A whisper on the wind

Nurmengard had not changed.

Not much, anyway... buildings constructed with the will of an extremely powerful magic user rarely showed the weathering of time, even when left to the elements for decades with little to no human interference.

Though that wasn't quite true, Gellert had resided here, in a past life, for many decades, it was merely his broken will, and of course his lack of magic, which had kept him from trying to escape...

Mind you, buildings constructed with th will of an extremely powerful magic user were rarely easy to escape, if its intention and cause for existence was to imprison people.

Still, it was unnerving to be standing here, on the roof of Nurmengard, awaiting the arrival of the select few he'd decided to... well, not exactly trust, but to use... use was certainly a better word, and trust, well it was closer to trust than most people ever got with Gellert Grindelwald.

He'd chosen not to revisit his cell... it was a testament to his weakness, and it was a place he had no real interest in... sure, it had occurred to him that finding the weakness he'd spent years looking for would be an interesting venture, but all in all there was incredibly little joy that could be found in choosing to correct yourself.

Now all that was left was to wait... the location, he felt, was fitting, as no one could possibly apparate straight to the prison, the wards wouldn't allow it, and nor would the distance... anyone crazy enough would splinch themselves to death ((I hope you're all reading this)), and best of all it was symbolic, showing what he was leaving behind in order to move further than he ever had, by making sure that everyone knew what that past had included.

Ne'Os had receive Grindelwald's call he had heard of the prison but only with vague rumors and books he had read on dark locations and of course a book on Gellert Grindelwald himself. Therefore he knew of the defenses that would obviously keep anyone from aperating in or out. He hoped that was the only defense to keep people out. Finding his old broom from the days he played quidditch and set off for the prison. After many hours of flight and a couple stops he caught sight of the prison. Remaining hopefully our of sight of a normal human's vision he made sure he would give a good impression he made sure the cloak he wore to cover his actual outfit was still securely closed.

Ne'Os circled the roof once to make sure it wasn't a trap and then hovered at the edge of the roof. He jumped off and landed in a crouched position. He let his cloak fall open as he stood to reveal a very thin polished decorative silver armor chest plate obviously it wouldn't even be able to stop a sharp stick if he fell on it let alone stop any kind of weapon or spell but it looked like a real piece of armor. He wore normal black pants and shoes that students at Hogwarts wore with there robes. His wand was on a belt with a small scabbard specially made for it. It looked long enough to be holding a sword but that part was as decorative as the chest plate he wore.

He walked up to Grindelwald and bowed slightly he couldn't help but sense the powerful magic around them. This was clearly a place meant to hold people in and keep them out. From what he knew of the dark history it was built by the wizard standing before him and then used to store the man that had it built. It was rather ironic in a sense. "Hello again" he said pleasantly as if he were speaking to a friend. He then steped back to a respectable distance as he waited to see what would happen. He placed his hand to rest on the hilt of his wand just in case he needed it to summon his broom back for a quick getaway.

Mikki was fairly sure she had been one of the first to know of her master's arrival in this realm, and she prized that more than anything, to know she was so important to him. She had done every task she had been asked by him. She had helped spread the fire at Hogwarts, thoroughly ruining the school and allowing the Headmaster to take the fall. She had spied where she had been asked to, she had researched, she had done anything.

Isaak was beginning to appreciate her more and used her less as a slave as he had before, and treated her more like the breadwinner of the family, as she really was. Isaak was too old and too avove everything to make any money, though occassionally he worked deals to get them quick landfills of gold, but she was out working and spying, doing their master's bidding. He had even surprised her to a clean house and dinner occassionally. Things were turning up.

She apparated to a hill far Nurmengard and followed the familiar path up to the prison, a place she had visited often. It had been empty and she found the atmosphere perfect to continue her obsessive study on the magnificent man that now awaited her. She had brought some of her usual equpment, and in no time, scaled her way up to one of the top floors and the continued her trek to the top, where the man himself waited. She approached, in her usual form fitting clothing best for stealth, a heavy cloak wrapped around her. Her eyes shined with adoration and she bowed her head, folding a little at the middle, as she said, "My lord."

