[Paru's] Splish Splash... (Parreyon & Julien)

[Whisper]

OOC: Continued from Paru's original thread, here.

The bathing room was always the most populated of the many rooms in the bathhouse. The large pool meant that fifty men could comfortably sit on the bench around the edge, submerged in the water from the chest down. This brightening, there were probably only twenty or thirty men, spaced evenly apart so they could sit with their arms behind them, sprawled on the cool tile while the warm water soothed their aching muscles. Attendants--all male, to avoid any unwanted 'trouble'--roamed here and there, offering towels and bars of soap. A gently bubbling fountain in the center aided with the plumbing process, so that the water was always clean and clear.

A few men, presumably a group of friends, got up at the same time, leaving a big empty spot on the seats at one end of the room. The only people left in that area were a rather large man--Vagaran, by the looks of it--who had a towel over his eyes and was snoring loudly, and a pair of Nairu men who were gesticulating in the water with their hands, speaking in low voices.

[Parreyon Syndicus]

Parreyon observed the bath room when he entered knowing it was the first time and was quite unsure of what to expect. It was a nairu custom and not a katta one to use such facilities, and Parreyon had to make sure he did not do something stupid in the place which would bring embarrassment of shame to him or his Pride.

It was a unique set up that Paru had with the flooring tiling and huge tub. Everyone seemed to be spaced a certain distance from one another which was probably best so as not to disturb somone's comfort zone. His eyes were quick to see the opening as well as the possible company. A large Vagaran which might have intimidated Parreyon at one point in life but not any longer, or the private group that seemed to have an agenda of some kind speaking in low tone.

It was this group that Parreyon took more interest in mainly because he was always and foremost, the head of the law of the land and his intigue was always towards things that held criminal intent. Secrecy did not mean there was crime involved, but crime always involved a form of secrecy. The katta kep his proper distance based on observation and sat down nearest this group.

He enjoyed the feel of the warm water against his fur and sprawled out his arms bringing them back behind his head which he rested against them closing his eyes to complete the comfort. He always had his nose to smell those around including when other got too close to him. He also knew that the water rippled when people moved within it, so he used this to aid him in finding out if anyone came close. He also perked his ears in an attempt to listen to the conversation next to him. Parreyon would not go out of his way to listen. If he heard nothing from te position he was in, then he was intent to hear nothing and accept it.

[Julien Cervantes]

Julien, by the time the big black kat entered, was already seated in the pool. His lithe form was nothing more than a speck in the mass of naked male bodies. The water, however, seemed to wash all those awkward thoughts away. He was just really glad to get some hydration back into his skin. He was itching less and his rashes were going away. Perhaps there was something in his blood that screamed for the open seas, the free bathes, and the occasional jump into a lake. Julien sighed in pure pleasure, allowing the smell of mint, and soap, and salty water meet his senses, overwhelming him with relaxation.

He ignored most of the men around him, particularly the massive Vagaran who was snoring across from him. The water only rippled slightly when the black kat arrived, dipping himself gently into the surface. Julien risked a peek. A thin grin reached his sharp features. Who knew? Cats do bath after all. Splashing a little beneath the surface of the giant pool, Jules accepted another bar of soap from one of the decisively male attendants with a nod.

Commence level one: wash, scrub, wash.

[Whisper]

The pair of men paid the new arrivals little heed. They did not lower their voices--they were almost impossible to hear over the soft splashing anyway--nor did they scoot further away. As Parreyon and Julien settled in, the two continued to speak in a whisper until something that one of them said made the other reply more loudly.

"Absolutely not!" he replied, striking the water with his palm. "We will not back down. The eyes must be stopped at all costs." He was sitting on the far side, so his face couldn't be seen.

The man whom he spoke to absentmindedly scratched at a scar that began at the corner of his left eye and went down to his jawline. It was thin and obviously very old, but it made the man look as if he was weeping dark blood from just one eye. Perhaps he didn't realize how much louder they had gotten, because he replied in the same volume, "But... there is nothing more to do."

