The Eye of Anubis: Book One

[DocBeard]

Tomas raises an eyebrow at the story, "Lancaster? Sounds like a kind of ham...maybe, how you say, a false name?" The Lamordian shrugs a little, idly looking to see if it's safe to sneak Loup a treat yet.

"Perhaps you could tell us a bit more about this fellow, ladies?" Tomas smile remains cheerful, though a flash of concern can be detected in his eyes, "After all, we all have to stick together, yes? We certainly would not want a nogoodnik getting involved in the Expidition before it even starts, either."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

The lanky graduate grinned. "I tried to warn you. The Professor's alright, although he'll work you like a hound. I've a few books I'm taking along, I'll loan them to you."

"Ah ... thank you," Lia says, turning away for a brief sip of wine once more. "It should be alright," she says when turning back. "I still have my notes on those three languages. I never seem to throw anything away." For a moment, Lia regards her gloves, seeming lost in thought. "As long as I learn what I need to, I will not object to a strik work schedule. Not too much, anyway." Those last words come out with a faint hint of humor.

[yalenusveler]

Andre stopped a moment after posing his question, and turned to address Khalil "I've..never actually been to Har'Akir, just studied it and the environs, I'm afraid. Seeing it firsthand, will quite frankly, be answering my own question, since for me this trip is practically a pleasure trip. Josette would chide me about wanting to poke about in some dry, dusty desert. She always preferred someplace with more cities, more people..." And with that, his voice trails off, and he suddenly goes quiet. "Sorry, I'll ramble if i don't catch myself", but his voice not quite so much apologetic as maudlin.

[Kaitou Kage]

"A different kind of desert," Kuzan mused in response to Khalil's question, "The open seas are dangerous on their own. You're surrounded by water, as much as you can see in any direction, but you can't drink any of it. When it's not storming, the sun beats down on you mercilessly. And then it shines up at you from the water, too." He grinned. "I'd be an entirely different hue if not for the sun."

Then Andre posed his own question and Kuzan considered this for a long moment. There were so many places he could name. Without really thinking about it, he met Khalil's gaze with a grin and began. "I'd be up for following our guide through the desert for a while and see what's out there. Then go and see his homeland of Hazlan. After that, go with Mr...Otto," he wasn't about to try and pronounce that complicated and foreign family name, "to his homeland to find out what ice is." He turned next to Lily. "And then go wherever the wind takes me, and see what is out in the world."

His golden-eyed gaze had turned starry-eyed by the time he finished his rambling, his voice had taken on a subtly passionate tone. He smiled wistfully, thinking about the promise of long journeys of the future.

Then he looked at Andre. "Sounds like you and I may have something in common after all, Professor," the priest grins.

[steveflam]

Tomas raises an eyebrow at the story, "Lancaster? Sounds like a kind of ham...maybe, how you say, a false name?" The Lamordian shrugs a little, idly looking to see if it's safe to sneak Loup a treat yet.

"Perhaps you could tell us a bit more about this fellow, ladies?" Tomas smile remains cheerful, though a flash of concern can be detected in his eyes, "After all, we all have to stick together, yes? We certainly would not want a nogoodnik getting involved in the Expidition before it even starts, either."

Ulsaon asked "Who's Lancaster?" before picking up her cards and looking at them. "Say Allikhain, do you want anything to eat.. oh never mind, I'll be right back I'm hungry!" She gets up and heads in the direction of the food.

Allikhain frowned at Ulsaon's question. She also notices Michel flinch at the mention of Lancaster's name andlooks at him with a smirk before speaking.

"I can tell you he wore very dark thick glasses, had very pointy teeth, clawed hands and admitted he hadn't been human for the past fifty years" she looks at Michel then continues "He wanted to hire both Ulsaon and I for 20,000 shades to bring him the Eye of Anubis. I refused, and Ulsaon seems to have forgotten the incident for some reason. That's what I know of this Lancaster."

[The Whistler]

His golden-eyed gaze had turned starry-eyed by the time he finished his rambling, his voice had taken on a subtly passionate tone. He smiled wistfully, thinking about the promise of long journeys of the future.

