Fear of Midnight Mountain

Nickoi walk through the town squire to head to the royal palace. He is here to offered the help of his kingdom. The are allies with some trust issues. His blue grey eyes looks around from under a black hood. He dislike being in the sun but he is dealing with it by biting his lower lip in pain. He tries to stay in the shadows of the buildings. He know it not a good idea, but he cannot stay fully in the sun.

He can see the poor around him. He with that everyone would have money and a place to stay. But it is a hard thing to fix. He hope to see it go away. It seems to him that he is taller then most beings in this place.

'Those rotten filthy kidnappers...!'

It was the only thing on Jo-Jo's mind; getting those eggs back.

She walked/crawled/climbed through an extremely long pitch black tunnel; the only light coming from the natural glow of her eyes and teeth. 'How bold of them! Let's just dig tunnels and snatch the eggs while everybody's sleeping! What crazy morons!'

When she finally reached the end and dug out what she saw made her gasp.

A huge mountain, on an island high up on huge spires of land. At the top a courtyard and castle; that huge island was surrounded by smaller ones, each on the high pillars and all connected by bridges and buildings. Strange hot pink acidic looking rivers snaked around the area. She peeked over the edge; they were so far up you couldn't see land. Just the purple for one always see's at a distance. The eternal night sky graced the land with an eerie glow.  

Everything their looked very pretty and rich, but the wealth must be gone now. Everything was in disrepair.  The only person she saw was at a distance; huddled in a corner in rags and looked starving.

Though most strikingly was something she could not feel; magic. Had this world lost it's magic?

That must explain the poverty, and why the babies were stolen; if tales were true the dragons were banished from here by the Sorceress queen. The magic that came with the dragons left, and she was probably feeling the pinch.

But that was enough contemplating. It was time to start searching for the eggs.

"Thank you." Kasumi said politely handing the man a coin and departing with her bread. She is fairly certain she overpaid for the two rolls, but she was starving and his smelled the freshest. Kasumi had learned long ago how to recognize good food from day (or several days) old. What she hadn't learned was how to barter. She found haggling annoying. She preferred to buy and then stand talking with the seller, if he'd let her. She had marked each vendor so she knew who not to ever buy from and which ones were the good one; she tried to not buy from the same person more than five-or-six times a month, lest they figure out she wasn't a haggler and try to rip her off. The bread man was a good person, an honest man.
"So. How's your family." she said nibbling at her purchase, chewing each piece at least ten times to make it last longer.
"Fine. Fine." the man said watching the throng of people go by. He didn't mind talking to the girl. She was always friendly, polite and had keen eyesight for thieves. He'd watch, talk and wait for her to tap on his cart and he'd know someone was either stealing or planning to steal something. She never asked for anything in return, though he figured conversation was the reward she was after.
"'kay." Kasumi responded thinking about what to say. "How long til she has child?"
"About another month or so."
"What do you want?"
"A boy."
"I see." Kasumi answered not hiding her disappointment.'Everyone wants boys!' she thought. She couldn't understand why they wanted boys. Boys are dirty, pushy and moody, while girls are fun, clean and smart.
The man could sense that she was disappointed with his answer. But it's what it is. A boy carried on the family name, they were stronger, so they were more able to help do physical things.

Kasumi's attention shifted. She saw something, rather someone, she had never seen before and she was curious. "Gotta go." she said moving quickly away placing the rest of her bread in a pouch for later.
She lost sight of the person quickly in the darkened alleyways and walled sections of the city. "Where'd he... or she.. of it go?" she wondered. She wanted to see.

Nickoi sigh softly in the darkness and wishes that the sun would go down. So he can walk around without pain. He heard a light crunch of a young woman's feet. He hid in the shadows. The person who followed him look around to see nothing. He smiles softly in the darkness.

"Who are you, child?" He ask the young woman while coming out of the darkness

He like to keep people on their toes, because it was fun.

Kasumi stopped and clung deeper into the dark. She waited a few seconds to make sure that the voice was talking to her and not someone else she hadn't seen.
"Nothing, really." Kasumi said satisfied the whoever it is was probably speaking to her. "I was just... uh... you know..." Kasumi hesitated for a second trying to decide what to say. 'How does one say I was following you?' or 'I wanted to see what you were doing?' or anything else that doesn't get you beaten if you're lucky, killed if you're not.
"I was just... nothing! Nothing at all. I was just going this way." Kasumi could feel the beat of her heart, her mouth drying as she finally came up with something to say. It wasn't a good answer, but it was an answer. She checked the area and spotted a route of escape just in case he came at her. She spotted two watchmen far enough away that they weren't looking, but close enough they could hear her scream. Kasumi could probably get away, and even if she couldn't, her screams would bring some help.

