The Black Flag II (reprint)

"No Grim, it's at Black Flag." Ginger said as she put a restraining hand on Grim's arm. "You won't need it." She said talking about his sword. "And that's the thing, I don't sense Annie, She's always there." She explained, then took off running towards the bar.

Grim followed ging into the flag. looking around "Hey any one know where Annie went, and when she'll be back." he bellowed so everyone would hear him in the room.

Searath arrived at the Black Flag Minutes they opened. Unlike the day before when he was in mage robes, today he was in a deep royal blue suit with a black shirt and a red silk tie. Offset by his shoulder length brown hair his face was fully shaved and he had no one of the pendants or anything as he did the night before, just the same rings. His Broad shoulders and height of only six foot went well with suit. But what really set it off was His Fire red eyes. Searath walked in, in a good mood but bored as hell. He saw vampire grim and the lycan ginger. Looked at grim and said "Hello" before he caught the mood, he then followed it by "Is something wrong?"

Grim looked around. "Ging says annie's missing. grim walks over to the bar and yells into the back "hey anyone back there, i need to talk to the manager." that might get someone to tell him what had happened to the little fae.

Shuri came out back room carries a box.

"Auntie left, she siad she wasn't sure if she as gonna be comin' back. Left the Blak Flag to mama, ginger,azreal,angelous to all take care of themselves." shuri says to the.

Grim sat down on a bar stool. "Did she say where she was going sweety. annie has poured her life into this place. did someone come and get her?" Grim was a bit concerned. annie might have just moved on but he doubted it.

shuri shakesh erh ead put the box on table. "uh-uh." she looked at him. "Auntie said that she might be gone for a logn time. I think osemthing scared her when she looked under the matter this morning and found somethin' I don't know what it was. but when was talking with auntie. Something was wrong. Her aura an heart were...I gues the word is scaredy. and beating kinda fast especially when she saw a glas of the adult juice out an money."

Grim wasn't really good with kids but he figured that being kind would work better than torture. "what all did you and your auntie talk about Shuri. it might be real important. if she was scared she could be in trouble." Grim thought about everything he knew about annie. remembering once he had saved her. he whispered in the little girl's ear. "did she say anything about the wee folk, courts, royalty or anything" he knew that annie didn't want just everyone knowing about what she was.

Shuri nodded. "mhm, i don't know what a wee folk is. Sounds like a piglets squeel from a farm. hehe. hmm me an auntie She told me abou her mama, her friends that died along time ago, And a person she liked. shuri told auntie about the person I liked from greece." remebers what he said about her beign in trouble. MAde her worry now. "A-aunties st-strong. Y-you don't tihnk will be like the alien Vs. Predator movies do you? or the weird guy with the burnt face adn claw hands that hunted people." was thinking of freddy kruger.

Grim grinned down at the little girl. "no i'm sure it was nothing like that. i think someone has been watching too many scary movies before bed. no she probably just felt bad about going back to where she had bad memories. you've been very helpful is there anything you want for being such a help?" Grim figured if it worked on tv he might as well give it a try and see. what could it hurt to get the kid to like him if she gave him information.

"N-no I don't, I don't watch alot. If...f auntiehas bad memories why would she go back? Are you suppose to not chase aftrer them?...hmm..what I want oh right mama said i had ot organize some of the stuff in the storage room can you help me with that? I can't reach the big shelves." she smiles.

Grim smiled and nodded to the little girl. and tried to explain. "some of us might go after your auntie later but i'll help you with the storage. and she probably went to see her mom but that is probably in the same area where her friend died. so it makes her feel bad to be there." he ruffled her hair and gave ging and sea a look to wait for him and he would fill them in. "ok where do we start?"

"this way" she smiles some and runs to the door opens it runs inside. Was light inside but it wasn't because of lightbulbs as there wre non in it but becuase of a special plant that gives light. The back of long storage room was cluttered adn messy. "See gotta get it organized. But too short and the ladder got eaten by Fifi." was a pair of glowign eyes from some where and a tail that was out that goes under a cabinet gone.

"Um fifi? and exactly what is a Fifi?" grim watched the eyes carefully and followed the girl to help with the stuff on the top shelves.

"Fifi's a fifi. has skin like a gator, and is furry. fifi's a guard dog" she syas to him then trys to move one of the boxes.

The growlign gets nearer as the eyes were to a different place now. Was a big shaodw over heard head of a creature turned looking down at them growling. some drool. falls onto grims shoulder.

