Two Allies - A Meeting

[Loki Perthro]

The cathedral was magnificent and huge. The golden sun of the late afternoon shone through the high open windows, lighting up the stone floor as Loki walked between the pews. His heavy footsteps sounded loudly in the empty hall, and echoed off the high ceiling and stone walls. Apart from that - silence. He slipped his wand out of his pocket.

He wore a heavy black cloak, with the hood up so that it cast a shadow over his tanned face. His dark brown eyes scanned the empty rows as he walked the isle. Ahead, an elaborate stained glass window showed some religious Muggle figure with a baby. For a moment he was mesmerized by the dancing colors.

He knew Valcan was here, as arranged, but he didn't call out, just lowered the hood away from his face. He wasn't under the cover of a polyjuice potion. No, he trusted the Death Eaters more than that, and very few of them knew he was here anyway. The ones who did wouldn't have betrayed him. He was safe, here in France, so far away from England.

He sensed Valcan now, and smiled, but didn't turn around, just continued to watch the colorful mother and child.

 

[Valcan Drage]

Valcan hardly had the time to appreciate the beauty of the cathedral as he strolled through it slowly, seemingly an old man on a sightseeing tour. His odd golden eyes scanned the pews, looking for the man that he was meeting here- The whole reunion seemed quite ironic. It was in a cathedral, after all, and a muggle one at that. The last place you would expect to find either head of the Death Eaters.

He was glad for the fact that he did not have to hide his face in public. Unlike the other, he was not a menace in the public eye. Recognizing him instantly, he was slow to approach him, the sneer present in his eyes but removed from the rest of his chiseled face. Smirking, he intoned deeply and quietly, "Good to see you again, Perthro."

He decided that it would not be wise to use the man's real name, nor the name that the rest of the Death Eaters called him. Both men's wives had been sisters; Valcan's was dead and the other, if he remembered correctly, was rotting in a cell in Azkaban. While not afraid in any way shape or form of the man, he possessed a deep respect for him- They went a long way back.

 

[Loki Perthro]

"And you, Drage. It's been quite some time." It was then that Loki, Maleficus, one in the same, turned to face his old friend. Loki smiled, although because it was so unpracticed, it looked like little more than a smirk. The colors from the window behind him lit Valcan up in an unusual light. The shadows of his sharp features appeared more prominent; his golden eyes brighter.

So, business then? Or would you prefer some idle chatter to start the evening off?" This time Loki did smirk, and his features finally suited the mad, sadistic glint that seemed permanent in his eyes.

 

[Valcan Drage]

((Can you see the DE's headquarters? We might want to get you changed into the DE group.))

Valcan smirked back at Loki/Maleficus, clapping him on the shoulder as if greeting an old colleague after a long period of time. To the outside world, it appeared a perfectly normal, friendly gesture.

"Indeed, it has, Perthro," he agreed with the dark man, only able to appreciate the manic glint in his eyes. Valcan did not possess that himself; at least, not in that extremity.

"Idle chatter might be suitable, at least to alleviate the mood, don't you think?" He chuckled a bit. "Quite an interesting pick of location for you- A muggle cathedral?" His tone was a bit mocking, as this seemed the last place a man like Loki, or himself for that matter, would be.

However, he could see the raw safety in this; even if a muggle were to overhear them, it wouldn't really matter.

 

[Loki Perthro]

As though he had read Valcan's mind (although of course, he had not) Loki replied, "No one would ever expect us to be here. Not in such an important place to Muggles. It may smell foul, and we may detest being here, but places like that our where we are at our safest." It was very unusual for Loki to ever talk about being safe. Before his years as a Death Eater, he hadn't given a damn about staying safe. But now, he had his people, his Death Eater's safety, resting on his shoulders. If he were to be caught, and forced vertiserum, it would be disastrous.

But Loki would never get caught. A little mad? Yes. Very sadist? Of course. But unintelligent? Definitely not. And the irony of the meeting place proved that.

