"…And if you try that once again, I shall personally kick your tails from here to Windhavyn," the Wolverine bouncer growled. "Don't think that just because you're one of Julius's friends that gives you licence to incite trouble." He released his grip on the collars about both Titus and Aranaya's necks and pushed them forward in one motion, so that they were forced to stagger to keep their balance.

Titus returned the glare. "Well, don't say we didn't warn you."

The Wolverine grunted, shrugged and departed, leaving behind him the two companions to stare at each other in complete loss.

"Well, it appears that trying to send the punters away didn't help," Titus said after a moment.

"Maybe it was a red herring," Aranaya added. "We've talked to every one of the crew and none have seen Dario or Tawny or anything out of the ordinary. Nor will any of them take us seriously."

"I've lost count of the amount of times I've heard 'the show must go'," Titus sighed, "maybe they're right. But what to do now?"

"I would rather like to get out of here," Aranaya admitted, "but maybe we should do one final circuit, just in case either of them have snuck in behind us."

"'Plan, I'll meet you back at the gate shortly." And the two parted company once more.

The stadium was filling up fast and Aranaya could see neither hide nor hair of Tawny nor Dario. She was starting to feel more then a little shaky. The Aye-aye had never been particularly fond of crowds - or people really, and now they were surrounding her. Occasionally one of them would jostle past her. A Serval with a sweeping Mohawk, dyed in purple and pink glared at her, and she realised she'd been staring at him. Or was it a her? What had happened to the world when it was all but impossible to tell the difference in gender? Aranaya did not consider herself old, but around some of these young Furrae, she felt particularly archaic. Soon she would meet Titus by the gate again to report the findings and then she could make her escape. It was all in vain - Tawny had clearly sent them off on a wild goose chase.

The sun stained the horizon a bloody red, streaked with violet and gold and from the stage came the first strains of music.

Instantly, the mingling crowds quietened and all turned as one to stare at the darkened stage. Slowly one light flickered and came on, illuminating Julius in gentle, calm light as his fingers caressed his harp. It was a glorious harp, Aranaya noted, even though much of her view was obscured, carved from rich dark wood and inlaid with mirrored jewels that caught the light and sparkled with it. She had to admit, the music was lovely, not unlike the gentle dance of rain. A moment later the piano joined in, joining in harmony. Aranaya was quite startled that a rock band could actually sound so beautiful. Then Julius stood up and Aranaya found herself moving closer to the stage, towards the hoards.

He had changed his clothing, and now looked quite stunning in a silk white shirt with voluptuous sleeves and hanging open to reveal the patterned fur of his chest. He wore a glossy black, studded collar around his neck and grasped the microphone casually in one hand.

"Why, hello Eriwyn," he said, amidst great whoops, cheers and wolf-whistles (some things will never change). He bowed and strutted with a great deal of pomp. More younglings pushed in front of Aranaya and she was forced to stand on tiptoe to watch. Part of her knew that she should be patrolling the perimeter, seeking out danger or Titus, but there was something so charismatic, so compelling, about the frontman of Aeternity - even though he was not a young man anymore.

And then he broke into song. His voice was low and filled with emotion. Tears sprang to Aranaya's eyes and she blinked them away in embarrassment. The crowd had coagulated into a mass before her, all but blocking him from view and without making a conscious decision she began to edge her way past them and towards the stage. And then someone tapped her on the shoulder and a low voice hissed in her ear:

"Don't forget what we're here for, Poppet."

She turned to find Titus standing right beside her. Annoyance flared in her - he had interrupted the music. An instant later the wave passed and she wondered what had come over her.

"Don't let yourself be drawn in," Titus added, "he's good at that." He glanced around at the crowds, and Aranaya followed his gaze. The audience stood as a whole, a mass of zombies whose entire dedication was towards the stage and the Lycaon that played his harp before them. The mass swayed in perfect timing with the music, as if they had ceased to be individuals and congealed into one large and bizarre being.

"How?"

"Lyrical magick combined with charisma," Titus replied, "'tis a grand selling point. It also explains how, as old and arrogant as he is, he still manages to pull the babes. So watch out, Poppet, I don't think he'd try anything with you, but I can't be sure."

Aranaya frowned, vaguely offended at the comment. Sure she might not be that young and pretty, but it did hurt to be told it so bluntly.