Jo-Jo was lucky; some old thieves were still around even after the dragons left. Still as friendly as her clan back at home, but the magic loss was even hurting them as none had the visible bright teeth of health. Just the eerie almost angry looking eyes.

She didn't mention her plan to them yet, but was interested in the Sorceress. They directed her to some old hidden trails around town; thieves were hated on sight. No body took the time to realize the black robes meant they had stopped.

Still without much of a plan she was merely considering scouting the place, find some weak points, most likely make off with a few eggs safely...

She turned a corner, "...was just going this way."

Oh dear; they're were two people back here. Jo-Jo had no idea what to say or do and just froze. From the girls nervous glances she realized that maybe she was in trouble and her one good escape route might have be accidently blocked by the thief. And the man was a GIANT floating spooky person, one which outrunning would be Jo-Jo's only defense.

This was probably a very bad thing given the towns universal hatred of thieves...

"That is what I thought child. I am not here to harm anyone." Nickoi said with a half smile. He heard another woman behind him coming from the far side of the alley. From the way she moves this new woman was a thieve. He has a feeling that these woman are good people. He needs help with his quest. These people seems that his best bet to pull it off.

"I may need a little help with a job. I will pay both of you very we'll once it is done." the vampire said with a light smile one his face.

He came out of the darkness and drop his hood. His dark hair shimmer in the pale light. His blue grey eyes sees through the dark like it was full daylight.

Kasumi spotted some movement in the area. It was now too late to run, she was trapped by the man and possibly his lackey.
The offer of a job caught her attention. She could always use money and right now she was getting painfully low on funds. His offer also left her with the feeling that the new person didn't work for him, so it wasn't a completely dire situation - yet.
As he steps from the darkness, Kasumi watches making certain to get a good look at him without letting him venture too close. He looks kind of odd. He's kind of pale looking. But that's not a surprise, lots of people try to stay out of the sun. People with deep tans, like she has are considered laborers and looked down upon. Kasumi has never cared what others thought. But she understands the feeling people have, especially the artisans - it raises their value in business.

"What's the job?" she asks.

"Both?" Jo-Jo questioned, she wasn't even a part of this conversation but...

The other thieves here need it. She had given just a bit of pocket change to them and they were ecstatic. How poor was this place?

Walking up she revealed her hands; small three fingered claws. She would keep them out to show she hadn't taken anything or planning on taking any.

"The name's Jo-Jo. Retired Thief." she glanced at the two unsure if they understood, "Female." The species of magical creatures known as thieves did not look any different between genders, and her voice was adolescent and was regularly confused as a boy.

"I came to this realm for another mission but the other thieves could use the money. Although I'm happy to work for information as well..."

She revealed her teeth in a trademark thief style; it might be the first time any of these people would have ever seen it.

"Wonderful. My name is Prince Nickoi of the vampire kingdom. I am on a mission to save the eggs." He said with a small bow.

He can tell that the former thief was a female by her scent alone. He hopes that telling them will not hurt his mission. But he needs people who know their way around this place. He hates going into anything blind.

Jo-Jo suddenly hopped up and covered his mouth, harshly whispering she said, "Are you CRAZY?! Keep it down! If the Sorceress finds out what were up to....!"

She turned her head to the other gal. Now this must have looked weird, a tiny thief trying to silence a giant vampire well over double her height, dangling miserably from his neck.

"...Look. You don't have to pay me for this. That's what I'm here for to. I'm from the dragon realms. You girl; you can have my pay. I'll get those thieves some help from my clan later."

A quick glance around, "But we can't just talk about it in front of her castle. You'll help us right? There's a bit of pay, a whole bunch of babies need rescuing...I might even break my code and help get you somethin' real nice. How about it huh?"

This time she offered a pathetic uncertain toothy smile; it's hard to act dignified when your well over four feet off the ground...

Kasumi would have run, but it isn't an opportunity any more. She is cut-off and running from these two could prove fatal. The vampire person may or may not be trustworthy, the boy seems a bit overzealous. The money sounds tempting, but fear is a greater motivator at this point - well... fear and curiosity.

