Summary:Fenris and Zee meet at the Night Markets where both are going to see The Finder Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
The Night Markets are busy tonight. Which might seem a little unusual given that the only way to get access is to know who to ask where they are. They move every night - rarely the same place twice. Tonight, the markets are in Chapra, India. Near the Hotel City Palace.
There's an air here. People on edge. People talking in whispers behind their hands. Most will know it's because of the disturbance in Patna. Though many simply won't know why.
Zatanna Zatara walks down one of the aisles where a small, knobbly headed fellow is selling … teapots of all things. The stall next to his is lined with crates that have all sorts of interesting things coming from them. The dark haired mage stops to admire the teapots, not touching of course. "Do one of these take your fancy, young miss?"
Dressed in jeans, hikers and a light weight jacket, Zee considers her answer before speaking. "They remind of my Dad, actually. A touch of nostalgia…"
Fenris needs a few things and Night Markets are good places to find them. In many cases they are the ONLY place to find them. Fortunately Fenris knows who to ask and where to listen to find out when the next one is being held. This one was close, so he came over to fill his shopping list.
When he steps around the corner… well. Teapots. That wasn't what he was looking for. "Hello Miss Zatara."
He wasn't looking for that either but… life gets interesting sometimes.
"You're Dad, huh? I can do you a sweet deal if you like …" The fellow cajoles "These are very special … This one, keeps your tea at the just right temperature and it will never over-steep." Zatanna shakes her head, thanking the stall holder and about to walk off when that aura falls over the area.
She's turning to face the god-wolf before he speaks, blue eyes twinkling. "Hello Fenris. It's Zee, remember? Are you hear to terrify some stall holders?"
Whilst Zatanna doesn't have the polished look of the performer about her, she has own air that she projects. Complete confidence, like nothing will phase her. Not even the aura of a Wolf made Man who might just start the apocalypse.
"I hadn't expected to see you here."
"I've already terrified a few, Zee. Fortunately I am not here to terrify anyone trading tea kettles." The Old Wolf says. He puts both hands in his pockets and looks over the lane before turning back to look at Zee. "I was in the area. Tending to a problem in Patna. You may have heard people talking about it."
Zee probably has though it might not have been that important to her.
"I wasn't exactly expecting to see you here either. What brings you by. You're a long way from home."
"You have, have you?" Zee smiles as the God Wolf uses her name. "I've heard something, yes. Is it something I need to worry about? If you're here, I'm going to assume it's serious." That's it though, she has enough to think on at the moment.
"I came to see the Finder, actually. My examination of the necklace and the seal has revealed very little, I'm afraid."
But something clearly.
"Would you care to walk with me? I believe her stall is down here and to the left a bit." Because the Night Markets aren't exactly well ordered.
"It is quite serious, it might be something you need to worry about if the present set of solutions does not resolve it. Hopefully it will though." Fenris takes a few more steps into the aisle and sort of ignores the way people flow around him. He's used to that. The aura goes everywhere with him and everyone does that.
"Yes, let's walk. I haven't spoken to the Finder in a little bit. I take it if you're talking to her then there were very few clues to be gained from the items in question?"
"I see…" Zee frowns as she falls in beside Fenris, smirking as the crowds part before them. Looping her arm through his, the mage looks up "Are you sure you're not Moses in disguise?"
As they walk, they can see the feathers of The Finders coat come into view. It's not far now.
"Very little, really. Though something. It's a little confusing …. let me show you." Using her phone, she pulls up an image of the necklace. "This sigil was magically hidden on it. I recognise parts of it but it's strange."
Indeed Fenris will recognise the parts that make up the sigil and that may well be confusing. "These are celtic circles but this part …" Zee zooms the image and Fenris can see they appear to Nordic, or perhaps Asgardian, in nature.
"I have not parted waters in some time. People. Fabric of reality. But not waters. That takes a lot of huffing and puffing." And calling in some favors for Fenris is magical but not in the same way that Zatanna is. Rather his is the magic of being something deeply rooted in natural cycles that have power all their own. His is the magic of a nature, soaked crimson in tooth and claw. Hence the, you know, people avoiding him.
The images have him frowning. "Those are Farukar. An ancient Asgardian system of writing related to the human writing system known as Elder Futhark. But I do not recognize the way they've been put together. It's near gibberish."
Zee nods as they move closer to the Finders stall. The woman is talking to a customer as they approach. "I thought it was Asgardian. Strangely, the Zatara archives are quite sparse in that information." She's smiling cheekily as she says that. "The other is a form of celtic runes. Ones that are very similar to a place called Otherworld."
Fenris might have heard of that.
"I just can't work out why they are melded together like that."
The Finder turns and smiles brightly at Fenris as he approaches. "Rark. Fenris, another visit from you, so soon? And with such a charming companion - she drives a hard bargain, you know that? What is I can be doing for you?"