"Guard dog? sounds like a hel hound or something." he kept watching the eyes as he helped her with the heavy box. "shouldn't he be on a chain or something?"

"Well...fifi's not oen for being bound. she ate the chain last time."

Took abou 30 minutes for them to get everythign organized wiytinh the storage room.

Grim ruffles the kid's hair. then goes out to meet with sea and ging. "ok so here's the deal. i know annie is scared to go back to her home don't really like her people and they are looking for her last time i heard. i think they came after her but gave her a chance to come quietly. i'm going hunting, restocking my blood supplies then i'm loading for werebear and going after her. i have yet to find anyone else that could fix a decent drink and i'm not having someone ruin my favorite dive."

Searath looked over he was listing to every word, weather grim knew it or not he just told Searath what Annie was. He did not know if Grim knew just how good his hearing was. Searath In his hand made suit took out what appeared to be a solid sliver pen. The Glamor faded for a split second when Searath heard the wee folk but just a split second long enough for grim to see it. The Pen was a Solid sliver sword, Its age was older then most anyone even Searath. In the Hilt there a set of Seven Rubies on side and on the other Seven Amber Stones. The hilt metal a magic metal that made by binding fire with magic, this was his mage weapon. Searath once the Glamor reformed clicked the pen and said. “Well After last night I don’t think I am going to buy drinks anywhere else either. I rather like it here, it is fun. Besides I am bored as hell so I could use some fun.” It was clear Searath was going to help. “Besides You might need my help. As Searath said that last word the cold fire engulfed the whole bar burning nothing just showing off.

Grim was thinking too fast to pay much attention he saw the sword but he was thinking about what he would need. "right we could use your help." Grim opens his pack and starts pulling out flasks bottles jars jugs and other assorted containers. "i'm going to go pay our neighborly drug dealers a visit. maybe drop the prostitution in the area a bit i'll be back in a bit. unless you want to help hold their feet?" he took out a large pan from the bag as well and loaded a smaller bag with all the stuff. if any one ever noticed there was no way grim could fit everything he pulled out of his bag in it. but since he never pulled out that much not one ever suspected. he headed for the door.

Searath looked at him this time and said “Sure, Beside I need to get some things form house and change. This suit is not one for fighting in.” Searath followed out behind him. As soon as they where out of black flag his appearance changed to look more human. His eyes where now a light brown. As he took the pen out of his pocket and let the glamor go.

shuri sees him leave then takes t the animal fifi out of the storage room was big scaley and furry at the same time horns on it looked like soemthing a kid would dream up from thier imagination or night mare. "Come on fifi time for breakfast." she had it by the tail trying to pull the creature out it flips her off t ail goign back into stoarage. shuri gets up form the floor. "Fine! be that way." runs into the kitchen adn comes back out with a barrel waht was in it was writting in greek of what it was she rolls it into the storage room.

Grim really didn't have time to waste with being discreet. he stopped at a pay phone and called a special hotline. pressed 1 then 1 again finally pressed 4 and hung up. he loved how east it was to cover up their existence but it was irritating at the same time everything was automated now even the cleanup crews. it was worth the 5 mil he dropped on the service every year though. walking past the old bum on the street he cut by the guy and went into the ally reaching back the bum disappeared right behind him followed by a sharp crack, a thump and a wet draining sound like a faucet running into a pot. when sea caught up the bum's head was laying on the ground and grim was holding the body over the pan. "which way is your house we'll just work our way there.' it was obvious that he intended to repeat this process a few times as they traveled on the less savory sorts on the way. with the body drained he stuffed it under some trash and then pulled a packed of herbs out of his jacket. dumping it in he started mixing it in then bottled the liquid.

Searath looked at him and said “Finish, Its not here, As in not in this plane, I will have to open a portal to get to it. I made it along time ago so I don’t have to worry about someone trying to rob my house not that they could but still I like having privacy.” Searath was clear in what he said. He did not know if grim understood what he meant or not though. Searath muttered something once the body was drained dry and it turned to ash which in turn flew way in the wind that appeared out of no where.

Grim snickered. "I wouldn't do that again. the cleanup crews are usually hungry. usually a necromancer and his pet ghouls. they get cranky when they are expecting to get fed." he snickered. "well is this portal, or can you open it here? either way i need about 6 more to be restocked." he looked around the ally hopping for another bum and not seeing hearing or smelling one.