"Okay. I guess I can help. Not sure how much help I can be." Kasumi said with as much confidence as she could muster.
"Dragons, eggs, babies... wow!" she thought silently. "Can't say it'll be boring or typical." she mused. She was afraid today might be boring and typical, that has just ended

He gently remove Jo-Jo from his neck. Nickoi thinks that she is too cute by the way she acts. He turn to the other woman. "I know." he said while rubbing the back of his head. This act make him seems a little harmless.

"I need all the help I can get." the vampire prince said with a slight but warm smile.

Jo-Jo was relieved to have her nonexistent feet back on the ground, "Thank you..."

She turned to face them, "So we have a mission; but we need a base, you know somewhere we can speak freely at."

She paused, "Your both locals around these parts. Know any portals that go any where safe?" She eyed a nearby broken one, "And... ya' know, are working?"

Kasumi surveys the area. "Nothing." she sighs looking around. She thinks briefly while she looks around. The area has people, builds, some empty, but no other portals that she can find.
"What am I doing?" she wonders. "I wouldn't know a portal if I saw one."
Kasumi pauses on that thought. "Well okay. I know one. The broken one."

"Nothing" she finally speaks. "I don't see a portal anywhere."

"It seems that most of the portals are going down. I have a room that I am renting. I hope it would work for now." Nickoi said calmly.

He put the robe back over his head and move away the palace. He sigh softly as he move back into the overcast sky. He didn't look back to see the two ladies is following him.

He leads them to the other side of the city, into a basement of low end inn. He close his eyes to the coolness of the darkness. But also lit a few candles for his guests.

"I know it is not much. It was the only place I can find that had no windows." the prince said.

"Better then the majority of Thieves' Dens; those are usually flooded in parts."

Jo-Jo adjusted her robes and quickly spoke, "Alright then; first thing I wanna know is why you are interested in the dragon eggs Nickoi." She eyed his suspiciously, "Not that I'm against help from weird strangers, Vampires or otherwise, but it is kinda fishy..."

But her smile returned when she faced the girl, "Oh, and we forgot to get your name. I apologize for my rudeness. Ether of you feel free to ask questions."

Kasumi follows uncertain what to do. Her uncertainty grows as they move from one area of the town to the next, each less desirable than the region before. The pungent aromas of the sick, alcohol, places that the homeless hang out are over powering. A few times she holds her breath hoping it's soon they get where their going.
She watches one man who eyes her closely. He has ideas, of that she's certain and she thinks she knows what those ideas are. His sickly, perverted smile is nothing she wants anything to do with.
She sidesteps a sleeping drunk, watches cautiously as the pass a watchful dog and dodges the water tossed from a window above. If nothing else, she is getting a lot of exercise on this short 'walk'.
Down the stairs into a basement room they're lead by the man, the other being between him and her. The stairwell is poorly lit. Kasumi places her hand against the wall briefly to guide her, but something icky and slimy forces her hand off.
"Ewww..." she whispers trying to find something to wipe it off with. She finally settles on a cleaner area of wall near the door.
Kasumi says nothing as the other girl confronts him for information. When she turns and asks for names Kasumi silently waits deciding whether she should go first. Then she remembers the girl called him Nickol. "That was for me." she thinks.
"I'm... uh... I'm Kasumi." she stutters

"I know it sounds fishy, but I am doing it for the peace of our kingdoms." Nickoi said calmly.

He hands Kasumi a clean towel to wipe her hands. "Here. It is nice to meet you." he said to the girl.

The vampire lead them into the room. He wave over some chairs so they can sit down. The the chairs are clean since the last time he checked.

"Thank you." Kasumi says taking the towel. She is still a bit uncertain about traveling with a vampire. But for now, she'll make the best of it.
She takes a seat close to the door just in case the man makes a move.
The other with them seems more certain about him than she is. Her concern appears to be the logistics and planning.

"Indeed...Kasumi..." Jo-Jo twitched. "Sorry; I'm used to working alone, this whole being in a group thing is new to me. Before we can continue please tell me a little about yourselves."

Her eyes darted back and forth, "My original plan was to sneak into the castle, do some recon, teleport back any easy to grab eggs, then bail and go grab Spyro...I'll tell you no more until you guys give me a reason to trust you."

She glared at the vampire, "And if this is some kind of set up know that I don't have blood for you to drink and I can out run ether of you any day of the week."

"I know, sweetheart. One of my plans was to woo her and take the eggs. Then take them back to the dragons." Nickoi said calmly.

He sits down in the last chair. He run his hands through his darks hair like most of his plans are bad.

"I need help. I don't know if I can do this alone." he said with sigh.