She was rearranging little figurines in the parlor room of the administration building, half watching the students as they were coming and going for classes. She noticed the four as they were leaving, as they always did this time of day. They were all well into their teens and old enough to leave campus on their own, though the rules wouldn't allow time for too far. They never went too far, just to the specialty coffee shop down the street. Sometimes they would even bring her back a cup of the specialty brews. Today was supposed to be one of the those days.

She'd given them coin to bring back a turtle frappacino with a shot of espresso... in fact, she wanted two of those drinks. So she watched them as they left through the front gates, meandering away along the path. Her gaze only left them a moment as she focused on the figurines, wiping them off with a damp cloth to clean off the dust. Sometimes she would help Cadence clean because her friend also had classes to attend. It was on those days she would also buy Cadence a pick me up, thus the second drink she was expecting.

Something felt odd, almost like a nudge to her thoughts, a whisper, a half spoken word. She sensed an emotion, a confusion around it but there was not enough to feel anything familiar of the sender. She wondered if she had just imagined it.

By the time she looked up and around outside, the four students weren't anywhere in sight. She couldn't see them on the ground because of the dip in the path and the foliage that kept them, and their kidnapper, out of her sight ... out of sight and unaware. So she wasn't alarmed.

It did strike her as odd that they were out of sight so soon but then she thought perhaps her mind had pondered that odd wisp of a thought longer then she realized and the four simply had walked down the path and out of sight as normal. It was possible.

She set the shiny figurines back into the windowsill, the light catching reflectively especially on the one with a spinning multifaceted ball. It looked like a miniature disco ball. She always liked the way it sparkled and turned in the sun. She gazed at it a moment, spinning it with her finger.

Then she turned to walk away, heading for the kitchen, all the while she had this nagging feeling that something wasn't right. She would make sure to keep an eye out for their return, making note of the current time as she moved into the hallway and headed for the kitchen. Twenty minutes. That's all it usually took them; five minutes there, five or so to order and the rest of the time they usually meandered a little slower back while consuming their beverages.

A third masked figure all in black rested against the trunk of one of the larger trees on the path closest to the academy. He was well with the shadow of the tree but in position to cause a ?distraction? should one be necessary during this little operation.

Having felt the others? success he was finally ready to make his move and it seemed at the most oppertune moment as well. There they were, as carefree as could be, a group of six students just leaving the academy and turning down the path he?d lined with pellets. Two of the men and one of the women were bundled up tightly in winter coats and scarves and hats while the other three women seemed to be using something else entirely to keep themselves warm. Well nothing they wore would save them from their next few steps, and as he had hoped the group walked right over the gas pellets that he?d left scattered along the path. With barely heard crunching under their boots that was easily mistaken for snow, the group took two or maybe three steps further and colapsed to the last onto the cold, hard-packed snow.

He leapt to work, quickly checking for the requirements needed in each of their minds, and when he found the young man who could speak in tongues he hoisted him up over his shoulder and began to move away. Something stopped him. There was something about the mind of one of the girls that he just had to explore further. So without any wasted motion he was back at the pile of fallen bodies and hoisting up one of the unconsious sorceresses when the young woman who was nicely bundled up began to wake. Sighing inwardly he would have to remember to use more gas next time as he quickly made his way back into the shadow and off to their designated meeting spot with his two bodies in tow. The only thing the young girl saw as she began to wonder what had just happened, were two of her friends floating off into darkness.

The dark form placed the students together, binding their arms and legs then placed upon their necks a metalic clamp that bit down hard on their flesh and released an electrical charge. In this manner, the sadated ones were for sure to remain incapacitated. The form's head turned, looking back along the path towards the academy.

In the midst of the silent assult stood the headmaster. The power was felt, easily enough: A very powerful being, indeed. The form moved quietly back towards the school, there were other targets to hit. Another form was nearing the school already. The rooftops were taken to again, becoming a shadow along the building tops, looking down around the school once more. If it was done right, the academy could be easy picking point for delicious treats.

