Olde Witch City; Nekhir Maledictus

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Along the way to the central portion of the Olde Witch City -- the Witch Province -- the Escort Witch that Guided the Party along would begin to speak about where they were going and how things worked. As she did, lights began to flicker on the closer that she got and the more she spoke, both inside of houses and in the air all around them, like sparkling glitter and light bulbs or candlelight. The other Witches began to spread out and whisper both loudly and softly into the streets, corners and windows of the city as things seemed to come to life.

A keyhole void bled through the atmosphere of the reality that this area was in and a portal formed within it that released a powerful entity from the center. She was completely shrouded in darkness save for her piercing red eyes aglow from under the cloak of shade that she adorned over her as she exited the keyhole portal. Looking around, the dark figure slipped into the shadows and observed the events of the Olde Witch Province beginning to come to life all around everywhere else down the main street, like it was in times of yore. That meant that it would stir up a lot of attention, as well as a lot of activity. It was better to maneuver around the major activity about to brew than to try to work within it, so the shadowy woman dipped off down the alleyway and off to a quieter part of the Olde Witch City.

Elliott walked with the witches and the men, as they began the tour of the Olde Witch City. He agreed to this tour so that the men and witches could get to know each other better and for the men to get the lay of the land. Elliott himself had already been shown the witch city when he first came to this world and so he had memories of it already. It was much more livelier than it was the last time he was here though.

He guessed Tzita had been busy while he'd been away.

All around, as whispers suddenly filled the streets of the Olde Witch City, would the many marvelous variations of Fae all litter about in their different sorts. Many of they that were which fables of yore would suddenly appear from seemingly out of thin air, as if conjured up, themselves, through the whispers.

Buzzing and humming through the skies and then slipping back out into an ethereal invisibility and intangibility seemingly in one passing motion, the witches and wizards and all such magical or mythical entities associative would be seen going to and from in different areas all around -- a real 'Spirited Away' moment. The city came to life and breathed influence into the air that kept the magical city going round totally in secret. It seemed completely lifeless and empty from the outside, but from the inside, plus with the special ability to observe the supernatural and perceive what the imagination limits, the city was actually teeming with excitement and liveliness...

… However, this was not the same 'Witch Province' that is known in the Veritas today as a structures part of the Witch Capital, 'Grim Nytoz,' the Central City. No, this place... had a different ambiance to it.

The winds picked up rather quickly and the skies went dark (or, darker than they'd already been), before the feeling of malevolence cast itself over the air once the Fables all died down and became silent and invisible once again, save for the remnant gust of their passage.

As the skies darkened and the enchantment of the Olde Witch City seemed to come and go just as quickly as it was conjured up, the now foreboding presence of a looming danger crept over the party about the area due to the sudden silence out of seemingly nowhere.

Even the Witches were gone, leaving only the Valparaiso Denizens that were hired as Sellswords and their Commander, Elliott Faulkner, who was issued as leader over them.

The Valparaiso Denizens were spooked (though they didn’t want to show it). They’d just come from out of several conditions that made them distrust such types of interaction and association, and seeing it happening again made them feel like they were going through some sort of hallucination or PTSD of sorts.

They’d just come out of Hell before they were made into Mercs and they’d both seen and done some things there that made them distrust generally everyone, especially people who had all types of strange powers and abilities, since they noticed how they were used and what happened when they tried to use some that they believed were available to them just because they found a way to gain access to them. Unfortunately for them, that’s what wound them up in Hell, itself, and having to experience all types of things that having the powers were not worth, nor was the end result. Here they were, yet again, abandoned by some supernatural entities that promised them assistance. Sure, they got out of Hell because of someone helping them out, which is how they even got jobs here in the Veritas in the first place, but… Something wasn’t right about THIS particular place.

It reminded them… A little bit of home.

"Ain’t no good here,” the first Henchmen said with a bit of grit in his voice, already knowing about this type of a setup, “Seems like we’ve been duped, cap.” His suspicion may have preceded him, yet it was rightly justified all the way up to the estranged paranoia that he feld for what they were about to experience and why it was bad for them to be in a ‘Witch City’ alone with no witches. “Can’t trust them bitches for a second.” A personal failure, on his part — he knew better than that, and a single cig would help him remember that; an eternal reminder. “Better look alive, cuz it ain’t gonna be pretty, looks like.”

