Kurasaviel slowly portioned out twenty gold coins, holding them in his left hand and keeping the remaining coins in his right.
"We could do that. I could pay you for the information, and we could all be on our way, happy. Or...you could think about your future. You could work for us. A little less up front, but far more in the future. How would you like a job, kid?"
"Uh..." says Kei, blinking rapidly. His hand is outstretched towards Kurasaviel's left hand, though he's not trying to grab the coins. ...What kind of job?"
Kurasaviel smiled kindly.
"An easy one. I imagine you're familiar with this place. While we're here, you can act as a source of information for us. You can tell us about the city; where we might find certain things, which merchants might be most interested in certain goods we acquire. You can stay at our camp. We'll feed you, provide you with a warm place to sleep, and pay you twenty gold coins a week. If our business takes us out of this city before we would have paid you a hundred gold, then I'll immediately pay you the difference. No tailing dangerous adventurers or reporting to shifty patrons via dock barrels required. What do you say?"
Kei blinks, takes a deep breath, and then flashes a charming smile. "For a hundred gold, I'll do anything! And then you say that I can have a hundred gold and not follow crazy half-elves around that might kill me?" The kid whistles and wipes his brow of sweat, which had collected even in the late winter chill. "You've got yourself a deal."
The kid follows the party back to the caravan, where everybody but Sandru and Ameiko await the party. Vankor, one of the Dalmuvian driver brothers, informs whoever is curious that the pair are out on business, selling the things that were unwanted from the raid on Asvig Longthews' farm. They brought Kikiri with them, but only because the little scaly creature insisted that he tag along.
The first thing that the group does (after a few biscuits and leftover stew are pushed on the group, and Koya checks everybody over for any lingering injuries) is to attempt to speak with the crow that Tallak had killed earlier in the day. Ulf insists on standing near to watch the shaman perform his magic, more than a little bit impressed by the man's spell but attempting not to show it.
As Kura and Kei walk back to the rest of the group, Matin trails behind Kura, still invisible.
"Kura, this is your conscience speaking. I know we haven't talked in awhile but--you should give Matin one hundred gold coins as well. He's just a poor orphan who just survived being attacked by a green monster man and he could use the gold as well," he says, waiting a few seconds for Kura to react before he lets his invisibility drop.
"So--what sort of question do you ask a dead crow?" asks Matin as Tallak prepares his spell. "Where to find the best bird seed? Where it stores all its shiniest things? Wait, that's actually a good question. It might have a stash of coins somewhere."
Kurasaviel laughed out loud as soon as the human popped back into plain sight.
"Maybe not a hundred gold pieces, but that was a good one. How about I stand you your drinks for a week?"
Kurasaviel considered the matter at hand.
"Perhaps if it had any humanoid that was it's master. If it served anyone. If it nested anywhere specific. If it had any specific task. These are just ideas, mind."
"This bird was using some sort of magic. It is not an ordinary bird. I think we should ask it who it serves and where it came from, unless anyone has a better idea..."
Kurasaviel simply shrugged.
"That seems as good a plan as any."
Tallak casts his spell, and the drowned raven's mouth creaks open.
As he asks his first question, the bird croaks out, "I serve no one. I am my own bird." Tallak can tell it is just trying to appear impressive, though - it for sure has a greater master that it won't own up to.
Its second answer is more truthful, though - it says, "I was born on the First World, among the fey."
Ulf scrunches his face together. "Those questions were supposed to help us find Ukshakka how? I will not rest until we find her."
"Methinks the bird was willful and deceitful. I think we need to look into the Rimerunners base."
"We still have the angel we found on the pyre. If we could wake it up, it might be able to give us a lead," adds Matin.
Clara scratches her head. "It was born in the First World though, that's pretty interesting, eh? I suppose I should take a few feathers from it, to use in my experiments..."
At the look of annoyance on Ulf's face, she says, "But yes, right, find Ukshakka first of course! Good idea, Matin. I'm still pretty sure we can wake her if we take her to a consecrated place and make a donation or act of charity in Heaven's name. With her there, of course."
Pausing a bit, she adds, "And, um, we weren't able to find any tracks at Desna's church, but that doesn't mean there weren't any. Maybe we go back there with Shalelu, if she's free? She's our star tracker, right? She can look for tracks while we make an offering and try to wake up Helmrietta here."
Tallak looks frustratedly at the bird, tosses its body on the fire, and says, "Indeed. Let us search for answers elsewhere."
Clara snatches the bird away from Tallak. "Easy there! This bird could be a Great Gift to Fizzy Drinks.
