Gathering information

[Chuck]

Over a decade had passed since he had last been on this side of the walls, that served as a barrier between the wild and the civilized. Over a decade had passed since he was cursed and fled into the forest for the safety of the cities citizens. And over a decade since he had had the pleasure of tasting, the amber wheat beer from the Taps of the Avarenian tavern.

Chuck drank deeply from the clear glass filled with the amber brew, And was quickly reminded of what he had missed while living in the forest for nearly half his life. In front of him was a plate of roast mutton, which he found rather amusing. Lamb was the type of prey human's liked to kill for. Especially if the thief wasn't human, And here he was eating meat that would likely have cost him a few holes in his hide, rather than a few coins.

He sat there eating and drinking, and as he did he listened to the many patrons speak. His hear was sensitive enough that he could even pick out the whispered messages that where hidden by the loud and boisterous drunks. By simply eavesdropping he learned that the politics had shifted from being a monarchy to being what sounded like an oligarchy. Apparently the former Queen had either gone mad or had a vision from god and began purging the city of anyone that practiced magic. He learned that from a few men that where talking about something that happened in the barracks lately. Apparently a man named Vidar who was still loyal to the queen had confronted a mage.

There where also people talking about a duo that frequented the bar. Some Elf woman and a powerful elementalist. Most seemed interested in getting with the elf woman but none seemed to want to talk about the hurtle they have to jump to get there. However what he was listening for wasn't being discussed. Which had him down a little bit, but then he wasn't planning on going right ofter his prey anyway. he had half a mind to stay a while.

[Shadow]

It sure had been a long day- Shadow found himself standing in front of the Tavern, and for the first time in a while, decided to go in.

Blood-red eyes scanned the boisterous crowd, but none of the patrons were familiar to the shape-changer, who shrugged, walking toward the bar. There were the usual people at the bar- tired laymen who had worked an honest day, loud nobles who probably never worked a day in their life, a guy who smelled like a wolf, a... wait a minute.

Shadow's attention fixed onto the back of the man's head, reading the energies of the aura expanding from his body. There was a definite lupine feel to them, something Shadow had only seen in one circumstance before. "The Curse" as it was called; an interesting case of forced transformations. Interesting indeed...

Shadow made his way to the bar, taking the empty seat to the man's right. The Bartender recognized the nightwalker, who nodded. A short time later, and there was a glass of a dark red liquid, that if one looked close enough, seemed to have a black liquid swirling through it. Thanking the bartender with a couple gold pieces, Shadow took a drink.

Several moments passed before he turned to the man he had chosen to sit next to. "They say that eavesdropping will give you all the information you aren't asking for. Especially in a place such as this. Also..." Shadow took another drink from his beverage, before continuing in a much quieter tone. "Your kind has to be careful around here... am I right?"

The statements were neutral enough- After all, he wasn't really trying to start any kind of confrontation. He was just doing what anyone else who could sense this man's aura would do- striking up conversation.

[Chuck]

When one needed to ones true nature, especially when that nature was dangerous. The greatest defense was to stay calm even if someone seemed to know you secret before you gave it. So when this man came up with the scent, and body language of forced calm, chuck attention shifted the man's mood had changed 'after' he entered the bar. He had walked in calm and confident, and even though he seemed to have honed his skills in hiding his true emotions, Chuck could sense that slightest hint of apprehension.

Then the man spoke and Chuck just new. This man could sense it somehow. He shifted his clothes, making sure the mark between his neck and shoulder. The bite mark was a permanent reminder of what he was, it was his mark of the beast, and he didn't need any one seeing it. "What I do is none of your business sir, and it make more sense that you kind should be careful 'round my kind." He said the last pat under his breath.

He took a long draft of his ale and waved the bar tender down for another glass as he licked his beard clean of what ever foam may have collect above his upper lip. As he waited he turned to the stranger. "What is it you want? Theirs 'least a week before I have to worry about anything, and well, I know how to handle myself." He said keeping the lunar cycle cryptic. It was only when the moon was full that people where truly in danger. And there was a week and a few days before the full moon of the month; so he was good for a week. Then, he'd run off to the forest, and he'd be good for another month.

