Sideways Before

I glanced at Seth with my eyes, then back to who I had pinned. A Phantom Mage, huh? I pressed my mind further into his, looking for anything conspicuous. What he said was truth, and I didn't find any hostilities. But there was another half of him inside, like my dragon half but different. It seemed dormant at the moment but could be dangerous. However, he was no threat right now, and I could tell now he was not the one I was looking for.
I relaxed my arms and release him.

Eddie stood and brushed off some dust. "Well, that was a very nice welcome. And thanks for helping me after he had me pinned, furball."
Seth just shrugged. "Hey, come on, I didn't expect Drey to tackle you like that."
The Mage just shook his head, then turned to Drey. It was unnoticeable unless one had a good eye, but his left eye opened. "I'm sorry for spooking you like that. I didn't mean to come off as evil, but I tend to have that effect on people." He then closed his left eye, a friendly smile on his face. "So, a human-dragon, huh? Don't think I've ever met something like you before."

I stayed on guard. "I'm not surprised. I'm not even supposed to be able to exist." I stuck out a hand to shake. "I'm Dreyden by the way. Sorry for the tackle, but it was...necessary precautions."

Edwin took Drey's hand. "Understandable. You're not the only one who's looking."
Seth blinked. "Eddie, you don't mean?"
"I do. I, too, have been looking for this person who's been trying to make us so pleasantly known. The only leads I have, however, are that he, or she, is a sorcerer of some kind."

I nodded. "There's a human I think this person has had continuous contact with. I apprehended him last night and he was to be taken to base for interrogation, but he's vanished now. He already know about the dragons, yet he hasn't openly exposed us yet. Whoever is behind this is planning something that I think goes beyond exposure." I glanced around the building. "I also have reason to believe this place may have connections with our suspects."

Seth and Eddie looked at each other. "An abandoned candy store?" they both said in unison.

I nodded. "This was originally Butch's first hideout. About a year ago there was an incident in the city we were sent to look into. A drake had been spotted around this area and we were supposed to get rid of it as soon as possible. But somehow a human gang managed to sedate and cage the drake, and were planning on using the creature for their own purposes. Butch had figured out how to deal with it AND dragons at the time; he knew enough to shoot me with obsidian bullets. After erasing his memory and disposing of the drake I followed his gang here. I wanted to make sure he wouldn't remember again, but he has now and this hideout may have the clues I need to figure this out."
There was a picture on the wall that hadn't been taken down. I placed a hand against the faded frame and pushed it 30 degrees left and then pushed in. There was a resounding click and the wall moved inward and slide open, revealing a set of stairs that led down into darkness.

"Well, there's your first clue," Seth said, looking at the stairs. Eddie just raised his eye, wondering how in the world Drey even knew it was there.

OOC: Well, eddie, Drey is just that good.

I started down the steps. "If you're following be careful." I created a light ball that hovered above my palm. "There's never telling what lies in the dark underground." I would know only too well.

OOC: Eddie might be smart, but he can be a bit of a doofus sometimes.

Eddie walked in behind Drey, with Seth sort of behind him. "We can see in the dark too, you know."

OOC: Sorry if my posts are short. My coffee sort of deadened my brain. Not to mention my 360's driving me nuts at the moment...

OOC: lol, it's alright. I...sorta know where this is heading. Drey is being Drey at the moment, so I don't know if I'll hit a dead end or not.

I nodded and expanded the light anyways, sending it to hover above our heads like a lantern. "Sometimes even night vision isn't good enough to spot the danger, however," i cautioned them, and decended further down the staircase.
It went down in a straight descent, then began to spiral, cutting off sight of our exit. The soft rumbling behind us told me the door had closed. We were now trapped.

Seth took a glance behind him to see the door had closed. "That's just great..." he mumbled.
Edwin looked around, getting a bad feeling in his gut. "You know, Drey, does something not feel right, or is that just me being a wuss?" he asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"Both," I replied simply, and continued to press on. "You're trapped now, so I'd stay close to me if you want out anytime soon.

The Mage blinked. "I was just kidding. Unless I'm not as much of a warriors as I thought."
Seth looked at Drey. "Wait, so you know this place, then?"

"No," I said, continuing on. "I have no idea where this will lead."
The stair spiraled three more times before there was a sudden breeze the flitted up from below. There was a great pounding stir deep in my chest that made me stumble into the wall, the light ball above flickered from disrupted concentration. The pulse in me only happened once, but it was enough to scare me, and alert me of what I may find down there.
"Dark magic," I growled, my eyes beginning to glow a little. "This is definitely the right place."

Seth made a move toward Drey, worried. "Are you going to be okay?"
Eddie shivered, and The Scorpion within began to stir. "I sense the dark magic as well. Should I take over?"
The Mage shook his head. Not yet.
Seth sensed Scorpion, but he didn't mind. He was used to this guy having two souls, technically.

I sensed yet another dark source, coming from Edwin. It was different though. Could he be like me as well?
Put it in the back, Drey, you've got work to do. "Yeah, stay close though and don't do anything reckless." I continued straight down, keeping a careful check on my own darkness levels. I don't want that going out of control, especially not when there are witnesses I could harm. Damn it, this is why I don't do partnerships.

He could tell that something was bothering Drey, but Seth put it aside. He would probably find out later. Casting a glance at Eddie, who shrugged at sensing that too, he followed Drey and did as was told, staying close but still keeping a distance from Drey.

At last the stair came to an end, leading into a grand cavern hall. I strengthened the light ball and threw it high into the middle of the room, lighting it up.
Nothing seemed to out of place of a typical gang hideout: old tables with empty beer bottles, cards scattered across the ground, a battery-operated t.v. set. The only thing that was out of ordinary what the scent of darkness; stale, but still present. And I could still feel that breeze.
"Look for any cracks in the wall or the floor, anything that seems suspicious," I told the other too. "But don't try to do anything without telling me first; I don't want anyone getting hurt."

Seth was about to move when he noticed Eddie point at the ground underneath Drey. "How about the little crack you're standing on?"

I looked down. It was just a normal crack, but I checked it regardless.
I knelt down to it, placing my hand over it and muttered a few words in draconic. A blue-ish light glowed around my hand as I swiped it over the crack. nothing.
"just a normal crack," I said, and moved towards a wall.
then I felt something stir. In the air where the crack was. I spun around, watching it. Something was activating.
"Get down, now!!" I yelled to them.

Seth slowly did so, but Eddie didn't have to be told twice.

I hit the ground just as there was an erruption of magic energy coming from the crack, creating a torrent of wind gusting around the whole room, disrupting everything in the room and sending it all flying.
With some difficulty I raised myself off the floor slowly, trying to keep firm on the ground where I was and not get blown away. I placed my hands out and gave a push, calling forth my own wind and neutralizing the gusts that were blowing. Everything slowed and stop but the magic that cast this was still there.

Seth stood and looked around. Everything was blown out of place, but the magic, as Drey had sensed, was still there. He looked over to Eddie who stood and said, "Well, that was interesting."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Very."
I stalked towards the crack slowly, keeping an eye out for anymore traps. The magic was slowly fading away, but not fast enough for me to pinpoint where it was coming from. I dug through the concrete crack, breaking and pulling away broken debris easily until I found what I was looking for. A magic sygil. An old one, but still active.
"So, Phantom Mage, what do you make of this?" I asked Edwin.