He was actively looking for auras now and sensed the three malevolent ones nearby. One, was strong, but one was familiar...the being that tested his wards a little while back. He sensed more of his students being taken. He split his form into three and chased after the auras. If he saw any students, he teleported them to his office. He would get to the bottom of this.

Briarius moved towards the hidden assailants and all three of the forms had the words of magick on their lips. When one of the Headmasters arrived at the site of an assailant, he loosed a spell that would create a blinding flash to disorient them. If they were using magickal senses, this burst would blind them. If they were using technological senses, the flash would knock that offline. Natural senses would suffer from the flash as well. He wanted to capture these assailants, not hurt them.


...yet.

"Hold where you are. I am Briarius Ravensheart, Headmaster of this Academy. Return the students you have abducted and turn yourself in peacefully or I will be forced to capture you myself. I am a sorcerer of some ability and have read your aura. You will be found if you do not comply."

The other two Headmasters would be making the same speech. Briarius didn't want to use more violent magicks, but was ready to if the need arose.

He began to form the words to a spell which faltered as he realized his targets were no longer there. He summoned some of his ghostly friends to keep an eye out all over RhyDin.

He began to walk back to the Academy. As the snow crunched beneath him, he suddenly realized the cold. He cast a simple spell that would shield him from it.

The three Headmasters met and rejoined.

Where was Sha'uri?

Where was Sha'uri?

It was Lyndra who came to appear by his side about the time the headmaster was wondering that. A crystal ball was in her hand. It seemed she was tracking the movements of the assailants. She had felt something wrong at the beginning of this and decided to scry the children and seen what had occured. She was, by now, noting the movements of all three assailants ...

The girl and one male was picked up and moved quickly through the woods.

Lyndra had made note of that place by tracking the group for those she had been expecting to return. Now she saw where this other assailant was seemed to be taking his two as well ....

Sighing inwardly he would have to remember to use more gas next time as he quickly made his way back into the shadow and off to their designated meeting spot with his two bodies in tow. The only thing the young girl saw as she began to wonder what had just happened, were two of her friends floating off into darkness.

"Aye now! In the woods, Briarius! They Rendezvous there... Quickly... they move fast!"

He sent a telepathic message to all of his staff and faculty.

~All staff and faculty are to assemble all students and head to the arena. more information and instructions to come.~

Renna at the time was in the Gym, and although the sudden spike of energy that could have blinded most did turn her head in the direction from whence it came and from her students who grumpily did their warm-ups, caused her to frown. Such spikes were normal in a city where many of the strongest beings in this dimension were assembled, but with the mental message flooding into her head from the Headmaster so soon afterwards, she started to rethink her earlier evaluation.

Something was evidently wrong? And sadly she relies on her sense of smell more than any psychic ability to detect power, so she literally had no clue as to what was going on. Intense scarlet eyes narrowed on the children, and directed her herd to the location specified.

Once there, Renna started counting the heads of the arriving students with their faculty. Having no ability to use telepathic links with no one other than her own creations, she frowns even deeper at being in the dark. "This better be a drill." She muttered.

After all were assembled in the arena, the Headmaster walked to the center. He cast a simple incantation and his voice carried to every corner of the arena.

"Greetings students and faculty. I am afraid I have some grave news. At 8:37 this morning, Ravensheart Academy was the target of kidnappers."

The assembled began to murmur. The Headmaster's voice got slightly louder.

"Please, calm yourselves. I need all staff who have a class this period to take immediate roll of the current students in attendance and submit those lists forward so that Mistress Hearthsglen may compare them against total enrollment and we may attempt contact with missing students so that we may narrow down who exactly was taken. Your full cooperation is expected and appreciated."

The teachers and staff in attendance began to take roll. Lists were making their way up front.

After all of the papers were accounted for, Melody nodded at the Headmaster who looked back into the crowd.

"You all will be sent home today and are not to return until you receive notice."

The Headmaster collected himself before saying the next phrase. It took all of his mental fortitude to get it out.

