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Post by Puck on Feb 13, 2011 18:37:39 GMT -5
Puck sat crosslegged in the crook of an ancient tree, flipping through the book she'd stolen from Maleficent. It was becoming clear to the faerie that this wasn't just any spellbook, but Maleficent's own personal grimoire.
Well well well, this was quite the prize. Maleficent would surely want this back.
The hobgoblin shut the grimoire, grinning to herself. A plan was forming in her clever mind, a delightful trick that was almost guaranteed to bring about the demise of the Dark Faerie. Now she just needed a place to stash the book.
And now that she thought about it, she knew just where to put it.
She flitted into Shadow, covering several miles before popping out of the world-between-worlds near the gates to a magnificent Gothic castle. A flicker of emerald Glamour, and the form of Robin Goodfellow became Owen Burnett. Pausing briefly to straighten his red tie, Owen resettled Maleficent's grimoire under his arm and headed up the path to the massive, carved main doors, knocking firmly.
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Post by The Beast on Feb 13, 2011 18:45:21 GMT -5
Few people came upon the Beast's castle, even by accident. He suspected that the Enchantress responsible for his curse was behind that. Just one more of her methods to prevent him from lifting the curse at all. So it was understandable that the Beast was more than a little surprised when his keener sense of hearing caught the sound of someone knocking at the doors.
As none of the servants had the correct appendages to open the doors, the Beast took it upon himself to open them. When he saw the man on the other side of the doors, the Beast snorted loudly, rather like a dog that had smelled something unpleasant.
"It's you," he said rather rudely, stepping aside. "What do you need me to hide this time, Owen?"
Oh, it wasn't that the Beast greatly disliked Owen. It was rather a relief to have at least someone human who could find the castle with some regularity. What he didn't like was that all his castle appeared to be to Owen was a little hidey-hole for various artifacts.
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Post by Puck on Feb 13, 2011 18:53:36 GMT -5
It was always a little bit of a thrill to be around the Beast when he was being Owen. Owen was, more so than any of his other roles, very mortal. He had a knack for hand to hand combat and he was no slouch with a weapon, but few sane mortals wanted to tackle the transformed Prince of this castle without some serious backup or advantages. The Beast was a huge creature with a massively powerful build under shaggy fur, with claws and fangs that would probably even make Goliath of the Manhattan clan of gargoyles pause for a moment. It would be no difficulty for him to swipe at Puck with one massive paw and leave his intestines scattered over the polished marble floor. Puck wasn't entirely certain he'd be able to fix an injury like that without calling on his Lord for help, and then the entire charade would be blown anyway.
That would be quite disappointing. Puck liked Owen, and didn't want to have to lose his persona.
"Are you familiar with a faerie called Maleficent, sir?" he inquired, straightening his spectacles.
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Post by The Beast on Feb 13, 2011 18:58:18 GMT -5
The Beast arched an eyebrow in confusion at this and snorted again, motioning Owen into the castle, pondering over the question. "No," he finally said. "I don't have much to do with faeries. For obvious reasons," he said sarcastically, indicating his current form as he fell forward onto all fours to guide Owen through the castle.
He found that, while he did stand on his hind legs around Belle, it was much easier in this form to simply walk on all fours. After all...his body simply wasn't built to walk like a man. That was part of what made this curse so unbearable; that he couldn't even move like a human anymore, and was slowly becoming more beast-like as time passed.
Now why would Owen want to know if the Beast knew a specific faerie? The only one that he knew was the Enchantress that had first cursed him.
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Post by Puck on Feb 13, 2011 19:08:29 GMT -5
In perfect accord with his role as Owen, Puck took no obvious notice of the way the Beast reverted to moving on all fours. There was no need to. Besides, if he were more comfortable physically, his temper would be a notch or two longer.
Always a benefit for dealing with him.
"Mr. Xanatos was recently able to obtain Maleficent's grimoire," Puck said calmly. "A book of powerful spells that he cannot at this time make use of. At the same time, he does not wish to allow the book to fall back in her hands. He wishes for you to guard it. Maleficent is reasonably intelligent and may be able to trace the book, though the one who stole it took precautions to block her ability to sense it directly with magic."
He'd been quite pleased with that move, actually. It had been a while since he'd shrouded something like a personal spellbook, and he'd been happy to see that his skills had not suffered for disuse.
"The protections on your castle will help to confuse the trail further, and should prevent her from being able to retrieve it." That was one bizarre upside to the Enchantress's curse- the same spells that kept the Beast's castle hidden from casual travelers also made it extremely difficult to find unless you already knew where to look. Puck, of course, already knew where it was, thanks to Xanatos.
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Post by The Beast on Feb 13, 2011 20:33:55 GMT -5
The Beast listened to all this, though he made no sign of this as his pace did not alter at all. Moving through the halls of the castle, the Beast was vaguely aware of several of the enchanted objects skittering away at the sight of their master and a stranger. Only the upper staff really knew of Owen, and even then they were wary of him. Not that the Beast blamed them. There was something not normal about Owen that lingered in the man's smell, and it bothered the Beast. Still...Owen's visits did break up the monotony of life in the castle, which the Beast was always grateful for.
"But she will probably try to take it back, no matter the protections around the book and this castle, correct?" he asked gruffly, lifting one heavy paw to push open a door that was seldom used, if the way its hinges squeaked in protest was an indication of anything.
The room that was revealed was dusty and in worse shape than the rest of the castle, save the Beast's private chambers in the West Wing. Much of the furniture was starting to slowly rot away, leaving a smell of mold and age in the air, and few of the wall hangings had survived. Moving through the maze of abandoned furnishings with ease, the Beast didn't bother to look over his shoulder to ensure that Owen was following.