"Last I was in New Zealand was to visit my eldest son. That was about six months ago. Has much changed since?"

 

[Valcan Drage]

Valcan's smirk was knowing and laced with amusement as he looked back at Loki; the cathedral did not really smell bad at all, but he caught his meaning clearly. "Of course," he drawled in a seemingly uninterested tone, his golden eyes falling on a stained glass window, catching the light quite oddly.

Placing his hands behind his back, he turned to Loki with a somewhat confused expression, but not to the point where he looked like an imbecile. "I'm sorry? I am just mislead as what you are trying to ask."

 

[Loki Perthro]

Loki smiled, although Valcan's response had told him his answer anyway, he repeated the question. "Has New Zealand changed at all? Any gossip, events... anything worth mentioning?" He stepped a little bit away, his eyes trailing up the cathedral walls and to the high roof. It reminded him a little of Hogwarts.

 

[Valcan Drage]

Valcan shook his head. "Nothing of dire consequence; not entirely recently." He looked at Loki with his golden eyes, smirking at the man. "Unless you count the Ministry raid, I suppose. The break in at the school was not of much consequence."

Placing a large hand on the pew, he murmured, "But my dealings are not all relative to New Zealand, either."

Turning to Loki, he asked, "And I suppose not much has happened in England?" He would have heard about it, but felt that it did not hurt to ask.

He had a sudden urge to start something on fire. The altar, perhaps? But no. He had better be behaved for the moment. The glow in his golden eyes lingered for a moment, as if to reflect his wishes at that point in time. He loved causing problems for Muggles.

 

[Loki Perthro]

"We have a new Death Eater. A woman, who seems capable enough. And Nero received the Dark Mark a few months ago. Asides from that, it's been a slow year..." said Loki, almost bitterly. Of course, it had been his decision to give the English Death Eaters a low profile, but he often missed the excitement of getting into trouble.

He stepped on a small red book, and bent over to pick it up. It was thick, obviously old and covered in dust from having been left on the floor. He brushed it down and read the title 'The Holy Bible'. He flicked it open, to a random age, that coincidentally showed a witch being burnt at the cross.

"Muggles really are... unusual creatures," he mused, closing the book again.

 

[Valcan Drage]

"A woman?" Valcan sneered, knowing that women were essential to the group but considering them lowly in any case. "Hopefully, she will turn out to be of some use." While he was somewhat modernized some of his ways were strict and old fashioned, and the status of women in the group was unchanged for him. However, if either of the girls proved to be of any use, that would be a different story.

"The year has been slow for me, unless you consider my granddaughters staying the summer." He smirked. "If the prophecy ever comes to pass, I believe it shall be one of them." He was not sure if Loki knew about this already; a lot of people outside his circle didn't, and in any case he did not remember precisely who he had told after the fact.

His golden eyes fell on the book, smirking at it. He shook his head, chuckling a bit. "Yes, they are a very odd people indeed; especially with their false beliefes and oblivious minds. They are rather, expendable, shall we say."

 

[Loki Perthro]

Loki smirked. Valcan was so old fashioned sometimes. Not that Loki could talk, but he knew that even modern woman were capable. At least, some of them. Others just weren't worth mentioning.

"Slow for us both, then," Loki sighed. Valcan had told him about the Prophecy over letter, but he cared little for it. How could a couple of children be so important? He was, however, interested in meeting the two mentioned girls. Just in case.

Loki laughed, and dropped the book back to the floor, where it fell open at his feet. He turned around again, and now the room was full of the golden light of the setting sun, illuminating the dust in the air. "Indeed they are."

 

[Valcan Drage]

"But in the end, the wait will pay off, will it not?" Valcan replied with a satisfied smirk in his thick accent, craning his neck to look to the belfries of the church, barely appreciating the intricate designs. "I'm actually interested in doing another raid again. I shall be hosting a large meeting in a few month's time; would you care to be present?" He paced slowly down the pews as he drawled, "Actually, I was thinking of blending both of our men. For organization's sake, you might say. Just so the feeling is familiar. Don't you think?"

