[center][hider=Witch Hunt Cast][center][img]http://i.imgur.com/M7SP0oU.png[/img][/center] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/FGD7pKH.png[/img][/center][/hider][/center] [center][i][h1]Augury[/h1][/i] [i][h3]Part 1[/h3][/i][/center] [center][b]Location: Marie’s Apartment – Chinatown, Lost Haven Time: Noon, Present Day[/b][/center] [hr] Marie paced back and forth in front of the window overlooking the street, eyes still glazed with sleep, hair pulled back, still wet from the shower she’d taken in an attempt to invigorate herself and awaken her dulled senses. Her chase for Ben the morning before had left her exhausted and despite having expended nearly all of her energy during negotiations, Marie managed to stay awake the rest of the day, finally crashing at around 6 p.m. and waking at 8 a.m. Fourteen hours of sleep and yet still drained. It made sense to Marie. After she’d returned to The Red Devil, instead of flying swiftly home and getting a well deserved rest, she hogged the workroom trying to get a hit on the next artifact. As she might have expected, her time was wasted looking through vague accounts of Gwyneth she’d managed to dig up months prior during her initial search for information. Not only was she unable to divine any relevant information about the next item, whatever it may be, Puck was nowhere to be found and thus could not offer his cryptic wisdom. Even after returning home in what felt like an eternity, Marie was reminded of her long list of failures and misadventures. Her flat was littered with open tomes, scraps of parchment and paper she’d wadded up and neglected to toss, and minor charms and trinkets she’d attempted to use in various spells and rituals to locate [i]anything[/i] remotely related to Gwyneth. Holt, who lay dormant in an oil lamp-turned-spirit vessel at one end of the studio apartment, took note of Marie’s worried movements. [color=90ee90][i]What is the matter?[/i][/color] He questioned in his normal dry tone, moving from the lantern in the form of a thick mist and manifesting as a jet-black cat sauntering about the room. [color=90ee90][i]Surely you should count this as a victory. The boy agreed to help you, which means that you are one step closer than before. Much closer, in fact, given you now possess Gwyneth’s Eye.[/i][/color] Marie shook her head as she paced, eyes fixed on a park bench across the street from her apartment complex. She let out a heavy sigh as her first reply, and with it, expressed her deep sense of worry and unease. [color=ffe4b5]”I know,[/color] Marie stood still as she spoke, gaze still glued to the scene outside, [color=ffe4b5]”I know that everything should feel better now that I’ve got a little more direction . . . but it doesn’t. Even with the Eye and Ben’s help, I still don’t know what the hell I’m looking for, or where I should be looking. I can’t just carry the kid around the country hoping he picks up on something. And that’s another thing . . .”[/color] Marie turned and faced Holt, lowering herself onto the floor, back against the window. [color=ffe4b5]”I have to work in a team again and I don’t know if I’m ready for that, especially not this one. Ben’s the only one who trusts me. The twins are suspicious and the magicians want me dead, not exactly the ideal team. At least with S.T.R.I.K.E. I could be a little detached, but this is personal. I NEED Ben’s help, and he’s expecting me to be this picture of morality and atone for my sins.”[/color] Marie shook her head, spitefully letting out those last few words. [color=ffe4b5]”Be honest,”[/color] Marie’s spoke to Holt in a low, somber tone, [color=ffe4b5]”Is it wrong for me to admit that I don’t really care about my part in whatever Broker is planning? Sure, it’s probably something horrible and unimaginable, but we had a deal that both parties honored. Is it wrong for me to want to leave it at that regardless of the consequences?”[/color] Holt met Marie’s gaze, brow furrowed and forming a stern expression with his feline features. [color=90ee90][i]You are a witch, Marie. It is that simple. Your kind do not linger on such things as guilt nor trouble themselves with fanciful things like morality. Furthermore, it is not my place to comment on the desires or whims of my masters. Your goals became mine the moment I came into your service, but if it comforts you to know that I have aided past witches in far more sinister deeds than this, very few of whom had any regrets about such workings, then I will not hide that fact.[/i][/color] It wasn’t really the answer Marie was looking for, but it’s what she expected from a being like Holt. Though it did little to calm her nerves, Holt’s words comforted her all the same. She’d heard something similar before from Joseph and any reminder of the time they had shared was welcome. Letting out another sigh, Marie lifted herself from the floor and began packing a small suitcase full of necessities. She imagined that Rune’s search would take some time and it was far more convenient to rest on scene than having to pop back in from The Red Devil every few hours. Puck had a few associates in Nevada, most notably a large coven known locally as The Five Families. With luck, she’d be able to find one of their meeting places or strongholds and rest there instead of spending a fortune on a hotel room. Holt watched as Marie filed random assortments of clothes, toiletries, makeup, and witching supplies into her suitcase. He took mental note of their conversation. This was the change Puck had described, the slow descent he’d envisioned. Marie wasn’t acting like herself, or rather, she was acting too much like herself. Holt knew little of Gwyneth, but he knew enough about Marie to see the clear differences in her behavior within the past few months. Her obsession felt more to him like instinct. Whatever the case, he would help her as was his charge and continue to monitor her as Puck had instructed, though if Marie ever caught wind of it, he would be forced to do as she commanded. With the last of her belongings neatly tucked away inside her suitcase, Marie