Old Flame… Or Not?

"Why do you think Shiv is in charge?" Duncan asked Briggs as he ordered something that burned the nostrils due to the alcohol percentage from the ugly bartender.

Briggs remained silent for several long seconds, apparently deep in thought.

Shiv also remained silent, and sat at a table within earshot, putting his back to the two short men. All of his physical attributes had been enhanced quite a bit, as far as he was able to tell. Not just his strength and endurance and stomach capacity. When he entered the bar, he had intended to sit by Blaze, who was sitting at the bar herself, drinking some bright red liquid. But Duncan's question caught Shiv off guard, and he didn't want to interfere and stop the interaction from playing out.

Finally, Briggs answered. "He's the one with the goal, isn't he? He's also the one who brought all of us together. United us under the banner of destruction, so to say." He chuckled darkly.

Duncan smiled. "You've just about hit the nail squarely in the point."

"The head." Briggs corrected immediately.

Duncan ignored the correction, as always. "But does that really explain why he's managed to stay in command? If you look at it objectively, you're the most powerful mage, as well as the most experienced at leading and war." Shiv heard Briggs grunt in a non committal way when Duncan paused. "And I'm the handsomest, the tallest, and the smartest out of the three of us… so what does Shiv bring to the chair?"

"It's table, you air-headed idiot." Briggs groaned. "I don't know. Tell me, oh great tall and smart one, what does Shiv bring to the table?"

"I see you're starting to take up his habit of random, incomprehensible insults." Shiv could hear the disapproval strongly in Duncan's voice. "He's got one other thing that sets him apart from the two of us. I want you to tell me when you figure it out." The last part was said with a hint of amusement, and Shiv couldn't help but curse when he wasn't able to learn the apparent secret that kept him in charge of the group.

In all honesty, he'd never thought about it. It was just a matter of course. He was out to destroy the world, and Duncan and Briggs were providing extremely helpful aid.

"If you weren't going to tell me anything, why start this conversation in the first place?" The annoyance was easy to hear, even through the mumbling and talking of everyone else in the bar.

"I just want you to pay attention and let me know what it is you think sets him apart from us." Duncan said with a smile evident in his tone. "Oh, and Shiv, you're terrible at hiding."

Shiv winced, shrugged, and walked over to take the empty seat in between the two of them. "You guys done planning your mutiny?"

"We're still working on the details, but for the most part, yes." Briggs grinned wolfishly.

"Tell me when and where to strike, and I'll be ready." Shiv asked the bartender to give him whatever the girl petting the fiery wolf had.

"And who is it you're planning to strike… Mackey?" A new voice introduced itself into the conversation.

Shiv took the cup of red liquid the bartender gave him, and took a sip as he glanced over his shoulder at who had spoken, only to cough and spill it all over Briggs. He was too stunned to apologize to the short man, who was cussing up a storm and wiping the stuff off of his face.

"Jacqueline?" The redheaded woman standing in front of him was all he could see. She looked almost exactly as he remembered, though a bit more muscular and… wild, now. Especially with those blood-stained furs and leathers that she was wearing.

"Are you kidding me? How many times are you going to make me say it!" She threw her hands into the air and looked over at someone to her right with an exasperated expression, though Shiv couldn't take his eyes off of her. "You may refer to me as High Priestess, Holy Nun," She grinned maliciously at Shiv. "Or your Executioner."

Shiv slowly stood up from his seat and slowly reached toward her face, hardly believing his eyes. "What are you doing here-" He was cut off by two swords crossing at his throat, an axe lightly grazing the back of his neck, and several ranged weapons cocked back and ready to launch into his body.

"What's gotten into you, Mackey? You're acting weird. I mean, I know you've been on the run for… years… now, but surely the Great Mackey hasn't gone insane, right?" The girl who looked like Jaqueline spoke with a wary look as she held a dagger point a finger's breadth from his left eye.

Shiv still wasn't getting it. "What are you doing in this hell? You're supposed to be back on earth!"

"What is he talking about?" A man with a well-groomed mustache stepped forward and examined Shiv.

"I don't know. I think he's lost it." Duncan finally looked over his shoulder to inform the tense group before returning to his drink with no change in his bored expression. Briggs had walked off to find something to clean off the red stuff from his clothes and face.

"What name are you going by now, Mackey?" The woman asked.

"I… you're not my girlfriend, are you?" Shiv sighed. "The name is Shiv. Not Mackey." His words drew a roar of laughter from the redhead.

"What kind of a ridiculous name is that? And you know I'm married, buddy, so keep your flirting to yourself." The last thing she said was accentuated by a jab of her knife and a dark look, though Shiv didn't flinch.

He had a skill… cursed as it was… that would protect him from their weapons, but he wasn't going to use it, and that wasn't what provided him with confidence, anyway. He wasn't actually feeling confident at all. Just numb.

And royally pissed.

"Listen, woman, I get that you're not Jaqueline, but I really would rather you went far away from me… I'm not sure I can kill you, even if you aren't her." Shiv sighed and rubbed his face, ignoring the weapons scraping his skin and trying to calm down.

"Hey, father, Uriel and I want to go climb something so we can see SUPER far! We'll be back in a bit, so don't worry!" Blaze gulped down the rest of her drink and waved at Shiv as she rode her wolf out of the building.

"Hey! No! I told you that you were supposed to… great. She's gone." Shiv groaned. "Duncan, can you go get her? I would, but I need to deal with these suckers first."

Duncan gave him a hurt look. "I was just reminiscing about the old days, though." He sighed dramatically and stood up. "Fine, fine. I will go get the scary little girl and attempt to bring her back. I make no promises, however." He adjusted his coat and moved to squeeze through a man and woman wearing the same garb as Not Jacqueline, but they blocked off his route.

"No associates of Mr. Shiv," The redhead snickered, "are allowed to leave, sorry. I'm taking all of you to the church, where we're going to find out about your crimes and kill the lot of you."

"Mister who? I've never heard the name in my life. Now if you would just step out of the way…" Duncan blatantly lied and tried to step between them again, but was stopped.

The Mirrors were spread throughout the room, drinking and talking, but also watching the interaction with sharp eyes, ready to interfere if their boss signaled for it.

A loud curse drew everyone's attention to the entrance of the tavern. "Duncan, how many times do I have to tell you not to flirt with married women?" Briggs entered, now mostly clean, with a sour expression.

"Believe it or not, it was Shiv this time." Duncan pointed an accusatory finger at Shiv, who was staring intently at the girl who looked exactly like his girlfriend… much to the discomfort of the mustachioed man who kept trying to break Shiv's concentration.

"What? She started it!" Shiv finally moved his gaze to Briggs with a defensive tone.

"All of you are insane. I'm taking you two in for being Mackey here's associates. Mackey, I'm bringing you in, finally, for murder, fratricide, theft, and heresy. If you resist, I will be authorized to use whatever methods I deem necessary to complete my mission."

"You've got the wrong guy. His name is Shiv, not Mackey." Briggs informed the woman on no uncertain terms.

"It's alright, Briggs. Remember? I'm blessed by divinity." Shiv shook his head at his powerful companion. "Where do you want to take us?"

The woman glanced at the mustached man, who nodded, then shrugged and spoke. "Normally, you'd be taken to see the High Priest at the Church, but you're a special case… so we're taking you to the castle instead."

"Ugh. I hate castles." Duncan groaned.