The first man now leaned forward, exposing his face to Parreyon and Julien should they be looking in that direction. Oddly enough, he bore not one, but two facial scars: they reached from the corners of his mouth almost down to his chin, looking like two fangs. When he spoke, he looked a little bit like a sinister mannequin. "There is always something that we can do. We must stop them. The eyes must not be allowed to succeed."

The eyes? The Eyes, perhaps? Either way, it was a very odd conversation to be overhearing.

[Parreyon Syndicus]

Parreyon took a moment to begin cleaning so that he did not look any further the odd man out than just by being a katta. He was sure his black fur had all looking at him at one point. But as long as he did things to make him appear like any other bather, the others would begin looking away. He'd not noted any other person in the pool save the two once they started talking.

He paid particular attention to their tone and dialect to find out if they were nairu, vagaran, or some other type of human. This would help him grasp if they were from an outside source which could link them to a thieves group or something. It would explain the reference to 'the eye' and not being allowed to suceed. But Parreyon did not act quickly knowing he needed to learn a bit more while trying to think of a way to react to them. Maybe even get in close and aid them.

[Whisper]

OOC: Sorry for the delay! Julien, if you return, feel free to jump back in; otherwise, I'll continue with Parr.

The others in the bathing room were all pretty nondescript, especially compared to these two scarred gentlemen. They were all bathing and talking among themselves quietly, and a number of them had even fallen asleep with towels over their eyes.

Parreyon's careful listening would prove that the men were nairu. This was confirmed in their dark skin, hair, and eyes. By all other standards, they appeared to be perfectly ordinary men. That was, besides their fishy behavior and very strange scars.

They still did not seem to take any notice of Parreyon and Julien--after all, this seemed like a conversation they had been having since the other men were in their place--but the first man did begin to start rinsing himself off and making to leave.

"We could regain control, Tarek. We were in control before they rose up. Now this is our chance to take back the city for the scorpions." Or was it The Scorpions?

Tarek--as it appeared the second man's name was--reluctantly began to rinse off as well. He washed tenderly where the old scar divided his face. It seemed that he didn't want to think about what would happen after this conversation was over. "It will be difficult."

"It has always been difficult." The first man grimaced. "The only way to make things easier is to eliminate the eyes from our path... forever."

After a brief moment of silence in which the two men finished all other business related to bathing, they stepped out of the tub and wrapped their towels around themselves. Tarek followed his companion not to the next room, but oddly enough, back to the hot room from whence they had come.

[Parreyon Syndicus]

Parreyon was extremely curious about the path of this conversation and hoped the details would allow him to find and infilitrate a gand on his own and take them down. not necessarily the gang these two appeared to be a part of, but the one they feared. To eliminate the enemy of fear gives one control of those that were once afraid.

Parreyon rose from the water himself using a towel to dry off and also carefully rubbing over his own scar which ran down the entire side of his face. A great wolf had bit his jaw and tried to remove it from his face tearing the skin from the corner of the mouth to his ear. He had never allowed anyone to use arcana to remove the scar so that he would always remember the trial he went through to bond with Praaal Ri, the great panther.

He wasted little time by catching up to the two and throwing in a smile. Woudl they recognize him? It was not as if the Imperial Judicator had resided in Arakmat that long, so maybe he would get lucky. "I could not help but over hear you conversation about trying to remove a threat. Such tasks are my speciality if the coin is right. I want nothing from you save payment. If I do not succeed, then no one will suspect a katta to be aligned with you. If I succeed, then you will have no more problems save for the sum of say, ten thousand crowns?"

[Whisper]

Tarek and his companion were shuffling around in a locker with a wooden door when Parreyon spoke. When he did, Tarek tensed turned towards the katta with a fearful stare, while the other man glanced at Parreyon, keeping one hand inside the locker. But when it became clear that Parreyon intended to aid their efforts, the two relaxed visibly.