"Probably not...but as great-great-great-grandpapa Umbilicus always said, a fey bird in the hand is worth two in the fire."
She wraps its body tightly in cloth and stows it. "So gang, sound like a plan? Shalelu, whaddaya say?"
Shalelu hops down carefully from her perch on top of one of the wagons. Kei's eyes go wide at the sight of her. "A real elf!" he gasps.
She ignores the little boy, walks up to the group, slinging and stringing her bow. "You want to go back to the temple where a priest was executed? If we can get in, I will be happy to help you check for tracks." Ulf grumbles, but doesn't say anything out loud.
"That would be good, Shalelu. It was supposed to be a safe house...doesn't seem like it was all that safe. Maybe Koya can look after Kei a bit? Show him around camp and all that."
Clara cocks her head at Ulf. "You have a better lead? Or just not happy that someone else might find tracks you missed?"
Ulf shrugs. "You think we will find tracks that lead to some secret lair in the city?" He sighs. "At best, we will see the feet of those that took Ukshakka, but don't we already all know who took her? I will go with you, because it is the best hope I have of finding her... I just doubt even the elf's ability to follow tracks in the city."
"We know who took it's true." Calder shrugs, "Would they take to a well known place though? Lets see what we can find before charging into someones stronghold."
"I myself am all for charging the stronghold...and by charging, I mean sneakily entering and exiting before an entire guild of enemies knows we're there."
Ulf turns his head up. "I will accompany you wherever you go, but know that when the time comes, I will not turn my head or my blade from battle. The Rimerunners' blood will water the Kirskål."
Shalelu listens to him for a second, and then doesn't respond at all. "Are you ready?" she asks.
"Yup! Let me just wear my sweet new hat...which is also an angel. This is way more interesting than sticking around in Sandpoint!"
Shalelu and Ulf take final stock of their things before the whole group packs up and leaves the camp once again, heading back out to the temple of Shelyn to look for new traps and to revive their new cassisian friend. Kei stays behind, content to chat up Koya and have some free stew, but he insists that they they in one of the wagons so that nobody can see him 'consorting with the enemy'.
On the way back to the temple of Shelyn, the group notices a fairly disturbing number of ravens following them. Dozens, at least, though not more than a few at a time. They follow the group through the streets, taking off and flying away whenever anybody gets too close or tries to attack them. Nobody exactly assaults the PCs on the way to the temple, though.
When they arrive, they find that it's been disturbed - the doors stand closed, and a pair of the King's guard stand outside of it. They aren't letting anybody in, and it's likely that they have somebody inside searching it. Ulf scoffs. "The guards are here. Shoulda figured - bein' a murder scene and all. We can just knock 'em out and go about our business, right?"
Kurasaviel shrugs.
"I'm more of a stab first kind of guy. We could try talking to them, though."
Shalelu slowly blinks at everyone's silence. "So... Are we going to attack those town guards?"
"As much as I love the idea of roughing up a few guards, that doesn't seem like the best course of action," says Matin. "We don't want the city watch after us in addition to the Rimerunners or whatever else. Either we sneak in, bluff our way in, or find another lead."
Kurasaviel nodded.
"I'm with Matin. Shalelu, think the three of us can sneak in, pick up the trail and sneak back out?"
Clara cranes her neck. "Sneaking in there looks rough...but I can make Shalelu invisible for a short while, if that'd help. I'd need to brew it, but it'd only take a minute."
Shalelu nods. "If it hasn't been trampled by guards, we might be able to find evidence. At the very least, of how many and what were in there. We could also recover the priest's head for interrogation. Tallak can do that, yes?"
Tallak nods, "I could, though I need a day to pray to the spirits again and prepare the magics involved. I am not fond of killing any Ulfen undeserving of it, and these guards are not involved in our matter. Let us keep our focus on those deserving our wrath."
"I think invisible Shalelu might be a good idea. Maybe some of you could cause a distraction?"
"A distraction would be good." Calder agrees, "Probably the less slippery should go and make some noise."
He looks at Tallak. "Feel up for a loud drunken argument?"
Kurasaviel was nearly disappointed that this was the planned distraction. He thought he'd get quite the kick out of Calder and Tallak having a drunken go at one another.
"Whoa, OK, before we get going...have we made a decision? If we're sending in Shalelu invisible and solo, I'll need a minute to brew her just the right fizzy drink.
"If several of us are sneaking in...well I guess I'm ready to try!
