In Negav

The door to the bar was slashed in half. "Am I too late for the fight?" a strange voice called out from the darkness. The people who could still move turned towards the door.

The strange person calmly walked in and sheathed his sword. Being the awe-inspiring size of 5 foot 6, he was shorter than most of the people in the room. "Hey, barkeep, glass of water, no ice, touch of sugar if you would," he said, tossing a small bit of money onto the bar. "Damn, I guess I missed the fight yet again. Figures."

He sat down, looking at the stunned faces of the people now staring at him. "What? Is it something I said?"

"I see, so you were trying to play hero mister Holden?" The constabrle asked rhetroically has he helped the young man to his feet. "No matter, I have no reason to believe that you are lying, just take your belongings and leave." he ordered; stepping aside to allow Geeran to retrieve his fallen pistol, but watching him closely.

Hue turned to the now restrained gang members, the other six officers of his squad stand over them with skokats and shotguns at the ready, then back to the bar keeper, just as the stranger announced his arrival. "This establishment is closed under order of the Investigators, Internal Security Division, Public Security." he stated bluntly, keeping his attention on the increasingly nervous looking bar keep.

"Fuck, that's the third time in a row the bar's been closed right as I walked in," he complained, picking his money back up. "I can't catch a break. Hellooo, what's this?" he muttered to himself, picking up a card. "Some kind of info card? I may stop in here to "return" this," he thought as he put it into his pocket. As he turned to walk out, he drew his sword, slashed the bar in half, and spun it once before placing it on his right shoulder and waving goodbye.

The barkeeper sputtered in shock.

"That... this... this bar is mastercraft stonework! M-my grandfather built it" he cried. "What on... arrest him! That's destruction of private property right there! Please, sir!" he said, looking at Hue in desperation.

--

Samiel sat busy making up another card and letting himself heal up some more. He would probably go out again in a bit, once he figured out what he felt like. As a vampire, he needed much less sleep than a human - only a couple of hours a day, which he usually took around mid-day. Maybe work would actually find him...

"That is the least of your worries today." Hue snarled as he grabbed the bar keeper by the scruff of the neck, lifting him over the bar, then dropping him beside the cowering gang members. On landing two of Hue's men restarined him like the others; tying his hands behind his back with metal wire.

"Company Command this is Sargent Hue Loche, A-4-5-G-H-8. Reporting that Squad Six has raided a nest; thirteen susspects in custody, looking to apprehend another susspect on unrelated vandalism charges. Description; a shot male, around five foot six, red and black hair dressed in simple black clothing. He is armed with a large sword, considered to be dangerous." The sargent spoke into the intercom mounted in his bevor.

"Acknowledged, the NP* have been notified; a squad will arrive soon to remove the susspects. Apprehend the vandal if possible."

Hue looked towards the constble which had questioned Geeran before pointing towards the door. For that stranger to make an appreance when he did was too much of a coincidence for Hue's liking, the fact he seemed to be looking for trouble made Hue dislike him even more. The sargent unlocked his skokat; combing it with his kubus before walking towards the door; the constable readied his shotgun and followed after his squad leader.



*Negav Police

(Well, here's my bio. Hope y'all don't mind if I go ahead and make my post.)

Spoiler:

It was around this time that a well-dressed neko made his way out of the Lower Tier, walking at a relaxed pace with about three books under his arm as he quietly hummed to himself. He paused for a moment to look towards 'The Neko's Tail', noting that there had been some kind of racket there from the slashed door,the broken window, the yellow haze and what seemed to be soldiers inside the bar.

"Always some kind of trouble over there. Why anyone enjoys it is beyond me." he sighed as he shook his head in disdain, pulling one of the books out from under his arm and taking a moment to open it up before he resumed his walk, occasionally looking up from his book so he'd know where he was going.

Geeran stood up quickly when allowed, and immediately retreived his weapon, placing it back in it's holster beneath his duster. He then reached for the pouch of currency on his lower belt, but seeing the Merc slice the stone slab that served as the bar, and Hue immediately drag the frightened Barkeeper over the remnants, Geeran shrugged his shoulders, unclipped the pouch and said to the Sergeant "Here, I was planning on paying for the damage to the floorboards to the Barkeeper, but since he's going with your unit, you decide wether or not he needs and deserves the money... Good day gentlemen..." and handed Hue the small pouch of gold coins. One look into the pouch would reveal a small fortune worth of treasure from Felarya's depths, not Negavian currency... While Geeran was not a treasure hunter by any means, he did sometimes come across many marvels and much valuables on his travels, only ever taking what he needed, he was not considered greedy, especially my mercenary standards.