"We shouldn't have been speaking so loudly..." Tarek said quietly, fumbling with his towel. His companion merely smiled and held out a dark, calloused hand.

"Ziero Mulavu," he said, by way of introduction. "This is my brother, Tarek." Since he waited for Parreyon to introduce himself, it seemed that he didn't recognize the katta after all.

"You present a very interesting proposal, my friend. It's not often that we get volunteers who wish to join us based on snippets of overheard conversations. I must say I'm intrigued.

"However, you have the wrong idea about our organization. The Scorpions do not deal in coin. We help others one brightening, then ask for their help the next. There is no reward other than the knowledge that you are part of a large network of men who wish to help their fellows... and we will help you in return, whenever you call upon us."

"Ziero..." mumbled Tarek, who hadn't yet spoken to or really looked at Parreyon, "Do you really think we should be...? I mean, the usual recruitment methods..."

Ziero shrugged. "If he has skills that he believes are worth 10,000 crowns, why not see what he has to offer?" He grinned toothily, making the scars on his chin warp. "That is, if the offer of your services still stands without the promise of gold."

[Parreyon Syndicus]

So was this more like a guild or a gang? The basics of the words that were spoken would have implied a 'help your fellow neighbor' kind of mentality. But Parreyon was not trusting it enough to through out details of his own. This group knew something about a gang in Arakmat, and Parreyon wanted to take down a gang in Arakmat. It was win win for the katta as far as he could see.

"Truth be, there is nothing I am in need of but never know what the future brings."

He rubbed his head to continue contemplating the offer more for ther sake not for his own. A person who asks for coin but gets an offer which involves none would be extremely hesitant to accept. Parreyon had to play the part properly less then knew he was trying to manipulate them. He needed the connection, the link, to see how valuable they could be in helping him infiltrate other potential gangs in the city as well.

"My preference is coin, but I am curious to see what this offer would do for me in the future, so I accept. I have talent enough for it is not based on coin."

[Whisper]

Ziero nodded. "Very well, then. If at any time you change your mind, you are free to part from us."

With that, Ziero turned his attention back to the locker. At first glance, it was just like all the others: tall, with hooks on all three sides for hanging clothing and a shelf for one's belongings. There was the usual combination lock on the door, and one would be able to procure a locker and combination from the front desk upon entrance. But this particular locker, the last one in the row on the left side of the room, had the tiniest engraving of a scorpion right below the lock. If Parreyon glanced at the lock, he would see that the opening code was set to 95070.

As Tarek stood in front of the locker, eyes on the empty locker room, Ziero reached up to the wooden hook on the far side of the locker and pulled down. The back of the locker swung easily and quietly open, revealing a narrow passageway lit by torches. It was hewn through the stone, spiraling and looking as if it led far beneath the bathhouse. If Parreyon was still game, Ziero would lead the way through the hidden door, with Tarek following the katta to close both the front door and the hidden back.

"So," Ziero said conversationally, "I have a few questions for you. How do you know we aren't the bad guys? For all you know, we could be the assassins trying to wipe out the harmless city guild." He flashed a grin back at Parreyon, a single gold tooth glimmering in the firelight. "What did you say your name was, again?"

[Parreyon Syndicus]

Parreyon took his usual evasive manuevers by looking like he was paying attention to little while observing everything going on. He did this by letting his eyes wander around the room but only focusing on things that looked harmless ... other lockers, doorway entrance and exit, art work, etc. This was not the first guild he found his way into and had grown comfortable in using this technique. He paid mental attention to the locker, the scorpion emblem, and the code to open.

Parreyon stepped away for only a moment. "Let me get my stuff" and quickly returned with his clothes on


Expectedly, the time for idol chit chat began which was really a minor interrogation process. He didn't mind. Parreyon had established a name for himself in The Gut of Port Alyxandrya when doing investigative work over there. It was small details but there was no way of proving identiy anyway without an imperial visa and all criminals knew that there were plenty of forgeries for the document to make them worthless.