"Until further notice, Ravensheart Academy will be closed. I will be pairing two elder faculty with a junior staff member to teleport all of the students home in small numbers. Once that is completed, we will investigate those who are not present today and then finally submit our list of the kidnapped to the authorities. Once the investigation is complete, we will set ourselves to open. That is all. You are dismissed to your classrooms until further instruction."

The Headmaster turned to Melody who had already compiled a list of missing students. There were 34 on the list. He set several of his junior staff on the task of visiting the homes of the students on the list, taking note of the students who supposedly went to school. Those staff came back with a list of 18. Later that evening, several of those were confirmed as acts of truancy which reduced the missing student count to just under a dozen.

Meanwhile, Briarius and his conjuration staff were sending students home. By the time the list was narrowed to under 12, the Headmaster regarded it in a mandatory meeting of the entire faculty. He had closed the Academy and woe be unto anyone who tried to get in...anyone.

Quiet, compliant.. Lyndra kept to scrying while going back inside the grounds, watching as some of them moved to a rondevous point in the woods. She didn't get to see the exact location, but enough to notice the trail.

"I'm going to go look for a trail."

She saw the anger and displeasure in Sha'uri's gaze even though the words were so quiet not even she heard them actually. Still, there was a determination and Lyndra could well understand Sha'uri would try to hunt them down herself if she had to. She exchanged a look with Sha'uri before she left, imparting the trail she'd been tracking with her scrying device. One image is all she gave her but it was enough to help her out. She hoped Sha'uri could at least find some clues there....

She turned away and helped in getting students home safely, though she wondered what would happen to those who called this place home. Some were students who stayed most of the year and only going home on vacation times. Others had no where else to go.

Lyndra waited until later during the mandatory meeting.

"Does this mean we can't come and go as needed? How is this lock down going to help anything?"

Renna had watched Shauri go after the Headmaster, and she almost frowned as the words were exchanged. Quite venomous ones at that? She mentally winced, and gave the look of artificial pain upon her face, as she turned back to regard the dispersing students being guided home magically by the other members of the faculty upon the Headmaster?s command.

Her nose wrinkled, and she sensed that Shauri had left the building. Giving an inwards groan and a roll of her eyes, she too, disappeared suddenly.

Although The Betrayer?s reappearance was not as sudden as Shauri?s, it was perhaps a little bit slower; maybe no more than a few seconds after the other woman appeared in the area.

A sudden downdraft of a light breeze, followed by her running shoes tapping against the ground, signalled her arrival. Several black out of place feathers sifted down and scattered the ground about her, like as if some large bird had just flown overhead.

She took a deep sniff, then exhaled, scarlet eyes drifting to the back of Shauri?s head. ?I suppose I best leave the teaching duties behind me for now, hmm?? Her attempt at trying to be light hearted, could have seemed heartless. "Ahhhhh..." She grinned at the familiar residual aura, "I've smelt this one before."

Her scarlet eyes hop about then, looking for the direction.

Not far from the academy grounds, near the meeting point, sat a form dressed entirely in black. No flesh was seen, not even markings for the eyes. Gloves covered the hands, and no other markings were seen on the dressing.

The form was like a living shadow of sorts. It was leaning easily against a tree, seeming to be sleeping, as it didn't move.

It was almost rediculous how easy the eye was snatched out of the air by the vile grasp of the black, shadowy form. It was held between fingers and thumb, displayed as some sort of trophy. The clearing, at one point looked as if it had something large there, but was long gone, as the grass was starting to come back up.

The figure threw the eye back towards the standing sha'uri. The head tiltling slightly to the right, as it watched her from the distance.

The clearing, at one point looked as if it had something large there, but was long gone, as the grass was starting to come back up.

While the Shade played with one of her eyes... Sha'uri made a mental note of the size and shape of the matted down area and the kind of tracks left behind. At this point, she didn't have time to study the tracks for the story they could tell, just enough to determine a general feel.

The movement caught her gaze as one of her magical eyes came sailing back towards her. It righted itself before it could hit her and moved its course to the side. The other of the pair was soon by its partner's side, floating at about seven feet to Sha'uri's left and remained stationary there. At this point, Sha'uri summoned for the rest of the eyes to close in on this area to surround them, especially the shadowy form.