Geeran then made his way to the shredded exit, shaking his head from side to side at the other Merc's callous nature and exited the debris strewn bar for the open air.

"Perhaps it's time to head back home, that old coot will start worrying about me again... Plus, I have that small assignment in the Labyrinth tommorrow afternoon, I'd better rest up..." Geeran said, thinking f his adopted Grandfather, and turned to head towards the lower tier, His grandfather was a wealthy and almost ridiculosly powerful sorcerer named Malaci, who did not ally himself with the Magiocrats, indeed, the old man preffered the quiet solitude of his own home at the edge of Negav to the bustle of the core and the beurocracy that came with it... The old man detested the self serving scheming politics, preffering to simply do his own research in peace, he didn't interfere with the politics, and the Magiocrats seemed happy enough to leave him alone. The only time the old man was even mentioned publically is if something that truly threatened Negav was coming. And it was during these times of need that the old man even considered helping them... it was a good arrangement.

With those thoughts, Geeran entered the gloomy alleys and depths of the lower tiers, heading toward the shadowed precipece of Negav's walled exterior.

Though Horamus was only walking the border of the Lower Tier, traveling anywhere in Negav was always a gamble. From the shadows stepped a very large neko, with features like some sort of monstrous panther. He stood in Horamus's path and allowed him to walk into him.

"Where you going, little kitty?" he growled, drawing forth a large knife. "What you got to pay? I need your money."

--

Samiel was now back on the streets. His advanced metabolism had already rendered the alcohol in his system ineffective and he was starting to feel the pangs of his other addiction, the one he drank copiously to cover. More so he was now bored. He decided to walk towards the Middle Tier - maybe head to the Red Street. Stuff was expensive there but you could often pay in favours, which he was owed a lot of.

However, as he walked, he then noticed what looked to be a mugging in process. His eyes lit up. Criminals made such good opportunities.

In a flash, he suddenly pounced on the assaulting neko, knocking him over with such force he was knocked out on the pavement. Samiel grinned as he saw the pool of blood flowing from the wound. He took a small dropper and started to harvest it.

He then remembered the witness. He looked up from where he was kneeling.

"Evening." he said. Then, in a low voice. "No need to report this, right? Though, if you do, I just saved you. No need for details, right?"

He found that taking blood from criminals usually meant that any witnesses were far likely to report such things. After a particularly enthusiastic priest of Oth had taken his complaints about the rising vampire population to the Council, it was now illegal "to take the blood of citizens of Negav". As well, any donation of blood for vampires had to be done through official channels, so it was taxed - heavily. And importing it was just as expensive. So to save his finances he took "bonuses" whenever he could. But people rarely reported the offense if the victim had just tried to rob them. He just considered it karma at work.

Horamus paused from his place in the book and his walk as the huge neko walked out in front of him and pulled the knife out. He furrowed his brow and ran his fingers through his hair, obviously no stranger to these types of encounters. "A-Alright, just give me a moment to see what I've got." the neko muttered as he put his books down, about to reach into his vest pocket when Samiel viciously attacked his would-be assailant, he letting out a yelp at his sudden appearance.

When the vampire turned in his direction and addressed him, he froze up for a moment, taking a few seconds before breaking out of his stupor with, "...O-oh, right, of course! I've never been one for that sort of rubbish anyway. Auditing the behavior of others with foolish laws never gets anything done, in my opinion."

"But anyway, I'll just go on my way, and leave you to, erm....well, whatever it is your doing. Farewell." He concluded courteously, giving him a small nod as he picked up his books, putting them back underneath his arms, resuming his walk and pulling out the book he had been reading before, flipping through the pages as he mumbled to himself, "Now, where was I...?"

Samiel's was curious. He walked backwards while Horamus went forwards.

"You know, if you took your nose out of that book you could maybe deal with stuff better yourself." he opined.