"...And if Shalelu (or several of us) make it in, are we really trying to abscond with the priest's body? I don't know how kindly Shelyn will regard us taking off with just his head, even if it is for a good cause..."
"You know, I could just turn invisible; it's kind of my specialty. Or I could make an illusion and try to distract the guards that way. Or maybe just pelt them with rubies. I guess that I'm getting paid regardless. Even though I'm not actually getting paid. And I'd rather hold onto the rubies."
"Only thing is, I'm probably not the best choice for talking to an angel. Perfectly good at breaking into a temple, just don't normally use their services."
Clara perks up at Matin's comment. "I think the main reason to go in is to look for clues. Shalelu might see some we missed. Secondarily...I guess we try to abscond with the poor dead priest's body?
"We can try to awaken the angel there or at some other temple. There must be less closely watched ones nearby, yes?
"Anyway, how many people can you make invisible? Maybe you turn Shalelu invisible, and then you or I go in together with her?"
Tallak smirks at Calder's suggestion, and was about to take him up on it, when a more reasonable alternative is given. "The illusion is likely the better plan, as it is less likely to end up with one or more of us in the brig to cool off."
Kurasaviel grinned at Tallak.
"It'd be fun to break you out, though!"
"I can turn two people invisible, and it'll last about five minutes. I think I should just cast it on Shalelu then, if we're just here to scout and try and retrieve the body. Don't know what else we might run into today," says Matin. He places a hand on Shalelu, muttering a few words to himself, and she vanishes in the blink of an eye.
He then steps back, pulling a bit of fleece from his pouch and weaving his arms back and forth, and an image of a woman clad in a beautiful pink dress--the sort of dress worn by the nobility of the city, but the hem muddied and tattered, and the woman's makeup is smeared with tears. The woman runs off in the direction of the guards, and Matin continues to chant--unlike the octopus, her steps have weight, and she sobs inconsolably, though no words come out of her mouth.
Shalelu nods at Matin as he turns her invisible. Then, with only the barest sound of grass and ice crackling underfoot, she goes quickly towards the temple. She needs about a minute or so, she thinks.
Meanwhile, Matin creates an illusion of a crying, disheveled noblewoman, who goes off to bother the guards. The guards look up at her, and though they both pat their swords, they come forward a few steps to talk to her. One of them, his voice nice and deep, asks, "Undskyld mig gå glip af, kan vi hjælpe dig med noget? Hvorfor græder du?"
While they step away from the door, you can see it open just ever so slightly for a moment, before closing slowly again.
The woman is still inconsolable; she continues to sob, keeping out of arm's distance of the men. She gestures frantically away from the temple, towards the nearest alley, which she then attempts to run to, gesturing at the men to follow her, while Matin does his best to keep from giggling.
The two men pursue the illusory woman a few steps away from the door, but then one reaches out with a hand to stop the other one. "Vente. Vi har arbejde at gøre, huske?" he says. The other one nods, takes another look at the young woman, and then the pair return to the front of the temple, sparing glances every few seconds to the weeping woman.
Ulf sighs. "She will be stuck in there unless we pull the guards away." he says.
Tallak glances to the others, "I hope you got something more up your sleeve..."
Kurasaviel grimaced a bit. This wasn't going to be fun.
"Oi, Tallak," he whispered, "I need you to come into this ally and, uh, punch me a lot. I have a plan..."
Assuming Tallak is game, Kurasaviel would slip away unnoticed with the man and anyone else that might help, and accept some strikes. Not enough to be injured badly, but definitely enough to be bruised and scraped up. Kurasaviel made sure to disarm himself, handing his gear over to Tallak for safe keeping.
Once he was sufficiently beat up, Kurasaviel motioned for Tallak to proceed him back to the group of people.
Gathering himself, smearing the blood around his face to make it look more convincing and readying himself for his biggest con yet.
Kurasaviel lurched forward, making no effort to hide himself, staggering as though he was a man on his last legs. Truth be told, Tallak's fists had made him more than a little woozy, so it wasn't as much of a deception as it might have been. He shuffled over to the guards, swaying for effect and reaching out to a nearby structure for support. When they spotted him, he made his way slowly (and obviously painfully) to them.
"Thugs," Kurasaviel breathed, "Down that alley! Robbed me...took my..."
And that was the limit of his "endurance". Kurasaviel pitched forward, looking for all the world like he had passed out. As he tumbled forward, Kurasaviel readied himself to soften his fall subtly if the guard didn't catch him.
Clara grins with interest at Kurasaviel's antics.
Oooooh, what's going to happen next?!