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Tal's face cringes in thought. "I have been sleeping and woke to you knocking on my door. Since I am awake now anyway, might as well go check. Whatever sent those creatures after Jessica's family might have sent others to check up on them. One moment while I grab my stuff." Tal whispers back and grabs his spellcomponent pouch, staff and coat. He walks around to the nightstand, pokes the tiny scorpion there to alertness and scoops it up and places it on his shoulder.
He moves back to Delendir and nods, closing his door behind him.
As Tal grabs his things, there is a knock on the front door of the house. Shortly after, Grace opens the door allowing herself, Sunday, and a rather handsome priest in.
"If I may ask, where did you place Jessica's family? I would like to perform a consecration of their remains and help their souls pass on peacefully. While I do that, would you be so kind as to fetch Jessica," The priest asks Grace and Sunday.
At the Priest's request Sunday goes to fetch Jessica.
Delendir nods to Tal and moves to Jessica's door, there he knocks softly and whisppers "Jessica, are you awake?" and if she does not answer he adds "Are you ok?"
By the time Sunday and Grace arrive to the house, Delendir opens Jessica's door.
You climb the stairs and arrive at jessica's room just as Delendir is opening the door.
As the priest asks where Jessica's family is being kept, Delendir opens the door to find the room empty and the window open. Looking out the window either he or Sunday can just see two figures carrying two other people turn the corner.
"Jessica!" Sunday roars as he goes out the window and hits the street running.
"¡F%*!!" Delendir hits the window as Daud jumps down the place. Moving the arm he has Ghina in into the fresh air of the exterior night he says "Seek for Jessica and defend her!" and let's the hawk fly in the hope it can catch the offenders and give enough time for Daud to take them.
While Ghina flies in the air, the ranger turns to the wizard and shouts "Tal! They got Jessica! Daud and myself we are going after them! Let the others know and inspect the room for clues!"
That said, the ranger follows Daud's example and jumps through the window trying to land as good as possible in the street.
S&*&, I should had picked my bow
Elisai yawns, but grabs her blade at the knocking, suspecting that if she was being woken at some ungodly hour, she might have need of it. Opening the door slightly, brushing the hair out of her eyes, she quickly listens, attempting to bring herself up to speed.
"Well, this is interesting." Grace says, though she doesn't run out into the street. Instead, she draws her scorpion whip and moves to stand in front of the priest.
"If they wanted Jessica and have her, there is probably no danger. Still, better to be safe that sorry..."
After reaching the corner where the figures had turned, you find no trail to follow. Several minutes pass before Ghina returns to the ranger, having no more luck in finding Jessica than the two men.
All is quiet, and no intruders come to murder the priest.
The priest numbly sits in a chair and rests his elbows on his knees while holding his head in his hands.
"Why? Why would anyone go after Jessica and her family? It doesn't make any sense," he asks no one in particular.
Slowly consciousness returns. Whatever they used, whoever "they" are, leaves the two women with a dull ache in their bodies. They find themselves in a circle of light cast by a lamp hanging above them. Their hands are bound behind their backs and their legs tied together at the knee and ankle. A rope long enough to wrap around them several times binds them back to back. To make things worse, the two have been stripped to their small-clothes, the rest of their clothing and gear no where to be seen.
Outside of the circle of light is pitch black, though it feels as if someone or rather several someones are circling just out of sight. The floor is of wood planks and a chill wind seems to blow through the cracks. The soft sloshing of water can be heard coming from below.
Panting and snarling soon turn to whimpering and fretting as Sunday hastily begins walking forward, hoping to find something. Anything.
The going is slow, but you manage to pick up on a trail, a hair here, a footprint there. After a little while, though, you lose it when it crosses one of the main thoroughfares.
Delendir attempts to help Sunday to follow the track in their pursuit.
After a while insisting to find a way Delendir eyes become glassy as he understands they have lost the trace in the thoroughfare. He attempts to talk with some of the people "You! Have you seen a group carrying a woman? Just some minutes ago! You should have seen something!"
