Ch 10 - Moth to the Flame

Dietrich had stayed by Lilly till the sudden red face of Carla somewhat bust into the room. It was a thankful reprieve all the talk of revenge had him conflicted with the good in people and the bad or just simple selfish desires as he had watched Kimiko's back for once a calm on his normally smiling face his demeanor not suiting him as he snapped out of it fast enough as the report of Arawela. Though a slight smile hearing about the 'eccentric' Johnny still working the shrewd world of the Races he still had talent.

Her beef with Aurora had him sigh as he could predict the actions of Kimiko as she exclaimed her anger in being part of a personnel vendetta rather than a balancing of the forces at work, this had Dietrich reach across to the drinks bar as Lilly looked across seeing the stern expression as the thought passed through his mind to hand Aurora to the woman it would settle things surely. But... He knew better as he poured himself a healthy helping of the drink as he placed it down tilting his head when he considered the fault line.

He turned seeing the trolley brought in by a druid his eyes narrowing, a crack sliding across the crystal as he almost gripped the glass too hard as he lifted it drinking slowly and the subject of his thoughts decided to enter the room Sionn. Dietrich tried to push the thoughts back surely the bushy tailed red 'squirrel' wasn't involved. To split a fault line would need a relic not just raw magic. Not being an expert he only knew of a couple that could be accessed to attempt such a feat one so happening to once belong to Zeitlos then handed to Helleborine but he didn't say a word. Sionn played the hero's entrance well, seeing others in the room look to him...awe? Dietrich didn't know what to say in this conversation as he drank more from his glass emptying it as he looked to Kimiko who was trying to also find the balance, sure it was a million lives at stake but they were moving due to personal relation rather than a council order and they were being deployed in big numbers this was bigger than any Druid hunting party in almost two centuries and a Punkie... wheels of magic and fate were in painful motion all around Aurora and Arawela dragging those around them like a vacuum.

Sionn looked at Lilly and spoke, "We hunt them down, and we stop them."

The group got quiet and were looking at him, his voice was full of conviction they had not yet heard. Then Carla spoke and the attention shifted, listening to her words.


Kimko looked at Carla and spoke, "She told us to get us there, she wants a confrontation. She is daring us to stop her."

"And we should go and stop her!" Sionn's face was strong in his thought on the matter as he spoke. Kimiko looked at him but did not retort, though her expression suggested she did not appreciate the interruption, Sionn didn't respond in a way that showed he cared what she thought. Softly clearing her throat Kimiko turned back to Carla, "You know I have the utmost admiration and respect for Kain, and what you have said resonates deep in my opinion on the matter. You are right, I too believe it could be a trap, but I also believe that these are the moments when action meets conviction. Arawela certainly wants us to respond by showing up and charging headlong into a fight with her. She wants it, by my brothers soul she wants it..."

She then turned to Erebus, "Druid."

He looked at her and gave her his full attention, "Tell us about your Niece."


"She's insane."

Kimiko pursed her lips and responded curtly, "Skip the obvious assessments and get us to the heart of the matter Erebus. Is this all really about you?"

He exhaled softly and looked at Aurora, there was a longing still hidden deep behind his eyes that only she would see, but he hid it well and turned back to Kimiko, "Yes and no. Arawela and I did share a bond once, a family bond that was fatherly, but like most of my order, she fell to the deep love of the arts, and lost control of her mind. The magic of Druids lured her rapidly, and she learned with a speed unprecedented in our circles. I tried to point it out to her, I tried to keep her from loosing herself too quickly to the magic she had potential to wield, but she paid me no mind, and the rift between us grew. Embittered and enraged at me she pushed herself away more and more until we had little left in common. Aurora stepped into the picture, and when... when what happened happened, she found an excuse to reveal herself to the world. There is no doubt in my mind she is the most advanced Druid of her age to ever exist. That lust for power has led to a need to use it, what child gets a toy and does not want to play with it?" Aurora knew what he meant, 'when what happened happened,' that was the moment when she broke the link stone, and his heart was forever altered and crushed at her rejection of his intentions and his character.

He looked around the room, "She gained access to the Elder Vaults, the spiritual ancestry that lives within the mansion. She obtained their favor, and their collective power. That is the biggest issue that we will deal with. She means to lure us to a fight because she truly believes in her heart that she can beat us all. I guarantee that she has agents at play in the city, watching us, keeping tabs on our movements and reporting back. On scene however, she will face us alone, or with no more than her father to assist her. She will not want to share any glory of our defeat with anyone, this is a badge that she will want to wear alone."

He turned to Kimiko and Carla, "I would call it less a trap, and more a direct challenge to meet her. Everything she does is with a purpose, my guess is she wants to defeat us and crack the earth simultaneously... thinking as a Druid does, it will usher in everything she is after, complete and total admiration from the entirety of Druidic circles. To defeat a group as powerful as this, and to break 810 miles of coastline off a continental shelf all at the same time... THAT has never been done. Her desire is to show that she alone can do it, and if she succeeds she will take her place as the greatest Druid to ever live."

Carla had no idea what most of the things Erebus spoke of were about, but the others didn’t look at him quite as dumbfoundedly as her, so she assumed he was making sense to at least some of them. But by the end of it everything made sense to Carla; Arawela was very much like the girls she used to deal with every day…. Just with greater and even darker ambitions. She wanted to be the prom queen. Or head cheerleader or something. Whichever analogy makes more sense among the races…

Regardless, giving her what she wants, when she wants it couldn’t possibly be a good idea. Besides, Arawela’s questioning and the offer she made it feel like there was a next step to her plan.

“Well, if you think this is what we must do, then I will show you the place.” Carla said but quickly changed her tone, “But I’m not marching to her drums. She needs it just her way, so she won’t do anything until we show up, right? Then we don’t go until we’re ready. She’s not prom queen yet!”

She needed new guns after all.
And perhaps a good night’s sleep.
Maybe something close to a plan wouldn’t hurt either.
And damnit, this lobster is SO good! She could do with more of that as well.