"Name's Zhawrl. As to your question, i've no idea who you are but have a few assumptions I can apply to this situation. First and foremost being that good and bad is dependent upon the situation and not the individual. A Brother steals food to feed his little sister, both live on the streets because their parents died. The law says he is bad. Morality says he is good. Second, 'bad' Guys don't go around wiping out innocents because it draws attention to them. Nobody wants the law breathing down their backs ... unless they have created some type of immunity. Third, you guys discussed 'must be stopped at all costs', 'taking back control', 'before they rose up', and 'eliminate - forever'. I discussed that i'd help and you accepted. Those phrases and your agreeing to let me aid you, lend me to think you want to use any means possible to get this 'Eye' out of your way."

Parreyon followed along wondering where he was being led but not feeling twitches of fear ... just yet. "So my question to you would be, what exactly do you want done with this eye and what precisely is The Scorpions if you are not a rogue outfit?"

[Whisper]

Ziero laughed softly, the sound echoing off the sides of the narrow stone passage. The way continued ever downwards, though the steps grew to have more space between. "You are wise, Zhawrl. A good, thorough thinker, and you cover every possible angle. A sharp mind is a valuable asset in our field of work."

To elaborate on that last bit, and to answer Parreyon's last question, Tarek began to speak from behind the katta. "We are simply what Ziero said: a group of brothers, both literal and figurative, who join forces to help each other, and utilize our fellows' help in return. For example, I work as a locksmith. When my store was robbed, I asked The Scorpions to investigate. They found the robber and reported him anonymously to the authorities. A month later, when they needed my help entering a building, I was both obliged and honored to cooperate."

"The Eyes," Ziero said, picking up where his brother had left off, "operate in much the same way. But whereas The Scorpions avoid violence at all costs, The Eyes make their living and reputation on their use of torture and brutal attack." Disgust tainted Ziero's voice, and Tarek spat to reflect his similar feelings. "Their latest actions are unforgivable. They seek to hold the city in their hands, to have all its citizens at their mercy. They have taken one of our number hostage until we can provide him with an absurd amount of money. But as I said, The Scorpions do not deal in coin... we let our actions--our peaceful actions--speak for themselves. We have been at a loss for what to do, but... We cannot allow this to go on any longer."

[Parreyon Syndicus]

So this group claimed to performing good acts in order to aid the people of Arakmat, but also did not mind using darker means to meet their objective. It made the scorpions sound more like vigilantes more than a gang. This was one of those moral delimna situations that Parreyon was confronted with. The letter of the law made these men criminals no matter the intent. The law looked at the final result staying true to the wording of the law and remaining neutral to also remain unbaised. Morality always made people choose between right and wrong.

In the old brightenings when Parreyon was a prefect, he would have had no qualms taking this gang down for their actions. He held a neutral perspective of the law allowing him to remain unbaised as well. Recently, morality meant everything to Parreyon. The situation dictated the action and people made bad decisions from time to time when backed into a wall. Maybe this was because he had found compassion again when he was reunited with his race? It was easier to be neutral to a bunch of races that Parr did not always have something in common with. But it also had to do with everything being black or white, good or bad, when he was yoounger. Thanks to Kaimelea, he could see a lot of grey in everyone.

No matter his point of view on The Scorpions, the description given to him about The eye was far more black and white. Torture and brutality were methods Parreyon would not stand for. No matter what he would do with the Scorpions later, he was ready to act on The eye. Kidnapping was the perfect crime to lock someone away for a long long time.

"Let us first get to the details. Who has been kidnapped and what is their position in The Scorpions? Nobody kidnaps a midlevel person in any organization and expects an absurd amount of money to be handed over. Then I need a list of everyone you know of in The Eye along with none businesses, hang outs, and hide aways. Please don't hold anything back. your friend's life is at stake."