Sha'uri watched as the Shade moved its stance, turning its head slightly to gaze her direction. Perhaps it was still watching the eye it threw? She moved several paces to the right. It's gaze followed her. She moved back the other way. It's gaze still followed her. Apparently, it could see those who were invisible as it was looking directly at her.

Dropping the ruse, her form came into full view. There was a glow of positive energy that seemed to wrap itself around her form as she did come into view. It seemed to coincide with the flame that sparked and flickered in her sapphire eyes.

"The rest are gone. Why do you stay behind... is there a ransome you wish to demand? Perhaps a message you wish delivered?"

She made no move for her weapons, though they could be in her hands without a thought followed by a few well placed blows to swiftly follow if necessary. She was far from helpless and her keen gazes surrounded the Shadowy form.... waiting, anticipating, calculating.

A feigned step. The defender-wanna-be had expected as much and was far more calm then the percieved agrivated agitation. Thus no move was made when the shadowy figure stepped forward, merely a predatory smile.

However, she sensed something, some part of the Force was being used. A psionic fortress suddenly shielded her mind, thoughts and emotions so that talents couldn't be used to read her anticipated moves and counter them even before she could enact them. Her mind simply seemed blank, like an endless void.

"Where are the children?"

She took a step forward.

Sha'uri smirked, rolled her eyes and moved her direct attention away from the decoy.

"I've wasted enough time."

She muttered and moved on to look over the area again, trying to catch the story that the footprints and signs of the foilage would leave behind.... like about how many involved? How were they transported out? Any other clues left behind? All the while, she kept close tabs on the shadowy form leaning up against the proverbial tree...

As the form zipped in front of her, her weapons were drawn out of defensive instinct, a longsword in each hand expertly placed, though she held back any strike as it seemed it wasn't striking at her. Her gaze narrowed though she relaxed the stance and watched its moves all the same.

Apparently, it wasn't going to let her look over the area, but it would sooner or later realize it was powerless to stop her from looking. Just by her own will, she had those other pairs of eyes now looking over the area for her to gain that information while she stepped even closer to the Shadowy form. Her intense gaze was now peering deeply for a soul if it had one.

Flame burned in her Sapphire hues as her gaze met the proverbial gaze of the shadow form and it didn't appear as if she were going to stop moving. Her steps were slow, but she kept going at it clear up to the point where she was merely inches from it, though she would not touch it unless it attempted to touch her. Only when and if it refused to move away from her would she stop.

"It's time for you to get out of my way... do so before I force the issue."

Well, it had been warned.

"It's time for you to get out of my way... do so before I force the issue."

The form was simply preventing her from leaving, no need to antagonize her, though it would enjoy doing that too. Not that it would care much about what she saw or didn't see. The form quickly went up to her, and pretended to kiss her on her nose as it danced around her for a moment then walked around the field with its hand up before its face, as if searching through a maginfying lens.


Blink. Disbelief filled her gaze as she stared after the shadowy form. She couldn't help it that a grin formed even though her eyes narrowed with annoyance. It made her wonder if Travanix had anything to do with this shadowy form.

She was fairly certain he probably had something to do with the kidnappings only because it was something he would do and she had been anticipating that he was up to something lately anyway. So the kidnappings seemed to fit his style. Even though the evidence so far didn't point directly to him, it still didn't point away from him either.

This shadowy form was something she thought he conjured up. But that it kissed her nose? That was totally unexpected and unanticipated. It wasn't something she anticipated as his .... style. So she began to doubt the origin of the form. The twin swords were carefully put away, though she still kept a watchful eye upon it.

Those magical eyes surveyed the area closely while Sha'uri made mental notes of the information, as well as entering it on the pad.

She thought it made sense that the backpacks were dropped at the southern end. It was the side closest to the city and seemed most of the footpaths coming into the clearing were generally from that end. The magical eyes also noted the place where a large cart or wagon stood. Footprints surrounded the area clearly indicating that the steps towards the cart were deeper then they were when they left. This indicated that the children were likely placed in one part of it before the kidnappers moved to another part before they all left.