Then he looked at Andre. "Sounds like you and I may have something in common after all, Professor," the priest grins.

Otto smiled inwardly: he knew what the priest meant, and it was a touching sentiment. Looks like all of us have the travel bug in common, if perhaps for different reasons...in any case, I'm glad my first major trip'll be with such a nice group of people.

"Well, I would be happy to show you my homeland once this is over, but I fear that you have stolen my first choice! There are so many things I have seen in in my arcane studies here that I would never have come across in my home; so to see Hazlan, and so to see magic as an institution...it would be very educational to me. Also Darkon, for the similar reasons."

[lostboy]

Khalil smiles at the responses and nods slightly to Kuzan, acknowleging his expereince at sea.

"I am most pleased to observe all your enthusiasm, however please be mindful that where we travel to is a harsh, unforgiving land, we shall all need our wits about us to be succesful. Fortunatly this expedition seems most professional and well organised so far, Anubis willing all will be favourable."

With those words he maintains a smile, hwoever inside he feels very different. I remember feeling once as they do, how quick the world has jaded me. He sighs inwardley and casts a quick glance out of the window, hmmm time is getting on, he muses.

[NeoTiamat]

"I can understand that." Remy chuckled. "You'll get along fine with the Professor then. Two-thirds of his students wash out and the other third has jobs in the Dementleiuse Foreign Service or trading factors in Sri Raji or Rokushima Taiyoo."

A starry look entered Remy's eyes. "You realize if we pull this Expedition off we'll be famous? An undiscovered tomb? If its untouched like al-Muharin says, our names are going to be in history books."

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Lily's fan fluttered in the air as she seemed to consider Andre's comment, or Andre at any rate. Her cornflower-blue eyes took on a distant look, and she blew a stray lock of hair out of her face as she thought.

"Someplace cheerful, I think. Or at least where people are polite and attentive. Kartakass I think, or maybe Invidia in time for a festival. Nova Vaasa is a horribly gloomy place, and the noblemen there seem to think a woman reporter is utterly scandalous."

"Just listen to me," She laughed, "I want to go somewhere cheerful and we're off to a desert."

"Still, at least we'll all be in good company, won't we?"

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De Angelis glared at his cards and said, "Fold." He shuffled the cards and dealt the next hand. "Sounds like someone's hoodwinked you. Why'd he pick on you two anyway?"

Loup had stopped growling now that Ulsaon had left, and after sending a few last glances the half-elfs way, had strolled over back to Tomas, looking at him with open, expectant yellow eyes. The dog was no one's fool.

[Nathan of the FoS]

De Angelis glared at his cards and said, "Fold." He shuffled the cards and dealt the next hand. "Sounds like someone's hoodwinked you. Why'd he pick on you two anyway?"

"Dark glasses, claws, teeth, hasn't been human for fifty years, your friend doesn't remember the incident..." Charles says musingly as he rakes in the coins and takes his next hand of cards. "That's unusual, certainly. Did he say he was mounting an expedition of his own, or did he expect the two of you to go it alone?"

[DocBeard]

"Certainly sounds like an unpleasent fellow." Tomas says carefully, as he cannot help but think that it's more likely that the guy fibbed than was a member of the living dead. "...shades? I apologize for my ignorance, but what are they? I am not familiar with that sort of currency."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

A starry look entered Remy's eyes. "You realize if we pull this Expedition off we'll be famous? An undiscovered tomb? If it's untouched like al-Muharin says, our names are going to be in history books."

"I wonder about that," Lia says, slowly. "This humble desert-dweller finds a tomb full of ancient riches and instead of taking them home piecemeal and fencing them for his own benefit, he makes an arduous journey to a foreign land so the people there may take all?" Lia shakes her head. "But at any rate, even if the richest pieces are already gone into al-Muharin's coffers, to find a brand new tomb is, in and of itself, a great discovery. I look forward to getting to see its inscriptions and finding new knowledge - or perhaps I should say, to rediscovering old knowledge?"
Lia briefly chuckles. "Our names in the history books, eh? We should hope we graduate soon, then. Otherwise, we might be forced to officially study our own names ..."