"What are you reading anyways?" he said, looking at the cover. "That looks sort of familiar to me... Ah, that's a rare one there. Still, I think the first edition was a better translation. But that one's ever rarer. I only know one guy who would sell that."

"I doubt he'll need it; not where he's going." Hue replied to Geeran as he took the pouch of money, he waited untill the young man had left the bar before stuffing the money into his own pocket. With that the two officers walked out the bar; leaving the other members of the squad to gaurd the susspects untill the Negav police arrived to pick them up. Outside there was no obvious sign of the vandal.

"Looks like the bastard disappeared, we'll wait untill the NP relieve us of that cindicate scum before going after him at full strengh." Hue announced to his subordinate; who didn't seem to be paying much attention.

"Sir, looks like that vampire from before is causing trouble again."

Both officers looked towards the scene where the large neko was lying in the ground, the vampire and another Neko seemingly walking away as if nothing happened.

"OI YOU TWO!" Hue yelled as he and his subordinate started to sprint towards the pair. "What's going on here now?" he called out, obviously not happy with the situation.

Geeran heard the authorative shouting over the usual hstle and bustle of the streets and turned his head, seeing Sergeant Hue walking somewhat briskly towards what appeared to be an altercation bitween a pair of nekos and...

... It was the Vampire from the Neko's Tail Bar...

"Oh for Guardians sake... One would think a Vampire of any reasonable age would not show his face in public until the heat had died down at the very least after that stupid move at the bar..." Geeran said a little loudly in open irritation. He was quite understandably mad at the Vampire for running instead of being honest.

Scratching the back of his head, Geeran waited and watched what would happen, even though he was not employed as a lawbringer within the city, and by no means a friend of the Magiocrats thanks to his relation to Malaci, he did have a healthy dose of respect for the peacekeepers and police themselves, and made himself available to aide them when needed, especially since there where so very few Predator Hunters these days who lived more than a year in the profession, nevermind those that acted like true mercs and where for the most part bastards that valued money over doing the right thing. Geeran didn't bother with money so much. It just drew unwanted attention to his work and the value of his machines as war weapons, rather than getting the job done.

He watched, and aited to see if he was needed.

"Eh, I suppose." the neko replied with an indifferent shrug, taking his nose out of the book as the vampire walked beside him. "Yes, these kinds of books aren't very cheap, I know. It's amazing what you can find at that library in the Middle Tier. I imagine that first edition that your friend sells is quite expensive. Makes me wish I could afford something like-" The neko stopped when he heard one of the soldiers yell at them, sighing in aggravation as he asked what exactly was going on as he closed the book, making sure to note the page he was on before he did.

"Well, if you're keen on knowing, I was making my way home from my stand in the lower tier when a criminal...that corpse you see back there...walked out and attempted to rob me. I was about to comply, of course, since I have no keen interest in going to Heaven at this time when this fine gentleman here saved me. And since I was feeling rather grateful, I decided to leave him to his whims since I believe that running my mouth off about it would be the equivalent of immature and childish tattletelling, and while I was walking, he indulged me in conversation about the book I was reading, I was making conversation with him, and that's when you came out demanding to know what was happening." Horamus explained in a mouthful, taking a deep breath after he was done and pulling out a stopwatch in his pocket, looking at it for a brief moment before putting it back and looking at the soldier as he concluded with, "That's my side of the story, in any case. No more, no less."

Samiel nodded, grateful for Horamus's answer. He'd have to pay the neko back.

"That's right, sir. Didn't intend to do this much damage but it was a touchy situation from the looks of it. Sorry for being around so much tonight... but the night is sort of when I get most of my work done."

He sort of wished that everyone would keep the whole "vampire" thing a bit more on the down low. Not everyone in Negav was exactly understanding about that sort of thing.

Nagi walked through the underground passages, people giving him a wide berth. It was a natural responce, his lousy mood bringing his violent aura back to full strength. He seemed to be looking for something and, after a few minutes, found it. He climbed back out of the passages and looked up at the sign in front of him. It read "Shooting Starbolt Bar and Inn" but he wispered the name "Falling Night".