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Post by Puck on Feb 13, 2011 20:55:49 GMT -5
Not that the Beast needed to check his follower wasn't tailing behind. Puck moved surely after his guide, footsteps ringing almost mechanically regular on the stone floor even through the maze.
"She will likely try, if she can track it here," Puck confirmed. "That will not be for some time at the very least, however. If you feel in necessary, Mr. Xanatos can arrange for your protections to be upgraded further."
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Post by The Beast on Feb 13, 2011 20:59:40 GMT -5
The Beast laughed at that, though it sounded much more like a threatening growl than any human laughter. Turning to look at Owen with a slightly disgusted look, the Beast arched an eyebrow.
"I don't need Mr. Xanatos' help to keep my castle safe," he snapped. "The objects and I are fully capable of protecting our home."
Using one paw to once more toss his cape aside so he wouldn't accidentally step on it and trip, the Beast turned back to lead the way. The room they were in was not the final destination, as nothing was strong enough in here to hold anything, let alone a large book, without disintegrating . Another door presented itself, and the Beast calmly pushed it open, revealing their true final destination.
This room was full of old artifacts, most of them having been sent here for safe-keeping by Xanatos via Owen over the years.
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Post by Puck on Feb 13, 2011 21:06:09 GMT -5
Owen inclined his head in acquiescence. "As you wish, sir, though I am obligated to warn you that you have not dealt with someone of Maleficent's calibre."
He strode past the Beast and set the grimoire in an empty glass case. The glass walls hummed slightly with magical energy- magic that Puck himself had helped place on it years ago to protect objects David Xanatos wanted to keep safe. Shutting the case completed the magical circuit, locking in layers of protective spells.
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Post by The Beast on Feb 13, 2011 21:09:15 GMT -5
The Beast snorted again at this and paced as he watched Owen closely. He didn't trust the strange man, but there was some use in having such an ally as Xanatos from what the Beast understood. While he had never met Xanatos face to face, he had heard a great deal about the man.
"I don't care what caliber this Maleficent is," he growled low in his throat. "This is my home, and I don't need extra protection to keep it safe."
There was a distinct hum from the case that Owen placed the book in, and that made the Beast's fur stand on end. He was familiar with that particular kind of hum, as the bell jar protecting the enchanted rose made the same sound. Magic was in this room, and it always made the Beast eager to leave.
"Will that be all, or do you have other objects in need of hiding?"
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Post by Puck on Feb 13, 2011 21:22:20 GMT -5
Puck held out a smaller, wrapped rectangular package that had been hidden by the grimoire until now. Or that would be what the Beast would assume- Puck had conjured the book just before entering the castle, since he hadn't had a chance to pick it up the usual way. "That will be all, sir," he replied, apparently not concerned in the least that his host had gruffly declined additional protections. "An advance on your usual fee."
The Beast and his lady-friend Belle were both voracious readers, particularly the girl. Part of the arrangement Xanatos had with the Beast was regular shipments of new books, along with general castle supplies every few weeks. Puck always made sure to bring particularly good books when he made one of his visits as Owen with items to store at the castle. It made for slightly more friendly relations.
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Post by The Beast on Feb 14, 2011 2:18:08 GMT -5
This time the Beast rose to his hind legs, holding out his paw to accept the book. He had been relearning, not just what he had forgotten about reading itself, but also how to handle books properly. his paws weren't exactly built for being gentle with...well, anything. Especially with the claws that were in no way retractable. Still, with Belle's help, he was starting to learn how to maneuver around the claws.
"Thank you," he said gruffly. "When can I expect the usual fee?"
Belle had no idea about the Beast's agreement with Xanatos, but she greatly appreciated the fruits of that deal, as it kept the library stocked quite well. It had for some time now, but even before then the Beast's family had been known collectors of rare literature. The business arrangement with Xanatos had only added to that extensive collection.
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Post by Puck on Feb 14, 2011 2:57:23 GMT -5
Puck tucked his hands behind his back. "With the next supply shipment in nine days," he replied. "I trust that you and your lady will enjoy the new additions."
The Beast was figuring out how to be more dexterous with his sadly malformed paws, he noted with interest. It seemed that this girl was quite good for him- when Puck had first started coming, the Beast had been little more than just that. It was nice to see the progress.
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Post by The Beast on Feb 14, 2011 3:04:26 GMT -5
The Beast nodded slightly at this as he tucked the package under his cloak. That would always be appreciated. The cook was always complaining about the lack of "proper" provisions for him to use; at least he would complain until the next supply came from Xanatos. The complaints were starting to get particularly bad at this point, in the short time immediately before the newest shipment came.
"Good," he said gruffly, once more falling onto all fours. "You'll probably want to have a look at the castle to report back to your employer, won't you? Just in case I change my mind," he added with a sarcastic growl.
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Post by Puck on Feb 14, 2011 13:13:52 GMT -5
Puck raised one eyebrow- barely a twitch, but more of an expression than one usually saw on the face of Owen Burnett.
"I do not believe that will be necessary," he replied. "Mr. Xanatos trusts that you continue to remain satisfied with your arrangement." Both Puck and Xanatos believed that the Beast wouldn't betray them. He was hot-tempered and aggressive, but they didn't believe that he was cunning enough to pull off a deception that would truly hamper their operations.
The Beast was no David Xanatos- or even any sort of Machiavellian schemer. No, while he might growl and threaten to change his mind about their agreement, he probably would not if kept in a semi-decent mood.
Puck did, however, make a mental note to add in a few things to the next shipment to help sweeten their warden's temper a little. It couldn't hurt.
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