The other two Henchmen braced themselves, being sure to guard their Commander. They were still here to do a job, even if the whole group were not all together as before. The city was suddenly empty and silent, but the four of them as a party were all still readily visible and tangibly intact, and that was all that they needed to focus on. Hopefully, should anything arise, the Commander was ready to give them some orders.

His men didn't need to show their discomfort because Elliott could feel it radiating off their skin. They weren't alone, Eliott felt a tinge of uneasiness as well with the sudden transition around them. He didn't want to immediately suspect that the witches were up to some kind of prank, because Tzita vouched for them and he always trusted her word.

He instinctively stepped into formation with his men, making sure to cover the gaps in their defenses that the other men probably couldn't sense with their duller senses. Something else felt wrong to Elliott though. He wasn't entirely sure, but his hearing didn't seem to be as all encompassing as it had been before, nor his eye sight as sharp.

He was beginning to feel like he had on his own world. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or a bad thing, "Keep your wits about you men. We'll overcome whatever's going on and get to the bottom of it for our mistress." He stuffed his doubts and worries for the betterment of the group and to remain a confident and focused point man.

A sharp noise something like a blade cutting through air slashed through the atmosphere around them, opening up a large, pitch black portal that hovered before the party. Tzita, the Head Witch of the Witch Province, darted through the end opposite the party before the portal closed on itself. She looked a tad different, especially with a giant scythe in her hand and her attire being a little more... dangerous looking, bladed with edges around certain parts.

Her hair was a bit of a deeper lavender than it was usually, and partially aglow. Wherever she went, when she came back, she was plenty different.

Turning her head to the group behind her -- led by her appointed Familiar, Elliott Faulkner -- there was a certain gleam in Tzita's keyhole pupil eyes that let them know there was a target in question and she was locked onto it. The motley lot of them seemed to be scared out of their wits at what the Fae of the Lawless Land were doing. No surprise, considering what they could and have already done.  Tzita was only happy that she made it back in time. Yet... There was something about her that seemed irregularly odd.

"We're cutting the tour short," she said rather matter-of-fact, "You, Elliott, need to understand some things about my powers and our relationship." They had been through much and his abilities were enhanced slightly by the bond of being a Familiar of Tzita's, but he did not know how much he would receive nor what it was like when she actually went through her Thirteen Restrictions, which would alter his power significantly based on hers. "While I was gone, I set up a few things," Tzita murmured, knowing that the things that were in progress were also beneficial to her own gain, "And they will help you understand your Resonance with me so that as my Familiar, you can synchronize with me and tap into some of my power based on my Restrictions." Right now, she was free -- fortunately. Yet, she had to lock her own Restrictions back up because of how they had been spread out over the Veritas, and Tzita needed to tie them all together.

"So we've got work to do," she continued, her eyes very sharp. "I know we were supposed to do the Zodiac thing, but that might have to wait a little bit until you... Know some things about me." Tzita knew that the more El knew, the better understanding he'd have about his power and her power and their Resonance relationship, which could be further bettered later by sending him to the college. "The Zodiac Spirits can wait. They'll still be there."

Tzita rather immediately cut a hole through the air with her scythe and the pitch black portal shimmered a bit before revealing another mystical looking city similar to the one that they were in presently, only teeming with life to the point of it being nearly extravagant, and the marvelous display of mythical and supernatural creatures roared through the portal that was parallel to this empty, seemingly lifeless city.

"Come here," Tzita commanded once, slipping through the portal, "There is something I need to show you." She said little else than that, and in her voice, she seemed a bit frustrated about it... Since it involved her past and El's relationship with her.

When the Boss showed up unexpectedly out of nowhere after the spooky ambiance that came after her departure, the Henchmen were relieved to see her familiar face as opposed to anymore haunts to scare the willies out of them. They'd been to Hell and back -- most literally -- and were fed up with these surprises, especially all of these supernatural ones. They weren't exactly accustomed to things being this fantastical since they came from the dumps, and everything was either rock bottom status quo or everyday life. All of this new magical garbage was news to them, and not exactly good news. They were thankful to have a way out.

Henchman #1: After me.

Henchman #3: No, me first!!

Henchman #2 quickly and quietly tiptoes in front of the both of them and hops through the portal.

Henchman's #1 & #3: Hey!

They all hopped through the portal after their little engagement with each other, awaiting their Commander to follow suit behind the Boss.