readied herself for the trip to Vegas. She didn’t have the energy to try to put on too much face, opting for some simple pastel gloss and eyeshadow to make her look a little lively, as well as some strategically placed highlighter to catch the lights of the city. Once her hair was dried, she combed it out and laid it over her shoulder, covering one of the straps of a simple white sundress with a black belt, covering the top of her head with a similarly colored, wide-brimmed sunhat. Around her neck was the signature glamour charm to conceal her identity. Once Marie was relatively pleased with her appearance, she took her suitcase in hand, grabbed a separate bag from her closet which housed her White Witch get-up and a few other witchy baubles, took her broom in the opposite hand, Holt tucked away inside the lantern at the broom’s mantle, and opened a door to The Red Devil which Puck himself had placed shortly after Marie signed on with him. From there, she entered another of Puck’s doors and left for Las Vegas, hoping to do a bit of sightseeing and establishing a base of operations before the others arrived. [hr] [center][b]Location: The Remains of Pixy Stix – Las Vegas, Nevada Time: Noon, Present Day[/b][/center] [hr] Puck’s door opened to an alley next to the burnt remains of the Faerie club, Pixy Stix. Marie had been so busy as of late that she’d almost forgotten about the Hounds of Humanity cretins that had been terrorizing members of the magical community across the U.S. Marie bowed to the corpse of the building while Holt hissed at the HoH propaganda that littered the building's ashes. [color=90ee90][i]We may encounter these fools while here, Marie. I would advise caution. They have already taken a group of witches in Salem.[/i][/color] Holt issued the mental warning, perched on Marie’s shoulder as an ethereal raven. Marie moved a little closer, staying out of the street and minding the police tape around the ruined entrances. [color=ffe4b5][i]And they’ll pay for their actions dearly. They have no idea what they’re up against and I can’t imagine that the Faerie Courts of this world and the next aren’t planning some sort of revenge. Same with the American witches and sorcerers.[/i][/color] Marie spotted a few roaming sylphs and mourning fey women dressed in white. She didn’t want to approach them out of respect for their grieving, but she needed information on where she could find one of the Five’s sanctuaries. Upon seeing Marie, the wandering faeries immediately flocked to her location, the sprites flittering about her head, one resting on the brim of her hat, the three tall fey, each with distinctly wild, animalistic features on their faces, circling around her in a sort of embrace. Marie knew she was in no danger, she could clearly see that each of them meant no ill will, but she was surprised to receive such a welcome, especially considering she hadn’t done much work for the fey before. Holt cocked his head, exuding a warmth that felt to Marie like joy. [i]”Welcome, my lady,”[/i] one of the fey maidens spoke quietly, her voice echoing on a soft, sweet breeze. She spoke in English, surprisingly. [i]”We wondered when your mistress might send one of hers to deal with the human filth who burned our loved ones.”[/i] Marie was utterly confused. [color=ffe4b5]”M-my mistress? I’m sorry, I think you may have me confused for someone e . . .”[/color] [i]”The Witch-Mother,”[/i] the fey woman interrupted, [i]”surely she sent you to investigate the matter?”[/i] She looked hopeful. Marie’s jaw dropped. She was nearly floored by the mention of the Witch-Mother, how these fey spoke of her so candidly. [color=90ee90][i]Hekate?[/i][/color] Holt interjected. [color=90ee90][i]The Witch-Mother, Hekate, is here in Las Vegas?[/i][/color] One of the sprites overhead nodded. [i]”She’s been here for a few months working with The Five, noble families of witches who migrated west in the early days of the colonies. Are you not a member of The Five?”[/i] Marie shook her head, even more stunned than a moment before. To know that Hekate was so near, physically interacting with such a large collection of witches, was amazing; it was beyond amazing. Not even Bucca was so open. [color=ffe4b5]”I was unaware of the Witch-Mother’s presence, I’ve only just arrived in the area.”[/color] The fey all looked rather dejected, obviously expecting Hekate to help them enact some sort of vengeance on the Hounds. [color=ffe4b5]”But,”[/color] Marie added before they had a chance to leave, [color=ffe4b5]”I do work closely with Puck and hoped that I might meet with a few of his associates in The Five. If you could point me in the direction of their strongholds, I might be able to speak with them on your behalf.”[/color] It was a stretch, but it was all she could offer. Luckily, it was enough. The sprites spoke with the fey maidens in an uncommon dialect, perhaps one native to the Americas or this area specifically. After a short concession, they turned back to Marie and nodded. [i]”Alright,”[/i] one of the sprites addressed her with a high voice, [i]”there is a small building near the lake in Henderson. Inside is a mirror that leads to the Lachance family stronghold. Genevieve Lachance is the most hospitable leader of The Five and will take in almost any stray witch to pass through. She will help you, but when you arrive, please inform her that we wish to hear from the Witch-Mother soon.”[/i] Marie nodded in compliance. [color=ffe4b5]”I will do just this, thank you for your help. And may those murderous bastards be dealt swift justice.”[/color] The faeries smiled, hope filling their eyes. They left Marie’s sight in their own ways, some in swirling lights, some fading into the wind, some speeding off into the distance. One they had all gone, Marie issued a mental command to Holt to shield them from mortal eyes. The pair hopped aboard the broom, Holt perched at the front like the figurehead on a ship. As they began their ascent, black vapors poured from Holt’s body and enveloped them, causing them to be unseen. Off they flew to the Lachance stronghold.