He waited for Loki's opinion, musing as he watched a muggle couple tour the large cathedral, love unmistakable in their eyes for one another. He chuckled a bit; love was a false emotion, one that only brought you down in the end.

 

[Loki Perthro]

Loki frowned, ever so slightly. Unite the Death Eaters? He knew nothing of Valcan's lot. Of how they worked or who they were, or even what they did. He had never even thought of bring the groups together, and had no idea how well they would work with one another.

"Well," he said after a while. "It's an interesting idea. I'd like to attend your meeting, at any rate. I'll bring a few of my men with me, though, if that's okay with you."[/B]

 

[Valcan Drage]

"That should be well enough," Valcan replied, nodding his head, inwardly smirking at Loki's being suspicious. "I believe-" he said softly, "That if the group is to work perfectly, we should be as one." Adjusting his collar as his golden eyes fell upon the muggle couple again, severely desiring to cause them some trouble, his polished shoes clicking against the floor.

"Of course, that's only my opinion," he started again, "Although it might be a good idea, considering we share the same beliefs and most of the same goals."

He drawled on as he looked up to the balcony, "I was planning on bringing up allegiances at this meeting; and how everyone is going to work. Organization is not the greatest on my end, although the last Ministry raid was successful, I might say. Four dead and three recovered; I must say that was quite a nice trade."

That raid had only been to get a few of his own out of Azkaban, but indeed he had bigger and better plans. He hoped to take the school one day. With Bearse's blueprints, his mind was only beginning to work out this plan; but he could not do it alone.

 

[Loki Perthro]

Loki sighed and shook his head. "I don't know about your counting skills, friend, but I think that if you lost four to get three back, you were at the bad end of that deal." He smiled apologetically, before continuing. "I think that we would work well together united," he admitted. It was true - they would have bigger numbers, and raids would be more successful. They would be more powerful. One of Loki's biggest priorities for his Death Eaters was to up their numbers, and having them unite with Valcan's would do just that. "But." And there was a but, there had to be a but. Because Loki rarely ever agreed to anything that he didn't think of himself without sharing his uncertainties first, and making sure that he had all the facts. "My Death Eaters will not consent to moving from England, and few of them would be willing to spend hoards of time away from their country. Many have jobs and families, which I refuse to ask them to abandon."

 

[Valcan Drage]

"No, no, you mistake my meaning," Valcan chuckled a bit loudly, quieting his voice again, "The Ministry lost four, not us. I apologize for my wording."

Valcan raised his eyebrow at Loki, his golden eyes moving to a pigeon that had made it's way into the belfry of the church, and with a rush of wings flew to the other side of the church. "That was never my intention; of course, they do not have to move their location." His eyes trailed back to Loki, his amused expression having been overcome by seriousness.

 

[Loki Perthro]

"Ah. You'll need to be clearer with me, then, old friend." Loki turned away and walked up to a candle by the alter. It was recently lit, and only half burnt down. He snuffed it out with his fingers.

"I'm looking forward to the meeting already." He was thinking at that time on who he would bring. Nero was too young, Thorine too new. Perhaps Aidan? His father was a great Death Eater. It was a shame that he was dead. He wouldn't bring Fox. She talked too much and would probably embarrass then. He sighed. He really did need some better Death Eaters.

 

[Valcan Drage]

Valcan shook his head, having nothing to say to Loki's former comment and watching as he strolled up to the alter, snuffing out a candle. Itching to use his power and deciding it might be amusing to see Loki's reaction, he lit the candle's flame just as Loki had killed it. Acting as if nothing had happened and his glowing eyes returning to normal, he added, "So am I."

 

[Loki Perthro]

Loki made a move to snuff the next candle, but his attention was brought back to the first as it suddenly burst back into the flame. He narrowed his eyes and glared at it for an entire moment, before lifting his finger to repeat the process. He stopped, however, with his fingers inches away from the flame, it dawning on him exactly what had happened. After all, these were Muggle candles. They did not simply relight themselves.