"Hey, CV! I'm back!" he yelled to the barkeeper.
"Back so soon? Couldn't find any fights, huh?" came the responce.
"No, but I did slash a bar in half. Might not have been my best move, given the NP broke up fight," he told his friend.
"Uhh, that was a terrible move. Now the police will be after you. If they come after you, just run," the barkeeper advised.
"Alright. Although I'd rather stand and fight, I don't want the whole damn guard force against me again," he stated.
"Again!?"
"It was a lobg time ago. Way before your time," Nagi told him. "By the way, where is this?" he asked CV, holding up the card.

Nagi walked out of the bar with a small bag and a flask of sugared juice. His aura was back under control, down to the level of mild unease in anyone around him. He walked back towards the bar he made such a discreate appearence in. As he came in sight of the bar, and tne underground passage CV told him about, he noticed the police were still there. "Damn" was all he had time to say before they noticed him and he kicked the enterance cover to the underground into the air and jumped in. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he ran off following CV's instrutions at almost twice normal human speed.

"Hey." noted Samiel, pointing. "That guy seems a whole lot more suspicious than either of us. Plus, aren't regular civilians supposed to use the stairs down? I'm sure there's some law about "obstructing official maintenance entrances".

Samiel made it a hobby of learning as much of the myriad bureaucratic laws in Negav.

"As well, just to point out, while it may have looked suspicious what I was just doing with that body, in lieu of the recent laws designed for taxing corpse disposal, this ex-neko technically became, upon expiration, no longer a "citizen of Negav"... even if he was in the first place. So until a relative pays for proper care of the body, I can't be held accountable for any... erm... private donations I take."

He hoped that would work. At worst these nosy ISD folk would rope him into another manhunt or other such "favour" or "community service".

"Ack, I gotta get outta here!" he said to himself, running fast enough he had to play dodgeball with the people as the balls. "Let's see...CV said to turn here, I think," he muttered to himself, now moving at a more human speed. He turned the corner and stopped in front of a building with the same adress as the card he held. However, no one was home, so he "let himself in". Unlike last time, he picked the lock, walked in, locked the door, and waited for someone to come home.

"Sir!" Came the call from one of Hue's men still guarding the bar; pointing to where the wanted vandal made his run into the underground passage ways.

"Leave him, wait for the NP slow pokes to get here." Hue replied as he looked venomously towards the vampire.

"This is A-4-5-G-H-8, reporting that the forteenth suspect has been shighted making his way into the underground passages. Cannot persue still waiting on those reinforcements." Hue talked into his intercom. He knew splitting his unit would be bad move when persuing someone as unstable and violent has that vandal in those passages. However what was most irritating was the fact the Negav Police still hadn't shown up or even radioed in.

"Back in my day..." he muttered to himself, remembering the brutal efficency of the old MSD.

Hue then sanpped back and focused his attention on the pair infront of him.

"Listen Sameil, or if that is your real name, there is only so much the ISD will let you get away with, and committing murder corsses the line. He may not have been a 'citizen of Negav' when you took your little sample but that is besides the point when he died at your hand..." Hue's tone was rather calm and formal as he lectured the vampire, only to be interuptted by his subordinate.

"Sargent, this neko isn't dead; he still has a faint pulse, also look at this." The officer pointed to stylized scar on the neko's shoulder.

"You're in luck Vampire, you aren't a murderer nor he isn't even a citzen of Negav, see that scar? Show's he's a slaver from Nekomura. What I'm about to do may seem very hypocritical but the law is the law." Hue announced as he flung his arm towards the bar.

In responce the Hue's subordinate dragged the neko's body into the bar; the officers inside turn a blind eye as the prisoners look on with both shock and unease. The constable kicked in the door of a back room before pulling the neko inside; cradling his shotgun in his free arm; the officer casually closed the door.

A single gunshot could be heard outside the Neko's tail, Hue then turned his attention back to the pair.

"I believe your business here is done and advise you to both leave now."

Samiel shrugged. Strange people, these ISD. "Well, officer, I do have a witness this was an attempted robbery or act of violence. If I hadn't acted this fine neko here could have been killed instead."

This is what being a private detective meant - both the police and the underworld hated your guts. He didn't need their love. Only their fear and respect. That made the job easier. The regular NP would shit themselves at the thought of having to actually deal with him and he pretty much walked over them as he pleased. The ISD were a much tougher bunch.

He walked off beside Horamus.

