with them. A deal struck with the super natural lasted an eternity unless the other side broke the deal first.

The news of heading to a city was for her goid news, thru would find allies willing or otherwise. The others were about as deadly regardless of where one was, but Abigail only got more dangerous as she was given people and time. As she had planted seeds in Thea she could do so to a city and with time and some pushing from her she could make civilians a protective mob. If the virtues were smart they would have already gotten agents around, but they were busy with the others how like men out here to forget just how dangerous a woman could be.

" Well then lovely Thea it is nice to put a name to the virture following us I just knew a certain pair of people riled up a wasp hive " though the name of a virtue meant little to her. " How like the boys to make a mess and leave it to the women to clean it up " she teased though she was getting ideas if the got time she might be able to call in a few favors and get some puppies of her own, though those alone or even a mob likely wouldn't get the virtue, but it sure would fuck with him.

 

[Worthlessplebian]

The Horseman of Plague went to the map, features obscured by the misty shadows clung to his visage like lichens overgrowing a graven statue. He sensed Sisceal's attention, lambent eyes snapped to meet him. His amber braziers flared, illuminating but bereft of warmth, a coldness in the shifting tides of fire. He breathed, loosening the tension that wracked his limbs for a moment, clenching and unclenching his hands. He kept himself aware of Sisceal's presence, but brooked no further distraction from this ordeal. Abel casts a glance to Thea as he delineated the identity of their pursuer and his posse of divinity. He crossed his arms across his chest, eyes scanning the wrinkled map.

Abel nodded once. "A city is the most likely recourse now, not without its own obstacles, but from there, we can hem their options." He said, svelte finger tracing a path to one of the cities. Then he clenched his fist, withdrawing his hand. His head shifted, glaring at the dwarf whose keen interest in Blair soon began to wither Abel's stoicism. Stoking a pale pyre within his soul. Even as he vanished from sight, slipping beneath the gossamer veil of reality to the undercroft housing horrors, hanging hooks with alluring prizes for the desperate, the damned, and the discarded.

A part of him wondered how Blair weathered in all of this: among company, but alone in the pitiless darkness, beset by things that hunted in places far deeper and darker than the one in which they currently stood. He could not fathom the reason for his newly-wrought concern, clutching like a pall within his core.

His eyes narrowed. "We are moving." He answered coldly, and began his preparations.