Picking up momentum the energy carries him onward before finally crashing him as he loses the trail again. At a mix between hatred and loathing Sunday morosely looks around as Delendir tried talking before finally yelling himself, "Anyone?!"
"Well, then. While the others deal with the kidnappers, let's see if we can't work together to get some answers, shall we?" Grace says to the handsome priest. "Perhaps in the kitchen. I'm sure we can both do with some tea."
Grace leads the good cleric into the kitchen and searches for the makings of tea.
"Let's start with the basics. My friends and I shut down a cult dedicated to a certain monster-birthing goddess, outside of Sandpoint. Then, while I was shining upon the stage, they dealt with a serial killer who had been under the influence of another cult. Skinwalkers. Or skinbutchers. Or skinners. Something involving skinning people."
Grace pumps water into a kettle and glances sidelong at the priest.
"Tell me, do you know anything about that?"
Kiley slowly awakens as well at Jessica's voice, a soft moan coming from her as she feels the aching all over her body. Grogginess is soon replaced by panic as she realizes that she is bound and in nothing but her small clothes.
"Jess? What's going on," she asks, a note of panic that has never been there before in her voice.
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Back in the manor, Tal searches through the room that Jess and Kiley slept in to find any clues that might direct them to the kidnappers.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Looking through the house and Jessica's room, Talathel finds that whoever took Jessica also took Kiley. They did so without a struggle suggesting they did it without waking them, or they managed to drug the pair before running off. Other than that the only other clue Tal can find is a note pinned to the bed with a black handled dagger.
You have caused our plans to fall into disarray,
Now you fight the Skinsaw men, much to your dismay.
It is your doom,
we carry 'neath th'moon,
And now you will all, the toll, pay!
Your actions to find out what became of your companions come to naught, though they do attract the attention of the guard.
"Oi! Woss all this racket fer, eh? Do we need t'lock ye up in the Drunk's Inn?"
The priest looks at Grace, his eyes wide, and for a moment, he appears to be much older as his eyes hold nothing but bleak horror. He looks back to his hands and sighs.
"Father Skinsaw," he says flatly, "one of the appellations of Norgorber, the god of murder, poison, and secrets. If his cult is involved, then I'm afraid it's too late for Jessica if your friends fail to catch her."
The man is terrified for Jessica. He's being honest with you, though.
"Silence," a cold voice whispers as daggers nick both Kiley and Jessica on the thigh before sticking into the floor with a thock. Suddenly, something begins to burn in the scratches on their legs.
"Oh, please be careful," a woman's voice as smooth as silk says from the shadows to Jessica's left and Kiley's right, "I'd rather not slay them for Father Skinsaw too soon. After all, what would be better than using these two to destroy the other four?"
"Of course milady," the voice says again.
"Good, then please prepare for the others, my love," the woman commands.
"At once," the voice answers before there is a rushing of wind, then nothing.
Kiley lets out a short gasp of pain as the dagger nicks her. Her body tenses as the scratch begins to burn, but the pain soon lessens as she blocks it out.
"What do you want with us," she asks, forcing the words out around the lump in her throat.
Jessica let loose a low cry as the blade cut her. The burning in her leg from the scratch begins to get worse and spread through further into her leg. "From the sound of it Kiley they want us as bai..." What ever had gotten into her system caused her to hiss in pain as it spread still further.
The burning begins to grow hotter and hotter as it spreads. Soon, all Jessica can feel is pain, brilliant, white-hot pain that turns her hiss into a scream.
After about a minute, the pain begins to subside leaving Jessica weak and covered in a cold sheen of sweat.
"Hmm, it would appear that one of you is tougher than I had imagined," the woman says dispassionately as she steps into the light.
Her figure is that of an elegant lady, a green and gold gown hugging her form. A gold mask covers her face, but does not muffle her voice, and black curls cascade down her back. With a flick of her wrist, the ropes holding Jessica and Kiley together fall loosely to the floor.
"You are interesting," she says as she motions with her hand at Kiley, causing her to float up into the air then over to the woman, "very interesting. Aldern spoke much about you as he became that thing you must have met. A small, slip of a girl with a strength that is surprising for her frame. I wonder if you will matches that."