As to how they left, Sha'uri thought it was possible they teleported out, Gated through a portal, flew out or else the cart wheels were magically enhanced to prevent tracks from being made, making it even difficult for someone of her ability to notice which way they went. She hadn't noticed anything of that size flying or floating in the sky, so if that was the way they went, then they either had a cloaking device or else a very powerful ability with illusion. Sha'uri normally saw through such magical things... though if it were the use of Force... it was possible she might not have seen through the guise so easily.

After surveying the area around the packs, she teleported to them and picked them up. They were placed into her bag of holding and notes taken to the location. It seemed there was nothing else the children could've had on them except the clothes on their backs.

There didn't seem to be anything else to survey. The eyes had done a thorough job. STill walking on air, which she had been the entire time, Sha'uri took steps upwards and began to ascend over the forest to walk back to the Academy by way of the bird's flight.... except she was walking swiftly, navigating the ascent and descent by invisible steps of air.

Sha'uri arrived in time for the meeting, bringing with her the evidence she'd collected. She didn't eat dinner, didn't talk to anyone when she first arrived, simply moved to Bri's Office, sensing he was there. She knocked on his door.

She pushed the door open, stepped inside and shut the door behind her.

"I've collected some things, found their meeting point. I did not find them though there was a shadowy figure there. If I didn't know better, I think it wanted me to find clues. It was very strange. I suspect magic wasn't used in its creation.. I didn't detect any. Perhaps the Force was, though I can't say for sure. I was not blessed with my father's talent for such things.. that I"m aware of any way. Have you contacted the authorities?"

"The only way to pass through the wards is to posses a special token that I have imbued and tied to the owner."

Nodding, she opened up the bag of holding.

"Our Academy pins... yes, I know. And I have some things to help you scry."

She pulled out the backpacks she'd found in the clearing, plus a few other items found along the way... a little girl's sweater, a boy's hat... a butterfly necklace, a pair of adult sized glasses and a few crowns in a small leather purse. That didn't include what was in the bags.

"I'm not sure who's is which and what's inside the backpacks. I thought it might be best to search them for traps before opening them. I haven't looked yet..."

Leaving the items on his desk, she put away her bag of holding.

"I saw Mistress Renna out looking around and I think she was following one of the trails. She went one way, I went another. I never saw her after that...."

A sigh escaped her.

"Anyway, I found knock out pellets along the path where the children were abducted at. These pellets are quite popular among slave abductors as a means to minimize damage to the victims. I've had the contents verified by our labs in Exodii. We have similar problems with slavers and we're fairly sure they get their supply of pellets and trade of slaves through RhyDin."

"This city's connection with the Nexus leaves a wide open berth for trade, virtually limitless. Things will move swiftly. We need to act quickly, Bri. I hope we are not too late. While the evidence is inconclusive as to who did it, I suspect Travanix had something to do with this."

Renna had gone down her own trail, but had found nothing salvageable that could point a definite finger towards the culprit, but she had her suspicions. This all seemed so very familiar ? the style, the obvious pattern. It leant towards a particular man she had investigated in the past with Brian Ravenlock.

She circled the trail several times ? hence her late arrival, taking up handfuls of leaves ? soil, taking in the scents. She could smell so many, many things unique things; yet, in her long slow investigation of the area, there was one particular scent she had picked up on, in an instant. One of these people she had smelt once before ? saw, in fact, lurking outside the gates of the Academy.

Perhaps this whole thing could have been avoided if she had told the Headmaster of that day?

The Betrayer had emerged in the corner of the room, her hands stuffed into her pockets, head inclined so that her scarlet eyes stared at the wall. Her lips curled back from her teeth; grinding together slowly, her own thoughts savaging her, as the mere thought that this whole thing could have turned out so differently, if she had said something sooner.

She remained very quiet.

