The House of Heron

[Corwin]

"Austin's pretty close," Raven suggests, after thinking about Liron's question. "At least compared to any other large city I know of that has the library to suit our needs." He frowns, before the expression dissolves into one of uncertainty and he shrugs. "It'll take us a few hours to get there by car, but I don't see a better alternative, and we could always take a plane elsewhere from there."

[Corwin]

As he waits for Liron's opinion on their course of action, Raven takes out his cell and dials his mentor's number, figuring she might know something useful about either the ankh or the Austin magical library.

[Carthrat]

The phone rings.. and rings.. and rings.. and picks up on the last dial, a gravelly voice speaking...

"Raven, lad, what are you up to?"

[Corwin]

"Uncertainty with a side dish of trouble, it seems," he responds. "And how are you, Min-Li?"

[Carthrat]

"Older," replies the patient, yet so, so dry voice, a bundle of sarcasm and irritation combined with wisdom and patience.

"Nothing new, I see."

[Corwin]

"I somehow knew you were going to say that," he responds dryly, before Raven's tone sobers. "My old friend and mentor, Heron, was killed."

[Carthrat]

"Killed, you say? That's unfortunate."

Her words are dry and the tone doesn't change at all.. but you know she's not such a cold person at heart, under it all.

"I suppose this wouldn't have anything to do with strapping young blondes inquiring to your whereabouts?"

[Corwin]

"I wouldn't call that creep strapping," Raven tells her with a grimace, "but we're likely thinking of the same guy. Or guys, if there's a pair of blonds working together like I'm led to believe." He pauses, and takes out the ankh he got from Heron's house, holding it by the ripped chain in front of him. "There was this group of punks who trashed Heron's house afterwards. They all wore an ankh," Raven says, quickly describing it to Min-Li. "I don't suppose you'd know anything about it?"

[Carthrat]

"Not in particular," replies your grizzled mentor. "But know that the ankh is a symbol of rejuvenation, or perhaps rebirth.. many groups attribute significance to it. Many mystics, as well.. and things beyond the grave that rise again have been known to employ them."

[Corwin]

"That sounds excitingly freaky," Raven says with a snort. "I wonder who Heron pissed off to have a thing from beyond after him, if your hunch's right. Speaking of beyond the grave," he continues, putting the ankh away once again, "there was this prophecy me and my new friend, Liron, received just now." Raven relates it as he heard it from Liron, word for word. "I saw the blond, or a blond like him, kill Heron. And the Armageddon Clock is a clock I set in motion, which wasn't all that smart a move in retrospect. We think there's at least thirteen hours before Bad Things happen, though, so it's all good."

Raven snorts to himself again. "Got any insight into my woes, oh Wise One? Cause one would sure be appreciated about now."

[Carthrat]

"You've got two hours until something happens, then," replies Mei, totally serious, rasping through the receiver. "'The blonde twins and clock strike two'- think on that for a moment."

There's a slight pause, where all you can here is raspy breathing. And then- "The other two parts of that are anyones guess, though... hmph."

[Corwin]

"Yeah, I know," he agrees. "I'm not sure I see it as bad, though. The danger is mentioned when the clock strikes thirteen, so for all we know, it striking two could give me a vision of Heron's killers."

Raven shrugs. "I'm thinking, the ankh is the only cross-like thing we've come across, but I don't have any leads on the group wearing it. Like you said, it's too widely-used." He shakes his head. "I was thinking of heading to Austin to try and find some hermetic with a clue, but there's always the option of trying to find a lead on someone from the gang here. Do you think you could lend me a hand with research?"

[Carthrat]

"An Armageddon Clock, eh?" remarks Mei, eventually. "I'm not going to tell you what you look for, lad. Even a prophecy, with all the weight of destiny behind it, can go astray in this bland age." A hint of pain behind her words, memories that you will no doubt never see. "But I might be able to find something for you.

If you do go to Austin, I might be able to put you in touch with someone.. but, that thing say you'll win the day when you find more with the cross, so.. what do you think, m'boy?"

[Corwin]

"There's no reason we couldn't do both, I suppose," Raven says, mulling it over. "We can't get to Austin in a couple of hours anyway, so we could spend some time snooping around here before heading there."

[Carthrat]

"Where there's a will, there's a way," she remarks.

"I've heard of this Liron person, too," she adds, switching to Chinese. "Be careful around that one."