Zada rarely slept. She was always working. She had been busy on Gellert's behalf, but since he rarely asked where she went or what she did, she didn't bother him with the details. He would, sooner or later, find her work of value. Today, she had dressed for the dank misery of Nuremgard. She chose black. Tight leather leggings, and a longsleeved black lycra top that was designed to be worn off both shoulders, accented with a wide black belt with a serpentine silver buckle The snake that wound around the buckle had glistening black diamond eyes. A similar silver snake with black diamond eyes coiled lazily around her long graceful neck. She finished it with almost frighteningly tall stiletto black boots. It made her tall, pencil thin figure look even taller and thinner. Zada rarely got cold, but she did intend to look threatening to anyone who dared to try to mess with her.

She portkeyed to Nuremgard to arrive with the others. Grindlewald appeared to be lost in his own thoughts for a moment, so she did not intend to disturb his reverie. Almost everyone she had ever known had had ghosts in their past, and she presumed that being sentenced here had caused him at least some need to come to whatever perspective he had on being here now. She also knew he didn't miss anything, so he was fully aware she was here. He also knew her enough by now to know that not interrupting him for something so trivial as a greeting was not intended to be rudeness, but rather, more of calm and confident respect. She nodded silently to them all, but chose to not speak until Grindlewald was ready and willing to be spoken to.

Felix Barker... a name many people knew now a days.. and a person that Grindelwald had specifically broke out of prison for his uses. Felix was content with that though.. knowing he had made a name for himself high enough to even be considered for saving by the great Grindelwald himself. Of course Felix knew he deserved it.. he was a rather skilled torturer, and his skills would come in handy someday. Felix wasn't to surprised that he had been invited to this... special meeting with Grindelwald, he wiped his hands off and went to change his clothes, up in his room. He cleaned up relatively quickly, and debated what to wear. He knew what everyone else would be wearing.. dark cloaks, dark pants.. and pretty much dark everything..

So of course Felix grabbed a white shirt, white shirt and jeans. He carefully grabbed his wand, and smoothed his hair down, making sure he looked immaculate, before he apparated as closely as he could get to the prison without getting himself splinched. Once at the prison, he looked around, and saw figures on the roof. He was late, but well, that's what happens when you need to look good to things like that.. he had been busy when the call came, with.. well, lets just say he enjoyed his basement a bit to much, an operating table, and a need to see blood were a nice thing to have when you tortured people for a living.

Felix walked up to the structure calmly, and looked up at the massive building in front of him. Oh well.. He went to the front door, and after a lot of climbing, that left him only a little breathless, he found himself at the top of the building, with the other people who had been called. "Good Evening..." He said to everyone in general, before bowing towards Grindelwald, and nodding at everyone else. "Sorry I'm late..." He said and grinned his white smile at everyone, taking in the other people there, before turning his full attention on Grindelwald.

Zada watched as the newest member of the crew apparate in. She had done her homework well. She knew exactly who he was and she knew his dossier maybe better than he did himself--like she knew everyone else's. She made it her business to know who was allegedly alongside her. She walked over to the young man lazily.

"So, you're our newest recruit," she said coolly. "You're as much of a liability as you are an asset. I don't question whether or not your...skills...are valuable. However, let us set ourselves straight on one thing, shall we? You see that sweet young thing over there?" She pointed out Mikaela to him. "I know how attracted you are to sweet young things. Let us make one thing very, very clear. That one? She is not yours." her voice was now a whispering hiss in Felix's ear, close enough for him to feel her breath against his ear. "Grindelwald does not want her harmed. You touch her, and I will kill you myself. And then Grindlewald will be certain no one who even knows you survives--especially your lady. She'll be the first on his list to go. And believe me, I am very, very good at what I do. If you want recreation, you find some other sweet young thing. So long as she is not important to Grindlewald, I could care less about what you do." She stood behind Barker, and she looked at Mikaela over his shoulder.. "SHE is not an option for you--not now, not ever. Do we understand ourselves?" She did trust that Mikaela could take care of herself, but she also did not want to leave any chance that Barker had the slightest thought of experimenting on Issak's niece. She owed more to Issak than that.

Felix's eyebrow's rose when a woman walked over to him. A VERY stereotypical female walked his way, and he stopped, his hands in his pockets, slightly slouched as she came over and spoke to him, quietly, threatening him. His eyes lazily drifted over to the woman who she gestured at. Sure.. she was a pretty little thing, but did his reputation make him out to be someone like that? In fact, the first thing he wanted to do, was laugh at the woman who had come over to him, completely unprovoked. He could feel a laugh building up in his stomach, and he slowly turned his gaze to the woman who was attempting to frighten him. He could feel her behind him, but his eyes stared at the 'sweet young thing' she had mentioned earlier. She was anything but sweet, or even young. His eyes gracefully appreciated her figure, before he laughed outright at the woman.

