[center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/10b8facf2e808615ad495bcc764f4b90/tumblr_p82adcx6HC1whbfi0o1_500.png[/img] [u][b]Jailbreak In Fairyland III[/b][/u][/center] [sub]The Royal Palace, Faerie[/sub] [sub][sub][hr][/sub][/sub][indent][indent][color=lightgray]“Anton... you died,” Voodoo responded his voice giving away no emotion. Yet standing next to him, Zatanna couldn't help but notice the just too-tight way in which he was gripping his staff, his hand slightly trembling from the effort. Arcane laughed “Oh Jericho, you should know better than anyone else that death is nothing more than a mere inconvenience with the right [i]preparation[/i].” Disregarding Voodoo, Arcane turned his attention towards Zatanna“I give you my sincerest condolences, while Giovanni and I did not see eye to eye on every matter, he was still one of the greatest minds of our generation and a respected colleague.” Zatanna unable to take her gaze off of Anton’s ember eyes took a step forward. “You... You knew my dad?” “We were both pariahs in our own way. We both saw the guidelines, rules, and restrictions championed by the likes of Voodoo as inhibitive to progress. Though I am sure that Jericho has forgotten to mention that.” Voodoo took a step forward and extended his arm effectively putting himself between Zatanna and Anton, "The girl is none of your concern Arcane." "This [i]girl[/i] can make her own choices thank you very much." Zatannaresponded as she pushed Voodoo's arm away. "Tsk, Tsk dissension in the ranks already Jericho?" Anton prodded with a smile, "If Zatanna wants to abandon an old wash-up like yourself in search of greener that's her right." "That's not what I meant!" Zatanna protested. Before either party could continue all the sound was sucked out of the room. Words were ripped straight from tongues, gravitating towards a singular point. And then all that sound exploded outwards as Queen Titania spoke a singular command. "Enough!" Zatanna had to fight an inexplicable urge to bow as the command washed over her. Despite Titania barely whispering her voice rang out like a bullet shooting from a barrel. Rising slightly from her throne Titania towered above them her judgmental gaze washing over them. Her wave-like dress shifted and churned like the sea in the middle of a storm as her red hair began to rise upward on its own volition. Both Voodoo and Anton somehow managed to drag their attention away from their bickering and towards the Queen. A murmur of unease ran through the assembled nobles as their gaudy finery seemed to shrink and grow dim at the outburst. “This is a [i]royal court[/i],” Titania stressed, “not a public house to air petty squabbles.” “Your Highness,” Anton started “it was clearly the fault of these new interlopers.” “[B]Silence[/b] Anton. I’m more than capable of making my own observations.” Zatanna couldn't help but chuckle softly as Anton visibly flinched at the comment. Laughter which soon got caught in her throat as Titania’s gaze fell upon them. She felt a blush beginning to build feeling like a child that was just caught by their teacher. Yet Zatanna could've sworn that there was a knowing and mischievous look to the Queen’s eyes. This moment of distinct humanity threw Zatanna off guard as it was the last thing that the young magician expected from such a divine presence. The confusion visible on Zatanna’s face seemed to only further spark Titania as a small smile worked its way onto her face as her hair and dress began to fall back to more neutral states. “Jericho Drumm,” Titania began “You are always a welcome guest here, I would not be sitting on this throne if not for your assistance. Though I must admit that I’m most curious about what brings you here?” As Titania addressed him Voodoo bowed respectfully. Zatanna noting the ease at which Voodoo was able to change emotional states. Whatever shock from Anton’s surprise appearance was quickly replaced with a strict level of observed decorum. “I seek the release of the Kingkiller into my custody” The explosion of noise that followed made Zatanna jump. The nobles gathered behind them expressing their discontent in an unorganized rabble. Voodoo seemed unaffected by the shouts as his gaze was instead focused on Titania. The Queen for her part seemed just as adept as Voodoo on maintaining an iron-faced visage. She let the anger wash over the court the noise only increasing in volume as the anger began to feed off of itself in a feedback loop. Eventually, after the nobles had worn themselves out Titania rose a hand guiding the chamber back into silence. “You ask for much Jericho,” Titania commented, “the release of one of Faerie’s most hated criminals is no small favor.” “You know I would not ask for such a boon if it was not under the direst of circumstances.” Titania rested a hand against the underhand of her chin as she considered her options. Her gaze swept across the room before settling on Zantanna. “And what of you Young Zatara? Do you vouch for your allies claim?” “I don’t think my opinion really matters here your highness...” Zatanna insisted “Nonsense!” Titania protested “As Jericho’s traveling companion you more than anyone else are most suited to speak of his character.” “I haven’t really known him for that long though.“ “Darling, when a queen asks a question it’s best that you answer .” Titania reminded the young magician her gentle voice laced with steel. “He.... no, we have just caused. We are dealing with a flesh elemental and require the Kingkiller’s expertise” Zatanna asserted “A flesh elemental?” Titania responded leaning forward in her throne “You speak of dark and ancient magic. I thought the last of them were killed in the War.” “My father told me never to assume anything.” Titania chuckled at Zatanna's comment. For a figure as imposing as Titania, her laughter was light. It had a transportive quality to it, taking Zatanna back to late summer evenings and playful sea breezes whose dancing created choirs of tumbling windchimes. “Giovanni was a wise man,” Titania commented with a small smile “So you’ll help us?” “It’s a shame that he didn’t also teach you the value of patience.” Titania teased and Zatanna shrunk as soft laughter ran through the court. Zatanna let out a sigh of relief as the queen raised her hand out of mercy not linking the ostracization linger on the air as she did for Voodoo. “This request that you ask of me... it is something I must first consider. In the meantime, the two of you may stay here as