Kiley tenses for a moment, but then her limbs go slack as something takes a hold of her.
"So, Kiley, would you call us friends," the woman asks.
Kiley's words come slowly, almost as if she were half-asleep.
"Of course, you seem like a nice person."
The woman chuckles and snaps her fingers. Kiley's bonds fall free before she herself is gently placed on the floor.
"That's good to hear, but I am afraid that one of your other friends has played you a fool," the woman says sadly, "The priestess there? Her parents are alive and well."
"But, I saw them. They were dead," Kiley replies, confusion coloring her voice.
"But there are some priests that can change the appearance of flesh. Maybe she had three innocents killed and had a friend from her order make them look like her family," the woman says, turning Kiley to look at Jessica, one finger tracing the curve of the petite fighter's jaw tenderly.
"Why would she do that? Why would any Shelynite help her," Kiley asks, concern furrowing her brow.
"She wanted to hurt you, Kiley," the woman answers, her voice full of concern and compassion.
"Hurt me," Kiley repeats. She looks up at the woman, her brow knitted in worry and confusion.
"Yes, she wanted to hurt you because she is not who she says she is. She is no priestess of Shelyn, but an impostor. Her only goal is to become your friend so that she can cause you pain. She only does this because it's wicked and cruel, and that is who she is," the woman says, her voice filled with urgency and just a hint of fear.
"But--"
"It was all a lie, Kiley. She's not like Nualia. She can't be redeemed. You know what you must do, because now that she knows what I know, she'll only hurt me to. You must beat her. No. You must kill her!"
"But I--"
"You must!"
"I CAN'T!" Kiley screams as she falls to her knees, clutching her arms tightly around her as she curls over her knees until her head is touching the floor.
"I can't kill her," she sobs quietly.
The woman looks surprised, she backs away, her hand going for a whip at her side.
"It appears I underestimated the strength of your bond with the little harlot," she says coldly as the whip unfurls. She snaps her fingers and Kiley blinks as whatever spell had her enthralled is released.
Just in time for a booted foot to crack into her side and send her flying to land in front of Jessica. Before Kiley can recover, the whip cracks into her back, the woman screaming, "USELESS!"
The whip cracks again and again, each time the woman screams "USELESS!" at the pair, but Jessica is spared the lashing as Kiley shields the priestess, Taking the blows on her back and shoulders. The whip cracks again and again, leaving welts, then cuts as the woman vents her fury.
Finally it ends, Kiley shuddering from pain and the woman panting from exertion. Arcs of blood cover the floor between them and the small woman's back is a bloody patchwork of criss-crossing cuts.
"If you value your lives, you'll keep her alive," the woman tells Jessica as she pulls out a scroll. Before the Shelynite can respond, there is a flash of light as the woman says the word to activate the scroll, and Jessica and Kiley find themselves in a cold, white void. Jessica's bonds crumble away, freeing her.
Kiley looks at Jessica, tears streaming down her face and blood dribbling down her arms from her shoulders.
"I-- I'm-- s-s-sorry, J-j-jess," she whispers in a pain-strained voice before she collapses onto the priestess.
Kiley lets out a moan of pain as Jessica brings her back to consciousness. Some of the wounds on her back had closed, but many of them still bleed. Jessica can feel the young woman's arms tighten around her, but it isn't the same as before when Kiley had hugged her. She's weak, barely able to move, barely able to hang onto consciousness, but still, she fights to stay awake.
"I-I'm s-s-s-sorry," she whispers weakly, I-I b-b-believed her. I-I believed her, even if only for a moment.
Jessica can feel Kiley trembling, fighting to hold something back, but Kiley had been weakened in more than one way.
"I'm sorry," she whispers again and softly sobs into Jessica's shoulder.
Shortly after Kiley breaks, Jessica notices a neat stack of items nearby: Two outfits of the same size, too big to properly fit either of you, as well as two fresh changes of underwear, which thankfully look as if they will fit properly, some bandages, a bottle of medicinal alcohol, two waterskins, and enough food to feed each of you for a day.