[Shadow]

Shadow shrugged. "That's good then. And I don't want anything in particular, other than a life of adventure, but hey, don't we all?"

Taking another drink from his glass, Shadow shifted, looking at the other man. "I remember, once a long time ago, while wandering around in the far west; I was traversing a forest that makes the Dark forest look like a child's playground, and I came upon a wolf- of sorts. It was an amazing creature, even if it was a bit primitive- but I was able to follow it to an enclave, where I stayed for several days. You could say I learned quite a bit-" Shadow paused, remembering that adventure, and took another drink before continuing. "-about being a wolf. However, just before the full moon, they warned me to leave."

Shadow sighed, rubbing his right arm, bare because of the leather vest he had been wearing all day. Running most of the length of his upper arm was a thin set of three scars, all parallel and running about the same length.

"Let's just say I was attacked, which I managed to drive off for long enough to transform into a lupine form of my own. Barely escaping the hunting pack. That was an interesting night."

Shadow drank the last of his drink, and sighed, indicating that he'd like another as well,and putting down a couple more gold pieces.

The druid looked at the other man, thinking. "Hmm... if you are one of them, then that means you must be quite difficult to kill, am I correct?"

[Chuck]

Was this man a complete fool or a partial one. A few of the voices in the bar had paused no doubt eaves dropping on them. and the bartender, who was always listening and watch his customer for a sign that they needed a refill, was within earshot. This man obviously had no common sense in his head. The curse was not idle bar room conversation. It was deadly serious.

However Charles did have a bit of common sense sitting in his skull, at least enough to not make a scene. "You assume too much sir, and your story is absolute shit." He said with a glare. "I know there are forests out there that make the Dark Forest look as peaceful the queen's rose garden, but any man who had survived such an incident would have learned a bit of humility, and wouldn't go around insinuating something as serious as lycanthropy. Especially in a place as public as a pub. You are either an absolute fool, you're barking mad, or you're trying to start trouble, none of which I want to associate with." He spoke with a calm that was chilling. The bartender came up and filled his glass with more beer.

"I'd choose my next words very wisely if I where you sir." He warned. If people know what he was he would be in danger for his life, and his goal of retribution would be torn out of reach. If this man wanted to talk about the curse, he had better come up with a place to do so. Right now Chuck didn't know this man's intentions. Shadow was, at the moment, was a crazy man trying to act smooth.

[Shadow]

Shadow's eyes glazed over as the man spoke. He smiled, said something incoherent, and slumped toward the bar. Something about "these damned potions" and "side effects"

The bartender shook his head, laughing. "Always knew there was something wrong with this guy-" Indicating the slumped over Druid as he took the glass that Shadow had been drinking from, holding it like it was contagious. "Drinks this stuff like it is water." The man took a sniff, made a face and began to wash the glass, carefully- like one would handle something volatile.

The patrons at the bar resumed their idle chatter, most of which was centered around the crazy drunk and how he would come in every few weeks and babble, or just drink that strange reddish drink and pass out on one of the tables, saying strange things.

Meanwhile, the knocked out Shadow was still slumped at the bar, in a sleep-like state. On any normal day, he would have steered clear of the establishment, unless he had someone to meet> Even then, he would do his best not to attract attention- after all, most people only saw him in this unstable state, as a man who would come in rambling about all kinds of things.

~~
It took only a few minutes, but soon the man was stirring again. As usual, people paid no attention- the man would be completely different from what he had been before.

Looking around the bar quickly, Shadow checked his clothing- all his possessions were still intact.

He then remembered the man sitting to his left. Shadow scratched his chin, muttering lightly to himself about butterflies. The bartender came back, and the druid asked him for a mug of tea.