"Don't look at me like that Poppet, I'm just saying he wouldn't try messing with you because you're my friend. Nothing else. Don't get all sensitive on me."

"Oh. Well I'd like to think I could resist his charms, magickally enhanced or not."

"And you probably could, but this isn't helping us avert disaster is it?" He paused. "I daren't split up in case his song draws you in again. I can resist it - I've had experience in such things," (he did not elaborate), "but you my dear, appear to be susceptible to it."

"And what about them?"

"I very much doubt they'd be open enough to be susceptible to anything."

"So how can I block it?"

"It's hard," he explained, "but you have to sort of put it to the back of your mind so it is nothing more then background noise. Do not be tempted to focus your attention on it for even a fraction of a second - or it'll drag you in again." He stopped, mid sentence and stared at something. For a moment Aranaya thought he'd let his concentration slip, but then followed his gaze and saw the unmistakable shape of Dario, lurking amongst the tree-benches. Her heart grew cold and hard at the sight of him and vague nausea welled in her. She could not bear to look at him for long and turned her face away.

"Well, he's here," she said in a low and dangerous voice. "I wonder where she is?"

"Me too," Titus replied. He was glancing about restlessly.

"So what do we do now?" Aranaya asked the question, dreading the answer. She realised that whilst she did not want Dario to live, she didn't want to be the one that killed him. There had been too much between them.

"We watch him," Titus replied, "see if he behaves suspiciously."

Aranaya shivered, she did not like this turn of affairs. It was impossible to look upon him without remembering the man he had once been - the man she had loved and pledged her vows for. Her fingers darted involuntarily to her right bicep, where once she had worn his wedding band. After his betrayal and incarceration, she had burned it.

On the stage, Julius had begun speaking again, and his melodic tones called to her, threatening to drag her concentration away from the urgency of the current situation. It occurred to her, albeit fleetingly, that with such mesmerising talents, the audience were extremely vulnerable to attack. No wonder the Nocturne had targeted them.

"Rather more then a few years have passed since last we played here," Julius was saying, "and around us the world has changed. But some things will never change and one of those is Elysia, the Light, She who implores us to harness life and live it to the fullest. So that is what I would have all of you doing here tonight, reach out and take your life and never let anyone steal your dreams." He paused and then shrieked, "Follow your heart and your dreams will come true!¹" And then the guitar began and he broke into song once more. Aranaya managed to snap free of his entrancement before it had her fully in its grasp. Religion in music was something she was not quite sure if she approved of - especially in this sort of situation. It rather reeked of brain-washing, even if Elysia was a fairly non-demanding Goddess. She could never forget that moment when Dario had declared that she had lain with Valiklaw and was thus a tainted whore, and that her son, their son, was demonic spawn. There was nothing harmless in that sort of worship. So how had it come to be that Dario was allied with the Nocturne, the tools of Valiklaw? It made little sense that she could see.

She glanced across at him again and saw that another had joined him. A short, gangly fellow with huge eyes and a nervous twitch. There was something oddly familiar about him…

"Titus," she hissed, "that's the guy that was fiddling with the wiring. I thought he was one of the stage crew, but now I think of it - he wasn't about when we were doing our interviews."

Titus's ears flattened, "it was? Oh…" His forehead creased, "if they've set up something in the wiring - who can tell what's going to happen?" He began to push through the crowd, elbowing Furrae right and left. It was enough to break most of them from their trances, especially when he started shouting at them to "leave, leave now!"

He didn't even make it to the stage before the Wolverine caught him, huge hand closing about his twin collars and half-throttling him as he was lifted from the ground.

"That's enough from you," he growled, man-handling him towards the exit. He paused as he reached Aranaya. "So, lady, you wanna leave too?"

Aranaya did want to leave - desperately. The crowds made her feel trapped and vulnerable and the close presence of her psychotic ex-mate had her hackles on end, but Titus's eyes implored her to stay - to stay and try and set things right. She had not the foggiest idea what to do. Titus had been aiming for the stage, that much was plain, but she had neither the confidence nor charisma to get up there and warn the crowds. But what was she to do? She could hardly sit there on the outskirts like Dario and his bug-eyed friend and merely watch the proceedings. "No," she replied, "I think I'll stay. See you later, Titus."

The Wolverine grunted and then proceeded on his way, dragging the skinny Feline with him.

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