"Say, thanks for the support, for all it did." he said, keeping pace as the neko walked away. "My outdated sense of honour chips away at my cynicism sometimes. I'd like to make it up to you."

He gestured to the covered stairs descending near to them. "If you come back to my place I'll let you take your pick from some of those rare books I mentioned. Free of charge."

While Geeran began to seethe in contempt of the unprofessional loose canon that Nagi was he also overheard Sergeant Hue talking with the Vampire and the remaining neko.

Geeran had to do a double take on what he had just overheard.

Slavers? From Nekomura? "Oh shit... Thats outside of Negav's juristiction, and outside of trade sanctions, the Big Wigs had no real power to confront Nekomura's elders, short of starting a full blown war with them..." Geeran said.

Geeran walked up to Hue once more and tapped the soldier on the pauldron of his armour. "You know, you could have wrangled some information out of that lunatic before you killed him Sergeant... If this gets back to Psi'sol HQ, They are going to want some answers, and since you guys don't ever leave the city, guess who gets to go to Nekomura?" Geeran deadpanned.

"Wait, last time I did this, I got in a lot of trouble. I'll just leave it here with a note," Nagi thought, placing the card with a note under that read, "You left this at a bar. You're welcome." He walked back out, locking the door as he went. He sat down outside the door and took a quick drink from CV's flask. "I hope whoever left that card doesn't need it right now. I'll come back in a few minutes," Nagi thought, standing up and walking towards the lower market.

As the soldier made his rant to the vampire about he broke the law, Horamus became more and more irritated at his attitude, his brow furrowing as the pupils in his eyes became narrow and his tail swished angrily. Once the soldier told them to leave, the neko was more than happy to part ways, letting out a disgruntled 'Hmph', walking away as he put the book he was reading back under his arm, too enraged at the soldier's self-righteous attitude to read.

His mood lightened when the vampire had approached him however, and was genuinely surprised at the vampire's offer. "Really?! I...I don't know what to say. I feel that I owe you more than you owe me since you saved my life and all, but...hm...maybe I could even the scales a bit." the neko said, starting to descend down the stairs with the vampire, making sure he was out of the soldiers' hearing range before he asked sheepishly, "Since you missed a chance to get something to drink back there, would you mind giving you a...um...private blood donation?"

Samiel started, then laughed.

"Oh, no no, that's fine, I got enough. On this world the vampire's need for blood is not as severe... though its still there. But you can mask the craving with other stuff."

The corridors of this upper level of the underground were fairly clean, light coloured stone embedded with magical lighting. Though the further downwards one traveled the passages became less and less well maintained.

"Plus... I have my own policy on not taking blood from friends..." he said. "I'm not a lender or a borrower. I take."

Soon they had gone down a few levels and traveled a distance. The stonework here was darker, not all the lights functioning quite properly. he made his way past the "reception" to his "apartment block" - behind two doors, a small desk where the clerk slept soundlessly, feet propped up on the counter.

He made his way down one corridor, until coming to his room. He took out his keys to unlock it, then paused. He sniffed the air slightly.

Suddenly, in one fluid motion he threw the door open and drew a gun from his jacket, pointing it inside. The light was on, though he had turned it off when he left. And the stench of an intruder was heavy in the air.

The apartment itself was small, but neat. The floor was dark wood, the walls white plaster, the roof uneven rock, with some light fixtures hammered in. The main living-room/kitchen was fairly clean. Besides that two doors at the rear led to a bathroom and bedroom. That was it. He had considered digging out some more room, but tunneling without a permit was strictly illegal in Negav, in an attempt to make better use of Underground space. The furnishings were fairly sparse. A few framed photographs and paintings hung on the walls. Most noticeably he had, one night, in a combination of depression, artistic inkling and extreme inebriation, drawn a window onto the wall. Later, he had painted it to look real, even drawing in curtains, and put a scene of a moonlit forest in it.

He sniffed the air some more and sighed. No wonder it was familiar. He had picked up the scent of the vandal when he passed by where he had gone, while heading underground. He picked up the card. Nothing seemed to be missing. But he found it highly unlikely anyone would break into his apartment to return a piece of paper.

He struggled with himself for a few moments before pulling out his phone. (It resembled an Earth Cell Phone, but appeared to be made out of brass and mahogany, and glowed from its magic power source.)