"I'm sorry if I've embarrassed myself." Shadow's voice, which had a slight fever before, was neutral, and quiet. "But sometimes, there's a price that one must pay for power."

He wasn't talking to anyone in particular, and he wasn't talking with much volume in his voice. Only people directly next to him would be able to understand what he was saying, and none of the patrons other than this curious man would have been able to hear.

The bartender brought over the mug of tea, and Shadow bowed his head in thanks. Wrapping his hands around the tea, the druid inhaled the steam and sighed. "I know this city well, and I have been here for a long time. My name is Shadow, stranger, and do not believe that I have ever seen you before."

Shadow took a drink from the mug of tea slowly, as it was still hot. The liquid was bitter, but it chased the fog out of his brain. His nose twitched, and he remembered hazy parts of the situation that had occurred no more than ten minutes prior, but it quickly disappeared. The druid pulled a small piece of bread out from one of his hidden pockets and ate it carefully, wondering just what he had done this time.

[Chuck]

What in the hell was this man's game?well it would seem that the man had a split personality. A condition he know a little too well. Still, chuck wasn't one to show pity. and this man was obviously not in his right mind or was he. Guess no chuck wouldn't know. and now he was muttering apologies to himself or everyone, or maybe no one the man's first impressions had painted him as insane.

But he had said something that made Chuck think. The little sentence about what one would sacrifice for power. Now power, was something chuck didn't necessarily want but it gave him a clue as to why the man was a loony. "Power isn't worth all that much in the end. Not worth ones mentality, that's for sure."

He paused for a few moments then, spoke again. "What sort of power was worth your mind, sir. If you don't mind me asking?" He asked as curiosity got the better of him.

[Shadow]

Shadow laughed quietly. It seemed that he had piqued the man's interest. As for the returned question, however, Shadow did not know how to answer. What power of his did not cost part of his sanity would probably be the better question, but oh well.

"Ah, power..." Shadow was still speaking softly, but had turned to face the man he was having conversation with. "Well, let's just say that with a little help, I become a god."

Shadow laughed at his own ridiculous statement. Sure, Dragons were powerful beings, but gods? To some, that would be a yes.

He decided to clarify his cryptic statement, ever so slightly- "I draw upon the might of Gaia herself, and use it to transform into different creatures that walk these lands. That part is simple enough, but there is one form which I desire to attain, above all else, a creature that I have only seen dead or from a distance. There's one in this city, but it remains in human form for some unknown reason."

As if to prove a point, Shadow's blood-red eyes slowly morphed from human to something else. The irises seemed to stretch out, forming points on the top and bottom, making a pointed oval. The color became a strange silver, which glinted in the light of the bar. A few seconds passed, and the druid changed his eyes back to normal, taking another sip from his mug.

"And my mind merely gets... overloaded... from all of the stresses of changing from one creature to the next, having to compute thoughts and implement human self control in an animal's brain is not easy."

Shadow ventured that the man sitting next to him would know, all too well, the stresses of controlling one's self in animal form...

[Chuck]

Loony. this man was loony. And chuck was done with listening to this man's ridiculous claims of godhood. Chuck did not doubt the powerful magics of nature, no mother Gaia was a very popular deity among those that sought such powers. But this man dared to claim himself as powerful as a god. Sorry, but that was the cherry on top of this crazy ice-cream sundae.

Yes, Chuck knew all to well the stresses between the mind of a man and the mind of a beast. But the man had ruined all respect chuck could have possibly had for shadow. He comes in telling wild stories, indirectly claims Chuck a lycanthrope, threatening the werewolf's life, he then slips into another mind that has delusions of godliness. This man had no humility, and was assuming far too much. Not to mention Chuck hadn't started out in the best mood to begin with.

Chuck took a long deep drink from his mug. The mutton in front of him was nearlyt finished anyway so he put his cup down and looked at the man. I'm really sorry, but I should probably go now." He said. as he stood up, as shadow's diplomacy check failed.