my guests.” As the court was dismissed, Zatanna and Voodoo were escorted out of the throne room by a cadre of winged royal guards. And as they left Zatanna couldn't help but notice the ember-eyed stare of Anton Strange. Standing in the middle of the room, the exiting crowd parted around him like a river bending around a large stone. Despite there being no detectable malicious intent in the older magic user's gaze, Zatanna could not manage to shake her unease. The gaze reminding her of her earlier nightmare of a Gotham consumed by corpses and rot. Fighting every instinct that was telling her not to look away from the danger Zatanna turned back around letting out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding only once they were around the corner and out of Anton’s gaze. Their royal escort lead them through the palace towards the guest wing. As they walked, Zatanna was struck by how empty it seemed. Long hallways lined with miraculous stained glass windows and tremendous portraits of what Zatanna could only assume were former rulers, wide enough to carry five-man shoulder to shoulder across its width lay dormant. On a rare occasion, they would see a servant who would quickly disappear into one of the adjoining doors without a word. The empty halls reminding her of her old estate, but where those hallways give off a distinctive sense of presence as if the occupants had just left only moments previously, the halls of the castle felt barren as if nothing had ever been there in the first place. Eventually, they were lead to a guest suite in the eastern wing. It was a small space made up of two bedrooms connected by a central study/dining area. Voodoo slumped down in a chair at the table, nestling his face in his hands as he made small circles around his temples. Deciding it to be wise to give him space, Zatanna circled the perimeter of the room her attention focused on the bookshelves that lined the room’s walls that were covered with a vast array of strange trinkets and other baubles. The young magician picked up a metallic skull from one of the shelves. It was a small thing that fit comfortably in the palm of her hands. A series of strange letters in a language that Zatanna didn’t understand were etched into the surface. Examining it in the light revealed that it was actually one solid piece of metal that had been painstakingly shaped and molded into its current form. Through the reflected metal Zatanna could see the slumped over figure of Voodoo. Tentatively she began to speak in an effort to cheer him up. “You never mentioned that you knew a Queen.” Voodoo looked up from his hands smiling slightly “I knew her before she was a ruler.” “She said that you helped her get the throne?” Zatanna offered curiously, “That seems against your earlier policy of preserving the balance .” Voodoo shook his head, “Preservation does not always equate to inaction. Titania and her former lover Mab, the matriarch of the Court of Dawn fell into conflict over which court would assume control of Faerie. It was in the best interest of the Mundane if Titania one that battle and so we acted.” “So she owes you one,” Zatanna replied confidently, “that means she has to help us out!” Voodoo sighed, “It is not the Queen that worries me.” “It’s Arcane isn’t it?” “...Yes” “Who the heck is he anyway? Gives me like total creeper vibes.” To Zatanna's relief Voodoo actually managed chuckled at her comment as he conjured up his big black tome. Without even looking he flipped the book open to a page and gestured for Zatanna to take a look. Placing the skull back on the shelf, Zatanna walked over to the table. An old photographer was nestled into the pages of the book, the corner of the picture crinkled and bent with age. The picture was of three men standing somewhere in the mountains, they were worn and beaten but standing proud and tall with smiles on their faces, behind them the corpse of a tremendously large dragon. Zatanna instantly recognized the man in the middle as her father dressed as fanciful as ever in his vest, dress shirt, and black pants even in the mountains. To the left of him was another familiar face, there were fewer wrinkles upon his face and his long and unruly dreadlocks peppered with white were replaced a short afro of thick curls, captured in that moment of celebration Voodoo looked the happiest Zatanna had ever seen him. In the far right of the frame Anton Arcane even in his youth possessed the same sulking figure that he had in the throne room. He was tilted slightly away from the camera, a smile on his face, but he was looking at something in the distance. “There was a time when the trio of Drumm, Arcane, and Zatara rocked the magical world. Our antics and our success propelled us into minor celebrity status. We were young and foolish thinking ourselves to be invincible. But it was never meant to last.” “What happened?” Zatanna asked running a finger against the bent edges of the picture trying to flatten them out. “Richard Redditch happened.” “I’ve never heard of him.” “The press called him the Artist. He was a serial killer known for collecting an ear from his victims. One day while we were out on a mission, Redditch broke into Anton’s house and murdered his wife.” “That’s... terrible.” “Indeed, soon enough Anton was able to track Redditch down back to his apartment. Nobody knows what events transpired but in the end, Redditch’s wife was dead and so was the Artist himself having choked to death on his removed ears. Neither I nor your father heard anything from him after that for a while. He disappeared completely from both the regular and magical communities.” “But he came back?” “Yes, he resurfaced in Louisiana several years later. As it turned out in the interim, Anton had become obsessed with asserting his control over death. Such a search required plenty of human subjects so soon homeless, criminals, runaways, and other unfortunate souls in the bayou were getting abducted to be used as test subjects in his devilish experiments. Your father and I teamed up with a powerful swamp creature that called the bayou home and we were able to put a stop to his madness. Last we saw of Arcane was him being consumed by the fire that was running rampant through his laboratory as he tried to preserve his research.” “And now he’s back.” Finished Zatanna “And now he’s back.” Voodoo agreed “What do you think he wants?” “Nothing good.” “So what do we do?” “For now we do the only thing we can do. We wait.”[/color][/indent][/indent]