A whisper on the wind

Ne'Os had watched with some interest as the rest of the wizards Grindelwald invited had arrived. He was surprised to see Felix. Ne'Os felt Felix was to weak to be of much help beside a shield to soak up spells and save the others. He then watched as Zada and Felix had a little argument over who was more scarier Ne'Os felt Zada was the clear winner. He was yet again surprised to see a wizard he did not know find his way to the roof but he supposed he had to be of some importance as he was greeted by Zada.

He looked finally at Zada as she addressed him. He chuckled politely as he said "then i'm sure you realize that the reading you did doesn't cover anything of value if you were able to learn about it so easily. But then again i am sure anything i read about you would be equally as useful." he said politely. Giving her a polite smile he turned and walked to the edge of the roof and watched the landscape he wondered what was in store for the group of dark wizards.

Zada peered over the edge with Ne'Os. "They would make good target practice, if I had half a mind to do it," she sighed quietly and wistfully. "As for you, I was counting that your dossier was the tip of a larger iceberg. There is quite a lot of underground information that has more interesting stories about you. I could give you a copy of my dossier, but as you said, it doesn't carry the half of it.

"Our new friend, Zerek, is a very skilled Dark Arts potionsmaker. And be very, very glad that you're on the same side of the wand as he is. He is very good. He will be of use to us," Zada said. "So far, it looks like a good force. Including the girl--Mikaela. Whoever crosses her path will end up very dead. She can hold her own. Felix will have his uses too. He brings some strengths to us that round us out a bit. You are someone I would very much like to know a little better." It was something that Zada felt was necessary--for allies to get to know their strengths and the vulnerabilities so that they could support each other. Weaknesses needed to be covered, shielded, protected--at all costs. Strengths needed to be capitalized upon. She knew Mikki, Zerek, and she knew somewhat about Felix. She put a priority on Ne'Os at the moment.

"Four months of training brought me here: fourth months, and four lessons . Month One was ‘Hexes and Jinxes’; what they are, how they work. Month Two was ‘Muggles’; who are them, how they work and most importantly how to kill them. Month Three was ‘Curses’; how they work and each effects. Month Four was ‘Magical Beasts Breeding’; I’d love to pick basilisk as my beast to breed so I had to learn everything there was to know about them so I could become the best Basilisk Breeder I could. I can practice them now because I am now walking on the realms of darkness. Isn't that exciting?." Zerekiah asked himself quietly as he stood up.

Three pairs of eyes returned his stare of inspection as if his appearance was equally bizarre. He belatedly bowed and smiled respectfully to them before needing to grab a handkerchief out of his left pocket to catch a deafening sneeze. He had a cold because of continuously smelling the fragrance of his potions. He shoved the used handkerchief into his right pocket and turned to the Grindelwald. “Forgive me Lord for calling while obviously infirm. Your arrival is the most important for me.” His polite speech was punctuated with a long sniff.

Then Zerekiah met the Zara’s smiling eyes as a warm welcoming feeling prepared him to face his success! “Thanks for your warm welcomes Zara.”

Then he looked around and decoded to join Ne'os Emof and Zara, he steadied himself and tried to sound authoritative. “Greetings! I am Zerekiah, a friend of Zara.”

"You want to get to know me eh i assume you mean my strengths and weaknesses to be honest i don't know why i am here if he is looking for pure magic use i am nothing special when it comes to offensive and defensive magic sure i'm better than some advanced death eaters but i'm not great. I suppose non combative magic is my arena i have created some powerful magical artifacts i could make more which could come in handy. I doubt he needs someone who can make horcruxes since he can do that himself" he said and then paused not wanting to say the fear that popped up into his head. He had forgotten that Grindelwald once have the elder wand surly he wouldn't only need Ne'Os so he could kill him and take the elder wand back. He buried the fear hopefully before anyone looking into his mind could see it.

He was about to continue when Zerekiah walked up he greeted them in a authoritative voice Ne'Os frowned "I thought this was only for those invited by Grindelwald had i known we could have brought friends i would have brought a few" he said sarcastically "But as i hear you are skilled with wand work i shall hold my tongue or fear that I learn how skilled you are" he said yet again sounding sarcastic but this time with a small hint of challenge in it. Ne'Os had said combative magic wasn't his strong suit but it didn't mean he still wasn't deadly or not willing to show it.