Renna?s eyes danced from the wall, and then over to Shauri. Withdrawing a hand out from her pocket and a small silver flat square flask, she unscrewed the top ? knocked back some of the liquid contents down her throat, and noisily swallowed. She stared down at the flask now, and sighed. ?I remember seeing, and smelling a female presence outside of the Academy gates a while back, before this unfortunate incident. I didn?t think much of it on the day... But now...?

She glanced up at Shauri then towards the Headmaster, and then back to the flask. ?I smelt the same presence on the trail just now, and have several times smelt the same thing at the Inn. I should have...? Renna?s words died off as her head tilted back, ?I?m sorry I didn?t report this sooner.?

She agreed, nodding.
"He's right, Renna. Don't beat yourself over the head on that one. At least you do have a scent to follow. That's good. Keep your eyes open and your nose hairs clean. She'll eventually show again either here or in the Inn. There are certain types who can't stay away from there. She'll probably show."

Her gaze shifted to Lyndra with a grin.
"And Lyndra, you can practice on my door instead, hun. Headmaster doesn't like to share his door, even if he is half expecting people to come. That was an uber cool entrance by the way."

She winked and took the papers, passing them out. Then she looked over the names.

"Ah, but there is a plausible motive and evidence to back it, Headmaster. The knock out pellets I told you I found... they are known on Exodii to be used by slavers for such purposes as abducting new slaves. It has been suspected that they get these pellets and trade slaves outside the system. RhyDin is either the place they trade to or else it serves as a crossroad between the worlds, universes... the multiverses."

Here her tones lightened slightly with dry sarcasm.
"As for yOu having any suggestions, Dear Headmaster... I really can't say what's going on in your head. You'll have to ask you about that later. But if you ask me,..."

All humor aside, she continued.
"....I would suggest getting Renna out there between here and the Red Dragon Inn.. and also, playing on a hunch here... Near the Chained Inn. I still think Travanix did it or has something to do with this. If not him, then someone he knows. He is a slaver. Renna's got the best evidence of all, the only thing we can use to pursue this."

Her gaze shifted to Renna.
"I suggest you find the scent.. follow it, identify this person more, get a face, maybe a name and whatever else can be gotten and we can go from there. Perhaps if you could get a personal item of this woman, like a few strands of hair or an item that is hers..... even a glass she had been drinking from, we can use that to track her further. But be discreet. I don't want you caught in the act."

Gaze shift agian, back to Briari.
"Renna wouldn't necessarily have to engage this woman, just bring back some identifying markers and if possible follow her to see where she goes, who she's connected to. We can always try to use these other markers to scry this woman further and plan our next move. Maybe by then the authorities will be ..... more inclined to help us find the children. Anyway, that's my suggestion."

Renna held any self-punishment for much later. She'll probably hit the bottle over the whole thing quite hard, tonight. Which was mostly evidently after the second sip was taken from that flask.

"Yes... Of course." To both Shauri and the Headmaster of her previous issue. But as Shauri continued on at the matter at hand, she felt the need to look at the woman carefully. This is what she calls her: 'I'm paying attention' face, which just so happens to be her 'I am pouting' face.

"I'll follow it..." She mused with a dangerous smile, "And perhaps remove the female's face while I'm at it," It was hard to tell if Renna was joking or not, but she shrugged it off with a gentle nod, "If I get anything new, I'll send it the Headmaster's way."

Renna was full of restrained suggestions on how to get the kids back... A lynch mob. Invasion. Level the city until they find the kids... Feelings of vengence aside, she shook her head. "I have nothing else to offer, for I... I'm not very good, in that department."

::No, Cadence didn't make it to the meeting, but her name wasn't on the list of missing persons. Briarius would of course know she was okay but her whereabouts were simply a puzzle to even him other then she kept phazing in and out of this time/dimension and slipping into out of another unknown place.It was something she'd been doing often as of late. She was innocently gathering information that wouldn't come to light until later, when she found the courage to come back again::

"I'll do as ye ask, Mistress."

Lyndra bade everyone goodnight and went about her task of scrying.