Sinister Collaboration

Caedes thanked him for his hospitality and began to look around his apothecary workshop. Azrael didn't mind; he quite liked when others admired his work and when he got the opportunity to share his expertise—especially with a kindred spirit like Caedes. Then the larger brute got to the point of his visit—the rumors of his and his father's work back in Saffron had spread. Ah, but of course they had! When there were wolves as sinister as the inquisitors amongst the mix, no one would feel safe daring to harbor any disloyalty or treason in their hearts. But to Azrael, it was a point of pride, and each of Caedes' words was a compliment that widened his smile. "Well, coming from a wolf as talented as yourself, I consider that quite the compliment," he replied with a dark chuckle. If only Sephiran would see his ingenuity for what it was...

Caedes came up closer to him and Azrael invited the other Saxe brute closer with a tip of his head. It was clear his colleague was interested in the injectors he was actively making, and Az encouraged the curiosity and discovery. Cae told him about the projects he had been working on in the Syndicate; compounds he was testing, though he needed more practical applications for his experiments. That piqued the inquisitor's interest. "My friend, you know I'd be more than happy to lend you whatever you need of me. Practical experiments for your compounds, methods of testing, opinions and insight, you name it." In the pursuit of bad medicine, Az was always willing to lend a helping paw.

The mention of something new earned the hulking brute a mischievous grin from the violet and ebony brute as he lifted up his most recently completed injector for Caedes to see. "This has been my latest and crowning achievement to date. A revolutionary new method for getting subjects to take the serums and drugs we want them to." Azrael placed one of the empty injectors into Caedes' massive paw to allow him to inspect it up close at his leisure. "So simple in function, yet so devastating in theory. The needles are stonefish spines. Thin, extremely sharp, and hollow. They allow the fish to pump their venom into anything that steps on them." Az moved to grab a piece of scrap leather from the workbench and an injector he had filled with water for testing purposes. He then demonstrated how as he stabbed the injector into the leather, the water inside the vial was immediately released through the spine, dripping down onto the table and emptying the vial in seconds. "The stonefish's spines are pressure activated, you see. So when they meet pressure or resistance, the tips of the spine stab and displace, allowing the liquid to flow through the hollow spine and into the subject's veins. No consent required."

It was horrifically sinister the implications of what Azrael had done. The Syndicate could effectively drug or poison whoever they wished without having to rely on getting the subject to willingly consume the poison. All it took was one accurate jab and the deed was done. "Do you think your mysterious compound might be effectively delivered like this?" he asked, then realized in a follow up, "What is this compound you're working on anyhow?"

"Azrael Saxe"