[steveflam]

De Angelis glared at his cards and said, "Fold." He shuffled the cards and dealt the next hand. "Sounds like someone's hoodwinked you. Why'd he pick on you two anyway?"

"Dark glasses, claws, teeth, hasn't been human for fifty years, your friend doesn't remember the incident..." Charles says musingly as he rakes in the coins and takes his next hand of cards. "That's unusual, certainly. Did he say he was mounting an expedition of his own, or did he expect the two of you to go it alone?"

"He wanted the both of us to get this eye, he never mentioned another expedition. He chose us because as he put it.... we have no real attachments here, if you get my meaning. I found him annoying and gold isn't the only commodity in me eyes. Informaiton goes a long way. Anyways that's done with." Allikhain said to Charles.


Ulsaon came back with a plate and sat. "Didin't realise I was so hungry! I'd offer some to Loup but he might take my hand with it, sorry doggie." She looked ruefully at Wolf before digging into her plate.


"How do you manage to put all that food inside you and yet still stay so thin, Ulsaon? You'd think she had a hollow leg or something. I'm not bothered but assuredly you'd make many a woman jealous of you" Allikhain said with a raised eyebrow at the huge plate of food in front of Ulsaon.

[lostboy]

Khalil watches Lily carefully, a smile on his lips. Captivating she is, yet enigmatic at the same time... he thinks silently, I will have to watch my step with her.

As enjoyabel as talking to the others and Lily was, something else was on his mind, mentally counting out the grains of sand in his mind he realises time is short.

"Forgive me , your conversation is most entertaining, and I look forward to journeying with you all." His eyes settle on Lily as he speaks. "But regretfully I have some business to attend to before our departure, I wish you all pleasant dreams."

With that he nods to all of the group and then smoothly crosses the packed room to the door, dissapearing into the dark outside.

[DocBeard]

"Who's a puppy~" Tomas coos under his breath, unable to resist the Adoribals and hoping that a little TLC will keep Loup calm. He fishes a smoked miniture sausage-in-a-croissant that he was saving for later out of a spare pocket, slyly slipping it towards the wolfhound.

[NeoTiamat]

"You know, I hadn't thought of that." Remy paused reflectively. "I suppose al-Muharin thinks the University can provide something he can't. Maybe the tomb's guarded too well?"

Suddenly the final comment of Lia's hit him. He scowled theatrically, then dropped into a florid bow. "Thank you Miss Mournswaithe, if I am ever in danger of a night's sleep I shall be sure to call upon your wit." He laughs. "On the bright side, at least we'll know all the names."

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Lily waved a goodbye with the fan as Khalil went off to whatever his business was. "Interesting man that..." She murmurred thoughtfully.

She was about to say something else as a thought occurred to her. "You know, I've had this odd question churning about my mind, and my journalistic curiosity is getting the better of me. Does anyone know who's paying for the Expedition?"

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"Good appetite." Benoit said quietly, looking at the plate of food in front of Ulsaon. "We'll tell Maleagant and Prof. Pelletier, they'll keep a look out for this Lancaster fellow."

Meanwhile, de Angelis answered Tomas's question. "Nightshades, they're a Borcan goldpiece. About equivalent to a Dementlieuse Solar or a Lamordian Glutton."

"Speak of the devil..." Benoit murmurred. At the moment, Maleagant, the short, sharp-featured Borcan organizer was arriving at the table. He was looking distracted.

"Guy, Michel, have either of you seen Jervis? I swear when I catch him... Ah, pardon me." He noticed the rest of the seated card players. "Sorry, I've had a long day. Allow me to introduce myself. Samael Aurelius Maleagant, I've the dubious honor of being the organizer for this trip."

Loup, in the meantime, was gazing at Tomas with a look of unfettered adoration, and poking his wet nose at the Lamordian's hands, saying silently that there were, in fact, more smoked sausage-in-a-croissants that could find there way from the table to Loup's gullet.