IC Time: June 2, 2007 Afternoon
Location: Underground Entrance to Caslte - Volterra.
Synopsis: Josephine attempts to get to Inari using her ability. Failing that, she begins to negotiate.
Submitted by: Inari
There are the faintest of footfalls coming from the sewer system, heading towards the guarded Castle entrance. Everyone one else but Caius and his current personal guard have been given orders and are carrying them out, retreating into the Castle to do so. The door remains open for the moment with a few more guards left in the entry room. Caius, Felix, Dante, a quickly recovering Corin and Elric are moving towards the individual they can hear to confront them.
The castle has been alerted to the presence of an intruder and more of the Guard are arriving, including the deadly twins. All fall into position, in an almost military fashion.
"You will declare yourself." Caius hisses, crimson eyes narrowing as he tenses in preparation for a fight.
Dante slides along the wall, and not the closest to Caius for he has no powers but that doesn't make Dante any less deadly. The man was smart, quick, and could hold his own - he wasn't a Guard for no reason. Plus.. should he get a look at the intruder and the intruder manage to escape, Dante could draw him perfectly or remember the exact sound of his voice. As Caius speaks Dante hesitates along the dim area, eyes narrowing as he searches out the shadows, teeth gritting.
The 'intruder' make his way casually around the corner. Smiling slightly with the excitement abound and the idea of conflict, Aro gives just the faintest of tilts to his head. "Expecting somebody else?" Aro comes to a stop and studies the gathered Guard. "Where is Inari? Give me a report." His voice is not so enthusiastic, but more authoritative and commanding. Aro, apparently wants answers.
Caius's eyes widen, then narrow sharply. He /knows/ Aro is up in the throne room, receiving another report from another witness. It doesn't make sense that Aro went from the throne room, to outside, to back into the under-city entrance. "Where is Marcus?" He counters. "He was supposed to report to you." It's a lie… a trap… and the canny ancient waits to see what happens.
The fact he's staring at Aro sends Dante's brain for a loop and the Italian simply stands there confused for a second. He glances over at Caius slowly, waiting, and when the other ancient questions the other Dante looks back and waits. Every muscle in his body is ready and waiting for something to happen, for something to be wrong. Eyes search out the shadows around and behind Aro, lips pursing faintly.
Aro frowns, he's asked a question and not gotten an answer. "I have yet to see Marcus. Perhaps he's wallowing a bit deep today, or just plain not interested." He takes several steps forward looking directly in to Caius' eyes. "Now. Where is Inari?" Aro's voice is slightly threatening at this point, not used to being countermanded, even indirectly in public. A slight motion of his finger is used to indicate to the Guard he wants them to protect him should it come to that.
Caius's eyes tighten. He doesn't like this. The ancient is known for his paranoia, a trait that has saved his life more than once. Aro being here, now, simply doesn't add up. "Destroyed." He lies again, trying another tactic.
Dante remains quiet, eyes darting back and forth between brothers. He catches the confused look of another guard and at Aro's finger twitch doesn't move. Something feels off and until he knows what, he wasn't moving. The tension in the corridor could be cut with a knife and it was really grating on the Italian's nerves. His teeth grind just a tick as he glances back to Aro, wondering what that answer will get.
Aro nods to Caius. "A pity." He begins to move once again, without hesitation towards the Castle and through the Guards, passing Caius in the process, "Come. We need to find those attackers and deal with it quickly. /No One/ attacks us without being dealt with. Bring Marcus out of whatever wallowing he is doing today directly to my personal chambers."
"No."
The voice is cold. "You will stay here, /brother/." There's one way to settle this and Caius is willing to roll the dice. "Dante, go to the throne room immediately and make a report." His eyes flick back to /Aro/. "We'll wait here."
Dante fidgets as Aro wanders past them and its Caius' voice that grabs the Italian's attention. At his order the Italian nods his head, "Yes sir," and with that turns and is quick to bolt down the corridor and towards the throne room. Ears tune towards the gathering behind him, just in case.
"Oh Caius." It's a female voice that speaks now, and slowly but surely, with a faint shimmering, a woman replaces Aro's visage. Though she is easily within touching distance of Caius, she makes no move to do anything other than talk. Tall, and with dark very curly strands and crimson eyes, Josephine look at Caius with sadness in her eyes. "She's not yours. She's not like you. Give her back to us. We can find you somebody more useful."
At a gesture from Caius, the rest of the guard move to surround the intruder. Red eyes gleam angrily from a score pale faces and teeth are bared. "You were foolish to attempt this. We do not give second chances." He glances toward Jane, considering, but instead nods to her brother. "Alec." The young-looking boy in the pearl grey suit begins to concentrate, using his ability of complete sensory deprivation… which has never failed to secure a vampire.
Dante hesitates as he hears the females voice, head turning over his shoulder. He's about to turn and head back when he hears Caius call Alec to the bat. They don't need him, he needs to make sure Aro and Marcus knew that someone was in fact in the castle. Dante takes off once more headed for the other brothers.
Josephine tenses as the beginnings of Alec's work are quickly felt. She closes her eyes unecessarily and it doesn't take but a moment or two before her balance is slowly impaired she begins to stumble from that point it's a simple cascade into oblivion, though she does speak, "I'm not here to fight Caius, that would be foolish. I'm here to either get Inari back or negotiate…" her words trail off as she's not even sure she's speaking or being understood.
"And perhaps we will negotiate." Caius replies smoothly, uncaring if his words are heard or not. "Or perhaps not. But it will be on /our/ terms. Not yours." He watches to see the intruder succumb, then waits for his brothers to arrive. And for judgement to be carried out.