The outfits consist of a tunic with too long sleeves and a pair of pants with too long legs.
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Taking the note Tal walks downstairs to the others. "Like you said, the Skinsaw cult is behind the whole thing. Does anything within this note give any hints on where we can find them? Surely there are rumours about the cult, which alleys to avoid after darkness. Think!" Tal says with an urgent tone, pushing the note into the priest's hands.
"You don't have any magic that can track either of them?" Grace asks the elf, "I'm certain we can find little bits of Jessica here. Kiley never brushes her hair but our lovely priestess does and her hairbrush is likely upstairs, complete with hairs?"
Grace looks over the priest's shoulder. She, after all, has not read this note herself.
Kiley just nods at Jessica's words. Tonight had been too draining for her to do anything else. She does as Jessica told her to do and lies on her stomach, but when the priestess begins to clean her wounds, Kiley could not help but whimper in pain as the alcohol burned out any infection.
Once her wounds had been cleaned and dressed, Kiley changes out of the bloody small clothes and into the fresh set and dons the outfit, which looks as if it could be blown off of her in a stiff breeze. Tired, hurt, and too emotionally drained to be scared, Kiley soon falls asleep.
Jessica finds no residue from the poison, and while she can think of a few poisons and venoms that can sap a person's strength, she can't think of any that cause the kind of pain she felt. At least the poison seems to have run its course, though.
As for her and Kiley's injuries. The small cuts on their legs from the daggers are shallow, only a little deeper than a scratch. The gashes on Kiley's back are clean and shallow, but there are so many of them Kiley's back is going to be a patchwork of scars if left to heal on their own.
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Tal shakes his head with an increasingly annoyed look on his face. "No I'm afraid I don't have any of those type of spells in my spell book.
But maybe we could search the town for a diviner...I'm sure my parents know one or two. They have a shop with magical ingredients, so they probably cater to someone who could cast such a spell."
Kiley, roused by Jessica nods and takes some of the food and water.
"What would be the point of a watch," she asks after she'd eaten some, "there's nothing here, nothing but the two of us."
A couple of healing spells later and Kiley is in suffuciently good shape that minimal scarring will occur. "Well, I would think because we don't want both of us to be asleep if they pull us out of here early do we?"
"By the time we reach your parents and track down a capable friend, Sunday and Delendir will either have found them or it will be too late. We need a more immediate solution."
Grace begins to pace, trying to work something out.
"Perhaps... no. No, I doubt Jessica or Kiley are carrying an image of me. Otherwise I could... from now on you all carry pictures of me. I doubt a messaging spell will work. Those only have a range of a hundred and fifty feet at most. Damnation."
"What about you, dear sir?" Grace turns to the priest. "Tell me, do you have the means to find another of your faithful?"
"Our friend was kidnapped while sleeping in her house! We were alarmed by some footfalls and then we just found an open window and saw a figure carrying her in the night " the half-elf tries to shake the guard nervously "You are the law here! You should know who might have done such a thing!"
The priest sighs heavily at Grace's question. "There are blessings and boons we may ask for that would allow us to ask, but I did not ask for them this day," he says sadly, "and I'm afraid if we wait until I do, it will be too late."
The priest looks to Tal, his eyes dark, "You mentioned your parents may know of someone, if I were you, I'd go find them, and swiftly. It may already be too late."
"Get your hands off!"
The guard Delendir is shaking pushes the ranger away. His expression twisted in anger.
"Look, I know you're worried, but we've got bigger things to worry about than a kidnapping. If they just want money, you should get a note from them soon. If they want her for anything else, well, it's probably too late," the other guard says, at least trying to sympathize with the pair's plight.
"You assume you have a choice in that matter," the woman's voice echoes in the void, "While in this prison, you are at my mercy."
Black tendrils of shadow slither along the ground, surrounding the two young women.
"My, I'm sorry I didn't notice it before, but both of you have such fine tresses. That simply wont do."
The shadows creep ever closer, pure malice radiating from their forms.