"Do you find yourself frightening?" He asked, not even bothering with a glance at her. "Anyone who finds themselves truly frightening do not need to make their threats known to people who really don't care. Obviously if I found your frightening, I would not be laughing at you." He ran his hand through his hair, and slowly turned to look at the woman. "I'm afraid I don't even know your name.. so obviously you are nothing big.. I have no fear for my life, or for my 'girl's' life.. because I have no intentions towards your friend." He chuckled lightly and shook his head. "You are a sad little thing... Somehow I doubt Grindelwald would care if I tried to.. I feel as though he had matters more.. important on his hands then your needs towards a friend to not be touched..." He laughed again, this time a lot louder.

"I have no doubt that you are... good... at what you do, but this world needs people who are great at what they do." He laughed again, and walked away from her, towards Grindelwald, where he stood, his eyes gazing over the landscape vaguely, as though that whole conversation had never happened.

Zada laughed out loud at the boy. She wasn't entering a competition with him, and if he felt like it made him more chosen by Grindlewald if he stood closer to him, then Zada wasn't going to be the one to burst the boy's bubble. Had she intended to be frightening, she'd have done so. And if Barker honestly thought that 19 year old Mikki didn't matter to Grindelwald, then Barker was sadly mistaken. Zada knew that Mikki's place and her own place within his organization was secure in Grindlewald's mind. Zada knew where everyone was supposed to fit. The warning she had given had been more one of sage advice on how to be with Grindlewald and not be chewed up and spit out.

Sometimes the male ego seemed to be a fragile thing. She looked at the other man--the other newcomer. He was not such a chlid as Barker. There was something about him. He appeared to be a seasoned warrior. From her reading, he was Ne'Os Emof. A man of questionable history, but apparently with the skills to be of use to them.

She walked the perimeter of the roof, her tall heels quietly clicking out a slow and steady rhythm as she walked, looking over the edge of the roof to the grounds. The negative energy that seemed to be pouring out of this place seemed to threaten to consume all who came here. It seemed to want to latch onto a person's soul like a parasite and strip the life out of them. She could feel it threatening her like it seemed to be threatening Grindelwald in some form or another. The reason it could not truly accomplish much with Zada was that there wasn't much happiness to strip away from her. She was, for all practical purposes, immune to the great curse of Nuremgard. Had she had any bit of affection, then it perhaps might have had a chance of affecting her. As it was, it was just another rather gray place that she had no particular feelings for one way or another. And so far, she saw no one here other than the standard prison guards who all seemed to be totally oblivious to the possibility of anyone being on the massive roof. She wondered if they were that stupid or if Grindlewald had cast a great shield of some sort to keep them hidden. She knew such spells were possible. She hadn't used one--not in the form he would have to do this time.

Zerekiah portkeyed to Numengard. He travelled at speed into the night. All of a sudden he found himself on a circle of magicians. As he looked around, Zerekiah hoped it wouldn’t take long to persuade Grindelwald to become one of his followers. He didnt want his proposal might have been rejected, but he had high hopes on it. He’d ensure it will be convincing. His wandering thoughts momentarily returned to the present. Looking around he found Felix, Neos, and Mikaela staring at him with a look of unknown facial expression that made Zerekiah wish he had Felix Felicis in his pocket.

"Greetings my Lord Grindelwald, I know you might not expected me to be here, but Zada told me about your arrival. And I am very honored that I saw you personally."

Zerekiah walked towards Grindelwald to kneel and bow down to him and managed a polite expression. His eyes gravitated to Zara’s pretty features relaxed with happiness because his friend is there. But as Grindelwald looked the old wizard up and down with an enigmatic smile, Zerekiah felt the blood was been drained from his face in excitement and nervousness while his hands stayed firmly behind his back.

"Welcome, Zerek," Zada said. "All is well, as I said it would be. He's been expecting you." She looked back down at the Nuremgard guards marching about the exterior of the prison like little ants on duty. Her wand hand itched. They would be such fine target practice--a chance to do a bit of fine, meticulous sport shooting. But, no. Had Gellert wanted them anialated then he would have merely asked her, and she'd have been delighted to comply. How disappointing.

She walked over to the other man. Emof. "Ne'Os Emof," She said studying him. "Your dossier was interesting reading. You do have a colorful past. I'm Zada. It seems we have have some common hobbies. This might be fascinating indeed." Gellert had an interesting way of choosing his allies.