He, against better judgement, phoned Hue. He had the man's number after a few... dealings.

"Hey, ISD man. This is Samiel. I just got home and that vandal appears to have broken into my place. Can't see signs of a robbery but I smell him all over my stuff. Guess he's just deranged. Anyways, is this one you can handle yourself? If not I'll bring him in for the regular fee."

Hue turned to face Geeran, half hoping he had left the area by now.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much lad, the slavers know they are running the risk of summary execution if they are found opperating in Negav.The slave gangs are illegal in both Negav and Nekomura, although I doubt those in Nekomura would clamp down on them, they do know it is a different story here." he explained before sighing.

"As far as I'm concerned it is the duty of the Negav Police to stop the slavers, but as you can see they aren't the most punctual are they?" he continued showing his displeasure at what the old MSD had become. He then turned away from Geeran and walked back into the Neko's Tail, his hunched gait a further indication of his foul mood. Upon entering the damaged bar a loud beep from his intercom drew from him yet another sigh.

"A-4-5-G-H-8"

"Sargent we have a forwarded message for you, unregistared source."

"Alright patch it through."

"Static... Hey, ISD man. This is Samiel. I just got home and that vandal appears to have broken into my place. Can't see signs of a robbery but I smell him all over my stuff. Guess he's just deranged. Anyways, is this one you can handle yourself? If not I'll bring him in for the regular fee...Static."

Hue instantly recognised the voice of that of the vampire from earlier, realising he must be refering to the same vandal who he wanted to question concerning his actions earlier.

"A-4-5-G-H-8, send him this reply; If you want the police involved call the Negav Police or your local milita, if you want to do this yourself we won't stop you but we won't pay you either."

Hue then looked up at his men who were still standing around the bound gang members, his eyes narrowed beneath his strong brow.

"Once the NP get here we're going back to the Block* to re-arm and then we're going hunting..."

*Investigator's Building:

Geeran merely shruggs his shoulders and finally dissapears into the lower tier, heading for the Obsidian Tower.

It was a tiring day, he had spent most of the week out in the field clearing the forests out bitween the Ascarlin Mines and Negav Again. The creatures seemed to return within hours of him finishing the last cleanup, and most of them where undisputably Predators who had no remorse about killing innocent people, forcing his hand, and ending their lives... Really it was no different than Hue's job in that reguard, but unlike Hue, Geeran had trouble accepting the emotional repricussions it was taking on him... He hated doing it, he didn't want to spill blood... But if he didn't do it, it would be the blood of innocnts being spilled, or swallowed rather, but the end result was the same, people died that didn't have to.

Geeran had arrived sooner than he thought at the Obsidian Tower, his home, Malaci's home... It was not the tallest nor the biggest building in the city, but where it was situated meant it stuck out like a blackened dagger from the surrounding buildings of the lower tier. It was not a store, and people where warned to stay away from the building by various signs painted and written in many different languages to keep away. And unlike the surrounding slums, people did generally steer clear of the place, for fear of the consequences...

All sorts of rumors surrounded the black tower and it's mysterious occupant, ranging from "If you are caught trespassing even on the lawn, Malaci will turn you into a goldfish and drop you in the Topazial Sea just to see how long you last!" to the infamous "he'd feed you to Vivian or the Faries in trade for a new book or artifact!"

In truth, Malaci has never actually done any of these, he's perfectly happy doing his magical research and distilling the perfect brandy in his labs and cellars, but he does get more than a little cross with those that disturb his research, and he vocally makes that point well known.

The gingle of the belled doorstopper signalled Geeran's arrival home after a week away and he was immediately ear barreled with Malaci's infamous "WE DON'T WANT ANY! GO AWAY!"

"Kinda hard to go anywhere since I live here, old man" Geeran retorted with a smirk.

Malaci's head popped around the corner with wide eyes concealed behind his slender squared glasses and the near mountain of hair that framed his face and merged with the enormous beard that he never shaved.

"Geeran? My word your back my boy!" The ancient old man said with a hearty laugh and walked around to embrace his adopted grandson around the sholders with his smoke chocked robes on that had more burns and chemical stains on it than he cared to admit.

"It's good to see you again too grampa..." Geeran said, not minding Malaci's dissheveled apperance, and well used to the old man's experiments.