"Meh. Fae." Fenris grumbles. "There are reasons to mix the symbol sets like that but I don't like basically any of them. Mixing styles of magical writing in that manner usually means you're doing something that isn't fully supported by either and rather than do research to find how to properly express it, you're just going to Frankenstein something together. It is nearly always as bad an idea as it sounds."
The Old wolf shakes himself and turns his attention to the Finder. "Hello Finder. Less companion and more fellow shopper though I am not surprised she drives a hard bargain. I am looking for someone's location. Junior."
Junior? As in… HIS Junior?
"Meh? Fenris, I thought you were this stately type gentleman. When did you start adopting the language of the age?" Zee teases and smiles at the Finder. "Hello Finder. I thought you liked a good bargain." She says.
"I do dearie and your last one was a good one." The Finder cackles and turns her eyes to Fenris with interest. "Junior, hmmmm. I'm sure my little birds are able to tell me that. But what is it worth to you, God Wolf?"
Zee looks interested when Fenris says Junior and cocks an eyebrow, "Junior, Fenris?"
The Finder looks at Zee "And you dearie, what is it you seek?"
Zee sighs and shows the Finder the image of the seal and the markings she's found. "I want to know who made these markings and the enchantment placed on them."
"Fenris-Ur. The Destroyer Wolf. My son." Because Fenris' name most definitely ISN'T Fenris-Ur. "What is it worth to you, Finder? That's what I am more interested in." He knows that she cannot accept an unfair bargain but that doesn't mean the price she comes up with is one that he's going to want to pay.
"Meh, Zee, is an excellent and succinct way to convey irritated indifference. I am if nothing else adaptable and humans are so ingenious in a dozen tiny ways."
"Is that so." Zee murmurs to Fenris. About his son or the word? Hard to tell.
"Hmmm. The location of one yours, Fenris. What would that be worth to me…" The Finder shifts so the feathers on her cloak seem to ruffle. "… And you, young Mistress? What are you willing to pay?"
"I give you the same answer as Fenris, Finder. What's it worth to you to provide that information?" Zatanna answers.
The Finder chuckles and looks between the two of them. "I've had some interesting requests for things of late. One which you might help me with, Fenris. There is a dwarven forged amulet, that was lost many centuries ago, find it and bring it to me. I will give you the information that you require."
"Dwarven Amulet…" Fenris had called some favors with the dwarves recently but he might be able to impose upon them for another amulet. Especially if he paid. Unfortunately for he the dwarves are incredibly wealthy and they're not likely to want payment in any kind of currency. There are far rare-er valuables. He'll have to think about what he can bring them.
"Very well I will see what about that I can do…"
Zee does ask good questions but sadly it's the good questions that often are expensive to answer.
The Finder clucks and nods her head. "When you get it, you know where to find me." She says to the Old Wolf, beady eyes turning on Zee now and she smiles.
"Well now dearie, it's not something you can do for my but something your Dad can." Beside Fenris, Zee tenses imperceptibly.
"You know my father is missing." She says quietly.
"Well yes, I do at that. But some years ago, he took an enchanted puppet and hid it away." Which means it's likely in the Zatara archives. Zee tenses again as the Finder lets the silence draws "Don't worry dearie, I won't be asking for that. Just a shaving of the wood it is made from."
Poor Fenris, standing there as the women talk. "Very well. Just a shaving from its head." With a murmur, arcane blue symbols form and an ugly looking marionette appears in her hand. Which holds to the Finder.
When the Finder has her shaving, Zee banishes the puppet and shivers.
"What you're looking for dearie, you won't find in this world. You'll need to find the Emrys to interpret this. I can tell you that he'll be found on Avalon."
Avalon. Does that even exist?
"Otherworld." It does exist. Sort of. Avalon - beyond once being town in France - has never been on Earth and whatever it's connection to the Arthurian mythos, it has never really been connected to humans en masse. The fae, and beings similar to them - make their home near and around there.
And Fenris finds the Fae tiresome in ways he cannot even begin to describe.
"You're going to need to make some bargains, Zee."
Zee nods to Fenris. Otherworld indeed. "Is that all, dearies?" The Finder asks "For a sample of your essence I have a jewel that will match the colour of your eyes."
Zee shakes her head and looks at Fenris. "Walk with me?"
She'll wait if Fenris wants to pick up something more. When they start walking again, she sighs deeply. "Otherworld. It's not my favourite place. And getting there isn't easy. The Finder, at least, takes fair bargains. The Fae … they just want a bargain."
That's skewed in their favour.
"You looked pensive about the dwarves, Fenris."
"No one really wants to look at my eyes that much." Fenris chuckles, tipping an imaginary hat to the Finder and then turns to head off. She knows him well enough, really.
