dwagon wage

[paellas]

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neve // minrathous

[paellas]

[ it was easier than expected, to walk through the streets of minrathous undetected. his hood was drawn up as he navigated the cramped streets, ignoring the stench of bodies (blood, spite whispers in the back of his mind) and the hum of venatori magic in the air. how they had taken the entire city so swiftly, lucanis had no idea -- but his stomach had churned when he had discovered that dock town was in shambles, along with the shadow dragons hideaway.

neve had not come back to the lighthouse. lucanis could hardly blame her; if it had been treviso... but it was not. it was minrathous, and while he had given neve her space for the last week, he could not stand not knowing any longer if she was safe. so, the demon of vyrantium went to work to find the unfindable.

like all things in tevinter, it had taken money. well-paid scouts and bribes, coin in the palms of hands that belonged to the scum of the earth, but he had successfully tracked down the safe house where neve gallus was (allegedly) squirreled away.

it was clever, really -- a seedy bar, tucked in a back alley. the crow had nearly walked past it were it not for spite briefly seizing control, managing a hissed neve before lucanis blinked, refocusing his attention on the signage. the crooked crow. a bit on the nose, but lucanis supposed tevinter was one for mockery.

upon entry, lucanis scanned the surroundings. two men in a corner, playing a game of wicked grace over cheap beer. a woman behind the bar itself, cleaning out a water-stained mug. and, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, a tiny symbol carved just behind a dusty bottle of wine. a dragon.

his contact was correct, then. this was the place. ]

A glass of the '37 port.

[ it was said evenly as he pushed back his hood, taking a step to the bar. the bartender glanced up, searching his features, and lucanis slid three gold pieces across the worn wood, along with another token -- a brass coin, with a single scratched line through the middle.

it buzzed with magic. lucanis hated it.

after seeing the payment, the bartender took the coins without a word, turning to take the bottle. instead of lifting it, the bartender pressed on the bottle lightly, and the two men in the corner playing wicked grace stared at him as a door slid open just behind the bar. scouts, lucanis realized, but he paid them no mind as he disappeared from sight, taking the stairs down into what appeared to be a dark network of tunnels.

after a few moments, he enters into a room full of supplies and a few people shifting boxes about. none of them pay any mind to lucanis, though he doesn't exactly pay mind to them either, zeroing his attention on one woman in particular who seemed to be running the show. his shoulders relax half an inch with tension he hadn't known he had been carrying, almost dizzy with relief. ]

Neve.

[ in an exhale as he steps forward, sidestepping a box neatly. he sets a bag he had been carrying on top of the crate, his heart already beginning to thrum in the steady beat that only happened whenever he was within speaking distance of the woman standing in front of him. it wasn't the time, obviously -- but she was just as beautiful as she had been the last time they had spoken. ]

You are not an easy woman to find.

teia // treviso (dav start)

[adders]

[ the trip from salle to treviso is long and uncomfortable. but viago found he didn't mind it as much as he typically did, though he was keen to stretch his legs the moment he had arrived. after a small amount of undignified stretching attempts within the carriage, he stepped out onto the streets as unruffled as ever, his two trunks (an increase in years past, but he had brought enough in anticipation of a lengthy stay). staff had appeared almost instantly outside of the diamond to greet him, and viago said nothing until they began unloading his things. at the first sign of a jostle, viago frowned. ]

Don't drop my snakes.

[ the cold instruction caused the staff (and fledglings, viago noted of the younger members of the help) to move a bit more carefully.

long strides carried him through the lower halls of the diamond, sliding through the early gamblers without much fuss. the long steps up to the top of the diamond were welcome, in a way -- further opportunity to stretch his legs. he knew he needed to pay his greetings to caterina, but to do so, he needed to be presentable. right now, he wanted to be free of road dust and stiff limbs before he notified the first talon of his arrival to her city.

instead, he asked a member of the diamond's staff to pass a message to her through the crows, which was taken happily. he nearly asked the same staff whether or not the mistress of the house was in, but he held his tongue.

andarateia would make herself known eventually.

upon entry into the room he had been guided to, he relaxed half an inch, letting his shoulders drop at the sight of the immaculate room. somehow, his trunks had beat him there, and three different glass terrariums were situated against a large window overlooking the canals, sunlight beaming into each of them.

the sight caused him to smile a little. thoughtful.

within moments, emil and his compatriots were within their respective enclosures, happily sunning themselves. the rest of his belongings were being unpacked after thoroughly checking and cleaning the room. once his clothes were away, he set a weary look to the remaining cases, which contained the contents of his lab.

caterina had instructed him to prepare for a lengthy stay. but all he wanted to do right now was sleep, versus continuing to unpack vials of poisons and his beloved creatures. or, perhaps, seeking out the woman that he hadn't been able to stop thinking of during the days-long ride to treviso. ]

Soon. [ he murmurs to himself as he slides his case of vials on a table, opening it to ensure nothing was shattered. next, empty vials and beakers, labels, and carefully curated bags of powder. ] Work to be done, first.