"Oh, very amusing, Drage," he said sarcastically, although Valcan would know that he didn't mean it to be cruel. He was in awe of Valcan's unusual fire starting ability, and could remember back when they were both young, when Valcan hadn't been in complete control of that power. He was proud and a little envious of how far his friend had come. He snuffed the candle out again.

"You know, my granddaughter-" The one that I didn't abduct -"would be a few years behind yours. I met with her last Summer. She's as weak as her mother, but not as hopeless. If we could introduce the two girls, they may help one another...?" It was the spur of a moment idea, but Loki had wondering previously whether or not he should tutor Athene himself, and had decided against it. Being a parseltongue, he knew that she could possibly be very valuable. However, with two children living with him already... no, he didn't want to look as though he were running a daycare center. If Valcan's granddaughter was anything like him, she would be an excellent role model for Athene, Loki thought.

 

[Valcan Drage]

Valcan could only smirk at Loki as his golden eyes glowed in amusement, remembering the times he had caught everything on fire. That had been when he was a boy, however. He was always angry then, and decided instead of repressing it to unleash it. Now, he had a merciful control of it.

"Do they attend the same school?" Valcan inquired, listening with interest but not so sure of the idea. It all depended to which side Estrella leaned towards; especially under the unlikely event that she found out what he really was.

"And cousins, no less?" he added, recalling that both of them had married sisters. But Helena had died a long, long time ago, and he had seen none of her family since. Unless you counted Wolfgang, and he stayed out of everything.

 

[Loki Perthro]

"Of course, assuming yours attends school in New Zealand." Loki liked being in control of his family. It was why he had kept Nero, his son, with him when he joined the Death Eaters, and was partially why he had kidnapped the small child, and his granddaughter, Artemis. He hated not having power over Athene, but there was very little he could do about it right now. He ought to be paying more attention to the Death Eaters than his own family.

"Mmm, you're right, they are cousins. It's possible that they have already met, then."

 

[Valcan Drage]

"Both my granddaughter and great niece attend school in New Zealand," Valcan replied, "Both fourth years, also." He could not claim the same control that Loki had over his family, although by normal standards even Valcan had a great deal of control.

"They probably don't know they're cousins, providing they have met; I recently gained guardianship of the girl. Tristan did not care to introduce me when she was a child." His tone was bitter as he looked to the side; Tristan's bet with Sammael had proved to brought about things both disastrous and helpful.

 

[Loki Perthro]

"You should have done what I did," Loki replied, his grin turning menacing, "- kidnap the girl." He hadn't been told about the birth of his twin granddaughters, and had found out himself on the children's birthday. Out of anger, he had staged Artemis' death, and taken him away himself to raise as his own. Unfortunately, being busy with the Death Eaters, he hadn't spent much time with her at all. But she was growing up with excellent role models around her, in Blackthorn, and he was sure that she would turn out to be an obedient, decent granddaughter.

 

[Valcan Drage]

Valcan shrugged. "Acquiring her through legal means wasn't too terrible," he chuckled a bit, as legal matters seemed like a joke next to his real line of work, "And she seems to trust me enough. The thing is- She doesn't know my real work. Not yet, at least. I figured for her to centralize the anger on her father would be best."

That was an essential component to his plans, although Maleficus knew well enough not to tell it. Tristan and Sammael had never found out about the last part of the prophecy, and he intended to keep it that way.

 

[Loki Perthro]

"Legal? My, my. I'm disappointed in you," Loki joked, but as he said it, a small group of Muggles with cameras wondered into the vicinity, and Loki hissed in Parseltongue softly. His eyes looked past them and found a staircase, and when Loki had finished talking, he suggested; "I vote we head up onto the second floor. See the views, you know. It's not every day that you're in... what country are we in?" His voice was casual, but he had no desire to be caught on Muggle film.