Wolfwood's Mystical Emporium

[Danton (DELETED 5283)]

Silence loomed over the empty shop, a heavy darkness thick with foreboding and dormant power. This was a place of magic, a place of power. He had found the temple abandoned, buried beneath the dust thousands of miles from here. He had been very meticulous in sketching, noting, and recreating the dark, ancient place. It was paramount that everything was recreated exactly. The smallest detail out of place would set the powers out of balance, a chaotic, catastrophic failure of the magical forces that were so precariously kept in check in this place. It was important that the balance was maintained, that the correct sacrifices were made to the correct entities at the correct times, on the correct altars.

It was a tedium he was used to, one that Natalia was sometimes able to assist with, when the time called for a sacrifice of essence, in place of a physical offering to the deity in question. The temple was built as a place of ritual practice, as well as a merchant’s bazaar, where traders could gather to exchange the arcana that they had gathered from the four corners of the world. Rarities and oddities of varying value and power were collected and exchanged before the likenesses of a dozen gods, goddesses, and demons.

Good and evil flowed in equal parts through the very stones of the temple, the power and influence of their energies passing through every person that stood on those great stone slabs of the foundation. Far below the temple, the undervaults delved deep into the earth, the most dangerous of the wicked entities and the deities most in tune with the earth itself resided in these deep places.

Deepest of them all, a darkness heavier than the blackest night was locked behind a heavy iron door, locked, bolted, and chained in fifty one separate points, a runic seal drawn into the iron in blood that had to be redrawn every few days kept the evil at bay, where the other precautions would only provide a minor annoyance to its darkness. This, he feared most of all. This one power, most crucial to his success, was also the doom that waited beneath the earth. The undoing of everything he knew, waiting behind a simple iron door.

He closed his eyes, taking a slow breath as he pushed the thought from his mind. The monsters beneath the earth were far away, now. He was out of their reach here, though their influence was all around him. He could feel that oppression heavy in the air as two women exchanged a handful of silver coins, one claiming them to be the original silvers received by Judas Iscariot for the betrayal of Christ, the other claiming them common silver coins, but not willing to sacrifice the chance that the treasure may be genuine, for an entire satchel of ingredients, rare and powerful, and the incantation for a ritual unknown to him.

Some of these deals, he was most grateful for not understanding the power or intent of the incantations that they exchanged. The darkness that this place drew in was palpable, even amongst the patrons. The things he had managed to collect here, however, were impressive. Even he had to admit that. He knew that if anyone could appreciate the real gravity of what he had done here, it would have been his sire; a woman as connected to the arcane as himself, though she was much more practiced in the art itself than he would ever hope to be.

He wanted her to see this.

He pulled out his phone, tapping out a quick invitation to his sire as he made his way out of the office and into the sales floor to check on some of the ladies set about the task of collecting shares and facilitating trades; his employees. Everything that passed over the threshold immediately became the property of the deities that resided there, and the keeper of their temple; meaning himself. Nodding to Ronda, the tall, muscle-bound Venezuelan that guarded the door, he stepped out into the night air for a touch of the cold as he tapped at his screen.

COMPOSED TEXT
TO: Kallista

Good evening, Miss. I thought
that you might be interested in a
shop that I have had in the works
for some time, now. If you want
to come by for a look at the place,
the building is fairly easy to find.
Just head to the Caverns, and from
the mouth of the cave, travel
northeast. You will know the place.
Beware the fae in the forest.

[Kallista]

The last words of the fae language fell into place and in turn locked Jersey out of the family apartment indefinitely. It made Kallista sad to have to resort to such measures in regards to her first childe but she’d drawn a line in the sand. She’d made her choice and her choice wasn’t her family. Knowing how each and every one of them felt about Peter, Jersey had still chosen to return to such a man. The mystic didn’t believe for a second that it was love. No, it was more that there was void in Jersey’s life that needed to be filled and she felt that Peter was the person to do just that. She could be wrong and if she was proven to be then that was fine but Kallista was entitled to her opinion.

Jersey was making a mistake.

Pushing Jersey out of her mind, Kallista focused her attention on cleaning up her ritual altar. The apartment was quiet. Everyone was out doing their own thing and Kelly was most likely sleeping again. She loved her husband with her entire being but she wished that he could be around more often. She didn’t hold it against him, but when it got quiet like it currently was it left her alone with her thoughts and that was when she’d start thinking about Jersey. They mystic wasn’t near ready to bridge the gap that existed but the silence was causing her to question her actions. She needed a distraction.

It came just in time in the form of a text.

The message was from Danton which surprised her. She didn’t speak with him very often, but she appreciated the quiet strength he possessed. He was a perfect match for her Kia in every way and she had no regrets siring either one of them. They were perfect additions to her small family. And she had a soft spot for Danton since they had something in common - rituals. If he was sending her a text then it was something that was important to him that he wanted to share with her.

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. She had no idea that Danton was doing so well for himself. It pleased her to hear it. Her feet slid into a pair of sturdy hiking boots and a thick woolen scarf was wrapped around her neck before she pulled on her coat. It was cold after all and while the cold didnt bother her like it used to she needed to keep up appearances for the humans.

-text- Good evening Danton. I’d be happy to see your shop. I look forward to seeing what you’ve been working on. I am leaving the apartment now, so expect me shortly. See you soon.

Once the text was sent she left the apartment through the fadeportal and took the transit to River Rock. From there she headed to the caverns but bypassed the entrance and continued on to the northeast as she had been instructed. The building loomed in front her her before too long and she hesitated for only a brief second before knocking on the door and letting herself in.