"Not a usual request for people who don't regularly associate with me, but sure." He'll walk with her. "I've asked the dwarves for favors recently. If I want more from them and don't want to sour my relationship with them I'll need to pay them, and they don't exactly take American Express, if you know what I mean."
"I see …" Zatanna smiles a little at Fenris's quip regarding his eyes. "I hope you're not implying that I'm a usual person, Fenris." She's teasing. She does that a lot. "Or is it that you would rather not be seen with me."
Now she's really teasing.
"I do know though and I wondered if that might be the issue. Would it help if I called in a marker with the dwarves?"
"It might, though I do wonder why you would do such a thing. Surely you will have need of it yourself at some point, particularly if you are going to continue investigating this artifact… mess." And a mess it truly is.
The Old Wolf clasps his hands behind his back and gives Zatanna an amused look for her teasing. "This is really very much more a question of whether you'd rather be seen with me. I am after all quite the villain in some circle.s"
"Ah well. I'm not quite as discerning as my publicists make me out to be." Zee chuckles. "Or maybe I just have a thing for bad boys." The amused look makes her look rather pleased.
"Why? Well, maybe I would want something in return for it. Something that would help with this …. artifact mess."
Those blue eyes look guileless as she peers up at the God Wolf. "Maybe I'd like a travelling and bargaining companion when I go to Otherworld."
"Do you need someone to scare the faeries straight?" Fenris chuckles. "Alright. Call in your marker and I'll be your foo dog when I've got a spare moment from dealing with an outbreak of madness in Patna." The notion of Fenris as a Foo Dog is possibly somewhat amusing and the notion of the fae being scared straight by him is sadly quite notional. They will be careful. And they won't want to be eaten.
But NOTHING scares the fae straight. Not even under pain of death. Fenris has learned that annoying fact thoroughly.
"I think I told you that I don't believe in a level playing field. And I'm well aware that I'm only thirty five years old. What is that experience when stacked up against the Fae or yourself? Do you blame me for wanting to make sure that I get out of there with my soul?"
The Fae might not take her soul but they may bind her ways she can't see.
"Then it's agreed. I'll call in my marker with the dwarves and you'll help me with Otherworld and the Emyrs."
She looks up again. "When you've finished with whatever you're doing in Patna."
"Not much, in truth." And even Fenris' thousands of years doesn't stack up to the collected tens of thousands the Fae have between them. But he doesn't have to deal with them all at once and none of them are likely to be able to, well… eat him.
"Done and bargained. How shall I expect you to call? By phone? By owl? Or will you just try to teleport me away?" Because THAT could be interesitng.
"Fenris! I wouldn't dream of spiriting of away in such a fashion. Who knows what I'll interrupt you doing? You're in the book, right? Under Kerensky if I recall correctly. How about I call? Or you can call me when Patna is done …"
With a flourish, Zee produces a business card and hands it over "Just in case you lost my last one."
"I could send an owl, if you prefer. Though I do find those rather messy. You should have seen the verandah at Shadowcrest for a while - when some mages thought that was a novel idea."
"I am in the book yes. Ulric Kerensky. Don't google me, you'll wind up at Sarna.net." Fenris had discovered that by accident. He liked the name Ulric and he'd used the name 'Kerensky' several times in the past. Astryd had been highly amused and had taken the name Natasha when she found out what Fenris had accidentally done.
"If you send an owl I might eat it, if it arrives while I'm looking for a snack." The Wolf chuckles. "A novel idea or an idea from a novel?"
"Mmmm? Oh, I know." Those blue eyes sparkle as they make their way through the markets. "Even more hilarious when you realise he was the ilkhan of Clan Wolf." Zee is a nerd, clearly.
"An idea from a novel that wasn't so novel." Just up ahead is a stall selling strange coloured lemonade and Zee gestures.
"Come, God Wolf, let me buy you a drink. I'm sure you need to head back soon or are you picking up something for your Lady before you do?"
She has to be going soon as well. There's a show tonight.
"Are you old enough to drink? So hard to keep track with mortals." That's a bit of tease. Fenris knows that she is, mortals don't generally prevent adults from drinking.
"I've already picked her up a gift and had it sent off. I learned THAT lesson long ago, Zee. What's your spirit of choice? Goblin Wine? Egyptian Beer? Skooma?" Not Skooma, that's a joke. Since Zee is apparently so very nerdy.
"Well, aren't you a sweet talker?" Zee chuckles. "I like elderflower brandy, actually. With a touch of lime. Skooma is little … light … for my tastes." Moonlight, but there's that.
"Come on then. Just a drink before the two of us have to get back."
"Elderflower brandy. Sounds British. Well. Lead on Zatanna." They'll take their drinks, then she'll be off to perform and he'l lbe off to scare the living daylights out of a god.
To each their own way to pass an evening, really.