"If it is a sparring match you look for," Zada said, "then challenge me. Zerek is an ally. I recommended him to Grindlewald because his skills are necessary for us. If you have someone of value that we perhaps should consider, then say so. Otherwise, as I see it, you withhold potentially valuable resources from us. As it is, when I see a potential asset, I bring it to Grindlewald's attention and he makes the choices. Not me. Or are you saying you don't trust his wisdom? If not, say so now, and I will be happy to dispatch you quickly and painlessly." Zada never stepped down from a challenge. Never. Emof's dossier had made her aware that he would not easily back down either. If he was looking to duel, she would happily oblige him. After the meeting--a sparring match, not a duel. Grindlewald could not afford to lose resources this soon. She had promised him she would not kill any of their allies unless they gave her need to do so. Or unless he asked her to. Emof was safe for now, and she was sure he knew it. She only wanted to make her point.

Mikki barely noticed as Zada removed herself from her position and approached the other man, whom Mikki had heard of and hkept tabs on. Honestly, of everyone she had heard that would be attending, she thought this man might be their most valued asset, just because he had already established himself in the community and he seemed to be the most feared. Emof was well known but had done little as of late. The others were just blips on society's radar. Mikki thought Barker had reason for being there, despite the other's obvious contempt, and she trusted Grindelwald had done wisely to include him.

Zada continued to warn him, a move that Mikki found rather uneccessary and sort of unprovoked. Mikki knew the woman was protective of her for some reason, a reason she seemed to associate with her uncle Isaak. She had wondered if there had been some sort of romantic feelings between them, but she did not think Isaak capable to human emotion. Then again, she was not the greatest vessel of expression either. Still, she had no worries concerning Barker and did not understand why Zada did. Mikki had done her homework on Barker- had tailed him once for information- but she thought she understood the man well enough to assume he would not simply attack someone for the sake of it, much less an ally. Besides, she was not quite young enough for the type he chose at random, and they had no bad blood between them.

The others seemed content on making small talk, which absolutely horrified Mikki. Did they not understand that Grindelwald- THE GRINDELWALD- had asked for their company, and now they chose to idily chat? Indigination grew within her and her eyes shined maliciously at the others before she turned them on her master, causing them to soften. She cleared her throat and stepped forward, closer to him, her eyes searching for any signs of what he wanted. Had he turned and asked her to jump off the roof at that moment, she would have done so without another thought. She just wanted to know what she could do for him.

Ne'Os looked at Zada again as she purposed a sparing match he wondered if she was suicidal it would be the worst mistake either of them could make to start using magic on the roof of a magical prison with guards inside of it not to mention the reaction Grindelwald would have to make. "I'm sorry but i will have to decline maybe some other time" he said giving her a polite smile. "And unfortunately you have failed to grasp the sarcasm in my earlier statement but if you are right and he is helpful to Grindelwald than i shall not speak of this again" he finished hoping Grindelwald would do something soon.

"Shut up," Gellert hissed, a dissatisfied look crossing each of the people who'd seemed so intent of speaking... almost everyone, actually other than Ne'os and Mikaela, who'd spoken only in response to others.

"I don't care," he said, quite suddenly drawing his wand and pointing it at Zerekiah. "This was not supposed to be a plus one event... it's just lucky that you seem to be able hold yourself with magic, else you would be flying off the edge of my prison. Still, i do not trust based one accolades and skills. Everyone here I chose based on skill, and proven loyalty. You, I do not know. You will have to forgive me," he said with an overly condescending voice, "if I choose not to immediately think of you as my right hand man," he finished, an irritated look flashing towards Zada.

"Emof," he then said, his wand lowering, but his gaze swapping to face the youngest member of their group. "I value your talents, that is why you are here, there is no other reason. We who have done even the slightest amount of research," he said, smirking over at Zada as he remembered the information she'd given him about each of the people who'd come here with the exception of Zerekiah, "would know that you are not someone to be trusted in any scenario. Still, I think that with that knowledge I'm well prepared to simply keep my eyes open, unlike the fool Voldemort," he said, a glint of malice flashing through his eyes as he mentioned the name.