[Whisper]

Ziero sighed and spoke heavily. "It is... the lover of our leader, Oubeno. Her name is Clevette. Needless to say, this has made Oubeno full of rage and unable to concentrate. Oubeno cannot live without Clevette, and she was one of our best information gatherers as well.

"As for information... Both The Eyes and The Scorpions are very secretive. We do not give any information away, and if some slips out, we work very hard to make sure it remains a secret. The Eyes' members are known only by code name, and even many of those are unknown to us. But we have found some things out."

They had reached the end of the tunneling staircase. There was a double set of large doors, flanked by a guard on each side. Each bore a sheathed scimitar on his belt. One of them saw Parreyon and began to draw it, but Ziero raised his hand. "This is Zhawrl. He has offered to help us rescue Clevette." The guard eyed Parreyon suspiciously, but opened the door for them nonetheless.

The Scorpions' headquarters looked very much like a residence belonging to a closely tight-knit family. Smiling portraits graced the cool stone walls, and low tables and cushions scattered here and there provided places to eat, talk, and relax. The tile underfoot was of an intricate hand-painted design. Men and women milled here and there, one yawning, one bearing a tray of food, and another with a fresh set of bandages around his bruised head. They all did double takes when they saw Ziero with Parreyon. There was--truth be told--a fountain in this strange subterranean lair, not unlike the fountain of the bathhouse's large pool. Many hallways led off from the main entrance, and Ziero and Tarek led Parreyon down the second one to their right.

"Understand that your presence here would normally be greeted with a knife to your throat," Tarek said softly. "The usual recruitment method for new Scorpions takes cycles, even months. It takes a long time to earn the trust of an organization so deeply rooted and so old. But as long as you stay with the two of us and do not betray us, you will not be harmed."

More hallways in turn led down the one that Ziero had chosen. There were stairs going up, stairs going down, hallways curving around, and closed doors. Ziero unlocked one of the latter and led the group into a library of sorts. The shelves were filled with tomes, notebooks, scrolls, and even crates of parchment. The tables in the center of the room bore a variety of inks, quills, and sealing wax. Scorpions sat here and there, flipping pages and gnawing on quilltips and generally looking studious.

Ziero went up to one of the largest shelves and plucked a gigantic ledger from the center. "This," he said with a little smile, "is just a bit of the information we have collected over the eras about The Eyes. This particular book tracks their locations. It is updated after every mission, and has been kept current since we first learned of The Eyes.

"There are already many search parties out looking for Clevette, trying to find her. But the mission I have been wanting to lead involves looking for one of The Eyes, and making him lead us to their lair." His eyes gleamed. Though The Scorpions said they would not use violence to achieve their ends, something in Ziero seemed like he would be very persuasive anyway.

He sat down at a table and flipped open to one of the most recent pages. "Yes, that is what I thought." He pointed to the space in the ledger where the date by brightening listed where The Eyes had been seen, either individually or in number. "They have recently been seen at the candle shop in The Grand Bazaar and The Desert Rose Hookah Bar." He looked up at Parreyon and Tarek. "Where shall we start?"

[Parreyon Syndicus]

Parreyon took mental note of each movement that was taken as he followed. He put the locations and the paths to memory in case he ever needed to come here again. This group seemed more like a vigilante group than a gang that he was with, but it did not make it legal. Still, Parreyon respected those that protected their own more than cowards who refused to fight for family or country. There was a strange appeal to it that Parreyon would have liked had been a darker individual than he was. Then again, when it came to Justice, Parreyon was not necessarily a nice guy either. The letter of the law was neutral, it cared only about the boundries of the law and busting all who crossed those boundries.

He watched each face closely trying to gather details of this group and attempting to place them to memory. he knew it was be impossible to remember each person he saw, but it did not stop him from trying. Paying attention to detail had a habit of saving one's hind side when stuck between a rock and a hard place. Parreyon always observed and watched, listened and noticed all he could around him.

These two spoke of the group and its function and then got into the details of the abduction and assignment. The fact that it was the love of the grou