"The rest of you... well, there is nothing else to say to you, as I really don't think that there's anything particularly interesting about any of your stories. You can mingle after I leave if you so wish, however for now we are going to talk business," he told them.

"I have a plan, and I think that each of the people who have come here should, and will be interested in this plan. It will require dedication, and it will require effort. I need to know right now whether or not you are willing to commit to this. If you aren't, you can just get out of here," he said sternly.

Zada said little, except "I'll stay." She didn't think she needed to make another public declaration of which side she stood on, but apparently he needed a lot of it. Old, resurrected wizards--powerful and egotistical when they'd been here, and certainly no less now when they'd conquered death itself. She'd never met anyone brought back with a horcrux who wasn't full of himself. Oh, hell. Let him have his ego. What did she care?

She was only slightly irritated that he had lied about her in front of the others. She had talked to him about Zerek. she had given him the written dossier. Put in on his desk right in front of his face. But that was part of the ego, she supposed. Needing to feel superior to everyone else.

And Mikki--she was 19 and stupid. Issak had designed her to be a slave. And with her crushing all over him, as close as she was getting to just draping herself all over him, they were going to need a room at any moment. She was overthrowing herself at him, and either he took no notice or he let it feed his ego without making any display, and she found the latter highly more likely. When this was done with, maybe Zada thought perhaps she'd off the old Russian for raising a doormat instead of a woman who could stand on her own, much as she liked Issak. Mikki was trying to become a woman, Zada gave her that, but because I ssak had never allowed her out from under his thumb, the girl was far more adolescent than grown. That, despite her skills, made her at least partly a liabilty as well as an asset.

Grindlewald had revelled in his past long past all of them gathering. And he knew where she stood. They had talked about it enough. She and Grindlewald had a mutual contract that neither had violated thus far. She would serve him, per their arrangement, but she cowtowed to no one. She wasn't disloyal, but neither was she willing to let him or anyone else wipe the floor with her, and she was positive that Grindlewald wasn't that stupid not to know that. She had presumed he had his plan pulled together. So when everyone completed this obligatory role call , maybe theyd' get down to business.

Was it fear that brought me here? Or curiosity? Vincent Majere was not sure, but for once it wasn't his ambition which was the driving force. Vincent expected nothing from Grindelwald, and wanted little to do with the man. He was not a fool, like the people standing next to him. Vincent knew that any power he would gain through allying with Grindelwald would be a charade, merely a gift to appease fools. If Grindelwald won, he would always control him, and always control them. He had resolved, almost the moment he had seen him, to work against Grindelwald. His victory would only mean more murders, tortures and abuses.So far though, he had done nothing. Vincent was no hero, and though he could aim a very good killing curse from where he was standing, fear kept him in line.

Vincent guessed that was why he was here in the first place, as painful as it was to admit. For Grindelwald surely expected him to be there, he knew his value, and if he didn't then he was a fool. Though he had never been leader, partly because he really had wanted nothing to do with death eaters, he had brought them from nothing to a force to be respected, at least. He had taken Hogwarts, Grimmauld Place and murdered Shacklebolt. Recently though, a few must of been whispering of his incompetence. Word had got out that Shacklebolt had survived, and that he had somehow failed to kill him. The truth was quite different, for Vincent Majere had left him alive on purpose, and then the old babbling fool had to reveal himself to the public… Its a bloody circus, and I am surrounded by clowns, he thought bitterly. Except of course, for Grindelwald.

The journey to Nurmengard had not been too difficult. He was aware which country it was in, and through some research quickly found exactly where it was. A portkey to the country was easy, and apparating near it too. But the journey up to the prison had been demanding of his frail body. Very soon he was breathing hard and coughing, yet he moved on. It was at times like these when Vincent wondered if it was all worth the price, but then he remembered, and kept going. For the Greater Good was inscribed on the entrance he passed on hsi way up… It was a motto he knew well, for it was something he had based his own philosophy on.

Not wanting to seem weak, he rested before he moved to where Grindelwald was. Vincent gave a quick round glance of contempt to everyone of them, noticing a couple people he had seen at the battle, but he payed them as little interest as the others. "My lord," he greeted, bowing slightly before retreating back to listen in silence.